Friday, December 28, 2007

The Veganomicon

My husband trains for marathons...
I play World of Warcraft...
My husband worries about what he eats...
I eat butter pats (sorry guys and gals, gross but true)...

His cholesterol levels are off the charts (think Lipitor for the under 30)...
Mine, well, all of my typical doctor-type test levels rock (thank you ever forgiving Irish genes)...

So...

As a wedding present we received a gift certificate to Borders and as usual I check out the cooking section. This time I pick up the Veganomicon, in my estimation a bonifide vegan cooking bible. Let me say folks, (awesome name and all) it does not disappoint.

Now for the record, I'm not sure I am a person who will ever go completely vegan (although for the most part, I'll try anything once). The fact remains however that I have the tendancy to take vegetables and fry them, boil them, bake them, or salad them and not much else - the "not much else" part being: actually seasoning them or really making something out of them as a stand-alone.

In tandem with this, how, how I asked myself, does one cook without cheese? (Cheese is apparently one of the cholesterol enemies? *sigh*)

Cooking vegetables? A forgotten art?

How did this happen to a self-described avid vegetable gardener?

Anyway, if you get a chance check out the Veganomicon. It's simple to use and definitely foodie. It is filled with recipes (meals and desserts) that are off the charts and made completely from flora.

Two new favorites: Coconut-lemon bundt cake, lasagne marinara with spinach

A note on the lasagne: I have to say that this really blew me away. Lasagne without cheese? Admittedly, my initial motivation was curiosity. What exactly would homemade tofu "ricotta" possibly taste like? In the end, the dish was a hit and even hubby - the ultimate cheese hound - loved it.