Thursday, November 29, 2012

Read and eat -- books for cooking and eating and living vegan

So other than the mutant case of strep throat I seem to have picked up from my youngest daughter (neither she nor the other two kids got sick but mom has been miserable), I've been feeling much better not eating meat, fish, or dairy. And I've had time to read a lot more and when I've felt like it, I've been cooking some great stuff.

My latest finds? Main Street Vegan by Victoria Moran, with Adair Moran. More of a good read than a cookbook, although there are recipes following each chapter, plus a wonderful index at the end of companies that are vegan. The problem is that some of those companies are actually not vegan. For that information, I would see www.leapingbunny.org. For cosmetics, body products, and household cleaning products, I think this is a really good reference site.

The book I'm cooking my way through now is Viva Vegan by Terry Romero, co-author with Isa Chandra Moskowitz of Veganomicon, probably the one book I want for Hannukah/Christmas this year. Although I'd take Viva Vegan as well (hint, hint, if my kids are reading this!). The latino recipes are fantastic; I've made Venezuelan black beans and yellow rice with garlic and I couldn't stop eating! And I made a batch of aceite de achiote (annato oil) to cook with. I'm actually thinking about making homemade vegan tamales for the holidays as well. Thankfully, the Scottsdale Public Library has a great selection of vegan cookbooks; I'm enjoying myself.

Anyone have any suggestions for other books to look at or other website for vegan products? Oh, and by the way, for cheap and wonderful fresh food, if you live in Arizona go to Food City. I bought achiote seed for $.79, a big bunch of fresh spinach for $.77, two avocados for $.98. They had tons of dried beans, in bags and in bulk, all really cheap. Next trip: peruano beans ($.99/lb.).

Happy reading and eating.

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