Cookering Bookering, or: I have purchased more instructional veganic literature

I've oohed and aahed before over the excellent vegan cookering bookering section at Dymocks in Collins St.  They seem to have more all the time, including Terry Romero's Viva Vegan for those who like Latinesque foodering (not enough pictures for me ... yet. But I do really like the cover and think it's a bit a la Nigella ... so therefore mainstreamish and more appealing to audiences. I rate that). 

Dymocks' psychic pull on me is intense, because recently I have bought:

• The Vegan Table by Collen Patrick-Goudreau (also of The Joy of Vegan Baking). We've made some verrry noice burgers from it. No pictures, breaking my usual rule, but beautifully laid out and fonted. (Fonted?).

• The Ultimate Vegan Cook Book (not Veganomicon ... I can't find a picture of it and it seems like a stock published book, but it was only $25 and it even has instructional pictures)

• Clean Food by Terry Walters. This book doesn't contain the word 'vegan'. But any book that uses agar agar in dessert recipes sure darn is. Quite American as its focus is seasonal ingredients, but still looking sensational and heeeeeps of recipes.

• Babycakes by Erin McKenna (even though I'm not really a bakerer, I loved the purdiness of the book and also the chance to cook something vegan and gluten free so I can share it with Buzz's mama)

• Easy Vegan (again, a publisher only book, but 'easy' rings bells in my soul)

• The 30 Minute Vegan by Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray (like 'easy', 'quick' is like angel wings beating against my heart). 

My collection is growing ... soon to take over more shelves in the kitchen and colonise a cupboard. 

Kerry Greenwood's latest book 'Forbidden Fruit' - thoughts and an invitation, or: an open letter

Dear Kerry,

I write as a long time fan of both the Phryne Fisher and Corinna Chapman books. One thing that I have always admired about both series, particularly Earthly Delights, is the sensible and inclusive way that you handle people and groups who are often misunderstood by society - Wiccans, S&M, recovering addicts, goths and the homeless for example.

I was surprised to read the portrayal of vegans and animals rights groups in Forbidden Fruit. While I understand that artistic licence can be invoked for literary means, I found the portrayal of the motivations, philosophies and people confusing and disappointing.

I am vegan and focus very heavily on making sure that my decisions and ethical positions are reasonable, rational and accessible to others. Even the most 'extreme' liberationists I know, of which there are very few compared to the mainstream midground, fall well short of the characters in the book. I am concerned that these characters, untempered by some exposition on what most vegans are really like, perpetuate the myth that we are all foaming-at-the-mouth fanatics about to launch ourselves over the dinner table to wrestle the steak from your fork. We really do cop a lot of criticism from the uninformed and the belligerent, and we work very hard to engage and explain to the interested.

I was surprised that there was no point at which any reasons for veganism were put forward even in explanation, even though these reasons range from animal liberation to welfare to environmentalism to health. There are as many reasons to be vegan as there are vegans, but I didn't read anything that might imply that these reasons might be valid and rational. Vegans do not eat, wear or consume animal products not because we are slightly unhinged and extremists, but because we care deeply about animals, the environment and our health, and because we have thought deeply and carefully about our decision. I would have loved to have seen some acknowledgement of this in the book, even in a small way to counteract the perception that we are all Sarahs and hopeful cannibals, or Janeens who secretly crave and sneak dairy.

And we love food! I am yet to meet a vegan who is not obsessed with food and, particularly, baking. We have regular potlucks and most of us blog about food too. I would love to suggest a few blogs that you might consider reading, if you might be interested in reading a little of what we do (and cook)? I attach a list below, as well as some sites which try to explain why we feel that eggs and dairy are just as objectionable as meat, which seemed to be a sticking point in the book.

I would also like to extend an open, and very warm, invitation to you to attend one of our potlucks. I promise that the food will be delicious, and the company unextreme! We love to share our food and cooking with one another and recent triumphs include tiramisu, sausage rolls, tequila cupcakes, savoury watermelon salad and (my own) peanut butter ice cream. We would love for you to come along; we have a great community and appreciate the opportunity to share it. You would be most welcome at any time.

With thanks for two wonderful series of books, and in hope that you will have a read of our blogs and perhaps admire the baking,

Warm regards,

Rachel

PS: I am writing this as an open letter and publishing it on my blog in the interests of my own transparency. Please feel free to respond publicly too.


Blog roll:
www.misstprincessvegan.blogspot.com (my own blog)
www.bluerthanpink.blogspot.com (Kristy)
www.cupcakekitteh.blogspot.com (Mandee)
www.lisadempster.com.au (Lisa)
www.fairestfeed.blogspot.com (Pip)
www.veganabouttown.blogspot.com (Steph)
www.veganyumyum.com (USA - Lolo)
www.herestheveg.blogspot.com (Cindy and Michael)
www.theppk.com (USA: website of vegan chefs with massive baking component)

Other sites:
www.animalsaustralia.org
www.voiceless.org.au

Magic and mystery in the kitchen, or: Honey, I baked!

Some people are cooks, and some people are bakers. If I didn't realise before, my disastrous and tantrum-inducing attempts to cook cupcakes for Christmas have only confirmed for always and ever that I am a cook and that the mysteries of whisking, sifting, beating and icing will never be revealed to me. Pass me the chili and garlic please.

When I discovered five very very ripe bananas in the fruit bowl, it took me a couple of days to get my back straight, my shoulders back and my upper lip stiff enough to face making the inevitable banana bread.

I took the Lower Fat Banana Bread from Veganomicon and made a few subs - I couldn't find applesauce in the supermarket so I used pie apple; I ran out of plain flour and used a 1/4 of a cup of self raising instead; I used three large ripe 'nanis because I just had so bloody many; and I got liberal with the sugar (and cinnamon sugar instead of ground cinnamon). I found it quick and surprisingly easy to make - all done in a bout 20 minutes, and the only ingredients I needed to buy were the nutmeg and apples. Result? Honey, I baked!

Below: after about 20 minutes in the oven at 180. It needed about 45 minutes all up.


My only change for next time would be to either double the ingredients if I were to use the same loaf pan, or to find a smaller one. This pan was too large and made for a flat shaped bread, and I have a feeling that banana bread, like hair, runs on the principle of the higher the better and the closer to God.


The banana bread came out moist, soft, light and well-formed. The nutmeg was mild but a great spicy foil to the fructose and sucrose. It was a bit more muffin-like than other banana breads I've had but I think I actually prefer it this way as it didn't sit heavily and gluggily in the stomach. Considering that the recipe calls for no soy milk, I can only lay this at the feet of the canola oil and mushy nanis.


So, am I a baker? No. I like to cook, I am intrinsically better at cooking, and I will always have nightmares about icing cupcakes. But baking is fun, and I am intrigued by the chemistry and magic of mixing and rising, of whisking and solidifying. This recipe restored some of my faith in my ability to create sweet things out of the pantry and the oven, and I think it will make repeat appearances whenever the fruit bowl shows up some mushy nanis.

Pizza Potluck and Childish Cupcakes, or: we eat more vegan pizzas than you could imagine, and I buy the most silly-lovely cupcake carrier

Emily (and office dog Dallas) was kind enough to host yet another potluck on Sunday, and this one had a theme - pizza pizza! Eat Pizza, open literally a couple of minutes down the road, offers Cheezly and Cheatin' Pepperoni and ever the organised publisher, Emily had called ahead twice to let them know that 20 ravenous and food-obsessed and very very excited vegans would be placing a very very large order, and the necessary supplies must be on hand to avoid a riot.

Kristy & Toby, Pip & Tim, Lisa & Kimba The Chihuahua Born Without Fear, Lidia, Cindy & Michael, Buzz and I and a number of others all gathered around the kitchen table in anticipation ...

Uncharacteristically, I forgot to take details (or perhaps I was just too keen to start eating ....) so here are some shots without much to recommend them except how delicious they look.

Emily starts the process. Pip .. is excited?


A cheezly and cheatin' pepperoni


Fresh basil and baby Roma tomatoes


My favourite - a classic vegetarian style with the pepperoni and pineapple (who doesn't rate a veggie with pineapple eh?)


Me and Buzz go for round 1...


A lovely wholemeal crust ... made us very full (or was that the cookies, cupcakes and beer?)

Also, I brought along my first ever attempt at cupcakes, which I needed (needed!) to make because I had just bought a dinky new cupcake carrier.

I made the classic chocolate cupcake (with added Sweet William chunks) with peanut butter icing, and vanilla-agave cupcakes with fudgiewudgie chocolate icing (which actually came out more like a genache), all from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I made a number of rookie mistakes:

1. I thought I had vanilla essence in the cupboard so didn't buy any, meaning that I had to rely on almond essence and a substitution of cinnamon sugar;
2. I used silicone molds which caused the cupcakes to develop a small, raised, cracked shape. A couple that I let bake 'free' just in patty pans came out beautifully flat (all the better for icing, my dear) and bigger, so that's how I'll go from now on; and
3. I didn't have a piping bag (nor did Safeway) so I had to slather the icing on in a very unartistic manner.

Nonetheless, the cupcakes were moist, not horrific and when I bake them for the work Xmas party dessert competition I WILL DOMINATE AND CRUSH KILL DESTROY BWAHAHAHA ... oh dear God.

Funnily enough, I don't like eating cupcakes all that much, but I see in them an opportunity for kitschness and cuteness that I just can't pass up... expect more.