Vegan MoFo Day 21: Never Say Never (aka, my latest project)

I've always said I could never write a cookbook because there's no way in hell I could come up with a hundred or more recipes of my own--a lot of what I cook, awesome though it is, is awesome because someone else came up with it and I followed the recipe. 

Of course, there are a lot of things (like going vegan) I said I'd never do, and I've ended up at least attempting pretty much all of them eventually.  It just goes to show you that the things we resist most strongly tend to be things that persist. 

The other day, in the midst of preparing a MoFo post, I got an idea for a kitchen-Witchy, vegan recipe e-book, and it's kind of taken over my life.  So far it's clocking in at around forty pages including twenty recipes, several articles on spiritual cooking, prayers, cooking tips, and other magical stuff.  I'll be offering it for download here and on Dancing Down the Moon in a few weeks. 

It's funny how going veg has expanded my culinary horizons (and those of my friends and family).  As I was putting together the working table of contents and recipe list for the e-book, I noticed how much my tastes have changed even in the last five years.  In my early twenties you couldn't get me to touch Indian food, for example, and now I love love love it.  I probably had around ten jars on my spice rack when I first went veg and now I've got around forty.  I eat vegetables and fruits I used to think were disgusting, like sweet potatoes and raspberries, and I am well versed in arcane ingredients like quinoa and fenugreek.

One of the problems with eating meat and dairy is that their presence tends to smother the subtleties of other foods--cheese especially.  How do you know if you like a vegetable if the only way you've ever had it is covered in cheddar?  The American palate is accustomed to loud "XXXTREME!!!" flavors because our taste buds are burnt out by the intense fat content of animal products.  (Of course this also happens if you use too much garlic--and yes, there is such a thing as too much garlic, bite me Emeril.)  I think that leaving off eating critter bits has made me a much better cook and gave me a much deeper appreciation for food in general, including the spiritual aspects of cooking and eating. 

I've had more than one person, including my feisty Southern mom, tell me that they are glad I went vegetarian, because their own culinary horizons have expanded cooking and dining out with me.  That's a great feeling--I don't have some kind of veg conversion agenda or anything, but it's really satisfying knowing that you've had some part in ushering something new and wonderful (and tasty) into someone's life.  There's always room for more acts of love and pleasure in this world...especially if those acts involve food.

That in mind, here's what you'll find in the e-book (as yet untitled):

An Introduction to Hearth Magic
Building a Kitchen Altar
A Happy Home Charm
Creating a Book of Feasts
About The Recipes
The World's Best Damn Pumpkin Muffins
A Smoothie Formula
Mo' Betta Pumpkin Butta
Ten Things to Put on a Pita
Culinary Magic With Herbs and Spices
Tortilla Soup of the Gods
Empanadas: Theme and Variations
Red Lentil Coconut Curry
Samosa Tacos (Yes, You Read That Right)
New and Improved Hangover Casserole
Could it Be...Seitan?
A Quinoa Pilaf Vegetable Situation
One if By Broom: Cleaning and Cleansing
Chewy Ginger Cookies
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcakes
Wee Mocha Pies With Cream Cheez Topping
Paradise Parfaits
Esbat Shortbread Bites
Pretzel Salad
Ten Tips from a Culinary Academy Dropout
Merry Yule Wassail
Chai Hot Cocoa
Nekkid Sylvan's Bad Day Martini
Coffee Granita
Devotional Cooking: Kitchen Prayers
A Spell for Healthy Choices
...and more!

Stay tuned...

Comments

[s1ren]

"awesome though it is, is awesome because someone else came up with it and I followed the recipe."

...which doesn't change the fact that your cooking is awesome, no matter who/what/where/when/how it came about or from.

You rock, chica. With vegan rocks, though. ;B

[Danmara]

I love what you're writing here. I'm not gonna turn vegan any time soon, but a LOT of vegan food is just so awesome that I would totally eat it on a regular basis! :D

[Jessica]

Hmmm I'm hungry now:-) Looking forward to downloading it:-)

[Caitlin]

I love this e-book idea. I have a question you might know the answer to since you bake tons. What can I use as a vegan substitute in a recipe that calls for heavy whipping cream? Its the best carmel sauce I have ever tasted but I want to veganize it....if I can.

[Quizeen]

Sign me up!

Isn't there a general rule that if you change at least three (or five) things about a recipe, it's a "new" recipe? Don't quote me on that, but at the very least, take heart in the fact that 40 cooks could easily take the exact same written recipe and turn out 40 dramatically different tasting dishes.

[Sylvan]

Caitlin:

So far the best heavy cream substitute I'd found is Silk's soy creamer, the kind you'd put in coffee; it comes in plain, vanilla, and hazelnut, and I've had good luck with it.

[Rose]

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeha! Maybe this could turn into that next Pagan book you publish through your publisher. :D I know you've been batting around several ideas for years now, never settling on one. This could be it :D

Good luck and looking forward to reading it.

Rose