I recently purchased Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Vegan With a Vengeance recipe book. I am not vegan, nor am I even vegetarian, but I do see the positive benefits of eliminating meat and dairy from one’s diet and I admire the act of protest that veganism offers against the systematic abuse of animals in those industries. Isa’s book mostly highlights this second attribute of veganism, combining it with plenty of punky-playfulness, anarchich-DIY tips, and notes from her cat, all the while leaving out the boring health-related stuff we already know and which can all too often become repetitive in diet-specific cookbooks.
Since getting this book, I have excitedly cooked two recipes from it and another two from Isa’s related website, The Post-Punk Kitchen (see link in sidebar). I must confess, I had no idea that vegan food could be so delicious! While devouring the recipes I’ve made (and saving some leftovers for later) I experienced a new found satisfaction in knowing that what was tasting so good on my tongue did not involve strapping animals to sucking machines, cooping them up in unnatural environments, and/or slamming bolts through their skulls. Even without this satisfaction, the food was among the best I’ve ever eaten.
Last Friday, I made “Eggplant and Squash alla Napoletana” from Vegan With a Vengeance, page 188. Making this recipe also required that I make the “Sun-dried Tomato Pesto” from pages 183. I found the pesto very easy to make, but, next time I must be sure not to use pre-olive-oil-soaked tomatoes, for they gave the pesto a potent, pizza-y flavor which I found slightly over-powering. Other than that, I learned how easy pesto is to make.
Putting together the other ingredients was a bit more complicated, but still not very difficult. While I liked the way the squash-mash turned out, I found that I don’t much care for fried eggplant. That aside, the entire meal was delicious. I hungrily wolfed it down, as did my uncle. Leftovers were even better after the flavors had had a chance to meld together overnight. Three days later, I am still eating it!
February 4, 2009 at 5:36 pm |
How open minded and adventurous for you to try some vegan cooking! I’m glad the recipes were a success. I think more vegan meals are the wave of the future.