Veganomicon!!!

Way, way up here in a tiny corner of this northern snow-covered land, I stood in the middle of a bookstore with a newly unpackaged copy of The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook clenched in my little hands. It was a joyous climax to a long, epic struggle fraught with hardships and tears. (The short story is, that after waiting weeks and weeks for our Chapters pre-order to arrive, they ran out of books, so we cancelled and ordered from Amazon. They shipped the next day. I did buy one copy at Chapters as soon as they arrived, only to return it when my online order was delivered. Chapters pre-ordering = sucks)

So the grand tally for my VwaV challenge? I made 57 out of 134 recipes. I was on one hand disheartened, because I thought I could have tried more. On the other hand, I have so many favourites that are so delicious I make them time and time again. And because of the challenge, I now know about Maple-Mustard Glazed Potatoes, which are a secret treasure. And Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies. And Butternut Vindaloo. Recipes I still want to try? Fresh Corn Fritters, Lemon Corn Waffles, Coconut Pancakes, Knishes and Moroccan Tagine.

But I can't help myself from digging into Veganomicon head first. I had already made a few things from the sneak-peek freebee recipes. And it's funny - from browsing all the photos and reading threads on the ppk, there was already a mental index of the recipes in Vcon formed in my head before I even opened the book. I'm being more organized this time, checking off each recipe in the table of contents as I make it and rating each recipe out of four stars. Here's what I've made so far.

Basic Broiled Tofu (easy and quick)



Chickpea-Noodle Soup (I didn't think I would like it as much as I do)



Chickpea Cutlets (I'll bake these next time because I have no skillet-skills)



Salt and Pepper Tofu (not officially in the book, but SO GOOD!! Again, challenging my frying skills)



Spicy Tempeh and Broccoli with Rotini (changed the name to match what I used)



Tamarind Lentils (When I saw this dish mentioned in the sneak-peek, I knew it would be mine. And it is so forking delicious. Make this now and keep your bed warm tonight.)



Pistachio-Rose Water Cookies (AMAZING! I had to make them because I thought the cupcake version was worth dying for. So are these.)



Just before I got Vcon, mrsbadmouth's zine Don't Eat off the Sidewalk 2 arrived. I had to make the Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. They were outta this world. Tay loved them, so make them for your loved ones. I used a 9"x9" pan as stated, but I'd recommend a 9"x13" because they were popping out. I have to be careful - these could make me chubby really quick.



I'm off to read Vcon. I'm only on page 101. The Seitan Baguette with Broth Dip is speaking to me.