Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Part 1

Veganomicon.

The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook.

Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

INTRODUCTION.

Veganomicon. What does it mean? Is it the economic theory of eating tofu-dogs? Maybe an all-meatless convention? Or was it from that movie . . . that book Bruce Campbell finds in the woods and accidentally reads aloud, and then his dead girlfriend is flying around laughing inside the cabin, and he suddenly has a chainsaw instead of a hand?1 No, no, it's none of those. It's just the doorstop of a cookbook that you hold in your precious hands-over 250 of our new favorite, most-requested recipes-and a big vegan cookbook needed a big vegan name. (But just to be safe, don't read this cookbook backward at the stroke of midnight.) This is the book that was the proverbial flax-egg before the unchicken. That is, it's the epic, master guide we've wanted to write for years, back when Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World was just a twinkle in our eyes and long before Vegan with a Vengeance packed up her things, flew the nest, and moved away to attend community college. Our new baby, the Veganomicon, is a big, bold vegan cookbook that doesn't hold back any punches. But don't be scared; she's quite a softy compared to her punk-rock older sister. She's like a love song ('80s power ballad, with some light '70s rock and a touch of post-punk angst) to our favorite things about vegan cooking-its diverse, delicious flavors and limitless possibilities.

But enough with the pop-culture references; what the heck is it, really? Well, it's a good old-fashioned, all-purpose cookbook. And when we say "all-purpose" we mean it-you'll find everything from savory sauces and flaky potpies to luscious pastas and fabulous finger foods . . . there are nourishing soups; amazing salads that step way beyond mixed greens; and protein-packed entrees that make the best use of tofu, tempeh, and homemade seitan. And, even after an entire book of cupcakes, there's still plenty of dessert to go around.

Many of the recipes were written for everyday meals, in hopes that you won't even need to look at the recipe again after making it a few times. You know, the kind of chow you can whip up any night of the week with your pantry staples and some seasonal produce. But you can also trust this cookbook when you're looking for an extravagant spread to impress, say, your in-laws, or the mayor of your town when she stops by.

Besides just giving you recipes, we've included lots of basic cooking information. Maybe you already know how to roast pumpkin, soak beans, and toast millet. In that case-awesome! (Then you can just be like, "Shut up, Isa and Terry!" and move on to an adventurous ca.s.serole.) But we also wrote this book with the beginner cook in mind, or maybe just the forgetful cook who can't be bothered to memorize grain-to-water cooking ratios or the baking time for sweet potatoes. So we've included simple preparation guides for beans, grains, and veggies (see pages 24-44).

RECIPES WE WISH WE GREW UP WITH.

"How do you come up with a recipe?" is a question we get time to time. (Why n.o.body believes us when we mutter things about sacrificing beets under the full moon, we'll never guess.) Instead, be content in knowing that we are tireless and slightly obsessed foodies. There's not a vegetable we don't adore (except a certain so-called baby corn), nor a spice that doesn't take up precious real estate in our spice racks.

It also helps that we call the greatest city in the world our home. New York City is a supermarket of almost every flavor of ethnic cuisine. We can't help but be inspired by it. It's what we're thinking about when munching on crispy yet soft scallion pancakes or tucking into a saucy eggplant rollatini, when digging into a sub sandwich bursting with tangy barbecued seitan or scooping up that last bit of hummus with freshly baked pita bread. We get flashes of inspiration after finally putting down that huge canvas bag on the kitchen floor; the one filled with gorgeous Brussels sprouts still on the stalk, creamy yellow ears of corn, or voluptuous b.u.t.ternut squash from the farmers' market, all grown within a few dozen miles of the city and lugged home for a few more on the subway.

It may sound a little New Age, but we spend so much time thinking about food that ideas for recipes often strike when we're nowhere near a kitchen . . . walking down the street or running after a bus. Hang with us for any length of time and it will probably happen to you, too (if it doesn't already).

During the course of developing recipes, we kept coming back to this phrase: Recipes you wish you'd grown up with. These aren't necessarily restaurant masterpieces, although we bet lots of these dishes rival the $26 entree at many vegan eateries. These meals were not born in spotless, stainless-steel, made-for-TV kitchens. The recipes that await you in Veganomicon were created by two women who cook, live, and eat in real, urban kitchens. Since we're both apartment dwellers, these are lessons learned from waging wars with temperamental gas burners, moody ovens, and tiny little cabinets bursting with pots, gadgets, and groceries. This is food made while chatting with significant others, gossiping with friends, and shooing nosy pets off the countertops. In other words, this is kind of food you make and eat while life happens.

LET THEM EAT TEMPEH.

We didn't make this cookbook alone. Well, by definition, we wrote it together so already we weren't alone. What we mean is, the results are a combination of many things: years of being out there in the field, talking to, meeting, and eating a bazillion meals with vegetarians and vegans of all stripes, taught us lots. It seemed that no matter how long it's been since you've stopped eating hamburgers-be it eight months or eight years-the common question seemed to be, "What else is there for dinner/lunch/breakfast/midnight snack/Groundhog Day party?", besides tofu hot dogs or pasta and jarred sauce? Fans of The Post Punk Kitchen and Vegan with a Vengeance were hungry, and they let us know. They were starved not just for new ideas to prepare whole foods, but also for new takes on old favorites ranging from tastier tofu and tempeh, to cheeseless mac n' cheese, to what-in-the-world-do-I-do-with-all-this-zucchini?

This book owes a huge debt to our secret fleet of recipe testers scattered across the globe like poppy seeds on a bagel. Thanks to the miracle of this Internet, we've had the support of this tireless bunch of testing maniacs cooking and giving us feedback for many months during this book's development. Each recipe has been tested by several people, from new cooks to old hands, from teenagers to grad students to dads to grandmothers. Their feedback and guidance informed this cookbook every step of the way.

VEGAN FOOD = NORMAL FOOD.

And there is a larger reason why we wrote this book. Our mission in life is to prove that vegan food doesn't have to be repet.i.tive, difficult, or inaccessible. So let us bore you for a few moments with our culinary philosophy.

People tend to think that the way we eat is the way it always has been and the way it always will be. But food is in constant flux, traveling all over the world and taking root from one continent to the next. The foods that are available to us influence our entire culinary ident.i.ty, and that ident.i.ty is ever-shifting. For example, we think of Italian food as loaded with tomato-y goodness, yet the tomato was not widely used in Italy until the eighteenth century, which in the grand scheme of things is a pizza throw away from present times. Just like that, our definition of what makes a complete, satisfying meal can forever change. In today's world, average folks are evolving and learning that dinner need not be defined by a big ol' chunk of meat surrounded by a few bits of overboiled vegetables.

The beauty of this culinary whippersnapper (vegan cuisine) is that it draws influences from every part of the world to create an entirely new way to eat. And we explore the d.i.c.kens out of that in the Veganomicon: stuffing samosa filling into baked potatoes, throwing apples into green chile, tossing lemongra.s.s into risotto. Tradition always starts somewhere, and we hope that something in these pages will inspire a few new seedlings of tradition to take root.

With love from Queens & Brooklyn,.

Terry & Isa.

ABOUT THE ICONS.

You might be wondering what all those cute little icons right at the beginning of each recipe mean. Behold, the mystery revealed! With just a flick of the eye muscle you'll know if a recipe is gluten free, low fat, or soy free. You'll also know whether you can just shop at Giganto-Mart or need to make an additional stop at the Organic Natural Wonderland grocery, before cooking dinner-plus an approximation of how long things will take once you've procured all your ingredients.

SOY FREE.

Recipe doesn't contain tofu, tempeh, soy milk, soy sauce, or any other soy-derived product.

GLUTEN FREE.

No wheat, vital wheat gluten, or other gluten-containing flours or grains, such as rye. We can't vouch for ingredients that might contain gluten on a very small scale (for celiacs who require a strict gluten-free diet), but all of the major gluten offenders have been accounted for in these recipes. Several recipes marked gluten-free call for soy sauce; be sure to use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.

LOW FAT/REDUCED FAT.

Usually less than 2 tablespoons of oil in the entire recipe, so we figure it's got to be low fat (or lower fat).

UNDER 45 MINUTES.

We're experts at the 2-hour recipe, but we know that you busy types want to know how long it will take you to do something. Of course, the 45 minutes doesn't include time spent yapping on the phone and running into the living room to watch some television. Many recipes with this icon take just 30 or even 15 minutes to prepare.

SUPERMARKET FRIENDLY.

In a perfect vegan world, the local supermarket always has nutritional yeast and whole wheat pastry flour, right next to the multipack of toilet paper and giant tin of cinnamon. Until then, most of us need to make an additional trip to pick up organic or particularly "vegan" ingredients at a health food/natural grocery.

When recipes have this icon, probably no such trip is required and your regular old grocery store should do the trick. Since we live in New York City, our view on "supermarket friendly" might differ from yours, but to gauge this accurately we made sure that the supermarket closest to Isa's in-laws in rural Vermont had all the items on the shelves. So tofu and soy milk are included in this icon, but agar, for example, is not.

STOCKING THE VEGANOMICON PANTRY.

For your shopping convenience, here's a list of ingredients that feature in these recipes. We call these "pantry" items, but really what we mean is that they are ingredients that we always keep on hand; that way, there is never "nothing to eat." This isn't a list of every ingredient in the book, just some of the ones we can't live without. You may already have a few, or a lot, of these pantry staples already stored away on your kitchen shelves and cabinets. If you encounter an ingredient that is new to you, take advantage of the opportunity and try out a recipe or two with this new ingredient. Who knows, you might find yourself wondering how you ever cooked anything without mirin, chickpea flour, or basmati rice!

CANNED GOODS.

Beans: A whole dinner can start with just one can of beans. Keep a can or two of the following on hand, but don't limit yourself to: chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, cannellinis, black-eyed peas, and pintos.

Coconut milk: Nothing beats the creaminess coconut gives to bisques and curries. Nothing.

Pureed Pumpkin: We use it in a few entree type dishes, but it's also great to have around for baked goods on the off chance that you're not in the mood for chocolate. Be sure that the only ingredient is pumpkin and that the label doesn't say "Pumpkin Pie Mix."

Tomatoes: Most often our recipes call for crushed tomatoes, but we also keep canned whole tomatoes and plain tomato sauce on hand. For tomato paste, we prefer the kind that comes in a tube. We usually just go for the cheapest brand we can find, unless we're cooking for company-then we buy those fire-roasted ones and deplete our hedge funds. (P.S. What's a hedge fund?)

FRIDGE STAPLES.

What is a fridge but a climate-controlled cold pantry? The following are things that any vegan fridge can't be without. Some start out in the pantry but need to be refrigerated once opened.

Applesauce: Sure, it's a nice treat to just to eat out of the jar with a spoon, but it's also a great ingredient for baked goods, especially for low fat baking.

Capers: The briny taste of caper berries is the secret ingredient in quite a few of our recipes. They're usually relegated to a garnish in Mediterranean cuisine, but we branch out and use them blended up in dips and salads as well.

Dijon Mustard: Sometimes the tangy bite of mustard is just what sauces, ca.s.seroles, and salad dressings need to make them complete. Sometimes it isn't. But for those times when it is, keep your fridge stocked with whole grain Dijon mustard.

Jams and jellies: We use these to add yumminess to baked goods, either in the batter or as a spread or as a filling, as in the Jelly Donut Cupcakes (page 253). And you don't need us to tell you to eat PB&Js! What flavors do we consider staples? We have at least raspberry, strawberry, and apricot in our pantry at all times.

Margarine, Earth Balance vegan, nonhydrogenated: Forget what you know about margarine; this brand is heaven on a b.u.t.ter knife. We try not to use too much of it in the Veganomicon, but sometimes nothing else will do. Its b.u.t.tery flavor is essential in some baked goods, soups, and ca.s.seroles.

Miso: Everybody's favorite fermented j.a.panese paste. The standard kind you'll find in most American supermarkets is made from soybeans and rice, but there are dozens of other varieties out there-brown rice, chickpea, barley-all with their own unique properties and flavors ranging from sweet or winey, to earthy or fruity. We often use miso the same way vegetable broth is used-to give soups, stews, and gravies an intriguing backdrop. The recipes in this book use either white (or sweet) miso, which is a blond sort of color and has a mild, slightly sweet flavor or brown rice miso, which is rich and full bodied. Store miso in an airtight container.

Nondairy milk: Use whatever kind floats your boat, be it soy, rice, almond-even hazelnut. As long as it's not an overly sweetened or flavored milk, you can use any of these milks interchangeably in all recipes.

Tempeh: A fermented soybean patty. That doesn't sound all that appealing now does it? But trust us, when treated right-and the Veganomicon will make sure that you do treat it right-tempeh is a succulent and welcome addition to your diet. Isa's mom swears by it.

Tofu: Some people like to p.r.o.nounce it tofu, we think in an effort to make it sound bad. Well nice try, haters, tofu is here to stay!

Vegenaise: This brand is the absolute best vegan mayonnaise; don't bother with anything else. We use it for some salads and dressings, and of course, for sandwiches.