Shop on Amazon or Barnes and Noble
Back in December I entered a book giveaway on a blog, and won. A few weeks later I got a copy of But I Could Never Go Vegan directly from the publishers. Before the book, I wasn’t really familiar with the blog Keepin It Kind. I might of stumbled on the page once or twice, but never really read the website in depth. So I read this book from the point of view of an established vegan who had never heard of the author before. I read the book with any knowing the author’s preference of foods, styles, and writing.
Photos
There are photos for, I think, every recipe in the book. If the photo isn’t next to the recipe there is a reference number to where you could find the photo, usually found on the chapter dividers. This gives the reader plenty of visual inspiration, and a good look at the food to figure out if you totally fudged up a recipe. I think this is great since this is a book for new vegans. If you haven’t done lots of cooking with vegan foods, it can be hard to imagine what the end result will be, and might discourage people from making a recipe (I know it did when I first started going vegan).
There are also a few step by step photos for slightly more complicated recipes. For example for the tofu cheese log, there are a few step by step photos showing how to form the log. This is a really helpful visual since I find reading reading steps confusing if you don’t already have some knowledge on how to do it.
Set-up
The book starts with a brief introduction. Although this is a book targeted to new vegans or flexatarians, there is little information about actual veganism. I don’t think this is a bad thing. If you are picking up this book, you probably know the basics. What Turner does is talk about the lesser known vegan foods, like for example she covers why sugar isn’t vegan.
Each chapter is organized by a common excuse for not being vegan, but I could never give up cheese, substitutes are too expensive, etc. Now this idea is fun and novel, but I was worried how well it would “work.” When picking out recipes I am usually concerned with using up a certain ingredient before it goes bad, or trying to find a soup to balance out the menu for the week. Surely how helpful will this new organization system be?
It wasn’t until I hit the chapter called “But Nobody Will Come Over to Eat!” that’s when it all clicked. This book in some ways is more helpful this way. I found myself thinking “next family get together I should make all these recipes.” As a new or veteran vegan you might hit a bump in the road thinking about what to make for brunch, to serve for a family get together, or have a longing for cheese, and you just need to open to those chapters. That said some of these chapters would be made this way regardless in a normal cookbook, they just have a witty name. And I am still a little annoyed to find a smoothie randomly placed in a chapter mostly filled with dinner dishes. But this system sets a new vegan up for random experimentation rather than meal planning, which can be pretty fun for the reader.
Writing
What I like about books by bloggers is that the writing style is informal and feels like they are talking to you personally. Without knowing the Keepin It Kind blog, I could easily recognize a specific voice in the book. In fact, once I started to follow the blog after picking up the book, I can say I think the book reads better than the blog.
Errors seem to be non-existant, or hard to find. The only one I know about Kristy addresses on her blog. For the Jackfruit Nacho Supreme the published recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of agar-agar when it should call for 2 tablespoons. I would assume there will be a correction in the second pressing. Otherwise, everything seems pretty solid.
Overview
This book is great, I find it great for days where you want to cook or bake to enjoy yourself. Some recipes work well during a busy weekday, but most recipes call for a little planning or a little extra time. The book still needs the reader to flip through with an open mind. It might be a little hard to “choose” things if you are looking for just a pasta dish, or something that uses chickpeas. This is a cookbook for someone who is adventurous, or doesn’t mind a spur of the moment trip to the grocery store.
There is only two complaint about this book, one is an odd odor. This is pretty silly to point out, but it is rather odd and off putting when flipping through a book full of food. I have never picked up a book with this odd odor before, and I think I am more curious about what that smell is more than anything. Anyone have a clue?
My second complaint is more a worry. I think the people who will benefit the most from this book are flexitarians, or family and friends who are trying to understand their vegan friend. Mothers who are trying to tailor dinner time for vegans and omnivores might find this book handy. My biggest worry is if this book will sell to these people. Sure it is fun to pick it up as a vegan, but the chapters are just something fun rather than helpful. I think this book has a lot of potential to reach and convert a lot people, and I hope it does. So my “problem” with this book is more about if it was properly marketed and is reaching people who want to eat more plant based foods.
Recipes
As with most cookbooks, I tried my best to try a recipe from as many sections as possible. This will hopefully give an idea of any particular strengths in the recipe selection. But there were so many sections in this book that I could only cover some of the recipes. If there was any recipes posted online to promote the book, I left a link.
Continue reading
Damn these short winter days, killing the food blogging realm. I never really put much thought to it before the blog, but nighttime really clobbers photographs. Since I am a working girl in a small apartment, I pretty much only have time to take photos of food the night I make it. Maybe one day I will have enough time to make these great dishes in the middle or the day, or have a special corner to set up lights to photograph at night.
My latest dish was inspired from our last trip for Chinese takeout. My husband has switched over from General Tso’s Chicken to General Tso’s Tofu. But I haven’t found a place in New Jersey that I liked their tofu, my favorites being in Philadelphia. I’ve been going nuts for some of the baked cauliflower dishes. I thought I might try making a tofu and cauliflower mix.
Of coarse to make this dish gluten free you have to make some alterations. First is that you need a gluten-free soy sauce or something similar. Coconut aminos, braggs, or tamari should work wonderfully in this dish. You also need to be careful about which hoisin sauce you buy. Most have wheat in it, but Joyce Chen has a gluten-free and kosher hoisin sauce. These are pretty much the only major problems to tackle with this recipe.
Hi everyone! Another lazy day, it is snowing outside and turning into rain. I love snow but I am at the point where I am happy to see spring. It is the gross type of cold outside. It is constantly snowing then raining, creating sheets of ice overnight. Since it is warmer, the ground is muddy and gross. Basically it is harder to get outside and be active than the actual wintertime! Regardless, here is your weekly reads (and views.. or whatever).
Mapping Migration in the United States Since 1900
Have I ever expressed my love of data on this site before? I am not sure if this relates to food or veganism, but I find it really interesting regardless. New York Times made an interactive map saying where people moved to within the United States. The data is interesting and kind-of makes sense. Of coarse it gets pretty clunky in the Northeast since the states are so small. But it is a cool thing to check out if you lived in the US.
Simply Delicious Shower Thoughts with Cookie Monster
He had me on onions rings are just vegetable donuts.
The Clutter Cure’s Illusory Joy
I am in a current clutter crisis. Since I am helping my work move I’ve found some interesting yet questionable items, surgical stapler anyone? So this article about the world’s new obsession with clutter struck a cord with me.
Is Medication Vegan?
I love this new video from Emily of Bite Size Vegan. She breaks down what makes medications not vegan. I also like her conclusion, just because there are animal products or animal testing being done, doesn’t mean you should stop taking birth control or anti-depressants. But that doesn’t mean you can’t voice some concern or try some alternatives. She even leaves a bunch of helpful links to expand on the topic and for your own research.
Fitnessista’s YouTube Channel
I’ve been reading The Fitnessista’s blog for a few weeks now. She updates it A LOT! Luckily her posts are fast reads so that makes it okay. But I started to do some of the workouts from her YouTube page. Man, I am loving it. I am particularly loving her barre exercises. I love the muscle quakes from the exercises, but the healing process seems to be faster. I also love her body friendly instructing.
Day 52: It snowed all day on Saturday. Weather predictions said there was going to be two inches of snow, so Jon and I made plans to eat out for dinner. So sat inside, placed our order and as we stepped outside we realized it snowed at least four to six inches! It was a slippery drive, but we luckily got behind a snow plow all the way to the Chinese food restaurant. Bonus? Some extra snow shoveling action.
Day 53: I made a new recipe for Maca Maple Latte, posted on Monday.
Day 54: I got the impulse to start a puzzle on Sunday, so I felt compelled to take some puzzle photos on Monday.
Day 55: Took a photo for my Winter reading reviews. Hopefully it will be posted within the first two weeks of March *crosses fingers* There will also be a review on the first volume of the Sailor Moon manga, I read it on the kindle so it couldn’t be part of the photo.
Day 56: Taking some photos of my Florida avocado for a new blog post. Looks like Toulouse is licking her chops since this looks so dang tasty.
Day 57: More puzzlin’ going on. Got one of the spirit wolves put together.
Day 58: Busy day at work, there was a last minute shadowbox for a funeral, and I stayed an extra two hours, and saw a car crash! No photos since I left my camera at home.
Alexa is working toward a vegetarian diet, and is loaded with questions. Jennifer’s got answers. We talk about anything as long as it is vegan. Are tattoos vegan? How do I politely not eat Thanksgiving dinner? How do I order without pissing off the waitress? We know you are dying to ask!
Is it true there is no vegan source of vitamin D?
Of coarse there is a vegan source of vitamin D, it’s called the sun.
Oh you wanted a better answer. Okay, well if you are deficient in vitamin D and need to take supplements, there are vegan source pills you can take for vitamin D.
Done, and done.
Oh still need more? Understandable.
See, we need vitamin D to help absorb calcium in bones. Also being deficient in vitamin D is linked to many diseases such as cancer, autism, weight gain, depression, and heart disease. The problem is that many doctors argue what levels of vitamin D we need to stay healthy.
It is also worth noting that many meat eating, milk guzzling Americans have low vitamin D levels. The reason? We are all cooped up inside with conventional 9 to 5 jobs. The easiest way to stay healthy is get 10 to 20 minutes of sun everyday.
That’s it.
How can you do this? Start biking or walking to work. Park at the far end of the parking lot. If you work a 9 to 5 office job, take small 2 minute breaks outside when you stretch your legs. Try some simple activities outside, like reading outside, gardening, raking leaves, walking the dog, etc.
It is a struggle since we are often told to wear sunscreen to avoid skin cancer. And you should keep that in mind if you are going to be outside for an hour or longer, or in direct sunlight. If you are traveling to a brighter area like places near the equator or a dessert, lather up! Cancer or not, your skin might not be use to it and you might burn.
Yes you can take supplements but keep in mind there is a free alternative. Plus you could use some fresh air.
There aren’t many vegan’s who don’t love chickpeas. They are so versatile and they even have been growing in popularity in their flour form- besan. But this chickpea round-up is all about chickpeas in their cooked bean form. We tried to give lots of options here, pizza, curry, sandwich, salad, and even blondies!
This grouping I am happy to report yummy findings with very different flavor profiles! So I recommend reading all these reviews and pick at least one to cook at home. We got a wide range of styles so you can’t say there isn’t anything you would like.
Curried Chickpea Salad
I made this recipe on a whim – I wanted to try something new in the kitchen and something that was easy and flexible. I tend to look at a recipe and will tailor it to my liking by either adding a vegetable or spice if I think it’ll improve upon itself. This recipe only really asked for chickpeas, carrots, onions and the home-made curry sauce, but I added craisins to balance out the savoriness and add a little bit of sweet to it and the result was delicious! And it was nice because I was able to make enough to last me throughout the week for meals at work. It’s a great light dish or summer dish to bring to barbeques as well, I would think.
Bottom Line: Good recipe, will make again, would recommend.
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chickpea Cookie Bars
Funny thing is when I picked this recipe I had my doubts from the photos alone. The outside of the bar looks so nice and crunchy but the insides a little undercooked. My first instinct was to spread the batter out, but figured I would follow the recipe fairly strictly and kept with the loaf pan.
The dough was promising, in it’s raw state it was sweet and yummy with a little hint of chickpea. I poured the batter into the pan and baked for a full hour. The end result for the first day is alright. The outside was so crunchy compared to the inside that it was hard to cut into squares. But once the bars sat in a container for a day, they are a lot more paletable. I think I still might try and bake these in a larger more spread out pan next time.
Bottom Line: Not bad for a dessert chickpea bar.
Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea + Quinoa Salad with Jalapeno Lime Dressing
I made this dish thinking about my lunches for the week. I figured it would make two lunches, and it would be great. Not really. The dish was alright, and I had two things cross my mind. One was that the dish would of tasted better when the chickpea and cauliflower came fresh out of the oven. Then my second thought was that the the dressing was lacking. So if I would do this differently I would make this as a main dinner dish, and double the dressing.
Bottom Line: Yummy, best eat right away, needs more dressing
Crowd Pleasing Vegan Caesar Salad
I made this dish a few times for family get togethers for this Christmas season. I can safely say it impressed everyone, vegans and omnivores alike. The dressing is creamy, garlicky, and salty. The crunchy chickpea croutons were different and added a unique twist to the dish.
There are only one major “issue” which can be a plus (depending how you view it). The portions are HUGE! So much that I had a hard time tossing the greens in the dressing. This could be problematic if you are making this dish for yourself, but perfect when serving a large party.
But most/all aspects can be prepared a day before hand, so if you are bringing the salad to dinner you don’t have to sweat about cooking a dish while putting your hair up. I did have trouble storing the chickpeas, and they softened after a day. So if you are going to do something the day of, I would suggest roasting the chickpeas first thing that morning.
Bottom Line: Amazing, but large portions
Buffalo Chickpea Ranch Pizza
This pizza can be easy to make, if you prep a few things in advance. For example I prepped the ranch dressing the morning of so I wouldn’t have to clean the blender again at night. Aside from that everything is easy to chop, coat, etc. The downside is the dough. I was not impressed by it. I got a tough and dense dough that I didn’t really like. And her recipe calls for pre-baking the dough creating too crunchy of a crust, and I found it broke in odd places.
BUT ignoring the crust, this dish was awesome. My husband had doubts as I spread such a small layer of sauce on the crust. But he was asking for more. I think this dish would probably find it’s way as a standard pizza in this household since it is so easy to make.
Bottom Line: Awesome, but I would use a different dough
Butternut Squash, Kale, and Chickpea Massaman Curry
This is a super easy dish to make, especially if you have the massaman curry already made. It takes about 30 minutes total and it is super filling. I jazzed the recipe up a little and served it over couscous instead of rice, but both would taste great. The only downside is that the dish largely relies on the curry paste of choice, so if you curry sucks, the dish will suck.
But the recipe given to make your own massaman curry at home was pretty good. I used that recipe to a t, with two exceptions, I didn’t add any shallots and I used pre-ground chili powder. The curry was awesome but sadly doesn’t freeze in solid cubes. Instead it is still soft in the freezer. Actually I am not sure if this is a bad or good thing.
Bottom Line: Quick to make.
I am sure many of you have been reading blog posts about how cold it has been on the northern hemisphere. On the East Coast of the United States we’ve been stuck in the coldest weather for the past two weeks. I am loving it, but I am craving creamy and hot drinks non-stop.
Saturday there was the largest “snow storm” we’ve had all winter. Granted that isn’t saying much since, even though it has been cold, it hasn’t snowed much. During Saturday I just laid down on the couch with a blanket over me. I switched out from reading, watching the snow fall, and drinking this yummy latte.
I don’t want to seem like I should take credit for this drink. I actually saw that Fragrant Vanilla Cake made a Raw Maca Maple Hot Chocolate, and tried it out. I didn’t really like it. I mean it TASTED good, but I had an image already set in my mind. So I figured I would make it the way I wanted it.
I am slightly hesitant to share this recipe since there is a maca shortage. The price for maca is CRAZY! I managed to buy a bag of it before the prices really spiked, and you can sometimes find some cheaper priced packages on Amazon.
Lots of people are complaining about the cold weather, but I’m loving it. I’ve been snuggling under blankets at the apartment, and finally getting to relax. My apartment controls the heating, so I am usually too hot, and opening windows in the winter. Not now. It is finally so cold, it is creating the perfect temperature inside.
I also mentioned in my other 365 project post that my work is moving, and it pretty much happened during the coldest time during the whole winter. I am fine with that. It made moving kind-of nice, and sometimes I got TOO hot. The only downside is that once I stopped moving around, all I wanted to do was curl up in a blanket.
Your Healthy Eating Habits Are Pummeling The Packaged Foods Industry
Here’s an interesting article that gives me a little hope with my generation- we are eating less packaged foods! I started to notice this when I started working with my bosses that were late fifties and sixties. I noticed that in some ways they were completely cool with eating packaged goods, even being health conscious. But the article also notes the decline in sales is also because there are just more competition.
The Best Exercises for Healthy Bones
I found this old article when looking up something for Alexa Asks about calcium post. The article talks about which exercises really helps strengthens bones. It is interesting as it talks about how scientifically it makes a difference.
Guide to Gluten-free Ancient Grains
One thing I like about the Gluten-free movement is that it forces people to vary their grains. Variation is an important part of a healthy diet. Sadly, I think we are all guilty of eating some of the same foods over and over again. I mean this week I think all I ate was rice! So this blog post is cool since it talks about other grains, and leaves links to recipes! I know I will check out a few for teff, I got a whole bag of it sitting in the cupboard.
The Science of Anti-Vaccination
I am not thrilled by all the articles people are sharing on Facebook about vaccinations. Almost all articles write in a demeaning voice, and pretty much always has a voice of “just vaccinate your kids dumbass!” This isn’t going to change people’s opinions. Viewpoints like Saywards’ are important to convince people to vaccinate children. This SciShow video is great since it explains the logic about the anti-vaccination movement, and doesn’t paint a picture that these people are simply stupid. Watching the video I sat there thinking about how I follow many of those logic traps.
How Long Are You Going to Live?
Did I mention how I was watching a lot of YouTube videos since it is so chilly out? Well, here is another great video about how to read life expectancy rates. It also talks about how race and education effects life expectancy.
Day 45: Made buffalo chickpea pizza for Valentine’s Day.
Day 46: Worked on the weekend, and loving the skyline when I head home.
Day 47: My Boss showed me his gang of turkeys at his house. He’s been feeding them, and now has a wild security system. He supposedly saw some male turkey’s chase after the garbage truck, and he thinks they were chasing it away from the house. But I found a turkey feather and had fun playing around with it.
Day 48: The past week my work has been moving to it’s new location. We happened to put it our first temporary sign.
Day 49: We always cover table tops with paper at my job so it is easy to rip off and “clean” the table. This time we used old Valentine’s Day wrapping paper since we hated it so much, and we had SOOOO much of it.
Day 50: The sun is out a little longer, giving beautiful colors when I get home.
Day 51: Switched my cat to the old harder to get food “bowl.” She’s not too happy but she is so cute getting her food out.
Alexa is working toward a vegetarian diet, and is loaded with questions. Jennifer’s got answers. We talk about anything as long as it is vegan. Are tattoos vegan? How do I politely not eat Thanksgiving dinner? How do I order without pissing off the waitress? We know you are dying to ask!
We hear a lot about calcium as vegans. It is the next obvious nutritional concern people have after protein. We grow up in school learning that we drink milk for calcium, as if nothing else has it. When my husband found out he was lactose intolerant, he got a lot of questions of how he got his calcium. It seemed that people assumed that we had force milk in our tummies regardless to fill the calcium void. Which got me thinking, how important is calcium?
Here is a little food for thought, hundreds and thousands of years ago humans were designed to drink breast milk until they were a few years old. After a certain point, the human body looses the ability to break down the lactose molecule easily. Then one day there is a mutation in the human gene that let the body continue to break down lactose, letting humans consume milk for their whole lives.
But you might make the argument that our ancestors didn’t live as long as we do now, and that we need that extra calcium as we get older. I mean think about osteoporosis! Women are always being told to consume more milk to prevent brittle bones. Several studies have shown that additional calcium have no link to decreased bone fractures, and in some studies may increase them. To make things more crazy, some studies show that milk consumption may actually leech calcium from bones.
So is calcium a giant fraud? No. We still need calcium for bone strength, and other bodily functions like nerve connections to muscles. I think perspective is in need. We may of heard about how we need three glasses of milk to get our calcium recommendation. That would mean three glasses of milk will provide 100% of the calcium for the day. That is great, but that would imply we don’t get calcium from any other foods. Beans, sesame seeds, soy, and leafy greens all have calcium. Just like protein, there is a little bit of calcium in almost any food.
If you are worried about bone density and strength, try weight training. It has been proven to strengthen bones, but isn’t as widely advertised. So lifting a dumbbell may do more for you as you age than chugging the milk.
As a vegan you might not need to be worried about calcium intake. Many vegan foods are now fortified in calcium. Most milks contain more calcium than dairy milk as a marketing strategy. Lots of protein powder mixes have added calcium, and even oats are fortified. And if you are told by your doctor to take calcium supplements, you are covered as well. Any search will help you find vegan sourced calcium tablets.
I look at calcium like most vitamins, I know I need it but I don’t worry about it. How many times do you think about your potassium levels? Or worry about your vitamin C levels? Probably not often.
