We've Moved to VeganBits.com

Hi Everyone,

It's been almost 6 months and we've got this vegan thing down. To celebrate, we bought our own website, VeganBits.com. You can continue to read about us there. If you're a current subscriber, this blogger subscription will no longer update. You'll need to click on the RSS button at Vegan Bits to subscribe to ensure that you continue to receive our new posts.

Thank you for following our progress and we hope to see you at our new home!

Lane & Jane

Happy Holidays!

Hi Everyone,

Jane and I want to wish you all Happy Holidays. We celebrate Christmas in our household and that means we're going to be incredibly busy over the next week... We're also still having DSL issues, and won't have time to get to the library to post. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We've got a service call scheduled for the 27th. (Keep your fingers crossed.) We expect to be up and running then.

In the meantime, to paraphrase Elvis Costello ... we wish you all peace and love and understanding, whatever holiday you and yours might celebrate.

Lane & Jane

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, or Not

Jane has Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" on loan from our local library. She likes to test drive new recipes prior to buying a new cookbook. This cookbook looks very promising. It's almost 1,000 pages and seems quite comprehensive. The recipes we've read sound appealing. So we're pretty excited to try a few.

Recently, we went to our favorite local Indian restaurant and had a delicious, new-to-us, eggplant dish. As Jane was going through the Bittman Cookbook she found a recipe that looked similar to that dish. She actually called me to tell me about it and that she was going to prepare that recipe for dinner tonight. In response to "what are we eating tonight" I usually hear "dinner." Jane has long since stopped telling me what I'm getting since, on rare occasion, I might have suggested I'd rather eat something other than what she was preparing. So I knew she was pretty excited about this recipe since I was hearing about it in advance.

Unfortunately, the dish didn't live up to what we had at Akbar, the Indian restaurant I've been referring too. We were both pretty disappointed in the results. The dish looks pretty, and smells good, but it was kind of, well... not what we had at Akbar. So, this recipes not a keeper. But we're not through with this cookbook just yet.

It's Tex/Mexican for Dinner Tonight

Tonight we had bean burritos with home-made guacamole and Tofutti Sour Cream. Yum. Jane puts black beans, an onion and a few drops of liquid smoke in the food processor, and voilia, vegan "refried" beans. It's a pretty quick and easy meal for her to get together, and we both really enjoy it. She always uses whole wheat tortillas too, so we feel good about our healthy "fast food."

Tonights version had a little brown rice, some diced tomatoes and a healthy dollop of Cholula brand Hot Sauce, which we get at Costco, of all places. And, as usual, the tortillas were accompanied by a large green salad. Dinner was filling and quite satisfying. Thanks Jane!

We're Back -- And Eating Indian Food Again!

First, let me apologize to anyone who has missed our blogging since Thursday. We have been having DSL issues and I am now at my public library using their free wireless. It's certainly not the most convenient way of getting things out there, but it works, and it's better than trying to steal bandwidth from your neighbors! (That is, if any of them are still reckless enough to use an insecure wireless connection.) Anyway, back to the topic at hand!

Last week I ventured out and had Indian food for lunch, and was successful enough to find a few vegan dishes. So last night Jane and I decided to try our favorite Indian Restaurant again. We haven't been since we've become vegans. Our rationale for avoiding this restaurant is that it is home to one of our absolute most favorite dish: Chicken Tikka Masala, an obvious vegan no-no, prepared in a tomato cream sauce which is spectacular.

After 5+ months of being vegan, we figured we might be beyond pining for the Chicken Tikka Masala and wouldn't have any trouble passing it over. Thankfully, that proved to be correct.

We also asked our server for help in selecting items that were compatible with a vegan diet. He suggested the Channa Masala, which is garbanzo beans prepared in an onion and tomato sauce. This sounded similar to something Jane makes with okra, so we decided to try that. Our waiter also suggested the Bengan ka Salan, which is a sauteed eggplant dish prepared in a coconut-tamarind sauce. OUT OF THIS WORLD! We enjoyed it so much that we didn't even miss the Tikka Masala, and may have found our new favorite dish.

Of course, we skipped the naan, and did verify with this restaurant that it is indeed made with egg and milk. But Jane has scoped out a recipe for vegan naan on the internet and will be giving it a whirl some tine early next year. She's got enough on her plate with all the family / holiday things going on now. (You can read that as: I got "that" look for even daring to ask when she'd be baking the naan.)

Naan - It Isn't for Vegans!

I had lunch with a colleague today. We went to an Indian restaurant he knew of, very close to our meeting site, which was important since the weather wasn't cooperating much. The restaurant shall remain nameless, since it isn't one I care to refer to anyone!

Regardless, our server was great. He helped me find a vegan meal and as our food was being brought to the table, he grabbed my naan (an Indian flat bread usually served to help sop up all the delicious sauces), and said he'd provide a vegan alternative for me. Apparently, naan is made with milk and eggs. Who knew?

Again the food was actually pretty bad, but the service was stellar. I was really impressed that this person cared enough to ensure that my dietary requirements were being met. He certainly would not have suffered in any way if I'd been served the naan, and quite frankly, I never would have known it wasn't vegan.

So, once again I've learned you cannot make any assumptions... ASK, ASK, ASK!

Vegan Eggnog

If that doesn't sound like an oxymoron...

About a week ago Jane bought a quart of Silk Eggnog. We've enjoyed the Silk Coffee-Milk and Silk Chocolate Milk, so Jane figured we'd give this a try for the holidays.

One of our guests to this blog, Shannon, commented that this product is amazing. So, once again, I had high hopes. Well, Shannon is right. It's really good, and while I can't say I'd want it every day, I certainly expect we'll be having more of it over this holiday season.

Caveat to the reader: I was never one for traditional eggnog, I always found the rum to be too overpowering. I remember having some one year waaaay back when, in my adolescence, sans booze, that was really good - but my girl cousins wouldn't have more than a glass, too many calories.

The Silk product isn't going to help you out if you're dieting, but it's probably a whole lot lower in calories than those traditional egg and cream concoctions!

You're Vegan, So Fish is Good, Right?

Jane and I were at a holiday party Saturday night (that's where the pie went to that I mentioned in my previous post). It was hosted by neighbors down the block with whom we have a casual, nodding-hello, friendship. The party was a sit-down dinner, and was our first dinner party as vegans.

How to handle this? We really didn't know the hosts all that well prior to the party, so we didn't want to inconvenience them. But if they were planning on a "surf and turf" plated meal, we certainly weren't going to be able to participate in that, nor did we want them to waste their money on food we wouldn't eat. We decided that we would tell the hosts we were vegetarian, but didn't eat much cheese, and hope for the best. When Jane called to RSVP she reassured our hosts that we didn't require any special efforts on their part, and if they were worried we'd be more than happy to bring a vegan dish. Otherwise, we'd most likely be fine with the salad and sides they were serving.

Indeed everything did work out fine. We had a number of vegetarian sides to choose from, and our hosts prepared a few of their items meat-free specifically for us. Somehow the conversation got around to our "peculiar" eating habits so Jane outed us as vegans. The couple from the mid-west didn't know what "vegan" meant. When Jane explained we eat no animal product, the wife asked us if we ate fish. I guess if you come from cattle country, fish aren't animals...

We were asked to all bring a dessert, and the dessert table looked wonderful! There were brownies and caramel squares, and lemon bars. In addition to those goodies, there were two cakes and three pies: Jane's Apple Pie, and two pies from Marie Callendar's (a family style restaurant that is most famous for a wide variety pies). I can't speak to the quality of the other desserts because they all contained eggs and butter, so I didn't partake of them, but Jane's Apple Pie was wonderful. In fact, it was the most consumed dessert on the table. There were only two slices left at the end of the evening, and the poor Marie Callendar's apple pie sat there untouched.

Being a member of the estimated 0.3% of the United States population that is vegan certainly makes party-going a challenging event food-wise. But with a little planning and a bit of communication, everything can work out well in the end.

Happy Holidays.

Apple Pie

Jane has always loved to bake. And I have always loved eating her baked goods. Times have been lean since eggs and butter are out of the picture, but today when I got home I was greeted by a heavenly aroma wafting out of the kitchen. I sniffed my way in, and what did my eyes behold but apple pie. Yay! Apple pie for dessert.

Alas, it was not to be. Jane made that pie for a party we are attending tomorrow night. No matter how much I tried to prevail upon her that we should have a slice to see if the crust came out good enough to bring with us, she wouldn't give in. I guess the thought of having to bake another pie tomorrow didn't really excite her as much as it did me.

Anyway, I'm certainly going to have some tomorrow night and I'm sure it will be great!

Baking Woes

As I sit here struggling with the December Daring Baker's challenge, I am researching my ingredient substitutions, specifically eggs in baked goods. I have two really good references at my side. The first is Ann Gentry’s Real Food Daily Cookbook which Lane has blogged about often, and we love. The second is Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian- an ambitious title, but at just over 1000 pages (if you count the Acknowledgments and Intro sections) it may be accurate. This book is new to us, but looks very promising. We've got it on loan from our local library, but I'm thinking it might need to live in our home!

Anyway, the recipe calls for butter and eggs. Of course it does, who on this earth doesn't bake with butter and eggs, and maybe milk. All us vegans! The rest of the ingredients don't pose a problem, I've got them in my cupboard. But I still have this nagging sense of dread. Why? To date, I haven’t been happy with my baked goods and I think it is the fact that the eggs are not (easy to replace). Now I'm faced with baking again, but that is why I signed up for The Daring Baker's in the first place, to get me baking again!

For egg substitutions Ann Gentry recommends tofu, nut butters, fruit purees, or arrowroot. Mark Bittman recommends this recipe:

2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon neutral oil (grapeseed or corn), and
1 teaspoon cornstarch (I’ll use arrowroot)
Mix together and stir until smooth.

The internet provides a whole host of other options, the most intriguing to me is something with ground flax seed. Intuitively, I think the recipe above will work best because it substitutes for the fat, the liquid, and the binding properties of eggs. Mr. Bittman also suggests 3 tablespoons of silken tofu could be used in place of an egg, but I’ve found it adds an almost gritty texture, and maybe changes the taste; in any event, when I’ve used tofu in place of an egg in baking, I haven’t been happy with the results.

If this recipe turns out to be a success (and I will have the opportunity to taste test), Lane will be bringing it to work for his office holiday party on Tuesday. If not, well I still have a few days to try and get some cookies together!
Merry Happy! -- Jane

It's the Holiday Season....

OK, I'll admit it. I'm one of those guys you used to see frantically shopping on Christmas eve. I wasn't out there trying to get the perfect gift... I was just trying to get any gift. Jane has finally beaten it into my head that "Christmas is Coming." It doesn't matter what time of the year it is, Christmas is always coming.

My wife is always looking for gifts to give. But she's not one of those people who just give gifts for any occasion. She'll hang on to the thing until a birthday or Christmas comes along. Her life is far less stressful that way. And now mine is too.

It's early December, so guess what's around the corner?

So this year, for the third year in a row, I am looking ahead. I'm thinking Jane needs to have a new cookbook, specifically The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets. But will this be a gift for her, or for me? ;-)

Cream of Tomato Soup with a Surprize

It' s been cold here again. That always makes me think of soup. Luckily, Jane thinks the same way, so we've been having a variety of soups and stews lately. In our pre-vegan life, one of our old standby meals was cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, with a green salad. The only possibility left from that meal is the green salad.

This week's foray to the library resulted in us borrowing The Taste for Living Cookbook: Mike Milken's Favorite Recipes for Fighting Cancer by Michael Milken and Beth Ginsberg. It's not a vegan cookbook but it promotes itself as a collection of recipes for fighting cancer, so that got our attention (Jane's family history of cancer being one of the primary reasons we're vegans now). The book is fresh looking and attractively laid out, and a number of the recipes are vegan, and sound interesting. And lo and behold, one of the first recipes in the book is for Cream of Tomato Soup.

So, last night Jane made their version of cream of tomato soup. Cream? you might ask. Well in place of the cream it comes with a surprise... Their note states that oats can be used as a cream replacement in any pureed soup. (Huh?) To accompany the soup, Jane made grilled cheese sandwiches with vegan cheese. (Woo hoo, old standby!) And, as usual a green salad, this time topped with Chili Lime Dressing (recipe from the aforementioned book).

To recap: new cookbook, two new recipes. The salad dressing was outright awful. Thankfully, Jane only made half the recipe, so dumping the rest down the drain wasn't as wasteful as it could have been. The soup wasn't awful, but didn't hold up to the grilled cheese at all. We had leftover soup tonight with the last of the Tender Potato Bread Focaccia; it was better the second day. I don't know whether that's because the flavors had a chance to mature overnight, or if the bread was a better compliment than the grilled cheese.

Tender Potato Bread - Daring Baker's November Challenge

Hi everyone. Today it's Jane who's authoring the blog post. Since I'm participating in The Daring Bakers challenges, I'll be the one blogging. Lane will continue to blog most of the other posts.

Anyway, The Daring Bakers December Challenge was issued today. We're all supposed to wait until a specified day to post about that month's challenge, and I most certainly will respect the rules! (My philosophy is, if you don't agree with the rules of the group, don't join the group... it's that simple.)

At any rate, it looks like it will be complicated to "veganize." So, since I'm feeling a little intimidated about this as my first challenge, I decided to take last month's challenge which seemed much more vegan-friendly (and which I can post about now).

The recipe was a "tender potato bread." The recipe called for 4 medium to large baking potatoes which were supposed to be no more than 16 oz. There was some commentary about using 8 ounces if you are a beginner. Well, bread I can do (I used to make a killer cheddar cheese braided bread loaf in my pre-vegan days), but it's been a while, so I used 12 ounces as a compromise. It was only 3 small russet potatoes. They looked so insignificant in the pot!

Overall, success. But the bread really didn't rise. I don't know if that's the potatoes (dense), or the fact that my yeast might be from another century. Regardless, I was a little nervous after my first rise. The recipe can be finished in a few different ways. It makes more than one loaf. The suggestions in the challenge are loaves, rolls and focaccia. So I made a small plain loaf and a focaccia with olive oil, salt, rosemary and maui onions. Lane wandered into the kitchen several times to see what smelled so good.

Finally it was done. And while I didn't get the results I would have hoped for, the small loaf resembles a doorstop, the focaccia was good enough that we ate 1/3 of it before I got it onto the cooling rack!

I will definitely try this again, but first I need to test my yeast and see if it is time to buy a new package!

Fruit Baskets

It's that time of year again. I often get food baskets at work during the holidays as I deal with a number of vendors at work. Since Jane and I don't drink much, and hardly ever drink wine, this is a much more considerate gift. Unfortunately, most of these baskets are geared to the non-vegan. Yesterday I received a lovely basket with lots of milk-chocolate products, which I "shared" with my co-workers, much to Jane's dismay.

I got a fruit basket yesterday. Finally, a gift I could enjoy! The fruit isn't anywhere near as good as what we pick up at our local farmer's market. But that doesn't mean we're not going to eat it! (Mom would be so happy to hear that!) Anyway, it is the thought that counts.

The basket itself was beautiful, and it was an interesting composition. There was a half of a small watermelon, a pineapple, a bunch of globe grapes and some kiwi and pomegranate. I must admit, I've never seen anything like that before. Jane cut up the fruit and made us fruit salad which we'll have for dessert the next few nights. The kiwi and pomegranate will make nice additions to our dinner salad.