atlantalarry

A stuffed winter squash recipe from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Since I made the decision to opt out of the manner in which most Americans (and most people worldwide, for that matter) produce food and eat, and since I adopted veganism, I've been on the lookout for good sources of cooking methods, ingredients, and recipes.  There are a number fantastic vegan cookbooks on the market now, and four or five really good web resources.

One of my favorite sources for recipes is the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen .  The recipes have been fantastic with clear instructions and beautiful photos.

This weekend I made Sweet Dumpling squash stuffed with lemon-herb rice.  The Dekalb Farmer's Market had everything I needed, aside from the time spent cooking the brown rice the time requirements weren't daunting, and the result was spectacular.  It was a very delicious and attractive side dish.

I'd recommend this blog as a good source of vegan recipes.  My next dish from this blog is going to be
the Mushroom, Lentil, and Wild Rice Timbales

Vegan night at Kasan Red

For about the past three weeks Kasan Red, a restaurant on the corner of Glenwood and Flat Shoals in East Atlanta, has been hosting a vegan night on Tuesdays.  In addition to the standard menu they have an assortment of vegan selections.  Here is a description I posted on a couple of East Atlanta forums:

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Tuesdays Kasan Red offers a vegan menu (along with the regular menu). You can get coupons at SOPO for five dollars off the starter/entree/dessert combo.  I went last night, and below is the mini-review I posted on another forum:

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I picked up one of the coupons from SOPO yesterday evening, and had dinner at Kasan Red.  Since I
don't generally eat out on weeknights and considered this a special exploratory expedition, I went all
out and ordered a starter, entree, and dessert.  It turned out pricey, but an overall good experience, and
one consolation is that there was so much food that I don't have to prepare lunch this morning.

My selections were the Veggie Panini, the Vegan Rosti, and a chocolate tart.

It was all delicious.  I particularly liked the Veggie Rosti.  Also the sweet potato chips were among
the best I've ever had.

The one thing I wish were done differently is the choice of bread for the Panini.  I love Panini, but wish
there were more availability of whole grain focaccia.  My motivation for my veganism is mixed
(compassion towards animals, environmental and ecological concerns, global economics, and health),
but the part of me which is focused on the health aspects much prefers whole grains to white flour, and
I'll bet there are many other vegans out there who agree with me.

All in all it was a great experience, and the folks there were really friendly.

Green Sprout Restaurant

I made a decision a few months back to write only when I have something to write about, and to write about anything which interests me, not just the urban and neighborhood issues which made up most of my subject matter when I was at my most active blogging.Lately I've been exploring vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Atlanta.  I wrote the review below of Green Sprout for HappyCow's Vegetarian Guide.

As a vegan, Green Sprouts is on my top five list of restaurants in Atlanta. 

First of all, the staff understands the concept of vegan, so I don't have to interrogate them about where the food comes from and what animal products may be hidden therein.

Secondly, the menu is extensive and varied, so I'm not confined to a third class afterthought section of the menu, which even happens all too often in ostensibly "vegetarian" restaurants.

Finally, the food is absolutely delicious, so I feel very comfortable bringing my non-vegan friends along with me.

It's also an excellent restaurant for a group of people to order a selection of menu items and share. I went in a party of five yesterday, and consequently got a really broad sampling of choices, from an odd but tasty sauteed potato dish, to a tofu skin wrapped bean sprout dish, a butternut squash selection, and a couple of stir fried noodle dishes.

The last time I was there, I ordered one of the simulated chicken dishes (Empire Chicken). While I realize many vegans object to that sort of dish, it was eerily convincing, and very tasty. Since a large part of my decision to go vegan was ethical,
I think well prepared dishes of that sort serve as
a "soft landing" means of introducing people to the possibility of veganism.

Many kudos to this wonderful restaurant.

Veganomicon

I have no idea what caused me to abruptly adopt a vegan diet.  I imagine it was some combination of the recent news from the beef industry involving the slaughter of animals too sick to walk, environmental concerns regarding the efficiency of animal-based food production, and the health issues involved with a meat centric diet.

But mostly I think I'm just an experimental sort of guy, who also loves to eat and cook, and given the existence of stores like the Dekalb Farmer's Market, Sevananda, the Rainbow Market, and Return to Eden, it's both possible and fun to set some parameters on what I will or will not eat. 
And restaurants like the Cafe Sunflower and R Thomas make it possible to eat out without being relegated to the bland and oddly textured portion of the menu.

Another thing making veganism possible without descending into a miserable sort of asceticism  is the proliferation of decent vegan cookbooks.

A few weeks ago I bought a copy of Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.  These two interesting women produce a vegan cooking show called the Post Punk Kitchen.  Their website contains past episodes of the show, in addition to recipes, a discussion forum, and lots of other interesting stuff.

I have many cookbooks, but I can say honestly that Veganomicon has become my primary cookbook over the past several weeks.  I began by making their Tofu Florentine with a side of Diner Home Fries.  It was absolutely wonderful.  I've used their instructions for roasting vegetables nearly every day since the book arrived.  I've made their Chickpea Cutlets twice, and have made numerous batches of their Cheezy Sauce (a gravy like cheese sauce substitute centered around nutritional yeast).  And bear in mind I've only been using the book for a little over two weeks!

Everything I've cooked from this book so far has been delicious. 

The recipes I've used from the book were not for the short-of-attention span, however.  With the exception of the roast vegetables and the Cheezy Sauce the prep time has been considerable, particularly the first time.  But I think the preparation involved is worth it.  If you're interested is checking out just how tasty vegan food can be, this is the cookbook I'd recommend.