Directory —
Food & Drink —
Blog Details for "Diet, Dessert and Dogs"
Diet, Dessert and DogsDiet, Dessert and DogsWeight loss musings, healthy food and baking recipes, and comments from my dogs. Articles
Spiced Cauliflower Soup
2008-03-17 12:17:00  It occurred to me yesterday that the last three food posts on this blog have all been desserts. Is this my chocolate withdrawal talking? Well, maybe so, but that means a contrapuntal savory dish must make its appearance today. No; more than just savory–we need something spicy. No; more than just spicy; we need something SPICE-EEEE! Aye, Carumba!! And I have just the thing. . . . One of the aspects of blogging I love is reading about others writers’ food adventures. By reading food blogs, you can vicariously cook and eat almost anything, without lifting so much as a measuring spoon. Another great byproduct is how blogging encourages you to try cooking something new almost daily, stretching your culinary muscles and gustatory acumen. Would I naturally think to peruse my cookbooks in search of a novel pasta dish every week? Not likely. Would I ordinarily wax poetic about rice pudding in any other context? Negative. Would I customarily resurre... More About: Soup , Cauliflower
How Elsie Achieved What I Could Not
2008-03-16 19:16:00  [”Can you guess why I’m so happy?”] Last week, we took Elsie for her annual checkup at the vet (a place she absolutely loves–go figure). At the end of the appointment, the vet pronounced her an ideal specimen of canine health. Not only that; Elsie had lost nine pounds since her previous visit. Nine pounds! That’s, like, 63 in dog pounds! She’s been hanging on to that excess weight for a couple of years, at least. This was quite the contrast to our first vet appointment, back in 2002, when she was both underweight and unhealthy. We got Elsie from a Rescue Mission here in the city, because I was keen to save a little pup that would otherwise face certain death. But there was also a monetary consideration, as the mission charged only $200 versus the $1200 or so we’d have to dish out for a purebred pup. I remember the event perfectly: it was a blustery, snow-swept Saturday in February (a day very much like most of last we...
Maple-Walnut Cookies
2008-03-15 03:51:00  Despite my constant whining about winter (When, oh when will it finally be over?? How much longer must I endure this bleak, bleached, desolate wasteland of frigid snow? How many more days must I suffer through this torturous, crystalline hell on earth? ), I fully recognize that the season Below Zero does have at least a few minor benefits. For one, you get to cuddle closer to your honey while watching Battlestar Gallactica or a DVD. You feel justified when you stay home from that excruciatingly boring dinner meeting (”but the roads were impossible. . . “). You have a legitimate reason to cover up your all-time high weight of mumblemumbleundisclosednumber pounds and wear loose sweaters. And then, when the season finally begins to wane, you have the opportunity to eat fresh maple syrup. Although technically, the trees aren’t tapped until early spring, in Canada you can purchase real maple syrup year-round (yay!). When I first changed my diet ... More About: Cookies , Walnut , Maple
Flash in the Pan: Speedy Fruit Sorbet
2008-03-14 12:18:00 Sometimes, you just want to eat something now. I’ve decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly, or else is so easy to make that no recipe is required. Here’s my first “Flash in the Pan.” Speedy Fruit Sorbet When I crave something sweet, creamy, and cold, this is my current indulgence. It’s made almost entirely of fresh-frozen fruit, so there’s absolutely no guilt. And it’s ready in about three minutes. I’m loving this sorbet! 1/2 banana, frozen about 1/2 cup frozen berries (I like blueberries and raspberries, mixed) about 1/4 cup chopped frozen mango or pear (adds creaminess) up to 2 Tbsp. agave nectar (may be omitted) up to 1/4 cup plain soymilk or coconut milk (may be omitted) Throw everything in your food processor and whir until it begins to resemble ice cream. You’ll need to stop the machine and scrape down the sides two or three times before it comes t...
Butterscotch Mousse Pie
2008-03-13 00:49:00  I have to admit that I was never much of a pie person until very recently. “I mean, really,” I would ask pie-lovers, “What is it if not just an oddly-shaped fruit (or veggie) sandwich? Apples and cinnamon between two layers of crust. Blueberries between two layers of crust. Pumpkin between two layers of crust.” Bah. Oh, but that was just my cynical self, the one with pie envy, talking. Once I learned to produce a truly great crust, all my counter-crust sentiments dissolved, like butter under your fingers. Traditional pastry, it seems, relies on the unique chemistry between cold fat and dry flour, cut into little bullets of butter or lard that subsequently melt and expand while baking, thereby creating pockets of air space. If you’re not using solid fat in the mix, the crust simply doesn’t work out the same way, even if you DO refrigerate it; it just never achieves the same degree of tender flakiness. As a result, I nev...
Cookbook Review: Nava Atlas’s Vegan Express
2008-03-12 03:11:00  As you may know, I was a startled and very delighted recipient of Nava Atlas’s latest cookbook, Vegan Express , as a result of Susan’s contest a while back on Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen. A couple of weeks ago, I was thrilled to receive the book in the mail, and set about making a whack of recipes from it. I thought I’d write a bona fide book review so you can all get your own taste of express cooking, vegan style! (Oh, and all you mass-market, consumer magazines out there? Feel free to request a reprint!). Vegan Express by Nava Atlas Vegan Express is the most recent addition to the long line of popular publications by veteran cookbook author Nava Atlas, already well known for her previous classics such as Vegetariana or The Vegetarian Family Cookbook and website, In A Vegetarian Kitchen.  A vegan herself, in this book Atlas addresses one of the foremost hurdles for vegan eaters, both established and newly inclined: prepping veggies can take up lots of time!   ... More About: Review
Week at Warp Speed and Easy Dinner
2008-03-10 15:15:00 What? Can it really be that a week has gone by already? While it does feel like a long time since I’ve been blogging (and boy, did I ever miss it), I am amazed at how quickly these seven days have whizzed by. So, how did I spend my week of catch-up? First, I resolved to eat only food that is 100% good for me. I ate exclusively organic, healthy, completely unprocessed fruits, vegetables, brown rice and soy products. I never once had a craving for chocolate–or anything sweet, actually–and didn’t even attempt a baked good. The Girls were model citizens, never whining, and playing perfectly with each other (and never waking us up before 7:00 AM to go out and “do their business”). Oh, and I lost FIFTEEN POUNDS! FIFTEEN, can you believe it?? As luck would have it, my old boyfriend called me up just as I was feeling pretty good about myself, and we met for drinks and, oops, I drank a little too much. . . .but just as things were abo... More About: Dinner , Week , Speed , Easy , Warp
Ths iz not a blg entree
2008-03-08 14:22:00 Ar mum is dung doo doo ng duing fine shes werking hard. she mises th blog and hoeps to bee back sune. we mis it to. x o  Elsie + Chaser PS pls give us fud. More About: Entree
Hello, Goodbye
2008-03-03 16:48:00 HELLO: Okay, now, prepare yourselves. I am about to be completely serious (I know! It’s just so not like me). No cute little puns, no jokes, no sarcastic remarks about Ms. You-Know-Who and her trademark belly laugh and equally ample lack of talent (Oops. I guess that sort of did count as a kind of sarcastic remark, didn’t it? Sorry, just can’t help myself). But now back to my sober message. My words are totally sincere, and entirely from the heart:  You Guys Are Great. You’re The Best. YOU ROCK!! (Sorry, didn’t mean to embarrass you or anything, but I just had to say it). I simply can’t thank you all enough for the incredible support, advice and encouragement you’ve given me over the past few weeks as I’ve struggled yet again with my diet. And I can’t express enough what an amazing bunch you are! Over the years, I’ve dieted countless times, with my weight bouncing up, tumbling down, or hanging on in-be... More About: Goodbye
Bittersweet Salad with Apples and Dandelion Greens
2008-03-02 21:00:00  Why, oh why did I choose Sundays? What was I thinking? I must have been on a chocolate high at the time and totally out of it. Otherwise, why on EARTH would any sane person choose Sunday morning to track her weight loss (which, at this point, is actually a misnomer; for, as of this morning, I am now tracking my weight gain. Oh, woe).  Well, I suppose I can take some small comfort in the fact that we spent all of last evening at a spectacular birthday bash for my friend Gemini I’s husband. And, given that my mouth was basically open for business between 6:00 PM and midnight last night, I’m assuming some of this is temporary (I’m hoping. . . .). Enough self-recriminations–must move onward! And man, that gal sure knows how to throw a party. For your entertainment pleasure, I thought I’d try to remember as many as I can of the continual flow of appetizers and h’ors doeuvres that floated by all evening, aloft many a wait-staf... More About: Greens , Salad , Apples , Bittersweet
What To Do With The Weight When You Lose It
2008-03-01 12:23:00 Here’s how I was going to start this blog entry: I simply can’t believe it–it snowed yet again yesterday. Will this accursed winter never end? The drifts on the driveway (oh, lord, another few hours of shoveling!) have already enveloped my car in a duvet of white, and little tempests are performing pirouettes in our back yard, propelled along by the wind. The newscast today said that we’ve already received 72 cm. of snow this season (that’s about 33 inches), when the average for a Toronto winter is around 20 cm. That’s more than triple the snow we usually have–pretty much a new record!! That’s more snow than I can remember in the last decade! That’s more snow than any human should reasonably be asked to shovel or trudge through or brush off their coats or blink against as they stumble through the assault of bitter cold flakes! That’s just TOO. . . MUCH. . . . SNOW!!!!!!!  But since that would have soun... More About: Weight
Bangkok Noodles with Cashews and Pineapple*
2008-02-29 00:33:00 *or, How to Get Your Meat-Loving Guy to Love a Vegan Meal How often does this happen to you? (I promise, this is not an infomercial): You come across a new recipe that sounds wonderful, and, fired up with anticipation, you can’t wait to try it.  You rush home, prepare the dish, and it’s received to unanimous acclaim. This recipe instantly becomes your “go-to” dish, and you repeat the performance over and over many times during the following weeks. You keep returning to this item, in fact, and it instantly pops into your head whenever you think about what to cook. The page for that recipe in your cookbook acquires the rippled, stained appearance of a trusty pair of Keds you’ve worn for a whole summer, through mud and grass and lakes, covered as it is in little splatters of sauce and oil and water.  And then–just like that–you happen upon a new recipe, one that piques your interest just as much as the other one, and y... More About: Pineapple , Bangkok , Noodles
My Favorite Mistake: Savory Filled Breakfast Crepes
2008-02-26 13:38:00  I really hate making mistakes. Not only because they sometimes wreak havoc (”What? The model of Stonehenge on stage was supposed to be 18 FEET high, not 18 inches???” or, “What? But I thought the BLUE was the ‘panic button,’ Mr. President!!!”), but also because they make me feel really knuckle-brained sometimes (”Um, HH, can you come pick me up? I’m kind of stranded out here in the woods with The Girls. I’ve locked my keys in the car. . . and it’s running.*”). Of course, that’s not to say that I don’t have my share of doozies lurking around in my past (though at least mine aren’t as egregious as the  Y2K fiasco, or 8-track tapes, or Julia Roberts in Mary Ryan, Steel Magnolias The Pelican Brief Stepmom anything except Pretty Woman). True, there were those three months I dated philandering Rocker Guy (he of the black leather pants); but for the most part, my mistakes tend to the be... More About: Breakfast , Savory , Favorite , Crepes
Dog Day: Fame Has Gone to Their Heads
2008-02-25 14:52:00 It’s so great to hear from people who enjoy seeing (and hearing!) The Girls in the blog. But I have to tell you, folks, what with all this attention, and then with the Oscar buzz happening yesterday (yay Daniel Day-Lewis!), they suddenly think they’re celebrities or something. They’ve even begun to re-enact famous movies. For instance, here’s Chaser doing her own rendition of Queen Elizabeth (and believe me, she rules around here, too): Here she is again, this time as Lucy in Dracula(the Gary Oldman-Wynona Rider version, not the Bela Lugosi version): Not to be outdone, Elsie went ahead and rehearsed for Bull Durham (though I think she’d make a better catcher than a batter): And my favorite, their collaboration on Ingmar Bergman’s Cries and Whispers: I’m really not sure how to handle them with all this puffed-up ego in the air. . . for now, I’ll just humor them and hope it goes away soon. (”Mum, truly, this is has to be... More About: Fame , Heads
Dreams of Chocolate
2008-02-24 02:51:00 Nope, not one. Not a single one. Not even the tiniest smidgen of one. That’s right: for the first time ever in my adult life, I have not seen ONE of the movies nominated for Best Picture tomorrow night. (And YOU thought I was going to say “not one piece of chocolate! Ha ha on you!! Well, I haven’t had a single smidge of that, either.) And that is all I will be saying about the Oscars. I’ve decided that I must have been a cacao overlord in a previous lifetime, and now as part of my atonement, I’m seeing chocolate, chocolate everywhere–just when I’m trying most to avoid the stuff (for those of you who just joined us in medias res, I’m attempting a detox to clear my body of the influence of the Devil Chocolate –and so, the Week of Chocolate Asceticism). As I mentioned before I began my week, I did whip up a few delectables before I started so that the blog wouldn’t be entirely bereft of the sweet stuff for the ... More About: Dreams
Roasted Potatoes with Sweet and Sour Cipollini Onions
2008-02-22 23:58:00  There are times when I glance around my chaotic home office, and I despair a little. Then my eyes glaze over and I fall into a reverie about the good ol’ days, when I used to be organized: desktop in order, with clearly demarcated ”to do” and “done” piles. Mail returned with great alacrity, and an empty ”inbox” each evening. Shoes and boots lined up like bottles at a county fair, erect and waiting for the ball that will topple them. Laundry folded, laid neatly in drawers (never left to languish untouched on the top of the dresser for days). Ah, yes, it’s a lovely dream. In more recent times, what with papers to mark, driveways to shovel, cooking classes to teach, orders to bake, dogs to walk, blogs to write–well, I admit that I’ve become a little slack on the home front. But seriously, do you really need more than four square inches of desk space to pay your bills online? Do you really need booksh... More About: Sweet , Potatoes , Onions
Pudding is a Virtue
2008-02-22 05:19:00  Both our dogs contain a generous sprinkling of Border Collie, a breed known for its patience. As a working breed, BCs were meant to guard sheep all day; and since sheep are not exactly what you’d call wild and crazy guys, the BCs must be willing to sit still for a very long time. Moreover, they exhibit what’s known as the ”Border Collie Stare”–that steely gaze that bores right through you  and makes even the most obstreperous mutton acquiesce to their wishes. I’ve been the object of that stare, more times than I can tell you. You see, the house we live in is an ”open concept” design, so the living room opens on to the kitchen, which opens on to the rest of the house.  After many hours of sweat (mine) and a lot of practise (theirs), I’ve trained The Girls to ”stay out of the kitchen” on command. Basically, this means they are not allowed to put paws to tile (but wood or carpet–the floo... More About: Pudding , Virtue
Soba Noodles with Ginger, Chard and Walnuts
2008-02-20 03:34:00 While taking some leisure time to browse through a few food blogs recently (read: two hours at my desk when I should have been working), I happened upon the blog event They Go Really Well Together, hosted by blog.khymos.org (”dedicated to molecular gastronomy”). The gist of the event is that two or more seemingly mis-matched flavors are paired according to their molecular compatibility (a la Fat Duck), said compatibility not always apparent to those deficient in the chef’s olfactory supremacy (such as moi). Then I got to thinking, it’s true; some ostensibly odd couplings do actually work well together: Sonny and Cher, purple and mustard yellow walls (but only for the previous tenant, not us), Elsie and Chaser, paisley and–hmmn. Well, Sonny and Cher, anyway. This pasta dish, a favorite in our house, is one of those weird couplings: rhyme off the ingredients one at a time and they sound not like a recipe but more like a grocery list jotted in ... More About: Noodles , Ginger , Walnuts
Juicy Cuisine and Crunchy Granola
2008-02-19 00:11:00 Part I: THE JUICE SEGMENT (feel free to skip to Part II) We’re having some down time today at the DDD household, as today is the first-ever Family Day holiday in Ontario (I’ve always thought it only civilized to have a day off in February–the gap between New Year’s and Easter/Passover is just too long). Everything government-related is closed, as are many retail establishments, so the streets are quiet and still. Why, it’s the perfect atmosphere to reflect on my first entire day of WOCA (Week of Chocolate Asceticism)! But since I know you’re likely more interested in the food than my self-imposed abstemiousness, I’ve decided not to dwell on my woe-is-me struggle to avoid chocolate during this time. Instead, I’ll provide an update each day at the end of the post–following the main attraction (a new recipe!).  And one of the perfect ways to start off a shiny, new, ”clean” week of eating is a delicious,... More About: Cuisine
Could This Be Love? Post V-Day Dinner
2008-02-18 02:18:00 Even though this morning was the first day of my chocolate detox, that didn’t stop me from having a whale of a time at our (slightly postponed) Valentine’s Day Dinner last evening. With the weather being as inclement as ever, the HH and I began prepping our meal around 3:30 PM, and just kept at it till the whole darn thing was ready and we could devour it. I thought I’d provide a quick recap of my last evening of dining decadence for a while.  (Thanks Sally, Jamie, Theresa and Johanna for your great suggestions!) To commence the festivities, the HH poured each of us a glass of our favorite cut-rate bubbly, a Spanish cava that I think rivals true champagne. Here’s the bottle next to one of our special-occasion glasses (purchased just before the turn of the century, in fact!). Instead of my original appetizer idea for ”neat” balls in a sweet and sour sauce, I decided to try Johanna’s Nutroast from Green Gourmet Giraffe. I had... More About: Love , Post
My Diet: MIA
2008-02-16 02:52:00 For the three of you who’ve been following this blog since the beginning, you may have noticed that my “diet” posts (ie, posts in which I talk about how my diet’s not working, posts in which I discuss how I’d like my diet to be working better, posts in which I examine how I might be able to make my diet work better, or, simply, posts in which I use the word “diet” a lot) have gone MIA. Wherefore art thou, O Ricki’s Diet , and why has she forsaken you? Well, I must apologize. It’s not that I’ve forgotten about my diet (ha! AS IF), but more that I haven’t felt there was anything worth reporting or mulling over lately without sounding terribly repetitive. Given that the original intent of this blog was (at least, partly) to chronicle what I hoped would be a monumental (40-lb.) weight loss over the next year, and to share with you how I was going to go about doing that, I seem to have lost sight (but never taste, app...
For All You Great Cooks. . .
2008-02-15 05:49:00 I came across the new Great Cooks Blogroll while browsing other food blogs and of course joined up poste haste. With a quickly-expanding list of food blogs, it’s a great resource. Jill over at Simple Daily Recipes is the force behind Great Cooks. If you’re interested in great cooking, are a great cook, know one or aspire to be one, it’s definitely worth a look. And if you write a food blog, you’re eligible to join up, too!
And Chocolate-Peanut-Butter Makes Three
2008-02-14 15:57:00  A couple of weeks ago, I posted a blog entry about the trio of chocolate desserts I’d created for Valentine’s Day, each with at least one “secret” ingredient that conferred extra health benefits. I promised to post the recipes for each one, starting with the Gluten-Free Brownie and followed by the Vegan Molten Chocolate Cakes. Since I’ve already posted the first two recipes of ****BULLETIN****BULLETIN****BULLETIN***** We interrupt this blogcast to bring you this breaking news that Ricki’s recipe for Vegan Molten Chocolate Cakes has been voted the winner of the Vegetable Love contest over at Susan’s Fat Free Vegan Kitchen ! (Well, okay, maybe it was by a very small margin, but we’re not complaining). The contest asked participants to submit recipes for romantic, vegan, low-fat dishes that contained vegetables.  Skip on over and take a look at all the fabulous entries! I have to admit that I was completely taken by surpriseÂ... More About: Peanut , Butter
Down the Donut Hole*
2008-02-12 21:15:00 *Or, Chasing That Rabbit Seems the Easier Option Right About Now So what’s a blog that focuses primarily on healthy foods doing with an entry on donuts? I may not have consumed any of these sweet treats in the past 8 years or so, but I am a lifelong member of the “I Love Donuts” fan club. Well, cake donuts, anyway. As everyone knows, there are two types of donuts in the world: the airy, yeasty kind, and the denser, cakey kind. (Which basically means that, as a donut lover, you can be either an airhead or dense.). In our house, for instance, the HH is the light, yeast-based aficionado while I’m the fan of heavier, cakelike donuts.  Several years ago, I came across a recipe for yeast-free blueberry donuts on Emeril’s webpage. I immediately printed it off and made them that very night, and, I can honestly attest, they were fabulous. With the tender, cakelike interior and thick, slightly crunchy-pebbly glazed exterior, each one offered up s... More About: Hole
I Heart Valentine’s Day
2008-02-11 13:38:00  Do you love Valentine ’s Day? It seems to elicit one of two diametrically opposed reactions from most people: either sentimental, tug-at-your-heartstrings d evotion, or else complete, unmitigated disdain. (I must admit I’m closer to the former). But whether you love or hate it, wouldn’t it be fun to be a fly on the wall at someone else’s V-Day? Well, this year, I’m suggesting we both be flies on the wall (I know, technically that’s an incorrect grammatical construction, since I am only one fly and “you” constitute at least two others, so it should actually read, ‘I’m suggesting that we all be flies on the wall,’ but that just sounded stupid). I’ll be the little fly I remember so vividly from my childhood, the one in the original 1950s The Fly movie, who is trapped at the end in the evil, inescapable spider’s web and calls out pitifully in a tiny, wailing voice, “Help me. Help meee... More About: I heart , Heart
The Best Home Fries Ever
2008-02-11 00:26:00 For a simple weekend brunch, no matter what the main course, I always crave a side of home fries. The humble potato is truly transformed into something exceptional when fried up alongside slivered onion and whatever else you may please, from the most rudimentary (salt and pepper) to something more hip and funky (green pepper, tomato and avocado). While I’m basically a purist when it comes to home fries, I do like them flavorful. Over the weekend, we cooked up a batch of my favorite version of home fries. The process is incredibly easy. I had just started thinking about it, so asked myself three essential questions: 1) Feel like potatoes? Yep. 2) Feel like spice? But of course. 3) Have both in the house, and about 20 minutes to spare? Jackpot!  Okay, then–let’s party! I came up with this combination (likely not entirely original, I’ll venture) because we always have steak spice in the house for the HH’s carnivorous forays. I love spicy... More About: Home , Fries
My Mother’s Potato-Corn Chowder
2008-02-09 14:29:00 When I first read about the blog event called No Croutons Required, hosted by Lisa of Lisa’s Kitchen and Holler of Tinned Tomatoes, my first thought was, “Yes! I’d love to contribute my favorite soup recipe!” Then, quick on the heels of that thought was this one: ”Hmmn. No, maybe not. Can’t use that one; too bland. Too boring. Too commonplace. Too–I don’t know–too beige.” And yet, I love that soup. It’s easy to make, the ingredients are staples we always have on hand, and it’s never let me down. It conjures warming memories of my childhood. In wintertime, it’s often the basis for a hearty, simple dinner in our house. And it’s delicious!  And that’s how I realized that yes, sometimes, beige is exactly what you want. You know what I mean. Case in point: we recently moved into this relatively new house. The previous tenants had taken it upon themselves to paint ever... More About: Corn , Potato , Mother , Chowder
Reubenesque Sandwich
2008-02-07 18:58:00 Sometimes I wish I’d lived in the 1600s. No, not for the lack of modern excesses like cell phones or Doritos or Survivor. Not for what was, in those days, the nonchalant expectation of personal chefs, cleaners, and maids (and all for no pay!). Not for the lack of indoor plumbing, heating, electricity or even daily bathing  (as I recently learned from the way-cool book I’m reading, The Dirt on Clean). Not even because back then, people already had dogs as pets, though of course they weren’t treated as well as our canine friends are today. (”Yes, Mum, you do treat us very well. This is a nice story, yadda yadda yadda, but when are you going to get to the part about food?”) Allow me to clarify: when I say I would have liked living back then, I’m talking about cultural attitudes towards female pulchritude. If today’s society held the same culturally-influenced ideals as to what is considered “beautiful” as they did in ... More About: Sandwich
Dog Day: If Vodka is an Elsie, then Beer is a Chaser*
2008-02-06 16:25:00 *Or, How Our Puppy Got Her Name  Once, several years ago, I read in a women’s magazine that the best time to discuss “serious” issues with your male partner is when you’re in the car, preferably going for a long drive. That way, you are in close contact with each other, it’s quiet and private, he can’t escape, and he doesn’t have to look you in the eye (always an intimacy-buster for men). I have absolutely no doubt that writer knew whereof she wrote. With that in mind, here’s a little glimpse into my past. (Scene One: Early morning. Ricki and her HH, driving in the car, circa February, 2006.) Ricki (sweetly, with a quiet, loving tone): I just love Elsie so much. But you know, she’s lonely. She lies on her pillow all day, moping and sighing, or else she just wanders over to the window and stares yearningly at the birds and squirrels outside. And I feel so guilty going off to work and leaving her alone for such lon... More About: Beer , Vodka , Hase
Vegan Molten Chocolate Cakes
More articles from this author:2008-02-04 12:54:00 One of the sure signs that we’ve embarked on a new, health-conscious, era in our food history is the rash of vegan cookbooks recently flooding the market. For a sweets fanatic like me, these books offer ostensibly endless possibilities, from the mega tome by Colleen Patrick Goudreau with its shortcakes, fudge, or classic chocolate layers, to the spectacular, every-flavor-every-color masterpiece by Hannah (wasabi cupcakes, anyone?) to the ever-popular Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. One persistent problem for vegan bakers, however, is the fact that some recipes simply don’t translate easily into vegan versions (meringues, for instance, or dairy-dependent treats like cheesecake or cream-topped mousse pie). Inevitably, we’re served up  ”cheesecake” (or cheezecake) made from processed tofu-cream “cheese,” or items like the newly-marketed Soyatoo when whipped cream is called for; similarly, margarine (usually Earth Balance) is th... More About: Cakes , Chocolate 1, 2, 3, 4 |
|
