Veganomicon, The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
I want to preface this review by saying that I am not vegan, but I felt compelled to recommend this book because the recipes are so outstanding. First, let me say that I love growing chard and kale, but quickly run out of ideas for how to incorporate them into meals. Usually they end up in soups or omelets. Although this is delicious, it is also somewhat limited. I found my new favorite way to eat greens in this book. The Citrus-Date-Sesame sauce recipe is worth the price alone. Miso, dates, orange juice, and tahini are combined to create an incredible sweet and savory sauce. I saute the greens and then put them on top of a baked sweet potato and top it off with this awesome concoction. I have been eating this daily for a week and I am still in love with this combo.
Next, I tried the French Lentil Soup with tarragaon and thyme. I modified the recipe a bit since I had green split peas on hand. I have heard that Mexican mint marigold can be substituted for Tarragon. My history with similar recommendations has left me dubious, but on this occasion I risked it all and used fresh Mexican mint marigold instead of the tarragon and fresh thyme instead of dried. I also added some roasted red peppers from the garden. The soup was outstanding! The substitutions worked beautifully, and unlike many large pots of soup that I have made, we ate it all.
This book is highly recommended.
14 hours ago
I grew both Mexican mint marigold and French tarragon this year. The latter died, of course, because it can't stand Austin's heat. However, we were able to do a side-by-side taste comparison. The Mexican mint marigold has a much stronger taste. Even using half the amount recommended for French tarragon in the same recipe, it overpowered the dish. The French tarragon is more delicate and preferable if available.
ReplyDeleteThis was in the heat of summer which could have made the Mexican mint marigold stronger and more bitter than if harvested now in November with all this rain and cool weather. The flavor of herbs is very much affected by the conditions in which it is grown.