Not long ago, I recall browsing in bookstores for vegetarian cookbooks and being content to find one entire shelf of them. These days, at least in my local bookstores, it's more like 6 or 7 shelves lined with vegan and vegetarian cookbooks. Supply is finally matching the demand, and customers have more choices than ever.You're not made of money. How do you chose a cookbook? To use a very non-vegan metaphor, the cream always rises to the top. In the case of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living
by Alisa Marie Fleming, the cream happens to be non-dairy.Alisa's expansive new book is part field guide and part cookbook. She begins by relaying the story of her own dairy allergy and the journey she embarked on while learning to cope. In great detail, Alisa provides useful health-related information, tips on eating out, how to prepare a dairy-free pantry and an expansive chapter on dairy substitutes.
But as a vegan who's already pretty facile with this information, my favorite part of the book is – you guessed it – the recipes – more than 225 of them –and cooking tips from Alisa as well as from some of our favorite blogland vegans, including Dreena Burton, Hannah Kaminsky, Julie Hanson and countless other popular vegan cooking divas. It's worth the price for the recipes alone. So check out Alisa's book. You won't be sorry – or hungry!
On a personal note, I must admit that after a year-plus of focusing on recipes for my upcoming cookbook, it sure felt nice to delve into the culinary world of another vegan, if only for one post. However...
Chickpea-Chili Burgers
...My cookbook deadline still beckons. Here's my latest creation: Chickpea-Chili Burgers. Slightly sweet, slightly spicy, they're not your mamma's veggie burger. They're great served with a bun and all the fixins', but I prefer them naked, topped with a "fig leaf" of Vegenaise and roasted red peppers.
