"vegans" news and stories

If you're ever in the mood for some extra food porn, the Post Punk Kitchen forums have a great section dedicated to it. This particularly mouthwatering photo is of Apple Peanut Butter Caramel Bars, which have a graham cracker crust, cooked apple filling, crumb topping and a layer of caramel. Although I haven't had a chance to try out the recipe myself yet, I suspect that the caramel is really the star of this dessert. Instead of being based on a sugar and butter combination, it is a mix of peanut butter and maple syrup, strong flavors that make a dangerously addictive combination - and a unique one at that. The caramel would also be a great topping for ice cream, if you don't want to make the whole dessert.

As you might suspect from the photo, these are not bars that you can pick up easily and eat out of your hand, as you might with a brownie or a cheesecake bar. They are so loaded up with stuff, the bars should be served sliced and plated, just a like a pie.

Source

While the vegan lifestyle might not be entirely appealing to everyone, that doesn't make vegan food blogs any less appealing. In fact, the novelty of veganism to someone unfamiliar with it is precisely what makes a food blog about it worth reading - it gives the reader a taste of a different way of eating.

Some blogs just talk about food, but others go into great detail with recipes and general issues they encounter. I'm not talking about politics here (even though I won't deny it that it can come up from time to time), but about issues with food and eating that anyone can relate to. For example, Jennifer, of Vegan Lunchbox, is in a position that many parents find easy to relate to, as she prepares different (and hopefully both appealing and reasonably healthy) meals for her son's school lunches. Some bloggers mention struggling with weight loss and some just want to bake more cookies.

These are all great reads with great photography and, if you're interested, offer up some recipes that are worth trying - whether you're a vegan or not.

1. Vegan lunchbox: As I mentioned above, this chronicles the daily lunchboxes - as healthy, balanced, tasty and creative - as Jennifer can come up with for her son. She's also working on a cookbook and shares some good recipes.
2. Vegan Feast Kitchen: This site is a particular favorite of mine, since Bryanna Clark Grogan is a very talented chef who has shared many, many recipes over the years in her newsletter and in her cookbooks. Does vegan cooking sound easy enough to make "talented" sound like an understatement? Think again. She recently devised a vegan angel food cake.

Vegetarians might be feeling left out of our steak day celebration here at Slashfood, but there is definitely a work-around for those who don't eat red meat: portobello mushrooms. Portobellos, also called portabellas, are actually just the mature versions of brown cremini mushrooms. They are known for their size, which makes the more versatile than many smaller mushrooms. They have a juicy, meaty texture with just the right amount of chew to them. The mushrooms can be seasoned and grilled (broiled, baked, etc) much in the same way as steaks can be, too. To make a vegetarian steak with a mushroom, just clean it carefully, coat it with some olive/vegetable oil and a spice rub (or let it sit in a marinade for 30 minutes), then cook as desired until tender. I cook mushrooms this way frequently, grilling them or letting them cook under the broiler. Here are a few vegetarian recipes to get you started:

• Butternut Squash Risotto with Portobello Steak
• Balsamic Portobello Steaks
• Portabella Steak Burgers

[Image Williams-Sonoma]