Fearless Vegan

I make food all the time, but don’t always have time to post it (with recipes) on this blog.  So I decided to make a picture blog, dedicated solely to delicious vegan nomz I make.  Check it out here: fearlessbakingpicblog.wordpress.com

and drool.

I recently stumbled across an argument that I had with a non-vegan quite some time ago.  Intrigued, I re-read my arguments and, although I think I’m definitely smarter now than I was a few years ago, I made some really good points and wanted to share it again (hopefully this time the other end won’t be nearly as hostile).  It may help some of my readers to understand some of the points why I am vegan, and hopefully provide other vegans with encouragement in your apologetics.  Sometimes omnivores can be difficult to reason with (especially if they are very stubborn, traditional, or close-minded), and it is always good to have as much help as possible.

It must be said that this person was adamantly anti-vegan and started this argument with me over a mutual friend’s facebook wall (if that gives you any clue…).  She also knew nothing other than what society had trained her to know, and I tried to provide as much real research and facts as I could to help convince her stubborn mind.

So here are some of the things I told her (edited, obviously, so that it makes sense in some sort of order). Continue reading →

okay seriously, how often do you see an ugly vegan? or a fat one? Rarely, if ever.

It’s not just weight either, although vegans do tend to be more fit/slim (I won’t say skinny because skinny does not equal healthy).  Haven’t you ever noticed the vegan skin glow?  The first thing I noticed when I went vegan was that my skin cleared up.  And beautiful strong hair?  I’m back to my natural hair color for the first time in more than 8 years, and I love how shiny and beautiful it is (and not falling out anymore).

And beyond the outside, the majority of vegans have beautiful, compassionate, and kind hearts.  What’s not attractive about that?

Vegans are damn sexy.  and apparently I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Tempeh bacon is the perfect salty/crunchy/meat substitute.  Believe it or not, I’ve made my recipe of tempeh bacon for some carnivores who have liked it as much or better than real bacon.  Not to mention that it’s way healthier… other than being fried, it has significantly less fat, salt, and no cholesterol.  Delicious bacon strips that don’t cause heart attacks?  I’m in.

Tonight, fellow chef Melanie and I made tempeh bacon delicious desserts.  Having witnessed this recent chocolate-bacon food craze, we decided to embark on veganizing it so that we could see what it was all about.  We made cookies, fudge, and cupcakes, all with tempeh-bacon.  Our favourite though, was the cupcake: a rich, chocolate cake, topped with a spread of a homemade maple caramel, tempeh bacon crumbles, salted maple buttercream, and more tempeh bacon crumbles.  Weird, right?  But delicious?  You betcha.

Just a few reasons I love tempeh bacon.  And to think, if I wasn’t vegan, I’d be eating some shitty bacon candy bar I got at the grocery store and clogging my arteries.  All that flavor, and no clogged arteries.  A dream come true.  Go vegan.

For those of you who may not have talked to me recently or heard my rants on facebook, I decided to undergo a raw food experiment about a week and a half ago.  Save for an occassional meal, some hummus, and peanut butter, I have eaten almost entirely raw for the last eleven days.

I have always been interested in the raw foods diet, and I believe that it has a lot of merit.  It is true that many fruits, vegetables, and grains lose some of their nutritional value when they are cooked.  It is true that it is the only real “natural” diet.  Before man went and invented fire (and subsequently began destroying the world), all of our food was raw.  There are also lots of other reasons for eating raw, most of them chemical and difficult for me to explain (science has never been my forte).  If you want more resources, check out this website or simply search the web.

My reason in writing this post is not to convince you to go raw.  My reason is also not to tell you I will be permanently going raw and will no longer be baking desserts for Chomp.  I assure you that I love Chomp!, baking, and french fries far too much to ever go completely raw.  (In fact, you should be expecting a recipe post in the next few days as Chef Melanie and I are teaming up for a delicious new recipe we’ve been dreaming up). The real purpose of this post is simply to share my experience, what I’ve learned, and maybe even a few recipes.  Continue reading →

Since the greatest love in my life is baking, I decided to spend this V-Day weekend baking my favourite recipes.  Most of them, of course, happened to be my versions of several recipes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, author of The Post Punk Kitchen blog, Veganomicon, Vegan with a Vengeance, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and several other fantastic vegan cookbooks.  (I seriously think I own more of her cookbooks than anything else.)  Isa is my favourite vegan chef.  I started using her recipes before I even went vegan, and discovered my passion for baking through her recipes.  She is my inspiration, so I decided to use my V-Day as an ode to her. Continue reading →

Having finally perfected the vegan Almond Joy candy bar, I would like to share it with you.  My tiny problem is that I have this tendency to not measure, which makes recipes a little difficult to share   But I will do my best to guesstimate, and I encourage you as well to put away the measuring cups and go by touch and taste and feel.  You’ll be amazed at where it might get you…

Since I had absolutely no recipe to even start from here, I used my peppermint patty recipe as a jumping point.  You may see a few similarities.  And, if you’ve made the peppermint patty recipe, you know a little bit about the consistency that we’re striving for.  so, here goes! Continue reading →

Okay, I know you’re thinking, “seriously, what?” But hear me out.

When I used to wear wool and cashmere sweaters, I used to always worry about drying them on accident.  They shrink up real bad, and there’s no going back once they’re shrunk. Since I became vegan and have stopped wearing those products, I no longer have any wool or cashmere to wash.  Which means I never have to worry about pulling it out before I put my clothes in the dryer.  Which means that laundry is easier.  And, let’s face it, anything that makes laundry easier is a major plus.  Go vegan.

A while ago, I was scanning the web for some good vegan recipes.  One of my favourite recipe blogs is Vegan Yum Yum. (They also have a cookbook out that’s great).
I came across a recipe for “Hurry Up Alfredo,” which can be found here, and thought it sounded absolutely delicious. I subsequently bookmarked it and made a mental note to make it soon. Then, I forgot.
Until recently when I rediscovered it and decided to make it. Now, the first time I made this was back before Christmas, but I’ve made it a couple times now and have had people begging for the recipe. So I figured it is time to post it. Here’s my adaptation. Continue reading →