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Situation 2: Holidays, Birthdays, Special Occasions

Similar to Situation #1, you want to illustrate that vegan cooking does not exclude the good times. Many holidays are based in ancient beliefs celebrating that new babies continue to be born, the crops have returned, and that we didn’t starve to death this winter. Save the oil-free lentil soup for an occasion other than Passover. Isn’t eating matzo for eight days a trial and tribulation enough?

Situation 3: Sad Times

Okay, maybe we’re going to get into trouble with psychologists for saying this here, but there’s nothing wrong with a stack of chocolate chip pancakes when you’re dealing with a serious emotional crisis. Loss of family, friend, pet. The big stuff. If you’re normally working hard at watching what you eat, how much you exercise, read labels, and so on, then you know what you have to do when you’re ready to get back on track. And you will, since you’re made of the tough stuff.

Situation 4: Party Times

A lot like special occasions, but with potentially more people. Potlucks and picnics fall into this category. You don’t want to be known by your local rotary club as “The Blanched Tofu” boy or “The Poached Spinach” lady, now do you?

EAT LOW-GI FOODS

Choose foods that are low on what’s called the “glycemic index.” Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a nutritionist to figure out what those foods are, it simply means carbohydrates that are digested more slowly, raise your blood glucose more evenly, and keep you feeling fuller longer. Basically, you want unrefined carbohydrates, so instead of white rice choose brown rice, eat fruits rather than sugary desserts, and consume more whole grains such as quinoa and millet. Hey, this book you’re holding in your hand even has some recipes for those things! For more info on the glycemic index (including where foods rank), visit www.glycemicindex.com.

USE YOUR SPRAY BOTTLE OF OIL

See Spray Bottle (page 15) in the kitchen equipment list. It’s a dieter’s best friend.

HOW TO COOK A VEGETABLE

(OR, THE ART AND SCIENCE OF TRANSFORMING EDIBLE ROOTS, SHOOTS, LEAVES, AND FRUITS OF AN ARRAY OF PLANTS WITH CRITICALLY APPLIED HEAT, OILS, AND SEASONINGS SO THAT THEY WILL BE EATEN WITH GREAT PLEASURE AND THE LEAST AMOUNT OF COMPLAINING)

Dear Veganomicon,

I don’t know where to begin. I’ve been eschewing meat and dairy products for years but I can’t bring myself to eat vegetables. They are often so bland and flavorless I presume that if I ate my napkin I might acquire the same amount of fiber, without the “ick” factor of having to eat something green. But, I have heard that there are some advantages to eating these things that grow in the dirt. Whatever should I do?

Yours truly,

Cautious of Carrots

Okay, we’ve never received a letter like that. However, we know that they are out there, reckless vegans and vegetarians who are pulling the green and orange blocks out of the bottom of the food pyramid and replacing them with things fried, sugary, and bready. We don’t blame them. We blame society, or more exactly a society composed of limp, boiled broccoli; iceberg lettuce salads; and canned mushrooms. Don’t even get us started on “baby” corn (that ain’t our baby!). For those of you who love vegetables, this will be a tribute to everything glorious about the delicious part of the plant kingdom. At the very least, it will get you excited about roasting an extra bulb of garlic or two next time you fire up the oven. Learning how to cook vegetables so that they’re flavorful, enticing, and exciting is about the best thing you can do to help spread the word about veganism, hands down. This chapter is organized according to different methods to coax the most flavor out of your veggies, to give you the skills to last a lifetime. Notice we’re not a big fan of boiling (except for the occasional root vegetable, of course). It’s so last century and kind of a mean thing to do to vegetables, if you think about it.

Tools for Outdoor Grilling

METAL TONGS: Tongs are like an extension of our arms