Veganomicon_ The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook - Isa Chandra Moskowitz [6]
Nondairy milk: Use whatever kind floats your boat, be it soy, rice, almond—even hazelnut. As long as it’s not an overly sweetened or flavored milk, you can use any of these milks interchangeably in all recipes.
Tempeh: A fermented soybean patty. That doesn’t sound all that appealing now does it? But trust us, when treated right—and the Veganomicon will make sure that you do treat it right—tempeh is a succulent and welcome addition to your diet. Isa’s mom swears by it.
Tofu: Some people like to pronounce it tofu, we think in an effort to make it sound bad. Well nice try, haters, tofu is here to stay!
Vegenaise: This brand is the absolute best vegan mayonnaise; don’t bother with anything else. We use it for some salads and dressings, and of course, for sandwiches.
HERBS AND SPICES
Loosely defined for culinary purposes, an herb is the leaves of a plant (as in thyme or dill) and the spice is anything that isn’t the leaf, such as the root (ginger), fruit (chile), seeds (cumin), berry (allspice), or bark (cinnamon) of a plant.
The spice rack is the heart of the vegan kitchen and getting to know your herbs and spices is a fun and magical journey. It’s smart and easy to let regional cooking be the first steps in this adventure. You probably already know that Italian cooking relies on the flavors of thyme, oregano, and rosemary, whereas Mexican cooking often uses cumin, coriander, and chile. As you familiarize yourself with the tastes and aromas of your collection, you can begin to branch out and try combinations that, while probably not unknown to man, might be unknown to you.
The recipes in this cookbook don’t shy away from herbs and spices, and we hope that as you cook from it, your spice rack will become as overflowing and varied as ours are. To that end, don’t worry just because you see coriander seed on a recipe list and don’t happen to have any. Either try the recipe without it and get some seeds for next time, or flip to a recipe that you do have all the ingredients for and build your arsenal as you go along. Instead of obtaining your spices in expensive glass jars from the grocery store, find a source for bulk herbs and spices, which are often 75 percent cheaper than prepackaged spices are. Indian, Middle Eastern, or Chinese markets are great for this, and often health food stores have a nice bulk selection. If all else fails, you can order online from many sources, including Penzey’s (www.penzeys.com). Here is a good list to get you through most Veganomicon recipes. Those marked with an asterisk are what we consider essentials and should be the first items you obtain. With the exception of basil, whose strength and taste are hugely different in fresh and dried forms, fresh herbs can be used interchangeably with dried in most any recipe. The basic guide to go by is 1 teaspoon dried herb/spice = 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herb/spice, but taste as you go, to make sure the flavoring does not overpower the recipe. For best results and flavor, use purchased ground herbs/spices within a year or by the expiration date. Please throw out that five-year-old, beat-up can of ground black pepper! The flavor just won’t be there anymore, and can sometimes even make your foods taste old and dusty.
Dried Herbs
Basil
Dill
Marjoram
Mint
Oregano*
Rosemary
Tarragon*
Thyme*
Spices, Ground or Whole
Cardamom pods
Caraway seeds
Cayenne pepper, ground*
Celery seeds, whole
Cumin, ground* and whole seeds
Cinnamon, ground* and sticks
Cloves, ground and whole
Coriander, whole seeds
Curry powder (we like to have a variety)*
Garam masala
Fennel seed, whole*
Mustard,