Lauren Ulm - Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent

Decadent (But Doable)
Animal-Free Recipes for
Entertaining & Every Day

LAUREN ULM

F0UNDER0FVEGANYUMYUM.COM

Health Communications, Inc.
Deerfield Beach, Florida

www.hcibooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ulm, Lauren.
Vegan yum yum : decadent (but doable) animal-free recipes for entertaining and everyday / Lauren
Ulm.
p. cm.
eISBN-13: 978-0-7573-9598-7 eISBN-10: 0-7573-9598-8
1. Vegan cookery. I. Title.
TX837.U45 2009
641.5636dc22 2009024376

2009 Lauren Ulm

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

HCI, its logos, and marks are trademarks of Health Communications, Inc.

Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 334428190

PhotographyLauren Ulm
Cover design by Justin Rotkowitz
Interior design by Larissa Hise Henoch
Interior formatting by Lawna Patterson Oldfield

Contents

W hen I started my blog, veganyumyum.com, in late 2006, I never dreamed it would turn into a book. In fact, I never really even imagined anyone would read the blog. Id post a recipe with a photo, and I was absolutely dumbfounded one day when someone commented on the site to say they had made a recipe and liked it.

My original goal was that other vegans would find my recipes helpful and tasty. I certainly know what its like to stand in front of the refrigerator without a clue about what to make. I also hoped that nonvegans would stop by, and the whole idea of vegan food, if they werent already familiar with it, wouldnt seem so bad. I wanted nonvegans to see my food and think, Yum, I could really go for that! as opposed to, Ugh, vegans.

Once people find out that my husband and I are vegan, they proceed to ask us a lot of questions (Im sure youve fielded these questions as well, if youre vegan). Some of the questions involve ethics, factory farming practices, and hypothetical But would you eat eggs if... situations, but one question persists: What on earthdo you eat?

While I rattle off the list, what most people usually picture is unappetizing steamed vegetables, a pile of beans with a sprig of parsley on top, and a block of wobbly tofu. They either havent had any experience with vegan food or the experience they had wasnt a good one.

When I first went vegan three years ago, it was a bit of a mystery to me, too. I was totally amazed that you didnt need eggs and dairy for baking, and that the resulting treat tasted just as good. Or that with a little imagination and a few swaps, you could make decadent things like doughnuts, cupcakes, and a macaroni and cheese that rivaled my moms and werent just pathetic vegan stand-ins for the real versions. It was then that I became sort of obsessed with creating vegan food, both savory and sweetrecipes that would be enjoyed by even the staunchest carnivores.

Now my husband and I have a running joke; whenever I make something ridiculously over-the-top and decadent, we chow down with glee and declare as sarcastically as possible to each other, Man, it sure sucks to be vegan! Im so hungry and unsatisfied!

Would I want each and every person to try a vegan doughnut and declare him or herself a vegan convert? Sure. A much more attainable goal, however, is much less dramatic. I want to provide vegans with an armory of fantastic recipes they can serve to their friends and family with pride.

If youve just gone vegan and find yourself in need of kitchen skillsfastI want you to have a book full of step-by-step recipes that will make you feel like a pro in no time. And Id simply like people not to cringe when I tell them the cupcake Im offering them happens to be vegan. You dont have to be a vegan to eat like a vegan. You dont have to be a vegan to put together a vegan meal. You dont have to be vegan to like vegan food! I really, truly hope this book convinces people of these things. And, of course, if you are convinced, I hope going vegan is something that you seriously consider.

Confessions of a Vegan Foodie

Confession time: Im not a chef, and Ive never been to cooking school. All of the photographs in this book were taken by me. The food pictured here was made in my tiny kitchen and eaten by my husband and me immediately after photographing it (even if sometimes it was slightly colder by the time we finally got to eat it). I point these things out because I think its important for you to know you can make food that looks and tastes just as good. Its all real food you can make in your kitchen, starting today. You dont need to be a chef or a food stylist to sit down to meals like these.

My point is that great food is just thatgreat! A lot of great food is vegan, and you can make it for yourself starting here. Bon apptit!

What to Expect When You Go Vegan

If youre thinking about going vegan, congrats! I know it seems like a big change, and it is. But its not as hard as you think. Youll probably be curious to try the vegan versions of your old favorites. Vegan cheese, vegan milks, vegan meats. It can get expensive, and I guarantee you itll be at least somewhat disappointing. The best advice I can give you is to focus on fresh, whole foods at first. But that doesnt mean you shouldnt give some of the specialty products a shot; you never know what you like until you try. But stay open-minded and take the time to learn how to make foods that you really love, not poor imitations of foods you no longer eat. Thats the secret to being vegan and loving it.

That being said, there are a few specialty products that I can recommend that might make your transition easier.

Earth Balance Margarine:

Most margarines have whey in them. Earth Balance is 100% vegan, and in my experience, the very best butter replacement there is.

Silk Soymilk:

Everyone has their favorite soy milk. It really is worth it to try different brands to see what your favorite is. Personally, I find Silk to have the best flavor and texture, and it wont curdle in your coffee like other nondairy milks can. The refrigerated version is different than the nonrefrigerated version. Personally, I like the refrigerated one.

Vegenaise Mayonnaise:

This one is by far the winner when it comes to vegan mayo. There are other brands out there, but this is the only one I buy.

Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese and Sour Cream:

Tofutti makes a killer cream cheese and sour cream. Other brands just dont stack up in my opinion.

Vegan Cheeses:

There are all sorts of cheeses out there. Many are pretty gross. My three favorite cheeses are Teese, Sheese, and Dr. Cow. Teese cheese is made by the Chicago Soydairy. It melts fabulously, so its great for anything youd normally put mozzarella on. Sheese cheese has a wonderful cheesy flavor (I love the smoked cheddar!), but it doesnt melt, so its best on crackers or in sandwiches. Dr. Cow makes wonderful, hand-crafted nut cheeses that dont have any scary ingredients in them, perfect for a gourmet treat.