So many cookbooks!
By Monica on November 1st, 2007
I am literally being overrun with cookbooks. I picked up Vegan Vittles and the Candle Cafe Cookbook at Farm Sanctuary. I bought about 50 funny old cookbooks at a rummage sale last week for $2 total. I finally bought the Chicago Diner cookbook. I have not even cracked open Veganomicon. To boot, my fellow bloggers have been posting some of the most delicious recipes ever, and I am delightfully overwhelmed with foodie goodness! Here’s just a little of what’s been going on in my kitchen this week, inspired by other blogs or my new cookbooks:
Up first is Fat Free Vegan’s tofu-spinach lasagna which has been making the rounds on vegan food blogs lately.  I made this the night we left for Farm Sanctuary and somewhere around Pennsylvania, a half asleep voice mumbled from the back seat of the car, “I wish we had more of that lasagna”. It was so good, in fact, that it sparked a lively dinner conversation on “why vegan food tastes so good”!
Next we have a pudding cake from How it all Vegan. I had never made a pudding cake before and I can assure you I read those directions at least 10 times. “Sarah Kramer, you so crazy! What do you mean, don’t mix? Are you SURE?”
From the Chicago Diner Cookbook, we have Corn Chowder. (Chowdah if you like.) The recipe for this is online as well as in their cookbook, so check it out if you need to get your chowder on.
While I had that sucker cracked open, I also made their Chocolate Chipper cookies. A little too cakey for my liking, but no chocolate chip cookie goes to waste in my house, no matter how bad it may be.
And finally, your standard “No Bull Beefaroni“, because sometimes you just have a taste for that weird orange sauce that covers canned pasta. I add a couple spoonfuls of homemade sour cream into the sauce to make it a little creamier and more strangely orange.
Unfortunately I didn’t get to bake anything macabre for Halloween as we had a sick kitty at home, so Halloween was spent at the vet’s office.  Halloween is also my wedding anniversary so the timing was doubly bad. But the kitty will be fine, and I did get to catch a few good Halloween movies. Our local drive-in surprised us with a triple feature of The Day of the Triffids (bah!), Resident Evil 3, and the new Halloween. The following night I was lucky enough to catch Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D which was a lot of fun; I adore that movie. Hope everyone had a great Halloween!
Jenny says:
Aw… I hope your kitty feels better soon! And, I’m getting married on Halloween ‘08. Spookay!
November 1st, 2007 at 4:44 pm
sarah says:
Did you enjoy the puddin cake?? I love that recipe.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:59 pm
VeggieGirl says:
WOWOWOWOW!!! Look at all these fabulous recipes you’ve made!! I’m especially keen on SusanV’s lasagna and that How It All Vegan pudding cake :0)
Aww, I hope your cat feels better :0( Ooh, you spent Halloween like we do, every year!! We have a horror movie marathon :0)
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:41 am
zu says:
The lasagna looks good - I might try that - have tofu in the house.
Nightmare before Christmas - saw that on the big screen with the special 3D glasses and it was AMAZING. It snowed outside of the screen!!
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:25 am
Suzie says:
That pudding cake looks dreamy! I just wanna eat it off the screen. I have ‘How it All Vegan’. I need to try that one immediately.
I hear ya on not getting to do much for Halloween. For now, horror movies will suffice! But I’m glad your kitty’s getting better. =)
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:40 am
Monica says:
Sarah, the pudding cake was excellent! My copy of HIAV is splattered with food, the spine is worn, that baby has seen some use!
Suzie, definitely try the pudding cake recipe. It’s easy and really fun to make.
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:25 pm
The Little Vegan says:
I, too, am drowning in vegan cookbooks! I really need to get my act together and start making stuff. Wow, that pudding cake looks too good to eat… almost ;o).
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:18 pm
The Little Vegan says:
Oh goodness, I don’t know… I’ve been eyeing their recipe for tiramisu! Let me know what you try first and how it turns out!!!
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Tori says:
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:02 pm
jd says:
You already know that I’m a cookbook addict as well, so I feel your pain
Anyway, all of these pics look great, as usual! I’m especially intrigued by the Corn Chow-dah…I just tried making some from a random cookbook & it was a complete disaster. Boo!
November 4th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
bazu says:
Aww, I’m glad kitty is feeling better- happy belated anniversary and Halloween!
Your food looks so awesome. Like you, I’m drowning in recipes, blogs, and cookbooks. But it’s all for good- I’m never at a loss for something to cook or eat!
November 5th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Classic Cook says:
That pudding cake recipe is great! Definitely one of my go-to recipes. And I’m so jealous of your 50 cookbooks for $2–I collect old cook books. Great site!
November 5th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
vegetalion says:
ha ha I had the EXACT SAME reaction the first time I made that pudding cake.
November 7th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Kumudha says:
So many mouthwatering vegan dishes!
The pictures are superb!
November 7th, 2007 at 10:38 am
The Little Vegan says:
Agreed; pumpkin IS too good to waste! (As is most other vegan food.)
:o)
November 7th, 2007 at 4:33 pm