Exploring Food and Body

Monday evening meal

2009-07-27T17:48:00.001-07:00

So, its a Monday evening and I'm sitting here in my kitchen with some veggies chopped up (broccoli stem, butternut squash, and carrots) and brown rice cooking on the stove. I will do a sort of Bi Bim Bop sauce with the veg and rice. I also bought some ripe, juicy, and cheap peaches from the Farmer's Market on Main just yesterday. These peaches are amazing...but what to do with them? I only have 1 vegan cookbook so far--Real Food Daily. So I surf the internet for recipes when I'm in the mood, like today. First, I created an account with veganbaking.net, searched for peaches, and a peach/plum or peach/pear cobbler popped up. No cobbler tonight. On to trusty vegcooking.com. I thought I wanted to make a bar or pastry, but something nice and simple popped up: Peach Sunrise. 1 peach, sliced and frozen, 1 cup vanilla or plain soy milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract. I'm going to substitute the soy for almond milk. Perfect for this hot day. Ah, now on to eating.

Vegan Lifestyle

2009-07-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

May 6th is my Vegan ReBirthday. So, it has been 2 1/2 months since I gave up meat and animal by-products. I originally gave it up because of how it made me feel. A friend introduced me to the concept, brought me to vegan restaurants, showed me a vegan blog (quarrygirl.com), and let me see his vegan lifestyle. I felt inspired. Inspired to change something. I was already in a state of change, a mind-body-soul cleansing, which began in January. Vegan felt like the next step. Environmental issues have always been on my mind, such as recycling, reusing, a clean planet and clean water. Animal rights have not. I began this journey because I felt passionate about health. Now I am beginning to think more of animal rights. Not so much that I don't think animals should be used for food, but the way they are treated and killed in the US. Looking at the bacon that the kid I work with eats, I think of the life of the pig it came from. Though it is "organic" bacon, which means that no chemicals were used to interupt the pig's natural growth, the pig was probably shoved into a small living space, not given the chance to roam around. PETA says that 97 percent of pigs in the US are raised on factory farms. Their tails are cut off, some teeth are pulled out, and males have their testicles removed without pain medication, according to PETA. Most pigs are no longer given the chance to have a happy life before used for food, clothing, etc. In my life, I wish to try and consume things that are pure. Think before you eat.

Cornstarch vs. Arrowroot Powder

2009-06-18T23:32:00.000-07:00

Endosperm of a corn kernel or dried root of a tropical plant?

Anyone who cooks and/or bakes is familiar with cornstarch. Growing up in Minnesota, my mom whisked it into pancake mix--that is, before she used Bisquick. Arrowroot powder is not a common kitchen staple. Both cornstarch and arrowroot powder are thickening agents used in soups, sauces, fillings, and baking. Both are gluten-free (the gluten in maize, or corn, called glutenin, is separated from the starch before being manufactured).

The breakdown: Arrowroot is flavorless (1 point arrowroot). Cornstarch can just be mixed in, while arrowroot looses its thickening ability if cooked on high heat for too long (1 point cornstarch). Arrowroot is considered the easiest starch to digest (2 points arrowroot, the winner). Why you ask? Read my next post for answers.

1st Post - Daiya Vegan Cheese

2009-06-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I heard about this new cheese. I'm not a big fan of soy based cheeses and I am a bit of a research nerd, so this is what I found out about Daiya. It is basically cassava root and plant based.

Ingredients: Purified water, natural whole ground cassava and/or arrowroot flours, high oleic sunflower and/or safflower and/or identity-preserved high oleic canola oil, coconut oil and/or palm fruit oil, pea protein, salt, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, natural flavors (derived from plants), xanthan gum, sunflower lecithin, natural vegan enzymes, natural vegan bacterial cultures, citric acid, natural color.

It is free of many common allergens, like wheat, soy, gluten, casein, corn, lactose, and others.

This is where you can buy it: www.veganstore.com
Check out [daiyafoods.com]

If you're in Los Angeles, they're serving it at Purgatory Pizza and Cruzer Pizza. How exciting!