Thursday, October 25, 2007

Ode to VEGANOMICON Testing.

During the past year and a half, I was fortunate to be a tester for Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook - even before it had an official name.
As you can imagine, it was a rewarding, exciting, scrumptious, fattening experience, and I'm honored to have been a part of it, even if it had me eating cookies.

I thought I'd take this time to list and link to photos from most (since I probably forgot some) of my favorites from the testing experience. Altogether I think I tested 55, and some I certainly made my than once, and others became regular staples - like the Simple BBQ sauce.
I know there are photos in the book, but here's some more inspiration - along with a list of names linking to my photo from testing. I have *starred* my super favorites!
Enjoy.
Hazelnut Cushions
Smokey Gumbo
Tomato Rice soup with Roasted garlic and Navy beans
Herb Scalloped Potatoes
Spicy tempeh with broccoli and whole wheat pasta
Black bean burger
Corn, edamame & sesame salad
Whole wheat soda bread with millet and currants
And all the rest....

Appetizer and Small Meals:

Blue flannel hash

Diner homefries*

Roasted portabellas

Samosa potatoes (esp. with yams)

Herbed scalloped potatoes*

Spaghetti squash mexicana

BBQ collard and black eyed pea rolls

Savoury Mushroom and potato blintz (with cheezy sauce)

Rustic white beans

Salads:

Caeser salad with roasted garlic croutons (especially + tempeh)*

Corn and edamame salad*

Soups:

Baked potato and greens soup with potato wedge croutons

Creamy tomato soup*

Smokey gumbo (my sister made this)

Tomato rice soup with roasted garlic and navy beans*

more tomato rice

Roasted yellow pepper and corn bisque

Chickpea noodle

Spicy Eggplant, Shallot & Peanut Stew

Pastas:

Eggplant and breadcrumbs fettucine*

La pasta della california

Spicy tempeh and broccoli raab pasta*

Entrees:

Eggplant rollatini

Black bean burgers *(my sister's boyfriend made these)

Tofu florentine* (with nomicon cheesy sauce)

Seitan cutlets*

more cutlets, chopped

Smokey grilled tempeh*

Hot sauce glazed tempeh

Chickpea cutlets*

Romanesco chickpeas


Sauces:

Simple marinara*

Cheezy sauce*

Apricot bbq sauce

Simple bbq sauce*

Five minute mango chutney*

Breads:

Homestyle potato rolls

Carrot pineapple sunshine muffin*

Banana wheat germ muffins

Lower fat banana bread*

Skillet cornbread + jalapenos + corn topping

Whole wheat soda bread with millet and currants*

Cranberry Nut Bread

Desserts:

Fudgy wudgy blueberry brownies

Peanut ginger sesame cookies*

Chocolate chocolate chip cookies*

Hazelnut cushions*

Rumnog pecan*

Raspberry chocolate cookies

Crepes

Coconut crème pie

Smlove Pie (Webly and I made these together)

Mini apple galletes (again with Webly, I think these were the same day?)

This one missed the book, is posted on the PPK forums here.

Crispy salt and pepper tofu


Thanks Isa & Terry!

29 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

I received my copy of Veganomicon yesterday, in the mail!!! I can't WAIT to get started on making as many of the dishes/baked goods/etc. in that cookbook - the photographs are spectacular!! and YOUR photographs have highlighted even MORE of the recipes that I'd like to try (especially the spicy tempeh pasta dish, and the hazelnut cushion cookies).

any suggestions of where to start, with the recipes?

Hilary said...

i just order Veganomicon, i can't wait for it to arrive!! my bookstore isn't carrying it, lame. like Veggiegirl said, thanks for highlighting some of the kick ass recipes!

jess (of Get Sconed!) said...

hey veggiegirl - if you like tempeh, if you LOVE tempeh - the spicy tempeh pasta you mentioned truly is in my top 5 of favorite meals from testing.
Since it's soup season, I'd also recommend the tomato rice/roasted garlic/white bean soup.
It's hard to go wrong : )
The tofu florentine is also something to try out, as something different for dinner (or brunch).

Ashasarala said...

I am very anxious to have a copy of Veganomicon in my hands. I've been trying to win one of those darn contests, but so many people keep coming up with much better answers than me! Booo!

I'll definitely have to purchase it soon.

For now, thanks for sharing!

n/a said...

Mmm, potato rolls!!!!

Taylor said...

That's a lot of delicious, hard work you put into the cookbook. I hope they reward you some how.

Rural Vegan said...

I have to stop checking food blogs around lunch time. I think I could eat a trough of those Herb Scalloped Potatoes right now.

Anonymous said...

Taylor, we rewarded her sexually.

Jess, thanks so much for this post. It's insane! You are my bagel bread pudding.

mama herbivore said...

jess - you truly went over the top catalogueing this. bravo to you, 'cause i don't know where to start with the book, honestly! well, that 's a lie. i started. pumpkin saag, banana bread..... and of course, thanks to isa and terry. i guess they did their part. ;)

Johnny Burnham said...

jd, you make me want to become vegan.

xoxo

jfj

Anonymous said...

Wow, that's a very impressive collection of food pr0n. :) I can't wait to get a copy of Veganomicon.

Trevor said...

That must have been a great experience!

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

great!! thanks for the terrific suggestions - I can't wait to start making the dishes/treats!! :0)

Sarah P said...

the corn and edamame salad looks so simple and GORGEOUS - I can't wait to try it... must get veganomicon STAT

Anonymous said...

What a list!! i absolutely love the photos.

Emilie said...

This is like cliff notes! Thanks for pointing the way to some favorites. I'm looking forward to getting the book and trying some stuff out.

eesh said...

Thanks for the list! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy! I've pre-ordered it but I have to wait till mid November. I didn't luck out like some who already have it! Boo!

erica said...

Wow! Do you feel like the play's over?... I mean, the big crash, and the "what do I do with myself now" feeling?

Anonymous said...

I have my copy and I can't wait to dig in! Vegan w/ a Vengeance is so torn up;!

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

Wow, that's a lot of delicious-looking pictures!!!

bazu said...

Wow, Jess, you really did a whole lot of testing- very impressive! Your blog was one of the reasons I couldn't wait to get my copy of this cookbook- yummmm.

Anonymous said...

my copy has shipped, but still not arrived! hopefully tomorrow, then i can start digging in after your good work at making me drool and almost want to eat the book itself.

marias23 said...

*Droolz* Hazelnut cushions and apple galettes? Yummy!

laura k said...

You should get paid for your marketing, because you've got me SOLD on this book!

mustardseed said...

Hi Jess, I want to invest in a good vegan cookbook, and I'm considering Vive le Vegan, the Everyday Vegan, Eat Drink and Be Vegan, VWAV, Vegan Cupcakes Take OVer the World, Veganomicon, Cozy Inside, The Joy of Vegan Baking...

I can't decide. But I'm a 14 year old amateur on the sunny island of Singapore, so we don't have seitan, soy cheese, TVP is hard to find and expensive...

I'm health conscious, but I won't sacrifice taste either cause I love knocking the socks off my omni friends and relatives. So I keep the healthy recipes for my gut only and feed the sinful ones to everyone else, and have some occasionally. LOL. (I can't take spicy stuff either, hate the burnin feeling)

So any recommendations after my lengthy self intro? I really appreciate any help!!

jess (of Get Sconed!) said...

Hi Mel, I left you a comment on your blog!

mustardseed said...

Thanks alot Jess!! I'll probably order Veganomicon, get it shipped to my Aunt's place in LA and get it when I visit her in two weeks. It's S$50 over here, nearly double the price of what I'll get in the US.

Wish I could get all of Dreena's books...they all have so much to offer! But I'll probably go for Eat, Drink and Be Vegan.

Once again, thanks!!

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

WOW, you are one helluva tester! Super tester even!

I came home from NYC to my copy & I don't even know where to start! I'm thinking chickpea cutlets & edamame/corn salad. YUM!

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