About

So why Vegan Foodie?
So many reasons, you have no idea...
I've been a vegetarian since 1999 or 2000 and over the latter half of 2009 I started weaning myself off of all animal products. As of new years, I took the plunge and went vegan. It hasn't been easy, I won't lie, I miss cheese like no ones business, and I have food allergies that have made the transition a bit harder.
I'm allergic to peanuts, and intolerant of soy, lima beans, peas, and lentils, so you won't find any of that in my cooking. Unfortunately that also makes most readily available cheese replacements and faux meats a no go, not that I could afford to eat them very often (or would really want to, some of those ingredient lists are pretty scary if you set aside the five minutes it'll take you to read them.)

But that's why I'm here! It can be a real challenge to create a well-balanced vegan diet that doesn't rely on soy, which is pretty typical of vegan diets in the United States. But I love cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, so that's what I'm trying to do, without sacrificing flavor and variety. This also ends up meaning I eat less processed food, less salt and fat (well, in theory at least... I've been known to make some mean late night hash browns on occasion, and I don't think there's any arguing their healthy or redeeming qualities.)
Basically, I'm setting out to make delicious food that will wow even the most devout omnivore, show you how to make it, and prove (once again) that cooking awesome things doesn't have to be complicated, time consuming or hard. (Putting some extra love and time into a recipe can be really rewarding though, so from time to time I do go all out, and you'll hear about those experiences as well.)

But what would a vegan food blog be without a bit of politics and philosophy? I mean, sure, they exist, some of them are awesome, but I couldn't imagine writing about food without talking about what food means to me, to you, to our economy, to social issues like hunger and workers rights, to friendships and families, to moral and cultural obligations, and to the animals that sometimes provide it. I'll try to stand to the side of the soapbox, but excuse me if I jump up and down on it from time to time.
Because, in case you didn't figure it out already, I'm writing about food because I'm just that passionate about it.