For the past week I’ve been making my own meals from scratch, exclusively.  My budget got screwy in July, and I’m determined to recoop as much as I can back into my Savings this month.  This meal was by far the cheapest, and perhaps the tastiest.  Cajun by nature is a mixed bag.  For me the signatures tend to be green pepper, yellow onion and diced tomato for fresh ingredients.  With lots of random spicy goodness, and oddities thrown in.  For vegan (of course!) I use a lot of interesting beans.  Which is fun to work with.  I like cajun because it involves a lot of bravery. The core ingredients:

• 4-5 cloves fresh garlic
• green pepper
• medium yellow onion
• can dark kidney beans
• can diced tomatoes
• black eyed peas (made from dry)
• half some large green hot pepper (I pick what looks tasty)

Probably here in Baltimore that equals about $5 in ingredients and it made a TON of food.   I use a laundry list of basic spices in everything.  The base for this was chilli powder, supplemented with dry basil, cilantro, oregano, cayenne, crushed red pepper.  Also for savory added a pinch of cinnamon and all spice.  Always I make sure to balance the sugars, salts and acids.  Used raw sugar, table salt, a dab of balsamic vinegar, and squeezed in half an orange I had lying around.   I had made a large batch of brown rice on Sunday night, so that was already done. These days when I cook I don’t measure and don’t use recipes.  The whole process is very voodoo and I hope to someday be able to articulate how I go about making food.  I had not made cajun for awhile so this was a nice change of pace.  First I cut up the yellow onion, then peeled the garlic cloves, and slice off a hunk of hot pepper and threw it in the little hand held chopper.  Threw all that in the pan, and started cutting green pepper.  At which point I realized it might be wise to put in black eyed peas.  I threw them in a pot with some water, finished the pepper, and let the beans simmer for a half hour.  At this point I took a small bowl and started mixing the dry ingredients. I opened and rinsed the kidney beans, and drained the tomatoes, started the pan with veggies after adding some olive as the peas finished.   Let the onions and peppers soften and squeezed in some of the orange, and then threw in the kidney beans, and tomatoes, added the dry spices.  Then I drained the black eyed peas, and tossed them in.  I let it all simmer for a minute, then did a taste test.  At this point I added more orange, chilli powder, and the cinnamon and all spice.  Probably a few other things as well. Grabbed a literal handful of rice, scooped on some of the tasty cajun mix, and enjoyed.  As I have been walking a lot, I’ve been eating a lot.  Three small bowls tonight, and this will get me through a few lunches as well.  For $5-7 total, no joke.

This is how I make everything from mochas to chai in my own home. I still go to my favorite independently run coffee shops, and I recommend that you do to. They need your business. However, you need an excuse to cut those excursions to Starbucks out of your life. They are union busting assholes.

Necessary Supplies:

• An Espresso maker with a steamer (can be found easily for around $40)
• A plain old coffee maker or french press
• Tons of soy milk, I recommend keeping a stock of plain and vanilla
• Raw sugar
• Espresso blend with a fine grind
• Your favorite blend of chai teabags
• cocoa powder, or vegan chocolate syrup
• your favorite coffee

If you don’t care about steaming the milk, you can find espresso pots that will make espresso on the stove top. We have one of that we use when we go camping. Also for regular coffee there is the option to use a french press.

College Dorm Tip: If you’re allowed to have a microwave in your room, boil water in the microwave to put in a french press to make coffee.

Definitions of the famous cafe drinks:

Cafe Latte: One to two shots of espresso, and filled the rest of the way with steamed milk. A good latte often has a small cap of foam.

Cappuccino: One to two shots of espresso which comprises 1/3 of the drink, then there is 1/3 milk and 1/3 foam. However, it isn’t unusual to see one that is comprised mostly of foam.

Cafe Mocha: One to two shots of espresso, which is then mixed with chocolate (if using cocoa add sugar), then the rest of the drink is filled with steamed milk, and a cap of foam.

Chai Latte: Chai is somewhat mysterious, however at home I can make a decent chai latte out of a 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup brewed chai tea, steamed milk, and sugar.

Steaming: One thing I’ve learned from working at cafes is that every stem wand is different. Also the various home steamers all work a bit differently. One trick that I have found that is fairly universal is bobbing the cup until the tip of the steam wand is slightly submerged and then just on the surface. I also tilt the the mug slightly and keep the wand towards the edge.

Espresso: Good espresso should be mixed with milk immediately, and be well tamped (compressed).  If you do a good job you’ll see a little layer of crema which is a reddish brown foam.  If at all possible steam the milk first, or at the same time as the espresso is being brewed.

At the radical coffeehouse near me soy milk is often preferred over dairy, even by dairy drinkers.  Steamed cow milk easily scalds, and smells nasty, it also often overwhelms the flavor of the espresso, and chai.  There is a rumor that soy milk is difficult to foam, but it’s a myth.  Soy milk just requires a different feel.  Cafe drinks no longer need to be shrouded in mystery, you can easily make them at home.

Last night I came home from work feeling ill. I had barely eaten all day, and was in dire need of some wholesome nourishment. I wanted soup, and my pantry was getting a bit mangy. Also, I should add that I had never made soup before. Less than a day later I had made two awesome soups, both taking at most 15 minutes of prep, and maybe a half hour total cook time.

I am no kitchen genius, so how did this all occur?

First, I almost always have a few staples in my cabinets. I keep in stock a very large spice collection which I have built from the basic basil and oregano to cardamon and a spices from a wide variety of cuisines. I’m no spice picking genius either, but I leave the story of the spice rack for some other time. Anyways, I also almost always have yellow onion and garlic. In the pantry I have things like lentils, rice and various pastas and grains. There are also the canned goods like black beans, chick peas, and diced tomatoes.

When I decided that I wanted soup I immediately turned to my Quick Fix Vegetarian cookbook, but it failed me. I had the makings of several soups, but I was either lacking a few key ingredients, or I didn’t like the seasoning. I ended up recombining four recipes from Robertson’s book plus some of my own crazy ideas into the following two recipes.

Curry Chickpea and Lentil Soup

• 1 smallish yellow onion
•  2-3 whole cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• cumin to taste
• ground coriander to taste
• 1 cup washed and picked red lentils
• 1 15 ounce can chick peas
• 1 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth (from paste)
• 1 cup water

I chopped the onion in my handy and aggression relieving Ikea chopper, threw it in a pot big enough for the soup with the garlic with a tad of olive oil and sauteed on medium-high for about five minutes. Meanwhile I got out my spices and opened and drained my cans, and washed the lentils.

I have crappy McCormick curry powder right now, so I threw that in and the lentils, canned goods, and added four cups warm water and melted in my veggie bouillon paste. I love using the paste because it taste better, and doesn’t come in cumbersome packaging or need to be pre-made. I always have some in the fridge.

At this point I brought the heat up to high and added salt, fresh ground pepper, ground coriander and cumin to taste. This evened out the evil of the cheap curry powder. I let everything come to a boil, and then reduced to a simmer for about 20 minutes, adding water as needed after the first ten minutes.

Alternatives: Try wilting in some baby, or shredded spinach in the last five minutes or so, instead or with the chickpeas. Or whatever sounds good to you!

Wholesome Chili Black Bean Soup

• 1 smallish yellow onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
• dried basil to taste
• cayenne to taste
• 1 can rinsed black beans
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup quick cook barley
• 5 cups veggie broth (from paste)

Once again I used my handy dandy chopper on the onions, and then used my mincer on the garlic. Threw it into the pot I planned to make my soup in with a tad of olive oil on medium heat and covered for about five minutes. While waiting I drained, rinsed, and prepared my spices.

Then I added the chili powder and ground oregano, beans, tomatoes, 5 cups water which I mixed with bouillon paste then I threw in the barley and kicked the heat up to high while I was waiting for things to heat up I added cayenne to taste along with the basil. I let things cook for about 20 minutes lowering the mixture to a simmer once it began to boil.

Alternatives: If I had them on hand when making this soup I would have added some mushrooms and possibly some greens.

I finished off my day of soups with Vegan With a Vengeance Mexican Chocolate Rice Pudding.

Today we decided to head over to my parents’ house. Along the way I knew I would be hungry so we stopped by David’s Natural Market to pick up some bulgar and some lunch. It was kind of a sad homecoming, I used to work there, and when I did the cafe was nearly completely vegan. I had a rough time finding something I could eat there and had to order my food without bread because the only options were whole wheat, which usually contain honey. However, their soups were vegan, and were very delicious. David’s continues to have a very large selection of foodstuffs, though the staff these days don’t seem to be as knowledgeable, though the management is largely the same.

I got a new winter coat today, picture to come, it isn’t anything special, and comes from JC Penney’s. So the labor practices are somewhat questionable. The coat is mostly synthetic (though I prefer cotton), and is very nice looking but practical. It also has a removable lining, and is of course, vegan. It was on sale for $80, which is pretty good for a new versatile, completely machine washable winter coat. Since I lack photos, here is one. I know I could do better, but this was what was feasible this time around. I’ve been searching the union and fair trade companies on the internet and haven’t found anything comparable to this.

Then we went and got new glasses, that actually match our plates, and also I got some bar mops for the kitchen, several different kinds. I am hoping to phase out paper towels completely, but I know that will take awhile. I will soon also be making my own laundry detergent using Dr Bronner’s, Borax, and washing soda (equal parts). I’ve already switched to using citrus cleaner in the kitchen, and it has been working really well. Not only are these products vegan, and not tested on animals, they are also better for the environment which I think is important as well. I say it in nearly every post so I will stop the spiel there.

When we got home I hit the kitchen and started making Seitan and Portabello Stroganoff, from a recipe I got from Vegan with a Vengeance. It came out 110% delicious. Today was also the day we decided to do Thanksgiving at my parent’s house and I will be making a ton of vegan dishes to contribute to the meal. Over the past few weeks I have become so confident in my cooking abilities. I am now tackling more complex recipes, and feeling comfortable making some adjustments. Considering that I started this process barely able to cook at all, I think I am living proof that cooking is a learned skill just like everything else. I don’t think I will ever be a cooking genius, but in a short period of time I feel like I’ve become confident.

I have several recipes I want to prepare this week that require wholesome grains, like barley and bulgar wheat, and I am going out of my mind trying to find them. Yesterday, I had forgotten to put bulgar wheat on my list, but I knew to look for barley. After a tedius time searching Whole Foods I found the empty rack that was supposed to contain barley, they were out of it.

Today I went armed with my shopping list to the local Giant, figuring that barley and bulgar wheat would not be difficult to find. Was I ever wrong, I left with only the barley which was in small boxes stored somewhere with the rice. I couldn’t find it, my husband found the barley when after we scoured the aisle together for five minutes.

When I inquired about the bulgar wheat I was told it was in a completely different aisle than the barley and I spent at least five minutes searching aisle 11 with the cookies, and there was no bulgar wheat to be found. Finally I gave up on the bulgar wheat and decided to call the local natural food store in the morning.

I didn’t know what this weekend was going to hold for me.  All I knew was that I was going to be camping with 400 of my closest friends, and with 12 of my best friends.  I loaded the cooler before departing with 6 huge vats of food, three things of hummus, and some scones.

Before I go into what happened while I was there, let me describe Playa del Fuego, PDF.  PDF creates it’s own reality, there is no commerce aloud, art is abundant, and anything goes.  I think that most people change in some way when they enter the gates, because the standard laws of society for the most part, cease to apply.  Things usually return to normal upon leaving, but a glimmer of the experience often remains.

I wasn’t too worried about staying vegan, as I don’t really get cravings for non-vegan food, however I realized during my last night of the event that I was no longer thinking about being vegan, I was just vegan.  Boxes of foodstuffs were causally picked up to see whether or not I could eat them, without the vegan chorus singing in my head.

People also loved the food I made, and there will be many e-mails sent with the titles of the cookbooks I used, and links to recipes.  And to my knowledge no one added dairy cheese to any of the dishes, they were consumed and enjoyed for what they were.   People walking on the path outside our camp also came in to see what we were eating, and they were fed too.

I think after four days of being immersed in my food, and me reassuring them that none of it had been hard to make, that my friends started looking at my veganism differently.  I was pretty much just like everyone else when it came to food that weekend.  I wasn’t seen as limiting myself in anyway.

One very cool thing was that there was no meat in our camp, and usually the only dishes present were vegan ones, with the occasional cheese here and there.  We also had tons of coffee and we creamed everyone’s coffee with soy milk, or they had to make due and drink it black.

The trip marked a transitioning point for me, being vegan is a way of life for me now, it isn’t something I’m constantly working to maintain or striving for.   I just know what to do now to stay cruelty free.

I spent the entire day cooking.  I made two different types of wraps (tofu and falafel), three kinds of hummus, black bean salad, slightly screwed up pad thai, tahini green bean salad, mushroom risotto, orange scones, and probably something I’m forgetting.

On top of that I have been gathering up all my vegan cosmetics, and body care items, and clothes, and shoes, and art supplies.   I still have a page long list of things I need to pack, and I need to clean the kitchen before I can get out of here.

This trip is going to be fantastic, and for me at least, it’s going to be entirely vegan.

One interesting thing to note, from breaking in my new shoes I got a little infection on my left big toe, I scrubbed it with some Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Oil Soap and let it air out a bit, and the infection looks like it has cleared.

First,  I’ve received some very touching comments in the past few days from fellow new vegans who have said this blog has helped them go vegan or stay vegan.  That is really awesome, because that’s the primary reason why this blog is here, and I want to thank those individuals for letting me know, and encourage them to start writing too, the more the merrier.

I think one of my coworkers still hasn’t completely caught on about the whole vegan thing and calls it “health food” even though when she asks why I can eat something, I answer honestly and say there’re animals in it.  For the moment it is almost amusing, but I know that sentiment won’t last long.

I’m also kinda confused and amazed at the number of people I know who have been willing to cook for me, or who immediately start rattling off vegan recipes they know.  It’s awkward, though it’s a step up from deadly silence, or outright hostility.  Though it still makes me uncomfortable, possibly because I see myself in it.  Since I’ve know what a vegan was I’ve felt the need to make an appeal to them.  Now I’m the vegan in the situation and it’s weird.

I’ve been hungry constantly the past few days, with no discernible reason why.  I’m eating like crazy.  Tonight I broke into my playa stash and devoured the better half of a jar of salsa.  I have a feeling that this has something to do with being female, and that I am going to be unpleasanty surprise in the next few hours or days.

I am bracing myself for the cooking extravaganza that is going to start tomorrow night.  I have about 5 dishes to prepare for my trip to Playa del Fuego, I want to live in luxury while I’m there, and only touch a stove to reheat my food throughout the entire event.  For the most part I’m doing tried and true recipes.  The mushroom risotto, pad thai, black bean salad, moroccan tagine, and a new green bean salad I’m trying out.  There will of course be tons of hummus.

One of my biggest concerns is going to be keeping myself caffeinated while camping, we’re going to have a generator, but preparing coffee even with a coffee maker in the middle of a field is a little bit more tedious.  I really want to avoid sodas, they are so bad for you, and high fructose corn syrup makes me paranoid.  I’m convinced that it’s not vegan.

Anyways, after the 4th I may only be able to make brief posts until I return on the 8th.  I will have my palm, phone, and keyboard on the trip.  I may not have cell service though.  I also may not care, or have time

Somehow every dish and pot that we own got dirty.  It was overwhelming and it has been the biggest threat to being vegan to date.  This is a pattern in my house, things get dirty all at once, it feels like too much to clean, and then we start eating out a lot.  Considering that there are only three places in Baltimore that I trust to give me a vegan meal, it’s rough not having an operational kitchen.

I am now one load of dishes away from cleanliness, and I do believe all the necessities are clean.  It may seem small but this is a huge milestone for me, because I usually give up.

Not only is the kitchen nearly clean, I am totally prepared (except for maybe three food items) to execute the next ten days of cooking.  Which includes prepping for a 5 day camping trip to Playa del Fuego.  We spent an insane amount on groceries yesterday, but a lot of it was things I was stocking up on, or extra food for the trip.   At least that’s what I tell myself.

And, And, And we finally cleaned out our pantry.  Most of the food in there was expired.  I have an entire shelf dedicated to rice and grains, another for preserved goods, and yet another for baking supplies.  I now actually have room on the shelves inside the kitchen.  They’ll probably be repurposed as a staging area.

Going vegan has given me a totally new relationship with cooking and food.  Even though occasionally there is a cooking disaster like last night.  Somehow sun-dried tomato and rapini orzo didn’t work, even though it was from a recipe it was horrendous.  Yet, I know that after I get some more sleep I’ll be in the kitchen making scones, and something yummy for lunch and dinner.

The week I went vegan, when the idea was merely a spec in my eye, I decided to replace my dying sandals and mary janes. I went ahead and ordered two pairs of Ragazzi shoes from Vegetarian Shoes and Bags. Yes, it took a month before they were finally the right size and on my feet, though that mostly has to do with me not priority mailing them back to California, and the fact that they are in California! I keep finding awesome strappy heels at my favorite thrift store Killer Trash, in Fells Point, though I stopped at buying one pair, because I already have a pair in black.

Shoes amazingly were an impetus for veganism. Because ordering them, while it involved a lot of patience, was incredibly easy, and didn’t break the bank. Every day the world gets a little friendlier towards vegans, and I can’t help but think that’s because there are more vegans in the world. And that new FDA regulation requiring allergens to be listed in bold on food packaging.

Beauty products abound, I have now been reunited with my once favorite Tea Tree Oil in the form of Dr. Bronner’s soap. I also found out that Gabriel Cosmetics that they carry at one of the Whole Foods around here are supposedly vegan, so I’s can gets some concealer and more pretty eye shadow. Not to mention that I love my Beauty Without Cruelty products. Sadly now that I have found alternatives that I don’t need to order through the mail, I may not be patronizing them as much anymore. However, I do recommend them.

Then there is the food! In one month of vegan cooking I have reached the point where I am modifying recipes for the better, and I will be posting my two latest creations shortly. One I have renamed Sun-dried Tomato Balsamic Couscous, and then there is Sun-dried Tomato Hummus with Cayenne Kick. Both have been taste tested and held in high regard. Cooking has become a soothing activity, and I have found that even though there are three highly regarded places to obtain vegan friendly food in Baltimore (look out for a post on this too), that I actually prefer my own cooking, which is a first for me, and I have been largely doing my own cooking since I was 15.

Other than the initial shock of people hearing the word “vegan” my freak status doesn’t last long. Once people smell my food reheating in the microwave they want to know what it is, how to make it, and possibly try some. There has been a ripple effect of people dappling with meat reduction in their diet, which while that term makes me cringe, it is the first logical step towards a plant-based diet.

My awareness of my body has increased, so has my awareness of my closely held beliefs. I don’t directly credit veganism, but I do believe that change begets change. I sadly contemplated going vegan for 10 years before doing it, was smoking cigarettes for just about as long. Quit and vegan after a decade makes life’s other quandaries seem simple to solve. Also to me true veganism is not just about the animals, it’s about the environment and people too (though really we’re included in the animal category).

For instance we’ve started recycling and using natural products to handle our cleaning, our trashcan is filled with decaying produce and other vegan matter, there is actually an exothermic reaction occurring in our trash can, as in you can feel heat when you stick your hand through the swivel door. This has convinced my husband and I to go one step further and begin composting as well. Though we still need to do our research and get the necessary supplies, it is an idea in the making. Going vegan started out as an idea too.

Lastly about two months ago I was speaking with a vegan friend about the possibility of me making the leap, we talked about how humans are creatures of habit, and unlikely to change. It was during that conversation I said “Maybe in September”, and here we are.