although we've already exchanged posts related to this topic, just
wanted to say that i, for one, completely identify w/ how you articulate
your tastes. right now, it's morning, and as i read email i'm eating
oat bran cooked in too much water w/ a veggie bouillion cube, thickened
w/ instant mashed potatoes and seasoned w/ garlic powder and nutritional
yeast. to me, it's yummy, but judging by the recipes on the list, most
folks favor sweet stuff in the morning. bleah, not me.
maybe i haven't been eating vegan long enough for this (lack of dairy)
to become a real problem yet, but i find it helps if you don't look for
substitutes for the *things* you miss but rather for their *flavors,*
and if you don't focus too much on recreating ovo-lacto recipes in vegan
form. instead, concentrate on the strong, savory flavors that *are*
vegan and luxuriate in those. since i had no idea that there even were
any such flavors, i've been happy to find them! for me, they include
veggie bouillion cubes, nutritional yeast, bragg's liquid amino acids,
miso, tamari, vinegar, garlic, and chili. the first three come closest,
to me, to simulating dairy flavors; the others boost the flavor power.
you can buy soy yogurt and soy margarine (although the latter does not,
so far as i know, come in a FF version). for buttermilk: i've heard
that you can sour soy milk, same as you'd sour regular milk (add a
little lemon juice and let stand a while). for something nonsweet for
baking (sub. for applesauce, which i don't like either), try mashed
tofu. i've run across a few recipes for vegan "cheeses" and "cheesy"
sauces that you might want to try--i haven't yet, though i have a recipe
for vegan mozzarella cheese that i want to try for pizza sometime soon
(let me know if you want it; i'll send it to you). i'm curious as to
whether these "cheeses" might be fermented a bit to increase the
flavor. re: my efforts w/ making a yeast spread for toast (cornstarch,
water, bouillion, yeast): i tried it again w/ adjusted proportions, and
then got the bright idea of adding a couple of spoonfuls of liquid
nondairy coffee creamer to round out the flavor. it tastes great, i
think, but for some reason refused to thicken once the creamer was
added. now it's a yummy, "buttery" sauce for asparagus. guess i'll
have to try again! i've heard of a powdered tofu creamer; maybe that's
the way to go.
if you think about it, the key flavor in the things you love is acidity
from fermentation. try seeking out that flavor in all its vegan forms
(even soudough bread), and just keep reminding yourself that you're
after the pure *flavor-essence* that's been hiding inside all those
dairy foods. you're not giving anything up but the fat, and in doing
so, you're releasing the flavor from its bondage to fat.
hope that doesn't sound too messianic... but it *is* getting to be that
time of the century... ;)
jane
love@xxxxxxxxxxx
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