Tag: non-dairy

Cookook Review: “The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese & Ice Cream Recipes” by Marie Laforêt

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date May 25, 2020

The best pesto I’ve ever tasted was vegan. And I have enjoyed vegan mayo. Therefore, although I’m not vegan, I can appreciate that vegan recipes can be quite tasty. When the opportunity to review Marie Laforêt’s book, The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes, came across my desk, I said, “Yes!”

Summary of The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes

Being deprived of the joys of dairy can be a terrible thing. Whether you’re vegan or just want (or need) to go dairy-free, do you have to live a life bereft of ice cream and cheese? Not if Ms. Laforêt has anything to say about it. Her cookbook is filled with vegan versions of cheeses and ice creams.

Part One covers vegan cheese, first giving you an overview of the basics and then diving into the recipes. With this book in hand, you can make vegan Parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, feta, ricotta and more. And that’s just the classics. She also has recipes for fermented cheeses such as Cashew Cheese and Kombucha Cheese; and specialty cheeses such as Nacho Cheese Sauce and Kimcheese.

Part One covers vegan ice cream. Again, she provides an overview of key ingredients and essential tools, as well as a recipe for making vegan ice cream cones. The recipes are organized by “Ice Cream and Sorbet,” “Ice Pops, Bars and Cones,” and “Delicious Frozen Desserts.” The recipes I’m looking forward to trying out the most include Pistachio Ice Cream, Banana Blueberry Milkshake Pops and Vanilla Pear Hazelnut Biscuit Log.

What Worked for Me

The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes is a beautiful cookbook. The photography is mouthwatering and the design is pleasing to the eye. The recipes are easy to follow and provide both standard and metric measurements.

The organization is clear and it is fairly easy to find the recipe you want either by going to the appropriate section or using the index. The content makes bringing vegan recipes to life engaging and inviting.

What Didn’t Work for Me

This is my standard complaint. The book is printed on thick paper and is perfect bound, which means keeping a page open is like performing an acrobatic routine.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

I would love to see a more flexible binding that made the book usable, rather than something you merely flip through for the pictures. Barring that, why not provide the recipes for download so readers can print out the recipe they want to follow. These could easily be provided in a membership site accessible only to those who have the book.

Recommendation

If you are vegan or dairy sensitive and have been missing the tang of good cheddar cheese or the creaminess of a scoop of vanilla ice cream, then get a copy of this book. You may have to fight to keep the book open, but the results just might be worth the effort. No one should be denied an ice cream sundae!

Rating for The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes

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Specs

Full Title: The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes
Author: Marie Laforêt
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Robert Rose
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778805433
ISBN-13: 978-0778805434 [/one_half]
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Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past book reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to read or not read the book, even if you disagree with my opinion.

Tags non-dairy, vegan

Cookbook Reviews Healthy Living

Cookbook Review: “Gluten Free Goes Gourmet” by Vicky Pearl

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date March 23, 2018

Gluten-Free Goes Gourmet is a beautiful coffee-table book, a practical cookbook and a guide to healthy eating all rolled into one.

Summary of Gluten-Free Goes Gourmet

This book is a unique collection of gluten-free, corn-free, dairy-free, kosher, and low glycemic recipes. As with any good general cookbook, recipes fall in all the major categories, including dips, drinks, salads, soups, meat, poultry, fish, side dishes, bread, desserts, cakes, and cookies. There is even a section of mock dairy recipes.

What Worked for Me

The design of this cookbook is easy to use, the photographs are drool-worthy and the diversity of recipes is delightful. There is a guide to ingredients you’ll need, as well as a list of basic kitchen equipment. There is even some sound nutritional advice. The index at the back makes it easy to find the recipes you want.

What Didn’t Work for Me

The book is almost too beautiful to use. When I first picked it up, I had no idea how practical the insides were going to be. Also, because this is such a lusciously designed hardcover book, it is hard to keep the book open recipes near the front and back.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

I’d love to see a spiral bound version so that I can use it more easily in my kitchen.

Recommendation

If you are trying to go gluten-free and have other dietary restrictions, Gluten-Free Goes Gourmet could be a good starter cookbook for you. There is a nice variety of recipes and enough basic advice to help you start creating recipes of your own. Plus, it is a lovely book to leaf through!

Rating for Gluten-Free Goes Gourmet

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Specs

Full Title: Gluten-Free Goes Gourmet
Author: Vicky Pearl
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Vicky Pearl
ISBN-10: 1628904356
ISBN-13: 978-1628904352

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

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Tags corn free, gluten-free, Gluten-Free Goes Gourmet, kosher, low glycemic, non-dairy, Vicky Pearl

Healthy Living

Organic Living: 5 Tips for a Healthier Diet

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date August 24, 2015

Bonus tip!

Continuing my Organic Living series, here are five tips to help you live a more healthy and organic life.

1. Start an organic garden.

If you live in a home with a nice big backyard, this can be simple and easy. However, if your space is more limited, you are not out in the non-organic cold. Setting up a vertical garden takes a week or two, but can pay off in organic produce for years. And you can set one up either indoors or outdoors. A vertical garden uses tiers to grow plants from the floor up, rather than taking up a large horizontal footprint. Here are some good resources for learning more about vertical gardening:

Articles:

Vertical Gardening – Better Homes and Gardens
19 Creative Ways to Plant a Vertical Garden – CountryLiving
Vertical Gardening Tips – Mother Earth News

Books:

Vertical Gardening for Beginners: How To Grow 40 Pounds of Organic Food in a 4×4 Space Without a Yard
The Vertical Garden: From Nature to the City
Vertical Gardening 101: How to Create Your Vertical Urban Garden And Grow Organic Fruits And Vegetables In A Small Space

Equipment:

Amazon.com Widgets

2. Reduce or eliminate dairy products

Although it is a popular calcium source in the Western world, dairy cannot be properly digested by about 75 percent of the world’s population. This problem is called lactose intolerance and can lead to a lot of discomfort.

But it tastes so good — and is so prevalent in our food supply! What can you do?

Coconut or almond based ice cream is a fantastic way to indulge, without eating dairy. There are also a wide variety of non-dairy milks available on the market. I prefer almond milk, but you can also find soy milk, sunflower seed milk, coconut milk, hemp milk and more. Try them out and see which you prefer.

3. Buy free range eggs.

Alas, most organic eggs come from cooped up chickens fed organic produce. All that stres in the chickens’ lives affects the nutrition of the eggs. For true free range eggs, find a local farmer on localharvest.org.

4. Be aware of what labels mean.

“Organically made” is not the same as “Organic.” “Freely Traded” is not the same as “Free Trade.” Those former foods aren’t certified. Lack of certification can sometimes mean that corners are cut and loopholes are availed.

5. Choose oils wisely

Avoid cheap vegetable oils at all costs. They’re high in Omega-6 and very unhealthy. And, “canola” oil is made from modified rape seeds, so if you have certain allergies, this oil can be very bad for you.

Missed previous posts in this Organic Living series? Check them out here!

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags dairy, eggs, non-dairy, oils, organic, organic living, vertical gardening

Creative Cookery Well Stocked Pantry

Experimenting with Goat’s Milk

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date September 12, 2007

Photo: Maryhere via MorgueFile.com

I was discussing dairy products with my mother the other day, when she said she prefers to use goat’s milk over cow’s milk. She said it is better for you and that it is easier to digest for those of us who are lactose intolerant.

So, when I was grocery shopping the other day, I bought a quart of goat’s milk. It tastes quite different from cow’s milk. For one, it has a tartness to it that I recognize from eating goat’s cheese. Also, and this may sound strange, but it kind of reminds me of the smell of human milk.

Anyway, I can attest that goat’s milk was easier for me to digest, but I think as a beverage it would be an acquired taste. I did like it with my breakfast cereal, though. The tartness offset the sweetness of the Honey Nut Cheerios I was mixing in with my Fiber One. 😉

Tags Experimentation, goat milk, non-dairy