Vegan Holiday Cooking from Candle Cafe, by Joy Pierson, Angel Ramos & Jorge Pineda

 Title: Vegan Holiday Cooking from Candle Cafe

Authors: Joy Pierson, Angel Ramos & Jorge Pineda

Publisher: Ten Speed Press

Date: September 30, 2014

Hardcover: 176 pages






About the Authors
JOY PIERSON is co-owner of the Candle Cafe, Candle Cafe West, and Candle 79, and coauthor of The Candle Cafe Cookbook and Candle 79 Cookbook. Certified in nutritional counseling, Joy has appeared on the Todayshow, Good Day New York, CBS News This Morning, The Food Network's TV Food Diners, and NPR.

ANGEL RAMOS is executive chef at Candle 79 and Candle Cafe West. His recipes have been featured in the New York Times and Vegetarian Times, and he helped develop the nationally distributed Candle Cafe Frozen Entrees line. In 2010, Angel was named the VegNews Chef of the Year. Pastry chef and kitchen manager

JORGE PINEDA developed the nationally distributed Candle Cafe Desserts and Candle Chef's Cuisine for Whole Foods Markets, and his pastries have been deemed the "Best Vegan Desserts in America" by the Los Angeles Times.

About the Book
This collection of vegan holiday recipes—the first of its kind from award-winning chefs—elevates plant-based fare to a new level. With fresh, inventive menus for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, Lunar New Year, Super Bowl Sunday, Valentine's Day, Passover, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, and Independence Day, this cookbook blends favorite traditions with a modern sensibility. Tantalizing dishes include Sweet Potato Latkes with Almond Crème Fraîche for Passover; Porcini-Crusted Seitan with Glazed Cipollini Onions and Mushroom Gravy for Thanksgiving; and Red, White, and Blue Margaritas for the Fourth of July.

Now home cooks can entertain in the spirit of New York’s premier vegan restaurants, Candle Cafe, Candle 79, and Candle Cafe West. With forewords by Alicia Silverstone and Laura and Woody Harrelson, plus sumptuous photography throughout, this festive cookbook invites vegans and omnivores alike to gather around the holiday table and enjoy.

My Take
If you are like me, you love a good cookbook. I can't really cook but love to eat. So cookbooks are a good thing for me to have. I actually like to collect them and have quite a bit of them. The Vegan Holiday Cooking from Candle Cafe, I will say is my first vegan cookbook. I never really thought of vegan eating as something that would look/taste good. When I think of vegan, I think of bland healthy food. But after perusing this cookbook, I realized I was wrong.

The Vegan Holiday Cooking from Candle Cafe is broken down into 10 sections. Each of these sections being holidays we celebrate. They have everything from the Super Bowl to Passover. Under each section, you will find different recipes that you can cook and enjoy. Most of the ingredients can be found in your home, so cooking should be extremely easy. Like the Make Your Own Chili Bowl recipe, I had everything in my pantry already. This one is listed under the Super Bowl Big-Game Party section, but can be enjoyed at anytime, like I did the other night. My daughter even liked it and she is a picky eater. Some of the other mouth watering recipes are Soba Noodle and Seaweed Salad with Wasabi-Tahini Dressing, Passion Fruit Crème Brûlée, Grilled Artichoke Hearts with Pesto, Crispy Black Bean Tacos, and much more. I guarantee you, if you get this book, you are going to want to try just about every recipe in this book.

The presentation of this cookbook is eye catching. Not only does the cover look great, but the pictures inside are just as enticing. I personally feel like a good cookbook has pictures that make you want to keep opening it up and creating all the recipes over and over again, and this one does not fail. Even though it is broken down for specific holidays, you can use the recipes (meals, desserts, and drinks) anytime of the year for a casual meal or a spruced up one with guests.

This complimentary book was given to me for my honest review.

Homemade Corn Dogs

I have found another good recipe on the internet (Cooks.com). No I can not come up with them myself. I am just learning how to cook. I never really cared before, but with my daughter wanting different things more and more, I am having to learn how.

Homemade Corn Dogs

2/3 c. corn meal
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. oil
1 lb. hot dogs (I used Loma Linda Linkettes)
1 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. milk (I used Soy Silk milk)
1 egg, slightly beaten
8 sticks (I was able to make 10 w/batter left over)

Mix corn meal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add milk and cooking oil, mix well. Add egg. Dry hot dogs; insert sticks and dip in corn dog mixture. Cook in hot oil at 365 degrees until golden brown.

*One thing that might help is if you put the batter in a jar and dip the hotdog in it. Also if you put flour on the hot dog first, it might help the batter stick to the hot dog.

Vegan Carrot Cake

Recently I decided to start making allergy free foods for my daughter (instead of buying the same foods for her all the time). We usually eat desserts that she cannot eat due to her food allergies. I hate her being or feeling left out because she cannot have what we are having. So, the first thing I decided to work on is desserts. Surprisingly she loved the cake. She wasn't to keen on the icing. She thought it was too sweet (she has never been big on sugar).

Crazy For Carrot Cake
(1,000 Vegan Recipes - Robin Robertson)
(makes 8 servings)

2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain or vanilla soy milk
1/2 cup canola or other neutral oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 recipe "Cream Cheese" Frosting

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy milk, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla, then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir in the carrots and raisins until just mixed.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

5. Let the cake cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. When completely cool, frost the cake with "Cream Cheese" Frosting.

"Cream Cheese" Frosting
(makes about 2 1/2 cups)

1 (8-ounce) container vegan cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. vegan margarine
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and margarine together with an electric mixer on high speed until well blended.

2. Add the sugar and vanilla, then beat until light and fluffy. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.