A Bit of Inspiration

Instead of researching "East German youth organizations from 1945-1961" on this lovely Friday morning, I find myself researching vegan recipes and websites. If I've come to any conclusion, it is this: I am not alone. There are literally hundreds of vegans (maybe thousands?) writing about their culinary adventures and providing encouragement to those of us who are new to the trade. It appears that all vegan bloggers are also expert food photographers, so my traipsing through the websites of other health-conscious foodies was quite a humbling experience. But not so humbling that I won't share some of these gems with you!

Sweet Beet and Green Bean

This site is full of fun recipes from a girl raised on junk food who became a vegan five years ago. She also has a list of excellent links that I plan to explore, especially during the times I should be studying.

Vegan Yum Yum

I literally couldn't believe that the photographs of food on this site are actually of vegan fare. This girl is a powerful force in the kitchen, evident in her extremely long post on Vegan Cinnamon Buns. Homemade dough and everything. 

Foodgawker

This has been one of my favorite go-to sites for recipes since I discovered it about a month ago. The idea is so clever - people submit their best food photos, which are then featured on this site, each photo acting as a link to the blogs of the people who submitted them. I was really worried that returning to this site would increase cravings for oh, I don't know, Singapore Chili Prawns or Italian Supreme Calzones, and let's be honest, it did. But Foodgawker also has a surprising number of vegan dishes featured, and thus provides links and recipes to a whole new world of cooking for me. A few of my favorites: Herb and Cornmeal Onion Rings, Curried Chickpeas, and Greek Style Roasted Potatoes. 

Aside from the fact that I have a minor panic attack at the thought of never eating lobster again, (or turkey at Thanksgiving, or my great-aunt's tiramisu) I think I could actually be a lifelong vegan with all of these creative people posting recipes for my personal use. And maybe there's a balance somewhere in all of this - a culinary compromise, if you will - that will someday allow me to partake lightly in the delights of shellfish and family traditions, while at the same time paying careful attention to everything that goes into my body.