Update: I've just read the Quarrygirl story about VegNews and I'm baffled and disgusted that the company would use pictures of meat to illustrate vegan recipes. WTF? I'm more baffled and disgusted as to their initial response, but glad to hear they've changed their attitude and won't be using non-vegan pics (although do in the first place seems utter stupidity). Still, here's my original post about VegNews' Recipe Club.
Is the first rule of Recipe Club is don't talk about Recipe Club? If so, it's a pretty crap rule.
I may have mentioned once or twice that I hoard recipes. Yep, paper folders full of them. Clippings left right and centre.
Only they're not just on paper. They're following through the intertubes and straight into my inbox. Tons of the bloody things, winking at me accusingly. 'Why haven't you cooked me? I thought we were friends.'
So in the spirit of clearing out, I recently embarked on cooking all the VegNews Recipe Club recipes that I've accumulated (you can see a full archive of the Recipe Club here.)
My first attempt was a Vegan Mango Custard, which mainly appeared due to the fact I had a few teaspoons of agar agar and half a pot of coconut milk going begging.
I like mangos, I like coconuts, I like custard. Sadly, I didn't like this.
Despite adding more than the required maple syrup, it was still oddly unsweet (and who wants an unsweet pudding?). It had more than a hint of baby-food-ness about the texture too.
In short, I can't say this one will get an invite back to my kitchen.
In short, I can't say this one will get an invite back to my kitchen.
Another VegNews recipe, although one I can't find on the library, but can find here is Spicy Peanut Green Beans.
This one is plate-licking good (literally, I found myself applying the most rudimentary of eating tools - my tongue - to my plate). My photo here in no way does it justice - who thought 1970s brown crockery would show these bad boys off to their best advantage? Er, that would be me, I suppose.
Sure, peanut butter makes pretty much anything better, but it rocked these green beans hard. They may not look much - in fact, my poor photography does them double no favours - but if you've got 10 minutes and some green beans knocking around, your insides will thank you for gifting them this.
I've also given the Sweet Potato Cream Soup a once over and can report back it's a goer. And I don't even much like sweet potatoes.
The only problem with the VegNews Recipe Club is that is lures you in. Once a week, you get the recipe. Only it's a gateway email - once a week used to be enough, then all of a sudden you're checking the site every day, trying to get that sweet, sweet recipe hit.
So far, the absolute best thing on the site I've discovered is a recipe for Country Friend Seitan which was so good, while I was eating it, I cut it into the tiniest molecules humanly possible, so I could make it last longer. Highly recommended.
I've also given the Sweet Potato Cream Soup a once over and can report back it's a goer. And I don't even much like sweet potatoes.
The only problem with the VegNews Recipe Club is that is lures you in. Once a week, you get the recipe. Only it's a gateway email - once a week used to be enough, then all of a sudden you're checking the site every day, trying to get that sweet, sweet recipe hit.
So far, the absolute best thing on the site I've discovered is a recipe for Country Friend Seitan which was so good, while I was eating it, I cut it into the tiniest molecules humanly possible, so I could make it last longer. Highly recommended.
0 comments