My favorite cookbook is called Friendly Foods, by the best vegan chef I know, Ron Picarski. I’ve sworn to cook everything in it before I die, but I’m not even halfway done. Ron turns non-vegetarian fare into “friendly” fare with style – his goal is not to imitate but to improve. One important ingredient he uses is called seitan, a great meat alternative made from the protein in flour. I’m currently obsessed with cooking, and because my zeal is an order of magnitude beyond reasonable, I attempted to make seitan from scratch.

Here’s the whole seitan production line.

With all my troubles recently, I’ve been doing a lot more fantasizing about eating than actually eating. Made for a perfect time to plan out some great meals! And now that I’m on the road to recovery (WELL on the way, actually – thanks friends for all the support!), I’ve had some time to put the plans into action!

I’ll try to start posting some of my more interesting recipes here, but a warning: I really don’t play by the measurement rules very well. I think every cook should feel free to play, that’s the whole fun! I’ll try to post pictures so you get the general idea.

This afternoon, our neighbor Shelley graced us with some fresh-from-the-garden okra, tomatoes, hot peppers and a 40-lb watermelon, and I jumped into action. Because, hey, free okra! (gratuitous obscure jack handy reference)

Here’s the recipe page!

Thanks Shelley! It’s good to have friends (or friends with friends) with gardens. :>