Tuesday, December 1

My favorite foodie website

Since we are talking about websites and blogs this week on TFC, I thought I'd share my favorite recipe website. It's that time of year where people are doing a lot of cooking and baking after all. So my go-to site when I'm looking for something fun to make is Vegweb.com. As the name suggests, it is a vegan website and I'm sure not all of you are vegan, but don't let that scare you. Instead, I dare you to use it to try something new! Vegan food is very delicious and often very healthy. You'll probably find a lot of twists on old favorites.

I went vegetarian when I was 13 years old and vegan when I was 17 (though I did have a lapse in my early 20s where I started eating dairy again, but it really upsets my stomach so I went back). I was not a cook by any means when I started. The reason I didn't go vegan until 17 is because I was moving in with a vegan friend who knew how to cook, so she could teach me. My mom was kinda at a loss about vegan cooking. Pretty much pasta and salad was all she could figure out to make for me.

So I started cooking when I moved in with my friend Tai and I bought a couple vegan cookbooks over the years. But while I was in college, I really fell into the stirfry tofu with some vegetable and rice or eat a vegan frozen meal trap. I was busy and I was living with a guy who didn't cook with much flair or flavor (everything was too spicy for him). But after I kicked him out, Tai moved back in and I was inspired to have my old cooking buddy back. I've been a serious cook for about four years now. My prize wedding gifts were new cookware. No joke, I'm a total vegan cooking nerd!

I discovered Vegweb.com when I was doing revisions on my first book I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE. I was working a 9 to 5 job and had to come home and get write to work on revisions, but I didn't want to sacrifice and go back to frozen meals. Conveniently Vegweb has a "Quick & Easy" category, so I printed out a ton of recipes from there. And then I was hooked. I have a writer's group that I cook for every other week so when I get bored with my cookbooks, I find a recipe on there and it has yet to fail me. The other girl who hosts our group consults Vegweb regularly too. Last week, it was her birthday and I decided I wanted to bake something for her. While I am a cook, I am not much of a baker, but it's something new I want to get into more. I decided I wanted to find some sort of red velvet cake recipe to try. Lo & behold, here is one on Vegweb! It was totally delicious, though I followed the frosting recipe from the person who included their frosting recipe in the comments instead because it looked better to me (and it was amazing!). That is what is super cool about Vegweb is that usually people leave comments about modifications they make to recipes and it helps you play around to get the perfect dish.

So yeah, check it out and let me know what you think. Are you much of a cook? Do you have any favorite foodie websites (of course I'm extra excited about vegetarian ones, but whatever floats your boat)?

8 comments:

Alyson Noel said...

That. Cake. Looks. Awesome.
:)
I like to eat, and my husband loves to cook, so it works out beautifully!

Melissa Walker said...

That is definitely a cool site. My husband also loves to cook and I eat! Alyson, we have it GOOD.

Martha Flynn said...

I love vegweb.com - the office is on my jogging route and sometimes I see the editorial staff having the yummiest meals! Then I know the check the website for new recipes. :)

Lauren Baratz-Logsted said...

I'm vegan! In fact, I'm eating vegan pizza as I type...but the picture of that cake is killing me1

Amanda Ashby said...

I'm sooo not a cook but lately, in an effort to save money I've been doing a lot more baking and cooking than normal and I've been finding it incredibly satisfying. Of course the most exciting part is that my husband has started a vege patch and we have turned into complete geeks when it comes to checking out our crops. We're due to pick the first courgettes tomorrow in fact!!!!

Stephanie Kuehnert said...

Alyson and Melissa, you ladies are lucky!!! But my hubby is getting into cooking (courtesy of vegweb) and is making meals once a week so I can't complain :)

Oooh Martha, you are near the vegweb office??? How cool!

Lauren, yay for a fellow vegan! I love making vegan pizza and serious, that red velvet cake was not too hard to make I highly suggest it!

Amanda, it is satisfying and a huge money saver. Ugh, we are in winter now so my veggie patch is all depleted, enjoy yours for me, ok!

Melissa Walker said...

PS-This 17-year-old baker is my new favorite food blogger!

http://www.iheartdaily.com/2009/12/elissa-bernstein-17-baking-goddess.html

Denny Cam said...

Thanks for sharing. I have just visit vegweb. It's really wonderful. I'm not very good at cooking, but making cake is my interest. For I like cake ^_^