Vegans Are From Vega

Introduction

I first went vegan in 1999, when I was 16. I was really only a quasi-vegan back then, because I did sometimes eat free-range products and sustainable fish, and I didn't worry about casein or whey. But since I was doing it for the animals, and since I was effectively vegan in most situations, I called myself one. Then in college I found it much harder to stay vegan in a tiny rural town with no Whole Foods and no vegan-friendly restaurants, and I succumbed to the lure of animal products. In 2006, after three years off from veganism, I started up again, and this time I've gone totally vegan because I'm a little more skeptical of the "free-range" label than I used to be, and I don't really need cholesterol-filled eggs or mercury-laced fish anyway. The first time around, I was a lazy high schooler and college student and I ate a lot of frozen dinners and never cooked for myself. But this time I've gotten way into vegan cooking, and I've included here my favorite recipes.

"There's more to this world than just people, you know." -Hobbes, Calvin and Hobbes