VeganMoFo 2011 #15: 'La Dolce Vegan'

La Dolce Vegan
Sarah Kramer, Arsenal Pulp Press, 2005



I was originally not going to get this book, to be honest. I enjoyed 'How It All Vegan' and 'The Garden Of Vegan', but was not overly swept away by them. I had flicked through this book, but with all the amazing cookbooks sprouting forth left, right and center, it hadn't really grabbed my attention. At the time I was buying 'Eat, Drink & Be Vegan' I had a voucher for a second cookbook at 30% off. Of the selection there at the time, this was the only one I didn't have, so I bought it. And it's been OK. I haven't cooked as much from this book as I have others, but there have been a few standout dishes. There are a few things about the book that irk me a little, and I am not always a fan of the writing style. The recipes seem to be a collection of Sarah's own recipes and recipes collected from other people on the internet, especially someone called Wolffie. There are a few recipes that are included twice in different sections, which I do find silly. Also most of the sauces chapter is from other recipes in the book.

The book is paperback and is in much the same format as 'How It All Vegan' and 'The Garden of Vegan', except with a blue colour theme. There are no photos of the food. Chapters include Introduction, Kitchen Wisdom, Breakfasts, Appies & Snacks, Salads & Dressings, Soups, Entrees, Sauces, Side Dishes, Desserts, Baked Goods, Faux Fare, Odds & Sods, DIY, and Measurement Equivalents.


As I haven't made much from this book yet, I so far only have four five-star recipes! Here they are.

Roasted Asparagus Potato Salad


This is a really good salad, probably because I love roasted asparagus. The red onion is also roasted, which adds a yummy sweetness. This made enough for two lunches.

Wendy's Lentil and Brown Rice Casserole


This is hands down my favourite thing I have made from this book. It takes a bit of time to bake, but is so simple to put together. It is perfect on a cold night. The vegan cheese is optional, but I love what it adds to the finished dinner.

Mama Mayhem's Tofu Extravaganza


This is like a mashed tofu salad, which I used on sandwiches. it is really yummy with strong flavours. Walnuts give some crunch, and dill pickles and dried dill make me a happy camper.

Wolffie's Snickerdoodles


These were the first snickerdoodles I ever made, and it turns out I love snickerdoodles!

The following are four star recipes where I haven't uploaded the photos yet, so you can have a bit more food to look at!

Cold Coconut Curried Noodle Salad


The sauce on this salad is really delicious! I found that when the salad is chilled it became a bit gluggy, it is much better at room temperature.

Wolffie's "Pepperoni" Pasta Salad


I enjoyed this salad. I used one of those pepperoni sticks that come in the plastic with the cardboard around it... you know the ones?? Sure. Anyway, they were really nice in this. No green capsicum for me, though.

Wolffie's Quick Peach Cobbler


I skipped a step with this recipe as we don't have frozen peaches. Instead I used an 825g tin of peaches, and instead of the sugar syrup I used 1/4 cup of juice from the tin. Then proceeded with the recipe. The top of this cobbler was a bit off, it covered everything evenly like a batter, I am used to cobblers having some more texture to their topping. It is very nice, though.

Cranberry Apple Crisp


This is a great way to use up those boxes of cranberries in the freezer that you stocked up on when you saw them at Christmas time. I would ideally double the topping (I like my crumbles topping heavy), and I baked for an extra five minutes.

Wolffie's Cocoa Cake with Chocolate Fudgey Frosting


This is a nice cake, and looks quite pretty. The chocolate fudgey frosting gets super thick, but makes way more than you would need for one cake. Which just means you can have the rest with ice cream!

Flicking through La Dolce Vegan to write this post, there are a few things that catch my eye. I think I shall try and make a bit more from this book.

Do you have La Dolce Vegan? What recipes do you suggest I make?

Cute Kitty Photo of the Post


This is Casper! Casper is a six and a half year old male neutered Tiffany kitty. He came to see me with his person on Wednesday morning for not eating and having a funny coat. Actually, his coat was completely matted to the point where he couldn't even poo! Casper's person bedgrudingly agreed to have him clipped. When he came back for him that afternoon, it transpired that he wasn't really committed to the long term care or Casper, and he surrendered Casper. Casper is now loving life without his matted coat, he is eating well and is bright and happy and very sweet. Does this sound like a plug? Why yes, it is! Casper is available for adoption! We are sure there is a special person out there who wants to give Casper a forever home and keep him healthy and happy. Casper is FIV, FeLV and heartworm negative. He has had his first F3 vaccination, but will need another booster in four weeks as he wasn't properly vaccinated either! Do you live in Brisbane and think that maybe Casper is the boy for you?? Click here for more details!