Subscribe to this blog's feed« Article/Research: "Food Addictions to Fat, Sugar, and Salt" |Main| OT: Good Causes, the Battle, & Loving the Imperfect »2010.10.17Review/Recipe: "Vegan Unplugged: A Pantry Cuisine Cookbook and Survival Guide""
I smiled when recalling this after reading through the latest book from Jon and Robin Robertson, "Vegan Unplugged: A Pantry Cuisine Cookbook and Survival Guide." Even more ironic was receiving the book for review just before Hurricane Earl was preparing to take a sideswipe at the Outer Banks and Virginia Beach, which was the same kind of event that prompted the Robertsons to not only eventually re-locate from that area, but write a book about what they learned from the experience.
This is NOT just a cookbook. It is a comprehensive, well-documented and researched survival guide on what to do in the even of a disaster that forces you to "Shelter-in-Place" (SIP) as the government puts it. You must live off your larder and may not have any electricity and/or running water. If you haven't stocked up or planned for such an event, it won't be easy. To help you plan in advance, Jon has put together, in one book, quite the array of advice and resources. From a "Five Day Menu Box" that costs around $70 to assemble and would feed four people for 5 days without electricity. to a detailed pantry list, how to handle water issues, ideas for cooking food without electricity, an Emergency Preparedness Guide, Animal Survival Planning, and even a full section on "How to Handle the Stress" this book is more than just clever and useful vegan recipes. It's a tremendous centralized source of how to prepare for and manage most emergency situations.
Not to ignore the recipes though... as usual, Robin's creativity (and wit) shines throughout this array of tasty "Pantry Cuisine" concepts. Laugh at adversity with "Shiitake Happens Mushroom Soup," give a finger to a Hurricane with "Last Resort Lasagna," challenge a power outage with "Texas Twister Caviar," thumb your nose at a snowstorm with "Ginger-Walnut Rum Balls," spin a little "Thaiphoon Tofu Stir-Fry" and take control with bowl of "Emergency Gazpacho." Recipes not needing heat are also listed separately, and again, there's much advice on tools for heating food without electricity.
"Vegan Unplugged" is an outstanding contribution not only to the vegan community, but to people of any dietary preference as a methodical and meticulous guide to survival. This unique book from "Vegan Heritage Press" raises the bar, not only in terms of the practical recipes, but also in the comprehensiveness of the survival advice. Way to go, Jon (and Robin). I was touched, too, by the last two sentences of the book, which I've excerpted below. It's this kind of desire to serve and help others that is pervasive in all the Robertson's works. Quite inspiring...
"Hurricane Isabel had given us another benefit, because it led to this book --- a humble volume writte by people who figured out a way to maximize comfort and eat impossibly good vegan meals after circumstances had rendered us powerless. We herewith pass this wisdom on to you."
Here's a link to Jon's "Vegan Unplugged" Blog (with recipes and preparedness tips), and to Vegan Heritage Press.
"Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce and Walnuts"
"Pasta tossed with creamy sage-infused sauce sprinkled with walnuts is good enough to make you forget this is Pantry Cuisine. If water is at a premium, scratch the angel hair past in favor of pouring a small amount of boiling water over a few ramen noodle bricks (drain and proceed with recipe)."Ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin1 cup water1 teaspoon vegetable broth base1 teaspoon ground sage1 teaspoon garlic powder1/2 teaspoon onion powder12 ounces angel hair pasta or cappelini1/2 cup chopped toasted walnutsMethod:1. In a sacepan, combine the pumpkin, water, broth base, sage, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook over medium heat until smooth and hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water. Set aside.2. Cool, the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Add the reserved sauce and toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with the walnuts.Makes 4 servings.(The above recipe ©2010 by Jon Robertson)2010.10.17 at 17:50 in Books, Cooking, Food and Drink, Global Climate Change, Recipe(s), Reviews, Veganism | PermalinkTechnorati Tags:emergencies, FEMA, hurricanes, pantry cuisine, power outtages, preparedness, recipes, shelter-in-place, SIP, survival, Vegan, Vegan Heritage PressTrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83452b83e69e201348845266d970c
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Review/Recipe: "Vegan Unplugged: A Pantry Cuisine Cookbook and Survival Guide":
Comments Verify your Comment Previewing your CommentPosted by: |This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
Your comment could not be posted. Error type: Your comment has been saved. Comments are moderated and will not appear until approved by the author. Post another comment The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again. As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.
Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.
Your Information
(Name and email address are required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)
Name is required to post a comment
Please enter a valid email address
Invalid URL
Recent PostsNew Mad Cowboy Newsletter Out - Msg. from Howard, & Mr. CluckyXtreme Eating 2010 Awards: Cheezilla, Sneaky Pizza, Pestocide, +Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes (PDF) Available from Nava Atlas"Faith-based" Nutritional Advice or "WTF?"Iron Chef America or "Barbarians at the Plate"Merging Q's: On Fat Pride & Life Quantity vs. QualityOT: Good Causes, the Battle, & Loving the ImperfectReview/Recipe: "Vegan Unplugged: A Pantry Cuisine Cookbook and Survival Guide"Article/Research: "Food Addictions to Fat, Sugar, and Salt" VIDEO: "PCRM'S New Anti-McDonald's Commercial - "Consequences""Favorite Posts from Soulveggie"Healthy Vegan" By The Numbers15 Reasons to Avoid Vegetable Oils15 Reasons to Eat MeatDairy = Liquid MeatDiet of Fruit & Veggies May Prevent 20% of All CancersEat More RainbowsEven One Fatty Meal Affects ArteriesHoward & Mark PhotosIdentify this Vegetable and Win Something!!!Mad Cowboy: The Trailer!Making Vegan Pizza VideoMy Vegan Tipping PointSilly Vegan MythsSimpsons Excerpt: "Meat & You" DocumentarySojourn to Burger KingCategoriesActivismAgricultureAnimal IssuesArthritisBooksCancerCartooncholesterolConservationCookingCurrent AffairsDairydiabetesDietEnvironmentEssayFactory FarmingFilmFood and DrinkGamesGardeningGlobal Climate ChangeGovernmentHealthHeart DiseaseHumorMusicNewsletter/GroupNutritionobesityOrganicPoliticsRecipe(s)RecommendedReviewsSatireScienceSportsStatisticsSustainabilityTelevisionTravelVeg'nismVeg-DCVeganismVegetarianVideoWeblogsWhat's Going On??Archives NoteSelect a "category" above for posts with that key word, select "Archives" below for complete monthly archives list links.ArchivesNovember 2010October 2010September 2010August 2010July 2010June 2010May 2010April 2010March 2010February 2010 document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js'%3E%3C/script%3E"));COMSCORE.beacon({ c1: 2, c2: "6035669", c3: "", c4: "http://soulveggie.blogs.com/my_weblog/2010/10/reviewrecipe-vegan-unplugged-a-pantry-cuisine-cookbook-and-survival-guide.html", c5: "", c6: "", c15: ""});
Somewhere on Maui, people are drinking mai tais. In shorts. ?Chances are you went to sleep last night wearing three layers, a hat, and an extra blanket and were still cold ? nothing like 40-something-degree weather to make you think about visiting someplace warm and getting our tropical drink on.
?Starting next week, bustaurant Le Truc will have a daily weekday SOMA lunch spot at 470 Brannan (at Fourth St.), in the parking lot between a Wells Fargo branch and the post office, practically in truffle-sniffing distance of Alexander's Steakhouse. Le Truc's Hugh Schick calls the space "the greatest spot in the city."