This is my tenth VeganMoFo post for 2014. For more information on this month’s theme, see my Cook from Books description here.
This month, I’ve written about cookbooks that I love, and why I love them. Some have a fantastic point of view, others have great writing and there’s typically gorgeous photography included or a mix of all three. Vegan Finger Foods by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes has all three of these things and more.
What sets Celine and Tami’s books apart for me are their cooking instructions/directions. If they use a technique I’ve never heard of or tried before, the way they write/instruct makes me feel like they are standing right next to me in the kitchen, giving me just the right level of guidance. And if a recipe is simple or I’m already familiar with it, I don’t feel like they overexplain it.Their unique style of guidance is what keeps me going back to Tami and Celine’s books, whether it’s in Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! or Whole Grain Vegan Baking, and why I’m already looking forward to their newest title, The Great Vegan Protein Book (to be released in February 2015).
What you see here are VFF’s Kimchi-Stuffed Sausages. Although I never liked sausages, even when I ate meat—I love vegan sausage. The taste and texture is very similar to one of my favorite vegan packaged products— Field Roast’s spicy chipotle sausages—because it offers the right level of faux-meatiness and perfect spiciness. But my pre-packed indulgence was quickly replaced once I made and tasted these kimchi sausages.
The kimchi (blended into the mix and stuffed into the center) provides the right amount of funk, heat and crunch while the faux-sausage portion is perfectly spiced and textured. Tami and Celine hit the mark here on texture and taste, and this recipe makes a ton. They freeze and thaw perfectly, making the almost 2-hour prep and cook process more than well worth it.
Next up to try in Vegan Finger Foods: Corn Fritters with Tomato-Thyme Gravy; Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Onions; Baked Buffalo Tofu Bites; Pad Thai Summer Rolls; Caramelized Bananas with Chocolate Chipotle Sauce; and Chocolate Stout Truffles and Goji Berry Cacao Bites.
thevioletfern.com says
I'm going to go broke!
Ruth says
Is there any chance to get this recipe as a sample of the offerings in the cookbook?
erinwyso says
Ruth, this is part of my "Cook from Books" VeganMofo theme: https://olivesfordinner.com/2014/09/2014-veganmofo-cook-from-books.html
The recipe is copyrighted material, so I can't repost that here — however, I can attest that Vegan Finger Foods is a fantastic title, and worth the purchase!
Cadry says
Wow, that looks fantastic! I just checked this cookbook out at the library. This one is a keeper. I definitely need to add it to my collection.