Viva [Venezuelan] Vegan! Terry Hope Romero’s New Cookbook

Venezuela Artesania

Terry Hope Romero recently released her latest cookbook: Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers . Thumbing through the index, I realized she must be Venezuelan. Sure, she includes recipes from all across Latin America, but I was immediately biased when I saw the words arepas, mechada, caraotas, and cachapas.

GF DF Dill & Cheese Pie (Placinta cu branza si marar)

Placinta Cu Branza Si Marar

Placinta cu branza si marar is traditional to Romania and the Republic of Moldova, a country where I spent a year as a Peace Corps Volunteer. With talk of a reunion trip amongst my fellow volunteers, I was feeling a little nostalgic for some of their food. With some modifications I was able to craft a GF, DF version of the dish that tasted pretty close to the original.

Attempting GF French Baguettes

GF Baguette

I’m not much of a bread person – I prefer tortillas. So if a gluten-free bread recipe is not outstanding – it doesn’t have to taste like gluten-based bread, but it does have to stand on its own legs – I don’t really want to spend time making it. Today, I decided to try Roben Ryberg’s French Baguette to see if it would make the cut.

La chia y la india

In the course of reading the book “Born to Run”, I learned about a use of the chia seed – a seed I had been experimenting with long before I read the book – that can be made into a healthy energy drink. Here’s a recipe for making your own at home.