VeganMoFo #17 - The Kind Diet

The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone isn't only a vegan cookbook, it is a macrobiotic vegan cookbook. Macrobiotics is a diet that emphasizes whole grains and dark leafy greens and de-emphasizes nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes). One of the most interesting things to me about macrobiotics is the belief that you are imbued with some of the qualities of what you eat. So for instance if you eat a lot of root vegetables you'll be very grounded.


Some of the foods popular in the macrobiotic diet are an acquired taste such as umeboshi plums, mochi, burdock, sea vegetables, etc. The best book I've found that explains macrobiotics is the Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics by Jessica Porter. The best online source for some of the more unusual ingredients used in macrobiotics is Gold Mine Natural Foods.
 
 

For VeganMoFo I made the Ginger Pasta with Zucchini. I wish I'd pureed the tofu instead of mashed it. I do cook macrobiotic occasionally and I don't always find it the most colorful food so I added the carrots to the photo. The Kind Diet is divided into Vegan Recipes (not necessarily macrobiotic) to get you started and SuperHero Recipes (vegan and macrobiotic). About half of this book is devoted to discussing reasons why you should go vegan with information on factory farming, health, etc. She also provides some good tips for those new to vegan cooking on how to stock your kitchen, cook veggies, save money, etc.

 

I've also made the Tahini Dressing and the Rice Pilaf with Caramelized Onions. The Endnotes offers sources for the information she gives on agriculture and health. There are many dessert recipes for those who love to bake. There are a few photos of the recipes and many photos of Alicia. I'd recommend the book if you are interested in macrobiotics or more healthful vegan cooking.

Here's a bonus photo of umeboshi plums and umeboshi paste. There is also umeboshi vinegar available but that has crazy amounts of sodium (the Eden Foods brand of umeboshi vinegar has 1050 mg sodium per 1 teaspoon).