Jackson Free Press

How It All Vegan
Vegans like food, too! A recent release from animal-free fetishists Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer called "The Garden of Vegan: How It All Vegan Again!" (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2002, $17.95) is a romp in the kitchen for anyone desiring an animal-free meal. With recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, party fare and facial masques, this book could be Bust magazine meets "The Joy of Cooking." There's even a small section on microwavable foods (yes!).

Tanya and Sarah, tattooed and sporting vintage clothes, have presented us a picture-packed book that gives advice on everything from fun party ideas ("Dress Up Picture Taking Party") to "23 Ways To Pamper Yourself" (18. "Put on your favorite CD, turn up the stereo, and dance and sing as loudly as you can. Ignore the neighbor's protests"), and the recipes are divine, delicious and decadent.

Here's their recipe for "Bless-ed Brownies": "1 banana, mashed; 3/4 cup dry sweetener; 1/3 cup dairy-free margarine; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1/3 cup soy milk; 1 cup flour; 4 tbsp cocoa; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 cup chocolate chips; 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional). In a large bowl, mash the banana. Stir in the sweetener, margarine, vanilla, soy milk, flour, cocoa, and salt and mix well. Spread evenly in a lightly oiled microwave safe loaf pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts on top. Cook on high in the microwave for four minutes. Let cool before cutting and serving."

Decadence … A Way of Eating
Can you have fun and be healthy? Janet Bridgers' book "The Healthy Hedonist: A Fun Lover's Guide to Great Health" (Terracotta Books & Media, 2002, $15.95) says a resounding YES! This book examines all the ways in which a person living a too-busy lifestyle (can I see a show of hands?) can make the small amount of time to make their lives healthier and more enjoyable.

"We want to eat well and be entertained often. However, if the food we eat and what we do to enjoy life end up making us miserable and unhealthy, we've defeated our purpose," says the introduction. The 28 chapters deal with detoxing, relaxing and eating well. But, most surprisingly, the author also deals with how to better enjoy a party. In true hedonistic form, this is not a rule book, nor is it a cookbook; the only recipes you'll find here are on how to live a more delightful life.

And it's practical. Bridgers points out a solution for snoring: "A simple herbal tea is proving quite effective against snoring. Make a cup of cinnamon tea, add two teaspoons of grated ginger, plus honey and milk to taste, and drink the tea each night before bed. This is cheaper than surgery and those nose strips too. Ginger is also a wonderful liver cleanser, so it can help you or your mate in more than one way."

Gubernatorial Peas Plan
OK, so they didn't last forever. But if you want to learn how to make a kick-butt pot of peas seasoned like your grandma's—but with nothing from an animal—go no further than that perennial favorite cookbook of Jackson nutballs: "Rainbow Cooks" (Rainbow Whole Foods Cooperative, $15). Melanie Musgrove provides "The First Lady's Spicy Blackeyed Peas" recipe, which she said Gov. Ronnie likes, er, liked with rice and hot cornbread. This is really a phenomenal recipe, using onion, creole seasoning, dried parsley, garlic powder, chili powder, black pepper and vegetable bouillon (a godsend for veggie cooks) to muster peas that might well be better than mamas, and there ain't no greasy slab of pig floating in it.