Foodie Friday: FF turns 1 (plus a birthday giveaway)

It's Foodie Friday! Foodie Friday is my weekly feature that gives you a window into my kitchen. I love to cook, I love to eat, I love to read cookbooks, and I love to inspire people to give vegan food a chance. Thus, Foodie Friday was whipped up and baked to perfection.

Has it really already been a year since I wrote my first Foodie Friday post? The calendar says yes, and my waistline agrees. it has been a year of expanding my palate, my pantry, and yes, my pants. Although I'm trying to work on that last one a bit, most of the expansion has been for the better. I've worked with new-to-me ingredients, I've learned how to use new kitchen tools, and I've become an overall more well-rounded cook.

To celebrate Foodie Friday's first birthday, I made some tasty treats from two recently-published books by my favorite cookbook author, Robin Robertson. The books were graciously provided to me by their publisher, John Wiley & Sons, which offers a wide variety of culinary and hospitality titles, including three of Robin Robertson's cookbooks. The two that I consulted for this bloggy shindig are Party Vegan and Vegan on the Cheap.


Both books are exactly what they sound like. Party Vegan features 25 different menus for holidays, special events, ethnic-themed meals, and just because gatherings--this month, the Super Bowl party and the Valentine's dinner for two menus would come in handy if I had anyone other than myself to entertain (and heck, being alone is not a good reason not to treat oneself, so I'll probably make myself something). Inexperienced and veteran party throwers alike will benefit from the planning guides and timelines included at the beginning of the book. Having worked as a chef and caterer for many years, Robin knows her stuff!

Vegan on the Cheap is your guide to vegan cooking on a budget. It makes use of simple, affordable ingredients without downsizing on taste or quality. If you thought that being vegan required splurging on fancy foodstuffs, step into Professor Robin's classroom, because you're about to get schooled. The book starts out with a section of cooking, shopping, and living tips, and includes a list of staples to always have on hand, as well as instructions on how to make some of the basics right at home. Each recipe costs no more than $2 per serving, and some include a "splurge a little" suggestion to try when you have some extra pennies (check the couch).

But enough talk. Words don't sell me on cookbooks and I doubt that it works on any of you, either. For me, seeing is believing, so feast your eyes on our birthday party treats:

chocolate chunk blondies from Party Vegan - I saved a sliver for myself and sent the rest off to my poor deployed husband, who I'm sure will waste no time in devouring them
chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting from Vegan on the Cheap (less than 50 cents per serving) - I inhaled two of these as soon as they were done, and then shared some with my friend, who did the exact same thing
Now you're probably wondering how you, too, can have such delicious, animal-friendly, and affordable vittles at your fingertips. Well, it is a birthday party, after all, so I have gifts! I'm giving away a copy of either Party Vegan or Vegan on the Cheap to two lucky winners. Just leave me a comment below telling me which book you'd like (if you don't specify, I'll be forced to choose for you) and why you're interested in giving vegan food a try (or, if you're already vegan, tell me for how long and why you made the switch).

You also must give me a way to contact you, such as leaving your e-mail address or Twitter username in your comment or having comment replies enabled in Blogger. If I can't contact you, you'll be automatically disqualified. Entries are due by 6 pm ET/3 pm PT on Friday, February 11 and the winners will be announced that night.

I'll use Random.org to select a winner for each book--one book per winner. The chosen two must provide me with a mailing address; I'll be passing it on to my partners in foodie glory at Wiley so that they can mail out your book. If you're not cool with giving me or Wiley your address, please don't enter.

Happy birthday, Foodie Friday! What a nice one-year-old you are, sharing your presents with friends!