Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ There is chocolate … and then there is chocolate.  Comparing in no way to those ordinary drugstore bars, a few select manufacturers, excuse me … artisans (a rightfully deserved title), craft the purest, deepest, darkest chocolate into bars that easily warrant the title of ‘premium.’  Amano ranks among this select group of artisans, and I was honored when three of their dark chocolate bars arrived in a beautiful package on my doorstep.  Honestly, I have always been a simple chocolate nibbler, giving bars the thumbs up or thumbs down, with no real tasting notes or rankings.  However, Amano prompted me to really taste the difference ...

Nikki, Canary Girl ~ Before moving here to the Canaries it never–and I mean NEVER–would have occurred to me to make my own mayonnaise.  I mean, why?  It’s so easy to buy it at the store, and inexpensive to boot.  Why would anyone even bother?  But then I tried my mother in law’s alioli.   It was like a serious revelation, a turning point in my life.  Homemade mayo?  WAY better than store bought.  Add garlic?  Even *better* than WAY better than store bought.  It only takes about 2 minutes start to finish, too.  You’ll need a food processor or blender with an opening at the top to pour in the oil, but it really is one of the easiest things in the world to make. So that [will be] recipe number one of this post.  Keep reading for a super easy spring/summer sandwich recipe [too] …

Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ Earth Day celebrations abound this week, and when it comes to recipes and prepared food, it is difficult to get closer to the earth than Muesli.  This simple mix of whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fruits, enhanced with just a bit of sugar (if you wish) is loaded with fiber and protein, while still maintaining a vegan status.  The recipe below is from the e-newsletter, Micki's Kitchen Gazette.  It can be altered to use whatever nuts, seeds, and dried fruits you have on hand, but we highly recommend choosing organic whenever possible.  While it is easily a delicious breakfast, Micki claims that this recipe makes a delicious (dairy-free) "ice cream" topping ...

Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ Crepes are in essence dairy, egg, and gluten-loaded creations, so an exact duplicate may not be feasible without these key components.  However, Charmaine at Yummy Allergen Free has come up with a pretty tasty option to fit those crepe cravings nicely.  After numerous trials she arrived at a single recipe that is not only free from the above noted allergens, but also sugar!  These versatile "crepes" can be enjoyed with a sweet filling, such as the apple or strawberry filling Charmaine details below, or a savory filling, such as her dinner-worthy chicken and broccoli filling, also detailed below.  Charmaine gives one word of caution before getting started, "If you have never made crepes before the swirling motion may take a little practice." ....

Hannah Kaminsky, Bittersweet ~ Scrambling to whip up a dessert for the Passover Seder tonight, there was barely enough time to figure out what to make, let alone actually make it. The solution came to me in the form of a gussied-up, single serve, plated version of my Caramel Macchiato Cheesecake, which can be found in my book, My Sweet Vegan. In this variation, I used a pan that would give me individual little squares to make each serving a bit more special, and I put the “topping” on the plate to act as a sauce. Still wanting to keep the same sort of pattern on top, I made little domes out of caramelized sugar to finish them off instead ...

Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ As Passover quickly approaches the net is abuzz with kosher recipes, both innovative and traditional.  Yet none have been able to catch my eye as much as the ones from Levana Kirschenbaum.  Levana is the author of several cookbooks, including Levana Cooks Dairy-Free and Levana's Table: Kosher Cooking for Everyone, and she is a well-known chef in the NYC area, offering very popular cooking classes.  While I was inspired by Levana’s Sweet Potato Kugel recipe (sent out in her regular newsletter), I have latched onto a luscious recipe featured in one of her recent classes.  The class theme was “A Seder Feast,” and my recipe of choice (among the six incredible dishes) is the Chocolate Pecan Torte with Chocolate Glaze, which just happens to be gluten-free and dairy-free too! No more needs to be said, but the recipe of course …