Sarah Kramer likes to keep things simple. She also likes to share, and are we happy about that! After all, without Sarah’s fabulous cookbooks—How It All Vegan (a.k.a. “the vegan bible”) and The Garden of Vegan—there’d be a lot of hungry folks out there. So when we heard that her latest collection of culinary delights, La Dolce Vegan, was available, we couldn’t wait to tell you about it. We were actually able to steal Sarah away from her crazy-busy life of testing new recipes; running The Tattoo Zoo with her husband, Gerry; writing a column for Herbivore magazine; managing GoVegan.net; and conducting live cooking shows all over North America long enough to answer a few questions for us. So get to know Sarah—you’ll ♥ her as much as we do … if you don’t already, that is.
Have you received any awards?
GoVegan.net and the cookbooks have won many awards. To name a few, VegNews named me “Favorite Cookbook Author” in 2005, and How It All Vegan won best cookbook from VegNews two years in a row and also a few M-Awards for favorite book and for favorite literary event in 2005.
How long have you been a chef?
I have been cooking since childhood. My parents are very into food, and their fearlessness to try new things in the kitchen rubbed off on me and my brother, who is also a chef.
Where did you train to become a chef?
I trained at home with my parents. No school, just the school of hard knocks. Anyone can cook. It’s not rocket science.
Do you have a specialty?
I’m all about making things simple. Give me a complicated recipe or something in your life that you find difficult, and I’ll find an easy way to make it work.
Do you have a favorite cooking method?
Fast. I like to get in and out of the kitchen as quickly as possible so that I can get down to eating.
What are the most important elements in cooking great vegetarian cuisine?
Fearlessness. I think it’s important to make mistakes and to keep trying until you get it right. The more mistakes you make, the more you learn—and the more you learn, the better you will be in the kitchen.
What is the key to getting meat-eaters to enjoy vegetarian food?
Patience. And serve them a good meal. I find that I can get my point across a lot easier with a good dish as compared to a thousand hours of conversation and debate.
What are your favorite ingredients to work with?
I love manipulating tofu. It’s such a versatile ingredient for desserts, entrées, shakes, side dishes—the possibilities for tofu are endless.
In your opinion, what vegetarian dish or type of food is most frequently poorly prepared, and why?
Tofu. It seems that most people don’t know what to do with it, and that’s why a lot of people don’t like it. It’s important to remember that tofu is like cake flour. You wouldn’t eat a spoonful of cake flour without adding other ingredients to it to give it flavor and turn it into a cake.
Tofu is the same as flour; it’s an ingredient that is hopelessly flavorless until it’s been seasoned and prepared properly. Tofu will soak up whatever flavor you surround it with, so whether it’s sweet, savory, or spicy, make sure you add something to it.
If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only eat one kind of ethnic food, what would it be?
Japanese. I love brown rice sushi rolls, steamed edamame, miso soup, and noodles! Yum. I could eat Japanese every day for the rest of my life and never get sick of it.
Are there any newer vegetarian products on the market that you are particularly fond of?
I am so thrilled that Earth Balance margarine is 100 percent vegan and proudly says so on the package. It’s also a quality product for baking.
What’s your favorite way to work with a certain fruit or vegetable?
My name is Sarah, and I’m a kale-aholic. I throw kale into everything—chop it up finely and toss it in with my salads, stir-fries, soups, etc. It’s important to get those dark-green, leafy vegetables. Your body will thank you.
Dying to try some of Sarah's latest creations? Well, order your very own copy of La Dolce Vegan today! And check out this super-simple yet ultra-yummy recipe from Sarah to tide you over until the cookbook arrives. Treat yourself—you deserve it.
5-Minute Roasted Red Pepper Pesto and Pasta
Courtesy of Sarah Kramer
Roasted red peppers come in a jar and are usually in the pickle section of your local supermarket. If I want to add a little extra weight to this recipe, I'll throw in a little tofu.
Dry pasta (enough for 2 people)
3/4 cup roasted red peppers, drained
1/3 cup walnuts
1/2 cup fresh basil, tightly packed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, tightly packed
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup olive oil
- In a large pot of salted water, boil the pasta.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, blend together the red peppers, walnuts, basil, parsley, and garlic. Slowly add the olive oil, while processing, until well mixed. Set aside.
- Drain and return the noodles to the pot. Add the pesto and toss together well. Serve immediately.
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