Help me, vegans!

[thefourthvine]

Because of my baby's suspected dairy allergy, I have joined the ranks of the more-or-less vegan. (I can actually still eat eggs, but they aren't a huge part of my diet anyway.) And, see, I've been a vegetarian since I was ten. I know how to be a vegetarian! It doesn't require thought or effort! Whereas this veganism thing is very new and very, very hard.

Normally I'd just hit Google and research the shit out of this. But, well, I have a four-month-old baby. I don't have time to make out with Google the way I used to. So I am hoping to use the friends list shortcut - that there are vegans on my friends list who might have advice for me. Or, I guess, people on my friends list who aren't vegan but just love to Google.

Basically, here's what I need to know:

1. What are the basics of a vegan pantry? What are the special things that vegans keep around all the time, that make cooking or meals easier?
   
   
2. What are really good vegan products?
   
   
3. What are some good vegan recipes? Right now I'm relying much too heavily on fake meat, and that is not how I like to cook or eat. At least, not this much. I might as well be a carnivore! So - recipes? I especially need ones for balanced meals that are super-fast or that I can make in a crockpot. Suggestions of cookbooks featuring these things would also be very welcome.

Help? Please? Anyone? I will take links or comments or just supportive pats. I am experiencing involuntary dietary change and it's very scary!

Comments

[boutell.livejournal.com]

Hi! Smitty sent me.

You're receiving great advice already.

Random tips:

Soy milk works nearly everywhere milk-milk does, cooking-wise.

Ener-G egg replacer is handy for baking (but since you can eat eggs, this may be a nonissue for you).

Small children will cheerfully eat chunks of plain firm tofu. At least until some jerk tells them it's not cool. My daughter once threw a tantrum because she couldn't have tofu. Not an issue yet perhaps.

Vegan biscuits and gravy (http://www.boutell.com/vegetarian/gravy.html), while no healthier than the original, go a long way toward addressing Thanksgiving envy.

Asian food pretty much never has milk in it, so if you like Thai, Chinese, etc. learn to cook them. It's not very hard and you won't have a sense that you're missing out on an obvious ingredient.

Good luck!