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

[daegaer.livejournal.com]

Can you simply substitute soya/rice/almond "milk" and other products for dairy? Soya milk eventually starts tasting like food (after you've lost the will to live, or maybe that's just me), and rice milk seems very digestible - personally, I find it too sweet. My godson has severe problems with dairy, and has been on rice milk since he was weaned (his mother is not vegetarian, but also has dairy allergies and simply has no dairy at all in her diet). A doctor I used to babysit for, back in the mists of time, had his children on goat milk due to their dairy allergies. He said children are very rarely allergic to goat milk (beware, it tastes exactly like strained goat).