http://dieroteiris.twoday.net/ Here Be Dragons Die Rote IRis Die Rote IRis 2013-01-06T12:38:24Z en hourly 1 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z http://static.twoday.net/dieroteiris/images/icon.png http://dieroteiris.twoday.net/ http://dieroteiris.twoday.net/stories/the-truth-shall-make-ye-fret/ In my experience this sentence is all too true. <br /> <br /> Example? <br /> <br /> About a year and a half ago I started listening to the <a href="http://www.vegan.ch/">Vegan.ch-podcast.</a> Mostly because I like listening to people speaking swiss-german dialect, but also because I was genuinely interested. <br /> <br /> So I listened to a few episodes. And a few more ... <br /> And I read some more ... <br /> <br /> End of story: No more eggs for me. (I’m not consequent, I’m still eating cake and biscuits at other peoples homes, and I’m still baking with eggs from my mothers neighbour.)<br /> But I don’t buy any eggs don’t cook them.<br /> <br /> It’s really no big deal.<br /> The only problems I’m having are with bread dumplings (not my everyday dish), spätzle (same here), pfannkuchen (the indians manage it egg-free, so I will too) and - above all - a variety of cakes. <br /> <br /> There are all sorts of egg substitutes, apple puree, soy flour, bananas, baking pouder, you can get the whole list <a href="http://www.veganwelt.de/inhalt/kochen/k-ersatz.html">here (you have to scroll down a bit, also it’s in german).</a><br /> <br /> I spend the year testing some of them and mostly found them wanting.<br /> <br /> One of the freakier methods - and the only one really working for me - is the use of flax flour.<br /> <br /> Because it tends to turn rancid I keep it in a glass in the fridge.<br /> <br /> <img src="http://i539.photobucket.com/albums/ff352/dieroteiris/Blog/PICT1259_hf.jpg" alt="flax" height="300" /><br /> <br /> To substitute one egg you need about one teaspoon flax meal.<br /> Here I’m making three 'eggs'.<br /> <br /> <img src="http://i539.photobucket.com/albums/ff352/dieroteiris/Blog/PICT1260_hf.jpg" alt="flax" width="300" /><br /> <br /> You blend the meal with a litte water, making a thick paste.<br /> Adding more water ( about three teaspoons per egg) you can either mix it by hand or use a blender.<br /> The mixture thickens very quickly, becomming very gooey - just like real eggs are. <br /> Did you notice that there is some sort of internal cohesion to beaten eggs? Like they tend to slip out of a bowl in one go? Or that it’s virtually imposible to seperate one teaspoon of egg from the rest of it?<br /> Same here!<br /> <br /> You just don’t see it in the picture.<br /> <br /> <img src="http://i539.photobucket.com/albums/ff352/dieroteiris/Blog/PICT1264_hf.jpg" alt="flax" width="300" /><br /> <br /> Now I just have to put it in the freezer for about a quarter of an hour and then: let there be cake!<br /> <br /> <img src="http://i539.photobucket.com/albums/ff352/dieroteiris/Blog/PICT1266_hf.jpg" alt="flay" height="300" /> <br /> <img src="http://i539.photobucket.com/albums/ff352/dieroteiris/Blog/PICT1265_hf.jpg" alt="flay" height="300" /><br /> <br /> And in case you’re wondering why I go through all this trouble,<br /> the boys from vegan.ch are happy to tell you.<br /> <a href="http://www.vegan.ch/blog/2007/10/20/veganch-podcast-episode-3-ei-ei-ei/">Just click here</a> Die Rote IRis Baking Copyright © 2012 Die Rote IRis 2012-12-17T21:37:00Z http://dieroteiris.twoday.net/stories/156273817/ I want to introduce to you a new project of mine.<br /> It’s got nothing to do with painting or colours ... but a lot of creativity will be involved - and a lot of sugar too.<br /> <br /> Those of you who have known me for a few years may have noticed my <ul> <li>love of baking experiments</li> <li>fascination for traditional christmas cakes overflowing with dried fruit</li> <li>forays into a vegan lifestyle</li> </ul> If you combine all of these aspects you create a critical mass which you can trigger by throwing a baking book into it. <br /> <br /> In this case was <a href="http://www.amazon.de/Cakes-Around-World-Julie-Duff/dp/1904943764/ref=sr_1_1?s=books-intl-de&ie=UTF8&qid=1349620382&sr=1-1">Cakes from around the World by Julie Duff</a> which did the trick.<br /> <br /> I found a recipe for a 'Caribbean Rum Fruit Cake' calling for<br /> 450g currants<br /> 450g raisins and <br /> 250g sultanas among various other dries fruits, spirits - and 9 eggs.<br /> <br /> I’ll be trying to substitute the eggs with ... something (I’m thinking apple pulp or pumpkin, but I’m not really sure ... ).<br /> <br /> <b>If you have any experiences in this area and/or can recommend any books/webpages/communities - please let me know. I will happily read/listen to anything you may suggest</b><br /> <br /> For the cake - which will be readdy on christmas day - you do a fruit mix which will <cite>quite happily sit in the fridge for 2 or 3 month</cite><br /> needing only the occational stir.<br /> <br /> This is what it looks by now:<br /> <br /> <img src="http://i539.photobucket.com/albums/ff352/dieroteiris/Blog/PICT1050.jpg" alt="cake" width="300" /><br /> <br /> I’m sure it’s planing to take over the fridge.<br /> <br /> .:.<br /> <br /> On a personal note:<br /> I started this blog with the intention to keep it strictly to my paintings (wall, paper and otherwise).<br /> But my interests are so widly spread, my inspiration so diverse and there are so many other things - besides painting - which I want to tell you, which I think might interest you ... <br /> <br /> What I don’t want to do is a look-what-happend-to-me-today - diary, I just want to tell things someone might benefit from.<br /> <br /> Any thoughts? Please tell me.<br /> <br /> .:.<br /> <br /> On another personal note:<br /> I hate to post so irregular. I was planing to post every few days, but - the bit BUT - It’s just not working. I just don’t find the time, the means, the content ... so please forgive me if there are times when you have to wait for me to say something.<br /> It’s just like in real life. Die Rote IRis Baking Copyright © 2012 Die Rote IRis 2012-10-07T14:48:00Z Search this site: q http://dieroteiris.twoday.net/search