Lauren Ulm is the founder of the website “Vegan Yum Yum” and author of a new cookbook by the same name. Lauren explains her vegan background and her motivation for starting her anmal free recipe website and writing her vegan cookbook:

“When I first went vegan, it was a bit of a mystery to me, too. I was totally amazed that you didn’t need eggs and dairy for baking, and that the resulting treat tasted just as good. Or that with a little imagination and a few swaps, you could make decadent things like doughnuts, cupcakes, and macaroni and cheese that rivaled my mom’s—enjoyable foods that weren’t just pathetic vegan stand-ins for the “real” versions. It was then that I became sort of obsessed with creating vegan food, both savory and sweet, that would be enjoyed by even the staunchest carnivores.

“Now my husband and I have a running joke: Whenever I make something ridiculously over-the-top and decadent, we chow down with glee and declare as sarcastically as possible to each other, ‘Man, it sure sucks to be vegan! I’m so hungry and unsatisfied!’

Vegan Food Doesn’t Mean Bland Food

“Once people find out that my husband and I are vegan, they proceed to ask us a lot of questions (I’m sure you’ve fielded these questions as well, if you’re vegan). Some of the questions involve ethics, factory farming practices, and hypothetical ‘But would you eat eggs if…’ situations, but one question persists: ‘What on earth do you eat?’

“While I rattle off the list, what most people usually picture is unappetizing steamed vegetables, a pile of beans with a sprig of parsley on top, or a block of wobbly tofu. They either haven’t had any experience with vegan food, or the experience they had wasn’t a good one.

“Would I want each and every person to try a vegan doughnut and declare him or herself a vegan convert? Sure. A much more attainable goal, however, is much less dramatic. I want to provide vegans with an armory of fantastic recipes that they can serve to their friends and family with pride. If you’ve just gone vegan and find yourself in need of kitchen skills—fast—I want you to have a book full of step-by-step recipes that will make you feel like a pro in no time. And, I’d simply like people not to cringe when I tell them the cupcake I’m offering them happens to be vegan. You don’t have to be vegan to eat vegan. You don’t have to be a vegan to put together a vegan meal. You don’t have to be vegan to like vegan food! I really truly hope this book convinces people of these things. And of course, if you are convinced, I hope going vegan is something that you seriously consider.”

Lauren Ulm, “Lolo,” is a vegan foodie and founder of veganyumyum.com who lives in Boston with her husband and two cats. She is not a chef, has never been to culinary school, and she’s not a professional photographer (but she has fun pretending!) When she went vegan in 2002, the kitchen became her favorite room in the house, and still is today. She has appeared on The Martha Stewart Show and has been featured in Vegetarian Times.

More Information About Animal Free Cooking and Eating:

• Vegan Pancake Recipe For Nonvegans
• Animal Free Vegan Diets Gain Popularity Due to Farm Cruelty and Health Studies
• Vegan Recipes That Make Nonvegans Say “Yum!”
• What is an Animal Free Vegan Diet?