Do you know what seems like a really bad idea? Bringing your very dairy allergic BFF to a mac and cheese restaurant.

I sorta likened it to bringing your alcoholic friend to a new bar or your gluten intolerant friend to a French bakery or your seafood hating friend to a crab free.

OR IS IT???

Homeroom, in Oakland, California somehow makes everyone feel welcome. Even the dairy allergic and gluten intolerant.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to eat a bowl of their vegan mac (trailer style: with cut up hot dogs and crumbled potato chips, natch) and I did not miss the cheese for one second.

Seriously.

I know.

Fast forward a few months and Shutterbean posts about eating at Homeroom and I butt in with loud sighing about how much I love their vegan mac and that I live too far away and blah, blah, blah and BOOM!

She drops the cookbook bomb.

Page 62 Vegan Mac.

People. I can’t even eat Mac and Cheese and I think ya’ll should get this cookbook because if their real mac and cheese is even half as delicious as their vegan mac, you will have to thank me later.

And probably buy new pants.

Vegan Mac

adapted ever so slightly from the Mac + Cheese Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 lb of brown rice pasta (My pasta to sauce ratio is VERY different to every cookbook on the planet. They recommend 1/2 lb of dried elbow macaroni.)

1/2 cup water

8 oz firm tofu

1/2 cup canola oil (I used like a quarter cup and put more soy milk in).

1 cup unsweetened soy milk

1/4 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium)

1 cup nutritional yeast (hippie fairy dust indeed)

1 1/2 tsp paprika (I used smoked. I’m fancy like that).

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp kosher salt

What to do:

Cook the pasta according to directions on the package – less time to make it a bit less than al dente.

To make sauce put everything else in the blender and blend until smooth.

Add sauce to drained pasta and cook a bit together.

Spoon into bowls and try not to eat more than your fair share.

Don’t even miss the cheese.

Ready to give it a go? I’d love to hear what you think.

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