Around the World in 150 Vegan Meals

Besides a quick visit to Mexico on a cruise in 2010, I've never left the States. I'd like to, but I'm cheap and I'd rather spend my money on groceries and cat food than plane tickets. Okay, more like "I'm poor and I have to spend my money on groceries and cat food," but when I tell myself I like buying those things, it makes budgeting easier.

When I do travel around the States, the entire focus of my trip is food. That's all I really care about. Museums and tourist attractions and mountains and parks are neat, but food is better. Thankfully, I can get my food-fueled tour of the globe through Carolyn Scott-Hamilton's new cookbook, The Healthy Voyager's Global Kitchen.

Carolyn, author of the Healthy Voyager blog and travel TV show, has done all the traveling I can't afford to do, and she's veganized her favorite recipes from the road. In fact, I had the pleasure of dining with Carolyn and her partner at Imagine Vegan Cafe when she was in Memphis in January for a booksigning. I also interviewed her for the newspaper I write for, the Memphis Flyer. You can read that story here.

This morning, I took a quick jaunt to the U.K. with these Scrumptious Scones from Global Kitchen:

These soft biscuity scones are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. They're lightly sweetened and flecked with dried cranberries. I spread mine with apricot jam and washed them down with a cup of Earl Gray:

I'm not a hot tea drinker, but you can't have scones without tea! And if I'm gonna drink tea, I prefer Earl Gray with a splash of almond milk and a drop or two of agave. This was perfect for washing down the delicate scones. I felt downright proper after eating this breakfast.

Global Kitchen takes readers through more than 20 countries and regions — India, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Columbia, the Middle East, Greece, Italy, France, and even the old U.S.A. Since I doubt I'll be traveling to any of those places soon (well, except the U.S.A.), I plan to visit many of them through Carolyn's cookbook.

Next up: Better with Bechamel Macaroni and "Beef" from Egypt, Chana Masala with Savory Saffron Rice from India, Tofu Banh Mi from Vietnam, and Sweet Plantains and Garlic Yuca from Cuba. Also, stay tuned later this week for a special dish from the Netherlands.