Try Sjaak's Organic Chocolates on the vegan page for a fantastic selection. I was lucky and found some of their solid chocolate hearts discounted after Valentine's Day-- delicious!!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Yes, Vegans Can and DO Eat Chocolate!!
Try Sjaak's Organic Chocolates on the vegan page for a fantastic selection. I was lucky and found some of their solid chocolate hearts discounted after Valentine's Day-- delicious!!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Sweet and Sara's Vegan Marshmallows
As I settle in for an afternoon of studying with my hot cup of tea, birthday tulips peeking over the top of my laptop, bright against the backdrop of a wintry day I can see out of the window, I am enjoying yet another of 500 Vegan Recipe's pull-apart sticky cinnamon buns. They are aging with such grace-- I love a food that is even better on day two.
Not that I'm on a vegan sweets rampage or anything like that, but I must tell the world about another sweet vegan secret I've discovered (besides these fantastic buns): Sweet and Sara Vegan Marshmallows. In the words of Sara herself:
This past December, as my boyfriend and I made a grocery run to Roots Market in Olney to buy supplies for our romantic cabin vacation, we grabbed a box of Sweet and Sara Vanilla Marshmallows for our cocoa without ever having tried them before. Days later, sitting in front of a fire in the cabin sipping our hot chocolate, we got to the bottom of our mugs (which is always the best part as the sticky half-melted marshmallows have reached perfection) and discovered the wonder of Sara's creation.
I savored the mallows for another week or two after I got home, cutting up the large squares into smaller bits so I could enjoy them in more sips of cocoa. Roots Market does not carry all of the Sweet and Sara products, so I had no idea there were tiny mini-mallows available for my enjoyment.
After having a horrific experience with another brand of vegan mallows (which will remain nameless, but they come in a bag and are sold in the non-refrigerated section unlike Sara's-- you know the ones I mean) that were a strange texture and tasted like chemicals, I found myself at a cooking class I blogged about earlier this month, tasting yet another of Sara's mallow treats. This time it was a bite of one of her toasted coconut marshmallows, and I fell in love all over again.
Through a series of email communications I discovered the Sweet and Sara facebook page, found a special discount available if I ordered from the factory online, and received a high recommendation for her Smores. I decided to venture onto her website to see just what sort of treats I could apply this discount to... could there be more than the marshmallows I so loved?
Indeed there was. I ended up ordering the sample box of mallows so I could try all four amazing flavors (strawberry, vanilla, toasted coconut and cinnamon pecan), two boxes each of the tried and true vanilla and coconut mallows, two bags of the mini-mallows for the cocoa I'd been enjoying, a box of macaroons, and a couple each of the Original Smores and the Peanut Butter Smores. Feeling kind of silly for ordering a million marshmallow products, I waited for my package to come in the mail.
I was not disappointed. My order was sitting on my porch at the end of a very long and trying day, and I can't even explain to you how comforting it was to sit down with my cocoa and dump as many delicious mallows in it as I wanted! She even threw in a sample taste of biscotti and Rocky Road Bark, both of which were wonderful! While I love the strawberry and nutty cinnamon flavors, the coconut and vanilla are still my favorite mallows, but now that I have boxes of them stored in the fridge I offer the mallows to all my non-vegan neighbors and friends when they come by and they ALL think the mallows are better than any regular non-vegan mallows on the market.
You may think I'm silly, or that marshmallows are not a big deal. You'd be absolutely right. However: there are a few things in this world that smack of comfort and American tradition and marshmallows are one of them. Discovering these was like discovering the world's best vegan macaroni and cheese (made and sold by Roots Market, by the way). Who in this world doesn't smell a campfire and remember being a kid when they roast a mallow, or remember winters and holidays with family gone by when they sip a hot cup of cocoa?
When you make the lifestyle change to become a vegan, there is a fear that you will not only be abandoning some of your favorite foods, but that you will be abandoning your favorite traditions as well. You wonder what you will eat at the barbecue, what will you roast at the campfire, whether you'll ever help your kids make rice crispy treats, and if you'll ever find another gooey melted marshmallow at the bottom of your hot chocolate.
So thank you Sara, not just for my macaroons and sweet Smore cookies, but for keeping tradition alive for this vegan. When you can not only save a tradition but improve it, you've really done something special!
(Shop online and get your own vegan treats at Sweet and Sara's Online store here!)
Not that I'm on a vegan sweets rampage or anything like that, but I must tell the world about another sweet vegan secret I've discovered (besides these fantastic buns): Sweet and Sara Vegan Marshmallows. In the words of Sara herself:
Sweet & Sara is the original manufacturer of 100% gelatin-free, 100% vegetarian and vegan marshmallows. Best of all, these tempting morsels of edible bliss are rich, creamy, and incredibly divine—makes you wonder how you’ve gone this long without them.I have my own word to describe this entrepreneur as well: fantastic. Just last month I was inspired by a fellow vegan in the community to check out her website, and I was amazed to see all the treats I'd been missing!
This past December, as my boyfriend and I made a grocery run to Roots Market in Olney to buy supplies for our romantic cabin vacation, we grabbed a box of Sweet and Sara Vanilla Marshmallows for our cocoa without ever having tried them before. Days later, sitting in front of a fire in the cabin sipping our hot chocolate, we got to the bottom of our mugs (which is always the best part as the sticky half-melted marshmallows have reached perfection) and discovered the wonder of Sara's creation.
I savored the mallows for another week or two after I got home, cutting up the large squares into smaller bits so I could enjoy them in more sips of cocoa. Roots Market does not carry all of the Sweet and Sara products, so I had no idea there were tiny mini-mallows available for my enjoyment.
After having a horrific experience with another brand of vegan mallows (which will remain nameless, but they come in a bag and are sold in the non-refrigerated section unlike Sara's-- you know the ones I mean) that were a strange texture and tasted like chemicals, I found myself at a cooking class I blogged about earlier this month, tasting yet another of Sara's mallow treats. This time it was a bite of one of her toasted coconut marshmallows, and I fell in love all over again.
Through a series of email communications I discovered the Sweet and Sara facebook page, found a special discount available if I ordered from the factory online, and received a high recommendation for her Smores. I decided to venture onto her website to see just what sort of treats I could apply this discount to... could there be more than the marshmallows I so loved?
Indeed there was. I ended up ordering the sample box of mallows so I could try all four amazing flavors (strawberry, vanilla, toasted coconut and cinnamon pecan), two boxes each of the tried and true vanilla and coconut mallows, two bags of the mini-mallows for the cocoa I'd been enjoying, a box of macaroons, and a couple each of the Original Smores and the Peanut Butter Smores. Feeling kind of silly for ordering a million marshmallow products, I waited for my package to come in the mail.
I was not disappointed. My order was sitting on my porch at the end of a very long and trying day, and I can't even explain to you how comforting it was to sit down with my cocoa and dump as many delicious mallows in it as I wanted! She even threw in a sample taste of biscotti and Rocky Road Bark, both of which were wonderful! While I love the strawberry and nutty cinnamon flavors, the coconut and vanilla are still my favorite mallows, but now that I have boxes of them stored in the fridge I offer the mallows to all my non-vegan neighbors and friends when they come by and they ALL think the mallows are better than any regular non-vegan mallows on the market.
You may think I'm silly, or that marshmallows are not a big deal. You'd be absolutely right. However: there are a few things in this world that smack of comfort and American tradition and marshmallows are one of them. Discovering these was like discovering the world's best vegan macaroni and cheese (made and sold by Roots Market, by the way). Who in this world doesn't smell a campfire and remember being a kid when they roast a mallow, or remember winters and holidays with family gone by when they sip a hot cup of cocoa?
When you make the lifestyle change to become a vegan, there is a fear that you will not only be abandoning some of your favorite foods, but that you will be abandoning your favorite traditions as well. You wonder what you will eat at the barbecue, what will you roast at the campfire, whether you'll ever help your kids make rice crispy treats, and if you'll ever find another gooey melted marshmallow at the bottom of your hot chocolate.
So thank you Sara, not just for my macaroons and sweet Smore cookies, but for keeping tradition alive for this vegan. When you can not only save a tradition but improve it, you've really done something special!
(Shop online and get your own vegan treats at Sweet and Sara's Online store here!)
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Birthday Brunch
As this beautiful Saturday winds down to a close, I feel exceptionally grateful for the wonderful women in my life. I turned 26 years old earlier this week, and as is tradition in my house and has been for years, my mother and I cooked and served brunch to 8 of my closest friends to celebrate.
Last year marked the first vegan birthday brunch, and it was such a great success that we repeated some of the recipe choices this year. We also added a few more, as my vegan cooking skills have markedly improved over the past year!
As the girls started to trickle in around 11 am this morning, I was putting a Caramelized Vidalia Onion Quiche (from Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz) in the oven, and beginning to heat up saute pans for hash browns, vegan sausage, and Tofu Scramble (a la Vegan Comfort Food by Alicia C. Simpson).
My mother made vegan crepes (also from Vegan Brunch), and filled them with our traditional blend of vegan "cream cheese" (Tofutti) and agave nectar (in past years we used honey). She also prepared a giant plate of cut fruit and berries and baked my favorite vegan birthday Applesauce Cake, an old family recipe of hers with deliciously thick caramel icing.
The onion quiche was as big of a hit as last year, and the tofu scramble was surprisingly successful as well, considering the dish was pretty new to everyone present. The scramble is a dish I am an old hand at now, having made it for breakfast for my boyfriend and I so many times during the past year that I couldn't count them. I think it's my favorite recipe from Alicia Simpson's book so far. The hash browns were an invention of mine-- just boiled chopped potatoes sauteed with onions and nutritional yeast, lots of salt and pepper, served over Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage 'sausage.' Hash browns are a safe and easy breakfast staple, and I always love how big of a hit that brand of vegan sausage is with meat-eaters! Last year I also made a second quiche, but I tried to limit myself to simple and popular dishes this year so that I could enjoy a more stress-free morning of cooking.
It has been my consistent experience, and this morning and afternoon were no different, that when you combine good food, love and friends, the result is a good time no matter the variables. Some of my friends met each other today, and some had known each other for years. I sat next to a woman I met only months ago who's visiting the U.S. from Israel to get her LLM degree, and across from another friend I've had since the day she was born (our parents were college roommates). Old and new, I love them all dearly and celebrating my birthday among them is the best gift I could (and ever do) receive.
As I sauteed the onions for the quiche (made of tofu, ground cashews, and the onions with a touch of salt and nutmeg in a home-made pastry crust), I also prepared dough for my very first batch of home-made vegan sticky cinnamon buns! Unfortunately, due to inexperience with yeast-rising pastries, I put the dough in the refrigerator (to rise, of all things) expecting it to chill as pie and cookie doughs do. Needless to say that dough did no rising until I realized my mistake and took it out of the refrigerator, and the buns were prepared after brunch was over. Just my sister and a close friend and I were around to enjoy them, but the three of us have no complaints about how that situation turned out!
The buns are Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sticky Buns from 500 Vegan Recipes by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman (page 35 of the Breakfast section). Luckily, putting dough in the refrigerator had minimal effects on its ability to rise. I caught my mistake midway through the meal and took the dough ball out and set it on the stove with a clean dish towel over it, so by the time the last guest had left it was just about time for my sister and I to punch the dough down and roll it out.
Slightly more dried out than I think it was meant to be, the dough rolled out beautifully into a flat rectangle and I covered it with a brown sugar, earth balance and cinnamon paste. I then rolled the whole thing up from the short ends into a log, and carefully sliced the log into 12 beautiful buns! My sister and I waited for them to rise for a bit more, and then I popped them in the oven and threw together the powdered sugar glaze. What came out of the oven 20 minutes later was heavenly.
A good friend stopped by with her brother's adorable dog for a quick visit before she headed out for the night and was just in time to enjoy a hot sticky bun fresh from the oven! The three of us sat around the kitchen counter with hot tea and warm, sweet rolls in a state of bliss (as did the dog, who feasted on his vegan carrot and apple treats on the floor). It was a beautiful end to a beautiful afternoon.
This recipe was one of many that I've made from 500 Vegan Recipes over the past month, and I've begun to cook out of it exclusively. Never have I had such consistent success from one amazing book! I'm convinced that Steen and Newman are vegan geniuses and I can't wait to cook through the entire collection. So far I have made everything from lasagna to quick bread, all with great success, so stay tuned for further results!
As usual, I hope you also had a weekend filled with friends and good food. Cheers to another year of my twenties, and though last year was so good it will be hard to top, I've got a good feeling about this one!
Last year marked the first vegan birthday brunch, and it was such a great success that we repeated some of the recipe choices this year. We also added a few more, as my vegan cooking skills have markedly improved over the past year!
As the girls started to trickle in around 11 am this morning, I was putting a Caramelized Vidalia Onion Quiche (from Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz) in the oven, and beginning to heat up saute pans for hash browns, vegan sausage, and Tofu Scramble (a la Vegan Comfort Food by Alicia C. Simpson).
My mother made vegan crepes (also from Vegan Brunch), and filled them with our traditional blend of vegan "cream cheese" (Tofutti) and agave nectar (in past years we used honey). She also prepared a giant plate of cut fruit and berries and baked my favorite vegan birthday Applesauce Cake, an old family recipe of hers with deliciously thick caramel icing.
The onion quiche was as big of a hit as last year, and the tofu scramble was surprisingly successful as well, considering the dish was pretty new to everyone present. The scramble is a dish I am an old hand at now, having made it for breakfast for my boyfriend and I so many times during the past year that I couldn't count them. I think it's my favorite recipe from Alicia Simpson's book so far. The hash browns were an invention of mine-- just boiled chopped potatoes sauteed with onions and nutritional yeast, lots of salt and pepper, served over Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage 'sausage.' Hash browns are a safe and easy breakfast staple, and I always love how big of a hit that brand of vegan sausage is with meat-eaters! Last year I also made a second quiche, but I tried to limit myself to simple and popular dishes this year so that I could enjoy a more stress-free morning of cooking.
It has been my consistent experience, and this morning and afternoon were no different, that when you combine good food, love and friends, the result is a good time no matter the variables. Some of my friends met each other today, and some had known each other for years. I sat next to a woman I met only months ago who's visiting the U.S. from Israel to get her LLM degree, and across from another friend I've had since the day she was born (our parents were college roommates). Old and new, I love them all dearly and celebrating my birthday among them is the best gift I could (and ever do) receive.
As I sauteed the onions for the quiche (made of tofu, ground cashews, and the onions with a touch of salt and nutmeg in a home-made pastry crust), I also prepared dough for my very first batch of home-made vegan sticky cinnamon buns! Unfortunately, due to inexperience with yeast-rising pastries, I put the dough in the refrigerator (to rise, of all things) expecting it to chill as pie and cookie doughs do. Needless to say that dough did no rising until I realized my mistake and took it out of the refrigerator, and the buns were prepared after brunch was over. Just my sister and a close friend and I were around to enjoy them, but the three of us have no complaints about how that situation turned out!
The buns are Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sticky Buns from 500 Vegan Recipes by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman (page 35 of the Breakfast section). Luckily, putting dough in the refrigerator had minimal effects on its ability to rise. I caught my mistake midway through the meal and took the dough ball out and set it on the stove with a clean dish towel over it, so by the time the last guest had left it was just about time for my sister and I to punch the dough down and roll it out.
Slightly more dried out than I think it was meant to be, the dough rolled out beautifully into a flat rectangle and I covered it with a brown sugar, earth balance and cinnamon paste. I then rolled the whole thing up from the short ends into a log, and carefully sliced the log into 12 beautiful buns! My sister and I waited for them to rise for a bit more, and then I popped them in the oven and threw together the powdered sugar glaze. What came out of the oven 20 minutes later was heavenly.
A good friend stopped by with her brother's adorable dog for a quick visit before she headed out for the night and was just in time to enjoy a hot sticky bun fresh from the oven! The three of us sat around the kitchen counter with hot tea and warm, sweet rolls in a state of bliss (as did the dog, who feasted on his vegan carrot and apple treats on the floor). It was a beautiful end to a beautiful afternoon.
This recipe was one of many that I've made from 500 Vegan Recipes over the past month, and I've begun to cook out of it exclusively. Never have I had such consistent success from one amazing book! I'm convinced that Steen and Newman are vegan geniuses and I can't wait to cook through the entire collection. So far I have made everything from lasagna to quick bread, all with great success, so stay tuned for further results!
As usual, I hope you also had a weekend filled with friends and good food. Cheers to another year of my twenties, and though last year was so good it will be hard to top, I've got a good feeling about this one!
Monday, February 21, 2011
President's Day Pancakes
The following is the best vegan pancake recipe of all time.
Be super careful to mix all your dry stuff first, then mix the wet stuff in later after your pan is already hot and greased. Stir really well because it's the baking powder and liquid reaction that makes these so light and fluffy!! We eat them with chocolate chips at my house and they are to die for. Add a side of tempeh bacon, and voila-- breakfast of champions (or lazy people who sleep in on holidays).
Be super careful to mix all your dry stuff first, then mix the wet stuff in later after your pan is already hot and greased. Stir really well because it's the baking powder and liquid reaction that makes these so light and fluffy!! We eat them with chocolate chips at my house and they are to die for. Add a side of tempeh bacon, and voila-- breakfast of champions (or lazy people who sleep in on holidays).
Happy President's Day! Enjoy!
Recipe:
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup soy milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Preparation:
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until well mixed.
Mix in the soy milk and oil and beat together until batter is smooth.
Drop 1/4 cup of batter at a time onto a hot oiled griddle, or well greased frying pan over medium high heat. When bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake, approximately 3 minutes, flip, and cook the other side for another 2 minutes. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts: One pancake provides approximately: Calories: 149, Calories from Fat: 50
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Preparation:
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until well mixed.
Mix in the soy milk and oil and beat together until batter is smooth.
Drop 1/4 cup of batter at a time onto a hot oiled griddle, or well greased frying pan over medium high heat. When bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake, approximately 3 minutes, flip, and cook the other side for another 2 minutes. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts: One pancake provides approximately: Calories: 149, Calories from Fat: 50
Total Fat: 5.6g, 9% Saturated Fat: 1.0g, 5%
Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%
Sodium: 58mg, 2%
Total Carbohydrates: 22.2g, 7%
Dietary Fiber: 1.2g, 5%
Sugars: 2.4g
Protein: 3.7g
Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 22%, Iron 9%, based on a 2000 calorie diet
Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%
Sodium: 58mg, 2%
Total Carbohydrates: 22.2g, 7%
Dietary Fiber: 1.2g, 5%
Sugars: 2.4g
Protein: 3.7g
Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 22%, Iron 9%, based on a 2000 calorie diet
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Cooking In and Eating Out: What the Area has to Offer!
So moving on to lighter topics this week... I enjoyed a wonderful vegan weekend and so instead of harping on the various international laws and their effectiveness (or ineffectiveness), I wanted to go back to the roots of this blog and share my vegan experiences with you!
On Saturday morning, my boyfriend and I slept in and then headed into DC to try out a vegan brunch being served at Asylum (a "rock and roll lounge" in Adams Morgan by night, more bar than restaurant). This interesting spot has been popping up on online lists for the locations of the best vegan brunch for months now, but I haven't been able to justify taking a trip into the city from the burbs on the weekend until now. Spending money on brunch when I should be studying and in fact quite enjoy cooking brunch myself never seems to add up correctly in the cost-benefit analysis, but this weekend I committed to trying it out, time and costs be damned, so that we could enjoy Saturday the way it should be enjoyed. It was wonderful to break the routine and get in the car in the morning and be served a lazy afternoon meal along with so many others waking up late and eating out with friends.
I must say that while Asylum is a bar that attracts a certain crowd at night (the walls have dingy red velvet curtains, the decorations consist of dark stained wood walls with inset shelves containing kitschy skulls and other evil paraphernalia), it doesn't look much better in the morning daylight, but the people seemed to be your average vegan brunch goers-- a few hipsters, but a lot of other regular younger people as well, most of whom looked as though they'd partied fairly late Friday night (unlike my companion and I).
It's a very small venue, but there wasn't much of a wait at noon (probably because of the plethora of other brunch hot spots in Adams Morgan and the surrounding area), which was great for us! We were able to sit down immediately, and the waitress was not dressed as a Gothic hipster (both of which were lovely).
The menu is delightfully created to have a full regular brunch menu on one side, and the entire menu again identically on the back, but vegan! They offered up all kinds of comforting, popular favorites like french toast, pancakes, tofu scramble and tempeh bacon or sausage, along with specialties like vegan "huevos rancheros" (tofu scramble atop a corn tostada with salsa, vegan cheese, home fries and black beans), chili cheese tofu scramble, and a breakfast wrap! They also had other brunch favorites like your basic "bar food" sides (cheese fries, wings, hummus, nachos) as well as a grilled salad. It was very much in the same style of the vegan food I experienced at bars in Seattle-- less about health, more about imitating regular bar fare and serving up something deliciously comforting.
We ordered coffee and tea, and selected the chili cheese tofu scramble and the french toast with tempeh bacon. Both were absolutely exceptional. Busboys and Poets' (another frequented vegan DC brunch spot) tofu scramble is actually quite awful in comparison to Asylum's wonderfully made version. The vegan chili perfectly complemented the scramble and the beans, the cheese topping was delicious (Daiya of course), and the home fries were wonderfully spiced to complement the whole dish rather than having a more separate, breakfast-y flavor. Their french toast (and regular toast) is made with thick and hearty white bread, and they serve your average margarine and syrup and dust the toast generously with powdered confectioners sugar. It tasted like the best down-home, comfort cooking you'd find in the south, and it made you feel amazed that the meal was vegan!
On the whole, we were more than impressed with Asylum's brunch fare. The food was exceptional, the service was very efficient, friendly and un-rushed, and the decor was tolerable (unless of course you're into that sort of thing). I could have done with more offerings of fresh fruit and a brighter, lighter, cleaner atmosphere but I'd absolutely go back there at any opportunity-- I'd try everything on the menu and then order it all over again! Well-done, Asylum.
Sunday morning was yet another vegan adventure. I signed my boyfriend and I up for an all-vegan International Fare cooking class with Mimi Clark at her home in Fairfax Station, as a clever anniversary-Valentine's Day surprise gift to him. He really enjoys Indian dishes and cooking so this was a perfect opportunity for him to enjoy a taste of his favorite dish (Chana Masala with Basmati Rice and Chapati Bread), get instructions on how to improve his recipe at home, and see a real Indian chef prepare the dishes in an easy and delicious style! We also learned to make a vegan beef and broccoli dish using Seitan, a good old fashioned lasagna, home made egg roll wraps with sauce, nacho snacks, cookies and sorbet!
I had exchanged emails with Mimi Clark prior to the class in order to sign up and find out what we should bring with us and expect from the class. I wasn't sure what it would be like as I've never attended a cooking class before (nor has Adam), but we were welcomed into Mimi's beautiful, cozy home and right into her large gourmet-ready kitchen! The class attendees all set in comfortable kitchen chairs and were provided upon arrival with folders packed full of coupons for various vegan products and DC establishments, a professional brochure for the class and a detailed packet of recipes on our class itinerary, complete with a full page product list and definitions for anyone new to vegan cooking or products!
This particular class began with a guest cook to go over the first three dishes of Indian origin, taught by Shashi Chopra. She was incredibly knowledgeable about the food (her whole family has been in the restaurant business in the area for at least 10 years), and was very sweet, personable and quick to answer questions anyone had. She made the cooking look incredibly easy, she gave wonderful demonstrations and explanations, and taught us a few variations on each dish. The taste test was of course the real credit to her cooking as the Chana Masala with mildly spiced Basmati Rice and the Chapati Bread were all subtly and simply delicious. Both Mimi and Shashi were quick to explain interesting or unusual ingredients, each process the food would go through (rising, browning, etc), and pass around samples of all the ingredients and stages of the food as it was made.
The rest of the class is history, really. Shashi left us to begin the lasagna, which was quick and easy to make and wonderfully comforting and tasty to eat when it finally came out of the oven. The ricotta "cheese" was a blend of tofu, miso paste (a new product for me) and a plethora of spices, with mushrooms, onions and spinach.
We snacked on simple nachos made from bean tortilla chips with refried beans, salsa and vegan Daiya cheese on top (surprisingly delicious, and our new future favorite TV-watching snack) while we waited for the lasagna and watched Mimi whip up a cabbage and carrot stir fry (with many other sprouts, spices and veggies of course) to put into egg-less wraps for baked spring rolls! We learned to make a delicious apricot dip for the rolls, and were introduced to a brand of ready-made spring rolls as well that you can pop into the oven for a quicker snack. The home-made spring rolls were quite unique and outshone the ready-made rolls, but both were very tasty.
The beef and broccoli recipe was a simple saute, complete with helpful tips like adding cornstarch for thickening the sauce, and subbing broth for oil for a lighter and less fatty dish. Special ingredients like orange zest and pepper flakes really made the taste pop, and like the others it was subtle yet delicious.
One of our favorite portions of the class was the sorbet lesson (the best strawberry sorbet I've had), but you need the "Mercedes of blenders" to make it at home, so I'm hoping one day I'll own a piece of kitchen machinery like Mimi's when I have the money for such things. The whole wheat shortbread cookies we were instructed on how to make were wonderfully light and crisp, and we also sampled several delicious vegan chocolate bars and candies, along with my all-time favorite brand of vegan marshmallows (sold at Roots Market), made by Sweet and Sara in Long Island. I was thrilled to see Mimi using brands that are old favorites of mine, as well as to be introduced to some new exciting brands and ideas.
Mimi was the best part of the class for sure-- with your mouth full of spicy, succulent vegetables or sweet, smooth sorbet it's difficult not to enjoy yourself, but her tiny form darting around the kitchen explaining her healthy lifestyle in an breezy way that made it seem easy and natural and regaling us with tales of classes gone by kept our attention from 10 am until just after 1 pm from start to finish.
Newly inspired, we are eager to try out the new recipes at home but really just to re-commit to healthy and conscious eating. It was really uplifting for me to see a woman who is years ahead of me in the game of life, living a lifestyle I admire, and not only taking pride and joy in cooking but in cooking with responsible products with regard to both her own health and the practices of the manufacturers. Mimi Clark is a real role model for me and I hope to one day dart around a similar kitchen sharing the same joy for life and cooking that she shared with us today.
Sign up for one of her classes here if you're interested-- next month is Comfort Foods (there is a new topic each month). Just scroll down to the bottom of the page for instructions on how to call or email Mimi for more information and to register. I think anyone would enjoy the class-- the recipes are all simple enough for a novice cook and all of the more unusual products that non-vegans aren't used to purchasing are thoroughly explained and many are even available for purchase after the class!
Stay tuned for more on the new vegan cookbook Adam and I have been cooking our way through, 500 Vegan Recipes by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman. So far I've tried everything from a curried butternut squash hummus white lasagna (unbelievable), to a simple cinnamon oat quick bread and have successfully made my very own loaf of vegan cheese, home-made hummus, and a sweet and creamy chocolate pie (complete with a cinnamon graham crumble crust made from scratch) with absolutely fantastic results.
Hope you've had a wonderful weekend as well, maybe experiencing something new or taking time for old favorites and best of all, sharing it with someone you love.
On Saturday morning, my boyfriend and I slept in and then headed into DC to try out a vegan brunch being served at Asylum (a "rock and roll lounge" in Adams Morgan by night, more bar than restaurant). This interesting spot has been popping up on online lists for the locations of the best vegan brunch for months now, but I haven't been able to justify taking a trip into the city from the burbs on the weekend until now. Spending money on brunch when I should be studying and in fact quite enjoy cooking brunch myself never seems to add up correctly in the cost-benefit analysis, but this weekend I committed to trying it out, time and costs be damned, so that we could enjoy Saturday the way it should be enjoyed. It was wonderful to break the routine and get in the car in the morning and be served a lazy afternoon meal along with so many others waking up late and eating out with friends.
I must say that while Asylum is a bar that attracts a certain crowd at night (the walls have dingy red velvet curtains, the decorations consist of dark stained wood walls with inset shelves containing kitschy skulls and other evil paraphernalia), it doesn't look much better in the morning daylight, but the people seemed to be your average vegan brunch goers-- a few hipsters, but a lot of other regular younger people as well, most of whom looked as though they'd partied fairly late Friday night (unlike my companion and I).
It's a very small venue, but there wasn't much of a wait at noon (probably because of the plethora of other brunch hot spots in Adams Morgan and the surrounding area), which was great for us! We were able to sit down immediately, and the waitress was not dressed as a Gothic hipster (both of which were lovely).
The menu is delightfully created to have a full regular brunch menu on one side, and the entire menu again identically on the back, but vegan! They offered up all kinds of comforting, popular favorites like french toast, pancakes, tofu scramble and tempeh bacon or sausage, along with specialties like vegan "huevos rancheros" (tofu scramble atop a corn tostada with salsa, vegan cheese, home fries and black beans), chili cheese tofu scramble, and a breakfast wrap! They also had other brunch favorites like your basic "bar food" sides (cheese fries, wings, hummus, nachos) as well as a grilled salad. It was very much in the same style of the vegan food I experienced at bars in Seattle-- less about health, more about imitating regular bar fare and serving up something deliciously comforting.
We ordered coffee and tea, and selected the chili cheese tofu scramble and the french toast with tempeh bacon. Both were absolutely exceptional. Busboys and Poets' (another frequented vegan DC brunch spot) tofu scramble is actually quite awful in comparison to Asylum's wonderfully made version. The vegan chili perfectly complemented the scramble and the beans, the cheese topping was delicious (Daiya of course), and the home fries were wonderfully spiced to complement the whole dish rather than having a more separate, breakfast-y flavor. Their french toast (and regular toast) is made with thick and hearty white bread, and they serve your average margarine and syrup and dust the toast generously with powdered confectioners sugar. It tasted like the best down-home, comfort cooking you'd find in the south, and it made you feel amazed that the meal was vegan!
On the whole, we were more than impressed with Asylum's brunch fare. The food was exceptional, the service was very efficient, friendly and un-rushed, and the decor was tolerable (unless of course you're into that sort of thing). I could have done with more offerings of fresh fruit and a brighter, lighter, cleaner atmosphere but I'd absolutely go back there at any opportunity-- I'd try everything on the menu and then order it all over again! Well-done, Asylum.
Sunday morning was yet another vegan adventure. I signed my boyfriend and I up for an all-vegan International Fare cooking class with Mimi Clark at her home in Fairfax Station, as a clever anniversary-Valentine's Day surprise gift to him. He really enjoys Indian dishes and cooking so this was a perfect opportunity for him to enjoy a taste of his favorite dish (Chana Masala with Basmati Rice and Chapati Bread), get instructions on how to improve his recipe at home, and see a real Indian chef prepare the dishes in an easy and delicious style! We also learned to make a vegan beef and broccoli dish using Seitan, a good old fashioned lasagna, home made egg roll wraps with sauce, nacho snacks, cookies and sorbet!
I had exchanged emails with Mimi Clark prior to the class in order to sign up and find out what we should bring with us and expect from the class. I wasn't sure what it would be like as I've never attended a cooking class before (nor has Adam), but we were welcomed into Mimi's beautiful, cozy home and right into her large gourmet-ready kitchen! The class attendees all set in comfortable kitchen chairs and were provided upon arrival with folders packed full of coupons for various vegan products and DC establishments, a professional brochure for the class and a detailed packet of recipes on our class itinerary, complete with a full page product list and definitions for anyone new to vegan cooking or products!
This particular class began with a guest cook to go over the first three dishes of Indian origin, taught by Shashi Chopra. She was incredibly knowledgeable about the food (her whole family has been in the restaurant business in the area for at least 10 years), and was very sweet, personable and quick to answer questions anyone had. She made the cooking look incredibly easy, she gave wonderful demonstrations and explanations, and taught us a few variations on each dish. The taste test was of course the real credit to her cooking as the Chana Masala with mildly spiced Basmati Rice and the Chapati Bread were all subtly and simply delicious. Both Mimi and Shashi were quick to explain interesting or unusual ingredients, each process the food would go through (rising, browning, etc), and pass around samples of all the ingredients and stages of the food as it was made.
The rest of the class is history, really. Shashi left us to begin the lasagna, which was quick and easy to make and wonderfully comforting and tasty to eat when it finally came out of the oven. The ricotta "cheese" was a blend of tofu, miso paste (a new product for me) and a plethora of spices, with mushrooms, onions and spinach.
We snacked on simple nachos made from bean tortilla chips with refried beans, salsa and vegan Daiya cheese on top (surprisingly delicious, and our new future favorite TV-watching snack) while we waited for the lasagna and watched Mimi whip up a cabbage and carrot stir fry (with many other sprouts, spices and veggies of course) to put into egg-less wraps for baked spring rolls! We learned to make a delicious apricot dip for the rolls, and were introduced to a brand of ready-made spring rolls as well that you can pop into the oven for a quicker snack. The home-made spring rolls were quite unique and outshone the ready-made rolls, but both were very tasty.
The beef and broccoli recipe was a simple saute, complete with helpful tips like adding cornstarch for thickening the sauce, and subbing broth for oil for a lighter and less fatty dish. Special ingredients like orange zest and pepper flakes really made the taste pop, and like the others it was subtle yet delicious.
One of our favorite portions of the class was the sorbet lesson (the best strawberry sorbet I've had), but you need the "Mercedes of blenders" to make it at home, so I'm hoping one day I'll own a piece of kitchen machinery like Mimi's when I have the money for such things. The whole wheat shortbread cookies we were instructed on how to make were wonderfully light and crisp, and we also sampled several delicious vegan chocolate bars and candies, along with my all-time favorite brand of vegan marshmallows (sold at Roots Market), made by Sweet and Sara in Long Island. I was thrilled to see Mimi using brands that are old favorites of mine, as well as to be introduced to some new exciting brands and ideas.
Mimi was the best part of the class for sure-- with your mouth full of spicy, succulent vegetables or sweet, smooth sorbet it's difficult not to enjoy yourself, but her tiny form darting around the kitchen explaining her healthy lifestyle in an breezy way that made it seem easy and natural and regaling us with tales of classes gone by kept our attention from 10 am until just after 1 pm from start to finish.
Newly inspired, we are eager to try out the new recipes at home but really just to re-commit to healthy and conscious eating. It was really uplifting for me to see a woman who is years ahead of me in the game of life, living a lifestyle I admire, and not only taking pride and joy in cooking but in cooking with responsible products with regard to both her own health and the practices of the manufacturers. Mimi Clark is a real role model for me and I hope to one day dart around a similar kitchen sharing the same joy for life and cooking that she shared with us today.
Sign up for one of her classes here if you're interested-- next month is Comfort Foods (there is a new topic each month). Just scroll down to the bottom of the page for instructions on how to call or email Mimi for more information and to register. I think anyone would enjoy the class-- the recipes are all simple enough for a novice cook and all of the more unusual products that non-vegans aren't used to purchasing are thoroughly explained and many are even available for purchase after the class!
Stay tuned for more on the new vegan cookbook Adam and I have been cooking our way through, 500 Vegan Recipes by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman. So far I've tried everything from a curried butternut squash hummus white lasagna (unbelievable), to a simple cinnamon oat quick bread and have successfully made my very own loaf of vegan cheese, home-made hummus, and a sweet and creamy chocolate pie (complete with a cinnamon graham crumble crust made from scratch) with absolutely fantastic results.
Hope you've had a wonderful weekend as well, maybe experiencing something new or taking time for old favorites and best of all, sharing it with someone you love.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Burning Out
Here we are, close to mid-February... counting down until the end of my very last semester of law school. After that, the Bar Exam. After that, who knows? I'm sitting in the library (blogging instead of reading this horrifically boring, yet valuable book) and I can still remember when this entire building intimidated me.
I sat through a PhD informational session yesterday at work and found out that I am definitely too burnt out to do that right now, but that one day I'd really like to. For now, I'd like to finish what I started here. A few papers to put some thought into and crank out, an exam or two, and then the big one.
I feel like I've been on a moving train for a few years here in school, and I'm starting to wonder if that train is my career and that I'll never get off... who knows if I'll ever have a period of rest? A moment in time to do more of what I love and less of what I'm obligated to do. Only time will tell.
I sat through a PhD informational session yesterday at work and found out that I am definitely too burnt out to do that right now, but that one day I'd really like to. For now, I'd like to finish what I started here. A few papers to put some thought into and crank out, an exam or two, and then the big one.
I feel like I've been on a moving train for a few years here in school, and I'm starting to wonder if that train is my career and that I'll never get off... who knows if I'll ever have a period of rest? A moment in time to do more of what I love and less of what I'm obligated to do. Only time will tell.
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Laws of War
So I never do this, but I can't help myself. I "learned" so many irrational and useless things at school today that for once I wish anyone actually read my blog because I must comment, and I desperately wish I could get feedback. The class I am sitting in is so irrelevant to reality that my classmate is genuinely watching porn on his computer. Right now. As we sit here before two rather elderly and quite knowledgeable professors expound on the laws of guess what... Humanitarian Law.
Should you be unfamiliar with the term Humanitarian Law, let me be the first to inform you that it has little to do with humanity and is separate and distinct from Human Rights Law (another almost equally irrelevant body of law). In actuality, what we term "humanitarian law" is actually better known as the Laws of War. If you are of the worldview that war is inevitable, I can see how this body of law would make sense to you. I am not of that view, and intend to spend my life convincing others that a view of the inevitability of war is in fact the cause of war.
So tonight I sit beneath the hot, overwhelmingly bright flourescent lights feeling sick and overwhelmed (read the following list of studies on the horror of fluorescence HERE), listening to the two old white men in front of me explain the intricacies and details of how to conduct an "appropriate" and "proper" war.
You can evaluate this for yourself if you ever read a bit about the laws of war. Their purpose is mainly to protect as many people as possible once an armed conflict has began. It puts people in categories of either deserving of protection, or fair game for killing and destruction. My professor just said, verbatim, that people, "have a license to go out and kill and destroy." He was not being sarcastic. I brought this to the attention of the guy next to me who replied, "sounds sexy." Herein lies the problem, folks.
To Be Continued... (the next time I sit in the horrible class)
Should you be unfamiliar with the term Humanitarian Law, let me be the first to inform you that it has little to do with humanity and is separate and distinct from Human Rights Law (another almost equally irrelevant body of law). In actuality, what we term "humanitarian law" is actually better known as the Laws of War. If you are of the worldview that war is inevitable, I can see how this body of law would make sense to you. I am not of that view, and intend to spend my life convincing others that a view of the inevitability of war is in fact the cause of war.
So tonight I sit beneath the hot, overwhelmingly bright flourescent lights feeling sick and overwhelmed (read the following list of studies on the horror of fluorescence HERE), listening to the two old white men in front of me explain the intricacies and details of how to conduct an "appropriate" and "proper" war.
You can evaluate this for yourself if you ever read a bit about the laws of war. Their purpose is mainly to protect as many people as possible once an armed conflict has began. It puts people in categories of either deserving of protection, or fair game for killing and destruction. My professor just said, verbatim, that people, "have a license to go out and kill and destroy." He was not being sarcastic. I brought this to the attention of the guy next to me who replied, "sounds sexy." Herein lies the problem, folks.
To Be Continued... (the next time I sit in the horrible class)
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