Sweet Things

I could care less if I have someone to spend it with, I love Valentines Day!

Sure, its a exploitative ploy by heartless capitalists to take advantage of our fragile emotions in the arena of relationships for profit, but.... chocolate! pink! flowers! Sorry, i love it. There is no other holiday that practically mandates champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. And well, even if you end up spending it with your parents (cough, cough) it can still be fun. Actually, maybe more fun...


I had the chance this week to make lots of sweet things... the delicious chocolate chip cookies from VWAV and agave nectar cupcakes from VCTOTW. I topped them with simple buttercream frosting and sliced strawberries, for a friend who is diabetic, but willing to indulge a little on her birthday. Both turned out absolutely perfectly , prompting the usual disbelieving "This is VEGAN?" remarks. How sweet...

Anyways, for the sake of Valentines Day, I would like to send a shout-out to three people that I'm sure would have been my Valentine if they knew I existed...

First, obviously, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, who makes my life SO SWEET! Whether through cakes, brownies, cupcakes, cookies or delicious savory items, how could I live without the Goddess of Vegan Cooking and her tomes? I couldn't, and I don't want to try. A world without Isa is a world I don't want to envision. (And she's pretty adorable, too...)

And then there's the wonderfully witty Dan Savage, who's weekly sex column, Savage Love, is the first thing I flip to in the City Paper every week. Sure, he's dirty. But he is ALSO an incisive critic of all those opposed to gay rights, the first to point out political hypocrisy in sex-ed, and the first to tell you to DTMFA (dump the mother forking a$$hole) if someone is treating you as less then deserving of respect and satisfaction. And I love him for that, and would love to take him (and his partner) out for cupcakes and cocktails.

Finally, and I would like to say in advance that I am available for next year, the hilarious and adorable Ryan North, who's dinosaur comics rule my world. Ranging in subject matter from religion, philosophy, movie plots, politics and modern physics, North always makes me chuckle gleefully at his static dinosaur creations' antics. Plus, he's a redhead! *SWOON*!

At any rate, i hope that the above-mentioned, and all of you lovely bloggers, had a luscious and indulgent Valentines Day, whether with your dream date, your parents, or your lovely selves.

Song of the Day: Universal Heartbeat- Juliana Hatfield

Beta Carotene Buzz

My current late winter obsessions include:
-Vitamin D
-Jake and Amir
-The Dresden Dolls
-The Rocky Horror Picture Show
-Maritime Law
-Step Class
-Making valentines
.... and apparently, orange food.



Carrot-Ginger-Cashew Pasta
*This recipe is casual with portions, because it can easily be stretched. I usually use about 3 carrots and 2 handfuls cashews.


-Raw, unsalted cashews
-Carrots, peeled and chopped
-1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
-1" ginger root, peeled and sliced
-1/2 tbs agave nectar
-Braggs
-Whole wheat pasta
-Kale or swiss chard, loosely chopped

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil for your pasta. Bring a small pot of water to boil for your veggies.
2. Using a steamer insert, put equal parts carrots and cashews, along with the garlic and ginger in a pot to steam. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and steam for about 5 minutes, or until carrots can easily be pierced with a fork. Meanwhile, cook desired amount of pasta.
3. (Carefully) add steamed veggies to food processor or blender. Add a dollop of olive oil, a splash of braggs, and agave nectar. Blend until smooth-ish.
4. Once pasta is al dente, pour over kale or chard. Then toss with carrot sauce, adding a tiny pasta water if desired.



Butternut Squash Risotto with Sage

-1 Butternut Squash, halved and de-seeded
-4 cloves garlic diced
-13 sage leaves, julienned (roll them up and run your knife through them)
-Olive oil
-Earth Balance
-1 small onion, diced
-1 c. Arborio Rice
-1 c. white wine
-4-6 c. vegetable broth

1. Pre-heat oven to 375. Set up the prepared butternut squash in baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Rub in with your hands, then sprinkle over about half the garlic, all the sage, and salt and pepper to taste. Stick it in the oven. Then, get rest of ingredients ready.
2. After 30-45 minutes, or when squash is fork tender, remove from oven and let cool. When suitable to handle, scrape out squash in small clumps into a bowl. Drizzle any pan juices over top. Set aside.
3. In a large pot, melt 1 knob of earth balance along with 2 T EVOO at medium low. Add in the garlic and allow to cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add in the onion, stirring to coat. Cook until soft, about 3 more minutes. Then, season well with salt and pepper.
4. Meanwhile, put the broth in a small saucepan and place over medium low or low heat.
5. Add the rice to the large pot and stir to coat for a minute or so. Then, add in the wine and raise the heat to medium. Stir until rice has absorbed the wine.
6. Now comes the portion of risotto-making called "ladle and stir." As in, ladle some of the warmed broth into the rice, and stir with a wooden spoon until it has been absorbed. This is going to continue until the rice has lost all of its crunch. If and when you run out of broth, use warmed water.
7. When rice is soft and each grain is encased in a creamy sauce, your risotto is ready! Stir in butternut squash, more salt and pepper if wished, cover and reduce heat to low. When ready to serve, stir one more time.


Song of the Day: Dresden Dolls- Night Reconnaissance
(Listen HERE)

Oldies but Goodies

I so dearly love reading cookbooks. Ever since I was a child, I loved to browse through my mother's collection while I sat and ate my Special K at the kitchen table. Flat bound bread machine cookbooks, thick Good Housekeeping compilations, glossy Martha Stewart tomes... I read them all cover to cover, even (especially!) the recipes I would never think of trying, like liver and onions. I loved to find the secret ingredients to big stews, or the kneading technique to the author's pizza dough. Similar to biographies (my other favorite reading material), cookbooks often tell you more about the author than the subject matter. How could you not wonder about the woman who drew the whimsical illustrations for the Moosewood Cookbook? Or the serene goddess who had time to whip up a loaf of cocoa nut bread for the kids, then wrap it in a towel as they head to the beach? Cookbooks, a lot like blogs, are a window into someone else's day- not the exciting love affairs or professional accomplishments, but the mundane stuff that fills in the gaps... which is also where a lot of life's small, personal pleasures derive from.

At any rate, I sometimes forget that cookbooks are also instructional, not just aspirational! I thought this week I would dig up some dog-eared recipes I have never tried from my treasure trove and see what I've been missing.

First up was Dreena Burton's The Everyday Vegan. Burton has come out with another cookbook at this point, but this is still my favorite. The tone is encouraging, not preachy, and she makes sure to point out that some people are simply looking to incorporate more healthy food into their diet, not defend animal rights, and that's also a perfectly valid reason for cooking vegan. She also includes a list of pantry essentials and health information for new vegans (all the hotspots- vitamin b, protein, ect.) And better still, she is oriented towards entertaining- she has menus and party ideas, along with quick meal tips. (I imagine this book is especially useful for people with small children.)

I've made a lot from this book but haven't checked it out in a while. This time, the Spicy Thai Stew was calling my name. Yams, carrots, peppers and onions in a spicy peanut sauce. Rather than add the chard into the stew, I wrapped it around it so I could tear off little pieces and make roll-ups... This was so good that my roomate was pissed at me for making a half-portion. Also, this recipe was super versatile- I could imagine using the same sauce with green beans, cauliflower, ect. If you have a jar of peanut butter and few veggies, you can make this. Yum.

The next cookbook I dusted off was my all-time favorite, The Garden of Vegan by Sarah Kramer and Tanya Barnard. This cookbook, like its predecessor, How it All Vegan is more like an all-around vegan handbook, packed with tips, crafts, and inspirational stories. There's even a section on college meals- when your only kitchen might be a dirty microwave down the hall from your dormroom. The recipes are generally pretty simple, but the carefully measured ingredients and spices ensure things come out suspiciously terrific.

I made the Dinner Crepes, thin delicate pancakes around a heady mixture of shallots, lentils, veggies and walnuts. This dinner, friends, was a glamorous affair. The filling was not at all difficult to put together, despite containing my achilles heel, lentils, and was so aromatic and satisfying. It seemed like just the thing you would eat at a cute french bistro with a glass of wine and a cute guy named Jacque.


The best part? Leftover crepes... to fill with bananas and sour cream, faux nutella, butter, brown sugar and almonds... have I mentioned I love crepes?

I plan to continue on my cookbook revival all week... I've still got some I've never ever cooked one thing from!

Song of the Day: Animal Collective- Daily Routine

Budapest-Inspired Strudel

Budapest has a thriving cafe culture that has lasted from the days of Austro-Hungarian empire, and wasn't touched by the double occupation. The number of beautiful (or sometimes decrepit) old coffee houses and "etterems" around Budapest is staggering, and quite of a few of them have some delicious little pastry on offer. The ones that tempted me were always layers of golden puff pastry encasing juicy sour cherries, slices of apple, or rich poppyseeds resembling millions of caviar. What could be more stylish to eat then one of those and a small cup of expresso?

Cafe Szimpla, in the Jewish Quarter

I decided to try my hand at the delicacy and gave it a shot using the recipe for "Black Forest" strudel from The Joy of Vegan Baking.(Although "Black Forest" stuff is usually German... oh well.) It turns out that making a strudel is a delicate process, but not at all time-consuming or difficult. You have to brush thin layers of thawed philo dough with soy-butter, then wrap them around your filling... and then a few minutes later, you have the world's best coffee accompaniment!


I can't wait to try this with other fillings (apple! sour cherries!) but I think I'll hold off on the intense poppyseed ones... for now.

In other news, did anyone see this story about a guy who got fired shortly after his boss found out he was a vegetarian? Apparently he called him a "vegetarian homo." Putting aside for the moment the legal questions here (most likely diet-based discrimination IS acceptable in the workplace under the law... ) I'd like to just point out how ridiculous it is that vegan/ veg men often get overly taunted for their diets. Eating meat does not make you a man. And making fun of other people for their humane lifestyle is such a sad way to hide your own insecurities.

Song of the Day: Golden Age- TV on the Radio

Blood Orange Glazed Tempeh

We had just the slightest bit of sunshine and warmth this weekend and it totally ruined me for winter. All of a sudden my mind was racing, filled with images of Spring: riding my bike minus all of bulky wintry wear and nose frostbite, starting a windowsill herb garden, sitting in the grass at Dupont Circle reading a book and people-watching, dancing on the deck at Nelly's or 18th street lounge... and then, today it started flurrying. *SIGH*. Well, there's still some wintry hibernating in me yet, and there's no time like the present to get all the boring bar/ MPRE/ job search details out of the way, while I'm still confined to the indoors.

In the meantime, citrus-filled dishes have a way of making me think spring isn't too far off. This last weekend my friend K and I made the Orange Pan-Glazed Tempeh highlighted on 101 Cookbooks. We subbed out some juicy looking blood oranges, which together with a little mirin, agave, ginger and garlic made for a unique and bright accompaniment to some pan-fried tempeh, quinoa and broccoli. I've never had tempeh this way it was irresistable! Be sure to check out the recipe. Karen, who had never even heard of tempeh before, thought it was awesome.


Also awesome was the fact that I had enough leftover quinoa to make the superbly great Pineapple Cashew Stir-Fry from V'Con.. I've made this before, but this time it was even better- I think that using leftover, day-old quinoa makes a crunchier stir-fry than making a batch just to use for the recipe. It also dramatically cuts down on prep time- I had time to make this AND cherry-chocolate muffins 45 minutes before I had to be at work. All the bright flavors- pineapple, basil, ginger, garlic- came together to make another spring-y meal in the dead of winter. Oh V'Con, you always save the day.

Song of the Day: ELO- Mr. Blue Sky

Potatoes Faux Gratin, Take 2, and BBQ Tofu

Well its a few days after the inauguration and the whole nation seems to be in a state of post-inaugural bliss, turning to one another, taking a drag of their cigarette, and asking, "how was it for you?" I'm still having fun hearing my friend's anecdotes from the day, checking out everyone's pictures and chatting with people on the metro. Today, a man bedecked in blinking Obama buttons was standing outside the metro doors when I got off besides a mother and her adorable toddler son. The little boy pointed and shouted "Obaaaaa-maaaaa!" It was so cute I almost fainted.

At any rate, my energy is still pretty high and I decided to make myself a complete dinner, with different parts, as opposed to the one-pot meals I've been living off lately. (Yes, the prospect of dirty dishes cannot stop me now!) I made the BBQ tofu from V'Con, some broiled asparagus topped with a little balsamic reduction, and another take on my potato dish. This time, however, I layered sweet and regular potatoes, cut the milk, added more salt and a pinch of garlic powder, and topped the whole thing with japanese bread crumbs (panko.) This was somewhat better than my last try, and went great with the tangy BBQ sauce. Here's my recipe, keeping in mind that a) its a small, single girl portion, and b) that I will probably keep tinkering with it.

Two Potato Faux Gratin Serves 1, with leftovers

-1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into thin rounds
-1 med boiling potato, peeled and cut into thin rounds
-unsweetened soymilk
-soy creamer
-pinch nutmeg and garlic powder
-Salt and pepper
-A handful of panko mixed with nooch

1. Butter a tiny casserole dish with some earth balance and preheat the oven to 350. Add both kinds of potatoes to a small pot, and fill almost to covering with equal part soymilk and soy creamer.
2. Add in a nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
3. Remove from heat and spoon out potatoes into dish, arranging if desired. Pour remaining sauce in to cover, then sprinkle nooch and panko over top. Cook until bubbly and browned on top, about 25 minutes.

Song of the Day: Ton Steine Scherben- Rauchhaus Song

Inauguration Pictures!

These pictures were taken by my Dad, who was right in the thick of things on inauguration day. I realize they don't have anything to do with veganism, but they have everything to do with soul power. :)









Bush flying away...

Cheap as Free!

Food is an important part of a balanced diet. - Fran Lebowitz

My loan check finally came!!!! Finally I can buy produce again! See, just days after inauguration and the economy is rebounding already!

I have to say though, that this recent bout with poverty, while not especially thrilling (particularly all encounters with my hellish bank) did teach me some lessons about surviving on little to no food except what's already in my pantry. Its been a while since I've had to think about what I'm going to eat so much, and I got some good new ideas, and pulled out a few good old ones. They say necessity is the mother of invention. At any rate, here are a few....

TIPS for SURVIVING a (temporary) CASH FLOW PROBLEM*

1. Drink Tea. When Eva Peron was a young aspiring actress, not an iconic and controversial martyr married to a semi-dictatorish Argentinian President, she maintained her budget by drinking lots of Mate. Its a natural energy booster and appetite suppressant and is pretty delicious with some agave nectar. Similarly, I drink mate and peppermint tea to stay awake-- and its cheaper than coffee. (Especially effective when combined with a good book, pictured above.)

2. Bake. This should be obvious, but I always forget about all the whole wheat flour, yeast packets, and other baking accoutrement hiding in my cupboard. When you've got nothing but time and flour, you can always come up with something. (And a lot of recipes that call for soymilk work ok with water...)

3. Reconsider your condiments. I found myself relying more and more heavily on condiments the last few weeks, since they are always plentiful in my fridge. Can I eat a barbeque sauce and onion sandwich if it comes down to it? Yes, yes I can. Soy sour cream and fried bananas? Yes, please. A grilled mango chutney sandwich? You betcha. An even better option though?
Secret grilled sammies: Mix up a good knob of earth balance with some nooch, salt and pepper, and garlic powder. Spread it thick on the bread of your choice, and grill it, buttered side down, in a pan. Once its brown and crusty (and scrumptious!) fill it with tomatoes, avocados, or whatever else you have. These are good enough to eat even when you're rolling in cash.

4. Lie. For some reason, people are more likely to buy you a drink/ dinner if you lie and say its your birthday or someone just broke up with you. I didn't try this one, but I feel like one could procure some beer or cupcakes out of the deal...

5. Try the magic one pot combo. I have developed a formula that combines the grains and canned beans on hand in every cupboard with spare veggies, hopefully ones you might have in the freezer. Here it is:

Garlic + bean of choice + spices + frozen veg + liquid + grains= dinner for two days, at least

Basically, all one need do is fry some garlic or onion in a little oil, add in the beans, veggies if you have some, and spices, cook until a little browned, and enough liquid (veg broth or water) to cook the grains, which is the last thing you add. At the end, cover with nooch and hot sauce and it will (probably) be good.

Possible combos:
-garlic, chickpeas, asparagus and sundried tomatoes, white wine and cous-cous! (pictured)
-onion, black beans, canned pineapple, frozen broccoli, water and quinoa!
-garlic, kidney beans, frozen peppers, hot pepper, veg broth and yellow rice!
Combos are finite, but very likely to use up every last can in your pantry.

6. Pretend. When you go on a fast or detox you don't have a lot of solid food on hand either, right? Might as well make the best of things, drink a bunch of juice and nettle tea and just pretend this whole "broke" thing is an illusion... you're just intentionally detoxing for a few days!

*Ummm, you probably shouldn't use these if you're going to be out of money for more than a week or two, or you might starve/ get scurvy/ alienate your friends.

Song of the Day: Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk- Rufus Wainright

Inauguration Day in DC!

What a completely amazing day! Finally, DC revealed some hidden advantages to living here when I got to be part of the joy as Obama got sworn in just down the street. Guys, I actually thought to myself today that I am *proud* to be an American! I'm not sure when, if ever, that thought has crossed my mind before. (Certainly not during the last 8 years.)

All over DC people were swarming the streets smiling and laughing and talking to strangers. (Even on the metro!) And by the time I got back to Columbia Heights, it was just in time for thealternative inaugural parade, which had some amazing drummers. It just felt like the mood was so lightened and that, although no one is expecting a miracle, that we are moving out of an era defined by fear, greed, and narrow-mindedness. Now, of course, we still need to ban Prop 8 and its counterparts, close Gitmo, and withdraw from Iraq but... it seems possible now!

I especially liked how during his speech, Obama emphasized that responsibility is an outward thing: a duty we have towards our family, communities, and global neighbors. For so long "responsibility" has been a term invoked by the right to mock welfare mothers and pregnant teenagers (or worse, as part of a "culture of ownership"). Its great to see this term turned around!

Anyways, I made some muffins to help me and my Mom brave the cold to head downtown. It helped somewhat, but it was still incredibly f*&king cold!

These muffins are the quick banana-oat muffins from The Garden of Vegan, one of my favorite cookbooks. I subbed in whole wheat flour and added some blueberries in there too, and they were fabulous, as is everything that comes out of Sarah Kramer's mind. (Did I mention I had a dream that she had a new cookbook out the other night? Someone needs to buy me Vegan A -Go-Go.)

Oh man, I'm still broke and I still despise law school, but I can't see how anyone could be in a bad mood after this! Hope everyone had a great day!

Hungry and Poor

Holy Frying Pan, I have been SOOOO HUNGRY lately! Seemingly since the second I got back from Budapest I've been eating non-stop... and every second I'm not eating I'm plotting my next meal. Its like that scene in Rosemary's Baby where she's possessed by the urge to eat raw meat... except it would be, like, raw beets. (And also, I'm not carrying the child of Satan.)

Usually this surge in appetite would be a minor inconvenience, but at the moment I have exactly $.88 in my account since I'm still waiting for my loan check to come in, so its becoming sort of an issue... After the yummy tortilla stacks and vegan hot dogs I've been living on ran out, I started fantasizing about all sorts of concoctions with the remaining groceries and canned goods I have around. Which, truthfully, should be what I always do, not just when I'm broke.


Part of this, I submit, is related to my newly intensified work-out schedule. After a few weeks of practically nothing (unless you count walking up the Buda hill, pictured at right, which, come to think of it, was quite strenuous) I came back to a whole new schedule of classes, not to mention weather that permits (and compels!) bike riding. My (gorgeous and perfect) roomie M and I take Step class a few times a week, which is sort of a dancey cardio workout, plus a weight-training class and whatever we do on our own. This week we're also going to take a couple Bhangra dance classes, which I'm beyond stoked about. But it should make me even hungrier...

Anyways, one dish I dreamed about the other day was the Tamarind Chickpeas from The Healthy Hedonist by Myra Kornfeld. Its such a cheap and delicious dinner, and I decided my friend Karen and I should make it for a girls cooking night we had. Basically, its canned chickpeas, canned diced tomatoes, ground toasted cumin and a ton of ginger and garlic. On a given night I usually have all those ingredients! (I sub ginger for the tamarind, since its easier to find and I like it better.) And OH MAN. SO good with mango chutney and rice. Karen thought so too, and she is mega-picky so its saying sumthin. :) But alas, no pictures. However, if we start to cook weekly, like Karen says, then hopefully there will be pics to come.

Later, in a fit of hunger with very little actual food remaining save for some old potatoes, I also felt compelled to recreate a childhood classic, potatoes aux gratin. My Mom used to make this to accompany some meaty dinner, and its basically an ultra creamy potato dish that can be as fancy or homey as you like it. It has a ton of milk and usually a ton of cheese, but I think it actually can be quite marvelously veganized! I adopted the Joy of Cooking Recipe, but I think it needs some work to make it truly delectable so I'll wait until I've improved upon it a bit.

Not that this wasn't fabulous, but I felt it was a little too sweet (too much nutmeg?) and needed something other than nooch on top to get brown and crispy. Next time I'll try it with a mixture of teese and breadcrumbs I think. And did I mention this dish reheats really well? That works for one of my resolutions.

So until the loan check comes in I think I'm reduced to more hot dogs and oatmeal, which, to be fair, is not a fate worse than death. Let's just hope I go back to my normal, non-crazed appetite sometime soon.

Song of the Day: Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts- Wolf Parade

New Years Resolutions

Me and S. in Budapest, NYE with an awesome old Trabbi in the Jewish Quarter

I find that most people fall into one of two camps on the topic of New Years Resolutions. You are either of the sort that makes a list, fully (and foolishly) intends to follow through, tells everybody, lalala... or the type that loudly proclaims that if you want to accomplish something, you simply do it, without waiting for some bullshit holiday to push you along.

Well, I'm sorry all-year-long achievers, but that is simply obnoxious. Play along with the rest of us, won't you? I mean, you really just like to pick some random day in April to, say, start going to the gym or quit smoking or leave your dead-end job/ town/ relationship... and then you, like, just DO IT?

Well, not being a Nike ad myself, I need that little push. In fact, I would like if there was a New Years Eve at the beginning of every month, as I seem to pick up new (and unique!) bad habits on a weekly basis. At any rate, I like the fact that the whole country is pulling along with me to stop the annoying and self-destructive things we did last year, and pick up all new cancer causing habits/ relationships. Let's do it, America!

And further, like the Washington Post, I like to do an In/ Out list, rather than a plain old list. For comparison sake.

So, food-related resolutions for 2009!!!!

In: Saving money by sticking to a weekly food budget and making lists before I get to the grocery store.
Out: Just wandering aimlessly around the grocery store like "Lalala, I think I'll have chocolate soymilk, potato chips, and ginger snaps for dinner tonight..."

IN: Cooking one recipe a week from my massive cookbook collection.
OUT: Merely reading my cookbooks, like novels, from cover to cover.

IN: Making my own fabulous lunch, composed of nifty ideas from Vegan Lunch Box!
OUT: Stealing free soup-crackers from cafeteria, if I remember to, then almost passing out from starvation on route home.

IN: Cleaning my house with safe, non-toxic, DIY housekeeping methods (baking soda and vinegar and the like.)
OUT: Er... just, not cleaning at all.....

IN: Making cheap and fabulous dinners in two batches so I can successfully utilize that whole "leftovers" phenomenon. (Like, for example, the simple corn tortilla stacks from the other night, with spiced black beans, chipotle salsa, cheddar Teese, sour cream and avocados.)
OUT: Making expensive single-person dinners that take a ton of effort and do not produce leftovers.


(Yum! These beauties lasted me two days instead of one! Economizing!)

Hm, so I guess the bottom line is that I'm going to try to save money without sacrificing my fabulous vegan lifestyle. Sounds achievable... right?

Happy (belated) New Years!

Song of the Day: The New Year- Death Cab for Cutie

A Very Soul Power Christmas

Let's face it: holidays are all about food.

Ceremonies, prayers, costumes... all that stuff can be nice, but nothing beats brunch, dinner, or the moments when you are eating candy at 9 am and nobody gives you any trouble. After all, what's the real show of loyalty and family? Not who's around when you go to bed or open presents, but who comes for dinner!

At my house, Christmas dinner is always a special affair because of the fact that it is also my brother's birthday. This makes for unusual holiday fare (chicken wings and velveeta mac & cheese anyone?) and is not always the most vegetarian friendly. Of course, who can blame him? On your birthday, you want comfort food, special food, but not always, say, a Christmas goose, or a seitan roulade. No problem! The fact that my brother picks out the carniverous portion of the meal leaves me in charge of pleasing my younger brother and I, which is convenient since we can sort of go wild on the crunchy hippy stuff and not try to make crowd-pleasing approximations of omni meals.

Although, for breakfast, we did just that. There's this amazing restaurant in Atlanta called Ria's Bluebird which has gorgeous bluebird murals on the wall, a great friendly atmosphere, and absolutely scrumptious vegan breakfast hash. I have to hit it up every time I'm in town, and one of the best things on the menu is the pancakes with caramelized bananas. Although I wouldn't vouch for this being vegan there, the many times I've re-created it it has always been equally fabulous.

So while my folks munched on the eggs benedict which is traditional in my home, we had some pancakes (recipe courtesy of The Joy of Vegan Cooking) topped with caramelized bananas and pecans. The soysage is Morning Star and (!) not vegan, but since it was already bought I didn't want to disappoint everybody.

To make the bananas, simply heat a few knobs of earth balance until melted, then stir in a fist-full of brown sugar. Blend the two until you've got a nice bubbly syrup going, then add in sliced bananas and coat to your heart's burned-ness content. Top with pecans. Mine were a little mushy today, but fabulous nonetheless. Oh Ria!

For dinner, we decided on a feast of my favorites with the main course being Jimmy's pick. We had the paradise pie from The Candle Cafe cookbook, one of the J's favorite meals EVER, plus a yellow beet salad and the brussels sprouts with apples and tofu from 101 Cookbooks. To drink, I mixed a cheap prosecco with sparkling pomengranite juice for a refreshing cocktail. (At least, to me. Everbody else preferred Heinekin. Yatever.)


So first, the bad news. The 'paradise pie' was so amazing at the actual Candle Cafe that I had very high hopes. Unfortunately, I overcooked the millet and didn't get the beans just right, so although the miso and cinnamon-laced sweet potatoes were scrumptious, it wasn't quite the revelation that it was in NYC. Next time I might used canned black beans as a shortcut... and obviously try not to overcook anything.

The yellow beet salad, on the other hand, came together wonderfully and was extremely simple. I was pulled into some yellow beets at My Organic Market and decided that, despite the holiday-appropriateness of red ones I would give them a go. They were drizzled with a home-made dressing from my Mom that was delicious and broiled on each side for about 8-10 minutes.


Beet Happening Dressing

Combine in a food processor: 2 chopped shallots, 1/3 C. Balsamic vinegar, 3 T. maple syrup or agave nectar, pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle in 1/3 C. Olive oil until blended.

This dressing was a sort-of marinade for the beets, and then tossed into the spinach salad with some pecans (leftover from breakfast) as a landing for them after they came out from under the broiler. So perfect.

And saving the best for last, the Brussels Sprouts! OMG the Brussels Sprouts, with apples and tofu and pistachios! I know, I know, it has to stop, this obsession with those undesirables of the produce section, but holy frying pan was this good! The recipe, which is another brainchild of 101 Cookbooks' Heidi, the woman who brought us caramelized tofu, was beyond fabulous. It was by far the star of the meal, both with omnis and herbis, and so easy to put together (although I used pistachios rather than pinenuts). Cook this immediately. The recipe can be found AQUI.


So all in all, this meal was a bit of a departure from last year. I played around with tradition a bit and some things didn't come together. But tastes change, and I'm very happy with the way things turned out. And now, as a new year's resolution, I must find some new vegetables to obsess about. Any nominations?

Hope everyone's Christmas/ Chanukah was spectacular!