Pasta with Creamy Lemon sauce, mushrooms and corn

Its no secret that I'm hugely obsessed with Russian history at the moment. So I was stoked to find a huge tome about the Russian Revolution at a used bookstore, and it has been my constant companion in the morning along with a cup of coffee while I pretend to ignore the thousands of things I have to do before I leave. At any rate, I read this paragraph this morning, about a moment on the historic 25th February, 1917, and I had to share it:

"A young girl appeared from the ranks of the demonstrators and walked slowly toward the Cossacks. Everyone watched her in nervous silence: surely the Cossacks would not fire at her? From under her cloak the girl brought out a bouquet of red roses and held it out towards the officer. There was a pause. The bouquet was a symbol of both peace and revolution. And then, leaning down from his horse, the officer smiled and took the flowers.With as much relief as jubilation, the crowd burst into a thunderous 'Oorah!'" (Figes, A People's Tragedy, 310)

Can you believe that really happened!? Just a reminder that truth is wilder than fiction in this crazy world...

Anyways! Despite the hustle and bustle of my last week in town, and my conflicting desire to lie around and read all day, I managed to make something really scrumptious for dinner, so good in fact, that I made it twice. Its a pasta sauce with lemon, white wine, cream, mushrooms and corn... its too delicious for words. Actually, I think it might be suited well to something other than pasta, but I can't think of what yet. So let me just share the recipe, and hopefully you can think of something better to do with this delicious sauce.

Creamy Lemon Sauce with Mushrooms and Corn

-2 small or one big shallot, diced
-Zest and juice of one large lemon
-3/4 C. baby bella or any other type mushroom, sliced
-1/2 C. dry white wine
-Corn from 1-2 sweet corn husks
-3 T. soy creamer
-3 T. Earth Balance

1. In a large pan over medium heat, add shallots, zest, mushrooms, white wine, and lemon juice. Simmer for 10 minutes or so, until liquid has reduced by 3/4.
2. Add in corn and stir, cooking for another minute or so.
3. Add in cream and reduce heat to low. Continuously stirring, add in EB by the tablespoon, waiting for one to melt before adding the next.

Serve immediately over whole wheat pasta or...?


And thanks to everybody for the tips on what to bring abroad. You guys are brilliant. I think I have narrowed the list to the following:
-Veganomicon
-Nooch and Arrowroot powder (would that I could bring EB)
-wooden spoon, measuring spoons and cups (yeah, f*ck the metric system!)
-my immersion blender (I just cannot resist.)

Also (because I haven't jumped around enough in this post), I would like to direct you all to go read this awesome post by The Discerning Brute about masculinity and consumption of meat. Its so enraging that people think strength or vitality is conveyed by eating a diet of rotting flesh, and yet this stereotype persists, trapping both women and men in its nonsense. Thank goodness young people have such an array of awesome male and female role models to choose from showing that considering your ethics when you eat is subversive and powerful!

Song of the Day: Ben Folds Five- Underground

La propriété, c'est le vol!

There is no time that I am more fervently anti-property than when its time to move. (Reading all the Proudhon lately probably doesn't help, either.) Not only do I get irritated by all the stupid useless shit I've acquired, but I grow disgusted with the concept of property altogether. We are not equipped as a society to deal with the bountiful and often unrecyclable clutter, not to mention thousands upon thousands of wire hangers, that results from our materialism. Well, I am not equipped as a society. I'm about ready to throw it all in the dumpster.

Yet, while I would think nothing at the moment of giving away my favorite books, clothes, jewelry to anyone who will take them, I have to admit that the materialistic side of me finally flares up when it comes to parting with kitchen supplies. I have tablecloths and home-made aprons from college, pastry-cutters and rolling pins, mismatched measuring tools of all kind, and at least two french presses. So now, the question becomes: what essentials from all of this excess shall I bring to Brussels?

I'm also agonizing over which of my 10,000 cookbooks to bring (and the fact that I can't buy Vegan Brunch or Vegan Lunch Box: Around the World is killing me.) I'm getting to the point where its going to be more spices, gadgets and books than clothes. And we can't be having that in fashionable Bxl. I'd love some advice, internet pals!

Tell me: If you were moving to a foreign country, unsure of what kitchen scenario you would be living in for the next year, what essential kitchen accessories would you pack? Keep in mind I'm limited to 100 lbs over too bags, so my food processor is out. :(

In the meantime, amidst the chaos, I've been making whatever I can throw together to empty my cupboards. A huge curry to get rid of coconut milk, diced tomatoes, chickpeas, and every veg in the crisper. Muffins to get rid of the bananas and flour. Wraps to get rid of frozen corn and the rest of the veg. Etc, etc, etc. Of course, the chocolate hazelnut spread, peanut butter, and pistachios from the cupboard were all finished off at once, with a spoon. :)

And despite being a big bag of nerves over moving and trying to get last minute visa stuff together, I'm incredibly excited to explore Brussels more. I can't wait to discover the vegan cooking scene beyond pommes frites, and try all the belgian ales I can... while of course staying on track with the development of my career. (Of course.) If I can really get everything done on time it will be such a miracle...

Song of the Day: Grizzly Bear- Two Weeks

Cooling-rack pizza and Marinated figs over ice cream

My crazy friend Karen just returned from a summer-long tour all around Central America, punctuated by getting a concussion from a falling coconut. (This is so Karen. You just have to know her to love her.) When I found out she was coming back to town, I offered to cook dinner so we could catch up, ie, gossip. Pizza was obviously just the thing, being hand-held and allowing for maximum conversing. I also thought that prepping a simple dinner for a few hours would help me relax and get out of my head a little bit. Or yeah, take out my aggression on some dough. :)

I've never tried the pizza techniques in Vegan With a Vengeance, always being quite content with Joy of Cooking's classic recipes, but I decided to give it a swing the Isa way. And...WOW. The crust is phenomenal. Despite not having proper pizza pans and having to grill on a crazy cookie cooling-rack, the crust was perfectly chewy, crunchy and amazing.

I also tried the sauce and basil-tofu ricotta from VWaV with equally good results. That sauce is scrumptious, I could eat it with a spoon. And the ricotta is amazingly "ricotta-like", aside from just being yummy in its own right.

Having gotten this far, I know I should have just gone ahead and tried the "Isa Pizza" with pesto and olives and the like, but you know? It takes a special mood to make pesto. I have done it before, I'll do it again, but I have to be in a very particular mind-set to make it, for some reason. Its not something I'll just whip out on a whim.

At any rate, I topped mine instead with spinach, pineapples, broccoli, and thin sliced shallots. It was super, and Karen the non-vegan dug it too.


For dessert, I made up a really simple treat: they sell these marinated figs at the store now (marinated with such things as cloves and vanilla) in a little plastic case. I microwaved them for 20 seconds, and poured over scoops of vanilla soy-dream. Some crystallized ginger would be nice on top as well. Very rich but delish.

Song of the Day: Of Montreal- So Begins Our Alabee

You say its your birthday

So it was my birthday almost the second I got back from the bar, and despite being very nearly brain-dead, we had a nice little party at my parents house with a few friends. It was actually a lot like when I was a kid: I went the neighborhood pool all day, ordered pizza for lunch, and came home to dress up a little and eat a grilled dinner. Aren't summer birthdays the best? The only difference is that when I was a child, my mother would bring me a bag of candy to the pool to hand out to my friends, which I would proceed to devour in about 15 minutes then feel nauseated for the rest of the day. (This year's arrangement was preferable.)

When we got back from the pool my roommate Tim made these awesome watermelon drinks for everybody (although I ended up drinking most of them.) Here's the recipe, originally from epicurious.

Watermelon Vodka Cooler
-3 lbs. watermelon de-seeded and cut into chunks
-1/2 c. vodka
-1/4 c. triple sec
-couple squeezes lime juice

In a blender purée the watermelon pieces and strain through a sieve into a pitcher, discarding the solids. (There should be about 2-1/3 cups juice). Stir in the vodka, triple sec, and lime juice. Pour into ice-filled glassed and garnish with a slice of watermelon, if desired. :)
******


It was completely perfect weather all day, so we sat outside most of the night, drinking the watermelon drinks, and watching the dogs show off. That's my dog with a squeeze gangster toy that says: "How you doin?". She likes to trick people into thinking she's talking by greeting them with it when they walk outside.

For dinner, I wanted something very simple and yummy that could easily translate for the meat-eaters at the table, since I was outnumbered for once. We opted for grilled vegetable skewers, grilled polenta, and grilled tofu, with a strawberry-spinach-poppyseed salad on the side. The omnis had some kind of bbq'd meat rather than tofu. Everything was perfect, light and satisfying, and for once I didn't do any of the cooking! We also had a chocolate cake but, being occupied blowing out the candles, I didn't get a pic. But still, really, a perfect birthday with perfect people. :)



Song of the Day: Birthday- The Very Best

Buffalo Soldier

The bar exam is over!!! (At least for now...)

So I went to Buffalo, took the dreadful bar exam, and now I'm back in DC! I won't bore you too much with the intricacies of the bar, except to say that it was about 3 times harder than I anticipated, and the proctors were about a million times more strict (I saw a girl get kicked out for bringing in a highlighter). So that's a sign to any of you taking it in the future: this shit is serious. Don't believe the hype, the MBE is impossible! But I still think I have a decent chance of passing, due to the fact that it is so hard, clearly not everyone could have been prepared for it (not that I would wish failing on anyone). At any rate, I don't find out until November, so it's off the table for now.

Anyways, while I was in Buffalo with 600 other suicidal bar takers, I found a couple of neat distractions. Buffalo is a pretty cool town, full of eccentric old buildings and right near some great attractions. First of all, Niagara Falls is right nearby!

Niagara Falls is truly... well... majestic. There's no other word for it, no matter how cheesy that sounds. Its right at the Canadian border and there are a ton of tourists around, all grinning like idiots because its impossible to be unhappy when you're staring at something so gorgeous. It was definitely a great pre-bar mood enhancer, but judging from the faces of tourists from all over the world, the beauty was not lost on less anxiety-prone travelers.

Not only that, but for some reason Niagara Falls is extremely vegetarian-friendly. I have no idea why. I was mystified. Every spot had something veg on the menu, and there was an Indian buffet and falafel shop right by the parking area. Could it be the benign Canadian influence?

Buffalo itself was quite wing and weck-sandwich oriented food-wise, but I did find one heavenly spot: Merge. Apparently Merge is a gathering space for artists as well as a restaurant featuring mouthwatering vegetarian and vegan food. And sure enough, the evening I was there a really cool ensemble band was about to go on. However, community gathering or none, the food is awesome.

There are a number of awesome and creative sandwiches and salads for lunch stuff, and all of the entrees could be veganized if they weren't already. There was also an excellent selection of teas, wine and beer, and a lot of the people that were in there seemed to be hanging out for the scene as much as the food. Given some of the bar scenes I witnessed elsewhere, I can see the appeal of the classy and homey Merge.

We had to try Merge's version of Buffalo wings, being in Buffalo and all, and they were appropriately hot and crunchy seitan with a delish vegan ranch on the side. Great starter.

For my entree, I had an amazing buckwheat crepe stuffed with potatoes, peas, and chickpeas, and covered in a coconut cream sauce and sweet peach chutney. It was a little sweet, but so exactly in line with what I wanted. All of the other menu items were equally multi-cultural, creative and wonderful sounding. I wanted to go back every night I was in Buffalo, but I ended up eating lots of fruit and hummus sandwiches in between last minute cramming. (The hotel actually sent a lot of the bar students a fruit basket, isn't that sweet?)

Our posh hotel room in NYC, overlooking Central Park

After the miserable, terrible bar exam, we decided to head to NYC to partake in a little classy r&r. Among other things, I got to see my friend SMP, go to MOMA, and people watch madly while my braincells reconstituted themselves. I love New York.

I also got to hit up perennial favorite The Candle Cafe. This all-vegan restaurant is always accomodating and delicious.

This time, I had a cornmeal crusted tofu dish, over black forbidden rice and a truly scrumptious gravy. Perfect vegan comfort food. And what is it about forbidden rice that is so amazing? Guess its a taboo. :)


For dessert my friend SMP and I split a couple of cakes- a caramel cheesecake and classic chocolate. On this, they really out-did themselves. Their cheesecake is a thing of beauty.

So now I'm back in Columbia Heights, enjoying walking around aimlessly during the day and reading a biography of Josephine Baker. (LOVE!) There's still a lot to be done before the move to Brussels, but for the moment I'm taking a break (especially since today is my birthday!)

Thanks to everyone who wished me luck, I really needed it. :)

Song of the Day: St. Vincent- The Strangers

Utter Terror

Well, its here! Its time to scuttle off to New York to take the ... (deep breaths) ... BAR EXAM. Two months of studying, freaking out, and inhaling coffee like its oxygen. And it was all worth it, because now I feel so... incredibly terrified. Well, how bad could it really be, right?

...Right?

Wish me luck!

Pancakes and Grilled Polenta with Portobellos and Gravy

How lucky is my little brother? Not only does he get all my old college poli-sci books, but I make him pancakes with strawberries and chocolate-hazelnut spread (inspired by CCV's contest, natürlich) every morning. Well, I made it once. But still. Lucky!

I guess it was partially for me too... the only antidote to learning boring and enraging shit about our legal system is to eat incredibly decadent food!

I'm studying corporations right now, and may I just rant for a moment? (I'll take that as a "yes.") The basic idea behind corporations is to offer protection to groups of people who wish to make a profit, by making them relatively immune to legal liability individually, and to allow them to hide behind the corporation as a "legal person". I just believe that this is inherently immoral. We don't allow that much power for groups that do NOT entirely exist to make a profit, so why only allow it for greed? The effect is that no matter how terrible the thing a corporation does (cough, cough, Monsanto, Enron, Blackwater, Exxon...ect) the individual members disclaim their responsibility for it to the end... and what's worse, they don't really have a choice! Our society has approved of allowing a fictitious legal representative take the fall for something individual people thought up and accomplished, we encourage it and reward it! The resulting legal and moral crimes never get punished... or do, and get taken out of the corporation's capital, never out of individual pockets. They get a kind of protection that individual people could never dream of, and are capable of perpetuating wrongs that individuals would never be capable of.

Its just. so. enraging.

At any rate, its only 12 more days and this is all over, and I can stop fuming about legal injustices and start getting excited for Berlin, Brussels, and... human rights abuses scholarship... ? Well, what can I say, I like being angry. I'm a glutton for punishment.

And a glutton for other things. This is a delicious dinner my Mom and I made to make studying a bit more enjoyable: Grilled Polenta over steamed spinach, with grilled Portobellos and Vidalia Onion Gravy. It was so marvelous, and extremely quick and easy to put together. I mean, I literally put the spinach on a plate, topped it with grilled polenta triangles, and grilled, marinated portobellas. The gravy is from VCON and though also quite easy, it defines decadent, especially with the summer's awesome supply of huge vidalia onions. This is definitely a good thing to throw together for company, especially since you can make most of it outside on the grill.

Too good to be true. And now, back to horrible, miserable Corporations

Song of the Day: Morphine- Buena

Bright and tasty!

The last few days have been so completely filled with studying that virtually my only break has been cooking and eating. As a result, I'm making sure that everything I eat is fabulous and cheerful. Its helping me cope... sort of.

Above we have an awesome salad made with what I expect is sort of a bizarre combination to most people... sweet potatoes and beets! (But they're both root veg, sooo...?) I roasted them both in the oven and cut into chunks, then put them over some spinach and topped with walnuts and Jessy's awesome Sweet Orange Miso dressing. The dressing was sooo good, like everything that little ray of sunshine makes! And I was nervous about my weird combo, but it right up my alley- especially with the walnuts, they are a must. But citrus, miso, beets and sweet potatoes are definitely weird-good rather than weird-bad. So, the beet obsession goes on.


Last week, we had a pizza night at my house where everyone basically picked their own topping. I was thrilled to descend from the study cave to top mine with pineapple, bbq sauce, onions, mushrooms, and a little nooch, before running back up to continue. Shortly thereafter, like magic, my delicious pizza was piping hot and ready for me to gobble down before running back, like Gollum, to my precious notecards. My Dad is getting way awesome at homemade crusts, although I want to introduce him to the concept of whole wheat flour.


Another one of my Dad's creations was a stir-fry made with every vegetable in the fridge, plus mock chicken. (Oh, if our ancestors could see us now. 10 years ago my family would have been eating chicken fingers, mac & cheese, and biscuits, and now we're all sitting around watching the Daily Show and noshing on completely vegan fare without complaints.) The sauce was a ginger-sesame oil-soy sauce kinda thing, and on the side we had SUPER-GARLICKY spinach, because that's how we like it, and some really sweet and perfect pineapple. (This must be pineapple season, because every pineapple I've eaten lately has been phenomenal.)

Later in the week I made an attempt to develop some cherry brownies, but I think I went a little overboard on reducing the oil and sugar, because in my opinion they were not nearly gooey enough. When I fix it I'll post the recipe. But in the meantime, they worked in a pinch, and they were pretty!



I also wanted to point you guys to an awesome section exclusively on canning that was in the Washington Post this weekend. There are a ton of recipes and stories about various people's experience with canning. I was really into canning over the fall, when I made fig spread and tomato sauce, but summer is a great time for it too! If you're thinking about it, and ARE NOT studying for any huge exams, I would recommend giving it a shot!

Song of the Day: Bright Eyes- Poison Oak

"Food Inc." and Swell Curry

One of the stars of "Food Inc."

Today, I took a break from studying to see "Food Inc," a documentary that purports to expose the dark side of the American industrial food complex, and does a decently good job of doing so (particularly when it comes to the plight of illegal immigrant laborers). However, though I thought it admirable that the movie explores the problem from a range of socio-economic positions and tries not to be too judgmental of the people inside and out the system, there were some points when my jaw-dropped at the totally glaring omission.

Here: I can sum up the problem very simply. Our first introduction to the narrator features him (Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation) sitting at a diner counter, thoughtfully perusing the menu before finally landing on a cheeseburger and french fries. Let me just pause to have you think about that for a moment.

This is the guy who exposed the fast food industry. The guy who is going to spend the next two hours touring the nation's biggest producers of meat to expose the disgusting conditions, health risks, and human rights abuses caused by our food system skewed towards mass meat production. A guy who is going to quote The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. And he opens the movie chomping down on a burger? WHY?

This was my issue with the movie in a nutshell. They overview the major issues with the food system, and examine a few possible solutions and potential areas of improvement. But never, once, does anyone mention the word "vegan", "vegetarian", or "plant-based diet". (The word "herbivore" is thrown in there- in reference to an animal.) And believe me, after watching this movie, your decision to go vegetarian is going to be the #1 thing on your mind. The lack of ANY reference to vegetarianism as a viable solution or even step in the right direction isn't just an oversight, its outrageously bizarre given the context and, I think, offensive.

As a matter of fact, I struck up a conversation with a guy leaving the movie theater, who immediately brought up the fact that his first reaction with the movie was revulsion at the treatment of animals throughout the film. "I'm an athletic guy, and I always thought I needed protein... but you look at those animals, and how sick they are, and loaded up with crazy chemicals and think: I need THIS to stay healthy? There's got to be a better way." Couldn't agree more, movie-guy. Just wish "Food Inc" would have thought to mention that.

Did anyone else see the film and think differently? I would encourage others to see it, just take it with a grain of salt since it clearly equivocates on animal rights.

*********

At any rate, the movie did make me thrilled to be vegan. And I was even more thrilled when I got home and, in no time at all, threw together this scrumptious little curry from the fabulous Swell Vegan's line-up of delicious recipes. I made her "Lower-Fat Rama Spinach Curry," subbing green beans for spinach and seitan for tofu. But it was perfectly lovely, and made a sweet background to me ranting at my parents about the industrial food complex for a few minutes.


You make people dinner and they'll forgive a lot of things. :)


Song of the Day: Fugazi- Merchandise

Caffeine Alternatives

Something about summertime makes the following things mandatory to consume daily, at least for me: mango, lime, corn, ginger, avocado. Well, actually, these are pretty much year-long obsessions. But, there is something about hot weather that entices you to eat things with less preparation, to add a little kick or spice to something and call it a day. Its either laziness or a testament to how sweet summer produce is, or a little of both. (Actually, all of those things together are pretty awesome too.)

My favorite mid-day snack and caffeine-alternative at the moment is mango, doused in lime juice, salt and pepper, (shout out to M.I.A.!) or alternatively, lime juice and sriracha. The salt and pepper just adds a little kick, while sriracha turns it into weird spicy candy. Both effectively kick me back into study mode. Splashed down with a little homemade ginger limeade (still working on the recipe) and I'm in heaven. Ginger is another one of those foods that seems to go straight to my head and wake me up. And lord knows, I'm not above trying anything that will wake me up. (Well, except for like, meth.:P)

The other night to celebrate my brother being in town we had a little bbq with even more summer goodness- sweet corn with lime and earth balance, marinated grilled mushrooms, garlic-sauteed spinach and home-fries. It's so convenient to have grill access for quick and easy suppers after a long hard day of... studying in the air conditioning. I'm trying to get braver about trying things on it, since I tend to burn all things that are not vegetable kebabs.


And speaking of studying, back to it! In exactly 3 weeks from today I'll be walking out of the NY bar exam a free woman!

Song of the day: Regina Spektor- Dance Anthems of the Eighties

More spicy summer lovin:
Instant Mango Avocado Salsa
Jerk Tofu, Mashed Plaintains, Garlicky Kale
Spicy Gingered Chickpeas
Chipotle Black Beans and Red Quinoa

Cowboy Corn Cakes w/ salsa, caramelized onions and avocado cream

I whipped up these corn-cakes the other night in a effort to use up some cobs of sweet corn and the rest of the avocado-lime-cream. All the recipes I've seen for them would have made Paula Deen blush by how packed with butter and eggs they were, so I was a little skeptical about coming up with a vegan version. I shouldn't have been, obviously! It never ceases to amaze how unnecessary eggs and butter often are. Not only were these awesomely yummy without being totally heart-attack inducing, but they brought to mind the kind of easy and hearty food cowboys might eat around the campfire, after a long day of... hmmm, what exactly do cowboys do, other than get in fights in saloons? Anybody know?

Well at any rate, they were super topped with spicy salsa and avocado cream and I highly recommend them for yourself and any badass vegan cowboys you may know. Thinly sliced scallions might be a good addition to the batter as well.



Corn Cakes
-1 C. flour
-2 tsp. baking powder
-1 tsp. salt

-1/8 tsp. onion powder/ season salt (optional)
-1 C. soymilk
-1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
-2 C. corn kernels (preferably fresh)
-2 Tbs. earth balance, melted
-1 tsp. agave nectar

1.) Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and onion powder and set aside. If using fresh corn, carefully cut corn off of cobb, cutting close enough to get some of the pulp. (If you're like me, the corn flies everywhere, so maybe do this into a bowl.)
2.) Whisk together soymilk and apple cider vinegar and set aside.

3.) Add 3/4 C. of the corn, the melted margarine, and agave nectar. Process until fairly smooth. (Some lumps= ok.)
4.) Grease and heat a griddle to medium heat. Combine the wet and dry ingredients along with the rest of the corn and whisk together until "just mixed." Ladle onto the griddle in small batches, heating about 2 minutes on each side.

Serve with salsa (as long as its not made in New York City, since cowboys hate that), caramelized onions, and avocado cream or guacamole. :)

Song of the Day: The Thrills- Big Sur

Gertrude & Alice; BBQ Tofu & Plantain Tacos with Avocado Cream

Unsurprisingly, I'm really getting burnt out on studying. I'm feeling very petulant these days, because while it is perfectly clear that I can't stop now, so close to the test, I still have the overwhelming urge to ditch all these notecards and tapes and sulk all day at a coffee shop over some Gertrude Stein novels and massive soy vanilla lattes.

As a matter of actual fact, my real escapist fantasy would be to just actually be Gertrude Stein, presiding over an avante-garde salon of famous artists and writers and making wisely arrogant quips while my lover cooks me french delicacies, a la Alice B. Toklas.
Stein and Toklas in their fabulous Parisian flat. Don't they look so relaxed?

However and unfortunately, I've yet to wake up in Paris just yet, so I guess I will have to just take some inspiration from both Stein and Toklas: look at every obstacle as if its just foolishness, and cook myself delicacies at every spare moment.

This evening's meal was a good start: I found some good plantains at the store and had a yen for BBQ tofu, so made my meal around that. The result? BBQ tofu tacos with plantains, black beans, and avacado-lime cream, topped with shredded lettuce and cucumber/mango relish. (I know, I got carried away.)

Looks kind of bizarre outside of the taco, but believe me it was all very tasty. I think anyone of the components could be good again in the future or with different combinations. What I might do differently next time is use a spicier BBQ sauce because altogether the meal was pretty sweet. But then again, any kind of sauce (jerk, hot) would work just as well.

BBQ Tofu
*Everyone has their favorite tofu strategies, I just happened to use this method because I wanted small pieces that would stay crunchy in tacos yet soak up the sauce.

-1 lb. extra firm tofu, pressed, drained, and sliced into smallish cubes
-plain soymilk
-flour
-corn-starch
-spice rub, seasoning salt, ect.
-oil for frying
-your fave BBQ sauce

1.) After cutting the tofu to your desired bite-sized dimensions, fill a large saute pan with about 1/2- 1/4" peanut or vegetable oil and heat to medium. While its getting hot, fill one small bowl with plain soymilk. Next to it, fill a small bowl with equal parts cornstarch and flour, and a good heap of spice rub or blend. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375.

2.) When oil is hot (test by dropping a small piece in and seeing if bubbles quickly fizz around it) start dropping chunks of tofu in the milk bath, then rolling them in flour/ cornstarch mixture before dropping them (carefully) in hot oil. Do this in batches depending how large your pan is.
3.) Using chopsticks or tongs, flip the tofu pieces over after about 3 minutes. When both sizes are lightly browned and crunchy, transfer to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels.
4. When all batches are done, remove paper towels and douse the tofu in your favorite BBQ sauce. Transfer to a greased cookie sheet or pan and stick in the oven for 10 minutes or so. This should render the outside BBQ sauce a little crunchy and keep your tofu hot while you prepare anything else you're having.

Avocado-Lime-Cream
-1 Avocado diced
-Juice from small lime
-1/2 clove garlic diced
-1 tbs agave nectar
-salt to taste (i used about 1/4 tsp)
-1/2 lb. silken tofu

1.) In food processor, pulse first 5 ingredients until creamy. Add in silken tofu by a couple spoonfuls at a time, stopping when cream has reached desired consistency and tanginess. Refrigerate until ready to use.


Perfect Plantains
-2 large Plantains
-Earth Balance
-Brown sugar (optional)

1.) First, find the right plantains. (This is where I usually f*ck up.) The ones you want for sweet plantains are going to be browning and speckled all over and yielding slightly to the touch. Basically it should look like a banana looks when you think "time to make banana bread."
2.) Peel plantains, using a knife if necessary. Quarter by cutting it once in the middle, then cutting each half into four. Meanwhile, place two knobs of EB over medium/ medium low heat and wait until butter has just melted but not yet started to bubble or brown.
3)Add in plantains, quickly coating to toss. If there is not enough butter to coat them all, add in a little more.
4) Raise the heat to medium and cook, turning and tossing occasionally, until sides have caramelized and plantains have changed to a bright golden yellow. At this point, sprinkle with a little brown sugar if desired, cook a minute or two more, and remove from heat. YUM!

Quickie Cucumber Relish
*Utter simplicity but so nice and cooling, I like to serve this relish aside thai or african dishes too. Alongside, for instance, tofu satay I would sub out mango for chopped red onion. Traditional recipes boil the vinegar first, but I don't bother and still like it. (Up to you my friends!)

-1 large cucumber
-1/2 mango
-Rice vinegar
-pinches of sugar

1.) Peel and de-seed cucumber, then cut into thin matchsticks. Cut mango into tiniest pieces possible (just try making matchsticks, ha!) Combine in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar, and pour over enough rice vinegar to coat. Toss once, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.


Well its back to work, fortified by all the exotic fusion yumminess. And as Gertrude Stein would say: "Considering how dangerous everything is, nothing is really very frightening."

Song of the Day: Paolo Conte- Sparring Partner