Delicious Leftovers

Just a quickie! With all the amazing food leftover from Passover I made a few delicious things: namely, matzoh brei from Vegan Brunch and a simple chocolate mousse from the leftover Cote'd'Or chocolate and silken tofu. (Melt chocolate+ add to blended tofu + a little coffee or vanilla.) Was great to spend a lazy day after passover messing around the house, leisurely cleaning up, listening to music, and munching on food with my friend Ted. The mousse was pretty decadent, but I must say I was completely knocked out by the Matzoh Brei. Everything Isa touches turns to gold! It's such a perfect breakfast with some coffee and orange juice.. worth keeping matzoh around all year for!

Passover

So I was really starting to freak out about how I was going to serve a full Passover Seder in my tiny apartment, with so few dishes and silverware to go around. Not to mention how was I going to make several hot dishes at once with two burners and a postage-stamp sized oven? But I had a brainstorm! Since Passover is all about dipping anyways (part of the tradition involves dipping vegetables into salt water), I would just make a variety of dips and finger food for everyone to share while relaxing and enjoying the conversation, which naturally revolved around the Haggadah (the story of the Jews flight from Egypt, which is traditionally read at the Seder.) Well, this ended up being a totally brilliant idea, and I'm pretty sure everyone had a good time and enjoyed the more casual atmosphere, more than they would have if I was freaking out.
The Menu:
-Charoset
-Cucumber Dip
-Curried Carrot Dip
-Red Pepper Dip
-Matzoh, fruits and veggies for dipping
-Stuffed Mushrooms
-Eggplant and Potato casserole
- Macaroons and home-made chocolate dipped strawberries for dessert

Having just recovered Veganomicon when my brother brought it from the US, I whipped up the Curried Carrot Dip and the Mediterranean-Style Cashew Cucumber Dip. Both were incredible, both on matzoh and with veggies, but I have to say that the Cucumber dip was a huge hit. Really cooling and garlicky and just delicious- would be a nice alternative to hummus. I also made the Red Pepper Tapenade that I recently made for a pizza topping, and that was also great.

Naturally, I made charoset, a mortar-like mixture of apples, walnuts, dates, honey (or in my case, agave), cinnamon and kosher wine. However, the omnipresent sugary Manischewitz wine was not widely available in Bxl, so I had to go with a Israeli white wine, which might have improved the flavor, but didn't die the mixture the characteristic red I'm used to. (I'm acting like this is no big deal now, but the day of I was like, "No manischevitz? WHAT IS THIS COUNTRY!!!?")

As for the stuffed mushrooms, I've made these a few times now and they are always supremely awesome and open to variations. Just make sure to make plenty, because otherwise you won't get to have any. (Take it from one who knows.)


Stuffed Mushrooms
-15-20 largish mushrooms
-2 tbs. olive oil
-1 yellow onion, diced tiny
-2 shallots, diced tiny
-balsamic vinegar or red or white wine
-matzoh meal or vegan cheese for topping

1. Clean each mushroom by wiping with a damp towel. Cut off the stems of each, then using a small spoon or paring knife, pop out the inside part of the stem so that each mushroom has an indentation that would fit about a teaspoon. (This takes practice, but you'll get the hang of it after a few.) Reserve the stems and the inside portions, and chop into small pieces. Place de-capped mushrooms on a greased cookie sheet.
2. Preheat oven to 350 farenheit, or 200 celcius. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium. Add in onions and shallots and cook until fragrant, then add in mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and mushrooms are browning.
3. Next, add in a goodly splash of balsamic (or wine or sherry) to deglaze the pan. Cook for 3 more minutes then turn off the heat.
4. Now, using a small spoon, scoop the onion mixture into each mushroom a little bit at a time. (You will probably have leftover filling for snacking on.) When each is full, sprinkle a bit of matzoh meal or cheese on top and stick in the oven. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until mushrooms have browned.

All in all, it was one of my favorite Passover Seder's yet, and a really good confidence builder: if I can do one here, I can do one anywhere!


Song of the Day: Mika- Relax (Take it Easy)

Passover Roundup!

Passover dessert last year, at my dear friend Karen's house.

Passover always officially marks the beginning of Spring in my year. To me, the holiday is about remembering slavery and oppression, as well as trying to recognize it in our daily lives and the lives of those elsewhere on our planet. It is also about hope for future liberation, and in recognizing another year to do the work of making the world a better place. In that respect, I also find it very compatible with my feelings about being a vegetarian and working for equality and social justice. The awesome feast doesn't hurt, either.

Since Passover is so special to me, I think being in another country is no reason not to celebrate it. Sure, I have no idea where to find kosher wine or matzoh flour here in Belgium... but its gotta be available somewhere, and I will find it by Tuesday, when 7 people descend on my tiny cramped apartment demanding matzoh ball soup. Until then, I am scouring the internet for awesome recipes that can be made with my limited funds, space, and ingredients.

Here's some of the great stuff I've found for those of you hosting your own seder, or just wanting to contribute a vegan dish to one you might be going to. (Nicely, since vegan food contains no dairy, you are safe bringing these dishes to a Seder regardless of whether its a meat or dairy one!)
*******

The Times has a Mark Bittman recipe for... wait for it... making your own matzoh! Not quite sure my kitchen can handle it (500 degrees on a glorified toaster oven?) but I'm very tempted to try.

Over at Tofu Mom's site she has a recipe for vegan matzoh balls (just leave out the leavening to make it kosher for Passover.) Damn if she doesn't always post a recipe I need the week before I need it! As for the soup, here is a nice recipe for faux chicken soup if you don't have access to not-chicken broth.

At Not Derby Pie (non-vegan) there are a few nice veganizable recipes, and I am eying this Crisp Potato Eggplant Tart.

Epicurious has a Passover guide, like every year, and there are some great and multi-cultural ideas to be culled from it. I have tried their different versions of charoset every year, but the traditional apple and walnut version always wins. I should also mention that Epicurious has a lot of info on the Passover traditions, as well as videos of how to make a perfect matzoh ball. :)

Even PETA has a Passover guide, with a number of surprisingly appealing recipes, including tsimmes. (I don't mean to be snarky, but I've seen one too many nude models in lettuce leaves to be a huge PETA fan.)

...And naturally you are free to peruse the recipes I posted last year, including Coconut Macaroons, Cauliflower Leek Kugel, and Roasted Beets in Walnut Dressing.

I'll be sure to post what I eventually went with. Wish me luck!

BONUS: Jewschool always has thought-provoking posts this time of year, and here's a touching old Times article about Passover in Berlin.

Finally Spring?

Pommes Frites in Grand Platz: So freakin' Belgian (haha, kinda...)

My little brother came to Brussels last week, can you believe it!? Not only that, but he basically brought Spring with him... No Rooz, Passover, Easter are all here or coming, and the weather is adjusting accordingly. At least for me, the added sunshine as well as my little brother's brief presence has led to a complete mood shift, and I'm so excited for everything coming up, even the stressful parts. (Meh, what's stressful anyways, after the bar exam.)

In order to make my bro feel at home in sometimes-bewildering Europe, I decided to cook for him a large Mexican plate, which, although we are not Mexican, is one of my whole family's favorite comfort foods. (Either that or Thai food are the two things perpetually on the table at my house in VA.) So, in my tiny kitchen I whipped up the following: Urban Vegan's Havana Beans and Rice, Cashew Sour Cream from Vegan Brunch, Avocado and Mango salsa (from me) and some simple fried plantains. If we had been at home it probably would have also had some sweet potatoes, but those things are bloody expensive here! To top it off, I had some vinegar and a bit of tabasco. My friends and family member gobbled everything up happily, and the culture shock was drastically reduced. My bro also brought a lot of amazing things with him from my parents, including some vital wheat gluten, dried cranberries, maple syrup, and the new VegNews and Vegetarian Times. I was in American seventh heaven, let me tell you.
A splash of vinegar on top is now mandatory, thanks to Urban Vegan.

After a few days of Brussels, with attendant lemon pea risotto (no pics, sorry!), frites and vegan Pho at Indochine, one of my favorite veg-friendly restaurants on Rue Lebroussart, we headed to Berlin to meet up with S. There we really introduced my brother to some European decadence with lots of late nights out at loud and smoky clubs, long walks through Kreutzberg, and an absolute overload of falafel, hummus, and Berliner Kindl. In other words, a perfect introduction to that grand town. We also visited the "Modern Times" exhibit at the Neue Nationalgalerie which was full of gorgeous, weird, and moving works by German and non-German artists, as well as a few of the pieces that had been sold or lost during the National Socialist era because of their denunciation as "degenerate art." I highly recommend it if you happen to be in Berlin anytime soon.

When I got back I had the honor of attending a No Rooz celebration hosted by the wife of the ambassador to Afghanistan in Brussels. I am taking some food photographs for an upcoming (non-vegetarian) Afghan cookbook that will benefit a woman's school in Afghanistan. No Rooz is a Zoroastrian New Years holiday celebrated throughout the world, but particularly in Iran and Afghanistan. The food was absolutely gorgeous and that which was vegetarian was delicious. (That which wasn't I think could be quite easily, and I'm looking into it for next year...)
For more on No Rooz, go check out Amey's blog, she has some gorgeous pictures and great recipes from her family's celebration this year.

Hope you all are enjoying the first pangs of Spring as much as I am...

Song of the Day: Nick Cave- Breathless

Two Pizza Options

Roasted Garlic Pizza on Whole Wheat Crust

Oh, how else can I put it: I had a stroke of genius today and made these two awesome pizzas. The roasted garlic one I've made before (but dare I say, have perfected now.) The roasted pepper one grew out of the leftover half of the roasted pepper, and it was so damn good. I think either of these topping combos would also be nice as a bruschetta or an appetizer pizza (with the crust sliced into much smaller pieces.) But for today they were just perfect to appease my dissertation-frazzled friends and use up the ingredients leftover from the weekend. Ah, sometimes genius comes so easily.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
-1 packet yeast
-1 and 1/3 cup warm water
-1 tsp. salt
-1 T. agave (or honey or sugar, if you swing that way)
-Approx. 3.5 cups whole wheat flour
-2 T. olive oil, plus extra for the bowl

1.) In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast into the water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
2.) Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend together, kneading for 10 minutes, or until relatively smooth. At this point you can add in a bit more flour if its too sticky. (Nice to have an assistant on hand for that, since your hands will be covered in dough.)
3.) Form dough into a ball and place into a bowl that has been coated in oil. Set in a warm corner, covered by a damp cloth and leave it alone for an hour or so.
4.) After time has passed, punch down the dough and divide into two balls. Leave one in the bowl and take the other one out, rolling out on a floured surface to your desired thinness and leaving some width on the sides for the crust. Transfer to pizza pan/ stone/ cookie sheet or just a rack.
5.) Top with toppings and bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
6.) Repeat with the other ball, or freeze for later use as pizza, breadsticks, or calzones.

Roasted Garlic Pizza
-One head garlic
-1.5 tsp. oil, plus extra for drizzling
-1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
-red pepper flakes
-one tomato, (or several small ones) sliced
-1/2 a roasted red pepper, but into slices

1.) First roast the garlic. This is accomplished (as if you don't know, you vegans) by rubbing a bit of olive oil on a whole head of garlic, wrapping the thing in foil, and tossing it in the oven on 375-400 degrees for 45 minutes or so. When the garlic is gone, it should fall out of the individual cloves at a little squeeze.
2.) Place roasted garlic in a small bowl and smash with a fork. Add in a pinch of salt, a pinch of red pepper flakes, 1.5 tsp. olive oil, and apple cider vinegar and mash together until you have a nice paste. Set aside (and try not to eat.)
3.) Now roast the red pepper. This can be achieved in an oven broiler on high: place cleaned red pepper under broiler, watching until side is charred, then rolling over until entire thing is charred. (How long this takes depends on your oven.) Remove and place in paper bag, to steam. When warm enough to handle, remove charred skin, then de-seed and cut in half- half of this can be sliced into strips for this pizza, the other half can make tapenade later (or for another pizza... or just to eat with bread, who cares.)
4.)When pizza dough is prepared and rolled out, spread roasted garlic paste evenly across. Top with tomatoes and roasted peppers. Cook to desired crispiness, and enjoy with friends since you're all going to smell like garlic all day. :)

Didn't have nearly enough walnuts for this but it was still awesome.

Red Pepper Tapenade Pizza with Walnuts

-1/2 a roasted red pepper, chopped
-1 T. lemon zest
-pinch salt
-2 tsp. olive oil
-handful of walnuts
-balsamic vinegar/ reduction

1.) Combine red pepper, lemon zest, salt and olive oil and either blend in a food processor or with an immersion blender until evenly processed. Taste, and adjust salt or oil if necessary. (Note: depending on how big your initial roasted pepper was, you may want a little more or less oil to smooth out the mixture.)
2.) Spread red pepper tapenade onto pizza crust. Sprinkle with walnuts, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction, if you happen to have some handy. (I always do because I'm obsessed.)
3.) Bake for 10-15 minutes on 400 and enjoy!


My darling S. was here this weekend and in preparation I froze a million more sweet potato gnocchi (which he pronounces "ga-nocky") and made some incredible oatmeal cinnamon raisin bagels. I actually documented all of this with the intent of giving step-by-step instructions for both recipes, but unfortunately there was a computer mishap and all I have left as evidence of my culinary industriousness is yet another picture of... you guessed it! Pancakes!

All the same, they never get old when you're making them for people you love. :)


Song of the Day: Joanna Newsom- Have One on Me

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Rucola Cream Sauce

Because of some little angels that I am friends with, and whom happen to admire my spaetzle, I have now acquired a potato rice/ spaetzle press! Accordingly, I have been dreaming of all the lovely european dishes I can now make with the greatest ease with this midaevil looking device... among them, of course, Italian gnocchi!

A potato ricer makes gnocchi-making easier because it keeps the potatoes from getting starchy like they might when mashed by hand. Instead, they stay juicy and fluffy, perfect for fluffy gnocchi pillows. (Or so I thought...)

I've seen gnocchi made before, but never made them myself. I must say, it was a bit complicated in my slightly-bigger-than-a-breadbox kitchen. I mean, its just two ingredients, potatoes and flour, and yet, its very easy to destroy. So, if you want to make them yourself, I would suggest looking elsewhere for a decent step-by-step recipe, because mine was characterized by constant freaking out, sticking dough back in the fridge, and overall paranoia and confusion. All the same, they turned out perfect, fluffy and fantastic, so maybe its not quite as complex as I was making it. :)

At any rate, the cream sauce was less traumatic: I caramelized some onions with some garlic in a large pan. When the gnocchi were formed, boiled, and drained, I added them in, along with maybe 1/2 cup soy creamer, and a couple handfuls of rucola. It was so freaking good, but next time I would take it over the top with a few cranberries or walnuts. Overall though, my testers more than enjoyed my first attempt at the moderately tricky gnocchi. (And I froze the rest to enjoy soon... love that about gnocchi.)


Also, I took The Bad Vegan's idea to use my maple ginger apples over oatmeal. (See, I totally read the comments!) And it was delicious. Thanks for the idea!

More pasta:
Pasta alla Norma
Carrot-Cashew Ginger Pasta

Song of the Day: Beach House- Walk in the Park

Why I Love Vegan Cooking!

Its no new observation that necessity spurs creativity. How many dishes were created in a situation of deprivation that are now considered haute cousine? Southern soul food, Italian pasta dishes, bangers and mash, pad thai- the dishes that are created to feed hungry families with a minimum of expensive ingredients have a way of making their way into our hearts and getting reinvented. Vegan and vegetarian dishes are also often spurred by necessity- but it is a self-imposed necessity.

Whether to avoid animal cruelty, for health reasons, or for mere distaste towards animal products, the vegetarian lifestyle is always a sort of self-imposed exile. The way that a herbivore views supermarkets, restaurants, the homes of our friends and families, not to mention special occasions and religious holidays, necessarily changes, and this shift can be extremely jarring at first.

More important is the change that happens in our own homes. There is no way to be vegan and to be complacent about what you put into your body. Instead, the ingredients of any given item must be examined for animal products, and the results are often surprising. Fish sauce in my favorite stir fry sauce? Chicken broth in vegetable soup? Lard in potato chips or canned beans? Who knew? And this realization is really the key- we don't always know what is in our favorite foods. Once we do, don't we need to create new favorites?

For me, my tastes have completely changed since I went vegetarian. The most important shift is that I vastly prefer food I prepare from basic ingredients to food that comes frozen, canned, or delivered. Not only because I can be sure of exactly what is in it, but also because I have discovered what a constant source of fun and even mental stimulation cooking vegan food can be.

Which takes me back to the creativity thing. The fact that, for a vegan, a craving for say, lasagna, usually can't be fulfilled with a trip to the supermarket or take-out from your favorite Italian place forces you to come up with something yourself. The first time I made lasagna with artichokes it I was amazed- not only that it tasted awesome, but that I had thought of it. And I think this sort of "a-ha!" that you can get when you figure out a perfect egg or cheese substitute, or whatever, is one of the reasons that vegan cooking is so exciting and undergoing such a renaissance. Combinations that people would never think of get tossed into every page of the new vegan cookbooks and on every vegan blog. Coconut milk on pizza? Sweet potato falafel? "Cheddar Cheese" made of almonds? Its like the futurist cookbook came to life. And the best part is that vegan cooking is not only the realm of vegans. The more people that try, say, cashew sour cream, vegan cupcakes, or banana "ice cream" the more they realize that it is easy to make healthier and way more interesting food, as part of a complete diet or as an accent to their omnivore lifestyle. And I firmly believe that people will look back on this era of food history, with heroes like Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Sarah Kramer, and Bryant Terry, as a time of amazing innovation that changed the way EVERYONE eats, not just vegans.

Ultimately, I think that a vegan diet almost always has the result of not limiting your choices, but of changing your entire perspective on what is normal and delicious. That's the remarkable side effect of going vegan: an irresistible expansion of ones tastes to allow for food that is more exciting, more strange, and above all, imbued with the lightness that comes from knowing that no one had to die for your dinner. And that's why I love, love, love vegan cooking in all its forms.



Why do YOU love vegan cooking?

Moroccan Dinner Party, Potato Soup

Oh winter, when will it end? The other day we were blessed with rare sunshine and warm weather and it was such a terrible teaser for Spring. Along my street, where all the luxury goods and luxury people usually taunt me, the pale peach and taupe cashmere sweaters seemed as harmless as sugar pills, and the rich bitches in fur coats, sunglasses and high heeled boots lowered their noses a bit and smiled at the peasant passersby. But the next day, it was gone, and I went back to glaring at the well-dressed mannequins and people on Avenue Louise. (But really, why wear bare legs and a fur coat when its freezing out? How about sparing an animal and just looking into pants?)

At any rate, to cheer ourselves up from the never-ending winter, a few friends and I have been having Friday night dinner parties lately. In general, our only requirements for a good menu is that it be inexpensive, vegetarian, and easy enough to cook for a group. So far we've had risottos, pasta, etc, but this week we went a little crazy with a theme and had everything Moroccan. We even decorated the table with batik prints and little lanterns.
The menu consisted of the following:
Appetizers: hummus, flatbread, olives, spiced olive oil and cheese cubes
Entree: Eggplant and Mushroom Tagine, Couscous with mint and almonds, red wine
Dessert: Baklava, fresh mint tea

The tagine, sort of a mix between my minimalist one and the more complex version was fantastic, and even though I make it all the time a couple people at the party had never had one before and were surprised at how good it was. The mint tea was also really simple and festive: just put some mint sprigs into glasses and pour green tea over it. It looks so nice too.

I have a weakness for themed dinner parties, and this one turned out so well that I'm already plotting the next one: maybe Russian, with buckwheat blini and mushroom caviar, and a beet salad? (And vodka!) That would go along with my recent Tolstoy obsession, although everyone in his books seem to eat "melt-in-your-mouth-pasties" all the time and I have no idea what they are. (Anybody know?)

At any rate, the dinner party set the tone for the rest of the amazing weekend: I went to Antwerp (above) for the day on Saturday, and spent Sunday roaming around the St. Gilles farmers market (but not buying anything, since Antwerp put me over the weekly budget.) Considering what to eat for dinner, instead of surrendering to the allure of pancakes, I decided to make a soup out of some sprouted potatoes, past-their-prime leeks, and a little leftover soy creamer. Happily, even with sub-par ingredients it turned out fabulously, and with some stale bread to complete the picture, it was fit for a queen.


Song of the Day: Belle and Sebastian- Fought in a War

Hungarian Chickpea Paprikash and Spaetzle

There are two things that I am completely obsessed with right now: cooking, and sunshine. The cooking is a possibility since I have a little cash and a ton of cheap recipes (thank you awesome new cookbooks) but the sunshine is a bit more of a problem, this being Brussels and all. So when there is a day like this saturday, when I get to cook for people AND the sun is out, I'm pretty much ecstatic.

I decided to walk down to Place Flagey to check out their market and take a few photos. I saw this little girl defending her self-made snowman from the sun's rays. Noting a few hungarian wax peppers on sale, I realized that I probably had all of the ingredients to make the Chickpea paprikash from The Urban Vegan cookbook, and to serve it up over some homemade spaetzle.


I love Budapest more than almost all other cities in Europe, and was so impressed by the dramatic city-scape, the warm people, and the tongue-twisting language. However, I was never too in love with the food, mostly because it seemed to consist of nothing more than various types of meat simmered in cream sauces. (And don't get me started on the vegetarian food: cherry soup, with frozen cherries floating in yogurt?) But I figured I would give Chickpea paprikash a try, out of respect, and also because I've been wanting to try spaetzle to impress my German boyfriend.

Paprikash is usually a dish where meat is simmered in a paprika-spiked sauce, then gets a creamy kick from sour cream and is served over rich noodles or anything else. Spaetzle are basically really simple noodles that are very soft and comfort food-esque- almost like dumplings. You have to make a simple dough and then drop little pieces into boiling water, a bit like gnocchi. Well, although I was skeptical about how both items would come out (especially since I have no spaetzle-press) they were both AMAZING. My friends came over and gobbled up the lot of it, leaving me with no leftovers, and a promise to buy me a spaetzle-press so I can make them all the time.


I was really excited by how good everything came out, because not only is Urban Vegan's version rich, warming and delicious, but its also extremely cheap. The most expensive thing on the menu is probably the soy yogurt or sour cream used at the end. And spaetzle is practically free, granted you have flour around. I will definitely be making this again. And the spaetzle has a million different topping ideas, though I'm captivated by the thought of a apple-cabbage cream sauce....

Another food-related development this weekend was a new topping for pancakes that I created on the fly when my friends were over: Maple ginger apples!

Its very simple and delicious: slice 1/2 or 1 apple thinly and place in a pan over medium heat with a good dollop of earth balance. Then grate some ginger (to taste, I used a 1/2" piece) directly over the pan using a microplane grater. Cook until lightly browned, then drizzle over a tablespoon or so of maple syrup. Cook 2-3 minutes longer, then serve over oatmeal pancakes! Soo amazing.

Song of the Day: ELO- MR. Blue Sky

More on Budapest: Budapest Inspired Strudel
More from Urban Vegan: Bangin' Havana Beans and Rice

Urban Vegan's Bangin' Havana Beans and Rice

Just a quick post because I am cranking out proposals for various endeavors, in a seemingly never-ending loop... but at least I have good brain food!

Last night I made such a damn-good dinner that I was sad (for a second) that no one was there to eat it with me and complement me. (And then I cackled gleefully because I knew I had the rest all to myself.) However, maybe the reason why you make such good food when alone is because you are only trying to please yourself, and can afford to be more adventurous and/or ridiculous. Like, I decided to make the Havana Rice and Beans from the Urban Vegan cookbook, despite having only a 1/2 the ingredients. Further, I had a handful of cashews, so I decided to try the cashew sour cream from Vegan Brunch. If someone else was there I probably would have done something less time-consuming, that I actually had the ingredients for, but it ended up being lovely puttering around the apartment, leisurely making the components for my meal while simultaneously freaking out about transnational citizenship.

Anyways, it was so FREAKING good. I dunno why a simple beans and rice dish is so amazing, but one explanation is that Ms. Urban Vegan is a genius. Go out and buy her cookbook immediately. This is by far one of the least exciting-sounding recipes in the book, and its still phenomenal. There's a bay leaf involved, and veg broth, and vinegar... but still, I was doing double takes while I ate it, like "did I just make this? woah." And that's with half the ingredients. Meanwhile, the cashew sour cream was equally exultant, the only problem being that its so easy and has so few ingredients that I might make it every day. Wow.

So there you have it, another cheap and hearty meal with lots of leftovers and happiness. But just in case you think I've strayed too far from my daily pancake routine, here is my pal Ted enjoying one of the 3 batches of pancakes made over the weekend. Still the best bang for the buck, those pancakes.

(Yes ladies, he's single. :) )

Song of the Day: Joe Strummer and the Muscaleros- Global A-Go-Go

Dutch Hutspot!

*The Baltic Sea*
This desolate, romantic landscape is where I spent the first few days of 2010, in a little cottage near Kiehl with a group of friends. If you can believe it, one of the more spartan members of the group actually took a swim in the sea. Crazy, right? Germans.

Anyways, I'm already back in swing of things in fabulous Brussels now. Why "fabulous" you say? Well after flying all over the northern hemisphere for the break I came to realize how much I like this little town. Yes, Brussels, with all of its duo-linguistic issues, inferiority-to-Paris-complexes, and bureaucratic nightmares, is a great place to come back to. Its calm, the public transport covers every inch of the city (once you figure it out), and in terms of food, its way easier then I make it seem to eat well on budget. (It just takes getting used to... and speaking the language doesn't hurt, I'm sure.) And I finally figured out how to operate my kitchen with a minimum of fire hazards. (But then, I've only been back a week.)

One of my new budget dishes is actually a Dutch treat I learned from S. in Berlin. Its called "hutspot" and its essentially mashed potatoes and carrots-- baby food, but good baby food! I guess its usually made with speck (bacon) but among the group I ate it with I didn't notice anyone hesitating to get seconds from the vegetarian portion. The great thing about this is you can obviously get huge portions, making it good for a get together when everyone is broke, or just in the mood for some baby comfort food.

Dutch Hutspot
-3-4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1" slices
-8-10 boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
-1 large onion, diced
-3-4 cloves garlic, diced
-nutmeg
-soymilk
-earth balance

1. Place all the carrots and potatoes into a stockpot filled with salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, about 15 minutes depending on how many you made.
2. In the meantime, drizzle a good knob of olive oil in a pan and bring to medium heat. Add in your garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and garlic is starting to brown.
3. When potatoes and carrots are done, drain in a colander then return to hot pot. Add in onions and garlic, a good couple knobs of earth balance, a drizzle of soymilk, a few pinches of nutmeg, and of course salt and pepper. Mash together with a masher until fairly blended. Taste, and adjust seasoning to taste. (I usually end up using more soymilk and butter after the initial mashing.)
Serve with a salad, or just eat straight out of the pot. :)

song of the day: Wir Sind Helden- Denk Mal

Bagel Mania and Haiti

For the last two weeks I have been doing only two things: writing papers, and making bagels. (Well, 3 things if you count eating the bagels.) I've basically been chilling in Berlin with S. and hyperventilating over my various topics in between massive bagel orgies. (I also developed a cool way to stack bagels for brunch, as illustrated.) I used the recipe from Vegan Brunch which I thoughtfully received over the holidays. Man that cookbook is awesome.

So basically we've been making both sesame seed and *trying* to make blueberry bagels, with varying degrees of success. Apparently the trick is to fold the blueberries in when frozen, quickly before rolling out the dough and boiling. However, I think the real trick might just be using dried blueberries... well, I'll give that a shot next time.

Anyways, I know bagels seem like a bit of a chore to make from scratch, but I would encourage people to try them. Like tamales, once you get the hang of it, its simple. And best of all, the end product of your hard work is BAGELS! I.e., avacado's best friend! Coffee's soul-mate! And the best thing to bring to brunch, hands down.

At any rate, the bagel part of the week was exciting, but I was somewhat less thrilled to hear about Haiti. One of my paper topics had to do with Haiti's debt to France (a very terrible story, as a matter of fact), so I was already spending a lot of time focusing on Port Au Prince when I heard the news from Berlin. Naturally, the vegan community is usually one of the best responders to things like this (since people that care about animals usually care about people, too!) so I know many of you are probably donating and participating in vegan bake sales. (If not, head on over to the PPK blog for more info.) My Dad, as a journalist, is there right now. And while I'm worried about him, I also know that journalists do a service during times of disaster by drawing attention to the needs of the community in harm's way, so I'm also very proud! Here are a few pictures he sent...


Hope that all of you in the blogosphere are safe, and if you are take a moment to thank your lucky stars (and donate a few more dollars...)!