Vegan College Tour: First Stop L.A.

As some of you have surmised and some of you may actually know, I have a daughter who is a senior in highschool.  I know, I know I am Lauren Graham in Gilmore Girls surely, I cannot be that old I look too BEYOOTIFUL for that...but alack and alas I assure you, I am that bleeping old.  So enough about me, like all good parents of children of a certain age, I have spent an enormous part of the last year traveling the globe...or at least the contingenous US to look at schools.  What pray tell does this have to do with MOFO?  Well, I have been traveling vegan and therefore have had the pleasure of sampling the wares of a few of our fine cities and am prepared to share my findings with you. 

Our first stop was Los Angeles, CA home to USC and neighbor to Chapman University in Orange.  This required a transcontinental flight via Continental Airlines which at that time still served food for this length flight.  Due to numerous nightmare stories about airplane food and mix ups with special requests, we flew fully prepared with Lara Bars, Trail Mixes and other goodies.  To our surprise and chagrin (we were stuffed with junk food)  our breakfast was not only vegan (or pure vegetarian as the menu stated) but edible.  We were served a breakfast sandwich with consisted of a vegan sausage pattie and soy cheese on a vegan english muffin , which was quite good.  Also we were given a quinoa salad, fresh fruit and a vegan chocolate chip cookie.  Our neighbors who were given some horrific looking omelette in a pita thing looked jealous of our food.  So other than the fact that airplanes appear to have severely shrunk the seat sizes and leg room and the high strung passengers we shared our plane with, the flight to LA was pretty good.

We arrived at LAX and proceeded to our hotel, the Hilton Checkers downtown.  I should at this point bring up a rule of our college tours which was that my daughter and I would not use a form of transportation that she would not have available to her while at school.  Which means in a nutshell, we were doing LA by public transportation and shuttle.  So our hotel's proximity to both subway and bus lines was great.  We checked in, dropped off our luggage and jet lag and all took the subway to Hollywood., where our adventure will continue tommorrow.





In Praise of Tofu

After watching the oh so sad Top Chef vegetarian challenge to feed Natalie Portman--one day late due to the pathetic Yankees/Phillies opener (Man, Weds was lame!)--I feel compelled to share with you the techniques our dear professional chefs could have used to feed Ms Portman something other than amuse bouche sized side dishes of anemic vegetables.  Now to be perfectly honest with the supply of beans and whole grains in Craftsteak's kitchen, there really was no reason to serve only the sad little vegetables in the first place.It really isn't necessary to use tofu, tempeh or any other animal protein substitute to make a decently balanced vegan meal but, since tofu is routinely so poorly represented in mainstream cooking shows a little instruction on its use is in order:
A little tofu basics to get you started. There is an enormous variety in the types of tofu from silken of various firmnesses to soft-superfirm tubs in your grocery store. Fresh is available  from oriental markets and some people even make  homemade. So this blog post could go on for weeks on a whole host of ways to use this versatile product that when made correctly is happily eaten even by omnivorous children.  I am going to focus on Extra-Firm tofu today and maybe do some silken quiche and dessert love in the future.
Now believe me,  I understand the tofu fear.  You empty out this block of white stuff from a tub of murky liquid and it quite frankly looks pretty awful.  But let's think about it for a second.  Exactly how beautiful are raw chicken breast or fish filets? And no one died for your tofu..unless their is some soybean mafia conspiracy of which I am unaware and then I stand corrected.  The secret is that you need to add flavor and improve the texture the same as any other not intended to be eaten raw product.  This is where people either fail or simply don't know what to do.
The most important thing you must do to your tofu is remove the excess water and add flavor.  The easiest way to do this is to press the water out of the tofu and then marinade some flavor back in.  Pressing tofu is an easy technique but one I didn't learn until after 20 odd years of vegetarianism.  No matter what you read ..don't be fooled into not pressing tofu if you intend to grill, bake or fry it.  The easiest way is to remove the tofu from the tub, place between a clean dishtowel, and set under a heavy object for about 20 minutes.  Turn over and repeat for the same amount of time.  If you know you are preparing your tofu in slabs, cut it widthwise into the number of pieces you will need before pressing and it will press in much less time.  There are even tofu presses available now which will allow you to press and marinate all in one contraption.  I hear good things but I am too cheap, too diy and have too little storage space to purchase this particular item. And I must confess I like pressing my tofu under my old Abnormal Psychology textbook from College.
Once you have pressed your tofu, it is up to you how you want to flavor it.  Most of us marinate at least briefly even if going on to other techniques.  Your marinade can be as fancy or simple as you want.  A little lemon juice, soy sauce and fresh garlic will suffice.  Or you can look through any number of vegan cookbooks for elaborate spice blends to match the flavor profile you are cooking:  cajun, indian, italian etc.  Plan on marinating for at least an hour.  But quite frankly you can store pressed tofu in marinade in your refrigerator for quick weeknight meals. After marinating you can grill, broil or even bread and fry it  if that floats your boat!  Add gravy, sauce or serve plain and you are good to go!
If you like the chewy texture found at many Asian restaurants you use the same technique as above except you want to freeze your tofu overnight and then let it thaw the next day before pressing and marinating.  This is good if you are using the tofu in a recipe that routinely uses chicken like: General Tso's Tofu or Tofu Paprikash. 
Follow the above steps and you too will be loving tofu in no time.  And now a little visual tofu love:

Grilled

In Chili over a scramble

And a bonus Jack O Lantern (he likes tofu too!)

Happy Halloween and Happy Veganmofo!

New York Vegan 100 by Melissa Bastian at New York in Green

Well I was going to do some more comfort food today...but Melissa's list looked so fun I decided to try it.  I haven't lived in New York for quite sometime but I am close enough to be in and out so lets see how I do!

the Melissa Bastian New York in Green Vegan 100!!




Like the other vegan lists, these are foods that you simply must try (whether or not you're vegan, really). This list actually also incorporates some eating experiences - settings and such. But the main difference? These are in New York! Get it? See? It's regional.



Should you feel the urge (and I hope you do), copy this list and just go ahead and tell us. Have you eaten it / been there / done that? Do you want to? Would you do it again? For my fellow New Yorkers, or those who live close enough to get into town reasonably often, answer away and please put a link to your answers in the comments! To those who just love to visit, answer as well, and maybe this list will be a good reference for the next time you get over this way. Even if you've never been here, tell us how it all sounds to you!



Alright then. Let's get to it, shall we?



1. cornbread at Angelica's Kitchen -No but as a corn bread fiend this is on my list.

2. the Zen slice at Viva Herbal (2nd Ave) - no

3. lemongrass seitan on rice vermicelli at Lan Cafe - no

4. cake batter soft serve ice cream at Lula's Sweet Apothecary - No but I am thinking of taking the kid this month for her birthday so........
5. Vegan Treats' Peanut Butter Bomb cake - Yup!

6. the "Penny Lick" at Penny Licks - Nope

7. oyster mushrooms and grilled asparagus at Gobo - Nope

8. dosas from the vegan dosa cart man at the southwest corner of Washington Square Park - A major regret in my life as I need a dosa cart of my very own!

9. coconut tofu soup at Pukk - no

10. camarones y coco at Vegetarian Paradise 2 - No cause I fear vegan fish substitutes.

11. crab rangoon at Red Bamboo - I haven't gotten past the soul chicken

12. medu vadi at Madras Cafe - nope.

13. dinner at Hangawi - not yet for me either

14. wings at Foodswings - Another major regret.  No.  Am I really even vegan?

15. vegetarian combo at Awash - no but I have had the one at Mesob in Montclair.

16. nutmeats from Bonobos - No

17. sunflower lentil pate at Sacred Chow -no

18. white chocolate wonderful peanut butter from Peanut Butter & Co. - Only because white chocolate is from satan.  I love the dark chocolate.

19. Sweet & Sara marshmallows with toasted coconut - Must try!
20. ginormous lollypop from Dylan's Candy Bar - I am not much of a candy freak
21. seitan scallopini at Blossom - Another not yet for me..

22. baked veg meat bun at Buddha Bodai - no

23. Thanksgiving dinner (prix fix) at a vegan restaurant - No, I usually cook.  But I am tempted to get a premade from our local vegan chef in Red Bank if we go to the inlaws.

24. fresh apple cider at the Union Square Greenmarket - YES, YES YES

25. "turkey" salad from Sunen Foods - Yes I have

26. red sonjas at Mundo (in Astoria) - Nope, I was only to Queens once in my life so not much chance to.

27. sausage roll from Vinnie's on Bedford - Another need to try!
28. a dragon bowl at Bliss on Bedford - No but I have had stuff just like this.

29. a Red Bamboo soul chik'n sandwich purchased at the Bamn Automat - I only had soul chik'n at Red Bamboo itsself.  This is fascinating

30. ravioli of the day at Caravan of Dreams - Yes!  At a PPK meetup no less! It was yummy but the Nacho appetizer was amazing!
31. spaghetti squash spaghettini at Counter - Need to go for brunch

32. some teeny tiny ridiculously overpriced "entree" at Pure Food & Wine - can you tell that I was underwhelmed?  I actually want to try this.  I get really full from raw foods so hopefully I won't still be hungry but if I am I can always go to #4 for dessert!

33. ramen at Souen on 6th - no only Ramen noodle packets and they give me nightmares of being broke and in college.

34. dumplings at Franchia - No
35. the vegan panini at 'sNice - Another regret.
36. chocolate hazelnut ice cream at Stogo - Need to try!
37. a falafel pita with way too many crazy toppings at Maoz - Yup!  If its falafel I have found it and eaten it!

38. black sesame sweet tofu (soft serve) at Kyotofu - nope

40. an Ess-a-Bagel bagel with their tofu cream cheese - you can't call it cream cheese though. When you order it you can only call it tofu: "Can I get a whole wheat, toasted, with herb tofu, lettuce, and tomato please?" like so. They have like eight flavors!  YES YES YES YES!  Love Ess-a-Bagel

41. brunch at Curly's Vegetarian Lunch -No but would be good to go to with the hubby.
42. grits and a sake bloody mary at Old Devil Moon -Sadly never made it.

43. peanut butter and banana sandwich at Think Coffee - nope but I don't like PB and banana

44. bad service with an attitude at Kate's Joint - no but I keep hearing this!

45. Melissa Bastian's veg lasagna and red velvet cupcakes - ha! Got you. But I've fed these to a pretty large number of people now, and both recipes did originate in NYC. So, will you be next?!  Am I invited?

46. a fig and almond cake purchased at Dean & Deluca, the big one on Spring Street - I love Dean and Deluca but not figs so it's a halfer.

47. pulled sugar candies from Papabubble - again with the candy?
48. bean curd and broccoli from a Chinese takeout place that has lightup pictures on the wall of its main entrees - Yes indeedy!

49. a plate of goodness from Veggie Castle - I was lucky enough to go to the original Veggie Castle, the one housed in an old White Castle, two times before it closed. I haven't been to the second one yet.  NO such luck!

50. beers at the Brooklyn Brewery - yes, Brooklyn Lager and the rest are still brewed in Brooklyn, and you can go there and drink! All of their beers are vegan except for one odd cask ale.  Again..a wish list item!

51. seitan satay sticks at Tien Garden - for all this restaurant's healthiness, these sure are doused with some mightyfine peanut sauce.  No sadly!

52. zucchini fries at the Organic Grill - I'm not a big fan of this place. The tables belong at a picnic spot or rest stop, not inside a restaurant. But these things almost make up for it.  Nope

53. Sake lemonade at Goodbye Blue Monday - they have some vegan food too, but... they have sake lemonade.  Does the fact that the owner is a good friend from back in the day count for anything? Well tell Steve to ship me a sake lemonade to Jersey!

54. lhasa momos at Tsampa - No

55. dinner with 4 course vegan -Wish I had

56. a burrito from Benny's - I used to live on them at one time

57. a vegan meal at one of Flushing Chinatown's veg restaurants - nope

58. a pleasing experience at House of Vegetarian - No
59. shark fin soup at Vegetarian Dim Sum House -This scares me too!

60. rice at Rice - Nope

61. omusubi at Oms/b - No but I like balls!

62. pakora at Seva - Sadly again not much time in Queens.

63. bread from Balthazar bakery - yeah actually I have

64. Vegan Drinks at Angels & Kings - no! I have not been to this! Because it is always on Thursdays, as part of the conspiracy against me.  The Thursday consipiracy has gotten me too!

65. something accidentally vegan at Zen Burger - I've only eaten at Zen Palate.  My kids loves the Zen Burgers though.

66. the vegetarian appetizer combo plate at Bread & Olive -nope

67. that funky triangle of tofu sitting in soy sauce from a bodega salad bar -  Yes, many years ago.  I think the red stuff was red pepper(like chili garlic paste stuff) if I recall.  I was more than likely drunk because they are pretty scarey looking.

68. Entenmann's individual apple pie (the kind in a little paper pouch) - Yeah

69. fresh fruit and/or vegetable juice from a juice cart on the street - Yes.

70. knishes at Yonah Schimmel - yes

71. the "Elvis" (peanut butter and banana) at Papa's Empanadas - See above no PB and Banana for me.

72. a soft pretzel from a cart on the street, with mustard - Of Course!

73. nuts for nuts! - Indeed!

74. sorbet from Caio Bella - Yes I had the blood orange as a matter of fact.

75. cornmeal crusted tofu at Spring Street Natural - nope

76. mango slices that have been arranged on a stick to look like a flower in bloom - nope but how pretty.

77. zeppoli from a street fair - I have when I was vegetarian I didn't know they were vegan...sure I needed to know this my expanding ass thanks you!

78. funnel cake in Coney Island that you watched them fry - See 77 above.

79. pommes frites from a paper cone - Yes..multiple places.

80. the Mexican chocolate milkshake at Curly's - Nope

81. the Bandeja Paisa at The V-Spot - Nope

82. an accidentally vegan falafel, rice, and chickpea platter from a Halal food cart - Yup cause as I said above..if it's falafel I have found it and eaten it.

83. Thai iced tea at Pukk - no but when I had it in pregan days it was way to sweet for me..

84. ice cream cookie sandwich at Stogo -No but I need this!

85. V-Spot empanadas purchased somewhere other than V-Spot - no
86. pasta with marinara in Little Italy -Way more times than I can count!
87. Quinoa pasta at V-Spot - nope

88. a slice of vegan cake while waiting for a band to start playing in the basement of Cake Shop -no for me either.

89. your breakfast on the subway - again, yup back in the day I think I did this nearly every morning.

90. a picnic in Central Park - Hell yeah!

91. dark chocolate bark from The Chocolate Room (Park Slope) - Yup.  I once lived in Park Slope.

92. black coffee from the bodega -Yes because I am brave.

93. a soy hot chocolate from Oren's Daily Roast - no

94.mango maki at Tanaka - no
95. dim sum at Buddha Bodai - no

96. pierogi in or from Greenpoint - I don't think so.
97. a cheeseless pizza or Siciliana from Rizzo's - nope
98. marzipan from a bakery in Astoria - yes, someone brought them to a party I was at.

99. a soy latte from the Starbucks on Roosevelt Island - No last time I was on Roosevelt Island there was no Starbucks.  Did I tell you I'm old?

100. lunch pieced together from the salad and hot food bars at the Food Emporium beneath the 59th Street Bridge - Nope




Well that was fun for me.  Why don't you try it yoursefl?  Back with Comfort Food:  Slow Cooker Stroganoff tommorrow (PPKer's stop snickering now!) Joan

Blog Action Day: Global Warming and the Vegan Diet or My Veganism Trumps Your Prius

Happy Blog Action Day!

Today, October 15 is the official Blog Action Day in which nearly 7,000 bloggers worldwide will blog about the subject of Global Warming in an attempt to increase awareness and generate change! Now this is an exciting event and with that number of participants you would think I would be ecstatic—and I was—until I noticed another number 45. 45 is the number of food bloggers participating. Why is this depressing to me? Because the single most effective way an individual can decrease global warming is by changing the food they eat. I know some of my friends are shaking their heads as they get behind the steering wheels of their hybrids and while I good naturedly kid you all that my Veganism trumps your Prius…..here are the facts about animal agriculture and the environment.

A 2006 United Nations report found that the meat industry produces more greenhouse gases than all the SUVs, cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined.
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html

According to Environmental Defense, if every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetarian foods instead, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than a half-million cars off U.S. roads.

The University of Chicago reports that going vegan is 50% more effective than switching to a hybrid car in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Story?id=1856817&page=1

Those of you who know me personally, know that I can be an all or nothing kind of gal so for me Veganism is the answer. Because it fits on so many levels: environmental, spiritual, ethics and health. But any step you take can help improve the health of the planet.
Think seriously about reducing or eliminating your consumption of animal products. You can still get the really cool car if you want to.

If you still need more convincing here’s a little light reading http://www.earthsave.org/news/earthsave_global_warming_report.pdf
Earthsave’s report on how the environmental movement has really missed the boat by not advocating for vegetarian diets and how that strategy can be changed.

Returning tomorrow with more delicious foods including my first attempt at jelly making!
Love,
Joan

Image courtesy of Vegan Outreach.org

In Praise of Family Vacations

To wrap up this first full week of Vegan Mofo 2009, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the family vacation and what it means to me. Now I know times are tight and for many vegans the concept of finding vegan food for an entire family while traveling is a bit daunting so let me just share with you how we have managed to do it for most of my married life...and that will be 12 years this month!.
To begin with, I am a social worker and until last spring my husband was a professor at a community college so we have never been making the big bucks. In many ways this recession is more of the same for those of us who receive more personal than financial reward for our labors. But my husband was laid off and is now one of the many receiving unemployment in this country. We have vacated on a single income before and I am sure we will do it again.
How do we do it?
My definition of vacation means spending time together in a place we don't usually live doing things we don't necessarily do everyday. So it doesn't have to be Disney World or a Cruise or Europe. It can be the local state park, a family member's home, camping or an unassuming cabin in the woods. We tend to seek out places where we can be together yet each have our own space. We do require running water, electricity and indoor plumbing but not all need that. Ideally we have a full kitchen at our disposal to make eating out optional rather than a requirement. And we spend a significant amount of time doing things that are free or relatively inexpensive: swimming, hiking, sledding, paddle boats, reading, playing outdoor games or board games and generally reconnecting as a family. When times are tight...we save and pay for the entire rental price before we go. Then our only mandatory expenses are the same groceries we would be spending for at home with just a little extra gas for driving. On those trips we have spent the majority of our time at local state parks on day passes, swimming, picnicing and enjoying the view. If we are flush then maybe a museum, bookstore shopping spree or movie come into the picture. That's when we choose to eat out.
Having a kitchen available is wonderful both as a savings and to accomodate dietary needs. No need to scramble around for a vegan breakfast...make your own tofu scramble! Kids like to eat at the crack of dawn or snack before dinner...Keep cereal and popcorn on hand. The past week has shown pictures of our last vacation in Vermont this summer. We paid for the cabin from my husband's severance package. Life is too short to not make memories with your family. I wouldn't trade my times with my kids for anything in the world. So go ahead and roll down a hill! It's free! I would be happy to share links with anyone for some of the inexpensive, family friendly places we have visited. Just post a comment.

So what's coming up next? Sunday will be the return of Football Food with Tempeh Wingz and Veganized Blue Cheese Dressing. My Iron Chef Submission using Okra and Horseradish will appear here Monday...and on the official sight Sunday Night. The rest of the week will be my COOP Challenge: I will create and post recipes using the vegetables and fruit that I received in my basket on Thursday....so keep checking this out all MOFO long!

Zooey Says "Do You Vegan Mofo?"

Zooey 8 weeks old
Originally uploaded by jomarb

My Son has his annual Cardiology Check up today so here's a quick survey I stole from Whoa Wren...the coolest Chick in Omaha...(bonus cute kitty picture, just because!). Feel free to copy paste and play along!

Favorite non-dairy milk?
Hemp Milk...I forget the brand cause they only sell one by me.

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?
Pizza of some sort, Corn Chowder and Baked Ziti..I have kids. How exotic can I be?

3. Topping of choice for popcorn?
Salt. Sometime Earth Balance too ..but Always Salt!

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?

I exploded VWAV Falafel once. There are still grease stains on the ceiling.

5. Favorite pickled item?
Jalapenos or Olives depending on the mood.

6. How do you organize your recipes?
Cookbooks on bookshelf in Kitchen. Tester or internet recipes in binders and folders like you had for school on the same shelf.

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?
Trash and recycle. I suck at composting.

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods...what would they be (don't worry about how you'll cook them)?
Pasta, Pizza, Popcorn

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?
Cottage Cheese and Noodles. My Grandmother introduced us.. I was hooked.

10. Favorite vegan ice cream?
Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Mango.

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?
Microplan Zester

12. Spice/herb you would die without?
Garlic

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?
Personally? How to Cook Everything Mark Bittman. I still veganize stuff in there all the time

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?
EEEW. I don't like jellies and jams.

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?
Lasagna

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?
Tempeh is my fave. Tofu will do in a pinch.

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?
Brunch! But there is almost never time.

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?
Empty Breadbox with english muffins, bread and granola bars sitting next to it. The insides of my kids laptop lunch boxes.

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.
Scraps for stock, Waffles and ice packs

20. What's on your grocery list?
I have a family of 5...I won't bore you with the details.

21. Favorite grocery store?
My daughter works at ACME so I get a discount and they have online shopping so I would have to go with there. The Naturally Food section of Foodtown has whatever else I need.

22. Name a recipe you'd love to veganize, but haven't yet.
My Grandmother's Filling. It was full of bread, eggs and chicken liver. I have made some vegan loafs that are very close in flavor and the quiches fit the texture. This Thanksgiving may be the day I finally pull it off.

23. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa's because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3?
Cakemaker to the Stars, Where's The Revolution, Joanna Vaught, A Domestic Affair.

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?
Any Dark Chocolate that qualifies.

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?
Saffron, its always Saffron due to the price per pound.

26. Ingredients you are scared to work with?
Yuba. I love it for sushi but can't imagine making it or cooking with it.

Where the hell is Joan?

Please sing this title to Camper Van Beehtoven's " Where the Hell is Bill?" No I didn't get a sideways haircut, a vespa scooter or go mod ska dancing. I did go on vacation, get the kids ready for school, sports and dance and fall out of blogging practice. But fear not...as October approaches so does Vegan Mofo, the annual vegan blogging event where I and many others post daily on our vegan exploits. So this backlog of photos and ideas I have been too distracted to do anything with will be finding a purpose! The Geeky White Girl will be back with a vengeance, or at a least a steady stream of new stuff!

Ta for now and Happy Listening:

http://www.last.fm/music/Camper+Van+Beethoven/_/Where+the+Hell+Is+Bill%

And so we begin....

Well after multiple fits and starts it is finally time to begin this thing. Why you may ask? And right you should after all I ask myself the same question. I suppose the reality is that I assume that somewhere out there there may be other people like me. Raised in the 80's on punk rock, activism and anarchy and somewhere along the road you wake up and live in the same sort of town you ran away from. Now you are the mom and the responsible almost adult but your values really have not changed. It is a weird sort of exile here in the burbs with your politics, religion and even your eating style not quite the same as your neighbors and friends and yet you make a stand and continue. Or perhaps you are not like me at all in biography but share the values of veganism, sustainability, individual freedom etc...anyhooo....the goal is to promote the things that I cherish and offer tips on how to survive out of step with the rest of our society...and if it can be done a budget all the better. So follow or don't because I really have never been much of a leader!