tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91148735879386129532011-04-21T22:06:59.796-07:00News of the crazy vegan quest to eat something tasty at every damn meal during NaNoWriMo.sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comBlogger191100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-39006469747480033762007-11-20T01:30:00.000-08:002007-11-20T01:45:23.217-08:00

I was always grossed out by foods that contain animal skin: roasted chicken, pork rinds, fish steaks, roasted turkey...However, I adore tofu skin. You might find it called "yuba", too. It can be layered and cooked in a mound for a very meaty texture, or sliced up and thrown in salads, or marinated or braised in shreds in something spicy and tasty. The pan-asian market near me also sells it fresh

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-1744348024065435702007-11-18T22:41:00.000-08:002007-11-18T23:02:21.759-08:00

After some crafting, we got a craving, looked around the house, then made this:Stove-to-Freezer Oat ChewiesSoymilk or almond milk, whateverCocoa powderPeanut butter, creamySugarPinch of saltOats, not cut groats, but the rolled kindVanilla extractIf you think ahead, first combine some cocoa with sugar in a bowl until the cocoa isn't lumpy. If not, do this:Heat some soymilk, then shake in some

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-42248552696173222912007-11-18T21:45:00.000-08:002007-11-18T23:17:39.150-08:00

Man, go make this now!I just had a little crafting night at a friend's and we ate the hell outta this!The chutney-cream recipe is modified from this: http://www.ming.com/mrecipes/October.html, so go there directly.The Fuji Chutney --2 huge Fuji or other non-mealy red apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (approx. 3 cups after dicing)--splash of lemon juice--2 teaspoons canola oil--1

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-37663277372913009382007-11-17T20:39:00.001-08:002007-11-17T20:54:12.579-08:00

I haven't made any of this yet, but since I scored a bunch of Fuji apples I wanted some savory ideas, 'cause I'm a bit over the sweets lately.Here's what I found:From http://organicathlete.zaadz.com, a beet & apple salad. (Please visit that site for that recipe & more. I'm only putting it here so that I don't lose it!)Apple-Beet Salad with Ginger DressingServes 21 organic Fuji apple1 fresh beet (

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-64582729607633959472007-11-17T10:41:00.000-08:002007-11-17T17:19:52.537-08:00

In my dream, I was using a blender that was a cross between a strainer and a regular blender. Somehow, the blender container was made of mesh, not solid plastic or glass, and yet the mulched food didn't spray all over the kitchen. The cool thing was that once I'd pulverized stuff with the blades, it was kind of like that french pointy strainer (googled for a chinois strainer: http://

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-68992326597026625332007-11-17T09:50:00.000-08:002007-11-17T10:41:31.909-08:00

Yesterday I made a "classic curry sauce" from that same Indian Vegetarian book I wrote about a bit ago, and it was not what I was expecting. I've made a quite a few Thai curries, and a few Indian curries, but this one really reminded me of the process of making a really dark roux, like for a Cajun or Creole dish. Interesting. In this curry, you make the usual ginger/garlic/onion paste, and then

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-19961544015104195032007-11-15T08:06:00.000-08:002007-11-15T11:16:16.005-08:00

I keep falling asleep before I post for the day! However, this threatens to disturb my waking hours: in the Kashmir valley of India, some of the most sought after saffron in the world is grown. (I think this area is the origin of Penzey's "Kashmir 'Mogra Cream' Indian Saffron", by the way.) However, the crop is down again this year. It has been declining for as many as 15 years, perhaps more. Why

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-14056973563843955082007-11-13T23:50:00.000-08:002007-11-14T00:07:31.456-08:00

Ugh. The saffron buns are teaching me that fat is critical. They get dry or too wet, but I want them to be like a challah. Grrrrr. And flax seeds look unlovely. And soy stuff means some folks can't eat them. Ideally, I'll invent a GF soy-free fail-proof saffronsbullar. O Swedish Vegan GF Ghosts, send me a dream solution!Saffron bun failures were about all I ate today, along with some steamed

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-64464525904985846162007-11-12T16:32:00.000-08:002007-11-12T22:01:41.058-08:00

This is not ready for the wide world yet, but I'm trying to make vegan Lucia buns in time for Christmas. Saffron is not cheap, and I'm hoping to get some of the science mastered before adding the expensive ingredient. Keep your fingers crossed!I'm also working on a pannetone (sp?), so you know I must be a bit crazy. But, see, I have a little container of candied citron that looks at me every day

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-56724447859888802942007-11-12T11:30:00.000-08:002007-11-12T13:19:25.907-08:00

Sometimes we learn the most by doing, and sometimes that just sucks. I made a beautiful set of sweet multi-grain large buns today, and they are all going into the trash. This makes my waste-not, want-not heart cry. They would have been very yummy, if I had just remembered this: Don't Eat Spoiled Stuff, Stoopid!Here's the recipe:1 packet active or rapid rise dry yeast2 cups bogus eggnog (warmed to

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-14320586037729435392007-11-11T20:06:00.000-08:002007-11-12T11:29:56.765-08:00

I'm cooking something right now that ought to be gross, but I fear it might be fantastic.I thought I'd be writing about other blogs when I started this little daily report, but my own life keeps forcing itself through. Lately, I've been loving books more than blogs. Real, musty, touched-by-other-people books. Tonight I'm cooking napa cabbage in a modified version of bund gobi aur peeli mung dal

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-29702209337668826652007-11-09T04:06:00.000-08:002007-11-09T05:08:28.061-08:00

Stained Glass Roasted SaladOne yukon gold potato, washed & peeledOne biggish beet, washed & peeledOne big soup carrot, washed & peeledSplash of lemon juice (or something else acidic)Drizzle of olive oilSaltSpice(s)Two kitchen toys (optional, but helpful)One cookie sheetOne ovenNever eaten burdock root? There's a special tool out there that is meant just to cut it into tiny strips, but it also

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-31502163873681697092007-11-08T00:28:00.000-08:002007-11-08T01:03:54.008-08:00

Oh, I am le tired. ( If you haven't seen it already, you are way behind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f8grWE7AOw )But I come to tell you of the joy of cast iron before I sleeps alls nights. Cast iron is cheap to buy, compared to any other skillet you'll have for your entire life. It requires no batteries, almost never needs a real washing, is a great weapon for those paranoid

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-53547084907263163372007-11-06T23:44:00.000-08:002007-11-07T02:53:00.171-08:00

I feel a cookie recipe coming on, perhaps more than one. I've been looking over a few different ones, including a five-second glance at a colorful one in a defunct magazine. Ever heard of "Budget Living"? Apparently it was targeted at folks that like to pinch pennies but like to avoid feeling pinched themselves. I'm sorry I never knew it existed until years after its demise, but like many a

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-74009254963019227462007-11-06T02:17:00.000-08:002007-11-06T02:45:50.099-08:00

Today was a day for leftover cholent, homemade english muffin-oids with earth balance, peanut butter & strawberry jam, pupusas with loroco, refritos, salsa and curtido and later, chocolate pudding. Not the most balanced diet today, but damn tasty.Cholent was more magnificent today than on the first day. I think I might have to go crazy with caraway soon. That means I'll have to have the cumin

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-29597532385202937622007-11-04T22:55:00.000-08:002007-11-05T00:21:04.818-08:00

The drier and spicier side of India's jumbled culinary map has always been the landscape I prefer, but traveling makes us all better people, right? Tonight we took a long drive to visit a friend & ended up noshing at a new chaat house. While critiquing the dosa, it occurred to me that chaat, rich in sauces, resonating with savory and sweet notes, and resplendent in complex aromas and textures, is

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-32041543009087377492007-11-04T00:47:00.000-07:002007-11-04T00:55:56.765-07:00

I'll make it quick: cook up the cholent from Veganomicon, eat some and save some for tomorrow, don't watch the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes with the horrible Jamaican/Irish Kendra, but do have a few chocolate chips straight from the bag. It's a good evening.

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-31749487783270504672007-11-03T01:07:00.000-07:002007-11-03T03:31:48.989-07:00

While I sat on the train to the Mission, I wrote a dissertation on the food I made for Day of the Dead. Between bouts of motion sickness, I laboriously described the various ingredients and the significance of each included vegetable, spice, or seed to particular members of my dead clan. I thought I had today's more personal entry all sketched out.Wrong.I went to the Day of the Dead celebration

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114873587938612953.post-29433171447724279312007-11-02T02:47:00.000-07:002007-11-02T04:36:18.816-07:00

So, back in the vegan corner of teh Interwebs, a little group of vegetable-loving freaks* got to chatting about NaNoWriMo. With typical anarchist glee, they each decided to take a relatively rule-bound challenge and twist it to serve individual, deeply disturbed, vegan desires.With that little idea, vegans are poised to take over the food-news universe. It is only a stubby matter of time

sugarbeetthreenoreply@blogger.com