A note to Mom.

When I was accepted for a summer internship in LA, my mom 

was kind enough and crazy enough to agree to drive across the country with me. 

We laughed; we cried (really). 

We left in one car 

and arrived in another.  (As seen in the reflection.)

We made friends with a firefighter (and secretly snapped a photo).  

We spent five hours in Mason City, Iowa. 

We played 20 questions quite unsuccessfully by mixing up East and West relative to the Mississippi. (Good thing we were relying on the GPS for the actual trip.) 

We drove around Omaha. 

We searched for Ogalalla.

 

We took pictures of our feet.

We celebrated in a complementary upgraded suite in Vegas after a 15 hour day of driving. 

We gambled, rather, she gambled.  

We ate vegan donuts.  

We made friends at WB.  

We had a much needed drink in LA.  

Despite tow trucks, rampant rain, and little sleep we had a good time.  And it wouldn't have been such a good time with anyone but you, Mom.  Thank you.

A short food rant.

I abandoned ship... 6 months ago.  But last night I had a post-worthy experience.  So I'm back on board.

(And Chipotle is hosting free screenings across the country.)

Food Inc.  Such a powerful movie.  It's amazing to me how many people are content with being ignorant about where their food comes from.  Like most vegans, I'm often asked WHY?  "WHY would you give up meat and dairy?"  As soon as I begin to talk about where these products come from and the treatment of animals, I often hear "NO!  Don't tell me!  I don't want to know."  Everyone seems to have a sense of the cruelty of slaughter, but the neatly cut and cleaned, plastic wrapped animal meat at the grocery store hides these realities.

As soon as we left the theatre, B said, "But they didn't say what you SHOULD eat."  And I think that was the point.  The movie won't tell you to be an omnivore, a vegetarian, or a vegan.  It simply tells you to know where your food comes from.  Be accountable.  Don't be complacent.  We make important choices about our health, the well being of animals, and the well being of the planet three times a day.  Eat veggies.  Eat animals.  Eat whatever you want.  But eat wisely rather than ignorantly.

Oh happy day.

Today I "om"-ed for Obama. After watching the live stream of the inauguration address in a coffee shop on campus, I went to yoga. During most classes, there's a point when everyone closes their eyes and thinks of a selfless dedication. Today our dedication was guided by the instructor:

"Whether you're a democrat or a republican, today let's send some love to Obama. Let's set an intention of change and hope."

And with that the room vibrated with three oms that sounded like one big smile.

It's been a while.

I'm blogging from a local coffee shop where I just overheard the owner comment: "Above zero temperatures sure do great things for business."

In the past week temperatures here in MN have dipped far below zero, and today the "feels like 11 degrees" reported by weather.com feels downright tropical. Instead of stepping outside and feeling the insides of my nostrils instantly freeze upon inhalation, the air today felt comfortable, livable, even enjoyable. Ah, the frozen tundra.

The cold is no excuse for my lack of blogging, especially since it has spanned much longer than a week. Thanksgiving to Chanukah/Christmas is a blur in my mind. During winter break I was lucky enough to escape the cold and vacation in Las Vegas and Palm Springs with my family. One of the highlights of the trip was a cheap, but uncommon thrill: vegan donuts.

On our way to the Hoover Dam, we made our way to the outskirts of Las Vegas to Ron's Donuts. The small white building was unimpressive from the outside, but the rows of freshly baked vegan donuts more than made up for the appearance.



The raised glazed, raised chocolate, long john, and bear claw are all vegan. (About 2/3 of their donuts were vegan.) My favorite, though, was the donut holes. Those were gone long before we made it to the dam.


After a long car ride and a $100 game of 20 questions (thanks again Z for sharing your winnings; no thanks to W for almost losing our shares), we finally made it to the magnificent Hoover Dam.


(Mom and Sha: I hope this made you happy!)

Long time, no blog.

I finally found a camera cord! Not the one that came with my camera, but it works nonetheless.

It's midterms. Again. One down, and one to go. My food hasn't been all that interesting lately. Salads and fruit packed for lunch at school most days. Lots of mac n' cheese n' broccoli has hit the spot many nights now that the weather has turned cold. If I can tear myself away from my toxicology book tonight, I'll make a big pot of soup to eat over the next week or so.

Since I don't have any pictures of my food, I'll just share a funny one. My youngest brother turned 4 a couple weeks ago. Our sister is 2. When asked what kind of cake he wanted for his party, he said, "Chocolate." She said, "And I'll have a Dora cake." Despite many explanations that it was his birthday and his cake, she continued, "Yes. And I'll have a Dora cake."

The argument was futile. If you knew her, you'd understand.

My dad said if I whine enough, I can have my own cake next time, too.

French Meadow = Yum.

I had dinner at French Meadow with my aunt last weekend.  A year ago when I my dad and I ate there, I had a phenomenal risotto from the daily specials menu, and it was so good that I've been dreaming about it ever since.  To my delight, risotto was on the menu again, so I was able to make a decision much quicker than usual.

The risotto was different from the last time I had it, but it was just as rich and flavorful.  Black barley, oven-roasted tomatoes, squash, cauliflower, marinated tempeh, and spinach.  The dark restaurant and my eagerness to dig in made it difficult to get a good picture.

I also indulged in a piece of turtle cake, but that was long gone before I even thought about my camera.

October Daring Bakers Challenge

This month I joined the Daring Bakers, a group of bloggers that take on a baking challenge every month.  This month's challenge was homemade and hand-tossed pizza dough.  Coincidentally, I'd been wanting to try making my own pizza dough for weeks.  This was the kick-in-the-butt I needed to actually do it.

The recipe made enough dough for 6 medium-sized pizzas.  I prefer to use whole wheat flour as often as possible when baking.  For this challenge, I decided to use white whole wheat flour. It's 100% whole wheat, but has a lighter taste and texture that traditional whole wheat flour.  It gave the crust a slightly nutty taste, which I didn't mind.

I tested the first three with my brother, Z, and his friend.  Tough crowd.  I bought the necessary non-vegan toppings for them: cheese and pepperoni.  The funny part was that when I went to the grocery store, I couldn't remember where these items were kept.  I also picked up Davanni's pizza sauce and spinach for myself for a simple pizza.  Unfortunately, between my nervousness and my appetite, I forgot to take pictures.  However, the verdict was good: we all enjoyed the pizzas.

Having completed the challenge so early, I tossed the 3 extra dough balls in the freezer and forgot about them until last night.  So I tossed one in the fridge to defrost last night, and I set out to make myself dinner tonight.  I borrowed my mom's pizza stone and heated the oven to 500F.  Then the trouble began.

I split the dough in half to make two small pizzas.  I then tossed the dough and topped the first pizza with some of the leftover white bean and walnut bruschetta topping.  At this point I realized that I had no means of transferring the pizza to the stone in the oven.  So, using my hands and a spatula I clumsily dropped the pizza onto the stone.  It turned out great.  

Then the fire alarms started.  First in the kitchen.  Then in the hallway.  Then in my roommate's room.  I frantically ran to each one, flailing a towel in front of it to fan away the smoke.  As soon as I had one off, another would start again.  I opened my roommate's window, which I'm sure she'll really appreciate when she gets home.

So I took to my second option: the toaster oven.  This worked surprisingly well.  I turned out a perfect, albeit oddly shaped, pizza with tomato sauce, spinach, and basil.  Next time I won't push my old oven to 500F.

Vegan MoFo: Chocolate chip scones

I've been craving scones ever since attending a high tea event last weekend. I watched all of the non-vegan scones go by, wishing I had made some of my own. Well, today, with the help of my mom's kitchen, I finally got around to it.


These won't last long.

Vegan MoFo: Pièce de résistance

After trying my first piece of vegan cheesecake last week, I was in love. Before becoming vegan, I loved cheesecake. I was wary of trying vegan cheesecake because I didn't want to be disappointed. Now I'm hooked.

I made this double layer pumpkin cheesecake from FatFree Vegan for our dessert last night. This, of course, is not a fat-free recipe. Regardless, this is the perfect for Thanksgiving or any other day of the year.


The picture doesn't do it justice. And according to my grandparents, it could even fool non-vegans.

Vegan MoFo: Dinner for three

Tonight I made dinner for my Grams and Papa John. Other than a poker night and some meals for B, this was my first time entertaining at my apartment. I was inspired by (or copied) a meal that B made for me this summer. White bean and walnut bruschetta and lemon garlic pasta from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan. I also added a salad with living caesar dressing from the same cookbook.

We started with the bruschetta. I have some leftover topping, which will be tasty in a toasted sandwich tomorrow.


I LOVE this salad dressing. It's amazing how a blend of raw nuts can mimic the cheesy taste of caesar dressing. Check out the recipe here.


After an appetizer and salad, this light, simple pasta with lemon, garlic, basil, and pine nuts hit the spot. Yum.


I think we all would agree that dessert was the best part of the meal. So I'll save that for tomorrow...

Favorite things.

Oprah has her list of favorite things, so I figure I can have one, too.

Here's the first one:


I found this lotion recently at my local department store. I was excited to find a new brand in the cosmetics area: Lush. I had only heard of Lush and knew that they carried many vegan bath and body products. Turns out that their products are also very green, and they only source ingredients from companies that do not engage in animal testing. They're such a small company that a cartoon of the actual person who made each product appears on the packaging.

The coolest thing about this lotion is that information about a charity appear on the cover of each pot, and every penny (except the tax) that you pay from the product goes directly to that charity.

Check it out here.

Vegan MoFo: Mac n' cheese (n' broccoli)

This is one of my FAVORITE recipes. While you may not be able to fool someone into thinking that it's dairy cheese, it has the same comforting taste as "real" mac n' cheese.

I make this so often that I measure out the dry ingredients in quadruple and store them in a container. I figured out how much of this mixture, almond milk, and water it takes to make one big serving, so it's just as easy as making blue box mac n' cheese, but so much tastier and much more vegan.

I like to add broccoli to make this a one pot meal. I also like to make a lot, as you can tell from the overfull bowl.

Thanks Dad.

When I left Boston to come back home to Minneapolis for grad school, I considered my family to be one of the main reasons for the move. What I did not consider was that they would want to feed me. Had I known this, I might have come home sooner. (Just kidding.)

Last night my dad took me out to dinner. Then we got groceries. Every parent must know how wonderful free groceries are for students.

Here's the loot, a sampling of what I regularly eat:

Mixed greens, baby carrots, bananas, apples, broccoli, bread, and Salt and Pepper Kettle Chips for late night snacking.

Vegan MoFo: Brussel Sprouts

These little guys get a bad rap. When properly prepared, they're delicious. If you need more incentives, they're also chock full of vitamins K and C, and they also have lots of cancer-fighting phytonutrients.

I love roasted brussel sprouts, but today I decided to try this recipe. Brussel sprouts, red onion, garlic, vegetable broth, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.


(I made the mistake of photographing my reheated leftovers rather than the original dish.)

If you still have doubts, remember that onions can make just about anything taste good.

Vegan MoFo: Cheesecake makes everything better

Since graduating from college, I've felt like I need to dress more like an adult. Today I tried to remedy that with some shopping. I had gift cards to burn. Guilt free shopping. I spent an hour in one store. I went in the dressing room 4 times. I walked out with nothing. This is why my mom won't go shopping with me.

I needed something to ease my feelings of frustration and failure. So I picked up a slice of vegan cheesecake, my first ever slice of vegan cheesecake, at Galactic Pizza and rented the movie Sex and the City.

Ah, all better.


(I was going to put this on a plate until I realized that the container was made out of PLA, a compostable plastic. The college I attended had a research program dedicated to PLA, so I will forever get excited when I see it being put to use in the real world. Kudos to Galactic Pizza for being so green. They even deliver their pizzas in electric cars wearing superhero costumes.)

Vegan MoFo: Raw Vegan Donut Holes

Don't get too excited like I did. These did not turn out so well. Turns out when a recipe calls for a food processor you really need a food processor.

Yes, a food processor is on my wish list. I think there might even be one waiting for me in my mom's kitchen. Today, though, I decided that I could finely chop a cup of almonds using a knife and cutting board. In retrospect, I could have gone to Target or to my parents', picked up a food processor, come back home, and chopped the nuts in less time than it took to chop them myself. And they would have actually been finely chopped. And I wouldn't have a blister on my finger.

So they look nice:


And they don't taste bad. They just have very large pieces of almond in them. Rather than a nice almond meal to hold this sticky treat together.

On an unrelated note, check out this video of the presidential candidates roasting each other at a fundraiser last night:

McCain and Obama Palling Around? Must Be the Al Smith Dinner

Vegan MoFo: If you're ever in LA...

Go to Real Food Daily, and order the Salisbury seitan, complete with Caesar salad, mashed potatoes, and gravy:


(Disclaimer: I ate this meal 4 months ago. Can you tell I'm trying to redeem myself in Vegan MoFo when I reach back this far for something to post about?)

This meal was so good that I had to stop myself halfway through because I wanted to enjoy it again as leftovers.

Did I mention that Forest Whitaker, a vegan, was seated only a few tables away? That celebrity sighting, the only celebrity sighting, made my summer Hollywood experience complete.

We didn't want to interrupt his dinner, so the only other photo I have is this one that I poorly set-up outside the restaurant. B, me, and the shadow of the valet attendant who took our photo.

Don't touch that food yet. Have you washed your hands?

Clearly my MoFo isn't going so well. I'm still shooting for 20 total this month, though. The midterm, papers, and a presentation are to blame for the interruption. I'm happy to report that despite my shell-shock, I did quite well on my midterm. Now I'm busy panicking about pandemic flu and trying to keep my personal anxiety about it out of my paper.

This isn't really vegan food-related, but before you prepare your vegan food today, keep in mind that it is:


Instead of vegan food, I bring you an important public health message.

In developing countries millions of children die every year from preventable respiratory and diarrheal infections. One of the Millennium Development Goals is to reduce this number by two-thirds. One way to address this goal is to teach children how to properly wash their hands with soap and water. This may seem obvious, but in many cultures, it is not a regular practice.

We are fortunate enough to live in societies in which infectious diseases are much less prevalent and handwashing is already a cultural norm. However, a recent study in London found that 1 out of 4 commuters had fecal bacteria on their hands. Eew. Remember that the next time you skip a stop at the sink.

Also, keep in mind that colds and other winter bugs can be prevented by regular handwashing with soap and warm water.

(Don't bother with antibacterial soap. Regular old soap will get the job done without messing with your body's good bacteria.)

WASH YOUR HANDS.

Thus ends my PSA.

Weekend of food.

This weekend I went to visit that guy who sent me flowers. We'll call him B. B is the perfect person to cook for because he'll eat anything. He's not a vegan, but he always has almond milk in his fridge, which makes me feel welcome.

Missed photo-ops:

Of course, I forgot to take a picture of one of my favorite things. I made the cheezy sauce from Veganomicon and mixed it with salsa to create my own salsa con queso. It reminded me of the salsa and processed cheese blend that you can buy in a jar at the grocery store, but better. I don't crave cheese like I did before I went vegan, but it's still fun to try to recreate old favorites.

This pasta e fagioli recipe (minus the prosciutto) hit the spot for a cold weather meal. I crave pasta and soups when fall arrives, so to have both in one dish was perfect.

Here's the food that I managed to photograph:

Cauliflower popcorn. This was so simple and so delicious. The perfect snack. I can't believe I'd never tried it before. Cauliflower roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper.


Tofu scramble with onions, garlic, (canned) fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles, broccoli, and a little leftover salsa con queso. (We both went back for seconds.)


B made me dinner one night. A soup that we both love: North African Chickpea and Kale Soup. The kale at the grocery store looked suspicious, so we used baby spinach instead.

The meal we were most excited for, though, was this:


Boneless chickenless hot wings. Of course, these wouldn't fool anyone, but they were delicious. I think this recipe was meant to feed a family of four, and we ate them all.


Who says you can't find good vegan food in Oshkosh, Wisconsin?

Catching up.

I had my first graduate school exam tonight. Oy. I sat so mesmerized after the exam that my professor remarked, "Are you shell-shocked?"

Yes, yes I was. And the feeling persisted. I later spent a good 10 minutes staring at the juice and smoothie menu at the coop. Not reading. Just staring.

Cooking calms me, so I found time to make myself a big lunch before heading to school.


I love brown rice spaghetti in Asian dishes. I threw this one together with garlic, broccoli, Szechuan sauce, shoyu, seasoned rice vinegar, and a little chili sauce.

On a non-food note, big congratulations to my dad and my aunt for running the Twin Cities Marathon this weekend!


The cute kids are my youngest siblings. I'll save the family tree for another day.