From the monthly archives: January 2010
With the Wolf Moon, I ate ravenously this weekend. If it wasn’t the moon then it was the cold. And if it wasn’t the cold it was my hungry heart looking for satiety. Here’s the the start of the ever-afflicting relationship 15.
The Electrician fed me well, whipping up the braised seitan with Brussels sprouts, kale, and sun-dried tomatoes from Veganomicon after we had to hit 3 markets for ingredients. I sat back for most of the meal’s preparation, fussing over polenta cakes that would be foundation to our seitan. But that is not to say I didn’t involve myself in nervously reciting the recipe, concerned about his precision. (This is why I bake better than I cook: I need structure!) Fortunately, his improvisations and good eye paid off deliciously. Yay for guys who can cook!
Serving the dish atop polenta cakes was my addition. And what a fine one if I do say so myself. The dish was bursting with flavors and paired nicely with the subtle baked polenta.
After, I was in charge of Sundaes. I cooked up some strawberry preserves to top some coconut milk ice cream along with some chocolate sauce. And now that we were good and stuffed and ready for hibernation… or some Netflix, the natural sedative.
Clearly one must follow up an evening of expanding the stomach wall with a breakfast that fills its new shape completely! I wo-manned the grill to make a pile of fluffy golden pancakes. These babies’ flour was cut with corn meal, and not my usual whole wheat flour, for a slightly grittier yet lighter texture. Definitely a great option when you run out of the all-purpose stuff. I also mashed a blackened banana in the batter before topping the finished product with those strawberry preserves and fresh yellow banana. I need to now weigh myself in.
Since Daiya‘s first buzz in March ’09 to my first taste of it in August (read here), the vegan wonder has turned the vegan cheese world upside down. Now it is the winner of VegNews’s Product of the Year, although Vegan Gourmet (Follow Your Heart) won the reader’s choice. I have watched area eateries thrive through Daiya’s inclusion on the menu. It is quite an amazing product, yes. To be honest, the vegan cheese options available before its break-out left something to be desired although it is unfortunate that Chicago Soydairy, who I love as a company and an innovator of vegan products, and their very good cheese Teese, has been overshadowed by timing. Daiya is the hot topic.
So why am I saying I’ll never eat it again? Well, just because I have been eating way too much of it lately. Despite my thinking it is an advancement and a wonderful product it is still a packaged, processed product–not a whole food. Soooo, with massive consumption (see below), one tends to feel a bit, um, yucky afterwards. After this weekend’s Daiya bender, I am ready for a break, ready for a detox. This is not to say that each bite I ingested wasn’t damn delicious, I just need to take it easy.
How does one get to this point? Take the proximity of the Electrician’s home to 3 Brothers and a frigid Saturday night and you get a Sicilian pie piled with Daiya. There was something so comforting about driving home from a pizza place, a warm cardboard box warming the length of your quadriceps, the wafting smell of marinara and warm crust filling the car. It had been a long time since I had experienced such anticipatory excitement. I must add that inside 3 Brothers was bustling! The entire dining room was full, with parties waiting by the counter for pick up and seating. I looked around and saw a ton of stretched ear lobes, code on Long Island for vegan hardcore, and older men discussing the NY Times article that helped spread the word about the vegan goings-on in Rockville Centre’s 3 Brothers.
Back at the house, I stared long and hard at the Sicilian pie we had ordered. I hadn’t had a Sicilian slice since I was a little girl, when it was my preference. There must have been a ton of Daiya on the thick crusts. We dug in and ate way too fast.
Wow, I was so stuffed yet I could not stop myself from seconds.
My Daiya-fest 2010 did not stop there, however. Before meeting up with my fellow foodies for the Vegan Bake Sale for Haiti (see post below), we hit Pala on the Lower Eat Side. Yes, Pala, with its new all-vegan menu and many Daiya-infused dishes. Though I ordered the sensibly portioned gnocchi, which only had a sprinkling of the white wonder, I had followed that up with a couple of slices of Tall Guy’s mushroom and veggie sausage pizza! Upping my Daiya intake significantly. I was entranced and couldn’t help myself. Maybe I was making up for the 12 years of veganism I survived without simple comforts like pizza on demand.
The gnocchi was a sensible choice indeed. Topped with a variety of fresh herbs, the marinara-drenched tender dumplings were absolutely delicious.
And while I am recapping this great meal, let’s look at our appetizer, veggie sausage skewers (Field Roast, me thinks). A good start to the Daiya-fest that would follow and the cupcake fest that would follow that. Detox here I come.
Food bloggers are funny.
With a generous contribution of ingredient mula from J. “Whoa Whoa Whoa” Roth and a pint of midnight oil, I whipped up 2 batches of vegan cupcakes (VCTOTW‘s basic vanilla with chocolate ganache and basic chocolate with buttercream) for Vegan Drinks‘ Vegan Bake Sale for Haiti. Said cupcakes were made after a full day of work and a full night of school. Here they are on the subway on my lap as I traveled to work, after the Electrician drove me safely to the subway and alleviated the need to transfer in rush hour with my little cakes and before CandyPenny picked them up from my job so I wouldn’t have to commute with them to and from my Morningside Heights campus.
Finally at Angels and Kings after yet another round of double-duty, CandyPenny’s and my cupcakes were tagged and priced and ready for mouth-mates. All in all, the baked goods raised $1,450 for animals in displaced by the horrific earthquake in Haiti. For more information, see SuperVegan’s blog posting here.
Nothing is more inviting at a sweet bake sale then a little bit of savory. Mini-pizzas were on sale along with stuffed “crawdaddy” veggies pockets to balance out your tastebuds.
So I got some real yummy cupcakes at the sale. A vegan version of Hostess’s famous cream-filled chocolate cupcakes and my favorite vanilla with chocolate frosting combo cupcake. There is something so endearing about home-made. I guess that helped the bar reel em in. The place was packed!
As well as a super-sweet and pretty pink-frosted vanilla. But phew, that was enough for me. With my 24 cupcake contribution and purchase of goods, I donated a total of $88! 
But Sunday, January 31 was a new day and it was time to attend yet another Vegan Bake Sale for Haiti! This time it was at Moo Shoes, New York City’s all-vegan shoe store, and it was just as an attendee. After a foundation of a big lunch a few blocks away, it was time for dessert.
And with a new day came a renewed taste for cupcakes! I started with a lovely chocolate and vanilla cupcake topped with sweet strawberry buttercream. 
Tables were loaded with a wide variety of vegan goodies including scones, peanut brittle, cookies, chocolates, Sweet & Sara marshmallow hearts, Babycakes, many flavors of cupcakes, dog treats, brownies, biscotti, bars, dried fruit, home-made granolas, etc. There was also a raffle in the back and plenty of space to peruse Moo Shoes’s awesome selection of footwear. On-hand as well to round out the afternoon, complimentary copies of Bust magazine.
Public service, with manners.
Back at 3 Brothers again. I plan to take full advantage of this place’s proximity to me. There is so much to try too. This time, we got a little fancy-pants and ordered the eggplant rollatini appetizer, which was as huge as a stand alone meal. What I love about 3 Brothers is how generous they are. Not only do they offer fantastic traditional Italian dishes veganized but they do not skimp on the Daiya or on the portions. This starter was swimming in melted Daiya and the breaded eggplant stuffed with their signature cashew ricotta. One can’t help but think of Manhattan’s spots and their scant sprinklings of the vegan wonder product. 
Now, for my entree, I opted for an old favorite, stuffed shells, not thinking through the fact that the dish was a bit too similar to the appetizer. The photo, below, captures just how much of the cheesy good stuff 3 Brothers piles on. Presentation-wise, the stuffed shells wasn’t the most attractive dish laid before me, but taste-wise, especially the next day in leftover form, it was quite amazing. I still cannot believe I am eating real, authentic, hearty Italian meals now because of 3 Brothers and no longer have to rely on garlic and oil pasta dishes as my sole option. 
The Electrician opted for the penne a la vodka off the vegan menu so I got to taste yet another wonderful dish. Penne a la vodka. Forget the heavy cream, this place has all the classics. Fettuccine Alfredo: check. Meatball hero: check. Parmigiana dinner: check. Ok, I need to calm down about 3 Brothers.
A good hearty Italian meal naturally requires a tasty dessert. I whipped up some classic vanilla cupcakes from VCTOTW and experimented with Cherrybrook Kitchen‘s vanilla frosting. I had tried their cake batter eons ago before I had any baking moxy but it was pure laziness that prompted me to try this dairy-free frosting, which I had mistakenly imagined would hold the nostalgic appeal of a tub of Betty Crocker frosting and thereby appealing to my omni’s sensibilities. The frosting was more a glazy icing that, once applied, made a b-line to the sides of the babycakes making handling them a messy ordeal. It is also extremely sweet and not, I said, not a good pairing with the buttery classic vanilla ones. I am saving the hefty quantity leftover for a drizzle on some chocolate baked goods.
Ok, with the tall stack of griddle cakes from Bone Shakers on for the table makes it easier to decide on a menu choice on an individual level. With sweet taken care of, I’m free to delve into things like… the Tofu Benedict. Or, as some with an affinity for cutesy-ing up things, the Tofu Benny.
Happiness is Bone Shakers brunch on a dreary Sunday with good friends. There is something about their amazing breakfast dishes and window box seating that makes me completely oblivious of the world around my wooden table. Below is that fabulous Tofu Benedict with the always-glorious potato, a perfectly balanced meal of savory, salty and sweet Hollandaise sauce. 
And that brings me to Sunday’s recipe, a big vat of Chili Sin Carne from ye olde Vegan with a Vengeance. What a delicious combination! Chili made with blackstrap molasses and some deep, dark cocoa powder. The week ahead (ok, the week happened already) will be one of hearty and scrumptious sustenance. Other chili requirements include: Iowa State Fair prize winning vegan cornbread. 
At Olive street, Sundays are for podcast catch-ups, cooking and lesson planning. They’re for doing the dishes, budgeting and watching the Netflix, a Buster Keaton double feature, that has been staring at you all week long from the desk. They are an attempt at making the next 5 days as easy as possible. That means it is pantry cooking time once again! This week’s lunch: pumpkin-coconut red lentil curry and cous cous.
Finally using the remainder of my Halloween pumpkin, pictured here, I whipped up an army’s worth of this curry recipe, my very first stab at the Vegan Table cookbook.
I also attempted another loaf of bread. This time, it was a wheat bran bread with molasses. Unfortunately it was a bit of a fail, never fully incorporating to a glutinous dough, never rising and baking into a big brick I may use as a paper weight.
Pala means “shovel” in Italian. But on the Lower East Side, Pala means “absolutely delicious Italian restaurant with a new all-vegan menu, a dedicated fryer and Daiya“. After perusing its online menu of pasta and pizza, I knew I would have to put a visit to Pala at the top of my to-eat list. So after an afternoon wandering the dark halls of the AMNH, the Electrician and I traversed the length and width of the isle of Manhattan to arrive at a dimly lit Pala for a proper date.
Now, as a public service to the brotherhood and sisterhood of vegan food bloggers, I will let the world know that going to dinner with a one of us involves the inclusion of the camera as a utensil, right next to the fork, a brief but important photo shoot session pre-first bite and, often, a bright camera flash that confuses other dining patrons. These simple tasks are aided by your patience and understanding. For high marks, help your vegan food blogger’s cause by contributing to the composition of her photographs. (See photo below. The Zucca antipasto, cubed butternut squash [or zucca, Italian for pumpkin], grilled onion, green peas, raisins and basil, looks great paired next to your authentic Italian beer.)
As I mentioned above, it is very important to preserve the presentation of a delivered dish by waiting until your vegan food blogger has a satisfying shot of the meal before picking up your fork. This is perhaps your most important responsibility. Sometimes, especially in low lighting, a thorough food blogger needs to take two sets of pictures, those with and those without flash, as well as additional macro close-ups and cross-section shots once eating has commenced. And she’ll likely need to photograph your dish as well. This is the bulk of the work a vegan food blogger must accomplish before her own first bite. But when a food blogger successfully captures a dish’s deliciousness with her camera, it is the first step to a great dining experience. It is also important to realize that when the deliciousness of a dish far exceeds the quality of its photograph (See photo below. My dish, Trofie, rice/potato/soy flour penne, finely chopped zucchini in a Daiya cheese mousse, garnished with fresh mint and more Daiya, tasted a million times better than how its photo turned out.) there is a nominal amount of disappointment.
Although the suggestions above are often standard practice for considerate dining acquaintances, perhaps you may take your vegan food blogger dining compatibility even further and bestow to her the task of selecting your dish, as the Electrician did (See photo below. I chose for him the gnocchi with cherry tomato sauce, fresh basil and Daiya cheese). This not only shows your trust in your vegan food blogger’s expansive knowledge of her favorite subject but it helps alleviate the pressure of selecting just one dish from an entirely vegan menu with so many attractive choices.
Now that you know how to swoon your vegan food blogger, happy dining!
Does anyone remember the Sky Bar chocolate bar? The chocolate bar with four distinct sections (peanut butter, caramel, vanilla and fudge) put out by Necco? When I was a little girl on Long Island and my pop worked in midtown Manhattan, he used to bring them home for us kids. Because they came from New York City, and weren’t available at the local Te-Amo, I always thought them special and exotic. I loved getting to the vanilla section, sometimes trading the peanut butter section with a sibling for yet another vanilla. I loved the colors of the wrapper. And I loved that my dad brought them home for us, that he ate them when he was a kid and wanted us to try them.
All this came back vividly when I tried the Ritter Sports dark chocolate with marzipan bar. The scrumptious almond-y marzipan tasted like my favorite vanilla section of the Sky Bar. What a delight! Especially after the semi-disappointment in Go Max Go‘s chocolate bar assortment that didn’t quite hit the nostalgic nail on the head. Ritter Sports, the German chocolate company with an odd name, makes a variety of molded chocolate bars, including a milk chocolate bar packed with… Cornflakes. The dark chocolate with marzipan is one of those joyfully accidentally vegan products. Their “Fine Extra Dark Chocolate” is the only other also vegan variety as the 17 other standard-sized bars contain dairy and/or shellac. I am thankful to have my piece of the Sky Bar again. Maybe I’ll bring one home to my pop?
The quest for pantry turnover and a fresh beginning of 2010 continues! Making my class a batch of mini-cupcakes for their celebratory pizza party used up an old bag of confectionary sugar, right in time for my upcoming sugar detox, and a container of hydrongenated waxy sprinkles I inherited from my last classroom that was taking up very valuable space in my spice rack. The cupcakes impressed the kids and my co-teacher while my not eating the pizza opened up a dialogue about my being vegan. Reactions are so varied and odd when I drop the v-bomb, especially from kids, that I often avoid doing so. But the cupcakes convinced the kids I wasn’t skimping on anything.
I initially was going to make “melted snow man” cupcakes after the piped buttercream frosting had a resemblence to them. But I decided to cover them in sprinkles to use all them waxy sprinkles up.
Using a box of Arborio rice in the cupboard for ages, I whipped up my lunch for the week: asparagus, shallot and artichoke risotto. I decided to try to make a routine of this on Sunday to try to eat less of my money through the year. Last year I swallowed over $6,ooo in food expenses! I have the next several weeks of recipes lined up. But for now, a week’s worth of thick and scrumptious risotto. 
Mr. and Mrs. Claus brought me a breadmaker this year and I am determined to never buy a loaf of bread again. I am pretty good with “never” doing things ever again when I am feel it necessary. Whether it be my strong will or my inherited stubbornness, when I’m amped enough to make a declarative statement, it lasts. So I’ve been looking into buying bread flour bulk and using the 50-lb sacks as spare kitchen chairs and contemplating a new shelf system to support me in my quest. I’m also ready to test estimations on the shelf-life vs. quantity of 5 lbs of active dry yeast. I can sometimes go overboard, diving headfirst in new endeavors, yes, but only because I am predisposed to go underboard. It’s a defense.
I made my first loaf last night with great results! A big, buoyant rosemary olive oil loaf that stunk the apartment up with yeast and scared the cat with the hums and gurgles of its production. The end result was delicious. You can’t mess up bread, right? But I’m gonna try!
Last time I was at 3 Brothers, the very vegan-friendly pizzeria on Long Island, I was floored. This time, with the arrival of their comprehensive vegan menu, I was positively giddy. Not to be over-dramatic, but 3 Brothers is, quite possibly, vegan heaven on Earth. The thing of fairy tales and folklore. The many pages of the pizzeria’s exclusively vegan menu options were overwhelming. We stared at its pages in awe and indecision, kind of confused. 
Here exists an eatery charmed in timing. In October, when I first reported on their inclusion of Daiya to their menu, I knew I had discovered a gem. Soon thereafter, the New York Times had published an article in their regional section, exposing the masses to the vegan magic happening behind their counter. [Of course their ridiculous science column op-ed piece promoting omni-mythos was soon to follow, written, disappointingly, by Natalie Angier, the science writer who had charmed and fascinated me with her previous work. Luckily, the Discerning Brute and Vegansaurus responded with logic and reason.] Two months or so later, on the evening of my second visit to 3 Brothers, I sat amongst a whole dining room of vegan parties, in the satisfying reward of feeling at the proverbial home… in my hometown.
Let us get to the food, starting at the beginning. Any good Italian joint knows that a basket of fresh-baked warm bread is a must. But at 3 Brothers, you can get a ball of vegan margarine to smear too. It was a little detail but important. The act of which was strangely nostalgic and pleasing on its own, the soft distribution of that fat, the bottom-heavy sturdy silverware it seems only restaurants get to have., the red neon afterglow of “Pizza…Pasta”.
Enter heaven: Vegan. Mozzarella. Sticks. Who would have believed it ever so? Huge, sturdy and thickly-breaded sticks oozing with hot, melted vegan mozzarella. I would have traveled cross-country for them but needed only to travel the Cross Island Parkway. They were amazing. Again, I was so confused. Not to sound like one of those “it’s actually not bad”-omnivores but how could they be that good?
Satiety already being triggered, my seitan cutlet roll was delivered at the last moment. It was enormous. Delicious, tender house-made seitan wrapped in vegan mozzarella and fresh, buttery dough, delivered with a generous pool of marinara for dipping. Perfection.
Now: Take a look at the 3 Brothers all-vegan menu online and let me know when you want to go. A place like this needs to be shared.
Vegan Reporting By Location
