tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91881895270403268112024-03-13T15:32:48.935-07:00Vegan Lady EatsVegan Food + commentarySarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08265696532615097875noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-8489974808231363842019-06-07T07:55:00.000-07:002019-06-07T07:55:14.121-07:00Milk frothers are an underappreciated toolLittle battery-powered milk frothers are super useful, and underappreciated. Our top uses:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Quickly aerating red wine so you can drink it without waiting around for it to open up in a decanter.</li>
<li>Breaking up all the lumps in matcha without resorting to your thumb after a normal whisk proves insufficient.</li>
<li>Making a flaxseed egg replacer - the whisking helps it get nice and thick.</li>
<li>Hot chocolate - first breaking up the lumps with a it of hot nondairy milk, then frothing the top once it's all mixed</li>
</ol>
Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-6928733079070935722019-05-26T05:45:00.003-07:002019-05-26T05:45:50.465-07:00Oat milks: the new classAfter the infamous Oatly shortage of 2018, it seemed like there was a huge untapped market for oat milk. As a result several companies scrambled to put together a product, and by spring 2019 there were quite a few competitors vying for that demand.<br />
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Sarah did not like Oatly; she found it too sweet. I thought it was OK, but not really worth buying. But when Sarah's mom bought some of the Silk oat milk and we liked it, we knew it was time for an oat-off (all with unsweetened varieties):<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/47935825076/in/dateposted/" title="The new crop of oat milks after the oatly shortage"><img alt="The new crop of oat milks after the oatly shortage" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47935825076_8fdb0b9756_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Here's the verdict:<br />
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<b>Quaker Oat Beverage:</b><br />
Last place. The first problem is that it settles out to such a degree that you'd need one of those paint shaker machines to get it mixed up properly. Otherwise you shake it hard for about a minute and there's still a bunch of gunk on the bottom. Then you drink whatever you've got, and it's super chalky and thick (like eggnog almost). Has a nice mild oat flavor, but it's not a good drink. Note the avoidance of the term "milk" on the label - probably wise given all the lawsuits and rules changes in Europe and the US.<br />
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<b>Silk Oat Yeah Oatmilk</b>:<br />
This was the one that Sarah really liked initially. It's thinner than Quaker (still thicker than normal soy or almond milk), has a stronger oat flavor, and is somewhat sweeter. Surprisingly didn't really work with hot chocolate, despite the sweetness. Still tasty and worth drinking.<br />
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<b>Plant Oat Oatmilk</b>:<br />
This was the dark horse. It's a company we'd never heard of, and it was a full dollar less than the other options. To our surprise, this was the winner; originally Sarah didn't even want to try anything other than Silk but w/ a blind tasting she preferred this one. It's got a pretty mild oat flavor, was the thinnest of the bunch (more like normal plant milk), and has its own flavor somehow a little bit reminiscent of cow's milk (which I don't like, but was OK here). Unfortunately, it had the lowest vitamin content, and since Sarah relies on her plant milk for calcium that was a real downside.<br />
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So Sarah's back to drinking Bolthouse Farms unsweetened pea milk, and I'm back to drinking water.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-54291254778340257262018-05-28T16:30:00.001-07:002018-05-28T16:30:05.374-07:00Review: The Fancy Radish<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/42417791551/in/datetaken/" title="Grilled tofu and langos at fancy radish"><img alt="Grilled tofu and langos at fancy radish" height="480" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1751/42417791551_85f4e69f3b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.fancyradishdc.com/">The Fancy Radish</a> is the new upscale vegan restaurant in DC from Richard Landau and Kate Jacoby of Philly fame. After two visits, Vegan Lady and I are ready to share our review.<br />
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Though pricey and hard to get reservations, it's definitely worth it. They are clearly still working out a few kinks from some dishes, but others are spot on. Here's the blow-by-blow, but if you just want to know what we recommend you order, look for the <b>👌 </b>symbol:<br />
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<b>APPETIZERS AND MAIN COURSES:</b><br />
<b>Rutabaga fondue w/ soft pretzel: 👌</b><br />
Damn. This is really phenomenal. The texture is velvety and fondue-like, but the taste is neither real cheese nor vegan fake-cheese, but it's own (delicious) thing. There's a bit of nutritional yeast in the flavor but not too much. And the pretzel is amazing - fluffy and soft inside, with an outside that's almost crisp. The fresh mixed pickles (cauliflower, carrot,etc.) are good too, but not key to the beauty of the pretzel and fondue.<br />
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<b>Fancy radishes:</b><br />
This was fine, but not worth the opportunity cost of something else on the menu. There were four kinds of radishes (black, 'purple ninja', watermelon, and a fourth I forget) each of which paired with 1-2 other flavors (like shisito peppers, or shredded zucchini with sesame seeds, etc.). Of the lot, they were all good, but only one was great.<br />
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<b>Chiogga beet picnic:</b><br />
This was really nice, better than expected. It's beets with a BBQ-ranch theme, including brussel sprout slaw and lovely little toast points. It tastes like something you could make at home, but done very well.<br />
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<b>Peruvian potatoes:</b><br />
This was the only real dud we had. The potatoes are thinly sliced, really oily, and crazy salty (although we had this after they'd only been open a week or two, maybe they fixed it). The other flavors were good but in short supply - mostly you just got the salty potato flavor.<br />
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<b>Langos</b><b>👌</b><br />
This was just incredible through and through (it's the bottom dish in the image above). Again the skill of the baker shines through in the soft and light yet slightly crispy potato bread in the form of a pizza crust, and it's topped with leek 'sauerkraut ' (which is creamy rather than vinegary), fried smoky mushrooms with the spot-on texture of fried bacon, and little shreds of horseradish. It is salty and very strongly flavored, but those flavors are all the best. You could honestly eat this on top of pasta or a slice of bread and still be in good shape.<br />
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<b>Miso butter noodles:</b><br />
Other than the Peruvian potatoes, this was also fairly disappointing. The noodles are oily but really mild - you get the nori and not much else. If you like really subtle flavors this may be a good pick but otherwise save your appetite for the more tempting options.<br />
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<b>Chermoula grilled tofu:</b><br />
This was really good, although it came at the same time as the langos so it suffered by comparison. Basically you have nicely done tofu w/ North African eggplant sauce, and a tiny carrot salad that provides a really great flavor combination but in too small a quantity to round out the dish as we would have preferred. With maybe double the salad this would have been a keeper.<br />
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<b>Seared maitake:</b><b>👌</b><br />
This was our favorite 'main course' although the second time it wasn't quite as good. You get a good chunk of maitake mushrooom (hen of the woods) seared in olive oil, a celeriac fritter (like a hush puppy) with some minced celery 'relish' and creamy celery sauce. Everything tastes wonderful and works really well together - this dish highlights the concept of Vedge and Fancy Radish really well (letting vegetable foods shine). The second time we came the dish was a bit too salty, and the fritter slightly mushy, but it was still great.<br />
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<b>DESSERT:</b></div>
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<b>Sticky toffee pudding:</b><br />
This is off the menu now - it had a great flavor but was wayyy too sweet. It was like a butterscotch brownie with caramel sauce, and was supposed to come with smoked cedar ice cream but actually came with halwa ice cream, although the waiter insisted it was cedar our taste buds were in accord so they must have run out).</div>
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<b>Sorbets and ice creams:</b><br />
We got a mix of three - uber luxe (deep rich chocolate with crispy bits, pea shoot ice cream, and I forget the third but it may have been yuzu sorbet). All were good, but none were totally mind-blowing, so given the other desserts I'd skip this next time.</div>
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<b>Sour cherry jellies:</b><b>👌</b><br />
This sounded like it couldn't possibly work: sumac jelly doughnuts, halwa ice cream, and a cherry blossom shooter. But it was a real delight. The 'doughnuts' were really more like beignets on a cherry-sumac sauce, but they had a great texture and flavor. The halwa ice cream tasted like you'd expect and complemented the sumac and fried dough really well. The cherry blossom shooter was some sort of kombucha or something - light and acidic and also worked with the rest of the dessert. Sarah found the overall dish too sweet, however.</div>
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<b>Chocolate bar:</b></div>
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Basically a dense chocolate fudge on a crispy chocolate brownie / cookie crust, topped with elderflower-infused pecans and served with lavender ice cream and blackberries. It was rich, decadent, and the floral flavors kept you a bit off balance but I ended up licking my plate clean. Sarah has less tolerance for floral flavors in her food so liked the main bar but not the ice cream.</div>
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<b>Blueberry tart:</b><br />
OK, the tart had a bottom crust almost an inch thick, which was a shame, because everything else was superb - the blueberry filling, the sorrel ice cream, and the lemon curd. But there was way too much crust, and the texture on the bottom suffered for the thickness.</div>
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<b>DRINKS:</b></div>
<div>
<b>Peridot meteor:</b><b>👌</b><br />
Made with gin, celery, hot bitters, and olive oil this sounded gross but too weird to miss but ended up being a very pleasant surprise. The bitter celery flavors were dialed back, something sweet was in there to round it out, the oil was also pretty light, and it all blended really well.<br />
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<b>Woodmaze:</b><br />
This is an earthy-smoky party made with bourbon, pu'erh tea (a very earthy and smoky high-grade fermented Chinese tea), and Manzanilla sherry. It was complex and tasty, but to be totally honest the flavors didn't go that well with the meal so would be better as an after-dinner cocktail.<br />
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<b>Raphanus shade:</b><br />
Another one I had to order for the sake of weirdness - it's rye with black vinegar, a slice of raw black radish, and Amaro Ferro-Kina (an Italian apertif). The vinegar really comes through on the nose - as I lifted it to my lips I definitely had regret as it seemed like I was doing a kimchi shot. The flavor was more mild and well balanced than I expected, I ended up enjoying it enough to finish it, but definitely wouldn't order again as for me to vinegar was just too much.</div>
</div>
Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-90623186021943442182018-01-27T13:51:00.001-08:002018-01-27T13:51:07.524-08:00Thai pizza (or Caribbean jerk pizza) with coconut crustI've been making both Thai pizza and Caribbean jerk pizza (with tropical mango / pineapple salsa) for about 20 years, and it finally hit me: why not a coconut pizza crust!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/39901090562/" title="Thai pizza with coconut crust"><img alt="Thai pizza with coconut crust" height="375" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4749/39901090562_2c24af60e9.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<br />
So the recipe for both Thai pizza and Caribbean jerk pizza is available at <a href="http://food.sciencejon.com/">http://food.sciencejon.com</a><br />
<a href="http://food.sciencejon.com/">http://food.sciencejon.com</a><br />
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The only thing you need to change is to substitute 1/4 cup melted coconut oil for the 1/4 olive oil. The flavor is really lovely, and it's a bit more flaky and tender than normal pizza crust. In the Thai pizza above I also added some powdered galangal, ginger, turmeric, and lemongrass.<br />
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Next time I make the Caribbean pizza I'll try the coconut crust and add a photo here.<br />
<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-24348206987089745662017-10-01T12:50:00.000-07:002017-10-03T13:12:40.953-07:00Kitchen hacks that make cooking easier and waste less food<br />
<b>Kitchen hack #1: Plan your meals</b><br />
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When I found out my husband (then boyfriend) only bought food that he had a specific plan to use in the next week, I thought, who lives that way? What a restrictive and hard way to live! I believed I could <i>never </i>live like that - that the advance planning would take the fun and spontaneity out of life.<br />
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I can report that, 11 years later, cooking and life is actually just as enjoyable when you plan your meals in advance. Surprise! As a bonus, we waste a lot less food and eat a more balanced diet.<br />
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Each week we look through cookbooks for recipes we're interested in and add the ingredients we need to the groceries list in the app <a href="https://www.ourgroceries.com/overview">Our Groceries</a>. We have a separate list called "meals this week", where we list the recipe name, the cookbook abbreviation, and the recipe page number. We plan everything down to the exact number of onions we'll need for that week. Why can I do this but am unable to get birthday cards mailed on time? A good question.<br />
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<b>Kitchen hack #2: Hang your measuring spoons</b><br />
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If you're tired of sifting around in a drawer for the right size measuring spoon, get yourself some inexpensive command hooks and hang them all up!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/37449074862/in/dateposted/" title="Measuring spoon hooks"><img alt="Measuring spoon hooks" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4512/37449074862_ce6ede92e0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<b>Kitchen hack #3: Onion Goggles</b><br />
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I have super sensitive eyes, so when either I, or anyone near me chops an onion, it hurts. I bought these onion goggles years ago, which have a seal around your face to prevent the fumes of the onion from reaching your eyes. They still work perfectly. I love them.<br />
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I'd also like to note the 2 bag system we have for garlic. We have newer garlic in the bag to the right, and then the older garlic in the bag to the left. This is good for when you have garlic from last week and newer garlic and you want to know which one you should use first so you don't end up letting old garlic get past its prime. The largest bag is for onions and potatoes and looks kind of gross and stained, but it's really useful. The stretchy nature of these three bags allows us to store more stuff in them than you would think possible..<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/37449109442/in/dateposted/" title="Garlic and onion storage"><img alt="Garlic and onion storage" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4476/37449109442_e0339693e4_z.jpg" width="480" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<b>Kitchen hack #4: Freeze veggie scraps for vegetable stock</b><br />
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We'd heard of storing veggie scraps in the fridge, and yes, we've tried it. What is the result? A bowl of slimy, rotting veggie scraps judging you for not getting around to making vegetable stock in time. The solution? Freeze 'em. What is a suitable veggie scrap? Pieces of onion, garlic, mushrooms, carrot peels, leek stems, sweet potato peels. What is disgusting? Beet peels, kale stems, or putting in too much onion and garlic. The freezer doesn't keep these scraps good indefinitely, but it keeps them good long enough for us to get around breaking out the Fagor plug-in electric pressure cooker to make stock.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/36770489954/in/dateposted/" title="Frozen veggie stock scraps"><img alt="Frozen veggie stock scraps" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4498/36770489954_206a36d7e7_z.jpg" width="480" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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You can freeze the resulting vegetable stock in 2-3 cup containers for later use in recipes.<br />
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<b>Kitchen hack #5 Freeze unused pastes and sauces</b><br />
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Hot pasta is draining in the sink. You grab that half used pasta sauce from the fridge before the pasta starts sticking together, only to discover it's growing mold. Yep, we've all been there. But not anymore! The minute you use the first half of the pasta sauce, break out your ice cube tray (go buy one for crying out loud), and pour the second half you're not using into the tray. Once they are frozen, remove them and place in an air-tight tupperware. You're not done yet! Now grab a rubber band, masking tape, and a sharpie. Wrap the masking tape around the rubber band, and then write "pasta sauce" on the masking tape, and put the rubber band around the tupperware. I've tried lots of methods of labeling my frozen cubes, and this one works out the best.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/36770481444/in/dateposted/" title="Frozen things"><img alt="Frozen things" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4512/36770481444_b00f27e9b2_z.jpg" width="480" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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What half-used things should you be making ice cubes out of?<br />
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<ul>
<li>Pasta sauce</li>
<li>Tomato paste</li>
<li>Thai curry paste</li>
<li>Dijon mustard</li>
<li>Diced ginger (moisten diced ginger slightly to get a better ice cube)</li>
<li>Chipotles en adobo</li>
<li>Applesauce (for baking purposes)</li>
</ul>
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Things which have not worked out so well are: lemon zest (get too dried out and tastes like nothing), lemon juice (I don't know why, we just can't seem to remember it's in there). For a while we had a whiteboard on the fridge listing what we had, but the magnets broke and we haven't replaced it.<br />
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<b>Kitchen hack #6: Don't let your cilantro go bad!</b><br />
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You don't have to buy some silly plastic container that holds hardly any cilantro like I've seen in some kitchens. As long as you have a coffee mug, a knife, and a plastic bag, you got this.<br />
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Make sure you're buying decently fresh cilantro - no yellow leaves, no rotting leaves, no black areas. Yuck. This only keeps <i>good </i>cilantro good, it's not making zombie cilantro out of your half rotting cilantro.<br />
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Moving on. Take your just-purchased green and healthy cilantro and chop the very ends off. This ensures that if the ends have hardened and can't take in water anymore, you're removing them and leaving a stem which can absorb water.<br />
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Fill a mug halfway to 2/3 full with water, and put the cilantro stem down into the water. Make sure the cilantro stem ends reach the water and have a little leeway in case of evaporation. Cover the mug and cilantro with a plastic bag, and put in the fridge. Yes, I said put in the fridge.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/36770497274/in/dateposted/" title="Cilantro bag"><img alt="Cilantro bag" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4468/36770497274_1e96fd0240_z.jpg" width="480" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Your cilantro will stay better so, so much longer. You'll eat tacos or baingan bharta, and everyone will be happy.<br />
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<b>Kitchen hack #7 Cook on the couch</b><br />
Feeling too lazy to do all of the chopping and prep work for a nice meal? Rather than giving up, move the washed veggies to peel & chop to a cutting board on a coffee table in front of your couch. Sit on your butt and chop while watching Netflix or listening to music or chatting or something, then head to the kitchen with everything pre-chopped. You feel like you're on a cooking show with everything all ready to toss in!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08265696532615097875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-88134812324513437512017-07-10T17:07:00.003-07:002017-07-15T07:27:21.401-07:00Review of new vegan (non-dairy) Häagen-Dazs ice creamOK, so this week <a href="https://www.haagendazs.us/about/news/our-new-non-dairy-flavors-might-become-your-new-favorite/" id="s0p1c0" style="display: none;"></a><a class="r-icuo4azfEH7M" data-preconnect-urls="http://www.haagendazs.us/,http://clickserve.dartsearch.net/" href="https://www.haagendazs.us/about/news/our-new-non-dairy-flavors-might-become-your-new-favorite/" id="vs0p1c0" jsl="$t t-zxXzjt1d4B0;$x 0;"><span style="color: #1a0dab;">Häagen-Dazs</span></a> dropped <a href="https://www.haagendazs.us/about/news/our-new-non-dairy-flavors-might-become-your-new-favorite/">four new vegan ice cream flavors</a>, and I couldn't find any reviews online. So we decided to give then a try. Sadly the <a href="https://www.haagendazs.us/locator/">locator page on their web site</a> is misleading, it found three stores that should have had them but didn't (none of the staff had even heard of the new flavors) and failed to show the Target down the street that did (I heard that Target is the only place selling them other than <span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #1a0dab;">Häagen</span><span style="color: #1a0dab;">-Dazs</span> stores</span>. But eventually we picked up all four flavors: coconut caramel, peanut butter chocolate fudge, chocolate salted fudge truffle, and mocha chocolate cookie:<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/35459260640/in/datetaken/" title="New vegan Häagen-Dazs Ice cream (1/2)"><img alt="New vegan Häagen-Dazs Ice cream (1/2)" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4288/35459260640_0667deb740_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/35037602913/in/datetaken/" title="New vegan Häagen-Dazs Ice cream (2/2)"><img alt="New vegan Häagen-Dazs Ice cream (2/2)" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4232/35037602913_5f99f03d16_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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OK, so what was the verdict? The key thing is that this is really intense, rich, sweet ice cream. Compared to most other vegan brands it just has a much denser and heavy feel. But they are delicious! The mouthfeel is better to me than the new Ben & Jerry's (which feels a bit more crystalline), but it's also so dense it's almost a bit chewy (especially the coconut caramel). I think So Delicious and other brands incorporate more air or something for a smoother and less intense flavor. But if you are the kind of person that likes chocolate lava cake or triple chocolate mousse / cake /etc. this should be right up your alley.<br />
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My favorites were the chocolate truffle (very fudgy and intense) and the peanut-butter chocolate (also very intense, but the PB and chocolate made for more balance). I also liked the mocha cookie quite a bit but the texture of the chocolate pieces in the truffle was way better to me. Coconut caramel was OK but to me was too sweet (similar to So Delicious Dulce de Leche, while the chocolate truffle was like their old Purely Decadent flavor with chocolate swirl and chunks, but even richer).<br />
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Vegan Lady liked mocha and PB&chocolate best, then truffle, and coconut last. Our neighbor and her daughter came over and liked the coconut best followed by mocha, but also liked them all.<br />
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So I'd say that if you like ice cream, give these a try, but be sure to find some people to split them with, as if you eat the whole pint you will be in pain!<br />
<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-39347609945706219472017-06-01T08:53:00.002-07:002017-06-01T08:53:12.539-07:00Nicoise salad with collard green seed pod "beans"We let our collard greens flower and go to seed this year, and have been curious to try eating the "beans" which are good and tender if you get them when they're still small:<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/34973238715/in/dateposted/" title="Collard "green bean" seed pod"><img alt="Collard "green bean" seed pod" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4252/34973238715_f888928edc_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
We ended up putting them on top of a Nicoise salad, which was tasty:<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/34585820160/in/photostream/" title="Nicoise salad"><img alt="Nicoise salad" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4200/34585820160_ae1c62d49b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-2907480357555313472017-05-08T17:43:00.002-07:002017-05-08T17:43:26.186-07:00Soil Horizons Cake for Earth Day<span style="font-family: "calibri";">How better to celebrate Earth Day than with a soil cake? We
didn’t just want a boring chocolate “dirt cake” with gummi worms in it; we
wanted a proper soil profile with the different horizons represented (see the printout at the bottom of the photo below). In the
end we discarded some of our more fanciful ideas and went with a relatively
design involving 3 layers plus toppings. Here are the components prior to assembly:</span><br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/34242902686/in/dateposted/" title="Soil cake preparation"><img alt="Soil cake preparation" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2835/34242902686_a39638233c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For the bottom layer (E horizon) we wanted “rocks” of different sizes
so used the health food store equivalent of cocoa rice crispies and cocoa
pebbles in a vegan marshmallow base (basically heterogeneous vegan rice crispie
treats), shown at left in the photo above. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On top of that we wanted sort of a tan cake for the leached
B horizon, so after considering mocha or spice cake we kept it simple and went
with a vegan vanilla cake recipe and just added 1.5 Tbsp of cocoa powder. The
cake recipe was terrible though, so this layer came out fairly dry, and next
time I’d use a tried and true vanilla recipe before mixing in a bit of cocoa.
We put basic powdered sugar icing (with a bit of cocoa to match the color)
above and below this layer to help bind it to the other layers (top cake in photo above).</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The top layer was a mocha cake (the bottom cake in photo above), lighter than a pure
chocolate cake but still a nice rich brown for the A horizon. Then we put a
mocha ganache on top of that to hold the oreo crumble on top (we used oreo
thins with chocolate filling), and topped with a few sugar cookie “leaves.” We
also planned to have pretzel stick “twigs” but the dog got into the bag of
pretzels the night before so had to give up on that. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Here’s how it looked once
assembled:</span></div>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/34152591041/in/photostream/" title="Soil cake preparation"><img alt="Soil cake preparation" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2949/34152591041_691b9d159e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Once it was assembled we cooled it in the fridge before
cutting the edges flush for a neater look:</span><br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/33443289683/in/photolist-U8hey9-SXgAQz-SXgASP-U2WXsz-UaVPXU" title="Soil horizon cake"><img alt="Soil horizon cake" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4171/33443289683_58f9da19e3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<br />
<br />
Here's an oblique shot from above:<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/33443289553/" title="Soil horizon cake"><img alt="Soil horizon cake" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2879/33443289553_766f447ace_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sadly the time in the fridge dried out the cake a bit,
so we had to serve it with vegan Breyer’s cookies and cream, and poured some of
the new vegan Bailey’s Irish cream on the cake as well. But that's not an awful worst case. We had some of the leftovers in glasses as a trifle and it worked pretty well.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We also wanted to make roots / mycorrhizae out of white
cotton candy which we could jam into the cake, but couldn’t find it. But a
simpler idea would have been to bend up a hangar into a jagged shape, poke
several sinuous holes in the cake from above, and fill each with thin white
icing, so that when you cut into it you can see the roots. Next time!</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-8421810563158830002016-07-13T19:51:00.002-07:002018-01-27T13:43:52.071-08:00Vegan goat cheese (chevré), round 2It's been a while, so I decided to make the goat cheese recipe from VegNews (a modified version of the one in Miyoko Schinner's book) but without the herbs de provence. It turns out making it in summer is pretty different; it ages a lot faster but thickens more slowly! I decided I wanted a different flavor profile so changed up the herbs. <br />
<br />
Here's the last of the final product (it is so tasty I usually eat a lot of it before I remember to take a picture):<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/27680090073/in/dateposted/" title="Vegan goat cheese"><img alt="Vegan goat cheese" height="281" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8758/27680090073_3f7780dcb1.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<br />
<br />
<b>You need to plan about a week in advance of when you want to eat the cheese.</b><br />
<br />
First, make some rejuvelac:<br />
To make 2 cups of rejuvelac (enough for many cheeses): soak 1/2 cup whole grains (i used quinoa, which makes for a less disgusting flavor than rye or barley or wheat) in 2 cups of water for 8-12 hours. Drain it and fill with more water, changing it 3 times per day, until the grains begin sprouting, then drain again. put the grains and 2 cups of fresh water in a jar and cover with a towel or cheesecloth. Let it sit for 2 days or so, until the liquid turns white, then strain out the grains to have your rejuvelac. It should look like this before you strain it, and you can keep it in the fridge for several weeks:<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/39035053975/" title="Making rejuvelac"><img alt="Making rejuvelac" height="500" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4677/39035053975_7f44cb3303.jpg" width="375" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<br />
<br />
Then soak the cashews (2 cups, raw) for at least 3-4 hours, or overnight.<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/39900948112/in/photostream/" title="Cashews soaking to make cheese"><img alt="Cashews soaking to make cheese" height="500" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4748/39900948112_2da3b14ac9.jpg" width="375" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<br />
<br />
Then blend until very smooth (I use a food processor, a blender or vitamix works but requires a lot more scraping and pushing and more liquid):<br />
2 cups raw cashews, soaked<br />
1/4-3/8 cup rejuvelac (I use 3/8 to make blending easier, but if you want it thicker use 1/4)<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 small clove garlic<br />
<br />
When smooth, either add these whole and blend for a bit, or chop them up and mix it in. If you blend them all together you will have green cheese which will skeeve people out, otherwise you have nice green flecks as shown above:<br />
~1/4 cup fresh basil leaves<br />
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves<br />
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast<br />
1 tsp lemon juice<br />
whatever other herbs / spices sound good (e.g. in winter I use dried herbs de provence rather than fresh basil and rosemary)<br />
<br />
Put it in a bowl, and let it sit out for ~ 24 hours; if it's cool weather you might need 2 days. You want it to start tasting a bit sharp and funky, but not too much. When it looks like this, your bacteria are going nuts (producing those little gas pockets) and you need to move on to the next step:<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/27479466444/in/dateposted/" title="Vegan goat cheese culturing"><img alt="Vegan goat cheese culturing" height="281" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7135/27479466444_a6f38995b2.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<br />
<br />
Now you're supposed to shape this into a log using some parchment paper, but especially if it's hot and humid, you will find that it got funky fast, but didn't thicken up much. But generally it's loose enough I have to just spoon it into a rough log shape on parchment paper and smooth it out. Sprinkle on about 1/4 tsp of salt (ideally powdered in a spice grinder first) evenly over the log. Alternatively, if it's runny enough that it won't hold its shape, put it in the fridge for a day to get thick before making the log. Here's a pic of the pre-aged log, but note the color is weird b/c in this pic I used some walnuts too:<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/39933538231/" title="Cashew cheese log"><img alt="Cashew cheese log" height="375" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4649/39933538231_b751e1f5ca.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
Finally, let it sit out for about 2-3 days until it has thickened a bit and is super tasty. There will be sort of a rind that's thicker and more dry but it's all good.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-45219080030653636072015-12-16T20:04:00.002-08:002015-12-16T20:10:14.734-08:00Thanksgiving!<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/22795976624/in/dateposted/" title="Thanksgiving 2015"><img alt="Thanksgiving 2015" height="450" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5815/22795976624_762be2c02c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
For thanksgiving, between my sister and law and we made (left to right, bottom row first): stuffing (or dressing), fried tom tofu, "forager's roast" from field roast, two kinds of fresh cranberry sauce (one sweet with bourbon and shallots, one tart with orange and ginger), garlicky collard greens, mashed potatoes, gravy, salad, squash soup, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce from a can, brussel sprouts, roasted squash, salad, roasted asparagus, sugar cookies, sweet potato pie, spicy cinnamon pecans.<br />
<br />
Recipes for the stuffing, cranberry sauce(s), tom tofu, sugar cookies, and spicy cinnamon pecans are at <a href="http://food.sciencejon.com/">http://food.sciencejon.com</a><br />
<br />
Happy belated holidays! Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-82873891389475885172015-07-18T14:28:00.001-07:002015-07-18T14:28:14.148-07:00Vegan brie-offOK, should you spring for the extra $ involved in buying a <a href="http://www.modernistpantry.com/druids-grove-vegan-brie-kit.html">commercial brie kit from Druid's Grove</a> (still requiring preparation at home, but it's pretty easy), or spend the extra time required to make it from scratch? It depends! Here are the two contenders:<br />
<br />
Commercial brie (we made this twice, once with coconut oil and once with deodorized cocoa butter:
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16560842760/in/photolist-vTPCub-vTWSTr-reqDzJ" title="Vegan brie from druids grove"><img alt="Vegan brie from druids grove" height="360" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7607/16560842760_f4007bf22c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
Homemade brie:<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/19620780570/in/dateposted/" title="Homemade vegan brie"><img alt="Homemade vegan brie" height="360" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/339/19620780570_672fe03e1e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
Homemade brie in proper context (on homemade foccacia with broccoli and veggie sausage sautéed in red wine. Damn.):
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/19622194799/in/dateposted/" title="Broccoli and veggie sausage on homemade vegan brie and bread"><img alt="Broccoli and veggie sausage on homemade vegan brie and bread" height="360" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/297/19622194799_d023ae6181_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
<br />
So, the commercial brie has a clearly superior texture and look. It is super smooth and melts in your mouth. Flavor is very mild, no one who knew what brie tasted like thought this cheese tasted like brie, or even like much of a cheese at all. But it was really good on crackers nonetheless.<br />
<br />
The homemade brie (I went with the variant that maximized flavor and let it age extra time to really compare with the milder commercial one) was also good, and had more flavor (closer to real brie, but still distant), but not as smooth a texture. I will say that as it continued to age in the fridge it got a really nice sharp taste, and was good in several dishes. Oh, but the cashews do give it a bit of a sweet taste which is uncool.<br />
<br />
Ultimately given the ease and texture, we would go with the commercial brie. But at $20?! We will instead focus on homemade cheeses that came out better at home like the gruyere and gouda (also from Miyoko Schinner's book). One downside of both bries is that they are extra-fatty since they have coconut oil in them for texture, and having it in your fridge is definitely encouraging.<br />
<br />
Hopefully sometime soon we will have commercially available premade vegan cheese that actually passes both texture and flavor tests. There are a few aged vegan cheeses on the market, but none of them are great, and they're all pretty expensive. Stay tuned!Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-21796728278919736842015-05-15T13:06:00.002-07:002017-09-23T12:02:26.991-07:00Homeade alcohol-free stout beerWe continue to enjoy drinking <a href="http://veganladyeats.blogspot.com/2014/09/homemade-alcohol-free-relaxing-beer.html">homemade alcohol-free beer</a> whenever one of us can't drink (most recently while my broken pelvis heals). My friend Emily was intrigued (we were discussing it when she was pregnant) but prefers stouts, and we hadn't done anything beyond the one kind we've made (which is sort of like a session IPA, see <a href="http://veganladyeats.blogspot.com/2014/09/homemade-alcohol-free-relaxing-beer.html">http://veganladyeats.blogspot.com/2014/09/homemade-alcohol-free-relaxing-beer.html</a>).<br />
<br />
But always up for a challenge, here are the tweaks to make stout. First, rather than making the hops extract one batch at a time I've switched to making a big container of it, and then using about 1/2 cup of that plus sweetener and club soda. So for stout, I took the 1/2 cup of cold hops tea / extract, heated it up in the microwave until it was almost boiling, and then put in a fake coffee teabag (Teecino Vanilla Nut flavor). I put it back in the fridge again right away and let it steep and cool for about 4 hours. For sweetener I used Yacon syrup which is a new thing we just bought; it's a tangy and lightly sweet dark brown syrup made from some Peruvian root. I thought of molasses but didn't want that heavy iron flavor molasses has.<br />
<br />
Here is the final result being enjoyed, it came out pretty good! It definitely has the roasty malty stout flavor, without any alcohol and with very few calories.<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/17694298585" title="Emily, Steve, and baby Lev with alcohol-free stout by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Emily, Steve, and baby Lev with alcohol-free stout" height="482" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8890/17694298585_f7664a9636_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
My next step is to figure out two things:<br />
1. If I can soak some additional hops in the extract to add back in the aroma and more complex flavor lost when I boil down the extract.<br />
2. I want to try proofing maybe 1/16 tsp of yeast when the beer is being put together to drink to add in a bit of yeasty flavor, without giving the yeast time to make any actual alcohol.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-57471538109249065592015-04-19T14:12:00.001-07:002015-04-19T14:12:13.307-07:00Soft Food for Sore Mouths Part 2Gum surgery was so fun I went and had the other side done three weeks later! ;) While Sarah did an <a href="http://veganladyeats.blogspot.com/2015/03/soft-food-for-sore-mouths-four.html">amazing job of meal planning after the first surgery</a>, we did want to change it up.<br />
<br />
There were several excellent soups we hadn't had yet (African groundnut, creamy tomato, corn chowder, etc.) but we started with simple refried beans. I didn't want to eat them plain, so Sarah had the brilliant idea to serve them over soft polenta!<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16469537333" title="Beans over polenta by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Beans over polenta" height="360" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8793/16469537333_b127835356_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Next was one of our favorite recipes adjusted to not require any chewing. It's supposed to be chickpea crepes with a sweet potato curry, so we skipped the crepes and also just roasted the sweet potatoes whole and blended them rather than chopping them up and eating them as cubes.<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/17064976116" title="Sweet potato curry by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Sweet potato curry" height="360" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7647/17064976116_7f4ec5de3a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Getting more creative, Sarah came up with the idea for blended Shepherd's pie! Each layer (mashed potato, lentils/mushrooms, carrots, peas) were separately seasoned and blended before being assembled:<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16903371310" title="Smooth shepherd's pie by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Smooth shepherd's pie" height="360" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7702/16903371310_f44151a5ba_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
<br />
For breakfast I mostly relied on blending up oatmeal with some almond milk, peanut butter to help me last until lunch, and thawed frozen blueberries. It comes out kind of goopy and gross honestly but it was easy to drink:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/17090314521" title="Oatmeal blueberry smoothie by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Oatmeal blueberry smoothie" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7632/17090314521_363a767f75_z.jpg" width="360" /></a>
<br />
<br />
And then I forgot to take photos of the African groundnut stew with red swiss chard in it, but that was also delicious and creamily soft! This definitely made the recovery process much more pleasant! I find that even weeks later I still can't eat cold foods like ice cream, so milkshakes (a frequent suggestion for a soft food) were definitely not going to work as well as these did.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-71231327613399550012015-04-04T07:07:00.001-07:002015-04-04T07:07:14.327-07:00Making an "Alien" themed chestburster cakeOur friend Riley who hosted the epic <a href="http://veganladyeats.blogspot.com/2014/04/jurassic-park-ty-food-costumes.html">Jurassic Park-ty</a> for his birthday last year decided to go with a theme from the movie Alien this year. The obvious response was to make a torso cake with the "chestburster" phase of the alien actually bursting from the cake. Here's how that went down. The basic ingredients were 1 cake, black cherry juice, pectin, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kotobukiya-Alien-Chest-Burster-Chopsticks/dp/B007CDF82S">official Alien chestburster chopsticks </a>(in lieu of making a homemade one out of flour / water / salt).<br />
<br />
Step 1 was to prepare by making the "guts." We were already using pectin and black cherry juice to make alien-head gummies using <a href="http://www.staractionfigures.co.uk/603259026892.html">a mold </a>(the second photo has some with pineapple-cherry juice for better flavor), with the all-cherry ones in particular looking and feeling super creepy like a blood clot or engorged leeches:<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16964882842" title="Alien head cherry juice gummies by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Alien head cherry juice gummies" height="360" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7609/16964882842_4f032640a3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16965291031" title="Alien head cherry / pineapple juice gummies by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Alien head cherry / pineapple juice gummies" height="360" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8733/16965291031_8842e44060_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
so the ones that didn't come out right were just mixed up into chunky blood-red guts.<br />
<br />
Note: if making gummies in the microwave in tiny batches because you only have one stupid tiny mold, be sure to watch the juice carefully to prevent this:<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16965299001" title="How not to use pectin by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="How not to use pectin" height="360" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8741/16965299001_b81d3e57bc_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Step 2 was to make an ordinary carrot cake. We put it on top of a large cardboard box with plastic wrap on top, and a hole cut for the chopstick. We scooped out a shallow divot to make room for some guts. We also adjusted the alien chopstick to the right "resting" height before emerging (you can see the white tip peeking out) so that we could secure it in the box properly:<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16940299236" title="Chestburster cake before being iced by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Chestburster cake before being iced" height="360" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7606/16940299236_6a54cbef8d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Step 3: we don't just need the alien head to be just below the cake surface before emergence, we also need it to go to just the right height when it's pushed up so that you see the whole thing but not the boring chopstick part. That's what the sideways chopstick is for, to set the emergent height. The plastic eyedropper full of cherry juice was also carefully aligned so that the nozzle tip is at the cake surface but not high enough to be visible when the alien bursts out. In initial tests the juice shot up about 3 feet, so I played around with plain water to figure out how much pressure to use to get a good spurt without making a huge mess.<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16780051939" title="Chestburster cake from below by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Chestburster cake from below" height="360" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7655/16780051939_997288a2db_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Step 4: Ice it up (we used gross icing from the store to save time), and add a plastic-wrapped printout of John Hurt's head to provide a clue as to what's going on here.<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16780057489" title="Chestburster cake from above, fully iced and assembled by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Chestburster cake from above, fully iced and assembled" height="640" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8746/16780057489_6760d852c7_z.jpg" width="360" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Here's the cake on the box (sides of arms un-iced b/c we didn't have enough) and my hands in the box ready to go, just waiting for Sarah to hit play on my cell phone to start the audio file from the actual scene in the movie with the alien bursting out and screeching"<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16807564917" title="Chestburster cake before emergence by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Chestburster cake before emergence" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7595/16807564917_cc5470bfd9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
<br />
And here's what it looked like after emerging. Sadly our video footage of the event didn't take when Sarah's phone froze up. Also, you can see that there is some cherry juice speckled all over the cake, but unfortunately when the cake was being moved the nozzle tip ended up pressing into the chopstick base such that it was just a gentle spitting rather than a real eruption of fake blood. Also, the extra guts below the alien were applied after emergence when we realized that most of the guts below the icing were invisible. Alas.<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/17014965825" title="Chestburster cake after emergence 2 by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Chestburster cake after emergence 2" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7595/17014965825_715ce3dde3_z.jpg" width="480" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16940327756" title="Chestburster cake after emergence by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Chestburster cake after emergence" height="360" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7621/16940327756_2d06d0fb7a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Despite the minor problems, it was still a lot of fun! Sarah and I went for free costumes by printing out alien facehuggers and taping twisties to the legs so that they would grip our faces and hang onto our glasses:<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16343903334" title="Jon & Sarah as the facehugged by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Jon & Sarah as the facehugged" height="360" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7601/16343903334_e52bcafd5b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Most costumes were more impressive, especially the adult alien and power loader exoskeleton!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16827194868" title="Power loader Vs Alien by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Power loader Vs Alien" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7648/16827194868_244d15d2f2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-70437438267191129542015-03-23T18:14:00.001-07:002015-04-19T14:07:42.694-07:00Soft Food for Sore Mouths: Four Delicious Hearty SoupsAfter gum surgery, I had to eat nothing but super soft foods for about a week, and was pretty bummed about it. But Sarah managed to think of five delicious and creamy soups in a row for us to eat! Anyone who has to avoid hard and crunchy foods and stick to the soft (for whatever reason), rejoice! Your recovery can be delicious. Sadly I forgot to take any pictures until the end of the week when only the last two were left, but hopefully you can visualize the rest (they are all pureed so look similar except for color). An immersion blender is a great way to make soups creamy without having to wash a real blender.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16899680132" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Chili and split pea soup by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Chili and split pea soup" height="225" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7601/16899680132_814ec7c54c_c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
1. Butternut Squash w/ Apple<br />
This recipe came from <a href="http://www.theppk.com/books/appetite-for-reduction/">Appetite for Reduction</a>. Fortunately I had a half-bushel of gold rush apples that added some wonderful tartness and flavor to the soup. It didn't have that many calories, so we added 3/4 cup of cashews (which also added a nice creaminess as well). I've had many butternut squash soups, and a few with apples, but I think this is my favorite.<br />
<br />
2. Black Bean w/ Avocado<br />
This recipe from the Bold Vegetarian Chef is kind of like the best things about black bean soup, guacamole, and salsa, all rolled together. I mean, sure it would be nice to eat it with corn bread or tortilla chips or something, but it does the trick by its lonesome too when you're sticking to soft foods.<br />
<br />
<br />
3. Creamy lentil<br />
<br />
This one (from Garlic Garlic Garlic) comes out pretty thick, so you may want some extra water if you want it more like soup instead of stew. It seems like it should be boring, but the sherry somehow makes it different, and the chives are great too if you have them.<br />
<br />
4. Split pea soup <br />
This recipe from the Bold Vegetarian Chef works best when not pureed
(it has some nice potatoes, and pieces of tempeh bacon), but it still
has a nice combo of the split peas, smoky tempeh, and other veggies.
This soup is nice and filling, and if you get sick of it, swirl in some
Sriracha which adds a pleasant twist. <br />
<br />
<br />
5. Chili<br />
There was a chili cookoff competition for our neighborhood, and Sarah decided we should make a vegetarian chili to show people that you can have a great chili without meat. Sadly, I put beyond meat beefless crumbles in it, which only add a dry, rubbery, flavorless series of chunks to get in the way of an otherwise delicious chili. But otherwise it was pretty good.<br />
<br />
Recipes for all but the first one are at http://fish.freeshell.org/recipes.html<br />
<br />
Need something pleasant to drink, but can't have alcohol (b/c of medication, or inflammation, or whatever)? I relied heavily on <a href="http://veganladyeats.blogspot.com/2014/09/homemade-alcohol-free-relaxing-beer.html">homemade fake beer</a>. Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-16151905641018296232015-03-08T19:33:00.000-07:002018-09-11T09:07:38.191-07:00Vegan options at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (aka DCA)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVNgh_dZR3pPMaGOxATkqdN8mSgFu9KxYHBpXU9EAZnTKJrvSncng6TKSg796dzHpGxphcsUpy7eaZdto-WahvBGlZjjBZDx0nh9uzFABP89cfZkSN6XJH1ifUeOapmqu1R2GbuGvLEw/s1600/IMG_4432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVNgh_dZR3pPMaGOxATkqdN8mSgFu9KxYHBpXU9EAZnTKJrvSncng6TKSg796dzHpGxphcsUpy7eaZdto-WahvBGlZjjBZDx0nh9uzFABP89cfZkSN6XJH1ifUeOapmqu1R2GbuGvLEw/s1600/IMG_4432.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo from <a href="http://www.theveraciousvegan.com/2014/02/dc.html">The Veracious Vegan</a></i></span><br />
<br />
<i>UPDATE (9/11/18): I updated the listings, and also noted some nonvegan vegetarian options to help people understand the options</i><br />
<br />
DCA has always had a couple of acceptable vegan options, but it's been getting a lot better over the last year and I just had to write something to list it all. Note that I'm not counting stuff like getting snacks at newsstands.<br />
<br />
Here's an <a href="http://vegdc.com/search-results/?search_query=&address=Arlington%2C+VA+22202&radius=1&wpas=1">interactive map showing the exact location of each good vegan-friendly option within the airport</a> including links to menus etc where available:<br />
<a href="http://vegdc.com/search-results/?search_query=&address=Arlington%2C+VA+22202&radius=1&wpas=1">http://vegdc.com/search-results/?search_query=&address=Arlington%2C+VA+22202&radius=1&wpas=1</a><br />
<br />
Before Security (you CANNOT take chili or noodle soup bowls through security, but you CAN take the vegan burger with chili, a burrito, or sushi):<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Ben's Chili Bowl</b>: vegan chili, vegan burgers, vegan chili fries, non-vegan hot dogs</li>
<li><b>Matsutake Sushi</b>: veggie sushi, noodle bowls, etc.</li>
<li><b>Qdoba</b>: decent burritos and tacos</li>
</ol>
After Security:<br />
<ol>
<li>Terminal C: </li>
<ol>
<li><b>&pizza</b> for pizza with vegan cheese, vegan beef crumbles, and tons of other fancy vegan toppings.</li>
<li><i>Others</i>: Wow Bao has a vegan rice bowl ("all vegetable") and some non-vegan bao (stuffed buns); Five Guys has no veggie burger and non-vegan buns.</li>
</ol>
<li>Terminal BC: </li>
<ol>
<li><b>Taylor Gourmet </b>whose Lehigh sandwich is a beautiful thing combining roasted cauliflower, white bean hummus, spicy red pepper sauce, and arugula.</li>
<li><b>Lebanese Taverna </b>has falafel sandwiches and salads, hummus, and more.</li>
<li><i>Others</i>: Big Bowl has a vegan tofu / veggies option, Smashburger has a non-vegan veggie burger, and Magic Pan has a couple non-vegan vegetarian crepes.</li>
</ol>
<li>Terminal B: </li>
<ol>
<li><b>Cava Mezze</b>: has hummus, falafel, salads, etc. (<a href="http://www.cavamezze.com/menu-vegan/">vegan menu</a>).</li>
<li><i>Others</i>: Good Stuff Eatery has a nonvegan fried green tomato burger</li>
</ol>
</ol>
Note that in Terminal A options are very limited. Page has a salad w/ chickpeas and lots of veggies, and you could get Margherita pizza without cheese. Reservoir has a mushroom sandwich w/ butter and egg that doesn't look like it could be made vegan.<br />
<ol>
</ol>
Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-55601432194540003832015-02-28T08:41:00.004-08:002015-03-09T06:44:04.186-07:00Artisan Vegan Cheeses Review: Gouda, Gruyere, Emmentaler<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16292435127" title="Vegan crostini w gruyere, pear, & red wine glaze by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"></a><br />
If you are vegan and ever liked good cheese, chances are you already know about Miyoko Schinner's <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Artisan-Vegan-Cheese-Miyoko-Schinner/dp/1570672830/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_1968490042?_encoding=UTF8&keywords=artisan%20vegan%20cheese&qid=1354818488&sr=8-1&pf_rd_p=1968490042&pf_rd_s=smile-campaign&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1570672830&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1VXW4RNCTG25J0P3BW5B">Artisan Vegan Cheese</a> cookbook. It took a completely new approach to vegan cheese: using bacterial cultures to make the tangy flavors of cheese, rather than simple acids like lemon juice. They're all based on cashews or vegan yogurt or both.<br />
<br />
Overall, her cheeses are incredible in terms of flavor, but at the cost of a soft, sort of grainy texture. Regardless, we've made enough of them now I figured it was time for a review.<br />
<br />
<b>Gruyere:</b> This is probably my favorite recipe so far. It has a rich, complex flavor, a good spreadable texture, and the ingredients are things we already have in stock (although I realize not everyone has coconut oil or deodorized cocoa butter, we have a ton we're trying to use up). It's great on crackers, and really helped out a kugel we made. The picture below is of crostini with "hard" gruyere (still pretty soft), pears, and red wine glaze (recipe is in her book), which were fantastic. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16292435127" title="Vegan crostini w gruyere, pear, & red wine glaze by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Vegan crostini w gruyere, pear, & red wine glaze" height="360" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7298/16292435127_7d5bb1d2bf_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
<br />
<b>Gouda</b>: Sadly we don't have a picture of this, but I mixed it with BBQ seitan on sandwiches, for a similar effect as this BBQ pizza I made with commercial vegan gouda one time. It is pretty similar to the hard gruyere, but requires yogurt which I'm not a fan of: Also you have to rub the rind with salt before air drying, which I had trouble with, but it still came out really well. Definitely worth eating.<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/7011182661" title="BBQ Soy Curl Pizza (before baking) by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="BBQ Soy Curl Pizza (before baking)" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7181/7011182661_1cdf3511b6_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<b>Air-dried emmentaler</b>: We had high hopes for this as Sarah loved Swiss cheese. But it just tasted sour and weird. Basically it tasted like yogurt and sauerkraut (understandably, as those are two key ingredients). We tried a few ways to use this up but in the end gave up and tossed it since it was pretty gross.<br />
<br />
In the past we've also made the goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, and sharp cheddar (see the <a href="http://veganladyeats.blogspot.com/2012/12/vegan-cheese-and-wine-party.html">write up of our vegan cheese tasting party</a> for details).<br />
<br />
Next steps include meltable Monterey jack, getting a "nut milk bag" to strain vegan yogurt to make air-dried parmesan (!), boursin, and camembert.<br />
<br />
I also recently made a <a href="http://www.modernistpantry.com/druids-grove-vegan-brie-kit.html">vegan brie from a kickstarter </a>(see below), which turned out well. It was not very Brie-flavored (it had a very mild flavor, although it was complex and pleasant) but had a great rich texture almost like cream cheese and was nice on crackers. I want to try making it again, and compare it side by side to the Miyoko Schinner brie.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/16560842760" title="Vegan brie from druids grove by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Vegan brie from druids grove" height="360" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7607/16560842760_f4007bf22c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-82200906698225081512014-12-14T14:31:00.000-08:002014-12-17T10:35:25.438-08:00Double-Blind Taste Test Party<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/15997134466/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We decided to host a blind taste test party where we would
have a suite of arguably similar products, labeled with random numbers in a
double-blind fashion (one person assigns a random letter to each sample, a different person replaces the letter with a 3-digit random number and writes down which letter corresponds to which number to be decoded later) so that guests could taste them all and rank / judge them
without any preconceptions. An easier approach some people followed was just putting the brand on the bottom of otherwise identical containers. The results are below, and you can get the <a href="http://fish.freeshell.org/events/BlindTastingPartyData.xlsx" target="_blank">raw data here</a> if you like.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We collected a simple rank order
for each set of samples rather than a fixed scale (e.g. 1-10), but rather than
properly normalizing and analyzing the data we just took the mean of the ranks
because of laziness. As such, this data should be used for entertainment
purposes only. In a minor concession to science we added the standard deviation
and a count of how many guests ranked each sample as the best or worst in the
<a href="http://fish.freeshell.org/events/BlindTastingPartyData.xlsx" target="_blank">raw data</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Carrots</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">grocery store
organic carrots</b> won, with conventional carrots clearly the most reviled as
bland, and organic CSA carrots in the middle due to their polarizing strong
flavor (loved or hated).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chocolates</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Only 4 people submitted data for the 9 flavors chocolates
(one of which was partial), partly because the labels got jumbled partway
through. But the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">rice milk chocolate
with peanut butter filling</b> was a clear winner, and plain dark chocolate the
least preferred overall.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cocoa Powder</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Highly polarizing. The strong and complex cocoa flavor of
the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rademaker</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dutched cocoa</b> entranced some but others hatred it (but it still
nudged into #1), and the same was true of the more metallic / traditional flavor
of Hershey’s (a close #2), with the relatively bland Whole Foods cocoa in #3
(which was no one’s favorite).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cola</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These ratings were all over the place and the rankings were
close (except Malta Goya, the “wild card” which all but one person hated).
Overall <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Giant Cola</b> was the winner, followed
by Mexican Coke, Pepsi, American Coke, RC Cola, and Malta Goya in last. Several
attendees requested a blind American / Mexican Coke test when it was revealed I
(Jon) successfully guessed all colas blind (except switching Giant and Pepsi), and
ranked Mexican Coke as #1 but American Coke as #2. However, no other guests
successfully guessed which was which, and I probably got lucky.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cookies (sandwich cremes)</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The surprising winner was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">low-fat Oreos</b>, with Back to Nature just behind in #2 place. Normal
Oreos were a fairly distant 3<sup>rd</sup>, then Glutino (mostly b/c one person
gave it the top rank), Joe-Joes, and Newman-O’s a clear last. Note that we unscrewed the top of every cookie so that people wouldn't be able to see the brand name embossed in the cookie top.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grilled Vegan Cheese</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Daiya</b> barely beat
out Sheese, with Follow Your Heart in 3<sup>rd</sup>, but Daiya was another
strongly polarizing one due to its strong flavor (either cheeselike or fake
depending on your point of view).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hot Dogs</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lightlight jumbo dogs</b>
won out, with Tofurkey dogs just behind. Whole Foods and Tofu Pups were consistently
more disliked due to their blander flavor. Tofu Pups was ranked last by all but
2 participants.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hummus</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cava Mezze</b> was a
clear winner with its nicely balanced flavor. Giant came in #2 despite being
generally ranked as bland since the 3# brand (Whole Foods) had a strong tahini
taste that 5 attendees really disliked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jelly Beans</b><br />
We didn't collect data on this, but we DID have some <a href="http://www.jellybelly.com/beanboozled" target="_blank">Jelly Belly "Bean Boozled"</a> beans, which come in pairs that are identically colored but are good or horrible. On the most benign end, everyone agreed toothpaste was pleasant enough (arguably about the same as Berry Blue), and lawn clippings were fine too. I think skunk and barf generated the most awful faces, but rotten egg was apparently pretty epic too (I didn't try that, nor canned dog food which was reputedly bad but less than rotten egg). Stinky socks and booger were bad but tolerable, moldy cheese was quite accurate which some people didn't mind and others couldn't stand, and baby wipes were scarily dead-on.<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tea</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was another surprising one. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cheap old Liptons</b> was ranked 1, followed by the Premium Liptons,
followed by the theoretically “better” Irish tea (I forget the brand). I think
plain Liptons was less tannic (albeit less flavorful) than Premium Liptons, and
the Irish tea was clearly the most bitter. Even odder is that for both Irish
and Premium Liptons, the “standard brew” (168F water in a cold vessel and
squeezed teabags) was substantially more popular than the “British brew”
(rapidly boiling oxygenated water in a hot vessel without squeezing teabags).
While the British brew produced more flavor, and all teas were brewed for 3
minutes (not too long), it may be that drinking them without sugar or milk meant
that weaker flavors were preferred overall.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tortilla Chips</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most people couldn’t tell the difference (or not a strong
difference), and only 2 people successfully guessed the color of each (this was inevitably a single blind experiment with one person tasting with eyes closed and another person who knows the color passing them each type of chip). But
there was a very weak preference for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">yellow</b>
(the most flavorful), then blue, then white corn.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Twizzlers</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We didn’t have actual Twizzlers, but <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target</b> beat out Lolli and Pops (despite costing 1/3 as much) mainly
on texture (as the latter was very tough). Several people (but not all)
preferred the Lolli and Pops flavor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Vanilla Vegan Ice
Cream</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Trader Joe’s</b> was
a clear winner with all but 2 attendees preferring it strongly to So Delicious
(described as having a more beany taste by several).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Vegan Cream Cheese</b>
(tasted with bagel segments)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tofutti</b> was a
clear winner, with Follow Your Heart, Go Veggie, and Daiya basically in a 3-way
tie, and the homemade cream cheese coming in last (it wasn’t bad, but was the
least like cream cheese).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Vodka</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was an upset, with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Svedka</b>
(the middle of the road price-wise) a fairly clear favorite, and Aristocrat (as
cheap as it gets) beating Russian Standard (the premium vodka) for 2<sup>nd</sup>
place. Attendees were mostly polarized around whether Aristocrat or Russian
Standard was the gross one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wine</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few things were interesting here. No one (except me) successfully
guessed that one of the 5 red wines was a dyed Chardonnay (although some did
describe it as minerally, sweet/sour, and oaky, and I knew one of them was a
Chardonnay). The relatively fancy <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Napa
Valley 2012 Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon</b> was a clear winner, with the same
wine heavily aerated (via a milk frother and a few hours of decanting, see picture below) in the
#2 place but substantially less preferred. The Purple Moon shiraz was #3, then
the dyed Chardonnay (which I have to say was truly dreadful wine), followed by
Charles Shaw Shiraz (which was either a bad bottle, or several attendees had
convinced themselves was good despite it being crappy wine). If you want to try
dying wine, for this bottle I added 25 drops of red food dye, 2 of blue food
dye, and 10 of black food dye. It looks pretty good in a clear glass, but
brownish against a white background.</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/15836869959/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-17575987639594012382014-09-25T15:51:00.002-07:002017-09-23T12:01:15.144-07:00Homemade alcohol-free relaxing "beer"<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="462" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/15331663266/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="300"></iframe><br />
Recently Sarah went on an antibiotic that means she can't drink any alcohol for a while. She is also on a no-sugar kick, so even if it was any good (it's not) fake beer isn't ideal given the malt. It's not the end of the world, but a beer sure is nice at the end of a difficult day, so I figured it was worth trying to see if I could come up with a reasonable replacement. The goals I had were:<br />
1. Good taste<br />
2. As beer-tasting as possible, especially on the hop side (as Sarah likes super-hoppy IPAs)<br />
3. Actually relaxing (not just beer-flavored)<br />
4. Ideally looks / feels kind of like beer too (carbonated, in the yellow-orange family, bonus points for foamy head)<br />
<br />
Here is the most recent version (iteration 3, with many more likely to come) of the "recipe" I came up with for a single "beer" (I usually make a large batch of the hops extract to reduce the work per "beer"):<br />
1/4 cup dried whole hop flowers (I actually didn't have pure hops so I used a homemade blend of relaxing tea with hops, skullcap, chamomile, and a few other things)<br />
Skullcap extract (I happened to have some we weren't using we got from Mom)<br />
Club soda<br />
1/8 tsp Truvia fake sugar OR 1.5 tsp agave nectar or barley malt syrup if not avoiding sugar<br />
optional: Angostura bitters or orange bitters (note: these are alcoholic so I used a very small amount, see below)<br />
<br />
I start by adding the hops / herbs to ~1 cup of water, bring it to a boil (in the microwave thus far), then remove from heat and let it steep for 15 minutes. I strain the herbs out and end up with about 3/4 cup of tea. Boil this (I put the tea in a glass measuring cup in the microwave) until it is reduced by half (halfway between 1/4 and 1/2 cup). Note that the tea gets a bit frothy as it boils so be sure to use a 2-cup measure or just closely watch it to prevent spillage. Alternatively, just boil the herbs and water in the saucepan, then strain it out for a stronger flavor. Once it is reduced, you will have an intensely bitter / hoppy flavor essence for the base of your beer. Stick it in the freezer or fridge until cool (earlier attempts used ~ 1 shot of tea so the heat wouldn't make the overall beer warm, but this is way better).<br />
<br />
Remove the cool hoppy tea from the fridge, add ~ 1 dropper of skullcap and the Truvia and stir until it dissolves. Pour into a pint glass and add 12 oz club soda (or less, to taste). Optional: if you want more complex flavor and a darker color, add no more than 10mL orange bitters or 5mL Angostura original (Gentian) bitters. The original bitters add a nice color as shown above, and great flavor, but it is 58% alcohol so it's important to not use much. The nice frothy head goes away fairly quickly, but regardless you end up with a drink that is carbonated, hoppy and bitter (but not too bitter thanks to the Truvia), and relaxing (hops is a soporific that helps you feel sleepy, skullcap in a nervine that makes you generally relaxed).<br />
<br />
It's not a true substitute for alcohol, but it's a pretty tasty, pleasant, and relaxing beverage, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to avoid or minimize alcohol but who enjoys beer. If you like darker beers, here's our "stout" variant: <a href="http://veganladyeats.blogspot.com/2015/05/homeade-alcohol-free-stout-beer.html">http://veganladyeats.blogspot.com/2015/05/homeade-alcohol-free-stout-beer.html</a>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-15789100181604058662014-06-16T18:40:00.002-07:002014-06-16T18:55:15.222-07:00On biking to work - part 1<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/2998762739" title="Sarah n' bike by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Sarah n' bike" height="377" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3195/2998762739_fbe76d2aaa.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
As an adult, the first job I ever biked to was just two relatively flat miles from my house. I avoided biking when it rained or when it was cold, and I usually just wore my work clothes since I didn't work up too much of a sweat on the way. In any case a shower was definitely not required, which reduced the complexity of my bike commute considerably. I'd throw on my backpack to hold my wallet, lunch, and bike lock, and I was good to go.<br />
<br />
When I started looking for a new job, I actually only looked within a 5 mile radius specifically because I didn't want to have to bike any further! Luckily, by that time my radius was pretty close to the city and I was able to find something just at the five mile mark. My new workplace had a shower - another requirement I'd had for any new job; and during D.C. summers, you really <i>do </i>want to shower after biking five miles.<br />
<br />
Since my new ride was much more urban, I had to contend with cars turning suddenly in front of me, delivery trucks parked in the bike lane, cars stopping & turning without warning, and the worst fear of all - the fear of getting doored. I'd heard awful, horrible stories about this - where someone opens their car door a half a second before you get there, and with no time to react, you slam into the door full speed, possibly flipping over it, possibly getting thrown into oncoming traffic. Many things can happen - all bad. Although in some cases the cyclist can't do much of anything, it's always a good idea to check your brake pads to make sure they're good and thick. Once they get worn down they provide MUCH less stopping power. I speak from personal experience as a person who let her brakes get too worn down. It's really surprising how much quicker you can stop with new brake pads.<br />
<br />
I started out carrying my toiletries bag, towel, work clothes and shoes in a backpack. There was a special bike cage in the parking garage, which was awesome. One major drawback was my clothes still felt damp after hanging in a locker all day. There was almost no air circulation, even though I left the locker door open. Only one piece of clothing - my towel in this case - could be slung over the door of the locker. I had a cubicle so I couldn't hang my clothes in my office.<br />
<br />
I started getting back problems and wondered if it had something to do with carrying stuff on my back instead of in a pannier (a bag that can attach to a rear bike rack). I went ahead and invested in a rear bike rack, and some slim black Trek bags to carry my gear. The Trek bags were the cheapest bags in the store, which is why I decided on them. This decision would come back to haunt me later.<br />
<br />
At some point during one work day, the cleaning staff of the women's locker room actually threw away my towel and my expensive REI base layer (okay, slightly less expensive because I'd bought the children's size to save money, but still!). You can replace a base layer, but that towel was the perfect size and thickness to bring to the gym. It had worn down enough that it dried really fast, but still had enough wicking power to get the job done. I was really mad, especially since now I had to close and lock the locker, and there was no chance of my gear getting even slightly dry during the day.<br />
<br />
Various things happened, such as:<br />
<br />
-Building management threw away my hair drier I'd left plugged in in the locker room "for legal reasons", even though I'd taped up a sign next to it that said "use at own risk" specifically so they wouldn't remove it "for legal reasons".<br />
<br />
-One day the showers only gave out cold water. I skipped showering that day.<br />
<br />
-Building management got a towel service for the locker rooms. It was awesome, but I'll never forget you perfect towel!<br />
<br />
-A woman from my company's upper management showed up in the locker room out of the blue one morning. You really cannot see management naked or in any state of disrobe ever. I can't stress this enough, it's just too weird. Hide in a shower stall or bathroom stall for the next 45 minutes. You can thank me later.<br />
<br />
-I got an office, with a door! I brought in some hangars and hung my clothes behind the door. They finally got dry during the day.<br />
<br />
-I learned how to bike over small patches of ice. Beats small patches of sand, for sure!<br />
<br />
-I went from being a white-knuckled, granny-paced, hyper-vigilant stress ball to actually enjoying myself. <br />
<br />
For some reason, when you bike five miles to work, even though you have some evil hills to conquer on the way, no one will be impressed when you say "five miles". Lie, lie like a rug. Get some street cred. Just tell them how long it takes you, and that will sound better. <br />
<br />
I'm tired, so that's about all for today. Next up - how I was betrayed by cheap panniers, the desperate cyclists' commute, winter bike commuting, and more...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08265696532615097875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-72188271195388285652014-05-06T18:35:00.001-07:002014-05-06T18:35:13.878-07:00Mojito CupcakesWhen I saw fresh mint at the farmer's market this past weekend, I knew it was time to make some mojito cupcakes. I got the recipe a few years ago from <a href="http://veganyumyum.com/2007/05/mojito-cupcakes/" target="_blank">Vegan YumYum</a>, (who in turn modified the vanilla cupcake recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Cupcakes-Take-Over-World/dp/1569242739" target="_blank">Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World</a>), although I make the frosting with a lot of extra rum. These are the best. Here's how it goes.<br />
<br />
First you infuse some fresh spearmint in soy milk:<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/14126769705" title="Mojito cupcakes by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Mojito cupcakes" height="478" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5458/14126769705_4fba154ee3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Then you add lime juice and rum to curdle it, and cream with sugar:<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/14123456791" title="Mojito cupcakes by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Mojito cupcakes" height="478" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7446/14123456791_7ed975dc5d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
<br />
The lime zest goes in with the dry ingredients:<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/14123455861" title="Mojito cupcakes by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Mojito cupcakes" height="478" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7439/14123455861_f236c41a22_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
As usual it all gets mixed together and baked, then topped with frosting once cool. Here's how I do the frosting:<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 1.0in;">
<u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1/3
cup <span class="SpellE">nonhydrogenated</span> margarine (I use Earth Balance)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1/3
cup <span class="SpellE">nonhydrogenated</span> shortening (I use Whole Foods
brand)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">3.5
cups confectioner’s sugar (you may need more)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">3
Tbsp dark rum (I use Barbancourt 5 star)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1
Tbsp lime juice</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined
and fluffy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the sugar and beat well
until thoroughly combined (if too dry, start adding the rum and lime juice, but
don’t add liquid all at once or it will splash).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the rum and lime juice and beat a few
more minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If too runny, add more
powdered sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add to the cooled
cupcakes and garnish with a fresh mint leaf (add the mint leaves right before
serving so they don’t wilt).</span> I like to drip a little bit of extra rum into the icing right before serving so you get that volatile rum aroma when it comes up to your nose. The result:</span>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/13940113539" title="Mojito cupcakes by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Mojito cupcakes" height="478" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5315/13940113539_490c43ea4f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-66669704774786849162014-04-27T10:00:00.000-07:002014-04-27T10:20:47.264-07:00Jurassic Park-ty Food / CostumesWhen our friend Riley told us he was having a Jurassic Park themed birthday party, we were overwhelmed with ideas to help make it memorable and excellent. Little plastic mosquitoes frozen in pale juice amber? Make a tray for drinks, tape a cell phone to the bottom that is set up to periodically vibrate to make the ripples in the drinks?<br />
<br />
It was clear that guests and hosts were going to go all out with costumes, decorations, etc (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/sets/72157643519127434/" target="_blank">see the evidence here</a>)
so we wanted to do our part. We watched the movie to get more ideas, and in the end decided to do fossil cookie excavation (from the early scenes in the desert) and a cake for the front gate to jurassic park (so we'd have an excuse to
incorporate flame). We also made some little dino side dishes from a special effects cookbook we had, a little stegosaurus avocado to go
with chips, and an apatosaurus watermelon bowl.<br />
<br />
For the fossil cookies, Sarah made a custom dinosaur footprint cookie
cutter by cutting up an old catering tray we had:<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/14035604114" title="Homemade Dinosaur Footprint Cookie Cutter by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Homemade Dinosaur Footprint Cookie Cutter" height="478" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5276/14035604114_0402afd7c6_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
<br />
We also made some bone cookies (from a dog bone cutter we had), one person cookie , and then I hand cut a trilobite and a t-rex skull:<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/13667577284" title="Trilobite and dino skull fossil cookies by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Trilobite and dino skull fossil cookies" height="360" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7404/13667577284_8325417743_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
<br />
The fun part was that we then laid out the cookies on a tray, covered<br />
them with cinnamon sugar, and dusted a bit of cocoa on top for color<br />
(so it looked like dirt and sand), and left a little brush on top of<br />
the whole thing to excavate the cookies:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QnUD3HCneHY" width="640"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
For the cake, since a gate isn't that cool looking, we wanted to add a sound and motion component as well as the flame (we'd done flaming sugar cubes before in other cakes). I found a talking horse birthday card where you could record your own audio and the horse would play the audio while his mouth opened and closed. So here's the plain ol' boring cake before being lit and opened:
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/13667236835" title="Jurassic Park Gate Cake by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Jurassic Park Gate Cake" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7317/13667236835_4137d85fcb_z.jpg" width="360" /></a>
<br />
<br />
And here's the reveal where we light it and see what's inside:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pPo0GouQ7Aw" width="640"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
In the light the roaring looks like this:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LoaeEXNwm3M?list=UUntZIq76Z3eDrIndiWUbQZA" width="640"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
We also made a fruit bowl out of a watermelon and cucumbers (it looked better earlier before the legs collapsed as the toothpicks cut into the cucumber), and a stegosaurus out of avocado:<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/14011909536" title="Dino fruit bowl & avocado stegosaurus by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Dino fruit bowl & avocado stegosaurus" height="360" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/14011909536_87530c9ffa_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
<br />
The other really serious effort went into Sarah's costume. We didn't want to buy anything, so I just wore a Mexican wrestling mask I had and went as a dinosaur, and Sarah wore a lab coat I had to be a scientist. But she really wanted to be a dinosaur geneticist, so she made this baby dinosaur out of a glass vase, paper mache, duct tape, foil, and brilliance:<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/13667169783" title="Sarah making baby dino bursting from egg by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Sarah making baby dino bursting from egg" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/13667169783_cc365b3725_z.jpg" width="360" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Here is what we looked like at the actual party:
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/13667692014" title="El Raptor w/ Scientist by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="El Raptor w/ Scientist" height="360" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3735/13667692014_15c8ee01fb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<br />
<br />
I can't stress enough how fantastic everyone else's costumes and decorations were, you can <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/sets/72157643519127434/" target="_blank">see more pictures from the party</a>, and there were people dressed as virtually every character, isla nublar beer, dino egg party favors, inflatable dinosaurs, dino kites, test tubes to drink out of, and the list goes on and on. Here is one example of some of the excellent costumes (man on safari being eaten by tiny dinosaurs, triceratops in cocktail dress, and lawyer who got eaten):<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/13667363393" title="Elegant Triceratops w/ Man being devoured by tiny dinosaurs by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Elegant Triceratops w/ Man being devoured by tiny dinosaurs" height="360" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2807/13667363393_6fcc83e974_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-67839429429708695022014-03-27T20:18:00.002-07:002014-03-27T20:21:31.660-07:00Cabin, Hiking, and Recipe PlanningWe took a few days off to go hiking a few weeks back, and I was quite proud of my recipe planning. I looked up all the spices for each recipe, at what point they got added to the recipe (to keep those separate), and put them in teeny tiny adorable tupperwares, which I then labeled. I also measured out the olive oil we'd need and put that in a small jar. Later, I'll get to all the critical items I forgot. But for now - let's just admire the cabin.<br />
<br />
Below is the cabin we stayed in. Jon googled and googled until he found a dog friendly place with a fireplace AND a hot tub. We adored that hot tub. Perhaps a bit too much, more on that later. <a href="http://www.gladyforkcabins.com/">http://www.gladyforkcabins.com/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/13207413615" title="View of cabin from front by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="View of cabin from front" height="281" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2773/13207413615_84c3da276c.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
On our very first day, we decided to take the short way on forest service roads to a hike. At first there was occasional patches of snow, then more snow, then deeper snow, until we got totally stuck. It took us a good 45 minutes of shoveling, dragging our boots across the snow like tiny snow plows, stomping it down with our feet, breaking up twigs and putting them in the path of the wheels, but eventually we made a three point turn on a one lane road in 5 inches of snow with a Dodge Neon. And we are still married. In fact, we didn't fight ONE BIT about that! No, instead we fought over getting the last beans out of a can which were stuck to the bottom while preparing dinner. Yes, <i>that </i>is what we fought about. Pro marriage tip: feel free to drive up any narrow snowy mountain roads with a wildly inadequate vehicle. But avoid westbrae chili beans, they stick to the bottom of the can. <br />
<br />
Most of the hikes were on the snowy side, which is harder than normal hiking, because you slide around more on slopes, and it's a little more challenging to walk when your boots are sinking in with each footstep. The dog agreed, even she walked in the existing bootprints!<br />
<br />
One great thing about hiking in the snow was the place was deserted. We
saw no sign of anyone, except for the boot prints of some long gone
hiker and many animal tracks (we are so <i>not </i>Teal'c*, we had no idea what made any of the tracks except for the deer and rabbit tracks). <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/13207363725" title="Sarah & Leeta on High falls trail by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Sarah & Leeta on High falls trail" height="281" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2697/13207363725_94534a4c7b.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Note the impending stream crossing, where I will winge and wobble and frantically grasp for Jon's hand. It's really not a feminist moment. I actually bought a balance board, which is a device you use to practice balance on, in response to my less than admirable behavior during stream crossings.<br />
<br />
Another great bonus of hiking in early March: frozen waterfalls.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/13207637234" title=""Ice beard" frozen waterfall by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt=""Ice beard" frozen waterfall" height="500" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2833/13207637234_035dda9a71.jpg" width="281" /></a>
<br />
<br />
These were plentiful on the Otter creek trail. So were sketchy icy scary parts, and hand holding. Jon was very accommodating.<br />
<br />
Another hike, High Falls trail, had amazing views. Here's a picture of a majestic, many-hued, stunning landscape that looks like utter crap in the photo. I can't stress enough how this landscape could bring a tear of joy to your eye, make you believe in a higher power, and make a mental note to learn watercolor painting so you can return and capture it's true essence. Yet once translated into pixels...well, you see what I mean.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/13207369115" title="High falls trail by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="High falls trail" height="281" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2709/13207369115_11e61980f1.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Here's the kitchen, where we cooked like gangbusters:<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/13207250155" title="Kitchen and gas fireplace / heater by Jon Fisher, on Flickr"><img alt="Kitchen and gas fireplace / heater" height="281" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3820/13207250155_4ef7a6e2df.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Now, onto lessons learned. One of the meals I'd planned was tacos. We had recently purchased a bag of Beyond Meat's new burger crumbles, feisty flavor. (Who was in the focus group for that name?) Anyhow, I totally forgot to bring them, so...no tacos. I also planned a thai coconut vegetable curry...and forgot rice. I'd planned to make biscuits but forgot ground flax seeds for the egg. However, despite my screw ups, we actually still ended up having too much food somehow. <br />
<br />
In a non-food related lesson, 7 hot tub trips in 4 days is one too many. My skin became really raw and red and dry. I had no lotion, but we did have warming massage oil, so I tried that instead. Don't ever put warming massage oil on red irritated skin. It's a bad, bad mistake that will result in an immediate desperate shower, which will hurt also.<br />
<br />
Finally, hiking in the snow is awesome, and I totally want to do it again. It's gorgeous, peaceful, relaxing, and it you have a dog, especially nice, because they love snow so much, and you get to watch them bound around happily.<br />
<br />
*Sci-fi reference Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08265696532615097875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-55554926295107324732014-03-12T18:37:00.004-07:002014-03-12T18:42:21.022-07:0024-Course vegan dinner at Rogue 24Last night I had a 24 course dinner. It took about 4 hours. It was fancy. It was incredible. Here's how it went down. You can see the full size pics at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/tags/rogue24" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaundicedferret/tags/rogue24</a><br />
<br />
Before bringing out the food, we were seated right next to the open kitchen. We were the first people to arrive, so we had 9 people entirely working for us, which was pretty cool. <br />
<br />
Courses 1-5:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://flic.kr/p/kYmrmY" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="359" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2766/13108489924_5eaf02a4a6.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Clockwise from right:<br />
Compressed cucumber w/ lime & mini pickles, rice puff with carrot tops and
carrot gel, fried beet tangle, celery root raw ravioli with sunflower
seed "cream" and celery powder, and vegan mozzarella balls with tomato
powder.<br />
<br />
The balls were very good, they had an odd texture
(almost like a donut hole on the outside) but great flavor. The ravioli
were delicate and pleasant, the beet tangle was rich and crunchy and
delicious, the rice puffs were tasty in a fun and odd way, and the
cucumber was good but unsurprising.<br />
<br />
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Course 6:<br />
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Globe artichoke w/ Meyer lemon, eggplant puree,fermented garlic, dried kale and vegan parmesan.<br />
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This was an incredible dish, a flawlessly executed take
on a classic combo (artichoke / lemon) with a few nice twists (the
eggplant / fermented garlic / kale).<br />
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Course 7:<br />
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"Peas and carrots:" Fried thinly shaved carrots, carrot powder, carrot tops, peas, pea puree, and blood orange truffle gel.<br />
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This
was a very creative reinterpretation of another classic pairing, I
liked it (especially the texture of the fried carrots) but not my
favorite.<br />
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Course 8:<br />
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Avocado cream w/ three seaweeds, lime, espelette, and chili powder.<br />
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The avocado cream was just amazing, and although I generally don't like the texture or flavor of seaweed, these had a relatively muted flavor and the avocado complemented them perfectly. This was probably the dish that most surprised me in terms of how much I liked it relative to what I was expecting.<br />
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Course 9:<br />
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Aerated cauliflower soup w/ seared cauliflower, almond "crouton", compressed granny smith apple, pumpkin seed, and pink peppercorn.<br />
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The texture of the soup and crumble were very strange and I found this dish a bit on the bizarre and jarring side. Out of the entire dish, I got one bite near the end that happened to include the right balance of all components and it was great. The chef suggested that I should play with my food more before eating other dishes to address this. <br />
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Course 10:<br />
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Vegan ricotta w/ roasted peppers, honeycrisp, honeycomb, and smoked applewood powder.<br />
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The chef had mistakenly listed the avocado dish twice, so he had to make this one up on the spot, but it was just incredible (one of my favorites). He used Tofutti ricotta as a base (which is usually gross), somehow overcame that, and the balance of the ricotta, chile, smoke, and honey was divine. The textural diversity of the crispy / crumbly / creamy / chewy components was another major plus. He asked when I made the reservation if I ate honey or not, and checked again before serving it.<br />
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Course 11:<br />
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Alliums w/ New Zealand spinach<br />
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This was another favorite dish of mine despite being relatively simple. It was roasted shallots, onion crisps (super thin crispy flakes made from powdered onion), grilled spring onions, and charred onion powder, accompanies by small dollops of vegan creamed spinach.<br />
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Course 12:<br />
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Roasted salsify in ash with beach herbs<br />
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I'd never had salsify before, so it was hard to tell how much of the complex flavor was innate to the root and how much came from flavors he added. But this seemed like the simplest dish of the night: a roasted salted root with a nice light fresh herb. Tasty and interesting, but not amazing.<br />
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Course 13:<br />
I forgot to photograph this one, but it was one of my favorites: sunchokes with roasted onion over a pine nut crumble (similar to a shortbread cookie or biscotti) with red watercress and sea grass. <br />
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La ratte potato sphere with olive oil & tarragon<br />
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This was the only dish that was surprising enough to actually startle me. He told us to eat it in one bite, and in my mouth it "popped" in a way I wasn't expecting (it seems like the interior was pressurized). The flavor was good, but I couldn't totally get behind the texture which I found a bit gelatinous.<br />
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I can't quite recall what the crumble underneath the broccoli was, but it was an excellent combo. This was about the best broccoli I've ever had.<br />
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Buckwheat gnocchi w/ ginger-black miso broth, charred onion shoots, and date jam.<br />
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This was a magnificent dish. It felt relatively simple like comfort food, but again just perfectly executed. The broth was flavorful and somewhat sweet, the gnocchi had a lovely texture and gentle nutty flavor, and the jam and onion provided a nice counterpoint to the rest of the rich base flavors<br />
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Course 17:<br />
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Lightly seared squash w/ kumquat jelly and curry<br />
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This was another dish that surprised me with how well balanced it was. There was just a hint of char which faded into background notes when you ate it with the rest of the roasted squash and jelly. It didn't taste "burned" at all, and made me realize I need to step up my game when winter squash season hits next time! <br />
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Course 18:<br />
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Winter mushrooms w/ forest moss, "snow", and pine oil<br />
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This dish didn't really come together for me. The mushrooms were a bit on the bland and rubbery side, and while the other textures and flavors were interesting this was just OK to me overall.<br />
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Course 19:<br />
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Black lentils w/ roasted turnip and pear, carrots, etc.<br />
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I don't know what all of the flavors in this dish were, but it was another favorite. One of the big chunks shown is pear, the other is turnip. The lentils had a marvelous creamy texture and intensely rich and complex flavor I couldn't identify but really enjoyed.<br />
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Course 20:<br />
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Vermicelli with toasted grains (oats / farro) in toasted grain broth<br />
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The sweet potato / starch noodles had a good flavor, but I found the broth to be too salty and I didn't really like the flavor that much either. This was my least favorite dish, although it was tough to follow the black lentils.<br />
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Course 21:<br />
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Coconut-yuzu sorbet w coconut "snow," black sesame paste, and yuzu gel<br />
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I think the coconut "sorbet" (much thicker / firmer than sorbet usually is but I don't know what else to call it) also had yuzu (a kind of citrus) in it along with the side of yuzu gel. The coconut / yuzu / black sesame was a great flavor combo, and this was also a fun mix of textures.<br />
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Course 22:<br />
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Chocolate "rocks" filled with sorbet and chocolate mousse, w/ dark chocolate threads and strawberry balsamic reduction<br />
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One of the rocks had a strawberry balsamic sorbet, the other two had a very light and fluffy chocolate mousse. The reduction paired perfectly with the dark chocolate (~75-80% cacao). All of the desserts were excellent but this was my favorite.<br />
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Course 23:<br />
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Peanut butter "sandwich"<br />
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This was peanut sorbet served with thin peanut brittle, brown sugar crumble, and concord jam. It was very good, although I felt more emphasis was placed on texture as the flavors were relatively straightforward (just peanut / grape / brown sugar).<br />
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Course 24:<br />
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"Happy endings" aka "little things" or "small bites."<br />
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All wonderful, although the chocolate ones were a bit on the oily side so they quickly melted in my fingers. From bottom/right to top/left: jellied passion fruit, chocolate orange truffle, white chocolate w/ something I forget (but I loved it despite not usually liking white chocolate), complex crisp of huckleberry and blackberry, and chocolate peppermint meltaway. A delicious cap to a 24 course meal (this box counts as one course)!<br />
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I was surprised that in over a year of offering a vegan meal, only 7
people had actually ordered one (it does take a week's advance notice,
but still).Overall, I would recommend Rogue 24 without hesitation to anyone. Of 24 dishes 10 really impressed and delighted me, 3 I didn't like much (but none were bad and I ate them all), and the other 11 were still very good. I would not go for the wine / beer pairing again (it cost almost as much as the food and was not nearly as enjoyable), and it's pricey enough ($125) that it's certainly not something I'd do often, but I certainly enjoyed the meal a lot more than a night at a decent hotel somewhere!Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188189527040326811.post-48454070141286965922014-02-16T16:29:00.000-08:002017-07-26T05:36:37.316-07:00Homemade Cinnamon-Pecan Praline Vegan Ice Cream<br />
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It turns out good vegan ice cream isn't terribly hard to make at home if you have a Vitamix. We came up with this recipe by tweaking one that comes with the Vitamix cookbook. Their version is also based on nuts, but they use water instead of soy milk, and their version is good fresh but freezes into solid ice if you don't finish it right away. Our version can be eaten fresh (~soft serve texture) or frozen and just set out for a few minutes before serving. Here's the recipe, with pics of each step along the way:<br />
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Pecan praline coating:<br />
¾ cup pecans, chopped<br />
¼ tsp salt<br />
½ tsp cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp cayennne pepper (optional)<br />
1 Tbsp margarine<br />
1 Tbsp brown sugar<br />
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Ice cream:<br />
1 cup pecans, chopped<br />
3 cup vanilla soy milk, frozen into cubes<br />
½ cup vanilla soy milk, chilled<br />
¼ cup maple syrup<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
1 Tbsp dark rum<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
¼ tsp salt<br />
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At least 4 hours before making your ice cream, freeze 3 cups of the vanilla soy milk (I do it the night before). Also, dry roast all of the pecans in a skillet until fragrant and golden (be careful not to let them burn). Set aside 1 cup of the pecans and freeze them. Put the rest of the pecans in a bowl, and keeping the skillet hot, melt the margarine. Add the salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar and mix well, followed by the pecans. Keep stirring until the pecans are coated, and the coating has mostly dried and crystallized onto the pecans. Set aside (separately from the 1 cup of plain pecans).<br />
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Once the cubes have frozen hard (they should be totally dry), add all of the ingredients listed under “ice cream” (except the frozen cubes of soy milk) to your Vitamix (please don’t try this in a normal blender; it will likely break). Chip the cubes out of the ice cube tray (mine always stick pretty badly) and add them to the Vitamix. Select variable 1, turn the machine on, and quickly increase to 10 and switch it to “high.” Use the tamper to press all of the ingredients down into the blades. Wait ~30-60 seconds for the sound of the motor to change and four mounds to form. Be sure not to overmix or it will melt extra. Pour into a bowl, fold in the praline pecans, and freeze.<br />
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Note that I made this recipe with the intent of freezing it after you make it and having it still be good. You could reduce the rum and liquid soy milk if you wanted to eat it right away, which will make it firmer up front.<br />
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Here are pics of each step:<br />
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I find that using a silicon ice cube tray (in this case, a gummi bear shaped one) prevents the frozen soy milk from sticking to the tray.<br />
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Note that the tray always ends up with some soy milk in it, and I have to use a knife to chip them out.<br />
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This shows the texture of the ice cream when it comes out of the Vitamix, it is definitely on the soft side due to the rum / salt / soy milk.<br />
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This is the cinnamon pecan praline awaiting being stirred into the ice cream prior to being frozen, and the finally eaten!<br />
<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07401406875002489359noreply@blogger.com0