yellowtail to the rescue 

Friday, February 27, 2009 - Posted by urban vegan at 12:47 PM
Are there animal products in your tipple? Insidious ingredients like gelatin, egg whites, fish oil, and casein often make their way into beers, wines and some liquors.

The good news is that all Yellowtail red wines are vegan. These inexpensive table vinos [usually $6-9 in my area] pair well with so many foods. I am especially partial to the Shiraz. They aren't fine wines, per se, but since I'm not made of money, they work perfectly fine for me.

Is your wine is vegan? Check out Barnivore.

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salad daze 

Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - Posted by urban vegan at 10:24 AM
Salade Niçoise – Another quickie meal from the cookbook that's ideal for busy people on the go. I love this classic salad's simplicity, powerful nutritional punch and improvisational nature. You can use green beans. Or not. Potatoes. Or not. Tomatoes. Or not. You can sop up the extra dressing with crusty French bread. [Or not, if you're carbo-phobic.] You can even stuff a sandwich with this salad and call it Pan Bagnat. And did I mention how inexpensive it is?

Bon appétit!

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walnut sauce with rosemary, contest winner and buttons update 

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - Posted by urban vegan at 9:57 AM
Walnut Sauce with Rosemary
This decadent, earthy sauce, which appears in my upcoming cookbook, is a nice one to stow in your culinary bag of tricks. It’s a no-brainer over spaghetti when you’re too tired too cook, as I was the other night. It's also an easy-to-prep midnight snack over gnocchi, after a night of dancing and pub crawling.

For fun, I tossed in a few stalks of fresh rosemary. Although you'd guess that this assertive herb would be overpowering, the slightly licorice-y essence is actually quite subtle, since it's balanced by the walnuts, garlic and carb-rich pasta.


Buttons Update
Is this cat really the same one who, just 2 months ago, lived in the gutter? Each day, Buttons now treats me by revealing a little bit more of her personality. Patience and persistence have truly paid off. If you're trying to tame a feral or semi-feral cat, please don't give up.


Buttons now enthusiastically greets me, meows for her breakfast and readily accepts affection. As you can see here, she lets me know exactly where she wants scratching. She also seems to enjoy sitting on my lap, as long as I'm on the floor. She's still skittish, and I suspect she will always be; after all, she's had a hard life. But I now spy Buttons playing with cat toys, chasing Pablo, and just feeling generally more comfortable hanging out. My nickname for her is "Gutter Girl."

Contest winner!
Thanks to everyone for your enthusiastic response to the contest, and sorry about my lateness in announcing the winner. Congratulations to Lindy Loo of Yeah, That Vegan Shit! Lindy, please e-mail me with your address.

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contest :: win a $100 gift certificate
for vegan shoes! 

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 - Posted by urban vegan at 9:18 AM
It's time for another contest, kids!

Earth Footwear is an environmentally conscious shoe manufacturer. They use 70% recycled content and offer a broad range of cool vegan kickers.

Want to win a $100 gift certificate to OnlineShoes.com, a fab shoe site that carries the Earth Footwear line? Simply leave a comment. The winner will be announced on February 16. Good luck!

So sorry, foreign readers, but this contest is only open to US residents.

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ribz with tamarind bbq sauce 

Thursday, February 05, 2009 - Posted by urban vegan at 11:57 AM
Fat-Free Vegan's Seitan Ribz with Urban Vegan's Tamarind BBQ Sauce

When winter rears its ugly head in the form of snowstorms, endless grey skies and inescapable boredom, I crave carbs and comfort food with a vengeance. Last night for dinner, I paired my Tamarind BBQ sauce [the recipe will appear in the cookbook] with Fat-Free Vegan's seitan ribz. It's a metaphorically sunny combination. The sweet and sour tamarind adds a mysterious complexity and packs a powerful flavor wallop for very little effort. And Susan's ribz are so easy to make and so tasty that you'll want to double the recipe every time

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progress report 

Monday, February 02, 2009 - Posted by urban vegan at 5:30 AM
I'm making progress on the cookbook; it's almost done. But the writing, along with other things going on in my life right now, have been all-consuming, hence my recent absence from the blogosphere. Buttons has also made progress. She now ventures out more and likes to sleep on the cat bed with Pablo.

Buttons also comes out to cry for her supper and eat along with Pablo and Bossa Nova. And now, when I kneel on the ground, she occassionally comes straight up to my face and gives me head butts and lets me pet her, while she purrs like a motor. I think she finally knows that she hit the lottery.

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