gentrified coleslaw, candied squash nuts, and blossom NYC

Friday, January 28, 2011 - Posted by urban vegan at 12:52 PM

Flavor-forward coleslaw, at last

Gentrification. It’s happening everywhere: things that fell out of favor are suddenly resurrected, rediscovered, and reinvented. It was bound to happen to coleslaw sooner or later. I updated this classic, cabbage-based salad by adding hipster veggies like radicchio and fennel and a splash of vanilla extract. And so Gentrified Coleslaw was born. Recipe will appear in my new cookbook.

Candied Squash Seeds

Here's another one from the new cookbook: Candied Squash Seeds. Most people discard winter squash seeds, but you can toast and/or candy them, just as is the case with pumpkin seeds. They're tiny nutrition powerhouses and make a great topping for salads, soups and even ice cream.

Ravioli in Cashew Cream

After a recent morning of gallery hopping with F-stop, we visited Blossom in Chelsea, NYC. We split the Ravioli in Cashew Cream. It was extremely decadent and rich, not for the fat-phobic. [Apologies for the photo quality: iPhone camera]

Seitanic Sandwich

I ordered a seitan sandwich special. It featured slices of seitan scallopini on a delicious, soft ciabatta bread. Good-n-greasy.

Blossom Burrito

F-stop chose the Blossom Burrito, filled with black beans, avocado and vegan cheese. Although my sandwich was great, I liked his better. [Isn't that how it always goes?]

14 vegabytes

tartlettes au citron (little lemon tarts)

Friday, January 21, 2011 - Posted by urban vegan at 11:44 AM

Let them eat tarts!

Here's another tease from the upcoming cookbook, inspired by all those hours I spent salivating in the windows of Parisian patiserries. This classic French lemon tart is a little puckery and a little sweet. You can also make it with lime juice and rind, if you need a change of pace.

Filled tarts, waiting to be baked

My recipe also includes instructions to make a large tart, if that's your preference. Aren't these nifty little tart cups cool? You just fill them and bake. No need for tartlette pans.

5 vegabytes

spicy seitan wings with cumin-harissa dipping sauce

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 - Posted by urban vegan at 2:10 PM

Spicy Seitan Wings with Cumin-Harissa Dipping Sauce, from the new cookbook

They're spicy. They're sassy. They're baked, not fried. And they take about 15-minutes of hands-on time to make. Meet my Spicy Seitan Wings with Cumin-Harissa Dipping Sauce.

I'm calling them "wings" somewhat grudgingly, since no actual wings, real or imagined, are included in the recipe. But since people of both omnivorous and vegetarian persuasions routinely refer to small, dippable pieces of meaty stuff as "wings," I'm not about to get all PC on you. Whatever you call them, I think you're going to like them, especially if you're a fan of spicy food.

13 vegabytes

dishes from the new cookbook and
the tofurky verdict

Sunday, January 09, 2011 - Posted by urban vegan at 8:04 PM

Food porn from upcoming cookbook...
My fabulous testers and I have been working feverishly at perfecting recipes for my upcoming cookbook. Take a gander below, and be sure to also check out the new shots that are added daily to our photo group on Flickr.

Savory Harvest Crumble with Figs, Squash and Onion


Clementine-Sweet Potato Halwah

Seitan with Quince, Apple and Onion

The Tofurky verdict...

I had originally intended to take the prepared Tofurky Feast to my sister's place for our post-Christmas dinner; I wanted my very large, very omnivorous family to share their thoughts. Unfortunately, owing to the snowstorm that blanketed the Philadelphia region on December 26, I ended up feasting on the Tofurky dinner solo. Before I give my verdict, full disclosure: I never really had a "meat tooth," even when I was not a vegetarian. So, as a veg, not surprisingly, I'm not into fake meats...

This said, if you like the taste of turkey, then you will undoubtedly love Tofurky. The texture is eeerily similar to that of turkey, and the savory stuffing enhanced and heightened the flavor. I especially enjoyed sandwiches I made with the leftovers. The Tofurky Jerky "wishbone" was a fun add-on for kids.

While the Tofurky itself was tasty, I'm sorry to report that I thought the dumplings were, well...inedible. And unfortunately, the gravy was not much better. For this reason, I thought the Tofurky Feast was a bit overpriced. On the upside, it's wonderful that alternative meals like these exist. I'm sure they will keep getting better and better.

12 vegabytes