tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-179430502024-02-20T03:10:26.843-06:00Old Fashion Aerosol CheeseSemi-abandoned food blog. Maybe I'll pick it back up again some day.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-78203191639181761822007-08-22T19:40:00.000-05:002007-08-22T19:58:09.356-05:00Kavarna Vegetarian Coffeehouse<center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/medburrito.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />See that? That's my delicious lunch last Sunday at <a href="http://www.kavarna.com/blog/">Kavarna</a> in Green Bay, WI. I had the Mediterranean Burrito described by their menu as "a toasted pita with Kavarna's homemade hummus, baba ghanouge, and marinated roma tomatoes" with "fresh cucumbers, onions, and organic sunflower sprouts".<br /><br />I wouldn't mind a second helping right now. I opted for the chips instead of the grapes as my side, but that was a good choice as I needed something with which to scoop up and devour the hummus oozing out the sides of the sandwich.<br /><br />My beverage of choice on an unseasonably cold and rainy August day? Rosewater Lemonade. Yes, a hot soy latte might have been more fitting, but I wanted to try their lemonade. It was great. It smelled like my great-grandmother (and her rose-scented lotions) but tasted great. (My meal totaled $8.91 which was more than fair. The whole menu, in addition to being well labeled for vegans and others with allergies/sensitivities, was quite reasonable in that regard.)<br /><br />I look forward to stopping in again the next time I'm up that way.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-55781743647901702192007-08-19T10:45:00.000-05:002007-08-19T10:55:14.691-05:00Mmm... curry.Here's my 2nd favorite dog (sorry Pogo, my parents' dog holds the #1 spot) begging for curry we made while keeping her company last weekend.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/pogobegs.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />It's just a quick combo of chickpeas, zuchinni, fresh tomatoes from my patio, onion, garlic, and cilantro on brown rice.<br /><br />Today I'll be up to Green Bay and checking out the <a href="http://www.kavarna.com/blog/">Kavarna Vegetarian Coffeehouse</a> mentioned by <a href="http://greenbayvegan.blogspot.com/">Green Bay Vegan</a> on the <a href="http://www.veganfreaks.net/forum/index.php">VFF</a> a while back. (A friend of mine is really obsessed with Alice Cooper and I told her I'd come to the concert up there with her if we could eat at this place.) I'm looking forward to writing a little review on my return. <br /><br />I'm not sure what all has been going on lately, but I've been distracted from cooking or even photographing the take-out we're eating. Guess I've got a lot going on. I can't wait to blog my Tokyo trip (and the likely NOT VEGAN experiences I'll have going someplace I can't speak the language) though, so hopefully October will be a more active month here.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-60288727398065604032007-08-14T22:55:00.000-05:002007-08-14T23:03:32.358-05:00Been a while.I know it's been a while since I've posted. I actually have photos on my camera and just haven't been arsed to upload them and post.<br /><br />In lieu of food blogging, here's a comic that cracked me up in the paper today:<br /><a href="http://www.comics.com/comics/getfuzzy/archive/getfuzzy-20070814.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Other/Fuzzy08142007.jpg" border="0"></a><br /><br />Since the local paper stopped running Bizarro I have to get my occassional veggie comedy from Get Fuzzy.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-53964196055971846812007-07-28T18:43:00.000-05:002007-07-28T18:48:46.265-05:00It's been a slow week.I can't say I've cooked anything of consequence this week. I've spent most of my time trying to catch up in Harry Potter so I can see the 5th movie and figuring out what all I need to do to go to Japan in October. (Ticket is taken care of, now I just need to plan what I'm doing while there and how to get around.)<br /><br />So, here's last Saturday's grub; a tomato salad with the first red tomato from my patio garden and the polished off cup Italian Ice from <a href="http://www.chocolateshoppeicecream.com/">The Chocolate Shoppe</a> which features many flavors of non-dairy Italian Ice and a handful of soy ice creams in addition to the usual dairy variety.<br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/tomatos.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/italianice.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-58177621231685026252007-07-21T13:33:00.000-05:002007-07-21T13:53:37.149-05:00Raspberry Cornmeal PancakesAdapted from a recipe for Blueberry Pancakes that ran in the <a href="">Wisconsin State Journal</a> this week, originally coming from the <a href="http://www.startribune.com/">Star Tribune</a>. The original was attributed to Scott Rosenbaum of the <a href="http://www.wilderoastcafe.com/">Wilde Roast Cafe</a>.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/pancakestack.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />Clean and dry 1 C raspberries (or other berries) and set aside.<br /><br />Mix and set aside:<br />1/2 C flour<br />3 tsp baking powder (that's powder, NOT soda)<br /><br />In a 2nd, large bowl mix and set aside fo 5 minutes:<br />1/2 C cornmeal<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1 T sugar<br />1/2 C boiling water<br /><br />In a 3rd, small bowl mix and let sit for 5 minutes:<br />1/3 C soy milk (originally 1/4 C milk)<br />1 T ground flax seeds (orig. 1 egg)<br />4 T melted Earth Balance (orig. 1/2 stick butter)<br /><br />Add the milk mix into the cornmeal mix, then add the flour. Thin out with as much soy milk as needed to get a nice batter consistency. (For softer cornmeal, make and set in the fridge overnight.) Pour/spoon a 1/4 c onto a pan on medium heat. (If making one at a time, wipe pan with a moist towel between cakes to clear the burned berrie residue from the pan.) Place berries onto cooking batter before flipping.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/cookingcake.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />Top with fresh berries, powdered sugar, and/or syrup. (I also cooked up some <a href="http://www.lightlife.com/ground.html">Lite Life faux sausage</a>.)<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/powdpancake.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-87668729722454501042007-07-21T13:02:00.000-05:002007-07-21T13:26:30.133-05:00Tagging memeOk, I normally don't do these on this blog, but Jen tagged me, so I feel obligated.<br /><br />1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.<br />2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.<br />3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.<br />4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.<br />5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.<br /><br />Now the 8 true things.<br /><br />1. I feel so L.A. because I'm vegan <i>and</i> have a therapist. Hollywood - Here I come! (Just kidding about going to Cali.)<br />2. I graduated college with a 2.998. Why couldn't we just call it a 3?<br />3. 1450 SAT is clearly no indicator of college success.<br />4. I don't mind my job, but I would really rather be a world traveller.<br />5. I haven't thrown up in a decade.<br />6. Robbie Williams is my musical guilty pleasure. (Westlife comes in a close second, along with Blue's "Fly By")<br />7. I talk a lot because I don't think I'm that interesting. Fill the space with words, says I, then noone will notice.<br />8. I'm a child of the 80's yet I have never seen The Karate Kid.<br /><br />I'm tagging: <br />http://aithneroad.livejournal.com/<br />http://introspectivenavelgazing.blogspot.com/<br />http://www.livejournal.com/users/sarahtomic/<br />http://www.livejournal.com/users/austenian/<br />http://www.livejournal.com/users/scarybug/<br />http://www.tablenaked.com/blogs/brian/<br />http://metallicearth.livejournal.com/<br />http://www.livejournal.com/users/frausensei/Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-53959722393206379572007-07-20T12:01:00.000-05:002007-07-21T13:31:58.591-05:00That time of year.My father's tomatoes (of which there will be thousands, no hyperbole) have not yet turned red, and the ceranos and jalepinos are also unripe, but it's still that time of year when I base my meals on what I can get fresh and/or free from someone's garden.<br /> <br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/corn.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />We had squash and corn earlier in the week, and another bucket of raspberries means we'll have vegan raspberry cornmeal pancakes on Saturday for brunch. <br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/freshrb.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />Tonight we'll have a spicy cucumber roll with brown rice and some yellow heirloom tomato and basil salad. Why those two incongruous dishes? Because I don't like cucumber salad and love sushi rolls, but I got both veggies free from one of the doctor's neighbor's garden and want to use them asap.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/freshcuke.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />In my own bucket garden on the patio I'm about to get my first red cherry tomatoes. It may only be a handful, but I'm excited.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/grtomato.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />EDIT: Dinner ended up being Qdoba to go after I feel asleep all afternoon. We had take-out and watched <i>The Departed</i> at Jeff's parents' while he sorted some stuff out in his old room.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/qdobataco.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-79935060328003717732007-07-02T18:40:00.000-05:002007-07-02T18:48:42.235-05:00Last week Jeff did the cooking. It involved some rather tasty TV dinners (Ethnic Gourmet) and oven fries, but it's nice when he makes dinner. I enjoyed it.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/bunnydinner.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />Over the weekend we stayed at Jeff's parents' house and dog-sat. We had take-out Chinese and grilled out veggie hotdogs. Yeah, omni-subs aren't the best food, but you can't argue with the salad (w/ sundried tomato dressing) and fresh cherries that went along with them.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/tomsalad.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/bunny.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />And just because, here's a bunny that let me get within 4 feet after we walked back from viewing fireworks Saturday night. There were three rabbits and two stuck around and let us watch them bounce and hop at one another. It didn't seem like mating, more like intimidation, but it was super cute. I was rooting for the tinier one.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-38261374644493076222007-07-02T18:34:00.000-05:002007-07-02T18:40:30.368-05:00TV News...I know I shouldn't expect much from TV news (and w/o cable I find I'm usually unaware of it), but I just needed to share what I saw last Friday evening at Jeff's parents' house.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/tvnewssucks.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />Come on MSNBC! Gitmo is a serious fucking issue, it does not deserve a ridiculous play-on-words headline undermining it.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-32360832054640242502007-06-23T20:36:00.000-05:002007-06-23T20:43:14.060-05:00Who knew......that Esquire runs recipes? And <a href="http://www.esquire.com/features/useful-enchilada0607">vegan recipes from celebs</a> to boot?<br /><br />I think I'll make that enchilada bake the next time I've got a pot-luck to go to. Plus, if the soy cheese I test out from the co-op sucks, I can just throw out the leftovers without feeling as bad for wasting food because who wants to keep pot-luck food that's been sitting and getting funky at room temp for hours? If I made it at home I'd feel compelled to make at least one lunch of it, even if it was horrible.<br /><br />Or I could just skip the soy cheese.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-86856288864939858832007-06-22T15:59:00.000-05:002007-06-22T16:19:13.890-05:00And we're back!So, a little housekeeping. Things are back on track at home. This is very good news, and to commemorate that here's a nauseatingly cute photo:<br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/toocute.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />It might be a bit before it's back to regularly posted food ramblings, but to kick things off again I just scored some sweet DallasWare/TexasWare dishes at St. Vincent DePaul. The guy sorting the shelves asked what I was looking at (as I was turning over every cup and mug in the hopes of finding some more vintage pieces to match) and when I explained he pulled down 4 more sectioned plates from a top shelf I was too short to see.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/texasware.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />I will admit to being a little sad at the check-out though. The girl who rang everything up commented on the dishes and said she'd never seen that material before, well, except for that morning when she sold a set of three large speckled bowls to someone. Drats! I was a few hours too late for the big find.<br /><br />And she sold them for $1.50 each! What a steal! Oh well. I originally went in to try on a bright green IZOD tennis dress from the 80s hanging in the window, but when that turned out to be way too big for me I really wasn't expecting to find anything else.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/munchingburger.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />Apologies if this is anyone's dad. I tried to get a better shot just as he was taking a huge bite but we were both moving. This is why the road is a scary place. Not only is that Big Mac slowly taking him out, clogging his arteries and whatnot, but he's driving with BOTH HANDS ON THE BURGER! Is it wrong that I think people shouldn't be allowed to eat and drive? I'll take the cellphone crazies any day because at least they have one hand left for the wheel. (FYI - I wasn't driving. Jeff was. And we'd already stopped at Qdoba for lunch.)Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-23738523230207394172007-06-07T17:19:00.000-05:002007-06-07T17:21:03.193-05:00No new posts.An indefinite hiatus begins as last night I found out that I need to move byt hte end of the month, and vegan cooking for one doesn't seem like it's going to be that entertaining to photograph. So, no new posts until I get myself sorted and my head screwed back on.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-16004631562864170442007-06-02T17:44:00.001-05:002007-06-03T10:04:09.523-05:00A vegan Reuben.I was in the bookstore last week and scouring the used cookbooks for something interesting. The restaurant next door (<a href="http://www.foodfightinc.com/montys.htm">Monty's</a>) has a cookbook and I picked up a copy and thumbed through it. I didn't really need a vegetarian meatloaf recipe or anything, but I was curious about a couple of my favorite veggie dishes. (The restaurant is not exclusively vegetarian, they just offer decent veggie selections.)<br /><br />Sadly, the recipe in the book for the "Sheldon" (aka vegetarian Reuben) listed honey as an ingredient in the marinade. This was a little bit heart-breaking, so I resolved to marinate my own tofu, sans honey, and make my own Reuben.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/reuben.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />Basically I marinated slices of drained firm tofu in soy sauce, a dash of vegan worcestershire, a lot of minced ginger and garlic, pepper, a little sugar, and water. After a night in the fridge I sauteed them in a non-stick pan for a few minutes, grilled a little pumpernickel/rye with <a href="http://www.earthbalance.net/">Earth Balance</a>, and layered it together with some tomato slices, sauerkraut, and <a href="http://www.followyourheart.com/index.php">Vegenaise</a>.<br /><br />It was quite tasty, although I think I've had my fill of Reubens for the moment.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-68607285265562986002007-06-02T17:26:00.000-05:002007-06-02T17:44:05.387-05:00Roman Candle Pizza<center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/romancandle.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br /><br />Last Friday Jeff and I took a walk. We were planning on just walking and leaving it at that, but bumped into some friends (Mark and Sarah) on their way to <a href="http://www.thedailypage.com/theguide/venue.php?venue=1038&widget=searchWidgetSwapOut('Eats','Movies','Music');">The Weary Traveler</a> and invited us to join them. Jeff was hungrier than he thought, but when we go in there it was a little busy. We didn't want to interrupt our friends' date or make it harder for them to get a table, so we decided to head further down the street to <a href="http://www.theromancandle.com/index.php">Roman Candle Pizza</a>.<br /><br />Mark is an ex-vegan and gave us the suggestion to try the "fireworks sauce" with roma tomatoes, fresh basil, and walnuts. He was spot on. It's probably the tastiest combo I've ever had on a pizza. (And trust me, I've eaten a lot of pizza, vegan and non-vegan.)<br /><br />I'd eaten the "Animal Lover" pizza before, but this was way better. Great fresh lemonade as well. Jeff wanted to go back for dinner a few nights later, but we hit up the Weary instead. I don't want to go to the same place twice in one week, it's just my silly neuroses coming out.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-70006920576452406232007-05-25T14:32:00.000-05:002007-05-25T14:43:55.305-05:00Birthday follow-upThe day after my birthday I went to see my grandparents and my father had the great idea to stop out at <a href="http://www.cushmansgreenhouse.com/">Cushman's Greenhouse</a> on the way back so that I could pick out some plants. (My balcony was bare.)<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/herbs.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />Dad was at work, but Mom and I picked up some herbs and some sort of multi-colored leafy decorative plants, both of which he planted for me when we got home. (He also gave me a couple of cherry tomato plants he'd been growing from seeds inside the house all spring.) This is one of the best, useful birthday presents I've gotten in a long time. (Ok, I also got a gift certificate from Mom to the salon I go to for a haircut. That was pretty nice too. She and Dad <b>both</b> did well.)<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/dadplanting.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />After that, mom and dad took Jeff and I out for Laotian for a day-after-my-birthday dinner.<br /><br />Unrelated to birthday stuff, I saw this huge full rainbow last night shortly before sunset.<br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/rainbow2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-13942017354117734782007-05-22T21:16:00.000-05:002007-05-23T00:02:48.700-05:0026.I'm 26 today. To celebrate I slept in, watched daytime TV, took some allergy meds (because the pollen and sunny weather makes my head want to explode), and went to dinner at <a href="http://www.bunkyscafe.net/index2.htm">Bunky's</a> with Jeff.<br /><br />I had some falafel, lentil soup, and a tasty okra dish with couscous (leftovers pictured below) while Jeff opted for a not vegan pasta dish. He'd called ahead to see if there were any vegan desserts tonight (as there sometimes are) and when he was told no he sought out some brownies and cookies from <a href="http://www.motherfools.com/">Mother Fool's</a>. I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of cake anyway, so it's not a big deal to have a birthday brownie instead. <br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/okradelight.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/bdaybrownie.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />And I got some exciting "loot" too, including <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Slaughterhouse-Shocking-Inhumane-Treatment-Industry/dp/1591024501/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-6313857-4448808?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179896504&sr=8-2"><i>Slaughterhouse</i></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mediterranean-Vegan-Kitchen-Donna-Klein/dp/1557883599/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6313857-4448808?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179896540&sr=1-1"><i>The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen</i></a>. Tomorrow I'll go visit my grandparents (and parents) and then Thursday it's back to work for 2 whole days before the 3-day weekend. It's been a good week.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/loot.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-64777293635483883942007-05-20T10:19:00.000-05:002007-05-20T11:27:22.227-05:00Baby shower BBQYesterday was Jeff and <a href="http://introspectivenavelgazing.blogspot.com/">Viv</a>'s baby shower. I nearly went blind in the baby aisle at Target trying to identify which teething ring "TFY CP" was. Apparently it stands for "The First Years - Classic Pooh" but I'm not up on my baby accessories, so it was harder than finding wheat bread without honey.<br /><br />Anyway, they were doing a BBQ and picked up some veggie burgers and brats and had a lot of fruit and veg and other vegan snacks (thanks, guys!), but I also brought along a salad and cookies.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/10083">Soba noodle/peanut salad</a><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/VTsobasalad.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br /><br /><a href="http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=111">Chewy chocolate chocolate chip cookies</a><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/chewycc.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br /><br />Have you ever seen someone so happy about onesies and foam bath toys?<br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/prezzies.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-46681404050849326812007-05-17T22:44:00.000-05:002007-05-17T22:56:47.041-05:00A long summaryWe'll start with Sunday. Jeff and I went to see the <a href="http://www.madisonsymphony.org/">Madison Symphony Orchestra</a> with his father, after which we went to a lovely restaurant I'd never been to before where my menu options totalled two possibilities in modified green salads. I choose the mache. Nice restaurant, but each menu item required at least 3 animal products, so modification was going to be nigh unto impossible. At least I wasn't alone in my troubles as I overheard the vegetarian couple to my right having a similar conversation with their server.<br /><br />I honestly don't remember Monday, other than a headache. I may have made dinner, but I have no recollection of it. (I think I asked Jeff to boil some pasta.)<br /><br />Tuesday was a dinner out at a nice Indian place downtown, <a href="http://www.isthmus.com/theguide/venue.php?venue=2820">Maharani</a>. I brought home a nice lunch-sized portion of chickpea curry for work the next day.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/maharanicurry.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />Wednesday I needed sushi in the worst way, so an hour later we had:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/rollingmat.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/sushiplate-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/sushichopstick.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />And tonight I decided to use up several veggies going bad in the fridge and a packet of Boca crumbles I found in the back of the freezer. In honor of every potluck of my childhood, I present: goulasch.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/goulasch.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-41168964714774750612007-05-09T22:23:00.000-05:002007-05-09T22:28:18.390-05:00Willie Street Co-OpWe took a walk tonight down Willie Street for sandwiches from the deli case. I got a marinated tempeh and Jeff had a BBQ seitan.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/tempehsandie.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />We sat out on the little patio area outside the co-op and watched the sparrows before walking back home up Jenifer. It was a really lovely night, and our apartment is about 80 degrees right now so we wanted out. Our neighbors must still have the heat on because we can't understand why it's been warmer inside than out this past week.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/jeniferbridge.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />Jeff insisted on a photo on the way back home, and it took three tries just to get one where I wasn't blinking. I'm just not destined to be a model.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-45065738780476719362007-05-08T22:18:00.000-05:002007-05-09T22:22:43.339-05:00I've created life!So, incase you ever wondered what a couple slices of Tofurkey can do in the back of the fridge in as little as 2 months, I present you with <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/moldytofurkey.jpg">this</a>.<br /><br />(It's a little gross, hence the link only.)<br /><br />After cleaning out the fridge I settled in with a bowl of (thankfully fresh!) berries and waited for Jeff to get home to whip up a stirfry and noodles.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/berries.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/stirfrynoodle.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-88369088946564495432007-05-06T21:06:00.000-05:002007-05-06T21:39:29.097-05:00MuramotoAirhead that I am, I left my camera in the car and then forgot that I could use my cell phone camera, so I don't have any photos, but I would like to say that although a very not vegan Japanese fusion restaurant I just had a very nice vegan meal at <a href="http://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7GWYE&q=muramoto&near=Madison,+WI&radius=0.0&latlng=43073056,-89401111,5694296920141999111&sa=X&oi=local&ct=authority">Restaurant Muramoto</a> on King Street. There's only one vegan item on the menu (fried tofu in spicy peanut sauce) but the cole slaw can have its dressing subbed out from an egg-based ginger dressing to a vinegar based one. <br /><br />They also informed me that, although not a menu item, they could make me a vegetable roll. (Or rolls if I was really hungry, but they do serve dishes sized to share.) That was excellent. An inside out roll filled with tempura battered asparagus, topped with sweet carmalized mushrooms and micro greens. I really should have brought a camera, even though it is a little weird to snap photos mid-meal, and it would have been strange once I thought of it to run from the restaurant to the car to get my camera.<br /><br />They were also kind enough to tip me off that, as in most authentic recipes, the miso soup contained bonito flakes. Well, what in Japanese cooking doesn't?<br /><br />My dinner tonight also reminds me that I just picked up an excellent, beautiful cookbook at <a href="http://www.frugalmuse.com/">Frugal Muse</a> on Saturday. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shunju-Japanese-Cuisine-Takashi-Sugimoto/dp/079460448X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-9337932-5697426?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178504650&sr=8-1">Shunju</a> is far from a vegan cookbook (if photos of skewered whole fish and liberal bonito use wig you out, you'll want to pass) but there are accidentally vegan items, interesting uses of homemade tofu and soymilk, and great inspiration to be had in the the presentation, cooking styles, and unusual ingredients. (I envy Japan's vegetable choices.) Most recipes are simple, although the ingredients make the dish hard to create at home. (Are any of you able to harvest fresh bamboo shoots in the morning? I can't without a 16-hour plane ride first.) Like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/French-Laundry-Cookbook-Thomas-Keller/dp/1579651267/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-9337932-5697426?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178505130&sr=1-1">The French Laundry</a>, I won't make these foods on a daily basis, but it's fine food porn.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-36726588822815825762007-05-06T15:06:00.000-05:002007-05-06T15:25:38.452-05:00Curse you, cold virus!So, that whole healthy vegan thing was absent this week. Apparently veganism can't stop a wicked cold virus. It started as a sore throat over a week ago and morphed into a horrible sniffling, ear-aching mess by Wednesday.<br /><br />As a result, this was the bulk of what I ate this week:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/noodles.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a><br />Instant noodles and veggies.</center><br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/pbnj.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a><br />Peanut butter and jelly.</center><br /><br />Last night things were picking up though (my cough was subsiding), so a group went out for Mexican and Spider-Man 3. I've got the leftovers from my veggie fajitas for lunch today. <br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/laredosfajita.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />And because I've been to this restaurant (<a href="http://www.laredosrestaurant.com/">Laredo's</a>) I already knew they put cheese on the beans and remembered to ask for it to be left off. <br /><br />No surprizes like Friday night when Jeff took my coughing/sneezing self out in public for dinner and my curry arrived with a parmesan garnish. Um. It's totally my fault that I didn't mention cheese, but I'd never seen cheese on curry before. It totally caught me off-guard, so Jeff and I did a little division and swapping of entrees. I could have asked for a remake, but it was not their fault in the slightest and there were other vegan items we'd ordered.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-13148899464433844182007-04-30T22:12:00.000-05:002007-04-30T22:33:14.611-05:00America's Test Kitchen Hot & Sour, modifiedThe nice thing about recipes from <a href="http://www.americastestkitchen.com/default.asp">America's Test Kitchen</a> is that they're solid recipes, usually short on ingredients and quick to make. The bad thing is that most (if not all) contain animal products.<br /><br />I happened to listen to their episode <a href="http://www.americastestkitchen.com/episode.asp?episodeid=174&iSeason=7"><i>Staying in for Chinese Take-out</i></a> on Saturday (I say listen because we lack TV reception) and their hot and sour soup seemed like a good idea. (I'll make their stir-fry recipe another day.)<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/hotsoursoup.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />In my version a few things had to change. First, I'm serving 2 people, and although I like leftovers, I didn't need enough food for 6 people. Here's what I did (leaving out the pork, chicken stock, and egg a hot & sour purist would probably want, but I don't think the final product was adversely affected.)<br /><br />Heat:<br />4 C vegetable stock<br />Add:<br />1 C sliced shiitake mushrooms<br />1/2 small can of bamboo shoots (they said to cut them into matchsticks, I didn't)<br />1/3 block of firm tofu, drained/pressed, cut into small cubes<br />Stir into simmering liquid:<br />3 T corn starch in cold water, the soup will begin to thicken immediately<br />Simmer for a bit, then add:<br />1/2 t ground white pepper<br />1/2 t hot chili oil<br />1 T rice wine vinegar<br />1 T red wine vinegar<br />1 t sesame oil<br />3 T low sodium soy sauce (if you're using canned bamboo and pre-made stock it will already be salty enough)<br />To serve, garnish with some green onion.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/bananasalad.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />I also served a salad of chopped napa cabbage, dried banana, fresh banana, pineapple chunks, and cashews. I wanted to add fresh cilantro but the grocery store was actually out.<br /><br />For a dressing I blended 1/4 c olive oil into 1/2 mashed banana, 1 t grated ginger, 1 T rice wine vinegar, 2 t brown sugar, and a squeeze of lime. I forgot 2 things in my haste. A pinch of kosher salt and a bit of minced jalepino. I had the pepper sitting right there on the cutting board and somehow overlooked it.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-45428884253476676382007-04-28T14:09:00.000-05:002007-04-28T14:31:21.792-05:00Saturday morning, non-food post.I would post the lovely salad I made for dinner last night, but that plan never actually came through because I've been sick. I've just been sort of sleeping off and on, and never ended up eating anything for dinner last night (except for some Rice Divine ice cream which made my sore throat feel infinitely better.) <br /><br />Today though I've been up to the <a href="http://www.madfarmmkt.org/">Dane County Farmer's Market</a>, where I ran into Erik's cousin Mark, and a host of other people I either happily waved "hi" to or ducked away from, disappearing into the crowds celebrating good weather, fresh food, and the Crazy Legs Classic Run/Walk.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/madison/walk12.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />I didn't take any pictures of the market itself. First off, it's early in the season, so most things being sold are seeds, seedlings, honey, cheese, organic beef, ostrich, bison, European red deer, pork, etc. I decided I'd rather not get my panties in a bunch on such a nice day by photographing the signs proclaiming their "humanely raised" "grass-fed" animal products. Another day. Maybe when it's rainy or something.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/madison/walk8.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />I had a nice leisurely walk home after the market. If anyone has a spare half-million they'd like to give me, I'd like one of those tin can-looking condos, please.<br /><br />Check it out: Giant emu/ostrich sculpture on S. Paterson St. There are two of them, and I don't even reach their knees.<br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/madison/walk6.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />Jeff's out of town this weekend which makes cooking less fun, but later in the week I fully intend to make and veganize the recipes I just happened to catch on <a href="http://www.americastestkitchen.com/episode.asp?episodeid=174&iseason=7">America's Test Kitchen</a> for hot and sour soup, and stir-fry with noodle cake. We don't have cable, and barely get any reception, but I didn't decide on a DVD or anything quickly enough and got suckered into listening to PBS while I ate lunch. (lunch = leftover curry) It all sounded delish except for the pork and chicken and egg... but I can fix that.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17943050.post-69008765921432820402007-04-26T22:17:00.000-05:002007-04-26T22:31:43.180-05:00A sort of Asian pasta dish.Today I really wanted spring rolls, and rather than go next door and get take out ones (and risk a repeat of that one time there were two Heathers waiting for orders, and I got the right entree, but my spring rolls got mislabeled and I came home with shrimp...) I decided it was time again to make my own.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/springroll.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />I was definitely out of practice rolling. The first one looked like a wet plastic bag, washed into the gutter. But from then on out I got the hang of it again.<br /><br />Inside each roll was a little shredded carrot, green onion, bean thread noodles, mint, and some firm tofu that had been seared off with garlic, ginger, and a touch of curry. Jeff came in while the block of tofu was on the stovetop and began giving me grief because it looked like scrambled egg. I served it with some coconut milk/peanut sauce stuff, that I admit, came from a dry mix. Yes, I have chilis and peanuts in the cupboard, but there is something to be said for the ease of opening an envelope.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/goofyjeff.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center><br />Here's Jeff trying to look hard-core or something over dinner. You can see the two goldfish make guest appearances over his left and right shoulders. (Sigfried above his left shoulder, Ari above his right.)<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/heather522/Vegan/asianpasta.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a></center> <br />And lest you think we just ate appetizers for dinner, we also had a soba noodle pasta thing I threw together with some sesame oil & vegetable oil, ginger, garlic, green onion, snow peas, and napa cabbage. The soba noodles I boiled first for 4 minutes, drained, rinsed with cold water, and then added to the sauteed veggies. The noodles and veg stuck a bit to the pan, and I threw in a splash of rice wine vinegar to add a little tang to it and to help release the noodles that were sticking. <br /><br />Overall, I think it was a rousing succes and definitely worth making again. The speed and ease of the main dish was a relief after cursing and sputtering as wet rice paper slipped out of my hands over and over on the first roll.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980526241734909900noreply@blogger.com0