yo nanowrimo, i'm really happy for you and imma let you finish...

...but Vegan Mofo III is one of the greatest writers' roundups of all time.

Yes, that's right kids, the third annual October roundup of blogs celebrating a Vegan Month of Food is upon us and I'm going for it. It's apparently been a challenge for me to blog more frequently than bimonthly or so, but I'm diving headfirst into this fun and massive group of people who'll be blogging EVERY DAY (or at least every weekday) for the month of October! It's hosted this year by Kittee and sure to be fun, and it goes without saying, delicious.

Let the fo'ing begin. See you tomorrow, lovelies.

And Imma leave you with a a meme.

via ImaLetYouFinish.com

harry potter and the deathly {delicious} food of raw.*

Initially I was concerned about enrolling in summer classes. After a year of nonstop productions, theater and class was taking its toll on my social and academic wellness. I was burnt out in all aspects of my mandatory and extracurricular activities, and it was my grades as well as my close relationships that were taking the hit. Getting my two-year community college degree by the time I graduate this next spring is an ambition for sure, but could I really take on even three more classes without much of a hiatus in between?

Fortunately, there are only three weeks left and I've come to enjoy my schedule. Because this is not the school I've gotten used to over the last three years, it doesn't feel like the same old routine that drives us crazy kids, well, crazy, and turns us into those ruthless, stereotypical sadists whose only way to blow off steam is derived from malicious teenage antics.

I don't generally have more than one class a day, though, so I've been able to keep my contact with the non-scholarly world in check. There was that weekend trip to Veneta, of course, as well as some downtime to get back to some good old-fashioned cooking with friends.

And, well, maybe some UNcookin'. The thing I cherish most about the local library is checking out volumes and volumes of cookbooks so that I can browse recipes new and old without having to buy a single one. The system keeps up very well with newly published books, so I was able to request Ani Phyo's newest tome, Ani's Raw Food Desserts fairly soon after its release.

They ain't pretty, they ain't made with patience, and they ain't even made correctly. But the Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Blackberry Glaze sure were tasty (raw foods = TASTING EVERY FLAVOR) and fresh as can be. The blackberries were picked from behind the West Oly co-op and the blueberries from Jo's front yard.


Mirrah, taking a big raw bite.

But moving on from raw goodness, released in... oh, hell, there is absolutely no segue for this. I SAW HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE IN IMAX 3-D, MOFOS.

There are precious few things on this god-given earth that I love more than these series of books and movies that I, having literally grown up with them, hold very near and dear to my heart. If the flesh-and-blood Harry Potter told me that the only way that the Horcruxes would be destroyed, Snape would be revealed as good, and Hermione and Ron would finally knock boots was if I ate a hamburger, I'd probably do it. Whereas, given the same demand from Jesus, I would probably tell to fuck off.

Granted, the movies suck. I'm that Trekkie of the Potterverse who sits there, demanding fidelity to the series, clutching my forehead and sputtering, "You're climbing on top of a goddamn roof?! Shame you don't have some sort of magical object like, oh, I don't know - EXTENDABLE EARS or  an INVISIBLITY CLOAK!" And this wasn't the first time or even the second time I've seen it. This was the third time. And since only the first twelve minutes is in MIND-BLOWINGLY NEAT-O 3D, we needed something else to sustain ourselves throughout the rest of the movie. (It helps that Tom Felton and Rupert Grint are pretty.)

Being without an Ollivander wand and Molly Weasley's precise and harried abilities, we produced a batch of Pumpkin Pasties (from Dumbledore's Vegan Army) the Muggle way for some sustenance as well as some piping hot butterbeers (pictured in an ice bath). The empanada-like pasties turned out perfectly (not to mention adorably). The butterbeers - veganized from a recipe relying on cream soda and very nonvegan Werther's candies (anyone know where I can get my hands on or make some vegan ones, incidentally?) - will be tweaked in the near future as they were merely okay.



As a foodie, I have one more burning comment about this movie. I thought the Harry Potter franchise had somewhat of a multi-million dollar budget, so why are they eating Costco cream puffs tossed with Hershey's syrup in margarita glasses and why is every potion and drinkable substance except for (what I can only assume is) Crush soda and Cool-Whip clearly tap water?

*So, the title needs some work; Scholastic and I are coming to an agreement.

jesus died for your sins, and you won't even eat a pretzel.

I was waiting for an... "occasion" to post, but it turns out my baking days have been relatively uneventful. That and even if I were baking for special occasions, I wouldn't have my big, bold, carry-all locking case I use for everything. I lent it to a friend three mother-whoring weeks ago and despite my subtle? nagging it hasn't been returned. But as you can see I'm not bothered. I'm clearly feeling rather neutral about it. Clearly.

The above is from St. Patrick's day - baking soda biscuits with sausage gravy made with seasoned Susan V's Irish Fauxsages. They were fantastic; I always enjoy the thick, flavorful White Bean Gravy recipe from Vegan With a Vengeance. The only downside is saving the gravy isn't really an option unless you're willing to thin it down or blend it the next day. The beans firm right up into some spread-type deal. Which can be a positive situation, depending on how you look at it.

After a rather depressing weekend I was determined to have a quality Sunday brunch. An early riser, I was even going to let myself sleep in. Unfortunately that started off poorly when my body woke me up at 7:30am and refused to relent. Then, my attempt at hash browns failed miserably when the potatoes resulted in a gummy, purple mess. It was revolting. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'd only taken any part in hashbrown-making of the frozen package variety. As I learned... there's more to it than simply grating and pan-"frying..."

Success finally came in the deliciousness of the Banana-Coconut Rolls (with Almonds) from Have Cake, Will Travel that accompanied my morning coffee. Warm. Gooey. Sugary. Caloric. MMMMMhmmm.

After that win I started trolling my Google reader for more goods to try in the future, and this is what I came across:

I have tried many times (well, to count, three times - but three unsuccessful times is many to me*) to achieve good, fried yeasted donuts. The first attempt was a very tasty, though admittedly very not-donutty pseudo-malasada. My friend Kali and parents enjoyed them - I suppose being Hawaiian transplants it was like a taste of home. The second attempt was inedible. The third was... similar to the "malasadas," but I wanted to use icing instead of a sugar glaze and it was just strange. SO, in conclusion I'm desperate to try these curd-filled donuts from Vegan Visitor - I WILL HAVE DONUT SUCCESS. (Any tips on the lack thereof, by the way?)

Another treat I grew up with was mochi, and it has been eons since I've had it. My mother used to make butter mochi a lot when I was much younger; it was famous and requested by family friends often. I haven't looked at a recipe in years, but I believe it is rather dairy heavy (hellooo - buttah mochi). The "ball kind" (called daifuku when filled, and also never called "the ball kind" by anyone but me), available around here exclusively as ice cream-filled, includes fewer ingredients. After being asked for a recipe by Kali, that Hawaiian friend, I came across the daifuku featured on VeganYumYum. Mochi is in one word adorable, and now I want some.

I had never heard of monkey bread. It will be made, it will be shared, it will be devoured.

I love sauerkraut. I don't understand why we never have it or why I can't remember the last time I ate it. Thinking about it now, I'm craving vegan brautwurst. Maybe I think I love it because I never have it? In any case - easy, scrumptious-looking, and casserole. I see no problem.

I have actually spent a great deal of today wasting away in front of Google reader's search option but thinking about all this vegan feasting is seriously getting to my hunger trigger. The quicker I can get to sleep, the sooner I can get up and eat breakfast. Leftover banana rolls... just you wait.

*Not to imply I'm the brilliance in the kitchen I wish I were (or let people think I am), because I just happen to follow well-tested and -developed recipes from brilliant authors.

giving thanks.

I hope that all the Americans had a wonderful and loving Thanksgiving! I have so much to be grateful for this year, and I'm just lucky to have had such a pleasant holiday with smoothly prepared food. A shocker, considering the kitchen mayhem we've endured in past years and will endure in the years to come. I didn't do much in the way of originality for the feast, so I'll just leave you with a few recap shots.

Sourdough Stuffing w/ Apples & Mushrooms; Mom's Stuffing's Veggies (later nonvegan)

Clockwise from bottom: cranberry sauce, candied yams (non-vegetarian), delicata & butternut squash, tequila-lime yam hash, roasted brussel sprouts with garlic.

Impossible Vegan Pumpkin Pie from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen

I also made a seitan "turkey" loaf with the Mustard Sauce from Veganomicon, but it was not particularly gorgeous and I left it unphotographed. Of course, we have been living solely off of leftovers for the past day or so. Pumpkin Pie Milkshake, anyone? That was my balanced breakfast this morning...

The "Third-Try" Cupcakes

edit 9/28: Voting has started for these cupcakes. Please vote before this Thursday, October 2nd!

Oh, dear me. I can only imagine how lucid this post is going to be. I'm pumped full of every available cold suppressant to get through my classes at the community college, school, and rehearsal and before even starting, I could hardly remember if I'd even posted my Iron Cupcake entry. Jesus. Let's do this.

I was really enthusiastic this month about taking on my first challenge, and it gave me to excuse to plan a use for my dwindling summer basil. Ah, how I'll miss you, blossoming herbs. How I loathe paying obscene prices for you in the supermarket.

My initial plans went through a variety of phases and three different batches - both for cupcakes and toppings. As you can imagine I became rather frustrated and my competing frustrations did nothing to appease. No excuse for sloppiness, I know, but bear with me.

Mexican hot chocolate is a cinnamon-infused chocolate drink with a kick, and the cupcake adaptation is ripped right from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World with just a few adjustments. The cupcakes were topped with an Agave-Lime-Basil Buttercream made with a basil-lime syrup. If I were to make these again, I would drizzle some of the syrup over the batter before sliding the cupcakes into the oven and see if it would create a ribbon effect - otherwise, I did not add any basil to the cupcakes themselves. I meant to originally, but under the hectic circumstances I spaced.

I had some leftover sugared basil from a (failed) experiment, and I crushed a handful to add to the buttercream. And voila. Exhausting but tasty cupcakes. The recipe is probably my favorite from VCTOTW - sweet with a kick, which I missed last month with the chili pepper challenge. The buttercream is really delicate - the basil adds an herby flavor that works with the sweetness, flowery almost. The lime really shines here too, which I think works well the slightly spicy chocolate.

Voting starts at No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner this Sunday, September 28th - I'd be eternally pleased with a vote or two. After all - YOU DECIDE! Any which way you vote - let's go vegan, okay?

Exciting prizes, ya'll - there's this month's incredible Etsy artist is Metal Sugar, Head Chefs by Fiesta Products, Hello Cupcake by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, those lovely Jessie Steele Aprons, the ever-practical Cupcake Courier, and Taste of Home!

In review - great prizes, you decide, September 28th, I'd love a vote, but go vegan - all set? Good.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes (Originally from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)
Ingredients
makes 12 cupcakes
1 c coconut milk (soy or rice milk works)
2 tablespoons flaxseeds
¾ c all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons corn meal
¼ c almond meal
½ Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 c granulated sugar
1/3 c applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a 12-muffin pan.
2. Grind flaxseeds in a blender or coffee grinder and whisk one tablespoon of the ground flaxseeds with the milk. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne in a large bowl.
4. With the remaining flaxseeds still in the blender, add the corn meal and almond meal. Grind until fine. Whisk the mixture into the sifted ingredients.
5. Whisk sugar, applesauce, vanilla, and almond extract into the milk mixture. Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk gently, taking care not to overmix.
6. Fill the cupcake liners or muffin tins ¾ full. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Leave cupcakes in pan for 3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

Lime-Basil Syrup
(adapted from this recipe)
Ingredients
½ c granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lime
¼ c fresh lime juice
1/8 c water
½ c loosely packed fresh basil

Directions
1. Bring sugar, zest, juice, and water to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil for one minute more. Remove from heat and let syrup stand uncovered for at least 15 minutes.
2. Transfer to a blender. Add basil and blend until basil is fully incorporated.
3. Cool. Use to glaze cupcakes, add ribbons to cupcake batter before baking, or even use leftovers in drinks and as an ice cream topping.

Agave-Lime-Basil Buttercream
Ingredients
¼ c nonhydrogenated shortening
¼ Earth Balance (or other vegan margarine)
2 c confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons agave nectar
4 tablespoons Lime-Basil Syrup, or to taste

Directions
1. In a stand mixer cream together shortening and margarine until smooth. Scrape down sides as needed.
2. Add in 1 c confectioners’ sugar and beat.
3. Beat in agave nectar and Lime-Basil syrup until creamy.
4. Continue adding in sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

avocados & iced coffee.

I have been tired and stressed lately... consequently, stress-eating... but I always find solace in a creamy avocado. This weekend I decided to utilize the smooth, '70s-hued fruit in a couple of ways. And starting with my humble makeshift pit-receptacle, perhaps I might one day reap the benefits of a homegrown avocado.

First I whipped up a pie from Vegan Explosion that utilized a couple of 'em green babes. Not only are sweet avocado things very alluring to me, but I love when I can lie to myself that a treat is good for me. However, I had to make some adjustments: first, I have a sort of aversion to Toffuti Better Than Cream Cheese and am not of fan of paying so much for a tub since the closest Trader Joe's rarely has stock of them anymore. I subbed with a tofu recipe for cream cheese, but it really ended up more like sour cream. I didn't have the patience to adjust that any further and used it anyway. I also didn't have lime juice and used lemon juice with lime zest instead. The final product was too citrus-y, not sweet enough, and not showcasing the avocado enough for my taste. It is the loveliest pale-green shade, though. Sigh. I guess I'll need to make more pie when I have the proper ingredients and try again. If I have to.

In addition I've made the same raw soup today for lunch that I did yesterday: a Curried Carrot & Avocado rendition from Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine. It's pretty simplisitic, which can be a refreshing change of pace. Essentially it consists (per one serving, which I reduced it to) of a cup of chopped carrots, half an avocado and half a cup of water blended with cumin, curry powder, cayenne, ginger, and lemon juice. I adjust the seasoning and juices to taste though amounts are listed in the recipe. I'm a cumin-ginger girl and go a little heavier there. Quick and easy is nice, and the fact that it's raw and almost pure fresh veggies and fruit is bonus. It might not be something I slip into regular circulation, but when I want to use up some carrots or avocado, it'll be the way to go.

The uncookbook itself is a mammoth raw compilation following the specialized namesake cuisine path. Flipping through, I found many inventive recipes I'd like to sample soon.

Despite the rainy, humid whether I'm surrounded in I've been craving a Vietnamese Iced Coffee featured in some back issue of Imbibe Magazine. The recipe requires two tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk, so I subbed in the veganized version that the Vegan Explosion pie recipe includes. For it, you'll need a special coffee brewer that'll set you back $4-5 from an Asian market or other supply store. We've had one for a while.

The grounds I use, by the way, are a French chicory roast, I believe. So it might be a different drink altogether. I didn't look too much into it.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

ingredients
2 T sweetened condensed milk (or perhaps 1 T milk + 1 T agave nectar if unwilling or unable to make the vegan version)
4 t ground coffee
6 oz boiling water (no tap; make sure it's good-tasting)
plenty ice

directions
1. Place ice and milk in a tall glass like mine shown here.
2.Unscrew the filter plate from the brewer and add the ground coffee. Replace the filter plate, screwing in so that it remains a little loose.
3. Slowly begin pouring in the boiling water so that it only fills the brewer a quarter of the way at first. Wait about 20 seconds, making sure the water isn't filtering through too profusely. It should just be dripping slowly. If not, the filter plate is too loose and it needs to be screwed in a little tighter.
4. Pour the rest of the water over the brewer and replace the top. Again, the water should be dripping through slowly. Let it brew 4-5 minutes until it drips no more.
5. Stir and enjoy! (My sweetened condensed milk was a little too grainy, so I needed to strain it into another glass.)

milk & ice; the coffee brewing

Psst... if you choose to go with milk and agave, try the Madhava Agave Nectar in Irish Creme. It's new (or I've been blind) and it's tasty.

a hundred you can count on.

Still very little notable activity in the kitchen. I've kept my baking to a minimum since becoming unable to fit in my jeans. However, I vow to make a day trip to Portland before summer is over and will hopefully relish at least a piece of the city's finds.

In the meantime, Hannah of Bittersweet just posted the revised Vegan's Hundred, and I accept her challenge to complete it. As proprietor of this blog, I challenge you to do the same.

So here it is, The Vegan's Hundred complete with a few of my own barely-relevant anecdotes.

1) Copy this list into your own blog, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Post a comment here once you’ve finished and link your post back to this one.
5) Pass it on!

1. Natto
2. Green Smoothie
3. Tofu Scramble
4. Haggis (I'd eat it, but it seems so vaguely like the original that I wouldn't call it haggis. Not that I have a problem with avoiding the implication that I was eating a stuffed animals' intestine.)
5. Mangosteen
6. Creme brulee
7. Fondue
8. Marmite/Vegemite
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Nachos
12. Authentic soba noodles
13. PB&J sandwich
4. Aloo gobi
15. Taco from a street cart (If you're ever eating from one of the California Taco wagons we see in Olympia, get the pickled carrots: you might never be able to eat them plain again.)
16. Boba Tea
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Gyoza
20. Vanilla ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Ceviche
24. Rice and beans
25. Knish
26. Raw scotch bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Caviar (Because the whole connotation just bothers me. I really don't see the appeal in a veganized version either.)
29. Baklava
30. Pate
31. Wasabi peas
32. Chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Mango lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Mulled cider
37. Scones with buttery spread and jam
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Fast food french fries
41. Raw Brownies
42. Fresh Garbanzo Beans
43. Dahl
44. Homemade Soymilk
45. Wine from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Stroopwafle
47. Samosas
48. Vegetable Sushi
49. Glazed doughnut
50. Seaweed
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Tofurkey
54. Sheese
55. Cotton candy
56. Gnocchi
57. Piña colada
58. Birch beer (Not a fan.)
59. Scrapple
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Soy curls
63. Chickpea cutlets
64. Curry
65. Durian
66. Homemade Sausages
67. Churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake
68. Smoked tofu
69. Fried plantain
70. Mochi (A dessert I grew up with, considering my parents grew up in Hawaii and the majority of my family still lives there.)
71. Gazpacho (Isn't that the cold soup? I don't like cold soup. Unless there are many beans in it. And by soup you mean chili.)
72. Warm chocolate chip cookies
73. Absinthe
74. Corn on the cob
75. Whipped cream, straight from the can
76. Pomegranate
77. Fauxstess Cupcake
78. Mashed potatoes with gravy
79. Jerky (All Primal Strip varieties are so bomb, it warrants the almost unforgivable use of the word "bomb.")
80. Croissants
81. French onion soup (I'm not a picky eater, especially not when it comes to soup, but the soggy bread deal is not my thing. And without it, it's just a Toffuti slice floating in some broth with onion chunks.)
82. Savory crepes
83. Tings
84. A meal at Candle 79
85. Moussaka
86. Sprouted grains or seeds (My favorites are buckwheat groats - I think they're the most versatile and tasty plain.)
87. Macaroni and “cheese”
88. Flowers
89. Matzoh ball soup
90. White chocolate
91. Seitan
92. Kimchi
93. Butterscotch chips
94. Yellow watermelon
95. Chili with chocolate
96. Bagel and Tofutti
97. Potato milk
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Raw cookie dough