The Faerie Tart

Sluggo's North

2010-08-31T06:53:00.000-07:00

I recently went on tour with my band Fat Shadow and ate some really great food. Travelling for long stretches makes one very hungry, and you'd think that after hours in the car even dumpstered bagels and warm cans of PBR are welcomed sustenance.

Not always. Okay, never.

Sluggo's North in Chattanooga, Tennessee is owned and operated by Terry and Ashley, two musicians who have been touring the country and the world for years with their punk bands This Bike is a Pipe Bomb and Future Virgins, respectively. They have felt on tour the yearn for greens and grains when all ya got are gas station snacks and whatever the promoter of the next show has or doesn't have cooked up. When relying on payment from shows (which are getting cheaper by the minute) for gas money (which is getting more outlandishly expensive by the minute), there usually isn't much money left to feed band members a good meal.

Sluggo's North is the answer to my question "Where can I get some affordable roughage on this crazy trip that will taste amazing?"

We had a GIANT plate of nachos that were beautifully presented (when was the last time you've had beautifully presented nachos?) and topped w/ Harry's vegetarian chili that would challenge the most puritanical hamburger chili lovers. The club sandwich was an animal lover's dream, because it is totally meat-free and totally delicious. The Thai bowl had perfectly cooked nutty brown rice and sweet, spicy sauce that had to be homemade. The list goes on, and Anthony at the counter talked with us at length about the food, made suggestions, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the meal. He even looked excited for us. This is the subtle mark of a well-operated and inspired restaurant: staff who look at the food like they can't wait to sit down and have some themselves.

Sluggo's North was the tastiest, most exciting, and nutritious meal I've had on the road since that California Roll Falafel Wrap at Total Juice Plus in Cincinnati (also staffed by punks..do we see a pattern?). This vegan restaurant (!) is accessible to all food lovers. I highly recommended it to everyone, not just starving artists.

The Return! Hope You Weren't Curried About Me. It Was the Winter Thai'm!

2010-05-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

I didn't post all winter because I wasn't cooking. In fact I haven't eaten anything since my last blog post, but today I am feeling hungry.

THAI CURRY has been a favorite recently. I discovered that my domestic life boypartner is a whiz at seasoning anything, and when sauces and gravies need seasoned, I must leave the room and let him do his thang.

THAI CURRY may seem a little intimidating, but all you need is:

makes enough for 1-2 people

1 can COCONUT MILK

1 small can CURRY PASTE(my favorite is the brand pictured, which you can find at asian markets)

TOFU or your choice of MEAT

VEGETABLES such as: zucchini, baby corn, bamboo shoots, and potatoes

SUGAR or FISH SAUCE

ground CHILIS or CAYENNE

GREEN ONIONS, chopped, for garnish

Pour one can coconut milk into a medium pot over medium heat. Armed with a whisk, add 2 Tablespoons curry paste. Whisk well and TASTE. Alternate adding paste and tasting until you get the strength of curry you like. You may need only a couple of Tablespoons or the whole can depending on your tongue/brain connection.

Add 2 teaspoons sugar or fish sauce and whisk. Add chilis or cayenne to preferred spiciness.

Throw in the toughest vegetables first and bring to a soft boil. If using chicken or other meat, throw these in first and gently boil until they are almost done.

Throw in remainder of ingredients and gently boil until all veg are tender. If the curry is too thick for you at this point, whisk in a little water. Serve over hot rice and garnish with green onions.

One-Pot Owl Curry

2009-10-18T14:39:00.001-07:00

This curry is so easy to make and is the most delicious meal you can eat for the small amount of time and money it takes. It does not, however, contain owl. That was just to get your attention. We went on an owl hike last night. We went into the woods and listened as our hike guide played owl calls on an ipod! The owls called back! It was really fun. Before this happened we made coconut veg curry. This recipe is sort of a cross between indian and thai curry. It contains coconut milk but also calls for indian curry powder. Steamed, salted edamame was also served, which is always a good choice served out of a communal bowl. Vegetables from the famer's market were used, which is another reason this recipe is great: you can use any veg you want and it will be extremely delicious and well-received.

Coconut Veg (Owl) Curry

1 onion, chopped
1 T olive oil
Cayenne powder (to taste)
1 Bell Pepper (chopped)
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp good curry powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 C veg stock
1 potato, diced small
1 C jasmine rice
1 can kidney beans
1 can coconut milk (approx. 13 oz)

1 bunch fresh cilantro
1/2 bunch green onions, roughly chopped
1 good fresh tomato, chopped

In a large saucepan on med heat, saute onions and potatoes in oil until onions are translucent. Add cayenne, peppers, garlic, curry powder, salt and pepper and saute for 2 minutes. stir constantly to prevent sticking. add stock, rice, beans, and coconut milk. cover and simmer on med heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring very frequently to prevent sticking. when rice is cooked and potatoes are tender, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, green onions and chopped tomato. serve immediately!

Fall Red Cabbage & Apple Excitement

2009-10-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

I have the most amazing recipe for some fall sweet 'n' sour excitement. It's cabbage and apples, and don't tell me you don't like cooked apples in your savory things. You will love this, and eat so much you will never stop farting and have to live alone. Wait, that's sad. You will eat so much you won't stop farting for two days and it will be funny and endearing. This recipe requires a couple of good apples, the greener style the better, and a nice head of red cabbage. You may use green cabbage, but as you can see in the picture, the dish is a very beautiful magenta when using red cabbage. It's very easy, just takes time for the cabbage to cook down. For this meal we also made Biscuits (see previous posting) with Gruyere cheese, mashed Yukon gold tater with fresh rosemary, and sesame wilted spinach.

Fall Red Cabbage and Apple Excitement

2 T Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion sliced into thin half moons
1 1/2 T Turbinado (or any sweetener)
1 Head (medium to large) Red Cabbage
2 Tart Apples, peeled and diced
1/2 C Local Apple Cider

2 T Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp Caraway Seeds (don't omit these just because you think you don't like them. trust me.)
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large deep saute pan over med high heat. Add onion and saute until it begins to soften. Add turbinado and stir until onion caramelizes, about 10 minutes. Add the cabbage and saute until it wilts, stirring frequently. Add apples and apple cider. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until cabbage and apples are tender, about 15-25 minutes. Uncover and add remaining ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ren Faire Fare, or, the Queen is Dead

2009-10-11T16:35:00.000-07:00

Fishers Renaissance Faire 2009! Many delicious experiences this year. Huzzah! (ok, got that over with.) I didn't go for the "dirty kinky fries" that the guy was making with a power drill curly fry maker, but I did opt for some hummus and pita from the local mediterranean deli. Some SCA-ers did roast some unidentifiable animal on a spit as they do every year, and it looked scary and tasty, as meat on a spit almost always does. You may be able to see in the picture above: he is also making unleavened biscuits over the fire. They was also a stew that I wish I could've had a taste of with cabbage and herb bundles, carrots and chunks of something. I didn't get to see the Queen this year, but hopefully she got a better response than last year. Last year she walked by and I was the only one that curtsied. Oh well. I guess we're about due for an uprising anyway. The archers shown above have nothing to do with food but look at that butt!

The Greatest Day of Your Life

2009-09-25T18:05:00.000-07:00

The greatest day of your life will probably involve this sandwich. It's the FVSLOT, or fakin' (fake bacon), alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, onion, vegennaise and tomato on grainy wheat bread. It may remind you of your childhood or a mean babysitter you once had, but this sammie satisfies and there is no substitute. (unless you are substituting real meat for, well, whatever.) My biology teacher says that mayonnaise substitutes are technically just thick white gravy that has been stablized, and I like to think about that when I eat this sandwich. It might seems unapealling at first, but who doesn't want a gravy sandwich deep down in their hearts?

Have a good weekend!

2009-09-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

Lasagna.
noodles
tomato sauce
fresh spinach
fresh mushrooms
all kinds of peppers.
some cheese, not some cheese. your choice.
layers.
make sure it's SAUCY as hell. you'll have a great weekend.

Coming up: falafals? why not?

Confection Lovin'!

2009-09-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

Today was my Papaw's 80th birthday celebration, and my cousin Sara made a giant 14" round double layer white cake. She decorated it with beautiful blue frosting and millions of flowers. It was probably the biggest round cake I've ever seen. That's the main thing I love about special celebrations like weddings, big birthdays, anniversary parties, etc...the work that's put into a good cake. Taste the love!

Refried Black Beans w/ a Side of Darlin

2009-08-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend my dude had a break from tour and I made some refried black beans. I had some leftover black bean and corn salad (the ever popular and always delicious vegan cookout dish), a can of black beans, and a sauteed giant red onion. Pureed all together with taco seasoning packet style spices these ingredients make killer refried black beans. These inspired us to make a tex-mex breakfast like the one we had at some really good cafe in Flagstaff, AZ. I can't find the name of the place anywhere, but it was the second best breakfast I've ever had. Our version mixed with beans, tomatoes, loads of cilantro, and poblano peppers with taters on the side was deee-lightful.

Skewerin' Cakes

2009-08-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

I helped skewer some mini cupcake for a party recently. It wasn't my idea, but I did make the frosting which I was happy with. It was "summer frosting," which is super thick so as not to melt in the warmness. The color is from beet juice. Beets are my favorite way to make pinks. A little goes a long way, and you can get very pale beautiful pink to a dark pink peony style color. These remind me of underwater growths that you shouldn't touch because you'll ruin the whole reef. They were eaten however.

Baked Bean Nachos and Blue Mushrooms

2009-07-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

Harvest the benefit of beans! Tootally! They're so fart-out! I've come a long way from the Campbell's Bean with Bacon soup and fried bologna that I grew up eating for lunch. Here's poof:

Nachos, with baked beans for beans. Also involved were avocados, nutritional yeast sauce, fresh tomatoes, sauteed onions with fresh spinach and garlic, green olives, and hot ass sriracha sauce. They all were promptly annihilated after a campsite scouting trip to the woods where I found a blue mushroom. What does it all mean? I think I've found the answer: You should put baked beans on nachos. (squeak)

Japanese Ew-Daun Soup

2009-07-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

I have been sitting on some frozen Japanese udon noodles for a while, and decided to make some soup on Sunday. Got some super cheap dried shitakes and wakame. Scored some good daikon (has that ever been said before?) and went to choppin'. This was the first time I've made miso at home. It turned out really really good! Added lots of fresh green onions. The most enjoyable meal I've had since homemade pizzas the day before (See below). The only thing I would change is the use of dried shitakes. Next time I will opt for fresh. The dried ones made my fingers smell.

Dough Dough

2009-06-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

Made some pizza dough, then went off shopping, and when I came back.....it could speak English and was on its way out the back door. We recaptured it and got three pizzas out of this batch. Let me tell you, pizza is one of the most inexpensive and delicious things to make in the world. Have you ever had it? Each of us made our own. Mine had anchovies, green peppers, red onion, green olives, fresh garlic, tomato sauce, and a little cheese. Yum. My sis made a vegan one, and my dude made one with 4 lbs of cheese.

When Good Food Goes Better....

2009-06-26T08:07:00.001-07:00

It has been so extremely hot here that I couldn't resist turning on the oven to make some vegan chocolate almond cupcakes with real Nutella frosting. They are pictured here with my work gloves and power tools that I used to construct them. The recipe was out of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Those girls know cake.

Yesterday I had a sister date at the Laughing Planet burrito bar. The special for this month is a tofu Ethiopian burrito. Damn. Cabbage, Lentils (which make vegetarians randy according to the Two Fat Ladies), Potatoes, Carrots, some kind of really good sauce, brown rice, etc. Very delicious. Also pictured with the special burrito is a LP made veggie burger, which we agree to be the best in the region.

Oh yeah, I lost my little pastry bag! If anyone knows where it may have wandered off to, please let me know. I'm about to make flyers.

Bunny Cake & Bean Dip

2009-06-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

I made a double layer vegan chocolate cake with chocolate icing. The bunnies you see on top frolicking in the mud are chocolate grahams, with crushed bunnies on the sides. It looks sort of like a psychadelic freakout now that I come back to the picture.

There is a vegan baked bean dip recipe floating out there that is majorly delicious. Baked beans, nutritional yeast, onions, garlic, spices. Puree and demolish. It is so good with tortilla chips and cheap to make that my sister and I have made it for every event this season. I will continue to make it until each and every person in my town gets tired of it.

Pupusa: A Dream Come True

2009-06-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Recorded my new album in Chattanooga recently and dropped in on my favorite Mexican street food style place, Jalisco (see older post). I have been dreaming of the pupusa since February. This photo is the ACTUAL one I ate, and it was more beautiful than I remembered. Chattanooga's finest.

So Broke (or, What I've Been Eating Lately)

2009-05-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

But things will soon get better, and I will be making luxurious buttered toast in no time.

Birthday Cinnamon Rolls & Nicolas Cage

2009-05-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

My sis and I celebrated my birthday with homemade cinnamon rolls (made by her) and a fish sandwich (made by the local volunteer fire department.) We watched Moonstruck, which has one of my favorite characters ever in it. I sincerely love him, AND he's a baker. We also made some garbage macaroni soup which turned out to be tasty. The cinnamon rolls were/are the best I've ever had, cause they're made with whole wheat flour. Even if I had a wooden hand I would be happy to have homemade cinnamon rolls for my birthday.

Cheap Ass Parathas

2009-04-29T08:59:00.001-07:00

I made some parathas last night to officially complete the cheapest meal that tastes good in the world. Curried lentils: red lentils, onion, oil, spices, water. Parathas: flour, water, oil, earth balance. Rice: rice. Parathas are triangle layered fried Indian bread. You make the dough, separate into balls, roll a ball into a very thin circle, spread with marge (or ghee if you are cooler), fold in half, spread again, then fold over into a triangle. Roll again til thin. Fry them twice, and you'll be so proud. If you do them right, they whistle Bollywood songs in the pan.

Russian Banana Fingerling Curry

2009-04-24T09:56:00.001-07:00

Ok, Russian Banana Fingerlings are actually potatoes! Booooorrrring. It was pretty good. I got some free Vindaloo sauce in a can that ended up being tasty. The curry also contains tomatoes, zucchini, and red bell peppers. It is being modeled here by a hungry and injured skaterdude, being watched by a champion, award winning golden retreiver. Also went on a picnic lasterday with sister in the quaint little touristy town of Nashville, Indiana. That place hypnotizes me so much that I almost spent $6 on a kitchen towel that said "Count Your Blessings."

Old Nachos & New Morels

2009-04-22T14:44:00.001-07:00

These broccoli nachos are from a while ago. I can't remember how long it's been. They are still sitting on my counter. Just kidding. I like nachos because you can just put down a layer of chips, pile anything on top, and call it nachos. These have broccoli and are "taco salad" style. Wow, I am getting pretty desperate. I've been very busy with college and am looking forward to doing some crazy bakin' when my break happens. Busyness has not, however, kept me from one of my top five favorite activities, mushroom hunting (yes, i am pretty wild). So far this year I've found 7.

My yearly quiz post.

2009-04-15T06:06:00.001-07:00

Survey from my sis.
1. What was the most recent tea you drank?
I drank approximately one million cups of Tibetan tea (peh-cha) yesterday.

2. What vegan forms do you post/lurk on?
I like to stalk my sister at Sweet Soy vegan blog.

3. You have to have tofu for dinner, and it has be an Italian dish. What comes to mind first?
Balsamic tofu w/ green olives and panko. not v. Italian though.

4. How many vegan blogs do you read on an average day?
on average, .5

5. Besides your own, what is the most recent one you’ve read?
cake wrecks, womanimalistic

6. If you could hang out with a vegan blogger that you haven’t met, who would it be, and what would you do?
i want to hang out with those girls from that new york vegan bakery, have too many frosting shots and tell them how pretty they are.

7. If you had to base your dinners for a week around one of the holy trilogy – tofu, seitan or tempeh, which would it be?
Tofu, then hope I don't get kidney stones.

8. If you had to use one in a fight, which would it be? dried out seitan

10. What’s a recipe in vegan blogland that you’ve been eyeing?
i always eye my sister's fancy pizza recipe.

11. Do you own any clothing with vegan messages/brands on them? i used to have a shirt that had a picture of GW Bush with a gun to his head, and a little rainbow on the bottom. that's pretty vegan.

12. Have you made your pilgrimage to the ‘vegan mecca’ yet? (Portland, duh) i've been there but the only vegan thing i remember ingesting was basil infused vodka at the Delta.

13. What age did you first go vegan? Did it stick?
i was vegan once for two weeks.
then brie and sardines lured me back with the green foggy stench they put off.

14. What is the worst vegan meal you’ve had? Who cooked it?
i think it's kind of gross when vegans make vegan versions of real things.
like twinkies and baby deer.

15. What made you decide to blog?
my sister forced me with her big tempeh stick.

16. What are three of your favorite meals to make?
i love to make biscuits, big indian curries, and pad thai.

17. What dish would you bring to a vegan Thanksgiving-themed potluck?
some kind of savory sweet potatoes probably.

18. Where is your favorite vegan meal at a restaurant?
i do love laughing planet's veggie burgers, but i have to say BRUNCH at the Chicago diner is my favorite. Also Shalimar in Broad Ripple has killer Vegetable Biryani.

19. What do you think the best chain to dine as a vegan is?
my house. i just bought the franchise.

20. My kitchen needs a………
paint job! and cuisinart food processor.

21. This vegetable is not allowed in my kitchen…..!
All veg is welcome in my kitchen. Raisins, on the other hand......

22. What’s for dinner tonight?
Potato coconut curry

23.What’s your favourite cookie cutter?
last year i received a set of three dog bone cookie cutters.

Frenchy Quiches

2009-04-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

This morning I pulled the French Sheep's Milk Feta chunk I've been saving out of the fridge and put it to bon use. Instead of just eggs and fixins in a crust, I took the advice of an old hippy cookbook and made a crème anglaise style filling instead. Yes. Adding some half n half n flour, then putting into the magical modern cauldron which is called KitchenAid, the custard quiches turned out to be a little bit transporting. While they were baking I did the dishes, and everyone knows a meal tastes better when the dishes are done. Thanks to my quiche picture model. Un bon oeuf.

Pad Thai, Paquita, Precious Sis.

2009-03-29T13:38:00.001-07:00

Pad Thai weekend at the Lemon Meringue Kitchen. Sister came down, and we made pad thai, ate veggie booty, then had a Dark Knight/vegan sundae party. If I thought we couldn't get any nerdier, we also watched the documentary "Monster Camp" which is about a live action role playing (larping) club. Notice in the picture how serene and relaxed I am at the stove, but my stirring hand is a blur. You must always be vigilant with the pad thai.
Caroline Paquita came into town and had an art show. It is so good! They really transformed the place. She also told me about tinctures and such, and generally was entertaining and lovely. Next up: tacos tacos tacos tacos. can't stop, and ya don't stop.

Pupusas!

2009-03-18T13:57:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Chattanooga, where I ate pupusas for three days straight. I'm going to have to learn how to make them, because I'm not sure where to get them around here. The first place I ate them was at Taco Rico, a place with food from El Salvador. The second place was Jalisco, a really great restaurant with cheese pupusas and good fish tacos. Pupusas are flat cornmeal cakes stuffed with different things and fried. I got bean and cheese at Taco Rico, which was really really good. Cheese pupusas at Jalisco are great.

Mar Sculptures

2009-03-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

Not really edible, but these are mar (yak butter) sculptures! The ones pictured here were at the Tibetan-Mongolian Cultural Center in Bloomington. Monks dip their hands into icy water while shaping and coloring the butter, so their fingers are numb while working. Usually they are made for special occasions like Losar (Tibetan New Year), but this year Losar was not celebrated in protest of the violence that has exploded in Tibet recently.

Benedict, Modified.

2009-03-05T12:03:00.001-08:00

This is a delicious way to get an eggs Benedict/Florentine fix in less time and with less work. Toast an english muffin, put down some fresh spinach, eggs, then (you guessed it) nutritional yeast gravy. i put tomatoes on top. It is GOOD.

I have white miso in my fridge, but am not sure where to start. What first?

Coming soon: La Torre Chimichangas!

Biscuits

2009-02-18T06:33:00.000-08:00

Biscuits. Yes.

Ballantine's Day

2009-02-15T12:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my mom's birthday, and I made this vanilla cake for her. It is a little double layer six-inch with orange MARMALADE in the middle. I know. good lord. It was so enjoyable, but I don't remember much because I went into a sugar coma after the first piece. We ate at Little Tibet before that and I had Lhamo's famous Tom Yum soup. I believe it to be the best lunch in Bloomington. Very stinky, very memorable. We then walked over to campus to a harp recital at the music school. Gave the fam a short tour of the music nerd side of campus. The harpist, Holland Hettinger, was divine. I received a heart-shaped brie for Valentine's Day. Now THAT's romance.

Kwa-Sohn

2009-02-10T06:53:00.000-08:00

I discovered The City Bakery recently on 3rd St beside Bear's Place. They make their own croissants. It's currently my favorite place to go in the morning before my music theory class. Get the almond croissant, which has slivered almonds on top, and as a special surprise, a very thin layer of marzipan in the middle. oh my gawd. go in the morning when they are fresh. They also have scrambled eggs made with an espresso machine steam wand, which I haven't tried, because I would rarely choose anything over marzipan.

Chicken Fried ____!

2009-01-29T17:42:00.000-08:00

My friend Leah told me that she once went to an enormous country buffet, and being a vegetarian, there wasn't much she could eat. But one thing she could, and did eat was Chicken Fried Corn on the Cob. I started thinking about what makes something "Chicken Fried" and decided that it had to have breading and gravy. So yesterday when I was snowed in and had to make due with what I had in the cupboards, this is what I came up with: A new twist on a cheap ass country fried meal. Fish Sticks, Gravy, n Biscuits. And some old tomatoes thrown in to pretend I'm not completely throwing caution to the wind. I didn't even eat those little tomatoes.

Baloney!

2009-01-21T19:32:00.000-08:00

This is a food blog. I should feel I can put anything I want on here. I shouldn't HAVE to be cooking and baking all the time just so I'll have something new and exciting every week. I mean, I don't have TIME to do all of this, plus go to COLLEGE and live my illustrious life.

Okay, I'm going to admit it. I cannot stop eating the seafood sub from the delicious national sandwich franchise, Subway. It's been going on long enough that I think it warrants a feed blog entry.

This sandwich contains the bologna of fish, the imitation crab salad.

So I looked up this sandwich on the internet, and wow. There are chat rooms devoted to this sandwich. Then I came upon this rant from a fellow seafood sub follower. Just read on....

"I am expressing my extreme dissapointment and ANGER with Subway for eliminating this sandwich from their menu nation wide. I have been eating this sandwich and almost only this sandwich for 14 years, in heaven from the moment I first tasted it. I understand the need for changes, and modifications, but what they should have done is some new advertising on the sandwich, saw really none the last few years. Stop opening so many stores, for almost every one here in Vegas is near vacant most of the time through the day. Just make LESS of the product, or at least have SOME stores offer the product, or make it when it's requested, since all it is is a light mayo and the seafood and crab. etc. See, the thing that makes this really bad other than the fact that the sandwich was and is my favorite food of all time, is the fact that you simply can't find the sandwich anywear else. Most of their other sandwiches however you can find at a 100 other places, as well easily made oneself. This is absolutely unacceptable. A common person can't even find out where they bought it from so as to get it again themselves. Anyway, Subway needs to bring this product back, at least in limited release at some resturants or one minimum in an area. In fact, doing so with a new Ad campaign might stimulate interest again. So, while I found their Terriaki sub to be a nice distraction on rare occasion, until they bring back the seafood and crab, I am no longer bringing my business to them. I was looking forward to trying the seafood and crab on a Toasted Bun, but when I went to try it, my sandwich was gone. Every time I look at a subway now, I simply get angry, because I think of my sandwich, and my mouth waters for it. Shame on Subway, for unilaterally destroying 1000's of peoples enjoyment."

As for me, I WILL NOT settle for any distractions. I look forward to unilaterally enjoying my baloneyfish sandwich tomorrow.

Pad Honky

2009-01-14T18:58:00.000-08:00

My friend Sal gave me a recipe for some Pad Thai recently. I wanted his recipe because somehow he makes it really delicious without using fish sauce. I LOVE fish sauce, and I thought pad thai couldn't really be made without it. I wanted to know and understand the magical mystical ingredient that made Sal's pad thai so convincingly authentic tasting. Here it is: ketchup. The recipe asked me to consider what kind of honky I was, and the answer I came up with was: If ketchup can taste this delicious, please consider me Queen Honky. Not that I needed any convincing...I put it on mac and cheese for chrissakes. So instead of including the recipe, I am going to further enlighten you in the ketchup realm. Put it on:

Eggs
Grilled Cheese
ANY patty shaped food (and I mean it)
anything yellow, really. think about it.
anything deep fried (hush puppies, etc.)
Dumplings
any form of potato or potato stuffed food
ALL stuffed food

So I guess this is the beginning of ketchup month.

Frenchy Cookies and Modern American Folk Music

2009-01-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

I had a delicious Madeleine made by my sister lasterday. The only lemon flavor in it came from a little zest. Something about these little cakey cookies are magical. I like any dessert that requires a special pan. I can't think of anything else to write because I am listening to the new Andrew Bird album, and am swooning. I think I'll bake something to this later, and give it to someone who needs a lovey dovey pick me up.

New Year's Day 2009

2009-01-01T15:01:00.001-08:00

My new KitchenAid mixer got beat in by Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting on Xmas Day. The recipe was from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World," which is a dinky little cookbook that holds the best vegan cake recipes I have ever come across. My mixer also came with a dough hook, which has been in high demand in my biscuit-obsessed life. This appliance is magical.

My sister came to stay with me on New Year's Eve and we whipped out some black bean burgers from the Veganomicon. They tasted just like White Castles, and the only thing missing was pickle. So if you have a White Castle loving vegan in your life (?) seek out this recipe.

Iggy's Canine Cakery is a hobby of mine, and I made a canine-friendly cake that is very fancy for a dog named Lucy. If you are interested, or know someone who may be, please email me! The cakes are very cute, and contain organic, local ingredients, so spoil your dog!

Today was a beautiful First Day of the Year, and I am looking forward to all the new things to bake and cook this year. My New Year's Food Resolution is to eat more raw and deep-fried foods. Happy New Year.

KitchenAid Mixer!

2008-12-24T18:46:00.000-08:00

This is a pre-post for whatever I make tomorrow in my new KitchenAid mixer! Can't believe I got one. A real beaut.

Iggy's Canine Cakery Cooking Show!

2008-12-17T15:20:00.001-08:00

My sister (of Pie Dance Productions) filmed a cooking show on how to bake mini cupcakes for your dog. If you would like to find out how to view the menu of goods from Iggy's Canine Cakery, please visit the website.

Above is a still from the frosting section of the video that cut off. For the dog- friendly frosting recipe, visit Sweet Soy Vegan Blog.

Muffin Tin Sunday/ Biscuit Month!

2008-12-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

I realized why my biscuits have been turning out so well lately. I have been putting TWICE as much earth balance in them as the recipe calls for. 1/2 Cup Earth Balance for SIX biscuits. That is 1.3 Tablespoons of margarine in each biscuit. Plus I've been using water instead of soymilk. I believe soymilk sometimes weighs down a recipe. I made some peanut butter oatmeal muffins this evening. (Pictured above) I put some baking scraps in them: leftover ground walnuts, prunes, and some maple syrup. Thank you to the muffin man. I'm thinking of re-naming this blog Everyday Biscuits or Biscuits Too. Since last month had a theme, I hereby declare December internetional Biscuit Month. Now if I could only make gravy without having a nervous breakdown.

Angel Hair Pasta

2008-12-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

Sometimes very simple old staples are the best things to eat. Old rusty staples. Actually I'm talking about PASTA. More specifically ANGEL HAIR PASTA. Something about angel hair is just different. Maybe it's the texture. Maybe it's the name, but we cooked some good old fashioned tomato sauce with angel hair today and it was the most satisfying meal I've had in a long time. The snow was also pretty magical. A day off with snow and angel hair.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

My Thanksgiving plate: Tofurkey and gravy, red pepper salmon, brussels sprouts, kale w/ pumpkin seeds, cornbread stuffing, eight grain bread, corn.

Vegan Hardee's Biscuits

2008-11-18T05:54:00.000-08:00

I made some biscuits the other night that were the best biscuits ever made in a home kitchen. I've had this recipe for a couple of years, but this time I was out of my normal ingredients and had to substitute. They turned out to be (see above). Honestly, the reason they were so good is that they tasted exactly like Hardee's Biscuits. (Hardee's makes biscuits with a capital "B." Properly.) Here is the recipe:

2 C flour

3 tsp baking powder

3/4 C water

1 stick Earth Balance marge (1/2 C), not softened

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix or sift together dry ingredients. With your immaculately clean, germ free hands, cut the butter into the dry stuff until it is well incorporated but not melty. Add water and mix with hands until it expands a little bit. Drop into 6 equal spoon or spatula fulls into lightly greased muffin tins. Set your timer for 10 minutes and check with a toothpick. Enjoy alone or with friends.

Nutritional Yeast Month

2008-11-13T17:51:00.001-08:00

November is nutritional yeast month. On this blog. My friend Dylan blew my already over-yeasted mind tonight at work. Popcorn, one of my favorite things to eat next to cornbread, now is being paired with nutritional yeast! Here it is:

Pop some popcorn. Melt margarine. Pour however much marge you like on your popcorn. In the bucket you popped it in, shake in nutritional yeast, a little salt, and a little SUGAR. Believe me. I know you don't believe me, but don't leave out the SUGAR. This popcorn is so good that if I ate it at the movies I would sit backwards and watch it instead.

The picture above is the recognized "Biggest Popcorn Ball in the World." Gross. It looks like it's in a dirty warehouse.

Nutritional Yeast Sandwiches

2008-10-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

Nutritional Yeast is really really good. I'm hoping nothing shitty will be found in it. I love nutritional yeast as much as I loved my Nalgene bottle before it was discovered #7 plastic had Bisphenol A's. I could just see some scientist recalling nutritional yeast: "I am sorry, Daun Fields, but nutritional yeast has a known carcinogen that has given you a really heinous form of something we don't even know to exist. Those sandwiches were too good to be true."

Nutritional Yeast Sandwiches (Safe For Now)

Butter both sides of two pieces of good ole wheat bread. Putting one down in a hot skillet, sprinkle a good amount of nutritional yeast on the bread. I would say approx. 2-3 T. Assemble the top bread onto the yeasty. Grill like a grilled cheese, taking care when you flip it. Dip it. (in ketchup). Anyone who doesn't believe in ketchup dipping is a food snob and a liar.

Quinoa & Wisconsin Cheeses

2008-10-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

Went to get a Kombucha on Sunday and decided I would get some fall veg to put in some quinoa. I spent an unmentionable amount of time reading my new Martha, and there was a special article on ancient grains. I had some dry quinoa in the cabinet. I had a pot. I put them all together and this is what I got: Fall Quinoa. Very clever.

Into the cooked quinoa went: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, Sweet Potato, Yellow Squash, Onion, Parsley, a bit of dried mint. The veg were roasted with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

My dad went to Wisconsin and came back with some aged cheddar and cheese curds for me, along with my favorite fresh smoked salmon from Bearcat's. I believe I am going to have a pilgrimage to this very place next month. I plan on eating nothing but smoked whitefish and herring, and breathing my pescabreath on my sister. It will be fun.

Ren Faire Frites/ Hot Dog Chicken

2008-10-07T20:47:00.001-07:00

The Renaissance Faire was really fun. I spent about five hours there just walking around and getting burnt from the sun reflecting off suits of armor. After a couple of hours we became extremely ravenous. There were a few funnel cake type stands, along with a local deli that served gyros and such, but one eatery stood out. In front was a big wooden pirate sign advertising things like Shepherd's Pie, Baked Potatoes, Fried Rice, Chicken Alfredo, and Stir Fried Noodles, amongst other things. There were three workers dressed as pirates? behind the counter, serving drinks, frying things, dipping out of crock pots. Just outside the tent were four bubbling cauldrons of oil manned by a dude in flame decorated Zoobaz, who happed to be cutting entire potatoes into curly fries in seconds with the aid of a rig powered by a Black and Decker drill. I watched all of this from the end of a line that extended all the way back to the archery range and living statue. Chris was intrigued by a menu item called "Dirty Kinky Fries" which we saw other people carrying away from the stand. It was an enormous mound of thick curly fries covered in fragrant crumbled hamburger and nacho cheese. That was enough to wait in line for about 45 minutes, after which we finally got up to the window and ordered from a sweaty disheveled pirate lady of a certain age who had probably dropped her fake accent when we decided to get in line. She said, "God, I'm too old for this, all of you are killing me" and proceeded to fill Chris' plate with tiny brown strings of potato, fork a burnt little hamburger patty on top, and ladle on a half spoonful of crockpot cheese.

My friend Eric made some chicken and BBQ sauce at work today that smelled exactly like hot dogs.

Dog Cakery/Turkey Leg

2008-10-02T08:52:00.001-07:00

I took some pictures of a canine cake for my new doggie business. I have to say that my dog's tongue is the longest I've ever seen. It can be coaxed out to great lengths when it comes to cream cheese. I am creating a new site just for the cakery.

I have been practicing my curtsy and am going to a Renaissance Faire on Saturday. Hopefully I will come back with photos of giant turkey legs. I would also like to bring home a jousting pole. or the Queen's favorite pony....I heard they will also have Quizno's subs and funnel cakes.

CornTheme/Dead Chipmunk

2008-09-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

Grilled corn on the cob is very good buttered and sprinkled with cayenne pepper.

My sister and I made a delicious salad last night with a nice La Brea brand wheat loaf. It was very enjoyable, as noted in the picture to the left. She actually whipped up a dressing that was fu&*in fantastic: Sabra classic hummus+flax oil+dijon mustard+honey+soy ginger dressing.

I dislike pancakes very much, but this might help. My friend Alex sent me this advice:

"Daun:
I saw your food blog ... AWESOME. So, I thought I'd share with you a tip for Vegan pancakes that I figured out this weekend. It's just a word. And the word is "Polenta." Just 1/2 cup of cooked polenta for every 1.5 cups of flour, not extra liquid needed." (Alex is a lawyer and will be disbarred if he lies, so I might try it.)

When I got home from the flea market today, there was a freshly killed chipmunk on my kitchen floor. Poor little dude.

Two Fat Ladies and Dog Cakes

2008-09-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

"Your produce is good, but you are IDIOTS! Let's get out of here." -Jennifer Paterson, to chickens at Halstead House Farm in Hallaton, Leicestershire.

I am currently testing recipes for cakes in the doggie way. I would like to have a good carob recipe which I haven't found yet. A good one for PB carrot has popped up though. The frosting is also taken care of. Still searching. I'm having a hard time with rising, both with cakes and from bed early enough to test all the recipes. I will find one soon, and a website should follow.

Two Fat Ladies is required viewing!

Chili 'n' Biscuits/Cat Puke

2008-09-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

I made some black bean chili yesterday from a recipe in "La Dolce Vegan." It was appealing to me because it called for apple juice. My sister sent me a Martha Stewart recipe card for Cornmeal Biscuits so I whipped up some of those. Today I went to the flea market and ate some grilled corn on the cob. When I got back home, I found that the cat had puked on my sandals.

Sherri's Black Bean Chili (from La Dolce Vegan)

1 small onion, chopped
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 T olive oil
1- 3.8 oz. can green chilies
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1- 19 oz. can black beans
1 C water or veg stock
1- 5.5 oz. can tomato paste
1 C apple juice (a good quality organic one)
1/4 C Basmati rice
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt

In a large saucepan on medium heat, saute the onions in oil until translucent. Add the red peppers and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the water, juice, oregano, cumin, salt, cayenne, and green chilies. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomato paste, and rice. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is done, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Stir in the cilantro and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Fixin' to Make Some Chili

2008-09-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

I'm bout to go off and make some chili today. Yesterday at work I assembled and decorated Freddy's 91st Birthday cake. I've never met Freddy but I hope he likes his cake and has many more birthdays to follow. I was kind of sweaty decorating it, like, this might be a person's last birthday cake. Or maybe it was his 61st birthday. It could be. I'm dyslexic with sixes and nines. I don't have a picture of the real cake I did, so I Googled "Fred's Birthday Cake" for images and this picture of Fred the Spoiled West highland Terrier came up. It also had an irresistible link to a picture of him in his Halloween outfit as Superman.

Stellar Organics South African Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-09-18T21:51:00.001-07:00

blah blah fart blah blah blah, farts.

Scottish Oatmeal Fer Four

2008-09-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

I would like to say that if Bob's Red Mill Brand would like to advertise on this site it would be fine and welcome. Bob's serene, hardworking face is an inspiration to all of us who aspire to healthy BMs. I have only encountered fine quality products under his name. This morning I had a bowl of Bob's Scottish Oatmeal, which I accidently made four servings of and had to throw to leftovers away under a tree in my backyard.

MotherF*$%in' Biscuits N Gravy

2008-09-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the Biscuits and Gravy I made this morning. Well, if you look really close, the vegan baking powder biscuits are in the yellow cloth on the stove. I forgot to take a picture of my plate. I was hungry. We had biscuits with Gimme Lean sausage patties (I'm not a huge fan of fake meat but this stuff is very porky and delicious), eggs (when I said a week of veganism I meant a week of no dairy...dammit I love eggs), and nutritional yeast gravy, which is the recipe that follows:

Nutritional Yeast Gravy

1/2 C Nutritional Yeast

1 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard

1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/2 tsp Tamari

2 T Flour

1 C Water

2 tsp Olive Oil

Whisk all ingredients together, bring to a gentle boil. Turn down to a simmer and keep whisking until desired consistency is reached. It thickens quickly. Pour over everything.

Pie Failure and Ganache!

2008-09-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

Easy Vegan Ganache:

3 C Vegan Chocolate Chips

1 C Silk Soy Creamer

Put chips and creamer in a microwavable vessel and heat for about 2 minutes. Stir together briskly until the two become incorporated into a shiny ganache. It's all about temperature, so you want it to be warm enough to drip off your stirring utensil. When ready, pour over cake or other ganache-worthy dessert and smooth with an icing tool or butter knife. Cool in fridge, and eat secretly at night. You can even use leftover ganache, heated up, to decorate aforementioned cooled cake. People will think you are professional.

Today I made 4 blueberry lemon pies at work that were runny. I blame it on a tornado warning. They had little cut out crust hearts all over them. When I checked them it looked like it took about 50 minutes for them to fall out of love. Why have I missed out on pies dammit? I will be the pie masteress by the end of the year, mark my words. Coming tomorrow from the Lemon Meringue Kitchen: Motherfu*&%n Biscuits 'n' Gravy.

Scone Redemption Day

2008-09-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am doing a week of veganism starting today, since I heard dairy makes allergies more annoying. It is time for a batch of vegan scones at work today since the last ones I made were dairy-ful and didn't turn out the exact way I wanted. A bit crumbly. Think I'll go with my favorite, vegan blackberry. Maybe add a little cardamom in honor of Kate's Blackberry cake w/ Peanut Butter Cardamom Frosting. And dip them in peanut butter! Wait, I guess peanut butter dipped scones wouldn't be for everyone. It's Friday so I'm going to make something special for the weekend crowd. Maybe another batch of Whoopie Pies. I've never done anything with coffee in baking so that's an idea. This weekend I am going to GET DOWN with baking in my own kitchen. I'm telling you now I make a mean biscuit.

Oh, my public!

2008-09-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

Vegan survey! (from my sister's blog, vegan-ed.blogspot.com)

1. Favorite non-dairy milk? Silk unsweetened

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook? 1. Contrary to my royal title I have never made a tart. 2. Baked Alaska. 3. Queen Elizabeth's coronation cake.

3. Topping of choice for popcorn? Topping? Weird.

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure? My rock biscuits last night, which I immediately redeemed myself from.

5. Favorite pickled item? Kim chee, for real. All the way.

6. How do you organize your recipes? Brian Froud's Pressed Fairy Journal.

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal? My backyard...

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods…what would they be (don’t worry about how you’ll cook them)? Saltines, Brie, and PB and J Smoothies.

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood? Biscuits and Gravy, Fried Chicken at Mamaw's.

10. Favorite vegan ice cream? Vanilla Tofutti.

11. Most loved kitchen appliance? my pink KitchenAid Timer

12. Spice/herb you would die without? Parsley

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time? "Cookies." by someone.

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly? seedless Blackberry jam!!!

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend? vegan Biscuits and Gravy w/ gimme lean sausage.

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh? Tofu for sure, but not overload. Don't want to get them kidney stones!

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)? All day and all night. I'm always up to bake something. Chopping onions is a different story...

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator? a fake cake (see picture above) and a shopping bag.

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking. peas, spelt buns, old ice.

20. What’s on your grocery list? cayenne, soymilk

21. Favorite grocery store? the Good Earth (Broad Ripple) Bloomingfoods (Bloomington) Seward's Co-op (Minneapolis)

22. Name a recipe you’d love to veganize, but haven’t yet. Salmon and shrimp Kabobs

23. Food blog you read the most. vegan-ed.blogspot.com

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate? Rittersport's Marzipan flat things w/ dark chocolate

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately? A five dollar wheel of brie. I am officially kicked out of this survey.

26. Veganaise or Nayonaise? Veganaise. The number one over-the-counter addictive substance.

27. What is one recipe or ingredient or cooking technique that you’ve become familiar with in the last year that you can’t imagine you ever lived without? Homemade Biscuits.

28. What are your plans for Thanksgiving? I am going to try my hand at making a Tofurky. Also would like to do a nut pie, some pumpkin whoopie pies, and a big potato souffle of some sort.

29.What is one really weird food that you enjoy, and probably no one else does? Probably no one else interested in this survey enjoys salted fish as much as I do. Now I'm really kicked out.