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Horseradish and coriander crusted tofu

I served this with homemade sweet potato fries and tartar sauce, all adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance. Who knew that you could make tartar sauce with relish and Vegenaise? I didn't like tartar sauce when I was an omnivore, but I could not get enough of this stuff, especially with the horseradishy tofu. It was sublime. Try it!

The sweet potato fries, which seem to be the latest restaurant trend, were really easy to make, healthy, and delicious. I think they'll become a staple in my house.

VRA Symphony Potluck

EVERYONE knows the two things vegans like the most are food and symphony music so what a happy coincidence that VRA has a organized a symphony potluck!

We'll meet on the lawn of the Long Center @ 6:15ish for reveries, good food and better company and then @ 7:30-8:30 enjoy the FREE concert put on by the Austin symphony for those who wish.

Come on out Sunday evening with a 100% vegan dish large enough to feed 8, your own plates, utensils, drinks, sunglasses/hat (we'll be facing the sun for part of the evening) and blanket to sit upon.

RSVP here.

Map here.


Photo courtesy speedye/Flickr.

Some food my consort cooked

A bagel. He loves bagels. This particular bagel he kindly left for me. I took it to work, along with a container of cream cheese. Mouth watering, I started to cut it with the butter knife I'd brought from home, but it was concrete. The knife skidded across the bagel in slow motion, and sliced right into my left index finger. Ouch.

Eric's first seitan. It was delicious. I always add extra garlic and some red pepper flakes.

Boiled and ready for eating!

BLV made especially for me. I hate tomatoes, so I got Fakin' Bacon, lettuce, and Vegenaise between toasted wholegrain slices. YUM.

Wraps! Probably his signature dish. These included Tofurkey peppered roast slices, FYH Monterey Jack, diced red bell peppers, jalapeños, and salsa verde, warmed in a spinach tortilla.

My article was published

An article I wrote on veganism for the Baltimore Indypendent Reader was recently published.

Vegans are often considered a fringe group, lumped together with “eco-terrorists” and mocked for their “extreme” diet. Yet, according to a recent study, there are now one million vegans in America. Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain described us thus:

“Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn. To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living. Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, and an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food.”

The enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit? Of course, Bourdain seeks publicity, and this attack on vegans serves as a useful sound-byte and an opportunity to further his own personal branding as a rugged-individualist-cum-foodie. Why, though, are most Americans still meat eaters? Despite the profit-motivated claims of the meat and dairy industry, we do not need meat to live. Almost all of our meat (and, indeed, milk) comes from factory farms run by giant corporations that torture animals and abuse workers. What’s so “good and decent” about that?

Considering that the most common phrases a vegetarian or vegan hears from omnivores include “We need meat to live,” and “Oh, I just couldn’t deprive myself like that,” and “Vegetarians are sissies,” and, of course, “But it tastes good,” Bourdain’s screed is only an honest – if overblown – magnification of the prevalent, mainstream opinion of vegans in this country.

Yet one million people are doing it: giving up milk, and cheese, and butter, along with meat. This number is likely to grow as people seek out ways of eating that are more environmentally sustainable, nutritious, economical, and humane, while opting out of the exploitation that is inherent in industrial capitalism.

Keep reading.

My 30th Birthday

I turned 30 on June 30.

I had a party at Clay Pit, and about 25 of my dear friends came out to celebrate with me - it was great! The boy and I split an order of veggie samosas, a batata cham, and some roti, while I had my usual, the Vegetable Ayam. So good. But, alas, I did not bother taking any pictures (luckily for me, Alin jumped right in as Official Photographer).

Unfortunately, do to a series of logistical issues, the cake I'd been planning to serve didn't make it to the party. This was pretty disappointing; however, it was delivered to me on Sunday night, and it was beautiful and delicious (I'm still working on it!).

Cake by Always Baked vegan bakers.

Mmm. Red velvet - my favorite.

Me and fellow PPKer Alin.

Me and my consort.

A fine selection of birthday greetings.

See the complete Flickr birthday set here.

Since turning 30, I have realized several things.

My parents are really, really old. (Haha, in your face, Dad!)

I don't feel "fat," and, to be honest, I don't really give a shit.

I definitely don't want kids.

I don't like summer as much as I used to. Autumn is by far my favorite season.

I feel silly having a "boyfriend" - the boy shall henceforth be called my "consort."

I am really - what's the word? most people would say "blessed" here, but turning 30 did not lead me to god, so - lucky.

Michael Jackson is an amazing visionary (I say "is," because this is surely the world's greatest hoax, and he will surprise everyone by appearing onstage in London and peforming Thriller). Evidence A.

Filmy interlude

Announcing an indefinite blog hiatus

Waldorf sandwich: Tofurkey, maple-dipped walnuts, FYH mozzarella, sliced apple, spinach, and Vegenaise on whole wheat. Delish. Espresso Yourself Cafe, Newport, PA. See more of their sandwiches and wraps in my "Newport, PA" Flickr set.

As you may've noticed, I haven't been blogging much lately.

First, it was the week I spent in Paris, Texas, that kept me from the blog (due to dial-up and an utter lack of interesting vegan food choices); then, I accidentally erased a set of positively mouth-watering shots from this weekend's backyard grilling (courtesy Jamie, she of the delectable New Year's Eve spread). The resultant despair led to the realization that I spend far too much time blogging - most of it in taking pictures of my food as it gets cold or setting up the perfect shot while everyone else kicks back with their beers - and, further, that I took the loss of a few pictures of portabella burgers (with sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, and Vegenaise!) way too hard (and, okay, there were some pictures of Kirby the adorable King Charles Spaniel puppy, too).

It made me cry.

So, I am indefinitely suspending my blogging; my food photography will be available on my Flickr stream, as always. My Food set has every picture I've ever posted here, and many more that didn't quite make the cut. Or click on any tag that says "food" for a page of thumbnails, showing the most recent items first. I often put restaurant links and recipes on Flickr, too.

I might also start writing that book (thanks, Billy).

Bun goi cuon tofu

I ventured back to the "new" Vietnamese place on the Drag, Hai Ky, for a quick and cheap lunch today, and was delighted with this dish, one of many on their vegetarian menu (which contains a large number of vegan options). It's a bowl of vermicelli with delicious (and I mean delicious) sautéed tofu with a sticky, smoky glaze, along with grated carrots, raw cucumber sticks, peanuts, chopped cilantro, and two tofu spring rolls - plus a large side of peanut sauce (I am not a huge fan of their peanut sauce, but, then again, I haven't met a peanut sauce I don't like).

Flickr Photo of the Week: Tortilla Pizza with Herbed Tofu

tortilla pizza with herbed tofu
Originally uploaded by kitchen activist

Whole wheat tortilla, basil-tomato sauce, Italian-style herbed tofu, slivered onions, chopped garlic, roasted eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini, sliced green peppers, torn arugula, and toasted pine nuts. Topped with chili-infused olive oil.

Tofu - Isa's Italian marinated tofu from Vegan with a Vengeance, fried with a bit of brown sugar.

Recipe here.