Fridays with Friends: Terry Hope Romero
I’ve been a fan of Terry Hope Romero’s cookbooks and recipes for years. I finally had the pleasure of meeting her in person last summer at the Vida Vegan Conference in Portland, OR. She’s a busy woman these days getting ready to publish yet another amazing-sounding cookbook, but she still found time to chat with me about her take on veganism, ethnic food and computer gaming.
Allison Rivers Samson: You’ve co-created some of the most beloved vegan cookbooks available. Have cooking and baking always been a part of your life or did you discover your love of food when you went vegan? 
How did that part of your life come about?
Terry Hope Romero: I’ve been cooking and baking since I was old enough to turn on the oven. My parents like to cook and my dad is super into experimenting with recipes; he was always trying to figure out how to make Latin American favorites from his childhood here in the United States with American ingredients, so you could say cooking with him helped lay the groundwork for a lifetime of reworking recipes with creative substitutions.
When I went vegetarian at 16 and vegan years later, I never stopped cooking or baking. I didn’t see it as a deterrent, but instead the beginning of an exciting challenge, a new way to reinvent things I liked to make or try my hand at new and exotic foods. There was no Internet back then to draw ideas or information from, so there was a lot more trial and error and traveling to various ethnic markets for ingredients and inspiration.
ARS: When I first saw Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, I thought, “damn, those women are geniuses!” I had a feeling you and Isa were about to create a cupcake craze. 
(Wish I were as good at choosing lottery numbers!) How did you two come up with the idea to write themed cookbooks?
THR: It’s hard to pin down a defining moment… it’s about just really loving food and being excited to go beyond the old 80’s health food war horses of carob and maple syrup to flavor and sweeten everything. I have nothing against carob, maple syrup or spelt flour, and I did work as a pastry chef in a vegan restaurant where I had to make everything out of those ingredients (and brown rice syrup and barley malt, just to name a few more of those old fashioned vegan standards) and no matter what you did with that stuff, everything started to taste the same.
Isa and I wanted to make fun foods that could prove to the world that vegan food is normal food and that anyone can make delicious, familiar vegan baked goods with ingredients found at the grocery store. 
When that book came out, it was shocking to hear from so many people who had been vegan for a while that it had been years… years… since they ate a cupcake! Telling prospective vegans that they can never eat a cupcake again isn’t going to change the world much, so I hope we’ve helped make a little difference there. Plus it’s nice to hear from folks who can’t eat dairy or eggs how much those books have helped bring a little extra joy to their lives.
ARS: Pies have been the one baked goods I’ve most avoided making, except during the holidays, which has made perfecting them take forever. Did you already know a lot about pies before writing your newest book or was it a new venture? 
Was there a recipe that needed more attention or trials than another?
THR: It was a little of both. The idea of a pie book had been kicking around for a few years after the success of the vegan cupcake and cookie books and seemed like a natural progression in the vegan great desserts trilogy. I already enjoyed making pies and made plenty of crusts before the book, but working on a whole cookbook on any topic is an educational experience on it’s own. It’s often said the best way to learn something is to teach it, and writing a book about making pies did that ten times over for me. I know pie by a whole new slice, I guess you could say.
ARS: Your website, Vegan Latina!, features Latin-inspired vegan dishes. Do you find there’s a growing interest in vegan meals among the Latin American community?
THR: Certainly. Slowly but surely, there’s an increasing interest in the Latin American community to take charge of their health and lifestyle in general, and food is the most direct way. Hopefully an increased awareness of vegan issues like animal suffering and the environment will follow suit, but meatless meals are slowly becoming a comfortable sight in some restaurants and in Latin American media outlets. I mention in Viva Vegan! (my big fat Latin American vegan cookbook), that the first vegetarian and vegan restaurants I ever ate at as a teenager were not in America but in Venezuela in the 80’s, of all places. So the awareness is there outside of the U.S., sometimes in the most surprising places.
ARS: Latin food is full of many of my favorite vegan ingredients like beans, avocados, rice, sauces…is there a particular dish that is your favorite?
THR: It’s impossible to pick just one. 
I can pretty much always go for an empanada or a tamale anytime, but when I need comfort I always reach for a simple plate of black beans and yellow rice, with a side of avocado and a tangy cabbage salad…these foods are super healthy and can be made cheaply and are loaded with fiber, protein and the good stuff with little active time over the stove. I regularly make smoothies with frozen tropical fruit pulp, my favorites being guanábana and passion fruit.
ARS: When we met at Vida Vegan Con last year, I learned that you are a total gaming geek. What’s the most bizarre experience you’ve ever had at a gaming conference? Do any of those folks know you for the punk rock star you are?
Dynise Balcavage, Terry Hope Romero, Julie Hasson, and Allison Rivers Samson
THR: I haven’t had a big convergence of all of those things yet, but you can’t say I don’t try and find it. I meet a lot of vegans who are closet nerds, and I know a healthy amount of gamer geeks that are vegan or vegetarian. On a creative note, I have a ton of friends that are game designers and it’s funny how similar writing games and cookbooks can feel. My game designer pals and I are both basically always reading writing instruction manuals; sometimes we’re even working on similar schedules and deadlines. Roleplaying game designers have play-testers for their games, very similarly to how I have recipe testers for my cookbooks, so we sometimes get together and bond over the tears and joys of our respective crafts.
ARS: You are gracious enough to be granting me this interview while you’re finishing up a book. 
Can you whisper in my ear anything about it or any new recipes you’re working on?
THR: Oh sure…I’m working on my own spin on the famous jackfruit carnitas meme of 2009, a lot of Sri Lankan curries, a bit of Filipino and Middle Eastern and African treats, so many dumplings including momos and bao buns, and I just made a killer, slacker-friendly mamoul (Middle Eastern “buttery” date cookies). This book has fewer desserts… well after three dessert books everything seems like fewer desserts, but the selection I do have I’m very fond of right now, including a classic baklava and a new cheesecake.
ARS: Mmmm… sounds yummy. What’s the best part about writing a cookbook? The most challenging?
THR: Writing cookbooks forces you to learn more and revise previous notions about cooking and food (with each book, I keep learning and re-learning stuff), and it’s been a blast expanding my knowledge-base of Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s a great excuse to buy fun ingredients like pandan leaves and giant bags of whole spices from Indian grocers. 
I have a small urban kitchen, so generally I don’t like to overwhelm it with ingredients, so I actually do need the excuse to stuff even more into the already bursting kitchen cabinets. The challenging part is that it is still a lot of work! Cooking is like breathing to me at this point, but I still have days when I just want to microwave a burrito or make a green smoothie instead of pumping out 5 new curries. And I do have a lot of leftovers, often too much…that’s where having a legion of hungry gamer friends comes in handy; they bring their games and appetites, I provide dinner or dessert, and everybody’s happy.
ARS: If you and I were playing together in the kitchen, what would you want to collaborate on?
THR: I think we both know we would have to make dessert… perhaps chocolate croissants? Or how about a vegan version of honeycomb candy? And I confess I haven’t used my ice cream maker in over a year, hint hint.
ARS: Homemade vegan ice cream is a staple in our house in the summer. We often have at least two flavors. 
Ooohh… maybe we could make Coffee Ice Cream stuffed Chocolate Croissants! Do you have a favorite Allison’s Gourmet sweet?
THR: I am defenseless when it comes to your Chocolate Almond Toffee. It’s too gorgeous to eat… well, its good looks can only keep it safe from me for so long!
Thanks for chatting, Terry. I can’t wait to try some new recipes from your upcoming book!
Fridays with Friends: Millennium’s Eric Tucker
Ann Wheat, Eric Tucker, and Larry Wheat - photo credit: VegNews
When I started my business (then “Allison’s Cookies”) near Seattle in 1997, I exhibited at EarthSave Seattle’s Taste of Health event. A delightful and friendly woman came up, introduced herself and told me all about an upscale, elegant, all-vegan restaurant that I just had to visit in San Francisco. This woman was none other than Ann Wheat, co-owner and marketer extraordinaire of Millennium Restaurant. Funds were tight for me at the time, but I began planning my first excursion right then and there. When I finally made my way to the restaurant, Ann, her husband Larry, and Executive Chef Eric Tucker gave me a warm welcome and took great care of me. I was hooked!
Now, every chance I get, I make the journey to Millennium and a visit to San Francisco is incomplete without a luscious meal from Eric and his team. I love Millenium so much that we take our daughter, Olivia, who is now 5. She calls it “our favorite restaurant” and makes sure we’re going if I mention San Francisco. When she was 2, Olivia called it “Milleni-yum.” I couldn’t agree more!
Allison’s Gourmet: You are the rock star behind one of the most well-loved, upscale vegetarian restaurants in the world. Now that veganism has become more popular, has that changed the restaurant’s mission or vision since you helped create Millennium in 1994? How so?
Eric Tucker: Our mission has been to provide exquisite vegetable-based cuisine since day one and that hasn’t changed. Being that vegetable-based cuisine is limitless, we are always adding something new to our mix!
AG: That is so true; vegetables offer myriad options. Do many non-vegan guests dine at the restaurant? What’s that like… is it more or less pressure than cooking for your core veg audience?
ET: Well, our core audience isn’t necessarily hard core veg, at least from those I talk to and a demographics survey we did a decade ago. We generally find that our main clientele are intelligent, educated, and adventurish in their dining choices.
AG: If they’re eating at Millennium, of course they’re intelligent! 
One of my favorite dishes is your cornmeal-crusted fried oyster mushrooms. What’s your favorite menu item at Millennium?
ET: Our menu changes seasonally, so right now it might be a tagine of artichokes, winter squash, ayoc morado beans and kale swimming in a well-seasoned saffron broth with a barley cake, preserved lemon aioli, a little aleppo chile and deep fried crusted olives!
AG: Sounds like it’s time for us to come visit again! Do you ever tire of cooking? Like at home, are you a microwave and PB & J kind of guy or are you always working on something new?
ET: Whole wheat sprouted bagels and good bread — a conduit to all kinds of bad fatty things you can smear on ‘em at midnight when you realize you are hungry after tasting the entire line up at 5:30 pm. Also, steamed Korean veg dumplings with a 2-second peanut chile dipping sauce, also good at midnight! Sometimes I’ll work out a simplified version of an idea or use a new product I’m not familiar with, but that is rare.
AG: The question on all vegan women’s minds… are you single? Have women expected extravagant meals from you or have they cooked good meals for you?
ET: Well a few days ago, my girlfriend and I went up north harvesting wild mushrooms – hedgehogs and black trumpets. We came home, made pasta from scratch, cleaned the dirt out of the mushrooms and by 10:30, we had dinner, a collaborative effort.
AG: That answers that! Since you are quite the mushroom buff, that sounds like the recipe for a perfect day in your world. One Valentine’s Day, David and I made one of your dishes at home and spread out the prep over a couple of days. It was fun and yet we’ve decided that we prefer going to Millennium to be taken care of by you and your talented and attentive team. For the newbie or the person who doesn’t have a lot of time to cook complex dinners and doesn’t live close enough for regular visits, do you have any recommendations for meals that are easy, delicious and healthy?
ET: Learn key ingredients and ways to season and spice food from different cultures, keep some of those ingredients as part of your larder, extrapolate and simplify. For example, instead of pounding out a complex curry paste on a Wednesday night, maybe a simpler version with slices of lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves from the stash in your freezer (or tree on your patio) and some garlic – chile paste sautéed into some coconut milk, add veg and protein du jour, squeeze of lime. Done.
AG: You make it sound so simple, Eric! What are your favorite vegan kitchen staples? Any exotic ingredients you’d rather not live without?
ET: Miso, Shoyu, good olive oil, toasted sesame oil, at least a half dozen chile pastes and sauces, frozen curry leaf, chutney and indian pickles. Basically, condiments and spices, dried mushrooms of a couple different varieties, and dried sea veg. Ingredients like these give me a lot of room for a last minute improvisation with whatever starch and veg I have on hand.
AG: If you and I were playing in the kitchen together, what would be your dream creation?
ET: It would involve smoked salt, espresso, chocolate, chile, and olive oil. All prepared while listening to 80′s hair metal.
AG: You know my favorite ingredients so well! That combination sounds amazing. But wait, have we talked about my former life as a big-haired metal chick or are you that intuitive? Craziness! Do you have a favorite AG product?
ET: Brownies of all stripes.
Thanks for chatting, Eric. It’s been equally pleasurable and mouth-watering, as always.
Vegan Book Giveaway from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
I promised a Cookbook Giveaway from my friend, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, and here it is! Colleen is kindly offering two of her books: Vegan’s Daily Companion and The 30-Day Vegan Challenge, going to one winner. 
Two inspiring vegan books at once is a generous prize and, in the spirit of sharing the vegan wealth, we’re hoping that whomever wins these two fantastic books will keep one for him/herself and give the other to a loved one in a “pay it forward” gesture of delicious compassion.
So, we want to know, if you won these two books, which one would you keep for yourself, which would you give away, to whom and why? Tell us on our blog and for bonus points we’d love to know what you might say when gifting the book and what sweet treat you might pair with it. Post your answer on our blog and we’ll announce our favorite answer one week from today, on Wednesday, February 1st. We can’t wait to read all your interesting answers!
This contest is now closed, and we have a winner!
Fridays with Friends: Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, the Compassionate Cook
While I have known Colleen Patrick-Goudreau for several years, I had never had the pleasure of hearing her speak until this summer when I was lucky enough see her in action both at Vida Vegan Con in Portland and at an Animal Place event here in Grass Valley, CA. I was electrified by her grace, presence and message of joyful veganism.
Allison’s Gourmet: Tell me about your journey to becoming a “Joyful Vegan.”
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau: I grew up eating every kind of animal – anything that walked, swam, or flew. My father owned ice cream stores and would bring home tubs of ice cream to fill our separate ice cream freezer. At the same time, I – like most children – had a deep sense of compassion for animals, suffered when they suffered, and intervened when I was able. My parents and other adults supported this compassion, but they also taught me to compartmentalize. I was taught that some animals were worthy of my compassion (the stray dogs and cats or wildlife I helped) and some animals were “here for us” and thus deserving of our compassion only to a point. And these were the same animals all over my wallpaper, my pajamas, my childhood books and games, and my favorite TV shows and movies: lambs, calves, pigs, ducks, geese, turkeys, and chickens.
I could have gone about my whole life staying desensitized, but luckily I read John Robbins’ Diet for a New America when I was 19, which started me on a path to learn everything I could about the exploitation of animals for human consumption. I stopped eating land animals immediately, and several years and several books later, I stopped eating (or wearing) anything that came from an animal. I just did not want to contribute to violence towards animals – violence I would never participate in directly.
So, when I became vegan (12 years ago now), it was a very natural and joyful decision that has had many unexpected gifts.
Even though there is great pain in being aware of the suffering of non-human animals, there is also great joy at being fully awake and not being part of that violence.
AG: You are an impassioned voice calling us to awaken for the animals and our human souls. Would you share with us your evolution from a background in English to teaching vegan cooking classes to publishing your touching “Food for Thought” podcast and now arriving as a prolific author and inspiring speaker?
CP-G: You’re sweet. Thank you for saying that. When I left graduate school back in New Jersey I was not vegan, but I had already read Diet for a New America, and seeds had been planted. So, even though I didn’t know what it was going to look like, I knew I was going to follow a path working to help animals and empower people to not eat animals. I knew that my contribution would be through what my skills and interests were – namely writing and speaking (I taught Freshman English when I was a graduate student and was finding my voice as a lecturer). So, I just started by doing and by trying to find my voice. I began educating people by tabling, by doing Street TV (showing slaughter videos and handing out Why Vegan brochures), and then by teaching cooking classes (because everyone said “what do I eat?”). When I realized I was on to something with the classes, I wanted them to reach more people, so I produced a cooking DVD. Tapping into the power of media, I started producing my podcast, Vegetarian Food for Thought (it’s all vegan!). 
From there, my first publisher found me and offered me a contract to write The Joy of Vegan Baking, and it’s all gone on from there with The Vegan Table, Color Me Vegan, Vegan’s Daily Companion, and The 30-Day Vegan Challenge. The journey has been exhilarating and incredibly gratifying, and I’m so grateful to wake up each morning dedicating my life to exactly what I feel is the most important work in the world: teaching people how to manifest their compassion in their every day lives. It’s pretty amazing.
Come back next week for a Giveaway of two of Colleen’s books!
AG: What is your greatest reward in teaching people about compassionate living?
CP-G: I believe we’re all here to be teachers to one another; we’re all here to lift each other up to become the fully evolved people we can be. I believe that people want to be the most compassionate they can be, and I believe it’s already inside of them. I’m not teaching/telling them anything they don’t know; I’m just pointing them to what’s already in their hearts. I help them recognize it, and when they do, they wake up, and I get to see that moment. It’s heart-warming, gratifying, and powerful for me with each person I see experience this. The details may be different, but their stories are pretty much all the same: “I cared about animals when I was a child; I was taught to squelch that compassion in order to eat the animals my parents fed me; then X happened, and I’ve become re-awakened to my compassion.”Each story of awakening I hear just gives me strength and resolve to continue doing this work, because it’s not just a matter of teaching someone how to sauté onions or bake vegan brownies;
it’s a matter of shifting the paradigms to become the compassionate people we really are. (I’m adding new “love letters” to the website all the time, if you want to read some).
AG: Congratulations on your recently launched gorgeous new website! Can you tell us about your Compassionate Cooks Club, Daily Dose of Compassion and/or anything else you’d like to share about your new site?
CP-G: Thank you! The website redesign for The Compassionate Cook has been a LONG time coming! Now that it’s updated, it enables me to more easily change and add more content, blog more (even though I don’t consider myself a blogger), and enable people to comment and participate directly on the website. The Compassionate Cooks Club is not new, but the new account-based membership is. I’m so blessed that people value the work I do and want to support it, but I want to be able to give them something back while creating a community. Club members get to see videos, recipes, and content created just for them; depending on the level, they also get signed books, and some can contact me directly in a consulting kind of relationship to get personal advice and guidance. Of course there is and always will be a ton of free resources on my website, but members just get a little more. I’m really excited about the Daily Dose of Compassion. It’s my new (free) email service whereby subscribers receive an inspiring quote from me everyday in their inbox. I’d been wanting to do this for awhile, especially when I heard from so many people who disciplined themselves to read only 1 page a day out of my book, Vegan’s Daily Companion, so it’s just another way to empower people to live compassionately without apology.
AG: What are some of the whole-food staple ingredients you keep on hand in your kitchen? Do you have a favorite recipe you make often?
CP-G: Favorite recipe – definitely my kale salad. A staple in my home, particularly because of my kale gardens! Rub olive oil on leaves to coat them, sprinkle on some salt and nutritional yeast, and toss with anything and everything, depending on the season. Sometimes it’s toasted pecans and diced apple. Sometimes it’s pumpkin seeds, red onion slices, and avocado. It just depends. I’m a very simple eater and keep a lot of veggies in my fridge and grains/beans in my pantry as staples. I love whipping up new recipes just based on whatever I have in my kitchen. Some recipes are available for free on my website.
AG: If you and I were collaborating in the kitchen, what would be your fantasy creation?
CP-G: Anything with coconut oil, chocolate, and bread. Does that inspire anything in your incredibly creative mind?? 
AG: Hmmm… how about soft, doughy bread made with coconut oil and a dash of cinnamon, dipped in chocolate, fondue-style?
You have accomplished so much already. Knowing you as I do, I imagine there’s more to come. What’s the next frontier for Colleen Patrick-Goudreau?
CP-G: Right now, I’m caught between Scylla and Charybdis because I have so much I want to do, but I also have a burning desire to find some balance in my life. So, aside from trying to slow down a little, the most immediate next project to come to fruition will be the interactive 30-Day Vegan Challenge online program. I’m focusing on letting my books breathe a bit (no books for awhile), returning again to a regular podcast schedule (it slowed down a bit in 2011 because I had three books come out one after the other), and on launching the 30-Day online program. So much to do, and I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to do it.
Thanks Colleen, it’s always a pleasure to catch up with you. Now I need to go get my chocolate melting for that fantasy creation! For more about Colleen, her books, speaking engagements and podcasts, find her on Facebook and Twitter.
P.S. Remember to come back next week for a Giveaway of two of Colleen’s books!
Fridays with Friends: Dynise Balcavage, the Urban Vegan
Dynise Balcavage, aka the Urban Vegan, believes that vegan cooking should be held to the highest standards and should always be superbly decadent and healthy. I couldn’t agree more!
Allison’s Gourmet: When/how did you become vegan?
Dynise Balcavage: I went vegan “cold tofurkey” in 2006.
AG: Nice. Did you enjoy cooking before you transitioned into a more compassionate lifestyle?
DB: I’ve been cooking since age 7 and have always loved puttering around the kitchen; I associate cooking with fond memories of the women in my family. I actually grew up in a house with an old-fashioned coal stove, so there was always a pot of soup simmering or a plate of something yummy warming on its shelf. We used to stand around the stove to keep warm. My older sister, Debbie, taught me to bake– and to lick the beaters and spatula (which is safer now that I’m vegan).
I’ve always enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen, as a result of my innate curiosity, travels and restlessness. Although I now own close to 200 cookbooks, most of which are omni books, I read them more for inspiration and ideas. I rarely follow recipes. Even with my own cookbooks, I think recipes should be a conduit to creativity, and not a set of rules to be followed blindly. I like recipes that have flexibility, so I try to structure my recipes so they are improv-friendly.
AG: “Improv-friendly.” I like that. You are known as The Urban Vegan, which is also the title of your first cookbook. Is there a difference between an Urban Vegan and one who is suburban or rural?
DB: I’m sure there is, but being an urban vegan, I’m spoiled. I live in Philadelphia, a large herbivore-friendly city, and am just a short ride from NYC, perhaps the world’s most vegan-friendly city, so it’s easy to find vegan-friendly restaurants, plant-based foods and like-minded people in my own backyard. I’m sure being a suburban or rural vegan is more challenging.
AG: Ah, I see what you mean. Being a rural vegan, I can attest that herbivore-friendly restaurants are too few and their ability to impress is even less frequent. Luckily our home kitchen is a good stand-in. I do admit there are times I’d love to get good take-out though! What’s the biggest challenge in creating exciting vegan meals for urbanites?
DB: Now, it’s continually upping the “wow” factor. Vegan used to be a fringe term; now it’s a bona-fide cuisine. I try to continually keep my recipes fresh and exciting, a little healthy and a little hedonistic.
AG: People may be surprised to know that there are indeed opportunities for edible hedonistic pleasures within a vegan menu. Your second cookbook, Celebrate Vegan: 200 Life-Affirming Recipes for Occasions Big and Small is out now, can you expand more on how you create celebrations to remember?
DB: Every day should be a celebration of some sort. And of course, every celebration begins with memorable foods. Dining can become so dull if you’re eating the same thing day after day, though–and so can noshing on the same old holiday foods year after year. My book is a bit unlike other holiday cookbooks in that I include recipes for some quirky holidays, like Festivus, Guy Fawkes Day and “Girls’ Night In,” instead of just the traditional biggies.
But at the same time, it’s fun to mix, match and cross-polinate your holiday menus. Old traditions are important, but it’s also essential to keep on creating new traditions. Why not make Tsimmes, a traditional Jewish side, for Christmas, for example? Or a King Cake for a child’s birthday party instead of just waiting for Mardi Gras? It’s certainly got the wow factor. Don’t be afraid to venture beyond, whatever “beyond” represents to you.
AG: You have a theme of encouraging people to reach beyond, both in your approach to food and in your literary escapades. Do you have any advice for people making the transition into veganism?
DB: Go at your own pace and be easy on yourself. Just like every recipe is customizable, so is every transition to veganism. What’s right for someone else might not work for you–so do it unapologetically your way.
AG: Well-said. What are some of your favorite simple vegan meals/recipes that keep you supercharged through your day?
DB: I’m a smoothie nut, even in the winter, and I’ve just gotten into the habit of tossing baby spinach into my shakes. 
I am also an unabashed pasta freak. I coat my pasta with sauce made with seasonal veggies, olive oil and an obscene amount of garlic–it always works and it’s always easy. When I am too tired or busy to cook, I have been known to order vegan take-out or pick up a slice of vegan pizza.
AG: Do you have a favorite Allison’s Gourmet product?
DB: I adore the caramels, especially the salted chocolate ones, and also I’m a huge fan of the peppermint creme patties. But I would eat anything from Allison’s Gourmet.
Thanks Dynise, this rural vegan loves keeping up on your urban vegan adventures. For more of the Urban Vegan, follow Dynise on Twitter.
Making the Most of Winter
The Winter Solstice happened last week, which means that it’s officially cold, dark and winter. I generally dislike winter. Instead of snuggling by the fireplace all day where I’d like to be, I’m usually up and about, interacting with the cold, dark world. But, I’m trying to make the best of the situation and find ways to enjoy these winter month.
Photo by Julia Moran Martz of Snarky Vegan
The “bright” side of being past the Solstice is that at least the days aren’t getting any shorter, and cold weather is a great excuse to eat and drink warm and hearty yummy things both savory and sweet. I make a lot of soup this time of year, and one of the things that we’ve been doing every day at Allison’s through the busy holiday rush has been drinking lots of warm beverages.
Mostly we do fair-trade tea, with vegan cookies to go with it, of course. Lately, to mix things up, we’ve also made some awesome mugs of hot cocoa drinking chocolate and even some organic coffee (although we’re all so “up” already that we opted for the amazingly delicious Decaf Vanilla Nut variety). In my off hours I’m making a point to get some exercise, and spend some time outdoors which is hard at first, but once I’m out and warm, it really lifts my spirits.
How do you stay warm and happy during the winter chill?
Hearty Thanksgiving Main Courses for Vegans
Despite the growing awareness and popularity of the vegan diet, we still face a disconnect in this country about how to cook without meat. And as most vegans will have to endure an emotionally stressful Thanksgiving by either feeling persecuted for skipping on the turkey or from the sheer sadness of seeing its carcass perched at the center of the table, we at least do not have to add starving to the list of reasons this holiday has traditionally sucked. Whether cooking for yourself or for guests, as today’s post shows, there is no shortage of delicious vegan recipes to make this holiday inclusive for all.
Hearty Thanksgiving Main Courses for Vegans
By Tara Parker-Pope, Herald-Tribune
While vegetarian diners are happy to fill their plates with Thanksgiving side dishes, many chefs still want to serve their non-turkey-eating guests a substitute for the meaty main course. For Well’s Vegetarian Thanksgiving series, Chloe Coscarelli, a vegan chef, offers two hearty vegetarian dishes packed with protein. The recipes, a lentil stew with squash and apples and a country “meatloaf” with gravy, come from Ms. Coscarelli’s new cookbook, “Chloe’s Kitchen: 125 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Making the Food You Love the Vegan Way,” to be published by the Free Press in March.
For dessert, Ms. Coscarelli, a winner on the Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” for her vegan cupcakes, offers a dairy- and egg-free pumpkin tiramisù. For more main course and dessert ideas, see Ms. Coscarelli’s recipes from last year.
To read the recipes, click here.
And for more yummy vegan recipes, visit Allison’s Veganize It! recipes and check out other bloggers’ versions of her recipes, too! Happy Thanksgiving!
Fridays With Friends: Snarky Vegan’s Julia Moran Martz
We were so excited to have two featured guest bloggers last month making Allison’s “Veganize It!“ recipes for Vegan MoFo month! Julia Moran Martz, aka, Snarky Vegan was one of our amazing contributors and answers some questions this week in our Fridays with Friends episode.
Allison’s Gourmet: Were you always inspired to cook/bake or did that happen after you adopted a vegan diet?
Julia Moran Martz: I’ve been baking since I was a kid back in the mid-70s ”helping” grandma make grape jelly and complaining about having to help my aunts string beans from the garden. Back then I was also making Christmas goodie boxes for friends and family. They always contained soft pink peppermints, cookies, glazed lemon nut bread, turtles, Mexican wedding cakes, and one year I even made peanut brittle. 
I do remember becoming a much less picky eater after going to college and realizing how handy it was to make a huge vat of something cheap to eat throughout the week. That’s when I expanded to things other than candy and baked goods.
AG: What’s the biggest challenge in running a food blog?
JMM: Finding the time and energy after running my business all day, every day. When you own a company, as Allison knows, it doesn’t shut down for you at 5pm. This also poses an issue with photography because I do most of my cooking in the evenings after work. Natural lighting is non-existent at this time and my house is too small for professional lights.
Also, I should note that my blog is really about both vegan food AND vegan gardening because as vegans, we often grow our own food. Ethical vegans are also concerned about the animal farming by-products used in regular organic farming (all the meals: blood, bone, feather and then manure). My goal is to bring awareness to the entire vegan food chain: soil to plate. There are veganic options for an ethical and healthy edible garden; it’s just an unpopular topic with media so it rarely gets any mention.
AG: What do you love most about it?
JMM: Getting feedback from people who try my stuff and then post photos of what they did. That’s sooo cool! So far my most visited posts have been the quick and easy White Trash Tater Tot Casserole and the higher-end, more time-consuming, fermented cashew cheese.
AG: What was your favorite ”VeganizeIt!” recipe you made for Vegan MoFo and why?
Photo by Snarky Vegan Julia Moran Martz
JMM: The Shepherd’s Pie hands down because DH liked it. He’s so picky and hardly ever eats anything but salad or peanut butter sandwiches but he really liked the shepherd’s pie. Obviously, I have to work on my mashed potato ghost technique.
AG: What was it like to participate in Vegan MoFo? Do you think you’ll do it again?
JMM: I try to do it every year but it always seems to coincide with some big trade show we have to do for work. So it’s a struggle to find the time.
AG: Are there any whole-food staple grocery items you can’t live without? (Favorite fruits, veggies, beans or grains?)
JMM: OMG there’s so much that I consider critical to have on hand. Stuff that we keep in large quantities in the kitchen are: vegan mayo! always at least 2 big jars in the fridge; jumbo Tupperware containers of flour, rice and pasta; huge tubs of raw oats, nutritional yeast, dried black-eyed peas and black beans, pecans, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries; unsweetened soy milk; lots of cans of garbanzo beans; a really good balsamic vinegar; and romaine, onions, potatoes, lots of bags of frozen peas and broccoli. I also keep a stash of homemade apple butter in the basement. Oh–I do keep some plant-meats in the fridge but it’s limited to just vegan sausages and also lunch meats for quick sandwiches and roll ups.
I did kinda go overboard this summer and grew enough garlic to feed 2 families for a year. Of course, I’m planting more this year. I plant a mix of early, mid and late-season varieties then keep them braided and hanging next to the bag of home grown shallots in the cool basement so they last longer throughout the winter. Storing home grown alliums at 55ºF max is the best way to make them last into winter. Store bought garlic has been treated so once brought above 32ºF won’t store as long. If you want to keep home grown garlic longer, peel, mince and freeze it double bagged and in small amounts that you can break off for soups or whatever.
There are a few things that can be harder to find and I snag several whenever I get the chance even though I don’t use them every week: vegan worcestershire sauce is a must have, organic chili sauce is handy, vegan cheeses (I like the ones that really melt), Ceylon cinnamon (from Penzeys), and vegan marshmallows of course. Whole Foods carries most things but are not always located in everyone’s neck of the woods.
AG: Do you have a favorite seasonal meal idea or recipe you’d like to share?
JMM: My hands-down favorite seasonal item is not one of my own unfortunately but it’s my most favorite recipe ever: Vegan Vanguard’s pecan pie. I grew up on traditional pecan pie and since becoming vegan, I’ve tried a lot of very bad vegan versions. VV’s version is the best I’ve ever had, including the ones I used to make in the 70′s with 6 eggs.
If you want one of my own recipes, it’s gotta be my version of black-eyed peas and collards for New Years good luck. By using chorizo seitan crumbles and a good veggie broth, it’s pretty amazing. Took it to an omni party one year and no one asked if it was vegan.
AG: Where do you find inspiration for new meal ideas?
JMM: I like looking at the food sections of news sites to see what trends would be fun to veganize and I try to stay up-to-date on other vegan blogs. I also have this really cool ancient 3-inch-thick cookbook that was my great grandmothers and it’s really fun to see what trouble I can cause with that. It’s falling apart of course but everything in it is the stuff our grandmothers and great grandmothers made. All traditional ideas just waiting to be veganized.
AG: Which Allison’s Gourmet goodie is your favorite or would you most like to try?
JMM: This year for our client presents, I’m ordering a testing box of vegan toffee, peanut brittle and caramels for myself. Of course she doesn’t have a testing box per se so I’ll likely be ordering “extras,” it’ll be my own little Christmas bonus. ;-P
Are you a vegan foodie or know one we should catch up with for the Fridays with Friends series? Drop us a line on Facebook and Twitter!
Holiday Meals: Dinner and Dessert
In search of the perfect centerpiece for a holiday meal? In years past we’ve done both Vegetable Pot Pie and Lentil Shepherd’s Pie for Thanksgiving at our house, each with great success. Other staples of our holiday tables each year include David’s outrageous cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, garlic brussel sprouts, greens, mashed potatoes with rich brown gravy and stuffing. 
For a complete gourmet holiday menu all in one place and with plenty of options, look no further than the VegNews Holiday eCookbook with everything from pumpkin soup to crispy latkes and my own special Roasted Vegetable Pastries. You’ll find delicious and festive recipes here to feed the whole family in scrumptious style. Planning holiday meals for the people you love can be stressful, but with so many decadent and delicious compassionate choices, it doesn’t have to be.
Finish off a big family meal with your favorite decadent dessert whether it’s a tray of organic brownies, a platter of gourmet cookies, or something more involved like a coconut ice cream and double chocolate chunk brownie Sundae topped with caramel sauce and vegan toffee. 
Complement your dessert with a perfect cup of organic fair-trade tea or fair-trade organic coffee. For holiday-inspired sipping, we like Peppermint Drinking Chocolate or Coconut Nog.
Now, for the other nights of the holiday week, or if you have kids who won’t eat anything green, these “VeganizeIt!” versions of classic pasta favorites (like amazing Mac ‘n’ Cheese) 
are cholesterol-free and even include some hidden veggies, but still have the rich and creamy flavors that everybody loves. For Italian-style family meals try Baked Ziti or Lasagna (available in the current issue of VegNews). Or, for an easy meal for kids or kids at heart, whip up some Alfredo sauce, pour over your favorite pasta and serve with a side of steamed veggies.
For those loved one too far distant to share a holiday meal, consider our many elegant and delectable holiday gifts for the season. Happy Compassionate Thanksgiving!
Fridays with Friends: Better With Veggies’ Heather Blackmon
After a super fantastic month of recipes during Vegan MoFo, we caught up with Heather Blackmon of Better With Veggies to pick her brain on vegan foods, blogging and a super yumm chia recipe you have to try!
Allison’s Gourmet: Were you always inspired to cook/bake or did that happen after you adopted a vegan diet?
Heather Blackmon: As long as I can remember, I have enjoyed cooking. I remember helping my mom get ready to host a party at our house when I was young, which always included a lot of food. As I got older, I was often the one assigned to cook, while she got the house ready. When I lived by myself for a few months after college, I still cooked full meals for 1 (often with a lot of leftovers!). Moving to a plant-based diet has reignited my passion for cooking – there are so many new things to try and it’s exciting! Although I never stopped cooking, I’m in the kitchen more often now and loving it.
AG: What’s the biggest challenge in running a food blog?
HB: The time commitment is the most challenging for me. With a full-time job and an active workout schedule, devoting the time to developing interesting recipes, taking photographs, and sitting down to write daily can be overwhelming. I’m learning better ways to keep myself organized and taking full advantage of my calendar and to-do lists recently!
AG: What do you love most about it?
HB: I really love having an excuse to experiment in the kitchen and to learn more about food photography. My husband and I both really enjoy photography and have a growing collection of travel photography around the house, but food is a different animal. I enjoy the challenge of keeping things interesting and continually learning as I go.
AG: What was your favorite “VeganizeIt!” recipe you made for Vegan MoFo and why?
HB: This is a hard question – there are so many delicious choices to choose from!
The Grilled Tempeh Reuben is at the top of my list, with the flavors and texture I am looking for in a Reuben. The glazed tempeh crumbles nicely, creating the right texture to replace the corned beef. There is so much flavor in this sandwich and it’s the perfect warm meal for this time of year. It is messy, so bring lots of napkins if you pack it for lunch!
AG: What was it like to participate in Vegan MoFo? Do you think you’ll do it again?
HB: Vegan MoFo was a whirlwind month of activity. I had only been blogging for about a month before October started, so I had no idea what I was in for! With every post being food-centric, I really had to get creative to keep things interesting. I followed the RSS feeds and would wake up each morning with over 100 posts in my queue – so many fantastic vegan food blog posts to read! I will absolutely participate again, but next time I’ll be more prepared and have some content ready to go before October even starts.
AG: Are there any whole-food staple grocery items you can’t live without? (Favorite fruits, veggies, beans or grains?)
HB: I always have chickpeas, cashews, and salad greens in my kitchen. Chickpeas are a great source of protein and are in so many of my favorite foods: hummus, burritos, Mmmm sauce (from Peas & Thank You), salads, and so many more. Cashews are a close second, with all the cream sauces, cream cheese, heavy cream, and added crunch in salads. Which brings me to salad greens (kale, spinach, chard, arugula, etc.) that I include in everything from smoothies …to kale chips …to dinner salads. The possibilities are endless with these three!
AG: Where do you find inspiration for new meal ideas?
HB: Many of my inspirations come from ethnic foods I’ve enjoyed while traveling or meals I’ve enjoyed (or seen others enjoy) that are not vegan-friendly. It’s fun to find a way to remove the animal products and still enjoy the flavors that everyone is really looking for!
AG: Which Allison’s Gourmet goodie is your favorite or would you most like to try?
HB: I haven’t had an opportunity to try any of the goodies yet, but there are a few that have caught my eye. I LOVE spicy foods (I’m originally from New Orleans), so the Spiced Peanut Brittle & Chipotle Caramels sound really interesting!
AG: Do you have a favorite seasonal meal idea or recipe you’d like to share?
HB: Recently, I’ve been enjoying chia pudding for breakfast, which you can combine with so many different flavors depending on your mood. I’m still enjoying all the pumpkin recipes, so I added pumpkin to my chia pudding for a quick & easy fall breakfast.
Pumpkin Spice Chia Pudding – (serves 1)
Ingredients
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used Sunflower Seed Hemp Milk from Thrive Foods)
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3 raspberries
Directions
Combine chia seeds and water and let sit for at least 15 minutes. Here’s where I typically take a shower and get ready, while the chia & water soak.
Add non-dairy milk and mix until combined.
Add pumpkin and mix until combined.
Add maple syrup & pumpkin pie spice, mix until all combined.
Top with raspberries and enjoy!
