tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19669557582117077992011-11-25T03:19:31.768-08:00food-inspired musings from a vegan girl with a lusty appetite.sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.comBlogger1531100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-59943859459828149662011-09-02T16:26:00.000-07:002011-09-02T17:28:29.082-07:00

from the gluttonous archives of ice-cream-sandwichry: peach-coconut ice cream, lovingly scooped between two vanilla-macadamia gluten-free cookies. my friends have serious sandwich construction skills. these were pretty irresistible. the cookies were adapted from the babycakes cookbook, subbing chopped macadamias for chocolate chips (which infuses the cookies with buttery magic) and cutting

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-7967418641626685722011-06-11T18:15:00.000-07:002011-06-11T18:52:39.321-07:00

i encountered ethiopian cuisine only after going vegan and i've adored it ever since. what a thrill! so much spice, fermentation, and a delightful variety of legumes. plus it calls upon the eater to practice her manual adroitness and cultivate a nonchalance about the food smeared across her hands and face.it's DIY or die when it comes to ethiopian food in santa cruz: i lament my distance from

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-84211948740926367682011-03-25T21:06:00.000-07:002011-03-25T21:50:04.061-07:00

proper baking requires proper bondage binding. gluten is my binding pal, now and (hopefully) forever, but it's fun to flirt with alternatives once in a while...especially when the end result is this:what!!!hey, let's gild the lily!gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies originally from mitten machen, via vegan eat & treats 2010 holiday cookbooklette! these are unmissable. delicate and

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-36083606869315636772011-03-15T19:54:00.000-07:002011-03-15T20:41:26.526-07:00

here's a spate of foodstuffs that have kept me going in the last few months:gorgeous pizza: focaccia crust, roasted homegrown green zebra tomato puree (from the freezer—much obliged to myself circa september 2010 for thinking of me), fresh spinach leaves, kalamata olives, chopped onion, a drizzle of olive oil. i especially like this photo because of the shocked visage of the little garlic pot—so

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-25408498389267575142011-03-05T17:33:00.000-08:002011-03-05T18:50:05.090-08:00

i'm very fond of parcels. it's a rare joy, receiving a package in the mail: there's something so loving about the gesture of wrapping something up and sending it across space and time to someone you miss. the receiving is an event in itself that imprints itself on my (admittedly sentimental) memory. and many of the packages i remember have involved food — like the shoebox full of vegan oatmeal

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-58088174837932640042011-01-21T17:55:00.000-08:002011-03-05T18:46:08.017-08:00

seasonality:peppermint milkshake with gluten-free double chocolate cookie. rather than mourning this melty substance as failed ice cream, we salvaged it as milkshake—perhaps its true calling all along. those humanities grad students, always thinking on their feet. the cookies are a delicious repeat, from the babycakes cookbook.unseasonality:ain't nothing sweeter than a peach pie in january. this

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-73778908738327124482010-12-29T22:23:00.000-08:002010-12-29T23:20:39.382-08:00

land sakes alive! i ate a mushroom!a spectacular anniversary meal at millennium earlier this fall had already breached the boundaries of my mushroom-phobia. the salad had big, unmistakable chunks of lobster mushroom, but it was somehow...good, with a firmly spongy texture and delicate flavor. well, i knew if there were ever a circumstance in which i'd eat a mushroom and like it, it would be a

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-66132691530978518552010-11-28T17:00:00.000-08:002010-11-28T17:00:00.236-08:00

so we were thinking of making an apple pie, a pumpkin pie, and a pecan pie. for 4 people, that seemed a touch excessive...although the real reason that didn't happen has more to do with my single pie pan than it does with any notions of dessert propriety.instead we made an apple pie. and pumpkin ice cream, which is more or less pumpkin pie filling, only cold. and pecan pie truffles, which are

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-70425071614887111492010-11-27T21:16:00.000-08:002010-11-27T22:47:46.290-08:00

thanksgiving 2010!what do you know? i own a tablecloth! thanks, mom, for keeping me civilized!the rundown:maple roasted brussels sprouts. like a preliminary, cruciferous dessert. we couldn't keep our hands off of them.stuffing made with homemade sourdough bread, onions, apples, celery, fresh sage and rosemary, vegetable broth and olive oil.roasted delicata squash stuffed with aforementioned

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-55771331570181985452010-11-23T21:23:00.000-08:002010-11-23T21:30:59.197-08:00

who loves kitschy holiday music? me!i'm in serious leisure mode (inappropriately; i have a full day of class tomorrow and 40 pages to write in the next two weeks) so please enjoy some fred schneider while i save my energy for the kitchen.

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-5687832961294738642010-11-22T19:52:00.000-08:002010-11-22T20:32:04.014-08:00

saddest noodles ever.In the Mood for Love (2000)a woman and a man are neighbors. when her husband is away, she goes to the corner stall to get noodles for dinner. when his wife is away, he goes to the corner stall to get noodles for dinner. sometimes their paths cross. such a simple series of events, but imbued with tremendous sadness.once again, this act of eating is so significant because of

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-83966624642951371692010-11-19T09:51:00.000-08:002010-11-19T10:57:30.293-08:00

more accurately, booze in film. and not just any film—my favorite of all time.The Big Sleep (1946)sigh. it just doesn't get any better than that.the plot? well, it's complicated. there's murder, deceit, people running off with other people's spouses, drug addiction, blackmail, pornography, homosexuality, and gambling. and romance, of course. the plot is so convoluted that, famously, director

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-40844930491810442402010-11-17T22:50:00.000-08:002010-11-17T22:59:19.962-08:00

bonus post with real food. to make up for those malnourished french gamins.black-eyed pea curry, in a broth of curry leaves, spices, and chickpea flour to thicken. recipe from saveur here, but i added some red bell pepper, tomato, and delicata squash. and a luscious ribbon of coconut milk. served with brown rice.macadamia ginger crunch drops, from vegan cookies invade your cookie jar. changes: 1

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-25053208687846480112010-11-17T14:32:00.000-08:002010-11-17T14:57:44.958-08:00

Bande à part (1964)there's no shortage of French films with scenes staged in cafés. but this scene is one of my favorites. in a movie that clocks in at only 97 minutes, four of them are spent watching these three young people dance. it's not that they're doing anything spectacular: the dance is repetitive, certainly not flashy. and no one is looking at them: the camera is the only viewer, and a

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-68833506575030697062010-11-15T23:36:00.000-08:002010-11-15T23:52:26.578-08:00

this is a reward to myself for keeping pace, pretty much, for the first half of november/vegan mofo.Mad Men, "The Rejected" (Season 4 Episode 4)i can add nothing to this. pure brilliance. if i were asked to encapsulate my peculiar sense of humor, i'd point to this scene. along with this. and this.

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-21127352418600448522010-11-13T20:22:00.000-08:002010-11-13T20:54:12.385-08:00

vegan mofo is so much more fun than actual work!Waitress (2007)this movie is really all about the pies, and i love it for that. it's not that the plot is a throwaway; i find it quite sweet and endearing. it fulfills our expectations in comforting ways, but gently subverts them in others. but the plot is secondary, because for jenna, the heroine, everyday events are secondary. the important thing

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-91111581132938939792010-11-11T19:39:00.000-08:002010-11-11T20:23:56.694-08:00

The Shining (1980)horror in the kitchen!this is a movie where space matters quite a bit. the film, like its hapless characters, is almost totally contained within the space of a single building. the number of different places to go within the snowed-in overlook hotel is limited, so each place becomes recognizable and familiar (the movement between places is of course also crucial—what everyone

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-775368365627858172010-11-10T22:04:00.000-08:002010-11-10T22:43:03.158-08:00

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly / Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966)a carnal vegan favorite! love those long doorway shots.we've already seen how the table can invoke intimate, familial bonds, in either a positive or negative way. here, though, the table is stripped of all domesticity (the wife and child hastily ushered away pre-meal) and instead appropriated as the site of some deadly

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-42730722003436055832010-11-09T20:46:00.000-08:002010-11-09T21:42:08.416-08:00

"a marriage just like any other marriage."Citizen Kane (1941)i cannot embed this video for some reason:http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/index/?o_cid=mediaroomlink&cid=9901shared meals of any kind usually indicate a bond of familiarity and community; but shared breakfasts mark a particular intimacy since they imply a night spent together. the first breakfast in the montage reflects the giddiness of

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-25571425978595005762010-11-08T23:05:00.000-08:002010-11-08T23:11:07.861-08:00

this squash grew itself:thanks, compost. thanks, earthworms.

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-49195053545918108562010-11-07T21:37:00.000-08:002010-11-07T21:54:18.290-08:00

it's sunday, so i'm setting the cultural analysis aside and giving the food its proper place in the spotlight.since july, when max received the most awesome birthday present ever—a lively little jar of sourdough starter transported by plane from brooklyn—our kitchen is weekly transformed into a boulangerie. we haven't bought bread since. an epic bread post should be in the works...here's a batch

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-36699806560776354832010-11-06T14:43:00.000-07:002010-11-11T19:39:57.857-08:00

Edward Scissorhands (1990)agonizingly brilliant. the cultural trope of the family dinner can so easily evoke a sense of home, security, togetherness, sentimentality—but it can just as easily evoke the glaring absence of those things. here, everyone knows that there is something very wrong, but no one knows quite how to remedy the situation with words. the well-intentioned mother is sure that the

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-61724035357197035892010-11-04T14:28:00.000-07:002010-11-04T14:44:41.257-07:00

To Be Hungry is to Be Greatby William Carlos WilliamsThe small, yellow grass-onion,spring's first green, precursorto Manhattan's pavements, whenplucked as it comes, in bunches,washed, split and fried ina pan, though inclined to bea little slimy, if well cookedand served hot on rye breadis to beer a perfect appetizer——and the best partof it is they grow everywhere.commentary:this poem is so spare

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-768887785240271382010-11-03T22:50:00.000-07:002010-11-03T23:06:55.198-07:00

Ode to the onionby Pablo NerudaTranslated by Ken KrabbenhoftOnion,shining flask,your beauty assembledpetal by petal,they affixed crystal scales to youand your belly of dew grew roundin the secret depth of the dark earth.The miracle took placeunderground,and when your lazy green stalkappearedand your leaves were bornlike swords in the garden,the earth gathered its strengthexhibiting your naked

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-38396818850592121462010-11-02T17:51:00.000-07:002010-11-02T18:08:20.673-07:00

Cutby Sylvia Plathfor Susan O'Neill RoeWhat a thrill ----My thumb instead of an onion.The top quite goneExcept for a sort of hingeOf skin,A flap like a hat,Dead white.Then that red plush.Little pilgrim,The Indian's axed your scalp.Your turkey wattleCarpet rollsStraight from the heart.I step on it,Clutching my bottleOf pink fizz. A celebration, this is.Out of a gapA million soldiers run,Redcoats,

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-57261035977901441382010-11-01T14:55:00.000-07:002010-11-01T16:31:42.271-07:00

vegan mofo week 1: poems about onionsThe Onionby Wisława Szymborskatranslated from the Polish by Stanislaw Baranczak and Clare CavanaghThe onion, now that's something else.Its innards don't exist.Nothing but pure onionhoodfills this devout onionist.Oniony on the inside,onionesque it appears.It follows its own daimonionwithout our human tears.Our skin is just a coverupfor the land where none dare

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-75605225096143490792010-11-01T14:34:00.000-07:002010-11-01T14:54:59.948-07:00

i may not be the most disciplined blogger but for the month of november—VEGAN MOFO, more genteelly known as the Vegan MOnth of FOod—i will do my best. i don't promise a lot of original content, but i've got a little project in mind that excites my nerdy zeal. one of the things i'm learning as a phd student is that it's possible to take the things you are passionate about and build some kind of

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-31854275622141365192010-10-17T21:01:00.000-07:002010-10-17T21:54:46.076-07:00

i accept the transition from summer to fall begrudgingly, if at all. but there are a few things that can coax me into enjoying the season—most of them alimentary, of course. and in my autumn kitchen, squash reigns supreme. so sweet and soft and wholesome, and delightfully named from the Narragansett asquutasquash (thank you, OED).i've extolled the virtues of the delicata squash before. let me

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-48777130591872825752010-10-11T14:16:00.000-07:002011-03-05T18:46:39.575-08:00

this one's for the naysayers.so what happens when the decidedly gluten-centric hegemony of carnal-vegan-bakery is upset by the arrival of a gluten-free friend? surely it's too much to hope that from the ashes of our intersecting constraints might rise an edible phoenix-dessert. shall we throw in the towel and just eat a lot of popcorn?pshaw! is the obvious answer. because this experiment in vegan

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-19339351648791152712010-09-12T21:03:00.000-07:002010-09-12T21:54:45.467-07:00

let's get reacquainted, shall we?our tomato garden could be my favorite thing about this whole summer. for sure it's right up there with all those luxurious sunny afternoons easing sweetly into happy hour, $1 rides on the giant dipper, and my weekly fill of nectarine and pluot samples at the farmers market. an exercise in patience indeed, but well worth the wait; for a few weeks now we've been

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-70495351521020302842010-08-11T12:52:00.000-07:002010-08-11T13:43:43.763-07:00

we're gritting our teeth, bundling up in hoodies and scarves, sipping fruity cocktails and firing up the barbecue beneath gray, relentless skies around here. yes, it's summerTIME and so we're going to damn well enjoy our summer victuals and ignore the nagging truth that it feels like bloody february.so even though it would seem perfectly natural to cook up a big pot of chili and throw some

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-71504776632870782752010-07-27T18:02:00.000-07:002010-07-27T18:42:43.993-07:00

it's been the kind of july where one clutches a cup of hot tea and thinks longingly of popsicles. afternoon sun is precious here in surf city USA, morning sun unheard of. it's a bit gloomy, really. but: i have approximately a hundred little (and big) green tomatoes doing their thing, mysteriously and enthrallingly, in the garden, reminding me that several months of summer still lie ahead, and i

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-31077317477053388702010-07-19T17:19:00.000-07:002010-07-19T17:44:14.580-07:00

there's nothing particularly dramatic about this pasta dish, it's probably been done countless times, but for a lazy summer sunday it was damn near perfect. earthy, versatile, simple, satisfying without getting too hot 'n' heavy for a warm night. i really enjoyed it, so here it is for posterity.warm pasta salad with lentils—makes about 4 servings1 cup brown lentils1 small onion, minced1 Tbsp

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-4197394781394008892010-07-15T22:52:00.000-07:002010-07-15T23:31:44.998-07:00

is it midsummer already? i'm having a real summer vacation: all play, no (paid) work. so far i've watched my little sister graduate high school (hooray!); enjoyed a whirlwind (and spectacular) solo road trip to portland—so much beer! so much camaraderie! oh my, and the food; generally bummed around santa cruz (watched the lost boys on the beach—now i understand what all the fuss is about);

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-12883901218567478212010-06-07T22:46:00.000-07:002010-06-07T23:30:09.966-07:00

i don't think i've ever reviewed a restaurant on this blog before. but today is a special day on two accounts: i finished up the work that completes my first year of grad school, and i consumed a really tasty sandwich. seeing as how i will be sticking around this town for a good five, six years, i might as well start charting my adventures in santa cruz vegan dining—for my own organizational

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-41575013435794130162010-05-28T22:06:00.001-07:002010-05-28T22:17:12.222-07:00

here i go again, eating more rabbit food. you know, if rabbits could reach the stove top. to cook a pot of brown rice. and fry some tofu.i like my salads to have some heft to them. this one is chock full of delicious and hearty things but you still feel really virtuous after eating vast quantities of it, because it's salad. it comprises: a head of romaine lettuce, a block of cubed tofu (dry-fried

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-82823574436397019762010-05-27T21:22:00.000-07:002010-05-27T21:47:32.802-07:00

it's almost june! i'm so...damn...close...to the end of my first year of grad school. a summer of peripateticism, lots of reading, and likely unemployment beckons.here are some recent victuals emerging from my kitchen.i was so excited to see this aloo saag recipe on vegventures last week! i try not to peruse food blogs too much during the day, when i'm supposed to be hard at work, but sometimes

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-64655219213965036882010-05-18T01:01:00.000-07:002010-05-18T01:27:07.977-07:00

now that i'm vegan, i get really excited about a tasty sandwich. a well-crafted, hearty sandwich is really a magnificent experience and finding vegan sandwiches in a non-vegan world can be needlessly frustrating. they always want to make you pay for the cheese even when you aren't going to eat the damn cheese. bah! we can do better.if i were serving this sandwich to myself at a restaurant, i'd

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-57271184768436123532010-05-16T11:43:00.000-07:002010-05-16T12:02:02.572-07:00

peaches! there are peaches! never mind the stacks of papers awaiting grades, never mind the chilly gray skies, never mind that i have approximately 50 pages to write before june 9. it's cool. the peaches are here to make everything all right.they're small and wrinkled and i cut the first one open with great trepidation: summer's first offering, they had to be perfect. luckily, they were. sweet

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-10413008604779359542010-04-26T09:45:00.000-07:002010-04-26T10:18:13.554-07:00

it's summertime! let's dance to this brilliant song——and eat some blackberry pie!fresh blackberries + a little sugar + cinnamon + nutmeg = the filling.vegan brunch pie crust (doubled) + a minor skirmish with a rolling pin = top and bottom crust.soy creamer + almond milk + sugar + vanilla bean + arrowroot + ice cream maker = super rich and delicious homemade vanilla ice cream. recipe from vegan

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-68322722062500882662010-04-24T10:44:00.000-07:002010-04-24T10:46:09.777-07:00

i haven't posted in a long time but i offer no excuses, only food.a panful of whole fingerling potatoes and sliced parsnips, doused in olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped dried rosemary and roasted at 400 F for 45 minutes or so. so plump and crisp and salty good. plated with some tangy white beans and steamed artichokes:sometimes i look at what i eat and am so pleased with myself. i'm so

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-36580716666099362062010-04-03T15:47:00.000-07:002010-04-03T16:22:28.553-07:00

well, it's the second week of the quarter. the books stacked at my feet seem to reproduce of their own accord, yet insistently refuse to circumvent the act of reading and just tell me what they're on about. the next ten weeks promise to inundate me with all the theory on food, eating, film, and animals that a vegan-foodie-media scholar-academic-wannabe could hope for. but even overworked, sleep-

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-18178600008009081442010-03-20T16:46:00.000-07:002010-03-20T17:17:13.589-07:00

it's summertime! i mean, springtime. but call it what you will. the air is warm and clear and it smells like summer to me—jasmine filling the air to the point of delicious absurdity. my second quarter of grad school is just about done (only sixteen or so more to go!) and the beachy weather suits my mood. if only the produce would catch up. i'm ready for peaches, berries, tomatoes and basil. the

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-77063681910837306612010-03-15T22:35:00.000-07:002010-03-15T23:12:45.549-07:00

what can i say? it was a veritable orgy of grocery shopping, a sunlit spree from one san jose culinary diaspora to the next. let it be known that i am, by all accounts, a frugal (nay, miserly) housekeeper. i'm so cheap that i refuse to buy canned beans, preferring instead to chastise myself for forgetting to soak dry beans overnight.but sometimes you just want to throw caution to the wind and buy

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-63440800816342067722010-03-09T23:58:00.000-08:002010-03-10T13:49:21.977-08:00

i'd like to come up with a witty framework for tonight's blog post, but i'm too tired. so i'll just talk about food. story of my life.following a happenstance sunny encounter in front of a heap of organic oranges, the santa cruz vegan girl gang laid plans for a pantry swap. the mission: unearth the neglected foodstuffs from the cupboard depths and use them in an exciting potluck dish, or bestow

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-81005816325149706352010-02-22T22:54:00.000-08:002010-02-22T23:15:26.503-08:00

back in wintry chicago, i received an xmas-ish gift from an old partner in crime vegan derring-do. (actually, i received three gifts AND ONE WAS MARSHMALLOWS, but i'm trying to stay focused. but it was a very good day). the gift was the babycakes cookbook, and it was accompanied by the insistence that the raspberry scones made the whole book worthwhile.now, it seems like most of the vegan buzz on

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-22109403891419678342010-02-13T23:31:00.000-08:002010-11-17T23:03:06.454-08:00

have you ever gone to a potluck and been disappointed because everybody brought dessert? yeah, me neither. those potlucks are the BEST. hence, the dessert party, where you can drop the façade of putting together a well-balanced meal and happily load up a plate full of confections.my contributions: something old, something new.these york-a-like peppermint patties never fail to impress. each one is

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-72568698411841654402010-02-10T21:41:00.000-08:002010-02-10T22:23:05.517-08:00

after a long and slightly harrowing day of classes, a massive pantry-stocking grocery trip was, perhaps strangely, the precise formula for fun and frolic on a rainy monday night. i've loved grocery shopping for a long time, but bulk bins turn the process into such an adventure! (other people feel this way...right?). anyway, on this trip i had an exciting Find, which was an Ancient Grain, shrouded

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-20602405080635805052010-02-08T23:03:00.000-08:002010-02-08T23:27:13.392-08:00

blogging about stir-fry is maybe not going to win me any awards, but this was such a pretty meal, made with the perhaps penultimate harvest of our broccoli crop, and inspired by a recipe in the newest cookbook on my pantry shelf, 1000 Vegan Recipes. i (uncharacteristically) won this massive tome in a giveaway at Vegan Appetite! thanks so much tami!tofu, garlic, ginger and broccoli stir-fried in

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-81877781894725916572010-02-02T19:35:00.000-08:002010-02-02T20:32:06.869-08:00

to celebrate the last day of january, max and i took a sunny stroll to the beach. it was a crowded sunday: kites flying, dogs leaping and barking, children building intricate forts out of the abundant driftwood that had accumulated from a few weeks of storms. max even took a dip in the ocean. what i am saying is that winter doesn't hit us too hard here in santa cruz. don't think me jaded: i truly

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-35740396177188056802010-01-31T12:07:00.000-08:002010-01-31T12:53:07.653-08:00

one of the things i really love about my current apartment is our small but sunny fenced-in front yard. the previous occupants kept chickens there, which made the house somewhat of a landmark around here. when they moved out, taking their chickens and coop to roam greener and more spacious pastures, and we moved in, we had dozens of people knock on our door or shout out to us in the street: "

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-24215260105943980082010-01-27T20:34:00.000-08:002010-11-17T23:05:12.338-08:00

a few choice desserts:one mid-afternoon, we scheduled an impromptu dinner party and i felt compelled to whip up a dessert, fast. per max's request, i tried the macaroons from vegan cookies take over your cookie jar. i don't think i'd ever had a macaroon before, but this absurd state of affairs was quickly remedied. these were really so fast to assemble and bake, and once in the oven they filled

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-54856772170642542502010-01-24T22:01:00.000-08:002010-01-24T22:30:09.229-08:00

this being my first post of this no-longer-quite-so-new year, i want to sing a paean to the newest member of my beloved-kitchen-appliance clan:a waffle iron, huzzah! a present from max's lovely parents. i think we've enjoyed four luscious waffle breakfasts already and january's not even over yet. so i am christening 2010 the year of the waffle in my household and look forward to many delicious

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-9905917659114730692009-12-15T10:36:00.000-08:002010-11-17T23:05:12.339-08:00

i'm on my way home to chicago for a couple weeks of well deserved rest, punctuated by (perhaps) rigorous bouts of study with blanchot and derrida. you know, for fun.a few weeks back max and i made a damn fine pizza:chicago style! now there are really very few non-vegan foods that i miss, but chicago deep dish pizza is something special. and when i make pizza, i usually shy away from making the

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-36836324271125454192009-12-06T16:31:00.000-08:002010-11-17T23:04:46.160-08:00

birthday: a day to contemplate growing old and mourn for lost youth, or a day to eat fantastic food and hang out at the roller rink? uh, obviously both. but mostly the latter.thanks to max and my super awesome friends and family i had a stupendously gratifying birthday. and i really did roller skate, at the santa cruz roller paladium, thinking of all the birthday parties of yore at rainbo roller

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-66805803290045998692009-11-29T09:59:00.000-08:002009-11-29T10:50:41.713-08:00

this post is a celebration of stuffing—noun and verb. you know what's nice? stuffing something tasty into something else tasty. in this case, stuffing creamy, coconut-infused israeli couscous studded with cashews and cranberries into tender baked delicata squash.i cooked 2 cups of israeli couscous in one can of coconut milk plus about half a cup of water, with a big pinch of salt and a spoonful

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-87161282734023439942009-11-15T08:46:00.000-08:002009-11-22T12:41:21.041-08:00

it's not every day you get to discover your new favorite squash! but yesterday was one of those joyous days. intrigued by a post at vegan eats & treats, as well as a recent bar-room chat about the delights of infusing coconut milk with lemongrass, i picked up a few delicata squashes and a bunch of bristly lemongrass at the farmers market this week. i envisioned a sweet, slightly spicy red curry

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-15287235875668514152009-11-08T18:18:00.000-08:002009-11-08T19:02:00.730-08:00

just about one year ago, i had the clever idea to pick about thirty pounds of hachiya persimmons off a tree at my boyfriend's parents' house. as the astringent fruits ripened one by one, i squeezed the pulp into giant ziploc bags and stored them in the freezer. now, it's november again, the leaves have fallen off the persimmon tree, the brilliantly orange fruits are emerging against the cloudy

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-59106491696623780042009-10-29T23:07:00.000-07:002009-10-29T23:47:48.681-07:00

oh yeah! i have a blog!so let's just call this vegan MoFo an epic fail and get back to regular blogging business. my life has been too crazy of late, populated with far too much theory and theory and more theory and totally weird stuff and cats and zombies for me to really consider blogging every day. i still cook every day, pretty much, because that's what grounds me in unsettling times. proof:

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-44202637791820186672009-10-24T00:36:00.000-07:002009-10-24T00:53:11.529-07:00

thanks to jess at get sconed. a blog i love reading, yet oh so wistfully. portland, i haven't forgotten you.Here's how it works:1) Copy this list into your own blog, facebook or website, including these instructions.2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.4) Post a comment here once you’ve finished and link your post back to this one.5) Pass

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-29198070751946025882009-10-08T23:01:00.000-07:002009-10-08T23:31:56.519-07:00

today i did a sort of double take before realizing that it is truly october; that we are unmistakably in the grip of fall; that my 26th birthday is less than 2 months away; and other rather anxious truths about seasons and ephemerality and all that.of course santa cruz is a bit more difficult to pin down, seasonally, and we're still relishing the basil and the summer tomatoes and the perpetual

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-54520890990822352922009-10-08T00:28:00.000-07:002009-10-08T00:44:25.894-07:00

more from the "my boyfriend is awesome" department:max made these crepes from vegan brunch on the morning of our anniversary. four years of living in sin? i'd say that calls for some decadence! we had heirloom-tomato-basil-sea salt stuffed crepes, followed by some strawberry-nectarine-chocolate stuffed crepes for breakfast-dessert. the crepes were delicious, light and delicate and crispy around

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-15290829872628007752009-10-06T21:48:00.000-07:002009-10-06T22:05:58.394-07:00

i spent the better part of this weekend writing a paper (on this guy) and as friday night passed into the wee hours of saturday morning, all i could think of was my future self, breakfasting on these muffins. i could not sleep, just kept tapping away at the keyboard, listening to the sea lions barking louder and louder (surely from the ocean, a mile away, but i could have sworn they were getting

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-11528620379124651242009-10-05T23:29:00.000-07:002009-10-06T22:06:36.193-07:00

vegan mofo resolution: to plan and execute meals around those odd items in the pantry that i don't precisely know what to do with or don't use often enough.1. kasha2. blue cornmeal3. teff flour4. tvp chunks5. black cardamom pods (i'm scared of this one...)6. dried corn kernels7. mung beans8. adzuki beans9. bulgur wheat10. rice noodles11. sushi nori gathering dust12. pomegranate concentrate13.

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-56781955850648679052009-10-02T13:29:00.000-07:002010-11-17T23:04:46.161-08:00

okay! so maybe trying to participate in vegan mofo concurrent with my first quarter of grad school is a silly idea. today is indeed the second day of october and not the first, so i've already sabotaged any effort to post every day. but, i am going to forge ahead, because i want to make sure i don't stop eating delicious food just because i'm a grad student and busy as hell.vegan mofo = vegan

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-84738096248398935432009-09-20T13:41:00.000-07:002009-09-20T14:18:56.730-07:00

brunch! i can't get enough!banana rabanada, from vegan brunch. it's french toast made by soaking thick slices of several-days-old bread into a delicious sweet banana-vanilla custard, frying them up, then dusting liberally with cinnamon and cocoa powder. as promised in the recipe, the cinnamon cocoa dusting turns into an alluringly drippy sauce when you pour maple syrup over it. yum. i used half

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-46425364710212541812009-09-15T23:13:00.000-07:002009-09-15T23:55:31.646-07:00

i've just returned from a relatively unexpected and undeserved voyage. thanks to the bottomless coffers of the california university system (that's a joke), i hitched a ride to switzerland with my smarty-pants scientist boyfriend. while he listened to important people intone important theories about the universe, i strolled the streets of geneva, soaking up history and urbanity on a

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-33093535747182081732009-09-01T21:32:00.000-07:002010-11-17T23:05:12.339-08:00

sweets, part I: breakfasteven in the blazing summer heat, i still crave muffins for breakfast. the peaches came from a tree at max's parents' house. they were somewhat sour when eaten raw but perfectly sweet and soft baked into the batter. i love the spice combination of this recipe!applesauce peach muffins, adapted from isa's brown sugar peach muffins on the ppk blog2 cups whole wheat pastry

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-33869788853418729022009-08-30T11:39:00.000-07:002010-11-17T23:04:46.161-08:00

summertime basil is basically impossible to resist at the farmers market. practically every stand is selling big, leafy, fragrant bunches for a dollar or less, and once the scent wafts by my nose, i'm hooked. i know there are lots of brilliant ways to use basil but we almost always end up making pesto. when you have the power to make something so delicious, and its season is so short, it seems a

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-75490109153868230222009-08-12T13:56:00.000-07:002009-08-12T14:17:13.187-07:00

summer is really the best time to eat. here in santa cruz the farmers markets are just ridiculously packed with delicious things to eat at their perfect peak of ripeness. mostly what i go crazy about in the summer is the TOMATOES and the NECTARINES mmmmmmm so the #1 entry on mark bittman's list of 101 summer salads seemed like a natural choice.the first 30 or so salads are under the header "

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-71317445302089143982009-08-03T12:43:00.000-07:002009-08-03T12:53:49.733-07:00

a few weeks ago max and i were lucky enough to host our dear friend leslie on her visit from portland. leslie and i can work some magic in the kitchen, let me tell you. someday i swear we're going to pimp that fauxstess cupcake, but in the meantime we whipped up some tasty things.leslie is somewhat of a connoisseur (connoisseuse?) of global cuisine, particularly asian cuisine, and it was her idea

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-10946115567096759712009-07-22T15:55:00.000-07:002009-07-23T07:38:14.168-07:00

i'm still here! i haven't renounced veganism, cooking or food blogging. here are photos to prove it.from vegan brunch, puttanesca tofu scramble and herbed biscuits with strawberry jam. the scramble was extraordinarily flavorful, with olives, herbs, spinach and fresh tomatoes. so good.more vegan brunch sausages sautéed with onion, garlic, spinach and tomato, plus mashed sweet potatoes with coconut

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-6224891468349079542009-07-01T13:01:00.001-07:002010-11-17T23:04:46.162-08:00

turns out it's hard to maintain a blog if you don't have internet at your house. lest i now bombard you with two weeks' worth of meals, i will stick to desserts with this post and keep it brief.cinnamon cupcake topped with peanut butter buttercream and dusted with cinnamon. cinnamon and peanut butter is a super tasty combination. the cupcakes are just the basic vanilla cupcakes from vegan

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-74654213071204049212009-07-01T12:57:00.000-07:002009-07-01T12:59:08.556-07:00

a gorgeous sunny sunday morning calls for muffins. especially when you are awoken at 7:30 am, the intently gazing eyes of your cat piercing your consciousness. at that point you might as well get up and make breakfast because you aren't getting any more sleep anyway.a freezer full of strawberries and a slowly-withering lime in the fruit bowl prompted these muffins. the strawberry-lime combination

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-2542004767032682502009-06-27T08:00:00.000-07:002009-06-27T08:00:11.186-07:00

after a couple months of shirking, i'm back in the fray with the daring bakers. The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.the bakewell tart/bakewell pudding is a charming

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-56790600630388603742009-06-11T19:27:00.000-07:002009-06-11T19:49:53.156-07:00

i just ate something really delicious, and pretty too, but i have no photo because my dear cameraman was absent. a windfall of recently-expired tofu has made its way to my fridge, prompting me to throw together this creamy pasta sauce. the lemon is a perfect accent and the sundried tomatoes add little bursts of flavor. and fresh spinach is so good right now! all told this is a wonderfully

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-54570654902489662362009-06-07T22:17:00.000-07:002009-06-07T23:11:37.561-07:00

back in portland, home to copious amounts of vegan lebanese food, i was in love with the spinach pies at nicholas restaurant. they were soft doughy triangles of pillowy bread stuffed with tender lemony spinach and pine nuts. the other day i made a pretty nice knockoff using a half recipe of pizza dough that i had stuck in the freezer last time i made pizza for just myself. brilliant. some salty,

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-56115733108669322812009-06-07T11:54:00.000-07:002009-06-07T12:23:17.367-07:00

the natural foods store at which i work has a surprisingly large selection of asian groceries, and recently a new item caught my eye - big bags of amchur, dried mango powder. i bought some on a whim, never having used it before. a fellow ppk-er directed me to manjula's kitchen, a vegetarian indian recipe site, for lots of amchur-y dishes to make. last night i jumped in with manjula's aloo gobi -

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-72131572054957499322009-06-07T11:23:00.000-07:002009-06-07T11:52:37.938-07:00

nothing excites me quite so much about summer as the summertime food. above all, the heirloom tomatoes (still forthcoming but oh! it will be glorious) and the berries. being lucky enough to live where i do (california, why can't we balance our state budget with berries?), i made sure to celebrate the dawn of berry season with a trip to a u-pick berry farm, where 18 pounds of strawberries cost max

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-50106404705269897532009-05-29T15:47:00.000-07:002009-06-11T19:51:30.871-07:00

teese is the latest vegan-cheese sensation that is sort of rocking the vegan world right now. it's made by the wonderful chicago soydairy—i have to love these guys not only because of my hometown pride but also because they make the best damn chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream ever. i long for my next cone full of that stuff. unfortunately i can't buy temptation ice cream out here but i can

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-62837572837641830682009-05-29T15:22:00.000-07:002009-05-29T15:45:10.796-07:00

in my parlance, a breakfast burrito is a burrito that involves potatoes, which may be eaten at any time of day. hence these dinnertime breakfast burritos.these were crazy awesome. i went all out and made the tortillas and the salsa from scratch. making flour tortillas is really not very hard, and if you're vegan it's way easier than trying to scrounge up some packaged vegan flour tortillas at the

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-45807433218346724362009-05-22T14:39:00.000-07:002009-05-22T15:14:23.078-07:00

among the treasures of vegan brunch are three perfected sausage recipes which i am really digging. i started with a batch of chorizo sausages, the recipe for which is actually on the ppk blog. the version in the book also includes 2 Tbsp tomato paste and the spicing is a bit different, but all else is the same. these come together so quickly and easily, not to mention cheaply! they make me so

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-34235209879218717422009-05-15T16:36:00.000-07:002009-06-11T19:51:30.872-07:00

my devotion to the oeuvre of vegan chef isa chandra moskowitz is no secret. her cookbooks inspire about 85% of my meals and 98% of my desserts. so having bought her latest, vegan brunch, yesterday, i am a very happy vegan disciple. the book has a gorgeous design, tons of lovely photos, and of course, a plethora of totally enticing recipes exploring the many exquisite facets of brunch. i have been

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-42762597423866749312009-05-05T22:27:00.000-07:002009-05-05T23:01:13.093-07:00

on rainy days, i feel compelled to bake bread. even if the sun is actually shining by the time i get off work and get down to business in the kitchen. it rained this morning, so i baked bread. why not?the veganomicon focaccia recipe is just dreamy, all soft and pillowy and really quite easy to make. this loaf has dried rosemary, thyme, black pepper, and chopped green olives, with coarse grey sea

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-78788890667649742112009-05-01T13:10:00.000-07:002009-05-01T13:49:54.300-07:00

three recent meals:first, the least photogenic (and thus unphotographed) of the bunch was a really tasty curried mung bean soup. the mung beans are among the items in my pantry that have moved with me from portland (purchased on the cheap at fubonn), and this is only the second time we've ever cooked them. i'm going to repeat this soup though, because it was a really yummy change of pace from

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-9010428659183035842009-04-24T23:50:00.000-07:002009-04-25T00:10:54.829-07:00

i have seriously been all over polenta lately. it's become my breakfast of choice, a really satisfying and filling hot cereal when cooked in veggie broth and seasoned with salt, pepper, sundried tomatoes and green peas. the other day i decided to posh it up a bit and make broiled polenta cakes for dinner. veganomicon has some very easy instructions for making molded polenta—i used a giant muffin

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-59190456423410879332009-04-18T11:56:00.000-07:002009-06-11T20:01:53.545-07:00

being occupied by work most nights of the week, i try to seize all opportunities to cook on my days off. here's my weekend roundup:i steamed up a batch of vegan sausages, the technique for which is now part of vegan folk history but originated here with julie hasson. it's a really cool and somewhat magical process to transform a bowl of dry spices and flours into a spongy seitan dough into firm

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-3923860366667636732009-04-16T17:36:00.000-07:002009-06-11T20:02:29.136-07:00

a relatively basic dinner:extra firm tofu baked in annie's hot chipotle barbecue sauce; purple potatoes roasted with olive oil and garlic; brussels sprouts sautéed in earth balance and tossed with lime juice.very wholesome and yum.also, going back a few months, i did at some point make manzana chile verde from veganomicon:now that's an interesting dish. it's a chili made with yukon gold potatoes,

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-90771449372514147282009-04-11T11:35:00.000-07:002009-04-11T12:29:16.252-07:00

yesterday i had the great pleasure of meeting up with Amey, of Vegan Eats & Treats!, for coffee and cupcakes at Black China Bakery. it was totally awesome to connect with another local vegan blogger, especially one who is apparently as excited about cooking and food shopping as i am! anyway, during our conversation i mentioned the bag of farro i have sitting in my pantry, another exciting and

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-34512265763952269982009-04-08T00:00:00.000-07:002009-04-08T10:44:47.064-07:00

i almost feel silly posting about making risotto. risotto, like arugula perhaps, seems like a code word for ostentatious luxury, and i know most people don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen after a long day of work or looking for work or school or what have you. but it's time to strip risotto and its fancypants culinary brethren of their bourgeois connotation, because everyone deserves

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-53174904339957139342009-04-05T11:26:00.000-07:002009-04-05T11:50:43.299-07:00

upon waking this morning, i had drowsy visions of the half-empty can of coconut milk in my freezer. i was considering making coconut milk muffins but opted for pancakes instead, per max's request, with a sweet coconut milk sauce. thus these pancakes. they came out really, really well, with a little bit of spice and a great texture. soaked in the coconut milk they were divine. here's the recipe,

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-19991703898862538462009-04-03T21:58:00.000-07:002009-04-03T22:33:12.674-07:00

last week max and i took a spring break trip to sunny rainy portland, oregon, the vegan mecca and my heart's true home. it was an exquisite few days filled with lots of walking around the city, eating amazing food, imbibing, and reuniting with dear friends.one unexpected thrill i encountered during my trip was the demure delight known as the miracle berry, a fruit that alters your taste buds

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-60196623707922596222009-04-02T23:14:00.000-07:002009-04-02T23:44:56.406-07:00

using two different sized cast-iron skillets in one meal is very satisfying, i feel like i am properly tending to my hearth like a good homesteader.in one skillet, i sautéed an onion, a ton of garlic and some dried red chiles in olive oil, then added 2 cubed peeled sweet potatoes and stirred those around until slightly softened, then filled the skillet up with cooked black beans (roughly 4 15-oz

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-3621842043638575012009-04-02T23:02:00.000-07:002009-04-02T23:13:52.144-07:00

i love sweet things for breakfast but occasionally i get a craving for the savory. america seems to have a bacon fetish these days, and sure i used to like bacon too, but what's good about bacon is its salty, fatty crispiness, and i daresay you can replicate those qualities without hurting any pigs in the process. the tempeh bacon recipe is from vegan with a vengeance. i marinated the tempeh

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-54562324766304893532009-03-22T00:27:00.000-07:002009-03-25T09:33:35.467-07:00

a relatively easy dinner:broiled barbecue tofu on sprouted wheat buns with a mountain of salty roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts. oh roasted sweet potatoes, light of my life, fire of my loins. just kidding, sort of.the tofu was accompanied by lots of sweet pickles and some roasted red pepper miso mayo, another stray expired product brought home from work that i wholeheartedly enjoyed

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-50425116519447770932009-03-22T00:22:00.000-07:002009-03-22T00:26:20.197-07:00

it's summertime! or i suppose springtime if you want to get technical about it. nothing chases away the ruthless santa cruz winter like barbecuing on the balcony under a balmy blue sky. some folks may naysay the idea of a vegan barbecue, but those haters need to broaden their horizons. yeah, you know who you are.we grilled:slices of super-firm tofu marinated in some delicious pineapple teriyaki

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-67727795540623117142009-03-22T00:19:00.000-07:002009-03-22T00:21:48.250-07:00

lemon sesame seed muffins: like lemon poppyseed muffins, but you won't fail your drug test. a mixture of black and white sesame seeds is a must. mine came from the asian market and cost next to nothing. i adapted this recipe from vegan with a vengeance.lemon sesame seed muffinsingredients:1 3/4 cup all purpose flour1/2 cup sugar1 Tbsp baking powder1/4 tsp saltsome combination of applesauce,

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-55041329091160767862009-03-22T00:15:00.000-07:002010-11-17T23:04:46.162-08:00

i'm lucky enough to have my mom visiting me this weekend, all the way from chicago. yes, somehow i persuaded her to leave the midwestern march behind and come hang out at the beach with me. i owe a lot of my kitchen intuition to my mom so it always pleases me greatly to cook for her. i'm hoping that every good meal i serve her atones for some bratty childhood transgression.german chocolate

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-18671260947073331402009-03-22T00:02:00.000-07:002009-03-22T00:15:02.939-07:00

i've been asked a lot of questions, well-meaning and otherwise, by people to whom i have disclosed my vegan status (level 5, natch). some people are unclear on whether vegans eat yeast. well, yes. vegans eat yeast. yeast is not an animal. it's a microscopic fungus. without the humble yeast, we could have no beer and no bread, and life would scarcely be worth living. thank you, yeast. here is my

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966955758211707799.post-44199256865611117242009-03-12T00:32:00.000-07:002009-03-12T08:11:17.984-07:00

pie I:whole wheat pizza dough (work freebie)tofu ricotta (firm tofu blended with walnuts, nutritional yeast, basil, balsamic vinegar, fresh thyme, olive oil and salt)homemade marinara sauce (olive oil, garlic, canned tomatoes, oregano, basil)smashed roasted garlic clovesroasted fennelroasted eggplant roundsthawed frozen spinachreally really good!pie II:apple pie with crumb topping, to inaugurate

sophiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15639166617807343294noreply@blogger.com2