Infusing Foods with Magic and Love

I've just finished reading a novel combining the sensuality of cooking with romance, called The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman. In the book, Jess (a vegan) pores over a collection of centuries-old cookbooks while falling in love with the curmudgeonly book dealer. Those ancient cookbooks relied on description and hand-drawn illustration, pre-dating mathematical measurements. Interspersed with the recipes, Jess found love poems using the words from the recipes written by the original owner. This book reminded me of the magical realism in 1989's Like Water for Chocolate. In that story, Tita sickened an entire wedding party when her tears of sadness over her lost love fell into the wedding soup. What do they have in common? Magic and love.

As a vegan cook, I am frequently asked what I use to substitute for animal products in my dishes. My usual half-joking response is "magic and love." As I think more about it, I discover that magic and love are the additives that turn all combinations of ingredients into meals. The alchemy that turns flour, oil and sugar into a fluffy, light cupcake is magical. But that is only one half of the equation. The best, most delicious foods are infused with love. I know it sounds new-agey hippy dippy, but I have anecdotal evidence that this works.

Last summer at Camp Common Ground, a vegetarian family camp in Starksboro, Vermont, I experienced this principle first hand working in the kitchen. Every afternoon at 4:30, I arrived to help cook and serve dinner for the other 130 campers. The rest of the kitchen staff, Karyl Kent, the coordinator, and Naomi, the head dinner cook, had been hard at work for hours. The instant I arrived, I was greeted with enormous smiles, hugs, and kisses. The vibe in that kitchen was all love. Some days, music poured from an ipod in the corner and there was singing. Some days, no music played but there was still singing.

Every night's meals began with whole grains and the freshest, most colorful locally-grown vegetables . Our bread was baked daily in camp's outdoor brick oven by Isaiah, a student of Qi Gong and truly loving person. Even campers who eschew carbohydrates in their daily lives could not resist Isaiah's hand-crafted sourdough loaves.

Naomi's expertise was preparing raw bright, crisp greens. She crafted healthy, delicious salads that were so tasty, people filled their plates again and again. Her secret was to massage the greens, infusing them with her positive energy and love.

Inspired by the vibe in Camp Common Ground's kitchen and Naomi's techniques, here is a simple kale salad that I make at home. I have purposely left off the measurements because in this recipe, intention and technique are more important than amounts. (Also, it feeds much fewer than 130 people.) Feel free to toy around with the dressing amounts until you are satisfied with the salad.

Asian Massaged Kale Salad
2 bunches crisp raw kale, washed
fresh ginger, diced fine
sesame oil
apple cider vinegar with mother
soy sauce
maple syrup
cayenne pepper
(raw almonds, raisins) optional

Whisk ginger, oil, vinegar, soy sauce and maple syrup and pepper together. Taste, adjust accordingly. With clean hands, pour dressing over kale. Massage well, until kale looks darker and slightly wilted. Add optional almonds and raisins. Allow to sit and marinate for at least 30 minutes before eating.
Serve alongside your favorite tofu recipe or a bowl of miso soup.

Sun-dried Tomato Hummus

I've been snowed in for several days with my husband and my kids, so I have been making lots of food. In addition to baking bread, I've had my crockpot churning out lentil and rice, marinara sauce simmering on the stove, and pasta boiling. But sometimes we all just want to grab a snack or make a sandwich, for which I made my simple sun-dried tomato hummus. It reminds us a little bit of pizza, it's that good. We spread it on bread, dip crackers into it, and wrap it up in romaine leaves.

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

1 15 oz. can chick peas
1/4 cup tahini
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
water
2 tsp salt
7 sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil

Combine chick peas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and salt in food processor until smooth. If lumpy, add water a tablespoon at a time and pulse until desired consistency. Add sundried tomatoes, oregano and basil and process again until smooth.

Garnish with: fresh basil leaf, slice of fresh tomato, chopped black olives, or chopped garlic.
Will last in refrigerator for several days.

Olive Rosemary Bread for my new Breadmaker

For Christmas, I received a bread maker. I can't for the life of me explain why I have never gotten one before. Seven people live in this house, and we all eat a lot of bread. Better late than never, I suppose.

My first attempt at bread failed. After that, I followed directions ex-act-ly from recipes I found on the internet for vegan breadmaker breads. No substitutions. No experiments. My results were much better for plain whole wheat, white, and oat loaves.

Feeling confident, I decided to use the same ratios of liquids-to-solids for the breads I'd already made and try my hand at an original olive-rosemary bread. While it was baking, the herbs scented the whole house. It turned out better than I had hoped. The kids couldn't wait to cut into it, but after an initial taste, I held them off long enough to snap a photo.

Lynne's Recipe for Olive and Rosemary Bread-maker bread (yields large 1/12 - 2 lb loaf)

1 1/2 c plus 2 tbsp.warm water
4 Tbsp. olive oil
3 tsp sugar
3 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 1/2 c bread flour
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 c chopped pitted kalamata olives

Put in water, oil, sugar, salt, pepper, flour in order (or in manufacturer-suggested order). Make a well with finger in center of flour. Add yeast. Set machine for "white" or "basic" and "medium" crust. Start machine. After approximately 40 minutes ("rise"), add rosemary, oregano, basil and olives. Make sure all ingredients are added in (use rubber spatula to scrape any off sides or bottom).

Let cool. Slice. Serve with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, or sun-dried tomato hummus.

On the 5th day of juice fast my stomach takes to the stage

Saturday was Day 5 of my green juice fast. I woke up to a very grumbly sound and realized that it was coming from inside me. Disturbed, I jumped out of bed to juice some carrots, kale and cucumber and drank it speedily. Rather than quieting the growl, the juice only seemed to feed the beast. It had somehow gotten louder, filling the entire kitchen. All day the grumbling, growling, roaring followed me around the house while I did my chores and even accompanied me on my errands.

Saturday evening, my 13 year old son and I had tickets to see an off-Broadway play entitled "In the Heat of the Night." I hoped that my loud digestive system would not disturb the two people unfortunately seated on either side of me. When we arrived at 59E59, we discovered that the theatre was an intimate black box. All the action took place in the squared off area, and we audience sat surrounding the square. My seat was in the first of the two rows on the corner from which actors passed to enter the stage. Before the show, we were informed to silence cell phones, unwrap candies, and note that if we needed to leave the theatre for any reason, we would not be allowed re-entry. It was a quiet show, one without much music, sound effects or any props, in a small, enclosed space. My grumbling continued. I glanced around, looking to see whether there was a reaction from the man sitting next to me. So far, he amazingly managed not to notice. As the show progressed, the tension mounted. The murder mystery with racist
At a particularly intense moment, a police officer took down to his knees a murder suspect and cuffed him at my feet. Then the two actors froze in that pose as other actors across the stage had dialogue. "Glurg, grrrr, roarrrrr," filled my ears. Head one foot from me, at lap level, the actor had to try hard not to react to the incredibly strange noises emitting from my gut. But I could see him looking quizzically at me. I shrugged and tilted my head, aimed at the quiet man to my right, as if it were HIS ridiculously loud innards creating havoc.

Fortunately, I was not removed from my seat. The show was outstanding. I highly recommend it. See it on a full stomach, it will save you embarrassment.

Juice Fast Day 2

The second day of my first juice fast has ended. Hunger set in yesterday evening, while I cooked dinner for the family. This experiment would work much better if I didn't have to prepare meals all day long. I stir-fried broccoli, cabbage, carrots, onions, and romaine lettuce together in a garlic soy sauce and scooped it over red quinoa. As a side dish, I served an Asian style salad made from crumbled uncooked ramen noodles and julienned cabbage and carrots with ginger/soy/maple syrup dressing.

Back to me. Not eating. I suppose this would be a good place to disclose that I Love To Eat! Food is a large part of my life. I like to buy food, prepare food, talk about food and eat food. This is the first time I've ever fasted in my whole life, mostly because I never felt like giving it up before. Day Two was the first day of the realization that I can live without eating.

Fortunately, I really enjoy the taste of juice. I'm also enjoying trying new combinations and flavors. After dropping off my sons for their bowling league, I ran to the supermarket for supplies. I bought a ripe watermelon, a cantaloupe, a cucumber, a tomato, some extra celery and carrots, a cabbage, and some more romaine. For "lunch," I had a romaine, cucumber, celery, tomato juice. It was a little too acidic for my tastes but gave me the energy to talk a nice long walk in the sun before the boys returned. Besides the juice, I am focusing on getting fresh air, sunshine, and exercise everyday as well. After my walk, I felt exhausted. The boys returned home and were playing in the yard, so I lay on a blanket in the grass and took a short nap in the sun. This may have been my first nap since babyhood.

At dinnertime, I drank a delicious juice of watermelon and cucumber. After dinner, and I'm not blaming the watermelon, I became very cranky. The schedule required me to drive back and forth to two different martial arts studios in two different directions, one after the other, then come home and supervise kitchen clean up and math work. But apparently, no one was in the mood to clean up the kitchen or do any math. And the last thing I wanted to do was put away the leftover food I had spent the afternoon alternately preparing and avoiding. The scene went something like this:

me: "Clean up the kitchen, boys,"
boys: "I thought you said you wanted us to do math."
me: "I wanted you to do your math earlier so you could clean up the kitchen after dinner."
boys: "We'll clean it up later."
me: "I want it done now."
boys: "Then why don't you do it?"

I hate it when the boys have a good point when I am cranky. If I wanted it done immediately while they were doing something equally important, I'd have to clean the kitchen myself, including packing up the leftovers and putting them in the refrigerator. But I could handle it, despite my grumbly tummy, and I did. Both my stomach and my mouth were grumbling. Like a child, I complained out loud while washing and drying pots. Fortunately, no one pays any attention to me when I'm like this. On the plus side, at least I didn't have to solve the math problems.

Day Three ended when I took to the bed, saying good night to the boys and insisting that they go to bed early (11:00 for the teenage night owls in this house is very early). Here is the best part, last: according to the dreaded bathroom scale, I have lost 5 pounds!

Juice Cleanse Day 1

My jeans no longer fit. I weighed myself and was appalled at the number glaring at me. I lost 30 pounds several years ago, only to have regained a large portion. Winter was long and I spent too many days indoors, eating too much pasta, rice, and other heavy foods. So it is time for a spring cleaning of myself. Yesterday I began a Green Juice Cleanse/Fast, hoping to rid my sluggish self of excess.

I read about it online. Green Juices plus herbal teas and water constitute all the "foods" I can intake. According to the experts, when the body is no longer slogged down with digesting processed foods and white foods, it can begin to expel all the clogs. As it happens, I love green juice. In the morning, I juiced a huge fistful of kale, two celery stalks and a carrot. Later in the day, I had an entire bunch of dandelion leaves, more celery, carrots, and an apple juice. That was all. Then I waited for the magic and the darker side, the dreaded side effects I'd read about on the net.

But either my new face cream is doing an awesome job of squeezing my pores shut or my toxins are good and locked inside, because so far, I have seen nothing. No evidence of detoxifying. My skin looks fine, clear and pristine. I read that there could be boils (!). I have not experienced any unpleasant explosiveness, nor do I have terrible body odor.

So Day One passed uneventfully. How much longer do I have to do this? I will take it one day at a time. Green Juice Fast Day Two is beginning simply, with lukewarm water and lemon juice. I hope I start to smell bad soon.

Inspired by Vermont and the Massachusetts World Food Market

Recently my son and I spent some time in Vermont, working, exploring towns we had never seen, and getting to know people we had never met. The company was so interesting; in fact some of the most interesting people anywhere. Talking to them was educational for both me and my son. We learned details about the sugaring process from a woman who produces her own syrup at home as a hobby. We learned a great deal about Japanese culture from a woman who lived abroad for over ten years. And we explored the terrain of St. George on a guided hike by a long-time resident.

The food we ate was also stellar.

At the home of a new friend, my son and I enjoyed what is known as "Vermont Curry." Apparently, it is very common but new to us. There are many varieties. Our friend showed us the package label in Japanese and read the ingredients, all vegan. And at the home of another Vermonter, we enjoyed a delicious stir-fry which included among the farm-fresh vegetables, some canned seasoned seitan which I'd never encountered before.

During a lovely dinner at A Single Pebble in Burlington, with blogger @Cookveganlover, Lindsay, and her husband, we shared a rich, scrumptious tapioca pudding made with coconut milk. We declared that we would recreate it at home, using rice. But then I found some very nice pearl tapioca at the World Food Market in Hadley, Massachusetts. Searching the aisles, I also located the previously mentioned "Vermont Curry" blocks, which I was able to identify by sight as the package is written in Japanese. (I made sure to buy the ones that did not have cheese or honey in the ingredients.) Then I stumbled on the seasoned seitan that our friend Peg threw into her fresh vegetable stir-fry. Now I have all of the hard-to-find ingredients so I can recreate these wonderful Vermont dishes at home.

Last night, I chopped onions, celery, potatoes and carrots and threw them into a large pot with water. Adding Vermont Curry cubes (2), and boiling red rice in a separate pot, I thought I'd done exactly what needed to be done. Wrong! My curry was so much thinner and soupier than the one I'd eaten in Bristol. Sad. I had to add several tablespoons of corn starch mixed with water in order to thicken it to the desired consistency. After the thickening, it still tasted watery. So I added two more cubes for seasoning and it was just right. It yielded a ridiculously large amount, so I have lots leftover and some frozen.

I was more successful with the tapioca pudding. So I will share that recipe here.

Tapioca Pudding

1/2 cup pearl tapioca
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegan cane sugar
2 tablespoon corn starch
3 tablespoons warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange zest

Combine pearl tapioca and milks and salt in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Slowly add sugar while stirring. Beat corn starch and warm water with a fork, add to pan. Continue stirring and heating until boiling. Allow to boil for about one minute, then lower heat. Pudding should start to thicken. Once thick, turn off heat. Add vanilla extract and orange zest and allow to cool. Can be served warm but is better chilled from refrigerator.

Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Awesome Frickin Noodle Soup

I admit it has been a long, long time since I ate a bowl of real chicken noodle soup. I think it was during my pregnancy with my daughter, who is now in college, when I had a terrible cold. My mom probably cooked it from scratch with a whole chicken and lots of fresh vegetables and herbs. This version may not be exactly like my mom's, and it certainly doesn't have any animals, whole or otherwise, floating around in it. But I swear it tastes so much like chicken noodle soup that I feel all future colds staying away. It even looks authentic, with a pretty golden color and tiny droplets of oil floating on top. If I could marry a soup, and I weren't already married to a person, this would be the one. That is how fricking awesome this soup is. And for those of you who want to enjoy a nostalgic bowl of health and happiness, here is my Valentine to my Awesome Frickin Noodle Soup. If you make it, please feel free to add the herbs your own Mom or Grandma put in her chicken soup.

one onion, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil to cover bottom of large pot
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
small bunch of Green Swiss Chard, leaves only, torn
1 can chick peas
1 block silken tofu, diced
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp. oregano
salt
pepper
water
1/4 lb. thin spaghetti broken into small pieces

Saute onion, garlic, celery and carrot for ten minutes or until celery is soft and carrots are bright. Pour in enough water to fill large soup pot 2/3 full. Add chard, chick peas, sage, thyme, and oregano. Salt and pepper to your liking. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for one to one and a half hours, covered. Bring back to boil, add spaghetti and tofu. Stir. Cook until spaghetti is soft, approx. 12 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Serve with salad and bread. As with all noodle soups, this one will taste even better the next day.

When anyone asks how you made it, answer the way I do everytime, "with magic and love."

What's In These? Confetti Blueberry Muffins

After juicing apple, kale, and carrots, I had a colorful array of pulp left in the catcher. It was so pretty: bright orange, deep green, and pinkish white stripes, I did not want to throw it in the trash. But even our pet bunny won't eat juice remains.

I decided to use the colorful palette in my blueberry muffins. The result was a dense, moist, fruity version which didn't rise as high as an ordinary muffin. It looked like there was confetti inside, causing my children to ask "What's in these?" They are slightly surprising, but very tasty.
Bonus fiber and vitamins probably increased the nutritional value, and they are low in fat because I don't use margarine or oil, but I didn't analyze them.
I just ate them. The muffins taste fine right out of the oven, but even better toasted with a swipe of tofu cream cheese.

Vegan Confetti Blueberry Muffins
(makes 12)

1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 cup pulp from apples, carrots and kale
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 cups frozen blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line muffin cups with paper or grease.
3. Mix all ingredients together until moistened. The consistency will be thick and slightly wet, like cookie dough
4. Scoop into muffin cups, filling 3/4 of the way.
5. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes.
6. Cool.

Spaghetti with TofuClam Sauce

Hi everyone. It's still winter here in NJ, making me want cooked comfort foods. Spaghetti and white clam sauce was one of my very favorite Italian meals way back before I became vegetarian in 1991, but I felt determined to bring it back, vegan style.


This recipe is something I just sort of made up. It's vegan and gluten-free but so delicious, even people who eat a Standard American Diet will enjoy it. Please feel free to customize it however you want.

Following is the recipe I created for tonight's dinner, served with vegan garlic rolls and salad.

1/2 block Extra firm white tofu, drained and squeezed
2 tablespoons kelp flakes
1 tablespoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons vegetable broth


Brown rice spaghetti-style pasta, cooked al dente
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic
1/4 cup vegan white wine
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons corn starch
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes

Slice tofu into small flakes, similar in shape and size to minced clams. Sprinkle with thyme and kelp, toss. Cover with 3 tablespoons of vegetable broth and cook over low heat until broth is absorbed.

In large frying, heat olive oil. Chop garlic, saute until translucent but not browned. Add cornstarch to broth and stir. Pour wine, broth, cornstarch, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes into pan. Cook about ten minutes. Add tofu clams, simmer on low for 15 minutes. If too thick for your taste, add more broth. If too thin, thicken with more corn starch.

Once spaghetti is cooked, drain and throw in pasta bowl. Whole house will smell like clam sauce. When fish-eating family members ask what smells so good, respond "white clam sauce." When vegan family members ask if you are cooking clams, respond "no way!" Everybody's happy.

Toss sauce into pasta. Serve hot with garlic rolls and salad. Be prepared to be the most popular person in the room.