“Be the change you wish to see in the world”
By jen | May 1, 2009
Not my favorite food.
I love this quote by Gandhi. It’s this very notion that we as individuals must be the driving force for change and progress that first inspired me to become vegan. I’ve been thinking lately though that there is a lot more work that I could and would like to do around vegan activism. I’ve sometimes felt at odds with the mainstream vegan movement, which, in my opinion, hasn’t been very culturally aware in its approach to education and outreach. As such, I’ve long struggled to find my place in it.
I remember the first time I became exposed to the concept of veganism and how the person was trying to sell me on the wonders of Boca Burgers. Even though I was a meat eater at the time, I wasn’t one of those burger-eating kinds, so the thought of fake meat burgers didn’t exactly excite me. What had escaped me at the time was that a vegan and plant-based diet has always been a big part of my diet. Growing up Buddhist and on Vietnamese food, eating lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, tofu and seitan was not only normal, but a satisfying way to eat for me. When I realized all this, my main objection to veganism — not wanting to give up my home foods and connection to my culture — disappeared.
The idea that that culture and veganism need not be at odds with each other was reinforced for me when I had the opportunity to hear Bryant Terry, food activist and author of Vegan Soul Kitchen, speak couple days ago. He spoke not only about veganism from the standpoint of animal welfare, environmental issues and sustainability — which if you’ve been vegan for a while, you’ve heard before — but how healthy eating and sustainability are an important part of African-American heritage and the ways in which health issues and lack of accessibility to fresh produce affect communities of color. His talk got me thinking about the relationship between privilege and veganism and how I want to approach my activism.
I think I want to start by supporting food activists who do work concerning communities of color, like Vegans of Color, Mo Better Food, People’s Grocery and of course Bryant Terry. Any others? Please share!
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Surprise!
By jen | April 25, 2009
Jesse’s birthday passed while we were in Orlando and while we did celebrate, I wanted to get some of his good friends together for another celebration. I’m horrible with surprises so it’s incredible I was able to pull this off. I told him that we were going to dinner last night to celebrate my friend getting into grad school. The funny thing is that he was home with me while I was baking this cake — chocolate with chocolate buttercream — and remarked that he wished I was making this for him! I would have liked to have written “Happy Birthday” on the cake, but couldn’t for obvious reasons.
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Gimme some sugar!
By jen | April 23, 2009
Growing up, my mom used to buy Entenmann’s brand baked goods all the time. Entenmann’s isn’t exactly high quality stuff, I know, but I remember loving the buttery flavor and the moist, dense texture of their pound cake. I’d been eyeing the vanilla pound cake recipe from Veganomicon for a while and finally made it last night. Instead of making one large loaf, I decided to make mini loaves so I could more easily share them with friends. While it doesn’t taste like regular pound cake (the texture is a bit spongier and lacks the buttery flavor since the recipe calls for canola oil instead of vegan butter), it’s pretty darn tasty! I only wish I had some kind of whipped topping and berries to eat with it.
Next, I baked some chocolate mocha cookies for my friend Jeannie’s vegan professor who has tried a number of my baked goods and wanted to buy a dozen of these. I consider myself an amateur baker, so I’m flattered that anyone would want to buy my baked goods. These babies are soooo good warm and with a glass of soy milk!
Topics: Baked Goods | 3 Comments »
Ethos Vegan Kitchen
By jen | April 14, 2009
I’m in Orlando, Florida with my partner, Jesse, who is here to attend a conference. I’ve only been here for a day but have started to hate this place because we’re cooped up at a frou frou, country club-esque hotel that’s far away from the rest of the city. While I’m thankful for the opportunity to experience such opulence on someone else’s dime, the culture here — golf courses, enforced dress code, “nonsurgical facelift” treatments at the spa – does not fit my style at all. I don’t think I was meant to be wealthy, or at least, live a wealthy lifestyle. I don’t want to be waited on hand and foot. And paying $15 for a veggie burger and $4 for water (the only vegan food in the whole place, unless you count an $11 iceburg lettuce salad) is plain absurd. Continue reading “Ethos Vegan Kitchen” »
Topics: Restaurants | No Comments »
Mushroom Asparagus Quiche
By jen | April 10, 2009
Yeah, that’s right, folks. Vegan quiche. People who assume being vegan means subsisting on iceberg lettuce simply lack imagination. Or maybe it’s lack of exposure to the the wonders of tofu. Unless you hate tofu (and/or foods made in tart pans), this quiche is guaranteed to please you with its deliciousness. Continue reading “Mushroom Asparagus Quiche” »
Topics: Meals | 2 Comments »
Oyster Mushroom Calamari
By jen | April 6, 2009
My partner got me The Artful Vegan cookbook from Millenium for Valentine’s Day and I absolutely love it. The recipes intimidate the hell out of me, but I like to flip through the pages over and over, fantasizing about the kinds of dinner parties I’ll throw one day. Since I got through the Cajun crispy tofu recipe without burning down the kitchen, I decided to attempt the sesame-crusted oyster mushroom calamari recipe for a housewarming party I was attending. Though mine didn’t turn out as tasty as what you’d get at the restaurant, I was fairly satisfied with the results and the omnivores at the party seemed to enjoy them, too.
Topics: Appetizers | No Comments »
Crispy Cajun Tofu, Swiss Chard and Mac and Cheeze
By jen | April 3, 2009
Since Souley Vegan is still closed, I’ve had to satisfy my cravings for vegan soul food by making my own crispy tofu and mac and cheeze.
The crispy tofu recipe comes from The Artful Vegan cookbook from Millenium Restaurant. The balance of flavors in the batter and spices were delicious and I will definitely be making this again! I sautéed the swiss chard in olive oil, garlic, onion and a little balsamic vinegar. For the mac and cheeze, I used large shell pasta, which I highly recommend because it holds the sauce really well. I adapted Fat Free Vegan’s mac and cheeze recipe because I didn’t have miso, tahini, or dry mustard and I like a little kick in my mac and cheeze. If you are sensitive to spice, you can cut the amount of garlic powder, cayenne pepper and black pepper. If you like spicy, this mac and cheeze is delicious with a few shakes of hot sauce on top! Continue reading “Crispy Cajun Tofu, Swiss Chard and Mac and Cheeze” »
Topics: Meals | No Comments »
Hello!
By jen | April 1, 2009
Welcome to my new food blog where I share with you my (mis)adventures in vegan cooking and baking!
I became a vegan permanently in January 2007 (after a few unsuccessful attempts) and have come a long way in my culinary abilities since then. As much as I enjoyed food, I was never particularly interested in cooking when I was an omnivore or vegetarian. When I became vegan, I was essentially forced to learn to cook for myself and boy were the first six months rough! I felt helpless, even with all of my newly purchased vegan cookbooks. I didn’t have any staple ingredients, hadn’t worked with most of them and I lacked the patience to even try. My diet mostly consisted of salads, Tofurky, rice and tofu and veggie stir fries. B-o-r-i-n-g!! And as much as I loved to bake, vegan baking seemed intimidating.
Since those first few months, something incredible has happened. I cook and bake nearly every day and I absolutely love it! I feel that veganism has opened a new outlet for my creativity and awakened my appreciation for food and food preparation. I love trying new recipes, experimenting with ingredients and sharing the results with my partner and friends. A domestic side of me surfaced that had never existed before age 26. (Anyone who has known me since before 2007 can attest to this.)
I read dozens of vegan food blogs every week and am in awe of all amazing recipes and photos – there is some serious talent out there! I hope to one day reach the level of all of my vegan blogger heroes, but in the meantime, I’ll be sharing many of my mistakes along with my successes as I continue to learn the art of vegan cooking and baking. I hope you enjoy the blog!
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »