The Conscious Cook: Black Pepper Shortcakes, Blackberry Basil Sauce and Cinnamon Cream

Upon first glance at Tal Ronnen's vegan cookbook, the Conscious Cook, I was completely put off by the use of a chicken-like protein, Gardein, in his recipes. There was a lot of other valuable information and techniques mixed in with those Gardein recipes (why not just use seitan?) so I decided to add it to my collection. I'm glad I did, even if you won't catch me making "chicken" scaloppini or any other food product found within quotations.

I began by whipping up a batch of thick cashew cream for this dessert. The rich cream can be sweetened with agave to your taste and has more of a velvety texture than traditional cream. The spelt flour shortcakes turned out buttery and important. The black pepper added sharpness and made the shortcake a perfect vessel for a mound of cashew cream and the juicy blackberry sauce that held memories of the basil it was cooked down with.

We ate dessert first.

Lonely Hearts Essene Dinner

This is what I call Lonely Hearts Essene Dinner. Best enjoyed when your usual partner is chained down by their final full semester. Spicy tofu, beets, adzuki bean stew, seitan curry, spinach salad. The only vegan box you should ever need.

Sunday Night at Amis

 Egg Tripe

If I could do Amis over, I'd order like this:

2 "Verdure" plates or salad
1 pasta to share
1 dessert to share

It's not because the plates aren't affordable. They are blindingly budget-minded. It's because we incurred so much olive oil in each preparation that we were overly satiated. Puddles of it were left behind on each scene. Just how much does the kitchen go through?

I will say this now. Marc Vetri has one of the finest vegetarian-able restaurants in town, with Osteria. Don't let a first glance at the culinary contract there fool you. They are beyond capable of pleasing all diners. A meal there will usually fall in at well below $100 for two.

I expected Amis to be the lower-priced, lesser-dressed concept. It certainly feels that way. For two drinks, five dishes, two desserts, and two coffees, we came in at $84 without tip. Very reasonable. We would have had a similar, slightly less expensive meal at Osteria, however, and that remains our first Vetri choice.

Now, to the points of eminence.

Veg Out: Green Eggs Cafe

It doesn't matter what time it is. Or if I get home with a mind for bed, the sound of clattering heels still reverberating in my skull.

One, I will always wash my face first.

Two. I will often prepare muesli, because I know how satisfying it is for breakfast. I chop a handful of whichever nuts are manning the cupboard. I dice and toss fruits on hand. In the fridge. Out the lights.

Green Eggs Cafe has one-upped me with a devastating quinoa porridge. It's a late morning dessert, if I'm honest. Agave, raisins, and fruit collide with superman quinoa in a cinnamon-driven mush. Spoon in quick, 'cause porridge just got raved about. If this was the end, how did we begin?

Morning Do: Cashew Smoothie

I remembered to soak 1/4 cup of raw cashews overnight.

Was I soaking cashews for a vegan cream sauce? Non.

2 frozen bananas
1/4 cup of raw cashews, soaked for 7 hours
1 tbsp of agave nectar
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 tbsp flaxseed (optional)

Load your blender and wake someone up. Result should be thick and creamy. Serves 2.

Vegan Cocktails: Gin Face & PAWS Punch

Cantina Dos was packed out for Vegan Cocktails last night. On a mild Wednesday in Northern Liberties, that is not unheard of.

It is very unlikely, however, to find a drinks menu with something called a Natalie Portman Pout, even if sucking one down I find that there is inadequate gin. Never underestimate the lighter-weighted.

There is an even lesser chance of facing a specials board that is predominantly veggified. On a daily basis, you can have your pick of seitan, tvp, and tempeh Mex plates from the very same board. But Vegan Cocktails goes all out.

I missed the initial outing at Royal Tavern, but managed to swing by later that week for a seitan sandwich. I heard that securing a table was painful. Cantina Dos is bigger and more crowd-friendly.

What makes this different from Vegan Drinks Philly, a monthly meetup that came before Cocktails and is hosted by Ed Coffin? Not too much, except that there's always room for another vegan-focused event. You should go to both if it's your interest.

After my gin failed to deliver, I ordered a tequila-based cocktail with Licor 43, papaya, and soy milk. I knew it would be too sweet, but it wasn't a bad drink. Among the specials we chose from: sweet potato sopes, smoked black bean burger with yuca fries, and stuffed eggplant with portabellas and soy cheese. Typically, there isn't a whole lot that's not fried to be had here, so we hit our food block early on. One mushroom, spinach, and vegan creamed sope out of three was enough to satiate me, as the flavors were pretty elementary. My tall-drink-of-water fiance got 3 bites into the one-note burger before he gave up and pushed his yuca fries away.

It was a swell night out, with proceeds benefiting the Philly PAWS organization. It does frustrate me sometimes that a lot of vegan food has to be so starch-heavy and food coma-inducing. But every time someone comes up with some soy cheese crap thing, I still think it's wonderful that something so ridiculous will exist. Shouldn't food make you feel good after you eat it? Not sleazy?

Along those same lines of sleaze, I couldn't help but notice that our vegan turnout was reasonably attractive.

Hot But Not Heavy: Veg Valentine's Dinner

After reading about sex-enhancing foods in the February issue of Vegetarian Times (seriously, VT, back off my shtick), I got to thinking: how do I turn up the volume on seductive dinnertime in the Vedge household?

My tempeh meatloaf really sucked the other day.

Last year's V dinner at Mi Lah was a mostly lukewarm occasion that made me wish we'd cooked at home. We had spent the better half of the day getting pedicures and screaming profanities and indulging in fan nature at a Flyers game. An inspiring bout of romantics. We might even keep that tradition alive this year, but there's more out there, if you're the dine-em-and-do-em type.

If you're going to do flowers, get 'em at Beautiful Blooms in Liberties Walk, which has changed the way I feel about bouquets as viable forms of expression. You could even get kale bunches.

Horizons is running a five course dinner on Valentine's night, with two seatings and $60 price tag. This is potentially what you would spend trying to make a similar wow-me meal in the home kitch, but does anybody make Saffron and Olive Oil Poached Tofu the way that Rich can? Kate's Coconut Mille-feuille sounds like a finish that you haven't tried yet. Reserve your two-top here. Maybe you could bring a third person and be that table.

Thoreau should also be open by the beginning of February, but seeing as they're not open on Sundays (maybe they'll think about it?), you could start here on Saturday, do it all night, and wake up the next morning with this recipe for Red Velvet Valentine's Pancakes from the Blooming Platter of Vegan Recipes? How good does that look in the morning?

Koo Zee Doo is one of our most loved newcomers and is plenty stimulating for vegetarians - order the chocolate salami. These are close quarters with suggestive lighting.

Before we forget, the Flyers Valentine's Package is not too special unless you care about the included scoreboard message. Buy two regular tickets and spend the extra on a Truffles Birdie Box from Sjaak's vegan chocolates. Or a bunch of vegan Marshmallow Hearts from Sweet & Sara. Happy thumping.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

Anyone who dabbles in the science of alternative baking knows how complex it can be. Your goal is to please someone who that can't indulge in regular sweets. But if you can convince other palates along the way, you have your second type of customer: someone interested in a more nutritious, holistic approach. Sweet Freedom Bakery's results were impressive for those in the food industry and those with dietary restrictions.

Of all the agave-sweetened, de-glutened, vegan munchies, the cinnamon sugar loaf held the most expert texture. There was moisture, a light spice, and some coffee-cake-like crumb. A tall glass of rice milk and I will give you five minutes alone.

On to a square of goo known as a brownie that was chocolatey beyond comprehension, but was missing that essential cakey edge of most flour-laden brownies. It would have done fine if it had called itself fudge.

I know some cupcake elitists would not approve of the healthy-tasting vanilla cupcake. There was very little sin in it. It does remind me of the Babycakes version (the entire shop does, but that's what I like about it), but the cake is a bit gummy and you can definitely detect that it is gluten-free. Gumminess occurs during the mixing part of the baking process if gluten-free flour and wet ingredients are not properly introduced. I personally liked this one and ended up finishing it, but nobody agreed with me. I prefer a savory muffin cupcake over an enormous, sugary one. It's a lonely club.

The chocolate chip cookie sandwich was a big, soft undoer of restraint. It was a successful, chewy-style cookie filled with icing, another one of Sweet Freedom's best items.

Ingredients are the most important thing to me. Flavor comes secondary, but that's because I believe in fine ingredients used the proper way that will create those flavors I am seeking. Sweet Freedom is working with the right stuff.

My Big Fat Seitan & Mash Vegetarian Wedding

I receive a number of emails requesting local veg catering suggestions. When it came time to plan my own wedding, I realized how little I knew about the city's options.

Wedding food is a predictable beast. You have to walk in knowing exactly what you want, or you'll just get a crudite station and stacks of fried vegetables coated in sauce. What's more exciting than salmon? I thought the answer would be "Everything."

For our first tasting, we went with Max Hansen, who brought our ideas to fruition, without suggesting the word "crudite" even once. The goal was a global feast composed of vibrant, seasonal ingredients, a focus on presentation that didn't lose sense of flavor. We were looking for a real chef's chef. We wanted to communicate a fine dining experience that would remind guests of a feast at Horizons.

Here's a little taste.

 

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the Week

The opening menu for Sweet Freedom Bakery hit my box yesterday, with the likes of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes heading the list. Carrot cupcakes appear on Wednesdays and Banana chocolate chip show face on Saturdays. For me, though, the big guns come out on Sundays with the blondie, my choice for most tempting baked good. Hours are  Tuesday-Saturday, 10-7pm, Sunday, 10-4pm at 1424 South Street.

Further North in the cupcake game, I followed up on Philly Cupcake's vegan line yesterday. The 12th and Chestnut house of miniature cake did not let down my jaded cupcake self. The moist cakes (1 coconut vanilla, 1 red velvet) were successful in all of the major areas: no dry crumb to speak of, silky frosting, secure packaging for those on the go, and they had a just-baked freshness. Flavors are inventive, what with the chocolate peanut butter crunch and cherry-filled red velvet. Overall, a nice showing for a new addition. My only concern was that the pricing was steep: 2 cupcakes and a small coffee set me back $10. That's higher than nearly everyone else, including Vegan Treats.

We did like these so much that we only left behind what we thought was unnecessary - that extra dab of coconut icing.

Miss January Would Be a Vegan

• Philly Cupcake is touting their new line of vegan cupcakes. After sampling the regular kind last month, I've been meaning to return -- you can actually taste the vanilla bean in the vanilla cupcake. According to their Twitter teasing, vegan flavors include chocolate, vanilla bean and red velvet (non-Carmine). Frostings are pb, choco & vanilla BETTERcreams and CreamTease!  

I'm going to pair one with a new Panama Elida Estate coffee we ordered from Verve. If that justifies much.

• It is not advisable to miss Vegan Cocktails Philly at Cantina Dos on January 20 from 5-8pm. This is one of the few places where vegans and goat-eaters don't get all weird on each other.

• If Sweet Freedom Bakery opens on Friday as intended, there's more vegan cupcake in your month.
  

• When the Farmer's Market at the Piazza begins on Saturday, real bread and vegetables and I will dance together with a chopping knife, and the resulting sound will drown out the lies of the American song.
  

Veg Out NYC: Blossom

Bathroom mirror at Ace Hotel

After an excellent meal at vegan Korean hotspot Hangawi near our hotel on Tuesday, I was sated.

I was not prepared for Wednesday's dinner at Blossom to be quite so close in terms of excellence. After my experience at the owner's chocolate cafe, Cocoa V, I was prepared to stay away from the dessert menu.

The other person at the table who likes ravioli (who likes ravioli? long sighs at you!) ordered that again. Didn't they remember that vegan ravioli is basically a cashew shitting out more cashew? From Monday's ravioli fling at Candle 79? From every vegan ravioli movie ever made?

So I didn't want anything to do with an app that was sinking in a lake of cashew cream that you could have put a straw in your mouth and sipped from.

The seitan skewer was remarkably better, an answer to Horizon's barbecue seitan, although not quite as zesty.

We tried both the Port Wine Seitan, so thinly cut that it had a wonderful sear, and a Hickory Tempeh with Horseradish Creme Fraiche, that I would like to eat again as soon as possible. Tempeh is a rare mistress of mine. Although I do not mind it and often enjoy the texture, I usually find myself alone in that opinion. Here, it was daring and succulent, not the least bit dry. The accompanying fingerling potatoes played like cheese fries wrapped in the thick horseradish gravy. Even the collard greens were stunning. This was the meal of the week, and it didn't stop there.

The ravioli fan decided that he was a dessert groupie. I mumbled for some coffee and let it happen.

The chocolate ganache redeemed all chocolate wrongs done to me by this establishment. I never order the "chocolate dessert" from menus because it is often formulaic and isn't worth the sugar hit. I'm glad and relieved that we tried this.

The next day, after deciding on a wedding gown and happy to still have a 24-inch waist, I headed to another Blossom location, the cafe on the Upper East Side, for a late lunch. Would it be the naughty-sounding soy bacon cheeseburger? There's very little room for fake food in my diet, but I found a spot for this.

You know how good it was.

I will certainly add Blossom to my NYC rotation.

Veg Out NYC: Breslin Bar, Candle 79, Babycakes

The Breslin Bar at the Ace Hotel was decidedly gristle-heavy. Not a tragedy. We ate around the city. The bar itself? Warm with dark-clothed bodies perched on inviting library furniture. I said hello to a smoky tequila old-fashioned with brandied cherries.

Our first memorable meal came from Candle 79. There were so many ingredients we hardly knew at times what we were tasting and I wanted to edit the chef. If a couple of components were slashed from each work, one would only find it more successful.

 Butternut squash and wild mushroom-spinach ravioli with cashew ricotta, cashew cream, and make it stop already.

The portions were a third larger than optimal. We split these family-style between three people.

A smoked hummus plate was the simplest thing on the menu, with a roasted garlic bulb that we spread onto grilled paratha

Stuffed avocado, too complicated for its own good

 

Black pepper and balsamic grilled seitan, my entree selection and longest relationship on the table. Cornmeal onion rings and celeriac puree drove me home.

Porcini-crusted tofu with root vegetable gratin involved a paperback-sized block of tofu. Almost.

 

The Asian-inspired seitan special

I wasn't as impressed with Candle 79, but we still went away full and pleased. Dessert would occur the next day, with a Babycakes stopover.

The gluten-free carrot cake is spoken for.

Veg Out NYC: Cocoa V

Chocolate boards. Cheese plates. There is nobody else here.

Cocoa V is a welcome sight, a vegan chocolaterie in the stark January tundra of Chelsea. What a wonderful idea, right? Next to the room of chocolate cases is a comfortably chic lounge with a fireplace and wooden boards at each place setting for the chocolates. In the lounge, assorted chocolate plates and a nut cheese offering are ready to woo. Too bad they haven't quite nailed it yet.

The chocolates are mostly a miss. The "Silk" truffle, fashioned with the queen of soy milk, is on the chalky side, with not a lot of richness coming through. A cashew buttercream looked the part, but somehow lost its cashew voice. The Stumptown Caramel was the splendid exception of the lot. Encased inside the dark brick was a straight coffee sludge that seeped through my fingers onto the desk back at the hotel. Yes, I licked each finger like it was the only source of caffeine left on the planet.

I was expecting a little more from the nut cheese plate, for $16. It was a basic board of cheese and wheat crackers, with some apple slices, strawberry, vegan "honey" (brown rice syrup and agave), and the unlikely visitor, a scoop of hummus. The nut cheese assortment was from Dr. Cow, an aged cashew cheese that was creamy with a light flavor, the algae cashew cheese that was delightful and reminded me of a less aggressive blue cheese, and an aged cashew and dulse (seaweed) that was nice and smoky. While the cheese was engaging enough for a few bites, the accompaniments need an upgrade.

I wouldn't go out of my way to visit Cocoa V because there are many other vegan chocolate options in New York, but I'm glad they're trying. I wouldn't say no to another Stumptown Caramel.

Cocoa V, 174 9th Avenue

Reebok EasyTone Sneakers + The New Sheriff In My Life

Reebok Easytone sneakers. They were nearly sold out.  I was due for a new pair. Never mind that Easy Means You're Not Working Hard Enough.

The claim for these sneakers is "28% more gluteus maximus muscle activation, and 11% more calf and hamstring activation." That translates to better ass and thigh.

It's like walking on a Bosu ball...at first. It took two workouts for me to get used to wearing these. At this point, I can't be sure whether it's the death lunges and jump-jacks that I've been doing, my new workout partner, Zuzana from Bodyrock.tv, or the actual sneakers. But I wager it's the first two.

Back to Zuzana. On days that I don't make it to the gym (I'm pretty addicted to my morning adrenaline rush), I follow Zuzana on her workout videos. Her techniques are often brutal and will make whatever chest you've got heave. This woman does pull-ups using a concrete wall.

Her accent is like vegan focaccia: fragrant, salty, and herbaceous.