What exactly is brunch? Chad says there’s no such thing, but he hates cupcakes so can he be trusted? I like to look at other brunch books to get (steal) ideas from. Most of the ones I find are from the seventies, their covers speaking of a time when pineapples-as-garnish and copious amounts of raw egg yolks were what it was all about. The ideas are just as dusty as the front covers, but sometimes they just need a little brushing off.

The recipes run the gamut from the everyday (oatmeal) to the unsurprising (scrambled eggs) to the real stumpers (lasagna?) In New York a typical brunch was dim sum at Vegetarian Dim Sum House at Pell Street. Dragging ass to Chinatown with bedhead and smudged mascara from the night before for some greasy goodness was a welcomed tradition. The sunlight hitting your eyes as the D-train crossed the Manhattan bridge was worth it alone. The rest of the day would be spent nursing your tummy into recovery, but so what? It was Sunday. And who can resist treasure boxes?

The typical cravings I get for brunch are usually smoky and earthy and herby; fennel, mushroom, sage, thyme, tempeh. But the big question is always savory or sweet? My favorite way to decide is “both.” A big plate of scrambled tofu and homefries with burnt crispy pieces of onion, but also a plate of pancakes to split between the table. In the winter top them with cinnamon apples, blueberries and lemon for the summer. A little ginger in the batter always. It never smells quite as warm and homey at any other time of day.

As I come to the end of cooking, baking, rolling, kneading, frying and sprinking for the brunch book I’m no closer to understanding what brunch is exactly. Why is it okay to bite into beer battered tofu at 11 am on a Sunday but not 8 am on a Tuesday? The only answer I really have is that someone, somewhere said so.

This book has been so fun to work on. Some of my recipes testers have been with me since Vegan With A Vengeance, some just joined in, but they’re really the heart and soul and elbow and bellybutton of the book writing process. You’ve probably seen some tester photos floating around, but I’m going to share some of my favorites with you.

Raised Waffles With Baked Cinnamon Apples from tofu666.

Banana Flapjacks from Hoveringdog.

An omelet from Jess.

Stuffed Poblanos from Katie.

I’ll share some more soon! And maybe some recipes if I’m not feeling too mean and lazy. The brunch book will be out next Spring!

Why is there a picture of a quiche here?

I can never remember how to make oatmeal.

It’s embarrassing, and it’s not just a one-time embarrassment that I can work out in therapy, it’s an every other morning embarrassment where I stand immobilized at my kitchen counter in complete disbelief that I really need to read the goddam oatmeal container again. So it’s always weird to hear myself talking about food.

This interview with Weekend Edition’s LeAnn Hanson, featuring me and the uncharacteristically chatty Terry, was really fun! Terry and I got to walk through the hallowed halls of NPR and sip on their filtered water. After it aired yesterday, 2 out of the 3 top cookbooks on Amazon were vegan ones. That would be Skinny Bitch in the Kitch (big ups to Rory and Kim! You guys should be our frenemies!) and Veganomicon. And the third one wasn’t even a cookbook, but it does have a chapter on veganism*. So I would say that the score board for 2008 looks like veganism: 1, meat: 0.

My muscles are pretty permanently clenched when I think of the rest of the year, on both a personal and political level or if you want to be feminist about it, what’s the difference? We’ve got the elections coming up and I am sure that president Kucinich would have retroactively declared this the year of the vegan if he hadn’t gotten the boot, so now I guess president Obama will have to carry the torch. Do you remember the carefree nineties, when the president was able to declare things “The Year Of…” Now every year is pretty much the same what with the war and torture. Not that the nineties were all that awesome, but they were better. I feel like all plans are on hold until November, which is pretty much how I felt in 2004.

However, the world still needs vegan cookbooks no matter what happens and so I am thrilled (well, as thrilled as someone who is sitting on her couch in bra and pajama bottoms at noon can be) to announce mine and Terry’s upcoming projects, some together and some separately. Not because we don’t love each other, but because we would like to continue loving each other.

Spring 2009: The Crack Of Noon - A Vegan Brunch Book by me!
Fall 2009: Vegan Cookies (title TBA) by Terry and me!
Fall 2010: Vegan Latina (title TBA) by Terry Hope Romero!
Fall 2010: Vegan Entertaining (title TBA) by me and maybe by Terry a little bit, we shall see

I know those dates sound crazy. “2010? We’re not going to have a 2010. ” But it will come faster than we think and if I get this time machine working, even faster still. Thanks for all the love and support, everyone. For seriously.

*That would be Professors Who Hunt Boar And Justify It Because They Think It’s Awesome And Thrilling To Hang Out With Non-Academics In Any Capacity But Especially A Manly One by Michael Pollan.

I was pretty much thanksed out from cooking at Woodstock Sanctuary last weekend. I ended up at my mom’s, where she cooked up two of my Veganomicon favorites, Cholent and Pumpkin Ziti with Sage Breadcrumbs. They don’t officially go together, but off the record - who cares? The best part about writing cookbooks is that you can be sure that you’ll like the food your mom makes. Unless your mom is a jerk and doesn’t cook from your books.

But it looks like everyone else did a metric buttload of cooking and baking!

Susie’s Turkey Loaf

It’s not on her blog yet, only on the PPK forums. It’s a sculpted loaf of bread filled with a savory stuffing.

Amy’s Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Actually, it’s Susan’s from FatFreeVegan, but Amy at Stranger in the Alps vouches for its deliciousness in 4,000 words.

Mike and Liz’s Thanksgiving Plate con Ravioli

You know the food is slammin when I start to wonder if maybe I should move to Ohio. Those lollipops are cider and maple syrup glazed tofu smoked with hickory wood. What The Hell Does a Vegan Eat always goes the extra mile or 600.

Michelle’s Bryanna’s Soy and Seitan Roast

I always want to try this and I’m always too lazy. Michelle at My Zoetrope isn’t!

Abby’s Stuffed Breast Of Tofu

Originally a blog post from 2005, which is like 500 internet years ago, SweetlyVegan rocks the Tofu Roast With Cornbread Dressing from What Do I Know? on the PPK forums. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think this may have been a Sarah Kramer recipe originally.

And people wonder why vegans think they’re better than everyone else.

The first time I had pasta puttanesca I was waitressing at a restaurant in Park Slope. A fellow waitress told me that it was the pasta that Italian whores ate. She was always saying things like, “I spilled ketchup all over my tits,” and pronouncing “mimosa” in a really suggestive way. I just figured she was telling me that so she could say the word “whore” while slurping down linguine, but it is actually true, pasta putanesca is the pasta of whores. And I can see why.

If you’re anything like me you always have a gigantic thing of capers and olives in your fridge (not to mention great bone structure and an impressive unicorn collection.) Puttanesca is a really quick way to put together a complex tasting - passionate even - dish with pantry staples. Succulent, salty and a little spicy, the ingredients and method are simple enough that you can prep it, cook it and clean up after yourself in a leisurely 30 minutes, and then get back to the matter at hand, whether that be sex with strangers for money or updating your blog.

I’m always on the look out for ways to incorporate quinoa and other grains into my lunches, so it’s pretty brainless to just make a traditional pasta sauce and toss it on a grain instead. I like to make a big batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week and store it for a few days. If you don’t have a few cups of cooked quinoa around then see directions below* and start your quinoa before starting your sauce.

Quinoa Puttanesca - The Quinoa of Whores

Serves 4

2 to 3 cups cooked quinoa

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

generous pinch each tarragon and marjoram

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped (sliced in half is great)

1/2 cup capers

20 ounce can crushed tomatoes

fresh black pepper

Preheat a sauce pot over medium heat. Add the oil and garlic and stir for about a minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add herbs, spices and wine; cook for about a minute.

Add olives, capers and tomatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes. You can serve either by scooping quinoa into individual bowls and pouring the sauce over it, but my way is to just mix everything into a bowl together and reserve a little sauce to pour over my serving, because I like it extra whore-y. There is no rosemary in the recipe, but my food porn was looking a little naked so I garnished it with some.

For some reason, Jason Das named all the capers in the photo on my FlickR, so if that thought entertains you then you can go check that out.

*Mix one cup dry quinoa with 2 cups water, bring to a boil then lower heat and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until grain is tender and water has been absorbed.

The rolls in all their glory

Egg rolls not spring rolls. The big fat kind with the crispy doughy wrapper, the kind that you walk down the street eating. For some reason walking down the street eating a spring roll just wouldn’t work, they’re just too dainty.

The only problem? They’re egg rolls. Thus all of the premade wrappers have egg in them. Unlike eggcreams which only threaten you with raw eggs and salmonella, egg rolls mean business and don’t ever come egg free. But what does this have to do with Joaquin Phoenix? Well, I’m sure you know that he’s vegan and I’m sure that makes you write his name on your looseleaf in glitterpen surrounded by a heart. His wardrobe for Walk The Line was pleather, right down to the boots. And in his new movie, Two Lovers, he needed to be walking down the street in Coney Island eating an egg roll. I just happened to have the awesome luck of being in the right family and the right borough. My cousin, a set designer for the movie, called and asked if I could make life like vegan egg rolls for Joaquin. Of course I said, “No problem!”, or more, like “Hell, yes!” and “Swooooooon.”

But I didn’t know how difficult it would be.

Getting the dough just right was the biggest challenge. It needed to be have those signature air bubbles, not the flaky smoothness of a spring roll, so premade wrappers were out of the question. (Well, actually, I tried and it didn’t work.) This necessitated that I make the dough from scratch.

My first try was just a recipe I found on the internet, sans the huevos. That resulted in big brown air bubbles that just didn’t look right. My next try was messing with the texture. I thought that rice flour might give it a grittiness and cornstarch would add a uniform crispiness. I added a tiny bit of oil to compensate for the fat an egg would provide. Finally, I added a little baking powder in hopes that it would make the smaller air bubbles I was looking for. And it worked! Only a little too well. My egg roll looked like it had small pox.

Ultimately I decreased the baking powder and was blessed with little bundles of perfect Chinese take out egg rolls. Getting the heat right proved to be a pain in the butt, as did rolling out each paper thin wrapper individually. I had to fry each separately because I don’t have a deep fryer and it was the only way it would really work. Because of all this, and because deep frying makes your apartment smell so terrible, I’m not even going to share the recipe. It took me 3 hours after experimenting with the dough to make the two dozen that the props department requested. Unless it’s for Joaquin Phoenix, it really just isn’t worth it.

Upon delivering, I didn’t even get to meet him. He was right there, 15 feet in front of me, but he was filming a scene. I left a Veganomicon for him with a terrible inscription (”Dear Joaquin, Yay veganism!” if you must know). But I was happy to be a small part of it and I hope to be able to do more work for them, even if it does make my kitchen smell like a morgue for 2 days.

That’s him to in the dark tan hoodie jacket. He’s filming something, not buying drugs. I think.

VwaV Pumppkin Waffles healthified with whole wheat pastry flour and flax seeds

I remember the first time someone told me they made their own waffles. I was shocked. I was dismissive. I remember asking, “But are they good?” I just couldn’t believe that something requiring such complicated machinery was within my reach. And once I tried it myself I was addicted.

I am at war with my current waffle iron. It has a gajillion settings and, if I were to still think in waitress terms, it cost a crappy night’s tips. A few years ago I found a whole slew of ‘fflirons (now there’s a portmanteau that won’t catch on) on sale for 7 bucks. I bought 4 of them. In my defense, I was doing a vegan brunch cafe at the time so they were needed. It ended up being perfect iron - the timer went off when it was supposed to, each session produced a fluffy yet crispy uniformly cooked gem and it was so easy to clean. Long, boring story short (but hopefully still boring), my friend Michael was staying with me and knocked them from their precarious perch on top of my fridge and broke every one. Thanks, Michael, that is how you will be remembered. And I don’t know why I thought I was moving up in the world with the new one, but you don’t know what you got till it’s gone. I haven’t been able to find those perfect cheapo ones at any price.

But honestly, the point of this post wasn’t to sulk over my losses, but to remind everyone how well waffles freeze. This morning I placed a whole baggie in the freezer and now I’ll have brunch at my fingertips for a few weeks. Obviously these Belgian sized waffles won’t fit in the toaster, but that is easily solved by cutting them into triangles. And then, according to 80s commercials, when they pop out of the toaster, if someone tries to grab it before you can, you get to curb stomp them.

You know how with sex there’s a couple of things that you simply won’t do? That’s how I am with cooking, although sometimes my “rules” feel like they have a lot more to do with ethical objections than personal preference. I’m not talking about vegan ethical objections, which are obvious, I’m talking about culinary ones. I’m talking about including Gimme Lean Sausage or Tofutti Sour Supreme as part of a recipe. And I am conscious of being just a little ridiculous in calling it ethical but that’s just how it feels.

My main problem with that kind of cooking, is that it stops being “cuisine.” It starts being 30 minute meals or semi-homemade cooking. And that is fine for a weeknight in front of the TV or just to get something on the table, but it doesn’t foster respect for vegan cuisine. And there is a difference between cuisine and food; cuisine is a style of cooking and food is stuff we eat. I don’t want vegan cuisine to be thought of as fake, or as that stuff that comes from the freezer section next to the frozen hamburgers or the weird dairy case. (Every supermarket has that weird dairy case filled with stunt meats and casein cheese, right?) I want vegan cuisine to be a real force, a real style - a contender.

When it comes to vegan cream sauces my “won’t” list expands. I won’t use soymilk, because it tastes like soymilk, not cream. I won’t use coconut milk in something savory unless I want it to be a bit sweet. I won’t use nooch for everything. I won’t use Tofutti brand anything because that is just plain cheating. So, my options are limited. But I am trying to broaden them.

The thing I will use is nuts; cashews, pine nuts, almonds, sometimes walnuts. But I still try to be careful, because even though vegans know not to exactly expect cream when they hear the word cream, omnivores don’t. And I really, for the most part, try to make my recipes omnivore-friendly. This usually means not using the word cream at all, unless it’s a dessert thing where I completely cheat and use Earth Balance, but that’s another story.

So when I set out to make Tofu Paprikas in honor of my friend Jason Das’ Hungarian heritage, I was a little nervous. Paprikas is nothing if not creamy, and god am I sick of everything tasting like nutritional yeast. I knew that I was going to have to work with the dreaded tofu cream sauce.

Silken tofu is great for texture but the taste has ruined many an otherwise scrumptious sauce for me. Some people describe the taste as bean-y, but it just translates as bitter for me. At some point in working on Veganomicon I stumbled on a possible solution that I used in a couple of dips and sauces; Horseradish Dill Sourcream, Cilantro Cream and Creamy Kalamata Spread. If you look at the titles of those recipes I bet you can figure out what the trick it. I suppose it isn’t such a trick at all, it’s simply overpowering the tofu with flavors that are strong enough to cover up the bitter taste, basically beating the tofu into submission.

Another thing I learned is to use the silken tofu that comes in a fresh package (like Nasoya) and not the vacuum packed kind (like Mori-Nu). It has a better taste and the beaniness isn’t as apparant. I also prefer the texture. As a bonus, it’s easier to find.

Finally, it needs a little heat and a little sweet. No heat and it tastes like blended tofu. Too much heat and it tastes like rubber. I found that sauteeing garlic in oil and adding it still hot to the sauce gave just enough warmth, with a little wiggle room for a gentle heat through at serving time. And since sweetness counteracts bitterness, just a touch of agave or maple syrup will do the trick. Although I didn’t actually end up using any in this recipe because the sweetness of the onions worked wonders.

From looking at a few Paprikas recipes, I deduced that the dish was really rich, calling for not just cream but sourcream as well. I decided to toast a few pine nuts to blend into the sauce, not only because I have 5 pounds of pine nuts in my freezer but I thought that would give the sauce some body and “depth of flavor.”

Justin and I ended up really enjoying this, maybe a little too much as there were no leftovers. I honestly meant to save some that I could give to Jason the next day. He lives only a few blocks away so I could even have walked it over. But I didn’t! I would consider it a cream sauce success, although I think there are a few more things I’d like to try before I declare it perfect. It’s definitely good enough to share, though!

I made this with frozen thawed tofu for a chewier texture, and I really wanna’ get to the recipe so let me just quickly tell you what I do for frozen tofu. Freeze overnight then thaw on the counter the next day. Don’t heat it up to thaw, just leave it out. It usually takes 10 hours to thaw. Once completely thawed, wrap it in a kitchen table towel and press it overnight in the fridge. That makes it really nice and chewy but without the freezer burn, discolorization or sponginess sometimes associated with frozen tofu.

Click below for the recipe. And damn you VeganMoFo, for making me write so much!

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Broccoli Rabe, Capers and Garlic Pie

I’m not sure what I did before Pizza Plus. Wandered around the streets of Park Slope aimlessly, bumping into baby carriages, eavesdropping on home-owners’ tax conversations and the injustice of it all. But now my life has a point, and that point is Pizza Plus.

In the past I’ve been known to say things like “It melts. So what?” But Pizza Plus seems to have found the perfect melting point for Follow Your Heart Cheese. I feel like the Germans must have a phrase for this melting point because they have a phrase for everything. But it comes out of the oven drippingly hot, then cools down ever so slightly to become…well, cheese for lack of a better word.

Mushroom, Tomato and Basil Pie

Everyone who works there is really nice and Brooklyn accents are included. They also have a range of fresh, creative toppings. So far my favorite pies have been 1~ broccoli rabe, capers and garlic 2~pineapple, peppers and soy sausage 3~tomatoes, basil and mushroom (also with garlic cause that’s how I do.) And since it’s a real pizza place and not a vegan place they don’t completely rip you off. Yeah, I said it.

Call ahead to make sure they have soy cheese, just in case!

And down the block The Chocolate Girl serves vegan soft serve in chocolate dipped and sprinkled cones. Not quite chocolate-y enough for me, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Last week sometime I started working on menus for dead people. That is, what I would cook for people that I like who happen to be dead - if they were alive. Because sometimes I’ll take inspiration where ever I can get it. I was halfway through a cabbage gruel menu for Emma Goldman when I realized that there are people among the living who inspire me. People who might actually appreciate the recipes. People who might not live at the turn of the 20th century and live on cabbage and potatoes. And so this is the first of what I’m calling Virtual Dinner Dates.

Today’s dinner was inspired by Pattrice Jones. Chili Pumpkin Cranberry Risotto with Spicy Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. Pattrice mentioned liking chilies and cranberry and so that’s where the idea came from, but I also had a lot of chilies left over from last week’s Chile Fest and some dried cranberries that were like “Use me already!”

And chilies are very fitting for Pattrice, since she takes care of a bird sanctuary. Chili peppers were able to evolve as they have because birds’ taste receptors are immune to the heat of capsaicin, which is the compound that makes chili peppers hot. To them it’s just a big succulent berry. So if you’ve ever seen chili peppers in a bag of bird feed, that’s why. It’s not because of some sort of bird machismo. (Click here to hear how capsaicin is pronounced, it’s fun.)

Now, I’ll admit that the cranberries sound a little out of place - but they aren’t adding a strong cranberry taste, just a little bit of tanginess, along with the lime, to contrast with the nutty sweetness of the pumpkin. But this isn’t a sweet dish per se, it’s savory with the garlic, onion and pumpkin and pulled together with creamy coconut milk. Top it off with spicy, crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds to fancy it up. I always like to use the seeds from a pumpkin because it feels like you’re a survivalist using the whole animal.

Chili Pumpkin Cranberry Risotto with Spicy Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

3 lb sugar pumpkin, or any winter squash (butternut, kabocha, acorn, what have you)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced small
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
4 hot red chilies, seeded and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
5 cups vegetable broth, kept warm on the stove top
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (grate it fresh if you can)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
juice of one lime
1 teaspoon agave or pure maple syrup

For the pumpkin seeds, if using:
2 teaspoons paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon salt

First the pumpkin needs to be roasted. I would suggest doing this well in advance of preparing the risotto for two reasons. One, you’ll need it to cool down so you can peel and chop it. And two, that way it doesn’t seem like you’re cooking for so long and the actual risotto takes only about 35 minutes. If you’re using pumpkin you can also roast the seeds to use as a garnish. Yeah, you can roast the seeds of other squashes, I just don’t think they taste very good.

So. To prepare the pumpkin and seeds: Preheat oven to 350 F. Hack pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stringy bits with a tablespoon. Reserve the seeds and place them in a colander to clean. Lightly oil a baking sheet and place the pumpkin face down on sheet. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork, but not completely mushy. Once cooled, peel off the skin and chop pumpkin into bite sized pieces.

In the meantime, wash the pumpkin seeds and dry completely with a kitchen towel. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with a little olive oil, toss to coat. You can toast them in the oven while the pumpkin bakes, it usually takes about 15 minutes. Toss once or twice. Remove from oven and place in a bowl to cool. Once cooled, sprinkle with the spices to coat.

And now and only now, are you ready to actually start the risotto. Have your broth ready and warming on the stove before you begin.

Preheat a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, ginger and chilies in the oil for about 7 minutes, stirring often so you don’t burn it. Add the risotto and stir to coat with oil. Add wine to deglaze the pot, then add first cup of vegetable broth. Use a wooden spoon to stir until most of the water is absorbed. You don’t have to stir the entire time, just as frequently as you can stand.

Continue adding veggie broth then stirring a few more times, until only a cup of broth is left. When you’re at the last cup, add the pumpkin and cranberries and repeat stirring. When most of the liquid has absorbed, add salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and lime juice. Stir in coconut milk. Cook for about 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust salt. At this point you can also add a teaspoon or so of agave. This doesn’t make it sweet per se, it just enhances the natural sweetness of the squash and cranberries.

Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving, to let the flavors “marry.” Scoop into bowls and garnish with pumpkin seeds.

Terry and I demo’ed a recipe at the BBG Chile Fest yesterday and although rife with drama (or maybe because it was rife with drama) it was a good time. The first weird part was that there was no one to introduce us - a fend for yourself sort of thing. The second weird part was that it was outdoors and there was no amplification. So everyone was shouting for us to talk louder (mostly my mom that traitor!) and there were planes flying overhead.

I implore the masses to go vegan

At one point my pushy pregnant sister actually came up to the front, got up in my grill (no pun intended) and told us we had to talk louder and we had a big sister fight in front of everyone. Somehow Terry and I still managed to complete the recipe - Yucca Latkes with Chocolate Chile Mole and Apple Salsa. The samples we prepared ahead of time came out cold but that didn’t seem to stop anyone.

Anyway, I love the gardens and I it was great to be able to do the demo but from now on I am going to make sure that our demos have mics, because shouting and cooking is no fun. My spies told me that people were whispering “You can’t have Hannukah without eggs!” Yeah, just watch us!

Yucca Latkes with Chocolate Chile Mole and Apple Salsa