i have a serious brain disease. please bring me a cat.
Remember how awesome the World Vegan Bake Sale was this summer? What? You missed it??? Well, guess what, there’s going to be a bonus one this year to help Haiti.
When: Saturday, January 30, 2010
Time: noon – 4pm
Where: in front of Criminal Records in Little 5 Points [map]
Benefitting: Doctors Without Borders USA
Facebook: spread it around and find out how to participate as a baker if you’d like
We know Match Vegan Meats gives you a bunch of recipes to try on their website. But Match is also good for substituting in meaty recipes. If you happen to have some old family favorite you haven’t made since you turned vegan, try it with Match. It works best in recipes that bring flavor and don’t rely on the meat for the flavor.
This past week I did a little experimentation for a new sort-of-secret-but-not-really venture. The Australians seem to have down the idea of a meal wrapped up in easy to carry around pastry. The centerpiece seems to be the meat pie. So that’s the first thing I tackled. And I’m so happy with the result that I don’t think I’ll change a thing.
Sorry, I won’t be giving up a recipe on this one. But there are plenty of recipes out there to veganize. Have at it!
Atlanta’s vegan brunch options are definitely limited. Sometimes you need a place that vegans and omnivores alike can be happy. Stone Soup Kitchen can take care of everyone. Kevin and I even go there every once in a while just the two of us.
I usually get the Tofu Rancheros. Beans, tortillas, tofu, a bit if spicy. Yum!
Kevin got the blueberry cornmeal pancakes. I think he likes Soul Vegetarian pancakes better, but I like the cornmeal. They do have Earth Balance and soy milk for coffee, just ask.
Did we all survive another office holiday party season? For vegans, this usually sucks. If you’re lucky, you’ll get spaghetti with marinara or some sad steamed vegetables. Even at nice restaurants where you’d think the chef would have a little more pride. Just because we’re vegan doesn’t mean we lack taste buds.
My company doesn’t give a crap about the vegans that work here (no, I’m not the only one), so I don’t even bother going to work food events. Kevin’s company usually makes a pretty good effort. This year was really nice. The party was at The Mansion in Buckhead. Our entree was ravioli but the pasta part was celery root. The innards were tasty mushrooms. It came with various root veggies scattered around. Of course, I can’t remember what the sauce was, but it was good. See people, it’s not that freakin’ difficult!
Wait, didn’t I just blog a Thanksgiving feast? No, that was a Thanksgiving-themed feast. This here one was on actual Thanksgiving day! Totally different. This was a pretty small gathering of 3 couples, but we didn’t lack anything.
For my contribution, I baked because it’s what I do. I figured everyone would like ciabatta rolls, so I made some of those. There was also a maple walnut oat loaf made with white whole wheat. Kind of healthy but didn’t taste like it.
Somehow I didn’t get any pictures of the snickerdoodles I made. They were definitely a hit though. Who knew such a simple cookie could be so popular? The main dessert was this pumpkin cinnamon swirl cheesecake. Tasty, but I think I would have liked it a little denser. Others liked the fact that it was a little softer. It was perfectly set up though and cut and stayed together nicely. I forgot to swirl it though so it kind of looks like rock strata.
Here’s my plate of belt-loosening goodness, clockwise starting at 12: sweet potatoes with Dandies marshmallows, mac & cheese, Stuffed Hazelnut Cranberry Roast En Croute By Field Roast, dressing and mashed potatoes under the gravy, Match Vegan Meats holiday roast (this time the pre-made version), the maple walnut oat bread and green bean casserole in the center. There were also two cranberry sauces: the regular jelled canned kind and a home made cranberry pineapple sauce. I had to clear some space before I could get them on my plate though.
Both the roasts were great but different. A more traditional person might like the Match roast better. I really enjoyed the cranberries, apples and crystallized ginger in the Field Roast. But I know ginger is a strong flavor and can turn some people off.
I’ve been cruising the vegan blogs today checking out everyone’s holiday meals in between working and mopping up drool. As with vegan cheeses, how much does it rock that we have an actual assortment of holiday roasts to choose from now?