Wine Tasting Food Photos

We had a wonderful time with some new friends last night and thought I'd share the food we served.

 Marinated Mushrooms, a variation on the Cajun Mushrooms for my upcoming book, Grills Gone Vegan!

  

  Hummus 

Spinach and Artichoke Dip (a variation on the Cafe Spinach Dip from American Vegan Kitchen)

A variation on the  Movie Night Potato Skins (which I know call Double Stuffed Mini Spuds) from American Vegan Kitchen, accented with Shiitake Bacon (inspired by Plant)

Chinese "Chicken" Salad Cups, a variation on the recipe at Vegan.com

Garlic Scape Pesto and Grilled Eggplant Bruschetta Stacks (my favorite of the night)

Cupcakes from Vegan Sweet Tooth

Hope you had a great weekend, too. It's hard to believe it's June already! If you're having a heat wave, check out these refreshing summer drinks that can be made with or without alcohol. Happy Summer!

Noodlecat and the Future of Food Network Friday!

This past weekend, we had a family trip day and all headed to downtown Cleveland. One of the highlights was the West Side Market, where we picked up some fresh vegan pasta and learned that Orale frequently has vegan specials, not just on Tuesdays. Both are reasons to head back downtown soon.

Since we were adventuring, we went to Noodlecat, a new restaurant from Jonathan Sawyer of the Greenhouse Tavern. My dinner consisted of this tempura plate, which also came with a couple of tempura cakes. I love tempura and very, very rarely make it, so this was a treat. If you go, just be sure to mention you are vegan and you'll get a fantastic soy based dipping sauce. I also had this salad, the choy and soi, minus the egg. Even if I wasn't vegan, my food was definitely the best at the table.

On a totally unrelated note, I wanted to tell you the future of Food Network Friday. Kelly of Three and a Half Vegans is taking the project on and recreating it in a wonderful way. Each month will have a theme, possibly a chef or a tv show, or something all together different. You'll have a whole month to come up with a contribution for the Cookalong. I'm thrilled that Kelly is taking this on and look forward to participating. Thank you so much, Kelly!

I know it's not the weekend yet, but I hope you have a good one. If you're looking for some good grilling food, try the All-American Incrediburgers from American Vegan Kitchen or the Mushroom Barley Grillers over at One Green Planet. Don't miss the potato and pasta salads, or the cole slaw in American Vegan Kitchen, either. It's a big weekend for my Brit friends, too, as they are celebrating Eurovision, Go wild!

 (Also, if you haven't contacted me yet about winning Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!, please do. If I don't hear from you by Friday, I'll have to redraw.)

Vine and Dine: Blue Plate Special Wheat-Meat Loaf from American Vegan Kitchen

Yet another edition of Vine and Dine! It feels like this one came out of nowhere. I've got a feeling that I'm not the only one who felt that way. By request, the book we're featuring is American Vegan Kitchen! When it was suggested, I was both flattered and a wee bit uncomfortable. I decided the best way to go with it was to treat myself as I had other authors who graciously gave feedback on what wine they would choose with the meal. In this case, the dinner is the Blue Plate Special Wheat-Meat Loaf. Next up will the Tempeh Stroganoff-Stuffed Potatoes (June 18th) so be sure to check back. Let's get to it!

 Liz's version

First up, is Liz. Amazingly, this is one dish she didn't hit in testing for the book. For one of  her side dishes, Liz made proper British roasted potatoes which make my mouth water every time they come up in conversation. (It's surprisingly often, if you're wondering.) With the leeks, Liz's dish looks like the perfect blend of British and American, made all the better by Matthew's wine choice. Don't miss it!

 Vegan Aide's version

Next up, is Vegan Aide.  Unlike some of our Vine and Dines, this one was kid-approved. Why not, with mashed potatoes and gravy? For the wine, they went with an old favorite from Frey Vineyards. Or should I say "favorites"? Read more at Weekly Vegan Menu.

In2insight shifted up the recipe which really impresses me. How many of us really cook the recipe by the book? It's always fun to improvise and use what you have on-hand. His creation sounds wonderful and I would love to be a guest at his table. Then again, he had me at roasted potatoes and that spinach side. Two of my all-time favorites. Be sure to see his write-up on the meal here. 

 

In2Insight's version

As a match for this hearty meal, here's Jim.

We'd opt for 2008 L'Ecole 41 Merlot $26.00 +- in Ohio

L'Ecole 41 Columbia Valley, Washington. Now it's no big secret that we like Washington State wines.  They bring the American style of a blended Napa and Sonoma and when done well introduce an almost Bordeaux character. They are generally priced well and almost always delightful, especially those that are not mass-produced.  L'Ecole 41, when not grown on their estate, sources from vineyards that are in the 30-year old range. Older vines, better wines. This wine, which we've enjoyed on several occasions would  be a good match with it's smooth, round velvet tannins, black cherry and dark berries flavors, surrounded by an almost Christmas spice lingering aftertaste.  This is not an overwhelming merlot, but tastes like a comfort wine, making it a good match for this very comforting dish. 

It's taken me a while to come to this conclusion, but after Tempeh Stroganoff-Stuffed Potatoes, both Vine and Dine and Food Network Friday will be going on sabbatical. I'm not sure if we'll be bringing them back or not, but it feels it is time to let these two projects go. Thank you very much to all of you who have cooked along and made it so much fun.

In the  meantime, scroll back a few posts and enter the contests!

Happy Birthday to the Sandwich! Win a Book!

Even a hardcore sandwich enthusiast like me was surprised to learn that today is the birthday of the sandwich! Who knew? Well, Celine Steen, co-author of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day knew, that's who.

Want to know a bit more about the sandwich and how it came to be? Here's a bit of background that we cut from the book, but is too much fun not to share.

"It may come as a surprise that the term “sandwich” comes from a shady and corrupt past. The 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, was a very wealthy and opinionated aristocrat. According to history, he was opposed to any kind of democratic thinking and greatly disliked the general public. A good friend of the King, Montagu was also the Chief Admiral of England’s Navy, a job he was ill-equipped to manage. Some historians say this inability had a profound impact on the Colony’s victory in the American Revolution.

In his free time, he was also the Executive Officer of the Hell Fire Club, a group of Satan worshipers. A notorious gambler in his spare time, Montagu simply couldn’t be bothered to leave the card table. By requesting his food be served to him between two slices of bread (and at the table), he managed to keep one hand free to continue to play cribbage and other card games. Other avid gamblers saw this as an advantage and started ordering ‘the same as Sandwich.” Although this man went down in history as being despicable, it is thanks to him that we call a sandwich a sandwich."

Now for a contest and a sandwich to go with that tidbit!  Food first: that's the muffaletta from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day. Hey, Mom, if you're reading this, it's the sandwich we are having at the picnic tomorrow.

Even though the book isn't out yet, we couldn't resist celebrating such an important day. Sure, our party isn't as big as this two-dayer in England, but two lucky readers can win a copy  of our book once it's out. Tell me something (anything!) in the comments about sandwiches for a chance to win. The winners will be chosen randomly on Friday, May 18th.  American shipping only, please. For yet another chance to win, pop over to Celine's blog. 

And if you're in the mood to enter, enter this contest to win a free package of the Vegg! 

Update: The contest is closed! Congratulations to CB and Basil. I'll try to contact you for your mailing addresses, but if you don't hear from me, please email me!  Thanks to all who entered! 

Celebrating Julia with the JC100 and a Contest!

Just about everyone knows Julia Child, and those of us who love to cook have much to appreciate about her. This year would be the 100th birthday of this extraordinary woman and culinary pioneer. Because of that, there is a special Julia Child project celebrating Julia and her contributions. Read more about the project here. I'll give you the short version: it's full of one-hundreds. 100 Restaurants, bookstores, chefs, bloggers, and others are joining in to celebrate Julia. The goal is to raise 1 million voices of appreciation.

 In Julia Child's kitchen at the Smithsonian

For the participating bloggers, the publisher (and originator of the project) is releasing one recipe a week up until August 15th, Julia's birthday. I was ecstatic about being asked to take part by cooking one or more of these recipes. I jumped in with both feet.


The first recipe is her Rolled Omelette. I've never really been a fan of omelets, but I wasn't about to let that stop me from tackling this. In fact, I used it as an excuse to order the Vegg. Making omelets as a vegan is a whole different ballgame than as an omnivore. I combined tofu, Vegg, nondairy milk, miso, mustard and more to make my vegan Rolled Omelette Aux Fines Herbes with a mushroom, shallot and thyme filling. It's not a thing of beauty, but it was delicious. According to Julia, an omelette should be a "tender and creamy inside." With that in mind, and the terrific taste, I consider this less than beautiful take on her recipe a success.

By they way, when I ordered the Vegg, I thought of you. I got a second package to give away in a contest. To enter the contest, all you have to do is leave a comment here with a story, thought, a lesson you learned from Julia, or even just a mention of her name. This contest is open to U.S. shipping only and the winner will be drawn by random on Friday, May 18th. Good luck!

To keep up with the latest JC100 happenings, follow these links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JuliaChild

Tumblr: http://jc100.tumblr.com/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/knopfbooks/jc100/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JC100 

According to Julia, "Learning to make a good omelette is entirely a matter of practice. Do one after another for groups of people every chance you get for several days and even be willing to throw some away. You should soon develop the art, as well as your own personal omelette style." So if you see me coming with my omelet pan, you'd better be hungry.

Please note: I hate censoring, but will do so if mean-spirited, judgmental people feel it necessary to comment on my blog. I will not be dragged into your small-minded bickering, so you might as well not post. This is about celebrating Julia Child, remember?

5/17 Update! Congratulations, Nikki! Please email me your mailing address, and I'll get this Vegg on the way to you. I don't see any way to contact you, so I especially hope to hear from you. Thanks to all who entered!

Brunch and a New Project

We recently had some friends over for brunch, and that is the plate full of food to prove it. In working on the whole grain baking book with Celine, I'm amazed at how pale baked goods made with all-purpose flour are. I don't see myself using it much in the future at all, because the whole grains are so much more flavorful. Still, they are good for company. Especially when some of the company isn't even vegan. Baby steps, you know! So around the plate, we've got tempeh burritos ranchero (recipe coming soon), broccoli quiche, fruit, a cinnamon roll, and roasted potatoes.

Yes, I said new project! I'm excited to be celebrating the 100th birthday of Julia Child. She was such a strong and influential kitchen force. Each week between now and August 15th (her birthday), the JC100 will be releasing a recipe and encouraging a cook along. Be sure to come back for the next post, where I will be cooking a vegan version of a Julia Child classic. And giving you the chance to win a new vegan product.

Don't forget Vine and Dine is coming up. This go-around we are focusing on American Vegan Kitchen. The first cookalong features the Blue Plate Special Wheat Meat Loaf. Wrap up is May 14th, but I hope you come back before then!

Plant: Asheville's Finest

My recent post featured some fantastic foods from our trip to Asheville, but I saved the best of the best for it's own post. We had the opportunity to meet the awesome John P for brunch at Plant.

 First up: A cinnamon roll for the table. This is what I call a great start.

My biscuit and sausage sandwich, which was far greater than the sum of it's parts. And those are white cheddar cheezy grits on the side, which I fell in love with on first taste. Yes, that would be my first taste of grits as I think they should be. Now I see what all the fuss is about. The biscuit was so light and tender and the creole sauce and vegetables were wonderful with the sausage.

Jim had the scramble, which was perfectly seasoned and even had greens. My kind of scramble. It came with terrific home fries, sausage with gravy, and a small salad. Of special note: Jim didn't use any salt or pepper. It was that big and bold!

We also had a trio of ice cream flavors for dessert. The peanut butter was my very favorite.

As you can tell, we loved Plant. So much that we went back for dinner on the last night of our trip. We started with the Cheese plate, which John P had recommended. It's only on the dinner menu, and is elegant and delicious. House-made cheese, of course.

We followed that with the Flame and Herb Seitan Skewer with fried banana (this tasted caramelized) and chardonnay salt. Jim hates bananas and liked it here and  in the ice cream. It was very impressive and made it even harder to choose our entrees. Most of you probably know that as vegans, we're not used to many options in restaurants. Besides that, it was our last night which ups the ante (and caused the two appetizers!).

Jim went with the Berger and wonderful Truffle Fries. It came with horseradish mayo (yum!) and onion tumbleweed. The burger had great taste, but could have been a tiny bit firmer. I admit to having a thing about texture, so this is probably just me nitpicking.The rest of his dinner was terrific.

I had the Peppercorn Crusted Seitan, truffled cauliflower, grilled broccolini, tomato and wine sauce, and shiitake bacon. Every component of this email exceeded my expectations. And I mean by leaps and bounds. I'm thinking the seitan is house-made (unconfirmed at this time)  has the best texture of any seitan I've ever had. It is better than Ray's. Even if it''s not house-made, Chef Jason gave it star treatment with a flavorful, crisp, and delicate coating. I don't even like truffle oil and I loved the cauliflower, as well as Jim's fries. Clearly the Chef knows when to hit hard and when to step back a little. I'm convinced there is some trick to the grilled broccolini, but have no idea how to crack the code. It was so much more than just grilled. The sauce? Well, it was just perfect. And shiitake bacon?!?!? I had that on my grits and determined at that time that I'd love to make it a staple in my home.

 At this point, we're about ready to roll out of the restaurant, but when offered a glance at the dessert menu, well, we had to just take a look. Tempted to order one of everything, we negotiated down to the the cranberry apple pie. This is a personal favorite combo of mine, and one that I have a recipe for in our upcoming baking book (the one that is co-authored with Celine Steen). The crust was flaky, the filling was just right, and the sauce really made the dish.

On the way home, Jim and I were discussing all the meals we'd had and what the highlights were. When I asked what his favorite meal was, there was no hesitation before he said "Yours, at Plant." Of course, I agree. Other don't miss foods were the tempehalo wings at Rosetta's, the banh mi and jalapeno onion fries at Laughing Seed, and the olive oil chocolate cake at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge.

My only regret about Plant is that I didn't get to try the Reuben. Next time! If you are in the area and plan to visit, I'd suggest making reservations. When we were there on Sunday for brunch, we asked about Tuesday for dinner. While they had no reservations at that time, there wasn't a table to be had by the time we left. They were also packed for the Sunday brunch. Make reservations so you won't miss out.

I'm eagerly anticipating our next trip to Asheville. Thank you for sharing your immense culinary talents with us, Chef Jason.

Update (5/13): The seitan is Ray's. Thanks to Jackie Smith for finding out.