SoCo Treats

Saturday, Katie and I bummed around South Congress doing a little shopping, looking and eating. We popped into Cissi's Market which has all kinds of yummy treats, including some garish sugar cookies that are actually divine. They served them at the docent holiday party last week, and I would say they are possible the best I've ever had.

After walking up and down the street, we decided that a slice from Home Slice would hit the spot. I love Home Slice and I think it's some of the best pizza in town. (Queen of Pies!) I know I'm not alone with these thoughts or any sort of foodie prophet. My only complaint is that everyone KNOWS it's great pizza, so it's always super crowded. Oh well, worth the wait for cold beer and hot pizza. I had a slice of cheese and a slice of margherita.

On the way back to the car, we checked out Big Top Candy Shop, the new candy destination from folks who run Monkey See Monkey Do. What will you find at Big Top? Piles and piles of every kind of candy you could possible want. Piles. I resisted, but I'll be back. AND they have a soda fountain.

Mangez!

Primizie! Grazie!

Last week, I entertained some guests of the museum at Primizie, a new Italian eatery on east 11th street. Primizie has been running a successful catering company in the city for several years and I guess decided to try their hand at a storefront location.

The decor is modern and simple, but made very warm with the inclusion of wood and other natural materials in the mix. It's slightly cavernous, and while it wasn't busy the evening we were there, I can imagine that it would get rather loud if the space were full. They don't take reservations, but we didn't have any problems with our party of six on a Thursday night. They have a very relaxed 'sit anywhere' policy with the hostess, which always seems to add a little pressure to the diner, especially if you haven't been to the space before. Service was attentive and good for the most part, but our waiter didn't relay the specials (written on a chalkboard far too small for our table to read) until we had been seated for quite a while. They have an interesting wine list and a very full menu.

To start, I had the roasted vegetable salad which was deliciously dressed in a light, but flavorful mixture of oils, vinegars and herbs. It was far more than one person could eat, so I suggest sharing. I especially enjoyed the addition of cauliflower to the mix, and the eggplant was the perfect texture.

For my main course, I was torn between the gnocchi with chanterelles, sweet corn and brown butter sauce and the goat cheese and chive stuffed ravioli in an olive butter. Ultimately, I chose the ravioli and it was delicious. All of their pasta is house made, so the raviolis were large, loosely shaped with a toothy, fresh texture complementary to the filling. The bread they serve on the side is slightly strange, but garlicky with a little crunch of salt--kind of like thick, Italian tortillas.

I didn't stay for dessert, but the offerings were certainly tempting.

Primizie Osteria – Italian Café and Wine Bar
1000 E. 11th Street
Austin, TX 78702
512.236.0088

Protein 2000

When Molly was visiting, we took her to eat at Veggie Heaven, a hole-in-the-wall restaurant on the Guadalupe strip. Is hole-in-the-wall right? At VH, it's definitely not about the decor, which is a strange mishmash of posters, wall art and calendars. It's about yummy Asian food that is completely veggie friendly.

As we perused the menu, which is replete with photographs of every entree, food for the table next to ours was delivered. They had two orders of a half broccoli and half something that looked like breaded meat in some sort of sauce. It looked good. It smelled yummy. A quick perusal of the photo-friendly menu revealed they were eating Protein 2000. I ordered it. It was good. It was very good. And I noticed everyone around me was eating it. It seemed the whole restaurant had ordered Protein 2000.

What is Protein 2000, you ask? The VH menu describes the dish as, "vegetable proteins made of soybeans in a slightly sweet brown sauce with broccoli, garlic, and onions." But what's with the silly name? No idea. Of course, thoughts do turn to Soylent Green, the Charlton Heston 'classic' where the food source turns out to be people. (It's people! Soylent green is people!) But since VH is run by a 'cult' of vegetarian practitioners, we can assume that Protein 2000 is not people.

That's right, VH is run by Falun Gong practitioners, which you probably know because of their persecution by the Chinese government. They are seen by many, including experts in the West, as a cult with questionable practices for followers. But, they run a great restaurant! And you know how I love a cult-run restaurant.

I think they are putting something in that Protein 2000 though. If not, why the strange, futuristic name? And why is everyone ordering it? And why do I think about it all the time and wonder when I am going to get some more Protein 2000? Why have Thursdays become Protein 2000 day?

Today, Katie and I met for lunch at Veggie Heaven and I ordered the Protein 2000 without even looking at the menu. I don't have answers to any of the questions lingering over my plate, but I am going to stop asking them, set back and enjoy my meal. That is what the Protein 2000 is telling me to do.

Mangez!

Tiffwich?

If you are lucky enough to live or work in Central Austin and have someone who really, truly loves you then you have probably had a big box of warm cookies delivered by Tiff's Treats. These freshly backed cookies are delicious and come in all the classic flavors: chocolate chip, white chocolate chip and almond, butterscotch chip, peanut butter, M&M, sugar, oatmeal raisin and oatmeal chocolate chip. Every flavor is amazing and great with a glass of cold milk, just like when you were a kid.

BUT not on the on-line menu is a special treat too good to be true, the Tiffwich: a big slab of Blue Bell Ice Cream (the best ice cream in the country) sandwiched between the warm, Tiff's Treat cookies of your choice. Sound fantastic? It is. Warm and gooey, cool and creamy, the Tiffwich is THE treat for summer. Sadly, they can't deliver the Tiffwich so you have to stop by the store to get your ice cream sandwich made-to-order.

Special.

Just for you.

Because you've been good.

Mangez!

Not starving...

...but a little busy. Plus some technical difficulties. Here's a whirlwind update of some fun food things that happened in the past few months:

My friend Gabrielle left Austin for a new job at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Everyone in the office got together for a farewell bash at the house. My "contributation" was dessert: a three layered confection of chocolate cake and two different mousses.


Kristina and Gabrielle the night of the fond farewell.


I call it, "Chocolate au Gabrielle." It was inspired by a recipe I saw in a magazine and involved baking a double recipe of the Everyday Chocolate Cake in a 9x13 pan. From that, I cut circles with a biscuit cutter and wrapped them in strips of parchment paper. Then, I piped layers of dark and light chocolate mousse and topped with whipped cream. Sounds mighty rich? It was.

Over Labor Day weekend (yes, I'm that far behind!), I was in Holland, MI at the Monahan Compound. I had to work on Friday night and didn't get in until late on Saturday, but John, David and I still made dinner on Sunday night. John made a red sauce and I used to build a lasagna. We collaborated on a white chocolate raspberry tiramisu that was a perfect ending.


John adds the secret ingredient to his special sauce: a silly glance. I have the recipe somewhere and will post as soon as I find it. Of course, I'll probably be dead after John sees this picture, but oh well! It's not like its a photo of a giant bruise on someone's butt. You'll have to scroll down to see that!


The white chocolate raspberry tiramisu. Actually, I usually refer to it as Terrible Sue. The recipe started with one from Giada De Laurentiis, to which we added melted white chocolate to the whipped cream. It was out of site. John has prepared it again and I am going to in the very near future. Promise.

I also spent some time in Chicago with my friends Michael, Ryan and Emily. Ryan and I had breakfast at Victory's Banner, which is vegetarian restaurant run by sari-wearing cult members. I LOVE a restaurant run by a cult, because you always get great service! Anyway, their leader lifts people. That's just what he does.


Breakfast at Victory's Banner with some of the best eggs you will every taste and, of course, fake bacon.

Leslie's mom Lorna who I met over the summer sent me a wonderful stack of cookbooks from her collection. How did she part with them? I certainly don't know, but I really appreciated the package. (Did I send a note? If not, THANK YOU Lorna! Hope to see you in Austin soon.)


I found the charm book and etiquette book at the thrift store, the rest were gifts from Lorna and Mitchell.

For our first holiday party in Austin, we planned a giant bash with lots of appetizer and a punch bowl full of pomegranate champagne punch. Dessert was an array of dippers and chocolate fondue. Everyone made ornaments for the tree and I had a great time. I thought the food turned out perfect, but the thing I was most proud of was the giant serving piece I concocted from the table: a metal pot holder that Mitchell retrofitted to hold plates!


The tree, in all of its glory.


The table, laden with all kinds of savory treats and a very festive punch.


These pictures just don't do my giant server justice. You had to be there. You SHOULD have been there.


Dessert. An array of dippers for a delicious chocolate fondue.


Plates at the ready.


Everyone making ornaments and enjoying the food.


More ornament making.


David and Danette converse in the kitchen.


Some more peeps partying.

For my birthday, we had a potluck. Everyone brought something delicious and we put two tables together to form a giant one and ran every candlestick in the house down the middle: not enough to equal my age, but still quite a statement.


The candles down the center of the table. I think there were twenty-three.


Birthday fun.

Remember the diva chickens? They are a laying! Joel and Kay brought us some of their bounty: beautiful blue eggs with a rich, yellow yolk. I poached them for breakfast. Superb!


These eggs are a beautiful blue that doesn't quite photograph.


But the yolks. You get the picture? Super fresh eggs from friends. What could be better?


Poached on an English muffin with a little cheese and sausage on the side? A great breakfast. The cinnamon rolls are the orange bliss rolls from Whole Foods and they will certainly make your morning.

Are your eyes full? Is your mind brimming with ideas? I'm glad to be caught up...a little.

Mangez!

Veggie BBQ?

You betcha, ya'll. Just because I'm vegetarian doesn't mean I don't like BBQ. Of course, being vegetarian and eating BBQ don't really go hand in hand. You really have to work at it.



Bush's makes wonderful vegetarian bbq beans that often soothe the craving and I also make veggie sloppy Joe's with my mother's recipe, which is sort of BBQ. I love the beans with a side of potato salad and some sort of yummy, veggie protein.

Of course, when I really HAVE TO HAVE BBQ I just nuke a Gardenburger BBQ Riblet. I am always telling people about how good these are and they think I'm crazy. Shaped like the McRib of your youth, the GB riblet has a great sauce and a wonderful texture. I could eat them almost everyday. But, vegetarian BBQ fans in Austin, have I got news for you:



Jo's Hot Coffee (on South Congress and now with a groovy little cafe on the hyper-chic 2nd street that has a slightly expanded menu) serves a Vegetarian BBQ sandwich. The lightly sauced wheat roast (seitan) is served on a soft, square bun and topped with crunchy cole slaw. You can add a side of the house-made fries for $1. Next time, I'll ask for some extra sauce because I thought it could have used a little more liquid, but otherwise no complaints. The sandwich is large, tasty and will satisfy any craving for BBQ. (Friends had the grilled cheese which was also delicious and Jo's also serves two other veggie choices.) In addition, you can get a Frito pie topped with the wheat roast (I'll try this next time) for a sublime treat.



Mangez!

Somebody Say Pie?

If you want good pizza in Austin, it's not hard to find. I'm personally very partial to Mangia's Chicago-style stuffed crust. Usually, I choose wheat crust and get a spinach pie which has just a touch of nutmeg. Other times, it might be tomatoes with onion. Delicious and divine, a small will yield leftovers. I feel lucky too, because the one up north delivers to the house.

If I want to go out for pizza then I head to Home Slice Pizza, the queen of pies, on South Congress. HS serves up delicious slices, beer and tiramisu. Their waitstaff is great with lots of personality and I am always happy to sit at a big table with friends, fold up a slice and munch away.



This past week I purchased a nice-sized bucket of Italian-made buffalo mozzarella. Creamy and smooth, I made a caprese salad and was wondering what else I might use it in. Well, combined with the basil I'd bought to make the salad, a pizza seemed more than obvious so I stopped at Central Market and bought a pizza crust from the bakery for a whole TWO DOLLARS. I think it might be the cheapest thing in the store. Anyway, I topped the crust with tomato sauce, crushed red pepper and slices of the cheese and baked it for about 10 minutes. The crust came out perfect perfect, a thin crispy bottom with lightly textured top. Dinner was ready in no time and the CM crust is now my kitchen secret...but go ahead and use it.



Mangez!

To the Dogs!

One of my favorite places to eat in Austin, if not my favorite, is Dog Almighty. Saturday night we went with April, Paul and Jennie and it was a blast. DA serves up a variety of dogs, Frito pie, hand-dipped corndogs, excellent fries and fantastic onion rings. The plus side. They will do anything on the menu vegetarian. Anything. Hence the love.



I've tried just about everything but the Frito pie. I always say, "Next time I'll get that," but I usually end up staying with a hot dog. My choice: the Veggie Classic (award-winning veg chili, onions and mustard) on a wheat bun without cheese. Fries, onion rings and tater tots in rotation on the side. And don't forget the Orange Fanta!



Not only does Dog Almighty satisfy in a major way, but they also entertain. There are books for the kiddies, foosball and ping pong. Dessert? One dollar twist cones. One dollar twist cones. So nice I said it twice.

DA is located in the courtyard of the farmers market on Burnet and well worth the trip if you don't live close by. Plus, they do catering. They will bring one of the New York-style hot dog stands right to you and serve delicious, hot dogs to everyone around you.

There isn't a rating system here at bYb, but if there were rest assured Dog Almighty would get the highest score.

Mangez!

California

Mitchell, April and Leslie (before the luggage was lost).

I spent the July 4th holiday with Mitchell and our friends April and Leslie in Marina del Rey, but have been too busy to sit down and put pen to paper (or rattle the keys on the keyboard as the case may be.). It was a wonderful trip--the perfect balance of fun activities/outings and sitting around reading, talking or just relaxing.


Getting ready for dinner in the courtyard on our first evening.

Leslie's aunt Mona was very generous and let us stay with her for the entire weekend. She lives in an adorable house with a fantastic courtyard that is only steps from the beach. The consummate hostess, she greeted us with vodka lemonades which we drank in the courtyard while soaking in the sun as fast as we could.


Hanging out in the courtyard.

Learning at the Getty.

Resting at the Getty. (Hey Leslie. TYB. To your right. GOTCHA!)

April and Leslie enjoy a MAJOR mangorita at Baja Cantina.

My dinner: enchiladas with mole sauce and a veggie chimichanga.

Leslie's parents Doug and Lorna came in on Saturday and we had a wonderful time with them exploring the Getty and going to dinner at a great place just down the street called Baja Cantina. The mango margaritas were fantastic, as was the food, and we all had a wonderful meal before walking around the canals of Venice, oogling the huge and expensive homes that surround it.


Dinner in the courtyard with Sean, Doug, Lorna, Mo and Sian. (Yes, that is champagne in the foreground!)

Auntie Mona looks on as Mitchell and Leslie dance. (more champagne? but of course.)

Leslie and Lorna bare footin'!

Mmm. I don't even have to tell you.

Monday night Lorna stuffed us all to the gills with tortellini in a tomato cream sauce, salad and grilled French bread. Dessert was a delectable slice of grilled pineapple with a scoop of ice cream. And dancing. Once the sun went down, there was a lots of dancing and more dancing to any and all music we could find.


The courtyard was packed on the 4th, but we had a reserved table

Of course, July 4th was the highlight of the trip and everyone outdid themselves preparing more food than the guests could possibly eat. Leslie's sister Sian and brother-in-law Mo came in with lots of friends in addition to Mona's friends and other relatives. Lunch was hotdogs, black bean patties a la Leslie, potato salad and all of the wonderful fixings. Dinner was lasagna, salad and bread with an herbed butter Sian made. Dessert was a table laden with cakes, cookies and candies. As the sun went down, we scrambled to the beach to watch the fireworks all over the sky. A perfect evening. A perfect day. A wonderful trip.


Trader Joe's Haul

And what is a wonderful trip without grocery shopping? Grocery shopping, you ask? Of course I go grocery shopping when I'm on vacation. Anyone who lives in a city where there is not a Trader Joe's and visits a city where there is a Trader Joe's and returns home without a shopping bag full of goodies as their carry-on is a fool. A fool I say! I always stock up on TJ chocolate because it's so wonderful and affordable, but this time I also got korma sauce, tortellini, mole, chili-lime cashews, several jellies and much more. Lorna even sent me home with a some tapenade and a bruscheta spread from TJ that we didn't use over the weekend. Isn't she sweet?!

Thank you Mona for the wonderful weekend at your home! Thank you Lorna for all of your wonderful food! Thank you Doug and Sian for driving us to and fro!

Mangez!

Disappointment

On Sunday, I've been going to the monster Whole Foods downtown to read the paper and have something eat. I enjoy it because there are a myriad of choices--almost too many. Some days I have a fruit smoothie and coffee and other days I choose a pastry form the case. Their donuts are strangely delicious: about an inch and a half thick with a texture somewhere between a cake donut and a convential glazed. Regardless, I always find something to suit my mood.

Today I decided to hit the breakfast taco stand, imagining what Whole Food, purveyor of all things fresh and amazing, might do with this wonderful and ubiquitous Austin breakfast staple. To begin, the taco maker was not exactly pleasant, but it was early on Sunday morning so who can really fault that? I ordered a potato, egg and cheese with some salsa and he quickly assembled my taco in a very determined method which involved wrapping the paper tightly around the taco and a sticker to keep it closed. I made my way to a table, opened the newspaper and unwrapped my taco.

First bite? Um, not the best tortilla in the world.

Second bite? Not even close to warm. Cold eggs and cold potatoes.

Third bite? Salty, salty potatoes that overpowered everything else.

Fourth bite? Tomato-heavy salsa without much kick or flavor. Pace would have been better.

End result: worst breakfast taco in Austin. Shame on you, Whole Foods. Shaaaame.

Mangez?

Elsi's for Breakfast

The search for wonderful breakfast tacos continues--I just can't get enough. I've sampled tacos here and there and there are a lot of good ones. But, my friend Angie turned me onto the veggie chorizo and egg breakfast tacos from the coffee shop just down the street from work. It turns out, they buy them from Elsi's, a Mexican/Salvadorian place, which is pretty close to the house.

Last month, I finally went and checked out the actual restaurant and am now completely addicted and there about every week. The veggie chorizo and egg are just spicy enough and served in a flour tortilla that is slightly crispy on the outside. In addition to the wonderful tacos, Elsi's also serves delicious pancakes that have a thin crust surrounding a light, fluffy interior. They also brew regular, cinnamon and Salvadorian coffee, which is supposed to be super strong. Best news: it's completely affordable.

6601 Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78756
512-454-0747
Mon-Sat 7AM-9PM
Sun 8AM-9PM



Mangez!

Food I Will Miss in Wichita

I'm officially moved from Wichita and on the way back to Austin was thinking about what I would miss (besides all of my wonderful friends!) and the list was pretty food oriented:

1. The Friday special at Byblos: lentil pilaf. It's so unbelievable good
2. The Nifty Nut House, I think you all know I how I feel, but if not it's all right here.
3. Those green cookies (pistachio) at N&J.
4. The bread pudding (and soup) at Tanya's Soup Kitchen, even thought its been closed for years.
5. Dinner at my house with friends

Mangez!

Food Food and Food

As predicted, Austin is a wonderful place to eat. And eat. And eat some more. I haven't been cooking much for myself, since I've been busy trying to get settled, but I have been exploring some of the great restaurants, grocery stores and eateries around town.



My friend Kris (aka Rakka) over at glitter pissing was excited to find the Flaming Hot Cheetos with LIMON when she moved to Seattle and told me that she had also had them in Austin. Visiting my local HEB, I found a gigantic display of them right inside the door. I wasn't steered wrong, let me tell you. These are Cheetos plus BAM and then coated in YUM.



Likewise, at a visit to the local Alamo Drafthouse, which is a theater where you can order a beer and dinner from your seat, I discovered Ace Pear Cider-brewed in Sonoma County. I had a pear cider in Washington state a couple of years ago, and since have found nothing that could compare. THIS cider was right on par and is perfect with Asian food or probably even a cheese course.

Dining out has been fun, because there are so many vegetarian options wherever I go. Just down the street is Mother's Cafe and Garden which I had mentioned being very excited about visiting. I can't seem to get over the excitement of being in a city with a plethora of vegetarian options--coming from a city of so few. What I love about Mother's so far? Chips and salsa for the table, bbq tofu sandwich and of course the wonderful veggie burger that Jennifer said is the best. All of it, so far, has been wonderful. My friend David was in town weekend before last and we had brunch there as well. The migas is wonderful, but David was disappointed that they had no jam, jelly or preserves for his toast. None?

Also close by is Asti, which is a tad expensive and very meat based. I ordered a dish of ziti, which had the option of adding sausage that I declined. I suppose I should have read the description more closely, because it comes with pancetta AND you also add sausage. Ick. But, they do have a nice array of antipasto and a wonderful wine list. I ordered a glass of prosecco to start, but it had just arrived so the waiter substituted a more expensive glass of French champagne instead. Grazi!

Other good meals at Veggie Heaven and Dog Almighty, which will do anything on the menu vegetarian, including Frito pie. Wonderful. Many (many, many) other places to explore.

Mangez!

Respite

Last week I had a nice little vaca in Chicago/Michigan, the highlight of which include a concert with Tori Amos; Paris photo exhibition at the AIC (not the Toulouse-Lautrec. blech! not blech on T-L, but the exhibition was just boring.); a weekend at Margaret's family's lake house with a whole gaggle of fun people; thrift shopping with Michael, Ryan and Emily; and dinner at Green Zebra (more below). It was nice to leave all of the stress and disorder of packing and moving behind for a couple of days and just....relax.

At the lake house, which is in Holland, Michigan right on the edge of the faucean (faux+ocean=faucean) that is Lake Michigan, everyone pitches in to cook. There is always plenty of sweets, some salting things and more than the crew could possibly eat in three days. On Saturday night, there was some sort of pork on the grill and fresh corn from the farmers markets, plus new potatoes, and Tracy's Asian salad. Sean made a fun Champagne cocktail that was pretty as well as delicious.



I made some peanut noodles that we munched on for the weekend as well as pecan crispies, which are my favorite cookie, despite the fact that they contain no chocolate. Sunday night, John and I cooked a classic southern menu that included mac 'n cheese; Oklahoma hushpuppies (okra fritters); tomato salad; cucumbers in vinegar and fried zucchini. We started with pimento cheese which I molded into the State of Texas per Christine's creative suggestion. For dessert, it was Sex in a Pan, which is the name my college friends gave to one of my mom's classic dessert she calls Four Layer Pie. It really is that good.



Back in Chicago and running around with Michael and Ryan, I had one my favorite dishes from the newly remodeled Joy's Noodles and Rice in Lakeview: Phuket Noodles. I've never seen these on another menu and can't manage to track down a recipe, but they are comprised of delicious spinach noodles, vegetables and tofu in a yellow curry. MMMMM.

Tuesday night we went to Green Zebra which is the new restaurant by Shawn McClain, chef of Spring, and has a vegetable focused menu. It's the reversal of most menus in that it has one or two meat-based dishes and the rest are vegetarian. There are three small-plate course to choose from, which progress from light to heavy, each involving a unique twist on fine ingredients. I started with the avocado panna cotta which was rich and heavenly and topped with spicy, sweet onions. My second course was the crispy sweet potato dumplings in a dandelion miso broth which was followed by the grilled mushrooms with polenta. We each tasted the other's choices and the stand outs were the inside-out coconut spring rolls (not on the on-line menu), the blue-cheese cake and the....let's face it, everything was very good and aesthetically presented. It is a little costly and not somewhere you would eat every week, but well worth a visit. On-line reviews remarked that the service was spotty, which we didn't find to be the case until we were ready to pay the bill. Where do those waiters go once your credit card is on the table?

Returning home, I have a lot of food memories to comfort me as I pack and move.

Recipe: Champagne cocktail


Recipe: Sex in a Pan, aka Four Layer Pie
This is one of my mother's classic desserts. In addition to the chocolate version, she also make lemon and banana. Often, I would return to school from home with a pan of this to share with friends who thought it was so good they dubbed "sex in a pan." It is very good, but it should be pointed out that most of them were virgins.

Crust, Layer One:
1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cut together with knives or a pastry cutter and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown.

Layer Two:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
6-7 oz. Cool Whip
1 cup powdered sugar

In a big, yellow bowl, mix together all three ingredients and spread on top of COOLED crust.

Layer Three:
One large chocolate Jell-O pudding mix, COOLED.

Layer Four:
6-7 ounce Cool Whip.

Chill and garnish with additional chopped pecans, chocolate shavings, etc.

Recipe: Pimento Cheese Spread
This version of the recipe is from Frank Stitt's Southern Table, but you can't go wrong with your own combination of cheddar cheese, mayo (John insists on Miracle Whip, which has a sharper flavor, but its all about preference) and pimentos. The cream cheese in this version is a nice addition.

1 lb. yellow cheddar, grated
1/4 lb. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. white pepper
3 roasted bell peppers from a jar, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup mayo or Miracle Whip
1 tsp. sugar
Splash of hot sauce
1/8 tsp. cayenne

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Serve with celery stick or crackers. It also makes a wonderful sandwich filling, especially on toasted bread.

Mangez!

Dining in Madison

Mitchell, Barb and I escaped the hot, humid climes of Kansas for a long weekend in Madison, WI to visit our friends Jessie and Dave. It was my first trip and we had a wonderful time and consumed lots of great food. Here are the highlights:

We had breakfast on Saturday at the Monty's Blue Plate Diner, which served a fantastic breakfast, plus had pies of all sorts and array of vegetarian sandwiches. These included a bar-b-qued seitan sandwich and the Sheldon, Reuben's vegetarian cousin which we sampled later in the trip. The decor was fun and kitschy, with kettles, blenders and other kitchen gadgets outfitted with neon.



For dinner, it was slightly more exotic fare as we sampled east African delights at Buraka. Barb had a Dark & Stormy, which was spiced rum in ginger beer, setting her off on the trail for the best ginger in Wisconsin. (We sampled several before the trip was over) Jessie had a Tusker beer, the flavor of which was a little je n'ais sai quoi? The label, however, was fabulous. Wanting to sample everything, I ordered a combination plate with vegetarian peanut stew and misirwot, served on a piece of their wonderful sourdough flatbread called injera. Tasty and delicious, the misirwrot was a spicy concoction of vegetables and I loved every bite.





Afterwards, we hit Ella's Deli for some ice cream. This kosher establishment not only serves wonderful food, but does it in an environment that is insane. All around you, creatures bob and move, including the family of feet pictured below. The scheme includes giant bananas, sinister clowns and is replete with its own merry-go-round out front (sorry, ice cream not allowed.) And the ice cream?! I had the dark chocolate made with three different kinds of chocolate and it was perfectly creamy and smooth.







Sunday morning means brunch, but at an Asian restaurant? Firefly is a chic little eatery that serves an exotic brunch menu tinged with the flavors of the east. The draw was marscapone stuffed French toast, but I ended up getting the Breakfast Moo Shoo which was eggs, vegetables and hoisin sauce with the little pancakes to wrap them in. A wonderful twist on one my favorite dishes. And did I mention the mimosas? Exotic flavors like guava and pomegranate...





I think everyone's favorite meal was at Himal Chuli, one of two sister Nepalese restaurants in Madison. The food is mostly Indian in flavor and form, with a touch of Chinese. I started with some samosas, which were delicious, crispy and light. A small cup of dal followed and for the main course I had a seitan kabob: perfect pieces of seitan that had been cooked in a spicy mixture of tumeric and curry. Whole wheat flatbread on the side. Everyone agreed that if we'd eaten here on the first day, we wouldn't have eaten anywhere else. After dinner, we headed over to Crave Restaurant and Lounge for a nightcap. This corner bar has swanky sofas, great lights and an amazing list of cocktails. I ordered a Mandarin Martini (even though I try and resist any cocktail named a martini that isn't) which was fantastic though--fresh squeezed oj with a kick.







One of the best meals of the trip was at Jessie and Dave's cute apartment. Dave made vegetarian koftas which were very tasty and Jessie put together a lemon spaghetti from Giadi De Laurentiis' cookbook that was a birthday gift from us this year. Both were absolutely wonderful and it was a pleasure to sit around a table with friends and enjoy good wine, food and conversation.

Recipe: Zucchini-Tofu Koftas (comments are Jessie's)

Super fresh and yummy from the Moosewood Cookbook. For all of the herbs and spices they don't normally have on hand, J&D went to the co-op where they sell them in bulk and got only what we needed.

2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
6 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced (but Dave used 2 tbsp. of minced packed garlic)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground fennel seeds
4 tsp. ground cumin seeds
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. dried mint (or 1 tbsp. fresh)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne
2 blocks tofu, pressed and dried
2 tbsp. unbleached white flour
1/2 cup chopped cashews, walnuts or pistachios (we like the cashews!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a heavy skillet,saute the zucchini and garlic in the oil, stirring often until most of the moisture has evaporated (5-10 minutes.) Add the spices and cook for one more minute, stirring constantly. Place in a bowl. Crumble in the tofu, add the flour and nuts, and mix well.

Form the mix into golf ball-sized balls (they said walnut, but I think more people can relate to a golf ball than a walnut. Hmf.) Place on an oiled baking sheet and bake until firm, about 20 to 30 minutes. Use this time to make all sorts of ball jokes.

Moosewood suggests the Sweet and Sour Tamarind sauce on page 312. We put out soy sauce and Annie's Sea Veggie and Sesame Vinaigrette, which is the greatest dressing of all time, and it was dee-lish!

Recipe: Lemon Spaghetti

A great meal for those nights that your kitchen is hot and you're in no mood to cook. For non-veggies, goes well with grilled fish. For veggies, really good with koftas or Katie's crunchy tofu.

2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or we use Asiago)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
3/4 tsp. salt + more to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
16 oz. dried spaghetti
1/3 cup fresh basil (we can't keep basil, so we always omit)
1 tsp. grated lemon zest (from your 2 juiced lemons)

In a big YELLOW bowl, whisk the oil, cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper to blend. Set sauce aside. (It can be made up to 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temp before using.)

Cook spaghetti, and when draining, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add spaghetti to the lemon sauce and toss with the basil and lemon zest. Toss with enough reserved cooking liquid ( 1/4 c at a time) to moisten. Season pasta with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!!!

**I omit the basil and the cooking liquid. I find that the pasta and olive oil blend well together as is, and do not need to be moistened. Maybe if you were making it ahead of time, but we have always ignored this step.

Mangez!