“Cuisine Corner” or Whatever
So the newsletter people at work are asking us to share recipes. Normally, I would do all I could to avoid encouraging these people, but food is something I actually find interesting. If it can encourage someone to experiment with animal-free dishes, or even open someone up to the idea that meals don’t need to be meat-centered, then it might actually be useful. (I find it startling that there are people who really don’t know how to conceive of a meal without meat. Most people have at least an inkling, but occasionally you run into someone who really does think vegans only eat vegetables. Veggies are of the good, indeed, but how can they forget grains? Fruit? Legumes? Nuts? ‘Shrooms?)
Anyway, I’m actually considering participating in this newsletter thingie. I just need to decide what to submit. I initially thought of the rosemary seitan pictured here, which is really easy, quite good indeed, and very flexible. The only thing is, I’m not sure whether people would substitute meat for the unfamiliar seitan. I have a sinking feeling that they would, if anyone ever bothered to try it in the first place. (Never mind that, aside from all compassion considerations, even prepackaged seitan is cheaper by far than meat, and homemade seitan cheapest of all.) Failing that, they’d probably skip the recipe entirely.
My main alternative at the moment is the balsamic-glazed portobello mushrooms from Vegan with a Vengeance, which is also supremely good and extraordinarily easy, though it does tend to use up the balsamic vinegar a bit and is, thus, not of the cheapest. Extremely yummy, though. I must make that again very soon.
Last-ditch idea is the oddball peach cobbler from La Dolce Vegan, which is easy, v. sweet, and v. peachy. I’d just like to have something more to offer than just dessert, though.
Omnis among you: which of these would you be more likely to try? Are there any other things I’ve mentioned, made, or photographed that you’d prefer I submit to the newsletter? Anything else vegan you’ve heard of somewhere else that I could figure out how to make, preferably without scary or exotic ingredients but unusual enough that you’d need a recipe rather than just common sense, and that perhaps might be a little more photogenic than, say, hummus? Any old favorites that you’d like to challenge me, with my admittedly dubious and somewhat haphazard skills, to veganize?
Ideas, criticism, etc., are welcome. I’d like to submit something that will appeal to people and make them curious about experimenting, at least.
You see, Heather–participation (assimilation) is painless, simple–you’ll really like life afterward…much easier with fewer thoughts clogging your mind…we’ve been growing your seedpod in the mailroom…
May 9th, 2006 | #
I did wonder about that; it’s so unlike me. It probably the first step toward assimilation. Next thing you know, I’ll be wearing my hair in a ponytail and wearing pink twin sets. With pearls. And smiling a lot.
Let’s see, is it silver bullets for mind-controlling body snatchers? Or is it garlic? Hmm. Must do some research on this.
May 9th, 2006 | #
It’s garlic with rosemary. Or is that part of a recipe?
I vote for the mushrooms. Second choice is peach cobbler.
May 9th, 2006 | #
Happily I have plenty o’ garlic and rosemary, so I should be set to defend against the body snatchers. (Also set to make many delicious dishes, that being one of my favorite flavor combinations.)
The mushrooms are fabulous, but they are a bit monochromatic. My main concern is that they might not be visually interesting enough to catch people’s attention.
I’ll have a prowl through my cookbooks. At least there’s plenty of time — the deadline isn’t until July 1.
May 9th, 2006 | #