Archive for June, 2008

Try, Try, Try To Understand: He’s a Wildman. Interview With “Wildman” Steve Brill.

Written by vegoftheweek on Monday, June 30th, 2008 in Interviews and Profiles.

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“Wildman” Steve Brill is known as one of America’s Best Known Foragers. He gives park tours primarily in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, instructing people how to find edible plants, wild mushrooms, and weeds. His best known book, “The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook”, contains dozens of recipes from Sassafras Peanut Sauce to Mashed Potatoes with Daylily Shoots. A longtime vegetarian, who jokes that he still eats “chicken mushrooms” and “sheep sorrel,” he agreed to chat with me while tending to some mulberries he had collected earlier that morning.

On His Decision To Go Veg:
3 Reasons-health, environment, and humane. My mother died of cancer at the age of 57. I’m now 59. My father, his brother and sister all died of heart disease in their early 60s. And my cardiovascular system is in apparently good health. I swim a mile in 36 minutes, run around to all these parks with kids…keep very active. So I think the genetics (of me and my family) are the same. It has to be the lifestyle.

I don’t like the way the animals are treated-the cruelty is quite upsetting. And all of the waste-from what goes into the waterways to all of the large carbon footprint of being involved with the meat industry-is also quite objectionable.

What he’s eaten for the week:
At this point, it’s mulberries and juneberries-those are in season. I’m going to make some jam. I’m going to put some of the jam into a vegan ice cream. I’m going to make a Juneberry cobbler. I’m also making salads with all of the early summer greens.

Tofu or Tempeh:
Tofu. I just don’t really care for the flavor of tempeh. (It’s) one thing I just don’t have an affinity for making taste delicious. And I can make a hell of a lot of things taste delicious.

Bok Choy or Cabbage:
I prefer Bok Choy.

Morel Mushroom or Chanterelle Mushroom:
That’s a hard one. I guess the morel…I’m not good at finding morels and when I do, all the people in my group get them all.

Dandelion Fried Rice or Cattail Fried Rice (from “The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook”):
I think I prefer the Cattail Fried Rice. I love cattails. I love dandelions too, but cattails are something special.

On Being Stuck In A Food Monotony:
I guess in the cafeteria in college the first year when you’re forced to live in the dormitory. That was probably the worst.

What he wouldn’t mind eating over and over again:
Oysters Newburgh-made with Oyster mushrooms.

On The Dave Letterman Show And The Media In General:
Letterman was a real exception. A lot of media people are really nice-Regis Philbin loves cracking jokes, Al Roker is incredibly intelligent and was very into all the science relating to what I was showing him. There are lots of people that are into cooking. And Letterman was just plain unfriendly, obnoxious, and self-involved. His entire staff was the same way. (But) I had a good experience…I watched the show and I knew ahead of time, this was not going to be supportive situation. And I thought for a while and I came up with a plan. Learn about the plan to take care of Letterman and Wildman’s advice on how to find love after the break… (more…)

Chow Mein Noodle Recipe: Also functions as toupee

Written by vegoftheweek on Sunday, June 22nd, 2008 in Appetizers, Noodles and Pasta, Snacks.

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Inside The Oven: Make model home with chow mein noodles. Week Links: What’s Vegan Momma Up To These Days?

 


The above is a photo of:

A. A creative model of a future TLC “Trading Spaces” project.
B. One of Donald Trump’s toupees.
C. My chow mein noodle hut before it’s broken down into smaller chow mein noodle pieces.

If you guessed C, you’re not only a genius, but also recognize good art. You see, I must admit, the model chow mein noodle hut was not completely my idea. Rather, I was inspired by an interesting and beautiful photo stock pic of rice noodles. The noodles were stacked high in an elegant fashion as if they were ascending to a veggie heaven only the purest of vegan, raw foodies, and greenies could ever dream of. Go ahead, take a look. But come back.

Now that you’re back, you don’t have to smother on the compliments. I know, I know. I am quite the sculptor. Really, it’s nothing but a natural gift that I couldn’t possibly take any excessive pride in…

Regular chow mein noodles I’ve seen in the grocer’s Asian or ethnic section will often have one of the 7 deadliest sins, “Trans-fat.” (I don’t know what the other six are, but I was hoping we could have a contest one day and decide.) These homemade noodles nix that problem and allow you to have a unique experience with udon. Recipe for Chow Mein Noodles after the break… (more…)

And That’s A (Vegetarian) Wrap!

Written by vegoftheweek on Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 in Midweek Links.

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Mock Egg Salad Recipe: Look ma, no eggs!

Written by vegoftheweek on Sunday, June 15th, 2008 in Salad, tofu.

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Some things were just meant to go together. Peanut Butter and Jelly. Salt and Pepper. Vegan Mayonnaise and Mirin.

I’m excited about Mirin. When I purchase something for the first time, especially a new sauce or other condiment, my instinct is to taste it as soon as I get home (sometimes before even putting away the rest of the groceries). What a pleasant surprise I got when putting the sweet and sticky Japanese cooking seasoning in my mouth.

Although mainly for cooking, Mirin has also been used an an alternative alcoholic drink to sake. It’s sweet, syrupy taste is an alternative to sugar in dishes and helps food retain their shapes. It is also an excellent ingredient in mock egg salad using tofu and vegan mayonnaise.

If I had to nickname this recipe, I’d call it The Stalker or The Motivator. (more…)

Don’t Eat These Tomatoes!: Salmonella Outbreak Prompts Nationwide Recall

Written by vegoftheweek on Thursday, June 12th, 2008 in Midweek Videos, Produce.

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[YouTube, WLWTTV]

What’s In My Freezer

Written by vegoftheweek on Monday, June 9th, 2008 in Pre-Packaged: Frozen, What's In My.

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Inside The Oven: No, it’s what’s inside my freezer this week.

Every so often, I like to let my readers take a peek at the most private and intimate parts of my life–yes, that’s right, my freezer, refrigerator, spice rack, and much more!

It’s just another way I hope to bring you some ideas for meals, snacks and hopefully, to break the monotony. So starting from the top, counterclockwise:

Baguette-I love French bread and there are so many ways to use a baguette, from sandwiches to bruschettas, but you can also freeze these! Since baguettes don’t last very long after you buy them, freezing is a great way to stock up. Try slicing and toasting topped with butter or vegan buttery spread of choice for the most basic snack or do a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, hummus, you name it.

So Delicious Raspberry Cream Pops-Delicious (or I mean, So delicious) vegan ice cream pops made by So Delicious. These come in Creamy Orange, Creamy Fudge, and Creamy Raspberry. So Delicious also has tubs of vegan ice cream, and good old regular vanilla happens to be my favorite because I can add anything to it and even make a sandwich with my favorite vegan cookie.

Boca Spicy Chicken Patties-I should have turned this around, but the red box is actually a box of Boca Spicy Chicken Patties. When they say spicy, they aren’t joking around. Baking these in the oven will give your kitchen a wonderful aroma. I eat these without any bread and like to top with vegan mayonnaise or vegan worceshire sauce for an even spicier experience.

Amy’s Pot Pies-Old fashioned comfort food with a healthier twist. Amy’s Tofu Pot Pies have been a long time favorite and these come in both regular (butter) and vegan. Filled with tender bites of tofu, peas, carrots, and potatoes and completely vegetarian or vegan spices. I hate having to wait, so I usually microwave these, but for a really dramatic, moist, yet crispy crust experience, practice delayed gratification and bake in the oven. What else is in there? Find out after the break… (more…)

Who’s Talking About vegoftheweek

Written by vegoftheweek on Saturday, June 7th, 2008 in Uncategorized.

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My ears are burning? My ears are itching? Or is it my nose? Oh, well, the point is people are talking about me.   

When others are giving me credit, I find it only fair to give credit back. I already mentioned about how Chef Erik is featuring my vegan nacho cheese dip recipe. But there are lots of great bloggers and websites linking to me lately. Take advantage of some great reads, then come back in a couple of days to peek in my freezer.
 
Wiggley Wigglers has great green advice, including natural ways to fertilize your lawn with leaves and how to stay green on a budget.
 
Weight Master at Weight Management and Fitness Forum will teach you how eating lunch reduces cravings and while you’re there, learn how couples achieve weight loss and fitness results together.
 
Brandon the fitbuff at Total Mind and Body Fitness Forum has a smorgasbord of post goodies, including dating, exercise, family, and even money.
 
If you haven’t looked at Chef Erik’s Veg Head Carnival, here’s your second chance.
 
Green Your Apartment is featuring me in both kitchen and shopping categories as well as planning an eco friendly picnic and tips for saving gas and money.

Not The Jet Set tells why singles need emergency funds and other good financial advice.

 
Finally, Organic Green Daddy has tips for dads, grandads, great-granddads, step-dads, god dads, and any other type of papa to be a better dad through green living. The perfect Father’s Day gift.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh, Wholesome Organic Food From…China???!!!

Written by vegoftheweek on Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 in Midweek Videos.

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Vegan Cheeseball Recipe: Compliments of Trans-Fat Free Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese

Written by vegoftheweek on Monday, June 2nd, 2008 in Appetizers, Vegan Cheese.

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Inside The Oven: Chef Erik serves up one of my recipes, thoughts on Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese

Announcement: Check out what Chef Erik is cooking up at the latest Veg Head Carnival. It’s featuring one of my recipes and lots of other delicious vegetarian meals. Go ahead, take a look. Then come back to hear what I have to say about Tofutti.  


Shame on Tofutti! I normally am not in the business to get too political or chastise someone or something publicly (with the exception of here), but I feel I must speak up. I buy non-hydrogenated Tofutti plain vegan cream cheese for many vegan soft cheese needs (cheese balls, bagels, spreads, etc.). I’ve mostly purchased it at health foods stores, so I usually come across the yellow packaged variety, which is non-hydrogenated and trans-fat free.

However, one day I had to visit a mainstream grocer and while I was there I spotted a cold section of hummus and non-dairy products. Getting closer to the display, I saw the label, “Tofutti,” on some of the products. I picked up the cream cheese tub, which had a “blue” label on it and looked at the ingredients to see if it, too, was completely non-dairy and vegan.  After reading the label, I saw that this Tofutti cream cheese contained trans-fat. I avoid trans-fat like some politicians avoid direct answers so naturally I was alarmed. After going home and looking at my yellow packaged Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, I was comforted by the fact that at least the package I had at home was trans-fat free. But why the discrepancy? Looking for answers, I went to the company’s website which showed all Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese products to have 0 trans-fat. Confused, I wrote to the company and got this reply: 

Thank you for your recent Tofutti email.  We actually have two versions. The original version, which has been around for over 20 years, uses PHO.  The newer version, introduced over five years ago and available in health food stores only, does not.  The website is incorrect and is one of several errors that we are in the process of correcting.  We apologize for the confusion.  Please feel free to contact us should you have any further questions. 

Before I received the email, I contacted the company by phone (call me impatient) to get an answer. Hear details of my conversation and get recipe for Vegan Cheese Balls using Trans-Fat Free Tofutti after the break… (more…)

Veggie Burger Recipe: Gryffy Approves And So Will You

Written by vegoftheweek on Monday, June 2nd, 2008 in Mushrooms, veggie burgers.

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Inside The Oven: 4 Paws Up For Memorial Day Veggie Burger Recipe. Week Links: Oprah’s On! And also vegan for the next 21 days.

Meet Gryffy. He’s a four year old Swiss Mountain Dog mix who loves to eat grilled veggie burger pieces from my hand. At least the ones I made at a cookout hosted by his human parents. When I go there for food celebrations, I am always given the option to request some veggie side dishes to be made or bring ingredients to cook for myself. That particular year, I chose to whip up Portobello Mushroom Veggie Burgers, wrap them in foil, and be a grilled champ like everyone else.


Everyone else.

Reminds me of a decade ago when it seemed all my neighbors were having a cookout for Memorial Day. Traditional meaty holidays usually have no effect on me as macaroni and cheese is just as good on Thanksgiving as it is any other day. But something about that particular Memorial day made me feel a little left out. Watching everyone grill in perfect temperatures underneath cloud-free skies made me a little jealous. So I took a stroll down the street (I lived within 4 blocks walking distance of 3 grocery stores), bought a package of Tofu Pups, buns, and fixings, and had veggie hot dogs to celebrate the holiday. Gryffy’s critical ratings and Recipe for Portobello Mushroom Veggie Burger after the break… (more…)