Chow Vegan

This is what I want to eat for the holidays. Thanksgiving or Christmas, it doesn’t matter, I just want it. What is it you say?

It’s smoked vegetarian goose. I picked it up from Sogo Tofu, a small vegetarian shop that produces all manner of tofu and soy products in San Jose. Expertly made, it has just the right amount of smokiness so it’s not overwhelming and the taste of the yuba comes through.

That’s right, you read that correctly. It doesn’t look like it but that roll is made from layers and layers of yuba, tightly rolled up with a layer of vegetable filling and smoked. At least that’s how I think it’s made. I’ve been unsuccessful in finding an actual recipe for this particular dish. I’m just happy to be able to get it at all.

Serve with a simple sauté of swiss chard and Cumin-Cayenne Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions from Vegan Soul Kitchen. I’ve been making all sorts of things out of that cookbook (the recipe is also available in the current issue of Vegetarian Times). The mashed potatoes is another winner – it has a spicy, rich taste about it. No gravy needed.

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I needed to pick up some spices and stopped by Penzeys Spices in downtown Menlo Park the other day. It’s their only location in all of Northern California and luckily, not too far away from me.

Penzeys is to cooks, what a candy store is to kids. It’s a visual and olfactory treat to step through the door. You can open sample jars and get a good whiff of each spice. Everything smells incredible and oh so fresh. And the variety of some spices is just astounding.

Who knew there was so many different kinds of cinnamon? I thought there was just the one kind (the one in the supermarket labeled brown cinnamon) but no, they have four different ones there. I got the Vietnamese Cinnamon-Extra Fancy, it smelled so strongly of cinnamon, it made me want to run home and bake something. And you know, I’m no baker.

I also got a free jar of Bangkok Blend (sweet peppers, garlic, ginger, black pepper, galangal, hot peppers, lemon grass, basil and cilantro) from the peel-off free gift coupon on their catalog cover. It was my choice of 1 of 3 turkey seasonings, the other two were Poultry Seasoning or Bicentennial Rub. No turkey here, so I’m thinking of trying it out on an unsuspecting block of tofu.

I found myself in the chip aisle on a recent trip to the Asian supermarket. In the salty snack department, my biggest weakness had got to be potato chips.

I, of course, couldn’t just look away and make a beeline for the checkout. Not me. I had to gawk at all the colorful packages and wondered how did they ever come up with some of this wacky stuff.

One of the strangest items was wasabi coated black beans. Fascinated but too scared to try them, I went with a normal snack but unusual flavor, Calbee seaweed and salt potato chips.

They look like sour cream and onion potato chips but with a slight seaweed taste, think nori but not as strong. It was a fun change from the usual, everyday chip flavors.

I’ve written about eating instant noodle bowls before, at that time it was the Kung-Fu Vegetarian Noodle bowl. This time it’s Annie Chun’s Vegan Noodle Bowl which I received a couple of samples to review. The name isn’t quite as exciting as Kung-Fu but the taste is much better.

I tried the Korean Sweet Chili flavor first. The sauce that comes with it is pretty good. There’s quite a bit in the enclosed pouch and it’s not searingly spicy but it has good flavor. I used almost all of it. But the included dehydrated veggies is negligible; they’re such small pieces and there’s just so little of it. Basically, it’s a bowl of noodles.

So when I tried the Garlic Scallion flavored one, I threw in a few leftovers to make it little more interesting (as suggested on the back of the package). I topped the noodle bowl with seitan and spinach for a little protein and some greens. But even though I used the entire sauce pouch, there wasn’t really a strong garlic or scallion taste. It’s more subtle. Smelled really good though.

The directions said to drain the water from the bowl after 2 minutes but I left it in and made it into a soup instead. Apparently, I’m incapable of following simple instructions. Happily, they were just fine as a soup.

Overall, the noodle bowls are good, quick and convenient. Better if you can add or top it with other ingredients or leftovers. And useful if you’re stuck at work, on a trip or in an emergency disaster kit.

I spend way too much time at Whole Foods, finding things I’m not looking for but all of a sudden I can’t live without. This time it’s Annie’s Fruit Snacks.

Appearing at the end of the aisle so when I whipped around the corner, they were right there, staring at me in the face. Of course, they were on sale, a major point in their favor. Attractive in their pretty package labeled with organic, no preservatives and no additives. And with three flavors to choose from: Tropical Treat, Berry Patch and Sunny Citrus.

How could I possibly resist?

Tearing open a pouch, the bunny-shaped fruit snacks remind me of gummy bears but not as chewy and a bit softer. The flavors aren’t super strong, they’re more subtle. But the texture is very good.

I haven’t eaten a gummy bear in years. At one time (way before I was ever vegan), it was my favorite candy. Once, my mom actually bought me a giant bag as a Christmas gift (I’m surprised she even remembered) and I had to tell her it’s not vegan. But now I can have my candy and eat it too. Woo hoo!

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I’m constantly amazed and delighted by the yumminess found at the local farmers market nowadays. My latest obsession is the fresh spring rolls from Hodo Soy Beanery, makers of fresh, organic tofu in the SF Bay Area.

I’ve eaten many a spring rolls in my day but these rule them all. They’re so good – they don’t need any dip whatsoever. And they don’t come with one. Nothing. They’re that tasty all on their own.

Each week that I’ve gotten a roll, I’ve tried to analyze them. What exactly is in it that makes them taste so darn good. Yes, I’ve tried the obvious. I flat out asked what’s in it. Tofu, carrot, lettuce, noodles – the usual stuff.

Is the tofu fried? Nope. Is any part of it fried? No. What could it be? Some sort of seasonings? Their fresh tofu? I just don’t know.

Even though there’s plenty of great tasting vegan ice creams on the market, it’s fun to give homemade a try. Especially with a cookbook like The Vegan Scoop by Wheeler del Torro of Wheeler’s Frozen Desserts.

Based in Boston, I never even heard of them until I tried a small sample of their ice cream at last year’s Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco. It was divine but unavailable on the West Coast. So I was thrilled to receive a review copy of The Vegan Scoop. Since I can’t get my hands on the actual product, this is the next best thing.

I decided on the Cherry Jubilee recipe (back when cherries were actually in season. I just never got around to posting about it. Nothing like VeganMoFo to get me off of my lazy bum).

I’m amazed at how really easy it was to make the ice cream. The hardest part was choosing which of the many recipes to try. The chapters are organized by flavors, from classics such as Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough to unusual original flavors like Jalapeño.

I used one of those Ice Cream Ball Maker, where you shake and roll around it to make the ice cream. It’s like a mini-workout before consuming your special treat. The ice cream came out like soft serve. Which is fine with me, as I like mine on the soft side and not rock solid.

Choose your ingredients carefully, as the ice cream takes on that particular soymilk’s flavor. It’s subtle but if you don’t like drinking it plain as is, you’re not going to like it as ice cream. The freshness of the ingredients especially the cherries really shines through.

I cut the recipe in half so it would fit in my ice cream ball maker, it only makes about a pint (there’s also a larger quart size version). I froze the leftovers; it still tasted great but it froze pretty hard. It’s best to eat it right after you make it.

Related Links
To learn more about Wheeler’s Frozen Desserts, cruise on over to their website. To purchase your very own copy of the The Vegan Scoop, click here for Amazon or pop over to your local bookstore.

I came across Annie’s Bunny Grahams at Whole Foods the other day. They were on sale and calling my name. So the little chocolate chip ones came along home with me. Only the Chocolate and the Chocolate Chip Bunny Grahams are vegan.

Once home they promptly got dunked in a nice cold glass of soy milk. I only had a small handful, that was more than enough for me for one sitting.

I only wish their Cinnamon flavor was vegan (it has honey in it). That’s the flavor I fondly remember from childhood – dunked and swished around in milk until it was just the right softness – not too crunchy and not so soft that it fell apart.

Looking at the nutrition label, one serving is 30 bunnies for 140 calories. That’s a lot of bunnies. Granted, they’re small, only about an inch in length.

But still, I doubt if I’ll ever eat 30 at one time, I’ll stick with just eating a few and enjoy the memories without the calories.