soja et sucre

Grape Pie

2009-09-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

I wait all year for this. Concord grapes, aka REAL grapes, are only around in late August/Early September. My grandmother made a killer grape pie, and this is my attempt at replicating it. This pie takes a while, so save this for a lazy Sunday. Or, in my case, a lazy Monday.

Recommended tunes: Saves the Day: Ups and Downs: Early Recordings and B-Sides. It is a nice and long album and it will keep you pumped on pie and life, well, kind of.

1 Recipe Pate Brisee (subsitute Earth Balance for butter and do not add the salt!)
5 Cups (about 2 quarts) concord grapes, washed
1 Cup sugar
1/4 C flour
1 tsp. lemon juice
Pinch of salt

You will need a large bowl and a medium saucepan. Squeeze the contents of each grape into the saucepan. Put the grape skins in the bowl. This is surprisingly easy, it just takes some time.

Boil the grape guts on medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will break them down a bit and make it easier to separate the seeds from the pulp.

Now is a good time to preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Use a metal strainer with a bowl underneath to strain the seeds from the pulp. You'll have to use a spoon to push the pulp through. Add the grape skins back into the smooth, seedless pulp. Let them sit for a few minutes. Or not. It will look like this before you stir it:

Add the sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt to the grape mixture.

On a floured surface, gently roll out half of the pie dough larger than size of your pie plate. Gently drape dough over pie plate and lightly press into plate. This can be tricky. I like to use plastic wrap on my counter for ease of transport. If your dough has ripped or you just suck at rolling out dough, just try your best to patch things together.

Pour the grape filling into the pie crust. Roll out the second layer of dough to the size of your pie, drape over pie, and pinch edges to seal. Ideally, you would now make the edges pretty. With a sharp knife, poke a few air vents on top. If you'd like, you can brush a little soy milk on top and sprinkle with sugar.

Place pie in oven and bake at 400 for 40-45 minutes, or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

Apparently my air vents did not serve their purpose and the filling kind of oozed out the edges. Oh well. I think it is still a beautiful pie. Well, it is much more beautiful in person, believe me.

2009-09-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, I went to NY to visit my best friend. I needed to get
away one last time before the craziness of school started. It turned out to be a lovely trip, complete with daily ice cream cones. I even ran into a vegan blogger, rachaelrayforever! I was so thrilled to see him, even though he probably had no clue who I was. I got that twist cone from Lula's and it was absolutely wonderful. If you haven't been to Lula's yet, you must go. They make most of their ice creams in-house and they have lots of interesting toppings (see glass jars behind us) and flavors. I seem to only ever want flavors involving peanut butter or chocolate, though. I wonder if they ever have chocolate-hazelnut? I'd die.

CA and I had a lovely pizza picnic at McCarren Park thanks to Vinnie's. Pictured is the eggplant parm slice. While the breaded eggplant was great, it was a little dry sauce-wise. I do tend to like things extra-saucey, though! The cheese also seemed kind of dry, but maybe they just needed to use more of it? Oh well, I'll definitely be going back again just to be able to order from the cute boy at the counter.

TOFU OMELETTE

2009-08-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

Tofu Omelette with Burnt Broccoli

If you know me, you've probably already heard about this. I'm kind of obsessed with the Tofu Omelette recipe from Vegan Brunch. I think it is genius. In the picture above, I used Trader Joe's Soft tofu and I added about 1/4 C. water to the batter. This creates a nice, fluffy omelette. Last time, I used Nasoya Silken tofu and no water and the texture was definitely different. This batter was much easier to spread and it actually created a more bready/pancake-like omelette. I think I prefer the fluffier soft tofu version. I think I might invest in some black salt in order to get the full experience.

Expect more from Vegan Brunch very soon.

i'll have a scoop of...

2009-05-22T08:42:00.001-07:00

ICE CREAM! Ice cream season has officially begun and there are several places where you can get your vegan ice cream fix here in Philadelphia.

Now, first, I must introduce you to Klein's. This Kosher ice cream company makes the best vegan ice cream around in regards to both flavor and texture. This stuff is not all-natural or healthy or organic. Just delicious.

Franklin Fountain (116 Market St.) now carries Klein's soy flavors. It looks like they always have chocolate and vanilla on hand, and sometimes mint chocolate chip if you're lucky.

You can also get Klein's soy goodness at Govinda's Gourmet to Go (Broad and South), but nothing fancy like a milkshake. Just a small or large container. The benefit of going to Govinda's is that they usually have at least 4 or 5 very fancy flavors to choose from, but definitely call ahead because sometimes they run out.

Sketch, (413 E. Girard) a burger place in fishtown, offers a soy milkshake to go with your huge burger. But, I can't say that I've tried or asked about it yet. I just know that it exists. I do highly recommend their huge homemade vegan burger, though.

I've heard that Cafe Grindstone (622 S. 5th) has vegan milkshakes, but I have yet to investigate this rumor. Supposedly they also have vegan sandwiches. I should put this place at the top of my list.

B2 (1500 E. Passyunk) has vegan soft serve. Vanilla only. I'm not a huge fan, but a lot of people seem to like it. So check it out.

Last night, a friend and I checked out the brand new South Philly Capogiro location. It is so nice not to have to trek to Center City to get my icy treat fix anymore! Even though it isn't ice cream, Capogiro's sorbet is really good. Really, really good. They always have interesting flavors, and the friendly staff is more than happy to give you samples until you figure out what you'd like. I feel like I'm not even missing out when I get a scoop of that artisanal fruity goodness.

vermont adventure

2009-04-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

I recently spent a long weekend visiting my brother in Burlington, Vermont. Sadly, Burlington's only all-vegan restaurant, New Ethic, recently closed. Thankfully, this little town still had plenty for a vegan to eat.

My favorite was Magnolia Cafe and Bistro. The menu at this cute little restaurant only has a couple vegan things (clearly marked with a V), but our helpful waitress informed me that most things can be veganized. I had two breakfasts there, complete with soy milk for my coffee. YEAH!

On our first morning, I had a sesame tofu scramble. It came with home fries and a piece of toast smothered in earth balance. This meal was just what I needed to fuel my body for the day. The tofu was sauteed with finely chopped vegetables (I recall asparagus), black sesame seeds, and drizzled with sesame oil. Good thing I like sesame.

The second time we went, I couldn't resist. I had to get the vegan french toast. It was made with thick slices of killer walnut-studded bread, spread with a little earth balance and sprinkled with powdered sugar. I drowned it in real maple syrup and felt a little sugar-sick afterward. It was awesome. I just wish there had been some sort of vegan protein side dish I could have ordered, to balance out the meal a little. They offer veggie sausage, but it is not vegan.

Tilly's Cafe, an island-themed restaurant/bar, impressed the whole family. They offered three vegetarian items, two of which could be vegan-friendly with a change or two. I got an amazing salad with grilled pineapple, edamame, hazelnuts, mango, and a fruity vinaigrette. For my entree, sesame-encrusted tofu over bok choy and a mushroom-flavored rice. The tofu was pretty tender and could have used some more color, but it was still good.

The local health food store, City Market, had plenty for a vegan to eat. Lots of to-go refrigerated items, a salad and hot foods bar, and they make custom sandwiches. Sadly, the hot food section is usually full of meat and egg-laden dishes. I don't get that. You can get that crap anywhere. But, you can order an awesome custom sandwich with marinated tempeh, tofu, or hummus, complete with Nayo. Unfortunately, I found the tempeh in my TLT to be burnt to a crisp, but I'm hoping it was just a bad day.

We also spent a day at the slopes in Stowe, VT. Jeff and I took a beginner's snowboarding lesson. It was really fun and quite the challenge! The worst part was getting off the lift. Ack. After snowboarding, we got steaming bowls of winter vegetable soup. I first asked if it was vegetarian, and the lady replied with "100% vegan!" I love Vermont!

Recent Food Highlights

2009-03-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia, PA:
The Winter Plate at Horizons. Four words: Dijon Seitan Cauliflower Terrine. This was like a fancy mini shepherd's pie.

New Harmony. Everything at this place is good. I've recently discovered their Beef with Broccoli and Peanut Sauce. So, so good and just enough peanut flavor. The Walnut Shrimp is also killer, if the super-firm texture doesn't freak you out. Last night, I had a bite of someone's seafood in a nest(?!) and I am totally getting that next time. The sauce was super-flavorful and savory. Love this place.

Cozumel, Mexico:
El Perro Verde, Cozumel's only all-vegetarian cafe. I can't believe I found this place because I wasn't even looking for it. I got a homemade veggie burger, which was a huge crispy patty filled with beans and seeds. I also got a nice soy-based smoothie with soy milk, banana, ice, a bit of soy ice cream, and wheat germ. It was just barely sweet and very refreshing. So glad I found this place. What a find!

Later in the day, I allowed my carnivorous family to eat in my presence at a regular restaurant. My spanish-speaking brother ordered me two mojito cubanos, menos alcoholica. Or something like that. They were super-good. I love mint.

Vegan on a Carnival Cruise

2009-03-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

My family went on a Carnival Cruise on the Inspiration over spring break. I had been on a Carnival Cruise before and they were great about making me vegan food, so I wasn't worried. The first night of the cruise, I spoke to the dining room staff member that handles all special meals. I was thrilled to find out that they were willing to make their daily vegetarian entree dairy-free with advance notice. Here are some of the meals I had:

Zucchini and Eggplant with Tomato Sauce. Simple but good.
Black Bean Enchiladas with Salsa and Guacamole.
Poblano Pepper stuffed with Potato and Corn.
Channa Masala, Mattar Aloo, Spiced Basmati Rice. This was the best.

One night, my brother commented that my food looked like it was more about presentation than the actual food. I assured him it was yummy, too. Overall, I was impressed and I never left hungry. I got two appetizers every night: Salad with Balsamic, and a Tropical Fruit Plate. For dessert, another fruit plate. The fruit was always ripe and sweet, but it was always the same: cantaloupe, honeydew, grapes, and sometimes pineapple or watermelon. Maybe half a strawberry, or two blueberries. One night, there was some papaya. That was exciting. I probably ate $10 worth of fruit every day. Mmm.

They also gave me a little glass of soy milk every night. I just wanted a little for my coffee, but a whole glass is cool, too. I also got soy milk to go with my cereal and coffee when I ate breakfast in the dining room. A couple times, I got a soy latte from the on-ship cafe, but that costs extra.

Every day, they had four fancy vegetarian salads for lunch at the salad bar. Usually two of them would be dairy-free. but it was hard to tell. I wish they had been labeled. I recall a Cabbage and Roasted Beet Salad dressed with a fancy vinegar being particularly tasty. There wasn't much else for lunch, though. I'd usually have a big salad with some beans and oil and vinegar, fruit, and another salad. Fiber is good!

Overall, I really enjoyed the food. I just wish there had been some sort of dessert. I realize now that maybe I could have requested a simple soy chocolate pudding. On a previous Carnival Cruise, I was given a soy vanilla pudding with cherries every night. It was always very firm and jiggly and, looking back, I am now semi-convinced that they served me a soy-based gelatin pudding. So, I was kind of afraid to ask.

Govinda's

2008-04-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I finally checked out Govinda's fancy side last night, located next-door to their sandwich shop. The interior is lovely and cozy, with candles and vases full of fresh flowers on every table.

We started off with the Ginger Soy Chicken Satay with Balsamic Strawberry Sauce as an appetizer. The portion was very generous. The soy chicken is the same stuff I buy all the time at the 1st Oriental Supermarket. It is great stuff...fantastic texture, and the sauce was good but not at all what I expected it to be. It didn't taste much like balsamic vinegar, or strawberries. Jeff described it as "some sort of barbecue sauce."

Jeff got a banana pineapple coconut drink. It was basically a delicious virgin pina colada with the addition of banana. It was sweet, creamy, frozen, and just...excellent.

For my entree, I got the Oven-Roasted Salmon over Mesculun Greens. The greens were fresh and the dressing was homemade and pretty good. But, the salmon freaked me out and I couldn't eat most of it. This happened to me the last couple times I tried to eat fake seafood, too.

Jeff got the pepper steak with tomato ginger reduction. Sounds fancy, right? Well it was delicious! Maybe I'm just being a crazy foodie snob here, but I believe reductions are typically used sparingly. This stuff was drowning in sauce and was quite reminiscent of a Chinese-style stir-fry. A very expensive one.

We got a slice of hazelnut chocolate cake to share and that was fucking amazing. Totally my new favorite Vegan Treats cake! I actually went back today to get another slice.

So, the verdict? The food was good, but not $17-for-an-entree-good. I will be sticking with Horizon's for my once-a-year-or-so fine dining needs.

philly, new jersey, and easton

2007-07-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

I have been eating up a storm on my vacation. Unfortunately, I am unable to post pix, but I sure I have things to say! Here are just a few of the places I've been..

Honey's Sit n Eat. Philadelphia, PA. This is a breakfast/lunch place with some veggie and vegan options. I got the Tofu Scramble with Fries, Veggie Sausage, and a mug of coffee with soy milk. The tofu scramble was very different from what I'm used to. They used a very soft, almost-silken tofu for the scramble. The texture was eerily similar to eggs. I liked it! It had a nice flavor and lots of onions and peppers.

The Pop Shop. Collingswood, NJ. This is a diner/soda shop with a few veggie and very few vegan options. I got the Seitan and Veggie Sandwich on a baguette and an Oreo Soy Milkshake. The sandwich consisted of seitan, onions, and peppers, with just a bit of olive oil. It had a little zest to it too, so maybe a squeeze of lemon juice? Well, it was pretty good. The seitan was a little rubbery and low on flavor, though. The sandwich would have been just as good without it. The milkshake was made with Tofutti brand ice cream. It is very, very exciting to order a vegan milkshake. It was crazy-busy, and the service was lacking..but it happens and, well, VEGAN MILKSHAKE!!!

Phenom. Easton, PA. This is a Thai restaurant where you can pick which kind of protein you'd like in your dish, the vegetarian options being: tofu, seitan, or vegetarian scallops. For my appetizer, I chose the Fried Tofu with a peanut sauce. The dipping sauce was zesty/vinegar-y and slightly-sweet, with crushed peanuts floating inside. It was superb. I knew I wanted a curry, but couldn't decide which kind to get. So, I figured the House Curry would be good. It consisted of pumpkin, zucchini, carrots, and spinach. I chose seitan as my protein. The seitan was incredibly tender. The sauce was perfect: just a little spicy. I would've liked to have seen more than two bites of pumpkin in my dish, though. I was really impressed with this place. The food presentation was great: cute garnishes and beautiful plates. The service was great, too. What an Easton gem. Hope this place sticks around.

SOGO. Easton, PA. This place is an Asian-fusion restaurant. There weren't many vegetarian options. But, I was really in the mood for veggie sushi, anyway. I got the Vegetable Sushi Plate and requested that it include some sweet tofu (inari) no pickled things. It was a beautiful plate that included a tofu roll and a handful of sashimi-style veggies: broccoli, tofu, avocado, cucumber, and asparagus. I was impressed, but still a bit hungry. I never order enough sushi! Bonus: My mom accidentally ordered sushi (sweet potato roll) and she LOVED it!

410 Bank Street. Cape May, NJ. This lovely restaurant serves Cajun and Caribbean style cuisine. I had a lovely organic greens salad with raspberry vinaigrette as an appetizer. There was not a single vegetarian entree on the menu, so I had to order off-menu. It was terrifying, but I had hopes for my meal. Other dishes on the menu included plantains, black beans, avocado, mango salsa, asparagus, palm hearts, fresh pineapple, rice, etc. On my plate, I received four slices of grilled tomato, a couple asparagus spears, a handful of spinach, and some mushrooms. Disappointing. I went home hungry. They could have easily impressed me, but they failed to use the thought and creativity required to do so.

Bella Vida Garden Cafe. Cape May, NJ. Bella Vida advertises themselves as a family-oriented, vegetarian-friendly restaurant. My appetizer was the Plantain bites, which was good. It consisted of four plantain pieces, mango salsa, and a sweet (rum?) glaze. The plate was sprinkled with dried parsley, which kind of ruined the whole fresh salsa aspect. It is summer: use fresh herbs! Overall, though, it was a lovely appetizer. My entree was a Tempeh Burrito. I was underwhelmed. The burrito had huge chunks of zucchini, which gave it an overall bitter taste . If I were to give this place advice, I'd tell them to add a couple more creative vegan entrees to their menu, one vegan dessert, and to lose all the religious stuff. It is a restaurant, not a church or your car's bumper.

More to come soon!

tallahassee, florida: soul veg

2007-07-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

i went to soul veg today. i went a little crazy because they had my favorite: broccoli!..and mac..and bbq tofu..

soja et sucre

2007-07-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

yes, soy and sugar, two of my favorite things.

i love to travel and visit new vegan restaurants, so i hope to include reviews and pictures from places i visit.