Try not to be cheesy

My fiance and I were invited to attend the VIP welcome reception for Tofurky's 1st annual Tofurkyfest and new manufacturing center's dedication as part of a prize package he won. The advertised Lewis and Clark historical keynote worried me, but the free drink ticket and opportunity to meet the people who make my favorite vegan deli slices won out. Wow, am I glad it did!

The talk was actually really entertaining and informative. The host with the most, Tofurky founder Seth Tibbot, was extremely gracious and friendly. But seriously, have you ever seen the slow motion focus scene in high school movies when boy meets girl and all of a sudden they are the only two people in the universe? That was me and Miyoko Schinner's artisan vegan cheese platter. A ginormous platter of over a dozen fancy cheeses by the author of Artisan Vegan Cheese herself...wow!

Bom Chicka Bom Bom.... Vegan Artisan Cheese Platter by Miyoko Schinner

I struggle with giving up cheese, not the processed pizza or sandwich cheese, but the complex nutty hard cheeses and lusciously creamy triple creams and bries. Here they were in their full glory and vegan! I have never tasted vegan cheese this good and dare someone to say they could tell the herbed double cream and smoked gouda wasn't "real" cheese.

You can't buy Miyoko's cheese in stores yet (at least not in Minnesota), so now that I knew just how good they are I needed to conquer my fear of fermentation and become a maker of vegan cheese. Thankfully, Miyoko was offering two classes the next day at Tofurkyfest where I could learn from and ask questions of the master herself.

Winner, Winner, Tofurky Dinner

This weekend, my fiance and I had a vegan adventure we won't soon (if ever) forget. He won an all expense paid trip to Tofurky's 1st annual Tofurkyfest and new manufacturing center dedication in Hood River, Oregon. I had enough frequent flier miles to make this a rare little cost weekend getaway, but that wasn't even the half of it...

When we landed at PDX, we made a bee line into Portland to soak in the vegan offerings. First up, lunch at Los Gorditos with a vegan menu chockful of options (good vegan Mexican food can be hard to find.) I got the empanadas rellenas - corn masa stuffed with vegan cream cheese and jalapenos and served with rice, beans and deliciously savory soy curls.

Stuffed, we went to SE 12th and Stark to visit a vegan mini-mall featuring Sweet Pea Baking Company, vegan bakery and cafe; Herbivore, clothing and accessory store; and Food Fight, vegan grocery where I always find something new to try. What I love about Sweet Pea, is they're not just vegan-friendly...they're vegan besties with everything in the case being vegan, including the bacun cheddar croissants!

Next, we headed to Hawthorne to check out some stores and build up an appetite for our next stop: happy hour at Blooming Lotus, a vegan fusion restaurant with both raw and cooked options using organic ingredients. I couldn't eat another bite despite my best effort at burning off the earlier meal with power shopping, so I ordered the "What's the dill?" cocktail with Ransom Gin, Cocchi Americano, cantaloupe white balsamic shrub, lemon and ginger juice, soda water. 

We felt like we'd won the vegan lottery, but our weekend was just getting started.

Time to chow, girls & boys

This Fall, my fiance and I are tying the knot after five years together. In planning the wedding, we both agreed good food was a priority. What is it about sharing good food with loved ones? We also knew we wanted to offer an all vegan menu that would appeal to all palates. No small feat, right?

Thankfully Chowgirls Catering in northeast Minneapolis offers lots of vegan options and was the go-to caterer for several of our friends' weddings. After a few consultations, we went in for the tasting to seal the deal. To make sure the food wasn't just appealing to our foodie/vegan appetites, we brought along my parents and maid of honor to confirm crowd-pleasing options. Chowgirls' tagline and reputation described perfectly what we were looking for: "extraordinary, approachable food." 

It turns out catering gets expensive fast, and we were on a tight budget. With vegan being a newish concept to some of our friends and family, it seemed like a big gamble to go with an entree style meal. What if they didn't like the eggplant torte or tofu steak? For that reason, we decided to go the route of  a myriad of "appetizer" options to make a light meal. In the end, we didn't really save on the budget, but it does mean more options.

Simple salad with creamy green goddess dressing and rye croutons

 I must have crossed the salad off the list two or three times not wanting people to equate vegan with rabbit food and thinking it was "too simple." Ultimately, we had one extra spot on the tasting menu, and like a cat with nine lives, the salad was back. It turned out to be one of my favorite dishes with the fresh crisp lettuce and Chowgirl's own creamy fresh herbed dressing that made me rethink my disdain for green goddess dressing (sorry, Annie's it's just too much tahini!)

Carrots, mushrooms, asparagus, red bell peppers and broccoli
roasted to perfection and served with a side of balsamic reduction.

 Veggies meet heat in oven until browned = simple elegance and crazy good. 

Trio of vegan pates: ginger-sesame edamame; Indian-flavored cauliflower; and earthy mushroom

There was no way I was going to have hummus, guacamole or salsa at the wedding (even though I love all of them.) They're the go-to "vegan" foods at most restaurants these days. Come on, people, we can do better. These are definitely more on the foodie side, but should be fun for people to try new flavors. I know I had fun at the tasting with them.

Not pictured: These dishes made the cut too: quinoa pilaf with fall vegetables and a brown "butter" sauce and polenta bites with roasted tomatoes and a fried sage leaf. Yum!

SORRY, YOU'VE BEEN CUT

Mushroom and wild rice "meatballs" with marinara

You could tell these were meant to be vegetarian with cheese or something to hold them together. We had to cut something from the tasting, and this was a no-brainer. If you want a good vegan "meatball", I highly recommend Gardein's meatless meatballs. 

Bruschetta with sun-dried tomatoes, olives and pine nuts

Holy flavor explosion, batman! The flavors were bold and delightful, but the price per toast didn't work with our budget. Too bad because they were really tasty, but I'm happy with our final menu.

Vegan macaroni and cheese

 The macaroni and cheese was really good and super creamy, but ultimately we decided against foods people would expect to taste a certain way.

Hoppin John- black eyed peas, rice and vegetables

I've had really delightful versions of this dish at New Year's celebrations, but this one was a little too basic for our menu.

Chili lime macadamias; herbed almonds and pecans

Curses! The almonds had honey which spooked my fiance. Otherwise, these delightful little tidbits of fun flavors and protein would have made it on the menu budget be damned. 

Mmm...these photos (and the love of my life) are making me excited for my wedding day! 

Meals for New Moms and Dads

A lot of my friends and family are embarking on parenthood. Most recently, just a couple weeks ago, my co-worker and her partner had their first child. Babies are amazing little creatures and talk about a whirlwind of a change in your life. At our office, we've taken to partnering up to provide the new parents with homemade food once a week to give them more time to bond with and learn about their baby. From what I hear, you need all the time you can get especially in the early weeks.

At our office, we used a google spreadsheet to lay claim to a week and plot out our menus to give the new parents variety. Then we write on note cards the menus and delivery dates as a gift. There are fancier websites for coordinating the meals, but we use the google platform at work so it was easiest. This week was my turn, and I made a variation of swiss chard and potato enchilada casserole (recipe here) and a variation of my Asian jicama-mango salad (recipe here.)

 Jicama, mango, radish and red cabbage with a vinaigrette provides a
refreshing and quick alternative to standard coleslaw. 

For moms who are breastfeeding, you're supposed to go light on the spiciness for the wee one's sake, so I omitted the habaneros and cut back on the chilis. I wasn't sure what else was to be avoided for the benefit of the baby, but this was a helpful resource (not only vegan.) The casserole lends itself well to freezing to give the new parents options.

Swiss Chard and Potato Enchiladas with homemade sauce
and topped with Go Veggie Mexican Blend Dairy Free Cheese

After a busy weekend, it was nice to spend some quiet time cooking and thinking about sharing food with friends. The brightly colored veggies in the pan was a kaleidoscope of positive wishes for the new family and hopefully would be a welcome break from what I can only imagine is a stressful time of learning about life with a baby.

Onions, zucchini, red bell peppers, potatoes, swiss chard stems
(greens added later) make for a colorful filling

Tea Time

There's beer, wine and coffee tastings, so why not tea? Verdant Tea in Minneapolis' Seward neighborhood offers just that and so much more in a relaxed space on Franklin Avenue.

The write ups on the artisan tea growers Verdant partners with and dozens of flavor profile overviews draw you into the world of tea.  I like tea, but I don't know that much about it, so it was a chance to learn more with a flight of hot teas. You can also get any tea flash-chilled for a made to order iced beverage.

Mrs. Li's Shi Feng Dragonwell green tea with flavor notes of sparkling, vanilla, spinach, white grape, cucumber and lychee. For more of the story on this tea, check this out.

They got me to stay by offering a myriad of refreshing and satisfying vegan food options like green tea or chai donuts; Birchwood's sandwiches, salads and soups; Sweet Science's dark chocolate and pear riesling sorbets; and a congee (quinoa & rice porridge)with a bunch of topping options. We sampled the sorbets during a tasting. The dark chocolate was rich and fudgy; while, the pear riesling was fruity and bright.

Verdant Tea is a great addition to the Minneapolis foodie scene, and a great place to explore new flavors.

Minnesota State Fair - Vegan Guide

When my fiance decided to stop eating animals and animal products (go vegan), we thought vegan pickings would be slim at the Great Minnesota Get Together (State Fair.) To our delight, blogger Midwest Vaygun had our back. She had several years of "gorging" at the state fair in the name of providing vegans a list of fair food options. Thank goodness for upstanding Minnesotans willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of our communities. :) Also, thank you to my parents, friends and fiance who helped compile the list below. With that said, please do confirm for yourselves these dishes are vegan and note this is not comprehensive (we got full.)

2013 Minnesota State Fair Food Guide for Vegans

Our Top Five:

There's a lot to do at the fair, but these are worth the $12 entrance ticket alone!

1. Corn Roast (located near the Grandstand) 

Hold the butter, enjoy nature's food on a stick in its summer glory. This is a perennial favorite of many.

2. Produce Exchange's Sweet Dreams Peach (located across the street from the International Bazaar)

Before you judge this as not adequately deep-fried or on a stick for fair food, I dare you to tell me you've had a better peach. I dream of these peaches all year...thus they are aptly named.

3. Fresh French Fries (2 locations: between Adventure land and the Mighty Midway and in front of the Senior Center (West of the Agriculture building))

 Deep-fried, crisp salty goodness in a bucket. Made with fresh potatoes...many imitators, but none compare. The owners of these stands are probably millionaires because the crowds line up for this must have for anyone who likes french fries.

4. Harry Singh's Vegetarian Roti w/ Trinidad Scorpion Pepper hot sauce (Southeast corner of the Food Building)

Mild mannered when wrapped in its warm roti shell, open this bad boy up and add a splash of the hottest hot sauce you've probably ever had to the already flavorful curried chickpeas and this is a great meal option. We liked it better than the doubles, but they're cheaper/smaller if you just want a taste.

5. MN Apples' frozen cider pop and fresh apple sauce (in the west hall of the Agriculture building)

The State Fair is one last summer party before kids head back to school and the leaves start to change. Make the transition to Fall a little more comforting with this refreshing Mr. Freeze/popsicle cider that serves as a bridge between the seasons. The apple sauce is better than anything you'll find in a jar at the store too. Perfectly portioned and priced at less than $2 each.

Honorable Mention: Farmer's Union's iced coffee w/ a splash of soy milk (near the front gate, west side of Dan Patch)

If you get to the Fair early or need a caffeine boost, the Farmer's Union booth serves J&S Bean Factory coffee which tastes great and offers Pacific Natural Foods' barista blend soy milk (my favorite non-dairy milk for coffee drinks) 

The Goods

We liked...just didn't love these options.

6. Strawberries & Creme (Randall & Underwood - near the kidway)

We couldn't believe our eyes, but staff confirmed the whipping cream is non-dairy. The strawberries were slightly tart and cool with a generous dollop of rich, sweet creme.

7. French Meadows' brown sugar scone (Carnes & Underwood)

It was more flat than the other scones - almost cookie-like. The flavor was good and made us hope they carry it in store year round. I don't suspect it will ever have the crazed following that leads to half hour lines like the cronut/doussiant, but you can people watch the line while enjoying the scone and a coffee.

8. Hamline Dining Hall's pomegranate pizzazz sorbet (near the Visitor Center on Dan Patch)

Refreshing and cool with the iconic izzy mini scoop on top. Service was inconsistent, but the sorbet was great. Izzy's is a local favorite ice cream shop which is great about offering soy ice cream and sorbet options for vegans.

9. Spring Grove Sodas' Rhu-berry soda (on Nelson near the DNR building)

We Minnesotans love our rhubarb, but this soda was a little sweeter than we hoped. Heavy Table raves about the lemon sour and thought the rhu-berry and lemon sodas were good offerings in the Heavy Table state fair food tour (warning: not vegan).

Vegan Mecca: international bazaar (located on the south side of the fairgrounds)

Like with restaurants, you're more likely to score vegan options if you check out the international bazaar at the fairgrounds. Here's a few:

10. Island Noodles (located in the last row near the stage in the bazaar)

Wok-fried soba noodles in a garlic ginger sauce with lots of veggies are a solid meal option. Major bonus points for slicing fresh veggies into each batch. Mmmm...wok-fried broccoli.

11. Cinnamon Roasted Almonds (located a few stalls down from Island Noodles)

They were handing out samples and claiming dairy and gluten free. If you're nuts for nuts, give them a try but ask about honey first.

12. St. Martin's Olives' olives on a stick (same row further from the stage)

More vegan-friendly food on a stick. They're olives. They're stuffed with garlic, peppers, onions and sun-dried tomatoes.

13. Holy land (Southeast corner (same row as above) of the bazaar)

Has a ton of options; including, falafel, tabbouli, hummus, grape leaves and veggie samosas. Solid food, very generous portions.

14. Los Ocampos' guacamole and chips (Eastern edge of the bazaar trades with Burrito Mercado for half the fair)

A generous 2/3 cup freshly made guacamole with lime, tomatoes, onions, and avocados. If you go earlier in the fair, you'll see Burrito Mercado in this spot and they offer a chili and lime dusted fresh mango on a stick. We've heard it's phenomenal.

The Fried

I am not crazy about fried foods (makes me a seeming anomaly at the fair), so a separate category to not bias the choices.

15. Preferred Pickles' Fried pickles (SW corner of Dan Patch & Liggett - near the Mighty Midway)

Cajun and perfect offerings are vegan if you hold on the ranch dipping sauce. We didn't check to see if the chocolate dipping sauce was vegan because that combo didn't sound good. The hot sauce was a tasty addition. 

16. Sonny's Spiral Spuds' Potato on a stick (Northwest corner of the Food Building)

Vegan on a stick option! Another fun way to eat a fried potato, but if you're only going to do one potato option make it the french fries. If you come with an army, get the potato tornado which is a massive amount of potatoes on a stick definitely made to share.

Others we didn't try

Even with a team of six hungry people, you're not going to get through all the fair's options.

17. Dole whip (located across the street from French Meadow)

Non-dairy softserve with fruit or a pineapple juice float.

18. Veggie Pie's frozen grapes on a stick (south wall of Food Building)

19. Fried Green Tomatoes (on Dan Patch by Crossroads/The Garden) Update: These contain whey and are not vegan.

Warning: Sonora Grill- sorry, the eggplant fries and eggplant tacos have egg in the breading.

236,197 people were at the Minnesota State Fair when we were on an absolutely gorgeous Sunday - setting a new attendance record!

Recipe: Asian Jicama-Mango Salad

Jicama (pronounced like you're mid-hiccup when you call for your ma, "hick-ah-ma") is an often overlooked vegetable (well, actually a tuber similar to a potato) that deserves your attention. It's known as a Mexican Yam or Turnip and is a refreshing raw, slightly starchy treat with subtle flavors like green beans or peas and apples. Don't worry, it tastes nothing like a raw potato/yam or turnip.

Since it's refreshing and subtle, it pairs well with bolder flavors. Enter: Habanero. I have a love-hate relationship with this chili. I love its fruity, almost sweet heat. I don't like its intense heat. It can be up to 100x as hot as Tabasco sauce! You can avoid the heat by avoiding the capsaicin which is concentrated in the seeds and the pith where the seeds are attached.

Habaneros and jicama are from Mexico, so you can imagine all the Mexican flavor combos you could add. I was feeling adventurous though, so I went with some Asian flavors of ginger and sesame oil for my salad.

Asian Jicama-Mango Salad

1 large jicama
1 mango
1 bell pepper (color is your choice, mine was red)
1/4 c cilantro
7-8 radishes
handful of chives (or green onions)

Sauce:
1 T sesame oil
2 T lime juice
1 T brown rice vinegar
2 diced itsy-bitsy habaneros
1 T grated ginger
1 T bee-free honee (or a sweetener of your choice)

Dice the veggies small (see photo) and place in a bowl. Mix the sauce ingredients in a glass measuring cup (if you're worried about the heat, try 1/2 a habanero and up it until you're comfortable.) Blend the sauce well and add to veggie bowl and toss well. Serve cold or room temperature.

Don't forget one of the best parts...eating the mango you didn't cut off the seed...mmm...mango!!