For weeks now I’d been looking forward to attending the local PPK brunch meet-up that was being hosted by Your Vegan Mom. I’d planned to make the delicious sounding recipe from Vegan Planet for the Pumpkin Rum Couscous Cake. The recipe seemed super easy to make and I liked the idea of trying couscous as an ingredient in something sweet.

I realize couscous is not something you usually associate with cake, or dessert for that matter, but trust me… this cake is really wonderful and doesn’t taste weird at all. It’s not much like a cake actually, the texture is similar to thick pudding (like bread pudding) or a lumpy cheesecake. The flavor is a lot like pumpkin pie… so basically imagine a textured, pumpkin pie cheesecake. Yeah, it’s kinda like that… only better than it sounds. And vegan. As hoped for the recipe is beyond easy to follow… there is no cooking involved, the most complex things you need to do are boil water, measure out some spices and run a blender. Since there were going to be kids at this gathering, and because I’m not big into the hooch myself, I left out the rum (though I’m sure the rum in the recipe makes it that much more extra special).

Anyone who likes pumpkin pie, or cheesecake, or even just the idea of those two being in the same room together should like this cake-pie-pudding. I’ll also note that this cake makes for not only a delightful dessert, but also a perfect breakfast. No one needs to be told it’s vegan or even that it’s made from tofu and couscous. Just tell them to put it in their mouths & shut up until they are ready to thank you and ask for more (believe me, they will ask you for more). I’m not saying that the fact that it’s vegan needs to be a secret at all, but you know how some people are… they’ll turn up their noses and won’t even want to try it if they hear the words “vegan” or “tofu”, so with these types of folks it’s best to hook ‘em in first through their tastebuds before laying your cards out on the table.

Now back to this party and why I titled this post “the cake that no one almost ate”. The thing is, I’m a moron. I somehow got my days confused and thought the brunch was on Sunday (today) when it was actually on Saturday (yesterday). See? Moron. So after bragging all this time to the PPK folks about how my couscous cake was going to knock their socks off, I ended up being a no-show. What a dork! I’ve heard since that the gathering was a smashing and delicious success, so all’s well that ends well.

Thusly my cake was to remain mostly uneaten other than by myself, but thankfully my mom came to the rescue wanting to taste the thing (I told you I’d been bragging about it). Once she’d had a bite it was no work at all for me to convince her to take it home with her (the last thing I need is to be left alone in a house with an entire cake all to myself.. it wouldn’t end well for me, or the cake).

The moral of this story is twofold:

1. Always make a note of important dates so that you don’t miss events you’ve been looking forward to attending. Especially if you’re planning to make cake and are going to brag about it.

2. You should get a copy of the Vegan Planet cookbook because it rocks and is full of awesome recipes like this cake, and everything else under the vegetarian sun. The book is a mighty tome of all things vegan and delicious.

ABOUT VEGAN PLANET:

Vegan Planet:
400 Irresistible Recipes with Fantastic Flavors from Home and Around the World
by Robin Robertson

“Vegan Planet is a Joy of Cooking for vegans. Like that book, it is authoritative, encyclopedic, and complete.” -VegNews

Vegan Planet introduces a world of delicious choices to the millions of Americans who are vegans or non-vegetarians who have food sensitivities or are simply trying to eat healthier. A vegan diet contains no eggs, dairy, or other animal products but is chock full of delicious nutritious, and satisfying whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and proteins from plant sources.

In Vegan Planet, Robin Robertson shows how to make vegan cuisine exciting, flavorful, and full of variety. First she provides a complete rundown on the vegan pantry and the tremendous health benefits of eating vegan. Then she presents 400 tantalizing new recipes for breakfast (Pumpkin Pie Pancakes), lunch (Portobello Fajitas) and creative ideas for entertaining guests (Ginger-Scented Pot Stickers, Curried Cauliflower Pakoras). Taking advantage of the many cuisines around the world with large repertoires of naturally vegan recipes, Vegan Planet is truly global in its culinary offerings.
Buy Vegan Planet Cookbook…

Robin Robertson is also the author of a brand new vegan cookbook:

Vegan Fire & Spice:
200 Sultry and Savory Global Recipes

Another Sunday, another visit to the Hollywood Farmers Market. Because today is Easter there were fewer vendors as well as fewer visitors, though it was by no means empty. Here’s a look at the bounty I brought home with me today…

Starting with the bowl in the center: asparagus, broccoli, cherimoya, Fuji apples, red bell peppers and strawberries. All local and organic. I paid $2.50 a pound for the cherimoyas, later this evening while at Follow Your Heart market I saw that they were selling them for $6.99 a pound.

The thing that looks like a log wrapped in plastic is called “kürtös kalács” and is a hollow, cylinder-shaped pastry, a traditional Transylvanian treat. The nice Hungarian man selling these offered me a sample and with just one bite I was sold. I bought this one for my dad. They are entirely vegan and have no preservatives (high gluten wheat flour, yeast, canola oil, sugar, vanilla, real lemon, salt) and come coated with different toppings. The one I picked is made with caramel and walnuts. Delicious.

The lovely hyacinth in bloom is filling my entire house with it’s full and heady scent, which has put me in the mood to listen The Doors.

For lunch I opted for the Korean food stand again, though my verdict this time around is that I just don’t love these pancakes. They are dairy free, made with rice & barley batter and vegetables… for all intents and purposes, something I should really like. The last time I tried them they were a bit runny in the middle. This time I asked the lady to make them “well done” for me, but even though they did come out sufficiently well cooked on the outside, the center is still just a bit too soft for my taste. They look like they should have a similar chewy texture to those scallion pancakes they serve at Chinese restaurants, but that’s not what they’re like. The taste is pretty good but the mush factor kinda ruins it for me.

This was my first time trying her tofu and it was just ok… looks a lot spicier than it really is. The noodles I like and adding the sweet & spicy chili sauce over the top makes them even better.

Obligatory celebrity sighting of the day: C-Diddy! He’s the champion of the World Air Guitar Competition, holder of the title “The best Air Guitarist in the world”. If you have no idea what air guitar is or what I’m talking about, you are not alone. I had no idea what I’m talking about either until a few short weeks ago when I saw the film Air Guitar Nation and it rocked my socks off. I highly recommend you see it, then you’ll understand why seeing someone like C-Diddy on the street is a cause for excitement… this guy brings it! Behold…

Inspired by a few different recipes I found online for roasted brussels sprouts, I took what I liked best from each and ran with it. I’ve never tried roasted brussels sprouts before so I wasn’t sure if I’d like them; the last time I had this vegetable it was not prepared well and the results were awful. I was pleased to discover however that when roasted this way they are delectable.

Below is what I came up with, my own version of a roasted brussels sprouts recipe - if something this simple can even be called a recipe. I’m not giving any exact amounts because that’s really just not how I roll when I’m cooking on the fly. Plus it’s all going to depend on how many brussels sprouts you’re planning to cook. Be creative and just season these according to your taste.

Chop off the knobby bits on the end then slice the brussels sprouts in half. The young, small ones taste the best.
In a large bowl mix together the brussels sprouts with:
- just enough olive oil to coat
- two splashes of balsamic vinegar
- one large crushed garlic clove
- couple dashes each of sea salt, black pepper, red chili flakes and nutritional yeast
Place on baking sheet and roast at 400 for about 15 min. Turn and roast for another 5 minutes or until the tops get nicely browned and slightly crispy.

I made a quick dipping sauce of balsamic vinegar, agave nectar and more red chili flakes.

At this point I’m addicted to roasted brussels sprouts and I’ve been making them almost everyday for the past week. They make for the perfect quick, cheap and super healthy snack, something I’m grateful for right now as I’m attempting to shed the winter weight.

I had been hearing about the great vegetarian Mexican food being served at Cinnamon in Highland Park for a while now, so I figured it was high time to gather up some of my homegirls and go check it out for ourselves. I’d read some mixed reviews and none of us had been there before, so we really didn’t know what to expect. I’m so glad we took this adventure upon ourselves because the food was fantastic.

For starters I had the “Jumping Shrimp Cocktail”, the shrimp of course was made of soy. Loved it. I’ve got a thing for the texture that this type of firm and chewy soy shrimp has, and there were both whole pieces and smaller chunks mixed in with the yummy cocktail sauce. It doesn’t taste fishy, or even really much like shrimp, but that’s probably a good thing. The sauce was both sweet & spicy, accented with lime & cilantro. You could tell it had just been made fresh.

You’ll notice in the background there that I also got a soymilk horchata, a traditional milk and cinnamon drink that one doesn’t often (ever?) find vegan. It was heavenly, and it took all I had to resist ordering another after finishing the first.

For my main dish I had to try the vegetarian “Chicken Mole” as it’s one of their specialties. This came in the form of delicious little fake drumsticks that had been cooked in their incredible mole sauce. I must admit this was my first time ever tasting mole so I have nothing to compare it to, but I thought this was outstanding. The flavor was slightly smoky but also rather sweet and heavy on the cinnamon. My friends tried it and mentioned that the cinnamon and sweetness was a bit overpowering, but I really liked it just as it was. The dish came served with rice and beans, both of which were very good, and pleasantly lard free.

The food was delicious all around. Even the salsa that came with the corn chips to start us off was lovely. The place was clean, the food came fast and the service was friendly. The one issue we did have was that our waiter (who I think is one of the owners) didn’t understand the difference between vegetarian and vegan. The menu and website state that they are “vegan-friendly”, however the menu doesn’t specify whether the meat and cheese substitutes are vegan or only vegetarian, and no one working there seemed to know, or understand the question. It was frustrating for us to try to explain what the difference was to him between vegan and vegetarian, he was unfamiliar with the words casein and whey. I feel that if you’ve got the word “vegan” printed on your menu, everyone who works there should know what it means, and should know about the basic ingredients in the food being served. Imagine going to a kosher restaurant but neither the wait staff or the cook knows for sure if the food had been prepared kosher or not. That said, waiter/owner man was very sweet and attempted to be accommodating, but the whole vegan vs. vegetarian thing is a matter that they’re going to have to iron out if they want the strict vegans to embrace them en masse.

That said, if you’re a vegetarian who’s willing to turn a blind eye to a little bit of mystery surrounding the nature of your soylent green once in a while, allow me to recommend a visit to Highland Park for some fine, traditional Mexican food at Cinnamon. For that matter, bring your meat eating friends with you as the food here is so good that anyone should be able to find something they’ll enjoy regardless of their dietary inclinations. Other menu items include vegetarian steak fajitas, soy chorizo with potatoes, flautas, tamales, carnitas… and I count 8 salads on the menu (including exotic delicacies like cactus and hearts of palm), breakfast and fresh squeezed juices… something for everyone. Go hungry, leave full and happy!

Here’s a great stick-to-your-ribs breakfast I recently tried for the first time at Follow Your Heart, the “Two Bean Hash”.

“White and Black Beans, Vegetables, Wheatmeat and Spices, Pan Fried Crispy. Served with Two Vegetarian “Sausage” Links, Guacamole and Sour Cream.”

This was delicious, a simple and straightforward combo of flavors and textures that all went very well together. Mixing in the guacamole, salsa and sour cream gave the dish a nice Mexican flair. If Emeril Lagasse were here he’d probably say that they kicked it up a notch. The sour cream was vegan but make sure your server knows that’s what you want just in case.

I didn’t like the sausages much at all; they tasted like your average fake-sausage from the freezer, and not of an amazingly realistic or particularly tasty variety. Spiced, smoked cardboard comes to mind. Nevertheless, the hash was lovely and I highly recommend it. Next time I’ll ask for a side of fruit or something instead of the snausages.

I may have just found my new favorite recipe, the Tamarind Lentils from the Veganomicon cookbook. Oh mama, were these good! I love this delicious vegan recipe not only for it’s inherent deliciousness, but also because it was super easy to make, and from start to finish I prepped, cooked and ate my food all in less than one hour. The recipe is pretty foolproof.

Described in the book as “savory, tangy, and sweet… Indian-inspired lentils”, that’s exactly how they taste. The flavor is full and exotic, the tartness of the tamarind cut nicely with sweetness coming from agave nectar, garam masala and tomato paste. You also get a nice spicy kick now and again from cayenne and ginger.

I did make some of my own modifications because I’m the sort that just can’t leave well enough alone. The recipe calls for onion which I wasn’t going to subject myself to, so instead I used fennel. Yes, I realize that fennel tastes nothing like an onion, however it does look kind of similar when cooked… and what the heck, I love fennel. Whatever change this gave to the flavor of the dish did nothing but enhance it’s greatness. The recipe also calls for 3 tablespoons of coconut or peanut oil, neither of which I had on hand, so I used canola instead and cut it down to 1 tablespoon. Really, 3 seems excessive, don’t you think? I needed to cook the lentils a little bit longer than the recipe suggested in order to get them tender, so I just added a bit more water and let them simmer until they softened up.

The recipe suggests having this with basmati rice but at the time I was making it I was already very hungry and wasn’t about to mess with making rice or the like. Instead I made a Jamie Oliver inspired (and veganized) raw-slaw of red & purple carrots, yellow beets and red cabbage* with miso-seseame dressing.

If you don’t already own a copy of the Veganomicon then you’ll want to get one now for your uncensored, all-access pass to the tamarind lentils recipe. If I were to tell you that your life will never be complete until you’ve made and eaten this dish, than I would only be slightly exaggerating.

*Why is it called red cabbage when we can all clearly see that it’s purple?

Remember I told you about the wonderful sneak-peek dinner at Shojin that I got to attend back in January? You know, the new restaurant in Little Tokyo offering organic and natural meals inspired by Japanese traditional vegetarian food? Yeah, that one. We’ll I’m very happy to report that Shojin restaurant is now open to the public and they are waiting to feed you their delicous food! Yes… YOU!

Sohei, the charming and friendly owner, has passed along the following info:

“I am very pleased to announce the opening of Shojin restaurant as of March 5th. Although we are sorry for long delay from the vegan events in January, our dream now begins! We are excited to offer the new style of organic and natural meals. We hope Shojin will be a new standard for a plant-based diet. Not only vegetarians but also people who eat meat can enjoy our food and realize that having pure food is the way to achieve a healthy and happy life. We open Wednesday thru Sunday, opening 12:00pm - 9:00pm (last order). We started with all plant-based (vegan) menu.”

No joke folks… this place is the real deal. These people thrive on creating fine, healthy food and their love for it comes through in the cooking and in the way they treat their guests. Shojin restaurant is an excellent new addition to the growing list of fantastic places for vegetarians and vegans to find great food, and it’s a welcome change from all the Thai vegan stuff you can get everywhere else (not that I’m complaining about an abudance of vegan Thai food, mind you). Seeing as there are not yet that many vegetarian options Downtown, Shojin’s location inside Little Tokyo Square just made finding a healthy lunch or dinner Downtown that much easier, not to mention that much more enjoyable.

Find out much more about Shojin at their website: www.theshojin.com
…and don’t forget to let ‘em know who sent ya!

Anthony Bourdain was a fancy-pants New York City chef back at one point before he sold his soul to the Travel Channel. What he’s apparently interested in being remembered for most though is his love of foie gras, his one man crusade to eat every pig on earth, and most especially, his sage wisdom regarding vegetarianism:

Take for example this little nugget:

“Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn. To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living. Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, and an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food.”
- Anthony Bourdain, “Kitchen Confidential,” p. 70

This coming from a man who’s “pure enjoyment of food” entails gulping down a still-beating cobra heart cut fresh from the snakes living body. Hmmm. Did he do that because he’s got such a “decent human spirit” or did he do it because eating gross food is good for his ratings? Oh wait, let me guess… he must have needed the protein.

Some clever folks out there are responding to Anthony Bourdain’s ignorant remarks and incessant badgering of vegetarians by turning the tables on him and creating something positive in the process.

The new Hezbollah Tofu blog has just appeared on the scene and they’ve hatched an ingenious plan to transform all the recipes in Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles cookbook and turn them into vegan recipes. So great! Here’s an excerpt from their message to Bourdain:

…Anthony, you’re kind of tragically wrong about us. But don’t worry, we’re not going to do something silly like picket the Travel Channel or go around bookstores drawing giant penises on your book covers with Sharpies. We have two key advantages over you in this game: we’re easily mobilized, and we can cook.

So we aren’t just going to “enjoy” food, we’re going to enjoy vastly improved, veganized versions of your masturbatory, blood-oozing recipes. And then we’re going to compile them, sell them in zine form, and donate the proceeds to vegan outreach organizations and farm sanctuaries–in your name. Anthony, I have to say, I’m really looking forward to the great work we’re going to do together for veganism.

This is an open call to vegan cooks of all stripes: professional chefs and bakers, cookbook authors, food bloggers, amateur cooks, and–perhaps most importantly–ordinary, everyday people who just want to live their lives and eat their dinners without unnecessary heckling from the heroin-addled peanut gallery.

Brilliant, I say. Visit these guys and join the resistance at: www.hezbollahtofu.blogspot.com - No reservations required.

Similiarly inspired, Bryanna and her friends over at The Vegan Feast Kitchen held a vegan “splinter faction” pizza party (again in response to the ridiculous comment made about vegans being the “splinter faction” of vegetarians). Very cute… and if bashing Bourdain’s bashing of vegans isn’t a good enough reason for throwing a vegan pizza party, well then the terrorists have already won.

Greetings fellow Foodies,
I thought I’d share with you yet another glorious display of vegan soul food:

This anything but humble offering is yet another fantastic lunch from the Taste of Life booth at the Hollywood Farmers Market. We’ve got the macaroni & cheese (so good and cheesy… how do they do it?), the pot roast (god I love this), the black-eyed peas (kinda plain but still tasty), and at the suggestion of one of my readers (thanks Scott!), the veggie lasagna. The lasagna was the only item I had not tried from these guys yet, and yeah, it was all that. The sauce was delicious and I don’t know what they used to simulate the Ricotta (tofu?), but it was spot on both in texture and taste. True, lasagna has got nothing to do with soul food… don’t ask me why they decided to add it to their menu. I for one am sure glad they did.

Oh and of course the cornbread on top was the proverbial icing on the cake. Although it wasn’t icing. And this wasn’t a cake. And I would have liked about two or three more pieces.

If you’re in L.A, head on over to the Hollywood Farmers Market tomorrow (if it’s not raining) (or on any given Sunday) and get your belly nice and full on some of this filling, comforting, fattening and authentically scrumptious down home cooking.

Update: Thanks to Your Vegan Mom for pointing out that the farmers market will have different hours tomorrow due to the L.A. Marathon. Here’s the scoop:

The Hollywood Farmers’ Market will be changing its hours for One Day Only! The market will operate from 11 am to 2 pm on March 2nd. This is to make it easier for everyone to get to the market once the Marathon has passed through Hollywood. Validated parking will be available during market hours at the Arclight/Cinerama Dome parking structure at Sunset & Ivar. 1st Hour free with market validation. Limited free parking will also be available at 1623 N. Vine Street in the Doolittle Theatre parking lot from 11 am to 2 pm.

And for the love of dog, whatever you do… despite the offers of validated parking, avoid driving out there tomorrow as if your life depended on it. Traffic will be an absolute nightmare. If there was ever a better day to ride the Metro, tomorrow will certainly be it.