BVS Food Fest

Just got back from an afternoon of vegan grazing at the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival.  This was the 15th year of the festival, and I think my 6th year attending.  In previous years I've attended on Saturday, so the vibe was a little different on Sunday.

Crowded though it was, it was nowhere near the pandemonium of Day 1 when the line stretches across the sidewalk with crazy hungry vegans eagerly awaiting the doors to open.  This is good and bad because I generally avoid stampeding herds.  But while there wasn't as much jostling of bodies, there also wasn't as plentiful a selection of vegan offerings.  There was enough, though.  More than enough, actually.

With one notable exception:  Vegan Treats, the most heavenly vegan bakery on the planet.  Expectations were high as we approached the BVS volunteer to ask where they were stationed, only to discover they had to cancel this year due to an unexpected staff shortage (i.e., their baker quit).  Cafe Indigo from Concord, NH did their best to fill in, and though they promised "the best vegan carrot cake in the world" (and it was exceptionally good), it was no Vegan Treat.  We sighed heaviliy and did our best to recover from the disappointment. 

There was still plenty to discover with nearly 120 vendors wrapped around the gym, including Peace O' Pie, the all-vegan pizzaria from Allston.  We had planned a day at the fest to be topped off by a visit to the restaurant, but since they were already there, convenience dictated we forego the extra trip.  Happily, even lukewarm vegan is still pretty delicious.  I opted for a slice of the barbecue "beef" pie.

My main focus, however, was the cooking demonstration by celebrity Chef Tal Ronnen.  Known for being Oprah Winfrey's personal chef while she was on her 21-day cleanse, he was also quite personalble, entertaining, and informative. 

One tip I'm looking forward to trying is substituting fresh made raw cashew milk for soy milk in cream sauce recipes.  He used this ingredient in the Creamed Celery Root and Granny Smith Apple Soup that he demonstrated, and it was quite tasty.  I also picked up a copy of his gorgeous cookbook, The Conscious Cook, which I enjoyed browsing during the car ride home.  I'll be looking forward to testing a few of these recipes with clients over the next few weeks!

Oh me, oh Miya's

I had lunch yesterday at one of my favorite restaurants in New Haven, Miya's Sushi, on the corner of Howe and Chapel.  Anyone in Connecticut who knows sushi, knows this is the place to go.  But more specifically, for vegetarian sushi, this is really the only place to go, because once you've eaten it, nowhere else can compare.  Really.  It's that good.

It's all in the details:  the silkscreened message "Man cannot live on rice alone" printed on the front window, the menu, and t-shirts worn by employees and fans alike; the menu itself, which reads like the story of one man's evolving culinary adventure; and then the sushi, which is creative, artful, and delicious.

The biggest challenge is deciding what to order when every veggie roll I've tried has been an explosion of taste and texture.  Instead of using the traditional white rice, the rolls are made with a mix of whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, wild rice, and barley.  Then there's the fillings... not the usual avocado peanut or tempura sweet potato (although those are there, too), but flavor sensations like curry cauliflower, apricot chutney, artichoke cumin, roasted garlic and black beans, coconut avocado papaya... ahhh.  One of my favorites is the Japafrican Queen Roll, a hearty nod to Ethiopian cuisine with a filling of eggplant, apricots, avocado, pickled radish, scallions & ethiopian berbere spice mix, wrapped in injera.

Yesterday, I decided to have 3 simple rolls:  the Spicy Eggplant (melt in your mouth), cumin artichoke (nice smoky pickled contrast), and Rikki Tikki (mushroom and cauliflower with roasted garlic, chinese black beans, scallions, hot pepper and pine nuts).  It was a heavenly feast nonetheless.  Thanks, Bun, for creating a welcoming place where vegans can delight in good sushi!  You have a wonderful team working with you.

Eggplant and Kale Stacks with Caramelized Shallot Tomato Cream Sauce

The focal point of last night's dinner was baked eggplant. Traditionally, baked eggplant is made by dipping thick slices of eggplant in an egg wash and then coating them liberally in bread crumbs.  A golden crust forms on the outside and the inside becomes soft and creamy.  In order to achieve this perfect consistency in my gluten-free vegan kitchen, I dipped each slice in a cornstarch and water mixture, then baked them in a hot oven (425 degrees) on an oiled cookie sheet.  Not bad.

I needed some healthy greens as a contrast, so I grabbed a few leaves of kale from my garden and steamed them in the microwave.  The creamy sauce was made with caramelized shallots, fresh basil from my garden, Bionaturae tomato sauce, and about a tablespoon of Tofutti cream cheese.  I also tossed the sauce with some Tinkyada penne for a complete meal.  Quick, simple, delicious!

Lalibela

After craving Ethiopian food for the past couple of weeks and making several unsuccessful attempts at cajoling friends to join me for some spongy bread (otherwise known as injera), I finally found a taker.  Thank you, Dianna (aka The Budget Babe), for making my day! 

We headed to Laliebela, my favorite little Ethiopian restaurant on Temple Street in New Haven.  I've eaten here several times for dinner and enjoyed the casual yet intimate atmosphere, attentive service, and the food.  For lunch, the setting is a little more informal as we learned there is just buffet service, but at $7.95 per person, you can really get your money's worth.  So, if you've never experienced Ethiopian food, this is a good way to get a sample, as well as an affordable and satisfying lunch. 

There were 6 vegetarian (all vegan) options and 2 meat options in separate chafing dishes, which meant that my selection was plentiful for a change.  I filled my plate with Yemisir Wat (spicy red lentil with berbere), Ater Kik (yellow split pea), Misir Alicha (green lentil), curried collard greens, Kosta (spinach and potato), and Gomen (cabbage and potato).  You could spoon a pile of white rice onto your plate, but I opted for the rolled up strips of injera, a spongy fermented flat bread made with teff flour.  This is one of the few breads I can eat since it's gluten-free, so of course, I indulged.  I'm already dreaming about my next visit. 

This week's menu

There was a variety of fall vegetables on this week's menu.  Clients were treated to a butternut squash risotto thickened with coconut cream, chickpea and cauliflower curry, and Brussels sprouts.  But since it feels downright balmy today with temperatures in the 70s, I reserved one last glimpse of summer for the third entree which featured baked eggplant with marinara and fresh basil.  Ahh... if only summer could last forever.

Dijon Glazed Baked Tofu with Coconut Butternut Risotto and Brussels Sprouts

Cauliflower, Chickpea and Potato Curry with Brown Basmati Rice

 

Baked Eggplant with Marinara and Fresh Basil,

Broccoli Rabe with Olive Oil, Toasted Slivers of Garlic, and Canellini Beans

Cauliflower and Red Bean Curry

This lunch falls under the category of "everything tastes better curried."  I had half a cauliflower and half a can of red beans left from cooking for a client this week.  I know that potato and cauliflower go well in a curry, and chickpeas work with chana masala, so I figured, why not try using the beans and mix it all together?

Success!  I sauteed some onion, stirred in some tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, and a little sea salt, then added enough water to loosen everything into a sauce.  To add a little richness, I stirred in a tablespoon of Tofutti cream cheese, then topped it all off with a sprinkle of green onion.  Yeah, perfect.