Of Bloody Poached Leopards and iPhoto

RACHEL'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
p. 222 LDV
Prepared 11/19/07

This is the best vegan cookie dough I have ever ever tasted. I added extra vanilla because we had just that awkward amount in the container where you don't want to toss it because you are trying to be mindful about consumerism, waste, packaging blah blah blah...you know how it is. Also, the universe was sending me a major reminder to check your ingredients before you start cooking or baking as we were out of our propriety blend of w/wh wh flour. So the son and I made them with whole wheat flour. I think they would be better as cookies if one ensured one had less healthful flour involved. But the dough...oh...the dough...

So, careful picture viewers are probably noticing that some of my photos have been a little less optimal. You are right. All the pictures taken in the last few months have been taken either with my phone or my partner's iPhone, because he dropped our digital camera in a national park this summer on his drive across the country. But! The new update for iPhoto has given me some interesting tools to frame these slightly imperfect pictures (I am so so so not the woman who Photoshops her pictures prior to uploading them, as you have noticed) so if you are finding yourself in the future feeling really impressed with the dreaminess of say, another bowl of soup, you know it is the new tools!

Finally, mega super ultra careful picture viewers are going to be looking at the headline of the paper under the cooling rack upon which the cookies rest and say to themselves, "Something Beautiful? Whats that all about?" You can access the article here and then you may find yourself wondering, as I am, what exactly the landscaping will look like when the project is finished. I am finding it hard to visualize. And what the other landscape designs looked like in the contest that were rejected. I like the idea of this very much though.

Is There Anything More To Say About Banana Bread?

well...yes...

BROWN RICE FLOUR BANANA BREAD
p. 279 LDV
Prepared 11/18/07

Longtime readers will most certainly remember that I don't eat or generally associate with the flavor of banana. However, bananas do show up in our home with some regularity. The boys made this bread with our propriety blend of wheat/white flour instead of rice flour (as we have no rice flour) and, in the words of the elder male, "They forgot to put an ingredient in the recipe! We had to take it upon ourselves to add the chocolate chips."

This was by far the most fantastic looking banana bread I've ever seen. Our son adored it and by the end of the day had eaten about 3/4 of the loaf. If that isn't a ringing endorsement...I don't know what it!

Gimme A L! Gimme An E! Gimme An N! Gimme A T! Gimme An I! Gimme An L!

COCONUT CURRY RED LENTIL SOUP
p. 106 LDV
Prepared 11/17/07

Lentils lentils rah rah rah! The combo of curry flavors, coconut milk, lentils and root veggies was pretty fabulous. This is really rich and filling but super good. We added fresh parsley and a titch of garam masala and curry powder. It was pretty cinchy to make, FYI!

Faking It

BASIC INSTANT GLUTEN
FAUX CHICKEN
pp. 284, 287 LDV
Prepared 11/14/07

My first foray into the the world of homemade mock meat. It was actually much easier than I anticipated. The gluten, as many of you may know, seized right up and became rubbery...er, seemingly chewy. The liquid all evaporated for making the gluten officially "chicken" and it left a strange salty slimy residue, which I rinsed off prior to using/storing. I basically ate these in burritos all week, which was a nice change of pace from my normal beanfest. Pictured on the side of my in-process faux chicken are cornmeal scones from Moosewood Cooks At Home.

Mama! What Happened?

NIKOLE'S BOSS'S MOM'S PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CAKE
p. 248 LDV
Prepared 10/29/07, Exploded 10/29/07

So, the boy and I made a dessert one afternoon and then I set it on the stove to cool. I then began dinner, but I turned the wrong burner on. And I didn't notice this. And after a few minutes, the pan exploded. Glass and cake were everywhere. For weeks, we've been talking about the exploding cake. Everyone was fine so it makes for a humorous story. But I will have to report back to you on the level of deliciousness this cake is able to manifest.

Crusty

YEAST-FREE PIZZA CRUST
p. 115 HIAV
Prepared 10/31/07

More pizza. It was fine. It wasn't much dough but we ate it and liked it and there ya go.

Carrot Soup Is Never Going To Do You Wrong

SIMPLY LOVELY CARROT SOUP
p. 57 HIAV
Prepared 10/26/07

I was afraid that this was going to be a disaster. At the end of the recipe it tasted thin and watery. But I added a leftover baked potato and pureed nearly all of the soup (not a recommended step in the recipe). The soup needs TLC beyond the recipe but the additions I made were really good. We ate it served with No-Knead Bread.

A Visit To Crater Lake

We went to Crater Lake, it was gorgeous and fun. If you have not gone, you should.

Veracity

I have no idea what these dishes are, I made them, we ate them, they must have been good because we would have remembered if they sucked. So you know, I will keep you updated on this. Check back regularly.

Is the pasta dreamy looking or what?

Cake-to-Muffins

CINNAMON-WALNUT COFFEE CAKE
p. 253 LDV
Prepared 10/21/07

Another case of struesel not wanting to stay on the cake. They were converted to muffins and baked for less time. I liked these a lot- the evidence is in the picture. They went fast!

Cakey

COLLEEN & HOBART'S MELT IN YOUR MOUTH CRUMBCAKE
p. 254 LDV
Prepared 10/15/07

I am not that enthusiastic about this cake but I am in the minority in my house. We used blackberry applesauce for the cake part. The topping is really really crumbly so if I were to make this again I would add more Earth Balance to the crumble mixture. I also felt that the cake was too mushy. I added chocolate chips to the topping because I thought it would be extra-delicious that way.

Love Soup, Love Love Love It

CAULIFLOWER RED LENTIL SOUP
p. 107 LDV
Prepared 10/15/07


Gah, I have a thing for red lentil soups. Good thing, since there quite a few in these cookbooks. Anyway, this one was really nice. I used extra ingredients to make a larger pot of soup and added celery. I threw in a little curry as we were out of tumeric. Delicious with a leftover biscuit, too!

CASSEROLIA

WOLFFIE'S SOUTHWESTERN CORN CASSEROLE
p. 169
Prepared 10/9/07

This is total comfort food...very tasty but I thought it had an odd consistency. My adult partner in dining stated, "This is pretty delicious! It tastes a little like quiche but without the disgusting flavor of egg." We served it with refried beans and it was all good.

Your Friend, Yeast

YEAST PIZZA CRUST
p. 115 HIAV
Prepared 10/11/07

Awww, what a yummy pizza this was. The crust was simple, and we had fun making it. The only downside is waiting 30-40 minutes for your pie to bake. See how fast that kid's hand is moving? He will wait no longer. Pizza is awesome.

Sweet Old Biscuits

SWEET BISCUITS
p. 123 HIAV
Prepared 10/03/07

We made these to go with some chili- they were good and while had a bit of sweetness, they still went well with the chili. Simple and filling.

Baby, Its Cold Outside

There has been seriously chilly weather here for over a month now. I had no idea it would be so cold, and while the locals assure me that its unseasonably freezing cold for this time of year, I would have said a proper goodbye to summer if I'd known.

So, more baking, and more soups. This is a great one.


SIMPLE LEEK AND POTATO SOUP
p. 100 LDV
Prepared 10/02/07

Leeks from farmer's market, added some carrots and cauliflower and we all dug in and enjoyed! You should do the same. Your tummy will thank you.

Bread For Portland

APRICOT BREAD
p. 128 HIAV
Prepared 09/27/07

We went to Portland for the first time in a long, long time and stayed with some great friends. We made this bread to take them. It was a nice treat, the flavors of the ginger, juice (we used orange) and apricots all complemented each other well. I used filberts for the nuts, which is random but was tasty.

Sassy, Not Really

SIMPLE SASSY SODA BREAD
p. 269 LDV
Prepared 9/25/07

There was a party to celebrate some good news in a long drawn out lawsuit about some local environmental issues, and we went to it. We brought this bread. I didn't love it by itself but I liked it in conjunction with some of the food I had for dinner. It was pretty dense and good for dipping but not so much so for sandwiches. Easy to make though. I made two loaves. And didn't put sesame seeds on them because I didn't have any. I'm not crazy about it but I didn't hate it. The End.

Yumma Yumma Entree

PHEBE'S MUSHROOM STROGANOFF
p. 136 LDV
Prepared 08/16/07

Despite the fact that I accidentally forgot the garlic, this was really good. Very creamy and delicious and made in a much faster amount of time than I would have imagined. It took about 20 minutes to make this meal (I was working fast and had some invaluable prep assistance!) so you can really multitask this to its completion. I could have done without the fake chicken but others liked it. I used rice milk, as I usually do these days. Really good fast comfort food; I highly recommend if you are in a hurry and want a quick warm meal.

Who Doesn't Love A Cold Noodle Salad? And A Proposal At Lincoln Center?

COLD COCONUT CURRIED NOODLE SALAD
Prepared 8/20/07
p. 80 LDV

My partner, (now fiance!) and I had a whole slew of family over for a little dinner scene. I made this salad earlier in the day but it was stuck so far back in the refrigerator that we forgot to bring it out to serve to our guests. I guess I was too dreamy about my new ring. Too bad- because it was yummy. We ate it the day after.

P.S This salad was meant to be served alongside homemade gnocchi and an enchilada casserole from another wonderful book, The Vegetarian Family Cookbook. That Nava Atlas knows her stuff.

Delicous...Though Little Nuggets of Love? Um, I Don't Know About That.

RASPBERRY WALNUT PANCAKES
Prepared 06/30/07
p. 38 LDV

These pancakes are billed as little nuggets of love. I think that may have been an exaggeration, but they were delicious. We served them to our compatriots during my summer fellowship at a certain large southern university. As breakfasts go, this one was pretty tasty (the pancakes were complemented by some vegan sausage and fruit salad)- and I'm not a breakfast person. I was hoping to be able to have a number of social gatherings such as that one, but it never came off since the daddy of the toddler spent the summer in a certain large northeastern city, leaving me with little time to creatively cook on top of other obligations.

Very Good-licious!

MAURY'S ROASTED ROOT SOUP
Prepared 05/06/07
p. 111 LDV

I like roasted root vegetables. I like soup. So this seemed like it was already a good match for my tastebuds. But! It exceeded my- and my dining partners'- expectations. One said, "light but hearty. All the veggies come together in a frenzy of taste" (yeah, that is a direct quote). Another stated, "I liked that it had roasted goodness about it. Nice flavor, good thickness, wish there were more chunky veggies in it." Another said, "NOOOOO!! MAMA! NOOOO!" but I don't think that was in reference to how he felt about the meal.

Dear reader, this was so flipping simple to make. Chop yer veggies, coat 'em with oil, stick 'em in to roast and go read your favorite magazine. Then, after a few articles (well, unless your favorite magazine is Harpers or something), remove said veggies from oven and blend with some milky substance in a food processor and u r rdy 2 rck!

I substituted cauliflower for parsnips since I had no parsnips, and basil for rosemary (same rationale). I served with short grain brown rice. I love this recipe.

Just Like The Lunchladies Used To Make

MARIANNE'S GOULASH
Prepared 5/20/07
p. 134 LDV

Seriously, that title on the post is a direct quote from my notes. I used jarred sauce instead of doing the makey-make the recipe bosses you to do. It was good! Its an excellent quick meal. And the taste will bring you back to your cafeteria of yore.

This Stuff is So Good, I Wish I Had Some Now

DANIYELL'S PEANUT BUTTER & CHOCOLATE BARS
Prepared 5/15/07
p. 204 LDV

My friends Dan and Julia invited us over for dinner, so we brought some dessert. To me, the combination of peanut butter and chocolate is always a worthwhile cause, so I didn't let what turned out to be an awfully crumbly crust dim my enthusiasm for this supersweet treat. I added a few tablespoons of soy milk to the chocolate topping to stretch it a little because it didn't make enough for my taste, and next time I will add even more chocolate chips. The bottom is delicious but completely fell apart-- I will try to fix that by adding more peanut butter the next time I make these. So, to conclude: These bars, they are crumbly and you might have to mess with the proportions but don't let these factors dissuade you from finding yet another way to get your peanut butter and chocolate fix.

Children and Adults Agree: This Bread is Delicious!

CHOCOLATE-WALNUT LOAF
Prepared 5/12/07
p. 240 LDV

Friends came over. The playground was gone to. A chocolate walnut loaf had been prepared for snack. It was a lovely bread which complemented a lovely day. I added chocolate chips to the recipe, allow me to recommend that you do the same. Very simple, my notes remind me that this is both "great!" and "DEEEEELICIOUS!!" Elena, pictured above, stuffing a slice into her mouth, clearly agreed.

Heard of Shepherd's Pie?

SAVOURY SHEPHERD'S PIE
Prepared 5/2/07
p. 112 HIAV

Let me tell you, I am a big fan of the shepherd and his pie. In school, shepherd's pie for lunch meant that the day was pretty awesome. I believe this stems from my love of mashed potatoes, but I digress.

This was very good but...I felt like it was sort of time consuming. I cooked my own lentils for this instead of using canned, so it added a lot of time to the recipe. But you cannot go wrong with this one. Served with miso gravy-- well appreciated by all.

Nut Dressing, Spicy

SPICY NUT DRESSING
Prepared 4/20/07
p. 183 LDV

You know, you really cannot go wrong with the whole nut butter/sesame oil/spicy stuff/ginger combo. Just whip a batch of this sauce up and spice up your life. I served it over stir fry atop soba noodles, it was easy and delicious.

Easy Breezy Pizza Crust

YEAST-FREE PIZZA CRUST
Prepared 4/19/07
p. 300 LDV

For those nights when you just don't know what to make for dinner...how bout some pizza? This crust is super simple and quick and comes out nice and thin (my favorite). Throw a simple sauce and some veggies on and you are ready to roll!

Possibly The Best Recipe Of All

CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS
p. 135 HIAV
Prepared 3/10/07

I make these a lot. They are really simple and easy and of course, yummy. They are good to eat straight from the pan or pack to bring on an adventure. They are so, so good. If sassiness is in the air, one might just be inclined to add some white chocolate chips to augment the dark chocolate chip flavor. Yes, yes, yes, that is a wonderful idea.

A Vegan Meal At Mom And Dad's (And They Lived To Tell The Tale)

I love my folks, but they have a hard time with vegetarianism. My mom, for instance, only eats a very, very, very few types of produce. Sigh. Anyway, I happed upon a recipe in LDV that stated it was a good choice for omnivores (er, those of them who like mushrooms...my parents fall into that catagory, my partner does not). And so I made us the soup, and a bread besides. My guess is that the bread is still residing in my parents' freezer.




ON GOLDEN POND MUSHROOM SOUP
p. 105 LDV
Prepared 2/25/07

This was really good, we all ate it up. I wish that it had made more- I actually thinned it a bit with some soy milk to stretch it. I will love making it again come colder weather (and an encounter with a mushroom eater!). I'll probably double the recipe next time.

CUMIN SPICED QUICK BREAD
p. 267 LDV
Prepared 2/25/07

I really liked this bread, it was cumin-y without being overwhelming and very dense...just right for soup-dunking. Another recipe that will be repeated!

But what of my poor partner, studying so hard for a certain exam that had taken so much of his (and others', names not mentioned) time and energy? What is he, chopped Oy-Vey Mock Liver?

No, Gentle Reader, he was supplied with a soup of his own.

BLACK BEAN TORTILLA CHIP SOUP WITH AVOCADO TOMATO SALSA
p. 123 LDV
Prepared 2/25/07

This was good, I had some...but can you really go wrong with a black bean soup? Experience tells me no.

We thought that it needed more flavor but that it was very good with the toppings. I had no carrots or celery so I substituted some cabbage and cauliflower (random, but healthy!) and also added scallions.

Pancakes, We're Bananas For Them!

BANANA PECAN PANCAKES
p. 39 LDV
Prepared 2/24/07

Got the thumbs up from the lads, but the batter was megasuperthick. So be prepared with a little substance with which to thin when you whip up these babies.

Another Chocolate Pudding Cake!

CHOCOLATE PUDDIN' CAKE
p. 251 LDV
Prepared 2/21/07

This is eerily similar to the recipe in HIAV that we have made oh, say, 50 million times. I actually didn't make this recipe the whole way through- I started it and then had to do something kid-related, so the toddler daddy and his friends (who were visiting us, but at my parents house, where we were visiting my parents...follow?) finished it. They dumped a load of extra chocolate in it and everyone seemed pleased with the outcome. And thats saying something, because these peeps are super omnivorific. Again, we forgot to photograph the end result until our bellies were a-filled, and so you are left staring at the half-eaten pan of cake. But trust me. Its good.

Soup, More Of It

TANYA'S CURRIED SQUASH SOUP
p. 83 GOV
Prepared 2/18/07

Deeeeelicious (what doesn't coconut milk make toothsome?) and a change from our traditional veggie soup-- we aren't a huge squash family, but we like this. The toddler set dug right in! Make it, you'll like it. On the eve of a big trip to warmer climes, this did some serious spot hitting.

Bananas, Again (sigh)

BANANA BREAD
p. 122 HIAV
Prepared 2/17/07

I omitted the dates, because I didn't have them. I added a bit of agave to make the bread sweeter, and chocolate chips, because you can't go wrong with having extra chocolate chips in banana bread. Everyone seemed to like this. Everyone, of course, but me.

When I say everyone, I mean people I talked to. I gave a bunch of it to the emergency workers in our neighborhood who were working on a broken gas main in front of our house for almost 24 hours. I didn't go tagging after them asking their opinion. Oh no. I save that for people who know me.

By the way, we voluntarily evacuated our place (after learning that the building next door, with which we share a wall, had been not-so-voluntarily evacuated). It kind of sucked, but discretion is sometimes the better part of valor. Especially when it comes to kids, cats and hard to find gas leaks.

Chili Today, Hot Tamale

CHRISTINE'S BLACK BEAN & TOMATO CHILI
p. 160 GOV
Prepared 2/17/07

This was another very good, hearty, healthy cold weather meal. Here are my comments:

I added couscous but it burned somewhat on the bottom of the pot, so needs to be stirred very often. I added pinto beans along with the black beans, used molasses instead of a dry sweetener and leftover spaghetti sauce instead of crushed tomatoes.

Here are my partner in eating's comments:

I like this because it is hearty and more of a soup than a chili. The carrots are a nice touch and the couscous gives it extra tooth and body. The flavors are well balanced.

Valentine's Day Comes But Once A Year

PEAR GINGER PECAN BREAD
p. 172 GOV
Prepared 2/14/07









Cold-weather-means-baking-is-a-great-cozy-idea bread. I'm not always so crazy about fruit bread but it smelled wonderful and was really good...especially with tea. Gave it out as a Valentine's remembrance to our neighbors as well.

Mmmm Mmmmm Mushroom Bake

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM BAKE
p. 147 GOV
Prepared 2/13/07

I do love a mushroomy dish now and again, and so when we got some mushrooms in our box, I looked up this recipe that had caught my eye some time earlier. It calls for 4 mushrooms, but I used only 2 and thought that it made just the right amount of sauce, so if you make it with 4, make more sauce. The sauce is goooooood, so make a lot anyway. I also used thyme instead of rosemary. I loved eating this, and in fact we'd eaten most of it before remembering to photograph it. It would be super yummy with some turbo mashed potatoes.

Cake, Wacky

TARA'S CHOCOLATE CAKE
p. 250 LDV
Prepared 2/12/07


Easy, fun as always to bake with vinegar- I don't know why...I know the science behind the magic, but it still seems fun and strange to use such a sour, strange tasting substance in your dessert.

Anyway, I prefer an uberchocolatey cake, which this isn't. But it was still a yummy dessert! I will make it again, and frost with hardcore chocolate frosting. Yes! But you lightweight chocophiles probably won't need the reinforcements.

Cookies, Eaten So Fast That No Picture Exists

MAUREEN'S OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
p. 183 GOV
Prepared 2/5/07

These were all eaten nearly immediately after being removed from the oven. Warm, gooey chocolate anything doesn't last long around here, never mind oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Delicious. I chose to use tofu over banana since, as all y'all know, no me gusta banana. Gah, these were good. I wish I had some now.

Hi! I Give You Pictures of Life Instead of Pictures of Food

A toddler enjoying the beach in Florida.


Squint and you can see the same alligator that we did while we were canoing on the Loxahatchee River.


Cherry blossoms at dusk.


Mute swans at Calvert Cliffs State Park

Tough times to be a little animal (or one who eats them) in Washington Square Park.


They broke the mold when they made her, but you can find her ilk here.


Nooooo...Go To Murky Coffee! (the phattest soy hot chocolates around town)



At Niki de Saint Phalles's Queen Califia's Magic Circle- Escondido, CA

Two Out of Three Isn't Bad

MAPLE STREUSEL MUFFINS
p. 237 LDV
Prepared 1/31/07

I have no idea why I was so struck by this recipe, but all of a sudden, I was like, "I gotta go make those maple struesel muffins in LDV!!" (really). Its a good recipe! This recipe uses that whole apple cider vinegary magic thing to rise (a la my dear darling cupcake book)-- they were so yummy, especially warm. I am not the only one who thought so...the males of the household agreed wholeheartedly.




CAULIFLOWER POTATO SOUP WITH NUTMEG
p. 108 LDV
Prepared 1/31/07

This recipe is prefaced by a joke that made me laugh, but the soup itself actually a hidden gem! This soup was really delicious. My guys liked it too! We were happy to eat it, and I'm glad there are leftovers! I am used to all those random spices in the recipes by now (remember: cinnamon and red lentils really do taste yummy together!) so the titch of nutmeg didn't throw me off. Extra special thanks to my toddler daddy for preparing this one whilst I dealt with Mr. I Think I Will Wake Up From My Nap And Do Nothing But Cry For An Hour. Mentioning no names. (A muffin cheered him up. Eventually.)


STEVE & ZIPPORAH'S GREEN BEAN ZASMASHKA
p. 186 LDV
Prepared 1/31/07

Welllll...I think we were led down the primrose path here. Essentially breadcrumbs, margarine and steamed beans? I was willing to give it a go but it was a flop. Just as I was thinking to myself that this dish was really not worth the effort (steamed grean beans would be just as good), tonight's chef said, "I wish these green beans didn't have these gross bread crumbs on them!"