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!