Vegan Mofo Survey and a Picture....

I went to Busan this past weekend and had a great time with friends, including an awesome art exhibit that i can hopefully post about on a slight tangent in the near future.  Well anywho, that tis my excuse for not posting sooner.

For my love of pictures I present this fine layout.  I, at first thought giant garlic, second guessed myself and sent the image to my mom for help and she thinks onion.  Any ideas to throw at me?  It is out drying if that helps.  Probably is onion though, moms have that tendency to be right.  Here is Mom's opinion (she wanted me to be clear about opinion because she is not an expert) and I am sold: "I believe that is a picture of alot of onions, not garlic.  The skin looks like onion and if it is garlic, korea grows some huge garlic.  They pulled the onions out the the ground and looks like they washed the dirt away and put on the cement to dry the moisture (if you put them away wet they will rot).  People put this kind of vegetable away for the winter in root cellars and such,but if they are wet they won't last."

But now for a little mofo survey, inspired by Sanja's Coconut and Raspberry blog, who got it from Liz at Food Snobbery is My Hobbery (great name).

Here it goes:

1. Name a song that involves food in some way.

Sugar Pie Honey Bunch by the Temptations

2. What criteria do you use when choosing a new cookbook to buy?

I like books that people recommend to me.

3. What did you eat today?

Breakfast: Bagel with jam and a soy black tea latte in Busan before heading home.

Snack: Orange and Almonds

Dinner: Went to the Tofu House shown on this post.

and have been drinking tons of tea to battle the beginning of a cold.

4. Name a vegan food that you know exists but you have never tried.

Haha (see this list)

5. The Food Network just called and needs you to start your new show tomorrow. What will the title of the show be?

Um, I am sick and lacking further creativity so for now i will say the name of my blog.

6. Favorite hot sauce or other spicy condiment?

tabasco or cayenne or red pepper flakes....I like am all really.

7. How old were you when you became vegetarian/vegan?

Vegetarian at 15 and vegan at 22.

8. Favorite vegan cheeze?

I have only really tried tofutti.  Will try others when back in Canada though :)

9. Cutest baby animal?

All.

10. Favorite type of jam/jelly/marmalade/preserves?

Tough call, raspberry I think.

11. Do you take any vitamins/supplements?

Sure do.  At the moment it is natural factors hi potency multi, but i switch it up and am happy to take recommendations.

12. What food/dish most embodies the Fall season?

Pumpkin pie and anything in a large bubbly pot.

13. What food would you have a hard time living without?

That is a hard one.  Is it cheating if I say fruit and vegetables.

14. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?

Tea, especially loose leaf.  (Chai and thai are tops on the list).

15. It's 10PM and you're starving. What do you eat?

Depends on my mood.  Popcorn perhaps.

16. If you have an animal companion, what is his/her favorite food?

Not sure what my kitties current favorite food's are, since they are living with my parents while I am overseas (thanks mom and dad).  But Shandar used to like olives and Kharma enjoys licking EVERYTHING, especially plastic bags. My pets are strange :).  And my puppy, who is technically my parents dog, just loves food period, except cauliflower unless coated with dressing first. 

17. Worst injury you've gotten in the kitchen?

Hm, I guess the burn on my back from the crockpot when I was younger.  Mom was making something and I hopped up on the counter to sit and leaned against in.  Just a smallish burn but I still have the scar.

18. When you have a food-related question, who do you call?

As displayed above it's my mommers.  But I do check the web, so I don't have to harass her with all my questions.

19. Summer is ending- What food will you miss most?

I think pat bean soo since It noticeably leaves when cold comes.

20. What snacks do you keep in your purse/backpack/desk at work?

Usually fruit.

21. Favorite soup to make on a rainy day?

Vegetable medley or tomato.

22. What's your favorite combination of fresh vegetable and/or fruit juices?

Do salads count?  I make what my friend coined as an "everything" salad.  You take whichever veg, fruit (dry and fresh) nuts, noodles or rice on hand and combine to make a killer salad.

23. Favorite brand of root beer?

Dad's Rootbeer, I think wins.  Now I want a rootbeer float.

24. Make up your own question!

Best natural cold remedy?  My sweet friend's grandfathers elixir: Hot OJ with as much ginger as you can handle.

(Would love to hear others too).

Sending out happiness too all.

Another Reason to Love October....

Oh, how I love October.  

Not only is it fall, with the pretty changing leaves and comfy sweaters, but also, my birthday month, Canadian thanksgiving and Halloween.  Having it also be vegan food month is like drowning a sundae in chocolate sauce, oh so awesome.  

So, I have decided to participate in VeganMoFo from the ppk and will at least post 20 posts this month.  They may not all be fancy like but I will do what I can and try to squeeze a few last images out of my dying camera.

I have still been doing tons of cooking and newly found microwave baking (since I am ovenless....you do what you can).  I have recently purchased v-con (finally~I know...thanks ppk) and am loving the crap out of it.  

Speaking of books, on a non-vegan tangent, Stephanie Meyers Twilight series is fantastic.  I am half way through it and am slightly addicted.  You can check it out here at the authors website.  It may or may not have inspired my Halloween costume this year ~ Vampire madness.  Did I mention I love Halloween?

Okay, my net keeps cutting out, so I must post this before it cuts out for good.

But first a little picture.

(Kimchi pots on a mountain)

Cheers to Vegan Month of Food.

Grill to the Cheese and Soup

Oh heavenly combo, how I heart thee.  I  haven't had this bad boy in sooo long.  So, when I purchased the The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook (you get a little sample of it here) and made the colby cheese from it, I knew what I would be making.  And I must say it was pretty superb, even though my uncheese making skills have not been perfected.  The cheese turned into more of a spread than the block it should have been and was very mustardy.  I didn't have onion powder or dry mustard so I tried regular mustard to compensate, being the brilliant genius I am, using wet to replace dry, hence the spread like quality.  But, all in all, it fulfilled my craving.  

Pictured with this fine sandwich is a variation of the Classily Classic Tomato Soup I made.  The only difference is I used 2 red peppers instead of the tomatoes.  Mmmm, I wish I had some more right now.
Now for the teensy bit of sad news.  My well used, aged, little camera has given up on life and is rolling around in his death bed in pain.  I am going to try the hospital and I have a beautiful new camera coming for my birthday, but I will not get to fondle her until I am back in Canada for a visit in 2 months.  So, in the mean time I hope to fix my little dude and/or borrow a friends camera for posting.  I have a couple items still waiting to be posted as well, so i will swing them out soon.  I do wish I had a camera on hand since I still have been making all sorts of goodness, chickpea cutlets, microwave pumpkin bread, mock tuna rolls, to name a few.  I wil be posting the mock tuna soon, but not in roll form.  That will have to wait until new camera time.  Yay, can't wait. 

To finish with a couple food related quotes I likey:

"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all." ~ Harriet Van Horne

"If you ate pasta and antipasti, would you still be hungry ?"

"My hearse will be followed not by mourning coaches but by herds of oxen, sheep, swine, flocks of poultry and a small traveling aquarium of live fish, all wearing white scarves in honor of the man who perished rather than eat his fellow creatures."  ~ George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Irish playwright. 

"Vegetarians have wicked, shifty eyes, and laugh in a cold calculating manner. They pinch little children, steal stamps, drink water, favor beards."  ~ J. B. Morton 

(It just makes me laugh.)

"If life gives you a lemon, make lemonade. However — if life gives you a pickle, you might as well give up, because pickle-ade is disgusting."  ~  Clifton J. Gray

"I can't believe you can get banned from a bakery for mispronouncing 'focaccia' !"    — Hikeeba.

Vegan 100

(I needed to put a picture with the post.  This is one I like, taken in a vegetarian restaurant in Bangkok)

I have been seeing the 100 list all over and figured I ought to put mine out there.  Better late than never as my moms would say :).  I believe Hannah from Bitter Sweet started the vegan 100.  Check her site out and her 100 list.  She has linked many of the foods listed that make question marks appear above your heads.  I had not heard of many of these either and I have a ways to go to have my 100 complete.  I think I have tried 41 of them.  But in all fairness I have only been vegan a year and most of my vegan time I have been in Asia, so I am not able to get my hands on some of these fabulous treats.  In due time, oh yes, in due time.

Well here is how this works:

1) Copy this list into your own blog, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.  (I high lighted mine in green and the yet to try's are red.  I like the colours together, what can I say...and in no relation to christmas.)
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.  (I will try anything once, so no crossies here.)
4) Post a comment here once you’ve finished and link your post back to this one.
5) Pass it on!

1. Natto
2. Green Smoothie
3. Tofu Scramble
4. Haggis
5. Mangosteen
6. Creme brulee
7. Fondue
8. Marmite/Vegemite
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Nachos
12. Authentic soba noodles
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Taco from a street cart
16. Boba Tea
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Gyoza
20. Vanilla ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Ceviche
24. Rice and beans
25. Knish
26. Raw scotch bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Caviar
29. Baklava
30. Pate
31. Wasabi peas
32. Chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Mango lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Mulled cider
37. Scones with buttery spread and jam
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Fast food french fries
41. Raw Brownies
42. Fresh Garbanzo Beans
43. Dahl
44. Homemade Soymilk
45. Wine from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Stroopwafle
47. Samosas
48. Vegetable Sushi
49. Glazed doughnut
50. Seaweed
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Tofurkey
54. Sheese
55. Cotton candy
56. Gnocchi
57. Piña colada
58. Birch beer
59. Scrapple
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Soy curls
63. Chickpea cutlets
64. Curry
65. Durian
66. Homemade Sausages
67. Churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake
68. Smoked tofu
69. Fried plantain
70. Mochi
71. Gazpacho
72. Warm chocolate chip cookies
73. Absinthe
74. Corn on the cob
75. Whipped cream, straight from the can
76. Pomegranate
77. Fauxstess Cupcake
78. Mashed potatoes with gravy
79. Jerky
80. Croissants
81. French onion soup
82. Savory crepes
83. Tings
84. A meal at Candle 79
85. Moussaka
86. Sprouted grains or seeds
87. Macaroni and “cheese”
88. Flowers
89. Matzoh ball soup
90. White chocolate
91. Seitan
92. Kimchi
93. Butterscotch chips
94. Yellow watermelon
95. Chili with chocolate
96. Bagel and Tofutti
97. Potato milk
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Raw cookie dough

Walnut You Like To Know

So here us where you have to suffer with my love of cheesy puns.


This post has been inspired by my friend K, who put me up to the challenge of making something with her ginormous bag of walnuts that had this odd smokey flavor. Here is what I came up with.

Walnut Taco Filling

1 1/2 c. Ground walnuts
1 1/2 tsp. Cumin
3/4 tsp. Coriander
2 tbsp. Soy sauce
Pinch of cayenne

The walnuts should be ground to have a chunky texture. Mix all ingredients together and set aside or refrigerate to let the flavors absorb. Then serve to your little hearts content. This recipe is credited to Sparks Recipes.

Next up mushroom walnut pate from Vegcooking.

Mushroom Walnut Pate

1/4 c. Water

3 -4 c. Sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 Sliced medium onion

2 Minced cloves of garlic

1 c. Mashed firm tofu

1/2 c. Walnuts

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Black pepper

1 Chopped or sliced green bell pepper

Cook mushrooms, onion and garlic in water until soft. Combine the veggies and tofu in a blender until all blendy and smooth. Add walnuts, salt and pepper and do the blendy thing again until very, very smooth. Let chill in the fridge before serving. Top with some green pepper. Vegcooking recommends serving it with french bread and green pepper. K ate it with crackers or veggies but prefered it alone. Eat it however you fancy.

This recipe is the only one where the walnut smokiness was not eliminated or enhanced. But hey, I am sure non smoky walnuts would do the trick.

Candied Walnuts

2 c. Walnuts

1/4 c. Soy Milk

1 tsp. Cinnamon

3 tbsp. Margarine (vegan variety of course)

1/2 c. Sugar

2 tsp. Vanilla Powder

Heat everything but walnuts until nice and thick. Mix with walnuts until well coated. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Mine turned out a little runny but yummy (I think it would be great over soy vanilla ice cream). The recipe is approximate, feel free to play with measurements.

These lovelies took a little bit of trial and error. When I found the Tofu-Walnut 'Meatballs' recipe I knew I wanted to try my mom's style swedish meatballs. I loved them as a kid and have made them plenty of times with fake "meaty" (ie. tvp or store bought variety) meatballs.
Well, the slight problem is these 'meatballs' are not a durable and a lot softer then the other variety. So when I made them to follow mom's recipe they turned into the bolognese sauce you see below. It also probably did not help that they needed to bake it the sauce where i tried to make them in my ceramic pot on the stove. Either way tasted good though. This here is the tweaked version of the original recipe.

Glazed Swedish 'Meatballs'

Tofu-Walnut 'Meatballs

(I pretty much followed these to a tee from the site above)

2 c. Chopped walnuts

1 Chopped onion

1 Shredded carrot

1 Chopped green pepper

4 Chopped cloves of garlic

Olive oil

12 oz. Cubed soft tofu

Sesame oil

1 tbsp. Spicy mustard

1 tsp. Oregano

1 tsp. Basil

2 c. Bread crumbs*

Sauté walnuts, onion, carrot, pepper, and garlic in olive oil. In a large bowl, mix cubes of soft tofu with sesame oil, mustard, oregano, and basil and sauté ingredients. Add enough bread crumbs to make a moldable mixture. Shape into balls and sauté. Do not be afraid to use extra olive oil to saute these. They need it to make them firmer. This recipe made about 30 balls.

*I made my own bread crumbs by lightly toasting some bread then grinding it in a blender. About a half loaf will give you 2 cups.

Swedish Glaze

(adapted from my mom's swedish meatball recipe)

1 c. Organic ketchup

5 tbsp. Worstershire sause*

1 tbsp. Brown rice syrup

1-2 tbsp. Brown sugar

2 tbsp. White vinegar

Bring ingredients to a boil and then simmer a few minutes or throw in the microwave for awhile. Brush or pour glazed on 'meatballs' Throw them in your toaster oven or, if you are fortunate enough, your conventional oven and bake for 15 minutes until brown.

*Since I am unable to get vegan worstershire sauce here I used this recipe from cooking with rock stars. It is superb.

Now this be the bolognese sauce made on, as my mom would call me, a beautiful accident. Basically go through the painstaking process of making the delicious tofu-walnut meatballs. Then immerse them in swedish meatball sauce and cook until mushy :)
I will post the recipe for the actual swedish meatballs when I can make them properly and get my hands of fake meatballs that will hold together in liquid. But feel free to contact me sooner if you want to make this "beautiful mishap" or a variation of it and i can tell you what i used.

Korean Eats Continued

I love this place.  It is my second favorite eats in korea so far.  You basically make your own rice paper rolls.
You dip the rice paper in this pretty pink water.
Dress with these sauses,
and fill with these, as well as grilled mushrooms and garlic.  It comes with pork but I get mushrooms instead.  The people that own this place are the sweetest ever and try to accommodate in any way they can.  After you filled yourself on rolls they make a rice noodle soup to eat at the end.  I now keep this in mind when I go, save a little room, that way I am able to walk out rather then less gracefully roll out.

This is my favorite place in Korea, Todem Dubu, which means tofu house.  The best tofu I have ever tasted is from there.  The soup is shown above before cooking.  the tofu that is in it is plain but it is normally tri-coloured like the one below.  This soup is a bit spicy and served with a bunch or side dishes.  A few of my favorites are below.  Everytime you go you get a different assortment of sides, sometimes they are the same, but you can never know.  They do have meaty/fishy sides too, but it is the most variety I have had here aside for a buffet.

This tofu is tre yum.  Lightly fried (but no greasy) and served with some soy.

Lotus root in a sweet syrup.

These mushroom are killer.  You get them everytime.  Also, I am missing the picture of the soft tofu they bring at the very beginning.  Mmmmm served with a sort of sweet, but light soy sause.

    Last is Pat Bean Soo.  It is a traditional Korean dessert served only in the summer months.  It is normally made with shaved ice, sweet red bean, fruits, jelly and milk.  I got mine minus the jelly and subbed in soy milk for cows milk.  I had to bring my own, which is the little green carton you see.  It is nothing short of amazing.  They also put dry cereal in this variation.  Kristin got hers with green tea ice cream but admitted she liked mine more.  You can see how happy we were to be eating this, especially with the heat.

Some of My Favorite Korean Eats....

This is Sambap, which is a healthy rice pot eaten with a variety of veg and side dishes.  You start by getting the rice served in the lower left corner pot.  You empty out most of the rice in a separate bowl (lower right) except what gets stuck to the pot, then you fill the hot pot up with rice water and set aside.  You eat the "rice soup" last as a sort of dessert.    For the rest you take a leaf of some variety (my fav is the boiled cabbage) and you put some rice in it with bean paste and whatever side is vegan friendly and eat.  I frequent this place and the ladies are so sweet they make me a separate non seafood soup.  It is a type of doen jang chigae that i posted earlier and it rocks.  I put the bulky part of the soup in the leaf wrap too.  It is awesome.  (You may be able to see some fish further back in the photo, please ignore, for it was not apart of my meal)
Next up is spicy noodle a.k.a. hangover cure.  It is great, a huge pot of homemade noodles with mushrooms, onions and potatoes.  Then once you eat most of this enormous pot they fill your bowls with the remaining in order to create a delicious rice ensemble in the bottom of the pot.  Sorry no pic of it.  They usually put egg in but if i partake they leave it out.
This here is Kristin and her favorite korean meal.  Chung Gook Jung.  I like to describe it as a jazzed up bipbimbap.  You take rice, the tofu bean stew (close up below), veg and bipbimbap sauce (a thick red somewhat hot pepper paste) and you mix it all together, while enjoying the homemade not hot but not iced tea and side dishes.
Mmmmm tofu bean stew....
This is Kristin and I and the oh so yummy rice balls.  We have a few matching photos because we are cool like that.  You will only get subjected to one or two.  But for real rice balls rock.  Glutenous rice with a sweet red bean filling.  The red/brown ones in the middle are my fav, covered in cinnamon.  The others are coated with sesame seed and green tea something or other and something else.