My son and daughter-in-law were on the East Coast last week visiting family and friends, and they just returned home. We stopped over at their house to say hi to Miss E and her parents because we hadn't seen them in so long, and we were presented with two spreads from the Regal Vegan that they had packed in ice and brought back with them.
It turns out that Taryn has been friends with Ella Nemcova, founder of The Regal Vegan, since their college days, and Ella came up from New York to visit Taryn in Connecticut. She brought Taryn a lot of samples of her signature food products, and Taryn was kind enough to bring some home to share.
Honestly, I don't know how she resisted eating all of it before she returned home. It's absolutely fabulous. There are currently two varieties — Faux Gras™ which is made from walnuts, lentils and slowly caramelized onions blended with a few other wonderful ingredients, and Basilicotta™, made with fresh basil and raw cashews. Both spreads are perfect, creamy mouthwatering and satisfying toppings for crackers or crudities.
I loved both versions, but my favorite was the Faux Gras™. It was the best of the best walnut-and-lentil paté I've ever tasted, and I just wish it were available in Seattle.
Ooh that looks amazing! Were you in the Northeast or Southeast? I wonder if they have it in Atlanta!
ReplyDeleteThe pâté is made in NYC. If you visit their Web page the list where it's available.
DeleteI like the sound of both of those! Reckon they're make-at-home-able?
ReplyDeleteI think so but there are a few less common ingredients that influence the flavor. You could look for a lentil -walnut pâté recipe and add lots of caramelized onions.
DeleteHow nice of them to pack them in ice and bring them back for you to try! They sound fantastic, especially with the carmelized onions.
ReplyDeleteThe spreads were a delicious surprise.
DeleteI like the sound of both, although foie gras is so unappetizing and unsettling for me that I'd be a little wary to try even a faux version. At least it's lentils and not some bizarre fake meat.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you about the gross associations and I wish it were named for what it is - lentil and walnut paté. I also get that she's trying to appeal to people who would normally eat foie gras, to show that you can still have a fab product without torture. I'm finding myself losing patience with people who think it's OK to torture and kill animals because they taste good, though part of me also believes everyone has to make their own decisions about food. And I love a lot of people who choose to eat animals. The easier it is for people to find substitutions for animal foods, the better.
DeleteWow--those sound really good! I am surprised they were able to get them home on their flight...I once tried to bring apple butter and peanut butter with me in my luggage and the took it from me in security because they said they were "liquids" and were over 3 oz :-( I am glad your two treats made it!
ReplyDeleteCourtney
You can't carry stuff like that but you can check it through. I'm going to ask them for more details about how they did it.
DeleteLucky you! Both of those spreads sound wonderful. I used to make the walnut lentil pate in Vegan Table pretty regularly. I'm sure these two would be right up my alley!
ReplyDeleteI think you'd love both of the spreads — they were great. I could really taste the richness of the caramelized onions.
DeleteOh my goodness these sound tremendous. I never heard of them before-- will have to scope them out. Love the punny names, too.
ReplyDeleteI would think they'd be available in Philly. You could make something similar, but sometimes it's just a relief to be able to buy something delicious and already prepared.
DeleteThose both sound delicious. That's a great connection she has - and very thoughtful that they brought some to share!
ReplyDeleteI was very excited to be able to try the spreads after reading about them. Yes, a great connection!
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