I like to eat ...

We had our annual block party recently, and I decided to make two dips. Most of our neighbors are pretty traditional in their food choices, and we're the only vegans, so I made something everyone would recognize, and not consider weird — hummus. I also made a slightly more exotic carrot dip. It was rich with cashews and garlic, and extremely delicious. Everyone who tried it seemed to like it, but I had accidentally made about twice as much as I intended, so I held back a container in the refrigerator for another use. The next day, I used the leftovers to top pasta and steamed veggies for a delicious dinner.

The pasta is pretty interesting. The all-organic ingredients include chickpea flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch and pea protein. The brand is Explore, and we bought it at Costco. It doesn't taste like wheat pasta, but it tastes pretty good.



I've been having sushi cravings that pop up suddenly, and don't seem to include the craving to make sushi myself. So, we've been getting sushi take-out from a neighborhood Japanese restaurant that is relatively vegan-friendly. The sushi isn't as interesting as the sushi I've had at vegan sushi places in other cities, but it's tasty and convenient.

The tofu cubes I made in my oven on the convection setting, using a bit of Bragg's but no oil. It was crispy on the outside but a bit dry on the inside. I've found that firm tofu works better in the convection oven than extra-firm in that it stays moist on the inside. In my efforts to get a crispy crust, I over-baked the extra firm tofu, and it was a bit too dry on the inside. Still, in spite of being extra chewy, it was good.



Here's a better photo of the tofu cubes. The oven was set at 400˚F, and I turned the cubes every 10 minutes for about 30 minutes. I fear my experiments are leading me to want an air fryer even more, but I'm trying to resist another kitchen appliance. I think I can resist. I think I can.



Here's a quick dinner thrown together when we couldn't think of what to make. It's soy curls with tomato sauce served with kale and pasta. Soy curls to the rescue yet again. And what would we do without pasta?



Summer is a great time to eat salads, and I'm still making my oil-free salad dressing of the week to top them off. One of these days I'll write down a recipe to share — with you and with myself so I can remember what went into the ones I like best! Walnuts and baked tofu strips give the salad staying power.



I do love a good salad on a summer day. The salad has chickpeas and pasta with tahini dressing.

I especially love summer and don't want it to end. I love being warm, wearing lightweight clothes, and eating homemade ice cream. Hope you're enjoying your summer!



Sometimes, when we're not eating, we're hiking. The sculpture in the photo is located in Carkeek Park in Seattle. It's part of a temporary sculpture exhibit located along one of the hiking trails. This particular piece contains 1008 moving mirrors. It was quite a beautiful site with the Olympic Mountains and the Sound in the background.

I don't know from buffalo ...

Tossing the curls with spicy barbecue sauce.

I saw a blog post about Buffalo soy curls and was very interested in the crispy-barbecued aspect of the curls. Could this recipe be the key to recreating crispy Thai BBQ salad from Blossoming Lotus in Portland? Could I really get crispy curls without deep frying them? Could it be this easy?

These were the thoughts in my head when it dawned on me that I didn't really know what it meant to "buffalo" a food. Sure, I knew the term "buffalo wings" which I associated with bars and football, but I couldn't tell you what they were. How embarrassing. I turned to my friend Google for help, and learned they are chicken wings, disjointed and the tips discarded, deep fried and coated in spicy barbecue sauce. Now how did I miss knowing that? There are many stories of their origin but the one that seems most likely to me involves a bar in Buffalo, N.Y. in 1964. An incorrect delivery of chicken wings instead of backs, and a hungry group of late-night drinkers, inspired the bar owner's wife to fry the wings for the crowd, and they became an institution.

For some, buffalo wings may conjure up a good time, but for me it represents the sad state of commercial chickens who have miserable lives, horrible deaths, and suffer their fate so people can gnaw on their bones. Not a pleasant thought. Barbecued soy curls, on the other hand, sounds like a great idea!

I must be out of practice rolling these things. Or maybe it was the square shape that threw me.

I followed the recipe and baked the curls nice and crispy. Then I made a similar barbecue sauce minus most of the oil. The spicy sauce used for Buffalo chicken parts contains a lot of melted butter, but since I've never tasted the source recipe, and wasn't trying to reproduce it, I went for a lighter version. Still spicy, though.

I thought the curls were pretty darn good - nice and crispy-chewy. They would work perfectly in the salad recipe but that's not what I did. I copied Kittee and made fresh spring rolls, which were great.

The next day I used the leftover curls in a stir-fry, but now that I know how to make barbecued soy curls, the crispy Thai BBQ salad is just a matter of time.

Soy Curls vs. TVP / vegan mofo 2009

Soy Curls after soaking, seasoning and sautéing.

I've gotten a couple of questions about the differences between Butler Soy Curls and TVP. As far as I can tell, the Soy Curls are made from whole soy beans, and TVP is made from de-fatted soy flour, a by product of soy oil production. There is no fat in plain TVP. The soy flour is cooked at high pressure, extruded and dried. Some manufacturers add oils, flavorings and assorted chemicals to achieve meat-like qualities, but TVP is also available plain.

According to the Butler Soy Curl Web site:

Select certified Non-GMO soybeans grown without chemical pesticides are soaked in spring water. Then the soybeans are cooked and delicately textured after which they are dried at low temperature thus ensuring the natural goodness of the whole soybean high in fiber and omega-3. Soy Curls™ are one of the most pure, healthful products on the market containing no chemicals, additives, or preservatives.

Both products are high in protein, low in salt and relatively high in fiber, and I'm not endorsing or denouncing either one. I've never been a big user of either of these soy products. In fact, when we cleaned out the kitchen before our recent move, I found a quantity of TVP that was probably at least 10 years old. I couldn't remember either buying or using it, and it went into the compost. Processed foods like this usually make me nervous, and I tend not to eat them very often, though I agree they taste good, and are satisfying and fun to eat.

Given the convenience, good taste and texture, and nutritional profile of TVP and Soy Curls, they are probably very popular food choices. Are they healthy? Are we getting too much soy in our diet? Too much protein? Should we eat "mock" foods? I don't know, but I'd love to hear your opinion. I think I'll use Soy Curls as an "occasional" food rather than as a regular part of my diet.

Fresh food from the Farmers Market.

This is part of the haul from our Saturday farmers market trip. We went to a different market this weekend, and were pleasantly surprised by the more reasonable prices and fantastic selection. It was in a parking lot, and lacking some of the quaint charm of the market we often go to, but the vegetables, nearly all organic, were gorgeous, and the prices were better. The University District Farmers Market is Seattle's oldest and largest "farmers-only" outdoor neighborhood market (more than 50 vendors) — in operation since 1993. We were delighted to learn that this market is in operation all year! Next week I'm taking the camera.

Here's what my son whipped up for lunch.

Dinner with Aaron and Erica / veganmofo 2009

We had dinner with our son Aaron and his girl friend, Erica. Whenever we eat at their apartment, we know the food will be great, and we weren't disappointed. Aaron & Erica had eaten at The Farm Cafe in Portland, OR, and wanted to re-create the meal they had there. Lucky for us the recipe for this fabulous dinner was online, and with the link to Everyday dish TV (plant-based cuisine), you, too, can enjoy this delicious meal of Herb-Crusted Tofu with Mushrooms Marsala, and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Yesterday I said I prefer to post recipes after I personally try making them in my kitchen, but Aaron said he followed the directions, and the recipe worked really well. He recommends watching the video because he said it differs slightly from the written instructions, particularly for making the marsala sauce. Aaron said that following the video will give you a meal that tastes just like the one at the restaurant. Our meal was accompanied by brussels sprouts and was delicious. Try it.

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Soy Curls at last

I've had Soy Curl-envy for a long time now as I've read all the rave reviews of this product and seen the photos of delicious-looking soy curl dishes. I just couldn't find them locally in Wisconsin and never got around to ordering them. I must have forgotten we moved to Seattle a few weeks ago, and all things vegan are now within my grasp. So I went to the Soy Curl Web page to discover what I already suspected - Soy Curls are sold at the Sidecar vegan grocery. My husband and I were planning a walk around Green Lake but we walked to Sidecar instead, and got some Curls, some Daiya cheese, some vegetable soup base and a lot of exercise.

My husband made Soy curls with asparagus and quinoa from Vegan Yum Yum except he used broccoli, green beans and sweet red peppers instead of asparagus. The verdict? Very tasty with a nice texture for those moments when texture is on your mind, if you know what I mean. Soy Curls are made from whole soybeans and contain no weird additives, and they're very low in salt. I see great potential here. We didn't try the Daiya, yet, but we will, soon.

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Bake sale!!!
If you're in the Seattle area this weekend and craving baked goods, stop by Sidecar for a vegan bake sale to benefit Sidecar for Pigs Peace Sanctuary. I've set aside today as a baking day for brownies, blondies and crackers, but I can't wait to buy the stuff other people make.

Where: Sidecar For Pigs Peace
5270 B University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105

When: Saturday October 10
and Sunday October 11
1 PM to 4 PM

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Don't forget to enter the cookbook giveaway! Who wouldn't want a copy of "Love Soup" by Anna Thomas?