Slashfood

Rum Rebellions, Vegan Cookies and Boozy Brunches - The New York Times in 60 Seconds

Sarah LeTrent — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Newspapers, Vegetarian/Vegan, Drink Recipes, In 60 Seconds

Photo: _lem, Flickr.

Brunch isn't all bloody mary's and mimosas -- an increasing number of bars are offering more cocktail varieties for daylight drinking.
The cocktail heard around the world: A "rum rebellion" is happening in bars across the country, pink umbrella and all.
One sister loved the vegan Banana Everything Cookies; the other found them chalky. And that's the way the cookie crumbles. ...
Sam Sifton describes San Domenico's reincarnation, SD26, as "the restaurant equivalent of a second wife."
Get in the spirit of the season with plenty of recipes for winter libations.

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Ginger Juice - Feast Your Eyes

Alexa Weibel — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Vegetarian/Vegan, Feast Your Eyes

Photo: sweetbeetandgreenbean, Flickr.

Now that we've learned how to peel ginger with ease, this ginger juice recipe seems less daunting, especially with its powerful health benefits. Prized for its piquant flavor, ginger is a medicinal treat in addition to being a tasty one -- to list just a few of its talents, it treats stomachaches and indigestion, reduces toxicity and aids mild lung disorders.

Kickstart your day -- and immune system -- with a shot of the stuff by passing diced and peeled pieces of the root through a juicer. If deemed too spicy for more sensitive palates, mix the juice with water, other juices or sweeteners like lemon, sugar or agave.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

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Oprah Goes Vegan With Gardein

Slashfood Editor — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetarian/Vegan

Gardein is the latest plant-based protein line that is animal- and dairy-free. The product's "meaty texture" comes from a blend of soy, wheat and pea proteins, vegetables and grains (quinoa, amaranth, millet and kamut). In fact, the name Gardein is a combination of "garden" and protein."

Gardein is getting a lot of press these days because of Oprah Winfrey. Chef Tal Ronnen, who created Oprah's vegan 21-Day Cleanse menu, also helps Gardein in its development of different flavors, textures and variations.

Here is a list of where to buy Gardein near you.

Tried Gardein? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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Five Must-Have Vegetarian Cookbooks

Monika Bartyzel — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetarian/Vegan, Books

The cookbook shelf of a former vegetarian. Photo: emdot, Flickr.

Whether you're a full-fledged veg or a pro-greens protein fiend, vegetarian cookbooks are the door to a world where beans, greens and grains are celebrated. These books will introduce you to a whole new pantry of ingredients. Just as a meat eater might strive to make use of the entire animal, vegetarian cooks grab inspiration from far and wide and turn every bit of edible, natural earth into a grand culinary experience.

What follows after the jump are five vegetarian cookbooks that any veggie lover must have, covering the staples of meatless cookery -- secret recipes from restaurants, classic culinary bibles, respected names and haute vegetarian food. Which do you think will reign supreme?

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Vegan Wine Guide

Gretchen Roberts — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetarian/Vegan, Drink Recipes

Vegetarian vineyards? Photo: Tambako the Jaguar.

Gretchen Roberts writes the wine blog Vinobite, has passed the introductory course at the Court of Master Sommeliers and is studying for her sommelier certification this fall.

A couple of weeks ago, I gushed about the Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé Cuvée de la Pompadour, a sparkling rosé made with organic grapes and animal-free products. Other well-known examples of vegan wineries include Frey Vineyards and Girasole Vineyards.

What makes a wine vegan? After all, wine is made from grapes, not beef. Where animal products do come into play is during the fining process. After fermentation, most wine is filtered and fined, which is basically removing all the sediment and leftover dead yeast cells and such from the fermentation process. Most winemakers use animal products like egg white or isinglass, but vegan wines are made with non-animal products such as clay.

Want to find out if your favorite brand is vegan? It's not always easy. Winemakers aren't required to disclose ingredients like the information on Oreo cookie labels, so you have to do some nosing around. One great source is the Barnivore Vegan Wine & Beer Guide, a community project listing of vegan and non-vegan wines. Cheers!

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Montel's Daughter Advocates for Vegetarian School Lunches

Emily Farris — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetarian/Vegan, Ingredients, Celebrities

Following in the footsteps of her famous father, talk show host Montel Williams, 14-year-old Wyntergrace Williams has taken to the airwaves to solve other people's problems. But instead of counseling couples or advising addicts like Montel has done, the younger Williams is advocating for vegetarian meal options in public schools.

Williams' promo spot debuted last night during ABC Family's show "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." The 30-second PSA is part of a campaign to urge Congress to amend the Child Nutrition Act to include more vegetarian and vegan options in public school lunches. The CNA is up for reauthorization this year.

According to healthyschoollunches.org (the site that Williams is working with), though some schools are able to offer innovative school lunches that include numerous vegan and vegetarian options, some of which are even environmentally sustainable, many schools only meet the bare minimum nutrition requirements set forth by the CNA.

Continue reading Montel's Daughter Advocates for Vegetarian School Lunches

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'Top Chef Masters' -- Zooey Deschanel, Vegan

Michael Thomas Hastings — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Television/Film, Vegetarian/Vegan

Zooey Deschanel
Photo: Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

Who knew someone as adorable as Zooey Deschanel could be so difficult? Truth be told, when the actress and singer showed up as a guest judge/elfin dinner hostess last night on "Top Chef Masters," we were counting the moments until she threw the inevitable curveball: "I'm a vegetarian."

When she added "no eggs or dairy" -- never uttering the word "vegan" -- and professed her intolerance for soy or wheat, we sensed the evil guiding hand of the show's producers, eager to ratchet up the tension for the five remaining celeb chefs. The only way they could've played it up more would have been to have her break plates and pull a "Mommie Dearest" at the dinner table: "I told you, no gluten ingredients EVER!"

No such luck. The star of the heavily Bravo-promoted "500 Days of Summer" was a model of apologetic demureness when she met the cooks pre-meal, although she did decline Michael Chiarello's request to sing couple of a cappella songs in exchange for his culinary handiwork.

Behind her back, the Italian cuisine maestro was the most outwardly offended by the restrictions, calling them "off-putting."

Continue reading 'Top Chef Masters' -- Zooey Deschanel, Vegan

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Flashback to the Seventies: Dilled Pea Salad

Bruce Watson — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Retro cookery, Vegetarian/Vegan, Ingredients

In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

When I was a kid, pea season was a mixed blessing. On the bright side, it meant that we would get fresh sweet peas on the table. Whether from our family garden or from a local farmers' market, the just-harvested peas were invariably sweet, crunchy and delicious. On the other hand, our regular servings of fresh peas translated into hours spent on the porch shelling the bright green pods. Even under the best circumstances, it was dull, tedious work.

My mother's pea salad recipe, which combines the sweetness of peas with the light flavor of dill, tended to overshadow the peas with a heavy helping of sour cream, mayonnaise and scallions. My modified version, included below, lets the flavor of the peas shine through, but retains the original's cool summer flavors.

Get the recipe for dilled pea salad after the jump.

Continue reading Flashback to the Seventies: Dilled Pea Salad

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Marvelous Morels

Rebecca Flint Marx — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetarian/Vegan, Ingredients

Like ramps and asparagus, morels are synonymous with spring, and an edible reminder of the season's brevity. It feels less like morels have a season than a quick, annual engagement: catching them at the farmers market is like catching a solar eclipse, or Tom Jones at the MGM Grand in Vegas.

Morels are wild mushrooms that grow in forested areas throughout many parts of the country, and generally begin appearing sometime in April. They're usually available until the early summer, but their season can vary by a week or two depending on the region and the amount of rainfall. They're slender, knobby things with intricately ridged and wrinkled skin, and look like they sprouted from the pages of the Brothers Grimm. Their homely appearance belies their heavenly flavor, which is expressed to spectacular effect in the company of dairy, fat and and asparagus. Scrambled eggs are thus an ideal way to enjoy morels -- think of it as less an egg dish than a vehicle for delivering the best of the season to your very happy stomach.

Read the recipe for scrambled eggs with morels, asparagus and spring onions after the jump.

Continue reading Marvelous Morels

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Rumble in the Jungle: A Tofu Takedown Rundown

Rebecca Flint Marx — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetarian/Vegan

As one of New York City's most well-appointed concert venues, the Highline Ballroom gets its share of long lines. But the 180 people milling outside its entrance yesterday afternoon hadn't come for the music. They'd come for the soy.

Soy doesn't exactly scream "ruthless fight to the finish," or summon images of a marauding vegetarians. Yet the stakes at the first-ever Tofu Takedown were high enough to inspire even committed bacon lovers to attend the spirited competition, which was organized by Matt Timms, the hungry genius behind the chili, salsa, fondue, cookie and bacon takedowns.

Seventeen amateur cooks gathered in the ballroom to battle it out for tofu supremacy with entries that ranged from so-called "Ethiopian empanadas" to salted caramel tofu gelato. Somewhat surprisingly, sweet far outnumbered savory, demonstrating just how far tofu has come in its role as an ingredient for dessert.

Continue reading Rumble in the Jungle: A Tofu Takedown Rundown

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Tofu on Testosterone - The Tofu Takedown

Rebecca Flint Marx — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetarian/Vegan

Chili takedowns, cookie takedowns, bacon, salsa and fondue takedowns. Hey, man, competition is sorta part of living in New York City ("if you can make it here ...").

But a Tofu Takedown? Perhaps sensing the neglect felt by vegetarians unable to partake in the carnivorous joys of previous food fights, Matt Timms, the creator of the infamous Chili Takedown, is inciting meat-free madness on May 10. Because nothing says a fight to the death like fermented soybeans, right?

[Via Chili Takedown]

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Prevent Cancer with a Hangover Cure?

Jennifer Iserloh — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetarian/Vegan, The Skinny Chef, Ingredients

Watercress might just seem like a staple for ladies who lunch on tea sandwiches, but it has a fascinating reputation in the health world. Legend touts its powers as an aphrodisiac, a cure for baldness and even a cure for hangovers.

I'm not so sure about its powers to grow your libido or hair, but I'm guessing that its reputation as a hangover cure comes from its high potassium content. Since potassium is a mineral, which can become depleted due to dehydration from overindulging on alcohol, it could very well be that watercress might just help to soothe that morning-after headache.

I see watercress more as a delicious, energizing ingredient in fast and fresh modern cuisine. When the weather warms up, cool drinks and chilled soups not only refresh -- they also provide great ways add nutrition, giving you more energy to enjoy long summer nights.

Get Jennifer's Watercress Soup with Strawberry Salsa recipe after the jump.

Continue reading Prevent Cancer with a Hangover Cure?

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DIY Mushroom Burger - Foodie Flicks

Monika Bartyzel — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetarian/Vegan, Foodie Flicks, Ingredients

There are some vegetarians out there who swear up and down that a veggie burger tastes just like the real, meaty original. Well, we disagree, but that also doesn't mean that veggie burgers are bad. In fact, vegetable patties can offer a whole other realm of flavor -- especially when they're made from freshly sautéed mushrooms.

Next time you have a hankering for meat-free burgers, don't pick them up at the store. Instead, whip up the veggie burgers above, courtesy of Chef John's Food Wishes. A simple mix of sauteed 'shrooms and onions bound together with oatmeal and breadcrumbs, they look pretty delish. The recipe can be found right here, and while you're at it, skim the rest of the site as well. We're betting you'll find some tasty grub videos you can't resist.

Any vegetarians out there? Got a secret veggie burger recipe or fave storebought brand?

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Cloris Leachman Dons Lettuce for PETA

Monika Bartyzel — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetarian/Vegan, Ingredients, Celebrities

Any news about PETA usually makes me roll my eyes, but for once, I think they're on to something. Rather than lathering in terrible logic and alienating those they want to convert, they've grabbed the wonderful Cloris Leachman and gone fancy.

That picture to the right, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, presents Ms. Leachman in a ball gown of lettuce with the catch-phrase "Let Vegetarianism Grow on You."

It's not really the sort of image that will inspire masses to put down the bacon and grab a head of lettuce, but it is a fabulous picture.

I think it's time to put the babies aside and dress more women in greenery ... as long as PETA is prepared for me to admire the pics whilst eating a medium-rare burger.

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Recipes for Fava Beans - Slashfood Ate (8)

Max Shrem — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Slashfood Ate, Vegetarian/Vegan, Ingredients, How To

Towards the middle of spring, fava beans or as the English call them -- broad beans -- can be found at farmer's markets across the country. Their rich buttery texture and heavenly nutty taste not only complement meats, fish and other fruits and vegetables, but also make them standouts on their own.

Fava beans are eaten around the world as a snack and as a full meal. They're used as essential ingredients in meals ranging from salad to pork shoulder to bean paste. In the Middle East, fava beans are crushed in a sauce and eaten for breakfast in a dish called "ful medames."

In Iran, fava beans are conserved in metal cans and eaten throughout the winter with salt and pepper. They can also be fried and eaten as a delicious crunchy snack, as done in Mexico, Peru, China and Thailand.

Below are eight recipes for fava beans:

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Olive Oil and Goat's Milk: Cheese Course

Max Shrem — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetarian/Vegan, Cheese Course, Food Politics, Ingredients, How To

For any cheese enthusiast, spring means the return of diverse goat's-milk cheeses.

The goat's milk from the spring produces a unique grassy taste with an exquisite floral aroma with notes of hay. This is due to the fact that the goats are beginning to graze on the fresh spring flora.

Compared to most sheep and cows, goats have the most varied diet. Their milk is also the lowest in fat. With less fat to balance out the pungent flavors, you can really taste the natural piquancy of lush spring fields.

Click for ways to eat this springtime treat after the jump.

Continue reading Olive Oil and Goat's Milk: Cheese Course

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Asparagus Salads - Slashfood Ate (8)

Max Shrem — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lists, Slashfood Ate, Vegetarian/Vegan, Ingredients, How To

I will never forget my experience browsing through the open-air market in Potsdam, Germany and discovering the culinary delights of white asparagus. My eyes were overwhelmed by the magnificent sight of thick, extremely straight white asparagus spears. That evening, I cooked this delicate white asparagus and topped it off with hollandaise sauce.

Ever since that experience, I never thought of asparagus in the same way. It went from being a vegetable that I detested throughout childhood to a respected art of nature.

April is the prime month for the asparagus season. While the evenings get warmer, the quantity of the harvest increases. There are four main varieties: green, white, violet and wild. Green asparagus is the one most commonly grown in the United States.

There are numerous ways to use asparagus in a dish. But, as we enter spring, it's time to think about refreshing salads that place this delicious crunchy vegetable at the center. Below are eight different recipes for asparagus salad:

What are some of your favorite asparagus salads?

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Perfect Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes - Tip of the Day

Max Shrem — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Magazines, Vegetarian/Vegan, Tip of the Day, Ingredients, How To

Making buttermilk mashed potatoes can easily go wrong. The buttermilk can curdle, and too much butter can obscure the buttermilk flavor. Check out these easy tactics to prevent such problems.

Continue reading Perfect Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes - Tip of the Day

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George Clooney-Flavored Tofu

Emily Matchar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetarian/Vegan, Celebrities

"Dear Mr. Clooney," begins the PETA letter. "We have been offered some of your perspiration, apparently taken from a towel at a gym in Washington, D.C...this prospect has given us an interesting idea...The technology actually exists to take your perspiration and make it into George Clooney-flavored tofu (CloFu)...CloFu will help people be more healthy and environmentally friendly and will spare animals from being killed for the table...The science is pretty straightforward...if you use a sample of human perspiration, it is 'no different than making artificial chicken flavor for instant gravy.'"

I'm pretty sure PETA's kidding about this one, a mere publicity stunt to promote tofu while showing us that "chicken flavoring" is just as gross and weird as "human flavoring." Right? Right?

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Vegan Until Dinner - New Diet Trend?

Emily Matchar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetarian/Vegan

For his Minimalist column in the New York Times Dining & Wine section, Mark Bittman cooks and eats everything from rib eye steak to cheesy potato gratin. But when his doctor told him he had high cholesterol, borderline high blood sugar and was 35 pounds overweight, he realized he needed to make some changes to his diet. The doctor suggested trying veganism, but Bittman, a confirmed omnivore, said no way.

Instead, he decided to cut out meat and dairy only before 6 p.m., then eat absolutely whatever he wanted for dinner.

Lo and behold, the "vegan 'til dinnertime" plan worked. "Within three or four months, I lost 35 pounds, my blood sugar was normal, cholesterol levels were again normal ... and my sleep apnea indeed went away," said Bittman, quoted in a New York Times health column. He says though he realizes the diet wouldn't work for everyone, he wants people to see that even simple eating changes can have a big impact on health.

Interesting. I have a feeling that if I let myself eat absolutely anything I wanted after 6 p.m., I would gain weight in rather short order regardless of what I ate during the day (what I want to eat after 6 p.m. is often of the cookie dough and caramels variety).

Have you tried partial vegan diets or restricting foods before or after a certain hour? Did it work?

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