food, glorious food!

Hope I haven't used that post title yet . . .

Anyhow, I've been cooking these past few days, thanks in large part to a major stock-up trip to the co-op last Thursday. News from my kitchen:

Friday night, Dan and I had his brother, Ryan, over to my apartment for dinner. I made a bunch of really yummy, Greek-type food. First, I experimented with using a new "secret ingredient" for homemade hummus:

Who knew Chana Dal made awesome hummus?!?!? My homemade hummus is still much thicker than I'd like it to be, but I'll work that out eventually. I think I have the taste closer, now -- added more tahini this time, and I liked it much better. (Mmmm hummus!)

Served the hummus on an apps platter with sliced cucumber, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives (I'm coming 'round to olives, but I'm not loving them yet,) a few stuffed grape leaves (that I purchased,) and some pieces of Wasa crispbread. I forgot to buy pita. Silly Catherine.


And the main event, in leftover form, since once the food comes out of the oven and the guests arrive, I tend to forget that I have a camera! (Eating and talking are much more important than photograph-taking, usually.)


Dan and Ryan put down two pieces of spinach pie each, and the apps platter was completely empty at the end of the evening. (And I thought one hungry boy was a challenge! Alas.)

I also made chili and cornbread this past weekend.


Last week, Michelle and I went to the thrift store, and I had a major kitchen score -- an 8-inch cast iron skillet for three bucks! I had gotten rid of my old nonstick 8-inch skillet a while ago, because the coating had begun to come off and hence, the skillet was no longer nonstick. Look at the baby, so happy with her new mama!


And, I broke in the new skillet tonight, to make myself some hashbrowns for dinner. Well, hashbrowns to go alongside scrambled tofu, topped with salsa and sliced avocado.

I really never do tire of scrambled tofu. :)

NOW, on to the exciting part! After a very long hiatus, I have decided to start working on my cookbook again. Work is looking a little light this month, and money will be interesting, but at least I'm going to take advantage of my free time and finish up the manuscript! (I hope I hope I hope!)

Off to edit . . .

job-tastic, yam-tastic, cat-in-a-box, plus one!

Again, it has been a busy week in the life of a food snob. Yesterday was day 6 of a 6-day work stretch. I love, love, love my job -- I love being surrounded by people who love food as much as I do all day long, I've always loved working retail, and my boss has been pretty cool about giving me as many hours as I'd like for December and into January. We've been selling a lot of pie plates, roasting pans, and digital probe thermometers this week -- everyone's stocking up for Thanksgiving cooking, methinks! I have received many compliments on my job performance so far, including several managers and the owner of the store. I also have mostly been trapped behind the register, and my drawer's never been off by more than a penny or two. Am I that anal retentive? Maybe. Is it silly that I like working retail so much? Maybe. I've already talked to my boss about long-term employment with them, and they are very interested in keeping me around 32 hours a week, after January, if I'm interested. I have to think about this one, because it's just not enough hours/income for me to be able to stay in my apartment. I have simplified my life quite a bit over the past year or so, and think that I am just about at the end of being able to cut expenses. I'm going to have to generate more income somehow -- maybe babysitting? Who knows. I do still want time to work on my cookbook as well, so those 32 hours are starting to sound really attractive. I'll keep you posted.

I haven't been cooking much this week, but I do have one glorious food photo for you!

Sweet Potato Fries! (Or, more accurately, Yam Fries!) Vegenaise on the side there for dipping fabulousness.

I also have a Cat-in-a-Box:


And, one other piece of news: although I have been a party of one for over four years now, I have very recently (within the last week) added a "plus one" to my life! Remember mention of my friend Dan? Well, we finally made a little progress into relationship-land. Because this is the internet, I am going to be as vague as humanly possible, but suffice to say, I'm happy & he's happy, I think. :)

Oh yes, and despite this news, I will continue to work on "Party of One" as if nothing has changed. My mission to feed the single folks of the world well has not been dampered one bit!

Happy Tofurkey Day, everyone!

amen to that!

Crystal left me the following comment on a previous post:

"Way to go on the lentil burger - that looks great. And GOOD FOR YOU for being a single person who cooks well for yourself. There are many people at my work who go home to take out night after night."

Amen to that! Since this is something I feel very strongly about, I wanted to post Crystal's comment, and add some of my own comments (a direct quote from my cookbook manuscript, to be precise!) If you are one of those take-out-every-night-single-folks, NOW HEAR THIS:

"I want to add that the saddest thing I hear from single people who don’t cook is the following: “it’s just me – why bother?” We somehow have grown to believe that cooking is only worth the “trouble” when we are doing it for others. Now, I do agree that preparing a meal for friends or family is special, but I also believe, as individuals, we need to feel that we are worth the time and effort cooking takes. We owe it to ourselves to take the best care of our bodies as we can – and part of that is feeding it healthy food!"

As proof, my lunch today, that took a total of 30 minutes to prepare:

An ALTT sandwich (avocado, lettuce, tempeh, and tomato,) some extra sliced tomato, and more Asian style coleslaw.

Giant cabbage, here I come . . . .

a breakfast homage to Chelsea

My friend Chelsea has been raving about having beans and rice for breakfast, and today, I decided to give it a go:

(Or should I say, last night I gave it a go, and then microwaved a bowlful this morning.)

Easy, healthy, tasty, filling, and cheap as dirt. What's not to like?

My beans and rice:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 1 cup of long grain brown rice, stir, and return the rice to a boil. Continue boiling the grain, as you would pasta, for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender but not mushy. Drain and rinse under cold water. (Trust me on this one -- it's a Mark Bittman technique that works like a charm -- no more gummy rice! I don't think I need a rice cooker after all!)
2. Dump the rice into a bowl or container and add 1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed, 4 dashes Tobasco sauce, 2 dashes ground cumin, a splash each of red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, and a bit more salt (taste first and only add more salt if you think it needs it.) Cover and chill. Reheat as needed.

I may have to make this one again and write down exact measurements for that little cookbook I'm STILL working on . . . !

update

I don't have much to blog about, but I feel like I should hop on for a little bit, at least, and give you an update!

Job: nothing new to report. I keep applying, and applying, and applying -- no new interviews, either. Bah. Unemployment benefits will kick in soon, though, so that's a big help! All I can do is keep searching and searching. I may look into seasonal retail positions, just for some extra cash for the time being.

Food: I have used up most of the fresh food in my house, and am now eating out of my freezer, fridge, and cupboards. Spaghetti with red sauce tastes REALLY good every once in a while, but it's not exactly photo-worthy. :) I'm also looking forward to peanut soba noodles with frozen broccoli and edamame. ;-) When I get to the store and get some more produce, I'll start cooking again and the photos will return! In the meantime, I hope to finally get my butt on the 'puter and do some major editing of the cookbook. I've decided to add another section: side dishes. Anyone have any brilliant titles? I've come up with "Sidecars," or, "Filling out your Plate." The sides section may steal some recipes from the snacks section, which might be kind of tricky, but I guess I'll just have to come up with more snack recipes, or maybe not!

Adventures: I managed a trip to the thrift store with Michelle this week, (nothing purchased by either of us,) and a nice, long hike (i.e., almost 2 hours, and Dan's quite tall, so I was cruisin'!), with Dan yesterday at Fort Snelling State Park. (I neglected to bring the camera; sorry 'bout that one! We were so busy talking, however, I probably wouldn't have taken any pictures anyway.) Oh, I did go for a walk with Ann on Monday night, too -- but nothing terribly noteworthy to report overall! It's been kind of a quiet week.

C'est fini, pour maintenant!

"Party of One" Freebie!

I made a pasta salad tonight that is so easy, quick, and tasty, it's going in the cookbook. It's the most pathetic, simple "recipe" ever, so I'm including it now -- a "freebie" for you all! Test away and give me feedback!

Greek-ish Pasta 'n Veg Salad


Ingredients:
1 cup dry whole wheat pasta shape of your choice (I used fusilli)
1 cup no-salt added canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup quartered water-packed artichoke hearts
1 cup sliced and quartered cucumber
1 cup quartered mushrooms (such as button or cremini)
1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes (or seeded, chopped tomato of your choice)
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette (prepared or homemade)

Directions:
1. Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and rinse it well under cold water. Give it a couple of good shakes to get most of the water out of it.
2. Combine everything and fold it gently until the vinaigrette is evenly distributed. Eat.

If you are so inclined, feel free to add some olives and/or feta to this as well.

I just had a big bowlful -- a nice bedtime snack, if you ask me!

Sneaky-Pete Pizza

I made pizza tonight! Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum. A few exciting things about it:

1. This was my first time ever using vegan cheese (Follow Your Heart Mozzarella), and it worked out pretty well! I shredded the whole package, then split it in two and froze half for another day. (I hope this works.) It melted nicely in the oven, then I broiled it for about a minute and a half to brown it. It does taste pretty good, but it doesn't hold a candle to the real thing. Alas.

2. Inspired by some reading I did in a food magazine, I made a "special sauce" for my pizza -- half canned pumpkin and half Muir Glen organic fire-roasted tomato sauce, with a few dashes each of garlic salt and Italian seasoning to punch it up a bit. For someone who doesn't much care for tomato sauce on her pizza, I REALLY like the pumpkin-tomato combo. You can't taste the pumpkin at all -- it's just not as intense as traditional tomato sauce. (Maybe good for kids, too?) A sneaky way to get orange veggies into my diet!

3. I made my own crust (of course,) and topped it with artichokes, mushrooms, and broccoli! Wooo-eee! I also nailed down times and temperatures for the cookbook. ;-)

I'm almost finished with my second piece, and I may need a third, it's that good!

What do you think of "Sneaky-Pete Pizza" as a potential recipe title?

the power of produce

I am having the greatest breakfast this morning: homemade granola with soy milk, topped with fresh, local, organic blueberries! Yum. These blueberries are SO fantastic!

In other food news . . .

~ I finally, finally, finally have a clean kitchen as of last night, so I can begin messing it up again tonight. I hope to make an awesome dinner! What it will be, we'll see, however.

~ I'm thinking about buying a rice cooker sometime in the near future. I have a complete inability to consistently cook rice well on the stovetop, and the family I nanny for has a rice cooker and I sort of love it. ;-) Anyone else out there have feelings about a rice cooker, one way or the other?

~ I'm thinking about adding the directions for making cold-pressed coffee to my cookbook, since I seem to have perfected the technique. Any thoughts?

~ I really hope to devote a lot of time this coming weekend to working on the cookbook -- recipe testing, writing, editing, etc. Here's hoping the weather cooperates! I'm tired of temps in the high 90s, because then all I want to do is sit around and try not to sweat too much.

melon! melon! melon!

Three cheers for the Sprite melon!

If you can get your hands on one of these babies, (or several of these babies,) BUY IT IMMEDIATELY. I had never tried this variety of melon before, and they are incredible. They are itty-bitty, (slightly larger than a mango,) and look like a honeydew on the outside. However, waiting inside is no ordinary melon. White-fleshed, sweet as candy, fruity (obviously -- duh,), and slightly citrus-y. (Hence the "Sprite" name, maybe?" Or just 'cause they are tiny?) Anyhow, I'm so sad I only bought one. I hope the co-op has more this weekend! The perfect melon party for one. ;-)

Speaking of Party of One, I've totally stalled out on cookbook testing this week. Too hot, and too many dirty dishes. I did nail down the measurements for the Green Superhero Smoothie, and also finalized my Zucchini Banana Nut Bread. Oh baby, it's good. (This, coming from a girl who doesn't much care for banana bread.) Anyone care to test? Vegan option, but it does use the oven. (Sorry, Les!)

Beware: randomness coming up:

My kit-cat is totally passed out on my table right now -- all stretched out flat to absorb as much coolness from the hard surface as he can. What a goon. I feel sorry for him -- it must not be fun wearing a fur coat in 90+ degree heat!

My refund came from Seventh Generation today, and the kind lady included an additional sheet of four $1 off coupons! If I had any doubts about Seventh Generation before, they have since been squashed flat. What a wonderful, wonderful company.

I just started reading "The Catcher in the Rye" the other night. I've never read it before, (shocking, I realize,) and I already really, really like it. Thank you, Michelle, for broadening my literary horizons! (I've always wanted to start a book club titled "All the Books I Should Have Read in High School But Never Did," or alternately, "Becoming Well-Read.")

Happy Friday, folks. Enjoy your weekends. If it's helluh hot in your neck of the woods, stay cool.

Miscellaney

~ My cat has had one stupid moment after another these past couple of days. Last night, he choked himself on the trash can in my bedroom, over and over again, trying to reach something inside. I had to get up at 4 in the morning and dump the contents into the "big trash" in the kitchen, so he'd give up and I could go back to sleep. Then the other day, he burned his tail on the stove -- that was smelly. He also landed on his HEAD while jumping for a toy last night. I must have added stupid pills to his food or something! Maybe the heat is starting to get to him.

~ I am in mega cookbook testing/writing mode right now, (I want to go with the momentum created by my workshop last weekend,) so if I don't get around to your blog as often as I usually do, know that that's why! I may also post less frequently.

~ I took away my email link for a while, because I've been getting weird emails lately. (LOTS of junk, and I pay for my email address -- that shouldn't happen!) If you need to email me, let me know and I'll stick it back on there for a day or two!)

~ I am going to start forcing myself to do yoga EVERY DAY to help with my sore back. Start harassing me. Please. I need lots of people checking up on me until I can make this a habit!

~ I have a recipe for "Chickpea Pot Pie" (uses filo dough -- not a pastry!) that is ready for a tester if anyone is interested! It makes four servings, however -- do you think I should trim it down farther? Or I could change how the "pie" is constructed and make it into little individual-serving "pockets," which could be frozen and saved for later? I'm leaning towards the second option . . . !! (P.S., this recipe is easily veganized.)

~ I had THE BEST pasta (vegan!) at the Good Earth restaurant this past weekend, (it was called "Tuscan Spa Pasta,") and I hope to post a review on Veggin' Out sometime this week. Watch for it!

~ I went to the store "Storables" last weekend, and I finally bought my hip granny shopping cart! I can't wait to try it out -- I might use it later this week to haul a load of laundry to and from work! I also picked up several other odds and ends. I am in love with that store. If Storables and Kitchen Window hooked up, my ultimate shopping experience would be born. (I like to be organized. I'm a nerd. When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was reorganize my desk. Sheesh.) Kai, thanks for the heads up on the location of granny shopping carts!

Weekend Munchies

Today's shopping . . .
(Why do I always need so much food?)

BAKERY
1 loaf Wedge Bakery multigrain bread

BULK
just under two pounds of organic French green lentils
just under two pounds of organic durum semolina
half a pound of organic unbleached all-purpose flour (for roux-making)
just over a pound of organic rolled oats
a pound of semisweet chocolate chips

FROZEN
Tofutti Cuties Wildberry flavor
Soy Delicious "Cookie Avalanche"
10 ounces organic mixed blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries
10 ounces organic blueberries
10 ounces organic peaches
16 ounces organic filo dough

PACKAGED GROCERY
1 bar "Endangered Species" tiger chocolate (dark w/espresso beans)
1 bar "Green and Black's" dark chocolate
14 ounces artichoke heart quarters
1 jar organic EastWinds peanut butter
15 ounces organic pumpkin puree
2 14.5 ounce cans Muir Glen organic no-salt added diced tomatoes
14 ounces organic lite coconut milk
1 bottle Seventh Generation dish soap

PERSONAL CARE
3 Tom's of Maine lemongrass soap
2 boxes NatraCare organic cotton tampons
1 bar Burt's Bees garden tomato face soap

PRODUCE
2 organic Granny Smith apples
1 organic champagne mango
1 organic "Sprite" melon
2 organic lemons
1 conventional lime
2 organic Danjou pears
2 organic yellow peaches
a teeny piece of organic ginger
a small bunch of organic basil
about six organic, local button mushrooms
2 small organic yams
4 organic red peppers
1 bag local, organic baby spinach
1 package organic dill
1 package organic rosemary

REFRIGERATED GROCERY
8 ounces Tofutti better than cream cheese (it's trans-fat free in my neck of the woods!)
10 ounces Follow Your Heart vegan mozzarella
Organic Valley soymilk
24 ounces plain WholeSoy yogurt

*** Planned "Party of One" Testing With All Of This Good Stuff ***

Peanut Butter Dip
Pumpkin Dip
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Snickerdoodles
Pizza
Bananarama (a smoothie)
Purple People Eater (a smoothie)
Pumpkin Pie (a smoothie)
Green Superhero (a smoothie)
Stick it to Me (a smoothie)
Minted Mac & Peas
Chickpea Pocket Pies
Zucchini Bread

Visit Harmonia for more info on Midweek (Weekend) Munchies.

being consumed by Party of One, but in a good way.

I attended "Selling and Publishing Your Book" at The Loft today, and I have to tell you, words can't begin to describe how incredible it was. I learned so much about the publishing industry, everything from the huge changes that have been happening in the industry over the last couple of years, to the appropriate size box in which one should submit a manuscript. Just amazing. I walked out of the workshop with a 96-page handout, 8 pages of notes, and my instructor's business card -- he said we could call him any time with any questions, and if they took more than ten minutes to answer, he would offer his consulting services at a "pittance fee."

I feel so empowered. It's incredible. I walked into the workshop knowing nothing about the publishing industry, and I walked out with a beginning but thorough understanding of what I need to do to get my cookbook published. (Also, a thorough understanding of how crazy everything is, and how it could take me a long, long time to publish this thing.)

My instructor mentioned that if you have the manuscript ready, submit the manuscript -- don't fuss around with a proposal. Since my manuscript is nearly ready, or at least I think it is, I am going to go this route. I will spend an exorbitant amout of money on boxes, paper, and postage by the end of the summer, I think.

Here's my plan: I'm going to power through the rest of the manuscript for the next six weeks, and will hopefully have it finished by the middle to the end of August. When my nannying family goes out of town for two and a half weeks and I have a week and a half off and paid, I'm going to devote this time to writing the cover letter and marketing bits, researching potential editors/publishing houses, and then printing, boxing up, and shipping out 15 to 20 copies of my manuscript.

Here's one catch to my plan: I'm starting to waffle a little bit about whether I have enough recipes. I counted them up tonight, and I currently have a total of 85 recipes, most of which I've tested and have had others test for me. I'm currently at 117 pages total, which includes table of contents/chapter pages, recipes, and text. I need to write a conclusion and the "Important questions, answered" section,(including "What in the heck is . . . " "How do I . . . " "Where can I get . . . " and "What to do with leftover . . . " I would also like to pull out what specific ingredients I would like included in the "glossary of major ingredients." (I also want an index of recipes by title at the end, but I think that will be the publisher's job.) I also have a handfull of recipes still to add, maybe less than ten, but I think with all of these changes, it will bring me up well over 150 pages.

Just as a measurement tool, Vegan with a Vengeance has a total of 135 recipes and 258 pages, and that feels like a "smallish" cookbook to me -- not your giant "World Vegetarian" or VT Complete Cookbook or Vegan Planet. I don't want to write a ginormo, but I don't want people left wanting more, either.

But, I also don't want to pad the cookbook with filler recipes just because I think it's too small. Waffle, waffle, waffle.

Too bad I don't own a waffle iron, because waffles sound kind of good right now.

But I digress. :)

I think I'm just going to go for what I have, plus my additions. If I get rejection letters that say "not enough recipes," well, we'll know the answer to this conundrum, now won't we?

I also need to make a decision about photos. I really, really, really, really want a photo of each recipe included in the cookbook, which would increase its size by about fifty percent, and also increase the cost of the finished product to my readers. I want to do a paperback (maybe spiral-bound, so it lays flat,) but the photos could push the book price into the $30-$50 range, which would almost price me out of my niche market (young, probably broke, single people -- college students, young professionals, etc.) Here's the other thing about the photos -- I don't want them "styled." I want photos of the real thing, which I'm not sure a book marketer will go for. I have this idea of "food candids" in my head -- things with crumbs, things with bites out of them, bowls of soup with a splash over the rim and a dribble on the table, not-quite-perfect shots. Pictures of normal-looking young people eating my food. Kind of like the (probably really expensively orchestrated) incredible photography in Jamie Oliver cookbooks.

I bought Isa's book mostly because I had heard so many wonderful things about it, but partly because it was less than twenty bucks, and I can afford that.

I have to quit thinking about this now, or I'll never be able to sleep tonight. Off to watch a movie and clear my head!

P.S. any thoughts you have on the subject matter are more than welcome. :)

beet salad, cupcakes, and lentil soup

I made Cooking Light's Roasted Beet Salad With Tarragon Vinaigrette last night, and boy is it tasty! I've never really had beets before, and I have to say . . . I think I like gold beets! (At least prepared in this way!) I have to tell you, between the recipe calling for the same ingredients in different parts of the recipe, and then cutting the recipe in half, this was a bit confusing to execute . . . until I rewrote the recipe "Joy of Cooking" style. Here is is:

Toss together and roast 1 hour in a 350 degree oven:
1 1/2 pounds gold beets, scrubbed well and root ends trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon

Cool, peel, and cut up the beets into about 1-inch cubes, or a little larger.

Whisk together:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Toss the beets and 1 cup thinly sliced red onion in the vinaigrette. Chill overnight before serving.
This salad is a bit spicy from the raw onion, raw garlic, and raw shallot. Enjoy!


Then, while the oven was still on, I whipped up a batch of Double-Chocolate Cupcakes -- I'm still tweaking this recipe for Party of One, and I think I've almost got it! They are plenty chocolatey enough, and they don't sink any more -- they aren't nicely rounded on top like a normal cupcake, but they suffice, I think. I made a test batch of my Creamy Vanilla Frosting for them as well, and then topped each cupcake with a slice of strawberry and a mint leaf. Cute and yummy!


This morning, I decided to whip up a batch of Post Punk Kitchen's French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme, to use some more of the leftover tarragon and thyme I had from making the beet salad. I have always been a bit frustrated by this recipe, because it makes a really simple thing seem more complicated than it really is, but the ingredients blend together nicely and make a killer lentil soup. Here's my edited, simplified version:

Saute together on low until everything is softened and beginning to brown:
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
about a cup of roughly chopped mushrooms (my addition)
4 cloves garlic, minced

Add, bring to a boil, lower the heat, then simmer for 45 minutes:
6 cups vegetable broth
1 14-ounce can no-salt added diced tomatoes with liquid
2 cups French green lentils, rinsed well
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
black pepper to taste

Fish out the bay leaves and thyme stems with tongs once the lentils are tender. Cool and freeze in small portions for a non-90-degree day!


I still have a big bunch of fresh oregano leftover, as well as some mint, thyme, and Thai basil. (The basil may go into more spring rolls later this week.) Any suggestions?