Novel (but Good) Vegan Grilling

Posted on July 10, 2011 by dgourmac

Inspiration for good meals comes from a variety of places.  For tonight, the sources included fine ingredients from the market (acorn squash, firm green cabbage, organic arugula, perfect avocados and mangoes), research from the Internet (how to grill acorn squash), and a bit of Mark Bittman in the Sunday times magazine (grilled cabbage steak). The results were as salubrious as they were delicious.

The acorn squash should look like this when it comes off your grill:

For me the biggest and best surprise of the evening was the grilled cabbage steak.  Even without the tasty sauce, it was excellent.  By the time we were ready to eat, the sun was low in the sky, the air was cool on the deck, and we were very hungry.  My only regret is that we were so hungry, we did not stop and take a couple of pictures of the beautiful first course Barbara made.  The colors were marvelous — green avocado and peach-colored mango slices, dark green spinach, all on pastel flowered glass plates.  Courses two and three are shown below.

Grilled Cabbage Steak with Asian Dressing, Green Beans and Carrots for color

Grilled Acorn Squash and Arugula Farro "Risotto"

2009 Muller Thurgau against the ocean backdrop

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Egret by the pond

Posted on July 10, 2011 by dgourmac

This morning’s post needs few words; just a couple of photos from our front steps:

The full set of six pictures will be seen here, or this non-Flash version for iPad viewers.

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Peppers Agrodolce

Posted on July 9, 2011 by dgourmac

One of the easiest, most delicious and most versatile vegetable preparations is sauteed sweet peppers (red, yellow, orange or any combination of these), finished with some wine vinegar.  When marketing, we say Pepperoni in Agrodolce: Agro (sour), Dolce (sweet).

Yellow Peppers Agrodolce and Grilled Portobello

So this afternoon for lunch, I found 1/2 of a yellow pepper in the vegetable drawer, sauteed it in olive oil — quickly at first, then slowly until it was tender.  Moving the saute pan off the heat, I added 2-3 tablespoons of good Italian white wine vinegar, returned the pan to the moderate heat and boiled off the liquid.  A little salt and pepper, and we have a succulent, intense flavor for whatever use we need.

In this instance, a few pieces of ficelle, dipped in the oil and salt remaining in the pan, was topped with several slices of pepper and topped with a slice of leftover grilled portobello mushroom, which had been finished with a balsamic vinegar reduction, and half of my lunch was ready.  Barbara’s mushroom and almond pate provided the other half, on the remaining bread and portobello.

There are more elaborate versions of Agrodolce, but the peppers themselves provided all the sweetness needed to counterbalance the vinegar.  You can make it with as many peppers as you wish, sliced thinly and then sauteed.  They can be used (with or without other vegetables) with pasta, risotto or polenta; or to garnish a salad; to place on crostini (perhaps with a goat or cashew-based cheese and chopped chives); or almost any other preparation needing an extra flavor boost.

Oh, yes, and the wine for lunch?  A 2008 Cornalin from Valle d’Aosta by Institut Agricole Regional, as shown below:

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Ode to George Lang

Posted on July 7, 2011 by dgourmac

I don’t have many heroes, but if I was ever inspired by an individual’s story, character, humor, accomplishments, lust for life — and yes, food — George Lang would be one of those heroes.

Headline from July 6th New York Times article

Last year, not long after I started this blog, I posted George Lang’s recipe for an American Bistro.  It was the introduction to one of my favorite cookbooks, and it seemed to capture the essence of the man and his beliefs:

Although I have eaten well at Cafe des Artistes, and even had bought his notable Hungarian cookbook years earlier (after exploring this cuisine with my friend and fellow fisherman, Miklos Kozo), I never knew Mr. Lang in person.  But as I read some of the written material about his extraordinary life, I thought it was appropriate to share the highlights of those articles with you here:

I think most of all, I take away a message about an indomitable spirit, the ability to innovate and work through any obstacles (and successes) he encountered,  and the ability to do it all for many years with resilience, love, humor, good taste, and a balanced sense of self.  That is a message that should be helpful for us all.

Posted in Family, Food, Humor, Wine | 32 Comments

Simple new pasta sauce

Posted on July 2, 2011 by dgourmac

Tonight provided an opportunity to create a simple new pasta sauce.  We are babysitting with the grandkids on the island, while their parents are out for an anniversary dinner. Vegan or not, this works both ways.

The genesis of this came from some of my recent salad/raw veggie preparations.  I am less used to the food processor here, but it works well.  I had made some julienned carrots for one of those dishes, and found the fine julienne blade was too small for that dish, but it seemed to be a good ingredient, so I tried it here.  The carrots definitely add a sweetness to the sauce, nicely balanced by the sauteed onions and garlic, and the addition of some cumin and Maras pepper.

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The Hedonistic Vegan

Posted on June 26, 2011 by dgourmac

Some of you know me well enough that you would not be at all surprised if I were described as a devout hedonist.  So, you are wondering, how can you possibly square that with being a vegan?  Isn’t that a drab way to eat?

Grape Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives

Corn Bisque with Leek and Potato Chutney at Company of the Cauldron

Field Greens and Red Nasturtium Salad Chez Weiss

But aren’t the people dull and colorless, lacking in humor?

Pumpkin Pond Farm field manager, Josh

Roadside advice

 

...and worth every penny!

I am happy to report, with these brief illustrations, that I find all of my senses heightened as a vegan.  The textures, colors and flavors of life continue to charm me, whether sitting at the bar in Gramercy Tavern

Negroni at lunch - Gramercy Tavern, NYC

…or contemplating the walkway at my side door on the island.

pathway in the grass, and one dandelion

This is sensuous, fun, AND healthy — all at the same time.

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Omnivore –> Vegan –> Raw Vegan?

Posted on June 9, 2011 by dgourmac

Three and a half weeks into eating as a vegan, and it’s going well.  Today, just for the helluva it, I ate dinner at Prana — one of the area’s finest vegan restaurants, and Raw Vegan at that.

Kelp Salad

I was hungry, so I had four courses:

  • Borscht with a dollop of Cashew “Sour Cream”
  • Kelp Noodle Salad with Mung Beans, herbs, carrot, red pepper, daikon, watercress, and a Mirin Plum Vinaigrette
  • Olive Tapenade with hearty homemade Onion and Olive Essene “Breads”
  • Zucchini Lasagna with Cashew “Ricotta Cheese”, Spinach and Thyme
along with a Samuel Smith Organic Lager from Merry Olde England.  Everything was excellent: extremely tasty, healthful, beautifully presented, as you can see from a few photos.  
As a result I have a new interest in such ingredients as daikon, raw beets and celeriac, sunflower and radish sprouts, kelp noodles made transparent and crunchy with algae, and how one turns a cashew nut into non-dairy cheese and sour cream.
Next mission is to convince the Chef to allow me to buy some of the Cashew “Cheese” for our pizzas this summer.
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New York again…just for food, drink and walking

Posted on May 27, 2011 by dgourmac

With Barbara off to Seattle last weekend, and since I was starting my second week as a vegan, I drove back to Gotham for a two-day expedition of some favorite activities.  There were three main objectives:

  • have dinner with David and Jeremy at an old favorite Italian restaurant — Circo
  • try some really fine vegan dining, in this case at Candle 79
  • browse food and wine places just for fun and an occasional purchase

I’m pleased to say that each was accomplished with gusto.  Emblematic of the color and style of the gustatory delights is the photo above — a Negroni along with a plate of Pickled Ramps at the bar in Gramercy Tavern on Saturday night.

The food, the hospitality and the diners at a neighboring table at Candle 79 were all superb.  I especially enjoyed the appetizer: Grilled Seitan with Chimichurri Sauce, a horseradish cream, and red pepper coulis.  It was my first experience with Seitan, a concentrated wheat protein with textures and flavors somewhat akin to meat.  Naturally, it is also a fine answer to those skeptics who doubt our ability to get enough protein without animal foods.

Conversation with my neighbors ranged from the delights of vegetarian artistry to academic pursuits ( all three of us are university faculty) and beyond, to pizza fanaticism.  Who would have thunk that these academic vegetarians would be so passionate about their pizza ovens — one a wood-fired Italian brick oven, the other a kiln.  And you thought I was the only food nut on the block!  Anyway, check out this menu:

Sunday was satisfying in different ways.  Visited an Apple store and got a subtle problem with email resolved; walked across town to Buon Italia in Chelsea Market for their interesting pastas and fine Gaeta olives; carefully perused the shelves at Astor Wines for a small selection of interesting additions to my racks (best so far is a Rossese from Liguria); had lunch at Gramercy Tavern — salads, bread, and another round of Negroni and Pickled Ramps; and then a friendly dinner at Osteria del Circo with friend and family (one of each).

Boy, am I glad the Chef Mike Anthony makes such a large batch of pickled ramps every Spring; his training in Japan is a source of pleasure for me each time.

The visit to the City also provided some humor and good photo ops.  For example, I wandered around on Madison Ave. Saturday after the early supper at Candle 79.  Walking near my first address in the City (1944-47), I snapped this picture of a nearby building:

Strolling along 13th Street the next day, I saw young adults in casual but consistent outfits, each walking a string of dogs.  As I followed their progress, it led me to a small, street level entry for Biscuits & Bath Doggy Gym — a fairly fancy retreat/overnight accommodation for canine creatures.  I particularly enjoyed the billboards in front:

After a few good laughs and a lot more walking, I was ready for another Negroni.

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Wine 101, Webb, Sarah and the North Fork

Posted on May 27, 2011 by dgourmac

Two weeks ago was the annual Wine 101 adventure at Webb with the Class of 2011.  What made it even more special was that Sarah came along with me — her first visit ever there.  We also had beautiful weather, so the drive along the North Fork of Long Island to Orient Point was particularly lovely this Spring.  Fresh asparagus, sorrel and duck eggs from the farms along the road were the agricultural highlights.

Another highlight was to visit with one of Sarah’s favorite students from GDRHS (Erin) now nearing the successful completion of her freshman year at pop’s alma mater.

Some photos will be found at http://lebistroweiss.com/PhotoAlbums/photos/SarahWebb/

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Quinoa and Vegetables Spectacular

Posted on May 10, 2011 by dgourmac

Sometimes my best dinners are made by Barbara rather than me.  Tonight was a great example.  She designed and executed a dish with quinoa and sauteed vegetables that tasted marvelous and met the needs of my recent intestinal challenges beautifully.

There really is no recipe, but I will give you the various ingredients and you are free to create your own dish in this style.

  • onion
  • scallions – white part
  • carrot
  • zucchini
  • eggplant
  • garlic
  • pine nuts
  • spinach
  • quinoa
  • spices, herbs – rosemary, dried lemon, Maras pepper, rosemary
  • Vincotto – cooked must of Negroamaro and Malvasia grapes
  • salt and pepper
Vegetables were diced, chopped or sliced as desired.  Then sauteed in olive oil.  Boil the quinoa until tender.  Add to vegetables, along with pine nuts, herbs, spices, Vincotto, salt and pepper, and saute until flavors blend.  Put on the plate, drizzle a little more Vincotto and salt and pepper.  Serve with this delicious Syrah from El Dorado county in California — a 2009 Edmunds St. John Wylie Vineyard.                                                                                 

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