Cookbooks: Pure Vegan & Vegan Eats World

In a year that was awash in vegan cookbooks, two really stood out for me.

One was Vegan Eats World: 300 International Recipes for Savoring the Planet (DaCapo Lifelong) by Terry Hope Romero, the author of Veganomicon. The other was Pure Vegan by Joseph Shuldiner. While both books are excellent, for me it’s not an either or proposition. Both add great value to their region of gastronomy. That is, both do wonderful things with a style of cooking that (arguably), for many years, didn’t produce much that was worth eating.

Debut author Joseph Shuldiner is a graphic designer. So it probably goes without saying that Pure Vegan is gorgeous. The photos, the layout, the colors… the French flaps! It’s a beautiful production. What makes it sublime, though, are the recipes. They are not gimmicky, as some vegan recipes can be. Here food is not masquerading as other food: it’s mostly just being what it is: beautiful, healthful, simply prepared and wonderfully plated.

My personal highlights: I loved the Potato Torte. When finished, it looks like something that might be coated in cheese or cream or other non-vegan products, but neither is the case.

Another oh-so-simple idea, here beautifully presented is the (No) Cheese Plate, intended to be served as finger food with wine. All of the ideas are good, but the recipe for a Fig Paste that looks and serves like a cheese or pate is very good and very simple.

For me, however, the star is Nutty Mushroom Risotto, making it the first time I’ve ever had a truly “creamy” vegan risotto… without missing the cheese! The secret is hazelnuts: skinned, toasted and coarsely chopped.

Vegan Eats World offers 300 recipes to Pure Vegan’s 70, but many of these are fast and sweet: lots of sauces and spreads and other things that will go into making other dishes. For much of really good vegan cooking, that seems to be key. If you had to stop and make Toasted Rice Powder every time you want to have a Southeast Asian salad, it would be time consuming. But if you already have some prepared, you’re a little more ready to go.

Being properly vegan has to include that kind of thinking. Most of the time you can’t just blithely run to the market and buy what’s available. You have to be able to make vegan alternatives for everything in your pantry if need be.

In that regard, Vegan Eats World is superior as it hand holds you through all of those steps. Vegan tzatziki and raita and even a parmigiana topping for lasagnas and other pasta dishes made of chickpea flour. The recipes here are terrific, as well. Though it was both complicated and time-consuming, I loved Sesame Panko Tempeh Cutlets: kind of katsu made with tempeh. A Pad Thai made with avocado and spicy greens kept me from missing any shrimp or eggs that might have been in the original. Lots of great curries and stews featuring saitan or tempeh.

As the title promises, Vegan Eats World is a culinary trip around the world: vegan-style.

100 Foods to Eat Before You Die

So this is the list from the Food List Challenge that's currently floating around on Facebook. I don't do Facebook apps and thought that, if there were others who were similarly geared, they might also appreciate an app-free list so that they could participate with these meme.

I've had 88 of the 100 foods listed and was a bit surprised to find that, in my part of the world, many on the list are quite common. The Food List Challenge folks said that they “think most people will have tried fewer than 20 of these 100 foods to eat before you die.” I'm pretty sure that would have been more true a couple of decades ago and, clearly, vegetarians won't score as well as those with more omnivracious tastes.

How many have you tried?

1. Abalone

2. Absinthe

3. Alligator

4. Baba Ghanoush

5. Bagel & Lox

6. Baklava

7. BBQ Ribs

8. Bellini

9. Birds Nest Soup

10. Biscuits & Gravy

11. Black Pudding

12. Black Truffle

13. Borscht

14. Calamari

15. Carp

16. Caviar

17. Cheese Fondue

18. Chicken & Waffles

19. Chicken Tikka Masala

20. Chile Relleno

21. Chitlins

22. Churros

23. Clam Chowder

24. Cognac

25. Crab Cakes

26. Crickets

27. Currywurst

28. Dandelion Wine

29. Dulce De Leche

30. Durian

31. Eel

32. Eggs Benedict

33. Fish Tacos

34. Foie Gras

35. Fresh Spring Rolls

36. Fried Catfish

37. Fried Green Tomatoes

38. Fried Plantain

39. Frito Pie

40. Frogs' Legs

41. Fugu

42. Funnel Cake

43. Gazpacho

44. Goat

45. Goat's Milk

46. Goulash

47. Gumbo

48. Haggis

49. Head Cheese

50. Heirloom Tomatoes

51. Honeycomb

52. Hostess Fruit Pie

53. Huevos Rancheros

54. Jerk Chicken

55. Kangaroo

56. Key Lime Pie

57. Kobe Beef

58. Lassi

59. Lobster

60. Mimosa

61. Moon Pie

62. Morel Mushrooms

63. Nettle Tea

64. Octopus

65. Oxtail Soup

66. Paella

67. Paneer

68. Pastrami on Rye

69. Pavlova

70. Phaal

71. Philly Cheese Steak

72. Pho

73. Pineapple & Cottage Cheese

74. Pistachio Ice Cream

75. Po' Boy

76. Pocky

77. Polenta

78. Prickly Pear

79. Rabbit Stew

80. Raw Oysters

81. Root Beer Float

82. S'mores

83. Sauerkraut

84. Sea Urchin

85. Shark

86. Snail

87. Snake

88. Soft Shell Crab

89. Som Tam

90. Spaetzle

91. Spam

92. Squirrel

93. Steak Tartare

94. Sweet Potato Fries

95. Sweetbreads

96. Tom Yum

97. Umeboshi

98. Venison

99. Wasabi Peas

100. Zucchini Flowers

Etoufee with a Rainforest Twist

Etoufee is a classic Cajun and creole dish. “Etoufee” translates roughly to “smothered.”

Traditionally, etoufees are made with shrimp or crawfish but faced, one day, with an abundance of chanterelle mushrooms and some unexpected vegetarians at my table, I thought I’d try a vegetarian version, replacing the shellfish entirely with cleaned and sliced chanterelles. Despite the regional wrongness -- a classic Southern US favorite made with mushrooms most often found in the rainforest -- the dish was a big success.

Another replacement: classically, where I’ve indicated olive oil, the Cajun and creole versions would use butter. I like the foresty flavor the olive oil adds, plus that simple swap makes this dish not only vegetarian, but completely vegan. However the dish works equally well -- and is perhaps even a little richer -- when made with butter.

Mushroom Etoufee

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or butter or a combination of both
1/4 all purpose or unbleached flour
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black Ppepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teasp dried thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
2 cups vegetable or mushroom stock
1 tablespoon hot sauce
4 cups fresh sliced chanterelles or 2 cups dried mushrooms

If using dried mushrooms, start by adding boiling water to mushrooms to cover. Cover with lid and set aside for at least one hour.

Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until the roux turns a dark golden color, between 15 and 20 minutes. Add onion, celery and bell pepper and continue to whisk until the vegetables start to soften. Add garlic, paprika, black pepper, cayenne, thyme, basil and oregon and continue to whisk for a further two minutes. Still whisking, add the tomatoes and stir. When the liquid has all been absorbed, add the stock, a little at a time, until it as all incorporated. Finally add the mushrooms, reduce heat, cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer 20 minutes.

You should now have a thick, rich-looking stew. If it seems too thick, add a bit more liquid: stock, if you still have some, or even a bit of water, a 1/4 cup at a time. If it’s too thin, leave the lid off, raise the heat slightly and stir while the sauce thickens.

Serve over long-grained white rice.

Serves 6

Caesar Salad

There is something splendidly decadent about a well-made Caesar salad. By a lot of people's reckoning, it shouldn’t be a salad at all. It’s rich and dense, full-flavored, full bodied and all the things a salad mostly shouldn’t be.

As a result, the classic caesar tends to go in and out of fashion -- like mini skirts and wedged soles -- because as much as we tell ourselves we loathe it, there’s a part of us that just can’t get enough.

Don’t kid yourself, either: it may be a salad and it may be green, but if you’re looking for a light dinner, you’d best keep looking. On the other hand, with a caesar salad at its base, it’s possible to make a fast and even somewhat elegant supper by whipping it together quickly and plopping some protein on top while you’re plating. A chicken breast or grilled salmon filet are classic, but here’s a fun twist: try throwing a handful of peeled shrimp in while you’re toasting the croutons.

This is a creamy variation of caesar, my own favorite. It’s also a fast approach. Many recipes call for raw egg as you make the dressing, but I’ve encountered so many people who are unnerved at working with raw eggs. In any case, using the mayonnaise is a shortcut that provides a more than acceptable result.

Caesar Salad

For the croutons:

4 slices white bread or two dinner rolls, cubed
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
paprika, garlic powder, pepper, cumin or a popular spice blend: two teaspoons in total

Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add spice and toast briefly before adding bread. Saute until bread absorbs oil and browns. Set aside.

For the dressing:

4 large cloves garlic
1 tablespoon Djon mustard
1.5 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 light salad oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine garlic, mustard, vinegar, mayonnaise, anchovy paste and salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. While the processor is running, drizzle the oil into the bowl in a steady stream. Correct the seasoning.

For the salad:

1 large or 3 small heads romaine or cos lettuce
caesar salad dressing
croutons
shaved parmesan cheese

Prepare the lettuce. In a large salad bowl, combine lettuce with as much of the dressing as seems appropriate (dress to taste, is what I mean to say here) and the croutons. Top with shaved parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

Ravenswick Apple Chutney

In the early autumn it’s difficult to keep up with the sudden supply of apples in my area. The apples are naturally organic, deeply flavorful and, once a year, mind-blowingly abundant.

Inspired by this embarrassment of riches, I came up with this terrific chutney. The flavors are also inspired by those luxurious and faintly exotic mango chutneys. I’ve always wanted to make mango chutney but, faced with a box of mangoes, I can never bring myself to do anything with them other than eat them fresh. But I don’t live in a place where mangoes are abundant: here it’s apples so… apple chutney.

Use this gorgeous chutney alongside a grilled chicken breast or to add a posh touch to a cheese sandwich. Jarlsberg, a touch of green on a nice rustic bread with a slathering of this chutney and you’ll have created a sandwich that is also a memorable meal.

Ravenswick Apple Chutney

Ingredients:

Two pounds apples
Two cups apple cider vinegar
Two cups sugar
Two tablespoons fresh chopped garlic
Four tablespoons peeled and chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup raisins
juice of one lemon

Peel, core and coarsely chop the apples. In a large bowl add the raisins then toss with the lemon. Set aside.

In a food processor combine garlic, ginger, salt and red pepper flakes. Process until finely chopped.

Bring vinegar and sugar to a boil in a large non-reactive saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, for 10 minutes. Add apple and garlic mixtures. Continue simmering for 30-40 minutes, until apples are tender and the chutney has thickened.

Place in sterilized jars and process or cool it in a couple of serving bowls.

Stored properly, this chutney will keep for several weeks without processing.

Makes about 4 eight ounce jars.

Cookbooks: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

It’s possible that the reason Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty (Chronicle Books) was such a huge and instant hit when it was published in the UK last year is because, in many ways, it is the sort of book that can define an age. Chef and food writer, Israeli-born Yotam Ottolenghi, seems absolutely of his moment.

More than a decade ago Donna Hay introduced food so minimalist it seemed almost to prepare itself. By comparison, Ottolenghi seems the anti-Hay. It’s not that his food is complicated, exactly, as much as it is involved. Many recipes include multiple processes and long lists of ingredients. The food is healthful, flavorful and beautiful, but even just reading the book, you don’t get the idea that any of this will make itself.

That said, don’t think you need to be an expert level chef in order to take a run at Plenty. It would be helpful to know your way around a kitchen and to not be intimidated by semi-exotic ingredients. And if you are a vegetarian, so much the better because Plenty is a vegetarian cookbook, even if the chef himself is not.

The book comes partly from “The New Vegetarian” column Ottolenghi has been writing for the Guardian since 2006. Ottolenghi says the newspaper asked him because his London restaurant, Ottolenghi, had “become famous for what we did with vegetables and grains, for the freshness and originality of our salads, and it only made sense to ask me to share this with vegetarian readers.”

The 120 recipes in Plenty are organized by ingredients: Roots, Funny Onions, Mushrooms, Brassicas and so on. This makes for a surprisingly coherent cookbook. And it seems especially sensible in a book based on vegetable matter.

In the growing season, I find myself regularly faced with a surplus of wonderful things from my friends who garden and who know I enjoy the challenge of doing something interesting with the things they produce. Boxes of organic chard, zucchinis, beans and other things too lovely to consider wasting. At those times, Ottolenghi’s organization will make the most sense. With an armload of leeks and Ottolenghi’s book, I might make Leek Fritters, or Fried Leeks or I might even be inspired to toss some into a stunning Caramelized Garlic Tart.

Eggplant gets a complete examination and tomatoes have probably never had it so good, especially in Ottolenghi’s Tomato Party, a stunning salad designed to “make use of as many as possible of the infinite types of tomatoes that are available now.” Some are cooked a little, some a lot and some are raw and all are tossed with fregola and couscous. It’s actually quite a simple dish but mind-blowingly good.

Plenty is just as good as everyone has been saying it is. This is vegetarian food as you always dreamed you’d find it. But do prepare to roll up your sleeves.