I like coffee. A lot. In my family, coffee is second beverage of choice after water. Depending on the time of day, sometimes it’s first. And not wimpy coffee either. I grew up watching my dad drink MUGS of ESPRESSO.

But until a few years ago, and especially since moving to the Bay Area, I hadn’t given much thought to what goes into getting the muddy water into my mug. I was only concerned with it being delicious and giving me an energy boost.

The 70s through the 90s saw a retrospectively titled “Second Wave” of coffee with Peet’s, Starbucks, and the whole Seattle scene nudging us out of the conformity that was Folgers and Taster’s Choice. Already the idea that coffee can be appreciated for its nuances and flavor profiles, as well as the origin and production of the coffee, was being highlighted. Coffee no longer just tasted like coffee. It tasted like red berries, hazelnut, oak, and caramel. Just like wine, the origin of the bean and its effect on the end result were being considered. In addition, the sourcing of the coffee and the company’s relationship to the growers was highlighted as an attribute almost as important as taste.

Then, there’s the Third Wave, the era of coffee we are in right now. And anyone in the Bay Area would have a hard time missing it with our neighborhoods housing the likes of Blue Bottle, Ritual, Sightglass, Caffe Trieste, and Four Barrel. (Or if you’re in other states, perhaps it’s Stumptown, Intelligentsia, or Counter Culture.) The Third Wave is made up of independent roasters who view coffee as an artisanal ingredient. There is even a stronger focus on sourcing (now probably equaling in importance to taste), and these smaller companies differentiate themselves from one another in how the beans are roasted (generally lighter than Starbucks or Peet’s who roast darker to get a consistent flavor for its customer base, which also happens to take away some of the coffee’s flavor nuances).

Then there’s Azahar. A coffee company doing something that no one else is–or probably ever has. Their coffee is “Farm Fresh” from Colombia, which means they roast it only two weeks to two months off the farm, versus other companies, whose beans are up to a year old before they are roasted. In addition, their single origin coffee company is developed under a strategic philosophy called Value Added at Source (VAS.), which is aimed at tailoring the business “to achieve enduring, structural sustainability in the developing world.” Their website explains:

“It is based on the simple idea that adding value to commodities at their origin, rather than at their end-point of consumption, helps equalize the economics of trade. In the process, VAS provides fair compensation for all the constituencies of the supply chain, creating employment at a livable wage while elevating the quality of refined products to compete with top tier brands.”

Azahar goes beyond Fair Trade and doesn’t price themselves on international prices but instead qualifies the coffee, compensating for various levels of premiums, and pays above Fair Trade prices. In addition, farmers are not required to be a part of a co-operative to work with them, as they are with Fair Trade companies. Plus, for each bag of coffee that is exported, a portion of the proceeds gets redistributed to the farmer in the form of a dividend. It’s a way of having the farmer participate in the final sale of the coffee. Keith Schuman, Co-Founder of Azahar, with whom Wendy Goodfriend and I recently met for a cupping, puts it as: “Literally, it’s the farmer, it’s Azahar, it’s the consumer.”

At Azahar, everything is done at the source. The beans are harvested, hulled and hand-selected, then “roasted to fit” in Colombia. It is then shipped to the United States. How fresh is the coffee? Well, when Wendy and I met with Keith from Azahar, he brought a bag of coffee that was harvested three weeks before and roasted just four days before, all in Colombia. Can’t get much fresher than that.

Azahar’s focus on quality and freshness is combined with a sustainable business practice (economic, social, and environmental) that also happens to be incredibly beneficial to the farmers with whom they work.

Keith explains:

“We really view ourselves as ambassadors for the individual farmers — the artisans behind the coffee. This whole project is a few years old and it really started with a question of ‘How can we differentiate and add value to the coffee farmers while decommodifying the coffee?’

Coffee is treated like a commodity throughout the entire supply chain. Even specialty coffee roasters go through a very convoluted supply chain. The farmers sell their coffee—even if they negotiate it with roasters—they still sell it to the cooperative. The cooperative sells it to a dry mill. The mill works with an exporter who sells it to a broker. And through the broker, it goes to an importer. And the importer gets it to the roasters. We have eliminated the entire intermediary supply chain, because we’re at origin. We work directly with our farmers, [even] providing technical assistance from an agronomic standpoint. We buy our coffee directly from the farmers. In Colombia, it comes to our mill. We maintain all the processes in house.

We are the exporter and we are the importer and we distribute our coffee on a weekly basis. Our whole philosophy started as a question of ‘How can we add value to this product that is basically, to the farmer, worth nothing?’ It’s a very labor intensive cash crop. 90% of farmers have never cupped or tried their own coffee and they are completely outmaneuvered in a lot of ways by the people they work with.”

There is a huge focus on social responsibility at Azahar. The company has even created its own program (stemming from a program that predated them but became defunct due to lack of funding) which employs 10 women from La Tebaida, near Armenia, Quindío, Colombia a nearby town to their roasting works. Keith explains, “Armenia, Quindío has the second highest rate of unemployment in Colombia. The city has experienced economic hardship since an earthquake hit the city in the late 1990′s. The damage was extensive and many companies relocated, leaving the city with a shortage of jobs. Social pressures that women face, especially those with children, make it even more challenging to find meaningful work.” The 10 women Azahar employs have gone through extensive training, learning not only about sorting coffee, but also the effect that various defects have on the quality in the cup.

Hand sorters at Azahar in a training session. Photo courtesy of Azahar Coffee

Of course, in addition to their goal of social and economic sustainability, Azahar’s focus is on impeccable quality as well as on introducing to the world a coffee experience like they have never had before. The term “Terroir,” as with wine-making, is just as relevant here. Each bag of Azahar coffee comes from a micro-lot selected from haciendas, small farms and veredas (small rural neighborhoods) across Colombia. Keith tells us, “The inherent chemical make-up of the coffees from the different lots each have its own unique terroir characteristics.”

When Azahar processes the coffee at the source and distributes it to their consumers in a very short amount of time, they are essentially preserving those characteristics. “And those are lost over time,” Keith says. “Oxidization causes the oils, lipids, and disucrose sugars [which give coffee its aromatics and unique flavor profile] to break down.”

True to Azahar’s pride in their rare coffees and fairness to their farmers, they even color-code each bag according to region, then label it with the name of the municipality, the Vereda, the Altitude, the Varietals, and the flavor profile. In addition, they add a QR code to each bag that brings you to a video of the farm from which it came.

We watch a video with Keith from one of the bags and see the entire wet-mill process, followed by a testimonial from the owner of the farm, Daniel Correal. The video focuses on everything from harvesting only ripe cherries, to the social work the farm does to generate employment and healthcare, to the schools built on the farm for children of workers from the region (who would otherwise have to travel hours to reach a school in the heads of the municipalities). Other videos, all available on Azahar’s website, give us testimonials from farmers and their children and allow us to have a glimpse of the families and workers behind each coffee. We learn about ASOMUPAL (a network of female coffee farmers), the lineage of families on the farms, the varietals they grow, and in-depth information about their land and practices. Ramiro Meneses from Finca Piedra Grande tells us, “I give each coffee a lot of what I must give it. But I’ll tell you, the earth plays its part. With coffee it’s always the earth that commands first.”

But what you can feel most when watching these videos is pride — immense pride in the land and what it gives, not just to the world of coffee, but to the owners and workers of the farms. As José María Fierro of Finca Diostede says “That’s my life. Coffee. For me, there’s God and coffee.”

I encourage you to watch these videos, which are truly enlightening. You really can’t get much more personal with Azahar’s coffee or with the process of growing coffee in general than this — unless you straight up fly to Colombia.

But what about the taste, you ask? Let’s move onto the cupping…

Keith uses a burr grinder to grind the coffee. A burr grinder is preferable to a blade grinder because it crushes the coffee. Blade grinders cut the beans unevenly leading to inconsistent brewing and heat creation which can lead to a burnt taste. Burr grinders create more consistent grounds and release the oils in the beans, making for a richer and smoother brew.

Three cups are used for each lot for uniformity throughout the process. Beans used for cupping are roasted very lightly so that the grounds are not too soluble [coffee has a defined solubility of 26% of grounds soluble in water]. Professional cupping, which is also done to analyze weight loss and humidity, as well as identify defects, is done blindly and lots are numbered, so that there is no subconscious bias during the process. Azahar cups in accordance with the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the governing body for quality control for specialty coffee, in conjunction with SCAA’s charitable trust, the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI). Keith explains CQI’s Q Coffee System, a certification system for cupping where coffees receive points like wine. Q Scores also establish a common language.

He explains, “If accounting is the language of business, cupping is the language of coffee. So I can talk to somebody in Japan and say ‘this coffee cupped at…” and they know within a reasonable margin of difference that it’s of a certain quality. Cupping is trying to standardize the process.” Any coffee that cups over an 80 (out of 100) is considered a specialty grade coffee. Coffees scoring 84 or higher are eligible to compete in the SCAA’s Coffees of the Year Competition. The overwhelming majority of coffees cup below 80. Azahar only uses coffees cupping over 85, with many cupping over 90.

We’re doing a very remedial cupping here, just to get a feel for the process, so Keith has lined the bags up next to each set of cups. However we don’t look at the flavor profiles on the bag, so we can make up own minds about flavors and aromas.

Keith begins the “fragrance” part of the cupping and very carefully measures 8 grams of ground coffee into each cup. Bits of yellow speckle the dark grounds — it’s the chaff in the bean which has not burned off due to the light roasting. We have 15-30 seconds before the aromatics of the coffee starts to “escape.” We swish the coffee grounds in each cup before we smell them, flaring our nostrils to pick up the most aromatics possible. At first, with my untrained nose, I think to myself, “Ummm, it smells like coffee” But then I try to close my eyes and focus, and eventually pick up fruity notes, earthy notes, chocolatey notes.

He explains that the more you do this the more adept you become at identifying aromatics, including subtle or more complicated aromas like jasmine, rose, or cinnamon, or picking up on complex finishes. Juan Vélez, Director of Quality Control and Co-Founder Tyler Youngblood, who are on location in Colombia (and who gave us a virtual tour of the facility via Skype!), cup every single day, for example.

Co-Founder Tyler Youngblood gives us a virtual tour, via Skype, of the Azahar facility in Colombia.

Per coffee cupping etiquette, Wendy and I keep our opinions to ourselves, so as not to influence each other, and then discuss afterwards. I feel proud when I pick up a caramel note! Soon it becomes really fun, as we compare our experiences.

After the “fragrance” part of the cupping, Keith adds hot water (at near boiling temperature) to the grounds for the “aroma” part. We smell again without disturbing it and get entirely new notes. We watch the bubbles rise to the top as the coffee degasifies and the last of the  CO₂ leaves the grounds. Oil-rich crema forms on top. After we wait a little, we “break the crust” by “cracking” through the top layer with a silver cupping spoon, and smell the back of the spoon. Ever eloquent, I say to Keith “I feel like it brings up different stuff.” But I think that pretty much sums up the experience. Every step pulls out new aromas.

Next we skim the grounds and froth off the top. We eat a piece of banana then sip some water to cleanse our palates. We take a spoonful of coffee and slurp it loud and fast to cover the most surface area in our mouths. Then, like with wine, you’re supposed to spit it back out. We realize we forgot to get a spittoon, so we just end up swallowing, accepting that we’ll just be a little over-caffeinated for the rest of the day. We compare our experiences, this time comparing our impressions with the bags that list the flavor profiles. That’s when I realize that it is all about practice, just as Keith says. Yes, I do taste that oak. But my untrained brain wouldn’t make that association without the prompt. Practice builds the language for you to be able to not just identify a flavor or aroma, but to also label it.

Finally we’ve reached the moment we’ve all been waiting for: a perfect cup of coffee. Keith opts for a simple and elegant pour-over, which is great for enhancing the terroir characteristics of these single origin coffees. (You can check out Azahar’s brew guide here for some great tips.)

In a pour-over,  water is poured from a special pouring kettle onto coffee grounds in a ceramic drip device lined with a cone filter, straight into the coffee cup. It has the feel of a ritual. An intimate method of extracting  fresh flavors and aromas from the grounds, well beyond just filling the water tank of your drip machine and pushing a button.

The taste is brighter and pops more. Flavors are distinctive and you truly taste a difference between each bag of Azahar’s fresh coffee. There is no need for cream or soy milk. You experience the coffee for its uniqueness, not just in taste, but in its origin, its history, all the care that has gone into it to that point where you take your long awaited and delicious first sip.

Azahar has been kind enough to offer our readers a discount on their coffee when ordered through their website. Use the code “Bay Area Bites” on any order and you’ll get 15% off!

Info:
Azahar Coffee website
Twitter: @AzaharCoffee
Facebook: Azahar Coffee

The vegan community owes a lot to Chloe Coscarelli for her victory on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars in 2010. A graduate of The Natural Gourmet Institute, UC Berkeley, and Cornell University’s Plant-Based Nutrition Program, the creative, animal-loving, and adorable Chef Chloe had already entered the culinary world at the time of the competition with positions at Bay Area veggie hot spots Millennium and Herbivore as well as Counter in New York. But it was her victory on Cupcake Wars—the first victory by a vegan on a Food Network competition—that finally gave permission to vegans all over the country to shout from the rooftops: “Ha! Our desserts are not only just as good as all the others! They can even be better!” So influential was Chloe’s win, that not only have more vegan bakers competed on the show since her, but tomorrow, Food Network is even airing a Cupcake Wars all-vegan showdown.

Since that win, Chloe’s approachable take on veganism has blown up in the media, with spreads in The New York Times, Woman’s World, and on CNN. In January she appeared on The Doctors with a recipe for a decadent vegan chocolate cake.

And tomorrow, March 6, after much anticipation, Chloe’s first cookbook, Chloe’s Kitchen will launch (but you can pre-order it now!).

Chloe’s Kitchen has recipes ranging from the very simple, like “Classic Roasted Vegetables” and “Avocado Toast” all the way to the more intricate, like “Seitan Scallopini” and “Tarte Tatin with Coconut Whipped Cream.” And of course it features her famous desserts, including her award-winning cupcakes, plus (in true vegan form) a recipe for “Peanut Butter Dog Treats.” It serves as a great intro to those new to veganism or interested in trying it out, with helpful tips on everything from how to stock a vegan pantry to how to make soy-free soy sauce. In addition to an intro from Chloe on how she came to be a vegan and how she approaches cooking, there is also a forward by Dr. Neal D. Barnard, Founder and President of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine addressing common concerns about veganism, like the ever-present question of  “Will I get enough protein?”

I can go on and on about Chloe and the yummy recipes in her book, but let’s talk to the chef herself. Chloe was kind enough to answer some questions for Bay Area Bites about her approach to veganism, her favorite recipe, her take on the Bay Area vegan food scene, and even about her beloved animal friends. Read on, then scroll down for a recipe from her book, as well information on book signing events in the Bay Area in the coming weeks.

The vegan community is very excited for your new cookbook! What was the motivating spirit behind Chloe’s Kitchen and what impact do you hope it will have in the culinary world?

Since going vegan 8 years ago, I’ve had so many people ask me “How do you do it? I could NEVER be vegan!” There are lots of myths out there that vegan food is bland, boring, expensive, and difficult to prepare. Wrong! My motivation behind Chloe’s Kitchen is to show people that vegan food can actually be extremely flavorful, exciting, and easy to prepare. I hope that Chloe’s Kitchen will prove to the mainstream that vegan cooking is fun and accessible and convince people to try it in their homes on a regular basis.

Chloe’s Kitchen is dedicated to your mom, and you mentioned that she and the rest of your family was very supportive when you went vegan as a kid. What were your reasons for going vegan, and do you have advice for anyone else–child or adult–who is the sole vegan in their family?

Going vegan in a family of carnivores can seem daunting, but if I could do it as a child, anyone can! My advice would be to stay positive. Your family might be overwhelmed if you focus on what you can’t eat. Instead focus on what you can eat! Take your family to a local vegan restaurant or try cooking something delicious from Chloe’s Kitchen once a week (I’d recommend “Penne alla Vodka with the Best Garlic Bread in the World” or “Mongolian BBQ Seitan”). Your family will be thrilled and open up to the idea.

I dedicated Chloe’s Kitchen to my mom because she has been with me on this journey every step of the way. She was the first person to support my dietary choices and even cooked me a separate feast on my first vegan Thanksgiving! She always has a “can do” attitude and tells me everyday that anything is possible. Without her optimism, I would have never taken a chance on going to culinary school and writing this book.

I love the range of difficulty that your recipes offer. A novice can take their time moving from something simple like Easy Peasy Pasta Salad, all the way to Moroccan Bastilla. But tell us: What is YOUR favorite go-to dish from your collection?

I love that you noticed that! For the most part, the recipes in Chloe’s Kitchen are simple and straight forward, but I did throw in a couple fun ones for the more adventurous chefs. My favorite go-to weeknight meal would have to be “Fettuccine Alfredo” or “Falafel Sliders with Avocado Hummus.” For dessert, definitely my “Cinnamon Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies.” I even make them for breakfast sometimes.

You mention in your book that your love for cooking started during college at UC Berkeley, after which you jetted off to New York to attend The Natural Gourmet Institute. Did you specifically study vegan culinary arts or did you have to adapt your studies to your ethical stance?

In my senior year of college at UC Berkeley, I toured a bunch of culinary schools with my mom before making a choice. It became clear that Natural Gourmet was the obvious choice. Not only does Natural Gourmet have a focus on health, nutrition, and alternative medicine, but they are also very supportive of each student’s moral beliefs. You do not have to touch or taste anything you don’t want to. Natural Gourmet’s plant-based focus truly puts them on the cutting edge of culinary education.

You have some strong Bay Area roots. How do you feel the Bay Area is evolving from a vegan perspective?

The Bay Area holds a very dear place in my heart. I have had so many amazing experiences there, from going to college at UC Berkeley, to getting my first restaurant job at Herbivore, to experiencing my first vegetarian festival in San Francisco, to working at the world’s greatest vegan restaurant, Millennium! The Bay Area is definitely one of the fastest-evolving veg cities in the world. I mean, come on, what other city has an all-vegan cinnamon roll bakery (Cinnaholic) or an all-vegan sushi house (Cha-ya)?

What are your favorite Bay Area culinary destinations?

I could probably write a whole book on this topic because I am totally obsessed with the food in the Bay! There is nothing like a bag of salty air-baked garlic fries at Smart Alecs, or a platter of the oyster mushroom calamari at Millennium Restaurant. I could eat hundreds of pieces of tempura sushi (specifically, the Cha-Ya roll) at Cha-ya. Vegan Chinese food is also very plentiful in the Bay, my favorite place being Long Life Veggie House in Berkeley. My friends took me there every year on my birthday in college and I would always get the Broccoli Veggie Chicken– it’s to die for! And don’t forget the Shawarma Wrap from Herbivore. After this question, I’m starving!

And a final question I just have to ask. One of my favorite quotes from your introduction in Chloe’s Kitchen is “You name it. I’ve adopted it. From pit bulls and rats to frogs and lizards, I’ve always been a please-can-we-keep-him? kind of girl.” I can totally relate, as I’m sure many vegans can. Are there any special non-human animals that have made a particularly strong impact in your life? (Feel free to share adorable photos!)

My life has been made so incredibly rich with the love of my pets! I just recently adopted 2 infant chihuahua’s from the shelter. They were abandoned on the street by someone and were going to be put to sleep the day the we picked them up. We were originally asked by an animal rescue group to foster the puppies, but you know how that works… One look into their eyes and the adoption papers were signed! They are brother and sister named Buster and Winnie. All they want to do is kiss each other and me…all day long. They are the sweetest dogs who love nothing more than sleeping curled up on top of me.

Thank you, Chloe, for taking the time to talk to Bay Area Bites. We can’t wait to make everything in your book, and see other creative recipes you come up with in the future! 

Chef Chloe with the recently adopted Buster and Winnie (photo courtesy of the author)

Upcoming Book Signing Events:
Monday, March 12: Omnivore Books (San Francisco) – 6pm
Tuesday, March 13: Book Passage (San Francisco) – Ferry Building – 6pm
Wednesday, March 14: Books Inc. (San Francisco) – Marina location – 7pm

Chloe will also be appearing on KQED’s Forum with fellow vegan chef Colleen Patrick-Goudreau on March 13.

Photo Credit: Miki Duisterhol

 Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter

SERVES 4 TO 6
Gnocchi (pronounced NYO-kee) are soft little pillows of potato heaven that pretty much put regular
noodles to shame. I like to make the dough with sweet potatoes and pan-fry the gnocchi with a
touch of vegan butter and fresh sage leaves. You get extra points if they make it to the plate before
going into your mouth!

Make-Ahead Tip
Uncooked gnocchi can be made in advance and kept frozen for up to 1 month or refrigerated
for 3 to 4 days until ready to boil.

2 large red-skinned sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for serving

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork, place in a baking pan, and bake until fully cooked, about 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Using a sharp knife, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh out of each sweet potato into a medium bowl. Thoroughly mash the sweet potatoes while they are still warm, then set aside or refrigerate to cool completely. Add salt, nutmeg, and pepper to the sweet potatoes. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well with a spoon to combine. Once a soft, slightly sticky, dough has formed, divide it into six portions. Generously flour the work surface and your hands. Roll each portion of dough into ropes about 1/2 inch in diameter. Each rope will be approximately 7 to 9 inches long. Dip a sharp knife in flour and cut each rope into 1-inch long pillows. If desired, roll each pillow on fork tines to make decorative ridges.

Fill a medium saucepan with heavily salted water and bring it to a boil. In the meantime, heat margarine and sage in a large nonstick skillet until the margarine begins to bubble.

When the water is boiling, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and gently drop in the gnocchi, about 20 at a time. The gnocchi will float to the surface in about 4 minutes. Continue to cook about 30 seconds more. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer the gnocchi to the skillet of butter sauce. Let cook, turning frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes. You will have to do this in several batches, until all the gnocchi are cooked. Serve immediately, topped with additional freshly ground black pepper.

You can follow Chloe on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

As a vegan, it’s easy to eat A LOT of soy. Actually, these days, it’s easy to eat a lot of soy even if you’re an omnivore. It’s in so many things.

A popular source of protein for vegans and vegetarians is, of course, tofu. And while I love tofu and all varieties of it, I am trying to be very conscious of the amount of soy I take in. I know the topic of the health and environmental impacts of soy is controversial and people stand on opposite sides of the issue (and a lot depends on the form of soy in question). But I don’t like to overdo anything, and I say, “better safe than sorry.” Plus, I love a culinary challenge and welcome as many ways to take in my protein as possible.

I have become kind of obsessed with hemp seeds lately. They contain all essential amino acids and fatty acids, and are therefore a complete source of protein. In addition, hemp is not a common allergen, like soy or nuts. And, most importantly, they are delicious. They have a nutty, creamy taste. I put spoonfuls on my coconut yogurt in the morning. I make fresh hemp milk. So, I figured, why not make some hemp tofu? Hey, the Italians already do it commercially!

hemp seeds

I got inspiration for this recipe from a few sources, mainly from a forum member on Post Punk Kitchen, named “vegimator” who makes tofu out of pumpkin and hemp seeds, and from a Finnish blog named Mammi who calls the finished product “hefu.” I took their advice, combined it with my knowledge of tofu-making, and started experimenting.

This recipe yields a more crumbly tofu than soy tofu. Soy tofu is usually made after straining liquid from the pulp (or okara). I tried this technique with hemp and not enough solids were left in the strained out liquid to coagulate. Using the milk as is, straight from the blender, did work (and a Vitamix helps create a very smooth milk). Hemp tofu is great seared, for a scramble, or a stir-fry, if you don’t mind having rustic, non-cube chunks. Or do what I did: simply drizzle with some sweet soy sauce (equal parts soy sauce and sugar, simmered until thickened) and sprinkle with nori strips. The sweet soy sauce and nori goes great with the creaminess and earthiness of the hemp!

Hemp Tofu (or “hemp-fu” or “hefu”)

Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: a few blocks, depending on size of tofu mold

Ingredients
2 cups shelled hemp seeds
4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered nigari (available at Rainbow Grocery), which will be dissolved in 1 additional cup of water (Note: I have seen recipes for hemp tofu where a coagulant is not even used, so feel free to skip this part. Although, you may get a more crumbly result.)

Instructions

1. Blend hemp seeds with water for one minute at high speed (I used a Vitamix) to make hemp milk.
2. Put hemp milk in a pot and, partially cover it and bring to a boil. You’ll start to seeing curds forming.



3. When it reaches a low boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and boil the milk for four minutes, stirring constantly to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

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4. Meanwhile, dissolve the nigari in a cup of warm water.



5. Remove the pot from the stove, wait until the temperature reaches 155F. Add half the nigari solution and stir briskly for a few seconds. Wait until the liquid stops moving. Then add the rest of the nigari solution and gently stir a few times. Let sit 15 minutes.



6. Place a cheesecloth over a colander and strain the curds out.



7. Take an amount of curd that will fit in your press (this recipe makes a good bit of curd), place in another piece of cheesecloth and twist to get ALL of the liquid out. If it’s too hot to squeeze, you can try squeezing with tongs.



8. Place the ball of curd, still in the cloth, into a tofu press/mold, and press the curd down. Stack a few bottles or cans on top as a weight. [I bought a cheap wooden press for four dollars at Daiso in Japantown, but I think I’m going to invest in a TofuXpress so that I don’t have to worry about stacking cans on the press.]




9. Let the press stay for 30 minutes. Then unmold the hemp tofu and enjoy!

At Christmastime in Hungary, there are two sweets that are traditionally found in every household. Szaloncukor is one: a chocolate candy most often filled with fondant, marzipan, or jelly (my favorite!) wrapped in white fringy tissue and bright shiny foil, strung with thread, and hung on the tree. The other is beigli, a rolled pastry, filled with either poppy seed or walnut filling (usually both varieties are made at once). My mom used to make beigli every Christmas when my brother and I were kids. She’d pull out a tattered cookbook that she bought with my dad when they were still dating from which she got all her recipes. According to her, it is the perfect recipe (my brother and I, and our bellies, agree!). So, she helped me with this veganized version, referencing her old cookbook and helping me think of the best vegan substitutes to incorporate. I created my own recipe melding her notes, and a few recipes I found online that incorporate the most traditional ingredients (from Chanita Harel’s Mom’s Recipes and More: Israeli Food Blog and from a recipe from a traditional cookbook called the Innes Mester, posted on the King Arthur Flour community forum by “janiebakes.”)

Recipe: Beigli

Ingredients:
For the dough
500 gr flour
200 gr vegan butter, softened (I used Earth Balance)
3 portions of prepared Ener-G Egg Replacer equal to 3 eggs
1 packet dry active yeast
1/3 cup lukewarm vegan milk (I used almond)
1 Tablespoon sugar
2/3 cup vegan sour cream
pinch of salt

Walnut Filling
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups vegan milk (I used almond)
2 1/2 cups ground walnuts (I use a rotary cheese grater, which is what’s used in Hungary. It grinds the walnuts leaving them light and fluffy, not gritty like a food processor.)
1 3/4 cups of dry bread crumbs
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rum
1/2 cup of rum-soaked raisins (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Poppy Seed Filling
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups vegan milk (I used almond)
2 1/2 cups ground poppy seeds (You can use a coffee grinder to grind them.)
1 3/4 cups bread crumbs
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup of rum-soaked raisins (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Dough:
1. Dissolve yeast in a mixture of the 1/3 cup lukewarm milk and 1 tablespoon sugar and wait a few minutes until frothy.
2. Combine flour and butter until crumbly. I used my KitchenAid mixer’s flat beater and it worked great.
3. Add the yeast mixture wait a few minutes. Add the egg replacer, sour cream, and salt and combine to a soft dough (add 70-100 gr more flour if needed).
4. Divide the dough into 4 and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to rest.

Walnut Filling:
1. Combine, in a large bowl, the ground walnut, bread crumbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, rum, and raisins and cinnamon if adding.
2. Add the sugar to the milk, bring to the boil, then add to the other ingredients. Mix very well.

Poppy Seed Filling:
1. Combine, in a large bowl, the ground poppy seeds, bread crumbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and raisins and cinnamon if adding.
2. Add the sugar to the milk, bring to the boil, then add to the other ingredients. Mix very well.

Cool both fillings.

Assembling:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Roll out the dough (each part) to a rectangular shape that’s not too thin (1/8”-1/4” thick). Spread the cooled filling over it, leaving about an inch all around the edges. Fold the edges over the filling. This will create a nice finished edge after rolling. Another way to do it is to roll the filling out between sheets of plastic wrap first. It’s important to get a fairly even ratio of dough to filling. [I went a little overboard on my fillings as you can see -- but the filling is the best part!]

3. Roll up the dough along the longer side, creating a log. Prick with a fork along the top. Traditionally, at this point, an egg wash is brushed on top. I left mine au naturale, but feel free to add a vegan egg wash.
4. Place on a cookie sheet or large baking dish. Let the rolls rest a couple of minutes, then place in the preheated oven and bake until golden brown for 35-40 minutes.
5. Let cool completely and only slice once you are ready to serve.

Boldog Karácsonyt!

Not too far back in the past a vegan had very few options for a store-bought holiday main dish outside of a Tofurkey or for recipes beyond a bland grain-stuffed squash. Boy, have times changed! Vegan food companies and vegan foodies have become incredibly creative in inventing “turkey replacements.” I’ve usually gone store-bought in the past, but this year I just can’t resist making Karina Allrich‘s incredibly flavorful Vegetarian Garden Loaf (with a few twists added), not only because it’s incredibly delicious, but also because my family includes two vegans, one vegetarian, and a celiac. Karina is a cookbook author and creator of the gluten-free blog, gluten-free goddess, where she has lots and lots of vegetarian and vegan recipes, some inspired by her pre-celiac cookbook, Recipes from a Vegetarian Goddess.

However, if you are still on the lookout for something a little less maintenance, check out this list of delectable store-bought options to make your holiday table thoroughly Tofurkey-less:
• Gardein’s Savory Stuffed Turk’y
• Field Roast Grain Meat Co.’s Stuffed Celebration Roast
• Field Roast Grain Meat Co.’s Hazelnut Cranberry Roast En Croute
• Vegetarian Plus’ Vegan Whole Turkey (Here’s a review of it on vegansaurus.)

Vegan (and Gluten-Free) Garden Loaf with Cranberry-Maple Glaze
(Based on Karina Allrich’s Vegetarian Garden Loaf with Maple Apricot Glaze from gluten-free goddess, altered with permission from Karina Allrich.)

Makes: 1 loaf/6 slices
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion- red or sweet
2 heaping cups chopped Baby Bella or Cremini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
5 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
Sea salt and ground pepper

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup toasted gluten-free bread or waffle crumbs (I used Vans Wheat/Gluten Free Waffles, which I toasted and then made into crumbs in my food processor.)
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix — basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, marjoram
1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary
3-4 scallions sliced thin
1 baked orange sweet potato or yam, peeled and diced (take it out before it’s cooked too much or too soft)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a glass loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper that extends up above the longer sides. When the loaf has baked, and set a bit, you will be able to lift out the loaf in one whole piece.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and cook the onion until it is translucent. Add the mushrooms and garlic; stir until softened. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir. Add the spinach. Season with sea salt and ground pepper. Stir and cook down until the mixture is soft — about seven minutes or so.

Spoon the skillet vegetables into a food processor and pulse to make a grainy mixture. Don’t over-process it — you want some texture.

Place the mixture into a large bowl. Add the cooked quinoa, gluten-free breadcrumbs, ketchup, molasses, and olive oil and stir to combine. Add in your dried herbs, rosemary, scallions, and mix to distribute. You want a moist mixture that sticks together when you press it with a spoon. If you need more ketchup to hold it together, add it now, maybe a tablespoon.

Add in the diced sweet potato and fold in gently. At this point, taste the mixture and see if you need to add salt and pepper.

Spoon the loaf mixture into the oiled loaf pan and shape it with moist fingers, pressing it tight into the pan. Smooth the top.

Make your glaze.

Combine:

1/4 cup jellied cranberry sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
A sprinkle of cinnamon and cumin
Hot red chili flakes, to taste

(I made two batches of this to have extra as a drizzle for individual slices of the loaf.)

Pour the glaze all over the top of the loaf.

Tent loosely with a piece of foil. Bake in the center of a preheated oven until heated through and the edges of the glaze are bubbling—about 30 minutes.

Allow the loaf to set for ten minutes, tented with foil. This helps it to settle, and makes it easier to slice. Slice into portions (the loaf yields about 6 slices) and lift out with a thin spatula. Enjoy!

What we do differently is not just swap out the meat with a squash or a store-bought substitute. We also make sure to think about the hundreds of millions of birds who are slaughtered each year during this time and give thanks to the individuals at sanctuaries around the country who take in the more fortunate. We thank the restaurants who cater to our lifestyle of compassion. And we thank the animals who make our lives richer, funnier, eye-opening, and loving.

Below is a list of events happening in the area to celebrate Thanksgiving AND the turkeys, plus options on places to order a vegan meal and desserts:

1. November 12: Join Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary for Toast for the Turkeys in honor of the rescued turkeys at the sanctuary.

   
   Two of the residents at Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary, Bill and Sierra. Bill was found wandering the streets of Berkeley before being pickup by Animal Control. He is a gentle giant with the manners of a perfect gentleman. He spends his days gracing the green pasture with his buddy, Sierra. Photo Credit: Christine Morrissey

   The event, sponsored by such Bay Area establishments as Cinnaholic, Vegansaurus, D.O.V.E. Distributors, and Rainbow Grocery will also feature a “Humane Harvest” vegetarian food drive, to benefit the Emergency Food Bank of Stockton/San Joaquin.

Check out this video from last year’s Toast to the Turkeys:

2. November 19: Take part in Farm Sanctuary’s annual Celebration FOR the Turkeys which features a vegan feast, musical performance, guest presentations, and the most adored of all – the Feeding of the Turkeys celebration, where the turkeys are the center of attention and dine on squash, pumpkin pie, and cranberries (on silver platters of course!).

   
   Me bonding with a turkey at the 2009 Feeding of the Turkeys. They are incredibly friendly animals and love to socialize and be petted!

   This year’s guests will include vegan writer and chef Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter and the new Biz & Livia Stone Foundation, who became vegan after visiting Farm Sanctuary. You will also be able to tour the farm and visit with all the other animals. I was taken to the Celebration FOR the Turkeys for my 30th birthday, and it was the best birthday I ever had (good job, husband!).

   
   Two turkeys enjoying their feast of pumpkin and veggies. At factory farms, turkeys’ beaks and toes are clipped (without anesthesia), so these guys have a little trouble eating without getting messy. But they definitely still enjoy the feast that so many turkeys don’t get to experience.

   Farm Sanctuary (who recently took in 25 baby turkeys from a factory farm that were dumped on their doorstep) truly changes your perspective on farm animals as you spend time with them, experience their different personalities, and watch them thrive in a free and loving environment. [If you can’t make it, consider sponsoring a turkey!]

3. November 24: Join Café Gratitude (who recently opened a location in LA!) for their annual vegan Free Thanksgiving Meal, where this super compassionate establishment gives back with a feast served by volunteers from the community.

   
   Cafe Gratitude’s Annual Free Thanksgiving Meal. Photo Credit: Cary Mosier
   
   If you prefer to stay in, you can still experience some Gratitude on your table by ordering a pie to go. Their desserts are seriously delicious (and probably the most healthy you’ll ever eat). It’s sure to please vegans and omnis alike.

4. Order your vegan holiday meal from Souley Vegan, everyone’s favorite vegan soul food restaurant! This year the offerings include Southern fried tofu, roasted garlic mashed potato with gravy, and cornbread dressing, among other delicious options. You can also order pies and cheesecakes.

   
   Photo Credit: Souley Vegan

   Check out their homepage for a link to the menu and ordering instructions (order must be received by November 21).

5. Cinnaholic is promising some exciting holiday flavors this year, including pumpkin spice and egg nog frostings, and toppings like gingersnaps, candy cane pieces, and peppermint “Oreos.”

   
   Photo Credit: Michael Lang/Cinnaholic

   They’ve also teamed up with the aforementioned Harvest Home Sanctuary to celebrate the Toast to the Turkeys by donating, for the entire month of November, 50% of all Baby Bun sales to help out with feeding, housing, and general care for the animals.

And if you are simply looking for a way to complete your holiday table with something sweet, here are a few other places to check out for ordering Thanksgiving desserts:

Wholesome Bakery: Try their Sweet Potato Pecan Baby Pies
Rainbow Grocery: They always have an assortment of vegan treats from various local bakeries.
Mission Pie: They’re offering a Vegan Apple-Cranberry crumb-top pie this year for Thanksgiving.
Fat Bottom Bakery: You can special order some Pumpkin Cupcakes with vegan cream cheese frosting.
Idle Hands Baking Company: Try their Spice Cake (gluten-free option available) or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

A large portion of my childhood consisted of living on a macrobiotic diet. As a kid, I wasn’t much of a fan of brown rice, beans, burdock, seaweed, squash, and steamed leafy vegetables. I especially hated kale and after exiting that type of dietary lifestyle I thought that I would never eat kale again for the rest of my life. But something happened. My tastebuds changed and as I became a “grown-up” I started to crave the clean, fresh taste of the ingredients commonly found in macrobiotics. 10-year-old me would not believe it, but I often miss that food from my childhood. Now our pantry is full of seaweed, our vegetable crisper is full of leaves, and we always have a container of umeboshi plums on hand (which is amazing on a steamed ear of corn, by the way). Next to Hungarian food (my obligation by birth), Japanese is my favorite cuisine. And oddly enough, I now love kale.

Kale, as I am sure you have noticed, is all the rage right now, which is pretty refreshing in light of the other recent trend foods out there (bacon, cupcakes, mac ‘n’ cheese…). It’s incredibly healthy, versatile, and hearty.

One of my favorite ways to eat kale is via kale chips. Raw foodists make these by dehydrating pieces of flavored kale (which is how the ones you buy by the bag are made). They are either very simply seasoned, or are smothered in a nut or seed-based sauce before making them crisp. Unfortunately, most of us don’t own a dehydrator. But luckily, you can easily make kale chips in your oven! It does change some things. Lightly dressing the kale is very important, so that the oven has a chance to make all the water evaporate — otherwise you are left with soggy pieces of chewiness. And the oven-variety is best consumed right away — crisp and even a little warm. It’s not really for storing — but I mean, why would you NOT want to finish a whole bowl in one sitting?

SESAME AGAVE KALE CHIPS
A crispy, sweet, and salty delight.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Yield: one medium-sized bowl of chips

Ingredients:
1 bunch curly kale (curly works well, vs. Dino or Red Russian, since all the curls trap the sauce)
2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari (or BRAGG Liquid Aminos, or Coconut Secret coconut aminos to make it soy-free)
4 teaspoons agave
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
4 Tablespoons hulled (white) sesame seeds
(You could also add a pinch of cayenne for a kick.)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

2. Tear kale off of stems and into bite–sized pieces (remember: kale will shrink a lot while baking, so don’t make them too small).

3. Wash kale in a big bowl of water. Drain, and dry as well as you can (preferably in a salad spinner).

4. Whisk all other ingredients together and pour over kale a little at a time. Massage the sauce into the kale pieces so that they are well coated. You may not use all of the sauce. Only pour enough to JUST coast the leaves. You don’t want it dripping.

5. Lay the kale pieces out on two parchment-paper-lined cookie sheets in a thin layer.

6. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, turning the pieces once or twice while baking. Ovens vary so you may want to keep an eye on them and make sure they don’t start browning (which would make them bitter).

7. Once crisp, remove from oven and serve in a bowl. Eat right away.

Unfortunately, testing for celiac disease and gluten intolerance is not perfect, so many individuals rely on their own instincts and bodies and embark on a complete makeover of their eating habits, realizing that they just feel better when they don’t eat gluten.

Gluten and gluten-contaminated products are everywhere. And, often, they are in the foods we love the most. Bread, pasta, and cake are the most obvious culprits. But what about the wheat in soy sauce (used in the fermentation process), creamed soups (in the roux), or cola (via the caramel color)? Or malt vinegar, barley, rye, oats, triticale, and beer? Gluten hides in the most unexpected places.

Now imagine if you are gluten intolerant AND vegan. As I mentioned in a previous post, just because a vegan has to or chooses to avoid gluten, his or her ethical stance about animal products doesn’t change. So, the elimination of gluten gets added to the vegan lifestyle. Luckily, awareness about gluten intolerance is becoming more prominent, making it easier for everyone to find food that works for them. Mainstream grocery stores like Safeway are tagging their gluten-free items. More and more exclusively vegan companies, like Eat Pastry are offering gluten-free products. Churches are even offering gluten-free wafers for communion. Allyson Kramer of Manifest Vegan transformed her vegan food blog to a gluten-free vegan food blog when she was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2009. And a recently launched blog called xgfx offers up animal-friendly, gluten-free recipes and resources because “While there are plenty of great resources out there for vegans, and many for the gluten-free crowd, there seem to be very few for folks like us who dwell in both camps.” So, it’s easier than ever to find recipes and products that are safe and restaurants that are sensitive to the topic. But it’s still rare enough that a little advice doesn’t hurt.

In the Bay Area, several restaurants offer gluten-free vegan options that are definitely worth checking out. If you have celiac disease, or are severely gluten intolerant, I recommend calling ahead to see what practices they have in place in their kitchens to avoid contamination.

Photo Credit: Gracias Madre

Most of Gracias Madre‘s menu is gluten-free. There are only a few items that aren’t. I recommend… everything! But The Papas al Horno, Quesadillas de Camote, Enchiladas con Mole, Platillo de Legumbres, and whatever cheesecake they have at the moment should be the first things you try. Can you tell this is my favorite restaurant?

Souley Vegan’s Fried Okra, Yams, Mustard Greens, Potato Salad, and Cayenne Lemonade

Souley Vegan is your destination for comforting, healthy, simple soul food in a truly caring and down-to-earth environment. You can tell that owner Tamearra Dyson built this restaurant out of love and it’s become a destination for home cooking for the community surrounding it, vegan or not. Souley Vegan labels the items on the menu that contain wheat. My recommendations are the crispy and light fried okra, the simple and tender yams, and the mustard greens. And make sure to grab a cayenne lemonade to sip on!

Cafe Gratitude’s “I Am Thriving” creamy tomato soup, “I Am Hearty” deep-dish pizza, “I Am Fortified” quinoa bowl, and “I Am Awakening” raw key lime pie

Café Gratitude recently went through a menu change (they are not exclusively raw anymore and have expanded to include cooked items). They’ve also lowered their prices by 24% in response to the rising cost of food and healthcare. They even offer a community-supported “I am Grateful” grain bowl where payment for the bowl is by donation ($7 recommended) and no one is turned away. The bowl was created “to allow for those in financial need to have access to organic vegan food.” You don’t see many restaurants offering that kind of service to their community.

They also happen to offer great gluten-free options — as in pretty much the entire menu. Live mac and cheese, maple coconut “bacon” BLTs, and raw deep dish pizza. The creativity at Gratitude never ceases to amaze me. Important tip: make sure to eat dessert there (key lime pie highly recommended).

Source’s Dan Dan Noodles, Truffle Macaroni & Cheese, and Baked Vegan Spinach Artichoke Fondue

Source is one of the most health-conscious, allergy-conscious, vegan-conscious places I have ever experienced. The staff is beyond kind and patient as you ask them over and over your usual “does this have…?” questions. Their cashew-cheese-based mac and cheese is gluten-free (if you ask for no breadcrumbs) and insanely yummy with truffle oil and a red pepper sauce drizzle. The gorgeous Dan Dan noodles are creamy and satisfying in an almond sweet soy sauce. And ask for live chips to go with an order of the Baked Vegan Spinach Artichoke Fondue to make it gluten-free. You won’t be disappointed.

VIK’s Mix Vegetable Pakoras, Idli, and Masala Dosa.

I love VIK’s. It’s one of my favorite destinations on the weekend. Take the pup to Point Isabel, then pick up some Indian chaat and reminisce about my trip to Mumbai and Goa a few years back when I was too afraid to try anything served on the street. What’s great is that they recently started labeling their online menu with symbols for what’s vegan and gluten-free, and luckily they have several items that are both—namely the Mix Vegetable Pakoras, Vegetable or Masala Dosa, Uttapam, and the Idli.

Here are a few additional places to check out:

• The Buddha Girl Roll at Sushirrito is gluten-free and vegan and has a delectable combination of Hodo Soy Spicy Tofu Strips, roasted garnet yams, shiitake mushroom, shaved cabbage, avocado, green onions, and crumbled rice chips.
• Vegan restaurant chain, Loving Hut, is happy to accommodate gluten-free guests. My fave is the Spicy Royal Noodle Soup at Westfield Centre. Just ask for gluten-free and they adjust the order for you.
• Gather in Berkeley clearly marks their menu for gluten-free and vegan options, and urges guests to notify servers of any dietary restrictions so that they can be accommodated. Some of the gluten-free/vegan options currently include yuba “pappardelle” in a mushroom “Bolognese” sauce; a young carrot plate with hen of the woods mushrooms, hay-carrot top pesto, fava beans, dehydrated kale, charred peel, and espelette peppers; and their famous vegan “charcuterie.”
• Vegetarian (and super vegan-friendly) restaurant Ubuntu in Napa (named the #2 best new restaurant in the country by New York Times when it opened in 2008) has a lot of gluten-sensitive guests so they happily offer many options.
• Millennium is a great destination for gluten-free vegan eating. The restaurant even held a Gluten-Free Winemaker Dinner back in March. A must-eat is their plate of Crusted Oyster Mushrooms (with chickpea flour & thyme dredge, radish salad with ginger aioli, and grapefruit-habanero chile jam).
• Shangri-La Vegan in Oakland offers some of the cleanest food you can imagine. They post their menu daily on their website and most of the time the entire menu is gluten-free. With a Macrobiotic/Tibetan/Buddhist/100% organic menu (at very affordable prices), you will leave satisfied, light, and guilt-free.


Shangri-La Vegan moderate meal. Photo Credit: Wendy Goodfriend

As I’m sure you know, macaroni and cheese is all the rage right now. With entire restaurants dedicated to the creamy, comforting stuff, it’s clear that it’s a childhood favorite that we don’t outgrow. Vegans have long been in the practice of creating amazing versions of animal-ingredient-free varieties. There’s even an entire blog dedicated to it called the Noochy Noodle. But what if you are vegan and also gluten-free? Just because a vegan gets diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity his or her ethical stance about animal products doesn’t change. So, the elimination of gluten gets added to their vegan lifestyle.

The two main components in traditional mac and cheese are dairy and wheat. So, you may wonder how a gluten-free vegan could possibly, of all dishes, manage to eat some. Believe it or not, it’s possible to create a delectable, velvety, savory bowl of noodles that will satisfy even an omnivore. I know of four restaurants in the Bay Area that serve gluten-free vegan mac and cheese: Source, Nature’s Express, Cafe Gratitude (and a raw variety at that!), and Homeroom. However, everyone knows that nothing beats homemade. So, let’s start with some cashews and some rice pasta and take it from there…

Gluten-Free Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

Summary: This makes a cheesy, gooey mac and cheese. I prefer not to bake it so that the nut base doesn’t get too dry or congeal. The base for the cheese sauce was inspired by the Raw Cashew Cheese recipe on Chocolate & Zucchini.

Prep time: After soaking cashews, 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min (some steps are done simultaneously)
Yield: 4 2-cup servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup cashews (soaked for 6 hours or overnight — measure after soaking)
• 1/2 cup vegan milk (I used homemade cashew milk, but any other type would work)
• 1/4 cup roasted red peppers (from a jar works fine)
• 3 tablespoons white wine (find a vegan variety here)*
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance (I prefer the soy-free variety, which would also make this a soy-free recipe.)
• 1 large clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• black pepper to taste (but I recommend a lot)
• 1 bag Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice Fusilli Pasta (This is the best gluten-free pasta I have found, and it’s only $1.99. It comes in other shapes, but fusilli is the best.)**



*The addition of wine and vinegar helps give the sauce the sharp taste that the fermentation in dairy cheese produces.
**If you are not gluten-free, you can totally use regular wheat pasta here as well.
Note: If you’re not feeling the macaroni part, you can also just make the sauce and use it for other recipes that call for cheesy concoctions, like a vegan fondue, over veggies, or drizzled on vegan pizza.

Instructions

1. Start cooking the pasta according to directions. I’ve learned that exactly 8 minutes is the ideal time for the Trader Joe’s brand.
2. In the meantime put all other ingredients into a blender and gradually increase the speed to the highest possible, and blend until completely smooth. I highly recommend using a good quality (preferably high-speed) blender like a Vitamix to get the creamiest consistency possible. But whatever blender you use, the key it to get it as smooth as possible and without any gritty texture.



3. Pour “cheese” mixture into a pot and over medium low heat, gradually heat sauce while constantly stirring with a whisk.
4. Drain noodles, rinse for a second, and while still wet combine with cheese sauce.
5. Stir.
6. Eat.

You can also customize this recipe easily. Add a little cayenne or jalapeños for a kick. Sprinkle with gluten-free bread crumbs or crumbled potato chips. Stir in peas or broccoli florets. Use your imagination! Then grab a bowl, pile in the creamy pasta, and relive your childhood (maybe add some grown-up cartoons for even more authenticity).

]]> http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2011/06/15/gluten-free-vegan-macaroni-and-cheese/feed/ 4 Gluten Free Vegan Mac and Cheese Mac and Cheese Ingredients Trader Joes Brown Rice Pasta Cheese Sauce in Blender http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2011/05/27/vegan-fashion/ http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2011/05/27/vegan-fashion/#comments Fri, 27 May 2011 15:00:00 +0000 Vi Zahajszky http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/?p=27914
Jaan J. tie, Stella McCartney belt, Cri de Coeur boots, Vaute Couture coat, and olsenHaus shoes

One of my earliest memories is of my dad showing me an ant on the ground and explaining to me that we do not step on them because, however small in size, the ant’s life is just as valuable as ours. That sense of compassion has stuck with me always and my love for all animals became the foundation for becoming a vegan years later. It was such a perfect move that when I made the transition it felt like coming home.

It is that feeling of compassion for all creatures that leads ethical vegans (my guess: the majority of vegans), to extend a cruelty-free lifestyle beyond food. Our compassion for animals and the planet affects what we buy when it comes to everything from body products to furniture to cleaning products to bedding to car interiors. And of course, it affects the clothing we wear. It would be hypocritical for us to avoid meat and then buy a leather belt. Vegans don’t just avoid fur—we also avoid leather, silk, wool, cashmere, down, alpaca, angora, and, well, anything that comes from an animal—including, when possible, animal-derived glue used in shoe manufacturing.

I haven’t always been a vegan, but I have always felt deeply empathic and connected with non-human animals—especially because they cannot speak for themselves. This connection, combined with my inclination towards creative endeavors and my love of fashion, led me to focus on researching not only the best vegan foods, but the best vegan clothing as well. Out of this inquiry emerged the creation of my own vegan fashion curation blog, plantmade.

There is something exciting happening in the vegan world right now where young designers are creating incredibly innovative ways to produce shoes, handbags, belts, coats, ties—you name it—with materials that are animal and planet-friendly. And vegan fashion-conscious individuals are also hitting the blogging world, as evidence by sites like Animal Friendly.Me, The Ethical Man, and The Discerning Brute, covering everything from the their top ethical picks from this season’s collections to the recent Farm Sanctuary 25th Anniversary Gala in New York. They are mending the disconnect mainstream society harbors with regard to what they consume—whether it be a hamburger or a silk blouse.

While what’s best for our planet is to stop consuming at the rate we are, we can’t avoid the fact that people still want to buy a new pair of shoes once in a while.The key is to invest in quality pieces that you truly love and plan to keep for a long time made from materials that cause the least amount of harm to animals and the environment. If you do some research (through places like Global Action Network, PETA, Veg for Life, Farm Sanctuary, or vegan designers like olsenHaus) it can make all the difference. It is through this research that you will learn that sheep go through a cruel practice called mulesing and later get sent to slaughter (if they haven’t died from infection or heat stroke by then). Cashmere goats get castrated, notched, and dehorned without anesthesia and killed by age two if their coats are not perfect (50-80%), then sold for slaughter after shearing. Silk worms are boiled alive. Down “production,” where birds are plucked alive or scalded in boiling water while still conscious, supports the foie gras industry. And of course, the leather industry is directly linked to the meat industry, whether it be represented in that calf-skin (veal) handbag, shearling (lamb skin and fur) boots, or in those kidskin (baby goat) gloves. And this is all just scratching the surface. The lesson here is that everything is connected and vegans don’t like to turn a blind eye to that fact.

Luckily, more and more attention is being paid to conscious fashion and more and more small companies are popping up everywhere and growing. Footwear companies like olsenHaus (now sold at Nordstrom!), Cri de Coeur, Neuaura, and Melissa focus on vegan footwear. Stella McCartney avoids leather in her designs, so all of her shoes, belts, and handbags are vegan (but she does use silk, wool, and cashmere in her clothing). Melie Bianco, Matt & Nat, and Gunas are vegan “leather” accessory companies. Vegan coats can be found at Vaute Couture. Jann J. makes great silk-free ties. And of course, many designers who are not vegan, happen to create “accidentally vegan” pieces (like Marc Jacobs’s fabric bags or Givenchy’s jelly sandal). In that case a vegan needs to make the decision of whether they want to support a company that produces non-vegan pieces despite the availability of vegan ones. If the preference is to stick with only eco-conscious labels, check out any of the designers featured at Vancouver’s Eco Fashion Week. Fashion is becoming such a focus in the vegan community that the first annual Vida Vegan Con international blogging conference in Portland this August features a vegan fashion workshop.

It can, however, be pretty challenging to find quality sweaters, scarves, and hats that are not cashmere or wool, and it can be even harder to find blouses and dresses (especially wedding dresses!) that are not silk. But they are out there. (Check out The Cotton Bride and Lindee Daniel.)

With yarn being made out of bamboo, soy, hemp, lyocell, and ramie, cotton and linen (made from flax) are no longer the only plant-based options for knits. Bamboo is incredibly soft, durable, and even antibacterial. Soy is smooth like silk and drapey, with a similar feel as cashmere. Hemp functions much like linen. Lyocell, made from cellulose fibers, is better known as Tencel or modal. Ramie, made from a flowering plant in the nettle family, adds luster to any fabric with which it’s blended. Of course, it is advisable to look for organic when possible to avoid the chemicals used in the production of the textiles, both for environmental and health reasons. For more info, TreeWool is a great vegan blog that posts information on the world of vegan knitwear.


polylactic acid dress, DyeCat-dyed fibers, kombucha-bacteria-grown cellulose “leather” jacket

And then there are truly experimental materials out there that show how turning to plants that we normally associate with food can lead us to innovation in the apparel design world.

Suzanne Lee at Central Saint Martins in London is developing cellulose “leather.” Her “Bio-Couture” project uses bacterial cultures in kombucha tea to grow what resembles transluscent leather. Check out a video on her work on The Discerning Brute.

Compostable “Ingeo,” a plastic called polylactic acid (PLA) that’s similar to polyester is manufactured from plants such as corn, wheat, sugar beet, mollases, sugar cane, or rice. Not only does Ingeo not use oil or take centuries to degrade, it can also use up waste from our landfills. And, of course, it makes a fabulous wedding gown as well.

DyeCat is a company that created a way to “dye” polyester or PLA as the fibers are produced, eliminating the need for dyeing in water afterwards, a practice that has lead to dumping of chemicals into bodies of water, causing massive environmental damage and health hazards for workers.

If some of these options seem too expensive and/or out-of-reach, fear not and keep in mind that doing the best you can is better than doing nothing and you can always aspire to do more. The key is to buy products made from plants whenever possible (organic being ideal) and to stop adding to the consumerism cycle. Shop vintage. Buy kapok instead of down. Avoid PVC. If not made of plants, buy recyclable materials, then actually recycle them. Compost fabric. Donate clothing. Support small-scale designers. Educate yourself.

The whole point of being a vegan is to do as little harm as possible. And I’m sure that, no matter what we each ate for dinner last night, we can all agree that that’s not a bad idea.

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