Dining Out: New Orleans

NOLA is a great city; lots of character, just as everyone says. But, no, I didn't eat beignets or go to Bourbon Street. I went there to do what the hell I wanted to do (i.e. look at museums and visit the cities of the dead). I still see NOLA as a tourist place to chow down, though.
 

Breakfast

Surrey's Cafe & Juice Bar (1418 Magazine St. location): tofu breakfast platter

Served over rice, the tofu is firm, has been pressed, and seasoned with what tasted like soy sauce. In other words, it was actually treated properly so as not to be squishy meh-I'm-eating-this-for-gleaning-protein nonsense. Also, the tomato, mushroom, poblano pepper veggie medley on top is lovely! I added a little hot sauce to a few bites, just for something different while eating. This, happily, sits on your stomach for a while; thus making it good fuel in the tank for wearing out the soles of your shoes and keeping your patience when tripping on the city's uneven pavement.



Slim Goodies - Garden Slammer, sans cheese: Hash browns, vegetarian chili, tofu scramble, and smokey tempeh. (It's not crispy enough to call it tempeh bacon.) 

As is the tradition of greasy spoon Americana, everything was piled high into a mound on the plate and you're offered hot sauce and ketchup to tack on some additional excess calories. The hash browns were very good, the chili was there in the savory background (but didn't knock you over with flavor), the tempeh was pretty good, and the tofu scramble was lackluster. It sort of tasted like there was only turmeric in the scramble, which is terribly insufficient (as this article can attest). I'm not sure what kind of oil was used to cook all of this, so there might be some fake butter in there somewhere with its traces of dairy and whatnot. Note, also, that it's a true greasy spoon place, so it might not actually be suitable for veg*ns.

Lunch

My trip to New Orleans was cut short by weather issues, and while I was there my giant breakfasts didn't render me hungry until late afternoon. However, the reader can always consider happycow.net. I intended to go to Slice (a pizzeria owned by the same folks who opened up Juan's Flying Burrito that also has vegan options), the menu of which says: "Sicilian marinara: vegan friendly with spicy Marinara, grilled eggplant, kalamatas, capers, arugula." ...Sounds really good; damn that 2014 polar vortex!

Additionally, I really wanted to go to Sneaky Pickle, but I was too exhausted to make the trek and not actually hungry at lunch time. (The latter is quite shocking.) If I had gone, I would've gotten the vegan version of the Patty Melt--"your choice of kaiser roll or sourdough bread, multigrain lentil patty, smoked onions, vegan beer cheese, citrus-kale salad, pickles, and fermented chili veganaise." All that sounds absolutely stellar, so I recommend others going to NOLA visit this newly opened restaurant and support it. 

Dinner

Lola - A Taste of Spain starter:  "Ajoblanco -traditional Andalusia almond soup, served cold."

Before I departed my coworker was teasing me about the almond soup turning out to be almond milk. I laughingly replied that I was going to be a little pissed if this was the case. Of course, no, the soup is actually a thick, delectable concoction that I need to learn to make in order to combat the Dog Days of summer where I live. The little bits suspended in the soup are red grape halves, which add freshness and textual contrast.

The very kind server suggested the housemade garlic spread to go with the $0.25 pistolette, and I loved it because I like the flavor of raw garlic. Although, I admit that it might be too strong for some palettes. As the Lonely Planet guide says about this restaurant: "Vampires need not apply."


Entree: "Pisto - Portabella mushroom stuffed with a vegetarian Castilian dish served w/ black beans, rice & asparagus"

Believe it or not, a Portobello mushroom is under that mound of veggie medley/peccadillo, which was well-seasoned. The black beans were mildly spicy and the asparagus tasted pan-seared or grilled. I saved some of the garlic spread and used it for dressing the salad on the side. (You could also mix it with the beans & rice, if you wanted.) All of this was sheer heaven. 

Other

The Saturday before I departed for my short trip to NOLA was when I learned that Wandering Buddha--an establishment tucked in the Hi Ho Lounge that served vegan Korean food (including  much fabled kimchi)--had closed in 2013. I wailed for perhaps thirty minutes before gaining my composure and searching for other options that could possibly fill that void in my meal schedule. That's when I found this article which mentions two: Bhava and Sneaky Pickle. Bhava was so good and a completely vegan restaurant that I had to give it its own post.

Fried Green Tomato BLT

Ever had the hots for fried green tomatoes? It may sound unappetizing to those of you with 'ruby red summer tomato' lust, but it's actually quite good--especially with a well-achieved cornmeal crust. You bite into the crunchy exterior and are met with succulent juice, oozy seed jelly, and firm green flesh.

Okay, so maybe I shouldn't describe food as "oozy," but at least it's not Soylent Green!

Movie references aside, the sandwich idea is from the CC show "Kelsey's Essentials." I made some adjustments to her dredge, cut the original recipe in half, and tried several vegan bacon recipes. The most notable of these were eggplant bacon (bestowed upon us from Isa of the Post-Punk Kitchen) and the Veg Times' tempeh bacon. I liked both, but I know meat-eaters would prefer the texture of the tempeh bacon--make some to put in your freezer in advance of doing this sandwich.

BTW, Kelsey used a rustic loaf and arugula in her sandwich. When this picture was taken I only had multi-grain loaf bread & romaine lettuce because it's hard to find arugula in rural NC. However, my sandwich still tasted delicious. I firmly believe in substitutions and using whatever you have available to you, whether it be ciabatta bread and dandelion greens or something a bit humbler.


COMPONENTS

• Crusty bread of your choice
• Vegan mayo, made herby and garlicky
• Vegan bacon
• Fried green tomato slices
• Lettuce/greens of your choosing

DICTATIONS: Frying the green tomatoes

Dredge moisture

• Three to four tablespoons (and maybe a half more) of Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup vegan buttermilk [unsweetened, nondairy milk with 1/2 teaspoon of (apple cider) vinegar, stirred and allowed to sit] 
• A tiny sprinkle of salt and a half twist on your black pepper mill 
• Spices, of your choice, if you so choose; think garlic powder, dried basil, nooch, or a dash of cayenne pepper

Dry dredge parts & the rest

• 1/2 cup rice flour, or some other light flour (e.g. chickpea flour); If you only have all-purp or another variation of wheat flour, then you can always add a few tablespoons cornstarch to help it crisp up.
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
•  Kosher or sea salt
•  Pinch cayenne pepper

• Four slices of green tomato, cut at about 3/4 to 1 inch (~2.5 cm) thick
• Vegetable oil, for frying

1. Prep your vegan buttermilk. Or, if lazy, then just use the nondairy milk as is.
2. Set up your dredge station. First, place 1/4 c of the flour in a shallow dish. Second, whisk the mustard, milk, and spices into a fluid that is not viscous, not watery, but has sort of a creamy, flow-y consistency. Third, incorporate the remaining 1/4 c of flour with the cornmeal, spices, & prescribed leavening agents. 
3. Dredge tomatoes in flour, then wet, then coat in cornmeal mix. (In dredging you shake off the excess in-between steps, FYI.) 
4. Heat your oil to 350 F. Depending on the pot/pan you've selected or on your deep fryer, you may only want to put in one at a time. Kelsey said they needed two minutes on each side before flipping; but if in a shallow frying pan, use your own judgment for 'golden brown'. 
1. Kelsey also suggests you salt things right after you take them out of the grease. Again, your call on your sodium intake. I think it tastes fine without.

On a fresher note, Kelsey also gives us an herby mayo recipe that works out just fine. Although she uses sweet basil, you could also use fresh parsley with a touch of dill (fresh or dried works because dill is awesome like that). 

DICTATIONS: Sweet Basil Mayo

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise

1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Put it all in a food processor & pulse a few times. Or, chop the basil finely and mix by hand.

Suggestion for improvement: I happen to like aioli sauces far more than mayo, so I have been known to add a clove or two of garlic to this recipe, either making it into a paste with the tip of my knife, or grating it on my lemon zester.


Finally, I assume that you can assemble a BLT and our time together in the blogopshere is over.

Cornmeal crust = nom!

Quick & Commerical Not-Chicken

Sometimes, omnivores look at your plate like you're eating unnatural, disgusting things. Telling them that you're eating "mock meat" or "fake meat" or "meat substitute" just seems to make it worse. But really, all you're eating are vegetables and grains--and maybe ones that are arranged to look very much like the omnivore's plate...

Behold: Gardein's "Herb Dijon Chick'n" over a bed of saffron rice (pinch of saffron, S&P, bay leaf), surrounded by steamed broccoli (S&P).

Got to get that interior shot.

The "chick'n" was very meat-like, so that was worth the money, but the sauce in this packet was incredibly disappointing. I was thinking it was going to be good with all the sodium and whatnot; but, instead, it was sort of: "Yeah, I got a hint of dijon, but the herbs are missing."

So, if you intend on buying and preparing these, consider rubbing the chick'n filet in a mild chili sauce (the package says it is already marinated in red bell pepper flakes) and/or a savory, dry rub (think thyme, sage, marjoram, and/or rosemary). In addition, before simmering the sauce, prepare some minced fresh herb, a bit of Dijon mustard, and a small clove of garlic (minced & sauteed) to add to it.

Anyways, despite my criticisms, it wasn't a bad meal and I like need the occasional bit of convenience food.



It's vegan Mofo, and this is all I'm posting besides some lame runny natural PB post. It's a shame, because I've actually made more interesting things...

Eating Out: Boba House

In Greensboro, N. Carolina there's this great little vegetarian restaurant called Boba House, whose food is heavily Asian-influenced. Unfortunately, they don't have pictures on their website of all the dishes they offer. (Or they didn't all the times I've looked.) I shall remedy this, at least in part!

The Boba "Mixed Bowl": vermicelli noodles with shredded veg + cukes + chopped up crispy rolls. Pretty sure it had an accompanying sauce, and it was thankfully light on my (then) burdened stomach.

The "Basil Lovers," featuring Thai sweet basil and this excellent, multi-layered balance of flavors. My omnivore friend positively fell in love with it and (jokingly) demanded that I bring her some the next time I was traveling her way. I quite seriously did that for her, because depriving people of their food fantasies is cruel punishment.

I also once stopped in on short notice, on the way to this really good lecture about modernity and dadaism and etc., having a grilled "chicken" sandwich there that came with quite yummy sweet potato fries. But, alas, I didn't take a picture, what with having no camera as well as being young and stupid and whatnot.

At any rate, this is the first place I tried lemongrass as a flavor...I was smitten. Below, their lemongrass "chicken" with accompanying sides:

Here is an closeup of their mock meat "chicken," but they also make "beef" and "seafood" (neither of which I have yet to sample because I don't eat out very often).

For dessert I have only had their carrot cake. This is what I wrote about it in a yesteryear: "It was very sweet, with its whiff of cinnamon and all, but it could have benefited from a stiffer crumb. Aside from being overly moist, the cream in the middle was all kinds of yummy and the chocolate sauce [underneath] was great."

  

Sikil Pak Dip & Crisps

In this post I play the role of a recipe pirate--except that instead of certifrycation class (that's a Chowder reference), I'm standing in grocery stores, thumbing through food zines, scribbling down the one, single recipe I care about from the whole damn glossy, and not buying $11 magazines that are suppose to function as cookbooks. Arr, fucker. 

The profit of my plunder? Mayan snack recipes. Better than New World gold, if you ask me, and no one had to die of smallpox.

Is it pretty? Not really. Does it look 'suspicious' somehow? Yeah, it kinda does, actually. But, it's one of those ugly foods that's just damn delicious once you get over the visual.

Plus, I discovered that roasted habañero is fucking delicious. Delicious, delicious pain.

Sikil Pak from: "Better Homes & Gardens, special interest publications: Mexican" (April 2012, pg 46)

COMPONENTS

2 medium Roma tomatoes

One 1/2 inch thick slice of white onion

One fresh habañero pepper OR two jalapeño OR two Serrano peppers

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 & 1/2 cups toasted pepitas*

3 tablespoons orange juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Garnish

1 tablespoon fresh chives

1 tablespoon cilantro

DICTATIONS

1)      Heat oven to 450. Coat the vegetables with oil and roast them for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly charred. Allow them to cool, then remove the cores and seeds.

2)      In a food processor, process the toasted pepitas to a ground texture. Then, add the vegetables, orange juice, garlic, & salt, processing until smooth.

3)      Stir in the chives and cilantro.

*Note: If you can only find salted, pre-toasted pepitas, then consider rinsing off their salt and allowing them to dry before grinding them.

If you only find raw pepitas, then you can toast them by this means: Set the oven at 350. Spread them in a single layer over a sheet tray and bake for 8 minutes. Allow to cool completely before grinding.

As for the vehicle of maneuvering this delectable stuff into your mouth without covering your hands in ick and then stroking your mock beard from the pirate costume rental place, I suggest serving it with "Spicy Pita Crisps" (from Cooking Light, July 2012 issue). This move saves money by not buying chips, let's you control your salt intake, and may prevent you from inadvertently buying a faux beard.

COMPONENTS

Two 6 inch pitas, cut four ways {Obviously you can use tortillas as well.}

1/2 t cumin

1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

1/8 t salt

1/8 t ground red pepper

One (possibly two) tablespoons of a light tasting oil, such as canola

DICTATIONS

I usually don't do that "preheat your oven" shit until I know for certain that I have almost everything assembled for cooking; preheating your oven is a waste of energy as far as I am concerned. However, for this simple recipe it is a safe bet that you can go ahead and set your oven on 425 F once you've established a work station and gathered all the ingredients together.

1) Thoroughly mix the dry spices and the oil in a large bowl.

2) Add the pieces of flatbread and, using two implements of your choice, gently toss them about. Attempt to coat the pita/tortilla pieces evenly with spice.

3) Arrange them in a single layer on baking sheets and put in oven for five minutes.

4) Try not to burn yourself in your haste to try them fresh out of the oven.

Going to Laos for Indian Food

Although there may only be one completely veg*n restaurant in LPB, there are at least three Indian joints. Two of them I only ate at once, but the smallest one (Nisha) I ate at weekly.

The first dish I had there was curried mixed vegetables. The vegetables included potatoes, carrots, long beans, and black beans.

Chana Masala: I loved this dish, especially when paired with roti. And the chickpea/wheat combo is complete protein!

Paneer is of course an Indian cheese, but at at least two of the restaurants in LPB, the menu described the fried paneer as bits of tofu. I guess they had easier access to tofu than to milk products, since it is my understanding that people in Laos don't consume very much dairy. Anyways, it was still a good snack.

Baigan Bharta: my least favorite Indian dish of the whole trip. Thank goodness I ordered it with rice or I wouldn’t have been able to finish—boring, monotonous texture. For some reason, it also wasn’t as tasty as other things I ate at Nisha.

Aloo Baingan: my favorite Indian dish of the whole trip. 

I ate a lot of samosas. A lot. Of samosas. They became my comfort food; a bit of stability in the constant change from restaurant to restaurant (which I found rather taxing after about a week of eating out for every frickin' meal).

Look at that spice-stuffed interior. Such savory goodness...

Made fresh--thus the long wait time at basically every restaurant in LPB--and apparently stuffed with whatever was lying around in the kitchen. The potato and long bean version is below.

Also in this series: savory foods I ate in Laos & local Laotian foods I had the pleasure and privilege to experience.

The Sole Vegan Restaurant in Luang Prabang, Laos

In March I was living in Luang Prabang, Laos. Consequently, there is a gap in the post archive. (The insanity of it all--blogs going un-updated! Unprecedented!)

I moved there precisely so I could have interesting material for this blog. (Actually, I was doing some career stuff, but mind your own business about that.) It was an expensive pastime, but hey, blogs done for fun with no profit are totally worth that level of monetary investment.

On to the yield of the experience itself.

You'd think that a food culture located in SE Asia and surrounded by Buddhists would have some sort of inclination towards vegetarianism, but Laos will prove you wrong. The local food culture is very much meat-based, all the way from the seasoning stage with padaek (fermented fish paste) to the ingredient composing the entrée (lots of fish, chicken, plenty of insects, and some pork).

BUT...As it is around the world, if you stay in a city on your visit, you can find some sort of accommodation for meatlessmeals. (Thank goodness for Indian expats.) Although, whether there is variety to be found in the dairyless or eggless options is a different matter completely.

In Luang Prabang, Laos (LPB), the best accommodation for the certainty of vegan meals is at Oasis Vegetarian Restaurant off of the Khan River near the head of the peninsula where the Khan meets the Mekong. It truly is an oasis in a city with bowls of pig intestines flying everywhere. 

 

Also, local people will think you are very strange for not eating meat and passing up egg in your stir-fry. They’re still lovely people though, and will most likely try to accommodate your requests even with your relationship's language barrier.

During my month-long stay, I ate there several times before they ostensibly closed up due to the tourist high season ending.

This is a shame, because in Laotian food culture there is a minced meat salad called "laap" that is served cold, and Oasis had a mushroom version of the dish that I wanted to try. Ah well. There were lots of things I wanted to do while there that didn’t come to pass--such is life.  

Onwards to the food!

Yellow noodles with fried soy protein: I really wanted noodles the first time I went to Oasis. So, I chose this dish. I didn't really like the crisp soy protein, because I was in the mood for something more akin to tofu. Still tasty, especially with the fresh purple/Thai basil.

Curried tofu: These big hunks of tofu were welcomed guests in my mouth. Other tofu offerings around the city were smaller cuts. Poo to that.

I also happily slurped down this sauce, even if it wasn’t as thick as actual curry usually would be.

Vegetarian pork: It was interesting. A little dry. Maybe needed a sauce to absorb into the "pork." There were noodles and Mung bean sprouts beneath, and crushed peanuts sprinkled on top.

 

And I saved the best for last: Mock Duck in Five Spice Sauce. I fucking-well loved this dish. There was just something about it. I even think I am going to have to attempt to recreate it here at home...

Portabello Mushroom Burger

A portabella mushroom cap marinated in balsamic vinegar, crushed garlic, and rosemary (also with a hint of soy sauce and maple syrup), then placed on ciabatta bread that was toasted and rubbed with two roasted garlic cloves. It is topped with red onion, romaine lettuce, spicy brown mustard, and a roasted pineapple & habanero pepper sauce (out of a jar, admittedly).  

Served alongside some Batata Harra fries. (Spicy Lebanese fries with cilantro and several kinds of peppers.)

Eating Out: Orion's Belt Sandwich

Spring 2011. I went to Knoxville, Tennessee for reasons relating to graduate programs.

Like a good foodie, I scouted out interesting restaurants on the Internet before I ever even set out on my journey.

This magnificent sandwich below was my reward for this endeavor. It can be found at the restaurant/bar, Sunspot, on the main drag near UTK.

NOW LOOK AT IT! LOOK-AT-IT!! (The hyphens are there for your convenience b/c I hate when people scrunch their words together in an attempt to convey the rapidity with which the phrase would be said if verbalized. You're welcome, fucker.)

NOW LOOK AT IT CLOSEUP!! [hisses:] It puts the lotion on it's skin!

Ahem. Allow me to describe it to you: The star of this attraction is the blackened tofu, which was the perfect texture--not squishy, but nicely dry and toothsome--on the one occasion I had the pleasure. It's topped with this special hummus, whose flavor profile I cannot recall, and now have only the memory of how divine it was. From the pictures you can obviously tell it was also served with alfalfa sprouts and some fresh veg for crunch. All of this was on a scrumptious ciabatta bun, paired with these glorious house-made sweet potato chips whose spice combination I also cannot recall. Nonetheless, they were delicious as well.

The singular  "complaint" that I could find for it was that I liked it a little better with some mustard from the bottle on the table. But, I'm an outright mustard weirdo, so...It puts the mustard on it's skin?

At any rate, you do not know of how I have dreamed about revisiting that sandwich. Allow me to demonstrate: [adopts Elvis impersonator voice] And now, uh, to close I'd like to sing a little diddy for, uh, a very special little lady. Sandwich, baby, this one's for you:

Sandy, can't you see?

I'm in misery.

We made a start,

Now we're apart--

There's nothin' left for me.

Love has flown,

All alone, I sit

And wonder wh - yi-yi-yi

Oh why, you left me

Oh, Sandy!

(It doesn't matter that Elvis came along way before "Grease," you pop culture whore! The point is that I actualized my impulsive vision of how I could demonstrate my abnormal love for food by not only singing to it, but placing well-known lyrics into a completely different context and altering their meaning, but without changing a single word. Geesh! This is the Internetz--it's not about validity!)

Curried Potato Salad

Recipe from Caribbean Vegan. I sometimes daydream about it when I have to winter blues and am longing for summer produce.

I was never that fond of mayo, so I thought potato and macaroni salad were vile things, and that my disliking them proved the stereotype of whites positively loving mayo in "Undercover Brother" to be totally fallacious. (Nevermind that all stereotypes are bullshit. Wait, I just generalized with the word "all"--guess I'm a hypocrite.) But, I digress; this recipe turned my opinion of potato salad right around!

On the subject of an entirely different, but still related enough to be included, matter...I made one of those “can haz cheezburger/LOLcats” things.

Don’t judge me, okay?  It’s because I like bears. I know it's a problem. And I tried going to Bears Anonymous, but it was largely composed of people with abnormal attachments to the stuffed toys, sprinkled with a few confused sports fanatics, honey addicts, that guy from "Fight Club" on a relapse, and these really...concerning...furries with a thing for Pooh.

There was a bear hug I did not want...