DISH: Seitan Piccata at Candle 79. “Most of the time – though not always – we like to eat vegan [...]
Category: Uncategorized
Mission: A British, Jewish, Vegetarian’s attempt at Thanksgiving.
This Thanksgiving, my family — all Brits — celebrated the holiday at a dinner with close friends. Our hosts and everyone else invited are carnivores, so I was asked to bring a vegetarian-friendly dish.
After hours spent Googling and strategizing with whomever would listen, I decided on “Tzimmes,” a traditional Jewish side dish of marinated sweet carrots and prunes, and an array of roasted vegetables. Being typical Jews, we worried that there would not be enough food, so we went a little crazy. We also prepared sweet potatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, squash, butternut squash, cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, and zucchini.
Upon arrival at our destination, we immediately realized hunger wouldn’t be a concern. Every surface was laden with different dishes brought by guests. We were going to have a very American Thanksgiving with enough food to feed a small nation.
The onslaught began with fancy French and goat cheeses, served with a fresh garlic spread on a fresh baguette, along with cold cuts, olives, and kale chips — something for everyone. As we dug into those appetizers, glasses of Cotes de Provence were distributed to anyone with a free hand.
Round two commenced with more alcohol, in keeping with the tradition of getting drunk before the Thanksgiving turkey is served. Dishes included warm puff pastries with a variety of cheese and vegetables, baked crab dip, and the pièce de résistance: Baked Brie with Pistachio. I was in the kitchen as it came out of the oven, among the lucky few who sampled it fresh, leaving little for the other partygoers. (Another Thanksgiving tradition achieved: Hang around the kitchen, you get to try the really good stuff.)
We were still going strong when another Thanksgiving tradition interrupted the party: Something went wrong. We realized we had forgotten the stuffing but, thanks to a quick save, the stuffing was added to the mass of food crammed into the oven. Phew.
Finally seated at an over-crowded table, everyone was ready to get down to serious business: The main meal. In addition to turkey (of course), there were all the usual trimmings – stuffing, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, peas, plus whatever pot-luck items arrived with the guests. Cute turkey-shaped bowls dotted the table, filled with sweet cranberry sauce and meaty gravy.
My carnivorous brother couldn’t cram turkey into his mouth fast enough, so I assume it tasted fine. As the token vegetarian at the table, I became acquainted with all the side dishes and created a mush of stuffing, vegetables, and cranberry sauce. It looked like a four-year-old’s dinner, but it was good. Two delicious servings later and I was clutching my new “food baby,” begging for a nap.
But we weren’t done yet. As we cleaned the table the desserts emerged, including chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, cupcakes from Crumbs, bread pudding, berries, rolled-up chocolates, mince pie, and fresh fruit. The dessert round would have been enough food for an entire meal. Maybe these weren’t typical Thanksgiving desserts, but we had already met enough traditions to break a rule. I love bread pudding and could not turn away a slice with vanilla sauce dripping over it. Though I knew I would regret it later, it was fantastic in the moment. I also may have sampled a cupcake or two. I shared all my desserts, however (so those calories don’t count, right?).
Whether we broke or conformed to tradition it was Thanksgiving, a day to be thankful, and we were certainly thankful for managing to eat our weight in food.
Alix Simnock for Harris-Conway
World Exclusive: Foodie Secrets of a Sorority Girl.
Secret #1: Free food as the Next Marketing Tool.
College kids are cheap, and that extends to our food. Campus groups have noticed and know the way to attract us to an event is not through wild YouTube videos or spamming our Facebook pages. It’s by appealing to our bellies and empty wallets: a free meal. You name it – Jimmy John’s, Domino’s, Subway, even home-baked goods at an event — and the masses roll in. Some may even have a slight interest in the group, but that doesn’t matter. We get to save a few bucks and eat for free. It will probably be the heartiest meal we have all day (unless you are counting that microwavable mac ’n ’ cheese at 3 a.m.) and it comes with the added bonus of being free! Two birds killed with one stone.Secret #2: A Sorority Girl’s Sweet Tooth.
In sororities, we have to attract members to events by also appealing to their stomachs, but sorority girls are a little pickier. One would assume that means salads, fruits, and anything that falls into the healthy category. Not in my sorority. We pretend we like the hummus, the vegetable plate, and anything else that’s “good for us,” but to get members to go to our events, we promise the naughty stuff: Cookie Cake. No gathering is complete without this simple number. The basic recipe combines two fabulous elements of dessert: Chocolate chip cookie base and icing. When sorority girls are sad, we buy cookie cake; when we want to celebrate, we buy cookie cake; when we have extra funds that our advisor doesn’t know about, we buy cookie cake. To truly be a member of Greek Life, it is not about whether you fit in with the girls, but whether your love for cookie cake is strong enough to entice you to attend events.Secret #3: The Omnipotence of Free Samples.
Free samples are every girl’s dream because there are no calories in samples. The same as how there are no calories when you share a dessert, or if you eat something off your boyfriend’s plate – all calorie-free foods. Free samples fit into this category, making them the epitome of a college girl’s diet: Free and without calories. As an example, the frozen yogurt place most of my friends prefer is the one with unlimited samples. Why do we like Whole Foods? Because you can sample its salad bar and gelato for free. To cater to the college audience, especially the girls who will drag the boys along, you need to have free samples as they make up a core part of our diet.What are some other college favorites? Do you remember what your diet consisted of in college?
Alix Simnock For Harris-Conway
Autumn Pizza
Pizza is an Italian classic, and ADD is ready to unveil a new spin. I was recently introduced to the term “white pizza.” Despite my initial hesitance toward a pie without the traditional marinara sauce, this is a wonderful alternative, inspired by a discovery at Katie’s Pizzeria in St. Louis and perfect for the fall taste palate: A Butternut Squash Pizza.
Ingredients:
Pre-Packaged and Refrigerated Pizza Dough
1 Teaspoon Garlic
A Pinch of Salt and Pepper
3 Tablespoon Olive Oil
½ Cup Goat’s Cheese
½ Medium Butternut Squash
1 Medium Sized Onion
1 Tablespoon Cornmeal
Pre-heat oven to 400° F. Cut the squash and onions into small slices. Spread them out evenly on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and paper. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender. Increase oven temperature to 450° F. Roll out the pre-packaged dough (because who really has time to make fresh pizza dough from scratch?) to a thickness of about ¼ inch. Sprinkle cornmeal on a baking tray and place dough on top. Distribute the squash and onions over the top of the pizza, shower generous amounts of goat cheese, and add garlic, if desired. Bake until golden and then serve while watching the leaves change color outside your window.
Alix Simnock for Harris-Conway
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream
Forget what you’ve heard about frozen yogurt. Be honest. You really prefer ice cream, right?
So, imagine my delight when this weekend I stumbled upon the best ice cream I have ever tasted in my life: Jen’s Splendid Ice Creams. “Splendid” doesn’t even begin to describe them. And my favorite flavor? Brown Butter Almond Brittle.
Imagine the richness of brown sugar caramelized and mixed with butter. (So don’t tell your cardiologist.) As Paula Dean constantly reminds you on the Food Network, everything goes better with butter.
Also blended inside are almonds. However Jen’s manages to mix it up, the result is a silky richness that goes down oh-so-smoothly.
Speaking of richness, Jen’s flavors go for $12 a pint.
While free samples are offered at parlor locations in Ohio and Tennessee, pints are available by ordering online. Go to http://www.jenisicecreams.com/
Alix Simnock for Harris-Conway
Featured
The British Can Cook: The Jacket Potato
Ingredients:
1 potato
1 can of tuna or 1 can of baked beans
1 cup of shredded cheese of choice (cheddar is good)
Butter
Traditionally, English cooking doesn’t rank high on the fine-cuisine charts, but when it comes to simple, easy, and even tasty meals, they in fact have a few clever tricks up their sleeves. After a recent trip back to the motherland (full disclosure: I’m from England) I rediscovered the oh-so-wonderful Jacket Potato.
Slightly different from the American baked potato, the Jacket Potato is not a side dish but an entire meal. What sets it apart from Idaho’s finest are its toppings. Forget the sour cream and chives. Instead, think British – and try tuna and cheese or beans and cheese.
Here’s how:
- Bake a potato as you normally would.
- If you want the Tuna Jacket Potato, take a small portion of canned tuna, add some mayo, mix, and voila. It’s ready to eat. For beans, I would recommend the local favorite: Heinz, direct from the can and heated up.
- Take potato out of the oven, slice open three quarters of the way. Add butter. If you wish, and let it melt.
- Add shredded cheese into the sliced potato and let it melt.
- Add tuna or beans.
- Serve and enjoy.
To Make It Even Tastier:
- Add a side salad of iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and cucumber.
- Add corn (straight from the can).
- While enjoying, think of England.
Alix Simnock for Harris-Conway
