Topic: Recipe

Living in New York City sort of hampered my ability to meal plan or keep a well-stocked kitchen. For one, our fridge was really, really tiny---a step up from a dorm "beer cooler" at best. Our pantry was also small--- a skinny bookcase to be exact. 

Plus, it wasn't realistic to do big shopping trips anyway because no one wants to lug bags and bags of groceries up and down subway stairs and then several blocks to your apartment.

So, …

At the grocery store this week I passed by some rather cutesy shiitake mushrooms and realized they were an underutilized ingredient in my cooking. 

Sure, I love oyster mushrooms and the mighty portobello--heck, I even cook with white mushrooms from time to time, but shiitake? never. So, I picked a few up and headed home with my new fungi friends.

For a few days we engaged in starring contests; mostly I was just mystified about what to do them, …

Caribbean Peas and Rice originates here in the West Indies. Although my new friend Tay, the talented author behind Caribbean Vegan,has been schooling me that Caribbean food is so much more than rice and beans, tropical fruit and coconuts, I still find myself attracted to the more simplistic, albeit stereotypical, dishes associated with Caribbean cuisine.

This dish, Caribbean Peas and Rice, is traditionally made with pigeon peas (a type of legume), though regional variations with black-eyed peas …

As promised, here is my recipe for fat-free (healthy!) vegan pumpkin pie. I am in LOVE with this recipe. It's from my upcoming cookbook but I'm sharing it now so you can try one of these tasty delights this holiday season. It will seriously blow your mind!

Mmm...now I kind of want a slice. Pumpkin pie for breakfast? Well I guess I couldsettle for the more appropriate pumpkin pie smoothie...

Last weekend Scott & I went to an Oktoberfest-Luau. It was part Oktoberfest to celebrate the hosts' German heritage, but also part Luau because they left for a 10-day vacation in Hawaii yesterday.

Dan (one of the hosts) & I 

A few days before the party, I found out that one of the German guests had recently gone meatless (woohoo!)so I thought it would be fun to bring vegan weiner schnitzel and vegan German potato salad to the party... …