Tablle of Contents

Click on any of the titles to take you to the appropriate piece Features Columns Hot Sauce is Hot and Easy to What’s Cooking? 3 Make 15 Find out what’s up with the Vegan By Jill Nussinow, MS, RD Culinary Experience this month. Learn how easy and flavorful it is to make your own homemade hot From the Garden: Peppers sauce! Take Over the World! 26 By Liz Lonetti Burn Me So Good 17 Liz talks about the etymology, By LaDiva Dietitian, MS, RD history, and different types of The science and biology of capsicums available as food. capsaicin, that gloriously burning compound, is the feature of this Vegan Cuisine and the Law: piece. Watching What We Eat – The Ethics of Food TV 28 East Meets West: Spicing It By Mindy Kursban, Esq. Up 19 Are you one of those people By Chef Philip Gelb addicted to shows like Top Chef? Phil shows off his culinary flare Mindy discusses the ethics, legal with a recipe for spicy sesame oil issues, and psychology of food tv and a Thai fusion curry paste and her own food tv voyeurism. featuring Bird’s Eye chiles and guajillo chiles. The Vegan Traveler: Austin 31 The Beautiful Avocado 21 By Chef Jason Wyrick By Chef Angela Elliott Join chef Jason on a culinary tour Avocadoes and spicy food go hand of one of the hotbeds of vegan in hand. Angela writes about the cuisine, Austin, Texas. nutritional value of avocadoes and

gives us her own recipe for Marketplace 8 guacamole.

Get connected and find out about The Life of a Food Stylist 23 vegan friendly businesses and By Ryan Luttrell organizations.

Ryan has worked for the Food Recipe Index 52

Network, Edible Magazine, and

many other major publications as A listing of all the recipes found in

a food stylist. Get a behind‐the‐ this issue, compiled with links.

scenes glimpse of this interesting

culinary career. see the following page for interviews and reviews… Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 1 Tablle of Contents 2

Interviews Reviews

Interview with author Celine Restaurant Review:

Steen 38 Saturn Café, Northern California 47 Celine is one of the best vegan By Ryan Luttrell cookbook authors out there, adept at veganizing just about A late‐night diner style burger anything. joint, vegetarian‐style.

Fashionista, Social Mogul, Book Review: Ani’s Raw and Activist Chloé Jo Davis Food Asia 49 41 By Madelyn Pryor

Chef and author Ani Phyo gives us Chloé Jo leads the Girlie Girl Army, a fashion, buzz, and all‐around yet another winner with her new cool site for everything vegan and go‐to book on Asian cuisine, the is the queen of vegan media. raw foods way.

Product Review: Earth Café Baker and Food Network Raw Vegan Cheesecakes 50 Challenge Winner Sara Beth By Jason Wyrick Russert 44

A satisfying morsel of heaven and a Sara Beth is the reigning champion repeat offender for generating of the Food Network Donut those must‐buy‐me cravings. Challenge, trouncing the

competition with her vegan goodies and winning some converts in the process.

Click on any of the titles to take you to the appropriate piece

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 2

The Vegan Culinary Experience What’’s Cookiing?

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 Hot. Spicy. Picante. Pet‐pet. Là. Publisher Jason Wyrick Die kos brand. Nearly every culture Editors Eleanor Sampson, has a word or phrase for food that sets Madelyn Pryor the tongue on fire! That’s because Nutrition Analyst Eleanor Sampson these foods create an endorphin

Web Design Jason Wyrick release, they bring one’s palate to life, Graphics Jason Wyrick they add an entirely new dimension to the culinary world. They may even Reviewers Madelyn Pryor Jason Wyrick test one’s mettle. Whatever the case, festivals, towns, entire Eleanor Sampson commercial empires are dedicated to the taste of heat. And so is Ryan Luttrell this issue.

Contributing Authors Jason Wyrick Madelyn Pryor Chiles are legendary, having spread from Central America all Liz Lonetti around the world in just a few centuries, an impressive Sharon Valencik Marty Davey undertaking for a not‐so‐humble plant. Chiles, however, aren’t the Mindy Kursban only source of burn. In this issue, you’ll find recipes featuring not Jill Nussinow just chiles (and there are a lot of them), but ones that use ginger, Angela Elliott pepper, wasabi, and radish, and sometimes a combination of two Ryan Luttrell Philip Gelb or three of them to create a complex burn. There are also recipes for different heat levels and a few that are the hottest of the hot. Photography Credits These are not for the faint of heart, but if you’re reading the this issue, you’re not one of those people, are you? The ones who can’t Cover Page Jason Wyrick handle a little spice, a little burn, a little sweat. I didn’t think you were. Recipe Images Jason Wyrick Madelyn Pryor Milan Valencik of Eat healthy, eat compassionately, and eat well! Milan Photography

Austin Photographs Jason Wyrick

Ristra, Avocadoes GNU Free Documentation License

C. Frutescens, Scotch Creative Commons Bonnets

Capsaicin, Bell Peppers, Public Domain Rocotos

Chloe Jo Davis Courtesy of Chloe Jo Davis Sarah Beth Russert Courtesy of S.B. Russert Celine Steen Courtesy of Celine Steen

Earth Café Earth Café Website Website Saturn Cafe Ryan Luttrell & Saturn Café Website

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 3 Contriibutors

Jason Wyrick ‐ Chef Jason Wyrick is the Executive Chef of Devil Spice, Arizona's vegan catering company, and the publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience. Chef Wyrick has been regularly featured on major television networks and in the press. He has done demos with several doctors, including Dr. Neal Barnard of the PCRM, Dr. John McDougall, and Dr. Gabriel Cousens. Chef Wyrick was also a guest instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program. He has catered for PETA, Farm Sanctuary, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Google. Visit Chef Jason Wyrick at www.devilspice.com and www.veganculinaryexperience.com.

Madelyn Pryor ‐ Madelyn is a lover of dessert, which she celebrates on her blog, http://badkittybakery.blogspot.com/. She has been making her own tasty desserts for over 16 years, and eating dessert for longer than she cares to admit. When she isn’t in the kitchen creating new wonders of sugary goodness, she is chasing after her bad kitties, or reviewing products for various websites and publications. She can be contacted at [email protected] or [email protected].

Sharon Valencik ‐ Sharon Valencik is the author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts. She is raising two vibrant young vegan sons and rescued animals, currently a rabbit and a dog. She comes from a lineage of artistic chef matriarchs and has been baking since age five. She is working on her next book, World Utopia: Delicious and Healthy International Vegan Cuisine. Please visit www.sweetutopia.com for more information, to ask questions, or to provide feedback.

Milan Valencik ‐ Milan Valencik is the food stylist and photographer of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts. His company, Milan Photography, specializes in artistic event photojournalism, weddings, and other types of photography. Milan is also a fine artist and musician. Milan is originally from Czech Republic and now lives in NJ. For more information about Milan, please visit www.milanphotography.com or www.sweetutopia.com.

Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen ‐ Jill is a Registered Dietitian and has a Masters Degree in Dietetics and Nutrition from Florida International University. After graduating, she migrated to California and began a private nutrition practice providing individual consultations and workshops, specializing in nutrition for pregnancy, new mothers, and children. You can find out more about The Veggie Queen at www.theveggiequeen.com.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 4 Contriibutors

Liz Lonetti ‐ As a professional urban designer, Liz Lonetti is passionate about building community, both physically and socially. She graduated from the U of MN with a BA in Architecture in 1998. She also serves as the Executive Director for the Phoenix Permaculture Guild, a non‐profit organization whose mission is to inspire sustainable living through education, community building and creative cooperation (www.phoenixpermaculture.org). A long time advocate for building greener and more inter‐connected communities, Liz volunteers her time and talent for other local green causes. In her spare time, Liz enjoys cooking with the veggies from her gardens, sharing great food with friends and neighbors, learning from and teaching others. To contact Liz, please visit her blog site www.phoenixpermaculture.org/profile/LizDan.

Angela Elliott ‐ Angela Elliott is the author of Alive in Five, Holiday Fare with Angela, The Simple Gourmet, and more books on the way! Angela is the inventor of Five Minute Gourmet Meals™, Raw Nut‐Free Cuisine™, Raw Vegan Dog Cuisine™, and The Celestialwich™, and the owner and operator of She‐Zen Cuisine. www.she‐zencuisine.com

Angela has contributed to various publications, including Vegnews Magazine, Vegetarian Baby and Child Magazine, and has taught gourmet classes, holistic classes, lectured, and on occasion toured with Lou Corona, a nationally recognized proponent of living food.

Minday Kursban, Esq. ‐ Mindy Kursban is a practicing attorney who is passionate about animals, food, and health. She gained her experience and knowledge about vegan cuisine and the law while working for ten years as general counsel and then executive director of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Since leaving PCRM in 2007, Mindy has been writing and speaking to help others make the switch to a plant‐based diet. Mindy welcomes feedback, comments, and questions at [email protected].

Chef Philip Gelb ‐ Philip Gelb was born and raised in Brooklyn NY. He ended up in Florida where he received a BA in cultural anthropology and did graduate studies in ethnomusicology. For the last decade he has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area where he works as a professional musician and music teacher as well as a vegan chef. As a musician he has performed all over the United States and in Japan, Europe and Canada. 5 years ago he started In the Mood for Food, a vegetarian personal chef and catering company. He has been vegetarian since 17 and after becoming vegan 4 years ago, he changed his business to strictly vegan cuisine. Although totally self taught as a chef, he is a very popular vegan cooking teacher, hosting monthly classes. His other interests include hiking, travelling, and he is an avid film buff. Of course, he loves cooking, especially for friends as well as professionally. Visit Phil at www.philipgelb.blogspot.com.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 5 Contriibutors

LaDiva Dietitian! ‐ Marty Davey is not only LaDiva, Dietitian!, but a Registered Dietitian with a Masters degree in Food and Nutrition. She became a vegetarian in 1980 when she discovered that there were more chemicals in cattle then attendants at a Grateful Dead concert. Her family is all vegan, except the dog who drew the line at vegetarian. She conducts factual and hilarious presentations and food demos. While her private practice includes those transitioning to a plant‐based life, LaDiva's most popular private consulting topic is "I'm too busy and I don't cook." Her website is www.ladivadietitian.com.

Eleanor Sampson – Eleanor is an editor and nutrition analyst for The Vegan Culinary Experience, author, and an expert vegan baker with a specialty in delicious vegan sweets (particularly cinnamon rolls!) You can reach Eleanor at [email protected].

Ryan Luttrell ‐ Ryan Luttrell is a culinary consultant, currently working as a Food Stylist for the Food Network and worked for Party Planners West in preparation for Super Bowl XVI in Indianapolis. He has 16 years of food industry experience after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America. Chef Luttrell has been an Executive Pastry Chef at Chez Philippe in the Peabody Hotel, Erling Jensen’s, Ronnie Grisanti’s, and was Program Director for L’Ecole Culinaire (all in Memphis, Tennessee). Additionally, he has worked at the past three Super Bowls as the Managing Culinary Director and is pursuing an MBA degree from the University of Memphis. He resides in Berkeley, California, with his wife and son.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 6 About the VCE The Vegan Culinary Experience is an educational vegan culinary magazine designed by professional vegan chefs to help make vegan cuisine more accessible. Published by Chef Jason Wyrick, the magazine utilizes the electronic format of the web to go beyond the traditional content of a print magazine to offer classes, podcasts, an interactive learning community, and links to articles, recipes, and sites embedded throughout the magazine to make retrieving information more convenient for the reader.

The VCE is also designed to bring vegan chefs, instructors, medical professionals, authors, and businesses together with the growing number of people interested in vegan cuisine.

Eat healthy, eat compassionately, and eat well.

Become a Subscriber Subscribing to the VCE is FREE! Subscribers have access to our Learning Community, back issues, recipe database, and extra educational materials.

Visit http://veganculinaryexperience.com/VCESubscribe.htm to subscribe.

*PRIVACY POLICY ‐ Contact information is never, ever given or sold to another individual or company

Not Just a Magazine Meal Service The Vegan Culinary Experience also provides weekly meals that coincide with the recipes from the magazine. Shipping is available across the United States. Raw, gluten‐free, and low‐fat diabetic friendly options are available. Visit http://veganculinaryexperience.com/VCEMealService.htm for more information.

Culinary Instruction Chef Jason Wyrick and many of the contributors to the magazine are available for private culinary instruction, seminars, interviews, and other educational based activities. For information and pricing, contact us at http://veganculinaryexperience.com/VCEContact.htm.

An Educational and Inspirational Journey of Taste, Health, and Compassion

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 7 Marketpllace

Welcome to the Marketplace, our new spot for finding vegetarian friendly companies, chefs, authors, bloggers, cookbooks, products, and more! One of the goals of The Vegan Culinary Experience is to connect our readers with organizations that provide relevant products and services for vegans, so we hope you enjoy this new feature!

Click on the Ads – Each ad is linked to the appropriate organization’s website. All you need to do is click on the ad to take you there.

Become a Marketplace Member – Become connected by joining the Vegan Culinary Experience Marketplace. Membership is available to those who financially support the magazine, to those who promote the magazine, and to those who contribute to the magazine. Contact Chef Jason Wyrick at [email protected] for details!

Current Members Casa Mettá Tierno Tours Sweet Utopia (www.casametta.com) (www.tiernotours.com) (www.sweetutopia.com) Milan Photography LaDiva Dietitian!, MS, RD Jill Nussinow, MS, RD (www.milanphotography.com) (www.ladivadietitian.com) (www.theveggiequeen.com) In the Mood for Food Bad Kitty Creations GoDairyFree.org (www.philipgelb.blogspot.com) (www.badkittybakery.blogspot.com) (www.godairyfree.org)

Non‐profits Vegan Outreach Rational Animal Farm Sanctuary (www.veganoutreach.org) (www.rational‐animal.org) (www.farmsanctuary.com) The Phoenix Permactulture Guild (www.phoneixpermaculture.org)

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 8 Marketpllace

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 9 Marketpllace

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 10 Marketpllace

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 11 Marketpllace

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 12 Marketpllace

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 13 Marketpllace

LaDiva Dietitian’s Click & Cook Video

LaDiva, HELP! Can I make easy, healthy food that will give me hair as great as yours???

Yes!!! Take me into your kitchen via your laptop or iPod or whatever device floats your boat.

Every month I’ll send you links to simple, yummy VIDEO recipes. You can print off the PDFs, or follow along with the video to create Quick, LOW FAT, no cholesterol healthy dishes.

EVERY MONTH YOU GET:

✓ List of ingredients and equipment needed

✓ 3 recipes of mine and cook with me

✓ 1 recipe made by the Planet Pyramid kids. SO you KNOW you can make it and let the kids have their own kitchen fun

✓ 1 shopping or cooking tip, such as how to buy and store knives, creating a pantry, how to read a nutrition label in less than a minute

Click on the YouTube video links below for a taste of what you will get every month.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=LaDivaDietitian#grid/uploads

All for $5/month or $60 per year.

To Order Go to: http://www.ladivadietitian.com/ladivadietitian/Marketplace/Marketplace.html

Type VCE in the comments for a $10 discount.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 14 Hot Sauce is Hot and Easy to Make

By Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen™

I have been making hot sauce for quite a number Here’s the equipment that of years now because my sister started making it you’ll need years before. I used to ship to her the wonderful o A blender with a lid organic chilies that I hand‐picked from Sonoma County’s Tierra Vegetables farm. I’d go to the o A large sauce pan with a lid farmstand, pick through the peppers and gather a few pounds into what I’d call a field blend, put o A food mill with small holes them in a priority mail box and ship them off to o 2 stainless steel bowls Maryland. Not exactly local but I knew that my sister’s hot sauce would taste great. o A small funnel

In 2001, after 9/11, she sent me some hot sauce o Bottles for packaging – I save tamari bottles but if you recall, there were issues with mailing all year for this and also buy 5 ounce bottles packages that had anything in them so my from a glass company. The best ones have shipment of hot sauce was delayed by a month or limiters, which is often what are on the more. That got me thinking that maybe I ought to smaller tamari bottles so that you don’t make my own hot sauce. I’d share the hot sauce pour it all out at once. recipe with another local farmer, Triple T Ranch And here are the ingredients and Farm, and now they regularly make hot sauce. and how I make the sauce They thank me often with a bottle or two, but honestly, there’s nothing like making your own hot First, I hand select the peppers. I use a mix of hot sauce. It will be just the right temperature for you. such as jalapeno and Serrano, not so hot such as red Anaheims or Poblanos, or even sweet ones The recipe is so darned easy. Once you have your such as Jimmy Nardello or other larger red own supply, you’ll likely find many more uses for peppers. A lot depends upon the heat level that I hot sauce. Before I made my own, my sister used am trying to achieve. Sometimes I don’t do a mix to send those bottles. My son loved to put hot and make a magical “cherry bomb” sauce that’s a sauce on his rice. That was his favorite way to favorite of one of the Triple T guys. I made him his enjoy it. I prefer it on my mixed vegetables, adding own gallon last year which he must make last the a dash to soups, stews, chili and vegetables and, of entire year. It takes about 3 to 6 pounds of peppers course, to spice up Indian and Mexican‐inspired to produce a gallon of sauce. dishes. Sometimes that little zing of hot sauce elevates a dish and it’s not hot but has an elusive, After you’ve selected the peppers, wash them and yet delicious, character. dry them. Cut off the stems but leave on the cap at the top of the pepper. I add these to a blender The sauce consists of a mix of hot red peppers container (that I use exclusively for hot sauce) with (because I don’t care for green peppers at all as enough white vinegar to have them blend well, they are unripe), white vinegar, and salt. The usually at least a quarter cup but often more. I alchemy occurs in the processing of the peppers.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 15 blend this until the peppers are chopped up and to year, my hot sauce has great variation. The heat the mixture is liquidy but chunky. I put it into of the peppers is greatly influenced by the heat of stainless steel saucepan on the stove. I continue to the season. Cooler seasons often yield cooler do this until the pan is at least halfway filled with peppers but not always. Usually the last hot sauce the liquidy peppers. I bring that mixture to a boil of the year is the most interesting. I usually buy any and then reduce the heat to a simmer. I partially hot peppers that the farmers have left at the cover the pot, and turn on the exhaust fan. You can farmers’ market, for fear that I will run out of also do this outside as sometimes the pepper sauce. I blend it and make the hottest sauce of the fumes can become overwhelming. I simmer the season, to be used only for special occasions. mixture for at least 20 minutes and then turn off I love the creativity of making my own hot sauce. the heat. I cove the pot and let the mixture sit for a The bonus is all the pepper flakes leftover after the day, and up to 3 days. Then I add salt to the food mill process which can be dried and used as is, peppers, to taste – usually a couple of teaspoons, or mixed with other herbs to make hot seasoning and then put the entire mixture into the food mill blends. You can also mix those pepper remnants in batches. with garlic and make a type of garlic chili sauce. The seeds and skin stay in the food mill will the Whatever you do, you do not have to throw them pulp ends up in the bowl below. Sometimes if the away. mixture is very thick, I have to add more vinegar I hope that this encourages you to grow your own while using the food mill to get the consistency hot peppers (chilies) or to support your local that I want. I like my sauce on the thick side but it farmers and make your own sauce. By the way, must still be easy to get out of the bottle without many farmers are happy to trade produce for hot hitting the end of the bottle. I process all the sauce and might even be willing to subsidize your peppers this way, taking the pulp out and saving it sauce by providing chilies in return for finished in a different bowl. When I have all the sauce done, sauce. Have fun getting hot and share the heat I get my small funnel and carefully pour the sauce with others. into the bottles. The Author I label the bottles and store the sauce in a cool, dark place. This sauce should be fine, as is but once Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie something happened and my sauce got a bit Queen™ can’t wait for the ripe “funny” and started to ferment. So, if you don’t red chilies to appear so that she have a cool place to store your sauce, put it in the can make some hot sauce. While refrigerator for safety’s sake. she is waiting, she’ll be busy working on her upcoming The sauce will last much longer than a year but the cookbook on pressure cooking color often oxidizes and the flavor fades a bit. I which is currently out in ebook prefer smaller to larger bottles because the sauce format as The New Fast Food: The Veggie Queen stays fresher as it has less air exposure. Pressure Cooks Whole Food Meals in Less than 30 I often name my sauce according to the time of Minutes. You can order it from her website at year, the farm from which I got the peppers and http://www.theveggiequeen.com. the moon cycle. Choose what works for you. Because the peppers and my mood vary from year

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 16 O-o-oh, Baby, Burn Me So Good

By LaDiva Dietitian!, MS, RD

capsaicin molecule

What is it about hot foods that just make us keep What are the “pepper compounds”? There are coming back like a moth to a flame? The pain is just many including piperineiii which gives black pepper too good. That’s right. It is not the flavor, but the its piquancy. Allyl isothiocyanate is found in taunting pepper compounds sensation on our oral mustards and horseradish. This is stuff that not and nasal pain receptors.i only gives you that wasabi nose rush, but is even combustible.iv The most potent, capsaicin, [cap‐ These compounds don’t produce sweet, salty, SAY‐ih‐sin], resides in chili peppers. An interesting bitter, savory or sour tastes. Instead, they react fact about all of these compounds is that they are with our somatosensory system. The oil based. Oil and water don’t mix. Therefore, that somatosensory system, according to Google gallon of H2O you downed after eating Thai Green definitions, is a system “Relating to or denoting a Curry is fairly useless. People will tell you to drink sensation (such as pressure, pain, or warmth) that milk. The reason milk is touted as a means to tone can occur anywhere in the body, in contrast to one down the heat is due to the fat found in milk. localized at a sense organ (such as sight, balance, When you ingest some fat to cool down the heat, or taste)”ii. So what actually happens to your the fat surrounds the capsaicin and removes it. If tongue? you slogged down some full fat soy milk it would have the same effect. The margaritas you are It all starts with the Trigeminal nerve. The having with your TexMex Diablo enchiladas can trigeminal nerve begins at the ear and branches off also soothe smoldering saliva. to the eye, nose, upper and lower jaws. Stimuli are received through “chemesthesis”, or chemical Alcohol is chemically a cousin of petroleum, reactions to sensations, [temperature, pain and therefore, having similar properties as the milk fat.v pressure], not taste. These types of receptors However, it is also easy to mix with water or water‐ reside in the skin as well as in the mucus based substances such as lime juice, cranberry membranes. However, skin is thicker and tougher juice or soda. So it doesn’t work as well as the fatty than the mucus membranes like the nostrils and mock sour cream. On the other hand, it is better the tongue. The top of the tongue, in particular, is than plain water and head and shoulders above spongy, chock full of receptors and absorbs the effervescent soft drinks which disperse the burning pepper compounds quite readily. This is why pepper everywhere. champagne bubbles create a bigger reaction in the nasal passages than if spilled on your wrist during a According to Drs. Mózsik, Vincze and Szolcsányi, toast and chili peppers burn the tongue, but not there are four stages which change the neural your fingers while being chopped for your favorite receptors when exposed repeatedly to capsaicin.vi salsa. First, “excitation”, next “a sensory blocking effect”, followed by “long‐term selective neurotoxic impairment”, and ending with “irreversible cell

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 17 destruction. “ Now you would have to do some The Author serious scotch bonnet salsa to have irreversible damage, but many of us are held in bondage to the Marty Davey, RD, MS is not only excitation and long‐term selective neurotoxic LaDiva, Dietitian!, but a Registered impairment. Dietitian with a Masters degree in Food and Nutrition. She became a vegetarian in 1980 when she If your first spicy dish was vindaloo you probably discovered that there were more thought your mouth was on fire and never looked chemicals in cattle then attendants at a Grateful Dead back. On the other hand, if your first was when you concert. Her family is all vegan, except the dog who were very young or was a mild heat, your mouth drew the line at vegetarian. She conducts factual and was teased by the stimulation. The seduction had hilarious presentations and food demos. While her begun. Then, like a first kiss from a teen‐puppy private practice includes those transitioning to a plant‐ crush, we just want more. We get used to so much based life, LaDiva's most popular private consulting stimulation that we need higher and higher topic is "I'm too busy and I don't cook." Her website is amounts to keep us happy. This is when we begin www.ladivadietitian.com. to deplete our neurotransmitters and enter the i Retrieved on June 11, 2011 from stage of sensory blocking effect. http://www.psych.umn.edu/courses/fall06/davenp

ortn/psy3061/hot_or_not.pdf Anyone who has been to a chili or salsa cook off ii Retrieved on June 14, 2011 from will know the terms “catches up with you”, “first http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls= you taste the smoke, then you taste the heat”, en&q=somatosensory+definition&ie=UTF‐ “one hankie chili” or “a slow smooth burn.” You 8&oe=UTF‐ can read similar descriptions on red wines with 8#hl=en&safe=active&client=safari&rls=en&q=som atosensory&tbs=dfn:1&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=SaP4TZKn black pepper overtones or finishes. Remember the Nef40gGXv4WKCw&ved=0CBkQkQ4&bav=on.2,or.r neural provocation is akin to high heat or abrasive _gc.r_pw.&fp=955a9bf9013e7a3f&biw=1116&bih= substances on your tongue. 627 iii Retrieved on June 12, 2011 from Which brings me to the sweating that happens with http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/4614 eating jalapeño tofu scramble. Those trigeminal 24/piperine iv nerve fibers not only respond to pain, but Retrieved on June 12, 2011 from http://www.chemicalbook.com/ChemicalProductPr temperature. Over stimulation leads to false signals operty_EN_CB8853857.htm of temperature elevation. Next thing you know v Retrieved on June 12, 2011 from moisture comes to the surface to cool you. Not a http://www.scienceclarified.com/everyday/Real‐ bad idea when you are in the tropics, but pretty Life‐Chemistry‐Vol‐2/Solutions‐Real‐life‐ annoying on a romantic date. applications.html vi Mózsik G, Vincze A, Szolcsányi J. [2001] Four But then, if you are having a romantic date where response stages of capsaicin‐sensitive primary the food gives a little pain with pleasure, I think afferent neurons to capsaicin and its analog: gastric that’s all we need to know. Bring on the chilies and acid secretion, gastric mucosal damage and leave the whip at home. protection. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2001 Oct;16(10):1093‐7.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 18 East Meets West: Spicing It Up

By Chef Philip Gelb

one like this!). Let the oil mature for 2 weeks sichuan chile oil recipe before using.

Some like it hot! And some like it really hot! This is for thai curry paste with yuzu those who like very spicy food. This oil will add incredible flavor and heat to many different dishes. Very easy to make and keeps for months if you store it in a cool, dark place. Spicy, tart and ultra flavorful, this curry paste can This is referred to as numbing spicy oil, as the be used in a wide variety of dishes. Instead of using Sichuan peppercorns leave a tingly numbing effect kaffir lime leaves as in most paste recipes, I am on the lips and tongue. Very sensual food! using yuzu, the Japanese lime, to give a very unique flavor to this classic paste. When yuzu is not in Sichuan peppercorns are very unique and cannot season you can use yuzu juice. be replaced with other peppercorns. In fact they are not even in the same family as the more 8 dried guajillo chiles familiar peppercorns. You can easily find them at 20 fresh Thai chiles reputable spice importers. 1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted 2 cups sesame oil (not toasted) 1 tsp black peppercorns, toasted 2 cups tien tsen dried chiles 3 stalks lemongrass, chopped ¼ cup Sichuan peppercorns 2 tbsp ginger 1 star anise 8 cloves garlic 1 cinnamon stick ½ yuzu, seeds removed 1 tsp sea salt In a food processor, grind down the chiles and 1 tbsp Chinese fermented bean curd (this Sichuan peppercorns coarsely. Place these into a replaces the fish sauce and is necessary) stainless steel or cast iron skillet and pan toast a couple of minutes. Add the sesame oil and bring to Place each ingredient into a mortar and pestle, simmer, lower heat and let simmer 2 minutes. grinding it down smoothly before adding the next Remove from the heat and add star anise and ingredient, or place all ingredients in a food cinnamon stick. Let fully cool and store in a glass processor and process till a smooth paste, adding a jar (plastic is a very bad idea for any food, let alone little water if needed.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 19 The Author

Philip Gelb was born and raised in Brooklyn NY. He ended up in Florida where he received a BA in cultural anthropology and did graduate studies in ethnomusicology. For the last decade he has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area where he works as a professional musician and music teacher as well as a vegan chef. As a musician he has performed all over the United States and in Japan, Europe and Canada. 5 years ago he started In the Mood for Food, a vegetarian personal chef and catering company. He has been vegetarian since 17 and after becoming vegan 4 years ago, he changed his business to strictly vegan cuisine. Although totally self taught as a chef, he is a very popular vegan cooking teacher, hosting monthly classes. His other interests include hiking, travelling, and he is an avid film buff. Of course, he loves cooking, especially for friends as well as professionally. Visit Phil at www.philipgelb.blogspot.com.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 20 The Beautiful Avocado

By Angela Elliott

Avocados will surprise you! Let me explain briefly why Avocados are more than just good for your avocados help skin and hair. Avocadoes have a unique you lose fat. weight loss element to them. They drive bad Avocados fats out of the body effortlessly. Contrary to contain the popular belief, avocados do not make you fat. following They are high in fat, however the fat in an nutrients; avocado is in a league all its own because the vitamins B1, B2, molecular structure of the fat in an avocado is B3, B5, E, K, designed to attach itself to the toxic fats biotin, stored in the body, including cellulite, thereby carotenoids, dissolving it and ushering it out of the body. folate, potassium, zinc, Good fats come in, aid the body with required beta‐sitosterol, nutrients, lubricate, clean, and leave the glutathione, body, unlike bad fats, which stay and collect omega‐6 fatty in and around the cells and cause plaque acids, and fiber. around the pericardium, the muscle Avocados speed surrounding the heart. All cooked fats, except for up the resting metabolism and contain powerful coconut oil have the potential to go rancid in the immune building properties. Avocados high B body. When looking primarily at fat loss, even oils vitamin content helps the immune cells seek out that would normally be considered healthy oils will and destroy harmful invaders. The synergy of the quickly become bad fats, because they have the vitamins and minerals allow for effortless weight ability to hang around in the cells too. Those oils loss, a unique quality of the avocado that you can are sunflower, safflower, canola, and most put to work for you. I have witnessed my own vegetable oils. Bad fats for everyone concerned dramatic weight loss and that of my best friend's about their heart health and overall health are father. I actually had to cease eating over 5 hydrogenated oils and animal fats. Even olive oil avocados a day, because I was losing too much has the potential to go rancid in the body when weight. My friend's father is very skinny, eats tons cooked at high temperatures. All bad fats stick to of healthy grains, along with ten avocados and the walls of your cells, making you fat and toxic, stays skinny to the point that he should cut back. and while you may not always get fat consuming Try this for yourself. Begin to eat avocados in fun these particular fats, they can create plaque on ways. Add one or two to a fruit smoothie, and a your arteries and make you older. whole one sliced to a sandwich. Eat one for a snack with salt and pepper. If you eat cooked food, enjoy On a metaphysical level, negative emotions are one diced over your pasta. Start with five or six a always stored in body fat, thus you will feel lighter day, see how much weight you lose eating regular and emotionally cleansed upon losing weight. meals and refusing to binge eat. Also try the recipe below.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 21 Here's a fun recipe for you, using the magical fruit, avocado. The Author

Angela Elliott is the author of Alive in Rock-A-Mole Five, Holiday Fare with Angela, The 5 ripe avocados, mashed Simple Gourmet, and more books on 3 ripe mangoes, diced 1 ripe tomato, diced the way! Angela is the inventor of Five ½ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped Minute Gourmet Meals™, Raw Nut‐ Salt to taste Free Cuisine™, Raw Vegan Dog ½ jalapeno chile, diced Cuisine™, and The Celestialwich™, and the owner and operator of She‐ Slice avocados lengthwise, remove the pits, and Zen Cuisine. www.she‐zencuisine.com. Angela has gently scrape out the avocado meat. contributed to various publications, including Vegnews Add the avocado meat to a bowl and with the Magazine, Vegetarian Baby and Child Magazine, and back of a spoon, mash the avocadoes. has taught gourmet classes, holistic classes, lectured, Save the shells aside for stuffing. and on occasion toured with Lou Corona, a nationally Add the other ingredients to the avocado recognized proponent of living food. mixture and gently mix. Add mixture to each avocado shell and serve.

TIP ~ You can serve the shells as is or you can accompany them with regular corn chips, freshly cut up vegetables, raw crackers or raw chips.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 22 The Life of a Vegan Food Stylist

by Ryan Luttrell

When meeting new people, one of the first as well as bake the cobbler questions is always, “Well, what do you do?” I to various points of the have had difficulty answering that question over baking schedule. My food is the past couple of years, as I do not have a title, then switched out with food office, kitchen, regular hours, and quite often, I am that the host of the show doing a variety of jobs revolving around the food will be demonstrating, giving industry. Therefore, I now tell those inquiring that the audience a more perfect I am a Food Stylist, which almost always prompts looking recipe. Sometimes, the question, “Well what does a Food Stylist do?” this may take me making multiple cobblers in order Crème Brulee Fruit Tarts Well, for the simplest answer, I try to make food to get a final appearance ready to be switched out on the look as beautiful as it can possibly be for television that both the host and or photography. An example of this may be work producers of the show will agree upon. Finally, my that I do for the Food Network. While working on job is also to produce “beauty shots” or the final one of the shows, the host or talent of the show product that is made, and will often be viewed as may spend the majority of the time demonstrating the segment is fading to commercial. recipes and going over topics and tips that chefs may know. While going through many of these A difficulty in this procedure is matching what the segments, the pressure and tension of getting a host will make, fold for fold on the crust, every cut recipe perfect may be difficult to pull off. For this of the fruit for the cobbler, etc. Additionally, time reason, the network hires me to work in a kitchen is always an element, as things happen on set and to the side and make duplicates of everything on with the talent. As the time becomes crucial, the show available for switching out. For example, adjustments are usually needed to ensure the if a peach cobbler is being made on a particular projects are successful. This especially comes into show, the host may make the dough, then filling play when being a Food Stylist for photography. and proceed to bake the cobbler off. However, Often the lighting or other effects will need to be because of the difficulty in making it perfect each adjusted throughout a shot. Therefore, it is the time while being recorded, the network will want Food Stylist’s job to ensure that the final product to have a backup of the product to trade off. looks perfect, even while waiting an hour for the Essentially, I will have prepared a variety of scene to be set. In the occasions, often food is different cobblers at various points of the process. replaced with other types of more stable foods. I will prepare a crust that is raw, one that is frozen For example, when shooting a bowl of ice cream, and one that is all the way baked for the show to there is an element of sensitivity because of the choose from. Then I will also, prepare the fillings, melting factor. Therefore, a different type of food

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 23 may be used, such as a type of dough or other food condescending manner. Often your workmates that gives a similar appearance to the presented make myself and other vegans/vegetarians feel dish. that we are inconveniencing them during their meal, even if they do not do anything to assist. Additionally, I do similar work for magazines, Lastly, I am often forced to cook or prepare foods cookbooks or anything else wanting to take food that I don't approve of in a humanitarian manner. pictures. This process is often time‐staking and Imagine what my experiences must have been like ever‐changing. I have learned that when making working in Memphis, Tennessee, at the yearly food for a particular article or book, it’s not just Barbeque Festival called Memphis in May. The making the food that I make or even the recipe only two items that may be consumed during the provider’s, but also that of the author. Certain three day weekend are beer and pork. Because of articles are written with a particular creative past employment, I was made to manage different nature, or even a persuasive tone that will want to teams, slicing up pigs and preparing in a festival be transferred into the picture. This takes working manner, all while being adamantly opposed to the creatively with a photographer to get the mood of treatment of the products that I'm utilizing. the picture before ever making the food. The experience of being a Food Stylist is an Being a vegan and working in the industry is innovative career that takes patience, creativity extraordinarily difficult. Often the pace of working and an ability to adapt. There are pros of flexible on different shows, events or even restaurants, schedules, notable published work and decent pay, displays a fast, ever‐changing environment where but there are also cons of producing others’ recipes time is of the utmost importance. While preparing almost solely, inconsistent work and lack of and adjusting through the day, often meals are benefits. However, I enjoy the schedule of working prepared by one person or a smaller staff to feed for a couple of week and taking a couple off. I also the crew. These meals almost never include the have a sense of pride every time I walk through a diet that is wanted and required by a vegan; book store and can open a cookbook or magazine therefore, with the few minutes that I may have to with my food in the pages; or flipping through the swallow an entire meal, I usually spend looking for channels to see my work leading into a commercial some type of on‐the‐spot meal replacement such break. as a quick apple, banana or other. Additionally, even the aforementioned healthy options may not Editor’s Note be available, so it makes me prepare for myself ahead of a shift. I often have to settle for some You can see some of Ryan’s work on seasons 9 type of junk food, as some source of energy. This is through 11 of Down Home with the Neely’s and not a healthy way to live, much less a solution to Paula Dean’s Home Cooking, and in Edible the energy that I need to finish the shift. Further, I Memphis and Edible East Bay. find difficulty in the viewing of mostly being an outcast, simply out of others not being educated The Author on the dangers of commercial food production. I Ryan Luttrell is a culinary consultant, have wanted to do studies on why others become currently working as a Food Stylist for so offended when they learn that someone is a the Food Network and for Party vegan or vegetarian, usually in a mocking, Planners West in preparation for

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 24 Super Bowl XVI in Indianapolis. He has 16 years of food industry experience after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America. Chef Luttrell has been an Executive Pastry Chef at Chez Philippe in the Peabody Hotel, Erling Jensen’s, Ronnie Grisanti’s, and was Program Director for L’Ecole Culinaire (all in Memphis, Tennessee). Additionally, he has worked at the past three Super Bowls as the Managing Culinary Director and is pursuing an MBA degree from the University of Memphis. He resides in Berkeley, California, with his wife and son.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 25 Peppers Take Over the World!

by Liz Lonnetti

The key is man's power of accumulative selection: seeds from this plant so quickly spread throughout nature gives successive variations; man adds them the world? up in certain directions useful to him. In this sense he may be said to make for himself useful breeds. In fact the name for the newly discovered plants is ‐ Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859) accredited to Columbus, who associated the spicy nature of the fruit to the black pepper. He called it Some of the greatest discoveries and ideas in ‘red pepper’ because of the color of the fruit human culture happened simultaneously and despite it having no relationship to the black independently in different regions by different pepper plant, Piper Nigrum. The pepper plant peoples. Calculus, the Conservation of Energy Law, since then has been known by many names all thermometer, telescope, evolutionary theory and derivations of “chili”, paprika, aji, and of course more importantly to our discussion here the ‘pepper’. cultivation of the pepper!?! Evidence suggests cultivation of the Capsicum plant began by humans 25 different species of Capsicum plants have been around 8000 BC with different strains developed discovered so far, and others believe there are still independently throughout the ‘New World’. strains awaiting discovery as botanists continue exploring the tropics of Central and South America. Imagine the Of the current 25 species, four (or five depending culinary world in on who you ask) have been domesticated while the days of three appear to have completely different lineages. Columbus. Spices from ‘the Orient’ C. pubescens seems to have been cultivated in the were a rare, Andes in what are now the countries of Bolivia, precious Argentina and Peru. C. pubescens is still relatively commodity and unknown in the global markets and is primarily even something as used in cooking throughout South and Central simple as black America. C. baccatum is another variety that is pepper – so common place today – was in such high demand you could pay your rent with it. When tariffs reached their peak in England in the 1300s, nutmeg was more valuable than gold. Now imagine what must have crossed Christopher Columbus’s mind when he tasted his first Capsicum fruit?! Is there any wonder why the

rocoto chiles (c. pubescens)

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 26 predominately limited http://www.livescience.com/7495‐spice‐trade‐ to use in the Americas, changed‐world.html although it has some http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceeding influence in India. C. s1993/v2‐132.html chinense is the one least understood. The Author

Where it was first scotch bonnets (c. chinense) As a professional urban designer, cultivated and its ancestry is something of a Liz Lonetti is passionate about mystery, but there is some evidence that the building community, both Amazon is the center of diversity for this plant. physically and socially. She Because of their South American ancestry, all these graduated from the U of MN varieties were late in coming to worldwide with a BA in Architecture in 1998. attention. Little wonder that the variety to She also serves as the Executive dominate the global trade was the C. annuum as it Director for the Phoenix Permaculture Guild, a non‐profit originated in Central Mexico and Northern Central organization whose mission is to inspire sustainable America where Europeans first established contact living through education, community building and and was the variety first ‘discovered’. creative cooperation (www.phoenixpermaculture.org). A long time Being the most advocate for building greener and more inter‐ widely connected communities, Liz volunteers her time and distributed, C. talent for other local green causes. In her spare time, Liz enjoys cooking with the veggies from her annuum has gardens, sharing great food with friends and many of the neighbors, learning from and teaching others. To best known contact Liz, please visit her blog site varieties, www.phoenixpermaculture.org/profile/LizDan. including: maturing bell peppers (c. annuum) Anaheim, Resources www.urbanfarm.org Cherry, Cubanelle, De árbol, Fresno, Italian Sweet, www.phoenixpermaculture.org Japanese, Pepperoncini, Poblano, Puya, Serrano, Tien Tsin, Wax peppers, Jalapeños, Cayenne, Chiltepin, and Sweet Bell peppers. There is also some debate among the experts as to whether the C. annuum should be considered a separate species from the C. frutenses and C. chinense varieties, which would expand this listing to include: African Birdseye, Tabasco and Thai chiles from the aji chiles (c. baccatum) bird’s eye chiles (c. frutescens) frutenses as well as Habanero and Scotch bonnet from chinense! Diverse company indeed!

For more information on the history of this fascinating plant genus, please check out the following resources:

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 27 Vegan Cuisine and the Law Watching What We Eat – the ethics of food tv

By Mindy Kursban, Esq.

You have been hired to work at the Sunshine Dairy are standards of behavior that develop because of Company in Wisconsin, in charge of tail docking, ideas about right and wrong. Ethics are based on the partial amputation of the cow’s tail by applying the moral values of individuals or of society in a tight rubber ring that restricts blood flow so part general. When people act in an unethical manner, of the tail will atrophy and fall off, without they may or may not be penalized, and not anesthesia. The company claims tail docking has everyone develops the same ethical principles. benefits for the cow, the milk quality, and worker health. Having animal welfare concerns, you Sometimes an act is both illegal and unethical. The research tail docking to find scientific studies most obvious example is murdering another concluding the mutilation causes significant pain human being, which is illegal, and almost and distress to the cows and that tail docking has universally considered unethical. But something been banned in several European countries and the can be legal and still be unethical. It’s unethical to state of California. cheat on a test, but you wouldn’t be arrested for it. In the animal agriculture industry, examples of The company’s policy regarding tail docking is legal legal but unethical behaviors abound. It is legal to in Wisconsin. Since it’s legal, you conclude, it must cram seven hens into a cage so small, they cannot be ethical. Or is it? even open their wings. It is legal to confine a pregnant pig in a “gestation crate” so small, she Now, imagine you are the producer of a reality cannot even turn around. Even though these and television show called Food Fantasia, a cooking other industry standards don’t meet the legal competition show. The “cheftestants” are expected definition of “animal cruelty”, they are nonetheless to use some type of meat, dairy, or egg product in unethical. virtually every recipe prepared. Food Fantasia has a weekly viewership of 5 million people. Like most Returning to the ethical quandaries introduced Americans, you are vaguely aware that animal earlier, it’s more likely that the job on the dairy agricultural practices cause animals pain and farm would be considered unethical because you suffering, and you have even watched some factory would be directly engaged in a cruel act toward the farming videos from People for the Ethical animal. In the second example, the television Treatment of Animals. producer is far removed from the actual acts that harm animals. Thus, many would find it harder to Raising and killing animals for food is legal, and you conclude that her acts are unethical. It is with this are not personally doing it yourself, so you question that I want to focus the rest of this article. conclude that producing a meat‐centric show is ethical. But is it? Food‐related reality television shows are flourishing. Two cable networks – the Food Answering these questions requires differentiating Network and Cooking Channel – are devoted between laws and ethics. Laws are rules created by entirely to food and cooking. Bravo’s Top Chef governments to establish how people must behave franchise just finished its eighth season. The Travel within a society. People who violate the law are Channel has Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, fined, imprisoned or otherwise penalized. Ethics along with Man v. Food and Bizarre Foods with

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 28 Andrew Zimmern and broadcast networks are in on Second, they delegitimize viewers who do care the action with shows like Hell's Kitchen, America's about animal suffering, communicating contempt Next Great Restaurant, and the upcoming Chew. and pity for vegetarians and vegans. The host of No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain, is infamous for his I, along with millions of other Americans, partake in disdain in this regard. Writing in his book Kitchen this weekly indulgence. Watching these shows Confidential, he says: causes me internal conflict. Not because they result in mind‐numbing stupor, but because they Vegetarians, and their glamorize the one thing I disdain most – eating Hezbollah‐like splinter faction, animals. Episode after episode, body parts and the vegans, are a persistent byproducts of animals are given the starring role. irritant to any chef worth a Vegetables are relegated to the supporting cast, damn. To me, life without veal rarely making a starring appearing unless a vegan stock, pork fat, sausage, organ or vegetarian celebrity is invited to be a judge. meat, demi‐glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not Why do I keep worth living. Vegetarians are watching? the enemy of everything good Perhaps I seek a and decent in the human glimmer of approval from this symbol of spirit, and an affront to all I mainstream society about my choice to stand for, the pure enjoyment eat a vegan diet. Maybe I want of food. proof that veganism is gaining a foothold in the general Top Chef Masters featured vegan actor Zooey population. Mostly, I want Deschanel. One of the cheftestants called her these shows to give veganism a food restrictions “offputting.” One of the shot in the arm, something well cheftestants from that episode wrote: “I am within their power to do. suspicious of any eating regime defined by Unfortunately, 99% of the time I ideology rather than gastronomy.” watch these shows, I am left disappointed. Third, they set the expectation that vegan food is inferior. An episode of The Cooking Channel’s Analyzing these shows with my critical vegan eye, I Cupcake Wars featured a bake‐off that included notice they communicate four primary animal‐as‐ vegan baker Chloe Coscarelli, who won the food messages to their viewers: episode. The show ends with the losing contestant, wearing a look on her face that suggested she was First, they convey that it is socially acceptable to auditioning for the remake of The Exorcist, skin, carve, grill, boil, roast, fry, and eat every type exclaiming, “I should have won. I can’t believe of land and marine animal imaginable. In just one vegan cupcakes won. Kills me.” In the Top Chef episode of Top Chef, the cheftestants prepared all Masters “Zooey Deschanel” episode previously of the following: cheesesteak, cheeseburgers, beef mentioned, the guest judge was food critic Gael pho, beef tenderloin with shrimp, cow’s tongue, Greene. The blog Slashfood reported that Ms. caviar, smoked salmon, goat cheese fondue, Greene reacted toward the vegan diners “with the chicken pot pie, lamb kabobs, pulled pork, sausage, pity one would reserve for a feral child forced to and ramen noodles with seared pork belly, duck subsist on water and dust.” legs and duck egg. The reasonable viewer conclusion: “Animal” equals “food”, and neither Finally, these shows sorely miseducate viewers that animal life nor animal suffering has any moral the only source of protein in the American diet is relevance. animal flesh. Watching these shows, you would never know that much healthier and equally

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 29 delicious protein sources exist, including beans, responding to this growing audience base may not lentils, nuts, grains like quinoa, and even greens be so bad for business. such as kale and spinach. The Author After I turn off the television and vow never to watch these shows again – a promise I make in vain Mindy Kursban is a – I am left pondering the lack of ethics displayed in practicing attorney who is these shows. Serious ethical principles are wholly passionate about animals, ignored and trampled. Eating meat violates the food, and health. She ethical principle of compassion toward animals in gained her experience and which almost all Americans believe. Meat knowledge about vegan production is an environmental disaster. Meat cuisine and the law while consumption increases the incidence of chronic working for ten years as health problems like cancer, diabetes, and heart general counsel and then executive director of the disease, resulting in billions of preventable dollars Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. spent on health care. While there are many other Since leaving PCRM in 2007, Mindy has been bad actors, food and cooking shows that writing and speaking to help others make the unabashedly promote eating animals to millions of switch to a plant‐based diet. Mindy welcomes people every week display an unjustifiable lack of feedback, comments, and questions at ethics. [email protected].

The rose in all of these food show thorns is the new Cooking Channel show, Veg Edge, which portrays vegans and veganism in a positive light. There is also the Food Network’s upcoming Great Food Truck Race, premiering in August 2011, that will feature Seabirds, a vegan food truck from Costa Mesa, California. It is still to be seen whether Seabirds will be ridiculed or praised. Even the recent The Next Great Restaurant showed some awareness of the cruelties of factory farms.

It’s still too early to say whether food and cooking shows are trending towards including a moral component. In fact, even if they were trending toward bringing veganism to the masses, I doubt there is an ethical base…yet. More likely, it’s about the Big C, and I don’t mean cancer. It’s Capitalism. More people than ever are embracing veganism. Nonprofits like Mercy for Animals are releasing more undeniably disturbing undercover video footage of factory farms. More vegetarians and vegans are mass marketing delicious vegan food, publishing vegan cookbooks, and even releasing movies about veganism. More people are speaking out about the unacceptable horrors of using animals as food. Television producers, no matter what, want to make money and are learning that

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 30 The Vegan Traveler: Austin, TX

By Chef Jason Wyrick

Austin has a lot going for it. Funky stores, Zilker tofu sandwich), along with a salad with an park, great live music, the Alamo Drafthouse and a incredible sesame soy dressing. The dressing prolific film community, plenty of culture, great definitely made the salad, food, beautiful scenery, and lots and lots of fun with a deep, nutty flavor that stuff to do around the clock. It’s also at the didn’t overwhelm any of the forefront of the vegan food revolution. Just as veggies, but didn’t interesting, it’s also at the forefront of the food underwhelm them either. truck movement and both of these combined to The sandwich was, as always, make some exciting culinary experiences! exceptional. It’s comprised of whole wheat bread, I had the recent pleasure of visiting Austin just pickles and onions if you before the summer heat (and believe me, it’s a want them, and a very hearty piece of baked tofu sweltering heat, not the tolerable dry heat found in slathered with a rich BBQ sauce thickened with a my hometown of Phoenix) and after visiting all the generous portion of peanut butter mixed into it. used bookstores in town I could find, my next quest The combination of peanut butter, onion, was to try as many different vegan eateries as caramelized tomato sauce, and spices makes this possible. While I didn’t get to all of them, I did the best BBQ sauce I’ve ever had. I’ve also had the manage to get to a lot of them. Enchiladas Mole at Mother’s as well as smoothies, brunch, and a few other Day 1 dishes like the Reuben After arriving at Austin Bergstrom airport and and Bueno Burger. All acquiring my rental car, I headed off to my first of these are solid dishes, destination, which was not to check into my hotel though not spectacular (the responsible thing), but to like the BBQ. If you ever get lunch at Mother’s Café find yourself at (the much more fun thing to Mother’s, start with do). Mother’s is one of the either BBQ dish and oldest vegetarian explore from there. establishments in town and it has a deservedly good My next stop before checking into my hotel was reputation. I got my usual, the Whole Foods flagship store in downtown near the BBQ on a Bun (a BBQ the river. If you’ve seen some of the newer Whole

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 31 Foods, the ones with different types of garlic, baskets the food bars and of different dried chiles, a whole mini‐restaurants, kiosk of fresh herbs straight then you’ve basically from the farm, and that was just seen this one. It’s in the produce section. There huge, with lots of was an olive bar, a standard vegan options. I managed to pick up some spicy food bar, a coffee bar, a mini‐ guacamole which was actually spicy, something not restaurant, a soup and salad bar, a sandwich bar, always the case and then headed over to the raw and another food bar with a rotating menu of foods bar. This bar was what made this particular items, all with plenty of vegan options. Did I location special, since most Whole Foods don’t mention the artisan bakery and tortilla mill with have something dedicated to raw foods. The nut bread and tortillas made cheeses scored high marks, though the rest of the fresh daily? There was food was only ok. I would definitely go back and also a huge wall of get some of those nut cheeses to use as a spread at salsas, most made in a party or even mix with some pureed basil to Texas, a massive wine make alternative‐flavored pesto. and beer section, aisles of gourmet and Now that I had some travel food, it was off to visit standard precuts, and a as many Half‐price Books as I could get to and then coffee and tea area with check into my hotel. Food, books, sleep. Mission enough choices to last accomplished. an entire year if you just got samples of each. None of this, however, held a Day 2 candle to the spice section. The spice selection at After getting dressed, Central Market puts most spice stores to shame. I made my first stop As well as the usual suspects, there were over of the day at Central twenty different chile powders and esoteric Market. I had been ingredients like red wine powder. There was even looking forward to a section with salts from all over the world, this particular habanero salt, chile verde salt, smoked salts, it adventure ever since I goes on and on. I spent about three hours at the found out I was going market and came home to Austin. One of my with a suitcase of spices friends best described (yes, I got each of the Central Market as a chile powders, salts, and place for people that love food and he was dead on random ingredients I in that description. Whole Foods had a better didn’t have in my vegetarian selection, but Central Market was no pantry). I’m surprised I slouch and the quality of the food was just better. didn’t get stopped by The produce was beautiful, with samples available security at the airport for lots of their fruit. They sell individual servings when I headed home a and jugs of freshly squeezed juice, they had three couple days later!

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 32 With a few days left, fresh bread, fresh tortillas, More book stores, a stop at Waterloo games where and a treasure trove of spices in my back seat, I I picked up several role‐playing games and some headed off to my next adventure, my first food miniatures to paint, shopping for the class I was truck. I’ll admit, food trucks made me nervous at teaching the next day, a visit to the class site, and I first. I keep a very clean kitchen and setting up was hungry again! Fortunately, I had a trip to shop in a trailer in a parking lot seemed to be quite Kerbey Lane Café with Christy, the sponsor of the the opposite. However, the Vegan Yacht had class, on the agenda. Of all the times I had been to received good reviews Austin, I managed to miss going to Kerbey Lane. and it’s better to have Time to rectify that. Kerbey Lane focuses on tried something and get comfort diner food, but makes a very strong effort burned than play it safe. to source local ingredients and support local After navigating through farmers and has been doing that far longer than the parking situation, I the trend has been popular. They also made an walked up the street effort to include vegetarian and vegan items on wondering what I was their menu before the vegan revolution hit and going to find. What I that scores big points in my came across was a dusty book. In fact, they even parking lot surrounded have a prominent section by five or six different trailers and quite a few for their vegan menu on people sitting on benches under the pounding sun. their website. I got the That was a good sign. The Vegan Yacht was nestled Avocado and Black Bean prominently amongst these other food trucks and Tacos and Christy and I they had quite a few items on their chalkboard split the Queso. My tacos menu, which consisted of a lot of a few items that were about what I featured tempeh or meat‐substitutes like the TLT expected. Not great food, and Freeto Burrito. It sounded, well, ghetto, but but still fairly decent. The queso, a mix of cheese fun and it was! What’s amazing is that a lot of the and tomato based salsa, was tangy, but it had a ingredients are organic. I ended up getting an hint of nutritional yeast and I’m just not a fan of it. organic iced almond milk chai and the Mock Chik’n Christy, however, loved it and that was important Wrap. The chik’n would have been fairly standard, because she was not even vegetarian, so good for decent food, if it wasn’t Kerbey Lane for winning over the meat eater! for the fact that after There was also a chocolate pie involved in this putting it together, they endeavor, but it turned out the crust was not grilled it. That toasted vegan, so that was a bummer. Still, it was another tortilla took that meal delicious item for my non‐vegetarian dining from average to partner, so good on Kerbey Lane again! awesome. I would definitely visit the Vegan I thought that would be it for the night, but it Yacht again, and I would turned out I was up way too late. Sometimes when have, but my time was I’m traveling, insomnia strikes. This time, I decided limited and I had more to strike back with a trip to Magnolia Café South on food to try. Congress Street. This is a place I had been several

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 33 times before on previous trips, but those had been of protein they can have during a day. There isn’t a quite a few years ago. I knew Magnolia Café was lot of culinary help for this community, so showing open 24 hours and I was thinking about ordering the families good food they could make at home the Mag Mud, was doubly important. And fun! We made squash which is a black chili, zucchini fajitas, mango lime sorbet, eggplant bean dip, but burgers with toasted cumin ketchup, and spaghetti not sure I squash with basil sauce. Whenever I teach these wanted classes, it’s always a very moving experience. The something quite kids had a great time and a lot of the parents and that heavy. some of the kids came up and gave me hugs When I got because it was the first time anyone had shown there, about 2:00 in the morning at this point, I was them how to make great food and cope with PKU able to sneak into getting a table, an impressive at the same time. Being on my feet in the kitchen feat considering that even at the hour, the wait all day, particularly leading a class, is an energy‐ time can be fifteen to twenty minutes and the intensive experience, however, so despite being place was packed and noisy. As I sat down, the around food all day, I was hungry! Off to gruff, blasé waitress immediately came over and downtown for my next stop. asked what I’d like before even seeing the menu. Sadly for her, I was not a regular and had to peruse Beets Café is a raw foods the menu. I know, sometimes life can be hard. I restaurant located near think she made me wait an extra ten minutes for downtown along the river punishment. Finally, I settled on the Portobello and it was very well Quesadilla, minus the cheese, and a favorite, the reviewed. Naturally, I had Hibiscus Iced Tea. By the time the food arrived, I to try it, although I did drive was exhausted, but I lovingly bit into the around the area for longer unQuesadilla anyway, only to wish I was asleep. It than expected trying to was fairly boring, but I’m stubborn, so I ate it all navigate the one‐way anyway, paid the check, and headed back to my streets. If you go there, it’s nestled in a strip mall room. A disappointing end to the day, but it turned on the south side of the street and the parking out to be my only disappointing food experience garage is around back. That should save you quite the entire trip! a bit of hassle. When I first walked in, I noticed that the restaurant, which is small for Austin Day 3 standards, had that unique raw foods restaurant Time was running short, but there were still so smell (the one that smells of wet grass), but it was many more places to try! I started my morning rather subdued. It was clean and hip with a with another trip to Central Market to pick up counter that overlooked the street and a some fresh juice (apple ginger and a separate refrigerated area at the register with lots and lots bottle of orange) before heading off to my class in of raw treats for sale. Yum! Then I got the menu south Austin. Although this trip sounds like it was and I’m afraid I had to turn my waitress away centered around a restaurant tour, I was actually in twice! There were just too many good choices. town to teach a cooking class for kids with PKU, a She smiled at me knowingly and I finally caved and metabolic disorder that severely limits the amount asked what items were her favorites. She did not

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 34 steer me wrong. I started with the OMG! Cherries much a store for adults, if not more, than it is for and Chocolate Smoothie which was pure, rich, kids. On task, though, I headed to the back to the delight in a glass. I then followed that with the vegan ice cream parlor. That’s right, a vegan ice Cha‐lu‐pas. Wow. The cream parlor featuring locally made sodas. They raw tortilla was crisp and also had teas, including boba, shakes, coffee, and flavorful and the “bean” sundaes! However, root beer float was in my topping, made from sights. Then it was in my glass. Then it was my sunflower seeds, was stomach a few minutes later. I seriously thought phenomenal. To top it about getting another one, but responsibility won off, it was drizzled with a out. The ice cream was perfect and the soda was raw nut‐based sour cream the best root beer I had that I wanted to lick off ever had, and I’ve had the plate. Yeah. I finished quite a few. Hmmm. these way too fast and now I was too full for Maybe I should have dessert. Another excuse for a return visit, I gotten a second one. I thought, but I knew I’d need something for later, so stayed a while longer I got the ELT to go. That’s an eggplant “bacon,” looking around the store lettuce, and tomato sandwich on a raw bread. and marveling at some of Sadly, this one didn’t compare with the Cha‐lu‐pas the items from my and the eggplant bacon was chewy, but I still childhood that were on dream about heading back to Beets Café. sale here and some new ones that were just cool. Having picked up R2D2 Christmas lights for my Still full from dinner, I wife, and wanting a few more things, but knowing I spent a couple hours couldn’t fit them in my suitcase, I headed back to walking down 6th Street, the hotel. (The name of that root beer, by the way, listening to plenty of is Maine Root Beer. Ironic, as the president and great music and doing founder are both Austinites.) lots of people‐watching, before heading down to Another day down, one more to go. Tonight I the University area for spent packing so I had as much time to travel my last stop of the night around the city before my flight left the next day. and, it turned out, one of my most fun experiences. Toy Joy is located just Day 4 north of U.T. on Guadalupe Street and came from a I made my last trip to Central Market to get some personal recommendation from one of my more juice and pick up fresh bread for my wife, Facebook friends. A toy store with vegan soft serve which I stuffed into my suitcase, and then made my ice cream. I could not wait! Toy Joy’s website way to a small juice bar/coffee/mostly raw foods describes their selection as a “staggering array of café located just a block away from Mother’s. The toys and oddities from around the world!” That’s a Daily Juice on Duval Street is located in a former fairly accurate description, but they forgot to gas station/auto shop, completely converted over mention that they are packed with nostalgia items to a restaurant. This one does have a heavy raw and board games, too. This is definitely just as foods restaurant scent. That doesn’t bother me,

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 35 although I sandwich for myself and know some the idea of using shredded people turn jackfruit as the meat of their noses up the BBQ was brilliant. at it. Don’t let Counter Culture owned that dissuade my taste buds. you from visiting. The Sadly, my flight was coffee alone is worth a special trip there. I had scheduled to leave in just cold‐brewed Mayan coffee, laced with vanilla, and a couple hours, but there it was superb. Smooth and clean tasting with an was one more place to go. Would I make it? It was aromatic overtone. I would make a trip there at all the way in South Austin, but so was the airport. least twice a week if I could and I am not a big Slam the door. Hit the gas. It was time to eat like a coffee drinker. The food was fairly standard, but I Hobbit and have secondsies! Twenty‐six minutes didn’t have much because I knew I had a few more later I was at Dog Almighty, a shop specializing in places to go, including one last trip to Waterloo all sorts of hot dogs and chili dogs. Dog Almighty is games and Half‐price Books. not vegetarian, but they go out of their way to have plenty of vegan My next stop wasn’t too far options on the menu (in way and I was about to fact, everything on the brave my second food truck menu can be made to try something that vegan) and they are two‐ sounded, well, odd and time winners of the intriguing. Jackfruit BBQ at Texas Vegetarian Chili the Counter Culture food Cook‐off. I’m not sure truck. This bright sky‐blue how I feel about a non‐ trailer was parked outside a vegetarian group winning convenience mart, but had a nice private set up the chili cook‐off. Come on Texas vegans. Step it with a couple benches and tables nestled under a up and don’t let them beat us at our own game! I shade‐tree. The menu wasn’t large, but even if it expect a vegan to win next year. Now get on it. was, I had come on a Anyway, I had a chili dog (how could I not?) and sat mission. My Jackfruit BBQ down to eat…again. The chili really was quite good was ready a few minutes and the massive veggie dog (a Tofurky brat, I later and the Counter believe) was cooked Culture people even superbly, with a nice, crisp brought it over to my skin. They also happened table. Service at a food to have Maine root beer, truck! I squeezed my so I indulged. sandwich together and as I took my first bite, flavor and tanginess and heat exploded in my mouth. This…was…incredible. I am going to have to figure out how to duplicate this

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 36 I boarded my flight, happy List of Websites for my Austin Journey and satisfied, ready to head home, but excited Mother’s Café ‐ http://www.motherscafeaustin.com about the next time I could Whole Foods ‐ http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/lamar visit Austin. There were a Central Market ‐ http://www.centralmarket.com/Stores/Austin‐Central.aspx few places and events I The Vegan Yacht ‐ http://theveganyacht.com missed, but I can’t wait to Kerbey Lane Café – http://www.kerbeylanecafe.com try Casa de Luz, a vegan Magnolia Café ‐ http://themagnoliacafe.com macrobiotic restaurant Beets Café ‐ http://www.beetscafe.com and relaxation center, Toy Joy ‐ http://toyjoy.myshopify.com vegan donuts from Red Daily Juice ‐ http://www.dailyjuice.org Rabbit Bakery, Conan’s Counter Culture – http://www.countercultureaustin.com Pizza (a place I used to eat Dog Almighty ‐ http://www.hotdogalmighty.com at that now offers vegan cheese), a trip to Cheer‐up Special thanks to the Austin crew at www.vegaustin.com for putting together a Charlie’s, a vegan bar, great resource. some more vegan food trucks, all‐vegetarian Indian places, an open potluck hosted by Rip Esselstyn, and, of course, a return to my favorites.

This article is dedicated to Shirley Wilkes‐Johnson, who passed away earlier this year. Shirley was the host of World Vegan Radio and one of the nicest and most gracious people I met while I lived in Texas and was incredibly fun, warm, and welcoming to me when I returned several years ago for the Texas Vegetarian Chili Cook‐off. my spice haul from central market The Author a chef and instructor to help others. Since then, he has Jason Wyrick is the been featured by the NY Times, has been a NY Times executive chef and contributor, and has been featured in Edible Phoenix, publisher of The and the Arizona Republic, and has had numerous local Vegan Culinary television appearances. He has catered for companies Experience, an such as Google, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and educational vegan Farm Sanctuary, has been featured in the Scottsdale culinary magazine Culinary Festival’s premier event, and has been a guest with a readership of instructor and the first vegan instructor in the Le Cordon about 30,000. In Bleu program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Recently, 2001, Chef Jason reversed his diabetes by switching to a Chef Jason wrote a national best‐selling book with Dr. low‐fat, vegan diet and subsequently left his position as Neal Barnard entitled 21‐Day Weight Loss Kickstart. You the Director of Marketing for an IT company to become can find out more about Chef Jason Wyrick at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 37

An Interview with author and blogger Celine Steen!

Please tell us a bit about yourself. So a positive side effect of going vegan, obviously more important than still getting to eat baked Hi, I'm Celine Steen. I'm one among many vegan goods, is that I am a little more at peace with food bloggers who turned cookbook author. I myself since I am doing a conscious effort not to moved to the States from Switzerland in 1999. I add to the suffering of animals. went vegan in 2005 after many years of doing a poor job at being vegetarian, and it was probably You’ve now written three different vegan the best decision I've ever made. (Okay, I'm done cookbooks. What did you do before you became patting myself on the shoulder now.) an author and what was it like getting your first book published? What spurred you on to become vegan and how has that affected your life? I was just a wee blogger doing her thing when I was A friend of mine was vegan at the time, and seeing offered the opportunity to that she still enjoyed delicious‐looking foods write a cookbook. I loved (including baked goods, which I thought would writing about food of course, become obsolete) encouraged me to give it a try. I but never envisioned myself never looked back. writing a book about it. I definitely lucked out with this gig, and it always I find that going vegan allowed me to become far feels quite surreal to get the reward of holding a more comfortable in my relationship with food book with your name on it, after putting so many than I was before. hours of work into it.

But the number one reason for me to go vegan was What are some of your favorite topics or genres of the fact that I've always been extremely sensitive food to write about? to the way animals are treated: I remember seeing footage of geese being force‐fed when I was a kid, Sweets and baking in general are my favorite things and that never left my mind even though to write about. Baked goods are quite photogenic, admittedly, it didn't make me go vegan or even delicious to eat, and I have a hard time not vegetarian right there and then. blabbing about them for days on end when I'm done munching on them.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 38

I guess it all works out well in order to keep a food When you take your first steps as a vegan, I would blog frequently updated. And a stomach well filled. recommend peeking online for other people's experiences in veganizing recipes, if you're looking How do you go about picking what recipes make to avoid wasting ingredients. Ask questions to the cut for a new book and which ones don’t? veteran vegans, there's a lot of us out there who are more than happy to give pointers to whoever We (Joni, the co‐author of the books, and I) were might have questions about veganizing food. usually on a fairly tight schedule to wrap up our On the other hand, getting to play around in the cookbooks, so we never really had an extra 100 kitchen and making your own mistakes or recipes to choose from anyway, but we first tested celebrating your own victories is a fun and great the recipes ourselves (often several times), then way to learn too. had a rather large number of trusted people from various countries around the world try them in The fact that fearless (and not necessarily pro) their own kitchens too ‐anything that didn't meet chefs are constantly willing to push boundaries in their approval for whatever reason was dropped or vegan cooking allows us all to enjoy tremendous tweaked in order to get the testers' thumbs‐up. advances in making veganism a little more irresistible and approachable to everyone each day. What approach do you take with veganism when trying to win over meat‐eaters? Do you have any favorite cheese or meat substitutes? Ninja‐like is the way to go for me: I only bake and cook the best of the best vegan goodies when I The smoked cheddar by Sheese feed meat‐eaters, but I don't mention outright that reminds me of goat cheese for the food is vegan, unless someone asks of course. some reason, so I can't help but Then I let out a maniacal laughter (not really) when love it since it was something I I watch them take great pleasure in enjoying their really enjoyed eating before food. going vegan.

I casually drop the hint afterwards that yes, I think Daiya is pretty swell, too, but I honestly actually, did I mention it was all made without don't miss either when they're not in the fridge. animal products? I'm happy to say there haven't been any complaints, so far. Just requests for more As for meat substitutes, my favorites are Wildwood (vegan) food. tofu burgers and almost anything Field Roast makes, although I must say I rarely eat meat But I'm clearly living in a bubble because I honestly substitutes at this point ‐ that's just because my cannot say I've often encountered major hostility love for beans has reached epic proportions when mentioning I'm vegan or offering vegan food instead and has me covered as far as protein (and to non‐vegan folks. fiber!) goes.

Is there any key advice you can offer when trying What is your favorite dish that you cook at home? to veganize a recipe? (please share the recipe!)

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 39 always working on improving in that field, and I can never say no to Joni's Sweet Potato Po'Boys definitely enjoying the ride. (http://justthefood.blogspot.com/2010/12/sweet ‐potato‐poboys‐and‐holiday.html). Enough about me now!

There's a symphony of flavors and textures packed Thanks Celine! in there, and how could anyone not like the fact that bread is hugging all of this tightly for Contact Info convenient and tasty transfer to the mouth? The recipe can also be found in the latest super You can reach Celine at decadent cookbook Joni and I wrote together, [email protected], and find her blog Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites at www.havecakewilltravel.com (published by Fair Winds Press).

What advice can you give to new vegan cookbook authors?

Be original and innovative! There are so many (awesome) vegan cookbooks coming out on the market right now, that it's vital to have as much variety in subjects as possible.

Ask everyone you know (the readers of your blog if you have one, parents, co‐workers, schoolmates, people you know from vegan forums, and even meat‐eaters) what they are looking for in cookbooks. That way you know that what you'll write about is guaranteed to hit the spot for your readership and ensure some well‐deserved success when your book gets published.

What’s next on the horizon for you?

I've got a couple of cookbook‐related projects on the stove right now that are waiting to get the green lights, which is exciting.

I'm also extremely lucky to have gotten several food photography jobs thanks to the blog, so I'm

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 40

Interview with Vegan Media Queen Chloé Jo Davis!

Please tell us a bit about yourself! was a major bacon and eggs, 2 packs of a smokes a day touring rock n roller when I met him. He I’m a Jewish girl, born in Liverpool England, raised watched Peaceable Kingdom when we’d been in NYC on the upper east and west sides to an dating a little while, and went vegan and smoke eccentric family of intellectuals, Rabbis, beauty free on the spot. queens, and raving lunatics. Overall, it was a colorful childhood, I’m only partially scarred. I How do you merge being vegan with your daily spent my formative years in private schools, life and your personal relationships? yeshivas, and my teens rebelling, singing, and escaping. I’ve done a little of everything, from Being vegan is who I am. I’ve had to dump a few promoting some of NYC’s biggest gay parties to friends from my circle who just didn’t get it when I owning a vintage resale business, with a few reality went vegan, and I feel no regrets about it. If you TV stints in between. It’s been a fabulous journey, are going to be combative and unkind about my and the road ahead looks delicious. veganism, walk on by. The vegan community in NYC is so rich and loving, I never feel a lack of What led you to become vegan? Was there a support. I’m also lucky that my husband, son, aunt, pivotal moment or was it more of a series of and cousin are all vegan… so it’s really a family events? affair!

It was originally dating a vegan. Ingrid Newkirk is What projects and organizations are you involved right about what she says about veganizing via with and what role do you play? dating, it works! This person I was dating gave me some info on factory farms, and it was an easy I do what I can to help my favorite organizations; decision. Amazing how you can be an intelligent Farm Sanctuary, Woodstock Sanctuary, Mercy for person and continue to support murder without it Animals, PCRM, and Sea Shepherd. Whenever they being an obvious no no. Anyone with a heart who need my expertise or contacts, I’m there to sees footage from the killing floor of a factory farm provide. goes vegan on the spot. My husband Jeremy Davis

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 41 What is Girlie Girl Army? How do you choose the topics you write about? Girlie Girl Army is your one‐stop resource for a Anything I’m interested in reading, or ferociously progressive, knowing more about, or that inspires me, urban‐minded approach makes me laugh, or titillates me is what we to cruelty‐free living. We cover. don't carry picket signs, we carry designer What effect have you seen GGA make in clutches. We don't preach, we polish. Our message the lives of its readers? is simple: You can live large and still make a positive impact. You can be eco‐conscious and Gosh, well, for one thing – we’ve veganized elegant. hundreds of people… so we’ve definitely saved a whole lotta colons from cancer! I think we’ve What prompted you to start Girlie Girl Army and inspired women (and some men!) to make more how did you do it? earth‐friendly choices in their daily lives. Even if we get one woman to dump Windex in lieu of Mrs. When I founded this site many years ago, I found Meyers, we’ve made an incremental difference in few resources for people who wanted to live the world, and in a households overall health. Tiny ethically and fabulously. Hemp wasn't my scene ripples create big waves. then, unless it was on a Stella McCartney clutch. I wanted to provide resources for other ladies of You’re one of the most well‐connected people I glamour who wanted ethical (and that means know, particularly in the realm of artistic media animal free!) style and living tips, from what and fashion. How do you use that network to vitamins are best for your body type to DIY‐ing support and promote veganism and what your own cleaning products and even some difference has that made in your life personally? random bits of funny nonsense. My blogging began I happen to love people. I’m a girl’s girl, a woman’s in the form of a weekly newsletter when I was a woman, and a friend to everyone. You have to party promoter many moons ago. I would send out really screw me over for me not to give you my an email about where I would be throwing a bash kishkas (that’s guts in yiddish.) So, I love talking to that week and add in some fun tidbits. My everyone – from a street sweeper to a movie star, subscriber list grew pretty huge (many of those I’ve got a real fascination with learning about original subscribers are still devoted readers!) and I everyone. I usually get everyone life story in one merged the site into having a philanthropically conversation. It’s not a planned or methodical, I fabulous slant. I later began a vintage and sample truly believe everyone has something incredible to sale business where I would hold private sales in teach me. That said, I have something to teach Atlanta, NYC, and LA. I used the newsletter to them too! The basics of compassionate eating! So… promote those sales and still included information whether they ask or not, I share! such as, "This dog needs a home in Philly," or, "Check out this amazing recipe for vegan pizza!" As a relatively new mother, do you have any Finally, as my technological savvy grew, so did the advice for expecting vegan parents? site.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 42 Oh yes I do! I’ll be sharing it all in my upcoming to series, I’ve learned that the entertainment biz is webseries Little Sprouts, Big City(and then book) as unreliable as a rickety wagon. Definitely more with Alex Jamieson – on vegan parenting!  kids, definitely more writing, and always more eating! The basics are: breastfeed nonstop, attachment parent, listen to your baby (crying means Thanks Chloé Jo! something, always) and laugh through the doody explosions! Have your well‐researched answers Contact Info down pat on veganism for kids and pregnancy. You can reach Chloé Jo at www.girliegirlarmy.com. Don’t let anyone sway you on what you know is

right! Have a good community of other eco‐ Bio minded, vegan parents to ask questions and lend support. Chloé Jo Davis is an activist, writer, Overall, if your partner is your BFF, you are good to green expert, go. animal rescue warrior, radio host, How did other people react when they found out online personality and ethical fashion you were pregnant and vegan? Did it cause a stir expert. Beyond being named one of the “Hottest Jews in and how did you handle it? the World,” by HEEB Magazine, Chloé is a bona fide

green, vegan vixen. She lives in NYC with her Husband, Overall the community was incredible, and we’re her newborn son Panther Britain, and their five pets obsessed with Panther. where she works daily on her life’s mission, to green the world…one person and animal at a time. She makes Now on to a cooking question! What is your strides toward that end each day as the editor‐in‐chief favorite recipe that you make at home? (please of GirlieGirlArmy.com, a green guide to glamazon living share!) that boasts more than 300,000 readers. You’ve also seen Chloé as celebrity dirt’s host on RiverWired and in I cook as much as I can. Simple and delish: I really an Errol Morris‐directed, national commercial for Silk Soy Milk. Plus, you’ve heard her on the air waves love sweet rice for breakfast. So that is brown rice, weighing in on the topics that she cares about on a in place of water fresh fruit juice and coconut milk, variety of radio shows from Air America to Q102. Chloė lots of nuts and dried fruits, a little clove, was honored for her Philanthropic Achievements by Pay cinnamon, and teaspoon of vanilla. Bring to boil, it Fashion Forward and LL Cool J, and voted an “Ethical simmer 30. Fashion Icon” by VegNews Magazine. The good news is you’ll be hearing a lot more from Chloé as a book on Do you have any new exciting projects coming up? compassionate glamazon living and a television show in development on the same topic are what’s in store for Everything is exciting lately, but yea, books and ‘11! You are as likely to see her front row at a fashion more TV stuff, and a site redesign. I’ve learned my show air kissing her fabulous friends, as you leading a lesson about keeping projects that aren’t 100% demonstration for a cause she's passionate about… and that darlings, is what a glamazon is all about. done to myself, because after negotiating three

major network TV shows, and having them not go

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 43

An Interview with Baker and Donut Maker Extraordinaire Sara Beth Russert!

Please tell us a bit about yourself. result of becoming a vegan and not being able to get commercially made treats. Now it is pretty easy Hi, my name is Sara Beth and I am from Seattle, most places in the country, but at the time it was Washington. I make my living preparing and pretty tough, and if you wanted a good vegan feeding people vegan food and I love doing it! My cookie you had to know how to make it yourself. real interest and passion is in vegan sports nutrition, but people keep asking for sweets, so I Baking is precise enough without avoiding eggs, do what I gotta do, haha. butter, etc. Baking vegan, however, is often in uncharted territory. What have you done to deal Why did you decide to go vegan and how has that with that issue? affected your life? It is pretty simple, really, to veganize a standard I became a vegan when I was 16. I was influenced recipe. Then through repetition and playing around by the bands I listened to at the time and by other with your basic recipe you can really perfect it over kids my age who were active in vegan outreach. It time. There are few things that cannot be has been one of the single most life changing replicated using vegan ingredients, and those are things I think I have ever done. It is the reason I just a matter of time. started baking and cooking and how I found my passion for preparing food. Can you give any quick tips or tricks for budding vegan bakers? Did you decide to go vegan before or after you started working in the food industry and how It may seem daunting to someone new to vegan have others reacted to that? baking but substitutions are very easy once you understand the chemistry behind what you are I became vegan before I ever had any interest in making and the purpose of the ingredient you want baking or cooking. I had to learn those skills as a to replace. If you are replacing eggs just think

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 44 about what the egg is doing in the recipe… is it figure out how I was going to build a 3 foot tall adding liquid, leavening, binding? Then replace it animal sculpture! Once I made it through that part I with an ingredient that serves the same purpose… figured I could handle anything. banana or applesauce are great for adding liquid to a recipe. Starches are great thickeners and I imagine being on Food Network Challenge is binders… and good old baking soda/powder can fairly intense. What was it like being on set? always be relied upon to raise your cake and cookies. I would utilize the internet and you tube, It was really exciting and really stressful. You have you can learn a lot from watching someone make lights and cameras all over you and the actual day something with standard ingredients on you tube. of the challenge was about 18 hours from start to finish. You are expected to be entertaining and Recently, you won the donut challenge on Food show your personality, but at the same time you Network Challenge. Congratulations! How did are trying to perform an extremely intense mental that show come about for you? and physical task.

The donut shop I work for received a call from the production company that makes the show Food Network Challenge. They asked if we had anyone that would like to apply to be cast for the food network challenge donut champions episode. I was the obvious choice as a long time baker there who also was doing the majority of the pr for the company. How did the judges react to the fact that they had a vegan baker in front of them? Did any of their What was the process like leading up to the attitudes change as the day went on? show? Drastically! The day started with a lot of negative Just getting through the casting process was pretty comments about how vegan baked goods always wild, there were photo submissions, phone taste off and that there is no substitute for real interviews, and a video application. I made it in and butter, and by the end of the day I was getting then it was a waiting game for about a month compliments. It didn't phase me too much because before we were given any information we could I know there is a ton of HORRIBLE vegan baking out use to prepare for the challenge. Right before we there, I have tasted it and that may have been their flew out to film we were given the details of the previous experience, but I also had confidence in challenge and were asked to submit all of our the fact that mine would not be horrible, and that recipes and plans in a very short time. That was the they might actually even end up liking it. most stressful part of the entire competition. I couldn't use my employer’s recipes or mix as the What donut do you think cinched the competition exact recipes are proprietary secrets and we didn't for you? (please share the recipe!) want to give away the rights to publish them… so I had to write all new recipes for 4 different types of Well the judges all had different favorites in the donut from scratch in less than a week’s time. And final round, but the original donut I made in the

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 45 first round was said to be one of the best they had What advice can you give vegans interested in all day… getting involved in the baking side of the food industry?

French Toast Donut Just do it! Try and look for a mentor, work somewhere A spiced cake donut with maple glaze that has an experienced vegan baker on staff that Preparation Time: 40 min Serves: 24‐36 donuts you can pick up as much Cooking Time: 12 min knowledge as possible from. Most places will take Batter someone new to baking if 9 cups All Purpose Flour .25 cups Soy Flour they have enthusiasm and 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda 2 Tablespoons Baking willingness to learn. There Powder still aren't really vegan 1 Tablespoon Salt 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon culinary schools so you 1 teaspoon Cardamom 1 teaspoon Coriander have to learn as an 2 teaspoons Ginger 2.75 cups Sugar apprentice. Don't be afraid 2 teaspoons Lecithin 2 Tablespoons Oil to learn from non‐vegan 2 teaspoons Vanilla Powder 2 teaspoons Orange Zest baking as well‐ take what 3‐4 cups Water Palm Oil for frying you observe and apply it to your vegan baking. Be Glaze creative and have fun! 1.75 to 2 cups Maple Syrup 4 cups Powdered Sugar 2 Tablespoons Earth Balance 0.5 teaspoon Vanilla What’s on the horizon for Extract you? Pinch of salt I am working on writing my Create glaze by heating maple syrup, earth balance, and vanilla in a small sauce first cookbook and trying to pan over medium heat. Stir frequently until it reaches a low boil and remove figure out ways to get more from heat. Pour over powdered sugar and whisk until combined. Add salt to and more people eating taste. and talking about vegan foods. Mix cake batter by combining dry to wet. Reserve 1 cup of water. Mix on medium low speed until all ingredients are incorporated adding small amounts Thanks Sara Beth! of water as needed. Your finished batter should be a smooth thick consistency. Contact Info Allow batter 3‐5 minutes to set up and load it into your cake depositor. Fry You can reach Sara Beth at donuts in 350‐375 degree palm oil, flipping half way through, and allow them [email protected] to drain after removing from oil. m and at

www.vegansarabeth.com. Finish donuts with maple glaze while still hot and set upright to allow glaze to You can also find her on harden. Twitter @sarabethxvx

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 46 Restaurant Review: Saturn Café Reviewer: Ryan Luttrell

Saturn Café http://www.saturncafe.com

2175 Allston Way 145 Laurel St. Berkley, CA 94704 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 510.845.8505

Hours M‐F 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. M‐F 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 a.m. Sa‐Su 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. Sa‐Su 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 a.m.

Finding something to eat in Berkeley, California Food after 10:00 p.m. can sometimes be difficult for a vegan. However, recently while I was searching for The cuisine of Saturn Café consists of that of a such a timely experience, I came across the Saturn 1950’s burger joint, made solely with vegetarians Café near the campus of the University of and vegans in mind. There menu contains a California. The food was excellent, prompting me healthy listing of different sandwiches, burgers and to visit Saturn Café again a couple of times to try salads, all with a themed twist of the spacey out some different menu options. Saturn Café has atmosphere. I have found two items that I have a a very fun and vast menu centered completely on difficult time choosing between on every trip: the vegetarian and vegan cuisine. The experiences FLT and the have been out of this world! Space Cowboy. Atmosphere On my trip Saturn Café is positioned on Allston Way, right off to Saturn of Oxford Street. Upon entering the restaurant, Café, I tried you instantly get the feel of a 1950’s diner. There the FLT. are milkshakes being made behind the counter, This pink walls streaked with white stars and milky sandwich is ways. As you sit down to look over the vast menu, a play‐off of the BLT, using Fakin bacon, stacked you sit on a table with a glass top, covering all upon layers of locally grown tomatoes and greens. types of toys, trinkets and other space gear. The towering sandwich stands about 3” tall, and is Basically, it’s a fun place to dine! served with a choice of Saturn Café’s onion rings or fries. The side options are also difficult to choose from as the onion rings have been lightly fried to produce a gentle crisp only until biting through a perfectly cooked onion ring, or the choice of two

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 47 fries: steak or thin. The think fries are cooked to a Conclusion perfect crisp, while the steak fried are almost dense and cloudy in texture. Saturn Café is an amazing experience for the vegan or vegetarian diner. It’s quick, efficient and offers a Next time, I experienced the Space Cowboy. This is variety of choices to keep the experiences new and my favorite choice on the menu because of its fresh. I highly recommend the experience for the appeal to my southern upbringing eating grilled vegan or other! burgers and barbeque sauce. The burger is a nice, rounded veggie patty, placed on top of a rounded The Reviewer bun, but the pleasure is in the toppings. The Space Cowboy is layered with onion rings, barbeque Ryan Luttrell is a culinary sauce, lettuce and white cheddar cheese. The consultant, currently working as combination of ingredients topping a tender a Food Stylist for the Food cooked veggie burger makes an outstanding meal! Network and for Party Planners West in preparation for Super These options have been exceptional each time Bowl XVI in Indianapolis. He has that I have dined at Saturn Café, but the key to the 16 years of food industry meal is one of the swirling milk shakes made with experience after graduating vegan ice cream. The customary choices of from the Culinary Institute of America. Chef Luttrell strawberry, vanilla and chocolate are spun into the has been an Executive Pastry Chef at Chez Philippe heavens, but the master is the chocolate mint in the Peabody Hotel, Erling Jensen’s, Ronnie shake. This delightful mixture of diced vegan Grisanti’s, and was Program Director for L’Ecole chocolate chips, with mint ice cream, is a treat for Culinaire (all in Memphis, Tennessee). Additionally, the ages. It’s an outstanding way to finish a he has worked at the past three Super Bowls as the tremendous vegan experience! Managing Culinary Director and is pursuing an MBA degree from the University of Memphis. He Price resides in Berkeley, California, with his wife and son. The prices of the Saturn Café are reasonable and affordable. The FLT cost $7.95, while the Space Cowboy will run about $9.50. The shakes are a deal at $5.25, as you essentially get two shakes (they provide a shake in a chilled glass and the entire container, ½ full of shake, from the spinning). While the rest of the menu rounds out between a low of $6.75, and a high of $9.50. They also actively sell their product through internet sales and social media awareness.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 48

Book Review: Ani’s Raw Food Asia

Author: Ani Phyo Author: Ani Phyo Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books

Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978‐0738214573 Reviewer: Madelyn Pryor Price: $22.50

If you are in the least curious about raw foods, you harmful stress with a list of ways to think more probably know the name Ani Phyo. If you know her positive thoughts you will find a wealth of great name, you know how amazing her books are. If you information on clearing your life of harmful are not curious about raw foods and you pick up ingredients. this book, you will be amazed. In Ani’s Raw Food Asia, Phyo has created a book that is more than a Reading this book cover to cover gives you collection of recipes, but also a lifestyle guide. everything you need to be kinder to yourself, your community, and your environment. Wherever you Those new to raw foods will be pleasantly are on your journey of veganism, you will find Ani’s surprised by this book. As in all her other books, Raw Food Asia a motivating companion. Treat Phyo includes all the basics of why you should eat yourself to this wonderful book now! raw, and how to do it. You can get directions on how to make raw noodles, how to dehydrate without an Excalibur, and even how to make raw The Reviewer water keifer (something I started doing after reading this book. Yum!). If you are an experienced Madelyn is a lover of connoisseur of raw foods, you will also find this dessert, which she book embraces you. Cucumber Namul, Kreamed celebrates on her blog, Curry Saag Spinach, and Pine Nut Mustard Sauce http://badkittybakery.blogspot.com/. She has been are all exciting new additions to any raw foods making her own tasty desserts for over 16 years, repertoire. And those barely touch the surface of and eating dessert for longer than she cares to the recipe tour of Asia with Ani’s own unique twists admit. When she isn’t in the kitchen creating new on every recipe. wonders of sugary goodness, she is chasing after her bad kitties, or reviewing products for various But like all Phyo’s books, Ani’s Raw Food Asia does websites and publications. She can be contacted at not just concentrate on feeding your body, but also [email protected] or feeding your soul. With everything from tips to [email protected]. detoxifying your home by making your own household cleansers, to clearing your mind of

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 49 Product Review: Earth Café Raw Cheesecakes

Reviewer: Jason Wyrick

Earth Café http://www.earthcafetogo.com/ 27601 Forbes Road Suite 16 Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 949‐583‐0800 Can be purchased at: Whole Foods and at Earth Café website Price: $5.99 per slice, $34.99 per cheesecake

What better complement to the spicy issue than a cheesecakes, but we don’t need to speak of such creamy, cool, refreshing raw cheesecake? I first things anymore! Ahem. had these cheesecakes last year at the Whole Foods in Tucson on a complete whim. I’m not These are clearly a dessert, but they always leave usually a fan of most pre‐packaged raw foods, at me feeling pleasantly full afterwards. Satisfied least not enough to pay the exorbitant prices without a heavy, weighted‐down feeling and I very charged for many of them, but it was very hot much appreciate that. summer and the cheesecake looked intoxicating. My will caved and I am so very glad it did. If you’re looking for a traditional cheesecake flavor and texture without the dairy, this might not be an These are the best vegan cheesecakes I’ve had, raw exact match, but I’m ok with that because they are or otherwise. The texture is creamy and solid, rich oh so much better. and lush. The taste manages to be both light and decadent simultaneously, with a hint of tartness The Reviewer found in more traditional dairy cheesecakes. Jason Wyrick is the I have had the occasion to try quite a few of the executive chef and different flavors Earth Café offers and each of them publisher of The is outstanding. Chocolate, raspberry, cherry, Vegan Culinary coconut carob, blueberry, lemon. All were Experience, an educational vegan wonderful, though my absolute favorites were the culinary magazine berry flavors. To be honest, I created such with a readership of occasions just so I could try the different about 30,000. In 2001, Chef Jason

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 50 reversed his diabetes by switching to a low‐fat, vegan diet and subsequently left his position as the Director of Marketing for an IT company to become a chef and instructor to help others. Since then, he has been featured by the NY Times, has been a NY Times contributor, and has been featured in Edible Phoenix, and the Arizona Republic, and has had numerous local television appearances. He has catered for companies such as Google, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and Farm Sanctuary, has been featured in the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s premier event, and has been a guest instructor and the first vegan instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Recently, Chef Jason wrote a national best‐selling book with Dr. Neal Barnard entitled 21‐Day Weight Loss Kickstart. You can find out more about Chef Jason Wyrick at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 51 Reciipe Index

Click on any of the recipes in the index to take you to the relevant recipe. Some recipes will have large white sections after the instructional portion of them. This is so you need only print out the ingredient and instructional sections for ease of kitchen use.

Recipe Page Recipe Page

Eat at Your Own Risk Mild Torture Chili 53 Udon Noodles with Shichimi 111 Pizza of Pain 56 Togarashi Salsa Doom 60 Gazpacho & Agua Picante 114 Shichuan Chile Oil 19 Greens with Spicy Smoked Tempeh 117 Thai Curry Paste with Yuzu 19 Spicy Swedish Tempeh Meatballs 120 Ancho Vanilla Coffee 123 Puts Most People to Shame Spicy Bread or Pita Dipping Mix 126 Sundried Tomato Jalapeno Poppers 63 Pepper Tempeh Bacon 129 Pintos Borrachos with Garlic 66 Horseradish Cheeze 132 Chipotle Paste Chocolate Almond Spice Tart 135 Jerk Seitan on Grilled Flatbread 69 Rock‐a‐mole 22 Eggplant in Awaze Sauce 72 Fig Pistachio Balls with Harissa 75 No Heat Recipes Sriracha 78 What, you really thought there Pepperjack Cheeze 81 would be something here? I can’t Wasabi Miso Soup 84 believe you even looked. Spicy Apple Chips 87 Miscellaneous Sort of Hot French Toast Donut 46 Lentil Soup with Curried Yogurt 90 Coffee Chile Rubbed Tofu 93 Roasted Poblano Pine Nut 96 Quesadilla Stuffed Hatch Chiles 99 Spicy Portabella Salad 102 Hot Artichoke & Olive Paella 105 Plantains with Chile Ginger Sauce 108 Hot Sauce 15

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 52 Torture Chili

Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 1 hour

Ingredients 1 onion, diced 6 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tsp. of olive oil ¼ cup of hot New Mexico chile powder 2 tbsp. of ancho powder 1‐2 tsp. of chipotle powder 8 chiles de arbol, ground 2 tsp. of Mexican oregano 2 tsp. of ground cumin ½ tsp. of salt 2 tbsp. of whole wheat flour 2 cups of water 1 ½ cups of cooked, rinsed pinto beans 1 ½ cups of cooked, rinsed black beans

Instructions Dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Grind the chiles de arbol into chile powder. Combine the New Mexico chile powder, ancho powder, chipotle powder, arbol powder, Mexican oregano, cumin, salt, and whole wheat flour together and set it aside. Over a medium high heat, sauté the onion in the oil until it is lightly browned. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, sautéing 1 more minute. Add the chile powder mix and stir for about 1 minute. Slowly add the water, stirring the whole time until you have a gravy. Add the beans. Reduce the heat to low and allow it to simmer for about 40 minutes.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 53 Low‐fat Version

Omit the oil from the recipe and sauté the onion dry over a medium high heat until it starts to brown, then continue with the recipe as is.

Kitchen Equipment

Pot or Wok Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Small Mixing Bowl Colander for the Beans

Presentation

Sprinkle with a few cuts of fresh cilantro in the middle of the bowl to give the chili a splash of color.

Time Management

This chile can actually be eaten within just a few minutes of adding the beans to the chile sauce, but the longer it simmers, the better it gets. You can store this in the refrigerator for about two weeks and it freezes quite well.

Complementary Food and Drinks

This is quite spicy, so serve it with something that can mitigate the heat, like bread or a cool, sweet drink.

Where to Shop

All the chile powders are usually available as powders in your local market in the Mexican section, but if you can’t find them, you can always use whole chiles and grind them into powder in your blender. It only takes a minute or so. Approximate cost per serving is $1.25.

How It Works

The onion is lightly caramelized to give the chili some sweetness and also some bulk, but it’s not overly browned so that the prevailing flavor is chile and not caramelized onion. The chile powders are lightly toasted to activate the volatile compounds in them, intensifying their flavors, but they

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 54 shouldn’t be on a direct heat for very long, or else they become bitter. Flour is used in the chile powder mix to get the sauce to lightly bind to the beans and give it some viscosity. Multiple chiles are used to add complexity of flavor. The chipotle adds smokiness, the ancho adds a caramel fruity flavor, the arbols add a crisp heat, and the New Mexico chiles make a robust sauce.

Chef’s Notes

This chili is only for the bravest of the brave, hence the name.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 302 Calories from Fat 18 Fat 2 g Total Carbohydrates 60 g Dietary Fiber 13 g Sugars 4 g Protein 11 g Salt 312 mg

Interesting Facts

During the late 1800s through the mid 1900s, the height of the chili experience was at San Antonio’s Military Plaza, where Hispanic women, known as the Chili Queens, would set up stalls and cook and sell chili.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 55 Pizza of Pain

Type: Main Dish Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 1 hour 45 minutes (includes bake time and time for the dough to rest)

Ingredients The Dough 1 tbsp. of sugar 1 package of active dried yeast (about 1 tbsp.) 1 cup of warm water + extra as needed 3 cups of flour ½ tsp. of salt The Sauce 1 ½ cups of crushed fire roasted tomatoes ¼ cup of tomato paste 2 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar ¾ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper Salt to taste The Toppings 1 Japanese eggplant, sliced 12‐15 cloves of roasted garlic 2 roasted red bell peppers, sliced ¼ cup of loosely packed sliced basil 3 tbsp. of olive oil ¼ tsp. of salt 6‐12 whole dried red chiles (sanam chiles make a good option) 3 tbsp. of pine nuts

Instructions Making the Dough Add the sugar, yeast, and warm water to a bowl to proof the yeast (wait about 10 minutes to see if a foam develops on the water). Sift the flour and salt into the water and work by hand until thoroughly combined. Add enough water as needed so that the dough doesn’t stick to the bowl and isn’t dry. Knead the dough until it is no longer sticky (about 8 minutes). Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes. Punch down the dough and knead it again until no longer sticky. Cover the dough and let it rest one more hour. …or use a premade pizza crust. Making the Sauce Stir all the sauce ingredients together. Making the Toppings Slice the eggplant into ½” medallions. Slice the roasted red bell peppers. Slice the basil.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick and Chef Madelyn Pryor

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 56 Bring the oil to a medium heat in a sauté pan. Add the dried chiles and salt and sauté for 1‐2 minutes. Remove the chiles, but leave the salted oil in the pan. Bring the heat up to medium high. Add the eggplant and sauté it until it is soft all the way through. Assembling the Pizza Flour a working surface and roll out the dough. Slide it onto a pizza pan. Spread the sauce on top. Add the eggplant, then the roasted red peppers, then the garlic, and finish it off with the basil and pine nuts. Bake the pizza at 350 degrees for 20‐30 minutes, depending on how crispy you want your crust.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick and Chef Madelyn Pryor

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 57 Low‐fat Version

Omit the oil, toss the eggplant in the salt with cayenne pepper to taste, and let it sit for about an hour, then add it to the pizza and bake. Omit the pine nuts.

Kitchen Equipment

Pizza Pan Pizza Cutter 2 Mixing Bowls Measuring Cups Measuring Spoons Stirring Spoon Sauté Pan Spatula Knife Cutting Board Oven

Presentation

Serve it on a pizza stone or pizza peel.

Time Management

If you don’t want to make your own pizza crust, this recipe only takes a few minutes of actual work. However, if you do make your own pizza crust, you can get the sauce and ingredients ready during the second rising of the dough.

Complementary Food and Drinks

This goes well with a glass of crisp red wine and a salad with a semi‐sweet dressing.

Where to Shop

The tighter the skin on the eggplant, the better it will sauté. Japanese eggplant is long, thin, and light purple. If you can’t find it, you can use the more standard eggplant and slice it into strips. For fire roasted tomatoes, I prefer Muir Glen’s brand. Approximate cost per serving is $1.25.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick and Chef Madelyn Pryor

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 58

How It Works

The sauce has a touch of sweetness from the balsamic vinegar, which balances some of the heat found in the eggplant. The tomato paste helps the sauce thicken and bind to the crust and ingredients. The heat in this recipe comes from the homemade chile oil, which infuses the eggplant. The oil is heated and the chiles are then added so that their heat can infuse it. They need to be removed, however, or else they overwhelm the pizza and also become bitter when the eggplant sautés. Because eggplant is so absorbent, quite a bit of oil is needed to sauté it. However, because it is so absorbent, it ends up sucking up the hot oil, allowing the eggplant to carry the heat in the dish.

Chef’s Notes

Even if you don’t like spicy food, this is still a beautiful pizza. It has lushness from the roasted red peppers and eggplant and because it only features a few ingredients, it allows those ingredients to shine. If you don’t want it spicy, you can cut down or omit the chiles from the recipe.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 319 Calories from Fat 63 Fat 7 g Total Carbohydrates 55 g Dietary Fiber 6 g Sugars 12 g Protein 9 g Salt 231 mg

Interesting Facts

Sanam chiles tend to have thicker skins than other chiles of their size.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick and Chef Madelyn Pryor

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 59 Salsa Doom

Type: Salsa, Condiment Serves: makes 1 ½ cups Time to Prepare: 45 minutes

Ingredients 1 ancho chile, rehydrated 1 chipotle chile, rehydrated 1 habanero chile, if you dare! 4 cascabel chiles, rehydrated 1 roasted red bell pepper, diced 2 cloves of garlic 1 tsp. of olive oil ½ tsp. of salt ½ tsp. of toasted cumin seeds 4 tomatoes, roasted 2 shallots, roasted 1 tsp. of lime juice

Instructions Dress the shallots with a touch of oil and wrap them in foil. Dress the tomatoes with a touch of oil and place them on a cookie sheet. Roast the shallots and tomatoes for 30 minutes on 375 degrees. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the dried ancho, chipotle, and cascabel chiles in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over the dried peppers. While they are rehydrating, mince the garlic and dice the roasted red bell pepper. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan on a medium heat for 1 minute. Smash the roasted tomatoes. Peel and dice the roasted shallots. Option: If you do not purchase an already roasted red pepper, roast the pepper over and open flame or in the oven for 45 minutes until the skin is blackened. Remove the rehydrated chiles from the water and dice all the chiles. Combine everything together.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 60 Low‐fat Version

Omit the olive oil.

Raw Version

Do not roast any of the veggies and use a poblano instead of an ancho, a fresh red pepper instead of a roasted red pepper, and fresh jalapeno and cascabel chiles instead of the dried versions. Grind the cumin seeds without toasting them.

Kitchen Equipment

Oven Foil Cutting Board Small Knife Mixing Bowl Small Pot

Presentation

Serve this in a glass or metal bowl to best show off the color of the salsa.

Time Management

You can skip roasting the shallots and tomatoes and purchase jarred roasted red peppers to cut the prep time down to about fifteen minutes with this recipe.

Complementary Food and Drinks

This salsa is super hot, so serve it with something sweet. I suggest a sweet mint ice tea which will balance the heat and be refreshing.

Where to Shop

The dried chiles are usually available in gourmet markets and kitchen stores and almost always in Mexican markets. You can also find them at many spice stores. The rest of the ingredients are common. Approximate cost per serving is $3.00.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 61 How It Works

Adding boiling water to the chiles quickly rehydrates them. The mix used is not only for flavor variation, but for color. The roasted red bell pepper imparts smoothness, the chipotle imparts smokiness, the ancho provides depth of flavor, the cascabels are for a lighter flavor, and the habanero is there strictly for heat. The tomatoes provide a base to carry the pepper flavors and the lime juice accentuates all of the tones in the salsa. Toasting the cumin seeds darkens their flavor, brings the essential oils to the foreground, and allows them to compete with the robustness of the chiles.

Chef’s Notes

This would be hot without the habanero, but adding in the habanero is what truly makes this a salsa of doom!

Nutritional Facts (per serving)

Calories 338 Calories from Fat 90 Fat 10 g Total Carbohydrates 52 g Dietary Fiber 14 g Sugars 20 g Protein 10 g Salt 1553 mg

Interesting Facts

Cascabel is Spanish for small bell, noting the shape of the pepper. Habanero is supposed to be pronounced with the h vocalized instead of silent. That’s because the original Spanish word for it was javanero, with the j being sounded like an h.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 62 Sundried Tomato Jalapeno Poppers

Type: Appetizer Serves: Makes 12 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes

Ingredients The Jalapenos 12 large jalapenos 12 sundried tomatoes 6 tbsp. of Daiya cheddar cheese 3 tbsp. of chopped, roasted, salted peanuts Optional Batter ½ cup of whole wheat pastry flour ½ tsp. of salt 1 tsp. of dried oregano ½ tsp. of garlic powder ½ tsp. of baking powder 6‐7 tbsp. of beer Oil for frying

Instructions Method 1: Slice the tops off the jalapenos and gently remove the seeds and membranes. Fill each jalapeno halfway with a mix of Daiya cheese and chopped peanuts. Stuff each one with a sundried tomato. Method 2: Make an incision along one side of each jalapeno, going almost from stem to tip. Gently pull the jalapenos open and remove the seeds and membranes. Stuff each one with a sundried tomato. Grill Method: Place the jalapenos in a stand or lay them on a grill pan and grill them over direct flame until they are soft. Roasting Method: Place the jalapenos in a baking dish and cover it. Roast them on 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Battered Method: Combine all the dry ingredients for the batter, then stir in the beer until you have a thick batter. Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Dredge the jalapenos through the batter, then immediately drop them in the oil, frying them for 3‐4 minutes.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 63 Raw Version

Use raw peanuts and shredded young coconut instead of Daiya cheese.

Kitchen Equipment

Knife Cutting Board Small Mixing Bowl Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup

Presentation

I have a popper stand, which works beautifully not only for grilling the poppers, but serving them, as well.

Time Management

Roasting the poppers is the most forgiving method since you can walk away from them and even if they roast a bit long, they’re still rather tasty. If you grill them, they will probably be done in about 2‐3 minutes. Just make sure they don’t get so soft that they will fall apart. When frying them, remove them as soon as the batter turns golden. If it starts to turn dark brown, get the poppers out of the oil immediately.

Complementary Food and Drinks

These go great with roasted onions and potatoes.

Where to Shop

Look for big, fat jalapenos with a tight skin. They are easy to stuff and hold up well. Approximate cost per serving is $0.25.

How It Works

The peanuts are used to add an unexpected crunch to the poppers and the sundried tomatoes give a sweet, caramel, fruity flavor that balances some of the heat of the jalapeno. The Daiya cheese is used for creaminess, but also to bind the different filling ingredients together.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 64

Chef’s Notes

I admit that sometimes I just stuff the jalapenos with Daiya, but I love the robustness of the peanuts and sundried tomatoes and they always make a pleasant surprise for my guests.

Nutrition Facts (per serving, does not include optional batter)

Calories 83 Calories from Fat 27 Fat 3 g Total Carbohydrates 12 g Dietary Fiber 2 g Sugars 4 g Protein 2 g Salt 147 mg

Interesting Facts

Jalapenos are also known as chile gordo, which means fat chile. They were originally cultivated around Xalapa, Mexico, in the state of Veracruz.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 65 Pintos Borrachos with Garlic Chipotle Paste

Type: Side Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 1 hour plus time to soak the beans

Ingredients The Beans 2 cups of dried pinto beans, soaked 1 tbsp. of baking powder 6 cups of water 1 bottle of dark beer 1 white onion, chopped 5 Roma tomatoes, chopped Option: 1 sprig of epazote ¾ tsp. of salt Option: ¼ cup of vegetable shortening The Garlic Chipotle Paste ¼ cup of cashews, soaked 8 cloves of garlic, smashed 5 chipotles in adobo ¼ tsp. of salt 1 tsp. of Mexican oregano 1 tbsp. of oil

Instructions Making the Beans Soak the beans in water and baking powder for at least 6 hours. Discard the water and rinse the beans. Chop the onion and tomatoes. Simmer the beans in the 6 cups of water and beer with the onion, tomato, and optional epazote and shortening until the beans are soft and the liquid has mostly evaporated. Add the salt. Smash the beans. Making the Paste Soak the cashews for about 6 hours, then discard the liquid. Blend the cashews into cashew cream. Smash the garlic and then grind it with the chipotles, salt, and Mexican oregano until you have a paste. Over a medium heat, fry the paste in the oil for about 2 minutes. Combine this with the cashew cream. Add to the finished beans to taste.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 66 Low‐fat Version

Do not fry the paste. Use roasted garlic instead of fresh garlic (frying cooks the garlic, so using roasted garlic means you don’t need to fry the paste).

Kitchen Equipment

Pot Sauté Pan Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Colander Knife Cutting Board Stirring Spoon Mortar and Pestle or Food Processor

Presentation

Garnish with fresh cilantro if you want a splash or color. You can also swirl straight cashew cream into the paste to create a neat pattern.

Time Management

This recipe requires very little work, it just takes a while for the beans to soak and to simmer.

Complementary Food and Drinks

This goes with most Mexican meals, but particularly well with tortillas and grilled chayote squash.

Where to Shop

All of these ingredients are fairly common except the epazote, which you can usually find at Mexican markets. Look for chipotles in adobo in the Mexican aisle of your local store. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00.

How It Works

The pintos soak with baking powder, which works to soften the beans and give them a fluffy texture. The beans stew in onion and tomato, the acidity of the tomato allowing the flavors to better penetrate the beans. The paste needs to fry so that the garlic cooks and frying also caramelizes the

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 67 natural sugars in the garlic and chipotles. The paste is mixed with cashew cream to balance the heat, add lushness to the paste, and bulk up the paste without adding even more heat.

Chef’s Notes

This garlic chipotle paste is now a staple condiment for me, regardless of whether I am making these beans or not.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 277 Calories from Fat 36 Fat 4 g Total Carbohydrates 43 g Dietary Fiber 9 g Sugars 6 g Protein 13 g Salt 359 mg Alcohol 1 g

Interesting Facts

Chipotles are made from red jalapenos, which are simply ripened green jalapenos.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 68 Jerk Seitan on Grilled Flatbread

Type: Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes of work and 1 hour for the seitan to sit and 2 hours for the seitan to smoke

Ingredients The Jerk Rub ½ of a Spanish onion, minced 4 cloves of garlic, minced 2 Scotch Bonnet or habanero chiles, minced ¼ cup of sliced green onions 1 tsp. of fresh thyme ½ tsp. of coarse sea salt ½ tsp. of ground allspice ¼ tsp. of ground nutmeg ¼ tsp. of ground cinnamon ½ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp. of finely ground turbinado sugar 2 tbsp. of olive oil The Seitan and Flatbread 1 ½ cups of shredded or thinly sliced seitan Either lavosh bread to wrap the seitan or 2 thick pieces of flatbread like pita

Instructions Mince the Spanish onion, garlic, and Scotch Bonnet chiles. Slice the green onions. Option 1: Mash the onion, garlic, chiles, green onion, thyme, salt, and spices in a mortar and pestle, then combine them with the olive oil. Option 2: Puree all the Jerk Rub ingredients, including the oil, into a paste. Slather the seitan with the rub and let it sit for about 1 hour. Wrap the seitan in foil and gently pierce the foil several times with a knife or fork. Grill Option: Light the grill (hickory coals or wood work well and pimento wood is the most authentic). Allow the coals to die down so the grill is warm enough to cook the seitan, but not super hot. Place the wrapped seitan on the grill and allow it to sit for a couple hours. Oven Option: Roast the wrapped seitan on 300 degrees for about 1 hour. Grill or toast the flatbread, then load the seitan on the flatbread.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 69 Low‐fat Version

Omit the oil, but make sure you drip water over the seitan every 15 minutes or so to keep it hydrated.

Kitchen Equipment

Mortar and Pestle or Food Processor Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Mixing Bowl Foil Tongs

Presentation

It’s meant to look rustic, so just throw the seitan onto the flatbread and serve as is.

Time Management

The longer you can let the jerked seitan smoke, the better it gets. The recipe is really just a matter of balancing flavor and patience and it’s ok to alter the recipe to favor one over the other.

Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve this with fresh fruit and roasted spicy plantains.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 70 Where to Shop

My favorite type of seitan to use for this is found at Trader Joe’s. I get the BBQ Pulled “Chicken” and rinse the BBQ sauce off it, replacing it with the jerk rub (although I imagine the jerk rub and BBQ sauce together would also be good). Approximate cost per serving is $2.00.

How It Works

Jerk rubs are a combination of sweetness and caramelization from the onion and sugar, heat from the chiles, depth from thyme, and a very strong presence of aromatic seasonings. Jerk should have a powerful flavor, so the longer the seitan can smoke the better. This also allows the flavor of the rub to slowly penetrate the seitan. It’s then served on flatbread for a simple, portable means of wrapping the seitan. The bread also mitigates some of the heat of the jerk.

Chef’s Notes

If you haven’t had real jerk before, be careful. It can be fairly hot, so feel free to adjust the heat level in this recipe by using different chiles.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 366 Calories from Fat 126 Fat 14 g Total Carbohydrates 50 g Dietary Fiber 7 g Sugars 5 g Protein 10 g Salt 380 mg

Interesting Facts

Allspice is called pimento in Jamaica and jerk is usually smoked over pimento wood. The etymology of jerk may come from the Quechua word charqui, which means dried meat.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 71 Eggplant in Awaze Sauce

Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes

Ingredients The Main Recipe 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 eggplants, chopped into 1” pieces 4 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tbsp. of peanut oil 6‐8 tbsp. of awaze sauce (recipe below) ½ cup of roasted, salted peanuts 2 cups of cooked long‐grain brown rice Cilantro for garnish Awaze Sauce 2 tbsp. of awaze powder or berbere ¼ cup of white wine 2 tbsp. of agave syrup 2 tbsp. of peanut oil Simple Awaze Powder Recipe (use this if you can’t find awaze powder or berbere) Combine 1 tbsp. of hot chile powder, 1/8 tsp. of cloves, ¼ tsp. of allspice, ¼ tsp. of ground cinnamon, ½ tsp. of cardamom, ½ tsp. of ground coriander, ½ tsp. of ground cumin, ½ tsp. of black pepper, ½ tsp. of ground ajwain seeds to make the awaze powder

Instructions Chop the onion. Chop the eggplant. Mince the garlic. Chop the cilantro and set it aside. Over a medium heat, sauté the onion until it is soft and just barely beginning to brown. Increase the heat to medium‐high and add the eggplant and garlic. Sauté this until the eggplant is soft and lightly browned. While it is sautéing, combine the awaze powder or berbere with the white wine, agave, and peanut oil. Once the eggplant has cooked, reduce the heat to medium‐low. Add the awaze sauce and peanuts to the pan and stir, allowing everything to cook another 2 minutes. Serve over rice and garnish with chopped cilantro.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 72

Kitchen Equipment

Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Wok or Large Pan Stirring Spoon Small Mixing Bowl Whisk

Presentation

This is a fairly simple presentation. Spread the rice out so that it makes a bed for the eggplant and will still have enough room to let the rice show at the edges of the plate. That also means you should choose a plate wide enough to allow the rice to do this.

Time Management

Don’t constantly stir the onion and eggplant while they cook. That will just increase the cook time as they are consistently lifted off the direct heat of the pan.

Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve this with a side of curried tomato lentil soup.

Where to Shop

Awaze powder or berbere can usually only be found at Ethiopian markets or very large Asian markets. If you can’t find them, it’s easy to put your own together. Avoid packaged awaze paste or sauce. Awaze is typically made with tej, an Ethiopian honey wine. The white wine and agave works just like the tej. Approximate cost per serving is $1.25.

How It Works

The onion is sautéed until it is just soft to keep it mellow and sweet. The heat is then cranked up so that the eggplant adequately softens and browns, then it is turned down so the awaze doesn’t burn (it should just warm). Peanuts are used for crunch and to provide extra heartiness to the meal. The

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 73 awaze sauce uses white wine and agave to approximate the taste of the traditional honey wine used in awaze. The sauce itself is spicy, sweet, and aromatic, perfect for bringing the eggplant to life.

Chef’s Notes

This recipe became a surprise hit for me, especially considering that I wasn’t sure it was going to turn out right when I created it. Not only did it turn out right, it’s become a house‐hold favorite.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 403 Calories from Fat 171 Fat 19 g Total Carbohydrates 45 g Dietary Fiber 10 g Sugars 11 g Protein 13 g Salt 215 mg

Interesting Facts

Awaze basically means chile powder paste.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 74 Fig Pistachio Balls with Quick and Easy Harissa

Type: Dessert Serves: Makes 6 Time to Prepare: 15 minutes

Ingredients The Fig Pistachio Balls 1 cup of dried figs ½ cup of pistachios Pinch of cloves ¼ tsp. of salt if the pistachios are not salted already 1 tbsp. of orange blossom water The Harissa 8‐12 hot red chiles like chile de arbol or red serranos ½ of a roasted red bell pepper 1 clove of garlic 3 tbsp. of chopped cilantro (coriander) 2 tsp. of ground cumin ¾ tsp. of salt Option: 1 preserved lemon

Instructions Making the Fig Pistachio Balls Grind the pistachios into small pieces and set them aside. Pulse the figs in a blender until you get them into a rough paste. Mash the fig paste, pistachios, cloves, orange blossom water, and salt if necessary into a “dough.” Form the dough into 6 balls and press the balls tight, then set them aside and serve with harissa as a dip when ready. Making the Harissa Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles. Puree all the ingredients for the harissa. Serve on the side as a dipping sauce for the fig pistachio balls.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 75 Raw Version

Use fresh bell pepper instead of roasted red bell pepper and use a squeeze of lemon instead of preserved lemon.

Kitchen Equipment

Food Processor Spatula Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Small Knife Cutting Board

Presentation

Keep the fig pistachio balls chilled until you are about to serve them. It helps them maintain their shape and texture.

Time Management

The harissa gets better the longer it sits as the flavors meld, so if you have time to let it sit for a couple hours, you should do so, but don’t worry if you don’t. It will still taste quite good.

Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve this with dates and olives.

Where to Shop

All of these ingredients should be fairly common except the small fresh chiles, orange blossom water, and the preserved lemon. Asian and Indian markets generally have these ingredients on hand. Approximate cost per serving is $0.50.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 76 How It Works

The figs should be blended into a rough paste before the pistachios are added so that the pistachios don’t get ground and pasted with the figs, which would make a homogenous and boring desert. Orange blossom water is added to give a light, delicate touch to the dessert balls. Dried figs are used because they bind much better than fresh figs. These are then paired with harissa, a Moroccan and Tunisian hot sauce, as a counterbalance to the sweetness of the figs. The flavors used in the harissa, the cumin, preserved lemon, and cilantro, all go well with the figs and pistachios.

Chef’s Notes

I like how this exotic dessert is fairly simple to make. It’s basically grinding a few ingredients and smashing them into balls, and then blending ingredients for a hot sauce.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 119 Calories from Fat 27 Fat 3 g Total Carbohydrates 20 g Dietary Fiber 13 g Sugars 11 g Protein 3 g Salt 188 mg

Interesting Facts

Harissa is fairly common across North Africa, where it serves not only as a condiment, but as a rub and marinade.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 77 Sriracha Sauce

Type: Condiment Serves: Makes about 1 ½ cups Time to Prepare: 10 minutes + several days to ferment

Ingredients 10‐12 red Holland or Fresno chiles, destemmed and deseeded 2 cloves of garlic 2 tbsp. of palm sugar (jaggery) 1 ¼ tsp. of salt ¼ cup of vinegar

Instructions Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles. Puree the chiles, garlic, sugar, and salt. Place this in a bowl and cover it. Let this set until tiny bubbles start to form (this can take 2‐3 days). Once the sauce has fermented, stir the vinegar into it. Bring the sauce to a simmer in a saucepan and simmer it for 5 minutes. Puree the sauce once more time. Option: Pass the sauce through a strainer to get it silky smooth. If the sauce is too thick to strain, you can add a tbsp. or two of water to it.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 78 Raw Version

Use raw apple cider vinegar and don’t heat the sauce. Instead of using palm sugar, use two dates.

Kitchen Equipment

Bowl Cloth Blender Strainer Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon

Presentation

Not applicable.

Time Management

The moister your climate, the quicker this will ferment.

Complementary Food and Drinks

This goes well with noodle dishes, Asian soups, and falafels!

Where to Shop

Holland chiles aren’t always easy to find, but Fresno chiles are a bit more common. They are sometimes mislabeled as red jalapenos, which also work well in this recipe. Fortunately, at least one of those should be available at your local market. Palm sugar is usually available at an Asian market, but you can always cheat and use turbinado sugar. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50.

How It Works

The fermentation is what gives sri racha sauce its unique tanginess, which gets accentuated by the vinegar. It also helps all the flavor meld together and adds robustness to the sauce.

Chef’s Notes

I love dipping falafels into hummus and then dousing them with sriracha sauce.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 79 Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 169 Calories from Fat 9 Fat 1 g Total Carbohydrates 35 g Dietary Fiber 6 g Sugars 24 g Protein 5 g Salt 2911 mg

Interesting Facts

Sriracha sauce is named after its place or origination, Si Racha, Thailand.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 80 Pepper Jack Cheeze

Type: Vegan Cheese Makes: 2 medium blocks Time to Prepare: About 45 minutes, plus 3 hours chilling time Heat level: High

Ingredients ½ cup peeled Brazil nuts ½ cup raw cashews ¼ cup tahini 1 ½ cups water 1 ½ tablespoons agar powder 4 tablespoons spicy mustard 1 teaspoon onion powder 4 cloves fresh garlic 2 tablespoons of good quality oil, such as kalamata olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt ¼ minced assorted spicy peppers, such as Serrano and Jalapeno 1 teaspoon oil for greasing the dish

Instructions Select a 5 cup glass dish in the shape that you want your cheese. You can also use several mini loaf pans for baking. Liberally oil those with oil. I used coconut oil for this step, since it stays in place. Remove the seeds from the peppers and mince the rest. In a blender, pulse the Brazil nuts and cashews until they are in a powder. Add the tahini. In a pot, boil the water, and once boiling, add the agar powder. Whisk until completely dissolved. Add that to the blender, along with all the other ingredients except the peppers, and the oil for greasing the pans. Blend until completely smooth. Mix in the minced peppers and pour into prepared moulds. Cover and place in the refrigerator. Allow this to chill at least three hours, but overnight is even better.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 81

Kitchen Equipment

Blender, Measuring Cups and Spoons Knife and Cutting Board Moulds for Shaping the Cheese

Presentation

Not applicable.

Time Management

While the water is coming to a boil, you can multi‐task by mincing the peppers, and pulsing the nuts. But, remember to plan ahead since this has such a long chill time.

Complementary Food and Drinks

This cheese is lovely, but spicy. I think it would amazing crumbled into a bean burrito.

Where to Shop

These ingredients can be found in most stores, except for the agar powder. Order it online or try to locate it in any local Asian market – it is often very inexpensive there.

Chef’s Notes

Do not just throw the peppers into the blender with everything else, even though you are tempted!! You will end up with an off color cheese that has no texture. Instead, this gives you the appearance of a traditional pepper jack.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 82

Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options)

Calories 1204 Calories from Fat 810 Fat 90 g Total Carbohydrates 60 g Dietary Fiber 8 g Sugars 8 g Protein 39 g Salt 601 mg

Interesting Facts

You can leave out the peppers, and then just have a very mild mellow cheese.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 83 Wasabi Miso Soup

Type: Main Dish Serves: 1 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes

Ingredients 2 tbsp. of yellow miso 1 tsp. of wasabi powder 1 ½ cups of water 6‐7 beech mushrooms, chopped 1 green onion, sliced 1 ½ tbsp. of minced cilantro

Instructions Combine the miso with the wasabi powder. Combine the miso wasabi mix with the water. Chop the mushrooms. Slice the green onion. Mince the cilantro. Add all the ingredients to a pot and warm it over a very low simmer for 5 minutes.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 84 Kitchen Equipment

Small Mixing Bowl Small Whisk or Spoon Knife Cutting Board Pot

Presentation

This should have a simple presentation, though if you want to make it a bit fancier, you can lay a couple green onions across one edge of the bowl.

Time Management

Make sure this lightly simmers, just enough to soften the green onion. It keeps all the delicate flavors intact.

Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve with a side of sweet mochi.

Where to Shop

The better the quality of your miso, the better this soup will taste. Check out your local Asian market. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00.

How It Works

This is a simple miso soup laced with onion and cilantro and bulked up with beech mushrooms. All of these have delicate flavors when treated properly, giving the soup a beautiful subtlety kicked up with an intense wasabi flavor. Note that wasabi powder is used and not true wasabi because the powder is actually made from spicy horseradish whereas the true wasabi root has a more mellow, earthy tone.

Chef’s Notes

I love quick recipes in the morning and miso soup is one of my go‐to breakfasts, when I actually eat breakfast.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 106 Calories from Fat 18

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 85 Fat 2 g Total Carbohydrates 16 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 2 g Protein 6 g Salt 746 mg

Interesting Facts

Wasabi is part of the same family as cabbage.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 86 Spicy Apple Chips

Type: Appetizer Serves: Makes 2 cups Time to Prepare: 6‐12 hours

Ingredients 4 green apples, cored and sliced thinly 2 tsp. of ground white pepper 2 tsp. of chile powder ¼ tsp. of salt

Instructions Core the apples. Slice them into very thin rounds, the thinner the better. Combine the pepper, chile powder, and salt. Toss the apple slices in the spice mix. Dehydrate them on 110 degrees F for 6‐12 hours, depending on how crisp you want them.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 87 Kitchen Equipment

Knife Cutting Board Measuring Spoon Mixing Bowl Dehydrator

Presentation

Not applicable.

Time Management

These only take a few minutes to prep and then it’s a matter of waiting. If you want more pliable chips, only dehydrate them for four hours or so. If you want them fairly crisp, you can go up to twelve hours.

Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve these with a glass of mint and water and a light roasted red pepper sandwich.

Where to Shop

All of these ingredients are fairly common. Approximate cost per serving is $2.50.

How It Works

The chile powder and white pepper act as a counterpoint to the sweetness of the apples, which develops as they dehydrate. Tart green apples are chosen so that they have the proper proportion of sweet and tart once they come out of the dehydrator.

Chef’s Notes

These make a simple, healthy snack without compromising on flavor.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 478 Calories from Fat 18 Fat 2 g Total Carbohydrates 111 g Dietary Fiber 20 g Sugars 76 g

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 88 Protein 4 g Salt 442 mg

Interesting Facts

Chile powder is usually a mix of ground California or New Mexico chile pods, cumin, oregano, and some salt.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 89 Lentil Soup with Hot Curry Yogurt

Type: Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes

Ingredients The Soup 4 stalks of celery, sliced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tbsp. of freshly grated ginger 2 cups of water ¾ cup of yellow lentils ¼ tsp. of salt 3 cups of sliced mustard greens 2 tbsp. of chopped cilantro The Hot Curry Yogurt 1 tsp. of hot red curry powder (or use recipe below) 6 tbsp. of non‐dairy yogurt Curry Powder ½ tsp. of cumin seeds 1 tsp. of coriander seeds 4‐5 black peppercorns 3 dried hot red chiles ¼ tsp. of ground turmeric Pinch of ground cinnamon

Instructions Slice the celery. Mince the garlic. Grate the ginger. Bring the water to a simmer. Add the celery, garlic, ginger, and lentils. Return it to a simmer and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low and cook the lentils for 25 minutes (they should have fallen apart by the time you are done). While the lentils are cooking, slice the mustard greens and chop the cilantro. Once the lentils are done, leave the soup on the heat and give the soup a quick, rough stir for about 30 seconds with a whisk to break up the lentils. Add the mustard greens and simmer another 3‐5 minutes. Combine the curry powder with the yogurt. Place the soup in the bowls, add the yogurt to the middle and sprinkle with cilantro. Option: To make the curry powder, toast the cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the peppercorns and chiles and toast for 30 more seconds. Grind all the curry powder spices together.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 90 Kitchen Equipment

Knife Cutting Board Pot with Lid Whisk or Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Small Mixing Bowl Small Stirring Spoon or Whisk

Presentation

Don’t add the yogurt until you are ready to serve or else it will melt into the soup. If you have a steady hand, you can swirl the yogurt into the soup instead of placing a dollop in the middle.

Time Management

It’s ok to overcook the lentils and even the mustard greens, so don’t worry too much about the timing, unless you are making your own curry powder. If you do that, make sure you pay attention to the seeds, particularly the cumin seeds and the chiles, and get them out of the pan as soon as they are done.

Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve this with a side of naan or cumin‐laced chapattis.

Where to Shop

All of these ingredients are fairly common. Approximate cost per serving is $0.75.

How It Works

The celery gives the soup a full body and the garlic and ginger create a fragrant broth. The mustard greens give the soup a bit of heat and color, but most of the heat resides in the yogurt. The yogurt itself is cooling, which balances the heat of the dried chiles in the curry powder and gives the soup a tangy flavor. Cilantro is used for color.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 91

Chef’s Notes

Sometimes the best recipes are the simple ones, like this soup. It basically consists of simmering a three‐ingredient broth with lentils in it and then mixing curry powder and yogurt together, but the flavors provide a nice contrast of mellow and bold, spicy and cooling.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 383 Calories from Fat 27 Fat 3 g Total Carbohydrates 62 g Dietary Fiber 26 g Sugars 13 g Protein 27 g Salt 622 mg

Interesting Facts

Chiles can be dried by simply leaving them on the plant if you live in a moderately hot, dry climate.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 92 Seared Tofu with Coffee Chile Rub

Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 15 minutes

Ingredients The Coffee Chile Rub 1 tbsp. of ground medium‐roast coffee 3 tbsp. of hot New Mexico ground chiles 1 tsp. of Mexican oregano 1 tsp. of ground cumin ½ tsp. of fine salt The Tofu 16 oz. of super firm tofu, cut into 4 slabs about ¾” thick 1 tbsp. of oil The Chard 1 bunch of Swiss chard, sliced 1 tsp. of olive oil (or mojo de ajo for a gourmet touch) ¼ tsp. of salt Juice of 1 lime Garnish ¼ cup of pepitas Sprinkle of flaky sea salt (preferably smoked)

Instructions Combine all the ingredients for the coffee chile rub in a mixing bowl. Slice the tofu into ¾” slabs about 3” by 3” on a side. Heat the oil to a high heat. Add the tofu to the pan and sear each side until deeply golden. Remove the tofu from the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Dredge the tofu slabs through the coffee chile mix. Return them to the pan and cook each side for about 30 seconds, then set them aside. Slice the chard. Add 1 tsp. of olive oil to the same pan in which you cooked the tofu. Add the chard and salt and cook until lightly wilted. Remove the chard from the heat and toss it with lime juice. Make a bed of chard, top it with the tofu, then garnish the plate with pepitas and flaky sea salt.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 93 Low‐fat Version

Instead of searing the tofu, you can bake it on 450 degrees in an uncovered baking sheet (make sure you have a silicon or other non‐stick mat on the baking sheet). Bake the tofu for 15 minutes, dredge it through the chile powder, then bake it for 15 more minutes. Omit the oil with the chard and use about ¼ cup of water. Do not garnish with pepitas, but with diced cucumber. It gives a contrasting cooling crunch to the chard and tofu.

Raw Version

You can easily do a raw version of this with thick slabs of zucchini or Mexican gray squash. Dredge them through the chile mix (the coffee part won’t be raw) and let them sit for about 30 minutes before using them. Prep the chard and toss it together with all the chard ingredients and continue on with the recipe.

Kitchen Equipment

Sauté Pan Spatula Mixing Bowl Whisk Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Knife Cutting Board

Presentation

Make sure the tofu doesn’t completely mask the chard and place the pepita garnish around the plate, but not on the tofu too much. That allows the tofu to be the star.

Time Management

This dish actually moves quickly despite the ingredients. Make sure the oil is hot before you add the tofu to get a proper sear and have a plate or board ready to take the tofu once it is done. Otherwise, you may burn it. This is particularly important once the coffee chile rub is on the tofu because it is very heat sensitive.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 94 Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve this with a crisp, slightly sweet wine like a Gruner Veltliner. It should have crisp, citrus notes that accent both the chard and coffee chile rub.

Where to Shop

All of these ingredients are fairly common. Super firm tofu can be purchased at places like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and some Asian markets. Trader Joe’s also has a great price on pepitas if you plan on using them frequently. If you don’t, purchase them from a bulk bin. Keep in mind that the better quality your coffee beans and chile powder are, the better the rub will be. Approximate cost is $1.00 per serving.

How It Works

Super firm tofu is used not only for heartiness, but because it easily maintains its form even under a rough, high heat. The tofu needs to be seared first to create a crisp outer coating, but this can’t be done with the coffee chile rub on it because the chile powder is incredibly heat sensitive. That’s why the tofu is seared, then the heat is lowered, and then the tofu is quickly finished off with the rub on it. It basically protects the integrity of the chile powder. Chard is used for color and to add some greens to the dish while the acidity of the lime juice brightens all the flavors of the dish. It should go on after the chard cooks to maintain its freshness.

Chef’s Notes

I don’t cook with tofu that often, but I could not get the image of chile coffee rubbed tofu out of my head for several days, so I knew I had to make this dish. It actually turned out to be even better than I imagined and it is now a mainstay around my house.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 289 Calories from Fat 153 Fat 17 g Total Carbohydrates 15 g Dietary Fiber 6 g Sugars 3 g Protein 19 g Salt 456 mg

Interesting Facts

Throughout history, coffee has been banned due to political and religious reasons, usually to create market dominance for this much sought after item.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 95 Roasted Poblano Pine Nut Quesadilla

Type: Appetizer Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes

Ingredients 1 large poblano, roasted ½ cup of shredded Follow Your Heart mozzarella ½ cup of shredded Daiya white cheese ¼ cup of pine nuts 2 tsp. of ancho flakes Option: 2 tbsp. of chopped fresh epazote 2 large whole wheat tortillas Juice of 2 limes

Instructions In a dry pan over a medium high heat, pan‐roast the poblano until both sides are charred. Peel and deseed the poblano. Cut the poblano into long strips. Shred the cheeses and combine them. Spread the over half of each tortilla. Lay the poblano strips on top of the cheese, fanning out from the center. Sprinkle the pine nuts and ancho flakes next. Option: Add chopped fresh epazote. Fold the tortillas over. Heat a pan to a medium heat. Lay the folded tortillas in the pan and toast both sides until crisp. Sprinkle the tops of each quesadilla with lime juice.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 96 Kitchen Equipment

Cheese Grater Pan Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Mixing Bowl Spatula

Presentation

Cut the quesadillas into quarters, fanning out from the center, and then garnish with chopped fresh epazote or cilantro.

Time Management

There really isn’t much time management to this recipe save that you can probably do the clean up while the quesadillas toast.

Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve this with a cold beer and a bowl of salsa verde.

Where to Shop

Daiya and Follow Your Heart cheeses can be purchased at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and quite a few conventional markets. Epazote is usually only available at Mexican markets. When choosing a poblano, try to pick one that is as flat as possible. It will roast faster that way. Approximate cost per serving is $2.50.

How It Works

Roasting the poblano mellows the flavor and also enhances the sweetness, as well as giving it its own melting‐like texture. Epazote adds a light herbal note to the quesadilla, pine nuts give it crunch, and the crushed ancho (which is a dehydrated polano) gives a shot of caramelized fruit and heat. The two cheeses are mixed because Daiya on its own tends to overwhelm a dish while the Follow Your Heart doesn’t quite have enough flavor to shine through all the other ingredients.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 97

Chef’s Notes

This is a bit on the mild side, but if you want to add some heat, add a sprinkle of chopped fresh habanero to the dish.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 414 Calories from Fat 234 Fat 26 g Total Carbohydrates 36 g Dietary Fiber 5 g Sugars 2 g Protein 9 g Salt 710 mg

Interesting Facts

In the regions of Mexico that border the United States, quesadillas are more often made with flour tortillas. In other parts of Mexico, they are usually made with corn tortillas.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 98 Stuffed Hatch Chiles

Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 45 minutes

Ingredients 4 Hatch chiles, roasted and deseeded 1 chayote squash, diced 1 very small sweet potato, diced 3 tbsp. of raisins ½ cup of cannellini or butter beans ¼ tsp. of salt ¾ tsp. of ground cumin Juice of 2 limes 2 avocadoes, diced

Instructions Lightly roast the chiles, preferably over an open flame. Cut open a side of each chile, almost from stem to tip, and remove the seeds. While the chiles are roasting, dice the squash and sweet potato. Combine the squash, sweet potato, raisins, beans, salt, cumin, and lime juice and allow this to sit for about 15 minutes. Stuff the chiles with this mix. Oil a baking dish or use a silicon mat and place the stuffed chiles on it. Bake them on 370 degrees F for 25 minutes. Dice the avocadoes and spread around the plates.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 99 Low‐fat Version

Omit the avocado.

Raw Version

Use carrots instead of sweet potato and don’t roast the chiles.

Kitchen Equipment

Grill or Oven Baking Dish Knife Cutting Board Large Spatula Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Tongs

Presentation

Serve on a colorful, Southwestern plate with a small mango salsa on the side.

Time Management

Don’t roast the chiles too much at first. Just enough to char them a bit and get them steamed before you stuff them. They’ll finish off in the oven.

Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve with mango salsa and horchata.

Where to Shop

Hatch chiles can usually be found at most Mexican stores when they are in season, but if you can’t find them, use something like an Anaheim chile. Chayote squash is a small, light green, bulbous squash usually available in most markets. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00.

How It Works

Hatch chiles can be a touch on the spicy side, so the sweet potato and raisins balance out the heat with the squash providing a nice, light veggie to fill the rest of the chile. White beans are used for

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 100 their soft, buttery texture. The veggies sit for just a bit in the lime juice and salt to draw out some of their moisture and get their flavors to start to mingle.

Chef’s Notes

The first stuffed chile I had was an unfortunate stuffed bell pepper and I stayed away from stuffed chiles for years because of that!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 355 Calories from Fat 135 Fat 15 g Total Carbohydrates 48 g Dietary Fiber 14 g Sugars 15 g Protein 7 g Salt 102 mg

Interesting Facts

The Scoville scale was developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912 as a way to measure the capsaicin level in chiles. The rating of a chile is determined by how much an alcoholic extract of a chile’s capsaicin must be diluted in sugar water before it is undetectable to the palate.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 101 Spicy Portabella Salad

Type: Salad Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes + time to heat the grill

Ingredients The Salad 4 portabella mushrooms Oil for brushing the mushrooms ¼ tsp. of coarse sea salt 1 cup of sliced jicama 1 avocado, diced ¼ cup of roasted, salted pepitas 6 cups of arugula 1 cup of sorel The Dressing 1 Hatch or Anaheim chile, roasted 2 tbsp. of olive oil 3 tbsp. of chopped cilantro 2 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar ¼ tsp. of salt

Instructions Brush the portabellas with oil and then sprinkle them with salt. Grill them until just soft, then remove them from the heat. While the portabellas are grilling, roast the chile for the dressing on the grill until it is blistered on all sides. Chop the portabellas. Peel the jicama and slice it into thin 1” long sticks. Dice the avocado. Toss the mushrooms, jicama, avocado, pepitas, arugula, and sorel together. Remove the stem, seeds, and blistered skin from the chile. Puree the chile with the olive oil, chopped cilantro, vinegar, and salt. Plate the salads and pour the dressing over them.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 102 Raw Version

Make the dressing with a raw chile, then chop the portabellas. Marinate the portabellas in the dressing for about 1 hour, then toss all the salad ingredients together.

Kitchen Equipment

Grill Tongs 2 Mixing Bowls Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Blender

Presentation

Don’t drown the salad in dressing, but lightly drizzle it around the salad so that the delectable portabellas show through. You can also save the pepitas to garnish the salad once it is dressed.

Time Management

Light the grill before you do anything else so it’s ready as soon as you’re done prepping all the ingredients.

Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve this with a bowl of black bean soup.

Where to Shop

All the ingredients are fairly common except the sorel. You may need to head to a farmers’ market to find that, unless you have a particularly good store near you, or can pick it wild. Approximate cost per serving is $2.50.

How It Works

Grilling the portabellas allows them to pick up a minor smoky flavor, which complements the arugula and the roasted chile very nicely. Avocado adds creaminess to the salad and jicama and pepitas add crunch. Both the arugula and sorel lend a strong bitter note, creating an intensely flavored salad.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 103

Chef’s Notes

I use this dressing on salads, quinoa, couscous, and even as a burger sauce.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 302 Calories from Fat 162 Fat 18 g Total Carbohydrates 29 g Dietary Fiber 8 g Sugars 8 g Protein 6 g Salt 174 mg

Interesting Facts

Hatch chiles are named for the town of Hatch, New Mexico, where the chiles originated.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 104 Hot Artichoke and Olive Paella

Type: Main Dish Serves: 6 Time to Prepare: 40 minutes

Ingredients 12‐15 green olives stuffed with garlic, sliced 1 cup of artichoke hearts, chopped 1 cup of cooked, rinsed borlotti beans 3 crushed cascabel or nora chiles 3 tbsp. of chopped fresh parsley 1 Spanish onion, diced 4‐5 cloves of garlic, minced 4 vine ripe tomatoes, grated 2‐3 tbsp. of olive oil 2 cups of Bomba rice or other short grain rice 4 cups of water Pinch of saffron 1 tsp. of smoked Spanish paprika Salt to taste

Instructions Begin by prepping all the ingredients. Slice the garlic, chop the artichokes, rinse the beans, crush the dried chiles, and chop the parsley, setting everything aside. Dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Cut the tomatoes in half and gently remove the seeds. Using a cheese grater, grate the inside of the tomato until only the topmost skin is left (discard this). Over a medium heat, sauté the onion in the oil in a paella pan until it starts to brown. Add the garlic and sauté 1 more minute. Add the grated tomato and continue sautéing this until the tomato reduces into a very thick sauce. Add the rice to the paella pan and slowly stir this until the outer part of the rice grains turn translucent (you should still be able to see the uncooked inner part of the rice; if you sauté the rice past this point, it will lose its shape in the pan). Add the liquid and bring the heat to medium high, simmering the rice for 17 minutes. Add the olives, artichokes, beans, crushed cascabel, and paprika. Slowly reduce the heat until the rice is tender, adding liquid if necessary. Allow this to continue cooking until a crisp layer of rice has formed at the bottom of the pan. Finish the paella off in the oven at 350 degrees for 7‐8 minutes. Salt to taste. Garnish with the fresh parsley.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 105

Low‐fat Version

You can cook the paella without the oil, although you will not get a crisp layer at the bottom of the pan.

Kitchen Equipment

Paella Pan Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Oven

Presentation

Serve it straight in the paella pan.

Time Management

The timing on the rice is critical. 17 minutes is the general rule on simmering the rice before the heat should start to get lowered. This helps the rice absorb the maximum amount of liquid without exploding.

Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve this with bread, olive oil, and strips of roasted red peppers.

Where to Shop

Bomba rice can usually be found at specialty stores, kitchen gourmet stores, and online. Don’t worry if you can’t find it. You can use most types of short grain rice. You may even want to try sushi rice. If you can’t find borlotti beans, feel free to use cannellini beans. Smoked paprika is available at most stores, though you’ll get an excellent price for it at spice stores like Penzey’s. Trader Joe’s also has an excellent price on saffron. Approximate cost per serving is $3.50.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 106 How It Works

The recipe starts with a Spanish sofrito, which, at its heart, consists of onion, garlic, and grated tomato. This forms the base of the stock in which the rice will cook. The tomatoes are deseeded and grated to create a fine, intensely flavored sauce (the fleshy part of the tomato holds a tremendous amount of flavor). The liquid should cook out so that when the rice hits the pan, it can sauté and absorb the olive oil instead of initially absorbing tomato water, which can make the rice mushy in the finished product. Once this is done, it’s simply a matter of simmering rice and adding ingredients towards the end so that the ingredients don’t fall apart while the rice simmers.

Paella pans are thin metal pans designed to crisp the rice and, because of their thinness, allow the pan to immediately heat up and immediately cool down.

Chef’s Notes

Paella is traditionally cooked over a wood‐fire, but that can be impractical for an already slightly complicated dish. The stove top doesn’t give quite the rustic feel, but it allows better control of heat to more evenly cook the rice and is a bit more forgiving.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 403 Calories from Fat 63 Fat 7 g Total Carbohydrates 75 g Dietary Fiber 10 g Sugars 11 g Protein 10 g Salt 288 mg

Interesting Facts

Paella is named after the utensil in which it is cooked, the paella pan.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 107 Plantains with Chile Ginger Sauce

Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes

Ingredients 3 guajillo chiles, seeds and stems removed 2” piece of ginger, peeled and sliced 2 cups of water ¼ tsp. of salt ¼ tsp. of ground allspice ¼ tsp. of ground cinnamon ½ tsp. of ground cumin 4 yellow, unripe plantains 1 tbsp. of peanut oil Serve over rice

Instructions Remove the seeds and stems from the chiles. Peel and slice the ginger. Bring the water to a boil. Add the guajillo chiles and ginger, then remove the water from the heat. Once the chiles are soft, drain away the water, but save about 1 cup. Puree the chiles, 1 cup of water, salt, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, and ginger. Peel the plantains. Slice them in half along the length and then slice them into about 3” long pieces. Heat the oil to a medium high heat in a sauté pan. Add the plantains and sauté them until they are browned on both sides. Reduce the heat to medium‐low. Add the chile sauce and simmer for about 3 minutes. Serve over rice.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 108 Low‐fat Version

Steam the plantains for 10 minutes instead of frying them, then add them to a pan and simmer them with the sauce.

Raw Version

Use very ripe plantains, so you don’t have to cook them. Use fresh Mirasol chiles and puree them with 1 ½ cups of water and all the spices.

Kitchen Equipment

Blender Pot Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Sauté Pan Spatula

Presentation

Garnish this with chopped cilantro for a splash of green. If you want to get fancy, you can create a mound of rice using a small ramekin and then prop the plantains against the rice.

Time Management

Keep in mind that the longer this sauce sits, the spicier it gets. That’s also true for the cook time. The longer it cooks, the spicier it gets.

Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve this with a side of stewed greens and garlic.

Where to Shop

Guajillo chiles are usually available not only at Mexican markets, but in the dried chile section of many conventional ones. When choosing the plantains, choose ones that are yellow, but have

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 109 minimal browning. They’ll still be starchy and not too sweet, but won’t be super hard like the green ones. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50.

How It Works

The sauce has heat from two sources. The chiles and the ginger, creating a complex sauce with different types of burn. The aromatic spices lend a sweet note to the sauce and the cumin gives it some depth. The bit of sweetness from the plantains also balances the heat in the sauce and plantains are used to pay homage this sauce’s African roots.

Chef’s Notes

Plantains make the perfect food to accompany spicy sauces. They’re starchy and sweet, both of which balance heat.

Nutrition Facts (per serving, excludes rice)

Calories 284 Calories from Fat 36 Fat 4 g Total Carbohydrates 60 g Dietary Fiber 4 g Sugars 27 g Protein 2 g Salt 155 mg

Interesting Facts

Guajillos are relatively low on the heat scale, making them perfect for mild sauces. Their Scoville rating is 2,500 to 5,000.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 110 Udon Noodles with Shichimi Togarashi

Type: Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes

Ingredients 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, destemmed and sliced 2 baby bok choy, sliced Water 1 ½ cups of udon noodles 1 tbsp. of soy sauce 1 tsp. of rice vinegar 1 tsp. of sesame oil 1 tsp. of Shichimi Togarashi (aka Japanese Seven Spice, aka Sansho Pepper Blend) 3 tbsp. of crushed peanuts

Shichimi Togarashi 1 tbsp. of Szichuan peppercorns 1 ½ tsp. of dried orange peel 1 ½ tsp. of ground dried red chile (use a chile appropriate to your heat tolerance) 1 tsp. of crushed, flaked nori 1 tsp. of black sesame seeds 1 tsp. of white poppy seeds 1 tsp. of granulated garlic

Instructions Making the Main Dish Remove the stems from the shiitakes and slice them into thin strips and set them aside. Slice the baby bok choy into thin strips and set them aside. Bring the water to a boil. Cook the udon noodles for about 2 minutes (or follow the package directions if you are using dried ones). Drain them and set them aside. Combine the soy sauce and rice vinegar and set it aside. Heat the oil to a high heat in a wok or sauté pan. Add the shiitakes and bok choy and sauté for about 1 ½ minutes, then remove them from the pan. Add the noodles and soy sauce/rice vinegar solution and sauté for 1 minute. Immediately place the noodles in bowls and top with the shiitakes and bok choy. Garnish with shicimi togarashi and crushed peanuts. Making the Shichimi Togarashi Toast the peppercorns over a medium heat for about 1 minute, then grind them. Toast the orange peel, sesame seeds, & poppy seeds for about 1 minute over a medium heat. Toast the chile over a medium heat for 30 seconds. Combine all the spices.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 111 Low‐fat Version

Omit the oil and sauté the bok choy over a medium high heat until just soft, then reduce the heat to medium and add the shiitakes and continue to sauté the until the shiitakes are thoroughly cooked. Set them aside and keep the pan on medium. Add the noodles and sauce and sauté for 2 minutes. Instead of peanuts, use chopped water chestnuts for crunch.

Raw Version

Use thick zucchini strings for the pasta. Marinate the mushrooms in nama shoyu and raw apple cider vinegar until the mushrooms are soft. Toss all the ingredients together, then top with shichimi togarashi and raw chopped peanuts.

Kitchen Equipment

Cutting Board Knife Small Mixing Bowl for sauce Small Stirring Spoon Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Pot Colander Wok Stirring Spoon

Presentation

This is a simple dish and the presentation should also be simple, allowing the ingredients to speak for themselves. To accomplish that, the bok choy and shiitakes should be placed on top of the noodles and not mixed into them, then the dish should be dressed with the shichimi togarashi and finished off with a sprinkling of crushed peanuts.

Time Management

Make sure you have everything ready to go by the stove once you are about to cook the veggies and sauté the noodles. The dish should be served hot and everything is sautéed very quickly. Once the noodles are don, serve it immediately for best effect.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 112 Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve this on its own.

Where to Shop

Fresh udon noodles, baby bok choy, and shichimi togarashi can be purchased at most Asian markets. You can also purchase the spice mix from Cost Plus World Market, where it’s called a Sansho Blend. In fact, this is probably the easiest route to take and the Sansho Blend has a well‐balanced flavor. Approximate cost per serving is $1.25.

How It Works

The recipe is fairly simple. A hint of sweetness is derived from the bok choy, which are sautéed for a short time to keep a modicum of crispness to them. The shiitakes are also sautéed just long enough to soften them, so that they keep their delicate texture. They also give the dish an earthy tone. The vinegar in the sauce brightens everything and the sauce itself quickly infuses the noodles, allowing them to pop with flavor instead of simply being bland udon noodles. Peanuts are used for crunch and the shichimi togarashi is used not only for heat, but to add complexity of flavor to the dish. The residual heat from the noodles should be just enough to activate the essential oils in the shichimi togarashi.

Chef’s Notes

I first discovered shichimi togarashi at World Market as their sansho blend. The balance of the saltiness from the nori, the spiciness from the chile, and the peculiar numbing sensation from the Sichuan peppercorns made me fall in love with it.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 335 Calories from Fat 63 Fat 7 g Total Carbohydrates 55 g Dietary Fiber 7 g Sugars 11 g Protein 13 g Salt 581 mg

Interesting Facts

Togarashi is the Japanese word for ground chiles. Shichimi togarashi is about a 400 year old recipe, first created in Edo (Tokyo).

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 113 Heirloom Gazpacho, Green Apples, & Agua Picante

Type: Main Dish Serves: 1 Time to Prepare: 15 minutes

Ingredients The Gazpacho 1 small piece of day‐old bread 1 tbsp. of high‐quality sherry vinegar 2 tbsp. of Spanish olive oil 1 clove of garlic, smashed ¼ tsp. of flaky sea salt 1 ¼ pounds of heirloom tomatoes (about 2 medium‐sized ones), chopped 1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped 1 tbsp. of diced red bell pepper 1 tbsp. of diced green bell pepper The Agua Picante 1 (or more) habanero, either fresh or dried ¾ cup of water 2 tsp. of agave nectar The Apple ½ of a tart green apple, sliced into 4 sections

Instructions Making the Gazpacho Take the bread and drizzle it with the sherry vinegar and olive oil. Smash the garlic with the salt until you have garlic paste (this is most easily done with a mortar and pestle). Chop the tomatoes. Peel the cucumber and chop it. Smash the bread into a paste. Puree the bread, garlic paste, and half the tomatoes until you have a thick, even puree. Add the remaining tomatoes and cucumber and continue to puree until smooth. Gourmet Option: Press the mixture through a sieve to make it silky. Dice the bell peppers and garnish the gazpacho with them. Chill this for three hours or serve at room temperature. Making the Agua Picante If you are using a fresh habanero, slice it in half and remove the seeds. If it is dried, leave it as is. Bring the water to a low simmer and add the habanero. Simmer this for about 10 minutes, replenishing water as needed so you end up with about ½ cup. Remove it from the heat and stir in the agave nectar. The Apple Slice the apple in half and then slice the half in quarters, removing any stems and seeds.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 114 Low‐fat Version

Omit the olive oil.

Raw Version

Instead of the bread, use ¼ cup of soaked walnuts.

Kitchen Equipment

Blender Sieve Knife Large Wooden Spoon to press the gazpacho through the sieve Cutting Board Small Pot Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon

Presentation

The gazpacho should be served in a tall glass and the agua picante in either a small glass or a flute. I like to garnish the apple plate with habaneros.

Time Management

Start the agua picante first so you can make the gazpacho while the habanero simmers in the water. Do not slice the apple until you are ready to serve, or else it will brown. Both the gazpacho and agua picante will last in the refrigerator for several days, though the gazpacho will lose some flavor after a day. If you do store it, make sure to cover it.

Complementary Food and Drinks

This makes a light, refreshing lunchtime meal. However, if you want something heartier, serve this with marinated giant white beans (frijoles gigantes).

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 115 Where to Shop

Trader Joe’s has an excellent price on organic heirloom tomatoes. You may need to head to a high‐ end market to get a good quality sherry vinegar. Don’t skimp on this ingredient. It greatly affects the quality of the gazpacho. Approximate cost per serving is $5.50.

How It Works

The gazpacho and agua picante provide counterpoints to each other. The agua picante should be sipped in between bites of gazpacho, creating an alternating experience of spicy/sweet and coolness/acidity. The apple provides another counterpoint in this trio, contrasting crunch with the silkiness of the gazpacho.

The gazpacho uses bread as a binder, holding the pureed tomatoes, garlic, and oil together in one homogenous soup. It also adds calories to the dish, making this more of a meal than a snack. It should be moistened first and turned into a paste to get it as smooth as possible once it hits the blender. This is also why the garlic is turned into a paste. To facilitate the garlic and bread incorporating with the tomatoes, only half the tomatoes are pureed at first. This allows the ingredients to catch on the blades easier, creating a smoother gazpacho. Finally, the gazpacho is passed through a sieve to give it that silky texture.

Chef’s Notes

Originally, I intended this to be a gazpacho blended with a habanero, but it was a way more interesting dish when the habanero was turned into a spicy sweet drink. I thought it needed some crunch though, and some green, so the green apple I had sitting around turned out to be the last ingredient needed to create this beautiful, simple meal.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 509 Calories from Fat 225 Fat 25 g Total Carbohydrates 64 g Dietary Fiber 16 g Sugars 33 g Protein 7 g Salt 718 mg

Interesting Facts

Gazpacho sometimes has onion and/or cumin added to it, but those mask the rich flavors of the heirloom tomatoes and the Spanish olive oil.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 116 Greens with Spicy Smoked Tempeh

Type: Side Dish Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients The Tempeh 16 oz. of tempeh, cubed ¼ tsp. of cayenne pepper ½ tsp. of ground cumin Pinch of allspice ¼ tsp. of salt ½ tsp. of dried thyme 1 tsp. of oil The Greens 1 onion, diced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 bunch of collard greens, sliced 1 tsp. of oil ¼ cup of water ¼ tsp. of turmeric ¼ tsp. of salt

Instructions Cube the tempeh into slightly smaller than bite‐size pieces. Combine the cayenne, cumin, allspice, salt, and thyme. Toss the tempeh in the oil, then in the spice mix. Wrap the tempeh in foil and pierce the foil packet with a fork or knife several times. Option 1: Place the foil packet in a smoker with hickory chips for 1 hour. Option 2: Light your grill with hickory wood, charcoal, or chips, allow the coals to die down, and place the tempeh in a warm, but not hot, part of the grill for 1 hour. Option 3: Instead of wrapping the tempeh in foil, place it inside a smoker bag and bake it on 300 degrees F for 45 minutes. While the tempeh is smoking, dice the onion, mince the garlic, and slice the collard greens (remove any overly large stems). Sauté the onion over a medium heat until just soft. Add the garlic and sauté 3 more minutes. Add the greens, water, turmeric, and salt and simmer until the greens are soft. Once the tempeh is done, warm the greens over a medium‐low heat, with the tempeh mixed into them, for about 5 minutes.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 117

Low‐fat Version

Omit the oil from the recipe. Spritz the tempeh with water instead of using oil and sauté the onion in a dry pan (do not add liquid to the pan when sautéing!).

Kitchen Equipment

Smoker, Grill, or Smoking Bag and Oven Knife Cutting Board Small Mixing Bowl Sauté Pan Spatula or Stirring Spoon

Presentation

This is meant to be served simply, so nothing fancy is needed.

Time Management

The longer the greens stew, the better they get, so start them after you get the tempeh in the smoker. You can turn the heat down if they start to overcook and it’s ok to replace the water in the dish if necessary.

Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve this with a warm potato and lentil soup or other hearty dish. It goes particularly well with many African‐inspired dishes.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 118

Where to Shop

All of these ingredients should be fairly easy to find, though you may get the best price on tempeh at Trader Joe’s or an Asian market (it’s often in the frozen section in Asian markets). Approximate cost per serving is $1.00.

How It Works

The spice mix isn’t meant to simply be hot, it has quite a bit of depth from the cumin and thyme, which in turn is contrasted by a hint of aromatic allspice. Oil is used to keep the tempeh moist and to also allow the spices to stick to the tempeh. The tempeh should be wrapped in foil to keep it moist, but the foil needs holes in it to allow the smoke into the foil packet. The longer the tempeh smokes, the more intense the flavors get. If you want to allow it to smoke longer than an hour, you can certainly do so.

Chef’s Notes

This recipe is a combination between two ideas. The first is a simpler version of jerked tempeh. The second is based off of gomen, an Ethiopian dish made with onion, garlic, and reduced greens, usually collard greens.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 192 Calories from Fat 72 Fat 8 g Total Carbohydrates 15 g Dietary Fiber 6 g Sugars 4 g Protein 15 g Salt 153 mg

Interesting Facts

Collard greens have the best texture and flavor mid‐winter.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 119 Spicy Swedish Meatballs

Type: Appetizer Serves: Makes 24‐30 meatballs Time to Prepare: 40 minutes

Ingredients The Meatballs 1 ½ pounds of tempeh, ground 2 large slices of French bread, torn ¼ cup of almond milk 1 onion, minced 1 tbsp. of oil or vegan margarine ½ tsp. of freshly ground white pepper ¼ tsp. of allspice ¼ tsp. of freshly grated nutmeg ¼ tsp. of cayenne pepper ½ tsp. of salt ¼ cup of firm, silken tofu Oil or margarine for frying The Gravy 3 tbsp. of flour 2 ½ cups of mushroom stock ¼ tsp. of salt ¾ tsp. of freshly ground white pepper ¼ cup of vegan sour cream

Instructions Grind the tempeh in a food processor until it is crumbled. Tear the French bread. Combine the bread with the almond milk and let it sit until the bread has absorbed most of the liquid. Mince the onion. Over a medium heat, sauté the onion in the oil or margarine until it is just soft. In a blender, whip together the tempeh, bread, onion, any leftover liquid, the oil or melted margarine, spices, salt, and tofu until everything is thoroughly combined. Remove the mixture and form it into small 1” meatballs, pressing the meatballs in your hand to get everything to stick together. Over a medium heat, fry the meatballs until they are lightly browned on all sides. Place them in a warm oven to keep them hot. In the same pan, add the flour and toast it over a medium heat for about 2 minutes. Slowly stir in the mushroom stock, salt, pepper, and vegan sour cream until you have a semi‐thick gravy. Simmer this over a medium‐low heat for about 10 minutes, then pour it over the meatballs.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 120 Kitchen Equipment

Sauté Pan Blender Food Processor Spatula Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Oven‐safe Platter or Baking Dish

Presentation

Serve with toothpicks, of course!

Time Management

Pressing thirty meatballs actually doesn’t take as long as one would think at first glance. Just pull out a small portion of the filling and quickly press and roll it between cupped palms. It doesn’t hurt to have a partner in the kitchen, however! Also, make sure to warm the oven before you start on the meatballs so it can keep them warm while the gravy simmers. Yum.

Complementary Food and Drinks

Serve these with hot coffee laced with cardamom and allspice, potatoes, lingonberry jam, and pickles.

Where to Shop

Check out Trader Joe’s for the bread and tempeh. You can make your own mushroom stock by rehydrating dried mushrooms in hot water or you can purchase it at places like Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Central Market. Approximate cost per serving is $0.25.

How It Works

Cooking the onion just until it’s soft makes it sweet without the heaviness of caramelization. It also makes it easy to puree, which then permeates the entire set of meatballs. The spices are a mix of hot and aromatic, which actually brightens the meatballs and makes them pop. Both the moistened bread and the tofu help bind all the ingredients together, the tofu acting as a replacement for the eggs in the traditional recipe. For the gravy, the flour toasts in the pan to give it a nutty flavor, and also creates a light roux with the residual oil left in the pan from frying the meatballs. This then thickens the dark mushroom stock, which makes an excellent beef stock replacement used in the traditional recipe. It then gets a creamy, sour note from the vegan sour cream.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 121

Chef’s Notes

Even if you don’t want to make spicy Swedish meatballs, the tempeh, moistened bread, and tofu technique used in this recipe will easily allow you to make any flavor meatball you want!

Nutrition Facts (per meatball)

Calories 122 Calories from Fat 54 Fat 6 g Total Carbohydrates 12 g Dietary Fiber 4 g Sugars 2 g Protein 5 g Salt 56 mg

Interesting Facts

These are called köttbullar in Swedish.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 122 Ancho Vanilla Coffee

Type: Drink Serves: Makes 4 cups Time to Prepare: 15 minutes

Ingredients 3 tbsp. of ground dark coffee 3” long cinnamon stick 1 ancho chile, crushed 1 vanilla bean, split open 3 cups of water 1 cup of almond milk 1 ½ tbsp. of agave

Instructions Grind the coffee. Crush the cinnamon stick and ancho chile. Split open the vanilla bean, but don’t scrape out the inside. Combine the coffee, cinnamon, ancho, and vanilla bean in a French press. Bring the water to a boil and pour it in the French press. Allow the coffee to brew for at least 10 minutes. Mix the coffee with almond milk and agave.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 123 Kitchen Equipment

Small Knife Cutting Board French Press Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Coffee Grinder Pot

Presentation

Not applicable.

Time Management

The longer the spices brew, the better this gets. If you have a coffee that can handle a long brew time, use that so you can let the ingredients steep even longer.

Complementary Food and Drinks

A tend to drink this on its own as a mid‐day pick‐me‐up. Since I usually use decaf, it’s actually the spices that do it for me.

Where to Shop

All of these ingredients should be available at your local market, except perhaps for the ancho chile. Check in the Mexican aisle where the spices are kept or at a Mexican market. If you can’t find fresh vanilla bean or don’t want to use it, look for a vanilla flavored coffee. Approximate cost per serving is $0.25.

How It Works

The recipe is fairly simple. Cinnamon is used for its spicy sweet characteristic, the ancho is used for a caramel, fruity mid‐level heat, vanilla is used to increase the body of the coffee, and then it is lightly sweetened to accentuate the flavors without overriding them. You should be able to get two to three brews out of this coffee.

Chef’s Notes

This coffee came about because I was off to do a demo at the Scottsdale Culinary Festival on a fairly rainy day and I knew the crowd would appreciate coffee. Since it was a Mexican cuisine demo, the spices were a natural choice. It’s now a favorite at my classes.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 124 Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 32 Calories from Fat 0 Fat 0 g Total Carbohydrates 7 g Dietary Fiber 2 g Sugars 5 g Protein 1 g Salt 42 mg

Interesting Facts

Anchos are fairly mellow on the heat scale until you put them in hot water, at which time the heat increases significantly.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 125 Spicy Bread or Pita Dipping Mix

Type: Spice Mix Serves: Makes just over ¼ cup Time to Prepare: 10 minutes

Ingredients 1 tsp. of cumin seeds, crushed 2 tsp. of coriander seeds, crushed 6‐8 walnuts, crushed 1 tsp. of dried thyme 1 tsp. of dried oregano 1 tsp. of sesame seeds 1 tsp. of cracked black pepper 2 tsp. of crushed Aleppo chiles or 1 tsp. of crushed red chile flakes ½ tsp. of coarse sea salt

Instructions Over a medium heat, toast the cumin seeds and coriander seeds for 2 minutes. Add the sesame seeds and toast them for 1 more minute. Crush the cumin and coriander with a mortar and pestle or grind them with a small food processor. Crush or grind the walnuts in the same way until they are in very small pieces. Combine all the ingredients together.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 126 Kitchen Equipment

Pan Spatula Mortar and Pestle or Small Food Processor Measuring Spoon Small Mixing Bowl Stirring Spoon

Presentation

Serve on a plate next to a dish of olive oil or in a shallow dish so it’s easy to dip bread in the spice mix.

Time Management

If you see the cumin seeds start to turn dark brown, get them out of the pan immediately, regardless of how long they have been toasting. Other than that, this recipe is fairly simple.

Aleppo Chiles Complementary Food and Drinks This is meant to be served with bread and olive oil, with the bread being dipped in the oil and then in the spice mix.

Where to Shop

All these ingredients can be purchased from bulk spice jars for the best price. Aleppo chiles can be found at Penzey’s and most other quality spice stores, but if you can’t find them, it’s ok to substitute crushed red chile flakes. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00.

How It Works

Toasting the cumin, sesame, and coriander deepens their flavors by activating volatile compounds in the seeds. The walnuts give the mix some bulk and texture, as well as that soft crunch that only walnuts have. Aleppo chiles are semi‐sweet with a very full‐bodied flavor, but not too spicy. Their flavor is perfect with the cumin and coriander.

Chef’s Notes

This recipe is a modification of an Egyptian dipping mix called dukkah, which features more aromatic herbs and spices like mint and fennel.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 206

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 127 Calories from Fat 126 Fat 14 g Total Carbohydrates 12 g Dietary Fiber 4 g Sugars 1 g Protein 8 g Salt 593 mg

Interesting Facts

Aleppo chiles are named after the city of Aleppo. They are typically dried and a bit salty as salt is used as part of the drying process.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 128 Pepper Tempeh Bacon

Type: Side dish/Condiment Makes: About 9‐12 slices Heat Level: Low Time to Prepare: About 10 minute prep time, 2 hours marinating time, 30 minutes bake time

Ingredients 1 ½ 12 oz packages of tempeh 1 teaspoon Better than Beef Bouillon mixed with 1 tablespoon water About 30 drops of hickory liquid smoke About ½ teaspoon of browning seasoning 2 tablespoons of vegan Worcestershire sauce Pepper to taste (but use a lot)

Instructions Slice your tempeh so you have 9 slices out of the 1st 12 oz package and 4‐5 slices out of the other half package. Try to keep your slices even thickness. This should be enough to cover the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking dish. Mix the Better than Beef Bullion, liquid smoke, browning, and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle over the tempeh. There should be enough to cover the ‘bacon’ half way. Grind the pepper over the slices. Cover and allow to marinate at least 2 hours or even better, over night. Remove plastic and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until most of the liquid is removed. Your tempeh bacon is now ready to use.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 129 Kitchen Equipment

9 X 13 baking dish Bowl Knife Cutting Board Oven

Presentation

Not applicable.

Time Management

The longer this marinades, the better. For best results, plan ahead so it can soak overnight.

Complementary Food and Drinks

This would be great with a tofu scramble and garlic Yukon potatoes as part of a very hearty vegan breakfast.

Where to Shop

These ingredients can be found at most supermarkets.

Chef’s Notes

You can make this with superfirm tofu, too. The top two pictures are of the recipe using superfirm tofu strips. The texture and flavor will be slightly different, but it is still delicious.

Nutritional Facts (per batch)

Calories 1086 Calories from Fat 486 Fat 54 g

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 130 Total Carbohydrates 58 g Dietary Fiber 20 g Sugars 10 g Protein 92 g Salt 905 mg

Interesting Facts

Capsicum has been tied to weight loss by some studies and since this is very low fat, it would be a great diet recipe. Just eliminate the bread and you will have a filling, low calorie soup. The flavor is amazing, so you will not even mind being on a ‘diet’.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 131 Horseradish Cheeze

Type: Vegan Cheese Makes: 2 medium blocks Time to Prepare: About 45 minutes, plus 3 hours chilling time Heat level: Low

Ingredients ½ cup peeled brazil nuts ½ cup raw cashews ¼ cup tahini 1 ½ cups water 1 ½ tablespoons agar powder 4 tablespoons spicy mustard 1 teaspoon onion powder 4 cloves fresh garlic 2 tablespoons of good quality oil, such as kalamata olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt 1‐2 tablespoons of horseradish powder, or 1 tablespoon of fresh grated horseradish 1 teaspoon oil for greasing the dish

Instructions Select a 5 cup glass dish in the shape that you want your cheese. You can also use several mini loaf pans for baking. Liberally oil those with oil (I used coconut oil for this step, since it stays in place). In a blender, pulse the brazil nuts and cashews until they are in a powder. Add the tahini. In a pot, boil the water, and once boiling, add the agar powder. Whisk until completely dissolved. Add that to the blender, along with all the other ingredients except the peppers, and the oil for greasing the pans. Blend until completely smooth. Cover and place in the refrigerator. Allow it to chill at least three hours, but overnight is even better.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 132 Kitchen Equipment

Blender Measuring Cups and Spoons Knife and Cutting Board Moulds for shaping the cheese

Presentation

Not applicable.

Time Management

While the water is getting ready to boil, you can pulse together the nuts and add the tahini and other ingredients to the blender to get ready so when the agar is done, you are ready to go.

Complementary Food and Drinks

This cheese is very mild, with a small horseradish background. It would be great on a bagel sandwich with nice crunch lettuce, and tomato slices.

Where to Shop

These ingredients can be found in most stores, except for the agar powder. You can order it online, but you can also find it in many Asian stores. If you can, you can probably save some money, as it is often cheaper there. Also, the horseradish powder can be found at Penzey’s Spices or other spice stores. If you can’t find that, just use fresh horseradish.

Chef’s Notes

This is a take on a cheese I used to enjoy in the bad old days. It is creamier than the traditional cheddar I used to have, but the flavor is spot on. If you have a non‐vegan food memory, challenge yourself to make a compassionate version. You will have fun on the journey and the destination may surprise you.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 133

Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options)

Calories 1198 Calories from Fat 810 Fat 90 g Total Carbohydrates 63 g Dietary Fiber 8 g Sugars 9 g Protein 34 g Salt 601 mg

Interesting Facts

Horseradish comes from the same family as cabbage and mustard. People who tolerate heat from peppers well, sometimes do not tolerate heat from mustard or horseradish well.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 134 Chocolate Almond Spice Tart

Type: Dessert Serves: 9 Time to Prepare: 6 hours

Ingredients The Crust ½ cup vegan butter substitute, slightly softened but not at room temperature ½ cup soy cream cheese 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 cup blanched almonds, ground 2/3 cup all‐purpose flour ¾ teaspoon cardamom powder The Filling 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon vegan butter substitute 1 cup soy cream cheese 1 cup soymilk ¼ cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder 1 teaspoon vanilla ¾ teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use a couple extra shakes if you are daring) 2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Instructions Making the Crust Beat the vegan butter substitute, cream cheese and sugar using an electric mixer or wooden spoon until creamy. Add the ground almonds, flour and cardamom and knead with your hands until just combined. Do not overwork the dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least a half an hour, and up to two days. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Oil a 9‐inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Option: If you don't have one you can use a 9x9 square pan. Press the dough into the pan and up the sides. Bake for 25 minutes then let cool. Making the Filling Melt the chocolate, sugar and vegan butter in a double boiler over gently simmering water or in a glass or ceramic bowl in the microwave. Add the mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the cream cheese, soymilk, cornstarch or arrowroot, vanilla, cinnamon and cayenne pepper and process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 135 Pour into the cooled crust. Finishing the Tart Sprinkle the almonds over the filling and press down slightly so they stick. Bake 25‐30 minutes, or until the edges are set, but there is still movement in the center of the filling. Let cool, then cover loosely and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving. Keep refrigerated.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 136 Kitchen Equipment

Electric Mixer (optional) Food Processor or Blender 9 inch Tart Pan with removable bottom or 9 inch Square Pan Wooden Spoon Medium Glass Bowl Double Boiler (optional) Large Mixing Bowl Plastic Wrap

Presentation

The more even the almonds are sprinkled onto the tart, the better it will look.

Time Management

Make sure that the crust is cool when the filling goes in so that the crust does not absorb a bunch of the filling and become soggy.

Chef’s Notes

This tart is hearty and the center is creamy and similar to a cheesecake. The spice is not overwhelming, yet it is exotic, with cayenne pepper enhancing the combination of cardamom and cinnamon that bring a different dimension to dark chocolate and almond flavors.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 563 Calories from Fat 315 Fat 35 g Total Carbohydrates 52 g Dietary Fiber 5 g Sugars 22 g Protein 10 g Salt 280 mg

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 137

Interesting Facts

Chile powder and chocolate have been paired for millennia, but only until recently was the chocolate sweetened.

The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts

Hot & Spicy! July 2011 | 138