foreword Bold Vegan is sassy, inviting, inclusive, and delicious. Molly Patrick and I first met several years ago by phone. I called to ask her to return to Arizona even before she had unpacked the boxes from her move to the Bay area! I needed her help to rescue a floundering vegan restaurant. In an hour she bought a one-way ticket, committing to help as long as necessary. Since then, we have been fast friends and inseparable business partners. Molly is a splash of good sense, energy, compassion, and creativity, grounded by a philosophy that enlightens and uplifts. In this light, Bold Vegan offers the hope of dramatic lifestyle opportunities in the guise of just plain fun. Ignoring the consequences of our food choices has led to unnecessary animal suffering, environmental degradation, and poor health. As an oncologist, while I am aware of the cramped feedlots near my home, my principle concern is combating the damage to human health. I find it quite unsettling when a newly diagnosed cancer patient asks, “Why did this happen to me?” Although one cannot know the specific cause of cancer for an individual patient, the standard American diet has been a major contributor in the recent sixty-year rise in cancer rates. Our bodies are designed to live long and healthy lives. However, without the phytonutrients and antioxidants found in plant foods, our body’s exquisite mechanisms for health are derailed, leading not only to cancer, but also to heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and strokes. Every year the data gets stronger, confirming what we already know but conveniently ignore. Food scientists, attorneys, executives, and legisla- tors have adopted the tobacco industry’s strategy by systematically deny- ing the health impacts of our high fat, high sugar, high salt and low nutrient food. Worse than tobacco, the food industry’s enticing ads legally pass our junk food habits on to our children. The specter of what was called “adult-onset diabetes” twenty-five years ago has crept into our elementary schools as “Type II diabetes.” The health, financial, and productivity implications are rapidly bringing third world health status to America. I encourage you to accept Molly and Luanne’s invitation to join them in creating fun and delicious Asian cuisine. For so many reasons, it is time to go Bold Vegan! Dr Carl Myers Medical Oncologist and Chief Medical Officer of Yuma Regional Medical Center. BOLD VEGAN FOOD OF SOUTH EAST ASIA. Text copyright © by Molly Patrick and Luanne Teoh. Photography copyright © by Molly Patrick and Luanne Teoh. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used of reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2012 BY BOLD VEGAN FOOD OF SOUTH EAST ASIA First printing, September 2012 ISBN : 978-0-615-70237-7 Special Thanks To: Nicholas Teoh - Book design & layout Tonya Hammond - Editor Pamela Patrick - Recipe tester Mary Rose LeBaron - Moral support Alani & Eva Mena - The most honest taste testers Finn Brabant - For being awesome Story of Bold Vegan Molly is from Silver City, a small town in New Mexico and has been vegetarian her entire life. She even lived in a tepee. Luanne is from Kuala Lumpur, a big city in Malaysia and has eaten meat her whole life. Molly became vegan in 2009 and is passionate about eating plants and helping other people eat lots of plants. She has learned that when you stop eating animal stuff and eat plants instead, you do wonders for the environment, the animals and your body. Since having met Molly, Luanne has eaten lots more plants and a lot less animals. She enjoys the way her body feels when she eats more plants and less animals. She also has gained compassion for our furry friends and is starting to connect the dots between eating animal stuff and the effects it has on the environment. She hasn’t jumped on the vegan boat yet, but she is in serious talks with the vegan captain. In the last few years Molly has travelled with Luanne around South East Asia, and Molly was crazy impressed with the food. So much fresh food available 24 hours a day. Molly learned quickly that eating is a national pastime and sport in South East Asia. Lucky for Molly, avoiding meat wasn’t hard on Luanne’s home turf. Avoiding fish sauce and eggs, on the other hand, was tough. Molly didn’t want to be “that type” of vegan, so she remains food flexible when she goes back to visit. In 2012, Luanne and Molly had the idea to blend their collective backgrounds - Asian food, vegan cooking, photography and styling. With Molly’s cooking background and Luanne’s knowledge of food of the region, it was the perfect collaboration to introduce South East Asian cuisine to the non-vegan and vegan world. Bold Vegan is a product of just that. A collabora- tion of our backgrounds and what fires us up and gets us out of bed in the morning. All images and photography by Molly Patrick & Luanne Teoh 1 ...think vegan food is boring or only simi- lar to rabbit food ...want to eat less meat and more plants and don’t want it to taste like the above ...want to eat healthier and get that healthy looking glow ...want to mix it up in the kitchen and try new cooking methods and ingredients ...want to impress your meat-eating friends... ...then this book is for you! We know that Asian ingredients can be intimidating because there are so many of them. We have also found that a lot of Asian ingredients can be hard to find unless you have an Asian grocery store at your disposal. The recipes in this book were created with this in mind. The majority of ingredients in this book can be found at most grocery stores and/or your health food store. 2 South East Asia - An Overview South East Asia consists of ten coun- tries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The region’s abundance of natural resources and spices brought the European powers over during the Age of Exploration. The Portuguese, Dutch, French, Spanish, British and Japanese colonized and ruled the region from 1511 right up to 1984. As such, current day South East Asia consists of several fragmented developing democracies and economies. To date, only Thailand has never been colonized by any foreign European power. The spice trade flourished during the colonization period, which brought pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, nutmeg and more across Asia, the Middle East, Northeast Africa and Europe. The spice trade changed the culinary world forever. What was once tightly controlled by the Arabs for centuries was now available throughout Europe with the establishment of the spice trade route via the oceans, connecting Europe directly to South East Asia. Red arrows indicate Spice Route from South East Asia to Europe via the Middle East and North Africa The Spice Route Russia England Europe North America Venice Genoa China India Moluccas Africa (Spice Islands) South Malacca America Myanmar South East Asia Australia Laos Thailand Phillipines CambodiaCambodia Vietnam This rich history of multiple ruling Malaysia Brunei colonial powers infused the South Singapore East Asian region with a multitude Indonesia of food flavors. This influence, 3 commingled with the local ingredients and spices of the South East Asian coun- tries, has created some of the world’s most diverse cuisines. The spice trade route, stretching from China to the United Kingdom, unintentionally created a unique blend of culinary diversity. The food of the South East Asian region is a mix of Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, Polynesian, French, Portuguese and other European influences. The proximity of the countries also plays a great role in lending culinary flavors to neighboring countries. For example, Thai and Vietnamese cuisines are strongly influenced by the use of fish sauce. Malay- sian and Indonesian cuisines share a common use of coconut milk in their dishes and desserts. One of the most significant things about the culture and people of South East Asia is their relationship with food. It’s safe to say that every single occasion -- be it personal, cultural or business related -- revolves around food. It is the very glue that binds the people and culture of this region together. Remaining very close to their food sources is the key to the delicious food of this region. The use of fresh spices and ingredi- ents in all dishes creates the naturally complex and deep flavors of South East Asian cuisine, which is as diverse and interesting as its rich history. 4 Cilantro / Coriander Coriander Seeds Small, fragrant and leafy green herb Used mainly for flavor, these small with a thin stem. All parts are seeds are ground up or dry roasted commonly used in cooking and the for the curry aroma and flavor. leaves as a garnish. Health Benefits Helps with digestion; cleansing Cardamom agent that can help remove heavy Aromatic green or black colored metal toxins like mercury. pods containing tiny black seeds. If whole pod is used, remove before serving. If only seeds are used, they dissolve while cooking. Health Benefits Health Benefits Improves digestion and circulation, Has diuretic, cholesterol lowering and stimulates metabolism. properties and helps control blood Cleanses kidneys and bladder. sugar levels. Cumin Seeds Curry Leaves Commonly dry roasted and ground Small and thin leafy green sprigs. guide When fried in a little oil, releases its up or lightly stir-fried to release their flavor. flavor.