April 14, 2023
Swan Dive is a hip bar that happens to have some pretty outstanding vegan options. I appreciate a completely cheeseless, or marinara pie–especially when each component hits with simple perfection. Pillowy crust dreamy enough to make this a filling pie despite no hearty toppings. If I had to make a Read more…
November 24, 2022
This is me, Thanksgiving 2022, wearing my oven mitt jacket I have long-associated with Thanksgiving. Perhaps it’s the colors? I got the Whole Foods Vegan Thanksgiving meal again, the one by Chef Coscarelli I got a couple of years back. It is a great value considering how long I spent Read more…
April 3, 2022
I have been feasting on all the colors, spending lots of time in my kitchen as of lately. Here are some pictures I have taken as these foods are in front of me, because I get excited enough to capture their beauty and vibrance before taking them in. My corner Read more…
February 28, 2022
This recipe has rocked my world. Besides it being absolutely delicious, easy and customizable, Alfredo sauce (like dairy style) is extremely fatty (like 75 grams of fat per serving!) This vegan recipe packs all the flavor with a ton less fat. Give it a try! Approximately 3 servings, Recipe adapted Read more…
November 27, 2020
I was excited to try Chloe Coscarelli‘s Vegan Thanksgiving Spread offered by Whole Foods this year. She covered all the bases… and with her vegan cred, I trusted the holiest of food holidays in her hands. So let us look and admire… From left to right: Coconut Sweet Potato Casserole: Read more…
April 24, 2020
So that macaron trial meant three, count ’em, three cans of chickpeas to use up while I whipped their brine into a fluffy Italian meringue. In the days that followed a big Ziploc of those beige beauties called to me seductively when I opened the fridge. I also needed a Read more…
January 6, 2020
My parents got me an air fryer for my birthday. So sure! I put a vegan air fryer cookbook on my Christmas list. The result, my fantastic lunch this week. Flavor-packed and so satisfying, it would help the first full week of school in 2020 pass quickly to another weekend. Read more…
March 3, 2019
I can’t stop making Indian food. It’s all I ever want to make. This is why: The starter for a red dal recipe (here)… onion, ginger, garlic, hot green chili. How can anything that starts with this is the pan not be fantastic. Well, provided it’s plant based. Do I Read more…
January 12, 2019
The last time I made lasagna I made everything from scratch. Two cheeses, the noodle, the sauce, the groundround (if that’s what it’s called). But this version is not like that. It’s about being thrifty… and efficient. Because it’s January. I trekked to Circus Fruits for some seriously cheap produce. Read more…
August 11, 2017
This little Italian girl always loved lasagna. Even though lasagna uses the same basic ingredients as other Italian dishes (noodle, sauce, cheeses), it’s the structure of lasagna I love. It is organized. And I am a big fan of things being organized. I always was. As a child I remember Read more…
June 5, 2016
Your body needs an internal scrub every now and again. Preparing a week’s worth of detox salads means you are eating raw for a good portion of the day. I’ve been experimenting with combining powerfully detoxifying veggies during a pre-summer detox. Shredding all ingredients helps body break food down easily and Read more…
May 29, 2015
It’s a bit of a mystery when an eatery doesn’t have a “for real” website. Yelp reviews (The forced double negative Yelp effect–if someone with bad taste writes a good review, it means it’s really bad.) and a Facebook page reveal very little. Many social media leads stay on the radar, but Read more…
July 28, 2014
When they first opened their doors on 6th avenue in Manhattan, I thought GustOrganics would be a place I’d have an easy time eating at. But I was disappointed looking at the lack of tasty vegan options years ago… It irked me because it contradicted with all their “green” labeling. It was enough to have me Read more…
February 2, 2014
Ever notice how most good recipes being with olive oil, chopped onion and garlic? It’s like the holy trinity. Ok, maybe not. Then–beet. Chunks of the magenta gems sweating it out with good company. Since I got a personal sized crock pot for work I’ve been doing exclusively one-pot lunches. Read more…
November 9, 2013
Every once and awhile, I splurge one of them fancy pants supper club dinners. And almost alway with fellow veghead CP. We find some justification for the splurge. Maybe there is a birthday that past a few weeks ago. Maybe there is some emotional epiphany that needs a proportionate intake Read more…
February 4, 2013
Paneer is an Indian cheese. Palak Paneer is the spinach and cheese dish I’ve long noticed on Indian menus. I was so excited to see that the amazing blog Olives For Dinner veganized it. Pressing tofu is step one. I opted for the TofuXpress then a nice press with some paper Read more…
February 14, 2011
Loving the way I cut last week’s lasagna into four perfect sectors for the week, I wanted to this week’s lunch to also be a visual representation of my count-down to week’s end. Next week is mid-winter recess and I am off. So here it goes, an improvisation of pantry Read more…
January 6, 2011
I got a TofuXpress for Christmas. Yes, a handy dandy tofu press that squeezes out excess water. No more balancing books on plates and no more slanted bricks of tofu. This heavy duty spring keeps pressing, and pressing hard, as excess water pools above. It’s sturdy and spacious… I shoulda Read more…
November 3, 2010
There is a little Indian convenience store next to my Sunday restaurant favorite, Dosa Diner, in Hicksville, Long Island. In this store you can find a ton of cheaply priced pantry staples, many aligned with Hindu vegetarianism. It is worth a stopping by– their products are tremendously cheaper than the Read more…
October 13, 2010
Somewhere, sometime, I must have been privy to regular acts of gastronomy. I must have been a royal member of the court of Epicureanism of the highest rank. I must have tucked these food standards in the pocket of the soul that passes from life to life, like a little Read more…
August 23, 2010
On sunny Sunday, August 1, 2010, I found inspiration in the pages of The Electrician‘s omnivorous cook books as he manually labored in his yard. A proper vegan bunch! Complete with the works: traditional brunch staples, both sweet and savory, served on vintage China and vividly colored fabric with tasty Read more…
August 21, 2009
Had I not wanted to allow for internet searchers to easily find these vegan Red Lobster cheese and garlic biscuits, I would have called these my “Holy Sh*t Motherscratcher Ever-Lovin’ Biscuits”… or some such name that adequately expresses my great excitement about them. Many, like me, have fond memories of Read more…