What do you eat when no one's watching?

One of the real tests of what a person is really made of goes something like this...

"what do you decide when no one's watching?"

There are various versions in Zen, in religion, in pop culture - but the essence is the same.

With the guys away, I have had nothing but a really busy two days of hard gardening.  

Our property is massive.  We have almost a full acre of stunning mature trees, lots of perennials courtesy of the previous owners, and much more grass than last year thanks to some landscaping decisions which cut the responsibility for everything in half.  The thing is though, half of TOO MUCH is still - in my books - too much.

Not one to dwell on what's overwhelming for too long, my usual solution is to just dive in and get things done.  And with all the physical labour, I chose to focus on a great core workout and really intense arm exercise.  And daydreamed about what it would look like when I am finished.

Very few things go better together than tomato and basil, and my first garden (about 6 feet in diameter) will contain both.  One gorgeous full tomato plant, and six surrounding basil plants.  Harrison would eat cardboard if it had pesto on it, so this should be a good option.

I also intend to populate the second garden (about 15 feet in diameter) with squash plants and selfishly harvest them purely for the blossoms.  Something about eating flowers that just seems elegant!  And I can't buy them anywhere, so must do it myself.

Herb garden of course, must go in the best soil... AND the one closest to the kitchen!  My chives and rosemary came up beautifully all on their own, but I must get at least three variations of thyme.  Will grow some lavender again, even though I  haven't for three years.  Heirloom carrots are also on the agenda, just for the flexibility.  Another thing I can rarely get in stores, and few things make me feel as good as pulling a beautiful carrot from the soil...especially in a light rain when they yield to me much more easily.  Green onions, garlic, and shallots are also other must-haves.  And finally, the colourful nod to my heritage - some beets.

Of course our main entranceway will hopefully be flocked by rows and rows of cayenne peppers and jalapenos!

So with aching fingers barely able to hold a shovel any more today, I will seek out something in the kitchen to take away the hunger pains slightly.

When no one's watching I am constantly surprised how much I crave eggs...  Yesterday I did a beautiful souffle yesterday when my mom came for lunch, and made some rich hollandaise to go with mounds of local asparagus and the New Jersey / Rangers game.  Since I went to law school with the head coach of the New Jersey Devils AND he's a law school alum, I am very obviously rooting for a Devils victory...  It would make a great alumni story for my magazine.

Eggs always seem to be the one thing I consistently cheat the vegan diet with, whether Bill's gone or not.  Let's face it - on a fishing trip with the guys, I doubt he's eating legumes and fiddleheads, so turnabout is fair play.

And that's what I mean about what one eats when no one's watching.  Even though I feel a zillion times better on a plant based diet, I really struggle with the cravings.  Why the need for eggs (OK... and even some cheese) the minute he's out of the house?  Where is it coming from?  Am I vegan only when someone's watching?  Or am I just vegan most of the time?  It's like saying "I'm loyal to my husband" - "except for those times that I'm not".

And while animal based food isn't adultery, it does make me question why I can be so passionately committed to a plant based diet when someone's around, finding massive amounts of delicious, healthy choices everywhere and resisting temptation, and then yielding to temptations occasionally when no one's around.

No answers tonight.

Breakfast

This morning's eggs... with chives, blossoms and avocado.

Inspiration from yesterday's lunch.  Avocado, sliced thinly, and fanned.  I want to perfect this over the weekend with my alone time.

Planting seeds...and what they ultimately grow up to be.

I'm down to my last bottle of homemade hot sauce from the fall. My cayenne peppers did so well in the front garden last year that I harvested several of the seeds and sprouted them in early March. I told myself I would have been thrilled with four or even six sprouts. Last year, I harvested hundreds of beautiful red cayennes from only eight plants, and I want to do twice as many this year.

When no fewer than 30 peppers sprouted (fuelling my optimism!) I transplanted them to larger soil containers. They spent their first day outdoors yesterday, enjoying the sunshine. This particular Victoria Day weekend is going to be perfect. Sunny, warm, dry - ideal for planting... and I can't wait.

 I sometimes think briefly about putting some flowers out front, but why grow something you can't eat? And can you possibly beat those red, spicy, flavourful morsels for everything from breakfast to a midnight snack.

Every so often, events in life push you back to time frames which surprise you. My involvement with alumni reunions mean that I spend the better part of my fall in a time warp. I watch our students graduate in June, new students on their first day of first year law in September and then get to join the party of every reunion class in between. And even those celebrating their 40th reunion feel like day one of law school was just yesterday.

 I have spent several heady days in the 80s this week. From the fuschia, turquoise and neon yellow colours everywhere, to the plaid shorts and sparkly shoes - seems that a 22 year fashion cycle has again ressurected. All we're missing is the big hair and rubber bangle bracelets. And my not-so-18 year old self having a nostalgic look back.

 I had a friend when I was 18 who went to chef school. He made the best hollandaise I have ever had one weekend in 1988. I remember thinking that the hours of a chef must be so draining - to have to work weekends, evenings, every single holiday. How much of a sacrifice that must be. How hard life would be to "have to" be a chef. My wanna-be lawyer brain thought that unequivocally. I couldn't imagine giving up so much.

I subsequently learned that as a lawyer, I was also giving over every weekend, every evening, every weekend - not to food, but to paper. And now I am certain that paper will NEVER trump food. Although I wouldn't have appreciated it then, I sure as heck am certain of it now.

Working with edible items, preparing them with care, seasoning them with the right balance of confidence and risk, all the while making it look beautiful, real and tasty are just the very best way to nourish my own soul. And now that I actually have the brain of a lawyer, all it really wants to do is cook, and wait for the sounds of enjoyment from the people I love.

And I get to do it every day - weekends, evenings, and every single holiday!

In the words of Elton John, from the Sleeping with the Past album from 1989...


 It's no sacrifice at all.

Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw ... the GOOD kind!

I always hated coleslaw as a kid. It was too crunchy and I hated the sweetly slippery texture over cabbage. Seriously, what kid would like that stuff?

Having said that, I have now come to really appreciate a great coleslaw and with just a few twists, made one that is completely crave-able.

I use Napa Cabbage instead of the hard white or red kind. It's light, crispy and easy to munch with no bitter ugly flavours.

I love a simple dijon / vegenaise dressing, with a bit of palm sugar or agave for sweetness.

Finally, I will heat some pine nuts or almonds in a pan with more brown sugar, and just warm the sugar until it crystallizes and coats the nuts. As a final step, I shake a hearty shower of cayenne for spicy sweet greatness. If I have cranberries or currants, so much the better.

Final product just leaps off the plate, and I find that I never seem to make enough.

Princess Kate & Plant Eaters on the Road

In Ottawa, (actually, across the river in Hull) there was a beautiful little restaurant called La Belle Verte which served the most spectacular crackers I have EVER eaten, along side a vegan cream cheese, a roasted pepper dip and a vegan pesto.



Felicitations on such a delicious effort, and artful presentation. It was great fuel for actually getting to MEET Duchess Catherine in Ottawa the next day!!!! A total thrill.

We also had a fabulous time at an amazing hotel in Mackinac Island. Even though animal-free cuisine is quite a challenge for our south of the border friends, they made an excellent effort. My fave dish was a caesar salad with a dressing made of hummus, lemon juice, garlic and herbs over romaine and garlic croutons.

Here is a herb polenta with delicious roast vegetables.

For Alicia

One of the things I learned quickly in plant-based eating is how much of a friend my rice cooker actually is. You absolutely MUST have one.

I use mine for all kinds of combinations - but my favourite lately is brown rice and lentils. It is literally so easy. You just scoop out how many portions you want (1 = 1 scoop, 4 portions = 4 scoops) and then add water to the line inside which corresponds with how many scoops you put in. It takes longer to explain the directions than to make the rice.

I will salt the water, and add any watery veggies (carrots, tomatoes, etc...) but I do stay away from spicing it until it's cooked since I use it for oatmeal. I don't care how cheffy I ever get, but I don't see the need for curry-scented oatmeal....



Here are two easy ways to reinvent any bean and rice dish. Use an ice cream scoop to form balls over tortilla chips, and pop in the oven to heat. Add fresh avocado and cilantro for colour and flavour.




Heat a few spoonfulls in a nonstick pan until the bottom browns and becomes crisp. A bit of olive oil will help, although it's not necessary. Sprinkle over salad greens - here, I've toasted a tortilla into a bowl.

OK - THREE WAYS. Three quarters of the way through the salad, I wrapped up the rest, into the tortilla. You could eat the leftover mixture either way. Great for lunches or a quick wrap on the go.

A FOURTH? Take leftover rice and beans, and turn it into a burger or even a croquette. Do I hear six?

Here is a quick list of a few combos:

Oatmeal + fruit

Bulgur wheat + parsley + green onions

Brown rice + lentils

Jasmine rice + coconut milk + ginger

Black/ Wild rice + extra water !!!

Yellow peas + vegetable stock

French Lentils + shallots

Amaranth + lemon juice

the list goes on....

Delinquent Blogger!!!

I have been horrible at keeping up the blogging, although it's not for a lack of summer inspiration and photographs, so here they are.




First, here is a spicy indian rice dish with butternut squash, chickpeas, a can of Bravo tomato sauce, some roasted corn, green onions and delicious Indian spices from my sister in law. I'm going to make these into veggie burgers by adding some vital wheat gluten and some shredded onion.




I MADE VEGAN FETA CHEESE!!! I love feta cheese, and was intrigued by a combination I saw on "Chopped" where the chefs had to use it in a dessert. While the talking chefheads were musing about the briny saltiness of the feta, I had an epiphany. We have been using occasionally, the new vegan cheese called Teese. It's a great near match to the original buffalo mozzarella. We had about 4 ounces left after a pizza evening, and I thought it might lend itself to adopting some feta flavour.

So : I zested and juiced two lemons and added enough sea salt to the bowl to seriously pickle something. I pressed the small cubes of Teese into the lemony salty brine, and left it alone for a few hours. It was absolutely FETAstic. Next time, I will chop up some capers too.

Last time I was at the grocery store, Harrison asked for Edamame. He loves it steamed in the pods, and seasoned with lemon juice, salt and toasted sesame oil. I also like to make hummus with it. I asked him to pick up two bags in the frozen section - one with the pods, and one already shelled. He grabbed green peas instead, and I didn't notice till I got home.

So - it was green pea hummus! Slightly more bitter, since it was raw, but every bit as delicious. I used a bit of extra garlic, and the colourful heirloom tomatoes really elevated it. I love RYVITA crackers - the texture is perfect and crisp - so this was our lunch yesterday. That, with a lemony, salted, hot sauced vegetable cocktail.