Author: Hannah (BitterSweet)
Author of My Sweet Vegan, Vegan Desserts, Vegan a la Mode, and Easy as Vegan Pie.
Crunch Time
I love cabbage. I don’t care how weird or uncool that makes me; I will never hide my penchant for these leafy brassicas. Look, I get the stigma, having historically been the food of peasants, the tragically poor and déclassé. After centuries of disrespect, I’d like to think I’m seeing glimmers of hope on the horizon for the humble cabbage.
That’s where the Crunchy Cabbage Salad at Loro comes in. For a place that bills itself as an Asian smokehouse and bar, they sure do know their way around the produce department. I was instantly smitten with their oak grilled snap peas that graced the menu over the summer, but this salad turned out to be the real sleeper hit. Arriving at the table showered with lemon zest, fresh mint, and candied cashews, the interplay of sugar and salt, crunchy and creamy, is exactly what makes it so compelling.
Gossamer-thin strands of shredded red cabbage intertwine with lightly pickled cucumbers and bites of tender green cabbage, sweet and mild, crisp yet somehow juicy. Coated in a cashew-ginger vinaigrette, the dressing has body from just a roasted cashew butter, preventing it from becoming cloying or heavy. Brightened by the fresh, raw spice and citrus, it’s the kind of condiment you’ll want on hand at all times. Go ahead, start mentally doubling or tripling that recipe right now to save the rest for later.
Loro keeps their secrets well, so I couldn’t get the official formula out of them. No matter; nothing will stand in the way of my love for cabbage. This is my take on the concept, with the added benefit of making about four times as much for a quarter of the price. Going slightly off-script, I found that smoked cashews add an even more compelling dimension, but simple roasted cashews would be equally satisfying.
Above all else, the real star of the show is the cabbage. Standing tall like fragile, tender greens never could, it’s a salad that travels well, keeps well, and quite simply won’t let you down.
Get Your Grub On With Crosnes
If it’s vegan, I’ll try anything. In fact, the more unfamiliar the ingredient; the more unlikely the pairing; the more visually unappealing, the more I want it. Which brings me to crosnes.
What Are Crosnes?
Tiny, pale corkscrew tubers, you’d be forgiven if you thought they were a juicy grubs you just unearthed from your garden. Also known as the Chinese artichoke, Japanese artichoke, Chirogi, Gan Lu Zi, 甘露子, knotroot, or artichoke betony, they originated in Japan, but really took root in China, where they were used medicinally as a cold remedy and general respiratory cure-all. Eventually they traveled to Europe in the 1880s, and were named for Crosne, a town near Paris, France. Still relatively unknown, crosnes are very difficult and labor-intensive to harvest, taking them almost entirely off the market.
What Do Crosnes Taste Like?
Crisp like water chestnuts with a subtly sweet, nutty flavor similar to Jerusalem artichokes, they’re best eaten raw or lightly cooked. Boiled or stewed, they lose their shape, melting away into unidentifiable starchy sludge. Don’t lose the opportunity to enjoy what makes them so special -even if part of that is evocative of young larvae. Just trust the process.
Cooking With Crosnes
Crosnes can be cooked in a variety of ways, most notably by sautéing, roasting, flash-frying, and pickling. No matter the method, be careful not to overcook them, using high heat and short cook times. Always wash thoroughly to remove the dirt, but peeling is optional, largely for aesthetics. That said, the skin comes right off once blanched in boiling water for 60 seconds, plunged into ice water, then simply scrubbed well.
- To sauté crosnes, heat some olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the crosnes and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until they are tender-crisp.
- To roast crosnes, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (200 degrees C). Toss the crosnes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them out on a baking sheet and roast for 10-15 minutes, or until they are tender and slightly browned.
- To deep-fry crosnes, heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry the crosnes for 2-3 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
Beet-Pickled Crosnes with Garlic and Dill
Serving Suggestions
Though they do have an affinity for Asian and French seasonings, don’t be afraid to experiment with different flavor combinations. Here are a few simple ideas for how to apply that inspiration:
- Salads, chopped or thinly sliced
- Stir fried, with other vegetables and/or noodles
- Pickles, on charcuterie boards, cocktails, or sandwiches
- Pasta, tossed with a butter sauce, red wine ragu, or creamy alfredo
Creamed Crosnes
I’d like to think the crosnes are the filet Mignon of root vegetables; luxurious, expensive, and reserved for special occasions. That’s why I thought a classic steakhouse preparation suited them well, paired with my favorite mycoprotein steak. Speckled with both black and aleppo pepper, bathed in a creamy mustard-spiked sauce, they’re immersed in a warm, fresh sort of spice that hits right in the sinuses.
Naturally, you could happily skip the fancy plating and toss in some tender chickpeas or baked tofu to make a wholly satisfying one-pot meal instead. If you’re lucky enough to find crosnes, if you even chose to cook them at all, a singular savory indulgence awaits
Wordless Wednesday: It Takes Tortillas
Bouldin Creek Cafe – Basic Tofu Tacos
El Alma – Vegan Enchiladas
The Vegan Nom – Carne Asada Burrito
The Vegan Nom – KBBQ Nachos
Veracruz All Natural – El Differente Taco
Veracruz All Natural – Cashew Queso
Hot Take
We all know what you’re supposed to do when life gives you lemons, but what about when life gives you jalapeños? Or, more specifically, when you need a single jalapeño for a photo shoot but can only buy them in 1-pound packages? Turns out there’s no cute proverb for that. Considering the number of times I’ve faced down exactly this conundrum, you’d think there would be a simple answer.
Turns out there is. Sriracha, one of the hottest exports to come from Thailand, is an essential condiment in my household. There must be no less than three bottles at any time, in case of emergencies. While most famously known as a bright red sauce made from fresh red chili peppers, there’s no reason why green jalapeños can’t enjoy the same treatment. In fact, there’s even yellow sriracha made from Thai burapa chiles, but that’s a story for another blog post.
Green Sriracha Heats Things Up
Both red and green sriracha start with the same basic formula, creating a garlicky, lightly sweet, and tangy base. Green jalapeños, being the unripe predecessors to red, have a sharper, grassier, brighter kick. As a result, green sriracha has a spicier bite that starts punching right away. Nuanced, but not subtle, this is the answer to anyone who thinks conventional sriracha is too mild.
Seasoned To Taste
The real benefit of making your own sriracha from scratch, aside from preventing food waste should you find yourself with a daunting pile of peppers, is getting to call the shots on what ingredients make the cut. Contrary to commercial options, my sriracha is…
- Sugar-free, using pineapple juice for natural sweetness, plus a touch of acidity instead of harsh white vinegar
- Free of preservatives and stabilizers, because it won’t be kicking around on a dusty shelf for years
- Lower in salt, since whatever you’re using it on will be presumably be salted, too
- Higher in garlic, because I’ve yet to find the limit
While store-bought sriracha may still have a place of honor in my fridge, homemade will always have the edge. With minimal effort and active time, you’ll be rewarded with a vibrant, flavorful condiment that elevates any dish. You don’t even need to accidentally over-purchase green jalapeños to give this recipe a try.
10 Best Vegan Passover Recipes
For plant-based eaters, Passover can be one tough nut to crack. Fortunately, nuts are pesadik, so we’ve already got a running start at crafting a complete and kosher menu. What makes menu planning so difficult isn’t the lack of flour and leaveners most commonly associated with the holiday, but the avoidance of kitniyot. Conservative Ashkenazi Jews renounce beans, rice, corn, and peas for all seven days, but most would simply remove them from the Seder table. In any event, that’s the bulk of vegan protein sources right there, including tofu, tempeh, and most alternative meats.
Why Not Kitniyot?
The concern with these ingredients is not the foods themselves, but the fact that they look similar to and may possibly have the forbidden chametz grains accidentally mixed in. The especially strict would even forbid sugar snap peas, mustard, and poppy seeds, among many other curious and oddly specific selections. Many would also consider any derivatives of these ingredients verboten, such as aquafaba (brine from chickpeas), so those delicate meringue kisses are still off the table. Luckily, modern rabbis have ruled that quinoa gets the green light, so it’s wise to stock up and embrace the pseudo-cereal.
Best Bets For A Vegan Passover
Pay homage to the past without becoming a prisoner to tradition. From the festival meal to the less fanciful fare to follow, these recipes won’t let you down.