Slurping Up Superstition

There are many ways to go about ensuring a lucky new year, especially when it comes to making dinner. Every culture and every family have their own traditions and beliefs, but my own favorite lucky food is very simple, easy to make, and the perfect blank canvas to dress up any which way depending on one’s mood. As encouraged by just about every Asian culture, I made sure to have noodles on both New Year’s Eve and Day, just to make sure my luck was secured. I’m not taking any chances this time around!

Mine were matcha soba noodles, to be precise, although you could probably get away with just about anything- Even plain old spaghetti. Why? It’s said that eating long noodles are supposed to symbolize a long life.

Bathed in a light miso and soy broth, I chose to adorn my bowl of green buckwheat pasta very simply, with just a few veggies and mushrooms, although tofu would have made a nice topper, too. Since it’s hard to come by decent vegan dashi or Japanese-style broth, this incredibly basic soup was nonetheless a special treat.

It’s still not too late to whip up one midnight snack of long, slurpable noodles, so get in the kitchen and cook up some good luck!

Yield: Makes 4 Cups

Fish-Free Dashi

Name: Fish-Free Dashi
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 4 Cups Vegetable Stock; 1 Heaping Tablespoon Instant Wakame Flakes; 3 Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms, Finely Chopped; 2 Tablespoons Tamari or Soy Sauce; 2 Tablespoons Barley Miso Paste; 1 – 2 Scallions, Thinly Sliced

Since it’s hard to come by decent vegan dashi or Japanese-style broth, this incredibly easy, simple soup stock is a special treat.

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

4 Cups Vegetable Stock
1 Heaping Tablespoon Instant Wakame Flakes
3 Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms, Finely Chopped
2 Tablespoons Tamari or Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Barley Miso Paste
1 – 2 Scallions, Thinly Sliced

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, simply combine all of the ingredient, stir well, and bring it just to the brink of boil. Never allow miso to boil, as that destroys it’s healthful nutrients. Ladle over cooked noodles and vegetables as desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 45Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1710mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g

January 1, 2010February 28, 2019

Hannah (BitterSweet)28 Comments

Cheers!

Another year; Another decade; Just another day. The New Year is both an opportunity to start fresh, and still nothing more than a continuation of the same old lives we’ve always been living. Typically a holiday that is but a blip on my radar, this time around, it’s taken on much greater significance. Between the greater global issues at hand and smaller personal battles, 2009 has been a rough one, to say the least. It takes a good kick in the butt to get me going again after wallowing for so long in the everyday doldrums, and for once, the changing calendar date actually provided that much needed inspiration.

It’s not my standard modus operandi to make resolutions, and typically a ritual that I avoid like the plague, but in the spirit of starting anew and entering 2010 with an open mind, it’s as good a time as ever to give it a shot. Thus, this year I resolve to…

Stay balanced. Remain grounded but let my thoughts and ideas soar.
Have patience. Be calmer. Don’t fly off the handle at every little irritation.
Give others the benefit of the doubt. Have more compassion for my fellow man.
Live a little. Get out of the house. Leave room for both work and play.
Love more. ‘Nuff said.

That’s a start, at least. And what about your? What is/are your resolution(s)?

Of course, this isn’t a wholly solemn and serious day to meditate on… It’s truly a time to celebrate! Taking the good with the bad and everything in between, we all managed to survive 2009 one way or another, and that in itself is reason to rejoice.

Most commonly associated with New Year’s festivities, champagne is actually one of the few alcoholic beverages we always have on hand… Although that doesn’t mean we’re big on drinking it. In fact, those bottles in the back of our liquor cabinet have been there for as long as I can remember, and they’re likely to stay there for many more years to come as well. However, if there’s ever a good time to crack open a bottle of bubbly, this is it, and what ingredient would be more perfect to highlight in a New Year’s Eve dessert?

Appropriately decadent for such merriment, but still unbelievably simple, you could actually throw this recipe together at 10 pm and still have a dessert to toast with when the ball drops at midnight. Creamy and redolent with rich vanilla essence, the champagne flavor is delicate but absolutely detectable. Although you could easily stop right there with nothing more than a simple custard, I decided to dress mine up with a small dollop of unsweetened, whipped coconut creme, and a handful of crunchy chocolate pearls to mimic the bubbles that would be in the drink. A fantastic contrast to the sweet pudding base, I’d recommend substituting crispy cocoa rice cereal should such a specialty item be unavailable.

Yield: Makes 4 Servings

Champagne Custard

Creamy and redolent with rich vanilla essence, the champagne flavor is delicate but absolutely detectable. Although you could easily stop right there with nothing more than a simple custard, I decided to dress mine up with a small dollop of unsweetened, whipped coconut creme, and a handful of crunchy chocolate pearls to mimic the bubbles that would be in the drink.

Ingredients

10.5 Ounces Vegan White Chocolate
2 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
3/4 Cup Champagne, Divided
1 (10.9-Ounce) Package Extra-Firm Silken Tofu
1 Vanilla Bean, Split and Seeds Scraped Out
Pinch Salt
Coconut Cream, Skimmed from the Top of a 14-Ounce Can of Coconut Milk and Whipped for 5 - 8 Minutes
Crispy Chocolate Pearls or Cocoa Rice Cereal

Instructions

Place the white chocolate (finely chopped if using bars) in a microwave-safe dish along with the margarine and 1/3 cup of the champagne. Microwave on high for 1 – 2 minutes, checking at 30 minute intervals and stirring thoroughly until melted. Don’t panic when it turns a translucent, yellow-ish color, as this is normal and it will re-solidify in a more off-white hue.
Meanwhile, thoroughly drain your container of tofu, and place it in a food processor or blender. Puree, periodically scraping down the sides of the bowl, until smooth and lump-free. Set aside.
Once entirely melted and smooth, add in the remaining champagne, vanilla bean seeds, and salt. Reserve the spent vanilla pod for another purpose, such as making vanilla extract or vanilla sugar. Mix well but gently to combine, to prevent the champagne from foaming up, and transfer the mixture to your food processor or blender which is full of tofu.
Blend to combine, and once fully incorporated, divide the mixture between four champagne flutes. Chill for at least two hours before serving.
Top with coconut creme and chocolate pearls of cocoa rice cereal if desired. Cheers!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 743Total Fat: 53gSaturated Fat: 35gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 121mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 1gSugar: 48gProtein: 9g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

December 29, 2009November 20, 2025

Hannah (BitterSweet)37 Comments

Sweet Home For the Holidays

Temporary insanity. That would be my excuse for such a long silence in middle of the most food-centric time of the year, if I didn’t have one screw loose in the first place. As it is, I have no excuse, other than palate fatigue after sampling a few too many Christmas cookies, and the general exhaustion that follows so many baking marathons. I had such grand plans for the holidays, so many more posts to make, but instead of pushing myself to the brink of collapse to make all those anxiety-provoking deadlines, I gave myself the gift of letting go. Just a few days of silence, a couple extra hours of sleep; small things that make such a huge difference.

Although this month’s Daring Baker challenge almost slipped through my fingers entirely, I summoned up the last of my energy to pull something, anything, together.

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.

Initially plotting one giant, elaborate Victorian house, complete with sugar windows and a wrap-around porch, just figuring out the basic foundation had me sweating bullets. I’m no architect, and it became abundantly clear that I would need to scale way back. Way, way back, down to the tiniest structure possible.

Much nicer for creating a little scene and giving everyone their own house to enjoy, it was a relief to make a few tiny gingerbread house nuggets instead. Shaping the dough like modeling clay, it was just a matter of making a very long rope, flattening the sides and cutting it into rectangles, then forming long triangles and pressing them on top. Bake until lightly brown, cool, and stick into some snowy white frosting atop of a cupcake. To ensure a pure, glistening white base, I made a marshmallow frosting to crown my cinnamon cupcakes, completing the scene with some chopped walnut stepping stones and a small pinch of coarse white sugar and dragees for sparkle. Plus,a practically microscopic dragee snowman that felt absolutely necessary to complete the scene, adorned with chocolate features.

Not my most extravagant or exciting effort, but just enough to feel a touch of the holiday spirit, even in my state of extreme weariness. Here’s hoping that everyone out there can take it easy now, and have a sweet winter holiday!

December 24, 2009November 20, 2025

Hannah (BitterSweet)67 Comments

What’s The Matar?

No longer than 5 minutes after getting my hands on a super-firm block of tofu did it end up on the stove. Most excited to try using this uniquely textured bean curd as a paneer replacement, ideas and inspiration for different Indian dishes were limitless, and I just couldn’t make up my mind.

Instead of making a traditional meal, I decided to make a mash up of my two top picks, matar paneer and dahl. Creating a completely inauthentic but highly delicious one-pot meal with little effort to speak of, this is one that will definitely be a staple for those cold winter nights ahead. It may not win any beauty contests, but it definitely hit the spot.

I served mine up with lightly toasted pita for a quick carb, but it would be the perfect sort of thing to pile on top a hill of rice or quinoa, too.

Yield: Makes 4 - 6 Servings

Matar Tofu Paneer Dahl

In a completely nontraditional mashup of matar paneer and lentil dal, this Indian-inspired entree is a simple, comforting, and flavorful one-pot meal.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
1/2 Medium Yellow Onion, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
1 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
3 Cups Vegetable Stock
1 Cup Mung Dal (Split Mung Beans) or Red Lentils
1 Roma Tomato, Diced
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1/2 Cup Frozen Peas
1 Pound Extra-Firm Tofu, Pressed for at least Two Hours
Salt and Pepper, to Taste

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, melt the coconut oil and begin to saute the onion in it. After a minute, add in the garlic and spices, and stir well. Allow the mixture to cook for 5 – 8 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the spices are highly aromatic. Deglaze the pan with the vegetable stock, scrapping the bottom to make sure nothing is sticking, and then introduce the beans/lentils as well. Cover the pot, turn the heat down to a low simmer, and let it sit, undisturbed, for about 20 minutes.
The if using mung beans, they will still be somewhat firm at this point, but red lentils will be nearly done. Stir in the diced tomato, tomato paste, peas, and pressed tofu, and let cook, covered, for another 5 – 10 minutes. Give the whole mixture a good stir to encourage your legume of choice to break down a bit, and test to see if its fully cooked. The lentils should be done, but mung beans will probably take another 15 minutes or so. Just be patient, and keep a close eye on the pot, making sure there is still enough liquid for everything to cook without burning on the bottom; add a splash of water if it seems too dry.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve piping hot.

A Sticky Situation

Have you ever heard the advice that you should lay off those plans to prepare any new and potentially disastrous recipe when expecting company? I sure have, from countless sources on numerous occasions, but you would need to chain me down and keep me out of the kitchen altogether to prevent that from happening. Guests, you say; Intelligent, food-loving guinea pigs, I say. What better time could there possibly be to whip out something experimental and exciting than when you can collect a dozen opinions at a time? Dinner parties are really just elaborate excuses to pull taste-testers into the house, right? Sure, people might get hungry and cranky when things go wrong (and oh, do they ever,) and you certainly wouldn’t win the Hostess of the Year award, but I for one can’t resist the temptation.

Thankfully, since I only take charge of dessert most of the time, no one starves around here, but the awkward situation remains the same. What should one do if the dessert sucks? Throw it on the floor and hope the dog scoops it up before anyone notices? Say flat out how horrible it was?

Or just choose one redeeming aspect of it, and pretend like the rest doesn’t even take up space on the same plate. That’s the one I usually get, and that’s why I’m only posting the filling of this tart that was made for Hannukah dinner this past Saturday.

Super sweet and only barely offset by the tangy flavors of pomegranate and orange, the thinnest sliver of this little number will do you. In fact, you could quite happily prepare the filling without a crust, pouring it into a jar and using it as a caramel sauce instead. That’s the thing though- This crust, which you can easily see by the photo, was way too thick and tough. Should you decide to go the tart route as well, just use your favorite pie crust and there won’t be any awkward moments of silence at the dinner table while all of your guests try fruitlessly to stab and sever that brick-like shell at the bottom of their plates.

Yield: One Tart Serves 18 – 24; Makes 2 1/2 – 3 Cups Caramel Sauce

Pomegranate Caramel (Tart Filling or Sauce)

Sweet, tart, and tangy with a hint of citrus, this pomegranate caramel sauce is delicious as a tart filling or simply served as a sauce.

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Unsweetened, 100% Pomegranate Juice
2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup Pomegranate Molasses
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Vegan Butter, Cut into Small Cubes
1/2 Cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk
2 Teaspoons Orange Zest

Instructions

Place a medium saucepan with high sides over moderate heat, and combine the pomegranate juice, sugar, pomegranate molasses, and salt inside. Cover with a lid until it reaches a boil (be very careful to pay attention to it, lest you walk away at the precise moment it bubbles up and over the pan… Not like I know about this.) Remove the lid, insert a candy thermometer, and cook the mixture, swirling the pan occasionally to mix, until it reaches 248 – 250 degrees.
Add in the vegan butter and coconut milk, standing back from the stove in case it should splash and sputter, and stir the mixture until combined. Continue to cook it until it returns to 248 degrees, and then turn off the heat. Immediately add the orange zest and pour into a pre-baked 9-inch tart shell to make the dessert, or a number of glass jars if to use it as caramel sauce. You will probably have a little extra caramel left over if using a tart shell too, so have a jar out just in case.
Let cool completely, and chill the tart thoroughly before serving. Drizzle with chocolate ganache if desired. Keep the leftover tart chilled, or else the filling is liable to slide right out of its crust at room temperature.
Seal jars of caramel sauce well and store in the fridge. Heat briefly in the microwave before stirring and serving.

Decadence, to the Next Power

Pulling into the parking lot with a sense of urgency, we had made it to the grocery store with just enough time to spare before its doors closed for the evening. Plans had been made, lists were written, and it was time to begin holiday baking in earnest, once a few staples were secured. Casually perusing the aisles as if not feeling the intense pressure of a looming deadline, the mission was going just fine, items on that list moving from shelf to cart with ease. Walnuts? Check. Cranberries? Check? Sugar? Ginger? Chocolate? Check. Check. Che-

Not check. Peering over the tall stack of pallid, waxy, dairy-imbued white chocolate chips, a barren spot where the dark chocolate chips ought to have resided met my eye. Surely this must be a joke- A sick, nasty joke that no one in their right mind would laugh at- Not a single bag of suitable chocolate in the whole store? Devastated, I rifle through the other baking ingredients aimlessly, while my mom has enough wits about her to actually ask an employee what gives. Nope, all we have is what’s out there, ma’am. The final verdict is crushing. I trudge to the cash register, sans chocolate, utterly defeated.

And then, reaching the front of the store and lifting my eyes, as if sent by the heavens, a wiser, older employee stood triumphant, a bag of the very chocolate I sought propped up in his open hand. Just like flipping on a light switch, my face brightened and steps quickened, the depression lifted in an instant. How? Where? Oh, they were just hiding under the pile of white chocolate was all. We have more, too- How many do you want? Um, all of them, please. 7 bags of chocolate chips richer, I breathed a deep sigh of relief, and took a moment to appreciate how important chocolate is in general, and especially when it comes to holiday baking.

Thus, it seemed to appropriate to make a sweet treat that truly allowed the pure chocolate to shine, the purest expression of cocoa beans, sugar, and vanilla possible beyond a solid bar of the stuff. Truffles are the only way to go for the true chocoholic, but then I thought, what would accentuate this intense flavor further, and add some complimentary earthiness and depth? Well, truffles.

Yes, it’s a bit of a splurge, but isn’t that what the holidays are all about? Besides, just the tiniest square will satisfy; Seriously intense is just about the only way to describe these simple yet very complex confections. Since these are truffled truffles, truffles², it only made sense to cut them into simple squares instead of going through the messy process of rolling them into spheres.

Perhaps not for all tastes, but the more adventurous eaters and true chocolate-lovers should be able to appreciate this unique treat. Just be sure to dose it out in very small, elegant portions!

Yield: Makes 30 – 40 Truffles

Truffles²

Intense is just about the only way to describe these confections that are simple to make, yet very complex in flavor. Heady black truffle oil enriches dark chocolate for a wild interplay between bitter and sweet, savory and salty.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

9 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Chips or Finely Chopped
1/4 Cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Truffle Oil
Coarsely Ground Sea Salt
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Instructions

Line an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with aluminum foil and lightly spritz with cooking spray. Set aside.
Place the chocolate, coconut milk, and olive oil in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high for one minute. Stir thoroughly with a spatula, and if necessary, heat for an additional 30 – 60 seconds, stirring thoroughly between each 30-second interval until completely smooth.
Add in the truffle oil, mix well to incorporate. Pour the liquid chocolate into your prepared pan, and lightly dust the top with a pinch of sea salt. Let cool, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before proceeding.
Once cool and firm, use the foil like a sling to pull the truffle rectangle out of the pan, and set it on a cutting board. Slice it into very small squares, about 1/2 – 3/4 inch, and dip the sides and bottoms into the cocoa powder.
Let the truffles come to room temperature before eating for the most powerful flavor, but keep chilled in an airtight container for storage.