Category: Food

Five Dollar Feasts

Heraclitus once said, “the only constant in life is change,” but when it comes to the cost of living, that change is always going up. This is especially true of big cities like Austin, Texas, where newcomers including myself have been flocking in droves. Natives tell tales of $600 rent for a one bedroom apartment downtown, which is utterly unthinkable, if not downright laughable, in the midst of the current housing boom.

Despite these rapidly rising expenses, there’s still a wealth of wildly flavorful, incredibly affordable gems to be found within the burgeoning plant-based restaurant scene. For $5 or less, you can find a veritable vegan feast.

Originally devised as an weekly in-person event to bring the community together, Wheatsville‘s $5 Thursday dinners have shifted to prepared takeout plates for the time being. Not even a pandemic could stop this force of nature that brings hefty portions of protein and two sides to countless tables. Offering a different meat and meatless option every week, I eagerly await the monthly menu to see what’s in store. From shawarma to southern fried, Thai curry to Indian masala, there isn’t a single bad option on rotation.

Fluffy yet filling, the steamed veggie buns at Bao’d Up ring in at $2.95, and you can even add a $1.95 matcha red bean bite for dessert, without going over budget. However, the only thing better than cheap is free, and your first meal could be on the house. You just need to download their app and create an account (use my referral code 2271, please!) to get 500 points, which is enough to redeem three free full-sized bao! Don’t forget, they use vegan mayo in their slaw, so you could very happily round out a meal with veggies for $2.50, pickles for the same price, or spicy Sichuan fries for $3.50. You’ve got lots of cost-effective options here.

While full-sized New York-style thin crust pizzas will cost at least $15 at Big Nonna’s up north or their counterpart Li’l Nonna’s down south, the Sicilian slice will more than satisfy the appetites of the budget-conscious. Each thick, square cut slab of gently blistered dough is slathered in rich San Marzano tomato sauce and housemade vegan mozzarella. One generous piece is a meal in and of itself, bearing the minimal price tag of just $4.

You won’t find a single dish over $7 at Bodhi Viet Vegan, a Vietnamese food truck staffed buy nuns and volunteers from a local Buddhist temple. Most notably, all appetizers, bao, bánh mì, desserts, and drinks are only $3.50 each. Pull together a few friends and you could very well try the entire menu without breaking the bank. The biggest problem with this amazing hot spot is they’re only open for limited hours, Thursday through Saturday. Go early to make sure they don’t sell out of your favorites first!

Though it may not look very vegan-friendly at first glance, rest assured that Biscuits & Groovy has plant-based alternatives to everything listed on the menu. That means bacon, eggs, cheese, gravy, and of course, those fluffy, buttery biscuits are all within reach! The best bang for your buck is the Mc Hammer, which comes with one biscuit, tofu scramble, cheese, and your choices of meatless sausage or bacon all for $4. Don’t forget to ask for gravy on the side, free of charge.

In addition to some knock-out tacos and basic bagels, the wraps in particular are an absolute steal at Opera Cafe. There are four flavorful options all for $5 each, but my personal favorite is the bacon & v-eggs that comes with sauteed onions, crisp cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce. It has that perfect balance between rich breakfast comfort food and fresh, healthy ingredients.

Taco Tuesday is always a time to celebrate, especially at The Vegan Nom. Migas tacos are only $2 each, so you can grab two and still walk away with change to spare. Even a single order of these soft flour tortillas stuffed with scrambled tofu, tortilla chips, cheese and tomatoes is pretty darned filling. Best of all, the patio is dog-friendly and you can get a free beer with purchase all day, any day!

Food snobs: avert your eyes. Taco Cabana is not gourmet by any stretch of the imagination, ranking just a step above Taco Bell Quality, but this homegrown fast food chain is pulling out all the stops when it comes to cheap eats. Let me just start with the $2 margaritas, available all day, via pickup, dine-in, delivery, AND drive through, available in at least 8 flavors with many seasonal variations. Food options are a bit limited for vegans, but with Beyond Meat on the menu, quite substantial with a little modification. You’ve got basic soft and crunchy tacos, the cabana bowl (which is like a taco salad), and my favorite, the nachos. Just ask for Beyond Meat nachos, no queso and no sour cream, add guacamole. Even with the extra guac, it still rings up under $5. I don’t remember exactly how much it costs because… Did I mention those $2 margaritas?

Though officially listed at $5.50, the People Project fried chicken sandwich at Project Pollo is actually a pay-what-you-can offering to those in need. The real price is whatever you can afford. If you do pay the full amount, it’s akin to a donation that will cover the meal for two more people seeking assistance. No matter what’s in your wallet, your stomach will soon be filled with a crispy fried vegan chicken patty swaddled in a soft brioche bun, topped with pickles and creamy mayo. Now that’s mutual aid in action.

In a world of over-hyped, overpriced dining disappointments, these staples will never let you down. Rich or poor, vegan or omnivore, no one in this town should go hungry, no matter what.

For anyone truly struggling to make ends meet, please visit one of the many free fridges or pantries sprinkled throughout the city, or find the pop-up emergency relief food distributions hosted by the Central Texas Food Bank. No judgement, no questions asked; we’re in this together.

Hannah (BitterSweet)5 Comments

Endless Summer

Blinded by the midday sun, slung high above sparse, pillowy clouds, I close my eyes and throw my head back in submission. Ice clinks against the glass in my hand as it slowly melts, shape-shifting into smaller and smaller fragments before giving up on maintaining solid form altogether. Cicadas buzz and sizzle in the heat, flooding the air with their electric symphony. All extraneous details quickly fade away; this could be anywhere in space, at any point in time.

Just like that, days turn into weeks, trickling by without particular notice, blending into one another to create the fabled “endless summer.” Undoubtedly, the heat will persist well beyond the calendar’s seasonal boundaries, strengthening that illusion with every subsequent sunny forecast. Unfortunately, that magic never lasts, choosing to suddenly disappear for its final trick. With it goes the bounty of luscious summer produce. Goodbye to the watermelon and blueberries, so long tomatoes and cucumbers; we know you’ll come visit again, but a year feels like forever away.

We can’t make summer stay, but we can preserve some of that magic. Pickling is one of the easiest ways to save these seasonal gems while injecting some extra flavor. Inspired by the classic cocktail featuring gin and lime juice, gimlet pickles transform simple seedless cucumbers into savory snacks elegant enough to act as a garnish, but without being so fussy as to stand out in a sandwich or served on a charcuterie plate.

Gin contributes a uniquely woodsy flavor, imparted by juniper berries, that reminds me of pine needles with a touch of lemon. Since that can be a bit polarizing, a popular variation on the mix uses vodka instead. Taking a page from that traditional twist, feel free to play around with any distilled spirit you prefer.

Whatever you do, don’t let summer slip away. It may feel limitless right now, but in an instant, it could be swept away by cold winds and dark days. Drink in every savory moment while you still can.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments

Let’s Taco ‘Bout It

Imagine taking a bite into a crisp, juicy apple at the peak of the season, as sweet and fragrant as it can possibly get. Downright decadent, the experience goes well beyond simple sustenance. However, after that single bite, you toss the rest of the apple straight into the trash. Who could be so wasteful, so thoughtless, so downright heartless? Though the typical experience is less dramatic, perfectly good food is squandered like this every single day.

Despite best intentions, we often ignore leftovers and forget about perishables until they’ve withered in the vegetable bin, barely even fit to compost. Adding insult to injury, perfectly good ingredients are too frequently tossed for a lack of understanding. Dried shiitake mushrooms are a common victim of this crime, accused of having inedible stalks that must simply be removed and discarded. It’s high time we debunked this myth and restored the stem to a place of honor on our plates.

Make no mistake, shiitake mushroom stems are much more fibrous and tough compared to their tender, meaty caps, but they are entirely edible and packed with all the same rich umami flavor. As always, quality counts, so you can expect the best results from Sugimoto shiitakes, selectively grown for their incomparable culinary potential. In fact, the chewy quality that many write off as their downfall can actually be an asset in the right recipe.

When crafting a dish with only the caps, don’t think for a minute that the detached stems are dumped in the garbage. Since they’re small, I tend to keep a baggie of them in the freezer, filling it slowly until I’ve collected enough to cook with. That way, they won’t spoil before I have a good quantity to work with. Even if the dish isn’t focused on shiitake mushrooms, they add incredible depth to all sorts of soups, stews, curries, vegetable patés, stuffings, and beyond. Anywhere that a melange of vegetables can be added, finely minced shiitake stems are your new secret ingredient for even more savory, satisfying results.

Finely chopped, the hearty, toothsome texture enhances plant-based proteins with an extra meaty mouthfeel and incredibly rich, beefy taste. Easily surpassing more processed alternatives in both flavor and nutrition, it’s a wonder that such misinformation about this vital ingredient persists. Clearly, the people perpetuating the defamatory rumors about shiitake stems have never tried cooking them into hot, spicy taco filling. One bite of this quick fix meal would win over any cynics.

Bolstered by minced tempeh, this instant entree simmers with nuanced seasonings, easily adjusted to personal preferences. With a smoky, subtly charred edge from the kiss of a cast iron skillet, no one would ever miss the meat here. Especially when piled high on soft corn tortillas with a barrage of fresh salsa, herbs, and buttery avocado, it’s unthinkable that the key ingredient might have otherwise been destined for the landfill.

Don’t wait until taco Tuesday to whip up a batch. Beyond classic taco fodder, this meatless marvel makes an excellent pizza topper, superlative spaghetti sauce addition, and brilliant breakfast side. Waste not, want not, especially when it comes to prime Sugimoto shiitake mushrooms.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)12 Comments

Slimy Yet Satisfying

Like many great inventions, this recipe was borne of an abject failure. Any reasonable person would have admitted defeat and tossed the initial results without a second thought, but then again, no one has ever accused me of such distinction.

It all started with a used pasta maker, the catalyst for a deep-dive into all sorts of noodles, common and obscure, simple and complex, to see what I could churn out at home. After working through soba and pappardelle and more, I hit upon rokube. Served on Tsushima Island, this local specialty is made of sweet potato flour mixed with grated yams as a means of creating more nutritious noodles during times of scarcity. Though rudimentary recipes do exist, they aren’t well detailed, leading to some very questionable cuisine.

Obviously, sweet potato flour is different from sweet potato starch, and perhaps they meant actual sweet potatoes instead of what I assumed were nagaimo. Thus, my attempt was doomed from the start. Nagaimo are known for having a uniquely slimy texture when grated or pureed; also known as “neba neba” in Japanese. This gooey mouthfeel is difficult for many western palates to accept, so be forewarned that what follows may not suit all tastes.

So, merrily, I measured out all the wrong ingredients and was surprised to see that it didn’t work at all- What a shock! Though the dough seemed stiff and difficult to knead, it refused to come out of the nozzle and when at rest, it appeared to liquefy. It was such a bizarre consistency that it defies easy explanation.

This is where I should have given up, but thrifty and scrap-happy cook that I am, I racked my brain for any way to salvage the mess. How about… Drying it out in the oven? Sure, why not? Into a greased sheet pan it went and it did indeed set into a sheet of odd, floppy, white and translucent starch. Next, still stuck on the idea of noodles, it only made logical sense to slice it into ribbons and proceed as planned.

Shockingly, flying in the face of all common sense, it actually worked. The strands cooked up as intended, remaining intact yet tender, and incredibly, extremely chewy. Very neba neba.

Served chilled and topped with additional nagaimo, this is a taste experience for the adventurous, seeking something refreshing and cool that offers textures not otherwise found in most common cookery. Slippery, springy, and slightly gooey, you must be able to embrace slime to appreciate it. Other neba neba ingredients can be added to enhance the sensation, like natto and sliced fresh okra.

There are probably easier ways to arrive at such a result, but through the process of experimentation, I’m just happy to land at such satisfying end results. It never hurts to keep trying and pushing forward, no matter the questionable path!

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Hannah (BitterSweet)7 Comments

Take it Easy

Rosh Hashanah without an apple cake would be like Thanksgiving without a pumpkin pie; an unforgivable travesty. Combining the most essential edible harbinger of a sweet new year, you’re practically asking for another 365 days of misfortune if you should overlook this staple. As we turn the page on the year 5781, let’s not leave anything to chance.

Dense with tender fruit and a moist crumb, it’s a homey, humble dessert that’s as soothing to make as it is to eat. Anyone who can wield a spatula will pull out a perfect ring of dark brown cake, aromatic spices infusing the whole kitchen with their sweet bouquet. Fool-proof and crowd-pleasing, this formula has withstood the test of time, rising to the occasion to feed parties big and small. Such a generous cake is an excellent guest itself, perfect to make ahead or keep for days after the event.

Such an easy-going treat would be welcome for any celebration, but is also just as well suited for an everyday simple indulgence.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)6 Comments