HapPea Vegans – Buffalo Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich, Chicken Katsu Pineapple Fried Rice
Umami Burger – Impossible Trufflemaker
PlowBQ (CLOSED) – BBQ Chopped Beef Sandwich
L’Herbivore – Kraut Burger
Gay4U – Mega Babe Burger
Classic Cars West (CLOSED) – Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich
Grandeur – Falafel Burger and Beyond Meat Dawg
ATX Food Co – Squash Party Salad, Donburi Bowl, Wild Mushroom Tacos
Bouldin Creek Cafe – Good Livin’ Salad
Cafe Umami – Tofu Salad Bowl
MIXT – Design Your Own Salads
Nom Eez – Papaya Salad (CLOSED)
Sweetgrass- Matcha Caesar Salad (CLOSED)
The Beer Plant – Chicken Caesar Salad
Everyone in my family is a fidgeter, a picker, or a combination of the two. We simply can’t sit quietly, motionlessly, and we certainly can’t keep our hands still. As if possessed, they move with minds of their own, searching and groping into empty space for something to latch on to, work through, touch and feel.
If not for knitting, I would have long ago torn my nail beds to utter ruin, all without realizing precisely what those devious hands were doing. I’ve noticed that my mom often tries to redirect that energy into more positive channels as well, typically working knots out of yarn or twisted lengths of jewelry, impossibly tangled by yours truly. My sister’s gift, however came as a complete surprise. It turns out, she’s a gifted and endlessly enthusiastic sheller.
Failing to locate shelled pistachios for a recipe in need, I resigned myself to a frustrating night of cracking open about a million half-smiling green nuts, their tiny smirks mocking me from the safety of their hard cocoons. Somehow detecting the need for help, my sister was there in an instant, popping them out left and right, until only a pile of clean, perfect pistachios remained. Stunned, I could only stare at the heaping bowl of nuts, dumbstruck. This girl hates nuts, had never willingly or knowingly eaten a nut of any variety, and yet relished this horribly monotonous duty to free them from their shells.
Of course, this discovery came years ago, when we all lived together under one roof. Now separated by hundreds of miles, I can’t help but think of this moment wistfully as a new heap of nuts sits before me, cocooned in their impenetrable cloaks.
In the times of quarantine, though, it’s not the worst way to pass the endless hours. Any project that ends with a delicious result is a worthwhile investment in time.
Most cream of [fill-in-the-blank] soups are good only as ingredients, possessing little redeeming culinary value alone, but this pale green pottage was designed specifically to fly solo. Lush toasted pistachios are blended to both flavor and enrich the silken brew, dazzling with simplicity and subtlety. Glorious spring greens enhance the color, of course, while adding a light, peppery bite. Fennel, typically a bit player, is essential for this unique concert of seasonal flavors, not to be overpowered by the standard array of aromatics.
If you don’t start with shelled pistachios, it will definitely take a minute to prepare, to which I say: All the more better. Consider it an act of productive meditation. Don’t rush the process, but embrace it instead.
Shiba Ramen – Soymilk Ramen
Burma Superstar – Vegetarian Noodles
Imperial Tea Court – Hand-Pulled Noodles
Shandong – Handmade Noodles
Nom Eez (CLOSED) – Jap Chae
Sobo Ramen – Coconut Soy Ramen
Now more than ever, as the very earth seems to shift beneath our feet, we’re finding comfort and solace in simple pleasures. Drawn back into the kitchen, the heart of the home, even those who once claimed to despise the domesticity of cooking are deftly, urgently tying on their aprons. Exactly what is everyone cooking, though? What is it that speaks most to the soul in times of crisis, that nourishes physically and emotionally?
Google would like to weigh in.
Below is a list of the top ten most searched recipes on Google since quarantine conditions began around mid-March, followed by my personal suggestions for corresponding dishes found right here on little old BitterSweet.
What are you craving most?
Stuck at home with scant entertainment and unsatisfying work, there's no better way to spend your time than a warm kitchen. Here are the most popular recipes cooks are making across the country right now, separated by physical distance but together in spirit.
Packed with soft chunks of whole banana and crunchy pecans, this particular rendition relies more on the inherent sweetness of the fruit itself than additional sugar. Some may look at that crumb and cry out that it’s under-baked, criminally banded with a sad streak almost as thick as the slices themselves, but that’s exactly what I crave in a good banana bread.
Prepared with an effortless pizza dough recipe, these vegan pizza rolls are an instant crowd-pleaser.
When I first attempted French toast, it was still very early in my "career" as a vegan. Because I had yet to really move into my element in the kitchen, my whole family remained dubious of what could be done without milk or eggs. Still, I persevered and came up with this impossibly buttery, eggy, cinnamon-scented rendition with ease. All it took was one mouthful of this delicious dish for my skeptical loved ones to start thinking about veganism in an entirely different way.
Creamy bittersweet chocolate frosting is the luscious glue that holds together this tower of three tender cake rounds together, and though no further decoration is needed, a light dusting of confectioner's sugar really seals the deal. Nothing short of a show-stopper, it may not be a surprising choice, but it's sure not your average cocoa birthday cake.
A luxuriously velvety layer of foam crowns this strong iced latte, lightly sweetened with notes of caramel.
Warmly spiced with the smoky undertones of rich Spanish and Hungarian paprika, this is an easy, meatless dish that the whole family will love.
Speckled with walnuts, raisins, and of course orange flecks of carrot, this new take on carrot cake is certainly a mouthful, but it’s not at all hard to swallow. One might even feel slightly virtuous selecting a slice or two for breakfast, since you’re getting a nice serving of carrot, right?
Served for Thanksgiving or any day at all, this hotdish combines the best parts of classic cheeseburger, from hearty meatless ground beef to sesame buns, and of course a generous topping of shredded vegan cheese.
Cabbage like you've never tasted before. Tender, rich, and almost buttery, this fast stir-fry will change the way you think about the humble green leaves.
Thick, soft, and chewy chocolate chip cookies that may just rival what mom used to make!
At a time when traditional publications struggle to maintain relevance in a largely digital world, there hardly seems to be room on the shelf for existing magazines, let alone new titles. Diving into this highly competitive field without prior experience, or a serious investment, or full-time staff would be sheer insanity. Only someone so blindly passionate about telling their story, so deeply, ludicrously smitten with print, so ravenous to share something better than a fleeting shorthand tweet, could be crazy enough to start up the presses now.
That someone is me.
The way I see it, the time has never been better for an upstart publication to squeeze its way into stores. Dwindling options have left us with whitewashed magazines, splashing only generic, dull articles across flimsy pages, trying to appeal to the widest audience possible. I want to speak to those already in the know, the informed readers craving new ideas for life in the kitchen, at the table, and beyond.
Introducing Season to Taste, a monthly magazine focusing on the very best food found in your backyard and farmers markets, everyday. Luscious photography accompanies every mouthwatering piece, training a lens on the full glory of plant-based cuisine. Recipes will be a staple of course, but so will DIY projects, advice for growing your own garden, features on the people growing your vegetables, and making your favorite artisan goods.
There is so much to celebrate in the world of food that keeping it all digital would be the greatest injustice of all. Tree-free editions will naturally be available for instant download worldwide, but the ultimate goal is to revive the lost art of print.
Don’t you want to see the glossy pages of a magazine in the checkout line that actually speak to you? Rather than idly browsing through another meaty or cheesy publication with the need to veganize any promising concept, start with what’s always been good. Celebrating vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains, Season to Taste is all about good food, period. It just so happens to be healthier, easier, and more vibrant than the SAD diet subtly pushed by mainstream media.
If you want to join me in the print revolution, all you have to do is subscribe. Sign up for delivery of printed copies, or instant digital downloads today, and you’ll get your first year of 12 issues at 20% off cover price. This deal is good only though midnight, so don’t sleep on it. A bold new world of fresh inspiration awaits.
