Tag: vegan

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Criticism can be tough to stomach, even when it’s coming from a good place. This is especially true when it comes to food. As a labor of love, a passion meant to be shared, it can be heartbreaking when a lovingly prepared dish is rejected for any reason. Navigating through personal preferences and aversions can be tricky for a cook that has no such qualms. Mushrooms, for instance, are one of my favorite ingredients in pretty much any savory recipe, so it stops me cold when I realize that not everyone shares this perspective. For some, it’s the texture. For others, it’s the strange way they grow. Then there’s the erroneous assessment that their uniquely earthy flavor is more like plain dirt.

Logic and reason needn’t apply; innate distaste can’t always be explained away. It’s a shame, though, that these mushroom-hating people are missing out on a world of such rich depth of flavor. That said, there is a way for everyone to walk away from the table happy and satisfied.

Dried Sugimoto shiitake mushroom powder takes all the best umami elements of the mushroom and concentrates them into a potent seasoning, while leaving behind its conventional fungi form. Applied with a deft hand, it won’t dredge up any questionably earthy, funky, or overtly mushroomy notes. Rather, it seamlessly enhances the meaty flavors and aromas of a dish. For someone cooking alternative proteins, it should be an indispensable staple in the spice cabinet, right alongside salt and pepper.

Transforming a simple blend of vital wheat gluten and chickpea flour into downright umami bomb meatballs, shiitake powder is your secret ingredient that picky eaters don’t need to know about. They won’t realize the flavor boost and added nutrition is coming from mushrooms, but they will know that these are the best vegan meatballs they’ve ever smothered in red sauce and twirled their spaghetti around.

Coming together in a matter of minutes, this shortcut seitan formula is easy to master with one try. The mixture is first steamed to become plump and juicy, then quickly seared for a crisp, golden brown exterior. They’re incredibly hearty, substantial, and won’t fall apart under pressure. Try stacking them up on sub sandwiches or drop them into Italian wedding soup for a savory change of pace. Prep in advance for busy days; finished, cooked meatballs can be frozen almost indefinitely, so you’ll never be caught without a plan for dinner.

Even if you’re not a fan of mushrooms, I promise you’ll love these meatballs. Add a little pinch of Sugimoto shiitake mushroom powder into your life to unlock a bolder, more flavorful approach to meatless meals.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)13 Comments

Steak Your Claim

Did your parents ever admonish you for watching too much TV as a kid? Did Saturday morning cartoons become a thing of the past once you grew up, relegated to memories of simpler days?

Not me. I would consume animated series like water, greedily drinking them in one after another without pausing for a breath of air. Slumber parties consisted of staying up into the wee AM hours to binge watch entire seasons back to back, staying glued to the screen until the lines looked blurry and the words seemed to echo.

After a long period of my life where I took myself too seriously and gave up such pleasures, I’m hooked again, back with a vengeance. My thirst remains unquenchable, but this time around, I fixate on very different details than in my youth. Unsurprisingly, it almost always relates to food.

食戟のソーマ (Food Wars) seems like it should have been an instant hit, being all about one young upstart trying to stake his claim as the best cook in an elite culinary school, but it’s definitely not for everyone. If you can get past the gratuitous nudity and unnecessary sexual innuendo, however, there’s ample inspiration to be found. One of the first dishes that really caught my eye was the Chaliapin Steak.

Despite its western name, this is an original Japanese preparation. Conceived in 1936 for the Russian opera singer Feodor Chaliapin when he visited Japan, it was created to accommodate a terrible toothache. At the time, he was suffering considerably and wanted only the most tender meat so it was easier to chew. By cooking a prime cut smothered with caramelized onions, the result was just what the dentist would have ordered, if one might have been consulted.

Translated into vegan terms, I thought a hamburger steak made from meatless ground might be even more appropriate. A loosely bound patty turned out to be even juicier, practically melting in your mouth. Plus, this is yet another Japanese innovation, distinctly different from conventional hamburgers and Salisbury steak.

Transforming humble, unremarkable ingredients into a 5-star dish worthy of high honors, the key is patience. It takes time to properly caramelize the onions, not just brown or sauté, to fully extract their natural sweetness.

I chose to serve mine over rice, donburi-style, in keeping with the inspiration, but traditionally this would be presented without much fanfare, perhaps a green vegetable or salad on the side. You can’t go wrong with a basic buttery mashed potato or thick-cut fries, too.

Even if anime isn’t your thing, you’ll still find your stomach growling after this episode.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments

Melon Drama

If it’s named for a melon and looks like a melon, then obviously, it should taste like… Not a melon.

Such is the curious case of melon pan. Captivating the imaginations and cravings of Japanese bakers since the early 1900’s, right around the time that Western influences made bread the trendy starch of those in the know, it gave traditional rice flour a run for its money. Simple, sweet buns wrapped in a buttery cookie exterior, the name has more to do with its deeply grooved, crackled exterior than flavor. Said to evoke the appearance of the delicate skin of a muskmelon, covering the fruit like natural lace, it’s one of many theories, though it strikes me as the most plausible explanation.

Some are round, others are more like ovoid footballs. Most are plain, but some are filled with cream or jam. A few intrepid bakers try to make sense of the misnomer by adding artificial melon flavoring to the dough itself. For years, that was my impulse as well, but I could never fully connect the dots. Melon extract is not exactly the most common ingredient in the pantry, and even as a special order, few genuinely tasteful options exist.

What I’m proposing instead might seem like a stretch, but it’s the most sensible extension of the concept I’ve devised yet. The melon family, cucurbitaceae, is a classification that includes a diverse array of plants both sweet and savory, starting of course with melons like cantaloupe and honey dew, but also squashes such as pumpkins. That connection was the catalyst I needed to finally make a melon pan I could better justify.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments

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