Friday, August 17, 2007

Veggin’ Out in Boone

When a friend and I made a day trip to Boone recently, of course dining out was on the agenda. We had three possibilities in mind.

First on the list was Angelica’s, a vegetarian institution in Boone. We’ve been there before, and enjoy its good food and definite “hippy” vibe.

Another was The Coyote Kitchen, which isn’t purely vegetarian but has a lot of vegetarian choices.

The third, for supper since it opens at 4 p.m., was the Moon Shine Cafe. The Moon Shine caught my eye because in researching Boone restaurants, I came across an article that said it had been started by the same person who formerly owned Angelica’s and The Coyote Kitchen. Again, it’s not a vegetarian restaurant, but the menu shows many intriguing options for vegetarians.

We ended up at The Coyote Kitchen, and enjoyed it very much. It’s a small restaurant, with eye-catching art on the walls, and a colorful mural in the back. Our main dishes were delicious. Tempeh tacos were very well-seasoned; and the Moab boat, a dish of sweet potatoes, butterbeans, grilled tofu, plantains and corn, baked with cheese on top, was a harmonious combination. The cranberry chipotle and mango habanero salsas we tried were tasty, but sweet and fruity, with only a little heat. The menu also says that any dish can be made vegetarian by substituting tofu, at no extra charge.

The one misstep at the restaurant was the “guacamole.” This puzzling drab-green paste only faintly resembled the rich, creamy, avocado-based dish I expected. Upon inquiry, our waiter explained that it was “garden guacamole,” made from … peas. The peas are more local, good avocados are hard to get in Boone, it doesn’t contain the sour cream that most places put in to stretch their guacamole, and besides, most people like it anyway, were the defenses for this. Fair enough, but it would be better to explain all this to diners before they order the stuff.

That aside, I would heartily recommend Coyote Kitchen to vegetarians in the Boone area. I would also recommend a stop by the Daniel Boone Native Gardens. This little gem is an oasis of beauty and serenity. We hope to be back in the area soon to see what is blooming there, and to visit the other restaurants on our list. Readers, are there any other restaurants in the area that we should try?

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

See you in the funny papers

Many vegetarians know that unpleasant animal products can lurk in seemingly innocent foods. Today’s episode of my favorite comic strip, “Get Fuzzy,” explores that idea. Rob, the strip’s main human character and a longtime vegetarian, learns that there is rennet - or as another character describes it, “baby cow stomach” - in his cheddar cheese. You can read the strip in the Journal, or online here for the next 30 days.

Luckily, the episode is funny as well as educational. A friend and I analyze the strip each day, and he enjoyed it even though he isn’t vegetarian. (We also talked a bit about vegetarianism and veganism as a result of the strip.) Keep watching, because I have a feeling that this may be the start of a vegetarian storyline for the week.

Meanwhile, if you would like to learn more about rennet, as well as non-dairy cheese alternatives, the Vegetarian Resource Group has a good article here.

Friday, August 10, 2007

The Flexitarian Table

A co-worker alerted me to the cookbook The Flexitarian Table: Inspired, Flexible Meals for Vegetarians, Meat Lovers, and Everyone in Between, which was published in June. I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, but it sounds as if it would be extremely handy for “sometimes” vegetarians or for cooks in households made up of vegetarians and carnivores. It contains a series of “convertible” recipes that can be made either with or without meat. For instance, the same marinade recipe can be used for both chicken and tofu, so everyone at the table can eat basically the same dish.

You can read a review of the cookbook from The Boston Globe here. There are also some tips from the author for being flexible with protein at the Philadelphia Daily News.

Do you have any tips for satisfying both carnivores and vegetarians at the same meal?
Labels: cookbook

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Your opinion counts

VegNews magazine is holding its annual Veggie Awards survey. You can go online now to cast votes for your favorite vegetarian restaurant, cookbook author, veg-friendly city, and more. By voting, you’re entered into a drawing - A California Dream Veggie Getaway for two is the top prize. Other goodies include a Chocolate Lovers Gift Box and spa baskets.

Entries must be received by midnight Sept. 1. Award winners will be announced in the November/December issue of VegNews.

Good luck! And if you win that California trip and wonder who to take as a guest, remember who told you about the survey in the first place….

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Keeping up appearances

For weeks, I’ve been bragging on all the fresh vegetables coming in - with posts that might as well have been titled “eggcelent eggplants,” “bully for basil” and so on. But last night I realized that my most pressing food issue has ceased to be, “What is the best and most succulent way to prepare this?” and has instead become, “How do I keep all this from going bad?”

So the beets that had been sitting patiently in the crisper (patience is one of beets’ virtues) have become beet soup, to be stored in the freezer until further notice. The last lonely ear of corn was microwaved and devoured with plum paste. The okra ... Well, the okra has been rearranged and fretted over, and eventually I may figure out what to do with it.

There appear to be three main strategies for dealing with this overflow:

One is storing vegetables cleverly, so that they remain fresher longer in the fridge. The second is preserving them somehow for longer-term storage. The Internet contains a wealth of information on both. (The third is leaving a basket of veggies on your neighbor’s porch, ringing the doorbell, and running. I didn’t research this option any further, since I’m not running anywhere in this heat.)

But, back to the first option: The University of Nebraska has an exhaustive guide to harvesting and storing fresh veggies here. And, proving that food storage is an international issue, the Toronto Vegetarian Association has a page of “Tips on Buying and Storing Whole Foods” here.

North Carolina Cooperative Extension has links to a broad range of publications on “Food Preservation and Safety for Consumers, on this page. (The same page has links for commercial food safety, too - just click the link or scroll down the page to find the consumer info.)

And the National Center for Home Food Preservation has information and links on all aspects of this issue. Just ignore the stuff about smoking fish (the whole “cured & smoke” section is full of unpleasantries), and concentrate on such vital issues as chocolate-sauce safety.

Readers, do you have any failsafe tips on keeping food edible? Or – please, oh, please—any suggestions on how to use okra?

Friday, August 03, 2007

Basil

Basil is one of my favorite herbs, with its fresh, bright flavor that works in so many dishes. Luckily it’s an herb that’s pretty easy to grow in the garden. (Unlike one of my other favorites, cilantro, which will have absolutely no part of our hot Carolina summers.) Though my plants aren’t doing quite as well this summer as in the past, I have more than enough to add to my fresh tomato and mozzarella salads. If you have an abundance of basil, making pesto is always a great option, since it’s delicious and freezes well. But if you’re looking for a different way to use up some fresh basil, here’s my favorite homemade salad-dressing recipe, from What’s Cooking America by Linda Stradley and Andra Cook:

Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette Dressing
1 medium lemon
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c. rice vinegar
2 c. loosely packed fresh basil leaves
3 T. honey
1/4 t. salt
1 c. extra-virgin olive oil

Remove the zest from the lemon. Squeeze lemon, reserving juice. In a blender or food processor, whirl lemon zest and garlic until minced. Add rice vinegar, basil, honey and salt; whirl until basil is coarsely chopped.

With motor on, slowly drizzle lemon juice and olive oil into basil mixture. Whirl until vinaigrette has thickened slightly and basil is finely chopped.

Yield: 1 cup.

Note: This dressing is fairly tart, so you can add more honey if you want it slightly sweeter.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Planning ahead

Vegetarians interested in animal rights might enjoy “Becoming the Change,” the 22nd annual Compassionate Living Festival, which will be held Oct. 5-7 in Durham.

This year’s festival will feature such speakers as Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society; panel discussions on such topics as companion animals and civil liberties; a “Vegan Chic” showcase hosted by Josh Hooten of Herbivore Clothing and author Rory Freedman; exhibits and a bookshop; and five vegan meals.

Registration is due by Sept. 21. It costs $139 a person through Aug. 31, and $169 after that. The festival is produced by the Culture and Animals Foundation, and the Animals and Society Institute, with support from several other groups.

Years ago, I attended some of the Compassionate Living Festivals when it was possible to register for a single day or for individual lectures. That does not appear to be an option this year, unfortunately.

Even if you can’t make it to the festival, the Culture and Animals Foundation may be of interest. It was founded in 1985 by Tom Regan - a professor emeritus of philosophy at N.C. State University and author of the influential book The Case for Animal Rights - and his wife, Nancy.

The foundation says that it “exists to expand our understanding and appreciation of animals - improving the ways in which they are treated and their standing in human society.”

“Through cultural studies, history, and philosophy, we explore our relationship with animals.

“Through arts and letters - poetry, dance, fiction, painting, theater, sculpture, music - we celebrate our unity.

“In seeing and understanding kindred animals, we see and understand a part of ourselves.”

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Quick corn

My parents recently taught me a great way to prepare corn on the cob in the microwave. It’s quick, the corn comes out perfectly tasty, and the kitchen isn’t heated up by a boiling pot of water. Here’s how:

Dampen a paper towel with water and wring it out. Then unfold it and wrap the damp towel around your shucked ear of corn. Put it into the microwave for 2 minutes on high. Then, unwrap it and enjoy!

As I’ve said before, corn on the cob is at its best when spread with a small amount of umeboshi plum paste. Now, that’s a taste of summer.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Salad days

The meal that I eat most in summer is a big salad. With the hot weather and all the fresh vegetables around, salads are a natural. Unfortunately, I do tend to get in a salad rut, where my salads are usually made up of the same, rather boring ingredients: lettuce mix, fresh herbs, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese and croutons. How I tend to mix it up is by using different dressings. I’ve mentioned before that I have a “cookbook problem.” Well, I also have a “salad-dressing problem.” Right now, I have eight bottles of dressing opened in my fridge and no fewer than 15 (!!) unopened in my cupboard.

I’ve been trying to diversify and be more creative with what I throw into the salad bowl. At various times, I’ve added almonds, pecans, soy nuts, dried cranberries, broccoli or cauliflower. One of my favorite new salad ideas I’ve come up with is to add pieces of Yves’ Lemon-Herb “chicken” skewers and slices of avocado. That’s proven to be very yummy and filling.

Still, I’d like some more fresh ideas. What are some things that you like to add to your salads to make them more interesting?

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Hot Dog!

As a vegetarian, for years I could only drool as I heard and read about the by-all-accounts-wondrous pretzel buns at Skippy’s Hot Dogs. The Journal’s Dinner Belle wrote a glowing review this spring, and still I yearned.

But that’s all over ... because now Skippy’s has veggie dogs! They’re not on the menu board yet, but they are there. The Chicago dog I had for lunch today—with mustard, relish, dill pickle, tomato, banana peppers and celery salt (hold the onion)—was tasty and satisfying. And the pretzel bun was just as delicious as I had imagined.

Skippy’s was crazy-busy long after 1 o’clock, when the lunch rush has usually abated at downtown restaurants. But owner Mike Rothman, who also mans the grill, took a moment to talk about the veggie dogs.

Skippy’s uses Morningstar Farms veggie dogs, which are vegetarian but not vegan, since they contain egg whites and dry milk. Rothman also realizes that vegetarians may growl if the veggie dogs are cooked on the same spot where the meat is cooked. So he is working on finding the best spot to grill them, either on the side of the grill where the pretzel buns are toasted, or in the area where the vegetables are heated.

I really appreciate that Skippy’s has made the effort to include a vegetarian option, and I’ll be back soon to try that Reuben dog.

Skippy’s is at 624 W. Fourth St. in Winston-Salem. Their menu and other information is available online at www.skippyshotdogs.com