Ode to VEGAN BRUNCH Testing

Excuse me, Vegan Brunch is out!!!!

 Tofu Florentine with Bechamel

Once again, I had the honor of testing for an Isa Chandra Moskowtiz cookbook, and once again, I cannot stop raving about her recipes.   I tested twentysomething this time around, and many of them quickly made it into regular rotation in my kitchen, like the Swiss Chard Frittata and Chorizo Sausages.  There are also those, like the Tomato Rosemary Scones and East Coast Coffeecake, that I kick myself for not making more often.  Testing for Post Punk Kitchen books is always a fantastic ongoing project that has me trying things I wouldn't normally, and really thinking about what I can see myself making again.

If you've been to my apartment, or my flickr, you know I have a steamed sausage drawer in my fridge.  Everything I tested was awesome, no hype here - I mean, this is the author who gave the world tempeh bacon, the first recipe I ever made from Vegan with a Vengeance, and it's dear to my heart.  She fucking knows brunch.  Follow that with perfect, reliable and at many, many points - innovative, recipes for pancakes, waffles, morning greens, scrambles of the cubed and smushed variety (hell yeah, to throwing in cubes!), east coast style coffeecake, omelets and scones, and well, she gives anyone interested in vegan cooking another guide to impressing and feeding their friends and family any time of day.  

In fact, just last night I picked up my copy, and utilized the leftover olives from a party I threw, jar of capers I've had for a while (admittedly since Veganomicon Caeser testing!), and a block of bulk tofu from People's Coop and made the Puttanesca Scramble for dinner.

Let's embark on my Vegan Brunch test kitchen photo tour... (there were actually a few recipes I tested I didn't photograph, liked the Jeff-endorsed Chesapeake Tempeh cakes - shocking, I know, blame the winter lighting)

The Tofu Florentine with Bechamel

 served with steamed chard

The Puttanesca Scramble

What you and Zelda came for. Vegan Omelets.

With a spicy black beans and greens filling

To my dear Tofu Frittatas...

This one had shiitakes, spinach, rosemary and thyme

Asparagus

Swiss Chard, plated

Shiitake Dill (with creminis)

OMG, Sausages  - 

I made so many variations of Isa's Italian, Chorizo and Cherry Sage, I could never begin to name them all

You may know how it is....

Sausages and Greens 

Pan-fried

Cherry Sage - a couple weeks ago I made a 

Roasted Apple, Maple and Sage variation!

Spicy, spicy, spicy

Plated with extra mini-omelets

Poppy seed Pull-apart Rolls

Lemon Pepper Tofu

Scones! Chocolate Chip and Raisin something.  

These are actually rejects from a photo shoot for the book.  The recipes are all Isa's, but the sweet scones, Tomato Rosemary, coffeecake and mocha chip muffins seen in Vegan Brunch came from my little kitchen.  cough cough.

Tomato Rosemary scones (first test) and Smoky Shiitakes (and creminis)

Sesame Yam Tofu Scramble

White bean gravy

Tempeh Sausage Pastry Puffs

East Coast Coffeecake, with jam swirl

How to Swirl!  

Very East Coast meets Portland, with this Oregon Black Raspberry Jam

Peanut Butter Waffles AND Tempeh Bacon

Mom's Breakfast Casserole - (uncooked)

potatoes, tofu, tempeh sauce - which you then smother in a cheezy sauce or shredded cheeze.

Chelsea Waffles - 

which I finally made once I had the book in my hands!

I'm honored to share the 'all dishes taste better with the texture of cat hair' rule with Isa and Kirby.

So go out. Brunch. Enjoy!  

Thank you, Isa!

Please note that Isa is bribing me with a year of warm vegan omelets, whenever I want one, in exchange for writing this.

Snickles and Rolls

Citygirl Snickerdoodles

With my free time this past holiday weekend, I got a chance to jump back into recipe testing for Terry and Isa's Cookie Book.  It's due out next year!  

These are Citygirl Snickerdoodles, a vegan take on the classic.  Don't let the sprinkles fool you, I'm still humbug.

I also made a batch of Poppyseed Pull-Apart Rolls, a tester for Isa's upcoming Vegan Brunch book.  I believe that book is coming late Spring 2009 and is already  up on Amazon for Pre-Order.

To Seattle!

Tomorrow I'm off to Seattle for a few days on business and pleasure with a dear friend.  I'm sure there will be documentation of my obligatory vegan chinese food induglences when I return.  

On my last visit I hit up Vegetarian Bistro and Bamboo Garden, and this time I'm thinking a long-awaited return to Teapot is due, or perhaps a first time visit to In the Bowl or Vegan Garden.  

Let me know if you have suggestions for dishes at any of those three places - Thanks!

The Return of The MoFo with Sausage.

After my normal no-blogging weekend, I returned to the internet without my USB cord, oops!  

I know I have such great photos of my brother, my friends and my adventures at the Portland Nursery's Apple Festival and Tasting, Hoda's, happenings at the vegan mini mall, the last day of milkshakes at Sip, a Snobby Joe dinner and more.  I can hardly believe my little brother has been in town!  Sadly, he's heading back tomorrow, but maybe he'll be back..

We did a bit of cooking this weekend that included peanut butter cookies, chocolate/butterscotch/peanut butter blondies, Spicy Sundried Tomato & Chipotle Mexitalian sausage and last night's Snobby dinner with friends.  We've been feeding everyone who comes into my apartment!  

And so I can plug an unseen photo in here from my flickr stream, let me tell you guys that the sausages I made this weekend were a variation of Isa's Chorizo sausage recipe that I tested for the upcoming Brunch book.  I love these sausages.  They're quite possibly my favorite recipe from testing.   Seriously.  

Chorizo Sausages

Pan-fried in olive oil.  When I first went vegan, almost six years ago, I never though I'd be a faux meat anything fan!

For my brother's last meal tonight, he's requested a second trip to Dots.  That's my brother!!

eggplant for dinner

After birthday peach picking on Sauvie Island at the Pumpkin Patch, I picked up a ton of fresh, local & inexpensive produce from market on the farm.  Included in the haul was a big ole Oregon grown eggplant for $1.49 that I simply could not resist.  

I find myself buying eggplant only a few times a year, and naturally that's during the summer when it's fresh.   I do enjoy the different varieties, from the deep purple, white, swirled and neon purple, but it's not something I like to put into frequent rotation....with the blatant exception of this past week:

Grilled eggplant, zucchini and PPK Brunch Test Kitchen Cherry Sage Sausages, all topped with grilled tomato/basil/sea salt/garic and a bit of nooch.  All local produce.

Panko breaded eggplant, fire roasted marinara, steamed spinach and broccoli tossed with garlic, navy beans, sea salt, bread crumbs and crushed red pepper.

More panko breaded eggplant (I should mention that I came across a container of organic panko breadcrumbs in my freezer),

broccoli and navy beans tossed with pesto, and fresh tomato & basil.  Nooch.

The Pumpkin Patch haul, plus some vegan white chocolate chips:

On the decoupaged table~

There is still over 1/3 of the eggplant left for the weekend.  I'm thinking Chinese.

More Brunch Test Recipes ala Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Since late last week I've had kitchen time on my hands and Brunch test recipes to play with.
It's like having Isa over for brunch, only she doesn't show up and just tells you what to do.

Tofu Benedict with Hollandaise

Sesame Tofu Scramble (itty bity lefotvers)

Sauteed Collards with 'Sausage'

With Smoky Black Bean Sausages - my variation of Isa's Spicy Pinto Bean Sausages (there will be breakfast sausage in the book!), which was based on Julie Hasson's Spicy Italian Sausages.

The evolution of the easiest fake meat making.

Getting ready to steam.

Finished product. Who buys Tofurkey?? THESE ARE SO DAMN EASY.

Tofu Benny, Shot 2, this time with more smoky, steamed chard:

Wash it all down with the last glass out of your third-to-last carton of
Peppermint Chocolate Vitasoy from your stockpile.

Look for Isa's Brunch book to hit in early 2009, if I recall correctly. Maybe I'm making that up, but it sounds right. Testing is almost complete, but expect at least a few more blogged about in the near future.