Day 100 - BBQ Black-Eyed Pea-Collard Rolls, Vanilla-Yogurt Pound Cake, Vanilla Ice Cream, and The Classic

BBQ Black-Eyed Pea-Collard Rolls

Now, who'da thunk that you could use collard green leaves to roll things up just like you use cabbage, lettuce and grape leaves? I always assumed collard would be too tough, too assertive-tasting, but the truth is, these leaves are perfect for stuffing! I+T have you boil them covered for six minutes, and once cooled and drained, they are wonderful, huge, pliable (though somewhat delicate) foundations for a roll.

This recipe uses yesterdays Backyard BBQ Sauce as the binder for a filling that also includes black-eyed peas, mushrooms, and chopped collard greens.

Following the directions exactly yielded me twelve beautiful rolls, which tasted great with the chive-y mashed potatoes I made.

My ex-neighbor and friend, Darcy, loved the BBQ sauce and the rolls (and brought me those amazing lilies you see in the background)!

SFO: 8

(As much as we loved these, I think they might be a little scary for your average omnivore. It's a lot of green up front, and then nothing too familiar inside. Maybe for a Southern omnivore, I'd up this to a 9.)


Vanilla-Yogurt Pound Cake

My second try at Veganomicon pound cake!

The first one, with rosewater flavoring, was relatively successful, although there was that lump of undercooked batter at the bottom...

This one also had an undercooked lump, although a much smaller one. I admit, I kept that sucker in the oven until the skewer came out absolutely clean, but I guess I could have left it in another few minutes.

My guess is that this is a result of what I consider to be an unusual instruction in the recipe: "beat with electric beaters for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until a very thick batter forms. Don't overmix."

I have to say, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes in my book is already way overmixed. Typically in a recipe like this, the instruction would be to mix just until combined, which in my experience is maybe 30 seconds. Next time I make this, I'm going to try that....

That said, it's a pretty loaf, and a tasty one.

SFO: 10


Vanilla Ice Cream

Back to the ice creams...

I still haven't been able to achieve a great texture since the peanut butter ice cream, but this certainly gets the job done. Flavor is fine, and as a filling for an ice cream sandwich, the texture issues slide by unnoticed.

SFO:7
(People are tough on off-texture ice creams...)


The Classic 

What could be bad? Wheat-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies filled with Vanilla Ice Cream and rolled in chocolate shavings!

Actually, I was a little concerned that these delicate, not-quite-crispy, not-quite-chewy cookies might not be able to withstand being the bread for an ice cream sandwich, but they performed quite well! In fact, they were unusually light and made for a dainty frozen dessert. I really liked this one!

SFO: 10
(I realize I gave this ice cream a 7 for texture issues, but in this context, they don't bother me.)

Day 38 - Hot and Sour Soup with Wood Ears and Napa Cabbage, Pineapple-Cashew-Quinoa Stir-Fry, and The Green Tea

Remember how Ryan and Judith were going to come over for dinner? Sadly, Judith got sick and had to cancel, so it's just Ryan and me and our Chinese-y cookie feast!

Hot and Sour Soup with Wood Ears and Napa Cabbage

I don't think I've ever tried to make a hot and sour soup. I&T are right in proclaiming the non-authenticity of this recipe. It doesn't deliver that authentic Chinese result, but it's in the ballpark.

First thing I want to talk about is dried wood ear mushrooms. I found these at Kalustyans. If you don't know about Kalustyans, you need to check it out immediately. It's a great place to find whatever ethnic foodstuffs are eluding you, and lucky for me, it's a 10 minute walk from my apartment.

The bag of mushrooms I bought was an ounce worth, twice what the recipe called for, but it seemed like such a small amount when I portioned out half an ounce that I decided to throw the whole bag in. I mean, when am I going to use dried wood ear mushrooms again, right? Cut to a gigantic mound of rehydrated mushrooms! I left them in, but beware the amazing, expanding wood ear mushroom.

Next thing I want to talk about is hot chile oil. They don't call it hot for nothin'. And I&T wanted me to put in 3 teaspoons! (Now, why did they say 3 teaspoons instead of 1 tablespoon?) I knew that 3t was going to render the soup inedible for me, so I put in 2, and it was still crazy, over-the-top spicy hot! Three would have meant bleeding esophagus. We managed to eat it anyway, noticing that the cooler the soup got temperature-wise, the less the chili heat bothered us. Hmm....
 
The final thing I want to mention is white pepper, which this recipe includes. Am I the only one who thinks that ground white pepper smells yucky? I don't even know what word to use to describe the smell... sulphur? Body odor? Stinky feet? Do I have a bad batch of white pepper or is this a thing?

Overall, I thought the soup could have used more Sour, but I guess I&T decided to focus on nailing the Hot part. What's nice about this soup is the heavy tofu presence, as well as the other vegetables floating about. I liked it, but I don't think I ever need to make it again.

SFO: 9

(One point off for tofu-o-phobics.)


Pineapple-Cashew-Quinoa Stir-Fry

Yes yes yes! This is the best of vegan food right here!

Everything about this dish was amazing! The pineapple juice-cooked quinoa tastes incredible, and then when stir-fried together with all the other little treasures? Forget about it! Again, my quinoa took waaay longer than they say, but no biggie. I made it the night before.

There is something missing in the instructions of this recipe - I&T never tell us when to add the cashews back in. My guess is that they'd want us to do it pretty late, so I put them in just before I took it off the heat.

This is a hole-in-one! What a great dish to bring to a pot-luck! Four thumbs up! And it smells great, too! (see picture)

SFO: 10

(If you need to introduce a non-believer to quinoa, this would be the perfect vehicle.)

The Green Tea

Here's the ice cream sandwich combining Terry's Favorite Almond Cookie and Green Tea Ice Cream.

I'm happy to say, it works. It didn't change my life, but I was happy to eat it. As was Ryan. (He also ate an Open Sesame, so clearly these ice cream sandwiches are totally working for him.)

SFO: 9

(One point off for the general muddiness of Green Tea Ice Cream.)

Day 30 - Ancho-Lentil Soup with Grilled Pineapple and The Mocha

30 Day Check In!!
I think it's going very well. There have been very few disasters (only one, actually) and a lot of great food and exciting discoveries. I'm really excited to be on this journey, and I'm happy to report that as of today, I've completed 42.5 of the 313 total recipes. (FYI, the half is the Roasted Portobello Mushrooms that I need to redo.)

Ancho-Lentil Soup with Grilled Pineapple 

The title of this dish is perfectly descriptive, but it can't communicate how amazing it tastes. This recipe includes the preparation of homemade ancho chile powder, which is fun! I've ground up toasted chiles before, but I love the way I&T turn it into an event. And it really adds so much flavor to the soup!

I used half vegetable broth and half water, and I also added about a half cup of the optional extra cup of water before blending. Incidentally, my lentils took another ten or so minutes beyond the book's suggested time.

This is one of those soups that you can't appreciate until it's all come together. Once the lime juice goes in and you've blended it and you're tasting for salt, you can tell it's a special soup, but wait: the thing that really sends it over the moon is the grilled pineapple. A spoonful of this soup together with a bite of that fruit is heaven. Marcy agrees.

SFO: 10

(It's not the lentil soup your grandmother made, but it's amazing, so just eat it, will you?)

The Mocha 

Here's my second ice cream sandwich, The Mocha, incorporating the Chocolate-Chocolate Chip-Walnut Cookies and Coffee Ice Cream which is then rolled in chocolate sprinkles.

Great idea, great combo. The only place where it disappoints is in the lackluster coffee flavor and icy texture of the ice cream. But as it melts, the texture improves, and the flavor, while not spectacular, is fine. 

Marcy, in a rare moment of dessert indulgence, actually eats one! (Note: check out the engagement bling on her hand!)

SFO: 9

(A 10 in concept, but I'm still cranky about the ice cream.)

Day 3 - Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions and Spiced Pita Crisps, Sautéed Spinach and Tomatoes, Peanut-Ginger-Sesame Cookies, Peanut Butter Ice Cream, and Open Sesame Ice Cream Sandwiches

Knowing I was going to have a couple of new veggie friends, Uli and Joe, over for dinner tonight, I thought I'd try out one or two recipes on them. But then I realized that I had miscounted the total recipes in the book. I originally thought there were 309, but today I caught my mistake, which revealed the true total as 333. Yikes! That means I'll have to average almost one a day this year! So I decided to go to town and knock out six recipes in one day, buying myself some time off further on down the line....


Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions and Spiced Pita Crisps

The good: 

• This dish can be served at room temperature, so it has good make-ahead potential, something I look for in a dinner party recipe, so I'm not spending the whole party at the stove.

• The rice and lentils component of this dish is very straight-forward and labor-light: boil water, add rice and spices, cover and simmer for 15m, add lentils, cover and simmer for 45m, let sit for 10m, fluff, fold in onions, done. 

• The spices are really fragrant and yummy.

The bad:

• The caramelization of the onions took waaaaaay longer than suggested. I&T say it's a 20-30 minute job at 400°. But hand to heart, it took me one hour and 30 minutes to go from 

this

  
to this.

• How do I say this delicately? This is not a cute dish, not even a little. All those pretty li'l red lentils lose their color, and what you end up with is a clumpy beige-a-palooza.

• There is not a grain of salt in this recipe, which strikes me as strange. I tasted it after adding the onions, and I couldn't bring myself to serve it without at least a little bit of salt, so I gave it a quick sprinkle. But honestly, I don't think I've ever seen a savory recipe with NO salt in it! (I love salt.) 

• At room temperature, the consistency is not terribly inviting. It's neither wet nor dry, neither creamy nor fluffy, nor smooth and mash-like. Let's just say, it's a unique animal....

That said, the spice combo delivers, and the onions taste amazing, which almost compensates for the lack of salt in the dish. Personally, I think a generous adding of salt would really elevate it, but that's just saltaholic me.

Visually, a little bit of color would have gone a long way here. I can't remember if it was Joe or Uli, but someone suggested green peas. Not a bad idea...

SFO: 2
(Most non-vegans will think there's no "there" there. Plus, the appearance doesn't help.)  


Spiced Pita Crisps

This is a fun way to bring some sparkle to the average pita. I tried both the garam masala version and the garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt version. I think my theory about salt holds up, as the latter flavor was universally preferred. My guess is that if I'd salted the garam masala version, the two flavors would have been neck and neck.

SFO: 10
 

Sautéed Spinach and Tomatoes

I was pretty sure I wasn't going to like this one, because I'm generally not a fan of tomatoes and ginger together. But I have to confess, this is a super recipe. Lots of bold flavor in a really attractive, easy to make package. 

This is the kind of dish you make just before serving, so I had prepped ahead all the ingredients (diced tomatoes, chopped onion, grated ginger, minced garlic), and at cooking time, it came together in a flash, literally in about five minutes! I used baby spinach from one of those 16 ounce containers, which I'm mentioning because even though it's way more than six cups, you should go ahead and throw the whole thing in there. I used about 3/4 of the container, but you know spinach. It wilts down to nothing, and another 33% wouldn't have upset the proportions of the dish, in fact, it would have been perfect.

For the record, I did not have peanut oil on hand, so I used grapeseed. I know I&T don't pick their oils randomly, so I can only assume it would have been even more delicious with peanut oil, but it tasted wonderful with grapeseed.

I will definitely make this again...

SFO: 10
(Neither Joe nor Uli believe in perfect 10s, but they loved this, so they gave it a 9.8. I'm rounding it up, so there.)  
 

Peanut-Ginger-Sesame Cookies

This was my first vegan baking experience! No butter? No eggs? Can it possibly work?? Yes it can!!!

I&T suggest any one or combination of three kinds of flour, so I opted for half all-purpose and half whole-wheat pastry, and I was very happy the results. In fact, I was completely unaware of a whole wheat presence.

I&T describe this cookie as "shortbreadlike." I don't necessarily agree with that... the candied ginger is such a strong textural presence, so the dominant experience is chewiness, versus a shortbreadlike crumb. Speaking of which, finely dicing five ounces of candied ginger is a more complicated job than it sounds (sticky knife!) so I suggest planning some time for that.

It's interesting, I've become accustomed to following recipes by Martha and Cooks Illustrated, which are very detailed, even fussy and exacting sometimes. I&T are so laid back. In fact, at least once in each recipe, you'll probably find a multiple choice option (i.e. swap in any flour/herb/vegetable you want) and an overall, very relaxed way of putting it together. I thought I would be frustrated by this, but instead I'm finding it very liberating and fun. And creative! I'm getting to help write the recipe!

In addition to the design-your-own-flour option, this recipe also encourages you to choose your own sesame seed color or combo. I opted for segregation. All black cookies and all white cookies. (Don't worry, I integrate later....)

You also get to choose the consistency of the cookies based on how long you leave them in the oven, 10-11m for chewy, 14m for firm and crunchier. I went for right in the middle, because I knew I was going to be using these for ice cream sandwiches, and I wanted them to have equal parts give and structure. Success!

I should mention, I made this recipe using the electric mixer with the paddle attachment. I creamed the shortening on high, then added the first set of ingredients and beat on high again, then switched it to low and added the flour and ginger. What a breeze! Also, instead of greasing the baking sheets, I covered them with parchment, which works just as well.

This is a really interesting cookie, very sweet, with a complicated blend of flavors that TOTALLY work together. I'm a believer!

SFO: 10
(absolutely no whiff of vegan here)   


Peanut Butter Ice Cream

So easy! Dump a bunch of ingredients in the blender, mix, and voilà, ice cream batter. No custard, no tempering, no straining, no ice bath. I'm going to like doing these ice creams!

Meanwhile, I'm wondering if I got the coconut milk thing right. I&T said to put a can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight, then carefully open it and scoop 1/2 cup of coconut "cream" off the top. I definitely scooped 1/2 cup off the top, but I was expecting the "cream" to be the most solid part, like cream is to milk. But when I emptied the rest of the can of coconut milk (to freeze, just like I&T told me to do... I'm such a teacher's pet), what was left in the can was the denser, more solid part of the coconut milk. Did I do this wrong? Anyone?

Flavorwise, the ice cream is spot on. Like the cookie, very sweet, but appropriately so. And the texture is totally convincing, quite dairy-like. I&T, how did you figure all this stuff out?? I'm so impressed...


SFO: 10


Open Sesame Ice Cream Sandwiches

The Open Sesame is one of I&T's custom ice cream sandwich creations, bringing together both of today's sweet treats into one hyper-dessert.

I've never tried to make an ice cream sandwich before, and what I learned is there's basically one minute when the ice cream is firm enough to be pressed in between two cookies and not so melty that it starts disintegrating. This is when I was glad I had gone for a more structured cookie. When I was pressing down on the hard-ish ice cream, it was nice to not have to worry about the cookie crumbling from over- or under-cooking.

I was supposed to roll the edges of these sandwiches in toasted sesame seeds, like a tire across the plate, but since I hadn't been precise about mushing the ice cream beyond the edge of the cookies, I had to figure out another option, i.e. manually sprinkling the seeds on the exposed ice cream. As you can see it worked out OK. Also, here's where I integrated the black and white seeds.

Uli (pictured here) and Joe were very excited about this dessert! When I described it earlier in the evening, Joe was sure he was going to hate it, but in fact, he couldn't have loved it more. For me, the combination of sweet cookie with sweet ice cream was a little overwhelming because I'm not a sweet freak, but I'm sure I'm in the minority here. 

What was notable was how beautifully both the ice cream and the cookies behaved in sandwich form, defrosting together at a perfect rate and staying glued together perfectly. Texturally, this just really, really worked. Well done, I&T!

SFO: 10