Blog neglect
Posted by Cmac in Other Stuff on June 7, 2010
Well once again I have been neglecting blog posts. Not because I have not been cooking in the kitchen. We had a house guest for a week and with that came a gifted new cook book, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice which I have been devoted to reading from beginning to end while baking as I learn. I have not been coming up with anything original lately worth posting although I just bottled a Belgian spiced wit beer that I will be tasting and writing about in the next couple of weeks. I just decided since my creativity has been at a low it would be a nice time to read and learn to expand my foodie knowledge and expertise. I will be posting pictures and notes on the successful breads I produce using the guidance of my new cookbook, and I will be posting a successful cheese recipe (once I have one). In the meantime I will be reading, baking, and experimenting. Then hopefully I will have my creative spark back and begin posting new original content.
Be back soon,
Cmac
Cmac’s 100th Post — Tofu Kabobs
Posted by Cmac in Food, Main Course, Tofu on June 1, 2010
…..It’s been a crazy year or so since I started this blog both geographically and with life in general. The blog started in Ithaca, and is now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, it went from a little bit of carnivorous recipes to a nearly Vegan blog. In the beginning I was using it as an outlet to post recipes I occasionally came up with, and now I am posting 2-3 times a week, and if I miss a few days I hear about it from my readers. Anyways my 100th post is a simple one that I came up with while driving to Lowe’s, though the simplicity is far overcome by the mouthwatering results. The inspiration came from a deep discussion about Lebanese cooking and ended with a fusion of Lebanese and plain ol’ Test kitchen style. Enjoy.
Cmac’s TGIF Farmers Market Pizza — Vegan Delight
Posted by Cmac in Food, Main Course, Pizza, Tempeh on May 28, 2010
……Since I didn’t make it to the farmers market this week I was left using the stragglers from last weeks market spree. To make it more interesting I tried my second attempt at a previously unsuccessful vegan pizza cheese, this time it was a true success. I used left over sauce from last weeks pizza, and the crust is the same aside from substituting the Parmesan for nutritional yeast flakes. Now lets get to the recipe.
On a side note: Yes, even though I have not posted a recipe all week I am still eating well, it has just been a busy week full of meals unworthy of a blog post.
Cmac’s TGIF Farmers Market Pizza
Posted by Cmac in Bread, Main Course on May 21, 2010
….This is not only a recipe but a new addition to the blog that I will be doing weekly. In order to make shopping at the local farmers markets more interesting I’m going to make a weekly pizza featuring as many ingredients as I can purchased from the farmers market. I will seek out the most interesting produce, and cheeses and try to have a different variety on the pizza every week. So here is the first one, not too many additions from the farmers market since the season is still warming up and the produce is limited but you’ll get the idea. For next weeks pizza I am going to try my hand at home made vegan cheese for the topping. Enjoy.
Vegan Mac & Cheese
Posted by Cmac in Food, Main Course, Pasta & Grains on May 19, 2010
…..This recipe I can take no credit for aside from successfully making it, and of course eating it. The original came from Vegan Dad. My wife is a big Mac n’ cheese fan and with my slow attempt of going Vegan it was one of those carnivorous staples that needed a good replacement. This is definitely not an identical twin to the all famous Mac n’ Cheese in a box, in fact it tastes even better than the original, and is good for you too. So congrats go to Vegan Dad for once again creating a recipe that will be a permanent place holder in my recipe box.
Here is a link to the recipe, I didn’t stray from the original at all.
Smoky Vegan Sausages.
Posted by Cmac in Beans, Food, Main Course, Pasta & Grains on May 17, 2010
…..Something I really miss from the carnivorous diet is a good old sausage, they’re great right on the bun, on a pizza, even with pasta. So I stumbled upon a recipe for Vegan sausages from the VeganDad which seemed perfect as they were, but to follow my tradition I slightly modified the recipe. Really I just added a slight smoky flavor and adjusted some of the other seasonings but the original recipe would have done just fine. I’ve included some variations I might try in the future on this recipe.
Get the most out of your compost, with Vermiculture!
Posted by Cmac in Other Stuff, Tips & Tricks on May 13, 2010
I have tried building my own worm composter in the past with the results being dead worms and a stinky bin, so this year I decided to buy a system that’s been proven. My recent addition to my going green at home operation is the Worm Factory 360 and 1000 red wigglers from Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm. I could have just put a bin in the backyard and let nature do its thing but I needed a more rapid production process. Since my current crop land (backyard) is full of packed clay and over leached soil I need to quickly introduce new organic material for next year.
The assembly was super easy, and the worm farm came with really good instructions and a video, even all the materials needed to start the worm bedding. Once the system is fully operating after the first 3-4 months at maximum capacity, with 1000 worms you can expect to get 5-10 pounds of fresh worm trailings per month. Another great feature of the worm factory is the catch basin and spigot on the bottom that will supply you with the liquid leachate that will make for a great liquid compost in your garden.
I will be making follow up posts as the worms progress through the stages, including any tips or tricks I’ve learned in the process.
Cmac
Cmac’s Hearty Vegan Potato Stew in a Breadbowl
Posted by Cmac in Main Course, Tofu on May 10, 2010
Not at all a good picture, but it was so good I ate it all before I could take a better one.
….On Friday I started with the great idea of making a Vegan New England clam chowder with the result being nothing like it. But what I did end up with was well worth the effort, this stew has a real stick to your ribs quality with a fine semi spicy flavor. The photo definitely doesn’t do it justice as I think photogenically the bread bowl would have looked better with a chili in it, but oh well it tasted great. The bread bowl part of the recipe will follow in a couple of days.
….On a side note, this weekend I finally made a cheese press so I will be posting directions on how to build one once I work out all the kinks. This week I will be making Monteray Jack cheese, and currently have a Parmesan aging, So there are a lot of exciting recipes to come. Also the winner of the Jiffy Lube gift card was Kelly since she and one other person were the only ones who posted, and the other person didn’t have a Jiffy Lube nearby.
Cmac’s Easy breezy vegan Jamaican patties.
Posted by Cmac in Appetizers, Food, Main Course, TVP on May 6, 2010
……In my early teens I used to fill my lunch time hunger pains with the local 7-elevens greasy hot Jamaican beef patties, but eventually I grew out of that and moved on to greater things like being an adult and eating healthier. Anyways enough of my childhood memories, the other day I suddenly had a craving, yes it was for those greasy beef patties. In need of a new creation for the blog I decided to Veganize a recipe I found for them. This is a very easy recipe and of course extremely tasty, you can play around with the spices to make it hotter or milder, although the posted recipe is for, I’d have to say a mild to medium burn. Enjoy the recipe, and feel free to share your comments or suggestions.
Easy Ciabatta Bread
Ciabatta bread meaning carpet slipper is one that has always intrigued me, being somewhat flat and yet amazingly bubbly. This is my second attempt with the first using my failed sour dough starter turning into somewhat of a hard pancake. This second attempt turned out fantastic aside from the shape (this is something I will really have to work on in the future). Ciabatta makes a great sandwich bread known as a panino (ie. Panini – Plural). Having a light taste, a crust that you can easily get your teeth through, and a subtle chew. This recipe I found on TheFreshLoaf.com with only slight modifications in the process. Eventually once I master the shaping I will re-post the technique.
At last the BLT from Scratch
Vegan Sweet Pepper Risotto Cake
Hickory Maple Smoked Tofu