Archive for the 'Vegan' Category

Mighty-O Donuts – Seattle

Published by Gastronomer on January 9, 2012 in Breakfast / Brunch, Dessert, Seattle and Vegan. 9 Comments

On our final morning in Seattle, The Astronomer and I hopped a bus to the quaint neighborhood of Wallingford to visit Mighty-O Donuts. While I’m usually dubious of fried dough with health claims attached to it, I’d heard such positive reviews of Mighty-O’s vegan offerings that I felt compelled to try them for myself.

I mean, if there’s one town in this world that could produce a delicious doughnut without chemicals, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, artificial colors and flavors, genetically modified organisms, or animal-derived ingredients, I would put my money on Seattle.

Mighty-O has been selling their unique brand of O’s in the Seattle area since the late 1990s and opened this store in 2003. The shop produces over a dozen different varieties of cake doughnuts each day with either a vanilla or chocolate dough and various toppings.

Oreos are a passion of mine, so I chose the “Cookies and Cream” doughnut ($1.85) with a vanilla base, sweet glaze, and crushed chocolate cookies.

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20 Hour Staycation: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza

Published by Gastronomer on May 25, 2011 in Century City, Hotel Review, Los Angeles, Media Event (this meal was free), Restaurant Review and Vegan. 8 Comments

It all began with an invite to a press luncheon featuring Chef Manfred Lassahn’s new vegan menu offerings at Breeze, a restaurant on the first floor of the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. The event was scheduled for a Monday afternoon, which meant that it would be impossible for worker bees stationed on the east side of town to attend. I replied to the invitation thanking them for thinking of me and letting them know that I wouldn’t be able to make it.

A few beats later, I received a follow-up email from the hotel’s director of public relations. She was sorry that I wouldn’t be able to attend the event, but invited me to swing by for a meal anytime and to make it a staycation if I so fancied. Needless to say, I very much fancied a vegan staycation and took her up on the offer. Sometimes, I just can’t believe my good fortune.

The Astronomer and I pulled up to the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza late one Saturday afternoon and checked into the most spacious suite ever. We’ve stayed in dozens of hotel rooms over the years, but this was the first one large enough to accommodate multiple cartwheels and a legitimate dance party. We did lots of the former, but left the latter for rowdier guests.

The bedroom was minimally furnished and tastefully appointed. The bed was a dream, of course.

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America’s Test Kitchen Vegetarian Chili

Published by Gastronomer on November 5, 2010 in Recipe, Soups + Stew, Vegan and Vegetarian. 16 Comments

Given my great love of restaurants and their hardly healthful fare, it’s really important that my meals at home provide nutrients that otherwise go missing from my diet. Whenever I’m not painting the town red, I prepare recipes that make tasty use of whole grains, legumes, and vegetables. My subscription to Cooking Light magazine has been a great source of inspiration, and of course, the internet is chock full of solid ideas on how to balance the excess in my life.

The majority of the healthy dishes that I prepare serve their nutritional purpose and taste mostly decent, but they’re usually not outstanding enough to be featured on the site. This vegetarian three bean chili is a rare exception. In addition to being a fiberfull powerhouse, this meatless stew is also immensely satisfying. The heat from the chipotles combined with the smoky chili powder makes for an exciting and spicy flavor profile. The trio of beans provide just enough heft to fill one up nicely. Paired with some old fashioned cornbread, it’s impossible to feel deprived when one is eating this well.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 cup water
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
Salt
4 (15.5 ounce) cans of kidney, pinto, or black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, bell pepper, chili powder, and cumin. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds.

Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, water, chilies, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

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Clover Food Lab – Boston (Cambridge)

Published by Gastronomer on October 1, 2010 in Boston, Chain / Multiple Locations, Meals on Wheels, Restaurant Review, Vegan and Vegetarian. 6 Comments

In early September, the Astronomer and I spent a week in Boston visiting friends and family. Whereas our previous travels were centered around eating and lots of it, this trip was about reconnecting with loved ones whom we don’t get to see nearly enough. While this trip wasn’t as food-centric as those in the past, we still managed to eat very well. After all, catching up with old friends is best accomplished over a long and delicious meal.

One of our most memorable dinners was eaten street side at the Clover Food Lab, a bright white vegetarian food truck parked on MIT‘s campus. The truck was founded by MIT graduate Ayr Muir. After earning an MBA from Harvard, he worked in marketing at Patagonia and as a consultant with McKinsey and Company. In 2008, he decided to leave the corporate world behind for new challenges in the culinary field.

To make his dream a reality, Muir teamed up with Chef Rolando Robledo (@RolandoRobledo), a one-time poissonnier under Thomas Keller at The French Laundry and an instructor at Johnson & Wales University. Together, they created a temporary “food lab” out of a truck to test recipes for a soon-to-be launched chain of vegetarian restaurants. The truck opened for business on MIT’s food lot in September of 2008 and closed down seven weeks later as planned. However, customer protests made the two reconsider their initial plan. The truck reopened in March 2009, and they have since expanded to two trucks.

By the way, I read in an article on MIT’s campus news site that the truck’s exterior pays homage to Muir’s MIT past. It features a dry-erase board menu, which Muir says reminds him of the problem sets he faced as a student. I ♥ nerds.

The Clover truck, which runs on biodiesel (a fuel made from used vegetable oil), serves moderately healthy, meat-less fast food fare with a focus on seasonality and locality.

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Hobak Jeon – Korean Zucchini Pancakes

Published by Gastronomer on September 9, 2010 in Korean, Recipe, Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian and Vegetarian. 14 Comments

The Astronomer and I were gifted a 20 inch-long, five pound zucchini from our friends Andrew and Miri a few weeks back. They had forgotten to pluck it from their garden prior to leaving on vacation, and as a result, the zucchini grew without bounds for weeks on end. I had initially hoped to bake several loaves of zucchini bread with the monstrosity, but my plans were squashed (pun intended) once the heat wave hit.

After a bit of Seoul searching, I decided to make Hobak Jeon (Korean Zucchini Pancakes) instead. This recipe was originally developed by Maangchi.com, the ultimate Korean recipe site. I followed it as written and the results were just as I had hoped. The texture was properly crisp around the edges, while the batter was mild enough for the zucchini to shine through. Maangchi recommends serving these with a soy-based Korean dipping sauce (recipe below), but I quite loved them with a ladle of nước chấm chay. Either way, these pancakes are a savory delight.