September 5, 2011September 7, 2011 by betsy

The Blooming Platter Cookbook Receives a Glowing Review on GoDairyFree.com

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Sweet Potato Layer Cake with Butterscotch Bourbon Cream from The Blooming Platter Cookbook

I don’t know about you, but when the seasons change, I get excited about cooking all over again.

Not that I ever lost my enthusiasm, mind you! It’s just that the new produce appearing in the farm stands as summer gives way to fall rekindles my love of apples, fennel, dark leafy greens, pumpkins, spinach, sweet potatoes and more.

Now would be a great time to fuel your fall passions with the seasonally-focused recipes in The Blooming Platter Cookbook. All of the seven recipe chapters are subdivided by season, each of which is identified by an icon on the page, the brainchild of my publisher. Look for the beach ball for fall. Kidding–just seeing if you were awake! We actually chose a maple leaf for fall.

If you’re hanging in the balance about whether to purchase the book or to ask you local libraries/booksellers to carry it, I invite you to read Alisa Fleming’s glowing review on the Go Dairy Free website. Alisa is the founder of Go Dairy Free and a freelance writer who is devoted to recipes, news and information r special diets.

In her review, Alisa highlights two features of the book that were very conscious decisions. One is the tendency to “say no to faux,” that is, to the creation of “mock meat” dishes like vegan Beef Wellington. As she writes, “Betsy DiJulio is one recipe creator who has done a fantastic job in moving beyond these vegan stereotypes…She doesn’t pretend that tofu and seitan are meat, and her recipe titles entice by focusing on the wonderful ingredients used.”

The other has to do with the design of the book. Though the cookbook is steeped in the seasons, it is laid out with traditional chapters which are, as mentioned above, sub-divided by season. This was a very intentional choice in hopes of making recipes easy to find. Says Alisa, “Seasonal cookbooks seem to be a theme in recent years, particularly with the farm to table movement. However, Betsy’s format is the most appealing I’ve seen.”

Accompanying her review are four mouthwatering photographs from the book, one per season.

Stay tuned for a link back to GoDairyFree.com later this month when she posts my recipe for Farm Stand Muffins from the “Brunch” chapter of the book.

Thanks, Alisa, and Happy Labor-less Day, everyone!

August 20, 2011 by betsy

Barnes & Noble “Blooming Platter” Book-Signing an SRO/Sell-Out!

Thanks from the bottom of my bloomin’ heart to all who made last Tuesday’s Barnes & Noble Blooming Platter book-signing a standing room only/sell-out!

Marian Atterberry, who handles community relations for Barnes & Noble, VA Beach, was warmly cautious when I approached her initially, but quickly became wholeheartedly enthusiastic, going above and beyond to help insure a successful event.

The local media, who had been beyond generous with coverage when The Blooming Platter Cookbook was launched in May with the “Incredible Edibles” art exhibition and book-signing at Mayer Fine Art in Norfolk, could hardly offer a repeat performance. But they graciously included large photos with their calendar listings which were widely seen and commented on, driving interest ed folks to our event.

This “author event” was billed as a “book-signing and discussion,” but we weren’t sure if there would be enough people for the discussion, figuring that I could just enjoy chatting with people individually as I signed their books. But, before 6, a signing line began forming and I signed steadly for I don’t even know how long, but when I finally looked up, much to my delighted surprise, every seat was filled and kind folks were standing around the edges!

After a very brief introduction, I invited questions from our guests and so began a lively discussion among total strangers, friends, neighbors, colleagues and former colleagues and former students, some with their mothers. I was so gratified to be surrounded by such a cross-section of wonderful folks from our community.

Marian had asked me to bring some vegan products which was a great suggestion, as people who were unfamiliar with them were really glad to see some of the packaging, so they’d recognize it in a store, and learn that most of it came from Kroger! The aroma of nutritional yeast delighted the uninitiated, others were glad to learn of markets that was new to them like the Organic Depot, and still others about Norfolk’s new vegan restaurants: Path and Quenna’s Raw & Vegan. One was in search of fresh fava beans and another in search of information on the vegan diet for hard-core “strong man” fitness enthusiasts, and I ipromised to try to find them the info they sought. It was such a diverse group of interesting and interested people!

Because of health department regulations, we unfortuantely couldn’t offer edible samples to those in attendance, but I did gift Marian and her staff with Peaches-and-Cream Cupcakes with Peach Butter Whip Frosting afterwards. She said they were the best dessert she’d had in a very long time!

Thanks again to all~may your platters bloom in profusion!

August 13, 2011 by betsy

The Blooming Platter Cookbook: August 16 Book-Signing at Barnes & Noble, VA Beach

Amelia, pictured here, may well be the youngest “Blooming Platterist,” and certainly the cutest!

This vivacious gal lives out of state, but her aunt and uncle live in our town. Known to her family, as “Little Chef,” she is visiting here this week, but will go home before the official book-signing next week.

So, tonight my husband and I happen to be hosting the 3rd annual “Happy Birthday Julia Child” potluck dinner party to which her aunt and uncle were invited. They aren’t able to attend because they don’t have a sitter–and it’s an “adult” party or we would welcome Amelia–but “Little Chef” wanted to make an appetizer, bring it by ahead of time, and have me sign her cookbook. How adorable is that?

I can’t wait to meet her and taste her creation!

And I’d love to meet/see you at the official book-signing. Here are all the details:

The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Book-signing and Discussion

Barnes & Noble Booksellers

4485 Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23462, 757-671-2331

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

7 -8 p.m.

When the focus is seasonal, the flavor is sensational!

Hope to see you there!

~Betsy D.

August 13, 2011August 13, 2011 by betsy

And The Blooming Platter Winner of American Vegan Kitchen Cookbook Is…

…Babs!

Using www.random.org, Babs’ number came up, literally.

I’ve mentioned this site in relation to other give-aways, but if you aren’t familiar with it, I’d love to tell you about it. You simply go to the site and on the right hand side is a “True Random Number Generator” where you enter the beginning and ending numbers, in this case 1 and 28. I simply assigned a number to each comment, beginning with the first received. Then you click “Generate,” and up pops your randomly generated number. In this case it happened to be #14, right in the middle.

Thanks to ALL of you who entered. You are certainly one healthy comfort food-eating group of folks! I didn’t reply to your comments individually, as that would have added comments and thrown off the random numbering, but I read and appreciate every one.

If you would be so kind, please share my website with all of your like-minded friends. I post new recipes weekly–sometimes daily, especially in the summer–and, of course, offer give-aways from time to time.

Oh, and please remember my cookbook, The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes, as well. Of course, I’d be thrilled for you to purchase it. But times are tough. So, I’d love for you to request it at your local library as well.

Cheers!

August 8, 2011August 8, 2011 by betsy

VegWeb Offers 2nd Blooming Platter Cookbook Give-Away

I was so flattered to learn that VegWeb Weekly is offering a second give-away of a signed copy of The Blooming Platter Cookbook!

And I was ever more flattered to read what their Web Master had to say about it:

“Sometimes a person has to look outside of VegWeb for a recipe. I know, it’s scary, but true. Luckily for us, there are about a million amazing vegan cookbooks out there! One of my latest favorites is The Blooming Platter by Betsy DiJulio. Filled with recipes like Southwestern Tempeh and Corn Pie, Blooming Vegetable Calzones, and Spicy Baja Tacos, it’ll have you full until next winter! Besides, it totally needs its own category in Cookbook Lab, and I think you’re just the person to start it!”

If you are subscriber to the food-filled VegWeb Weekly, enter to win! But hurry, the contest ends on Tuesday, August 9, 2011. As of August 3, nearly 40 people had entered!

If you’re not a subscriber, I’m sure you would enjoy it. However, there probably isn’t enough time to be “approved” and enter by the 9th. But you could try!

August 6, 2011August 6, 2011 by betsy

Cookbook Give-Away: American Vegan Kitchen

In a “down” economy, what’s better than something entirely free?

Nothing! Especially if that something is of high quality and full of delicious recipes for American comfort food like Tamasin Noyes’ American Vegan Kitchen. And who couldn’t use some comfort about now?

Tamasin is a fellow Vegan Heritage Press author and it is my pleasure to offer this give-away of her cookbook. If that cheesecake photo on the cover alone doesn’t make you want to own this book, there are lots more reasons inside.

So, come along and enter to win this bit of comfort between two covers. It couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is comment to this post by Friday, August 12, 2011, at midnight with YOUR favorite summertime vegan comfort food. I thought that would be fun because it combines the seasonal emphasis of The Blooming Platter Cookbook with Tamasin’s emphasis on comfort food classics.

Share with your friends on FB and otherwise, and next Saturday I will salute the lucky winner!

August 5, 2011 by betsy

Visit to VegNews Magazine Headquarters

Today, when I received my August e-issue of VegNews Magazine’s “VegNewsletter”–both are upbeat and informative veg lifestyle publications–I was reminded that I wanted to share a little snippet of my visit to the VegNews headquarters when I was in San Francisco for The Blooming Platter Cookbook signing dinner at Millennium Restaurant.

Editor, Colleen Holland, had invited me to stop by on the afternoon of the dinner, and she and and publisher, Joe Connelly, were so hospitable when they welcomed me to the relatively new home (just 8 months old) of VegNews Magazine. It was such a treat to be able to chat with them about all of our work and take a tour of the offices just before they had to slip into a design meeting.

Located in the colorful Mission District on the second floor of a commercial building, the space is light and airy. Throughout the color scheme is black and white with energizing pops of red as you see in the photo. By no means, plush, the feel is pleasantly minimal, fresh and modern.

I was so glad to know that the good folks at VegNews have a lovely space in which to do the important work that they do. Let’s all support them as they continue to grow with their positive veg message!

The only downside to the visit was that after my good friend and host picked me up, we rounded the corner and a sweet older man decided to switch lanes, running right into us. And us with a book-signing dinner just two hours away! We were all going very slow and were all okay, so no harm, no foul. Whew!

July 28, 2011July 28, 2011 by betsy

San Francisco’s Spectacular Vegan “Millennium Restaurant” was Location of Blooming Platter Cookbook Book Signing Dinner

The Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco was the first vegan restaurant in which I ever dined. It was many years ago while at an art conference with my good friend, Anne Wolcott, who had heard about it. (If you live in San Fran or ever visit the area, do yourself a favor, and put this restaurant on the top of your list!)

I thought my initial experience was spectacular and I would hazard a guess that many, if not most, of this gourmet restaurant’s patrons are not necessarily vegetarian or vegan, just lovers of delicious, beautiful and creative food. I was so enchanted by it that I purchased one of their cookbooks and it has remains a source of inpiration.

So, when my dear San Francisco friend, Yvette Hetrick, suggested a private West Coast book-signing dinner for The Blooming Platter Cookbook in combination with a trip to the West Coast to celebrate one of my “milestone” birthdays, the Millennium leaped immediately to mind. Planning the party for 30 in the restaurant’s private “Millennium Wine Room” with the help of general manager, Alison Bagby, was a delight.

Now in a new location on Geary Street, but still connected to a hotel, the food and atmosphere are as appealing as ever. For a very affordable price of $50 per person, not including wine (more on this soon!), the chef offered three appetizers (including corn flour-dusted fried oyster mushrooms to die for–reminiscent of fried calamari–and everyone’s favorite); a delightfully fresh salad with a lemony dressing; 3 different entrees with beautiful sides and sauces (an Asian crusted tofu, a tamale, and a beet-and-barely cake); and either sorbet or my choice: Chocolate Almond Midnight, the restaurant’s signature dessert.

One of the guests, who were almost entirely meat-eaters (but very generous in their embrace of The Blooming Platter), said after tasting the Chocolate Almond Midnight, “I would become vegan for the desserts alone!”

July 26, 2011July 26, 2011 by betsy

Barnes & Noble Booksellers Hosts Book-Signing/Discussion for The Blooming Platter Cookbook

This is an invitation to anyone in Hampton Roads Virginia–or with friends or family in the local area–to join me for a book-signing and informal discussion generously hosted by the Barnes & Noble at Town Center in Virginia Beach.

The launch party and book-signing at Mayer Fine Art was so well-attended and the guests so generous, but if you happened to miss it or would like to pick up another book or two as gifts–SO many people have purchased them as gifts–or just want to stop by to chat, we would love to have you.

Similarly, if you live here or have friends here, please feel free to share with them via email or Facebook. I am so appreciative for all of the support.