Today’s post is a toast to all of you faithful Blooming Platterists. May your generosity and support be returned to you many times over in the coming year and beyond!
This “recipe” embodies much of what I wish for my culinary life in 2012: exquisite beauty and indulgent flavors along with ordinary moments made extraordinary with very little fuss.
Not really a recipe, but just a simple method, I “invented” it while sipping Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) before dinner on the patio of one of our favorite restaurants: Terrapin. (Despite the “fishy” name, they prepare exquisite vegan food.)
On each table was a diminutive pot of fresh rosemary. On a whim, I pinched off a little stalk and dropped it into my glass. Not only was the faintly piney aroma and very subtle shift in flavor absolutely irresistible and seductive. But the way the tiny bubbles clustered around each of the rosemary fronds and flickered in the candlelight was sheer magic.
Move over Guy Fieri! Your “Triple D” has nothing on our “Quadruple C”!
Plus, no animals are harmed in the making of “Christmas, Chanukah, Curry & Cakes”–unlike “Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives”!–my 11th annual all-girls vegan holiday party.
The Brief History
Every year, on the second Wednesday in December for the last decade, 20 of my “tribe” have gathered at Joe’s and my home for a curry buffet dinner and special cakes, cookies or other confections. The party is beloved of all and it is a very special treat for me to feed my nearest and dearest a beautiful and nutritious veg meal (well, the desserts are beautiful if not terribly nutritious), and gift them with ornaments, picture frames or, one year, miniature cookbooks.
The Swap
But, this year, for some reason, I wanted to change it up a bit. I especially wanted to host a “Swap.” You know about swaps, yes? All of the guests bring nice, but unwanted or unneeded household and garden goods, as well as clothing and accessories. Then, using one of several methods for redistributing the goods, everyone goes home with items more to their liking. It is especially perfect this time of year because guests can “shop” for free holiday gifts, which is very welcome in this economy.
The procedure I decided on was to have each guest write her name on a clothespin, one for each item that she brought. The clothespins then become currency for “buying” other items. Realizing on my way home from school the day of the party that there would be no way to tell my own possessions that I want to keep(!) from those that were up for grabs, I decided to have each guest also fill out an index card to place with each item. A draped table in our foyer topped with a pretty vase of clothespins, a bowl of index cards (that matched our decor!), and a couple of containers that held a spectrum of colored Sharpie markers provided the perfect staging area. I simply explained the process to the first guests to arrive and they to the next and so on. It was so fun to watch our living room and den be transformed into an eclectic upscale boutique.
What happens if more than one person “pins” the same item? As one friend said, “Girl Fight!” What actually happens is really fun. As a group, we moved through each room, stopping when we came upon items with two or more pins. The pins went into a festive wine bag, I shook them up amidst good-natured chanting and ribbing, and asked someone to draw. Whoever’s name is drawn is the “winner” of the item, but the other person(s) gets to select something else.
Adding a 5th C: Charity
After the swap, there were unclaimed items in which people had interest, so they asked if they could make a donation to charity through me and “purchase” the items. I thought that was a great idea, so they discreetly tucked bills into the clothespin vase and chose the merchandise they wanted. When everyone was gone I discovered that we had collected $50! Wanting, in the spirit of CCC & C, to donate to a women’s or to a food-related charity, I discovered A Well-Fed World whose tagline is “Feeding People/Saving Animals” because their mission is certainly in the spirit of CCC & C. Just click on the link to read all about their important work and, perhaps, make a donation. With just a few items remaining, I made short order of boxing and bagging them up, dropping them off Saturday morning at a nearby thrift store that benefits our Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters.
The Food
Since I wanted everyone to freely browse, I decided that “finger food” and small plates were in order. I have lots of favorite appetizers from my Blooming Platter Cookbook, so I thumbed through the fall and winter sections choosing hot, room temperature and cold dishes and crafting the following easy menu. It was a huge hit with all of the guests.
The Tangy Indian White Peas were the only dish not from the cookbook, but I had to make them because, though I had run into an Indian market just for puri to serve with the Saag Dip, the nicest fellow shopper–an Indian–shared a recipe with me, leading me around the store to show me what I needed. The “recipe” is simply the white beans cooked until soft in salted water seasoned with a little turmeric until all of the water has evaporated. Into that mixture is stirred prepared mint chutney and, my addition, a little cilantro and mango chutneys for good measure. Delish and ultra easy!
**For the uninitiated, Prosecco is Italian white sparkling wine that complements everything, especially vegan food. But my husband loves it, too, and he is “a vegan and more.” I first learned of it from Italian celebrity chef, Giada de Laurentiis. It is ridiculously affordable, even in restaurants, at about $30/bottle. But, at Trader Joe’s, a very respectable bottle can be had for about 5 bucks! For a New Year’s post, I plan to share my very special way of serving it. Stay tuned!
Since CCC & C is all about sharing, it is my pleasure to share one of the recipes that I served from the cookbook with you here. For the others, I hope you’ll consider snagging a copy of the book for yourself and your friends!
Blooming Broccoli Dip
Yield: 4 cups
I chose this dip because it’s a crowd pleaser and because our farm market has been harvesting lovely heads of broccoli this fall and winter. Note: I tripled the recipe to serve 20 and I’m glad I did because there was none left over!
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon curry powder (or to taste)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups small broccoli florets
1/2 cup chopped red or orange bell pepper (or a combination)
2/3 cup golden raisins
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Vegenaise or other vegan mayo (start with 3 tablespoons and add more as desired)
3 ounces smoked almonds, finely chopped
In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk well to combine. Add the broccoli, bell peppers, raisins, and scallions and toss to mix well. Fold in the mayo, a few tablespoons at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Reserve any leftover mayo. Refrigerate the broccoli mixture, covered, several hours or overnight. Fold in the almonds just before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve chilled.
l to r: Blooming Broccoli Dip, Mini Puff Pastry Cups, & Curried Cous-Cous
With Hanukkah and other winter holidays just around the corner, I was thrilled that One Green Planet (OGP) published my latkes recipe fromThe Blooming Platter Cookbook (TBPC) to which I added a couple of tasty toppings to make them more of a tapas-style meal.
Consider them dressed up for the season!
Find the recipe and a little about their inspirationhere.
Thanks OGP for making our holidays and our world just a little greener!
To purchase TBPC, just click on the title in RED above.
“Cookstr’s mission is to organize the world‘s best cookbooks and recipes and make them universally accessible.
We are setting the standard for innovation in the delivery of 100% trusted, tested, recipes to home cooks around the world. Our online recipe library offers thousands of recipes by hundreds of the top chefs and cookbook authors, that are free for everyone on Cookstr.com. This year alone, Cookstr.com powered recipe searches in over 20,000 cities and 200 countries!”
I invite you to check out The Blooming Platter Cookbook page by clickinghere. You’ll find six recipes from the book, complete with full color photographs. My Sage-Scented Fettuccine with Butternut Squash appears to be a big favorite among Cookstr members, and it is certainly one of mine!
If you like what you see, I hope you might consider ordering a copy or two of The Blooming Platter Cookbook for holiday gift-giving–it’s the gift that lasts all year, year after year.
And while you’re at it, I’ll be you’ll want to join Cookstr!
Move over “Black Friday;” some of us favor “Green” when it comes to our holiday shopping!
And if you happen to be one of those people–and I suspect you are–perhapsthe blooming platter cookbook would be perfect for someone on your list.
TBPC is truly a gift that lasts all year–year after year– with what has been called “Four Seasons of Yum!”
Note: for local residents, I’ll be signing books at the Eastern Shore Chapel Parish Book Store holiday open house this Saturday, December 3, 10 a.m. to noon. Please join us!
Here my pretty sister-in-law, Terri Ann Lindelow, and “My Pretty Pony,” Huff, visit in our living room in the afternoon before everyone reconvened for the Thanksgiving Feast last night.
As some of you know, though my “day job” is as a high school art teacher, followed closely by cookbook author and blogger, I “moonlight” as a freelance writer. One of my fun monthly gigs is the “DIY Decor” column for the Virginian-Pilot newspaper. It keeps the creative juices flowing, but I accepted the job on one condition: that I not have to do anything so “cutesy” or “crafty”–and definitely not “duck and bunny,” that I wouldn’t have it in my own home or, at the very least, give it to a friend with good, but different, taste than my own! Fortunately, my wonderful editor allows me near complete freedom.
If anyone ever sees me with a Bedazzler in my hand, please tell me to set it down gently and ease away slowly!
I hope you enjoy this month’s column which features cool place card holders made from antique forks, just in time for Thanksgiving. And, so you have plenty of time before the beginning of Advent season, it also features my idea for a quick and clever Advent calendar (though, as my article says, this concept is adaptable to any celebration or holiday in which days are counted and little gifts are given on each of those days).
Many recipes call for making a cashew cream of equal parts cashews and water which I find WAY too thin. These recipes also often call for melted chocolate which is luscious, but fairly high-fat. So, I make mine with cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Try them–you’ll LOVE them.
And, by the way, I hope this post isn’t too late to do you any good for Valentine’s Day tomorrow. This is the earliest I could get it done, so I apologize if you’ve no time left to make a batch. They are ultra quick to prepare and shape, though the mixture does need to chill for about 2-3 hours.
On the other hand, don’t feel you can only indulge on special occasions!
2 cups cashews halves or pieces (raw or roasted and lightly salted; if the latter, the truffles will have that “roasted” flavor and you will be able to taste the salt, but I love salt and sugar together)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup water plus up to 1 tablespoon more
optional: 1/2 teaspoon flavoring of choice, e.g. vanilla, rum, hazelnut, etc.
Coating: cocoa powder, colored sugar, very finely chopped nuts, etc. (I used red sugar for the one in the photograph)
24 mini-paper liners in Valentine’s colors/patterns (I purchased mine at a craft store) Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
Place all ingredients except paper liners, of course, in the bowl of a food processor. Process for a few seconds and then scrape the sides of the bowl. Process the mixture for several minutes or until very smooth, scraping the sides as necessary. Add the additional 1 tablespoon of water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed to prevent stressing the motor of your food processor, as this is a very thick mixture. Scrape it into an airtight container and chill for 2 to 3 hours or until it is firm enough to handle very easily. (Believe it or not, the motor of your food processor working will have caused the mixture to warm slightly.) Scoop the mixture into 1-inch balls (I use a small scoop for this task), rolling each one between your palms quickly to shape, and placing it on the prepared baking sheet. Return the sheet to the refrigerator if necessary before coating the candies. Pour the desired coating into a small bowl, quickly roll each truffle in it to cover completely, and place it in a mini-paper liner. Store the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Package as desired.
I love Red Velvet everything. Ever since childhood and the first taste of my Aunt Bessie’s signature cake of crimson layers swathed in fluffy white frosting with a Jackson Pollock-style drizzle of bittersweet chocolate, it has been my favorite. As beautiful as it is delicious, I chose it as the groom’s cake for Joe’s and my wedding, and I made an especially baroque one as the wedding cake for our good friends Donna and Art. Plus no one who saw “Steel Magnolias” could forget the Armadillo cake.
Over the years, I’ve created Red Velvet versions of anything I could think of from cookies to shortcakes. I even won a prize in a Better Homes & Gardens recipe contest with one version of the cookies.
Presuming I would create a menu and recipes for a romantic dinner for two for February’s “Veggie Table” column in the Virginian-Pilot, I immediately changed my mind when I learned that Valentine’s Day fell on a Sunday. Instead, I started thinking of family-friendly breakfasts, conceiving of and rejecting several ideas in favor of Red Velvet Pancakes. (But my Vegan “Sausage” and Red Bell Pepper Puff Pastry Heart Tarts would be a delicious savory accompaniment.)
First I conducted a little on-line research and, not surprisingly, there were a number of non-vegan iterations, including some from a couple of California restaurant that folks raved about, but none were right. Either they were pink, were too thin, or had an odd-looking texture. Quite honestly, only one that I found appealed: a very romantic and lovely photo with a recipe on someone’s blog, but they were not vegan. Still, it was the look I was after and I knew it could be done dairyless.
So, I turned to the go-to pancake formula that I developed, complete with some whole grain goodness, and then added the key Red Velvet ingredients. After a couple of adjustments, they were ready to cook and boy-oh-boy, can I just tell you: I ate all four from my photo shoot for breakfast. They are the exact shade of deep red that any self-respecting thing calling itself “Red Velvet” ought to be. And they have the characteristic flavor profile of a slight tanginess and an almost imperceptible, yet undeniable, hint of cocoa. Granted, there is more sugar in this recipe than in most of my pancakes, but it is needed to balance the tartness of the vegan “buttermilk” and the appealing bitterness of the cocoa powder.
I hope you and your loved ones, young or old, enjoy them just as much as I did. Happy Valentine’s Day!
1 ½ cups unsweetened soy milk less 1 ½ tablespoons (plain or vanilla soy milk or lite soy milk would also be good) 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar ½ cup whole wheat flour 3/4 cup self-rising flour ½-3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa powder ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1-1 ounce bottle (2 tablespoons) red food coloring Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying Vegan Sour Cream-Maple Syrup (recipe follows) Optional Garnish: additional vegan sour cream, orange zest, vegan chocolate chips Optional Sidecar: fresh or frozen thawed fruit
Preheat oven to warm. In a small bowl, whisk together soy milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle. In a medium mixing bowl, place next 6 ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in soy milk and food coloring. Stir together with a fork until well combined. In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. Using a 1/3 cup measure, make pancakes, one at a time if using a skillet, as this batter tends to spread, but it rises nicely. Cook a couple of minutes on the first side until quite a few bubbles appear and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining vegan butter and pancake batter. Note: for smaller pancakes that allow you to cook two at a time in a skillet and more on a griddle, use a ¼ cup measure. Serve warm with Vegan Sour Cream-Maple Syrup, an extra dollop of vegan sour cream, and a garnish of a little orange zest and/or a very few vegan chocolate chips, along with a sidecar of fresh or frozen thawed fruit.
Vegan Sour Cream Maple Syrup: 4-6 tablespoon vegan sour cream 4-6 tablespoons pure maple syrup a squirt of lemon juice (optional)
Whisk together and, if desired, heat gently in microwave for a few seconds. Note: you can make as much syrup as you like; just whisk together equal parts vegan sour cream and syrup and adjust lemon juice accordingly.
Today’s post is a toast to all of you faithful Blooming Platterists. May your generosity and support be returned to you many times over in the coming year and beyond!
