the tyranny of the recipe

I often draw write notes in my cookbooks, so I can tailor recipes to my taste. Veganomicon is no exception.

When London food writer and domestic goddess Nigella Lawson talked about "the tyranny of the recipe," I related so strongly that included her quote in the introduction to my cookbook. Now, I'm not saying that [ahem!] cookbook authors are tyrants. But it's important to remember that cooking is both an art and a science. Recipes document the science of cooking – and the art of writing. Recipes are usually the result of several experiments, and they list ingredients and processes needed to attain a consistent result when making a dish. It's always a good idea to follow a recipe exactly the first time you try it.

Dreena Burton's hummus recipe in Vive Le Vegan is my all-time favorite. As you can see, I renamed it "Yummus," and included notes detailing my personal preferences.

But the art of cooking is the expression of the individuality of the cook. Take 10 cooks, and ask them to make the same recipe. Mark my words, you will get 10 different results, depending on the cook's experience, mood, ingredients, and comfort with improvisation.

Even my own cookbook did not escape my pechant for scribbling.

I included variations with many of my recipes, because I consider them a springboard to creativity, and not end-all, be-alls. Nothing makes me happier than to read someone's blog and learn how they tried one of my recipes but added "a little of this," or "less of that." That's what cooking is all about!. Recipes are merely inspiration. Each recipe you make is a building block in your own culinary architecture. So go ahead, write in my cookbook!

eat to the beet

Growing up in the snowy Pennsylvania mountains, red beet soup (barszcz, in Polish) was a winter-time staple. This easy soup is classic comfort food: filling, earthy and just a tad musky. My mom always added sour cream, transforming the soup into a brilliant Pepto-Bismol pink, so this is the [veganized] recipe I included in my cookbook. But last week, when I was plum out of vegan sour cream, I added a bit of soy milk instead. The resulting color was a more dignified deep magenta, and the soup tasted just as warming. The motto of the recipe? Don't be afraid to modify recipes. That's often how new recipes are born.


One bit of red beet-related kitchen wisdom to share: unless you want pink fingers, wear gloves while peeling the beets.

a wok in the snow

Al fresco dining, anyone?
With a few strategic cuts, Dr X's patio table would make a great squirrel igloo.

In case you have been leaving in a vaccum, the East Coast – from Philly to Virginia – got hammered Friday night with "Snowmageddon." Philadelphia accumulated 28 inches of the white stuff.


What better way to spend snowed-in evening than cooking and eating? I took a walk in the snow to the Reading Terminal Market, and bought some broccoli, portobellos, ginger and garlic ....



Then I pulled out my trusty wok and stir-fried the veggies with about a cup of seitan strips. The loft swelled with the tantalizing aroma of sweet garlic and zesty ginger, sizzling away in peanut oil.



I ate the stir-fry atop a mountain of fiber-packed brown rice ... and made myself a guilty-pleasure Lemon Drop to wash it down with. [Lemon Drop drink recipe is in my cookbook, The Urban Vegan.]



Incidentally, if you take good care of your wok, it will take good care of you. After using, scrub it down, dry it, and oil it well before you store it. Not only will it keep the wok from rusting, but it will also help create a kick-ass, non-stick cooking surface.

classic chocolate chippers

Classic Chocolate Chippers with ice-cold soy milk

I call February "The Grey Season." All the colorful holiday lights are down. Income taxes loom over our heads, and our mailboxes are inundated with those hateful black and white W2s and 1099s. The sky seems to be one big swoosh of steely grey, and those of us in the Northeast are suffering from sweater fatigue. Is it any wonder I usually make chocolate chip cookies in February?

These are my go-to comfort-food cookies, perfect for dipping in soy, coconut or rice milk [or in chocolate soy milk, if you've had a really bad day]. I've found that melting the Earth Balance before beating with the sugar makes the whole mixing process much easier. And instead of using a hybrid of brown and white sugars, I use 100% brown: the resulting caramel flavor appeases my inner hedonist.

And even if you don't make these comforting cookies, take heart: the crocuses and primroses will be peeking out from under the frozen earth in just a matter of weeks.

CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CHIPPERS

• ½ cup Earth Balance, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 T soy, rice, coconut or almond milk
• 1/8 tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1¼ cups flour
• 1 heaping T soy flour
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• Optional additions: ½ cup nuts, ½ cup chopped dried cherries

Makes about 2 dozen cookies, recipe easily doubled
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two cookies sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper. Or spray them with non-stick baking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together Earth Balance, sugar, salt and milk until well blended.
3. Add remaining dry ingredients, about ¼ cup at a time, blending well after each addition and occasionally scarping down the side of the bowl.
4. Stir in chocolate chips and optional additions, if using.
5. Drop in 1 T increments onto cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with a spoon.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Cool for one minute on cookie sheet, then use your spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack. Cool for 30 minutes.

Variations: Make these using vegan white chocolate, cinnamon, espresso or peanut butter chips instead of chocolate.