Bianca Phillips's Blog, page 210

Vegan for Her!

So I'm reading Vegan for Her, the new vegan nutrition book for ladies by Virginia Messina and JL Fields. I ordered a signed copy from JL's blog, JL Goes Vegan. To be honest, I just ordered a copy to support JL. We're long-time blogger friends, and I was so excited to have a cookbook with her recipes. I've read a ton of vegan health books, and I thought, "I'm sure the recipes will be cool, but do I really need to read more about vegan nutrition?"


Oh my god, yes. I did! When the book arrived a few weeks ago, I just casually flipped through the nutrition section, which is most of the book. JL's recipes comprise the last chapter. And I saw a vegan "food pyramid" illustration called "The Plate Plate." I've long wondered exactly how many servings of each food group I really needed as a vegan, and I even use an app to track my servings. And this Plant Plate illustration was EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED.

Plus, there's all kinds of info about nutrition for vegan female athletes, which I try to be when I don't have a stupid stress fracture. And there's info on exactly how much omega-3 rich foods a vegan needs to eat to meet the daily needs (5 walnut halves, 1 Tbsp. flaxseed, etc.). It's very specific information, and I feel like that's exactly what is missing from most vegan health books.

Oh, and the best part? Ginny Messina doesn't say you should never have processed foods or plant meat or wine or beer. She says you can have those things in moderation. She recognizes the importance fats play in our diet (no oil-free diets here!). And most importantly, she debunks the soy myth. If I hear one more person say they don't eat soy because it gives you man boobs, I swear to god ... anyway, I knew that stuff wasn't true. But Ginny provides science and studies to back that up. Soy (especially in whole forms) is not bad for you. That is a lie. And those studies that claim soy is bad? Guess who funds them? Yep, the meat/dairy industry.

Vegan for Her is the best vegan health book out there. Sorry dudes. Maybe someone will write a Vegan for Him.

As for those recipes, JL did an outstanding job of compiling plant-based recipes that are simple and approachable for new vegans and seasoned pros. The first thing I've tried is her Oat-Amaranth-Carrot Porridge.


This is a breakfast dish, and it's really everything I need in a breakfast — savory, whole grain-y, and full of veggies (carrots and onions). Plus, it's helping me use up some of my amaranth stash. I love that stuff, but I never know what to do with it.

And there are plenty more recipes that look awesome — the Vegan Seven-Layer Salad (sounds like the one my mama used to make!), the Quinoa Daiya Burger, Soy Curl Cacciatore, and Tempeh Tostadas to name a few.

My 9-Year Veganaversary (or Why I Love Black Friday)

Black Friday probably isn't on the top of your "fave holidays" list. But it's right up there with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Solstice for me. No, I don't wake up at the crack of dawn to indulge in senseless corporate consumerism and material lust. That's not why I love Black Friday.

I love Black Friday because it doubles as my veganaversary and vegetarian-aversary, and I always get to spend it with my mama! I went vegetarian in 1994 on the day after Thanksgiving, and I went vegan in 2004 on that same holiday shopping day. Technically, the date for Black Friday is different each year, so it's not really my anniversary. But it's easier for me to keep up with this way.

Every Black Friday starts out the same. I'm always off work on this day, so I wake up around 9 a.m. and fix a small plate of leftover Thanksgiving dessert. This year, I had a serving of my mama's Vegan Dump Cake — cherry pie filling, crushed pineapple, vegan cake mix, coconut, and pecans.


Then my mama comes over from Jonesboro, about an hour's drive for her, so we can have Black Friday brunch at Brother Juniper's, a vegan-friendly breakfast cafe in the U of M area. We started with coffee.



We always order the same thing — Fahim's Special with Home Fries and Whole Grain Toast.


Fahim's Special is the tofu scramble, and it's one of the best I've ever had. They use portabello mushrooms and red bell peppers and some sort of delicious seasoning. The dish used to have kalamata olives too, and that really made it special. But Brother Juniper's recently stopped carrying olives. In fact, they took the Fahim's Special off the menu altogether because they aren't carrying olives. But they'll still make it without olives if you ask. Next time, mama and I decided that we're bringing our own olives.

After breakfast, we stopped to see my pup Maynard at the vet.


He had two surgeries last week after ingesting a piece of an "indestructible" Extreme Kong ball. Poor guy! He actually got to come home on Saturday, and he's doing better now. But on Friday, when we stopped by, he was still feeling kinda icky. Lesson learned: Kongs are not indestructible, and this guy will try to eat them. No more Kongs for Maynard. (Also, note that I'm wearing a giant walking boot on my right foot here for my stress fracture, which I've had now for over three months!)

Then we went shopping like we always do on Black Friday! But it's not the crazy Black Friday madness of 6 a.m. We usually get started around noon or 1 p.m., when most of the insane stood-in-line-all-night shoppers have gone back to bed. My mama lets me try on the clothes that I want her to buy me for the holiday, and she picks out a couple items that she wants me to buy her. We try things on, make our decisions, and then wrap each others gifts to hold for later in the month. I won't get this sweater from my mama until Xmas, but I can't wait!


After shopping, mama dropped me off at home, and she headed back to Jonesboro. I'd worked up an appetite at the mall, so I fixed a plate of Thanksgiving leftovers and caught up on the latest issue of Rolling Stone. My veganaversary always ends with a plate of Thanksgiving leftovers, which is pretty much my favorite meal on Earth.


Happy veganaversary to me!

Thanksgiving Recap (Or Tale of an Unturkey Butt)

Thanksgiving has come and gone. It's one of my favorite holidays because I can eat with reckless abandon and not feel even the slightest twinge of food guilt. Any day that equates eating my mama's famous vegan dressin' with showing how grateful we are for all the good stuff in our lives is fine by me.

Most years, we have a very small family gathering at my parents' house in Jonesboro, Arkansas. It's usually just me and Paul, my mama and daddy, my me-maw, and my granny. But this year, we had some extra company. I invited my vegan friend Cassi, who lives down the street from me in Memphis, and my vegan cousin Tiffaney, my vegan aunt Nancy, my not-vegan uncle Mike, and Tiffaney's not-vegan friend Tim joined us. Read Cassi's recap of Thanksgiving on her blog, The Pretty in Pink Vegan.

So it was a very vegan Thanksgiving! Of course, even when I'm the only vegan, my mama still makes all the sides vegan, and we have both a dead bird and a vegan turkey alternative. But it was nice this year not being the only herbivore at the table.

Cassi ordered the Vegetarian Plus Vegan Whole Turkey, which comes with stuffing and gravy, from Imagine Vegan Cafe. They were taking orders a few weeks back, and she placed hers. It was our first time trying this brand. The turkey is made from textured soy protein, and it looks like a whole turkey — drumsticks, wings, and all. And the best part? There's a hole in its butt where you put the stuffing! Here we are stuffing our un-turkey.


And here's the finished product, fresh out of the oven. Taste-wise, the "meat" didn't have as much flavor as, say, Tofurky or Field Roast, but the gravy fixed that. And the texture was a little more moist than those brands too. But it was really fibrous, and I'd imagine this is close to what turkey tastes like. The skin gets nice and crispy in the oven.


The turkey came with a bag of Stuffing mix, and there was a little extra after stuffing its butt.


We don't typically have stuffing at Thanksgiving 'cause that's not really how we do down south. But I like stuffing, and I ate a good bit of this. But down here, a Thanksgiving isn't a Thanksgiving without Cornbread Dressin', and my mama makes the best dressin' in the world.


My favorite Thanksgiving dish, though, is my mama's Hash Brown Casserole — hash browns, Earth Balance, vegan cream of celery soup, sour cream, Daiya cheese, and cornflakes. (This recipe and my mama's dressin' recipe are in Cookin' Crunk).


Mama made homemade Cranberry Sauce.


And she made Dilled Carrots.


And mama made some Spicy Sweet Potatoes with sriracha and cilantro.


We had a Salad with Asian Pears, Pecans, and Vinaigrette.


Granny brought Turnip Greens, Turnips, and Green Beans.



And some Corn on the Cob.


Vegan rolls with Earth Balance. 


For dessert, mama made a Vegan Dump Cake, which could use a better name. It's cherry pie filling, pineapple, vegan cake mix, coconut, and pecans. So good! You just dump all that stuff (hence the name) in a baking dish and bake without stirring.


Cassi and I made the Classic Pecan Pie from Pies and Tarts with Heart. It was really tasty, but some of the sugar somehow seeped through the crust while it was baking, making it nearly impossible to lift the slices out of the pie pan. The sugar was like glue! But once we got our slices out, they were excellent with vegan ice cream.


That's it! I was stuffed after that meal, and I've been having leftovers for days!

Isa Does It!

I've been eagerly awaiting the publication of Isa Does It, Isa Chandra Moskowitz's new massive full-color, photo-heavy volume of simple everyday recipes. I'm not sure what it is about Isa's stuff, but everything she comes up with is just gold. Pure, nooch-covered vegan gold. Her and Terry's cookbook collaborations are definitely the most well-worn volumes on my cookbook shelf. And I'm pretty sure the same goes for every other vegan in the world.


I waited until Atlanta VegFest to buy my copy because I wanted to get a signed copy from Isa. Here she is signing my book (or actually making a goofy face)!


I've only tried a couple of recipes so far, but both were FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. First, I tried the Scrambled Chickpeas for breakfast, because, well, scrambled chickpeas!


This is an alternative to scrambled tofu (and there's nothing wrong with scrambled tofu, but sometimes a vegan gal needs to mix things up). Chickpeas are sauteed with caramelized onions and dill, served over toast, and topped with the optional miso-tahini sauce. I love a savory breakfast, and this was just perfect. But you know, without Isa, I'd have never thought of scrambling chickpeas. She's just so innovative!

The other dish I tried is perhaps the most beautiful thing I've eaten all year — Mushroom Hotpot.


Isn't it just too pretty to eat?! The broth is made from shiitake mushrooms, bell peppers, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, onions, anise pods, and coconut milk. And from there, Isa provides suggestions about what to add to your soup. I went with udon noodles, grilled tofu (recipe is in the book), cilantro, and sriracha. Sadly, some of my lemongrass was a little tough, so I ended up spitting out pieces every now and then. But still so very tasty and pretty!

Also, I learned from making this that I don't hate anise pods. I hate licorice, and I assumed I hated anise too. But I wanted to use the pods called for in the recipe because I knew they'd be so pretty in a picture. And honestly, it gave the soup a lovely flavor, like Chinese Five-Spice Powder.

I can't wait to try more from this book. I swear every recipe sounds like something I want to make, so it'll be hard to narrow it down. There's a whole chapter on bowls (Cozy Hummus Bowl, Cucumber Ranch Bowl!!). And a chapter on handheld foods (Baked Garlic-Curry Fries, Black-Eyed Pea & Collard Tacos!). And a chapter on stir-fries (Sticky Orange Chicky Stir-Fry! Seitan & Broccoli with Pantry BBQ Sauce!).

I'll have to wait a bit before I get into those recipes though. I'm headed home tomorrow night for Thanksgiving with my family. And then it's leftovers, leftovers, leftovers. I'm also declaring December "Pantry & Fridge Clean-Out Month." But more on that later. I won't be blogging Wednesday night, so have a happy un-turkey day!

One-Dish Vegan

Yesterday, I blogged about our Food Awareness Thanksgiving potluck, which was held last Saturday. But I didn't show you my contribution. That's because I wanted to save the picture for a review post tonight.

This Chickpea & Kale Stew was the first dish I tried from One-Dish Vegan, the new cookbook by vegan maven Robin Robertson.


It's a simple dish with big flavor — chickpeas, kale, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes. It's all slow-simmered with cumin, coriander, oregano, and cayenne. It went over so well at the potluck that I had no leftovers! I should eat really more meals like this —just beans and veggies and a starch. This time of year, as I prepare for the holiday time of massive meals and sugar galore, I start dreaming of all the healthy stuff (like this dish) that I'll eat to cleanse my system when the holidays are over.


One-Dish Vegan would be just the book to use to reset your system. It's not designed as a cleanse book or anything, but every dish in this book is made with whole foods (mostly beans, a little tofu and tempeh, and hardly any fake meat). Don't get me wrong — I LOVE fake meat and dairy-free cheese. But sometimes, we need a break from that stuff.

All the dishes in this book are complete meals in one bowl or plate, hence the book's name. There are chilis, stews, casseroles, soups, and even salads with all your food groups (most of the salads contains grains as well as veggies).

I have a few recipes bookmarked for those days when I can focus on healthy foods again — Brown Rice with White Beans, Shiitakes, and Spinach, Garlic Lover's Chili (it has 8 cloves!), Japanese-Style Coconut Rice Bowl (sweet potato, kidney beans, zucchini, coconut milk, and rice), and Artichoke Spaghetti Pie.

But those things will have to wait at least until we get Thanksgiving out of the way. I just baked a Tofurky and a big pot of gravy to take to work tomorrow for the annual company Thanksgiving potluck!

Thanksgiving Before Thanksgiving

Before I get into tonight's photo-heavy post, I've been asked to announce that Cassi is having a giveaway on her blog, The Pretty in Pink Vegan. She'll give a handmade gingerbread man holiday ornament by Memphis artist Funlola Coker to one lucky commenter. Click here to enter.

Each year, our Memphis vegetarian club, Food Awareness, has some sort of Thanksgiving potluck/meal/get-together thing. We used to hold the event at a comedy club, and a few members (myself included) would act out skits and sing crazy songs and do stand-up. But that club closed a few years back, and ever since, we've been holding the event at members' homes.

This year, Barbara and Ken (yes, they're names are seriously Barbie and Ken ... how cute is that?!) held the Thanksgiving potluck at their cute, Asian-inspired East Memphis home (the house has a pagoda roof!). It wasn't a traditional potluck where everyone brings a dish. Vaughan, who founded Food Awareness with me years ago and does most of the leg work on organizing, brought most of the food. And everyone else was asked to bring something only if they wanted to. Most people just brought wine or snacks.

One couple brought some of the best Vegan Sour Cream 'n' Onion Dip that I've ever had!


Diane brought vegan cheese dip in a Crock Pot, and it was so good! But I forgot to photograph it.

I brought a yummy stew from Robin Robertson's One Dish Vegan, but I'm saving that picture for a review post of her latest book tomorrow night. Here's a little glimpse at everything else we ate though.

Rather than roast a traditional Tofurky, Vaughan grilled and sliced Tofurky Sausages. Since I'll be eating plenty of faux turkey over the next few days, sausage was a nice twist.


Perhaps my favorite dish was Vaughan's Curried Fingerling Potatoes. These were coated in a spicy curry sauce that was just awesome.


I also really loved his Wheat Berries with Raisins and Walnuts. Chewy wheat berries are probably my favorite grain ever. I should really cook more wheat berries.


We also had a Tomato Millet Pilaf.


And there was Vaughan's Vinegar-Seasoned Kale.


And we had Green Lentils with Baby Carrots.


As you can see, Vaughan cooks very healthy vegan meals. Grains, beans, and veggies are his staples. He eats way healthier than I typically do! But it felt good to go crazy with a massive plate of low-fat, whole foods-based vegan dishes, especially considering that this Thursday, I'll be eating so much Thanksgiving madness.

Sadly, no one brought dessert. So Cassi, Greg, Brodrick, and I went back to my house and made mini Vegan Donuts in my Bella Donut Maker. I picked up the donut maker at the Goodwill a few months ago, but this was my first time trying it out. These were so soft and cakey!

In the Rooster We Trust

I'm awfully sorry those people in Irwindale, California are having to deal pepper and garlic fumes emanating from the Huy Fong sriracha plant. I'm sure breathing constant pepper fumes all day must be somewhat painful. But I'm glad a judge denied that city's bid to shut the plant down last month. Those folks in Irwindale are just gonna have to take one for the team. The people need their sriracha.

I'm a sriracha addict. I put that spicy, garlicky rooster sauce on EVERYTHING! So I was super excited when Stephanie gifted me Randy Clemens' The Veggie-Lovers Sriracha Cookbook: 50 Vegan "Rooster Sauce" Recipes That Pack a Punch for my birthday last month. It's a totally vegan cookbook, and every single recipe uses sriracha (even the desserts!). Brilliant!

I made the first thing I've tried from the book this week — Bánh Xéo!


Bánh Xéo looks like an omelet, but it taste more like a crepe. It's a thin rice flour pancake stuffed with filled and served with bean sprouts and nuoc cham sauce. I first tried this dish at a Vietnamese place here in Memphis and just fell in love. But I'd never attempted to make it on my own.

The crepe batter contains 1/4 cup of sriracha, so it has a tad bit of spice. But it's not overpowering. And it's stuffed with sauteed tofu, mushrooms, and my homegrown mung bean sprouts. The nuoc cham sauce (recipe is in the book) is a sweet and spicy soy-based sauce that I spiked with my homegrown habanero peppers. I like things hot, hot, hot, and this dish did the trick (especially after adding the habaneros).

I look forward to trying more stuff from this book! Two words (one hyphenated) — Maple-Sriracha Doughnuts!!!

Anyway, moving on. On the side, I made a super-simple dish from The Chinese Vegetarian Cookbook, another birthday gift cookbook from my BFF Sheridan and her Drew. This is a really old vintage book from 1972, and it has thick, textured pages. It's not all vegan, but most recipes are. And they're not really written as recipes but rather in narrative form. It's pretty cool.

I made the Cauliflower in Seasoned Sauce.


This is exactly what it sounds like. It's chopped cauliflower cooked down in a sauce made from soy sauce, salt, sugar, cornstarch, and sesame oil. I probably wouldn't even need a recipe for this, but it felt more authentic using cookbook author Gary Lee's vintage recipe.

That's all for tonight. Have a spicy weekend!

Vintage Baked Goodies!

I've met some of the coolest people through this blog. If it weren't for Vegan Crunk, I may have never met my baker friend Stephanie (Poopie Bitch) and I certainly wouldn't have vegan friends all over the world. No matter where I go, chances are I know a vegan there. Not to get all mushy and Thanksgiving-y, but I'm totally grateful for that!

In fact, this very blog helped make a connection between myself and another Memphis vegan baker just a few days ago. It all started a few weeks ago when a dude named TJ emailed me. He said he his wife Dena had been vegan for about four years, and she had started creating some delicious vegan baked goods. He wondered if I could give her any advice on getting a baking business off the ground. I suggested a few vegan-friendly restaurants that I'd love to see vegan desserts sold in.

And then a couple weeks later, Dená emailed me herself. She said she'd like for me to try her stuff! Well, who would say no to fresh baked vegan goodies?! On Monday night, Dená and TJ stopped by my house bearing treats! Here's Dená in my dining room.


Dená started eating healthier around 2000 after losing her dad to massive heart failure. Her mom also suffered heart problems, and Dená discovered that heart disease runs in her family. At that time, she was 224 pounds. But she started eating better and shed 100 pounds. She wasn't vegan then, but she was focusing more on fresh food and exercising. Then, in 2009, on her anniversary, she experienced anaphylactic shock from a food allergy she didn't even know she had. That's when she decided to go vegan. Her husband TJ followed her soon after.

Fast forward to now. Dená is baking desserts using veganized versions of her great-grandmother's recipes. Since her great-grandma's name was Snowdie Pearl, that's what Dená settled on for the name of her baking company. Memphis readers: She's not selling anywhere yet, but I will keep you posted.


Wanna see what she brought me to sample?

There were Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Brownies! Some had icing and some didn't. These were so moist and nutty. I've not had a lot of gluten-free baked goods, but I couldn't tell a difference between these and gluten-containing brownies.


And she brought two styles of vanilla cupcakes! There were Vanilla Cupcakes with Crumble Topping.


And my personal fave, the Vanilla Cupcake with Vanilla Frosting (and a cupcake on top!!! Bonus!!). Also I just love the faux flower. It really gives this cupcake a vintage look.


The cupcakes were incredibly moist, and the frosting was buttery and creamy. I can't wait until Snowdie Pearl treats are available in a store or bakery!

I Am Mushroom. Here Me Roar.

Before I met Paul, I hated mushrooms. Couldn't stand their squishy texture and watery bite. But even though my partner Paul can't cook much of anything, he can saute the hell out of some mushrooms. He started making sauteed button mushrooms for our spaghetti nights (the only meal we ever eat together), and I realized mushrooms weren't so bad after all.

Fast forward to now: I love all kinds of mushrooms — bella, crimini, shiitake, oyster. But I'm still learning. There's a world of mushrooms out there to discover, and my friends at Dickey Farms, a local mushroom farming couple who grow all sorts of 'shrooms in Potts Camp, Mississippi, have introduced me to an especially awesome variety — Lion's Mane Mushrooms!


Isn't that crazy as hell? It looks like a weird sea creature with thousands of tiny arms. Or like a shaggy cartoon dog. The "mane" is soft like a fuzzy blanket, and the entire mushroom is tender as can be (no woody stems here, folks). Nichole Dickey gave me this mushroom to try when I visited their booth at the Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market last weekend. They'll be selling their 'shrooms there on Saturdays for certain through November but on a week-by-week basis after that.


Anyway, I had no idea what to do with this crazy thing. Nichole said it had a lobster flavor, but I've never had lobster in my life. Or any seafood really (well, I did have fried shrimp in the school cafeteria in elementary once, but that was grody). So I did a little googling.

Turns out Lion's Mane mushrooms are like total superfoods! They're part of the "tooth fungus" group, which sounds like a nasty gum disease, but don't let that turn you off. Some research has shown that these mushrooms have compounds that can help regulate blood lipid levels and reduce blood glucose levels. And they have antioxidant effects.

Since I didn't know what people do with lobster meat, a search for "things to do with lobster" turned up a recipe for Lobster with Udon Noodles. I've honestly been craving those fat rice noodles for some time now, and Asian flavors are always a good idea with mushrooms. So I created a recipe for Udon Noodles with Lion's Mane, Snap Peas, and Spinach.


The little mushroom bits are kind of meaty, and since they're so soft, the crunchy snap peas pair well with them. And, well, the spinach was just because I need more greens in my life. I added Old Bay seasoning for a seafood-y taste, but I stuck with mostly Asian flavors (soy sauce, mirin, scallions). Here's an extreme close-up of the Lion's Man mushrooms in my noodle bowl.


And here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Udon Noodles with Lion's Mane, Snap Peas, and Spinach
Serves 2
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1 12-ounce package udon noodles (cooked, dried, or semi-dried)
1 Tbsp. vegan margarine
1 1/2 cup snap peas, ends trimmed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1  Lion's Mane mushroom, torn into bite-sized pieces
3 cups baby spinach
2 Tbsp. mirin
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1-2 tsp. hot sauce
3 scallions, chopped

If using dried or semi-dried (shelf-stable but kind of soft) udon, bring water to boil in a stock pot. Add the noodles and boil for 7-8 minutes (semi-dried) or 10-12 minutes (dried). Drain water. If using cooked noodles, skip to the next step.

Heat margarine in a large non-stick skillet with sides. Add snap peas and saute 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms, stir, and saute for another 5-7 minutes or until mushrooms soften. Add spinach and stir until it wilts (about 1-2 minutes).

Pour in mirin, soy sauce, Old Bay, and hot sauce (I used a homemade habanero sauce, but sriracha would be perfect). Stir and allow to cook for a minute or two.

Add noodles and scallions. Use tongs to toss noodles until they are coated and evenly distributed. Heat for a minute or so and remove from heat.

The Great Pumpkin Potluck

It's time once again for the wrap-up of our monthly vegan potluck! Each month, my friend Leslie organizes a fun potluck for all of our vegan friends. And sometimes, like last month, it travels to other people's houses (last month, we made it my birthday potluck at my house).

We had our potluck on Friday night, and month's theme was PUMPKIN! And when Leslie dreamed up the idea last month, it sounded like it was gonna be the best. Who doesn't love pumpkin???

Apparently, lots of our friends don't love pumpkin. And lots more have babies with baby problems (sick tummies, no sitter). So turnout was low this time around. But the food we did have was awesome. I apologize in advance for my crappy pictures though. The lighting was low, and orangey pumpkin foods don't do well in low lighting.

I made Pumpkin Chili, and I fully intended to take a lovely daylight pic of my leftovers today, topped with avocado and hot sauce. But I forgot! So here's what you get — a crappy picture of a delightfully hearty chili of white beans, pumpkin, quinoa, peppers, carrots, and spices. I used this recipe from the Inventive Vegetarian.


Leslie always makes something fun and exotic. This time, it was Afghan Pumpkin —sauteed pumpkin with tomatoes and spices. So good!


And she made this crazy awesome Afghan rice. I can't remember what it was called, but the rice was soft yet crunchy. It's hard to explain, but it's probably the best rice I've ever had.


Greg claims to hate pumpkin though he certainly cleaned his plate of chili and Leslie's pumpkin dish. So even though he was required by Leslie's rules to bring a pumpkin dish, he totally cheated and brought stuff to make Vegan Tacos — homemade TVP "meat," tomato, lettuce, salsa, and soft and hard shells.


Leslie also made an Afghan Hot Sauce that had a nice tomato-garlic base. I put some on my tacos, and since she sent me home with leftovers, I've been using this stuff all week!


For dessert, Leslie made a Pumpkin Cranberry Bread. This moist bread was flecked with pepitas and dried cranberries. I could have eaten a whole loaf.


But thankfully I didn't, because Nic walked in the door with this Vegan Maple-Pecan Pumpkin Flan just as everyone was about leave. Of course, I had a slice.


Even with a small turnout, we ended up with full bellies. I'm pretty certain my friends who think they hate pumpkin have just never had it in a savory dish. Or they're crazy. Either way, more for us.