And onto the News...

I decided to take a break from recipe writing and discussion tonite to bring you some food-related updates and interesting tidbits. First off, one of the most impressive that I have seen, is that the LA Times is on board with Vegan MoFo! Each day they are posting new vegan recipes from their test kitchen on their Daily Dish Blog. I never thought I would see a large newspaper acknowledge an event like this, no matter how impressive (and it is impressive) by joining in on the mayhem. What a great way to spread the word of vegan cooking to the masses! I will definitely be trying a few of these recipes and reporting on them in the upcoming weeks (or maybe in November... can we roll Vegan MoFo over onto another month?). Now if only we could get Mark Bittman in on the Vegan MoFo goodness...

For the second bit of news, the Autumn Massaman Curry that I posted about a few days back made it onto the roundup over at Vegan MoFo Headquarters International over the weekend. Check out the main page, to read about what the MoFo Moderators are digging on our blogs.

And lastly, because I don't feel satisified unless I have written enough to fill a book, the survey that has been going around the MoFo blogs recently:

1. Favorite non-dairy milk?
Almond Breeze, plain, followed by hemp milk.

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?
creative squash dishes, enchiladas, and home-made pasta.

3. Topping of choice for popcorn?
A wee bit of melted earth balance with sea salt.

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?
Ugh, Kitchen Sink Curry. The first and only time I ever threw an entire meal into the garbage.

5. Favorite pickled item?
Green tomatoes from Guss'.

6. How do you organize your recipes?
Cookbooks get alphabetized, and articles get archived in google docs.


7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?
Compost AND trash.

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods...what would they be (don't worry about how you'll cook them)?
bananas, avocado, carrots.

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?
Making chocolate chip cookies every Thursday nite at my neighbor's house.

10. Favorite vegan ice cream?
Luna and Larry's Coconut Bliss! And of course, Lula's and Stogo, for the local NYC market.

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?
Lately it has been my blender.

12. Spice/herb you would die without?
Basil!

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?
Even though I hate using it, How It All Began by Sarah Kramer. I am loathe to part with it just because I feel as if it spawned the modern vegan movement in the younger generation.

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?
Blueberry or Cherry.

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?
Home-made gnocchi.

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?
Tempeh, followed by seitan.

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?
Dinner most days, brunch when asked.

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?
Fruit and scissors.

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.
Basil, Flour, and Coffee. Says a lot.

20. What's on your grocery list?
Depends on what the CSA brings, but tomatoes and fruit are weekly staples. Other things change by the week.

21. Favorite grocery store?
Whole Foods receives a weekly visit, and usually Trader Joe's does too. Also, the Union Square Greenmarket, especially for the herbs!

22. Name a recipe you'd love to veganize, but haven't yet.
Cannolis! Real, Italian, Cannolis! (And I'm Italian so I can say that).

23. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa's because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3?
Right now... probably Swell Vegan or CHOW.

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?
If I had ever tried a go max bar, I would probably say that, but I haven't so, I'll have to say super rich dark chocolate from the likes of Green and Blacks or Mast Brothers.

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?
A 3-dollar persimmon the other day at Whole Foods. It was a lite cooking needs week, so extra fun things took over.

26. Ingredients you are scared to work with?
For some reason I feel like I will always mess up agar. But Frank is laughing because he knows that the real answer is slimy white things, like tofu and oatmeal.