Unturkey Day Quick Vegan Microwave Gravy

I just made this up to go with my kitchenette Thanksgiving lunch. It was served over Quorn chicken cutlets, alongside vegan collard greens and macaroni and soy cheese. I usually go all out for Thanksgiving, because I like showing people that even veg*ns can eat big awesome meals that everyone can enjoy. This year, I've opted to be more minimalist for a number of personal reasons, but I did want to see what I could put together in my kitchenette.

Quick Vegan Microwave Gravy

3 tablespoons of vegan chicken-style broth
1 teaspoon Earth Balance spread or another vegan margarine
3 tablespoons flour (I used whole wheat)
salt, pepper to taste

Makes 1 serving

1. In a coffee mug, microwave broth and Earth Balance spread until Earth Balance is melted (about 30 seconds).
2. Remove from microwave.
3. Whisk in flour and seasoning.
4. Microwave for another 30 seconds.
5. Taste and re-season. I ended up using sea salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic salt, and chili pepper.
6. Serve over vegan meat substitute or biscuits.

Happy Unturkey Day everyone!

Review: Rise 'n Dine, Druid Hills, GA

Rise 'n Dine is a great new breakfast-all-day place that recently opened in the space occupied by an old Mediterranean place in the Village. The decor is noticably different: stuco walls, adorable tables with embedded welcome mats underneath a clear plastic top, and a lot of adorable wall decorations everywhere.

The food is also awesome. The menu, divided into omelette's, eggs, and "breads" features sweet potato pancakes dusted with cinnamon sugar. Mine were light and fluffy. The regular stack was only $5 but I couldn't even finish because they were so rich. The coffee, a Honduras something-or-other, was equally delightful, with notes of lavender and chocolate, and a smooth, balanced finish. I was surprised to see that there wasn't a bigger breakfast crowd, but I'm sure it'll fill up more as word gets around.

Next time, I will probably try one of the omelettes. The Cucumber, Dill, and Goat cheese one caught my attention, and seems like a great flavor combination.

Review: Flying Biscuit, Candler Park, GA

The Flying Biscuit is great for a number of reasons: they serve breakfast all day, have vegan and vegetarian items on the menu, and can substitute soy sausage into any of the meaty omelette/tofu-scramble type dishes. The bakery is famous for its biscuits and cranberry apple butter, but my favorite thing is the love cakes.

Love cakes are little black bean and cornmeal cakes topped with tomatillo salsa and feta cheese. They are served warm, usually with rosemary potatoes for breakfast or a side salad for dinner. I'm going to experiment with making my own a few times and see what I get because I crave them often.

My dinner consisted of 3 love cakes, salad with champagne vinegrette, and a flying biscuit. My friends' consisted of the barbeque chicken burrito, which is stuffed with collard greens, carmelized onions, and barbeque sauce, then topped with heaps and heaps of red salsa. I obviously can't speak for his food, but mine was awesome, and definitely a well-priced departure from the same old same old (I've probably eaten at Willy's 10 times since Saturday, or it sure feels like it). If you're in the ATL and looking for a place with a little menu diversity and creativity, definitely stop by the Flying Biscuit, unless it's Sunday morning, in which case, good luck getting a table.

Kitchenette plans for this week

1. Organize baking materials into plastic containers for easy storage
2. Organize cooking utensils in drawer rather than having them strewn about because no one will see them
3. Sweep away cobwebs
4. Ant-proof under-the-sink area
5. Organize loose and bagged teas in glass jars

I've been away but now I am back and ready to cook in my kitchenette. Pictures to come.

Review: Clarette’s, Walla Walla, Washington

Small town diners are obviously always charming, but Clarette’s busy Sunday morning crowd reminded me of the effects of development and growth on rural America. There were a lot of cute old ladies, for sure, but the rest of the crowd was pretty young, maybe just past college age. Some appeared to be tourists in town (for reasons unbeknownst to me). I overheard someone at the table next to me order vegetarian sausage and smiled, because the menu was otherwise so adorably traditional: omelettes, corned beef hash, pancakes, and coffee.

The coffee was pretty great. I had mine black, to take it all in, and didn’t regret not ordering tea at all. It was a nice dark roast that could have taught Starbucks a thing or two about not burning their coffee. I had the French toast, which was 6 thickly cut slices of French bread in egg batter, fried to be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The waitress brought me 3 syrups: maple, strawberry, and apricot. The apricot was pretty good, though I only tried it with one slice. The strawberry was thick, without being too sugary. In fact, nothing was very sweet, which I appreciated very much. A huge meal, for sure. I’ll probably go back for lunch sometime.

UPDATE: I went back for lunch another day and had the pumpkin pancakes. These were not only the fluffiest, most perfectly cooked pancakes I have ever had, but they were dusted in cinnamon sugar and came with a side of fresh whipped cream, also cinnamon sugar flavored. The pancakes themselves had a rich pumpkin taste. So good.

Review: Kathy’s, Seattle International Airport

The Seattle airport, though small, is just stunning. It took me a long time to find a place to eat, not because there were so few restaurants with vegetarian options but because there were too many. There was even a Wolfgang Puck in my concourse. I settled for a place called Kathy’s, admittedly because it was so aesthetically appealing. Chic gray tables and chairs, hanging overheard lights, very minimalist with everything in nice packaging. There was a small a la carte gourmet food section in the front, and then a bakery and panini sandwiches in a glass case. I had the “Extreme Grilled Cheese,” which was herbed goat cheese, muenster, and Monterrey Jack, I think. I was pretty excited about it, because I make sandwiches like this on my Foreman grill at home all the time.

That is, sans the butter spray. My sandwich was put inside a heat protective pocket until I told the waitress that I would be eating at the restaurant. She handed me a paper plate. I sat down and tried to get the sandwich out of the pocket. It was impossible, because the greasiness of the bread (from the butter spray) and the excessively melted cheese had sealed it inside. I ended up having to tear it off. By the end, I was covered in faux butter spray and cheese. The excessive grease had also made the otherwise crisp bread soggy. I finished feeling heavy. I guess this is what I get for not being a vegan, but it would really not have been very hard to spray a little less, add some tomato slices, and cut down on the cheese. I’m definitely not eating there again on the way home.

Cupcake speakers

to make up for the fact that I am itching to bake and cannot.