It's All About the Crust, Baby

Kitchen Parade is celebrating Pi day (14 March) with a great, big event linking together pie makers from across the globe. You still have a few days in which to include your favorite pie entry, but just so you know, you'll need to focus heavily on the crust.

My favorite pie crust is a slightly different take on Elise's All-Butter Crust (a true work of art). My version omits the brown sugar and the water, and uses agave nectar instead. Additionally, I use coconut flour for a portion of the all-purpose flour. It's still super-buttery, and very much like a shortbread crust. It's a huge hit with everyone who tries it. My friend Ken even said that he could just eat the crust alone. I often do, since there is usually enough to make a few cut out cookies as extras for "tasting" purposes.

The great thing about this recipe is that it can be made in the food processor. Since I recently acquired an awesome Cuisinart 14-cup food process, I felt that it was time to put it through its paces.

In this case, I made two pies, a pear pie with a spiced crust and a cherry berry pie with a citrusy crust. I've made pear pies before, but I'd definitely make this crust again.

Here's the Pear Pie Shell:



Prior to making your crust, place all the ingredients in the freezer for at least an hour. It makes all the difference.

In the food processor, place the following ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup almond flour/meal/finely processed almonds
1 cup all-purpose flour

If you're making the cherry pie crust, omit the nutmeg and cinnamon.

Pulse the dry ingredients 5-6 times to evenly incorporate the flours.

Add 2 sticks of very cold butter (I freeze mine), cut into cubes. Pulse until the ingredients resemble very coarse meal.



Adding a tablespoon at a time, pour 4 tablespoons of agave nectar through the liquid holder in the processor until the dough just comes together. If you're making the cherry pie crust, use 3 1/2 tablespoons of agave, and add 1/2 teaspoon fiore di Sicilia flavoring. You're going to love it. Makes the whole house smell like a creamsickle.



Divide the dough into two parts, one larger than the other. Form each into a flat, round shape, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.



While the dough is chilling, make the fillings.

For the Pear Pie, I combined the following in a large bowl:

6 large red ripe pears, sliced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup agave nectar (although you really won't need it if your pears are sweet, mine weren't that sweet)
3 tablespoons tapioca flour (you could just as easily use arrowroot or corn starch)



For the Cherry Berry Pie, I combined the following in a large bowl:
(I used frozen fruit because here in NJ, it's still winter, but if these are in season by you, definitely use fresh.)

2 16 oz frozen packages of cherries, thawed
1 8 oz frozen package of mixed berries, thawed
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup agave nectar (again, not needed if your fruit is sweet)
3 tablespoons tapioca flour (or corn starch or arrowroot)



Either way, your filling should be a little soupy, especially if you use the agave nectar, which will make the fruit run a bit.

Take the dough out of the fridge and let it warm enough to be able to roll it out. Some folks even knead their dough a bit before rolling. I've done this and it lends an even flakier feel to the crust.



Fit the crust into your pie dish. You may need to patch some, but don't worry, none of it will show to your eaters. Wrap the crust in the plastic you used for the disc and chill for 30 minutes.

Pour the filling into the crust and dot with a tablespoon of butter cut into tiny pieces.



Again, wrap the pie in plastic and chill while you roll out the other dough disk and use your favorite cutter to cut pieces for the top crust. Take the pie out of the fridge and decorate the top as you wish.







Just remember to leave spots for steam to escape. Cover the edges with foil and bake at 325 degrees F. for about 40 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake until you have a nicely golden brown top and the filling is bubbling.





Let cool completely, then enjoy!

Ping Pong

Normally I try not to ping pong between my blogs, but I just wanted to let you know that I've reviewed a new product on my other blog that you might find useful in your baking and cooking, the SideSwipe. If you've had experience with this new gadget, please let me know. I'd like to hear your feedback as well.

Here and There blog review of the SideSwipe mixer blade.

Biscotti Three Ways

I'm still catching up on some recipes I made prior to the surgery (nearly a month ago!), but luckily, I'll be working on some new bits very soon.

In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy this 10-minute long feature on how I made three different types of biscotti using the same basic recipe, but with some slight changes.

The original "Italian-Style Biscotti" recipe is found in the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion, although I made a few alterations. These alterations include agave for sugar, coconut flour for a portion of the all-purpose flour, and some key additions (carob powder, toasted almonds and toasted hazelnuts).



By the way, if you're interested in seeing how the kitchen looks since I've made a few changes, please visit my other blog for the updates.

My Newest Favorite Cookie Ever -- Speculaas

Oh, these are buttery, spicy, crunchy, nutty cookies that greatly surpass the crisp, windmill-shaped cookies known as Speculaas. They are what I've been searching for all my life in a cookie. They'd also be ideal for ice cream sandwiches.

I started making a film of how to make these prior to my surgery, but it appears that I left out a few steps, so I'll just have to write it for you here for the moment. John has something up his sleeve regarding the little cooking videos, so I'm going to keep those to a minimum for a bit.

In the meantime, I invite you to try making these incredible cookies. They are truly some of the best I've ever tasted, if I do say so myself. ;D

Speculaas (adapted from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion)

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg (I used freshly grated nutmeg)
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted almonds, finely ground
1 teaspoon baking powder (I always sift mine)
2 to 4 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Cream together the butter, agave, vanilla, spices and salt.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients, reserving the milk to use as a way to smooth out the dough if it is too dry.
3. Make the dough into a flat disk, wrap it in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour.
4. While you preheat the oven to 300 degrees F, take the dough out of the fridge. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Flour your rolling surface and your rolling pin well. Keep a little (a tablespoon's worth) pile of flour to the side to dip your cookie cutters in before you use them.
6. Roll out the dough to 1/4 in. thick and start cutting your shapes. Get as much as you can out of the dough because it will get tougher with each roll out. I used the little flower shapes shown in the photo, and it made about 4 dozen of them.
7. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, then turn the pans and bake them again for 8-10 minutes, until they are medium brown, but not too dark.
8. Let cool completely. They should really snap when you break them!
9. Enjoy!

I've Joined the Great Cooks

Jill at Simply Daily Recipes has started a new Great Cooks blogroll. If you're not sure what a blogroll is, allow me to explain. Remember the term "roll call?" Well, it's sort of like that, except it exists on a blog.

Jill's blogroll lists the names of great cooking blogs that may or may not be in the general foodie blog-reading publics' conscious. Ricki, from Diet, Dessert and Dogs, whose blog I read loyally, mentioned Great Cooks today, so I thought I'd go check it out. I liked Jill's blog as well as the idea of getting a bit more exposure. Didn't take much effort to join either.

The best part is, I get to learn more about new food blogs and their bloggers. Go pay Jill a visit, and join up if you're a Great Cook, too!

Hey, If It Works for LeAnn Rimes...

How to know when you've hit the big time -- LeAnn Rimes mentions you in Fitness magazine and it ends up in People magazine. No, she isn't endorsing me or Altered Plates, much as I would be delighted if she visited and tried a recipe or two. LeAnn shares her very sensible diet, which includes using agave nectar to sweeten her breakfast oatmeal.

Now, I bet you'll see a much greater demand for agave.

Good for you, LeAnn Rimes! You look mighty fit.

Product Review and Yummy Vegan Cupcake Recipe

Back in December, John's mom and I had a very nice shopping day together, during which, she took me to her local, enormous Spoons 'n Spice store. In addition to finding many handy tools, I purchased this great decorative Nordic Ware tea cake pan. A week or so before my recent surgery, I decided to test this lovely pan with a recipe I hadn't tried previously from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.

Cashew Butter Cardamom Cupcakes was the recipe I chose for the new tea cake pan. I had no idea I'd chosen such a winner because these tiny cakes were so moist and tasty that they didn't need any frosting. However, next time, I'll make the batter a tiny bit thinner because the pan has so many detailed depressions that didn't make it into many of the cakes. Other than that, I can tell you that the Nordic Ware pan worked terrifically. The cakes were evenly colored and very pretty. Next time, I'm trying a brownie tea cake in the pan.



The recipe made enough for the entire new pan and 24 traditional mini cupcakes.



As you can see, the resulting tea cakes were tiny. These light and airy treats were a huge hit with my friends (and with me!). The cardamom was fantastic -- an ideal pairing for the cashew butter.



I made a few big changes to the recipe, so here's how it worked for me:

Cashew Butter Cardamom Tea Cakes

Ingredients:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond milk (I used vanilla unsweetened)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons flaxseed meal
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup crunchy cashew butter
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup coconut flour, sifted
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon orange zest

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease tea cake pan, making sure there are no big drops of oil in the depressions. Use cupcake cups in your cupcake pans, if you're using them.
2. Whisk together the almond milk, orange juice and zest, and flax meal until very well blended and frothy.
3. Mix in the oil, agave and cashew butter. Beat until well blended.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients for 1 minute.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat only until just mixed.
6. Fill the cake pan depressions 2/3 full with the batter (do the same for mini cupcakes).
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until a tester poked into the middle of one of the cakes comes out clean.

These won't take long to bake as minis. If you decide to make them full size, it may take up to 25 minutes to bake them.

Overall, I'd rate the Nordic Ware pan a 9 out of 10 (it's a bit heavy, but only because it's well made) and the recipe an 11+ for it's flexibility and deliciousness.

Product Review -- Wholemato Organic Agave Ketchup

While this may seem a bit off topic, I just had to share with you a fantastic new agave-sweetened product -- ketchup from Wholemato. This really tasty stuff is the first I've seen of its kind.

Last night, when the sample bottle arrived, I baked some Tater Puffs (under the Whole Foods 365 brand) to test the new ketchup.



By the way, Tater Puffs are sweetened with apple juice concentrate, so you can try this at home!

After I'd shaken the Wholemato bottle a bit, I poured some out onto a plate. Actually, it doesn't truly pour, it kind of plops. Although that turned John off to it (because he's loyal to Heinz 57), I didn't rule out anything until I'd tasted it.



The texture, while not smooth like Heinz, made me think of it more like a sauce. However, upon tasting Wholemato on my first Tater Puff, I was utterly convinced it was ketchup. Tangy, fresh, and tomato-y, Wholemato was flavorful and not noticeably sweet in the least. More importantly, it was far superior to Westbrae Natural Vegetarian Unsweetened Ketchup, the brand I normally buy.

I'm really looking forward to adding some horseradish to it for shrimp dipping.

My rating: 9 out of 10, but only because I think I'd like a slightly smoother texture . The flavor was great.

A Great Excuse to Alter a Quick Bread Recipe

As you can see, I've acquired another fun kitchen tool, a Microplane nutmeg grater. As an excuse to use the grater, I decided to rework a recipe from "The Baking Sheet" newsletter from the King Arthur Flour folks. The recipe I altered, "Cranberry Apricot Quick Bread," is a pretty standard quick bread, but with some tasty dried fruit.

I added even more variety by also adding dates and dried cherries to my version. My main alterations were the dried fruits, coconut flour for a portion of the all-purpose flour, almond milk for the cow's milk, and agave nectar for the sugar. My vegan friends can easily veganize this by adding baking soda, flaxseed meal, and apple cider vinegar for the three eggs, although you may need to noodle around with the amounts to get it right, and vegetable shortening for the butter.

After I'd waited until the loaf had cooled, I sliced it and tried some. It was very fruity, with a nice tangy flavor from the dried cranberries and sour cherries. It would be excellent with some whipped cream cheese or thick jam. I probably wouldn't change much, if I made it again, except maybe try it veganized. It's a nice quick bread and makes a fine hostess gift.

Here's the recipe according to my alterations:

Fruity Quick Bread

Ingredients:

1 stick softened butter
3/4 cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla)
1/4 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup dried cranberries (I used fruit-sweetened ones)
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup walnuts

Directions:

1. Lightly grease a standard sized loaf pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Cream together the butter, agave nectar, orange zest, salt, baking powder, and spices until well blended.
3. Add the eggs and mix well.
4. Mix in the flour until just blended.
5. Add the almond milk and stir well.
6. Fold in all the dried fruits and nuts.
7. Using a silicone spatula, scoop the mixture into your loaf pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and a tester comes out with the barest minimum of crumbs.
8. Let the loaf cool in the pan, on a rack for about 10 minutes before turning it out and letting it cool completely on the rack.
9. Slice and enjoy!

Here's a short film of my loaf right before I popped it into the oven and after it had finished baking.

On the Mend

Greetings Friends!

I know it's been a while since the last update, but I had surgery on 29 Jan. and have been pretty much confined to my bed for the past five days. Don't worry, though. It was minor surgery -- bunion repair on my left foot. The surgeon is very pro-active, and yesterday I was already putting a little pressure on the foot while it was protected in this giant ski-boot-looking device.

That said, prior to the procedure, I baked and cooked like mad to prepare for when I wouldn't be able to stand for any length of time. I also didn't want to stress out my dear husband who has been such a saint taking care of me.

While I baked, I filmed nearly all the recipes, so now I have a small stockpile of them to share with you while I'm recuperating. While most of them come from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion, there is one for cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. So far, my favorites are the Speculaas from KAFCC. But, I will extol their virtues when I post about the recipe and my alterations to it.

I'll be posting the new recipes here and there in the coming weeks. I hope you'll enjoy them!

Aside from tasting a cookie or two here and there, I've been on a very strict, low-calorie, low-fat, high-fiber diet to keep my weight steady (and possibly lose a pound or two) while I'm not active at all. So far, so good.

Last, but not least, go Giants! I'm not a big sports fan (although I very happily watched a fencing tournament from my bed a few days ago), but I do root for the underdog. Hope you enjoy your Superbowl Sunday.

Altering Martha's Rugelach

These wrapped cookies filled with peach spread, carob chips, walnuts and cinnamon were very easy (and messy!) to make. I just followed the recipe for Rugelach in the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook, substituting agave nectar for the sugar, no-sugar added peach spread for the apricot jelly, and carob chips for the chocolate chips. I also used 1/3 cup of coconut flour (sifted) for 1/3 cup of the ap flour. I baked them at 300 degrees F for a bit longer than the recipe suggested, but they were light, flaky and very tasty!

One of the reasons why I adore Martha Stewart recipes is that they are so well tested. This means that there is enough "give" in a recipe that you can noodle around with it significantly without ending up with a big mess or waste.

These rugelach didn't physically resemble the pastry of my youth, but they were so good that I almost didn't bring them to a party, wishing to keep them for myself. I over-stuffed them, but the result was fine. At the party, there was so much food and so many desserts that I did wind up taking a few home. They didn't last long!

Yummy Carob Brownies

This recipe originally came from Cafe Fernando, but I've made so many changes to it that my version follows the wee movie showing how I made them. They're uber-fudgy brownies with a nice spicy flavor due to some cinnamon and nutmeg I added. The coconut flour does the trick with the agave nectar and lends a mellowness to the brownies. Next time I make these, I'm going to make a carob ganache to drape on top for even more deliciousness.



Carob Pecan Fudgy Brownies

Ingredients:

10 oz. unsweetened carob chips
1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)
4 tablespoons pureed white beans
1 1/2 cups agave nectar
4 eggs (you could easily just use the whites here)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup lightly toasted pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 in. baking pan.
2. In a double boiler, melt the butter with the carob, whisking until smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. Transfer the carob mixture to your mixer bowl and start whisking. Slowly add the agave nectar and whisk until fully combined.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla, whisking until fully combined.
5. Switch to the paddle and fold in the dry ingredients except the pecans.
6. Add the pecans and mix until just combined.
7. Pour into the baking pan and bake for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, drop the temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 10-12 more minutes until a tester comes out with just the smallest amount of batter.
8. Cool the brownies on a rack until room temperature then frost or cut and enjoy!

Congratulations Francie Salle -- You're My Menu For Hope Raffle Winner

The winner of my prize for the Menu for Hope raffle is Francie Salle! Congratulations, Francie -- you've won a copy of Veganomicon and a six-pack of organic, raw agave nectar.

So, please contact me ASAP so that I can send you your prize. And, thanks for helping us raise more than $91,000 to help the kids of Lesotho, Africa.

And then Rich said, "This Tastes Like Tahiti."

Not long ago, I made Pineapple Right-Side-Up Cupcakes from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World." While I didn't unveganize the cake, I did make a dairy-based frosting made from drained canned pineapple, unsweetened coconut, Neufchatel cheese, agave nectar and butter. It was delightful.

As far as my alterations to the original recipe go, I simply substituted 1/3 cup of coconut flour for 1/3 of the flour in the recipe in order to deal with the agave for sugar substitution. The success of the recipe can be judged by my friend Rich's reaction. He said, biting into a miniature cupcake topped with tasty coconut frosting, "This tastes like Tahiti."

Now there's a compliment!

I thought the cake was very sweet and pineapple-y, while moist. When I make this again, I plan to add a little baking powder to the recipe to give it a bit of lift. That ought to do it. The icing was tart, sweet and creamy all at the same time. When I make that again, I'd add a pinch of salt to take off the sweet edge a bit.

Recently I acquired some agar flakes, so next on my cupcake list are the Brooklyn vs. Boston Cream Pie Cakes. Mmmmmm. Can't wait!

No One Expects The Dried Pear Noodle Kugel

Yay! We're back from our holiday trip to Utah to visit John's parents (you will be able to find more on that at my other blog as soon as I update it). Prior to our departure (well, most of December, actually) I made loads of recipes that will now make it to the blogs for public consumption.

The little movie below (and I apologize for having to switch back to YouTube after loving Brightcove--they stopped allowing uploads!) is one of those great all-purpose recipes for a tasty, sweet noodle kugel. I served this yummy dish at Mom's Channukah party the day after I made it, and it was a big hit. Between the latkes and the kugel, it's no wonder we were all sluggish after the meal!

This kugel is a conglomeration of several recipes plus my own touches; it's more mine than anyone else's at this point. So, after the little movie, the recipe follows.



Recipe: Deb's Dried Pear Noodle Kugel

Ingredients:

1 12-oz bag of thin egg noodles
2 tablespoons of softened butter, plus 1/2 tablespoon for buttering the pan
1 lb of low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese blended until smooth
1 1/2 cups non-fat Greek-style yogurt
1/2 cup low-fat or fat-free whipped cream cheese
1/2 cup agave nectar
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped dried pears
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter baking dish.
2. Boil the noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. Mush the softened butter in a large bowl for 1 minute. Add noodles and mix until the noodles are coated with the butter.
5. Mix in the yogurt and cream cheese for about a minute.
6. Mix in the cottage cheese and the agave nectar for about two minutes.
7. Mix in the nutmeg and cinnamon just until blended.
8. Mix in the dried fruit for about a minute.
9. Mix in the walnuts for one minute.
10. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 35 minutes, until golden brown on top.
11. Let cool for 25 minutes or serve immediately. Enjoy!

21 Dec. Deadline for Menu for Hope Raffle

If you haven't donated yet, the deadline for participating in the Menu for Hope raffle is drawing near. As my raffle prize (code UE21), I'm offering a copy of Veganomicon and a six-pack of organic, raw agave nectar.

I know Amazon.com says they're out of stock on the agave nectar, but have no fear, if you are the winner of my raffle prizes, by the time the winners are announced on 9 January 2008, the agave will be in stock.



One of the questions I get a lot is "How much of my money actually goes to those kids in Lesotho?" Well, to quote Pim, the grand mistress of the Menu for Hope,

For every $100 donated to Menu for Hope, nearly $87 goes directly to the school children and farmers in Lesotho.

Here's how we came to that number:

0% go to Menu for Hope management
We don't take any cut at all from this. All the bloggers participating do it for free.

7% go to The UN World Food Programme
The WFP uses no more than 7% of their total funds raised each year for their operational overhead. You can see the entire 2006 operating report for yourself here.

Firstgiving 7.35% 6.35% go to Firstgiving
Firstgiving, the online fundraising company we use to manage Menu for Hope donations charges a service fee of 7.35%, which covers credit card processing, hosting, security, administrative, service, and all other services they provide.

Donors can make an online donation with a credit card. Firstgiving collects and processes the payments and, at the end of the campaign, transfers the donations in one lump sum to the WFP. This is a win-win situation for all parties involved. The bloggers never touch the money. The WFP don't waste overheads on processing mini-donations, the majority of which were between $10-$50, that's a whole lot of tenners to make up 60K.

Last year, Firstgiving was kind enough to donate back 1% of the total amount we raised back to the campaign. This is in lieu of a discount on their already small fees, so, basically, Firstgiving only charges our campaign about 6.35% fees! Thank you so much Firstgiving!

The rest, 85.65% ~86.65% goes to the children and the farmers. You can meet them here.

Knowing that so much of my donated money goes directly to the targeted folks is one of the key reasons I participate in this raffle. You can see what I bid for here.

To find out exactly how to participate, please see this post.

Win a Copy of Veganomicon and a 6-Pack of Agave Nectar

If you saw yesterday's post or the posts on Here and There, you know that we're almost two days into the Menu for Hope fundraiser.

Why are we expending so much effort? Well, while I sit here in my warm home with enough food in my cabinets and freezer for easily a month's worth of meals for a family of four, there are people who desperately need my help just to make today's meal happen.

Not only do I offer items for the raffle, but I bid on them as well. I participate in the Menu for Hope as a way of giving back and as a way of celebrating the miracles of the season. Instead of buying gifts for family, John and I make donations so that people in Africa can eat. I encourage you to give what you can to support these folks in their efforts to develop sustainable farming.

In 2006, Menu for Hope raised US$60,925.12 to help the UN World Food Program feed the hungry. Food bloggers like me host the Menu for Hope online raffle, offering an array of delectable culinary prizes. For every US$10, the donors receive a virtual raffle ticket toward a prize of their choice, which I hope for you is UE21, a copy of "Veganomicon" and a six pack of raw, organic agave nectar bottles (23-oz each).

I've outlined how to participate in Menu for Hope here.

If you'd like to see the people you would be helping, right click here and open a new window. The photos are well worth the viewing.

Menu For Hope 4 Has Begun -- I'm Offering Veganomicon and Agave Nectar as My Prize!

For the past four years, a fellow food blogger, Pim of Chez Pim, has organized the Menu For Hope fundraiser in support of the UN World Food Program. Five years ago, the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia inspired her to find a way to help, and the very first Menu for Hope was born. In 2006, Menu for Hope raised US$60,925.12 to help the UN World Food Program feed the hungry all over the world.

As Pim says, "We may never eradicate hunger from the face of the earth, but why should that stop us from trying?"

Each year, an ever-growing group of us food bloggers from all over the world join forces to host the Menu for Hope online raffle, offering an array of delectable culinary prizes. For every US$10, the donor receive a virtual raffle ticket toward a prize of their choice. This year, I'm offering a copy of "Veganomicon" and a six pack of raw, organic agave nectar bottles (23-oz each) for my raffle prize.


"Veganomicon," by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, is the third book by the famed Post Punk Kitchen Duo of Brooklyn. The recipes are very easy to produce, tasty and easy to alter, if necessary. Because there are so many different types of healthy and delicious recipes, it's a book everyone should have in their kitchen, not just vegetarians. The recipes use easy-to-find ingredients and most take fewer than 10 steps to make. Makes a great gift for a new cook as well as a seasoned chef.


Madhava raw organic agave nectar is 25% sweeter and one-third as glycemic as sugar. It's a vegan, delicious, and natural processed sugar substitute. It has the consistency of honey, but without the heavy flavor profile. It's perfect for
drizzling over Greek yogurt. Comes from agave cacti in Mexico. Kosher.

To Enter

If you're interested in participating in the raffle, here's what you need
to do:

1. Choose a prize or prizes of your choice from
our Menu for Hope at http://www.chezpim.com/blogs/2007/12/menu-for-
hope-4.html

You also could visit the East Coast regional Menu for Hope 4 page to see what others in my region are offering (some pretty big stuff!).

2. Go to the donation site at http://www.firstgiving.com/
menuforhope4 and make a donation.

3. Please specify which prize you'd like in the
'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your
donation. You must write-in how many tickets per prize, and please
use the prize code. VERY IMPORTANT INFO: MY CODE IS UE21. Example:

Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize
of your choice. For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for
EU01 and 3 tickets for UE21. Please write 2xEU01, 3xUE21. Example:

4. If your company matches your charity donation,
please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim
the corporate match.

5. Please check the box to allow us to
see your email address so that we can contact you in case
you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

Check back on Chez Pim on
Wednesday, January 9, 2008 for the results of the raffle.

Thanks for your participation, and good luck in the raffle!

Tag! I'm It!

The lovely Ricki, of Diet, Dessert and Dogs tagged me earlier today for a meme. I have a vague memory of doing one like this on my other blog, but it's nice to re-think some things now and then.

Off we go...

FOUR JOBS I HAVE HAD:

* In high school, I worked as a jewelry expediter for Service Merchandise, a department store of sorts.
* During college, I probably had the most conversation-worthy jobs. I spent several semesters working as a camera operator and audio engineer at CNBC in Fort Lee, NJ. Back in the late 1980s when I used to (gasp!) smoke, Morton Downey used to bum cigarettes off me. Boy could I tell you stories about the stuff that went on there. But I won't.
* Also, right before college graduation, I worked for a friend in Burbank, Calif. We worked on "special effects" for some pretty bad movies.
* Another interesting job was writing about new foods for a BBS. If you're too young to remember, that's where folks used to chat online before there was a World Wide Web. Makes me feel old just saying that, and I'm only 38.

FOUR PLACES I’VE LIVED:

* Sacramento, Calif., where I was born.
* Allentown, Penn., where I once graced the cover of "The Morning Call." However, you could not see my face. It was obscured by a giant Lincoln hat in honor of the U.S. bicentennial.
* Danbury, Conn., but only for my first year of college. That year, Danbury was home to a man who ran his wife through a woodchipper after murdering her. It was also ranked the number 1 place to live by "USA Today" that year. A federal prison is at the opposite end of town from where I spent my freshman year of college.
* North Caldwell, NJ, where I spent my teenage years.

FOUR PLACES I’VE BEEN ON HOLIDAY:

* Venice, Italy. Ah Venice.
* London, England. Great fun.
* Acadia National Park, Maine. You must go. You simply must.
* Zion National Park, Utah. Again, you must go. Especially if you're a tax-paying American. For Pete's sake, it's OUR LAND!

FOUR FAVORITE FOODS:

* Baked goods. Hehehe. My absolute favorite is the Halvah Shortbread.
* Pizza. There's a good place within walking distance, but there's nothing like making your own and having it fresh from the oven.
* Mom's matzo brei. It's like a giant mazto and egg pancake. Mmmmm. It's just the way she makes it. I can't duplicate it.
* Garlicky guacamole and hummus with chips tie for 4th. The lemony, the better.

FOUR PLACES I’D RATHER BE:

* Well, if I could always take John with me, anywhere is fine with me. But, if I must choose, here are my four: anywhere in Italy; Zion, Utah; visiting Dawn in Nashville; and northern California, driving along the coast.

Graham Crackers Redux

One of the nicest things about recipes is that you can always go back and tweak them. Here's another take of the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion's "The Best Graham Crackers." They're better this time around.

The movie is in two parts:

Two Cookies Fit for Gifts (or Cookie Jars)

The cookie on the left was a remake of a lovely Coconut Biscotti recipe from the Baking and Books blog. Except that I didn't make them into biscotti, I scooped out teaspoon-sized scoops and baked them once. They were fluffy and rich, not to mention light and tasty! However, I will bake them as biscotti soon because I just bought more coconut on sale. Yay!

The changes I made to that recipe were very small -- just agave for sugar, the baking time and style, the addition of 1/2 cup of very finely chopped dried apricots for a nice twang. Next time, I'd add even more apricots or even some great chopped dried pears.

The cookie on the right was a bit of an alteration of Veganomicon's Chewy Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies.

Here are my alterations to those delicious and very well-spiced cookies:

1. Agave nectar for the brown rice syrup and brown sugar.
2. Almond milk for the soy milk.
3. Added 1 cup of chopped pecans (so good!).
4. Added 1 cup of unsweetened carob chips.

I underbaked them a bit and would definitely do that again because it gave the cookies almost a chocolate chip cookie chewiness. My step-Dad raved, "It's one of your better efforts." Believe me, that's a rave.

Overall, I prefer the vegan cookies in this pairing, purely for the spiciness (the recipe calls for cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice) and the wonderful oaty-ness. Relatively speaking, it's not a very unhealthy recipe due to the oats, whole-wheat pastry flour and low fat content. Yet another great reason to buy Terry and Isa's book!

The Rim of Deliciousness -- Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake

This is by far my favorite coconut cake ever. It comes from the brand new vegan cookbook Veganomicon, from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero (authors of the wonderful Vegan With a Vengeance and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World).

Because I really think you should buy Veganomicon, I'm not going to reprint the recipe here. Instead, I will share with you in photos how I made the recipe and the substitutions I used. It's really a delicious, luscious cake that in no way tastes vegan. In fact, it tastes downright buttery from the coconut milk.

In my cake, I used "lite" coconut milk.



First, I combined all the wet ingredients until well incorporated.



Next, I sifted together the dry ingredients. For my version of this coconut lemon bundt cake, I used 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of coconut flour instead of 3 cups of straight AP flour because there would be so much liquid (1 2/3 cup of agave for the sugar).



In the photo above, you can see the ivory-colored coconut flour. If you've never tried it, you really must. It's great stuff -- low fat, high fiber, great flavor.

After adding the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ones in the bowl, I added in the unsweetened coconut and mixed well.



Then, I poured the batter into my non-stick bundt pan and baked it for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until my tester came out clean.



Isa and Terry recommend sifting some confectioner's sugar over the top of the cake, but I just sliced it and served it plain to the delight of many friends on Monday night. I had a few slices left over that kept well until I ate them with great pleasure. Truly, a tasty cake! Yay Vegans!

Pistachio Gelato Remix

Yes, my friends, it's another winning recipe of David Lebovitz's that I altered to use with agave nectar. Since I only made one alteration to his recipe (agave for cane sugar), I suggest you visit the original recipe for the ingredients and directions.

OK, make that two alterations. I used Heidi's Sweet Pistachio Butter recipe instead of the Bronte pistachio paste David recommended (however, he posted the link to Heidi's recipe as well). In that recipe, I selected salted and roasted pistachio meats (no shelling for me!) as well as dry roasted and unsalted almonds.



I also used agave for the granulated sugar when I used the stick blender to make the paste.



I imagine that the roasted state of the nuts gave the nut butter a different flavor than that of raw nuts. Last week, Trader Joe's had raw pistachios, so I'll have to try it again sometime soon. Robyn, you'll have to come down and try it. :) I know how you feel about pistachio gelato.

It's really thick stuff with a decidedly roasted almond flavor. It's not overly sweet or rich, but it was pretty grainy from the nuts. Perhaps if I use raw cashews with the pistachios, I'd end up with the same richness, but more pistachio flavor. I'd bet that the graininess disappears somewhat when raw nuts are used. What do you think?



It's not my favorite, unlike the vegan carob ice cream, but it's light enough to top off a heavy meal.

Applesauce-Carob Cake Two Ways

Remember that great pear pie I made recently? Well, I continued to dive into the lovely, yet out-of-print cookbook from Mollie Katzen, Still Life With Menu, and found a great no-fail cake. It's so great that I really pushed the recipe to its limits of alterability, and it tasted even better!

I made the cake twice in two weeks for the same large group (at least 20) of people. The second week, I served the low-fat version, which received louder accolades ("This is f&%$#ing good!")(I know, it's a family show, but that's what the guy said!)

The cake is greatly improved overnight, so make it a day ahead of when you want to serve it. It tastes very fudgy, but if you want it even more carob-y, feel free to add a cup of carob chips. It's not overly sweet, so if you're looking for a very sweet cake, add a cup of chopped Medjool dates.

Below are the two versions in their entirety. The second version is nearly vegan except for the eggs. So, use an egg substitute with the second version to veganize it.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) soft butter
1 1/2 cups agave nectar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup carob powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup finely ground walnuts (be careful they don't become a paste)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup yogurt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a bundt pan.
2. In your mixer bowl, cream together the butter and agave. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.



3. Stir in the vanilla and orange zest.
4. In a separate, large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.



5. In a third bowl, whisk together the applesauce and yogurt until well blended.
6. Add the dry mixture and applesauce mixture alternately to the butter mixture. Do not overmix.



7. Spread the batter into the prepared bundt pan.



Bake for 45 minutes, making sure your oven temp does not go above 325 degrees F. Test the cake to make sure a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with just the barest amount of crumbs stuck to it.



Low-fat, Nearly Vegan Version

Ingredients:

1/3 cup white bean puree (I used cannellini beans)
1/3 cup oil
1 1/2 cups agave nectar
2 eggs (vegans, use egg substitute here)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup carob powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup finely ground pecans (be careful they don't become a paste)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup soy yogurt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a bundt pan.
2. In your mixer bowl, cream together the pureed beans, oil, and agave. Add eggs/egg substitute one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Stir in the vanilla and orange zest.
4. In a separate, large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
5. In a third bowl, whisk together the applesauce and yogurt until well blended.
6. Add the dry mixture and applesauce mixture alternately to the butter mixture. Do not overmix.



7. Spread the batter into the prepared bundt pan.



Bake for 45 minutes, making sure your oven temp does not go above 325 degrees F. Test the cake to make sure a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with just the barest amount of crumbs stuck to it.



Slice and enjoy!

Rich, Cashew Carob Cookies

I've been having so much fun lately visiting the wonderful vegan and gluten-free bloggers. Their blogs have great recipes, and they are warm and friendly people. One one of my favorite vegan blogs, Have Cake, Will Travel! had a tasty recipe for carob peanut butter cookies that looked like it would be a good candidate for my kind of tinkering. It was a good guess because the resulting cookies were rich and fudgy.

Next time I make them, I'd probably substitute coconut flour for the barley flour, adding a bit more oil to compensate for the dryness of the coconut flour. Other than that, I can't think of another change.

Here are the alterations I made when I used the recipe:
1. Agave nectar for maple syrup (and I cut it by 1 tablespoon)
2. Cut the oil by 1 tablespoon
3. Used cashew butter for peanut butter
4. Used unsweetened carob chips
5. Baked at 325 degrees F at the same timing in the original.

If you make these, be careful to take the cookies out before you think they're done. That way, they stay fudgy and slightly chewy. My cookies did not spread. In fact, when I used a cookie scoop and didn't push down the top of the cookie, they stayed in the scooped shape.



The scooped cookies crumbled a bit, but the tamped-down version (shown in the top photo) didn't. I was really pleased with these cookies and definitely intend to make them again (with continued, minor alterations). I also thought the addition of chopped, dried apricots might be really interesting.

Here's a shot of the innards:



The cashew butter is so lovely, but I wonder how these would be with tahini? What do you think?