Bryanna Clark Grogan’s Vegan Feast Kitchen/ 23rd Century Table

Me (in my new chef coat from crookedbrook.com) and Cathi DiCocco from Cafe DiCocoa in Bethel, Maine (Chef Eric Tucker of Millennium restaurant in San Francisco, in the background)

I'm back from the Vegetarian Awakening vegan chef's conference in Grand Rapids, MI, but with a bad cold, which is why I'm slow getting this posted! I will tell all in future blogs, with more pics from other participants. Suffice it to say, for now, that it was fabulous experience! Here are a few more pics:


Chef Kevin Dunn, the conference organizer, executing a tempeh recipe from Chef Ken Bergeron, who could not attend.

Chef Dunn making his own scrumptious Crème Brulée


Chef Tucker making his fabulous mushroom pâté


Raw Chef Chad Sarno showing off his three "fettucine" recipes and macadamia "cheese".


Cathi DiCocco and Chef Fran Costigan watching a demo


Four tired chefs at the airport ready to return home: Eric Tucker, me, Fran Costigan of New York, and Sualua Tupolo of the Atlantic Union College vegetarian culinary program.

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We just had our family Easter dinner yesterday. It was potluck, with three of my kids and their families, my mother, and my sister and niece from Vancouver. It was pretty low-key, due to me being sick and just getting back, but we had a nice time. I made my seitan "ham" with "ham gravy", green salad, my orange and rosemary white beans, and the Italian rice salad (see recipe below), plus my vegan Key Lime Bars (have to see my subscription newsletter for all but the rice recipe, I'm afraid). One daughter brought a potato casserole, and another our traditional Italian Easter bread (you can see a picture here).

my seitan "ham"

Orange and Rosemary White Beans

My vegan Key Lime Bars UPDATE: The recipe is now on the blog here.

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For a little treat I made these beautiful Rosewater-Pistachio Cupcakes from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's book "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World" (I made the glaze really pink):

I made them in my rose cupcake pans:


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Printable Copy

BRYANNA’S INSALATA DI RISO (PIEDMONTESE RICE SALAD) (CAN BE A WW CORE PLAN COMPATIBLE RECIPE IF YOU USE BROWN BASMATI RICE!)
Serves 8-12
From my book “Nonna’s Italian Kitchen”.

There are many, many versions of this delicious salad, some with a mayonnaise-type of dressing, some with a vinaigrette. I have combined vegetarian broth and roasted garlic with a small amount of olive oil in the salad dressing, to produce a creamy product with a fraction of the oil and all of the flavor.

This salad makes a wonderful late spring or summer luncheon dish, or can be the star attraction at a buffet or potluck.

Rice:
2 1/2 c. light vegetarian broth (or use 2 1/2 c. water with broth cube or cubes meant for 2 c. liquid)
1 1/2 c. brown or white basmati or other long-grain rice (I used brown basmati)
NOTE IF YOU USE A RICE COOKER: If you use an electric rice cooker and choose the brown basmati, use 3 cups liquid.

Roasted Garlic Dressing:
1 head roasted garlic, squeezed out of peels
1/2 c. chickpea broth (aquafaba) or other vegetarian broth
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 c. cider vinegar or white wine vinegar (or white balsamic vinegar)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly-ground pepper

Vegetables and Herbs:
1/2 lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 1" pieces OR 1 c. shelled fresh or thawed frozen petit pois (baby peas)
4 green onions, chopped
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, rinsed and sliced (or use half a 14 oz. can)
2 roasted red peppers , chopped, or equivilant from a jar of roasted peppers, rinsed (NOTE: if you have no red peppers, use a chopped green pepper and about 6 sundried tomatoes in oil, sliced)
2 stalks celery OR fennel, chopped
1/2 c. sliced pitted green Italian olives or pimiento-stuffed green olives
OPTIONAL: 2 T. capers
2 T. chopped Italian parsley or regular parsley
2 T. chopped fresh basil OR 2 tsp. dried

Optional Topping:
1/4 c. toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds

To cook the rice, bring the broth or water and broth cubes to a boil in a medium saucepan with a tight lid. Slowly add the rice in a stream, bring back to a boil, cover and lower the heat to almost the lowest heat. Cook 15 minutes for white rice, 30-45 minutes for brown rice. Fluff with a fork and let sit a few more minutes before scraping into a large salad bowl.

Meanwhile, steam the asparagus until crisp-tender, and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking. Drain very well. Prepare the other vegetables and herbs.

Blend the dressing ingredients together in a blender or mini-chopper until smooth. Toss with the warm rice and add the asparagus and remaining vegetables and herbs. Cover and refrigerate. Serve at room temperature, if possible, with the nuts sprinkled on top.

Happy Easter!

I was down in Portland, OR last week, filming segments for a vegan cooking DVD that Julie Hasson and her husband Jay are producing, and which should be out early in 2007. Julie and I and Dreena Burton will all be cooking on it.

Check out a little video clip promo here.

It was great fun, but lots of work, too. My friend Holly did all the long-distance driving-- thank you, Holly! Julie kept us fed SO WELL, and Jay was very professional with the lighting and filming and everything! (And patient with my nerves!) They were excellent hosts, and we fell in love with their dog, Bruno!


Bruno


Julie and Bruno

It was fun to be with another food fanatic, and we talked food, food, food! Julie took me to her favorite food stores (I loved Trader joe's and New Seasons!). I looked for products that I can't get where I live. I bought smoked salt, smoked pimenton,


(which are delicious in chowders, stews, soups, etc!)

and vegan soy parmesan,

(Boy, I've missed this one! I used to get it in bulk and went through lots for my Italian cookbook, but we can't get it in Canada anymore!) UPDATE Nov. 1 2011: It IS available in Canada now, but only in these little containers.  As far as I know, it is not available in bulk anymore, anywhere (except perhaps for restaurants.

and, for treats, Gardenburger BBQ Riblets, organic Newman-O's, and Soyatoo whipped soy cream (which now I'm told I can get in our town, as of very recently!).



Also, Smoked Apple Sage Fieldroast "sausages"-- delicious! We had them the day after I got home with my gravy, carmelized apples, and frozen potato and onion pyrogies:

We did have greens on the side!

We had homemade delicious Indonesian tempeh dishes and yellow rice with mutual friends Yongkie and Pokie Hurd, who make it themselves.


Yongkie and Pokie with Jay and Julie before dinner


Julie and me in Julie's kitchen preparing a few quick additions to the dinner.


Tucking in!

We went to the farmers market on Saturday and had the most delicious vegan tamales! Now I am getting ready for a tamale binge! We went to a Lebanese restaurant and saw a great bellydancer. The food wasn't the best I've had, but she was great. (Have to get her name from Julie.)

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I'm still catching up with work and family and have hardly had time to breathe since getting back!

We had a little congratulatory party just before I left for our friend Mike, who got his landed immigrant status, finally! Along with his spouse Fireweed, my mother, and our friend Suzanne, we enjoyed a butternut squash and walnut lasagna, salad and, a coffee-flavored cake with coffee icing, chocolate ganache and hazelnuts.



  
UPDATE: This recipe is in my book World Vegan Feast

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HALLOWEEN


Last night I made vegan beignets rolled in cinnamon sugar, something I've done for many years at Halloween:




PS: Portland photos by Holly Walker.

Cheers!