CS(Amen)! Corn Chowder

I made this soup a couple weeks ago in an attempt to clear out our heavy bowl of CSA veggies. Red potatoes, fresh corn, red peppers, onions, and garlic filled the pot with a pinch of dill and a heap of freshly ground pepper. This was my first creamy soup and the process was a testiment to the experimentation, substitution, and patience necessary when making creamy vegan dishes. The base was made from Better than Bouillion broth, flour, nutritional yeast, and almond milk. I'll have to try it again to see if it can be reproduced!

Soup Season is coming!
NRG

The Veganette for *cino Culture Make Sale

I am whipping up a few special dutch apple pies and szechuan string beans in an effort to support a fundraiser for *culture is not optional, a community organization based out of Three Rivers, MI. Their current project involves revamping a local school building into an arts and agriculture-based community center in an underserved area. Their work is thankless and heartening, a true collaboration between strangers and friends, gardeners and librarians, professors and students. Many many volunteers have dedicated huge portions of their lives to this project in the hopes that through their creative efforts they will be able to foster a sense of togetherness and generosity.

100% of the proceeds from the Culture Make Sale will go to *cino for the continued renovation of Huss School. If you purchase something from the veganette, I'll deliver these goodies to your door (as long as you are subway-accessible). There are many other very cool handmade items for purchase, so make sure to check out the complete catalogue!

To purchase a pie:
http://www.culturemakesale.com/collections/homegrown/products/vegan-apple-pie
To purchase pickled green beans:
http://www.culturemakesale.com/collections/homegrown/products/szechuan-pickled-green-beans

To the dreamers!
NRG

Cinny Buns for Weekenders

In my opinion, there is nothing better than being a weekender. I would even consider myself a lush about it, reading my delivered NYT in slippers while emptying our gilded french press as a waft of cinnamon sugar escapes from the oven. The guaranteed hours of morning silence in our parkside apartment have been such a gift to me this year. Now that there is a chill in the air, these cinnamon buns make for the most perfect of weekends. Do all the hard work on Friday night, refrigerate, and bake when you wake up. This will give the yeast plenty of time to work itself into deliciousness. Breakfast is such a great way to love the people around you- my roommates never complain when waking up in our luminous and quiet cinnybun-scented Saturday apartment.

Recipe here!

Pajama clad,
NRG

Lemon Surprise Triple Decker Cake with Braised Lemons, Shaved Coconut and Lemon Curd

We celebrated AS' birthday last weekend with this tiered cake. I was so excited to make a real, grown-up birthday cake for my dear lemon-loving roommate. Lemon curd is easy to make and veganizes well considering it is usually an egg-dependant custard. I one-and-a-halved Isa's coconut-lemon bundt cake recipe using less sugar, no shredded coconut, and substituting part of the coconut milk for soymilk. I also added in 2 enerG eggreplacers to guarantee that my cakes wouldn't become craters when they cooled.

Lemon Curd
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
5 Tbs. cornstarch (or arrowroot)
1/2 cup freshly sqeezed lemon juice
the zest of 4-6 lemons

Heat the sugar, salt, water, and cornstarch together in a saucepan over medium heat while stirring constantly with a whisk. When the mixture thickens (this will happen quickly) remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice and zest. Let cool at room temperature, then place in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it!

Enjoy,
NRG