I'm a Bad Vegan - Please Help Me, You May Win A Prize, & Get The Glow

I am a bit ashamed to admit this, but I had the perfect opportunity at work to represent how truly decadent vegan baking can be.  We had a bake-off...and I didn't submit anything.  I am a bad vegan.  A bad vegan that must have 1000's of recipes in my arsenal.  I SUCK.  Granted, I didn't have much notice, I had been feeling sick, and our entries were due on a Tuesday (leaving a Monday night to bake, which is difficult after long hours at the office).  My excuses run deep.

This was our very first bake-off, and I'm pretty sure this is going to be an annual thing.  So, I'm looking to all of you in the cyberworld that may run across this plea to help me prepare for next year.  I'll have this full year to practice, so if you would be so kind to share your prize-winning recipes, I would love to hear from you.

Perhaps enter a comment that includes a link to your blog post or recipe you found online?  If it's a recipe you recommend in a cookbook, I more than likely own the cookbook, so maybe you can direct me to it.  If the recipe is not something that you can link to or not in a cookbook, maybe you wouldn't mind sending me an email perhaps to michelle@abitaddictedtocookbooks.com with the information?  Please still make a comment below though to let me know you are emailing me, as I don't really check this email alias often.  

So, what's in it for you?  If your recipe is chosen by me to use for next year, I am going to send you a really cool prize:  a vegan care package from Seattle, filled with goodies I'll hand-pick from Sidecar For Pigs Peace.  I should put a deadline on this, so I am going to keep this "contest" open until September 30, 2012.  I know this is a long time out, but I really want to try all the recipes that are recommended.

If I choose your recipe, and it actually WINS, I will give you an even cooler prize.  This prize is to-be-determined, but I promise you will love it.  I just have to figure out something mind-blowing.  Plus, the good karma you get from helping me become a good vegan again should give you the glow.

ChuMinh Tofu and Veggie Deli (Thuc Pham Chay) in International District/Seattle

I take different routes for my commute home, and one of them leads through the International District in Seattle.  As I cross over South Jackson, there is a little mini-mall on the corner that has been adorned with a banner for a new tofu and veggie deli opening soon called ChuMinh Tofu/Veggie Deli.  I was so excited to drive by recently and saw their GRAND OPENING banner up.

ChuMinh Tofu & Veggie Deli @ 1043 South Jackson St, Seattle, WA

ChuMinh Tofu is a local tofu maker in Seattle, who now has this convenient deli and storefront selling their fresh goods.  They're one of a few local sources we're pretty lucky to have around here, whose products are sold at local Asian markets and used by many local restaurants. "Thuc Pham Chay" basically indicates that the store sells vegetarian meats.       

Step inside, and you will find your basic Vietnamese deli setup, and they added a community-style table in the center of the space where you can eat your recently-purchased goods.  You will probably be greeted by two very gracious ladies that are more than willing to have you sample everything available.  One will probably be the owner, Thanh Nga T. Nguyen.  Feel free to ask any questions about ingredients you may have. There are all kinds of tofu, of course, to choose from (different sizes, fresh, fried, silken, firm, lemongrass, onion & mushroom, plain, dessert-style with ginger syrup, tofu skin (yuba), etc.). You may also find different soups, curry, noodle dishes, veggie-fish, fried vegetarian spring rolls, pickled vegetables, brown or white rice, Chinese donuts (similar to churros, used for snacking, and dipping into soup or into coffee), Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwich), veggie ham, and sesame balls.

When I asked about making vegan Vietnamese iced coffee (Cafe Sua Da), they would easily do so with a sweetened soy milk, rather than the usual condensed milk.  Unfortunately I already had my coffee-fill for the day, so I will just have to get this next time I go.

Here was today's menu, and photos of just some of the items:

If you're able to visit soon, make sure to bring cash with you. They are not yet setup to accept credit or debit cards, but should be ready in about a couple of weeks.  I wasn't sure if I had enough cash on me at the time I went, but they were so kind to say that I could just pay them next time I come in.  When does that happen these days?  Luckily, I did have enough cash, but they still made a point to offer, "If you're ever hungry, and you don't have enough money, please come in and we will feed you."  Wow.  Let's keep this generous place in business, folks. 

ChuMinh Tofu and Veggie Deli

1043 South Jackson 

Seattle, WA 98104

5 More Blogs For Your Faces

First, I must share this photo with you of another being in my household that shares my love of cookbooks:

ringo cozying up with a good read

Now, thanks to Esther at A, B, C Vegan for nominating me for another Liebster Award.  One of the best things about being recognized with this award is that you learn about so many interesting blogs out there that you may not have run across otherwise.  I feel like I'm a part of some big group hug.

The word “Liebster” is German for ‘dearest’ or ‘beloved’ but it can also mean ‘favorite’.

The idea behind this award is to bring attention to bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

So the rules are as follows:

1. Show your thanks to those who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Reveal 5 of your top picks and them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. Enjoy the love and support of some wonderful people on the www!

So I'm passing the award this round to...

1. Right back at'cha, Esther: A, B, C Vegan.  When that pear-infused vodka is done, I want to come over and drink it with you.
2. The first person who nominated me for this award will just have to live with another one of these on her mantel: OMGosh I'M VEGAN.
3. Someone who is giving me hope that I can find awesome vegan foods in the Philippines (besides tropical fruit, of course): Kitchen Revolution. 
4. She may not be participating in VeganMoFo, but Sara Beth Russert is a badass.  You should follow her blog: Vegan Sara Beth.  How badass is she?  Her ass is so bad that she also has another blog called lean.  mean. vegan machine., she is the bakery trainer at my hometown's Mighty-O Donuts, and was crowned champion of the first ever donut challenge on the Food Network.  
5. Last and certainly not least, Kittens Gone Lentil from Brisbane, Australia.  She is a cat vet, and she shares my love of cookbooks. She is doing a way better job than I am at documenting her recipe trials.  

I haven't been able to cook much lately, as I've been fighting a bug for quite some time.  So for now, I will just enjoy some cookbook reading.  The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet and Spork-Fed are the latest additions to my shelf and reading list.  As soon as I'm feeling well again, I'm sure I'll get the itch to whip something up in the kitchen.  

my cookbook bookshelf

I've been sick, but antsy.  I have been tossing around different ideas on what the best method is to share my bookshelf.  Conclusion: I will be uploading all my cookbooks to Goodreads.

I'm still in the process of scanning (or manually adding them if the barcode is not recognized) and categorizing them (vegan, vegetarian, or just "cookbooks" if they're neither).  This is going to take me a while, so in the meantime, I will provide you photos.

Here's my main bookshelf.  It's located in my dining room, right next to the kitchen, so it's in a convenient location.  The left side is strictly cookbooks (although there may be a stray non-cookbook in there somewhere, too):

Here are the top 2 shelves:

Here are shelves 3 & 4.  Any binders you see on these shelves contain recipes I've collected from various resources (family members, friends, VegWeb, blogs, magazines, etc.):

Here are shelves 5 & 6:

As you can see, shelf 5 has some room to fill, and there have been some cookbooks on my wishlist that have been telling me that they need to join the rest of their comrades on my shelf.  I'm also missing some that have been loaned out.  I'm sure there are more around the house somewhere that I need to go searching for, too.

Here's a shelf that has some of my food-related/non-cookbooks (not strictly, but many of them are on this shelf):  

Yes, as you can see, I have several Anthony Bourdain books.  I even have two of his latest book because my husband and I (and other family members) went to his book-reading last year.  I have a love/hate relationship with this guy.  He does say a lot of crap about vegans, even most recently [WARNING: this link is to the article in Playboy], so now I'm just wondering when karma will catch up with him.

When I look at these shelves, I am experiencing a little mourning for books that I no longer have.  For instance, I know I had some really great ones that I picked up from different Asian markets with very authentic recipes (Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese)... where are they?  Hmph!  I guess this will be part of my quest...to find those lost books and help them return home to my loving arms.

Here is a photo of some magazines which include VegNews, Vegetarian Times, and some issues of Herbivore (not ALL these magazines are the ones I just listed.  These are just the magazines that at least found their way to this shelf):

I'll leave you with this fun gem, which is a cookbook I picked up in Italy:

I always try to pick up a cookbook souvenir during my travels.  I'm so glad I haven't lost this one!

I hope to be done uploading all my cookbooks to Goodreads soon.  Once I do, I will post the announcement here, on facebook, and on twitter (@addicttocookbks).  You can also check out the widget I've added to the side of this blog to check on my progress.

What An Honor!

Much appreciation goes out to OMGosh I'M VEGAN for nominating me for a Liebster Award.

The word “Liebster” is German for ‘dearest’ or ‘beloved’ but it can also mean ‘favorite’.

The idea behind this award is to bring attention to bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

The rules of winning this award are as follows:

1.       Show your thanks to those who gave you the award by linking back to them.

2.       Link to 5 of your top picks and let them know they’ve been nominated by leaving a comment on their blog.

3.       Post the award on your blog.

4.       Enjoy the love and support of some wonderful people on the interweb!

I tried to figure out if each blog has less than 200 followers, but I could not tell for sure for every one of these.  Regardless, I believe these are blogs that deserve attention, and they may be new to you as they were to me recently.  Here are my Liebster Award nominations!  

Vegan Soul Power!
Winged Snail
coldandsleepy cooks
Vegan For The Win!
Diary of an Animal Lover


It was difficult to get it down to just 5.  Thanks to VeganMoFo and randomofo, I have discovered so many entertaining and inspiring bloggers out there, and others have been able to stumble across mine.  I am super grateful.


Cheers!

Cheezy Quackers/500 Vegan Recipes (or In My Case: Cheezy Yoda, Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, & Boba Fett)

Sometimes when I visit my nephews, or when they visit me, I try to come up with an easy baking project that we can do together.  We've made monkey pull-apart bread, bread in a bag, cookies, and cakes. Something that was a total hit was the Cheezy Quackers recipe from 500 Vegan Recipes by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman. 

This recipe has only 6 ingredients, and you probably already have them all in your kitchen (if you're already vegan, that is, since one of the ingredients is nutritional yeast).  

My nephews had the coolest Star Wars cookie cutters.  I need to get my own set. Yes, need. 

For this next batch, rather than black pepper in the dough, I substituted with cayenne pepper.  After rolling out the dough, I then sprinkled freshly-ground mixed peppercorn all over the top, using a rolling pin to press the pepper into the dough. 

Instead of using cookie cutters this time, I used a rolling dough cutter (another fancy gadget I recommend that you get if you don't have one yet): 

rolling dough cutter ~ this was a souvenir I brought back from Italy to cut pasta!

I cut the dough into about 1"x1" squares.  I ended up with just over 100 crackers at this size. Considering that the dough gets a little puffy as it bakes, I took a fork to poke holes throughout the dough to hopefully prevent this a little (not that this is bad, but I was just experimenting).  

After 18-minutes of baking at 350-degrees, I took the crackers out of the oven.  I could probably get away with a couple more minutes to make them a little browner & crispier. The holes that I had poked into the rolled-out batter did prevent the puffiness.

ready enough to take out of the oven

crackers cooling on the rack

cheezy crackers & ringo the lurker

Here's the recipe, courtesy of Everyday Dish:

Vegan @ IKEA

I'm having some technical issues at home, so trying to post this from my iPhone.

Sidenote: RIP Steve Jobs. :( I really felt a deep sense of loss yesterday. Surprising, since I never knew him personally, but I suppose his impact in many of our lives was far-reaching. I thank him for his innovation and creativity.

Not a whole lot of cooking this week, so instead I'll post an outing I had recently. While at our local IKEA, I was curious about how many vegan foods they carried. I don't know the source of their sugar when listed as an ingredient, but if it turns out that the sugar is not filtered using bone char, then the items in the photos I posted are on the safe list.