I find the term "ethical vegans" to be hilarious. I understand what is meant by it, but it is not an accurate term to describe people who care about animal rights versus other vegans. One who is a vegan for environmental reasons or health reasons is also an ethical vegan, just one with a different ethic than animal rights.

Surprising Great Vegan Meal Found in Unlikely North Austin Location

If you happen to be in North Austin (or anywhere within reasonable driving distance) and want a wickedly good vegan meal, do check out the Balkan Cafe and Grill on North Lamar. Their Djuvec stew is one of the best vegan meals I have had in a long, long time. It is tomato- and paprika-based. It has thick chunks of carrots and potatoes and other vegetables. It is served with a flat bread. The only other vegan item on the menu is the ajvar dipping sauce, which is also fantastic. It is sweet peppers and eggplant. http://www.balkancafeandgrill.com/

Vegan Shoes Galore!

It is so exciting seeing more and more vegan shoe options on the market. How come I am the last to hear about Doc Martens' line of vegan shoes? Go plant power!  http://www.drmartens.com/us/c/Womens-Vegan

I created a new addition to the variety of taco fillings I am quite proud of: sautéed portabellas with Mexican oregano and red wine vinegar. It's an explosion of flavor.

Is Eating Meat Like Smoking Cigarettes?

I like this argument comparing consumption of meat to tobacco. Here is a little of what Kathy Freston says in her article:

"When I think about the effect of animal products on human health, I'm reminded of how quickly we've done a national about face on tobacco, and I look forward to the day when the Times magazine has a similar apology from someone who promoted animal products -- because the evidence is in and it continues to grow: Animal products kill a lot more Americans than tobacco does.

The West's three biggest killers -- heart disease, cancer, and stroke -- are linked to excessive animal product consumption, and vegetarians have much lower risks of all three. Vegetarians also have a fraction of the obesity and diabetes rates of the general population -- of course, both diseases are at epidemic levels and are only getting worse."

Freston makes a strong case. Here is the rest of the article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/animal-products-cancer_b_1316222.html

Vegan Food on the Road: Spiral Diner

We got to enjoy some yummy food at Spiral Diner in Dallas. This was our first time at the Dallas location. They are just as good. Seriously, why are there not more Spiral Diners in our state? We got a jerk and meatball sub sandwiches.

Recreating Flavors of Childhood: Teriyaki and Rice

My mother learned how to cook really well when she lived in Japan, where I was born. I was raised with an assortment of Japanese dishes, and even to this day, I go back to those flavors when I cook. One of my favorite dishes that she made was chicken teriyaki  because the sweet, thick sauce that it cooked in could be poured over and mixed with the rice. Today, I roasted some broccoli and sautéed cremini mushrooms and mixed them with the cooked brown rice. Then I made a sweet garbanzo bean teriyaki and topped the rice mixture with it. The sauce of the garbanzo beans makes the rice so addictive.

Sweet Potato Greens Is the Summer Crop You Need to Grow

One of the challenges to growing your own food in Texas is the dearth of options for greens in the summer. Don't tell me malabar spinach is a good option. It is slimy and yucky. Most of our best greens, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, collards, lettuce, cabbage, etc., are winter crops here. I recently heard about growing sweet potato tops for greens, a common practice in Asia. I have yet to put this in serious action, although I do have a leftover sweet potato bulb pushing up greens. The greens are amazing, much like spinach, except with far less oxalic acid (a good thing!). They are so easy to grow. Here is a link to a PDF discussing the nutritional qualities of sweet potato greens: https://www.uaex.edu/publications/PDF/FSA-6135.pdf

A Vegan Pizza and Cupcake Party!

We had some fantastic food for our son's birthday party, and we got to support some amazing vegans and their businesses. Thank you, Craig Vanis of Bistro Vonish for the wonderful pizza and Celeste Caswell of Celeste's Best fame for the yummy, gourmet cupcakes (unfortunately, I did not get a picture of them). If you need food for a party, I highly recommend both of these businesses.

My Vegan Noodle Soup Craving

There is only one bowl of vegan noodle soup that I ever have a craving for; unfortunately, it is from a place called Hop Tung in McAllen and not Austin. It is called Sha Cha Tofu Rice Noodle Soup (spicy soup, onion, tomato, peanuts, and cucumber). It is so amazing, especially the broth and the cooked tomato slices. It is absolutely brilliant. I wish an Austin pho place would have a vegan broth like this. Luckily, I was in McAllen this evening.

Fourth of July Vegan Barbecue!

Homemade Fourth of July barbecue seitan brisket was amazing. It is so ridiculously easy to do. Now that I know how to do this, it's time to invite some vegan friends over for a barbecue. We also had homemade potato salad and coleslaw. For the seitan, I mostly followed the New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook recipe the night before. Here it is:

4 cups of wheat gluten (one package of Bob's Red Mill)

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp soy sauce (recipe calls for 3, but I find that too much)

1/4 cup tahini (or peanut butter)

4 cups water

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder           

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all ingredients, dry first. I put them in two bread pans. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or so. Take off the aluminum foil for the last fifteen minutes.

I made a rub out of mostly paprika with lots of black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and a decent amount of salt. I put oil around the seitan so the rub would stick. I cooked it low and slow with oak charcoal for about two hours on one side and another hour on the other. It had a nice crust, and the middle was the perfect texture. I did not make my own barbecue sauce today, however. I used Austin's Own, which is vegan and can be bought at HEB. The mild version is good for young children. The next time I do this, I will have more soaked wood chips. There was a nice smokey flavor in the brisket but not as much as I would have liked.        

Finally, Taco Success with Both Vegan Children and Adults

Cooking for young children can be very tricky. One day, they will like something; the next, they will declare it to be gross. In a general way, the blander the food, the more likely they will accept what you are offering. Of course, if it has a suspicious look to them, they might refuse to try it. The problem with cooking bland food is that I do not have that much motivation to do it. I do not like to eat bland food, and I usually do not have the energy to make two separate dishes. Of all types of meals, tacos have been especially challenging. It is hard for a young child to learn to eat a taco in the way it is meant to be eaten, so whatever you make becomes deconstructed quickly. The most complex taco my children have ever expressed a like for has been Vegan Nom's potato-tofu-avocado taco, but there is something about the taco that they have ended up rejecting. I am not positive what kind of spice is in the taco (maybe too much mustard in the tofu or too much salt with the potatoes?), but they do not consistently like the Vegan Nom taco anymore. So, I am reluctant to buy it for them because I do not want to waste the money. The only taco they have ever consistently liked that I or my wife have made at home is simply avocado and tortilla. That makes me feel guilty that they are not getting enough varied nutrition, and it does nothing for my own appetite. A couple of weeks ago, I was struck with some inspiration. I have been experimenting with using tofu in different ways since we generally do not like vegan cheese (Anita likes the new Field Roast vegan cheese, but the kids do not). I have been putting raw sliced tofu on pizzas and stromboli to simulate some of the texture of cheese without the gooeyness, and this has been quite successful for all of us. I have also tried a technique of frying squares of tofu in a sauté  pan and salting and putting nooch on one side for use in tomato sandwiches. This has been especially good. My new inspiration came when I was thinking about spices and the children. Obviously, they love nutritional yeast, but they also love a dal that I make that is heavy in cumin with a moderate amount of garlic but not much else. I already had a couple of boiled potatoes in the refrigerator, so I freshened them up on the sauté pan with oil, salt, and cumin. I made my fried tofu squares with salt and nooch. I added sliced avocado in a whole wheat tortilla. Both of the children ate all of their tacos! And quickly, too. I ate one like the children, and I really liked it, too. A good variance for adults is to eat it with the jalapeño sauce from the local Yellow Bird company and add jalapeños to the potatoes after some have been set aside for the children. I have since made the taco again, and they were also a huge hit. I think this is going to become a staple. The key is that Anita and I really like the tacos, too, so we are motivated to make them. Sometimes, simpler is better. Here are some pictures of the cooking of the tacos:

The Perfect Vegan Stromboli

I have been experimenting with stromboli for years. I have made really good ones, but this is the best by far. I used a whole-grain pizza dough from Whole Foods. I reduced sliced cremini mushrooms in a skillet. I fried the smoked tomato Field Roast slices in a skillet. I chopped up a firm, uncooked tofu and combined it with a sauce of Vegenaise, squeezed lemon juice, and a good helping of mustard. This is all put in the rolled out dough and baked in the oven (350 degrees) for about ten to fifteen minutes. I had enough to make three. It was so good. I can't wait to make this again.

Dirty Diapers, Cooking, and Tofu: Vegan Parent Problems

I had just finished cleaning up a dirty diaper, and I had to cook lunch for the children. Of course, I cleaned my hands, and I started cooking, but I smelt a dirty diaper. I washed my hands, aghast. I worked more; I still smelled it. I washed my hands again. What gives? I look at the floor, nothing. Daughter has a clean diaper. Then, I realize that what I have been smelling was really the tofu I was cooking. It had gone bad, even though the expiration date was not for another couple of weeks. What a nasty smell!

Don't Fret, Honey Coffee Beans Are Vegan

I have been a huge lover of the local Cuvée coffee, but every time I go to the store, I read on the package of the different ways its beans are processed: Pulped (the traditional way), water (the high-tech modern way), and honey. I have avoided the honey processed varieties because I was unsure whether they were vegan. The only time I ever thought about it until now was when I was in the store. According to SeattleCoffeeWorks.com, "Remember that the mucilage of the coffee cherry is sticky and slimy, so it is sometimes called 'honey.' During the Honey Process, coffee is dried with some or all of the mucilage remaining on the parchment encasing the seed. Coffee cherries are picked, sorted, depulped, and then moved to drying patios or beds for various periods of time. Because there is a little bit of fermentation happening in the short amount of time it takes for the mucilage to dry, coffees processed in this way feature a little more acidity than Pulped Naturals (Pressure-Washed) coffees, but significantly less acidity than Washed or Natural/Dried-in-the-Fruit coffees." The website goes on to say that producers leave varying amount of honey on the beans and state that percentage. So, honey on coffee beans has to do with flavor, and it is fully vegan. Awesome. I'm looking forward to trying some now.

Veganizing Korean Army Stew

Since I have been thinking about Korean food, I'll let you in on what I'm veganizing tonight: budae-jjigae. It is an interesting mix between American and Korean cultures. I'm going to use Field Roast Celebration Roast instead of Spam and Field Roast Frankfurters instead of hotdogs. I'm using Marmite instead of anchovies. Pork, I have no answer for that, but most of the flavorings can be got in vegan forms. Here is the non-vegan recipe via Anthony Bourdain of all people: http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/24/travel/bourdain-parts-unknown-korea-recipe/.

P.S. Here's the results: The flavor is amazing but a bit too rich and a little too salty.

The Perfect Earth Balance Delivery System

My sweet mother brought me a pile of no-oil (vegan, of course), cranberry and almond muffins that she baked, and I have been basically subsisting on them for the last couple of days as I am finishing up school work. Of course, no-oil muffins really are the perfect Earth Balance delivery system. I don't have to feel guilty for that huge pat of microwave-melted margarine in each muffin.

New Vegan Bacon May Be Benevolent, But It's Just Too Much

I don't know how many of you have tried the Sweet Earth Benevolent Bacon, but I am not a fan. It is way too strongly flavored. Maybe this will be attractive to people. I had it on a pizza I just made with cremini mushrooms, and I could not taste anything else but the bacon. I guess that is just like what real bacon would do.

You Can Never Go Wrong with Arlo's Vegan Burgers

Believe it or not, despite being a loyal customer for years, I have not had Arlo's fakin bakon, no-chessen burger before tonight. It was fantastic, but, in my opinion, it does not quite reach the level of greatness as their barbecue burgers. I'm glad I finally tried the famous Americana burger, but my heart and wallet still vote for the barbecue burger, which is the most creative and tasty vegan burger around. Either way, though, Arlo's has the best burgers anywhere, and you can't go wrong if you prefer the Americana or the wild and slightly spicy barbecue sensation.

Supra Bhat Really Good Vegetarian Indian but Tricky for Vegans

So we ate at Supra Bhat vegetarian Indian restaurant tonight. It was so good, but the menu was infuriating. Please be careful. The vegan symbol on the menu does not mean vegan. Apparently, that means ask the waiter to see if it can be made vegan. Many of the things we wanted with the vegan symbol were not vegan and could not be made vegan. http://suprabhataustin.com

Once Exciting Earth Balance Mac and No Cheese Now Disgusting to Me

I don't know what it is about Earth Balance mac and no cheese. When it first came out, I was just as excited as anyone else. The flavors were definitely nostalgic of my childhood. I had quite a few of them But lately, I can't stand it. It's like I'm having a whole body revulsion of it. The taste is just disgusting now. Am I the only one who has experienced this?

Simply Awesome: Resurrecting the New Farm Cookbook

A while back, I realized that Isa Chandra Moskowitz had been appropriating recipes from the classic New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook. Some of the recipes are too similar with only tiny modifications. I'm not denying Moskowitz's genius. She has singlehandedly revolutionized vegan cooking, but I thought I needed to give attention to this neglected older cookbook. One of the recipes that is similar is the cheesy sauce. I decided to try the New Farm version tonight (so freaking easy). I made mac and no cheese with it (nut free!). It tastes exactly like Wheatsville's mac and no cheese, which is so awesome. I also added cooked kale and crimini mushrooms. My four-year-old son, exaggerating, said he'd love for me to make this every day. Who knew?

For Me, Vegan Parenting Means Attempting to Be Consistent Toward Violence

It amazes me how much being a parent has changed me. I have become less selfish, but I have become protective, too, at least in regard toward my children. As with any parent, my wife and I share our values with our little ones. I find it difficult, if not impossible, to trust other people if they do not respect the role I have as a parent to my children. As a vegan, one of the values I hold dear is the philosophy of nonviolence. Those who deliberately attempt to defy this value by feeding my children nonvegan food will not endear themselves to me. In fact, they will bring out an unpleasant side to me. However, I am forgiving to people who do not understand and make mistakes, even if I may not be happy with what happened. Other ways this philosophy of nonviolence comes into play is with spanking. My father spanked me when I was young, and I initially thought it was OK to spank when my son was born more than four years ago. I found spanking gives a physical outlet to anger. I channelled my anger through spanking, and it made me even angrier. It scared me. I decided I would never express anger toward my children through physical violence again. This is no way to raise a child. I will not tolerate people spanking or hitting my children to attempt to correct their behavior. I do not want to train my children to believe that expressing anger through hitting to be OK. Nonviolence also extends to movies and television. This is a hard one and one not many understand. Years ago, I watched the first Iron Man movie, and after expressing enthusiasm about the film, a coworker asked me if it would be OK for his five-year-old son to watch. That really got me thinking. I told my coworker that the movie was quite violent, but he responded by saying that was fine. What he was concerned about was if there was anything sexually suggestive in the film. Killing people or expressing violence toward other people is glamorous as long as it is not too graphic, but the all-too-human dance to create life is not acceptable? I am missing something here. Many of my friends' children are into watching Star Wars or even Harry Potter. We are so desensitized to violence that we do not see the violent elements to these movies. Allowing these movies, of course, is up to the individual parent, and I do not want to judge them. For me, both of these types of films may be enjoyable, but what are they teaching my children about violence? The same goes for many types of cartoons. For now, I consider my children much too young to go there, but one day, I know I will have to deal with this more.

Wondering What to Do with All of That Kale You Had to Harvest?

If, like us, your kale plants are starting to flower and you need more room for your incoming tomato plants, don't despair over the high amount of kale you have to deal with. This is your opportunity to makes a ridiculously large amount of Green Vegetarian Restaurant's famous and incredibly delicious kale salad:

Green Vegetarian Cuisine’s Kale Salad

Makes 16 cups
2 bunches kale
Dressing:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy sauce (see Note)
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

Instructions: Wash the kale in cold water, pat dry, and with a sharp knife, trim off the tough portions of the stems and discard them. Chop the kale into bite-size pieces and place in a large salad bowl; set aside.

For Dressing: Combine vinegar, oil, brown sugar, garlic, Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy sauce and red pepper flakes in a sauté pan. (I used a bit less red pepper flakes than called for, but add it according to your taste.) Simmer the mixture over moderate heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat and immediately pour the hot mixture over the kale; mix well to thoroughly coat all of the leaves with Dressing. Allow kale to sit for 10 minutes or more before serving.

Homemade Monte Cristo to Tide You Over

If you are denied your chance to try the legendary Monte Cristo sandwich from Unity Vegan Kitchen, your next best option is to make one yourself, a poor substitute, I'm sure. But, it was definitely tasty. It included slices of tofu battered in corn meal and bay seasoning and fried, a freshly made cashew sauce, and a whole wheat bread dipped in Fronch toast mix and cooked in the frying pan. We added sliced strawberries and fig jam and powdered sugar. Of course, I still want (NEED) the Monte Cristo from Unity Vegan, but until then, I got a tiny taste of what it might be like.

Should Austin Vegans Shut Their Mouths?

Being a vegan often means walking a delicate balance between supporting all causes vegan and having an opinion about them. Of course, every vegan wants the best for their fellow vegan, and supporting vegan businesses and vegan-owned business is a form of activism that could potential turn many over to the vegan side. To qualify that statement, however, nonvegans who have positive vegan experiences are more likely to be moved by their experiences. Having a negative experience could reinforce preconceived notions about veganism. Does all of this mean that vegans should not express their views when they try a dish at a restaurant, positive or negative? Recent aggressive stances by Austin vegan business owners try to equate any negative comment as almost evil. They say that people should say only negative things directly to them and never publicly on social media platforms or via other means. I presume they are in favor of only positive views being expressed publicly. I think this is the wrong attitude to have and can potentially affect veganism negatively, too. We live in a world of active social media. That social media needs to be embraced and engaged. Owners need to learn to interact with people in nonthreatening ways on these platforms. For better worse, this is how people often communicate. Making people feel threatened by the fear they will be outcast from their community by expressing a negative viewpoint is almost as bad as someone making an unfounded malicious comment on a social media platform.

Your Favorite Taco Shops Not Open Today? Make Your Own

I had to work in Kyle yesterday, despite the "ice storm" that shut down numerous places of employment yesterday, including the local school districts. It was gloriously sunny and 46 degrees (with a nasty northerly wind) when I drove south. I thought that it would be a great time to pick up one on of those amazing SXSW barbecue tacos from Vegan Nom. They were closed because of the weather. Darn. Well, I have not yet had the opportunity to try Cool Beans. I tried there, too. I'm guessing that it was the cold weather. Seriously, when am I going to be able to try their tacos? So, what does a frustrated vegan do when he can't get what he wants? I went to Whole Foods for supplies after work in order to attempt to replicate the barbecue taco. I bought Earth Balance mac and no cheese, a couple jalapeños, some vegan barbecue sauce (Austin's Own, Border Region: good stuff), and cabbage. I made the jalapeño mac and no cheese, shredded the cabbage, and added some barbecue sauce to the seitan I had already made. It was not Vegan Nom great, but it was definitely a very good taco with strong jalapeño flavor. Chris Rios of Vegan Nom may be a genius when it comes to his taco creations, but that does not mean he can't be copied (if necessary).

So Ringling Bros. Deserves Credit for Stopping Elephant Act? Not So Fast

I presume most of you have heard that Ringling Bros. announced that they would discontinue its elephant acts in 2018. So, Ringling Bros. feel they deserve credit for this, and animal rights groups feel they deserve credit, too. But the fact remains that the animals will still be "performing" for another three years, if Ringling Bros. actually goes through with its promise. They may change their minds if the elephant acts become popular during the "farewell" tour. I am skeptically optimistic they will allow stop this nonsense with the elephants; however, I must say that this announcement is a lot like a president promising to balance the budget in another president's term. You should only take credit for doing something when it actually happens. I'll believe this elephant stuff when Ringling Bros. actually does what it says it will do. I'm not going to glorify them for at least three more years of torture to elephants.

Get Vegan Nom's SXSW Barbecue Taco While You Can

I just had Vegan Nom's South-By barbecue taco special. It includes smoked housemade seitan brisket, jalapeño macaroni and no cheese, topped off with fresh cabbage, housemade barbecue sauce, and champagne vinaigrette. That thing is insane, so, so good. It's pure genius. The only thing I regret is not ordering more. My wife said she ate hers slowly, so she could savor each bite. Get it while you can. They are only have it during the month of March.

It's You, Not the Food, That Makes Things Taste So Good

This is a pretty wild story about changes at the molecular level explaining why Indian food tastes so good. I believe this to be only partly true. From my experiences, especially after I became a vegan, I have found that you like what you eat. Your tastebuds eventually adapt to what the body is consuming. Take nutritional yeast. I hated nooch for almost ten years, but I eventually came around. Now, I can't imagine it not being in my spice cabinet. That is a bit of an extreme example. Another would be meat. You hear so many stories about young children rejecting meat and of their parents sneaking it into their food. Eventually, they will like it despite their initial instinct. The same goes for Indian food, which I hated at first. Now, I crave it. New foods to the body are often revolting. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/03/03/a-scientific-explanation-of-what-makes-indian-food-so-delicious/

Do Slaughterhouses Make People More Sensitive to Cruelty?

I have to share a crazy thought that crossed my mind earlier today. While I do agree with Paul McCartney that "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian," I think slaughterhouses may have had an inadvertent and ironic effect against meateating. I think it is possible that some of the population may have been made to be more sensitive to the plight of animals because they are not exposed to the desensitizing nature of animal butchery. What they buy in the grocery store does not resemble animals. You hear people getting grossed out about consuming any part of an animal that resembles a body part, such as the tongue of a cow or the eye of a fish. Yet, to that indistinguishable part of the animal, its flesh, they happily eat it. Slaughterhouses have changed people's experiences. When I was a child, we had a school trip to a butcher shop, and we were exposed to all of the cruelties of killing animals. In order to keep eating meat, you have to become desensitized to what is happening to animals in the cleaning and butchering process. Are slaughterhouses producing blocked vegetarians who are ethically sensitive to cruelty?

Book About Surviving as a Vegan in Austin Launches Tonight

The book launch for the Vegan Survival Guide to Austin is tonight at Book People! The authors work at Book People. I hope the book is better than the recommendation one of them gave for the cookbook, Betty Goes Vegan. That was a terrible cookbook and relies too much on heavily processed ingredients.

Best Vegan Pizza I've Ever Had

Last year in JFK International Airport, I had the best vegan pizza in my life. I thought that pie would last in my memory and haunt me for a long time, but I managed to exorcise that from my head with a new memory of my own yesterday. When my wife and I were vegetarians, we used to make simple pizzas with feta, red onions, and thyme, and I have long wanted to attempt to replicate those pizzas as a vegan. Last night, I channeled those feta pizzas, but I ended up making something entirely new, and it was so easy. I focused on making a great tofu to replace the feta or vegan cheese, which I hate. I took one block of tofu, dried it off and cut it into small cubes. I sautéed the pieces in the wok with some oil until they lost most of their excess moisture and were just lightly crispy. Then, I added a tablespoon of Greek herb mix, two tablespoons of nooch, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and salt. I had already roasted some broccoli in the Isa Chandra Moskowitz style (coated in olive oil and salt and cooked in the oven until done) and just cut them up into smaller pieces. I also chopped up a red onion into small pieces. I used premade dough from Whole Foods and a marinara sauce made by Newman's Own. I put the ingredients on the stretched and rolled out dough and put it on my clay pizza stone and cooked in the oven at 400 degrees for eight to ten minutes. I knew the pizza would be good, but I had no idea that I would stumble on a new favorite recipe. It was so easy, and I don't have to buy a ticket to New York City to satisfy my craving.

Happy Accident: Oil Free and Still Delicious

I was making Isa's Lemon Gem cupcakes with whole wheat flour and whole sugar while two children climbed all over me. It was not until I put them in the oven did I realize that I forgot to add oil. My accidental Engine 2 Diet cupcakes actually turned out great.

Americana-Style Seitan

I used up the last of the batch of seitan I made. This time made it with a mushroom gravy, wilted garden-grown kale with nooch, and rustic mashed potatoes.

Vegan Children Say the Darnedest Things

I introduced my son and daughter to the culinary delight of a blood orange yesterday. I was a bit dramatic about it, but they loved it. Today, I brought one with me as a snack when I picked up my son from school. He informed me that they were strawberry oranges. I guess he wasn't pleased with the nonvegan terminology.

Making Barbecue Brisket Sandwiches

I made a barbecue brisket with the seitan I made the other day. I put it in a sandwich with Dave's Killer Bread, dill pickle, raw onions, and Vegenaise. It was terrific. The only downside is I can't use a barbecue grill here in the apartment complex, so that is something I can look forward to at our new house. Liquid smoke only goes so far. I just can't get over the wonderful texture of the seitan. I totally had some rookie luck with it.