Fetuses Love Those Vegan Eats!
Since Vegucator Jr. refuses to imbibe anything but the very finest vegan amniotic fluid, he insisted on having his Grand Rapids shower at Restaurant Bloom and his cake catered by The Oven Mitt Bakery.

Doting Grandparents to the Rescue!
Though we were reluctant to spoil him thus at so tender an age, his generous Grandparents decided that it couldn't hurt to indulge him, so long as enough friends and family were there to teach him object lessons in the values of hospitality, fellowship, and community. (Thanks Mom and Dad McCausland!)

Almond Gazpacho With Peeled Grapes and Chives
"E.W.", as we affectionately refer to him, began with a refreshing chilled soup studded with toasted almonds, peeled grapes, and chives and drizzled with a fruity, light-bodied olive oil.

Baked Tofu with Roasted Vegetables and Soy Caramel
Preferring to keep his entree a bit more traditional, he chose a delicate baked tofu with roasted carrots and petite summer squash.

Supine Sextuplets in Baby Blue
And then it was on to a flamboyant finish, with a designer cake and cupcakes skillfully executed in Lavender Lemon by his honorary Aunties Noodles and Curly, a.k.a., The Oven Mitt Bakery (drop them a line and maybe they'll craft a custom vegan fantasy for your special event).

Pastel Teddy Platoon
E.W. requested that we express his heartfelt gratitude for all the lovely gifts, which he plans to put to very good use beginning sometime on or around August 30th. He also asked that we end this post with a sentiment beautifully expressed on his new animal themed baby dish set hand thrown and custom painted by local ceramist and friend Betsy Ratzsch.

God Bless the Animals! Amen.

That's a lot of Not Dogs!
Treehugger reports that a bunch of hungry vegans in Austin, TX are apparently blazing new trails in a movement previously thought to be reserved for omnivores. Should the G-RAP follow suit?

Your Chance to REP VEG at a Local Pie Baking Contest
Some people say that the proof is in the pudding. However, the true gourmand knows that the proof is in the pie crust, and the TRUTH is in the VEGAN pie crust. Truthseekers, get out your rolling pins, for the day of reckoning is well nigh upon us:

There is a $15.00 entry fee for bakers, and the lazy ones among us can just show up and sample the pies for $1.00 a taste. For information on how to enter, visit the promotional page on Facebook, or contact the organizers at 616-454-7900 or crestonvista@gmail.com. Proceeds go the AmeriCorps VISTA program of the Creston Neighborhood Association.

Operation Infiltration
Though this event is not officially a VEGAN Pie Bake-Off, that just makes it all the more important to get as many delectable vegan offerings on the table as possible. Curly's Deep Dish Country Apple and Karyn's Chocolate Silk with Soy Topping are pictured here to stoke your motivation. A coordinated effort from extraVEGANzers could make a real impression, as everyone would be wondering why the vegan pies were disappearing first! COMMENT NOW and share your favorite vegan pie recipe!

Convenient and Delicious
At a recent family baby shower in a city graced with a Whole Foods Market, the bill of fare for the weekend included a number of memorable offerings from the expansive Whole Foods delicatessen. My favorites were the above-pictured tofu napoleon with wilted swiss chard and roasted red pepper, as well as these items:

Artichoke Ravioli With Pinenuts

Vegan Sonoma Salad

General Tsao's Vegan "Chicken"

"Stockfree" Green Manure. All The Nutrients, None Of The Exploitation.
The Associated Press recently published this fascinating article on veganic farming. Unlike most organic farms that use animal products such as manure, bone meal, and blood meal to fertilize their crops, veganic farmers take out the middle man (in this case, the animals who process plant foods into manure) and put composted plant matter--"stockfree" or green manure--directly onto their fields instead. The famous Huguenot Street Farm in New Paltz, NY offers this helpful explanation of the basic principles of veganic farming, and Friends of Animals goes into a bit more depth in this article. If you're in the market for a whole book on the subject, Jenny Hall and Ian Tolhurst's Growing Green comes highly recommended by our friend Harold Brown of Farm Kind. If you're looking for a more hands-on experience, consider this Veganic Farming Training Program offered by the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Patagonia, AZ.

Arugula and Artichokes. Enough Said.
Well, okay, there's some fakin bakin on there too, and some splinters-style dressing--you know, with the Braggs, brown rice vinegar, vegannaise and fresh lemon juice. Visit Trillium Haven Farm at the Fulton Street Market and get your greens on!

Nurses and Clayre Take Veganism To the Altar
Until June 13, 2008, it had been quite some time since I had enjoyed the pleasure of eating a big, fat, frostingy piece of wedding cake at a friend's nuptial celebration. After all, it isn't every day that brides and grooms put compassionate eating front and center in planning their special day. But our good friends Nurses and Clayre did just that, weaving their commitment to intentional living into every aspect of the celebration, from the homily (offered by Clayre's uncle) to the wedding feast (expertly catered by Marie Catrib's) to a three-layer vegan cake lovingly crafted by the father of the bride! Congratulations and best wishes to Nurses and Clayre, and thanks for showing us that a good old-fashioned Christian wedding and a public testimony to the moral and spiritual significance of our daily consumer habits are 100% compatible. Now, eat your cake you beautiful people!

Overkill.
What do you get when you combine a banana with three scoops of Turtle Mountain Creamy Vanilla, macerated pineapple, macerated strawberries, crushed Newman-O's, dark chocolate hot fudge and a maraschino cherry? A banana split, dummy.

BBQ. Cole Slaw. Kaiser.
Uncle Juan's favorite childhood sandwich was something he affectionately refers to as "Soul on a Roll": shredded barbecue and spicy cole slaw on homemade kaiser rolls. The sandwich lives again, veganized and shown here with a side of black bean and corn salsa.

Birthday at Bloom, Pizza Party, Craig's Cruisers
My birthday was almost two months ago, but the memories are still lucid enough to merit posting a few of the culinary highlights. The above cocktails we enjoyed on the outset of our birthday dinner at Restaurant Bloom greased the skids for a juggernaut of a three course meal that began with...

Crispy Fried Artichoke Hearts with Pickled Vegetables
They are every bit as delectable as they look, but if you'd like to try them, you'll have to make a special request since they are not a standard menu item. And while we're on the topic of eating outside the parameters of the work-a-day bill of fare, feast your eyes on the main course:

Poppyseed Encrusted Tofu with Kale, Chanterelles, and Barley
We enjoyed the tofu immensely (especially the unusual pairing with barley as the starch), but we all agreed that the standout of the evening was the sweet course, a thoroughly unpredictable yet delectable juxtaposition of...

Avocado Soup and Lemon Sorbet with Candied Citrus Rind and Pistachio
This dessert was sublime. I recommend talking Chef Miller into reprising it the next time you visit the restaurant. Suffice it to say that the Bloom birthday celebration ended on a very high note indeed. Of course, just one birthday celebration is hardly adequate, and since Aunt Curly's birthday is just a few days after mine, we had our third annual "April Birthdays" bash on the weekend, complete with...

A Pizza Party to End All Pizza Parties
As if there wasn't enough white flour in those crispy crusts, we served the pies with a side of coconut heaven cupcakes. We figured this ultra-light fare would settle well during a few laps around the indoor go-kart track at Craig's Cruisers. And we were right. As an added bonus, the combined total of game room tickets amassed by people in our party was sufficient to procure a prized set of neon fangs per person, as well as several dozen plastic dinosaurs.

To create this fast, simple, and surprisingly good soup begin by softening about a cup of split peas in two cups of vegetable broth. While doing this, sauté a chopped onion, minced garlic, and thinly sliced carrots until soft, all in a large pot. Add oregano and basil, and then five to six cups of vegetable broth. Once simmering, add the softened split peas. Cook until the vegetables are how soft you prefer them. Add garbanzo beans and a lot of spinach. Once the spinach is wilted, the soup is ready. This soup cooks in less than a half hour, needs few ingredients, and can easily be made in large batches and eaten later.

Spring Has Sprung! Fire Up the Grill!
Where, oh, where could these delicious whole foods have been grilled to such succulent perfection? On my patio, naturally, with the U.J. presiding over the first backyard barbecue of the spring. Kettle Kebabalooza.

Taking Veganism to Church
As a Mennonite youngster, I worked the church potluck circuit with reckless abandon--especially the dessert table. Back then, it would have been difficult to imagine a church potluck without animal products. But as the evidence mounts that industrial livestock production has serious repercussions for creation, more and more faith communities are taking notice of the moral and spiritual significance of eating. As a case in point, Splinters and I are members of a small group at Sherman Street CRC that recently put on a multi-cultural, intergenerational vegan potluck with over 40 parishioners and friends.

Enchiladas, Lasagna, and Dahl, Oh My!
I brought our favorite Seitan Enchiladas with Salsa Verde (from Ann Gentry's spectacular Real Food Daily Cookbook) along with a side of refried black beans.

Others prepared vegan lasagna, Indian dahl, African groundnut stew, fresh salads and fruits, and a variety of other amazing offerings. Suffice it to say that no one went away hungry, least of all those who spent any time near the sweet table, which boasted vegan coconutty cookies (from Wealthy Street Bakery), "cockeyed" chocolate cake with coconut frosting, chocolate banana cupcakes with peanut butter creme frosting (from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World), and a transcendent ginger coconut macadamia carrot cake that obliterated my previous conception of the standard for vegan desserts.

Rediscovering the Intersection of Food and Faith
Though a lot of vegans have given up on seeing the church as a potential ally in the struggle for justice for all God's creatures, there is reason to be hopeful. As Christine Gutleben of the Humane Society of the United States points out in a recent editorial in the New York Times, the principles of compassion, mercy, and justice for animals are built into our faith traditions, just waiting for visionary people of faith to reawaken the church to their significance for our everyday lives. For more information on the resurgence of religious interest in these matters and links to resources that can help you communicate the message of compassion for animals in your own church community, check out the Animals and Religion initiative of the Humane Society of the United States.

Have Injera, Will Travel
Having friends who are culinary geniuses has its privileges. Several weeks ago, for instance, Uncle Juan and Aunt Curly stopped by to drop off the leftovers from a homemade Ethiopian feast that they had whipped up on a whim. We were more than happy to reprise the feast at our house!

Risotto, Beets, and Potato Leek Pie
Moles found this chickpea, spinach and sun-dried tomato risotto in Lorna Sass's Complete Vegetarian Kitchen and Aunt Curly contributed the pickled beets and a creamy potato leek pie inspired by a recipe she saw in Real Simple magazine.

Creamy Potato Leek Pie

Southern Fried Seitan and Mashed Potatoes
Now that winter is officially over and the bounteous whole foods of the spring and summer months are soon to appear, we're saying a fond farewell for the season to our comforting cold-weather favorites.

Swiss Seitan and Mashed Potatoes
We'll miss you, "meat" and potatoes, but the promise of those crisp, bitter baby greens and fresh vegetables galore will surely cushion the blow! Call your friends at Groundswell and Trillium Haven to reserve your share of the produce-palooza!

Compassionate Eating as Care of Creation
As many of you know, I spent the summer writing a booklet on the intersection of animal ethics and faith issues (from a Christian perspective) for the Humane Society of the United States. The result of this endeavor is finally available online and you can check it out here. The limited edition version of the publication (which is not yet featured on the website) includes 14 amazing collages by our very own Adam Wolpa. We hope to have a pdf of the limited edition up soon, but until then you can check out Wolpa's collages here.

Something for Everyone
While the argument developed in this booklet is grounded primarily in broadly Christian assumptions, my hope is that there may still be some strategic value in the booklet for people who do not share these assumptions. After all, many non-Christians who care about the plight of animals still have a vested interest in being able to appeal to Christian audiences in a language that such audiences can understand and appreciate. Moreover, there are certain empirical facts about the fallout of our dependence on industrial animal agriculture that all of us have a vested interest in knowing, regardless of our diverse religious identities. Pages 23-36 focus specifically on these empirical issues, so if you're allergic to religious discourse but still interested in the general topic, you can skip straight to this section of the booklet for a succinct overview (with recourse to the latest scientific research) of the hidden human, animal, and environmental consequences of the traditional American diet.

VegMichigan Goes All Out on April 13th!
Those of you who attended this year's Wake Up Weekend! will remember enjoying fellowship with our friends from the East, VegMichigan. On April 13th, we'll have a chance to see them again, this time on their side of the state, at the Metro Detroit Great American Meatout in Ferndale, MI. With free food from local veg-friendly restaurants, product samples from veg companies, and a cavalcade of excellent speakers, this event is a "must attend" for Michigan vegans on a mission! Tickets may be purchased in advance here at a discounted rate of just $7.00 per person ($3.00 for students, children 5 and under are free). Interested in free admission to the Meatout plus a free subscription to VegNews Magazine? Consider joining VegMichigan; membership has its privileges! Interested in carpooling or joining a Grand Rapids caravan destined for the Meatout? Leave a comment below and we'll see what develops.

Gridiron Gluttony Two Years Running
What do chik'n style seitan sandwiches, Philly cheeze steaks, potato salad, barbecued seitan skewers, nachos, sweet potato fries, Kettle chips, spinach artichoke dip, french onion dip, margarita cupcakes, boston cream cupcakes, and a BEHEMOTH chocolate raspberry-filled football cake have in common? They all graced the table several weeks ago for our second annual vegan Superbowl blowout. We were a bit concerned that we might not be able to top last year's showing, but suffice it to say that no one went away hungry.

Tofu Stir Fry with Pineapple, Green Beans and Almonds

Cobb Salad with Chick'n Style Tofu and Smoked Tofu Crumbles

Tofu Sammy With Fresh Veggies and Sprouts

Tofu Quiche With Broccoli and Tempeh Bacon

One night, two friends and I wanted Enchiladas. We began immediately, not needing a recipe. The only unconventional thing we did was use half enchilada sauce and half marinara. The results were impressive and we had a pan full of delicious enchiladas.

Ringin' in the New Year--Mexican style!
So we got the gang together on December 31st and cooked up a Mexican feast: stuffed tamales, sweet potato and black bean enchiladas, fried tofu fresco in a roasted tomato and poblano sauce, and nachos with refried black beans and cheezy sauce. Oh. And we had sopapillas with agave nectar and 9 dozen cupcakes for dessert.

An American classic!
We do it by layering crispy fried strips of smoked tofu atop thick slabs of nootch-dusted fried tofu atop a heaping helping of sauteed kale sandwiched between two veganaise-slathered slices of Ezekiel Sesame sprouted grain bread. The fries are hand cut organic Yukons oven baked in canola oil, salt and pepper and served with tofu-feta. Mercy!

Keep the comfort, kick the heart disease.
Uncle Juan made the seitan, Aunt Curly played roast master, and Moles cooked up a leek and bean cassoulet with a biscuit top to serve on the side. Sublime.

With my extended family, we had a good showing of vegan options.
Applesauce, spinach salad, and tortellini filled with artichoke and cooked with marinara, sundried tomatoes, and mushrooms began the meal well.

Still, the best part came with the vegan cheesecake. It tasted nearly identical to the type I ate and long for now. Vegan cream cheese amazes me again, being a key ingredient to this dessert.

This year my family's Christmas meal went totally vegan!

First, we started with vegetables sautéed in ginger, a salad that included artichoke heart and avocado with an onion vinaigrette dressing, and a vegan cheese fondue sauce for dipping bread. The cheese fondue was incredible, mainly thanks to vegan cream cheese, but tempeh bacon, scallions, and mustard intensified the goodness.

After the main course, we had chocolate fondue. Some cacao, soy milk, and sugar made a delicious, albeit non-healthful dessert. Using cherries, bananas, and beer bread to dip, the dessert's richness was irresistible. I think everyone ate far more than stomachs could comfortably hold.

Hungry for the cornmeal crust?
Or is the personal pita pizza more your speed?

We couldn't decide, so we had both!

"Conscious Comfort Food" on North Wells in Chicago
This Thanksgiving holiday, we've been stringing together carbo-comas like Notre Dame losses to U.S. military academies. Our latest flirtation with food-induced flat-lining was at the celebrated Karyn's Cooked, a vegan "comfort food" restaurant in Chicago's North Loop.

Casual "Come-As-You-Are" Ambience
Karyn Calabrese, the owner of this warm and welcoming establishment, is famous in Chicago for her nutritional consultancy, yoga studio, and raw food restaurant, Karyn's Raw Gourmet (click here for a glowing review). Lucky for us, however, her husband is a reluctant health nut, and so she's still in the practice of producing stealthily healthful simulacra of all of his artery-clogging traditional favorites.

Whoever Said "Let Them Eat Cake" Sure Wasn't Kidding
Our table was adjacent to this tantalizing array of vegan desserts, a number of which were 100% raw. Before we had even ordered appetizers, Moles was already contemplating a slice of the chocolate silk pie.

Starters
Dessert, however, was an awfully long way off. We started with a trio of appetizers: a basket of tofu, broccoli, and mushrooms lightly dusted in cornmeal and coconut and then fried; grande taco salad with spicy tvp, guacamole and homemade soy cheese; and Thai satay skewers with peanut sauce.

Next came a soup course of cream of broccoli with cornbread.

Steak Sandwiches, Barbecued Ribs, and Flautas! Oh My!
The restaurant promotes this fare as "conscious comfort food," but we all agreed that the "comfort" far outweighs the "conscious." Pictured below are the thinly-sliced tofu/seitan steak sandwich with onions, peppers, romaine lettuce and chipotle sauce on a toasted demi multi-grain baguette, the BBQ ribs with corn on the cob and cole slaw, and a Flauta special featuring tofu-carrot filling, guacamole, and pico de gallo.



We love it when a plan comes together.
Remember that business about the chocolate silk pie? Moles got her wish, and I got mine: a piece of Coconut Cake that measured six inches across. We're already looking forward to our next trip to Chicago!

Tofurkey (Faux-turkey?) Day at The Chicago Diner
For those who wish to enjoy the pomp and circumstance of a Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings without going to the hassle of cooking for 7 hours, The Chicago Diner has come up with the perfect solution: a carry-out vegan feast complete with a salad of organic field greens, roasted squash soup with maple pepitas, roasted veggie turkey (oven baked tofu with chestnut filling and veggie gravy), beefy wellington (pastry crust with seitan, mushroom pate, and tofu filling with peppercorn sauce), pumpkin ravioli with creamy hazelnut sauce, cranberry relish, 7-grain stuffing, green beans almondine, wild rice pilaf, maple mashed sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie!

No Turkey. No Hassle.
The only work involved in this unforgettable feast was setting the table, shoveling the food onto the plates, and recycling the cute little lunchboxes. Another great Thanksgiving in the Windy City!

Biscuits and Gravy. Bubble and Squeek.
This dazzling down home brunch is from a couple of weeks back, but as I was preparing today's Thanksgiving post, I stumbled onto the photo and couldn't resist putting it up. Bubble and squeek, for those who may not know, is a traditional Irish dish of potatoes and cabbage mashed together with salt and pepper and skillet fried into a pancake. Pile on the horseradish!

With a few friends and a lack of communication, our curry became incredibly spicy. After tasting it, I think everyone added some crushed red pepper. Regardless, it was delicious, and the mild lentil soup complemented it perfectly.

Need a father figure?
The Papa is always there for you. This time we served him up with a little nutritional yeast and some Yves Veggie Pizza Pepperoni that we crisped up in olive oil. We admit that the idea of smothering The Papa with phony pepperoni sounds vaguely Oedipal, but this is one patricide that you can indulge with a clear conscience.

When it comes to vegan Chinese, there's only Juan.
And he'll have you saying "UNCLE!" in no time, because this food is just too much: all your favorite tastes from Chinatown and not a single animal product to be found! For instance, get a load of this hot and sour soup with mushrooms and root vegetables.

Or this hot and sweet stir-fried eggplant.

Or these stir-fried veggies with rice noodles

As if Uncle Juan's formidable talents weren't enough, this potluck also featured Moles's mind-blowing cashew broccoli with tofu and Curly's amazing coconut tapioca.


I know, I know. Too many superlatives in one post. But that's what happens when you've got three culinary juggernauts at a single potluck. Does anyone know the Chinese for "MERCY!"?

Dazzled! Floored! Dumbstruck! SPEECHLESS, even.
Okay. So I'm not speechless (it would probably take a to-scale model of a Lamborghini Diablo sculped in batter-fried tofu and floating in an Olympic-sized pool of ponzu sauce to render me speechless). But I am indeed dazzled, floored, and stricken by the long-awaited arrival of Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero's VEGANOMICON: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook. It's true: the implacable post-punk kitcheners who brought us Vegan With a Vengeance and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World have struck again, this time delivering the most comprehensive and accessible vegan cookbook we've ever seen.

Noodles's First Veganomicon: Leek and Green Pea Cassoulet with Biscuits
With over 250 tantalizing recipes built on easy-to-find, reasonably-priced staple ingredients, The Veganomicon covers every imaginable corner of the culinary landscape. Allow me to rehearse the categories in the Table of Contents: Snacks, Appetizers, Little Meals, Dips and Spreads; Brunch; Salads and Dressings; Dressings; Sammiches; Vegetables; Grains; Beans; Tofu, Tempeh, and Seitan; Soups; Casseroles; One-Pot Meals and Stove-Top Specialties; Pasta, Noodles, and Risotto; Sauces and Fillings; Breads, Muffins, and Scones; Cookies and Bars; Desserts; Menus for the Masses. HOLY SMOKES! Get ready for a flurry of new posts!

Moles's First Veganomicon: Tofu Florentine.

Primary Colors
All we need is some yellow corn bread to round out the color wheel. It's 90 degrees, but at least we can pretend its autumn.

Tell Papa to "Hold the cheese!" and then pile it up yo' bad self.
Good ol' Papa John's often offers a carry-out special that can score you a large one-topping pizza for just $5.99 (or thereabouts, depending on the city). We've had great luck getting the Easttown franchise to substitute extra sauce for the cheese on a large mushroom pizza, and then we bring it home and doctor it up with onion, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, and some sliced Tofurky Beerbrats (or whatever else is on-hand).

Here's our method: (1) make the call or order online; (2) pre-heat the oven to warm; (3) chop veggies and fako-sausage; (4) make the pick-up; (5) put the pizza in the warmed oven; (6) sautee Tofurkey sausage slices in olive oil and set aside; (7) sautee veggies and spices together in olive oil (onions first with oregano and rosemary, then peppers, then garlic, then tomatoes, then throw the Tofurky back in for a warm-up); (8) pile on your homemade toppings and kick it into hog-it-all mode for the ultimate impromptu pizza fix.

Thought your Gyros days were over? Think again. This recipe will blow your mind. In a small bowl, combine 2 T. soy sauce, 1 T. water, 2 t. dried rosemary, 1 t. oregano, and 1/2 t. garlic powder. In a skillet or frying pan, sautee 8 oz. of seitain slices (either homemade or store bought) in olive oil until browned, and then pour the above mixture over the top and simmer on medium heat until the liquid is absorbed. Serve immediately on pita bread with all your favorite trimmings.

"The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it."
Ralph Waldo Emerson said that. And he must have been thinking of folks like Curly and Uncle Juan when he wrote it. Because today, when I got home from a long slog with an overdue writing project, my dear friends had engineered a surprise bar-v-que in my absence. They let themselves in, fed the dogs, and then slaved away for hours on what can only be described as one of the most satisfying summer meals I've ever enjoyed. I don't have the words to express my gratitude, so I'll steal some from the legendary Marcel Proust: "Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

"Blossom" is an understatement. With barbequed chikin-style seitan (homemade by Curly, of course), dill potatoes, spicy ginger green beans, grilled sweet corn, onions, and peppers, and a tossed salad of spicy bitter greens, this was a veritable soul explosion. Honestly, I almost cried. Here are some highlights:

Readying the Webber Kettle
Uncle Juan likes to do everything on the grill, no exceptions. So the potatoes and the green beans got their own little foil pockets, while the seitan, corn, peppers, and onions went straight onto the fire.

The Honorable Grill Master UJ Presiding
Enough said.

Barbeque Seitan Crisping Up With Sweet Corn
Curly's barbeque sauce is not something you're gonna forget anytime soon. She brings the heat, and she brings it large. Just look at these triple-slathered seitan cutlets makin' the corn jealous as a valet at a Rolls-Royce convention.

Summertime BVQ Ambience
Nothing like a little fruit of the vine to limber up the ol' palate. Since Unc and Curly handled the food, I got to play sommelier. While the food was cooking, we enjoyed a little Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Valley, and then uncorked a 2005 Lolonis Redwood Valley Zin for dinner. Organic. Vegan. Perfect.

Using Up the Leftover Heat
A good Grill Sergeant never lets the fire go to waste. Uncle Juan pressed the glowing embers into the service of prepping a few halved Trillium Haven eggplants for a fresh batch of Baba Ganouj in the AM. Thank you, friends! This was an unexpected gift that I will never forget!

Baba Ganouj (with roasted Trillium Eggplant), Quinoa Tabouli, Cucumber Soy Yogurt, Spiced and Toasted Pita, and Freshly Sprouted Alfalfa. It's summer, it is.

These breaded babies were quickly dunked into a ginger miso almond orange sauce and then [chomp].

Lasagna with grilled zucchini, mushrooms, onion, tofu ricotta, and homemade marinara, and for dessert... Pineapple Right-Side-Up Cupcakes! Vegan Cupcakes are indeed taking over the world!

Adults only--and no animatronic animals!
The exclamation "Pizza Party!" really doesn't do this occasion justice. In truth, it was an all out Pizza Gorge-a-thon. I haven't eaten this much pizza at one sitting since junior high when I won the Grand Prize "Party at Showbiz" for selling 53 magazine subscriptions to a total of five elderly neighbors. My fingers ballooned to the size of toilet paper tubes, and I was haunted for weeks by dark dreams involving "Fatz Geronimo"--the animatronic keyboard-playing gorilla from the Showbiz house band, "Rockafire Explosion".

Silly Rabbit, Fatz is for kids!
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I ate pizza like a child (with banjo-wielding animatronic bears, lots of nappy dead meat, and congealed bovine mammary fluids). When I became a man, I gave up childish ways, and began eating designer vegan pizzas with toppings such as salted lemon puree, roasted beets, walnut pesto, tofu ricotta, and leeks.

Salted Lemon Puree, Roasted Beet, Arugula, Leek

Walnut Pesto, Tofu Ricotta, Mushroom, Tempeh Bacon

Pizza Caprese (Tofu, Tomato, Basil, Garlic, Salt and Pepper)

Another Jaw-Dropping Performance from Chef Miller.
Technically, the act of jaw-dropping is necessary for masticating even the most lackluster meals, so I suppose I should have said "awe-inspiring". After our third trip to Bloom, we're still waiting for signs that Chad Miller is a genuine human being and not a humanoid form of culinary super-intelligence from the vegan planet Perfectopia. Okay. He's human. There are animal products on the menu. (Make sure to harangue him about that when you visit. And you will. Visit. And harangue.) But when you're eating his vegan fare, you'll find it very hard to believe that an omnivore is pulling the switches. There are no sauces to disguise ingredients, no lame pasta-and-overcooked-vegetable travesties, and absolutely NO portobore-o mushrooms in the vicinity. Just lovely, fresh whole foods (and a little tofu) imaginatively combined, expertly prepared, stunningly presented, and affordably priced (the dish pictured above is $12.00 on the dinner menu). Enough effusive praise already. Here's what we had for dinner:

Nature's Bounty, Ligurian Olive Oil, Sea Salt
This dish is on the regular menu under "starters". It sounds silly, but the sea salt in this tasty little cornucopia (sans horn) is mind-blowing all by itself.

Chanterelle Mushroom Soup, Peanut, Corn, Chives
It looks and tastes like a cream soup, but the secret is a little tofu in the puree. Rich, savory, earthy, and...

...poured out before you table-side by the chef himself (so that you can enjoy seeing the ingredients that escaped the mixer before they're "in the soup", as it were).

Tofu Triumvirate
The next step was a set of three tofu dishes. The one pictured at the top of the post is braised tofu, carrot, onion, carrot puree, and chives. The liquid was quite simply an onion lover's dream. I could have eaten it on its own as a soup! The other two dishes featured perfect pan seared tofu and...

Roast Beets, Candied Orange, Soy Caramel, Micro Greens

Pinto Beans, Corn, Bell Pepper, Caramelized Onion Puree, Pink Peppercorn
Did you know that pink "peppercorn" isn't really peppercorn at all? It's a flower bud from the rose family, apparently. Though I didn't get this dish, I did manage to steal several of these remarkable ersatz peppercorns. Amazing flavor. Finally, it was time for dessert...

Bring us a figgy, gingery, cucumbery treat (if you have one on hand)!
Some of these ingredients may seem like strange bedfellows, but I am at a loss to express how delicious, refreshing, and light this unlikely dessert tasted. You're looking at roasted fig and diced cucumber in a light vanilla bean syrup with ginger sorbet, crushed candied almond, and candied ginger (the garnish is a cucumber sauce).

This spinach and onion stuffed pastry is as beautiful to eat as it is to look at.

I only got one piece, but I could have easily eaten the whole pie. Fresh, local, organic blueberries suspended in cashew cream custard and topped with a scoop of Turtle Mountain So Delicious Creamy Vanilla. That a way, U.J.!

The picture says it all.

These cookies are irresistible, and a snap to make. I slightly modified the recipie I found at Post Punk Kitchen by cutting the amount of sugar nearly in half, using only one teaspoon of vanilla, adding two teaspoons of almond extract, and adding about a 1/4 cup of coconut to the mix. The only question is... are they better than Coach Carson's Cookies?!??!!?

Yukon Golds mashed with earth balance and "buttermilk" (soymilk and vinegar) topped with "Punkrock Chickpea Gravy" from Vegan With A Vengence, served with spicy broccoli and a Trillium lettuce.

This is a spot on version of the summer classic. Fresh organic tomato, fresh basil from the garden, and a hunk of raw China Rose tofu drizzeled with olive oil, served on toasted herb sourdough and seasoned generously with salt and pepper. Summertime!

Exalted Vegan Cuisine Just Down the Block

It is notoriously difficult to find passable vegan cuisine in a restaurant that caters largely to omnivores. It is even more difficult to get satisfaction when the bar by which you measure passable vegan cuisine has been set by the finest vegan chefs in the world, whose gustatory revelations are still emblazoned on your palate from the Vegetarian Awakening conference back in April.

Culinary Genius in the Bloom of Youth

That's why we were absolutely blown away when Chad Miller, 24-year-old co-owner and executive chef of Restaurant Bloom right here on Cherry Street in Grand Rapids (he's the headless-but-not-breadless torso in the above photo), dished up one of the most innovative, aesthetically pleasing, and downright delectable vegan dining experiences we've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. To get a sense of how much we loved Chad's cuisine, take into account that we've also had the pleasure here, here, here, and here, among other places.

Pea + Rhubard Reduction + Coconut = A Really Good Start

I suppose we shouldn't have been too surprised, since Chad received his training at GRCC, home of Chef Kevin Dunn, the vegan culinary pioneer who brought Vegetarian Awakening to Grand Rapids. In any case, we gave Chef Miller 4 days notice (he recommends a minimum of 2), and he prepared a tour de force of six inspired vegan dishes--three courses each for the ladies and the gentlemen. My antique 2.0 megapixel camera, Bloom's ambient lighting, and my remedial photographic sense have conspired against my intent to provide pictures that do justice to Chef Miller's breathtaking platings. Nevertheless, the following photos will give you at least an inkling of his considerable talents.

First Courses

Carrot in Variations, Sunflower Seed

Toasted Almond Gazpacho, Pickled Cucumber, Grape, Powdered Vanilla
Second Courses

Smoked Tofu, Sugar Snaps, Baby Potatoes, Pea Puree

Chanterelle Mushrooms, Baby Zucchini, Lentils, Ligurian Olive Oil
Third Courses

Roast Banana, Chocolate Sorbet, Cashew, Smoked Salt

Fresh Strawberry, Fresh Blueberry, Vanilla Bean Tapioca, Pistachio, Basil

Alas, Alack...
Bloom is not an exclusively vegan restaurant. And they are as yet in the process of acquiring a liquour license, so dinner was still a glass or two of Sancerre from perfect. But the food was so ingeniously and meticulously conceived, expertly executed, and beautifully plated that those thoughts didn't occur to me until dinner was over. Go to Bloom and put this guy through the VEGAN paces! He's got the chops, and then some.