KimmyKokonut

I’ll be living on the coast of Peru for the next month, volunteering at Otra Cosa, a vegetarian restaurant (and international volunteer agency). All of the tips of the restaurant go to different charities within the community. I’m currently learning the menu, which is a mix of Peruvian and Meditteranean foods. With all the cooking at work and at home, I’m experimenting with a lot of foods I haven’t worked with before. I don’t necessarily know how to use everything the correct way, so feel free to share your recipes or information with me. Here are a few of the first unique foods I have discovered.

Choclo
There are a million kinds of corn in Peru (don’t even start on the 400 varieties of potatoes). They each have their own purpose and way to be cooked.The giant corn kernels (mote), which are yellow or white, can be eaten on the cob or scraped off and eaten like a vegetable side. I haven’t seen red corn in restaurants yet. Ground corn is used for tamales and the list goes on. The chicha morada is a purple corn that is made into a dark purple drink that tastes like sweet corn. It is very good for you and is very high in antioxidants. I like it and think it’s very refreshing on a hot day. Anything beats Inca Kola, which is the national Peruvian drink. It’s soda that tastes like Bubble Yum bubble gum. Too sweet for me, but I see kids around town carrying a liter sized bottle of it. My current favorite way of eating Peruvian corn is called cancha. The big yellow corn kernels are dried and roasted; creating a type of popcorn that is unpopped. It’s nutty, salty and delicious. Imagine popcorn inside out. That’s what this is. I’m not sure if you can make it with normal corn, but here’s a recipe if you want to try:

Cancha Recipe
1 lb. Peruvian Cancha Corn
3 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 Tbs. sea salt
vegetable oil for frying

1. In a bowl, toss corn and olive oil, spread on a sheet pan and roast slowly in a 300 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked in the middle.
2. Will look similar to a half cooked popcorn kernel once it is done. Remove from oven, pour back into bowl and toss with salt to taste. I bought this from a mobile roadside fruit and veggie vendor. It looks like a shriveled cucumber and when it is cut into, there’s a bunch of large black seeds (pipas) that look like pieces of plastic. I hollowed out the middle and cut the skin (it’s a little thinner than a bell pepper) into strips and ate it with my salad. It tastes just like cucumbers, without the water content or the seeds.

Pepino

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this fruit. It’s the shape of a giant tomato but it’s yellow with purple stripes. I thought it would have a big pit in the middle like a mango, but to my surprise it was hollow inside and had a thin membrane in the middle. It tastes just like cantaloupe. The inside has the same color, texture and taste like a cantaloupe. The vendor told me I could eat the skin, but I cut it off anyways. I’m sure it would have been fine. The skin was like a tomato peel. My Sra. Tells me it’s called pepino, but that’s the same word for cucumber. I will do some further research and update the name when I can.

Núñez
I bought núñez at the market, thinking they were just like kidney beans. They are about the same size and density, but much prettier. I took home my núñez and treated them just like any other bean (soak overnight, boil until tender). I mixed them with some rice, oregano and tomatoes and had a very satisfying evening of rice and beans. A few days later I was talking to Nella, the chef I work with at Otra Cosa, about the beans. I asked her how she prepares them and she told me to take the dry bean and deep-fry it until it is like cancha. I told her how I cooked them and she laughed at me. I asked her if she knew anyone who had cooked núñez like a bean and she told me never. I may be the first person in Peru to boil núñez. I’ll have to try it fried, but boiled it’s a creamy bean that retains its speckles.

And last, but not least for this post, Mazamorada!
It’s a street snack that set me back sl. 50 (about 15 cents US) and it’s rice with condensed milk and a syrup of apples, pineapples and the tiniest peach in the world (about the size of a large grape, complete with pit). I thought it was too sweet but tasted just like it was supposed to. It’s a good snack, but not really much of a meal.

Peru, like most countries in the world, are pretty heavy on the carnivorous side and not very understanding of why someone would choose to be vegetarian.  At least that was my impression entering Peru.  That has been blown out of the water.  Meat eaters will have their fill, don’t be mistaken, but there are lots of options for the herbivore.  I have been enjoying balanced, tasty and beautiful vegetarian meals in Lima.  Surprisingly, it’s angle is different here than the stereotypical granola hippy or uber high class cuisine.  The vegetarian restaurants here are filled with men…in suits.  The main angle at the majority of the vegetarian restaurants in Lima is health.  There’s a street in Lima Centro (just two blocks off Union) that has 3 vegetarian restaurants in a row offering 3 course lunches for about $2-3.  They have fresh juices, smoothies, and typical Peruvian food…without the meat.  They use a lot of carne de soya, which has a good texture and sops up the flavorful sauces really well.  I really like the variety of sauces I’ve been exposed to so far.  Hopefully I’ll get to learn how to make them soon.

I ordered a mushroom ceviche (which was sl. 6, or $2 us) and it was a huge pile of limey deliciousness.  Ceviche seems to be the national dish of Peru, at least on the coast.  They love fish on the coast.  It makes sense, it’s right there.  I was happy to see a veg version of it and it was very luscious.  On the bottom layer was roasted sweet potatoes.  On top of the sweet potatoes was a mound of mushrooms and carne de soy marinated in lime juice, cilantro and salt.  On the side of the plate was the usual scoop of fresh choclo (giant yellow corn kernels) and about a half of an avocado.

I ate at Govinda Restaurant in Miraflores (a suburb of Lima) for a Hare Krishna vegetarian lunch.  It was similar to the other restaurants in that it was classic Peruvian food with a vegetarian twist.  For sl. 9 (US $3), I had an emoliente which is a hot beverage made of different herbs.  It is pretty viscous, which makes me believe there’s aloe vera juice in it.  I can’t get anyone to explain to me the individual ingredients.  The appetizer was a vegetable and rice soup, which was hearty and full of rice, peas, corn and potatoes.  The main dish was skewered vegetables and fried tofu covered in a red chili sauce.  Dessert was sliced bananas in a fruit (pineapple?) syrup.  I love the menus.  They are a great deal and if you are ever in Peru, seek them out.  Lunch that fills your stomach for $3.  You can’t go wrong.  Take note that a menu is the multi-course daily special.  If you want to see a “menu,” ask for the carta.

I’m always looking this information up. Here it is all in one place.

1 tsp sea salt = 2 Tbl tamari/soysauce/bragg’s = 1 Tbl dark miso = 1.5 Tbl light miso

1:1 wonders Yogurt: Sour Cream; Arrowroot: Cornstarch: Kudzu

1 tsp dried herbs = 1 Tbl fresh herb

1 lemon = 1 fl oz juice = 1 Tbl zest (Limes are about half that)

Baking powder = Baking soda + acid. It reacts twice: when wet and in the presence of heat. If it made a recipe too acidic, add some baking soda.

The batter for 12 cupcakes=8×8″square pan=9″ spring-form=9x13x2″ pan

A full size restaurant pan measures about 13x20x2″ Batter for 3 dozen cupcakes will fit in this pan.

1 vanilla bean= 2 tsp pure extract

1 Tbl agar-agar flakes = 1 tsp gelatin

Gluten is in: wheat, barley and rye. Oats are tricky because while the grain itself doesn’t contain gluten, it is usually processed on the same equipment as flour, which makes it tainted for the Celiacs.
If you are craving sugar and fat, you should eat some grains, beans and vegetable. If you are craving carbs, eat some protein. Not sure how scientific this is, but I read it once and refer to it everytime I want ice cream or a loaf of bread.

When using processed white granulated sugar doesn’t cut it, try these helpful substitutions:

1 cup of white sugar=

• 1 cup turbinado/demera/rapidura sugar
• 6 fl oz maple syrup (reduce a liquid in the recipe by 1.5 fl oz and add 1/4 tsp baking soda)
• 6 fl oz barley malt syrup (reduce a liquid by 2 fl oz)
• 1.33 cup molasses (reduce a liquid by 1/3 cup and add 1 tsp baking soda) Turn oven down by 25 deg F and don’t replace more than half of the sugar with molasses because it imparts a strong flavor.
• 6 fl oz honey/agave (reduce a liquid by 2 fl oz and add 1/4 tsp baking soda) For honey, turn the oven down by 25 deg F. Honey will make it moister, chewier and darker. Agave will be somewhere in between.
• 1 3/4 cup packed powdered sugar (makes cookies less crispy). I have not used this sub, it seems strange but it’s out there.
• 1 3/4 cup rice syrup (reduce a liquid by 2 fl oz)
• 6 fl oz fruit concentrate (you know, that frozen stuff in the can) Keep in mind the flavor may come through. (reduce a liquid by 2 fl oz and add 1/4 tsp baking soda)
• 3/4 cup pitted, dried dates (or 6 fl oz blended)

1 cup of Brown Sugar = 1 cup of white sugar + 2 Tbl molasses

You can always just use less sugar than called for in recipes or add cinnamon, vanilla extract or almond extract. (They are fakers and make you think things are sweeter than they are).

Buttermilk: 8 fl oz of buttermilk can be easily replaced by your favorite soy/rice/nut milk plus 1 Tbl acid of choice (lemon juice, apple cider vinegar etc).

Milk: Um, just use your favorite non-dairy milk. My favorite is my homemade cashew milk. It’s creamy, fatty and delicious.

Butter : 1 stick of butter is the same as 4 oz of butter. Butter is magically weight-volume equivalent (a cup is 8 oz). For 4 oz of butter, substitute:

• 1/3 cup oil (this is the option that is the least noticable because you are not losing a lot of fat content).
• 1/3 cup fruit puree (puree prunes (1/2 cup prunes + 1/4 cup h20-best for chocolate dishes) applesauce, pureed bananas or even whipped silken tofu. If it’s too low-fat for your liking, add some oil in place of the fruit.

I’ll be travelling/volunteering/cooking in South America for the next few months and can’t really carry around my cookbooks and reference materials with me. But I will be sad if I can’t access the essentials, so I will post them here for you as well, hoping it becomes a valuable resource. I have gleaned this info from about 10 different cookbooks and organized them to how I use them.

EGGS: 1 normal egg equals=(4 Tbl beaten egg)

• 1 Tbl ground flax seeds + 1.5 fl oz water (whisk well. best in breads, cookies, muffins, pancakes. creates an earthy taste, but I like it. Flax seeds are very perishable, I keep them in the fridge and grind about a quarter cup at a time. People say ground seeds last up to a week but I will use them for up to a month)
• 1/2- 1 banana, mashed or blended (best in quick breads, pancakes and desserts). It browns nicely, sweetens well but does lend a banana taste.
• 1.5 tsp energ egg replacer + 1 fl oz h20, whisked well. (best in cookies, crisp items, and light desserts where flax would weigh it down. some say it can lend a chalky taste, which I haven’t noticed, but I prefer flax because of the nutritional boost.)
• 1/4 cup silken tofu, blended (best in cakes and brownies) If 3 eggs in a light recipe, use 2 tofu “eggs”. Add 1 tsp of starch (cornstarch, arrowroot, kudzu) per tofu egg in cookies to combat the cakiness. You can’t taste the tofu, but it does make for a surreal smooth and creamy texture in brownies which some like, some hate. Don’t use tofu eggs for pancakes.
• 1/4 cup soy yogurt (best for quick breads, muffins and cakes). Works just like tofu without the tofu-ness. It adds a lot of moisture and I’ve found it to be a great substitute for cakes. I just don’t have it on hand that often (and it’s pricey compared to flax).
• 2 Tbl cornstarch/arrowroot/potato starch (haven’t tested this one yet, let me know if you do).
• 1 Tbl soy powder + 1 fl oz h20 (haven’t tested it either).

Visiting friends and family in Connecticut, I was able to squeeze in a dinner at one of my favorite places to eat in CT. It’s located just past WestFarms mall, in the Borders Books plaza, tucked in the back.

A rite of passage for the vegan hardcore kids, China Pan pleases all. They have food for all omnivores but 3 pages of their menu is devoted to the veg*n community. Lovers of General Tso’s tofu beware, they now offer fake chicken for the General experience.

Every time I go there, I order General Tso’s tofu, sauce on the side and am never disappointed. This time I thought I’d try something new: Vegan Silver Chicken Balls. They were more like a seitan meat than quorn or soy protein chicken subs I’ve had before. It was very meaty, in a brown sauce, tossed with snow peas and some thin noodles on top that tasted like styrofoam (which I liked a lot). The chicken itself was alright, I think I was expecting a lighter, chickeny flavor. The texture was right on and sometimes I think it’s fun that it’s fake and tastes real, and sometimes it unsettles me and I’m constantly doubting if it’s real animal or not. This meat was borderline realistic. I enjoyed it but I think the texture was a bit too realistic. The sauce was flavorful, snow-peas yummy and hooray for styrofoam textured food (cheesepuffs, rice cakes, it must be a childhood pleasure).

Husband ordered the Vegan Citrus Spareribs, which I think were made of the same wheat gluten as the chicken, but they were not in balls, they were more rib-y without the actual bone. It had a sweet glaze (hoisin sauce?) and the citrus was very light but balanced it well. It was served with a ring of steamed broccoli.

For appetizers, I had the vegetarian wonton soup and the scallion pancakes. I am never disappointed by the pancakes. They are more of a doughier bread than a pancake, pan-fried and delicious. The wonton soup was good: tasty broth, yummy wonton wrappers and the filling was filled with green goodness (bok choy? scallions?). My only issue was the filling was a little bland, it could’ve used some salt or garlic or a heat kick of chilies.

My friend got the General Tso’s tofu, and as usual, I was jealous and wished I had ordered my old standby. It was delicious, the tofu was crispy on the outside, pillowy in the middle and the saucy a complex party in my mouth. I am proud of myself for trying something different.

Recently, I got to visit the #1 most enlightened town in America (UTNE), the #1 emerging city in the US, #2 green city in the us, and a vegetarian friendly town, yet to be on a top 10 listing, but perhaps it should be since it is home to the famous Moosewood Restaurant and lesser known veggie friendly places like the ABC.

Moosewood, THE resource for vegetarian recipes in the 70′s, has published 11 cookbooks and is a collectively owned business. I was always under the assumption that they emphasized healthy, ovo-lacto vegetarian foods, in “creative vegetarian cooking.” I do not agree with them.

The first cookbook I encountered was one left behind in a rental house in college. It was quite old, but the recipes had a LOT of ingredients in them, many that I couldn’t find in rural Connecticut. I don’t think I cooked one recipe from it. For a gift one year, I received the Daily Special (the soups and salads book) which I really enjoyed. The recipes were involved and called for a lot of ingredients but most came out good. My only concern was the liberal use of dairy and lack of protein in the recipes.

I felt my visit the restaurant would be like a Mecca experience, like I had come home to the heart of vegetarian cooking and would be blown away. Perhaps my expectations were too high, because my experience with the cookbook was much the same in person. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the food, but I don’t think I would call it creative vegetarian cuisine since there was FISH on their menu and the foods were quite heavy in the dairy/egg department, not what I would call healthy or emphasizing “healthful natural foods cuisine.” Perhaps the eggs are from happy farms, but they are still loaded with cholesterol and possibly pesticides/chemicals from the chicken’s feed. When did it become acceptable for restaurants to tout themselves as vegetarians then as a sidebar note they serve fresh seafood.

Hello?! I can understand wanting to appeal to the fish eater, but just don’t call yourself a vegetarian restaurant anymore. OK, I’ll calm down but it’s a huge pet peeve. Saying you are vegetarian and eating fish sometimes is like saying you are married but occasionally you sleep with other people. Why not just label yourself as you are or if you are transitioning, say so. The veg*n police is not real, but it is quite offensive to me for people to call themselves veg*ns if they aren’t. It gives quite a bad rap for those out there who live what they believe.

So, onto the dinner. I like that the menu changes to reflect seasonality, but there were only 4 entree choices, one vegan, one fish. We got the 3 veg*n entrees and split them among us and skipped dessert (when I’m trying to eat less dairy and my choices are tiramisu, cheesecake and a fruit crumble..the vegan option is quite disappointing and non-creative).

Salad: Basic greens with shredded carrots. We tried all the dressings and my favorite was the Miso-Ginger. #2 was the Lemon-Tahini. The feta-garlic dressing was not strong on the feta or the garlic. The house dressing was also disappointing. It was a creamy spinach basil dressing. It was green and creamy but the basil didn’t stand out and when it’s covering just a bunch of romaine and two olives, it was kind of a let down. The miso-ginger was bold and delicious, a nice balance for the simpleness of the salad. I felt the same way about the tahini.

We split a pitcher of Ithaca Beer Co.’s Cascazilla (YUM! Some of the best micro-brew I’ve had in awhile).

Entree 1: Spanakopita: Classic Greek dish filled with spinach and feta cheese. It did not disappoint in flavor. The filo was crispy on the outside and doughy where it touched the filling. The portion seemed a bit small, but it is heavy on the dairy and full of expensive ingredients. The accompaniment was some pickled vegetables, which I thought was a bit strange. My only complaint (my continuous complaint as I expect restaurants to served balanced dishes) was the lack of protein. Dairy is not an adequate protein source. Perhaps they could have added pine nuts to the filling? I’ve just spent almost half a lifetime of people assuming vegetarian equals the same meals as omnivores, just minus the meat. People tend to forget that there are plenty of protein sources out there (remember beans? nuts? it doesn’t just have to be a bland slab of tofu). When something is taken away, you don’t add more cheese or vegetables. It is important to remember our good friend protein. In my nutrition class at school, we learned the average DAILY portion size of meat is a deck of cards. So we don’t need a 1 lb steak with every meal like some people believe. But I wholly disapprove of relying on dairy to meet our protein needs. But yum! I love spanakopita.

Entree 2: Jerk Tofu with Vegetables over Brown Rice. The tofu was firm (local Ithaca tofu) and it’s seasoning was delicious. I could have eaten a whole bowl of just the tofu. The serving size seemed right on, the veggies were good (a little undercooked) and the rice was steamed to perfection. I’m glad we ordered two of these dishes for our table.

Entree 3: Eggplant and Tomatoes over Egg Noodles with lots of cheese. I expected more from this dish. The eggplant was a little undercooked (for my liking). The proportion of noodles to sauciness was perfect. But, once again, where’s the protein? Is there enough protein in the egg noodles to satisfy the daily requirement? I’d have to do a nutritional analysis. I think this dish would be better as a side or served with bread to sop up the juices. I think it’s more of an Italian 1st or 2nd course, before the entree. Not my favorite, but some in the group liked it very much.

Perhaps I’m just picky, but when I hear a place tout themselves as creative vegetarian, I hope for new ways to have vegetables, a variety of protein sources and whole grains. Overall, Moosewood’s food is great, home-style cooking. It’s food that the majority of omnivores would eat and not be scared by it. It’s stuff that I would and have made at home. It has familiar ingredients and dishes to please most people and I like that the menu changes.

I just think they should have stuck to their guns before allowing the fishes to enter their menu and if they want to be innovative, let’s try creativity for 2007, not 1978 anymore. People are eating out and learning more about food than before. It’s time to start challenging the palate and places like Candle Cafe stand out to me as creative, local foods with fun spins on classics that have balanced meals.

Sorry, Moosewood. Our service was slow and inattentive as well. I would return, but not in a hurry. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one.

I’m totally on a nut milk kick.  I have been drinking soy milk constantly for at least the last 11 years and the past few years we’ve been ordering dried soy milk powder from Sammi’s Best.  By buying it dehydrated, one 4 lb jug of the powder is equivalent to 22 quarts of soy milk.  That’s 22 aseptic containers of space that are not wasted on a truck and do not end up in a landfill.  If there’s space on the truck, then more can be squeezed on the truck bed, hence saving that silly old gasoline everyone worries about.  It’s totally win-win, especially in that you can make as much or as little soy milk as you need.  No more containers going bad.  Plus, we bring the powder backpacking with us and do a little instant soy milk to put into oatmeal or granola.

Cashew milk

But I have since changed my soy milk ways since husband has been diagnosed with hypothyroidism.  In one piece of literature, it is suggested that soy in unfermented forms (milk, tofu) can actually aggravate the condition and counteract treatment.  Tempeh and miso are not a problem because the fermentation breaks them down a bit and the body is able to process it much more effectively.  Not wanting to aggravate husband and personally seeking soy alternatives for myself (I don’t want to rely on one bean for all my protein intake, that also is not desirable), I have discovered the beauty of making my own nut milk.  I do not like sunflower seed milk.  Almond milk is okay.  Homemade pure hemp milk is, well, earthy.  (I am trying but can not duplicate Living Harvest hemp milk, THE best hemp milk on the planet-husband can drink a quart of chocolate in a day).  I think the fattiest, creamiest milk so far has been with cashews.  Don’t worry, it’s good fat!

It’s so fun and I can add all the little boosters that I want to.  I have played around with the Not Milks cookbook, but her recipes are mostly flavored and make me think of smoothies.  Plus she calls for lecithin, which I do not have in my cupboard.  It’s an interesting book and has a great basics section on making nut milks.  Overall, I have found developing my own recipe with her basic technique makes the best cashew milk that one can have.  I recently had a friend visiting from Africa and she was more in shock than anything that I could make milk out of nuts.  She told me after trying my cashew milk she couldn’t stop thinking about it all day and is currently devising an electricity-free way to repeat it in Africa.  I hope it works out because her access to goat’s milk is NOT the same as cashew milk.

Here’s my recipe, let me know what you think.

Kashew Milk 

Yield: about 2 quarts, depending on how much you water it down.

• 1/2 cup raw cashews (buy bulk and store in the fridge)
• 1 Tbl flax seeds, ground to a powder
• 1/8 cup shelled raw hemp seeds (optional, but i like my omega’s)
• 3-4 cups h20
• 1 Tbl vanilla extract
• sweetener of choice (evaporated cane juice, agave, honey, rice syrup) start with 1/2 cup, then add more

1. Bring water to a boil and remove from heat.  Set aside.
2. Place the cashews in a blender and blend until they are powdery.  You may need to shut it off and scrape it well to get all the chunks ground.
3. Add flax and hemp and blend again.
4. With the blender on, pour in 1 cup of hot water and keep blending until it’s a creamy puree.
5. Continue to add water (my blender can only handle 3 cups) and blend until emulsified.
6. Add vanilla and sweetener and blend well.  Taste and add more water/sweetener to your liking.

It keeps in the fridge for about 5 days, but it’s so quick and easy to make there’s no need to make a huge batch.  I go though about this volume at a time and use it in muffins, breads, sauces and of course, cereal.

Using real sugar will make it taste more like store-bought soymilk.  Rice syrup is an interesting flavor on its own; I would recommend using half rice syrup with half agave or evaporated cane juice.

I had some overripe apricots crying in the fridge from neglect. I don’t like to eat them when they get overripe, and this recipe popped into my head. I made this two years ago, but with eggs. Today it has been veganized and I think the world is better because of it’s goodness. Try it and let me know what you think! The apricot melts into the middle of cake. Although it looks like a muffin, don’t be fooled, it is rich and buttery.

KimmyKakes:
Yield: 10 average muffin size

• 4 oz vegan margarine (I prefer Earth Balance)
• 1/2 cup sugar (evaporated cane juice!)
• 1/3 c packed brown sugar (plus an extra spoonful for later)
• 3 T unsweetened applesauce
• 1 T ground flaxseed whisked with 3 T h20
• 1 tsp lime zest (or whatever you can zest that’s on hand)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 c ap flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 fl oz cashew milk (or milk of your choice; i’m on a homemade cashew milk kick)
• 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar (or similar acid)
• 5 apricots, halved and pitted

The fun part:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 deg F.
2. Grease up your muffin pans.
3. Add vinegar to cashew milk and let it sit while you mise your stuff.
4. Cream margarine and sugars until fluffy (if lazy, use your food processor, it’ll be O.K.!)
5. Add applesauce, mix until well combined.
6. Add flax goo, mix until well combined.
7. Add zest and vanilla, mix well.
8. Add flour and baking soda. Mix until just incorporated.
9. Add cashew milk/vinegar and mix. DON’T overmix, or it won’t rise all pretty.
10. Spoon batter into tin, filling about halfway full.
11. Smoosh an apricot half into each tin, but don’t submerge it! (It will fall to the bottom and not be visible)
12. Bake for 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
13. Cool for a few minutes and enjoy.