Holiday in South Florida

I'm taking a quick detour from my very active participation in this year's Cookbook Challenge. Over the winter holidays I visited friends and family in my Florida hometown, Fort Lauderdale. In addition to sleeping in for an entire week (!!), I wined and dined at one of the finest vegan dining establishments on the east coast. Sublime Restaurant and Bar is located in downtown Fort Lauderdale and features an all-vegan fancy-foods menu! The owner, Nanci Alexander, is also the founder of ARFF (Animal Rights Foundation of Florida) and 100% of the restaurant's profits are donated to organizations set on reducing animal cruelty and promoting a vegan lifestyle. It also doesn't hurt that all of their food is absolutely delicious.

Matt and I started with two appetizers (they were having an anniversary special - all appetizers were only $4!). The Crispy Eggplant Rollatini was perfectly proportioned and the vegan ricotta couldn't have been creamier. I'm usually skeptical about ordering dairy analogues at restaurants, especially ones that are house-made, but I'm glad I did in this instance. Below, our second appetizer is one that can't be missed. I've ordered it every time I went to Sublime and it keeps getting better and better. The Frito Misto consists of battered and lightly fried cauliflower florets covered in a sweet chili sauce and topped with black-and-white sesame seeds and a spring onion garnish. M-O-U-T-H-P-A-R-T-Y. Just writing about this dish has me yearning to recreate it. I know what my weekend project will be...

If you are intrigued at all by the appetizers, you must stay for dinner. The menu at Sublime is really diverse, featuring salads, sushi, brick oven pizza, an array of entrees and mouthwatering desserts. Matt ordered the Mushroom Ravioli for dinner and I was utterly speechless after my first bite. The pasta was made in-house and if that was any indication of fresh pasta, I'm seriously missing out. It was soft, silky, creamy, sexy yummy goodness. The filling was excellent as well, but they could have served just me plain noodles and I wouldn't have complained.

My entree was almost as delicious (maybe if it had been wrapped in ravioli noodles...) but still very enjoyable. The Sublime Picatta consisted of Gardein cutlets, mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus and a lemon caper sauce. I've only ever tried the chicken-style Crispy Tenders, but I've heard really good things about Gardein brand meat analogues so I decided to give it a whirl. The taste and texture were pleasurable, but anything covered in lemon caper sauce would taste good to me. I was mostly surprised by how they found such thick asparagus!

Let the verdict show that vegan gourmet is entirely possible, and insanely delicious. If you're ever in south Florida, support this vegan establishment!

Vegan MoFo 2010: Day Four

Day Four: Fine Dining Desserts!



The poached fruit is commonly affiliated with posh French or Italian restaurants as a refined and resplendent alternative to violently rich slabs of chocolate cake. Simmered in a simple bath of wine and sugar (as well as any other advertised flavoring agents), the often infinitesmal servings arrive with a bulky price tag. Such duplicity results in mislead notions of laborius preparation and strategic planning. How else would one justify a $12.00 plate of cooked fruit?

 

Apples Poached in White Wine
Garnished with Curled Lemon Peel and Dried Cranberries



Of course, that really isn't the case! Poaching fruit couldn't be easier or any less expensive. You'll spend the bulk of your budget on the wine, but one bottle is enough for more than ten servings (each serving being one fruit) and a little left to sip. Barnivore is a great resource to help you determine whether or not your wine of choice contains or utilizes animal ingredients (yep; beer, wine and spirits aren't necessarily vegan friendly!), and there are many i-Apps available as well. The recipe* I used called for dry white wine (chardonney and some rieslings are dry whites) so I used a $10 chardonney from Castle Rock Winery. This batch was flavored with lemon peel and cinnamon and garnished with dried cherries. Oh my, was it delicious and easy to prepare.

*Another winner from Donna Klein's The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen! Seriously, GET THIS BOOK! It's super market friendly and has so many delicious food ranging from French, Italian, Greek, Egyptian, African - anything bordering or near to the Mediterranean Sea!

Vegan MoFo 2010: Day Three

Day Three: Fine Dining - Entree

From my own experiences in "high class" dining facilities, I've safely assumed that most mainstream chefs have little to no imagination when it comes to vegan entrees. Too frequently I have been presented with a plate of overcooked penne and out-of-the-jar marinara sauce or an under-seasoned slab of tofu accompanied by rice pilaf (which is really just white rice and a couple of peas). The worst meal I've received from a restaurant (with a fixed menu) was stuffed zucchini...stuffed with itself. The insides were scraped out, shredded and stuffed back into the zucchini for a 20 minute bake. I couldn't find a single teaspoon of seasoning, let alone a grain of salt or pepper. Such a dish has scared my interpretation of "stuffed" vegetables. Out of my frustrations came an unrelenting persistence. I would reclaim and recreate the forlorn stuffed vegetables of mainstream commercial kitchens! No longer will the zucchinis and eggplants and portobellos be forced onto a plate, embarrassed by their near nakedness! I'd stuff a mushroom, and I'd stuff it good.



Stuffed Portobellos with Sun dried Tomatoes and Basil
Plated on Homemade Tomato Sauce with Toasted Walnuts

The recipe I used can be found in Donne Klein's The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen.* The filling was simple, fresh, uncomplicated and absolutely delicious. Sun dried tomatoes lend a sweet and tangy essence to the earthy basil and parsley. Homemade vegetable broth prevents the filling from drying out, and the portobellos absorb any access liquid. My addition of homemade marinara and toasted walnuts finalize this satiating meal.

*Amazingly and unlike most cookbooks geared towards veg*nism, Klein completely disregards to use of soy products and meat/dairy/etc. analogues! This a great book for someone without access to well stocked grocers or health food stores. More to come on her cookbook - a Cookbook Challenge is on the agenda!

Vegan MoFo: Day Two

Day Two: Tomato-Fennel Soup with Gremolata and Cashew Cream Drizzle

It's day two of Vegan MoFo and things are going swimmingly! According to Vegan MoFo Headquarters International, there are 556 bloggers participating, and surely more to follow. The sign-up sheet closes at the end of the day, so anyone still interested in participating in MoFo 2010 should mowsey on that a-way. I've only browsed a handful of blogs, but I'm already inspired. Numerous high-fives and pats on the back to everything that I've seen thus far. Mo Betta Vegan is planning to tackle to Video blogging, and Scratch and Sniff is covering my favorite meal of the day: Lunch! I'll also be keeping a sharp eye on Amey from Vegan Eats & Treats - who wouldn't want to travel Around the World in 30 Days with another vegan?

As for me, the task of balancing work, cooking and blogging has been surprisingly smooth, and I am excited to share the rest of my creations. During the process of establishing this week's menu, I was very apprehensive. To be honest, Matt and I are not fancy people. We enjoy simplicity without loosing sight of what is important to us. Fine Dining? Me, and in our kitchen? Needless to say, I had my reservations. The courses that I planned to make this week were dissimilar from what I make on a regular basis. The choice to blog more elegant cuisine was fostered out of my desire to cook more thoughtfully while maintaining the simplicity that drives my life and is the inspiration for most of the food that I eat. I'm trying to use this week's menu as a means to expose the "overpriced and underportioned" meals so many people are reluctant to taste or cook. When really, fine dining is about simplicity. It's about the purity of the ingredients (and often their plating!). What a spiel! Let's get to the goods already.

Tomato-Fennel Soup with Gremolata and Cashew Cream Drizzle

On a whim I purchased a medium size fennel bulb from my local produce market, intending on finding a use for it (other than tickling my nostrils with the whispy leaves!). This soup is full of such complex flavor, and it will warm you to the core on the nights approaching winter. It's topped with a rich and tangy gremolata and a trill of cashew cream.

Tomato-Fennel Soup with Gremolata and Cashew Cream Swirl

serves 4

2 T olive oil

1 medium fennel bulb, whispy ends removed, cored and finely chopped

2 large shallots, finely chopped

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes

1/2 vegetable broth

1/4 cup gremolata (recipe below)

1/4 cup cashew cream (recipe below)

Heat a large stockpot and add oil. Add chopped fennel, shallots and carrot and saute until softened but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juice along with vegetable broth and raise the heat to High. Bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered. Allow to simmer approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat and ladle soup to blender or food processor (in batches if necessary). Blend until smooth. Laddle soup into individual serving vessels and top with one tablespoon of gremolata. Using a spoon, drizzle cashew cream onto of soup.

Gremolata

1/4 cup parsley

2 garlic gloves

1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove the skin from the lemon and chop finely. Mince the garlic and the parsley. Combine in a small bowl and add the olive oil. Stir with a fork and refrigerate until needed.

Cashew Cream

1 cup cashews

1/2 cup almond milk or water

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon fresh ground black peper, or to taste

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional

Add cashews to food processor or high speed blender. Pulse into fine uniform crumbs. With the food processor or blender running, slowly add the almond milk or water until a thick paste begins to form. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until combined. Add more liquid to reach desired consistency. It should be thick, but viscious enough to drizzle on soup. Taste for salt and pepper. Adjust to preferences. Set aside until needed. 

Vegan MoFo: Day One

Day One: A Fine Dining Appetizer

 

Welcome to the Vegan Month of Food and welcome to the Five-Course Vegan! Over the next four weeks, I will be your host, server and chef for what I wish to be a memorable dining experience. At the beginning of each week, a meticulously planned menu will be organized and presented for your viewing (and salivating) pleasure. The aforementioned menus will, of course, contain an assemblage of harmonious courses particular to an announced theme. While differing slightly from the standard sequence of most Western-world multi course meals,  I will serve an appetizer, soup and/or salad, a main course, dessert and cocktails of the alcoholic and nonalcoholic variety. Below you will find this week's menu, an ode to Fine Dining.

The Five-Course Vegan: Fine Dining Menu

Classic Bruschetta with Roma Tomatoes and Shallots

Tomato-Fennel Soup with Gremolata and Cashew Cream Drizzle

Portobello Caps Stuffed with Sun-dried Tomatoes

Cinnamon Infused Apples Poached in White Wine

The Vegan Glass of Wine: A Minor Treatise

For your first course, may I present a Classic Bruschetta with Roma Tomatoes and Shallots. It has been prepared with the finest and ripest tomatoes available. Paired with mildly sweet shallots, this classic Italian appetizer has been bathed in extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and seasoned with the last of my garden's Genovese basil. It is a hearty appetizer reining from central Italy, served with home-baked artisanal baguette slices.

Classic Bruschetta with Roma Tomatoes and Shallots
Homebaked Artisanal Baguette Wedges

If you would care to return tomorrow, you are in for a treat. I'll be serving Tomato and Fennel Soup with Gremolata and a Cashew Cream Drizzle. It'll be the perfect accompaniment to more home-baked baguette slices, as well as the cooler weather many of have been experiencing. Happy MoFoing :)