Monday, June 08, 2009

Ode to VEGAN BRUNCH Testing

Excuse me, Vegan Brunch is out!!!!

 Tofu Florentine with Bechamel


Once again, I had the honor of testing for an Isa Chandra Moskowtiz cookbook, and once again, I cannot stop raving about her recipes.   I tested twentysomething this time around, and many of them quickly made it into regular rotation in my kitchen, like the Swiss Chard Frittata and Chorizo Sausages.  There are also those, like the Tomato Rosemary Scones and East Coast Coffeecake, that I kick myself for not making more often.  Testing for Post Punk Kitchen books is always a fantastic ongoing project that has me trying things I wouldn't normally, and really thinking about what I can see myself making again.

If you've been to my apartment, or my flickr, you know I have a steamed sausage drawer in my fridge.  Everything I tested was awesome, no hype here - I mean, this is the author who gave the world tempeh bacon, the first recipe I ever made from Vegan with a Vengeance, and it's dear to my heart.  She fucking knows brunch.  Follow that with perfect, reliable and at many, many points - innovative, recipes for pancakes, waffles, morning greens, scrambles of the cubed and smushed variety (hell yeah, to throwing in cubes!), east coast style coffeecake, omelets and scones, and well, she gives anyone interested in vegan cooking another guide to impressing and feeding their friends and family any time of day.  

In fact, just last night I picked up my copy, and utilized the leftover olives from a party I threw, jar of capers I've had for a while (admittedly since Veganomicon Caeser testing!), and a block of bulk tofu from People's Coop and made the Puttanesca Scramble for dinner.


Let's embark on my Vegan Brunch test kitchen photo tour... (there were actually a few recipes I tested I didn't photograph, liked the Jeff-endorsed Chesapeake Tempeh cakes - shocking, I know, blame the winter lighting)


The Tofu Florentine with Bechamel
 served with steamed chard



The Puttanesca Scramble

What you and Zelda came for. Vegan Omelets.

With a spicy black beans and greens filling









To my dear Tofu Frittatas...

This one had shiitakes, spinach, rosemary and thyme

Asparagus



Shiitake Dill (with creminis)



OMG, Sausages  - 

I made so many variations of Isa's Italian, Chorizo and Cherry Sage, I could never begin to name them all

You may know how it is....



Sausages and Greens 



Pan-fried

Cherry Sage - a couple weeks ago I made a 
Roasted Apple, Maple and Sage variation!



Spicy, spicy, spicy

Plated with extra mini-omelets



Poppy seed Pull-apart Rolls

Lemon Pepper Tofu




These are actually rejects from a photo shoot for the book.  The recipes are all Isa's, but the sweet scones, Tomato Rosemary, coffeecake and mocha chip muffins seen in Vegan Brunch came from my little kitchen.  cough cough.

Tomato Rosemary scones (first test) and Smoky Shiitakes (and creminis)



Sesame Yam Tofu Scramble

White bean gravy

Tempeh Sausage Pastry Puffs


East Coast Coffeecake, with jam swirl


How to Swirl!  
Very East Coast meets Portland, with this Oregon Black Raspberry Jam

Peanut Butter Waffles AND Tempeh Bacon

Mom's Breakfast Casserole - (uncooked)

potatoes, tofu, tempeh sauce - which you then smother in a cheezy sauce or shredded cheeze.

Chelsea Waffles - 
which I finally made once I had the book in my hands!





So go out. Brunch. Enjoy!  
Thank you, Isa!



Please note that Isa is bribing me with a year of warm vegan omelets, whenever I want one, in exchange for writing this.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dude, I'm so friggin hungry looking at your pictures! I love brunch...why am I sitting at home when I could be at the bookstore...

Sarah said...

good heavens girl!!

maybelle's mom said...

Oh, I adore veganomicon and can't wait for this book. Obviously the omlettes are exciting but I am really into those poppyseed rolls.

Anonymous said...

Wow, those pics are incredible! I am so excited about Vegan Brunch. I've only made a few things so far, but everything has been delicious!

Desdemona said...

Wow, great pics! I have to agree that VB is the greatest; I am also a subscriber to the "cat hair makes everything better" theory (mostly because his favorite place to hang out is on my cutting board)!

veggievixen said...

oh my gosh, where do i start??? this all looks so fantastically amazing. i was hooked from the first photo. i bought this book the second it came out and i'm super excited to try all of these recipes (and more). :)

Anonymous said...

Yummy pictures. That's some amazing food that I would kill to dive into

Yellowgoat said...

Wow, makes me so hungry, and it's only 10am and I had my breakfast....

I haven't try out all the wonderful recipes from Veganomicons and now i want this book so badly.

Rose said...

OMG yum! Virtually all of my favorite vegan goodies are pictured!

Josiane said...

I got the book a few days ago, and thought everything looked pretty amazing - and here you are, saying it's all as yummy as it seems? I already wanted to make everything (well, except for the mushroomy stuff), but now I want to make it all at once, as I can't decide what can wait! :)

Karla said...

i just finished eating a slice of Swiss Chard Party Omelette (that's what my bro-in-law calls frittatas)...but i had kale instead of chard, added mushrooms, jalapeno, and zucchini because they were all going bad in my fridge. yum! dollops of ketchup on top, yum!

IsaChandra said...

I WANT TO EAT KIRBY FEETS

bjorkedoff said...

i was there and saw those scones in person!!!!
and you held the lighting board!!!!

Judy's Nutrition said...

Wow, wow, wow! What an amazing spread of food, and I want to sample it all. I really need to get this book asap....

Kati said...

Oh man, so many things I must make. Glad I got the book already or I'd be running out and buying it right now. Here here to the cat hair - it seems to show up in everything, so why not enjoy?

Lisa -- Cravin' Veggies said...

That food looks incredible. Isa is amazing. I just ordered the book and cannot wait to get it!!!

Bianca said...

Yea!!!! I love that book so much. So far, I've made the omelet (love that black salt!), roasted potatoes, and the beer waffles. I heard Isa being interviewed this morning on Sirius Radio's Martha Stewart channel!

BTW, Jess, I must know what brand your waffle iron is. Your waffles look the way I want mine to look. But my cheapo iron is crap...I wanna buy a new one, but I want a good one this time. Do you know what brand yours is?

Anonymous said...

My copy of Vegan Brunch is on its way to me and I cannot WAIT. I know it's going to be awesome, as all the previous books are, and the future (cookies!!!) books will be. Thanks for giving us a peak at the awesomeness.

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

Hooray for Vegan Brunch! Dude, I need to make that Coffee Cake. I would call you the Sausage Queen, but well...

Unknown said...

sadly i think i will not be buying this book as it appears so seitan and tofu heavy - neither of which i can eat really on a regular basis :( but it looks yum!

kelly g. said...

Holy cripes, does the vegan omelet look good - with or without the hairballs! :)

Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen said...

I have this book and I can't wait to get in the kitchen with it. I already have a list of recipes I am dying to try and you just added to it with your pics and descriptions!

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