Well the “me” in question is Sherri, there are occasionally a few other Me’s writing here. I had a 2.5 hour interview, including “technical assessment” (translation: test) this afternoon, had a haircut by my friend at her fabulous VEGAN salon, and dinner was some Tofurky slices on a roll with Vegenaise and some grainy mustard. That said, I got nothing to tell you about so here’s a little Q/A about me.
What is one food you thought you’d miss when you went vegan, but don’t?
Pot Roast. Then I suddenly realized that what I’d loved best wasn’t the cow, it was all the yummy roasted carrots, celery and onions bathed in gravy. My Mom even mentioned that as a really little kid I wouldn’t even eat the meat, just the veggies and gravy, and I had to be convinced to eat the meat I was served! Crazy. Anyway, now I just roast veggies and make my own fabulous gravy.
What is a food or dish you wouldn’t touch as a child, but enjoy now?
I hated both beets and Brussel sprouts as a kid, mostly due to bad cooking. Kind of ditto for cauliflower (aloo gobi saved cooked cauliflower for me). Now I love all of these veggies, particularly Brussel sprouts – I long for them during late spring and summer!
What vegan dish or food you feel like you “should” like, but don’t?
Mushrooms! Really, seriously not a fan. Never have liked them. I have started to use dried shiitakes in my homemade dashi and some stocks, but I don’t eat them. I get the flavor into my stock and compost them! This past August we went out to dinner at a fancy Peruvian place and the chef sent out a tapas using shiitakes and quinoa. Despite how both Christie and I feel about them, we ate them (seriously, the chef had sent them out special) and they were the most amazing thing.
How could we say "no" to these mushrooms?
What beverage do you consume the most of on any given day?
Tea
What dish are you “famous” for making or bringing to gatherings?
Cupcakes. I even have one of the special travel cases to hold them all. Although I’m just generally known for bringing yummy food of all sorts.
Do you have any self-imposed food rules (like no food touching on the plate or no nuts in sweets)?
Not really. Aside from the mushrooms I’m pretty open to trying things out.
What’s one food or dish you tend to eat too much of when you have it in your home?
If I make mac & cheeze it is really hard to not just eat until I feel overly full! Same with Shepherd’s Pie and just about anything involving mashed potatoes and gravy. Oh, and sweets, cakes and cookies particularly!
What ingredient or food do you prefer to make yourself despite it being widely available prepackaged?
Soups as well as my own stocks and broths. I really don’t care much at all for commercially packaged soups anymore.
What ingredient or food is worth spending the extra money to get “the good stuff”?
Really, all of it. It is the food we eat. The stuff that literally rebuilds our cellular structure, why wouldn’t anyone invest in that!? This is especially true of good produce, good tea, good spices, fresh herbs, chocolate, fresh nut butters, etc.
Are you much of a snacker? What are your favorite snacks?
Hummus and anything like a chip, cracker, bagel, carrots, celery…. really, hummus on just about anything. I also love toast with jam as a snack. Ummm… so, yeah, I’m a snacker…
What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings?
Squash sauce, olives, spinach, fresh basil, arugula. I’ve also had a great pizza at Hot Lips that had fresh spinach, garlic, broccoli and potato slices on it – that was pretty fantastic too.
What is your favorite vegetable? Fruit?
Carrots, peas, Brussel sprouts, kale. Mangoes, any stone fruit, apples.
What is the best salad dressing?
I make a great ginger miso dressing we really love. For commercial dressings I like Annie’s “Goddess” dressing a lot.
What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread?
Apricot Jam.
What kind of soup do you most often turn to on a chilly day or when you aren’t feeling your best?
Minestrone, chili, really just any kind of soup or stew. I just love them and make a lot of them.
What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Frosting flavor?
Green tea! I loved all the green tea sweets you see in Japanese restaurants so I was thrilled to find a recipe
Green tea cupcakes sprinkled with powdered sugar
What is your favorite kind of cookie?
Snickerdoodles, Russian tea cakes, and peanut butter blossoms.
What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”?
Grilled tempeh and some veggies.
What is one dish or food you enjoy, but can’t get anyone else in your household to eat?
Eggplant
How long, in total, do you spend in the kitchen on an average day?
1-2 hours
How many fingers am I holding up?
12
What kind of things are you doing for VeganMofo?
Posting about my not-so-successful meals and I’m going to finally give a try at making my own steamed sausages!