Vegetarian | Gourmandistan

Peach Cobbler and Prejudice

June 21, 2012 by Steve

Gourmandistan prides itself on its inclusiveness and tolerance of all cultures and traditions, especially the edible ones. But xenophobia seems to be hard-wired into the human psyche, and even those of us who strive to be civilized may still retain traces of irrational antipathy towards certain groups. For Steve, this happens to be people from Indiana—something that did not help when a nascent Gourmandistan decamped to Indianapolis for about a year. Long, long ago in an advertising galaxy far, far, […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Fruit Desserts, Old cookbooks, Peaches/Nectarines, Recipes, Vegetarian

Blueberry jam with lemon verbena, British jubilee with venom verbiage

June 3, 2012 by Steve

Steve was very happy when Susan of the delightful Susan eats London gave a bloggy boost to his pressure on Michelle for more blueberry jam. Michelle had been avoiding making more for fear it would once again cook out too thick. But when Steve bought a few “extra” quarts at this Saturday’s market, she made another batch, and some sweet cream biscuits to boot. The chopped fresh lemon verbena in this version adds just a touch of herby tartness that […]

Categories: Blueberries, Cooking, Food, Jams & Preserves, Recipes, Vegetarian

Blueberry alarm clock

May 28, 2012 by Steve

Blueberries may, quite possibly, be nature’s most perfect food. According to these helpful folks at the High Bush Blueberry Council, they border on some kind of super fruit—low in calories, loaded with fiber and vitamins, and packing enough antioxidants that one might safely hoover up an entire grill’s worth of free radicals without turning into the picture of Dorian Gray. (Have a great Memorial Day, everyone!) In season, Steve likes to finish his morning routine with a fistful of berries […]

Categories: Blueberries, Breakfast, Cooking, Food, Muffins & quick breads, Recipes, Vegetarian

Short Sour Cho Chweet Cherry Season

May 20, 2012 by Steve

About five minutes after his favorite fruit farmer, Sandi Deutsch, made a facebook post about picking sour cherries, Steve called and demanded her entire haul. The next afternoon we faced an all-to-perishable pile of crimson, scarlet and neon red cherries, perhaps six pounds in total, that needed to be dealt with quickly. We also knew it would likely be our only chance at local cherries in 2012. Tiny sour cherries, also known as “pie cherries,” have a very brief appearance […]

Categories: Cherries, Cooking, Food, Fruit Desserts, Pies & Tarts, Recipes, Vegetarian

The solution: Strawberry Ice Cream

May 15, 2012 by Steve

The problem? A large quantity of soggy, slightly discolored strawberries. We were so excited at the arrival of fresh fruit season that we ordered up several gallons. Unfortunately, between our order and the pickup, there were heavy rains. Rain makes mushy berries, and hard rain gives them bruises. The berries were so beat up even Steve didn’t want to eat them out of hand—and Steve has (in Michelle’s eyes, at the very least) an amazingly high tolerance for damaged fruit. […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Fruit Desserts, Ice cream, Old cookbooks, Recipes, Strawberries, Vegetarian

A burlesque of brown rice and vegetables

May 7, 2012 by Steve

Steve knows that if you want to make it to the top as a Vegas showgirl, you must learn to like brown rice and vegetables. (Spoiler alert: sneakily kicking someone down a flight of stairs also helps.) Steve would be more than happy to use this blog post to share more helpful tips gleaned from Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 masterpiece (ask him how ice cubes can “lift” your career!). But Michelle, mindful that this is a family blog, insists on associating […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Recipes, Rice, Tofu, Vegetarian

Mock(ing) Derby Pie

May 3, 2012 by Steve

We must say quite emphatically that the pictures you see are not Derby-Pie®. The fine, upstanding, industrious and only slightly litigious folk at Kern’s Kitchen may believe we’re invoking the holy trademarked name. And we do not want any confusion, for the Kern’s folk (or their attorneys) will gladly tell you: “There’s only one Derby-Pie®. When you see the name Derby-Pie® and the registered trademark symbol, you know you’re getting the pie produced exclusively by Kern’s Kitchen…” We Gourmandistanis cannot condemn either […]

Categories: Chocolate, Cooking, Food, Kentucky Derby, Nuts, Pies & Tarts, Recipes, Vegetarian

Putting the “me” in “Lemon Tart”

April 24, 2012 by Steve

Michelle has made a myriad of pies—from savory meat to sweet, sweet berry. A cavalcade of crusts, fillings, flutes and folds have traveled through her hands; hundreds upon hundreds of recipes have filtered through her head. So when the mood strikes Michelle for something sweet (and that mood strikes very, very often whether she acts on it or not), she can take ingredients on hand and pop out a pie. This little lemon tart is one such synthesis. It made […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Fruit Desserts, Lemon, Pies & Tarts, Recipes, Vegetarian

Gluten it be nice

April 20, 2012 by Steve

Gourmandistanis are generally a tolerant lot, especially when it comes to food. (Fools, on the other hand, we struggle to abide.) While we sympathize with those who must avoid shellfish, peanuts, wheat or meat for religious or health reasons, our little world is blissfully free of dietary laws—though Steve must occasionally be reminded that “no kidneys, no livers” is a strong preference, not an actual law. That gives us license to explore cuisines, cultures and creative ways of going meatless, […]

Categories: China, Cooking, Food, Nuts, Recipes, Seitan, Vegetarian