Best of 2011: My Messy Choice

Cooking has really become my favorite thing in life over the past year. I spend so much time on this blog (cutting into precious TV viewing) because I really do enjoy making (and eating) everything. After several hours of internal debate, I was able to narrow down this year's 75+ recipes to my own top ten. Hopefully, I'll be making these lists for years to come, so please let me know what some of your favorite recipes from this past year were in the comments so I can try them out (and get wonderful new posts for the new year).

Teaming up with some of the world's greatest sous chefs (like Maconda and Nancy) have made this a year to remember.

Now that you've seen the most viewed posts, here are some of my favorites from the year in cooking:


10) Sloth Love Chunk: A Tale of Two Pizzas

Pizza night with Erika and Bryan was the most magical of family traditions (especially when the pizzas resemble beloved childhood characters). The smoked gouda and vegetarian pepperoni pizza was my favorite so far. This also begins the first of many culinary Rorschach tests that give you readers a view into my mind.

9) Peach Crepes

Almond extract forever earned a place in my heart with its star turn in this wonderful brunch. I also found another use for my enchilada folding skills.

8) Cherry Pie

Both readers and I agreed that this take on cherry pie was one to cherish. The only problem is that it ruined all other cherry pies for me (thanks Robin!).

7) The French Macaroon Making Marathon

One of the most insane nights of baking led to some of the tastiest treats ever as Nancy and I fought off exhaustion to achieve baking glory. You haven't lived until you've yelled at batter and called it stupid.

6) Flan Brûlée

The jiggliest dessert around shined with a perfect hint of amaretto and orange. Plus it didn't hurt that it looked just like pac-man after it was missing a chunk. (It's also crazy fun to use a torch.)

5) Banana's Foster Cupcakes

Wrapping up a traditional New Orleans dessert into a convenient cupcake package gave me one of my favorite desserts ever. Cinnamon, bourbon and bananas are truly the perfect combo.


4) Jambalaya Risotto

My favorite original recipe combines all the spice and flavor of a jambalaya with the creaminess of a risotto for a winning dish. Be sure to check out the equally delightful vegetarian version too.

3) Whoopie Pies

Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Honey I Shrunk the Kids. I practically reached the nirvana of the giant cookie sandwich from the film with these rich desserts that should be a staple of any good party.

2) The Vegan Muffaletta

I could have filled this list with the many amazing eats from my very vegan Christmas, but I singled out the comically large sandwich as my favorite. This truly proved that vegan cooking could be just as delicious as anything else. I'm just sad I left L.A. with a quarter of this sandwich still in the fridge.

1) Kaya Toast

The readers and I agree that this perfect starter is the best of the year. You'll never forget your first bite of this unorthodox dish when the sweet coconut jam, egg yolk and soy sauce come together to force your taste buds to think all other food is settling for less.

It's been a great year, and i hope to expand this blog some in the future with more consistent posting, more kitchen invasions and new features like Meatless Monday weekly vegan recipes.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Best of 2011: Readers' Choice

2011 was a big year for my culinary adventure. Thanks to a lengthy job search and the fact that The Price is Right only comes on once a day I learned how to cook in my sister's kitchen. This journey went from vegetarian to meat filled and all the way back to vegan again with some detours in baking as I tried to build as many skills as possible.

Sgt. Mixxypants played a vital role.

I've made a lot of recipes and taken over a lot of kitchens (including finally getting one of my own) along the way, and I think the personal growth is pretty evident as the sophistication of my cooking (and picture taking) has increased immensely over the course of this blog's life. Thank you to all my readers for sharing your interest and for encouraging me to keep trying new and most importantly delicious things. Readership has jumped greatly over the past several months, so please let me know what y'all want to see (hit the too quiet comments up!). From what I can tell so far, baking and New Orleans cuisine are a hit (along with steady viewership from vegans).

Now presenting the most viewed posts of the year:

10) Maker's Mark Cupcakes

The ultimate adult cupcakes were quickly devoured at one of our parties. Try the cinnamon bourbon cream cheese frosting for a delicacy you won't soon forget.

9) Petit Fours

My farewell to Los Angeles was perfectly captured by guest poster and the world's greatest baking partner (slash baking teacher) Jenny. We bake together. We die together. Bad bakers for life!


8) Hot Chocolate Christmas Cupcakes

There's no better way to fight the cold winter than with a glass of hot chocolate and these delicious marshmallowy treats.

7) Beer Pairing Night: Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

The Five Arm Brewery along with some help from Saint Arnold's made for one of the most fun and tasty nights of the year.

6) Red Beans and Rice with Sweet Cornbread

This cheap and delicious dish was perfect for the NFL opener. Luckily I worked off all the calories thanks to my miles of nervous pacing during the Saints game.

5) Shrimp Étouffée

My hometown cuisine proved popular again with this wonderfully creamy meal. Also, check out the vegetarian version.

4) "Blue" Velvet Cupcakes with Blackberry Curd & Limoncello Frosting

These cupcakes may not have turned out the color I intended them to be, but there surely were the highlight of Maconda's bridal shower (or at least I assume by how they had disappeared when I returned).

3) Scallops with Sweet Beer Sauce

It was roommate love at its finest with rich scallops and risotto that set the bar high for the rest of my Texas adventures.

2) Cherry Pie

After years of treating ourselves to House of Pies, Robin and I made a cherry pie to rival anything they put on their oven racks.

1) Kaya Toast

Perhaps it was the tagline: the greatest thing you'll ever eat, or maybe it was the kind tweet from Street Chef and Owner Susan Feniger that helped propel this to the top of the list (and gave me possibly the greatest moment of my life) with almost four times as many views as any other post.

Stay tuned for my list of top recipes later this afternoon (as soon as I can narrow it down from 15 to 10).

A Very Vegan Christmas: The Drunk Prussian Champagne Punch

Champagne punch: it's not just for drunk girls at bridal showers anymore!

We can all agree that champagne is a delicious and bubbly way to celebrate any occasion. But if you're like my sister and I, you've probably thought to yourself "I bet this would taste better with vodka." Well, spend your life wondering no more with our amazing Drunk Prussian (conveniently just in time for your New Year's party).

As you grow older, you look for drinks you can actually enjoy instead of just something to get you drunk. You start to wear nice clothes and drink fancy things like scotch or various fruits that end in "tini" rather than spending your night huddled around a keg. Well this champagne punch gives you the best of both worlds: a tasty drink that will get you quite happy.

The Drunk Prussian

Servings: One large trifle (or punch bowl)

Time: 5 minutes

1 bottle of champagne (extra dry cheap stuff)

1/2 liter ginger ale

1 pint pina colada Italian ice

1 pint soy delicious vanilla ice cream

1 cup vanilla vodka

Orange peel for garnish

The classiest line-up of deliciousness ever.

1. Put the Italian ice and soy ice cream at the bottom of a punch bowl. 
2. Top with the vodka and cheap champagne (trust me you won't be able to tell the difference from the good stuff) and ginger ale to melt and form a frothy top.
3. Add some orange peel for color.

The magical soy ice cream froth

With this punch, you will surely ring in the New Year right. The vanilla infusion from the ice cream and vodka blend splendidly with the bubbly delight of the champagne and ginger ale.  The true fireworks (yay themes) come from the incredible soy ice cream froth that floats to the top surface and provides an intriguing layered drink. Another great thing about this punch is that it's a rare holiday drink that vegans can enjoy since they're usually left to perish from thirst thanks to eggnog and punches filled with sherbert. With this in your party throwing arsenal, you can finally have a New Year's to rival that from the first season of the O.C. (who am I kidding nothing could ever live up to it).

No New Years will ever be this dramatic and awesome. Every year I run up the stairs at 11:59 in slow motion for good measure.

Just be careful with this punch, like any good drink from our hometown (I'm looking at you, hand grenade) it doesn't taste nearly as alcoholic as it is. Use discretion lest you want to regret who you kiss at midnight.

A Very Vegan Christmas: Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Treats

No need to start with a pic of food. We all know this post is really about adorable puppies. Meet Harry (and Mr. Fox) and Queen Faye.

My sister has one gigantic advantage over every other individual I know; she has Harry and Faye, the world's most incredible dogs. Harry is the world's cutest (but not the brightest) puppy. We're convinced he is made of pudding instead of bones. His mother Faye has possibly the most distinct personality of any dog (a good deal of that personality is an always amusing side that we'll just call "alphaness") and is constantly in search of food (especially elusive trash cheese). Harry is the Butters to Faye's Cartman (or the Stevie to her Kenny). Together these muppet/ewok hybrids are an unstoppable force that could melt even the most hardened soul.

Yes, being ridiculously cute will earn you treats. Sadly, when I try these faces in public they just result in weird looks from the rest of the bar.

It's impossible to even begin to fathom how we used to live life without them. Thankfully, one day I was a disgusting boy and hadn't showered after the gym causing my sister and Bryan to detour to a pet store where they snatched up these amazing rescues. Certainly, this was the greatest reward for laziness in the history of the world. For the past three years they have provided us with an endless supply of love, dog cuddles and entertainment, so we knew our massive Christmas cooking adventure wouldn't be complete without whipping up something to show our appreciation.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Treats

Recipe from The Pursuit of Hippieness

Servings: 12 dog treats

Time: 45 minutes

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup water

2 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups flour

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 tbsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Bears and birds and turkeys (?), oh my!

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Whisk the peanut butter, pumpkin and oil together in a stand mixer at medium speed until well incorporated.
3. Stir in the water, salt and cinnamon until smooth.
4. Gradually add the flours at medium-low speed until a thick dough forms.
5. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut out fun shapes with a cookie cutter.
6. Put the shapes on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15-30 minutes (depending on the size of the cookies) making sure to flip once halfway through. The final product should be slightly browned on each side. You can vary the desired level of crispiness to fit your dog's needs by altering the cookie time.
7. Put on protective gear so as not to be injured by the crazed puppies.

I can't even begin to describe the anarchy that erupted when the dogs realized these treats were for them. Faye normally will knock you over for any sort of food, but she entered a new level of mania when it came to these treats (I'm pretty sure she would've stabbed us for them if she had the means). Meanwhile, the usually nervous Harry suddenly gave into his inner werewolf and was ready to take on the world. All their training (well the minor training they picked up) was thrown out the window. The word "sit" lost all meaning as they were driven by the uncontrollable hunger and darkness. Their reaction even eclipsed their response to a dog cupcake from Sprinkles, so I think our doggy baking excursion was a massive success. The video that might as well be a sequel to Cloverfield speaks for itself.

After Faye knocked me over, I had a sneaking suspicion that they liked them. Sadly, there were no survivors of the attack.

Faye understands that sitting at the table results in food. She eagerly awaits more treats.

Personally, I thought they were a little dry and tasteless, but dogs have more taste buds for this kind of thing.

And now for what will surely be the most popular blog feature ever: 

Pictures of Puppies Getting Christmas Presents!

Harry tries to decide how he feels about his squirrel puzzle toy.

After much careful deliberation, he approves of the gift from his best friend.

Faye doesn't want to wait for pesky things like removing the twist ties.

Faye plays with one of the many toys she stole from Harry.

Between the dog treats, stuffed animals, a trip to the park and countless belly rubs, I think the dogs had a banner day. They deserved it because Christmas wouldn't have been the same without them. Now I'll just go stare at the million pictures I took of them while I await my next trip to L.A., or, perhaps, I'll get cracking on a doggy care package...

A Very Vegan Christmas: "Oyster" Patties

No good Southern feast would be complete without some oyster patties for appetizers. They truly are our pigs in a blanket. There’s nothing not to love with a wonderfully flaky outer pastry encompassing a fantastic inner oyster filling. You may be asking yourself “How can the vegan Christmas include a dish known as oyster patties?” Well, the simple answer comes thanks to the magic of mushrooms.

The oyster mushroom lives up to its name.

Vegan "Oyster" Patties
Modified from Haydel's Bakery
Servings: 6 overstuffed patties
Time: 35 minutes

Proper "oyster" size

6 large vegan puff pastries (Pepperidge Farm makes good ones)
1 small onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup oyster mushrooms, chopped to oyster size
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup Daiya cheese
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Salt and Pepper to taste

The puff pastry also reaaaaallllllly lives up to its name.

1. Prepare the puff pastries as directed on the box.
2. Sauté the onions, bell pepper and garlic in oil until they become tender.
3. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender.
4. Stir in the cream of mushroom soup, salt and pepper and bring to a light boil.
5. Mix in the vegan cheese, yeast and bread crumbs and stir until melted. This should yield an almost thick pudding like consistency which can be altered by adding more bread crumbs.
6. Spoon the mixture into the puff pastry shells and bake for another 5-10 minutes at 350.

Cheese and bread crumbs- the perfect toppings for any dish.

Our oyster mushrooms provided the perfect consistency and flavor for our appetizers. Seriously, I wouldn’t have known these weren’t the real deal if I hadn’t help make them. Our warm gooey mushroom based filling was an absolute pleasure to bite into when surrounded by the always magnificent and buttery puff pastry. Typically, these are much smaller, so each bite would have an even greater ratio of puff pastry to filling. Our large version was just as delicious and helped imitate a main course better. It also provided the perfect accompaniment to our milanesa that made this appetizer centered dinner into a complete and utterly satisfying meal. That combined with our fantastic champagne punch (recipe to come in time for your New Year's Eve party) and some Die Hard made for a splendid Christmas Eve.

And then Reginald VelJohnson showed up, and victory was assured.

A Very Vegan Christmas: Milanesa

My favorite home video of all-time involves me riding my grandparents’ dog while eating a giant milanesa. Somehow they hadn’t thought that it might be a poor choice to let a 2 year old on top of a dog twice his size with a highly desirable chunk of meat. Luckily, this dog was my personal protector, and she subverted her animalistic desires to allow me safe passage from the den to the backyard.

Some brilliant individual once thought "How could I possibly make steak better? I know I'll fry it!." And before his arteries finished clogging, he shared his genius with the world. Milanesa is the one thing I always request when I go home, and whenever I’m at a Hispanic restaurant I immediately scour the menu for it. As a result, I was most intrigued when my sister told me she had created a vegan milanesa. The results were beyond anything I could have hoped for.

Vegan Milanesa
From the brilliant mind of my sister
Servings: One fun party platter
Time: 15 minutes

Fake meat looks even better after squishing

1 bag Gardein beefless tips
Bread crumbs
Flour
Vegan butternut squash bisque
Grapeseed oil for frying
Vegenaise
Ketchup
Horseradish
Crushed red pepper flakes

1. Defrost the beefless tips either in 30 second intervals in the microwave or for several hours on the counter.
2. Use the palm of your hand to squash the beef tips down to a flatter form.
3. Coat the tips in a mixture of bread crumbs and flour (with more bread crumbs) then dip them in the bisque and coat again. The bisque serves as your super tasty vegan egg replacer.
4. Fry in grapeseed oil until golden brown. You can test to see when the oil is ready by throwing a pinch of flour in it. When it sizzles, it's ready.
5. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
6. Place fun colored toothpicks in each piece.
7. Mix together the vegenaise, ketchup, horseradish and red pepper to make a dipping sauce. 
8. Enjoy wonderful fried goodness (it's probably redundant to say fried goodness).

This is by far the most delectable I have ever had the gardein beef tips. By themselves in this dish they are a flawless meat substitute that embraces the fried bread crumb casing to make something that my grandparents’ dog would’ve been a fool to not fight me for, but with the dipping sauce they transcend anything my ancestors could’ve hoped to craft. This is definitely one dish I can't wait to make again to share the vegany goodness with my friends.

One of my goals in life is to plunge food violently into dipping sauce like in commercials. I imagine this results in getting sauce all over the place and having everyone else at the table hate you.

There's plenty more excitement to come from a Very Vegan Christmas including Cucidatis, "Oyster" Patties, Beignets, Frittatas, Dog Treats, and the world's most incredible Holiday Punch. It's a mad dash of posts coming to end the year!

A Very Vegan Christmas: Muffalettas

For lunch on Christmas Eve we decided to go with the ultimate New Orleans sandwich. No, not the po-boy, but the vinegar filled olive showcase known as the muffaletta. The muffaletta is essentially the world's greatest Italian sandwich (a debatable point given Bay Cities' Godmother) topped off with the world’s most perfect olive salad. This was truly going to be a test of our vegan options if we were even going to come close to replicating this sandwich masterpiece.

The Veggie Muffaletta
Adapted from NolaCuisine.com
Servings: One comically large sandwich
Time: 24 1/2 hours (24 inactive)

1 1/2 cups green olives with pimento, minced
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and minced
1 cup gardiniera, chopped
1 tbsp capers
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp green onion, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Daiya Vegan cheese
Italian Bread
Vegan Turkey (The Tofurkey brand has good fake deli meats)
Vegan Ham
Vegan Salami
Vegan Pepperoni

The delicious dichotomy of the muffaletta

1. Combine the olives, gardiniera, capers, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, green onion, red wine vinegar and olive oil together in a ziploc bag and mix well. Let refrigerate for at least one day.
2. Preheat the oven to 350.
3. Top half of the bread with the daiya cheese and vegan meats then heat in the oven for about 15 minutes until the bread becomes crisp and the cheese begins to melt.
4. Top with the cold olive salad and cut the sandwich into quarters.
5. Cover your shirt in juice from the olive salad before realizing you need to eat over your plate.

It looks a little like Jabba the Hut to me.

The olive salad could’ve been ingested by the spoonful on its own, but it really shined as the MVP of the sandwich as it formed a seamless link between the “meat” and crunchy bread (special shout out to the gardiniera). Most of the recipes we saw called for letting the flavors meld for a week, but I think a day was the perfect amount of time. Everything in the olive salad came together nicely without becoming soggy or overly potent like would've been the case with extended time. We also cut back on the olive oil which helped propel the vinegar and kept things from getting too greasy.

The suggested serving size to ensure your stomach doesn't burst.

The only downside was remembering that we had to save room for dinner later. Seriously, this is a dish you could give to even the most skilled sandwich connoisseur, and they would have no clue it was vegan. They’d be too busy making sure they didn't choke on the giant chunk of deliciousness they just inhaled to notice. Our Christmas eve was definitely off to the right nap-inducing start after this masterful lunch. Now we just had to fight the urge to eat the remaining piece of muffaletta since our cooking extravaganza was only just beginning.