Scenes From a Cinnamon Snail Recipe Testing Adventure

Sorry for the abbreviated posts of late (or perhaps a "you're welcome" is in order instead); it's been a busy few weeks- what with recipe testing for an exciting new cookbook, the implementation of a Facebook page for my blog, and simultaneously preparing for Halloween. Did I mention recipe testing for an exciting new cookbook?

What exciting new cookbook, you ask?  Why, the Cinnamon Snail, of course!  Yes, it's true.  It's not enough that the folks at the helm of the Snail dish out phenomenal food day in and day out; they're also hard at work creating a cookbook.  So, soon (I'll keep you posted) you will be able to make some of your favorites (and much, much more) within the confines of your own kitchen to amaze your friends and family.  Or, to consume in large quantities in the privacy of your own home- your call.

I was intending to have a 48-hour recipe-testing marathon, so I fortified myself with a healthy, convenient breakfast.

Then I buttered up my sous chef (with arugula) to endure a looooong cooking session.

And then I got started.
five-spice fried sunflower gomasio prep:

 Major props to the bullet for whipping up sauces like a champ.

 

89, moments after she heard the unmistakable sound of the last sheet of paper towel ripping off...

The first masterpiece I completed: the astonishing miso teriyaki seitan with grilled onion, arugula, wasabi mayonnaise, and five-spice fried sunflower gomasio on a toasted baguette.  Show of hands; who doesn't want this in their belly?

More bullet action in full view of cashews about to skinny-dip.

This is what passes for a bunch of kale some days (I know you feel my pain, JD).

De-stemmed...

In action:

And Snail-marinated!

Smoked chili roasted peanuts, I will eat all of you.

Breaktime: kettle korn and a G&T, extra lime:

Mason jar action: pickled Thai basil and onions.  And just like that I'm mesmerized by pickling.

You can never have enough onions.  How about some slow roasted smoked onions:

Or perhaps some chilies preparing to morph into grilled aioli?

Recipe testing is serious business; it takes heart and devotion- both of which are exemplified by the Snail through the impeccable, original creations they invent and serve to an ever-growing public.  I often find myself in a huge Snail line marveling at the fact that most of the customers are not vegan... not even vegetarian.  The thought of how many people they reach daily and how many more people will be reached by a cookbook- through interest; curiosity; or friends sharing recipes, is exhilirating and I'm happy to have the opportunity to play even a small part in helping them to further spread the vegan word.

That being said, the day before testing commenced found me hitting up 8 stores for a ton of food shopping in advance of about 40 recipes/recipes-within-recipes preparation.  I felt like I was embarking on an adventure!

 

After all the groceries made it inside, a quickly thrown together dinner was called for: it involved celery (more on that later) and, in my haste, I cut my finger while intending to cut the celery.  So, mid-recipe testing I learned that a double band-aid does not shield such a wound from the evils of citrus; so, the universe sent me some love as I was wincing whilst zesting and juicing countless limes (or maybe the universe was suggesting I carve a lime instead of a pumpkin?).

Unfortunately 89 can no longer be tricked into lime-licking for my entertainment.

"I am going to disembowel this tiny toy because you continue to ignore me."

If you think things were getting a little silly, you'd be right.  It was my coping mechanism for this VERY messy kitchen.

What better time to break out the booze (again)?  I've never had bourbon before.  Do yourself a favor: buy some, sit on your couch, and wait for The Cinnamon Snail cookbook to come out so you can make brown sugar bourbon glazed seitan with smoked slow roasted onions, arugula, and grilled ancho chili aioli on a grilled baguette.  You can thank me later.  With bourbon.

Words can not adequately describe the succulence of this sammie.

I know what you're thinking, "What about the famous Korean barbecue seitan?"

 

What about it? Ta da:

All wrapped up and ready for eating...

Or perhaps lemongrass 5-spice seitan with curried cashews, Szechuan chili sauce, and wasabi mayonnaise is your jam.  Just try not to eat all of the cashews before you finish preparing your sandwich; it will be worth the wait.  Ok, sneak a few.

For the record, after co-taste-testing all of these recipes, OD has been officially introduced to seitan worship.

While all these impossibly delicious seitan dishes have persuaded me otherwise, I generally prefer tempeh. 

just keep swimming...

I'm not yet sure when exactly the cookbook is expected available (or when the launch party is: holla at your girl!), but you should prepare in advance to have your socks knocked off with maple bbq smothered tempeh with beer batter fried pickles, roasted garlic cabbage slaw, marinated kale, & roasted habanero aioli.  Did you get all that?

Aaaand, end of recipe testing, day 1.

(Consecutive) recipe testing day 2 commenced with roasted tomatillo salsa verde and smoked chili coconut bacon in the works.

Also, fried sage leaves. 

If you've not had them before, you'll want them all the time once you're hooked on sage tempeh sausage sliders with olive tapenade, truffled cashew cheese, fried sage leaves, and lavender roasted shallots: another mind-bogglingly outrageous but totally amazing concoction.  I really wish I had a shot of those beautiful shallots roasting with the lavender, but it was getting late...

Look familiar?  A perennial favorite of mine: gochujang burger deluxe with pickled leeks & daikon, black sesame gomasio, kimchi, arugula, and sriracha mayo.

Howzabout a Thai BBQ tempeh sandwich with pickled Thai basil and onions, sriracha mayo, smoked chili roasted peanuts, and arugula on spelt bread?  Yet another of my perennial faves!

And, finally: blue corn hempseed crusted tempeh with smoked chili coconut bacon, roasted tomatillo salsa verde, beer simmered onions & garlic, chipotle mayo, and arugula on spelt bread.   You know, just a little something I threw together.

These recipes are no joke; they are descriptive and require your full attention.  They are also better than most things you've ever eaten, so well-worth the effort.

Once you see them come together- let alone taste them, you'll be reminded of how much more the Cinnamon Snail is than simply a food truck.  And while these recipes are only a small portion of the total goodness to come in the cookbook, they are wholly indicative of the innovative, global tastes that have taken the tri-state area by storm via the Snail.

I am not particularly skilled or courageous in the kitchen.  But with the Cinnamon Snail's ingenuity relayed in easy-to-follow directions, I amazed everyone- including myself.  You will too.  Rock on, Cinnamon Snail.

What the Bean's Been Cookin' (Vegan MoFo 2013)

I have a ton of cookbooks, but I often gain inspiration from blogs.  Some people have negatively suggested that "you get what you pay for," but there are actually very many impressive gems and tips available from within the vegan blogosphere (case in point: Vegan MoFo!).

Not too long ago, I suffered an unfortunate splattery tofu incident when Andrea's Easy Vegan Cooking brought my attention to this recipe on "how to make tofu really freaking delicious" (UPDATE: I want to assure you that the splatter was IN NO WAY Andrea's fault!). It seemed so easy; I followed the recipe to a T with the highest of hopes.

What I hadn't anticipated, though, was the mess.  To my dismay, only minutes in, I realized there was considerable splatter occurring (UPDATE: Andrea tells me that my tofu must have been still wet.  I take full responsibility for not knowing what must be obvious to everyone else!).

There was no turning back since the damage was already done, so I watched in horror as my stovetop, nearby counter, and everything else within splatter distance (including me) were coated with oil droplets. 

So. Much. Splatter.

I was so overwhelmed with the need to scrub my kitchen that I managed only to eat the resulting tofu gems dipped drenched in bbq sauce with brown rice, when it really should have been showcased as "croutons" on a beauteous salad.  But all I could think of was scarfing down the food so I could turn my attention to cleaning up the mess.

even I'm ashamed

Alas, while they were admittedly tasty, it was all too much of an ordeal for me.  Whether I did something wrong (totally possible) or am just not familiar with the downside of frying, I think I'll save this preparation for the professionals (and less OCD) among us.

But THEN I redeemed myself soon after by tackling a (much neater) meal I've been thinking about for some time now: an easy, no-pressure salad loosely based on an amalgamation of pretty much every homemade bowl that I've ogled on foodfeud's blog.

Cubed tempeh marinated in Bragg's and Sriracha, sauteed with celery:

Served over fresh mixed greens with a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette (water, balsamic, sun-dried tomatoes, dijon, oil + bullet) and a sprinkle of nut/seeds/dried fruit I had leftover from oatmeal.

This was a terrific use of both minimal time and resources- to delicious result.

This idea will be added to the regular rotation for sure: yummy and minimal clean-up- exactly my style.

In other news, I'm the last person in the universe to realize that you technically don't have to cook tempeh before you eat it.  On a particularly late night I threw together this tempeh salad with celery as a test of this theory.

It was so easy that I did it again a week later and fancied it up a notch: adding chick peas, shredded carrots, red onions, and melted cheddar Daiya on a whole wheat wrap.

I still like my go-to tempeh salad recipe best, but in a pinch it's nice to know I can make a hardy and perfectly decent salad without the extra step...and dishes.  It's all about minimizing the clean-up!