Book Review and Giveaway! Chloe's Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli

I don't have cable television, so I rarely get to watch the Food Network. But I couldn't help hearing about all the well-justified hubub that spread like wildfire through the vegan community in June 2010, when Chloe Coscarelli blew right past three other non-vegan bakers to take the championship title on the show, Cupcake Wars. I watched the video and just smiled when her exasperated semi-finalist competitor bemoaned, "I still can't believe vegan cupcakes won." I raised my own champagne glass to Chloe to celebrate both her victory and her enormous contribution to further debunking the myth that eating vegan means depriving oneself of all gastronomic pleasure.


That's when Chloe became one of my heroes. So when I was given the opportunity to review Chloe's Kitchen, I jumped at the opportunity! And I was delighted to discover within its pages, not only 125 delectable recipes for everything from simmering soups to toasted nuts, but also her award-winning recipe for Ginger Nutmeg Spice Cupcakes with Date Caramel Drizzle! I couldn't wait to make them. Here are mine. The frosting called for soy, rice, or almond milk, but you know I made mine with So Delicious Coconut milk! And yes, they certainly do taste award-winning!

But Chef Chloe's skills don't end at the oven door. Chloe's Kitchen contains a collection of tantalizing recipes for appetizers (Wontons with Apricot-Mustard Sauce, Black Bean Baby Cakes with Pineapple Salsa...), salads (California Chipotle Chop with Agave-Lime Vinaigrette, Mandarin-Peanut Crunch Salad with Crispy Wontons...), entrées (Moroccan Bistlla, Avocado Pesto Pasta...), and of course, desserts (Baked Sprinkle Doughnuts, Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls, and yes! more cupcakes!). And with such exquisite photography, readers are sure to be inspired to dive right into ALL of the recipes. The only challenge will be trying to figure out which one to make first. Peanutty Perfection Noodles looked and sounded amazing to me, and being a sucker for eggplant and Brussels sprouts, I was literally drooling over the images of Miso-Glazed Eggplant and Maple-roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Hazlenuts. But with a hankering for something a bit sassy and spicy, I decided to try Chloe's recipe for Mongolian BBQ Seitan. Made with a rich hoisin sauce with subtle hints of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, it sounded like a perfect choice for dinner on a cold, rainy day. The luscious results did not disappoint our palates!

To please the humble tastes of my Midwestern-born husband, I next chose the recipe for Country Meatloaf and Golden Gravy. To make his childhood memory complete, I served it with mashed potatoes. (All that wonderful golden gravy would not go to waste!) I have to admit that I'm not a huge meatloaf fan, so I would have been happy as long as hubby was happy. But using tempeh and brown rice as a base to make meatloaf is uniquely delicious, and it held together beautifully when plated. Meatloaf lovers take note: I thoroughly enjoyed eating this dish cold for lunch the next day! I surprised myself, but I'm really looking forward to making this dish again soon. Time did not permit me to also make the Orange-scented Cranberry Sauce that accompanies this dish. But it looks divine, and I plan to make it next time.

I'll always try out at least one of the pasta or noodle dishes in a new cookbook. Chloe's Penne alla Vodka boasted a rich, creamy sauce,  and served along with her recipe for The Best Garlic Bread in the World, the meal made for a wonderful feast! Who knew that nutritional yeast could add such a delicious dimension to something as already wonderful as garlic bread?

Do you love garlic bread? (I do!) Inside Chloe's Kitchen you'll also find a delightful recipe for Garlic Knots. I haven't made them yet, but they look incredible. Here's the recipe, reprinted with the very kind permission of Free Press. Copyright ©2012 by Chloe Coscarelli. If you make them, please let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

Flour, for rolling
1 - 1 1/2 lbs pizza dough
4 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°. Brush 2 large baking sheets with oil.

On a well-floured surface, roll out the pizza dough into two 12x10-inch rectangles. Working with one rectangle at a time, place the shorter side facing you and cut the dough in half lengthwise. Cus each half, crosswise, into about ten 1-inch-wide strips. Loosely tie each strip of dough into a knot, stretching carefully as needed. Place 20 knots, about 1 inch apart, on each prepared baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown on top. Let cool for a few minutes.

Combine garlic, oil, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add warm knots to the bowl and toss until each knot is coated. Remove knots from the oil and serve warm.

If you're hungering for a wonderful cookbook to add to your collection, I highly recommend Chloe's Kitchen. Every recipe I've tried so far has exceeded my expectations, and once you enjoy some of Chloe's recipes, I'm sure you'll quickly become a fan, too!

Update: Congratulations Millie! You are the lucky winner of a copy of  Chloe's Kitchen! Although I would have loved to pick you, you can thank the handy-dandy Random Number Generator at random.org. Please send me an email with your postal address, so I can get the book into your hands and you can start enjoying it! Thanks so much to everyone for participating. And please stay tuned for the next delicious giveaway!


Would you like to win a copy of Chloe's Kitchen? Here's all you need to do: Leave a comment below telling me why you'd like to win this book. Do you already know and love Chloe? Did one of the recipes mentioned or pictured above whet your appetite? Do you love collecting vegan recipe books? Please share what prompted you to enter this giveaway!

To earn additional entries, you can do one or all of the following, and please leave a comment for each one you complete:

1. Like Chef Chloe Coscarelli on Facebook.
2. Follow @ChloeCoscarelli on Twitter.
3. Follow this blog by clicking the "follow" link in the upper left-hand corner of this page, subscribing via email, or through Networked Blogs.
4. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter.
5. Tweet the following message: Win a copy of @ChloeCoscarelli's fabulous book, Chloe's Kitchen and make every meal a winner! http://bit.ly/IHcLIC #vegan #recipe #giveaway


Good luck!!!!!


*Sorry international friends. Giveaway is only open to readers with a valid US postal address.

From Expo West to Santa Barbara It Just Doesn't Get Any Better than This!

I can now take a deep breath ... the exuberancy and intensity of the largest natural foods and healthy living products convention known as Natural Products Expo West is over. The amount of planning, preparation, and work that goes into attending as a vendor is mind-boggling. The amount of excitement that it generates for everyone who attends is indescribable. It's been over for a week, but my adrenaline is still pumping strong!

Natural Products Expo West at the Anaheim Convention Center

Photo courtesy of Whitney Lauritsen

I was honored to be asked to speak on an a panel as part of the Platinum Education Series. Social media goddess, Caren Baginski, and I led a "Boundaries in Social Media: Etiquette Dos and Don'ts" panel discussion. I was blown away by the fabulous questions from the audience that followed our slide presentation. There is a real hunger for knowledge in the social media realm, in part, because it is evolving and changing so quickly. Thanks to Caren and enthusiastic members of our audience, I gained great insights, too!

Photo courtesy of Whitney Lauritsen

It was wonderful to connect with so many of my blogger friends. Among them, The Allergy-friendly Cook™Cybele Pascal, VeggieGrettie's Gretchen Tseng, Moreselist blogger and Morselicious creator, Maura Knowles, HealthyVoyager Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, Ecovegangal Whitney Lauritsen, PineappleShaveIce's Kristine Swisher,  Margaux Rathbun of AuthenticSelfWellness, Noshtopia's Stephanie Quilao, Jill Pyle of Vegan Cuts, and VeganYackAttack's Jackie Sobon.

With food, health, and wellness divas Cybele Pascal, Gretchen Tseng, and Maura Knowles

But now on to that which makes the heart beat faster, just at the sound of the word "Expo": for me, it's truly all about the food! I would be remiss if I did not first give props to all of my amazing colleagues at So Delicious® Dairy Free for winning a VegNews Best of Show Award for our new line of Almond Milk Ice Cream! (Can you say "Cherry Amaretto" and really mean it?)

Senior food technologist Jennifer Aleshire and president John Tucker receiving Best of Show award. 

Photo courtesy of VegNews.

A small sampling of the delicious new almond milk ice cream from So Delicious® Dairy Free.

(The Mocha Almond Fudge Bars and Butter Pecan Almond Milk pints are amazing!)

Photo courtesy of NewHope 360°

So Delicious Greek-style Coconut Milk Yogurt was also chosen as one of the Top 15 Vegan Picks from Expo West! I'm super excited about this award, because the Greek yogurt is my favorite of all So Delicious products! It's my go-to choice for baking, making tzatziki sauce and raita, and I even use it as a substitute for cream cheese on my morning bagel! 

Since I returned home from Expo, people have been asking me what some of my favorite new food finds are. Here's a just a few:

Earth Balance Coconut Peanut Butter

Photo courtesy of NewHope 360°

Holy heaven, this spread is divine! This is how you take a slice of bread and turn it into something decadent! I need not say more. Taste this for yourself, and fall madly in love.

Freekeh Foods

I heard about Freekeh Foods just before heading out to Expo, and reached out to owner/chef Bonnie Matthews, who couldn't have been sweeter. Freekeh is an ancient grain that was created quite by chance in a Middle Eastern village some 2,000 years ago. It's deliciously nutty flavor and chewy texture make it a protein and fiber-rich alternative to rice in all kinds of recipes from salads and breakfast cereals to pilafs and puddings. Bonnie served the Curried Feekah Salad pictured above at Expo West, and I had to keep my distance from her booth, lest I completely devour it all. (It was that good!) Lucky for me (and you!) the recipe can be found right here.

Jen's Zen Chocolate Sauce

O.M.G. Chocolate and coconut cavort bewitchingly in a dance of divine decadence.

Stevita Liquid Stevia Flavors 

I've been a fan of Stevita stevia products since the birth of this company. I admire the trailblazing attitude of founder and president Oscar Rodes, who fought a long and difficult battle to bring this safe, natural sweetener from Brazil to the US market. I was even on the phone with Oscar when he received a fax from the FDA ordering him to destroy all of the books and other literature in his warehouse that described stevia as a sweetener. To read all about Oscar's heroism and how the FDA banned and confiscated his shipments of stevia, read the full story here. Now they make liquid stevia in more flavors than you can shake a stick at: Chocolate, Cognac, Lemon, Mango, Orange, Peach, Peppermint, Strawberry, Toffee, and Vanilla. I can't wait to try them all!

pür gum

They're vegan, aspartame-free, and the flavors pack a powerful punch! And hey, what's not to love about pomegranate gum?

Beyond all the grazing up and down the aisles at Expo, I did manage to enjoy some incredible meals. First at Au Lac Vegetarian Restaurant in Fountain Valley, where they now have both cooked and raw vegan menus. Everything we ordered was superb, and I highly recommend both the cooked and the raw Sweet and Sour soups!

And of course, there was the So Delicious Vegucated red carpet screening and dinner gala Friday evening at Expo. All of the food we served was made with So Delicious ingredients, and while I only had a chance to take a sample taste here and there, attendees seemed to really enjoy! With close 200 guests, it was standing room only, and I was delighted to see such a diverse audience so engaged in the film. After the film, So Delicious president John Tucker introduced filmmaker Marisa Miller Wolfson, who conducted a Q&A session in which she fielded some challenging comments and questions with style, candor, and grace. I was very proud that evening to be part of a company that not only makes delicious vegan products, but also supports a film that is transforming lives.

After the crowds had dispersed, I stayed behind with a few friends including Marisa, producer Demetrius Bagley, and Allison Rivers Samson of Allison's Gourmet. How warm and comforting to be surrounded by so many vegan friends!

After Expo, I stopped off in LA on my way to Ojai and had dinner at M Cafe de Chaya. Another eating orgy ensued. I was super hungry, because I had only eaten one real meal during the previous three days (although I did do a fair share of grazing), and my eyes grew quite large when I surveyed the the menu. Inari Sushi stuffed with braised shiitake, a Madras Tempeh Wrap made with masala-baked tempeh, brown basmati rice, toasted almonds, raisins, frizzled onions and crisp veggies in a soy yogurt dressing inside a whole wheat lavash, Kale with Spicy Peanut Dressing, and a fresh carrot-apple-beet-ginger juice were all delectable and hit this hungry vegan's spot.

I earned two days of R&R and spent them with my bff Marr at my favorite retreat, The Emerald Iguana in Ojai. Although I was sick with flu-like symptoms, I decided to make the best of it and enjoyed being in the warm, Southern California sunshine as best I could. I rested a whole lot in my comfy king-sized bed and stretched out and relaxed on a poolside lounge chair. It's such a lushly serene and beautiful place! 

Even though I didn't have much of an appetite (at least I thought I didn't until food was in front of me!), I made the most of eating out! The first night I met my dear friend, Ashley Vincenti from Teeccino at Om Fusion of Thai in Oak View (one of those rare Thai restaurants where they totally get vegan and won't serve you a dish made with fish sauce!) Ashley thoughtfully picked up a bottle of Alkalol (a naturally soothing herbal nasal wash) for me, which cleared up my sinuses and made me feel a WHOLE lot better! (Thank you, Ashley!)

On my final night in Ojai, Marr and I drove to Santa Barbara to meet the lovely and beautiful Alison Cox of Edward & Sons for what would be an unforgettable dinner at Adama. 

Joining us were Joel and Dean (also of Edward & Sons) and Matthew Koch, creator of Mac & Chreese. What great company to be in!

Alison suggested that we order a variety of dishes and share. I'm so glad she did, because everything was  beyond delectable! We started with appetizers of Fritto Misto (cauliflower in a lightly curried batter with sweet chili sauce),

Caesar Salad (The dressing was perfect, and I loved the addition of broccoli!)

Vegetable Sushi with Sweet Potato Tempura, 

and Sweet Potato Portabella Mushroom Quesadillas (even the salsa was spectacular!)

Moving on to the entrees, Marr, Matt, and Joel couldn't resist ordering the Lasagna made with layers of brown rice noodles, butternut squash, cashew cream, spinach, sautéed veggies, and marinara sauce. (Scrumptious!)

Dean ordered the Gardein Piccata served with spinach, artichokes, capers and garlic mashed potatoes,

Alison ordered the Panang Curry made with cauliflower, broccoli, butternut squash, and tofu, (I love a good panang!)

and I ordered the Jackfruit Tacos served with black beans and quinoa. (Cooked or raw, I adore jackfruit!)

After eating all this indescribably delicious food, you'd think that none of us would have room for dessert. But the temptations beckoning to us from the glass dessert case were just too great. We ordered Blueberry Turnovers (which Deeahna so very thoughtfully made for us on the spot!), the most amazing vegan Hostess-like Cupcakes (only so much better!), and truly the most incredible Carrot Cake I have ever eaten in my life!

At the end of this trip I realized that it isn't just me, but it seems like most vegans are pretty food-obsessed. (Ever wonder why there are so many fabulous vegan food blogs?) Marr reasoned that it's likely because we are eating the most delectable and natural food for our bodies. I heartily agree.

Celebrate Vegan Review and Giveaway

Happy New Year! A new beginning, and a year full of opportunities to show your family and friends just how delicious eating vegan can be! Unbelievably, there are still folks out there who still think that eating vegan is tantamount to some sort of deprivation, when in fact, eating vegan is truly a celebration of taste, texture, and color! To my burgeoning collection of fabulous vegan cookbooks that illustrate this point, I recently added Dynise Balcavage's new book, Celebrate Vegan, a spectacular collection of the most delicious, celebratory vegan recipes you'll find anywhere! 

With 200 sumptuous, recipes for every occasion, Dynise invites readers to "use holidays—both our own and those of other cultures, as a conduit to affirming life and to savoring and sharing its pleasures." She writes, "Life, after all, should be a celebration. And vegan food certainly celebrates life in every sense of the word." I couldn't agree more!

Check out the Table of Contents, and you'll find some fascinating holidays represented! There are recipes for Diwali (the "festival of lights" in India), Barbados Independence Day, Eid al-Fitr (an Islamic feast that marks the end of a month-long period of fasting called Ramadan), Earth Day, and even Festivus! Some of the yummy recipes for the aforementioned holidays are respectively, Clementine-Sweet Potato Halwah, Farfalle with Shallots and Chard, "Conkies" (a mildly sweet cornmeal-based pudding), Muhammara (a lovely sweet and spicy dip), and Prismatic Wild Rice Salad. Of course, the book is filled with dishes for more familiar holidays and celebrations like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Passover, and St. Patrick's Day. But I can't tell you how much fun it was learning about international celebrations with names like Vesak and Timkat! 

While I received this book just before the winter holidays, I wanted to sample a wide variety of dishes, so I didn't limit myself to recipes designated to Hanukkah, Christmas, and the New Year. One dish that was a part of our Christmas eve dinner, was EZ Tzimmes. While this sweet side dish is normally associated with the the Jewish New Year (celebrated in September), it paired fabulously with the Celebration Roast, stuffing, and gravy I served on Christmas eve. As Dynise points, out, there are as many recipes for tzimmes as there are cooks. But I love her citrusy-sweet medley of carrots, parsnips, sweet potato and fruit, which brought back some very warm family memories.

I like to include greens with our holiday dinners, because they are usually pretty heavily laden with starchy foods. Sicilian-Inspired Kale (for Columbus Day), is a brilliant fusion of garlic-infused olive oil, raisins, and pine nuts which cling lovingly to gently wilted kale. This tasty dish gave our dinner just the right balance. 

It was really chilly here just before the holidays, and I had a hankering for soup. (Did I mention the recipes for tailgate parties, slumber parties, and snow days you'll find in Celebrate Vegan?) Dynise's Minimal Pastina with Spinach Soup sounded like just the ticket to warm my cold bones. (It gets awfully chilly inside our house when it's cold, wet, and gloomily grey outdoors.) This tasty soup made with itsy-bitsy pasta and a hint of lemon was a snap to prepare, and was satisfying, warming, and nourishing—just the kind of dish you'd enjoy, even when you're not feeling well!

Since I've talked to so many people lately who are feeling a bit under the weather, here is the recipe for Minimal Pastina with Spinach Soup from Celebrate Vegan reprinted with the kind permission of Dynise Balcavage ©2011. 


Ingredients:


4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup pastina (or any small pasta like orzo or ditalini)
1 cup spinach, shredded or cut (frozen is fine, too)
Nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper to taste
Splash of lemon juice (optional, but I highly recommend it!)


Directions:


In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add pasta, lemon juice if desired, and spinach. Cook according to pasta package directions. Adjust seasonings, and serve. Yields 4 (very yummy!) servings.

When Kwanzaa rolled around, I was still craving soup, and the recipe for Tanzanian Curried Chickpea-Banana Soup sounded intriguing. Boy, were we ever in for a treat! Coconut, tomatoes, chickpeas, and bananas came together to create a happy dance of flavors right there in our bowls! I was so glad that I made a huge pot, because I ate this soup for lunch every day for a week, and with each new slurp, I fell ever more deeply in love with it!

Back in November, I visited Palm Beach County, Florida. As some of you know, for very personal reasons, it wasn't a fun trip. But while I was there visiting with family, my nephew and I dined at a vegan restaurant called Darbster. My nephew's favorite dish there is the Hearts of Palm Cakes, and he urged me to try it. I never ate crab cakes, which is what they are reminiscent of, but holy WOW these were great! So when I spotted Dynise's recipe for Old Bay Cakes (think 4th of July picnic!), I couldn't wait to try them. Made with tofu, instead of hearts of palm, these babies were every bit as tasty as the cakes at Darbster!

Dynise's recipe for Thai-Centric Cheezy Mac takes a classic American comfort food dish and infuses it with my very favorite ethnic cuisine! Made with red bell pepper, carrots, So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer, and just the right amount of nooch, this is the cheesiest, creamiest, most delicately spiced mac 'n cheese ever to cross my lips. It's so good, I almost feel like licking the screen when I look at this photo:

As you can see from the book's beautiful cover, you'll also find lots of taste-tempting dessert recipes in Celebrate Vegan—from Mexican Wedding Cookies to Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Crust! You can bet I'll be delving into all of them!

Now, you can certainly wait for the next holiday to roll around to start celebrating vegan, but I say that everyday is the perfect day to celebrate eating compassionately and deliciously. So, get yourself a copy of Celebrate Vegan, and make every meal a festive occasion and every day a holiday!


Update: Congratulations to Ashley! She won a copy of Celebrate Vegan! Ashley, please send me an email with your postal address so I can send you your book! Thank you to everyone who made this giveaway such a great one! Stay tuned for more great giveaways in 2012!

Would you like to win a copy of Celebrate Vegan? All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me what your favorite holiday is.* (Please make sure I have your email address to contact you when you win!) If you'd like to earn additional entries, please do any or all of the following, and leave a comment for each item you complete:

1. Follow this blog by clicking the "follow" link in the upper left-hand corner of this page, subscribing via email, or through NetworkedBlogs.

2. Tweet the following message: Win a copy of @theurbanvegan's Celebrate Vegan via @Vegiegail and make everyday a holiday! http://bit.ly/tJBteh #vegan #cookbook #giveaway
3. Like The Urban Vegan on Facebook.
4. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter!
5. Follow @theurbanvegan on Twitter!

Good luck!


*Sorry international friends. Giveaway is only open to readers with a valid US postal address.