Hello September
Today was a beautiful grey day here in Los Angeles. While we didn’t have much of a summer, I’m ecstatic about the arrival of fall. Why? Because fall is the best. The best time to get baking away. And of course Halloween is just around the corner. I can’t contain my excitement.
With Labor day off, I wanted to spend some time in the kitchen. I made the Cauliflower and Mushroom Pot Pie from Veganomicon. This is the perfect recipe for the transition from summer to fall.
This pot pie is full of fresh fragrant vegetables with a good dose of spices. While the pot pie is leaning towards the heartiness of fall, the vegetables still have a hint of summer.
Check out all that cauliflower. This pie is packed with it. It cooks down to a soft and insanely delicious treat. It meshes greatly with the mushroom and other veggies.
The pie is topped with a biscuit like olive crust. The savory crust is salty and crunchy and a nice contrast to the soft veggies; all in all, wonderfully balanced. While this pot pie is fairly large, Shawn and I were able to finish it off in one sitting. It’s that good, and not overly filling.
Ok, now back to that giveaway. I couldn’t have made this pot pie without the help of my Dutch oven. Well I guess I could have but it wouldn’t have been nearly as simple. But let’s not kid around, these guys aren’t cheap. Cookware.com has offered to give a $70 gift card to one lucky reader (which doesn’t quite pay for a dutch oven, but would definitely make one affordable). The great thing is that you can buy anything on their site…or any of their affiliated sites, like AllModern.com or 200 other sites. That’s a lot of options.
All you have to do is comment on this post before midnight on September 13th. If you want another chance to win, follow me on twitter (and make sure to mention it in your comment). I’ll pick a winner at random when the giveaway closes. Good luck!
Update
And we have a winner! Congratulations to Meghan! She’s gonna get to go on a fancy shopping spree. Yay!
Spork Foods
A few weeks ago I went to one of the vegan cooking classes at Spork Foods. For father’s day I gave my dad a choice of any class and he picked the Mediterranean menu. Of course, on the day, I forgot to bring a camera.
I was so enamored with everything that was made, I had to make some of it for Shawn a few days later. I chose the gazpacho, as it was a perfect cool treat for summer. Filled with veggies and rich flavors, I’ve never had a gazpacho so good.
When I received the upcoming class schedule from the Sporkies a day or so ago, I thought I should post something because all the classes look so freaking good. There’s a Italian gluten free class with Cashew Cream Fettuccine Alfredo with Spinach and Pesto Crusted Tempeh Fillets. There’s a Southern Comfort food class with Fried Green Tomatoes and Sweet Potato Biscuits and Gravy. Not to mention a Local Seasonal Fall class with Spiced beer-soaked figs stuffed with a creamy ricotta and Seitan Wellington with a Creamy Spinach Sauce. Does that not sound amazing?
I seriously want to go to all these classes. The Spork Food classes are so much fun. You really learn so many little tips and details about nutrition. The Spork sisters make me want to be a better person. I’m not kidding. Plus the food is all so fresh and inspiring, and of course you get to eat it in the end. Their classes are also great for bringing your friends and family to show them how great vegan cooking can be. Trust me, they will be impressed. Or if you need some vegan cooking tips yourself, these classes are super helpful.
Anyway, go check them out. I highly recommend their classes, and their new space is West Hollywood is great.
I should also add, they didn’t ask me to post this, nor am I getting anything from it, I just genuinely think they’re great and want to support an awesome vegan business.
