A Tale of Sourdough Redemption: Reviving a Moldy Starter

My starter in recovery with its favorite book for comfort, Peter Berley's Modern Vegetarian Kitchen

I'm the kind of person who plans her next day as she lays in bed the night before, then rehashes the plan when she wakes up the next morning. Last night, I fell asleep to visions of sourdough fairies, since I had decided to make my preferred whole wheat sourdough bread that takes about a day and a half to complete. I was going to get the bread started, clean the apartment, learn some music, copy some music and do who knows what else.

The whole plan was derailed from step one, however, when I took out my sourdough starter only to find it had grown a layer of mold.
"Freddy III!" I exclaimed, "What are we going to do?"
I was shocked. I was devastated. Okay, so maybe I hadn't been the best sourdough mom, neglecting my starter so long it got moldy. I didn't mean to; he just never told me he was in trouble! I don't make bread every week, but I love having the possibility waiting there for me. We always had a sourdough starter in my childhood house. Freddy the First lived there, happy to make us pancakes, crusty breads and baguettes. After we made something, it was often my job-- nay, privilege-- to feed him  I loved the yeasty smell and the messy glop sloshing around I mixed in flour and water. Then came the bubbles as he grew! Freddy the First never got mold.

But his grandstarter did. After a moment of mourning, wondering if we had reached the end, I turned to the internet. Lo, there was hope! This site showed me the way. Now Freddy is in recovery, and it's not certain that he'll make it. He is bubbling, though, and it gives me hope.

Grandmother's Crazy Cake: One-Pan Vegan Chocolate Cake

I am so excited to give you one of my grandmother's recipes as is! Her "Crazy Cake" contains no animal products, and it only dirties one pan. It is also fluffy and delicious. What more could a baker want?

As July winds down and we have more of this year's summer BBQs behind us than ahead, I find myself reflecting on how nice it is to have summer get-togethers. The holidays are the time we more traditionally think about reuniting with loved ones, but those are so few and precious that we don't get to see everyone. The weather can be so unpredictable, and many times a holiday is about sheltering in place with one faction of our family.

Summer, on the other hand, is practically a word meaning "much more time to do things." Sure, we fill that time up pretty quickly, especially as adults; but there seem to be more possibilities shining in with the summer sun. The days are longer, the weather is more forgiving for travel, and the sunshine allows us to gather more people into backyards than we could ever fit into houses.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending one such backyard gathering of a community I have been part of for over a decade now. It was wonderful to see old friends and to even make new ones. Sure, vegans attending omnivore BBQs cannot always expect much for food (though the hosts at this event do always provide some delicious plant-based fare); but the food isn't really the point. Sometimes it's nice to fill up one's plate and giggle about what so-and-so's baby just did rather than discuss the food. It's also good to see people in person, even if Facebook tells us their every move. We see their faces and their expressions, hear their laughs and (ever more commonly in my life) hold their babies. I am very grateful for summer and for my friends who take the effort to bring friends together.

So, to friends, BBQs, veggie burgers and, of course, to cake!

A Vegan's Ultimate Veggie Burger

A recent New York Times article proposes to have made the "Ultimate Veggie Burger," one that satisfies a craving for "the hamburger experience (soft bun, chewy protein, lots of spicy condiments)" and mimics the texture of meat burgers. This article inspired me to cook up some burgers at home, but rather than try to veganize this dairy-filled recipe, I pondered a little on what I even want from a veggie burger. 

The author is certainly entitled to her view that the goal of a veggie burger's existence is to be meat-like, and I am always pleased to find omnivores who enjoy veg fare. However, I do find it interesting that my favorite veggie burgers flout the narrow expectation of an existence of mimicry.

Sure, most of today's veggie burgers come from a modern vegetarian movement to replace meat products; but I like to connect their history further back. I see them as descendants of ancient chickpea balls sent from above straight to the Promised Land. Falafel, yes,  gloriously spiced, crisp and soft falafel is the fore-parent of our bean burgers.

The dishes exist separately today, but falafel and my ultimate burger share a few characteristics, like a mashed bean texture and cleanly spiced flavor. I also like my veggie burgers to display their components proudly, giving them a varied texture. Onions, beans and seeds all remain somewhat recognizable, both visually and in flavor.

I'm sure preferences regarding the meat-like/ none-meat-like divide differ among all dietary circles -- vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, everyone coming from a different place. As a life-long veg*n, I have zero cravings for meat-like burgers. In fact, they sometimes scare me away with their fleshy appearances. That being said, I will always cross the divide rather than suffer through a bad none-meat-like burger, as I'm sure my meat-like-loving friends would do when confronted with an over-cooked "meaty" monstrosity.

Now, I am happy to share with you my adaptation of a wonderful burger from one of my favorite vegan cookbooks, The Oh She Glows Cookbook. 

Grandmother's Oatmeal Sugar Cookies, Veganized

I don't know if I have mentioned it on this blog, but the grandmother whose recipes I have been veganizing isn't one I ever met on this plane. She passed away a few years before I was born and much too soon. Stories of her have filled my life, though. She was like an excited little bird, according to my mother, flitting here and there with an energy that was impossible to contain within her tiny frame. We have bracelets of hers that, even as a child, I could not fit onto my wrists. She had an apron that said, "Never trust a skinny cook," the extra joke being that she was both skinny and not to be trusted. She was a beautiful mix of ethnicities, growing up in a time when being different was never allowed. I hope I have some of her wit and vigor and maybe a little of her artistic sensibilities. I will never know her in person, but I can see her handwriting on the little recipe cards my mother keeps in her recipe box, and I can follow her instructions from a time gone by.

Today, I present to you vegan oatmeal sugar cookies. When I started making these cookies, I wondered why I would bother veganizing something I'm sure can be found all over the internet. For reasons seen above, I did it anyway. The result was not just satisfaction for the soul. These cookies are lighter than the average oatmeal cookie. They have a nutty flavor, and they melt easily in one's mouth. This is not just another vegan oatmeal cookie recipe; it's my grandmother's and mine.

Nut-Free Vegan Nachos

I write today from the lovely state of Maine, where I am visiting my parents. We are a family who cooks together-- always have been, always will be. We love to try new recipes and new takes on old ones. It's where I get my taste for experimenting in the kitchen. I am very grateful for their complete support of my veganism even as they remain omnivorous. There is nothing they won't try making or eating, and the notion of vegan cheese, vegan scrambles or other vegan "replacements" does not bother them one bit.

Today, we decided to try our hands at vegan nachos. My mother has a tree nut allergy, so we steered clear of the nut-based cheese. Thankfully, I found this Cashew-less Vegan Queso, and I will tell you, it's delicious. Other than finding the cheese, I was really just on assembly duty-- my mother was the craftswoman. Almost everything was cooked by her before I arrived. I won't complain about that deal! So, from my mother's kitchen to yours,

Nut-Free Vegan Nachos

Tortilla chips
Cashew-less Vegan Queso from the Minimalist Baker
Pico de gallo from Cooks.com
Refried beans from Cooks.com (leave out the bacon but follow everything else)
Guacamole
Avocado, sliced
Black olives
Hot pepper, sliced

1. Assemble to your liking.