I hope everyone had good holiday. After a huge vegan Christmas dinner and assorted desserts, I had no real need to cook for the rest of the week, and honestly I was so full I barely felt the need to eat! But the leftovers are gone, the pantry is empty, and it’s time to put on the apron and cook!
Thank you all for reading! I’ve got a lot of recipes I’m working out right now; something to look forward to in 2008. Here’s to the New Year!
I hope everyone is moving from holiday stress to some actual holiday cheer. The Festive Season Stress Field (FSSF) in the Boston area is so very draining that going out in public isn’t nearly as much fun as it ought to be. But today all ingredients for baking, dining, and assorted snacking were procured, the gifts and cards have been sent, and all is as it should be.
I’ve been having some back pain the past few weeks, so I’m on a very light cycle with exercise right now. My body is antsy, but the cooking is doing me some good, as it’s very active. And tomorrow there will be baking!
Here’s a picture of me out yesterday on the way to the Christmas Revels. I am remarkably cold, hence the maniacal expression:
Last night’s dinner was the Mole Skillet Pie with Greens from the Veganomicon. It was a bit time intensive as I had to make the mole and then the pie, which made extensive use of the mole. The time investment was worth it, however, as the end result was comforting, savory, and complex.
Here’s the pie as it came out of the oven. I love this cast iron skillet.
And as served. You can see the layer of pinto beans, spinach, and other veggies hiding below the cornbread layer.
During the dash to the solstice, there hasn’t been much cooking. I’ve been plumbing the depths of the freezer for leftovers this week, and have been delighted by the various soups and sauces tucked away. Things are running low, so there’ll have to be more cooking coming up in the near future.
I did make the Caramel Apple Spice cupcakes from Veganomicon yesterday, and was very happy with the results. The penuche was a bit thick for spreading, but still delicious after I hand-shaped little discs of it for each of the cakes.
It’s a snow emergency in my neighborhood right now, and as I write this, the snow is pouring down. I stepped outside, and the sounds of the city have been transformed into a distant, low purring.
The Ethiopian dinner was fabulous, and very photogenic, but the combination of low light and very crowded-together tables meant no pictures. The collard greens were the highlight of the expedition, though all of it was good.
Yesterday I took a field trip to Providence, RI to visit Nice Slice, which is, as far as I know, makes the closest decent vegan pizza pie. It was, as usual, amazingly good.
