Tag Archives: kitchen shaman

Rock Star Chef for a Day

The Food Demo from last weekend was so much fun. I learned more than I thought I would, and had some challenges at the site. But I overcame the obstacles pretty quickly to be able to both entertain and inform the audience.

I demonstrated how to make Portabello Steak Fajitas and Citrus Coleslaw. I ran out of mushroom fajitas before I did people, but I still had coleslaw and chili sauce left.

The challenges involved staging issues for my food. If I had read the email closely that said bring tables and chairs, I would have done that…but instead, I assumed there would be some room. Because of the promotional material people seemed to think that “free food” meant a free lunch, and the lines were long as Loving Hut passed out samples. They were however excited at the teeny tiny vegan tortillas that I had.

It was a great learning experience, and I got to be a rock star chef for a day! Can’t wait for the video. As soon as I receive it, I’ll share. Meanwhile, here’s some photos of the event.

Getting the Mic on!

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 16

Food Demo in Phoenix, by the Kitchen Shaman

Leave a reply

Here’s your chance to see the Kitchen Shaman live in action. A Vegan Grocery store , VegCo Market is trying to start up in my home town of Phoenix. I’ve been given the opportunity to provide a Food Demo on Sunday, Dec 2nd, at 1:35 p.m. I’ll be making Portabello Steak Fajitas with a Citrus Slaw and Ancho Chili Sauce.

Come, participate, and show your support for VegCo Market here in Phoenix, and sample some of the awesome Kitchen Shaman food.

VegCo Party in the Park(ing Lot)

Spices Make the Pantry Go Round

2 Replies

I’m trying to figure out how many dried spices I use. In the spirit of reducing, reusing, and recycling, I’ve been using the small jars that jams come in, and the jars that the nut butters I buy come in. However, I’ve run out of the small jars because I make my own jam now. I’ve broken some, and some of them are in use.

I’m looking at needing to buy spice jars to organize the pantry. I’ve looked at Anchor Hocking, Oxo, Sur La Table, Bed Bath and Beyond, along with several on-line companies. I really really like the Anchor Hocking square jar. Problem: there is no price on their website. How can you be selling something and not show a price? Are they really that expensive?

I really need to organize the storage in my pantry. Every time I think it’s organized, it becomes a mess again. I’ve been having an argument with the teeny tiny kitchen, but I’ve made a lot of really good food in it, and I don’t want to be disgruntled, I just want to be able to be comfortable cooking.

I’m wondering if any of you who read this blog have any ideas about spice storage and pantry shelving. I’d really appreciate it.

Sweet Potato and Fennel Salad

2 Replies

I never know where a recipe will come from. Some days it is a trip to the market. Other days, it is just thinking about food and flavor. Sometimes, my job pushes me to think outside the box and come up with Amuse Bouche, the one bite wonder that represents the chef and the restaurant.

This little gem came from one of those days when I had enough left over ingredients from Sunday Brunch to create this amazing flavor packed salad. I hope you enjoy it.

Curried Sweet Potato & Fennel Salad

Ingredients

2 Sweet Potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 bulb fennel thinly sliced
1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Cilantro chopped
2 tbsp Mint chopped
3 tbsp Curry powder (or make your own)
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice, fresh
Salt to taste
1-2 tsp Black Pepper

Process

Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Toss in olive oil and lay out on a baking sheet. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft, but not mushy.

Cool down the sweet potatoes and set aside.

Julienne the fennel and red onion, as thin as you can. If you have a Japanese mandoline, they make fast work of this task. If not, use a very sharp knife to get as thin as you can.

Fine chop the cilantro and mint.

In a large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes, fennel, red onion, cilantro, mint, curry powder, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

Taste, adjust seasoning accordingly.

Serve for lunch with soups, or wraps. It makes a great snack too.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

http://www.kitchenshaman.com/sweet-potato-and-fennel-salad/

www.kitchenshaman.com

A Bit of Vegan Heaven; 24 Carrots

Leave a reply

Once in a great while, I come across food that doesn’t just speak to my mouth, or just hums for me, it sings in my soul. On the quest for great quality vegan food that holds the flavors I’m looking for, I have been disappointed. Yes, there is great food out there, and the partner and I frequent the places where we can eat without too much hassle. Me; no corn, no peanuts, Her; no gluten, no dairy (in case we are in vegetarian places). But they’ve all seemed to miss one or two notes.

Along came 24 Carrots, in Chandler, Arizona. I got excited when I heard about them, but life kept getting in the way. It is a bit of a trek from our house. I knew I wanted to try it, and I keep an eye on the social media, and the specials were starting to make me drool. We were able to visit the other day, and found a relaxing, yet vibrant atmosphere, coupled with a knowledgeable counter person, and good smells.

Nestled between a Subway, and a Caribbean house, 24 Carrots is a strip mall slice of vegan heaven. The juice bar is prominent, and there are small dining tables up front. In coffee house tradition, there is a lounge area with couches, and comfy chairs, and a large flat screen t.v. on the quote board. There is a small library, and you can read while waiting for food, unless you want to take advantage of the wi-fi on your mobile device.

There is so much to choose from. They have an extensive menu with a variety of vegan cuisines represented. I was interested in their specials, and the veggie burger. I’ve been disappointed so far with most of the grain burgers I come across. It was Taco Tuesday, with Soyrizo Tacos on the special board, so the partner ordered two of those. I went for the Roasted Tomato Burger. We decided on the Raw Jalapeno Popper appetizer. After having a nice chat with Marcus, the counter guy, we ordered juices and food, and sat and waited.

The wait was a little long, and that could have been for several different reasons, but once the food came, we were not disappointed. The Raw Jalapeno Poppers looked exquisite. Almond cheese stuffed into baby bell peppers, laid out on a bed of mixed greens, with what looked like a bit of cilantro pesto. Then there was the Soyrizo Tacos. Soyrizo smothered with avocado puree, purple cabbage, onions and mushrooms, all wrapped up in a warm corn tortilla. An optional side of chips with a pineapple salsa fresca completed the plate. Then came the Roasted Tomato Burger, the ever present LTO, an oat bran bun, served with a refreshing mixed green salad with not only sunflower seeds, but pumpkin seeds as well. I love pepitas!

Eye to stomach is what I’ve been taught as a chef, and 24 Carrots applied the rule. I wanted to eat everything as they set the plates down. But first, pictures! Can’t forget the pictures. Then we dug in. I’ve found my home for vegan Sonoran flavors. This is what I’ve been looking for. One other place came close to pleasing my chili/lime/cilantro craving palate, and that was Native Foods Cafe in Southern CA. Glad to know the flavors exist closer to home. The first bite into the Popper caused a bit of ecstasy in my mouth. A burst of flavors, and my mouth was singing. Then I tried the burger. Satisfying, and it did not squish or fall apart. It was warmed all the way through, and the basil aioli came through all the way. The salad was dressed perfectly, not too much, not too little. And I ate it all. We took a couple of the poppers home, and as I was writing the first draft of this review, I had to go eat one, I got so hungry just remembering how good they were.

The report on the Tacos were excellent. I could only take a little bite due to the corn tortillas. I tried the salsa, and it was very pleasing. We had fresh juices to wash everything down with, Apple-Ginger, and Ginger lemonade. When I tried the ginger lemonade my mouth puckered. Thanks, I’ll stick to apple-ginger. But the partner really enjoyed it.

We will definitely return to explore the rest of the menu, enjoy the specials of the day (posted daily on their Facebook page– great use of social media by a vegan restaurant), the decor, and the fresh atmosphere at 24 Carrots. I hope you do too, if you are in the area. Support independent, and support local.

New Year, New Knives

2 Replies

As you know, I’ve been cooking for a while, quite a long while. My standard everyday knives have been Forschners (now under Vitorinox). They are getting up there in age. Since I moved into the land of fine dining, that means fine knife work, and that means new knives. I have secretly coveted Japanese knives, and though not trained in their usage, nor mentored by a chef who gave me permission to purchase them, I stepped out and bought new knives last week.

Japanese.

Ohishi.

Beautiful.

I bought the knives before researching. There’s a great little shop in town called the Phoenix Knife House, owned and operated by chefs. They carry some extraordinary and beautiful knives. I like to support independently owned and operated businesses. And most of my co-workers have visited them at some point since they opened.

I discussed my budget with the owner, and he proceeded to lay out about five different brands and let me handle and fondle the knives. In the meantime he reconditioned my worn and abused Forschners. I finally chose a brand, and after a telephone call to my budget advisor, purchased two Ohishi Japanese blades, a petty utility knife, and a santuko knife. I also bought a ceramic steel to keep them sharp.

I dropped the cash, and set about the rest of my day. While driving around I realized I was having a paranoid and averse reaction to purchasing these knives. What was it? I felt like I did not deserve them. Really, I’m a fraud, not a real chef. All these thoughts flamed through my brain as I bought rice and drove all the way back home. During my shower the next day, I stumbled upon a core reason: in traditional Japanese chef culture, women are excluded. They cook at home and tend the rice fields, but they do not cook on a larger, grander scale, in restaurants. This information is blazoned some where deep inside me. So not only do I think I don’t deserve the knives, I do not have a right to them, being both female and non-Japanese.

I am a quality chef. I have proven myself, quite a few times over. I’ve earned good knives. I work in an environment where they are necessary. I have a right to these knives and I do know how to use them.

The blades I chose are made in the village Seki, at the base of Mt. Fuji. They are a 17 fold Damascus steel blade. The pattern design is called suminagashi, and is designed like ink flow on paper. It actually shows the folds of steel in the blade. The dimples in the knives are called Tsuchime, and are hand-hammered. I chose the knives for both balance and design. Of course, I ran home, used the knives, let them bleed me before taking them to work, then I researched them. The attraction to the pattern makes sense, being a writer, artist, and chef.

And now, I am hopelessly hooked on Japanese blades. I’m looking forward to the purchase of the next two knives. I now understand why a chef will drop more money than rent on a set of these high performance blades.

I do not recommend them for the home cook. There are other, less expensive brands that will hold up to that kind of work. As a chef, these are really nice blades to use. They have great balance and weight, and perform under the rigors of fine dining prep work.

I’ve made peace with my initial reaction of being not worthy. My workload has been cut in half, and my hands are much more sure working with these blades. I certainly deserve them, and am a worthy enough chef to use them. Any fear I had has fled and gone. Now, I slice and dice, confidant of the blade in my hand. Plus, they look really cool.

The Santuko knife is also known as an Asian Chef knife, thought to have developed from the Japanese rectangular vegetable knife. The blade is thinner then a chef’s knife, and shorter. The design of the blade helps to keep food from sticking to the blade. It is designed for mincing, chopping, slicing and dicing. I’ve used mine for a variety of tasks, finely chopped shallots, julienned carrots, and slicing bread.

The Paleo Diet, Why it is a Fad and Why it’s not Healthy

Leave a reply

I have a friend who came over the other night, and it was dinner time. I asked if she wanted to eat with us. I was cooking Mushroom Veggie burgers with all the fixings. The burgers had rice and other grains in them. She exclaimed that she is on the Paleo Diet and that she was only eating proteins and vegetables, but just this time she could eat with us.

The Paleo Diet confuses me. Why would anyone want eat like a caveman? Or revert to a diet of 30,000 to 40,000 years ago. I’m not even going to stand on defense of veganism here, it is just that basic question, “why go backwards?”

I was perusing Facebook, and came across a link for Colleen Patrick Godreau’s lastest podcast , “The Newest Diet Fad: Paleo.” So I took a listen. It is informative and well-thought out. She discusses the reasons we should not pick up this kind of diet, and why it is even impossible because we don’t know everything the Paleolithic person consumed. And she talks about “Pasturbation” If you want to know what that is, get on over and listen. And you’ll have a bit more information for the next time one of your friends say “Oh, I’ve gone Paleo.”

End of the Week Soup

Leave a reply

We are on week 2 of the newly implemented weekly menu/grocery shopping/prep plan. So far, so good. Compared to last month’s figures, I’ve already saved over $200.00 in food cost. I’ve thrown out less food than I have in the past, and I’ve actually used up almost every single vegetable I had in the house. I’ve got a few tomatoes, 1 cucumber, 1 green pepper, 1 yellow onion, and some lettuce. I’m inspired by this new plan and how it is working. We’ve stayed on target with the menu, with a few adjustments here and there. I did get sick for two days last week, and even though the menu schedule shifted, there was no additional expenditures, no running out to a restaurant for quick eats. I had made enough food on my days off for the Partner to survive a sick day or two.

I had some left over vegetables from the weekly cooking, so I let loose a soup. I love making soups, and there is usually more soup made than can be eaten. Not this time. I’m sure this Weekly Kitchen Sink Soup will go fast. It’s been rainy and gloomy for two days now, perfect soup weather.

This soup goes great with salad, or when it’s cold and rainy. The combination of ginger and clove is powerful, add the fennel into the mix and it becomes a potent hummy soup guaranteed to satisfy even the heartiest appetite.

Eat It Up Cabbage & Fennel Soup

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 12 cups

Serving Size: 1.5 cups

Ingredients

2 tbsp sunflower oil
½ fennel bulb, shaved (left over from previous meal, found while rummaging around in fridge)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins (if you prefer you can dice the carrots)
broccoli stalk, peeled and diced (left over from previous meal)
½ inch ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
6 mushrooms (button or crimini), sliced (left over from salads and such)
½ head of cabbage, sliced thin (left over from making Bund Gobi)
½ tsp fennel seed, toasted
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander, ground
Pinch of clove, ground

Process

Prepare all the vegetables. Toast fennel seed. Set aside.

Heat up a soup pot, add sunflower oil. Turn heat down and add fennel. Cook until fennel starts to caramelize. Add carrots, ginger, and broccoli stalk. Saute until vegetables become tender. Add 6 cups of water, mustard seed, fennel seed, coriander and clove. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add cabbage and mushrooms. Cook until cabbage wilts, and mushrooms soften.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

http://www.kitchenshaman.com/end-of-the-week-soup/

www.kitchenshaman.com

Versatile Vegan White Gravy

Leave a reply

White Gravy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 2-4 oz

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable stock
2 tbsp arrowroot

Process

Heat up the vegetable stock. Mix a small amount of water in with the arrowroot. Stir until the powder dissolves, forming a slurry.

Add the arrowroot slurry to the vegetable broth. Cook for a few more minutes, until the broth and slurry are incorporated. Season with salt & pepper.

Serve with Tofurkey or any other alternative protein dish.

You can also add vegan sausage to make a breakfast gravy.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

http://www.kitchenshaman.com/versatile-vegan-white-gravy/

www.kitchenshaman.com

Play with Your Food: Eggplant & Zucchini Towers with Quinoa and Peppers

Leave a reply

Lately I’ve been on a kick with making Veggie, or Eggplant Towers. Don’t ask me why, it just came to me. I used to make them when I worked in Banquets a few years back, but I lacked the level of inspiration I have now. Inspiration led me to add Quinoa and Daiya Mozzerella style Cheese. Try these with your favorite Salad, or serve them as the vegetable side with an entree like Orange Glazed Tofu, or Southwest Tofu Sticks (Recipe is coming, I promise).

Play with Your Food: Eggplant & Zucchini Towers with Quinoa and Peppers

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Yield: 4 each

Play with Your Food: Eggplant & Zucchini Towers with Quinoa and Peppers

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 Zucchini, sliced and roasted
1 Yellow squash, sliced and roasted
2 Eggplant, sliced and roasted
2 Red pepper roasted, peeled and cut into strips
2 Green pepper, roasted, peeled and cut into strips
2 Poblano/Pasilla pepper, roasted, peeled and cut into strips
1 package Daiya Mozzerella Style Cheese

Process

Cooked Quinoa:

Rinse and drain 1/4 cup quinoa seed. Bring to a boil 1/2 cup water. Add the quinoa, cook until quinoa opens up and is a bit sticky, about 15 minutes. (It's good if it's like sushi rice).

Pre-heat oven on Broil. Prepare all the vegetables. You want to cut them thick. 1/2 an inch is good. I usually get three slices per squash. and 4 out of the eggplant.

Coat with a little oil, assemble onto a baking tray (sheet pan). Roast until the peppers blister, the squash looks squishy, and the eggplant takes on a little brown color. It might be necessary to remove each vegetable type separately.

Cool the ingredients down.

To Assemble: Use eggplant as the base, then quinoa, then peppers, then the zucchini. I use two eggplants, with the squash in the middle. Add the mozzerella style cheese on the layer above the zucchini, and then put some on top of the last eggplant to give it that "broiled" look. Cook in the broiler for 5-7 minutes, or until the "cheese" browns!

Serve with a red pepper couli, or butternut squash puree.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

http://www.kitchenshaman.com/play-with-your-food-eggplant-zucchini-towers-with-quinoa-and-peppers/

www.kitchenshaman.com