Post Punk Kitchen Forum

I've been wanting to make the banana-date scones, I'll have to do that soon. I have such a long list of recipes to try!

I just had Pumpkin Ziti reheated for lunch, and it was even better the next day. This is a testament to our gluttony, because this is the first time there has been any left over to have the next day.

I'm making the pumpkin ziti tonight, yum.

The banana date scones are one of the best baked things ever created.
ETA: but still not as good as the best thing ever to make with dates: rum and date cake from Food That Really Schmecks, which I'll have to veganize this year.

ha, i ate an entire batch of that pumpkin baked ziti ALONE. it took a week, but i didn't share a single bite.

i really love...
- raspberry chocolate cookies (probably my most-used cookie recipe)
- autumn latkes
- baja tempeh tacos (and, okay, the entire sammich section)
- cassoulet
- easy stir-fried greens (made 100000x)
- chickpea cutlets (with mustard sauce)
- chickpea noodle soup
- moussaka
- spicy tempeh and broccoli rabe with rotelle

i've made a lot of recipes, but there are still so many i want to try!
- ancho-lentil soup with grilled pineapple - potato kale enchiladas! - greek style fritters - empanadas - yuca tortillas - samosa stuffed baked potatoes - autumn root salad with warm fig dressing - vietnamese seitan baguette with broth - bbq seitan & coleslaw sandwich - potpie! - mole - fresh dill basmati rice with chard and chickpeas - tangerine tofu - lentils and rice with caramelized onions - spaghetti squash mexicana - cholent! - pasta della california - bbq sauce - jalapeno corn gravy - caramel apple spice cupcakes - pumpkin crumb cake - chocolate bundt cake - coconut custard pie

that list got insanely long. but i'm keeping it for reference. call the cops.

I'm glad you posted this! I've been meaning to pm you for weeks for a vodka recap because I've been wanting to make this again and couldn't remember what I used last time (on your recommendation.)

Possibly my favorite Vcon meal is chickpeas romesco with saffron garlic rice. Oh, and the potato and kale enchiladas are awesome.

Hahah. Great. My claim to fame on the PPK is my vodka list.

Brief run-down: (for the curious, I don't actually drink much vodka, but my old roommate was really into elaborate mixed drinks, especially vintage cocktail recipes and he had half a freezer full of different vodkas and generously allowed me to sample the plain/savory ones for the purposes of my sauce experiments.)

Absolut: kind of strident and peppery, but not in a pleasant way; you can taste the vodka; almost all of the widely available decent vodkas are vastly overpriced for their quality, but Absolut has got to be the worst offender. I wouldn't drink this either; stick to enjoying their magazine ads.
Grey Goose: sweet; don't like for cooking
Ketel One: crisp and highlights the natural sweetness of the tomatoes perfectly
Imperia: wonderful, but its $50 a bottle, so stash this in your freezer and make White Russians instead of vodka sauce. I've been using Imperia for the past year for my sauce and I can tell a small difference, but now I regret that my bottle is almost empty and I can't afford another for White Russians.

Ketel One is around ~$27 I think and will make both great sauce and great White Russians, plus you can usually find the mini bottles for $3 or so if you just want a batch of sauce. I think it is the best taste/price ratio of the easy to find vodkas. (In VA we can only buy at the state store, so selection is limited)

I know a lot of people say to just use something cheap, but in my opinion (and experience) cheap vodka leads to metallic or sharp tasting sauce. The high quality stuff makes ultra smooth, softly sweet sauce that doesn't actually taste like vodka.

If you want to have some fun: instead of vodka, use sambucca and add some sauteed fennel to your sauce.

ETA: Don't let all the talk of vodka scare you away from the penne all vodka if you or someone you are cooking for avoids alcohol. The sauce is still fabulous without vodka and since it is only 1/4 cup, you really don't need to worry about adding additional liquid, although you could add some tomato sauce. You can add a pinch of sugar if you want, since the vodka mostly just reacts with the tomato acids to bring out their sweetness. Some extra garlic or red pepper flakes will also give it a bit more kick, or you could puree in some sweet roasted red peppers.

http://www.cestlavegan.com/2009/07/toma ... umber-dip/

THESE!

This thread has reminded me that there is still a lot left for me to try from V'con. I vow to next week open to a random page and cook something!

I bought the ingrediants for the pumpkin pasta with sage crumb toppping tonight, going to make it, maybe tomorrow for dinner.

Ha ha ha. I LOVE this. You should have been like, "get my kid better and I'll put in a good word for ya. Nudge, nudge."

Mouuuuuuuusaka! Moussaka! everything is better with moussaka!
The saag is one of my favorite fast meals ever.
The caesar salad, oh my!
The pinwheels!

And so much more.

I haven't made one thing from this book that I didn't love, but some that stick out/were made multiple times...

spicy tempeh nori rolls
baja tempeh tacos
spinach linguine with cilantro-basil pesto
cajun stuffed peppers
the noodle thing with kale, mushrooms, & miso broth

I don't do cake often, but the coconut lemon bundt cake made me cream tang.

I made the Mac Daddy for the first time last night, since I was making another macaroni dish for the boys. It was so good! I halved the recipe and ate half. Seriously, how does that serve 4-5? As a side dish, I guess. Or the less gluttonous.

I am not a huge fan of mac and cheese, though I like a cheesy sauce on broccoli and cauliflower. I think what makes this recipe for me is the garlic in the sauce and the tofu - the tofu ricotta changes it from mac and cheese into something way better.

I have to try the Mac Daddy.

Everything in that book is good, and a lot of things are stellar, but no food on this planet compares to the pumpkin ziti. Like others in the thread, I eat the whole pan by myself the night I make it. I usually eat about a third of it cold while I'm waiting for the oven to heat up (yes, it's THAT good), then eat the rest over a two hour period. I also LOVE the cucumber dip and squash and chestnut casserole.

The following are adorned in my copy with smily faces, hearts, permanent book marks, spatters from ingredients, and other signs of love:
Acorn Squash Black Bean Empanadas
Everyday Chipotle-Vegetable Tamales
Asparagus-Spinach Dip
Qinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango
Lentil Salad
Maple-Mustard Dressing
Miso Tahini Dressing
Basic Broiled Tofu
Smoky Grilled Tempeh
Chickpea Cutlets
French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme
Smoky Red Peppers 'n' Beans Gumbo
Southwestern Corn Pudding
Moussaka
Pasta Della California
Backyard BBQ Sauce
Skillet Corn Bread
Lower-Fat Banana Bread
Chewey Chocolate-Raspberry Cookies
Coconut-Lemon Bunt Cake
Lower-Fat Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake

Pumpkin ziti is going on the top of my list of recipes to try next!

man, I love those Schmecks books. Dear Edna! She's adorable. I haven't veganized much from them but they were always simple, basic great recipes.

The pumpkin ziti is yum. I've always thought the banana date scones sounded fantastic but have yet to make them.

Do it, they're good.

I made Seitan Piccata again yesterday. Soooo good.

I'm curious about the pumpkin ziti. I've never had pumpkin though, does it taste similar to butternut squash?

Yes, very much so. Looks the same, too.

I'm making this dish this weekend! It freezes well as I live alone and it makes plenty and reheats really well. Honestly, this is the ONLY pasta dish I'm willing to freeze with the pasta in it because I'm a total fussbudget about pasta texture but I don't know, I can forget about that in the case of this dish. It gets all crusty and yum, instead of soggy and overcooked, like most pasta when it reheats, I guess.

Yay! Then I can use the butternut I have in my pantry!

I often puree butternut squash to use in recipes calling for canned pumpkin. It's just easier to find (I've only ever seen canned pumpkin in Stockholm). It has become easier to find pumpkins/winter squashes here over the past few years. I really wish I could get spaghetti squash, though.

FINE, you all win. I want to make pumpkin ziti. One problem though- Boyfriend HATES pumpkin and won't even try it. He doesn't eat eggplant or mushrooms either- yeah, you try cooking for this guy every night. Anyway, do you think it would be as good with sweet potato instead? We don't have canned pumpkin here so I would have to puree the stuff myself anyway, so the extra work isn't an issue.

i think butternut squash would be better, but i could see sweet potato working.

Tomato Rice Soup with Roasted Garlic and Navy Beans
Lower Fat Banana Bread
Scallion Flatbread
Herb-Scalloped Potatoes

That's the top of my head.