I'm honored to have been a part of the inaugural Western New York VegFest held Sunday, August 3, in the beautiful Marcy Casino at Delaware Park in Buffalo, NY.  It was a marathon road rip - 14 hours of driving in a 48 hour period - and I felt like a kid in an indie punk band touring on a shoestring budget, stuffing my face with chips and chocolate the whole way there and back, but it was worth it.  In fact, it's adventures like these that add to the excitement of this humble traveling vegan chef's life.


I should've done some research on the location before my travels because since it was held at The Marcy Casino, I was expecting crowds and flashing lights and loud noises and gamblers with glazed-over eyes sitting around shiny machines.  Apparently, back in the day, this name also referred to gardens, which was the case here.  And thank goodness because they were GORGEOUS.  I was happy that the only noises were from birds and music and people having a good time.


I wish I had had more time for a stroll of the grounds and to take more photos, but I needed to find where I'd be presenting and setup my table for the food demo.  These pictures are of the building where the presenters spoke, flanked by some lush and lovely perennial beds.  (For more photos, check out this spread in The Buffalo News.)


I had a few minutes to wander around before my presentation and get photos of vendors setting up.  It was the proverbial "calm before the storm" where the day started out slow and sleepily like a dark and cloudy morning in bed, but then the pace picked up rapidly as the minutes ticked by and the sun started to peek out from behind the clouds.



I spoke about how to achieve culinary balance through color, taste and texture and make food appealing to even the staunchest skeptics.  For the food demonstration, I plated Spring Quinoa Pilaf with Cornmeal Crusted Tofu, Cashew Horseradish Creme and Parsley Pistou garnished with Nasturtium blossoms, radish sprouts and red pepper dice.  Everyone agreed that they would happily share what I made with family and friends.

Summer is in full swing with hot and humid days followed by thunderstormy nights, which is the perfect weather for our gardens.  And they're abundant!  I was happy to give a cooking demonstration at Cora J. Belden Library in Rocky Hill, CT last night featuring a veggies from the summer garden:  zucchini, green beans and corn.  I picked up these beauties from Northfordy Farm at the City Seed Farmers Market in Wooster Square.


This time of year is perfect for Three Sisters Stew, a recipe featuring the Native American trio of squash, beans and corn which grow together in perfect harmony and taste great together, too.  The squash grows low to the ground and crowds out the weeds while beans vine up the tall stalks of corn.  The corn and beans also form a complete protein of all the essential amino acids the body can't produce, so it's the perfect one-dish meal.  The stew is seasoned with cumin, red pepper flakes and oregano to add a spicy, savory component.


I augmented the recipe just a bit by plating the stew on top of a bed of polenta, then garnished with a drizzle of parsley pistou and sprinkle of toasted pepitas.  This makes for a simple and satisfying meal that has a pleasing balance of color, flavor and texture.  All of these recipes can be found in my new cookbook, Easy Peasy Vegan Eats.

I was really happy to see many people come up for seconds, even two young girls who politely asked for more.  Now, when kids eat your food - especially when they want another serving - you know you have a winning recipe!

I also enjoyed reading class evaluations afterward with statements like:

"It was informative and fun to watch as the cooking process and flavors unfolded."

"Great class!!  I enjoyed it very much.  Mary is an excellent teacher/demonstrator, very thorough.  She explained everything as she went along." 

"The chef was very patient to answer questions and kept the class lively."

and my favorite

"I really enjoyed this demo.  From what I learned I would like to try having more vegan meals.  Thank you!"

Thank you to Carole Fisher and friends of Cora J. Belden Library for inviting me to give this presentation, and to everyone who attended.  You inspire me to make vegan food that is easy to prepare, healthy to eat and delicious!  I hope you will share what you learned with family and friends.  
    

It's always a pleasure to teach a class full of students who are eager to learn about vegan food, nutrition, and ethical issues associated with animal agriculture.  I just wrapped up week two of a three-week adult education class called "Vegan 101" held at North Branford High School.  Each week I feature an entree made with a meat substitute plus lots of veggies.


For the first week I prepared a simple Easy Peasy Sesame Tofu with Cremini Mushroom Gravy and Colcannon.  This is my favorite way to prepare tofu: marinated in a bath of tamari and toasted sesame oil, then baked in a hot oven until golden and crispy on the outside.  I always recommend The Bridge organic tofu for this recipe, because it's the best around and no pressing is needed.  And high powered commercial convection ovens  really do the trick when it comes to getting that perfect texture.

The tofu was topped by a luscious gravy reminiscent of Thanksgiving and served along with colcannon, which is a mash of potatoes, kale and scallions.  It's also a sneaky way to get some greens into your diet.  My students loved it, and one woman who had never eaten tofu before said, "This was one of the best meals I've ever eaten... if not THE Best." So nice to hear!


I think we even surpassed that in week two.  The menu consisted of Tempeh "Fish" Cakes with Remoulade, Cruciferous Vegetable Slaw, and Mesclun Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette.  The fish cake recipe needed a little modification since there was a minor accident in the parking lot which resulted in the loss of a green pepper.  This became a lesson in improvisation, which is essential for a good cook.  Because I had broccoli with me for the Slaw recipe, I decided to finely dice some of the stalk as a replacement for chopped green pepper.  Not only was this a success visually, but I think the flavor that was imparted was surprisingly reminiscent of fish, as a couple of students noted.  Now I may just include this modification in the future!

Week three will continue with a lesson on beans and legumes.  All recipes are from my cookbook Easy Peasy Vegan Eats, which should be available to purchase by the last class!