This is their kimchee and miso soup. This kimchee is on my list of top ten favorite foods right now. It's so good, I want to marry it.

In my severe state of hunger I forgot to get a shot of the main course, Bibimbop. I get it with brown rice, tofu, and of course no egg. It's really a very simple dish, but I love the korean chili sauce they serve with it at Gowasabi. It's a really satisfying meal.

I'm back! Well, sort of. I've been in New York for four weeks now and things are finally starting to fall into place. I started a new job that's going well, I'll be moving into my own apartment tomorrow, and I've been in culinary school for three weeks now! I love it even more than I thought I would.

Of course, necessity is the mother of invention. So with what little money and resources I have, I've actually made some pretty good stuff. Lately my standard has been some brown rice, steamed vegetables, and a curry-type bean dish that I made up. I've made it with chickpeas and black beans, and both were delicious. Basically I start by cooking some onions until they are tender and starting to brown. Then I add garlic and a bunch of spices - cumin, oregano, coriander, black pepper, and cayenne. I let that cook for a minute or so, then add a can of beans, some soy sauce, water, and dijon mustard. Stir it up, and after simmering for about 10 minutes, it's ready to eat.

I think the mustard is what really makes this dish. It lends a thickness to the sauce, plus it gives everything a nice tang. Give it a try!

Tofu Scramble and Rosemary Potatoes
My old standby, the tofu scramble. The shredded carrots were really good in this - I can't believe I'd never put them in before! Fried rosemary potatoes are always delcious, too.

Mexican Tomato and Bean Stew
Originally I was going to make tacos, but my "filling" was a little too juicy. Instead of trying to cook it down a bunch, I decided to add a little water and call it stew. It was amazing. Cannelini beans and a can of diced tomatoes make up the bulk of it, then I threw in a bunch of spices - cumin, oregano, chilli powder, salt, pepper... Probably some more, too, but I can't remember now. :) The finishing touch was the avocado. It was technically just garnish, but it really elevated this simple dish into something fantastic.

Then Friday my friends threw a vegan potluck going away party for me. It was incredible!

I know the picture is dark and blurry, but the lighting conditions weren't great. On the table we have (from top to bottom): Rice crispy treats, quinoa salad, lasagna, pesto with shells, sushi, bread with tapenade, and a farfalle dish with gravy on the side. Oh, and some oreos in the glass jar!
I made the sushi.

The rolls are filled with sushi rice, carrots, cucumber, and avocado. The nigiri were a last minute addition as I had some leftover rice, but didn't want anymore rolls. I steamed the carrots for a couple minutes so they'd be tender. I love how the carrots look a bit like salmon, and the cucumbers are maybe... yellow tail? I was also pretty proud of my ginger and wasabi rose. :)

I made this whole thing in about 15 minutes. Yep, start to finish. All I really had to was slice the mushrooms, then toss them in a pan with some olive oil, Marsala wine, and some frozen chunks of seitan. A little salt and pepper and it was done! The veggies were frozen, too, so I threw them in the steamer. A little Goddess dressing was the perfect topper.

Speaking of Goddess dressing, before I ever tried Annie's I had several friends rave about how great it was. I couldn't wait to get my hands on some. When I finally did, I was underwhelmed. I thought the tahini flavor was too strong. Or maybe not too strong, but I just didn't love the flavor of tahini. I think it can be a little bitter and a little chalky. After the first two salads, though, it started to grow on me. Now I'm addicted! I still like to make my own dressings, but in a pinch, this is really yummy. I think it's particularly suited to a cold green salad, but it was really good on hot vegetables, too.

I don't buy too many "prepared" vegan foods, but every so often I get a craving. Lately I've been jonesing for some Better Than Cream Cheese, and since they now make a non-hydrogenated version, I don't feel bad indulging.

Tonight, along with the tofutti, I decided to use some of the chipotle peppers I've had in my cupboard for awhile. If you haven't had chipotles before, you MUST try them. They are hot (they're jalapenos after all), but their smoky flavor is to die for. By mixing them into some faux cream cheese, you take out a lot of the bite, but still get that barbecue-like flavor. Yum. I minced two of the peppers and added them (plus a liitle bit of the adobo sauce) to about 1/4 a tub of cream cheese, and it wasn't too hot by any means.

Of course this would be good on a bagel, but I spread a thin layer on a tortilla, then added some salsa and rolled it up. It was a bit messy, but it tasted awesome!

Here's a picture that gives a better idea of the textures of the patterns as well as the tweediness of the yarn.

And here's what happens when you try to move your cat off of the shawl to try to get a picture. He turns into the devil and attacks your arm.

We took a timeout after that. After we'd both calmed down (and I had put the shawl away) it was as if nothing had happened and we loved each other again. :)

This was definitely the most complicated thing I've knitted to date, and now I'm excited to keep it up! In fact, I just picked out a pattern and some yarn for a project that will be a friend's Christmas present. Hopefully my enthusiasm continues and I can actually finish it in time for the holidays!

Speaking of the holidays, I've also decided on some treats that I'm going to make to give as gifts. I'm *really* excited about them, but I don't want to give away the secret to any of the recipients. So I'm keeping mum for as long as possible...