Sometimes you just need to do a light, fluffy survey to get you through a big stack of marking…. I remember as a kid I would get teen mags just to do the surveys in them. There’s something so satisfying about the quiet, self-reflective act of answering questions about oneself. Feel free to share your responses, but link them in the original post comment section! Keep the Vegan MoFo going!
What is one food you thought you’d miss when you went vegan, but don’t? Ice cream. The thought of not having traditional ice cream out of a truck at parks and in my own back yard on sunny days was really disturbing to me. But one of the many things I learned when becoming vegan was that ice cream isn’t that important to me- I’m far, far more interested in savoury snacks.
What is a food or dish you wouldn’t touch as a child, but enjoy now? Marinated vegetables- pickled peppers, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, capers. Hated them. Now, I could live off them.
What vegan dish or food you feel like you “should” like, but don’t? Vegan yogurt. I loved dairy yogurt, but can’t stand the veg version.
What beverage do you consume the most of on any given day? Tea, herbal or decaf black, winter or summer.
What dish are you “famous” for making or bringing to gatherings? Um…. probably stuffing. I think stuffing should be a once-a-week sort of thing, not once-a-year. Either that or cupcakes. I do so love to make cupcakes.
Do you have any self-imposed food rules (like no food touching on the plate or no nuts in sweets)? No sweetness in my savoury dishes. I strongly dislike sweet main-course dishes. Most Chinese take-out is off-limits for this reason. The most you will ever get out of me is a bit of sugar in a peanut sauce, or some dried, unsweetened cranberries in a pilaf… maybe.
What’s one food or dish you tend to eat too much of when you have it in your home? Overeating is a bit of a problem of mine… but likely it would be popcorn with nutritional yeast and Earth Balance, or fresh bread with Earth Balance, especially if there’s wine involved. Oh, and any sort of homemade “cheese” or Daiya. Macaroni and Daiya for breakfast! Why not?
What ingredient or food do you prefer to make yourself despite it being widely available prepackaged? Pasta sauce- I know people who cook everything from scratch but still buy pasta sauce! I don’t get it…
What ingredient or food is worth spending the extra money to get “the good stuff”? Definitely vegan cheese, marinated vegetables like olives, oils, vinegars and mustards, wine- the things that make food tasty!
Are you much of a snacker? What are your favorite snacks? Well, a snack for me is likely a meal for someone else, but quickly seared criminis and kale with a splash of lemon, tamari and garlic on toast is my go-to snack. Rice crackers, popcorn and wasabi peas are also on the list.
What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings? There’s a place in Edmonton called Famoso, the only pizzaria offering vegan options, and they have the most delicious olives on their primavera pizza! I re-create the pizza at home with a few modifications- a garlic and rosemary pesto base, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, roasted red pepper, Daiya mozzarella and a mountain of arugula and a drizzle of olive oil thrown on top right as it comes out of the oven.
What is your favorite vegetable? Fruit? I am torn between mushrooms and kale, but probably both together are my fave. I am allergic to most local tree fruit, and I’m not a big fruit person in general, but raspberries are up there. Especially if there’s good, dark chocolate involved.
What is the best salad dressing? Probably the Caesar out of Veganomicon. It’s stellar. I use it on everything- toast, vegan eggs benny, pasta… so versatile.
What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread? Earth Balance.
What kind of soup do you most often turn to on a chilly day or when you aren’t feeling your best? Some sort of root vegetable soup with Indian spices.
What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Frosting flavor? The more chocolate the better. Chocolate cupcakes with raspberries and raspberry ganache over… /dies.
What is your favorite kind of cookie? Cowboy Cookies from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, except I add a teaspoon of cinnamon. Oh, or the Magic Coconut Bars from the same book- exactly like my Oma used to make!
What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”? Don’t laugh…. Shake’n’Bake Tofu sammiches on a soft bun with Vegenaise, tomato, and lettuce….
What is one dish or food you enjoy, but can’t get anyone else in your household to eat? It would take too long to answer this question… the boy is a vegetarian who doesn’t like vegetables. Not even mushrooms. One of the deep tragedies of my life.
How long, in total, do you spend in the kitchen on an average day? I am afraid if I answer this question honestly, my thesis supervisor will tie me to my desk and order me take-out til I finish writing… let’s say over two hours.
How many fingers am I holding up? (Just kidding… but the answer is 11. “My name is Inigo Montoya…”) Hahaha, Ms. Tree!
Jessicat Cooks 