Confessions of a Cooking Addict

As we speak, Isa's Mango-Ginger Tofu is baking in the oven, and I'm typing quickly to get this done before it is! I thought that after all the food I made last week, I would be burned out, but then I just spent three hours in the kitchen this afternoon! I am truly a cooking addict, and my feet are killing me but I still love it!

In the first picture, we have leftover BBQ Pomegranate Tofu, also from Isa's book (Vegan with a Vengeance), after an inspirational post on pomegranate molasses by Susan at Fat Free Vegan. I had had the molasses for a while, but hadn't gotten around to using it. It is atop some fresh, raw corn kernels and a mix of salad things I had laying around. I got a new book recently, on raw food, and I realized that I already eat so many things raw! How many of you try raw foods and what things do you try? One of my absolute favorites is raw corn straight from the cob :)

Here is a far shot of the BBQ tofu over the salad. The late summer sun is highlighting it so gracefully. Notice the pretty teacher's apple bowl? A subtle reminder that school will be back in session soon. I have always looked forward to the new school year, despite it meaning the end of my long summer break, because I am usually ready for the routine again! Although I worked my butt off this summer with my graduate school work, I am still crazy enough to be excited again about September. I think that with all the weight off of my shoulders, I feel free again and ready to be inspired by my little charges (I teach Kindergarten!). Also, I know that I have the weekends free now, so I can actually recharge instead of study! It is an indescribable feeling, except to say that once you lose something (like free weekends), you appreciate it even more when you get it back. Sort of like when you get really sick, being healthy again feels like being reborn!

Here is the fresh BBQ Pomegranate Tofu with the extra sauce over some broccoli rabe. The sauce was very sweet - could have used some more spice - but still very good! I am on a tofu kick, I think. I have neglected it for so long!






Here is the Broiled Eggplant with Miso Sauce from Fat Free Vegan's sort of recent blog. I printed it out a while ago and just had to wait for the perfect Farmer's Market trip to get the ingredients!







Here are the Fresh Corn Fritters from Isa's V w/aV book as well, alongside Dilly Beans from a Moosewood cookbook I checked out of the library. The beans were very spicy but somehow I didn't enjoy them because I couldn't taste the freshness of the beans! That was a real shame, too, because the beans were organic from the Farmer's Market (where else?). The fritters, meanwhile, I renamed, "Corn Floppies." Either the recipe sucks, or I suck, which the latter is probably true. My corn fritters burned quickly on the outside, soaked up way too much oil, and were still complete mush on the inside. I think that lowering the heat, using less oil, and adding some cornmeal or more flour to the mixture would have helped. It was too bad they flopped, because the batter with the fresh corn tasted totally amazing! I could have eaten the batter raw ;)

And here are the results of my latest trip to the local farmer's market. Isn't everything just beautiful? Can you imagine laying out slabs of bloody meat or dead-eyed fish the same way?






My mother wanted to know about the different kinds of eggplant, so here is a closeup shot of baby globes (striped, or variegated), and the long, pale purple Japanese variety. Just gorgeous.








Let's end this post on a good note, and quickly, because my Mango-Ginger Tofu is almost done. Here are Isa's Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Blondies, whipped up this afternoon (after some Banana Blueberry Muffins for a new mom!). The blondies will go to my vegetarian group meeting tomorrow. They smelled incredible in the kitchen! Hark - it is the oven timer! Off I go to cook some more!!