Text 18039, 69 rader
Skriven 2011-11-21 11:10:52 av DAVE SACERDOTE (1:123/140)
Ärende: Veganizing Thanksgiving
===============================
Lynn's friend Andy is a vegan in a family of carnivores, and 
Thanksgiving is a difficult holiday for him because his family 
takes the opportunity to try and "turn" him every year.

He is one of several of Lynn's friends who choose to spend Thanksgiving
with us instead of their own families, because my house is a 
"judgment-free zone" where they can be themselves and be accepted
without criticism. If only more parents could be that way, there'd
be a lot less holiday stress, I imagine. Lynn says we're like the Island of
Misfit Toys from that Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas special.
For my part and Maryanne's, we're happy to have the kids in for the
holiday or any time, for that matter.

Having Andy over for a meal always presents me with a challenge.  Most
of the year, I have Lynn give me a few days notice that he'll be joining
us for dinner and then I plan a vegan meal we can all enjoy (and I make
enough for leftovers so he can bring a care package home.)  But
Thanksgiving
is extra-special, because I want to be able to give him as much as 
possible a traditional dinner.  So I do a little adapting and make a 
couple of "parallel dishes" for him.

1. Tofurkey - I have to admit, this tofu creation isn't all that bad, and
many people end up trying a slice or two when we're served.

2. Mashed potatoes - The batch I make for Andy is mashed with soy milk and
seasoned with a vegan butter substitute that tastes so much like real 
butter that it's freaky (and it can be used for cooking as well because 
it has the same water/fat percentage as actual butter.)  If i were making
the mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving, I'd do the whole damn batch this way
but I'm not - my Mom makes the mashed ever year - so I just do enough for
Andy and leftovers.

3. Stuffing - Because the turkeys are smoked, I don't make stuffing in
the bird.  So I make the stuffing with vegetable broth instead of turkey
broth and I use a white bread that contains no milk ingredients. This is
kind of hard to find, because most commercial white breads contain whey
to help feed and condition the yeast.  Stop & Shop's house brand, though,
does not, and is vegan-friendly.  So there ya go.

When I'm cooking for a crowd and have two pans of stuffing, I make the
other pan with turkey broth and cover it with some turkey skin as it
cooks. In-the-bird taste without being in the bird, for the
traditionalists.

4. Gravy - Roux made with olive oil and flour, turned into gravy using
a vegetable broth heavy with caramelized onions and mushrooms.  You'd
be surprised how delicious and meaty this tastes (thanks to the 
mushrooms.) Most of the time, everyone at the table uses at least some
of this gravy not even realizing it's vegan.

5. Roasted veggies - They're for everyone, not just the vegan in the
crowd, but I make sure they're made with good olive oil and leave out
the butter (which burns too easily anyway.)

6. Apple pie - As I mentioned in another post, I make Andy an apple
pie with a vegetable shortening crust and no butter added.

The other dishes are primarily vegetables and don't need any special
handling.


---
http://davescupboard.blogspot.com/ - Dave's Cupboard Blog
http://on.fb.me/kZMy8b - Dave's Cupboard on Facebook
http://bacon-labels.blogspot.com/ - The Bacon Label Gallery
http://twitter.com/davescupboard/ - Follow me on Twitter
http://the6t.blogspot.com/ - Restoring and Enjoying a 1960 F100
 * Origin: Since 1991 And Were Still Here! DOCSPLACE.TZO.COM (1:123/140)