Today’s German cucumber salad recipe – also known as gurken salat in German – is compliments of Thad Jones, the sweet, sweet boy in my life who made me dinner for my birthday a few weeks ago. Last week he shared the recipe for his Bavarian torte with nectarines, the dessert for said dinner, and there were several requests for the cucumber salad that he mentioned making as a side to his roast chicken. Well, dear readers, you’re in luck! Thad’s been generous enough to share his gurken salat recipe with you all… so be sure to say thanks in the comments.

Another invite for a picnic? Hmmmmm. Well, it’s summertime after all, and social networking servers are doing their best to handle the demands for day parties, family get-togethers, and the all-encompassing invites from friends for nice BBQs that provide music but are BYOF(ood). This is perfect; free food all day, people from all over you haven’t seen in awhile, and more food, music, and MORE food. Just get down to the grocery store and pick up an obligatory fruit platter, possibly the vegetable medley, or be really cheap and buy a few beers.

Why does it have to be this way, though? You could spend less money and put together a cool, refreshing cucumber salad that would feed plenty, and probably impress a few people along the way. If this happens to be a picnic with your girlfriend’s family, then this would definitely put you ahead of the game. ... Read the rest of German Cucumber Salad, or Gurken Salat on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in European, People, Raw, Recipes, Salads, Vegan on Jul/Wed/2011
Post tags: cucumber salad, cucumbers, dill, german food, gurken salat, onion, recipes, salads, sugar, vinegar
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

This vegan truffle recipe is a blast from the archives – February 2009. Got a favorite vegan in your life? Make them truffles for Christmas!

I had someone recently bet me that I couldn’t develop an effective vegan truffle recipe. But maybe you’ve been watching all of these truffle posts thinking, “Crap! My girlfriend/boyfriend/farm animal du jour is vegan. These recipes do me no good.” Take heart, dear downtrodden culinarian. I’ve got your back.

I made these vegan truffles for my friend Ritu, and she loved them. I don’t know whether it was the candy itself she liked or just the fact that I made the effort to handmake her vegan chocolates, but either way, it was a hit. I’m betting your SO will feel the same way – the idea that you took their eating habits so seriously that you made them a special treat is a sure-fire ticket to Nookieville.

The original post has lots of information about chopping and melting chocolate, so please check it out in case you have any questions. A note on vegan truffles: since you’re not using cow’s milk, which has a lot of fat in it, you’re going to want to keep these in the fridge to keep them firm. They wont soften to the point of falling apart if left out, but they have a better texture when they’re cold. ... Read the rest of Vegan Truffle Recipe on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Desserts, European, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Vegan on Dec/Wed/2010
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© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2010.

Roasting chestnuts was something I’d only heard about in that infamous Christmas song (and I just have to comment on how sexy that guy’s voice is… swoon). Despite the fact that, when I lived in Salt Lake City a few years ago, chestnuts littered the ground, I’d never thought to pick one up and eat it. I’d passed chestnut vendors around Union Square in San Francisco, and while the idea sounded interesting, for some reason I just never partook or thought about roasting chestnuts myself.

Flash forward to last week, when I noticed that a tiny vendor at the farmers market was selling organic chestnuts for $3 a pound. I’m not sure what made it click – maybe it was the smooth, shiny brown hulls, or how they just felt so uniquely wintery as I ran my fingers through the bin full of lacquered-looking nuts – but all of a sudden I felt the visceral urge to eat these things. And not being one to argue with my visceral urges (*ahem*), I bought a bag. ... Read the rest of How a Roasted Chestnut Tried to Kill Me on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Gluten Free, Holiday, Vegan on Nov/Thu/2010
Post tags: cooking with nuts, holiday recipes, how to roast chestnuts, roasted chestnuts, winter snacks
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2010.

I love Brussels sprouts, so I dig up my favorite Brussels sprouts recipe the moment I see these mini cabbage-looking guys pop up at my local farmers market. Something about their diminutive size and bright green color just tickles me. Don’t tell anyone, but I have dreams where I’m rolling around in a huge bin full of Brussels sprouts, tossing them in every direction like confetti. Does that make me weird?

Instead of buying Brussels sprouts loose, I buy them on the stalk – that way I get the joy of popping the little buggers off with a paring knife. In my experience, they tend to last longer if you buy them on the stalk, since you’re able to stick the end in a bowl of water, much like you would do with a bouquet of flowers. I’ve kept my Brussels sprouts fresh for over a week this way.

Since I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth, I tend to like my savory dishes with a touch of fruit to add a sweet element to the overall flavor. This Brussels sprouts recipe, however, is more tart than sweet. The tartness of the apricots rounds out the bitter Brussels sprouts perfectly. If you’re feeling festive, you can substitute dried cranberries for the apricots, making a more traditional Thanksgiving dish. This recipe is can easily be made vegan-friendly by using olive oil in place of bacon fat.

Another thing I love about this dish – it fries up well the next day for breakfast. Do I hear a collective wince, followed by the question: “Brussels sprouts for breakfast?” Hey, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. ... Read the rest of Thanksgiving Side Recipe: Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Persimmons and Walnuts on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Gluten Free, Holiday, Vegan on Nov/Mon/2010
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© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2010.

I’m so excited that it’s that time of year again, where I get to make my favorite Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. For most children, their favorite holiday is Halloween or Christmas – but I was the weird kid that loved Thanksgiving. As soon as people started setting out pumpkins and bowls of candy, I looked forward to the end of November, visions of turkey legs and sweet potato pie spinning a savory web in my head. How could I not love Thanksgiving? It lacks the drama of Christmas and the sugar hangover of Halloween. Besides the stress of screwing up the turkey, Thanksgiving is pure and simple in its scope: be grateful for what you’ve got… and eat until you’re stuffed.

Stuffing is by far my most coveted Thanksgiving dish. Every year my cousin Lizzy and I would wolf down spoonful after heaping spoonful of my grandma’s stuffing, filling up to the point that we barely had room for pie. I remember that stuffing so fondly that I still get hungry when I think about it, so you can imagine my heartbreak when I learned, years later, that my grandma’s famous stuffing was actually Stovetop, a prefab grocery store brand. As one who eschews processed and prepared foods, I set about recreating a stuffing recipe that I could make from scratch, one that would make use of fresh, seasonal ingredients. And since I’ve got a wicked sweet tooth, I wanted to take full advantage of the bounty of sweet autumn fruit that’s available this time of year. ... Read the rest of Vegan and Gluten Free Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in American, Gluten Free, Vegan on Nov/Wed/2010
Post tags: autumn, bread, culture, food and drink, nuts, poultry, recipes, savory, stuffing, stuffing recipe, stuffing recipes, sweet potato pie, thanksgiving, thanksgiving dishes, thanksgiving stuffing recipe
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2010.

When I made my ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms a few weeks ago, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could create an equally delicious vegan squash blossoms recipe. I thought about it awhile, and realized I already had the perfect filling – the one from this potato chard enchilada recipe. This filling, super savory with the lovely flavor of roasted pumpkin seeds, is perfect for fried squash blossoms. It’s thick enough to not run all over, and once fried inside the flowers, it’s perfectly creamy without being fatty-tasting. Seriously, it’s almost better than the non-vegan ricotta-cheese version. Almost. ... Read the rest of Vegan Fried Squash Blossoms with Potato Pumpkin Seed Filling on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in European, Gluten Free, Vegan on Sep/Wed/2010
Post tags: cucurbitaceae, cuisine, enchilada recipes, food and drink, fried squash, pumpkin seeds, recipe, roasted pumpkin seeds, sauce recipes, squash blossom, stuffed squash, tomato sauce, tomato sauce recipe, vegan, zucchini
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2010.