Going Vegan? These Products Make it Easier Than Ever

More and more people are going meatless these days--a fine thing for our planet. The less we rely on meat products, the less we'll need factory farming, and that means fewer pollutants in our air and water supply and fewer greenhouse gases. But those of us who have trouble giving up animal products entirely need good substitutes. I'm not talking meat substitutes, per se. I'm fine with tofu and tempeh and other proteins that are really nothing like animal products. But I think turning vegan would be easier if there were more good vegan butters and cheeses. I've tried several over the years and have been pretty unimpressed. Most vegan cheeses are even more plastic-like than pasteurized processed cheese "foods," and their flavor is...let's just say they don't taste very good. I stumbled upon Miyoko's creamery last year and tried a sample of their French Style Winter Truffle soft cheese, thinking it was dairy cheese. (I didn't have my glasses on.) I thought it was mighty tasty stuff--lighter than cream cheese or boursin or brie, yet still cheesy-tasting, with a nice truffle aroma and flavor.

When I took a closer look, I was astonished to see it was completely animal-free. When I complimented one of the ladies who was preparing more snacks, she suggested that I try the butter. So I did. Vegan butter has been around forever--think margarine--but the closest it has ever gotten to tasting like butter is...never. I think that Earth Balance is pretty good, but Melt tastes too much like coconut to pass. Miyoko's Creamery butter, however, is pretty damn buttery. I tried one of the little squares of rye bread schmeared with their European Style Cultured VeganButter and was impressed at how close to cow's milk butter it tasted. I'm not saying it tastes like cultured dairy butter (like Kerrygold, for example) which has its own special funk, but more like conventional butter. Still--it's a vegan product that tastes like butter. Hallelujah!

Miyoko's secret is that they use proprietary bacteria cultures in their products, like in dairy cheese- and yogurt-making. Some of their cheese products also use miso, a fermented product that helps with the flavor.

I also sampled a bit of panini made with their VeganMozz, and can say that yes, the cheese does melt. It browns, as well, making it great for vegan pizzas. Better than dollops of mostly flavorless vegan "ricotta," IMHO. Miyoko products are available in Maryland at Whole Foods, MOM's Organic Markets, and a few other places. Check out their web site for more locations.

Another vegan product that struck my fancy was Amella caramels. Most vegan caramels I've encountered are made with coconut oil, and they taste like coconut. That's fine if you like coconut, but if you don't....then what? Amella caramels use cocoa butter as the fat, which is super clever if you ask me. Of course that means their product tastes like chocolate, but as they dip all of their flavors in chocolate, you know you're getting that flavor from the start. (Personally, I've always thought people who don't like chocolate are weird.)

Amella's caramels are fragrant and have a lovely chew, like a butter caramel. They come in flavors like coconut almond, habanero pink salt, and gray sea salt. I've tried them all, and want more.... Buy them online at Amella's Caramels.

Finally, another product that struck my fancy recently was Maprao Coconut Jerky. I don't like meat jerky. I don't like the texture or the smell or anything about it. But coconut jerky is lovely and smooth, yet somewhat chewy. There's no fibrous weirdness like there is with meat jerky. Coconut jerky of course has a coconut flavor, but the spices gave it a savory kick. I liked it. I have no idea where to buy it, but there's another company called Cocoburg that also makes coconut jerky; their products are available at Amazon.

There are even more interesting vegan products available these days, and I hope to talk about them more in the coming months.



Posted on Minxeats.com.

New Menu Items at Silo.5%

With its close proximity to Fort McHenry, Silo.5% Wine Bar in Locust Point wanted to offer a special menu for July which reflected the kinds of food and drink Francis Scott Key may have experienced at his favorite tavern. The result is their 1812-Inspired Menu available from July 4th through the 14th. I was invited to a sneak preview of the menu and its clear that Chef Scott Klein had a great deal of fun playing around with the local culinary favorites of the early 19th century.

We started off with a peppered venison jerky served with a side of dried fig chutney. Lest you think of jerky as those salty sticks on the convenience store counter, this jerky is mildly seasoned to preserve the subtle flavor of the venison, with the chutney adding a solid punch of figgy sweetness. Next up was the hot smoked rockfish, served with plain rice and pickled peas. The flaky fish is nicely smoky without overwhelming the palate, and the rice adds a textural element without competing with the fish. The pickled peas were new to me, and I was pleasantly surprised by their firm texture and slight tang.

Hot Smoked Rockfish - rice and pickled peas

On to the entrées, starting with salt-cured ham and crab. I chose to layer some of the ham and the sautéed crab onto the biscuit halves and eat it like an open-faced sandwich. The combination of the salty ham and the sweet crab worked well together, both because of their complimenting flavors and the contrasting textures. The succotash of seasonal vegetables added a bright contrast to what was becoming a rather protein heavy meal.

Salt-cured Ham and Sautéed Crab - buttermilk biscuits, seasonal succotash

For the meat-and-potato lovers, the pan-seared venison steak with roughly mashed potatoes and Rainwater red-eye gravy provides soul-warming comfort. The venison, which tends to be very lean, is expertly cooked to remain tender and juicy. The house-made molasses brown bread serves as a tasty sponge for the red-eye gravy, fortified with some Broadbent Rainwater Medeira. If you pair this entrée with a glass of Black Strap Grog, which tastes much like a gingerbread cookie, you may feel transported to the winter solstice, but who doesn't like a little Christmas in July?

Pan-seared Venison Steak - rustic mashed potatoes, Rainwater red-eye gravy,
and molasses brown bread

I was feeling a bit dubious about the sherry-braised rabbit pie since I'm not much on meat pies and most rabbit I've eaten has been too gamey for my taste, but this pie was a revelation. The crust was flaky but with a nice bite, the vegetables were tender, and the rabbit was succulent without any gaminess at all.

Sherry-braised Rabbit Pie - mire poix, potatoes, reduced braising liquid

Although I was quite full, I had to sample the dessert choices: apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream and rum & honey pecan pie with spiced clotted cream. Both were delicious, but I was especially impressed with the pecan pie. Opting for the more 19th century ingredient of honey rather than the modern corn syrup, this pie was less sweet and really highlighted the flavor of the pecans. Since unpasteurized cream is not available in the United States, the accompanying clotted cream was not as authentic as Chef Klein would have liked it to be, but it still offered a welcome touch of creaminess to cut the deep flavors of the pecan pie.

Along with the 1812-inspired dishes, the menu features several authentic-ish cocktails like the grog mentioned earlier. The drinks include the Hale Stone, with clear rye, brandy, and bruised mint; the Sangary, with gingerroot cider and Rainwater Madeira; and Nelson's Blood, a rum drink named after British Admiral Horatio Nelson. There's a story behind the name of the drink, but perhaps I should let the servers at Silo.5% let you in on that one. You can also partake of a wide selection of ciders and madieras.

Taking a stroll through Baltimore's culinary past was both enlightening and delicious. I never knew our forefathers ate so well.

Silo.5%
1200 Steuart Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
443-438-4044
http://silo.5winebar.com/

* The meal mentioned in this post was provided free of charge by the restaurant. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats.



Posted on Minxeats.com.