Wednesday, October 15, 2008

thanksgiving foodfeed 2008, epic-style

It all started... with an ill-conceived attempt at a tofu loafy roulade thingy, with squash inside. I mean, it was pretty damn edible, except that it was u.g.l.y., it didn't taste a lot like bird, and the wax paper I used to roll it up stuck like glue to the bottom and really did turn the whole first layer into an exercise in chewing crayons.

Much better cookie luck, I made freestyle coffee-chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and P made cakey ginger clouds. But enough of this playing...

Girls gotta bake. Girls gotta prep cook. (okay, I prep-cooked, P went to work)

I made almond-sesame nutty crackers from Extraveganza, with added sesame oil.

Fluffy lemony cupcakes with maple cranberries from More Great Good Desserts, with a lemon-cinnamon drizzle on top.

Caramel popcorn! Spicy-brown sugar pumpkin seeds! Oh, it's those crackers again!

Pumpkin pie, the quality of which was indeed assured by the Satchmo-cat. I wonder if I make another pumpkin pie if I get a free tattoo or something? And I still keep loving them, making them... hiding the leftovers from everyone. Hee.

Allright, and then P's folks showed up so we went to the Jean-talon market on the most crispest yet warm of gently-sunned fall days. Picked up some rambunctiously coloured food, asparagus by the bucket, beans, mushrooms, apples (real/perfect/nectar-of-the-heavens-sweet quebec apples), a bunch more of other wonderful things.

They had two among them who couldn't do gluten, which was a fun challenge, even if I wish I had known sooner... I would have made more that they could eat... but anyway, did you know that brown rice bread is actually delicious and tastes like bread?

Then my posse popped up, with the usual pancake-breakfast request (this is an understanding that I think benefits all of us nicely). Maple syrup was off limits as an ingredient, so I boiled up a quick apple syrup that almost got drank up by my sister, and at least got the pancakes called "the best syrup delivery devices you've ever made". Bro asked for the recipe. (Bro is becoming quite the little burdgeoning foodie - and you better believe I'm supporting that tendency! :P)

And then, and then! After finishing breakfast I was kitchen-maven all day with my sister, then we passed the invisible baton to P and her sister, and between us all we created this glittering harvest spread.

Amidst the hubub and wine-drinking and guitar-jamming and all the fake russian accents, my camera was only found halfway through the meal, hence the half-eaten shot - but I think it still looks great. Clockwise from the bottom is mushroom gravy, nutty crackers, broccoli rabe and carrots with pine nuts and herbs, brown rice pasta salad with peppers and heirloom tomatoes, fresh market beans, hungarian rye stuffing with apples, cranberries and walnuts, cranberry sauce, apple-sage seitan sausages, curry carrot dip, squash stuffed with wild and brown rice mushroom-almond-raisin stuffing, dragonfruit, smoky maple tempeh, and loads of garlicky mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes.

phew.

Nom. Shall I say nom? And nom, and wow. I think we did okay?

And then there was too much dessert, and oh yeah, did I mention I made cookies too? Oh man... I mean, I know it wasn't "turkey dinner" or something... but maybe made up for it in sheer tapestry-tasting complexity and connection to what is actually being harvested right now? I mean, I've been to thanksgivings where the vegetables are given the saddest passing effort, and aren't they really the point? Ha ha, anyway... and next year you're all invited to my tiny tiny place. For some reason it didn't burst, and it kinda grew to fit us all (18+ at one point??). And you can help us with the leftover apple crisp!!!!

17 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Happy belated Thanksgiving!!

WOWZA, what a feast - I don't think I've ever seen so much food at one meal event in my life, haha!! I'm quite enticed by those lemony cupcakes with maple cranberries, especially!!

Jen Treehugger said...

So.much.food!
You deserve a medal!
And I'm loving the Purple Pepper!

Destiny's Kitchen said...

I love your moon & star cookie cutters!

Carrie said...

That all looks so awesome! Glad your Thanksgiving was great.

Jenni (aka Vegyogini) said...

Bravo, Kamutflake Girl! Everything looks wonderful!

Rachael said...

oh wow, yum! makes me hungry and I just ate dinner.

tofufreak said...

aaahhh!!! i'm so craving thanksgiving food now!!! i don't think i can wait until next year!!!! haha :D

Anonymous said...

Come to my house and please do my vegan Thanksgiving. Yours looks amazing.

aTxVegn said...

You must have had a blast preparing that feast! I hope I can have something half that nice for our Thanksgiving.

Anonymous said...

Sorry about the chewy tofu loaf, but apart from that is sounds like you had quite a feast! It all looks and sounds so good - alot of work to put together, but so worth it!

A.M. said...

O wow, everyting looks amazing!

Judy said...

Wow, what a great looking spread, it all looks so tasty. I love pumpkin pie too - and I will be there next year :)

Rural Vegan said...

Happy Thanksgiving! I am in awe of the spread you put out! Too bad about the roulade, but it looks like you more than made up for it!

Theresa said...

Wow, what a feast! I wish I was at your place for htat. It looks like you had such an amazing variety of great vvegan dishes. Jealous!

Alicia said...

I really wish I could spend Thanksgiving in your tiny apartment having fun and eating awesome vegan food!

donesmoking said...

what a spread! quite impressive, especially the lemony cupcakes with cranberries.....mmmm

sinead said...

wow. what a spread. makes me miss montreal sooooo much. especially the veg from jean talon market.