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  Please tell our readers about Vegetarians in Paradise, how, and why you started the magazine!Reuben: Vegetarians in Paradise is an online vegetarian resource for vegetarians and vegans. When we started in January 1999, our intention was to provide information for vegetarians living in Los Angeles County. We soon found readers coming to the website from all over the world. Because of our international readership, we expanded our focus to include information that would be useful to people everywhere. Zel: One of the fun features we included from the beginning was Dining in Paradise, local vegetarian/vegan restaurant reviews. In the last two years, we’ve seen a flurry of vegan restaurants opening in Los Angeles. That’s made it a fun adventure for us to visit these new restaurants, quietly take notes, and post a review. Many of the restaurant owners have expressed appreciation and claimed our reviews have brought them business. Currently, we have over 140 veg and veg-friendly listings. Our restaurant listings with brief annotations are the most popular feature on our website with between six and seven thousand hits a month. What have been the key moments for you with the magazine? What special events really stand out with it? Reuben: As a result of one of our stories, we were interviewed on the CNBC program “A Puff Piece” dealing with our exposé of the fraud perpetrated by Emes Kosher Jel that claimed their gelatin was vegan. Information on the whole affair can be found at http://www.vegparadise.com/news65.html/ Columnist William Safire brought us to national attention in 2005 when he quoted from our Donald Watson 24 Carrot Award interview in his article on the word "vegan" in the Sunday New York Times Magazine on January 3, 2005. Our Highest Perch essay on garlic (http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch.html) was featured in sidebars throughout the book The New Village Green by Stephen Morris. You’ve published a wonderful cookbook on using nuts. What prompted you to write the book? Zel: Wow! Thank you so much for the kudos! Nuts are nutritionally awesome! I was bowled over by the many nut studies that touted such positive outcomes for a plethora of medical issues. Along with lots of other people, I took nuts for granted and thought of them merely as snacks—I never really considered them a particularly healthful food until I read that eating a small quantity of nuts every day could lower total and LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and gallstones. That was inspiration enough. So, I began creating dishes that incorporated nuts. But I didn’t want to just toss them into a recipe and say, “Now, that’s a nut dish.” I wanted to create recipes that truly spotlighted nuts as the centerpiece of the dish. In some recipes the nuts become the creamy sauce. In others, nuts act as thickeners for soups, sauces, and salad dressings. Coarsely ground nuts appear in several dishes the allow them to stand out with a pleasant crunchiness. I continued to research the health studies and work on developing more recipes, and soon realized I had the makings of a unique cookbook. There are a small number of cookbooks published that focus on nuts, but The Nut Gourmet is the only one that’s plant based. What sort of reception has the book received? Zel: Well, it’s close to selling a million copies! Just joking—and wishful thinking, too. Seriously, it’s doing well. Do you have a favorite recipe in the book? Zel: Actually, several favorites. When I get that urge for something sweet, it’s the Totally Nutty Nougat Pie. One recipe I’m particularly proud of is the Thanksgiving Torte—it makes a gorgeous presentation and has all those wonderful savory flavors and toothy texture that make the Thanksgiving dinner really special. The 26 Pecan Salad is another fun recipe I love because of its punchy sweet, salty, and sour combo of flavors. Reuben: I start salivating when I think about the Double Devastation Brownies. I refer to them as Chocolate Sin. What got you into being vegan chefs? Zel: My friends are shocked when I tell them I had absolutely no cooking experience when I married Reuben, and I didn’t have the foggiest idea how to go about fixing a dinner. It was quite daunting, but I was determined to succeed because Reuben had a very adventurous palate. Lots of cookbooks and many kitchen explorations later I actually became comfortable enough in the kitchen to begin entertaining. Many years later, we started a catering business that eventually led to developing a line of holiday steamed puddings like Grandma’s Plum Pudding, Figgy Pudding, and Double Chocolate Devastation in addition to 23 more unique varieties. Reuben: My part of the chef team is assuming the role of official taster, and I am always ready with fork in hand for the next tidbit. Was there a moment, a sort of epiphany, when you realized that this is what you want to do? Zel: When we became vegan and I began developing new recipes for our everyday meals, a new door opened. But it was our Vegetarians in Paradise website that became the catalyst for developing recipes for three of our features: Ask Aunt Nettie, Cooking with Zel, and On the Highest Perch. More recently, we added our Holiday Meals that include full menus and recipes for holidays throughout the year. Then, when my cookbook manuscript was accepted by Book Publishing Company, that was the really big moment! That was the validation that gave me permission to consider myself a chef. For you, what is the key to having fun in the kitchen? Zel: For me, the kitchen is a creative zone. It’s a place where I am in my own little world in a near alpha state. It’s very relaxing. Even the repetitive process of chopping or slicing fruits or vegetables feels satisfying—and often meditative. I frequently wake up with some wild idea of a dish I want to try out, and when it works, that’s really a kick. I guess I could say the kitchen is my playpen. What kitchen equipment do you use the most at home and what is the one item you feel you can’t do without having (not counting a stove/oven!)? Reuben: My preferred utensils are knife and fork, and, occasionally, a spoon for tasting! Zel: I would be hard-pressed to live without my Cuisinart food processor. It gets a workout almost every day. I also love the blender—I have two of them. One is a Vita-Mix, the other a Cuisinart. My Tribest personal blender is also a must for grinding nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, or cashews into a fine meal. And my immersion blender is a dream of a time-saver. And then, there are my two Teflon knives. They’re very inexpensive, but what I like most is that they are feather-light and hold their edge with just a brief swipe across the knife steel. Most chefs prefer gas powered stoves, but most home cooks use electric. Do you have any good advice for cooking on electric? Zel: I’ve had both gas and electric. My first home had gas. When we moved into our present home, we were excited that the kitchen was all-electric. But when I began cooking on the new electric stovetop, I couldn’t get the timing of anything right. I hated that stove and couldn’t wait for it to conk out. Finally, after many years, it did. I now have gas and am extremely happy. What staples do you keep around your kitchen? Zel: I‘m fortunate to have a large garage and was able to keep the double-door commercial refrigerator I purchased when we were catering. That fridge gives us plenty of space to keep a large stock of all sorts of nuts. For everyday meals, I tend more toward spontaneity than planning ahead, so I like to keep a large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables on hand. In my pantry I keep a wide selection of different vinegars, Asian seasonings like mirin, sesame oil, Tamari, Bragg Liquid Aminos, and vegetarian mushroom sauce. There are plenty of nut butters, beans of all sorts, and unsweetened as well as vanilla soymilk. Tofu in many consistencies is also something I keep in good supply. A few exotic seasonings like rosewater and pomegranate syrup come in handy when a dish needs that something to give it punch. We’re also big sweet potato lovers and really enjoy the yellow sweet potatoes we find at a nearby Korean market. A wide variety of dried and fresh herbs and spices are also a must. How do you organize your kitchen? Reuben: The kitchen is so well organized I never can find anything. Just when I know where to find something, Zel moves it to another place. I must say, though, that she knows where to find everything. How much time do you usually spend in your kitchen? Zel: Breakfast tends to be simple—we’re big on fruit so it doesn’t take more than a few minutes to cut up a fruit salad or make a fruit and nut smoothie. Lunch is often a combo of chopped veggies and whatever leftover bean or grain dish we had for last night’s dinner. That’s usually a 20 to 30 minute prep. Dinner is when I spend about 1 to 1 1/2 hours fixing a really nice meal. That’s the time I get to create the dish I woke up thinking about. I make my own salad dressings and always start dinner with a big salad. Greens are important so the salad usually has a base of romaine along with finely chopped kale, some watercress, and sometimes mustard greens. Then in goes the chopped peppers, cukes, radishes, and whatever else I have on hand. The main dish can often be quite fussy. I know I’m unusual in expressing joy in spending so much time in the kitchen. I think I can honestly say it’s the process of preparing the meal as well as the end product that brings me joy. Do you allow other people to help you in your kitchen? Zel: I love it when friends offer to help in the kitchen. It’s fun to cook with others. My daughter also loves to cook and looks forward to us cooking together when she comes to California to visit. What is the most amusing kitchen accident you’ve had at home? Zel: Many years ago, my daughter invited her boyfriend and his visiting parents over for dinner. I had planned a fun fondue dinner and began heating the oil on the stovetop. My mistake was visiting with the guests in the living room instead of paying attention to the oil. Sure enough, it soon burst into foot-high flames that set off the fire alarm and filled the kitchen with smoke that began to drift throughout the whole house. Rather than panicking, I calmly picked up the fire extinguisher I had recently learned how to use at an earthquake preparedness class. Showing off, I aimed it with confidence and poof! Out went the flames, but it left the kitchen smelling very smoky and full of the powdery chemical. No problem, I thought. I’ll just turn on the fan from our central air and heating unit and it will pull out the smoke along with the powdery stuff from the fire extinguisher. Well, it didn’t work quite that way. To my horror, within about 15 minutes the fan distributed the powdery dust throughout the whole house. Everything was covered with it. The nice table I had set was covered with the “dust” as were the dishes, silverware, chairs, the entire kitchen countertop—literally every surface was gritty. Well, by this time, it was no longer a secret—we all had a good laugh and everyone pitched it to help clean up. The funny thing is that we actually did finally sit down to a fun dinner. What two dishes do you find yourself preparing at home most often? Zel: One of my favorite sauces is Savory Cashew Cream Sauce. It’s a good recipe to have in the repertoire because it goes well on almost anything. It’s great on baked potatoes, over polenta or other grains, over pasta and over veggies like cauliflower or broccoli. The other is another cashew favorite--Cashew Lime Dressing that’s a winner every time I serve it with a giant salad. SAVORY CASHEW CREAM SAUCE Easily mastered, this highly versatile, cashew-thickened sauce is a treasure and only takes moments to whip up. It’s perfect over starchy dishes, steamed vegetables, and broiled tomatoes. For an enjoyable dining experience, serve the sauce as a fondue for dipping baked tofu, tempeh, or seitan, along with raw and steamed vegetables. Yield: 2 1/4 cups 2/3 cup coarsely chopped cashews 2 cups unsweetened soymilk 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt Dash cayenne Freshly ground pepper Dash nutmeg (optional) Grind the cashews to a find meal in batches in an electric mini-chopper/grinder or coffee grinder. Combine the soymilk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, cayenne, and pepper in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Watch closely so the mixture doesn’t boil over. Turn the heat down slightly, keeping the mixture bubbling gently. Add the ground cashews, stirring with a wire ship until the mixture thickens, about 1 minute. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it with 1 to 2 tablespoons of additional soymilk. Garnish with a sprinkling ort nutmeg, if desired, and serve. CASHEW LIME DRESSING A harmonious blend of salty and tangy flavors coupled with a pleasing creamy texture, this dressing adds character and a nutty pizzazz to any salad. Yield: 1 3/4 cups 1/2 cup cashews 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 cup organic canola oil 1/2 cup water 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 11/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Grind the cashews to a fine powder in small batches in an electric mini-chopper/grinder or coffee grinder. Combine the remaining ingredients in the blender, add the ground cashews, and blend on low speed for a few seconds. Switch to high speed and blend for 1 full minute until the dressing turns white and creamy. Using a funnel, transfer the dressing to a narrow-neck bottle or similar container for easier serving. Stored in a covered container in the refrigerator, the dressing will keep for one week. Shake well before using. Oil-free Cashew Lime Dressing Omit the canola oil, increase the water to 1 cup, and add 1/4 teaspoon guar gum or xanthan gum. This version is best made a day ahead to allow the guar gum or xanthan gum to thicken the dressing. Do you have any advice on kitchen management? Zel: Remember, you’re in charge of your kitchen—not the other way around. Keep your workspace as clear and clean as is reasonably possible. That way you’ll always have the room to chop, mix, and measure without being overwhelmed by clutter. As soon as you finish preparing a dish, take charge! Dig right in and wash all the pots, pans, and utensils, dry them, and put them away. Then you’re ready for the next kitchen adventure. Establish a special place in the kitchen to keep a grocery list and pen handy so you’ll always have a well-stocked pantry of items you regularly use. What do you usually prepare when you entertain guests at home and do you have any advice on entertaining? Zel: I prepare as much as possible in advance so I can spend time with my guests. When guests arrive, they’re usually ravenous and ready to sink their teeth into something yummy. Make them happy with a tidbit or two that’s ready to serve or quickly heated. Make it something well-seasoned and zesty. Stuffed veggies are always a hit as are lettuce wraps with a lively dunking sauce. In winter, nothing beats a steaming bowl of soup with either a creamy base or one with lots of veggies. In summer, a chilled soup or raw soup makes a great beginning. Hearty dishes like a nutloaf, a tofu-based quiche, or a robust bean creation make delicious centerpieces. I love to surprise my non-veg friends with a dressed-up grain dish like quinoa, bulgur wheat, or one of the many dark brown rice varieties. The SAD diet is so lacking that even plain steamed buckwheat impresses them. Just before sitting down to eat our salad, I put a pot of quick-cooking vegetables on to steam. That way, the veggies are fresh and hot. Dessert has to be a showstopper! Guests may not remember any other part of the meal, but they will always remember the dessert. Do you have any advice for our home chefs? Zel: Go a little wild in the kitchen! Seek out a new recipe with an unfamiliar ingredient or interesting combination of spices and tickle your taste buds with flavors that add vitality to your meal. Challenge yourself to come up with something special at least once or twice a week. It exercises the brain and keeps you thinking sharper. Rather than seeing food preparation as a dreaded chore, find joy in the simple tasks like chopping. Remember, you’re pampering your creative side. Feel free to talk about anything you would like here that we haven’t already covered! Zel: As much as we enjoy dining out, cooking at home is far healthier and gives us the opportunity to make sensible choices. And part of the cooking experience is shopping. It’s impossible to find everything on our list at one market. We frequently find ourselves visiting four markets—that includes ethnic markets for the really unique stuff and farmers’ markets for the freshest produce. Zel Allen attended the college of life experience. Her first career was secretary in the aerospace industry. Her primary vocation was stay-at-home mom, keeping pace with her four active, now-grown children. Following the birth of her fourth child, she flirted with show business in a 15-year gig as professional belly dancer and dance instructor. All the while, Zel expressed a strong interest in gourmet cooking that blossomed into a catering business. A line of unique, steamed puddings evolved out of the catering endeavor that established a loyal following for several years during the holiday season when plum pudding was a dessert highlight. When a focus on healthy eating opened a new door, the vegan journey led Zel to partner with her husband to publish Vegetarians in Paradise, an online vegetarian magazine read by more than 125,000 visitors monthly. Together, they write and edit articles that provide a wide range of resources for the vegetarian community. Zel quells her curiosity about food history and nutrition by researching and writing food features for the magazine. The publication spotlights her humorous illustrations and her innovative recipes. Reuben Allen has spent most of his working years as a teacher and a librarian. He has taught English, Social Studies, Journalism, Reading, and Calligraphy in middle schools, high schools, and adult schools. He has been a librarian in school and public libraries. In addition to these tasks, he has been a sous chef and roadie for Zel’s culinary adventures. Presently, Zel and Reuben spread the message of a healthy vegan lifestyle by teaching vegetarian cooking classes at Glendale Community College in Southern California. They live in Granada Hills, a suburb of Los Angeles, with their cat Fuzzy, once a homeless kitten. *PRIVACY POLICY - Contact information is never, ever given or sold to another individual or company By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Service. |
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