Meatless March

I can't blame people for assuming that I like to cook. No doubt it's true of most food bloggers. But me? I like to eat, not cook. Cooking is just a means to an end. I needed some inspiration for my wearying daily march into the kitchen to make dinner, so last week I went to hear a speaker, Vanessa Young of Thirsty Radish , talk about plant-based eating. She was very engaging, and urged us to let our cooking engage all our five senses. Coupled with tantalizing photos of fresh, summery produce, these words gave me some needed energy to remember that there is joy to be found in cooking, if you look for it. Vanessa spoke at a meeting of the  Maplewood Garden Club Since then, I've been reminding myself to appreciate the taste, smell, sight, feel, and sound of food as I prepare it. That does help to make cooking less tedious, but to truly enjoy the exercise, I find that there's another required ingredient: a co-chef to make silly conversation and share the labor. My young bac...

Spotted outside my window recently: Is this not the cutest bird you've ever seen? It's a golden-crowned kinglet, so tiny and fluffed up against winter's cold.  I'm a fool for cuteness, so I had to make this delightful plant-based alternative to ham, complete with the hammy diamond-shaped pattern across its surface. " Sweet and Smokey Glazed Tofu Ham " (Post Punk Kitchen) is easy and turned out well for me, although I wish I'd had cloves on hand to give it that final charming touch that the recipe calls for (next time!). My one note is that while the marinade makes the outside of the "ham" very flavorful, the inside just tastes like boring tofu. Next time I make this, I'll slice the block of tofu width-wise into two long, flat pieces, and I'll marinate, score, and bake them both for twice the cute deliciousness. I started reducing my consumption of animal-based food products six years ago, recognizing the disproportionate contribution to c...