Native Foods Blog

The Famously Infamous Fruitcake

by Christopher Arnett

Native Foods Cafe

Well, the holidays are upon us, or rather, were upon us.  It is a time for presents, family get-togethers, and (you guessed it) fruitcakes! I don’t know about the rest of you, but I grew up with the notion that fruitcakes were some kind of joke, an object of derision where one gives affected thanks through gritted teeth upon receipt of the vaunted dessert. But I always wondered, was the fruitcake ever an acceptable part of the holiday tradition? When and how exactly did fruitcakes get their bad reputation? And more importantly, should we continue to eat them?

 

It is a little bit intimidating. Native Foods Cafe, vegan food, vegan restaurant.

 

            Well, let’s start with the basics. What is a fruitcake and where did it come from? Basically, a fruitcake is a cake made with chopped candied fruit and/or dried fruit, nuts, spices, and perhaps soaked in some kind of spirit (like rum). Doesn’t sound so bad so far, right? Apparently, the fruitcake can boast of a history that begins in ancient Egypt and Rome, from which the earliest recipes come. It included such ingredients as pomegranate seeds, raisins, and pine nuts. Who knew the fruitcake when back thousands of years?! And though the Roman Empire may have eventually crumbled, the tradition of the fruitcake endured, surviving the uncertain times of Europe’s dark ages to remain a favored treat in the Middle Ages. By this time, the recipe would also come to include honey, spices, and preserved fruits. In fact, Crusaders would take them along because of how well they kept on long journeys (even then the fruitcake had a reputation for durability). Recipes would vary according to region and availability of ingredients as time passed, but the indomitable fruitcake would become entrenched in European holiday tradition. And when Europeans came to the Americas, sugar from the American colonies made preserved fruits more widely available. The wider availability of the essential ingredient made the fruitcake more popular, and it has now become an American holiday tradition, as well.

 

By Horus! What is this delicious morsel?  Native Foods Cafe, vegan food, vegan restaurant.

 

            So when did the once-venerable fruitcake, steeped in European tradition since ancient times, get such a bad rap? As most of you know, the crux of the humor levied against this poor pastry usually refers to its heaviness and long shelf life. This is due to its alcohol content, allowing the fruitcake to outlive its would-be consumers. In fact, according to People.com, a family in Michigan keeps a fruitcake that was baked in 1878 as a family heirloom! Such stunning preservation has led many a comedian has taken a jab the fruitcake, including Jay Leno and the late Johnny Carson. In fact, many blame Mr. Carson for the beginning of the fruitcake’s place in popular culture as an object of derision. In Manitou Springs, Colorado there is even an annual fruitcake toss. No respect, I tell ya. Because of its bad reputation, the fruitcake is a heavily re-gifted item at a rate of 38%. However, December 27 is National Fruitcake Day, so at least some people are paying their proper respects.

The poor, misunderstood fruitcake. Native Foods Cafe, vegan food, vegan restaurant.

 

So is fruitcake really that bad? If it was, it wouldn’t have been around for so long, right? More importantly, are there vegan fruitcakes? The answer is yes! The internet abounds with recipes for veganized versions of the holiday treats. Here’s one to try courtesy of Ener-G Foods:

 

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp egg replacer
• 4 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 ounces candied fruit mix
• 1 1/4 cup water or orange juice
• 1 3/5 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp allspice

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Briefly whip the Egg Replacer in 4 tablespoons water until fluffy.

Place vegan margarine, sugar, dried fruit, whipped Egg Replacer and 1-1/4 cup water (or orange juice) in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow cooling for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and allspice together. Mix in boiled mixture and transfer to a greased loaf tin or a greased 8inch diameter cake tin.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in tin.

 

And as it turns out, I had been an unknowing lover of fruitcake as a child in the form of pannetone. For those you that don’t know, it is a fruitcake of Italian origin that is part of the Christmas tradition in parts of Europe and South America. Unlike the usual image of fruitcake, the pannetone was light, fluffy, and delicately sweet. It would be great if there was a vegan pannetone somewhere out there. As it turns out, there is! Take a look at this one from Vegan Dad (the recipe was a bit long, so just follow the link).

  It really does exist! Native Foods Cafe uses this photo courtesy of The Art of Life and Life of Art. vegan food, vegan restaurant.

 

Maybe if I’m good, Chef Tanya will make me a vegan pannetone. Definitely going on my list. 

 

Well, that’s all folks. Happy Holidays and Peace to All (sentient creatures)!

 

 

Beet Your Greens... If You Know What's Good for Ya

by Chef Tanya Petrovna

Native Foods Cafe

This is from our Fall Cooking Demos this past September, and let me tell you... people love to beet their greens!  Not only can you eat the beets... but their green top-hats too!  Just to get into that "Beat It" kinda mood... I recommend preparing this dish while listening to Beat It... or any kind of MJ for that matter.

 

Beet Your Greens

Serves 4

1 bunch fresh beets

1 ea. yellow onion, sliced

3 Tbsp. olive oil

½ tsp. sea salt

1/3 cup orange juice

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. minced Italian parsley

2 Tbsp. minced chives

2 Tbsp. minced mint

2 Tbsp. lemon zest

Remove beet greens by slicing off at top of bulbs.

Slice stems and leaves in 1-inch pieces.

 

Beat the Greens:

1. Heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil in skillet and add sliced onions and salt.

2. When transparent and lightly browned, add the stems and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add chopped leaves to top of sauté onion and stem mix and let sit until wilted

slightly, then stir in.

4. Reduce heat to low and cover part way.

5. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes.

Native Foods Cafe uses this photo courtesy of Bless Her Heart, vegan food, vegan restaurant, vegan recipe.

 

Beat the Beet:

1. Peel the beets with a vegetable peeler.

2. Grate in food processor.

3. Combine dressing ingredients and then toss with grated beets.

4. Stores for 2 days and flavors get bolder.

5. Great as a salad on top of greens, atop warm grains, or in a sandwich!

 

Native Foods Cafe uss this photo courtesy for Meals; for Moderns, vegan food, vegan restaurant, vegan recipe 

 

Chef Tanya & the Mad Cowboy

by Native Foods Cafe

Another in this great series of VegTV videos from Native Foods Cafe back in the day!  Chef Tanya shows you how to make the Mad Cowboy, a dish named after everyone's favorite Mad Cowboy, Howard Lyman.

Tanya Of Native Foods Café by VegTV 

 

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Taco Time... is Any Time Really

by Holladay Allen

Native Foods Cafe

 

So last Spring I drove out to the desert for an evening.  I hung out with Chef Tanya, hiked through the desert canyons, dunked my head in a waterfall, and ate some darn good food!  I woke up starving and demanding we go get breakfast... but Tanya insisted she whip up something she had in the kitchen.  When I made my way into the kitchen in front of me sat row of perfect veggie tacos with a cup of piping hot black coffee.  All she did was take a fresh tomato sauce (made from the over-ripe tomatoes from the farmer's market) she had made the day before for some pasta, sauteed Spring onions (you could use leeks if the Spring onions aren't in season) and avocado.... nestled them all in soft warm corn tortillas and lined them up on a plate.  I think we also put some Avjar on top too!  Taco time all the time! 

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Wild Shroom Soup

by Chef Tanya Petrovna

Native Foods Cafe

 

If you like our Wild Mushroom Soup at Native Foods Cafe... try this one on for size.  It is a little richer and creamier as it has a touch of Vegenaise in it.  Make some and imagine you are mushroom picking in Italy while the amazing smells fill your kitchen. Remember to share the shrooms with friends, and freeze any leftovers.

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Wild & Creamy Mushroom Soup

Serves 5-6

½ cup dried mushrooms (porcini or available mix)

2 cups hot water

12 oz fresh mushrooms (mix of Portobello and shitake are nice)

 ¼ cup olive oil

1 ea. leek, chopped

2 ea. shallots, sliced

2 ½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

¼ cup unbleached flour

4 cups water

1 cup white wine

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1 cup Vegenaise

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

 

1. Soak dried mushrooms in 2 cups of hot water for about 20 minutes.

2. Chop or slice fresh mushrooms.

3. Remove mushrooms from soak water and save soak water.

4. Chop or sliced dried mushrooms.

5. Gently pour off top of mushroom soak water so as not to disturb any dirt at

bottom of container and save.

6. In a large pot heat olive oil and sauté leek and shallots with salt and pepper

until transparent and lightly browned, then add mushrooms and sauté for

about 10 minutes.

7. Add the flour, stir and cook for one minute.

8. Add the mushroom soak water, water, wine and thyme.

9. Bring to boil, then immediately turn to simmer for about 15 minutes.

10. Remove from heat and puree half of the soup with Veganaise and add back to

pot.

11.Stir well, and serve garnished with some chopped Italian parsley.

 

Native Foods Cafe uses this photo courtesy of Weekend Carnivore, vegan food, vegan restaurant.

The Modern Monte Cristo

by Holladay Allen    

Native Foods Cafe

I love breakfast food.  But I usually don't eat breakfast because of one reason: sleep.  I'd rather squeeze in those last 20 blissful minutes of snooze-time.  When I do wake up in time,  it is usually a quick slice of toast, coffee and maybe a banana.  When I do have more time to invest in breakfast making, I love crepes and tofu scrambles.  I have been meaning to try Chef Kendall's from her Monday Morning Breakfast Fix.  Also, growing up in Key West, I grew quite accustomed to a cafe don leche with cheese toast.  This is a pretty standard breakfast for the locals, otherwise known as Conchs.  Cafe con leche is basically a Cuban latte.... and it is pretty stong, which is rad.  And cheese toast is simply American cheese on Cuban bread placed in a sandwich press.  Cuban bread is quite delicious as I remember.... but it contains LARD!  Yikes... so it has been many a year since I have had any pan Cubano.  Sooooo, I do like to have a grilled cheese for breakfast sometimes.... and I like to dunk it in blacak coffee, weird?  Maybe.  I was messing around in the kitchen the other morning... woke up a bit earlier than usual and whipped up my version of a Modern Monte Cristo.  Not the healthiest breakfast, but hey... Chef Tanya always says eat healthy with a little bit of sin :)

What you'll need:

2 slices raisin bread (I used Rudi's)

1-2 tsp vegan butter

1 strip tempeh bacon

1 oz Daiya Mozzarella

1 oz Daiya Cheddar

Quickly cook the bacon strip in a pan over medium-high heat.  I usually dry cook it without butter, but just make sure it does not burn.  Assemble the sandwich layering mozzarella, then bacon, then cheddar, and finally the second piece of bread.

Put a lil' butter in the saute pan and place sandwich in pan.  Cook on both sides til each side is lightly toasted and the cheese is all nice and melty inside.

Enjoy with a nice hot coffee.

 

 native foods cafe, vegan food, vegan restaurant

Flu Shot or Not?

by Christopher Arnett

Native Foods Cafe

Especially in vegan circles, the idea of vaccinations has been a controversial topic. Are they really necessary?  Do they do more harm than good?  In the winter season where sore throats and runny noses are rampant, who wouldn’t want added protection from the vile flu? Well, let’s take a look at some of the available information on the good ol’ interweb and see what we can find.

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First, some statistics: between 25 and 50 million people in the U.S. are infected with the flu every year. That’s a lot of flu. And last year, 36,000 people died from complications due to the flu virus. Every year it spreads in the U.S. from November to April, peaking between December and March. And as we all know, the flu is very contagious. It can cause real complications for people with preexisting respiratory conditions, like asthma. It is usually transmitted by droplets of saliva projected into the air by the sneeze of someone who is infected (yuck!). And since the virus can live in the air for three hours, a lot more people can catch it. Not to mention, touching anything touched by an infected person can easily spread it you.

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Some people may be afraid that they will catch the flu from a vaccine. However, this can’t happen since the only dead strains of the flu are used. The experts say may experience some muscle soreness, muscle aches, or fatigue after the first few days. But if you had the actual flu, the symptoms would be much worse. Getting the shot supposedly lowers your chance of getting infected, and lessens the severity of your symptoms if you do. Because the flu mutates every year into a different form, new vaccines are needed each year to fight the particular strain. Thus, we never build up immunity to it.

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On the flipside, opponents of the flu shot have a number of arguments against.  Some cite the fact that the pharmaceutical industry is multi-billion dollar industry whose primary goal is to earn revenue. Thus, there is a monetary incentive to promote the use and belief in flu vaccines. They caution consumers against the corporate-sponsored studies on the benefits of the corporation’s own products.

  Native Foods Cafe, vegan food, vegan restaurant

An interview was conducted with Dr. Viera Schneiber in a 2009 interview, a leading expert in vaccine medical data. Her investigations apparently bring to light the intentionally misleading information formulated by the vaccine industry. She cites numerous negative effects of vaccination. These include susceptibility to the disease which the vaccine is supposed to prevent, damaging internal organs like the pancreas, and host of harmful chemicals contained in the vaccine. Some of these chemicals include mercury and formaldehyde, which are known to be toxic. Some even reportedly contain animal by-products like horse blood. With flu shots, people can also on rare occasions develop a severe allergic reaction that affects the central nervous system called Guillan- Barré Syndrom. Yikes.

In the end, it us up to every individual to process the information available to them and make their own decision regarding vaccines for themselves and their dependents.  It can be a touchy subject, especially when sometimes you don’t know whom to believe. As for me, I never get a flu shot. Sure, I’ve gotten sick during an occasional winter, but nothing serious that I didn’t recover from by resting and sleeping and eating properly. The purpose of our immune systems is to keep our bodies healthy, and for now, that’s enough for me. Good luck out there!

 

 

 

 

Rasta Pasta and Native Foods Cafe back in the day!

by Native Foods Cafe

Another great video of Chef Tanya making Rasta Pasta Primavera at Native Foods Cafe via VegTV... we think that's the Westwood location!

Chef Tanya: Rasta Pasta Primavera by VegTV 

 

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‘Tis the Season...

by Chef Kendall Huff

Native Foods Cafe

Tis' that time of year, again. Time for last minute shopping, uncomfortable cocktail dresses and the evil task of wrapping presents. Its impossible…I KNOW! If you are anything like me, you wait and wait and wait…until 2 days before the big who ray, before realizing there is a new cousin now, or a girlfriend of an uncle that needs gifts also. Whatever the case may be, I’m never ready for this event. It’s almost like the day is earlier every year. This year is different. I have decided to take the Martha Stewart approach (without the fancy ankle wear). This way I can practice on my personal skill, and impress the family at the same time.  Who isn’t trying to do that?

 

 

 

 

Last Minute Idea #1- Vegan Truffles!

These are super simple to make and you can add different flavors, colors and textures to them. If your Auntie likes almonds, chop some up and roll her truffles in that. Your Grand pappy like those Old School Ribbon Candies (only grandpa’s do) crush some of those up and roll his truffles in that!! It’s a personal yet creative gift that everyone will love and enjoy!! Maybe not share, but you’ll defiantly be the coolest gift giver this year!!

Native Foods Cafe uses this photo courtesy of the Herbivore Dinosaur, vegan food, vegan restaurant, vegan recipe.

Delicious Ingredients:

3/4-cup raw cashews

3/4-cup cold water

16 ounces vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

 

Thee Procedure:

1. Puree the cashews and water for 1-2 minutes until they make a heavy cream consistency.

2. In a saucepan, heat the oil and melt the chocolate over medium heat until smooth, turn the heat down until the chocolate is cool enough to work with, fold in the cashew cream. Don't let it bubble!

3. Pour into a fridge friendly container and let the mixture chill until it's easy to work with, about 2 hours or so.

4. Form into balls roll into nuts, candies, fill them with creams or fruits or dip back into melted chocolate!! They can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.  Be sure to make extras…. testing each different flavor is a MUST!!!

 

Last Minute Idea #2- Spiced Marcona Almonds

Marcona almonds (the "Queen of Almonds" if you will) are imported from Spain. They are shorter, rounder, softer, and sweeter than the California variety.  They are tasty as is, or you can spice them up, purchase little holiday tins and snack on them by the fire, watching the Grinch or with a glass of wine. Makes a healthy and cute little snack. Whatever your tradition is, squeeze them in there and you won’t regret it!!

 

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Spice it up:

2 cups- Marcona Almonds

1 tsp- Ground Cumin

1 tsp- Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp- Chopped Fresh Thyme

 

*Place everything in a mixing bowl and toss together to coat evenly.  Looking for those tins to package them in? Try here.  The Brookie Cookie.

 

Last Minute Ideas #3- Spearmint Brownies

This idea is brilliant. Who doesn’t like brownies? And spearmint ones at that? You can even use this idea for a little treat for everyone. Make a batch, toss them on a serving plate, garnish with some crushed spearmint candies and Walla!! Easy, fun and addictive. May want to make 2 batches!! They’ll go quick!

 

Native Foods Cafe, vegan food, vegan restaurant, vegan recipe.

Ingredients Needed:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups organic granulated sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1-teaspoon baking powder

1-teaspoon salt

1-cup water

1-cup vegetable oil

1-teaspoon spearmint extract (mint will do also)

 

Thee Procedure:

1- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and Salt. Pour in water, vegetable oil and spearmint; mix until well blended. Spread evenly in a 9x13 inch-baking pan.

3- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is no longer shiny.

4-Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Then sprinkle with chopped up spearmint candy canes!!

 

Happy Holiday Last Minute Gift Giving to ALL!!

 

Vintage Native Foods Cafe!

by Native Foods Cafe

 

Chef Tanya on VegTV circa 2000!  Native Foods Cafe has been dishing out delicious vegan pizzas for almost two decades now... be sure to check out our latest pizza on the Winter Menu which launches early January!

Chef Tanya: Seitan Pizza by VegTV 

 

Native Foods Cafe, vegan food, vegan restaurant, vegan pizza