My New Dairy-Free Pantry

We went to Whole Foods/ Paycheck to get our vegan staples, and I saw some parents staring into the dairy case. I had been there so recently myself. The world of food allergies and sensitivities was a new rabbit-hole for us intrepid omnivores. Vegetarianism was not new at all, and something many friends and family have subscribed to for generations. While the Internet is a veritable land of allergy information, it is hard to know what is right and what to do. So, I couldn’t help but tell them about our findings—the better cheese, the better fake meat, the problems with some soy yogurt. And, here is what I said…

I basically shop at Heinen’s. I have a strong love for my locally-owned grocery store. They have a number of parve items; and they are receptive to the needs of their community. They will order items and see if there is a market for them. I buy my tofu there. I vacillate between Cleveland Tofu and the organic national brand. I like the Cleveland better, but it isn’t organic. I usually buy it every other time.

Then there are the more esoteric ingredients like nutritional yeast. I used to buy that from Wild Oats, because I think the merger between Whole Foods and Wild Oats created a monopoly. Now that they are one, I buy it from Whole Foods—way to be political, eh?

Looking at the vegan recipes, I think there is a divide in that community—those who are attempting to continue their dairy life through substitution and those who have looked for recipes that focus on other ingredients. I would say we eat from both types—vegan mac and cheese and vegan tacos to ramen and kichidi. One of the problems I have with the former though is the processed nature of meat substitutes. So we have decided just as I wouldn’t want Belle to eat baloney everyday, we don’t give her fake meat everyday either. Also, I haven’t tried all of the possible egg-replacers that are available, and instead make recipes that don’t require egg.

I have learned that what I need to have on hand is:
Soy yogurt—Be careful to look for dairy free, because much of the live active cultures used in the States is grown on milk
Soy cheese—We buy SoyKaas brand. I don’t work for them, I swear. But, everyone recommends that brand, so that is the one I buy.
Tofu—I usually have a block of firm and sometimes a block of silken on hand. I sometimes have 1 in the freezer too because it is nice textural difference from fresh.
Margarine—I have never like the flavor of Margarine. I use VERY little in Belle’s cooking, but I have it on hand, to finish foods.
Sugar-free Applesauce—serves as an egg-replacement in some baked goods

What I enjoy having on hand, but don’t necessarily need:
Gimme Lean (beef flavor): While we are not a lover of fake meat, this one doesn’t taste like meat, and so it is very good.
Tempeh & Seitan—For a break from the tofu.
Nutritional yeast—We use this for milk-free mac and cheese.
Tofutti Cream Cheese—Belle loves bread and this adds some extra nutrition. I don’t usually buy it, and instead put hummus or white bean spread on her toast.

One Enchanted Evening as a Barfly ( Bar Cento )

Work had put me in an uncharacteristic mood. But, as we drove down Carnegie, in the snow, Cleveland looked so familiar. Office Max moved out because their exec’s couldn’t live here—they apparently hadn’t been let in on all the open secrets of Cleveland. I realize I am one of many voices hailing Cleveland. But, for me, it isn’t about others thinking the city is cool; instead, it is about loving it, pure and simple. And, snowy nights are some of the loveliest.

So, this snowy night, we drove to the West Side, as I had done so many times before, for evening entertainment. Since high school, I have always identified the West Side with the nightlife. (The Phantasy on Cure Night, anyone?) We were meeting at Bar Cento to celebrate the Aquarians and Capricorns amongst us. Running down the brick street and into the restaurant in my wildly unseasonal shoes, I was struck by the continuity with history of Bar Cento. Its décor and feel built upon Market 25 and upon the retail space before it. My friends were seated in the “lobby” portion of the restaurant in three of the six or so lounge-y spaces. It felt as if we were having a late night party just outside the make-up department of Higbee’s. On my quick trip through the actual interior of the restaurant to the bathroom, the décor was unobtrusive (a compliment for a restaurant interior.)

As I said, I was unsettled, so I moved from table to table chatting, but didn’t settle in to eat my own meal right away. Instead, I mooched off my friends. I ate a nice pizza with egg and prosciutto that had been ordered by a women known for her breakfast naan-egg pizzas. I ate a potato pizza that my other friend was apparently have a hard time giving away. I don’t know why they were being so averse to it—as a starch-lover potato on bread sounded good—and tasted good, too. Hell, Belle, had eaten potato bread for dinner just last night. Then, I moved on to the other tables. One innocent bystander had a Pizza Puttanesca. While the body of the pizza was enjoyable, the orange-rind flavor (I believe) of the crust was inexplicable. Another friend had the cod, said to be good, but we know that I am off fish these days. And, then onto my meal…my husband and I shared the antipasto platter and the lamb.

At this point, my night to a turn for the festive as our server continued to bring out very nice wine (C—what was it?) and claret-colored lambic. While she will go unnamed, as is the policy of my blog, she was an excellent, responsible server, who even confirmed that we had designated drivers (or husbands as it was last night.) In this now-festive mood, I enjoyed the cheeses, fennel and sausage bites of the antipasto platter, the pairing of goat cheese with the lamb, and the French/ Belgian(?) fries. Next time, I hope to eat the roast chicken, such a test of a restaurant to me. What struck me most about the restaurant, the food and the menu was how perfectly it seemed to fill a niche. There are so many restaurants that go high-end or even worse expensive casual because the chef or owner thinks that is where the glory and the profits exist. But, here Chef Jonathon Sawyer looked towards a need—mid-price bar food (interestingly, a Mediterranean/ Belgian ikazaya)

By the end of the evening, fully festive as I was, I decided to buy dessert for all—Nutella macaroons and a cheese plate. In the hustle bustle of it all, when I asked our server for the specifics on the cheese, she excused herself and reappeared with Chef Sawyer. At which point, my friend C—, my constant supporter, mentioned this blog. Mr. Sawyer was informative about the cheeses, discussing them in terms of their origin and his tastes. After eating his food, I wasn’t surprised that he was down-to-earth and normal. When asked by C— if he ate the cheeses with accompaniment, he said no, but offered to send out some bread. We then talked blog a moment—I am a lurker on his, he reads a number but doesn’t always comment. When he returned to the kitchen, he sent out toasted bread and his card.
The assortment of the cheese plate was global and extremely enjoyable—though for me it was the Lake Erie Creamery goat cheese that I loved most. I had come here for the local and the connection between the farm and the plate. My husband and I have wondered constantly why more local restaurants don’t see to use or advertise our local farms. I don’t know if many restaurants think, like so many Clevelanders, that things from somewhere else are better or if the audience has grown to expect food that is flown in from far away. This restaurant shows how local can be affordable, enjoyable and a marketing tool—we drove across town for the locally grown and got out with dinner, drinks and dessert for only 60 bucks and change.

Landerwood Plaza

The charm of Landerwood Plaza was lost on me as a child. I don't quite even remember what was in it, but it lacked the chain stores that Beachwood Mall promised. Mostly we ran into the drugstore--which very sadly closed this year. More often we drove by the plaza to go to Heinen's. Even now, I rarely shop at the Plaza. I love Knuth's, but alas my compensation scale (and my husband) suggests that I should only visit once in a very long while. With Belle and her sweet little cousins around, we have spent some time at Playmatters (They have mugs emblazoned with boutique names, if you are looking). This is not to say that we are not in the Plaza that often. I would say I go to that Heinen's two to three times a week. (As you have read, I can't plan ahead.) And, when we feel flush, we have been known to go across the street to Metropolitan Market, but that is another post.

It was my dismission (and maternity leave) that meant that I missed out on the short-lived Tannour. I would like to think that the restaurant's existence was like a 60's Performance Art happening. These restaurant as happening things are big in London, and there are clear similarities in, well, precipitation between Cleveland and London...Alright, so that’s a stretch. While I have heard the story of the retooling of Tannour through the grapevine, without substantiated information, I will stick to the facts. The restaurant closed and reopened with a new name and concept.

Last night, I was feeling guilty about making my less that enjoyable experience at Peppermint potentially public. Since there was no potato bread for me, and I had had such an unsuccessful day completing work at work yesterday, I convinced my husband to get Peppermint take-out. Having been with the sick Belle much of the day, he looked dog-tired--actually much more tired than our dog. All he could handle was take-out. As we went to park, the Peppermint side of the lot was full, so we parked half-way down the plaza, directly in front of Knuth’s (was that a sign to do some quick shopping, I ask.)

After a peak and a purchase at Knuth’s, we decided to take a look at the menu of Joe Foodie’s Tavern. I hadn’t read anything about the restaurant, but the self-conscious name had turned me off. There was no menu posted outside, but instead information about live music, I think. We went in to read the menu. The restaurant, with its pictures of old Cleveland and the Gods of Transportation and medium blue walls, had the feeling of 60’s Cleveland or the Bob Newhart Show. It was sort of retro-lite; a hint of the past but not so much that you could put your finger on it. The hostess, and my guess owner, asked us if we wanted a table, and when we said we wanted to read the menu, I asked her if this is the same owners as Tannour. Yes, she said, amiably, and promised the food to be as good.

This kind service moved us to have a drink at the bar, and maybe taste an appetizer. My only complaint was that all of appetizers were seafood-related. (I didn’t bring home a menu, so I am writing from memory.) Like Ruhlman, I only buy fish according to the safe-ish for the environment chart. Though, really, I try to avoid it all together, because what will the seas be like when they are empty. And, quite frankly, having been the brief, but not brief enough, owner of a red fighting fish this week (mazel tov, L--), I was also off fish for a less noble reason, as well.

That said, we chose to increase the methane gas in the breathing environment—ah, these choices are so hard. We decided to share a burger. I think a good simple burger is a good test of any meat and potatoes restaurant. I would actually call the restaurant an American bistro, if forced to classify it. (We overheard the bartender tell another patron that the chef came from Lola.) I felt as if whoever drew up the menu had watched a few episodes of the British version of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, and memorized his mantra—do only a few things and do them well. The menu was just one-page front and back. There was something for everyone, except a vegan, perhaps. But, they could go to Peppermint.

The burger was nice on a whole wheat roll served with homemade fries served on a non-round plate. They offered me a mesclun mix to top my burger, which really seems a little affected, but otherwise, it was very enjoyable. The person seated next to me had a fish sandwich with cole slaw. As stated above, I was in no mood to even look at his fish. But, his cole slaw looked so good that asked the bartender for a little taste, and she obliged me. It was really nice, and I don’t usually like coleslaw. I liked it because the cabbage was not soggy and the dressing was not gloppy. This is a restaurant my father could get behind, so we will be back.

After our Sofia sparkling wine and Great Lakes beer (guess who got what), we went into Peppermint. I asked the woman at the counter what her favorite dish was—do as the locals do, after all. We ordered Chicken Yellow Curry, Chicken Hot Basil (a favorite from my college days when I lived amidst a glut of Thai restaurants), and her favorite the Chili Duck. The food all came out in less than 10 minutes. I was already fairly full and sudsy from Foodie on the ride home, when I talked to M— about the vegan tofu curry she had made for her dinner guest on Wednesday. If she emails me the recipe, I will include it here eventually. After which, I made a plate that included all three entrees. This food was everything our last experience wasn’t. The food was cooked well and most importantly it was flavorful. The Basil Chicken was spicy, as it should be. (Oh, I should have paired it with a Thai Iced Coffee.) The Yellow Chicken was full of meat, onions and yellow squash. (The curry sauce was good, though I think I will pick a different curry with more seasonal vegetables and use tofu next time.) The Chili Duck was nice. My husband loved it, because he loves duck. I prefer almost duck, beef, pork, salmon slightly underdone or even completely underdone, on the other side of walking my husband says. So, next time, I would ask for it less well-done. But, the flavor of it was good. I have been to other places where they turn this dish into the atomic red Thai equivalent to Chinese Sweet and Sour. Here, it was very nice. Again, I have never been to Thailand, so I have no idea how authentic it is. But, it was flavorful and enjoyable. Next time we take Belle, I will talk with my waitress/ waiter to find something flavorful/ not spicy. And, thinking about it, it will be fairly easy to eat vegan there. Ah, it looks like Belle is back in business for tofu and rice.