VEGETARIAN AWAKENING 2007 IN GRAND RAPIDS, MI

The Vegetarian Awakening Conference is taking a year off. As you can imagine, the "marshalling of resources" (human, financial, and otherwise) for an event like this is enormous. As the event appears near the end of our Spring academic calendar, the conference adds a lot of activity to an already busy time.

Without abandoning our commitment to Vegetarian Cuisine, we will "watch from the sidelines" in 2008, so that we may be refreshed and invigorated by attending other conferences around the world.

We hope that you will understand and we look forward to crossing paths with you during the year.

I was honored to present at this unique vegan conference again in April 2007 (details).

Back Row (L to R): Tal Ronnen, Chad Sarno, Ian Brandt, Kevin Dunn, Eric Tucker, Sualua Tupolo; Front (L to R) Bryanna, Cathi Di Cocco, Fran Costigan
(Read about these great chefs!)

SEE PHOTOS (AND 1 RECIPE) OF SOME OF THE VEGAN PERUVIAN DISHES I COOKED AT THE 2007 CONFERENCE BELOW.

Below are some photos from the 2006 conference. Click on a photo for a larger view. Photos © Linda Long, 2006

FOUR OF THE VEGAN PERUVIAN RECIPES I COOKED AT THE 2007 CONFERENCE:

photo by Linda Long

BRYANNA'S VEGAN CAUSA (kow-sah) (Peruvian Tri-Color Potato Salad Terrine)

photo by Linda Long

BRYANNA’S TRIGO (WHEAT, LIMA-STYLE) serves 6

(Adapted from a recipe my book "The Fiber for Life Cookbook")

This unusual Peruvian dish, made with whole wheat kernels, or wheat berries, was given to me by my cousin Rosario Urbina Musso (Charo). She just gave me an idea of the ingredients, and I consulted an old, badly translated Peruvian cookbook of my mother’s for more help. This is what I came up with, and I like it very much!

Charo says that the wheat kernels we get here are not the same as the “trigo” they get in Peru . Trigo is a bit smaller than our wheat, and you may be able to find it in a latin American grocery store, but I made it with cooked soft wheat berries, and it tasted fine to me!

1 T extra-virgin olive oil (you can add a few drops of roasted sesame oil too, if you like)

1/2 c. chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium, ripe tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp. dry red chili flakes (or more to taste)

1 and 1/4 c. trigo or wheat berries (soft, if possible), soaked in 4 c. water overnight, and then cooked in the soaking water until tender (50 to 60 minutes) (save cooking water)

1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, cooked and cubed

1/2 c. grated vegan “mozzarella”-type cheese (Tofutti, Vegan Gourmet, or Sheese)

1/4 c. chopped parsley

salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Saute the onions until softened. Add the garlic and tomatoes, along with the chile flakes. Saute for several minutes. (This is what Peruvians call the “sofrito”.) Add the cooked wheat and potatoes and stir-cook for several minutes. Add some of the wheat cooking water if it’s too dry. Stir in the “cheese” and parsley, and taste for salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

If you like savory foods for breakfast, the leftovers are delicious in the morning!

Servings: 6

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 235.3 calories; 16% calories from fat; 4.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 37.0mg sodium; 598.6mg potassium; 43.3g carbohydrates; 7.6g fiber; 3.0g sugar; 35.7g net carbs; 8.9g protein; 4.3 points.

Photo by Linda Long

BRYANNA'S VEGAN ALFAJORES (ahl-fah-hor-ays) (PASTRIES) and BRYANNA’S NORTHWEST-STYLE MAZAMORRA MORADA (PERUVIAN PURPLE CORN PUDDING)