A Salute to the Veggies

Being kosher can be a tremendous challenge. Since the majority of the world’s Jews no longer keep the practice, it’s not something that many people don’t understand. I have been questioned about it a thousand times, and I’m sure I will be questioned about it a thousand more.

At least I’m in good company. In the land of California, everyone is on a different diet that it is easy to camouflage yourself. There are the gluten-frees, the no-white-stuff peeps and the raw diet rabbits. Trust me, I tried a raw meal once, where I ate nut cheese. It’s not an experience I want to repeat.

But I am going to sing the praises of a certain group of specific diet people. Mainly, the vegetarians and vegans (sorry, my pescatarian friends, but you’re going to have to sit out this number. I still love you, though).

It’s a hard world out there for you guys. With very little protein available, you have to make things work in a very different way. I still hear people talk about “It’s not healthy” to be a vegetarian or vegan. I hear stories of former vegetarians and vegans talking about how unhealthy they were.

However, for those who keep up with the lifestyle, I give kudos. It’s a hard choice. As a kosher girl, I understand. I’m weaker, because I like chicken, beef and lamb, and refuse to give those up. There are very few options for kosher though, so I go into vegetarian and vegan restaurants with great joy in being able to order anything off the menu. Whether it’s for health, ethics or environmental reasons, I give kudos for not falling into the cheeseburger world and playing with your veggies (I find veggies often a lot more fun to work with than meat).

Vegetarians and vegans have been getting more cultural acceptance in the United States, although the majority of the acceptance is here in California. Five years ago, when I was in Washington D.C. and requested a vegetarian meal at a luncheon at the National Press Club, I got a plate of slop with microwavable peas and carrots in it. I watched as the other vegetarians in the room wrinkled their noses in contempt.

Five years later, I was a dinner here in California. As everyone else was served chicken, I requested a vegetarian meal. Out came a beautiful plate of pasta with bright vegetables, parmesan cheese and a balsamic reduction. The meat eaters at the table sat there with their chicken cordon bleu while I was happily eating up my pasta, leaving them all jealous.

What I learned from that experience is that when it comes to creating food for vegetarians and vegans, you have to be more creative. I watch as many vegetarian and vegan places come up with uses for seitan, tempeh and tofu, which are absolutely extraordinary and downright tasty. I have seen Café Jay Vegetarian in Mira Mesa serve soy shrimp (which is absolutely delish) and the perennial L.A. favorite Veggie Grill create a fried chick’n sandwich to delicious results. Yesterday, I ate delicious fakin’ bacon at Zephyr, a vegetarian restaurant right here in Long Beach. Yums.

I have also watched as restaurants have been more veggie and vegan friendly – like my friends at Open Sesame, who have taken the time to mark the vegetarian and vegan menu items, or at Burger Bar in Las Vegas, where their vegan “burger” is actually two of the most delicious portabella mushrooms as the buns, and delectable veggies in the middle. And since Burger Bar is owned by Hubert Keller, a top-notch chef (and is also home to the BEST MILKSHAKE EVER), it says something to the great chefs out there – vegetarians and vegans aren’t going anywhere, so either give them something good or they’ll go somewhere else to get it.

So here’s to you, my veggie and vegan friends. May we of the kosher world continue to grow with you and enjoy all your delicious offerings. In the meantime, we are going to replay a recipe, for tofu coconut curry. P’tayavon!

TOFU COCONUT CURRY

1 block extra-firm tofu

¼ cup hoisin sauce

8 shiitake mushrooms

3 small heads bok choy

2-3 large carrots

4 green onions

4 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 cans light coconut milk

2-3 tablespoons curry powder

Other curry spices (see QUICK TIP 2)

Drain the tofu and chop into cubes (see QUICK TIP 1). Marinate in hoisin sauce. Meanwhile, slice the shiitake mushrooms and chop the bok choy (discarding roots and ends) and carrots. Slice the green onions and mince the garlic.

In a soup pan, heat the oil and add the shiitakes and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic. Saute for three to four minutes, then add the tofu. Cook for another two minutes, constantly turning the pan.

Add the bok choy and green onions. Add the coconut milk, curry powder and other spices. Allow to simmer until the coconut milk begins to reduce and the mixture begins to thicken. Serve hot over rice.

QUICK TIP 1: Tofu, if not drained properly, will fall apart during cooking. If your tofu is packed in water, remove it from the package and wrap it in paper towels. Put it on a plate and place another one on top with a heavy object to weigh it down. You may have to replace the paper towels several times. However, if you can find your tofu vacuum-sealed instead of packed in water, it will take you a lot less time to drain it.

QUICK TIP 2: I personally like my curry powder and coconut milk for the mixture because it doesn’t overpower the subtle sweetness of the mixture. However, there are certain components of the curry powder spice mix you like best – like ginger, tumeric, coriander and cumin, or even cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and mustard powder – that you may want to accentuate. If so, feel free to add them to your curry.