Amanda Cohen has created a reputation for herself as a chef defiantly supportive of vegetables.  When she opened her restaurant Dirt Candy (which is certified Kosher) a few years ago, she received just as much attention for her blog, a thoroughly hilarious and opinionated thread on vegetarianism and debunking the myths surrounding it, as for her incredible food.  As the husband of a vegetarian, we dine at a good amount of vegetarian restaurants, Dirt Candy is the only place that left me blown away, and not missing meat at all.

This Sunday at 10PM Amanda will become the first Vegetarian chef to compete on Iron Chef America on The Food Network.  Cohen writes on her blogs, “I thought that if someone was going to be the first vegetarian chef on Iron Chef America, if someone was going to go out there representing vegetarian food, I’d rather it be me than anyone else. Part of that is, of course, my giant ego, but part of it is also the fact that vegetarian food has been chained to the animal rights movement and the health food movement for years, which has let the food mainstream dismiss it. There’s nothing wrong with animal rights or health food, but Dirt Candy is just about food, and it’s about vegetarian food as nothing more than cooking vegetables – no politics, no health claims or virtuous living, just giving vegetables a chance to be treated as seriously as chefs treat pork. It’s a point of view that isn’t seen very often, especially on the Food Network and I wanted my chance to put a different face on vegetarian food.”

Cohen admits that she had some reservations about going on Iron Chef, she didn’t want to be represented as a crappy chef, or be exploited to allow Iron Chef Morimoto and easy win, but when she finally agreed to do it, she became fully committed.  “The only way to deal with Iron Chef is to go big or go home. You either take it really seriously, or you shouldn’t do it at all. So I started closing the restaurant every Tuesday for four weeks so we could practice, knocking out menu after menu in 60 minutes,” Cohen said.

From her play by play on the Dirt Candy Blog, the filming seems to have been an intense experience, 60 minutes of heart pumping cooking action that truly flies by, in a foreign kitchen, completely surrounded by cameras, with producers constantly screaming directions to get the best shot.  Her blog posts make it sound like she might have won, a few months after filming, she admits she was invited to compete in The Next Iron Chef, so maybe she blows Morimoto away.  If you live in NYC they are having a viewing party at Angels and Kings, I personally hope she makes Yids and vegetarians everywhere proud and annihilates Morimoto.

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Last week, Janna Gur, author of The Book of New Israeli Food, posted some insightful and entertaining stories about her book.  In light of this week’s holiday bonanza, Janna has graciously provided us with some of her new Israeli recipes to help spice up your meals. Enjoy, Jewcers!

Traditional Couscous Soup

This is the vegetarian version of the exotically fragrant Moroccan soup that is served with couscous. Use the same procedure to prepare couscous soup with chicken (see below).

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

1 cup chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight, rinsed and drained
4 carrots, cut into 2-3 large chunks
4 medium potatoes, quartered
1 large onion, quartered
Salt and freshly ground white or black pepper to taste
Small pinch of saffron or 11/2 teaspoons turmeric
200 g (7 oz) pumpkin, cut into 4-5 large chunks
4 courgettes (zucchini), cut into 3-4 large chunks
Half a green cabbage, quartered
4-5 stalks celery stalks, peeled and cut coarsely (save the leaves)
1/2 kg (1 lb 2 oz) instant couscous

Directions

1. Put the chickpeas in a large saucepan, cover with water and cook for about 30 minutes. Drain, pour in 2 liters (2 quarts) of water (to prevent the soup from becoming cloudy later on), and cook for another 30 minutes, until the chickpeas are tender.

2. Add the carrots, potatoes and onion, season with salt, pepper, saffron or turmeric and cook for 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

3. Add the remaining vegetables (except the celery leaves) and cook for 15 minutes, until tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add the celery leaves and cook for another 15 minutes.

4. Prepare the couscous according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

5. Place a heap of couscous in a deep dish. Arrange the vegetables on top  and ladle the soup around and over the couscous.

Red Couscous Soup

When adding the pumpkin, cabbage and courgettes (zucchini), add one small can (300 g, 1012 oz) of tomatoes in tomato  paste and continue according to the recipe.

Spicy Couscous Soup

Add 1-2 tablespoons of filfel chuma (p. 296) or harissa (p. 298) towards the end of the cooking cycle.

Couscous Soup With Chicken

Add 6-8 chicken drumsticks for the last 30 minutes of the cooking cycle.

(Image: Shutterstock)

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The various ethical, environmental, and cultural issues surrounding honey have been considered and discussed on Hazon’s blog The Jew and the Carrot, both in posts and comments. Leah has explored whether honey is “kosher” for vegans, and wondered if there’s “any ethics-based diet that *doesn’t* have a little bit of hypocrisy clouding up its ideals.” Michael Croland from HeebnVegan explained that the issue does little to promote veganism, and pointed us in the direction of this Satya Mag article on the subject.  Meanwhile, Rabbi Shmuel has suggested that we should critically re-examine the Rosh Hashanah custom of dipping apples in honey, and explore alternatives such as maple syrup, while Rabbi Debbie Prinz joined the conversation with a lip-smacking guest post on how we can integrate chocolate into our Rosh Hashanah celebrations.

Rather than continue the debate on whether honey is vegan, eco-kosher, or even just kosher (Leah notes that she has always “puzzled over how eating a food created by a decidedly non-kosher creature could be considered okay for the Tribe”), I’m offering a number of delicious, vegan, kosher, and organic ideas and recipes for a sweet new year.

Agave Nectar: Derived from the succulent plant of the same name, agave is like honey’s sophisticated big sister. Satisfyingly sweet and sticky, it makes for a perfect apple dip, plus it has a low glycemic index, a long shelf-life, and it won’t crystallize.  Madhava Agave Nectar is available in different grades, is certified organic, and is kosher. It’s available online and at many markets across the U.S.

Maple Syrup: As Rabbi Shmuel noted, maple syrup is an ideal choice for Rosh Hashanah thanks to its rich symbolism and earthy sweetness.  “Maples,” he explains, “represent the ultimate in chesed (loving-kindness) giving freely of not only their wood and shelter but their sap—their very essence.” Shady Maple Farm offers certified organic, kosher, pure maple syrup, as do Coombs Family Farms, Highland Sugarworks, and a host of others.

Brown Rice Syrup: Rich in rice protein concentrates, brown rice syrup has been said to have a healthy effect on cholesterol levels, and may help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Because it’s produced from a whole food source and is composed of simple sugars, brown rice syrup is considered to be one of the healthiest sweeteners in the natural food industry.  With a light, sweet flavor and the consistency of honey, this is another great option to experiment with on Rosh Hashanah. Lundberg Family Farms offers brown rice syrup that’s organic, eco-farmed, vegan, kosher, and gluten free!

Date Honey: References to honey in the Torah are believed to have been about honey made from dates. This is quite possibly the ultimate symbolic Rosh Hashanah food, and also the hardest to find. Our own Leah offered a recipe on the Lilith’s blog, but you may still have time to track some down at a local Middle Eastern market, or order it online in time for the holiday. Try here and here.

Chocolate: It’s incredibly easy to find vegan chocolate these days, and what’s more, you can often find vegan chocolate that’s also organic and fair-trade. Simply melt some semisweet, vegan chocolate chips with a drop of soy milk or oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow it to cool a bit before dipping your apples, bread, and fingers!

Vegan Caramel Sauce: Little goes better with apples than sweet, sticky, mouth-watering caramel. Unfortunately for vegans, caramel often contains milk and butter.  Not to worry, though!  Try one of these recipes for vegan caramel sauce, which creates a thick, sweet, pourable alternative.

(Image by Chiot’s Run, via Flickr)

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