5 Vegan Misconceptions Dispelled by the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival

The New York City Vegetarian Food Festival is a space where vegans can unabashedly be vegans. They’re free to eat all the lettuce leaves their tree-hugger hearts desire while talking smack about your carnivorous ways. This is, of course, totally not what happens in the expo center at all. But if you’re a sucker for stereotypes, it’d be easy to believe that this is a two-day event celebrating nothing but salad.

Instead we experienced a vast array of new products, cooking demonstrations and presentations from medical experts, political leaders, and celebrity chefs, all extolling the virtues of a plant-based diet. On top of all the delicious eats, a lot of vegan myths and stereotypes were busted along the way. (For instance, I didn’t eat one leafy green all weekend.) Here are some of the more important takeaways we learned between free samples.

Misconception #1: You can’t get jacked from plant-based protein alone.

If you’re looking to build up muscle mass, you can totally get buff on a purely vegan diet. In a talk entitled “The Protein of the Future,” Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, an internal medicine resident at Metropolitan Hospital, cited a fascinating study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The research, which was published just last year, found that it doesn’t matter whether your protein intake is from plant or animal sources, as long as you get the recommended daily intake. Your body doesn’t discriminate. So the next time you reach for a post-workout smoothie, try incorporating legumes and leafy greens in it as well.

Misconception #2: There are no uses for chickpeas beyond hummus.

Biena

Chickpeas are truly a magical legume. They can add texture and flavor to any salad, work as a savory spread when ground as hummus, and obviously they’re the key ingredient to falafel. But based on the array of products on display on the convention floor, the chickpea is working its way into your pantry in a multitude of other deceptive ways.

Banza’s chickpea pasta is among the most buzz-worthy. While slightly gummy in texture, it’s definitely not bad, especially when slathered in lots of tomato sauce. It’s particularly great for those who are gluten-free and if you’re looking to sneak in some protein in lieu of carbs, you can’t go wrong. If you’re looking for a crunchy snack, try Hippeas Chickpea Puffs or Biena Thin Mint Chickpeas. Yes, they are chocolate-coated and approved by the Girl Scouts. They’ll be available in Whole Foods this summer and will leave your mouth feeling conflicted and confused.

Misconception #3: Kids raised without meat aren’t happy or healthy…and they hate their parents. 

Raising children on an entirely plant-based diet might seem controversial. At the very least, it’s polarizing. There just haven’t been many scientific studies to assess the benefits and risks of veganism on children. However, raising kids on a vegetarian diet, one complete with eggs and dairy, has been considered a possible health-conscious option, especially as a means of fighting the childhood obesity epidemic.

Some public officials, like Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, are taking this nutritional research a step further.  Adams was instrumental in helping to implement Meatless Mondays across 15 public schools, where vegetarian lunches are now served on a weekly basis. As keynote speaker, Adams spoke about his recent efforts and future plans with an infectious energy. Given this local success, it’s easy to see how a new generation might embrace a veg-friendly lifestyle.

From a purely observational basis, the Kumquat Kids area on the exhibition floor was bustling with little ones, who likely never tasted a hamburger. And guess what? They didn’t appear grumpy at all. They were completely engaged in crafts, storytelling, and playing on wooden broccoli cut-outs, making for perfect photo opportunities for their parent’s Instagram accounts.

Misconception #4: Vegan cheese doesn’t taste good.

eseché

Quitting dairy can be tough, especially cheese. A love of brie and cheddar is often the ultimate deterrent that prevents people from going full-on vegan. While dairy-free cheese hasn’t been completely perfected, it’s come a long way from the waxy, soy-based analogues of yore. eseChé, one of the better brands we tasted, is actually made from cultured sunflower seeds. We were impressed by its taste and texture. Plus, it melted perfectly over fully loaded hash browns and quesadillas.

Misconception #5: Plum vinegar is a pointless ingredient. 

I didn’t think I cared about vinegar, but that was before I tried this variation. Made from pickled Japanese plum brine, it adds a rich umami taste to any dish. It also has the incredible property of enhancing the natural flavors of any food. During a dumpling-making demonstration, Chef Adam Sobel, who runs the vegan food truck The Cinnamon Snail, professed to using it in tons of his recipes. From the taste of his miso dipping sauce, we have to agree that it is, indeed, the king of vinegars.

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How to Enter a Recipe Contest and Potentially Win Big Bucks

Perhaps you once dreamt of culinary school or the glory of cooking in a restaurant, but your dreams were halted by realities of expense or of too much food TV consumption featuring the antics of Gordon Ramsay.

I’d like to let you in on a secret. There is a way to both flex your culinary creativity and make money doing so, without spending more than what you might normally spend on lunch or ever having to shout “yes, chef!” (But if you’re into that, how you talk to yourself in the privacy of your own kitchen is your business.)

I was turned on to the idea of recipe contests after a lackluster game show performance left me still wanting to be a millionaire. (Or at least a several-tens-of-thousands-aire.) Ostensibly in an effort to cheer me, my mother sent me a link to a sandwich-building contest sponsored by Panera Bread with a $10,000 prize. After a week spent dutifully logging on to arrange digital sandwich fixings in arresting combinations I thought, “wait a minute. Don’t I actually have real culinary credibility? The Pillsbury Bake-Off? Isn’t that a thing?”

Oh, it’s a thing. One that I am not actually eligible for, but nonetheless, recipe contests are real and abundant and want to give you money for cooking in your own kitchen. I’m not talking about long-shot odds of being able to name the next zany potato chip flavor, I’m talking about a methodical approach to actually designing and preparing dishes for contest triumph. In the last several years I’ve won everything from enrollment in a brownie-of-the-month club, to a crate of avocados, to a trip to San Francisco, to $5000. You can, too.

Step One: Find Some Contests

I recommend a very sophisticated procedure utilizing a popular internet search engine and the magic words “recipe contests.” There are a few annually recurring contests that you should totally set calendar dates for (looking at you, Pillsbury,) but also many other small one-off contests that may be worth your time whether you’re in it for cash, trips, or avocados.

Step Two: Read the Rules

Once you’ve found a contest you think you might want to enter, read the contest rules. Not just the steps for entry. Every contest has an “official rules” link, with detailed rules written in legal speak. Know whether you are eligible for a particular contest, what the specific deadlines are, how the entries are judged, how many entries you are able to submit, if you must show some product packaging in the photograph, and whether there are any restrictions on number or type of ingredients or how recipes should be written. Know whether an online voting process is part of the judging process, and decide how well you like and/or trust your social media friends, because if there is a social component, you’re going to have to be very annoying to get the kind of response needed to get yourself into the top entries.

Step Three: Read The Rules. Again.

Don’t waste your time and/or money if you’re going to lose on a technicality. The large print may say “Enter by September 28” but the fine print might say “enter by 11:59 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on September 28.” Don’t be putting the finishing touches on your masterpiece as midnight approaches on the West Coast when the contest ended 15 hours ago. If the contest is a five-ingredient challenge but salt, pepper, and oil are freebies, know that. And use them.

Step Four: Consider The Odds; Place Your Best Bets

Do the math. Many of the contests I’ve entered allow you to see other entries as they are posted. I am often surprised at how few entries exist for some large payoff prizes. A one-in-one-hundred chance at a $1000 prize isn’t bad, especially considering that roughly 60 of those 100 entries probably didn’t follow some element of the rules. (Step Four-and-a-Half: Read the Rules One More Time.) You can also be strategic about how you submit your entries. One of my bigger payoffs came from a contest where you could submit a total of 10 entries among three categories: entrees, soups, or sides. There would be a finalist from each category. Entrees and Soups each had about four times the total entries as sides did. I submitted a majority of my entries to sides. Not-so-humble brag: I won for both the sides and the soup category.

Step Five: Create

Here’s where you get to be creative, but within reason. Most contests I’ve found are sponsored by a product or organization with some sort of culinary point of view. The very purpose of many of these contests is brand recognition and PR. They’re probably going to put your winning recipe on social media, or maybe even on the product packaging for a limited period of time. Read other recipes on their website and get a sense of their demographic. Fearless foodies? Families? Females? Think about dishes that are a huge hit when you bring them to a potluck, or a fun restaurant dish you love to recreate at home. Lists of ingredients are not eligible for copyright, so if you have an idea you want to pursue, look for other recipes with a similar vibe for help in measurements and ratios. I once won on a recipe for gluten-free shrimp corn dogs. I did not invent the idea of shrimp corn dogs. Neither did the restaurant where I got the idea. Neither did Gina Neely or Rachael Ray or any number of the chefs who have recipes for shrimp corn dogs available online. Nobody owns the rights to shrimp plus batter plus stick, but if you come up with a unique dip or a variation on the batter then you could very well win with a pretty basic idea.

Step Six: Capture

Take a good picture. Like, a really good picture. Take several good pictures from different angles, choose the best one, and crop it. Many contests, at least in the initial rounds, evaluate the entries by perception of taste and visual appeal without the recipe actually being tested. I have nothing more than a smartphone camera and decent natural light, but I’m doing my best to take a well-staged, close up, focused picture of the dish. Turn off the flash. Create ambiance and context with cutlery, linens, or funky dishes. You don’t need to hire a professional food stylist, but treat this as something you’d want to post on social media for maximum likeability. Don’t submit a picture of yourself. (Really, people do this all of the time. They do not usually look tasty or visually appealing.) Don’t submit a blurry picture of a sloppy mess with your dirty dishes in the background.

Step Seven: Document

Write a recipe that makes sense, with both a list of ingredients in the order you are using them and a set of procedures. In the interest of full disclosure, I did go to culinary school, and admittedly, this, not so much on creativity, is where my education gives me a leg up. (I have never, however, worked professionally as a cook and I am careful to READ THE RULES and only apply to contests where the language doesn’t disclude me. Still looking at you, Pillsbury.) I’ve studied thousands of recipes, and I know how to logically delineate cooking methods, times, and temperatures, and how to build flavors. When making soup, for example, you get a very different outcome from just putting all the raw ingredients in a pot and then turning up the heat, than if you heat the pot first, then layer ingredients based on certain principles. I don’t necessarily recommend attending culinary school as a means of winning some contests, but again you would do well to read recipes for dishes similar to yours.

Step Eight: Double Check

Before you hit send, review everything. Make sure you haven’t left out a major component or step. Write a clever blurb or description if there’s an opportunity to do so. If the contest is sponsored by a brand, use the brand name when listing that component. Make sure the file for your photo is named something appropriate.

Step Nine: Glory

Well, that’s the goal anyway. Good luck, and keep us updated about your winnings!

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If You’re a Fan of Carnitas, You’ll Drool Over Cochinita Pibil

Talk to anyone who truly knows Mexican food, and you’re bound to hear about one of the most famous dishes of the Yucatán Peninsula—cochinita pibil. This savory shredded pork dish could be mistaken for carnitas at first glance, but its history, preparation style, and unique taste are all its own.

Located in the southern part of the country on the Gulf of Mexico, the Yucatán region is defined by the confluence of traditional Mayan and European cultures. Resulting from its easy access to the Atlantic Ocean trade routes and the long-standing traditions of the Mayan people, the Yucatán Peninsula developed a culture of its own within Mexico—including its cuisine. As one example of the meeting of these old and new world influences, cochinita pibil is proudly featured on menus throughout the regional states of Yucatán, Quintana Roo, and Campeche.

The process for making cochinita pibil is time-consuming, albeit relatively simple. Traditionally, an entire suckling pig is butchered and marinated, wrapped in banana leaves, and slow-cooked. A key part of the dish’s preparation is its signature achiote marinade. Achiote is a small shrub native to Mexico and Central America, which produces a fruit with tiny red seeds. These fruit seeds can be used to make red dyes for paint and makeup products, as well as seasoning for the achiote spice. To give the marinade its distinctive flavor, the achiote seeds are ground and mixed with sour orange juice and habanero, depending on the desired heat level.

After marinating for several hours, the meat is then wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked over hot stones buried underground. In this traditional Mayan cooking method the stones are set ablaze, heated to an extremely high temperature, and then the meat is cooked by the heat of the stones after the flame has been extinguished. Of course, in present day the meat is rarely cooked underground in the traditional manner, though many contemporary chefs have attempted to replicate the process in a more modern way. For the average at-home cook, a dutch oven or slow cooker does the job just fine to produce juicy, tender meat.

Aside from variations on the traditional cooking methods, other modern tweaks are often made to the recipe, either for taste or simplicity. For example, today’s chefs generally opt for pork shoulder and loin meat in place of the customary full suckling pig.

The finished pork is garnished with pickled onions and habanero and—like carnitas—is often served with corn tortillas for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You might find cochinita pibil as an appetizer menu item, served over tostadas and intended to be shared. An entrée version may be served on a sizzling skillet, still wrapped in banana leaves and paired with rice and beans.

Chowhound

To grow your Mexican food repertoire, try cochinita pibil at a Yucatecan-style restaurant or in your own kitchen! For those ready to prepare this regional specialty in their own home, follow our simple Cochinita Pibil recipe.

Rick Bayless

For a perfect summer cookout, prepare your cochinita pibil on the grill. This Rick Bayless recipe offers a modern take, while staying true to the dish’s roots.

Flourish and Knot

Want to put a unique spin on it? Follow this recipe to spruce up your cochinita pibil with added toppings like cilantro, tomatoes, and diced pineapple.

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Citrus-Brined Grilled Pork Chops

Boneless pork chops seem to be a popular grilling option during summer because they are always available and are easy to season and toss on a hot fire.

But they also tend to dry out quickly and are easy to overcook.

That’s why I love this Citrus Brined Pork Chop recipe! The salty sweet brine keeps the pork chops really tender and moist, even if you do accidentally overcook them a few degrees.

Continue reading "Citrus-Brined Grilled Pork Chops" »

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