Magnificent Brussels Sprouts - courtesy of my mom and Julia Child

I don't remember having Brussels sprouts at all as a child, though apparently we did. All I really knew about them was that people didn't seem to like them - every mention of them I'd ever heard treated them as a symbolic of the struggle of parents to make their children eat overcooked, tasteless vegetables. In fact, I heard a story recently about my friend's uncle who, as a child, dropped his unwanted sprouts through a hole in a hollow table leg so that when, decades later, the family had to take the table apart, they found dozens of shriveled Brussels sprouts. I don't remember ever expecting that they were bad - we ate loads of greens and cabbage-type-things - but I just didn't know. So, when I had them for the first time as an adult, they were a revelation.

Admittedly, no one in the world seems to love cabbage as much as I do, but I feel confident that this is objectively tasty. It's based on my mom's recipe, which flavors the sprouts with butter and breadcrumbs, but for the optimal color and texture, I've boiled them briefly then baked/braised à la Julia Child's method from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

I know this isn't a terribly original approach; one friend insists that pan roasting is the only conceivable way to cook the sprouts, though I think millions of miserable 1950s children would beg to differ.  Even a fellow I got to talking to today at a restaurant bar took care to share with me his favorite recipe, which was remarkably like mine, only including Parmesan. Still, in a time when there's no shortage of culinary reinvention, there's a great deal of comfort and enjoyment to be had in the classics. When you're working with something so simple, the real glory is in the execution. The first time I tested this recipe, I put the butter over the breadcrumbs, and forgot to salt and pepper them while they were still naked, and that made all the difference. As usual, a little bit of technique goes a long, long way.

Magnificent Brussels Sprouts

2 lbs loose fresh Brussels sprouts (about 30 medium sprouts, as close in size as possible)
1 cup breadcrumbs
5 Tbsp. Earth Balance, melted
Sea salt
Freshly-cracked black pepper

Bring 7-8 quarts of salted water to a rapid boil. While you wait for it to boil, prep the sprouts. With a small knife, trim the base of the sprout to remove any unappealing-looking bits of stem. Pierce the base of the sprout with the tip of the knife to help the dense base cook more quickly. Remove any yellowish or wilty outer leaves. Rinse and drain in cold water. If you are using local and organic Brussels sprouts, home-grown ones, or any that may have been grown without any kind of anti-pest measure, you may want to soak them for 10 or 15 minutes in salted water to encourage any burrowing insects to extract themselves. After trimming the bases, you'll have some leaves that have fallen off, which you can use. You may want to save them for making veggie broth, but if you'd like to eat them now, you can blanch in the boiling water for a couple of minutes after you pull the sprouts out and eat them with some melted Earth Balance, a little salt and pepper, and even some leftover breadcrumbs. I tend to get peckish while I cook, so it's nice to have a little snack under the guise of preventing waste.

When your water is boiling rapidly, drop in your sprouts. Bring the water back up to a full boil as quickly as possible. Boil ("slowly," according to Julia - I imagine she means letting the water drop to a nice rolling boil rather than a more frantic, rapid boil) uncovered for 6-8 minutes, until almost tender. Remove and drain, then spread out in a single layer, not touching each other, on a clean towel to let them cool. Preheat your oven to 350. Melt the earth balance over medium-low heat on the stove or in the microwave.

When they've cooled and dried enough to handle, cut the sprouts in half lengthwise to get a nice cross-section. Rub some Earth Balance along the bottom of a pan with a cover or oven-safe casserole, whatever will hold your sprouts in a single layer. Place them in the pan with the cut sides up, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle melted Earth Balance generously over the sprouts, then sprinkle with bread crumbs into each, trying to make an even layer. 

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, until the sprouts are tender. Serve immediately.

Brussels Sprouts

Spicy Egyptian Lentil Soup Good Enough to Serve to 50 People at a Rehearsal Dinner

About a month ago, I was browsing Foodgawker and came across a delicious-looking lentil soup. I have a real love of lentils, and am always looking for new treatments (however, as much as I love them, I will never, never make a 70s-style lentil loaf. Have some respect.), so I was very drawn to this Spicy Egyptian Lentil Soup posted by afarmgirlsdabbles. In the blog post including this recipe, she describes a trip to Egypt to visit her sister, during which she reluctantly tried this soup, a local favorite, and was blown away. She was so impressed that, upon returning stateside, she recreated a soup with the rich, complex spice that Middle Eastern cuisines are so good at, accented by the bright flavor of lemon.
 

The original lentil soup as served in Cairo, with a glass of fresh strawberry juice and shawarma. Photo courtesy of afarmgirlsdabbles.

That very night, I made her soup, and had a similarly enthusiastic reaction. So, when I was called upon to help cook for the rehearsal dinner for the wedding of one of my closest friends, and was told that we were going to do a "Soup Bar" of 5 or 6 different soups to serve about 50 people, I jumped at the chance to include this. We served the soups in mismatched, over-sized coffee mugs with a choice of 4 or 5 different breads and a salad. The soup bar worked beautifully and, though my soup was a little more spicy than I had intended, it went over very well, particularly with the lentil-loving bride.

With the author's permission, here is that spectacular soup. I would add a bit more lemon than she suggests, but as she points out in her post, this soup is all about a "beautifully balanced, earthy, spicy heat" and preserving that balance is key. How much spice and lemon is dependent on the freshness of your spices, how long you simmer, how long you've soaked your lentils, etc., so this is a great opportunity to perfect your taste-and-adjust-spices skills. Just keep in mind that, as always, cumin needs to go at the end, because it will get very bitter if it is cooked for too long. Also, I highly suggest using red lentils. I'm sure the soup would still be delicious with green lentils, but the color and more delicate texture of the red lentils is ideal for this soup.


Also, please visit the original post at her blog to look at her gorgeous pictures of Cairo. I'm such a food+travel voyeur, and before too long, I'll be providing you some culinary travel experiences of my own. If all goes to plan and I get my student visa, I'll be in Scotland beginning in September for a Master's program at the University of Edinburgh, and who knows what exciting interpretations of local cuisine that will yield... seitan haggis? Kidding.

Without further ado,  

Spicy Egyptian Lentil Soup 

Serves 6-8

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced into 1/4" pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large celery rib, diced into 1/4" pieces
1 large carrot, diced into 1/4" pieces
1 large baking potato, peeled and diced into 1/2" pieces
1-1/4 c. lentils (red or green)
2 qts. vegetable broth
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. turmeric
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus additional lemon slices to serve alongside finished soup
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Over medium-high heat, in a large saucepan or small stockpot, heat the oil.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 or 3 minutes.  Add the celery and carrot and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add the potato, lentils, and vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until all the vegetables are very tender.  This should take 40 to 50 minutes.

Puree the soup in batches, using a blender, and return it back to the pot.  Or blend carefully right in the pot with an immersion blender.  Add the cumin, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  I'm not known for adding much salt to my food, but I found myself adding more than I thought I would to boost the flavors.  Just add a bit at a time, tasting after each addition.

Serve the soup hot with slices of fresh lemon on the side.  Some warm fresh pocket bread would also be good with this meal.

Again, thanks so much to afarmgirldabbles for the use of her recipe and picture! Visit her site for more great recipes. 


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"Easy Like Sunday Morning" Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes

There's kind of a funny story behind these pancakes. I was over at a friend's house, and she wanted a quick and easy dinner, so she decided to make pancakes. She sent her husband to the store for ingredients, and I begged him to pick up some carrots for me to snack on as well because I just didn't think I could take all that sugar. When he got back, my friend started joking around about how to use the carrots... and suddenly exclaimed, "can you make CARROT CAKE PANCAKES?"

As it turns out, I can.

That night, we looked in to plain vegan pancake recipes on line, and then I added spices, shredded carrot, and raisins, and what we came up with was pretty great. When I tried to recreate them at home, however, the incredible 6 tablespoons (!) of baking powder that the original recipe had required suddenly became a big problem. After several iterations, and a great deal of tweaking, here is my final recipe: perfected today, on one of the first sunny, temperate Sundays of the season, hence the name. A lot of the magic is in the technique; because the rising depends on the baking powder, so keeping those nice little bubbles intact is key. Read on...

"Easy Like Sunday Morning" Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes

Dry Ingredients
     3 c. flour
     3/4 tsp. salt
     3 Tbsp. baking powder
     6 Tbsp. sugar
     3 tsp. cinnamon
     1 tsp. nutmeg

Wet Ingredients
     3 c. soymilk (plain, original, or vanilla, depending on how much extra sweetness you want. I work with plain, myself, but if you only had vanilla, you could decrease the granulated sugar a bit to adjust for it)
     6 Tbsp. oil
     2 tsp. vanilla
     1 c. golden raisins, rinsed to remove bits and stems, then soaked in hot water to soften them
     2 c. grated carrot, drained

Combine all the dry ingredients thoroughly with your hands, making sure to break up the little clumps that baking powder tends to form. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the vanilla into the soy milk, then do the same with the oil. When they're thoroughly mixed, fold in the carrot and raisins, combining well.

Preheat a pan to medium/medium high or a skillet to 375ish. If that seems too hot as you make your first pancake, go ahead and adjust to what you think is best.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour the wet ingredients into the well. Firmly and quickly fold the wet ingredients into the dry, using as few strokes as possible, but combining thoroughly. You should be able to do this rather quickly, and if there are a few little bumps, don't worry about it. Over-mixing will break up the bubbles formed by the baking powder and make your pancakes too dense and flat.

When your pan is preheated, spray with canola oil. The batter will be thick and a bit clumpy, so it will be tempting  to spread it to get it into a better pancake shape, but don't (I made this mistake a couple of times before I figured it out). Far better to try to control shape and thickness while pouring, again so you don't destroy the rise.

Cook until the edges are beginning to firm and the bubbles in the center of the pancake pop and the batter doesn't refill the hole (awkward to say; great way to judge pancake done-ness). Flip gently and cook for a couple of minutes until golden brown.

They will be a little more dense than normal because of the carrot and raisin, but they should have a good texture and rise. Cut open the first one and make sure it's done in the middle, and adjust your cooking time if needed. Serve with syrup, cashew cream, jam, agave nectar, or whatever strikes your fancy.

Enjoy!

P.S. I think you're going to get a book review soon, because I went to McKay's today (locals, you know what I'm talkin' 'bout) and bought a cookbook and a bunch of memoirs and essay collections by food writers, including Ruth Reichl, Calvin Trillin, Judith Jones, and Edna Lewis. Am Super Excited.


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Roasted Eggplant, Portobello and Kale Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta, Vegan Bechamel and Chunky Tomato Sauce

For millions of people, lasagna evokes home, comfort, and indulgence. Those are not qualities particularly identified with vegan cooking, but they are root of why I, and many people, love to cook and eat.

I am, actually, not one of the lasagna people - I don't remember having had it growing up, and I didn't like it very much the few times I had at a friend's house or wherever. So when Melody from Hollywood the Write Way told me that it was one of her favorite foods, I decided that I would take on the challenge of making a lasagna I did like.


As I've planned this recipe, I realized one great thing about lasagna, namely its flexibility. You can use any vegetables you have available, whatever is seasonal, whatever is in the fridge. You can do just a tomato sauce, a béchamel, both, or even a creamy tomato sauce. The basic requirement is lasagna noodles, and you can just go from there.

My choices for this lasagna were roasted eggplant and portobello with sautéed kale, a chunky tomato sauce, a tofu ricotta and a béchamel sauce. Mine is a somewhat complicated recipe (I'm just glad I didn't try to make the pasta from scratch like I had originally planned), but don't worry, this could be so much simpler. The ricotta is a snap to make, and the sauce is actually pretty easy to do from scratch, though you could certainly use store-bought sauce and just heat it up. From there, you could save a lot of time by using veggies that don't require any prep other then slicing. Also, you can make it ahead and bake it whenever you need to, so you have a hot, gourmet dinner with only the baking time... not so shabby, eh?

Roasted Eggplant, Portobello and Kale Lasagna

For tomato sauce:

1 large (28-30oz) can of diced tomatoes, or whatever consistency you like the best. If you want lots of sauce (not me! I just like it as a filling), then you may want as much as twice this much tomato, and adjust other ingredients to taste.
2 medium shallots
4 med. cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp. tomato paste or more to taste (optional - it will make the sauce richer, and will help if you want to make a lot of sauce)
1 large sprig of fresh basil
Fresh or dried oregano
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

For the béchamel:
5 Tbsp. Earth Balance vegan margarine
3 Tbsp. flour
3 c. coconut milk, heated
1 large shallot
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

For the tofu ricotta:
1 lb. firm silken tofu (aseptic will work the best - the kind that comes in the vacuum-sealed boxes; it has a different texture)
1/4 c. basil chiffonade
1/4 c. green onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. tahini
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper


Other ingredients:
1 package lasagna noodles
1 large eggplant, or 3-4 Japanese or Chinese eggplants, if you can get your hands on them
2 large portobello caps
1 bunch of kale
2 cloves garlic

First, clean the mushrooms with a clean cloth or a mushroom brush. Don't wash mushrooms; they'll just absorb the water and lose flavor. When they're clean, slice them thinly to create nice mushroom cross-sections. Grease a cookie sheet and lay the slices of the mushroom in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then roast at 400 for 7-10 minutes, until aromatic and tender. Transfer to a bowl, cover and set aside.

Next, wash your eggplant(s). If you're using a large eggplant, slice it in half down the middle, and then slice each half in pieces about 1/8 inch thick. If you're using the Japanese or Chinese eggplants, just cut diagonally into medallions. In a large colander, place a layer of eggplant pieces, then sprinkle a layer of salt over them. Be thorough; the salt is going to be washed off, so it won't affect the flavor. Repeat with the rest of the pieces, making sure that every layer has been salted well. Put the colander in the sink or over a bowl, somewhere that it can drain. The eggplant will shed water and, more importantly, some of the bitterness they have. Heirloom and any non-commercial eggplants tend to be more bitter, so this is all the more important. Some recipes may not list it, but you should always sweat eggplant.

While the eggplants are sweating and the mushrooms are roasting, prepare the tofu ricotta. Crumble tofu in a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, and combine until the mixture resembles ricotta, mashing with your hands or a fork. It should be pretty flavorful, so if it isn't, add more ingredients as needed. It will taste milder when cooked in the lasagna. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Somewhere in this time range, you'll want to start your tomato sauce. Finely chop the 4 cloves of garlic and thinly slice the shallots. In a large saucepan, heat some olive oil to medium. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and shallots, and cook until translucent. Add tomatoes and stir in tomato paste, mixing thoroughly. Chiffonade the basil (make a stack of leaves, roll them up like a cigarette, and slice them thinly on the diagonal), then add to the sauce. Add oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer for 20 or 30 minutes, drizzle in some olive oil and mix thoroughly, then reduce and let it sit at low, stirring occasionally, until you need it.

After about 10-15 minutes of sweating, rinse the eggplant thoroughly. Roast in the same way you roasted the mushrooms, in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet, sprinkled with salt and pepper, for 7-10 minutes at 400. When they are finished, transfer to a bowl, cover, and set aside.

While the eggplant is roasting, prep your kale. Wash and drain it, then piece by piece, fold in half along the stalk, then cut off the stalk from top to bottom. Pull the kale into pieces about 1-2 inches across. Chop 2 cloves of fresh garlic. Heat a large pan with a little bit of oil to about medium. When hot, sauté the garlic for about a minute, then add the kale, mixing so that it cooks evenly. Just before it's done, which will only take 2-3 minutes, drizzle a little bit (2 Tbsp.-ish) of balsamic vinegar into the pan and mix. This will give the kale a nice touch of tang and will blend nicely with your other ingredients. When kale is fully wilted, remove to a bowl and cover.

Now, fill a large stockpot with plenty of salted water to boil the lasagna noodles. Turn it on high and, while you're waiting for it to boil, begin your béchamel sauce. The béchamel is the most needy of all the elements of the lasagna, so set out the ingredients first (Earth Balance, finely-chopped shallots, flour, warm coconut milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, bay leaf) so that you won't have to stop whisking the sauce. First, melt the Earth Balance in a saucepan at about medium. When it has melted, add the shallot and cook for about 1 minute. Add the flour, sprinkling in a little at a time and whisking constantly. When the flour's all in and fully blended with the Earth Balance into a roux (it will puff; whisk vigorously), cook for about 3 minutes, whisking consistently to keep it from burning. The flour needs to cook to take on a nutty, toasty taste rather than a doughy raw-flour taste. After 3-ish minutes, add the warmed coconut milk in a stream, whisking to mix thoroughly. Add the bay leaf and bring to a boil over medium-high, whisking constantly, then reduce and simmer, for about 10-15 minutes, whisking occasionally to keep it smooth and prevent it from scalding. Whisk in salt, pepper and nutmeg. At this point the sauce should cling thickly to a spoon; if it isn't, you can use cornstarch or arrowroot to thicken it by pulling out a small cup of the sauce and adding the starch, whisking it together thoroughly, then adding it back and mixing it with the whole, letting it cook and thicken. When the béchamel is done, leave it on low and stir occasionally to prevent it from developing a skin until you're ready to use it.

When the pasta water has begun to boil robustly, add the strips of pasta one at a time, alternating to keep them from sticking together. Bring back to a boil, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon to prevent sticking, but you don't want to disturb the boil too much. When they are almost done (fully flexible but not fully tender to the bite), pull them out, because they're going to get to cook more in the oven. Drain and lay out on an oiled tray so they don't stick together as they cool. Be careful with your hands, the large pieces of pasta hold heat much more so than spaghetti.

Oil a large casserole dish, and put some of the tomato sauce or béchamel in the bottom. I used the béchamel, but for me it seemed to act like glue, so I might try the tomato sauce. Either way, coat the bottom with the sauce and layer lasagna noodles on top of it. If you used the tomato sauce in the base, pour some of the béchamel onto the pasta. If not, leave it plain, then layer all your kale over it and place the portobello on top of the kale. Cover with a layer of pasta. Layer slices of eggplant, then generously cover with the tomato sauce. Cover with a layer of pasta, then add the tofu ricotta, spreading evenly. Cover with pasta, then pour the rest of the béchamel over the top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes at 350. Uncover, then bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the top is golden.

When the lasagna is done baking, let it sit for about 15 minutes, then cut and serve.

Breaking News: The Vegan Home Chef guest blogs at Hollywood the Write Way

Yes, you heard right! I'm writing a 3-day series of guest blogs for Hollywood the Write Way about vegan living and eating, including a brand-new recipe for Roasted Eggplant and Portobello Lasagna. The first blog went up today, and tomorrow the lasagna recipe will be posted on both her blog and mine, then the final post will follow the next day at www.hollywoodthewriteway.com. I would have let you know sooner, but I've been at work all day and just returned to internet access. I hope you all enjoy it all, particularly the lasagna!

Happy Valentine's Day! Vegan Chocolate Mousse (and major discovery)

I adapted this chocolate mousse recipe from one in a Gourmet from October 2009. Perhaps you're thinking to yourself, "Emily, aren't both beaten egg yolks and whipped egg whites essential to mousse?" Well, turns out they are not, though a little bit of finagling is required. I do think, however, that I discovered something important with my combination egg-yolk-and-whipped-heavy-cream replacer - it has that tongue-coating but totally unsweet richness that real whipped cream and yolk have. I think it will work beautifully as a heavy cream, custard, or egg yolk substitute in soups, sauces, desserts, etc. Next, I'm going to try to use it in a hollandaise,  adding a little turmeric for color.

The egg white replacer could be improved, but it seems to have worked well enough.

I don't really like desserts, so when I make them, I only make them for other people, and Valentine's Day is a good holiday for that. This is very rich, much too rich for me. In fact, I was hoping it would be lighter. I think next time I would change the proportions, using more of the tofu-cream-coconut-oil mixture and less chocolate. Still, if you are a chocolate person, this should be right up your alley. In the picture above, it's served with whipped cashew cream (left over from the gateau - yum!) and this amazing fermented fruit syrup called Drizzle that I bought at Mepkin Abbey in South Carolina.

Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Makes 4 large servings or 6 smaller servings

8 oz  bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli semisweet chips)
6 Tbsp. Earth Balance or other margarine
1/2 c. firm silken tofu (aseptic tofu tents to be softer and smoother)
2 Tbsp. coconut or soy heavy cream, or a dried soy product like Better Than Milk, prepared with 2 Tbsp. water and 2 tsp. powder)
3 Tbsp. refined coconut oil, melted
1/8 tsp. salt
4 1/2 tsp. Ener-G egg replacer powder
1 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot
6 Tbsp. very warm water
1 Tbsp. cognac or other brandy

Find a large metal bowl. Fill a wide saucepan with water about 1/2 full, or up to the level that it is almost touching the bottom of the bowl when the bowl is set into the top of the pan. Double boil the chocolate and the Earth Balance until melted, stirring occasionally until very smooth. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally to keep the texture even.

In a blender, puree the tofu, salt, and coconut or soy cream until very smooth. With blender still running, drizzle in the melted coconut oil slowly, blending until fully emulsified. (Taste this plain - see what I mean?)

Whisk the heavy cream mixture and cognac into chocolate mixture until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Thoroughly sift egg replacer powder with corn starch or arrowroot, then whisk with 6 Tbsp. very warm water. Use a hand mixer to rapidly whip the egg replacer until it forms a thick foam. If it isn't thickening properly, make a paste out of some more corn starch or arrowroot and a little warm water and beat it in to the egg mixture.

When your fake egg whites are stiff, fold them gently but thoroughly into the chocolate mixture, then pour the mixture carefully and gently into small cups or containers, and chill for about 2 hours.

Serve with whipped cashew cream, fresh fruit, a nice jam, or anything that sounds good to you. You can also freeze it for a delicious vegan chocolate custard ice cream. That's how I'm eating mine; somehow I can handle the richness better if it's frozen. Enjoy!

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Crepe Use #2: Gateau with Walnut and Pear, Topped with Pear-Infused Whipped Cashew Cream

I recently purchased a crêpe pan - a 9-1/4-inch, French-made, solid steel crêpe pan- and a lot of culinary hopes rested on its performance. I was emotionally invested in my success as I attempted this recipe recently at the home of a friend, who no doubt doesn't appreciate what I did to her kitchen (but has been very gracious and pretended not to care). As you may remember from my last crêpe blog, and before that from the latke blog, I tend to get angry at food when it doesn't perform well, and if it is in a solid state, I tend to stab it with any handy utensil. Usually my audience for this is limited to my dog, who sits back and waits for me to drop something she can eat, but one of the hazards of cooking in someone else's home is that they have to witness your tantrums, too. And so does their dog. Sorry, Lindsay and Magic.

Any time you're working with a new pan, there's a getting-to-know-you period. My crêpe pan and I, we had a smoky, sticky, burn-y first outing, but with a little bit of practice and lots of temperature adjustments, we finally started to turned out some beautiful crêpes, and overall, the gâteau came together very nicely, don't you think?

My new pan isn't non-stick, and doesn't need quite the level of heat that my old pan did, so I ended up working with very light oil and medium heat (I know, right?!). In classic crêpe making, you tend to heat the pan up very hot, until it's smoking, then picking it up, adding batter, quickly swirling the batter around the pan, and returning it immediately to the heat to cook for about 30 seconds until flipping. I had much better luck at medium, letting the pan fully reheat in between, then holding the pan at about a 45 degree angle and adding the batter from the top, then swirling carefully, then keeping the pan off the eye for about 10 seconds to let the heat disperse into the crêpe and cook the bottom more evenly. Once that has happened, I returned it to the heat, flipped it after about 30 more seconds, and cooked the other side for about that long. Et voilà!

Before you begin this recipe, note that there is some prep time; the crêpe batter needs to be made and the cashews soaked the night before, the cashew cream needs to chill for a couple of hours to firm up, and the pear-water will need to simmer for a while, too. But with a little planning, this shouldn't be any trouble.

Sweet Crêpes

Note: Depending on how many "practice crêpes" you'll need to make, and how large you want your gâteau to be (and how large your pan is), you may want to double this recipe. I did, just to be safe, and ended up needing them all after my initial new-crêpe-pan failures.

1 c. cold water
1 c. coconut milk
1 1/2 c. flour
Egg replacer equivalent to 4 eggs, prepared according to package instructions
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
5 Tbsp. melted Earth Balance or other vegan margarine
a pinch of salt

Pour liquid ingredients into a blender. Blend at low speed, adding dry ingredients slowly in small amounts while the blender is running (through the hole in the lid), then drizzling Earth Balance in as well. When all ingredients have been added, blend for about a minute, then store in the fridge overnight, or at least 2 hours, to let the gluten develop and let the air bubble out. When ready to use, follow directions above. Don't try to use too much batter at once; most pans should take between 1/8 and 1/4 cup.

Walnut and Pear Filling

1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
Agave nectar
2 large pears

Finely chop the walnuts, and combine with agave until thoroughly coated. Add a little more agave and a little bit of water, adjusting each until a syrup forms with the nuts. You'll need to be able to spread the mixture, so that's the consistency you're going for. Either dice or very finely slice the pears, depending on your preference and their texture. Cover the pears if you're not going to use them immediately. Reserve the pear cores and any remnants for the cashew cream


Pear-Infused Whipped Cashew Cream

1 c. cashews, rinsed and soaked overnight
Pear remnants, simmered slowly in 4 c. water until reduced by about half
1/4 c. agave nectar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. refined coconut oil, melted

Place cashews in a blender, then pour pear-water over them until they are just covered. If that isn't enough liquid to cover the cashews, add a little more water until the cashews are barely submerged. Blend, beginning on a low speed and working your way up to the higher speeds. Cashew cream should become perfectly smooth; there should be no perceptible graininess. Once it is the right consistency, reduce the speed and drizzle in agave and vanilla. Once the cream is thoroughly blended, up the speed a bit and slowly drizzle in the coconut oil, continuing to blend until it is thoroughly emulsified. Transfer to a container and chill for at least 2 hours.

 
Once you've made all your crêpes, find a serving plate and place a nice, big crêpein the middle. Pile on a couple more, spreading a little agave nectar (thinned with a little water, if necessary) in between to help them bind to each other. Decide how you want to distribute your filling, depending on how many crêpes you have, and plan ahead. 2 layers each of pear and walnut work well. When you reach the level where you want your first layer, spread  half of your walnut mixture, stopping about an inch and a half from the edge. Place the next crêpe on top, gently pressing down to solidify the gâteau and to seal around the edges of your layer of filling. Add a couple more crêpes, then repeat with a layer of pears. Repeat until you're out of filling, then add all your remaining crêpes, brushing with agave in between and gently pressing occasionally. when you're done, you can let it sit for a bit or cut immediately, serving with a drizzle or a dollop (it depends; mine was unexpectedly more of a drizzle this time, mostly because I didn't want to wait to chill it) of the cashew cream. Enjoy!

Thanks to Lindsay Lanois for the gâteau inspiration, collaboration, coffee, mimosas, and for the use of her kitchen!