Keri Cronin

Monthly Archives: October 2010


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Scrambled Tofu

I just made my first-ever batch of scrambled tofu and I’m so happy with how it turned out. I have a confession to make: I’ve had scrambled tofu at restaurants before and have not really enjoyed it. I mean, it was okay, but I didn’t LOVE it. I couldn’t see what the big deal was.

Enter the wonderful Isa Chandra Moskowitz and her Vegan Brunch book. On page 19 in black and white I read in Isa’s own words: “I’ve had one too many disappointing scrambles in my day. Infractions ranged from flavorless heaps of greasy mush to way overspiced, grainy disasters. As simple a concept as it is, some people just don’t get scrambled tofu.”

This was like an epiphany! I mean, if the goddess of vegan cooking and baking could admit that she didn’t like all the tofu scrambles that have crossed her plate, then it meant there was hope for me too!

I continued reading, and found her basic “go-to” recipe for scrambled tofu. Isa’s recipes have never let me down yet, so I decided to give it a try! I’m so glad I did! This one will be a keeper. (and I think I’ll mix the leftovers with some diced up tomato and put it in a wrap for tomorrow’s lunch)

Spice Blend
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed with your fingers (from the garden! yay!)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons water

Tofu
3 garlic cloves, minced (I actually only used 1 and a half, wasn’t really feeling very “garlicky” this morning)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
fresh black pepper to taste

Blend spices together in a small cup. Add water and mix. Set aside.
Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic in olive oil for about a minute. Break apart the tofu into bite-sized pieces and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Get under the tofu when you are stirring, scrape the bottom and don’t let it stick to the pan; that is where the good, crispy stuff is. (use a thin metal spatula; a wooden or plastic one won’t really cut it) The tofu should brown on at least one side, but you don’t need to be too precise about it. The water should cook out of it and not collect too much at the bottom of the pan. If that is happening, turn up the heat and let the water evaporate. Conversely, if the scramble seems dry add splashes of water until it is nice and moist.
Add spice blend and mix to incorporate. Add the nutritional yeast and pepper. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Serve warm. (note: this dish is really yummy with a side of garden tomatoes!)

(And speaking of Isa Chandra Moskowitz, check out her newly designed Post Punk Kitchen site! Totally fantastic!)


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Walk for Farm Animals

We held our first-ever Walk for Farm Animals in St. Catharines this past weekend. The event was one of about 70 taking place across North America to raise money for and awareness of Farm Sanctuary. I travelled down to Farm Sanctuary this past spring and it was, in short, a life-changing experience. When the call went out for cities to host a Walk for Farm Animals, I knew this was a way I could get involved and help out.

We selected the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend for our walk, and it turned out to be just a perfect weekend. The sky was blue, the sun was warm, the atmosphere was one of happiness and celebration. We had 80 walkers come out and join us on Saturday, Oct. 9th. 80!! I was so impressed! Our group raised about $6100 for Farm Sanctuary, so I was really delighted about this too. A big shout-out to everyone who joined us for the Walk and to those who sponsored a walker. We couldn’t have done it without you! (for more on the St. Catharines Walk, see these articles from the local press)

I also want to acknowledge the kindness and generosity of the following people and businesses who donated food, time, raffle prizes or helped to promote the event: Allison Arbour, Brooklyn’s, Kindfood, Niagara Action for Animals, OPIRG-Brock, Strega Cafe, The Peanut Mill. You all are wonderful!


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Trains vs. Planes

I’m in Boston for the NEASA conference. The theme of the conference is “The Arts and the Public.” Should be good.

I opted not to fly to Boston this time. With each recent flight I have found myself growing more and more fed up with airline travel. I realized that even “short flights” become agonizingly long by the time one factors in security, customs, weather-related delays, over-crowded runways, etc.

For this trip I decide to take Amtrak down from Niagara Falls. It was a lovely trip, but the goddesses of travel wanted to make sure that I understood loud & clear that things like weather-related delays are not just limited to air travel. Ho hum. I was hours late getting into Boston because high winds knocked out power on the rail lines between New York and Boston.

Ok. Message received loud & clear. Travel can be a royal pain in the butt no matter what form of transportation one takes. I get it.

Having said that, I still think I’d opt for a train over a plane in the future if circumstances permit. It is just a more pleasant way to travel. On both the Niagara Falls – NYC and the NYC – Boston journeys the cars I rode in were nearly silent. It was quiet and peaceful, and I found the gentle sway of the cars relaxing. (so much so that I had a few naps along the way. I can’t recall the last time I was able to sleep on a plane!) The autumn scenery whipping along outside my window was beautiful to look at, and the dining car (yes, there was an actual dining car!) had vegan burgers and Sam Adams. I wouldn’t say it was the world’s best burger, but it sure the heck beats any airline food I’ve had recently (oh wait, that is because they generally never have anything I can eat!). Even the several hour delay in NYC wasn’t so bad — I mean, really, there are worse places to have to kill a few hours! I was thinking about how easy it was to just walk out of Penn Station and go for a stroll. Compare this to when you are stuck at an airport — airports are generally in the middle of nowhere and even if you decided to take a cab from the airport to another part of the city, there is the whole matter of having to go back through security, customs, etc. upon your return.

Plus, it is just a whole lot more fun to take pictures along the rail lines, and, really, doesn’t it always boil down to visual culture in the end anyhow?

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