Review: Pie

I purchased this beautiful zine a few months ago. It was a little pricey for a zine but 100% of the proceeds go to the Atlanta Community Food Bank so it was worth it. This is a full color zine with two very interesting pie recipes (Chocolate Chess Pie and Cranberry-Pecan Crumble Pie) and a plethora of quotes, stories and beautiful photos about pie. There is even a pie chart! 

Order here.

A photo posted by Sarah (@wingedsnail99) on Feb 23, 2015 at 10:32am PST

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Ethiopian Food

I moved to Brandon, Manitoba from the great cosmopolitan that is T dot and it has been quite the adjustment. For some reason my desire to cook and create in the kitchen was really affected by the move. However the forthcoming (and ordered) Kittee Berns cookbook, Teff Love, inspired me to create a huge Ethiopian meal. I followed the "Ethiopian Mesob Not be Missed" suggested meal plan from Vegan Eats World but included the Keysir Allecha (Beets) from Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food.

I really like how Kittee Berns uses traditional names for dishes and helps you learn a least a little about the language. Terry Hope Romero uses bland English names for all the dishes which is quite the disappointment. 

#ethiopian #food #cookbooks #cooking #yummers

A photo posted by Sarah (@wingedsnail99) on Jan 26, 2015 at 12:32pm PST

The menu:
Cauliflower and Green Beans in Berbere Sauce (Vegan Eats World, 288) - really made potatoes and kale in Berbere Sauce.
Seitan Tibs Simmered in Berbere (Vegan Eats World, 168) - I used pressed tofu. I liked this dish.
Fluffly Scrambled Chickpea 'Eggs' with Shallots (Vegan Eats World, 269) - Decent but the recipe in Papa Tofu is much better.
Saucy Berber Lentils (Vegan Eats World, 165) - decent
Ethiopian Savoury Crepes (Vegan Eats World, 206)
Keysir Allecha (Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food, 50) 

The injera recipe from Vegan Eats World was the best part of this meal. I couldn't find injera ready-made for purchase in Brandon and the last time that I purchased them (in Toronto) I got a stale batch. This recipe makes decent injera (better than stale ones) and is only a 2 hour wait! They are easy to cook up as well. They may not be 'authentic' but they will definitely do in a pinch! I still want to try the recipe in Papa Tofu but I like that this recipe can be cooked up easily and they do taste decent.

I purchased the berbere spice blend and it wasn't very vibrant. I think a combination of the spice blend and the non-authentic nature of the Vegan Eats World recipes made the entire meal seem sort of... bland. I am glad that I tried the recipes from Vegan Eats World but I will be returning to the recipes in Papa Tofu and in the forthcoming Teff Love. 

The intention of the meal was to get me back into the kitchen as I had hoped that cooking a huge meal would get my culinary creative juices flowing and it has. I've been dreaming of a chocolate coconut carrot cake...

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Review: Salt and Slush

Salt and Slush - Winter Recipes Nova Scotia was produced in 2001. This simple zine, with well-placed winter inspired graphics and classic winter dishes makes me want to start a pot of chili, wrap myself up in flannel and curl up with a hot beverage. This zine is full of soups, stews, and roasted dishes. The Parsnip Pie intrigues me!

Salt and Slush #2 Winter Recipes was produced in 2007. This zine doesn't invoke the same sense of winter as the first zine does. I believe that this is due to the collaborative nature of the second issue. It's a nice zine but most of the features feel like filler around a small core of recipes that are similar in style to those that appeared in the first zine. The second zine includes recipes with meat which also limits the appeal of this zine.

I would skip #2 and pick up the original.  

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Review: A Practical Guide on the Consumption of Human Flesh

This is a very graphic zine... it's not filled with pictures of people eating human flesh... I meant that it's written and illustrated almost exclusively with a sharpie, so all the lines are thick and graphic. This zine includes simple instructions (start with limbs) and very useful advice (start with your family and friends so you ensure un-diseased flesh). This is a fun zine. 

No contact/author information presented.

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Review: Make your own Damn Alchohol

I only own a handful of zines but for some reason I have two copies of this zine. The approach to brewing is very causal which is a nice different from the dogmatic approach that usually appears in main-stream literature on the subject. Sometimes publications with a causal approach to brewing neglect the most important, at least to me, aspect of brewing - the taste! The recipe for Wine Cooler acknowledges that it probably won't taste good but mixing it with lemon-lime soda will improve the taste. Some of the methods seem weird (like boiling mead for 2 hours) but there are some interesting recipes (like the Rose Brew). Overall a nice introduction to brewing.

Systemsuck 

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Review: I'd Rather Be Baking

As someone who loves to bake and cook when anxious or upset I really appreciate this zine. The tagline says it all 'Baking escapism to fill your tummy and soul where applicable.' While not a vegan cookbook (as it uses eggs), there is some good information here, like the article on pie crust and the interesting apple-mango pie recipe. The recipe for bread seems very forgiving and easy to approach. 

Here is my favorite quote from the zine... "Baking to me is creating, shaping, forming, it's a way to turn feelings of uncertainty into tangible, useful things."

ratherbebaking.blogspot.com

James Crawford 

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Review: Cheese Bike

This zine is visually pleasing - with a flip out page and a full color photo that describes a summer of making and selling grilled cheese off the back of a small gas scooter. The biggest negative for this zine is the odd writing voice which makes it difficult to determine exactly what is happening. This zine is fun and inspirational but not informational. I like the spreadsheet of sales and the cost of the materials. 

'Born to Kill Zine'

Cheesebike #5  

Fall 2011

New York City  

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Montly Mini ISS 002: DRINK

 

As part of my One Little Word for 2014 (WRITE), I'm writing up a food themed mini-zine each month in 2014. February's theme was DRINK - so this issue is filled with drink themed essays and recipes. Issues are available here. 

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Review: Vegan Food Magazine

Move over Lucky Peach! There is a new Vegan Food Magazine in town! The new magazine is called... Vegan Food Magazine. It can't get any more obvious than that! The first issue is out now is 90 pages of digital glossy food porn. 

As a new publication I forgive their shallow, boring and pedantic interviews in the hopes that because interviewing is a delicate skill their writers will get better at this particular part of the magazine. A one page Q&A is followed by some 15 pages of recipes making the magazine extremely recipe heavy. This would be a welcome break except when you consider that most of the recipes are standard vegan fare (such as tacos and soup).

The magazine also covers several animal rights issues. Am I the lone veggie in the world that is tired of animal rights issues being covered in vegan publications, especially when most reporting does so in a trite manner? Animal rights are an important concern but there are other issues that require us to abstain from meat such. I, for one, am an environmental vegan. I'm tired of being bombarded with animal rights issues in publications that purport to be about food.

I did enjoy the travel section on being vegan in Paris.    

Overall, the food photos are beautiful and some of the recipes seem interesting. I will give Issue Two a glance or two as there are distinct possibilities with this magazine. 

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Review: The Culinary Cyclist

I was beyond excited when I saw the kickstarter for this book because come on! Bikes and Food! What could possibly be better!? I quickly 'kickstarted' this campaign and waited eagerly for it to arrive in my mailbox. 

I am disappointed. Like really, really, really disapointed in this book. 

I was under the impression that this book would be about food and biking - and with a name like Culinary Cyclist how could I not? In reality, this is a lifestyle book that preaches and praises the 'Portland Lifestyle' while excluding other possible interpretations of the the 'good life'. This book is a series of badly written proclamations that we should "...make time for that precious moment where everything else subsides and our senses are completely attuned to what we are drinking." (16) and that "Food is a process; a holistic experience." (14)

While there is nothing techniqually wrong about these statements (in fact I agree with most of them) they do not belong in a book about food and biking. Some information about food and biking belong in a book about food and biking. Bikes are mentioned arbitrarily throughout the book (meaning that instead of writing 'when you are at the grocery store' it is written 'after you have biked to the grocery store').    

There are only two instances where bikes and food are combined in any (potentially) meaningful way. On page 37, the author discusses packing glassware for a picnic but instead of offering real information on the best way to do so for bicycle travel she states "If you're up for it though, there's nothing quite like drinking out of real glass, so learn how to pack your flutes well." 

The second combination of culinary arts and cyclists is well done (and what I expected the entirety of this book to contain) as the author states "What makes this cake ideal for the culinary cyclist is not just that it's easy, but that because it's so dense, it's easy to transport. Once it's baked, the cake and the cake pan can be slid into a plastic bag for protection and placed in a backpack." (82) I'm still left wanting more information - what if I don't bike with a backpack? What if I want a dessert that can be packed into panniers?  

Instead of being a book about bikes and food this is a book about stocking the pantry, creating a relationship with food, and living life at a slower pace. However, there are many better books out there on that subject (Hello Michael Pollen! Hello Wendall Berry!) 

To add insult to injury, there is not a single recipe in this book that interests me in the slightest! 

If I have not dissuaded you from purchasing this book here's the link!     

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Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies

I have been playing around with some gluten free recipes and developed this amazingly fluffy orange chocolate oatmeal cookie. I want to develop gluten free recipes that go easy on the speciality flours as such flours are highly processed but also because of issues relating to accessibility and interest. Wouldn't it be amazing if you could make a special treat for your gluten free friend with the ingredients that you already have in your pantry? I think it would be.

These cookies will be appearing in an upcoming project which I need recipe testers for! So if you are interesting in testing some orange chocolate flavoured recipes email wingedsnail [at] hotmail [dot] ca to get the recipes! Testers will get a complimentary copy of the finished project! Testing begins in April!   

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Review: Hungry a (re)collection of memorable meals & disordered eating

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I picked up this zine, “hungry a (re)collection of memorable meals & disordered eating” at Canzine this fall. This zine was completed in two weeks at the zine residency at Roberts Street Social Centre in Halifax in September 2010. It was written by clara bee lavery.

 

The short essays are full of adverbs but this manages to give the writing a sort of lazy, poignant charm. My favourite essay is “vi: smoothies standing up” because the author describes, with exacting detail, the fear that is entombed in any relationship. The fear of both acceptance and rejection. She made smoothies standing up with Paul. Consuming food standing up is counter to the doctrine of healthy eating but it helped her heal as she felt cared for in that moment.

 

I really enjoyed this little zine. The major problem I had with it is that in her introduction that everyone suffers from some type of anxiety regarding food. This is simply not true as I have no food related anxiety. I usually eat very healthy food but I have no qualms about eating like a six year old on occasion. Yesterday I had a bag of popcorn and cheerios for supper but usually I eat healthy, homemade, vegan food. Assuming everyone has food related anxiety actually furthers the notion that all women should have food related anxiety. Disordered eating is a major problem in our society, especially for women, but I think it can be reduced if we acknowledge that some people have issues with food, and some do not. I wouldn't want my notional children to acquire food issues because they think it's normal for every teenage/woman/person to have such issues.

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Review: Kittee Berns' "Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food" Cookzine

    'Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food' was my first official cookzine purchase and let me tell you, I did NOT regret it! As well as tons of awesome recipes this zine includes articles on 'Cooking for a crowd' and advice on how to plan a menu. I think one could easily and successfully host an Ethiopian dinner party with this cookzine as your only resource - which I plan on doing!

     Another major plus is Kittee's guide to making Ethiopia style/inspired dishes. I made a pretty successful Jackfruit W'et following her guide. If you are a total Ethiopian noob, Kittee even tells you how to eat it authentically. I think eating food in the authentic way is an important sign of respect for the food and the culture so I love that this is included in the cookzine.
     I purchased injera for my Ethiopian feast mainly because I was in a rush and did not prep the injera fake-outs from the zine. I would recommend making either the fake-outs or a more traditional injerna recipe (which is available on Kittee's blog). I would NOT recommend purchasing injera. I assumed that because injera is not a mainstream food that the purchased ones would be tasty and authentic. They aren't. The industrialization and commodifcation of food as a result of the food industry is pretty complete. Any more than wonderbread is good bread, purchased injerna is not good injerna!

Recipes I have made:
Niber Kibbeh (clarified "butter")
Berbere Paste (hot spice blend)
Ye'abesha Gomen (mild collard greens)
Ingudai T'ibs (sauteed mushrooms)
Keysir Allecha (Ethiopian style beets)
Ye'miser W'et Version I (red lentils in a spicy gravy)

    The best advice I have for anyone cooking from this zine is this Don't be afraid of the berbere. I used a very light hand with the berbere and the resulting food was lackluster - which is an odd thing for Ethiopian food to be. The next day I kicked up the berebere and it was divine. The flavor of these dishes comes from the spices. It does not have to be hot, it just needs to be tasty! I made the berebere because I could not find any to purchase, but Kittee's advice to vary up the berebere recipes seems like good advice.
  My first foray into Ethiopian cost me quite a bit but that's because I really had to stock up on my spices. However, now that I have them, my next meals will actually be very cheap (cost of veggies, lentils and beans).
  
  I have only a few criticisms of this zine. I wish the pronunciation guide was either located at one end of the cookzine or directly after each time the word is used. The guide is currently located on page 18 and is halfway down the page and is under the header 'Make your own!' which makes it difficult to search for. My second critic is a bit more benign as I would have liked a dessert or drinks section.

This cookzine is definitely worth it. I would rate it 4/5.
I lifted the picture from Kittee's blog check it out here and get your own copy of this awesome zine!

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