What to feed vegans during the holidays
Joy Pierson can't say enough good things about her chef, Angel Ramos.
"He's an alchemist," she boasts, eagerly passing around a plate of Ramos' pecan-encrusted seitan, a meat-substitute made from high-protein whole wheat flour or gluten.
Pierson is the co-owner, along with Bart Potenza, of two vegan restaurants on the Upper East Side, the more upscale Candle 79, and the relaxed Candle Café. She and Ramos have worked together for nearly 12 years. In that time, she has taken him to all of the city's top restaurants, including the three-star Per Se, to ensure he makes the best vegetarian/vegan cuisine in town.
"When you eat his food, your mouth goes into explosions," she continues.
The dish, though 100-percent vegan, packs a flavorful punch. The seitan is served over a bed of tart and garlicky red and green chard and roasted delicata squash. It is then topped with roasted mushrooms, shallots and a red-wine drizzle. The entree is both complex and fresh-tasting. It's the type of dish you're eager to consume after the first bite, and for those entertaining vegetarians over the holidays, it makes an excellent main course.
Pierson, who has been a vegetarian for more than 20 years, recalls the frustration of picking between meat-laden dishes at family holiday gatherings."The sides for Thanksgiving [and Christmas] are so great; you have sweet potatoes and cornbread stuffing," she says. "The problem is, a lot of people make these dishes with animal [products]."
Keeping the non-meat-eaters in mind, Pierson advocates substituting a dependency on animal fats and bacon bits with fresh herbs."What are [holiday] side dishes?" she asks. "It's really sage and thyme. You can't tell me that it's turkey."
One bonus of vegetarian cooking, as Pierson is quick to point out, is that it doesn't leave you feeling sluggish the way a hefty helping of roast beef might.
"I always thought that when you ate a big meal, you felt lethargic," she says. "It was because my body was working on digestion. Now, when I get up after a meal, I feel great energy."
Q&A with Joy Pierson
When did you decide to open your first restaurant, Candle Café? On Friday the 13th, in 1993, [my partner, Bart Potenza, and I] won the New York State Lottery. We won $53,000, and I thought that was providence providing for a mission that was very important.
When did you become a vegetarian? I was a nutritionist by training, and I only became vegetarian after I met Bart. It was like I watched a good movie and wanted everyone to go and see it, because my body responded so beautifully to the diet.
Do non-vegetarians ever eat at the restaurant? We get a ton of non-vegetarians, and people are always amazed. We have all these stories of people coming in and eating our food and not knowing they're in a vegetarian restaurant. Once, [after a meal,] someone came up to me and said, "Oh, that was the best lamb I ever ate in my life," and I said, "Thank you."
Recipes:
Pecan-Crusted Seitan
Ingredients: 3/4 cup tomato paste 1/4 cup umebashi vinegar 1/4 cup red wine 1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup shoyu soy sauce 1/4 cup garlic, minced 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced 8-10 seitan cutlets (about 1 pound) 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup finely ground pecans 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped 4 tablespoons olive oilDirections: 1. Place the tomato paste, vinegar, red wine, orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, parsley, tarragon and minced rosemary in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the marinade over the seitan. Refrigerate at least three hours or overnight. 2. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, pecans and chopped rosemary together and place in a shallow bowl. Dredge the cutlets through the mixture. 3. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan, and sauté the cutlets until golden brown, about two to three minutes per side. Serve at once with desired sauce.
Maple-Cinnamon Squash Ringlets
Ingredients: 2 delicata squash 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon cinnamon Pinch crushed pepper Pinch sea salt Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 2. With a sharp paring or vegetable knife, carefully cut the squash into 1-inch circles, then halve the pieces into semicircles. Lay the slices side by side on a baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, pepper and salt. Brush the mixture over the squash rings and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the squash is just tender. Serve at once.
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