Vegan Dinner Party

Sorry ya’ll! So so crazy busy at the moment that days become nights and night become days! I promise to stop being such a turd about posting on Mondays!

I have to leave like now… So I will just copy and paste the menu for a vegan, gluten free dinner I made over the weekend. It was for 16 people! So I just tripled everything.

Okay! Till next week! Hopefully I will have some time/sanity! Maybe not!

Winter Squash and Wild Mushroom Curry

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 10 ounces butternut or other winter squash, peeled and diced in 1/2-inch cubes
•  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 or 2 small whole green chiles, such as jalapeño or serrano
• 3 medium shallots or 1 small onion, finely diced
• ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
•  Handful of fresh or frozen curry leaves, optional
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
•  Pinch of cayenne
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 pound mushrooms, preferably a mix of cultivated and wild, trimmed and sliced 1/8-inch thick
• ¾ cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
•  Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

PREPARATION

1. In a wide skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add squash cubes in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, letting cubes brown slightly, then flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to lift squash out, and set aside.
2. Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile to open it, but leave whole. (This allows the heat and flavor of the chile to release into the sauce without making it too spicy.)
3. Add shallots to skillet, salt lightly and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves and let sizzle for 30 seconds, then add garlic, coriander, cayenne, turmeric and chiles. Stir well and cook for 30 seconds more.
4. Add mushrooms to pan, season with salt and toss to coat. Continue to cook, stirring, until mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
5. Return squash cubes to pan, stir in coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium and simmer for another 5 minutes. If mixture looks dry, thin with a little water. Taste and season with salt.
6. Just before serving, stir in lime juice. Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Chana Punjabi

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon canola oil or other vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 small Thai bird chili, chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt, or as needed
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
•  Cooked rice for serving (optional)

PREPARATION

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil and add onion. Sauté until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and chili, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook until tomatoes are very soft, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
2. Purée mixture in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pan and place over medium heat. Add paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, coriander, the garam masala, turmeric and lemon juice. Add chickpeas and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
3. Cover and simmer until sauce is thick and chickpeas are soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir pan about every 10 minutes, adding water as needed (up to 1 1/2 cups) to prevent burning. When ready to serve, sauce should be thick. If necessary, uncover pan and allow sauce to reduce for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until desired consistency. Stir in cilantro, adjust salt as needed and serve with cooked rice, if desired.

Cucumber And Cilantro Raita (Not vegan)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup plain yogurt
•  Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion
• ½ cup finely diced peeled cucumber
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

PREPARATION

1. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt and salt. Mix well. Add scallion, cucumber and cilantro. Mix again, and transfer to a small serving bowl.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad With Cilantro and Mint

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 4 Persian cucumbers, chopped
• ½ small white onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped purple or green basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• ½ teaspoon dried mint
• ½ teaspoon crushed red chili powder(or ancho chile powder)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
  

PREPARATION

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl; toss, and serve.

Apple Crisp (Substitute vegan butter)

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups peeled, cored, sliced apples or ripe pears, 2 to 3 pounds
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon, or more to taste
• ½ cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 5 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• ¾ cup oats
• ½ cup walnuts or pecans

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss fruit with half the cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar, and spread it in a lightly buttered 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan.
2. Combine remaining cinnamon and sugar in container of a food processor with butter, oats and nuts; pulse a few times, just until ingredients are combined. (Do not purée.) To mix ingredients by hand, soften butter slightly, toss together dry ingredients and work butter in with fingertips, a pastry blender or a fork.
3. Spread topping over apples, and bake about 40 minutes, until topping is browned and apples are tender. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Sick Of It All

The last two weeks I have been sick. The last week, actually really sick. It’s that time of year when your immune and will to live basically dies and you either embrace it or pretend it’s not that bad, thus making the damage prolonged.

During my invalid state, I had a lot of time to just mull around all the things I am sick of and below is a quick list because does any of if matter anymore! Also, yes I know this is a day late. Who cares?!

Things I’m Sick Of:

Texting – I feel like those (…) will actually make us all insane.

Potatoes – Sometimes I just can’t stand the look of them.

Podcasts – I listen to too many and they are melting my brain.

Eating – I’m in the, I hate food vibe, just give me a nutrient nugget and let’s call it a day.

Shitty Friends – Friendship is a type of labor.

Men –Such disappointments.

Artists – Blah blah blah, okay we get it.

Socks – Somehow they seem like they should be easy but they are not!

Drugs – Not sure what the point ever was.

Catching up – We are all bored of each other, let’s not waste each other’s time.

Memes – Cool.

Bagels – Sometimes too much is too much.

Walking – Put me in a cart and dump me in the ground.

Making things comfortable for others – At least give me a tip.

Trump – Everyone is obsessed and he’s obsessed with Obama. Unhealthy.

! – I use this way too much and mean it only like 2% of the time.

Meat – Sometimes if just freaks me out.

Treating people – They will never, ever get you back the next time.

Saying Hi – Can’t we all just agree that eye contact is sufficient?

Dating – You are all so fucking boring.

Making Amends – I wanna make amends by putting my face in a lemon meringue pie.

Believing in things – What. Does. That. Even. Mean?

Long Time, No See – Is it just me or is this phrase freaky?

Nicotine addiction – Self-harm is a bitch.

Underwear – What’s the point even?

Exercise – Don’t do it but still sick of it.

Art Talk – Only enjoyable with someone who doesn’t use proper nouns.

Politics Talk – Only enjoyable with someone who knows how to spell Beto O’Rourke.

Talking in general – My body language is telling you everything you need to know.

Holidays – Can we just skip it and get to April already?

TV – The internet is melting our brains.

Twitter – I’ve always hated it.

Guilt – I hope by 2060 women are free of this burden.

R.I.P. Phyllis Kind

Phyllis Kind and Roger Brown

I got a message the other day that Phyllis Kind died. For those of you who don’t know who she is, you should. She was a gallerist and a personality unlike anything the art world had before.

Her gallery, Phyllis Kind Gallery, was the first job I ever had in New York. It is the job that made it possible for me to move/live here and it has influenced my approach to art in ways I probably still do not understand.

She originally started her space in Chicago, selling prints and such, and then she got into the thick of it and is the reason why The Hairy Who, the Imagists and “Outsider Art” has the influence that it had/has and is finally being paid its dues.

I started working for her as an intern while still in college, commuting from Rutgers to her Greene Street location once a week, then worked full time as a gallery assistant. It was the end of the grand ol’ days as this was sometime around 2003, but for a total art newbie, entrance into her multi-level Soho space was both intimidating and wondrous. She lived in the back of the space so the mixing of business and personal overlapped in inviting (sharing Chinese takeout at her kitchen table) to rattling (potatoes being thrown at your head during an outburst.) But it was a type of education that was beyond impactful.

Under her tutelage and observations, I learned how a gallerist is more than just a person in the art business but a character of sorts. Anyone who knew Phyllis would be swirled into her vicinity and it was up to you if you could stay a float in her currents. Her mind was sharp, her tongue sharper, and the mixture of hard and surpassingly generous softs showed you the depth and complexity of what it meant to be a gallery owner and human being.

The thing that I learned most, the thing has is a base of so much of how I operate and think about art today, was her unwavering way of thinking and seeing art and who makes it. Her mixing of insider, outsider, has been talked about in many different circles, but Phyllis truly loved art in a way that seems cliché. She would get so excited and thrilled about an artist, she made it her business and passion to make sure that people saw, people understood, people opened their eyes to what she was seeing.

In addition to her authentic passion for art/artists, she played the gallery game so well. In the 80s she was a force that was recognized and feared at times. She was all New York brashness with a mind that could remember any date and name and eyes that could pierce any undeveloped soul. But through it all she remained herself and unnegotiating on what she thought art could look like and who were valid in making, buying and seeing it.

I hadn't seen Phyllis for years, after she moved to the West coast, but her name and the links I have made from my time with her still connect. She had that ability to create a sense of family. Dysfunctional in many ways perhaps, but she was this mighty force, glue, magnet that kept everyone connected. I guess that’s because if she saw you, if she took you in, that meant something.

Phyllis Kind. What a legend. What a shame that gallerists and key players fade away the way they do, but I guess that is normal. Even so, her legacy will still remain because the work people are just starting to remember now is what she loved and supported decades ago.

Read this thoughtful and informative overview of her life here.