1.  Like the rebel that I am, I’m starting with peanuts.  “But,” you say, “that’s actually a legume!”  Oh, yeah. That’s how I roll.  I’m not afraid to be a rebel and bring a legume disguised as a nut.  Humble peanuts may not be as prized as other more expensive nuts and seeds, but they’re deliciously tasty, fatty, and heart healthy.  They’re a fun added crunch in Thai noodle stir-fries or topped on kale or green beans in a peanut sauce.  Peanuts in butter form are a great sandwich to mention when people say, “Vegan?  What do you eat?”  Just point to the PB&J.  ”See?  You’ve eaten ‘vegan food’ for years.  You just didn’t call it that.”  Peanut butter is wonderful in smoothies, slathered onto bananas and apples, dotted into pancake batter and cookie dough, or spread onto celery sticks old school-style and dotted with raisins.  Yes, vegans can eat “ants on a log.”  I checked the rule book.

Cashew-based creamy cafe dressing

2.  Cashews are probably my favorite nut.  Their flavor is a deliciously mild surprise.  I enjoy them by the handful, of course, as a good tide-me-over snack.  They also add heartiness to pineapple fried rice.  Raw cashews make a wonderful cashew salad dressing, sour cream, creamy sauces, and macaroni and cashew cheese.  They can also make a dense and creamy onion dip.  With raw cashews, raw cheesecake can be made, and Sunpower in Studio City makes a very crave-able kale shake with raw cashews that I’ll try to recreate on the island if anyone is willing to give me a Vitamix as a going away present.  (Hello?  Hello?  Sigh…)

3.  Next on the list, sesame seeds.  Yes, I can dot the seeds over cucumber slices in soy sauce and rice vinegar.  I can scatter them on soba noodles and homemade bread.  However, the main reason they have a place on my list is because of their place in hummus as tahini (sesame seed paste).   Tahini gives oomph and creaminess to hummus, and can also be used for sauces, spreads, and dressings.

4.  Has anyone else noticed how crazy expensive pine nuts have been lately?  But if I’m going away for months on end with no access to my favorite vegan restaurants, I suppose I can splurge on pine nuts for the trip.  Although I use other nuts like walnuts and almonds when I’m making pesto, pine nuts are the standard.  I also like to add them to sautéed kale, collards, and sautéed spinach with dried cranberries.  They add a lovely crunch to salads, wraps, sandwiches, pasta and rice dishes.

5.  Finally, flax seeds are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids.  To make them bioavailable, they need to be ground first.  I just use my coffee grinder and grind them in small batches as needed.  Ground flax seeds add health, thickness, and viscosity to smoothies.  They can also be used in place of eggs in recipes – just one tablespoon of ground flaxseed with three tablespoons of water, whipped until thick and gelatinous, and you’re good to go.

So now I’m ready.  I have all my “nuts in a row,” if you will.  Sorry to almonds and pistachios, which didn’t quite make the cut.  I need room for my toothbrush and lip balm.  A girl has got to have her priorities, you know?

Water, water everywhere…

For the past week I’ve been compiling a list of food items I’d bring with me to a deserted island.  I’ve covered spices and herbs, liquid seasonings, grains, beans, lentils, fruits, and vegetables.  After all of this chomping and chewing, I’d better bring something to drink.  For the sake of discussion, let’s presume that drinkable water is available on the island.  Otherwise, of course, that would be my first choice.  Water is very refreshing, very useful, and you know, essential to life.  So in that way, it wins.  But after water, my top five drinks of choice for a life on the island would be…

1.  If I could only bring one drink with me, I’d bring coffee beans and a grinder.  They say that the way most Americans are getting their antioxidants these days is via coffee.  Now, it’s probably more likely that by and large Americans aren’t eating those items really high in antioxidants – fruits and vegetables – but still, I’d like to hedge my bets with coffee.  Such an over-achiever.    I love the scent of the beans in the canister, the crushing sound of them in the grinder, the smell of brewing coffee permeating the air, and of course, the warm, delicious liquid that invites me to wake up.  I enjoy the whole ritual – from the purchasing of the beans to its tasty end in a favorite mug.  For a while I was really into Sumatran coffee, but lately I’ve been drinking Turkish coffee.  For a beautiful start to a day in the tropics, I just need some peanut butter toast, a cup of coffee, and maybe an hour of the Today show.  (What?  There’s no TV on the island?  Okay, I’ll just check my e-mail instead…)

2.  For an afternoon pick-me-up, next on the list is English Breakfast tea.  I think that English Breakfast is the perfect black tea.  It reminds me of visits to rainy England – the chill in the air, and the cup of tea that cuts through the cold.  Add some non-dairy milk and a squeeze of agave, and I’m good to go.  (And if you’d like to include some biscuits or chocolate cake, well, that would be acceptable as well…)

3.  So this takes me to rice milk, my preferred non-dairy milk.  Depending on the viscosity and flavor one is looking to achieve, there are non-dairy milks out there for every purpose – almond, coconut, oat, hemp, soy…  But for coffee and tea drinking, I like something that isn’t too thick, something that won’t be too filling, and something that will blend with the drink and not take any attention.  For that, rice milk fits the bill.  It is a thin milk with a delicate flavor.  It’s not showy and doesn’t have a lot of pizzazz, and that’s just what I like about it.

4.  Sitting by a roaring fire at night on the island, what could be better than a starry sky, stories, and a glass of dry red wine?  Albero Tempranillo is my favorite average, ordinary day wine.  (As opposed to a special occasion wine.)  It’s available at Trader Joe’s in their organic wine section.  At around five bucks, you can’t beat the price.  It’s also good for deglazing pans, adding richness to gravy and marinades, making red wine marinated tofu, and sautéing mushrooms.

5.  Finally, after a long day of raft-building and smoke signals, I would finish the evening with some relaxing chamomile.  The mild flavor doesn’t need a squeeze of lemon; it’s perfect on its own.  So simple and relaxing, it’s the perfect tea to enjoy with a soak in the tub, reading magazines or your favorite blog, and I find that when I drink it an hour or so before bed, I sleep incredibly deeply.

The runners-up for the drink list are Rooibos tea, water from young Thai coconuts, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

That timeless question: Mary Ann or ginger?

For any of you who might be happening upon my blog for the first time in a while (or ever), just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale.  A tale of a fateful trip.  It started…  a few days ago, when I began the task of compiling a deserted island packing list.  You know, just in case I end up on a deserted island.  (Apparently, this is a concern.)  You won’t find items on this list like matches and water purifying tabs.  Oh, no.  Instead, you’ll find those real life necessities – balsamic vinegar and popcorn.

Today’s items are up there in importance with suntan lotion, a bikini, and reading material.  These are things that I just could not do without on my island existence – vegetables.  So here are my top ten for the land of palm trees, sandy beaches, the professor, and Mary Ann…  (Yeah, like everybody else, I didn’t choose ginger either.)

1.  If I could only bring one vegetable with me, I’d bring garlic.  Now, you may be asking yourself, “What on earth could you make with just garlic?  That’s crazy.”  I say, living a life without garlic is what’s crazy.  A stinking rose by any other name could not be as sweet.  It sets up soup, scrambles, stir-fries, and salsas.  It brings pow to pasta, pizza, and polenta.  It’s beautiful in baba ganoush, burritos, bruschetta, and bread… with roasted garlic.   It goes like gangbusters in garlicky greens and gnocchi.  It excels in hummus, tacos, chili, marinades, and warding off vampires.

An Asian noodle stir-fry is twice as nice with diced red onion.

2.  Next up is that relative of garlic, red onions.  They are well suited in almost all of the above garlic dishes, and then there’s also caramelized onions with lentils or Brussels sprouts, onion rings, fried onions with potatoes, and crisp raw onion on sandwiches and in salads.  Plus, if you’re looking to get those tears flowing, the only thing more tear-producing than onions is a double feature of When Harry Met Sally and The Garfield Christmas Special.

3.  While sweet red bell peppers are technically a fruit (just like the tomatoes that show up later on this list), I decided to add them to the vegetable group because culinarily-speaking, that’s how I use them.  (I suppose I could surprise someone with a fruit salad made of tomatoes and red bell peppers, but I think they call that salsa.)  I am fond of all bell peppers, but especially of the red.  They are such a sweet addition to any dish, high in vitamin C and vitamin A, and useful in many things.  They can be stuffed with bread stuffing, wild rice, or a bean mixture.  They can be added to salads, soups, scrambles, pizza, tacos, chili, and stir-fries, sautéed with collard greens, or chopped into a raw kale salad.

4.  It blows me away to think that just a few years ago I never cooked kale.  Now purple, dinosaur, and lacinato kale are foods I eat almost every day.  A good source of calcium and iron, I could start the morning with a kale smoothie, have kale in my scramble, for lunch make kale and garlic soup, and that evening have sautéed kale as a side dish or generously topping my pizza.

5.  If a day goes by that I didn’t eat kale, it’s almost a guarantee that I had collard greens instead.  An excellent source of folate, calcium, and vitamin C, collards are so good sautéed with smoky mushrooms, made into Ethiopian gomen, added to soup, used as a wrap in place of a tortilla, or rolled into dolmas in lieu of grape leaves.

Mouthwatering saag chana

6.  Spinach is my go-to green for salads.  I also enjoy it very lightly sautéed with lots of garlic, pine nuts, and dried cranberries, blended into saag chana or saag aloo, stuffed into tacos instead of romaine or butter lettuce, slid onto sandwiches, or rolled into wraps.  The only way I’m not interested in spinach is out of a can.  (Sorry, Popeye. More for you.)

7.  Artichokes make the list not only because they are beautiful, but also because they’re a treasure chest vegetable.  The first time a person is introduced to artichokes, they may seem complicated.  However, after getting to know them, the payoff is well worth the awkward first stages.  They are lovely steamed and dipped in melted Earth Balance, flax oil and balsamic vinegar, or olive tapenade.  Artichokes stuffed with a bread stuffing is impressive to behold and delicious for the cool fall weather.  Most of all, artichoke hearts on pizza or in pasta is divine.

8.  Lately I am obsessed with mushrooms.  It was the oyster mushroom kit that I purchased and grew last month that really got the ball rolling.  There may be nothing better than oyster mushrooms sautéed with garlic, Earth Balance, and red wine.  I love all mushrooms – from the unassuming button to the chewy shiitake.  But if I had to pick just one variety of mushrooms for my island life, I’d go with portobellos.  Those meaty mushrooms are so hearty and can stand up to a good marinade or grilling.  They’re great on sandwiches, in tacos, risotto, ravioli, and pierogis.  They’re wonderful on pizza, pasta, and stir-fries, and they bring a deep earthiness to gravy, pate, lentils, and soups.  Of course, I also enjoy them in sauteed greens as portobello bacon.

Tomatoes add a touch of sweetness to raw cabbage leaf tacos.

9.  Some say toe-may-toe.  Some say toe-ma-toe.  I say, why are we quibbling when we could be making bruschetta?  Tomatoes, a great source of lycopene, are fabulous cooked or raw.  Obviously they’re a necessity for pasta sauce, salsa, chili, marinara, and if Kathy Griffin is in town doing stand-up.  (I kid.  I kid.)  A simple tomato soup is a lovely starter or light lunch with a sandwich.  They’re a welcome addition to tacos and burritos, and that’s not even mentioning sun-dried tomatoes, which add so much oomph to pesto and polenta.

10.  Finally, I’m finishing out the list with carrots.  They may not be the most exotic vegetable ever, but there’s something satisfyingly simple about carrots.  They’re great for dipping into hummus or guacamole.  They are an excellent base for almost any soup, perfect for salad and stir-fries, and grated into long, raw shreds they can take the place of noodles in a creamy peanut dressing.  Plus, we all know how good they are for eyesight.  I mean, have you ever seen a rabbit in glasses?  (Sorry.  Please hold onto your tomatoes.)

So that wraps it up.  It was not easy keeping this list to only ten.  There are so many awesome vegetables in this bountiful world of produce.  Celery and asparagus were definitely contenders.  If I was including pickled vegetables then sauerkraut, jalapeno peppers, and grape leaves would have had to duke it out.

Meyer!!! Noooooooo!!!

If you’re visiting my blog for the first time in a few days, let me catch you up to speed.  What follows is a little game of “what if.”  What if I were headed to a desert island and able to bring only ten fruits?  (One would assume that the kind of island one generally imagines would have tropical fruit, but let’s suspend our disbelief for a moment.)

As a castaway with access to only ten fruits, it would be tricky to pick.  There are so many fruits that I love.  It’s hard to pare it down.  Plus, many fruits are available only certain times of the year.  When is this trip exactly?  And do I include produce that is technically a fruit (like tomatoes, red bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, cucumbers…)?  Or do I save those items for my vegetable list since culinarily-speaking, I use them as vegetables?  (I decided on the latter.)  So here it is, if I was headed to a deserted island with access to ten fruits, I’d bring…

1.  Avocados.  They are absolutely my favorite fruit – so indulgent, buttery, and satisfying.  I have an uncle who gives me several avocados for Christmas every year as my present.  I like them that much.  They take any meal and bring it up a notch.  I love them on toast with a smear of hummus and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast flakes, on salads and sandwiches, on pizza and no-queso quesadillas, topping tacos, chili, and fajitas, blended into guacamole, or just eaten with a spoon right out of the shell.  For something more unconventional, mashed avocado with a squeeze of agave syrup and a small spoonful of cocoa makes a surprisingly quick and tasty (although slightly green) chocolate pudding.

Baked lemon rosemary tofu

2.  The next fruit on my list would be lemons.  They are so incredibly useful.  Every day I easily use one lemon, if not two.  They bring flavor to water (also delicious with slices of cucumber), brighten tea, and of course, are crucial to lemonade.  I use lemon juice to deglaze pans, like in my tofu scramble.  They are a wonderful addition to marinades, salad dressings, salsas, hummus, pesto, muhammara, tabbouleh, baba ganoush, and guacamole.  They are essential to baked lemon rosemary tofu.  They soften greens like collards and kale and make the iron in them more bioavailable.  They can even be used as a cleaner.  Let’s face it.  Lemons have it going on.

Mouthwatering black olive bruschetta on cashew cream

3.  Salty and pungent, olives will definitely find their way into my suitcase.  When I see those beautiful wine-barrel vats of olives at the grocery store, they could only make me happier… if they were still filled with wine.  From Umbria.  And if I was sitting in an Italian olive grove drinking it.  But back to the olives, there are so many varieties, and they’re all fun to try.  My favorite is definitely castelvetrano.  Just a few olives with a salad makes it so much more interesting, and they’re also great on sandwiches, in tapenade, topped on pizza, added to sautéed greens, or just as a snack right out of the refrigerator.

4.  Although they may seem rather mundane, I just can’t help myself.  Oranges are pretty incredible right now.  I’d hate to miss out on them while I’m basking in the island sun.  So sweet and juicy, sticky and delicious.  By the slice with peanut butter toast for breakfast, dipped into chocolate for dessert, cut into salads, or added to collard greens or kale in a creamy peanut sauce, oranges taste like sunny days.

5.  This time of year I’m always so happy to see fuyu persimmons, which have the shape of tomatoes.  They are not to be confused with hachiya persimmons, which are shaped like peaches.  It seems that most everyone, if they have a story about persimmons, have a story about mistakenly taking a big bite out of an unripe hachiyu and being greeted to what feels like a mouth full of chalk.  Fuyu persimmons are quite another story.  They are so mild and juicy with a bit of a crunch, and the whole fruit can be eaten, making it a great fruit to take on a hike or in a sack lunch.

6.  Every summer when figs arrive in the grocery store, expect a gasp from where I’m standing.  They are just so beautiful and delicate – soft to the touch.   Did you know that they’re actually an inverted flower?  When they’re perfectly ripe, they almost fall apart in the mouth.  There are lots of ways that people cook with them, but I can’t bear to do it.  I don’t want to mess with the perfection of eating them just as they are.  And since they’re often a little pricey and available for such a short time, I just enjoy them on their own.

7.  It’s easy to graze through a bowl of rich bing cherries, only momentarily slowed by pit removal.  They are a wonderful topping for Coconut Bliss (unless you’re already eating their Cherry Amaretto flavor, in which case I seriously envy you).   They’re also delightful dipped in warm chocolate, made into a cobbler or a pie, or topping a vegan cheesecake.

8.  Delicate raspberries are delicious on their own, in salads, or blended into smoothies or salad dressing.  They have a way of informing the other flavors around them.  Peanut butter is marvelous already, but with a smear of raspberry jam?  Oh, yes, thank you.  There’s everything to like about a chocolate tart, but add a layer of raspberries to the mix and you have something exceptional.

Mango pineapple salsa on a black bean-stuffed baked potato

9.  Pineapple is a good source of vitamin C, high in antioxidants, proven to be beneficial against macular degeneration, and a lovely addition to a fruit smoothie.  It adds something special to Hawaiian pizza, Thai noodle stir-fries, or fried rice.  It’s also more than invited to any banana split-type gatherings.

10.  Ripe and juicy mangoes are great in smoothies, mango salsa, as a chutney with spicy Indian food, chopped into noodle salads, added to fried rice, or topped on potato-skin tacos.  They originated in Southeast Asia and have been there over 4,000 years.  Some say they taste like a combination of a ripe pineapple and a firm peach.  I say if you don’t know what mangoes taste like, you should make it your business to get one.

It was so hard to limit the list to only ten – just too many tempting options.  Other top contenders included strawberries, grapefruit, bananas, and grapes.

I may be alone on a desolate island, but I still have popcorn standards to maintain.

If you’ve been away from Cadry’s Kitchen for the past couple of days, let me catch you up to speed.  In an effort to prepare myself for the eventuality that I end up on a deserted island needing to fend for myself, I’m creating a packing list of foods to bring.  Remember the mustard’s motto:  always be prepared.

Today I’m focusing on which beans, lentils, and grains will make their way with me to this Fantasy Island (where Tattoo has been replaced by Tofu).  If I could only bring five (there’s not much room in the canoe), I would bring…

Falafel burgers from Vegan Table with sauteed kale

1.  First on the list, chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans).  These dense beans are my favorite of all of the legumes.  These protein and iron-packed powerhouses are satisfyingly delicious roasted with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast flakes.  They can be blended into creamy hummus, ground with spices and formed into falafel, or share star billing in saag chana.  Seasoned with paprika, cumin, and oregano, chickpeas are ready to be taco filling.  Nary a day goes by when I don’t eat this nutty legume.

Paella-style barley with chickpeas

2.  For the first grain, I choose beloved barley.  While brown rice is fine for serving with platters of shitake and asparagus or coconut curry vegetables, barley is so much heartier than rice.  Its dense, chewy texture adds weight and density as a side dish or thrown into a filling soup.  Put it into a lavash wrap with layers of chickpea and black bean hummus, turnip pickles, and romaine lettuce for a filling lunch.

3.  Next, edamame.  With it I can steam it, add a dash of salt, and enjoy a little appetizer.  I can make my own soy milk for coffee, and with the remaining soy milk I can add a coagulant and make homemade tofu.  (This island living isn’t sounding too bad after all…)  Fresh soy milk has a really unique and beany taste, so different from packaged soy milks.  As for the tofu, it can be grilled, baked, roasted, or fried.  I can make scrambles, barbecued tofu, orange mojo tofu, Latin Baked tofu, tofu salad sandwiches, and salt and pepper tofu.

4.  What can I say?  My heart pulses for pulses.  I love all lentils, but my very favorite are the Cadillac of lentils, French lentils du Puy.  (I wonder why Cadillacs became the measuring stick of things being high quality…  Since I’m not a car enthusiast anyway, maybe I’ll start using these lentils as my measuring stick instead.  “Wow, Friend, that hat is the French Lentils du Puy of headgear.”  It’s probably only a matter of time before it catches on.)  Back to French lentils, on the plus column is that they don’t have to be soaked before using (unlike dried beans), they hold their shape (unlike most other lentils), and they’re a good source of fiber, iron, and protein.  They have a wonderful flavor on their own, and they are able to pick up the flavors of the broth and seasonings that are cooked into them.  I enjoy them in warm lentil salad, thrown into soup, added to pasta sauce for additional protein and bite, served hot over sautéed greens, mixed with barley and served with a salad, or made into lentil pate and served with crackers.

5.  My final choice is the whole grain, popcorn.  It may not have a lot of versatility in terms of uses, but it’d be nice for a snack in the afternoon or for the weekly island charades night.  (Hard to play charades by yourself, but I forgot to bring a deck of cards.)  Smothered in Earth Balance and lightly salted or with a generous squeeze of lime juice, popcorn is excellent with a myriad of toppings.  I enjoy it with several shakes of hot sauce (big surprise) and a smattering of nutritional yeast flakes.  For a sweet snack, throw in a handful of chocolate chips.

The runners-up for today are brown rice, farro, black beans, and polenta.

I’ve made it aboard the boat! Ahoy!

In case you’re just tuning in, yesterday I decided to put fingers to QWERTY and create a packing list for that deserted island-existence that perilously looms in the future of plant eaters.  Read here to get the full scoop and the five spices and herbs that will make their way into my luggage.

Joining yesterday’s five spices and herbs are five liquid seasonings – sauces, oil, and vinegars.

Spicy hot sauce glazed tempeh from Veganomicon with a salad and oven-roasted french fries.

1.  Some hot sauces are just hot.  Really, really hot.  (Cue Dave’s Insanity Sauce.)  Some have flavor but no kick.  (If I wanted ketchup, I’d get ketchup.)  No, what I’m talking about is my number one condiment, Trader Joe’s jalapeno pepper hot sauce.  This spicy sauce delivers a nice hit of heat, but still imparts a delicious flavor that has that certain je ne sais quoi, if you will.  (Will you?  I didn’t think so…)  Research* has shown that if mid-meal you’re struck with the thought, “Hmm, this needs something,” 9 times out of 10, that something is probably jalapeno pepper hot sauce.

Obviously it’s well-suited for tacos, salsas, burritos, fajitas, nachos, and the like.  But it also adds pizzazz to a scramble, a spicy kick on pizza slices, and it makes Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh in Veganomicon out of this world.  (Serve it with a very tall glass of water, some sautéed greens or a salad, and potatoes to balance the heat, and you’ve got one of my favorite meals.)

*There weren’t any test tubes or Bunsen burners or anything, but through extensive experiments involving avocados and tortilla chips, you can probably take my word for it.

My favorite tamari use is in my creamy garlic salad dressing.

2.  Next up is Tamari.  This Japanese soy sauce is, of course, ideal on a stir-fry or as a dip for pot stickers.  It’s also excellent for adding depth of flavor to salad dressings, marinades and sauces.  It brings umami to gravies and richness to roasted vegetables.  Plus, tamari almonds are perfect for snacking.

Brown rice vinegar adds bite to orange peanut sauce on spiralized zucchini noodles.

3.  Brown Rice Vinegar is a mild vinegar that doesn’t draw too much focus, but adds a nice, subtle sour element.  I almost always pair it with tamari for stir-fries, Asian lettuce wraps, and peanut sauce, but it can also be used on salads when a more delicate flavor is in order.  When something a little bolder is in need, I go to…

4.  Balsamic vinegar has a permanent place next to my stove because it is so useful in so many dishes (and because it’s too tall to fit in the cupboard).  Add a modest amount to jarred spaghetti sauce or barbecue sauce, and they’re almost as good as homemade.  Make your own salad dressing, drizzle it onto vegetables before roasting, condense it into a glaze, splash it onto greens to balance bitterness, or even add it to soup for a surprising bite.  Caramelized into a syrup and served with something sweet like strawberries or simply joined with olive or flax oil for bread dipping, balsamic vinegar gives a welcome dimension.

Extra virgin olive oil and cloves of garlic…  Someone toast the bread!

5.  Finally, while there are other sauces that wow me with flavor, extra virgin olive oil makes the list because it’s so darn useful.  It’s there for bread dipping, sautéing, salad dressing, bruschetta, and hummus.  I even like to use it as a moisturizer on rough knees and elbows.  If I really wanted to go all back-to-the-earth, I suppose I could just bring olives to the island and press my own, but come on.  Now you’re just being silly.

So-close-and-yet-not-quite awards go to whole grain mustard, malt vinegar, prepared horseradish, and agave syrup.  (I’m kind of hoping there will already be agave plants on the island, and then I can just squeeze my own into my morning coffee, and at night use the plant and its tequila-possibilities for margaritas!)

It generally doesn’t take long in one’s life as a vegetarian to get that eventual question…  “But what if you were on a deserted island?  What then?  Would you eat animals then?”  Surprisingly, as often as this question comes up, I’ve never known a vegan who accidentally ended up on a deserted island, but the threat must be imminent!  Otherwise, why would people be so concerned about our livelihoods?  While one might assume that a deserted island would have plants, herbs, tropical fruits, and other vegetation, we can’t be too safe!  Sure, at least some of the wild animals who live on the island are probably herbivores, and I could just eat what they’re eating…  But since I have time to prepare, I figured I’d make a packing list just in case.  That way the next time that someone asks me that eventual question I can say, “No worries.  I’ve got it handled.  I’ve already made a packing list.”

So this week, that’s what I’m doing.  I figure I don’t have that much room in my suitcase, and so I should probably limit myself.  Today I’m focusing on the five herbs and spices that I’ll bring.  (Hey, other vegans, in case you end up there too, could someone bring those cute little umbrellas for drinks?  That will make the whole experience a lot more festive.)

A spicy tofu scramble

1.  If I only had room for one spice, I would bring cumin.  (So if any of you plan on coming to the deserted island too, no need to bring that one.  I’ve got it covered.)  Cumin is used in the cuisines of India, the Middle East, Mexico, Portugal, and Spain.  Romans and Greeks used it medicinally, and in Egypt cumin seeds have been found in the Old Kingdom Pyramids.  Cumin is so incredibly useful.  It’s a spice I use every day.  It goes in hummus, chili, and chickpea tacos.  A dash is added to salsa and guacamole.  It’s imperative in Indian fried rice and my weekend tofu scramble.  It has an earthy, warm taste that translates well in a lot of dishes.

Cilantro makes a splash in chana masala.

2.  The first herb I would bring is the controversial cilantro, the love-it or hate-it herb.  Some say it tastes like soap.  I wish that my soap tasted like this.  Not that I’d eat soap.  But I’m getting distracted…  Cilantro has an appearance similar to parsley.  When purchasing a batch, always give it a sniff first to make sure you have the right herb.  It adds such an interesting finish to a variety of dishes.  I adore Indian samosas or Ethiopian sambussas dipped in cilantro chutney.  Cilantro adds another dimension to spicy Thai noodles.  Of course, stuffed into tacos and burritos, it’s the perfect fit, and added to any salsa from tomato to peach to mango those other flavors are brought to life.  Pesto made with a half and half combination of cilantro and basil or tabbouleh with cilantro instead of parsley makes for a dynamic twist on a typical taste.

Roasted rosemary potatoes with sauteed kale and tangy orange mojo tofu from Viva Vegan.

3.  Next on the list is the very fragrant rosemary, which reminds me of so many hikes in the mountains of Southern California.  Rosemary grows wild there, and as I’d hike, the smell of it would waft in the air.  Fresh or dried, rosemary adds a deep, savory quality to a dish.  Add it to tiny red skinned potatoes with a drizzle of oil and a hearty helping of garlic and the side dish becomes the best part of the meal.  It brings out the flavor in roasted squash, it’s great on baked tofu, and starting the morning with a fresh-out-of-the-oven olive oil and rosemary bagel with a schmear of hummus is a beautiful thing.  (What?  There are no bagels on this island?  Who organized this trip anyway?)

Pistachio pesto rice from Spork-Fed

4.  Basil, preferably fresh, is featured prominently in Italian dishes but is also used in the cuisines of Southeast Asia.  Its robust taste, full of bite, adds a punch to a dish. Added to polenta, pasta, or Tuscan White Beans, it takes something simple and gives it more interest.  What would pesto or pizza be without basil?  Best of all, basil takes the simplicity of garlic, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and crusty bread, and makes it bruschetta.

5.  I’m finishing out the list with paprika.  Paprika, which was first produced in Spain, is a spice that is made from grinding dried mild peppers. Its beautiful color and flavor doesn’t overwhelm and is a go-to when making rice, soup, stew, fajitas, potato salad, hummus, or a tofu scramble.  Smoked paprika takes cashew sour cream from the fatty, slightly sweet deliciousness that it already is and makes it sing.  And to think that there was a time before I was vegan when I thought the only use of paprika was to garnish once-a-year deviled eggs!

(I’d like to give an honorable mention to sage, thyme, parsley, and turmeric.  If for any reason paprika is unwilling or unable to fulfill its duties as the Island’s #5 spice, I’ll call you…)