The Betty Crocker Project : Baby Olive Oil Garlic Knots

I hate these photos. 

So last night there was a perfect storm in Brooklyn. There was the coming together of a mild autumn night breeze that made it pleasant enough to have the windows open but not so warm the idea of baking wasn't lovely. I had just sent in the final proofs for our book - which required a long journey and in the end was an exhausting adventure. So I was sleepy and excited. The first debate for the 2012 US Presidential Election took place and my loving but dedicated husband had to work so I was left all alone to harass loved ones via Facebook with my observations and Tweet frustrations in short confused sentences. Though I would like to think that it was more like commiseration*. But don't all crazy people think that**?

Before you get scared that I'm going to drag you into this... I won't. I will encourage you to check out all the news coverage today on the misleading statements made by certain Schmitt Schmoney but I'll leave it at that. Promise! Because yesterday while I was adventuring through Brooklyn I was inspired.

See October is official Pizza Month and that encouraged me to veganize a classic New York favorite using olive oil instead of the usual butter and animal-based shortenings used throughout this borough I call home.

There's a stereotype in many people's minds that every corner in Brooklyn has a pizza parlor... which is debatable. There is quite a bit and some neighborhoods are more pizza-ed than others. Of course, most of those spots don't offer much as far as vegan options but they all do offer is a simple treat I grew up adoring when I was a not yet vegan - Garlic Knots.

These simple little buddies are pretty easy and a great vehicle for your favorite marinara sauce. This recipe will make either a dozen regular sized knots or 2 dozen baby knots and is so simple I feel almost guilty calling it a recipe.

For those of you who are wondering where's the promised latest Vegan Rock-toberfest feast - well the photos just didn't turn out very good. I recently moved my photo spot and the lighting just isn't right. Isn't that half the battle of food blogging? You can't just make something delicious - you have have to take alluring photos. But I will say - it was delicious so I won't mind remaking it! 

OK - On to the knots! 

Simplest Red Fruit Salad ever & some of our favorite Summertime recipes!

Life, our book and travel to foreign lands have kept us away. We have a guest post and several recipes waiting to be posted and shared with the world but today I need to work on the book -- so I'm posting a 4 ingredient treat in time for all those picnics, potlucks and BBQs coming up this weekend. This one is dedicated to that friend who always brings beer and salsa. This is a recipe* that even they can make.

But if you're more of a superstar than that -- you can click here to see a list of some of our favorite Summertime recipes and potlucking tips or you can check out some of these:

Cherry Cola BBQ Vegan Chicken Wings
Antipasto Pasta Salad
Curry Vegan Chicken & Potato Salad
Burger & Veggie Packet
The Cruelty-Free Crawfish Boil
The Chicago Beer Dogs
Apple Churros
BLT Crostinis
Vegan Ranch Mashed Potatoes
Sesame Teriyaki Beef-less Skewers


Of course, if you are firing up the grill this weekend we can't encourage you enough to try The Beer Can Tofurky! I know it seems a little intimidating but I hope this appetizing post by The Redundant Vegan will encourage you to take this vegan wonder on!

I have a great post lined up for tomorrow that I still need to edit the photos for so until then... enjoy this simple pleasure!

It takes a village to make Mexican Tater Tot Personal Pizzas...

You maybe be asking yourself why this isn't part of The Betty Crocker Project. It's a fair question since tater tot pizza seems like something right up that red spoon alley. But in truth the inspiration for this over the top awesome dinner came from a Twitter exchange I stumbled into with vegan deity Sarah Kramer and John McDevitt - you know might know him as The Laziest Vegan, cruelty-free cover-girl Melisser Elliot and Julia - The SnarkyVegan*... somewhere towards the end I think The Discerning Brute  Joshua Katcher popped in. It was a tater tot love-fest/brain storm. Which inspired Sarah to create this lovely Poutine Pizza and for us to enjoy these Mexican Tater Tot Personal Pizzas a few days later. 

Now we went Mexican with our tater tot pizzas because we had the avocados, jalapenos and salsas and because it seemed like a good way to work a few vegetables in there but really I hope this concept catches on and that we come to see more of these crispy little buddies on all kinds of pizzas in the future. You owe it the 1st grader inside you to make a tater tot pizza at least once in your life... you never let them color anymore.

 To the tots!

The Betty Crocker Project: Vegan Beer & Cheddar Bombs

Right now you might be furiously flipping through your Betty Crocker cookbook looking for this recipe. You'll stop at Beer-Cheese Triangles and wonder if this is what we veganed. You might read through the list of ingredients and notice that we tinkered a bit. You might even find it in your heart to forgive me introducing these addictive bitty noms into your life because not only are these little awesome bombs super easy but they turned out even better than I thought they would. I think sometimes this is why I try to keep my hopes and dreams to myself. I mean things don't always turn out the way you hoped they would and who wants anyone ever saying to them things like:

"I was watching The Olympics the other day and noticed you weren't there. What's up with that?"

or

"I couldn't help but notice you never married Christian Slater." *

Who also wants to admit they actually wasted a daily "wish" and some "hope" on Vegan Beer & Cheese Bombs? I really should be saving those things for more noble pursuits but I'm off topic. Now that I know these little savory buddies are actually incredibly easy and completely delicious - I have to share. It's my job.

Ready to get bombed?

Beer-Battered Green Beans

So, we've been a little MIA lately. We had computer issues that ended up being a bigger deal than I thought because we needed that computer for our photos. We also had a photo shoot for our "about the author" section with V.K.Rees Photography that was literally magical. She was able to take photos of me that I actually like. It's was like some kind of Harry Potter moment. I've been setting up 2 completely awesome contests for December. You're going to love these. And of course, there is the book...

The deadline for the manuscript for our book is about 2 weeks away and I admit I'm nervous and excited and busy. There's the recipe testing and writing and the typing out of recipes and then double checking there's no typos and just so much to do. I've been so terrified of mistakes and I've literally been micromanaging myself while being excited to finally have the best job in the world.

I had to stay in Brooklyn over Thanksgiving and missed out on The Shannons' Annual Vegan Feast. I can tell you I did make the best of it by getting a lot done - including a Peking Tofurky with drumsticks and Asian vegetable wild rice. But I missed going to Boston to see everyone and spending the holiday with family. This is the first time I have missed Thanksgiving since Dan and I became "us" and it was kind of sad.

But enough with the sad stories, today we're going to talk about Beer Battered Green Beans. You've seen Green Bean French Fried whatever on the menu of all those TGIF-ish places. I've always kind of joked that this trend was a dubious attempt at "healthy fries" after Super Size Me*. I mean after that movie, everybody seemed to be deep frying their green beans. Weird or wonderful? Maybe both.

Having said that - These fries are good! They are delicious. I mean I was really shocked at how fraking good these fries were. Green beans are one of my very favorite vegetables so it was fun to play around with a new way to make them but you have been warned just because these little guys are green doesn't mean they are "health food"... They are a fun, vegan, basket of food that will go great with a cold beer and some Hockey. We should love them for who they are.

Game on!

The Betty Crocker Project: BLT Crostinis

Keep an open mind - This is actually a pretty remarkable appetizer.

I've heard that a 'fear of commitment' is one of the most popular self-diagnosed phobias in our society. I understand it but it's not really a phobia I have. I mean I'm not perfect. Needles can send me into a panic attack and sandwiches with wet pasty bread give me the chills. I also might have a mild case of social anxiety issues that I should Google more about. Though I'm pretty sure it's just run-of-the-mill shyness. Don't worry I'm getting to my point.

See recently something pretty awesome happened. I was featured in vegan chef superstar Kathy Patalsky's 2011 Veggie Girl Power series over on Healthy.Happy.Life. I'm beyond flattered to be part of this interview series that includes Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, Leanne Mai-ly Hilgar, Stephanie Morgan, Anya, Kathy Freston, and Portia de Rossi. This is an amazing group of women doing extraordinary things in the world by promoting healthy living and helping animals. My excitement combined with the fact that we are currently writing our book created this perfect storm of chattiness that made my interview a bit long but completely sincere. I hope you'll take a minute today to check it out if you haven't already.

In there I talk about all the different crostinis we've been making lately for the party section of our book and briefly walk through how to make Mexican crotinis. This lead to a few emails last night asking us what crostini recipe so far is the most random/unusual/delicious. See many of the folks who have been following The Betty Crocker Project know that sometimes Betty comes up with some dishes that might seem kinda random but that's how our little project fills it's danger and adventure quota. Going into this project we had to commit to going into each recipe with an open mind. Today's post is one of those recipes where that pays off.

I had intended to save this recipe for the book but there is a little smudge on the plate that ruined the pictures and so many of you seemed really into having crotinis at your holiday dinners and potlucks - I had to share. If you're following along in your own Big Red you probably noticed there are lot of changes but really I think these changes only make these little buddies better. I actually love these crostinis in a way that I've never really loved BLT sandwiches. I hope you'll give them a chance and add some kitschy Betty-Style novelty to your next party.

2011's Thanksgiving Parade begins with #7! Roasted Tomato & Fennel Bisque

OK. I admit we might be pushing it a little bit by adding this to the Month of Baking but you do use your oven to melt the vegan cheese. I've also noticed a lot of Tweets and Facebook Statuses about runny noses and sore throats so I thought it might be a good time to post a recipe that takes your mom's tomato soup a step further.

Original bisques are French soups made with crustaceans that were too beat up to be sold in the market but over the years the term has also been used to also describe cream-based vegetable soups. Sometimes the term means both. So not the most compassionate soups on the block. We used fennel, sea kelp and some vegan sour cream in ours to make it a bit nicer to both sea spiders and our bovine friends. We decided to add the toasted crouton (that you can't see) and melt the Daiya vegan cheddar on top as a little shout out to tomato soup's BFF grilled cheese sandwiches.

I got the idea to serve the soup in espresso cups from Martha Stewart's Wedding page. When I was planning my wedding, I remember seeing it and thinking that it was a really adorable idea for serving soup to a large group of people and I wanted to share it in time for Thanksgiving. Soup isn't generally thought of as being part of Thanksgiving but if you're looking for something different, these little buddies might make a good opening course. We got a lot of emails last year from folks who served our Macaroni & Sheese Cups as starters at their family get together and loved them. So the individual serving soups in espresso cups that you can sip like you're pretend British and eat with those adorably dainty coffee spoons seemed like it could possibly make for the most adorable starter for any dinner party ever.

You can also enjoy it in a bowl. Yawn.

Homemade Dill Pickle Potato Chips

I should be working on our book right this second. I should be going through the over 500 recipes right now making sure that I have the right gadgets for each recipe listed. That was the first thing on my list for today. Actually I should be doing a lot of things right now. 

But instead I got sucked into Wil Wheaton's clever blog that goes so well with coffee. Then I figured since I already was enjoying a little online browsing, why not get around to reading about Joss Whedon's new project? Spoiler: There's still not much out there about it. At least not enough for me.

That brings us to now. I'm watching Tron and sharing with you a recipe for one of my favorite little savory treats. I first had them in Canada back when I was in college. I couldn't believe all the different types of potato chips they had up there like Gravy and Ketchup. I wasn't in love with those but the Dill Pickle flavored ones won over my heart. Now you can find these random flavors pretty much everywhere but at the time it was one of those things that made Canada somewhat exotic. I also love making homemade potato chips. So really this recipe is a perfect storm of awesome. Here are a few fun facts about these and other chips before we start: 

• These chips are baked not fried. 
• Yes, I did have to eat an entire jar of pickles by myself in a day and half to make them.
• The key to a great homemade potato chip is slicing your chips as thin and as even as possible. You may want to have a few practice potatoes to play around with. The reject chips can be used in this Double Corn Chowder recipe to replace the hash browns. 
• If you have a Mandolin*, I would recommend using it to get the thinnest and most even slices.
• In the UK this way of making potatoes would be called "crisps" and what we call French Fries are called "chips". I bet you already knew that but I had to share anyways. In some way it makes those Canadian Ketchup Chips make more sense to me.
• These little buddies are really good with a vegan Reuben sandwich and a little coleslaw.
• Fried Pickles are also pretty freaking awesome.
• These chips won't have that strong kick you in the teeth flavor of the store bought ones because those ones are chemical masterpieces. Ours are made using things you probably already have in your kitchen.
• I don't care what anyone says. Tron is a really good movie. You should see it. Just don't ruin it by trying to make too much sense of it all.

 Shall we begin?

Real Vegan Feta & the first 2 recipes we tried it in...

Sometimes dreams come true.

Vegans are a clever and industrious people. Even after all these years, I continue to be impressed by the creativity and dedication vegans put into cruelty-free living. But even all that creativity can't give us more hours in the day, and sometimes it's nice not to have to make everything from scratch. One of the reasons we started this blog was to introduce new and old vegans to compassionate products they can use to cut corners on days when we just want to watch a bunch of Paul Rudd movies and enjoy a nice dinner with our favorite someone.



I grew up eating Italian and Mediterranean food. I can't remember the first time I had an olive or feta cheese because I'm pretty sure it was around the time I got my first tooth. I've been one of those folks making their own vegan 'feta' using tofu and herbs for years--or just substituting tofu when I'm too lazy--but the truth has always been that tofu doesn't really have the same texture as feta cheese. No matter what you do to it, it just isn't gritty enough, for lack of a better word. So when Dan came home one night with a surprise he found at Whole Foods, I freaked the frak out! 

This stuff is perfect vegan feta in every way! I have a huge vegan cheese crush on this stuff. No, it isn't like the super pungent imported stuff you get at places like Dean & Deluca, but it really is like the stuff you'd find at like a pizza joint for their Greek Pizza--and the texture was spot on!



We decided to start out simple with our first test run, and to be honest it's been freaking hot in Brooklyn. It's made me dread baking, even though I have new kitchen gadgets I have been longing to take out for a spin. Remember the end of Point Break when Swayze heads out into this epic '50 year storm' at Bell's Beach knowing he's not coming back. That's how I feel about our kitchen in this heat, but unfortunately I'm no Swayze. So we started with a chilly Greek Salad using the Greek Salad dressing recipe from The Betty Crocker Project's early days and an Artichoke Bruschetta recipe I found on Betty's website.

You'll have to hit 'read more' to see the pictures and get easy to follow recipes!

The Betty Crocker Project : Mini Tempeh Potstickers with Tamari & Sesame Dipping Sauce

The original Betty potstickers used pork and had a different filling; our version is kinder to the little oinkers. Cute little intelligent pigs who want nothing more than to just chill out in some grass or mud if it's hot out--or maybe swim around in The Bahamas. I mean I don't actually speak for pigs or anything - they unfortunately don't have elected representation at the moment - but I'm pretty confident when I say I'm sure they would rather be doing pretty much anything than being potstickers.

You might also start looking through this recipe and think "Wow, that's a lot of steps. What can I skip over to make this go faster?" Sorry to have to be the one to break this to you, but you have to follow all the steps. There are no shortcuts to Mordor, or potstickers. I'm not trying to be mean, but all the steps are pretty key. It should make you feel better to know they actually go very quickly. But that thought might lead you to another : "Hmmm. It is a lot of steps... is this worth it?" To that question I only have one thing to say to that lazy negative voice that would deny you tempeh postickers. "Hell yes! Now go boil some water."

I should warn you though, this recipe makes a lot. It would be perfect for a party or potluck - especially since you serve them at room temperature or chilled and aren't terribly expensive for how cool they are. So basically this recipe makes a ton (not literally) of cheap but delicious vegan food. Yeah. It's that good.

Are you ready to wok?

The Betty Crocker Project : Nacho Knots (AKA Rolls)

OK. Back to the food!

These little buddies are pretty much an example of why Betty Crocker is famous. These are some old school appetizers that will make you get all dreamy eyed like when Captain Kirk met Joan Collins.

Let's make some!

Vegan Chicken Lettuce Wraps & How We Survived The Heat Dome...

2 years ago today, I married my best friend. Now this might seem like a pretty obvious and trite way to describe a wedding, but it fits. I mean it wasn't like the old-school wedding days, where life as we had known it changed forever. My parents didn't hand me over in exchange for a few cows, and Dan didn't lift my veil with crossed fingers. Our lives slowly began to intertwine long before we ever even kissed. We'd been building a life together for years before I ever put on that off-white dress, and our course didn't really change much from the day we decided to be more than friends in the first place. In fact, the life we had already begun to build together just got a little better... we just dressed up, ate a bunch of cupcakes, and made it legal, is all.

Over the weekend in New York City, numerous same-sex couples (and some not-so-same-sex) finally got to make it legal too. Now, I know a lot of you like to read inside bits about our relationship rather than here me talk about politics. I mean, I get at least 20 emails a week asking about what we fight about and how we move past those bloody battles. But if we were all sitting down to dinner tonight, talking about how proud we are to live in a progressive state would come up. We might also talk about the Pompeii exhibit we saw over the weekend and some thoughts we had about the new Captain America movie... which was freaking incredible*.

And if you were visiting last weekend, we would have have eaten these lettuce wraps that require very little cooking and eased our suffering considerably. See, we were trapped last weekend in The Heat Dome. Now if you're wondering if that is worse than the Thunderdome... it seriously is. We're not big on air conditioning, so a Heat Dome is pretty much a nightmare. Now you would think we were used to heat after years in Virginia. Back then the sadistic humidity gave us an excuse to drive to the beach. On nights when we were feeling kinda fancy-ish, we'd stop by P.F.Chang's on the way back. Their vegan lettuce wrap appetizers are pretty spectacular and always went perfectly with sun burnt shoulders and large lemonades. We made ours with Gardein Crispy Tenders and enjoyed them with some beers from Brooklyn's Sixpoint Brewery**, a game of Civilization, and a giant fan.

And that I guess is why, on the 2nd anniversary of our wedding, we are posting this delicious recipe that helped us do more than just survive the Heat Dome... it was a tiny reminder of how we're not just making it through our lives together. We are, as my husband so eloquently put it, "Living in the Awesome!"

Let us eat lettuce wraps and be awesome! Awesome for all!

The Betty Crocker Project : Margarita Vegan Shrimp Cocktail Cups

Not your grannie's shrimp cocktail.

So I was feeling a little fancy this weekend and just a tad bit experimental.

Ever feel like that? Like you want to mix it up but not too much. Sometimes it's the little things that can add a little color to your day. No, I'm not talking about blue nail polish or red shoes. Well, I kinda am but in relation to food right now. See, I love faux shrimp. It's a weird food but I really like it. If you've been reading this blog, you've probably noticed that. We've veganized shrimp dishes ranging from Gumbo to Scampi. Hell, we've even made Coquilles Saint Jacques.

You may have also noticed we have a preference for May Wah's Shrimp Balls. It's OK to snicker. It's a terrible name but you can't deny the texture and flavor of this product are really nice and versatile. But if you're one of those folks who prefers to have that signature half moon shape, you can always use these :

Vegan Shrimp from Vegetarian Plus

Now, I have had vegan shrimp cocktail before and it was OK. I don't know how or why but it never really became a favorite. Maybe because I've never eaten the version made with real sea spiders. It's hard to say. I mean who knows where love comes from. But this recipe has a few twists that are just enough to turn something pretty standard into something new and kinda awesome. Something spicy and cool at the same time - like a bunch of little Fonzis*. Not to mention, it's also kinda schmancy.

So, if you're looking for a date night appetizer or maybe just something to go with a chilled glass of white wine that will make that Monday night just a little more like a Friday, I vote Shrimp Balls! (tee hee) Seriously though, try this recipe. It was lovely.

The Betty Crocker Project : Tequila Fajita Vegan Chicken Wings

There has been a kind of overload of awesome happening lately.

Exhibit A: You might know Brea Grant from Heroes or maybe Friday Night Lights, but you will definitely know her from her upcoming role in Dexter. What you might not know is that she writes comic books and reads Meet The Shannons! She also made some bewitching 24 Hour Pickles! How kick ass is that? Answer : River Tam kick ass*.

Exhibit B: I found this marvelous tumbler full of ridiculously adorable and well-educated cats by Sarah Sobole and fell madly in love. It all began when I was sent this:

I've never really seen myself captured so completely in art before**. It's weird... it's like Sarah is spying on me right now. Or perhaps is my doppelganger.

Exhibit C: We made Tequila Fajita Vegan Chicken Wings. I know I've said this before, but if you get a chance to try out these Vegan Drumsticks from May Wah, you really need to. They're one of the best mock meat products on the market, and are great with pretty much any glaze or sauce we've ever tested them out with. They can be grilled, baked, or fried--pretty much making them a perfect replacement for those wings and drumsticks actual chickens need more than we do.

If you can't get your compassionate little hands on these wings, you can always use this Tequila Fajita baste on your favorite vegan chicken on a skewer, and then toss them in an actual fajita wrap. Whatever you do, make sure and make a batch of Salsa Verde. Honestly, it's an amazing combination of hot, tart, and savory that I can't praise enough. If it sounds like I'm gushing right now it's because I totally am.

All and all this week has ended on a high note, free of sudden and inevitable dinosaur betrayals and full of pretty dresses... Yes, I did finally get that bunny dress I've been tweeting about. Expect to see it in action soon, because I'll be wearing it this weekend when we film our first podcast!

Are you ready to be a big damn hero and make some kick ass vegan chicken wings? Grab your tequila and let's go!

Adventures in Brooklyn - Food & Friends during the Search for the Perfect Apartment! Episode II

Brooklyn - The land of breath taking vistas.

In Barcelona, one might expect to see the somewhat bizarre spires of Gaudi's unfinished cathedral Temple La Sagrada Familia reaching into the heavens. In Paris, there is nothing quite like the rush you get when you spot the Eiffel Tower for the first time. In London, you can't miss the world's largest Ferris wheel known as The Eye. But in Brooklyn, there are historic rusted water towers and industrial warehouses revamped in blue glass and colorful graffiti. I recently spent a week walking through Brooklyn looking for a future home for the Shannon brood.

To see photos from my journey and some cute cats click here. I know yesterday I promised to tell you all about my NYC abduction story but I haven't figured out yet how to make it funny or how it even happened. I will tell you this. I was mistaken for a Hasidic Jew twice last week. Which is cool because Hasidic Jewish women can be adorable with their cute hats and knee-length skirts but I admit it is having me rethink my new haircut a little. Also, and more importantly, make sure when you get into a strange car in Brooklyn that you think is part of some legitimate car service... that it is and not some kind of Jewish intervention program. I might be able to talk about it more later but for now - let's talk food.

The adventure continues...

Adventures in Brooklyn - Food & Friends during the Search for the Perfect Apartment! Episode I

Starting a new life on this side of the East River

So this past week has been the most confusing combination of just wonderful magic and the worst kinda of awful. The kind of awful that will be very funny this time next year when my feet finally stop hurting. See folks, I spent the past 7 days walking around Brooklyn looking for an apartment. Now if you have never looked for an apartment in the New York City area - well you might think these next few blog entries are well a dramatic interpretation with color and hijinks added to increase the entertainment value of this blog. I have to tell you that everything you are about to read is real and that no names were changed because in this story none of us are innocent*. And I also talk a lot about food and places I went to eat and think you should go. It would be completely illogical to not get those names right.

Shall we begin?

The Betty Crocker Project : Whole Wheat Focaccia Breads

I think Nicolas Cage said it best in Moonstruck: "They say bread is life. And I bake bread, bread, bread. And I sweat and shovel this stinkin' dough in and out of this hot hole in the wall, and I should be so happy!" Except, unlike Ronny Cammareri, I like baking bread and I have 2 hands. I also have a handful of very strong opinions about Nicolas Cage as an actor.

• Nicolas Cage's attempt at being British (I think) in Vampire's Kiss is so hilarious, it makes me laugh just sitting here typing this. I might go rent it tonight actually. [Ed. note- please do not do that.] Who couldn't use a good Wednesday laugh?
• His portrayal of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman in the Spike Jones/Charlie Kaufman movie Adaptation is just brilliant. Brilliant I say!
• The big movie trailer scene in the blockbuster hit Face Off, when Cage actually says "Face off", makes me have a physical reaction... I frown, shake my head in disbelief, and a single tear slides down my cheek for American Cinema.
• Dan and I are pretty sure we saw ol' Nick walking through The French Quarter in NOLA when we were there on our honeymoon. That has nothing to do with his acting, but blogs are for sharing.

Now before we start baking, I should also share that the bread base for Betty's focaccia bread was already pretty much vegan and that this recipe was awesome! Last weekend, Dan and I ate the cheezy focaccia loaf in one afternoon with some fancy olive oil for dipping. It gave me a chance to use this book from Crate and Barrel we got as a wedding present. I recommend sharing one of these wonderful loaves of bread with someone you love, and maybe a bottle of San Pellegrino*.

So let's bake some bread and put a little Dean Martin on... trust me, he's fun to bake with.

Moment of Silence for the Bowl of Steamed Edamame with Sea Salt

It only took 25 minutes of steaming for you to capture my heart. Thank you for being such a great friend. Hope we can do lunch again sometime soon!

Special Edition : Fat Tuesday Fried Pickles & The Homemade Vegan Mardi Gras

Please consider this an instant Shannons Classic.

Some people don't think of Virginia as being part of "The South". I think most of those people have either never been here, or if they have, haven't been too far outside of DC. I lived in Georgia for something like 3 years, and when I moved to Norfolk I thought I'd have to give up good Southern vegan food. I mean when I lived in Atlanta, Soul Veg was on my way home from work, and was a common haunt. But one of my first weekends in Virginia, I went to lunch with a few of the PETA campaigners and had my very first basket of fried pickles and some pretty sweet VA fried chickette (which was vegan at the time). This was a big food moment in my life.

Now, I've lived in NYC, and grew up knowing what a good pickle is. I love pickles. All kinds of pickles are my friends, but fried pickles are something special. The shared love of fried pickles is one of those first memories Dan and I ever had. So making these was more than just fun for us... it was like a tiny little second honeymoon in our kitchen. We went to New Orleans for our Honeymoon, and we're two Northern kids who love Southern food. I could bore you all day telling you how special this was for us, but we're working with a deadline here. Tomorrow is the infamous Fat Tuesday. People all over the world will be doing this and this. We're super married, so we're going to have our own little Homemade Vegan Mardi Gras, and start it all off with these babies. The other day we posted Vegan Shrimp Gumbo and listed some of our favorite Cajun and Creole recipes so you can have your own too. But in case you missed 'em - here they are:

• Beighnets
• Po'Boys (Vegan Bourbon Chick'n and Shrimp)
• Hush Puppies
• Hoppin' John
• Red Beans and Rice
• Jambalaya
• Deep Fried Cajun Tofurky
• Strawberry Margaritas

OK - Enough of this chatter... let's git 'er done*&**. If this is your first time having fried pickles, you're in for a real treat... I hope you're ready to make a new favorite food memory!

The Betty Crocker Project : The Homemade Mediterranean Happy Hour featuring The Pita Pizza

Tabbouleh Salad and Lemon Garlic Hummus

So right now I should be telling you all about the food writer and photographer coming over to have dinner with us this weekend. I could be telling you about the dream I had last night about Lobster Killer or how I've been sick all week. But I am finding myself completely distracted. See I just found out Season 3 & 4 of Ghost Adventures is available to watch instantly through our Xbox.

Now as you may remember, I love the show Ghost Adventures. I love when they role played being Union soldiers in Gettysburg, wore Top Gun flight suits on a haunted air craft carrier and swing billy-clubs in condemned prisons to get a rise from the "ghost inmates". I really like trying to follow their "chains of evidence" and how excited they get when there's a draft. Most of all - I love their "tools of the trade". They are pure Dr.Igon Spengler Gold!

So here's what you  need to watch hours and hours of Zac, Aaron and Nick shaking their fists into the night and yelling "Bro - Did you hear that?" or maybe some big Super Bowl type of thing if you can even find something like that happening somewhere. It's the kind of spread that is perfect for marathon TV watching or a new take on The Homemade Happy Hour. This spread makes a lot of food quickly and is so super easy  that anyone can make them - even if they aren't feeling 100%.  In fact, they're so easy I feel a little guilty posting them but instead I'm just going to focus on how much I love eating these pita pizzas... really you should too. Of course, Betty's Tabbouleh and Hummus were already vegan, so we just needed to meddle with the recipes a little to make the pizzas just right. I think you'll love these.

I know we usually have Mexican Food on Friday night... but we might have to make an exception & make these again.

You're going to need to stock up on your pita bread.