Homestyle Vegan Cooking
By Jean-Philippe Cyr
As far back as I can remember, food has been at the center of my family’s life. My mom was an outstanding cook, and there was always a soup or pasta sauce boiling away. Whether it was birthdays, holidays, or even just sunny days, our dinner table was always crowded with family and guests.
It was as obvious to me then, as it is now, that food is the best way to bring people together. Around delicious food, tongues become untied, conversations go from small talk to friendly banter, and tablemates go from strangers to friends.
When I was a professional chef, I traveled to Cambodia and Thailand. As many chefs do, I wanted to experience new flavours and techniques that I could incorporate into my cooking. To my surprise, while there certainly were many flavours I hadn’t previously experienced, there was a satisfying, rustic quality to much of what I ate that made me feel like I was right back at home. The way food was served also felt a lot like home…it was all about sharing.
My time in Southeast Asia reinforced that cooking is about bringing people together, not showing off. I also learned how to better balance flavours and how important acidity is to making other flavours shine. Since my travels, if a dish tastes like it’s missing something, I turn to lemon juice or vinegar. It almost always does the trick!
In the not-so-distant past, it was all the rage in vegan cooking to make everything taste like soy sauce. Unfortunately, soy sauce was often the only seasoning vegan cooks used, so there were a lot of bland, dry, uninteresting meals being served. One time, I was even served a single roasted sweet potato as a whole meal!
After I adopted a vegan diet, I continued to cook dishes that were full of flavour and perfect for sharing with my friends and family. The bland, boring dishes of old-school, hippy vegan cuisine would have no place in my kitchen.
In my new book, The Buddhist Chef’s Homestyle Cooking, I’ve drawn from all my experiences and lessons learned as a teenager, traveler, and professional chef to create recipes that show that vegan cooking can be just as appetizing and satisfying as any other style of meal preparation.
Take my recipe for Vegan Fried Chicken, for example. You would never guess that it’s made with mushrooms, and when people taste it, they won’t believe it’s not chicken! They’ll have the same reaction to the Tofish & Chips, Cheesy Mushroom Gratin, Orange Tofu, Ratatouille Lasagna with Almond Ricotta, Vegan Paella with Sausage, and so many of my other recipes.
You don’t even have to tell your family and friends the meal you’re serving is vegan—it’s just delicious food that they won’t be able to stop eating. With some practice, you will begin to produce vegan dishes that will truly please everyone, even those who have never tried vegan food, because they share the common denominator of all the world’s best cuisines…flavour.
If a dish is full of flavour, it doesn’t matter whether it’s vegan or not. It’s just delicious.
Cheesy Mushroom Gratin
Serves 4 | Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min
Every month, new vegan cheeses appear on grocery store shelves, and they keep getting better and better. Make the most of them by preparing this irresistible mushroom gratin! There are few pairings better than the holy trinity of mushrooms, cream, and cheese.
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 portobello mushrooms, diced
8 ounces (225 g) white button mushrooms, finely chopped
4½ ounces (125 g) shiitake mushrooms, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cognac or brandy (optional)
1¼ cups (310 mL) vegetable broth
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon mustard powder
Black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons maple syrup
½ cup (125 mL) soy cream
2½ cups (225 g) grated vegan cheese
Bread, toasted, for serving
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil, then add the onions and all three types of mushrooms, and cook, stirring, for 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Deglaze with the cognac (if using) and bring to a boil while stirring, then lower the heat and simmer for 1 minute.
- Stir in the broth, sage, salt, rosemary, garlic powder, basil, mustard, pepper, and maple syrup. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the liquid is fully absorbed, about 5 minutes. Stir in the soy cream and cook for 1 minute.
- Divide the mushroom mixture among 4 ramekins (mini souffle dishes) set on a baking sheet. Sprinkle vegan cheese over each ramekin, dividing evenly.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Serve with toast.
For more information on Jean-Philippe Cyr and The Buddhist Chef’s Homestyle Cooking, visit www.thebuddhistchef.com
