North Bay Woman

22 NORTH BAY WOMAN | F A L L 2 0 1 7 3 cherry bomb chilies Black pepper to taste Grated rind from 2 lemons Make the bagna cauda Crush the garlic and nutritional yeast in a mortar and pestle. Add oil and set aside. Deseed your chilies (wear gloves when working with raw chilies) and slice very finely. In a smoking hot cast iron frying pan, toss the chili slices for a couple minutes until they are just blistered and blackened. Do not inhale the fumes. Add to the breadcrumbs along with picked marjoram leaves. For the broccolini: Grill or griddle your broccolini until just blackened in spots. Do not salt it until after you remove from heat and toss in the bagna cauda, which is salty already. Season with pepper and additional salt only if necessary. Finish with lemon zest, then the breadcrumbs. Vegan cheesemaker/founder of Miyoko's Creamery, chef and cookbook author Miyoko Schinner, of Fairfax, loves to serve these plant-based recipes for the holidays. Not Nog — a creamy, rich and (if you choose) boozy 'egg' nog Serves eight to 12 people 1 quart vanilla soy or almond milk ½ cup raw cashews ½ to ¾ cup maple syrup (to your desired sweetness) 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Lots of fresh grated nutmeg ½ cup (or to taste) brandy or rum, optional In a blender, combine the milk, cashews, syrup and extract and blend at high speed until frothy and smooth. Add nutmeg to taste. If you are using it, stir in the alcohol. Chill for several hours before serving. Top with additional grated nutmeg. Black ash and pear crostini with red wine glaze Serves eight: Two per person This quick, elegant appetizer is based on a recipe from Schinner's book, "Artisan Vegan Cheese." It uses Schinner's black ash cashew-based cheese, available at local grocery stores such as Good Earth or Whole Foods, or ordered online from Miyoko's Kitchen, miyokoskitchen.com. ½ your favorite crusty baguette, cut into ¼-inch slices (about 16 slices) ½ round Miyoko's Creamery Mt. Vesuvius Black Ash cheese, sliced ¼ inch thick (around 16 slices) 1 firm but ripe pear, cut into 1/3 inch slices (about 16 slices) Red wine glaze (recipe follows) Red wine glaze 1 ½ cups dry red wine 3 tablespoons sugar or agave nectar 3 sprigs fresh thyme ¼ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon water 1 to 2 teaspoons arrowroot First, make the glaze: combine the wine, sugar, thyme and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Slowly reduce to the sauce to about ½ cup; it should take about 20 minutes. Dissolve the arrowroot in the tablespoon of water, and stir into the wine mixture, and heat briefly until shiny, glossy and lightly thickens. Set aside while baking the crostini. The crostini Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Assemble the crostini by placing a slice of Mt. Vesuvius Black Ash on top of a slice of baguette, then topping with a slice of pear. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes until hot. Drizzle each one with a teaspoon of the glaze, and serve immediately. Chocolate cherry walnut truffles Makes about 20 truffles 2 tablespoons boiling water 2 ounces dark chocolate (64 percent to 72 percent cacao content), very finely chopped 1/2 cup walnuts 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 1 cup pitted and halved Medjool dates 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Sea salt 1/4 cup finely diced dried cherries 2 tablespoons shredded coconut 1/4 teaspoon curry powder Stir the boiling water into the chopped chocolate and let it stand for 30 seconds. Using a small whisk, stir until the chocolate is completely melted and glossy. Coarsely grind the walnuts in a food processor, then add the cocoa powder, dates, vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and process for a minute. Add the chocolate mixture and process until smooth, about another minute. Transfer to a bowl and stir the cherries into the chocolate mixture. Cover and chill for approximately 2 hours in the refrigerator or 20 minutes in the freezer, until firm. On a plate, mix the coconut, curry powder, and a pinch of salt. Scoop up approximately 2 teaspoons of the chilled chocolate mixture and roll it into a smooth ball between your palms, then roll it in the curried coconut to coat. Repeat with the remaining mixture, then place the truffles in an airtight container and chill thoroughly before serving. Note: If you want to give the truffles a golden hue, toast the coconut in a 300-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes. For a more distinctive taste, add another ¼ teaspoon of curry powder. n Reprinted with permission from "The Healthy Mind Cookbook," 2015, by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, Ten Speed Press.– Photo Credit: Maren Caruso Left to right: Broccoli di cicco with vegan bagna canda. – Photo provided by Angela Ginsberg; Black ash and pear crostini with red wine glaze. – Photo by Eva Kolenko from "The Homemade Vegan Pantry" by Miyoko Schinner; Chocolate cherry walnut truffles. – Photo by Maren Caruso from "The Healthy Mind Cookbook" by Rebecca Katz

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