Here’s some photos of my latest collaborative food event, this time working with Shan Raoufi, bohemian hottie and founder of $20 Toothpick.

The concept is simple: much like the way Bruce Wayne’s basement is the Batcave, Shan transforms his humble Brooklyn apartment into a restaurant. I think his bed morphed into a dinner table for 6, but I can’t say for sure because my back was turned.
Guests port their own potables,
We serve a four course vegan feast.
There’s no charge for the food but the (mandatory) toothpick brought out at the end costs $20.
Catchy, no?

Shan and I had a drag-out fight about first course. He was set on having beets star in the taquitos filling; I thought he was crazy. We arm-wrestled for Top Chef and I humbly report that these taquitos were beautiful, hell-yeah tasty, and probably the most popular course. It’s the beets.

The Chilled Spicy Melon Soup (recipe here) was the second course. Very colorful and cold, it was a good choice for steamy evening.
To be fair, some folks aren’t that fond savory fruit dishes or even cold soups for that matter, but for more adventurous types it’s a hit.

The main course was inspired by the cookbook The Artful Vegan. Huitlachoche is known as “Mexican Corn Truffle” to some, “Corn Smut” to others. In any case, it’s a mushroomy delicacy that flavors this tamale-like dish. Shan and I agreed that the combination of the rich mole sauce, the kicky carrot sauce, and the risqué sounding corn whatever-it-is made this dish just sexy enough to star as the main course.

I heard afterward from some non-vegan guests how surprised they were about the “meatiness” and heartiness of this dish, attesting that Shan and I accomplished what we set out to do: serve a fantastic, life-affirming meal that just so happened to be vegan.

My favorite discovery this past week is this amazing vegan spice cookie recipe from Kaji’s Mom. I’m not much of a baker, but she sure is! The cookies are soft, fat, and spicy (I probably doubled the cinnamon and ginger.)
We sandwiched some store-bought soy ice cream in between the cookies and French-served a pour of a hot strawberry-rhubarb-acai sauce over the top. Mmmmm!

Thanks to everyone who attended, and for all those on our waiting list (we were overbooked) for next time. I promise there will be one.

Also thanks to my (now official?) photographer Andrew Strasser and my delightful Brooklyn-virgin colleague Poundcake for taking all the pics you see on this post.

more photos on my Flickr page

If you live in or around NYC and would like to be on my mailing list for upcoming veg’n events, please send me an email at vanesscipes@gmail.com

Calling all local foodbloggers and hangers-on:

Isn’t it about time you got out from behind the stove or from in front of the computer and had some spring cocktails with your fellow foodbloggers?  Well then. 

See you in a few weeks!

Spring NYC Foodbloggers Meetup
Tuesday, June 12
7:00pm
Von – 3 Bleecker St. btwn Bowery and Elizabeth St. (Meet in the back room.)

For ongoing NYC Foodblogger info, please join the NYC Foodbloggers Mailing List.

So concludes the last in my series of three collaborative brunches with the folks at London Paris New York (in Brooklyn.)

The response was so overwhelmingly positive that as soon as we all rest up, fine-tune some other areas of our lives, and do some thinktanking we promise to return with another food-art-event-series in some incarnation or other.

For those of you who are here looking for any of the brunch food recipes that I promised were so simple please email me and I will divulge all.
What I can give you now is a link to the ever-mouthwatering weblog Homesick Texan where you can find the inspiration for the Cheezy Grits I served (I just upped the jalapeno and cheese a touch.)  For the Vegan Grits just omit the cheese and substitute vegan margarine for the butter.

Thanks to everyone at London Paris New York for hosting (Jed, Zeljko and Doron especially) and the dozens of other people who helped out with these.  Love all around.

Oh, and by the way, these pics were taken by the strapping Andrew Strasser.

Photos from past Saturday’s brunch, sans any commentary.

All these pics (and more) were taken by the esteemed Andrew Strasser.  Many thanks Andrew!

 

  

 

         

And the voice said:::::::::::::::

Let There Be Brunch

Saturday, March 3, 2007
Paris London New York
285 Kent Ave #2
Brooklyn, NY 11211

RSVP and Info: vanesscipes@gmail.com

12 noon until 4pm (food will be served until it runs out or until 3pm)

very very veggie vegan freelance

Succulent and sassy food concoctions by Vanessa and Li’l D from vanesscipes.com with special assistance from Jocelyn.
Fine pastries by the fine Lasley of Flour Shop
Jed will wear a plastic apron with strawbreeze on it..!!! (for no extra charge)

musicals by : Unicornicopia also a special guests

New Age Swiss Chalet Installation by Kiln Design

We kindly ask that you RSVP by 5pm Thursday, March 1st - so that we may properly prepare enough food.
$12 - includes brunch, unlimited coffee, and performance

we have mimosa + mary blood too - xtra.