Cooking vegan

[Jenise]

Interesting...

above the steak are cut as a vertical slice (i.e) down the length of the core, but on the boat they were cust horizontally...

Right, cut vertically. Um...horizontally?????? It wouldn't hold together, Peter. Horizontally there's no common stem unless you only take the bottom slice near the core.

[Jenise]

Jenise, were the Burgs you served with your vegan dinner themselves vegan? Many of the fining agents commonly used in winemaking are animal products.

-Paul W.

I realize but no, these vegans don't make that distinction.

[Robin Garr]

I realize but no, these vegans don't make that distinction.

Isinglass (sturgeon bladder) has virtually disappeared from modern wine making, and bull's blood even more so; and not that many producers (even "natural") use egg whites any more because expense. Not to mention that finings precipitate out and are racked off. It would take a mighty finicky vegan to worry about that! This is really a 1970s-era concern for all practical purposes.

[Jenise]

Robin, when I visited Burgundy in the 90's many or at least most of those I talked to about it, if it came up, were still using egg whites. Perhaps most don't anymore (I honestly don't know one way or the other) but 70's? No, not that far back.

[Robin Garr]

No, that's true. Burgundy and Bordeaux, too, the traditional producers use egg whites fairly regularly. I think isinglass and bull's blood are out of the picture, though.

[Jenise]

That sounds great. I wouldn't dismiss oven though, Betsy has made this Dan Barber (Blue Hill/BHSB) recipe a couple times - stovetop to oven and it's a killer
https://food52.com/recipes/20792-dan-ba ... ower-puree

Oh, I don't dismiss oven--I oven roast cauliflower a lot. Adore it that way. Not sure what problem my guest had with that method! But nonetheless, for steaks, I find that little bit of steaming can infuse the steak with a little more of a seasoned flavor--and no need to heat up the oven. Thanks for sharing the link. I love the idea of serving the steak on a puree made from the rest. I'll try that soon!

I recently made a roasted whole cauliflower, with a mild curry paste smeared over it. The curry paste incorporated mild spices and coconut milk. It was a success.

No, that's true. Burgundy and Bordeaux, too, the traditional producers use egg whites fairly regularly. I think isinglass and bull's blood are out of the picture, though.

If I recall correctly, use of bull's blood for fining was banned in the EU back during the BSE (mad cow disease) scare.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

I recently made a roasted whole cauliflower, with a mild curry paste smeared over it. The curry paste incorporated mild spices and coconut milk. It was a success.

Sounds wonderful. Cauliflower is such a great chameleon for other flavors.

[Jenise]

I recently made a roasted whole cauliflower, with a mild curry paste smeared over it. The curry paste incorporated mild spices and coconut milk. It was a success.

Sounds wonderful. Cauliflower is such a great chameleon for other flavors.

Interesting...

above the steak are cut as a vertical slice (i.e) down the length of the core, but on the boat they were cust horizontally...

Right, cut vertically. Um...horizontally?????? It wouldn't hold together, Peter. Horizontally there's no common stem unless you only take the bottom slice near the core.

You're right... I got it wrong.