yumcoast: picture time!

these past couple of days i've had fun concocting in the kitchen. unfortunately, these creations don't translate very well to recipes for sharing. however, i did take pictures and maybe they can serve as inspiration...or something.

a little while ago...ok, a loooong time ago...my mamoo sent me and kris a clay pot. it's really pretty and i imagined cooking fabulous things in it and seamlessly tranferring it from oven to table for serving.

the only problem was that, for some reason, the pot intimidated me. i wasn't sure what to put in it or how clay pot oven cooking works. it's really not that difficult, i know, but this gorgeous vessel has been living in our cabinet for far too long. periodically, when trying to think of what to make for dinner, kris would mention the pot. one time he even looked up clay pot cooking methods and recipes and left the page open on the computer. but what finally got me to bust it out monday night was a simple challenge. i said i was going to make something in it this week. he said "yeah right sure you will." well i showed him!

what i made was basically a fridge-cleaning clay pot stew. in went tomato sauce, tomato paste, vegetable broth, sliced fennel, sliced potato, tempeh sausage crumbles, navy beans, onion and quinoa. i cooked it at 350 then cranked it up to 400 for, oh i don't know, and hour? hour and a half? until it was bubbly and the quinoa was cooked, all the while wondering if i would have to run out for thai takeout. but no! it was really really good! i made cornbread biscuits from vegan brunch to sop up the stew and we enjoyed a surprisingly delicous meal. phew!

last night was much simpler. sushi! i love making sushi and i love making A LOT of sushi. yes, it was a sushi feast. this particular batch was mashed sweet potato, smoky shiitakes and avocado.