day #1: welcome to the MOFO PPK cafe! i'm your hostess, jen.

(((siren wailing))) WELCOME TO THE PPK CAFE! i'm your hostess jen. so, what's up with the theme? well, the ppk saved my life. about a decade ago during my first run at veganism, i took the plunge for all of the wrong reasons. i swore up and down that i'd never go vegan again. looks like i'm delightfully savoring those words! my return as a veg head was something i did for myself and involved a process of intense self-reflection. while researching recipe books, i stumbled upon the post punk kitchen. i found more than just a website with great recipes, i found a community that helped me with my journey. if you're an omni reading this blog, please don't be shy. i encourage you to stop by that site and browse the kitchen, there are all sorts of amazing things going on in all of the rooms! i joined the forum under the user name jewbacca fueled for my love of all things star wars and because i'm of the hebrew persuasion. during this MOFO i express my deep dish love for PPK as a whole and created noshables dedicated to forum members.

on the old site i started a thread asking people for meal, dessert, and drink suggestions. i had some really great ideas, but not enough to make a months worth of entries. soooo, some of the dishes i made up on the fly based on what i think a forum member might like or a particular ingredient that made me think specifically of them.

i didn't take ppk's website change into mind when i came up with this theme, so i might have some names screwed up. during the forum move, some members changed their names, and confused me. so note to ppk members: if i butchered your name and got it wrong, don't be too mad.

this MOFO is also important for a second reason. i'm trying to raise money for my local food bank, mother hubbard's cupboard. whether you're a fellow vegan, hard-core omnivore, or a stranger lurking vegan websites in cyberspace, i hope you will tell as many people as possible about my mission for the month of november.

I WANT ONE MILLION HITS! this ain't impossible, this is doable. i get $3 for every thousand hits, and i'd like to be able to raise $1,500 for MHC. if you're a smarty pants and doing the math you figure, "wait, you can raise that with less!" true. i believe in being honest about my endeavors, and that means telling you where the rest of the money is going. a small amount will go to another undecided charity, and the rest will go to my family since we're broke as a joke along with everyone else in this country. so PLEASE tell your friends, tell your friends to tell your friends, and get it in skywriting, baby! think: that pain in the ass vegan.



and now for the food! i present to you the cevi-che guevara taco platter.


so--what's up with this dish? dedicated to and inspired by NICKVICIOUS these are spicy tacos made with lentils, a nice raw salsa, and topped with guac. served on the side is a little ditty called ceviche (seh-vee-chay). think south american seafood salad condiment type thingy. the combo of the tacos with the salad will liberate your taste buds from oppression. i had a bit of a challenge making the ceviche, because i've never had it. i don't know if it tastes like the real thing, but i did think it was pretty awesome. i found a recipe online that i gave a nice vegan makeover.
the results? this was a classy end of summer/hello fall dinner. goes great with ginger ale, but if you like your booze i suppose a corona would tie the room together if you know what i mean. for you omnis, lentils make a great ground meat substitute. because lentils require no soaking, you can have a batch ready in a jiffy. they are relatively neutral in flavor, so you can season them any way you wish and make your regular meat-centered casserole substantially healthier with the substitution. i'm a bonafide lentil lover, so you'll probably notice most of my dishes have lentils in them.

jewy's ceviche

• 1pkg. super firm tofu, drained of all liquid, then cubed
• 1/2 can of coconut milk
• 1/4 c. chopped cilantro
• 1 t. powdered seaweed
• 2T lime juice
• 1/4 t cayenne
• 1t bragg's
• 1/3 c. chopped onion-i didn't have red, but i bet this would be better. red onions are strong, so use a little less. you want to get a seafood taste. that's where the seaweed comes into play.
  

mix everything together and put in the fridge overnight to let the flavors meld. serve along the tacos.


thanks for stopping by! i'll fill you in on some more ppk inspired goodness tomorrow and hope you stay tuned.

happy eating,

jen (aka jewbacca)