And we have so much to talk about!

Look, we didn’t mean to leave without saying goodbye. But life got in the way of things. Work, work, work- and then, a well-earned holiday! But after five weeks gallivanting about Europe and Morocco (and a week of settling into the crushing reality of home), we’re back online.

There’s a lot to catch up on- some great tester recipes for both Isa and Terry, and of course a metric fork-tonne of photos of some amazing European vegan treats. But for now, here’s a quick photo of one of the first things I cooked when we got home. After all, what better to celebrate being ‘back’ with than the one thing whose return seemingly causes heart palpitations in omnivores?

Vegan McRib with baked sweet potato fries

That’s right, the McRib is back! And by back I mean in my kitchen for the first time.

After Hank and presumably myself, Chadwiko has two great loves in his life- American football, and this seitan rib recipe (also featured in Vegan Diner). While watching the ads for American fast foods between touchdowns and ‘tight ends’ and whatnot, he put two and two together- a vegan McRib had to be made.

He showed me pictures of the meaty monstrosity and I wasn’t exactly sold. But he eventually wore down my resolve, and the above happened. Barbecued seitan ribs, smothered in barbecue sauce, topped with pickles and caramelised onions in a toasted bun. It was less awful than I had expected. But it was still a lot of meatiness- enough that I got halfway through one before falling back on the couch, exhausted, full and clutching at my clogged arteries. Chadwiko declared it a success.

Whether or not the McRib will remain in our recipe rotation remains to be seen (and depends on how much someone bugs me for one). But one thing is for sure, we’re back online and we’re here to stay!

It’s been a week without Vegan MoFo in our lives, but that doesn’t mean that things have slowed down in the Wiko kitchen. No, the end of Vegan MoFo has meant more time to dive into testing for Terry’s fabulous new world food book. We’ve found some new staple meals already! Here are a few of the delights that have featured on our plates over the last week or so:

Massaman curry with lemongrass lime rice

A massaman curry better than my previously-beloved one from the Lao-Thai place near our house.

Sri Lankan whole cashew curry and red pepper tofu curry

Sri Lankan food is one of our favourite cuisines, and I’m all about this whole cashew curry at the moment.

Avgolemono

Greek village salad with cashew feta

Creamy lemon rice soup and a clever substitute for marinated feta!

Roasted gnocchi with roasted tomato caper sauce

I’m roasting all my gnocchi from now on.

Basmati coconut pilaf with ginger tomato chickpeas

Sweet potato-stuffed paratha

My favourite food stuffed inside one of my other favourite foods? Yes please!

Testing (and eating) is tough, but I guess someone has to do it.

It would seem that all good things must come to an end. Today is the last day of Vegan MoFo, and while I’m sad to see the end of so many great posts from around the world every day, I’m also looking forward to relaxing for the next few nights. I must have communicated my need for relaxation to Chadwiko with some enthusiasm, because I came home today to find him giving the kitchen a much needed deep-clean, so that I wouldn’t have to do it myself tomorrow. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the end of MoFo!

I had intended to finish off our street food world tour with a stop in Venezuela for arepas, but it wasn’t to be, as the masarepa flour that I’d ordered online still hasn’t turned up. I was a little disappointed and wasn’t sure what to do- enter Chadwiko to save the day, with the suggestion that where better to end our tour than home? There was only one street food that I could make.

Our hometown, Adelaide, is well-known for one laughable, and honestly fairly nauseating street food- the pie floater. A pie floater is a meat pie in a bowl of thick pea soup, smothered in tomato sauce (ketchup for the Americans). And no, it’s not intended to be eaten while sober. Although Anthony Bourdain loves them (or so says Wikipedia), the thought of eating one was never something that I’d seriously entertained. Until now.

Pie floater

For the pies, I used the recipe for rustic tempeh and spinach pie from 500 Vegan Recipes, and made three mini pies instead of one full-sized one. It’s an interesting recipe, with orange juice and zest in the filling. The recipe also originally called for orange marmalade, but I chose to omit it- a good choice for my tastes, as any more orange would have been overpowering. I also cheated and used store-bought puff pastry because it’s a Monday night and I’m tired, okay? The verdict? Good pie! I’d like to make these a bit smaller next time, as the pastry is the best bit and pastry-to-filling ratios are very serious business.

The pea soup was an accidentally vegan recipe I came across online- essentially just peas, potato and spinach cooked and blended together. I can’t vouch for whether or not this was good because I hate peas with a burning passion and it was always going to taste awful to me. But despite the sludge-like appearance, Chadwiko seemed to enjoy it.

So we’ve been around the world, and ended up at home. It’s been a great month, and my thanks go out to everyone on Team MoFo, as well as everyone who’s stopped by here to say hi or just to look around. That’s it from me for now, see you in a few days- after I’ve enjoyed a nice dinner cooked outside of my kitchen, and by someone other than me. What luxury!

I’m of the belief that everyone, no matter how good a cook they may be, has one culinary nemesis. One thing that, by all logic, they should be able to cook without a problem- but can’t. Mine is pancakes. That’s right, something that small children can make with ease is something that foils me almost every time. With this in mind, it was probably never a great idea that I attempt crepes tonight.

But crepes are becoming a more and more common street food. They’re popular in Japan, and last time I was home in Adelaide I noticed that a crepe shopfront had opened in the city. But I chose to go the traditional route, paying homage to the home of crepes, France.

Crepes

Two of the most popular fillings for French crepes are fruit and nutella. With this in mind, I decided to whip up two different types- one filled with vegan mascarpone and cinnamon baked apples, and the other with chocolate mascarpone and hazelnuts. However, there was one flaw in my plan- two types of filling really aren’t necessary when your crepe-making skills leave you with very few intact crepes to actually fill.

I used the recipe from Vegan Brunch. The majority of the crepes that I attempted tore into pieces when I tried to flip them. Chadwiko stepped in to help/stop me from breaking something out of sheer rage, and managed to keep a few intact, but they were so thick that they weren’t quite reminiscent of the delicate real thing. But better this than nothing, right? They may not have been pretty, but the pieces didn’t taste too bad at all.

The fillings were a greater success. I used the recipe from the Urban Vegan tiramisu for the mascarpone, with rad whip instead of pre-made Soyatoo. The chocolate mascarpone was a combination of this recipe and the Sweet William chocolate spread that ‘fell’ into my trolley at the supermarket a couple of weeks ago. Chadwiko powered his way through the chocolate hazelnut crepe on this plate without stopping to breathe, let alone ask if I would like to share. I’ll take it as a compliment (but only because I had another one set aside- things could have ended badly otherwise).

So, my pancake/crepe nemesis seems to have bested me once again. I think Chadwiko can stick to weekend morning pancake duty in our house. I don’t mind being relegated to filling-maker- it’s probably for the best.