Since becoming a vegan (I'm not sure when I switched from "I'm practising veganism" to "I'm vegan"; it was so subtle) eating out has had a little less liberty in it, so it was delightful attending an event where I could eat the vast majority of items. Since I'm still relatively new to veganism, I was exposed to many clever new meal ideas, and people promised to mail me recipes. I realised when trying to decide what I should bring that my food ideas have been kind of boring recently.
I'm never sure what type of food to bring to a potluck, so to the last three I've opted to bring some dessert, a savoury dish, and tea. I brought my classic cookies (I don't mind being a one-hit wonder if this gets to be my hit), a 'spring stir fry' (cubed tofu, diced green peppers, green onions, chunked mushroom in a lemon-herb sauce with ground pepper, lightly cooked), a variety of tea (varieTea is the name of my new tea and variety store, across the street from my old tea shop. Teas Me), and ... a watermelon.
The spring stir fry goes great with rice, in theory, but I wouldn't really know, because I forgot to cook the rice. There was barley at the potluck, though, which made a great base, though my friend who invited me enjoyed it on its own merits. :) One person in particular took to my cookies and I found another opportunity to share the link to the recipe. Some day, it will be the first result for 3-2-1 Cookies! The watermelon was exceptional, though. I picked up a small one from No Frills when I was shopping with my father, not really knowing what I wanted to do with it. And then I got to use a HUGE CLEAVER to cleave it into dozens of perfect slices. I like cutting things, apparently, which explains my interest in sword arts and melons. It was honestly a huge relief that the watermelon had not gone all vinagre-y already.
I really enjoy sharing delightful things. There's the response of "Oh, this is good, so I want to keep more for myself!" and then there's "Oh, this is good, I need to give it to ALL the people!" and I err a bit to the latter. I think it's existential guilt for having access to good things when there's a lot of deprivation around me.
A lack of proper tea pot and the moral imperative of sharing great tea led me to borrow a pressure cooker pot and brew tea in there, using a small strainer to serve it with. I chose to share my Lapsang Souchong because of its unconventional, strong smoky flavour. It was necessarily quite popular, and I didn't even have to promote it: people just gathered and partook and added more hot water and tea as necessary. Hehe.
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| My potluck meal |
I was a bit nervous going. It conflicted with iaido and I was afraid I'd miss that just to sit around awkwardly among a bunch of strangers and only talk to the friend who invited me. In the end, going was definitely a good choice. Conversation and stories kept me there until near the end when Settles of Catan was suddenly proposed and the rest of my night committed to the cause. I maintained my role as gallant and charitable which helped me obtain my one, true goal in every round of Settlers of Catan: the longest road. (As with the rest of my life, I thrive by by-passing competition.) I had also brought my Dutch Blitz deck, but it turned out to not be necessary, as the house already had two such decks! (So does mine, technically, but one is a belated gift for a friend in Toronto that I have to go visit.)
The house is kind of special. It has a name and a blog and a backyard garden and a chicken coop and rabbits in the garage. Residents take turns cooking for everyone and cleaning, and meals are generally vegan (or at least vegetarian). It's quite communal and cycles through people slowly but steadily. It's a great place to visit, and I hope I can go again, as an offer was extended for some serious Dutch Blitzing.
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| Can you guess what colour I am given that I have the longest road? |
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