Veganizing "Friends": Chandler's "Righteous" Mac & Cheeseby Randi / September 13, 2013
I’ve gotten gif happy
This is how I feel about this dessert
I’m having so much fun veganizing food featured on “Friends”! My to-do list for the next few weeks is pretty darn long, but somehow I forgot the subject of today’s post until the lovely dropscone suggested that I do it. Thank you for reminding me of a favorite Ross moment! It comes from the episode “The One with the East German Laundry Detergent”, when Ross, yet again oblivious to others’ feelings and the tone of their words, says the following:
Rachel: (waitressing) Does anybody want anything else?
Ross: Oh, yeah, last week you had a wonderful, nutty, chocolaty kind of a cakey pie thing. (Rachel gives him a dirty look) Nothing, just, just, I’m fine.
YEAH YEAH! With absolutely no other information to go on, we’re going to make the wonderful, nutty, chocolaty kind of cakey pie thing from Central Perk!! For my own benefit, I decided to make it less ‘cake that can be served easily in a coffee shop’ and more ‘cream pie that can be served easily on my table’.
Obviously, if I’m making a pie that I’m going to eat, and I have this little to work off of, I’m going to use Speculoos. I hope you know what Speculoos is. It’s miraculous. If you don’t have access to this European cinnamony cookie butter, use peanut butter! Oh I bet it would be great with peanut butter! Or really any nut butter of your choice. Or just with chocolate!
We’re definitely going to start with a graham cracker crust taken to another level – made not with graham crackers, but with Speculoos cookies! Duh!
Obviously, if I’m making a pie that I’m going to eat, and I have this little to work off of, I’m going to use Speculoos. I hope you know what Speculoos is. It’s miraculous. If you don’t have access to this European cinnamony cookie butter, use peanut butter! Oh I bet it would be great with peanut butter! Or really any nut butter of your choice. Or just with chocolate!
We’re definitely going to start with a graham cracker crust taken to another level – made not with graham crackers, but with Speculoos cookies! Duh!
NB: Trader Joe’s Speculoos cookies are indeed vegan, but their version of the cookie butter is NOT (because of how the sugar is processed, so be careful because the ingredients do look vegan-friendly) SPECULOOS COOKIE CRUST!
INGREDIENTS:
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DIRECTIONS:
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Step 2: We’re going to candy some pecans!
CANDIED PECANS!
INGREDIENTS:
Step 3: Making the Speculoos chocolate mousse! 
Obviously my big jar was already empty SPECULOOS CHOCOLATE MOUSSE!
INGREDIENTS:
SPECULOOS CHOCOLATE GANACHE!
INGREDIENTS:
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DIRECTIONS:
DIRECTIONS:
DIRECTIONS:
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So! At this point, we have this:
- Speculoos cookie crust on the bottom
- A layer of candied pecans
- A pouffy layer of speculoos chocolate mousse
- Then – layer the rest of your candied pecans on top of the mousse (See picture above right)
- Lastly – pour the melted chocolate+speculoos over the top. It’ll be a really thick layer!
- Stick that in the fridge for at least an hour!
And voila! It’s so easy, right? And you end up with this beauty:
Enjoy!! And thanks dropscone for the deeeelicious idea!!!! (And thank you Europe, for Speculoos.) It’s really one of the most delicious desserts I’ve ever made.
Giveaway trivia!!
– What happened to Rachel’s clothes in this episode (“The One with the East German Laundry Detergent”)??
– Do you think Gunther knows what Speculoos is?
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Feelings, New Orleans: Solid Food, Wonderful & Romantic Atmosphere
This was behind our table!
Several people, both vegan and omnivorous, told us about Feelings, saying it was a great dinner spot for vegans and omnivores to go together. They have a traditional and very exciting main menu, along with an entire separate vegan menu! It’s pretty much the restaurant equivalent of when both parties in Congress sit together at the State of the Union.
The food didn’t blow me away like some parts of Seed did, but overall it was good and very enjoyable. Still, the best part, and why it’s so recommended (especially for couples on their honeymoon?), is because most of the tables are in an inner courtyard, filled with flowers, plants, little fountains, and a lovely, intimate atmosphere.
Yeah, there were some spiders, but it was worth it for this lovely setting
I started with the Emerald City Salad, solely because of the name and because it was kale-based. I hadn’t had kale in DAYS. The salad was tossed in an olive oil dressing with bell peppers, fennel, and a Cajun grain mix. There were a bit too many peppers for my taste and not enough fennel or grains, but it was still pretty good. The kale pieces should have been chopped a bit smaller, though. I did some very unladylike maneuvering of the larger kale pieces. NBD, I mean it’s not like I have any table manners anyway.
For my entree, I had the wonderful Potato Tempeh Patties. You have the option of getting two of these patties, one of them and one Eggplant and Creole Tomato Napoleon thing, or two of the latter. While the waitress didn’t believe that I understood – because I guess most people like to get one of each option – I vehemently stuck to my order of two potato tempeh patties because I read on LazySmurf’s blog that they were fuuuuunom. And she was right! They were wonderful, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. I love tempeh, and blending it with potato sounds like the perfect thing to do. The tomato topping was a little too vinegary; I would have preferred something a little creamier, like a tomato cashew cream, rather than a vinaigrette. But it was still very good! The side of zucchini ribbons was kind of ridiculous. They should have been actual ribbons, sliced with a mandolin or a spiralizer, but instead they were just long chopped zucchini pieces. So that was kind of dumb.
We also shared a mushroom boudin, a vegan take on the very famous local sausage. I’m sure using seitan or soy would have produced a more realistic dish, but I liked the mushroom base. It was served with some decent bread. OH important note – the garlic bread that they put on the table at the beginning is NOT vegan.
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The different kinds of mushrooms were mixed with jasmine rice and coconut oil, and steamed in a corn husk. It was really fun to play with the corn husk, but I think it made it a little too soft. It would have been even better with some crispy edges. It was still pretty yummy though!
The desserts were just sorbet – restaurant cheating/laziness in my opinion – and a carrot torte that sounded good but I had that Whole Foods carrot cake waiting. The staff didn’t rush us at all, though, so we just sat and enjoyed the lovely atmosphere for a little longer.
Overall, Feelings was a wonderful dinner spot. While the food wasn’t amazing, it was solid and enjoyable. The courtyard setting is so beautiful with all the greenery and candlelight, so if you are looking for a romantic spot, this is where you should go.
FEELINGS, NEW ORLEANS
Water speed: Pretty good!
Bathrooms: Ahhhh I don’t remember!!! That’s probably good?
Service: Very very nice and helpful.
Food: Solid!
Bonus: Sit in the lovely courtyard and you will be so happy.
VEGAN MOFO Is Almost Here! Get Pumped!
VeganMofo is only 3 days away!!! That’s right, this year the Vegan Month of Food is taking place in September. I’m so excited to participate in my first Mofo!
If you aren’t familiar with Mofo, read about it on the official blog! You’ll also find a list of all participants there. VeganMofo is a fun yet challenging, well, challenge to blog every day (or at least most days) of the month! So, check out Laughfrodisiac throughout September for posts with the following themes:
If you aren’t familiar with Mofo, read about it on the official blog! You’ll also find a list of all participants there. VeganMofo is a fun yet challenging, well, challenge to blog every day (or at least most days) of the month! So, check out Laughfrodisiac throughout September for posts with the following themes:
MONDAY: On Mondays, we will veganize things that Monica (Courteney Cox) made on ‘Friends’!! I think I’m most excited to make the infamous English Trifle/Shepherd’s Pie disaster. (I know Rachel made that, but it counts.) So much fun!
TUESDAY: On Tuesdays, we will get new travel guides for locations all over the globe! If you plan to go anywhere ever, this information will save you! Like the bahble!
WEDNESDAY: On Wednesdays, we will play Restaurant Wars! New restaurant reviews will be posted — including the review for one of top 10 restaurants in the world. You’re going to want to read that one!
THURSDAY: On Thursdays, we will review special meals for holidays occurring in September, as well as discuss other big events (like weddings!).
FRIDAY: On Fridays, we will return to “Friends” and make some more fun things!
SATURDAY: On Saturdays, we will get a mix of style blogs and entertainment blogs, from theatre reviews to ravings about TV shows that are soon returning!
SUNDAY: Finally, on Sundays, we will bake breakfast foods! From muffins to my special protein-packed energy bars, these blogs will be delicious!
I might also throw in second posts on certain days, about random things that come to my attention!
So, there you have it! I’m mainly posting this in advance in order to hold myself accountable to what I’ve outlined here. Help keep me to it, and I hope you enjoy all of VeganMofo!
