Today's tv show is one that took over my life when I first watched it at age 10 - Gilmore Girls. I own all seven seasons on dvd and have seen every episode many times over, I based my early online handles (Club Penguin, my email) on it, and I decided in 5th grade that Yale was my dream school because Rory went there. (It remained my dream school until just last year.) The combination of crazy, quirky, lovable characters and witty pop culture banter is some sort of magic spell for me. I have been known to watch it for 6 straight hours. It's a sickness.

A defining characteristic of the show is how often the Gilmore girls talk about food. I could probably base an entire Vegan MoFo theme around this show. One of their most frequently-eaten foods is a burger from Luke's Diner. Tonight my mom made non-vegan burgers for our house guests, so it worked out well - she just made a Boca burger for me instead.

There were tater tots as well (another favorite Gilmore food), but I only got the sad stale remnants because everyone started eating while I was in the shower. To that I say, "Oy with the poodles already!"

"Can I have a falafel with hot sauce, a side order of baba ghanoush, and a seltzer, please?"

Yep, you guessed it, today's movie is Party Girl!

This movie has it all - kooky 90s club fashions, Parker Posey (as the titular "party girl" turned librarian), and an adorable falafel-making boyfriend! What more could you ask for? And of course there are all sorts of shenanigans Posey's character can get up to as a combo club kid/librarian - my favorite is when she arranges her DJ roommate's records according to the Dewey Decimal System.

I just-so-happened to have a Trader Joe's falafel wrap in the fridge, along with some lime seltzer, but no baba ghanoush, so I left that out. Unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion I'm not a falafel person. I want to like it, I should based on what's in it, but I don't! Maybe I need the baba ghanoush to seal the deal.

I guess I should try everything, because otherwise, how am I supposed to meet the cute falafel vendor of my dreams?

Since the presidential debate was broadcast on TV, I'm going to say it fits with my theme! So. today's television program is the presidential debate.

I won't even be able to vote for another two years, but I already have strong political leanings So, in honor of my candidate of choice, the POTUS, I veganized the Obama family chili recipe and made a spinach saute loosely based off of this recipe.

I made the following modifications to the chili: substituted another can of kidney beans for the meat, drained and rinsed the beans before adding to the pot, and added 1/4 tsp. salt. The recipe calls for "several tomatoes"; I used four. I topped my chili with Tabasco and shredded Daiya and served it with corn on the cob (like a true American!).

For the spinach saute: Heat about 2 tsp. of olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 minced clove garlic and 1 minced shallot. Sweat until shallots are translucent. Add about 3 cups of baby spinach and toss and saute until spinach is wilted. Add red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste.

This was super fun to make and eat - I still have my eye on the White House Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp, and I'm planning on hosting a viewing party for the October 16 debate, so maybe "White House foods" will be a recurring theme! 

On Tuesdays I go to my (omni) mom's house after school and eat dinner there, so I don't experiment a whole lot with food. We usually do Taco Tuesday because it's easy to please everyone. Fixings include beans, lettuce, tomato, avocado, olives, and hot sauce (and non-vegan stuff for her and my stepdad).

Since nothing I ate today had anything to do with my theme, I'm going to recommend one of my favorite movies that I couldn't think of a food for: An Education. You might not like it as much as I do if you're not a teenage girl, since it seems to resonate particularly strongly with that group, but I find it to be a great cheering-up movie, and the soundtrack and setting are ace.

Vegan MoFo!

We take a break from our regularly-scheduled programming (that is to say not much programming at all) to present Vegan MoFo (Vegan Month of Food)! My theme is going to be food based on movies, TV shows, and books. It's my first time doing anything like this so hopefully it all goes smoothly!

I'm starting Vegan MoFo with the movie that inspired my theme - Kramer vs. Kramer. I love this movie soooo much, and one of my favorite scenes is Dustin Hoffman making "folded" French toast:

(note: there are eggs and milk and stuff in this video! be warned! hopefully I'm not breaking the rules already)

The contrast between the first time he makes French toast and the second is a perfect representation of his growth as a father. I am willing to bet that you will fall in love with Dustin Hoffman as this transformation occurs. You may also find yourself thinking, He better have won an Oscar for this. (Don't worry, he did.) Kramer vs. Kramer is on Netflix and Amazon Instant, so what are you waiting for?

For my French toast, I used this recipe from Go Vegan Meow. It tastes like the French toast I remember from my pregan days (probably a little less eggy but that is a-ok). Make sure to oil the pan to get the right texture! (I tried to skip this step and my first slices were soggy in the middle.) I topped mine with agave because, unbelievably, I was out of powdered sugar!

That's all for Vegan MoFo Day One! Hopefully my food photography skills will improve as we go along... Stay tuned!