Jen Garcia at Morning Glory Cafe Tantric Mushroom Gravy from Morning Glory Café 1 c. chopped onions 1 T canola oil 1/4 T. dill 1/4 T. ground rosemary 1/4 T. thyme 1 T. chopped garlic Pinch allspice Pinch nutmeg Pinch salt 1 1/4 c. sliced mushrooms 1/8 c. tamari Combine onions, oil, dill, rosemary, thyme garlic, allspice, nutmeg and salt in a heavy-bottomed stock pot. Sauté until onions are tender, then add the mushrooms and tamari. Cook on medium heat until mushrooms are tender, then add 2 quarts water. When water boils whisk in roux (recipe follows). Makes about 2 1/2 quarts. For the roux: Heat 1/4 c. canola oil until hot then whisk in 1/2 c. white flour.     Lamb Tagine from Iraila Mediterranean Rustica Mark and Kenne at Iraila 1 leg of lamb de-boned, cleaned and in 1/2 inch cubes 2 diced onions salt and pepper minced garlic olive oil 4 carrots, peeled cut in thick julienne 1/2 red cabbage, shredded 2 bunches cilantro, roughly minced 2 T. toasted cumin seed 1 T. toasted coriander seed 3/4 T. toasted caraway seed 1 T. ground ginger 1 T ground cinnamon 1/2 c. water 6 T. lemon juice 1/4 c. almonds, finely minced 3/4 c. roughly chopped almonds 3/4 c. chopped dates It's best to start with a good ol' black iron skillet. Heat it, adding oil just to coat bottom less than 1/4". Add a layer of lamb, sprinkle with salt and pepper and 1 to 2 t. garlic. Sear lamb on all sides. Continue in small batches and remove lamb to deep baking pan (obviously a true ceramic tagine would be ideal). Don't overcrowd. If lots of liquid starts appearing remove lamb to another dish. Toast cumin, coriander, and caraway in another pan, which should be very hot before you add seeds. Let the seeds pop around the pan, shaking it to turn. Remove seeds and grind them, preferably in a mortar and pestle. Sprinkle ground seeds over meat in baking pan. Top with 3/4 of the cabbage, carrots and cilantro, reserving remainder for garnish. Add more oil to iron skillet and sauté onions until golden brown. Place in baking pan and sprinkle with ginger and cinnamon. Add water and mix. Cover with parchment and foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until lamb is tender, taking care not to overcook or the lamb will dry out. If there is too much liquid you can strain it, reduce on high heat, and return it to the pan with lamb. Add all almonds, lemon juice, and dates (the finely ground almond will act to thicken the remaining juices). Stir. Top with remaining cabbage, carrot and cilantro mix and serve.       Cioppino from Fisherman's Market Charles Douma of Fisherman's Market 1 medium yellow onion, diced 2 medium green pepper, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 c. red table wine 1 T. dried oregano 1 T. dried basil 1 T. dried whole fennel seed 1 t. dried thyme 2 c. fish stock (veggie or chicken stock will work) 1 c. water 2 28 oz. cans of diced tomatoes 1/4 c. tomato puree (not tomato paste) 1/4 t. salt 1/2 lb. bay scallops 1/2 lb. medium prawns 1/2 lb. firm white fish (Snapper, Halibut, Mahi, Tuna) 1/2 lb. steamer clams and/or mussels In a large soup pot, sauté the onions, peppers and garlic in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat until they begin to soften. Add oregano, basil, thyme, fennel and wine; let simmer until the veggies are done. Add the stock, diced tomatoes, water and tomato puree & mix well; stir in salt. Add seafood, cover and let everything simmer together on low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally.   Soylent Green Bowl from Laughing Planet Café Barley Quinoa Shitake Pilaf (see recipe below) 12 oz. marinated grilled tempeh 1 lb. Steamed fresh broccoli 1 lb. Steamed fresh chard or collard greens Cilantro Pesto (see recipe below) Cook the barley quinoa pilaf according to the recipe below. While it is cooking prepare the pesto and set aside. Wash and cut the vegetables. When you are ready to assemble the bowls heat the tempeh in a saute pan. Cook the vegetables in a steamer. Place the barley mixture in the bottom of a bowl. Layer the steamed vegetables and tempeh on top of the barley. Top with 2 oz. pesto per bowl. Serve & enjoy. Serves 4.   Cilantro Pesto 1/2 c. toasted pumpkin seeds 1 oz. (by weight) fresh parsley (omit the stems as they are bitter and tough) 3 oz. (by weight) fresh cilantro(stems may be used, they have lots of flavor & are not tough) 1 1/2 t. minced fresh garlic 3 T. fresh lime juice 3/4 c. olive oil 1 t. salt 1 t. black pepper To toast the pumpkin seeds preheat oven to 350. Evenly spread the pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet. Put them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Wash the fresh herbs in cool water. Shake well to dry. Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.   Barley Quinoa Pilaf 1 c. pearl barley 3 1/4 c. vegetable broth 1/2 t. salt 1 bay leaf 1/4 c. red quinoa 5 to 6 small Shitake mushrooms Wash and slice the mushrooms. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the barley is tender. You may need to add a little extra water if the barley is not soft. Set aside in a warm place until ready to serve.       Crispy Trout from Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine Crispy Trout from Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine. 1 boneless trout 1/2 c. mango, sliced 1/2 c. Granny Smith green apple, sliced 1/4 c. whole cashew nuts 1/2 t. sugar 2 shallots, sliced 1 T. fresh lime juice 1 T. fish sauce 1/4 fresh Thai chili pepper 10 whole mint leaves 2 T. green onion, sliced 1 T. lemon grass, sliced 2 T. cilantro, chopped orange slice for garnish Golden fry the trout until crispy. Place on paper towel to drain excess oil. For the salad: In a medium bowl combine sliced mango, cashew nuts, sliced apple, shallots, mint leaves, cilantro, green onion, lemon grass, lime juice, sugar, and Thai chili pepper. Place trout on plate and pour salad over trout (or place on side), garnish with orange slice.       Mint Dipping Sauce from Taste of India 2 green bell pepper, diced 2 cilantro bundles, chopped 7 jalapeno peppers, sliced 1 tomato, diced 3 bundles of green onions, sliced salt and lemon juice to taste Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Makes enough dipping sauce for ten people.