10 Questions with The Vegan Experimentalist

Q: How long have you been vegan?
A: January 1 will make 17 years.


Q: What is your first vegan cooking memory?
A: One of the first dishes I cooked was vegetable soup with onions and zucchini. I would make it several times a week. It's so simple, I like to think I'm capable of making more sophisticated food now.


Q: What is the kitchen tool you can't live without?
A: It's a tie between tongs and scissors. Tongs are perfect for pulling garlic bread out of the oven, flipping tofu in a skillet, tossing salads, and serving pretty much anything. I use scissors for snipping herbs (green onions, cilantro), and opening packages.



Q: What's your favorite ingredient to cook with?
A: Tofu. Scrambled, sauteed, baked, simmered in soups...there are endless possibilities.


Q: What's your favorite spice to cook with?
A: Cumin. I make a lot of chilis (especially chili mac), Tex-Mex dishes, and Indian-inspired cuisine. While a little goes a long way, I pile it on.


Q: What's your favorite non-dairy milk?
A: Soy will always have my heart, because that's what was popular (and available) back in the day. But at the moment, I'm digging Almond Breeze's unsweetened almond-coconut blend.

Q: What's your favorite vegan blog? 
A: Holy Cow Vegan. Vaishali is a Maryland-based vegan that cooks a lot of Indian food and takes wonderful pictures!


Q: What's your go-to breakfast?
A: I'm literally obsessed with bagels. I often pack a little pat of vegan butter (usually Earth Balance) when I'm on the go in the morning to top my bagel. But honestly--if push comes to shove, I'll eat 'em dry.

Q: Coffee or tea?
A: Tea! Green or oolong, but usually green.

Q: Pumpkin spice or nah?
A: Pumpkin spice everything, please and thank you.