Blogger of the Day: Alicia at
Vegan Epicurean
I had a deprived childhood when it came to Classic American Food. My parents didn't groove on prefab eats.
• No
instant spaghetti...no way my very Italian mom was gonna make pasta from a can. I think I may have had it at camp once.
• No
mac & cheese...the first time I tried it was as a teenage babysitter. I had to make it for the kids' afternoon snack so I gave it a taste. I can understand how people get addicted to it but it just didn't spin my spurs.
• No
grilled cheese sandwiches...my college roommate introduced me to my first GCS, soaked in butter, smashed and fried. Not bad, especially around 2am, but those
neon orange cheese slices kinda freaked me out.
• No
condensed canned tomato soup...definitely taboo. I've still never had this one.
Gazpacho was a whole different story. Both my parents loved Spanish food so gazpacho often popped up on the table when the days started to get hazywarm. My dad always made it with homemade bread, baked in the cool of the morning.
It's healthy and hungerfilling and you can make it as simple or sophisticated as you want...throw in your favorite veggies and play with the spices to invent your own version! But try Alicia's first because it's rich and yumful and smoothly cool. ;)
Alicia's blog is full of life. She posts her remarkable recipes, rounded out with helpful nutrition info. She also recounts the dramatic and moving and funny bumps in her day, and often she leaves you with happy thoughts and quiet observations. She's courageous in a lot of ways, and full of zest to veganize many gourmet dishes, including another one of my childhood favorites
Braciole. I'm still waiting for her delicious finished recipe. ;)
How do you make gazpacho? Do you eat chilled soups only in warm weather or all year round? What's your fave way to cool down on a sizzling summer day? :)
Celebrate some more with our
2014 Daily Food Holiday and Featured Blogger Series!
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