Viva La Vegan ~ Forkplay

by Ryan

Where's the beef?: A meat-free pizza party at Kitchen Revolution

Usually, the word 'vegan' gives me pause. I once spent two nights at The Farm at San Benito, and after several meals of coconut-derived bacon and crumbly mock tofu egg, I was knee-deep in withdrawal, hallucinating tap dancing Big Macs and pieces of sirloin that called out my name.

Come with me, Ryan, it said while showing its well-marbled rear. Meat is always fun!

Going vegetarian I can understand; there are certain virtues to skipping meat once in a while. While I don't mind the occasional faux pork banh mi at Wabi-Sabi, I've always thought of veganism as vegetarianism's pickier, snootier sister -- one who does Bikram yoga, organizes weekly PETA rallies, and subsists on a steady diet of leaves and misery.

The party was over once the vegan arrived. Or at least that's what I thought.

Chef Marie Gonzalez runs Kitchen Revolution (KR), both a blog and a series of classes, which does much to elevate vegan and vegetarian cooking in the eyes of the meat-savvy public. "People have this impression about vegans and vegetarians; that they rarely eat, and it's all about Mother Earth and Sister Moon to them. That's not really the case here."

Chef Marie (middle) with some of the Kitchen Revolution students

By here she means KR's test site, a working kitchen in her Alabang residence that churns out surprisingly delectable dishes from ratatouille to toasted couscous to tofu barbecue on a weekly basis. Different cuisines or party ideas each class keep the curriculum fresh and dynamic. It's fun, interactive, and even the most adamant of carnivores are bound to be impressed. (Northerners need not fret; Marie held a cooking class at Teachers Village's Pipino, and plans to do so again in the near future.)

For her recent birthday, Marie threw a pizza party at her home, and in true KR fashion, made up for sausage and bacon in absentia with some marvelous substitutes: marinara, roasted garlic and eggplant, tofu ricotta, almond parmesan, and (gasp!) truffle oil among other things.

It's not everyday you go to a dinner party, and end up working for your own meal, but who's to complain? (Actually I did, because I chose a dry, whole wheat dough instead of regular dough, but that's besides the point.) Everyone had a great time especially Jella who practically wrestled with her pizza:

Pie's the limit: Guests' pizzas all lined up before the oven

In a culinary culture bombarded by quick-fix seasonings and fast food "infused" with so-called nutritional properties *cough*Jollibee chicken nuggets with carrots*cough*, it's reassuring to see that there are new options for people who want to eat better. I don't dream of that dancing sirloin these days, but of a crusty pizza laden with plump mushrooms, fat onion slices, and a bed of hot tofu ricotta drizzled with truffle oil no less.

From left to right: Marie, friends Earnie, Jella, Jerome, and Forkplay's very own Jon

As if that weren't enough, for dessert, Marie prepared an impressive vegan banana cream pie with a layer of speculoos. Speculoos is a peanut butter or Nutella-like spread made in Belgium that uses traditional gingerbread cookies as its base. It's almost unheard of locally, but if you have friends going to Europe or New York they must bring this back at all costs. It does wonders for waffles and toast, but banana cream pie is no less of a winner. It's hard to think something so good could also be guilt-free, but then again that's the whole preamble of Marie's classes.