VEGAN VITTLES

VEGAN VITTLES Buttermilk Biscuits by Crystal Pirri

When I first took a bite of these golden puffs of heaven, I knew that I had succeeded in making a perfect oil- and butter-free biscuit. I also knew I would have to make a second batch for everyone else in my house because these were all mine.

• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 1 tablespoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • dash sea salt • 4 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional, do not add for biscuits with gravy

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with either a nonstick liner or parchment paper. In a small glass container, add vinegar to soy milk and let sit to create the "buttermilk." Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon, if using. Drop applesauce into dry mixture and whisk until wellcombined, it will be a bit crumbly. Gently, without overmixing, pour the soy milk mixture into the dry mixture and stir together with a wooden spoon. Mix just enough to ensure everything is combined and not a second longer, or the biscuits will lose their fluffy deliciousness. At this point, you can either gently shape the dough into a round slab on a lightly floured countertop and use a biscuit cutter to cut out perfectly shaped round biscuits, or you can use a large spoon to gently drop biscuit-cutter sized dollops of dough onto the baking sheet. The drop method saves time and works the dough less, which makes your biscuits even fluffier and more delicious than your imaginary competition’s. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until you see the edges beginning to turn golden brown in spots. Eat immediately with jam for sweet biscuits or with gravy for savory.

Note: Whichever method is used to form the biscuits, make sure they touch each other on the baking sheet so they can support each other to reach their full potential.

BITE ME! Sweet-and-Sour Poppy Seed Dressing recipe by Chef Tony Stanislo

This month’s guest cook is award-winning Chef Tony Stanislo, the chef and restaurant management instructor at the Medina County Career Center. He is well known in the area as Chef Tony.

In addition to his teaching duties, he oversees the studentstaffed Center Café, which is open 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, in the Career Center at 1101 W. Liberty Street, Medina.

Make a reservation at the café by calling Chef Tony at 330- 725-8461, Extension 229. The restaurant is open only during the school year, so it will close in mid-May and re-open during the fall semester. For a menu and more, go to https://bit.ly/38seCiM

• 1 red onion, quartered • ¼ cup water • 1 tablespoon dry mustard • 1 ½ cups sugar • 1 cup red wine vinegar • 1 tablespoon salt • 3 cups vegetable oil • 3 tablespoons poppy seeds

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Combine onion and water in a high-speed blender. Turn on the variable speed for four to five seconds. Set blender to highest speed setting and blend for 20 seconds, turn off. Add mustard, sugar, vinegar, and salt. Turn on blender to variable speed for 4 to 5 seconds, then blend at highest setting for 20 seconds. Switch back to variable and a medium-high speed setting (on a scale of 1 to 10 it would be a 7). While the blender continues to run, slowly add the oil to emulsify. Pour dressing into a container. Stir in poppy seeds. Store covered and labeled until needed.

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