This Weekend's Vegetable Butchering Demo and Chubby Vegetarian Cookbook Signing at Bookstock at The Memphis Public Library

A hearty thank you goes out to the folks at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library for a wonderful celebration of reading and authors at Bookstock this past Saturday in Memphis. We did a fun demo and showed everyone how to make an avocado rose, cut spaghetti squash ribs and butternut squash steaks, slice cauliflower into chops, and how to supreme oranges. We appreciated all the support and kindness of the library staff members who made the event go smoothly for us, and it was wonderful to connect with people in the community who are interested in learning more about vegetarian cooking!

Our New Articles in Edible Memphis and Memphis Magazine

Check out the restaurant review we worked on together for the April issue of Memphis magazine HERE! We've loved Bhan Thai in Memphis for a while now and got the opportunity to see it in a new light this year as we tried new dishes in addition to the awesome green curry that's our mainstay. We have another collaborative article about a new favorite place coming up in next month's issue.

We're also thrilled to announce that we have a brand-new quarterly column in Edible Memphis called "TCV Cooking School"; we'll be experimenting with various cooking methods in order to help readers get the best results in their own home kitchens. With our first story called "Throw Us a Noodle Party (Please!)," we show you how to turn a big pot of boiling water into a comforting spring meal that is perfect for sharing. We're so grateful to our friend and Edible Memphis editor Melissa Petersen for the opportunity to share our kitchen adventures with you on a regular basis in the magazine, and we're seriously loving the redesign and the new website.

We wrote this first column because a couple of our good friends had our backs during a very difficult time. Justin's father's passed away in the fall of 2015 after battling pancreatic cancer for a year and a half, and if some of y'all also have been through a cancer diagnosis and treatment with someone who's close to you, you know as well that the experience will floor even the strongest person.

Max and Marlinee did their best to cheer us on and support us as we figured out what life would be like when all of a sudden, everything changed. We have never forgotten how they brought our friends together in support of us one evening over  bowls of noodles and everyone simply showed up for us.

It's not easy dealing with this type of stuff, and it's hard to know what exactly to do for people who are suffering from a loss. Making something good for someone else to enjoy certainly helps to make anyone feel very loved.

Chubby Vegetarian News: Our Cookbook is Now an EBook + Bookstock at the Memphis Public Library on Saturday, April 29, 2017

There's so much for us to catch up on we hardly know where to begin today!

We'll start with the most pressing item first: our appearance at the Memphis Public Library's annual Bookstock festival. We're so excited that the Memphis Public Library invites local and national authors to this unique event to be held at the Benjamin J. Hooks Library this Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. We'll be doing a vegetable butchering demonstration at noon in the Goodwin Gallery inside the library. Stop by to see how to make "ribs" from a spaghetti squash, "chops" from a cauliflower, and get step-by-step instructions on how to make an avocado "rose." Even though that's a lot of "quotes," it's all real and we'll be using tangible vegetables to make these items! We'll also have our cookbooks for sale, and we'd love to sign one for you or for someone you love who loves to cook. Mother's Day is just around the corner, so maybe we can help you get ready.

Next, we're excited to tell you that our new cookbook, The Chubby Vegetarian: 100 Inspired Vegetable Recipes for the Modern Table (Susan Schadt Press, 2017) is now available as a digital download on Amazon at an excellent price. So, if you've been holding out for the ebook edition, your wait is over. To celebrate, we're planning a contest and giveaway next week, so stay tuned for that. (Look, we just bought a little stand to better use the iPad mini in the kitchen!)

Green Onion Pancake with Kimchi

There are a few simple, quick things we make all the time at home, and we're planning to share them more here on TCV. This is a great savory breakfast, and on evenings when there's not much in the fridge / we really don't feel like going to the store, this also makes for a good dinner if we at least have the last of a carton of eggs.

Kimchi has become a staple at our house, and sometimes we make our own, and sometimes we use Sunja's. And our favorite kimchi in Memphis is at DWJ 2.

Green Onion Pancake with Kimchi

5 large eggs (beaten)
2 medium green onions (sliced, about 3/4 cup)
1 teaspoon soy sauce (We like Bragg Liquid Aminos.)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup kimchi (to garnish)
Gochuchang or Sriracha hot sauce (to taste)

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, onions, and soy sauce. Over high heat on your stovetop, heat a 12-inch frying pan (one that has a lid) until wisps of smoke gently rise from the metal surface. Add the sesame oil and tilt the pan to coat the surface. Add the egg mixture, turn the heat to low, and cover the pan. Allow the eggs to cook for 4 minutes or until the top is set. Place the pancake, pan side down, on  a plate, slice into quarters, garnish with kimchi and hot sauce, and serve. (Makes 2 servings.)