Tidbits from Tuscany - Insight No. 3

Another thing I learned in Italy: Not all olive oil tastes good.

Yep, you heard me right. In fact, I'll even go so far as to say some of it is downright nasty. And keep in mind that this is coming from an admitted olive oil addict. At home in the states, I buy the stuff by the liter and add it to just about everything I eat -- salads, hummus, pasta, seafood, sauteed veggies, pizza, chicken, dipping sauce for bread and so on. At my last physical, I learned that my LDL (or "good") cholesterol was off the charts high, and my doctor told me that probably had much to do with my extreme penchant for olive oil.

So, you can imagine my surprise when, at the Cantine de Greve (referenced in a previous post), I dunked a fresh piece of bread into a dish of Tuscany's finest, popped the dripping morsel into my mouth...and nearly spat it out on the tasting table. The flavor was awful -- like it had been aged in a corroding lead pipe.

"Must've gotten the dud," I thought, and moved on to the next oil spout. Thinking perhaps the bitter taste in my mouth had something to do with the bread I'd used for dipping, this time I ran my finger through the shiny, golden liquid and licked it in hopeful anticipation. But once again, what I experienced was a tongue-curling, pungent flavor.

After a third unsuccessful tasting, I finally gave up. Maybe my tastebuds were off that day or maybe my palate just isn't sophisticated enough to appreciate authentic Italian olive oil. But either way, it brings me to Tuscan Tidbit No. 3 - All olive oils aren't created equal

Photo Courtesy of rd.com

Adventures in Veganland

Discovery

I am not a vegan. Nor do I want to be. But I have recently developed a taste for vegan baked goods.

A few weeks ago, I was hit by a mid-afternoon sugar low and stopped at Crossroads Coffee Shop in search of a sweet but substantive snack.

Peering in to the glass display case, I saw mouth-watering slices of carrot cake, coconut cake and pecan pie. They looked decadent ... but a tad too sugary to have substance.

Next, I saw rows of plump sesame bagels and fluffy blueberry muffins. Nah... too bready.

Finally, my eyes rested on a perfectly scrumptious looking cookie packed with whole grain oats and plump, pink craisins. It was browned to perfection ... juuuuuust riiiiight.

The cellophane-wrapped treat looked a little large for an afternoon snack (about the size of a miniature frisbee), so I figured I would eat half and save the rest for later.

I must admit that I was a bit skeptical when the gal behind the Crossroads counter informed me that what I had assumed to be a cookie was in fact a vegan oatie.

"Hmmm," I thought. "Could be disappointing."

But, faced with a lack of appealing alternatives, I decided the mighty vegan oatie deserved at least a fair trial.

Luckily, as soon as I took my first bite of vegan delight, I realized I was not in danger of buyer's remorse. It hit the spot.

A little bit chewy, with just a hint of crunch. Moist, tasty and satisfying. Sweet enough, but not too sweet. Honey-kissed.

I broke off another piece of oatie. It went down just as smoothly as the first. Delicious.

After a few more nibbles, I tucked the remainder away for later.

Well .... later came sooner than I expected. And, before I knew it, I had polished off the entire frisbee-sized vegan cookie.

I felt like I had eaten a small but energy-packed meal. The scrumptious snack kept me going through my 7 p.m. class and until I made it home for a light dinner at 10 p.m.



Revelation

The next week, I was having lunch with a friend whose office happens to be just around the corner from Crossroads Coffee in the Fan.

"This may sound weird," she ventured, "but Crossroads makes these really good vegan cookies ... and I am totally addicted to them."

"I know those cookies!" I cried.

And we proceeded to gush about them for the rest of our lunch date.

Since then, I have been back to Crossroads a couple of times in search of their delectable vegan treats.

I was even beginning to think I might just prefer vegan baked goods to the ones made for carnivores.

And then last weekend, the same friend who had admitted her addiction to the Crossroads oaties told me she had discovered the secret to vegan cooking.

"Margarine," she proclaimed. "They use it in everything."

I felt like I had been punched in the gut.

"Margarine??" I gasped.

You see, telling a natural foods nazi like me that her new favorite treat is made with chemical-laden margarine is like telling a compulsive dieter that the nonfat, sugar-free latte she just drank was actually made with whole milk and sugar.

I felt blindsided ... bilked ... betrayed.

"I thought vegans were supposed to be health consicous," I said in disgust. "Doesn't that usually mean avoiding synthetic foods?"

"What a sham," I thought. "Typical."

Reconciliation

So, today I took a break from Crossroads and instead headed to Ellwood's Coffee for my afternoon pick-me-up.

Browsing their selection of sweets, I spotted a chocolate covered dessert bar sprinkled with nuts. My stomach gurgled in anticipation.

"What is that one?" I asked the gal behind the counter.

"It's a vegan toffee bar," she chirped.

Of course it was. What else would it be?

I contemplated asking if it was made with margarine, but decided against it. I chose not to to think about the hypocrisy and let myself cave to vegan temptation.

Postscript

As it turns out, there are actually several "all natural" vegan margarine options on the market.

Some appear to be made with soy ... while others are made with olive and/or nut oils. Check out the Earth Balance product line.

There are also plenty of recipes for vegan baked goods that use fruit purees or vegetable oil in place of butter or margarine. See Vegweb.com for some yummy-looking recipe ideas.