I recently caught up with the sisters of Spork Foods, Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg, to discuss their first cookbook, Spork-Fed (out now!).  I’ve known Jenny and Heather for years and have always been a fan of their super fun cooking classes (now available online too).  I could not have been more excited to receive my copy in the mail a few weeks ago.  The forward is by the 2nd most adorable sister team out there, Emily and Zooey Deschanel, and if you check out the acknowledgements in the back you might just see another familiar name, heehee.  I love the clear, easy-to-follow directions in the book, and the pictures will seriously make you drool.  The brunch section is probably my favorite.  Strawberry Cream Cheese-Stuffed French Toast?  Um… yes please!

Spork-Fed is a great holiday gift for someone you love (or just a treat for yourself!).  You can pick up a copy at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Follow the ladies on Twitter @SporkFoods

Veggywood: What was it like writing a book together?
Jenny:  Well, we do pretty much everything together, so it seemed very natural to write a book together!  We also have a similar sense of humor, so it was fun to collaborate on such a fun project! 

V:  Is this a good cook book for beginners?
Heather:  Of course!  Many of our cooking students don’t have a lot of experience in the kitchen, but enjoy our recipes. We always advise beginners to take things one step at a time and try the recipes one by one.  We do have a suggested menu section in the front of the book, if people want to make different themed meals, but this is a bit more complex – so beginners – maybe try one recipe at a time to start and work your way to the themed meals.

V:   Who is your  favorite vegan culinary inspiration?
Heather and Jenny:  We are constantly SO inspired by our cooking students.  They share stories of cooking for friends or family who aren’t familiar with vegan food and how the meal was a success, or tell us stories about how being vegan is making them healthier -  or just how experimenting with new ingredients is going for them and changing the way they look at food and cooking.  It is awesome to hear about all of their culinary endeavors and we’re still amazed at how powerful food and cooking can be.

V:  Are you doing a book tour?  Where can we find more info?
Heather and Jenny:  We have been fortunate to travel to a bunch of cities with our book and appear on FOX News, ABC and more (clips are on our Press page at sporkfoods.com.  AND – This Sunday, December 4th, we’re signing cookbooks at our Holiday Bazaar!  Everyone is invited to come by and purchase locally made vegan holiday gifts – including candles, scarves, jewelry, marmalade and of course -  copies of Spork-Fed.  There will be snackies!

V:  If you were stranded on a desert island with the ingredients for only one recipe in this book, what would it be?
Jenny:  Well we hope it’s an island with a kitchenette, so that we can cook up our goodies, but if we were forced to decide -  would have to say – the Creamy Pistachio Pesto over Brown Rice!  It’s a balanced dish that would keep us going – and we never get sick of eating it!

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I came. I saw. I ate.  Okay, thats a little melodramatic as I only ate one thing at World Fest 2011.  Unfortunately I had to split to go see Bridesmaids (Well, not unfortunately because that movie is HILARIOUS) so I was only able to grab one thing.  So obviously I got a vegan strawberry funnel cake because, you know, go big or go home.  Or as QuarryGirl said so eloquently in her far superior WorldFest coverage, I have “mad sweet tooth.”  Oh so true.

Anyway, since this was the first thing I’d eaten that morning after only a few bites I started to feel sick.  Sick with sugary goodness, but sick never the less.  So I wasn’t able to finish it, although this picture makes me want to reach through the computer (and time) and finish it off.

Besides the funnel cake, there were tons of other booths including one for the sisters from Spork Foods.  They gave me the heads up that they’re releasing a cook book later this year!  If you haven’t taken a vegan cooking class with Chef Jenny you’re missing out.

After my quick tour of the fest, I was called over to the Luscious Desserts booth and given a whole handful of goodies.  It was like Christmas!  Or, more like Halloween.  Because they were giving us candy… Well, here’s a quick shot of the loot:

Vegan ding dongs (peanut butter filled!), chocolates, chocolate covered cookie dough balls, peanut crunch bars and tea cookies. While all of these were delicious, the cookie dough balls were ridiculous.  I mean…. ridiculous.  Just take my word for it and get some of these… because don’t forget my “mad sweet tooth”

Get more info on WorldFest 2012 HERE

p.s. They found the small brown dog. Phew.

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Me with Heather and Jenny of Spork Foods

nontoxic nail polish by Sheswai Lacquer

original art and stationery by Kevin Tseng

vegan soy candles by A Scent of Scandal

I. Ronnie Kappos vintage glass jewelry

And of course… Spork Online Gift Certificates…

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If you don’t know about Spork Foods, it’s only the place to get The Best Vegan Cooking Classes in LA!!

To read my cool interview with sweetie Chef Jenny Goldberg of Spork, go HERE

AUGUST 1ST (SUNDAY CLASSES ONLY)

Super Decadent Desserts!

We love dessert. We think sweets make people happy, and we love to provide happiness. In this class, we’ll show you how to create the most mouth-watering and seductive desserts out there. You’ll be surprised how easy they are to create … and how good you feel after you eat them!

This week’s menu!

- Ice-Cream Sandwiches with Home-made Cookies
- Chocolate Cupcakes with a Raspberry Chocolate Ganache Filling
- Key Lime Cheesecake Bites with a Macadamia Nut Crust
- Home-made Spiced Vanilla Almond Milk

AUGUST 7TH AND 8TH

A Taste of Jamaica!

There’s no better time than summer for a taste-bud trip to the islands. In this class, we’ll bring home the refreshing flavors of the Caribbean. These recipes are surprisingly easy and will impress any guest, from Montego Bay to West LA.

This week’s menu!

- Curried Vegetable Patties (like Jamaican Calzone!)
- Jerk Coleslaw with Plantain Chips
- Jamaican Seasoned Rice and Peas
- Fluffy Coconut Cake with a Caramelized Banana Sauce

AUGUST 14TH AND 15TH

Hands-On Summer Sushi Party!

There’s more to vegan sushi than avocado or cucumber rolls. We will create fun, colorful, and delicious sushi in this class, and you’ll finally learn what to do with that bamboo sushi roller you won at a “White Elephant” party five years ago! We will create a satisfying, balanced meal using authentic Japanese ingredients.

This week’s menu!

- Assorted Brown Rice Sushi (Philadelphia Rolls, Glazed Shiitake Rolls, and more)
- Miso-Glazed Japanese Eggplant
- Cucumber and Seaweed Salad
- Light and Crispy Green Tea Cookies

AUGUST 21ST AND 22ND NO CLASSES!

AUGUST 28TH (SATURDAY CLASSES ONLY)

Heather’s Birthday Comfort Foods Class!

Come celebrate Heather’s birthday by learning how to prepare some of her favorite comfort foods. Birthdays are a great excuse to indulge (sensibly) – and even though this class is a celebration of Heather’s birthday, we’ll party like it’s everyone’s birthday!

Today’s menu!

- Twice-Baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheese
- Beer-Battered Tempeh Nuggets with a Chipotle Ketchup
- Green Salad with a Creamy Tempeh Bacon Ranch Dressing
- Two-Layer Vanilla Birthday Cake with a Buttercream Frosting and Sprinkles

SEPTEMBER 4TH AND 5TH – NO CLASSES! ENJOY A LONG LABOR DAY WEEKEND!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH

WHISKS AND WANDS, FOOD AND MAGIC NIGHT!

7-9 p.m. $85
Join us and world famous magician and escape artist Jonathan Goodwin for a night of spectacular magic, cocktails and cooking! During this two hour event you will learn some incredible magic tricks, and learn how to create some delicious vegan treats. We will enjoy cocktails, appetizers and the kicker is, that all guests will get a pass for up to 8 people to the MAGIC CASTLE!!! This will be a night to remember!! Cocktail attire recommended.

SEPTEMBER 12TH (SUNDAY CLASSES ONLY)

JEWISH FOODS!

The Jewish New Year is here, and it always inspires us to start cooking the wonderful, hearty foods that we learned from our ancestors. Join us to learn how to make some of our favorite traditional treats, made all the more delicious and appealing with a healthy twist!

This week’s menu!
- Matzoh Ball Soup
- Sweet Noodle Kugel with Carrots and Pecans
- Glazed Seitan with Pomegranates
- Layered Apple Cake with a Streusel Topping

SEPTEMBER 18TH AND 19TH

LOCAL AND SEASONAL FALL CLASS!

We love cooking with the seasons, and one of our favorite times is the late summer’s transition into fall. In this class, we will show you how to pick out the freshest, most delicious seasonal ingredients you can find and turn them into amazing recipes that’ll make you feel grounded and healthy.

This week’s menu!
- Spiced Beer-Soaked Figs Stuffed with Vegan Ricotta
- Seitan Wellington with a Creamy Spinach Sauce
- Spicy Crispy Kale with Caramelized Shallots and Currants
- Chocolate Orange Pots de Crème with Brandy

SEPTEMBER 25TH AND 26TH

WOK ON THE WILD SIDE, CHINESE FOOD CLASS!

Who says you have to order Chinese food from a restaurant? This class will demystify the beautiful and delicious world of vegetarian Chinese food. We will also show you the secrets to shopping at your local Asian grocery store!

This week’s menu!
- Scallion Pancakes with a Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce
- Crispy Glazed Lemon Tofu with Chinese Vegetables
- Wok-Tossed Green Beans with Pickled Vegetables
- Homemade Fortune Cookies (and homemade messages inside!)

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I was quite surprised when I saw I hadn’t posted this recipe, which is my ultimate favorite by Spork Foods. It’s a great way to impress with quinoa (read why I love that stuff HERE) and not to mention, ridiculously easy and quick to make. It seriously takes like 20 minutes tops and is super easy to make after work.

When I make this recipe I tend to double it because I could seriously eat the entire bowl myself in one sitting, but this is the original one, which makes about 2 cups. I suppose though it could feed 2 if an entree and 3-4 if a side. Although I like to serve it hot (as I pretty much eat it as soon as its made), it’s also a great dish to bring cold to a picnic or something.

Enjoy!

Ingredients
For quinoa:
1 cup organic quinoa (I like to mix the red and yellow kind together)
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 cups water for boiling

For salad:
3 tbsp kalamata olives, chopped (get the kind without pits otherwise you will want to jump out a window when you get to this part)
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
8 leaves fresh basil (I highly recommend getting a basil plant and growing them, it costs about $3 and if I can manage not to kill mine, so can you. The taste between store-bought basil and home grown is insane)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper (this gives it a bit of a kick so play with how much you want to add)
1 tbsp agave syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Dry roast the quinoa in a sauce pan over medium heat until it smells fragrant. Don’t over roast or let them burn. If you do burn it, toss and restart because that will totally wreck the flavor, I know from experience. Laziness doesn’t always pay. Speaking of, sometimes I skip this step entirely and while it doesn’t ruin the salad by any means, the pre-roasting adds something to the flavor for sure. This would also be the time to throw your dried sundried tomatoes in some boiling water to soften them up (unless you are using canned). I prefer the bulk dried because they are cheaper and less greasy than the canned kind.

Cook the quinoa as you normally would (2 cups water, for about 12-14 mins until fluffy). I like to toss mine in a rice cooker and be done with it while I work on the rest of the stuff.

Chop all the ingredients and put in a big bowl. Add the oil, lemon juice etc. When the quinoa is done, drop it in and mix everything throughly. Either serve right away hot or put in the fridge to save. I like taking this to work for lunch and making everyone jealous.

To learn more about the amazing cooking classes at Spork Foods go HERE
Follow Spork on Twitter @SporkFoods
Become a Spork Fan on Facebook HERE
Read my interview with Chef Jenny Goldberg, co-owner of Spork, HERE

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