The Vegan Cookoffs

#30: cooking with booze - January 2012

2012-01-25T22:06:00.001-08:00

Liquor-off was held on the 22nd of January in Nina's lovely Mt. Pleasant home. This was also the third anniversary of cookoff — hard to believe. Unfortunately not many people were able to come, we had only eight in attendance. But it was a Sunday, and it was incredibly rainy and windy.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES

Amanda: "whiskey winter" whiskey-soaked currants & apples baked in sweet bread, with a spiced whiskey butter glaze

Jen: "SoCo adobo" cider-infused chili with chipotle sausage & apples, served with a Southern Comfort-infused cornbread and topped with sour cream & cilantro
[I neglected to get a photo of Yaara's entry because I was helping her serve up & then I got distracted by eating because I am a failure. It looked a little like the love child of stroganoff and pad thai.]
Yaara: "Grandma's special sauce" thick rice noodles in a coconut-vodka sauce with crimini mushrooms, marinated tofu, and parsley

Märt: "venomous frost-spider's revenge" yam, potato and cranberry baked with Grand Marnier, orange, and lemon

Laryssa: "drunken Sunday" red wine dark chocolate ice cream with a raspberry-wine coulis, topped with basil & toasted almonds

Nina: "randy brandy brownies" flourless chocolate brownies with a brandy caramel sauce and soy whip

Märt was competing for the first time. Also in attendance were Jen's friend and neighbour Steph, as well as Laryssa's friend Gabby, who had intended to make a stout cake but ran short on time, so she just brought the bottles of stout instead. Malloreigh's entry fell on the floor at the last minute and she decided to stay home out of sadness.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Jen
presentation: Amanda
creativity: Yaara
booziness: Yaara/Märt
overall favourite: Jen

overall winner: Jen

best name: (unscored category) Yaara

Amanda's spiced whiskey

testing out the soy whip

#29: red & green - December 2011

2011-12-26T15:46:00.000-08:00

Our holiday themed red & green cookoff was held on the 14th of December at Flatland. The sad part of this cookoff was that it was the last one that Jeff Downer would be able to attend for at least a year, as he is in Boston for photography as of the 23rd. Thus, he wanted to host and of course compete before leaving town. Also notable that Iain was finally in town and not busy on cookoff night, and was thrilled to be able to attend. The wine was flowing and everyone was in good holiday spirits.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Nina: "please your beans with beets" bean & mushroom sauté with beet-cashew butter and spinach-oregano tofu cream, topped with sesame seeds & parsley

Laryssa: "Christmas in Japan" red rice (beet-dyed) sushi with asparagus, yam & beet served on a bed of wasabi avocado

Jen: "pesto change-o" campari tomato halves topped with pesto, mozza, and onions & mushrooms fried in port

Tim: "that's my rich substance!" cilantro polenta with red bean tomato sauce, fried green onion, and cilantro lime zest

Malloreigh: "gnocchi di rosso e verde della inverno" beet and basil gnocchi with roasted tomato sauce, button mushrooms, and basil chiffonade garnish

Jeff D: "Pacman piroshki" beet buns stuffed with potato, carrot, sage & leek, served with a dill-lemon mayo dipping sauce

Justine: "stoplight pudding" chocolate pudding with cherries and mint

Amanda: "triangle tiredness" chocolate cranberry tarts with basil, almond, and sea salt in a gluten-free pastry

Justine competed for the first time. Also in attendance were Iain, Dave, two friends of Amanda's & Laryssa's whose names I forget, and Kaylie towards the end of things.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Jeff
presentation: Jen
colour: Laryssa
creativity: Jeff
overall favourite: Malloreigh/Jeff

overall winner: Jeff D

best name: (unscored category) Amanda

candles taken from a set that said 'MERRY CHRISTMAS'

Jeff's piroshki on the cooling rack, with a compass for some reason

#28: cooking with tea - November 2011

2011-11-27T12:37:00.000-08:00

Tea cookoff was held on the 22nd of November at Veronica's lovely Kitsilano apartment. Definitely one of the nicer kitchens most of us have had the chance to use for cookoff purposes. Her husband Frederic was quite hospitable as well, gathering dishes, pouring wine for everyone, making sure we could find things we needed. We had a fair number of people in the house, too, 17 or 18 I think, and more than enough wine to make sure everyone was very happy.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Amanda: "Chinese garden in spring" oolong-smoked tofu and steeped dandelion greens in a sweet broth with candied tea leaves and orange rind

Jen: "AHH! CHAMOMILE!" creamy potato leek chamomile soup with nutmeg sour cream

Kate: "green stuff" kale, pear, nettles and cilantro blended with green tea and lemon

Malloreigh: "miso teabagged" green tea miso broth with shiitake mushrooms, green beans, bok choy, and rooibos-poached tofu

Laryssa: "teapots de crème" coconut-pumpkin chai custard topped with chai apricots & cranberries and citrus-candied almonds

Sarah: "cuppa cake" earl grey spelt cupcakes with vanilla bean frosting

Dan: "apple mountain pie" coconut chai apple pie with gingerbread black tea ice cream, garnished with star anise

Veronica: "banana blue-tea" banana rooibos raw ice cream with blueberry rooibos compote

Both Sarah and Kate were competing for the first time. Also in attendance were Jeff Downer, Justine, Frederic, Yaara, Marina, Dan's roommate Brandy, and three other friends of Dan's whose names I can't recall.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Jen
presentation: Amanda
creativity: Amanda/Kate/Dan
tea-nacity: Dan
overall: Jen

overall winner: Jen

we also forgot to vote for the best name category, so maybe leave your favourite dish name in the comments!

#27: beets - October 2011

2011-10-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

The Beet-Off was held at Yaara & Adriana's house near Oak and Broadway on the 19th of October. It was rainy and cold so being in their small, homey living room with wine & music was very cosy, although the awkwardly-shaped kitchen made it good that not many people needed to actually cook their dishes. This was a smaller cookoff, only nine people in attendance.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Geoff: "beet 3-way" beet nachos — a beet chip topped with beet & tomato salsa, beet chutney, and shredded coconut

Adriana: "b33t str33t manif3st0" spinach, roasted marinated beet & portobello mushroom in balsamic dressing with port sauce

Veronica: "oh my darling, you are sinful..." roasted beet, garlic, & cream cheese in a gluten free peppered pastry, topped with balsamic reduction

Jen: "bordello of beet" red velvet spelt & beet cupcakes with a blackberry centre, topped with cream cheese icing and a fresh blackberry

Emilie: "beet bolognese" beet & portobello mushroom pasta sauce over buckwheat pasta with lemon

Yaara: "real men eat pink hummus" beet & garlic hummus with golden and red beet chips

Marina: "come on baby, beet me!" gluten-free cupcake with beet purée and beet juice icing

Also in attendance were Jeff Z and Sarah. Geoff, a friend of Adriana's, and Emilie, a friend of Amanda's, both competed for the first time.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Veronica
presentation: Adriana
creativity: Geoff
beetiness: Emilie
overall favourite: Veronica

overall winner: Veronica

best name: (unscored category) Yaara

#26: foods you used to hate - September 2011

2011-09-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

Former least favourite foods cookoff was held at Blühaus (Jen & Jeff's) on the 15th of September. It was beginning to feel like fall, with earlier sunsets and rainy days, so everyone was pleased to be inside with lots of food and wine.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Amanda: "I dunno, gimme a sec... fuck!" salt & pepper sautéed asparagus with lemon, in a parsley-blackberry dipping sauce

Dave & Anya: "wet fungus" steamed kale & spinach salad with garlic, portobello mushrooms, apples, basil, pumpkin seeds and almonds

Jen: "I cuss, you cuss" asparagus & oyster mushroom with applewood smoked salt & roasted garlic cream cheese in a filo pastry tart

Adriana "I ♥ ur sw33t yamz" sweet potato & yam baked with soy cheese, caramelized apples, cardamom, and green olives

Yaara: "broccoli squish with pink stuff on top" broccoli-tahini cheesy casserole with strawberry gravy

Jeff D: "hummingbird's breast & chrochrownds" grits with sweet & savoury collard greens featuring shiitake & portobello mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, raisins, and onions

Veronica: "what the fuck is a chickpea?" hummus quesadilla with maple garlic black beans, roasted green pepper, and chipotle sour cream

Marina: "better than sex tarts" chocolate peanut butter filling in a gluten-free pretzel crust

Also in attendance were Jeff Z, Jesse, Krystyna, Sarah, Onur, Dan, Laryssa, and Nina.

CATEGORIES & WINNERS
creativity: Yaara
seconds: Jen
presentation: Amanda
overall favourite: Adriana

overall winner: Adriana

best name: (unscored category) Dave & Anya

#25: seasonal local fruit - August 2011

2011-09-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Seasonal fruit cookoff was held on the 29th of August at Mischief Manor (Mal & Kaylie's) shortly before they vacate the place. This cookoff was also gluten-free. Malloreigh wanted to host before they moved out, but did concede that their place is really too small (I think we were all expecting a smaller cookoff than it turned out to be). Nevertheless, we all ate loads of delicious food and polished off several bottles of wine. And although we missed Amanda at this cookoff, it was sort of a good thing she didn't come because there were nuts abound!

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Malloreigh: "wild sage advice" savoury strawberry-balsamic red onion tart with baked tofu and topped with cherry sage jam

Jen: "picokanagan de gallo" nectarine, blueberry & tomato salsa with cilantro & lime basil, served with chili-cornmeal crusted fried tofu and garnished with pea shoots

Bronwen: "sex on the peach tacos" roasted peaches, pico de gallo, cashew cream & lime in a corn tortilla

Kaylie: "I love Canadian melons" potato croquette atop fig jam served with watermelon and cucumber-fennel salad, topped with basil oil

Arinn: "she taste so good" cherry-almond mini pies

Veronica: "bloody drunken pears" cinnamon poached pears in sour cherry & blueberry sauce, topped with cashew cream

Marina: "berry sinful crispy devils" chocolate rice krispie squares with fresh blackberries & strawberries

Jeff Z: "nebulous strawberry soup" strawberry, red wine, and wine vinegar soup with sour cream and mint

Also in attendance were Yaara, Adriana, George, Shawna, Jeff D, and Janna.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Malloreigh
presentation: Jen
creativity: Malloreigh
best use of ingredient: Malloreigh/Jeff
overall: Bronwen

overall winner: Malloreigh/Bronwen

best name: (unscored category) Bronwen

recipe: sweet balsamic & sage grilled peaches

2011-07-18T00:02:00.000-07:00

As usual, I tossed this together without really checking the proportions so all measurements are approximate.

In addition to the recipe ingredients below, you will also need:
-ripe but not overly soft white peaches (the quantities below will make enough for about 6 peaches)
-3 or 4 chopped sage leaves, plus whole leaves for garnish
-1 tbsp lemon zest

balsamic glaze:
-1 cup balsamic vinegar
-3 or 4 tbsp agave nectar
-1 tbsp vanilla
-1/4 cup water

Whisk everything together, tasting to check if it's too sweet or thin (add more agave if you want it thicker, add more water & balsamic if it's too sweet). Re-whisk it before using.

crème fraîche:
-1/2 cup tofu sour cream
-2 tbsp soy creamer
-1-2 tbsp soy cream cheese
-1 tbsp agave nectar
-1 tsp lemon juice
-1/2 tsp arrowroot powder

Whisk the creamer, lemon juice, and arrowroot powder together, then add everything else. If it's too runny, add a bit more cream cheese. If it's too thick, add a bit more creamer. Refrigerate the mixture at least half an hour, and re-whisk it before using.

Slice all the peaches in half lengthwise and remove the stone. Generously brush the glaze over all sides and place them face-down on a hot grill. Grill them about 10 minutes, until they are warm throughout and relatively soft. After taking them off the grill, brush them again with glaze and put about a tablespoon of the crème fraîche in each hole from the stone. Sprinkle with lemon zest and chopped sage and add the garnish leaf.
These can be served as a dessert, but I think they would also be good as a side for a spicy or smoky protein dish.

#24: barbecue - July 2011

2011-07-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

BBQ cookoff was held on the 12th of June at Nina's beautiful house in Mt. Pleasant. We had two grills set up so that it wouldn't take all night to cook everything, and sat at the big wooden table on the deck. It was clear and warm until after 10, when it started raining lightly, but we had all finished serving by then. There were a number of attendants who were not competing, so the booze was plentiful: two giant bottles of red wine plus a case of beer and a giant bottle of champagne! Nina and Mart made several bowls of delicious sangria and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely. If only all cookoffs could be held outside.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Amanda: "psychedelic cattails" bannock wrapped around spiced mango, served with roasted red pepper sauce

Malloreigh: "char siu me" sticky rice and char siu seitan cooked in banana leaves, served with chive buds

Laryssa: "summer fruit skewers" seitan, onion, garlic & nectarine in bbq sauce, rolled in cornflake crumbs

Tim: "jerking seitan's cookoff" seitan jerky smoked with hickory and red wine

Jen: "honeyed sage advice" agave-balsamic glazed white peaches with crème fraîche, lemon, and sage

Jeff D: "Boston butt podunk" pulled pork-style sandwiches made with jackfruit, sauerkraut, root beer, onion, and pepper

Yaara: "skewed reality" beer & chipotle-marinated skewers of tofu, tempeh, and shiitake mushrooms in a maple bbq sauce

Nina: "the Eurasian singe" peri-peri tofu and sesame mango salsa on a ginger-garlic crostini, topped with tahini sauce

Also in attendance were Mart, Jeff Z, Sarah, Tim's friend Eliot, Adriana, Luc, Dan, and a couple of other friends who weren't there the whole time and thus did not participate in the voting.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Jeff
presentation: Malloreigh/Jen
creativity: Jeff
best use of theme: Laryssa/Yaara
overall favourite: Jen/Jeff

overall winner: Jeff

best name: (unscored category) Tim

Amanda's entry on the grill.

Jen's entry on the grill.

Sangria. What a beautiful evening.

recipe: spicy tahini sauce

2011-06-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

Everyone really liked the sauce I used on my falafel at the bean cookoff, so I thought I'd try and put the recipe down. It was sort of slapdash so the quantities are more of a guess than anything, just adjust things to your own tastes.

JEN'S SPICY TAHINI SAUCE
-3 tbsp tahini
-2 tbsp milder, thick hot sauce
-a few drops of a stronger, thin hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)
-1 tbsp aioli garlic mustard ***see notes below
-pinch each of cumin, cayenne, and chili powder
-1/4 tsp sea salt
-juice from half a lemon
-a bit of olive oil
-3-4 tbsp of water

for the aioli mustard:
I had a jar of this in the fridge I wanted to use but it wasn't vegan, so I adapted my own. Mix together the following (this will obviously make a little more than you need for the sauce, but extra isn't a bad thing):
-2 tbsp yellow or dijon mustard
-1 tbsp Veganaise
-1 clove of garlic, pressed
-a pinch each of turmeric and garlic salt

Mix together everything but the water, and taste it to make sure it's spiced to your tastes (if it's too spicy, add a bit more tahini and olive oil). Then add water until it reaches the consistency you want. This is good as a sandwich spread, dip, or topping for stir-fry, etc. Enjoy!

#23: the bean - June 2011

2011-06-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

The bean cookoff was held on the 14th of June, again at Flatland — now residence of Amanda and Laryssa as well as Jeff Downer. An impressive 11 people brought entries, and many others came along for the ride. It was a happy, loud, and drunken affair, but that was to be expected with so much communal wine and the fact that a good number of us had not seen each other in at least a month. I think also with the sun setting so late it was pretty easy to lose track of time, because it was nearly 12:30 when Jeff Z and I finally headed home, and we weren't even the last to leave.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Bronwen: "David Bowie's ch-ch-ch-ch-chana" masala chickpeas with basmati rice and raita, garnished with lemon

Yaara: "black bean mango procession" Thai-style green curry with black beans, yam, basil, and mango, served atop quinoa

Jen: "the falafel truth" deep-fried chickpea patties with herbs and onions, topped with spicy tahini sauce and shaved cucumber

Kaylie: "fiery bag o' dix" chipotle black bean bruschetta with olives, red onion, and candied pecans

Laryssa: "The Big Bean Theory" fava beans and portobello mushrooms baked with sauce in phyllo pastry, served with creamy cannellini bean sauce and salsa

Jeff D: "our bees make honey, but your flies make shit" Peruvian lima bean casserole with kale, breadcrumbs, and pepperjack Daiya, served with a creamy Cointreau and orange rind sauce

Nina: "black mamba quesadilla" fried tortillas with black beans, avocado, carrot, sprouts, tomato, and cilantro

Cera: "the pink lady" white bean and cornbread patty topped with kale and a red bean almond sauce

Luc: "keepin' it cas-o-real" green bean casserole with homefried onions, portobello mushrooms, and cheddar Daiya

Malloreigh: "the flatulent blonde" chickpea-tahini blondie with black bean chocolate sauce and candied black beans

Jeff Z: "Beantown Ice Capades" vanilla bean ice cream with chocolate covered espresso beans, served with almond biscotti and shaved bitter chocolate

It should be noted that this was Cera and Bronwen's first times competing, and additionally, Bronwyn's partner Michael's impeccable wit had a hand in naming many of the dishes. Also in attendance were Amanda, Tim, Ryan Barfield, and Nina's partner Mart (sp?).

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Bronwen/Malloreigh
presentation: Jen
beaniness: Laryssa
creativity: Kaylie/Jeff D/Cera/Malloreigh
overall favourite: Malloreigh

overall winner: Malloreigh

best name: (unscored category) Luc

#22: fusion - March 2011

2011-03-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

Fusion cookoff was held at Jeff Downer's on March 21st. When someone commented on how bare the walls were in the dining area of the kitchen, Jeff said that the room never gets used, so we dragged the couch in from the other room and made a point of using it. It was a cosy affair with plenty of beer & wine and only a few entries, which made it feel a little like a prix fixé menu that we could all enjoy without having to worry about how uncomfortably full we would be by the end.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Amanda: "Roman Hands, Thrussian Fingers" borscht with lemongrass, galangal and baby corn, served with piroshki filled with cilantro (Thai-Russian)

Jeff D: "small town sushi" cheeseburger sushi with all the fixins, including fries and onions rings (American-Japanese)

Malloreigh: "Brezhnev's 9-year-itch" qorma, borscht, horseradish-dill sour cream, served with buckwheat pancakes, otherwise known as blini (Afghan-Russian)

Jen: "drunken tourists" Polenta rounds with a red onion & watercress salad in a whiskey-mustard dill dressing, topped with smoked tofu sautéed in Guinness (British-Italian)

Jeff Z: "mi vietnamita es terrible" lettuce wrap with a bean, salsa & veggie stir-fry, sushi rice, cheese, and cilantro cream (Vietnamese-Mexican)

Arinn: "the kilted Aztec" spicy chocolate shortbread with cayenne icing sugar (Mexican-Scottish)

It should be noted that Arinn flew from Calgary the same day, and her entry was made in Calgary the night before and brought in her carry-on. Also in attendance were Tim, Malloreigh's friend Vanessa, and Anita towards the end of the evening.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Jeff D
creativity: Amanda/Jen
presentation: Jen
fusionificnessocity (in actual words, most interesting/best pairing): Arinn
overall favourite: Malloreigh

overall winner: Jen (first victory!)

#21: coconut - February 2011

2011-03-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

Coconut cookoff was held at Manitoba House on Valentine's Day. We all agreed that it was better to not buy into a commercialistic holiday and instead spend it celebrating our love of food, booze, and each other. Amanda's roommate Cassandra also took this month's cookoff as an opportunity to film a short (just over two minutes) documentary for a film class.

The Cook Off from Cassandra Edes on Vimeo.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Jesse: "I can't believe it's not butter... chicken" masala mushrooms in a butter chicken-style sauce*
Amanda: "CLT" BLT-style sandwich made with coconut fried with hickory smoke and maple syrup
Malloreigh: "the pros of cross-oceanic slavery" satay-style button mushroom/eggplant skewers with coconut-curry sauce, rolled in toasted coconut and basil
Melissa: "rawesome coconut pudding" coconut & chocolate pudding with mint and cinnamon garnish
Kaylie: "Cocaine-nut Eurasian delight" crab cake-style coconut patty on a fried wonton wrapper, with shaved jicama and carrot and a homemade habañero hot sauce
Jeff D: "jackalope laundry presents" coconut tamales with a spicy bean sauce
Jeff Z: "you, me, & the Mexican drug lord" coconut-mango spring rolls with cilantro, garlic, & lime; wrapped in rice paper and topped with a spicy coconut cream sauce
Angelique: "movie star's chocolatey island delight" coconut ice cream with chocolate sauce
Jen: "big trouble in little China" Chinese coconut buns
Tim: "the Bermuda pie-angle" coconut cream pie

*Jesse was sick and couldn't make the event, but sent his dish along with Jeff and Jen. He and Melissa were both competing for the first time.
Also in attendance were Amanda's roommates and a friend of Angelique's whose name I can't recall.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Amanda/Jen
presentation: Kaylie
coconuticity: Angelique/Jen
creativity: Jeff D
overall entrée: Kaylie
overall dessert: Angelique

overall winner: Kaylie

We also had a vote for best dish name which was not scored, and the winner for that was Jesse.

Kaylie's winning entry

#20: food from your childhood - January 2011

2011-03-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

This cookoff's theme was to reinvent food you ate as a child and was held at Yaara's on January 24th.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Angelique: "the party favourite" spinach dip in a breadbowl
Tim: "sweet winter pie" sweet potato pie with Jack Daniels and maple syrup
Amanda: "meat curtains" meatloaf pockets made with quinoa, tempeh, & shallots in a tamarind-malt vinegar sauce and wrapped with portobello mushrooms & green onion
Jen: "a Scotsman in Disney World" Mickey Mouse-shaped Scotch style pancakes & veggie sausage
Malloreigh: "eggs mixed up with toast" rye toast with runny eggs (vegan egg yolk recipe here)
Kaylie: "Frito bandito" Frito pie with mushrooms, onions, black beans, spicy tomato sauce, cheese & cilantro (recipe here)
Luc: apple crisp
Yaara: "Tsipora chocolate cake" dense flourless chocolate cake

Also in attendance were Krystyna and Jeff Z. We got stoned and made playlists of songs from our childhoods, which included a lot of early 90s hip-hop.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Kaylie
presentation: Kaylie
most kid-friendly: Jen/Yaara
best adaptation: Amanda
overall favourite: Yaara/Kaylie

overall winner: Kaylie

Angelique's entry

Amanda's entry

Luc's entry

#19: tea sandwiches & hot drinks - December 2010

2011-03-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

This cookoff was held at the Treehouse on December 9th. For the first time in cookoff history, no one had a camera with them, so the only record is in shitty iphone photo form. Also in attendance were Dan, Krystyna, Angelique's brother Winston and his girlfriend.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Laryssa: "beat route" beet, fried cheese & arugula on rye, with vodka in beet-orange juice
Malloreigh: "Julius Faux-Oeuf" egg salad on whole wheat, with a hot caesar (made with V-Go)
Angelique: "low seniority party in Vietnam" 7-layer dip on cornbread, with an avocado milkshake*
Kaylie: "patience is a virtue" pecan butter and portobello mushroom on leek sourdough, with gingerbread-flavoured butter rum
Jen: "the English grandmother" smoked tofu and tangerine marmalade on homemade croissants, with jasmine tea & amaretto

*Angelique did not know that the drinks were supposed to be hot.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Malloreigh
presentation: Laryssa
best pairing: a 4-way tie - Laryssa/Angelique/Kaylie/Jen
best drink: Jen
best sandwich: Kaylie
overall favourite: Malloreigh

overall winner: Malloreigh

We got very stoned and drank the leftovers of Laryssa's drink straight out of the 4L milk jug it was brought in.

Malloreigh's drinks.

#18: apples - November 2010

2011-03-16T23:15:00.000-07:00

Apple-off was held at Blühaus on the fifteenth of November. Some bottles of Sleeping Giant fruit wine were opened, and a large amount of Granville Island's Winter Ale was consumed.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Amanda: "blintzed by day, blintzed by night" golden delicious apple, shallot, parsley, lemon and cheese blintzes

Jen: "Kiev orchard" perogies filled with ambrosia apple, Yukon gold potato, and cheese; with facon bits, chives, and cardamom sour cream

Malloreigh: "the apple/root route" fuji & granny smith apple, leek, potato & fennel soup, with a latke of the same ingredients

Dan: "heartburn for days" granny smith apple nachos with olives, kale, hummus, hot peppers, and tomato; served with salsa fresca
[I don't have a photo of Dan's entry to share, unfortunately]
Yaara: "baked apple boats" red wine-soaked figs, walnuts, cinnamon, and ginger baked on top of gala apples

Jeff D: "manus domestica" savoury chestnut, onion and ambrosia apple pie with raisin-balsamic reduction

Jeff Z: "Adam & Eve & ice cream" peach wine-poached apple below an oatmeal cookie with apple juice-infused raisins; topped with candy apple ice cream

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Amanda
presentation: Jen/Jeff Z
appleness: Yaara
creativity: Jeff D
overall favourite: Amanda

overall winner: Amanda

#17: squash - October 2010

2011-03-15T00:15:00.001-07:00

Squash cookoff was held in Nina's cosy kitchen on the rainy fall evening of October 28th. It was a rather small event, with only six entries, but plenty of wine and tea and good times.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Jen: "dead leaves" parmesan-breaded zucchini sticks, with roasted red pepper marinara-style dip

Amanda: "Indian autumn" roasted acorn squash with brown basmati rice, cloves, cinnamon, and toasted squash seeds

Malloreigh: "calce autunno" butternut squash & oyster mushroom ravioli w/lime red curry sauce (base recipe here)

Jeff Z: "intermission" butternut squash & sage soup with vegan crème fraîche and chives

Nina: "peared squash" butternut squash stuffed with pear, cranberry, red pepper, walnuts, and cilantro

Dan: "a saucy squash" kale & butternut squash salad with beets, cranberries, pecans, and spaghetti squash-vinegar dressing

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Jeff
squashness: Nina
accompaniment (in other words, best flavour pairings): Mal/Nina
presentation: Nina
overall favourite: Mal

overall winner: Jeff (two in a row!)

#16: mushrooms - September 2010

2011-03-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

Mushroom cookoff ushered in the autumn on September 27th at Blühaus. Everyone really busted out the big guns for this one; there was nothing that wasn't 100% delicious.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Laryssa: "dark drunken muskcap*" French onion soup served with mushroom-buttered toast
*this was smudged on the record so I'm not entirely sure this is what it said
Jeff Z: "badger(x7) mushroom" crimini mushroom caps stuffed with black bean hummus and cucumber salsa, topped with black sesame seeds, fried enokis, and onion hair
Amanda: "calanari" enoki mushroom tempura with plum-mint chili sauce
Angelique: "fatty fungi" portobello, cream cheese, and shallot perogies
Jen: "Italian stallion" portobello mushroom, sundried tomato & artichoke heart risotto
Yaara: "a vegan hooker in montreal" mushroom poutine
Dan: "en chanterelle au Port Alberni" hand-picked chanterelles with grapefruit, tomato, apricot, peppers and pecans on a zucchini boat
Malloreigh: "romance" portobello & shiitake with red onion, pecans, and raspberry-lime truffle dressing
Kristina & Chris: "crazy robot face" heirloom tomato salad, marinated mushrooms, and chimichurri served with olive bread

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Jen
presentation: Jeff
creativity: Dan
mushroominess: Laryssa
overall favourite: Angelique

overall winner: Jeff

Jeff's absolutely beautiful mushroom caps

#15: pears - August 2010

2011-03-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

We took an extra-long break from cookoffs in the summer with no events from May through July; people were broke, moving, travelling, working outside of Vancouver, etc. August 30th we picked up again with the pear cookoff at Jeff Downer's.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Amanda: "summer truck stop pancake" pear potato pancakes with roasted garlic-balsamic sauce & green onions
Malloreigh: "pear stack tophat" parsley-scented crostini with arugula, caramelized pear & fig, smoked tofu, and slivered almonds (recipe here)
Yaara: "not at all" smashed pears & yams with garlic, purple onions, and Thai basil
Jeff D & Cody: "primordial three-piece suits" taylor pear & black bean empanadas with sweet potato, coriander, and cloves, topped with cilanto & garlic-infused olive oil tofu sauce
Laryssa: "pears in a sleeping bag" caramelized onion & pear quesadillas
Jen: "a produce stand" poppyseed crackers topped with homemade blueberry cream cheese, spinach, cucumber and pear, spiced with paprika, coriander & powdered ginger

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
second piece: Jeff & Cody
pearness: Laryssa/Jen
creativity:Amanda/Jeff & Cody
presentation: Malloreigh
mouth feel: Malloreigh
overall favourite: Jeff & Cody

overall winner: Malloreigh/Jeff & Cody

Despite the small number of competitors, there were something like twenty people in attendance, many of whom seemed to be just happening by and showed little interest in the process of the cookoff outside of eating the food... it was hectic and loud, and difficult to keep people focused. We decided in the future to be more rigid about enforcing the 'please bring booze to share' rule for guests who are not competing, in order to keep the cosy and friendly atmosphere and food-focused group we all appreciate at the cookoffs.

Malloreigh's winning entry

Jen's labia-esque entry

#14: crêpes - April 2010

2011-03-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

Crêpe-off was held at Manitoba House (Amanda's) on April 11th. Also in attendance were Laryssa, Dan, Corinna, Rob, Jeff Z, and Angelique.

The winner was Dan with an 'eggs' Benedict & asparagus crêpe. Amanda's were roasted pear with orange & lemon juice, zest, and cardamom, topped with orange caramel sauce with cloves & poppy seeds. Apparently it was a lovely spring day and everyone had a nice afternoon relaxing on the porch with mimosas.

#13: avocado - March 2010

2011-03-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Avocado-off was held at Jeff Downer's on March 21st. It was a massive competition - thirteen competitors! Yet again I have no photo of the scoreboard so this is all from what I can recall.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Amanda: chilled avocado soup with a grenadine topping
Jeff Z: avocado and tomato pizza with avocado-cilantro cream topping
Jen: smoky bean chili with avocado sour cream
Dan: pasta with an avocado sauce
Corrina: handmade avocado noodle
Malloreigh: avocado and sundried tomato ravioli in a wonton wrapper (recipe here)
Kaylie: avocado pie with soy chorizo and root vegetables
Yaara: avocado sushi
Anna (I think that was her name?): avocado chocolate pudding

and a few more I can't remember, I know Jeff D made something but I forget what, and there was at least one more avocado soup!

Jeff's pizza (pictured below) was agreed by many to be the best pizza they had eaten in ages, but the winner overall was Malloreigh's beautiful and delicious handmade ravioli.

#12: curry - March 2010

2011-03-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

Curry cookoff was held in early March at Dan's bachelor pad in Strathcona. I remember there being something like 11 entries, but I don't have a clear photo of the scoreboard so I can't be sure. A fuckton of rice was made and Jeff Z did not make an entry, but contributed a large pot of chai with almond milk. Some entries I recall:
Amanda's chana masala
Malloreigh's eggplant panang curry
Jen's swiss chard dahl (homage to the accidental chard pie)
Laryssa's coconut & red pepper tofu curry
Dan's tropical fruit & black bean curry

and I think Kaylie, Corrina, Jeff D, and Ryan also contributed.

#11: soup & sandwich - January 2010

2011-03-12T13:03:00.000-08:00

This was the first cookoff that was organised on facebook, and it was a fiasco. Dates were changed numerous times, people complained about not being able to make certain dates, and in trying to please everyone, Malloreigh gave up and passed the helm over to Laryssa. I'm writing about this despite not being in attendance in order to try and get the blog caught up, so if someone wants to post the details please do so. Apparently the food was of course good but the event was tainted with all the frustrations of trying to organise it. We agreed that in the future dates must be chosen at the end of the cookoff prior, and if a couple of people can't make it, them's the breaks.

No cookoff was held in February because of the Olympic shenanigans forcing people to be extra busy, or working graveyard shifts, or out of town; we instead opted to have two in March.

#10: Christmas baking - December 2009

2011-02-15T17:50:00.000-08:00

Bake-off was held in late December at Britt's house. I don't have a photo of the scoreboard so the only record of entries is in the form of blurry photographs of the food. It was a cosy affair with warm drinks and only a handful of entries. I think the winner was Jocelyn, who I believe made some kind of pie? It was her first time competing.

If you have a better record/memory of this event, please edit this entry accordingly.

#9: comfort food - November 2009

2010-10-31T15:01:00.000-07:00

We opted not to have a cookoff in October and instead had a non-competitive vegan Thanksgiving dinner at the Treehouse. In November, the comfort food cookoff was held at Blühaus on the cold and rainy night of November 22nd.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Jen: grilled 'cheese' and tomato soup (VeganRella on rye bread)
Laryssa: shepherd's pie (lentils, veggies, & mashed potato)
Yaara: I'm broke (rice & lentils, "just like mama used to make")
Jeff D: southern six pack (biscuits & gravy)
Malloreigh: fuckin' poutine! (fries & tofu with mushroom gravy)
Angelique: a former cheese lover's addiction (mac & 'cheese' with cornflake crust and tomatoes)
Corinna: faux chicken pot pie (tofu, veggies & gravy in a pie crust)

Also in attendance were Dan, Kaylie, Kerstyn, Ben, Luke, Jen's roommate Jesse, and a whole bunch of beer and Southern Comfort. Jeff Z was stuck at work, sad to miss a delicious cookoff at home.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
second piece: Jeff D
most authentic: Jen
presentation: Angelique
most comforting: Angelique
overall favourite: Malloreigh/Angelique

overall winner: Angelique

#8: tofu scramble - September 2009

2010-10-02T15:43:00.001-07:00

As people are generally broke and/or travelling during the summer, cookoffs went on hiatus. Tofu scram-off was held at the house of 2 Girls, 5 Bikes on the 6th of September.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Amanda: "Shrapnel" featuring summer fruit, mint, and chipotle.
Laryssa: "Chinga tu Madre" featuring chipotle, black beans, corn, fresh salsa, and avocado.
Malloreigh: "The O.G." featuring coconut, mustard, and fenugreek.
Yaara: "The Italian Scrimmage" featuring roasted garlic, assorted tomatoes, and basil.
Kaylie: "Southern Muslim in Autumn" featuring Indian barbecue, cauliflower, and dates.

Also in attendance were Jen Clark, Jeff Z, Jeff's sister Natalie, Anita, Kerstyn, and Angelique. And a whole lotta mimosas.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
I don't actually have a picture of the poster after scoring, but if anyone can remember who won, feel free to fill this in.
texture:
presentation:
second piece:
creativity:
overall favourite:

overall winner: Yaara

After we had all stuffed ourselves with booze and food, there was a rainy adventure in a nearby park, of which there are numerous photos on Jeff's facebook.

#7: salad - June 2009

2010-09-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

First cookoff at Blühaus. We spread out a beach blanket on the kitchen floor and had an indoor picnic, accompanied by mojitos. This was a somewhat distressing cookoff because Amanda had an allergic reaction to Malloreigh's salad dressing and spent the rest of the evening lying on our couch until Jeff and I drove her home. Keri had mono and did not attend, but sent her entry along with Laryssa.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Amanda: "Flaccid Sandy Bitch" rice noodles, lime, lemon, shallots, asian pear, green onion, and cardamom.
Chelsea: "Shag Carpet" yams, onion, celery, hazelnuts, peppers, silken tofu sauce.
Malloreigh: "Basic Tossed Malad" spinach, tofu, capers, red onion, nuts, avocado, 'malad' dressing.
Laryssa: "The Wild Forest" baby spinach, cherries, carmelized pecans, mushrooms, red onion, facon bits, creamy orange garlic dressing.
Angelique: "Allahta Tabouleh" Lemon, bulgur wheat, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, red onion, chickpeas, cucumber.
Jeff: "Strawberry-Ginger FOB Salad" Mixed greens, strawberries, candied pecans, red onions, edamame, sesame-ginger miso dressing.
Jen: "Afternoon Delight" Cucumber, mint, pomegranate, ginger, lime.
Keri (absentee entry): "The Mono!!!" Classic potato salad with dill and capers.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS

Second piece: Keri
Presentation: Laryssa
Mouth marriage: Chelsea/Laryssa
Creativity: Laryssa
Best overall: Malloreigh

Overall winner: Laryssa

#6: appetizer & 1oz cocktail pairing - May 2009

2010-09-01T21:48:00.000-07:00

This was the last cookoff at the Enchanted House. We had to limit the cocktails to 1oz of booze or less each so that people wouldn't end up with alcohol poisoning.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Malloreigh: "Spring In South Asia" Anise, shiitake mushroom, mango, and avocado on brown rice crackers. Served with aloe juice, anise liqueur, and pear garnished with green onion.
Laryssa: "Everything You Love About Summer" Avocado, cucumber, rice noodles, raspberries, teriyaki tofu, and mint in rice paper. Served with coconut, white rum, raspberries, strawberries, and mint.
Jeff: "Vegan Mini Burgers" black bean patties topped with red pepper relish and homemade veganaise on a homemade whole wheat bun. Served with a whiskey sour.
Angelique: "Not-so-Lox and Cream Cheese Bites" Smoked tofu, vegan cream cheese with dill and capers on onion dusted crackers. Served with redneck German lemonade - Old Milwaukee and 7-Up.
Amanda: "Vagina Boats" Green onions, sunflower garlic spread, poppyseeds, and raspberries on baby arugula leaves. Served with Love Canal Juice - muddled raspberries, lemon, lime, gin, 7-Up, and mint.
Jen: "Sweet & Spicy Tofu" Tofu fried in oil, ginger, and cayenne, topped with avocado, red pepper relish, and black sesame seeds. Served with a Negroni - campari, sweet vermouth, and cream sherry garnished with cherry and orange peel.
Keri: "Your Mom" Almond crackers topped with roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and mint. Served with a Melon Mom - honeydew, rosewater, simple syrup, lime, and a shit tonne of gin.
Ben: Tortilla chips with spicy guacamole. Served with mango juice and tequila garnished with a gummy worm.
Yaara: "Let's Not Pretend It's Healthy" Pine nuts, walnuts, vinegar, and spinach. Served with blended hemp nut butter, raw cocoa, fireball, and stevia.

Unfortunately I do not have a photo of the scores, so I just put in what I have written in my notebook, which isn't much. If other people have better memories, feel free to fill in the blanks.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
Appetizer:
Drink Jeff
Pairing: Jen
Second piece: Keri
Creativity:

Overall winner: Amanda/Malloreigh

Obviously, we all got exceedingly drunk on this lovely late spring day in our nice clothes. This day is when the 'your mom' joke officially died. Jeff's drink made everyone need to take a smoke break. A slug crawled on someone's hand. It was a damn fine time.

#5: mush/dip - April 2009

2010-09-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

This cookoff was hosted at the Enchanted House and was attended by many people; there were ten or so entries. The theme was a "mush" or dip with a vehicle to eat it with - for example, a cracker.

edit by Jen: according to information I wrote down from the poster hanging on the fridge at the Enchanted House, the winner of this cookoff was Laryssa.

#4: PIZZA - March 2009

2010-09-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

Our fourth cookoff was Pizza Off. This was a crazy cookoff - we had thirteen entries! Malloreigh made a quadruple batch of pizza crust, so attendees were required to bring only their toppings. We had some truly fierce entries, but of course... there could be only one winner. (I believe it was Britt.)

We utilized two ovens, with each pizza getting a twenty-minute cooking time. It was surprisingly efficient!

Amanda C - Avocado and Banana Pizza
Amanda K - Samosa Pizza
Britt - Thaitanic Peanut Sauce Pizza
Malloreigh - Garlic White Sauce Meditteranean Pizza

Goodness help me but I can't remember the rest. Other Cookoffers are welcome to contribute!

The best part about this cookoff for the hosts at the House of God was that we were privileged to keep all of the leftovers (though there weren't many). We were moving the next day so this food came in quite handy.

#3: pie - March 2009

2010-05-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

Our third cookoff was held in March of 2009 and was supposed to be specifically fruit pies, but a few people missed the memo. This was held in the attic suite of Yaara's old place on 12th Ave.

Competitors were:
Laryssa, with a coconut lemon cream pie
Yaara, with a bosc pear pie with a whole wheat crust
Jen, with an apple and swiss chard pie (it was supposed to be rhubarb which is apparently hard to find in March)
Jeff Z, with a bourbon peach pie
Jeff D, with a chocolate avocado pie with almonds
Amanda C, with a strawberry rosewater pie with a lemon poppyseed crust
Amanda K, with a peach mango pie
Keri, with a chocolate banana coconut pie
Jade, with a chocolate almond tofu pie

I believe this is when we started getting really crazy with the categorization, too, so our overall winner was Amanda C, but we had a separate category for people who had never made a pie before, and Jen was the winner there with the pie of failure that turned out to be delicious.

Also in attendance were Malloreigh, Dave, and Nina. We all got nicely sauced on Baby Duck and went into sugar-induced comas, writing haikus on the typewriter. This cookoff was without our official poster-size chart of entries and was instead recorded on a typewriter, so this is all based on memory and photos.
I was going to post the family portrait of us and our pies, but the blog is not wide enough to view it, and I am not proficient enough with html to make it so.

#2: chili - February 2009

2010-05-04T17:08:00.000-07:00

our second cookoff was chili. it was the first cookoff we scored. it took place in february, 2009.

the participants were amanda, laryssa, keri, malloreigh, and yaara. jeff zipp and jen clark attended for their first times.

keri made a chocolate chili that blew all our tops off and won the competition. keri doesn't even like chocolate! sneak attack. amanda's chili was a smoky tempeh chili and it was truly delicious. laryssa made a fruity chocolatey chili. yaara made a simple bean chili. malloreigh made a curry chili and everyone told her it "wasn't really a chili" even though it had beans and chilies, which is what a chili is, anyway.

this is all iirc, btw, fyi.

#1: Lasagna - January 2009

2010-04-25T23:41:00.001-07:00

Our first cookoff was held in January, 2009. It came about because Keri made lasagna one night and Malloreigh wanted to prove that she, too, could make lasagna, though she never had. Amanda and Yaara participated as well, each making their own version of lasagna. There was no scoring, and Sam made a salad to go along with the entrees, which has not been practiced since.