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DEPARTMENTS JANUARY 2010

Grilled—In The Hot Seat

Betsy Dijulio

Bookmark and Share By Patrick Evans-Hylton
cats meow
Name: Betsy DiJulio

Lives in: Virginia Beach; here 19 years

Job: Art teacher, artist, freelance writer, vegan food blogger

Spouse: Joe; married 19 years

Children: Three beloved canines; Webster, Pyttle and Huff

Hobbies: Walking, reading, gardening, ballroom dancing

Contact: www.thebloomingplatter.blogspot.com



It’s inevitable that when the first of the year comes around, we all vow to eat healthier. That’s one New Year’s resolution that Virginia Beach art teacher, freelance writer and vegan blogger holds to each and every month. Preparing dishes from the simple (Vegan Cranberry Crunch was featured on her blog in late November) to the super (how about Vegan Spring Rolls stuffed with Five-Spice Scented Cornbread Dressing on your holiday table?), DiJulio is generous with her knowledge and recipes on her website, The Blooming Platter.
And she is working on building healthy minds, too, by teaching art to ninth- through 12th-graders, including International Baccalaureate students, at Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach. DiJulio is also a freelance writer for the professional journal SchoolArts and a number of local publications, including Hampton Roads Magazine.

Do you like to cook?
It’s one of my favorite things in life for so many reasons: the creativity; a tangible outcome for my efforts; connecting with people, ideas and traditions; celebrating the bounty of the earth; and knowing what goes into my fo od, to name a few. I love it so much that I started a vegan recipe blog last March, The Blooming Platter. I like to cook anything without a face and I love to bake.

How often do you dine out?
Joe and I usually dine out three times a week for dinner—Wednesday night, which is “date night,” and Friday and Saturday, though, if we’re going to entertain, it’s usually on a Saturday night. Occasionally I’ll grab a weekend lunch out somewhere.

What beach restaurants do you enjoy?
As a vegan, I find that ethnic restaurants offer the most interesting and tasty dishes with adequate protein and no diary. So, Joe and I both love Forbidden City, Bangkok Garden, Tida Thai, Nawab, Saffron Bistro, El Taco Loco (for casual Mexican that’s a little different), Tijuana Flats, Baja Grill (for ultra-casual California fresh-Mex) and Pasta e Pani. Additionally, I like Azar’s, Jenna’s Mediterranean Café and Vietnam Garden.

Our non-ethnic favorite would be Terrapin. The overall experience—aesthetics, ambiance, service and food—is tops. A new favorite is The Chef’s Table.

Do you have any fave cookbooks?
Boy, do I. I had to have a special breakfast room banquette built with storage underneath to hold them all. My cookbook preferences have had to change along with my diet over the last 30 years. And, with recipes so widely available on the internet, my need for cookbooks had decreased. Plus, I’m a culinary magazine junkie.

[That said, my] favorite cookbook for baking is Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, as all of the recipes can be baked as cakes. And Vegan with a Vengeance and La Dolce Vegan! are two all-around faves.

Six things in your fridge now
Vegan dairy products (soy milk, cream cheese, sour cream and butter), tahini, oil-cured olives, capers, whole wheat tortillas, parsley.

Three wines you have right now
Fetzer Gewurztraminer, Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages ’08, and Simonet Blanc de Blanc.

Fave food memories?
My mom is/was such a good cook, so there is a lot to choose from. A perennial favorite is the English Butter Toffee she makes at Christmas; it’s just as good nowadays with Earth Balance soy-based butter. My paternal grandmother’s Christmas cookies and my maternal grandmother’s Chicken Virginia, a chicken breast—bone-in—smothered in mushrooms and sour cream.

Vegan Cabbage, Apple and Caraway Salad
 

 

Make a dressing by whisking together: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon curry powder; 1/8–1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika; 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder; salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Set aside. Prepare the salad by combining 4 cups finely shredded cabbage; 1 large red delicious apple cut in half lengthwise, cored, thinly sliced crosswise and then cut in half. Pour dressing over salad, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, and toss gently with a salad fork until all ingredients are well combined and dressing is evenly distributed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired.

 

  
 

 

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