Tempeh really makes a meal. Here are some simple baked tempeh patties.

Ingredients:

• 1 package tempeh, ground in food processor
• 1 TB granulated onion (I buy mine at Savory Spice Shop)
• 1/2 TB garlic powder (again, from Savory)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/8 cup ketchup
• 2 TB Worcestershire
• 1 TB olive oil

I like to top patties with Red Rocks Hickory Smoke Ketchup.

A funny thing happened last spring. I found out that Colorado’s first all organic brewery had set up shop a few months prior in an office park across the street from where I live. Asher Brewing Co, who claims to be “solving the world’s problems one beer at a time” is definitely trying to solve our problem out here in the Gunbarrel neighborhood of Boulder where good food and drink establishments are scarce. At least we can finally hang out at a… I don’t know what to say… an office park brewery. You have to see it to believe it, and taste a few while you’re there.

On the Saturday before Halloween I found out that Hosea Rosenberg’s StrEAT Chefs would be at Asher, serving some street food from their shiny mobile kitchen. I had not yet tried StrEAT Chefs, despite the fact that I’d been eager to ever since they started serving “streat”-food a few months ago. We just walked across the street and there he was, Top Chef Hosea himself.

The menu looked like good street food, and the meat-eater with me was VERY happy with his pulled pork BBQ sandwich.

Vegetarian options, however, were disappointing. My only choices were a salad or a three cheese grilled cheese sandwich, which I was not really expecting. I ordered the grilled cheese because I was starving and I eat salads all the time and didn’t feel like a salad with my beer. The grilled cheese was sinfully good, slathered in butter and dripping with cheese. But, I don’t really like to eat that way, personally. There are so many unique, cool, fun vegetarian options that I’d like to see available, especially since a lot of people will eat vegetarian foods who aren’t vegetarians themselves. It’s often a healthy choice and A Bolder Table readers know I have a number of ideas that could fly with StrEAT Chefs. But, rather than complain that StrEAT Chefs brush vegetarians to the side and assume they’ll be happy with grilled cheese, I will go ahead and give them a thumbs up because their food is good, and we desperately need food carts in Boulder!

However, if anyone from StrEAT Chefs is reading this… I’d be more than happy to provide a vegetarian menu consultation. It might take your business to a new level.

I was honored to be invited by Art in the Age to a Pre-Pohibition era tasting preview of ROOT at Boulder’s Bitter Bar. I had never heard of this spirit and was quite intrigued after reading that what we know as the non-alcoholic beverage root beer actually shares historical roots with a delicious spirit that has been re-created and is now available in Colorado: ROOT.

The Bitter Bar’s illustrious mixologist Mark Stoddard created some noteworthy cocktails featuring ROOT that I am eager to return and try over and over and over…

The evening started with a taste of ROOT on its own and my root beer-loving taste buds were pleased. I love the flavor of root beer, but, being someone who does not drink soda, never drink it. Not to sound like an alcoholic, but, I am so glad that ROOT, a fine spirit, now can fill that flavor-space in my life. (big smile here!)

After the first taste of ROOT on its own, came Stoddard’s creation of ROOT, fresh lime, mint, and ginger beer. Perfect.

Next came his ROOT, yellow chartreuse, spiced cranberry compote, and maple bitters. Perfect again.

(The Happy Noodle was serving us some ROOT-inspired delicious food with these drinks, by the way…)

Then came ROOT with rye whiskey served over and allspice dram and local apple cider ice cube. Genius. Make ice cubes with apple cider. I am going to do this really soon. Probably as soon as I buy my first bottle of ROOT, which is likely to be tonight or tomorrow at Liquor Mart.

And the cream of the crop was probably the BEST root beer float I’ve ever had (or ROOT float?)

ROOT over Fernet Branca ice cream, topped with fresh grated nutmeg. I’d like to serve this at Thanksgiving.

Now, ROOT is a certified organic natural spirit of 80 proof. This will explain why my photos are a bit blurry. It was an eventful, fun, thirst-quenching evening.

If you’d like to try ROOT, served by a professional mixologist, head on over to The Bitter Bar and taste some of Mark’s creations. You can also get some ideas to inspire your own creations on the ROOT website: Art in the Age.

Enjoy responsibly, of course.

One of the newer staples in my arsenal of Savory Spice Shop ingredients is Korean Aged Black Garlic. It can turn an ordinary dinner into something much more interesting and unique, so, pick some up and experiment.

Here’s what I did this time…

Ingredients:

• One block firm tofu, frozen, thawed, pressed, and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 TB chopped garlic
• 2 TB chopped black garlic (which you can find at Savory Spice Shop)
• 1 TB grated ginger
• 4 TB soy sauce (divided in half)
• 1 TB sesame oil
• 1 TB rice vinegar
• 1 lime
• 1/2 cup white wine
• baby bok choy, chopped and divided between leafy greens and celery-like stem
• soba or udon noodles
• 3-4 TB toasted sesame oil
• toasted sesame seeds (I buy my seeds already toasted from Savory Spice Shop)
• chopped peanuts

Heat up a wok with 1 TB sesame oil. When hot, add the tofu cubes, ginger, garlic, and 2 TB soy sauce. Let this cook a bit, tossing it around occasionally. Squeeze half of the lime, mix, and let it cook. Next, add the chopped stem part of the bok choy and 1 TB rice vinegar. Then add the white wine and the rest of the soy sauce and let it cook another few minutes (approximately 10 minutes total).

By now, the noodles should be boiled, drained, and rinsed. Add the noodles to the wok as well as the leafy part of the bok choy and toasted sesame oil, and gently stir to mix it all evenly and heat the noodles all the way through.

Scoop some noodles into a bowl and top with some toasted sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, and a spritz of lime. Enjoy with chopsticks.