Monthly Archives: October 2011

A Vegetarian Road Trip Across America. What I’m Seeing Doing and Eating Part3 and a Giveaway

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Its official, I am a Portlander now! I completed my cross country trip and arrived in Portland, OR 2 weeks ago. Phew! This is the final post of my road trip series, and was written during the last leg of my journey. This is a bandwidth intensive post because there are lots of pictures. If you have trouble loading the pictures, please email and let me know veggiebelly AT gmail.com

If you havent already, read part1 and part2 of my vegetarian road trip across America.

Notes from the Road

Total miles traveled – 3,791
States covered so far - Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon
Cities visited - Cleveland OH, Chicago IL, Madison WI, Wisconsin Dells WI, La Crosse WI, Sioux Falls SD, Rapid City SD, Sheridan WY, Cody WY, Jackson WY, Boise ID, Portland OR
Mood – tired, eager to get to Portland, but feeling rather triumphant that I will be completing a cross country trip soon
Most Memorable Moment – watching the Old Faithful geyser erupt at night into a star studded sky
Most shocking thing I saw – a highway billboard that said “Help manage our wildlife populations. Wear fur.” Wyoming.
“I am not in DC anymore” moments – 1.seeing atleast 15 taxidermist shops 2.seeing a drive through liquor store 3.facing no traffic at all at any time of the day 4.staying in a house with a real wood burning fireplace
Best meal so far – Homemade idlis that my dear friend Sandhya bought when she visited me in Yellowstone. They were the softest idlis I’ve ever had! Such a treat to picnic with them by Lake Yellowstone. The fries at the Boise Fry company were insanely good. Not a meal technically, but it was so superb!
Craving – curd rice, a veggie bowl from Chipotle

A Magical Weekend at Yellowstone National Park

 

The Old Faithful Geyser erupts every 90 minutes or so.

Geyser basins at Yellowstone.

The Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone

The Old Faithful Inn, built in 1903 using wood from Yellowstone National Park was the most unique, cozy hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Their historic dining room, gigantic stone fire place and rustic log cabin type rooms were all so warm and charming. I spent the evenings sitting on one of their cozy sofas overlooking the lobby, sipping herbal tea, and listening to the cello playing in a distance. It was like being transported back in time.

The mesh box like thing with the long iron handle above is an old pop corn maker. Back in the day, they put popping corn in it and put it in the fire place at the Old Faithful Inn.

Above: The historic restaurant at Old Faithful Inn.

My good friend Sandhya, author of the blog Vegetarian Nirvana, joined me for a few days on this leg of the trip. It was wonderful to share my Yellowstone experience with her. Like me, she is also vegetarian, and came well prepared for her trip.

Finding vegetarian food at Yellowstone wasn’t difficult, but our choice was limited. We had the packaged Indian food Sandhya brought along from Trader Joes for a few meals. Dinners were usually at the grand, historic restaurant at the Old Faithful Inn where we were staying.

Above left is a hottle filled with hot water for tea. To the right – dinner at Old Faithful. A roasted vegetable stack of zucchini, red peppers, portobello mushroom and a disc of crispy polenta.

Every moment at Yellowstone was magical – from the stunning rainbow that greeted me just as I entered the park, to Sandhya’s delicious homemade idlis we snacked on sitting at a picnic table by lake Yellowstone. The idlis were sauteed with lots of mustard seeeds, green chillies and asafoetida. Just how I like it. I was in idli heaven, floating on a fluffy idli cloud.

Wyoming - They Have Real Cowboys!

 It was just like in the movies (or like on Pioneer Woman)! I drove by cowboys on horses, rounding up sheep. And the cowboys were wearing chaps, and cowboy hats and all other stuff cowboys wear. They even tip their cowboy hats and say “howdy!”. I was unmistakably in the wild west!

Beer bread mix in a bottle and Chocolate covered huckleberry fudge cupcakes.

Lunch at Bridge Creek back country kitchen & wine bar in Red Lodge, Montana – soba noodles with plum coconut ginger sauce. They werent real soba noodles, but still very tasty.

I want!

Lotus Cafe, Jackson WY

The wonderful Lotus Cafe in Jackson, WY. We stumbled upon this while walking around town. And we knew instantly that the word “lotus” promises healthy, vegetarian food.  The food was excellent; great atmosphere too.

They have a very interesting list of teas, smoothies, and organic cocktails. I had the navigator tea, whch is meant to “open the heart and release..gently cleanse on many levels. Linden leaf, roasted dandelion root, jasmine flower, St Johns wort, hawthorne berry, elder flower, lotus petal”.

Next we had a thai green curry with brown rice. And a blackbean and veggie burrito, mole sauce and blue corn chips.

If you are ever in Jackson, WY, the Lotus Cafe is a must visit for vegetarians and vegan. You will love it.

The Boise Fry Company - When You Are in Idaho, You Have to Eat a Potato!

I have to thank my car’s GPS for pointing me towards the Boise Fry Company. Their fries were phenomenal and what better place to eat deep fried potatoes than Idaho! I love their fry bar concept. You pick what kind of potato you want, what kind of cut, and few minutes later you get a bowl full of amazing fries. You then have a choice of about 25 kinds of salts and sauces for your fries. It was so much fun and so cheap!

We had a regular cut purple potato fries, curly cut laura potato fries and po’balls which are like tater tots. We doused each one in different combinations of salts and sauces. I loved their smoked hickory salt and their rosemary garlic salt. I still think about these fries!

Commonly Asked Questions About My Road Trip Across America

I already did an FAQ about this trip in my previous post. I’ve received more emails with questions, so here is another installment.

How did you take pictures of yourself when you were alone?
I put my camera on a tripod and triggered it using a remote control. Or I hand my camera to other people to take a picture of me.

What kind of music did you listen to on your drive?
I knew I’d need a lot of music for this trip, so I made playlists on itunes before leaving. I mostly listened to Indian music. I am a huge fan of A.R.Rahman and had his Hindi and Tamil songs playing a lot. When I didn’t feel like listening to music, I switched to Bill Bryson’s audio book, “Notes from a small island”. I also tuned in to local radio stations once in a while for information on weather and traffic.

How do you stay healthy on long trips?
I try to drink lots of water to stay hydrated; it also helps digestion. I like to eat as much fresh fruits, salads and vegetables as I can. I have a tendency to catch colds easily, so I take a high dose of vitamin C, like Airborne, every other day when im traveling. I find that the vitamin C really helps me.

Any tips for girls traveling alone?
-          Use common sense and instinct. If something doesn’t feel right to you, don’t do it.
-          Wear a wedding ring, even if you aren’t married.
-          Talk about a husband, even if you don’t have one.
-          Walk with confidence even if you are lost.  
-          Split your money in 2-3 places – like an inner pocket, your purse and your suitcase. That way if one gets lost, you still have money in other places.
-          Lock your car.
-          Always keep an eye on your belongings. If you have to put your backpack or handbag down, between yours legs is the best place.
-          Trust people. Most the people you will meet in your travels and good human beings. Interact with them for a richer experience.

For more FAQs see my previous post.

 

 

Road Trip Giveaway

I’m Sharing the Goodies I Picked Up Along the Way!

One randomly picked lucky winner will receive the following things I picked up in various states on my trip:

1.Woodenknife fry bread mix. Marketed by the Lakota tribe, this mix makes it easy to make your own Native Indian fry bread or Indian tacos. I had the fry bread made from this very mix in South Dakota, and it was delicous. Read more about my fry bread experience here.
2. The Cheese Factory Restaurant Cookbook. The best vegetarian cookbook I’ve seen! I ate at the Cheese Factory Restaurant, and the food was superb. The recipes in this book are easy and so full of flavor that you will love it!! Recipes include rattle snake tofu, their famous mushroom stroganoff, split pea and smoked seitan soup, Mexican “ouchies”, kasha and brown rice pilaf, dal, Greek eggplant salad and much much more.
I’ve eaten their food, so trust me when I say this is the best vegetarian and vegan cookbook you will lay your hands on!
3.Wild Huckleberry Pancake Mix
4.Yellowstone Pink and Yellow Spoon Rest 
5.Kick Butt Hickory Spice Rub – great on tofu! 
6.Wild Plum Jelly 
7.Wild Black Rice – Minnesota style super long grain black rice
8.Wall Drug cook book – put together by the people at the Wall Drug store. Not a vegetarian cookbook, but there are tons of fun recipes like cheese puffs, quick coffee cake, whole wheat zucchini bread, brownie shortcake, vegetable burritos, noodle garden salad etc 
 9. Corn Meal Wasna – buttery corn meal candy with sugar, raisins, cranberries and chocke cherries.
10. Chokecherry Tea

How to enter the giveaway

‘Like’ Veggie Belly on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Subscribe to my RSS feed

Do one or more of the above. Then come back here, post a comment and let me know that you have.

If you are already following me through facebook, twitter or RSS feed, just leave a comment telling me so and you are entered in the giveaway!

Giveaway ends Wednesday, October 26th 2011, 9pm PST.  One random winner will be picked. I will ship anywhere in the world.

This giveaway has ended, winner is comment #19, Betty!

Mishti Doi Recipe – Yogurt Set with Caramelized Sugar

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..a guest post by Pavithra of Dishes from my Kitchen

I have just completed a cross country drive across America (read about it here and here!) and moved to Portland, OR. While I’m settling in, I’ve asked my good friend and talented blogger, Pavithra to guest post today. Pavithra and I made an instant connection because we are from the same city in India. And I have followed her beautiful blog and seen it grow into a hugely popular destination for Indian food lovers. You are going to love this sweet yogurt recipe! Take it away Pavithra.

First of all I should say thanks to Sala for giving me an opportunity to do this guest post. I am truly honored! Who can say no when your favorite blogger friend asks you to guest post?

I am here today with very rich dessert but really simple to make. Mishti Doi is a Bengali dessert. Bengal is a part of East India and Bengalis are very famous for their sweet preparation. Mishti Doi is among their well known dessert, I have enjoyed having them from my childhood days. Whenever my dad visits Bangalore he will never miss to have them, similarly whenever he takes us to Bangalore we used to enjoy them in a cute earthen pot in a famous Bengali sweet shop.

Mishti Doi is a sweet yogurt. It is made with milk and sugar. A part of sugar is caramelized to give lovely caramel flavor. This is a very popular dessert. Earthenware is always used as the container for making this because the gradual evaporation of water through its porous walls not only further thickens the yogurt, but also produces the right temperature for the growth of the culture. Very often the yogurt is delicately seasoned with a hint of elaichi (cardamoms) for fragrance, but this is absolutely optional. I some times make with Saffron, elaichi or just with caramelized sugar. You can prepare the way you like.

I am giving you two ways of preparing this delicious and flavorful yogurt. If you have evaporated milk and condensed milk handy then go for ver I else you can do the ver II.

Mishti Doi Recipe 1

makes about 4 cups

Ingredients
 1 can (12 oz) Evaporated Milk
 1 cup boiled whole milk
1/2 can (7 oz) Condensed Milk 
2 tablespoons Sugar
1 tablespoon Water
1/3 cup Yogurt

Method
Preheat the oven to 175 degree Fahrenheit and switch off the oven.

1. Pour the evaporated milk and whole milk in a vessel.
2. Heat them until it is above body temperature.
3. To this add the condensed milk.
4. In the mean time heat 2 tbsp of sugar in a pan on low heat until the sugar is caramelized to nice golden brown. Turn off heat. Now add 1 tbsp of water and stir with a spoon.
5. Add this caramelized sugar to the milk mixture.
6. When the milk mixture is warm add the yogurt and blend well.
7. Pour them in individual serving containers.
8. Close with lid or foil. Let the yogurt set overnight in the preheated oven (dont turn on the oven!)
9. Then refrigerate set yogurt for at least few hours before serving.

Mishti Doi Recipe 2

If you don’t have the condensed and evaporated milk called for in recipe1, no worries here is another recipe for mishti doi without using condensed milk or evaporated.
Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients
3 cups whole milk 
3/4 cup Sugar
1/3 tablespoon Plain Yogurt, whisked
1 tablespoon Water

Method
1. Heat the milk in the heavy bottom pan. Reserving 1/3 cups of the sugar for caramelizing and add the rest to the hot milk. Let boil and reduce to half the quantity.
2. In the mean time heat reserved 1/3 cup of sugar in a pan on low heat until the sugar is caramelized to nice golden brown. Turn off the heat. Now to that add 1 tbsp of water and stir with a spoon.
3. Add this caramelized sugar to the milk and stir until well blended.
4. Let the milk cool just until it is warm (but not hot). Then add the yogurt and mix well.
5. Pour in serving dishes/ pots and set overnight in a warm place*.
6. Once the yogurt is firm, put it in the refrigerator for few hours before serving.

Notes
- Mishti Doi taste’s best when served in earthen pot but it’s optional. But we love making them in earthen pot it really comes out very creamy its my personal experience.
- *Using the warm oven is optional, if the weather is really hot just put the pot in a cool dry place and let them set overnight. If the weather is very cool then opt for oven method to set the yogurt.
- If you want to flavor the yogurt using cardamom or saffron, just omit the caramelization part of sugar. Instead add less then 1/4 tsp of cardamom powder or Saffron (mixed with hot water) to the milk mixture before the yogurt is added

Aloo Gobi Tart Recipe

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..a guest post by Radhika of Food for 7 Stages

I have been reading Radhika’s mouth watering blog,  Food for 7 stages right since its inception. I am excited to invite her to guest blog today, because her recipe for aloo gobi (Indian potato and cauliflower curry) tart is ingenious. We usually eat al00 gobi with rotis, but radhika puts this classic curry on a puff pastry shell to make it a spicy, decadent meal.

And make sure you read my travel posts, about my vegetarian road trip across america part1 and part2

You need inspiration and then some motivation to pursue a task. When it comes to blogging I draw the inspiration from bloggers like Sala of Veggie Belly. Her eye candy pics, storytelling and her love for traveling makes me feel connected with her though I don’t know her personally. But that is what a good blog and good blogger do to you.

When I came to know that Sala was looking for bloggers to guest post whilst she was traveling across the country, I immediately wrote to her. And she graciously accepted my request to guest post in her beautiful blog. Though it is hard to express my gratitude through words, I thank Sala wholeheartedly for giving me this opportunity to write this guest post in Veggie Belly. 

The tree in front of my home warned us well ahead of time about the changing season. Though I am happy to see those bright orange leaves am not really prepared to face the  aftermath. The thought of unpacking the long forgotten boxes filled with our jackets and winter clothes makes me nervous. I couldn’t believe that one brutal winter can change my love for this season. However, I have to accept the fact and move forward. Before the temperature drops further I have to move all my plants indoor, paint our deck and rearrange my home. Sigh. 

As there is always a blessing in disguise, it is the right time to turn on my oven and get started with baking again. The nip in the air made me crave for something hot yet spicy and I got reminded of the gluten free fusion tart I baked few months ago. Though I was not very happy with the tart crust as the sweetness of almond meal was overpowering the better half seemed to like it. And Aloo Gobhi tart it is. This time I wanted to whip up something real quick and I didn’t have patience to make the tart crust from the scratch. Ding… The idea of using puff pastry popped in my mind and viola I had a delicious savory tart to share it with you all. Flaky buttery crust forms a perfect base for this spiced Aloo Gobhi Masala and I would never think of using another crust recipe. Yumm.

There are very few vegetables that marry well with each other. Cauliflower (Gobi) and Potatoes (Aloo) are the right candidates for this perfect marriage. When these two vegetables are blended together with the right spices they create wonders and Aloo Gobhi is one such popular dish from India. The very thought of combining this popular curry with flaky puff pastry makes me weak at the knees. If you are a savory lover like me, go ahead and make this Aloo Gobi tart. I am sure you will enjoy this fusion savory tart as much as my family did. 

Aloo Gobi Tart Recipe

serves 2-3

Ingredients
2 cup Cauliflower florets
2 Potatoes (medium size)
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1/2 cup finely chopped Onion
1/4 cup finely chopped Tomato
3 teaspoon Canola Oil (or any cooking oil)
1/4 teaspoon Cumin Seeds / Jeera
2 Cardamon pods
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder or red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder
1/2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1/4 teaspoon Garam masala
2 teaspoon Yogurt
2 cup + 4 teaspoon Water
Salt to taste
1 Puff Pastry Sheet (preferably Pepperidge farm), substitute with home made or store bought pie crust
1/4 tablespoon Butter (Optional)
2 tsp Dried fenugreek leaves / Kasuri Methi (Optional)

Method
 Preheat oven to 400 F.

Line a baking tray with wax/parchment paper or foil. Brush it with butter/oil. Place 1 frozen puff pastry sheet on it and allow it to thaw.

Wash cauliflower florets. In a sauce pan, add 2 cup of water, 1/2 tsp salt. Bring it to boil. Turn off and add the cauliflower florets. Let it stand for couple of minutes. This step will cleanse the cauliflower.

In another sauce pan, boil Potatoes until it is 95% cooked (fork tender). I prefer to steam the potatoes. I cut them into equal size chunks and put it in my steamer for 5-6 minutes.

In a wok/kadai, add oil. When it is hot add cumin seeds and allow it to sizzle. Add cardamon, finely chopped ginger. Add onion. Saute until it turns translucent, for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.

Then add tomato, 1/2 tsp salt and saute for another 3 minutes or until it becomes mushy. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, kashmiri chili powder, saute. Add 2-4 tsp water to prevent it from sticking.

Add cumin powder, coriander powder and saute. Add 2 tsp yogurt, potato and cauliflower. Mix well. Adjust salt as per taste.

Then add garam masala, mix and close the kadai with a lid and let it simmer for couple of minutes. This will allow the flavors to marry well. Do not forget to stir in between to avoid sticking to the pan.

Open the lid, if there is any liquid left cook for couple of minutes until the water evaporates. Turn off and allow it to cool.

Place the baking tray in oven and bake the puff pastry sheet for 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350 F.

Spread the Aloo Gobhi Masala on the tart. Add few swirls of butter and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve it hot.

A Vegetarian Road Trip Across America. What Im Seeing, Doing and Eating Part 2

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It has been an awe inspiring, eye opening trip so far and I am seeing so many breathtaking sites. Above is a picture of the magnificent Badlands in South Dakota. I wasnt expecting great vegetarian food driving through this part of the world, but I landed up discovering superb restaurants and some very unique vegetarian foods. Read on to see everything I’ve been eating and ‘cooking’ on this cross country drive.

If you’ve missed it, make sure you read part 1 of this trip first.

Notes from the Road

Total miles traveled – 3,001
States covered so far - Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho
Cities visited - Cleveland OH, Chicago IL, Madison WI, Wisconsin Dells WI, La Crosse WI, Sioux Falls SD, Rapid City SD, Cody WY, Jackson WY, Idaho Falls ID, Boise ID 
Mood – awestruck and inspiried by what I’ve seen and experienced so far..
Observations –  Human directions are better than GPS directions; your GPS is not human.
I’m falling in love with America all over again. What a beautiful country! And driving across it is such a great way to see it
Best meal so far – vegetarian Native Indian taco at a tiny mountain cafe in Cheyenne Crossing, SD. Recipe below
Craving – Curd rice and hot masala chai
National parks and monuments visited – Badlands, Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Devils Tower, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Tetons
Entrance fees paid for the above - $103
Wildlife spotted - praire dog, fox, bison, elk, pronghorn, deer, lots of birds and creepy crawlies

Cutest Thing I Ever Saw

Custer State Park in South Dakota is home to the cutest donkeys ever. These little donkeys are called begging burros because they come up to passing cars and beg for food. Sometimes they wont let you go untill youve fed them. I took some bread from my hotel for them. They eat anything – donuts, pretzels, crackers. Cutest things ever!

Vegetarian Food on a Cross Country Road Trip – What I’m Eating

 I knew I was driving through the blackhills and would have to pack lunch that day. I had bought along a few Dr McDougalls vegan soup cups. The tortilla soup tasted decent.  All I had to do was add hot water to it and put it in my thermos. The soup plus and apple was a nice light lunch. What was even better was that I picnicked along a creek in the spearfish canyon, surrounded by breath taking fall colors.

The beautiful Spreafish Canyon, SD

Another time I made myself a quick vegetarian lunch on the road was in Wyoming. I was driving about 300 miles that day and was starving by early afternoon. I opened up a bag of spring mix I’d bought earlier in the city, tossed in some canned sweet corn, seasoned salt, sun chips and olive oil.

Then I drove by smallest town I’ve seen - Emblem WY, population 10 people!

I was also eating out during my trip ofcourse. A memorable meal was at the Phillips Avenue Diner in Sioux Falls, SD. I skipped the deep fried twinkie on their menu..gross. But the Salty Dog shake was heavenly – it was vanilla icecream, caramel syrup and beer nuts all blended together. It was caramely, salty and sweet.

And them something happened that every road tripper should dread. My masala dabba (Indian spice box) spilled itself all over my car’s trunk. That meant I had to take out my 2 suitcases, 7 boxes, 3 bags, 1 comforter, and 1 computer and then vaccum the whole car. Ugh! Such a pain trying to suck up all those little mustard seeds. Lesson: when you travel with a full masala dabba, tape up the damn thing!

Finding Vegetarian Food in the Land of Bison Meat

 

I was asked several times in South Dakota if a vegetarian eats chicken and fish. Seriously. This is the land of meat and potatoes and often that meat is bison. So how was I going to find tasty, healthy vegetarian food in South Dakota? At a restaurant that specializes in local meats ofcourse! I have nothing against non-vegetarian restaurants. They are afterall, the majority. If I can find a well constructed vegetarian meal at a Bison meat place, I am happy to eat there.

The Corn Exchange is a beautiful fine dining restaurant in Rapid City, SD that specializes in cooking with local, organic meats and produce.

Locally Grown Buffalo MeatI met acclaimed Chef and owner MJ Adams at the restaurant and chatted with her before dinner. Here are some things I asked her. (Photo of MJ with bison courtesy of The Corn Exchange.)

Sala: What is your food philosophy?
 MJ: I take what is in season and worship the food. Somewhat like Alice Waters’ philosophy. I like to take seasonal stuff and prepare them in the simplest way possible.
 

Sala: I know there isn’t a big vegetarian culture here in South Dakota, but you always have one vegetarian entrée on your menu. How do you design your vegetarian dishes?
MJ: I try to make it exciting. We use local vegetables like eggplant, english peas etc. We care about food and want to create dishes that people havent had before. We treat vegetarian dishes like any other entree and try to add wonderful components to them.
 

Sala: What are some of the vegetarian dishes you have served at the restaurant?
MJ: Right now we have a vindaloo of fresh tomatoes, cauliflower and zucchini. I like doing Indian inspired dishes. We’ve previously had organic garnet yams in a coconut green curry. Another vegetarian dish at the Corn Exchange was a polenta with roasted summer vegetables like asparagus, peppers and zucchini all drizzled with basil oil.

The vegetarian entrée of the day was a fresh vegetable vindaloo topped with seared tofu. It sounded interesting, and I sat down to order it.

First came some nice bread with grass fed butter sprinkled with a touch of Hawaiian red sea salt – what a nice idea!

Next, I had a beautiful turnip soup. The turnip was local; and Chef MJ Adams sautés onions, carrots, celery, adds some sage, potatoes and turnips and cooks the soup in water. I loved the unadulterated turnip flavor of the soup.

The entrée was 2 seared tofu pieces sitting on a vindaloo of tomatoes, cauliflower and zucchini. The dish was light, and had a hint of ginger, garlic and cumin.

Native American & Other Food Finds

If you are ever in Rapid City, SD make sure you visit the Praire Edge Gallery. Their Native American art collection and souveniers are unique and interesting.

Michael, who owns Praire Edge gave me a ton of information about Native American food. One of the staples is a dried turnip (above left) that is reconstituted by boiled and eaten with meats. Wasna (above right) is a kind of Native American meat and berry patty.

Below are some more interesting food finds from my road trip..

 

How to Make Indian Tacos

While driving through the Blackhills of South Dakota, I stumbled upon the  Cheyenne Crossing Café. I was really hoping this charming little café (the only food place I had seen in over 50 miles of driving) would have  some vegetarian food. Not only did they have vegetarian food on the menu, they had a veggie version of their famous Indian tacos! AND they showed me how to make them!

Read on to see how the Cheyenne crossing café makes their  Indian tacos.

An Indian taco is a piece of Indian fry bread, topped with beans, meat, lettuce etc. Fry bread is the official state bread of South Dakota. It was introduced to the Native Americans by European settlers and is now a common food.

Fry bread is basically flour, baking powder and salt kneaded together with water. The dough is then rolled out and deep fried into soft, golden pillows.

Cheyenne crossing café was kind enough to let me into their kitchen and show me how they make their famous Indian taco.

The cafe uses Woodenknife fry bread mix. But you don’t need a mix. Making Indian fry bread is very easy, you just knead together flour, baking powder, salt and water. Take a look at my friend Michael’s excellent recipe for fry bread and vegetarian Indian tacos on his site, Herbivracious. 

 Chef Carol at the Cheyenne Crossing Café kneads a big bunch of fry bread dough.

Then she rolls it out into a big round.

She deep fries it in canola oil untill it is puffy and golden.

The fry bread is now ready to become an Indian taco. My vegetarian Indian taco had beans, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, cheese and sour cream on top of the fry bread.

Eating my Indian taco – fry bread, beans, cheese, sour cream, lettuce. Really good and really bad (for you) at the same time!

Commonly Asked Questions About My Road Trip Across America

I’ve received many emails with questions about my road trip. People I meet along the way also seem to have similar questions for me, so I thought I’d do a little FAQ.

Are you driving alone?
Mostly. My husband came with me up to Chicago. A friend met up with me and rode with me for a few days. Other than that I am driving alone.

Are you scared?
No. I am being careful and sensible (for the most part!). There is nothing scary about driving in the US as long as you practise common sense. I dont drive at night, and I dont stay in shady places. I feel safe doing this trip. And I am having a tremendous amount of fun.

What if your car breaks down?
I drive a good, safe car that is tuned up and taken care of. I really dont expect car trouble. But I got myself a AAA membership before my trip. So if I was ever in trouble, I could call them and they will come out and help me.

Where are you staying?
A combination of hotels, friends homes, and Couch Surfing. Couch Surfing is a great idea – it connects travelers with locals who host them in their homes. I’ve hosted and been hosted several times around the world, and it has always been a wonderful experience.

Are you getting internet everywhere?
Pretty much. When I cant find a network, I use the Sprint MiFi my husband gave me. Cell phone service however, has been patchy in the moutains.

How are you processing your photos on the road?
I have my laptop with me. But my laptop doesnt have photoshop, which is the editing software I usually use. So I use Picasa to edit my pictures on my laptop for now.

Why are you driving cross country?
Read Part 1 of this series to learn more.

Rice Noodles and Vegetables in Soy Cilantro Broth Recipe

I was in Wall, a tiny little town in South Dakota. I really couldnt find any vegetarian options that I liked in town. So I decided to make myself something quick using my kettle and the vegetables I had in my cooler. Vary the amount of noodles, vegetables and seasonings however you like.

serves 1

Ingredients

8-10 pieces of dried shitake mushrooms
a handfull of rice noodles or rice sticks
2 handfulls of baby spinach
1 small carrot, chopped tiny
3 tablespoons sweet corn
1-2 soy sauce packets (saved from take out)
2 tablespoons cilantro paste (from a tube, found in the salad section of grocery store)
Red chili flakes
Garlic salt
A drizzle of sesame oil

Method

Reconstitute the mushrooms – boil water in a kettle, pour it in a bowl with the mushrooms, cover and let it soak till the mushrooms are soft. Fish out the mushrooms and reserve the soaking liquid.
Then Boil about 3 cups of water in a kettle. Place all ingredients in a large bowl, including the reconstituted mushroom. Pour boiling water over. Cover and let it sit about 12 minutes or till the rice noodles have softened. For extra flavor, add some of the mushroom soaking liquid.

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