Vegan with a Vengeance

maple syrup
    2 tablespoons soy milk
    Â¼ cup all-purpose flour
    3 ears corn, kernels cut from the cob (see Punk Points) (about 1½ cups)
    Â¼ teaspoon salt
    Several dashes fresh black pepper
    1 jalapeño, very finely chopped
    Â¼ red bell pepper, very finely chopped
    Corn oil for frying (canola or any light vegetable oil will do)
    In a blender or food processor whiz the tofu, maple syrup, and soy milk, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula often, until everything is smooth. Add half the corn (¾ cup) and pulse about 20 times (scraping down the sides after 10 times), so that the mixture is chunky. Transfer to a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients (except for the oil), and combine well.
    Heat a thin layer of oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high. Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls into the skillet. Flatten a little with the back of the spoon (wet the spoon first to avoid sticking). Cook 2½ to 3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. I do this in two batches. When done, rest on a brown paper bag or paper towels to drain the oil.
    PUNK POINTS
    To cut the corn from the cob, place the shucked corn pointy side up on a kitchen or paper towel. Take a chef’s knife and cut downward, as close as you can to the cob. The towel will keep the corn kernels from bouncing everywhere and also makes a handy vehicle for transporting them to the mixing bowl.

    My Childhood in Yellow Cabs and Knishes
    When I was a child, my father was a NYC cabbie. Like so many children of divorced parents I only saw him on the weekends but the thing was he worked on the weekends, so I got to drive around in the taxi with him. He would stack two phone books on the front seat for me to sit on, so that I could look out the window. This was the NYC I loved as a child: bright, dangerous, and loud. Looking out the window was like watching a movie, so many different kinds of people. My dad cursed at most of the passengers when they’d give a lousy tip, which made the rides even more colorful for me. At the time the Lower East Side was still teeming with Jewish culture and my dad knew all the best places for a quick nosh. Among them was Yonah Shimmel knishes on Houston Street.
    Today the neighborhood is pretty much a hipster shopping mall but miraculously Yonah Shimmel is still there, and its delicious knishes still line the window. I think of my dad whenever I pass and I long for that NYC I knew as a child. I can only imagine the NYC my parents remember. I like to stop in once in a while and get nostalgic for a time that I knew and those old days that I didn’t know.

Knish Madness:
Three Kinds of Knishes—Sweet Potato, Potato, and Spinach-Potato
    MAKES 15 GOOD-SIZE KNISHES
    Â 
    I brought these to Rosh Hashanah dinner at my aunt’s one year and everyone loved them until she started telling people that they were vegan, then all of a sudden no one would touch them. Actually, most knish recipes are vegan. I like to make all three fillings because it’s easy to do and the colors look really cool together. The real work here is the dough, which you have to knead for a long time to get it smooth and stretchy enough; after that you are halfway to knish madness. There are a lot of steps but actually not so much active prep/cooking time, so don’t be intimidated.
    Â 
    FOR THE DOUGH:
    1 medium-size russet potato
    2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
    Â¾ cup cold water
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    3 cups all-purpose flour
    FOR THE FILLINGS:
    1 large yellow onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
    4 tablespoons olive oil
    6 medium-size russet potatoes
    1 teaspoon salt
    Â¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained (drain while potatoes bake)
    4 medium-size sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
    Â¼ teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
    Â¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    Â¼ teaspoon ground allspice
    Preheat oven to 350°F. Prick the seven regular potatoes with a fork and wrap in foil and place in the oven. The four sweet potatoes can just go in as is. Take out the sweet potatoes after 40 minutes; the regular potatoes will need to bake another 30 minutes, so they will take about 70 minutes total, depending on their size. Remove from the oven and let cool.

    To make the dough:
    In a large bowl, place one peeled baked potato for the dough, let the others continue to cool. Add the oil and water to the potato and mash until well combined. Add the