Vegan with a Vengeance

will embark on a culinary adventure that makes it worth it: the taste of homemade chile paste is just incomparable. There are several steps here but you should be able to have dinner on the table within an hour provided your tofu is already pressed. This is a great dish to serve a date, alongside the Fresh Mango Summer Rolls (page 84) and some jasmine rice.
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    FOR THE CHILE PASTE:
    2 small Thai green peppers or serrano chiles, seeded and chopped
    2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
    Â½ cup boiling water
    2 teaspoons crushed coriander seeds
    1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    5 white peppercorns (black peppercorns are an okay substitution)
    1 tablespoon fresh chopped lemongrass (see Punk Points on next page)
    1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger (or galangal if you can find it)
    3 cloves garlic
    1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
    2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
    1 cup shallots, chopped
    EVERYTHING ELSE:
    5 tablespoons peanut oil
    1 block tofu, pressed and cut into small triangles (page 144)
    1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
    1 medium-size red onion, sliced into thin half moons
    1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
    1½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
    Juice of 1 lime
    Â½ cup lightly packed fresh basil (Thai basil if you can find it)
    To make the chili paste:
    Place the serranos and jalapeños in a bowl, cover with about ½ cup boiling water, and let sit for 15 minutes.
    Place the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and peppercorns in a small skillet and toast over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until they are fragrant. Transfer to a food processor and grind into a powder. (If you are using a blender instead, it
may not grind the seeds into a powder, it may just bounce them around, so either use a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder to grind them or just place them with all the other ingredients and hope for the best.) Add the remaining ingredients, including the chiles in their water; grind to a paste. Cover and set aside until ready to use.
    Heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu triangles and heat on each side until golden brown (about 4 minutes per side). Transfer to a large plate and cover with foil to keep warm. In the same skillet, sauté the red pepper and onions (add a little extra oil if needed) for about 3 minutes, until just slightly tender.
    Preheat a heavy-bottomed medium-size saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the chile paste and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the coconut milk and turn the heat up a bit. Mix together until the paste is incorporated; bring to a low boil. Add the maple syrup and lime juice, taste for sweetness, then add a little more maple syrup if necessary. Place the tofu, peppers, and onions in the sauce and cover; cook for 5 minutes. Add the basil and turn off the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes or so before serving. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro.
    PUNK POINTS
    Lemongrass looks sort of like a long stalk of bamboo but the only part you actually use is the heart of the stalk. You’ll have to cut off the rest where the leaves start to branch and discard that, then peel off the rough outer leaves. The remaining “heart” can then be diced with a sharp knife.

    Start Your Own Public Access Show
    T he Post Punk Kitchen is Brooklyn’s fastest growing vegetarian punk rock cooking show because it’s the only one. It is a “Bam!”-free space for vegetarians and food-lovers everywhere that came into being in 2003, born out of frustration over the garbage that the Food Network was trying to feed the masses (no pun intended). We believe that the airwaves and the risotto are for the people, not for corporations trying to peddle their processed-cheese wares. And we just really, really, really could not take another second of Rachael Ray saying “EVOO”.
    â€”From the PPK mission statement
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    When I started doing The Post Punk Kitchen I had this idea that if everyone started their own shows then pretty soon we would fill the public airwaves with quality TV for the people.
    Public access varies from state to state but generally you pay a small fee to take a class that allows you to become a producer. The class should teach you very basic editing, filming, and lighting skills, but most importantly it allows you to use the station’s equipment and facilities free of charge. With the help of other members you produce