Oscar Weekend 2017: Predictions and Wishes and Hopes and Dreamsby Randi / February 24, 2017
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Sarajevo Vegan Scene: Tavola Italian Restaurant
When I arrived in Sarajevo after an entire day on an extraordinarily gross train, I was cranky, dirty, and really darn hungry. It was a Sunday night, and I didn’t realize how many places would be closed. I was ready and willing to go to any kind of restaurant or café, no matter what they had for me, as long as it was open. We couldn’t find anything. For hours, we wandered, losing hope, sanity, and patience. Finally, we peeked down an alley and saw a light on. It was at Tavola, an Italian restaurant. They were open! HALLELUJAH!
I didn’t care that I usually have no luck at Italian restaurants, as their menus are usually heavy with meat and pasta made with eggs. I would have been happy with white bread and an iceberg salad. I just needed food!
However, Tavola had a great vegetarian-friendly menu, and a very helpful staff. I would go back here in a heartbeat.
I didn’t care that I usually have no luck at Italian restaurants, as their menus are usually heavy with meat and pasta made with eggs. I would have been happy with white bread and an iceberg salad. I just needed food!
However, Tavola had a great vegetarian-friendly menu, and a very helpful staff. I would go back here in a heartbeat.
To start, I ordered a mixed salad, expecting the usual subpar mix of lettuce, onion, and tomato. What I received was like heaven – greens, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, corn, and beans! BEANS! You really miss beans when you don’t get them for awhile. I felt better instantly. No picture exists of this salad, because it only existed for about 4 seconds before I went all velociraptor on it.
I assumed I wouldn’t be having any sort of pasta, but I saw that they had a gnocchi dish, which should be made without egg, especially if I’m coming. I asked the waiter to check with the kitchen if a) it contained egg or dairy products, and b) if not, if that dish could be made without any of the various types of meat on top. The answers came back – no and yes! Woohoo! I mean, as long as they were the answers in the correct order, I was ecstatic!
The gnocchi was so delicious, and I think it was more than just my ravenous hunger that decided that. It was such a lovely dinner, with the nicest staff. Despite the rocky prelude, it was a great start to Sarajevo.
Tavola, Sarajevo
Tavola, Sarajevo
- Water speed: Not great, but that’s just how it is in the Balkans in general
- Bathrooms: Clean
- Service: Very nice and helpful
- Food: Good!
- Bonus: Open on Sunday!
That Time When I Made a “Sneaky Bean” Dessert & It Wasn’t Gross
beany beany bean bean beans
I’m sure you’ve seen tons of those recipes online in which possibly well-meaning people claim that they made the BEST EVER cookies with a can of white beans (they are so healthy and fat-free and sugar-free!), or amazing JUST LIKE THE REAL THING brownies made with a can of black beans (they are so healthy and sugar-free AND flourless AND tasteless!).
I’ve tried all of them. They were always disgusting. I’m sorry, but they were. Disgusting. Is there anything more upsetting than expectations of a delicious brownie dashed? Than having no dessert but some kind of bean patty that tastes more like hummus than brownie? No, I don’t think there is.
I’ve tried all of them. They were always disgusting. I’m sorry, but they were. Disgusting. Is there anything more upsetting than expectations of a delicious brownie dashed? Than having no dessert but some kind of bean patty that tastes more like hummus than brownie? No, I don’t think there is.
Is there anything more upsetting than expectations of a delicious brownie dashed?
With that in mind, you can understand how upset I was when my mom, as excited as a puppy with peanut butter, came to me and exclaimed, “I found this recipe for cookies online that uses chickpeas! Let’s make them today!” I tried to tell her that it was a bad idea. That it was always a bad idea. I knew from experience, I argued. But she wouldn’t accept it; we simply had to try.
Faced with my most-feared culinary nightmare, I decided not to be a victim anymore. We were going to make chickpea-filled cookies, and by god they were going to be FANTASTIC. And guess what? They were. I attribute this to throwing out all the recipes I’ve ever seen for these monstrosities, and instead learning from my experiences and accounting for the usual problems.
Faced with my most-feared culinary nightmare, I decided not to be a victim anymore. We were going to make chickpea-filled cookies, and by god they were going to be FANTASTIC. And guess what? They were. I attribute this to throwing out all the recipes I’ve ever seen for these monstrosities, and instead learning from my experiences and accounting for the usual problems.
THE USUAL PROBLEMS WITH SNEAKY BEAN RECIPES:
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PROBLEMS:
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SOLUTIONS!
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Told you they were gorgeous, didn’t I!! Oh wait no, no I didn’t.
Sneaky Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed very well
- 2t vanilla extract
- ¼ C almond milk
- ½ C peanut butter
- ¼ C speculoos
- 1/3 C agave nectar
- 1t baking powder
- pinch salt
- ½ C flour
- ½ C chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Puree the chickpeas and almond milk in a blender. (The Magic Bullet is perfect for this.) Add the vanilla, peanut butter, speculoos, and agave. You may need to add more milk if it gets too thick.
Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, then add the blender contents. Mix well. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and drop the batter onto it in cookie-sized balls. Bake for about 12 minutes. Let cool before trying to see if you finally made a beany cookie that isn’t disgusting.
I hope this works for you like it worked for me!
