Vegans Say It's Even Better Than Turkey

CURWOOD: Traditionally turkey takes center stage at Thanksgiving dinner. But many people who eat no meat can find themselves just left with the sides. Unless they know someone like Didi Emmons. She's a well-known chef in Massachusetts, and author of numerous cookbooks including Vegetarian Planet.

[CHOPPING SOUNDS]

Each year, she hosts a Thanksgiving spread for vegans who steer clear not only of meat but also eggs and dairy. A few years ago Emmons invited us into her kitchen while she prepared the dish that will replace tom turkey on her Thanksgiving table.

EMMONS: When people know theyre going to a vegan Thanksgiving dinner, you know, they know theyre not going to be getting that big bird. But I think that what they do want is something that is similar, that has the same kind of chew value. Turkey, you know, like any meat, its much harder to chew than a vegetable, and theres something really kind of very satisfying, probably it goes back to our hunting days.

[SOUND OF POT LIDS, COOKWARE HANDLED]

EMMONS: For this years vegan Thanksgiving were going to have a roasted seitan, which is going to be, you know, the bird. Seitan is wheat gluten, and more than tofu, and more than tempeh, really has great chew. And it also has good flavor. Its got much better flavor than tofu.

[CRINKLING SOUNDS]

EMMONS: It comes in this box. And Im throwing the wheat gluten into a bowl. And its pretty simple, even a six-year-old could do it. Youre just adding water…

[RUNNING WATER]

EMMONS: and all of a sudden, it starts to look a little brainy. It starts to kind ofits just strange. It doesnt look like your regular average dough.

[WET KNEADING SOUNDS]

EMMONS: So right now, as the seitan is resting, Im making its braising liquid. Its gonna have to braise in a liquid. Its gonna have to cook for an hour.

[RUNNING WATER]

EMMONS: Turkey already has a lot of flavor, but seitan needs a little help. Ive added an onion, Ive added a bunch of garlic, Ive added fresh tarragon, a lot of Worcestershire sauce. Im gonna add about a quart of water and a good amount of salt and pepper.

[RUNNING WATER, MIXING SOUNDS]

EMMONS: Ill throw in a little more tarragon. Because its a special occasion only comes around once a year.

[LIQUID, MACHINE SOUNDS]

EMMONS: Were going to make a Portabello Madeira gravy. And what Ive done is Ive taken Portabello mushrooms and Ive thrown them into a food processor and Ive just kind of obliterated them. Theyre just very finely ground. Weve got the braising liquid from the seitan and that is a stock. And its a delicious stock, with the tarragon and the fennel seeds, and so were going to borrow some of that and were going to make gravy out of that.

[CLANG OF COOKING BOWLS]

EMMONS: Its time for the seitan to hopefully be done. And the Worcestershire has given it a really lovely golden brown color. So were just going to put the seitan down like we would – the way that dad would put the turkey breast down on somebodys plate. And then weve got our gravy, and were going to drizzle it right over the seitan. Mmm [TASTING], its there. Its everything I wanted it to be.

CURWOOD: Eco-chef Didi Emmons. Steve Gregory produced our audio postcard. To gobble up a recipe of her roasted seitan and other vegan Thanksgiving delights, head over to our website at LOE dot org.

EMMONS: Going vegan forces you to get into creativity, and that for me is something thats a lot more fun than just eating what Ive been eating every single year.
(This segment was originally broadcast in 2004.)

[WIND BLOWING, CROWS SQUAWKING]

CURWOOD: We leave you this week with a murder…

[CROWS SQUAWKING]

CURWOOD: A murder of crows, that is. The collective noun for these corvids dates back centuries. These noisy birds are complaining in a woodland on a blustery winter evening.

[CROWS SQUAWKING]

CURWOOD: Five carrion crows head to roost at dusk in Woodchester Park in Gloucestershire, England. Richard Margoschis recorded this murder for the British Library National Sound Archive CD, Wild Britain.