Ramen/Tampopo underground restaurant January 26, 2013

Sunday, January 26, 2014
6 pm
limited space for 10
$50/person

Tampopo is one of the greatest films of all time. Created in the mid 1980's the film takes place in a ramen shop in Tokyo. A spoof about Japanese culture and the obsession in food, this film is hilariously funny as well as an amazing critique of film history.
Although the food served, as always, is all vegan, there are scenes in the film of animals consumed and cooked.

We will be serving homemade ramen, tempura, homemade pickles and a wide variety of Japanese small dishes as well as shochu drinks.

Book soon as this will fill up very quickly!

Underground Restaurant, January 6, 2013

Monday, January 6, 2014
7 pm
limited space for 10
$45/person
for more information or to register, vegshaku8 at gmail

Continuing our 9th year of underground restaurant events in the bay area! This is taking place in a loft in West Oakland

salad
Blood orange, fennel, watercress, black olives,  toasted pecans, blood orange dressing

pasta course
ravioli
homemade pasta filled with homemade almond cheese, topped with sun dried tomato pesto and basil pesto

entree
wild mushroom rissoto
tempeh marsala (Italian, not indian!)
brussel sprouts roasted with lemon and garlic and olives

dessert
waffle sundae
cocoa waffles with chocolate ice cream (cashew based), maple walnuts, dried cranberries, fresh fruit, chocolate sauce.

Thai cooking class, January 29, 2013

Wednesday, January 29, 2014
7 pm
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information or to register vegshaku8 at gmail

Hands on class preparing several amazing Thai dishes

fried sweet potatoes with tamarind sauce
lemongrass tempeh
stir fried fresh rice noodles with mushrooms and greens
panang curry paste
panang curry
sticky rice

Chinese cooking class, January 22, 2013

Wednesday, January 22, 2014
7 pm
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information or to register vegshaku8 at gmail

Hands on class preparing several amazing Chinese dishes

Orange Tofu
Choy sum stir fried with garlic
tofu and watercress soup
green onion pancake
lotus root pickle

bagel baking class, January 12, 2013

Sunday, January 12, 2013
noon
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information or to register, vegshaku8 at gmail

Bagel baking class! Hands on class, learning how to knead, roll, boil and bake bagels and bialys.

We will produce dozens of bagels from wheat and pumperknickel doughs as well as bialys and cashew cream cheese

Asian hot pot class, January 4, 2013

Saturday, January 4, 2014
noon
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information or to register: vegshaku8 at gmail

We are bringing back one of our most popular winter classes, Asian hot pots!
Learn more about claypot, table top cooking as we make the following dishes:
Yudofu (Japanese Tofu hot pot)
Kim chi Jigae (Korean kim chi hot pot)
Sichuan Hot pot (one of the world's spiciest dishes)

as always, hands on!

Ramen class, Saturday, December 14, 2013 noon

Saturday December 14, 2013
noon
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information or to register; vegshaku8 at gmail

Ramen is one of the unique noodles, originally from China and refined in Japan and loved everywhere. Learn to make your own ramen noodles, some stocks and some wonderful toppings.

Always hands on classes so you will be preparing with the others, all the recipes!

Homemade ramen
mushroom-seaweed broth
coconut - lemongrass broth
miso broth

a variety of toppings from fall vegetables, mushrooms, tofu and tempeh.

Fried Foods for Chanukah Class, Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Wednesday December 4, 2013
7 pm
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information or to register; vegshaku8 at gmail

During the week of Chanukah, the Jewish festival of Lights, one is supposed to eat fried food, symbolizing the candle that burned for 8 days, following the destruction of the temple by the Greeks in Jerusalem.  We will prepare some traditional Chanukah fried dishes and some other fried food ideas from around the world.

Always hands on classes so you will be preparing with the others, all the recipes!

Potato chips with rosemary salt
-Latkes (potato pancakes) with homemade applesauce
-donuts
-Vegetable Pakoras (indian appetizer made with a chickpea batter) with cilantro mint chutney
-Pumpkin and Lotus Root Tempura with dipping sauce

Spicy pan asian menu, underground restaurant, Saturday November 16, 2013

In the Mood for Food 
Philip Gelb, chef

presents

Another gourmet underground restaurant event in da hood featuring a spicy, pan asian menu

Saturday, November 16, 2013
Seating for 8
$40/person
byob
for more information or to register: vegshaku8 at gmail

menu


Soup
lemongrass coconut with kafir lime, lotus root, glass noodles, kabocha and gai lan

Salad
Tempeh laab
Thai style salad with fried tempeh, herbs, fresh kaffir lime, toasted rice and romaine

Entree
Sichuan style hot pot with tofu, fried tofu, flat tofu, fall vegetables and a very spicy broth
Stir fried chinese watercress with garlic
daikon pickled with yuzu
rice

dessert
pumpkin custard
cranberries with yuzu
candied pecans

Underground restaurant: Pumpkin menu, Friday November 8, 2013

In the Mood for Food, vegan catering and dinner/concerts
Philip Gelb, chef

presents the continuing underground restaurant series, now in its 9th year!


Friday, November 8
8 pm
seating for 10
$40/person
for more information, or to make reservations: please contact vegshaku8 at gmail


Another 4 course pumpkin menu!

Soup
Dal with pumpkin and pumpkin pakora

Salad
pumpkin gnocchi
walnut sage sauce
homemade cashew cheese
roasted beets

Entree
Dumpling pumpkin stuffed with Yuzu Curry with tempeh, coconut milk and fall vegetables.
sticky rice

Dessert
Pumpkin cheesecake
spiced pumpkin sorbet
chocolate sauce

thanksgiving class November 20, 2013

Wednesday, November 20, 2013
7 pm
limited space for 8
$50/person

for more information or to register, contact vegshaku8 at gmail


Hands on class! We will be creating and sharing the following dishes:

cranberry yuzu sauce
wild rice pilaf
roasted/pureed root vegetables with wild mushroom gravy
pumpkin multi grain rollls
pumpkins stuffed with heirloom beans and vegetables

pumpkin class, November 13, 2013

Wednesday, November 13, 2013
7 pm
limited space for 8
$50/person

for more information or to register, contact vegshaku8 at gmail

Let us explore the amazing flavors of pumpkins with a variety of dishes made from an array of styles of pumpkins.

Hands on class! We will be creating and sharing the following dishes:

how to roast and puree pumpkin

pumpkin gnocchi with walnut sage sauce
spiced pumpkin sorbet
pumpkin pakora
tempeh and pumpkin stir fried with red curry sauce

breakfast class, november 3, 2013

Sunday, November 3, 2013
noon
limited space for 8
$50/person

A hands on class, exploring some tasty breakfast and brunch treats.

We will be creating and sharing the following dishes
Buckwhweat crepes with pear compote
chilaquils with tempeh
tofu based fritatta
hash brown potatos
smoothies

and more

for more information or to register, contact vegshaku8 at gmail

dinner for 8, fall shojin improvisations Monday, October 28, 2013

Dinner for 8
loft in oakland
$40/person
byob
for more information or to reserve seats, email: vegshaku8 at gmail

4 course Menu will be improvised on the following themes

Soup
homemade tofu in pumpkin stock, wakame, kaiware and lotus root tempura

appetizer
grilled matsutake mushrooms drizzled with yuzu and shoyu
flat tofu with sesame oil
arame salad


Entree
Apple marinated tempeh smoked with applewood
sticky rice steamed in lotus leaf
chrysanthemum greens with sesame mustard dressing
fresh yuba with chili oil
apple almond miso sauce

dessert
green tea yuzu cake

dinner for 8, Monday October 21 in Oakland, underground restaurant series

Monday October 21
This underground restaurant series has been occurring for 8 years and will soon be written up in my upcoming cookbook!
Dinner for 8 in a private loft in West Oakland
Monday, October 21
7 pm
$40/person
byob
for more information or to make reservations, email: vegshaku8 at gmail
Menu will be improvised based on the following themes, exploring the delightful cuisine of Spain!
Soup
tomato bisque
Appetizer
socca (chickpea flat bread)
smoked eggplant spread
grilled corn, zucchini
micro greens
Entree
Paella: valencia rice, saffron, smoked paprika, tomato, onion, garlic, fall vegetables and heirloom beans.
Garbanzo nut loaf
mushrooms ajillo style (cooked with garlic and sherry)
roasted kale
Romesco sauce
Dessert
apples stuffed with nuts, oats and dried cranberries baked in chardonnay and spices
spiced pumpkin sorbet

tempeh class, wednesday October 16

Another in our series of tempeh classes.
We will begin with a discussion of how to make homemade tempeh. Then we will prepare a variety of tempeh dishes by smoking, deep frying, stir frying, steaming and other methods.

Some of the dishes we will create are:
Tamarind tempeh
Smoked tempeh with barbecuse sauce
Tempeh scramble
tempeh wrapped in collard greens with roasted/mashed root vegetables and tahini sauce

and more

This is a hands on class, you will be creating the dishes along with the other members. Fun times!! afterwards, we sit at the large table and share our creations, feasting on the dishes.

Limited space for 8
$50/person
location: loft in west oakland

for more information or to register, vegshaku8@gmail.com

Wednesday, October 16
7 pm

2 underground restaurants, 4 course pumpkin menus. only 8 seats each, $40/person

Monday October 7, 2013

Dinner for 8, 4 courses $40/person, byob

7 pm

for more information or to make reservations, vegshaku8 at gmail

location: loft in west oakland

Menu will be improvised on the following ideas

soup
Kim chi soup with pumpkin and rice cakes
homemade kim chi, in a seaweed -miso borth

appetizer
fresh rice noodles wrapped with apple smoked tofu and miso glazed pumpkin; hijiki salad

entree
dumpling pumpkin stuffed with Thai red curry (homemade curry paste, homemade coconut milk), homemade tempeh, long beans, red pepper
jade pearl rice
lotus root pickles

dessert
Pumpkin waffle sunday with spiced pumpkin sorbet

These menus will be using a variety of different pumpkins, mainly: kabocha, dumpling squash and sugar pie pumpkin

Chef: Philip Gelb, in the Mood for Food catering

Italian food class: pasta, almond ricotta, eggplant rollatini, red sauce and more October 6, 2013

Italian food class

Learn to make your own pasta, how to make ricotta out of almonds, how to make an amazing red sauce and much more!

Sunday, October 6, 2013
noon
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information or to register, vegshaku8 at gmail

This is a hands on class. We will be creating the following dishes. Afterwards, we will sit down and enjoy these delicious foods, together.

Homemade pasta
homemade almond ricotta
tomato sauce
eggplant rollatini
sauteed greens with garlic and olives
lasagna rollups

and more!

Miyoko Schinner blogs about me

Please check out this wonderful write up and interview that was just published. Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner is an amazing vegan chef and cookbook writer who has inspired me for years. Arigato Miyoko san!!

http://www.artisanveganlife.com/philip-gelbs-loft-scene-music-food-love/

photos from bacholorette party i catered on August 23, 2013

Ajo Blanco, white gazpacho; garlic, almonds, grapes, cucumber

Socca; chickpea flat bread topped with corn, eggplant and basil

Roasted beet salad with 3 kinds of beets, mizuna, edible flowers, figs, homemade cashew chevre rolled in chives and chervil and fig balsamic dressing

Peach roasted tempeh (homemade garbanzo tempeh) with sauteed corn, zuchini and padron peppers

 romesco sauce

photos of peach menu by Jojo Soriano

 peach-blueberry cobbler with peach pistachio rosewater sorbet

Marcy Masumoto charmed us between courses, telling stories about the family, the farm, peaches and reading from the wonderful writings by her, her daugher Nikiko and her amazing husband, David "Mas" Masumoto, one of California's brilliant farmers!

 vietnamese style spring roll with peach mustard and peach sweet and sour sauce.

grilled peach with cashew "chevre" coated with peppercorns, chervil and chives with mizuna and cherry balsamic reduction

homemade tempeh in peach barbecue sauce on baquette pieces with radichio salad and sauteed corn, chilis and squash.

peach set in blueberry kanten with peaches and blueberries marinated in 10 year old Niku Jaya (Japanese brandy)

Almond garlic gazpacho with peaches, cucumbers and olive oil

with my A-team, sous chef Cori and server, Isabelle.

These photos were taken by Jojo Soriano! From the Masumoto farms peach menu at the underground restaurant, july, 2013

Persian cooking class, August 18, 2013

The wonderful flavors of the Ancient culture of Persia! Saffron, dill, tarragon, olive oil and other delightful ingredients will permeate this class as we explore some summer vegetable dishes from and inspired by Persian cuisine and its surrounding areas.
These are some of my personal favorite summer dishes!

Hands on class. We will be creating the following:

Eggplant stewed with tomatos
Basmati Rice baked with dill, cilantro, parsley and olive oil
Smoked eggplant dip
peppers stuffed with lentils and herbs
cold cucumber soup

Sunday, August 18, 2013
noon
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information or to register, vegshaku8 at gmail

Thai/Vietnamese cooking class August 11, 2013

Another in our series of exploring  delicious food and culinary ideas from around the globe.
This time we will be preparing dishes from Thailand and Vietnam, examining a variety of techniques; stir frying, deep frying, steaming including the following:

summer rolls: fresh rice noodles and fried tempeh in rice paper with vietnamese herbs.
spicy, sweet and sour dipping sauce
lemongrass tofu
sticky rice steamed in lotus leaf
rice noodles stir fried with sprouts and gai lan
stir fried ong choy with garlic

and more

Sunday, August 11, 2013
noon
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information or to register, vegshaku8 at gmail

Tempeh class August 4

If there is one thing i have become known for as a chef, it is the homemade tempeh i have been making for almost a decade. It is easier than you think and requires less special equipment than you may be concerned about.  The difference between freshly made tempeh and the pasteurized, industrially produced stuff, wrapped in plastic on market shelves is vast! It is beyond worth the effort to create this amazing source of protein.

Tempeh is a traditional food made by fermenting soybeans from Indonesia. Other types of beans can be used to create different types of tempeh.

I will be demonstrating how to make homemade tempeh, explaining all the different steps of the 2 day process. Then we will use some of my tempeh to make several delightful summer dishes using various techniques, smoking, stir frying, sauteeing, roasting and deep frying. This, like all my classes is hands on; you will be creating all the dishes along with the other students in a very friendly and fun kitchen atmosphere.

We will be creating:
homemade tempeh
smoked tempeh burgers
tempeh "bacon"
blackberry roasted tempeh
fried tempeh with blueberry mustard and plum sweet and sour sauce


Sunday, August 4, 2013
noon
limited space for 8
$50/class
for more information or to register, vegshaku8 at gmail

Spanish cooking class, August 25, 2013

Another in our series exploring international cuisines. This time we return to Spain for some wonderful summer flavors.
Hands on class, where we will be creating the following dishes:

White Gazpacho (cold, almond, garlic soup)
Romesco sauce (roasted red pepper sauce)
Paella (classic spanish style rice dish with saffron and vegetables)
bean salad made with rancho gordo heirloom beans
Mushrooms cooked with sherry

and more

Sunday, august 25
noon
$50/person
limited space for 8
for more information or to register, vegshaku8@gmail.com

September 29, 2013, Lisa Lynn/Aryeh Frankfurter duet dinner/concert

Sunday, September 29, 2013
8 pm
limited seating for 20
$60/person
for more information or to register, vegshaku8@gmail.com

Please to announce our first fall dinner/concert for 2013, a stunningly beautiful duet of harps! Lisa Lynne Franco (harp) and Aryeh Frankfurter (harp, nickelharper).


menu coming soon.

Frank Gratkowski dinner/concert August 3, 2013

Thrilled to have Frank return! One of the most fascinating and innovative clarinet/sax players of our times returns for his 4th appearance on the dinner/concert series, to begin our 9th year of underground restaurants paired with world renowned musicians. Frank Gratkowski, visiting from Berlin will be performing solo on clarinet, bass clarinet and alto saxophone.

Menu to be developed, soon but expect summer flavors of tomatos, blueberries, eggplants, fresh beans, chilis and of course, our famous homemade tempeh and much more.

Saturday August 3
8 pm
limited space for 20
$60/person, byob
for more information or to make reservations, vegshaku8 at gmail.

in a private loft in oakland

first course
sichuan style corn soup flavored with star anise, fresh chilis and sichuan peppercorns


second course
dim sum plate
smoked tofu wrapped in yuba, steamed
steamed buns filled with smoked tempeh (homemade tempeh)
spicy, tangy plum sauce
blueberry mustard

interlude:
watermelon sorbet

entree
eggplant napoleon layered with smoked eggplant spread, roasted zucchini, baby eggplants stuffed with basil and homemade cashew cheese; heirloom beans sauteed with corn; roasted cherry tomatos with pine nuts; pasta; heirloom tomato sauce

dessert
nectarine blackberry cobbler (le gran nectarines from Masumoto Farms!)
blackberry pistachio sorbet

Tofu Class, July 21

Back by popular demand is our tofu making class.
Learn how to make homemade tofu! And several wonderful tofu dishes from various cultures.

Hands on class!

Sunday, July 21
noon
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information or to register, vegshaku8 at gmail

we will be preparing the following:

homemade tofu w/ fresh mustard sauce, seaweed and shoyu
tofu burgers
thai style Tofu Laarb, a delightful salad with herbs and toasted rice wrapped in romaine
Chawan Mushi (tofu custard)
Smoked tofu wrapped in yuba
and more

Annual Masumoto farm heirloom peach menu!

Saturday, July 13
8 pm
limited seating for 20
for more information or to make reservations: vegshaku8 at gmail
$60/person

Special guest will be Marcy Masumoto, reading between courses from her recent cookbook and from her husband, David "Mas" Masumotos' writings! This is a first in the history of our underground restaurant series to have a reader. We usually feature world renowned musicians and this will be the first in a new part of our underground dining experiences, featuring readers in between courses.

For many years, we have presented a menu featuring the Sun Crest heirloom peach grown by one of California's farming treasures, the Masumoto Family Farm. This organic farm has been producing some of the finest heirloom varieties peaches or 4 generations! The Masumoto farm is an extraordinary piece of living history of Japanese American culinary and farming expertise. Every peach coming from the farm is a work of art!

still developing the menu...

Still improvising to do but it appears tonights peach menu is settling into these 7 courses
first course
suncrest peach, halved
homemade peach soda

second course
White gazpacho (cold almond, garlic and peach soup)

third course
Vietnamese style summer roll with fresh rice noodles, fried tempeh (homemade) and Vietnamese herbs with peach sweet and sour sauce and peach mustard sauce.

fourth course
Grilled peach stuffed with homemade cashew chevre coated with chervil, peppercorns and chives over a bed of mizuna. cherry balsamic reduction

fifth course
Smoked tempeh with peach - rum barbecue sauce (homemade tempeh!! and Zaya 15 year rum)
radiccio salad
Roasted corn, zucchini and chilis
Baquette (from Arizmendi-Emeryville)

sixth course
peach slices set in blueberry kanten
peaches marinated in niku jaya brandy
peach blueberry cardamom smoothie

seventh course
hot peach - raspberry cobbler
peach pistachio rosewater sorbet

peach class, July 8, 2013

Monday, July 8
7 pm
limited seating for 8
for more information or to make reservations: vegshaku8 at gmail
$50/person

My favorite fruit are peaches! And my favorite peaches are grown by the Masumoto Family farm! We will exclusively be using peaches from this 4th generation Japanese American farming treasure!

Hands on class!
We will be making the following dishes

almond, garlic, peach gazpacho
grilled peach salad
smoked tempeh with peach barbecue sauce *using my homeade tempeh!*
peach rosewater cake
peach walnut sorbet

and more

Gyan Riley dinner/concert June 28, 2013

Friday, June 28, 2013
7 pm
private location in oakland
limited seating for 20
$60/person, byob

for more information or to make reservations, contact vegshaku8 at gmail

We are quite happy to present once again, the wonderful guitar player and composer, Gyan Riley. Gyan has appeared on our series 4 times in the past, twice solo and twice with his father, the legendary composer Terry Riley.
Gyan has moved to New York City and rarely performs in the bay area anymore.


soup
gaspacho: heirloom tomatos, heirloom cucumbers and heirloom peppers, served ice cold.

second course
Thai corn fritters with cucumber peanut salad

third course

entree
tempeh with tamarind sauce (homemade tempeh!)
stir fried ong choy with garlic
green papaya salad
spicy lotus root pickle
jade pearl rice


dessert
Blueberry pistachi cake with chocolate truffle frosting
cherry walnut sorbet

summer dessert class June 26, 2013

Summer time dessert class!
Time to cool off with some great summer time desserts
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
7 pm
$50/person
limited space for 8
for more information vegshaku8 at gmail

A hands on class, where you will be preparing all the dishes with the other students and then sit down to enjoy the creations.

peach kanten (classic Japanese summertime delicacy!)
cherry clafouti (veganized version of the classic rustic french pie/pudding/cake)
raw chocolate pudding
blueberry biscotti

and more to be added

Summer Thai cooking class

Wednesday June 19, 2013
7 pm
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information vegshaku8 at gmail
location: loft in west oakland

Another hands on class featuring some amazing dishes from one of the worlds greatest culinary traditions, Thailand!

We will be preparing the following dishes

corn fritters
cucumber peanut salad
tempeh with tamarind sauce
sauteed ong choy (chinese watercress) with garlic and fermented bean curd

and more

please join us!

cold noodle dishes for summer, class June 9, 2013

What better way to cool down on a hot day then an ice cold, refreshing noodle dish. This hands on class will explore several incredible dishes from a few countries in Asia.

Sunday, June 9, 2013
noon
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information or to register, vegshaku at gmail

some of the dishes we will be preparing:
Cold somen noodles with dipping sauce
cold Korean buckwheat noodles with soy-sesame broth
Sichuan cold noodles with sesame sauce
cold rice noodles with herbs wrapped in rice paper

Class is taught by chef Philip Gelb, owner of In the Mood for Food, a renowned vegan catering company in the san francisco bay area.

Tempeh class, May 29

By popular demand, i am offering another tempeh class.

Tempeh is a traditional food from Indonesia. Soybeans are cooked and then inoculated with a spore and fermented for 1-2 days. In the United States, tempeh is sold in pasteurized plastic packages, a very different product than homemade tempeh. In this class you will learn how to make homemade tempeh and several dishes using tempeh.

For several years, i have been creating my own homemade tempeh for myself, my catering and personal chef clients and other chefs, including Eric Tucker of Millenium and renowned cookbook writer, Bryant Terry, both of whom have exclaimed, "this is the best tempeh i ever had"

Hands on class so you will be creating all the dishes.

how to make tempeh from beans and spores

Tempeh stir fried with peas in tamarind sauce

fried tempeh with peanut sauce

tempeh scrambled with leeks, brocolli and dried chili powders and other spices

Laarb: tempeh stir fried with onions, chilis, garlic, mint, basil, cilantro, lime and wrapped in lettuce leaves


Wednesday, May 29, 2013

7 pm

limited space for 8

$50/person

for more information or to register, vegshaku8 at gmail

510 393 6096

Japanese cooking class, May 12

Sunday May 12
noon
Limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information or to register, vegshaku8 at gmail
510 393 6096

Hands on cooking class featuring spring foods from Japan. We will prepare all these dishes together and then sit down and enjoy them.

asparagus miso chowder
snow peas braised in sake
tofu-hijiki burgers
daikon pickled with sencha tea leaves
flat tofu noodles with sesame oil
dandelion greens with sesame miso dressing

and more....

Robert Dick solo May 17

We are thrilled to present one of the great flute players of our time, Robert Dick in a solo performance. One of the pioneers of extended techniques for flute will perform in a very intimate loft setting.

Friday May 17, 2013
8 pm
location: loft in Oakland
limited space for 20
$60/person
for more information or to register, vegshaku8 at gmail

4 course menu prepared by Philp Gelb - chef; Cori Spence - sous chef

soup
pea soup with fried pea dumplings, shredded snow peas, kaiware

salad
tba

entree
collard rolls stuffed with cherry roasted tempeh, satsuma imo
asparagus leek pine nut risotto
roasted morels
cherry relish


dessert
blueberry matcha biscotti
cherry-pistachio sorbet
chocolate madeira sauce

spring Thai Foods Class, April 17

Wednesday, April 17
7 pm
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information or to make reservations: vegshaku8 at gmail

Another in our series of exploring the worlds finest vegetarian cuisines.

Hands on class where you will be creating the dishes with the other students in a fun, friendly environment and then sit down and taste all the delightful dishes, together.

We will be making:
mung bean noodles with peas, mushrooms and herbs wrapped in lettuce leaves.
tempeh and asparagus stir fried with tamarind sauce
rice noodle rolls filled with stir fried julienned vegetables.
spicy, tart lemongrass soup
tofu with peanut sauce

Alex De Grassi dinner/concert April 21

Sunday, April
7 pm
limited space for 20
$55/person
for more information or to make reservations: vegshaku8 at gmail

We are very happy to present these 2 outstanding musicians for the first time on the dinner/concert series, now in its 8th year!
Alex Degrassi - guitar
Jenna Mammina - voice

menu

soup
3 types of dal with asparagus and asparagus pakora


salad
mung bean noodles, peas, mushrooms, herbs wrapped in romaine leaves

entree
tempeh and peas stir fried with tamarind sauce
sticky rice
more TBA

dessert
strawberry-pecan tart
 vanilla oolong ice cream (cashew based) with dried cherries



due to the requests of a performer, this is a gluten free menu

Michael Manring dinner/concert, April 26

Friday April 26, 2013
8 pm
limited seating for 20
$60/person

for more information or to make reservations, email vegshaku8 at gmail

In the Mood for Food
Philip Gelb - chef; Cori Spence - sous chef;  Petra Baktos Jarrett - server

April 26, 2013

Michael Manring dinner/concert


Soup
homemade green tea noodles served in tea dashi with lotus root tempura dusted in tea powder and daikon pickled with salt and tea leaves

Salad
radiccio, arugula, edible flowers, toasted pecans pumpkin and sesame seeds, currants in a dressing made with tea, sherry vinegar and lemon oil

entree
tea smoked tofu
tea marinated, stir fried yuba
flat tofu braised in tea with sesame oil and cilantro
snow peas braised in sake
roasted asparagus puree
jade pearl rice w/ fresh bamboo and shiso

Concert: Michael Manring - solo electric bass guitar

dessert
green tea waffles
strawberry compote
tea dusted walnuts
green tea ice cream (cashew based)

teas will be sourced from our friends at Chadoen.com
Tofu and flat tofu from Tofuyu.com
Yuba from hodo soy beanery
oil from grapeseedoil.com

Passover food class, March 10, 2013

Explore the world of Eastern European Jewish cuisine with some of the classic dishes served at Passover.

for more information or to register vegshaku8 @ gmail
Sunday, March 10, 2013
noon
limited space for 8
$50/person

we will be exploring the following menu
matzah ball soup
potato-cauliflower kugel
stuffed cabbage leaves cooked in pomgranate tomato sauce
charoses
beet salad

and more

Mexican food class, March 3, 2013

Another in our series of International Cuisines. Learn more techniques and recipes to bolster your culinary knowledge! This class focuses on the incredible cuisine of Mexico.

Some of the main ingredients in Mexican cuisine are tomatos, chilis and corn, all summer and fall harvests. However, these incredible vegetables dry very well so in the winter we focus on using dried chilis and chili powders, dried tomatos and various kinds of dried corn.

We will be preparing the following menu:

homemade tortillas (it is easier than you think!)
Pozole (soup made with hominy, a type of dried corn)
mexican rice
refried heirloom beans
sauteed greens with garlic and olives
sope (fried tortilla bowls filled with beans and salsa)
citrus salad

and more

For more information or to register: vegshaku8 at gmail
Sunday, March 3, 2013
noon
limited space for 8
$50/person

cooking with tea class March 31, 2013

i will be sharing the dishes i presented at the Vegan Iron chef competition, last week.
We will use three teas from chadoen.com
Taiwanese Milky Oolong, an incredible tea with a unique creamy texture and flavor (of course there is no milk in it for those who are wondering)
 A powdered sencha with dried persimmon
Cloud Mist, Chinese green tea

Learn more about using tea as an ingredient. We will be producing soups, marinades, drinks, sauces, desserts and more using tea

the dishes we will create are:

green tea soba noodles in tea dashi

rum infused with dried yuzu peel, sichuan peppercorns and tea leaves

tea marinated and tea smoked tofu and yuba

tea waffles with strawberry-tangerine compote, and tea dusted toasted walnuts



location: loft in west oakland

Sunday, March 31, 2013

noon

limited space for 8

$50/person

for more information or to register: vegshaku8 at gmail

underground restaurant returns, saturday, february 23

For the first time since November we are hosting one of our renowned dinners.  20 seats available for this fixed price menu, held in a loft in Oakland. Please join us, Chef Philip Gelb and sous Chef, Cori Spence as we share some of our fascination and explorations with the vegetarian culinary worlds of Thailand, Japan and China. Fresh local produce, even in the heart of winter is ripe for the kitchen here in Northern California as we begin the 8th year of these underground dining experiences.

Our  4 course menu is:

soup
sour curry  (homeade curry paste with dried yuzu peel, dried  chilis, lemongrass, ctrus leaves and spies) with kabochs, lotus root, gai lan and sprouts

salad
tempeh and mushroom Laab
A spicy, Thai lettuce wrapped salad with many herbs, fresh lime

entree
tofu with orange sauce
sticky rice, steamed in lotus leaf
choy sum mue stir fried with shitake and ginger
flat tofu shredded with sesame oil and herbs

dessert
heirloom citrus kanten
blood orange custard
citrus truffles rolled in pistachios and citron salt

For more information or to reserve seats:
vegshaku8@gmail.com

Saturday, February 23
8 pm
$40/person
byob

Thai class february 24, 2013

Another in our series of hands on cooking classes, exploring the world of vegetarian culinary traditions. This class will help you develop and further your skills in stir frying, deep frying, steaming, sauteeing and braising. Various knife and other techniques will be part of this class as we prepare several Thai dishes.

Sunday February 24, 2012
noon
limited space for 8
$50/person
for information or to register: vegshaku8 at gmail or
510 393 6096

the menu we will prepare:

Massamum curry paste
massamum curry with tempeh and winter vegetables
lettuce wrapped salad with lime ginger dressing
rice noodles stir fried with sprout and tamarind sauce
lemongrass tofu

and more

Chinese take out class, February 17, 2013

Another in our series of hands on cooking classes, exploring the world of vegetarian culinary traditions. This class will help you develop and further your skills in stir frying, dep frying, steaming, sauteeing and braising. Various knife and other techniques will be part of this class as we prepare several basic Chinese dishes, often found as a classic part of a take out meal from Chinese restaurants

Sunday February 17, 2012
noon
limited space for 8
$50/person
for information or to register: vegshaku8 at gmail or
510 393 6096

the menu we will prepare:

hot and sour soup
tofu and broccoli with orange sauce
stir fried chinese watercress with rice wine and fermented bean curd
Vegetable chow fun (wide rice noodles)
Vegetarian fried rice

and more