Vegan Umami: NYU Edition

Over the last ten years I have had many versions of this popular class. Here’s what I pieced together for my NYU Food Studies Graduate Society cooking demonstration tonight:

VEGAN UMAMI:  BUILD YOUR OWN CROSTINI BOARD

Chef Olivia Roszkowski (@oliviathechef // www.oliviathechef.com)

Satisfy Cravings: 

-Salty, processed, & oily food 

-Additives such as monosodium glutamine (neurotoxin) 

-Consume large amounts of animal products and dairy

Late 19th century discovery: 

-Chemist Kikunae Ikeda

-Japanese for “pleasant, savory taste”

-Fifth taste, after sweet, sour, salt, and bitter

-Presence of glutamates and nucleotides in food

-Tasted through glutamate receptors

What does it taste like?

-Brothy, meaty, earthy, briny

-Mouthwatering, increasing salivation

-Coats tongue (long lasting), stimulating throat, roof, and back of throat

-Enhances appetite 

Where do you find it?

-Aged foods 

-Open flame cooking

-Proteins undergo molecular change

-Amino acid called L-glutamate is more pronounced

-Binds to receptors on your tongue

-Other compounds like ribonucleotides play role as well

What are some food sources?

Vegetables: mushrooms, tomatoes (especially ripe), beets, corn, leeks, cabbage, avocado

Other Vegan Sources: soybeans, green tea, truffles, nuts, olives, nuts & seeds

Season: miso, rice vinegar, nutritional yeast, truffle oil, furikake, tomato paste, preserved lemon

What are some techniques?

Caramelizing: vegetables; toppings for salads, sandwiches

Stocks: roasted root vegetable, tomato paste, dried mushrooms, kombu

Finishing Oils: fat helps tongue absorb flavor; red chili oil, truffle oil, herb infused oil

Spreads/Sauces: sundried tomato pate, roasted pumpkin puree in risottos, olive tapenade

Garnishes: shiitake bacon, miso crumble, toasted nuts and seeds

Confit: garlic, roasted cherry tomato, leek

Seasoning: miso, umeboshi paste, wine, vinegar, vinaigrette, salt, and touch of sweetness

Fermenting: cabbage for kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut

Poached Garlic Confit:

1 cup peeled garlic cloves

1 cup neutral-tasting oil

  1. Add garlic cloves and oil to a small pan.

  2. Cook on very low heat for 20 minutes or until garlic is lightly golden and soft. There should only be occassional bubbles, with an ideal temperature of 160-180º F. Remove off heat as needed, to cool mixture if temperature gets too high.


Chili Apple Honey:

4 cups apple juice

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes, more to taste

pinch sea salt

  1. Add apple juice to wide pan.

  2. Allow mixture to reduce down to 1/4-1/2 cup over high heat for about 10-15 minutes. Mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.

  3. Fold in red chili flakes and sea salt.


Maple Balsamic Reduction:

2 cups balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

pinch sea salt

  1. Add balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and sea salt to a wide pan.

  2. Reduce over medium-high heat or about 10 minutes, or until the bubble become more viscous. Take care not to overcook. Mixture continues to thicken as it cools.


Quick Pickled Red Onion:

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon allspice berries

1 bay leaf

1 cup apple juice

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 red onions

  1. Toast peppercorns, mustard seeds, allspice berries and bay leaf in wide pan over medium heat for 1 minute.

  2. Add in apple juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and sea salt. Bring to simmer.

  3. Slice red onions thinly into half moons and add to jar.

  4. Pour over warm brine and allow to sit for 20 minutes or overnight in refrigerator.

Fire Roasted Red Pepper Antipasti:

3 red peppers

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon sea salt

  1. Place red peppers on open gas flame.

  2. Blister for a few minutes per side and place in covered bowl for them to steam for a few minutes.

  3. Remove and discard charred skin, stems and seeds.

  4. Slice peppers and toss with olive oil, red chili flakes, rice vinegar, maple syrup and salt.

Vibrant Herb Infused Oil:

2 tablespoons sea salt (for blanching water)

3 cups picked fresh herb leaves

3/4 cup-1 cup neutral-tasting oil

  1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add in salt.

  2. Blanche herb leaves for 5-15 seconds, or until bright green. Drain and cool under cold water, or in an ice bath.

  3. Squeeze out excess moisture and chop blanched herbs roughly.

  4. Add to blender with oil and blend until smooth and vibrant green.

  5. Keep mixture refrigerated, or freeze in ice cube trays for easy use.

Warm Citrus Marinated Olives:

1/2-3/4 cup olive oil

4 smashed garlic cloves

8 thyme sprigs

2 oranges

2 cups castelveltrano olives

  1. Add olive oil and smashed garlic and thyme sprigs to pan.

  2. Use a peeler to cut orange rinds into strips and add to mixture.

  3. Warm mixture for 30 seconds or until aromatic become lightly fragrant.

  4. Squeeze in juice from oranges and fold in olives.

  5. Heat until warmed.

Asparagus Ribbons with Preserved Lemons:

2 bunches asparagus

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 preserved lemon

  1. Trim asparagus and use peeler to cut into ribbons.

  2. Place ribbons in bowl and drizzle with olive oil.

  3. Mince preserved lemon, removing any seeds and fold into ribbons.

Rosemary Cashew ‘Ricotta’:

3 cups cashews

2 tablespoons white miso paste

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 rosemary sprigs

  1. Add cashews to a pot and cover with water. Bring mixture to a boil, turn off heat and allow to sit for 10-20 minutes or until cashews are softened.

  2. Drain and pulse cashews in food processor with miso, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, rice vinegar, and sea salt. Add a small amount of water if necessary to achieve a smooth consistency.

  3. Mince and fold in rosemary sprigs.


Raisin Gremolata:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 minced garlic cloves

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 cups raisins

1 cup apple juice

2 tablespoons rice vinegar, more to taste

pinch sea salt

  1. Add olive oil, minced garlic, thyme leaves and raisins to a wide pan.

  2. Cook over medium heat for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

  3. Add in apple juice, rice vinegar and sea salt and bring to a simmer.

  4. Cook until all liquid has evaporated and raisins have softened.


Toasted Nori Olive Tapenade:

2 cups pine nuts

2 nori sheets

2 cups pitted Kalamata olives

1 garlic clove

2 tablespoon white miso paste

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 teaspoon maple syrup, more to taste

pinch red chili flakes

1/2-3/4 cup olive oil, to emulsify

  1. Toast pine nuts briefly in pan or in oven.

  2. Toast nori sheet by waving it close to an open flame.

  3. Add olives, garlic, miso, lemon zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, chili flakes to food processor.

  4. Process until smooth, emulsifying in olive oil as needed.


Olivia Roszkowski