Where are the veggie-men who cook?

A puzzling observation, and then a challenge, at Eat Air, a blog on vegan cooking:

There are 40 vegan cooking-related blogs now in my RSS reader. Four of them are written by men. I've thought about this disparity in the past and I've been pondering it again recently. Now that I'm going to have a son I don't necessarily want him to be tied to stereotypical gender roles. Darlene does a lot of knitting and sewing and if our son wants to learn those skills I have no problem with that. I certainly want him to learn how to cook. So guys, let's set a good example for him and all the other little (and big) dudes out there. Here's my proposal:

All you female bloggers - convince the men in your lives to cook a meal, then post it on your blogs. For all the men who are already cooking, good on you - post something fun on your blog. When you post something, let me know in the comments here or in an e-mail. If you don't have a blog e-mail me a picture and description of what you've cooked.

Do this by next Sunday, March 30 and I'll compile all the responses here. Feel free to grab the graphic above and use it in your posts. Happy cooking!

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So, here's my entry.

I served it at Easter Brunch with a glass of Victory Brewing's Prima Pils ... beer. As wine educator Marni Old says in He Said Beer; She Said Wine:

In a cruel twist of fate, a couple of the very worst veggie offenders rank among the culinary elite of vegetables. Both the slender asparagus and the portly artichoke can be self-centered, often leaving their wine partners tasting strangely off-balance and askew.

Roasted Asparagus with Mock Hollandaise

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound asparagus
• sesame seeds
• 4 TBSP margarine (Earth Balance)
• 4 TBSP potato starch
• 1/2 cup sweet onion, finely minced
• 1 TBSP, garlic, finely minced
• 12 oz silken tofu
• 2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 TBSP vegetable stock
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp freshly cracked nutmeg

Method

1) Pan-toast a small handful of sesame seeds over medium-high heat in dry pan until fragrant (not burned!).

2) Make a roux.
Heat a pan and melt 4 TBSP margarine over medium-low heat. Slowly blend in 4 TBSP potato starch, whisking constantly until thoroughly mixed. Continue to cook, whisking, until the flour and margarine achieve a copper color. Set aside.

3) Make the hollandaise sauce
In small pot, heat 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil. sauté 1/2 cup finely minced onions over medium-low heat until translucent. Add 1 TBSP minced garlic (and more oil if necessary); sauté until fragrant. Remove from heat.

Add to blender or food processor with 12 oz silken tofu, 2 TBSP lemon juice, 4 TBSP vegetable stock, 1 tsp dry mustard powder, 1 tsp freshly cracked nutmeg, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp kosher salt.

Blend until a smooth consistency.

Return to pot. Add roux. On low heat, mix well. Set aside (or refrigerate for later use.)

4) Prepare asparagus
Take half-pound of asparagus. Cut of stems; trim woody stalks.

Place in bowl and toss with 2 TBSP virgin olive oil, 1 tsp Kosher salt, and 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper.

5) Roast and serve!
Place prepared asparagus on foiled baking sheet. Set oven to 425°F. Roast for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven. Top with dollop of mock hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.