The Sisterhood By Dorri Olds | June 1, 2014 5:00 AM
Mayim Bialik, 38, is part neuroscientist, part actress, part superhero and 100% Jewish Renaissance woman. Known for her starring role on the CBS comedy “The Big Bang Theory,” she’s been nominated for Emmy and Screen Actors Guild awards. What fans may not know is that her experience as a neurobiologist is not limited to TV; she earned a doctorate from University of California, Los Angeles after majoring in neuroscience with a minor in Jewish studies and Hebrew. Bialik was also a leader at UCLA Hillel.
Join Mayim Bialik at the Mohawk Restaurant on June 16 at 6:30 PM where she will be presenting a four-course meal.
When: June 16, 2014 6:30 PM, Pacific Daylight Time
Where: Mohawk Restaurant
2141 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
Join Mayim Bialik, Emmy-nominated actress and author of “Mayim’s Vegan Table,” for an intimate four course meal featuring recipes from her newly released cookbook. Currently starring on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, Mayim is passionate about creating a balanced lifestyle though delicious and fuss-free vegan fare. We are thrilled to invite you to join us for our next Authors Worth Celebrating dinner series on Monday, June 16th at 6:30pm.
Executive Chef Erick Simmons has taken “Mayim’s Vegan Table” and created a wholesome vegan menu inspired by recipes in the book.
About the Authors Worth Celebrating series:
The “Authors Worth Celebrating” series at Mohawk Bend is a monthly event spotlighting authors who share Mohawk Bend’s community values. With inspiration from the guest author, Chef Erick Simmons creates a delicious multi-course meal for attendees to enjoy while they get to know the monthly guest author, and the inspiration for their books, through robust conversation. Past authors featured include Joseph Shuldiner, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Tal Ronnen and Laurie David.
Get your tix as this event will sell out. Follow us! Twitter: @mohawkla
Instagram: @mohawkla
Mayim Bialik
Author of “Mayim’s Vegan Table: More Than 100 Great-Tasting and Healthy Recipes from My Family to Yours”
June 16 at 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Join Mayim Bialik, Emmy-nominated actress and author of “Mayim’s Vegan Table,” for an intimate four course meal featuring recipes from her newly released cookbook. Currently starring on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, Mayim is passionate about creating a balanced lifestyle though delicious and fuss-free vegan fare.
$30/person.
Ask about our beer and cocktail pairing options!
Reserve a table authors@mohawk.la
Mayim will walk us through four courses from her latest book and engage in a Q&A.
About the Authors Worth Celebrating series:
The “Authors Worth Celebrating” series at Mohawk Bend is a monthly event spotlighting authors who share Mohawk Bend’s community values. With inspiration from the guest author, Chef Erick Simmons creates a delicious multi-course meal for attendees to enjoy while they get to know the monthly guest author, and the inspiration for their books, through robust conversation. Past authors featured include Joseph Shuldiner, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Tal Ronnen and Laurie David.
Mohawk Bend
2141 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Alex Biese, @ABieseAPP 12:06 a.m. EDT May 25, 2014
She’s an Emmy-nominated actress who has been in the public eye for decades thanks to her work on the hit sitcoms “The Big Bang Theory” and “Blossom,” and she has a doctorate in neuroscience from UCLA to boot.
But, when it comes to her cooking, Mayim Bialik says she’s just a mom.
Bialik’s domestic repertoire is on display in her new cookbook, “Mayim’s Vegan Table: More Than 100 Great-Tasting and Healthy Recipes from My Family to Yours,” available now from Da Capo Lifelong Books.
“I’m kind of a normal mom, and I think I’m an unlikely celebrity chef, because I’m not like a fancy person. These are recipes that I actually feed my children,” said Bialik.
Bialik’s sons, 5-year-old Frederick and 8-year-old Miles, have been raised vegan. She co-wrote “Mayim’s Vegan Table” with her family’s Santa Monica, California-based pediatrician, Dr. Jay Gordon.
The book, Bialik said, stemmed from her writing for the Jewish parenting website Kveller.com. On her Kveller blog, Bialik would occasionally post vegan recipes, meaning they use no animal products, including eggs and dairy.
“There was a lot of interest in me publishing these recipes, but it wasn’t like I wanted to be some celebrity chef and share all of the things that are perfect about my kids’ diet and mine,” Bialik said. “A lot of these foods are fun foods or what we call transitional foods, because they’re not super-duper-healthy vegan recipes, all of them. But, I really just wanted to show the things that I actually make.”
Choice selections from the book include hot pretzel challah bread, tomato soup with Israelic couscous and even vegan Reuben sandwiches. The book is filled with user-friendly recipes that aren’t overly complicated, with ingredients most home chefs would likely have in their pantry or that would be easily obtained at a neighborhood supermarket.
“You don’t have to use organic produce or organic ingredients if that doesn’t work for your budget or your sensibility. But I wanted to make sure that almost all of the ingredients were things that you could get at your local market,” said Bialik. “I live in Los Angeles, so even our local Ralph’s, which is sort of our local supermarket, has started carrying the (dairy-free) Daiya cheese, which is sometimes used in recipes. So, it’s not even like I’m insisting people who go to Whole Foods, or ‘Whole Paycheck,’ as some people call it.”
Bialik said she and Gordon worked in the book to correct nutritional misconceptions regarding veganism. As any vegan or vegetarian could testify, paramount among those is that vegans don’t get enough protein in their diets.
“The obsession with protein in this country is largely driven by, honestly, the meat and dairy industry and their role in the government,” Bialik said. “We don’t need as much protein as we’ve been told we do, meaning nutritionally. So, that’s one of (the misconceptions about veganism).
“A lot of people assume it’s really expensive and really time-consuming, neither of which have to be true. I also talk in the book about how it would behoove our government to make healthy food available to us. And a lot of those healthy choices, I think, should be plant-based, and I think every major medical organization agrees. But, it doesn’t have to be an expensive way of life or an elitist way of life. I think people assume that your kid with be ostracized, and I think that can also be avoided.”
Bialik also discussed the challenges unique to raising vegan children.
“They can’t eat at anyone’s house without you having a very serious conversation with that person about what they can and can’t eat,” Bialik said. “My older son in particular has an allergy, if he eats eggs or dairy even by accident. So yeah, we can’t travel as easily as other people, it’s harder to get fast food or convenient food, especially if we’re away from home, social events can be challenging.
“That’s actually stuff that we talk about (in the book). Dr. Gordon and I wanted to address all of those hard things. We didn’t want to say: ‘It’s so great. You can do it.’ We wanted to say: ‘Here’s how you handle a birthday party,’ ‘Here’s how you handle traveling,’ ‘Here’s how you handle social situations and weddings’ and things like that.
“And, I think also the challenge is not making your children self-righteous simply because you’ve given a choice to them, and they’ve adopted it. I didn’t want the kid that says to other people, ‘I can’t eat your cupcakes because it’s bad for my soul.’ ”
MAYIM’S VEGAN TABLE: MORE THAN 100 GREAT-TASTING AND HEALTHY RECIPES FROM MY FAMILY TO YOURS
Mayim did an interview about Mayim’s Vegan Table this morning on NPR’s Midday Eats and we have a link to it for you below. The first half has Mayim’s interview. Thanks to Melody for alerting us to this interview. Enjoy!
Mayim was on Katie Couric’s talk show yesterday and we have included the interview below. Enjoy!
The second video talks about Mayim’s Vegan Table, and Katie also put the recipes they talked about on her website….we have also included those below.
Vegan Reuben Sandwiches
Makes 4 Sandwiches
It’s hard to give up your favorite sandwich when you make the decision to eat plant-based foods, but this Reuben recipe will make you forget you ever doubted your decision. We’ve re-created the flavor of a classic deli Reuben with ingredients and spices that mimic the original to a T. Grilling the Rye bread makes all the difference, so don’t skip that step!
Thousand Island Dressing
•1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
•2 tablespoons ketchup
•3 tablespoons dill pickles, diced
Instructions
1.To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.
2.To make the onions, heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic, bay leaves, paprika, caraway seeds, dill, salt, vinegar, tamari, and pepper. Add the water and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated. Remove the bay leaves.
3.Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread two slices of the bread with margarine. Grill in a small skillet, margarine side down, for 3 minutes on one side only. Repeat with the remaining slices of bread.
4.To assemble each sandwich, spread the dressing on the ungrilled sides of two slices of toast. Add the sauerkraut, two pieces of vegan bacon, and the sautéed onions.
Mac N Cheez
Makes 8 servings
People often ask vegan children if they miss macaroni and cheese. With this recipe, your kids don’t have to miss out on the creamy comfort food many kids think comes from a box. The vegan cheese sauce can be poured and mixed directly into cooked pasta or baked in a casserole. Either way, it is an exceptionally yummy and satisfying dish you’ll find yourself making when you crave comfort food in a jiffy.
Ingredients
•1 (16-ounce) package pasta, such as farfalle, rigatoni, penne, shells, or large macaroni
•1 1/4 cups nondairy milk (almond milk works best)
•2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or white or brown rice flour
•1 (8-ounce) bag shredded vegan cheese, preferably mozzarella or cheddar
•1/2 cup bread crumbs (optional)
Instructions
1.Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain when al dente and place in a large bowl.
2.Preheat the oven to 350° F.
3.Heat 1 cup of the nondairy milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
4.In a cup, whisk the flour into the remaining 1/4 cup of milk until dissolved. Add it slowly to the heated milk, whisking as you go. Add the shredded vegan cheese and stir constantly until the cheese is dissolved and the sauce is bubbly, about 5 minutes. Pour over the pasta mixture and stir to combine.
Asparagus
Makes 4 servings
People know they should eat asparagus but often they don’t know how to prepare it. Here’s a super simple recipe that lets the asparagus speak for itself. It’s important to not let the asparagus get soggy, so watch it closely. You can also lay the asparagus spears on a barbecue grill and grill them over direct heat until bright green but not soggy, about 5 minutes.
Ingredients
•1 bunch asparagus, stems trimmed
•2 tablespoons olive oil
•2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1.Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, toss the asparagus in the oil and vinegar to coat.
2.Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes.
Daiya-Style Pizza
Makes 2 pizzas; 4 servings
Crust
•1 (0.25-ounce) package regular or quick-acting active dry yeast
•1 cup warm water
•2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
•2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for oiling pan
•½ teaspoon salt
•Cornmeal, for sprinkling
Toppings
•Your vegan sauce of choice
•1 (8-ounce) package Daiya cheese
•¼ cup olives (optional)
•½ cup onion, sliced, or bell peper, seeded (optional)
•2 teaspoons garlic, minced (optional)
Instructions
1.Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a medium bowl. Stir in the flour, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the salt. Beat vigorously, about 20 strokes. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
2.Preheat the oven to 425° F. Grease two cookie sheets or 12-inch pizza pans with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal.
3.Remove the dough from the bowl. Place half of the dough on a clean, floured countertop. With floured fingers, pat into an 11-inch circle. Repeat with the other half of the dough and transfer each circle to one of the prepared pans. Prick each dough circle all over with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes on a lower rack, or until just starting to brown.
4.Remove the pans from the oven. Add your desired sauce and toppings and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the cheese melts.
Variations: Creative toppings for pizzas
•Mushrooms, sun-dried tomato, and olives
•Mushrooms, pineapple, and caramelized onion
•Arugula, figs, and cashew cheese
•Vegan sausage, peppers, and onion
Mayim was at LA Times’ Festival of Books today promoting Mayim’s Vegan Table. We’ve included a few pictures below. Thanks to our friend Melody for sharing them with us.
This is another interview Mayim did on her book tour last month that is just now surfacing for us who don’t have SiriusXM. We listened to Mayim’s part and it was as entertaining as you thought it would be. She’s about halfway through. So, enjoy!
The Bazinga Cast 