mashterpaters

Now, now, scoop your mind out of the gutter.  Remember - this is a food blog!

Although I had every intention of making Orecchiette with Cherry Tomatoes and Kalamata Tapenade tonight, Mister had more Penne Arrabbiata for lunch, so I didn't think he'd want pasta for dinner.  I contemplated the menu and decided that I was in the mood for Chickpea Cutlets from Veganomicon, alongside heaping piles of fluffy, creamy mashed potatoes.

I made this once before, to mixed reviews.  It was my opinion that "what went wrong" was my failure to increase other quantities in the recipe when I went ahead and used the whole can of chickpeas instead of measuring out one cup.  This time around, I did alter the other ingredients accordingly, resulting in the meatier texture that was missing the first time around.  I did need a steak knife this time.

The mashed potatoes were okay.  They were better than the last batch, but I'm still working my way up to HolyCowTheseAreTheBestMashedPotatoesI'veEverEaten and we're not there yet.  These were sufficiently creamy, as I used Earth Balance as the fat and plain soymilk to make creamier.  I thought I had sprinkled them generously with salt, but I also think I underestimated the amount of mashed potatoes I would work it into.  In a sense they were almost a little sweet and that really isn't a quality Mister or I seek out in mashterpaters.

Angst was begging, so Mister gave him a little bit of his cutlet.  Angst sniffed at it a little and eventually got around to eating it.  When he came back and was sniffing at the air, I thought he wanted a piece of my cutlet as well.  That is one thing I will say for these cutlets - even if they're a little squishier than Mister would prefer and would benefit from a little more seasoning in the future, they sure do stink the whole place up in the most delicious way.  Anyway, I pulled a little piece off and gave it to Angst...who just kind of looked at it, looked at me, and started snuffling at the air again.  I told him mashterpaters don't smell like anything, but he wasn't buying it.  To prove to him he didn't want the potatoes, I gave him some.

I will never learn.

He loved them and ate them all up.

We call this his GruntleFace (as in disgruntled)
You can see his little brow furrowed, can't you?