A while back I went to a family dinner and watched the non-vegan family members polish off a big plate of calamari. I then proceeded to rope them all into a brainstorming session on what I could use as the main ingredient for some vegan calamari. We came up with zilch. The idea never really left my brain though. I waited tables at three different restaurants during college and they all served calamari. And from that I learned that people really love calamari. I never really got it, but then again I’ve never had calamari. Or rather, I’ve never had non-vegan calamari. Then a few weeks ago I got a hold of a copy of the Blossom Cookbook by Ronen Seri and Pamela Elizabeth and wouldn’t you know it, they’ve got a recipe for vegan calamari. It’s made from the stems of trumpet mushrooms (also called king oyster mushrooms). Kind of brilliant. I’ve seen people do this to make vegan scallops, but it never occurred to me that if you punch a little hole in the middle of each piece you’ve got a perfect little tube for calamari. Coat it up in spices and crispy cornmeal, and it’s really, really delicious. Maybe this is why everyone makes such a big fuss about calamari. What I really like about the Blossom Cookbook is the fact that it’s loaded with creative recipes that transform an ingredient into something totally new. In this case we’re turning mushrooms into calamari. I also tried a recipe that turned cauliflower into risotto. Equally cool. The recipes in the book are all from New York’s famous Blossom vegan restaurant. I guess dishes like this are what make it so famous. These vegan calamari are deep fried, and it’s so worth it. But because I know you guys so well, and I knew someone would inevitably ask, I tried baking a few of them with a light spritz of oil. It worked! I’ve included a note in the recipe on how to do that. Could you bake them without oil, air-fry them, or pan-fry them? Perhaps, but I can’t try everything. Be sure to let me know if any of those methods work for you. Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
