What is your deal?
I'm a curious, self-taught amateur cook. I became vegetarian at fourteen and vegan shortly thereafter, and when I grew tired of PB&J and Tofu Pups I began learning to fend for myself in the kitchen. I love spicy food, bold flavors, and trying new fruits and vegetables. I'm mildly health conscious, but I don't get hung up on calories. I focus on whole grains, beans, and plants of all colors. I try to avoid high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oil, and chemical food coloring. Though I do eat them occasionally, I'm not a big fan of faux meats and fake cheese. Real foods are tasty enough! In September 2009, I found out that I have Celiac Disease, so all the recipes posted after this point are gluten-free.
My writing and recipes have been featured in Maine Food & Lifestyle Magazine, the Bangor Daily News, Bangor Metro Magazine, and Tufts Magazine.
Occasionally, I also share my clumsy knitting, though when things get busy I have less to say about that.
Is everything on your site vegan?
All of the recipes are vegan. I cook without meat, eggs, dairy, or honey. I've been known to recommend tasty locally-made products, like artisan bread and granola bars, and some of these contain honey. I don't wear leather, but I do knit with wool from sheep, goats, and rabbits raised humanely on small-scale, organic Maine farms. As a consumer, I strive to make choices that will positively impact my health and the well-being of the people, plants, and animals in my community. I do the best I can, and I'm always learning.
Why do you harp on so about your local businesses? I don't live in Maine.
Yes, but don't you wish you did? Mainers vigorously support local businesses, probably because we're skeptical of the outside world. I love buying vegetables from the farmer who grew them, bread direct from the baker, yarn from the person who fed the sheep and spun the wool. I get to see the work that went into my purchases, and my dollars stay in Maine instead of going to China or Bentonville, Arkansas.
I write about the foods and fibers that inspire me. If you live or vacation nearby, please check them out. If you live somewhere else, you can either find your own local producers to love, or make all your friends jealous and move to Maine.
What does the name of your blog mean, and how do you say it?
MITTen MAHK-en (with a little bit of that German getting-ready-to-spit noise around the /k/).
It means "mitten making"
auf Duetsch. I was knitting a lot of those when I started this site. I'm into slippers now, but there's no alliteration in that.
What are your favorite foods?
I could live quite happily on strawberries,
ice cream, broccoli, and spicy noodles.
If I send you free products will you review them on your site?
That depends. I am interested in reviewing products that are:
1. vegan,
2. gluten-free, and
3. in keeping with the tone of this blog.
If I can't see myself using a product in real life, I won't review it here. I don't like posting negative reviews, so if I don't have something nice to say about your product I probably won't say anything at all.
That said, holla at me, Tofu Xpress!
