Local chef gives vegan advice on Web site

[Guest guest]

By Carolyn Dryer Jason Wyrick did not start out wanting to be a crusader. The West Valley resident attended Texas Christian University, where he studied astrophysics.

ìI just finished my junior year in college and decided on a degree in philosophy,î he said. ìMy job wasnít directly tied to my degree, but itís one people use every day.î

What Wyrick, 35, wanted to do with his life was uncertain, but he believed his college degree would help in any field he pursued.

With degree in hand, he worked for a telecommunications company in Oklahoma for a while, took various sales jobs, then became director of marketing for a computer company in Fort Worth, Texas for a year and a half.

ìThatís when I was diagnosed with diabetes,î Wyrick said.

ìI was told to go on insulin,î he said, ìbut I refused to start on medicine for something I brought on myself.î

Instead, Wyrick, whose mother, Patti Wyrick, works for the City of Peoria, was already a vegetarian and decided he would become a full-fledged vegan. No eggs, no dairy products, everything he puts in his body comes from a plant. He said the vegan diet cured his diabetes.

ìOne of the reasons I got out of the marketing job ñ I wanted to do something to promote vegan issues,î he said. ìAfter a couple years, I started my business, Devil Spice.î

That business has since taken a back seat to his Web-based magazine, The Vegan Culinary Experience. Visitors to the site find recipes ñ with accompanying photographs - for individual meals, schedules of classes, order individuals meals or a catering service for any occasion. Also in the magazine are articles about healthy eating and reviews of restaurants, products and books. Wyrick, or contributing writers, give readers insight into vegan chefs around the world, and who they should be aware of in years to come.

True vegans can access the site for directions on preparation of meals and how to present them in an appealing, appetizing way.

For years, Wyrick has offered the magazine and recipes at no charge, counting on the meal preparations and catering jobs to bring in an income. Now, he has paid advertising on the Web site.

Wyrickís meal service delivers free in the Phoenix metropolitan area and ships anywhere by UPS. The two-day shipping includes food packed in Styrofoam coolers with dry ice. Students volunteer and help him prepare and pack the meals.

Cost is $60 for one portion of each six meals; $100 for two portions of 12 meals.

He spends his week getting recipes ready, does all the food preps on Sunday and delivers on Monday ìwhile itís fresh.î

Also during the week, he manages contributors to the magazine.

Thursdays afternoons, Wyrick sets aside time to teach classes for The Cancer Project at The Wellness Community in central Phoenix.

ìA lot of cancer is caused by dietary choices,î he said. ìEven if not, immune systems are depressed.î

Classes are open to the public, but registration is required by calling 602-712-1006, or visiting www.twccaz.org.

Visit Wyrickís Web site at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.

Type: Main Dish Serves: 24

Time to Prepare: 2 hours 15 minutes (includes 1 hour to soak the mesquite chips)

Ingredients

1 batch of tamale dough (see Basic Tamale recipe)

2 chayote squash, grilled and minced

4 red bell peppers, roasted

1/2 cup of diced black olives

1/2 cup of diced green olives (preferably the kind stuffed with garlic)

1/4 cup of chopped cilantro leaves

1/4 cup of pine nuts

1/4 tsp. of salt

1 tsp. of olive oil

Mesquite wood chips

Instructions

Soak the mesquite chips in water for at least an hour.

Light the grill, filling it with the smoked mesquite chips.

Cut the chayote in half, but leave the red peppers whole.

Lightly brush them with the olive oil.

Grill them, rotating them as they blacken.

While these are grilling, prepare the tamale dough according to the Basic Tamale recipe.

Once the peppers are done, place them in a bowl and cover them with a towel.

Allow them to sit for 10-20 minutes, then remove the skin and stems.

Dice the grilled chayote squash.

Chop the olives and cilantro.

Cut the roasted red peppers into strips.

Toast the pine nuts on a medium heat for about 45 seconds.

Combine all of the ingredients.

Prepare the tamales according to the Basic Tamale recipe.

Option: For extra smokiness, you can add some of the smoked mesquite chips to the water you use to steam the tamales.

The filling for this is beautiful, so consider setting some of it aside to use as garnish. This tamale should definitely be served on a brightly colored plate.

 

Peter vv