Hey everyone!  My name is Jay Astafa and I’m a vegan chef.  I created the vegan menu at my dad’s restaurant  3 Brothers Pizza Cafe in Rockville Centre, NY.   It has been really fun cooking there!   I first created the vegan menu in 2009.   There were very few vegan options on Long Island and I really wanted to change that!

I’ve been saying I want to start another food blog like forever.  I used to blog at The Vegan Foodie which is still up online.  Finally I started this new food blog after so many people were curious about my recipes.  This is going to be a fun blog where I will show you how to create delicious flavorful vegan dishes that will impress anyone!

Here’s what I have in store for you all in the next couple of weeks!

Thanksgiving  is coming up, so I’m going to post my top thanksgiving dishes like my Seitan “Turkey” Roast which makes a delicous Thanksgiving centerpiece.  I will also feature my recipe for Butternut Squash Ravioli with Hazelnut-Sage Pesto!

I will also be auditioning for Food Network Star on Monday, October 29th.  I ‘m really excited about this.  Food Network is one of my favorite channels and I  really think it would be awesome if they aired a vegan cooking show.   I really want to show America how to make delicious gourmet plant based cuisine!

At the restaurant I’m doing a 5 course thanksgiving menu and I’ve been testing a few recipes.  Here’s some of the pictures.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Hazelnut-Sage Pesto

I will be posting the recipe for the Butternut Squash Ravioli with Hazelnut-Sage Pesto in a couple weeks.  There so flavorful and perfect for the fall!  The hazelnut-sage pesto works so well with the Butternut Squash Ravioli.  Stay tuned for the recipe!

Seared King Oyster Mushroom “Scallops” with Truffle-Red Pepper Caviar and Fennel Puree

This dish is made using King Oyster Mushrooms and I cut that them into scallops shapes.  There one of my favorite mushrooms to work with because you can do so much with them.  I simply seasoned them with salt, thyme, and olive oil.  Then I seared them until golden brown.  I top them with my Truffle-Red Pepper Caviar which I made using a molecular gastronomy techique called spherification.   This dish will be featured at my restaurant’s 5 course Thanksgiving Menu.

Seitan “Turkey” Roast

Now’s here’s my Seitan “Turkey” Roast.   I made this for the staff at the restaurant and they were really impressed.   They aren’t even vegetarians or vegan and they really liked it!  I’ve made variations of Seitan roasts for a few years now but this is my best one yet.  It’s made with a combination of wheat gluten and tofu.  It’s also wrapped in yuba skin for that delicious crispy skin.  I’m going to post the recipe very soon!

Thank you so much for visiting my blog, and stay tuned for delicious and flavorful recipes!