Luciana sent me two packages of Daiya, because I swooned my butt off after getting a chance to try some while at Joni’s earlier this month. I shall never swoon again: I feel guilty when friends spend their hard-earned cash on me, but…Daiya is rather swoon-worthy. And that’s coming from someone who used to be hooked on cheese (Switzerland, anyone?), but who found herself not even missing cheese anymore after a few years of eating vegan feasts.

I think it smells and tastes like Tofutti slices, except without the hydrogenated crap. It’s good vegan cheese, but the husband claims it’s not true to form just yet. Wherein you find out he is just as annoying as I am…
In my opinion, it needs just a bit more oomph to be truly exceptional. Maybe a pinch more salt? Some maca powder? Something! But it’s almost there, and I would bathe in it if I could.

Pizza was of course number one on the to-do list, so I made these crumbles using the list of spices Joni came up with for the TVP version (not posted anywhere just yet, but will appear in the vegan subs book if she doesn’t post it to her blog before then), and simply followed the seitan chorizo crumbles method. I’m not a fan of TVP personally, that’s why I decided to give it a go with seitan instead.

A note on heat: cayenne pepper heat levels depend on the brand, so start small and build up from there, to make sure the pepperoni isn’t too spicy for your tastebuds.

Seitan Pepperoni Crumbles

1 cup (144 g) vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (7 g) paprika
1 tablespoon (8 g) garlic powder
1 teaspoon anise seed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Sucanat
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
2 tablespoons (30 ml) liquid smoke
1/4 cup (60 ml) water, a touch more if needed, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time

Combine gluten and spices in a medium bowl.
Place oil and liquid smoke in a frying pan. Combine with dry ingredients, using a spatula. Add water and start mixing it all in, using your fingertips, crumbling the mixture between your fingers until no dry spots are left. Add a touch more water if the mixture is too dry.
Start frying the crumbles on medium heat, breaking apart the eventual larger crumbles, and stirring constantly for 8 minutes, or until just browned up.

Yield: About 2 1/2 cups (312 g)