Purple Sweet Potato, Acorn Squash with Tempeh, and Cornmeal Onion Rings

We've been eating out for the last several nights due to the Full Frame Film Festival. It's the country's largest documentary film festival, and I cover it for a magazine that serves the South Asian population; you can see my review for the current issue and listen to an interview online. I saw many excellent films, including ones on the exiled Queen of Iran, civil rights lawyer William Kunstler, the First Amendment, two men who masquerade as corporate executives and make charitable statements (not really) on the behalf of the organizations, an amazing film about those with physical challenges taking up photography, and many more.

Alas, my father-in-law leaves us to return to India this Thursday. He's been with us since February 10 and has been a great help with the baby, and is just a delight to have around with his positive attitude. He has been enjoying our meals and early on asked for onion rings. Back three years ago at the last night of the same Festival, I made a beer-battered asparagus dish, and wanted to do something similar, but didn't have some cheap beer handy.

I simply made a dry mix of mainly cornmeal, along with plenty of sesame seeds, dried hot red pepper, vegan Parma! "Parmesan cheese", a little oregano, and salt, then I mixed in enough hemp milk to get a barely runny consistency. I dredged organic Texas sweet onions through this and sauteed them over medium heat till each side was suitably browned. I wish I had had beer; the onion rings came out well, but would have been better I think with beer.

I recently found purple sweet potatoes! I baked them at 350°F for about a half hour, along with cut and de-seeded acorn squash. I also made a simple tempeh dish with tempeh chopped fairly small, a bit of onion, and red bell pepper, all sauteed, and filled the squash with it. It was a nice, colorful dinner! I'll have to do a photographic study sometime of this lovely purple potato.