This theatre personality began cooking at an early age, and often throws opening night parties following performances. Her notorious annual Halloween Masquerade Ball replete with numerous NYC actors and artists, and her intimate dinner parties, are always strewn with delicious and exotic dishes. Lorca prefers to serve mainly vegetarian delicacies at her parties, and always keeps her pantry and refrigerator well-stocked with spices, condiments and dried foods. She is most interested in foods that are laced with Mediterranean, Asian, or Middle Eastern flavors; and will be sharing many of these delicious recipes with us here at Vegtv.com.

Under her company, "Parties by Lorca," her guests and clients have ranged from celebrities to corporate executives. Included in this roster are the weddings of a Ford model, birthday events for TV personality Jane Velez Mitchell, Architectural Digest celebs, and a top NERA executive at Windows on the World in New York City. In addition to entertaining, Lorca is a seasoned actor, and the artistic director/founder of MultiStages, a not-for-profit interdisciplinary theatre company in New York City, where she directs and produces original theatre works.

Spicy Non-Alcholic Punch
© Lorca Peress 2000

To serve 30 people:

• 15-17 red zinger tea bags
• 4-5 cinnamon sticks
• ½ gallon orange juice + 1 quart orange juice
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 lime, thinly sliced
• juice of 2 limes
• 3 oranges, thinly sliced
• 1 orange, in ¼ inch slices, with approximately 6 whole cloves stuck in rind and mint leaves in center
• 1 large container strawberries, sliced
• 1 pint frozen raspberries
• 1 pint fresh raspberries
• 2 star fruit, sliced

Make a concentrate with 15 cups of water, tea and cinnamon sticks. Steep 15 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing out liquid. Chill.

Add all juice. Add water to taste, start with 4 cups. Add fruit.

May need more oj or tea. Have on hand. Can make oj ice cubes (1-2 trays). Should be spicy, tart.

Sweetners can be served on the side.

This is a very easy recipe to make. You can use store bought Marinara Sauce, your own favorite recipe, or the one I've included below.

You will need:

• 1 baking or casserole dish
• 12 Manicotti Shells (fresh or dry) - prepare according to instructions
• Marinara Sauce (see below)
• 2 packages Firm Tofu
• 2 Cloves chopped Garlic
• Salt/Pepper and Red Pepper Flakes to taste
• 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. Dried or 2 tsps. Fresh chopped Oregano
• ½ cup Fresh Basil (roll 3-4 leaves together at a time like a cigar and slice thinly)
  (Note: when using fresh herbs, always double the amount or dried)

Drain Tofu in a strainer for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator. Mash up Garlic with Oregano. Add drained Tofu, Garlic, Oregano, 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil, Salt and Peppers to a food processor. Pulse lightly until the Tofu resembles ricotta cheese. Don't over process or it will be too runny. If there is a lot of liquid, drain it again. Stir in sliced Basil leaves.

If using dried Manicotti Shells, boil them according to package instructions. Drain them. After the shells are ready to use, spoon in the tofu recipe into each Manicotti Shell. Coat a casserole dish or shallow baking pan with olive oil, and a layer of Marinara Sauce. Lay the Manicotti on top of the sauce, and top the shells with extra sauce. (I don't like to use too much sauce on top, just enough for the shells not to burn.)

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. If the shells they turn too brown, cover with aluminum foil. Serve with extra Marinara Sauce on the side; and top the dish with chopped fresh parsley and oregano; and any extra basil leaves.

If serving for a large party, just double or triple the recipe. You can bake several trays at the same time. Best served hot, but can be served room temperature.

Quick Basic Marinara Sauce
© Lorca Peress 2002

• 4 cups of Crushed Tomatoes (packaged organic or canned) (if you can't find crushed tomatoes, you can use whole canned, but squeeze the tomatoes in your hand to break them up - don't chop them)
• 5 cloves of mashed garlic
• 5 shallots finely chopped
• 4 tsps. Fresh Oregano
• 1 bunch Parsley
• ½ cup Fresh Basil (roll 3-4 leaves together at a time like a cigar and slice thinly)
• Salt, Pepper and Red Pepper Flakes
• 3-4 tbs. Olive Oil
• ½ -1 cup Vegetable Broth or Red Wine (add a little at a time, may not need it all)

In a deep sauce pan, sautee garlic and shallots in olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan) until lightly brown but not dark brown. Add the crushed tomatoes, stir to blend. Add in the salt, and peppers to taste. Simmer a few minutes, then add the vege broth or red wine, and simmer another 3 minutes. Add in the parsley and oregano and cook another 2 minutes. Taste the sauce, and adjust the seasoning. Should be a thick sauce. (This sauce can be frozen.)

(Additions to the Sauce:

Add mushrooms to this recipe if desired. Chop mushrooms and add to the sautéed onions and garlic, continue sautéing until mushrooms are browned. Then add the tomatoes, and continue the recipe from that point.)

Add Italian black and green olives, capers, and red peppers to this recipe. Add them in the same time you would the mushrooms.

You can add garbanzo beans to this recipe.

(This is an easy recipe. It can be made from scratch, or use canned and fresh products. This recipe is for canned and fresh products.)

• 2 containers thick-style Hummus (apx. 3 cups)
• 2 cans of Garbanzo Beans
• 3 cups Eggplant Capponata (canned)
• Cilantro bunch (1/2 bunch chopped finely) save some for garnish
• 6 Plum tomatoes (seeded and diced)
• 1 cup Black Olives sliced and pitted (calamata, dried cured, or Italian)
• 1 cup Green Olives sliced (briney w/ pimento)
• 2 cloves Garlic smashed
• 1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• Red pepper flakes (optional)
• Tortilla Chips, Crackers, or Crostini

Mix the garbanzo beans, ½ the capponata, garlic, hummus, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Pour into a nice large serving bowl. Add in the tomatoes, cilantro, and olives (reserve some olives to decorate). Pour the other half of the capponata on top and let it drip down the sides. Decorate with the cilantro leaves and olive slices.

Serve with a spreader and crackers, tortilla chips, bagel chips, crostini, whatever. Should be a thick dip.

Garbanzo and Tomato Stew
Recipe by Lorca Peress © 2001
(makes 6-8 servings)

Need: (There are no real set amounts for this recipe - it is an easy one that can be adjusted according to taste and stew consistency.)

• 4 cans garbanzo beans
• 2 large cans roma tomatoes in liquid
• 2-3 cloves garlic, smashed
• bunch of rosemary
• 2-3 shallots, chopped
• 1 bunch italian parsley
• 1 cup red wine (optional) or tomato juice
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• salt/pepper
• red pepper flakes
• olive oil
• bread crumbs

Directions:

In a Stew Pot, heat olive oil a few moments, then add garlic, 5-6 sprigs rosemary, and shallots. Sautee until lightly brown (apx. 2 minutes), but not burned. Stir in red pepper flakes. Over the pot, break the canned tomatoes with hands and add in the tomatoes and liquid. Stir. Add in 2½ cans of garbanzo beans and liquid; and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Take 1½ cans of garbanzo beans and process to a mash (you can either put the beans in a separate bowl and use a hand held processor; or mash in a food processor). Add chopped Italian parsley to the soup and cover. Cook the soup for 30 minutes on a simmer, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, add the processed chick peas, stir, and taste. Add salt and pepper and additional chopped rosemary, if needed. Continue cooking on simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of red wine or tomato juice. If the stew is too thick for your tastes, add more of the liquid (either the vege broth, juice or wine), but I like it thick.

Serve in bowls topped with bread crumbs, fresh rosemary leaves and olive oil. Have a good hearty peasant bread and a plate of extra virgin olive oil (sprinkled with kosher salt, cracked pepper and a touch of garlic) on the side.

White gazpacho is the classic style eaten in southern Spain. In the USA, they usually serve a red gazpacho with a tomato base.

• 6-8 Cucumbers, cut in 1 inch cubes (reserve some for topping)
• 2-3 loaves stale French or Italian Bread (cut in 1 inch cubes)
• 1-2 quarts Soy milk
• 5 Fresh Roma tomatoes, chopped (reserve some for topping)
• 1 cup Olive oil
• ½ cup Vinegar
• Juice of 3-4 Limes (reserve some slices for topping)
• 1 lb. Slivered Almonds (reserve some for topping)
• 3 Avocados, chopped in cubes
• Green pepper, chopped finely
• 1 Bunch Parsley (reserve some for topping)
• 1 Bunch Cilantro (reserve some for topping)
• Bread crumbs
• ½ Spanish Onions
• 3-4 cloves Garlic, crushed
• black olives, chopped
• Salt/Pepper
• Tabasco

This soup has to be made in steps and then mixed together in a large stock pot. In a large bowl, soften the bread in soy milk. In a blender - blend the cucumbers, cilantro, parsley and enough soy milk (from the bread) to make a milkshake consistency. This will take several batches. Put cucumber mixture in a large stock pot In blender, make first batch of garlic, onions, tomatoes, olive oil, slivered almonds and soaked bread. Blend together and add to the cucumber mixture, stir. Continue with batches until all ingredients are blended and mixed into the cucumber mixture. The consistency should be like a creamy soup, but not as thick as yogurt. Add salt, pepper, half the vinegar; and the juice of 2 limes. Stir. Taste. You can adjust the seasonings now. If it is too thick, add in some more soy milk; if it is too thin, soak some more bread and add bread and another cucumber to the mixture.

Serve slightly chilled in bowls with dash of olive oil on top. Serve toppings on the side.

Toppings: thin lime slices, chopped cilantro, parsley, avocado, tomato, green pepper, cucumbers, almonds, black olives, and a small bowl of bread crumbs (or croutons if you prefer). Serve with Tabasco.

Need:

• 2 White Kidney Beans (canned)
• 2 Butter Beans (canned)
• 2 Garlic cloves (to taste)
• Good extra virgin Olive Oil
• Fresh Rosemary (several sprigs)
• 1-2 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
  

Directions:

This recipe is easy and to taste. If you like it very garlicky, add more; if not, use less. Drain the cans of beans in a strainer, but reserve the liquid. Mash the garlic. Remove the leaves from 2-3 rosemary stems, and chop with the garlic. In a food processor, add the beans, garlic, and rosemary. Add in ¼ of the reserved liquid. Put on the top, and pulse for a few seconds. Remove the top and add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus one teaspoon of vinegar, salt and pepper. Pulse again. The dip should be thick, not runny. If it is too thick, add more liquid, until you get the consistency of mashed potatoes. If you like it a bit thinner, continue to add more liquid or olive oil. Taste. Make adjustments to the seasoning.

Serve in a beautiful bowl with sprigs of fresh rosemary. Top the dip with olive oil and put the bowl on a beautiful platter or plate lined with crostini (recipe below). Serve with a spreader.

CROSTINI
Recipe by Lorca Peress © 2001

Need:

• 2-3 loaves Day old French or Italian Bread
• 1-2 cloves Garlic
• ¾ cup Olive Oil
• 3 sprigs fresh Rosemary
• Kosher salt
  

Directions:

Mash the garlic and add to a plate, pour in olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt. Chop the rosemary leaves that you have removed from the stem, and add to the plate. Mix together. Slice the bread as thinly as possible, about ¼ inch thick. If the bread is soft on the inside, stack the slices criss-cross in a colander to dry out. After the bread has dried about ½ hour or so, brush the olive oil mixture on one side of the slice of bread. Place the slices in the toaster oven on the rack. Toast until they turn golden to medium brown. Repeat until all the slices are toasted. Let the slices cool. They should be crispy, but biteable. You can store these in a plastic bag for 1-2 days. If they get stale, dry them out in the toaster before serving. They also freeze well.

Make your platter beautiful. Guests eat with their eyes. Top sprigs of parsley, rosemary, thyme, other herbs around the platter. This dish is delicious served next to a bowl of exotic olives. Invest in some terrific toothpicks (check out an Asian district or store for fun spindles), and always serve a pretty dish for the pits.

NOTE: This recipe can also be adjusted for passed hors d’oeuvres - the crostini can be topped with the dip ahead of time, and served with a slice of basil topping each dip covered crostini