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A few years back, I began a blog post topic called Black Fig Society, in which I showcased local and non-local artists on what inspired them to create. In their interviews, they shared daily rituals they performed to feed their creative energy. They also shared a childhood memory of food or a scent that sparked something in them to create their art. This particular interview has been sitting in my draft folder for almost two years. I thought it was high time to pull it away from the rest of the red-headed stepchildren and share it with all of you. Without further ado, I give you artist Renea Dauntes and Million Dollar Vegan Mac-n-Cheese.
Artist Renea Dauntes and Million Dollar Vegan Mac-n-Cheese
Have you ever had one of those friends you could hang out with for a few hours and then walk away feeling smarter or, basically, more of a badass? I hope that would describe all of your friends! I will be the first to raise that hand and say, “YEP!” That “someone” for me, lately, has been Renea Dauntes. She and I met in an art history class during my time at University, finishing up a BFA degree back in 2013. I always enjoyed her presence and contribution to class discussion but hadn’t said, “Hey, let’s hang out…” until the last few years or so.
Renea is an artist. And, like most artists, she has her muse, her person, place, or thing that inspires her to create. She is what I call a Renaissance woman. She turns everything she touches into gold or a very workable gold! I see her as one without fear who welcomes a challenge and has an insatiable hunger to see the beauty in everything. I have had several sit-downs with Renea between coffee, a shared pumpkin cookie, more coffee that may or may not have been spiked, and dinner at my house on a few lazy Saturday nights.
Each time, we laugh. We engage in in-depth discussions about the world, fame, the haves and have nots, relationships, the future, and glorious macaroni-n-cheese. To say I was STOKED to meet another who loved the cheesy noodle as much as I did is a vast understatement. Once more, Brandon and I had to have her over for dinner, scotch, and excellent conversation, mainly about mac-n-cheese. After this sit-down with Renea, I was more determined than ever to come up with a Million Dollar Vegan Mac-n-Cheese recipe.
At the dinner table
Renea (finishing up a quick conversation with my daughter, Izabella, about things divisible by 2): “Oh yeah, Mmmmm mac-n-cheese… You know, growing up, we didn’t get it as often as we wanted it for dinner. Most meals consisted of a hamburger helper option; tuna, beef, chicken, or a casserole involving hamburger. Oh, and also bean or tater tots would be on top of the casserole.”
Me: “Would your mom ever serve a salad on the side?”
Renea: “Oh, FUCK, no, haha. There was no lettuce in the house! Mac-n-cheese was the one thing anyone in the house could make on the stove. Three boxes of it would serve as dinner (by itself) or with apple sauce. When it was Hamburger Helper, I would pick out and eat all of the noodles.”
Me: “What is it about mac-n-cheese that has us by our balls?”
Renea: “It’s comfort and warmth. It reminds us of home! Hell, almost everyone has it in their homes right now; noodles or pasta…it’s something you can’t fuck up. Beef Stroganoff was a favorite.”
Brandon: “Or how about Wednesday night’s mashed potatoes would show up at the table the next night as potato cakes!”
Mac-n-Cheese as comfort
Renea: “YES!…re-purposed or recycled as shepherd pie. Now that I’m an adult, when I need it quick-style, I will run by restaurants or supermarkets and grab a container for dinner. If I’m having a shit day, there are four places you can find me; Scratch Made Bakery for a sweet bite to eat, World Market for a bar of glorious chocolate or tea and biscuits, Calico County or a grocery store deli for my mac n cheese fix. Mac-n-cheese will ALWAYS make me feel better.”
Me: “It has always done the same for me. My kids know how much I love it so, I often say to them, “I love you more than mac n cheese…but not the cheap shit.. the good shit.”
Renea: “Oh, I don’t need fancy. I only need noodles and cheese. That’s it. But as I age, I realize that certain things in life are gaining against me; death by ingesting sugar, salt..etc. It’s so unfair. I certainly wouldn’t mind giving up cheese, just not mac-n-cheese.”
Me: “What about coming up with the very best vegan mac n cheese?”
Renea: “I’d be a billionaire. I don’t doubt there’s a good one out there, but to make the ultimate, I’m not so sure it’s possible. Whoever comes up with that recipe, will be a billionaire. There is no substitution for that flavor.”
I’m not sure it would be worth a billion dollars, but it IS possible! I’m determined to come up with a Million Dollar Vegan Mac-n-Cheese if it kills me!
Artists’ Inspiration
Me: “We are a couple of fools who don’t mind turning to mac-n-cheese for comfort. We know it will always be there for us. But as artists, sometimes we get “stuck” or “pause” on creating our work. What do you turn to for inspiration to create your art? I understand you are inspired to pick up a project you had been sitting on for so long…”
Renea: “My inspiration for a new project I am working on goes back several layers. Samson, a fellow art student of ours, did a piece at the Gallery on 7th that was a symbolic representation of the rebel flag. The installation consisted of a large painting that read, “this is heritage, not hate.” Samson stood next to the art, barefoot and without a shirt. Above his head were the words, “I’m not racist, but…..” On his chest were the written words, “…this is an N-WORD.” His hands and feet bound with chains (slave auction style). During the performance, Samson destroyed the painting. It was such a powerful piece to have witnessed.”
Revolution of Piece
From the destroyed piece, Renea took a part of him with her by cutting it into small pieces to create and sell pendants, sculptures, and bracelets. She realized Samson’s art could become a new project to spark a tiny movement. Her inspiration from Samson’s art cultivated another artistic idea: “Revolution of Piece.”
Renea: “We are all a piece of the same history or puzzle if you will. Every piece looks different, but every part is the same. Like us, as individuals, each piece has a unique signature. Something new created out of one piece of art, and now each smaller piece is independent of what it started as, having their own lives now but still from the same thing.” To come from one piece and grow into our own unique piece is just mindblowing to me. It is up to us how much “peace” OUR “piece” brings to the world.
The painting ended up in her closet for a while. With her new project in mind, Renea offered to split any proceeds from her art with Samson 50/50. He declined. So, instead, she decided to create a few larger pieces from the painting to auction and donate proceeds to ACLU or a civil rights campaign. It is a work still in progress as she begins to create new things.
Extra inspiration besides mac-n-cheese
Renea’s inspiration (support system) to create her art is also within books and film. She reads her way in and out of things and moments to reevaluate her life, at times rereading books to remind herself about specific issues such as being vulnerable and alone. The 1946 movie, “Do You Love Me,” is one of her favorite films. It’s about a woman Dean of a music school who undergoes a glamorous transformation after meeting a swing bandleader. Renea saw it when she was 13 and didn’t think about it again for a long time. Watching the movie again as an adult, she realized the impact it had on her throughout the years. She connected with Maureen O’Hara’s character entirely, having the love for jazz, being a stuffy person coming out of her shell. A transformation happened, and she reinvented herself. Renea states, “I’d watch it every single day when I tried to make sense of being alone and trying to find myself. It is a reminder of our ideals, what’s important and what’s not.”
Renea’s new direction
Renea has been creating some pretty fantastic collage art pieces as of late, and I am madly in love with them! She explains, “The collages are captured chaos. They don’t necessarily have a story, although some wind up with one in the end. I make them because I see strange things and think they go together in an interesting way. The primary reason I create them is to relieve stress. I have dealt with higher and higher levels of anxiety lately. The absurdity of arranging the elements helps to curb those negative feelings.”
To view and purchase her art, you can find her on Instagram as Dauntless Dauntes.
Million Dollar Vegan Mac-n-Cheese
As much inspiration Renea has given me through her infinite wisdom, I have been busting my ass trying to come up with a vegan mac-n-cheese recipe she would say, “is the best I have ever had..” Well, here is my Million Dollar Vegan Mac-n-Cheese that will earn me millions of likes, I hope. Until next time!
~Ruthie
Other comfort food recipes to try: Savory Autumn Vegetable Pot Pie and Bangin’ Bangers with Rutabaga Mash
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Million Dollar Vegan Mac-N-Cheese
This mac-n-cheese recipe is not your typical creamy bowl of cheesy goodness. Although I love a great gooey serving of mac-n-cheese, this oven-baked option is just as tasty! It a great meal on its own or as a side.
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Ingredients
For Cheese Sauce
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight then drained
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp each of onion powder and garlic powder
2 tbsp each of flour and miso paste
1/2 cup beer
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
For Mac-n-Cheese
16 oz cooked cavatappi or other pasta noodle
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2 small shallots, finely diced
2 tbsps non-dairy butter (Melt or Earth Balance)
For topping
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp vegan butter, melted
Instructions
To make the cheese sauce, combine cashews, nooch, onion and garlic powder, flour and miso paste, beer, and almond milk into a blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside
If you haven’t already cooked the pasta, do so now. Place drained pasta into a large bowl and set aside.
In a small non-stick skillet, add 2 tbsps of butter to melt. Add shallots and sauté for a few minutes. Add shallots along with the cheese sauce into the bowl containing the pasta. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to your taste and stir to combine. If you like your mac-n-cheese a little more creamy, just add more almond milk. Pour mixture into a large baking dish
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine melted butter with the panko crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs over mac-n-cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crumbs are crispy and brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: main
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: comfort food
Renea Dauntes received her BA from Texas Tech in Anthropology and Philosophy and is currently working on her Masters in History at West Texas A&M University, specializing in Art History. She is THE archivist for Photographer Scott Hyde in Amarillo, Texas.
