Lola's Vegan Blog

Vegan Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T13:52:00.000-08:00

This year, I went to a Thanksgiving potluck that was hosted by some other students from my graduate program. I was pretty sure that I would be the only vegan at the potluck, so I decided to make my own version of a few of the "staple" dishes that other people had volunteered to bring. I also made some vegan side dishes and desserts to share with everyone. Here is what I made:

-Cornbread with vegan honey butter

-Sweet potatoes and apples in an "autumn spice"-flavored sauce

-Cornbread sage stuffing

-Handmade faux turkey from Cafe Indigo, wrapped in a phyllo dough "skin"

-Herbed gravy

-Pumpkin coconut creme brulee

The best part is that I was able to prepare all of this stuff in only 4 hours (without any help). I thought I would share some of my tasty recipes and time-saving tricks with you, dear blog readers!

Cornbread with Honey Butter

For the cornbread, I used Trader Joe's cornbread mix. The Trader Joe's cornbread mix is the best instant cornbread mix that I've found on the market AND it's vegan. In order to make the finished product vegan, I just substitute 1.5 tsps of Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 2 TBSPs of water for the "1 egg" that is mentioned on the back of the mix.

In order to make the honey butter, I combined 1/2 lb of Earth Balance, 1/8 cup of Just Like Honey Rice Nectar, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract in an electric mixer. After mixing at a medium speed for 5 minutes, the texture because creamy and smooth. I transferred the mixture to a piece of waxed paper, formed it into long cylinder, then carefully wrapped and refrigerated it for 4 hours.

Sweet Potatoes and Apples

You can find my Sweet Potatoes and Apples recipe here (it's an old favorite).

Cornbread Sage Stuffing

I just used a mix this year (Olivia's Cornbread Stuffing). In order to make it vegan, I substituted Earth Balance for butter and vegetable broth for chicken stock. I wanted to give my stuffing a little extra "oomph" (and I was running low on large baking pans), so I spooned the stuffing into cupcake papers and baked them in a muffin tin. Rather than looking like a giant blob of toasted bread and onions, my stuffing looked pretty chic (if I do say so myself!).

Faux Turkey with Phyllo Dough Skin

Every year, I go back and forth about whether to get a faux turkey. I'm not a huge fan of Tofurkey, so ever since Unturkey went off of the market, I've been searching for a worthy product to take its place. The best option that I have found so far is a handmade seitan turkey from Cafe Indigo. $20 will get you a full-sized faux turkey, while $10 will get you a half-turkey (easily enough for 4 people, if everyone has 1 generously-sized slice). The seitan turkey has a nice gamey texture and comes filled with a savory stuffing.

I've found that adding a phyllo dough "skin" really adds a level of sophistication to an otherwise bland faux turkey, so I've been doing this for years. All that you have to do is melt some Earth Balance in the microwave and spoon it onto layers of phyllo dough as you wrap them around your faux turkey. After 8-10 layers and 45 minutes in the oven, your "turkey" will have a delicious flaky buttery slightly-browned "skin."

Savory Herb Gravy

I like to use the Savory Herb Gravy Mix by Road's End Organics. It's easy, fast and relatively inexpensive. One sauce packet is enough gravy for 2-4 people (depending on how liberally your spread it over your faux turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing etc.) and it's extremely easy to prepare. Just add 1 cup of water to the mix and pop it on the stove for 10 minutes (stirring continuously).

Pumpkin Coconut Creme Brulee

I posted a pumpkin creme brulee recipe a few years back, but here is my new-and-improved version. It has a much creamier texture and tastes just like the real thing.

1 13.5 oz can of coconut milk (for best results, use the unsweetened full-fat version)

4 TBSPs + 1 1/2 tsps cornstarch

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 cup So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk (or other vegan milk product of choice)

2 TBSPs of canned pumpkin

1 tsp Allspice

1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Whisk together ingredients in a sauce pan. Whisking constantly, heat the mixture (over medium heat) until the texture starts to thicken. Note: The texture should be noticeably thicker than it was before. Reduce heat to low, continuing to whisk for another minute.

Pour the mixture into shallow ceramic cups, then immediately press plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight). When you are ready to eat the creme brulee, sprinkle a generous helping of sugar over the top of the custard (as evenly as possible) and torch the sugar (using a creme brulee torch) until it caramelizes.

Vaute Couture Pre-Order Special

2010-09-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

There's no time like the present to order a fabulous new wool-free winter coat from Vaute Couture! For today only, there is a 45% pre-order discount off of the regular prices of the new 2010 line (Note: there may be additional pre-order specials at slightly smaller discount rates available after today).

I ordered a coat from Vaute Couture's first line last season and I love it! The eco-friendly fabric kept me warm through a long New Hampshire winter. I can't recommend these coats highly enough.

Here are a few of my picks from the 2010 line:

The Audrey

I love the asymmetric neckline on this coat. The length makes it a very elegant (and warm) choice.

The Oru

I couldn't resist ordering this cute capelet for myself! The double layer of "wings" and tapered midsection set it apart from the other capes that I've seen this season.

The Men's Pea

This year marks the debut of men's coats at Vaute Couture. I love the Men's Pea, with its European (read: short and tight) fit and double-breasted design. This photo belongs on the cover of GQ!

Vegan Couture: Spring/Summer 2010

2010-05-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

So far, this blog has primarily focused on food and travel. From now on, I hope to add a seasonal "Vegan Couture" column, aimed at introducing my readers to fashionable apparel that is animal cruelty-free. Please let me know what you think of this new feature!

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The original Valentino Petale Tote

The Valentino Petale Tote is so 2009. But knockoff versions seem to be popping up all over the place. Thanks to Big Buddha, you can enjoy a leather-free version of this beauty for a tiny fraction of the cost! All of Big Buddha's bags are guaranteed to be 100% animal-friendly and cruelty-free.

Rose Tote by Big Buddha

(available in several colors)

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Gladiator booties by Michael Kors

Gladiator booties are everywhere this season. I can't seem to walk past a shoe store without seeing them in the display case. Unlike the ancient Romans, we are fortunate enough to have high-quality leather alternatives. Moo Shoes has several leather-free, gladiator-inspired sandals available on its website.

Bianca by Novacas

Cassie by Novacas

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Cottisford Trench by Burberry

I've been drooling over the Cottisford Trench ever since Burberry introduced it last winter. Although the coat is 100% cotton (no animal products!), the price is 1000% higher than I would normally pay. Luckily for me, I was able to find a similar coat by Idra at my local Anthropologie store.

Two Paths Trench by Idra

Vegan Vacation: New York City

2010-05-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

Alright, I'm not going to lie. There are more tourist attractions and vegan-friendly restaurants in NYC than I could ever hope to cover in a single blog entry. I'm just going to give a few of my favorites, but please feel free to share your own in the "comments" section!

Accommodations:

Perhaps the trickiest part about visiting New York is finding reasonably-priced accommodations. In Manhattan, even the no-thrills hotels can be upwards of $300/night. So far, every "affordable" option that I've tried has been less-than-ideal. Here are a few of the better options that I've found:

Millennium Hilton

Built in 2000, the Millennium Hilton has spacious (for New York) rooms, modern amenities and a safe Wall Street location. What's the catch? It's across the street from Ground Zero, i.e. the former World Trade Center site. Construction ends around midnight, even on weekends, and isn't likely to stop until at least 2012. If you don't mind altering your sleep schedule to complement the construction schedule (or sleeping with the complimentary earplugs that the hotel provides), this place can be quite a steal. On some weekends, you can find rates as low as $150/night for a deluxe room with a king-sized bed.

The Chelsea Star Hotel

This offbeat wonder boasts some of the lowest hotel rates in all of Manhattan, as well as an outdoor rooftop lounge and free wi-fi internet access. It's located within 4 blocks of Penn Station. Many of the rooms have decorative themes, ranging from Madame Butterfly to Salvador Dali. What's the catch? The Chelsea Star is part hotel, part hostel and most of the rooms do not have private bathrooms. However, the bathrooms are exceptionally clean and there is a good guestroom-to-bathroom ratio, so if you keep an open mind, you might enjoy this hidden gem. Rooms start at $99/night.

Vegan-Friendly Restaurants:

Truffles at Cocoa V

Red Bamboo is a small Greenwich Village restaurant that serves vegetarian soul food, including some very realistic vegan buffalo wings (they even have tiny wooden "bones" inside). Save some room for dessert - Red Bamboo has several varieties of the best vegan cheesecake that you will ever taste.

Cafe Blossom is the casual counterpart to the upscale, all-vegan Blossom Restaurant. I actually prefer the food and ambience at Cafe Blossom. It features delicious dishes like "seitan ravioli in pesto broth topped with tofu ricotta" in a casual environment. Oh, and the Butterfinger shakes are to die for!

Counter is one of my favorite fancy vegetarian restaurants. It doesn't seem to get as much press as Blossom or Candle 79, but the veggies come from Counter's very own rooftop garden - how cool is that? The dishes can be ordered tapas-style, if you want to try a little of everything. Make sure to ask for one of the raunchily-named cocktails.

Vegetarian Dim Sum House is an all-vegetarian (mostly vegan) dim sum restaurant in Chinatown. Here, you can delight in faux pork buns, shrimp dumplings, red bean cakes, banana wontons, taro balls... Order everything that piques your curiosity - the prices are amazingly cheap.

Cocoa V is a chic dessert cafe in Chelsea. The completely vegan menu boasts 30+ flavors of truffles, as well as a nut cheese plate, cupcakes, chocolate tarts, brownies and a "whimsical quiche of the day." It wins my vote for "most romantic vegan date spot" in NYC.

Hungry for an all-vegan ice cream sundae? Look no further than Greenwich Village! Lula's Sweet Apothecary and Stogo are two of the only all-vegan ice cream parlors in the world. Lula's feels like an old-fashioned soda shop, from the vintage ads covering the walls to the banana splits and egg cremes gracing the menu. Stogo is more like a hip gelato bar, with innovative flavors such as cardamom pistachio and mexican spiced chocolate.

Attractions:

'Big Bambu' at the Met

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a behemoth of an art museum - it even contains an entire Egyptian temple! In addition to an extensive Egyptian collection, the Met is also well-known for its period rooms: reproductions of rooms from various historical periods in both the US and Europe, containing (mostly) original furniture and wall coverings. The special exhibits range from haute couture to interactive eco-art installations to famous paintings on loan from other museums.

The Sauna Village at Spa Castle

Spa Castle is located in Queens, but it's worth the trek. It provides a unique combination of European spa with traditional Asian saunas, plus a heated rooftop swimming pool that is open year-round. Each sauna is elaborately decorated with gemstones and minerals that are supposed to have healing powers. The cafe has several vegan options, including edamame, vegetable sushi and an extensive salad bar. $45 gets you a day's worth of relaxation and inner peace.

Some of the 18 miles of books...

The Strand boast 18 miles of new, used, rare and out-of-print books. It's fun to wander through the sea of books to see what you can find.

Alice in Wonderland statue

One cannot visit NYC without walking through Central Park (even if it's just to get from the Upper East Side to the Upper West Side). Indulge your inner child with a ride on the carousel or a visit to the Alice In Wonderland statue.

The Comedy Cellar provides great standup comedy at affordable prices. On some nights, you can even see world-famous comedians!

Of course, there's also The Metropolitan Opera, The Guggenheim, The MOMA, The American Museum of Natural History, American Ballet Theatre, Broadway, shopping...

Update: Vegan Frappuccinos Now Available!

2010-04-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

Starbucks announced that its new However-You-Want-It Frappuccino® wouldn't be available until May 5th. However, my local Barnes and Noble Cafe (which sells Starbucks beverages) rolled out its new Frappuccinos today. As I write this post, I'm sipping on a delicious soy caramel Frappuccino!

Sadly, it seems that a large number of customers are writing terrible things about the new Frappuccino on the Starbucks website and begging Starbucks to go back to the old recipe. If you appreciate the fact that Starbucks is reaching out to its vegan customers, I urge you to leave comments on the website in support of the new recipe!

Starbucks Introduces Vegan Frappuccinos!

2010-04-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

That's right. Starting on May 5th, vegans can enjoy one of the Starbucks products that has long eluded us: The Frappuccino. Unlike most Starbucks drinks, which can be made with a variety of milk options (including soy milk!), Frappuccinos have always been made with a base that contains 2% milk. I, for one, can't wait to order my first mocha Frappuccino after more than 7 years of going Frappuccino-free!

Vegan Vacation: Quebec City

2010-03-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

Accommodations:

Le Chateau Frontenac is the most famous landmark in Quebec City. It's a grand old European-style building that holds the record for being the most photographed hotel in the Guiness Book of World Records. During high season (summer and Winter Carnival weekends) room rates can start at $400/night. However, if you go during an off-peak time, you may be able to find a room for as low as $200/night. This place is seriously elegant. Just walking through the lobby made me feel like a movie star!

A room at the Hotel Vieux Quebec

For those who can't afford to stay at the Chateau Frontenac, the Hotel Vieux Quebec is right around the corner. Hotel Vieux Quebec is a small family-owned hotel with outstanding guest service. The rooms are very spacious and the hotel makes a serious effort to be as eco-friendly as possible. The breakfast - orange juice and pastries, delivered to your door in a picnic basket - isn't the most vegan-friendly, but if you call ahead they may be able to substitute extra rolls instead of croissants (our basket came with a mix of the two). The good news is that the rolls come with a delicious (and entirely vegan) maple "cream" spread.

Vegan-Friendly Restaurants:

Bento box meal at Restaurant Zen

Restaurant Zen is an all-vegetarian Asian restaurant that features some interesting mock meat dishes. If you make a reservation ahead of time, you can even participate in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Everything on the menu can be made vegan. The only downside is that Restaurant Zen is a little over two miles away from Vieux Quebec. A $12 taxi ride will get you there.

Le Commensal is a pay-by-weight vegetarian buffet restaurant that is conveniently located two blocks away from the walls of the Old City. The vegan items are plentiful and well-labeled. Le Commensal is one of the few places in Quebec City that has vegan desserts, such as carrot cake and coconut tapioca pudding.

Chez Victor is a burger restaurant that has four types of veggie burgers on the menu - a tofu burger, a veggie pate burger, a wheat burger and a spinach and nut burger. If you are vegan, make sure to tell your waiter to hold the cheese and to serve your fries with Ketchup instead of aoli sauce.

Attractions in Quebec City:

Vieux Quebec:

Vieux Quebec or the "Old City" is filled with narrow streets, quaint shops, somewhat less-quaint souvenir shops, street performers and, at times, ice sculptures. It's a nice place just to walk around. You can tell that you're in Vieux Quebec because there are stone walls surrounding it.

Musee de la Civilisation:

The Musee de la Civilisation is a quirky museum that features an interesting assortment of exhibits. While I was at the museum, I saw a display of Egyptian mummies (complete with CAT scans and a model burial chamber that visitors could walk through), an interactive storytelling exhibit on the 7 Deadly Sins, and an exhibit on the aboriginal people of Quebec.

Musee National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec:

The Musee National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec is a large art museum that displays both international and Quebecois art, including some Inuit art. When I was in Quebec, there was a fascinating special exhibit on The Golden Age of Haute Couture.

Nearby Attractions:

Cabane a Sucre:

A "Cabane a Sucre" or "sugar shack" is a cabin that sells maple treats. These can be found all over the province and are a good place to stop on your way to/from Quebec City. If you travel to Quebec during the winter, you can enjoy my favorite treat - hot maple syrup poured onto snow, which the customer picks up with a wooden stick. By the time that the syrup has cooled enough to be picked up, the maple has formed a thick, delicious taffy.

Hotel de Glace:

If you're visiting Quebec City during the winter months (January - March), make sure to visit the Hotel de Glace. The Hotel de Glace is a hotel that is made completely out of ice. While the hotel does offer guests a chance to spend the night, many more visitors opt to take a day tour instead. The hotel features a grand lobby, snack bar, drink bar, discotec, chapel, guest rooms and suites. This place has tons of photo opportunities, not to mention a giant ice slide that is available for visitors of all ages. Enjoy a drink at the ice bar, served in a glass made from ice! If you don't have a car at your disposal, the Hotel de Glace runs a shuttle service that picks up visitors from Quebec City.

Travel Advice:

If you visit Quebec City in the winter, make sure to pack appropriate clothing. Snow boots, winter coats, hats and gloves are a must. Canvas sneakers just won't cut it.

Vegan Anniversary - Going On Year 8

2010-02-24T17:10:00.000-08:00

Last week marked my 7th anniversary of going vegan, so I thought I would reflect on some important developments that have made being vegan even easier.

Shoes

Cezanne - Antique Garden shoes from Charmone

When I first went vegan, I had my trusty Converse All-Stars and a pair of clunky faux leather dress shoes from Moo Shoes that caused the backs of my heels to develop large blisters if I wore them for more than 10 minutes.

Now, we have our choice of whimsical stilettos from Charmone or trendy pumps from Olsen Haus. Even Amazon.com has its own shoestore (Endless.com) that tags "vegetarian" shoes for easy searching.

Cheese

Dr. Cow Aged Cashew and Crystal Algae Cheese

When I first went vegan, my local grocery store sold Veganrella, which had the taste and texture of plastic. At the time, Follow Your Heart soy cheese was so new that my friends and I pooled together to make a bulk order directly from the company. Cheddar, mozzarella and "nacho cheese" were the only commercially available flavors of vegan cheese. I could tell that a restaurant was serving me non-vegan soy cheese (with casein) if the cheese actually melted.

Now, the lines between soy cheese and regular cheese have blurred substantially. Daiya's Italian Blend actually melts! Sheese makes over 10 flavors of vegan cheese, including gouda, blue cheese and smoked cheddar, not to mention a delicious herbed cream cheese spread. Dr. Cow makes a sharp aged nut cheese using the same processes that are used in aging dairy cheese. Now, if only someone would invent vegan manchego...

Coats

"Vaute Coat" in Ivory from Vaute Couture

When I first went vegan, I had a hard time finding warm winter coats that weren't made from wool. I compromised and bought used wool coats from secondhand stores or wore a long cotton coat with tons of layers underneath. It used to take me 10 minutes to remove enough layers from my "outdoor outfit" to be able to sit through class in a heated room.

Now, vegans can wear fashionable eco-friendly faux wool coats from Vaute Couture. Even mainstream companies like Anthropologie had faux sheerling and faux fur-trimmed coats this season.

Ice Cream

An ice cream sundae from Stogo

When I first went vegan, there were two dairy-free ice cream brands at my local supermarket - Tofutti and Rice Dream. Rice Dream had a strange consistency and Tofutti had a slight soy aftertaste. Both were only stocked in a few flavors, so I found myself eating flavors that I had never really cared for (like butter pecan) because I couldn't find any mint chocolate chip or chocolate chip cookie dough.

Now, many grocery stores carry Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream, which is creamy, has a slight coconut taste and comes in both of my favorite flavors. In major cities, artisan ice cream shops carry exotic dairy-free flavors, like White Russian White Chip (Wheeler's), Black Sesame (Maggie Mudd) and Cardamom Pistachio (Stogo).

Which new products have made being vegan easier for you? Which areas still need improvement?

Vegan Vacation: San Francisco

2009-08-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

San Francisco regularly gets voted "Most Veg-Friendly City" by various magazines, so it's no wonder that I found it to be easy to find food while I was there. The interesting part about San Francisco is that it doesn't have *that* many completely vegetarian restaurants. Instead, almost every "regular" restaurant that we visited had a large selection of vegan items on the menu. For those of you who tend to travel with non-vegetarian friends and family, San Francisco would be a great option.

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Accommodations:

We stayed at Hotel Nikko, a Japanese-inspired ultra modern hotel in Union Square. The room rates at Hotel Nikko were fairy reasonable when we purchased them through Expedia. For $10 extra, we were able to gain key card access to the spa for our entire stay, which had a swimming pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room.

Union Square is an ideal place to stay because it is centrally-located. Most of the tourist attractions are north of Union Square and most of the vegetarian restaurants are south of Union Square.

Vegan-Friendly Restaurants:

There are so many vegan-friendly restaurants in San Francisco that it can be a bit overwhelming. Here are a few of my favorites:

Millennium - One of the few upscale vegan restaurants in the country, Millennium serves inventive dishes in a ritzy setting. The prices aren't *that* extravagant (I spent about $70 for three courses and two cocktails). If you're staying in Union Square, Millennium is a short walk from your hotel.

Herbivore - The food at Herbivore is typical vegetarian-restaurant fare, served in the usual "hip" setting. The lunch/dinner food is on par with similar restaurants (ex. The Chicago Diner) but the breakfast is outstanding. If you go for breakfast, I highly recommend the "dessert crepe" - three delicious crepes, filled with baked bananas and blueberries, topped with a coconut cream sauce.

Maggie Mudd - An ice cream parlor that sells many flavors of vegan ice cream! You can order vegan milkshakes, ice cream sundaes, ice cream cakes... If you're vegan and you avoid soy, never fear. Half of Maggie Mudd's vegan flavors are made from coconut milk.

Cafe Gratitude - A raw vegan cafe that has the best raw desserts that I have ever tasted. The creamsicle shake is heavenly. The key lime pie is so good, you'll swear it's the real thing (well, except for the raw nut crust in lieu of a traditional graham cracker crust... but the filling is incredible).

Ritual Coffee Roasters - A coffee shop with tons of vegan baked goods. Try the vegan "bacon" donut for a really weird experience. If you're a coffee snob, this is the place for you. The barristas here know their stuff. If you're lucky, you might even show up on a day when they're holding a coffee tasting.

Weird Fish - A fish and chips shop that also serves vegan fish and chips. You have your choice between seitan "fish" and tofu "fish" (don't worry, it doesn't actually taste like fish - it's just breaded, fried deliciousness). If you eat here, order the "buffalo girls" appetizer. They're not as realistic as the vegan buffalo wings at Red Bamboo, but they're still pretty damn good.

Rainbow Grocery - While not technically a restaurant, who can pass up the opportunity to visit an ALL-VEGETARIAN grocery store? Rainbow Grocery has a fabulous selection of vegan cheeses (Sheese, Dr. Cow's, Cheezly, Teese, Tofutti, Follow Your Heart,...) and the bakery section is full of vegan baked goods.

Here are my votes for best vegan-friendly "ethnic" restaurants in San Francisco:

Best Indian: New Delhi creates unusual Indian dishes, with entrees like mango mushrooms, curried soy cutlets and eggplant tamarind.

Best Chinese: House of Nanking might not seem vegan-friendly at first glance, but tell your waiter that you want "vegan for n" where n is the number of people at your table and you won't be disappointed. The chef will prepare 5 special vegan dishes for you at a cost of $20/person.

Best Mexican: Papalote is a burrito joint in The Mission that serves "soyrizo" (vegan chorizo) burritos.

Attractions:

Fisherman's Wharf:

For $30, you can take a boat to Alcatraz Island and visit the infamous prison. The price includes an audio tour, which lasts a little over an hour and provides a fascinating narration of life at Alcatraz, including interviews from former prisoners and prison guards. While on Alcatraz, you will see spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown San Francisco.

The boat to Alcatraz departs from Pier 33 on Fisherman's Wharf. While in the Fisherman's Wharf area, you can watch over 1,000 sea lions sunbathing on Pier 39.

The Golden Gate Park:

The Golden Gate Park is an oasis of green grass and trees in the center of the city. It is home to a number of musems and attractions:

The California Academy of Sciences features a three-story rainforest, planetarium and aquarium. Environmentalists: make sure tour the "living roof" and learn about an innovative way of providing low-impact heating and cooling.

The de Young Museum is a fine arts museum that is known for its special exhibits. When I was there, King Tut was on display.

The Japanese Tea Garden is the oldest of its kind in the United States. For $5 (cash only), you gain admission to the garden, which is filled with whimsical bridges, statues, koi ponds and a zen garden. For another $4, you can sit in the tea house and enjoy a pot of high-quality tea and a plate of fortune cookies and Japanese crackers.

The Botanical Garden doesn't house many flowers, but it is home to an excellent collection of pre-historic plants, as well as some topiary sculptures of dinosaurs.

The Bison Paddock contains a small herd of bison. It is part of an effort to replenish a population that was once hunted nearly to extinction.

There are also a number of scenic ponds in Golden Gate Park. If you walk all the way to the western edge, you will arrive at the Pacific Ocean.

Mission District:

A melding of hipster and Hispanic culture, The Mission District has streets lined with vegetarian restaurants, quirky bookstores and boutiques, taquerias, hand-painted frescos and an actual Franciscan mission that dates back 1783. It's a nice place to wander around. The Mission is also a short walk from Castro Street, where Harvey Milk had his camera shop.

Chinatown/North Beach:

Chinatown is purportedly home to the largest population of Chinese people outside of Asia. The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory offers free tours, where you can watch as the cookies are quickly pressed into their crescent shape.

Just a few blocks away is North Beach, San Francisco's Italian neighborhood. North Beach is also full of cafes and streets referenced in Beat Generation literature (see Kerouac, Jack). Be sure to visit the City Lights Bookstore, a famous independent bookstore owned by beatnik poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

Travel Advice:

1) Don't be fooled by the fact that San Francisco is in California. The weather is temperate year-round, but the city can get quite cold in the evenings. We visited in the middle of August and the temperatures dropped below 50 degrees most nights. Make sure to pack some warm sweaters!

2) Getting to the Mission restaurants can be tricky if you're staying in Union Square. At first, we took cabs to get there and it ended up being $15 each way. If you don't want your inexpensive dinner to double in price (by paying for all of that cab fare!), I recommend looking into the BART train system. BART is a commuter train that has most of its stops in neighboring towns, but it has an underground stop in Union Square and two stops in The Mission. For $1.80, you can go from Union Square to the corner of 24th and Mission St. in under 6 minutes!

Vegan Vacation: Bar Harbor

2009-08-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

Ben and I went to Bar Harbor for the weekend. Here are our recommendations for vegans planning a similar trip:

Accommodations:

We stayed at the Ivy Manor Inn, a Bed and Breakfast that is conveniently located on the main shopping street. The Inn is quite luxurious, with fireplaces in each room and French country decor. Unlike most B&B's, the Ivy Manor Inn has a restaurant on the first floor that prepares the breakfast. As a result, guests are able to choose from a selection of menu items, which include a delicious vegan oatmeal brulee (think creme brulee, but made with oatmeal instead) covered with fresh berries. During the summer season, rooms can be expensive ($200+ per night), but prices drop dramatically during the rest of the year.

Vegan-Friendly Restaurants:

Eden - An exquisite all-vegan restaurant that features locally-grown vegetables in all of its dishes. The menu changes often to make use of seasonal produce. Some past offerings include: seitan piccata served with a lemon caper vinaigrette and sage mashed potatoes; a local tomato tartlet served in crispy phyllo dough with pomegranate molasses; and West Indies spiced pumpkin soup. Eden is closed for the 2009 season, but will open again in 2010.

Reel Pizza Cinerama - A pizzeria and movie theater, rolled into one! The pizzeria features many exciting vegan-friendly pizza toppings, including tofu, soy cheese, nutritional yeast and various nuts, fruits and sauces. Best of all, you can enjoy your pizza while watching a film at the theater. The theater has rows of comfy couches and TV trays.

Cafe This Way - A hip cafe that features vegan items on both the weekend brunch menu and on the lunch/dinner menu. The brunch offerings include tofu scramble and veggie sausage, while the dinner menu features cashew-crusted tofu and vegan caviar served with seaweed salad and roasted mushrooms.

Jeannie's Breakfast - A breakfast place that has vegan oatmeal walnut pancakes and tofu scramble on the menu.

CJ's - An ice cream parlor on Main Street that offers two flavors of soy ice cream each day.

Bar Harbor Attractions:

The town of Bar Harbor is a nice place to walk around. There are parks, quaint shops and magnificent ocean views. Stop at the West End Drug Co. for a blueberry soda at the soda fountain.

Most people who come to Bar Harbor are really there to visit Acadia National Park. Acadia National Park has beautiful scenery and plentiful hiking opportunities. For those who aren't experienced hikers, there are many carriage trails to walk along. Best of all, there is a free bus service that provides transportation from downtown Bar Harbor to many locations throughout Acadia.

Other Nearby Attractions:

Bar Harbor is a short ferry ride from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. You can take a day trip to Yarmouth for $72. The ferry has a casino and a movie theater on board. If you're a US citizen, you will need a passport. Yarmouth is a quaint town, with lots of old churches and lighthouses. There is a Middle Eastern restaurant called Little Lebanon that has some vegan options.

Portland, ME is a three-hour drive from Bar Harbor. It is the largest city in Maine and it has a number of museums and other attractions. There are many vegan-friendly restaurants, including:

Silly's - A ecclectic cafe with a separate vegan menu. Silly's makes great soy milkshakes, vegan desserts and greasy comfort food. There are also some healthier options available.

GRO - A new raw vegan cafe.

Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro - An all-vegetarian, mostly-vegan Asian fusion restaurant.

Little Lad's Bakery - A vegan restaurant with a $5 all-you-can-eat buffet.

Veggie Awards

2009-07-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

Every year, VegNews magazine conducts a survey. Readers (and non-readers) weigh in their opinions on the "best" vegan restaurants, products, websites etc. In order to make it onto the ballot, a nominee has to have received a significant number of votes in the previous year's survey.

Unfortunately, this tends to favor restaurants that are in large cities, simply because there are more people who have had a chance to visit. I often find myself thinking that I know of at least ten other vegetarian restaurants that have much better food than the ones that are nominated. The same goes for vegan products and websites. For that reason, I am assembling my own "Veggie Awards," based loosely on the categories from VegNews, for readers who are looking to try something new.

Disclaimer: I have nothing against Veg News and the Veggie Awards. In fact, the Veggie Awards issue is my favorite issue of Veg News and I think that having this rating system provides a great service. I just want to put my own opinions out there.

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Best Restaurant: Dragonfly Neo-V (Columbus, OH)
Inventive haute cuisine made with vegetables that come straight from Dragonfly's backyard garden.

Best Vegan Brunch: Great Sage (Clarksville, MD)
Lavender-cardamom pancakes, red pepper and caramelized onion tofu quiche, orange cinnamon buns... Greate Sage delivers sweet and savory breakfast items with a creative flair.

Favorite Vegan Bakery: Brunie's Bakery (Baltimore, MD)
More than 100 different vegan desserts, including cakes, pies, cookies, cheesecakes, brownies, lemon bars, whoopie pies, seasonal items, raw options... Brunie's does it all and does it well.

Favorite Vegan Cupcake: Oh Sweet Mama's Vegan Bakery (Northampton, MA)
Huge, moist cupcakes with a variety of fillings and frostings, artfully decorated.

Favorite Vegan Chocolate: Butterfly Bakery (Montpelier, VT)
Rich vegan truffles in four flavors: spicy apricot, raspberry orange, coconut and rich dark chocolate covered in cacao nibs.

Favorite Vegan Milk: So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage
Creamy coconut milk, available in "plain" and "vanilla." It's like drinking liquid ice cream.

Favorite Vegan Cheese: Dr. Cow's Tree Nut Cheese (New York, NY)
Tangy, raw nut-milk cheese, made from the same procedures used to make real cheese.

Favorite Vegan Cream Cheese: Bagel Rising (Boston, MA)
Tofu "smears" in 6 flavors, without any hint of soy aftertaste.

Favorite Website: Vegguide.org
Wiki-style database with over 9,000 restaurant listings from around the world. Allows users to create profiles, rate and review their favorite veg-friendly restaurants.

Vegan Vacation: Capri and the Amalfi Coast

2009-06-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

I recently returned from a trip to Capri and the Amalfi Coast. Here are my recommendations for vegans planning to visit the area:

Accommodations

Capri

In Capri, we stayed at La Scalinatella. If you are looking for a 5-star hotel on Capri, this is it. La Scalinatella is consistently rated in the top three hotels in Italy. In addition to La Scalinatella, there are many more reasonably-priced hotels. Hotel Syrene, which is owned by Best Western, has breathtaking views and is located near the main piazzetta.

Positano

In Positano, we stayed at Il San Pietro Di Positano. This hotel was beautiful, but probably more ideal for a honeymoon than a family vacation. The hotel has private beaches, botanical gardens and extensive spa treatments. Because it is secluded from the public beaches, you have to take a (free) hotel shuttle in order to visit downtown Positano. Fortunately, the shuttle runs 24 hours so you don't have to worry about being stranded.

Vegan Cuisine

Although Italy is not intentionally vegan-friendly (i.e. there aren't many vegetarian restaurants and most of the restaurant waiters seemed to think I was telling a funny joke when I asked if a particular dish was vegetarian), it is very easy to find a vegan meal while there.

Italians almost always eat a pasta dish for their first course (primi piatti), while the secondi piatti is usually a type of meat. As a result, most restaurants will have a few vegetarian pasta dishes on the menu.

Many Italians are lactose-intolerant, so true Italian food doesn't tend to be smothered in cheese like American Italian food. Unlike Italian restaurants in the US, the restaurants that I visited in Italy never made the assumption that I wanted parmigiano cheese on top of my spaghetti (the waiter would always ask, after bringing out my food).

Salads are also a good option for vegans traveling in Italy. The "salad dressing" of choice in restaurants and most households is Olio e Aceto - olive oil and vinegar (usually balsamic). The salad is typically served with the second course (or in lieu of the second course if you're vegetarian).

The bread served in a restaurant in Italy rarely comes with butter. Instead, you have the option of eating the bread plain or dipping it in olive oil.

There are a few treats that vegans can enjoy throughout Italy. One is latte di mandorla (almond milk), a sweet, refreshing drink that is made from almond paste and served over ice. It is popular in some regions in Southern Italy.

Another vegan-friendly treat is gelato. Gelato comes in two types: milk-based and water-based. The water-based type of gelato is often called sorbetto and is available in a variety of fruit flavors. Sorbetto is the creamiest non-dairy sorbet that you will ever find. Most fruit flavors that you will see at a gelato stand are vegan. The only exception that I have found is coco (coconut), which is sometimes made with dairy.

Capri Attractions

Capri is an island off the coast of Naples. There are two towns on Capri: Capri and Anacapri. Most hotels and restaurants are in Capri. Capri is also home to one of the most extensive collections of haute couture shops in the world. Anacapri has a quieter, more-subdued feel. In addition to a few restaurants and small shops, Anacapri has a museum (Villa San Michele) and a chairlift to the top of the tallest mountain on Capri. The Villa San Michele was home to Axel Munthe, a doctor, author and early animal rights activist.

While on the island, you can visit the ruins of Emperor Tiberius' many homes. There are also a number of grottos (underwater caves) that you can visit by boat.

Positano Attractions

Positano is a small town that has been built into the ocean cliffs, which makes for some breath-taking views. There are rocky beaches, small shops selling work by local craftsmen, art galleries and outdoor cafes. The pace is slow. Expect to spend two hours enjoying a leisurely dinner. Positano is a popular destination for American tourists in spite of not having many "tourist" attractions.

Day Trip To Pompeii

It is definitely worth taking a day trip from either Capri or Positano to Pompeii, sight of the famed Roman city that was buried in lava after an eruption by Mt. Vesuvius. Pompeii has extensive grounds that you can explore for a small fee. Over 100 shops and homes have been excavated, some which feature paintings and mosaics that are largely intact.

Food To Avoid (if you're vegan)
Latte - milk
Burro - butter
Uovo - egg (not to be confused with uva - grape)
Formaggio - cheese
Pollo - chicken
Carne - meat
Pesce - fish (not to be confused with pesca - peach)
Prosciutto - ham
L'agnello - lamb

Vegan Fashion

2009-06-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Vaute Couture has created a line of cruelty-free winter coats. Right now, they are offering a promotion: 50% off pre-ordered coats (which will be shipped in October). All profits from sales of certain coat styles will be donated to Farm Sanctuary. Here is a picture of the one that I ordered:

Italian Dinner

2009-06-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight I cooked an Italian dinner for myself and Ben. We started out with a chilled beet salad, served with aged balsamic vinegar. For the main course, we had homemade pesto sauce on orechiette pasta. I also made latte di mandorla (almond milk), a traditional drink from Sicily and Puglia. For dessert, we ate cannolis (see my previous post) and each had a shot of the Limoncello that I brought back in my suitcase from Italy.

Beet Salad

Ingredients:

4 large beets
aged balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze (you want it to be thick and slightly sweet)
olive oil
salt
pepper

Slice the green part off of the beets and boil for 30 minutes (until soft). The skin should peel right off if the beets are cooked properly. Chill in the freezer in a metal bowl for 30 minutes. Slice and drizzle with balsamic glaze, olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.

Pesto

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
4 TBSPS pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp red sea salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Latte di Mandorla (Almond Milk)

Ingredients:
2 Liters of water
200 grams of almond paste (available in the baking aisle of most grocery stores)
2 heaping TBSPS sugar

Cut the almond paste into pieces that will fit inside of a closed fist. Pour mineral water into a large bowl and immerse the first piece of almond paste. Knead the almond paste ball, occasionally removing it from water and wringing it out over the bowl. Add the next piece of almond paste to the ball and continue this process until the almond paste is mostly dissolved (it is very difficult to get it to dissolve completely). Pour the white liquid from the bowl into a pitcher, straining it with a cheese cloth. Stir in the sugar and refrigerate. Serve the latte di mandorla over ice.

Vegan Cannolis

2009-06-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

I recently took a trip to Italy. Although I enjoyed many wonderful foods while I was there, I got a little sad when I realized that I can no longer enjoy my favorite Italian dessert: cannolis.

Natrually, when I got back to the U.S., I decided that cannolis would be my first baking project. The most difficult part is replacing the ricotta cheese. I was able to buy some pre-made dairy-free cannoli shells from the grocery store, which I covered in powdered sugar.

I'm still working on getting the soy aftertaste to completely disappear, but I thought that this recipe (based on a recipe found in Tofu Cookery by Louise Hagler, with a few modifications) was pretty decent.

Ingredients:

1 lb soft tofu
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 bag mini chocolate chips

1) Press the tofu (by placing it between two plates and placing something heavy on top) for 30 minutes, until most of the liquid has been removed.*

2) Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.

3) Fold in 1 bag mini chocolate chips. Chill the filling for at least 2 hours.

4) Stuff the cannoli shells with filling and serve immediately.

*Note: I've been told that blanching the tofu after pressing it helps to remove the soy taste even further. To blanch tofu, simply place it in a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sauteed Apples

2009-06-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Pasta:

2 TBSPS extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound silken tofu
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSPS water

Filling:

2 cups cooked butternut squash
3 TBSPS extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 TBSPS fresh minced sage
Salt
Black Pepper

Sauce:

1 stick Earth Balance margarine
1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
4 fresh sage leaves (whole)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup white wine
Salt

Pasta:

1) Combine tofu, oil, water, salt in the blender and blend until smooth.

2) Sift the flour onto a (clean) tabletop. Pour the tofu mixture onto the flour and begin to knead the flour into the tofu mixture. If the paste does not absorb all of the flour, add a little water and continue to knead.

3) When the pasta has a firm, elastic consistency (and is not too sticky), cover with waxed paper and let rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

Filling:

4) While you are waiting on the pasta dough, slice the butternut squash in half (if you are using fresh squash) and place each half face down on a cookie sheet. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F.

5) Remove the squash from the oven and scoop out the flesh. Mash the scooped-out flesh with a fork and set aside.

6) Warm the oil in a skillet. Add the onions and saute until brown (about 10 minutes). Add the pecans and saute for a few minutes more. Add the squash, mixing until it is heated through. Stir in sage and salt and pepper (to taste). Remove from heat.

7) Roll out the pasta dough and use a ravioli press to form the ravioli. Add one teaspoon to the center of each ravioli before folding a second square of ravioli dough on top.

8) Boil the ravioli for 3 minutes.

Sauce:

Melt 1 stick of Earth balance in a small sauce pan. Once the margarine is completely melted, add fresh sage (make sure that the stove is on medium-low so that the sage doesn't burn). Add the granny smith apple slices and pumpkin pie spice. Saute for about 3 minutes (until the slices become transparent but before they start to dissolve), stirring constantly. Add white wine, salt, pepper. Remove from heat after 1 minute.

Put the ravioli on a plate and pour the apple mixture over the ravioli.

Serves: 2

(The ravioli recipe comes from The Voluptuous Vegan. The sauce is my own creation)

Vegan Vacation: Providence, RI

2009-05-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

Providence is a great place for a weekend getaway. Here are my recommendations of what to do:

Accommodations:

We stayed at the Providence Biltmore, which is on the more expensive end of hotel options. It's centrally-located in the heart of downtown Providence and has a Starbucks in the lobby (easy access to soy lattes sealed the deal on our decision to stay here).

One nice aspect of Providence is that the hotels are all fairly reasonably-priced (even the Providence Biltmore is less than $200 per night for a standard room) and most of the hotels are located within a few blocks of the capital.

Vegan-Friendly Restaurants:

Julian's: A hip restaurant that serves brunch on weekends. I've been to Julian's three times and I've never had less than a 45-minute wait to be seated. The food is well worth the wait, however. There is a separate vegan menu with items like cinnamon orange french toast, gingerbread pancakes and vegan "eggs" with hollandaise sauce. There is also an extensive drink menu - the strawberry shortcake mimosa comes highly recommended.

Nice Slice: A pizza restaurant near Brown's campus with a large selection of vegan pizza toppings and sandwiches. My personal favorite is the vegan buffalo chicken pizza, made with peppercorn ranch sauce and soy cheese. In the summer, Nice Slice has soy ice cream for dessert.

Garden Grille Cafe and Juice Bar: A small cafe in Pawtucket, located just 10 minutes' drive from downtown Providence. Garden Grille has a large selection of vegan appetizers, entrees and desserts, not to mention incredible homemade juice concoctions. Pictured above: a vegan sausage tamale, covered with mole sauce and pineapple corn salsa, served with dollops of cilantro lime sour "cream."

Providence Attractions:

In the winter, the outdoor ice skating rink is a popular destination. During the summer, the river walk lights up with torches and gondola rides on Saturday nights. The Rhode Island School of Design has world-class art exhibitions year-round. Brown University hosts a large number of performances and interesting speakers. The Cable Car Cinema offers a nice selection of independent and foreign films, shown in a cozy theater with faux-leather sofas instead of the usual fold-down movie theater seats. The concession stand even sells falafel sandwiches and soy lattes!

Other Rhode Island Attractions:

Take a day trip to Newport. It's only 45-minutes from Providence and it has a number of interesting attractions. Newport is home to the Newport Mansions, some of the most opulent homes in the US. For a nominal fee, you can tour the inside of mansions with an audio guide and wander around the grounds. Unlike many of the castles in Europe, the Newport Mansions still have their original furnishings. The gift shop at The Breakers even has vegan brownies!

Another popular Newport attraction is the cliff walk, a 3.5 mile walk along the rugged shoreline. There is a great view of some of the Newport mansions from the walk, in addition to the beautiful natural scenery.

Vegan Vacation: Iceland

2009-03-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a fabulous spring break trip to Reykjavik and now I'm thoroughly convinced that everyone should travel there at least once. Here are some reasons that it's really an ideal (if often overlooked) vacation spot:

Budget-Happy

With the recent collapse of Iceland's banking system, the US dollar now is worth double its usual value in Icelandic Krona. To top it off, IcelandAir is offering great travel deals to entice more tourists to visit. It's a win-win situation for curious travelers and Icelanders alike. For $480, I got a round trip flight from Boston and two nights of hotel stay (including taxes). Many similar deals are available on Icelandair.com

Eco-Friendly

Iceland has a lot of natural beauty and the residents don't seem eager to spoil it with pollution. Nearly all of the hot water in Reykjavik is heated naturally in Iceland's geothermal pools. The city's power is generated by a geothermal plant. The grocery stores have a hefty $1 plastic bag fine. Some of the takeout restaurants will even lend out metal utensils as long as you promise to bring them back.

Vegan Restaurants Galore

In spite of the fact that the national dish of Iceland is hakarl (spoiled shark meat), there are many restaurants with delicious vegan options:

A Naestu Grosum is an all-vegetarian restaurant with daily vegan specials and vegan coconut barley cake. It's the oldest vegetarian restaurant in Reykjavik and its one of the few places that serves raw foods.

Gardurinn (Ecstasy's Heart Garden) is a small all-vegetarian cafe that makes a different soup and entree each day. The soup is served with homeade bread and hummus. There is always at least one vegan option.

Graenn Kostur is a vegetarian restaurant with an emphasis on health foods. Many of the dishes are wheat-free and there is always a vegan daily special.

Kaffi Hljomalind is a hip vegetarian coffee shop that has a large number of vegan baked goods available each day. Better yet, they don't charge extra to add soy milk to your coffee! Its also a favorite hangout of the lead singer of Sigur Ros.

Yggdrasil and Madur Lifandi are two health food stores in the area that have an excellent selection of vegan products (including individual servings of soy ice cream).

Many other vegan-friendly restaurants in Reykjavik can be found at Vegguide.org

Favorable Weather

Ok, Reykjavik isn't the tropical destination that many would choose for spring break, but the climate is much more temperate than one would imagine for the capital of ICEland. In fact, Reykjavik is warmer at this time of year than most of Northern New England.

Unique Cultural Experiences

There are a number of art galleries and museums dedicated primarily to the works of Icelandic artists throughout the city of Reykjavik. There are three museums in Reykjavik that are dedicated to viking-related paraphernaila:

Reykjavik 871 +/- 2 contains an actual viking longhouse and makes use of innovative technology

The Saga Museum has a collection of wax vikings in gruesome poses and an excellent audio tour describing highlights of Sagas of Icelanders

The National Museum has artifacts from throughout the history of Iceland

World-Class Spas

Going to outdoor geothermal pools is a national pastime. You can find these pools in most of the larger towns in Iceland. The Blue Lagoon is probably the most famous. With its lava rock "beaches," picturesque bridges and ethereal mist, its no wonder that the Blue Lagoon was voted "best location for a marriage proposal" by a majority of British women in a travel magazine survey.

Other important details for American tourists:
-English is spoken everywhere in Iceland
-Tipping is not customary in restaurants in Reykjavik
-The hot water in hotel showers comes from geothermal pools, so it smells like sulfur. You will get used to the smell and stop noticing it after a few days.

Foods to Avoid (if you're vegan)
-Mjolk (milk)
-Smjor (butter)
-Ostar (cheese)
-Skyr (yogurt)
-Kjot (meat)
-Fiskur (fish)

Vegan Coconut Fudge

2009-03-01T15:00:00.001-08:00

Elizabeth made a delicious batch of vegan fudge for tea last week. After eating all of the leftovers in the grad lounge fridge, I just had to get my hands on the recipe. Here it is:

Vegan Coconut Fudge

1.5 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 c dutch process cocoa powder
2 T margarine
1/2 c coconut milk
1/2 t vanilla extract

Line a baking pan (I think 8x12" would be about the right size) with at least 1 inch sides with parchment, leaving the parchment to extend a bit up the sides. Mix the chocolate, sugar and cocoa together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Mix the margarine and coconut milk together in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir and heat until the margarine has melted and bubbles just start to form. Remove it from the stove and immediately pour the hot coconut over the chocolate mixture.

Let it sit for about a minute, and then stir well to melt the chocolate completely. If it seems that it has cooled too much, try putting the dish over a bowl of hot water and stirring constantly until you have a nice smooth mixture. But, try not to stir it too much! Add the vanilla, stir, and then pour the fudgy goodness into the parchment lined baking pan, pressing it into the corners and smoothing out the top. Let the fudge cool completely before cutting it. I covered mine once it was room temp, and tossed it in the fridge to firm it up even more.

Glazed Lime Cake

2009-02-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth baked some delicious vegan cake for our daily Math Department tea, so I had to get the recipe from her. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup margarine, room temperature
2 1/2 cup powdered sugar, divided
1 Tbsp Egg Replacer, mixed with 1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup soy milk
1 1/3 cup self-rising flour (or 1 1/3 cup flour and 1 1/4 tsp baking powder)
2 large limes
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. "Butter" and flour an 8x8 inch baking pan.

2) Cream the margarine with 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Beat in Egg Replacer mixture, then soymilk, then flour.

3) Scrape batter into a pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for about 35 minutes (until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean).

4) While the cake is baking, grate 1 Tbsp lime peel and squeeze 1/4 cup lime juice. Mix peel, lime juice and 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl and let rest.

5) When the cake is completely baked, poke lots of holes in it with a skewer. Spoon about half of the lime syrup over the cake and let cool.

6) Whist the remaining 1 cup powdered sugar into the remaining syrup. Drizzle over the cake. Let stand 1 hour, then cut into squares.

Vegan Vacation: Montreal

2009-02-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

Ben and I went to Montreal for Valentine's Day. We actually drove up Saturday and stayed until Monday afternoon (one of the many perks of being a graduate student is having a flexible schedule).

Saturday

We stopped in Montpelier on the way to Montreal and ate a spectacular Valentine's Day brunch at Kismet Kitchen. I ate generous helpings of tofu scramble, roasted root vegetables and vegan crepes, served with homemade rose-infused (soy) hot chocolate.

We arrived at our hotel, Le Terra No stra Bed and Breakfast, about two and a half hours later. Mireille, the lady who runs the B&B, gave us lists of vegan-friendly restaurants in Montreal and even agreed to make us vegan banana crepes for breakfast the next morning.

Our beautiful Asia-themed room at Le Terra Nostra:

We had a wonderful Valentine's Day dinner at Spirite Lounge:

The meal consisted of spinach and "cheese" pate served with homemade bread and fruit coulis, vegan moussaka, and chocolate cake served with apricot sorbet. The restaurant owner/chef/waiter even brought us cups of special tea that was supposed to give us lucid dreams. With the student discount, our dinner came out to $13/person - quite a deal for a three-course gourmet vegan dinner. The only catch is that the restaurant has a no waste policy, which means that any customer who fails to finish the food on his plate will be told to leave the restaurant and never return. Fortunately Ben and I both have a healthy appetite so this wasn't a problem.

Sunday

We woke up late on Sunday morning and decided to eat brunch at Aux Vivre, the other all-vegan restaurant in Montreal:

The service was slow, but the food was definitely worth the wait. My tofu scramble, jalapeno cornbread and coconut tempeh bacon were all superb. I was especially impressed with the Bombay Banana smoothie - banana, coconut milk, ginger, masala, cane sugar and candied dates, blended to perfection.

We spent the afternoon walking around Old Montreal, where we visited the crafts market at Bonsecours and wandered into some art galleries. We ate dinner at Chu Chai, a vegetarian Thai restaurant that serves Absinthe and hundreds of mock meat dishes. After dinner, we did some window shopping along Rue St. Denis (one of the big shopping streets in Montreal).

Monday

On Monday, we became nostalgic for academic life and visited the McGill University Campus.

We wandered around the underground city and the (above ground) campus for a bit, stopping to visit the Redpath Museum. We ate lunch at Le Commensal, a pay-by-weight vegetarian restaurant that is located about 2 blocks from the McGill University Gateway. The best part about Le Commensal was the sheer number of choices - I tried to sample everything labeled "vegan" but there were just too many options!

Vegan Lunch Makeover

2009-01-19T12:21:00.001-08:00

I got sick of spending $8-$10 every day on the same three vegan lunch options in downtown Hanover, so I decided to start bringing my own lunch. With a little planning, I eat a much healthier, tastier lunch that amounts to $5 per day.

I use my evenings to do the "Home Preparation" steps, then I bring all of the ingredients into my office the next morning and store them in the Graduate Lounge fridge. At lunch time, I just have to do the "Assembly" steps, which take about 5 minutes.

Easy Vegan Lunch Ideas:

1) Pretentious Sandwich

Serve with: Terra chips (the red beet and sweet potato variety is cheapest and very tasty) and a bottle of Pom (I like the pomegranate lychee green tea)

Grocery List:
Zesty lemon hummus, arugula, red peppers, and Tofutti soy cheese. If you have a bread machine, buy bread flour and yeast (I buy bulk yeast from the fridge section of my grocery store; 1 large container has enough yeast for about 15-20 loaves of bread and costs $1.17). Otherwise, buy a loaf of French bread.

Home Preparation:
Set aside one or two nights each week to roast the red peppers and bake a loaf of bread (if you have a bread machine). Roasting takes about 30 minutes and the roasted peppers will keep for up to 5 days in a Ziplock bag (see instructions for roasting in my "Tapas" entry).

At-Work Assembly:
Place 1-2 slices of soy cheese on bread and toast both sides. Add roasted red peppers, arugula, and zesty lemon hummus.

Cost Per Lunch: $3.00 for Pom + $0.70 for 1/5 of a large bag of Terra chips + $0.35 per Tofutti "cheese" slice + $0.50 for 1/6 of a tub of hummus + $0.40 for 1/3 of a red pepper + $0.50 for 1/3 of a baguette = $5.45

2) Taco Salad

Serve with: Simply Limeade (juice)

Grocery List: Gimme Lean ground "beef," iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion, Tofutti soy sour cream, Vegan Gourmet cheddar, Trader Joe's corn salsa, vegetarian refried beans, Old El Paso taco seasoning

Home Preparation: Fry the Gimme Lean in a small amount of vegetable oil, then add water and Old El Paso taco seasoning. Use a wooden fork to break the faux meat into small pieces. Store in tupperware. Grate the Vegan Gourmet cheddar and place in a Ziplock bag. Chop tomatoes and onions, shred lettuce and also place in Zip Lock bags.

At-Work Assembly: Layer lettuce with chopped veggies, refried beans, faux meat, soy sour cream, grated "cheese," and corn salsa.

Cost Per Lunch : $0.50 for 1/3 can of refried beans + $0.50 for 1/4 tube of Gimme Lean + $0.25 for 1/4 of taco seasoning + $0.50 for 1/6 tub of soy sour cream + $0.75 for 1/6 block of Vegan Gourmet + $0.50 for 1/6 jar of corn salsa + $1.00 for veggies + $1.00 for 1/4 bottle of Limeade = $5.00

Vegan Vacation: Trip to Farm Sanctuary

2009-01-18T10:38:00.000-08:00

Ben and I took a trip to Farm Sanctuary (Watkins Glen, NY) in September to visit my adopted sheep Maggie.

On our drive down, we stopped in Northampton, MA to eat lunch at Cafe Evolution. While we were there, we decided to stock up on some of their INCREDIBLE vegan cupcakes:

After about 5 hours of driving, we arrived at our destination: The Log Country Inn Bed and Breakfast. We had originally planned to stay in one of the B&B cabins at Farm Sanctuary but it turned out that they were booked for the entire month of September when we called in mid-August. It worked out just as well. We ended up staying in a beautiful jacuzzi suite:

The proprietress of the Log Country Inn made us a delicious breakfast of vegan blintzes served with different types of jam on the first morning. On the second morning, she made vegan potato pancakes, served with fresh fruit.

We spent the better part of our first full day in upstate NY visiting Farm Sanctuary. First, we went on a VIP tour to see Maggie:

(She's the one with the dark face standing behind me - she was too shy to let me get very closer to her)

Next, we took a group tour of the entire farm. The tour guide explained to us that pigs are bred to have unnaturally white skin (in order to make their meat lighter) so the people working at Farm Sanctuary have to apply sunscreen to the pigs every day so that they don't get sunburned! Ben was so impressed by this that he decided to adopt a pig named Chuck:

(Ben with a pig - not Chuck)

We spent the rest of our trip in Ithaca, walking around Cornell University's campus and exploring the boutiques and hippie stores. There were a number of wonderful vegetarian restaurants in the area (not to mention the fact that almost every restaurant seemed to have a decent vegan option the menu).

Lodging
1) Farm Sanctuary offers its own Bed & Breakfast that has rooms available from May-October. Guests stay in rustic cabins and use restroom facilities in the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center also has a gift shop which has a wide range of vegan snacks available (ranging from granola bars and cookies to extremely decadent chocolate raspberry truffles!). The $85 room rate includes a continental breakfast of vegan pastries and bagels served with juice, fruit, coffee and tea. Reservations fill up quickly, so call early.

2) The Log Country Inn is approximately 40 minutes from Farm Sanctuary by car and its rooms are available year-round. Guests have a variety of rooms and suites to choose from, some of which include lavish jacuzzi baths. The proprietress is more than happy to make vegan breakfasts (she even advertises this on the website). Rooms range from $70 to $200 for two people.

3) The Ginger Cat Bed and Breakfast is located about 15 minutes' drive from Farm Sanctuary and its rooms are available May-October. The Ginger Cat features two guest bedrooms with a shared bathroom. Vegan breakfast is served every morning and a lavish vegan brunch buffet is available on weekends. Rooms are $85 for two people.

Restaurants
1) Moosewood Restaurant - famous for its vegetarian cookbooks, Moosewood always has a couple of vegan items on the menu.
2) Pizza Aroma - makes pizza with Vegan Gourmet soy cheese
3) ABC Cafe - cute vegetarian cafe/bar on Cornell campus
4) Great Escape Ice Cream Parlor - ice cream parlor that has soft-serve soy ice cream!
5) Everything Wellness Bookstore and Raw Foods Cafe - raw foods cafe in downtown Ithaca

Lemon Risotto

2009-01-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

I grew up eating a lot of risotto (my family is Italian), so I've been working on making a vegan version of the risotto that mom used to make. Risotto is actually a pretty easy dish to veganize. Arborio rice has a naturally creamy texture after you boil it, so you don't really need to add cheese to get the right consistency. That said, if you still feel the urge to add non-dairy cheese, make sure that it's a mild-flavored brand that actually melts (try Chicago Soydairy's Teese or Vegan Gourmet in the mozzarella or monterey jack varieties).

Lemon Risotto

Ingredients
1/2 stick soy margarine (I use Earth Balance)
3 shallots finely chopped
white wine (I just use whatever is in the fridge)
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 1/4 cup arborio rice
3 cups approx. veggie stock
1/2 TBSP chopped fresh thyme
1 cup frozen peas
salt, pepper, nutmeg
OPTIONAL: 1 package White Wave chicken-style seitan, chopped into small pieces
OPTIONAL: 2 oz soy mozarella, grated (I used Vegan Gourmet mozarella, but I think that the Chicago Soydairy Teese would have worked even better)

Directions
1. Melt half of the soy margarine and cook the shallots in the margarine until soft. Add about 1 cup of white wine, and half of the lemon zest. Boil until wine is reduced and pan appears almost empty of liquid.

2. Pour in the rice and coat each piece with soy margarine and shallots. Add veggie stock (about 1/2 cup at a time) until approximately 3 cups have been absorbed by the rice. It should take about 20-30 minutes.

3. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, remaining soy margarine and lemon zest, thyme, lemon juice and (OPTIONAL) soy cheese.

4. Add peas and (OPTIONAL) seitan and stir until the peas are heated.

Gifts For Vegans

2009-01-16T22:26:00.000-08:00

I meant to publish this post around the holidays, but instead I got busy with studying for my qualifying exams. Most of the items in this list aren't too specific to December 2008, so I thought it might still be useful for people who regularly puzzle over what to get for their favorite vegans. This list mostly reflects things I've thought about giving to vegan friends or neat gifts that I have received.

Lola's Guide To Vegan Holiday Gifts

1) Adopt an animal from Farm Sanctuary.
Pros: Your contribution covers the cost of caring for the adopted animal for one year, which your vegan friend can visit at any time. He/she will receive a photo of the adopted animal along with a biography detailing how it ended up at Farm Sanctuary. Your friend will feel good knowing that your gift is enabling a farm animal to live a better life.

Cons: Kind of pricey (chickens start at $120/year, and cows are as high as $600)

2) Buy a Vegan Cookbook.
Pros: Vegans end up cooking for themselves more often than non-vegans, so cookbooks are always useful. Some of my old favorites include: The Candle Cafe Cookbook, The Voluptuous Vegan, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. There are also a couple of exciting new cookbooks that came out in the past 6 months that your vegan friend may not have gotten around to buying for themselves yet: Vegan Lunch Box, Vegan A Go-Go! and Great Chefs Cook Vegan.

Vegan Lunch Box is especially great for parents who are trying to raise their children vegan. It contains tons of great meal ideas that can be packed in a lunch box.

Vegan A Go-Go! is a wonderful pocket-sized cookbook for the frequent traveler. It contains lots of recipes that use minimal ingredients and travel tips and a guide on how to say "I'm vegan" in a couple of different languages.

Great Chefs Cook Vegan is a compilation of vegan recipes from some of the most famous chefs in the US. The pictures are mouthwateringly beautiful but the recipes themselves are very time-intensive and often require special equipment/ingredients. I like to keep this one on my coffee table to show people who visit my house that even haute cuisine can be vegan.

Cons: There aren't THAT many vegan cookbooks out there, so there's a chance that your friend might already have the one that you end up buying.

3) Send a Gift Basket of Vegan Goodies
Pros: These are available on a number of websites (I usually order them from Pangea) and will be sent right to your vegan friend's house or workplace.

Cons: Less personal. Also, sometimes the products contained therein can be a little strange.

4) Cruelty-Free Fashion
Pros: There are a huge number of non-leather belts, wallets, purses and shoes on the market these days. Buy your female vegan friend a cute purse from Matt & Nat or a pair of vegetarian shoes from Endless.com. Buy your male vegan friend a belt or wallet from MooShoes. These presents all wrap well and provide instant gratification.

Cons: Unless you know your friend's tastes in fashion very well, this gift could end up in the back of his or her closet.

5) Gift Certificate
Pros: These days, you can get gift certificates to vegan cooking classes, restaurants, online grocery stores, Bed and Breakfasts... There are nice gift options in every price range.

Cons: Again, fairly impersonal.

Coconut Seitan With Pineapple-Mango Marmalade

2009-01-16T22:03:00.000-08:00

My brother gave me the "You Won't Believe It's Vegan" cookbook for Christmas. I finally got a chance to try out a recipe from it the other day and I was pretty happy with how well it came out. The cookbook recommends serving the seitan with coconut yams. I didn't have a huge amount of time to prepare dinner, so I just served it with rice.

Coconut Seitan

Ingredients:
Seitan (it's fairly easy to make, but I was feeling lazy so I bought 2 of the blue packages of White Wave seitan)
Canola oil (for frying)

Pineapple-Mango Marmalade
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 ripe mango, pitted, peeled and diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 TBSP extra-virgin olice oil
1/2 tsp minced fresh sage, or 1/4 tsp dried
1 medium-sized roasted red pepper (see instructions for roasting in Panzanella recipe below)
4 tsps agave nectar
1 TBSP rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsps fresh lemon juice
Pinch of Red Hawaiian Sea Salt

Dredging Mixture
1/2 cup Brazil nuts
3/4 cup grated coconut
1/2 tsp sea salt
Pinch of black pepper
Pinch of paprika

Wash
1 cup coconut milk
2 TBSPS vegan mayo

Make Pineapple-Mango Marmalade:
1. In a saucepan, place all marmalade ingredients and cook over medium heat until bubbling, stirring.

2. Turn down the heat and continue to stir, cooking for 15-20 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened slightly.

3. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool, to let the flavors marry.

Make the Dredging Mixture:
1. Grind Brazil nuts in a food processor until crumbly.

2. Add the coconut, flour, salt, pepper, and paprika, and pulse for 1 more minute to incorporate.

3. Transfer the mixture to a shallow pan.

Make the Wash:
1. In another shallow pan, whisk together the coconut milk and vegan mayo.

Make the Seitan:
1. Dip the seitan slices in the wash, then coat each slice thoroughly in the dredging mixture to end up with a fairly dry piece of coated seitan.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Test by tossing a crumb of dredging mixture into the oil - if it bubbles, the oil is ready.

3. Gently slip pieces of seitan into the oil and fry until golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

"Cheese" Tartines

2009-01-16T21:32:00.000-08:00

When I went vegan six years ago, the only widely-available "cheese" options lacked flavor, had a plastic texture and came in two colors. Recently, there has been an explosion of new vegan cheese products on the market. Thanks to companies like Pangea, people everywhere (at least in the US) have the opportunity to cook with vegan blue cheese, smoked "cheddar" and soy mozzarella that actually melts (!)

Here are a few appetizers that I made using some of these exciting new products:

Seared Pear and Blue Cheese Tartines

Ingredients:
French Bread, sliced and toasted
Bosc pears, sliced and seared in a pan with soy margarine and Riesling
Sheese Vegan Blue Cheese, thinly sliced
Balsamic glaze (I like Blaze)

Cashew Cheese and Lingonberry Tartines

Ingredients:
Carr's Whole Wheat Crackers
Dr. Cow's Tree Nut Cheese (possibly the best vegan cheese ever!)
Swedish Lingonberry Jam

Potage Au Pistou

2009-01-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe in Vegetarian Times (Jan/Feb 2008) and adapted it for vegans:

Potage Au Pistou

Potage
2 Tbsps unsalted soy margarine
2 medium leeks, white and green parts chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
4 medium carrots, chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 cups vegetable broth

Pistou
1 cup firmly packed basil leaves
1/4 cup walnuts
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil

1. To make Potage: Melt soy margarine in sauce pan over medium heat. Add leeks and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes or until leeks are softened, stirring often. Stir in wine and garlic and cook, uncovered, 1 to 2 minutes, or until most liquid has been evaporated.

2. Add potato, carrots, thyme, bay leaf, broth and 2 cups of water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes or until potato and carrots are soft.

3. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Puree soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

4. To make Pistou: Place basil, walnuts and garlic in blender. Pulse to combine. Pour in oil and blend until smooth. Add water if necessary to form smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper. Serve dollop on top of Potage.

Tapas Dinner

2008-12-17T18:43:00.000-08:00

Tonight I made a dinner of 3 different tapas: panzanella salad, tomato pie and Swedish meatballs.

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Panzanella Salad

5 plum tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
3 Tbsps capers
10-20 green Spanish olives
1/2 ciabatta loaf
2 Tbsps red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
fresh basil leaves
salt
lemon pepper
2 large bowls

1) Skin the tomatoes (first make an "x" with a knife on the bottom, then boil the tomatoes for 30 seconds, then transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of ice water - the skin will fall right off!). Cut the tomatoes into quarters. Squeeze the seeds/juice of each quarter tomato into bowl #1, then put the quarters into bowl #2. Add red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper (to taste) to bowl #1.

2) Cut the peppers in half. Bake in a Pyrex dish (face down) for 20-30 minutes or until the skin begins to crinkle and the edges start to turn black. Remove the peppers from the oven and submerge in ice water. Again, the skin will fall right off. Slice the cooked skinned peppers into thin strips and add to bowl #2.

3) Tear the bread into large chunks and put in bowl #1. Mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

4) Add contents of bowl #2 to bowl #1. Add olives and capers to the mixture. Garnish with basil leaves.

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Tomato Pie

1 frozen pie crust (check your local grocery - many are made with vegetable shortening rather than butter)
7 plum tomatoes
2 Tbsps melted soy margarine
2 Tbsps white sugar
arugula
balsamic glaze (I like Blaze's strawberry balsamic glaze)

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Peel tomatoes (using same directions in Panzanella recipe). Cut into thin slices and layer (with slight overlap) inside the pie crust. Brush the tomato slices with melted soy margarine and sprinkle with sugar.

3) Bake for 25-35 minutes (until the crust browns and the tomatoes start to caramelize).

4) (Optional) Melt high-quality vegan mozarella (I like to use Teese) in a sauce pan with 2 Tbsps soy margarine, then pour over the tomato pie after it comes out of the oven. Garnish with fresh argula and balsamic glaze.

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Swedish Meatballs

1 Tube Gimme Lean Ground "Beef"
1 vegetarian "beef" bouillon cube
1 1/2 Tbsps All Spice
1/2 cup almond milk
3-5 slices white bread
1/4 cup flour
1 jar Swedish lingonberry jam

Combine ingredients (except lingonberry jam) in a large bowl. Form into small balls. Bake for 10-15 minutes (or until the meatballs start to brown). Serve with lingonberry jam.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T18:41:00.001-08:00

I always try to make a lot of sides for Vegan Thanksgiving. That way, the focus isn't on the "turkey" (which is usually a poor substitute for the real thing).

Here is my Thanksgiving menu (see below for recipes and a discussion of various brands of fake Turkeys):

Corn bread

Mashed potatoes
Savory Herb Gravy
Maple Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Stuffing

Cranberry Sauce

Seitan "Turkey," baked in a phyllo dough "skin"

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Carrot Cake (from Cafe Indigo)

Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

Assorted Chocolate Truffles (from Butterfly Bakery)

Silk Nog

Hot Mulled Cider

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Sweet Potatoes and Apples:

2 lbs. sweet potatoes
2 medium green apples
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 tbsp. soy margarine
1/3 cup sherry

Cook the sweet potatoes then slice, remove skin and layer in a casserole dish with thin slices of green apples. Heat all of the other ingredients in a sauce pan to make the cinnamon butter sauce. Pour over the layers of sweet potatoes and apples and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.

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Stuffing

1 loaf bread, toasted and cubed
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 tbsp. poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Soy milk (enough to moisten the mixture)
Soy margarine

Mix ingredients in a bowl. Add enough soy milk and soy margarine so that you can knead the mixture into a loaf. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour.

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Cranberry Sauce

1 bag cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 cup OJ

Combine ingredients in a sauce pan and dissolve sugar in OJ. Heat on stove until the cranberries start to explode. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly (should become red and syrupy) before removing from heat. The dish turns out best when about half of the cranberries have exploded and the other half are still in tact. Serve warm.

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Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Add 1/3 cup of canned pumpkin, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp allspice and an extra TBSP of cornstarch to the vanilla creme brulee recipe from my "Cheesecake and Creme Brulee" entry (before heating the mixture). Note: in this recipe, don't add vanilla beans to the white sugar.

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Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

1 stick (4 oz.) soy margarine, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. finely chopped rosemary

1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

2 "eggs" (use 3 tsp. Egg Replacer plus 6 TBSPS water)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking power

1/4 tsp. salt

Turbinado sugar for decorating

Beat sugar, butter, rosemary and lemon zest until creamy. Beat in "eggs" and vanilla. Whisk together flour, baking power and salt in a bowl. Add to butter mixture and beat until just combined. Shape into a 1-inch wide log, wrap in wax paper and chill for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray baking sheets with cooking spray. Slice cookies into 1/3 inch-thick slices. Cover the top of each cookie slice with turbinado sugar, then place sugar-side up on baking sheets and bake for 10-13 minutes (until the sides of the cookies just start to brown).

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A note about "Turkey":

I used to buy an UnTurkey every year for Thanksgiving until Now and Zen stopped making them. For the past two years, I have had to settle for a Tofurkey, which have a spongy texture. This year I decided to order a seitan turkey from Cafe Indigo, which I baked inside of a phyllo dough crust (to resemble skin). The seitan turkey was delicious!

Macaroni and Cheese

2008-11-22T14:42:00.000-08:00

Non-vegans are always confused when I get excited about vegan versions of meat and dairy dishes. The inevitable follow-up question is always: "Why do vegans want to eat imitation versions of non-vegan foods?" Some people use this as supporting evidence for the theory that my body craves these dishes because HUMANS ARE SUPPOSED to eat meat and dairy. I firmly believe that the real reason that I crave these dishes, however, has little to do with biological impetus and much more to do with the comfort associated with eating the foods that I was raised on. The quintessential "comfort food" that comes to mind is macaroni and cheese, so I will dedicate this entry to discussing its vegan analogues.

There are a number of restaurants that make dairy-free macaroni and cheese. Unfortunately, I have yet to find one that gets it right. Here are my takes on some of them:

1) Soul Vegetarian - It's hard to say anything too specific because the preparation is highly variable. Sometimes the macaroni are swimming in oil, other times they taste too much like nutritional yeast. Occasionally Soul Veg bakes the macaroni with herbs mixed in, which hides the nutritional yeast flavor and makes the dish taste more like a casserole.

2) Karyn's Cooked - Overpriced is probably the best adjective in this case. A tiny bowl of bland-tasting macaroni and cheese will cost you $4 (it's about $1 per forkful). The color is fairly off-putting - rather than the traditional yellow or orange, the macaroni and cheese at Karyn's is beige.

3) Chicago Diner - Of all of the restaurant versions of macaroni and cheese that I've tried, the Chicago Diner's LOOKS the most appetizing. The macaroni and cheese is covered in breadcrumbs and sprinkled with paprika, then baked. The outside edges are slightly crispy and the inside is warm and gooey. The dish would be great if only the flavor matched the appearance. Instead, it tastes like noodles dipped in soy sour cream.

4) New Ethic Cafe - If you order the vegan macaroni and cheese at New Ethic Cafe, you'll get a generous helping of orange, buttery-tasting noodles. The problem is that the butter flavor is the only flavor in the dish. I wouldn't have known that it was supposed to be macaroni and cheese if it hadn't been for the color and the name listed on the menu.

VERDICT: Don't order vegan macaroni and cheese at any of these restaurants. Particularly if you still remember what good macaroni and cheese tastes like. You will almost definitely be disappointed.

Cheese(less)cake and Creme(-free) Brulee

2008-11-15T23:40:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, I was non-vegan and I loved cheesecake and creme brulee. One of the biggest disappointments in going vegan was not the lack of dairy-free versions of these amazing desserts but rather the large number of restaurants that serve very poor imitations. I think that serving a bad vegan version of "normal" food actually does vegans a bigger disservice than not selling the food in the first place, since it propagates the idea that vegan food is a substandard version of normal food.

For the sake of vegans everywhere, the following restaurants should immediately stop selling cheesecake (or get a new recipe): Soul Vegetarian East, The Chicago Diner, Candle Cafe, Lifethyme Vegan Bakery, Cafe Indigo, My Thai Bubble Tea & Bistro. The only restaurant that I've been to that makes a convincing vegan cheesecake is Red Bamboo in New York City. Red Bamboo's cheesecake has the right texture and is appropriately dense (ie. it's not overly "fluffy" like a mouse). The cheesecake does not have a soy aftertaste.

As for Creme Brulee, I have only found two restaurants that make a bona fide vegan version. The Inn of he Seventh Ray (Malibu, California) serves an almond milk creme brulee and Counter (Manhattan, New York) serves a soy milk creme brulee. Interestingly enough, the creme brulee at Counter resembles cheesecake more closely than many of the vegan cheesecakes that I have tried. Needless to say, it did not make a very convincing creme brulee. The creme brulee at The Inn of the Seventh Ray had the right texture and did not have a soy aftertaste. However, the flavor was still a little off.

VERDICT: Avoid vegan cheesecake unless you are at Red Bamboo (or any of the other restaurants in the NY/PA area that serve desserts from the same bakery).

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Side Note: Matt and Teresa sent me this creme brulee recipe and I think it comes about as close to creme brulee as anything that I have tried in a restaurant.

Mix thoroughly in a saucepan (no heat yet):
1/3 c vanilla sugar (to make this, combine 1/3 c white sugar with the interior "dots" scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean)

2 Tbs + 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt

Gradually stir in 1/3 cup unsweetened "vanilla" almond milk to make a smooth runny paste.

Whisk in another 1 and 2/3 c almond milk.

Stirring constantly, heat the mixture (over medium heat) until it begins to thicken. Reduce the heat to low, stirring briskly, bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute.

Pour the pudding into the bowl or cups, then press plastic wrap directly on top to prevent a skin from forming.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When you are ready to serve the dish, sprinkle white sugar on top and blowtorch until the sugar is caramelized.

I think that the texture is about right, but I'm still working on the flavor. "Real" creme brulee borrows a lot of its flavor from the egg yolks, so that has been one of my bigger challenges to overcome. I've been toying with the idea of making a "Silk Nog" creme brulee for the holidays, but I'm not convinced that this will lend the right "egg" flavor. Last year, I made a pumpkin creme brulee for Thanksgiving that turned out pretty well, but that was mostly because the taste of the pumpkin spice masked the flavor.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions on how to improve the taste of my creme brulee recipe (or, if you have a good recipe for vegan cheesecake, please send it my way!).

Vegan Day-Trips from Hanover

2008-11-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

Hanover, NH has to be one of the LEAST vegan-friendly college towns in the country. Sure, most restaurants have the token veggie burger on the menu, but usually that's it. Fortunately, there are a number of other towns "in the area" with good vegan options:

1) Concord, NH

Location: about 50 minutes Southeast from Hanover on I-89

Restaurant(s): Cafe Indigo is an all-vegan restaurant which features sandwiches, soups, salads and homemade vegan desserts. The restaurant is closed on Saturdays, but on Sundays it features what is arguably the best vegan brunch in Northern New England. For $15, you get all-you-can-eat from the salad bar and the dessert bar, unlimited cups of tea and coffee (which comes with Silk soy creamer) and your choice of entree.

Area Attractions: It's fun just to walk around downtown Concord. There are a number of eco-friendly stores (Earth Made, Gondwana, Lotions-n-Potions) and coffee shops.

2) Montpelier, VT

Location: about an hour Northwest from Hanover on I-89

Restaurant(s): Kismet Kitchen is a cute localvore cafe with a number of vegan items on the menu. The food is creative: for example, the tofu scramble comes with a side of roasted root vegetables and your choice of polenta or a (vegan!) crepe. In addition to the standard coffee and tea drinks, Kismet serves a "dandelion latte," sweetened with Vermont maple syrup. This place is reason enough to make the trip from Hanover. However, I find it easier to justify spending the gas money by staying in town for the afternoon and studying at the Langdon Street Cafe, which makes wonderful soy coffee drinks and usually has vegan cookies or brownies at the counter. I like to stock up on Liz Lovely vegan cookies when I'm in Montpelier - The Hunger Mountain Co-op usually has 6 or 7 different flavors.

Area Attractions: Montpelier is built on top of two rivers, so there are covered bridges at every turn, not to mention the majestic gold-domed capital building and surrounding parks. It's a very charming place to walk around. There are a number of bookstores to explore, ranging from bestsellers (Bear Pond Books) to antiquities (Book Garden, Rivendell Books) to a worker-owned anarchist book collective (Black Sheep Books). Montpelier is also home to a number of coffee shops, vintage clothing stores and art galleries.

3) Burlington, VT

Location: about 90 minutes Northwest of Hanover on I-89

Restaurant(s): The New Ethic Cafe is an all-vegan cafe which specializes in comfort food. They have a large selection of vegan "chicken" dishes, sandwiches, nachos, cornbread, and dairy-free macaroni and cheese. My favorite menu item is the "chicken" ranch sandwich with coconut "bacon." On Saturdays, they make homemade vegan donuts. A Single Pebble is a Chinese restaurant that features vegan mock-meat versions of almost everything that appears on the regular menu, not to mention a large selection of exotic teas.

Area Attractions: Burlington is home to the University of Vermont, and has a nightlife to match the needs to college students. There are tons of bars (alcohol and hookah), concert venues and late-night coffee shops. Church Street is a pedestrian street that features a large number of locally-owned boutiques and sidewalk cafes.

4) Northampton, MA

Location: about 90 minutes South of Hanover on I-91

Restaurant(s): Evolution is an all-vegan cafe in nearby Florence, MA (if you're on Main Street in Northampton, just continue past Smith College for five minutes and you'll get to Evolution). Evolution makes sandwiches, amazing vegan nachos and the BEST VEGAN CUPCAKES I HAVE EVER EATEN. Seriously. Evolution also usually has a selection of vegan scones, cookies, chocolate peanut butter rice crispy treats and other wonderful dairy-free baked goods. They also make incredible vegan brunch on Sundays, including lemon blueberry corn wafles and vegan shitake mushroom omlets. Green Bean is a trendy cafe in downtown Northampton. It is only open for breakfast and lunch. It has really tasty vegan cornmeal pancakes and biscuits smothered in almond gravy. There are a number of other vegan items on the menu, including chocolate cupcakes (although I like the cupcakes at Evolution a lot more). Haymarket Cafe has a coffee shop upstairs and a restaurant downstairs, both of which are incredibly vegan-friendly. The coffee shop features a large number of vegan baked goods (including the chocolate ganache cake pictured above). Northampton is also home to the Whole Foods and Trader Joe's branches that are closest to Hanover.

Area Attractions: Northampton has a number of stores featuring hip clothing, local handicrafts, and exotic imports from Africa, Asia and South America. The Pleasant Street Movie Theater showcases a good selection of foreign and independent films (including films by local filmmakers) and sells vegan cookies at its concession stand. The Iron Horse Music Hall and the Pearl Street Nightclub feature performances by nationally-renowned music groups.

First Entry

2008-11-14T18:25:00.000-08:00

I'm starting a blog with two real purposes in mind:

Like many vegans, I am obsessed with good food. Unfortunately, good vegan food is hard to find, especially when you live in rural New Hampshire. As a result, I spend a lot of my time driving to cities with vegan-friendly restaurants. Often, I review these restaurants on www.vegguide.org, but I've found that restaurant reviews aren't always the best venue for directly comparing specific dishes across restaurants. This blog will enable me to give my honest opinion in a series of food match-ups.

Because there isn't much good vegan food where I live, I often resort to cooking. I never used to cook when I didn't have to (I'm a busy grad student!) but sometimes I can only handle so many flavorless burritos and greasy Asian stir fry dishes before I find myself scouring the pages of the 30+ vegan cookbooks on my shelf. I thought I would post some of the better recipes here so that others can get inspired to try a new vegan recipe every once in a while.