Vegan Vacation: San Francisco

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Nostra 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

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

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