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I was as disappointed as the next vegan when I learned that Morningstar Farms had discontinued their Meal Starters "Steak" Strips.
But thanks to QuarryGirl, I have learned that the company that Morningstar Farms used as a source for those steak strips is now releasing the same product under their own brand name.
I can only hope that Gardein Beefless Tips are distributed locally and can be found in my local Whole Foods.
So, just in case you too were mourning the loss of a tasty convenience food, perhaps there is hope for us :)
Yesterday the lovely folks at VegNews Magazine gave me a free peek at their new Holiday Cookie Collection e-book, available for $3 online.
I blogged here how last Christmas my family bravely let me make vegan desserts for the family dinner. I relied on Colleen Patrick-Godreau's The Joy of Vegan Baking, and both my chocolate cake and my lemon cake were big successes.
Checking out this slim cookie collection, I see quite a number I have always loved...and love to see veganized, including:
- Mexican Wedding Cookies (Although, as I asked on Twitter, I am curious if these are really made in Mexico...and for weddings.)
- Peppermint Crush Cholcate Chip Cookies...Um, YUM!
- Toasted Almond Toffee Bars (Because I really have missed See's Candy Toffee-ettess)
- A recipe for SoyNog.
I may have to break out those beautiful William-Sonoma cookie pans I registered for before my wedding (two years ago) and have still never used!
Yesterday was World Vegan Day, so of course I had to veganize a meal at a local non-vegan restaurant!
Have I hammered home the point about *asking* enough for you lately? No? Well, then let me tell you another story.
After an early evening of theatre (6PM curtain), we were out on the street in downtown San Jose at about 8:30 looking to stay out of trouble and calm the stomach grumbles.
The closest reasonable restaurant with table service (my S.O.'s only requirement) was Il Fornaio in the Sainte Claire Hotel. There are several Il Fornaio's in the Bay Area, and they are a reliable go-to Italian place with a bakery on site.
The first promising sign was that they had a butternut squash soup that called out being made with vegetable stock. When asked, the waitress also confirmed no cream, so I was very excited about that. The soup was savory and really well-seasoned. It was squash-y, but not only squash-y, if you know what I mean.
But in the entree department, they were a little sadly lacking...one capellini pomodoro dish didn't exactly set me on fire. (That's just a fancier way of preparing pasta marinara, you know?)
So, instead, I turned to one of the clearly non-veg pasta dishes and asked. Could they make me this dish, but no chicken, no cheese, no butter.
Why of course, yes they could.
And simple as that, I got a little more oomph and had a lovely, perfect meal.
Ask and ye shall receive!
How are you celebrating?
I ate leftover vegan pizza from Amici's...yay Amici's!!
I spent more time flipping through Tal Ronnen's The Conscious Cook.
That's about it. What about you?
I don't normally watch Top Chef. For two reasons, actually:
1. The obvious: Most of what they make, I wouldn't make and won't eat, so why would I want to watch a bunch of people working with materials I find icky?
2. Unlike the other talent-based shows I watch (American Idol, the dancing-oriented shows, Project Runway) I can't judge the output. Even if I'm no expert on fashion, for example, I can see the outcome and judge whether I like it or not. But in thsi case: You can't judge the outcome. You can't taste the food. It seems pointless to me.
Anyway, I already recorded one episode of Top Chef this year, since it featured Zooey Deschanel and her vegan, gluten-free ways. And had I realized the Natalie Portman episode was on this week, I would have set the TiVo to record that too. but I didn't realize.
And according to ecorazzi, maybe I'm glad.
I know they have tons of repeats of each episode, so I'm sure I can have another chance ot watch.
Anybody out there have an opinion on whether it's worth it?
Thanks to Vegan.com for pointing out that vegan books are hot, hot, hot right now :)
I have The Conscious Cook and have been perusing it. Haven't cooked from it yet, but isn't half the appeal of cookbooks the photos and descriptions? (Just work with me, here.)
I want to get The Kind Diet, and I'm considering Eating Animals, if only to support the author and his efforts on this. I was afraid that it would be another "Omnivore's Dilemma"...where the author totally makes the case for veganism, but them wimps out because he can't hack it. Worse yet, Pollan comes up with some ridonkulous "thank the pig" argument for how eating meat can be all OK. Yeah, 'cause the pig cares. Anyway, I didn't know if Jonathan Foer would go down that same path, and I didn't feel like reading that kind of disappointing effort again.
From what I hear, though, he does not go down that path. Now, I don't know if I want to read it, because I already know what's in it, and I already became a vegan, and I don't know if I need my distress re-heightened. What are you fellow vegans doing?
Anyway, I'm pretty happy that these books are getting mainstream attention, and clearly mainstream wallets opened.
Thanks to the Alicia Silverstone video I featured a few days ago, and the fact that I'm in NYC this week, I actually went and tried restaurant #1 on her list: HanGawi.
I don't know why, but somehow I was expecting a little hole in the wall. I suppose it's because the neighborhood is unprepossessing. BUt it is no hole in the wall. It is actually a pretty upscale place. Complete with pricy prix fixe options.
My dining companion and I went a la carte, which was far more affordable.
I tried:
A Fried Dumpling
Spinach and Corn Porridge
Kabocha Pumpkin Stone Bowl Rice
What was most striking was that the food was simple, fresh and tasted like exactly what it was. Spinach. Corn. Pumpkin.
I am not a fan of vegan food that tries to hard to be fancy by throwing a bunch of warring flavors into the same dish, to make it unnecessarily complex, as though that made it gourmet. (I'm looking at you, Millennium.)
This was really refreshingly good.
So, add my recommendation to Alicia's.
Tonight I went to a catered dinner. And as much as you may not want to seem like a pain in the ass to people who are being nice enough to host you to begin with: If you do not ask you will not receive.
I emailed and simply gave them a heads up, and when I arrived (where I'm sure I was the only vegan amongst about 40 guests) I had a special meal all ready for me.
Appetizer: Bruschetta, the way it oughta be, without any silly cheese to clog up your system!
Entree: A delectable vegetable , well, I guess I'll call it a stew or cassoulet. It was unusual vegetables like giganta beans and radicchio and artichoke hearts and mushrooms and other vegetables that were all hearty and autumnal. Just the perfect combination of slightly bitter and tangy with more meaty. Truly scrumptious.
Dessert: Fresh strawberries and blueberries
As per usual, I think some of the other guests at my table were looking rather enviously at my plate!
She posted a very brief video of her favorite places to eat vegan in NYC (where I'm going next week). While she hit one of my faves, Candle 79, she hasn't even scratched the surface of vegan NYC. She knows it too, so part 2 will be coming soon!
Last night I was all set to have dinner with a good friend at a new restaurant. I had always been intrigued by Iberia, a Spanish tapas place in Menlo Park, but hadn't seriously checked it out, because I assumed it wouldn't be veg-friendly.
But when my friend suggested it, I checked out the menu online and saw a long list of vegetable tapas dishes that looked very veg-friendly indeed. So, I said, "Let's do it!"
I got there before my friend and sat down with a menu. A menu that didn't have any of those vegetable dishes listed. In fact had only one item on the entire menu that was vegan: Gazpacho Soup. There was only one other dish that was even vegetarian.
I called over the waiter and told him I had seen this long list of vegetable dishes on their web site, and he told me "those are only served in the bar". I explained to him I was a vegan, but my friend was not, and couldn't I order off the bar menu, so that we could sit and have a nice dinner in the dining room? No. I could not.
Then what would he suggest I eat?
Gazpacho.
Sure, and what else? Seriously, can't I order off the bar menu?
No, I could not, but oh, yeah, they could make me a vegetarian paella. No chicken stock, he assured me.
So, that is what I did. I suppose if they hadn't had the paella I would have asked to talk to the manager or asked my friend if she minded moving. But I decided to settle for the paella, which was pretty good.
Although if there's ever a next time, I would sit in the bar, there were a few cute little tables there. Don't know, however, if a next time is in order.
A letter to the restaurant? Maybe.
