Get Sconed!

Brussel Sprouts Ruled my Week.

2009-11-03T09:57:00.000-08:00

Exhibit A.

Roasted with Lime and Garlic.

Carrying home a locally grown, giant stalk of brussel sprouts from Uncle Paul's produce market last weekend was pretty damn joyous. In retrospect, I wish I had written a DW-style song about it. I had two strangers remark at the big, green stalk leaning on my shoulder on my walk home! They seemed impressed.

For $2.49, I had the centerpiece of my next few meals and a whole lot of roasted brussels in my future. Growing up, my family never ate brussel sprouts. I doubt I really knew what they looked like until I was in college. My family did have an appreciation for a variety of green vegetables, so I assume that my mom had been cursed with over boiled brussels when she was younger and banished them from her life.

My go-to way to cook brussel sprouts is to roast them with freshly squeezed citrus juice. I saw it on a cooking show a few years ago, tried it at home, and the method stuck.

The first way I rolled with my new sprouts was to roast them with lime juice, garlic, coarse sea salt, black pepper and a little bit of extra virgin olive oil.

I subsequently roasted more with lemon juice, crumbled Papa G's savory tofu, more garlic and cremini mushrooms.

Next up is a hodge podge meal that I like to think was more creative than desperate, but it goes both ways. I was obviously going to cook with brussel sprouts, but I wanted to do something different, and didn't have a lot to work with. And I was fiercely craving Pad Thai Kitchen, but wanted to continue on my home cooked meals streak.

Exhibit B.

Pad Thai Woon Sen with Brussel Sprouts and Seitan.

I loosely based the sauce on the recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance, sliced the brussels, used homemade seitan from The Urban Vegan cookbook and threw some crumbled peanuts on top. I was worried the brussels would overpower the dish's tangy flavor, but they didn't - and it hit the spot.

adventures with daiya

2009-11-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

grilled daiya with tomato on sourdough, lime roasted brussel sprots

adventures with daiya: the first in a series of musings on vegan cheese.

The excitement of a new vegan cheese hitting the market cues nondairy lovin' drooling, eyerolls and quite possibly more hype than a red carpet event. I'm usually guilty of all three of these reactions.

I mean, holy crap, this cheese won the VegNews Product of the Year endorsement. If anyone knows vegan products, it's the VegNews staff, right? Totally. Last year, they awarded the title to Dr. Cow's Nut Cheese. It's their duty to be on top of these things and that rules.

I've tried Daiya a handful of times now, and can only say I actually enjoyed it once.

So far.

I think it's super great that it's:

a) a new vegan cheese

b) soy-free

c) um, becoming available everywhere

d) being embraced by the public, including restaurants & chains, faster than any nondairy cheese before (seems like it!)

e) specifically, available for bulk purchase through the Food Fight! store in Portland

f) melty, or something that resembles melting

It's been openly available in the US since Spring '09, and so many East Coast and California vegan bloggers seemed to be loving it. That is, until I noticed one vegan friend mention they didn't like it. I was shocked, even the processed vegan cheese haters seemed to be down. I highly respected this person's culinary opinion, and my anticipation to try it grew into sheer curiosity.

I finally tried Daiya while in Laguna Beach, CA from zpizza, and returned to see it hit Food Fight's fridge. I'll talk more about my zpizza experience as soon as I locate my photos of that pizza - but know this, I despised it. I had to double check it was actually Daiya, and told myself it had to be a fluke.

It reminded me of a stick-to-your-mouth, coat-your-teeth, get-it-away experience I had with rice cheese at Seattle's Pizza Pi a few years ago (under previous, previous management, I'm told). I didn't like the Italian blend melted, and I didn't like it firmed, and the taste...I didn't hate the taste, but I didn't love it. But, I'm not desperate for a soy-free vegan cheese, or a new vegan cheese, I'm just excited and curious.

I'm used to the buttery Follow Your Heart, Teese and Tofutti singles, and Daiya channels something different. Cheddar Daiya really seems to go the Velveeta look and taste route. I was looking forward to the zpizza and falling in love with the best vegan cheese ever, and I didn't. I hyped myself too hard.

Anyway, since then, I've tried it a few more times. I truly enjoyed it from the Savor Soup House cart downtown, pictured below. Nancy knows grilled cheese...

You can see how this one achieves a level of gooey-ness mine did not.

My grilled cheese at the very top didn't achieve this goo, and I suppose I should give it another go with cheddar. I know this is all so ridiculous, but it's an adventure. I think it wanted a little more time to melt, because the one at the top became........fluffy. And I'm not saying that in a delicious way.

Final Thoughts:

I'm a vegan cheese supporter, and I'm trying to like this one, a second time.
I think this might be a great vegan cheese for new vegans to try.
Maeve says I should try it over pasta, so I will.
I thought the Cheddar was almost vile on nachos.
Both Native Bowl & Whiffies have had specials involving Daiya, that I've yet to try. I feel left out of a vegan craze.
Every time I come across a random vegan on the internet stating they dislike it, it makes me feel a little less alone.

I ask you, what's your take on Daiya? What's the tastiest way you've experienced it?

Semi-Recent Vegan Eating in Spokane, WA

2009-10-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

This past summer, I found myself in Spokane, WA twice for work. During both trips, the #1 most satisfying meal I had was the Bistro Tofu Scramble from Huckleberry's Natural Market.

Bistro Tofu Scramble

At $6.49, it's a hot plate of scrambled Small Planet tofu, zucchini, bell peppers, yellow squash and mushrooms that takes its flavor from the vegetables themselves and soy sauce. And it comes with house potatoes (or toast or non-vegan blueberry pancake) and a coffee.

I reached for the hot sauce sparingly. With the soy sauce, it reminds me of the scrambles I used to make when I first went vegan and was scared of spices. On my first trip, I was super hungry as I trekked up the big hill from downtown, and couldn't imagine anything tastier than this plate in front of me.

Plus, the corner cafe is part of a natural grocery store, so that rules. I picked up Small Planet spicy tofu dip, crackers, fruit, granola, and other goods from the marketplace - and a bottle of NW Marionberry daiquiri mix for my sister in New York.

My second favorite place to eat in Spokane is PF Chang's. Yeah, I admitted it! On the last day of my first trip there, I was walking downtown and craving Chinese food, looked up, and there it was. When pressed for time and not in the mood for another modified entree somewhere, PF's is there for ya, for better or worse. It's a chain, you know what to expect, and they're pretty dang vegan friendly.

Szechuan Asparagus

This spicy asparagus was pretty good! You know, for assumably non-local asparagus, from a chain.

Side note 1 about PF Chang's: I did my share of research into their vegan options writing a Stumptown Vegans review, and the only ingredient that the company cannot confirm is vegan-friendly is sugar, so make your own decision there. If you go to every restaurant you visit and ask them about their sugar sourcing, I thank you and would like to see a web guide for this! Really.

Side note 2 about PF Chang's: I was totally served a cockroach in my Ma Po Tofu at their Long Island, NY location a few years ago, and it took a long time before I considered visiting them again, let alone ordering that dish. Which was tragic, because I really like it.

Coconut Curry Tofu

I had a couple entrees from PF's on my visit in September, it was two blocks from my hotel! I'm usually a fan of this light curry dish, but the only thing doing it for me here was the tofu and sugar snap peas.

Number 3 on my list of Spokane picks is an actual vegan and vegetarian friendly restaurant!

Mizuna is an upscale establishment located downtown in a brick building. I actually dined out on their patio area, which is a very clean alleyway next to the restaurant. It was so nice and calm! It almost felt like I was on a movie set, it was a touch surreal. The menu was very much Northwest, with a lot of talk of local produce and organic elements. While there was a note about most of their menu being able available vegan (it's largely vegetarian), I did notice that a lot of dishes co-starred cheese, for example, and sometimes it makes a vegan sad to pay the same price and not get a heaping pile of nuts in return.

This was one of the few entirely vegan options on the menu, it's from the appetizers section -

Flatbread with roasted potatoes, rosemary, greens, roasted garlic and caramelized onions.

The bread was freshly baked, tender and slightly sweet and two slices made me so happy.

The roasted potatoes were simply great. A shining example of simply the best ingredients.

I also had a salad from Mizuna - I recall most of the salads on the menu had cheese in them. This one had a really pleasant maple & red wine dressing, walnuts, greens, lovely roasted red beets & subtracted the cheese. And the side of baguette? So good & hearty.

Roasted Beet Salad

The cozy alleyway where I dined at Mizuna:

They have a couple dishes with Field Roast, and there's fantastic sounding braised homemade seitan on their dinner menu. The dinner prices were a tad steep for me, so I went for lunch, and I would certainly dine here again.

Other places of interest:

A few minutes' walk up the hill from Huckleberry's, Picabu Bistro had two or three vegan friendly entrees. I remember there was a cilantro happy green curry with Small Planet tofu (I swear I saw that same item on a few menus around downtown) and I went with the falafel wrap.

I actually asked if there was cilantro, was told no, but there was. I picked around it. The fries, pita and the pepperocinis strips were good! I remember they had local beers on tap and a 'famous' vegan cheesecake. The staff was really helpful, despite the cilantro issue, and the place had a comfortable, small restaurant vibe.

Falafel from Picabu

Burritos & Beer

I can't find my photos, but I recommend checking out Neato Burrito & the adjoining Baby Bar. They're across from the beautiful, historic Davenport Hotel and open late into the night. Neato doesn't have vegan on the menu, but walk them through it & you'll have yourself what would be a mediocre burrito - but with the addition of spicy, crumbled Small Planet tofu it steps up a bit.

Baby Bar is an astoundingly tiny bar, with a casual mix, decent prices & a very hipster jukebox. It's possibly my favorite thing about Spokane...you know, because it was reminiscent of Portland.

Coffee

I was in town for work, so that means long days & drinking coffee and trying to avoid Starbucks. I've been to two local coffeeshops in Spokane - Brews Brothers and Thomas Hammer. Brews was more comfortable to lounge in, and the quality was okay, nothing notable. I was really amused the day I overheard a political candidate saying really, really amusing generically positive statements to another person about his campaign.

The young barista at Thomas Hammer made an awful latte. And I splurged on vanilla - yet it wasn't sweet at all. Evan, just look at it...

Thomas Hammer Vanilla Latte

And some Spokane pics:

...and that's what I've experienced in Spokane, WA.

If you know the area - what did I miss? Any tips?

P.S. Mizuna, I'm sorry I put PF's ahead of you.

Add another fancy vegan option and you have the spot.

I <3 The Hungry Tiger Too

2009-10-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

There is so much I could say about their tempeh bacon sandwiches, tator tots, all day sippers, giant pancakes, butternut squash wontons, and mushy, tasty tofu scrambles. There is quite a bit I have said.

So, short on time, nearing the end of VeganMoFo, I bring you a recent dinner-for-breakfast at my favorite really-vegan-friendly greasy spoon in SE Portland.

The Greek Tofu Scramble with rye toast, soy margarine and hash browns.

..because I really, really like kalamata olives. And the Hungry Tiger Too. I mean, they have $1 vegan corn dog and $1 Pabst Tallboy Wednesdays. That's grown into hip madness and I don't find myself weekly anymore (and I pass on the corn dogs and head to half a vegan caeser with tempeh bacon, mostly likely), but it's awesome to know it's happening in this city.

And borrowing this, to truly honor her creativity, that squash and the establishment -

Millie's Halloween Pumpkin - modeled after HT2's mascot!

HT2's mascot:

Next up: Karla and I share some favorites!

And Vegan Eating in Spokane, WA

Out of the Oven.

2009-10-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

Roasted Cremini Mushrooms.

New Seasons had local, organic creminis on sale at $2.99/lb, so there I was, filling a bag. These were roasted at 425F with balsamic vinegar, a touch of olive oil, coarse sea salt and sliced garlic.

Double Apple Cake, from The Urban Vegan.

I made this with homemade apple sauce and McIntosh apples, all thanks to the Portland Apple Festival. I want to hug the spices in this. So. Autumn.

Whole wheat pizza.

Last week, I made pizza with homemade marinara, spinach, black & kalamata olives, FYH Mozzarella and a little shredded Melty White Cheezly.

I'd heard talk of FYH recently improving their formula and melting being easier than ever. I've been lucky with the majority of my FYH melting attempts over the years (psst, spritzing with oil or water can help), and it's been my long standing go-to, dependable soy cheese. How wild is the availability of nondairy cheeses these days!?! Cough, cough, when I was younger, I remember buying expensive blocks of FYH from Lifethyme in NYC and taking them on the Fung Wah bus with me back to Boston, before there was anywhere in that city that carried it... This is back when my college cooking repertoire included 123s and Chreese, fire roasted tomato sauce, TLTs, pizza and take out, basically.

I really liked my delightfully spoiled-vegan combination of soy cheeses on this pizza. I think Cheezly attempts to capture the aged cheese taste better than any brand I've had, and for that I applaud it. I'm not into it plain, but melted, it's tasty paired with other components.

Red Kuri Appreciation.

2009-10-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, I had a couple Portland autumns under my belt and leaned towards red kuri as my favorite squash. Everyone else at the FarMars seemed gaga for pumpkin, spaghetti and delicata but roasted red kuri was my pick. Clearly I then went onto red kuri overload, because I've gone another couple years without it. It was time to change that this month, and change that I did.

The red kuri has a soft, sweet taste and fabulously orange insides.

Red Kuri Squash, I appreciate you.

This past weekend, I mashed you with sea salt and cinnamon...

And roasted your seeds with smoked paprika, sea salt, chili powder and some more goodness....

In fact, I made myself a cute little lunch for Monday in this recycled container from Sonny Bowl...

It had mashed red kuri squash, cheesy rice (I know, I used sushi, I was out of brown and inspired by Native Bowl, shh) and oven 'fried' chicken seitan nuggets.

Oven Fried Chicken Seitan Style Nuggets and Melty Swiss Uncheese

The Melty Swiss Uncheese is from the classic Uncheese Cookbook. Sometimes nothing beats a homemade cheesy sauce! I heart all the white miso in this one.

The seitan nuggets are from the Urban Vegan cookbook, and the breading is ala Bryanna Clark Grogan, aka the legendary BCG.

An Exquisite Vegan Dinner at Belly Timber.

2009-10-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

Last month, I attended an Exquisite Vegan Dinner at Belly Timber on SE Hawthorne. The dinner was the first in an ongoing series of exclusively vegan, multi-course dinners at restaurants specializing in fine dining, that aren't exactly leaping with vegan options across their menu.

The arrangement of the dinner at the highly rated Belly Timber is what inspired this new tradition. Belly Timber's chef, David Siegal, had introduced a few vegan options onto their daily menu and the enthusiasm grew for a full vegan dinner party. This venture had its root at Whiffies Fried Pies, when David first developed an all vegan pie as one of two signature pie

specials.

I adore Portobello and must make it to the new Blossoming Lotus location soon or I'm going to go nuts, but I don't like to give up hope when I'm at a non-vegan restaurant, especially one that specializes in artisan fare. I cherish seeing the same creative energy put into vegetable dishes as there is with meat.

Note: While there is no foie gras on the menu at Belly Timber, there are very non-vegan dishes using a whole lot of our friend, the pig, on their regular menu, and I understand why folks would pass on this. I personally believe it was a step in the right direction for the hip, meat-obsessed restaurants in Portland, and for the sake of respect and development of artisan, vegan cuisine at these restaurants.

Besides the poor photos of the cocktails, all photographs are courtesy of Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Without further adieu, the photos from the first Exquisite Vegan Dinner and some commentary.

Easy on the Eyes

This was a carrot juice and vodka based cocktail that both my friend Liz & I ordered. It was really pleasant and refreshing, and I was delighted by the cocktail suggestions on the menu.

Watermelon basil skewers with black olive puree

Avant-Garde Appetizer!

Grilled Seasonal Vegetables and Walnut Banga Cauda

Classy grilled vegetables & a tasty accompaniment.

Cauliflower Rillette, chili powder, cocoa nibs, juniper & sage

This is a key example of a chef taking a dish (rillette) that is

typically starring meat, and embracing a vegetable in it. The cauliflower rillette itself

had a mellow, warm flavor and the complex texture of this pate spread onto toast

remains on my mind, despite the almost distracting garnishes. This is hands down the dish I wanted

to recreate at home.

Salad of carrots, parsnips, currants & herbs with a vanilla bean vinaigrette.

This salad was obviously gorgeous, and my friend Millie didn't stop raving about it. I swear, through the vanilla and the fluffy shreds of everything, it channeled marshmallows...

Corn Pudding & Picalilli

This dish showcased one of Belly Timber's signatures - pickled vegetables. There were both onions and tomatoes surrounding my round of spicy corn pudding. While I could have gone for it in a smaller portion since there was such much to try all evening, the spicy corn pudding ranks up with my favorites of the night- the bold flavor it captured was impressive.

Roast Autumn Squash, Apple & Farro

This farro stuffed squash was the biggest patty pan I have ever seen. Thank you, Portland rain! Each of these was shared by a few guests.

Pear fritters with housemade nutella & muscavado almond butter

Unfortunately, we were all pretty stuffed by this point. However, who can turn down a pear fritter? Or warm, homemade nutella?

It seemed on a different page from the rest of the meal, but again, I'll repeat myself. Who can turn down a pear fritter? Or warm, homemade nutella?

B.T. White Russian

This was made with almond milk and house-infused Stumptown vodka. Yes.

Thank you for this adventure, Belly Timber!

And thank you, my fellow vegans, for the company and fine conversation.

FYI, The dinner at Belly Timber consisted of both individual servings and family style offerings. It was sold out with 22+ guests in their private upstairs dining room, at $25/person, not including gratuity or beverages.

Stay tuned for announcements about future exquisite dinners.

The Portland Vegan 100

2009-10-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

100 Great Vegan Foodz in Portland, OR!

This list was inspired by Melissa Bastian's Vegan NYC 100 Listing for VeganMoFo, which was inspired by Hannah of Bittersweet's Vegan's Hundred.

This was a collaborative effort, I received feedback from vegans on the Post Punk Kitchen forums, via Facebook, Twitter and from straight up conversations in person with my friends.

If you're in the Portland area or familiar with our vegan scene, what are you waiting for?

Here's how it works:

1) Copy this list into your own blog, facebook or website, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Post a comment here once you’ve finished and link your post back to this one.
5) Pass it on!

The PDX Vegan Hundred: 100 Great Foodz in Portland, OR

psst - the original version for copy/pasting is here.

1. Fries with spicy tofu sauce at Dots
2. $1 Corndog from Hungry Tiger Too I've gotten to the point where I order one, but I can't bite into it.
3. Chick-o-Stick doughnut from Voodoo Doughnuts
4. Tiramisu from Portobello
5. Vegan Mulita from Gorditos or Gorditos II
6. Nanotear Ham and Cheeze sandwich from Tube
7. Milkshake from Sip
8. Gnocchi from Portobello
9. Caramel Nut Bar from Sweetpea Baking Co.
10. Soft serve from Blossoming Lotus
11. Local cherry tomatoes from a farmers market
12. Dong Po Tofu from Bay Leaf
13. Jerked chickun from Assase Ital
14. A Big Big Lunch Special from an Indian cart
15. Soy latte made with Stumptown espresso
16. A crappy tofu scramble
17. Cornmeal pizza from Dovi Vive.
18. Weeping Tiger sandwich from Bye & Bye
19. Bye & Bye or Floor Punch from Bye & Bye
20. A Bowl meal from a cart
21. vegan nutella from freddy's hazelnuts
22. soy curls in bulk from food fight or proper eats
23. buffalo wings from Vita
24. the weekday vegan pancakes from Laurelthirst
25. Maple vegan sausage waffle from flavourspot
26. Drunken noodles with pepper steak from Thai Food Cafe
27. Macnocheeto from Homegrown Smoker Too much for me to handle!
28. Veggie platter from an Ethiopian restaurant
29. Blackberries picked from a public place
30. Baba Ganouj from Ya Hala
31. Coconut Mashed Yams from Papa G’s
32. Butternut Squash Wontons from Hungry Tiger Too
33. Vegan slice from Bella Faccia
34. Apple pie from Whiffies
35. Chili dog from Zach’s Shack I'm just not into fake hot dogs or eating them covered with chili..
36. Vegan poutine from Potato Champion
37. Missionary Chocolate Truffle
38. Apron Activists 4-Course Dinner
39. Hot Wok at New Seasons
40. Che Guevara Burrito from Laughing Planet
41. Bryan’s Bowl from Por Que No?
42. Pad Thai from Pad Thai Kitchen
43. Cupcake from a stand at Last Thursday
44. The Giant Pancake at Hungry Tiger Too
45. TLP from Red & Black Cafe
46. Cornmeal tempeh plate from Proper Eats
47. Tofu Po Boy at Palm State Gumbo
48. Maple Walnut Scone from Back to Eden
49. Vegan Mezza platter from a Lebanese restaurant
50. Crispy eggplant from Fujin
51. Lemongrass Tofu Sticks from Van Hanh
52. Tofu Salad Bun at Pho PDX
53. Cocktail made with local liquor
54. Biscuits and Gravy from Paradox
55. Smoky soy curls from Homegrown Smoker
56. Field Roast sausage
57. Secret Aardvark Hot Sauce
58. Toddbot's Triangles
59. Local microbrew
60. Hot Lips soda
61. Herb Crusted Tofu with Mushroom Marsala from The Farm Cafe
62. had a picnic in Laurelhurst Park
63. burrito from Shelley's Honkin Huge Burritos
64. Eggplant tibs from Bete Lukas
65. Tator Tots before noon or after midnight
66. Lone Ranger from Chaos Cafe
67. Sunday brunch at Sweetpea!
68. Tofu at a BBQ place (for example Derby Mustard Sauce Tofu at Russel Street BBQ)
69. Mint Fava Falafel at Nightlight Lounge
70. An unexciting hummus plate at a bar.
71. Vegan meatball sub from Aalto Lounge
72. Koi Fusion spicy tofu tacos
73. Veggie dog from the Vegi dog stand
74. Sesame chicken from a vegetarian chinese restaurant
75. Bagel with Bacun Scallion cream cheese from Sweetpea I hate scallions.
76. Vegan savoury crepe
77. Veggie kibbeh
78. Club Vegan at Backspace
79. ice cream sundae from Back to Eden
80. Raw fudge from Blossoming Lotus
81. Tempeh reuben I'm not a sauerkraut fan, sorry!
82. Pause vegan burger
83. vegan ribs
84. something baked with local marionberries
85. Veggie bento box
86. Dave's Killer Bread
87. Higher Taste Buzzitos
88. Thai food that the server swears is vegan, but you taste fish sauce.
89. Elephant ear from the Saturday Market
90. Dovetail sticky bun
91. savoury pie from Nicholas restaurant
92. Salad rolls from the Just Thai cart
93. Vegan torta from Gorditos II
94. Nutritional yeast on your popcorn at a movie theater
95. Vegan grilled cheese from The Grilled Cheese Grill
96. Pasilla burrito from El Nutri
97. Something from the vegetarian menu at Andina
98. Vegan Steak and Cheese from D.C. Vegetarian
99. Dragon Noodles at Red & Black Cafe blame the cilantro.
100. Falafel from Wolf & Bears

So, where do you stand on this list?

What is it missing?

P.S. I ran out of time with the links, more links to photos, websites & reviews will be updated.

Anatomy of a Grocery Trip: Limbo

2009-10-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

I'm still coming down from the high of being in the front row for Alicia Silverstone's talk about her book, The Kind Diet, last night at Powell's. So, if I start chanting about the beauty of kale in this post, you know why.

A trip for spices & tea.

This past weekend, I hit up Limbo for bulk spices, tea and a couple other goodies. It had been far too long. They usually have crazy deals on $1 produce bags ready for smoothies and juicing, and random vegetables, like 2 bell peppers for a $1, and of course, local and organic produce, but I was all set at home so I stuck to bulk shopping. I tend to go there more regularly come late fall and winter in Portland - tea weather!

Their selection of bulk herbs and tea is massive. If you're in Portland and and appreciate buying in bulk, and having a huge variety of chili powders to choose from, you must go.

My teas included herbal chai, blackberry black and a citrus based dental health herbal tea.

I am constantly drinking tea at work in my Bodum teapot, there's a pot of the blackberry by my side as I type this.

Garlic is $3.49/lb at Limbo, so I grab many. The tiny lemons were 10 cents a piece, and being out of organic lemon juice at home, I went for five.

Spices: The return of smoked paprika into my life. If you read What the hell does a vegan eat anyway? you know it rules. I was on a huge roasted potatoes with smoked paprika kick a few years ago, myself, I couldn't make them enough! Cumin - it took me a few years to realize this, but I dig it. Coriander - I plan on baking falafel soon. Paprika & Ginger - of course. I like to keep fresh ginger at home, but powdered comes in handy. And last, but not least - Ancho Chili powder. It's superb and used in a few of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's recipes. I've already used it in a cheezy sauce this week and I want to bake kale chips dusted with it!

More...Vegan....Donuts

2009-10-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

I know, right?

All the way in far out SE Portland....er, SE 29th and Powell, across from Hopworks Urban Brewery.

In a strip mall! The location warmed my suburban raised, all-vegan heart.

Not a far off walk in my neck of the woods. Acme Donuts apparently realized most of their donuts were nearly vegan, so they went for it. There were at least six different types of vegan donuts on their shelves, it seemed like 3/4 of their offerings were marked vegan.

I went with Maple Glazed and Berry Filled. Honestly, all their donuts were cute but were flatter than you normally see, like, almost deflated. I was raised on big, bold Dunkin Donuts in New York, and yeah, I measure everything against 'em. But hey, I dig homemade, cute's good.

Maple Glazed and Berry Filled.

The Berry filled was dusted with a coat of powdered sugar and lightly filled with a moist, sherbert-like berry filling. Personally, I'm not enthusiastic for jelly donuts and I remember eating around the filling as a child when faced with one. My favorite part here was the filling. Yes, sherbert-like: it wasn't stuffed with jam or crappy jelly, but a dollop of creamed jam? Something like that. I liked it. See below!

The dough looked like it was going to have some spice, such as cinnamon or nutmeg, in it, but I didn't taste any. That would have been something! It tasted more like an airy, soft roll than a donut, to be honest.

Fortunately, not greasy or yeasty, two things vegan donuts can be guilty of.

The maple glazed had a similar dough feel and taste, but the icing was delightful. Just look at that thick, maple icing. I mean, put that on pizza and someone would eat it.

Berry.

I know, I like to picture Portland as all parks and coffeeshops, but it can look like this!

Look for a full review in the future on Stumptown Vegans, after our resident donut expert stops by, too!

PDX: Native Bowl in Mississippi!

2009-10-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

The newest vegan cart in town.

Time to dust off the ole Vegan Friendly Food Carts in Portland list! Oh wait, it doesn't collect dust. Julie and Jay Hasson, two of the coolest vegan parents in Oregon, opened their food cart, Native Bowl, earlier this month.

Surely, you know Julie already, or you should, her list of culinary acclaims astounds me - to name some: cookbooks (with a new vegan diner book in the works!), the Everyday Dish cooking videos, teaching cooking classes for The Cancer Project, her own blog, being an awesome person

and now, an all vegan food cart!

The Native Bowl is all about the "mix" of ingredients. Their bowls are topped with house made exceptional sauces and are filled with vegetables, sushi rice and soy curls or tofu, and named after NATIVE areas -i.e. the Alberta bowl, Mississippi bowl, etc. Get it? I do!

They're also serving grilled sandwiches, wraps and baked goods. Because you know, Julie rules.

There was a vegan reuben with Daiya as a special the day I visited.

Be Advised: This is a high quality lunch visit, bring more than $5 with you! A large bowl (which is served in a Chinese style carton) will run you $7.50, though I did have sauced leftovers that were great with my dinner!

Onwards to the photos!

My Alberta Bowl with a spicy Korean Srichacha sauce

The sauce had me wondering if there were tears in my eyes - in a good way! A great way!

They'll happily turn down or up the heat for ya, I'm sure - I'm a wimp these days.

My friend had the hummus wrap - and remarked that "she knows what she's doing". It seemed like the bread as well was homemade.

For dessert - a coconut macaroon. Look, I've had a lot of vegan macaroons, and this was the best one I've ever put into my mouth.

The new tables at the cart lot are...vintage. Check out the helpful notes on them, below.

On the topic of carts, winter is slowly approaching, and there's a bit of chatter about covered seating, indoor escapes, heat lamps, carts closing for the season (Wolf & Bears soon being one) and where to store your cart going blankets. Let's see if cart going thrives through the rain, or we find ourselves inside actual restaurants more often.. The Mississippi Marketplace and Cartopia at 12th & Hawthorne, in particular, seem to be preparing for the colder weather well.

All Photos by Lucas DeShazer.

PSA: It's Pumpkin Milkshake Season at Sip.

2009-10-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

Sip, Portland's organic juice and smoothie cart, has one last thing to say before it retires its milkshake machine for the winter:

PUMPKINPUMPKINPUMPKINPUMPKINPUMPKINPUMPKINPUMPKINPUMPKIN

I went with some friends after lunch at Green Wok, and it was one of the most delicious and filling afternoons of my life. My third visit to Green Wok so far!

Our friend, Sip.

I assume they'll be making the switch to my beloved tea lattes again. Please.

Matcha Green Tea Latte

Squash land outside People's Coop!

Roast, Roast, Roast.

Dinner for the Chimps

2009-10-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, I attended the Apron Activists' latest presentation: a 4 Course Benefit Dinner for the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. I've dined at a couple of these previously and volunteered as well, and I was delighted to see them back in action with the support of the Portland vegan community.

It was an evening of great food, great friends, great conversation and fairly good wine (BYOB).

I sat at a communal table with the sweet representative from the Sanctuary, and she told us tales of the chimps, like how she intended to buy one of them cowboy boots for her birthday because she loves shoes so much!

Here's the spread, pretend everything isn't mellow yellow. The room was filled with smiles.

Mushroom Walnut Pate & Curried Carrot Spread

Baguette, Matzoh and Flatbreads

Must make this pate asap! Divine! I think it's the one from Vcon..

Root Vegetable & Caramelized Fig Salad

Mixed greens, endive, creamy garlic dressing, cilantro pesto drizzle

That's how it was supposed to look. I was in the No Cilantro, Please club.

The figs were so lovely!

Here's our super awesome and super adorable waitress, Karla, aka Veganshizzle.

Butternut Risotto

Sweet cashew creme, roasted brussel sprouts, toasted hazelnuts

Love brussels & hazelnuts!

Apple Pie with Peanut Butter Caramel with Coconut Bliss. Wonderful!

Thank you, Apron Activists!

Vegan Friendly Food Carts in Portland, OR!

2009-10-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Originally published in Spring 2009.

Hey guys! Here's my compiled list (updated as of 10/16/2009) of vegan friendly food carts in Portland, OR. 55+ and growing! Again, these are carts I am familiar with, I know there's a ton more that have a vegan-izable burrito or Pad Kee Mow, for example, so keep me updated!

On this list, I've included the business name, location (or approximate location!) and a recommended dish that's either my pick, or the dish I've heard the Portland Vegan Public talking about. To clarify, this is a list of Vegan-Friendly places. I'll note which are all-veg.

Business Name/ Address/ Recommended Dishes

Altengartz German Bratwurst SW 10th and Alder – weekday lunch, late night weekends & last Thursdays on Alberta Chickpea based veggie brat – gets a thumbs up from Millie!

Asaase Ital Palace SW 5th and College/PSU area golds & greens plate all veg!all vegan Carribbean

Basha’s PSU park blocks spinach pies

Bombay Chaat House SW 12th and Yamhill Lunch Special all veg!

Burrito Funny East Burnside and 60th vegan burrito – (inquire, I was unsure if this made me sick!)

*DC Vegetarian SW 3rd and Stark – Vegan steak & cheeze! They make their own seitan. all veg!

Dreamers SW 5th between SW Stark and Oak Buffalo tofu all veg! Has anyone seen this place open in months? I haven’t..

El Brasero SE 12th and Hawthorne cart village Soyrizo burrito

El Nutri Taco 8438 SE Woodstock vegan torta

10. Fat Kitty Falafel 2016 SE Division, outside Mirador Community Store falafel all veg!

11. Fernando’s Mundo Fiesta SW 4th and College/PSU area vegan wraps with grilled tofu

12. Flavourspot – two locations N Lombard between Denver and Greeley/Mississipi & NE Fremont vegan sausage & maple waffle

13. Fuego del Lotus – NE 23^rd and Alberta (old HGS location) Venezuelan cart – soyrizo & field roast options.

14. Give Pizza a Chance SW 5th and Stark St pizza, homemade soda

15. Gorditos II SE 8th and SE Ankeny vegan torta all veg! all vegan taco truck!!!!!

16. Grilled Cheese Grill 1027 NE Alberta St vegan grilled cheese with jalapenos

17. Homegrown Smoker BBQ NE Alberta at NE 27th – it’s a large stand Smoked Soy Curls, Mac & Cheese all veg!

18. Huong’s Vietnamese cart SW 10th between Alder and Washington Vegan Pho – I’m a big fan of the veganized Vermicille bowl with tofu and gluten as well. I told him to put it on the menu…

19. India Chaat House 804 SW 12th Ave Big Big Big Lunch Special, garlic naan all veg!

20. Just Thai SW 3rd and Stark Pad Kee Mow with Tofu and Vegetables

21. Kathmandu Cafe Portland Saturday Market – March thru Dec vegan options

22. Koi Fusion PDX SE 3rd and Ankeny lunch MWF, PGE Park, roaming cart – check their website & twitter tofu tacos – more in the works!

23. Lickity Split – NW 10th and Hoyt vegan meatballs, cucumber basil lemonade

24. Native Bowl – Miss. Marketplace, fresh bowls with unique sauces served in Chinese cartons – the Alberta bowl is the fiery bomb! Grilled sandwiches, too. By Julie & Jay Hasson of Everyday Dish. NEW all veg!

25. New Leaf salad cart Peoples coop farmers market, Wednesdays/Beaverton farmers market – Saturdays salads & salad rolls all veg!

26. New Taste of India two carts: 1810 SW 4th Ave, 340 SW 5th Ave vegan lunch special

27. No Fish! Go Fish! SW Yamhill at SW 5th vegan soup + curried vegetable ‘fish’

28. Open Heart Cafe by Homegrown Smoker at NE 23rd and Alberta NEW all veg!

29. Perriera Creperie SE 12th and Hawthorne cart village vegan savoury crepe with mole sauce, sturdier than you might expect.

30. Portland’s Elephant Ears Portland Saturday Market marionberry and sugar

31. Potato Champion! SE 12th and Hawthorne cart village fries with vegenaise, vegan poutine

32. Prasad Cuisine NE Alberta between 14th and 15th, closed Tuesdays TLTA sandwich, fresh juice

33. Q BBQ SE 12th and Hawthorne cart village Delicious Crispy Tofu Nuggets (inquire about vegan specifics)

34. Quality Vegan Hollywood farmers market vegan cakes all veg!

35. Real Taste of India 111 SW 5th Ave vegan lunch special

36. Ruby Dragon PDX – At the new Mississippi cart pod! curries & sandwiches NEWall veg!

37. Savor Soup House 1003 SW Alder tomato soup w/ fennel and orange

38. Shelley’s Honkin Huge Burritos Pioneer Square vegan burrito – 2nd location by PSU! all veg!

39. Sip outside of Peoples coop 3029 SE 21st Ave chocolate peanut butter milkshake, post standard juice all veg!

40. Sonny Bowl – SW 3rd and Stark, veggie/Soy Curl/grain bowls – BBQ Soy Curl #3 bowl = excellent! NEW all veg!

41. Spud Locker NE 27th and Alberta Patrol Boat topped potato all veg!

42. Sushi Tree PDX – Coming Soon! to the new Mississippi lot. vegan mayo & cream cheese!

43. Swamp Shack SW Stark and SW 5th Ave vegan jambalaya – much raved about!

44. Taqueria Los Gorditos SE Division and 50th vegan nachos with soyrizo

45. Tastebud Pita downtown farmers markets – Wed & Sat, Hillsdale Market on Sundays Veggie Pita with wheatberry salad

46. Thai Basil SW 2nd and SW Oak Pad Kee Mow & salad roll – use vegan

47. specifics

48. Toddbott’s Triangles Peoples coop farmers market, Eastband farmers market, Montavilla farmers market tempeh o-nigiri

49. Ugarit Meditteranean SW 10th and Alder lentil soup

50. Valhalla – SE 33rd and Hawthorne, next to Dollar Scholar NEW Veg*n sandwiches and soups all veg!

51. Vegi Dog cart various locations, Peoples special events, Vegfests vegan dogs

52. Village Crepery Hollywood farmers market vegan crepe

53. Voodoo Doughnuts big pink truck, roaming! vegan yeasted and cake donuts

54. Whiffies SE 12th and Hawthorne cart village Chocolate crème pie, BBQ tofu pie

55. Whole Bowl SW 9th and Alder, 1100 NW Glisan (2 actual cart locations) whole bowl minus dairy all veg!

56. Wolf and Bears SE 20th and Morrision, with a swing! NEW Lebanese style veg*nall veg!

57. Wy-east Pizza 3131 SE 50th, 3 blocks north of Powell – NEWLY added FYH cheeze!

58. Yarp?! anarchist cart SE 12th and Hawthorne cart village Vegan spaghetti with veggies, vegan daily specials
59. Ziba’s Pitas SW 9th and Alder Zucchini pita

Grilled Vegan Cheese (apparently Tofutti Mozz. and CC!)

with Jalapenos and Tomato from The Grilled Cheese Grill

There are tons of places I frequent - like the Bombay Chaat House, Just Thai, Whiffies and Yarp!? and more, and more, and more.

I know there's even more in addition to that, like hot dog places with vegan dogs, and Brunch Box unveiled a housemade vegan burger as a special last week - so please leave a comment if I've missed something or you spot some new options or cart & you'd like me to add to this list! Thanks! I'll also notate which are all-veg*n in the future.

BBQ Tofu pie from Whiffies. Photo by Lucas DeShazer.

Case in Point: Bombay Chaat House

My cat loves spinach.

2009-10-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

You see that furball to the right? That's Zelda. She may look all fur and cuddles, and in reality, she's a monster. That's our roommate, Huxley, to the left. He's pretty cool.

Zelda is greens seeking monster. I haven't had a salad or side of spinach that she hasn't harassed in over six years.

An adorable monster.

There's something to be said for a cat that reminds you to eat your vegetables, but she even tries to eat sauteed greens out of hot meals. She has a nose for these things. Anywhere I sit, she's on my lap and then at my plate.

In a different world where I had a garden, and was sane enough to let her outside, well, I wouldn't have a garden anymore. Unless she learned the rewards of letting plants grow. She eats every one I try to grow!

Zelda's birthday present, 2004.

Sometimes she's just curious, and likes to leave her hair on my muffins.

My friend Erin tried to add some variety to her diet with carrots. Didn't stick.

And surely there's a green vegetable in these spring rolls from Bay Leaf, because I think she ate them, dipping sauce and all.

She's the best.

This post was brought to you by my VeganMoFo Approaches entry.

T-G-I-Tubesday.

2009-10-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

This week brought on the casual return of Tubesday, a semi-regular tradition in my Portland life since 2006. A hodge podge of friends visits Tube bar, orders $2 well drinks and their cheapo, infamous mini vegan ham and cheeze sandwiches. They used to be called the McGonnigle, and they're now called the Professor Nanotear, and are two for $5 or $3 each. The menu is mostly vegan, with spaghetti and homemade vegan meatballs, tofu scramble tacos, a big vegan ham & cheese with salad, vegan pasta salad and a handful of other things.

But everyone I know goes for the vegan ham and cheeze.

Behold, the awesome.

The pathetically awesome.

Here's what I wrote about it for a Veggie Thing entry:

The thing to realize about the cheap grilled ham and fake cheese sandwiches at the Tube is that they’re pathetically awesome. No one gets just one, so throw down $5 for 2 at happy hour (5 till 10pm daily!) and enjoy your guilty pleasure at this hipster bar in Old Town. Behold the tiny piece of bright orange cheeze, the sometimes slathered, sometimes sparse, always tasty chipotle sauce, imitation ham, soft English muffin and surprisingly crisp pepperocini accompaniment. It’s a must try.

I have to say, I'm pretty devastated there was no appearance of pepperocinis this past visit, but so it goes.

Last year, as the legend goes, shenanigans were plotted, and my friend Kevin made and shared the first vegan ham tube doughnut sandwich. He used a maple Voodoo doughnut, and the rest is history. It was recently mentioned in the online edition of Women's Day Magazine. I don't mean to brag, but that is my crappy photo showcased. Alright, that's crappy bragging.

The new Tubesday tradition was kept alive.

This time, Jeff upped the game with cake and yeasted vegan maple donuts from Voodoo. Yes, you read that right - the local 24 hour doughnut shop has yeasted and cake vegan donuts.

Whaaaaaaaat

Jeff and Simon, vegan heros of the night.

The point of the story? I like greyhounds.

This one is circa 2008.

Product Review: Bountiful Vegan Cookies

2009-10-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

My quick history of packaged vegan cookies.

By: jess

As an early vegan, I really wanted to like Boston Cookies. They were packaged vegan cookies available in both states I spent time in during my college years, New York and Massachusetts. I was excited to find them in random health stores and ate them, even ate the peanut butter blondie that had a lot of nerve going public. Eventually, I learned to pass on them and to bake my own cookies, because I didn't love Boston Cookies. I loved my own cookies and I was so proud of them! And what's the point of a dessert that's not truly satisfying? Silly, desperate vegan.

Nowadays, there are tons of tastier packaged vegan cookies, I have the options of vegan bakeries in Portland, vegan cookies at vegan-friendly coffee shops, restaurants & carts and homemade cookies. My god, this makes me remember the day I discovered Mint Newman-Os...

But I digress. It's time for a product review.

When Bountiful Vegan offered to send me free samples, I said yes. 1) I like free things. 2) I like sharing free things. 3) I was curious!

I first visited their website, and wondered if it was for real, there's a..how do you say..Cafe Gratitude vibe to it. These cookies are looking to do a little more than feed your sweet tooth, if you get what I mean:

You must state your intention accompanied by a good feeling to attract what you want. Each delicious cookie has a powerful written statement of intent inside the package.

How trippy! How curious!

Cooooooooookies

Results

I broke these out at a cocktail party a couple months ago with vegans and omnis, all foodies, actually. The biggest winner was the Chocolate Chip Orange, which sure had an orange ting. Personally, I wasn't a fan of that one and preferred the Pineapple Coconut - it wasn't your everyday cookie. The runner up favorite of the group was the Lemon Snickerdoodle - a tangy take on the sugar coated classic. It was a sturdy cookie-they were all on the firm side, they're travelling cookies, after all. Had it not been a cocktail party, I would have tried dunking into milk or coffee. Again, everyone seemed to dig the three cookies I wasn't into, strange day.

The names are really, really great.

So, would I buy these? As a vegan Portlander, it's not realistic and I have options I prefer all around me. I'm pretty sure I passed two vegan bake sales on my way to work. Even Whole Foods makes freshly baked vegan cookies. I can't resist freshly baked vs. packaged, who can?

That being said, I'm all for these inspired cookies hitting regional cafes and health stores that are missing vegan treats!

Farewell, tomatoes.

2009-10-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

I'll miss you. I'll pretend you only exist in non-gmo cans until late spring once more. Watery, pale tomatoes are pointless.

I suppose I can think of it this way, instead of new episodes of LOST to keep my life exciting, I get flavorful, local tomatoes during the rest of the year. It doesn't exactly pair up, but you get the idea...if you adore Benjamin, like I do.

In Denial Cherry Tomatoes

Just look at them. I noticed they were in denial about the season the first moment they came into view. Somehow, inside, I knew this would be my last chance, my last hope, for tomato sweetness. Truly, they were sweet. They had flavor. They were in denial about the oncoming Autumn.

Only two more weeks of my precious downtown farmers market! [weekday]

Here's my haul from last Wednesday:

I've been throwing green cabbage and peppers into everything I've been cooking!

And creeping my sister out by eating raw corn. Over the phone.

Till we meet again, peppers...

Don't fret, I'll be stalking the farmars until tomatoes and peppers are truly pathetic/not present.

The dramatic black & white stand I bought my cabbage from.

You can feel the mood of this post.

Happy Hoodie weather to all!

I hope you're prepared with a new Herbivore sweatshirt!

McIntosh Love: Portland Apple Tasting!

2009-10-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

You know what's a great idea? Going to the Portland Nursery's Annual Apple Tasting Festival!

Not such a smart move? Going to Paradox Cafe for brunch directly beforehand.

Sleeping in, meeting my friends Maeve and Jeff, drinking a mug of Stumptown and eating a 4-grain pancake for the first time in years and heading to an outdoor event just seemed like such a swell turn of events for my Saturday.

I had the #3 with vegan pancake, tofu and vegan sausage. The pancake was near divine with maple syrup and earth balance and SE Portland love, though I wasn't a fan of the sausage. I dug the bit of fennel, the grittiness and the switch to homemade sausages vs. Gardenburger or whatever they used to use, but I'd pass in the future. I ended up giving half of mine away.

Onwards to apples!!

This was my fourth Apple Tasting, and although I passed on tasting every single apple and pear variety available - there were over 60, I did take notes and came home with 4 pounds of tart, sweet apples and 4 pounds of Asian pears. It was exactly what I wanted, and I like to think I greatly impressed the woman who weighed my fruit with my equivalence.

My apple of choice? Always the McIntosh. The first apple I ever bothered to learn the name of when I was younger, besides the craptastic Red Delicious. That one is red. It's government sanctioned. That's about it.

The ideal McIntosh is creamy, crisp, slightly sweet and tangy. I have a fond memory of picking them in upstate New York as a young adolescent. Nearly 3 lbs of my 4 are all beautiful McIntosh, the others including Cox's Orange Pippin and Cortland. My pears were the 20th Century, juicy Olympic and Hosui.

I said, onwards to the tasting!

(and things I remember from our chat down the row)

First, you're faced with deciding which line. Maeve and I opted for the second.

I had my check lists, my descriptions, my mini pencil, toothpick and camera ready.

So. Fall.

Then you have teases like this.

Seriously, why did I eat a pancake before this?

Apple tasting is hard work.

I'm sick of apples, Maeve!

Maeve, aren't you sick of apples?!?

This one just looks boring...

Don't you wish we had a jar of peanut butter?

This is when I broke down crying tears of relief and happiness - McIntosh was in the house!

This is when Maeve and I were still debating over my love for McIntosh, and turned to the history of Granny Smith in America.

Pears! Pears! We made it to the end of the row!

This was either:

Isn't this a cute pear baby?

Do you think I could hit the scarecrow in the eye with this?

We were both stoked to get to our favorite pears.

We had made it so far.

An epic adventure, for sure.

The end. Please note I cut out about 20 minutes and 20 bad apple jokes from this post. I think I'm maturing, I also skipped on painting a mini pumpkin and glitter-i-zing it with children.

And what was the first thing I did with my loot? Don't be silly, I don't eat one as is.

Roasted Apple-Pear sauce,

lightly sweetened with agave nectar and a touch of cinnamon.

Pureed in the Vita-Mix I love dearly.

Psst, Portlanders - There's one more weekend left!

Some Vegan Pizza in Portland

2009-10-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was walking to the SW 3rd downtown food carts for lunch, and as I semi-regularly do, I optimistically browsed the pies at the Give Pizza a Chance cart on 5th after hitting my nearby ATM.

I've heard of vegan slices being offered by my friends, but I've never actually seen them out. I do enjoy their breadsticks & excellent sauce for an occasional cheap, snack- they're the best breadsticks I've had in Portland. And their homemade sodas? Win, win, win. However, I had two calzones from here when they opened last year, and I was not impressed. I'm a very picky vegan Italian.

However again, I was undeniably won over by the chewy, surprisingly sweet whole wheat crust slice I sampled yesterday. I do think it could have used some more of their flavorful sauce to balance with the thick crust, but that's all the complaining I've got. And this was the last vegan slice of the day at the end of the lunch rush, score!

What made this meal even better? It was part of a $6 lunch special, which includes a basic side salad, dressed with vinaigrette, (requested without cheese) and a cup of soda of your choice. I went with the memorable basil lime. It was like Sprite..but had real flavors, and that beloved garden herb. The slice was topped with spinach, basil, whole cloves of melt-in-your-mouth roasted garlic and mushrooms. I was totally content afterwards.

Lunch Special from Give Pizza a Chance

So, I learned that I may need to get over feeling silly about calling to see if there are vegan slices, because it was good stuff. Bring on more vegan slices! It's nice to think there are a few elusive vegan slices of pizza in downtown Portland. This was one of the better cheese-less vegan slices I've had in some time. It's up there with the actual regular crust pie I had from Hot Lips a few months back with friends.

The glorious non-foccacia Hot Lips pie

Updated!

Of course there are a ton of other places that have tasty vegan pizza, with or without cheeze, processed or homemade, in Portland:

Pizza a Go Go - I used to go here for the daily vegan slice at my first job in Portland. <3
Pizza Fino - yet to go! hear amazing things. white bean spread, tempeh, North Portland.
Bella Facia - same owners as the previous two. great vegan slices with tempeh and roasted red pepper cashew sauce - thin crust, but it can be easily weighed down.
It's a Beautiful Pizza - now using Teese! their quality varies, but on a good day, it's great. Some days the sauce is packed with herbs, some days it's not.
Hammy's - late! night delivery! I'm half convinced you can take a slice of their pizza and reform it into a ball. I like their sauce and floppy breadsticks best. They now have pretty tasty seitan nuggets with BBQ sauce, but I prefer them with marinara.
Pizzicato - vegan pies can be ordered, BIG salads. A new one opened in my hood recently, time to try again..
Dove Vivi - superb cornmeal crust slices with creamy housemade tofu ricotta. It's been too since I've had this! Cute place.
XV - My friends rave about the pizza here with white bean spread and vegan cheese - I've heard they use Veganrella. I think Liz has single handedly been keeping it in business. Personally, I go to XV for the yam fries and tomato chutney dip. Oh, and cocktails.
Mississippi Pizza Pub - I've only gone once, but I dug the thin crust and pepperocini topping. Isa yelled at me for not including this, so I should really check this place out again soon. Karla says they have a happy hour slice deal!
Wy'east Pizza cart - towards SE Powell, yet to go, but they come highly recommended and started carrying FYH cheese.
Al Forno Ferruzza - the cart at PSU has closed, but their restaurant in Alberta seems hopping. Vegan pizza by request - with glorious crust.

From The Urban Vegan: Citrus Scented Berry Muffins and Rapini Paninis

2009-10-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Citrus Scented Berry Muffins

...except that I had local cherries in the freezer, so I used those. I asked the bottom shelf of my haphazardly packed freezer for berries, and it spit out sheets of nori and a block of adzuki beans. I didn't want to alter the recipe too much, so I opted for the more accessible cherries.

This muffin has nutritional value (soy flour and spelt flour make frequent appearances in UV) and tastes straight from the Blacksheep Bakery counter. Yeah, I like fluffy white bakery-style muffins, I'm human, but sometimes you want something more morning appropriate.

It's an easy recipe with a few extra special elements to give it that Urban Vegan edge.

I made these on one of Portland's first cool fall night, and my kitchen smelled wonderful.

Citrus Scened Cherry Muffins

Cafe Velo at the downtown farmers market

On Wednesday, I warmed one up in a toaster oven and had it with a cup of my

beloved Cafe Velo Stumptown from the nearby farmers market. I choose the Kenyan single origin roast, that promised the flavors of huckleberry cobbler and molasses.

The evening before, I made Rapini Paninis from The Urban Vegan for dinner. I used an organic french baguette from New Seasons and Mozzerella Cheezly. I thought for sure I wouldn't like this Cheezly after trying it from the fridge, but I'm satisfied & intrigued by it once melted. And how can you ever go wrong with rapini? Never.

Rapini Panini

I'm a Stumptown Vegan.

2009-10-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

Time to check off one of my MoFo Goals! Earlier today, a review of the Sonny Bowl cart in downtown PDX was published on Stumptown Vegans.

Restaurant review written? check! Daily post? double check!

The BBQ Soy Curls bowl

Today's MoFo post is part shameless plug for another project of mine. Hold on, tight.

My friend Webly and I co-author Stumptown Vegans, a resource of in-depth restaurant reviews for vegans, by vegans, based in Portland, OR. Stumptown = Portland!...because there were a lot of tree stumps in the 1800s, just ask Wikipedia why.

Since April 2007, we've been writing reviews, paying for our own meals, deciding where to go, and trying to keep up with the mania that is vegan-friendly Portland and the rest of our lives! We aim to try new dishes, step outside our comfort zones, and visit establishments twice. We also take things on the road when we travel:

I've written reviews for restaurants in San Francisco, Seattle and Phoenix.

One day, I'll tackle New York, Boston & more! (Only procrastination has stopped me before, I make regular annual trips! Doh)

Not to mention my recent trips to Laguna Beach, CA and Spokane, WA.

The next review I have coming is for the new all-vegan Ruby Dragon cart in North Portland.

The Jade Abbot : hello, deliciousness.

More from in progress reviews - oh, there's a TON of these constantly in the works.

Roasted garlic, caramelized onion, potato & greens flatbread from

Mizuna in Spokane, WA

This is my favorite recently discovered lunch meal in Portland:

Tofu Teriyaki Bento from Chef Naoko -

Portobello plate from Portobello Vegan Trattoria

Can I make an excuse to dine here once a week, please?

Can someone take me here this week, please?

reviews coming soon! really!

From The Urban Vegan: Spaghetti Carbonara

2009-10-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara

Isn't this a nifty idea? Take a brand new cookbook, decide on a recipe, make it, and post the results! Who knew blogging could be so simple? How MoFo!

This dish is from the brand new, captivating Urban Vegan cookbook. I received it last week to review*, and couldn't put it down this past weekend. I was pouring over the pages, trying to decide on what to make first. I haven't been this enthusiastic over a non-PPK cookbook in a long ass time.

Dude, I'm saying this and there aren't even photos! It just covers so much ground - there are so many vegan dinner parties waiting to be born from this book!

With tempeh bacon still invading my thoughts from the Fakin' Fest, I turned to the Spaghetti Carbonara first. It was indulgent, saucy, smokey, noochy (hello, nutritional yeast!) and buttery (hello, Earth Balance!).

What was I thinking making this for myself? This was definitely a special guests meal, but I was treating myself.... The dry white wine was a sweet touch - I adore how much wine is in this book - for cooking & accompaniment!

I served the dish with fresh parsley, as advised, and a side of roasted rapini with crushed red pepper and coarse sea salt.

Whoa, my goodness.

Next up? Her unique rapini panini!

*like I wouldn't have bought it anyway!! It's well documented that I think Dynise is fabulous. Sorry, the interview is down on the old Herbivore Magazine site, but you get the point.

Fakin' Fest 2009!

2009-10-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

This past weekend in Portland, fifty+ vegans consumed so much sodium it boggles the mind.

It's also gloriously mind boggling how awesome the first annual Fakin' Fest was.

Just look at this!

Mike's handmolded PIG cake!

All the cool vegans insisted on eating his head first, and we were left with a

pig cake butt at the end of the day.

Dishes ranged from sweet to salty to sweet and salty to savoury and salty and sweet again.

We raised $177.77 that goes directly to Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary, all kindly from a donations bucket at a potluck-picnic with a quirky theme. The entire event was word of mouth and internet based! It was even picked up on VegNews' website!

Not a bad turn out on a day it was supposed to rain and an event that wasn't actually postered around town! There's already talk of a Sausagefest (obviously, vegan!) and next year's Fakin' Fest '10!

Onto the splendorous food coma!

To be honest, I didn't try everything - there was SO much! It was overwhelming.

I was so proud!

Vegan Bacon-topped cupcakes

Dark chocolate dipped Bacon - I really enjoyed my piece of this!

Deanna's bacon and leek stuffed yams

Homemade tempeh bacon

Mac & Cheeze with Bacon-y topping

Yam fries - there was a dip with these..I bet it was smokey!

Tina's Spinach Fakin' Quiche

Mini Eggplant Bacon sandwiches

The Spicy Vegan's Potato Skins! with Michelle's Cheezy Biscuits in the background!

Whoa.

Cartopia Baco-Custard - Maple Bacon Ice Cream! by Lucas and Gregg.

Decadent, decadent, decadent.

Heather's Cute Stuffed Mushrooms!

Yeah! Bacon Baklava. This won honorable mention in a contest!

Extra pig cake frosting and a bacon cake!

Michelle's Cheeze Balls! Loved this.

Stef's Coconut Bacon Cupcakes!

Peas....and bacon!

I brought Herb Scalloped Potatoes with

Daiya Cheddar (which I may despise..) and Bac-os.

Melissa's Risotto~

Bacon roll ups!

I also brought Chocolate Chip Cranberry cookies sprinkled with

Alder Smoked Salt. Alder Smoked Salt, of love.

ONE of the two food tables.

Most of the Fakin' fanatics, towards the end of the sunny afternoon.

And finally, I'd like to showcase my personal proof that I did pay attention in elementary school. Your third grade science fair poster had nothing on this!!

Yeah, those are Bac-os spelling out Fakin'.

RECIPES?

The event's co-organizer, Maeve, and I are collecting recipes that we'll post here and include in a zine. Please email them to getsconed [at] gmail.com if you brought a dish and are interested!

Awards! We had awards for Most Creative Fakin' Dish, Best Overall Fakin' Dish, and Best Fakin' Inspired Haiku! The haiku readings were wonderfully dramatic, and dear. The first two awards went to Webly's Chocolate Bacon Dates and a sweet couple's Eggplant BLTs with dipping sauce.

Thanks again to Lightlife, for donating our prizes - Smart Bacon and Fakin' Strips!

And extra special thanks to my friend Erica, for all the artwork!

Thank you to all who came!

xoxo,

jess

tempeh bacon's biggest fan.

Everything Fakin'

2009-10-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

In celebration, preparation and flavorful hallucination for tomorrow's Fakin' Fest in Portland, OR, I wanted to give some hollas to many of the fakin' entries in my flickr account. As a smokey, salty fanatic, there's a lot.

Cheezy biscuits, potatoes, kale, black beans and homemade tempeh bacon.

Super club with homemade tofu bacon.

Mini grilled cheeze with homemade tempeh bacon and Galaxy rice cheeze.

Their rice varieties are much tastier and meltier than their Vegan ones.

Raw gnocchi with pea shoots and eggplant bacon from Grezzo, in Boston, MA

Chocolate chip waffles, collards & Lightlife Fakin' Bacon

Boring salad greens, with homemade tempeh bacon.

Homemade tempeh bacon, roasted potatoes, avocado and cinnamon dusted apple slices

Super brunch with pancake and homemade tempeh bacon.

Crappy photo, but let's give some love to TLTs on Dave's Killer Bread.

And a side of fresh, local melon? More love.

Vegan Brunch Frittata, homemade tempeh bacon, pita crisp

Vegan Brunch Peanut Butter Waffles, homemade tempeh bacon

Lunch at work! Featuring greens with homemade tofu bacon.

From the last day of Veganopolis' life in PDX - buffet pasta with Fakin Bacon

One of my habitual favorite things to order in PDX: side vegan caeser salad with tempeh bacon from Hungry Tiger Too.

Aka, when it's not brunch or I'm not repeating 'TATOR TOTS' in my head.

Case in Point: The Vegan Club with tots (back when it wasn't yet on the menu!)

from Hungry Tiger Too.

This was also before they made their own tempeh bacon.

Marionberry waffles with homemade tempeh bacon

Cremini sandwich with a side of homemade tempeh bacon. Huh? But I'm sure it was delicious!

And the mandatory plug:

Notes:

If there's light rain, we'll be meeting under the covered gazebo area. We may wait it out or move to a nearby residence, depending on how many people are there.

If there's heavy rain, the event is cancelled and will be rescheduled indoors at a later date.

Since you know, it's fall.

There are prizes (donated by Lightlife!) for Most Creative, Best Dish & Best Gluten Free dish - and Best Fakin' Haiku!

The suggested $5 donation goes entirely to Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary.

Luke lives there!

Fakin' Ideas I've had in my head:

Alder smoked salt, cocoa and chili grilled tempeh or seitan
Southern style summer rolls with eggplant bacon, kale, yam and creamy, spicy dipping sauce.
Eggplant bacon wrapped bundles of smoky greens.
Tempeh bacon wrapped, battered, mac & cheeze squares. (inspired from the Food Network)
Fake bacon adorned chocolate chip cookies
Fakin bacon and dark chocolate cornflake bars
Mac & Cheeze topped with a mixture of breadcrumbs & fake bacon. Mac & Cheeze is so my potluck regular, though..