Quick post!
I was profiled today on Midtown Lunch! Check it out – Emily on Midtown Lunch. Woo!
That’s all for now — but I am working on a post about a visit I recently had to the one and only… VEGAN TREATS! Stay tuned!
Monthly Archives: May 2012
Vegan Like Me No. 6
Vegan Like Me aims to profile fellow vegans, from all walks of life from everywhere in the world! We’ve all been beginners and I think its important for folks to hear people’s stories in order to motivate themselves to keep going. This feature is intended to do just that. If you are vegan and would like to participate, get in touch with me and I’ll be sure to send our questionnaire along to you.
Susmitha, vegan 9 years
Name: Susmitha Subbaraju
Where do you live? Bangalore, India
How long have you been vegan? 9 Years
What inspired you to take on a plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) diet? Awareness. When I found out about what was happening in the dairy industry (I was always vegetarian before turning vegan), I knew I didn’t want have anything to do with that stuff any more. My husband’s support helped me stay on the path.
What do you love most about being vegan? I love who I have turned into after going vegan. I’m a healthier and happier person. I’m an enthusiastic cook/baker. And I’ve experienced higher spiritual growth.
What three items do you always have in your pantry? A variety of dried Grains, Beans and Dals (lentils).
What is your favorite vegan comfort food? Bisi Bele Bath. It’s a South Indian dish made of rice, split lentils and a bunch of wholesome vegetables, all cooked together and simmered in a special spice mixture.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about taking on a plant-based (vegan) diet? Find a good support system, either in your community or online and just go vegan. Cold tofu! 
Don’t think about it too much. It’s a decision which will bring you happiness.
Do you find anything difficult about being vegan? Only the fact that all people around me aren’t vegan. It’s so easy and the right thing to do, it’s hard to see people not make that choice.
Any other comments you or words of wisdom you would like to add? You can find me online at: Blog: http://blog.veganosaurus.com
Etsy: http://artbysusmitha.etsy.com, Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/artbysusmitha and http://www.facebook.com/vegnosaurus
Twitter handles: @artbysusmitha, @veganosaurus Thanks for reading and see you around the interwebs. 
Thank you so much Susmitha! It’s amazing to me that being vegan has now connected me with people all around the world. It is so inspiring!
Just another day at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary!
We went up to volunteer again at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary and just had to share our photographs (and some video!) of the day. Some highlights included lots of loving from Seth & Sam, two little baby goats, the never-taken-for-granted attention from Star, worm adventures with one of the chicken flocks and seeing all the naked sheep!
There was a Girl Scout troop that came to visit and we got to chat with one of the leaders and her daughter before they went on their tour. They told us that they try to eat vegetarian as much as possible, but the mom then said “OK, as a vegan, how do you cook?!” This was a great opportunity to share our little tips of the trade, and I let her know that my blog has a whole section called “Vegan-ize It!” where I take favorite recipes and vegan-ize them. The daughter shared that one of her teachers gives a select group of her classmates vegetarian/vegan info (articles and such) to those that are interested, and I think that is great. Hopefully all of the girls learned a lot and that maybe it might inspire them to make more meat-less choices.
As always, can’t wait for our next day up there!
Vegan Like Me No. 5
Vegan Like Me aims to profile fellow vegans, from all walks of life from everywhere in the world! We’ve all been beginners and I think its important for folks to hear people’s stories in order to motivate themselves to keep going. This feature is intended to do just that. If you are vegan and would like to participate, get in touch with me and I’ll be sure to send our questionnaire along to you.
Name: Jade
Where do you live? New Jersey
How long have you been vegan? 15 Years
What inspired you to take on a plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) diet? An interest in what is in my food and where my food comes from began at a young age. That curiosity coupled with a love for animals an increasing amount of knowledge regarding the treatment of animals in the food industry as well as the health benefits have led me to become a vegan. Growing up I went from eating pretty well as a kid with a father who was a chef of Chinese cuisine to suddenly having to eat a lot of fast food and cheap junk foods from the grocery store when my parents split. The lack of fresh produce in my household from age 6 and up definitely made me want those things in my diet so much more than a lot of kids I’m sure. I craved it!
What do you love most about being vegan? I love that it makes me feel like I’m doing something good for myself, my family and the planet. Compassion is something we are born with, but as time goes by we start to let it slip out of different aspects of our lives such as with fashion, food, etc. Ultimately, you can choose where you put your money and it is an easy way to actively do something good.
What three items do you always have in your pantry? Almond Milk, Nutritional Yeast, Dulse Flakes (seaweed flakes).
What is your favorite vegan comfort food? My own personal breakfast specialty… vegan chocolate chip pancakes.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about taking on a plant-based (vegan) diet? Go for it!! It is so much easier these days then when I was 15! I had help when I was younger from friends and I recommend making sure you have some support when you do it, but definitely keep treats and snacks with you at all times to help you transition. You will have a much easier time going vegan if you are always ready to replace sweets and meals at social functions!
Do you find anything difficult about being vegan? When people tease you for being “different” at family gatherings or in school. I don’t really have that problem anymore, but I know a lot of people who do and it makes me sad… as long as you’re not judging others at those gatherings – people should just be supportive of your beliefs if they love you! It is a misconception that vegans “miss out” on things as well and that is a huge pet peeve. Eat a yummy cupcake for 5 minutes that possibly had something to do with an animal living a miserable life? Yes, chickens who lay eggs that are probably in that cupcake were probably miserable packed in a cage where they got pooped on and pecked at, etc. No thanks, I can have a yummy vegan cupcake when I get home… I can seriously wait like an hour… what is the big deal about this…lol. I also get the argument for free range eggs and more humane animal sourced foods and I support people who make an effort to source that way, but if it is me I’d rather opt for plant-based foods since, in my opinion, it is the best healthfully, ethically and of course just as yummy!
Any other comments you or words of wisdom you would like to add? I occasionally make vegan bento boxes for my son who is 7 years old that you can check out here: http://mumbentobot.tumblr.com. Also, I’m an illustrator so you can check out my Etsy shop at http://mumbot.etsy.com if you’d like! Good luck!
Thank you so much, Jade!
Vegan food… at a diner?!
Right around the block from my apartment building is the Brownstone Pancake Factory. It’s a place I used to frequent multiple times a month, particularly for weekend breakfast. However, since taking on a vegan lifestyle, I haven’t been there in almost a year. Diners are often one of the hardest places to eat for a vegan, usually having to stick to salads only. And everyone knows you don’t go to the diner for a salad!
But now, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the Rutherford Pancake House in Rutherford, New Jersey!
Less than a thirty minute car ride from Jersey City, Rutherford Pancake House offers an entire breakfast menu with vegan options. Their breakfast menu includes vegan pancakes, vegan CHALLAH (freshly made in-house!) french toast, a variety of tofu scrambles, vegan scones, vegan Belgian waffles, vegan sausage… its everything a vegan could want in a breakfast menu. Their lunch/dinner menu also has a variety of vegan options including a vegan seitan cheese steak with Daiya cheese, a whole vegan-ized Tex-Mex section, seitan Marsala & Parmesan, and veggie burgers.
We went smack in the middle of brunch hour on a saturday – just about noon-ish – and were seated right away. We had previewed the menu online, so I kind of had an idea of what I might want. But first, I was delighted to be able to order coffee with soy milk at a diner! I wouldn’t have to drink my coffee black!
I placed a kind of gluttonous order – vegan pancakes AND the seitan cheese steak. I just had to have both! Melissa opted for the vegan Challah french toast. They make everything to order, so it takes a little bit longer to get your food than a traditional diner, but that is totally OK with me. I appreciate that extra effort, particularly if you are offering vegan options. The other thing I appreciate is that they seem to have really educated their staff about what it is to be vegan. Our waitress, who had only been there a month, had “never heard about vegan” until she started working there. She was quick to assure us that they take precautions for folks who order vegan menu items. I think that is absolutely fantastic.
Finally! Our food arrived.
I accidentally dug into the pancakes before taking a photo… I was really hungry. Mel & I ended up sharing the pancakes, and I gave her a couple bites of my cheese steak, but I was kind of hogging it. It was so totally yum. It was everything I had remembered a cheese steak to be, but without the sadness of meat included in every bite. And I ate every single bit of it. The pancakes were exactly what I was looking for as well… nice and fluffy! I had a bite of the vegan Challah french toast as well, and it was also very fluffy, cinnamon-y and delicious.
When we went up to the counter to pay, I asked if the gentleman working the register was the owner – he was! I thanked him and his GM (also at the counter) for making such an effort to include the vegan community. He said he has people who come far and wide to come and eat at his diner, and now I understand why. I told them that this diner is a great example and that I hope more establishments catch on. After all, us in the vegan crowd WILL travel for pancakes – and other delicious vegan fare.
San Francisco Vegan Food Extravaganza!
Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.
San Francisco is a vegan mecca. Before editing, I had over 60 photos just of vegan food that we ate while in The City By The Bay. It was absolutely glorious. Granted, we are pretty spoiled here in the NYC area when it comes to vegan fare, but its always fun and exciting to explore unfamiliar territory.
Our first venture was to the Ferry Building Marketplace where we were searching for Peeples Vegan Donuts. I tried the chocolate frosted donut and Melissa had the coffee flavored donut. They were the cake style donuts, and were deliciously moist and satisfying.
Next up was Gracias Madre (Mission), organic & vegan Mexican cuisine. It was a difficult decision as every single menu item made my mouth water, and it had been ages since I’ve been out for Mexican food! However, once I saw that they had enchiladas on the menu, I was sold. I left the choosing of the appetizer up to Melissa, and she smartly chose the corn gorditas. The gorditas were bursting with bright flavors, as I was to soon learn the rest of our food was as well. They serve a cashew cream with their dishes that is so creamy and delicious. While their sautéed greens were a little too spicy (and I like spicy!) I still managed to enjoy them. All entrees came with their refried black beans, which I had never had before. I have had black beans, and your typical refried beans, but never refried black beans. They were fantastic!
Later that night, we had dinner with friends who are not vegan. Luckily, Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria (Marina) offers Daiya cheese to make a vegan pizza! Score! We dined on a scrumptious vegan veggie pizza while my friends could still have their dairy cheese pie. Win/win.
We had been to Herbivore (Haight) for brunch before, but find it incredibly worthy for a second visit. I enjoyed a tofu scramble breakfast platter that included a pancake and home fries and Melissa had blueberry pancakes. We shared an order of their sausage biscuit & gravy. Topped it all off with a mimosa and fresh carrot & ginger juice!
Underdog (Sunset) is billed as “The Organic Sausage Joint” but they also boast an entirely vegan section in their offerings. We went for the regular vegan dog and enjoyed it with all the trimmings – onion, sauerkraut, relish and ketchup. Just make sure you are specific when ordering — we were accidentally served real meat dogs! Thankfully, we noticed and quickly let them know of their error, to which they whole-heartedly apologized and promptly remedied their error.
Cha Ya (Mission) serves strictly Vegetarian Japanese food and was heaven on earth. While they don’t have a restaurant website, they do have a Yelp page boasting over 700 reviews and a 4-star rating. And boy do I understand why! We were blown away so much by how delicious their food is that we went two nights in a row. I am such a sucker for dumpling anything, so once I saw they had vegan gyoza on the menu, I was sold. If you read the reviews on the linked Yelp page, you will see that even declared meat-eaters loved this place. I can attest to that, because the same non-vegan friend that joined us for Amici’s pizza joined us again and for BOTH nights at this place. He is what you might call a “proud” carnivore and absolutely loved his food here. I think that speaks for itself. They are cash only, but do have an ATM on the premises.
Dinosaurs in the Castro district serves up traditional banh-mi, Vietnamese sandwiches. And they offer a vegan tofu version! And it was YUMMY. We love the banh-mi at Banh Mi Zon here in Manhattan, and this was just as delicious. Typically I would get it spicy, but after a bad run in with another banh-mi joint and jalapeno seeds on it, I stayed away from the spicy this time. Yes, the sandwich was as delicious as it looks. Plus, it was cheap. Can’t beat it.
Love & Haight (Lower Haight) offers vegetarian & vegan sandwiches. Last time we were in SF we hit up this joint, and it was also deemed good enough for a second visit. We stopped in before heading down to Santa Cruz to pick up sandwiches for the ride. I recommend the vegan chicken sandwich. I only wish they’d offer veganaise (offer a selection of mustards for vegans).
Once in Santa Cruz, we hit up one of my all-time favorite restaurants – Cafe Gratitude. They mainly focus on raw food, but also offer cooked dishes as well. I simply die for their nori wrap – called I am Transparent – and dream about it quite often. All of their dishes are titled after affirmations – “I am _____ ” – which is how you order the item. When the server brings you your food, they say it back to you “You are _____ “. I find it incredibly heart-warming, though some might find it hokey. They also ask a question of the day, and practice what they call “Sacred Commerce” which you can read more about on their website. All of that aside, their food really is something to behold. Raw or cooked, I’ve yet to have something I didn’t like there after my total of four visits, and neither has Melissa. Their desserts are also a-ma-zing! I am a fiend for their “I am Nurtured” ice cream sundae. Melissa loves their “I am Devoted” coconut cream pie. Our friend gifted us with their cookbook this time around, proclaiming “this is a cookbook you two need to have!” – I couldn’t agree more. I’m excited to share our experience and journey through this cookbook with you all!
We used Happy Cow one day for lunch to see if we couldn’t find a taco joint. Success! Salsa’s Taco Bar (formerly Leo’s) offers an ENTIRE vegan menu! We gobbled down some vegan crunchy tacos, flautas, and enchiladas. Yum.
I also included some photographs of our home-cooked vegan meals while visiting our friend in Santa Cruz. Tofu scramble, vegan sandwiches and a delicious vegan BBQ night.
I am now so inspired to make this a tradition – this being traveling for vegan food! I think it would be super fun to travel to awesome cities around the USA that I haven’t been to in search of the best vegan food. Kind of like how Anthony Bordain does, except without all the crazy slaughter and meat that he often will feature.
