Feeling Good about Walking Out!

Yesterday was a busy day. Harrison came down with strep throat, which meant we lost 1 1/2 hours to waiting at the clinic, and filling a prescription. Add to that the foot of snow we got yesterday (shovelling is great exercise though) and the "unforseen" subtracted about 4 hours from my day's plans.

Getting Harrison to drink a green juice was hilarious - made from apples and wheatgrass, and coconut milk. I figured it would help his immune system fight off the infection, but it was really him fighting off my insistence that was the real battle! (I loved it though - it was delicious!)

When we finally did get home, I was starving, and ready for a green lunch (more fighters...) so I chopped three crowns of broccoli and the remaining collard greens I had in the fridge into small pieces - almost as small as grains of rice. Heated these quickly in a pan over medium heat with some garlic and olive oil, and of course, lemon zest and juice. We happened to have some crispy "chicken" (made of plant protein Gardein) from Whole Foods, and tossed that up in a separate pan. Added a few generous handfulls of the brown rice from Friday night, and we were eating a green bowlful of healthy vegetables, and whole grains.

Interesting that one of the signs at whole foods lists the relative POWERS of the various foods you should have in your cart. And, not surprisingly, the TOP TEN were all green.

We really didn't eat that many greens, but I have made it my new years' resolution to demystify those little items, so we have been eating quite a lot since January 1st.

So - needless to say by day end, I wanted to just grab a bite to eat that someone else had prepared. We stopped in to Tablouli, the new restaurant in our former beloved Teka. I got there about 10 minutes to 6, the guys shortly thereafter. We ordered just after a table of four, within 5 minutes of the guys getting there.

As we were waiting, a group of about 10 (obviously family or friends of the owners) showed up, and food kept pouring out to their table. The table of four got theirs about 1/2 hour in. We had only ordered 3 wraps and a lentil soup, so after about 40 minutes we were feeling pretty hungry. There were, however, three large empty plates displayed on our table. The "family table" had one woman who kept walking in and out of the kitchen quite comfortably, bringing various items as she came and went.

At 6:45 I asked the waitress about our order. She very politely explained that the table was the sister of a manager (or something like that) and she couldn't bring food that the chef hadn't put out.

10 more minutes later (and three MORE plates to the next table) I asked the guys if they were comfortable walking out. They all agreed.

So we walked to the bar, where the young woman from family table was also standing, and said. "We are leaving. It has been an hour's wait for three sandwiches, but I would like to pay for the wine I had". She again apologized, and said not to worry about it. Harrison caught a glimpse of the other woman's face (aghast!) and told me about it later.

So - we hopped in the car, surprisingly not hungry at all anymore. Sometimes the ONLY VOTE YOU HAVE with what you will put up with is with your money. We dropped into Kelsey's, politely explained to the young lady who seated us that we had just walked out of another restaurant after an hour with no food, and that we'd like three veggie burgers with fries. She said "well, we're glad you're here! I'll put the order in right away."

And she did! We were eating within 18 minutes, and had a great discussion about bad service.

They say that every satisfied customer might tell one or two people about their experience. They also say that a dissatisfied customer will tell 20 than that!

The funny thing was that when a restaurant chooses to prioritize their moochers over their paying customers, it says a lot about the management and the chef. Katie, at Teka, would NEVER have done such a thing.

While we're only one family, I am quite certain that they will never see any of our money again.

Thanks April and Kelsey's for a great dinner last night!

Dr. Veganstein, I think she's done it!

Mark McEwan is a genius. His passion for perfect ingredients is inspiring for anyone who has ever eaten at his restaurants. My fave, as many of you know, is Bymark.

I have been rather obsessed with the Bymark Burger (or the Gucci Burger, as it is also known) since September 21, 2010 when one first crossed my lips. It rocked my world in a way that drove home what that expression really means. Like a glimpse of divinity. Like a perfect timeless moment. Like those rare snapshots of life that take your breath away, and you remember when you're 92. That is what this burger is like.

So - you can imagine my chagrin when my vegan self, tired and exhausted from so many things during summer of 2010 and beginning of my busiest possible season in fundraising, decided to just take a free day and sample the burger I had been hearing about and reading about for 2 years or so. Just "OK already, I might as well just try it". You can also imagine my embarassment when the manager of the restaurant came to my table to ask if I was OK, since I was "enjoying" the delicious morsels so loud that the entire busy restaurant could have been disturbed. Imagine how disturbed I was (and have been) knowing that the vegan diet I have so heartily embraced could be tattered to shreds by this burger. Oh yeah, it is THAT GOOD.

I had to push my boundaries of honesty to own up to my love of this burger, even on this blog. Our family are pretty neat poster children for why vegan ROCKS, (particularly since our discovery was almost accidental).... For why animal products are just, in one word, BAD for us. For how my budget, my body, my time and my evironment have benefitted from the change.

So how does falling in love with a Bymark (Beef) Burger fit into this deal???

First - it reminds me that I don't have all the answers, and don't have to pretend that I do.

Second - it punctuates that it is top quality ingredients, not cheap crap, that make a taste bud perk up and respond.

Third, it hammers home the principle that textures, temperatures, and taste are the foundations of good dishes.
The Black Truffle...

The beautiful colour of purple lettuce, paired with its crisp and cool freshness...

The smooth and slick creaminess of the aoli....

The firm, salty, peppery, dense texture of the burger...

The browned King Mushroom veggie alter-ego, drizzled with truffle oil...

with all of the above compiled together and highlighted by the soft, fluffy, mouth-yield of a perfect bun.

How could I ever duplicate this? How would it be possible?

Well - it's taken me a month of hard time, but I've done it. I feel like Gene Wilder in Mel Brooks Young Frankenstein, when his monster got off the table and walked. Seriously!

My burger tonight gave new meaning to the scene when Teri Garr burst into song when she says, "If the Monster got your brains, what did you get from the monster?" Cut away to the monster (in bed with Madeleine Kahn), reading Shakespeare and then subtly inferring the obvious "enhancement" of some other important in exchange.

So, in my own, inimitable VEGANSTEIN way, I have veganized my idol, the Bymark Burger.

Match is a new vegan meat product which is getting a lot of attention latelyin the vegan world. It is textured vegetable protein with the flavours of beef, chicken, pork and even some seafood. I got some at Whole Foods on Sunday after a ski trip in Michigan, hoping to perfect this burger for Bill and Harrison for Valentine's day. You know - boys gotta eat.

So tonight (Feb 15th, I know, but they wanted to take me out for dinner last night!) I got to work the Match Beef into patties, flavoured with fresh ground black pepper, white truffle salt, and steak spice. I thinly sliced king oyster mushrooms and browned them in truffle oil and Italian black truffle salt from Rome. I mixed even parts of Truffle Mustard from Fauchon in Paris, with organic Vegenaise. And I finally used small cubes of the brie cheese from my friend Maria from Christmas that has been waiting patiently in my fridge for the right moment. I lightly pan-toasted soft store-baked hamburger buns, and lovingly washed some crisp purple lettuce.

And then counted the minutes till Bill walked in the door (...even more than usual... Have I ever mentioned that our own first meeting was the only moment that even compares to my first bite of a Bymark buger??)

When the burgers were assembled (and properly photographed) we all dove in and yummed.

Harrison, Bill and I all had 2 burgers and I feel an immense relief tonight, knowing that the flavours of my last meal before I die dish can be relatively veganized (OK, I can't imagine duplicating the taste of melting brie, but I only used a few cubes, and certainly less than 1/2 an ounce)...

And, as I pull the sheet back on one of the great discoveries of 2011, I can finally shout from the lab...

" IT WAS NEVER ALIVE!!!!!!!"

Final Touches and Superbowl Ponderings

Watching the Superbowl is always offers interesting insight into the crappy North American Diet. I actually just heard the expression about eating a hamburger "after you bacon it". Bacon as a verb. Whatever. Just call it the Fatinator. Or the Cardiofritz.

The thing about a high vegetable low fat, high nutrients, low destruction diet is that it might not seem look (at first blush) like it's "enough" to fill you up. So as I watch hamburger, cheese and beer commercials tonight, I'm going to hack out a quick blog which you might try to employ tomorrow, once the hangover and cheeseburger and wing fest is over....

Give the vegan food or the vegetarian plate some time to fill you up. You don't need to add anything else, and you will feel full, satisfied, and satiated.

1. Your stomach is the size of a fist. This is how much food will FILL you. But it takes about 20 minutes to actually feel full. Once you start eating anything (an orange, some whole wheat crackers, some sliced red peppers) set a timer. I promise you in nine minutes you will feel better.

2. Most folks know that your plate should be composed of mostly veggies, with some whole grains and some good fats. BUT! A few more steps can really elevate your food from regular to fabulous.

3. Is the plate colourful? Does it need a sprinkle of green onions, or some lemon zest, or some hot sauce?

4. Have you used food already in your fridge? You can add some spinach, shred a carrot into your bowl, tear up some fresh basil.

5. Use a completed dinner as an opportunity to layer in some texture. Vegan food doesn't have to be baby food. Add some crisp tortilla chips or crumble some toasted croutons or almonds on your plate.

6. Finally, add a raw touch. Bill has really gotten me into adding raw food to our final dishes, and it really does make you feel amazing!

Give a vegan plate a chance to fill you up. Chicken, fish, beef and pork will do it easily, but the flavours are very one-dimensional. Veggies take a few minutes, but are well worth the patience.

A full plate of a hearty vegetable chili, with a slice or two of jalapeno cornbread and a few cubes of fresh avocado, sprinkled with cilantro and lemon are every bit the delectable superbowl dish as the "other stuff" that is on TV now.

I made two chilis for the studen't Chili Cook Off tomorrow, and was struck with the difference between the meaty version (Braised Beef Short Ribs with Red Wine and Chocolate) which is delicious, but higher in fat, calories and contains very little good fibre. My Sweet Chocolate Chili Heat Chili, with sweet potatoes, yellow peppers, corn, black beans, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro is vastly healthier, but will be propped up with some of these decadent, final touches.

The avocado cilantro and lemon zest, with a healthy spike of chopped cilantro is my fave:)

Mould and the Natural Order of Things

In Michael Pollan's groundbreaking book, In Defense of Food, he writes that you should eat food that will eventually rot. Not exactly the most appetizing comment for a food blog, but here's why he's absolutely right.

I buy organic lemons and limes whenever possible because I am so frequently using the zest. Usually they come in a large bag with 5 or 6, and this makes the slightly higher cost manageable. Lemons are almost always the most efficient and effective items in my kitchen, from half of one squeezed into some hot water and in the morning, to a fresh way to zing up a pasta dish, or to brighten up some fresh berries.

But every so often, I reach into the bag and am met with a fuzzy, soft, slip of my fingers, and there is a gorgeous lemon, covered in white mold. It can literally happen overnight. And every time it happens, I am cognizant of why.

WHY does mold make me ponder the beauty of nature?

Because FOOD is meant to go bad! All of those wonderful enzymes and antioxidants, and nutrients and vitamins and minerals (which is the POINT of food in the first place!) do so much for your body, but even they have a life. And it is only effective when food is fresh and natural.

If I see one more boxed microwaved "factory lunch" commercial I'm going to hurl a moldy lemon at the TV. FACTORY BOXES should not be lunch, even if they are called "healthy choice" or "healthy whatever". These concoctions have the unpronouncables in them so they can stay on factory floors, supermarket trucks, and grocery freezers, and in household freezers indefinitely. And the food industry is preying on busy people, usually women, who want to trim down, feed themselves well, and drop the extra weight that literally weighs them down on so many levels.

I know it's not as easy to make a casserole, or a homemade chili, or a fresh soup. It might take you 15 minutes, and you'll probably have to do it standing up while using your muscles.

But what are you really doing with the time you "saved" by buying the box? Probably not much. And you're robbing your body of fresh.

Everyone says "it's cold season" and they grab their Kleenex and their lozenges like there's no way to avoid it. I have had only two "colds" since I went vegan, and both times I can trace the preceeding week to lots and lots of non-vegan indulgences. Which necessarily means I ate less veggies and fruits. Bill's noticed the same pattern among his friends. I do not think this is a mere coincidence.

So - my final words on the subject are that factories do not make "healthy food", food should eventually decay, and you are what you eat.