What to Eat Wednesday: Fig & Farro

June 13, 2018 Trimid Dew Lanns

Earlier this year as winter was dragging on and Minneapolis was trapped under the weight of a certain sports ball event, a new vegetarian restaurant opened its doors and brightened the grey days. We lost a lot of good veg places last year to retirements and lost rental contracts so getting something new was a great thing for us vegan types.

Fig and Farro took over an old space that was home to one of the more successful places in town. For reasons I do not know it changed names and then didn't really seem to do too well. Oh well. Their loss, our gain.

Fig & Farro has a sustainable, low-carbon footprint sort of mission as well as a delicious menu.

I have eaten here a handful of times now and it is delightful. They really seem to shine with their pasta dishes. That said they have now changed to a summer menu I am dying to go try.

Rich, luscious, and rounded out with local bits and pieces such as the vegan cheese platter from makers Punk Rawk Labs(divine).

They have quite an imaginative cocktail list and even though the one I liked the most (The Copenhagen Hotel) has since gone away, there's plenty of new ones I look forward to tasting.

They have Minnesota brews on tap and Aquavit from Tattersall distillery.

The only slight critical thing I have to say is the service is unsteady. Always friendly to be sure, but things come out of order or not at all and you have to ask. We've gotten things we didn't order and on the All You Can Eat $12 soup night (which I did enjoy a great deal) we were a bit early. So we waited for them to set up but even by the time they were supposed to be going (5 pm) they still aren't ready at a quarter after.

These are the issues of a new staff and a relatively new space. I think it'll work itself out and it's definitely not a reason to not visit. And anyway they have multiple vegan desserts to pick from so that fixes a lot.

See some of my pics! Vegan Cheese platter, Cocktails, Cashew Pesto Pasta, Blueberry Cinnamon Roll, Strawberry Shortcake and more.....

Where to Take Your Vegan Valentine to Eat...

February 6, 2018 Trimid Dew Lanns

A few ideas of where to stop for a meal lunch or dinner for your vegan Valentine. I've written about these places before with the exception of Namaste Cafe and I am not sure why I haven't written about them because they are great.

Let's start with Pizza Nea. I've recently written about my love for Pizza Nea and of course, there is always a good chance that your Valentine, crush, or buddy likes pizza too. This place is fancy enough for a date but not so fancy to weird anyone out. Wine, artisan pizza, community minded...you can't go wrong because they also have an extensive vegan menu complete with cheeses and meats from neighbor Herbivorous Butcher.

In the same neighborhood (because let's just say NE Minneapolis has some great food and drinks) is Gorkha Palace.

A delicious sojourn into Nepali, Indian, Tibetan food. Which is well known to be vegan friendly throughout the world and some of my favorites. I love their momos and the extremely spicy Saag Dish. Melt your face off spice when you want it. How hot do you like it? And you can never go wrong with Chana!

Head over to St. Paul to a long time favorite and "off the beaten path" as it were to Everest On Grand.

Tofu pakoras made with chickpea flour (a far superior flour IMHO) this place is best described as AROMATIC-yes in all caps. The staff is always friendly and they have a clearly labeled menu. I love, love eating here. I've never had a dish I didn't like and they also have momos(very important).

For a touch of fancy dress up for Valentine's Day you can head over to wonderful and faithful Jasmine 26.

You cannot go wrong with Basil Noodles, Curry Noodles, Salt and Pepper Tofu, Fried Vegan Egg Roll and their drinks. Yeah, like all of them. It's a nicer place too. I love vegan food and casual, comfy which is Minnesota's dress code just fine, but I definitely prefer to dress up and it's nice to not feel totally out of place once in a while (though mostly you just always are if you are me).

New place alert! A great little spot just starting out with something that no one has: VEGAN CREPES! I ate my fair share of vegan crepes in NO in October(more on that later) and was sad to leave them behind only to come home to a tiny, new shop with vegan crepes and vegan ice cream! Hooray! I don't have a great picture of the crepes but what you need to know is that they are savory and delicious and you should take your favorite humans here for a treat. Crepe and Spoon would be happy to supply your daily salty and sweet needs for the afternoon.

If you need a nice lunch because who doesn't and you'd like to share your Valentine's Day spirit with a pink cocktail you should look no further than Namaste Cafe. They have GOOD FOOD. And fulfill your need for a fried potato once in a while with their amazing 5 Spice Potatoes. But don't stop there: Chili Tofu, Golguppa, Chana Chat Plaat are all delightful. Charming atmosphere as it's in an old Victorian house in Uptown.

Go forth and spread the love!

What To Eat Wednesday: Pizza Nea

January 10, 2018 Trimid Dew Lanns

This year has brought with it a wave of awareness I would say we haven't really seen before in this country. Even for myself, who has been doing my best for a very long time to stay abreast of the things I want to see changed and diving deeper into the things that matter to me, I have learned many things this year. Or at least had what I suspected all along confirmed by others, which in its own strange way is helpful - to know that you are not, in fact, losing your mind. It's also a relief when you know you've been feeling something for so long and have been unable to articulate it. Then one day you stumble across even the most basic of comments somewhere on the internet, and you see something someone wrote and there it is: the one sentence expressing what has been bothering you all along.

For some years now I have been trying and trying to find ways to spend my money better. What do I mean by that? Well, it's very simple and massively complicated. It gets down to the fact that every time I turn around, these last couple of years especially, I feel as though I have learned that I have been unintentionally supporting someone who is racist, bigoted, destroying the planet, hurting animals, exploiting women-the list of garbage goes on and on. Now, I understand people make mistakes. People say or do things without thinking or without realizing the impact or depth of what those words or actions mean. Particularly in a society where terrible things are the norm and people do things because it was what they were taught. Everyone does this no matter how they purport otherwise.

And I'd say for the most part people can learn from these things even if the internet is a completely unforgiving place that will never let you move on to trying to be a better person. It is a frustrating thing to watch people act as though they themselves have never made a mistake and continue to tear at the others who messed up, were called out, and have tried to move on from it a with a new point of view. It certainly has impacted whether I visit a site or commentator anymore - the whole throw stones, glass house business. It can sometimes be seemingly impossible to earn forgiveness. I grant you, there are unforgivable things. But that is not what I am getting at here and that is a conversation for another time. And well, if all you do is sit on the internet bitching at other people and never actually do anything - give it a rest: You are part of the problem.

Now, if you come forward and do your best, most especially in your day to day practices, you will have my support if our values align. Or maybe you even teach me something, who is to say what the possibilities might be?

One of my favorite local businesses to eat at and support is Pizza Nea. Even before this election cycle (which, yes, has redefined a great deal for me, or at least confirmed some good things and some genuinely terrible fears) the owner was taking steps I appreciated. Making the business vegan-friendly, sourcing ingredients when possible from other local places.

Then comes the election and, well, he spoke up - and loudly. Quite predictably there were threats and people complaining about "getting political." Give. Me. A. Break. What a privilege it must be never to have to worry about anything. Or to be so unaware that everything that is stressing you out is probably being made worse by those in power that your apathy helped put there.

It was clear from the get-go that Pizza Nea would be an inclusive, welcoming place for everyone, and he even went as far as to form an alliance with other local businesses to make sure discrimination was not being tolerated, as well as using their growing social media platform to encourage others to get involved.

Oh. And the pizza is super yummy. You know, which helps.

It's a nice place, too. Not super dressy, but not so casual that you couldn't, say... have a romantic date here.

Try it out. You won't regret it.

Vegan Shopping at Trader's Joe's

October 3, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

I don’t actually shop at Trader Joe's very much. A handful of times a year. I rather think of it as a special occasion place and party food place. Which is what works for me personally. I suppose this might be because they specialize in pre-prepared foods and things covered in chocolate. Not to mention the fun labels, signs, cheerful employees and often amazingly priced plants and flowers. And if you like cheap wine you know Joe’s can’t be beat at all. When they first opened in the Twin Cities it was continuously packed full of people. It does get very busy still and I don’t think they are hurting for business at all. It was however, not especially easy to shop for vegan things there. This has changed quite significantly, even in just the last couple of years. In both good and bad ways. There are, sadly, seemingly fewer chocolate vegan things, but the ones they do have are quite yummy.

More and more of the products are clearly labeled, but not everything. You can still check out some of the usual vegan suspects to see if they are made with no animal products – like the Maize cereal for example. Sometimes there are surprises. Like the easy to bake cinnamon rolls. Probably not a good idea for every day, but they sure do make a nice treat once in a while. I've heard that there are pumpkin rolls right now that are vegan for the Fall season.

If you are on Instagram there is a handy account here: Trader Joe's Vegan

Here are some photos of products you could easily find that are vegan at Trader Joe’s. A lot of these make good, quick lunch options.

What to Eat Wednesday but on Tuesday: MN State Fair

August 29, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

I’ll start with the food.

New Things We Tried:

Produce Exchange- The peaches are amazing. They have lots of other fruit as well.

Fresh French Fries-These were quite good and not as greasy as I thought they would be.

Harry Singh’s-Chickpea Roti was so good that we went back so my friend could take one home for dinner. (The little restaurant in Minneapolis is stellar.)

Minneapple pie no ice cream-I bought one to bring home.

Farmer’s Union Iced Coffee with soy milk-dark roast with soy milk was great.

Strawberries and Creme-non-dairy whip-I loved this a lot.

Island Noodles-I do like wok-fried noodles. Very filling. (They also use compostable containers.)

Dole Whip-Three of us split one. It was sugary and fun. I don’t think I’d get it again though just not for me. The vanilla is not vegan from what I understand.

Fried Green Tomatoes(small stand by main entrance)-was surprised that I liked these more than I thought.

Manny’s Tortas-Non-alcoholic Pineapple Pina Colada-this was fantastic.

Sara’s Tipsy Pies-The Vegan Whiskey apple pie was fabulous. I loved it.

Juanita’s Fajitas -beans with tortilla-add some habanero salt and it’s super yummy(request without cheese).

Things we’ve had before other places:

Tot Boss-plain tater tots

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds in the International Bazaar

French Meadow-brown sugar scone

Holy Land-all their vegan things which I highly recommend.

Falafel King (which has improved dramatically over the last few years)

I was disappointed to learn that Hot Indian Foods samosas are no longer vegan.

Things we didn’t try but I’ve read other people say are vegan:

Corn Roast-no butter

St. Martin’s Olives

Los Ocampos -Guac and chips

Veggie Pie’s -Frozen Grapes on a Stick

Burrito Mercado- Chili lime mango

Sonny’s Sprials-Potato on a stick

Preferred Pickles fried pickles

Ballpark Cafe – Onion rings, garlic fries

Chan’s Chicken on a Stick – Vegetable Fried Rice

Oodles of Noodles – Spicy Thai Noodles, spaghetti or penne with marinara

OOF-da Tacos – Vegetarian Taco without cheese

Potato Man and Sweety-Sweety’s Churros without whipped cream, unsure about dipping sauce

**Please consider rinsing and bringing home containers you cannot recycle at the Fair (I had a tote bag and would just rinse things in the bathroom or hand wash stations) or requesting no silverware or straws by keeping the first plastic ones you get. Nearly everything has a number on it, but they don’t have the same facilities as we do in Minneapolis.

Thank you.

I’ve never spent the day at the fair and truth be told it was pretty surreal to me. I decided to try to see as much as possible but I do not go to the animal barns. I just can’t.

That said, there is plenty to see that is not about having to eat animals. The Horticulture building is pretty amazing and there is quite a lot of art.

I know lots of people go here with families and situations like that and there’s no need to be left out if you’re vegan or vegetarian. And for that matter, the more vegan things that sell, the more they’ll make. The Tipsy Pies were sold out at first but they made more. Pretty great, as they are clearly marked vegan on the menu. The french fries had lines all around.

Your best bets are the International Bazaar and the Food Building for lots of choices. Though the strawberries and creme were near the Kid’s Midway and the Farmer’s Union is near the main entrance.

There were three of us and we shared everything we bought. It was still more than enough food that way. Most of the time we only got one of each thing. The couple of times we got two of something it was nearly too much.

So go out and enjoy the fair if you like such things. There’s lots to see, and it helped distract me for a bit from some personal things I can’t do anything about right now because there is absolutely so much to take in.

And if you can, drop a a few bucks into the Houston food bank so others can get something to eat as well as disaster clean up begins. You can donate here: Hurricane Harvey Relief.

Have a wonderful time.

EASY TO CUT AND PASTE LIST:

Produce Exchange- The peaches are amazing. They have lots of fruit.

Fresh French Fries-These were quite good and not as greasy as I thought they would be.

Harry Singh’s-Chickpea Roti was so good that we went back so my friend could take one home for dinner.

Minneapple pie no ice cream-I bought one to bring home, made nice treat for breakfast.

Farmer’s Union Iced Coffee with soy milk-dark roast with soy milk was great

Strawberries and Cream-non-dairy whip-I loved this a lot.

Island Noodles-I do like wok-fried noodles. Very filling.

Dole Whip-Three of us split one and it was sugary and fun. I don’t think I’d get it again though just not for me.

Fried Green Tomatoes(small stand by main entrance)-was surprised that I liked these more than I thought.

Manny’s Tortas-Non-alcoholic Pineapple Pina Colada-this was fantastic.

Sara’s Tipsy Pies-The Vegan Whiskey apple pie was fabulous. I loved it.

Juanitas Fajitas -beans with tortilla-add some habanero salt and it’s super yummy(request without cheese).

Tot Boss-plain tater tots

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds in the International Bazaar

French Meadow-brown sugar scone

Holy Land-all their vegan things which I highly recommend.

Falafel King (which has improved dramatically over the last few years)

Corn Roast-no butter

St. Martin’s Olives

Los Ocampos -Guac and chips

Veggie Pie’s -Frozen Grapes on a Stick

Burrito Mercado- Chili lime mango

Sonny’s Sprials-Potato on a stick

Preferred Pickles fried pickles

Ballpark Cafe – Onion rings, garlic fries

Chan’s Chicken on a Stick – Vegetable Fried Rice

Oodles of Noodles – Spicy Thai Noodles, spaghetti or penne with marinara

OOF-da Tacos – Vegetarian Taco without cheese

Potato Man and Sweety-Sweety’s Churros without whipped cream, unsure about dipping sauce

What to Eat Wednesday: Vegan Target

August 2, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

I am someone who is lucky (and privileged) to live by a couple great grocery stores and have easy access to good food. This is not something that was true when I was younger. I did not know it at the time but I lived in what they call a “food desert” now, meaning it was difficult to get to healthy foods for my family. The store closest to us was over 5 miles away, and we did not have a car for a long time. The transit service that was available we had to walk over a mile to reach, and it ran infrequently. In the unrelenting heat of Texas, you can imagine this was not a great way to have to live, and my story is not unique. The store was a chain and marketed all the prepackaged, advertised foods that we are all familiar with, and that was also what was on sale normally, not fresh fruits and vegetables. As such, much of my childhood was based in canned foods and processed goods since that was what the store had that was affordable. Add in that we bought large quantities to store for the large family I belonged to, well... healthy eating was not on the menu. And what’s worse is that this is what we believed was supposed to be normal.

Things seem to be starting to change even if our relationship with food is still not great. Plus when life is busy it can be hard to want to expend the energy to also think too much about where to shop and what to get, so convenience is a necessity for many people and so is affordability. Love them or hate them, this is where big box stores come in and are often the only places some people grocery shop.

One place in Minnesota that has grown its grocery business significantly over the last ten years is Target. They’ve expanded what they carry that is vegan by a large margin as well. I would imagine that, store-by-store, this is going to be a bit different because they did offer up local brands of items here in the Twin Cities. But this is a picture-heavy post to give you some ideas of what you can look for that is vegan at Target. Local things, lunches, snacks, dinners, basics, and yes… some treats.

Front and center at Target is produce and it included some regional items. I am not going to post a ton of photos of this because obviously fruit and vegetables are vegan:

I was glad to find tofu there as it as good foundation food for vegans and people who don't want to eat meat all the time:

A lot of the Target brand bread was vegan. Not all, as some had eggs and milk, but still a fair amount, including dinner rolls (very hard to find at the holidays):

For on your bread:

Plenty of hummus including local favorite Holy Land and their own line:

There is the biggest selection of non-diary milk I've seen anywhere, and some easy breakfast stuff (besides cereal, which is plentiful):

Road trip (and work) snacks abound. Though please... for the planet, recycle the packaging as they are not exactly earth friendly. But I know that snacks are the best.

One thing I used to run into back when I was microwaving my work lunches a lot was that the sodium content was really high. These aren't the best they can be, compared to fresh food, but they are better and Target has a lot of easy lunch stuff (some are clearly marked as Vegan):

Some helpful dinner basics ideas:

Mayo, crackers, treats, including Target's own brand of cookies, crackers, as well as Haagen-Dazs Vegan ice cream:

This is just some of what they have, to give you an idea what to look for. There are also many cereals, chips, juices, fruit leathers, grain based lunches, etc... There are Targets nearly everywhere you go around Minnesota, so getting to vegan food should be a little easier. I hope this is a trend that continues and I will update this in the future as the seasons change. Thank you for reading!

What to Eat Wednesday: Vegan Food at the Mall of America

July 26, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

Love it or hate it, there are times when you end up at the Mall of America if you live in the Twin Cities (and even if you don't). I recently was there because, in my personal situation, it is a good place for me to go bra shopping -- the one time the internet does not cut it for me, as I wear an unusual size range.

It can be a long day. A trying affair. It's crowded, bright, and loud (and you can take hours trying things on that don't fit right). And if you think you can't eat anything but french fries when everyone else is eating a full meal, it can make the day even longer.

Things have come a long way in vegan food eating. And it even shows in the suburbs of the Twin Cities. The Mall of America even has its own Smart Dining Guide(though it does have a couple of things on here that are no longer, like my love... Disco Fries R.I.P). The phone app is also pretty handy for such things.

There are some obvious places such as Chipotle with vegan options like the Sofritas dish and Noodles and Co. which has a separate vegan menu you can request.

Other places I have tried and like for fast food are Pita Pit and Naf Naf Grill- which has a clearly labeled menu of what is vegan or what is not, including a baklava.

If you want something a bit nicer I would suggest two places that I like. My most recent discovery on Friday was a great surprise.

First up would be Masu. A Japanese place that has a vegan menu with some good stuff on it such as this "caterpillar"

The surprisingly great place, and not just great for mall food-actually good food, was Cantina Laredo.

Our server, Alexis, was all about helping out. She didn't hesitate for a second and listed entrees that could be made vegan and checked on tortillas without my asking. The restaurant offers "Modern Mexican Food" and well, it's yummy.

There are three entrees that can be made vegan and I tried two: Portobello Fajitas and Avocado Enchiladas (the third is Stuffed Poblano Peppers). They prepare guacamole fresh at your table and serve house made, spicy (not too hot) and more importantly-flavorful salsa.

It is a place that is a bit more expensive than your average sit down place, but if you want a good meal while out at the mall you won't regret paying for it. I had plenty of leftovers that reheated nicely with some avocado mashed on top with salsa. The chimchurri sauce on the fajitas was aces and they made their own flour tortillas. The rice does have milk in it, so she doubled up on our black bean servings which was fine by me.

If you still have room for dessert afterwards there are two surprises that I adore at the MOA.

Cupcake offers at least two vegan flavors a day (sometimes more). I've had a fair number of them and like them all but I love anything with the strawberry frosting. And you can get them to go if you had too much to eat already.

If cupcakes are not for you, you can head over to Paciugo for vegan gelato or my new favorite a gelato "shake".

They have lots of flavors that are water and soy based. I had a "shake" made with strawberry gelato and orange San Pellegrino. Delightful.

Things to make your day easier.

What to Eat Wednesday: Vegan Paris

July 19, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

I have been asked so many times what did I eat in Paris. That’s fair. I wasn't so sure going into this trip it was going to be especially easy, and well... I was completely wrong. And I didn’t even make it to all the places I wanted to try. In the last few years, when traveling, efforts have been made to stay in Air Bnb rentals. This works out really great for having kitchens, which for me is essential at times, as I get sick of eating out on long trips. Plus it saves money. Being vegan, the hardest thing to find when traveling is breakfast, and a stop at a grocery store makes this so much easier and can ease the stress of dietary requirements. I’ve also gotten in the habit of packing a handful of things to take with such as granola/fruit bars/vegan jerky. I’ll grab chocolate and my favorite truffle oil almonds at the airport.

Paris has plenty in the way of food for breakfast at most places, with bread, dark as night coffee, and piles of fruit. Which is most of what I ate in the mornings, both at cafes and in the apartment I was staying in. I couldn’t tell you the names of these places as I usually would just pick a cute place and get a coffee. With the exception of the morning of my arrival, when I stopped in at Shakespeare and Co.'s cafe for a very good mocha and bagel sandwich and absolutely unbeatable view of a busy French street and Notre Dame. And on a national holiday I did venture into Starbucks for a coffee since they were the only place open (it was packed full of people).

There are countless beautiful fruit and vegetable stands, and of course, the smell of baking bread at the end of the work day (instead of mornings like most places) filling the streets as people line-up for baguette (because sometimes caricatures of things are real). I most certainly ate my fair share of warm baguette while visiting. Strawberries are grown in France and they were hands down the best ones I’ve ever had. Paired with champagne each night (yes every night) and sometimes in the morning with mimosas made with passionfruit juice (my favorite of all the juices ever). One thing you learn when visiting Europe is that peanut butter, which is a staple of my morning diet, is not readily available. Nutella is everywhere, and much to my sadness is not vegan. But a trip to the grocery store, Franprix, that was right across the street from the apartment yielded a jar of something called Speculoos and it is amazing. I brought back some jars -- it was that good. Paired with rose jam that I bought at Versailles to see what the fuss was all about (and much to my chagrin fell quite in love with it, as well as dark chocolate made with rose petals and apples-the preferences of Marie Antoinette), it made for a wonderful treat in the morning or with that warm, after-a-long-day baguette. Really I have no idea how I’ve been living as a normal person since getting back. **A note about grocery shopping: Whereas things may not be clearly labeled as vegan, they do have labels spelling out what common allergens are in foods such as milk-so keep handy an app with translation if you don't know what those words are in French

The first long day was a trip out to Versailles. We got there early and stopped into the little cafe Angelina (in the main palace) for espresso and fruit. We wandered the grounds for quite a long time. As we headed out to Marie Antionette's Queen's Hamlet, which is a fair distance from the main palace, we came across a wonderful smelling oven in the park that was baking potatoes. They had elaborate toppings that were not vegan, but when asked for one with some oil, salt, and pepper on the golden russet cooked in an old fashion, outdoor oven-well, to say sitting on the grounds of Versailles as the sun rises above the trees while eating a wonderful treat like this was pretty ridiculously dreamy. ** I did not drink the strawberry juice as it had carmine in it and I didn't notice until after buying it.

At the end of the visit, having covered everything that was open, we ventured into the little city surrounding the palace to walk for about 10 minutes to Pur. A cafe with a sizable amount of vegan food (including chocolate pots). Much of it was premade in these adorable jars, and they were warmed up and served to you. The server attending the counter was so friendly and helpful. He spoke a bit of english, we spoke a bit of french, plus there's nothing a smile and politeness can't accomplish, honestly. Quinoa, veggies, hummus layered into the servings.

There were a couple of nights when we got back and were so wiped out that we didn't want to go to a restaurant. As luck would have it, the building we were staying in (built in the 17th Century and located in the Latin Quarter, which turned out to be an awesome place to stay) had a burrito place, Bocamexa, on the main level. And they had a vegan burrito plus guacamole and chips. Globalization at its finest if you ask me. I didn't manage to get a picture of the cute, very busy spot but I did get food there twice and was perfectly happy to lie in my bed at the end of a long day drinking champagne with my vegan burrito.

Truly the trick to Paris and avoiding lines is to get up early and get going. Only sleeping about 5 hours a night as I was determined to see everything I possibly could while there (my brother asked me how I could consider this a vacation). One day that this was genuinely evident was the day spent at the Louvre. On certain days of the week they stay open late and I went on this day, so at one point left to have a late lunch/early dinner and then head back there. I had pretty much the healthiest meal I've ever had in my life.

Le' bio d'Adam et Eve is about a 15 minute walk from the Louvre with the street light stops. It was lightly raining as well, so it was really charming to wander down the city streets on the way.

They had pre-prepared salads with all the things you can think of that are good for you with tasty dressings and thankfully a chocolate pot with candied ginger on top(dark chocolate is easy to find in Paris and I brought home a lot of it). They had sandwiches and other offerings as well. I had a half hummus sandwich with my salad and it was great to have the protein after walking so much.

On one particular day I visited four museums(!). In between two of them dinner was had at Le Pain Quotidian. Not too far from d'Orsay, I ordered a fixed course meal that included vegan hot chocolate, dessert, salad, bread, and the main course. It was so pleasant after the long day headed into the long evening that we took our time enjoying the food. This is an excellent time to note that even when you stop for, say, french fries and a smoothie, which we did earlier in the day at Friends Burger, expect to take your time. Food is a leisurely pursuit and people linger over meals. Many places also cook at lower temperatures than here in the states, so it can take longer for things to arrive.

Squeezed in between the presidential elections and over the national holiday in Europe of May Day, where everything was closed (except Starbucks), I spent the day at Disneyland Paris. I had done some reading about what to do about food out here, and I did bring some snacks for the day (but also there was popcorn). I pre-booked a table at the Agrabah Cafe as was recommended by some travel blogs. And that was an excellent piece of advice. Disney filled up early but also emptied early and we managed to go on nearly every ride and experience that was open. When we went to eat, people were being turned away who didn't have reservations and most of them ended up at food carts and the like. The buffet style cafe was middle eastern fare and offered a variety of vegetable curries, salads, breads, fruit, and even dessert. It was a bit expensive but that's Disney for you. At the end of the day at Disney we headed to downtown Disney to see what they had on offer and stopped for a drink at Planet Hollywood (so-all the "theme" places are American. It's really funny. A Sports bar, A Western Bar, Planet Hollywood, Starbucks, American 50's burger place). Our bartender was exceptionally sweet, and well, pretty sure that Planet Hollywood hadn't been remodeled since the 90's.

The next three places are my favorite places we ate including the best pizza I've had in my life and I mean before I was vegan too.

First up: Raw Cakes, 100% vegan and gluten-free. A bright pink place in between visiting the catacombs and hopping a train to a cemetery, we stopped in here thinking only to find dessert but managed to have a delicious veggie burger as well. I loved my caramel baton and mint raw cake.

The next place was our most expensive and elegant meal that much to my joy FINALLY included french macarons. Gentle Gourmet is an all vegan fine dining restaurant and has been open for less than a year, but you would never know it from going there. Located on a city street corner across from the river there is lots of people watching to be done as well. The meal was superb and I had morel mushroom risotto and a blueberry caviar appetizer paired with espresso and macarons, and my companion had a sesame crusted tofu dish that was divine. And the presentation-well, just look for yourself:

The last place I am going to tell you about I ended up at because an Indian place I wanted to try was closed. I had been hoping to get here and I did not make it to the vegan burger place they also own but I do not in anyway regret my choice of pizza.

Hank's Vegan Pizza was a magical, hip, two story joint that had pizza with a crust like a flaky croissant. It was drizzled with truffle oils, and topped with sauces and fresh veggies. The meal included a salad and fresh made vegan cookie. I do not think I can do justice to describing this pizza. It was melty, fragrant, crusty but not hard -- wonderful. I so wish there was a place like this here. I absolutely have to go back just to try the vegan burger place. The owner was working the counter and was beyond thrilled when I told him how much I loved it. (Truly lovely people in Paris.) I really think that no matter your diet, if you ate here you would be pleased.

I was going to include the bars we stopped at and a word about Delta's vegan food but I'll save that for another time as this is so long and I am now pretty hungry and deeply regretting I can't have any of this food right now. Thank you for reading! Happy food, happy planet!

What to Eat Wednesday: Vegan Ice Cream and Milkshakes in the Twin Cities.

June 28, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

People have no idea how good they've got it now. The first time I had some sort of vegan ice cream at the now defunct Mud Pie it was called Oatscreme and it was awful. I didn't try another dairy free dessert for sometime after that and I was pretty skeptical of anything put in front of me. I remember having a similar reaction the first time I had a rice based sour cream. Good grief, just dreadful. It's like those people who tell you carob is like chocolate. NOPE. This is one of the foulest lies in all of human existence.

There were sorbets but seriously *yawn*. Sorbet is not the same as a rich, wonderful ice cream and we all know it.

Many things in the world seem like they might not be making progress but when it comes to vegan ice cream and treats that's not the case. So at least we have something to soothe our troubled souls.

For those of you in Minneapolis some of these are pretty obvious but others are a little bit more under the radar.

Let's start with Izzy's Ice Cream. Izzy's has two locations: one in St. Paul and one in downtown Minneapolis. I've been to both many times. On a hot summer day there is usually a very, very, long line. They have a pretty decent number of vegan flavors. Some are sorbets and are better than your average and of those my favorite is the passionfruit. But they also have ice cream and it is wonderful. My favorite is the peanut butter chocolate followed closely by the blueberry. They offer a sugar cone that is vegan and a gluten free cone as well. They will wash scoops/use a new one for you. The kids that work there are great. You can also click their website for up to the minute flavors on offer. The strawberry vegan ice cream this time of year most especially is beyond. The strawberries being fresh and all. I like going to the downtown one because you can go to the park right next to it.

Next we'll head over to Milkjam. The newest spot of the bunch and currently has my favorite flavor: Black-a chocolate for the darkest at heart. It really is perfect. They have a variety of unusual flavors that are vegan including a Champagne, Curry, Banana Peanut Butter with Oreo, Coconut, Very Berry. They offer a vegan cone and cups. You can try what you like before you decide. The donuts for the ice cream sandwiches are not vegan. However, for my birthday last year someone went and got me vegan donuts and made me ice cream sandwiches and I could only eat a half. So maybe it's not the worst thing. The lines here in summertime get really long and there's not much seating so be warned. It is worth it for sure but be prepared to wait when it's hot.

Since we're in the area we'll go to The Wedge Coop. The coffee/juice bar offers coconut soft serve in a cone and vegan shakes. I love, love the peanut butter chocolate shake(yes, I am a chocolate freak)(Also extremely helpful for PMS and bad moods). Occasionally they will have vegan oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwiches and in March they have vegan mint shakes. For PRIDE they had rainbow sprinkles. Good stuff. And not unlike Dairy Queen from when you were a kid (but better).

If you find yourself out at the Mall of America because sometimes it can't be helped and you know, the Lego store is out there-there is a bit of a hidden surprise. Paciugo Gelato has a whole bunch of vegan flavors. Many of them are water based so they are really low-calorie too. These are franchises so different ones offer different flavors. Some of my favorites are the coffee, limoncello, berry. The fun part of this is even in a small cup you can get up to three different flavors. On the weekends they tend to get cleaned out, I sadly learned the hard way. But if you are out there during the week you'll have your pick.

It took so many years but Ben and Jerry's is finally carrying vegan flavors. They have pints in stores but at the Ben and Jerry's in Calhoun Commons they also have a few available for cones and a milkshake made with almond milk. The PB and Cookie shake is so decadent and so delicious. Even the small size I ended up sharing because it is rich (and dreamy). I walk around the lakes when I get these because these are NOT low-calorie.

you might not know as well.

The first being Wok in the Park.

A favorite place for dinner and dessert. They almost always have vegan coconut and mango sorbet and they have Chinese donuts that the chef will put together a vegan version for you. But every now and then they also have a vegan chocolate cake (sweet merciful crap) and even more rarely but not any less delightful: vegan strawberry ice cream with strawberry rhubarb pie. *Always ask* if dessert is your thing. The staff here is wonderful and they have no problem doing what they can to accommodate you.

A favorite coffee and breakfast place with friends is Bad Waitress. I should say I have not been to the new location yet. But the original is a good, old standby and in the last couple of years started to carry vegan chocolate cake from the Wedge and vegan vanilla and chocolate milkshakes. They are old-fashion style and they are huge. They don't have a vegan whipped cream but really you don't need it, you're gonna get a lot already.

I think of French Meadow as a fancier place to eat. Most likely because it tends to be on the more expensive side of casual dining. They are of course, known for their bakery and in the last few years especially have made more and more vegan (and some gluten free) items available. My personal favorite being the rose cake which you can also get with their vegan vanilla custard. The custard is creamier than your regular vegan ice cream and French Meadow uses quality ingredients and it genuinely shows in their treats. The custard comes served with a vegan caramel cookie normally but if you request it you can get it with whatever you like as this is another place with a great and accommodating staff.

I know there's more out there and I am getting to them. In between exercising.

What to Eat Wednesday: Kansas City, MO (and one little trip to KC, Kansas)

June 21, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

I wasn't sure what to expect from a visit to Kansas City, MO. Truthfully, it wasn't a place I had thought much about at all. So when I got there and found good food, cool shops, amazing museums and great coffee I was really happy. I should at this point in my life not be surprised to find cool things in the Midwest. People don't think much of it usually as the coasts and Las Vegas get all the attention. But if you have a bit of a sense of adventure you can find some awesome stuff out here. I mean now everyone wants to go to House on the Rock so there you go.

I didn't eat out a whole lot in KC because I had an AirBnB apartment and being able to cook at "home" especially on trips that are a week or so long or more- I really appreciate. Don't get me wrong I obviously love to eat out but I also try to watch my salt intake and calorie intake and consume a certain amount of fresh food per day.

With that said I can start with a link to a natural grocery I went to in KC, Kansas and picked up some stuff. I really like going to co-ops and things in other cities because you can find local/regional things you can't get at home. I almost always end up bringing something back from the grocery store. A trip to Nature's Own provided some of those things including regional coffee beans to bring back.

I know KC is famous for it's barbecue but as a vegan this is not something I was looking for and as I looked into what to eat in KC I found a pretty big, thriving international community. There was a lot to pick from but hours being limited here and there narrowed some of my options at times. One place I did go in the international market area was Bo Ling's Chinese. I made it there just before they were going to close down until dinner but they took no issue with that and seated me. The server was a charming, little human who had no problem answering all my questions and double checking information, something I always appreciate in a new place. I had a yummy green bean stir fry which as it turns out is some of my favorite stir fry. I always thought I hated green beans having grown up on the brown, mushy ones from cans but I love a fresh green bean (or 20) and if it can be flash fried in a wok with some spice, all the better. And of course, pot stickers. I could eat about a hundred veggie pot stickers in a sitting. I don't but I could. They had an adequate fresh spring roll. I have to say adequate because nothing lives up to my favorites. These are acceptable *no issue* except the they are not from Vo's in Minneapolis. Not the spring rolls fault at all.

My favorite place I ate at in Kansas City was Eden Alley. An all vegetarian/vegan cafe with lunch, dinner and a rotating brunch menu. I ate there twice. Once for lunch and once for brunch. I also ate outside on a patio surrounded by Spanish style architecture. It was quite lovely.

For lunch I had a potato burrito, pita hummus plate and raw chocolate avocado pie.

I had one of the most fabulous french toast dishes I've ever had with grilled orange slices and chocolate chips.

I highly recommend this stop on your trip to KC.

There are a lot of little corner bars and restaurants offering up many un-vegan friendly treats but luckily for me there was some yummy french fries and cocktails to be found right on the corner of the apartment I was staying in. French fries for me at this point are mostly just a vacation treat. I don't eat them much anymore which is very different from when I was younger.

They made really confident and well-put together cocktails. I am so super picky about this now. I don't drink much and my personal life is filled with people who are exceptional drinks makers so when I go out I am often disappointed. These were good. So stop into The Phoenix KC for a salty and sweet break. Vacation is for making bad choices and you might as well do it in style. Tasty, tasty style.

What to Eat Wednesday, Des Moines, Iowa

June 14, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

If you happen to find yourself in Des Moines, Iowa and you happen to find yourself vegan much like I did not all that long ago, allow me to proffer a couple of options for food. Des Moines is a college town and Iowa is an oddly progressive place with what some might consider backwards politics. They don't seem to work together well all the time but really that has no place in this particular post about soft-shell tacos and vegan pizza. You just sort of can't miss those little factors if you pay even a tiny bit of attention. My previous trip to Iowa had been to Cedar Rapids and was also quite enjoyable. But yet there were talks of politics that included being grateful for FEMA and criticizing the sitting president for saying we should all help each other. All over my locally prepared vegan breakfast. So-yes-odd.

First place that I stopped in at was Fong's Pizza. A white person's idea of a Polynesian bar and pizza place. No problem. We have one of those here in Minneapolis and we like it too.

Fong's doesn't have much in the way of vegan food but they do have a vegan pizza which is pretty rare vegan creature off in the lands of the wild Midwest. Used to be that vegan pizza was one of the unicorns of vegan food alongside donuts and cheese. They serve a cracker crust pie covered in salty vegan cheese and well, I liked it. The decor is silly and the server was mildly unhelpful but not rude. It was a perfectly fine place for an unhealthy, yummy, road trip meal.

The next place I ate I really liked a lot. Tacopocalypse is a smart, little place with a menu of a variety of vegan offerings. And of course, they have guacamole. Avocados are the one way in which I am absolutely a basic bitch and I eat a lot of them. I had a spicy tofu plate that I enjoyed a great deal and I would absolutely go here again.

SO if you happen to find yourself on what seems like an unvegan friendly stretch of land:

Remind yourself that all those fields around you are filled with corn and soybeans and it's going to be ok.

Meals on Wheels, Women's History Month

March 29, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

Today for Women's History I would like to share a little background about Meals on Wheels and though I know all of you have political fatigue at this point, it's more important than ever you keep showing up. Don't stop with the letters and calls and protests. Read the news, IT IS WORKING. We have City Caucuses happening the first week of April, do you know that?

And if for no other reason to care about Meals on Wheels: if you're one of those people posting about punching Nazis here you go-

The first idea of Meals on Wheels came during the Blitz in 1943. The Women's Volunteer Service started taking food to people who couldn't leave the city but whose homes were destroyed by bombings. They then started to bring meals to servicemen, and after the war, they recognized the need to start caring for the homebound elderly and injured service people.

In 1954 Doris Taylor MBE created the first official Meals on Wheels program in Port Adelaide, Australia serving its first 8 elderly clients. The first program in the US started in Pennsylvania.

It is now the largest and oldest National organization with more than 2 million volunteers. You can visit the site here: http://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org Learn more and donate if you can. If you have a few minutes to drop a phone call or note to a representative, please do that as well.

MN Wine Bucket List

February 9, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

In my continuing quest to visit all the wineries in Minnesota I didn't do so well in 2016. I only visited two this passed year and I'm thinking that must be remedied this year. Here's a little bit about the two I did visit. I really enjoyed the blueberry wine in particular at North Ridge Winery. It tasted just like pie filling and I loved it. The couple bottles of it I brought home did not last very long.

North Ridge is a pretty new winery and when I was there had only been open for about 10 months. It'll be a bit over year at this point. One of the owners we spoke with was very personable and open to answering all questions. He also did not mind letting us try whatever we liked. North Ridge additionally had a cider on tap. The next best wine I thought was the Raspberry Explosion which went great with dark chocolate. Raspberry is always a pretty good bet for going with dark chocolate. Sometimes the Raspberry wines are a bit too syrupy for my taste but this one managed to find the balance that keeps it from seeming more like cough syrup. I know it's not acceptable but I love fruit wines with the exception of Blue Loon at Sovereign Estate Winery which is more of a floral aroma and I really enjoyed it a great deal. The light, airy almost romantic scent in floral flavorings is hands down my favorite in liquors, wines and aperitifs.

Some snaps of North Ridge Winery:

The second winery I explored last year was Crow River Winery. Now this is a big place and established as an entertainment venue and wedding venue as well. There is food served in the tasting room and the staff was beyond attentive, taking care of our table as well as giving us an informed and not over wrought tour of the facility. I have to mention that I really enjoyed that everything has crows printed on it because I love the carrions. The one wine for me that stood out here was the cranberry wine. I brought that one home. Cranberries are widely available in the Midwest with them being grown in this part of the country. It was not too shabby of a way to spend a rainy day. Also, as a side note, this is the first place that I saw a fully automated bottling machine. That was interesting to me as most of the other places are at least partially hand bottled.

Here are some pictures from the day:

What To Eat Wednesday: Twin Cities Places to Try Before the End of 2016

October 19, 2016 Trimid Dew Lanns

We are headed straight to the end of the year and as such will come the New Year's Resolutions. I have been reading a lot lately how the vegan food movement has been growing in leaps and bounds over the last couple of years and that delights me completely. Whatever reasons you start to eat less meat there is one factor that can also be good: Your diet will get healthier and more adventurous.

That said it can be hard to know where to go and what to order. A lot of places these days do have clearly marked menus but I have done three previous posts about how to order vegan if you don't have a clearly marked menu. You can start with this information here if you like and there will be links to the next two posts as well.

If you are considering cutting back on meat consumption or doing away with it all together, allow me to share with you some places to try out to see what kinds of things you might enjoy. There are some well-known favorite places as well as some lesser known establishments.

Let's start with a bit of brunch.

Pizza Luce is famous for it's great vegan pizza but they also serve breakfast. It is only on the weekends and for a while they only served it in Duluth and St. Paul. They have expanded and I recently went and had one of my favorites: Vegan Quinoa Pancakes with warm apple compote. They also have a tofu scramble I love.

When you're looking for a veg lunch and you want it to be quick, look no further than Reverie Cafe. They serve all vegan food and when I was there, my companion and I tried the TLT and Berbere BBQ sandwich, both were great. Tasty and not too heavy. It's funny to me that I like veggie versions of BLT sandwiches, I used to really dislike them. But the veggie version here and at The Depot Tavern are super yummy.

The one person working by themselves that afternoon was totally great and friendly despite being relatively busy.

If you're looking for something a bit healthier head down to The Wedge Table. The Co-Op has expanded into a new space that has sit-in dining and more importantly: vegan cupcakes. They have a handful of options each time I have been that are vegan but my favorite is the Mayan Grains Bowl. Quinoa with black beans, sweet potatoes, kale, avocado slices, onions and avocado dressing. I add the grilled seitan as well. It's simple ingredients mixed together in a flavorful way.

I am going to share three places I think make great dinner stops. Though of course, you can eat there whenever you like! The first is a fully interactive experience. I have done this twice now and it's so fun and the more people you invite the more fun it can be. Little Szechuan in St. Paul offers Hotpot. Now if you've never had this before it can be a bit daunting. You sit at a table with a burner with a pot on top (and you can pick a completely vegetarian oil). Then you choose from a menu all the things you'd like to fry in the oil. Everything from lotus root to mushrooms to tofu in all forms. You then head over to the "bar" where you can create your own mixture of flavor oils, salts, powders and spice to dip these things in after they are cooked.

You take turns cooking things up and mixing and so you kind of never exactly know what you're going to get. I love this and I also love that it can be super spicy. But that's my preference. You definitely don't have to go spicy.

Added bonus: each pot is split in two so you can keep your side gluten free if you need to.

Never have I ever been in a place that smells as good as Everest on Grand. Located in St. Paul and in a cute neighborhood, this is one of my favorite places to eat in the Twin Cities. I usually go here for dinner but I am told they also have a vegan friendly lunch buffet. Everything I have tried on the menu I have liked. From lentil soup to momos to curry. They have an extensive veg menu and it is actually to me, a super great place to eat in winter. There is something very warming about the food. Some of the more decadent things include Tofu Pakoras and Momos (I once saw a little girl about 7-8 years old eat 20 veggie momos when I was there). For curry I really enjoy the Matar Curry and Kabuli Chana. They do sometimes additionally have one with asparagus that is beyond yummy. And again, you can get some real spice here.

In a similar vein, here in Minneapolis you can eat at a long time great place and favorite stop of mine: Gorkha Palace. Active in the community, kind people and just really good food. I've written about them before and they will likely always be on my favorites list. You can also have their momos with tomato chutney at the Mill City Farmer's Market in the summer time. I love sitting by the river and enjoying them.

Yes, I love momos. And Chana. Though my favorite and it can be ass-kickingly hot is Channa Saag. The veggies pakoras are quite good and come in a large quantity. The leftovers of food from here heat back up quite well.

Last but certainly not least is dessert. My new favorite ice cream comes from Milk Jam Creamery.

I love, love, love dark chocolate and none is better in ice cream form than the Black ice cream at Milkjam. It's usually busy and well worth the wait. However, I am a tiny bit miffed that you can't get one of the ice cream sandwiches made with Glam Doll donuts since they don't have vegan ones. I know, I know, champagne problems.

Speaking of which, Milkjam also has Champagne floats.

So go forth and conquer! I will have more for you at the end of the year. ENJOY!

What to Eat Wednesday: Houston

September 28, 2016 Trimid Dew Lanns

Good grief, I've been meaning to write this post for some time now. I went to Houston at the end of January and start of February. My sister was getting married and it was a wonderful time. I didn't go out to eat too much as we made food together as a family a couple of times and of course, the wedding.

I did write about one place I went when I was there and I had wanted to go for a long time: The Johnson Space Center.

So here are a few food places in Houston and around Houston (my sister got married on Galveston Bay) where you can get some good vegan food, donuts and coffee.

I always have a tough time finding good vegan mochas. Especially in the south. Somehow I got lucky this time and there was an adorable place a few blocks from the hotel called The Art of Coffee. It was filled with local art on the Kemah Boardwalk. An adorable neighborhood filled with candy colored homes.

We found a veg place that had really great reviews by the name of Field of Greens. I thought my tofu sandwich was simple, grilled, flavorful and of course, seasoned fries as I was on vacation. I also had a smoothie that I thought was not too bad. Not the best but still good.

My favorite, FAVORITE thing about visiting Texas is the Mexican and Tex-Mex food. This amazing place where they made fresh guacamole was one of the best I've been to in the last few years. Mamacita's was excellent. The margaritas were on the rocks and tangy. The food was fresh and they had no issue accommodating dietary requests. I loved my food here.

My new favorite naughty food adventure to take when on a trip is to find vegan donuts. This is a new tradition and Houston didn't disappoint. The place that was open when I had time to go (there are other options) was Hugs and Donuts. They had several vegan cake donuts for the taking and the blueberry one was divine. We got there near closing time in the early afternoon and they gave what was left to the kids outside so as not to waste them which I thought was even better.

Happy Eating!

What to Eat Wednesday: Vegan Las Vegas 2016

September 14, 2016 Trimid Dew Lanns

I went to Las Vegas again this year. It happens when tickets are cheap, the room is free and you need a break from reality. I am not a gambler so it's sort of funny that I've been here so many times. However, I love shows especially Cirque Du Soleil. I've seen 14 of their shows. I saw "O" this year and wow, it blew me away. There is also great vegan food in Las Vegas these days. I wrote about it here last year and now I'll share some old favorites and new ones.

I went back to Slice of Vegas because the food is so good and of course they have an entire vegan menu. I am quite glad however that I walk tons and tons in Vegas.

This year our server at Slice of Vegas suggested we visit their other restaurant Hussong's.

The food was pretty good. I enjoyed my tacos quite a bit. They have an entire vegan menu as well.

We try to go to one nice place each time we're there in between the causal dining. We love the Wynn for this.

Last year we ate at Wing Lei which is the amazing Chinese restaurant there. This year we ate at Costa di Mare. An Italian, Mediterranean place. The food is out of this world. Rich, aromatic, with excellent cocktails to match. The service at the Wynn is always above and beyond. We get absolutely no attitude about our dietary restrictions. We also eat at the buffet at the Wynn when we are in town as it's one of the best.

The atmosphere is gorgeous and romantic.

Off the strip we visited the not so fancy but magically delicious Ronald's Donuts. They have nearly 2 cases of vegan donuts. And the prices are so good. Most of the time you pay up to $6 for a single donut. Not here. $1.5-2.50. Lovely owners as well. I read the most stellar reviews of the donuts and they did not disappoint.

Breakfast was had at Violette's Vegan. I've had dinner here before and breakfast was quite good.

Simple, hearty vegan fare.

I randomly was looking for lunch one day and wandered by a bar in the hotel I was staying at and found Holstein's.

It's not super vegan friendly, but they had a really great veggie burger with fries but what was truly the most YUMMY drink I had all week there was the Vegan Raspberry Coconut Milkshake. I actually went back and had one again at night the next day. It does have alcohol in it but I am sure they will make it without if you prefer. My pics are not great but wow, the food was a delightful surprise.

I tend to have a hard time finding a decent mocha in the mornings in Vegas. I always end up at Starbucks because they at least have soy milk. Hopefully, next time around I'll have better luck.

Happy Travels!

How to Order Vegan Part 3: Indian Food

June 15, 2016 Trimid Dew Lanns

Today in my third part of How to Order Vegan we’re going to cover some but likely not all, Indian food. There are so many types of Indian food that I doubt I could get it all. I mean the country does have a billion people in it so, probably they’ve created more types of food than my tiny brain can comprehend.

However, I am going to try to give you some advice for ordering in Indian restaurants or Indian fusion restaurants. The great part of this is that a large part of the population of India is vegetarian. It is part of their largest religion to honor animals and not to consume them. This usually means it’s not too hard to find vegetarian and vegan food in Indian places.

*All the delicious things at Namaste Cafe. — *All the delicious things at Namaste Cafe.

That said there are a few things to look for:

-Indian breads such as roti & naan are amazing. Many of them are made with butter. If you ask you can generally find out easy enough and they can be made with oil instead. Some also contain milk products so you’ll want to check on that as well.

-Ghee is a clarified butter commonly used in Indian cooking. Many vegetarian dishes contain Ghee so make sure to check that your dish is free of butter.

-Paneer is a word for types of cheese used in Indian cooking. It is a popular vegetarian dish but if you’re looking for something vegan you'll want to steer clear.

-Most curries and Chana type dishes, Chana Aloo and Chana Masala, are based in coconut milk. Which is delicious, healthy and accents spices. So if your dish looks creamy and you are told it’s coconut milk, you are in the clear.

*Chana Saag from Gorkha Palace. — *Chana Saag from Gorkha Palace.

-There are many ways to garnish Indian dishes. Chutneys are remarkable mixtures to dress up food. You will want to look out for yogurt based ones. A lot of them are made with coconut milk but if it’s creamy, I’d double check.

*Tremendous pile of food from New India in Austin, Texas. — *Tremendous pile of food from New India in Austin, Texas.

*Side note: Indian food can be HOT as HELL if you want it to be. If you’re more on the mild side, be warned when asked about spice level. Hotter can be VERY HOT. I love it but I know not everyone wants to melt their face off.

*Art by The Playful Indian. — *Art by The Playful Indian.

-If you can get it vegan, you should have Dal soup. It is wonderful. It can be hard to come by vegan as the lentils are often cooked in ghee beforehand.

-I don't feel that I need to get into the "avoid meat part" of this too much. I think you know that is the first step. The last bit I can suggest is that appetizers are one of the best parts of Indian food. Getting to stuff your face with pakoras and samosas is about as wonderful as appetizers can get. I have never had this happen personally, but I have been told that on occasion the breading is made with diary or chicken stock. If you have have any questions about this, ask your server. They will either know or will go find out for you.

With that, I heartily encourage you to explore Indian food. It is unmatched for aromatic magic as far as I am concerned.

Time Travel Thursday: Talamanca Reserve, Costa Rica

May 12, 2016 Trimid Dew Lanns

Going back through my travel posts as I've gotten completely off track with them: I realized that I never even posted my favorite place that I stayed in Costa Rica at the end of January this year. I had some genuine adventures in the jungles and on the wild beaches but when we headed into the mountains to Cerro Chirripó, I was so in love. This is Costa Rica's highest mountain range and it is covered in what is called cloud forest. Meaning the elevation is so high that the land is often veiled in clouds. It is so beautiful and so ethereal it is like being in another dimension. The place is teeming with birds and butterflies all in the brightest, most magical of colors. Flowers grow in abundance and the hiking gives you glimpses of breathtaking sights. And when you are all worn out at the end of the day you can stay at Talamanca Reserve. A gorgeous, comfortable haven nestled into the mountains with luxurious accommodations that included hot water showers(solar powered), gourmet food and a great bar. They accommodated my vegan diet with a variety of delicious and healthy dishes. The cabin was near a river that as you walked you passed dozens of plants and species of butterflies. In one short walk I must've caught a look at over 30 kinds of moths and butterflies. I cannot recommend this place enough. The staff was phenomenal to us and took care of everything as well as answering our millions of questions. I had a hard time picking through my pictures to share. So here is some and the next thing will be Cloudbridge Reserve which you can hike to from Talamanca.

Happy Adventures!

How to Order Vegan Part 2

April 15, 2016 Trimid Dew Lanns

I am back with the second part of my How to Order Vegan posts. You can find the first post here: How to Order Vegan Part 1.

In this installment of how to order vegan we are going to cover Mexican food, Mediterranean food, and Pizza.

Growing up on the Mexican border, I spent a fair amount of time eating in Mexico. I love Mexican food. That said, living this far North can make it a little tricky to find true Mexican food. Be that as it may, the variations including Tex-Mex share some similar features in recipes. These tips tend to be things that can carry over into all the types of Mexican and Tex-Mex you come across. There are always the obvious things: no cheese, no meat. Likely it will include no sour cream as well. This is especially important since most sour cream is not even vegetarian as it contains gelatin.

Other things to note:

-Rice can be cooked in chicken stock

-Beans can be cooked in an animal stock

-Mole is rendered with lard

-Tamales and Enchiladas can often be made vegan if they are made fresh. If they are made in advance they will often have cheese or beef stock in them.

-Tortillas can be fried in lard

-Double check that guacamole does not have cheese added to it

That said, there is almost always something that can be vegan at a Mexican/Mexican-like restaurant.

tostadas from Nico's Taco Bar.(Drinks, food and patio! Woohoo!)

I don’t get to travel as much as I’d like. Probably a lot of people will say that. However, they likely won’t say that they try falafel everywhere they do get to go. I do. I love falafel and it’s many trappings- hummus, tahini, fresh chopped veggies.

Mediterranean Food is an excellent vegan food and it’s not too terrible for you either. I know it might seem that gyros(lamb), chicken, and beef dominate this type of cuisine but they most certainly do not have to.

Grilled veggies abound and a lot of things are based in chickpeas and sesame seeds. Eggplant is also a prevalent ingredient.

Things to check for include:

-Nearly all falafel is cooked in grapeseed oil or olive oil. It can also be baked(Egyptian style)-on occasion it is cooked with an animal stock in it.

-Greek salad is easily made vegan by leaving off feta cheese

-Avoiding things that have yogurt. Sometimes you can get tzatziki sauce without diary but not always. Definitely ask about this if this is what you want.

-I’ve on occasion run into hummus having gelatin in it. This is a rare occurrence but not impossible.

-Ask if rice is free of chicken stock

-Various types of samosas and dolmas are out there but you can run into ones having meat in them. It never hurts to double check.

Mediterranean food is an excellent way to dine out vegan. All the places I’ve tried falafel have their own way of making it from varying spices, cooking methods and sauces. I’ve even had it wrapped up with a thin tortilla type wrap, filled with hot sauce and grilled(yum).

I also find it to be great comfort food. If I am feeling especially bad, most places offer french fries as a side and dipping those in hummus that is usually fresh made can make anyone more cheerful.

Falafel from Holy Land in the Midtown Global Market.

The final part of this second installment we’ll go over everyone’s favorite: PIZZA!

It’s a great time to be vegan as more places than ever offer at least SOMETHING for an option. This has not always been the case, sadly.

If you go to a place like Pizza Nea or Pizza Luce around the Twin Cities you can even get alternative meat options including, at Pizza Nea, choices from the first vegan butcher shop, Herbivorous Butcher.

But, the reality is more often that there is not alternative meat or faux cheese options. That does not mean that you cannot have a delicious meal. One of my favorites in town is from Punch Pizza called the Gigi. It’s simply thin crust, olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and basil. I often add mushrooms and artichoke hearts to it as well. It’s divine.

Things to look for:

-Ask if the crust is vegan because it can contain lard making it not even vegetarian. This tends to be true more for the cracker-style crust pizzas rather than Neapolitan-style or deep dish.

-Cheese can have rennet in it which is an enzyme that comes from animals, again making it not even vegetarian.

-Make sure sauce is meat and cheese free. Chunky tomato sauce tends to be a good bet if you’re unsure.

-Bianca sauce can be difficult to find vegan. Luckily for Minneapolis, you can go to Galactic Pizza and have their aromatic, melty perfection.

*An extra thing to note: If you have the option of a seasonal veggie pizza, I would go for it. This usually means the freshest possible ingredients. Minnesota has amazing mushroom pizzas for this very reason. If you haven’t had morels on a pizza you are missing out.

I’m working on Part 3 which will include Indian food and it’s vast varieties! Happy EATING!

What to Eat Wednesday: Madison, Wisconsin

April 6, 2016 Trimid Dew Lanns

I've written about eating in Madison before, right here. The food is pretty great in this pretty great town. My most recent trip there a few weeks ago was no exception.

I've been to the Green Owl Cafe in the past but I don't recall having had a dessert that they serve. Well, I had one this time, a vegan Chocolate Lava cake with ice cream and it was scrumptious. I have not had a dessert that good and perfect and fabulously rich in some time. Dinner was tasty as well. In particular, the Vegan Caesar Salad with grilled lemony tofu. It's a cute place, casual. Most of Madison is casual and laid back.

A favorite place to eat in Madison is Monty's Blue Plate Diner. I love breakfast here and actually, had the almond milk vegan french toast for dinner one night. Other yummies: Vegan Country Breakfast, Vegan Curry and sandwiches.

Even though I love eating at Monty's I have to have coffee from EVP Coffee in the morning. A friend introduced me to this place and now I even bring it home with me from my visits.

A place new to my palate on this visit was a trip to The Roman Candle. They had these breadsticks that made my mouth super happy and the pizza was fantastic. They make a spicy sauce on a pizza called the Vegan Destroyer. Absolutely worth a stop.

Happy Eating! In Madison!