Ice cream defeated me

The Vegan Ice Cream Wars have left many casualties throughout a long and tumultuous history. Sadly, the FGV himself (that’s me!) is the latest in a long line of the fallen.

I should learn restraint, but I don’t have an off switch when presented with a full tub of chocolate ice cream. I keep eating until there is nothing.

Yi is the newish kid on the block when it comes to dairy free dessert and I was keen to get my chubby paws around a tub. The container I purchased in Whole Foods Market was a substantial price and came with the warning usually associated with the ingredient xylitol. You know, too much will result in frequent trips to the toilet.

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Cupcake competition

Living in London, it is easy to feel like you are at the centre of all things vegan in the UK. We have a monthly potluck, a monthly drinks event, a yearly beer fest, amazing vegan bakeries, vegan friendly restaurants and countless social events.

We have it pretty good in the capital and can often be guilty of overlooking the rest of the country when it comes to vegan good times. Take the upcoming vegan cupcake competition in Leeds. It sounds fab and should be celebrated.

Iron Cupcake: Leeds is a baking competition that has been happening for a few years in the Yorkshire city. Every time it runs, participants follow the designated theme to create 12 cupcakes in order to impress judges and take home a prize.

ic-logos

People not baking are welcome to buy tickets so they can take part in the excitement by watching the action unfold and getting a taste of the entries.

On March 9, 2014 the competition pushes the plant-based agenda by making the theme of Iron Cupcake: Leeds vegan. Yes, that right. Every single entry in the competition needs to be completely free of animal derived products.

Get over to the official website right now to book your place in the competition or grab a ticket to be a spectator.

Enjoy!

Chicken and rainbows

My Instagram account got a good workout today. I spent a large part of the day in north London and managed to snap a few photos of things that caught my attention.

Here are two of my favourite things from Saturday March 1, 2014.

Plate of vegan chicken at Loving Hut, Archway – deep fried balls with sweet & sour sauce, smoked chicken and salty chicken
Super cute rainbow cardigan in ethical cotton made by Komodo – seen in The Third Estate boutique, Kentish Town

 Follow me on Instagram!

Breakfast was lovely

So much has been going on since I returned home from Mexico City. It has been a whirlwind of activity.

But certainly one of the highlights for me since arriving back in the UK was hosting the mammoth London Vegan Breakfast Club in conjunction with Shambhu’s Vegan Catering.

40 people packed into the kitchen and canteen known as The Food Chain in King’s Cross to enjoy one incredibly satisfying morning meal. The plates were piled high with vegan breakfast delights such as fried bread, baked beans, sausages, greens and hash browns. Attendees guzzled record amounts of fairtrade coffee, tea and orange juice while the organic olive leaf tea was a smash hit, too.

Many thanks to all who came along. It was a wonderful community event.

Huge thanks to the companies involved in feeding the masses. Please click through to follow these people on Twitter and let them know how much it means that they support the vegan community: Fry’s Vegetarian (sausages), Mr. Organic (baked beans), Soyfoods (tofu), Vx (discount vouchers) and Mirabilia Olive Leaf Tea (tea, obviously!).

Finally, enjoy the photos below!

Nishma of Shambhu's serving Soyfoods tofu and prepping Mr Organic baked beans
Nishma of Shambhu’s serving Soyfoods tofu & prepping Mr Organic baked beans
We served a LOT of sausages on the day
We served a LOT of sausages on the day
The scramble was a hit
The scramble was a hit

Taco flavoured kisses

I have left Mexico behind (for now) but vegan versions of the cuisine are alive and well in our London apartment.

Josh conjured up this gorgeous dish you see below, reminiscent of a meal we gobbled in an organic restaurant in Mexico City. It was rather simple to make, looked fabulous and most of all, tasted like one hundred million pesos.

Recreating this dish is simple.

Sesame smoked tofu tacos topped with salsa verde, avocado & diced red pepper

Thinly slice a block of smoked tofu before searing it in a heavy pan. Lightly steam corn tortillas (can be warmed in the pan). Place the tofu with filling of your choice (we added BBQ sauce and vegan cheese) inside the tortillas and fold over. Arrange on a plate and cover with salsa verde. Dress with slices of avocado and diced red peppers.

That’s it!

The tortillas and salsa were from the Cool Chile Co. and the tofu was Taifun brand.

Beer is the future of city living

I was out and about in London tonight, drinking beer and laughing at drunk people (yes, it turned out to be a mirror), when a thought crossed my mind.

Had I confirmed the date for the 2014 London Vegan Beer Fest on my blog yet? I remember excitedly posting the date on Twitter and Facebook, but it occurred to me I hadn’t shared this information with my loyal FGV readers.

How rude of me.

Pencil it in. Saturday July 12, 2014.

In celebration of you now knowing this date, I am kindly sharing this photo of a pint of beer I consumed earlier this evening in a pub near Charing Cross, London.

Let’s me finish this brief (yet informative) post by asking you to leave a comment below telling me which beers we should feature at the event this year? What is your favourite vegan beer?

Answers below!

Made in Hackney

Every single day seems to bring another plea for donations. Crowdfunding has become the go-to way to pay the bills for everything from home baking enterprises to fully-realised restaurants.

The seemingly never ending requests for money can get a bit tiring. You only have so much to go round. How can you be sure that what you are backing is a worthwhile endeavour?

Getting a recommendation from someone is one way to cut through the sea of monetary requests and I am about to give you a recommendation that I truly hope you take onboard.

Made in Hackney is everything the world should be. This community-driven initiative organises pay by donation classes focussed on food growing, cooking and composting. These classes are delivered to residents of housing estates, local children, adults at risk and charities supporting people with mental health conditions.

All of their programs are plant based. Yes, 100% vegan. How awesome is that? Made in Hackney shows class attendees how to preserve foods, forage for ingredients and even make their own cosmetics.

The label says it all
The label says it all

The centre holds masterclasses to financially support the pay by donation classes and has been partially funded by Lottery funding that is now coming to an end. That is where concerned people like you and me come in with our money.

Made in Hackney needs money. The organisation is attempting to raise £12 500 in order to keep performing their vital community work. The campaign so far has seen just over half this amount amassed with just 21 days remaining.

Here is what I think you should do:

  • Donate money. Whatever you can afford.
  • Send a link to this blog or to the fundraiser page to everyone you know.
  • Write a blog post about the campaign yourself.
  • Email and write to newspapers, blogs and all mainstream media to raise awareness.
  • Book and pay for a Made in Hackney masterclass.

Even if this is the one community fundraiser you back this year, I am confident you couldn’t find a more deserving cause.

Read more about Made in Hackney here.

Donate to the Crowdfunder campaign here.

 

Get looser

Whenever I tell people I am going to Mexico or I say Mexico is the best or I proclaim that I wanna live in Mexico City, they more often than not say the same thing.

They say, “It isn’t very good for vegans down/over/up there”.

Well world, I have news for you. Mexico City has one vegan enterprise that places it squarely on the map as one of the best destinations on the planet for plant eaters.

Get ready to be jealous. Get ready to imitate the hell out of this. Just get ready.

Los Loosers.

Los Loosers is as simple as it is staggeringly-impressive. People make vegan food. People bag up vegan food. People deliver vegan food via fixed gear bicycle. In all of my travels in search of stomach satisfaction, I have rarely been so delighted, charmed and fulfilled by a food provider.

The menu is shared via social media between 9am and 10am every morning, Monday through Friday. Customers then message Los Loosers back expressing a desire for the food and a time is given for delivery. All the customer has to do then is be at the agreed spot at the agreed time to exchange money for food.

And it isn’t a lot of money. At time of posting, the menu item of the day will set you back just MX$65. That is about US$4.90 or GBP£3 for either a jumbo homemade sandwich or a bag of pastries. Including delivery!

Check out some of the items I ate during my recent vacation in Mexico City.

Delivery is made
Delivery is made

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On demand

I used to think I knew what my favourite pastime was… and then I got an email from vegan sweet food producer Scoff asking if I would like to sample their creations. Now my favourite pastime is eating Scoff treats.

Based in Brixton, this new vegan sweet treats provider is changing the game for cruelty-free eating in the UK forever. Their truffles and fudge are decadent, delicious and irresistible. I haven’t often experienced melt in your mouth moments, but the Scoff vanilla fudge took me to that place instantly.

The company does sell at local markets (check the website for locations), but the real thrill is their mailing service. Why leave the comfort of your house when you can have dark chocolate and Amaretto truffles delivered straight to your door? No need to get wet and cold by exposing yourself to the elements. Scoff will post bags of creamy ginger fudge directly to you.

Almost as nice as the food is the care and attention given to making the food look lovely. The fudge bags feature the super cute Scoff logo while the smart truffle boxes are held closed by ribbons. Obviously perfect for gift giving.

Did you hear I like getting gifts? 😉

Gorgeous presentation
Gorgeous presentation
Dark chocolate & Amaretto truffles
Dark chocolate & Amaretto truffles
Gorgeous fudge
Gorgeous fudge
Coconut truffles
Coconut truffles
Scoff of Brixton
Scoff of Brixton

Scoff is the future. Order online now!

Follow Scoff on Twitter

Like Scoff on Facebook

Post Saf

We are living in a post-Saf Restaurant & Bar world. It is a tough fact to face, but it’s the truth. London lost one of its finest vegan eateries and London Vegan Drinks lost a dependable source of pre-drinking dinner.

Attendees to London Vegan Drinks will now need to turn to Whole Foods Market and its food providers for sustenance. Here is what you can look forward to eating during the February event.

  • vegan pizza with vegan cheese
  • vegetable quesadillas without cheese or sour cream
  • veggie burger & chips without cheese (these are not cooked on shared grill or deep fryer)
  • jacket potato without cheese
  • vegan beer, vegan wine, vegan cider

As for the WOK station counter, they will have the following vegan options:

  • Tofu with peanut sauce (Sweet Chilli Sauce, Peanut Butter, Gluten Free Soy Sauce, Lemon Juice, Water and Rice Vinegar)
  • Broccoli (seasoning with Gluten Free soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Cooking Sake, Sugar, Sichuan peppercorn and Dried Red Chilli Peppers)
  • Courgette (seasoning with Gluten Free soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Cooking Sake, Sugar, Sichuan peppercorn and Dried Red Chilli Peppers)
  • Aubergine with hoisin sauce (soybeans, sugar, water, salt,  vinegar, garlic)
  • Mixed vegetables (bean sprout, carrots, sweet corns and edamame)

Not a bad eating line up at all, right?!

See you at London Vegan Drinks this Thursday.