Vegan

Nothing can stop the vegan ice cream wars

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Vegan ice cream is taking over my FGV life. It is everywhere and becoming easier to find. The days of having to wait until my Californian vacations to get my chubby paws on some of the good stuff are long gone. Europe is swimming in the stuff and the current champion of the vegan ice pool over here is Swedish Glace.

Their frozen sweets are delicious and I have often sung their praises. Well, strap yourself in as I am about to take you on another journey featuring a Swedish Glace delight of delicious proportions. I’m talking about the waffle cone Peak Cornet.

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Gone fishin’

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There is no food more closely associated with living in the UK than fish and chips. Curry might be more popular now but chip shops are still a long-standing tradition. As a child in Australia, I remember watching Eastenders where a lot of the dramatic action centred around the workers and customers in the local chippy. That means chip shop for the uninitiated.

Chippies are everywhere. No matter if you stroll around an affluent suburb or consider the food options near a housing estate, you will never be far from a vendor selling fish and chips. As a vegan, I don’t look twice at these establishments and their very existence is a constant visual reminder of the barbaric fishing industry that is responsible for rapidly-depleting marine life.

But vegans are a crafty bunch and will always find a way to be part of the action without hurting anyone on the land or in the sea. Dear FGV visitors, I give you Something Fishy. Oh yes, this is a vegan fish and chips truck.

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London Vegan Potluck 4 review

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The London Vegan Potluck is becoming something of a phenomenon. On the first Wednesday of each month, London food enthusiasts are coming together en masse to create one of the best vegan social events in the UK.

This FGV is incredibly proud that what started as a simple idea has blossomed into a thriving monthly night. I am even prouder to know the event this month was just as big a success as the first three potlucks even though I was busy eating the vegan treats of Barcelona and couldn’t be there.

Kip of the fabulous, must-read The Messy Vegetarian Cook blog has kindly written a review of the potluck. Much love and thanks for doing this in my absence, Kip. In addition, devoted potluck attendees Linda and Andrea helped run the evening with Andrea managing to capture a few images of the mouth-watering food on offer. Thank you!

I’m sorry to have missed this event, but nothing will keep the FGV from the next potluck scheduled for September 7. Take it away, Kip!

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Tell your friends we’re the most

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If you haven’t been investigating the in-house range of beauty products and toiletries at UK high street mega-retailer Superdrug, then you have been missing out on a staggeringly-comprehensive range of cruelty-free items.

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Stick it to the pimp: vegan ice cream wars

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The vegan ice cream wars are in full effect and a front runner has now taken the lead here in Barcelona. It is sweet, chocolate/candy coated and comes on a handy stick.  FGV readers, I introduce the Swedish Glace Pearl.

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Hyper when I ventilate

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There is no big mystery here. I love Ms. Cupcake and I love all of her delicious treats and temptations. I have eaten every imaginable variety of mini cake from the bakery but today I got served. That means I was taught a lesson. A lesson where the learning intention was the tastiness of the watermelon cupcake I devoured.

Delicious. Moist. Super sweet. Frosting outweighing sponge.

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Take me to the places that I love best

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Hampstead Heath is just about as famous/infamous a location as you can get in London. The stunning inner-city parkland is a historical, picturesque expanse of greenery dotted with reservoirs and woodlands. People make the trip to the park from all over the city to take in the glorious skyline views, admire the wildlife and engage in sexual activities.

Oh yes. Sex. The Heath has long been a destination for men seeking casual and anonymous encounters. Of course, its most famous cruiser is George Michael who allegedly shouted “Fuck off! It’s part of my culture” to a snooping tabloid reporter as he unashamedly went about his business.

But aside from Hampstead being a visual treat and a place for the interested to meet, it is also a charming and surprising must-visit location for vegans.

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Chelsea don’t eat no meat

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I’m not a fan of festivals. The thought of searing sun, overpriced booze and fools with flags has been deterrent enough for most of my FGV life. Up until a few weeks ago, I had only ever been lured to a music festival once in my life and that was by the promise of seeing Morrissey live. I suffered through a stifling Australian day back in the Summer of 2002 and was forced to listen to some truly dreary supporting bands.

Fast forward almost a decade and Morrissey managed to drag me back to my second ever festival. A few weeks ago, I found myself strolling around a rather pleasant field of people in Kent as a cavalcade of musical legends (including Morrissey) thrilled on stage. Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and Prince (yes, Prince!) drew tens of thousands of people to the three day event known as the Hop Farm Festival. Morrissey and Prince were my major draw cards and both artists were close to the best I have ever seen them, but I must say I was also blown away by the copious amounts of vegan food on offer.

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Seitan rejected my soul

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I love a good piece of meat… fake, that is and fake meat rarely comes better than a chunky slab of seitan. Seitan is a meat substitute made of wheat gluten originating from China and it is particularly chewy. It is perfect for cooking with sauces and marinades as it sucks up liquid and flavours expertly.

I don’t see a lot of quality seitan in the UK so it was with immense delight that I watched Josh produce a jar of the good stuff from his grocery bag recently. Lima seitan is a quality wheat meat that is easy to carve and is barely flavoured, making it perfect to absorb any sauce you throw at it.

It doesn’t appear to be available in many stores but the Lima website does have a list of suppliers and retail outlets. It is apparently available in countries as far spread as the Czech Republic, Bahrain, Croatia, Spain, Israel, Slovenia and Iceland. Their availability reads like the Eurovision finalist list! We didn’t have to travel that far to nab our jar as Josh made his purchase in Alara Health Store located on Marchmont Street in Bloomsbury.

So what did I make with this wonder product?

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To market, to market

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Do you want to get involved in one of the most exciting vegan projects that has ever taken place in London?

Peter from October Cafe is developing a multi-vendor market in the heart of the city! I won’t waffle on too much as I want to give Peter the floor to explain how it works. Let’s just say it is a dream of mine to shop at an all vegan market and I will be first in line to see what the cruelty-free vendors have on offer.

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