Thai for best

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Wow. It is over. My mammoth month-long Friday night supper club event known as Around the World with FGV has come to an end.

What a food adventure!

We started with the gorgeously plated Caribbean cuisine of Vegan Peasant, moved on to the hearty Brazilian fare of Essential Vegan, were in awe of the technical skills of The Vegan Ronin during the Japanese dinner and finished up with the mouth watering delights of Thai street food made by The Messy Vegetarian Cook. 

Kip of The Messy Vegetarian Cook had a tough act to follow being the last of four world class food designers, but of course she pulled out all the stops for a decadent Thai meal that had everyone asking for more.

Check out the photos below to see the stunning line up of Thai delights and make sure you follow Kip on Twitter to see what she has planned next or to book her services.

starter

Starters – Miang Takrai (bite sized citrussy lemongrass parcels of minced coriander, aromatic mint, toasted sesame and fresh coconut, served with a tangy sweet dressing in wild pepper leaves) and Laab Hed Tao Hoo (cooked salad of spicy sour minced tofu and mushroom dressed with fresh herbs and lime)

noodles

table

Main – Kanom Jeen (coils of thin noodles served with two choices of coconut based sauce: nam ya (thick and spicy) and/or nam prik (rich and sweet), accompanied by an array of side dishes including fresh Thai herbs, vegetables, and condiments)

sticky rice

balls

milk balls

Desserts – Floating Lotus/Bua Loi (sticky rice balls in warm pandan infused sweet coconut milk and sticky rice with caramelised freshly grated coconut)

Breakfast is best

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Every now and then I like to throw out the following question: who serves the best vegan breakfast in London?

I do my best to bring you all you need to know about vegan eating in the UK capital, but it is nice when you give a little back. Please tell me where I should go in London for a cooked breakfast.

Below is a photo of a recent plate I enjoyed at The Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green (the setting for my upcoming Mexican supper club). Is this the best vegan fry up in London?

Give your suggestions below.

breakfast gallery cafe

Vegan milk, eggs and honey?

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In what is being hailed as a monumental advancement for vegans struggling to get protein, calcium and clothing, an Australian ‘animal whisperer’ has vowed to get permission from individual creatures before people farm them for by-products.

Animal psychic and compassionate livestock producer Noelene Boomer is making waves in both food manufacturer and animal welfare circles by claiming to be able to ask animals directly if they want to give their milk, honey and eggs to hungry humans.

Noelene has been communicating with animals on her family farm in central Queensland since she was a child where she discovered her mysterious skills the day a Merino sheep sent her a telepathic message that it didn’t want it’s wool anymore.

Noelene says, “I had always questioned if being sheared or milked is what our animals really wanted but now I can relax knowing that only the individuals who tell me they want to offer themselves are used for farming.”

Vegan activists worldwide are reacting to the news with cautious optimism.

Sean O’Callaghan of Fat Gay Vegan announced, “Finally what all plant eaters have been waiting for! An easy way to get protein and calcium without the hassle of a vegan diet. It really puts my mind at ease to know the animals can say they are OK with being farmed. It makes my life a lot easier. Noelene is a hero and a true champion for animal rights.”

In addition to her dairy and clothing consent work, Noelene plans to travel to some of the largest slaughterhouses on the planet as part of a year long campaign to remove animals that express no desire to be killed for food.

Meat for Life spokesperson Bill Flounders says, “Noelene is exactly what our industry needed. She is able to give us the stamp of approval and allow us to sell only the finest humane meat to our customers. All of our animals now give their full consent to being part of the industrialised food chain.”

Recall alert

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I was perusing the free from aisle in my local Waitrose today when I saw the following product withdrawal sign.

20140331_135057If you are having trouble reading the sign, it states the dairy free chocolate covered raisins by the Fabulous FreeFrom Factory have been recalled due to a few batches showing positive results for milk.

I phoned the distributor, VBites, and was told they had been instructed by the manufacturer to recall the products.

This led me to phone the manufacturer, Winning Ways Fine Foods. I spoke with the wonderfully-helpful Deborah who gave me all the information I asked for (and some I didn’t).

Dairy free chocolate raisins
Dairy free chocolate raisins

Deborah explained how a batch of the product had tested positive for trace amounts of casein, a protein found in dairy milk. The quantity was 12.6 parts per million, an almost undetectable level. But because the company is so fiercely protective of their dairy free claims, they ordered an instant recall of the positive batch and two subsequent batches to be on the safe side.

The batches recalled have the Best Before Dates of End Jan 2015, End Feb 2015 and End March 2015. Deborah stated that even though the risk of allergic reaction is incredibly low, the company decided to take drastic measures by recalling all stock that had the slightest chance of containing traces.

Deborah told me that she, along with her colleagues, has been devastated by this recall. The company can only surmise that their dark chocolate that is certified as completely dairy free was melted in or stored in a container that had previously been used to hold chocolate with traces of dairy.

Fit for a chubby, queer hand

The company is asking anyone with the product featuring the above mentioned best before dates to return them for a refund.

I do feel sorry for Winning Ways Fine Foods as I know how detrimental to a professional reputation a recall can be, especially when the products in question are marketed at the free from sector.

I commend Deborah and her colleagues for the decisive and prompt action they have taken to ensure the tainted product was recalled as quickly as possible. They are assuring all customers that they are doing all they can to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Rest assured vegans and dairy avoiders. The Fabulous FreeFrom Factory dairy free chocolate covered raisins are once again suitable for cruelty-free eaters and the dietary sensitive and we should support wonderful and thoughtful companies like Winning Ways. Rejoice!

 

Una cita

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Fat Gay Vegan (that’s me!), in conjunction with The Gallery Cafe of Bethnal Green, brings you a unique take on Mexican cuisine to east London.

The tastes, sights and sounds of Mexico City are coming to London for one night only. This special event is inspired by street food of the Mexican capital and the menu has been designed by me based on my love of the city.

**Ingredients are supplied in part by Cool Chile Co. Follow them on Twitter where they will be giving away a pair of tickets to this event**

The Gallery Cafe will be closed to the public as we dish up mouthwatering Mexican fare, play visuals on the large screen and pump up some Mexican pop music.

The menu for the evening will include:

Welcome cocktail and snacks (non-alcoholic version of cocktail available)

Esquites (street style bowls of succulent corn kernels cooked in a savoury both and topped with mayo, chile and lime)

Soft tacos (warm corn tortillas with a hearty, spiced filling topped with fresh avocado and herbs – served with mixed rice)

Churros (hot sweetened piped doughnuts coated in cinnamon and sugar served with dipping chocolate)

This is set to be a mammoth social event filled with food and fun. Gather your best amigos and get your tickets now.

Please note: tickets are sold on a non-refundable basis although you are permitted to sell your ticket forward in the event you can no longer attend.

Ticket price includes one cocktail on arrival. Extra beer, wine, cider, soft drinks, juices and hot drinks will be sold by The Gallery Cafe.

Good cheap eats

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Here is a grand, sweeping statement for you.

Out of all the food outlets I have written about over the years, the following is close to being the best value for money in London. Oh, it also serves incredibly delicious food.

Walking inside the Boiler House of Brick Lane on a weekend day is like stumbling across the key to eternal happiness. Not only will you find the gorgeous cakes of Essential Vegan (see here), you will also be faced with two Ethiopian food stalls that are 100% vegan. How awesome is that?

The following recommendation is for Yemama Gojjo, although everyone tells me the other Ethiopian food stall is just as delicious.

Check it out below. The photos are guaranteed to make you hotfoot it to this weekend food court as soon as possible and with a plate of food costing approximately £5, it is one of the best value meals in the city.

Eat there soon!

plate selection stall

Japanese vegan food

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I am writing this post just half a day away from the final Friday night of my month-long Around the World with FGV series. Tonight my guests will be marvelling at Thai street food creations, but before we look forward we need to look back.

Following is a selection of photos from the vegan Japanese dinner crafted by Jhenn of The Vegan Ronin. Talk about handcrafted with love! Jhenn put just as much attention into the wonderful background stories she told for each dish as she did for making the food. It was highly entertaining and informative.

Follow Jhenn on Twitter to keep track of her diverse range of food events and do yourself a massive favour by buying some of her home made seitan. It’s lovely.

OK. Get looking at good food below.

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Eat vegan in Philly

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Josh abandoned me a few weeks back for a trip to the USA. As punishment for leaving me alone, I have instructed him to write the following post about one of his favourite food experiences from his visit to Philadelphia. (So many jokes… I am grateful for the post and I love Josh)

It all looks fabulous! Take it away, Josh.

Mi Lah Vegetarian Restaurant in Center City, Philadelphia had been on my to-eat-at list for several months after a friend of FGV’s posted an Instagram pic of her vegan Bánh mì from there and I have been dreaming about it ever since. One day earlier this month while I was in the city of brotherly love, I decided to head to Mi Lah to check out the Vietnamese sub that I had been dreaming about for so long.

Right in the heart of Philly, this 100% vegan restaurant has an extensive menu and some tempting lunch specials. Of course I already knew that I was going to order the Bánh mì whereas my mum decided to go for the fried rice with cashews, tofu and vegetables. We also decided to split a starter of deep-fried mushrooms with an agave-mustard mayo.

All three dishes were outstanding and far exceeded our expectations. The Bánh mì was mind-blowing with delicious marinated tofu coupled with pickled cucumber, vegan mayo and grated carrot dressed with a lime/ginger vinaigrette… all crammed into a light, crispy roll… I’m drooling just thinking about it now.

I regret not making it back to Mi Lah for the brunch menu which looks AMAZING but I’m sure the opportunity will present itself again.

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Eat well in Soho

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I have mentioned eating at Mildred’s in the past, but a recent meal with friends was so delicious I was compelled to share the latest photos with you.

As you know, Mildred’s is a vegetarian restaurant tucked away on the fringes of Soho. Their menu always contains vegan options and the staff can talk you through the wine list for plant-based libations.

The down side is the cramped nature and noisy atmosphere, so I would advise not going at peak period. It is honestly close to unbearable when it is packed.

But the vegan food options are lovely. Check out my latest feast.

brownie dumplings pecan pieAs you can see, I ate well. Dumplings, pie, sweet tart and brownie. Everything was of a very high standard. I do think there is room for improvement in the service department. The attitude from staff can verge on frosty and they are literally running during busy periods, with zero time for being pleasant.

Get to Soho to eat well!

 

Clean kindly

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I understand that many people believe I do nothing but eat vegan food. I take responsibility for that perception. 99.9% of my blog posts are food related.

However, every now and then a non-food related topic will slide on in and demand a bit of attention. I have written about music, travel and personal reflections but what I am about to share might just help your house sparkle a little more.

Yep, it’s time for vegan cleaning products!

Josh was recently placing a grocery order with Ocado when he stumbled upon a range of household cleaning products that we had never seen before. Ecozone products are absolutely swimming in accreditation logos such as The Vegan Society and BUAV, so we decided to give them a try.

Actually, we bought a huge amount. Josh went a bit overboard but when you are ordering online, it makes sense to buy in bulk I suppose.

I am yet to put most of the Ecozone products to use but the few I have given a test run are certainly up to the job. I would love to hear from other people who have used this range.

Enough chat. Check out the haul of vegan cleaning products currently cluttering up my house.

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