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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Build me up

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Are you interested in taking part in a discussion about community building? Well, you are in luck!

Join me in central London this Wednesday (26/3/14) from 7pm as I chair a collaborative talk around the topics of community building, engagement and social capital. The discussion is part of the long running series of monthly talks presented by London Vegans.

There are free hot drinks provided and you are welcome to bring some vegan snacks to share. The discussion is open to everyone and there is no need to book.

Hot food can be pre-ordered from Shambhu’s Vegan Catering (you will recall the giant vegan breakfast event I hosted with them last month). Go to their website  to see the special menu and place your order for Wednesday.

The price of admission to the talk is £2 (£1 concessions). Doors open 6:30pm. Panel discussion starts between 7:00pm and 7:30pm.

Location: Community Rooms, Millman Street (entrance next to 38a), Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 3EW. Nearest station is Russell Square.

Brazilian feast

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To anyone who thinks they have eaten the most delicious food in the world, I respectfully inform you that it gets better.

Last week marked the second event in my month of Friday night supper clubs known as Around the World with FGV and Vanessa of Essential Vegan gave attendees a culinary experience they won’t forget in a hurry.

Vanessa started the proceedings off by serving an irresistible selection of Brazilian bar nibbles including cheese bread, polenta sticks and cassava chips.

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Make your own

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I spotted this in my local Whole Foods Market and I took a few quick photos to share with you all on here. I am hoping someone can tell me if they have used these vegan chocolate making kits and, if they have, if they will tell me about the experience.

All of the ingredients are certified by the Soil Association and the box even has a claim that all ingredients have been tested to be free of dairy, gluten and soya. I really want to try this kit but someone needs to convince me. Is it worth the money?

The Choc Chick brand has the smaller box targeted at young people and a larger, more expensive pack for adults. They even sell individual top up packs of the ingredients. You can see them in the shots below. The kits look like they would be a fun gift for someone special. I love the fact they use Sweet Freedom as the sugar component.

Help! Should I try these?

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Coconut everywhere

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Coconut-based foods are taking over the world. I literally can’t get my head around how many new coconut products are popping up each week.

One of the leaders of this surge is Bessant & Drury. Th company has been producing one of the best vegan ice creams in the UK for a few years and are now branching into the yoghurt field with their Coconut Co-operative brand.

The owner and founder Steve Bessant generously supplied March London Vegan Potluck attendees with a special tasting of their mango and passionfruit variety of yoghurt. 350 tubs of the stuff were hand delivered to the event by Steve himself!

Coconut Co-operative
Coconut Co-operative
Mass serving
Mass serving

You can check out Coconut Co-operative on Facebook and follow the company on Twitter.

Other coconut favourites of mine recently have been the milk products from Rebel Kitchen. Not only are these drinks delicious but they have the cutest packaging and graphics I have seen in a long time. Check out their website.

Rebel Kitchen
Rebel Kitchen

To wrap up coconut appreciation post, I wanted to make a quick mention of the Trek cocoa coconut flapjack bar. It is chewy and chocolatey and perfect for a snack on the go. It is shown below with both the Rebel Kitchen and Coconut Co-operative products.

Long live the coconut!

A selection of my favourites
A selection of my favourites

Newcastle goes vegan

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It seems you can’t go anywhere in the UK without tripping over a vegan festival. Plant-based get togethers are multiplying at a rapid pace and a northern city has joined the trend.

Get ready for the Newcastle Upon Tyne Vegan Festival this July.

This event is the brainchild of a full time student and vegan catering business operator named Louise. Louise has decided to spend the minuscule amount of spare time she has to create a fun and educational day-long event in the northern city.

The Newcastle Vegan Festival is set for July 26th, 2014 in a large hall located a short walk from the central train station. More than 100 stalls are expected and will include food, films, local food producers, ethical clothing and many more services and goods from the world of veganism.

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Entry will be a lowly £2 for adults and £1 for children with profits from ticket sales being donated to charity.

If you live in the area, make sure you get on in to the Newcastle Upon Tyne Vegan Festival for food, fun and information. If you live elsewhere, this is surely a perfect opportunity to visit the city.

Vegans in the valley

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I am a big believer in communities self-directing and supporting each other in order to enact change. That is why I am thrilled to hear about this community-driven support group in the Calder Valley that is creating a support network for local people looking to make more compassionate choices in their lives.

The success of these sorts of groups usually sits with how engaged members feel and I can see by the line up of events 3 Valley Veg*ns has planned, engagement is not going to be an issue.

The group has an impressive calendar of events outlined for the near and distant future including market information stall, social walks, picnics, a summer barbecue and even a vegan cake baking class.

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This is an important way change takes place and sticks. Compassionate people supporting each other and organising/socialising at a grassroots level creates a safe space to explore vegan living. It is a vital step in improving outcomes for non-human animals. Community and kinship matter.

I urge you to get involved with 3 Valley Veg*ns if you are anywhere near the Calder Valley and if you are further afield, take a leaf from their book and create your own compassionate community movement.

Follow 3 Valley Veg*ns on Twitter