There Will Be Typos

Because I really don't have time to post but I do have some stuff to say. Here's a small roundup of enjoyable and edifying links to hopefully whet your appetites as much as they did mine:

One of my favorite blogs, I Blame the Patriarchy (IBTP), has gone vegetarian! "Eating hamburgers and radical feminism are mutually exclusive."

IBTP links to a post on Gary Francione’s blog on the link between a certain faction of postmodern feminism and animal-welfarists. You know, the wink-wink Bust-reading/stripper-admiring kind, of which I was when I was like 19. Oh, and then there's a post on vegan strip clubs . Oy and vey. The hipsters make my head hurt even though I’ll be guiltlessly chomping on their vegan doughnuts when Brian and I head out to Portland, Oregon this June. Also, Brian and I think that only hipsters complain about hipsters...except for us. We complain but are not hipsters. We are thoroughly unhip and way behind the times.

Vive Le Vegan’s Dreena Burton has heaps and heaps of vegan recipes on Canada’s Food Network site. The chocolate raspberry truffle tart with coconut crust (swoon) alone is work a click or two over.

Finally, if you’re in Philly and looking for some tasty fast food, why not hit up the Viva Las Vegans food truck in University City. Actually, I cannot personally vouch for the tastiness of their goods as I have yet to eat there but Brian has. And he likes it.

Guest Post: Will Death Do Us Part? by Sky Chari

This is a guest post by frequent Mutual Menu commentator and my longtime friend, Sky Chari.

It's a question posed by many who have fancied themselves philosophers over the years: are married couples really parted by death or do our souls live on together for all eternity (assuming you actually liked each other here on Earth to begin with)? When it comes to my husband and I, however, the death in question is neither his nor mine but dinner's. It’s not like I didn't know he ate meat when we started dating, or even when I married him. It’s not like he didn't know that I was a card-carrying PETA member and vegan advocate. So, how the hell does this work? To be honest, I don't even know some days. It definitely helps that we keep a vegetarian home. I just couldn't stomach having meat around. That being said, I do let in the occasional pizza or Doritos (he's not exactly into health food). When I come home from volunteering at a sanctuary for abused and neglected farm animals, Animal Place, disgusted with how people could be so reckless with themselves, the planet, and the animals, well, I let him know in the gentlest way possible exactly how I feel. He's heard my speech; he's even seen Earthlings, for goodness sake. His response? It's just not his thing.Yeah, I could kill him. I mean, I don't get how people could have all the information and still make the decision to eat meat.

In my particular case, I couldn't stomach the idea of killing animals for food from an early age, and started my journey toward veganism at age 11. Ironically, when my husband was the same age, he had never even touched meat. Raised in a traditional Hindu home, he was actually brought up as a vegetarian! However, by junior high, he'd had too many birthday parties at McDonald's to resist the temptation, and once Pandora's box was opened, it was impossible for him to close.

Don't get me wrong, my husband is a caring, kind, and insanely intelligent person. But he also happens to be a creature of habit and proximity. The reason it's easy to keep a veggie house is the same reason I can't keep a veggie husband--he'll eat whatever is in arm's length. The less he has to think about his food, the better. Granted, he's got a lot of other stuff to think about, running a company and all, but this is something about him I will never understand. I care about every single scrap that enters my mouth. I want to know where my food is from and all the ingredients that are in it so I can best judge what its effect on my person will be. He thinks I'm nuts.

So, have we just agreed to disagree and moved on? Actually, no. I still prefer that he become vegan, and he still knows it. I learned a long time ago, however, that nagging will get me nowhere. I have given him the space to make this decision for himself, all the while keeping him well informed and letting him know that I want him to live a long life with me. After all, nothing will make you live longer than letting other beings live long as well. It hasn't been easy or instantaneous by any means, but this tactic is working. He has long stretches of vegetarianism, and for now that is good enough for me. We are not unlike most couples in that we have our differences and issues. But being able to negotiate this emotionally charged subject has actually helped us through a number of other rough patches. At the end of the day, it is everything else about him that keeps me with him and thrilled to be so. This one blip on our radar is pretty major, but it is only one blip after all, and we manage it—some days better than others. Should kids ever come into the picture (not on the radar at all right now), all hell could break loose. Until then, he's my more-vegetarian-than-not husband, and I love him...to death.

Sky Chari is a flutist and teacher in San Francisco, CA, USA. When she's not dragging her husband to one of the town's great vegan restaurants, you can find her curled up on her couch watching the fog roll in (or, more preferably, out).

If you would like to share your story or tips on how you navigate being a vegan, vegetarian, or ominvore who navigates "interdietary" relationships, please leave a comment or send an e-mail to mutualmenu@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you and possibly share your story. Thank you!

Random Friday Favorites: A Kristin Hersh Special

* Kristin with an Eye: A picture blog wherein the inimitable and great Kristin Hersh posts a daily picture direct from her phone. This one and this one are my favorites so far. This one looks just like my dog, Luckie. It just dawned on me that the title of this blog is a play on saying, "Kristin with an 'I.'" Sometimes I'm slow.

* Actually, all of my favorites this past week have been about Kristin Hersh. I've been listening to her and Throwing Muses non-stop since I found out that I can send her a list of 10 songs and she will record them for me. And not just for me. For you too, if you're lucky enough to get your order in on time. In fact, I'm not even sure I should post the link because I want my damn CD and don't want you taking my spot. Alright, I'll share.

* My favorite KH/TM songs right now: Speed and Sleep, Listerine, Vitamins V, and Furious have been getting a lot of play and love.

* Some food favorites: today's uncharacteristically decadent weekday breakfast of an everything bagel with butter and coffee with lots of milk and sugar. I don't drink coffee as much as I drink coffee-lite. I will, however, get hardcore with tea and drink that bad boy straight-up, no sugar. Also, ruby red grapefruits rule my world right now. As does the spinach jalapeno tofu by Sunergia Soyfoods that I eat with red swiss chard steamed for 10 minutes before being turned in a hot pan of sizzling canola oil kissed with tamari and that Vietnamese garlic and red chili sauce. Finally, Orville Redenbacher's natural salt and pepper popcorn is a buttery kick in the mouth.

* Coming soon: some guest bloggers talk about being vegetarian in mixed company.

Almond Joy Pancakes

Straight from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s The Joy of Vegan Baking (TJOVB), with just a little bit of tweaking by me, I present coconut almond pancakes, otherwise known as Almond Joy Pancakes. I spent part of Saturday with one of my oldest friends and we visited Brownstone Diner and Pancake Factory in her new haunts of Jersey City, NJ. There was an endless array of pancakes that were all delicious-sounding but I always have a tendency to want something more after eating pancakes so I skipped them in favor of a veggie burger with gorgonzola and some onion rings.

The craving for pancakes, however, did not subside. I woke up next to Brian on Sunday morning wanting to eat coconut pancakes but feeling too lazy to make them. So we had Chinese takeout at Mei Mei’s (link to MM post) instead. After dropping off Brian for his train back to Philly, I headed off to Wegmans with the sole purpose of buying tempeh bacon and shredded coconut because I wanted to have some breakfast for dinner and that was going to be some pancakes. I’m not one to resist a craving that lasts 15 seconds let alone one that’s gone on for longer than 24 hours. It was time for pancakes.

Not to toot my own horn—but I’m gonna—but the pancakes I make are always way better than diner ones anyway. I suspect that is not because I have been given the rare ability to turn out remarkable pancakes. Rather, I think pancakes are just one of those things that taste better with the least amount of fussing, which means, make them with flour, baking powder, and the binders they call for rather than the myriad chemicals found in many commercial mixes (what the diners use). Pancakes also were my induction into home cooking. Along with scrambled eggs, they were the first things I learned to make. I remember the first day I mastered them, waiting for those bubbles to magically appear, signaling they were ready to be turned. I was hooked. I made stack after stack for my father, with him eating them for all three major meals that day.

I referred to a few cookbooks for proper measurements before settling on TJOVB rendition. Perfect. All the ingredients were ones I had on hand and it was a simple palette to which I could add a few other flavorings to. Besides, I could freeze most of the cooked batch so Brian could have some next week too.

All I did was follow TJOVB recipe, but used golden syrup as my liquid sweetener rather than maple syrup. I had both but I use maple syrup almost everyday in my morning bowl of oatmeal so decided to use up the golden syrup I hadn’t touched since Thanksgiving. Also, it’s milder than maple syrup and really allowed the coconut and almond flavors to shine. Lastly, I added unsweetened dried coconut shreds and a generous splash of pure almond extract. They were just what I wanted for dinner on Sunday night and I can’t wait to thaw out and dig into the leftovers next weekend. If you truly want to make these Almond Joy Pancakes like their namesake candy, please do yourself a favor and add a few handfuls of chocolate chips to the mix. Oh. Yeah.

Almond Joy Pancakes (vegan)
Small amount of butter, spread, oil, or cooking spray to lightly grease pan or griddle
1 cup unbleached, organic, all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup nondairy milk (such as vanilla soy milk or almond milk)
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons liquid sweetener (I used Lyle's Golden Syrup; you also can try maple syrup, apple juice concentrate, or orange juice as per TJOVB)
1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened dried coconut
1 teaspoon pure almond extract

1. Lightly grease a nonstick pan or griddle and place over low to low-medium heat. Watch carefully that it doesn’t burn or smoke.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. In a large measuring cup or small bowl, combine milk, oil, and sweetener. Add wet ingredients to dry ones and mix until just combined (there will be some lumps and that's ok). Add coconut and almond extract and stir until ingredients are just combined.
3. Spoon 1/4 cup batter onto preheated pan for each pancake. Cook each pancake for 3 to 5 minutes, adding about four at time, depending on the size of your pan. Be sure not to overcrowd or you’ll end up with one big pancake rather than several of them). You will know it's time to turn the pancake over when bubbles appear on its surface and the edges look cooked. Cook on other side for just 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Will yield 10 pancakes.

Banana Spelt Bread

Delicious, simple, and with an aroma that fills your kitchen with comforting goodness, banana bread is one of my all-time favorites. This variation is adapted from Veganomicon. Its many virtues include being vegan, lower in fat, full of fiber, and subtly sweet. The use of spelt flour ups the fiber content and gives this banana bread a darker-than-usual hue (as does the molasses). It’s nutty, perfect with tea, and you can’t go wrong lightly slathering it with butter or Earth Balance and some jam.

This weekend, I brought the banana bread over to Jamesina and Ryan’s house, both of whom are longtime friends of Brian. I worried that it might be too healthy but everyone gobbled it up, particularly Brian, who I had to save pre-visit slices from, lest there be none left for anyone else. Ryan said the bread was reminiscent of Friendship Bread, which I’d never heard of. So Jamesina got me rolling with a starter for it and the end result will be posted very soon (it takes 10 days to make!)

3 small, very ripe bananas
1 ½ teaspoon Ener-g Egg Replacer mixed well in 2 tablespoons warm water (or ¼ cup sweetened or unsweetened applesauce)
¼ cup canola or walnut oil
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark molasses
1 cup all-purpose flour (preferably organic and unbleached)
1 cup + 1 tablespoon whole-grain spelt flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon table salt
2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mash bananas with potato masher, spoon, or fork. Add egg replacer, oil, sugar, and molasses and hand-whisk briskly or mix with beater on low.
3. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to banana mixture. Use large spoon to mix until just combined, being careful to not over mix.
4. Add batter to loaf pan and place in oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until top is brown and cracked and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not over bake or bread will dry out. Remember, it will continue to cook after taken out of the oven.5. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before taking bread out of pan and placing on cooling rack to cool completely.

Federal Agencies Seek Alternatives to Traditional Animal Testing

Here's a little non-food related news but some very good news for animals and advanced science:

A new plan to further reduce, refine and replace the use of animals in research and regulatory testing commonly referred to as the 3Rs was unveiled today at a symposium marking the 10-year anniversary of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM). The plan identifies priority areas for research, development, translation, and validation activities necessary to achieve regulatory acceptance of alternative test methods. A cornerstone of the federal government's five-year plan is the formation of partnerships with industry and other national and international stakeholders to achieve measurable progress...

Traditionally, chemicals, consumer products, medical devices and new drugs are tested on animals to predict toxicity on humans, but scientists, like those involved in ICCVAM, are working to promote the development and validation of alternative test methods. Alternative test methods are those that accomplish one or more of the 3Rs of reducing the number of animals used in testing, or refining procedures so animals experience less pain and distress, or replacing animals with non-animal systems.

William Stokes, D.V.M., director of NICEATM, the NTP office at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) that administers ICCVAM, highlighted some of the progress made since ICCVAM was formed, including the fact that ICCVAM has evaluated more than 185 test methods since its inception in 1997. Many of these methods need further development and validation before they are ready for regulatory consideration. However, several are now in widespread use around the world for routine safety testing, resulting in notable reduction and refinement of animal use. "We've made great progress in the past decade, and with the help of our partners we can do even more to increase the pace of developing and introducing alternative methods."

You can read the entire National Institutes of Health press release here.

The Deceptively Tricky Salad

When you think of going on a diet and eating out, do you often think that it will be a good idea to have salad for lunch? It seems so innocuous, all those leaves and crunchy bits. So, you hit up a salad bar or restaurant for some ensalada. Factor in an oily dressing--on the side or otherwise--, heaps of protein like grilled chicken (probably been grilled with oil and who knows how much), pieces of steak, some shrimps (as Brian and I like to call them), or even the innocent-seeming tofu (which is quite fattening, no, really, it is), some croutons, a generous sprinkling of nuts or seeds, maybe a heaping spoon of full-fat cheese, and you can easily go into the stratosphere, calorically-speaking. Here are ten tips to make or order a salad that's filling, wholesome, and scattered with some crunchy bits.



1. Branch out by using interesting or rarely used salad bases.
There's a world of leaves out there--romaine, escarole, endive, raddichio, even iceberg can seem exotic when you tend to use baby spinach all the time. For an even more varied spin on salad, try leftover brown rice, whole wheat couscous, red quinoa, whole wheat penne pasta, or any other whole grain as a base. This is especially useful if leaves don't entirely satsify you.


2. Beans, beans, beans.
Beans are a powerhouse of protein without the excess fat and cholesterol found in animal-based ingredients. As a bonus, they have the fiber that limp breast of chicken is lacking. Lately, I've been topping my salads with Quick Chicks. Black beans on salad that uses salsa as dressing would be great too, which leads me to...


3. Make your own dressing (or use something other than "dressing" to dress it up).
Full fat dressings are delicious but you know the deal. It's so easy to pile it on when the salad base is uninteresting. And try putting it on the side and not finishing off that small delicious cup of oil. Ken's Steakhouse makes some decent lower fat varieties but don't you dare use fat-free. Why would you when you can use salsa on a salad full of black beans, roasted peppers and corn? Or use some Dijon mustard in place of oil when making homemade dressing. Mustard will still emulsify with the vinegar and adds a creamy spicyness without added fat. Add some flavored oil and vinegar--such as garlic, chili peppper, or lemon rosemary--to your salad. They are everywhere now. If you measure out a teaspoon of oil and toss it very, very well, you don't need as much.


4. The judicious use of nuts, seeds, and other crunchy bits.
Add a small handful of walnuts or almonds or some sunflower seeds to your salad for some fat, vitamins, protein, fiber, and lots of flavor. Think of them as nutrient-packed, nature-made croutons.


5. Very things can go wrong when you eat some avocado.
Instead of cheese, which is, yes, delicious, but also is quite easy to eat too much of when you're standing over big blocks of them at a salad bar. Buy a whole Haas avocado and chop up half into your salad. Just half of one is two ounces, which is just 2 Weight Watchers' points, which is very good. Avocados are full of healthful monounsaturated fat, folate, potassium, and very few things taste as good with so little adulteration, save a small sprinkling of sea salt.


6. Make a salad your side dish.
I don't think leaves are supposed to make a meal, which is why salads have become these heaving beasts chock full of bacon, eggs, and cheese. Have a traditional salad of lettuce, tomato, onions, carrots, and other veggies and help yourself to a cup of soup or a whole wheat pita lightly slathered with some hummus and filled with red onions, cucumber, and a few cubes of baked tofu.


7. Sun-dried tomatoes are like nature's bacon bits.
Skip the ones packed in oil and drop a few slivers to your salad. They have a smoky, salty flavor reminiscent of bacon and a chewy texture that's such a pleasure to eat. This with avocado? Oh so good.


8. Watch your portions.
A large salad bar container can hold up to 6 cups of food. A small one holds about 2 1/2 cups. If you're filling the large container with mostly fresh veggies, you're good. But if you enjoy the selections that clearly contain more fat and calories, use the smaller vessel.


9. Try going around the salad bar once before you start serving yourself.
This will help you decide what you really want to eat rather than randomly grabbing whatever happens to look good every two seconds. If you know you want some of that oil-drenched pasta salad with olives (it's ok, I like oil-drenched noodles too), you can help yourself to a small serving of it while you forgo the hard-boiled eggs that always have that green ring around the yoke anyway. Blech.


10. Ask.
Salad bar nutritional info for major supermarkets are often posted on their web sites. Dottie's Weight Loss Zone contains information on many chain restaurants in the US and Canada, as well as nutritional data for Wegmans and Whole Foods. You also can ask a market employee what the food is actually made of. If they don't know, a manager probabaly will. Asking is crucial not only for monitoring calories but for verifying if that pasta salad is indeed vegan. Making your needs known also increases the chances that the stores you frequent will carry the items you want to consume. When dining out at a restaurant, ask the server how the salad is prepared, if there are healthier dressing options or if you can swap the globs of blue cheese for some extra roasted red peppers.