Summer Fun! (No cookin' today)

We actually did more than just eat while in California! Really, we did.

I wanted to share part of that, so here are some shots from two of our favorite places in So Cal. The first is Centennial Farm @ OC Fairgrounds, I've blogged about the farm before. The second is the beach @ 19th Street in Newport.

The Beach @ 19th Street (Newport, CA)

Restaurant Review: Native Foods (Costa Mesa)

I took the sisters to Native Foods because we were hungry and in the area already to visit Centennial Farm (I'll share more about that later...) Art and I have eaten here once or twice before, but this was the first time for the girls.

It's always a challenge dining with "the monkeys" because Abi is at that phase where her main goal is to clear the table, climb on top, and squeal in victory. (This is just a phase, right?) Anyway, I forged ahead because I wanted to share this experience with them, and fortunately,we didn't cause too much of a scene!







They enjoyed seeing the framed photo of the turkey on our table. And the free stickers...

I love the fact that the entire menu is non-dairy, and their goal is to be 100% organic. Today, we wanted to experiment with the kid's menu and side items. Too bad they were out of 'Fruity Hooty' $3.75 Sliced fruit (mango, banana, apple) with oranged flavored creamy dipping sauce.


Here's our 'Edamame' $3.75 Organic steamed soy beans dusted with sea salt.
'Native Seasoned Fries' $3.50 Fried in vegetable oil and seasoned with a Native blend of fun spices. The lady behind the counter offered to leave the spices out for the girls, which I really appreciated.
'Trees and Roots' $4.00 is off the "Green Kids Rule!" section of the menu, and is steamed broccoli and raw carrots with Ranch.



I recommend the edamame, if you need to keep little hands busy so that you can sneak off to refill your 'Native Iced Tea' $2.35 -- Which is a lemony hibiscus tea lightly sweetened with apple juice. I order the refreshing tea every time, and you can find the recipe in Chef Tanya's cookbook.


Native Foods has four locations to choose from: Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Westwood, & Costa Mesa. We were at the Costa Mesa location @ 2937 Bristol St. 714.751.2151 And, they are open 11-10 7 days a week.






Native Foods exudes messages of conscious living. Outside, on a Prius, I saw this sticker. Inside, I took one of several pamphlets available. It's titled "Think you can be a meat-eating environmentalist? Think again! If you care about the planet, go vegetarian."
On the back of the flyer is a concise list of "Did You Know?" facts, and since I'm fairly quick on the keyboard, I thought I'd just type them here to share. Most of my readers already know, but hopefully this message will be found by somebody with the courage to try something new! Here are some reasons why you should...

Pollution: The meat industry causes more water pollution in the United States than all other industries combined because animals raised for food produce 130 times more excrement than the entire human population does - 86,000 pounds per second. A typical pig factory farm generates a quantity of raw waste equal to that of a city of 50,000 people, but without the sewage system. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the runoff from factory farms pollutes our rivers and lakes more than all other industrial sources combined.

Land: Of all agricultural land in the United States, nearly 80 percent is used to raise animals for food. More than 260 million acres of U.S. forest have been cleared to create cropland to grow grain to feed farmed animals. Twenty times more land is required to feed a meat-eater than to feed a pure vegetarian.

Water: Raising animals for food consumes nearly half the water used in the U.S. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef, but only 25 gallons to produce a pound of wheat. Also, the EPA reports that chicken, hog, and cattle excrement have polluted 35,000 miles of rivers in 22 states and contaminated groundwater in 17 states.

Global Warming: Meat production causes global warming. The massive amount of animal feces produced in factory farms is the largest source of airborne methane in the U.S. According to the EPA, methane traps heat in the atmosphere more than 20 times more effectively than carbon dioxide does.

Energy: Raising animals for food requires more than one-third of all the raw materials and fossil fuels used in the U.S. Satisfying our appetite for flesh requires fuel to produce fertilizer for the crops that are fed to animals, oil to run the trucks that take them to slaughter, electricity to freeze their carcasses, and much more.

Animals: You can't be concerned about the environment without caring about our fellow inhabitants, the animals. They're made of flesh and blood, have complex social and psychological lives, and feel pain, just as humans do. More than 27 billion animals are killed by the U.S. meat industry each year, and they're killed in ways that would horrify any compassionate person.

"If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is stop eating meat. That's the single most important thing you can do."
---- Sir Paul McCartney

For a free vegetarian starter kit (and the sources for these facts), visit GoVeg.com or call 1-888-VEG-FOOD

Did You Know?

Think you can be a meat-eating environmentalist? Think again! If you care about the planet, go veg.

Did You Know?

Pollution: The meat industry causes more water pollution in the United States than all other industries combined because animals raised for food produce 130 times more excrement than the entire human population does - 86,000 pounds per second. A typical pig factory farm generates a quantity of raw waste equal to that of a city of 50,000 people, but without the sewage system. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the runoff from factory farms pollutes our rivers and lakes more than all other industrial sources combined.

Land: Of all agricultural land in the United States, nearly 80 percent is used to raise animals for food. More than 260 million acres of U.S. forest have been cleared to create cropland to grow grain to feed farmed animals. Twenty times more land is required to feed a meat-eater than to feed a pure vegetarian.

Water: Raising animals for food consumes nearly half the water used in the U.S. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef, but only 25 gallons to produce a pound of wheat. Also, the EPA reports that chicken, hog, and cattle excrement have polluted 35,000 miles of rivers in 22 states and contaminated groundwater in 17 states.

Global Warming: Meat production causes global warming. The massive amount of animal feces produced in factory farms is the largest source of airborne methane in the U.S. According to the EPA, methane traps heat in the atmosphere more than 20 times more effectively than carbon dioxide does.

Energy: Raising animals for food requires more than one-third of all the raw materials and fossil fuels used in the U.S. Satisfying our appetite for flesh requires fuel to produce fertilizer for the crops that are fed to animals, oil to run the trucks that take them to slaughter, electricity to freeze their carcasses, and much more.

Animals: You can't be concerned about the environment without caring about our fellow inhabitants, the animals. They're made of flesh and blood, have complex social and psychological lives, and feel pain, just as humans do. More than 27 billion animals are killed by the U.S. meat industry each year, and they're killed in ways that would horrify any compassionate person.

"If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is stop eating meat. That's the single most important thing you can do."
---- Sir Paul McCartney

For a free vegetarian starter kit (and the sources for these facts), visit GoVeg.com or call 1-888-VEG-FOOD

Restaurant Review: M Cafe de Chaya (LA, CA)

This restaurant came highly recommended by several people, and it lived up to our expectations, and then some. Little did we know that we had dined at the location of this restaurant, several years ago when it was called "Marisa's Burrito Adventure." It's been totally remodled, of course, and now, it reminds me of a French Cafe.






My entree came out first: 'Seitan Katsu Bowl' $10.50

It consists of a crispy seitan cutlet, tangy katsu sauce & shredded cabbage salad (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower & carrots). All that is on top of organic, heirloom-variety Kokuho Rose Brown Rice from Koda Farms. "Katsu" (Japanese style fried chicken) is new to me, and it is delicious!



Then, Art's arrived: 'Carolina-Style Barbequed Sandwich' $11.00

Which has thinly sliced grilled seitan basted with their own zesty barbeque sauce and piled high on a house-baked, whole-wheat bun with grilled onions, and pickles. On the side is kale with a spicy peanut sauce.






Here it is all lined up along with a side of 'Scarlet Quinoa Salad'. We enjoyed our meal out on the patio, although there was a lady loudly talking on her cell phone next to us (negatively about vegetarianism to boot --). But all of that said, there was nothing stopping this from being a first class vegan dining experience worth all the hubub. They prepare each and every item daily using only the finest seasonal and organic ingredients without any refined sugars, egg, dairy, red meat or poultry. Yes, we will definately be back to this Macrobiotic Cafe & Deli.
M Cafe de Chaya
7119 Melrose Avenue
LA, CA 90046
323.525.0588
open daily 9 to 9

Restaurant Review: Real Food Daily (Santa Monica, CA)

We ate at Real Food Daily! This was a treat, and it'd be difficult to top this dining experience with the fresh, organic, gourmet vegan food -- combined with an attentive waitstaff in an upbeat, contemporary environment. This is the high water mark for vegan eateries. There are two locations to choose from, and we ate at the one in Santa Monica.

Santa Monica
514 Santa Monica Blvd.
(310) 451-7544)

West Hollywood
414 N. La Cienega Blvd.
(310) 289-9910




I started off with a cup of the soup of the day, which was 'Asparagus Cilantro' $3.50 The soup was perfectly seasoned and creamy. I wouldn't have minded a piece of bread or cracker, but in the end, I was perfectly content.








Art ordered 'The Club' which is a double-decker sandwich with lightly breaded seitan served on toasted sourdough bread with tempeh bacon, lettuce, tomato and vegenaise $10.95 Art ordered his with a side of kale. This is the most popular sandwich at the restaurant, for good reason. Art gave me a bite, and it was a the most delicious sandwich ever. This is what I'm getting next time...




'Mexicali Chop Salad' Shredded romaine, pinto beans, corn, cucumber, celery, roasted red pepper, red onion, tomato and avocado tossed in a lime-cilantro dressing topped with baked tortilla strips $10.95 --- For an extra $2.50 I added blackened tempeh to mine. This salad was fresh, crunchy, flavorful, packed with goodies, and a very satisfying main course.




'Berry Chocolate Cake' $5.75 was recommended by our waiter as "The best dessert in the house" and I believe him. This cake was perfectly moist and the frosting melted in our mouths. Pure perfection. Art generously let me have the raspberry, which I included in the last bite. When you go to Real Food Daily, save room for dessert.

Check out these vegan cooking tips from Ann Gentry, a vegan food visionary & leader.

Restaurant Review: Vegan Factory (Tarzana, CA)

This is a new restaurant in the San Fernando Valley that has only been open 7 months. While I had this in my little book of places to check out, we pretty much were in the area and starving and this was a great surprise. It's tucked in a strip mall and looks like any other of a hundred Thai restaurants on Ventura Blvd -- only this one is 100% vegan.
'Cucumber Salad' $4.95 Sliced cucumbers, red onions, carrots in special sweet sauce.



'Fresh Spring Rolls' $7.95 Romaine lettuces, soy chicken, mint leaves, bean sprouts and rice noodles wrapped in rice paper. Served with house vegan sauce.

These looked better than they tasted, and were improved when the big leaves of mint were extracted. We left one behind. The sauce was outstanding though, and we kept that for the rest of the meal.



'Sweet and Sour Soy Chicken' $7.95 Sauteed with cucumbers, tomatoes, pineapples, bell peppers and onions. This was good, and we gobbled it up, but it was second best to the other entree we shared below.









Isn't it cute how they shaped our side of brown rice into a heart? The sauce from the appetizer rolls was great on this.










'Kung Pao' $7.95 Soy chicken stir fried with bell peppers, onions, peanuts, dry red pepper in hot & spicy sauce. This was our favorite dish. Art drank a Thai ice tea with soy milk, and I had a fusion tea with lychee. No room for dessert, and my drink satisfied my sweet tooth anyway.
Vegan Factory
19014 Ventura Blvd.
Tarzana, CA 91356
(818) 342-3286

Restaurant Review: Vegetarian New Stars (Fresno, CA)

We recently went to Fresno for a wedding and had our doubts about whether we could find a veggie restaurant. Before leaving, I consulted Happy Cow, and decided to give this restaurant a try. I'm so glad we did, because this was one of the best veggie restaurants we've tried as far as food quality goes. The atmosphere was OK, the service was OK, but the food... well, that was really outstanding.
'Imperial rolls' $6.95 V - cabbage, carrots, tofu, vermicelli, wrapped in a a spring roll wrapper and deep fried. Served w/a sweet chili sauce.


At the bottom is my meal, 'Fried BBQ Chicken' - Crispy pieces of fried chicken marinated in our own blend of a garlic BBQ sauce. Served with mashed potatoes and asparagus. $13.95 VO

At the top is Art's "mistake meal" 'Vietnamese Sandwich' - Toasted bread w/lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro, and sauteed tofu, Flavored with veganaise and green oil. $8.95 V




That wasn't what Art ordered. So, the nice waiter brought him this 'Side of Steamed Vegetables' $4.oo while the cooks prepared the sandwich he had his heart set on....








'Club Sandwich' - chicken, lettuce, tomato, and cheese layered between three slices of toasted bread. $8.95 VO and those are homemade chippers on the plate.


Each dish either has a "V" standing for vegan; or "VO" meaning it's vegetarian, but you have a vegan option. I took the VO with mine, and Art ate his vegetarian style.



On the menu, it says "We are proud to serve all of our dishes using fresh and nutritious ingredients - without harming our animal friends."

My empty plate speaks volumes! If you live in Fresno, you are so lucky! If you're a visitor, this is where you should eat:
Vegetarian New Stars Restaurant
Mon-Sat 11am-9pm
(559) 434-6363
1134E Champlain Dr. STE 108 Fresno, CA

We have returned from California and it feels great to be home. This post will be the first of five upcoming restaurant reviews. Looking forward to visiting you very soon! :o)

Ice Castles & Croquettes

To cool off the kids this summer, make 'Ice Castles'.

The night before just put water in several different sized containers, and freeze.

The next day, pop out the ice, and begin stacking and arranging to build an ice kingdom.

A pair of gloves will come in handy!




"For me? A giant ice sculpure water dish! Rrufff"

So yeah, ice castles even help keep a good dog like Jolie cool.









Once the ice starts melting a bit, it'll fuse together -- so it'd be possible to make The leaning Tower of Pisa.

A friend of mine suggested we try putting food coloring in our next batch. Cool idea. :o)








I couldn't resist making another recipe from the April '07 Vegetarian Times. 'Spinach-Basil Spread' is Julie Hasson's recipe and it's perfect for outdoor munching. It's a snap to whip up with only 6 ingredients (& would have been even easier with a food processor!), and nice to have in the fridge for anytime nibbling.





'Almond-Crusted Quinoa and Celery Root Croquettes' is from Vegan Planet (pg. 226) The original recipe calls for walnuts and millet, but this combination worked out well for me. I'm not into frying food, but really enjoyed these little nuggets. The quinoa gave it a nutty flavor, and I adore the subtle taste of celery root.





I might have to freeze the rest of my birthday cake, we just can't finish it. Is it possible for cake to be too rich?

We leave for California in a few hours, and will be there a couple weeks. (I'm seriously procrastinating all that needs to be done right now!) I anticipate lots of adventure, seeing family & friends, eating at fabulous restaurants, and shopping -- including for a new food processor. I'm sure there'll be times when I can post and visit you along the way & I look forward to that! XOXO

Double chocolate layer cake

from The Real Food Daily cookbook (pg. 220) is the cake I chose this year. Art was going to make it, but when he looked at the recipe, he said, "Are you sure you wouldn't rather make this yourself? I'll occupy the girls." He knows me so well! This was one of the richest cakes either of us have eaten, and the frosting is perfectly creamy, and oh so chocolate-y. There was some extra fuss that went into this recipe, and well worth it! A nasturium from my herb barrel & fresh raspberries add some color. Thanks for your birthday & Mother's Day wishes! <3

Coconut Lemon Cupcakes

Vegan cupcakes took over my world yesterday. I baked them for a friend's birthday soiree. Just follow the recipe on pg. 107, and add lemon everywhere it says lime! (no limes left after 5 May...) The coconut flavor is abundant: coconut oil, coconut extract, coconut milk, Let's Do Organic finely shredded coconut, and topped with LDO coconut flakes. Whew, that's a whole lot of coconut, and if you're a fan like me, you must try these cakes.



I see a cupcake carrier in my future, but they all made it to the party just fine, and the lemon on top helped protect them.

Today is my birthday, and I have it narrowed down to two cakes -- one of which Art will bake tomorrow...
For now, it's off to the YMCA for my favorite dance class. She plays hip music like Tribe Called Quest & George Clinton!

Real Food

A new cookbook! It was only $16 on Amazon, and I got free shipping -- a big savings compared to the $27 they wanted at the restaurant that day...
Without a store run, I made 'Corn and black bean salad' (pg.107) I had everything except whole-grain mustard & red bell pepper. So, I added 1/2 tsp. mustard seed along with dijon, and a 'cado left from 5 May. The ingredients are basic, the dressing is fab! What are your favorites from this cookbook?

Feliz Cinco de Mayo

May 5 provides the perfect opportunity to splurge on some avocados and make a batch of 'Guacamole'. Lime is my key ingredient. And I also like to use elephant garlic, which is noted for its gigantic size and mild, delicate flavor. To that, I added finely chopped onions, tomato, fresh cilantro, sea salt & white pepper. Leave the pit in the middle and that'll help prevent discoloration. Garnish with lime & fresh cilantro. Toast some flour tortillas in the oven to dip it up!


This is a bowl of 'Lentil Soup with Avocado' which is Irma Paz-Bernstein's recipe (she was recently a featured chef in newspapers). It's a tomato base soup with onion, garlic, lentils, and zesty spices including Sriracha. I garnished it with a dollop of Tofutti, fresh cilantro, and half an avocado sliced. It was yummy having some avocado in each bite, and the "cream cheese" added a nice creamy-ness. Left-over tortilla chips from the earlier snack came in handy.


The recipe for 'Vanilla Pound Cake with Lime Glaze' came from the April '07 issue of Vegetarian Times. There's silken tofu inside, which creates a moist and lightly sweetened cake. It would please company, and fresh berries would be a nice compliment.

Mi cumpleanos es cinco dias despues Cinco de Mayo! Art wants to bake my cake (he he!) And, he's taking me shopping for a new food processor! *cheers* I'd love to hear your food processor shopping tips. What kind do you have? Love it? or Hate it?

Belgian-Style Seitan Stew with Dark Beer

from Vegan Planet (pg. 307) was last night's dinner. It was a fun & rewarding dish to prepare. Fun, because I swigged the balance of the St. Pauli Girl special dark beer while slicing seitan, chopping fresh English thyme from the herb barrel, and carmelizing onions. Rewarding, because of Art's reaction, "This is one of the best meals you've cooked. Next time, I'd add more beer and some mushrooms." I agree, add more beer to the recipe (...and drink less). I served ours over spinach fettuccine noodles, and it'd be fabulous on a grain as well. Next time, I'll double (or even triple!) the recipe and put it on French bread for lunch the next day. It's a versatile dish, and it has now earned a spot in our rotation.

Mostly repeats

We ate yummy stuff yesterday -- some tried and trues! The Spring rain showers got me in the mood to stay inside and cook. I love days like that.

We started off with 'Wolffie's Banana Blueberry Muffins' from La Dolce Vegan! (pg. 274) I've made these before, but this time I left out the ginger & only did 1 tbsp. molasses, and the girls liked them much better this time.



When I'm inside on a chilly day, I like to have the aroma & promise of soup on the stove. I was in the mood again for 'Earthy Lentil Soup' from Vive le Vegan! (pg 75) but that's a little difficult when you're out of lentils! (bummer!) Fortunately, I noticed that I had almost everything for the soup on the previous page, 'Chipotle Corn Black Bean Soup' I only had one can of black beans, so I used that along with red beans. I also didn't have an avocado for the garnish, so I topped mine with a scoop of Tofutti 'Better Than Cream Cheese', sliced green onion, and fresh cilantro from my herb barrel, & a lime wedge. This soup is fabulous!
Only Organic Herb Barrel:

Starting at 11 o'clock you see the cilantro, an unknown spice, fernleaf dill, English thyme, rosemary, sweet basil, and in the middle is marjoram.


I enjoy going outside to clip fresh herbs for a recipe -- it's very satisfying on many levels to eat what you grow.


I've made both 'My Sauce' and the 'Cornmeal-coated Polenta Fries' before, and they are a big snacking hit at our home. The fry recipe is from a feature Dreena wrote for VegNews (#52), and my sauce goes like this:

Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
Mandarin Oranges (drained and mashed)
Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
Smile-y face optional! :o)