Saturday:
Thank god for those Raw Crunch bars. Taught lessons until 3pm, ate one around 1pm, felt better.
When I came home, I realized I had about 2 hours to shower, pack up and get my butt in gear for the Dirty Little Heaters' CD release. For those uninitiated, you should go ahead to check out the leaked track, "City Square," which, fortuitously happens to be one of the standouts on the album.
I cut myself up some avocado, polished off the rest of that chard salad (yes, I realize I've been calling it kale for like 3 days. it's chard, I know.), ate a fistful of cashews and grabbed one of my other favorite prohibitively expensive raw indulgence foods (besides my new friend Raw Crunch and my old standby for idiots who can't make kimchi, Sunja Medium Kimchi): KOMBUCHA! Don't hate. Dork is actually supposedly growing some someplace, but I'm starting to think that most of us in the house are fermentation challenged.
We ran over to Bailey's for like 3 minutes, then went to soundcheck at 7pm. The whole show was freaking incredible...really high energy, great crowd. What I failed to factor into the equation of not drinking and not eating any cooked or processed foods was that when you play a really raucous show then dance around for 2 hours...you get HUNGRY. Like, touchy, pissed off, might kill-a-bitch hungry. So when we finally got our gear loaded out around 2:30 am, I was ready to go. At home, we all joked around in the kitchen while I inhaled a grapefruit and some almonds and Sick put away some chicken wings our friends had been nice enough to pick up.
Sunday:
Waking up at 10 this morning was a little like dying. I talked to Kyle about how I was more tired than I'd expected to be, giving up drinking. I mean, I literally slept 15 hours on Friday. That's ridiculous. I did my thing, came home and crashed out again until about 3.
At 3, I ventured downstairs to try my kimchi. Those of you thinking positively? Wrong. I kimchi failed, again. This time, I was also icked out by the fact that I put the kimchi in ball jars and they surreptitiously sealed themselves shut, which got my hypochondriac botulism antennae panties in a twist. The kimchi was wrong on so many levels
1 - Not the right color.
2 - Not tangy
3 - Not spicy until the very end
4 - Not particularly tasty
So, it's back to the drawing board. I appealed to the PPK Forums for guidance. I suppose they are my version of going to a chapel. Thus far, the following seem like viable candidates for my next attempts (I'm thinking maybe I should do simultaneous attempts in order to avoid so much heartbreak):
David Lebovitz
Yummy Vegan Dinner
I'm wondering if maybe I should scrap the idea of using ball jars altogether for kimchi since they aren't supposed to seal? Again, any thoughts are appreciated, peanut gallery!
So, time will tell. At least I can count on my tried and true pickle recipe. I should probably have packed a few more. Tonight I busted open a jar of my Sunja's kimchi for dinner, since I'd been hoping to have kimchi, as well as some cantaloupe, raspberries and pecans.
Now I'm sippin on coconut water, trying to decide what I should plan to stock up on this week. I'm relying on nuts as a crutch right now, and am actually eating more fruit than I ever thought I would. I need to find some easy to scarf with no prep veggies that are not red peppers, grape tomatoes or celery.
Day 4: Good, but a little bit more planning could've prevented a lot of heartache.
Day 5: Lazy, but well-rounded.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
40 Days of Raw: Day 3
Day 3 meant sleeping until 4 pm to catch my sleep up to my energy level. When I woke up, I ran to the grocery store to pick up supplies (pre-packaged kimchi, korean chile pepper, raw granola bar type stuff) and set to work.
Yesterday's lunch was more cauliflower and a little kale salad. Snack turned out to be grapefruit. Dinner was pre-packaged kimchi and unsweetened almond milk with raspberries.
The project for yesterday? Pickling!
I started by making home kimchi. I used the recipe (or guidelines) found at Bella Online, combined with my pickling guru recipe from Tommy J's Kitchen to make my half sour pickles and radishes. Yes, I'm attempting to pickle radishes.
I copped on the
kimchi a little...used a fresh habanero in addition to the korean chili powder, so ended up with more of a mud, then blended some garlic and ginger into it. In hindsight, I would've probably used 3-4 cloves of garlic instead of the one. The kimchi, overall, looks a little bit light. I let it sit out overnight to cold process ferment before putting it in the fridge. I'll probably sneak a taste on Sunday night. The cuke pickles will be ready on Monday.
Oh and the raw granola bar things? Tasty and surprisingly satisfying, but they are a little steep at $4 a pop. Basically, they taste like a saltier, healthier version of those nature valley granola bars, with superfoods in them (goji berries, blueberries, cranberries and chocolate are the flavors). They're also a little salty, which helps me to treat them like a real meal and not some lame candy bar.
Since it's also a slow afternoon, I'll tell you about my last Falafel Party (pictured at left). I'll admit, our first (pictured at right) was slightly more successful, falafel-wise, but our israeli salad and hummus were spot on this time around. We used the recipe from VWAV to a T in may
, and this time were a little more liberal and winged it (which resulted in some tough first falafels that essentially crumbled in the pan). The one thing that's weird about the VWAV recipe for falafels is the amount of baking powder-- it makes them puff up and created a weird air pocket in the middle that you don't get at your fav middle eastern pita joint. Either way, I'll continue making falafel because it's awesome. But not until April 4.
As far as the israeli salad goes, this time I used fresh lemon juice, sea salt, english seedless (or what my parents call "israeli") cukes, grape tomatoes, fresh cracked pepper and a TON of parsley. It didn't keep well, but there wasn't much to keep! A great way to dress a salad like this is to cut the veggies over the container you inte
nd to keep it in/serve it in. Then put the top on, shake it up and enjoy :)
My pointers for making hummus are more vague-- mainly because hummus is so subjective. I prefer a lighter, lemony hummus to the garlic-tastic that pleases dork. The best I've done (and it has taken weeks of mediocre chickpea dips) are as follows:
Roasted Garlic -- appx (all measurements are!) 8 cloves (roasted) to 2 cups chickpeas, 1 tsp tahini, 1/2 lemon's juice, pinch of cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of the old pepper mill. Olive oil until it flows freely-ish.
Red pepper (not roasted!) -- 2 c chickpeas, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp tahini, pinch cumin, 1/2 lemon's juice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 red pepper (fresh!), ~1/3 c olive oil, then water until free flowing.
That's all I've got for now, dear bloggers. At some point soon, I'm going to attempt soaking legumes. Til then!
Yesterday's lunch was more cauliflower and a little kale salad. Snack turned out to be grapefruit. Dinner was pre-packaged kimchi and unsweetened almond milk with raspberries.
The project for yesterday? Pickling!I started by making home kimchi. I used the recipe (or guidelines) found at Bella Online, combined with my pickling guru recipe from Tommy J's Kitchen to make my half sour pickles and radishes. Yes, I'm attempting to pickle radishes.
I copped on the
kimchi a little...used a fresh habanero in addition to the korean chili powder, so ended up with more of a mud, then blended some garlic and ginger into it. In hindsight, I would've probably used 3-4 cloves of garlic instead of the one. The kimchi, overall, looks a little bit light. I let it sit out overnight to cold process ferment before putting it in the fridge. I'll probably sneak a taste on Sunday night. The cuke pickles will be ready on Monday.Oh and the raw granola bar things? Tasty and surprisingly satisfying, but they are a little steep at $4 a pop. Basically, they taste like a saltier, healthier version of those nature valley granola bars, with superfoods in them (goji berries, blueberries, cranberries and chocolate are the flavors). They're also a little salty, which helps me to treat them like a real meal and not some lame candy bar.
Since it's also a slow afternoon, I'll tell you about my last Falafel Party (pictured at left). I'll admit, our first (pictured at right) was slightly more successful, falafel-wise, but our israeli salad and hummus were spot on this time around. We used the recipe from VWAV to a T in may
, and this time were a little more liberal and winged it (which resulted in some tough first falafels that essentially crumbled in the pan). The one thing that's weird about the VWAV recipe for falafels is the amount of baking powder-- it makes them puff up and created a weird air pocket in the middle that you don't get at your fav middle eastern pita joint. Either way, I'll continue making falafel because it's awesome. But not until April 4.As far as the israeli salad goes, this time I used fresh lemon juice, sea salt, english seedless (or what my parents call "israeli") cukes, grape tomatoes, fresh cracked pepper and a TON of parsley. It didn't keep well, but there wasn't much to keep! A great way to dress a salad like this is to cut the veggies over the container you inte
nd to keep it in/serve it in. Then put the top on, shake it up and enjoy :)My pointers for making hummus are more vague-- mainly because hummus is so subjective. I prefer a lighter, lemony hummus to the garlic-tastic that pleases dork. The best I've done (and it has taken weeks of mediocre chickpea dips) are as follows:
Roasted Garlic -- appx (all measurements are!) 8 cloves (roasted) to 2 cups chickpeas, 1 tsp tahini, 1/2 lemon's juice, pinch of cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of the old pepper mill. Olive oil until it flows freely-ish.
Red pepper (not roasted!) -- 2 c chickpeas, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp tahini, pinch cumin, 1/2 lemon's juice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 red pepper (fresh!), ~1/3 c olive oil, then water until free flowing.
That's all I've got for now, dear bloggers. At some point soon, I'm going to attempt soaking legumes. Til then!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
40 Days of Raw: Day 2
So, Day 2. 1/20th of the way there.
I ended up making my red kale salad. It turned out pretty good after letting it sit for a few hours. I did kind of over-salt and over-pepper, but it wasn't so salty or spicy that I was unable to eat it.
Kale Salad Recipe (Inspired by recipe taught by The Raw Choice)
1 bunch red kale
1 red pepper
1/2 vidalia onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 lemon
sea salt
red pepper
Wash all veggies. Then, shred kale into 3/4" wide strips that are no more than 3 1/2 inches in length. Cut red pepper into eighths and cut into thin strips. Cut onion into quarter rounds. Squeeze lemon juice over salad, then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Put in a covered container and shake (you can do this with your hands, but it will be more sanitary if you shake it up and let the salt and shaking bruise your kale). Let the mixture sit out for about an hour, then refrigerate for up to 3 days. Eat and enjoy. The kale should taste like it has been "cooked."
This also may have been due to how hungry I have been. Right now, my #1 problem is not feeling like my belly is full (yesterday I filled up on kale salad and pecans, then brought blueberries and a pomegranate to work, followed by a cashew, cauliflower and avocado plate) but getting enough *energy*. I am dragging ass most of the day. I am dreaming about the positive effects of caffiene. Hippie juice (apple cider vinegar, water and lemon) does not pack the same punch at all. Sorry Dr Bragg.
Day 2 of raw? Improvement, but barely passing.
I ended up making my red kale salad. It turned out pretty good after letting it sit for a few hours. I did kind of over-salt and over-pepper, but it wasn't so salty or spicy that I was unable to eat it.
Kale Salad Recipe (Inspired by recipe taught by The Raw Choice)
1 bunch red kale
1 red pepper
1/2 vidalia onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 lemon
sea salt
red pepper
Wash all veggies. Then, shred kale into 3/4" wide strips that are no more than 3 1/2 inches in length. Cut red pepper into eighths and cut into thin strips. Cut onion into quarter rounds. Squeeze lemon juice over salad, then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Put in a covered container and shake (you can do this with your hands, but it will be more sanitary if you shake it up and let the salt and shaking bruise your kale). Let the mixture sit out for about an hour, then refrigerate for up to 3 days. Eat and enjoy. The kale should taste like it has been "cooked."
This also may have been due to how hungry I have been. Right now, my #1 problem is not feeling like my belly is full (yesterday I filled up on kale salad and pecans, then brought blueberries and a pomegranate to work, followed by a cashew, cauliflower and avocado plate) but getting enough *energy*. I am dragging ass most of the day. I am dreaming about the positive effects of caffiene. Hippie juice (apple cider vinegar, water and lemon) does not pack the same punch at all. Sorry Dr Bragg.
Day 2 of raw? Improvement, but barely passing.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
40 Days of Raw: Day 1
So, I've decided to try to day-by-day blog this challenge since it is really new (and I'm sure a lot of you who attempt to go raw will go through the same trials and tribulations as I will) and might be kind of interesting.
Today, I ended up working a double and not really being able to get to the store until very late. That meant that I drank my hippie juice (apple cider vinegar and water) first at my first job, then again at my second, and by the time I headed to Bull McCabe's for pubquiz, I was fading. At the pub, I ordered a salad, plain. Eating it meant that I was suddenly famished. I did stock up on some good stuff, though, like swiss chard, green onions, avocado, pecans, cashews, cantaloupe, cukes, peppers, vidalias and sea salt, so as soon as I came home, I started shoveling pecans into my mouth, cut up a cantaloupe and am now basking in the glow of having some food in my tummy. I was extremely bummed to note that they have stopped carrying my vegan kimchi. Yes, I know it's overpriced, but I was really counting on coasting on that for at least a day.
I have a raw salad recipe idea for swiss chard, vidalias, peppers and a lemon vinaigrette that makes a sort of ceviche after it marinates. I may attempt it tonight or tomorrow, and when I do I will post the recipe.
Overall thoughts on first day of raw? Fail. But hey, I'm new!
Today, I ended up working a double and not really being able to get to the store until very late. That meant that I drank my hippie juice (apple cider vinegar and water) first at my first job, then again at my second, and by the time I headed to Bull McCabe's for pubquiz, I was fading. At the pub, I ordered a salad, plain. Eating it meant that I was suddenly famished. I did stock up on some good stuff, though, like swiss chard, green onions, avocado, pecans, cashews, cantaloupe, cukes, peppers, vidalias and sea salt, so as soon as I came home, I started shoveling pecans into my mouth, cut up a cantaloupe and am now basking in the glow of having some food in my tummy. I was extremely bummed to note that they have stopped carrying my vegan kimchi. Yes, I know it's overpriced, but I was really counting on coasting on that for at least a day.
I have a raw salad recipe idea for swiss chard, vidalias, peppers and a lemon vinaigrette that makes a sort of ceviche after it marinates. I may attempt it tonight or tomorrow, and when I do I will post the recipe.
Overall thoughts on first day of raw? Fail. But hey, I'm new!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Lent Challenge: 40 days of RAW
Hey Friends!
I've got a backlog of AMAZING product reviews, recipes and the like for you, but something big is in the cards. This year, my lent challenge will be, as indicated in the title, 40 days of raw. Now, that means no beer (sad sad) but it also means LOTS of new pickling recipes, a whole slew of raw tricks and a call out from ME to you, my bloggies.
Take some inspiration. I'm by no means a religious person, but it definitely is a test of your strength to think that this was the time when, throughout history, people have sacrificed en masse. This is the time to try giving up that one habit you're afraid of. Lent begins on 2/17 and ends on Easter Sunday (4/4). Join me!
Do you have a favorite raw recipe? If so, please leave a comment and a link! I'm going to need lots of help. I haven't gone raw since June 2006, when I lasted all of 13 days eating Gazpacho for pretty much every meal.
This week's power vegetable will be CAULIFLOWER, because it is effing delicious.
Stay tuned for a progress report as well as backlog updates.
I've got a backlog of AMAZING product reviews, recipes and the like for you, but something big is in the cards. This year, my lent challenge will be, as indicated in the title, 40 days of raw. Now, that means no beer (sad sad) but it also means LOTS of new pickling recipes, a whole slew of raw tricks and a call out from ME to you, my bloggies.
Take some inspiration. I'm by no means a religious person, but it definitely is a test of your strength to think that this was the time when, throughout history, people have sacrificed en masse. This is the time to try giving up that one habit you're afraid of. Lent begins on 2/17 and ends on Easter Sunday (4/4). Join me!
Do you have a favorite raw recipe? If so, please leave a comment and a link! I'm going to need lots of help. I haven't gone raw since June 2006, when I lasted all of 13 days eating Gazpacho for pretty much every meal.
This week's power vegetable will be CAULIFLOWER, because it is effing delicious.
Stay tuned for a progress report as well as backlog updates.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Daiya - A love story
Oh Daiya, what is there to say? We met, we danced and now our romance has ended.
It all started out when I ordered Daiya from vegan essentials. Half a pound of cheddar, half a pound of mozzarella. Just some modest tastings. Oh my, I didn't know.
I will tell you that Daiya, without a doubt, is the best cheese substitute I've ever tried. Seriously. It makes Teese look like Veganrella. Cheddar Daiya makes the best mac and cheese I've had that didn't involve dairy. No exaggeration. Spinach fusilli, broccoli, silk and some daiya cheese, melted together in a pot creates some seriously good mac and cheese.
I made nachos for the first time ever and discovered that I think nachos are okay. But hey, at least now I've had them! See picture. They look pretty good, though, right?
The mozzarella Daiya is just as good. Want melty, stretchy cheese pizza? I know it looks a little splotchy in the picture, but I threw the stuff on the pie directly out of the freezer so it was kinda clumpy and melted well enough to create soft squishy cheese.
Then, I went raw. Daiya became a memory, like that German boy I dated for 3 months, knowing full well I wouldn't see again until I got over to Europe 2 years later. A great thing. About a week before I got off the raw diet, I went by Chapel Hill Whole Foods to request that they carry it. Time went by and nothing, so I waited, patiently.
One day, while shopping with Dork and advising her on which vegan products to buy (gimme lean sausage for tofu scramble, yves breakfast links for regular sausage needs) I noticed a new package in the dairy case. DAIYA. Literally screamed. The cereal stock guy looked at me like I was nuts. But Chapel Hill Whole-y heard my prayers. Obviously, we each bought some.
I made pizza with broccoli, spinach and smart deli pepperoni on a corn-based gluten free crust (pictured). I made mac n cheese to feed me for days, packed it up and ate it for days. Then went and bought more. I simply couldn't get enough Daiya. I considered asking the store to start carrying Rossini pizza (made with Daiya) since the Amy's gluten free soy pizza (made with Daiya and rice crust) is kind of horrible. Well, not the pizza, but reheating rice crust is not friendly.
Then, around my birthday, something changed. I had a batch of mac and cheese after a night of somewhat unfortunate drinking choices and the next day...I CRAVED DAIYA NO MORE. (Yes, just like that Burger King only TMNT Release). The spark was gone. The taste of it did nothing for me. I could walk past pizza parlors and watch my friends eat blue box with no jealousy.
Of course, that hatred passed. Tonight, Dork told me she was making daiya pizza (mixed mozzarella and cheddar) with fresh peppers, tomatoes and Smart Deli pepperoni (really, is there any other kind?). And when she offered me some? "Oh hell yeah."
Monday, January 11, 2010
NC Beer List
Over the past year, I've become more interested in local craft beer due to a growing relationship between local brewers and local rock musicians, as well as a growing buy-local mentality. With that in mind, I've started to compile a list of the vegan-friendliest brews for those of you who live in the NC area (or have access to some of these beers). I've withheld my own personal recommendations from this list because it is incomplete and because I hope to possibly pilgrimage (a la Beer Y'all) to some of these breweries and do a side by side comparison of their wares to bring you the best and brightest from each one!
Without further ado, the list thus far:
Aviator - Vegan Friendly
Fuquay Varina, NC
We don’t use isinglass in any of our beers (we did use it in the past…but have discontinued it) and to now we have not used honey.
You can list them all!
Cheers,
Mark.
Chapel Hill and Pittsboro, NC
carolinabrewery.com
Thanks for your interest in the Carolina Brewery. We always have Sky Blue Golden Ale, Copperline Amber Ale, Flagship India Pale Ale and Oatmeal Porter on tap, plus seasonal beers.Our beers are made with malted barley, hops, yeast and water. None of our beers contain isinglass, dairy, gelatin or honey. For a complete list our beers please visit our website www.carolinabrewery.com.
Thanks, -Jon
Carolina Brewing Company - Vegan Friendly!
Holly Springs, NC
http://www.carolinabrew.com
According to John, "We don’t use any honey, isinglass, dairy or gelatin at all so every beer we make is vegan."
Catawba Valley Brewing - Vegan Friendly!
Morganton, NC
http://www.catawbavalleybrewingcompany.com/
At this time all of our Beers are Vegan, In the past we used some different clarifying agents, (Isinglass to be exact) But I haven't used anything in many years . So were safer , fresher and happier..
Thanks
W Scott Pyatt
Craggie Brewing Company - Vegan Friendly!
Asheville, NC
www.craggiebrewingco.com
My name is Bill Drew and I am the owner/ brew master of Craggie Brewing Company. Thank you for your interest in our beers. Have you had a chance to come to our tasting room to sample our wares yet? All our beers are "Vegan". No clarifying agents or foam inhibitors. We don't filter either. Most of our beers are just malt, hops, yeast, water. Since yeast is a living organism, is it an exception to the rule? Some of our other beers do contain candy sugar, molasses, ginger, spruce tips, strawberries, blueberries, etc. depending on the seasonal recipe. I hope this is helpful. Thanks and cheers!
Bill
Foothills Brewing Company - Vegan Friendly!
Winston-Salem, NC
http://foothillsbrewing.com/
We do not use isinglass in any of our products, nor do we use honey. I believe, as a result, all of our beers could be considered vegan. If you have any more questions, feel free to contact me at jamie@foothillsbrewing.com or directly at 3364079276. Thanks for the interest! Jamie Bartholomaus (Brewmaster)
French Broad Brewing Company - Vegan Friendly!
Asheveille, NC
http://frenchbroadbrewery.com
Cheers,
Drew Barton
Greenville, NC
www.hamsbrewhouse.com
It's actually easier for us to list our brews that aren't vegan. The only ones that are not vegan are our Mother's Milk Cream Stout (it contains lactose) and our Sunfest Lager might not be vegan. We filter our Sunfest Lager and our filter modules contain DE (diatomaceous earth), but I'm not sure how you guys feel about DE. Here's something to read if you're not familiar with DE....
http://veganfootprints.
Other than that, all our brews can be considered vegan.
The only fining (used for clarity) we use is Irish Moss, which is made from different kinds of seaweed.
Other than those two, any of our brews listed at www.hamsbrewhouse.com would be considered vegan.
Thanks!
TL Adkisson
Heinzelmännchen Brewery - Mostly Vegan Friendly!
Sylva, NC
http://yourgnometownbrewery.com/
Except for our Ancient Days Honey Blonde Ale, all our other Ales (Gopher, Hoppy Gnome, Gnutty Gnome, Middleworld Brown, Black Forest Stout, Weise Gnome, & Big Amber Ale). We use a cold maturation process to clear most of our beer with an occassional dose of Trub Clear (an Irish Moss product) in our specialty Ales due to the higher protein content of that style. You can find beer style descriptors on our website.
Prosit,
Dieter
Highland Brewing Company - Vegan Friendly!
Asheville, NC
www.highlandbrewing.com
Hi – Thanks for your interest in our brews. All our regular and seasonal beers are vegan. Our regular beers are Kashmir IPA, Oatmeal Porter, Gaelic Ale, Black Mocha Stout, and St. Terese Pale Ale. Our seasonal beers are Cold Mountain Winter Ale, Black Mountain Bitter, Clawhammer Oktoberfest, and Cattail Peak Wheat. Barb @ HBC
Liberty Steakhouse and Brewery - Mostly Vegan Friendly!
High Point, NC and Myrtle Beach, NC
http://libertysteakhouseandbrewery.com
Nice to hear from you and also about your interest in our craft beers. We do not use isinglass or gels here at Liberty, nor do I add lactose to any of my beers. Sometime in the future (as I have in the past), I will be utilizing honey, but it would be advertised as such. I believe I will be making a honey wheat ale in the Spring. One point to make is the fact that beer is created by the metabolism of sugars and other constituents by yeast. There is active academic debate whether fungi, which brewers yeast is a type of, is a plant or animal. I personally (along with most) categorize fungus into its own group and leave the plants and animals into their own respective groupings. I would guess that you would have to interpret the definition of fungus to yourself and decide whether or not beer is in fact vegan. I personally think it is as long as lactose, finings or other animal products are not utilized. If you have any other questions, please contact me at your leisure. Thanks!
Cheers,
Todd Isbell
Brewmaster
Lone Rider Brewery - Somewhat Vegan Friendly
Raleigh, NC
http://www.loneriderbeer.com
Shotgun Betty (unfiltered Hefeweizen) is completely vegan. Our other beers do use finings.
Natty Greene's Brewing Co - Mostly Vegan Friendly!
Greensboro and Raleigh, NC
http://bigdraft.com
the only beer we use isinglass finings on is our General Stout, and the Irish Honey Red contains honey.
all of our beers are vegan aside these two. here is the list of the main sellers:
Guilford Golden
Wildflower Witbier
Southern Pale
Buckshot Amber
Old Town Brown
Cannonball Double IPA
Black Powder Russian Imperial Stout
Red Nose Winter Ale
at our pub locations in Greensboro, and Raleigh we brew over 40 recipes over the year and all of these are vegan.
in a follow up email, Sebastian mentioned:
I missed one, the Milk Stout we do has lactose sugar in it which is derived from dairy products...specifically whey.
Sebastian Wolfrum
Director of Brewing Operations | Natty Greene's Pub and Brewing Company
Olde Hickory Brewery - Mostly Vegan Friendly
Hickory, NC
www.oldehickorybrewery.com
Thank you for contacting the Olde Hickory Brewery! I've spoken with our brew master and confirmed that the vast majority of our beers are vegan friendly. The only beers we make which are not are the Imperial Stout and Christmas Ale, both of which contain honey. The bottles of these are labeled with "made with honey." All of the rest of the beers listed on our website are vegan friendly, as well as our Dopplebock which is new and not yet on the site. Best, Nikol Wuest
Red Oak Brewery - Vegan Friendly
Whitsett, NC
www.redoakbrewery.com
Thank you for your inquiry. We brew 3 different lagers and all are vegan. We brew according to the 1516 law of purity the oldest consumer protection law in the world. This allows only 4 ingredients; Malted Barley, Hops, Water and Yeast. The beers we brew are Hummin' Bird, Red Oak and Battlefield Bock. We do not filter the beer or clarify it. We brew the way all beer used to be made.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Chris Buckley
Brew Master
Top Of The Hill - NOT Vegan Friendly
Chapel Hill NC East Franklin St., Third Floor, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 100 East Franklin St., Third Floor, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
"I am sorry but we use Isenglass in all of our beers. No isenglass remains in the beer but we do use it to clarify instead of filtering.
Cheers!"
Scott Maitland
Proprietor
Triangle Brewing Company - Vegan Friendly!
Durham, NC
http://trianglebrewery.com/
As of last inquiry (July 2009) all beers are vegan.
Still Awaiting Feedback:
Appalachian Craft Brewery - Fletcher, NC
Asheville Brewing Company - Asheville, NC
Big Boss Brewing - Raleigh, NC
Boyland Bridge Brewpub - NC
Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery - Farmville, NC
Front Street Brewery - Wilmington, NC
Green Man Ales and Brewery - Asheville, NC
Huske Hardware House Brewing Company - Fayetteville, NC
Outer Banks Brewing Station - Kill Devil Hills, NC
The Mash House Restaurant and Brewery - Fayetteville, NC
Mother Earth Brewing - Kinston, NC
Pisgah Brewing Company - Black Mountain, NC
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery - Charlotte, NC
Weeping Radish Farm Brewery - Jarvisburg, NC
Rocking Songs of 2009
Hey All.
Back with an update on rock and roll, not cooking (cooking is coming soon though, thanks for your continued support!)
I've gone ahead, like so many others, and compiled a list of songs that were my favorites of 2009, based (primarily) on how many times I listened to them as calculated by both last.fm and how long the mix CD they were on stayed in my car, and whether I still want to listen to them now. This is what I came up with, in no particular order, except maybe #1:
1. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Frank, AB
My roommates were ready to murder me after I discovered this song. I walked around the house all day going "Oo-oo oo-oo" and played it for them incessantly. I figured it out on guitar. And it didn't help that this was kind of a break-up-ish song that made me sob like a 4 year old with a skinned knee. I saw them live and it was just as goosebumpy. Listen, and love.
2. Veelee - Not Getting Anywhere
Yep, I chose the sort of sappy ballad duet as my favorite. I can't help it. I adore it. I was at Veelee's very first show ever, and trust me, you're going to hear about this band. Download their whole, quite worthwhile EP at their web site (linked above).
3. Beep Beep - Human Hair
Beep Beep is probably my favorite band of 2009. I've seen them twice. One of those times, I drove over 500 miles to make sure I caught them. They are a new incarnation of an old favorite who put out an incredible (and criminally underpromoted by Saddle Creek!) double disc this year. Human Hair is one of the "outlier" songs. It is so kitschy and well orchestrated that I felt like it was truly representative of the band for me. Weird, awesome and totally offputting unless you're a little sick. :)
4. Beep Beep - Mermaid Struggle
This is Beep Beep's face-melter. One of my roommates says it makes her feel like she's having a seizure. It makes me feel like I need to take acid and practice playing guitar. If this song doesn't in some way impress you, I feel like we don't see eye to eye. It blends beauty and dissonance so well that I fell in love with Beep Beep all over again the minute I heard it.
5. Red Collar - Tools
You might not be from North Carolina, and so I'll forgive you for not knowing our hometown heroes. Their first full-length, Pilgrim, has been getting lots of play and support around here. Tools has been my favorite RC song for a long time because it captures both the angst and energy the band can bring to a stage show. If they are ever playing in your town, just go to the show. Trust me. No recording can ever do their live show justice.
6. Ida Maria - Queen Of The World
A friend sent me this song saying it reminded her of me. I listened to it and at first thought "A Norwegian Erin McKeown, circa Distillation." Then I listened to it again. Ida Maria, you have written my theme song. If you've ever been an indecisive, possibly alcoholic, definitely lonesome twenty something girl, you will pin this song to your chest.
7. Marina & The Diamonds - Obsessions
You're thinking, God, when will this stupid piano singer-songwriter thing end, right? I had the same thing going on through 2009. I have had enough of Feist and Regina Spector and Nora Jones. But I love Marina Diamond. She is terribly off, self-loathing and basically sounds like someone I would hang with. And she is totally remixable. See if this doesn't get stuck in your head. Just try and see.
8. Fol Chen - Cable TV
You wanna have a good time? Wanna get down? This retro jam cites being broke, being in love and dancing in your underwear to Janet Jackson. It is absolutely infectious, although it does smack a bit of a one hit wonder.
9. The Love Language - Sparxxx
This was my first exposure to local breakouts The Love Language. It made me hungry for more. This song, though, really made me believe that Stu McLamb deserves all the fame and fortune he can get, because this shit is pure pop gold.
10. Japandroids - Young Hearts Spark Fire
The year's biggest garage duo! I missed them twice, once because I was working and once because of singer's emergency surgery and sudden date changes. This song is truly anthemic for those of us who are young, dumb and in love with rock and roll.
11. Bruce Peninsula - Crabapples
Easily the most unique, striking and resonant song on the list. Bruce Peninsula makes use of the stark contrast between simple call and response chorus, and extremely complex drumming. They claim to be inspired by Alan Lomax archives, and I can definitely hear it. When it comes up on my mix, EVERYONE wants to know what it is. Now you do.
12. The Joy Formidable - Whirring
Do you like straightforward girl-fronted indie pop? I DO I DO. I've had to avoid ripping off the vocal melodies on the chorus like 10 times.
13. An Horse - Camp Out
Although somewhat irritated by the album as a whole (and particularly the hyping of it, since it gets quite monotonous), I found myself really vibing on this song and put it on a mixtape without wanting to strangle the singer. It encompasses everything I like about the band, good lyrics, interesting rhythm and quirk. And also it namechecks Hole, which makes me smile.
14. Micachu - Golden Phone
Oh Micachu, everyone loves you! A great taste of the experimental, not-quite right but somehow totally aesthetically pleasing artist who is prone to building her own instruments, second guessing her releases. I was pulling for you to win that Mercury Prize, Mica!
15. Hammer No More the Fingers - Radiation
Durham, NC's "Boys Most Likely" put out a fine effort this year with Looking For Bruce. This song has long held its place at the top of my favorites because it combines two of my favorite things: Eastern European Disasters and DISCO! It recalls the story of
http://www.kiddofspeed.com/ and her rides through Chernobyl.
16. La Roux - Fascination
Another contender for the Mercury Music Prize, La Roux's high register could have taken this dance tune to turn-it-off territory, but somehow, it totally fucking works. The downside for everyone I know is that it led me to believe that I, too, can pull off a song in that register. (Note to readers: I cannot.) It has been exposed to death by now, but I still love it. And its remixes.
17. The Rapture - No Sex For Ben
This song is so obviously a jokey B-side, but those tend to be some of my favorite songs by bands (see: Spice Invaders by The Spice Girls, Rednecks by Blur). It's goofy, has a sweet groove and is one of those songs I always play at parties.
18. True Pseudo - Freaking Me Out
Wanna have a disco-punk-electro freak out? I mean a really booty shaker, sweat out the energy jam? This is it. Turn it up, face the mirror and show me the hair-ography. This song deserves to be blasted at any indie dance party worth its salt.
19. Little Boots - Stuck On Repeat
LITTLE MOTHERFUCKING BOOTS. When I first saw Lady Gaga, I just assumed that her songs would sound exactly like Little Boots. They didn't. I like the Gaga, but Little Boots, holy hell. You are a pop genius. Although she had a big hit with Remedy late in the year, this song had *me* stuck on repeat. I have embarrassed myself singing and dancing to this song more than once. Just try not to sing along. Oh, and download ANY remix you can get your hands on of miss boots. She is remix-ready.
20. The Pneurotics - Sirens
A less-well known local, but deserving of praise, The Pneurotics released their sophomore effort this year. Full disclosure, I was privvy to some early tracks and have a very close relationship with this record. However, this song, since the first time I heard Rich McLaughlin play it at Jack Sprat, has found its way into my ear and heart. It's a proper jam. If you like it, check out Happy Song too. It's all on iTunes.
21. Bear in Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers
Last, but certainly not least, is Bear in Heaven, with a song that to be perfectly honest, I *hated* on first, second, third listen. But then, something happened. I had to hear this off-kilter, possibly pitchy song with a driving bassline. It's so simple. It's so dull. But it is an EARWORM and it will get you. You will march with it, I promise.
Download the a zip file of the whole mix here.
(Bands, I know a lot of you, so you can e-mail me if you are unhappy with the fact that I am sharing your tunes and I will take them off the mix)
So yeah, by no means is this list complete. If you're at all interested in great music from the Triangle, I'd also recommend checking out the Indy's 40 Essential Triangle Tunes. They obviously are locally exclusive, have 40 whole songs picked out and there is some (but little) overlap between our lists. Overall, I'd say it's a good sampling of the music of the area, if you care. :)
Next week, I'm compiling a list of vegan NC beers! E-mails have been sent!
Back with an update on rock and roll, not cooking (cooking is coming soon though, thanks for your continued support!)
I've gone ahead, like so many others, and compiled a list of songs that were my favorites of 2009, based (primarily) on how many times I listened to them as calculated by both last.fm and how long the mix CD they were on stayed in my car, and whether I still want to listen to them now. This is what I came up with, in no particular order, except maybe #1:
1. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Frank, AB
My roommates were ready to murder me after I discovered this song. I walked around the house all day going "Oo-oo oo-oo" and played it for them incessantly. I figured it out on guitar. And it didn't help that this was kind of a break-up-ish song that made me sob like a 4 year old with a skinned knee. I saw them live and it was just as goosebumpy. Listen, and love.
2. Veelee - Not Getting Anywhere
Yep, I chose the sort of sappy ballad duet as my favorite. I can't help it. I adore it. I was at Veelee's very first show ever, and trust me, you're going to hear about this band. Download their whole, quite worthwhile EP at their web site (linked above).
3. Beep Beep - Human Hair
Beep Beep is probably my favorite band of 2009. I've seen them twice. One of those times, I drove over 500 miles to make sure I caught them. They are a new incarnation of an old favorite who put out an incredible (and criminally underpromoted by Saddle Creek!) double disc this year. Human Hair is one of the "outlier" songs. It is so kitschy and well orchestrated that I felt like it was truly representative of the band for me. Weird, awesome and totally offputting unless you're a little sick. :)
4. Beep Beep - Mermaid Struggle
This is Beep Beep's face-melter. One of my roommates says it makes her feel like she's having a seizure. It makes me feel like I need to take acid and practice playing guitar. If this song doesn't in some way impress you, I feel like we don't see eye to eye. It blends beauty and dissonance so well that I fell in love with Beep Beep all over again the minute I heard it.
5. Red Collar - Tools
You might not be from North Carolina, and so I'll forgive you for not knowing our hometown heroes. Their first full-length, Pilgrim, has been getting lots of play and support around here. Tools has been my favorite RC song for a long time because it captures both the angst and energy the band can bring to a stage show. If they are ever playing in your town, just go to the show. Trust me. No recording can ever do their live show justice.
6. Ida Maria - Queen Of The World
A friend sent me this song saying it reminded her of me. I listened to it and at first thought "A Norwegian Erin McKeown, circa Distillation." Then I listened to it again. Ida Maria, you have written my theme song. If you've ever been an indecisive, possibly alcoholic, definitely lonesome twenty something girl, you will pin this song to your chest.
7. Marina & The Diamonds - Obsessions
You're thinking, God, when will this stupid piano singer-songwriter thing end, right? I had the same thing going on through 2009. I have had enough of Feist and Regina Spector and Nora Jones. But I love Marina Diamond. She is terribly off, self-loathing and basically sounds like someone I would hang with. And she is totally remixable. See if this doesn't get stuck in your head. Just try and see.
8. Fol Chen - Cable TV
You wanna have a good time? Wanna get down? This retro jam cites being broke, being in love and dancing in your underwear to Janet Jackson. It is absolutely infectious, although it does smack a bit of a one hit wonder.
9. The Love Language - Sparxxx
This was my first exposure to local breakouts The Love Language. It made me hungry for more. This song, though, really made me believe that Stu McLamb deserves all the fame and fortune he can get, because this shit is pure pop gold.
10. Japandroids - Young Hearts Spark Fire
The year's biggest garage duo! I missed them twice, once because I was working and once because of singer's emergency surgery and sudden date changes. This song is truly anthemic for those of us who are young, dumb and in love with rock and roll.
11. Bruce Peninsula - Crabapples
Easily the most unique, striking and resonant song on the list. Bruce Peninsula makes use of the stark contrast between simple call and response chorus, and extremely complex drumming. They claim to be inspired by Alan Lomax archives, and I can definitely hear it. When it comes up on my mix, EVERYONE wants to know what it is. Now you do.
12. The Joy Formidable - Whirring
Do you like straightforward girl-fronted indie pop? I DO I DO. I've had to avoid ripping off the vocal melodies on the chorus like 10 times.
13. An Horse - Camp Out
Although somewhat irritated by the album as a whole (and particularly the hyping of it, since it gets quite monotonous), I found myself really vibing on this song and put it on a mixtape without wanting to strangle the singer. It encompasses everything I like about the band, good lyrics, interesting rhythm and quirk. And also it namechecks Hole, which makes me smile.
14. Micachu - Golden Phone
Oh Micachu, everyone loves you! A great taste of the experimental, not-quite right but somehow totally aesthetically pleasing artist who is prone to building her own instruments, second guessing her releases. I was pulling for you to win that Mercury Prize, Mica!
15. Hammer No More the Fingers - Radiation
Durham, NC's "Boys Most Likely" put out a fine effort this year with Looking For Bruce. This song has long held its place at the top of my favorites because it combines two of my favorite things: Eastern European Disasters and DISCO! It recalls the story of
http://www.kiddofspeed.com/ and her rides through Chernobyl.
16. La Roux - Fascination
Another contender for the Mercury Music Prize, La Roux's high register could have taken this dance tune to turn-it-off territory, but somehow, it totally fucking works. The downside for everyone I know is that it led me to believe that I, too, can pull off a song in that register. (Note to readers: I cannot.) It has been exposed to death by now, but I still love it. And its remixes.
17. The Rapture - No Sex For Ben
This song is so obviously a jokey B-side, but those tend to be some of my favorite songs by bands (see: Spice Invaders by The Spice Girls, Rednecks by Blur). It's goofy, has a sweet groove and is one of those songs I always play at parties.
18. True Pseudo - Freaking Me Out
Wanna have a disco-punk-electro freak out? I mean a really booty shaker, sweat out the energy jam? This is it. Turn it up, face the mirror and show me the hair-ography. This song deserves to be blasted at any indie dance party worth its salt.
19. Little Boots - Stuck On Repeat
LITTLE MOTHERFUCKING BOOTS. When I first saw Lady Gaga, I just assumed that her songs would sound exactly like Little Boots. They didn't. I like the Gaga, but Little Boots, holy hell. You are a pop genius. Although she had a big hit with Remedy late in the year, this song had *me* stuck on repeat. I have embarrassed myself singing and dancing to this song more than once. Just try not to sing along. Oh, and download ANY remix you can get your hands on of miss boots. She is remix-ready.
20. The Pneurotics - Sirens
A less-well known local, but deserving of praise, The Pneurotics released their sophomore effort this year. Full disclosure, I was privvy to some early tracks and have a very close relationship with this record. However, this song, since the first time I heard Rich McLaughlin play it at Jack Sprat, has found its way into my ear and heart. It's a proper jam. If you like it, check out Happy Song too. It's all on iTunes.
21. Bear in Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers
Last, but certainly not least, is Bear in Heaven, with a song that to be perfectly honest, I *hated* on first, second, third listen. But then, something happened. I had to hear this off-kilter, possibly pitchy song with a driving bassline. It's so simple. It's so dull. But it is an EARWORM and it will get you. You will march with it, I promise.
Download the a zip file of the whole mix here.
(Bands, I know a lot of you, so you can e-mail me if you are unhappy with the fact that I am sharing your tunes and I will take them off the mix)
So yeah, by no means is this list complete. If you're at all interested in great music from the Triangle, I'd also recommend checking out the Indy's 40 Essential Triangle Tunes. They obviously are locally exclusive, have 40 whole songs picked out and there is some (but little) overlap between our lists. Overall, I'd say it's a good sampling of the music of the area, if you care. :)
Next week, I'm compiling a list of vegan NC beers! E-mails have been sent!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Greetings, from a lazy vegan blogger
Well, as you may have noticed, it has been months since my last posting. This is not due to lack of cooking or eating (the 3 gallons of Cabbage Pomegranate soup downstairs and my ever more restrictive waistband beg to differ), but because I am BUSY!
Since our last update, I left a 9-5 position to work in a local restaurant as a cook. But then, they didn't hire me as a cook. It's all good, though, because I became a waitress at the same restaurant and have started plotting with the sous chef to bring tasty vegan goodness to the daily soups and specials. Hell, he even ran a soup recipe I GAVE HIM today. There's nothing better than getting to watch your recipes coming back with cleaned plates.
I was looking up Natalie Portman's appearance on Top Chef tonight. She told the chefs that she was "vegetarian" and five minutes later, I saw what looked like a butter exodus occur in that kitchen. I was really icked out by the attitudes of many of the chefs toward vegetarian cooking (ie, "I WILL NEVER BE VEGETARIAN EVER") or the choices made by chefs (this has baffled other bloggers...a leek? as the main part of the dish? really?) and also (and maybe I'm a fatass) the portions of some of the dishes seemed...really skimpy. But yeah, I noticed it was vegan mofo. And that I all but missed it. And now I am sad.
I had a really fantastic food journey last week in NYC (got to hit up Angelica Kitchen, who still, in my mind have the best soup in all Manhattan, Gobo, Red Bamboo, Candle Cafe and the last remaining Zen Palate), I've been working on an array of soups (I want to write my own cookbook focused on my fav meal ever: LUNCH...and Lolo over at veganyumyum has really inspired me!), and lastly, I've been eating my fill at the newest vegan bakery that just opened here in town: Dharma Bakery. It's owned and operated by my former vegan cooking club-mate and college friend Dina Graves, a hari krishna and 2nd generation vegan bakery owner. She has been having weekly open houses to expand her line and let us mooches try to convince her to make stuff we want to eat (like RAINBOW COOKIES).
So yes, in the near future, be on the lookout. I'll be back up and running soon (I have several backlogged entries to finish as well) and when I am, you betta believe there's gonna be some good stuff, fresh new restaurant reviews, product reviews, recipes and dabblings.
<3
Since our last update, I left a 9-5 position to work in a local restaurant as a cook. But then, they didn't hire me as a cook. It's all good, though, because I became a waitress at the same restaurant and have started plotting with the sous chef to bring tasty vegan goodness to the daily soups and specials. Hell, he even ran a soup recipe I GAVE HIM today. There's nothing better than getting to watch your recipes coming back with cleaned plates.
I was looking up Natalie Portman's appearance on Top Chef tonight. She told the chefs that she was "vegetarian" and five minutes later, I saw what looked like a butter exodus occur in that kitchen. I was really icked out by the attitudes of many of the chefs toward vegetarian cooking (ie, "I WILL NEVER BE VEGETARIAN EVER") or the choices made by chefs (this has baffled other bloggers...a leek? as the main part of the dish? really?) and also (and maybe I'm a fatass) the portions of some of the dishes seemed...really skimpy. But yeah, I noticed it was vegan mofo. And that I all but missed it. And now I am sad.
I had a really fantastic food journey last week in NYC (got to hit up Angelica Kitchen, who still, in my mind have the best soup in all Manhattan, Gobo, Red Bamboo, Candle Cafe and the last remaining Zen Palate), I've been working on an array of soups (I want to write my own cookbook focused on my fav meal ever: LUNCH...and Lolo over at veganyumyum has really inspired me!), and lastly, I've been eating my fill at the newest vegan bakery that just opened here in town: Dharma Bakery. It's owned and operated by my former vegan cooking club-mate and college friend Dina Graves, a hari krishna and 2nd generation vegan bakery owner. She has been having weekly open houses to expand her line and let us mooches try to convince her to make stuff we want to eat (like RAINBOW COOKIES).
So yes, in the near future, be on the lookout. I'll be back up and running soon (I have several backlogged entries to finish as well) and when I am, you betta believe there's gonna be some good stuff, fresh new restaurant reviews, product reviews, recipes and dabblings.
<3
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
It's All Good? Tempeh-tations? How about no.
So, in my never-ending quest to find delicious, easy pre-packaged nutritionally sound vegan food (funny, all my experimentation with pre-packaged food is really making me excited to MAKE MY OWN), I stumbled across two new products at Whole Foods recently. I'll spoil the article for you. I don't know who names these new products, but I am *certain* that he or she did not actually try them before naming them. See below for descriptions and recommendations for substiutes that are edible.
It's All Good: BBQ Skewers (1 out of 5)
I'll be honest with you. I bought both kinds of it's all good meat, the BBQ Beef Skewers and Chicken Good Stuff (black bean and corn), but after opening and trying the BBQ Beef, I am really reticent to try the chicken ones, even though they were kind of expensive. Yes, the Beef skewers were that bad.
Taking them out of the package, they are like most other fake meat products. That is to say, somewhat unappetizing. Despite that, I soldiered on. Firstly, I'll admit that I cooked them in an oven, not in a pan. All I can say is gross gross gross and we will leave it at this:
Tempeh-tations: BBQ (1 out of 5). Chicken Good Stuff: fuck that I won't even eat it.
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