Tempeh Reuben

I finally explored the Red and Black Cafe in SE Portland this evening. I had been wanting to go there for quite a bit, but just haven't had the motivation. Today, my friend and I decided to give it a chance. I tried out the Tempeh Reuben, made with mushrooms and a creamy thousand island dressing. It. Was. Amazing. I absolutely looove the one I get at Proper Eats, but there was just something about this sandwich tonight that was so much more complex and spectacular. It was also only $6.25, but it only came with a Claussen pickle. The atmosphere was not necessarily my type of place; I prefer low-key, but this was hipster-lowkey, so I felt a bit out of place by wearing my library's reading program t-shirt and by my friend wearing an Oregon Ducks sweatshirt. But, the food was good, so I'll definitely go back. Warning: they don't take anything but cash, although they say they have an ATM, so just make sure you have enough paper to make the trip worthwhile.

Vegans, Give it a Rest!

Allow me to step up on my soapboax for a moment.

What is it with Portland vegans? Why is it so difficult to treat other humans the way you are treating animals? Why is it so important that you are cool and hip and tattooed and pierced and trendy?

The reason I bring this up is because of a recent couchsurfer (www.couchsurfing.org) that I hosted. She was a lovely, effervescent young woman from Quebec City, Canada. She was eager to come visit Portland because it seemed, she said, like a vegan paradise. Of course, the reality was, when she got here, she was immediately persecuted just for being her: she wasn't young enough (she is a whopping 32-years-old!), not skinny enough, not trendy enough, and, apparently, not vegan enough, to be welcomed. She said I was the only vegan (she had met at least five others) that treated her well.

This is an outrage! I'm sick of the elitist vegan attitude that is so prevalent here. I'm tired of calling myself a vegan, at least in certain circles. I've only met one other Portland vegan with whom I've shared the same philosophy. Otherwise, it seems that the vegans here are the "protest in front of a fur store and subscribe to all things PETA" type. I feel almost embarrassed to tell people I don't consume animal products, because then I see myself being lumped in with the rest of that group in their eyes.

Portland vegans have forgotten what it's like to be condemned or judged for their diet, so they feel free to do it to others. The approach people take to promoting veganism in this city is similar to when someone coughs heavily at a smoker or comments on how "large" a person is - right in front of him/her. Assuming you are right in all things without really even considering the other person's feelings, reasons behind his/her actions, or current situation, is just awful. I thought vegans were striving to make the world a better place, in promoting a healthier lifestyle and a freer conscience, but apparently, it all comes down to how many tattoos you have on your body.

Pain Au Chocolat

I took the plunge recently and purchased a cookbook without having first checked it out from the library. I never do that. It seems so much more logical to really go through a book over a month's time and see if the recipes are ones that I will want to make over time. However, I had been on hold for Vegan Brunch for months, so when I saw it on sale at Powell's Books a few weeks ago, I just had to get it. I have not yet been disappointed. The make-or-break moment was when I saw that it had a recipe for Pain Au Chocolat, one of my favorite things to eat and one of the most disappointing things I've ever tried to make. When I saw that the ingredients list was only 3 items long, and the instructions themselves didn't really seem all that difficult, I was sold, and I made the decision to buy the book. Since then, I've made tons of food from there, and I'm tempted to make some pancakes right now...

Portland's Not This Strict - YET!

Wow, I just heard about this, even though this article is dated from the middle of June. It sounds pretty strict, but I think it's where Portland might eventually be headed, given that we already have separate bins for trash, glass, paper and plastic and aluminum, and compost. I think it's a great step in striving to protect and sustain the environment, and I really hope it works for them so that, hopefully, more cities decide to enact a similar policy.

Here's more information on San Francisco's recycling program.

My, How Your Garden Does Grow

The garden has finally been planted and transplanted and I am reveling in its awesome-ness! This beautiful weather we've been having has really made the plants go crazy. They are budding, growing things, spreading their leaves, etc. It's just fascinating to watch nature do its work so well.

Pictures following are of our back yard. The bummer is that we lost the tags to some of the plants, so I don't actually know what all of them are! Well, I'm sure we will discover shortly when the fruits and vegetables really start to show.