Flore Cafe, Really
Flore Cafe Breakfast Burrito
So after my gaffe last week, of confusing Flore with Flore Cafe, I convinced Jane we needed to head on back out to Silver Lake. Last week I reviewed Flore in Silver Lake. This time, we were off to Flore Cafe (really).
Jane had the Breakfast Burrito, and I had the Tu-No Melt, and of course, we shared. The Breakfast Burrito was okay, but not something we'd enthusiastically recommend. You could do this at home with better results. It had too much rice and potato and was very bland. And there's only so much hot sauce you can use! Everyone recommends the tofu benediction, we should have gotten that instead. Next time.
Flore Cafe Tu-No Melt
As for the Tu-No Melt, I'd wanted to try it when we were at Flore, but ordered the Quesadilla instead (which was delicious and I didn't regret my decision one iota). Flore Cafe also offers the Tu-No Melt, so this time I had to order it. It was delicious.
Overall, we were pleased and will definitely be back. Everything tasted really fresh. We really recommend both Flore and Flore Cafe. But I want to stress, the ambiance in these places is not wonderful. They both resemble an eatery or deli more than a restaurant. But the food is fresh and good, and the service we received was wonderful in both locations.
Just in case you're confused, here's a quick primer:
- Flore Cafe is a vegetarian restaurant
- Flore is a vegan restaurant
- Flore Cafe is at 3206 W. Sunset Blvd
- Flore is at 3818 W. Sunset Blvd,0.5 miles down the block!
- Flore Cafe used to be the Vegan Spot
- Flore is the original restaurant (they are owned by the same person)
- Flore Cafe serves breakfast all day long
- Flore breakfast served until 1 pm.
But no matter which restaurant you wind up eating at... YUM!
Vegans in Jail
So tonight I learned that Ira Black, guitarist for Lizzie Borden, was in the Los Angeles County jail system this month for a misdemeanor charge. Since I don't know anything about Ira Black that news didn't make much of an impression. However, Mr. Black was on a hunger strike... why you ask? Because the prison system does not offer vegan/vegetarian fare to the prisoners. Now I can see the institution's point of view. If they had to cater to every individuals diet they'd have their hands full, and it's a prison after all, not a country club! But they do make exceptions for religious beliefs and medical diets.
Personally, I'm not a huge proponent of prisoners rights. If you commit a crime and wind up in jail, you're there to be punished, you're not on vacation. Having said that, I do understand the need to ensure the basic needs of prisoners are met. But I don't think that means catering to everyones varied diets. I don't know how prisoners are fed. I envision a cafeteria line with a few basic selections.
The county might do well to consider feeding all inmates a vegan diet. It would cost the taxpayers a lot less to feed the prisoners, and it would be beneficial for the inmates health, also resulting in a cost savings to the county/taxpayers, especially for those long term prisoners. You've probably all heard about California's fiscal woes ($40 billion deficit), so cost savings should be reason enough to consider transitioning the prison system to a vegan based diet. I'm off to draft a letter to the prison system.
If you'd like to contact the Los Angeles County jail, you can write to them at: webemail@lasd.org.
(It appears Black was released from jail on the 14th. Source: The LA County Sheriff's Department Inmate Information Center.)
PETA Won’t Be At The Super Bowl
Still From Banned Peta Ad
For those of you who don't know, this weekend is the Super Bowl. The culmination of the 2008 American football season. And perhaps the most watched event annually. PETA's "Veggie Love" Super Bowl campaign has been banned by NBC. My first reaction was where did PETA get $3 million for this ad? (Super Bowl spots will start at $3 million for 30 second spot. - Source: Reuters) My second reaction was the Super Bowl is not the appropriate forum for a vegetarian ad... then I saw the spot, and I thought to myself, "This time those folks at PETA know what they're doing."
According to PETA, NBC nixed the ad, saying it "depicts a level of sexuality exceeding our standards." Personally, I don't agree... with all the Viagara and Cialis they market, this should be right up their alley!
'Veggie Love': PETA's Banned Super Bowl Ad
According to the spot, "Studies show vegetarians have better sex. Go Veg."
Pasadena Neighborhood Green Fair
I haven't written much about happenings in the vegan community recently. Jane and I have been pretty busy over the last 3 months, and football takes up a large part of my weekends during the season. I'm such a fan that whenever we're invited to something on a Sunday (during football season), Jane will often decline, telling the host/ess "Lane attends the church of the NFL on Sundays." Well, football is almost done, so that means we're looking at things to fill up our weekends.
Anyway, here's the first green event of the season... If you're going to be in the Pasadena, CA area on Saturday, you may want to stop by the first annual Neighborhood Green Fair which will be held at the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church, 301 N Orange Grove Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91103. The event takes place from 10am to 4pm.
It sounds like it will be a fun day. There will be live music all day long. There will also be movies and children's activities. For adults, there will be displays, films, lectures, and entertainment, which will showcase innovative green products and services. There will also be "healthy" food available. I'm wondering if that includes vegan fare. Since this is a "green" festival I would hope that veganism will be touched upon at the least, but I expect that the focus will more likely be local foods.
If nothing else, Jane hopes to pick up some drought tolerant plants at the fair. They'll be selling them there, and it looks like we might be facing water restrictions again this year.
Flore Lives Up To Its Hype
Portobello Sandwich - Flore
Thanks to Kevin and Foodeater for catching our error. The restaurant we reviewed here is Flore, not Flore Cafe. My mistake, I googled Flore for the address and got confused. That happens people... I write my posts late at night. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused. But hey, I understand Flore Cafe is just as good, but with some vegetarian options. So if you read this review and went there instead, you probably enjoyed yourself.
We've been spending a bit more time over in Silver Lake, a trendy neighborhood in Los Angeles. Silver Lake has a variety of vegan restaurants... Flore being one of them. We've been hearing wonderful things about Flore and had been meaning to try them for a long time. But the reviews all seem to say that the place is cramped and the service slow... and there's no air conditioning... which means it's pretty much off limits in Los Angeles from March until November. (Okay, that might be an exaggeration.)
Vegan Quesadilla - Flore Cafe
OMG! Delicious! Jane had the Portobello Sandwich and I had the Quesadilla. The Quesadilla edged out the Portobello Sandwich for best meal. But when I tell you they were both delicious, I mean we're still reminiscing about that meal.
As for the restaurant itself, the ambiance is definitely lacking. It's crowded, there are loaves of bread and all sorts of inventory items stocked on every surface. Did I mention it's crowded? And the service is slow... but we found the waitstaff to be very friendly and helpful.
The restaurant is located at 3818 W. Sunset Blvd., Silverlake (Los Angeles), CA 90026. Call for their hours: 323-953-0611
It’s Not Splendid
We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. It is our duty to make the whole world recognize it. Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace. ~ Albert Schweitzer, "The Philosophy of Civilization
."
Albert Schweitzer died before I was born. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like much has changed since he wrote the quote above.
In yesterday's post "Is Splenda Vegan?" I mentioned that Splenda had been tested on animals. Thanks to FoodEater of To Live and Eat in LA for pointing out that was a gross understatement that is. She provides links to the campaign Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC). Huntingdon is Huntingdon Life Sciences, an animal testing facility based in London, with facilities in the US and Japan as well.
According to SHAC, researchers estimate that 12,800 animals were killed in the testing of sucralose (Splenda). We used to jokingly refer to Splenda as "Splendid," but between the animal abuse and the mixed , I don't expect we'll ever say that agin.
"For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love." ~ Pythagoras (500 BC)
Is Splenda Vegan?
Two weeks ago we received an email from one of you, our readers, asking if we knew if Splenda was made with vegan sugar. We don't, so we emailed Splenda to see if they could help us. We still haven't heard back, so we don't have an official answer yet. (If/when we do hear from them we'll update this post.) However, if you are concerned about animal welfare and cruelty, Splenda has been tested on animals, and that's reason enough for many vegans to avoid the product.
So what's the deal with sugar you might ask? Strict vegans will eschew some sugars as cane sugar needs to be refined, and is often refined over bone char, an animal product. Beet sugar does not need this step, so all beet sugar is vegan. But have you ever looked at the ingredient list on a bag of sugar? You're not likely to be able to discern if you're buying cane or beet sugar, and you'd be hard pressed to be able to determine the refining methodology used.
So how do we handle the sugar issue? We don't really worry about it that much. Jane and I both feel that it is much more important to focus on animal products rather than animal byproducts. Sugar itself is not an animal product, it is refined over bone char (a by product of meat processing). Having said that, when we share food we've prepared with other vegans we always alert them to any questionable ingredients. We do know some people who are pretty strict when in comes to what they'll eat, and we respect that.
As for Splenda... there is enough controversy concerning Splenda for us to limit our intake of the product. Sure it's been FDA approved, but then again, so was Aspartame. Stevia is the suggested sugar alternative for diabetics, although many people (Jane included) find it to have a noticeable negative aftertaste. Having said all that, we're not doctors nor are we nutritionists/dieticians, so it might be worth seeking advice from a licensed professional.
For further reading:
- Wikipedia - Sucralose, including public health and safety concerns.
- Splenda.com - Safety Research
- Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes
Animal Rights in the White House?
As the eyes of the world turn towards Washington for the changing of the guard, the vegan community will very likely have high hopes for the new "regulatory czar," Cass Sunstein. Sunstein will head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, which regulates, among many other agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency. Hmmm....
For those of you who don't pay too much attention to US politics, Sunstein is a Harvard University Law School professor and author of "Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions
It will be interesting to see what changes Sunstein will promote in the avenue of animal rights.
For further reading:
- Sunstein, Cass R.,The Rights of Animals: A Very Short Primer(August 2002). U Chicago Law & Economics, Olin Working Paper No. 157; U of Chicago, Public Law Research Paper No. 30. (This will bring up the abstract, you can download the entire paper via a link at the top of their page.)
- Associated Press - Sunstein Appointed Regulatory Czar
- The Wall Street Journal re: Sunstein.
- ABA Jouranl - Lawyers Who May Run America
- What the other side is saying: Opposing Views
Vegan Handbag Review
Vegetarian Shoes & Bags - Orleans by Pink
Hi everyone, it's Jane writing tonight. No, it's not another Daring Bakers Challenge... I'm writing a product review. We were contacted recently by Vegetarian Shoes and Bags and asked to review a purse to help announce their new collection of 100% cruelty-free handbags.
As most of you know, Lane and I went vegan a little over a year and a half ago. We're still wearing our old leather accessories and shoes. Our reasoning here is that the cow has already been sacrificed; throwing away these items would be wasteful. But they're slowly starting to wear out, and need to be replaced... this time with vegan items. So the timing of this couldn't be better for me.
Orleans Interior
My purse showed up within a week. I received the Orleans bag by Pink Studios. Typically, I tend to carry smaller bags, so Lane and I jokingly refer to this bag as "the luggage." But in all seriousness, I LOVE IT! This is, hands down, one of the better-made bags I have ever owned. The zippers don't catch, there were no stray threads anywhere, and the seams are all even.
I've tried to abuse the bag a bit by overloading it, but so far, it's stood up to everything I've dished out. In addition to the usual items you'd carry in your purse, I've carried two hardcover novels, my camera, and my knitting with no issues!
Orleans Bag Seam Detail
As for the interior of the bag - the main compartment zips shut with a cell phone pocket another smaller pocket, and an interior zip pocket. Then there are two compartments that have snaps on either side of the main compartment, and two small pockets on the outside of the purse for quick access items.
All in all, I am very pleased with this purse and would recommend the Pink line of purses. As for Vegetarian Shoes and Bags -- they're Vegan Society certified, and vegan themselves. They reserach their manufacturers so the products they carry are 100% vegan in nature, without exception. So you can choose your items without having to read any fine print.
Tofu Scramble
Tofu Scramble with Sauteed Onions and Portobello Mushroom
Last night Teddy Girl asked us how to make a tofu scramble. Tofu scrambles are something Jane prepares often. I love them, and she prepares them in a myriad of ways, so she's never bored cooking them. We consider them a staple.
So here's how we prepare our scrambles: First, remove from package and drain the tofu. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium flame. Put tofu in the skillet and break it up with spatula. Sprinkle 2-4 Tbs nutritional yeast (and additional spices to taste, generally ¼ to ½ teaspoon of each) over tofu and continue to cook until the tofu is golden in color. If you're using firm tofu, or have cubed it, cook until it just begins to brown on flat edges. Note: It really doesn't matter what type of tofu you use... If you use firm or extra firm tofu your scramble will generally retain a more cube-like shape. If you use soft tofu it will resemble scrambled eggs in texture.
So what do I mean by "additional spices to taste?" Jane makes our tofu scrambles in a variety of different ways, and each time is different. She varies the spices she uses based on the additions or sides she's making.
Here are a few of our favorite tofu scramble mix-ins:
- chopped asparagus, dill
- sauteed onions and spinach, oregano and/or paprika
- sauteed onions and mushrooms, thyme
- sun dried tomatoes, basil, onion powder and garlic powder
- chopped apples, almonds, garam masala
- chopped soy chorizo and corn, cumin; with a side of guacamole and a tortilla
As for sides - we always have a green salad along with our dinner. When we have a tofu scramble we often have a bagel with Tofutti cream cheese. (Buy the Tofutti in the yellow container - does not have trans fats.) Jane will also often make vegan bacon or sausage links, or some kind of veggies... grilled asparagus. Sometimes Jane will make hash browns, or potatoes and onions. Tonight we had sauteed onions and portobellos on the side, along with a bagel and ½ an avocado, and of course, a salad.
There's almost no way to do this "wrong." But here's a tip... We find the nutritional yeast really makes a difference. The tofu scrambles all taste better when Jane uses it.
