On my third day in Cleveland, I finally made it to the famous ”Tommy’s” restaurant in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. The menu was amazing and full of great vegan dishes as well as ‘normal’ food for my boys. The pricing was quite reasonable with hardly an item over $10.
I had an A.J. Wrap and a Not Dog. An A.J. Wrap is a wheat wrap filled with black bean chili, pickles, brown rice, veggies & lettuce. A Not Dog is a veggie hotdog made with tofu and spices and served on a whole wheat bun. It comes with a great garlicy sauce but I didn’t ask exactly what it was. Both were great.
It was also one of the only places in Cleveland where I didn’t get a strange look when asking for Green Tea.
It was a great restaurant and it lived up to all my expectations. The little neighbourhood it was located in kind of reminded me of Kensington Market in Toronto. They have a little give shop with clothing items. I was hoping they would have had a recipe book, but it wasn’t to be.
Check out their website for a detailed menu and history of the restaurant.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Nasty Post Comments - Love It!
It was a proud moment for me today when I checked Being A Vegan Athlete and I'd received a malicious, negative comment to the last post. Unfortunately, I decided to delete the two-word expletive (FU, it was...) because the person who left it didn't leave a name.
I'm a huge proponent of freedom of speech, but if your only reply to something you feel strongly against is 'FU' and then you refuse to put your name behind it, you don't deserve to have your words heard. I don't moderate my comments initially because I think it's pompous. However...
I thought about it for a while, and I would have let the comment stand as is, if only the person who'd left it had left a name. It didn't even have to be a real name. God knows, the internet is anonymous even when it doesn't seem to be.
So, if you left the comment and have come back to see my reaction to it, leave it again with your name and maybe add an intelligent reason why. Habs fan? Creepy figure skater guy fan? Maybe, it was Johnny Weir himself!
Anyway, not offended here. On the contrary, actually. I, like any blogger, am like a dog and consider any attention good attention. So, keep smacking my nose and making me stay out in the cold back yard too long!
Anywho...
I'm sitting at the Skyline Hotel in Independence, Ohio. Actually, I'm by the indoor pool just kicking back and having a couple Millers. The thing I love about the USA is the fact that they are mature enough to not bother with someone having a few beers outside the 'designated drinking area' - are you listening Tight Ass Canadian Government? Oh, and 30 beers here still costs $15 when we're paying close to $50 for 24, if not more in some cases in Canada. Can you say tax overkill?
I had my first real Boca Burger today at, of all places, Denny's. Not bad stuff, however, I could tell which one was mine before it hit the table due to the perfectly flat shape.
Ciao for now! Habs, you suck! Weir, you suck! Anonymous, FU too! Vegans, keep on keepin' on!
I'm a huge proponent of freedom of speech, but if your only reply to something you feel strongly against is 'FU' and then you refuse to put your name behind it, you don't deserve to have your words heard. I don't moderate my comments initially because I think it's pompous. However...
I thought about it for a while, and I would have let the comment stand as is, if only the person who'd left it had left a name. It didn't even have to be a real name. God knows, the internet is anonymous even when it doesn't seem to be.
So, if you left the comment and have come back to see my reaction to it, leave it again with your name and maybe add an intelligent reason why. Habs fan? Creepy figure skater guy fan? Maybe, it was Johnny Weir himself!
Anyway, not offended here. On the contrary, actually. I, like any blogger, am like a dog and consider any attention good attention. So, keep smacking my nose and making me stay out in the cold back yard too long!
Anywho...
I'm sitting at the Skyline Hotel in Independence, Ohio. Actually, I'm by the indoor pool just kicking back and having a couple Millers. The thing I love about the USA is the fact that they are mature enough to not bother with someone having a few beers outside the 'designated drinking area' - are you listening Tight Ass Canadian Government? Oh, and 30 beers here still costs $15 when we're paying close to $50 for 24, if not more in some cases in Canada. Can you say tax overkill?
I had my first real Boca Burger today at, of all places, Denny's. Not bad stuff, however, I could tell which one was mine before it hit the table due to the perfectly flat shape.
Ciao for now! Habs, you suck! Weir, you suck! Anonymous, FU too! Vegans, keep on keepin' on!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Figure Skater Needs Dead Animal Fur To Win Gold
I was going to write a nasty post about American figure skater, Johnny Weir. Earlier in the day, Johnny basically said that a little animal fur here and there didn't matter when there were so many humans dying in the world.
He has changed his mind after receiving international media pressure. Read the latest story here. He will wear 'faux fur' on his costume. But, he admits that he made the change so that 'some silly costume' wouldn't affect his training for the Olympic games. He stresses that animal rights activists have not won and that he still would rather be wearing his pretty fur outfit.
Long a target of PETA and other animal rights groups for his fashion sense, Mr. Weir just won't back down from what he believes in. You know, Johnny, it is a sport that you're competing in and not a fashion show. Just be a great figure skater and you won't have to worry about how much of a circus act you're being.
Well, Johnny Weir, you've made my burn-in-hell list and you're right next to the Montreal Canadiens (click on the team name to find out why they've made the list). May you fall on your pretty face.
Also in the news...
Dog fighting has made a comeback in Afghanistan. Hurray! The human killing is down so the bloodshed must come from another source. Why not the age-old pastime of dog fighting? Read all the good news here.
I've been pretty cranky lately and this activist alter-ego seems to be slipping out. I'm off to Cleveland, Ohio for a four day weekend and plan to visit some of the city's finer vegan restaurants. I promise not to be such a grump for the next post!
He has changed his mind after receiving international media pressure. Read the latest story here. He will wear 'faux fur' on his costume. But, he admits that he made the change so that 'some silly costume' wouldn't affect his training for the Olympic games. He stresses that animal rights activists have not won and that he still would rather be wearing his pretty fur outfit.
Long a target of PETA and other animal rights groups for his fashion sense, Mr. Weir just won't back down from what he believes in. You know, Johnny, it is a sport that you're competing in and not a fashion show. Just be a great figure skater and you won't have to worry about how much of a circus act you're being.
Well, Johnny Weir, you've made my burn-in-hell list and you're right next to the Montreal Canadiens (click on the team name to find out why they've made the list). May you fall on your pretty face.
Also in the news...
Dog fighting has made a comeback in Afghanistan. Hurray! The human killing is down so the bloodshed must come from another source. Why not the age-old pastime of dog fighting? Read all the good news here.
I've been pretty cranky lately and this activist alter-ego seems to be slipping out. I'm off to Cleveland, Ohio for a four day weekend and plan to visit some of the city's finer vegan restaurants. I promise not to be such a grump for the next post!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Turtle Jacks and Other Stuff
Turtle Jacks is a restaurant chain in the Greater Toronto Area that currently has 15 locations and claims to be expanding. They serve typical roadhouse food and if you didn’t see the sign on the way in, you wouldn’t know if you were at a Montana’s, Boston Pizza, Shoeless Joes, etc. Etc. Etc.
Typical of that style restaurant, Turtle Jacks has little to offer the vegan. However, if you find yourself there with a group of carnivores, there are some alternatives to get you through. The most highly recommended item on the menu for vegans is the Veggie Great Noodle Bowl.
Sautéed chow mein noodles tossed with Napa cabbage, bok choy, red pepper & julienne vegetables, finished with green onions & sesame seeds. Choice of Red Thai Chili or Sweet Teriyaki sauce. This dish is pretty darn good and quite filling.
Unlike a lot of roadhouse style restaurants, Turtle Jacks does offer the substitution of a veggie burger for any of their regular burgers. There is an additional cost of 99 cents which is bullshit because the cost of the actual paddy is most likely no more expensive for them to buy. Welcome to the world of veganism.
Do not try the deep fried dill pickles. It is one of the only appetizers that can be considered vegan (not sure what might be in the batter, though). For $9, you basically get one and a half pickles in a bland batter.
Am I from Mexico?
I get this often. No, I am from Canada. My e-mail address is from Yahoo Mexico and has the .mx extension on it. The reason for this stems back to my interest in learning foreign languages. A few years back, I kept sending for travel information from Spanish speaking countries and would ask for the material to be sent in Spanish. No matter what, I was always sent the English versions.
I got the bright idea to get an e-mail address from within a Spanish speaking country. It worked. Everything I received was in Spanish. Plus, I had the added learning opportunity from having to navigate Yahoo and the e-mail page in Spanish. When I started this blog, I decided to use that e-mail account as my contact e-mail because it was the least used of my e-mail collection. That e-mail, by the way, is el_eskimo69@yahoo.com.mx if you feel inclined to get in touch.
Finally, a recipe...
This is a little something out of Southern Spain called Wrinkled Potatoes with Red Sauce.
Ingredients
· 2 lb of walnut sized new potatoes
· 2 TBSP of salt
Sauce
· 4 garlic cloves peeled
· 1 TSP cumin
· 1 TSP paprika
· Pinch of dried thyme
· ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
· 2 TSP red wine vinegar
Directions
· Make the sauce first as it has to cool thoroughly before use. Mince the garlic. Add the cumin, paprika and thyme to the garlic.
· Slowly add the oil to the garlic, drop by drop, stirring all the time and adding the vinegar at intervals. When all the oil and vinegar is used up, transfer the sauce to a serving bowl and add about ¼ cup of warm water to make a thin sauce. Stir well and set aside until required.
· Wash the potatoes thoroughly but leave the skin on. Put them on to boil with just enough water to cover them, leaving the lid off so that the water evaporates.
· When the water has almost gone, throw in the salt, which will form a crust on the skins. Let the water boil away over low heat, watching carefully. When is has all evaporated, leave the heat on for about 30 seconds or so to dry the potatoes thoroughly and to get a wrinkled effect. Shake the pan a little if they threaten to burn.
· Serve the potatoes in individual dishes. Spear the potatoes with a fork and dip in the sauce.
Check out these previous posts:
Some Long Lost Far East Recipes
How To Peel An Avocado
Avatar: Why Aren’t The Na’vi Vegan?
Typical of that style restaurant, Turtle Jacks has little to offer the vegan. However, if you find yourself there with a group of carnivores, there are some alternatives to get you through. The most highly recommended item on the menu for vegans is the Veggie Great Noodle Bowl.
Sautéed chow mein noodles tossed with Napa cabbage, bok choy, red pepper & julienne vegetables, finished with green onions & sesame seeds. Choice of Red Thai Chili or Sweet Teriyaki sauce. This dish is pretty darn good and quite filling.
Unlike a lot of roadhouse style restaurants, Turtle Jacks does offer the substitution of a veggie burger for any of their regular burgers. There is an additional cost of 99 cents which is bullshit because the cost of the actual paddy is most likely no more expensive for them to buy. Welcome to the world of veganism.
Do not try the deep fried dill pickles. It is one of the only appetizers that can be considered vegan (not sure what might be in the batter, though). For $9, you basically get one and a half pickles in a bland batter.
Am I from Mexico?
I get this often. No, I am from Canada. My e-mail address is from Yahoo Mexico and has the .mx extension on it. The reason for this stems back to my interest in learning foreign languages. A few years back, I kept sending for travel information from Spanish speaking countries and would ask for the material to be sent in Spanish. No matter what, I was always sent the English versions.
I got the bright idea to get an e-mail address from within a Spanish speaking country. It worked. Everything I received was in Spanish. Plus, I had the added learning opportunity from having to navigate Yahoo and the e-mail page in Spanish. When I started this blog, I decided to use that e-mail account as my contact e-mail because it was the least used of my e-mail collection. That e-mail, by the way, is el_eskimo69@yahoo.com.mx if you feel inclined to get in touch.
Finally, a recipe...
This is a little something out of Southern Spain called Wrinkled Potatoes with Red Sauce.
Ingredients
· 2 lb of walnut sized new potatoes
· 2 TBSP of salt
Sauce
· 4 garlic cloves peeled
· 1 TSP cumin
· 1 TSP paprika
· Pinch of dried thyme
· ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
· 2 TSP red wine vinegar
Directions
· Make the sauce first as it has to cool thoroughly before use. Mince the garlic. Add the cumin, paprika and thyme to the garlic.
· Slowly add the oil to the garlic, drop by drop, stirring all the time and adding the vinegar at intervals. When all the oil and vinegar is used up, transfer the sauce to a serving bowl and add about ¼ cup of warm water to make a thin sauce. Stir well and set aside until required.
· Wash the potatoes thoroughly but leave the skin on. Put them on to boil with just enough water to cover them, leaving the lid off so that the water evaporates.
· When the water has almost gone, throw in the salt, which will form a crust on the skins. Let the water boil away over low heat, watching carefully. When is has all evaporated, leave the heat on for about 30 seconds or so to dry the potatoes thoroughly and to get a wrinkled effect. Shake the pan a little if they threaten to burn.
· Serve the potatoes in individual dishes. Spear the potatoes with a fork and dip in the sauce.
Check out these previous posts:
Some Long Lost Far East Recipes
How To Peel An Avocado
Avatar: Why Aren’t The Na’vi Vegan?
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Club Seals, Get Pie In Face
Gail Shea is a mother of 5 and a grandmother of 7. She is from the tiny island province of Prince Edward Island in Canada. She managed her small family business for 15 years before becoming an elected government official in 2000. She is Canada’s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Oh, and she’s all for clubbing to death a few thousand seals.
To top it off, she was the victim of a PETA pie in the face. Click here for the full news article. Should the person who performed the pie in the face be charged? Of course. That’s the cost of being an activist – you disturb the peace, you get your cause heard, you pay the price. Should that person be considered a terrorist? Not on your life.
Standing up for what you believe in is not terrorism. However, there are those in the communist government of Canada that believe that this was indeed an act of terrorism and the person who sacrificed the tasty tofu cream pie in the name of defenceless baby seals should be charged as such.
Wow! The Marx brothers and the Three Stooges would be screwed! If this is the case, though, aren’t soldiers from the west imposing their beliefs on the people of Iraq and Afganistan terrorists? They are not necessarily invited into those countries by the majority of the people and they are imposing beliefs that aren’t shared by the majority of the people.
Come on. Give it a break. A pie in the face is just a pie in the face. It’s not like a shoe was thrown in someone’s general direction. Would you rather gunfire? No, you would rather people stifle what they believe in and sit in a corner and with their mouths shut.
Gail Shea, take a taste of the pie and enjoy it then think about why the person did what they did. There has to be a pretty good reason why someone would feel so strongly about an issue to come from another country and risk incarceration to try and get their point across. See the world through other people’s eyes before judging them.
By the way, I’ve never tried Tofu Cream Pie. If anyone has a good recipe, let me know. And, I hope my ‘radical views’ on this subject won’t affect my upcoming trip across the border to the USA this weekend...
To top it off, she was the victim of a PETA pie in the face. Click here for the full news article. Should the person who performed the pie in the face be charged? Of course. That’s the cost of being an activist – you disturb the peace, you get your cause heard, you pay the price. Should that person be considered a terrorist? Not on your life.
Standing up for what you believe in is not terrorism. However, there are those in the communist government of Canada that believe that this was indeed an act of terrorism and the person who sacrificed the tasty tofu cream pie in the name of defenceless baby seals should be charged as such.
Wow! The Marx brothers and the Three Stooges would be screwed! If this is the case, though, aren’t soldiers from the west imposing their beliefs on the people of Iraq and Afganistan terrorists? They are not necessarily invited into those countries by the majority of the people and they are imposing beliefs that aren’t shared by the majority of the people.
Come on. Give it a break. A pie in the face is just a pie in the face. It’s not like a shoe was thrown in someone’s general direction. Would you rather gunfire? No, you would rather people stifle what they believe in and sit in a corner and with their mouths shut.
Gail Shea, take a taste of the pie and enjoy it then think about why the person did what they did. There has to be a pretty good reason why someone would feel so strongly about an issue to come from another country and risk incarceration to try and get their point across. See the world through other people’s eyes before judging them.
By the way, I’ve never tried Tofu Cream Pie. If anyone has a good recipe, let me know. And, I hope my ‘radical views’ on this subject won’t affect my upcoming trip across the border to the USA this weekend...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
