I’ve been looking for a great vegan/vegetarian restaurant that would take me on as an apprentice. I wanted to work in a kitchen under the guidance of a brilliant chef. As an apprentice,  I was hoping to be exposed to things I haven’t seen before, learning through a genuine experience as opposed to a classroom environment. Well, I found exactly what I was seeking at a local restaurant that is… I can not emphasize this enough- AMAZING. I mean this in every capacity. Firstly, the food is imaginative, delicious, tasty and just altogether flooring. (more…)

This is absolutely the best Thai food I have ever tasted. Really, I don’t state that lightly- I love Thai cooking and Ive eaten a lot of it many different places. I love that its vegetarian/vegan (of course). I love that its so close to me (in Wallingford). I love that the space is small, inviting, clean and modern. I love the friendly and informative staff that always make me feel as though they’ve been expecting me. And I love the hard working, lovely, and kind woman that owns the place. She cooks 7 days a week and with each visit I am blown away by her talent…shes a truly amazing chef. A couple of nights back we got some friends together to meet up for dinner at Jhanjay. (more…)

Ubuntu is not what I expect of a vegan/vegetarian restaurant. Not only is it a restaurant but also a yoga studio… that’s not the surprising part. Given that information, I pictured a very different atmosphere. You know- bamboo mats, incense, swaths of fabric hung about as decoration, new agey music playing, yogis with their mats casually cluttered about restored furniture. I was so very wrong. This isn’t some half assed hippie operation, nope, this is conscious eating habits going mainstream. (more…)

Landing in Krakow a week ago, I find myself outstandingly disoriented. Cobblestone streets and primordial architecture, street musicians harping on accordion (folks still play those…weird), horse drawn carriages and very few cars -this cannot be real…it might be a movie set. Next I expected ladies with parasols and gents donning top hats & curly mustaches. Cities just don’t look like this anymore (or so I thought). I figured the modern way of life had reared its ugly head just about everywhere,infesting every larger city with superfluous technology and capitalist brainwash. Taking a stroll into the town square is testament to Krakow’s adversity to mutate with the majority. Rynek is one of the largest medieval squares in Europe and is home to St. Marys Basilica- a jaw dropper of a church. The painted starry ceilings, the intricate stained glass, an exquisitely detailed altarpiece that took a German artist 15 years to create…all overwhelmingly stunning. Nothing, however, can trump the feeling of standing in this space… it chokes me. The smells, the air on my skin, the mumblings of prayer and the flutter of pigeons who have made their home high in the framework…I find myself unsure that I can be experiencing such an impossibility- a moment of what I feel is bona-fide history. This church stands today true to its original time…I have never been witness to anything like it. (more…)

Took a pseudo train ride up North in to Vancouver. By “pseudo” I mean I bought a ticket to board a train but due to a problem with the railway I was ushered on to a bus instead…bummer, so much for the romance of riding the rails. Not so happy about that but I resigned myself to the journey. The weather was shitty upon arrival…I mean real shitty. My thinking, it seems, betrayed logic-I was looking forward to something different than the gray of Seattle. I wanted warm breezes, sunny skies…the reality was that Vancouver was colder & wetter than back home. The beginning of this little adventure was off to a rough start. (more…)

After eyeing it for months, I caved and bought “Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero. I own another of Ms. Moskowitz books- “Vegan with a Vengeance“. That one is good enough, Ive been satisfied with the recipes it had to offer in the past. “Veganomicon” is double its size at least- a tome of a cook book. Flipping through its pages on the bus ride home, I was overwhelmed and resigned myself to read it cover to cover so I wouldn’t miss anything. The introduction features icons informing you which recipes are soy and/or gluten free, lower in fat or quick to fix. Following, there’s a few chapters on the basic staples of vegan cooking, kitchen equipment and even simple instructions on how to prepare veggies and grains (especially useful for me since I am constantly forgetting grain to water ratios). As far as the recipes are concerned- there are more here than I know what to do with. Tons of them with recommendations and cooking tips scattered throughout. (more…)

Took a ferry from Anacortes out to Friday Harbor Saturday afternoon. Setting foot there seemed distinctly foreign. Such a small town- a single movie theater, a grocery, coffee shops, a few bars, a library. The place seemed sleepy- the only ripple being the ferry boat unloading a buzz of tourists every couple hours. I had made reservations for us to stay the night at a ranch on the island in celebration of Wes’s birthday earlier in the week, we went not sure of what to expect when we got there.

States Inn & Ranch sits on one of the long winding roads that riddle the island like veins. The drive out is something in itself. Farm houses spaced on vast acreage-some newly built, tall and proud. Others old and decrepit- paint peeling, the light invading where planks have rotted. Horses & cows out to pasture. On every other property it seemed, there sat a pond luminous in green fields- shiny silver dollars dotting the landscape. The trip over and out allots a comfortable amount of time to detach in preparation for this slow-moving, quiet environment. (more…)

After breakfast Saturday morning we took a drive North to visit a family farm. It resides in Sedro-Woolley,a modest town about an hour and a half outside of Seattle. A scenic drive, the view alternating between rolling green farmland & small bundles of gas stations and shanty diners.

Skagit River Ranch turned out to be everything I had hoped. “A commitment to farm in harmony with the environment…using sustainable, organic, humane methods” was the quote off their website that raised my eyebrows and peaked my curiosity- ultimately motivating the trip out. (more…)

I have frequented this restaurant for as long as Puerto Vallarta has been in my history. It resides a short distance from the celebrated historic Church of Guadalupe, quietly cuddled amidst the shuffle of the city. Inventive dishes, a relaxed atmosphere and the amiable owners, have me anticipating my meals here as much as I look forward to the tropical weather.

On this particular trip, famished, I took a bus to Planeta Vegetariano directly from the airport. I unload my satchel at a small table and after catching up with the owner for a quick minute, grab a plate and head towards the spread of food. (more…)

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Tom Douglas restaurants are renowned in Seattle- the man has built an empire (The Dahlia Lounge, Etta’s, Lola to name a few). He has also competed on “The Food Network’s” Iron Chef America (and won), published a number of cookbooks and created a line of sauces & rubs sold nationwide. In honor of his celebrity, I decided to visit a couple of his eateries- one being the well established Palace Kitchen and the other his most recent venture - Serious Pie. (more…)