Vegan For a Month (and a half) Challenge

The items in the fridge (4.00 / 5)

1/2 lb of goat feta
1/2 pint of vanilla gelato
3 c. homemade yogurt
8 eggs
1/2 lb of parmesano reggiano
Butter
Raw butter

I'll eat the yogurt and the gelato by Sunday no problem. The butter can survive in the fridge til August - the raw butter is something I use sparingly anyway, and the non-raw butter is for cookies during the few times a year I bake them. No way I'll finish the rest of the stuff, but I can eat some of them between now and Sunday. That goat feta is HEAVENLY. No way I'm letting that stuff go to waste... although... gosh that's a lot to eat between now and Sunday!

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 09:15:59 AM UTC

OK ice cream's gone (4.00 / 4)

it was more like 1/3 pint? And now it's in my tummy. God I enjoyed that. I shoulda bought more ice cream if I knew I was gonna have to eat it all real fast. YUM.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 12:09:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Lol! (4.00 / 4)

If you need any help with the feta, btw?

:)

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 12:43:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

ohhhh that stuff is heavenly (4.00 / 4)

there's no way I am finishing THAT MUCH CHEESE before Sunday. But I'll do my best!

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 12:54:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Okay... :) (4.00 / 6)

I might as well go all the way, eh?

I'm in 'til August 1!  The hardest part for me will be passing up on eggs and trying to figure out what to do with coffee (black!  been meaning to try to like black coffee for a while now, anyways...).

Eating out might be tough, but it's probably as easy (or easier) here in PDX as it is / would be anywhere else.  

Gonna have to give up my favorite Portland pizza place for now, but I'm gonna view it as a chance to master summer veggie vegan pizzas at home!  Much easier since tomatoes are here...

Figure I've got about 15 extra pounds I should drop, so let's see if this helps.  I'm about 200 right now (at 6'2"), which is the heaviest I've been in years, and pretty much all of which I've put on in the past 10 months or so.  Gonna try to get back down to my ideal 180 - 185 this summer.  Let's get to work! :)

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 10:24:15 AM UTC

Oh, and... (4.00 / 4)

I have an awesome site / blog to help when I absolutely won't be able to avoid having to eat out here...

:)

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 10:29:01 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Coffee with coconut milk (4.00 / 5)

trying to figure out what to do with coffee (black!  been meaning to try to like black coffee for a while now, anyways...).

I love black coffee! Takes getting used to but your palette will change. In the meantime, try putting some coconut milk in it. Just the cream part - if you keep it in the fridge or when you just open the can, the cream and the watery parts separate. It's so good for you too!

Good luck Jill!  

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by: madfoodskills @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 11:54:48 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

with you (4.00 / 5)

Jill,

I need to lose weight.God I have totally let go since my husband died.I need to lose at least 20 pounds and have at least a basket of jeans in my closet from thrift stores that I want to fit in.

I'll go vegan a la Mark Bittman..I'll eat vegan  during the day I won't eat meat btw.Black coffee..ugh..

Lee
here's a recipe for my vegan cheese

handful of nuts.I use almnds
1/2 block soft tofu I use Trader Joes
fresh herbs of your choice
1 table spoon olive oil

grind nuts. add tofu herbs and olive oil process til smooth
I use this a spread OR you can thin out and use as dressing

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by: LeeN @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 10:43:09 AM UTC

Well, thanks! (4.00 / 5)

Great to have your company, Lee!

:)

But -

Black coffee..ugh..

Come on, you can at least offer me a little encouragement?

;-P

Anyways, I'm gonna view this as an opportunity to try pretty much everything I've never tried before (if I see something unusual at the farmers' market, I'm picking it up! lol...), and also to get more out of my new(ish) food processor.

Oh!  And to eat more African and Indian food - even though I grew up in North Jersey (where some towns have entirely completely Indian business districts and restaurant rows), I only got into Indian food just before I left.  Like, literally - only a couple months before I moved away.  There are some Indian food carts here in Portland I've never tried, including many I've heard great things about!  Time to get into them, and of course also to figure out some of their cooking at home!  :)

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 11:05:07 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm a Jersey girl (4.00 / 6)

well ok I live outside Philly. Speaking of Jersey I am a HUGE
Springsteen fan.

Jersey tomatoes are just starting to appear. I have to admit I crave the occasional BLT sandwich in the summer when I can get jersey tomatoes. But besides the vegan diet, I gave up factory farm meat after Death on a factory farm.

My daughter who is vegan is off to Jodhpur India Tues for the summer. She's going to be learning micro financing and is hoping to study Indian cooking.Last night I made chana masala and brown basmati rice cooked with curry leaves I found in an Indian grocery. Here in Philly we are blessed with really good
Indian food and grocery stores for ingredients. I buy chick pea flour and use it for EVERYTHING including chick pea balls that I boil like matzo balls..

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by: LeeN @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 12:34:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Greetings from Asbury Park! (4.00 / 3)

Hee...

Omg, I tear up sometimes thinking of how much I miss The Shore; specifically Red Bank (yeah, I know - not The Shore, but close!), Asbury, Seaside, Spring Lake, Point Pleasant, Keansburg, Union Beach, Cliffwood (okay, I can go on forever so I'll stop there, lol).

Grew up in North Jersey, but was born in Lakewood.  :)

I wear my Rutgers hat everywhere here in Portland when I miss Jersey.

I just hope by the end of next week I don't have a (too) Hungry Heart!

(humming song to myself, and searching for Bruuuuuuuuuuce! cds...)

:)

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 12:55:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Btw, just wanted to let you know... (4.00 / 3)

It's only 6:15 AM here right now, but it's like The Stone Pony in here right now.

All Bruuuuuuuuuce!, all morning!

:)

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 13:16:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Damn, "Nebraska" is a great album! (4.00 / 3)

Hee, okay sorry for going so o/t.

Had to be said, though...

:)

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 13:22:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

etc. (4.00 / 3)

When I began experimenting with your socca recipe, I soon realized that chickpea flour is not some exotic or weird substance, and quickly began to find out how it works in other recipes. In a word, great. I love it in my standard pancake recipe and it's $2.49 for 2 pounds vs. $3.69 or $3.89 for two pounds of cake flour or whole wheat pastry flour. And of course there is no comparison to wheat flour (even whole wheat) or corn meal for nutrition. Per 100 calories, besan has about 5.5-6 grams of protein, vs. 3 for wheat. According to Corinne Netzer's book of vitamin and mineral values, chickpea flour leads the pack by large margins.

I'm a virgin regarding the use of other flours such as rice, rye, buckwheat, etc., and perhaps they are good to use, but besan is a really good item. Thanks for introducing me. Like you, I get it at my local Punjabi grocery. It isn't available at the conventional supermarkets, although Whole Foods might have it - I don't know.

Baltimore Indian restaurants are heavily Punjabi, even the one owned by a family from Calcutta, and some are tinged with Nepali influence. Recently a new one opened specializing in "coastal cuisine", which means more fish and seafood, and the menu introduces several dishes that aren't otherwise available here, but what excites me is that a review says it features different flavor profiles from what we are used to. I'm eager to check it out.

Re your daughter's trip - I'm not a world traveler, but I would love to tour India just to sample the street food. Or maybe just spend a month in Kerala.

Jodhpur - for a moment I thought of Jaipur. Jaipur is the Pink City, however, and Jodhpur is the Blue City. They aren't far from each other in the same state.

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by: count @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 17:49:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

My two favorite cookbooks (4.00 / 3)

Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking

All vegetarian all the time. She cooks Ayurveda, though, which means 799 pages without garlic or onions, and I think without mushrooms. No problem - add 'em if you want 'em.

Yamuna Devi is a converted Italian-American woman, but she knows her Indian cooking and how to present it for American cooks. Not sure what the situation at Powell's is - says the book is out of print, but the publisher's comments begins "Finally back in print." Excellent glossary and index, and a good section of general information.

1,000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra is my favorite cookbook. Batra has vegetarian books, which I do not have, but they probably are superb. 1,000 Indian Recipes is for omnivores, and contains many vegetarian  recipes. A goldmine of information, everything I have made from this book has been delicious. Minor detail: since about the second day of my cooking Indian recipes, I completely abandoned the practice of adding salt to food. With all those other seasonings in the arsenal, who needs salt?

That Powell's listing says the copy is used. New is also available.

Of course there are other great Indian authors. Yamuna and Neelam are my goddesses, but Madhur Jaffrey probably was the original, and there are others.

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by: count @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 16:49:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm doing cold brewed ice coffee (4.00 / 5)

I love it. Otherwise there's no way I'd drink coffee black. But this I can do. I put some in the fridge to brew last night.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 12:08:15 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

are you going to drink soy milk? (4.00 / 5)

do u like it?

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by: LeeN @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 12:35:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I like soy milk just fine (4.00 / 4)

but not in my coffee. I'll use it in smoothies though, if I make smoothies. Hell, maybe I'll make smoothies.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 12:55:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I can't remember where I read it (4.00 / 4)

but there is an argument against drinking soy milk, which is similar to the arguments against soy-based fake meats. Something about the way it's processed. Basically, we should eat soy the way people have been eating soy for thousands of years--as tofu or tempeh.

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by: desmoinesdem @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 13:03:56 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

my hunch about the raw foods diet (4.00 / 7)

is that it is good for weight loss (at least most raw foodies I know have lost weight), but it's not the most healthy long-term diet for people. I think some foods do need to be cooked for us to get nutrients out of them.

I cook a lot of vegan meals without trying, just because I love Indian cooking, Chinese-style stir-fries and Thai curries.

I couldn't go totally vegan, though. I would miss eggs, yogurt and kefir too much.

I will say that I feel healthier on my current diet (less dairy and meat about once a week) than when I was eating almost no meat but a LOT of dairy.

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by: desmoinesdem @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 13:02:40 PM UTC

I'm eating almost no meat (4.00 / 4)

but I crave cheese. And soy cheese is ok to cook with but not to munch on.

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by: LeeN @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 13:16:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm wondering... (4.00 / 3)

how I'll feel after 6 weeks without dairy.

I've considered it before, too - but never seriously.  Maybe it'll be a revelation for me?

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 13:18:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Im not a believer in raw food (4.00 / 4)

but when I was vegan I felt better, that's for sure. It'll be an interesting experiment to try.  

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 16:25:53 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Supermarket raw food (4.00 / 3)

does seem a little scary, considering the sickness people are exposed to just by eating salads and berries, for example. Another argument for eating local, though.

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by: count @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 16:10:25 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Vegan? Ha! you guys must (4.00 / 5)

live alone.

...from her cold, dead fingers.
'Round these parts I'm still fighting a losing battle just to cut down on the carnage we consume, though I may be making some minor headway. It's trench warfare; slow and measured in inches.

The last few heaping platters of ribs or chicken thighs (both grass-fed and/or free-range*) have been reheated and reheated because I've been partaking of one rib or thigh at a sitting. Ah calls if "subterfuge". Eventually it all gets eaten, but, meanwhile there's no room in the fridge for yet more heaping piles of meat.
*minor victory

Can't say I'm loosing any weight, but I suppose I could resemble a bloatapotomus like the porker in the Pot Luck cartoon.

Yankee Frugality: use it up, wear it out, make it last, or do without.

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by: Anonymous Bosch @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 14:46:46 PM UTC

hehehe (4.00 / 6)

yes I live alone. I just went out for some french toast. Oh shit and I left my maple syrup at the restaurant. I'm too tired to go back and get it.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 16:24:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You bring your OWN maple syrup? (4.00 / 4)

What else? Couple slices of your own bread? Eggs?

"Can you cook these for me. I wasn't in the mood."

Yankee Frugality: use it up, wear it out, make it last, or do without.

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by: Anonymous Bosch @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 18:04:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

There need to be more places where u can do that (4.00 / 4)

I get so jealous when I watch Andrew Zimmern and he goes to some Asian country where they have these markets/restaurants. You buy the raw ingredients take it to a chef at a stall and he cooks it up for you. It makes so much sense.. not sure why we don't do that too.

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by: Curtis Abbey @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 18:07:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You should watch Survivorman (4.00 / 4)

He goes out to some godforsaken, uh, pristine locale and eats a few insects or maybe vole for the entire week. He must eat like a pig when he returns from the wilderness because he doesn't appear to be the worse for wear afterward.

Yankee Frugality: use it up, wear it out, make it last, or do without.

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by: Anonymous Bosch @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 18:45:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's what I don't get about those shows... (4.00 / 5)

(his and Man vs. Wild). They go through these lush jungles, thriving wetlands, green fields and deep woods and pretend the only thing to eat is some ants or a slug. They also spend absurd amounts of time trying to catch fish with their shoelaces or trap rabbits with a hole and a stick. Plants are easy to catch!

These shows seem designed to make people think the best way to survive is to keep going even if you're starving to death. Eating is a huge part of staying alive long enough to be found or reach help. In addition to all the nutrients, food keeps you warm in cold places and provides needed moisture in hot places. It also boosts energy, keeps up morale and allows you to make better decisions. (Making decisions when your blood sugar is low is generally a big mistake.)

Now, if you're stranded in the Sahara desert or on a glacier in the Andes, then plants aren't going to be able to help you much. But in just about any other situation, plants can be your friends.

I feel like I say this constantly, but only 1 percent of plants are poisonous enough to kill you. Even in a place where I didn't recognize any plants, with those odds I'd be willing to experiment a bit. I'd use the guidelines from Linda Runyon that I mentioned in one of my foraging diaries. I'd take a look around and note the plants that seem abundant. I'd crush some leaves, fruits or nuts and pick something that's reasonably abundant, easy to harvest and smells good to start with.

I'd rub the plant part on my skin and wait 20 minutes. Then I'd rub it on my gum and wait 20 minutes. Then I'd eat a tiny bit and wait 20 minutes. (The ideal is to steep a small piece in a cup of hot water for a while and then drink slowly, but that might not be possible.) Finally I'd eat about 1/4 cup and wait another 20 minutes. If at any point I had a negative reaction (burning gums, skin irritation, bad taste, upset stomach, dizziness, headache, etc.), I'd set that plant aside as possibly toxic and move on to another. But if I didn't have any kind of reaction, I'd have decreased my odds dramatically below the already small 1% chance that it's a toxic plant. In all likelihood I'd have found an abundant food source in 80 minutes with next to no energy expenditure.

It's not fool-proof (water hemlock and poison hemlock, both of which are deadly, would pass at least the first 3 tests; I'm not sure about the 4th or 5th), but from my perspective it beats eating slugs or going in circles because your blood sugar's so low you can't think straight.

I wish I knew half what the flock of them know
Of where all the berries and other things grow,
Cranberries in bogs and raspberries on top
Of the boulder-strewn mountain, and when they will crop.
--"Blueberries" by Robert Frost

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by: wide eyed lib @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 20:06:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

slug says... (4.00 / 3)

why eat me when there are plants around?

I wish I knew half what the flock of them know
Of where all the berries and other things grow,
Cranberries in bogs and raspberries on top
Of the boulder-strewn mountain, and when they will crop.
--"Blueberries" by Robert Frost

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by: wide eyed lib @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 22:00:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Escargots sans shells? (4.00 / 3)

I haven't seen the Man v. Wild shows.

But what struck me as slightly silly about Survivorman was that he never used the same fire-starting tricks (for instance) in any two shows. So he mostly didn't get a fire going before day three. Then it was day five before he thought to munch on something.

Yankee Frugality: use it up, wear it out, make it last, or do without.

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by: Anonymous Bosch @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 22:07:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I like escargot (4.00 / 4)

but somehow slugs are gross. I'm not saying it's a rational position or anything. :)

Yeah, it's all kind of silly, but they're trying to entertain first and foremost. Watching someone rub a plant on their gums and then sit around for 20 minutes probably wouldn't make for a highly-rated show. That's why they chase rabbits and try to catch fish-- action is interesting, even if it would be wasted energy in a real life survival situation.

And different fire-starting methods are useful in different situations, so I can understand wanting to show more than one method, even when the particular method isn't the best one for a situation.

There was a bit of a scandal with Man v. Wild a year or so back. Bear Grils (I think that's his name) was spending the night in nearby hotels or having his film crew carry in McDonald's food for him, and then getting up in the morning and complaining on camera about the horrible insects that bit him all night or how hungry he was. They were also sometimes supplying him with dead rabbits so that he could claim to have caught them. Supposedly he doesn't cheat anymore, but who knows.

I wish I knew half what the flock of them know
Of where all the berries and other things grow,
Cranberries in bogs and raspberries on top
Of the boulder-strewn mountain, and when they will crop.
--"Blueberries" by Robert Frost

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by: wide eyed lib @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 22:21:32 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's hilarious! (4.00 / 3)

Survivalist by day
Couch potato by night.

A little thread music?

Yankee Frugality: use it up, wear it out, make it last, or do without.

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by: Anonymous Bosch @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 22:32:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Pizza place here... (4.00 / 3)

There's a pizza cart / vendor at the Sunday King Portland Farmers' Market in the Inner NE section of the city, between 10 AM - 2 PM every Sunday, who does something kinda like that - you bring the veggies over from the other vendors, and they throw it on a pizza for you.  I gotta try that later this year...


"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 21:25:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Went out for French toast? (4.00 / 4)

Woman, you have a fridge to empty!

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by: count @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 16:44:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

i know... (4.00 / 5)

someone else was paying.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 16:45:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's always a good reason :) (4.00 / 4)

We had French toast last night, made from cinnamon swirl bread, and strawberries over the top. It was teh yum.

I have succumbed to the Twitter craze. @Omir55

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by: Omir the Storyteller @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 17:00:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Do you know about this site? (4.00 / 6)

http://veganyumyum.com/

I'm an Carnaomniveggian, all depends on what's cookin' and my mood!  :)  

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by: nycstray @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 16:40:34 PM UTC

I'll join you in the weight loss (4.00 / 4)

I'm going to add in more yoga and workouts to my routine and see if I can lose 15-20 pounds in this 45 day period. Vegan is not for me, I love eggs and cheese, meat and fish.  

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by: Curtis Abbey @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 18:00:53 PM UTC

Plain is so sour (4.00 / 5)

My fave is probably vanilla yoga, though the ones with berries are pretty good too.

Yankee Frugality: use it up, wear it out, make it last, or do without.

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by: Anonymous Bosch @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 18:06:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Shame on you. nt (4.00 / 5)

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by: count @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 18:04:15 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

oh my god I just had a VEGAN philly cheese steak (4.00 / 5)

it was f*****g unbelieveable..GOOD it was chopped seitan cooked on a grill with sauteed onions and peppers and soy cheese on a hoagie roll..

Right now in my fridge I have left over seitan..I am going to re create it over the week end and  make whole wheat rolls...

I'll post my results..

Jill...it was in the reading terminal market...I'll buy u one if you come here

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by: LeeN @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 21:02:27 PM UTC

So, basically you had wheat gluten on bread (4.00 / 4)

topped with soy? :)

I just looked up seitan because I was wondering what it was made of. To anyone eating gluten, protein concentrate and soy products, be sure and research where the companies purchase from etc. All of those have had problems over the past few years and even though we supposedly have an import hold on some of them, that doesn't mean it's not getting through, sometimes it goes to another country first etc along with our lack of inspections. Also, organic doesn't mean squat when coming from China (again, possibly via another country). I can't remember but I think it was melamine in soy in the EU. And there may have been GMO issues also. Just a heads up!  :)

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by: nycstray @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 21:30:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

thanks for the heads up (4.00 / 3)

I mostly eat seitan by Ray. Its made about an hour a ay from here. There's also seitan in a box? has anyone tried that?

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by: LeeN @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 11:04:32 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

What that place needs... (4.00 / 4)

...is some good beer!

Ack!

The only semi-palatable beer in that tent-area in the middle of the market was the Yuengling Porter (and even that's stretching the limits of the word "palatable", heh...).

It isn't sacrilege to do cheesesteaks that way in Philly?  Lol, I thought they'd at least try to force some Cheez Wiz on ya! :)

Wandered Philly for a whole day on my last trip down that way back in March with my sister, love that city!  The train ride down from North Jersey was great, too.  Especially the RiverLine light rail from Trenton to Camden.  Beautiful river / woods views, beautiful river towns...

Here's where I ate (my sister and her daughters went to a different guy for some sandwiches and to that ice cream place in the front, too...) -

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 21:38:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

above photo (4.00 / 4)

Jay,

thats where I had the vegan cheese steak.

Lee

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by: LeeN @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 11:05:45 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Ha, small world! :) (4.00 / 3)

After I posted it, I kind of thought that might have been your place, too - mainly because that was one of the only two places I noticed (the pasta stand was the other) that seemed even the least bit vegetarian-friendly, and I was pretty sure nothing new had opened up in the less-than-three months since I was there...

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 19:00:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Are we both in the 215 Area Code? (4.00 / 4)

Are you going to explain what a "hoagie roll" is to the culinarily impoverished?

Yankee Frugality: use it up, wear it out, make it last, or do without.

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by: Anonymous Bosch @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 21:44:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

HOAGIE 101 (4.00 / 6)

Hoagies are grinders,subs, po boys.a lot of cities seem to have them. Here in Philadelphia where we had a really large immigrant italian population that went into the food business, hoagies and their rolls became famous. Hoagies usually have really cheap meats on them. But there is one sandwich joint in Atlantic City which is at the Jersey shore(2 hours from here) that elevates the hoagie AND the hoagie roll to a whole other level.

http://www.roadfood.com/Review...

this place is famous..famous enough that while you are standing in line waiting for your sandwich, you never know who will also be waiting..

like Bruce Springsteen.

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by: LeeN @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 11:18:15 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Subway sandwiches (4.00 / 2)

are a pale imitation of hoagies. I wonder how their sales are in Philadelphia.

Back in high school I used to be able to go over to the 7-11 across the street and buy a hoagie for some ridiculous sum -- 25 cents or 50 cents or something. I don't even remember the cafeteria lunches. Oh man what I wouldn't give for one of those right about now. The food is easily one of the best things about the time I spent living in south Joisey.

I have succumbed to the Twitter craze. @Omir55

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by: Omir the Storyteller @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 17:03:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Is there a difference between grinders (4.00 / 3)

and hoagies? Specifically, are grinders toasted and hoagies not, or am I misinformed?

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by: count @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 18:02:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I think it's just regional (4.00 / 3)

Two names for the same thing. But I could be wrong.

I have succumbed to the Twitter craze. @Omir55

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by: Omir the Storyteller @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 18:39:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Wiki says! (4.00 / 3)

Youze are both right!

And fwiw, we called them subs or heroes up in N'oork...

I think the divider in Jersey for when the term "hoagie" begins to dominate over "sub", is when Wawa takes over 7-11 to become the most common c-store.  Somewhere around Howell if you're heading down 9 or the Parkway; or down past Trenton way if you're doing 1 or 95.  Heh, I remember a place in Allentown (7A off the Turnpike) that called em both.

I think 195 really did split the state in half, culturally...

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 19:12:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

We lived in Salem County (4.00 / 3)

just across the river from Delaware (in fact one of my friends in high school lived in a house that looked out over the Delaware River) and just off Exit 1 of the Turnpike. So it's hardly a surprise that we would have called them whatever the people in Philly, Camden and points south called them.

And FWIW I had never heard of a hoagie, sub, grinder or any other similar sandwich until I moved to Jersey. I spent the first 16 years of my life growing up along the Columbia River and such things were unheard of there.

I have succumbed to the Twitter craze. @Omir55

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by: Omir the Storyteller @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 19:22:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

never heard of them... (4.00 / 2)

same here. I never heard of them until 1963, when I moved to Baltimore from Montana and southern California.

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by: count @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 22:01:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I looove the wiki! (4.00 / 2)

Thanks.

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by: count @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 21:59:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Looking foreward to your posts on this endevour Jill! (4.00 / 6)

I'm not vegan, but I'm munching on snow pea pods from the garden in solidarity with you! I have to keep telling myself, "No, don't eat all the stuff you have to deliver this weekend..."

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

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by: Joanne Rigutto @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 23:06:54 PM UTC

Lol... (4.00 / 3)

I have to keep telling myself, "No, don't eat all the stuff you have to deliver this weekend..."

That's why I'd never succeed as a farmer, or as a brewer for that matter!

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 23:41:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Brewing..... (4.00 / 5)

that reminds me, I have 3 gallons of honey and a huge spearmint bush. Time to make Kvaas - the honey/mint kind I have a recipe for.....low alcohol, but no waiting, well, a couple days compared to weeks or months. ;-)

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

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by: Joanne Rigutto @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 01:15:38 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Sheesh. The obvious solution (4.00 / 3)

is to grow food and brew beer you don't personally like. :)

I have succumbed to the Twitter craze. @Omir55

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by: Omir the Storyteller @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 17:05:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That would be impossible! (4.00 / 3)

I like everything (of both), hee...

Using your plan, the only way I could succeed would be to grow Spam and brew Bud, lol...

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 19:14:15 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Wait a minute (4.00 / 3)

I can understand your growing you some bud, but what's this about brewing Spam?

I have succumbed to the Twitter craze. @Omir55

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by: Omir the Storyteller @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 19:24:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Ha! (4.00 / 2)

If we had a "Top Comments" diary here...

:)

Yes, I'd be a massive failure at growing weed to sell.  I'd be smoking it as fast as it came up, heh.  Even though I haven't smoked in over 2 years, and probably never will again, but if I was growing it?  Yeah, that'd be a very different story!

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 21:40:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

"Fresh hops and hemp truly make a good ale" (4.00 / 2)

Brown, red or pale,
Hearty and hale,
Fresh hops and hemp truly make a good ale.

Lines from a song by Portland's own Heather Alexander. There's an interesting story behind the song that maybe I'll tell sometime . . .  

I have succumbed to the Twitter craze. @Omir55

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by: Omir the Storyteller @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 22:06:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Oh, do tell... :) (4.00 / 1)

And the Asian market directly kitty-corner from my apartment building sells a hemp ale (I think from California).  I've been thinking about trying it forever now, but not sure if I'm willing to spend 9 dollars on a 6-pack of something I'm not sure I'll like...

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 22:44:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Oh, and... (4.00 / 4)

as for Spam?

Ughh, that's like the Hipster "Food" Du Jour these days, at least here in Portland.  I can't imagine how long I'd stay looking 'cool' if I was eating Spam and drinking Pabst, though - because it would only be a matter of time before I started throwing up all over the place.  Heh...

There's a food cart downtown, which I actually go to breakfast once a week or so (they do their own whole wheat muffins, and their egg, mushroom & cheese breakfast sandwiches on fresh whole wheat muffins are awesome and only $3...); but anyways, this food cart also makes the most insanely ridiculous extreme caloric (& cholesterolly (sp?), etc...) burger creations I've ever seen - like a burger with egg & bacon & spam between two Texas Toast grilled cheese sandwiches (I think there's cheese on the burger, too), and etc...

Okay, yeah - that's where even the most devout, unapologetic carnivore's gotta draw the line, no?  I think that sandwich would even give a tiger a heart attack!

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 21:48:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

My grandson's favorite food in the world (4.00 / 2)

is Spam sushi. I kid you not. His maternal grandmother is Thai and makes a California-style roll of Spam wrapped in rice and nori. The thought just makes me go "Ewwwww!"

I have succumbed to the Twitter craze. @Omir55

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by: Omir the Storyteller @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 22:10:11 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You can do that? (4.00 / 4)

Wow. The things one learns around here. I'll  pass on the Bud. Is it bush spam or pole spam? Can you tell me where to get seeds or cuttings?

(anxiously hoping it's pole spam 'cause there's not too much room here.)

Yankee Frugality: use it up, wear it out, make it last, or do without.

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by: Anonymous Bosch @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 21:22:55 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Heh... (4.00 / 3)

I actually think it's a root...

;-P

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 21:49:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Oh pshaw! (4.00 / 3)

Got no room for root crops. Guess I'll have to continue foraging the wild variety.

Yankee Frugality: use it up, wear it out, make it last, or do without.

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by: Anonymous Bosch @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 21:53:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hmm... wasn't planning to include spam (4.00 / 3)

in my foraging diaries, but maybe I should.

I wish I knew half what the flock of them know
Of where all the berries and other things grow,
Cranberries in bogs and raspberries on top
Of the boulder-strewn mountain, and when they will crop.
--"Blueberries" by Robert Frost

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by: wide eyed lib @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 22:29:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

"Stalking the Wild Spam" :) (4.00 / 2)

Apropos of nothing, but figure it fits in here better than anywhere else right now; I was heading home from the farmers' market earlier this afternoon, missed a bus so I just decided to walk since it was nice and cool and breezy, and it was either a 15 minute walk home or a 15 minute wait for bus plus 3 minute ride...

Okay, back on topic!

I passed the little quarter-acre garden right on the main road about 12 blocks from my building, and their chard is up and going crazy!  Made me hungry just walking by, lol.  Some other stuff is popping up, too - looks like it might be garlic down there, but I'm no expert (yet!).

Anyways.  Made me wish I had some land!

And also - cherries are now here at the market, first time I've seen them this season.  Wasn't surprised though, since a cherry tree I know of on SE 22nd near Division has had fruit since last weekend...

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 22:56:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]