Food Clarity

I've been thinking a lot about food lately. Well rather others thoughts about food. My theory is this: the majority of the population don't think much about what they shovel down their throat. They certainly don't see it in terms of what nutrition it gives you. Also little thought is given to where animals products come from (but thats another story). Instead, it something that has to be done quickly and often on the go. I remember when I first moved to Hong Kong how amazed I was by the fact that eating on the run didn't seem to be the thing to do. Even when people are eating foods from those stands (eg: fish ball stands) they tend to be stand around it eating it close by. I rarely saw anyone walking and eating or eating on the MTR or other public transport or anywhere rather than in restuarants or their homes. And this is Hong Kong fast paced Hong Kong.

I finally get it now though and this is going to seem so simple but food is fuel for our bodies, and minds.

Yes food also provides comfort among other things. I think the other problem is for people this becomes more about comfort than fuel for ourselves.

I used to be the same.

Not anymore though. I finally get it! Although it took me getting pretty sick (a few years) ago to get it.

Drinking on the other hand I still struggle with. I seem to forget to drink a lot of the times and I still struggle with water in particular but I'm learning slowly.

Anyway back to food. Last night I made miso soup. I've always eaten the instant type which is yummy. Now I realise it's kind of silly though because miso soup is perhaps the quickest and easiest type of soup to make.

I combined a few recipes and basically threw in some kale/chinese broccoli (instead of seaweed), carots into some water and cooked it for about 15 minutes. Then added the tofu, miso paste, and spring onions and cooked for a few minutes and whola it was finised and yummy and very good for you.

According to whole foods:

a little miso goes a long way towards providing your daily needs for the trace minerals zinc, manganese, and copper. In addition, a single tablespoon of miso contains 2 grams of protein for just 25 calories

I've also read somewhere that miso is supposed to be better than chicken soup for colds.

Happy CCC Day Mr T!

Today, a few years ago our relationship finally went from friends to partners and all because of a little miscaculation on my part.

Mr T and I had been friends for a while and had grown increasingly close over the last few months leading up that day. By this stage there was daily contact and a lot of flirting. Stupidly both of us though weren't completely assured that the other liked each other in that way. Anyway fast forward to April 5th.

Mr T had texted me and said 'I'm in causeway bay do you want to catch up?'. I of course agreed and I remember that day having someone sort of stomach upset so I sat on the steps below drinking my peppermint tea and waiting for him:



We had dinner together in this lovely Italian restaurant in my building that played old French music and talked and talked about everything. We then went to city super(supermarket) where I bought some soy chocolate choc chip ice cream (Us brand: Double Rainbow) and a few other things. He wanted to try the ice cream so we went to my place where we sat and talked and he tried the ice cream which he of course loved.

Eventually he reluctantly went to leave and to hug me as he usually did and to kiss me on the cheek. At the time however I completely misread the incoming kiss (aimed at my cheek) and kissed him on the lips. Thankfully he felt the same way and I only found out later of my mistake.

So why CCC day? In case you haven't figured it out: it was named after the ice cream.

Pak Choi flowers made by Mr T on a plate I got from Savers.

You win some, you lose some: baking

I've had a strong desire to bake lately.

First the chocolate chip cookies with macadamia nuts from vegan planet(below) rocked.

There was a lot more that were gobbled up while they were still warm.

Then the chocolate cupcakes from how it all vegan, which were horrible. I've made so many recipes from that cookbook and loved every one but this one sucked big time. All you could taste was the molasses. Big dissapointment!

Vegan Pizza

Before I got really sick, I decided to play aroung with vegan pizza.

I made 'cheezy sauce' from a recipe from the back of the nutrirional yeast (or savoury yeast flakes as it is called here in aus) packet. While the colour was off the texture was very good, like melted cheese and it was quite yummy.

I decided to make two different styles of toppings on one since the base was so large. The left was my side, the slightly healthier side consisted of: cannellini beans and broccolini precooked with garlic inspired from something in vegan planet. On the right side, Mr T chose to cover it with tomatos, olives, mushrooms, corn, and capsicum.

before the cheezy sauce

after the cheezy sauce, sprinkled with sesame seeds and different herbs

It was served with sun dired tomato garlic bread, which beats regular garlic bread any day. It was yummy and very filling. however next time I won't cover it so much with the sauce, it takes away from the toppings a little bit too much for my liking and I'll make mini ones instead and expirement more with different toppings.

We had a fair bit of cheezy sauce sauce left over so we made some toasted sandwiches for work the next day, mine consisted of sauce and corn/ sauce and tomatos. Mr T's were a little more colourful since he loooves olives and I can't stand them:

A vegans guide to flinders lane take away.

1. Glicks. They have a range of different bagels including sun dried tomatoes and chocolate ones. Yes chocolate! They are so yummy that I ate two of them the other day plain. Now though I have tofutti cream cheese in the fridge, so watch out. For about 60c x 2 its a very cheap yummy lunch.

2. Suji Sushi-Okoniyamki You have to ask for it without mayo. I find one filling enough and the whole office seems to be addicted to it at the moment. At $2.50 again another cheap lunch.

3. Satay Bar. Two tofu skewers, satay sauce, rice and salad for about $6.60. They also have vegetable skewers but they aren't quite as satisfing as the tofu ones.

4. The organic food and wine deli. Serves a variety of things: pies, hand rolls, chocolate brownies and more. Yummy but not cheap and they are only open weekdays for lunch.

Yummy Xmas Lunch


I am so sick of eating out

The kitchen renovations are taking forever, so far it has been 10 days without a useable kitchen.

Last night we decided after eating at 7 different veg restaurants in the last 10 days that veg out time is probably the healthiest. Last night I had black bean tofu and veg, black eyed pea dhal and brown rice with the best garlic roti ever. Mr T ordered there 'no oil' dish which unlike most of their dishes was made fresh. They brought out a really colourful plate of steamed veggies, tofu and rice noodles with sweet and sour sauce on the side that looked so healthy I almost wanted to cry.

Between eating out every night and way too much going out Mr T and I are both starting to feel the effects.

He is really sick and i just feel really blahhhhhhhhhh plus i have a coldsore :-(

Tonight we got creative, I made black bean (canned) burritos in the sandwhich press which we had with salsa and corn chips. But then of course is the question of how do the dishes without a kitchen sink? I think its going to be in the bath.

Raw foodists, now would be a great time to mention some super easy raw dishes that aren't hard to prepare and not much mess to clean up either.

Vegans love hepburn springs/daylesford area

Wow i know two that do (Mr T and I).

We just got back from a weekend away and food wise it was amazing.

We started off having one of the beautiful pies at the himalaya bakery and cafe.

Then went of to the continental house for dinner. Where sadly the vegan buffet was cancelled but they promised to whip up something for us.

They brought out some sliced mango and a nice cold tofu salad with some sort of sesame dressing and Mr T and I were quite pleased. But it didn't stop there, they continued to bring out a further 4 dishes: kimchi, nori rolls, green veggies with sweet chilli sauce, and avocado salad.

It was amazing and we both left very full. Yes even Mr T who never seems to be full.

The next day we had brunch at the bakery again and this time had their beautiful dips platter and I swear there hummus is one of the best that I've ever tasted.

And their bread, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

We also had a yummy calzone and one of the most amazing desserts I have ever had, a date carob cake/muffin (below) and I don't even like carob.

It was a great weekend and just what the doctor ordered.