Restaurants- Ottawa, ON....Take 3

another gem of a place in Ottawa's Chinatown.....

I found myself walking around Chinatown one night and had already eaten at So Good twice that week, so I wanted to find a new place. I walked for hours it seemed and found several Chinese places with tofu dishes, but nothing that jumped out at me. I stumbled (almost literally since I had been drinking) upon a Vietnamese place just down the street from So Good.

Vietnam Palace is located at 819 Somerset West and is a very nicely decorated restaurant. The staff there was very interested when I said I was vegan; they have what they called "Specialty Vegetarian Food". It was not much, but it was cool to see they were trying to offer something different. Their menu is 90% meat, but the 10% that is veggie was very good. Their menu is also in French and English, which meant that the section was called "Vegetarian/Mets Vegetariens". I had their Vegetarian Salad Rolls, which were what we usually call Rice Paper Rolls; tofu, noodles, carrots, in a rice paper roll with peantu sauce. Their Spring Rolls were also good (I got an order for later that night). They had some good looking soups (not that I ate them); Tomato and Beancurd Soup, Pineapple Sour Soup, and Vegetable Soup to name a few. They had a fried tofu appetizer, Lotus Salad, and Young Papaya Salad amongst other Appetizers and Salads. I was really impressed with their entrees though (yes, I got two of them). Their specialties were Vegetarian Chicken stir fried with Lemongrass and Chili, the same dish with Vegetarian Beef, Vegetarian Grilled Pork Wrap with Salad Vegetables in Rice Paper, and the same dish with Grilled Vegetables too. I got the Fried Beancurd with Tomato Sauce (and I added Veggie Chicken to it) and it was amazing! I also got the Fried Beancurd with Black Bean Sauce (and added Veggie Beef to it) and was also equally amazing. They had tons of other noodle dishes, fried rices, and assorted other vegetable dishes. I still think that So Good is a healthier and better choice, but if you are in Ottawa and wanted some good Vietnamese food; go here! 613-238-6758

Restaurants- Ottawa cont...

Just a short walk from my hotel in Downtown was a fantastic Vegetarian Restaurant next to the University of Ottawa.

Perfection-Satisfaction-Promise is a intimate place where the food is really fresh and consists mainly of Hindu/Hare Krishna philosophy and great vegetarian food. I went here MANY times since I could walk there and received excellent food each and every time. The staff was very helpful and courteous. I told them I was vegan and they pointed out the 90% of the menu that was vegan. My favorite dish was the "Tofu Tamari Painted Potato" which was mashed potatoes covered in a great sauce and Tofu with fresh vegetables. I tried another of their "Painted Potatoes", the Paprikas Roasted Red Peppers one; it was excellent as well. The dishes proved to be very filling as I had one for lunch and then forgot to eat dinner until 9 PM that night; I really was not hungry. Their Lentil Soup was fantastic, as was the 3 bean Soup that was on special when I was there. They have good salads too (not that I ate them, but if you are so inclined, they have it). They also have a homemade Veggie Burger and a Pizza that they will make vegan. This place was very healthy, so if you wanted fried food, go somewhere else. They also had a great selection of desserts in thei front case; most of which were vegan. If you are near downtown and want a very healthy and tasty meal; go to this place first. http://www.perfectionsatisfactionpromise.ca/ 613-234-7299

Restaurants- Ottawa, ON (Canada, eh?)

I have spent probably TOO much time in Ottawa over the last couple of years. It is a very vegetarian friendly city.

They have a nice Chinatown area with TONS of restaurants, both Chinese and assorted other Asian food. Most, if not alll of them, are very vegetarian friendly since there is a large Buddhist and Hindu population. There was ONE that was far and away better than the others....

So Good Restaurant was exactly that, SO GOOD. Located on the main street in Chinatown, at 717 Somerset West, it looks like a small and dirty place, but the people were very friendly and the food was excellent. It is marketed as a "Vegetarian and Asian Food" restaurant, so it is not 100% veggie, but it has so much food for us, it did not matter that it was not completely veggie. I went here three times and got different food each time and was never disappointed. They have a Vegetarian section of their menu that made it really easy. Their Vegetarian Spring Rolls were excellent, as was their Vegetarian Dumpling appetizer. They had a tons of soups, so I tried a Sweet Corn Tofu Soup that rocked! Also, their Hot and Sour soup was good. On their menu, they have different sections for certain veggies. They have a Fried Rice section, Vermicelli and Other Noodles section, Vegetables, Beancurd, Eggplant, and Mushroom sections. They have some very interesting tofu dishes; for example; Deep Fried Tofu Balls in Mushroom Sauce, Spicy Tingly Tofu, Tofu with Ginger and Pineapple, Fried Tofu with Capital Sauce, and Tofu Ball with vegetables and Bean Thread to name a few. They also have ALL the staples; Kung Pao Tofu, General Tso's Tofu, Hunan Tofu, and Szechuan Tofu to name a few. The Eggplant Section was great too, they do NOT overcook it (which is MOST places downfall with Eggplant); Eggplant with Black Bean Sauce, Deep Fried Sweet Heart Eggplant, Thai Style Eggplant in Tofu Cheese, Eggplant in Garlic Sauce and many others. If you like Mushrooms, they have over 10 specifically Mushroom dishes. I highly recommend this place if you are in Ottawa; it is only minutes from Downtown. http://www.sogoodfood.com/ 613-233-0138

Processed Food...

Andy hit the nail on the head when he talks about being less reliant on "Processing" as it pertains to our diet. The vast majority of our food these days is processed to some degree, and most to a HUGE degree. I highly recommend buying locally and doing as much as possible to minimize the purchasing of goods that have been heavily processed.

I will reference the quote from Albert Schweitzer again (from previous postings) to answer his points about eating meat....

"From experiences like these (seeing animals suffer), which moved my heart and often made me feel ashamed, there slowly grew up in me an unshakeable conviction that we have no right to inflict suffering and death on another creature unless there is some unavoidable necessity for it."

I agree that we are Animals; humans are NOT that different from the rest of the animal kingdom. What sets us apart is our cognition (some more than others...). However, I feel that this quote says it all for me. I agree that some people eat animals, but mainly I want to say that WE DO NOT HAVE TO anymore. Even without processed products like tofu and TVP, there are PLENTY of vegetable, fruit, nut, grain options for Protein and ALL vitamins. Therefore, sure we can eat animals, but we no longer HAVE to; so without a necessity, why do it? We have the intelligence to no longer kill for our food, so why not save Life? We can make a rational choice to stop whereas all other animals do it to survive.

So, to answer Andy......

Sure, Humans are Animals and have a ton of evolutionary and biological reasons for eating meat. We have evolved into a species that no longer has to do it. We should respect suffering in all its forms and CHOOSE to stop eating meat because we have the intellect. As for processing, Meat Eaters might find it harder to function without processing (all Deli meats, hot dogs, sausage, etc..) than a vegetarian as our main staples come straight from our own soil.

ps- I think that a human that eats meat should NOT be disgusted by the prospect of eating a human; cultural taboos aside. Meat is Meat. If I were stranded in the wilderness and needed to survive, you better believe it that I would eat whatever I had to......

Recipes- Lasagna

Here is my own version of a vegan Lasagna....

16 Lasagne Noodles (either prepared or using the Pre-Cooked Noodles) (if preparing the noodles, boil them in water according to package directions)
2 cups Morningstar Farm's Grillers Crumbles
1 large onion (sauteed in 1 tablespoon Olive Oil)
2 cups fresh spinach
16 oz of Soft Tofu (1 package)
1 large Green Pepper (diced)
2 cloves of Garlic (minced)
Seasonings as per your taste; Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, etc...
1/2 jar of Prego Traditional Pasta Sauce

Line a glass or metal casserole dish with noodles along the bottom; with a little sauce to cover the bottom. Using a Food Processor, put the tofu, sauteed onion, garlic, spinach, and 2 tablesopons of Olive Oil into the Processor. Blend until this mixture is smooth and creamy. Set Aside.
On the first layer of noodles, put a layer of Grillers crumbles (half) and green pepper (half). Put another section of noodles down. On this layer, spread the Tofu Mixture over the noodles (half). Put down another layer of noodles. Put the rest of the Grillers crumbles and pepper on this layer. Put down another noodle section. Spread the rest of the Tofu Mixture over this one. One more layer of noodles goes over this. Then spread the pasta sauce over top until the entire dish until sauce covers every portion. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes with foil over top. Take the foil off and bake again for 10 minutes. Serve with Garlic or Cheese bread.
Some people like to add a little cheese (soy, of course) onto their lasagna. I feel that the Tofu mixture makes up for the cheese, so none is really needed. You can expand on this recipe very easliy by adding/subtracting layers and adding your own touch.

Restaurants- Las Vegas, NV

In a place where you would NOT think of vegetarian food, even though the people are known as "Las Vegans", Vegas has a couple bright examples of great veggie food.

Long Life Vege Restaurant is a hidden gem amidst the craziness that is Las Vegas. Located at 4130 S Sandhill Rd #A4, it is in a strip mall just south of E Flamingo Rd. It bases its vegetarianism upon the idea of Health; therefore it also serves fish (which is a weird one for me). Mostly it is vegan, with the obvious exceptions of the fish. Their veggie Spring Rolls were excellent, as were the Wontons and Potstickers. They have a ton of options for entrees; from Moo Shu with Veggie Chicken/Beef/Pork, to several Fried Rices, Chow Mein, Egg Foo Young, and MANY rice based stir fry dishes. Their selection of Veggie Chicken was amazing; Chicken with Broccoli, Almond Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Orange Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken, and General Tso's Chicken are only a few. Their Veggie Beef too; Beef with Broccoli, Hunan Beef, Szechuan Beef, Mongolian Beef, and Garlic Beef are, again, only a few. They also have Veggie Pork dishes. However, if the mock meats do not do it for you, then they do have a wide array of vegetable and tofu dishes; Spinach Tofu, Ma Po Tofu, Mango Tofu, and ANY vegetable dish you would ever want. This place has great Lunch Specials too. If you are in Vegas, go here for a great vegetarian meal. 702-436-4488

Compassion for the Voter

I am usually a laid back person, but this election is getting on my nerves. I am TIRED of all the phone calls and people coming by to ask us 'are you leaning for obama?'. I have talked with numerous people and am more frustrated with them every single time. I have even begun to hide from them so I do not have to talk with them. The phone calls are even worse; every day we get home from work and there are at least 2 missed calls from political telemarketers. Is it impossible for these groups to SHARE information? I do not like having to tell 15 different people that 'I have already voted and NO I won't tell you which way I voted!'. Compassion disallows me from saying what I REALLY want to say, but I also feel that the pollsters should have some Compassion for us as the voting public. I know I live in a 'Battleground State', but come on already! Stop bad mouthing each other! We want to know how you will FIX it, not how the other guy WON'T! We want to hear your ideas, not what you think your donors want to hear. Speak to the 54% of people that do not vote and tell them why they should! Too often our politicians forget that MOST people in this country simply want to believe their leaders are competent, intelligent, and most of all, doing what is best for the Country. Negative campaigning will NEVER be what is best for the Country; calling Barack a terrorist is not what is best for the Country (even if you are not going to vote for him); making light of Sarah Palin's obvous lack of experience is not what is best for the Country (even if you feel she is a terrible fit). Tell us what, SPECIFICALLY, you will do to bring us out of the messes we are in. Tell us what you'll do about Energy Policy, Iraq, China, Afghanistan, Health Care, and the current Housing Crisis. Do NOT tell us about Barack's supposed link to Bill Ayers (a CRAZY idea, but sadly, a lot of people believe that; I want to go on the record to deny that claim vociferously). Do NOT tell us about John McCain's links to the old Savings and Loan crises of the 80's. Pollsters, Pundits, and Newspeople: STOP scaring people and let's have Compassion for our voters; let's highlight the positives and throw away the old-style of negative campaigning!!!!!!