Stanley Park Beach in Vancouver

Here’s a quick check-in from our trip even further Northwest…..We’re now in Victoria for our dear friend’s wedding, spending time with Madame Puddington and friends, and before that, we spent evenings in Seattle and Vancouver for a mini getaway. As usual, we found ourselves seeking out vegan-friendly Thai and Vietnamese food in those two cities, for better and worse.

How we roll. Fun fact: I have scored one of the elusive $1 Boltbus tickets in the past – they do exist!

So far, we have more points in the for-worse category, as we’d been counting down to dinner at In the Bowl, which happened to be closed on Wednesdays, so that’s a bummer, and Thursday night’s by-chance, take-out pho chay and vermicelli bun from a shop that didn’t live up to its name (Pho Goodness, boo) were pretty dismal, but hey, we ate what we did on the floor of our hotel room, watching the Canucks win. I’ll stop my complaining, because a) we had a satisfyingly decent dinner at Wedgwood II b) we’re away from home and truly having a blast and c) spent last night eating wood-fired Neapolitan pies, grilled oyster mushroom risotto and vegan antipasto at Pizzeria Prima Strada with dear friends and the wedding party, who are two of the most special people I’ve ever met.

Hotel snacks: Mighty-O minis, Prosecco, Earth Balance white cheddar puffs & garlic tahini kale from Whole Foods

Team cat-sitting/ (aka the vegan internet club) is currently full of brunch & Bloody Marys from Mo:Le, and mere hours away from the apple orchard-wedding spectacular.

This was my third visit to Mo:Le, and much to my relief and surprise, I’ve finally figured out my order: the tomato-y house beans, a side of scrambled tofu with sautéed vegetables, the greasy but great fresh corn tortillas and the even-better spicy Bloody Mary (available in small or double, easily made vegan minus the Worcestershire sauce) with colorful, pickled accompaniments, like shredded purple cabbage and asparagus spears.

Now, while in Vancouver, J. Legume and I took a walk to Whole Foods hoping they’d carry some Edible Flours cupcakes or other  localvegan sweets, but alas, we walked out with some hearty powerseed cookies and well, chips.

Getting into the local spirit.

This time two days ago, we popped by Panz for a nice lunch. Go, go seitan and basil. We also had some really enjoyable, super hot, housemade spring rolls. My last and only prior visit was two years ago, and I had found memories, so I was glad to see it was a reasonable walk from our Priceline’d hotel in the West End. If only we had more time for Wild Rice!

Perhaps.

When we arrived at our hotel in Seattle (another Priceline bid-now win, Hotel Max, which was lovely), we realized it was next door to the courthouse, where a marriage equality protest happened to be in action. It was a powerful sight, and we’re now one rainbow flag grander. If you had told me three years ago that I’d be over a year into a wonderful relationship with another woman, I just wouldn’t have seen it coming. I think everyone should simply be open-minded  and respectful about love and connections.

Exactly.

With that, expect an Isa Does It testing report and long-delayed Austin cocktail round-up (and taco withdrawal)when I return…

A cheers to a Whole Foods with a wine bar  in Chicago, IL.

Trying to sum up whatever the heck I’ve been up with a series of photos, despite spending much of the year with malfunctioning cameras, has become something of the norm here, so that’s what I’ll do first for some good ‘ol 2012 reflections. As usual, I have grand ideas and google docs and ideas floating around my head about noteworthy recipes (so far, it’s an ode to Artisan Vegan Cheese, Thai cuisine, liqueurs and pickling), memorable dishes and inspiring travels , but this photo set is a concrete stop that is actually happening.

It was a year of travel, that began with a departure from Bangkok, no less, Vida Vegan location scouting, Northwest getaways, two Brooklyn hiatuses, the tossing of an alarm clock, and much welcome time to think with the equally-embraced absence of my long-time office job. And all that thoughtfulness – and time, led to culinary projects, like the 100 Days Homemade, and within and beyond that, even more from-scratch initiatives…anything I can make from scratch in my kitchen, I want to try my hand at. It’s already led to homemade Sriracha, Bolivian coffee liqueur and next up, various bitters.

So here it goes, from Deep Thoughts with Jess to 12 months in 12 photos:

January. I started the New Year on the last day of my month abroad in Southeast Asia, taking breaks from packing my giant backpack one last time to wander the crowded streets of a celebratory Bangkok, and a couple of jet-lagged days later, was carried off to Los Angeles for a special menu tasting and meet & greet weekend at Veggie Grill. Enjoy the photo bomb of sorts by Ms. Daryl Hannah.

February. Looking back, this month seemed to be spent in young coconut withdrawal, recreating Thai and Cambodian dishes, and at Sizzle Pie eating brunch pizza. It also included a weekend getaway with my first Valentine in a million years, J. Legume, and these chocolate frosted sugar cookies for the occasion.

March. True to its name, The Inspired Vegan has consistently pointed flavors in a direction that I want to go. The spread below was for a small dinner soiree, and includes wet jollof rice, garlic parsley paste (which I wanted to make again and again), bright-black potatoes, chipotle & blood orange ketchup (a variation on Bryant Terry’s recipe), funmilayo fritters and gingered sesame brittle.

April. I seem to recall springtime featuring the end of my prior camera, and the lack of photos in my archives confirms this. A photo of Zelda checking out the salted caramel chocolate chip bars with a pretzel crust, however, will do just fine.

May. Every year, there’s a spring green that lays claim to my heart, and this year it was definitely pea shoots. They’re just so…fresh. I steamed, I broiled, and most memorably, sauteed with garlic and olive oil for more than one incredibly vibrant pizza (instructions over here). This one, about to go into the oven, has soon-to-be roasted whole cherry tomatoes, those pea shoots, dollops of miso tofu ricotta, garlic cloves and fresh lemon juice.

June. A new month, a new tablecloth, the start of 100 Days Homemade, and mugs of uproariously juicy fresh strawberries from the farmers’ market. Sweet, precious moments.

July. This post is all about those moments and tastes that remain on your mind and tongue, and this simple spaghetti with a roasted cherry tomato sauce, steamed kale, nooch and garlic bread says all that. Buon appetito! For reals.

August. With the summer passing by, I finally made up my mind and saved up for a new camera, more expensive than I’d ever allowed myself before, which malfunctioned one month later (and once more after that, with the same issue, but who’s counting?). Frustrations with Canon aside, there were so many photos to choose from for August, but I just had to go with the Nacho Skillet Salad. And this was even before the start of butternut queso in my life. Come on.

September. This month began my thirtieth decade with a short jaunt to Seattle with J. Legume, where we enjoyed a very special meal at In the Bowl, which continues to be one of my go-to Seattle eateries. The eggplant curry with fresh, soft tofu is shown below.  Posing for a dorky photo with the Vegan Black Metal Chef after his premiere cooking demo at Chicago Veganmania *almost* made the cut. Almost.

October. What a month, it took me from Chicago to Portland to New York City to the Catskills back to Brooklyn, with a reunion with my siblings that was considerably extended by Hurricane Sandy. Here’s Jen outside Babycakes, with what is surely an iced Stumptown (really).

November. My favorite experiences in November were many: the (first!) Vida Vegan Tech Seminar in Seattle, creating an Ethiopian feast for Thanksgiving, well, surely some other stuff, and the fruition of my patient homemade liqueur-making. Nine jars of preserved, boozy bounty! More raving and notes this way. One of these days, I will take a swell photo of these beautiful colors.

December. If it’s good enough for one of the busiest cities in the world, this holiday-lit monument is surely good enough to sum up my entire month, which just happened to include a sudden second Brooklyn hiatus.  A girl could get used to that.

2013, ahoy.

Here’s a little bit of how I spent the past few weeks, in more than three photos, of course.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

A rare lunch at House of Vegetarian with my brother and sister

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Pumpkin picking with my sister, Jen

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Vinnie’s Pizzeria, Williamsburg

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classic cocktails in SoHo

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Oasis Falafel, Williamsburg

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More Monkey, Bushwick

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supplemental hurricane provisions

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Midtown

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goods from Sahadi’s on Atlantic Avenue

PORTLAND, OR

red eye from JFK, priceless breakfast with Zelda, noon Boltbus north

Zelda beat J. Legume to the majority of her fresh New York bagel with Earth Balance. Smart kitty.

SEATTLE, WA

Taking chances: dinner at Highline

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formerly holding a dark cherry cider

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Mighty-O minis, bonus treats at the seminar

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lunch anticipation

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I guess that means now it’s time to return some emails and hit the last of the fall farmers markets….

Hotel room party.

While my original intention for Monday’s theme was to share stories and photos from travels a bit further from Seattle, walking into a third decade during a short mid-week getaway with J. Legume included so many memorable dining experiences that I thought I’d start there. I certainly didn’t have a 30 before 30 check list after a rollercoasting year of life changes and adventures, but my one goal for my dang ‘big day’ was to leave the country for the occasion, and since I’m slowly saving for voyages this winter to be determined, I combined this getaway with a trip extending into British Columbia. It may not have been Santiago, but that’ll happen.

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Step #1: Bolt Bus. Highly recommended. I even scored a $1 fare on my ride up to B.C., holla

Caffeination. Soy Latte, Kaladi Brothers

Our first step in Seattle was for lunch specials at Wedgwood Thai II in Capitol Hill, a quick walk from our hotel

Salad starters at Wedgwood II

Hey, it’s my birthday weekend – I’m going for the Pad Thai (and if it sucked, I will get something else – but it did not)

Jules surprised me with her Red Curry choice

Fast forward.. Our next meal, outside of lattes, was for an evening at my long-time favorite, Teapot Vegetarian House on the hill. However! I was devastated to see its surprise closure:

Instead, Jules and I walked down to In The Bowl, another vegetarian restaurant on my favorites list. I’ll say…we had a bit of a wait, it was noisy, and crowded, and our tables were practically in the kitchen – but we had a great time and a great meal. 

Spring rolls, In The Bowl

In The Bowl

The lovely lady and her giant tofu & vegetable soup

Eggplant Curry

Just under 24 hours later, it was time for my actual birthday lunch and even more curry – the vegan buffet at Araya’s in th U-District, of course:

I’ve been to Araya’s many times before and witnessed its glory, and knowing J Legume’s appreciation for crispy spring rolls, made it a stop on our trip. Inside the above room, on that fateful day, I witnessed more assortment than ever before – and it was grand.

It’s my birthday and I’ll Thai if I want to…

Thai if I want to…

Thai if I want to….

You would Thai too if you knew me – too!

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Araya = Fresh Daily Organic Herbs

Now, I wish I was in town for this…

I’ve learned a lesson this past month, with the evident closure of my longed-to-visit Korean Tofu House and stopping by Amitabul in Chicago on the day it was closed: well, I have horrible luck with Korean vegan options.

Hopefully, I’m older and wiser now.

Jules captures my aging over an Americano with soymilk at Herkimer

Sidecar stop

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We didn’t stop by, but I did peek into Wayward for a moment.

Further wandering into the U-District

Last but not least, based on a tip, I picked up a generous to-go box from the intriguing Chu Minh Veggie Deli in the International District before my next Boltbus north:

Close ups and thoughts on come on a Seatle round up on the VVC blog ! 

     In conclusion, Washington…a state where liquor is sold in grocery stores:

And most importantly, shortly afterwards, leaving the country & entering Vancouver were check-marked:

Before, you know, the first time my brand new camera decided to stop working on my way to Victoria:

To be continued.

Turning 30 has been ridiculously wonderful with a little more ridiculous thrown in. J. Legume and I spent some truly lovely time in Seattle, eating Thai cuisine for every single, glorious meal, and then I headed off to Victoria, B.C. where I caught up with my BFF Gabrielle, sipped sparkling cider, and fulfilled my dream of being out of the country for my milestone aging. I wish I could share some legitimate photos, but I’ll simply have to namedrop that indulgently necessary evil some more, to the point of near tears (which is probably my back pain talking…probably). Oy. My camera apparently suffered from sea sickness on the ferry ride from Vancouver, and is now on its way to hopeful recovery at a repair center. Bonus points of ridic, for yeah, throwing my back out the morning after my  sudden return to Portland over some severe bank fraud paranoia. Everything is now OK, so let’s credit my sanity to….cats.

As my back heals and I can do more than turn the shiny rice cooker on, 100 Days Homemade shall officially return, Vida Vegan will work its tech groove, and Vegan MoFo brainstorming gets real. As of this morning, I’m leaning towards an inspiring Panda-style process of day-of-the-week theming if I can legally proceed with such. I’m working on the catchy titles first. If it flies, expect Heartichoke cocktails, flashbacks of travel dishes, Portlanding – and more. 

Trip snippets….

My girlfriend and I went to Araya’s (which I highlighted back in 2010 for SV) for a birthday buffet lunch. I have never seen so many hot dishes before! Fate.

I picked up two treats from Seattle’s vegan store, Sidecar. Firstly, and always, I buy catnip treats, because my cats go BONKERS, and secondly, a bag of new vegan coconut caramels from Coeur D’ Alene. Good, sticky stuff.

Our epic afternoon tasting at Sea Cider. I can’t recommend this experience and cider enough. 

My first step into Artisan Vegan Cheese: Rejuvelac

One of my first stops: a mug of house Caffé Vita & the vegan chocolate cupcake at Cupcake Royale

What clearly, caught my attention. I must admit, with a sign like this, I was expecting more than one vegan option, but it was good, albeit crumbly.

Once I arrived in the U District, I stopped at Trabant for a soy latte.  

Thanks, Rayray.

For brunch, I arrived early and revisited Plum. I had enjoyed the spicy mac & yeast, years ago, but overall, was left with a really greasy feeling in my stomach, and I’m not usually one to say such a thing.

The perplexingly plated Fresh Tofu Benedict – with tender, savoury seitan unlike anything I’ve had before (making me want to try it in pho), paired with a pomegranate mimosa.

droid photo, whoa-oh

I’m pleased that I tried this – and it was the most expensive item on the menu, but I would opt to try some of their fancy pancakes next time. I’m glad I dined solo and no one was there to witness the constant state of distress I experienced with each bite.

Dinner time, I met up with team VVC for hugs and cocktails at a seemingly mandatory stop on my past few Seattle visits: the Highline.

Sometimes I’m thrilled with my food, sometimes I’m near-terrified. This time, my long-awaited pickle chips were served indoors, remained crispy and warm for an impressive amount of time, and I was ranch-dipping and stoked. Yeah, they were salty and battered and dill-y and awesome.

The TLT. Classic, but nothing on D.C. Veg’s new TLT-on-a-sub-roll creation.

We stayed in a budget hotel outside of the U-District, which meant we somehow found ourselves across the street at the Ram for some type of manic late night happy hour with $3 pineapple  & whipped cream vodka cocktails.

Michele and I went with the upside-down pineapple drop, with Vanilla Stoli & Pinnacle Whipped Cream vodka; Janessa went with a microbrew

Breakfast time at Herkimore: Mighty-O doughnut & soy latte. Ah.

Naturally, we picked up some goodies at Sidecar.

Our sight-seeing including a visit to Pike Place Market and Cinnamon Works.

The elusive Michele picks up a cookie.

One day, I will actually take note of whose art this is at Bang Bang. Because I want it on my walls. All of them.

I did manage to grab a plate of their smokey mac & cheese for lunch, while my silly cohorts ate bagels or something. I was content!

Smokey Mac & Cheese  with a side of toast, Bang Bang Cafe 

We had a meeting at the Seattle Public Library for our VVC Tech Seminar in the fall.

Janessa doing some undercover location scouting.

Supplemental caffeination via an iced Americano with soymilk at Victrola Coffee

Spiked refreshment, courtesy of a jalapeño pomegranate margarita at Bimbos Cantina. 

It may not have had that spice the name promised, but there was green hot sauce on the table – and a photo booth downstairs.

For dinner, we were joined by our friends Dawn and Anika at another Seattle vegan favorite, Teapot Vegetarian House. I hadn’t been in years, and it was a great time.

Our table somehow fit not one, but two of these BoBo Platters

Michele may have used these bamboo skewers as defensive weapons throughout the meal.

Our table also shared Beef & Broccoli, Vietnamese Crispy Fried Noodles – a unique dish I’d been craving since 2007, and a Ginger Soy Chicken special.

No photos of the noodles, but let me add that I’ve been googling them sporadically since first trying them, and have never seen anything close!

Mandarin Crispy Tofu

Lastly, souvenirs.

The espresso blend was freshly roasted and on sale for $5. Heck, yes. Cue cold pressing.