A British Tea Party

Its hardly a secret that the British are known the world around for their love of tea. In fact, the United Kingdom Tea Council website lists the amount of tea consumed each day in the UK as over 150 million cups! (Yes, there is in fact an actual UK Tea Council...)

So being in the land of tea, it was only a matter of time before I were to indulge in it's great pleasures; in fact, it was about two days in at my first meeting with the UCL psychology department, complete with a large assortment of British biscuits and tea!

We got the run down on the good, the bad, and the ugly. The typical British tea served is black, Garibaldi's are the worst, the chocolate digestives are the best, and guess what, the Bourbon Creams from Sainsbury are vegan! Now this was a tradition I could get used to. (Though, I'll admit, I prefer to dip my biscuits in hot coffee instead of tea, but that leaves the tea crumb free for drinking purposes).

After about three or so of these spontaneous tea parties, I decided it was time to try out some afternoon tea in the city: I ended up at Yumchaa in London's vibrant Soho, laptop and books in hand.

The first thing you notice upon entering is its quaint Victorian era decor: adorned with long oak tables and pristine white walls, it smells deliciously of hot tea and sugary cakes. My favorite part about Yumchaa is their devoting to practicality: no tea bags to speak of (a clear violation against devoted tea drinkers) and about 30 espresso cups lined out for smelling each of the numerous teas. The variety of flavors was almost over whelming, being swayed by everything from Russian Carmel to Sweet Chili; I ended up going with a green tea, Wanderlust.

The tea was served in traditional British style in a large white tea pot over a large white cup; not a bad deal, for just over two pounds you get a full pot which fills 2 cups--this was more than certainly more than enough to share. Putting aside the strainer, I allowed the soft aromas to fill the air and took a sip: it was a subtle green tea flavor (not bitter as many our), flowery, and with a hint of star-anise.

The best part about Yumchaa--besides the free wifi--? Many vegetarian, and even a few vegan options. If you're in the London area and looking for a great places to stop and chat with some top quality tea, you should definetly check in at Yumchaa!

Study Sweets: 3-Minute Brain Boosting Cookie

Now I'm not usually one to microwavable meals, but this recipe was made for Harvard students who are looking for something a little healthier to satisfy a sweet tooth than the dining service's Chocolate Cupcakes and Apple Pie (both of which are not vegan).

However, I think this recipe is also great if you are busy and get a craving a comforting and delectable treat; a good alternative to simply grabbing a box of Oreo's (also vegan). Plus, this cookie is filled with brain boosting, energy enhancing goodies including banana, oats, and peanut butter.

Ingredients

· 1 cereal bowl, 1 fork, 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 coffee mug

· Mug full of rolled oats

· Splash of soy milk

· Teaspoon of brown sugar

· Tablespoon of peanut butter

· Handful of raisins (I used dark chocolate chips in mine, shh)

· Small banana, very ripe

· Teaspoon of maple syrup (optional but suggested)

Directions

1. Place unpeeled banana in cereal bowl and smash thoroughly with the fork until creamy
2. Place all other ingredients in bowl with banana; mix well (the mixture should not be liquidy, add more oats if necessary)
3. Microwave on high for about 1 minute or until mixture is firm and chewy. Enjoy!

Peace&Love

Happy Cow Cakey Peanut Butter Cookies

Edit: Just another reason to try these bad boys out, just found out they won the DailyMeal + Flour Bakery Contest! Now to try to veganize the free Flour Bakery Cookbook they sent me... :)

Christmas was always my favorite time of year as a child. Not because of the presents--no, the best part of Christmas came in the days before, where my mum, my aunt, and I would get together and make tons of cookies all day! This is my (loose) rendition of the peanut-butter chocolate chip cookies we made, veganized! They cookies have a cakey texture, but are nice a crispy on the outside (whipping the margarine with sugar is key!) Cornstarch is the perfect binder in this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 14 tablespoons vegan non-hydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance)
• 3/4 cup vegan granulated sugar (or turbinado sugar)
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of corn starch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water (mix only right before usage)
• 2 cups (about 12 ounces) vegan chocolate chips
• A good dollop of peanut butter, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the margarine with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. (If you do not have electric mixed, beat well with whisk by hand). Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and cornstarch mixture. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and peanut butter.
2. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges and set in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Enjoy!

The Ugly Side of Food: A Quick US/UK Comparisons

High Fructose Corn Syrup, mechanically separated chicken, partially hydrogenated soybean oil: it’s the ugly side of food, the side we wish not to see, but it’s still there, too hard to ignore. It may not be until you live in another country that you can really conceptualize how bad the problem in America is, how we are a nation that supports and allows for processed, unnatural, nutritionally-lacking food to flood our markets. Here’s just a few interesting things I’ve noticed so far while abroad in the UK:

1. Heintz Ketchup and Coca-Cola soda, to name a few, do not need high fructose corn syrup, unlike their American counterpart

2. The American McDonalds is actually much worse for you than the UK McDonalds (and even in the UK McDonalds is looked up as a junky treat)

a. US chicken nuggets contain dimethylpolysiloxane (a chemical used in making silly putty) and tertiary butylhydroquinone (a petro-based chemical). A kid's size serving of chicken nuggets, four nuggets, have 3 more grams of fat and 20 more calories than the UK counterpart.

b. The UK McDonalds uses all free-range chicken eggs (a proposal which American McDonalds has publically opposed), and organic milk.

3. Animal welfare standards in the UK, in-so-far as they are related to food products, are clearly a more prominent issue: labels based on RSPCA welfare standards are clearly marked on numerous items that are available in any local grocery store

4. American's lunch system is often times in such despair, that it takes a British chef--see Jamie Oliver and recent interviews--to come over seas to reform school lunches.

These are just a few of the examples that I have personally witness while abroad; and so, it may not be any surprise that British men and women, on average, tend to be much healthier, live longer, and are less prone to diseases (everything from high blood pressure to diabetes) than similar American counterparts.

As bleak as such a comparison may sound, it truly illuminates what needs to happen in the future: as Oliver notes about the state of American food policy, “In America, what hasn't happened yet is the public haven't really told business what they want”. And its true. What needs to happen is a large scale public movement for a change in food policy, and it starts with the vote for change each of us makes every time be buy something at a grocery store.

Fourth of July Tapas Party

Black & Green Olive Tapanade w/ Roasted Garlic on Melba Toast

One of the best things about being home for the summer was having access to a fully stocked, recently remodeled kitchen. Using the new convection oven was epic and always having the grill by my side was something I began to take for granted. Of course then, any opportunity to utilize the beautiful new kitchen I took. In particular, my parents dinner parties were a favorite time to try out some new recipes.

Here's a look at a few other tapas dishes from our Fourth of July Party:

Sauteed Spinach w/ Caramelized Onion in Puff Pastry

Grilled Eggplant Baba Ghanoush

Spicy Hummus w/ Chickpeas and Cayenne

The Rise of the Veg Community

So I have to say that in the almost 7 years I've been a vegetarian/vegan, I have yet to notice such a peaking interest among so many varied people as now. More than ever, vegan options are popping up on menus, student populations are advocating for Meatless Monday's, and vegetarianism in general is making the headlines multiple times a day.

Among the numerous articles I could post, this one from the Daily Princeton illuminates how vegetarians are slowly creeping to outnumber the omnivorous. A change in consciousness is occurring among the youth who cannot remember the days before McDonald's and all forms of processed animals products, at a time when food, health, and the environment is more important than ever.

Another prime example is the prominence of vegan/vegetarian chefs and veg-friendly options in fine dining establishments.

Vegan Chef Chloe Coscarelli is among such, having won Food Network's cupcake wars with her Vegan Raspberry Tiramisu Cupcakes. Though I've made these luscious cupcakes twice now (pictures to come soon), I must say they are a bit sweet for my taste. Still, others have gobbled them down and the win alone is a great win for veganism.

One dish of Chloe's I did absolutely adore was hers was the Mexicali Sliders with Cajun Yam Fries! [Picture Above] I reproduced these for my family, and even my meat-eating parents asked for the recipe to make again. The texture of the sliders was just right and went perfect with a big, cold slab of fresh guacamole. I definitely suggest you try one of her recipes out! I'm going for the Beach Cookies next in an attempt to recreate Harvard's infamous (infamous to me at least!) coconut bars, yum!

The Power of Plants!

So after a long hiatus, I return. I spent the summer months cooking up new recipes, checking out amazing vegan eateries and farm fresh foods, and really discovering a lot about the role each of us has to ultimately determine our health through simple life-style choices.

My mother has, for as long as I can remember, always had health issues... high blood pressure, heart problems: my grandma died of a heart attack and my mother had one too. This summer my whole family and I included worked together towards a healthier diet and lifestyle.... and by the end of the summer, my mom's blood pressure was lower than it had ever been, and her doctor was talking about taking her off her medication! The individual has immense power over their own life, even over those things we think out of our control... we make our own reality and this is just a small, amazing testament to that.

With that in mind, here's just a few links to some new studies and videos supporting this idea in relation to health... showing us how a plant-based diet has the potential power to reverse even some of the worst medical conditions. What we decided to subject our bodies to determines how our bodies grow, or fall.

Bill Clinton on how a plant-based diet has helped him lose 24 pounds: "So I did all his research and I saw that 82 percent of the people since 1986 who have gone on a plant-based, no dairy or meat of any kind, no chicken, turkey—I eat very little fish, once in a while I’ll have a little fish; not often—if you can do it, 82 percent of the people who have done that have begun to heal themselves"

Time's food writer Mark Bittman's Vegan Before Dinnertime (in Food Matters): "Within three or four months, I lost 35 pounds, my blood sugar was normal, cholesterol levels were again normal … and my sleep apnea indeed went away. All these good things happened, and it wasn’t as if I was suffering so I stayed with it…. I have not eliminated anything completely from my diet."

Some books to check out:

The China Study

Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease

Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease: The Only System Scientifically Proven to Reverse Heart Disease Without Drugs or Surgery

The Engine 2 Diet

Walgreens is now selling fresh fruits and veggies at stores in Manhattan, Denny's now has a vegan veggie patty on their menu, and the support for flexitarian options such as Meatless Monday and Time's food writer, Mark Bittman's, Vegan Before Dinnertime.

And its no wonder since 3 out of every 4 Americans is expected to be obese by 2020 and the environmental impacts of factory farming (not to mention the horrible, abusive conditions for the farmed animals) are becoming more and more evident everyday...