goatee
highlanders
°2021.06.21.Mon | Watermelon and mint soba
Summer time is a time of cold salads. For lunch I’m finishing yesterday’s improvised sesame soba with tofu, watermelon, and mint!
°2020.12.21.Mon | What counts as meat?
Rebecca Schuman’s Schadenfreude, A Love Story reminds me of my favorite zines from the naughts, and I’m enjoying her stories of high-school angst and collegiate travel from that era.
Last night I laughed with recognition when she learned, as a vegetarian in Germany, that the little cubes of ham on her broccoli and cheese was not meat but ham (“Das ist doch kein Fleisch – das ist Schinken.”)
I’ve had similar experiences traveling the world as a vegetarian:
- In Europe and Asia, ham, chicken, and fish are not necessarily “meat.”
- In Asia, a “vegetarian” dumpling can have fish sauce.
- In Asia, asking for “vegetarian” food can also mean no onion or garlic because the diet is closely associated with Buddhist monastics who swear off pungent vegetables.
°2018.05.31.Thu | Vegan in Prague
We haven’t been to Prague for seventeen years and much has changed in that time. Notably, there are now dozens of veg* restaurants. Every neighborhood has a few.
Nora and I use the “Vegan Guide to Prague” as our basis and collected a few notes along the way. These are roughly ordered in ascending preference.
- Loving Hut: they are okay in a pinch, but I quickly tired of Asian-style buffets.
- Maitrya: Buddhist themed, lackluster food. We asked for tap water and got expensive “vitalized water.”
- Pure Bistro: a tiny bistro and store near our place, for which I was grateful.
- Mlsná kavka: had an excellent veggie burger.
- Herbivore: upscale bistro and store on the river with a buffet of good food – though the bread was stale.
- Happy Bean: a bistro at which I got a great quesadilla with vegan cheese. The proprietor is very charming. Sidewalk seating is available.
- The Donut Shop: next door to the Happy Bean, this shop offers three vegan donuts options, including one of the best donuts I’ve ever had. (Things aren’t so sweet in Prague, so you don’t end up feeling queasy when finishing a donut.)
- Incruenti: I think our risotto and soup was the best food we had during our trip. Its menu and hours are limited though. Nice patio seating in the back.
°2014.05.28.Wed | Veg food in Seattle
When traveling, we are grateful for the ubiquity of Subway’s veggie patty – though it sadly is not vegan. During our trip to Seattle, we considered ourselves lucky not to have to resort to Subway.
- Flora Cafe: beautiful space with a top-notch brunch; I loved the gravy and biscuits.
- Plum Bistro: warm wood decor with a yummy brunch.
- CyberDogs: storied venue with varied vegetarian hotdog meals.
°2013.01.14.Mon | Baking Scars
While I like tattoos and a few piercings, I’m not so fond of ear stretching or purposeful scarification. However, I am proud of my baking scars.
The most recent scab, gained via a pot pie, is presently a minor nuisance. But the scars on the outer portions of my (palm side) wrists are kind of elegant. They are the result of my weekly pizza baking as I place and retrieve the pizza from the bottom of the oven without having first removed the lowest wire wrack.
