Cadry's Kitchen

Small town or big city, it pays to speak the language...

My first few months driving in Los Angeles many years ago, a brand new Thomas Guide riding shotgun, drivers pulled in front of me when I least expected.  They stopped at the light when I thought they would go and went through when I thought they would stay.  I felt ill at ease, like I didn’t speak the language.  Finally, the solution came to me.  Expect all drivers to do what I least expected them to do.  At last, I knew when they’d zig or when they would zag; it was always when I thought they wouldn’t and therefore knew they would.

This same kind of circuitous logic is what I sometimes resort to when eating in places known more for their tenderloin than their tempeh.  Dishes that are vegan by nature in L.A. may be served with melted cheese or fried chicken’s eggs in other towns.  Of course, regardless of the location it’s important for diners to ask questions, but it seems that especially when traveling, there are even more questions than usual.

While perusing restaurants online on my last vacation, imagine my surprise when I discovered that along the Mississippi River in the small town of LeClaire, Iowa is a fairly new restaurant with a few menu items listed on their website as being great for vegans.  These vegan offerings have been publicized in news articles and on vegetarian websites as well, and so my husband and I ventured to LeClaire and The Crane and Pelican Cafe.  The cafe is a renovated mansion with a view of the river and a gift shop upstairs.  The interior is homey and sophisticated while staying true to its Victorian design.

I perused the menu and quickly found three vegan offerings:  the Avocado Dream sandwich with hummus served on focaccia with a side, a dish called Greenie Linguine, which is a pesto-based pasta dish, and a Waldorf salad made with soy yogurt.  When the server arrived at our table, I ordered the Greenie Linguine. It’s listed on the menu as “a divine vegan friendly recipe.  Very tasty.”  Remembering my Los Angeles traffic lessons, however, I proceeded with a question to the server.

“Now, this says that it’s good for vegans, and I am vegan.  So I just wanted to make sure, it doesn’t have any cheese in it, right?”

“No, it doesn’t,” she said.

And a few minutes later, she was back.  “Um, I asked the chef, and there’s cheese in the pesto.”

“Oh,” I said, not really that surprised.  “On the menu it says that it’s vegan friendly.”

“Yeah, that’s a typo,” she said.

I’ve seen other articles and write-ups from many months ago on the Crane & Pelican who mentioned the vegan Greenie Linguine specifically, and so I know the menu has been “misprinted” for some time.  It’s too bad that instead of viewing their menu as having “typos” they haven’t decided to serve actual vegan pesto instead.  Pesto is extremely easy to make without cheese.  It’s really just one simple omission.  The basil, garlic, and lemon juice are the most prominent tastes anyway.  The heart-healthy fat in the pine nuts gives a full mouth feel.  Considering the fact that 102 million Americans have cholesterol over 200, I’d say more options with less saturated fat would do everyone good.  (Not the least of whom are the animals, of course.)

In lieu of the linguine, I ordered the Avocado Dream sandwich.  “Are any of these sides vegan?” I asked.

“Well, the cottage cheese, no.  The mashed potatoes…  No.  The pea salad is made with mayonaisse…  I know!” she said excitedly.  “We could give you a side salad with no cheese.”

The sandwich of hummus, avocado, sprouts, tomatoes, and pepperoncini peppers was on the small side with balsamic vinegar splashed a bit overzealously on the bread making it pucker-worthy.

Even considering all of this, it was still worth the visit.  The view was nice, the server was sweet, and the small town of LeClaire itself has a quaint little main street for walking along with arty stores and knickknack shops.  You just have to remember what Iowan Meredith Willson said about his home state.  ”You’ve got to know the territory.”

What I love most about Iowa City is that it is always evolving.  Perhaps it’s a product of being a college town.  Like the youth who appear there every fall, it grows with the times.  While one may think that we want our beloved places to stay the same, I love Iowa City because it changes, because it is revitalized, because when I visit I have something new to discover.

A liberal anomaly in the middle of farm country, Iowa City maintains bustling bookstores, coffee shops where friends mingle over hot beverages, and the smell of curry wafts out of Masala Indian Vegetarian Restaurant.  The downtown pedestrian mall, which bustles with students and locals in the spring, was rather empty on the frigid December day when I visited.

While on holiday I had the pleasure of dining at The Red Avocado, the state’s lone vegan restaurant.  In the daytime the restaurant is earthy and comfortable; at night with candles lit and a fire burning, it becomes moody and romantic.  We were there for happy hour, and they were serving a limited menu, in addition to wine, hot teas, tisanes, and coffee.

A cup of Lentil & Tomato Soup: $3.75

A cup of Coconut Corn Soup: $3.75

We ordered a deliciously creamy soy latte and cup of tea to thaw the chill of winter in our bones and followed that with a hot cup of soup for good measure.  I had the soup of the day, which was a lentil and tomato soup.  A cup of soup is $3.75 and a bowl is $6.50.  The spices were reminiscent of chili with just the right amount of seasoning.  Usually at home I make chili with several kinds of beans, but I’ll definitely be making my own lentil chili in the future after trying Red Avocado’s.

David had the Thai-inspired, Red Avocado-original, Coconut Corn Soup.  This sweet and creamy soup had bites of heat as it blended rich coconut milk with sweet corn, hot sauce, and tamari.

Iowa Barley and Black Bean Salad: $9.00

We then shared the Iowa Barley and Black Bean Salad.  A small salad is $5.00, and the full salad is $9.00.  On a bed of salad greens rested black beans, corn, tomatoes, and onions spiced with cumin and garlic, lime juice and jalepeno.   The salad was delicious, but on that icy day it would have been even better if the toppings had been warm over the salad greens.

After our bellies were satiated and spirits revived, we meandered across the street to the New Pioneer Co-op, the town’s natural foods store.  (Isn’t it telling that we call these types of places “natural foods stores”?  I think we should start calling conventional grocery stores selling products laden in high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and flavors, and hydrogenated oils their more appropriate name instead:  unnatural foods stores.)

The Co-op has a small deli counter in the back with both vegan and non-vegan options.  At their Coralville location they have a full seating area as well.  The Co-op sells freshly baked bread, fresh produce, a wide array of hummus, dolmas, dry and frozen goods, alcohol, and vegan specialty products.

I’d heard online about Vegan Cow cheeses, which are cashew-based cheeses made locally and sold at the Co-op, and I was eager to try their brie.   The brie is reminiscent of the Real Food Daily cheese in their cookbook.  Because of the agar-agar used as a coagulant it has a slightly gelatinous look, but the texture is creamy, especially when served warm.  The cheese is fairly mild on its own, and I think it would be best served with caramelized onions and thinly sliced apple or persimmon in a quesadilla or covered in preserves and warmed in a puff pastry.    (Vegan Cow cheeses are made at Fair Grounds Coffee, where they also serve vegan pastries.  Unfortunately, they were closed while we were in town, but I look forward to visiting them next time.)

Vegan Cow brie is also available on the pizza at The Wedge, which has two Iowa City locations, and they deliver.  We ordered from the The Wedge for dinner and were told on the phone that both of their crusts are vegan.  I was impressed by the variety of toppings offered, and we opted for a cheeseless pizza with artichoke hearts, red bell peppers, fresh garlic, tomato slices, and extra sauce.  The crust was chewy and the toppings tasted fresh.

No visit to Iowa City is complete without hitting the Iowa Artisans Gallery.  They sell handmade goods made by regional and national artists.  In a time when so many cities are cookie cutters of each other, the Artisans Gallery feels special and unique.  It’s a great place for buying handmade gifts, supporting artists, and finding something unusual.  While there I purchased a wooden salad serving set that will serve as a lovely reminder of a cold December day in a small town with a metropolitan air.

Ventura, with its quaint main street of downtown, antique stores, and tsotchke shops is reminiscent of a simpler time.  It’s on the edge of the Pacific coastline and is a bit like going back to another era.  With its small town feel, it may come as a surprise that it also houses a creative and charming organic vegan restaurant with many raw options.  Mary’s Secret Garden is within easy walking distance of downtown, just past Plaza Park.  Located inside of a converted cottage, Mary’s Secret Garden effortlessly walks the line between a breezy granola lunch spot with positive affirmations decorating the ceiling to a candlelit restaurant with a rotating art collection, cloth tablecloths, and an organic wine list, perfect for a date night.

As my husband and I were passing through Ventura on our way both to and from Ojai, we decided to catch Mary’s for both lunch and dinner to gather a more complete idea of the menu and its offerings.  The varied menu includes Thai appetizers and entrees, Mediterranean and Italian-inspired dishes, salads, burgers, wraps, and an extensive offering of smoothies.

We started our meal with the hummus plate, served with pita bread, cucumbers, and carrot slices.  The hummus, made with fresh herbs, has an unusual tang and texture, not like most cumin-heavy dips you’d find elsewhere.  When we ran out of crudite, the server was quick to bring more for our continued dipping.

Cheeze Rawviolis

For lunch, I had the Cheeze Rawviolis, a fresh and vibrant raw dish, that was truly spectacular.  Sheets of jicama are stuffed with herbed cashew and almond cheese and then topped with a sweet red bell pepper and carrot marinara.  The rawviolis are then drizzled with basil pesto and garnished with kalamata olives, baby mixed greens, and pistachios.  The deep round flavors of the nut-based cheese, so savory, gave the meal a feeling of decadence.

Syrian Falafel Wrap

My husband, who was only vaguely masking his food envy, had the Syrian falafel wrap.  The generous whole wheat tortilla wrap is stuffed with falafel, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, avocado, and cilantro and arrives with a cup of creamy tahini mint sauce.  This filling wrap was simple but good.

After our outing to Ojai, we made our way back for dinner.  We were greeted by a new server who asked, “Is this your first time here?”  To which my husband responded sheepishly, “No, we were here for lunch.”

A cup of Split Pea Barley Soup

We each started with a glass of organic red wine and a cup of the soup of the day.  On this particular evening it was split pea barley.  This homey soup is topped with loads of cilantro and served with a lemon wedge.  The soup was a bit brighter in tone than one would typically expect in a split pea soup.

Thai Yellow Curry Stew over brown rice

In the hopes of saving room for dessert, we split the spicy Thai Yellow Curry Stew.  This warm curried coconut stew included large chunks of Kabocha squash, carrots, potatoes, red onions, ginger, tofu, and basil leaves.  It’s served over brown rice and topped with cilantro.  It nicely married the sweat-inducing and tongue-igniting spice of the dish with the soft and creamy notes of coconut milk.  Despite our best intentions, this satisfying dish left us unable to squeeze in dessert.  Luckily, it will be our pleasure to come back another day.

Some of the dishes on Mary’s menu are on the pricey side, but for an organic menu with time-intensive raw entrees, I’d say the prices are worth it.  If you find yourself longing for an ocean-side escape, a day of thrifting, or hitting the nearby outlet mall in Camarillo, be sure to stop in and visit Mary for a filling and flavorful meal.

Enjoy the view from Echo Mountain.

Over a decade in Los Angeles, and I still can’t avoid singing when I cross Colorado Boulevard.  “And everybody’s saying that there’s nobody meaner than the Little Old Lady from Pasadena.  She drives real fast, and she drives real hard.  She’s the terror of Colorado Boulevard.”  A few hours in Rose Bowl town, and the song is firmly planted in my head.  Regardless, I’ll take my chances when it comes to spending an afternoon on those oft sung streets.  Whether it’s meandering the bustling main street of Old Town, getting a massage at Burke Williams, grabbing a drink on a bar patio, or hiking in the nearby hills, there’s plenty to do to make for a pleasant day.

Start your morning early, pack some snacks, gather a few friends, and hike to the ruins of Professor Thaddeus S.C. Lowe’s mountain railway and resort, Echo Mountain.  From 1896 to 1936, it housed a chalet, hotel, and observatory.  Now it is a five mile hike roundtrip with a 1400 feet gain.   This moderate but steady hike will get your heart pumping, and if you leave too late in the afternoon, it will get you sweating pretty heavily as well since there’s not much in the way of shade along the path.  At the top you can check out what is left behind of the resort and railway and try out your best echo-voice on one of the megaphones.  The views overlooking the city are quite lovely on a clear day, and along the way you’ll have the opportunity for viewing intricate flowers, buzzing bees, lizards, and more.  Unpack snacks at the top, twirl the top off of your water bottle, and bask in the view of the world below.

This less than helpful local can't help you if you get lost, but he's still happy to pose for a picture or two.

To get to the trail head, use the 210 Foothill freeway in Pasadena and exit at Lake Avenue.  (This hike is technically in Altadena.)  Drive north for 3.4 miles to the end of Lake Avenue at the point where it intersects with Loma Alta Drive.  Park along the street and look for the stone gateway on the east side of the street.  That’s where the hike begins.  From there, the trail is pretty clearly marked and well traveled but well kept.  You’re guaranteed to meet some other knowledgeable hikers along the way if you happen to get turned around.

After you’ve taken in the views from a distance, go in up close and personal into the heart of Pasadena.  If it’s a week day, use the opportunity to visit Alternative Outfitters.  This vegan boutique and online store has a small showroom.  Try on their fashionable shoes and peruse their collection of wallets, purses, and makeup.  The staff is casual, helpful, and unobtrusive.  If you live in the area, you can also call them with your order ahead of time and pick it up at the store.  The showroom is open from 11:00-4:30, Monday through Friday at 408 S. Pasadena Ave., Suite 1.

No trip to Pasadena is complete without a toddle around Old Town.  Visitors to LA on holiday and locals alike saunter down the sidewalks, bags swinging, as they cross the scramble-style crosswalks.  There are a number of chain stores like Crate and Barrel, Barnes and Noble, and the Paper Source, but off the main strip you can also visit California-exclusive stores like Bird Pick Tea and Herb at 10 S. De Lacey Avenue.  The tea shop is filled with large apothecary jars on several tables.  Open the jars and breathe in the deep smells of loose tea.  Having troubles with insomnia?  Their loose chamomile will cure what ails you.  The staff is happy to brew samples of any you’d like to try.  They also have a small bar for sitting and sharing a pot or cup with a friend.  They have soy milk on hand for your tea drinking needs.

In other news, the last time I wandered into Bird Pick I was asked at the door, “Would you like to try a sample of our new organic, fair trade, dark vegan chocolate, sweetened with agave syrup?”  Um, yes!  The chocolate is Nicobella Organics.  They have a variety of flavors, including Walnut Flaxseed Crunch, Pumpkin Chai, and Blueberry Almond.  My personal favorite was the rich and decadent Sunflower Banana Butter.  At $15.00 for a box of six this isn’t everyday chocolate, but I’ll definitely be dropping hints for stocking stuffer ideas.  This chocolate reminded me of the days when I was more than happy to drink “two buck Chuck” but was then introduced to some truly delicious Spanish, Italian, French, and Argentinean wines.  Sometimes trying the good stuff can spoil you for anything less!

Father Nature's generous wraps are large enough to share, especially if you're also getting a side salad.

If after shopping and sightseeing you’ve worked up an appetite, you can find tasty vegan offerings at Father Nature Lavash Wraps at 17 N. De Lacey Avenue.  Father Nature is of the very casual, order at the cash register variety.  However, their food is fresh and delicious.  It’s not always advertised, but they have whole wheat lavash available.  Just ask for it.  Father Nature is not exclusively vegetarian, but they have a vegetarian section as part of their menu board.  Many of those wraps are vegan by design or can easily be made vegan.  My favorite is the double hummus wrap, which comes with chickpea and black bean hummus, stuffed with pickled turnips, romaine lettuce, and bulgur.  You’re given a choice of spicy or regular tahini sauce to go with it, and those are both vegan.  I always go with the spicy, which is not hot-spicy per say.  It just has more spices in the sauce.

With that said, if you should decide to “go, Granny, go” to Pasadena, give up and sing along.  Be warned, you will walk away with the Beach Boys rooted into your brain.  Resistance is futile, but at least it’s catchy.

Cadry’s Kitchen has been quiet while I took to the skies and went to my hometown, Des Moines, Iowa, to visit family and unwind.  I’ve heard it said that our perceptions of a location say more about us than the place itself.  That’s certainly true when it comes to going home again.  There was a time in my life when every visit back meant hitting up the same old haunts I frequented in high school, going to the same places that resonated with me at seventeen.  After a while those places didn’t fit me anymore.  Just as I might feel rather conspicuous wearing clothes that were favorites in 1993 or teasing up my hair in the same way that was all the rage in the halls of my high school, as adults we have to rediscover our hometowns or else they can seem stale, as if they’re stuck in a time warp.

After toying with the options of bike riding on one of Des Moines’ many picturesque bike paths or taking a boat ride on one of the state’s human-made lakes, we landed instead on the East Village. With my mom as tour guide, we ventured to downtown Des Moines.  The East Village is full of quaint shops selling clothes, kitchen gadgets, and the work of local artists, eateries, and also includes the state’s Historical Building.  We browsed the Historical Building’s gift shop and then caught a trolley-shaped bus that runs every ten minutes.  The D-line is a free and fun way to explore downtown Des Moines.

Outgoing locals chatted with us as we rode to Ritual Cafe, a coffee shop with an all vegetarian menu and a relaxed vibe.  We started our meal with chips and garlicky salsa and then shared a delicious grilled vegetable sandwich on fresh bread from the South Union Bakery.  The roasted red pepper hummus smeared on the sandwich gave an almost pizza-like quality.   Finally, we capped the meal with a peanut butter cookie.  The staff was friendly and laidback, and Ritual Cafe seemed like one of those places where you could easily linger playing a game with friends, reading the newspaper, or in my case, bonding with mom.

After clicking pictures of Des Moines’ impressive capitol building, we left downtown and made our way to New City Market on University near Waveland Park to stock up for that evening’s dinner.  Few places make me feel more at home than a local natural foods store.  New City Market is cozy but very well stocked.  In addition to a nice selection of organic produce, they have a bulk section that includes bulk spices, which is great when visiting from out of town and buying a whole bottle of spices would be unnecessary.  They also have a good selection of specialty foods like Coconut Bliss, Earth Balance, Vegenaise, and Tofurky sausages.

Groceries in hand, I went to my best friend’s home to spend time with her and her family and treat them to a homemade dinner.  When cooking for non-vegetarians I think it’s good to stick with something familiar.  I made Butternut Squash Risotto with Toasted Sage from Vegan Table and served it with spinach sauteed in garlic.  This traditional comfort food took a bit of attention as I ladled in spoonful after spoonful of warm vegetable broth while the Arborio rice became tender and creamy.  It gave my friend and I time to reconnect in the kitchen before sitting down over a hot meal, laughing about the days of helmet hair and Guess Jeans and feeling thankful for the present.  Spending time with family and dear friends is the best thing, after all, about going home again.  Dorothy was right.  There’s no place like it.

If you plan on heading to the Des Moines area, other vegan-friendly restaurants that are worth a visit include Cool Basil and Jason’s Deli in Clive.  Cool Basil serves spicy and flavorful Thai food and has tons of easily veganizable options.  Just tell them no fish sauce or oyster sauce and that you’re vegan.  Lots of their menu items can be made with tofu or extra vegetables.  Jason’s Deli also has a few veganizable options on their menu and a really nice salad bar with many organic offerings.  I especially enjoy their chickpea, kidney bean, and edamame salad with cilantro.

I love rituals.  I enjoy ones that are simple, like grinding coffee beans in the morning, listening to its whir, adding a sprinkle of cinnamon, and then finding the perfect balance of rice milk and agave syrup in a favorite mug.  I like large ones like putting decorations on the Christmas tree and singing along while Burl Ives croons.  They make the ordinary day to day of our lives a bit more special.  In September to May, we have another weekly tradition at our home and that’s making chickpea tacos with all the fixin’s and watching The Biggest Loser on television.

Although I generally eschew reality TV, I became a fan by accident several years ago.  Through work, I was introduced to The Biggest Loser UK.  The female trainer, Angie Dowds, is tough but sincere and watching her work out with kettlebells, I was excited to try them for myself.  Russian kettlebells look like a cannonball with a handle.  By swinging the kettlebells of various sizes, a person can get a great workout that engages the entire body.  As the arms swing, the lower body is essentially doing squat after squat, and the core must stay tight to keep in balance.

So when my husband and I were planning a visit to England during our honeymoon in 2006, I made an appointment for us to have a personal training session with Angie, who was much sweeter than her tough TV-persona.  I felt I was in pretty good shape, but the kettlebell workout was intense.  Angie said that professional soccer players in England had met with her for a session and were stunned at how sore they were the following days.  True to her word, David and I were yelping up the stairs in every tube station for the next four or five days.  Happy honeymoon!  (For folks with a region-free or region 2 DVD player, Angie is on the Biggest Loser UK Workout DVD, which is phenomenal.  Sadly, she doesn’t have a kettlebell section outside of a small special feature, but she still leads a great workout.)

After I got back to the States, my mom, who is a fan of the American Biggest Loser, encouraged me to watch that version.  After a while, I was hooked.  Sure, there’s some pretty over-the-top product placement.  There are times when David and I can’t help talking back to the screen.  For example, when trainer Bob tells the contestants how good fiber is for them and then shows them a processed bar that they could eat to fulfill part of their daily requirements.  We chide, “How about a piece of fruit or some vegetables or beans or whole grains?”  When the trainers tell the contestants that the way to get thin is by using a certain kind of freezer bag, we can’t help but laugh.

Even overlooking all of that, it’s still very cool to see people transform their health, their bodies, and their lives over the course of a few months.  It’s amazing to see how it affects their relationships with themselves and with other people.  Plus, it’s inspiring to watch people go from out of shape to athletes.  By the end of the program, David and I are doing sit-ups and lifting weights while we watch, motivated ourselves to make the most of our health.

The next season won’t start for a few more weeks, but we had chickpea tacos early last night in Cadry’s Kitchen to celebrate trainer Bob Harper going vegetarian.  (Possibly vegan—the jury is still out.)  There’s an article about him in this month’s Vegetarian Times and how he was initially moved to adopt a plant based diet after reading Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin’s Skinny Bitch.  Since he’s adopted this lifestyle, his cholesterol has dropped 100 points.  With the corporate meat and dairy-based advertisers that sponsor The Biggest Loser, I’ll be surprised (but delighted) if veganism gets any air-time, but here’s hoping!

To try out kettlebells for yourself at home, this is my favorite DVD.  To make my chickpea tacos in your kitchen, here’s my recipe:

Chickpea Tacos

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• ½ onion, chopped small
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (15 oz.) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Juice of ½ lime
• Package of organic whole wheat tortillas or organic hard corn taco shells
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 avocado, pitted and chopped
• Hot sauce (optional)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly cover a warmed pan in extra virgin olive oil.  Saute garlic and ¼ of the onion until fragrant (about two minutes).  Add chickpeas, cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, and juice from lemon and lime to the pan.  While the chickpea mixture cooks, add splashes of water to the pan to keep the ingredients from sticking and to make it a bit saucy (no more than ¼ cup).  Smash the chickpeas with the spatula, so that they won’t roll out of the taco shell.  Cook the chickpeas for about seven minutes.  The chickpeas are done when the sauce is your preferred thickness and the dish is heated through.  Heat the tortillas in the oven for three minutes.  Fill the shells with the chickpea mixture, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, and the remaining minced onion.  Serve with hot sauce.

When we were initially weighing the options of a weekend getaway destination, our top two contenders were Las Vegas and San Diego.  None of us are gamblers and it’s mighty hot in July, but Vegas has Ronald’s Donuts.  It’s a donut shop that has a large selection of vegan donuts.  I’ve never tried them, but I’ve heard rave reviews.  San Diego is closer in proximity, and it has Stephanie’s Bakery and vegan cinnamon rolls on the weekends.  Yes, I’m inclined to make travel plans based on pastries.  So be it.

Therefore, it was with much eagerness that we made our way that Sunday morning… ahem, early afternoon… to Stephanie’s Bakery in Ocean Beach.  Ocean Beach has a strong beachy vibe, and locals were riding bicycles, walking their dogs, and meandering the streets in swimsuits.  When we arrived around noon, what we found was a nearly empty case in Stephanie’s Bakery.  I looked at the menu and thought surely these were just some display options. 

“Is this all you have?” Leah asked the dusty blond man behind the counter.

“Yes, that’s it,” he said.  “We were already cleaned out once today, totally refilled, and were cleaned out again.”

“Oh,” Leah sighed, “we came all the way from L.A.”

The young man took pity on us and said, “Well, if you’re really interested, we can make more of a couple of varieties, but it will be a twenty minute wait.”

Of course, after a two and a half hour drive, twenty minutes was no big deal.  They did have a few remaining items in the case, and we each picked from those options while we waited.  David and I split a cinnamon roll, and Leah and Patrick also got one of their own.  The cinnamon rolls have crisp outsides and chewy insides.  As a fan of gooey cinnamon rolls, they were tasty but not exactly what I’d been envisioning.  They taste like cinnamon rolls your grandmother used to make, if, you know, your grandmother actually made cinnamon rolls. 

I got a blueberry strudel, which was delicious and featured thick and rich blueberries oozing from the fluffy strudel.  Leah and Patrick shared a broccoli strudel with homemade vegan cream cheese.  I was having some food envy, because after a bite, it was my favorite.  The savory, warm broccoli was enveloped in pillows of cream cheese and surrounded by soft pastry.

Samosa strudel

After twenty minutes, we received two samosa strudels for David and myself.  As the name would suggest, they were filled with Indian spices, potatoes, peas, and carrots.  They were a little oily for my tastes, but still good.  Moral of the story, hit Stephanie’s early for the best picks of the day.

I’ve heard their pizza is also amazing.  Vegan pizza seems to be all the rage here in LA these days, and so I have lots of options where that is concerned.  However, I’ll want to check out Stephanie’s pizza the next time I find myself in San Diego. 

Leah & Cadry in front of All Vegan

After walking around Ocean Beach for a bit, we jumped back in the car to make the short trip to All Vegan, which is a small store in San Diego that sells everything any fun and fashionable vegan could need.  They have a large variety of cute and stylish shoes for women and men, belts, purses, cookbooks, a wide array of vegan and animal rights-themed shirts, and much more.  The size of the store is deceptive, because what it lacks in size it makes up for in its significant offerings.  The proprietor, Joy Zakarian, made friendly chit-chat with us while David purchased a wallet, and told us about more vegan and vegan-friendly eateries in the area. 

Next, we made our way to downtown San Diego and the Gaslamp Quarter.  We discovered once we got there that it’s more of a nighttime location.  There were lots of restaurants and some chain stores, like Urban Outfitters and Borders.  We passed Pokez heading into the downtown area, which has a large sign over their restaurant boasting “A Vegetarian Mexican Eatery.”  The dive-y restaurant has an eclectic array of paintings and a punk vibe.  

Patrick asked the server how they made their chicken, and a flash of confusion passed across the server’s face.  Their chicken is made with chickens.  Although the sign outside says that it’s a vegetarian eatery, they also serve meat.  However, they did have all of the vegan and veganizable options clearly marked in their menu, which I appreciate. 

David and I split the Veggie Burrito on a whole wheat tortilla, filled with beans, rice, salsa fresca, lettuce, and guacamole.  The burrito was a bit on the bland side but inoffensive.  We also split the Veggie Tacos, which came with rice and beans.  The shells of the tacos are deep fried, which makes them puff a bit.  They were quite good in the way that greasy junk food can hit the spot sometimes, and they reminded me somewhat of the Tasty Tacos I grew up on in Des Moines in my pregan days. 

The restaurant is certainly affordable with most offerings costing around five dollars.  All in all, I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to seek out Pokez, but if you happen to be in downtown San Diego and want to go somewhere with a lot of vegan offerings for not much money, it’s not a bad choice.

After being immersed in the concrete jungle, we yearned for pretty surroundings and seascapes.  We made our way to Point Loma to visit the old lighthouse.  The cliffs and beach around the area have stunning views, and we also walked through the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, which is unlike any cemetery I’ve ever visited.  This quiet but expansive cemetery overlooks the ocean, and is poignant and beautiful. 

As we walked along the cliffs and watched surfers ride waves, the sun began to set on our San Diego weekend.  It was one of those refreshing weekend getaways that really makes you feel like you’ve had a chance to unwind and recharge even though it was only a matter of days away.  We’ll be back.

You know you’re on vacation when you start your morning relaxing in the hot tub.  As we kicked it in the Jacuzzi, my friends and I charted out our plans for July Fourth.  We all agreed on a drive over to Coronado Island with plenty of time to enjoy the beach and fireworks in the evening. 

First things first, sustenance was in order.  I headed to our refrigerator to make a tofu scramble, and discovered that everything was clammy and lukewarm.  The refrigerator was not working, and all of our groceries from home and from a shopping trip the evening before weren’t looking their best.  The Better-Than-Tuna salad was smelling funky and had to be let go.  We adjusted the temperature on the refrigerator and decided to chance it on the tofu.  I made a scramble topped with avocado very loosely based on the one in Veganomicon. 

Photo by Patrick Shipstad

With brunch finished, we grabbed our swimsuits and towels and hit the street.

The long bridge to Coronado Island is about two miles from downtown San Diego.  From the bridge one can see San Diego on one side and Mexico on the other.  Although lots of people were heading to the island for the Fourth of July 15k Run/Walk and parade that day, we were able to find parking in one of the neighborhoods.  Art-in-the-Park happens the first and third Sunday of every month in Spreckels Park.  We meandered our way to the center of town and walked along the park admiring the paintings, photographs, and artwork.  Families were picnicking in the grass and waiting for a concert that was happening later that evening in a gazebo in the middle of the eight-acre park.

The island is only about a mile across, relatively flat, and easy to maneuver by foot.  We walked along Orange Avenue to the ocean and the world famous Hotel del Coronado.  The hotel was built over 120 years ago and boasts shops, restaurants, and a spa.  We took a peek inside, and then made our way to Coronado’s Central Beach for some fun in the sun.  Children were building sand castles and throwing balls, while teenagers soaked up some rays.   The beach was busy but very clean.  In fact, I saw a little girl drop a wrapper onto the sand, and immediately her brother, who looked about eleven or twelve, ran up to her, picked it up, and told her not to litter.  Even though I  live in Los Angeles, it’s easy to let weeks and then months go by without ever seeing the ocean.  That’s too bad, though, because there’s little else more calming than sitting by the water with friends, talking, laughing, and watching the waves hit the sand. 

Eventually our stomachs got the best of us, and with no picnic to satisfy our appetites, we wandered back into town along the well manicured streets, chatting with friendly locals along the way.  Although, there aren’t any strictly vegetarian or vegan restaurants on the island, most of the restaurants displayed their menus in front of them, and there were plenty with veganizable options.  We wavered between Chinese and Italian, but settled on a cheeseless veggie-laden pizza, bruschetta, and salad before making our way to the evening’s fireworks over Glorietta Bay.  From the Bay, the skyline of downtown San Diego was a backdrop for fireworks lighting the night sky.   

Back at the hotel that night, I called to the front desk about the refrigerator, which was still not working.  Someone came up to look at it and said the freezer had frozen the pipes, making it impossible to cool the main part of the refrigerator.  He advised us to move our food to the freezer and turn it down to thaw the pipes. 

With that, I climbed into bed dreaming about the strudel that awaited me the next day from Stephanie’s Bakery.  Sweet dreams indeed.

What better to do on a long holiday weekend than road-trip with my husband and a couple of good friends?  After much deliberation, David, Leah, Patrick, and I decided a getaway to San Diego was in order.  With the beach, nightlife, and shopping to explore, there was plenty to do to fill out a few days.  Plus, San Diego is only 2 ½ hours away, and so it would be a long enough trip to feel like we were getting away, but also short enough that we wouldn’t spend most of our time off sitting in holiday traffic.  

Before we left, we set up hotel reservations at a suite hotel with kitchens in the room.  That way we could save some money and eat fresh, home-cooked meals.  (This didn’t turn out exactly as we’d hoped due to circumstances out of our control, but more on that later…)  Leah and I put together a list of foods to bring, so that we didn’t have to buy a bottle of extra virgin olive oil or a jar of cumin in San Diego when we could have just used what we had in the cupboard at home.  So in addition to the usual swimsuits and beach towels, we discussed who would bring the agave syrup and turmeric.  I had to laugh thinking about how different that is from most ideas about what to bring on a road trip.  We created a meal plan, so that our vegetables, grains, and spices would do double duty as much as possible. 

Then I packed snacks and lunch for our time on the road.  The drive from LA can be stress-free, or it can be a parking lot.  You never know what you’re going to get, and so it’s best to be prepared.  I filled a sealable container with a generous amount of Better-Than-Tuna Salad from Vegan Table for sandwiches and a jar of peanut butter also for sandwiches.  I sliced carrots and celery into sticks and put all of that into my Playmate with plenty of fruit and a stainless steel bottle filled with water.  Leah picked up grapes and Organic Salt & Pepper Kettle Chips.  (So addictive.  Beware.)  We were ready to go.

On the way down to San Diego we played Twenty Questions and the alphabet game, and we were able to whiz around the holiday traffic without too much fuss.  After we checked into the hotel and unpacked, we headed down to Old Town San Diego to walk around the shops and have a bit of Mexican food to get in the spirit.  Let the fun begin!

MEAL PLAN

DAY ONE:  FRIDAY

Road trip snacks & lunch:

Better-Than-Tuna Salad Sandwiches

Peanut butter sandwiches

Kettle Chips

Carrot and celery sticks

Cherries, apples, and peaches

Dinner Out

DAY TWO:  SATURDAY

Breakfast:

Tofu Scramble

Ingredients:  Tofu, Carrots, Spinach, Broccoli, Onions, Garlic, Red Bell           Pepper, Avocado, Lemon, Turmeric, Cumin, Paprika, Oregano, Hot Sauce

Serve with whole wheat or corn tortillas, cherries & raspberries

Tea with turmeric & lemon juice

Coffee with cinnamon, rice milk, and agave syrup

Lunch:

Remaining Better-Than-Tuna Salad & bread from home, peaches, and salad

Salad ingredients:  Spinach, Cucumbers, Red bell pepper, Tomatoes, Onion, Lemon

Serve with water

Dinner:

Tacos

Ingredients:  Chickpeas, Cumin, Oregano, Paprika, Whole wheat or corn tortillas, Spinach, Tomatoes, Avocado, Lemon, Onion, Garlic, Hot Sauce

Serve with wine and water

After dinner snack:  Grapes

DAY THREE:  SUNDAY

Breakfast:

Peanut Butter toast, cherries, & raspberries

Green Tea with lemon & turmeric

Coffee with cinnamon, rice milk, and agave syrup

Lunch out

Snack:  Apples

Dinner:

Spicy Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:  Whole wheat spaghetti, Peanut butter, Tamari, Rice vinegar, Hot sauce, Red bell pepper, Carrots, Garlic, Onions, Cucumber, Broccoli

Serve with wine & water

Snack:  Peaches

DAY FOUR:  MONDAY

Breakfast:

Peanut Butter Toast with cherries

Tea with lemon & turmeric

Coffee with cinnamon, rice milk, and agave syrup

When I’m planning a trip, I enjoy looking at the globe and imagining the path the plane will fly from my home to my destination.  While seeing the country I’ll be visiting as only a piece of a knickknack, it’s exhilarating to imagine that in a matter of time, that will be a real place to me where I’ll be making memories.  

I spent a lot of time looking at the globe and the internet while I was setting up arrangements for our European honeymoon three years ago.  The Montali Country House called to me.  It’s an all-vegetarian gourmet guest house in Umbria, Italy.  I emailed with Malu, who is one of the proprietors there.  Malu told me that their hotel is off the beaten path.  For sake of ease, renting a car would be much easier than a taxi.  Since I knew very little about traveling by train in Europe, I had no idea how close we would get and from where we’d need to rent a car.  We learned as we went along. 

We flew from LA to London and London to Paris.  Then we took a train from Paris to Interlaken to Zurich to Venice to Verona to Assisi.  Finally, we rented a car to drive up the hills of Umbria to the Country House Montali.  Automatic cars aren’t common there, and I didn’t know how to drive a stick shift.  David hadn’t driven one since high school or college.  Sadly, he was relearning it all going up hills and mountains, tiny dirt and gravel roads with no gates to keep a person from careening off the hillside.  After only recently visiting Juliet’s grave in Verona, I knew all too well what can happen to star crossed lovers.  “Crap,” I thought, “we’re on our honeymoon and so in love.  We’re doomed.” 

After some starting and stopping and rolling down the hill, we made it to the top to the intimate hotel that is Montali Country House.  Surrounded by a 25-acre olive grove and dotted with fig trees, the property has beautiful panoramic views and overlooks Lake Trasimeno below. 

We checked in with Malu, who was expecting us.  We told her that we were on our honeymoon and she said, “Oh, you are beginning the new life!”  There was poetry in that, the new life.  She showed us to our room, adorned with a painting the color of the sunset going down over the hillside. 

We walked the grounds, and sat by the pool enjoying a glass of wine until it was time to get ready for dinner.  People dress up for dinner every evening at 8 pm.  When we walked in to where all of the guests were gathering, we chatted about our travels, from where we were coming and what was next on our journey.  Alberto, Malu’s husband and the other proprietor of the hotel, came over and introduced himself to us, shaking our hands, and then showed us to our table, where we would be eating for the rest of our meals there. 

At the beginning of each course, Alberto walked to each of the tables and in a hushed tone told us about the next course, the dish and the preparation methods.  He sounded a little something like an announcer at a big golf competition.  It created such excitement about the upcoming dish that was about to be experienced.  He went table by table, and since he can speak five different languages, he seamlessly spoke to every table with ease.  The food was phenomenal and the presentation was superb.  The olives at the table were from their own acreage.  The figs that were used for dessert had just been picked that day from the grounds.  All of the dishes were a beauty to look at as much as to eat.  I was still there to enjoy it, and yet, I found myself already wishing we’d planned to stay there longer than two days. 

When I saw the Eggplant and Caramelized Onion “Lasagna” in Vegan Table, which is a dish Colleen learned to make during a trip of her own to the Montali Country House, I was eager to recreate that experience in my own home.  This dish involves layering slices of broiled eggplants with tomatoes, capers, olives, pine nuts, and basil.  The dish uses green and black olives, and it reminded me of the beautiful olive trees surrounding the guest house.  This salty and fresh dish plays up the flavor that is inherent in the vegetables.  It had me dreaming of my next trip up those gravel roads, but next time, I’m calling ahead for an automatic.  I’m still deliriously in love.  I can’t take any chances.