I used to get the Garlic Chicken or Orange Chicken because I liked the combo of vegetables and spiciness. Since I became vegan I was turned on to Thai food - I would now say that when I am in the mood for Asian food I pick a Thai noodle dish. However, most Chinese noodles like Lo Mein and Chow Mein are made with egg noodles. Most Chinese vegetarian dishes that are a combination of tofu and vegetables don't come with a spicy sauce, so i generally have to pick between a spicy sauce or some vegetables with my tofu. I've heard many bloggers talk about how much they love Ma Po tofu and how they've made their own recipes for it, so I thought I would give it a shot!
Last week while I was at home my lovely aunt treated me to Chinese food for dinner. We chose Sesame Inn, my favorite Chinese restaurant in Pittsburgh. Their original (or at least I think it's the original...) location is in Mount Lebanon, near my house, and my family has been getting take out from there for years. I used to get the Garlic Chicken or Orange Chicken because I liked the combo of vegetables and spiciness. Since I became vegan I was turned on to Thai food - I would now say that when I am in the mood for Asian food I pick a Thai noodle dish. However, most Chinese noodles like Lo Mein and Chow Mein are made with egg noodles. Most Chinese vegetarian dishes that are a combination of tofu and vegetables don't come with a spicy sauce, so i generally have to pick between a spicy sauce or some vegetables with my tofu. I've heard many bloggers talk about how much they love Ma Po tofu and how they've made their own recipes for it, so I thought I would give it a shot! It was great! I good combination of tofu and vegetables. I do have to say that it was very spicy. I needed aaaaaa lot of rice, water, and wine to calm it down - and I like spicy stuff! I don't know what it was but there was something in the after taste that had a ton of spice in it. I don't know if this is typical of all Ma Po dishes, but it is of this one! Anyway I love Sesame Inn and you should all give them a try!
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I'm back in Pittsburgh at my parent's house for Thanksgiving and the three of us ordered pizza for dinner from our favorite place - Bado's. This has been our favorite pizza place for as long as I can remember. I spent my childhood Friday nights playing indoor soccer and eating Bado's pizza. I selected my own toppings to create a custom order - Basil, Broccoli, Spinach, Tomatoes, and Roasted Red Pepper, hold the cheese. I'm generally a crispy-crust person, but there's something about the softness of the Bado's crust that is so comforting to me. I liked how the broccoli wasn't cooked before it was put on the pizza - it has just the right amount of al dente crispness from the pizza oven. The basil was so fresh. It was delicious over all. You're the best Bado's.
Last night I had an alumni event at Scholar's Pub in Boston, which means this blog is quickly turning into more of a restaurant review blog instead of a cooking blog... oops. It's been a busy week, but don't worry, for the most part I'll be posting recipes as opposed to restaurant reviews. In the meantime, Scholars... I've been there on weekend nights before, but never for dinner. I hadn't realized until recently how creative of a menu they have, definitely more than your average bar fare. I had the Lemon Scallion Risotto, which is the only thing marked on their menu as vegan. They also have a portabella sandwich that seems to be vegan by reading the menu, but for some reason is not marked as such. It was dark (hence the poor quality photo) and loud, plus I was at a networking event so I didn't want to eat a messy sandwich and therefore did not inquire about it. My dish was delicious. It was not what I expected based on the description, but it was still great. I was expecting more of a light Italian dish, when I read about the risotto, lemon, and asparagus, but I guess I should have paid more attention to the shishito peppers in the dish. The waitress informing me that it was a slightly spicy dish should have been my key that it was not a typical Italian risotto. While it was not spicy to my standards, the sauce was distinctly Asian, and not lemony at all (which is fine with me cause lemon is not my favorite flavor). Based on the thickness of the sauce I'm not sure how healthy it was, but the pepper, asparagus and tomato were great (I love some cooked tomatoes!!).
Overall, it was a great dish, a little misleading, but still good. I was surprised to find such a great menu at Scholars, since I think of it as a place to dance on the weekends. I appreciate the fact that not only do they have designated vegan items on their menu but, even though it's only one item, it's an interesting dish you don't find everywhere and not a boring go-to just so that they can say they have something. Thanks Scholar's! One of my old roommates and good friends from college was in town last night to attend an event at MIT today. Since she was staying in Cambridge we met up out there. Veggie Galaxy has been on my list of places to go for a while and she was in the mood for something healthy so it worked out well! Veggie Galaxy is a vegan/vegetarian diner and bakery in Cambridge. The menu is mostly vegan but they do have some cheeses and egg with breakfast (the egg can be substituted with tofu). When I saw the BBQ sandwich made with jack fruit I couldn't pass it up. If you're one of the many people that's asked me what I miss most since adopting my vegan diet there's a strong chance I told you pulled pork because it's so hard to replicate. I've seen recipes uses it and have always wanted to try it, but had a hard time finding jack fruit and was hesitant to go on too much of a chase for something I didn't know I would like. The waitress's excitement at my order was a great sign! Look at how awesomely messy that BBQ sandwich looks! It did not disappoint! The sandwich had a great flavor and texture. The pickles on top added a nice crunch. The sandwich came with a green salad with a light dressing and a side of your choice. I went with the potato salad on the waitress's recommendation. It was good but didn't have a whole ton of flavor, although I'm not a huge potato salad fan in the first place. My friend got the Homage salad and the soup of the day, which was a creamy potato soup. We were too full to eat dessert - but the menu looked awesome. In addition to their pastries they had coconut based ice cream and vegan frappes! I'll have to come back with Jay - I think he'll enjoy the comfort-food centric menu! |
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This blog is about my adventures adhering to a plant-based diet in a meat-based world and incorporating vegan practices into more parts of my life. As many of my friends and family aren't vegan, and the best part of cooking is sharing your food with others, I try to make recipes that can be enjoyed by vegans and meat-eaters alike. Categories
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