Sunday, October 4, 2009

Vegan MoFo Quickie: White Orchids

Hi Folks!

Just wanted to stop in on this fine Sunday evening and post a quickie review of White Orchids Thai Restaurant located at the The Promenade Shops at Center Valley in Center Valley, Pa.

Type: Omnivore Thai Restaurant that is TOTALLY Vegan and Gluten-Free Friendly.

How friendly you ask? When you walk in just let the host know that you want to order from their Vegan (or Gluten-Free) Menu and they will provide you with a modified menu that includes Appetizers, Soup/Salad, Rice, Noodle, and Stir Fry entrees, and a yummy Mango Sticky Rice dessert. Tip: Add organic tofu to any entree for an additional $2

Taste: I like it, even if it is a little on the sweet side. It's a frequent destination for T and I. It's some of the best Thai in the area, although I might be prejudiced by the ease of ordering Vegan and not having to explain what it means.
Warning: Spicing can be a little dodgy. I like spice and I feel that generally they have a light hand with heat. Hence, if you loves the spice, go for HOT right off the bat.


Ambiance: Very inviting, although they play a strange music selection of mid-nineties to current rock pop. It's just weird hearing The Rembrandts and Blink 182 while you're eating in a relatively elegant setting. Also there is a great patio outside that seems to always be open weather permitting. I'm also excited to know that they are expanding in to the space next to them so the restaurant will be huge and when the liquor license comes through there will be a nifty lounge. I honestly may never leave.

Recommendations:
Tom Yum Soup with Tofu with medium heat (Coconut Lemongrass Soup)
Khow Pad Prik Pow (Spicy Thai Basil Fried Rice)
Red Curry
Red Curry Stir fry.

Ok... this was supposed to be a quickie review and now I'm almost waxing poetic about this restaurant so I think I'll wrap it up for now. Perhaps tomorrow I'll post a pic of my Spicy Thai Basil Fried Rice that I had today for linner (lunch/dinner) tomorrow.

See you then!

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Chasing the Peanut Butter: Turtle Mountain’s Purely Decadent Peanut Butter Zig Zag


For my first review of 2009’s Vegan Mofo (Vegan Month of Food) I will be sticking my spoon deep into the heart of Purely Decadent Peanut Butter Zig Zag non-dairy frozen desert.

So, what is it? It’s a soy version of chocolate peanut butter swirl (made with organic ingredients) and I’m not going to lie to you. It’s delicious. Whenever I pick up a new food the first thing I do, much to the chagrin of my fellow shoppers perhaps, is stop and read the ingredients. (Sometimes it takes me a while and I’m standing aimlessly in the middle of the grocery aisle. I try not to block anyone’s way, but Whole Paycheck’s aisles can get pretty crowded.) I check for freakish laboratory experiment style ingredients and things that *I* personally feel should never cross one’s lips. Peanut Butter Zig Zag completely passes this test. The ingredients are straight forward and natural. There’s nothing Frankenstein about this desert. It’s soymilk, peanut butter, sugar, some natural oils and thickeners that create the perfect ice cream like texture. It’s not icey or grainy like other dairy substitutes I’ve tried.

Taste? It’s a rich and creamy dark chocolate that has been swirled through with chunks of thick sweet peanut butter and flecks of dark chocolate. When I have a pint of this in the house (oh how I wish I could buy it by the gallon!) I have to act quickly or else my husband, T, will get to it first. He is in love with the peanut butter and will literally chase it through out the pint. I’ve been known to come down to our freezer in hopes of a late evening snack only to find that I no longer have a pint of zig zag, but maybe a half –pint of chocolate ice cream. And it’s still good, although the peanut butter adds the excitement.

So if you are a new vegan and looking for a sweet ice cream treat go to your nearest enlightened grocer and pick up a pint of Purely Decadent Peanut Butter Zig Zag (or any other Purely Decadent flavor for that matter) and get to noshing! A pint will typically run you about $3.99. Sounds pricey but you can get four decent servings out of it and I find that I don’t need a lot to satisfy the craving.

This month look for reviews on Dr. Cow’s Tree Nut Cheese, an artisanal gourmet cheese that is dairy free, vegan caviar comparisons, restaurant and bakery reviews, and if there’s time much MUCH MORE!