I know, I know. You’re probably asking yourselves “Hey, why is Joe dressed up as a vegetarian?”. Well, I’ll tell you why. It’s because tonight I went undercover to probably the last place you’d ever expect to find me. A venue that hosts sustainability lectures? A yoga studio? An organic vegan food restaurant? Try all of the above because this evening, in a bid to expand my culinary horizons (and pay up the coin flip bet I lost to Exec. Producers’ Assistant Ashleigh), I dined at one of the Vancouver’s premiere vegetarian restos.
When Ashleigh first floated the idea, I was admittedly dubious. Especially when I learned that the place doubled as a yoga studio during the day (in addition to fronting the odd [and I mean that in both senses of the word] green event). To allay my concerns, Ashleigh directed me to the restaurant website, no doubt assuming I’d be much relieved at the sight of such savory selections as the Quinoa nut burger platter or the raw cashew cheesecake (both of which she swears by). Instead, a preliminary perusal of the online menu had the opposite effect when my eyes alighted on the “red velvet chocolate cake”, described as “chocolate beet cake layered with chocolate icing and summer preserves“.
I mean, come on! I understand the need to substitute vegetables or alternate proteins for meats, but what the hell had chocolate ever done to warrant this sort of treatment? I imagine the kitchen conversation went something like:
“Hey, how can we fuck up chocolate cake?”
“I know! Let’s add beets to the recipe!”
Despite my low expectations, I was nevertheless looking forward to the outing, having taken great pride in the suitably low-key vegetarianesque ensemble I’d put together for the occasion. A touch of patchouli oil to mask the un-hippie scents of soap, shampoo, and deodorant and I was ready for action. It was Donnie Brasco meets Dazed and Confused on Halloween night!
Eventually, we were joined by the fourth member of our party, Ashleigh, and as we settled in, we were served a little pumpkin seed appetizer. Of sorts. We let Carl go ahead and do the test run…
I wasn’t a fan. And neither was Carl, at first. He actually found the little tidbits unpleasant. And yet simultaneously addictive. For the next ten minutes, he snacked away, alternately popping them into his mouth and bitterly complaining about the lingering aftertaste that he likened to a ghostly presence haunting him everafter. Or at least until he exorcised the spirit with a glass of red.
Lots of interesting selections to choose from on the menu. Sadly, no one went with the spaghetti and beet balls. Instead, I started with the feature appetizer: sage and kamut gnocchi with butternut squash and apple that was actually quite good. Lawren had the nori rolls (raw sunflower hemp seed pate with sprouts and avocado in toasted nori with homemade pickled ginger and orange dragon dip) which proved less so. “Earthy” is a nice way of describing them. Carl had the golden potato wedges (organic potato roasted in olive oil and served with a spicy chipotle mayo) which he liked a lot while Ashleigh enjoyed a warm wild mushroom and pear salad.
Poor Ashleigh struggled to maintain a modicum of decorum amid our boorish antics. At one point, after she had excused herself to use the ladies room, I suspected she’d slipped out the back and was on her way to her car. But happily, she returned – well, she didn’t exactly “happily return”. Let’s just say she came back and put up with us for the rest of the meal.
Next up were the mains. Ashleigh and I both went with the quinoa nut burger platter that, I have to admit, was surprisingly good (although the accompanying salad was a sad little disaster).
Lawren, who unfortunately had the worst appetizer also drew the short, spicy, odd-tasting straw when it came to the mains as well. His red pepper, jerk-stuffed with a “an autumn medley, dried plum and red quinoa pilaf, prove almost inedible. He packed it away with the intention of giving it away to a homeless person, but made a mental note to offer it to someone outside of the immediate area lest the local transients be all-too familiar with the offerings (“Aw, come on! The stuffed red pepper again! You’ve gotta be shitting me!”).
Next up was the course we’d all been looking forward to – dessert – partly because Ashleigh had done such a great job of talking up the raw cashew cheesecake and partly out of sheer curiosity about that chocolate beet cake.
So, what was the verdict? Well, over to Carl for his review of the cheesecake:
And –
“Pungent,” was his one word review. The beet chocolate cake was better, but only marginally so. Hey, you know what would probably improve this dish? NOT making it with beets!
While everyone else had wine, I enjoyed a chocolate hemp milk smoothie that I enjoyed immensely. In fact, were it not for dessert, I’d say I had a very good meal. Of course, had I ordered Lawren’s dinner, my review may have been very different but, as it was, I can’t really complain.
Now if I could only get the scent of patchouli oil out of my clothes…
I stand in awe not only of your writing talents but of your unparalleled bravery. I would rather rappel off of a building without a rope than subject myself to something like a chocolate beet cake. Your pictures are priceless, though my coworkers are less impressed. No, they didn’t look at them, they just woke up when I started laughing too loudly. Thanks for the enlightening reportm as I’ve always wondered what a vegetarian eatery could offer in the way of selections. Personally, I think I’d just bypass the hapless veggies and settle for sampling the dirt they grew in. That way, I’d have a chance of having some animal flesh in the way of hapless cricket or worm.
I took a yoga class to purge some nightmares and it worked. In my defense, the nightmares were yoga-related.
AWESOME ZEON SHIRT!
also, what do you think about the Space ratings, as compared to SyFy (such a dumb name). I read they were 1/5 as much, for a country with 1/10th the population, which means twice as many ppl watching it.
it’s also probably got to do with space airing something before it’s out on DVD 😛
That reminds me of the time I went to M here in L.A. and had a breakfast enchilada made of “scrambled tofu, tempeh bacon, avocado, chili beans, and soy mozzarella.” It looked like this:
It was an, um…interesting experience.
Loved your “outfit” and the stunning description of the added fragrance to mask the soap, deoderant, etc. Priceless.
Guess this meal kinda sorta qualified as several WFPs.
Considering my food intolerances, the vegan place might be better for me than Fuel. But I still plan to give Fuel a try, probably in 2010 AFTER the Winter Olympics.
S and I are ready to escape to Vegas; probably within the month.
Bathroom renov lacks only mirrors! Unfortunately, the framed mirrors I found were too large, mostly because of the frames.
As for SGU, I already posted that the ad breaks in Air I detracted from the story.
A couple of BSG references bothered me; the storeroom scene, a staccato phrase in the piano score, the physical resemblance of Dr. Rush to Gaius Baltar.
BUT…Baltar’s corrupt morals were established early on; I don’t (yet) see Rush that way. Have to temper that by saying I’m spoiler-free and don’t know what to expect of any of the characters.
G’night, all.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen you out of a suit. I had to do a double take on the first picture to make sure it was you.
Also, Tigger. *giggle* I will never look at a picture of Lawren the same.
Glad your experience at the restaurant wasn’t horrible. Not sure I’d be so lucky as my love of veggies is somewhat limited.
That was hilarious. Carl is so photogenic.
Beets? Why? Isn’t chocolate vegetarian? What in chocolate cake isn’t vegetarian? Now cheesecake, there’s dairy.
AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!! Sorry, that was the pastry chef part of me screaming in horror at the chocolate beet cake. In case some of you didn’t know, the thing about pastries that makes them taste good is the fat and sugar. It is rarely the vegetables…. Fruit, on the other hand…(I know, Joe, sorry!)
Rewatching SGU premiere now, actually. Does poor Eli wear that hoodie all season?
Lisa
It’s quite odd to see you in “normal” clothes! Wherever did you find that shirt?lol
You are indeed a brave man for going to such a dining establishment. I lived in a very hippie-esque town in CA for 5 years, which shall remain unnamed. Never once did I dare set foot in a vegan food restaurant. The idea of no meat or animal products at all just seems a bit too much for me. I mean vegetarian is one thing, but vegan… that’s just too far. Seriously, chocolate beet cake. The very name sounds like an abomination of all that is good and sweet in this world.
Well it none the less sounds like a fun(?) experience.
I’ve been vegetarian for over 6 years (since high school) and it’s really not that bad! I’ve been to some amazing vegetarian resturants and also some not so great ones. But I’m glad to see that you are keeping an open mind.
I’ve never understood the attempt at making vegetarian and vegan dishes that “pretend” to be something we’re used to containing meat. I actually like beets, but not in cake, and certainly not with spaghetti! It’s like the diets that tell you to “substitute” mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes. In what way is that a substitute?? Certainly not in taste or texture! Color maybe, but that’s it. A different way to prepare cauliflower, yes, but certainly not a substitute for mashed potatoes!
Hey Joe,
Loved, loved, loved what you wore. It was great. You look so slim and trim. You’ll be tall, dark and handsome going to Japan.
The food, I would probably not eat and just enjoy the company. hehehehehe Yuk, was anything really good? Did the place smell? hehehehehe
The pictures were wonderful. Thank you for the great show and tell. It was lovely, even if the food wasn’t.
Best to you Joe,
Cheryl 🙂
Hi Joe! I’ve been a long time reader of your blog, over a year and a half actually, but this is the first time I’ve commented.
I think it is great that you gave the vegan restaurant a try. More power to Ashleigh in steering you toward a vegetarian meal from time to time! I’ve been a vegetarian for nearly six years in a city that is beef-central (Kansas City), with only one actual vegetarian restaurant, so I envy any place with more options.
By the way, I loved the premier of Universe. I’ve watched it four times so far, and it has not lost it’s appeal. I didn’t even notice the “jerky” camera movements until I read peoples’ complaints about them on here. The camera jumping from one angle to another was well done, the dark lighting on the Destiny was appropriate, the flashbacks were perfect. The actors were all awesome in their portrayals, but David Blue as Eli just blew me away. Robert Carlyle as well; he is indeed perfect in that role.
Whereas I have no problem with everyone having their own opinion, nor with those that have complained about one thing or another (or several things), I wish they would get there facts straight before having a fit. I could go into a much longer rant about that, but I have faith you will set things straight soon enough.
Keep up the good work!
“Hey, how can we fuck up chocolate cake?”
“I know! Let’s add beets to the recipe!”
ROFL. That would soooo blecchify chocolate cake (or any other kind) for me. The only worse thing I can think of would be using a standard cream-colored icing to conceal minced bean sprouts. – Don’t get me wrong: I love most veggies, and have cooked a fair number of vegetarian meals; but then with vegetarian you get that huge advantage over vegan — namely, cheese, milk, and eggs, and more cheese. Also, I use butter to lightly roast raw cashews, and add it carefully to anything that seems like it could use it. My recipes say “Verboten!!” to that, but my primary goal is to please my dinner guests/myself; and unless the dish is a tricky one, cookbooks are expendable, besides being useful as kindling when they fail to deliver. (My no-good, cheatin’ varmint, card up my sleeve failsafe is to use just enough pre-prepared chicken fat to dishes that seem lacking to me, since I’ll be having the leftovers for lunch at work. I’ve only had one guest call the foul.)
I’ll have to calm down from laughing before I can sleep. Great snaps – would love to see Carl doing his impressions of the Hindu pantheon sometime. And that last pic of you is priceless.
LMAO. Questions: did you purchase the patchouli specifically for the outing or was it stashed in the back of a drawer, a remnant of your peace n love man past? How long did it take to surgically remove your suit? was it painful? Will Ashleigh be accompanying you (or vice versa) on further gastronomic expeditions? will she be in disguise?
Hi Jo,
Just to let you know, I (finally) watched Universe 1&2 with my Dad last night, which is really surprising for me, because I figured it wouldn’t be his cup of tea (he hasn’t watched Stargate since season seven when he felt it had gotten too “politically correct” for him, and he’s very conservative).
In short, I liked it. But I can see why you made it a three parter – it was very confusing and the flashbacks just made it worse. I’m at work, so I won’t elaborate more now.
My Dad’s complaints were that it was very confusing, and he really, really, really didn’t like Chloe (I thought she had a point, personally I would have broken his nose). He thought she was silly and overly dramatic, but I think that actually reflects a cultural difference between Europeans and Americans, rather than a script comment (Dad’s good at picking up on them).
I think I have him half convinced to give the third part a try – overall he did enjoy it, which is a really good response. He especially liked Carlyle’s part.
Air 1&2’s reception was damaged a little I think here because it was not emphasised enough that it was a three parter. On its own it’s too confusing and disjointed, and the advertising by Sky is woeful, to be sure. I doubt new viewers to Stargate will have troulbe accessing it – myself and the other “veterans” had some trouble.
Aside from that, I enjoyed it. My Dad (to my surprise) enjoyed it too. And I’ll be tuning in next week. I’ll try to get Dad in on it too, but no promises.
Laila.
Oh dear… as a vegetarian I have to say: I wouldn’t have even tried hlaf of what I read 😯
There are so many tasty vegetarian dishes…
If you ever come to GErmany… I’d offer to cook you a vegetarian meal. I have yet to cook for a carnivore who didn’t like it or even asked for the meat in the dish…
At my last university, some Hare Krishnas sold vegan Indian food in the quad 3 times a week. For $5 you got a huge (biodegradable) plate of food with a (biodegradable) fork. It usually consisted of some kind of vege curry, a simple salad and some semolina halava. I had never had halava before… my favourite was the golden syrup flavoured with slices of banana.
The big plates of curry were the best thing to warm you up in winter, and probably the most nutritious and filling thing I ate all week. If I was feeling poor, they were big enough to split with my friend.
The hippies were lovely too, when they were at the uni you could hardly tell they were Hare Krishna and wanted you to sign away your soul… but if you bumped into the same people in town they would be aggressively wielding a clip board. Turn and run.
Oh, I eat steak and don’t smell.
Just to clarify.
Though this definately would NOT fit into the theme today of only veggie food but when I saw the article I just wanted to pass it along. Its about deep fried cow brain sandwiches. I know you’ve had but still. And this festival they have it at would be right up your alley! Field trip?
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/oct/07/if-i-only-had-a-brain/
Take care from this fan.
Hi Mr M!
Love the shirt! That first photo looks like you were an extra on The Streets Of San Francisco ( A Quinn Martin Production) *voice over*
Tonight’s Episode : Joe goes undercover….in Veggie land.
Too funny!
Looking forward to your replies re: Air I and II.
Also looking forward to the book discussion re: Open Your Eyes.
Best to all
S’n’T
PS: Friendship cake was excellent!
Joe i am officialy jealous that chocolate cake and cheesecake look gorgeous.
Can you mail some over to the united kingdom for me?
Good morning, everyone!
NASA has downgraded the odds of an asteroid smashing into Earth in the year 2036: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33212609/ns/technology_and_science-space/
Might be an indication of screwed up priorities that my favorite part of the article was the secondary headline which reads: “Agency says chance of Apophis striking Earth in 2036 drops to 1-in-250,000” 😀
😆
“Patchouli? What is that…Hindi for ‘stink’?” ~ Ray Barone
I’m reading this at 6:30 in the morning, laughing my fool head off at skeevy Carl and f’ing up chocolate cake! But mostly at skeevy Carl. 😀
Ashleigh looks like my niece…she makes those same annoyed faces when she’s with juveniles. I betcha going out to eat with you three was like going out to Chuck E. Cheese’s with a bunch of 10-year olds. Maybe even worse.
Have a good day,
ya stinkin’ hippiesir! You will poop very well today! 😀das
Also, that last photo of you is very innocent and cute.
Ha ha ha! This made me happy! And also gives me ammo to NEVER go to a vegetarian restaurant. The only thing worse than adding beets to chocolate cake is to take out the chocolate and replace it with carob. *shudder*
But that’s not actually the last place I’d expect to find you.
The last place I’d expect to find you is at my local Starbucks. First, because I’m sure Florida weather puts the fear of God in you. Second, because, well, how weird would that be for me to go in and order my Grande Pumpkin Spice Frap only to turn around and see you sitting on MY couch?
Pretty weird.
Hmmm… I could go for a Starbucks right now.
Trish 😀
Joe – you own jeans??? Who knew 😉
Given our own dietary restrictions (Nomi and I keep kosher at home), we tend to stay mostly vegetarian, eating meat perhaps once a week if that. It turns out there’s quite a lot of delicious recipes you can make, only some with soy substitute for meat. I’d recommend checking out the Moosewood cookbook; a lot of recipes in there can serve as sides for carnivores.
I agree that adding beets to chocolate cake makes no sense.
On a completely unrelated note, did you see this? NASA has recalculated the chances of asteroid Apophis hitting the Earth in 2036, and it dropped from one-in-45,000 to one-in-250,000. Go SG-1! (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch/newsfeatures.cfm?release=2332)
Poor Ashleigh. 🙂
Uh-oh. That outfit looks like something I’d wear.
I dress like a vegetarian.
Damn. 🙁
The cure for patchouli is bacon. Dipped in chocolate if it pleases you. There’s a reason we consume so much bacon at Burning Man, it fends off the hippies. One pound of thick-sliced applewood smoked bacon, STAT!
I’m not supposed to eat soy, my breast cancer was estrogen receptor positive and soy promotes estrogen production. So Soy is BAD for me. Yay. I love telling that to vegans.
Doesn’t mayo contain eggs? What in the hell is vegan mayo then? I shudder at the possibilities.
Apologies to Ashleigh, but the vegan diet is strictly for ruminants, which we humans are then meant to eat. Also, JM, your attire impressed me as less vegetarian than as some kind of devil-worship uniform, what with that Satanic symbol and all. 😉
I would have loved to tried all those dishes. My hubby shrank in horror, however, at your food descriptions. He is afraid of normal foods.
In the olden days, they didn’t have red food dye. So they would use beet “juice” in red velvet cake to get that rich red color. I’ve never heard of using the whole beet.
I’m with pastrygirl though, give me sugar and fat!
Everyone looked so great in the pictures! Das is right, Ashleigh did look like she was at Chuck E. Cheese’s with Juveniles 😀 .
Tam
Mr M
Do know what is more amusing. The Vegan dinner trip or the interesting apparel the guys were spotting. Just curious, how did Ashleigh corralled Carl & Lawren along to the Vegan dinner?
@Gen, @Michael A. Burnstein
That’s interesting. But that odd is still much higher than you winning anything in your weekly local government tax grab (lottery). Besides from what I read, no certainty in Apophis orbital path in 2036 until after passage near Earth in 2029. Which will be at a lower altitude than the geostationary comsats. We might need to restart full scale tritium production again.
Bonjour Joseph. Juste une petite question pour le mailbag:
A quoi ressemble le générique de Stargate Universe ? Est-ce la musique qu’on entend à la fin de Air partie 2 ?
Interesting words, interesting food and FANTASTIC
pictures.
Thank you very much for sharing the pictures
with us.
I now have almost enough near classic pictures
of Carl and Joe to last me for the next few months
worth of desktop background images.
The first and the last pictures of Joe are my two favorites.
…that “heart” picture with Joe and Lawren needs to
be blown up for an office wall poster.
@ Joe – Just showed my mom your last two WFPotD, and she got quite a kick out of them, especially the preserved bean curd. She thinks you’re cute. 🙂
das
Oh O_O ……je trouve même pas mes mots lol!!
WAOU !
Jadore les photos de vous ♥ Mince moi je trouve que ça fait plus jeune les vêtements^^! Sa vous va bien, de toute façon tout vous va à merveille!
Je n’ai jamais manger bio donc je ne peux pas vous donnez mon avi^^!
Bonne journée!
Je vous adore!
LOL wow Joe, proud of you – you have broadened your horizions. I think Ashleigh needs a medal for putting up with y’all. I think this blog has the most weird food purchases – sorry Ashleigh, but beet chocolate cake… that’s… uh.. well… wierd.
Sheryl, Deni, Trish, we’re gonna hafta find a weird food to purchase in Joe’s honor in Orlando. Tho I don’t think we’ll beat anything he’s found.
Joe- I heard there was a Typhoon that hit Tokyo, is this gonna affect your travels???
Still distraught over SGU, but tomorrow is another episode and I’m gonna give it another chance with a different perspective.
You wear long sleeve shirts under short sleeve shirts under long sleeve shirts.
HAha love the first picture.
And das is right, you will poop well. Fruit helps, too. Or at least I think it will. Instead of looking up what makes you poop pleasantly, I usually end up doing trial and error to find food that go through my system well, and believe me, the error part is not pleasant whatsoever. :p
Anyways, I better make sure my poop obsession doesn’t take over from my stargate obsession. 1 MORE DAY TILL AIR PART 3!!!
ITS GREER’S TIME TO SHINE BABY!!! YEAH!!!!!!
Thanks so much,
Major D. Davis
Patchouli? Really? You look very cute in jeans, though 🙂
Elway’s having the worst bout of seizures he’s had in years, it’s been a horrible day. One more and he’s off to the hospital for the afternoon and possibly to the ER for the night. My poor little guy. Good thoughts/prayers would be very appreciated. I’m FREAKING out here.
That meal sounds just awful. Beets and chocolate!?! What nerve. I think I’ll go eat a bacon cheeseburger to get the idea of this meal out of my head.
@Trish, well will we see ya?, i’m sure deni will contact ya, how about tutu tango off I Dr, and sandlake, by the O. con. center, good food and fun.!! How about kim? @AIRELLE, we on for OCT> 31st? Let us know !! Hi , Joe. Sheryl
“…dressed as a vegetarian.” Too funny.
@Kabra: Pickled alligator tale with boiled peanuts? LOL Other than that I have no clue. 😀 I’m sure we could find something odd… I was going to take a looksie around Tampa and Y’bor to see if I could find any places that would carry something totally odd yet also something that would say, “I’m from Florida!” Hmmm… orange sauce with beets? 😉 Yes, I’m just making stuff up.
@Sheryl: Still no schedule for Allie’s game. I know the when and the where though. Sounds like a blast. Kimberly still doesn’t know, either. We’re like trying to herd cats, aren’t we? I’m sorry! 😳
Have you ever considered setting up a little kitchen set and producing a cooking or food show? There is so much television production talent in Vancouver; apparently gastronomic talent to match.
If Brian Boitano can sell a cooking pilot to Food Network, I’d imagine the Stargate people could also.
And now I’m hungry again. Thanks. Even the beet-chocolate cake is looking really good.
– MC
Just a cute little video if anyone needs cheering up:
http://ca.video.yahoo.com/network/100899001?v=5982390&l=4695079
I’ll never understand why Carl didn’t just do a double and sign up as one of the actors for an SG while he was at it. He’s seriously the best recurring thing on your blog.
So, thanks for confirming that this just isn’t my kind of restaurant. And seriously, the chocolate beet cake was actually better? I guess it just goes to show, looks can and will be deceiving. At least the raw cashew cheesecake resembled… cheesecake.
Hello Joe,
Surfing the web today I came across a trailer for a movie scheduled for a February 2010 release. Since I don’t personally know anyone as Stargate geeky as me, I thought I would share it with you and your blog readers. A warning to those who check out the clip, it is R rated for language. But how can a movie titled “Hot Tub Time Machine” not be a hit.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hot_tub_time_machine/
1:05 into the clip is what is SG relevant. The movie’s writers must be fans.
Heya Joe,
Why was Carl’s face color so red in his last photo? Hope he or you guys were not allergic to any of the ingredients.
Joe,
Nice duds. I agree with Michael Crow: “Have you ever considered setting up a little kitchen set and producing a cooking or food show?” But this should include only Vegan dishes or WFPotD.
I am unconcerned about asteroid Apophis hitting the Earth in 2036 because we will all be gone by Dec. 21, 2012 anyway. So, knowing this, I am going to eat Foie gras, bacon, and Belgian chocolates with abandon.
I love the Zeon shirt, Joe! Not sure how it makes you look like a vegetarian, but it’s a great shirt. And thanks for sharing your adventures with us. I’m sure you have cured Ashleigh of ever inviting you out for a vegetarian meal ever again.
Just rewatching the SGU pilot, I have a question. If the Ancients were never aboard Destiny, then what exactly generated the CO2 that saturated the ships scrubbers?
@michael jones: Oooh! That is a really good question. I wish I had thought of it.
About the chocolate beet cake: veggies can be successfully used (hidden) in baking, but the secret is to grate them reallllllllly finely. From the look of that cake, the beets were coarsely chopped at best.
Ok I swear I am not making this up, our UK friends maybe able to verify this – I found Spotted Dick. Honesty, I found it at Publix, (FLA grocery chain) . It’s actually really good. Steamed and topped with caramel or whipped cream. It’s like brown bread with raisins, it’s actually not that weird, just the name.
Yes Kabra, Spotted Dick is a well known ‘old school’ pudding here, it might be known in Canada, I’m not sure.
I kinda hope you all weren’t horrid to Ashleigh, but I gotta say, I couldn’t have gone near that chocolate thing!
However, now you have done her thing – she HAS to do your kinda meal!! OR a WFPOTD lol, it’s only fair and, well – right…
Oh Joe, I forgot…
Can you find something for David Hewlett to do please as he’s cluttering up the English countryside and he’s been here for months now.
I was thinking along the lines of washing cars or trailers on the lot…
We have a British shop near here and I’ve had Spotted Dick, with Bird’s Custard. Heh. Sounds’ like something you might get in a military storage closet…
The best was back in the the late 60s, early 70s, when Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet) made spotted dick on his tv show. Mom and I watched it, and I was fairly naive yet so I didn’t get the double entendre, but I could tell just by the way mom was laughing that whatever he was saying just had to be naughty! 🙂
das
Our local Publix has the British section also. Seeing the Bird’s Custard, Marmite, and Branston’s pickle relish felt like living in a Rosamunde Pilcher novel. Pretty strange for the deep south, and a possible source for the WFPoD!
Joseph:
Thank you. I have not laughed so hard in a long time!
Alfred
Nice outfit Joe! Very tres casz (Casual)
I love the difference in the way we different nations name food
USA – Tuna fish (why repeat, we know tuna is fish)
USA/Canada – Peppers……..Australia – capsicums (which is now pronounced ‘capsicuNs’ by the uneducated)
USA/Canada – Beets …….. Australia – Beetroot – Beats me why..
Hey Aussies – any others??
Joseph, this is hilarious. I’ve spent a lot of time in Vancouver but never tried this place.
You’ll have to try Ubuntu in Napa if you’re down in the Bay Area… also a restaurant + yoga studio, but more focused on cooking technique and good fresh vegetables than on bizarre ingredient substitutions. And it’s actually pretty damn good, considering there’s no meat involved.
Hi Joe 🙂
To all the non-Brits out there, I dare you to eat Marmite. Go ahead, make my day. Get video.
Elway’s seizures got worse last night, so he spent the night at the emergency hospital. We’ll see how he does today, but we’re pretty worried this time. 🙁
The vegetarian restaurant did not make red velvet chocolate cake up. It’s a fairly common cake.
Depending on the recipe, the color comes from a lot of red food coloring or pureed beets. The beets are used as a way to both get the color naturally and it adds a specific texture and subtle flavor that can go well with the overall chocolate cake.
You apparently happened to get a bad red velvet chocolate cake your first time out. Maybe it was the “summer preserves” layers or they badly prepped beets that made it bad.
Or vegetarians just really suck at making desserts.