Celebrating Japan's Vegetarian Traditions

I loathe owning lots of stuff. Especially heavy stuff.

I love feeling as though I could pack up my essentials in a few bags and be on my way, anywhere, at the drop of a hat. Because of this, I always give books away. I only keep those which are precious to me.

Despite this penchant for material minimalism, I have a collection of cookbooks that I would carry across a desert in heels.

My latest prize is Elizabeth Andoh's Kansha .

Elizabeth Andoh, owner and operator of Taste of Culture was one of my esteemed teachers of traditional Japanese cuisine while I studied in Tokyo. From her kitchen, with a view of iconic Fuji-san, Elizabeth demonstrates the preparation of sumptuous Japanese fare and extoles the beauty of seasonality. For those unable to have the pleasure of joining Elizabeth in her kitchen, she also offers an online culinary classroom .

I'll admit that I enjoyed my torrid affair with
Pescetarianism while I lived in Japan.

Upon my return to Canada, however, I immediately ran back to the comforting arms of pure Vegetarianism.

At first I worried that I would miss out on all the wonders that Japanese cuisine has to offer. With it's liberal use of dashi and obvious plethora of fish and seafood entrees, what's a Veggie girl to eat at her favourite Izakaya? I embarked on a journey to discover what was still available to me, and to approximately recreate what was not.

Admittedly, having lived in Japan for 40 years, Elizabeth is much more adept at the task than I've been. Which is why I was overjoyed to hear that she published Kansha, where she lovingly displays the wealth of animal-free ingredients and recipes that do in fact thrive within the well-established walls of Japanese culinary tradition.

Kansha and the knowledge Elizabeth imparts is truly a gift to Chefs, Aesthetes, and Veggie people everywhere.

Food Fetish: Tea

Leave all images of Grandma's stuffy tea time at the door.

Shayla Williams will both reveal and embody the true nature of tea: wholesome yet sexy, exotic yet comforting.

Vibrant Fare loves passionate women, which is why we went out of our way to get Shayla to share her fetish with us. We managed to get photographer Trevor Adams back on board this project: with Shayla being his girlfriend, it was pretty easy to do. We lured this outdoorsy couple inside on a gorgeous autumn afternoon to document a love of all things steeped.

Tea is poised to uplift, soothe, and bring our mind and spirits in balance. The variety of flavours and colours makes one feel like a kid in a candy shop.
Here's what captures Shayla's interest in the beverage.

V: Why Tea?

SW: For me, Tea is more than a warm, delicious drink. It comforts me and soothes my soul. I can be having the worst day ever but if I take time out to make a cup of tea, all of my stress seems to melt away. My current favourites are Blood Orange scented Black Tea, Green Tea with Jasmin and, of course, authentic Chai. If you're belly can't handle milk, try your chai with almond or hemp milk and a touch of honey.

V: Your Passion?

SW: Surfing is my passion. There is nothing like the feeling of clear, crisp rushing water propelling you across space. Surfing allows me to enjoy this beautiful planet in a way I have never felt from any other sport, and the sheer power of the ocean humbles me to the core.

When I am in the water I'm perfectly at ease. I think of nothing except when the next wave will come and whether or not I will be on it. There is nothing better than getting to the beach before sunrise and drinking a warm cup of tea while waiting for there to be enough sunlight to catch your first wave.

Heaven.

V: Favourite dollar-stretching technique?

SW: Avoid buying lunches by making extra dinner the night before. Left-overs sometimes get a bad rap but when you add up how much you spend on lunches in a month it’s easy to embrace this cost-saving technique. And healthier too!

*Hair and make-up was styled by the very charming and talented Shalena Calvert.



Here's an indulgent classic re-thought.
The most charming little night cap you ever did meet.

BLUEBERRY TEA for TWO

1 T roiboos
1 C water
1/2 t vanilla
2 cinammon sticks
1/2 oz amaretto
2 oz grand marnier
orange zest

Steep tea for 6 minutes.
Remove tea leaves, add vanilla and boozy ingredients.
Pour into two snifters.
Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a strip of orange zest.

My Tiffany's: Lüt Boutique + East is East

Ok, I'll admit it: I want it all and I want it now.
Food, Music, Glamour, please!

Being able to kill a few free-range-organically-fed-birds with one stone makes me very very happy, which is why Main street in Vancouver rarely disappoints. Much the same way a Tom Cat has his safely guarded collection of prowls in his back pocket, I have my meanderings on Main down to a science.

One of my favourite ways to spend an afternoon on this hip-strip is as follows:

First stop is Lüt Boutique. Besides the adorable moniker (who doesn't love an umlaut‽), Lüt Boutique's lures you in with it's spacious and uncluttered layout, and keeps you there with their selection of men and women's clothes from forward thinking designers. Other delightful features include original t-shirts, hard to resist jewelry and reworked leather bags.

This recent addition to Main street's string of awesome boutiques gets it right: hand picked pieces mean you will not end up with an H&M cookie-cutter look, and it will be next to impossible to show up at a party in the same dress as someone else (gasp!).

Yet another fabulous aspect of this establishment is the rotating art on display. Local artists are featured on a monthly basis, complete with proper opening parties where hours are extended and clothes are mostly cleared except for a few gorgeous pieces. I have a deep appreciation for community building events such as these that also serve to support Vancouver's wealth of talented artists.

Most recently, the work of Emily Miles is on display. Her paintings offer compelling images that celebrate beauty while subtly embracing dark side of life.

Her latest collection is a series of large canvases featuring impeccable little birds in luscious tones. Her work draws attention to the negative effects of urban sprawl on wildlife.

I have my eye on the little gangster Hermit Thrush. I will fight you for it. But who am I to be so greedy?: I'm already lucky enough to be the proud owner of a very large Emily Miles canvass from her flora series: deep aqua bleeding hearts that change colour as the sun moves across the sky.












My next destination a few blocks south is dinner at East is East. One of two locations, East is East appeals to the secret & polished gypsy heart that I harbour.

I simply adore the silk-road aesthetic and accompanying cuisine: rich yet simple. Every gourmet's dream.

The free refills of the talis, and complimentary samples of spicy chai (including a soy version for us lactose intolerant types) make the Recessionista in me swoon.
And oh! the food...fresh, sumptuous, with options to please everyone from a Vegan to the most Paleo of carnivores. I leave pleasantly full and excited to return again.

The gentle atmosphere is often uplifted with live music. Tablas meet classical guitars, and sitars make an appearance amid heartfelt vocals. Just because you are a Recessionista does not mean you are cheap, so give a little when the donation basket is passed around. Musicians, like most artists, are chronically undervalued.

Main Street, so full of My Tiffany's FTW!

Food Fetish: Chocolate

Welcome to the first in a series of photo shoots that capture women of Vancouver and their food fetishes.

We're starting things off with a BANG! a CACAO! with the beautiful and talented Miss Shauna Eve.

Her food fetish is chocolate and her favourite conduit for this ingredient is cake. A match made in heaven!

Chocolate cake conjures up memories of birthday parties, celebrations; sin and delight, all wrapped up in one gorgeous confection. Go on, have a piece.

Shauna Eve is a local artist whose penchant for all things aquatic manifests itself in her whimsical artwork. Delicate and thoughtful renditions of sea creatures dance lightly on water coloured canvasses, while sharks bleed red from their ancient perfect hearts.

Shauna appreciates the good things in life, as artists are wont to do. I spoke with her before the photo shoot to get the goods on how she squeezes the best out of life.

V: Why Chocolate?

SE: Chocolate resonates with me because it's as biting and naughty as it is sweet and playful. A non-essential, essential. Sometimes the best thing for you is the thing you want the most.

V: Fave restaurants?

SE: My favourite places to eat are The Foundation for their Satay Salad coupled with a nice red, and Gyoza King on Robson, because everything is more fun with chopsticks. Honestly, the venue doesn't matter as much as the company.

V: Fave thing to cook?

SE: The love of my life in the kitchen lately is quinoa, slightly braised bok choy & yellow tomatoes, and green curry. Oh, and anything with coconut milk! On blueberries and oats, when cooking rice, in waffle batter, coffee and shakes. But far be it for me to push coconut milk on friends.

V: Creative ways to stretch your dollar?

SE: Scrap the car and possibly even the gym membership. Walk, ride your bike, and swim instead. Do it alone, or with a friend.

Our photographer for the shoot was Trevor Adams, co-owner of Vancouver's youngest and freshest Visual Effects outfit Leviathan Studios.
I am grateful that he was able to take time out from his hectic schedule to help with this project, as his eye for photography is stunning.

P.S. Connoisseurs of chocolate know that Fair Trade varieties top the list of most desirable for quenching ones' penchant for the treat. Your fabulous lifestyle should never infringe on other beings' rights xo

SLAMMIN' CHOCOLATE CAKE
1 1/2 C unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 C granulated organic sugar
1/2 t sea salt
1 t baking soda
1/4 C unsweetened fair trade cocoa powder
1 t vanilla
1/3 C oil (ex. grapeseed or sunflower)
1 T white vinegar
1 C cold water

BAD-ASS FROSTING
1/2 C non-hydrogenated margarine
3 C confectioners sugar
1/3 C unsweetened fair trade cocoa powder
1 t vanilla or peppermint extract
3-4 T almond/hemp milk

Food, Music, Glamour

Recessionistas, time to get creative!

Competitions give you a chance to display a bit of creativity and talent, as well as the opportunity to win some cool stuff that you might not ever find the money for.

My sweetie kir mokum had his eye on the offerings in a Blu Mar Ten photo contest. So of course I helped him style and compose a photo entry. Their only rule was that we needed to have a Blu Mar Ten t-shirt or record in the photo. My only rule was that there had to be food in the shot.

We eventually chose a shot of me, ever the dutiful DJ 'WAG', with the obligatory accessory of head-phones-around-neck. I thought it would be fun to portray the vinyl as an absolute necessity for my day to day functioning. I loaded my bicycle basket with an overflowing picnic, including Blu Mar Ten vinyl and wine, of course.

My essentials: Food, Music, Glamour. GO!

In the mail now, en route from London to Vancouver, is some Blu Mar Ten vinyl, an original dub plate, artwork and stickers.

Win!

My Tiffany's: Gorilla Food

After hearing about the working conditions at Gorilla Foods, I cannot in good conscience keep a glowing review of this establishment up on my blog.
Kitchen staff are chronically undervalued and underpaid. It breaks my heart to hear that the same is true under Gorilla Foods' owner Aaron Ash.

Fuck.That.Noise.

Bikini Season

Bikini season is upon us. For about a month now H&M ads have appeared in train stations across Vancouver featuring bronzed & pubescent-bodied 6 foot Amazon teens in colourful bikinis. Ignore everything but the bikinis.

Here is a reminder to women everywhere: You are Perfect and Gorgeous.

Your smile is delectable, your curves are divine, and your skin is exquisite (because you've been taking my advice and riding your bike around the seawall, stopping to eat fresh berries along the way, right?).

You will not be any more perfect if you lose 5 pounds, or tan your hide, or starve yourself before beach day.

Your confidence makes you sexy. (Oh, and did I mention your curves?)

Honour your incredible body that takes you though this world. Show it off as much as you want, and enjoy it while you have it. Life is far too short to waste on feelings of not being good enough.

Ladies, you are my inspiration!