Tofu Temptress

For The Foxes March in Edinburgh 2018

March 26, 2018 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

If you asked most people if fox hunting was banned in Scotland, they’d say yes it is. A piece of legislation was passed sixteen years ago by the Scottish Parliament called The Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002. Most MSPs and members of the public thought this would mark an end to the barbaric practice of fox hunting in Scotland. We were first with the smoking ban and also this. Scotland was paving the way for progressive legislation in the UK! Or was it..?

Well, the trouble is that the Act has so many loopholes in it, that it’s simply not fit for purpose. Trail hunting is allowed (where horses and hounds are supposed to follow a scent trail only.) This is completely stupid, as trails of fox urine are laid (how do they even collect that?) and the hunts take place in areas where there are foxes running around. You can’t blame the hounds for following a trail of fox scent only to eventually find a real fox. It’s all a complete con. There’s an alternative to trail hunting called drag hunting, where non-animal scent is used in areas where there are no foxes. Doing drag hunting would lead to far fewer ‘accidental’ fox killings, but it seems the hunts are more than happy for these ‘accidents’ to happen pretty regularly.

Another type of hunting that’s allowed in Scotland is called ‘flushing to guns.’ This means that hounds are allowed to flush out a fox from cover, so the huntsmen can shoot the fox ‘humanely’. Give me a break. If Scotland likes to think of itself as so progressive, the government may have trouble explaining why only two dogs are allowed for this type of hunting in England and Wales, but a whole pack are allowed under Scottish law.

There were ten hunts in Scotland, mainly in the Borders, when the Act came into force. Today there are, erm, ten. So essentially it seems that the hunts are doing as they please and getting away with breaking the law on a weekly basis. The reason so much is known about the illegal activities of hunts in Scotland and elsewhere is because of the quite fearless Hunt Saboteurs. The hunt sabs are absolute heroes in my eyes. They literally (and I mean literally) risk life and limb to expose illegal hunts, document what they find on film and stop foxes from being killed.

Hunt sabs are regularly verbally and physically abused by those participating in illegal hunts, many of whom are members of the establishment who presumably feel they should be above the law. I could go on and on about how wonderful the sabs are, but I’ll let you read more about their relentless bravery on their website. They save hounds who have got themselves into accidents though running across roads or getting caught in fences when the hunt doesn’t care. They trek miles on foot across uneven fields for hours on end to protect the lives of the foxes. They endure abuse from the hunts and apathy from the police at every turn and still go back for more.

And so, it was on Saturday 24^th March that over five hundred people, including me, took part in a protest march in Edinburgh. We marched from St. Giles cathedral, down the Royal Mile, to the Scottish Parliament building. There were people dressed as foxes, people blowing hunting horns and everyone was there to spread the message that the hunt should be banned. An overwhelming majority – 80% of our fellow Scots – want to see an end to fox hunting in Scotland. There were representatives from Scottish Labour, the Scottish Greens and the SNP. Also speaking were IFAW, The League Against Cruel Sports and the main organiser, One Kind – an Edinburgh based charity that opposes animal cruelty.

We will get this done. It’s only a matter of time.
#ForTheFoxes

Harmonium, Leith, Edinburgh

February 1, 2018 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

It’s so lovely to have another successful, fully vegan restaurant in Edinburgh. Harmonium is not best placed for footfall, but when people find out about it, they make sure to take their friends there! That’s what we did.

Mac'n'cheese I had on my first visit — Mac’n’cheese I had on my first visit

Harmonium is located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, near the Ocean Terminal shopping centre and the Royal Yacht Britannia. It occupies the building that used to house the Indian restaurant VDeep, which I reviewed some years ago. Since changing hands it seems to have gone from strength to strength. When I visited in September of last year, the food was gorgeous and the menus hand-written. Since then, it’s become busier with more professional looking menus, but I’m happy to report that the food is still top notch.

We visited on a Thursday night and when we arrived I was very glad we’d booked as the place was almost full up. There were two of us vegans and a couple of omni friends, and we were seated near the back of the restaurant next to the open kitchen. I love seeing the food being prepared and there was certainly lots of hustle and bustle as burger after mac ‘n’ cheese after ice cream sundae was passed to servers by the chefs.

Green olives - simple, perfect — Green olives – simple, perfect

A little bowl of Olives made for a lovely starter, but I had the Soup of the Day, which was Cream of Leek. It was yummy, not too large and was served with crusty Sourdough Bread.

There was also Panzanella at the table; a healthy looking mix of baby plum tomatoes, capers, focaccia, French basil, red onion and olive oil. All were enjoyed at our leisure. The service was really friendly and the place has a great atmosphere.

For our main courses, two of the party ordered burgers, which is probably one of the most popular menu items. It’s a Seitan Quarter Pounder Burger served with the usual toppings, but the thing that really caught everyone’s attention was the Special Sauce. The burger eaters were so enthusiastic about it that the non burger eaters had to have a try! It was utterly delicious.

One of my omni companions opted for the Sausage Pizza, which is probably the sort of thing he’d order in a mainstream restaurant. He declared it to be lovely and his plate was certainly clean at the end of the meal. I went for the Wild Mushroom, Kale and Truffle Oil Rigatoni which came with a topping of super salty Aubergine Bacon. I was not disappointed. I used to adore creamy pasta in my pre-vegan days, so whenever I see it on a vegan menu I pounce on it!

It’s so lovely to know that you can have whatever tastes you want without hurting anyone. Our omni friends are not the obvious candidates for vegan restaurant patronage, but they seemed impressed and best of all they really enjoyed their meal. Of course then, we had to have dessert…

Everyone bar me opted for the Vanilla and Chocolate Ice Cream Sundae. I must admit it looked spectacular. They were not stingy with the bananas either, so one of our friends commented that it was definitely one of her ten a day! If there’s something chocolate-related on a dessert menu, that’s where you’ll find me, so I chose the Sea Buckthorn and Chocolate Cheesecake. It was layered and came with vanilla ice cream and was a delicious way to finish off the meal.

If you’re looking for a place to take those omni friends who may think that vegans eat grass, this is the place. So much classic bistro/pub style food is served here that nobody will feel short changed, as it tastes much the same as the animal-based equivalent.

It goes without saying that all the beer and wine is vegan friendly here too, which makes things so easy. Edinburgh is, albeit slowly, catching up with Glasgow in terms of vegan choice restaurants. Because Harmonium’s in Leith, it may not catch too many passers-by but it will count as a ‘find’ and you’ll be a hero among your friends once you introduce them to this sumptuous food.

How to Go Vegan – Veganuary – Kate Schuler

January 10, 2018 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

The very title of this book sums up what many people have pondered over the years. Sure, they think, it’d be great to go vegan. I can see the benefits for the planet, the animals and maybe even me, but how on earth do I do it? Sometimes it seems as though there’s some sort of mysterious power that vegans have to be able to do what they do. Other times outsiders assume that vegans simply enjoy living in misery eating lentils out of a clog. Whatever people assume (and I have firsthand evidence of this) they certainly assume that they could never do it.

The book begins by detailing why people might go vegan, starting with the main one – the animals. This section covers the facts about animal farming. Perhaps it’s because I’m a bit of a hardened activist, but I felt the information was delivered in a measured way. They thank the reader at the end as it’s a tough read, but I suppose when you’ve read the animal section in Skinny Bitch, nothing that follows seems like a tough read. Basically it paints the awful reality without totally traumatising the reader.

For someone like me, it’s all about the animals and any other benefits can be seen as a bonus. That is the opinion of abolitionist movements such as Go Vegan World too and I can see how they may get frustrated with Veganuary’s approach. There’s a casual ‘hey, don’t be too hard on yourself’ theme that runs through this book that I know would shock some vegans. For myself though, I see this non-threatening approach as quite useful. Once you have someone taking part, whether it’s for the animals, environment or whatever, they tend to find out that they can survive and thrive without animal products, and as Edgar’s Mission says ‘If we could live happy, healthy lives without harming others, why wouldn’t we?’

After a section about environmental benefits, such as reduced water usage and pollution, it’s on to health. It’s true that, especially in January, people can turn to Veganuary as part of a health kick. This book not only covers personal health, but also global health, mentioning diseases we get from farmed animals and the threat of antibiotic resistance. Then the book suggests doing Veganuary ‘for the adventure.’ I think this will appeal to a very small group of people, but you never know, once they’re onboard they may stick with it for the animals.

So, onto the how: They suggest different approaches, from giving up one animal product at a time, to going all out the first day. They are sensible to suggest easy swaps, such as soy mince for beef, plant milk for cow’s and veggie stock in soup instead of chicken: Basically, things that won’t upset your life too much. They also mention the array of foods people will have in their cupboards that are ‘accidentally vegan.’ Folk are always delighted to find out they can still consume Skittles for example!

There’s useful information on how to read labels and nutrition. It’s not too complicated, so people will be encouraged rather than put off I think. There are tips on how to get around family issues and how to travel with confidence. A list of myths follows, which will be useful for the fledgling vegan who wants to answer the most common questions they’ll be asked. There’s even a small vegan bingo board on one page, which I enjoyed! Meal plans and recipes are in here too, although of course much more can be found on the website.

As I said before, I know many vegans will find this book’s approach far too casual. However, it’s not aimed at them. It’s aimed at people who know in their hearts they should be changing the way they live and for some, this non-threatening approach will work wonders. The pull to be conventional is strong and if participants can allay their own fears by telling themselves ‘It’s just for a month…’ then that may actually help them to keep going. The social justice of veganism creeps up on some and is an overnight realisation for others. I’m somewhere between an abolitionist and a pragmatist. I don’t believe in reductarianism and think that veganism is the moral way to live, but I feel that different people get there in different ways. The softly, softly approach of this book will suit many people. After all, more than 65% of last year’s participants stayed vegan. And with over one hundred and fifty thousand sign-ups this year, far more than ever before, those are some pretty good projected numbers. This book will definitely help veganism into the mainstream, which is in all our interests.

Pacari chocolate (II)

November 27, 2017 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Pacari chocolate is one of those indulgences you can enjoy totally guilt free. It’s vegan (of course) and it doesn’t contain palm oil. The cocoa is ethically sourced as they work closely with local communities and, as I’ll describe, their products are perfect for ‘mindful’ consumption.

Pacari is not cheap, nor should it be. I was lucky enough to receive complimentary items to try, but I know they’re of the highest quality. Now, onto mindfulness.

The first item I tried was the Chocolate Covered Cacao Beans. These crunchy beans were relatively mild in flavour, although they had banana in them, plus a generous dusting of cacao powder. With lots of chocolate, one finds oneself gorging and perhaps feeling regretful. With these however, the substance and complexity of texture left you satisfied after only a couple of beans. This is great news for someone like me, who feels a meal is never really complete without something sweet to finish. Eating them slowly and mindfully felt like the right thing to do somehow.

I also received drinking cacao with ginger. Now, I felt the ginger was fairly subtle (I consumed it as a drink, but of course you can use it in all sorts of ways.) However, my other tasting guinea pig felt the ginger was too much – each to their own. I heated up some oat milk in a pan and adding this made it into a very tasty hot chocolate.

I’m no barista, but if you are, I’m sure you could make this into all sorts of wonderful delights. My only criticism would be the inner packet is quite tightly packed, so you’d be better decanting the cacao into a tin or something to save it from spilling everywhere. Happily the availability of vegan marshmallows these days means you could enjoy an even more indulgent winter drink.

More treats were to come. This time I wasn’t quite so restrained. Three packets of chocolate covered berries, banana and then espresso beans were next on the list. I must admit to finding them all rather more-ish. The golden berries were pleasantly tart which made for a lovely contrast to the smooth chocolate that covered them. I popped them into an egg cup (what else should a vegan do with such an item?) and did my best to be restrained.

Another day I tried the tiny balls of delight that were the banana pieces. These had an unexpectedly strong banana taste, which again went well with the dark chocolate. Out came the egg cup once more and, like the berries, they probably lasted us two tasting sessions.

Lastly were the chocolate covered espresso beans which were strong in both taste and texture. Although I know it’s not everyone’s thing, I love coffee flavoured chocolate. This was not the somewhat manufactured coffee taste of chocolate you might be used to though, but much more real. For me, this would be preferable to having an actual coffee after dinner.

The last item we tried was the organic chocolate bar with ginger and chia. The flavours that Pacari produces always seem so well thought out and this was no exception. It managed to be refreshing and again, this is a chocolate bar that you could (with some self control) enjoy mindfully. The aroma was lovely and no one flavour was overpowering. They melded together into a really lovely chocolate experience.

If you’re into chocolate but feel that you eat too much of it, perhaps the price and distinctive flavours of these products are just the thing to moderate your consumption and enhance your experience. Chocolate is supposed to be a treat, and tasting these yummy items certainly was.

Tofurky Sandwiches

October 13, 2017 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

One of the top reasons people give for not going vegan is convenience. Being able to pick up a sandwich on the go can be challenging. Although some high street retailers have slowly started to feature perhaps one or two vegan options in their sea of meal deals, there’s still not the choice that vegans crave.

I was contacted by someone who is trialling four different varieties of Tofurky sandwiches in Whole Foods, London. She told me these sandwiches were different. Vegan takeaway sandwiches pretty much all contain falafel, which is fine – if you’re in the mood for falafel. But what if you’re not? Well, these sandwiches are vegan versions of some of the classic sandwich choices our omni friends can enjoy every day. I thought it sounded intriguing, so was delighted when she offered to send me some samples.

Chick'n & Sweet Corn - just like the 'real thing' — Chick’n & Sweet Corn – just like the ‘real thing’

When they arrived I was determined to try them with some omnis, which I did – two of them. It’s been thirty years since I last ate animal flesh, so I needed the opinions of those who could at least remember how it tasted. These sandwiches are designed to appeal not only to vegans, but to those looking to reduce meat in their diet.

The first sandwich we tried was the Chick’n and Sweet Corn. I must say that although the other sandwiches were nice (in my opinion) this was felt to be the best by all of us. Apparently it did indeed ‘taste like chicken’ and I found it to be a really tasty bite. One of the tasters felt there should even be more ‘chicken’ in it in relation to the mayo, which was yummy and creamy and um, tasted like mayo.

Grab 'n' go sandwiches — Grab ‘n’ go sandwiches

The next one we tried was the Chipotle Chick’n. One of the tasters felt this was even more authentically chicken tasting than the last one. I enjoyed it, but found it a bit spicy for my personal taste. The clue is in the title however and it was certainly very tasty too with great flavours.

Chipotle chick'n was spicy, as you'd expect — Chipotle chick’n was spicy, as you’d expect

Third on the list was the Ham Style salad. We had a difference of opinion on this one when it came to ‘hamminess’ (is that a word..?) One omni felt it tasted just like ham whereas the other did not and felt it had a few too many mustard seeds. I enjoyed it. It was a nice sandwich that I would’ve been happy to buy in any shop.

Last of all was the TLT (Tempeh, lettuce & tomato.) This was probably my second favourite as the smoky flavoured, chewy tempeh was a satisfying filling. Everyone felt it had great textures and it was another popular choice.

To sum up, I can’t wait till these sandwiches are available up and down the country. Although I enjoy falafel and avocado, sometimes you feel like something different. I think that’ll be when veganism will truly be in the mainstream – when you can swing by any supermarket or shop to pick up a sandwich and be greeted with a choice. A real choice doesn’t mean scouring the shelves to find the one vegan option that has sold out because it’s so popular. It means having tasty vegan sandwiches on the shelves for everyone, not just the falafel lovers.

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