Tofu Temptress

Ushas, Glasgow

December 2, 2014 by Tofu Temptress 3 Comments

We were ushered into Ushas (sorry…), the only all vegetarian Indian restaurant in Glasgow, early on a Saturday evening. We’d booked a table for four (One vegetarian, one vegan (me) and two non-veggies.) Shown to a cute little booth in the window, we settled in, but soon found that it was a bit too little to accommodate our ample frames, so we were shown to a more suitable table in the middle of the restaurant. From here we could appreciate the decor more fully and stretch our legs.

There’s been amazing attention to detail, from the silent Bollywood movie playing on a loop, to the Hindi writing on the wall to greenery and lights to delight all around. This cosy yet stylish place has only been open for five months at the time of writing (Nov 2014) but is already making its mark.

Of the many items on the menu, only a handful were not suitable for vegans, and of those which weren’t, some had a vegan option available. Luxury! I didn’t realise I was so indecisive until I’d been faced with such choice. I had to have a bottle of Cobra while I thought about things…(They also do a very palatable non-alcoholic version for the designated driver.) Incidentally, if you have any celiac friends (as I do) they will be overjoyed with the options too – there’s loads for the wheat intolerant, which is brilliant. As well as a fully comprehensive menu, you can also choose a spice level, which is great for groups. We just went for medium with everything, which gave a nice kick to the meal but didn’t have you reaching for the iced water.

I started with the Aloo Tikki which are little spicy potato patties, but the battered potato and aubergine fritters

went down very well indeed. We chose to share most of our dishes around, but as is the case in Indian restaurants generally, we over-ordered big time. Still, at least we got a taste of almost everything! Dhosas are a favourite of mine, delicate rice crepes with assorted fillings, but a new discovery was Uttapam, a lentil pancake. I had mine with roast Indian vegetables and all of us loved it. It’s served with a wide array of chutneys and there were actual exclamations of ‘ooh, yum!’ so I think the Uttapam goes down as the favourite of the evening.

We had a selection of curries to follow with garlic mushroom pilau rice and Zanzibar pilau (coconut and raisin) with Aloo paratha which is a speciality Indian bread.

It makes a nice alternative to Naan, although the plain naan on the menu is vegan, which makes a refreshing change as in most Indian restaurants, I often ask and they say the naan is made with milk.

To be honest, after all that, we were absolutely stuffed, and so when the waitress came with the dessert menu we just laughed.

None of the desserts are marked as vegan on the menu, but I’m sure they’d come up with something if you asked. They suggested we take a doggie bag with the leftovers and we gratefully accepted. They were packaged up promptly and expertly. The staff here are friendly and attentive and we never felt rushed, even though it was a Saturday night. All in all it was a very enjoyable dining experience. And as a bonus, we had the surplus for tea the next night. Nice. Really good value for a fun night out.

Ushas is at 2 Byres Road, Glasgow – a city which has been voted the most vegan-friendly in the UK!

Feel free to add your own review for Ushas Glasgow on the restaurants page: Ushas Glasgow Reviews.

Thanksgiving

November 26, 2014 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Turkey portrait – Jo-Anne McArthur/We animals

I’m not American, and so have never celebrated Thanksgiving, but given an excuse I’ll have a party anytime. Pumpkin pie looks yummy, and it’s always nice to stop every now and again and think about those things in your life that you appreciate, or are thankful for. For the record, I’m grateful for the love of my family and friends; living in a peaceful neighbourhood (this wasn’t always the case); I feel lucky that I enjoy the work I do and am so glad to be near to nature and to know that many people around me care for both the environment and our non-human animal friends. What I’m most definitely not thankful for is the fate of turkeys at this time of year. It seems odd to me that folks in America sit down to a turkey dinner with their family only a month before they, um, sit down to a turkey dinner with their family at Christmas.

Two rescued turkeys – Jo-Anne McArthur/We animals

Has anyone seen the bizarre ritual of ‘the pardoning of the turkeys’ (they usually bring two, as one’s a spare) at the White House each year? This so-called tradition was only formalised in 1989 by the then president George Bush Senior. Before then there had been talk of ‘pardoning’ by John. F. Kennedy and Regan, but these were just throwaway lines. Every president from eighties Bush (ooh, that sounds wrong…) to Obama, has gone though this pointless charade. I say the word pointless advisedly, as because turkeys bred for eating are usually too fat for their fragile skeletons to support, the ‘pardoned’ turkeys don’t normally live to see the next Thanksgiving. They used to be sent off to a faraway farm, or take part in the Thanksgiving parade at Disneyland (I bet they were thrilled…) but since 2010 they head off to a farm near the White House to live out the rest of their, short, lives.

There’s something else. Why on earth do the turkeys get pardoned? What crime have they committed or even been accused of? (I charge you with, er……being a turkey) I mean really, what kind of screwed up logic is that? It’s all a bit weird considering that Benjamin Franklin wanted to have the wild turkey as the national bird of the USA, instead of the bald eagle.

In the wild, male turkeys can fly up to 50mph, whereas modern males who are farmed for meat are force to fatten up so quickly that they can’t fly at all. A turkey’s natural lifespan is ten years. Most from farms are slaughtered at ten weeks.

The abuse of turkeys isn’t just an American problem of course, as coming up to our own festive season there will be around ten million turkeys slaughtered here in the UK, just for the Christmas rush alone. This is when most of them haven’t even been outside -they spend their short lives in cramped sheds.

How a Thanksgiving turkey should look! – Jo-Anne McArthur/We animals

So if you do celebrate Thanksgiving, tuck into the pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes and stuffing, (or any of the other yummy vegan dishes out there) but spare a thought for the turkey, who is after all a highly intelligent and sensitive bird, and think about having tofurkey instead. Or check out the movie Free Birds for a fun alternative.

Dogs

November 25, 2014 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Dogs

I love dogs. They are unique animals. If you treat them well they’ll be the most loyal, affectionate and enthusiastic friend you’ve ever had! Over thousands of years, humans domesticated the dog to our mutual benefit. They would guard our camps and we would give them any extra food we had. Everybody’s happy. Over time, different groups of humans were drawn to dogs with different characteristics and so as far back as Ancient Egypt, there were recognisably different breeds of dog.

http://www.viva.org.uk/ — Dalmatian at dog show, Australia. Jo-Anne McArthur/We animals

In modern times however, over the last hundred years or so, those breeds have become so extreme that almost every pure bred dog today has inherent health problems. From the deafness of Dalmatians, to the hip dysplasia of German Shepherds and the breathing problems of pugs, through intensive breeding we have done dogs a great disservice. For a dog loving nation we are one of the worst culprits here in Britain as our kennel club still doesn’t clamp down on the breeding of fathers with daughters and brothers with sisters, which perplexes me greatly as surely that’s just basic genetics. As humans, we discovered that marrying your cousin wasn’t the best idea genetically many years ago. I mean, just look at the royal family of years gone by…There’s a great documentary about this subject called Pedigree Dogs Exposed, which, although eye opening and very informative, does contain scenes of dogs in pain and or distress as a result of their health problems, so be warned. I don’t agree with the documentary maker on everything, but she has been brave and relentless in her pursuit of the truth in an effort to better the welfare of pedigree dogs, so good on her.

Dog in cage in Asia. Jo-Anne McArthur/We animals

The result of all this domestication is that dogs are in the unique position now of being reliant on humans for their wellbeing. Unfortunately it turns out that many humans are not only irresponsible but cruel, and dogs pay the price for this. From people who chain up their dogs outside, to those who arrange dog fights, to puppy farmers, to the abhorrent dog meat trade in Asia, humans have let dogs down big time.

Dog chained up outside. Jo-Anne McArthur/We animals

There is hope. Up and down the country and across the world, there are a band of people who should not only be praised to the skies but also given a hell of a lot more money than they are at the moment. I talk of course, of the rescuers. The outpouring of support for the Manchester Dogs Home recently when it was the victim of arson was truly heart-warming. This nation loves dogs, I just wish there wasn’t so much need for these charities.

My dog was a rescue from Dogs Trust West Calder

Dogs Trust (formally The National Canine Defence League or NCDL) is the biggest dog rescue charity in the UK (and they’re now in Ireland too). They run educational programmes to give young people the information they need to be responsible dog owners. They assist homeless people with their dogs, giving them free veterinary care and advice. Their freedom project provides foster care for the dogs of those who are the victims of domestic abuse, as a violent partner often threatens to kill dogs and shelters generally can’t accommodate them. Dogs Trust also try to keep the greyhound racing industry honest as it can be a hotbed of corruption and cruelty.

Greyhound, caged. Jo-Anne McArthur/We animals

They also work overseas to help dogs in Eastern Europe, India, Malta, Thailand and the Philippines, with neutering programmes, vaccinations and education. Crucially, they attempt to combat the unregulated and horrifically cruel dog meat trade. Back at home, they have environmental enrichment at their rehoming centres so that the dogs’ stay in kennels is as stress free as possible. All Dogs Trust dogs are neutered and microchipped before being rehomed. This is one of the issues I feel most strongly about, as without microchipping there is no responsibility and without neutering there is no hope of keeping the number of unwanted and abandoned dogs down. Once a dog is rehomed, they even give out free advice which may include having a visit from a dog behaviourist, if you are having any issues with the new member of your family. A brilliant initiative Dogs Trust have started is working with young offenders, so they can use their community service to help train dogs in need of a home. This gives them a tremendous sense of achievement and usefulness, helping both the dogs and themselves. Dogs Trust also have a special centre for elderly dogs filled with cosy couches and quiet and they never put a healthy dog to sleep.

Hurricane Katrina rescue dog. Jo-Anne McArthur/We animals

All this is to say nothing of the fantastically dedicated folks who run smaller charities. There are people who stay up all night hand-feeding puppies who’ve been dumped in a bin and left for dead. There are those who train dogs for enriching professions like search and rescue or assisting the disabled with charities such as Canine Partners. Volunteers walk countless dogs and give out cuddles. Canine carers coax shy dogs, abused dogs or those who have had their will broken by being intensively bred from a young age, out into the sun and gently encourage them to have fun again.

We have a responsibility towards dogs. It is our duty to look after them. After all these years of making dogs reliant on us, we cannot let them down. At the very least, we should do all we can to respect dogs and make sure that we educate ourselves and our children how to treat them well. Dogs will find us if we’re trapped under rubble, they’ll sniff us out if we’re lost on a vast hillside, they see for us if we’re blind, hear for us if we are deaf, assist us with everyday tasks if we become disabled, they fight in our wars and keep us safe by finding bombs and illegal drugs. They even listen to children to reduce anxiety as they read, help those with autism and can predict epileptic seizures! Dogs love us, so much. We should love them in return.

There are loads of charities all over the place that help our canine companions, so here are a few of them for you to check out. If they are local to you, perhaps you could ask if they need any donations of old blankets or duvets. Many charities have Amazon wish lists or would just love it if you dropped in to donate a can or two of food. It doesn’t have to cost much, or indeed anything at all, but these organisations need your support. Thanks. Or, if you feel you’re ready, maybe you could think about rehoming a dog yourself. It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.

The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home (where I got my first dog)

The Blue Cross (rehoming locations limited, but their charity shops are all over the place.)

Many Tears Animal Rescue (Llanelli)

Rain Rescue (Rotherham and Sheffield)

Freshfields Animal Rescue (Liverpool and Wales)

Wetnose Animal Aid (Helps smaller organisations and has a list of them on their site.)

A Better Life Dog Rescue (rehome dogs into the UK from Romania)

Helping Paws (A new charity that helps dogs from all over)

Nowzad (Rescue organisation started by a British soldier that assists dogs in Afghanistan)

K9 Angels (helping dogs from all over)

Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – SSPCA (Helps all animals, including dogs, all over Scotland)

Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – RSPCA (Animal charity for England and Wales.)

Greyhound Rescue UK (Site that lists all local greyhound rescue organisations within the UK.)

There are also farm animal sanctuaries who rescue dogs too! Here’s a couple:

Mossburn Community Farm Animal Sanctuary (A lovely place. I visited the animals there on my birthday this year.)

The Farm Animal Sanctuary (Associated with the excellent charity Viva!)

Vegan Shoes

November 20, 2014 by Tofu Temptress 9 Comments

As you may or may not know, being a vegan isn’t just about food. Much as I love food and much as I would never call myself a fashionista in any way, shape or form, I do have to wear clothes. It’s easy to get arrested otherwise. So, what do vegans wear? Plastic shoes and ponchos? Hell no (well, I don’t anyway.) You can stay warm, look cool, stay dry and have a clear conscience all at the same time. Nobody needs leather, wool, suede or sheepskin – nobody. Keep the skin on its original owner and everybody wins.

So, women are supposed to be obsessed with shoes. I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed, but I do like shoes. As a friend once said, you can’t look fat in shoes. So, are all vegan shoes un-breathable nightmares? Absolutely not. You can have any type of shoes you want and nobody has to die to provide you with them. Take a look at the pic I snapped during London Vegfest this year of the Wills stand. Would you guess that all of that fancy footwear was vegan just by looking at it? I think not.

My favourite shoe shop is Vegetarian Shoes. In fact, I once took a day trip down to their store in Brighton, carrying only an empty rucksack and a credit card. I live in Edinburgh. That may seem extreme, but the flight was only an hour to Gatwick and then 30 minutes train ride from there to Brighton, so really, it’s not that extreme after all. With a full tummy from the lovely vegan cafe across the road and five pairs of shoes later, I was a very happy bunny indeed.

I was a teenager in the nineties, so Doc Marten was at its peak. Happily, they now make vegan shoes and boots, so you can have good looking practical footwear with not a dead cow in sight. You can even get rock boots that are vegan, so you feel at peace with yourself while moshing away to White Zombie, or in my case Green Day. If you need work boots with steel toe caps or waterproof hiking boots, no problem, as these bad boys come with steel toe caps and waterproof lining. If however, you’re in a more elegant mood, try Beyond Skin shoes. They’ve even been worn to the Oscars, so if fashion concerns you, look no further.

Fanciful or practical, casual or formal, for work, school, fell walking, welding or a night out on the town, vegan shoes come in all shapes, styles, sizes, colours and prices. The days when leather shoes were considered ‘proper’ shoes are now well and truly over. Even in mainstream shops, there’s a great choice of vegan shoes out there.

Leather logos
(Thanks to pleatherandfakon for this image)

Just like everything else, check the label. If shoes have these first two icons on them stay away and keep your money in your wallet. Fabric shoes are abundant and often far cheaper in mainstream shops that their cow hide equivalents. Have a look at this selection PETA have put together, including names such as Oasis, Zara, Sketchers, M&S, Esprit and Gap Please don’t be fooled by the ‘genuine leather’ sign. It’s not a good thing. It’s not a sign of quality. All it means is that pain and suffering have gone into the shoes and nobody needs that.

What on earth do you cook for a vegan?

November 20, 2014 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Hello non-vegan friends. Welcome. What’s that? You’re teenage daughter has decided to become a vegan just weeks before Christmas? You’ve invited the new neighbours over for dinner, but discovered they’re a couple of hippy vegans? Maybe you’re considering going vegan yourself, but don’t know where to start. Never fear, the tofu temptress is here.

The first question many people ask me on discovering I’m a vegan is ‘What do you eat?’ The easiest way for anyone new to veganism to think about vegan meals is to consider first what they themselves eat and see how it can be veganised. What did you have for dinner last night? Steak and chips? If so, veggie burger and chips isn’t that much of a stretch, is it? Most veggie burgers are fine for vegans, but do check the packaging as some will sneak milk in there somewhere. If they do, or even chuck an egg in the mix just to be awkward, it should be listed on the back of the packet under allergens. Or even better, you can make your own! Did you have spaghetti bolognaise? How about making it with soy mince, or lentils or just having penne al Arrabiata instead? See, it’s not that difficult really. The recipe selection is far too vast for me to list here, but try looking up some of these terms – bean burger, vegan sushi, vegan stir fry, vegetarian pasta, vegan mushroom risotto, vegan pancakes, stuffed peppers, vegan curry, vegan soup, vegan fillings for baked potatoes, vegan pizza – and you might find a few recipes that will become your vegan staples. Most pastry is vegan (like Jus-Rol) so puff pastry mains or short crust pastry tarts should be a breeze.

How about dessert? Well, the list is endless really. Believe me, once you get into vegan baking, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with milk and eggs at all. (For more info on milk and egg subs in baking, head over to my How to be Vegan section.) A vegan apple crumble is easy is you just substitute vegan margarine, like Vitalite, for the dairy stuff. Tray bakes and fridge cakes are just as easy. I have this book Vegan Junk Food and there are recipes in there that require three or four ingredients whizzed up in a food processor and voila, you have an instant sugar hit. I will say that where there’s melted chocolate, coconut oil often follows. You may look at the price of coconut oil in the supermarket and faint in shock. There is a cheaper way though. I get my coconut oil from Coconoil, where you can buy it in bulk. If you feel like you’re not going to be doing a lot of vegan baking, then you don’t have to bother, but do consider it, as when they’re not cooking with it, many people smear it on themselves for better skin! Win win. There’s also the legendary (in the vegan world) Vegan cupcakes take over the world. I took some chocolate orange cupcakes I made from this book into work last weekend and my non-vegan colleagues gratefully scoffed the lot.

What to remember when cooking for vegans is that they know they’re presenting you with a challenge. Many will offer to bring their own food, or maybe just one course, so don’t be insulted by this as they’re trying to be helpful. Also, don’t panic. If you’re having a group of people just substitute the meat item for, perhaps, something mushroom-y and delicious in pastry – I’m thinking of having this yummy thing at Xmas. And remember not to honey roast vegetables or cook them in butter or dog forbid, goose fat. Just think, you’ll be providing for a very grateful vegan at the table, while doing your heart a favour. I mean, goose fat, urgh…

If you’re not sure what to cook for a vegan then simply ask what they like. There’s no shame in it. Any vegan should be more than willing to help out, and who knows, once you’ve tasted what they’re having, you may never go back to meat again.

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