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I love food and cooking and I find it extremely difficult to find vegetarian food that isn't wack ass shit that taste like paper. This blog chronicles my attempts at making foods, as well as some of the rad vegetarian-friendly places I eat at. Word.

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7 November 09
Quick and Easy Vegetarian Deep Dish Pizza What kind of pizza is better? Thin crust? Deep dish? Rectangle pizza? It’s really a matter of opnion I suppose, though to be frank, I like all pizza. Still, there’s a place in my heart for deep dish. In Seattle, there’s only two places to get deep dish pizza: Delfino’s and Papa Murphy. From what I gathered on Yelp, Delfino’s is so-so and Papa Murphy does not have a vegetarian option for their deep dish, thus leaving me to make my own. Most deep dish recipes have it taking up to an hour and a half, but here’s a quick and easy deep dish pizza recipe that you can whip up in 20 minutes or so. Ingredients: Pillsbury pizza dough (thick crust) Mozarella cheese Pizza sauce Vegetable toppings Yves pepperoni and/or Canadian bacon (if you want some) Get a cake pan and grease the bottom and sides with olive oil. Set the dough in the pan. Put about two handfuls of cheese (or whatever you see fit) on the pizza dough. Put all your toppings on top of the cheese. Now drench your pizza with sauce. Cook as directed (this should take about 15-17 minutes). Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Vegetarian Deep Dish Pizza

What kind of pizza is better? Thin crust? Deep dish? Rectangle pizza? It’s really a matter of opnion I suppose, though to be frank, I like all pizza. Still, there’s a place in my heart for deep dish. In Seattle, there’s only two places to get deep dish pizza: Delfino’s and Papa Murphy. From what I gathered on Yelp, Delfino’s is so-so and Papa Murphy does not have a vegetarian option for their deep dish, thus leaving me to make my own.

Most deep dish recipes have it taking up to an hour and a half, but here’s a quick and easy deep dish pizza recipe that you can whip up in 20 minutes or so.

Ingredients:

  • Pillsbury pizza dough (thick crust)
  • Mozarella cheese
  • Pizza sauce
  • Vegetable toppings
  • Yves pepperoni and/or Canadian bacon (if you want some)

Get a cake pan and grease the bottom and sides with olive oil. Set the dough in the pan. Put about two handfuls of cheese (or whatever you see fit) on the pizza dough. Put all your toppings on top of the cheese. Now drench your pizza with sauce.

Cook as directed (this should take about 15-17 minutes).

Enjoy!

5 November 09
At home; food by GF.

At home; food by GF.

27 October 09
Vegetarian Moons Over My Hammy (The ingredients can be substituted with dairy-free counterparts) Ingredients: Butter/Margarine Wheat bread Yves soy ham Swiss cheese 2 Eggs/egg replacer Beat the eggs as if you were making scrambled eggs (because you are). Put a little butter in the pan, set it to a medium heat and cook the ham. Then put your beaten eggs in the pan and scramble them. Scrape all the leftover egg that has stuck to your pan off. Now take a slice of bread and place a slice of cheese on it, followed by ham and the eggs. It’s important that you put enough eggs in the sandwich, but not too much so that the eggs fall everywhere when you flip the sandwich. Bookend it with the second piece of bread. Put more butter on the pan (again, leaving it at a medium heat) and grill your sandwich on both sides and until the cheese is melted. You’re essentially making a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with eggs. When you’re flipping the sandwich, make sure that the eggs do not fall out, which may require you to keep your hand lightly on it. But don’t burn yourself by being careless, dig? Best served with fresh fruit.

Vegetarian Moons Over My Hammy

(The ingredients can be substituted with dairy-free counterparts)

Ingredients:

  • Butter/Margarine
  • Wheat bread
  • Yves soy ham
  • Swiss cheese
  • 2 Eggs/egg replacer

Beat the eggs as if you were making scrambled eggs (because you are). Put a little butter in the pan, set it to a medium heat and cook the ham. Then put your beaten eggs in the pan and scramble them. Scrape all the leftover egg that has stuck to your pan off.

Now take a slice of bread and place a slice of cheese on it, followed by ham and the eggs. It’s important that you put enough eggs in the sandwich, but not too much so that the eggs fall everywhere when you flip the sandwich. Bookend it with the second piece of bread.

Put more butter on the pan (again, leaving it at a medium heat) and grill your sandwich on both sides and until the cheese is melted. You’re essentially making a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with eggs. When you’re flipping the sandwich, make sure that the eggs do not fall out, which may require you to keep your hand lightly on it. But don’t burn yourself by being careless, dig?

Best served with fresh fruit.

18 October 09
Veraci Pizza (www.veracipizza.com) (500 NW Market St; Seattle, WA) There are some pretty primo pizza places in Seattle — Piecoras, Paglicacci and many, many more. Veraci doesn’t quite have the advantage that most establishments have like a popular character (the Noid, anyone?) But what Veraci lacks in flimsy commercial characters, jingles or a gaudy location (they mostly operate at farmers markets and festivals and have a singular store in Seattle), they make up for in having really awesome pie. Veraci Pizza is wood-fired. And not wood-fired beforehand, frozen and microwaved; they have a giant wood stove in a parking lot (in this case, the Ballard Farmers Market) and cooked a delicious pizza pie. Flawless. If you’re lucky enough to be in Seattle or Portland (and occasionally Bend, OR), you can find a Veraci stand scheduled on their website.

Veraci Pizza (www.veracipizza.com) (500 NW Market St; Seattle, WA)

There are some pretty primo pizza places in Seattle — Piecoras, Paglicacci and many, many more. Veraci doesn’t quite have the advantage that most establishments have like a popular character (the Noid, anyone?) But what Veraci lacks in flimsy commercial characters, jingles or a gaudy location (they mostly operate at farmers markets and festivals and have a singular store in Seattle), they make up for in having really awesome pie.

Veraci Pizza is wood-fired. And not wood-fired beforehand, frozen and microwaved; they have a giant wood stove in a parking lot (in this case, the Ballard Farmers Market) and cooked a delicious pizza pie. Flawless.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Seattle or Portland (and occasionally Bend, OR), you can find a Veraci stand scheduled on their website.

11 October 09
Black Elvis French Toast This is a different take on the French Toast, originally by Kool Keith and Kutmasta Kurt with a lacto-vegetarian and vegan options. Ingredients: Wheat bread Egg or egg replacer Butter or margarine Sugar Ground cinnamon Whipped cream or soy ice cream Heated maple syrup Beat your eggs (ha) or pour your egg replacer into a bowl. Mix your sugar and ground cinnamon in a small cup. Heat a pan with margarine or butter on medium heat. Dip your bread in the egg and place on the pan. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar on the side facing you. Flip it and sprinkle the cooked side. Repeat. After you’ve made as many pieces of french toast as you want, serve with whipped cream or soy ice cream (cherry or vanilla depending on your preference). Pour maple syrup. Enjoy and call your dentist.

Black Elvis French Toast

This is a different take on the French Toast, originally by Kool Keith and Kutmasta Kurt with a lacto-vegetarian and vegan options.

Ingredients:

  • Wheat bread
  • Egg or egg replacer
  • Butter or margarine
  • Sugar
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Whipped cream or soy ice cream
  • Heated maple syrup

Beat your eggs (ha) or pour your egg replacer into a bowl.

Mix your sugar and ground cinnamon in a small cup.

Heat a pan with margarine or butter on medium heat.

Dip your bread in the egg and place on the pan. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar on the side facing you. Flip it and sprinkle the cooked side. Repeat.

After you’ve made as many pieces of french toast as you want, serve with whipped cream or soy ice cream (cherry or vanilla depending on your preference).

Pour maple syrup.

Enjoy and call your dentist.

8 October 09
Honeyhole (703 E. Pike, Seattle, WA) For a quick bite, stiff drinks, quirky decor and good times, I recommend the Honeyhole in Seattle’s bustling Capitol Hill neighborhood. Featuring a great selection of both carnivorious and vegetarian/vegan-friendly options, the Honeyhole has delightful items such as the Dirt Burger and El Guapo. My favorite is their vegan BLT sandwich, which I usually order with fries. If you don’t drink alcohol (shout out to my edge friends), the Honeyhole’s sandwiches can be washed down with Thomas Kemper Root Beer (always a plus).

Honeyhole (703 E. Pike, Seattle, WA)

For a quick bite, stiff drinks, quirky decor and good times, I recommend the Honeyhole in Seattle’s bustling Capitol Hill neighborhood. Featuring a great selection of both carnivorious and vegetarian/vegan-friendly options, the Honeyhole has delightful items such as the Dirt Burger and El Guapo.

My favorite is their vegan BLT sandwich, which I usually order with fries. If you don’t drink alcohol (shout out to my edge friends), the Honeyhole’s sandwiches can be washed down with Thomas Kemper Root Beer (always a plus).

Posted: 11:22 PM
Original Pancake House (8037 15th Ave NW, Seattle, WA; Several locations around the US) While Patty’s Eggnest is no doubt my favorite Seattle-based breakfast spot, Original Pancake House is probably the best one based out of the Pacific Northwest. With its humble beginnings in Portland, OR, Original Pancake House is pretty much a throwback to the old school diners of yesteryear, serving rich, well-made foods, in place of the runny eggs and dry pancakes that you’d find at most chains like Denny’s, Shari’s or International House of Pancakes. I’m fortunate to have one down the street from my place, but I’ve heard of many people traveling as far as the burbs to get their OG Pancake House fix. While I do like the Dutch Apple Pancakes, my favorite dish is their baked omelete, made with 5-6 eggs and fillings of your choice (I usually go with the vegetarian option). The pancakes are thick, but fluffy and potatoes are beyond words. For the meat eaters, they serve thick cut bacon and huge pieces of sausage (that’s what she said). In short: this is the best breakfast you’ll have in your life.

Original Pancake House (8037 15th Ave NW, Seattle, WA; Several locations around the US)

While Patty’s Eggnest is no doubt my favorite Seattle-based breakfast spot, Original Pancake House is probably the best one based out of the Pacific Northwest. With its humble beginnings in Portland, OR, Original Pancake House is pretty much a throwback to the old school diners of yesteryear, serving rich, well-made foods, in place of the runny eggs and dry pancakes that you’d find at most chains like Denny’s, Shari’s or International House of Pancakes.

I’m fortunate to have one down the street from my place, but I’ve heard of many people traveling as far as the burbs to get their OG Pancake House fix.

While I do like the Dutch Apple Pancakes, my favorite dish is their baked omelete, made with 5-6 eggs and fillings of your choice (I usually go with the vegetarian option). The pancakes are thick, but fluffy and potatoes are beyond words.

For the meat eaters, they serve thick cut bacon and huge pieces of sausage (that’s what she said).

In short: this is the best breakfast you’ll have in your life.

5 September 09
Workplace Cafeteria (Various locations) The company I work for (for posterity’s sake, let’s call it, I don’t know, Macrohard Corp.) recently put a new cafeteria in the building I work in. It’s probably the best cafeteria I’ve ever eaten at…even better than the one on the Capitol campus in Olympia. It’s only been open for a week and I’ve eaten there nearly everyday. The food is in part subsidized by the major corporation, so it’s pretty cheap. One morning, I was a little hungry and for $2, I got a huge helping of hash browns and toast.  The real test, however, was the burger. Unlike many workplace cafeterias, Macrohard’s serves several vegetarian options including a traditional Gardenburger, Boca, and a black bean burger. On this particular day, I got a Boca burger with mushrooms, grilled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and BBQ sauce and a side of tots for $4. The hell? It’s the same quality as any other burger place but so much cheaper. They have a full sized condiment bar too, so I tried the Chipotle mayo to go along with my tots (it was not good), but in the end, the sweet tartar sauce they had was a much better dipping sauce. All in all, I’d like to reiterate the fact that this is by far the best cafeteria food I’ve ever had.

Workplace Cafeteria (Various locations)

The company I work for (for posterity’s sake, let’s call it, I don’t know, Macrohard Corp.) recently put a new cafeteria in the building I work in. It’s probably the best cafeteria I’ve ever eaten at…even better than the one on the Capitol campus in Olympia.

It’s only been open for a week and I’ve eaten there nearly everyday. The food is in part subsidized by the major corporation, so it’s pretty cheap. One morning, I was a little hungry and for $2, I got a huge helping of hash browns and toast.  The real test, however, was the burger.

Unlike many workplace cafeterias, Macrohard’s serves several vegetarian options including a traditional Gardenburger, Boca, and a black bean burger. On this particular day, I got a Boca burger with mushrooms, grilled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and BBQ sauce and a side of tots for $4. The hell?

It’s the same quality as any other burger place but so much cheaper. They have a full sized condiment bar too, so I tried the Chipotle mayo to go along with my tots (it was not good), but in the end, the sweet tartar sauce they had was a much better dipping sauce.

All in all, I’d like to reiterate the fact that this is by far the best cafeteria food I’ve ever had.

29 August 09
Fatburger (Various locations) Immortalized in Ice Cubes, “It was a Good Day,” Fatburger has long been a curiosity of mine. Many people I know will rave about how this is the best fast food burger they’ve had. Personally, I think it’s okay. I think part of the reason why I really didn’t care for the food is that my experience at Fatburger was a bit on the lame side. Obviously, I ordered a Gardenburger, but I got funny stares from the cashier when I said “no bacon” when she asked me if I wanted pork in my veggie burger. I’m pretty picky about french fries, so I opted for onion rings, which were pretty mediocre. I don’t know if it’s because I went there during the lunch hour rush, but all-in-all, Fatburger was decent. It made me feel pretty bloated, a la Red Robin, but I don’t think it was worth my $9. In fact, I would venture to say that as far as large scale chains go, I’d much rather go to Burger King, who also offer a veggie burger option now.

Fatburger (Various locations)

Immortalized in Ice Cubes, “It was a Good Day,” Fatburger has long been a curiosity of mine. Many people I know will rave about how this is the best fast food burger they’ve had. Personally, I think it’s okay.

I think part of the reason why I really didn’t care for the food is that my experience at Fatburger was a bit on the lame side.

Obviously, I ordered a Gardenburger, but I got funny stares from the cashier when I said “no bacon” when she asked me if I wanted pork in my veggie burger. I’m pretty picky about french fries, so I opted for onion rings, which were pretty mediocre.

I don’t know if it’s because I went there during the lunch hour rush, but all-in-all, Fatburger was decent. It made me feel pretty bloated, a la Red Robin, but I don’t think it was worth my $9. In fact, I would venture to say that as far as large scale chains go, I’d much rather go to Burger King, who also offer a veggie burger option now.

30 June 09
Zippy’s (1513 SW Holden St, Seattle) Zippy’s in West Seattle has a reputation for having great food and based on its scoring on Yelp (4 out of 5 stars), I was interested in trying it. With that in mind, Michelle and I ventured out West and got lost trying to find this place, all the while cracking wise at every which way. So if there was anything awesome about the Zippy’s experience, it was the drive itself. Once again, I tried a vegetarian friendly bean burger. Smothered on the burger was their “secret sauce” which was essentially fry sauce. All in all, it was okay. The onion rings pretty good, but the burger itself was average. In fact, I would venture to say that Zak’s was much, much better. Zippy’s is also known for its rather surly staff, which was a combination of rude and immature people. For example, one woman who was waiting an eternity for her order was treated to the following: ZIPPY BURGER JOCK: Sonic? WOMAN: Sonya. ZBJ: Sonique? Soniqua? W: SONYA! Yeah, that’s pretty much how it went down. Michelle had to get our condiments and her drink herself, so some people might consider this rudeness kitsch, I think it’s some straight up bullshit. Especially for severely mediocre hamburgers.

Zippy’s (1513 SW Holden St, Seattle)

Zippy’s in West Seattle has a reputation for having great food and based on its scoring on Yelp (4 out of 5 stars), I was interested in trying it. With that in mind, Michelle and I ventured out West and got lost trying to find this place, all the while cracking wise at every which way. So if there was anything awesome about the Zippy’s experience, it was the drive itself.

Once again, I tried a vegetarian friendly bean burger. Smothered on the burger was their “secret sauce” which was essentially fry sauce. All in all, it was okay. The onion rings pretty good, but the burger itself was average. In fact, I would venture to say that Zak’s was much, much better.

Zippy’s is also known for its rather surly staff, which was a combination of rude and immature people. For example, one woman who was waiting an eternity for her order was treated to the following:

ZIPPY BURGER JOCK: Sonic?

WOMAN: Sonya.

ZBJ: Sonique? Soniqua?

W: SONYA!

Yeah, that’s pretty much how it went down. Michelle had to get our condiments and her drink herself, so some people might consider this rudeness kitsch, I think it’s some straight up bullshit. Especially for severely mediocre hamburgers.

Themed by Hunson. Originally by Josh