Vegan Dad on the Road: Brunch at Mi Lah

After many a recommendation I went for brunch at Mi Lah on Sunday. I wanted a mix of savoury and sweet so I ended up ordering a lot of food. First up: Tofu Benedict with kale and roasted potatoes. The kale was a welcome addition to my on-the-road diet but the potatoes were a little overdone. The Tofu Benedict had great taste but, as you can see from the pic, lacked a little something in the presentation. I could have used more Hollandaise sauce (which tasted great) since the pieces of tofu were substantial and the plain whole wheat English muffin needed something to mop off the plate.
Next: french toast. I had to ask for maple syrup, which I thought would have been a standard part of the dish. This tasted great but I have a sneaking suspicion that it is deep fried instead of pan fried. I also wasn't crazy about being served the end of the loaf of bread. Still, I really enjoyed the brunch as did the continuous stream of people coming in the door.

Vegan Dad on the Road: Blackbird Pizzeria

Today I walked around Philadelphia hitting all of the historical sites I could. Yes, I visited the first AND the second Bank of the United States because that's how I roll. For lunch I stopped by Blackbird Pizzeria, a completely vegan pizza place that sits just south of the historical district on South 6th Street and Lombard. This was actually the second time I ate here (well, third because I came a few years ago when it was Gianna's Grille), but this time I had my camera. I just love the concept as well as the simple yet sufficient menu.
The first time I got a simple pepperoni and cheese slice and a mushroom slice. This time, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and tofu topped with Daiya, and a red onion and sausage slice.
All in all, not bad. I love the big slices and super thin New York style crust. The mushroom slice was a touch greasy, and I prefer the pieces with less Daiya rather than more. My only complaint is that the crust is dry. I like a pliable crust that can be folded to accommodate its thinness. Still, I love the convenience of being able to drop in and choose a variety of pizza slices and will be sure to visit one more time before I leave the city.

Creamy Zucchini Farfalle

You are probably going to be inundated with fresh zucchini soon, either from your own garden or the farmer's market. This is a very easy and very tasty way to use some of it up.

INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 lbs zucchini, diced
- 8 oz firm tofu
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup light coconut milk, or other non-dairy milk/creamer
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb farfalle

METHOD
1. Get a large pot of salted water boiling (you will cook both the zucchini and the pasta in this water).
2. Meanwhile, crumble the tofu into a food processor with 1/2 cup of the coconut (or other) milk/creamer. Blend for a good 5 mins until very smooth, adding more liquid if needed.
3. When water is boiling, add zucchini and cook until tender (3-5 mins, depending on how big you diced your zucchini). Remove into a colander with a slotted spoon and drain/cool.
4. Add farfalle to the pot and cook until al dente.
5. Add zucchini and nutritional yeast to the food processor and pulse until blended (you want some texture). Add nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add additional liquid if needed.
6. Toss pasta with sauce and serve.

Vegan Dad on the Road: Mi Lah Vegetarian

Oh, the glamourous life of an historian. On the road, delving into archives, researching, analyzing documents. I am back in Philadelphia, one of my favourite cities in which to research. I'm sorry to see that Independence Hall is shrouded in scaffolding but it's still great to wander the streets of the city that hosted the Continental Congress and the Grand Convention. The other amazing thing is the food: purely vegan restaurants in which you can order anything off the menu! I'm really getting spoiled.

Tonight's dinner was from Mi Lah Vegetarian. I went there for lunch the other day and will be sure to hit the brunch on the weekend. It's a bit on the pricy side but nothing too outrageous. With my order placed the waiter brought some bread and some kind of dipping oil. I'm not exactly sure what was in the oil (red peppers?), but it was good nonetheless. The bread wasn't anything to write home about but I am pretty picky about my bread.
Next: salad. Mango, Avocado and Mixed Green Salad with Lime Dressing. Sorry for the pic but the low lighting of restaurants really does not lend itself to food photography. It was really nice to get fresh veggies after a few days on the road. The mango was perfectly ripe and the dressing was delicious.
Entree: Grilled Oyster Mushrooms with Brandy-Tequila Tomato Sauce with Vegan Sausage, Corn Masa Cakes, and Shaved Apple Salad. All in all, this was a great dish. The sausage had the right texture and was perfectly spicy, complemented by the sweet crunch of the apple. The masa cake was a touch ponderous but had a nice crust on it. I was disappointed, though, with the oyster mushrooms. The were the king variety, and just the stems. They did not have any seasoning on them and were a pretty good chew. Since I know how tasty grilled mushroom can be it was a let down. That being said, I would order it again.

Spiderman Returns: Happy 5th Birthday Vegan Son #3

Ah, another birthday, another cake. Vegan Son #3 requested the Spiderman cake I made for Vegan Son #2 last year. I like this cake because it has a simple colour scheme and the pan comfortably fits a double cupcake recipe. The webs are a little tedious, but all in all it is a relatively easy cake to make.