Microdosing Pumpkin Spice
Fall is coming but not soon enough to escape this heat...
Happy Thursday from yet another heat wave. Is this the fourth or fifth this summer? I’ve lost count. But I can tell you that the Lower Mainland was not built with 35C+ weather in mind. I’m surviving the only way I know how… less than three feet from a Dyson fan cranked to the max at all times.
I’ve also been dreaming about ice cream. I say dreaming because there is none in my freezer and I am too lazy/sweaty/tired to go to the store and get some. But if you are more daring (or perhaps just live somewhere with a breeze) here’s my favourite picks lately:
Buck Strawberry Sass Gelato - it’s made from buckwheat and is gluten free! And fun fact, buckwheat requires no chemicals making it a favourite for bees. 1 acre of buckwheat can support 1 whole beehive.
Oat & Mill Vanilla Bean - the perfect pairing with fresh fruit (or chocolate sauce)
Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Half Baked - it’s a classic for a reason, though I will say the fact that I can only find 6 of their non-dairy flavours in Canada when there are TWENTY in the US is pretty annoying.
If you’re up for actually leaving your house and going for a drive I cannot recommend Maria’s Gelato in Fort Langely enough. They have a ton of vegan options, and even sell pints to take home. Though if you’re going for that option bring a cooler and a ton of ice packs as it melts fast. Some of my favourite flavours are limoncello, raspberry, and chocolate.
Time to find a new Habit…
I live in farm country. The Fraser Valley has 70% of BC’s dairy farms, 80% of poultry farms, and 90% of hog farms. There are very few vegan friendly options for eating out, and the list of places entirely plant based I can count on one-hand. Which is why I’m devastated to hear that the Habit Project in Historic Downtown Abbotsford is closing up shop.
To be fair, the owners have decided 6 years in they want to focus on their other business Greendale Acres, a farm (and corn maze) in Chilliwack. But if you’re also a fan of this cold-pressed juice company (that also does amazing salads and chocolate bars)… you can buy it! The business is for sale for the low price of $28k. If I had it I would definitely buy it. And I really hope someone who wants to keep it going will step in.
Meanwhile they’ve announced their official last day is August 27th.
Micro-dosing Pumpkin Spice
We are just around the corner from annual Pumpkin Spice fever. Only this time an old fact has been making its way around the internet (okay, mostly it’s TikTok) about the fact that you can get high on nutmeg. As a huge disclaimer: do not try to do this.
Apparently the side effects are quite terrible, and most report things akin to psychosis versus hallucinogenic effects. Second disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, don’t take my advice. You can read more about it in this 2021 piece from Salon, or in the British Medical Journal. Either way consider yourself armed with small talk that will last through the fall as you try your best to just order “A regular coffee. Yes I’m sure. No I don’t want a pumpkin muffin.”
Eat the Rich
I genuinely tried to come up with a more clever title, but every time I looked at this piece in Bon Appetit my inner French revolutionary took over. If you don’t know, they have a regular column called “The Receipt” where people document everything they eat in a week. On its face it’s a pretty interesting concept and way to introduce readers to all different local favourites.
But this week the concept of spending $459 American dollars on dinner for two sent my head spinning. It was one of those articles that drips with privilege (squash club, college in Boston, a $700 espresso machine being pushed on friends and family) and all the while the author doesn’t seem to realise this isn’t the normal experience. She writes that everyone has their local favourite restaurant… and hers is Le Diplomate in DC. I don’t know about you but my favourite place doesn’t have a $175 fruits de mer option for lunch.
If you also read that and felt like you lived on a different planet, don’t worry you’re not alone. Stats Can just reported that grocery prices rose 10% in July. The Canadians I know are concerned about how to save as much as they can because inflation is through the roof, and we know this is only the beginning of a recession. Where I live I’m trying to support local produce farmers as much as I can because I know they’ve had a terrible year with the floods and fires of 2021 and the extended winter of 2022.
People are learning to grow their own food, as well as pulling out the grandma skills of canning and preserving. So while you’re on the next stop at No Frills picking up bags of lentils and dried beans, take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. Hopefully those of us who are passionate about sharing recipes and food tips can all agree that now is not the time to be tone-deaf about luxury when so many are already struggling.
I will now plug* my friend Emily’s cookbook “Well Fed, Flat Broke”. It is not vegan, but very easily adapted to be. It comes from a variety of cuisines, with ingredients you can easily find in Vancouver. She’s funny and honest about cooking on a budget. And I’m sure she wouldn’t even mind if you picked it up at the library. (Although if you can swing it, buying is an option too!).
*this is not an ad, actually I don’t think she knows I have a newsletter
Please watch “Muy Rico”
Do you follow Welsh vegan chef Gaz Oakley? You should. His recipes are so inspiring, and his love of food oozes out of the screen. Since relocating to a plot of land in Wales it’s been interesting to follow his outdoor cooking and garden journey. But he’s also been doing some travel as well, and recently has been asking people to watch the series he made in Mexico. You can find it on the Muy Rico playlist on his YouTube page. He really would like to do more of this kind of work, so if you have a bit of time watch his videos and leave a comment. Tell him Raincoast Vegan sent ya, and hopefully we’ll get more of his travel docs in the future.
That’s it for this week! Stay cool friends, and thanks for all the follows in my first week, I really appreciate it.
Kat