Cooking up a vegetarian storm with May Kaidee

Cooking up a vegetarian storm with May Kaidee

I've always wanted to do a cooking class. I mean, I consider myself an OK cook, in that... I'll give something a go... Sometimes it works, most times it doesn't. I have h
Kind of been a vegetarian for most of my life, opting out of the meat free diet, before i even knew what the word diet meant, or even how to say meat.  So, Being the only vegetarian in my family, there wasn't too many 'hand-me-down' family recipes to inspire me to learn to cook or know what taste was. Put it this way, my mother is French, and they pretty much eat anything. And my dad is Aussie with English parents and they live of the old 'meat, mash and veg covered in gravy'.

I walked past May Kaidee's resturant/cooking school in Bangkok. I was so excited to see 'vegetarian' that at first I didn't notice that it was also a school...somehow I went from going to have dinner there to having a private 11course cooking class.

Out the back of the restaurant is a 'classroom'. I waited about 5min and the sou chef had cut and prepared all the ingredients I would need.

I couldnt beleive how fast it was to cook EVERYTHING - and I say everything becasue within a matter of moments I had cook myself 4 dishes... that I now had to eat.

CRAP - how do I fit all of this food into my tummy - and there was still another 4 dishes to go 9some of the 'dishes were sauces, so that was a relief!). I was encouraged to sit down, take my time and slowly eat.

IT WAS AMAZING - and, I'm not just say this because I cooked it. The taste, the balance - they know what they are doing!

What an amazing experience. I really do recommend everyone try this - it set me back about 1000baht (about $30AUD) not bad for a full evening of learning, entertainment and food!

nom nom nom...

www.maykaidee.com

Vegan baked goods

Nom nom nom... a tummy grumble and a quick dash to the Townsville Vegans stall at The Willows market and the empty tummy grumble is satisfied.

To Join in on the World Wide Vegan Bake Sale, Townsville Vegans hosted a stall at The Willows Market on the 11th May.

Their goal was to raise money for Farm Animal Rescue Australia and spread the word about compassionate life styles.

I was lucky enough to be able to assist as a volunteer on the day and took some happy snaps!

Vegan and non-vegan alike enjoyed devouring yummy baked goods - $307 was raised on the day! well done guys!

These markets are not just for us veggie-heads though, there are plenty of stalls selling everything under the rainbow!

The markets happen every Sunday in The Willows Shopping Centre car park. They are free to wander through!

The Hardware Societe

I love Melbourne, I don't know how to explain the love I feel for a city - but it's there...and its real. I feel so at home when I am here (which it should, as it is where I am from, originally).

Melbourne is full of arty eclectic boutique shops, bars and cafes. No space is wasted. Down alley ways and side streets are some of the best hidden delights that you will ever find.

During a recent short trip to Melbourne, a few friends and I went into one of these side streets to the famous 'The Hardware Societe'.

Its a mix of modern country French dining for breakfast or brunch. The best thing is - They do Gluten free and vegan options! Yep! One of the image below is a vegan rice pudding with coconut cream and sour cherry.... YUM!

This place gets packed fast - If you love breakfast (its my favourite meal of the day) and you're an early bird - get you bottom down here early! If you're not an early bird - set your alarm!

You can find this tasty gem on Hardware Street. Look here on - Google maps

Hot Bodhi

Combine to awesome things...

1. Yum Cha
2. Vegan food

...and you get Bodhi.  Tucked away in a pocket in front of St Mary's Cathedral and the aquatic Centre in Sydney is a charming a delicious venue that you may miss, if someone didn't tell you it existed. the indoor-outdoor restaurant is always a buzz as people sit and enjoy the small parcels of tastey food that grace by them on mini carts.

For those who are not familiar with Yum Cha, it is (and dont quote me 100%) a Cantonese traditional meal/serving. Coming from the southern end of China and Hong Kong (if my memormy serves me to be correct), trays of steamed Dim Sums and mini buns and dumplings are on offer. you just pick what you feel like eating and enjoy.

The joy of Yum Cha is that it is a social event, similar to Spanish Tapas, it is a meal best shared. The only down side it that most Yum Cha is full of meat and animal by-products. So this is why Bodhi is such a 'win' for me! Its 100%Vegetarian with a massive amount of vegan options.

As Yum Cha is traditionally servered during the day (think of it as a Chinese high tea) the restruant changes the menu at night still 100% veggie/vegan.

OH - did I mentioned how good the cocktails are too? Amazing!

This place is awesome in the late afternoon and summer nights, put it into your calendar!

For more information look at their website here -  www.bodhi.id.au

Life Organic - Food heaven on earth!

Before arriving in Hong Kong I did a small amount of research - searching for Vegan cafes and restaurants. I was told that Hong Kong has some of the best food in the world, so I didn't want to pass up on any opportunity.

As it turns out, I became so incredibly addicted to this one cafe that I didn't have much time to try much else.

So I have dedicated an entire post just to this cafe. I had two breakfasts here, one lunch and two dinners.

Life Organic Cafe

They are Vegetarian and organic but cater for Vegan, Raw and Gluten Free diets.

The food is AMAZING! I was like a little kid in a candy shop - My eyes constantly darting between the other customers dishes as they came out - I wanted to try it all.

Looking over the menu - I was excited to see so many 'V's' next to the food. So many Vegan options. Its refreshing to know that in this menu I can pick from anything and it is Vegetarian, but to know that I have more than 3 Vegan options - blew my mind!

Breakfast - go the Organic Quinoa porridge (Rayns had this and loved it). I'm pretty sure Jarreth had the Croque Madame (just because it had a french name) and devoured it! I went with the Vegan version of the Life Breakfast with Scrambled Tofu! YUM. Cost? $240HKD (which is about $30 AUD for the three of us).

Lunch - I went back by myself and indulged in the Raw Power Zucchini grated carrot, organic pumpkin seed pesto, chinese chives, sun dried & fresh tomato, almond cheese and garlic oil (All ingredients in this dish are raw). Then I followed it up with a sugar free, vegan and gluten free Organic Chocolate Tofu Mousse Cake... I know what you're thinking - What is left to put in it if all the sugar and dairy is taken out... IT IS AMAZING! I would go back to Hong Kong just for this dessert! OH And the steamed lavender soy milk! YUM! (Lunch was about $235HKD - $28AUD)

Dinner - Try the Tea Smoked Eggplant Dip, Sweet Potato Fries with chili & herb salt and roasted garlic tofunaise dip and the Organic Hummus Dip for starters. Then move into a delicious temptation of choices... The vegan Life Organic Burger, salads and stir-fries will all satisfy any rumbling tummies!

Life Organic is located in Soho (I love this part of Hong Kong) but if has recently moved to 50 C Johnston Road Wanchai.

It also has a small 'Deli' take-away section, so - you can eat good food while on the run too!

Yes Mom...

Looking for a bite to eat in Sydney?

Are you a veggie head?

Vegan?

Or just like a good break from eating meat?

Well Mother Chu's can cater to you needs! A lovely selection of Chinese vegan and vegetarian meals to dive into. Mother Chu's is located on Pitt Street in Sydney - It is just a few minutes stroll from Central Train station (heading north into the City) or from Town hall station (head south).

Graced with the company of two old and good friends, Gary and Kylie, Mother Chu's is a great place to catch up and share a laugh amongst friends.

As far as price goes, it is a little expensive than other vegetarian places in Sydney, but its still cheap and yummy!

www.motherchusvegetarian.com.au

Jet lag is a funny thing...

Jet lag in a funny thing, especially when you think it is working in you favour. It's our first full day in Shanghai, I'm excited to get up and start exploring through the city. I woke up grabbed my iPad to check some emails and saw that it was 6:30am. After checking my emails I got up and went to the bathroom to get ready for the day. I was confronted by 6 half naked boys, obviously still intoxicated from their night of partying. They asked me why I was up so early - by that time it was near 7:30, I was a bit confused. I don't think 7:30am is that early... "um, it's 5am..."

It turns out the only clock I forgot to change to Shanghai time was my iPad... I was in fact up at 5am... Wide awake.

If you're a shopping person, don't worry if you Do the opposite of me and sleep in. Most of the shops here don't open until 10am. This is a great time though to get up and out walking about as the crowd levels are pretty low. We walked close to 12km today. Starting from Nanjing East Road heading towards the People's Square.

People's Square was originally a horse racing course that was converted by the government when the communist party took over. It runs along side Nanjing Road, which is basically a pedestrian strip with giant shopping malls running its length (well, nearly the complete length of the street.) It's a nice break from the concrete and lights, lush green grass and gardens, manicured trees and hedges, and beautiful ponds.

In search of the Huangpu River, we decided to jump on a bus. A great way to rest our feet and take in the city sights. The City Sightseeing red bus will set you back 30RMB (about $5 AUD) this ticket will last you a full 24hrs and take you through the entire city and under the river across to the financial district.

Located in the east banks of the Huangpu River is Pudong, Shanghai's financial district. Don't dismiss this side of the city - its actually hard to dismiss it. Sticking out of the heart of the east bank is the Oriental Pearl radio and TV tower. The giant tower with its massive purple spheres strategically placed, is the 5th largest in the world standing tall and proud at 468.0m (1,535ft). Make sure you hang around the area (on the other side of the bank) at night as the light show is impressive. Well, its not a light show - but its close to it. The city comes alive. There are restaurants, shopping at lookout points in the Oriental Pearl, to go all the way to the top, it will cost you around 180RMB (about $30 AUD).

OK, so I'm a little hungry for some veggie food, lucky our friend found vegan restaurant Jujube tree (www.jujubetree.com). The food was amazing! All vegan soy protein and all very very tasty. For 4 people it cost us 136RMB (about $23) total! Not each... Total! So cheap and we were all extremely content, I was very very content indeed.

Kayaking the Coast

There are no rapids to be found in this lake - but the kayaking is still great fun! We each carefully chose our vessels, the girls both opted for the stereotypical pink while Dean opted for the macho purple.

The waters were still, the sun was shining and there were no clouds in the sky. It was a perfect day and a perfect way to spend the day.

We hired the Kayaks through Aquafun at Avoca Beach (about an hour or so drive from Sydney, North) Being the thrifty frugal people we are, we managed to score a discount voucher for the day - so all up for 3 people it cost us $21, not too bad. However the standard prices are a little more expensive than this but still good value.

Per Person rates (at time of writing blog)

Adults (no concession)	$12	$18	$6
Children (6-15yrs)	$8	$12	$4
Family (2Adults 2 children)	$35	$50	$15

The inlet where you get to kayak is actually quiet big! There are a couple of side streams that run off the main body of water for you to venture down! Just keep an eye on the time - the hour hire creeps up fast!

We were able to find a secluded area down one of these side streams and laid back on our sturdy vessels and watch the world pass by (unless you're Dean and you fall in...twice).