VVOC.org

In early February, Oprah challenged her staff to try a more compassionate eating regime by going vegan for a week.  To read the whole story follow this link.

Thank you to John, who hosted our meeting today and provided a scrumptious lunch.  We shared some delicately flavoured lentils served with bread and salads, one of green beans and one of  cucumber dressed with coconut milk. Lovely, thank you John.

Topics discussed:

(1) We talked about our local Indian restaurants and all agreed that it would be good for each of us to post reviews of these.

(2) Helen raised that there was recent talk that Oprah had challenged her staff to be vegan for a week!  Helen to put up a brief post about this.

(3) Discussed the idea of a VVOC excursion to Melbourne to participate in Holy Week in English at the Good Shepard Australian Orthodox Mission which is based at Monash University. Helen to look into this and gather some info for the group.

(4) Melissa kindly offered to host the next VVOC meeting.

(5) Our August meeting will hopefully be a Skype talk or online chat to include Melissa and Jacki, who will both be working on the Mercy Ship in Africa.

Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support (JEARS)

It’s always nice to see that after a natural disaster, there are peopel out there looking out for the animals, as well as the humans… check out the website at: http://jears.org/

51 Sherwood Rd, Toowong Qld

The clientele as well as the food and ambience at the Laksa Hut are reassuringly Southeast Asian. We enjoyed the Salt and Pepper Tofu, crispy with diced onion and capsicum on a bed of lettuce, and Chinese Vegetable with Garlic Sauce in which flecks of fried garlic are to be seen amid the dark green; let Chinese or Malay cooks loose on greens and the result is always satisfying. Other dishes on the menu that look vegetarian need  not be; it may be a good idea to ask. The food is complemented by an enormous range of interesting drinks. Some are commercial products that come ready packaged, such as the sago coconut milk, in which little orange pieces of sago lurk towards the bottom; some are freshly prepared juices with witty names, like the Kung Flu Fighter, in which apple is given a buzz by lemon and ginger. While very satisfying, the food here is simple and quickly served, making the Laksa Hut just the spot for a quick meal when on the way to somewhere else.

6/225 Hawken Drive, St Lucia Qld

Students certainly eat better than they used to, and a meal at this modest establishment in a university area has little in common with the meals to which I was accustomed when among their number. It does vegetarian spring rolls that come with a sweet sauce for dipping; perhaps they could do with a little less batter, but they provide a great start to a meal. Then there are Choo Chee Curry, in which vegetables swim in a coconut sauce that has a bit of a kick, and Pad Thai Vegetarian Noodles with sprouts, veggies, tofu and pieces of fried egg (vegans beware!) There’s probably finer Thai food about, but hey a meal here sure beats buying stuff at the supermarket, wheeling it home in one of those trolleys, discovering at the last minute that you’re out of a key ingredient, and then having a big fight about whose turn it is to do the washing up.

29 High St, Toowong Qld

There are all kinds of vegetarian possibilities at this smart, beautifully appointed restraurant. For starters you can try the vegetable samosas, loosely packed with plenty of peas , or the pakoras, although those that came to us were a little soggy; perhaps the oil they had been fried in was not hot enough.  The main meals include dishes of potatoes (again, we would have liked something a bit more crispy) and richly satisfying aubergines. These are the two most spicy among the vegetarian dishes, but the one we enjoyed most was the smooth vegetable korma. It’s a pleasing cuisine, not quite as hot as Indian food. If, on the other hand, you’re on a hot date, the secluded and dimly lit ambience might make it an appropriate setting, but for other people there may be alternatives where the food is at least as good and a little cheaper.

1/8 Days Rd, Grange Qld

Sometimes it seems that the wonderful smiles of the staff are reason enough to go to Thai restaurants. But there are other attractions at the Thai Chada, such as the excellent Vegetarian Tom Yum soup, red and spicy, that includes thin strips of tofu and tomatoes among the mix of veggies. The Vegetarian Spring Rolls come with plenty of sprouts and a sweet chilli dip.  There are many veggie dishes among the main meals; I recommend the currys, which come in red, yellow, panang (sweetish with peanuts) and green varieties. The last is the hottest, but not disconcertingly so, and the chillis are in tension with the strong taste of fresh basil, against a gentle background of coconut milk and more strips of tofu (the peas are a bit of a surprise.) It was good to see many people enjoying themselves the night we visited the restaurant.

Hello from Sierra Leone!

After being here for only a week and a half, I am saddened by the sheer numbers of stray dogs roaming the streets of the capital city, Freetown. While one day I smiled watching a very cute toy Chihuahua playing with an equally cute medium sized bitser, generally I am deeply upset by copious numbers of stray dogs, many of them looking hungry or ill, yet with most females either nursing or pregnant. I wasn’t sure if I would find anything about this issue on the internet, but I did go ahead and google it as I am aware of programs elsewhere in the world trying to help stray dog populations, such as in Bali, Indonesia.

I did find that the UK arm of WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) has a posting about this issue which really explained to me what I am seeing. It explains that the huge population of stray dogs in Freetown has come about because of the overcrowding and desperately poor living conditions present in the capital city since the end of the civil war in 2002 (the population in Freetown exploded from 1 million to 2 million in less than 5 years). A build up of refuse and biological waste has provided a food source for stray dogs and consequently they have bred freely. It is now believed that Freetown has the highest stray dog population in the whole of Africa. From what I have seen I can truly believe this to be true. Although solutions to this problem can’t be easy and may not happen in a timely manner, WSPA is working with Sierra Leone Animal Welfare Society (SLAWS) to try to address the issue in a humane manner.

To read the posting take a look at:
http://www.wspa.org.uk/wspaswork/dogs/strayanimals/caninecasualtiessierraleone.aspx

Also an interesting read is:
http://www.wspa.org.uk/latestnews/2010/Saving_strays_in_sierra_leone.aspx

Although since it was posted back in February 2010, I am unsure if this gentleman is still active in Freetown. I hope he is!

5 Dickson Plaza, 67-69 Woolley St, Dickson ACT

This restaurant offers yet another variation on the infinite possibilities of Chinese food. For starters we had Crunchy Wantons, small mushrooms in batter accompanied by plum and sweet chilli sauces, and Smoky Rolls that turned out to be meat substitute; each came with a serve of carrot, lettuce and cucumber. We also enjoyed a dish of complimentary spring rolls (thank you!) Our main courses were Crispy Mushroom Balls in Plum Sauce, more ball than mushroom, with carrot, lettuce and cucumber, and Stir-fried Lemon-grass Tofu, that came with carrot etc.

It’s one of those styles of Chinese cooking that plays with the conventions rather than aiming for authenticity. The regular, if not inevitable appearence of a side salad is surprising, but the crisp freshness of the ingredients goes well with the rather starchy nature of the food that is served. Most of the menu is given over to soy seafood, chicken, duck, beef, lamb and pork dishes; perhaps they are less starchy.

The Kingsland operates under the auspices of a Supreme Master. It is tucked away in a neighbourhood full of ethic eateries offering vegan and vegetarian possibilities, but certainly worth a visit.

219 Given Terr, Paddington Q 4064

Surely these organic places used to be more common than they are now; the uber-wholesome environment, the committed staff with long hair and the vaguely hippy-like nature of some of the clientele take one way back. But hey man, no need to stress out, for the food here surpasses expectations. The tofu burgers come with a choice of sauces and a salad of shredded carrot, beetroot, green leaves and sprouts, enclosed by slices of very fine bread, creating an extremely satisfying dish. The frittata with asparagus is accompanied by fresh salad (how about beetroot with fetta?), while in one of the breakfast dishes (still available at lunch time) the scrambled eggs team up with avocado, mushrooms and a mixture of beans. In every case the servings are generous and the dishes well thought out so as to provide a balance of flavour and texture. The juices are formidable. This cafe is unreservedly recommended, and for those who want to take some of the experience home there’s a store attached where you can buy, among other things, seriously cool muesli!