OT: The Food & Drinks Thread

[covfefe]

I'll never be vegan.
I'll never come close to be vegan.
I'll never even think of being vegan.

But I'm really happy to see everyone "respect" vegans in this thread. Because the only thing more annyoing than a miliant vegan is a vegan troll. Or... someone who trolls vegans.

Can provide context if required

 

[OldCraig71]

Something that has helped my GERD quite a bit is taking probiotics daily. You can get Bio-K at the pharmacy, just take it in the morning 30 minutes after breakfast. It's still early to say one way or another but I have not had any heartburn or symptoms since I started taking them, and I used to wake up every morning because of killer heartburn. As in, heartburn would be the reason I'd wake up every day.

I'ts good to hear stories similar to my own, I know this a food thread and I hope we are not derailing it but it is very relevant for people that have to put up with digestive disorders. I just picked up a bottle of Natural Factors 10 billion active cell probiotic from my local health food store and I am starting on them as a daily supplement. Heartburn is brutal to deal with and I am glad that you have found a way to fight it. I have been down this road for way to long and I have been on the Nexiums, Losec zantac etc and hopefully this is a way out of that. Thank you for the reply.

 

[waffledave]

I'ts good to hear stories similar to my own, I know this a food thread and I hope we are not derailing it but it is very relevant for people that have to put up with digestive disorders. I just picked up a bottle of Natural Factors 10 billion active cell probiotic from my local health food store and I am starting on them as a daily supplement. Heartburn is brutal to deal with and I am glad that you have found a way to fight it. I have been down this road for way to long and I have been on the Nexiums, Losec zantac etc and hopefully this is a way out of that. Thank you for the reply.

I have tried them all, including prescription PPIs and all that. This is the first time something has helped.

 

[Runner77]

A friend of mine favors Go Go Quinoa for a healthy breakfast: https://www.gogoquinoa.com/products/quinoa-flakes-pre-cooked/

Apparently, tastes bland but is very good for you. My friend says he adds cinnamon and a touch of maple syrup, for taste and that he always feels great after he has it.

I'm tempted to give it a shot.

 

[Chili]

A friend of mine favors Go Go Quinoa for a healthy breakfast: https://www.gogoquinoa.com/products/quinoa-flakes-pre-cooked/

Apparently, tastes bland but is very good for you. My friend tells he adds cinnamon and a touch of maple syrup, for taste and that he always feels great after he has it.

I'm tempted to give it a shot.

It's a lot like oatmeal.

Add a bit of stevia (for sweetness) and some fruit if you like.

 

[Hoople]

...And even if I'm not vegan, I'll add my word to what SouthernHab said : I'm really interested in vegan recipes for side-dish purposes.

Beer is considered food in Russia, can we talk about beer in this thread?

If you ever go to Wisconsin, be sure to buy some Spotted Cow. It's brewed by the New Glarus Brewing Company. You won't be disappointed.

 

[Runner77]

It's a lot like oatmeal.

Add a bit of stevia (for sweetness) and some fruit if you like.

Great idea, will give it a try. I see that's it's readily available at major supermarkets. My friend says he gets it at Winners, lol.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

...And even if I'm not vegan, I'll add my word to what SouthernHab said : I'm really interested in vegan recipes for side-dish purposes.

If I were you, I would also be interested in vegan recipes for desert purposes. Vegan deserts are, in my opinion, better than their non-vegan counterpart.

Regarding side-dishes, you obviously have plenty of options. Learn how to make vinaigrettes and you can make a ton of stuff from that. Not just using lettuce, obviously.

One side dish that I really like with mediteranean food is a simple zucchini salad. If you have a mandoline or one of those circular grate to make "spaghetti" with the zucchini, take that. Otherwise you can make them with a knife but it will take longer and won't be as perfect. Throw in some quickly roasted (or raw if you prefer) walnuts, pecans or cashew, as well as some diced cucumber (remove the middle, watery part with a spoon), grapes and dried small tomatoes. Not necessarily cherry tomatoes; there are so many varieties out there, kumatas are my favorite for this dish. What I do is I cut them in halves, sprinkle them with salt, pepper and sugar (to taste), and put them for 2-4 hours in a low heated oven (like 200-250F, could go 300 if you wanted to do it quickly). Then for the vinaigrette, you can't go wrong with olive oil + lemon juice + dijon mustard as a base. Pretty simple, not the most exciting, but it will get your mouth excited. And these dried tomatoes alone will cause you a mouthgasm. They're so good.

When I say learn to make vinaigrette, it's because that's how you will take certain raw/mainly raw vegan dishes (which are, to no surprise, mostly salads!) to a new level. Obviously it's easy to make those simple oil + lemon juice/vinegar vinaigrettes. But don't be afraid to try. I made a freaking amazing vinaigrette a couple months ago using oil, kombucha and cashew paste as well as some other stuff I can't really remember.

Basically the key words are "don't be afraid to try"! With summer coming up, I would suggest maybe looking for vegan burger patties made from beans.

If anyone has links of vegan meals to try, please share.

Also, looking for a good site for Indian recipes, whether vegan or not.

Besides the popular food blogs/websites, I'd recommand checking the menu and websites of vegan restaurants. Crudessence has some recipes on their website. Sometimes they list ingredients on the menu and this can help you get some inspiration to make your own stuff.

Following recipes is boring. Getting creative is not, and this is what I like most about cooking.

Also, I recommend to ANYONE to visit foodpairing.com. You don't need to pay to use it, though you will be limited in your search. It's basically an engine that lets you search an ingredient, and tells you which ingredients pairs well, on the molecular level, with it. You'd be surprised at how many ideas this can give you. Like, seeing two ingredients you'd never have thought would go well together.

 

[SB164]

Mumbai was the best indian in the Sud-ouest but it closed a year ago. Since then, i've tried at least 5-6 different indian restaurants and couldn't find a decent one.

What have you tried by the way?

I've ordered from Salateen Restaurant numerous times over the past few months after seeing it on JustEat and I have no complaints so far. In fact, the food somehow keeps getting better. They definitely don't tone down the spices either. I've yet to try their halal Chinese food though. And it's in Parc-Ex so you know it's legit

Would love to have anyone's suggestions for your best Indian restaurants in Montreal (including Laval area).

I'm a fan of lamb masala and any dish involving masala.

Thanks in advance for your recommendations.

As mentioned above, Salateen Restaurant in Parc-Ex.

Also, Pushap for vegetarian Indian food (the one on Pare st.) Their thali special is classic and I think they have the best Indian sweets and samosas in the city.

 

[MXD]

Regarding side-dishes, you obviously have plenty of options. Learn how to make vinaigrettes and you can make a ton of stuff from that. Not just using lettuce, obviously.

One side dish that I really like with mediteranean food is a simple zucchini salad. If you have a mandoline or one of those circular grate to make "spaghetti" with the zucchini, take that. Otherwise you can make them with a knife but it will take longer and won't be as perfect. Throw in some quickly roasted (or raw if you prefer) walnuts, pecans or cashew, as well as some diced cucumber (remove the middle, watery part with a spoon), grapes and dried small tomatoes. Not necessarily cherry tomatoes; there are so many varieties out there, kumatas are my favorite for this dish. What I do is I cut them in halves, sprinkle them with salt, pepper and sugar (to taste), and put them for 2-4 hours in a low heated oven (like 200-250F, could go 300 if you wanted to do it quickly). Then for the vinaigrette, you can't go wrong with olive oil + lemon juice + dijon mustard as a base. Pretty simple, not the most exciting, but it will get your mouth excited. And these dried tomatoes alone will cause you a mouthgasm. They're so good.

Well, we're already making Zoodles quite a bit, even as main dishes!

 

[TT1]

If you want a healthy breakfast, Greek yogurt and blueberries is the way to go.

 

[Brainiac]

A friend of mine favors Go Go Quinoa for a healthy breakfast: https://www.gogoquinoa.com/products/quinoa-flakes-pre-cooked/

Apparently, tastes bland but is very good for you. My friend says he adds cinnamon and a touch of maple syrup, for taste and that he always feels great after he has it.

I'm tempted to give it a shot.

Quinoa is a major component of the diet they use during space missions.

If it's good enough for an astronaut, it's good enough for you!

 

[waffledave]

For breakfast I am a big fan of overnight oats.

 

[GoodKiwi]

But don't you crave a steak?

Surprisingly enough I do not since going vegan 2-3 years ago (can't remember the exact time).

My body doesn't process animal proteins well enough, I have always felt tired and bloated after meals. That was my main reasoning for going vegan, I don't like that it takes my body so much to digest animal proteins.

I have always been lactose intolerant so I haven't had dairy as long as I can remember. Yes, I realize there are lactose-free products out there, but eating vegan has made me feel so good I just don't want to mess with it anymore.

I'm told Green Panther in the downtown area is great.

Thanks.

I don't mean to sound snobby or anything, but I've never been to a vegan restaurant that served better food than I can make at home. I've pretty much long given up on eating out, mainly because it's difficult to find vegan food while out. Most will still have traces of dairy (butter) in it unfortunately. Unless, of course, you're eating at a strictly vegan joint.

Vegans like hockey?

I do not actually. I only visit these boards for OT threads.

Theres still options for you, assuming its not also an ethical dillema on animal cruelty, which is, to me, the only real argument vegans have and a strong one at that. (Im not against veganism, im against poor reasons to be a vegan, money, health and to a lesser extent environmentalism are some of those.)

Case in point, grass fed freerange, locally owned chicken eggs.

Most, like you, like bundle us all together.

As I just explained above, my reasons for becoming vegan are not what immediately comes to mind for most.

This is vegan ramen broth I made for Christmas last year. Took 8 hours to do but tasted awesome with home stretched noodles (yes, those weren't as good unfortunately).

Note, this is a picture of it before it was strained.

https://goo.gl/photos/6ZdLTdzXNxFNK39CA


P.S. I have a ton of self-tried and proven vegan recipes if anyone's interested. I mostly cook ethnic, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese or Japanese vegan meals.

As a family, all of us are leaning more and more towards having several vegan suppers a week.

We all love Indian food, so we'll be looking for recipes that feature cumin, masala, tumeric and curry. Could eat Indian dishes every night of the week, love it.

I specialize in Indian and North African cuisine. Indian is also my very favorite though, my spice rack budget is through the roof!

Aloo Gobi - https://goo.gl/photos/uM2ZC9QE1ugc2eFc6

Moroccan chickpea stew (yes, the chickpeas should be partially broken down to add creaminess to the dish) - https://goo.gl/photos/jx5LR9xPpRFkVab86

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Surprisingly enough I do not since going vegan 2-3 years ago (can't remember the exact time).

My body doesn't process animal proteins well enough, I have always felt tired and bloated after meals. That was my main reasoning for going vegan, I don't like that it takes my body so much to digest animal proteins.

I have always been lactose intolerant so I haven't had dairy as long as I can remember. Yes, I realize there are lactose-free products out there, but eating vegan has made me feel so good I just don't want to mess with it anymore.



Thanks.

I don't mean to sound snobby or anything, but I've never been to a vegan restaurant that served better food than I can make at home. I've pretty much long given up on eating out, mainly because it's difficult to find vegan food while out. Most will still have traces of dairy (butter) in it unfortunately. Unless, of course, you're eating at a strictly vegan joint.



I do not actually. I only visit these boards for OT threads.



Most, like you, like bundle us all together.

As I just explained above, my reasons for becoming vegan are not what immediately comes to mind for most.

This is vegan ramen broth I made for Christmas last year. Took 8 hours to do but tasted awesome with home stretched noodles (yes, those weren't as good unfortunately).

Note, this is a picture of it before it was strained.

https://goo.gl/photos/6ZdLTdzXNxFNK39CA


P.S. I have a ton of self-tried and proven vegan recipes if anyone's interested. I mostly cook ethnic, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese or Japanese vegan meals.



I specialize in Indian and North African cuisine. Indian is also my very favorite though, my spice rack budget is through the roof!

Aloo Gobi - https://goo.gl/photos/uM2ZC9QE1ugc2eFc6

Moroccan chickpea stew (yes, the chickpeas should be partially broken down to add creaminess to the dish) - https://goo.gl/photos/jx5LR9xPpRFkVab86

Try the multi quote button. It will allow you to reply to all the quotes in one post.

Think of it like mixing a bunch of ingredients together and making a stew.

 

[jaffy27]

If I were you, I would also be interested in vegan recipes for desert purposes. Vegan deserts are, in my opinion, better than their non-vegan counterpart.

Regarding side-dishes, you obviously have plenty of options. Learn how to make vinaigrettes and you can make a ton of stuff from that. Not just using lettuce, obviously.

One side dish that I really like with mediteranean food is a simple zucchini salad. If you have a mandoline or one of those circular grate to make "spaghetti" with the zucchini, take that. Otherwise you can make them with a knife but it will take longer and won't be as perfect. Throw in some quickly roasted (or raw if you prefer) walnuts, pecans or cashew, as well as some diced cucumber (remove the middle, watery part with a spoon), grapes and dried small tomatoes. Not necessarily cherry tomatoes; there are so many varieties out there, kumatas are my favorite for this dish. What I do is I cut them in halves, sprinkle them with salt, pepper and sugar (to taste), and put them for 2-4 hours in a low heated oven (like 200-250F, could go 300 if you wanted to do it quickly). Then for the vinaigrette, you can't go wrong with olive oil + lemon juice + dijon mustard as a base. Pretty simple, not the most exciting, but it will get your mouth excited. And these dried tomatoes alone will cause you a mouthgasm. They're so good.

When I say learn to make vinaigrette, it's because that's how you will take certain raw/mainly raw vegan dishes (which are, to no surprise, mostly salads!) to a new level. Obviously it's easy to make those simple oil + lemon juice/vinegar vinaigrettes. But don't be afraid to try. I made a freaking amazing vinaigrette a couple months ago using oil, kombucha and cashew paste as well as some other stuff I can't really remember.

Basically the key words are "don't be afraid to try"! With summer coming up, I would suggest maybe looking for vegan burger patties made from beans.


Besides the popular food blogs/websites, I'd recommand checking the menu and websites of vegan restaurants. Crudessence has some recipes on their website. Sometimes they list ingredients on the menu and this can help you get some inspiration to make your own stuff.

Following recipes is boring. Getting creative is not, and this is what I like most about cooking.

Also, I recommend to ANYONE to visit foodpairing.com. You don't need to pay to use it, though you will be limited in your search. It's basically an engine that lets you search an ingredient, and tells you which ingredients pairs well, on the molecular level, with it. You'd be surprised at how many ideas this can give you. Like, seeing two ingredients you'd never have thought would go well together.

You lost me right there

Like your vinaigrette idea though

 

[GoodKiwi]

You lost me right there

Like your vinaigrette idea though

Try this at "Mouton Vert" in NDG

https://goo.gl/photos/EzJcrSoXP7B8o8hcA

https://goo.gl/photos/Rocgh2YkjEj6jPuWA

Burger patties made of beans are very tasty. I much prefer these to their tofu counterpart. Although, I do not advocate for buying anything frozen/pre-made. That usually tastes like dog poop.

 

[jaffy27]

Try this at "Mouton Vert" in NDG

https://goo.gl/photos/EzJcrSoXP7B8o8hcA

https://goo.gl/photos/Rocgh2YkjEj6jPuWA

Burger patties made of beans are very tasty. I much prefer these to their tofu counterpart. Although, I do not advocate for buying anything frozen/pre-made. That usually tastes like dog poop.

I love beans, I mean really love them. I make bean salads all the time and add fresh parsley from my garden in it, so delish.....

I love my hamburgers made of meat....but out of respect for my vegan/vegetarian fellow posters, I will try this.....but only one lol

 

[GoodKiwi]

I love beans, I mean really love them. I make bean salads all the time and add fresh parsley from my garden in it, so delish.....

I love my hamburgers made of meat....but out of respect for my vegan/vegetarian fellow posters, I will try this.....but only one lol

It's a fair point. I'm not here to debate meat vs vegan patties, I just wanted to steer you toward something very delicious, that's all.


P.S. Says the guy who's got 15+ cans of various beans in his pantry at all times.

 

[jaffy27]

It's a fair point. I'm not here to debate meat vs vegan patties, I just wanted to steer you toward something very delicious, that's all.

And I thank you sir.....will certainly give it a whirl

I have at least 25 cans of beans in my cold room. The baby kidney beans are my favourite

 

[GoodKiwi]

And I thank you sir.....will certainly give it a whirl

I have at least 25 cans of beans in my cold room. The baby kidney beans are my favourite

I love to use those with some others (specifically white beans to add some more creaminess) in my vegan re-fried bean spread. It's very easy to make (and consume ) with some cilantro and tomato slices on a piece of bread.

 

[GoodKiwi]

If anyone has links of vegan meals to try, please share.

Also, looking for a good site for Indian recipes, whether vegan or not.

Sorry, I missed this post earlier (had a lot of catching up to do).

Here's my favourite vegetarian/vegan food blog - http://cravinggreens.com

It's local too, Marie-Ève is a Montrealer. I've tried to replicate a lot of her recipes and it has always tasted great.

Sadly she seems to have abandoned the site last year.

 

[Hoople]

Surprisingly enough I do not since going vegan 2-3 years ago (can't remember the exact time).

My body doesn't process animal proteins well enough, I have always felt tired and bloated after meals. That was my main reasoning for going vegan, I don't like that it takes my body so much to digest animal proteins.

I have always been lactose intolerant so I haven't had dairy as long as I can remember. Yes, I realize there are lactose-free products out there, but eating vegan has made me feel so good I just don't want to mess with it anymore.



Thanks.

I don't mean to sound snobby or anything, but I've never been to a vegan restaurant that served better food than I can make at home. I've pretty much long given up on eating out, mainly because it's difficult to find vegan food while out. Most will still have traces of dairy (butter) in it unfortunately. Unless, of course, you're eating at a strictly vegan joint.



I do not actually. I only visit these boards for OT threads.



Most, like you, like bundle us all together.

As I just explained above, my reasons for becoming vegan are not what immediately comes to mind for most.

This is vegan ramen broth I made for Christmas last year. Took 8 hours to do but tasted awesome with home stretched noodles (yes, those weren't as good unfortunately).

Note, this is a picture of it before it was strained.

https://goo.gl/photos/6ZdLTdzXNxFNK39CA


P.S. I have a ton of self-tried and proven vegan recipes if anyone's interested. I mostly cook ethnic, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese or Japanese vegan meals.



I specialize in Indian and North African cuisine. Indian is also my very favorite though, my spice rack budget is through the roof!

Aloo Gobi - https://goo.gl/photos/uM2ZC9QE1ugc2eFc6

Moroccan chickpea stew (yes, the chickpeas should be partially broken down to add creaminess to the dish) - https://goo.gl/photos/jx5LR9xPpRFkVab86

Looks delicious. Thanks for posting this!!

 

[GoodKiwi]

Looks delicious. Thanks for posting this!!

My pleasure.

The key to vegan cooking is spices and knowing your flavor combinations (although this applies to any sort of cooking really).

There's a stigma associated with vegan food and that is it (the food) being bland. That couldn't be more inaccurate. It's true, it takes a little more finesse to prepare (you have no option of covering everything with animal fat to cover up for your shortcomings as a cook), but vegan meals can be incredibly tasty and varied.

I'm not trying to convince anyone in here to turn vegan, that's not what I'm after at all. I just want to point out that there's more to food than animal products and I truly believe that one would be foolish not to try and explore ways of at least supplementing his/hers diet with vegetables.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

Surprisingly enough I do not since going vegan 2-3 years ago (can't remember the exact time).

My body doesn't process animal proteins well enough, I have always felt tired and bloated after meals. That was my main reasoning for going vegan, I don't like that it takes my body so much to digest animal proteins.

I have always been lactose intolerant so I haven't had dairy as long as I can remember. Yes, I realize there are lactose-free products out there, but eating vegan has made me feel so good I just don't want to mess with it anymore.



Thanks.

I don't mean to sound snobby or anything, but I've never been to a vegan restaurant that served better food than I can make at home. I've pretty much long given up on eating out, mainly because it's difficult to find vegan food while out. Most will still have traces of dairy (butter) in it unfortunately. Unless, of course, you're eating at a strictly vegan joint.



I do not actually. I only visit these boards for OT threads.



Most, like you, like bundle us all together.

As I just explained above, my reasons for becoming vegan are not what immediately comes to mind for most.

This is vegan ramen broth I made for Christmas last year. Took 8 hours to do but tasted awesome with home stretched noodles (yes, those weren't as good unfortunately).

Note, this is a picture of it before it was strained.

https://goo.gl/photos/6ZdLTdzXNxFNK39CA


P.S. I have a ton of self-tried and proven vegan recipes if anyone's interested. I mostly cook ethnic, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese or Japanese vegan meals.



I specialize in Indian and North African cuisine. Indian is also my very favorite though, my spice rack budget is through the roof!

Aloo Gobi - https://goo.gl/photos/uM2ZC9QE1ugc2eFc6

Moroccan chickpea stew (yes, the chickpeas should be partially broken down to add creaminess to the dish) - https://goo.gl/photos/jx5LR9xPpRFkVab86

I have a whole tablet in my pantry with only spices, vinegars and oils.

My vinegar budget is the thing that really is through the roof. You would never see me use balsamic vinegar from a bottle that cost less thank 25$-30$ and I don't have any bottle that costs less than 15$ (except for those I use like a lot outside of dressings, such as white wine vinegar and rice vinegar which I use a lot to deglaze since I don't drink or cook with alcohol)