Veggin' Out And About

Ethiopian Dinner Fundraiser for VegBoone

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Sep 16, 2012 in Ethiopian, Features, Living Plant-Strong! Profiles & Articles | 0 comments

VegBoone is offering a delicious Ethiopian feast in exchange for member support. VegBoone member and talented chef, Danielle Bussone, will be preparing this dinner to help us with the costs of running VegBoone. (These include fees for: the Meetup software, printing, literature offered at events, and venue rental.) The cost of the dinner is $10 per person (non-refundable) and we will be selling tickets at the events scheduled before October 9th. We would really appreciate payment in advance, but will accept payment at the door if there are any slots available.

Here is Danielle’s description of the dinner. (more…)

Mint Cuisine of India’s Aloo Baigan

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Aug 30, 2012 in Boone, NC, Indian | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Enjoy this video for Aloo Baigan, a vegan eggplant & potato dish contributed to us by Mint Cuisine of India Restaurant in Boone NC.

I absolutely LOVE this dish. If you follow these directions carefully, you will create a delicious, truly authentic Indian dish sure to please. Don’t let the number of spices and steps intimidate you. Many of the spices are just repeated in the various steps. It’s really quite easy. You can make this entire dish in 30 minutes. If you can’t find garam masala (many grocers carry it) or dried fenugreek leaves (methi) at your local markets, you can find them at an Indian grocer. You may also leave out the fenugreek, though it adds a lovely subtle finish to the dish.

Ingredients: (more…)

Mint Cuisine of India, Boone, NC

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Aug 11, 2012 in Boone, NC, Indian | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Mint Exterior

Thank you, Goldie Nabatoff, for introducing our vegan meet-up group, VegBoone, to this fantastic restaurant. Mint has only been opened a couple of months as of August 10th and it is already jam-packed with customers for lunch and for dinner. Don’t despair, there is plenty of seating. The food is outstanding!!! We first sampled the cuisine when we attended a party there with VegBoone. There were nearly fifty of us and we all ate until we could eat no more.

Rich and I returned a few days later to do a video of the chef, Kanubhai Rabari, preparing a dish called Aloo Baigan, a fantastic stew of eggplant and potatoes. All I can say is OHMYGOD! It is SO delicious. The thing that sets Mint Cuisine of India apart from other Indian restaurants we have visited is the obvious freshness of the food and the care in which it is prepared.

Aloo Baigan

We spoke in depth with the manager, Yogi Rabari. He explained to us that when the chef prepares vegan food, great care is taken so that no part of the vegan dish comes in contact with anything that is non-vegan. He takes his vegan customers seriously and diligently oversees the preparation of their food personally. The homemade tomato sauce and homemade onion sauce, which are the bases of most of their dishes, are made fresh daily. What is not used in a day is discarded.

Vegetable Biryani

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Hob Nob Farm Cafe

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Jul 30, 2012 in American, Asian, Boone, NC, Caribbean, Indian, Middle Eastern, Southwestern US | 4 comments

Hob Nob’s Interior

by Danielle Bussone

A very interesting couple owns this cafe. Nova and Mike Nelson, whom I believe is the chef, seem to love creating new restaurants which combine marvelous fusions of cultures and flavors with very healthy eating, always with vegetarian and vegan options.

Hob Nob’s Outdoor Dining

The first of their restaurants, at least that we’ve experienced, was called Angelica’s. You could fine Asian-style nori rolls, Cajun red beans and rice and wonderful Italian pastas. Once this restaurant became a huge success, they sold it and moved to another location across town where they founded The Coyote Kitchen. I’ll talk about this restaurant in depth later as it still exists under new management. Coyote Kitchen quickly became our favorite restaurant in Boone with its creative fusions of Caribbean and Southwestern cuisines. Once this was up and running full tilt, they again sold their restaurant and opened a Thai restaurant in yet another area of town. (I did not make it to this restaurant and can not reliably comment on it.) The next thing we knew, they were back at the Angelica’s location with still another restaurant which they call the Hob Nob Farm Cafe. It is marvelous! I’ve never had a bad meal there.

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Jade’s Market (Jade’s Market has been sold and is now Angkor Bistro)

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Jul 23, 2012 in Asian, Grocers, I-26, Johnson City, TN, Thai | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Jade’s Market has been one of Johnson City’s best kept secrets. But the secret is out! Located conveniently near Johnson City Medical Center right off of State of Franklin Road, you won’t find better Thai food anywhere. There is a lunch buffet for carnivores and a menu from which Tara can convert any of the recipes to vegan, all costing a modest $7.59. Drunken Noodles is Rich’s favorite, I love the Pad Thai equally well. Much of her herbs and vegetable produce come from Tara’s own garden, even the keffir lime leaves essential to Thai Cuisine. The restaurant is named after one of her twin girls, Jade. She also owns Lola’s Bistro and Wine Bar which is named after the other twin, Lola, located near The Olive Garden off N. Roan Street. (more…)

Jade’s Market (now Angkor Bistro’s) Thai Drunken Noodles

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Jul 18, 2012 in Asian, Grocers, I-26 | 1 comment

One of the dishes Rich and I love most at Jade’s Market and Eatery is her flavorful Drunken Noodles.

Recipe For Thai Drunken Noodles

1 tsp canola oil

1 tsp of chopped garlic

1/2 cup white onions, large dice

1/2 cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup mixed bell peppers, large dice

1/2 cup baby corn, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup fresh broccoli

1 1/2 cups rice noodles (soaked)

1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp thin soy sauce

1 tsp dark sweet soy sauce

1 tbsp chili garlic (sambal oelek)

2 tbsp thai basil (8-10 leaves)

Vegetables can be added as much or as little as you like. For this example, Tara uses white onion, multicolored bell peppers (large dice), broccoli pieces, sliced carrots, baby corn cut into chunks, and Thai basil.

Add a little vegetable oil to a hot wok or skillet. Add vegetables and garlic and stir constantly until a little soft. Stir in rice noodles. Add a little water if needed to make sure they cook through. Add remaining ingredients and continue to stir until vegetables are crisp tender and noodles are done, 1-2 minutes. Serve hot. All of the sauces for this dish can be purchased at Jade’s Market or can be purchased at a Thai or Asian Market in your area.

Suwana’s Thai Orchid, Asheville, NC

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Jul 8, 2012 in Asheville, NC, Asian, I-240, I-26 | 2 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Asheville, North Carolina was recently voted the best small city in which to find vegetarian restaurants. Somehow, Suwana’s Thai Orchid was overlooked in several of the on-line vegetarian search engines. We are so tired of the standard vegan fare, meatless meals made to look like meat, tofu out the wazoo. What we want are delicious fresh vegetables presented in healthy, tasty sauces. Suwana’s Thai Orchid certainly accomplishes that.

Suwana’s Exterior

Spicy Eggplant

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New Apna Bazaar, Kingsport, TN (This market has moved to a new location in Johnson City, TN and is now called Spice World. Review pending.)

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Jul 6, 2012 in Grocers, I-81, Indian, Kingsport, TN | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

New Apna Bazaar in Kingsport, TN, is the Tri-Cities area only Indian market. Fortunately, you can find almost anything you are looking for here. From fresh exotic vegetables to Indian cooking utensils to grains and spices, you’ll find items you’ll be hard pressed to find at your local market.

The owner, Chirag Patel, speaks excellent English and can help you find whatever you’re looking for and will look for unusual foodstuffs in his weekly trek to Atlanta for exotic produce. He is an excellent resource for cooking information and actually taught me how to cook Dohkla, a spicy chickpea cake, and several Indian vegetable dishes.

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Abingdon Farmers’ Market, Abingdon, VA

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Jun 18, 2012 in Abingdon, VA, Farmers' Markets, I-81 | 0 comments

This is my favorite local market. It meets twice a week, Saturday mornings from 7 am to noon and Tuesday afternoons from 3 pm to 6 pm. You can find plenty of fresh seasonal fruits, vegetables and herbs, seedlings for your garden, fresh breads and pastries, jams, salsas, coffees, homemade soaps, jewelry, flowers, and sometimes art. Many of the vendors offer organic fare and Saturdays usually feature some sort of entertainment. Arrive early for the best of the best. Parking is no problem.

Cafe Lola, Johnson City, TN

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Jun 17, 2012 in American, I-26, Johnson City, TN | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Cafe Lola is a charming little bistro and wine bar. The owners, Tara and Hunter, named this quaint little restaurant after one of their twin daughters, Lola. They also own our favorite Thai restaurant in Johnson City called Jade’s Market and Eatery, named after their other daughter, Jade.

Tara is a lovely, willow-thin genial young woman who is willing to do whatever it takes to offer her customers a satisfying meal. Hunter is an energetic, affable young man who will make you feel right at home. (more…)