I am afraid this blog entry is going to be another linker to a piece I wrote for Ottawa Tonite, a great online community that aims to promote arts and culture in Ottawa. For those of you who do no know, we at foodiePrints are members of Ottawa Tonite's team of volunteer bloggers.

When I realized that the piece I was drafting about the premiere of W-Network's Caroline & Dave involved more than food, television and showcasing an innovative restaurant idea in Ottawa, I decided to post it to Ottawa Tonite.

Here is a screen capture for posterity:

Zen Kitchen foodiePrint on Ottawa Tonite

I had great fun at the sponsored premiere, organized by Ian Capstick (@iancapstick) of MediaStyle. He arranged for both traditional and new media to attend the event, local food bloggers.

Here are links to other write-ups on the Caroline and Dave premiere from other food bloggers who attended:

• "The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline and Dave" by "J" of It Ain't Meat Babe
• The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline and Dave by Jessica of Nooschi (@nooschi)
• "The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline and Dave (and the amazing ZenKitchen)" by Rachelle of Rachelle Eats Food

It was an absolute pleasure to meet each blogger. As Jessica points out in her piece, while perfect strangers, it felt like we were already familiar with each other.

In preparation for the event, I discovered that I know far too little about vegetarian cuisine, let alone vegan. With the Adventures of Caroline & Dave culminating in Ottawa's first fine food vegan restaurant called Zen Kitchen, I asked the food community on Twitter for noted tomes to add to my collection. The response was tremendous. A chef (Chef Victoria Elsberry), food bloggers (Leela of SheShimmers and Sarah of What Smells So Good?), and Ottawa residents (@themagicfridge, @refashionista, @smart_spaces and @snobiwan) chimed in.

There were 3 mentions of Mollie Katzen (@MollieKatzen) and the Moosewood Series of cook books. One particular cook book was listed, Vegetable Dishes I can't Live Without.

There were 2 mentions of Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Vegan With a Vengeance: 125 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free, Logo-Free Recipes That Rock and Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook.

There were two mentions of Deborah Madison. One particular cook book was listed, Greens Cookbook.

Other mentioned must-have Vegetarian/Vegan cook books:

• The Complete Vegan Cookbook: Over 200 Tantalizing Recipes Plus Plenty of Kitchen Wisdom for Beginners and Experienced Cooks by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler
• The New Laurel's Kitchen by Laurel Robertson et al.
• The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas
• The Essential Vegetarian by Diana Shaw
• Fresh at Home by Ruth Brown
• Weight Watchers Versatile Vegetarian

Other mentioned noted cook book authors:

• Martha Rose Shulman
• Madhur Jaffrey

From the tweets I received, it looks like I have some searching to do in new and used book stores.

Speaking of cook books, at the Caroline & Dave premiere, I met Michael Bhardwaj of CBC Radio 1, host of In Town and Out. He will be airing regular segments, reviewing cook books. To Bhardwaj, I look forward to the reviews. Please say hi to Amrita Singh for me. And, can you ask the publishers when they will pursue Chef Ishii (Caroline of Caroline & Dave) of Zen Kitchen for a cook book?

July's Supper Club was held at one of Ottawa's older vegetarian restaurant staples, the Table. Even before locally renowned Chef Caroline Ishii found a permanent space for Zen Kitchen (634 Somerset Street W.), the Table (1230 Wellington St. W) and the Green Door (198 Main Street) restaurants developed quite the following for vegetarian fare. The Table remains a popular standby, almost always crowded at dinner time.

Having lived in the Hintonburg/Wellington West area for five years now, it actually took Jenn and I three to find the opportunity to first eat in the restaurant that reputedly broke all the rules. On its country kitchen floor sits pine furniture that is more Ikea than modern urban bistro. Local art graces its walls.

The table seemingly makes no profit on beverages. Filtered water is free, self serve, and in metal cisterns. Fair-trade coffee and tea are likewise available, costing a dollar each. The menu changes depending on what produce is readily available and dishes are served on four long buffets, two hot and two cold. Food is purchased by weight, cafeteria style. Where regular restaurants mark vegetarian options, the Table marks raw or vegan ones.

When dining at the Table, if you plan on having multiple courses, ask the person at the cash and till to run a tab. All table-ware supplied is pre-weighed. It then becomes a question of choosing what delectables your palate craves. Options often represent a world tour of ethnic-inspired dishes. I almost always have a generous servings of South Indian dhal and potato fritters. Guiltily, I have to admit that I have yet to overcome my aversion to meatless lasagna even though the Table's cooks make a tasty vegetable or mushroom interpretation.

During the supper club, I actually found myself too engaged in conversation to take pictures. With our supper club taking two of the long tables in the center of the restaurant, I found myself seated with club members who were far more familiar with the neighbourhood than I. Among the revelations: the best lemon tart in town comes from the 3 Tarts Bakery (1320 Wellington Street W.) and home-style chocolate brownies with an inch of frosting can be had at the locally owned Wellington Sandwiches (1123 Wellington Street W.) in the reconstruction zone.

Fortunately, I was able to get a shot of my dessert, a luscious chocolate beetroot cake.

Chocolate Beetroot Cake

My chosen slice!
Impressions: Think carrot cake texture, only chocolate and hold the raisins. I was impressed and enjoyed my slice. However, I would have appreciated the beetroot shredded somewhat finer.

Total (2 plates, 2 desserts, and 1 coffee): $24.67 (including taxes and tip)

Every time I visit the Table, I am always surprised by how satisfying a vegetarian plate can be. While there are very rarely any standout dishes, the Table serves a decent dinner, making it deserving of its status as a staple restaurant.

Particulars:
The Table Vegetarian Restaurant
1230 Wellington Street W.
(613)729-5973

More after the jump...

Today, a good number of people celebrated Earth Day by bringing reusable mugs to Starbucks for a free cup of Joe. Armed with my daily regimen of home brewed Fair Trade coffee in an aluminium thermos, I chose not to let commercial promotions phase me on a day that is meant to "inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment." Like a lot of responsible Ottawans, I am already sensitive to the need to reduce my ecological footprint. As such, I prefer to observe Earth Day by celebrating my reduced impact and empowering others to reduce theirs. Interestingly, according to wikipedia, the United Nations (UN) observes "an" Earth Day during the Vernal Equinox, otherwise known as the first day of spring (usually mid-March).

Whether or not the UN recognizes the more American Earth Day (April 21), there are many ways each of us can lesson our impact on the planet. One involves realizing that many entertainment electronics are always on and chargers for smart phones and the like draw power even when the devices are themselves disconnected. The easiest solution involves disconnecting chargers when they are not in use. A slightly more invasive one involves purchasing switched power strips and/or timers to stem the unnecessary power drain. Several "intelligent" power strips can even manage the power drain themselves.

I enumerated a shortlist of my green measures on Andrea Tomkins' (@missfish) "A Peek into the Fishbowl" website.

...I use a stainless steel camp mug for coffee everyday. I carry my breakfast and lunch in re-usable containers. I buy no bottled water, opting for tap water in a BPA-free metal water bottle. I try to purchase fair trade certified ingredients for recipes. When I shop, I bring re-usable shopping bags with me. I recycle everything (paper, plastics, metal), reducing my contribution to the city landfill. I try to purchase publications printed only on recycled paper. Even then, most of the content I read is aggregated using Google Reader. All of my e-waste including non-computer electronic devices go to Ottawa?s own Computer Recyclers, where I pay for the assurance that it will be dealt with responsibly. Finally, I live centrally so that I do not require a car, preferring foot-power and public transportation...

The list enters me into a draw for an Earth Day giveaway of some nifty environmentally-friendly products. Given the popularity of the website, my chances of winning will be slim. I wanted more to share my experience and gauge those of others. When I went back later this afternoon, I was elated to see the sheer number of people and entire families who have also adopted green practices.

That said, my listing also promised that I would post a recipe for a vegan stuffed peppers to provide an alternative to preparing intensively reared meat for a meal. It follows:

Find yourself 4 lovely bell peppers.

A 5th pepper, an onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 cup cooked rice, and ground meat make up the stuffing

Regarding the ground meat, pick up a 340 g package of Yves Veggie Ground Round.

Veggie Ground Round
The packs pictured come from the Superstore at the corner of Richmond and Kirkwood.

Textured Soy Product
Veggie Ground Round is a textured soy product that resembles and behaves somewhat like ground meat. It comes already cooked, so only requires reheating.

For the stuffing...

Chop up the pepper somewhat finely. It needs to mix together with...

1 cup of cooked long grain rice

Do the same with the other aromatics and gently sweat everything with a pinch of salt over medium heat
Once the aromatics are translucent, season to taste with salt, pepper, and cumin.

Add the beef and continue cooking on medium so that it takes on some of the flavors in the pan

Add the rice and continue cooking on medium until it softens
Afterward, move the pan away from the heat and allow it to cool. Meanwhile, cut the tops off of the peppers, eviscerating the seeds and other innards.

Loosely pack the mixture into the peppers and set them into a slow cooker
Add a cup of tomato juice (or however much it takes to come halfway up the peppers), cover, bring to a simmer on high, and simmer for 45 minutes on low.

Done

To serve, carefully remove a pepper into a small bowl, gently displace its top, and sauce with a tbsp of cooking liquid.

Served

The recipe produces softened peppers and a somewhat waterlogged stuffing. Though, I have been told this is the appropriate texture. Tastewise, the stuffed peppers were surprisingly beefy. The veggie ground round and rice carried the Spanish sofrito flavours well.

Next time, I am going to par cook the eviscerated peppers in a steamer, stuff them, and bake them under the broiler with a cracker gratin.

Some of my loyal readers may recognize this recipe, as it was one I concocted as a response to failed all-meat stuffed peppers. This recipe came out much better and I attribute the relative success to assistance from another Twitter personality I follow, @jessrawk. It was her gallery of vegan dishes that inspired this foray into environmentally conscious cuisine. Thanks for your help!

Happy Earth Day!

Update: I won the draw! I have forwarded my mailing address to @missfish and am eagerly awaiting the package of environmentally friendly stationary. The compressed newsprint pencils really intrigue to me. Thanks Andrea. Cheers!

And here is the prize!

Prize
It arrived c/o Canada Post Tuesday, May 12, 2009.