Restaurant Review: HOST, Liverpool

Welcome to the first of a series of restaurant reviews that I will be posting,with the hope to help you navigate your way around the world of plant-based dining in Liverpool, the Northwest and beyond. I will be eating my way through a range of eateries, from vegetarian/vegan restaurants to those where I have to scour the menu for that elusive vegan option so that you don't have to.

HOST situated on Hope Street, Liverpool

Since making the transition to a plant based diet in February 2014, one of the main struggles I have faced is learning how to eat out with my carnivorous friends. However, more and more vegan friendly options are popping up all over the city, which is making my journey much easier and fun too!
HOST is found on Hope Street in the 'cultural district' of Liverpool. This area is full of restaurants and is a renowned  destination for foodies. This multi award-winning Pan-Asian diner, nestled in between the 2 iconic Liverpool cathedral, has pioneered vegan inclusiveness by offering a separate vegan friendly menu for a while now. As it is right on my doorstop it seemed the perfect place for my debut restaurant report.
We chose to visit the restaurant without booking a table at around 8pm on a Thursday evening. Although the place was buzzing, there was no problem getting a table and we were seated straight away. We were handed standard menus that had a selection of vegan options, however luckily I had checked in the window beforehand I realised that the menus were not completely up to date with all the options free from animal products. I asked the waitress about this, and she was happy to offer me a separate vegan menu, which had the full list of available options.

Comprehensive vegan friendly menu at HOST on my visit in May 2015.

I was really happy with the selection of Thai, Chinese and Japanese fusion cuisine on offer. It is not often that you find such a well rounded list that you are 100% sure you can eat. As it was getting late and it had been a long day, I chose to skip nibbles and starters and decided on a main and dessert. Although the service was friendly, the one quibble I do have is that it took a while for our order to be taken. Our waiter checked on us after we were seated and offered us water, but failed to return after that for a good 20 minutes. However, after that the food was served quickly, was hot and fresh, and the bill and additional water were served in good time. This is only a very small nuance and had I not had such a long day, and wasn't as hungry, then this is probably not something I would have noticed or commented on.

My white miso and udon noodle soup main was authentic and delicious. Miso soup is a staple of mine as it is so nutritious, easy to cook and satisfying, so I am not stranger to what a good Japanese miso should taste like. The saltiness of the dashi (stock) was spot on, indicating a kombu (dried kelp base) with white miso melted through it. The udon noodles, edamame and tofu were a hearty and satisfying addition, while the broccoli and spinach perked the dish up and gave it a modern twist. Their are two criticisms that I have regarding the dish. Firstly there was no butternut squash as advertised on the menu. Butternut squash is one of my favourite vegetables and was one of the reasons I picked the soup. I think the sweetness of the squash would have added another flavour dimension and texture that would work particularly well. I also found there was a lack of fresh coriander in the dish. When I was lucky enough to get a mouthful with coriander then the whole dish was brought to life with that fresh, distinctive taste. Unfortunately, I only found the right balance of this in 2 mouthfuls and feel that a good deal more of the herb would have lifted the dish to the next level. At almost £10 for a soup that contains none of the expensive animal products that the meat and fish dishes do, I expect to see a good variety and portion of vegetables and herbs and to see what is offered on the menu.

White Miso and Udon Noodle Soup

Any criticism I had with the main were soon forgotten when I was served my dessert. Cakes, pastries, ice cream, desserts, in fact all the sweet things, are what I particularly miss since ditching animal products. I was super excited to see a dairy and egg free cake on the menu, so it didn't take me long to decide on the carrot cake for afters. The cake was warm, moist, sweet, filled with nuts and big juicy raisins, and spiced to absolute perfection. It was topped with a scrumptious alternative to the traditional cream cheese topping that comes with carrot cake, a light creamy topping made from coconut cream and seasoned with green cardamon. And as if that wasn't enough, the dish came with a side of mango sorbet covered in pistachio nuts. The texture of the sorbet was divine. Thick, luscious, soft, with the unbeatable taste of fresh mango. I would wholehearted challenge any vegan doubters to taste this dessert and tell me it is not a match for its dairy and egg filled opponent! I am actually kicking myself for not trying to get the recipe, and for the cake alone I will certainly be back.

Spiced Carrot Cake with Mango Sorbet

All in all, I think that HOST are providing a high class culinary experience for those of us who choose to live a vegan lifestyle. There may have been some slight  mistakes on the night, but this does not put me off returning and spending my cash here. Real effort has been made to provide a menu for those who choose a cruelty free diet, that is a match for the meaty offers on the menu. The chefs have obviously chosen to create exciting options and I vow to visit regularly to check on how the menu evolves.

To keep up with updates and information yourself, please find HOST on Facebook and Twitter. 

Please feel free to comment on your experiences at HOST below.

Big love,

The Curly Vegan

Easy Tatty, Pea & Cauli Daal

So this is my first recipe post and I thought I would start with a quick and simple, but extremely tasty curry.

Asian food is probably one of the best cuisines to turn too when first pursing a vegan, plant based or vegetarian lifestyle. In particular, dishes from India, Nepal, and Pakistan translate very well when only using plant based ingredients. The flavours are exotic, spicy and versatile. Very cheap and basic veggies and pulses can be turned into magical dishes using the delicious tastes from the East. Plus, who doesn't like curry?!

Lentils make the main base of a daal dish. Lentils are a go-to staple for veggies and vegans. They are cheap, nutritious, all rounders, which are low in calories, almost fat free, easy to cook and full of protein. I have chosen to use split red lentils for this recipe as that is what I had in my store cupboard, plus they are the quickest lentils to cook, but you can choose to use whatever lentils you can get your hands on. Toor daal are the traditional Indian lentls that are used, but you can subsitute for yellow, green or red split peas. The instructions of how to cook will be on the packet, so just adjust my recipe accordingly. The same goes for the veggies. I added potato, cauliflower and peas to make the dahl more substantial and yummy. You can play around with what you have available.

Similarly, I have offered you a great spice mix here that can be used to create your daal. Again it is just a guide based on what I had available. The main things to take from this recipe is that you need to pack as much 'oomph' into your curry as possible. This is done by adding herbs and spices to both the lentils broth along with a dry mix used in the frying pan to release the flavour. I would recommend that you follow those instructions, but when it comes to choosing the mix, have fun and play around with the cupboard ingredients that you have. My recipes do not need to be followed to the T. I aim to guide you in eating a healthy and balanced plant-based diet, but please do experiment as this will inspire you to create your own wonderful dishes. The recipe can be found below, please let me know how it works for you or send me any recipes you come up with.

Potato, Pea and Cauliflower Dahl

Ingredients
1 lg potato, cubed
1 sm cauliflower, chopped
300g frozen garden peas
300g red lentil, rinsed
1 sm onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 thumbsized piece fresh ginger, finely grated
1 organic low salt vegetable stock cube (I use Kallo)
900ml water
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 bay leaf
5 green cardamon pods
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masal
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 dried chili
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons pink Himalayan salt
Handful fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 lemon juice

Instructions

Bring the water to the boil, in a large pan. Add the lentils, stock cube, bay, cardamon, turmeric, garam masala and chili powder to the water. Boil for a few minutes then reduce the heat and simmer. Time depends on the type of lentil, and the texture you want. I simmered for 25 minutes until the lentils were soft and mushy, and the water mixture had reduced right down.

While the lentils are simmering, add the coconut oil to a large frying pan and melt on a medium heat. Use a pestle and mortar or a spice blender to grind the dry spices (cumin/coriander/fennel seeds, dried chili). Fry the dried spice mix in the coconut oil to release the flavour. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry until onions are translucent. Add potato. peas and cauliflower and fry for around 20 minutes, or until tender. Add additional water if necessary (this can be taken from the lentil pan). Season with salt. Add lentils and stir together. Add lemon juice and fresh coriander to taste.

Recipe serves 4 people with basmati/naan accompaniment or 2 people without.

Enjoy! Please feel free to leave comments below.

Rainbow City Reboot

Panoramic picture of Rainbow City, Portugal

One thing that has really inspired me to start posting again, is a recent trip that my sister and I took to Rainbow City in the mountains of Portugal, 3 hours north of Lisbon.

Founded by friends Anthony Lowther and Daniel Kruger, they have created a magical health retreat, immersed in nature and away from the hustle and bustle of every day life. This was the perfect place to go for my first 2 weeks medication free, and best of all their main focus is on living a super healthy lifestyle of which Anthony calls a 'constant health upgrade' and he's not wrong. I found this the perfect place to reboot my health before committing to treating bipolar naturally.

Anthony and son Malakai

Dan and resident dog Huxley

Now I could tell you about the ins and outs of our stay, but primarily our days consisted of waking with the rising sun and early nights, eating a raw organic diet packed full of juices and superfoods, yoga, aligning with nature, meditation and high intensity training. Our downtown was spent in deep conversation with our fellow RC dwellers, reading, singing, or watching a good movie. Not too shabby, but it doesn't make compelling reading in my eyes. So, instead of talking you through that, I think it is more beneficial for me to share the main things I took from my week and how you can apply them to your life when booking a yoga retreat or help upgrade your health from home.

Before arriving at RC, I was worried that everyone would be a yoga expert and as an amateur, I would not know any moves and make a fool of myself. However, I found that you don't need to be an expert yogi to enjoy, and benefit from, a yoga retreat.
RC welcomed anyone from the  absolute beginner to the daily devotee. And there was not air of showing off or pretense of keeping up. Everyone was free to go at their own speed whether that meant going slow with more challenging poses or pushing the limits on familiar ones. As an added bonus, there were several professional yoga teachers residing there during my stay, who were more than willing to offer me tuition. The result was that I dropped my ego and stopped worrying what people thought of my practice. I realised that no one cares, which left me feeling much more confident and able to 'feel' my moves rather than over-think them. After 10 days of yoga, it was easy to create a personal routine to take anywhere.I have practiced at home every day since I have returned and I am now even looking into courses in India for next year. 

Yoga in Dome 1

'You are what you eat' and 'Let food be thy medicine' are famous quotes that I thought I understood before my trip. I didn't realise the truth that rings through them until my two week diet upgrade. The RC family buy all local organic ingredients and prepare vibrant colourful meals. Breakfast typically started with a raw juice, smoothie or porridge with superfoods such as chia seeds, goji berries, spirulina, chlorella, maca or cacao, to name but a few. Lunch and dinner included fresh dips, soups, salads and all the fruit and veggies you could want. Throughout the day there would always be offering of fresh raw desserts, which were the biggest winner for me. You really do have to taste them to believe how good they are, and when you know they are sin free, they taste even more glorious!

Before diving headfirst into Rainbow City life, I had dabbled in raw cuisine but found it intimidating and unsatisfying. Since returning to the UK I have maintained a diet of aroun d 70% raw foods. I am motivated, not only by how good it tastes, but also by how alive eating raw makes me feel. I feel supercharged in mind, body and spirit. I really believe that it is my new diet that is helping me cope with living with bipolar medication free.

Raw chocolate brownies with goji berries

One thing that I found particularly healing was the pace of the days. The days are structured, not ordained. As volunteers there were certain things that we needed to contribute towards as part of the community such as preparing food and cleaning, but apart from that the days pretty much took care of themselves and there was not need to worry about planning. With the conflicting symptoms of depression and mania, bipolar can see like I am always fighting against the two extremes, so it was a huge relief when I realised I could try just sitting back and letting the schedule unfold before me. This gave me an opportunity to go with the flow of my moods and also indulge in my passion of painting. My sister and I completed a huge wall mural in the cinema room. It felt amazing to contribute a long lasting piece of art for other guests to enjoy. Going with the flow, and embracing my creativity are lessons that I am hoping to live by moving forward.

Wall mural created by myself and my sister

At Rainbow City there is huge emphasis on community living. As someone who has always suffered from depression, mood swings and anxiety, I thought this would be challenging for me, as I tend to hide myself away to avoid others seeing. It was in fact the opposite. It encouraged me to listen to my own moods and challenge some destructive behaviours that I have such as isolating myself and being dishonest to others about how I am feeling. There is such a stigma surrounding mental health that I often only socialise when I am feeling 'normal'. This experience allowed me to be more accepting of myself and stop worrying about how others see me. It helped that everyone at RC was so lovely and on my wavelength. Living as part of a tight-knit community was new to me, but I really did feel like a houseguest, friend and even part of one huge family but the end of my stay.

Rainbow City ladies

My main reasons for going to Rainbow City were to destress, work on a yoga practice, learn how to breathe, and put away my smartphone and connect with my feelings and moods. I got much more than this. I left with a new sense of self, great feeling of accomplishment and a new Rainbow family from all corners of the globe. Not bad at all.

If you would like more information about staying at Rainbow City, please get in touch via their Facebook Page.

Real Men Eat Plants

To me there is nothing more sexy than compassion. Recently, some of the stigma surrounding veganism has been lifted thanks to an increase in celebrity endorsement. Here are my top 10 sexy vegan males. Easy on the eyes and the conscience!

10. Benjamin Zephaniah

The beautiful poet has been vegan since age 15, when as the only black person in his school, he counted animals amongst his friends. And this vegan lifestyle seems to have paid off. In an interview with The Guardian he says, "I'm 52, do kung-fu, running and football alongside 20-year-olds, and still none of them can beat me. This isn't bragging – I'm just making a point."

9. Peter Dinklage

Most famous for his role as Tyrion Lannister in HBO series 'Game of Thrones', this actor may be small in stature but he has huge views when it comes to the ethical treatment of animals. Vegetarian since his teens, he recently made the switch to veganism and has been a great advocate by working with PETA to encourage people to ditch eggs, dairy and meat with film 'Face Your Food'. The film may be difficult viewing, but Peter makes it easy to be ethical.

8. Stic.Man 

This Hip Hop artist, of Dead Prez fame, initially gave up animal products after suffering from gout in his leg. And guess what? The plant based diet he chose cured the gout and gave him a banging body to boot! Using his musical clout to address food matters and other political issues is all in a days work for Stic. Check out this great interview with Dead Prez by Our Hen House.

7. Saul Williams

American rapper, singer, musician, poet, writer, and actor Williams is best known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop. And if that isn't enough to impress you, Williams is also an animal rights and political activist. I only actually discovered Saul Williams when researching this post, but boy is he one hot (vegan) tamale!

6. Steve-O

Now I can relate a lot to number 6 on my list, who is renowned for his crazy stunts on Jackass. He has overcome addiction and bipolar, aligns with his compassionate nature by following a healthy vegan lifestyle, plus he likes his ink. Of the benefits of ditching animal products he wrote, "Almost as soon as I went vegan, people started telling me that my skin looked great, and that I appeared younger, slimmer, and healthier. I'm convinced that of all the changes I've made to my lifestyle, it's the adoption of a vegan diet that has been best for me - physically, mentally, and certainly spiritually."

I feel the same Steve-O... shall we date?

5. Joaquin Phoenix

Committed vegan and activist Joaquin Phoenix has avoided all animal products since age 3. On narrating vegan advocacy movie 'Earthlings' he says " Of all the films I have ever made, this is the one that gets people talking the most". A very true statement, as it is this documentary that made me and many of my vegan friends choose a plant based diet.Couple that with his impressive acting skills and striking looks and the result is one super vegan hunk.

4. Russell Brand

You would have to live under a rock to not know who Russell Brand is. This longtime vegetarian, comedian, author and actor turned political broadcaster, went vegan after watching 'Forks Over Knives' in 2011. He has has since blazed the animal rights trail by advocating veganism to his 5 million followers on Twitter. Now I don't know about you, but I find that pretty damn sexy!

3. Casey Affleck

This actor comes from strong vegan roots. Married to famous vegan Summer Phoenix and best friends with her brother Joaquin (Number 5), Casey made the switch to a plant based diet in 2005. He says, "When people ask me why I don’t eat meat or any other animal products, I say, ‘Because they are unhealthy and they are the product of a violent and inhumane industry'".
 He may be the strong silent type, but with views like these and those good looks, he is straight in as number 3.

2. Woody Harrelson

Woody is probably the most famous vegan on my list, and he gains extra sexy points for using his notoriety to promote veganism to his many adoring international fans (me included!). As a true eco-warrior he has chosen to live a raw vegan lifestyle, and champions eating local, organically grown, unprocessed, uncooked plant based foods, for health, environmental and ethical reasons.
In an interview by Esquire, aptly titled 'Who doesn't love Woody Harrelson'  he says of his early years trying to make it as an actor in New York,
 "I was on a bus and some girl sees me blowing my nose. I had acne all over my face, which I'd had for years and years. And she's like: 'Hey, you're lactose intolerant. If you quit dairy, all these symptoms you got will be gone in three days.' I was like twenty-four. And I was like, No way. But three days later: gone". 
I must say that all these years later, the raw stuff is still working out for you!

1. Jared Leto

Call me biased, but I have had a crush on Leto since the 90's when he got me hot under my school shirt in as Jordan Catalano in 'My So-Called Life'. Luckily for me, Leto also has substance as well as those brooding good looks. He is a multi-award winning actor, super talented vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and main songwriter in band '30 Seconds to Mars' and he has been a longtime vegan and yogi, crediting this lifestyle for his healthy look and physique. If you ever need a yoga buddy Jared, you know where I am.

Believe

So, it has been a while since my first (and only) post. But I'm back!

What can I say, I have been through the mill a bit. Over the past year I have been diagnosed with Type II Bipolar and struggled with managing the symptoms. There have been times when I have though 'I can't go on' and times when I have wanted to just eat junk and hide away. I was placed on numerous medications and battled my addiction to self medicating using alcohol and drugs. However, the one thing I have tried to remain constant is the belief that a healthy plant based diet can cure this illness. I am not perfect and I have eaten cheese and chocolate on occasion, but I have persevered and I am happy to say that I am now 100% medication free and I am managing the symptoms of Bipolar II naturally. I am now feeling strong and ready to share my journey with you. I will remain under a pen name but all posts will be 100% honest and just hope that this blog may inspire others who are feeling low, living with mental health challenges, or just simply want to feel more healthy, to make a change.