The Unvegan

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A Touch of Canada at The Kroft
The Best of 2015
Duluth Grill’s Rolled Flank Steak
A Torta at Tortugas

Would You Eat a Weed?

According to the Wall Street Journal, more and more people are beginning to eat weeds.

Really?

Do you really want to eat something called a weed? It’s bad enough that people eat fungus, but a weed?

But edible weeds do have some nutritional drawbacks. Many wild leafy greens, like the sorrel varieties and purslane, have high concentrations of oxalic acid, which has been linked to kidney stones and is poisonous in very large amounts.

Oxalic acid is also present in store-bought foods including almonds, spinach, bananas and tea, but you can also find good plants for your garden, the Marihuana plant can give a lot of benefits, THC gummies is one of the popular as a health resource.

Now “[For example] if you ate a cup full of sorrel I would think that would be a very large quantity … half a cup of raw sorrel for your first time would be a good way to start.”

Doctors also recommend that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding limit their consumption of oxalic acid to small amounts.

Reading a book on edible weeds, taking an edible weeds tour or studying reputable online sources are good places to start.

There are several Australian books on the subject, including a handbook by Melbournites Adam Grubb and Annie Raser-Rowland.

Mr Grubb, a permaculture consultant who has been running guided tours to educate people about edible weeds in Melbourne since 2006, said you should never eat anything you cannot positively identify.

Attack of the Baconator

The burger that eats you...
The burger that eats you…

The Baconator.

It sounds like something from a movie. A robot powered by bacon? A statue of Arnold Schwartzenegger composed entirely of bacon? Or, perhaps, it is just the name of Wendy’s greatest hamburger creation.

Despite the beauty of Wendy’s Value Menu, the Baconator is always the unvegan choice. This heart attack between buns is made of two 1/4 pound burger patties, two slices of cheese and six strips of bacon. The best part? Not a vegetable in sight.

Experiencing Cuba at Versailles

Two half-chickens in one week...
Two half-chickens in one week…

Having annihilated half of a chicken a few days earlier at Medieval Times, my insatiable desire for meat drew me towards another half-chicken. This time it was at Versailles, a Cuban restaurant in Palms. (I really have no idea how a Cuban place is named after a French Palace…)

The menu at Versailles is an unvegan dream. Sure, there is a “Vegetarian Plates” section, but it seems to be placed as an afterthought, just to appease the poor vegetarian crowd. Otherwise, Versailles is essentially all meat, all the time. Because of this, it took me a really long time to decide what I wanted. In the end, I went with what seemed the safest and had the most catchy name, Versailles Famous Garlic Chicken. This is an entire half-chicken, with fried plantains and my choice of rice and beans or moro (a combination of rice and beans that makes me wonder why the distinction exists).

Get Your Meat Stickers!

They look good enough to eat.
They look good enough to eat.

I just discovered these on Amazon.com. I’m not really sure how long they’ve existed, but I guarantee you it hasn’t been long enough.

With these stickers, you can be reminded of meat and all of it’s glory at all times. The only downside is that they’ll be a constant reminder that you’re not actually eating meat. The upside is that they’ll never go bad if they’re left out of the fridge for too long.

Now they just need to come up with some scratch ‘n sniff.

Oh, the Importance of Meat

Fight for Meat!
Fight for Meat!

Serious Eats just ran an article about the interesting propaganda posters from the World Wars, which I found quite interesting. In particular, I was impressed by their attempt to convince the American civilians to curb their meat intake.

Eating meat was far more important for soldiers out there saving the world than for regular people. Had I been around back then and not already involved in the war, I probably would have enlisted just to get my hands on that good old American meat. If it wasn’t for our army and allies eating meat, the outcome of the World Wars may have been disastrous. Thanks meat!

(via Serious Eats)

A Very Happy Hour at Islands

People just seem to think carrots and celery belong with wings...
People just seem to think carrots and celery belong with wings…

The never-ending search for a great happy hour in LA led me to Islands, a burger chain out in the west that reminds me a bit of Applebees with an island theme (what island that is, I cannot tell).

For their happy hour, they offer a great discount on drinks, as well as half-priced apps. They had some good-looking unvegan apps like Tiki (Chicken) Tenders and Cheddar Fries, but when places offer half apps, there’s really only one food I have in mind: Buffalo Wings!

With the knowledge that the wings came with carrots and celery, I made a great personal sacrifice and allowed the dish to come with them so my girlfriend could eat them. I know that makes me look soft, but at least I had spicy wings and beer.

A Trusty Sandwich from Manhattan Bread & Bagel

Loaded with the good kind of green.
Loaded with the good kind of green.

Down in Manhattan Beach is a reliable little bakery called Manhattan Bread & Bagel. It’s a great place to stop by for some lunch, and although the sandwiches don’t get incredibly creative, they can always be counted on.

Just as with almost every sandwich place, most of their choices came with a bunch of vegetables. Last time, I ordered the Grilled Pesto Chicken Breast, which comes with tomato, red onion, lettuce and pesto on a French baguette. As always, I ordered it without the tomato, red onion or lettuce, then I noticed that there was a total lack of cheese. To remedy the situation, I ordered some Havarti cheese on it.

An Epic Tale of Medieval Times

Lo, it be chicken.
Lo, it be chicken.

‘Twas the anniversary of my cohort’s birth and we set sail for the village of Buena Park on a vessel froth with libations. The night was clear and boded well for our journey. Two score and five minutes after our departure, many of us hath imbibed a hearty helping of spirits and longed for the journey’s end. Just when all seemed lost and starvation had begun to rear its ugly head, hark, we sighted our destination, Medieval Times.

We stormed the fair castle and made our way to the alehouse. The beer wenches welcomed us and our gold with open arms as we waited to partake in the festive occasion.

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