Impossible Burger (no flag)

A talented chef where I work had the opportunity to use Impossible Foods' Impossible Burgers* as an exploration of sustainable protein sources for the next generation, assuming they will have figured out that filtering grain through animals doesn't seem like the best plan. Knowing I'm vegan, he was anxious to hear what I thought of it, and offered myself and my colleagues a private taste test at a top secret location.

He explained that he'd received the product as "chopped meat" and had experimented with patties of different thicknesses. He'd decided that a relatively thin patty offered the most authentic tasting burger, so that's what he prepared for us. These were the partially thawed patties looking all bloody like I remember coming out of VM's freezer (insert barf-face here):

He told us that the "meat" was made up predominately of wheat, coconut oil, and potatoes. He knew all about the "heme" (leghemoglobin) and explained that the burger could be cooked well, medium or bloody rare- with the droplets of coconut oil mimicking the animal fat pockets in cow burgers. Grody. He cooked mine in a separate pan because I was the only vegan in the group and he's the best.

I thought I detected a meaty smell when it began cooking, but as it continued to cook I couldn't exactly place the scent. He recommended cooking my burger well, guessing correctly that I did not need my burger to "bleed." He cooked it in a little bit of oil, which gave a nice crisp to the surfaces of the patty.

The others in the group ranged from ardent carnivores to everyday omnivores, and one relatively new vegetarian. I think it's a great sign that they were all up for the taste-test- with nary a naysayer in the bunch.

It's not often I get to partake in a fixin's bar, so I loaded my burger up with ketchup, lettuce, tomato, and sliced pickled jalapenos in lieu of standard pickles.

You'll note that I was robbed of an "Impossible" flag

I've eaten a lot of bean and/or vegetable patties in my day- and more of the ubiquitous portabella mushroom "burgers" than I care to revisit, so I wouldn't necessarily categorize this as a veggie burger. It reminded me more of a fast-food type burger replica (sans gristle) than a hand-formed, chopped meat patty- except it wasn't nasty. I actually enjoyed it much more than I expect to, as did the omnis and vegetarian. The meat-lover ate a bite and a half and apologized that she couldn't "choke down" any more, but everyone else finished every bite. Nobody thought they could be tricked into thinking that this was a cow burger, which I think is a possibility with the Beyond Burger.

Our group had a great conversation about sustainability and spoke very little about ethics, but what they were most interested in was the nutrition. It turns out that the Impossible Burger packs about twice as much protein as a cow burger; this was probably why I found it to be so extraordinarily filling. I suppose that Impossible Foods made the Impossible burger so protein-dense in an effort to stave off the "where do you get your protein" crowd. They're definitely marketing it to non-vegans (fine by me), but could the protein content be overkill? Another interesting note is that my colleagues were very interested in the nutritional stats, but none of them had any offhand knowledge regarding the nutrition of a cow burger. One admitted that he won't purchase a store-bought knish because the nutritional information listed on the package scares him off, but that he doesn't hesitate to buy what is likely the same product, albeit unlabeled, from a deli without worrying about the contents because he can't see them. What you don't know and all that.

So grateful to have had the opportunity to try this burger, but I definitely wouldn't seek it out for a redo. Others seem to be in love with it, so if that makes vegans and/or keeps vegans happy, that's fine by me.

*UPDATE 3/15/18: after gentle reminders from friends and fans, I'm adding the issue of Impossible Foods' animal testing to this post, the original omission of which was an egregious oversight on my part. The CEO of Impossible Foods is vegetarian and conducted animal testing that was not required to create this burger. His response appears here; you can find many opinions with a quick Google search. As an ethical vegan, I am not a proponent of animal testing, but acquiesce that it is sometimes unavoidable- many of our systems are ill designed. That seems not to have been the case here, so the decision is a perplexing one, for sure.

Positivitea Reboot

Positivitea was closed for renovation for a while, but they're back and the food is better than ever.

 

The rebooted interior, however, is- and I hate to say it, a little less inviting than it had been previously. The seating is newer, more modern: slicker overall. But, gone are the large scale menus on the walls and the bright colored ceiling. Now, even on a sunny day, the interior seems a little dark- particularly in the kitchen area, which is not especially inviting for a fast casual dining establishment- specifically if you wander in out of curiosity rather than destination.

Thankfully, we already know the food is delicious and lovingly prepared- not to mention award-winning. There were minor changes to the menu too, though- gone were the pretzels buns, which were replaced by equally delicious sesame and oat-studded buns. The fryer wasn't working on the day we visited, so we were unable to try the cauli buffalo wings that sounded fantastic.

Blue Sky seems to be the requisite soda at establishments of a certain tenor; from Red Bank's Down to Earth, to Lula's Sweet Apothecary. Eep! I hope that's not an omen.

We shared a Bean, Jr., because- obviously.  The black bean patty is the perfect base for the gooey trifecta of cheese, miso mayo, and special sauce. With the addition of grilled onions and pickles, you have a hearty and decadent burger.

For our less traditional choice, we also shared the the Mexicali. This burger boasts the same patty, but swaps cucumber for the pickles and adds creamy, ripe avocado.

And if you think I didn't bring home the VEGAN toothpicks to stick in my own bun, you'd be wrong.

But, we'd really come for the vegan softserve. I'm pretty positivitea this is Chicago Soy Dairy vanilla; the topping options aren't listed anywhere, so you have to ask.

VM got hers with chocolate sauce (kind of between syrup and fudge), walnuts, and marshmallows.

Mine had chocolate sauce and vanilla & chocolate cookie pieces.

The menu isn't all burgers and ice cream; there are salads, bowls, smoothies, sides, etc. IMO, all they're missing is a little pizzazz so that the atmosphere matches the menu.

Definitely go out of your way for a Positivitea experience; you won't regret it.

Beyond Burger- Quick Review (by a vegan and an omnivore)

It took me a bit of time to procure the Beyond Burger for two reasons.

1. I wasn't really sure I wanted to try it. Things that are "just like the real thing" aren't really marketed to me because I never liked meat.
   
2. Once it was hyped enough that I did want to try it (am I the only one who talks to people on line in the supermarket when their baskets are full of vegan stuff?), I couldn't find it. Pro-tip: not all supermarkets are stocking it in the meat department as originally stated. In fact, some Whole Foods' butchers will hotly contest it with you because "it's not meat." BUT, extra credit to Beyond Meat's uber-helpful stock guide (are you seeing this, Ben & Jerry's?) that confirms the item is in the store so that even if you can't find it, you can confidently ask for help.

But, I digress.

Ultimately, the Beyond Burger was found in the refrigerated veg section of the Whole Foods I was in: near Tofurky, Vegenaise, and the like. It looked as though it had been shipped frozen and, from what I can discern from the package, you can re-freeze it as long as it's not open (the package contains two burgers in a single, sealed compartment). Overall, pretty darn realistic-looking.

A lot of people reported a meat smell while cooking, but the smell I detected was relatively faint and kind of indescribable- albeit familiar. Perhaps beets? Certainly not unpleasant, just unusual.

Luckily, a friend had already cooked his Beyond Burger in a George Foreman grill only to watch all the juice/flavor drip out, so I was forewarned to use a frying pan (this was a winter-winter day as opposed to one of our recent spring-winter days, so the grill wasn't an option). Note: this is a small pan; the patty is a decent size, but not mammoth.

I don't really remember what a cooked cow burger looks like, but this looked pretty enticing.

And, even more so once dressed (sriracha ketchup, lettuce, FYH american cheese, pickles, no onions, on a sesame seed bun).

This isn't a great interior shot, but I hope you can see the texture of the burger, which was the most off-putting part for me. The burger itself had a very neutral taste, but the "mouthfeel" was too realistic for me: kind of granular-ly lumpy like chopped meat burgers.

I gave OD the other half of my burger to try- expecting him to take one bite and hand it back. Instead, he gobbled it up. I told him the one taste was enough for me and that I'd leave the other one in the fridge for him to have the next day. HE DID NOT PROTEST.

Because it was so obvious that he actually liked it, VM and I kept smirking. Because he can't stand smirking, he insisted that, although it was the best "veggie burger" he'd ever tried (highest compliment in all the land), he probably liked it mainly because of the toppings (big vegan cheese fan, OD?). So, I'd say this was a success.

This is no ordinary veggie burger, my friends. VM and I will stick to black bean-type burgers, but this could really be a game-changer for those looking to replicate meat.

Cruelty-Free Holiday BBQ

Because this is America, the Fourth of July has become quite the eating spectacle. Because we are vegan, it's as good a time as any to show that vegan celebrations include everything you need for a fantastic BBQ. 

grill marks courtesy of OD

 Mine also had lots of 89. Or, I don't know, the usual amount.

The whole plate.
I'm all about the Field Roast franks these days.

 

An auxilliary burger because you shouldn't have to choose. This one was Amy's black bean veggie burger and it was not good. At all. No taste, little substance, and looked anemically unappetizing. Not only wouldn't we buy again, but we've agreed to ditch what's left in the box.

Here's my extraordinarily disappointing potato salad. Peacefood used to make my favorite potato salad, but Terri stole the crown a few years ago because they make the best potato salad in all the land. I think this will henceforth fall into the category of not worth trying when others do it so well.

 

Thank goodness VM found me these Deep River sea salt & vinegar chips so that I was able to enjoy one potato product this weekend.

Oh, and cookies: chocolate chip (with pecans) from Chloe's Kitchen.

More 89.

She ate plenty too. Video documentation on our shared IG.

She's smiling on the inside.

Veganized in New Brunswick NJ

After a nearby NJ restaurant recommended the then brand new restaurant Veganized for dessert when they couldn't deliver, I was there within ten minutes for a takeout slice of their chocolate peanut butter torte: oat coconut crust, peanut butter whip, vanilla sauce, raspberry coulis because that's how I roll, my friends.

 

It turned out that my inaugural visit had coincided with their soft opening and, in the month since their grand opening, I've done my best to sample as many things as possible on the menu. For you.

 

To start, I want to mention that it's within walking distance from the New Brunswick train station on the NE Corridor line. So convenient!

You can order at the counter and have a quick bite at the window bar, where you'll find some Evolve for Animals literature.

 

Alternately, you can dine upstairs for full-service.

 

The decoration throughout is colorful, quirky, and meticulous.

A week after my cake run, I returned for a sandwich- also to go: righteous reuben: tempeh, russian dressing, sauerkraut, cashew cheese, sauteed kale, house bread, as well as a side order of sauteed kale with toasted hazelnuts and lemon. It was flavorful and hardy with great proportions.

 

Finally, I dined in (!) with two omnis shortly thereafter. We shared the rawvioli: raw beet ravioli, herbed nut cheese, pesto, saffron cream. I never would have chosen this on my own, but it was phenomenal and fresh.

 

For dinner I had the mackin cheese: elbow pasta, sweet potato cashew cream, smoked shitake, broccoli rabe, bread crumbs. It was certainly reminiscent of this version, but with its own twist.

Then I visited again with a friend to cap off a day of being very vegan. We shared the timbale of black beans, sweet potato, guacamole, cashew sour cream, and fresh tortilla strips. It was top notch.

 

We sampled their fries; baked sweet potato wedges with cashew sour cream for my friend.

Real crispy fries triple cooked, organic ketchup for me.

I had the Roma grilled flatbread with cashew cheese, slow roasted roma tomatoes, caper kalamata tapenade, pesto, and arugula. This puts pizza TO SHAME! I want to eat this combination all the time.

For dessert we shared the vanilla cheese cake with oat coconut crust, strawberry compote, and strawberry coulis. 

Because they were working on an upcoming dessert, we got to try their vegan version of Nutella, "notella." The samples were generous, but we both left wanting a whole bowl.

I couldn't wait to try the completed dessert, so I brought my parents there as soon as it was up on the menu.

VM was all about the Roma flatbread; I can't blame her.

OD had the deluxe lentil mushroom burger: smoked eggplant, charred onion, special sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickle, sweet potato bun with real crispy fries. That bun! Those onions!

I, however,  won the whole table because I had the weekend special of pasta casserole over nomato sauce (guess what it is: not tomato!) with grilled eggplant roll stuffed with roasted fennel and carrots, topped with pesto. It was one of the top entrees I've ever had at an upscale vegan restaurant.

For dessert, OD had the 14 karat date pecan carrot cake with vanilla sauce.

But enough about that; I had the coffee cake with crumb topping, house made notella, and vanilla sauce. I have dreams about this dessert! Not only was the cake the perfect texture to be paired with the exquisite notella, but it was sitting in an almost invisible pool of vanilla sauce whose sweetness ideally complemented the subtlety of the cake.

Overall, I'm thrilled by the addition of Veganized to the northeast, vegan restaurant landscape. Thanks in no small part to the chef's experience at renowned vegan establishments in and around New York City, the menu pays homage to dishes that have become somewhat ubiquitous while managing to maintain originality in both execution and flavor. I'm already plotting my next visit; if they had outdoor seating 89 and I would be there every day. Best of luck to Veganized!