Dispatch from the Razor's Edge, the Blog of Michael Stephen Fuchs

Why Are We Having to Convince People to Go Vegan?

So were all sitting around with our tongues hanging out, ogling another absurdly sublime plant-based meal at another glorious vegan restaurant, when it occurred to me to ask aloud: “Wait, why are we having to CONVINCE people to go vegan?” It just seemed crazy. Thus, herewith, some of the culinary sublimity that's waiting here for you when you, too, finally decide to stop torturing baby animals to death and embrace plant-based cuisine. 💚💚💚 (Descriptions of dishes in captions, which should by no means be omitted. Also serves as a good little guide to some of the best current London vegan dining. All photo credits the incomparable Lizi.)

Flatbread w/roasted garlic purée, and Cauli Bites (roasted cauliflower, spiced marinara sauce, cashew aioli, parsley, mixed seeds) – at Wild Food Cafe, Islington. The Fully Wild Breakfast (chickpea omelette filled with spinach, avocado, sourdough toast, rosemary panfried mushrooms, roasted cherry tomatoes, smoky baked beans) – at Wild Food Cafe, Islington Levant Chick’n Kebabs (with preserved lemon marinade, grilled pepper and fennel, jewelled pomegranate, cucumber and tomato salad, spinach, whipped tahini) – at Mildred's, King's Cross Crispy tofu (with sweet chili dipping sauce), Crispy Thai cauliflower (with satay sauce, chillies & toasted coconut), and also some braised broccoli, pakoras, crispy salad, and some mushroom thing that are no longer on the menu! – at Food for Friends, Brighton Sticky Baked BBQ Tempeh strips (served with broccoli and roasted butternut squash & dressed with chilli, lime & tamari glaze, plus cinnamon rice), Luxury Lasagne (roasted aubergine, zucchini, rich Napoli sauce, celeriac sheets, oat béchamel, with side salad), Buffalo Cauliflower Wings (marinated cauliflower florets in light batter, sticky sauce & ranch dip) – at Stem + Glory, Barbican Sugarsnaps & Tenderstem Broccoli (with whipped tahini, chilli, super seed furikake), Sweet Potato Fries (served with coriander lime mayo) – at Mildred's, King's Cross Salted Caramel Popcorn Cheesecake (silken tofu cheesecake with chocolate base served with salted caramel popcorn & chocolate sauce), Farmacy Hot Chocolate (cacao, coconut milk, cacao butter, cinnamon, vanilla & nutmeg topped with housemade whipped ‘cream’) – at Farmacy, Notting Hill Double Chocolate Brownie (raspberry coulis, chocolate mousse) – at Mildred's, King's Cross Green Olive Breakfast (homemade black bean pudding, smoked tofu baecon, baked beans, scrambled tofu, grilled tomato, flat mushroom, root veg hash and gluten free toast), More Than Just ‘Smashed Avo’ on Toast (smashed avocado, mushrooms, and roasted cherry tomatoes on toast with pumpkin seeds and chilli flakes), American Style Blueberry Pancakes (with compote, yogurt, whipped cream, and pistachios) – at Green Olive Caffi Fegan, Menai Bridge, Wales The Classic Burger (Tempeh-Lentil-Chia-Walnut Patty, pickles, onion, beet ketchup, special sauce), Sweet Potato Fries – at By Chloe, Covent Garden S’nickers (date caramel, peanut butter nougat, maple peanuts) – at Mildred's, Kings Cross Rich Chocolate & Hazelnut Tart (with orange coulis), Hot Chocolate – Stem + Glory, Barbican Wild Mushroom Risotto Cake (sautéed seasonal wild mushrooms, wild mushroom cream), Polenta Chips (with garlic aioli) – at The Gate, St. John's Wood Gaeng Kiew Wan (Green Curry: Coconut milk infused with fresh green chilli and sweet basil), Gaeng Dang (Red Curry: coconut milk infused with fresh red chilli, bamboo shoots, kaffir leaf), Pad See-lew (hofan noodles stir fried with soya sauce, chinese leaf), Pad Broccoli (stir fry broccoli with chilli, garlic), Vegetable Spring Rolls (glass noodle and shiitake mushroom filling), Pad Ma Khuer (aubergine with garlic, chilli). Spicy Edamame (with sea salt and shichimi chilli_ – f Almond and Orange Tarte (gluten-free), Loaded Hot Chocolate (with whipped cream and marshmallows) – at Green Olive Caffi Fegan, Menai Bridge, Wales Mushroom and Walnut Pate (with herb fried mushrooms, toasted walnuts, and V feta cheese), Feta Bon Bons (herbed and served on a beetroot and candied walnut salad with berry coulis and basalmic dressing), Creamy Garlic Mushrooms (pan-fried with garlic, cream and white wine, topped with smoked Applewood Cheddar and finished in the oven), Cauliflower Mac'n'Cheese (cauliflower and macaroni cooked in a 4 V cheese sauce, topped with breadcrumbs), Stuffed Baby Peppers (roasted baby Sugarsnaps & Tenderstem Broccoli (with whipped tahini, chilli, super seed furikake), Sweet Potato Fries (served with coriander lime mayo) – at Mildred's, King's Cross Banana Blossom Tacos (crispy tempura banana blossom with spicy mayo, salsa, avocado, naked slaw, pickled red cabbage) – at OmNom, Islington Traditional (three types of dahl lentils, okra, spinach) – at Merkamo Ethiopian, Old Spitalfields Market Avocado Salad Box (with sundried tomato, fresh cut salads, 3 mixed risotto and falafel balls, tomato salsa and vegan mayo) – from Vegan at Hungry Beast, Shoreditch Falafel, Hummus, Cucumber Salad (with tahini); also Vegan Quinoa Box (quinoa, sautéed veggies, red salsa rice, black beans, avocado, kale, spinach, jalapeno, and vegan cheesy sprinkle) – from Magic Falafel (Pure Vegan) & Quinoa Arepa (Healthy Peruvian Street Food), Camden Market Risotto (wth butternut squash, lemon thyme, and parmesan), Broccoli (with toasted almonds and olive oil), BBQ Pulled Jackfruit (with smashed avocado, chipotle carrot cheese, spring onions, chilies, coriander, tapioca chards, and side salad) – Redemption Bar, Seven Dials Homemade Peanut Butter Brownie, Hot Chocolate (with marshmallows), Monkey Business Smoothie (espresso, banana, cocoa, peanut butter, and almond milk) – at T @ The Dials, Brighton Sweet corn ribs (with apricot BBQ sauce & coconut dip), Heritage Carrots (roasted and finished with orange glaze and parsley), Crispy Thai cauliflower (with satay sauce, chillies & toasted coconut), Crispy tofu (with sweet chili dipping sauce), Marinated house olives (with confit garlic, orange & rosemary) – at Food For Friends, Brighton Iamnutok Cashew Cheeze Selection (gorgonzola, almond riccota, truffle & garlic, paprika, and charcoal cheddar), GF Focaccia (miso, charcoal, and arrabiata), Grilled Asparagus (with lemon sauce and flaked almonds), Grilled Tenderstem Broccoli (with grated parmesan) – at PlantHub, Hackney Aubergine Parmigiana (with tomato sauce, grated cashews & pesto and tenderstem broccoli), Pesto & Fermented Tomato Gnocchi – at PlantHub, Hackney Tahini Brownie (with “Hackney Gelato” vanilla ice-cream), Tiramisu – at PlantHub, Hackney

  animal rights     food     london     veganism  
about
close photo of Michael Stephen Fuchs

Fuchs is the author of the novels The Manuscript and Pandora's Sisters, both published worldwide by Macmillan in hardback, paperback and all e-book formats (and in translation); the D-Boys series of high-tech, high-concept, spec-ops military adventure novels – D-Boys, Counter-Assault, and Close Quarters Battle (coming in 2016); and is co-author, with Glynn James, of the bestselling Arisen series of special-operations military ZA novels. The second nicest thing anyone has ever said about his work was: "Fuchs seems to operate on the narrative principle of 'when in doubt put in a firefight'." (Kirkus Reviews, more here.)

Fuchs was born in New York; schooled in Virginia (UVa); and later emigrated to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he lived through the dot-com boom. Subsequently he decamped for an extended period of tramping before finally rocking up in London, where he now makes his home. He does a lot of travel blogging, most recently of some very  long  walks around the British Isles. He's been writing and developing for the web since 1994 and shows no particularly hopeful signs of stopping.

You can reach him on .

THE MANUSCRIPT by Michael Stephen Fuchs
PANDORA'S SISTERS by Michael Stephen Fuchs
DON'T SHOOT ME IN THE ASS, AND OTHER STORIES by Michael Stephen Fuchs
D-BOYS by Michael Stephen Fuchs
COUNTER-ASSAULT by Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN, Book One - Fortress Britain, by Glynn James & Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN, Book Two - Mogadishu of the Dead, by Glynn James & Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN : Genesis, by Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN Book Three - Three Parts Dead, by Glynn James & Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN Book Four - Maximum Violence, by Glynn James & Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN Book Five - EXODUS, by Glynn James & Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN Book Six - The Horizon, by Glynn James & Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN, Book Seven - Death of Empires, by Glynn James & Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN, Book Eight - Empire of the Dead by Glynn James & Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN : NEMESIS by Michael Stephen Fuchs

ARISEN, Book Nine - Cataclysm by Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN, Book Ten - The Flood by Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN, Book Eleven - Deathmatch by Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN, Book Twelve - Carnage by Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN, Book Thirteen - The Siege by Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN, Book Fourteen - Endgame by Michael Stephen Fuchs
ARISEN : Fickisms
ARISEN : Odyssey
ARISEN : Last Stand
ARISEN : Raiders, Volume 1 - The Collapse
ARISEN : Raiders, Volume 2 - Tribes
Black Squadron
ARISEN : Raiders, Volume 3 - Dead Men Walking
ARISEN : Raiders, Volume 4 - Duty
ARISEN : Raiders, Volume 5 - The Last Raid
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