Fresh juice in Los Angeles

Today, a friend asked me where she could get good juice in L.A., so I thought I'd share my favorite places with you too. I actually prefer to make my own juice from produce I've purchased from a farmer's market, but if I'm out and about these are the places I like the best.

1. Beverly Hills Juice Club is fantastic. They have all sorts of fruit juices and some vegetable - great combinations. They make it really early in the morning from local produce. They also have amazing raw "ice cream" that you can add to your juice to make incredibly thick shakes (Banana Mana). Only problem is that the juice is in bottles, so you can't bring your own container. 
2. Fruit Gallery off Venice Beach is really cute and owned by a nice couple. They have really good drinks and even some food. Very vegan friendly. 
3. Elixir in Equinox gym, Santa Monica has a great juice bar and they also sell varies healthy food and bars.
4. One Life in Santa Monica has a juice bar in the back that is good.
5. Earth Bar has a couple of locations in L.A. - don't think I've had their juice but I like the company a lot.
6. I've neve had anything from Renovo in Santa Monica, but I met one of the owners and he's really nice. I went inside once and it was really cute with lots of vegan options. And, it's across the street from the DMV, so it's a good place to go before you wait in line.

I'm not a big fan of Jamba Juice/Robeks/Juice It Up because they're pretty processed and sugary, but if you can't find anywhere else to go make sure to get their fruit-only drinks.

Do you have any places you'd like to add?

View EVG - Juice in a larger map

Refreshing detox juice with coconut water kefir

My pal Sarah bought some coconut water kefir from Tonix at Whole Foods. Kefir is good for the intestines and immune system. It was pretty tasty, but she thought it'd be even better in some juice - and she was right. She used my lovely Omega 8003 to juice carrots, oranges, and apple, and then mixed it with the kefir. It was really delicious, but gave us a bit of a headache (we were probably experience a little detox).

If you're looking for a great juicer, I highly recommend the Omega. It's easy to clean, quiet, and low heat - it can even juice wheat grass.

Fabulous gluten-free recipe with Korean tempha

My best friend (Sarah Tracey of Dharma Harvest) whipped up an amazing meal, with ingredients mainly from the Farmer's Market. It tasted like something I could have found at a restaurant - full of flavor and texture. And the best part is, it was gluten-free.

Ingredients:

• sunflower oil 
• big bundle of baby bok choy 
• 2 clusters of enoki mushrooms 
• 1 clove of garlic 
• 8 baby artichokes 
• 1 package of tempha from Dave's Korean **the soy sauce in this may not be GF - you may want to use another brand**
• Quinuoa spaghetti or other gluten-free vegan pasta of choice 
• Olive & Pear Salad Dressing from Dave's Korean **the soy sauce in this may not be GF - you may want to use another brand**

Directions:

1. Wash all produce. Cut the off the stems of the bok choy and put the leaves in a separate bowl
2. Put a large frying pan or wok on medium heat with sunflower oil 
3. Add bok choy stems letting them cook while you cut the garlic
4. Prep the baby artichokes by peeling a few leaves off the outside, cutting the tops of the leaves and slicing them into quarters
5. Remove the choy stems into a bowl and place the mushrooms into the frying pan. The mushrooms will start to release a sweet juice- keep this in the pan! When the mushrooms are tender and cooked thoroughly (they have a buttery consistency) remove them into the bowl with the choy stems. Keep as much of the mushroom juice in the pan as possible. 
6. Add the garlic and the artichokes- let them simmer. You may need to add an 1/8 cup of water and let them cook until the artichokes are close to tender.
7. Set the water to boil for the pasta and follow the instructions on the package. When they are just about tender add about 1/4 cup of the Olive & Pear dressing, the mushrooms, the choy stems, the tempha on top of the chokes. 
8. Place the greens from the choy at the top of the mountain and cover with a tight fighting lid. This warms everything, finishes cooking the artichokes and steam the greens. 
9. When the pasta is finished, toss it with the dressing to lightly coat it, plate it, and top it with the rest when the greens have wilted. 
10. Eat up and enjoy :-)

Hula Grill in Ka'anapali (Maui)

We had another great meal beachside as the sun went down. Hula Grill is very busy and semi- touristy, complete with a live band and hula dancing (naturally).

The food was good and very fresh, though quite subtle. I had a mango margarita, which was pretty strong. For dinner I had a bunch of small dishes: tomato soup, a beet & pear salad with macadamia nuts, and buckwheat noodle with pesto. It was all lovely, but the flavors didn't
pop.

The service was very friendly and helpful, and they were no strangers to veganism (or the gluten-free diet for that matter.)

Dinner at Pacific'O in Lahaina (Maui)

After doing a lot of research on where to dine on my birthday, we settled on Pacific'O because it was right on the ocean and used organic, local produce. Plus, when I called to make the reservation they were more than happy to make anything vegan.

When we arrived we were very happy -it is a beautiful restaurant and the sunset had just begun.

We started with some fruity drinks, and I got a Peach on the Beach, which had just the right amount of sweet and liquer. Then we enjoyed the Maui Onion salad, which had greens, tomatos, fried  artichoke hearts (subbed for goat cheese), and a smoked tomato dressing. It was really flavorful and fresh.

For the main courses we shared 2 tofu dishes, and both were cooked to perfection. The Blackened Tofu was sweet, creamy, crunchy, savory, warm, and smokey. The Coconut Macadamia tofu (which is usually made with Mahi Mahi) was crunchy, not too sweet, spicy, airy, light, and fruity. The flavor was overall subtle, not as coconuty as I would have liked, and I did not like the way they prepared the kabocha squash (though my friend loved it), but I enjoyed it.

To top it all of, they brought out guava sorbet with fruit and a birthday candle, and it was some of the best sorbet I've ever had - incredible flavor and texture.

Overall, we all loved this restaurant. The atmosphere was gorgeous, and peaceful, and it was in a great part of town. The service was excellent - very attentive. The food was delicious - very satisfying and the portions were perfect. I am so glad I celebrated my birthday there, and I highly recommend it.

Birthday meal on Maui

Where can I get a great vegan meal tonight? West coast preferably, but
will travel if it's worth it.

Dinner at Tikki Terrace, Ka'anapali Beach Hotel

For our first dinner on Maui my friends and I took it easy and ate at the hotel restaurant called Tikki Terrace. It was really casual and relaxing. Though they didn't have anything vegetarian on the menu, they were very accomidating. Not to mention that there was a hula show. : )

I had some fresh bread and dipped it some fantastic, light olive oil. For the main course the chef prepared a tofu, veggie, and rice plate. Everything was cooked well and mainly sweet. The eggplant has an odd
taste and the tofu was a really small portion, buy overall I was very satisfied for about $20.

All vegetarian grocery store in Maui!

Video coming soon, but how cool to go to an entirely veg grocery
store?! Nothing too exciting inside, but they had a great deli, salad
bar, fresh drinks, and bulk section. Right by the airport too, so my
friends and I stocked up!

First vegan meal in Maui: Sammy's bar & grill

My friend Sarah and I had to wait for our friend Amelia's plane to
land, so we grabbed salads at a small restaurant in the airport called
Sammy's.

We had the Beach Salad, and I ordered it without egg or dressing. It
had mixed greens, jicama, pico de gallo, roasted corn salsa, avocado,
and lime. It was actually really refreshing and satisfying. It cost
about $13.50 after tax and tip.

The restaurant overlooked the quiet runway and green mountains -
beautiful. : )

On vacation

I will be in Maui from March 20th - 25th, and I'm going to focus on relaxing. I am not seeking out food or products to review, but if it happens to occur then you may see some posts. Otherwise, I'll catch up with you next week! Aloha! : )

Delicious vegan cinnamon rolls by Azna Gluten Free

I feel like I don't need to write much more after you see that picture of the cinnamon rolls - you probably just want to know where you can get them! But let me assure you that they are delicious!!! Even though they are a week old already, they still taste very fresh, semi-moist, and flavorful. The sugar frosting is just right and there's a perfect amount of cinnamon. The Baby Bites are the great size, but you'll probably end up eating two or three (good thing there are 12 in a box!). To top it all off, they're gluten free!  

Oh, yeah, about where you can buy them. ; ) They were actually a gift that someone gave me from Natural Products Expo West - I didn't see them there, but apparently the owner was walking around with them. If I had seen them I probably would have taken home a few boxes! They're currently available in the San Francisco area, but you can buy them online. They also make a ton of other GF products that look mighty tasty, and even soy-free cinnamon rolls! I highly recommend you order some right away.

Eco-Vegan hair care in an aluminum container!

You may have read my post last week about the importance of avoiding plastic bottles. After seeing the documentary Tapped I went home and started recycling all my plastic containers. Then I walked into my bathroom and realized almost all of my body products were in plastic, and I felt defeated. Luckily, I found an answer to the problem at Natural Products Expo West.

There were a lot of natural and vegan body products at the Expo, but Eco Nature Care was offering something really different: biodegradable hair and body wash in an aluminum container. Their signage read, "a plastic bottle is a terrible thing to waste" - I couldn't agree more. I also liked that they combine hair and body wash in one container - saves an unneeded bottle (and equals less clutter in your shower) - and they also have a conditioner.
The bottle is entirely made from aluminum, so you don't have separate or sort when recycling, not to mention no loss in performance or downcycling. In fact, they're even thinking of offering a refill program.

Their products are completely vegan (even gluten free) and don't contain parabens, petroleum, sulfates, phtalates...talk about hitting all the marks!

I've used the Crisp hair and body wash twice and didn't notice a different from my other shampoos, which is a good thing. It doesn't have much of a scent, which some people might prefer - your hair will just smell clean. I'm very happy with this product and encourage you to try it out. Unfortunately right now it's hard to get, so you'll have to order it online, but hopefully it will be in your local natural grocer soon!

P.S. - if you'd like to see Tapped, it's screening again in Santa Monica.  If you're not in the area, it will be available on DVD and iTunes on March 22.

SoCal Cleanse: healthy, easy detox

As you saw earlier in the week, I had a great time at the Natural Products Expo West last weekend. I saw so many amazing companies there, but here's one that's pretty unique.

I'm a health nut - I love discovering new ways to be healthier. I saw SoCal Cleanse at the very end of the Expo, right before the event ended at 4pm - they were literally packing up. Even though I was rushing around, I stopped to learn more about them, since I love doing cleanses. I found out this company is not only vegan and certified organic, but super healthy and easy to do. I'm usually skeptical of products like this, especially pills, but the container clearly says "cruelty free and vegan" - love it! In fact, just ask VegNews, since they gave SoCal the Best in Show award for best new vegetarian product!

I was given a sample of their detox formula and have been taking it for the past few days. I'm not entirely sure what to expect, and can't tell if I feel any different. Although, yesterday I was really irritable and had a headache, which is a common side effect of doing a cleanse - shows toxins are being released. However, usually with detox, there's a different kind of release (if you know what I mean), and I haven't been experiencing that at all. So, my main complaint is that there isn't much explanation on the packaging or website on what exactly will happen, why you should do it, or even for how long. All it says is, "our 100% natural and gentle herbal formula helps support internal body detoxification and cleansing", and "there’s no fasting, no juice diets, no starvation diets, and best of all, no unpleasant side effects." I was able to find some info on other sites though: for example, Diet Spotlight says that it's supposed to suppress your appetite (can't say that it has) and not make your irritable or give you a headache (so much for my earlier comment). Maybe I'd notice more results if I had the whole kit they offer...

I especially like SoCal because they're very eco. The detox formula comes in a box that you can actually plant in the ground and then it will grow wild flowers - cool! The bottle itself is made from "the first greenhouse-gas-neutral-plastic" = non-GMO corn that is compostable. They say, "the cleaner the planet becomes the cleaner you'll become". Their website is even more impressive, as it has a very long page describing all the green things they do.


Here's what the website says about how healthy they are:
We use absolutely no chemicals or processing agents in our products keeping them pure and healthy. In addition, our products are 100% free of parabens, sulfates, petroleum, preservatives, artificial colors, phthalates, carmine, synthetic ingredients, or artificial fragrances .  


I give SoCal 3 thumbs up - one for being vegan, one for being healthy, and one for being green; it hits all my standards, so I'm a happy camper. I'll keep you posted on how I feel as the cleanse progresses. They have a whole line of products to help clean your body inside and out, including tea and soap - I might have to give those a try too...

Will Tuttle on "The World Peace Diet" at Madeleine Bistro

Last night I gathered with a bunch of amazing vegans at Madeleine Bistro to see Will Tuttle talk about his book "The World Peace Diet" (which has been #1 on Amazon). Though in a way he was preaching to the choir, he had some really great things to say, and taught me some language I can use to explain why I'm a vegan.

As the title clearly states, this book is about world peace - something all humans want but don't entirely strive for. Many see the term as a joke, as something we'll never achieve. Will thinks it's possible because we simply need to come together as a community and remind ourselves how important we are to each other. There are lots of places we could start, but Will believes we need to begin with the animals.

He made a great point about the effect of eating animals -  people are consuming the torture, panic, and fear they faced before death, which goes into the body on an energetic level. Will stated, "what we do to animals, we eventually do to humans". No wonder many suffer from anxiety and depression - they are literally eating it. Animals don't usually retaliate when being tortured, but many feel their revenge in the form of disease from eating animal products.

Will articulated it well when he said, "it's not a good idea to be well adjusted to a sick society". I often feel this way when I hear people making excuses to eat poorly; I'll admit there are times that I try to justify bad food (*cough* sugar). But Will's point is that we are living in a world (the United States especially) where we are encouraged to do things that aren't ideal for our health - physically and emotionally - and this needs to stop. He also said that there is "a curtain behind peace and sustainability" - both are being promoted, but behind the curtain is a lot of corruption. Our "fundamental wisdom has been hijacked and we are disconnected", so we need to "come home to our true nature". Will believes that it is time that we "awaken from a consensus trance" and "question the assumptions of reality". That is something I feel very strongly about - I do not want to live my life in a way that I've been programmed, just because someone suggested it, or because I saw an ad on TV telling me it was right.

"Food is the intimate connection to culture", but the way most people eat is centered around a "mentality of elitism". If you look back upon history you'll find a long trend of using animals, especially to show off wealth, so manipulating and abusing them is deeply imbedded in our culture. Will says we need to "transform the core of culture" and "walk out of the prison" of conformity. We also need to let animals out of the prison, because "whatever we most want for ourselves, we must give that to others", and that includes all empathy for all creatures. "Real health comes from kindness and compassion", and right now we're living in a very toxic environment.

Will's biggest message is to encourage each person to create a community of true peace, and that will eventually spread to the rest of the world. You can read more about this topic in his book of course.

Natural Products Expo West: Sunday, March 14, 2010

My last day at the Expo was pretty hectic, but still fun. I almost didn't go, but decided to because I wanted to talk to the companies I missed the other days. So I raced down after working and spent 2 hours there. Surprisingly, I was able to meet a lot of people in that short amount of time. And, Sunday is the day when they give out the most products, so I left with 2 full bags of fun stuff to try!

The Expo is an interesting observation of human psychology. Waylon Lewis articulated this very well on Elephant Journal. There was a sense of rush-rush there and constant judgment - everyone has an agenda. Every-time I went to a booth I could tell I was being scanned to see if I was worth talking to, or just deserving of a sample. If I qualified to be spoken to, their eyes were often looking over my shoulder for their next opportunity. Granted, that's what these events are all about - networking and doing business. Most interesting was watching the attendees grab away at samples as if their lives depended on it. I kept thinking about how much waste was involved, and that most of us didn't really need any of it - but by nature we gotta have it because everyone else wants it. Even I fell into that trap and ended up taking home a ton of products - most of which I'm sending to my sister as a treat.

Overall, I had an incredible time and can't wait for next year. I met some amazing people and tried some great products. Here's my last video, but stayed tuned for the one I shot and edited for Elephant Journal!

Companies in the video:

• Aubrey Organics
• AvoDerm Natural Premium Dog and Cat Foods
• Betti Neti Nasal Pots
• Crystal Body Deodorant
• DariFree
• The DivaCup, an innovative menstrual cup
• durafresh
• ecoditty
• Eco Lips Organic Lip Balm
• Eco-Nature Care
• Fabe's All Natural Bakery
• Field Roast
• Green Genius: Biodegradable Trash Bags
• Giovanni Cosmetics
• Good Clean Love (now entirely vegan!)
• Hugo Natural Body Care
• icueyewear.com: ICU
• Living Harvest
• Natracare
• Nature's Miracle
• No Miss Nail Care Products
• Parissa
• Preserve
• SoCal Cleanse
• Suncoat Products
• Viana by Tofutown
• Wet Noses - The All Natural Dog Treat
• Zuke's – Treats for Dogs & Cats

Natural Products Expo West: Saturday, March 13, 2010

And I thought yesterday was fun...

Today I spent another 4 hours at the Expo and it was wonderful because I had a lot more free time - but it still wasn't enough! I realized I was walking around way too slow when I discovered how many companies were actually there! Next time I go I will have to stay at a nearby hotel and just go to it non-stop - that's the only way to make the most of it.

What I love most about the Expo is getting to meet the people behind the products. Though I've experienced that with small companies at other events, this event has much more draw and therefore all the big-wigs of the large companies are there. For example, I finally met the CEO of Daiya (Greg), which was incredible. I was even introduced to Heather Mills at her V-Bites/Cheezly booth (they were serving delicious pizza using crust from Cruzer, and the big news is that they're going to be doing frozen pizzas together!)! Then I ran into Bart and Joy from Candle 79 - so great to see them. And I spent my day walking around with my pal Heather Lounsbury, who is going to interview a bunch of the people we met on her radio show.

One of the my favorite moments was at the Daiya booth. While I was talking to Greg a woman walked up to thank him, because she was able to make macaroni and cheese for her autistic children for the first time, and she started to cry - Greg gave her a hug. It was so wonderful to witness a moment like that, and it shows that I'm not the only one who believes that Daiya is changing the world! Not to mention, they have retail packaging now and will be in all Whole Foods and hopefully other natural markets - finally!!!!

Here's a list of some of the delicious food I saw there:

• Bernod Spin City cotton candy
• Bragg Live Foods
• Buenatural vegetarian tamales
• Coconut Bliss
• Dr. Lucy's Cookies (Lucy herself was there!)
• Earth Balance Natural Spreads
• Ener-G Foods
• Humane Choice
• Mary's Gone Crackers (they have new vegan cookies, and Mary was there!)
• Moo Moo's Vegetarian Cuisine
• Mrs. May's Naturals
• Natural Life Pet Products
• Nicobella - vegan organic dark chocolate truffles
• Oogavé - The Original Agave Soda
• PetGuard
• Primal Spirit Foods vegan jerky
• Rising Moon Organics
• Sharkies
• Sjaak's Organic Chocolates (their new vegan milk chocolate hazelnut bites are out of this world!!!)
• Tandoor Chef
• Yogi tea

Natural Products Expo West: Friday, March 12, 2010

Today I went to Natural Products Expo West for the first time and it was amazing, and overwhelming. I've been to a lot of events and this is definitely the biggest - I have never seen so many company booths in one place!

I am working on a video I shot for Waylon Lewis of Elephant Journal, so be sure to stay tuned for that (next week). In the meantime, here are some notes of the things I saw today (I'm going back tomorrow for more!)

• Tofurky had the most memorable product - frozen vegan pizza with Daiya! It was so good - reminded me of the non-vegan kind I got as a kid: salty, crispy, thin crust.
• I saw some beautiful glass bottles by Takeya - a great product to buy, especially if you read my post on plastic bottles!
• Waylon spoke with Silk/Horizon milk about the recent controversy over their organic line - they had some great answers that you can find in the video. I also tried their new almond milk - delicious!
• St. Amour has some new vegan cakes that might be sold in Whole Foods - they were quite good. Check out my post on their baby biscuits. I took home some of their Rasperberry Chocolate Chip Rocks & Rolls - they are very tasty, great flavor!
• Amy's also has a new vegan pizza, but it's just their roasted vegetable on rice crust. They were out of their new Rice Macaroni today, but hopefully I can try it tomorrow!
• Finally met Abigail Young from VegNews in person, who featured me in an article she wrote for the current issue - check it out!

Though the Expo has taken some measures to be eco-friendly, overall the event is pretty wasteful. Even though a lot of companies use recycled, recyclable, or biodegradable packaging, it's still a lot; there are so many samples in small containers and cups being passed out. I tried to avoid trying products unless they were package-free, but it was hard. If you go, be sure to bring your own water bottle to try all the liquid samples, and don't take a napkin unless you need it.

Organic was the big word there - it was practically on every sign! Sounds like a good thing, but I'm always skeptical until I know about each ingredient and how/if they're certified. I was excited to learn about Quality Assurance International Organic Certification, which you will see in the Elephant Journal video.

Here's a little teaser of the video soon to come...

Eco-Vegan Gal quoted in VegNews!

Associate editor Abigail Young quoted me in her recent article in VegNews, entitled "Shop & Save". The piece covers eco- and veg-friendly businesses - right up my alley! : )

It's on stands now, so check out the March+April 2010 edition!

Why you need to stop drinking water immediately

Pictures from the Santa Monica College screening of Tapped

The water you're drinking right now probably contains chemicals linked to cancer...assuming you're drinking out of a plastic bottle or container - yes, even the one that says it's "BPA free" or "50% less plastic". So why does the label say it's "safe" and "pure"? Marketing. Truth be told, that bottle of water could be worse than what comes out of your tap, as the plastic has most likely leached something dangerous into it. I'm sure you're skeptical, because you've been conditioned to believe bottled water is better for you, but if you have even a doubt in your mind isn't it worth reading further?

Last night I saw the documentary Tapped (from the producers of Who Killed The Electric Car), and it was incredibly disturbing - if only you could have seen the look on my face while watching it. I found it interesting timing, because I've recently been struggling with a water issue at home. My Brita faucet filter broke a few months ago and I have been meaning to replace it, but wanted to do some research on other products first - this has proved to be quite time consuming. So out of laziness and frugalness (good filters can be expensive), I've been drinking from the tap. Every-time I turned on the faucet I felt like I was about to ingest a cup of chemicals, but I wondered if tap water is really all that bad. Turns out, in most cases, it isn't. In fact, I found out tonight that Los Angeles has been voted as one of the cities with the best tap water (though this page on EWG makes me question that)

Since this post is long enough already, here are some bullet points from Tapped:

Bottled water:

• 80 million bottles of water are consumed a day in the United States, and Americans buy 29 billions of it a year.
• costs 1,900 times more than tapped water
• controlled by corporations, so their priority is making a profit, not health. It is a 11.5 million dollar business (as of 2007)
• became a booming business in the 70's after Perrier became popular in social situations as an alternative to drinking alcohol during the day. Soda's market value was dropping and cola companies needed to do something, so they started selling water
• often marketed as a way to become beautiful, healthier, and thinner
• commonly labeled as "pure" and "safe, even thought 40% of it is just tap water (though many companies fool consumers by putting images of mountain tops on the packaging)
• numerous harmful chemicals have been found in bottled water (including plastic water dispensers), such as benzene and BPA, which are linked to major health problems such as cancer. Bacteria and pharmaceuticals are also common in bottled water
• plastic is made in petrochemical plants, i.e. petroleum from oil
• tap water is regulated by health departments, but bottled water is not. The FDA has no control over most bottled water, especially if it is produced and consumed in the same state. Companies that bottle water do not have to submit reports to FDA, or to the public. In major cities, tap water is tested 300-400 times a month

Recycling:

• Only 20% of plastic bottles are recycled in the USA, mainly because there are not enough collection facilities across the country. Only half of the country has curbside recycling (blue bins).
• Only 11 out of the 50 states have bottle bills (beverage container deposit, returned if you recycle) and only 6 of them have bills on bottle water. In the states that have the deposits, 70-97% of products are returned.
• Most plastic bottles end up in landfills, incinerators, or the ocean. The "beaches of the future" will be comprised of small pieces of plastic instead of rocks and sand.
• If you don't know about the Plastic Soup/Garbage Patch in our oceans, please look it up - here's a good place to start

Memorable quotes from the movie and Q&A:

• “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed” - Mahatma Gandhi
• "When in doubt, cut it out"
• "Bottled water is the greatest advertising and marketing trick of all time"
• "This government isn't doing anything, this government is for sale, so every-thing's ready to be auctioned off including the public's right to water"
• People look like "big toddlers" when they drink bottled water
• "There is no such thing as extra water" (referring to the corporations who are stealing it from small towns)
• "This is a battle that I know if I start I will loose" (referring to fighting against big corporations to stop harmful production of plastic in Corpus Christi)
• "Evian is just 'naive' spelled backwards"

What can you do?

• Write a letter to the government expressing your outrage - if enough of us raise our voices they may even watch Tapped!
• Reduce the amount of plastic you use altogether (not just bottled water)
• Attach a filter to your tap - Multi-Pure was recommend by Stephanie Soechtig (the director)
• Do a test of your tap water to see how clean it is - home kits can be purchased
• Visit the Water Quality Association to learn more about the quality of your water at home
• Visit the Tapped website to learn how to take action - it also has some bonus clips if you've already seen the movie
• Educate yourself about everything that you purchase, then vote with your dollar. Every time you buy something you are telling the company behind it that you approve of it, and therefore they will keep making more
• Remind yourself that you are lucky to have access to clean water, so use it wisely and conserve your use of it as much as you can.

When the movie was over I wondered how many people in the audience would continue drinking bottled water - it's a hard habit to give up, but there are very few circumstances in which I would do it again. In fact, when I got home I gathered my plastic reusable bottles and food storage containers and put them in the recycling bin - I'll replace them with stainless steel and glass. Then I looked around and realized I have a long way to go before I'm plastic free - all my body care products are in plastic too.

Needless to say, I think this movie is important for everyone to see ASAP. It will be available on DVD and iTunes starting on April 3rd. Please support this film - they are having a hard time getting distribution and media spots since so many companies are sponsored by Pepsi and Coke (the "bad guys" in the movie).

The more documentaries I see the more I realize that we're in major trouble - every one of them is waving a red flag. Each of these movies are telling us to break out of the brainwashing that has been done by major corporations. But instead of feeling depressed, I feel compelled to do something about it and to encourage others to do so. Please don't turn a blind eye, don't blow it off as a conspiracy, don't take a back seat and hope for the best, don't slip into the false peace of ignorance, and don't give the government the benefit of the doubt when so many sources are calling their bluff. Worse case you could be wrong, best case you could save your life and those around you.

Bake Your Own Luscious Organic Desserts!

Most of the vegans I meet love to eat out and shop, but few actually make their own food because they either don't know how or don't have time. I often fall into this category myself, and that's why I love Luscious Organic Desserts cookie dough and brownie batter - it takes the work out of baking and results in 2 delicious treats!

Luscious Organic Desserts makes fantastic goodies to begin with (especially their cupcakes), so how exciting is it that you can prepare them from home?! Simply store the dough and/or batter in your freezer, take it out and let it thaw for about an hour, and then bake according to the instructions - easy! In fact, this is almost better than buying one of their products off a shelf because you can enjoy them right out of the oven!

Or, if you're super lazy/inpatient - try them raw! They don't have eggs so they're safe to eat without baking first. You can even mix them in with your favorite ice cream - yum!

The only downside is that they're not widely available yet, so if you're looking for a fix today, check out Eat Pastry. But don't worry, they've got different flavors, so you can enjoy both. Plus, Luscious has the added benefit of being organic.

Other opinions:

• frozen vegan cookie dough from luscious organic desserts
• vegan brownie batter by luscious organic desserts | quarrygirl.com
• Veggywood - Lazy Vegans Rejoice

Easy and nutritious steel cut oatmeal recipe

Hint - buy as much in bulk as you can. You can easily find the oats, walnuts, and raisins; and perhaps the cinnamon too if your grocery store has spices in bulk.

• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance (or vegan butter alternative)
• 1 cup organic steel cut oats
• 2 1/2 cups water
• handful of organic walnuts
• handful of organic raisins
• organic pure maple syrup (as much as you need)
• organic cinnamon (to taste)

Directions:

1. In a large saucepot, melt the butter and add the oats. Stir for 2 minutes to toast.
2. Add the water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Keep at a low simmer for 20 minutes, without stirring.
3. Add in the walnuts and raisins, and cook for another 5 minutes
4. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with maple syrup and cinnamon.

Health Benefits:

• This meal has about 18 grams of protein in it, mainly from the oats.
• Steel-cut oats are high in B-Vitamins, calcium, protein and fiber while low in salt and unsaturated fat.
• Raisins include relief from constipation, acidosis, anemia, fever, and sexual weakness. They also help in weight gain, eye care, dental care, and bone health.
• Walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, which benefits include cardiovascular protection, to the promotion of better cognitive function, to anti-inflammatory benefits helpful in asthma, rheumatoid arthritis
• Maple syrup is an excellent source of manganese and a good source of zinc, which can assist in heart health and in balancing cholesterol levels
• Cinnamon has extremely high anti-oxidant activity, and the oil of cinnamon has strong anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It is also a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

Are you a vegan purist?

Someone commented on one of my posts recently saying that they were not interested because the restaurant wasn't entirely vegan, and called themselves a "purist". This isn't the first time I've heard that term of course, but it got me thinking...

There are a ton of completely vegan restaurants in Los Angeles, and a lot of different types, so you'd wonder why I'd bother going to non-vegan restaurants. Usually I go with non-vegan friends, so it's a compromise. I'm used to watching them eat animal products in front of me and I don't judge them for doing so. However, I make a statement when I ask for vegan items, especially if they have to be specially prepared/are not on the menu - perhaps my non-vegan friends will be inspired by this, and perhaps this will show the chef that there's a demand for vegan food. Speaking of the latter, most restaurants I feature are more than happy to make me a special vegan dish, and seem excited to do so.

I also go to non-vegan restaurants for variety and out of convenience. Though there are a lot of vegan joints in L.A., they aren't all near me. However, there are a handful of non-vegan restaurants within walking distance from me (thus eco-friendly) where I can get a great vegan meal (take Mao's Kitchen for example, because I can't go to Seed everyday! Well, I could...).

And when I travel outside of L.A. it's a whole other story - I almost always have to eat at non-vegan places. But I'm thankful that so many restaurants offer vegan options, especially when the staff fully understands what it means.

Of course when I eat at non-vegan restaurants there's always a chance of cross contamination, and that definitely grosses me out. Of course I'd rather support entirely vegan restaurants, especially in this tough economic time. But I'm not a purist.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you consider yourself a purist? Do you go to non-vegan restaurants? Why or why not?

Hot, Rich & Green: how to start the eco career of your dreams

Several weeks ago I left my job to focus on Eco-Vegan Gal full-time. It was a big decision that was months in the making, but I was finally ready to take a leap of faith. But what prompted me to leave the comfort of a weekly pay check? Ironically, it was my job. You see, I had been working on an amazing book about women who followed their passions and started their own green businesses. Everyday I went into work and sat down to help edit this incredible book, reading through inspiring stories of success, until it finally hit me that I was ready to focus on my own story.

Perhaps you're curious what book could be so life-changing. In fact, I've been eager to share it with you since we started working on it last year, but it's been under wraps. They recently launched the website, so I can finally talk about...Hot, Rich & Green! What a title huh?

What (or who) is Hot, Rich & Green?

• Written by Rebecca Harrell Tickell, former actress (best known for Prancer) and married to Josh Tickell, with whom she made the movie FUEL - a beautiful woman inside and out.
• The book's mission is to inspire women to realize their power, follow their passion, and start the eco-friendly business of their dreams. (obviously it worked its magic on me!)
• Rebecca was inspired to write the book based on her own experience of moving from acting into a meaningful career centered around the environment. Her introduction to the book is really compelling.
• The majority of the book consists of interviews with successful women in the green movement, some that you may already know, such as Rory Freedman, Rachelle Carson Begley, Anna Getty, and Amy Smart.
• Some of my favorite L.A. pals are in this book too: Laura Klein, Siel (GreenLAGirl), Pam Sterling, Kris Willey, Vanessa Meier, and Sarasai Yutuc.
• The 50 women were selected because they started green careers and eco businesses, including books, websites, restaurants, stores, and products. If you're trying to launch into a similar line of work, this book is just what you need because it lays out the formula.
• What's up with the title? It's all about women's empowerment. "Hot" doesn't necessarily mean attractive, nor does "rich" necessarily mean wealthy. "Hot" can be about passion or success, while "rich" can refer to the abundance of your life or personal satisfaction. It's all about what you make of it, but Rebecca's point is that running a green business can lead to great prosperity in many ways.

There's even an iPhone app!

I think Hot, Rich & Green has the potential to change the lives of a lot of women in the green world, just like it did for me, so I hope you pick up a copy for yourself and/or someone you care about.

If you're not yet convinced, come see Rebecca speak at the next Women of the Green Generation event on March 31st.

Visit the website often to see the "Featured Woman of the Week". This week it is Heather Teague of Dream Green Weddings.

Sustainable Restaurants

Today the L.A. Times had a great article on eco-friendly restaurants in Los Angeles, with the header: "Restaurants are looking beyond today’s special, by growing gardens on site, dealing with eco-conscious farms, installing water filtration systems, recycling grease and more."

Here are some bullet points:

• The article starts out by talking about Grace, a restaurant I've been meaning to review for a while - now I feel even more compelled to go! They will be moving to a new location and plan to plant a garden that "could yield as much as a quarter of the produce for [the] kitchen", use low or no VOC pant, "install cisterns so water from designated prep sinks can irrigate the garden", and compost. At their current location they also recycle their used oil to run a family car!
• "There's no legal definition for a sustainable restaurant" but it "generally means serving the needs of the present while preserving the ability to meet the needs of the future" Which often translates to "using locally grown produce, buying supplies from companies that respect the environment and encouraging frugal practices in their kitchens."
• Tender Greens also got a shout out (love that place). They are hoping to find some disposable gloves that "could be recycled or composted" Although they're doing some eco things already like, "uniforms [that] are organic cotton T-shirts" and "buy produce from local growers"
• Chipotle was mentioned (a good go-to mexican joint for vegans across the country). The owner commented on his experience of visiting a pig farm: "What I saw was horrifying...real exploitation, terrible exploitation of the animals in terms of their well-being, exploitation of the land. Factory farms pollute, they smell...I did not want my success to be based on this kind of exploitation" Though that didn't turn him or the chain vegan, he now buys animal products from small farmers.
• The Green Restaurant Assn. "issues certifications based on a point system in categories such as food, waste and building materials"
• Leslie VanKeuren has some more suggestions for restaurants: "Use cloths from the hamper to wipe up spills rather than reaching for paper towels. And switch to "inquire versus include" for takeout orders."
• Santa Monica has a green certification program: "close to 800 restaurants, as varied as Jack in the Box and Campanile, take part in a city recycling program that has diverted 55,000 tons of food waste from landfills to compost"
• Napa Valley Grille has a new community-supported agriculture project: "people can buy shares in the harvest from a farm, Kathy and Michael Feig's Country Fresh Herbs, and pick up boxes of food for about $35 at the restaurant on Wednesdays"
• Mixt Greens makes sustainability a top priority: "the floor is concrete with fly ash, a byproduct of power plants that otherwise would go to a dump, Silverglide says. The counters are made from scrapwood from a frame manufacturer, and the tabletops from plastic detergent bottles"

Since EVG is evolving, I've realized how important it is to me to go to restaurants that are both vegan (or vegan-friendly) and sustainable. Therefore, those types of establishments are getting priority over others for reviews. Is this important to you too?

Eating healthy isn't easy (at first)

Ever since I became a vegetarian 7 years ago I have been working on eating healthier.

• At first I was eating everything except meat (including dairy)
• Then I became a vegan 6 months later, so I gave up dairy, etc.
• When I moved to L.A. I learned about raw foods, and gave that a try, but I couldn't keep it up permanently
• It's pretty common knowledge that salt should be used sparingly
• Various people suggested I avoid processed foods, so I try to make my own meals or eat at restaurants with fresh food.
• I met a guy who was macrobiotic and didn't really get the concept until I started eating at Seed and became friends with macro chef Christy Morgan.
• After reading the book Sugar Blues I tried to eat less sugar, but haven't been very successful
• Several people have said that soy is bad in excess, so I try to avoid that as much as possible
• Movies like Food Inc. inspired me to avoid corn too
• Recently I discovered that eating too much garlic and onion isn't the greatest because they are meant to be used for medicinal purposes when we're sick, so over consumption weakens their effect when we need them
• The movie Forks Over Knives implied that oil was bad for you, and then T. Colin Campbell said it himself at his talk.
• There's a great new blog by a women who's avoiding products connected to Monsanto/GMOs

I could probably go on, but the point is that there are so many things to avoid, I often feel stumped when it comes to eating. So what do you eat when you shouldn't eat:

• animal products (including honey)
• salt
• processed foods
• sugar
• soy
• corn
• garlic
• onion
• oil
• GMOs
• perhaps even cooked foods?!?

Because of all this information I find myself doing circles around the grocery store, afraid to pick up anything! Then I stand in the produce section, motionless, with no clue what to make with any of the options. I often leave with only a few products (some of which have ingredients from the "bad list") and wonder why I never have anything to eat in my home! This can seriously drive you crazy. But, as you know if you read my site, I eat a lot of foods that are on the "bad list"...

The lessons I've learned:

• set aside time to plan recipes/read cookbooks before grocery shopping
• food can still taste good without the "bad ingredients"
• it's not the end of the world if I divulge in a bad of potato chips or a "bad" meal at a restaurant every once in a while

I think it is this very reason that so many people are intimidated by healthy eating - it is a major commitment. The good news is, once you get the hang of it it's much easier, and completely worth it. Eating healthy has major benefits, and the foods on the "bad list" are there for a reason - they've been linked to health problems. So take the time to educate yourself and take baby steps, but don't be afraid.

For example, tonight I looked in my fridge and all I had was bok choy. I decided to try it without oil, salt, or garlic. After rinsing it off I tossed it in the wok and fried it with a bit of water. I was quite surprised by the taste - not too bad! In fact, bok choy has a pretty great flavor alone, and I didn't miss the additives. The best part is, I had no guilt! : )

Ironically I saw this episode of The Simpsons after writing this - pretty spot on.

What are your thoughts on this? Is this extreme, or do you strive to do the same? What are your favorite recipes and cookbooks that don't have ingredients from "the bad list"?

Here are some responses from Twitter & Facebook:

• Maryl Celiz: Salt is great for the body - ONLY WHEN IT'S HIMALAYAN/CELTIC SEA SALT. The rest is poison. Soy and corn are only "bad" because they're our top GMO crops in the USA. Solution: Always buy them organic. Processed sugar is bad and too much of it at all is not great. But fruit, maple sugar and agave can sweeten ur day just fine. Garlic/onions are the main flavor-givers in many cuisines, no such thing as over-consumption. Use them, they keep u healthy!! Oil in its natural state (not heated) is not only great for u, its necessary for brain and other functions. Algaes are essential to good plant-based health. Grab some Nori and make some sushi!
• Gabrielle Smith: "Eating for maximum nutritional value and completeness, with no artificial ingredients, and little to no processing, i.e. fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts. Whole foods. Plant foods. My best resource is years of reading, and knowing what I really "ought" to eat."

Please read the comment below too - they are excellent!

Recycle clothes you (and your children) don't wear with thredUP

thredUP is a fantastic site where you swap your clothes through the mail (kinda like Netflix). I have traded about 6 shirts through them and it's been easy, fun, and inexpensive, not to mention eco-friendly. You save the drive to the clothing store and you're exchanging a shirt you no longer want with someone who no longer wants theirs, therefore recycling and reusing! The only catch is that you don't know what you're going to receive - you can only set preferences for use, size, and brand. Luckily I've received some really great items, and only one that I didn't like.

thredUP recently launched a new beta site - thredUP Kids - and it is really cute. It has a similar system as the main site, but with features specific to parents. Their moto is, "Clothes don't grow. Kids do.", and that's exactly why it is eco-friendly. If you have children, or can simply reflect back on your childhood, you know how fast kids grow out of clothing because of size and style - this is incredibly wasteful (billions of pounds of clothing end up in landfills each year) and there hasn't been much that you can do about it, until now.

thredUP Kids allows parents to:

• make a box of 10-18 pieces of gently worn clothing their children have outgrown
• sort by gender, size, brand, season, and type of item
• create clothing profiles for multiple children
• browse through the clothing boxes of friend and family's children, or with members outside inner circle
• view reviews of members before swapping
• get a credit if received box is either damaged or low-quality

By getting your kids involved with thredUP you can teach them the fun and value in recycling. Here are some nice tips on how to get them excited about the process. **skip to 3:50 in the video to see me talk about thredUP Kids**

Because thredUP Kids is new, you're invited to join them in their "seed phase". For each box you enter on their site you will get a credit equal to the price of one swap ($13). If you upload at least 5 boxes, you'll get a six month thredUP Pro membership (valued at $20). Sign-up here to participate in the beta launch.

In case you're not convinced, here are some other reasons to try thredUP (for yourself and/or your kids)

• inexpensive ($25 for 3 shirts on thredUP, $13 for one box of clothes on thredUP Kids)
• convenient - just like Netflix
• time saver - no need to go past the mailbox
• easy - adding clothes to your profile takes only a few minutes
• fun - you never know exactly what you're going to get, and who doesn't love the feeling of seeing a package on your doorstep!

T. Colin Campbell health seminar in Los Angeles

When I heard that author T. Colin Campbell was speaking in Los Angeles I knew I couldn't miss it, especially after seeing Forks Over Knives the night before. His talk was called, "The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long Term Health", with the subtitle, "life changing information for you and your loved ones." How could anyone resist that subject matter?

What's nice about Campbell is that he is not a doctor, he's a scientist and researcher. He does not own a company and is not trying to sell you products (except maybe his book). In fact, Campbell believes that health is often about what we should take away things from our diet, not what we add, and this includes medications and vitamins. However, the plant based diet he promotes must include whole foods - no preservatives, no chemicals - and you may have to introduce this into your life for the first time. He said: Start with reductionism then move to wholism. Take an experimental observation and turn it into a world view. Begin with the "trees" and then spread to the "entire forest".

Campbell supports veganism, but doesn't really use the term. Instead he calls it a "plant based diet", which is more broad and less intimidating. His research is impressive, inspiring, and informative. He studied the correlations between animal protein from meat and dairy (casein) and illness/disease. This lead him to discover that eating a plant based diet of whole foods can prevent, suspend, and/or cure conditions such as: cancers, heart disease, M.S., kidney stones, cataracts, osteoporosis, diabetes, macular degeneration, hypertension, acne, migraine, lupus, depression, Alzhemier's disease. All of this can happen without medication - if that isn't convincing I don't know what is.

In fact, one interesting finding was that there is "no evidence to support antioxidant supplements to prevent mortality in healthy people or patients with various diseases", and "beta carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E significantly increased mortality." Which leads us to ask where nutrition fits in, to which Campbell replied "it doesn't". And why not? Because it is:

• poorly understood by the public
• research funding hardly exists
• doctors are not trained
• national policy and standards are corrupted by the food and drug industries

So what can you do? Start with yourself - become educated and change the way you eat. Then spread the message (without preaching) to your family and friends. We cannot control the world, but we can control ourselves and we can vote with our dollar. We can control what we eat, which doctors we visit (or not visit), where we do our research, and what companies we support.

In the end, it all comes down to health, and that is the only proof that counts. Experiment with the plant based diet and see how it makes you feel. Try going off medication (like I did with my allergies) and monitor your reaction after a month. Take some classes, pick up a whole foods cookbook (like The McDougall Quick And Easy), or try a healthy restaurant in your area (macrobiotic if you can). Leave behind your judgements and fears and give it a chance - for your health's sake.

Here are some photos from the event, which was held at White Memorial Adventist Church - it was a great turnout. Before Campbell spoke some children put on a great show with really neat instruments made out of wood or bamboo. After the seminar they passed out bananas and clementines!

Bawarchi Indian Kitchen: a great buffet in Culver City

There are a lot of Indian restaurants in Los Angeles, and they're usually a go-to for vegans since there are often many vegetarian choices. Even better, several are completely vegetarian. When my friend Ken Spector of LivingECHO told me he wanted to take me to his favorite, I was excited but skeptical (especially after my amazing meal at Tanzore). However, I have to say that Bawarchi exceeded my expectations and is definitely one of the best Indian restaurants I've been to in it's price range. (I haven't been to Samosa House yet and there are mixed opinions over who is better. However, Bawarchi's chef used to work there, so I assume the food is similar.)

FYI: They have a great vegan selection, but it's not marked, so you have to ask.

Taste: 8/10

Unique menu & flavors: yes

Organic: partially

Local Ingredients: don't think so, most of it comes from India

Healthy: yes

Eco-friendly: mostly (their moto is "Go Veggie! Go Green!")

Customer service: very good

Atmosphere: small, but cozy and very clean

Location: pretty central

Parking: free in lot

Price: cheap ($8 buffet)

More opinions:

• Samosa House is better than Bawarchi | quarrygirl.com
• Bawarchi Indian Kitchen- Los Angeles: Happy Cow
• Bawarchi Indian Kitchen - Culver City, CA (Yelp)

(310) 836-8525

View Larger Map

Forks Over Knives: a must-see documentary

I have seen so many incredible documentaries about the environment and health in the last year (Food Inc, The Cove, No Impact Man, A Chemical Reaction, FUEL, Age of Stupid, Enlighten Up!), and I can add another one to the list: Forks Over Knives (FOK). Each movie has had an individual message, but what they all sum up to is that change needs to happen ASAP. However, change starts with us as individuals, and we have a lot of healing to do, which is what makes FOK so crucial.

Forks Over Knives is incredibly important to see because it really breaks down health myths. Even though I've been a vegan for almost 7 years I still have a lot to learn about what's best for my body, but it's so hard to get through all the noise. Everyone has an opinion about what's healthiest and how to look your best - so who do you trust? Most turn to doctors, but unfortunately there's a lot of misinformation from them too. Luckily, FOK is straight forward and pulls facts from scientific research, largely following T. Colin Campbell (author of the famous book "The China Study").

I almost feel that Forks Over Knives is more crucial to see than Food Inc., because our health is in danger. Food Inc. mainly centers around corruption and the hidden story behind food, while FOK is more focused and demonstrates that we can actually reverse or prevent most of our biggest health problems: obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The world needs to know that these issues don't usually stem from our genetics, but from the way we eat. It is possible that if our food system changes, we can cut health care by 70-80% - can you imagine? Take a moment to imagine seeing the doctor less, no longer having to take medications, and saving your loved ones from untimely deaths. The title "Forks Over Knives" implies that we can solve medical problems by changing what's on our forks, instead of attempting to cut out our illnesses with knives.

Hippocrates said, "let food by thy medicine", and this is the main message of the movie. FOK points out that the health benefits of eating a plant based diet seem "too simple to be true", so perhaps that explains why some people are skeptical. We've been conditioned to eat foods that are not healthy for us, because they were marketed to be the opposite. Fast food is appealing to us because we're "overworked and over-scheduled", and many feel fulfilled after eating it. One of the most interesting parts of the movie is the explanation by one of its experts, Dr. Doug Lisle, of why we feel good after eating junk food - it deceives our stomach receptors and we overeat in order to feel satisfied. Brian Wendel, Creator and Executive Producer, explained it best to me,

• "Richer foods excite our senses because the most calorically dense foods we would find in nature would support our survival. They would guide us toward bananas, let's say, over celery. However, we can now artificially increase calorie density beyond what we would find in nature, leading to hyper-normal pleasure and into a state known as The Pleasure Trap. This state occurs when our pleasure circuits--designed to steer us toward survival and successful reproduction--have become hijacked, or tricked, by artificial stimulation."

Aside from having a great message, Forks Over Knives is really well done. It's just under 2 hours but time flies due to the editing and graphics. Please go see this movie ASAP - if it's not playing near you contact the filmmakers and request it! Spread the word - the world needs to see this! It's time we "eat to live instead of living to eat".

Here are some photos from the private screening I had with Brian Wendel. We had a great healthy vegan potluck (I brought cookies from Eat Pastry)!

Carousel: one of the best meals I've had in L.A.

People often ask me what my favorite restaurant is, or my favorite meal, and that's always hard to answer. To me, eating is all about the energy - who you're dining with, how the staff treats you, the strangers in the restaurant, and how you feel during and after consuming the food.

My experience at Carousel hit all the marks - the energy was great, the atmosphere was beautiful, and the food was outstanding. And it definitely helped that I had some great company - I went as a guest of Sam Khalaf from Cruzer Pizza, as he's a big fan of their food. While I won't call this my favorite restaurant, this was definitely one of the best meals I've had in L.A., and I've been raving about it ever since I left.

Coincidentally, that very day the owner (Mike Tcholakian) of the restaurant was working on the vegan menu, so he brought us out a ton of food to try. While the lentils were my favorite, everything was very fresh and flavorful. The falafel was the best I've ever had - crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The Mousaaka (eggplant) was also fantastic. It was extremely authentic Middle Eastern food - Sam said it reminds him of what his family makes.

Our feast included:

• Hammos
• Tabbuleh
• Mutabbal (Baba Rannuj)
• Sarma (grape leaves)
• Fattoush Salad
• Lentil soup
• Falafel
• Spinach Fatayer (pies)
• Mousaaka (eggplant)
• Kebbeh Aadas (red lentils)
• Coffee

Taste: 10/10

Unique menu & flavors: yes

Favorite dish: Kebbeh Aadas

Organic: yes

Healthy: yes

Customer service: excellent

Atmosphere: beautiful,

Location: central part of Glendale, and there's also a location in Hollywood

Parking: street or paid parking lot in back

Price: moderate

(818) 246-7775

View Larger Map