A Taste of Lebanon in Terre Haute, IN

Look at this plate of gorgeousness. Those aren't grape leaves from a can, either. All of it, homemade. Where can I find this grub? Not in my hometown of Bloomington. I mean, I'm sure I could, but it wouldn't be this righteous. No, I found this treasure at George's Cafe, in Terre Haute, IN by googling vegetarian restaurants. Nice find. And the prices are so reasonable. There's food for omnivores, but if you want the vegan stuff, just look at the Lebanese section of the menu. This here is George's Plate: grape leaves, hummus, and baba ganoujh. If you request it, he'll give you some chili sauce to throw in there to amp up the heat. Good Lord, I can't stop thinking about this place!

3 Sisters Cafe, Indianapolis, IN

 Why oh why do I have more shitty photos of BBQ sandwiches? Well, I'm a sucker for them.

This is no ordinary sammie, no. This is the BBQ grains sammich from 3 Sisters Cafe in Indianapolis. They were featured on a Food Network show with lots of meat. I was skeptical, until I saw the menu. I went there recently to have dinner with friends and found they had a huge selection of vegan delights. You can check out their menu right HERE. The chili reminded me of the Hormel stuff in a can, which grosses some people out, but is a huge source of comfort for me. My momma told me once I was made from Hormel chili because that's all she ate when she was pregnant with me.

My only criticism: no vegan desserts. I was so full from dinner, I didn't really care.

Damn Right It's Cookin' Crunk!

About my absence: most people assume when a vegan blogger lays off the blog love, that they've mysteriously developed an inexplicable craving for bacon and cheese and have given a fat middle finger to veg heads everywhere. They create a huge assed entry about how they're not vegan anymore because of an iron deficiency-(bullshit), or were "listening to their bodies" and message boards are on fire with the news.

Sorry, I don't have that drama for you. I've just been busy. Really busy!

I travel a lot now, and I've had adventures finding vegan eats while on the road to Terre Haute, IN and Indianapolis. Found a great Mom and Pop diner in TH that serves Lebanese food. Homemade grape leaves. I'll post on that later. I promise it won't take a month to read about it, either.

Then there's my new love affair with the garlic jalapeno flavored Daiya wedge. You can eat vegan cheese cold! Whuuuut? A vegan cheese that tastes good cold?  GTFOH.Yes.

I started a new job I love, parent two small children, and have had limited time to cook. In the long-long ago, I tested for my buddy Bianca Phillip's bad-ass cookbook "Cookin' Crunk: Eatin' Vegan in the Dirty South." That's when I really  had my game on. I could hardly wait for the book to come out.

Then it did. Got my copy. Let it sit on the shelf. Baaaaaaad Jen.

The photos above are of the pulled BBQ tempeh, caramelized onions&cabbage, and of the Chocolate Fudgy Puddin' Cake. DUDE: THE CAKE HAS A POOL OF HOT CHOCOLATE PUDDING ON THE BOTTOM. Goes perfect with a couple scoops of vanilla vegan ice cream. Yum.

I tested MANY recipes for this book. Stuff like sweet potato bread, coconut pie, country fried tempeh and gravy, country potato soup, and the jaw splitting chicken fried tofu and waffle sandwich. What are you waiting for, Elvis to come back? Just go out and buy the book already. You won't regret it.