Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 1, 2012

GOOD FOOD & DRINK

9

 Mountain Views News Saturday, September 1, 2012 


REAL FOOD DAILY 

A New Adventure

A few years ago I visited a now defunct BBQ joint 
on the west side of town. BBQ lover that I am, I 
felt the drive from Pasadena was no problem, and 
I would drive anywhere for great Q. As the hostess 
brought us to our table she said “enjoy your meal”. 
I responded, “what do you recommend?” She 
said “I am a Vegan I don’t eat here” ….yikes!!!

So, let me digress for a moment to explore these 
questions: What is veganism? What is a vegan? 
What do vegans eat?

Veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that 
excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all 
other animal-derived ingredients. Many vegans 
also do not eat foods that are processed using 
animal products, such as refined white sugar and 
some wines. Most vegans also avoid the use of 
all products tested on animals, as well as animal-
derived non-food products, such as leather, fur 
and wool.

Vegan refers to either a person who follows this 
way of eating, or to the diet itself.

Although there is some debate as to whether 
certain foods, such as honey, fit into a vegan diet, 
if you are cooking for other vegans, it is best to err 
on the side of caution and avoid these foods.

What do vegans eat? This is perhaps the most 
common question about veganism. A vegan diet 
includes all grains, beans, legumes, vegetables 
and fruits and the nearly infinite number of foods 
made by combining them. Many vegan versions of 
familiar foods are available, so you can eat vegan 
hot dogs, ice cream, cheese and vegan mayonnaise.

I was summoned to Real Food Daily, an organic 
vegan cuisine restaurant in Pasadena, by my sense 
of curiosity. Having established the fact that I am 
not a vegan, but I do love food, I was impressed 
with Real Food Daily. Can I recommend it you? 
Will I return? Yes and yes. The menu includes 
salads (of course), sandwiches, wraps, pizza and 
burritos -- all familiar choices right? It would 
take me 2000 words to explain the ingredients, 
but let me tell you what I had to eat. My starter 
was a Sea Cake ($8.95), explained to me by 
the server as a great alternative for a crab 
cake. The ingredients were all organic vegan 
choices described as a savory vegetable and 
sea croquette with pesto and sweet chili aioli. 
Man, the flavor was superb as far as comparing 
it to a crab cake. I have had crabcakes that I 
would describe as blah and boring, but the sea 
cakes I would order again. Now, if I was given 
my choice of a crab cake with real lump crab or 
a sea cake , I’d lump it, but for $8.95 order it! 
My entrée was the Fettuccini Alfredo ($12.95) 
tossed with broccoli and red peppers; the 
alfredo sauce wasn’t a dairy product (it can’t 
be) but an almond milk base. What visit would 
be complete without fresh juice? I had the 
Verde ($5.95) -- all things green or sweet green 
with apple. On my next visit to Real Food Daily 
I will check out the Sunday Brunch -- the menu 
looks very interesting with Vegan dishes of 
sausage, fruit, granola and waffles.

All and all a very good first impression, for 
you red meat eaters, give it a try, I promise 
that you’ll like it. As of this writing, they are 
still waiting for the beer and wine license. The 
servers can artfully and skillfully explain any 
ingredients to you, and shhhh!!... they aren’t all 
Vegans.

RFD 899 E. Del Mar Pasadena (626) 844-8900

Please join me every Saturday Night on KABC 
Radio 6 PM and Charter TV Channel 101 at 7 
PM for more food adventures.

SAUSAGE 
AND SHRIMP 
JAMBALAYA

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

thechefknows@yahoo.com

INGREDIENTS:

•2 tbsp butter

•8 oz Andouille sausage, or other spicy smoked sausage, sliced 1/4" thick

•2 tbsp paprika

•1 tbsp ground cumin

•1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

•1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

•1 tsp salt

•1/2 cup diced tomato, fresh or canned

•1 large green bell pepper, diced

•2 ribs celery, sliced 1/4" thick

•4 green onions, sliced thin

•1 cup brown rice

•3 cups chicken broth

•1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

DIRECTIONS:

In a heavy bottomed pot with a lid, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and 
cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the paprika, cumin, cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Saute the spices 
for 1 minute, and then add the tomatoes. Cook stirring for a few minutes to let some of the liquid 
from the tomatoes evaporate. Add the green bell pepper, celery, and most of the green onions (reserve 
some of the dark green slices of the onions to garnish the top); cook, stirring for 5 minutes.

 

Stir in the rice and mix well. Add the stock, turn the heat up to high, and bring to a simmer. Reduce 
the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for 255 minutes. Remove the lid and check the rice. It should 
be just tender; if it is still too firm cook longer. When the rice is tender, add the shrimp, stir in, and 
cook covered for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning, and adjust if needed. Serve the jambalaya in bowls 
with green onions sprinkled on top.


SIERRA MADRE FARMERS MARKET 

 The Farmers Market is open today and every Wednesday from 3:00-8:00 p.m. The location of 
the market is on Hermosa Avenue, south of Sierra Madre Boulevard to Mariposa Avenue, situated 
in the downtown area of Sierra Madre. The market has organic, fresh and locally grown 
produce. The farmers market is a great opportunity to come on down and meet the farmer directly. 
Dry Dock Fish has fresh and delicious wild caught varieties of fish. Rustic Loaf has your 
artisanal breads baked fresh that same day and brought to the market. Cutie Pie that has pies 
made with the fruits of our organic farmers, make sure you pick one or two up for desert. There 
are so many unique and amazing finds at the farmers market. Come on down to the Sierra Madre 
Farmers Market and shake the hand that feed you.

 If you are interested in becoming a vendor at the Farmers Market, please contact Melissa Farwell 
from Raw Inspiration at (818) 591-8161 Ext. 806. Raw Inspiration, Inc., is responsible for 
all management and marketing of the City’s Farmers Market.