Lucia
Whether it’s down to the muggy weather or our cataclysmal political climate, we can bet our fellow British residents have been feeling just as hot and bothered as we have lately. To help you weather the storm, we’ve come up with a simple, fuss-free recipe for delicious vegan ice lollies.
Sue Miller
Nothing says summer has begun more eloquently than those bursts of creamy white elderflower appearing in hedgerows and woodlands across the country. As the bluebells and hawthorn blossoms of the spring recede and the landscape settles into early summer, the elderflower emerges in abundance. As it does so, it gives us the opportunity to capture and bottle the taste of summer. Read more ›
Lucia
Bristol is a place that is full of surprises. A perfect example is Haymarket Walk, an underpass nestled in the depths of bleakest Broadmead that has become one of Bristol’s hottest foodie destinations.
Out of the concrete and corrugated iron has blossomed a thriving community of independent eateries, a testament to Bristol’s knack for raising creativity and ingenuity out of the rubble, no matter how humble the beginnings. Whether it’s Chinese restaurant the Mayflower catering to the hospitality crowd’s late night munchies, or the Michelin star chef-owned Sky Kong Kong dishing up organic Korean food for fashionable types, the Haymarket is being name-dropped left, right and centre by those who know their stuff about food.
Lucia
We asked Vegfest-goers to tell us their reasons for going vegan. From dropping a few pounds to saving the planet, here’s what they had to say.
So why are you vegan? It’s a question that often makes the Miller Green team squirm.
Perhaps we should jump at the chance to raise awareness about the benefits of a vegan diet and convince people that we subsist on more than lettuce and incense. Then again, no one wants to be this person:
Lucia
Hummus is universally appreciated, whether or not you give two hoots about veganism. This is how to get it right.
This chickpea-based dip is our kind of superfood: easy to make, inexpensive, tasty and satisfying, with the added bonus of providing a healthy dose of protein.
How to make the perfect hummus is the subject of much debate – between chefs and between nations. Puritans will insist that olive oil isn’t used in authentic Levantine recipes. Nigella advocates that peanut butter works just as well as tahini. Supermarkets apparently deem it necessary to add a whole head of garlic to the mix.
Sue Miller
He wasn’t just a consummate artist and musician: he was a committed vegan. So we thought we would celebrate Prince’s life and mark his passing with a tribute menu – vegan of course. Chef Liv Miller has come up with this three course delight which you can cook and eat to your favourite Prince sounds.
A starter sized salad of courgette ribbons with wild quinoa, pomegranate seeds and red peppers Read more ›
Sue Miller
Most new vegans are surprised to discover that most wine isn’t vegan wine. In fact, most wine isn’t even vegetarian. How can something made entirely of grapes be anything but vegan?
The answer lies in the fining process which winemakers employ to clarify their wine. Read more ›
Lucia
Our roving restaurant critic, Lucia, has undertaken the laborious task of testing out Bristol’s finest vegan dining spots. It’s a hard job, but somebody’s got to do it.
Eating out as a vegan can be a bit of a minefield. No one wants to be the bore that stays in while everyone else has dinner plans. Equally, abstaining from eating in a restaurant capn make you come across as a bit sanctimonious. It will also make you hungry.
Sue Miller
We’ve all got childhood memories of eating Marmite. Mine are of it spread very, very thinly on buttered white bread – just a hint of that salty savouriness. Any more would have been too much because Marmite really does pack a punch – too much really is too much. And, as the advertising slogan goes, you either love it or hate it.
But even if spreading it on toast or having it on pasta as Nigella suggests is not your thing, incorporating a little bit of that black, salty, sticky goo into savoury dishes can really give them a deep, complex flavour that dishes made of purely plant-based ingredients can sometimes lack.
Lucia
One of the hardest things about being vegan is not eating cheese.
Firstly, it’s difficult to avoid, being the go-to ingredient for most restaurants’ meat-free option – try finding a salad without feta, goat’s cheese or halloumi in it, and you’ll see what we mean.
Secondly, it tastes rather good. So good, in fact, that some scientists have claimed it’s as addictive as cocaine! So how to kick the habit?
Galician gin. Sun's over the yardarm. Bottoms up! @ Ponte Maceira instagram.com/p/BX5345HD-tU/
It's rush at the wall bee hive. They're all flying out out cos we've chased off the hornets… instagram.com/p/BXnZ7RPlm6W/
Very exciting. Both the beans and the potatoes are from the allotment for today's Sri Lankan… instagram.com/p/BW-BBk4FgRq/
Coconut and cacao bliss balls - a little treat on the menu tonight #vegan #dairyfree #glutenfree… instagram.com/p/BW0B9zxlAXa/
It's hot outside but it's cool in the @MillerGreenVeg kitchen. The doors are open, there's a… instagram.com/p/BWsD5czlp3W/
