Vegan-Connections_Nov18_V3

10
IF TOFU BE THE
FOOD OF LOVE,
SWIPE ON
Words: Josh Graham
Linda McCartney
Hoisin Duck Pancake Kit
Words: Elisha Martin
The Linda McCartney Hoisin Duck Pancake kit comes with a pack of shredded duck,
a sachet of hoisin sauce, and a pack of ten Chinese pancakes and preparing it
couldn’t be easier. The cooking instructions suggest that you fry the duck in a little oil,
but I actually just microwaved mine for 2 minutes and didn’t need to use any added oil
whatsoever. The pancakes also just need to be microwaved for 40 seconds, and alongside
some extra veggies, you’ve got a decent meal pretty much sorted.
I prepared each pancake as I went along, scooping up some of the shredded duck,
some of my mixed vegetables, and drizzling some of the hoisin sauce on top. I was so
impressed! I couldn’t quite get over just how meaty the shredded duck pieces were - and
I don’t say that lightly whatsoever. I really don’t know what alchemy they’re using to get
that texture, but they’ve definitely cracked it. I’m also usually constantly adding extras
to my dinners as I go along (I add about half a tub of nutritional yeast throughout
each meal) but this really wasn’t missing anything at all – it was so tasty just as it was.
Even if you’re not a fan of hoisin sauce, I’m sure you’d still LOVE the shredded duck
and pancakes with another sauce drizzled on top. I’m thinking I might try some satay
sauce with it next time…
Overall, I would 100% recommend giving this a try. I purchased mine for £5.00 at
Waitrose, which is a bit steep, but it really is delicious. I’m not aware of any other supermarket
stocking it currently, but hopefully some will introduce it soon! I know it’s been a
struggle for people recently to find the packs of shredded duck on their own (not as part
of the hoisin duck pancake kit), but I actually spotted the shredded chicken recently in my
local Morrisons. I’ll definitely be stocking up on some of that if I can get my hands on it!
11
To start this off, I actually really enjoy going on dates.
Seriously. I’m not anything close to a serial dater, in
fact, my total date head count is somewhere under ten, but
it can be a fun thing. Learning about new people is always
nice, and putting yourself in situations moderately outside of
your comfort zone can be character building. If it goes well,
then great, if not, you can still enjoy cringing at something
you said the next day. However, if you’re like me and you like
that stuff but you find the idea of asking someone out in real
life absolutely terrifying then, like me, you’ve probably spent
a fair bit of time on dating apps.
If you’re at all familiar with these apps you’ll know the
basic premise: a few pictures and a bio that for all intents
and purposes sums up the person you see yourself as in the
hopes that someone like-minded will match with you. Since
going vegan, I have for the most part included it in my bio
- it’s an undeniably large part of my life these days - but it
was at that moment I wondered: “gosh, wouldn’t life be so
much easier if I didn’t have to type out exactly five characters
more than anyone else in order to specify one of my lifestyle
choices?” So with that in mind, I downloaded Grazer, “The
Herbivorous Dating App”, in the hopes that maybe the right
person for me might be easier to find if I limited the search
a little more. “Connecting Local Vegetarians and Vegans”
read the caption - what a nice idea. I mean, there’s already a
pescatarian dating site (Plenty of Fish), so why can’t veggies
and vegans join the fun? Let’s dive in.
In terms of how it works as an app, it’s pretty straightforward,
with a very similar system of swiping left and right
as seen on Tinder. In terms of how it actually feels though,
the nicest way I could possibly describe it is...grassroots. In
fact, it’s not that different to how I feel about eating in most
vegan restaurants, as in, everything feels like it could fall
apart at any minute (the app often just doesn’t get past its
loading screen), and has a distinct “just be grateful we exist”
sort of feel. Small initial gripes aside, I still felt positive - I’m
not averse to putting in effort when it comes to love and
companionship, so I pressed on undeterred.
I punched in a modest 30 kilometre
radius, and off I went, buoyed by
the prospect of finding myself a new
plant-based suitor.
After getting to grips with the app’s layout, I went into
the settings. Here I was met with a suite of filters that would
help make my search for romance easier: age/distance/
sexual preference selection sliders, and the piece de resistance:
an “I am: vegan/vegetarian” option. Once I selected
my preferences, I punched in a modest 30 kilometre radius,
and off I went, buoyed by the prospect of finding myself a new
plant-based suitor. A whole minute later, I had completely
exhausted my options. I had found about six or seven people
that I already knew (I’m big in the scene); among their ranks
were a couple of people I’d met in passing, a fellow Vegan
Connections writer, some I had already spoken to on Tinder,
and my own ex. Terrific.
Anyway, upon completion of my swipeathon, I closed
the app and played the waiting game. This in itself taught
me another cool feature of the Grazer app, which is that it
doesn’t notify you when you’ve matched with someone or if
they’ve messaged you unless you open the app first, even if
you’ve opted to turn notifications on. To my mild chagrin, I
had acquired just three matches after the best part of a week.
I reappraised their profiles, wondering how I could break the
ice. Saying something relative to veganism felt superfluous, so
that was out the window, but what I was also able to observe
was that much like myself, very little effort had gone into each
candidate’s bio, (I can only assume due to the feeling of utter
futility one receives while using such a buggy app) so it was
slim pickings for opening lines there too.
And that was it really. To cut a short story shorter, I
had a very mild conversation with one person and the others
are yet to reply. Presumably they deleted Grazer, and I
don’t blame them. What became abundantly clear after a
week or two’s use is that if supply and demand is anything
to go by, the world just isn’t ready for a vegan dating app.
Even if you wanted to speak to vegans and/or vegetarians
exclusively, you’d probably be quicker being eagle-eyed on a
more conventional dating app due to the Grazer’s ridiculous
loading times, lack of notifications and the simple fact that it
is so sparsely populated. Maybe five extra characters in my
Tinder bio isn’t such a hassle after all.
Good Times Roll Review
Words: Natacha Woods
Images: Good Times Roll
A`
fter being open for only a few months, new cafe on the block, Good Times Roll, is a
hit with locals and visitors alike. Owners Steven Eddie and Sheri Scott have created
a really cool “roll shop” where they can try out their own unique ideas and recipes for roll
fillings that people flock for - be that the droves of football fans on their way to a game at
Ibrox Stadium or locals who visit regularly. Luckily for us, they have even added a few vegan
options to the menu! I was honoured to try the Veggie Deluxe roll which consisted of: Linda
McCartney sausage, homemade tattie scone, and veggie haggis. All topped with sriracha
mayo - an accompaniment suggested by Steven and well received by me.
Everything is cooked then and there for you, served atop a Morton’s roll with the option
of adding a dairy-free spread too. The vegan option that I tried was genuinely one of the
tastiest filled rolls that I have ever tried, the combination of it all brought such joy to my
heart and my taste buds that the memory of it flashes before me every time I am hungover.
If you do visit and try their veggie deluxe, you will be delighted to know that there are
plans underway for them to soon stock vegan square sausage supplied by none other than
Rose and Grants.
The shop also stocks Dear Green coffee and offers oat, almond and soy milk as alternative
options. They also boast the fact that they always have at least one vegan cake option for
customers as well.
The cheery aesthetic of the mascot on their hand-painted sign, created by Glasgow
based illustrator Conzo Throb, is immediately eye catching and unforgettable. In fact, the
whole place is extremely stylish, described by Steven himself as having an “80s meets the
50s in Miami” vibe.The cafe is also dog friendly and is known by locals for playing good
music and creating good vibes. Nestled quite comfortably near Glasgow’s Ibrox stadium
and just a five minute walk from the nearest subway station, this funky place is easily accessible
for all and I highly recommend that if you have the time or live nearby, it is definitely
worth checking out! Be sure to also check out their new website at www.goodtimesroll.co
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