Fetuses Love Those Vegan Eats!
Since Vegucator Jr. refuses to imbibe anything but the very finest vegan amniotic fluid, he insisted on having his Grand Rapids shower at Restaurant Bloom and his cake catered by The Oven Mitt Bakery.
Doting Grandparents to the Rescue!
Though we were reluctant to spoil him thus at so tender an age, his generous Grandparents decided that it couldn't hurt to indulge him, so long as enough friends and family were there to teach him object lessons in the values of hospitality, fellowship, and community. (Thanks Mom and Dad McCausland!)
Almond Gazpacho With Peeled Grapes and Chives
"E.W.", as we affectionately refer to him, began with a refreshing chilled soup studded with toasted almonds, peeled grapes, and chives and drizzled with a fruity, light-bodied olive oil.
Baked Tofu with Roasted Vegetables and Soy Caramel
Preferring to keep his entree a bit more traditional, he chose a delicate baked tofu with roasted carrots and petite summer squash.
Supine Sextuplets in Baby Blue
And then it was on to a flamboyant finish, with a designer cake and cupcakes skillfully executed in Lavender Lemon by his honorary Aunties Noodles and Curly, a.k.a., The Oven Mitt Bakery (drop them a line and maybe they'll craft a custom vegan fantasy for your special event).
Pastel Teddy Platoon
E.W. requested that we express his heartfelt gratitude for all the lovely gifts, which he plans to put to very good use beginning sometime on or around August 30th. He also asked that we end this post with a sentiment beautifully expressed on his new animal themed baby dish set hand thrown and custom painted by local ceramist and friend Betsy Ratzsch.
God Bless the Animals! Amen.
I'm surprised you'd have it at Bloom, since they serve foie gras on their menu. Seems like something you'd be a stickler about.
Those cupcakes look delicious!
Kolene | July 15, 2008 11:55 AMHi Kolene,
Sorry for the delay in responding to your excellent comment; I just noticed it this morning, for some reason, and I'm not sure how it escaped my attention previously. I agree with you wholeheartedly that it is deeply troubling to see foie gras on the Bloom menu; I have pointed this out to Chef Miller on numerous occasions, and I have asked him, point blank, to take it off the menu. However, you and I seem to have different activism strategies. I have found in my dealings with Chef Miller that, though we disagree significantly about the moral standing of animals, he respects vegan cuisine and is ready and willing to accommodate vegan diners. My hope is that vegans in town will work to build the kind of relationship with the restaurant that might eventually lead to (a) more chefs in town following Chad's lead and taking vegan cuisine seriously even if they don't share the philosophical assumptions behind it; (b) a change of heart on the part the management at Bloom, as an increasing number of vegan customers are demanding more organic plant-based cuisine and requesting that Chad reconsider some of his most obviously problematic food choices.
I say "most obviously problematic" here, because as a vegan, I believe that ALL animal products are morally problematic, and deeply so, and that, while foie gras and veal production often steal the spotlight for being among the most cruel, it is important to remember that dairy cows and laying hens suffer horrifically in comparable ways. In short, I think that if one is boycotting restaurants for the use of foie gras, one should also be boycotting restaurants for the use of any intensively farmed animal products, including eggs and cheese. But now we run into some real problems when it comes to making an attempt to get vegan commitments any airtime in mainstream culture, because on this philosophy, EVERY restaurant (with the exception of the few places in huge cities that are rigorists about offering an exclusively vegan menu) is boycott-worthy. Theoretically, I have some sympathy for that sort of hardline view; but in my day to day experience, I find that I have been able to change many more people's minds in the longrun by modeling a vegan lifestyle that challenges the mainstream, but doesn't completely withdraw from it.
Thanks, Kolene, for forcing me to spell this out in more detail. I actually have quite a bit more to say about this topic, but I'm late for a lunch meeting. Let's pick it up later if you have the time or interest. In any case, I should make it clearer in my posts about Bloom that I'm not just lavishing praise on Chad without expressing disappointment to him about aspects of the menu as well.
The Vegucator | August 7, 2008 11:42 AM
I enjoyed this fetus-centered post.
vegographer | July 14, 2008 12:40 PM