Definitely pick up a copy of this week’s Worcester Magazine. In it you’ll find the latest article in the Soy de Worcester column. The piece is online, but WoMag always looks better in print.

Valentine Treats for your Vegan Sweetie

Are you a long-time vegetarian, looking for something new to do this Valentine’s Day? Or maybe a die-hard meat-eater with a vegan sweetheart? Somewhere in between? No matter where you’re coming from, these romantic vegan Valentine’s date ideas are sure to impress:

The Bean Counter is the place in Worcester to get vegan desserts for your schnoodle. You can order a vegan cake ahead of time, either a full-sized or a small cake. Not good at planning ahead? Bean Counter is also the spot to hit up if you get a hot date at the last minute or, heaven-forbid, you forget to buy a present for your long-time love. The cafe on Highland Street always has fresh-baked vegan cupcakes, cookies and sometimes even has vegan cakes available for immediate purchase.

This year, Valentine’s Day falls on the Lunar New Year, also called Chinese New Year. Two of Worcester’s East Asian vegan restaurants are celebrating with special dishes and special hours.

Decadent double dipped vegan chocolate apples from CorpseCakes

This weekend will be busy at Buddha Hut on Chandler Street. On Saturday it hosts its monthly vegan buffet. While not usually open on Sundays, this year the restaurant is opening its doors on Feb. 14 for special Valentine’s Day dinner hours.

Duck Yao is celebrating Valentine’s and Chinese New Year and will be offering a special item this weekend: fried, pounded rice cakes filled with veggie ham and beans. Space is limited at this underground restaurant, so make reservations early by calling 413-296-4797.

Plan to spend the Valentine’s evening at home, snuggled up with your sweetie? Stop by the Artichoke food co-op to pick up some decadent chocolate treats and non-dairy ice cream. The Artichoke’s fresh-food selection may be sparse, but there is no better place in Worcester to find vegan and fairly-traded chocolate bars. Choose from a wide selection that includes blended orange dark-chocolate, espresso bean, and almond chunk. While you are there, consider bringing home a pint of the non-dairy ice-cream. The flavors the co-op stocks vary, but if you’re lucky it will still have some coconut-chocolate available.

One Love is the perfect place to relax with your love this Valentine’s Day. Want to spend an hour or two chatting over dinner? This small Jamaican restaurant features many options for those seeking a meatless meal. Sip some water with watermelon and chat while owner Venice Fouchard prepares your food. The rasta pasta and spinach roti are perfect for sharing. The stewed akee fruit has a texture similar to scrambled eggs but a distinct flavor that sticks out from the curry dish. You won’t be let down by the creative and flavorful dishes.

Don’t want to go out this Valentine’s? What better way to impress your date than making a home-cooked, gourmet meal? In addition to a wide array of fresh, organic fruits and veggies, the Living Earth has a bulk foods section and many specialty vegan items like soycheese and mock meats. With all the interesting ingredients available at Living Earth, you’ll certainly be able to come up with a creative dish that woos your darling.

And for those of the creepy, kooky and altogether ooky nature … CorpseCakes is your choice for alternative and sub-cultured goodies for the post-mortem extracted sweet tooth. All CorpseCakes cupcakes and cakes are created to your liking, offering a variety of hand-painted/custom sweets tailored to your dietary needs including vegan tasties. For ordering information e-mail CorpseCakes@gmail.com

On this week’s 508 podcast, Mike Benedetti and Brenden Melican talk to Tracy Novick about local education policy then talk to Greg Opperman about winning the Mac Daddy competition and creating the world’s best vegan mac & cheese recipe. Greg also talks up the upcoming Worcester VegFest is going to be. If you’re just watching this for the Mac Daddy, you will need to be patient or skip ahead. Greg comes on at the 22 minute mark. My favorite part is when Greg explains TVP as mock beef to Tracy.

You can watch or download the show from archive.org.

A couple months ago I wrote a list of the top 5 falafel joints in Worcester for RealWorcester.com. I am proud to say that I have now added it to VegWorcester.com. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can check it out at VegWorcester.com/top-5-falafel-2008/. Enjoy!

There are two places that I wish could have have made the list. Patriots House of Pizza located at 332 Pleasant Street and Simon’s (closed for good).

Patriots would definitely have made the cut, but they recently removed falafel from their menu. Let’s hope they decide to rethink their decision!

Simon’s Falafel and Pizza, on the otherhand, is not open anymore. If it was, it would definitely make the Top 5. Simon’s was located right next to the Paladium, which was most of its appeal. You could grab a cheap falafel sandwhich while you waited in line for a show.

I went to Simon’s whenever the Juggalos from Insane Clown Posse invade our beautiful downtown. I bought a $4 falafel and $2 fries to enjoy while I watched as 15-year-olds dressed as scary clowns lined up to see a performance of their favorite rap-rock band. They were scary makeup and chanted obcenities. This year when Gwar played with ICP at the Palladium, I watched morosely from across the street. I miss Simon’s.

Simon’s, this is your eulogy. I wish you were still here with us. RIP.

Anyway, read the Top 5 List on RealWorcester to find out who made the cut.

By no means does this list cover every single place to get quality veg food in Worcester. In fact, you can get good veg food at nearly every restaurant in Worcester (even Burger King has a veggie burger). This mini-guide lists local places that are either all-vegetarian or who have a very good vegetarian selection. Leave a comment if you think I left out a really good one.

So print it out. And hang this baby on your fridge!

Yield: Approx. 6 cups

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound Soba noodles
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 4 leaves bok choy (leaves and stems) cut into chiffonade
• 1 red pepper, cut into julienne (thin slices)
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced into 1/4 inch diagonal slices
• 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1/4 cup shoyu
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• salt

Procedure

1. Cook noodles, rinse in cold water, drain, and set aside.
2. Heat large wok, add oil, ginger and garlic. Cook 1 minute.
3. Add bok choy stems, then add leaves, red pepper, and scallions. Cook until pepper is just tender. Add sprouts and jalapeno.
4. Add shoyu and toasted sesame oil. Season with salt to taste. Add noodles. Mix well and serve.