here is our master list of ideas. if you think of a potential episode that isn’t listed here, please let us know!
strikethrough = already recorded
italics = will be recording next
“dairy”
soymilks
rice milks
nut/seed milks, almond, hemp, etc. (depending on how many exist, we might split them up.)
cheezes (of course, but that’ll be a while down the road because of the expense and need to do a lot of online ordering, [some international])
ice creams -soy based
ice creams – grain based
ice creams – coconut based
yogurts
meat analogues
hotdogs
burgers
chikns
sausages
other protein sources
tofu
seitan
tempeh
snacks
“oreo-type” cookies
chocolate bars
raw chocolate bars
chocolate chips
fancy chocolates (valentines-esque)
marshmallows
packaged cookies
packaged cookies – gluten free?
“shelf stable chocolate chip cookies”
packaged large softish cookies (abc, boston, liz lovely etc)
packaged donuts
Crackers
condiments
Mayonnaise
margarines?
Mustards
Ketchups
Pickles
agave nectars
fruits/veggies
tomatoes
apples
durian
random things
caviar. (seriously!) http://www.caviart.us/
So, here is an idea (I apologize if this is the wrong spot for it, but it seemed right!)
Have you ever seen “throw down with Bobby Flay”?
Perhaps, doing something like that, with local favorites from Govindas, and putting them against someone’s cooking, or another vegan restaurant option. Its not so much “products” but “foods”
tacos
sandwiches
falafels
cheez steaks
etc.
Or with recipes, where we(people we convince) each make a loaf of bread/pretzels/something else. do a blind taste taste, and make the winners recipe available online?
I think the focus should be on ready bought products at first, but I wanted to put that out there as a “future” type item.
What do you think?
Also:
Packaged Salsa
Tomato/Spaghetti sauce
Apple Sauce
YEAH here is fine. i also had those ideas. i definitely want to start out with packaged products and then we can supplement with those ideas once the pre-packaged items are running out. hehe.
as for the restaurants, i don’t know. it seems like it might be too local. we could definitely do a second podcast called philly vegan reviews or something. that’s definitely an option. i don’t want to clutter this podcast with info that only benefits a small population. or… we can have restaurant reviews, and allow anyone who has the ability to record to review whatever restaurants they want to review, and we can process it and host it on our servers. that might be cool.
as for the recipes, definitely. we’ll have to have a set list of ingredients, though, to keep the variations to a minimum. or we can all make the same recipe with different ingredients. like seitan with the different brands of vital wheat gluten.
What about reviewing milks other than soy milks? Almond, oat, hemp, and coconut are some you might want to review. You can also provide information on the best uses for the milks (on cereal, in baking, in smoothies, in soups, etc.)
So thrilled to have found your blog! I do something very similar on a daily basis in the UK for my gift basket company which specialises in vegetarian, vegan & kosher food. My biggest problem is that you seem to have so much more choice over in the US (especially with items that are both vegan & kosher) than over here.
I’d love to see a section on great ‘luxury’ foods you’d want to put in the ideal vegan gift basket. I’m being a little selfish, but I’m sure others would find it very useful. The other item that would be great to see is something on convenience – really easy to make meals / packet mixes to have in the cupboard for when you really don’t feel like heading out to the grocery store.
And I’ll just hope that the gems you find are available in the UK!
– Shelley
those are great ideas! thanks!
your gift baskets sound great! do you record your taste-tests on your blog? if so, i can link to them on our sidebar. (i’m pretty sure there aren’t any UK reviewers on the list yet)
Hi Carrie,
I hadn’t really considered doing that, so that’s an interesting idea. I would generally write up something great that I’ve found and can put in my gift baskets, but would not normally write about the ‘misses’. Probably because taste is so personal and I wouldn’t want to give bad press to a product that someone else may love.
I actually wrote up a few tips about how to use one of my new favourite finds on the blog just yesterday: Date Honey or ‘Silan’. It is a perfect replacement for bee honey in just about anything and I think tastes much better. You can read it here:
http://mannagifts.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/10-top-tips-for-date-honey-part-1/
The criteria for me is whether something would really be a ‘gift’, because I think it tastes great and, often, is also a bit of a luxury. That does raise the bar somewhat on what I’m prepared to put in, which doesn’t make life easy! There have been quite a few products that I have tried that tick lots of boxes (i.e. vegan & organic & gluten-free) which I thought were dreadful. I just couldn’t include them. Which is why I’m looking for inspiration wherever I can. And for that your blog is a goldmine, thank you!
I know that is not quite your format, but if you think I could contribute in any way, then do let me know and I’ll be happy to do what I can.
– Shelley