CATS COULD BE SO LUCKY!

Our favorite restaurant Ha Long Bay Vietnamese Kitchen in Columbus, Ohio was once again recognized by the Columbus Dispatch for its great food! So in celebration Keely and I went to dinner Saturday night. I tried a great new mango drink. It had fresh mango, and fresh oranges. I must admit that after two, I really didn't give a damn whether the booze was raw or not. Boy can that man make a mean martini!

My meal wasn't raw. I could have had a salad, but this is my "any chance I can get to feel as if I was in Viet Nam" treat. I can relax, enjoy my friends, and my wife. Don't ask me what I ate. I don't really order anything anymore. I let the owner fix me whatever he'd like me to try. He knows that little creatures are off limits. I've never been disappointed yet. P.A. is a true Chef!

Tonight's meal was centered around Tofu. Oh, and then there's the "fungi". His mushrooms are really unbelievable! The mushrooms are full of flavor, and juicy! I haven't found a raw recipe that matches the texture and flavor! When P.A. fixes a meal you can taste the ingredients. You don't get something that tastes like it is fresh out of the can when you eat at Ha Long Bay.


If you would like to see pictures of Keely's meal and the appetizers, go to her post on Raw Diva Keely.

Every chance I get I like to give Ha Long Bay a thumbs up to anyone who might be in the Polaris area of Columbus, Ohio. Outside of SaiGon you won't find better Vietnamese food around.

OK, so on to the recipe of the week. Nope, I'm taking a week off. My brain is fried. The work load is really crazy, and I'm zoning out on mundane things like plain old fantasy novels this weekend. I'm reading a great series with a woman as the "kick ass protagonist" who wound up with Joan of Arc's sword. Its called "Rogue Angel" by Alex Archer. There's ten books in the series. Yeah, its published by the same people who bring you "Harlequin" novels, but these are a great read. (No, you won't get me to admit to reading a Harlequin novel or two!)

So my recipe to share is one I picked up off of the "Raw Freedom Community" forum. You can link there from the Sunny Raw Kitchen. "Snowdrop" posted this charmer.

Do you miss that "hot dog" on a Saturday afternoon? Wish you could watch people dress in tight clothes and try to beat the crap out of each other while running down fields, skating on ice, or just pummeling each other? I'm pleased to share with you:

Snowdrop's Raw Whole Food Hot Dogs!

Makes 6 servings

1 1/2 cups walnuts, soaked
1/4 onion
1/4 beet
1/2 carrot
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons agave syrup
2 tablespoons nama shoyu
2 teaspoons hickory smoke flavor liquid
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Sprinkle cayenne pepper

Blend till smooth in food processor. (Note: Where the recipe calls for 1/4 onion or beet, I used somewhere between 1/4-1/3 cup of each. It really depends upon your taste.-Bob)

Form dough into hot dog shapes on teflex sheet (6-8).

Dehydrate 105 about 4 hrs.

Flip onto grid dehydrate to the texture you like. (Another hour or so.) Roll lightly into shape.
Serve warm.

Until next week, just try living without thinking, it might be more fun than you realize, and just might surprise you too! (Yeah, I got to throw a little philosophy in at the end, or it just wouldn't' be me!)

(PS - I made Bob use Romain leaves as a bun for the Hot Dogs. Add some Bubbies sauerkraut, mustard and ketchup, and you've got a raw dog that any little rodent in your house will love! Hmm, can I get his Highness to try making "Raw Pigs in a Blanket"? What's this crap about cats in the title anyway? Probably his poor spelling at work once again. Who knows what he's up to now! That boy needs a real vacation, and an office to work in, instead of a cubicle on a recycled factory floor. - Thomas)