Restaurant review: CAFÉ GRATITUDE

"There's something wonderful about going to a restaurant and being able to order anything from the menu."
Those were the words of delight from my cousin the other day as I treated her out for a much belated birthday meal at Café Gratitude, a raw vegan restaurant. This was my first time at Café Gratitude, and her first time at the original location just blocks from her and her husband's new home in the Mission.

After Mother's Day dinner with my parents this weekend, when my selections at the very nice Italian restaurant were extremely slim, my cousin's words ring especially true. I thoroughly enjoyed the total splurge at Café Gratitude with drinks, appetizer, main entrée, and dessert. And though the $50 I spent felt steep, it was definitely worth it in comparison to the $75 I spent on Mother's Day, for a salad and soup, which left my taste buds longing for something more.

I am grateful for places like Café Gratitude, which I am discovering. Actually, on my first visit, I was not only "grateful" but I was also "insightful" (with spring rolls), "graceful" (with Indian Bahraini), "youthful" (with fresh almond milk) and "adoring" (with tiramisu). My cousin found herself "insightful" and "adoring" also, but in addition she was "accepting" (with a sushi bowl) and "effervescent" (with house ginger ale).

Just reflecting on our meal after my Mother's Day dinner "rations", I am reliving the taste bud sensations. Aha... It was a divinely delightful experience. There is little to critique, other than I wish there was a location near my place and that the meals weren't so expensive. Yet, I recognize the fresh tastes, the organic ingredients, and care given to ensure quality, especially during challenging economic times, so I understand the prices. I just wish my employer would understand that too when it comes to my paycheck!

While the food feeds the body, the café is also intended to feed the soul. Each item on the menu is named "I am ____", followed by a positive attribute to reflect the philosophy and lifestyle which gave rise to this "movement", now in four locations -- San Francisco in the Mission and Sunset, Berkeley, and the newest location, San Rafael.

Based on their life journeys, Matthew & Terces Engelhart developed the Abounding River board game in 2002 to share their experiences with others. The purpose of the game is to help people transform from a place of scarcity to a place of abundance. It's about "being abundance", training people in a day to day practice as well as discovering a spiritual foundation that opens up to a whole new way of looking at money and resources. The Engelharts want people to experience themselves as being the source of unlimited supply.

After leading workshops based on the game around the country, the couple felt that the next step was opening a gaming parlor that served food - a raw food gaming parlor. Café Gratitude was born, with original recipes developed by Terces, vegetarian and raw with no wheat, dairy, or sugar.

As the website, which features the beautiful artwork of the board game, states: "Café Gratitude is our expression of a world of plenty. Our food and people are a celebration of our aliveness. We select the finest organic ingredients to honor the earth and ourselves, as we are one and the same. We support local farmers, sustainable agriculture and environmentally friendly products. Our food is prepared with love."

You can literally taste the love while there, as well as play the game. While my cousin and I really didn't know about the gaming parlor aspects while there for nearly 2 hours, we did feel the love as we enjoyed good food, encouraging conversation, and friendly wait staff who answered questions, and even let me look at a recipe book to see ingredients in the desserts! It was sweet, and I am "thankful" as I eagerly awaiting the next opportunity to get there again, to not just enjoy the food, but to play the game and to be "abundance" as well.

A bug's life

While journaling this morning, a huge moth came flying out from under the table and nearly knocked me in the face. Spring has sprung here up in the mountains. The bugs are finding new life. And vegan-me is working through what it means to live with compassionate care for ALL of God's creatures, including those "non-sentient" (aka "not able to feel or emotionally respond ") creatures, like moths and the summer dread up here at camp, mosquitoes.

Vegan values embrace compassionate care for all life, which means honoring all that God has made, including insects, bugs, and rodents. While it is easy to care for "sentient creatures" like cows and dogs, it often becomes a stretch to see the rationale in respecting those creatures that don't have emotional capacity, which are simply annoyances. For me, it is an issue of integrity, which is an important value in my life. Thus, I maintain true to my commitment to compassionate care for all of creation, respecting the life of the "non-sentient", and tolerating those pesky bugs that emerge as the spring warms into summer.

As Joanne Stepaniak writes, "For vegans, the issue isn't finding a reason not to kill but learning what it means to honor life." (Being Vegan, p. 31)

Luckily last summer (my first vegan summer), mosquitoes were not a problem, but it is still an exercise in restraint, not squashing one that has landed, ready to bite. I shake and blow instead, and it seems to work for me. And with bees during barbecues at the picnic area, I simply do not bother them and they do not bother me.

Inside, I am learning "compassionate bug capture" for those moths that get in and fruit flies that like my produce. I have a clear plastic cup, which I use to enclose them when they land on a wall or window. I then slip a piece of paper underneath to escort my "new friends" from my home to theirs, out the front door so they can fly and be free, and no longer bother me! Spiders I've learned to ignore, and luckily, I've not had to face ant swarms or rodent invasions in my place. If I do, you'll probably read it on the blog as I cross that ethical vegan dilemma when the time comes.

Though creatures like that are bothersome as the weather warms, I am thankful for the beauty of butterflies that also emerge this time of year. At times there will be one or two which accompany me on a run along portion of our back trails. As I reflect on their transformation from bug to butterfly, they remind me of the many ways my life has been transformed over the years, and I am thankful for the new beauty I see in me as I run.

There are lessons to learn about the Creator from all of creation, including those pesky insects. The author of Proverbs writes: "Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; coneys are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces." (Proverbs 30:24-28)

Startled by the moth earlier this morning, I followed it with my eyes as it flew around a bit before settling and landing. I quietly and slowly found my "bug capture cup" and proceeded to gently but quickly surround it, which I did. I wiggled it around to get it off the ground as the paper slipped underneath. I escorted it out, and released it. "Fly and be free."

Though not as beautiful as the butterflies on the trail, moths too are transformed. With their abundance around camp, they remind me of the transformations, which continue to occur in my life, which are not big, bold, and beautiful, but take place in the mundane decisions of everyday life around here. As I reflect on those, vegan-me is thankful. God is good, as I choose to praise the Creator, even for insects and bugs. We'll see however how thankful I am for mosquitoes this season.

No rush

When I began back in school earlier this year, I also began spending a few nights at my parent's home each week as public transportation to and from campus is readily accessible. As much as I am learning about Franciscan Creation Theology, I am also learning what it means to be an adult child living part-time with aging parents.

One key lesson I've learned in the past month: When on a run between 10-12 noon, "NO RUSH". If I complete a run and return home during those late morning hours, I am greeted by the voice of Rush Limbaugh and conservative political commentary blaring from the kitchen radio. If I slow down the run, I can quite literally, "avoid the Rush."

As vegan values emerge in my life, they are creating views regarding politics, religion, and food, which are very different from my parents, who often do not understand the reasons for some of my lifestyle choices, in spite my best attempts to explain them. While I respect my parents' perspectives, they are definitely not mine, and I have on a few occasions asked them if they were not listening (and especially not in the room), if I could turn off the radio, creating interesting conversation but also uneasy quiet.

Dinners each week continue to be an interesting experience as my dietary choices have shifted over the past year. Just this past week, as we sat down for dinner, I had a big bowl of greens topped with a raw vegan veggie curry (yummy) while my parents had rotisserie chicken, pasta, and zucchini. My mom put two pieces of chicken on her plate, and my dad's comment to her: "Is that ALL the meat you're taking?", implying of course that she should take more. Passive-aggressive? If you know my father, probably yeah.

In the midst of my dietary decisions, my mom does her best to understand and to support me. Yet I know from her passing comments that she does not always agree, especially when it comes to issues related to food and the environment as she has implied that she is still not convinced of global warming. I know I cannot change my parents perspectives (though I would like to). My desire is to help them understand mine.

Along with listening to Rush in the morning, my parents also read the newspaper. In looking through the paper this week with them, I discovered a new weekly food columnist, EcoChef, Aaron French. His first article: "Lower your carbon - cholesterol may follow."

Many of my parent's friends have high cholesterol and diabetes, which has created numerous opportunities over dinner for me to discuss diet, disease, and my dietary decisions with them. The EcoChef article clearly articulates the environmental connection with diet that they do not fully grasp, which is foundational to my vegan life. I shared it with my mom, who initially noticed the word, "carbon" (aka "carbon footprint" implying "global warming"), and gave me that "let's not go there" look.

I told her that the article reflects many of my perspectives on food and the environment, and that I wanted to keep it. She said to take it, but I asked her first to read it then save it for me. When I returned from my run at 12:05 pm, the kitchen was quiet, there was "no Rush", and the article was neatly folded on the table.

I have not yet asked my mom what she thought about the article. I am learning that with my parents, it is best not to push, but to be patient, to plant seeds, and to allow the process to naturally unfold. As I was officially accepted full-time this week into the Master of Theological Studies program at the Franciscan School of Theology, I know that over the next two years, there will be many more opportunities over dinner to talk. Thus, there is "no rush".

Why?

It's been about a year since I officially crossed the line to vegetarianism. It's been about 10 months since I officially embraced a vegan lifestyle. Over these past few weeks, I've been considering another dietary transition as I have been reading about and trying out aspects of a "raw vegan diet".

What was initially "Raw Mondays" began turning into "Raw Other Days" as I found myself enjoying the experience, struggling at times, but finding it very intriguing to consider what "raw foodism" is all about.

While I've not made any "official" transitions, all this is causing me to ask myself again, "WHY?" Why do I do what I do? Why do I choose certain foods, a certain lifestyle, certain values?

With Earth Day coming up on Tuesday, April 22nd, I was asked to speak to a church congregation today about environmental issues. My intention was to have them each consider "WHY" they do what they do when it comes to the world God has created.

Using St. Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures, I shared the one word I believe to be the theological foundation of Franciscan Creation Theology = "fraternitas". Because God is our Creator, the Source of all, our Father, Mother, Parent, we are in essence related to all else that God has made, one family living together in the one home we call earth.

I believe our brotherhood/sisterhood (our fraternitas) with all of creation should be the framework for our choices. In looking at Sister Water, Eric Doyle, a Franciscan theologian in his book, The Song of Brotherhood and Sisterhood writes: "Water is a creature like (ourselves). As a creature, water is our sister, and it is hardly normal to pour toxic acid into your sister!" (p. 56). How we treat members in our biological family as we consider their needs is how we are to treat members in our "cosmic family".

Why do I make some of the choices I do in terms of my diet and lifestyle? It is because of compassion, my desire to live in harmonious relationship with all my brothers and sisters, human and non-human, everything that finds life in the same God who gives life to me, too.

When it comes to a raw vegan diet, I know that 100% raw will not work for me. Compassion is too great a value in my life. While I have compassion for animals and the natural world, I also want to live in compassion with my human brothers and sisters. I do not want my dietary decisions of ahimsa to offend someone who has gone out of their way to serve me. Thus, I make dietary exceptions. I guess I'm really a vegan, a "compassionate % of the time". Though it is not often I will stray at this juncture, I do not allow legalism of a dietary decision to keep me from caring for another.

I am encouraged because I see that in Francis of Assisi. The story is told that while on a strict diet, Francis saw one of his brothers who was very sick and needed food but refused to eat because he wanted to show how holy he really was. Francis, out of compassion, took grapes and ate them first, breaking his dietary holiness to encourage his brother to eat. Compassion.

Earth Day is on Tuesday. It is a good time, I believe, for each of us to consider again why we do what do, why we make the choices we make each day. I pray that compassion for the earth, compassion for all your brother and sisters in the cosmic family will become the foundation of daily decisions for you.

You run some. You lose some. Praise God anyway.

My plan for TODAY was to run 13.1 miles in the Santa Cruz Half-Marathon. The only problem: The event occurred YESTERDAY, and I totally missed it. I had it in my calendar for today, April 13, and since registering and paying $55, I could have sworn it was on the Sunday of this weekend, but no. It was on the Saturday, April 12. And unfortunately I didn't discover my error until Saturday morning, as I finally sat down to read the reminder emails with parking instructions, route information, and so forth.

People have different motivations in running, and one motivation for me has been food. Missing the race, I "eat" the pre-registration fee, and I lose out on eating what had been my motivation for running this race an hour away in Santa Cruz. After the 13.1 miles I was going to treat myself to vegan chocolate cake at Black China Bakery! Missing out on vegan chocolate cake is probably the most disappointing part of missing the run today (along with losing the registration fee).

I've never been to Black China Bakery before, but after my cousin gave me some vegan chocolate goodies for Christmas from there, a pilgrimage to their location has been my great eating desire. I guess I'll just need to find another excuse to head down there.

In the meantime, with the warmth of spring filling the forest, I will go for a nice leisurely run, clear my head, and enjoy the wonder of new life blooming all around. I may have missed the race, but I will not miss the opportunity today to go out and praise God with all creation for the beauty the Creator has made. I hope you'll find sometime to get out today and enjoy God as well. No matter what happens in life, I believe it is important to praise God anyway.

As I am in the midst of my studies this semester at the Franciscan School of Theology, doing a comparative study of the Canticle of the Creations, may these words of St Francis of Assisi fill you with praise as you rejoice in who God is through all that God has made.

Spring has sprung and the miracle of new life is blooming all over. Let us join with all creation in praise of our Creator.

THE CANTICLE OF THE CREATURES

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours be the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and who is worthy to mention your name?

Praised be You, my lord, with all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day and through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor;
and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather
through whom You give sustenance to Your creatures.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains and governs us,
and who produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Praised be you, my Lord, through those who give pardon for your love
and bear infirmity and tribulation.

Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.

Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks
and serve Him with great humility.

(If you are interested in watching a YouTube video of the interpretation of the Canticle in "Brother Sun, Sister Moon", the 1972 classic of Francis' life, click here.)
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MY VEGGIE TALE: Part 3 - a freezer story

(For Part 1 - a weight loss story - see October 21, 2007)
(For Part 2 - a running story - see December 9, 2007)

While searching through the mysterious depths of my overly packed freezer, I discovered this week a bagged plate of frozen leftovers labeled "Paesano P/C with tort". I regularly make meals and freeze them, but oddly I did not remember this one. When I opened it up, I quickly identified the "tort" as "tortellini", but it took a few moments for me to realize that the big brown frozen "PC" glob in the container was ... a Pork Chop! How long has THAT been in there? I had no idea.

Pondering where it came from, I was reminded that just over a year ago I officially made the transition from "part-time meat eater" to "full-time vegetarian". I had been a vegetarian before (see Veggie Tale: Part 1), but did not eat healthy thus I gained a lot of weight. To lose the weight I adopted a healthy carnivore diet. I began running (see Veggie Tale: Part 2), and dropped 40 pounds. (NOTE: If you read Part 2, you'll now need to wait until Part 4 to find out the results of my first marathon).

About two years ago I read a book entitled, "What the Bible Says About Healthy Living", by Rex Rusell, which challenged me to make my fairly healthy diet, even more healthy. The three principles around which the book centers:
1. Eat only substances God created for food. Avoid what is not designed for food.
2. As much as possible, eat food as they were created - before they are changed or converted into something humans think might be better.
3. Avoid food addictions. Don't let any food or drink become your god.

What I found most insightful was his interpretation of the dietary laws in the Old Testament. He demonstrates how these regulations are really God's prescription for healthy eating. Disease (or you could say, "punishment") results when these food principles are violated and not followed. For example, he describes the digestive system of a pig as opposed to a cow. While a cow chews it cud, which gets digested multiple times, a pig eats and what it eats is immediately digested in the stomach. This means that if a pig which as a scavenger eats slop, and then you eat the pig, you've just eaten the scavenged, rotten and diseased slop. Not very clean or healthy, thus the reason for God's prohibition of pork in the diet.

The main applications from the book for me became: (1) Avoid pork and shell fish (which are filters of ocean slop). (2) Avoid refined foods like sugar and white flour. There is more, but I was convicted to incorporate these into my new eating practices, and over the next months, I lost another 5 pounds.

I live at a camp and conference facility where meals are provided for staff members. When I was eating anything, meals were no problem. I'd head to the staff dining hall and eat whatever, which is mostly (I am sad to say), meaty and fatty, with lots of refined foods. Because I was exercising, I was working off the calories and fat. Unfortunately, many of my colleagues do not, and well, I won't go into that. It's been a challenge talking with some of the kitchen staff about nutrition and healthier foods, and challenging them to make changes. They are "old-school" camp cooks.

When I decided to not consume refined foods and not eat pork and shell fish, it created all sorts of "huh?" The kitchen wasn't sure what to do about that, what to make of me. One of my colleagues is a vegetarian, and so are many of the part-time naturalists at camp. The kitchen had figured out how to feed them, but to feed me was confusing. It was easier to tell the kitchen staff that I was cutting back on carbs, and eating vegetarian, though I might eat meat on occasion. As I began to pay attention to the quality of food the kitchen was serving, wanting more whole and natural foods, I began to cut back on meat, and found myself choosing to eat meat once a day, if that.

The turning point in my vegetarian transition came just over a year ago. Because I was eating a 99%vegetarian diet by that time, the kitchen began to forget that I still claimed to be a "partial vegetarian" (or a vegetarian when I didn't want to eat what the kitchen was cooking, which was becoming more frequent). During one meal, I decided to try the meat entry the kitchen had prepared. Seeing my plate, one of the cooks said to me very sarcastically, "Why are YOU eating that? I thought YOU were a vegetarian."

I was shocked and taken aback by her attitude and tone. I don't remember my response, but I played it off. Integrity is important to me (see last's week's blog). And with the integrity of my words and actions questioned, that became the turning point. I decided right after that to cross the line, and admit to myself and tell others, "Yes, I am now a 100% vegetarian. I choose to not eat the flesh of animals or fish."

Though I've had my "oops" moments over the past year, I have not missed eating meat, and I've never looked back. In fact, I moved forward to choosing a vegan life, and even now, I am looking into a raw vegan diet, but that is for another entry in this blog.

The "Paesano P/C with tort" is now out of the freezer, in the fridge as I figure out what to do. I know I will not eat it. I have no desire to eat it. And the thought of eating the pork chop actually repulses me. It's a BIG hunk of dead animal (aka "meat"). I don't like to waste food, but I will probably throw it out. I could eat the tortellini and dump the pork chop. Or I could save it for some meat eater who comes to visit, but probably not, especially after being in the freezer for over 2 years, which is my best guess. I really do need to clean out my freezer more often.

Look into my "I's"

While I enjoyed writing the six-part Lenten series on vegan principles, I am glad it is over. Each entry required a lot of time, thought, and emotional energy as I paused to consider how I am living out each of the values of ahimsa. This reinforced but also challenged my convictions.

The week of "I is for INTEGRITY" was especially humbling as I found myself tripping over hypocrisy in my "non-vegan" life (way outside the realm of this blog). Caught in "the act", I was forced to face my blind spots and some inconsistencies in a few value-based choices. This revelation caused me to begin questioning the integrity in my "vegan life", especially the exceptions in my vegan diet. Do my "vegan exceptions" discredit my integrity and thus, mar my character? May be the time had come to eliminate all exceptions and fully live "animal free" in consistent integrity as a vegan. I needed to at least try.

As I have blogged, my exceptions are:
1. Dining out
2. Indian buffets
3. The "celebration dessert"
And of course... 4. Chocolate cake

During Lent, I dined out with my parent's for my mom's birthday. At the restaurant, I intentionally asked the wait staff to make my meal vegan. While Caesar salad was the standard for the restaurant, our server prepped a special salad for me with oil and vinegar. However, the "vegan pasta" I requested came with cheese sprinkled all over the top. I explained to her that "vegan" includes "no cheese", but rather than asking her to take it back, and thus wasting the food, I decided to keep it and tried to scrape off the melted cheese to no avail. I ended up eating the meal, but did not enjoy it as my intentional attempt to eat vegan while dining out failed.

Over Lent, I also went out with some friends, and each time, rather than dine at an Indian buffet, which typically serves North Indian cuisine, I intentionally requested we try South Indian cuisine, which tends to be vegan-friendly. I visited two different places: Annapoorna in San Mateo, and Dasaprakash in Santa Clara. In both instances, I specifically asked for vegan substitutions. Learning from the dining experience with my parents, and reading in a vegan resource about the need to be very specific, I explained to the wait staff what not to include in my thali. The server said he would switch out the curries, and in both restaurants, everything was delicious, though the food at Dasaprakash tended to feel "oiler". As I become more familiar with Southern Indian food, I hope to check these places out again and review them. Let me know if you'd like to check them out with me!

As a cake was cut at one celebration during Lent, I was asked point blank by the hostess, "You do eat this, don't you?" Not wanting to offend, I said, "Sure", and was handed a piece. As I headed to the kitchen to get soy milk to go with the basic white cake (which I really didn't want to eat), I soon discovered that other guests were choosing not to take a slice = "I'm too full." "I'm on a diet." I stood there with my cake thinking, "I'm on a diet too - a vegan diet. Why didn't I just say, 'No, but thank you'?"

During Lent, I also began playing around with my vegan chocolate cake recipe. I also began creating a few new recipes, which I will post in the coming weeks. I am discovering that I enjoy experimenting with vegan dishes, and learning about food. How to enhance chocolate flavors in vegan desserts is one current curiosity.

While I was able to uphold my vegan integrity in a few situations during Lent, I did "totally screw up", or at least, I felt like I had failed in others - all because of something I chose to eat! There were moments I felt really guilty, like I had been caught in some great trespass. I want to honor the Creator through my lifestyle, choices, and integrity, but there I am eating cake, which I didn't want, didn't need, but felt forced to take. Guilt.

In one of his sermons, 13th century Franciscan Anthony of Padua said,
"Do you want to carry God in your heart everyday? Look constantly at yourself. Where your eye is, there is your heart. Keep your eyes fixed constantly on yourself. I mention three items: your heart, your eye, yourself. God is in your heart, your heart is in your eye, your eye is in you. So, if you are looking at yourself, you are looking at God in you. Do you want to have God in your heart everyday? Then, be what God has created you to be. Do not look for another I in yourself. Do not try to be anything other than what God created you to be, and you will constantly have God in your heart." (emphasis added)

When guilt-ridden, I know that I am looking for the "other I in myself." The "other I" is "the perfect vegan", "the perfect Jesus follower", "the perfect student", "the perfect employee", "the perfect friend", "the perfect adult child of my parents". There is an ideal I have of myself, and when I do not live up to this ideal, I feel like a failure. My vegan "other I" wants me to feel bad about my blind spots, my exceptions, my lapses in judgment.

I might know of God's grace intellectually, but I'm stilling growing in my knowledge of God's grace experientially. The God I trust is the God of grace, the God who showed the full extent of divine love through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, which we remembered just last week during Easter. I trust that God looks at me with love and compassion, especially as I strive to make the best vegan choices I can as I choose to gaze upon all that God has made with the same love and compassion God has for me. I am learning to live each day in that love, in that grace.

Guilt, I believe, comes from judgment based upon the verdict of a final result. Grace, on the other hand, comes from the assurance that all of life is a process as we carry God in our heart each day. As Anthony of Padua affirms, if I continually look at myself, I am looking at God in my heart. God created me as I am and blessed me with the gift of each day. As I carefully consider the choices I make, I do not need to "feel guity" because I live in grace, God's grace, even with my blind spots, even with lapses of integrity, even with my vegan exceptions.