The Discerning Brute: fashion, food & etiquette for the ethically handsome man » food

Monk Shoes, Champs Consolidates & Doughnut Wisdom

joshuakatcher — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:28:13 +0000

• Monk shoes have been popping up (and buckling down) all over the place, and Bourgeois Boheme has them with brogue details in black and brown. Snazzy. Yes, snazzy. • Earlier this month, the Vegetarian Food Festival took NYC by storm. In addition to scarfing down a Faux Gras sandwich and emceeing a doughnut-eating-contest, I took some photos of gentlemen with personal style who were on line (for 3 hours) or wandering around the area. Also threw in a picture of Chef Ayinde Howell cheering after serving up his famous mac-n-yease, and some fun costumes from Foodswings. • Although it's a bummer whenever a veg establishment closes it doors (as what happened to Williamsburg's Boneshakers), it's cool that they were able to consolidate with their other location, Champs, and now in addition to being a bakery, Champs offers an edited version of the Boneshakers menu including a yummy weekend brunch. I swung by on saturday and scarfed down a Tofu-Benedict on sourdough with vegan hollandaise sauce and a side of greens and mac-n-jeeze. I love my neighborhood! • Dunwell Doughnuts, the Brooklyn start-up featured a really interesting article on food activism today: We believe that a vegan doughnut could be a tremendous ambassador for vegan food. Also because we stepped into this believing that we wouldn't simply be making a good doughnut "considering it's vegan," but an AMAZING doughnut, heck, perhaps even the best doughnut you could find, vegan or non-vegan alike. Opening a shop would allow us to share this treat with people AND create a place for that much needed community.

Racy Tees, Adult Chocolates & Lab Meat

joshuakatcher — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:31:39 +0000

• This new tee from Kill Shop Kill makes quite a statement, but it also is for two good causes, and I bet the ladies won't complain or disagree. This latest collaboration with veg smut star Jessie Lee was undertaken to help her cover medical expenses incurred when she suffered a near fatal car crash on November 5, 2010. She is still recovering serious physical and brain injuries, and the purchase of the shirt helps a lot, and also promotes being kind to animals - and the ladies. • Right on topic, and perfect for Vday, why not get some chocolate "Furious Vulvas" or "Anatomical Hearts" from Lagusta's Luscious. These organic, vegan chocolates look amazing and taste even better. • Speaking of not eating meat, Yahoo News reported yesterday on some updates in the world of lab-grown meat:

One pioneer in the field is Dr. Vladimir Mironov, a developmental biologist and tissue engineer at the University of South Carolina.... the lab-based approach to meat cultivation promises to be more humane than the factory-farm alternative. His research team has indeed received a grant from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in an effort to reduce both the need for massive farms and, well, the need to slaughter animals for food. The process is similar to how yogurt is made. "Once a meat-cell culture exists, it could function the way a yeast or yogurt culture does," Robin wrote, "so that meat growers wouldn't need to use a new animal for each set of starter cells."

Awesome? Gross? What do you think?

Dun-Well Doughnuts. Well Done.

joshuakatcher — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 03:55:38 +0000

There's something special about vegan dudes who wear waistcoats, suspenders and bow-ties. There's something even more charming about well-dressed gents who also make delicious delicacies that are so amazing they don't even need to add silly animal products to their recipes. Move over cup-cake lovers - Christopher and Dan, of Dun-Well Doughnuts are two, fine, New York City gentlemen, and they are taking your favorite childhood memories of airy, doughy, flaky, sweet and tender, holey pastries, and adding a respectable, artisan edge to them. They also have a confection to make. They strive to source local and organic ingredients, and plan to eventually include gluten-free options. Bravo! Do some sit-ups and be there for the official launch party:

Wednesday, February, 2nd, 7PM - 9PM

Mooshoes, 78 Orchard Street, NYC

Lula's Sweet Apothecary, will be giving free samples of a very special, made-for-doughnuts, ice cream flavor, and the vegan bar, Pine Box Rock Shop will be slinging drinks.

photo by Ryan Pfluger

You can send questions, concerns, and stalker-ish, obsessive, excited feedback to Dunwelldoughnuts@gmail.com

De Vegetarische Slager

joshuakatcher — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 17:00:34 +0000

If I were in the Netherlands, I would be a happy man during my lunch hour in The Hague. For it is there, in a charming and handsome storefront, that I would order a half-pound of hand-made, locally-grown lupin-based "meats". Europe's very first artisanal vegetarian butcher, Jaap Korteweg, is trying to bring lupin (once as unfamiliar as quinoa) into the mainstream. Lupin is beautiful, flowing plant that produces a yellow legueme seed. It can be used in the same way a soy bean is used to make tofu, or soy protein - minus the soy. This great news for the soy-intolerant, and for yet another alternative protein source. Has anyone been to this place or made lupin bean dishes? I'd love to hear your opinions!

Waffle Brunch Returns to Brooklyn, Sundays!

joshuakatcher — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:55:57 +0000

Petit Dejeuner: A Waffle Brunch, every Sunday at The West Cafe in Williamsburg - Ayinde Howell of I Eat Grass prepares a delectable brunch extravaganza that will become your new, Sunday ritual. New and innovative flavors and specials every week, and he has even added a wheat/gluten-free corn waffle to the menu. Everything as always is totally vegan and totally delicious. $11 with a savory side of to-die-for Mac & Yease or $9 for waffles, solo! Brunch is this and every Sunday.

(While there, do not pass up on the velvety espresso from Brooklyn Roasting Company. Amazing soy-lattes prepared by exceptional baristas.)

Snack Attack, Nude Attitude, Man Tools & The Cost of Cheap Clothes

joshuakatcher — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 21:39:43 +0000

• The simplicity of a henley is a thing of beauty. Practical, utilitarian, and handsome whether you layer it with an organic plaid shirt, or wear it on it's own. When that henley is fairly-made in Italy or Portugal from organic cotton, it's also a thing of ethical handsomeness. While I wish on all my lucky-charms that Nudies would stop using cruel and ecologically devastating leather for their denim tags and jackets, I am happy when they have items like this that are leather-free. (Don't they know about all the cutting-edge, supple faux-leathers made from recycled soda bottles, TV's, or in closed-loop Japanese factories?). Nudie does, however, have an amazing human rights program set up with Amnesty International - that with the purchase of any one of their organic cotton "Human Rights Tees", 10 Euros gets donated to AI. They've got some pretty cool designs, as well. • Is cheap denim worth burning young women to death? Most people would say no - but our shopping habits speak otherwise. On December 15th, 2010, a multi-story sweatshop making clothes for notorious sweatshop slumlords, The Ha-meem Group (employed by GAP Inc., Wrangler jeans, JC Penney, Target, Abercrombie & Fitch, H&M, Walmart, Kohl's, Sears, Next and Osh Kosh B'Gosh, trapped and killed at least 29 workers in Bangladesh. The unsafe and unchecked conditions in the sweatshop prevented these mostly young girls from making a safe escape, as exists are commonly locked from the outside to prevent people from taking breaks. Many were burned alive, and many jumped to their death. To add insult to injury, "...the workers who were burned alive were likely being paid some $24 a month, less than $1 a day," according to Change.org. The disconnect we have concerning where our clothes come from is shameful, but understandable considering the epic propaganda and marketing machine that tells well-funded myths about cheap clothes. Between 2006 and 2009, 414 workers died in 213 factory fires. This latest fire at the Ha-Meem Group factory was not the first one to occur this year either - and famous factory fires that kill poor people or immigrants have a well-documented history. If you unwrapped a Christmas present from any one of these companies yesterday, or plan on going to the mall to spend gift-certificates, I would seriously consider using the opportunity to return items, speak to a managers, write letters, or otherwise voice your outrage. Lastly, please Sign The Petition to demand that these manufacturers at least compensate families of the victims. * If you are designer or work with any of these companies - check out the amazing work that Made-By is doing, and find out how to get the button sewn into your label! • Snack Attack! I am drooling like a rescued pitbull just thinking about these new snacks! The vegan mozzarella-style sticks from Chicago Soy Dairy's Teese line offers 15 sticks for 6 bucks - that ain't bad at all. Then, squeeze some of Tiger Tiger's flavored vegan mayo on your favorite sandwich or burger, and for dessert, how about some raw, Nutella-inspired Rawtella over ice cream or in a cookie sandwich? • Man Tools from Jack Black are a sure way to keep a well-groomed face and handsome conscious. A cruelty-free and Men's Health Magazine award-winning lather-brush designed to both meet and exceed the performance of Silver Tip Badger hair, and a razor-sharpener that extends the life of any razor are often hard to find, but here they are:

Matteo Silverman’s GRACIOUS GOURMAND

joshuakatcher — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:21:34 +0000

Matteo Silverman's food is legendary in Brooklyn. After many successful years of hosting 4CV (Four Course Vegan), he has refined and mastered his technique and style. This was obvious last Friday when he unleashed a six-course Mexican-fusion menu - plus a customized Kanon Organic Vodka martini; Sastuma Tangerine & Thai Basil. The raw cashew-cheese Amuse Bouchce was both a visual delight in the pink root vegetable pocket, and a delicious starter that got everyone in the mood for more. The Cayuga Farms Black Bean Soup with Toasted Cumin and Citrus Sour Cream was rich, hearty, decadent, and perfect for the chilly weather. The Red Kuri Squash Crepinette with Pickled Beets and Oaxacan Mole was outstanding, complex, and thought-provoking - and how can you go wrong with chocolate for dessert combined with cinnamon and vanilla? This was the last GRACIOUS GOURMAND until 2011, so if you missed it, I'm sorry! In the time being, don;t forget to come every Sunday from 11am- 3pm to the Gracious Gourmand Waffle Brunch featuring Chef Ayinde Howell.

Smells Like Crap & Tastes Like Coffee

joshuakatcher — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 08:42:14 +0000

The Civet Cat is a rather cute animal. Sort of cat-like, but actually from the Viverridae family - the animal is native to Africa, Madagascar, the Iberian Peninsula, southern China, and Southeast Asia. Strangely, we humans have taken a liking to this fuzzy critters poop and anal gland secretions. We've been wearing it in our fragrances and drinking coffee beans that pass through (if you know what I mean). The smelly stuff, which is also called civet, that comes out of the perineal glands (near the anus) is quite musky and acts as a stabilizing agent in fragrances - it extends the life of the overall smell, their olfactory duration, if you will. Left to itself in nature, the musk is very offensive, has been known to induce vomiting in humans, and can smell for up to four months. In order to harvest the secretion, the civet must be killed or have the thick, yellow grease painfully scraped from the gland's anal sac. The civet’s secretions must be combined with alcohol and other chemicals to bring out its “pleasant musky odor". It is rumored that civet cats produce more secretions when they are under stress, so many of the farmers hit their cages to keep them scared. Fortunately, synthetic civetone has been synthesized from precursor chemicals found in palm oil, but many supposed “high-quality” perfume manufacturers still prefer torturing these unfortunate and smelly animals. There are other animals also used for their smells. And if you didn't think this poor animal already had it tough, people have been drinking incredibly expensive coffee that has been shat out after these guys eat the coffee cherries. It sorta looks like a Babe Ruth bar, no? At first, people collected the wild droppings, but now they've realized that farming the civets yields greater revenue. The whole demand for the crappuccino comes from the distinct and rare flavor that occurs from the fermentation process inside the civets stomach. Now, I know there are people out there who are scientists. Can't you think of more intelligent way to ferment coffee cherries? Fortunately, someone has done just that. According to poopcoffee.com, "The Trung Nguyen Coffee Company hired a German scientist to research the chemical processes that occur in the Civet’s stomach, and in 1996 scientists were able to isolate six specific digestive enzymes and then use these enzymes to create a synthetic soak known as Legendee, which they patented. " When you cage a wild animal, you prevent it from doing anything that nature intended it to do. It is emotional and physical torture for wild animals to be locked up - and this is no exception, no matter how delicious the coffee tastes, it's still shitty. No matter how amazing the fragrance smells, it's still shitty. Free the civet cats!

New York Times: A civet farm in Liwa, a town in Sumatra, where the catlike animals eat coffee cherries. Their droppings contain coffee beans fermented in their stomachs.