chocolate dates ball

Inspired by "nakd" chocolate date bar and raw vegan cake by an instagramer @fully_vegan (http://instagram.com/p/gGuJrrwOyX/)

I made these as little balls like chocolate rum balls that I used to like, except these are coated with desicated coconut instead of milk chocolate sprinkle. Healthier, happier! 

1 cup chopped dates

1 cup raw cashew

1/2 cup raw chocolate

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup ground almond

2 tbs agave nectar/golden syrup

Desicated coconut for dusting

1. Soak the dates and cashew for a few hours.

2. Put all ingredients together in a food processor except desicated coconut. (As I don't have food processor, I used hand blender on the soften dates and cashew first, then mixed the rest of the ingredients).

3. Add ground almond if it is too wet. 

Make little balls (or big balls, which ever you fancy)

4. Coat with desicated coconut. 

5. Freeze or refrigerate for a couple of hours. 

Ready for some nice but naughty nibble!

 

Indonesian Vegetarian

I went to Indonesian Christmas party today, catching up with old friends, sharing stories, and at the centre of this gathering: sharing food!

The little problem that I faced was that I have recently decided to become vegan and gave up all animal products. There is no cencept of vegetarianism not to mention veganism in Indonesian - and most South East Asia - culture. When I lived in Indonesia, being vegetarian means not eating meat. I, like most Indonesians, never fussed about how the food was cooked. If there is a bit if meat in the stew, just took them out and eat the vegetables. Being fussy means troubling others and we Indonesian don't like to trouble others.

So today, seeing old friends and a table full of authentic Indonesian food (and after hours of writing essay I was hungry...!) I decided to forget veganism and be Indonesian. Gosh what a wonderful taste authentic Indonesian foods are! 👍😋 My best friend Heni made "soto mie", noodle soup with sliced springrolls, vegetable and all sorts of cow's inside. 

As an Indonesian vegetarian, this is what I did: I 'donated' all the meat and parts of dead cow on my plate to whoever next to me. I never met the girl next to me, she is one of the new Indonesian student in Manchester. But it does not matter, she was very very happy and grateful for the extra meat...! 

This reminds me of my mutual symbiotic relationship with a carnivore friend called Patrick. He hates vegetable and I don't eat meat. During our days of working on the streets of Jakarta, we always sat next to each other for lunch. Whether street vendor's  "nasi bungkus" or posh meals during seminars in five star hotels, if the meal was prepacked, we just swap meat and vegetable. Win-win!

So even though I'm keeping my vegan lifestyle as consistent as possible, I am still in my heart, an authentic Indonesian. And the Indonesian way of being vegetarian is not to make a fuss and to make the person next to you happy 😃😜

Merry Christmas!

Ps. This is Heni's daughter Chinta (Indonesian word for Love). I vote her chocolate-smeared face as the definition of happines. 

Words of Wisdom

We always prayed to what we took. 

Before cutting down a tree, we'd say "Forgive us, understand that we need your warmth." That's what my father taught me. 

(Marie Smith, Eyak Tribe, Native Alaskan)

Quoted from "The Sacred Gift: Words of wisdom handed down. Speak to each generation." Compiled and illustrated by Peter Dunn, 2001, Wiltshire: Axiom Publishing

Vegan Cornbread recipe

This recipe is originally from the Post Punk Kitchen website (www.theppk.com). I improvised a little to add moisture, texture and taste.

Vegan Cornbread

Ingredients:

2 cups (260gr) cornmeal

1 cup flour (120gr all-purpose flour + 10gr corn starch)

3 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 (80ml) cup canola oil / rapeseed oil

2 tablespoon margarine

2 tablespoons maple syrup/golden syrup

2 cups (480ml) soymilk

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar / white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional:

Sweet corn kernels

Grated cheese/vegan cheez

Chopped red pepper

1 teaspoon chipottle chilli paste

Methods:

Preheat oven to 350F (170C) line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or spray the bottom lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, wisk together 1 teaspoin baking powder and the vinegar. Add the soymilk, wisk and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt).

Add the oil, margarine and maple syrup to the soymilk mixture. Wisk with a wire wisk or a fork until it is foamy and bubbly, about 2 minutes.

Pour the wet ingredient into the dry and mix together using a large wooden spoon or a firm spatula. Add the corn kernels, grated vegan cheese, chopped red pepper and chipotle chili paste, mix gently. 

Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Slice into squares and serve warm or store in an airtight container.

People's power?

I might sound old, but I can't help to compare the people's power that toppled dictators in Indonesia 1998 and Philippines 1986 to today's trade union march against the tories in Manchester, UK. 

 

The big difference was that in Jakarta 1998 and Manila 1986, people march united as one against a dictator - Soeharto and Marcos. The people were anonimous Joe Everybodies. Today's protest in Manchester, UK, was filled with banners and placards of organisations or political parties all advertising their interest. None provides practical and logical sollution. 

Indonesians toppled Soeharto's dictatorship by marching as one, not by advertising organisation A, B, C...

I do agree that today's government in power - coallition between Conservative (or Tory) and Liberal Democrat - is evil. Any government who kiils the poor - Cameron in UK 2010-2013 or Sutiyoso in Jakarta 2002-2005 - is indeed EVIL. I agree that they need to step down and be replaced by human who work for the people, not for the greedy bussinessmen and international conglomerates.

Well, this guy said it nicely

Still, it made me sad that today's trade union march was more about promoting individual unions or political parties or institutions or causes, rather than marching together as one. I do not buy the advert of trade unions because all they wanted is our subscription. I had been a member of two unions, both had no union representative available when i really needed them, and I was not the only one with this experience.

I am still waiting for politicians with real human hearts who will defend the people, the poor, with all their hearts until the last blood... I have not seen the quality of Chico Mendez and Romero here in the first world England. 

I am disappointed of the country where modern democracy was born. Still I cannot just leave this modern society, go to the jungle of West Papua and join their Liberation Army. Well, of course I could, but I still have a responsibility of raising my son until he goes to university and independent. Neither does joining badger resistant army would do any good for now. 

Therefore I will continue doing what i can do - fighting for what is right in anyway I can, working togther with those who have human hearts, and fight the evil of greedy capitalistsm, politic of selfishness and injustice. I will fight with my service user for the right of public service for those with no internet access (damn you manchester, advertising the city as digital champion while discriminating against those who are not internet-literate!). I will advocate for those who are entitled of student bursary but their social workers are too lazy and beaurocratic to provide. I will fight for the better treatments of new social workers by the dictatorship of their local authority and fight for transparency in local authority management. I will fight for the stop of badger cull for this is human laziness to address the real problem and find innocent creatures as scapegoat....

Come and join me all human hearts, with care and love we can defeat the evil little by little...

In all our different ways, we can unite in one compassion for fellow human. We can continue to question injustice especially by those in power. We can refuse to be victims and take responsibilities to make a difference. For it is better to light a candle than curse at the darkness....