Okay. We got bike lanes. We got chicken coops. Now, with Vancouver’s City Council’s help, organized labour can prevail over the evil ruling overlords.

‎”We are socialists, we are enemies of today’s capitalistic economic system for the exploitation of the economically weak, with its unfair salaries, with its unseemly evaluation of a human being according to wealth and property instead of responsibility and performance, and we are all determined to destroy this system under all conditions.” –Adolf Hitler

I’m talking about Rocky Mountaineer Railtours (RMR) here. It’s a small, 100 man operation that is one of the gems of BC’s Tourism Sector. In February, the on-board attendants changed their union from the Canadian Auto Workers’ Union to the Teamsters (Local 13 – sidenote: anyone find Jimmy Hoffa yet?), which was mostly seen as a move to muscle more out of RMR for the workers (yay).

That’s fine and said but then fast forward to June, a couple weeks after RMR’s owner, Peter Armstrong, announced that he was going to Chair Vancouver’s Non-Partisan Association (NPA), things really went haywire.

First Teamsters Local 13 advised RMR of their intent to strike (uh oh!). Then RMR locked them out and hired replacement workers (double uh oh!).

Apparently by all reports, things are going alright onboard RMR’s trips right now. Customers are satisfied and RMR is having an okay high season minus the slanderous remarks and fake reviews being posted online regarding the company.

Anyhow, that’s not where things get weird. This is:

(click the image or the link HERE to view the original letter in full or keep reading)

COUNCILLORS’ OFFICE

July 22, 2011

Mr. Peter Armstrong, CEO
Rocky Mountaineer Vacations
Suite 101-369 Terminal Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6A 4C4

Dear Mr. Armstrong:

As elected officials in the City of Vancouver, we’re acutely aware of the importance of tourism to our local economy. The Rocky Mountaineer trains have been a long-standing contributor to the city’s tourism sector, building a global reputation both for the beauty of the scenery they visit, but also for the quality of their on-board service. That customer experience, so critical to your firm’s success, is also crucial to Vancouver’s tourism brand, so much so that we celebrate the exceptional work of frontline tourism sector workers with monthly awards.

That’s why the current lock-out of your employees, members of Teamsters Local 31, is of grave concern to us. These long-service workers, many of whom who have been with Rocky Mountaineer since the firm’s early days, are exactly the kind of skilled, committed frontline employees that help ensure your guests come back, again and again. They are not just your on-board representatives, they are also our city’s representatives in a very real way.

It is our understanding that these workers have not had a negotiated wage increase for several years, but have repeatedly indicated their desire to achieve a negotiated settlement fair to both sides. They have also been clear they do not wish to see longstanding contract conditions taken away, or their right to overtime pay eroded. They have never been on strike, but had taken a strike vote this year to show their commitment to the goals the union was advancing at the bargaining table.

Nonetheless, your firm has not only locked out these loyal employees but immediately replaced them with strikebreakers, an act that would be illegal under provincial law. We do not believe we can build the tourism industry with a strategy that treats customer service reps as little more than disposable people, to be used and discarded.

We urge you to stop using replacement workers immediately and return to the bargaining table to conclude a new agreement to end this lockout.

Apparently Vancouver’s City Councillors David Cadman, Geoff Meggs, George Chow, Andrea Reimer, Heather Deal, Tim Stevenson, Kerry Jang, Ellen Woodsworth and Raymond Louie feel it appropriate to meddle in a private company’s labour dispute.

It’s noted that none of the above are NPA Councillors – they’re actually on the other side, so um… politics?

Again, this is a small company, not a major corporation, not thousands of employees, not public, not government, so the question begs to be asked – why?

Given the (terrible) weather Vancouver’s been having (bad for tourism) and the fact that it’s RMR’s busiest season, I can understand RMR’s need to mitigate any service interruption which is probably why things moved so quickly, but back to the Council…

I personally think they’re all nuts, or maybe there’s something in the Happy Planet they’re drinking.

Well, except for Suzanne Anton who refused to sign the doc.

It’s also an election year so I can understand if they’re buying votes,  but if that’s the prevailing sentiment, maybe Vancouver doesn’t deserve to have such an awesome business housed here.

Go forth in despair as did the people that closed down their businesses after the rapid fire implementation of the bike lanes. Maybe it’s adios. Maybe it’s Alberta.

You voted for ‘em, friends! Congratulate yourselves.

June 15, 2011 is the 90th Anniversary of the repeal of prohibition in BC and the establishment of government control of the sale of liquor within the province. The BC prohibition commenced on October 1, 1917. It was soon judged a failure, resulting in law-abiding citizens becoming criminals for simply wanting to have a drink with their dinner. Following a referendum, prohibition was repealed on June 15, 1921. On the same date, a “government control” system was implemented for the sale of liquor within the province.

It is the 90th anniversary and the government monopoly Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) still controls and sells all liquor within BC at the wholesale level and still sells a vast amount through its government retail stores which have extremely high operating costs. The LDB is a $3 billion per year business in B.C. It generates about $900 million per year for the government but costs about $300 million per year to operate.

The following are some of the legacies of prohibition which make BC look ridiculous when compared to the rest of the world:

• Today, all liquor sold within BC must be registered and listed with the government. All imports of liquor must be approved by and processed through the government wholesaler. Yet, we don’t do this for cigarettes or guns.
• Today in BC, and unlike most of the rest of the world, it is still illegal to consume alcohol in a public place such as a park. BC citizens cannot legally enjoy a glass of wine while enjoying a picnic.
• It is still illegal to carry liquor across provincial borders (a criminal offence with possible imprisonment). In Europe, you can ship alcohol between countries without a problem. While Canadians cannot legally return from a vacation in another province with any alcohol, they can bring back 2 bottles per person after a trip to another country.
• We have excessively high taxes on liquor which result in prices being about double what they should be.           For example, Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling, a Washington state wine, is commonly available for $6 south of the border. It is $15.99 in BC because the standard LDB markup on wine is 123% plus 12% HST on top of that for a grand total of 135% tax.
• Wine is good for you when used in moderation as intended. No amount of soda pop is good for you but that is taxed at only 12%.
• We have arcane regulation of restaurants and private retailers such that these independent businesses are not permitted to do things which are otherwise commonplace. For example, they cannot store liquor off-site. They cannot transfer liquor between locations of the same restaurant or retail chain (even if the LDB is out of stock). They must buy nearly all their liquor from the government, usually from a single designated government store. If they order anything other than mainstream products, they are forced to order in full case lots via a slow and inefficient delivery system. As a result, restaurants frequently run out of products or encounter storage and financial issues due to the requirement to order in such large quantities.
• Restaurants and bars are denied wholesale prices entirely. Private retailers are given wholesale prices which are fixed artificially high by their chief competitor (the government stores). As a result, there is virtually no competition in the retail liquor business and consumers are denied the sales and good deals that are common in other countries.* It is illegal for a private person to sell a bottle of liquor to another private person. Auctions are also illegal (unless done for charity).
• Citizens cannot take their own wine into a restaurant and have the restaurant charge them a corkage fee (even if the wine was purchased from a government store). This is illegal – it’s considered to be “illicit liquor”.

Happy Anniversary LDB, but don’t expect the rest of British Columbia to be joining you to celebrate the 90th birthday of the establishment of government control over the sale of liquor within the province.

-30-

For more information about wine and liquor laws in BC and Canada, visit www.winelaw.ca.

Mark Hicken, BA JD
Vintage Law Group
T: 604 868 1375
E: mark@winelaw.ca
W: www.winelaw.ca

Julia Watt
Gala Events & Marketing
T: 604-790-4484
E: julia@galaevents.ca
W: www.galaevents.ca

The Bocuse d’Or is a biennial culinary competition among the finest culinary masters in the world. The event was named after famed nouvelle cuisine chef and creator of the competition, Paul Bocuse. Aside from giving young, up-and-coming chefs the unique opportunity of weaving their gastronomic artistry in front of the crème de la crème in the culinary world, the Concours Mondial de la Cuisine or World Cuisine Contest has also created a global community of chefs and culinary masters dedicated in attaining excellence in every facet of their chosen profession.

You can download the this week’s edition in PDF format HERE (or grab the full newspaper HERE) or just keep reading (the unrated version) below.

Chef Ryan’s going for the Gold

Photo cutline: All hot chefs in their own right, mentor Scott Jaeger, assistant Talib Hudda and Ryan Stone are ready to do battle in Lyon, France, on January 25^th and 26^th to take home the gold for Canada.

A chef isn’t the type of person to back down from a challenge. They will stop at nothing in order to be perceived as the best. This makes for really scary encounters should you ever bump into one of these people in a dark back ally.

Fortunate for dark back ally-goers, BC’s own Chef Ryan Stone from the West Coast Fishing Club has channelled his energy into something much grander. He’s going to Lyon, France, this month to compete in one of the world’s most prestigious culinary competitions.

Chef Stone has been preparing his entire career to represent Canada on the world stage, and with the goal in sight and having been chosen as our country’s delegate, he’s now putting in insane 16 hour days to perfect the game. Given his dedication, mentorship and the team he’s assembled, Canada has a really good chance at winning this year.

At a special media tasting this week, Chef Stone presented a meat platter and a fish platter so beautifully presented, you know no money could ever buy the experience. What’s equally amazing was that the dishes were prepared from scratch in less than five and a half hours, the maximum allowable time for competitors to present their dishes to the judges.

This year, the Bocuse d’Or Culinary Competition will pit 24 countries’ best chefs against one another in a quest for gold. On January 26^th, only three chefs will be deemed worthy of being able to step up to the winners’ podium.

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Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media thought leader and part foodie. You like amazing food photos? Check out his photos at flickr.com/photos/urbanmixer. His twitter username is @tinhead.

Tips for the Holiday Season Event Planner

Click HERE to view the item as published in 24hrs on December 27th, 2010, or read on for the original (unrated) version.

For the holiday season event planner, this time of year can be downright nerve wracking. While everyone else parties on, it’s your job to bring it, and in a big way. Fortunate for you, I’ve got a couple of tips from some of Vancouver’s most seasoned celebration planners.

Peter Girges is the Managing Partner at 100 Days, the deliberately short-lived pop-up restaurant in the OPUS Hotel. This year the restaurant will celebrate its first and last New Year’s Eve celebration with help from the Hotel that has gained a reputation for putting on the premiere event in the city.

In the city with the least amount of cabs per-capita and with strict new drinking and driving regulations, the Hotel invites guests to let the elevator be the designated driver. For a mere $659, you and a guest can enjoy a guestroom at the luxurious hotel, an open bar up until midnight and a late 2pm checkout the next day. If you live in the area, $150 per person gets you the high-roller host-bar celebration ticket.

Tip #1: Girges who’s been in the service industry for almost 20 years says create an environment where all the logistics are thought out. From dinner, drinks, to a good night’s rest and beyond, everything’s available to guests and nobody has to go elsewhere for the entire evening.

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Robert Gagne, the legendary Frenchy, is one of the city’s best known Maître D’s. He works his magic at Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House. This year, the Restaurant is putting on a celebration that includes dinner, a live band, party favours and champagne at midnight. For his crowd, the event is such a hit, that it’s already sold out.

Tip #2: Frenchy says it’s important to treat your guests as if you’re receiving them in your home. In the end, the experience is about emotions and how people feel – and people want to feel good about spending their hard earned money with you.

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Christian Betancor-Leon is a Director at Bikram Yoga Commercial Drive. For the eighth year in a row, the Hot Yoga Studio is hosting a 90 minute class that ends right at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Day. Hearing the katzenjammer on the street below after working up a sweat is a great way to energize yourself for the upcoming morning celebration.

Tip #3: Christian says don’t be focused on what you’re going to get out of hosting an event. Do it because it brings you joy. If you benefit out of the event, that’s extra but not your motivation.

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Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media thought leader and part foodie. Raj spent years planning events under the Urban Mixer brand name. His twitter username is @tinhead.

Touted as the most original and exciting fish and seafood restaurant in Canada, the C Restaurant is a fitting finale to a journey into the world of vegan culinary arts. With its fresh, contemporary and sustainable local seafood, C Restaurant gives vegan cuisine an innovative and progressive twist that makes any dyed-in-the-wool vegan beam with pride.

You can download the this week’s edition in PDF format HERE (or grab the full newspaper HERE) or just keep reading (the unrated version) below.

Episode 7 – The Grand Pilgrimage

Image cutline: For $85 and an additional $30 for the cocktail pairing, raw vegans can enjoy a multi-course work of art created by the greatest culinary minds in the city.

My captivity may be over but the effects of spending six weeks among raw vegans, eating, breathing and sleeping their lifestyle will probably last me the rest of my days. Although I’m not completely strict about my diet today, I’m definitely feeling like life is going in the right direction. I’ve lost almost 40 pounds, my workouts are better, I feel better and overall I’m happier. The true test starts now.

On a recent outing to one of Vancouver’s most notable restaurants, I challenged the chef to prepare a guilt-free raw vegan feast. Not any chef, though, this was Robert Clark and C Restaurant was hosting the dinner. Clark’s feats are so legendary that I’d rather call this trip a pilgrimage. He is directly responsible for mentoring some of the City’s best minds in food whether it be Robert Belcham, Quang Dang or Connor Butler. At his side this time was C’s Executive Chef, Lee Humphries. Lee is equally special as creativity just oozes from his kitchen.

As all the best restaurants do, Sommelier Justin McAuliffe and Bartender Jason O’Brien somehow and miraculously conjured up cocktails to go with each course. Amazing since they had little notice to prepare an accompaniment to four courses an amuse bouche and a dessert.

Imagine sipping on a cocktail made from swiss chard yellow peppers, Roma tomato, basil and a little bit of lime while snacking on Humphries’ play on taboulli – cauliflower and broccoli cous cous, a side of beans infused with mint, lemon and olive oil and accented with pickled shimji mushrooms and Dijon, as Lee says, ‘for cuteness.’

It’s extraordinary even just talking about it. Chef Robert Clark prefaced one of Chef Lee Humphries’ creation by assuring me that the dish would take my palette to places it’s never been before. Well, if I ever make it to heaven, I now know what the food there tastes like.

Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media thought leader and part foodie. Raj is amazed at the results of going vegan. Is this really the end for him? Go ahead and ask. We dare you. His twitter username is @tinhead.

“A hard beginning maketh a good ending” – John Heywood

It was more than just a good ending, it was a great one … that is if it has really ended already. The Helm definitely offers a unique culinary experience with its fusion elegant dining with a stylish late-night scene. Collaborating with local growers around B.C. and beyond, the Helm provides a truly authentic farm-to-fork dining experience that leaves nothing left to the imagination of any true-blue vegan food enthusiast.

You can download the this week’s edition in PDF format HERE (or grab the full newspaper HERE) or just keep reading (the unrated version) below.

Episode 6 – Is it really over?

Image cutline: Four equally delicious courses in, Chef Tobey set us up with mushroom crostini featuring fresh mushrooms from Northern BC and a beet and radicchio salad showcasing this season’s Hazelnuts from Agassiz.

It all happened so fast. Only a few weeks ago was I captured and forced to convert to raw veganism.

Initially it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life, but then it just became easier. I learned a new respect for those who brought me into this lifestyle and actually looked forward to the extravagant meals that Vancouver’s top chefs had in store for me.

At the same time, I knew the chefs reveled in the challenge. It was exciting to meet Chef Tobey Nemeth at The Helm Restaurant on Howe Street to see what she had in store. It’s the new restaurant on the block and Chef Tobey is fresh out of Toronto. Are they equally enlightened out there?

When the first bit of food arrived, I was puzzled. Potato Chips, five spice popcorn and marinated olives to go with our cocktails? They must’ve had the wrong table so I tried to flag down our host but then, one of my tablemates held my hand and said, “Raj, you’ve been on an incredible journey over the last six weeks. This is where we part ways.”

It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck me. I tried not to show my emotions as I didn’t want to alarm the staff but I was truly sad even though I knew that everything Chef Tobey would put in front of me that night would be impeccable.

This dinner was a celebration and serendipitously, a set of shooters arrived at the table; vegan shooters – squash soup topped with toasted sunflower seeds. It was slightly warm and being the first sensation warm food I’ve tried in weeks, it was definitely a foreign feeling. Not unlikeable by any means, just different.

The following five courses, also all vegan, tempted the imagination. Chef Tobey confessed that she was ultimately interested in getting produce from farmers and suppliers she knew by name. Vegan food was simply an extension of having access to such an amazing supply and it didn’t hurt that her mother was also raw vegan. She let us know that at any point in time there’s at least one vegan dish on the continuously-changing menu.

For us that night, she went all out with a starter, five beautiful courses and a dessert. At $25 per person, Helm is practically giving away dinner. Thanks for the love, Chef.

Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media thought leader and part foodie. Raj is amazed at the results of going vegan. Is this really the end for him? Go ahead and ask. We dare you. His twitter username is @tinhead.

With award-winning cuisine that elevates the bar of gastronomic creativity to the peak of excellence, West undeniably captivates the imagination of anyone who walks through its doors. Known as the “jewel in Vancouver’s culinary crown”, I call it a paradise that no one in their right mind would ever want to leave.

You can download the this week’s edition in PDF format HERE (or grab the full newspaper HERE) or just keep reading (the unrated version) below.

Episode 5 – An eight course dinner that won’t weigh you down

Image cutline:  In a dinner that included an amuse bouche, five courses and three sweet courses, the dish that gets the prize for looking like it just emerged from the garden is the fifth course which was made from Sunchoke Puree, Heirloom Carrots, Watermelon Radish, raw Walnuts and cold pickled Sea Asparagus.

I took a seat at West Restaurant on South Granville and a flurry of memories came rushing back to me. A little more than a decade ago, this was the address that I used to go for “hands down” the best risotto in Vancouver. Back then it was called Gianni’s.

Shortly after the closure, Ouest took its spot. Over the years, they’ve distilled the name down to West.

Good memories.

Back then, if someone told me that in the future I would be sitting at a table with my vegan comrades putting the chef to task, I’d say they were nuts.

Now nuts are a staple in my diet and somehow I’ve arrived here in my journey, raw vegan. Not only did Executive Chef David Gunawan prepare a multi-course wonder for my guests and I, but bartender David Bain rose to the occasion and paired each course with an equally raw vegan and alcohol-free beverage.

In the tradition of all fine restaurants, an amuse bouche, sent with the compliments of the kitchen, arrived at our table – celery sorbet with young celery and a granulated malt. Given the creativity exuded in this dish, it was surely a sign of things to come.

In the case of the first beverage that Barman Bain delivered to our table, a mixture of unpasteurized, unfiltered Okanagan Apple Juice, homemade Oregeat and then finished with lemon, I could tell that the juice was in apple form the day before and that Bain was an accomplished mixologist.

The first dish that inspired the cocktail was a Braeburn Apple Slaw and a Mutzu Apple Linguine finished with homemade Almond Milk. When I queried our server about the topic, he informed me that the apple noodle took shape with the help of agar.

Thereafter, as if the kitchen owed us a debt of gratitude for some heroic act, four more courses, a pre-dessert, dessert and a small raw-vegan treat at the bill presentation graced our table, all paired with an equally special beverage.

At the end of the meal, I had a brief moment to hear profound thoughts from Executive Chef Gunawan. He didn’t say much but what he did say stuck, “being more intentional and deliberate about what you’re consuming on a day-to-day basis, I think is respectable. In this day and age, we never know where our food is coming from and what’s in our food. [Being raw Vegan] is cool.”

I wholeheartedly agree.

Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media thought leader and part foodie. Vegan comrades? He’s lost it, he needs your help. Someone send him a steak. His twitter username is @tinhead.

The breathtaking panoramic view has brought vegan cuisine to a new ‘high’ at the Fraîche Restaurant where the creations of Chef Dino Renaerts articulate the artistry and creativity which reveal a delightful culinary magnum opus.

You can download the this week’s edition in PDF format HERE (or grab the full newspaper HERE) or just keep reading (the unrated version) below.

Episode 4 – Vegan Living ain’t so bad

Image cutline: The main course reminded us of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 – a play on sprouts with sprouted legumes, florets of cauliflower and broccoli, carrot slivers, pesto, a herb salad (shiso, Italian parsley, frisee and a mixture of shaved celery and carrot), snap peas and dehydrated tomato.

Living in captivity isn’t so bad. I’ve been captive and forced to go vegan and alcohol free for just over a month and contrary to what I thought, I haven’t become ill and I’m not lying on my death bed. I get time every day to work out and I’ve actually become stronger and more flexible. No walking on water yet but the weight seems to be coming off quickly and I really like what I see in the mirror.

One thing that really appeals to me is all this special treatment from the people working at the fanciest restaurants in the city. Last week’s visit with Chef Quang Dang at Diva was an eye opener. This week, the tradition continues with Chef Dino Renaerts’ creations at Fraîche Restaurant in West Vancouver. This place has the best view in town and one of the city’s best chefs to match.

My captors know how to dine in style. So what if every kitchen in the city has been penetrated by a secret society of raw vegans bent on taking over the world. The meals I’ve seen coming out of the restaurants I have visited so far during my confinement have been brilliant.

Back to Fraîche, Chef must be an incarnation of Sergei Rachmaninov. Everything that reached my table was intricate, beautiful and creative beyond my imagination. The three courses and the taster at the start were orchestrated so masterfully that it’s simply impossible to talk about a single item.

The amuse bouche, a celery, granny smith apple and lime shooter, garnished with a celery leaf and some lime oil had me in disbelief. Raw vegan? How? Chef reassured me that everything was prepared raw. That was only the start; the first and second courses thereafter didn’t disappoint and the sorbet for dessert, a superb creation that stands head and shoulders above most other non-vegan desserts I’ve had in the past.

For raw vegan at Fraîche, given day or two of notice, Chef Dino can create anything. I think that’s an understatement.

Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media thought leader and part foodie. He needs serious help, we think he has Stockholm Syndrome. Guide him back on twitter, his username is @tinhead.

“A diva is someone who is a perfectionist, who does her best in her craft” – Patti LaBelle

Perfection it is, an exquisite culinary experience at the Diva at the Met. Artistry coupled with style — vegan cuisine reaches the pinnacle of excellence setting the Diva at the Met in a class of its own.

You can download the this week’s edition in PDF format HERE (or grab the full newspaper HERE) or just keep reading (the unrated version) below.

Episode 3 – They even have Chefs on the take

Image cutline: Every dish that emerged from Chef Quang Dang’s kitchen during our six course raw vegan meal was a work of art worthy of being classified as some of the profoundest creations seen in the culinary world today.

It’s been three weeks but I haven’t yet broken down and had one of my vegan captors for supper. The thought of enjoying a nice Chianti, some fava beans and what appears to be the only source of meat around here has crossed my mind. There’s nothing to cook with, though.

All I can do is keep my thoughts and emotions to myself, keep from losing my mind and do what they tell me to do. It seems to be working out, though! As of late, I’ve been on good ‘raw vegan behaviour’ so my captors have decided to take me out into public for a bit. Somewhere familiar, Diva at the Met. I think to myself, great – I know their executive chef, maybe he’ll slip me a little bit of meat if I give him a wink and a nudge.

Not so. I’m being watched carefully and the Chef seems… different.

Chef Quang Dang has a six course vegan meal planned. There’s nowhere I can hide from this conspiracy. I can’t trust anybody, I better just eat it and enjoy. In hindsight, what surprised me is that I’ve never seen a chef apply himself in the manner I saw today.

The six courses comprised such creativity and mastery; it was as if Chef Dang’s life depended on it. Knowing my captors, it probably did.

Of each course, there’s so much to say or rather rave about but with these space constraints, what to pick?

Was it the first course, simple salad that included a perfectly raw vegan grape jelly made with agar, or the second course, apple tartar? Maybe the warm but still raw carrot soup was meritous of top marks, or perhaps the warm Quinoa and pickled green strawberries. The Portobello mushroom and sake kasu mayonnaise (totally vegan) also made a lasting impression and the molecular mixology employed in the finale, macerated berries with vanilla and lemon, cherry pearls and orange ravioli was something that one only reads about in culinary journals.

I am astonished that it all turned out to be raw vegan. I know now, these raw vegans have influence beyond my wildest dreams and they can make people do things that no money can ever buy.

Editor: Diva’s tasting menus start at $69 per person, for the full raw vegan experience, call in advance to let them know you’re coming.

Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media thought leader and part foodie. Have his vegan captors brainwashed him? Find out more on twitter, his username is @tinhead.

With a mission of bringing the best organic food selections into the Vancouver dining scene, Organic Lives simply lives up to its expectations of offering healthy and nourishing dishes that are delectable enough for any meat-eater to think about going vegan. Coupled with a cuisine that aims to offer the infinite advantages of an all-natural, organic diet to the life of just about anybody, the restaurant definitely scores a triple A on any gastronomic benchmark.

You can download the this week’s edition in PDF format HERE (or grab the full newspaper HERE) or just keep reading (the unrated version) below.

Episode 2 – A Sicilian Secret, Revealed

Image cutline: Spilling the secret of the Sicilian Wrap (wrap made from local heirloom tomatoes, filled cheese made from sprouted Brazil nuts and a medley of vegetables: olives, peppers, sprouts) and its accompanying Carrot Avocado Velouté is a dangerous game.

My captors are cunning. This week a McRib mysteriously appeared in my cell. Amateur, I thought, this is obviously a test, but I expect much more from such a sophisticated and insidious organization. To their credit, forcing a multi-billion dollar corporation to revive my favourite fast food burger for a limited time is pretty impressive. In hindsight, maybe it wasn’t a double cross – maybe it was an act of benevolence disguised as a double cross. A double-double cross.

Either way, by turning my back on the treasured burger, I must have been successful in pleasing my kidnappers. The next day was an outing to a secret location at Quebec and 2^nd. The building had scaffolding around it and from the outside looked to be fortified. They referred to it as Organic Lives and I’m a richer man for having visited this place.

The multi-course raw vegan lunch that I enjoyed included a bodybuilder’s shake, a nacho platter, a Sicilian wrap, sushi (maki) and a dark ganache cake so good it’s called the ‘Ridiculous.’ It would probably pair up well with some guy from Jersey Shore but that’s beside the point.

Who knew that they could make cheese out of Himalayan pine nuts or Sour Cream with almonds? These guys are so good and they’ve penetrated almost every nefarious organization in the world. The Sicilian wrap, for example, must be made with the help or funding or some sort of backing of the Cosa Nostra. I’ve never tasted anything like it, and I’ll eat anything. The outer wrap was made of local heirloom tomatoes and was filled with cheese made from sprouted Brazil nuts and a medley of vegetables.

One can only fathom how much violent crime has protected this little secret. For the first time in a long while, I feel enlightened and part of a very elite group. Well, that plus I’m doing better than just holding it together. I’m astounded that my eyesight is better, I’m energetic and flexible, the weight is coming off and my thoughts are pretty clear, all of this just happened within a couple weeks. That can’t be this Vegan food. Can it?

Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media thought leader and part foodie. Have his vegan captors brainwashed him? Find out more on twitter, his username is @tinhead.