AIRBNB - 'VEGAN NIGERIAN FEAST'

Towards the end of last year, I received an enthusiastic email from a manager at Airbnb who'd come across my blog through a brief feature on the Londonist website. In the email was an invitation to check out the beta version of Airbnb's new 'Experiences' feature on their app. 

Airbnb 'Experiences' (launched officially in mid-November) are all about giving travellers the opportunity to get a taste of local culture and try something unique during their time in a particular city. So far the project has been launched in 12 cities, including London, Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo, Cape Town and Seoul, to name a few. Within these cities, hosts - made up of individuals from various creative walks of life - design and lead bespoke experiences that are immersive, memorable and a little off the beaten track. This is why you'll get anything from pottery masterclasses to a tour of London's grime scene to food tastings.

I was instantly interested in the project and it didn't take much to convince me to sign up as a host. What followed was a month or two of working with the team virtually to build a profile on the app. The project got real when we had a photoshoot during the 6th instalment of The Vegan Nigerian Pop-Up Restaurant. The promotional shots and video footage went towards spicing up the app profile, providing a general overview of what guests can expect.

There are many similarities between the experience I'll be offering and the pop-ups I've hosted so far. Just a bit more amped up. My Airbnb experience is called Relish Vegan Nigerian Cuisine, an intimate dining event for 4-10 guests at a time, which will play out over two hours and will be accentuated by specially curated Nigerian music and interactive discussions around vegan/Nigerian cuisine.

If you've followed my blog for a while, happen to live in another part of the world, and ever find yourself planning a trip to London, then you now have the option to see vegan Nigerian food brought to life. Simply look me up on the app and book a spot on one of the many evenings I've indicated on my event calendar.  

For anyone wondering what this means for the future of my current pop-ups, the short answer is that I plan to continue, but will be hosting them less frequently. Rather than every month, I'll likely organise one once every 2-3 months. I see this as a positive and sensible step because it means I'll have more time to plan and put loads of careful thought into the running/execution of the pop-ups, which should hopefully make the events more enjoyable for guests in general. It means I can even start to plan towards one-off pop-ups in fresh locations around the world. To find out when the next one is, by the way, keep up with me on here by subscribing to the website (enter your email in the little 'Subscribe' box in the top right sidebar), as well as my social media channels: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

I look forward to sharing more with you along this journey and am extremely excited about what this opportunity means for the continued celebration of Nigerian AND vegan food.

Pop-Up #6 - October 2016

DOUBLE CHOC CHIA SEED COOKIES

Cookies. Mmm. Need I say more?

Well, the other day at work, chocolate cookies were being passed around and I couldn't have any because they weren't vegan (cue violin music), and so I dashed home right bang in the middle of the work day with the resolve to make some. That's right... bolted straight for the door, tore through the nearest supermarket in a blind frenzy as I piled chocolate cookie ingredients into my shopping basket, and then locked myself away in the kitchen for hours on end until I had my precious, perfect vegan cookies in hand. 

No. It wasn't that dramatic. I actually waited until the weekend. And the cookies only took about 25 minutes to make. And if you believed any of that for even a second, then shame on you. Vegans aren't that weird and unprofessional. Mostly.

I added chia seeds to this recipe because I happen to have a whole 500g sample pack of the stuff, which I got at the last vegan fair I attended. They need using up, and thankfully they add a nice crunch. Also, that jelly-like texture you get when you chew them long enough is quite something. As well as being extremely high in fibre, chia seeds are also a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. If you can get your hands on them, yay extra nutrients! If not, this recipe works just as well without.

Ingredients 
(makes 12)
- 1 cup plain or wholemeal or gluten-free flour
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup raw cane sugar
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 4 tbsp vegan margarine or solid coconut oil
- 1 cup chocolate chunks (i.e. dark chocolate chopped up into bits)
- 1/4 cup water

1. Place the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, chia seeds, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add the vegan margarine or coconut oil and rub into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

4. Add the water and combine the mixture to form a cookie dough. The water might seem really little at first, but keep mixing and the dough should come together.

5. Divide the cookie dough into 12 lumps and space these out on a lined baking tray. Flatten the cookies lightly with a fork (or with clean fingers) to form round cookie shapes. It's okay if they're a little rough around the edges...it adds to the whole rustic-homemade-cookie-look-thing.

6. Bake in a pre-heated oven, 180'C for 15 minutes. Once baked, leave to cool on the tray for about 10 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack for another 15 minutes. Enjoy!

BOOKS & DOCUMENTARIES THAT HELPED ME GO VEGAN

Happy New Year! If you're keen to give the vegan lifestyle a go this year, then the first thing I'd say to you is: knowledge is key! Do your research. Find out the reasons to make the change. Find out what it takes to stay healthy and thriving on a vegan diet. Give yourself the chance to come to an informed decision.

In no particular order, here are some of the books and documentaries that have helped me along my vegan journey. I hope they spark your imagination, get you thinking, and give you the tools you need to take that leap.

Have I missed any important books or documentaries? Leave your recommendations in the comment section below!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you're interested in purchasing any of the books/dvds on the list, simply click the image/link to go straight to the Amazon store. Some of the documentaries mentioned are also available on Netflix, so if you've got an account take advantage of that. The full version of some documentaries may even be available on YouTube; carry out a quick search to find out.

BOOKS

1. By Any Greens Necessary by Tracye Lynn McQuirter

2. The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone



3.The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health by Colin Campbell



4. Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

DOCUMENTARIES

1.  Forks Over Knives - a health focused look at the link between meat consumption and degenerative diseases. Features interviews with top researchers and a team of doctors who offer up a case for a plant-based diet. Visit forksoverknives.com for more info.





2. Earthlings - not for the faint-hearted. Hidden cameras showcasing the appalling treatment of animals on in the meat and dairy industry. Visit Earthlings.com for more info.

3.  Cowspiracy - one of my personal favourites. This documentary analyses the policies of environmental organisations such as Greenpeace and explores the environmental impact of animal agriculture. Visit cowspiracy.com for more info.





4.  Food Choices - explores a spectrum of reasons to adopt a vegan lifestyle; debunks myths and features a wide range of credible doctors, researchers and speakers. Visit foodchoicesmovie.com for more info.

5. Vegucated - follows the lives of three omnivores who go on a six-week vegan challenge. During the challenge, they gain insight into the world of animal agriculture, learn about the health benefits of the vegan diet... and the rest is history. Visit getvegucated.com for more info.





6. Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead - follows the journey of an overweight and unhealthy Australian named Joe Cross who decides to live on fruits and veg for 60 days in order to try and reverse his rare autoimmune disease. It's inspiring, it's eye-opening, it's worth the watch. There's a sequel too if you're interested in finding out 'what happens next'. Visit fatsickandnearlydead.com for more info.





7. Food Matters - insightful documentary that explores the impact of different foods on our health.