Jim Koch sings to his daughter, Anita, the night before her marriage to me.
From left to right are Jim Koch, Anita, me and Sylvia Koch.
It has been a rough two weeks. I lost my father-in-law,
Jim Koch, to heart disease on Feb. 13. He was just 68. I enjoyed his passion for left-wing politics and for life. One of the most touching experiences in my life was during the rehearsal dinner on June 22, 2001, for Anita and me. During the dinner, a mariachi band performed, and to the surprise of everyone, my future father-in-law got up and sang several songs in Spanish to his daughter. And you know what, he sang beautifully and powerfully. He cared deeply about his family and was always there when we needed him. He enjoyed being the caretaker for family history. He spoke three languages, English, Spanish and Portuguese. He was a retired public school teacher, an election judge and a political activist. During the last few years, he translated Brazilian poetry. Unfortunately, he had diabetes and was overweight. He liked his fast food. As vegans, Anita and I tried to encourage him to eat less meat. When he came over to our place, he enjoyed the vegan food we prepared. We also made food during the holidays and brought it to his house, such as tamales. At his home, he ate lots of hummus and some tofu. He switched from chorizo to soyrizo. Despite his positive changes, it wasn't enough. He needed to do so much more, namely avoiding fast food. His last heart exam had been 10 years ago. If he had gotten the exam every year, I believe they probably would have caught the build up in his arteries and could have provided him with some treatment. It simply was too late when he was taken to the emergency room. Heart disease, especially build up in the arteries, can easily be remedied with a good diet and exercise (read "The China Study"). I hope anyone who reads this will take better care of their heart and encourage their family members to do the same. We will miss you so much, Jim.
Veganism in the Valley
Restaurants
Unfortunately, there are no vegan or vegetarian restaurants in the Rio Grande Valley. There are a few places that have vegetarian parts to their menu, and if you are creative, you can assemble a vegan meal at an unlikely place. Stone Court Cafe on Stuart Place Road in Harlingen has several vegetarian items, including two coconut curry dishes. They will prepare items specially for you if you ask. They are really nice. I have them make me a vegan pad Thai. It's really good. Just be wary that one of their hot sauces has fish in it. So, be sure to ask about that. There's also Taqueria la Michoacana on West Jefferson in Harlingen. The papas a la Mexicanas is vegan if ordered with corn tortillas. They are so good but very spicy. Don't eat the refried beans. They are certainly not vegan. A lot of Valley vegetarians like Hop Tung on 10th Street in McAllen. It has a separate vegetarian menu. I personally think they use too much tofu on their plates and not enough vegetables. That said, their General Tso tofu is great. Le Lai is also on 10th Street. My wife liked it more than I did. Tokyo Sushi Bar is on 10th Street. This is a place I like more than my wife, but their food was really greasy, and we both didn't like the smell of the glassware. Taste of India on Nolana Loop in McAllen is really good. It's strange, but you have to beg for extra heat in the meal. They are so trained to people being sensitive to spicy food. They really don't know what they are missing. Thai Red Chili's on Ware Road in McAllen is good. Just be sure ask for the food to be extra spicy. Otherwise, it will be pretty mild. One of my favorite Valley restaurants is Uchi Japanese Restaurant on Ruben Torres Boulevard in Brownsville. They have a rice dish pronounced "dol-so-bob." It can be made with tofu. Just be sure to ask for it without egg. It is rice served in a hot bowl with vegetables and a spicy sauce, and the rice touching the bowl gets crispy. It really is good. At Betty's Tortas, which have several locations in the Valley, including Brownsville and San Benito, you can make tacos with corn tortillas, aguacate slices (avocado) and papas fritas (fried potatoes) with their house hot sauce. It's quite good. In Brownsville, the Vermillion has vegetarian beans, which are hard to find in these parts. Just be sure to be specific which beans you want. They also have charro beans (cowboy beans that are made with pork). I've heard that the Brownsville City Commission used to hold meetings in the Vermillion, so the restaurant had a reputation of being a center of power.
Grocery Stores
The best stores for vegans in the Valley are Sun Harvest on 10th Street in McAllen, HEB on Trenton and 10th Street in McAllen, HEB on Shary Road and the expressway in Mission, HEB on Lincoln and the expressway in Harlingen and the HEB on Ruben Torres and Paredes Line Road in Brownsville. The best two are Sun Harvest and the HEB at Trenton and 10th. Both have really good supplies of bulk items, hearty breads, teas, organic vegetables and, of course, tofu. There's a small health food store in the mall in Brownsville and one in Harlingen on Sunshine Strip. Both aren't that good because they hardly have much in stock. On South Padre Island, Naturally's Health Food Store and Cafe is great, and you can assemble a vegan sandwich there, as well. It is on the main strip. Tokyo Asian Market on 10th Street is really good, especially since they expanded. They have a great selection of Asian foods, many of which I couldn't do without.
2 comments:
So sorry to hear about the loss of your father-in-law. Sounds like he was a wonderful man.
deepest sympathies to you and anita.
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