Almost there - finishing my MLIS

There are a mere two weeks until the end of my final term in the MLIS program at Drexel University. I am excited to start my career as a librarian, but a bit sad that my time at Drexel is coming to a close. In reflection, I realize how much I have learned in the MLIS program, how much I admire my professors and fellow students, and how much I will miss being immersed in this learning environment. I hope that, in my career, I will again find myself surrounded by intelligent, innovative, and inquisitive information professionals.

ALA Midwinter

As a soon-to-be librarian, eager to become more active in the profession, I shall be attending the ALA Midwinter meeting this weekend, which is conveniently being held mere blocks from my home. This will be the first big professional event that I have ever attended, and I'm really looking forward to meeting other librarians from all over the country. I'll be going with stacks of business cards and resumes in hand, since this will be a great opportunity for job-hunting.

In other news, this week was the start of my final term in the MLIS program at Drexel. I'm taking 3 classes: US Government Publications, Library Automation, and Collection Development, and so far these classes seem like they will be both fascinating and informative. I've already been bitten by the government documents bug - after only one day of learning about government documents, I'm completely hooked on them. The overly complicated, yet pleasantly logical numbering system applied to government documents greatly appeals to me, and I could really see myself becoming a government documents librarian.

veggie hoagies are up!

My website, Philadelphia Veggie Hoagies is up and running at http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~jls363/final/

The site is on server space at Drexel University, which may not be available to me after I graduate this March, but I'm considering purchasing space on another server in order to keep the website up.

The first review!

Last night I did my first review of a hoagie. I'm having so much fun working on this website - I get to eat hoagies for homework!

Govinda's Gourmet to Go

South and Broad

Philadelphia, PA

Average hoagie cost: $7

Govinda's restaurant offers two types of dining experiences: the Gourmet to Go deli has sandwiches and soups for eat-in and take-out, and the Gallery and Cafe has sit-down fine dining. I've been enjoying Govinda's food for years, and I particularly love the Chicken Cheesesteak Hoagie. This sandwich is made of textured soy and fried green and red peppers, with a choice of regular or vegan cheese, served on a sesame or whole wheat roll.

This hoagie is served on a 10 inch roll and filled moderately with mock chicken, peppers, and cheese. The mock chicken is lightly peppery with a very chicken-like texture. I got my hoagie with the vegan cheese, which I found to be quite creamy and flavorful. The whole wheat roll is soft and tasty. I saved half of my hoagie for lunch the next day, and it was just as delicious as it was when it was fresh.

Govinda's hoagies are yummy enough to satisfy both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, though they may be a bit too small to satisfy a huge appetite. This restaurant is a must for any vegetarian living in or visiting Philadelphia.

website logo and color scheme

I've been thinking about what I want the logo for my final website to look like - we'll be working on our logos in class on Wednesday, so I thought it would be good to come up with some ideas for my logo ahead of time.

I think the simplest thing would be to make a logo that is just text - I don't want to have to worry about finding copyright-free images, and my drawing skills leave something to be desired. I'm thinking of making a logo that has "Veggie Hoagies" in large letters, then right underneath of that, it would say "Philadelphia" in smaller letters. I want the logo to be simple and sophisticated, so I'll probably use small caps or all lower case.

As for the color scheme of the site/logo, I definitely want green to be involved - perhaps a muted green, accented with yellow and orange. Nothing too bright or too dark. I plan on using the color wizard to find the colors I want to use, as well as Dream Weaver's color tools.

2 recipes

Two of my recipes to be included in the website:

Tempeh Hoagie

1 package tempeh

Vegetable oil for pan-frying

Crusty sesame roll

Romaine lettuce leaves or Broccoli rabe

1 Tomato, sliced

1 Dill pickle, sliced (I prefer barrel pickles)

Hoagie spread or jarred hot peppers, chopped

Mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise

Salt

Vinegar (Balsamic or Red wine)

Cut the tempeh into slabs about 3 inches long, 1 inch wide, and about ½ inch thick. Then slice each slab into thirds, so that you get three thin rectangular pieces per slab. Basically, the tempeh should be in thin slices, no more than ¼ inch thick.

Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan, enough to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Place over medium heat and allow oil to get hot. Add the tempeh slices to to pan and fry until crisp and brown, about 3-5 minutes. Place on paper towels to drain and set aside.

Next slice the roll length-wise. Spread hoagie spread on one side of the roll and mayonnaise on the other side. Place a layer of fried tempeh on the roll, followed by the pickle, tomato, and lettuce. Sprinkle on salt and vinegar to taste. Eat and enjoy!

Review: The tang of the vinegar and pickles mix deliciously with the spiciness of the hoagie spread in this hoagie. The thin, crispy tempeh is reminiscent of bacon in texture, and this sandwich can almost be thought of as a sophisticated vegetarian version of a BLT.

Cold Veggie Hoagie

Hoagie or sub roll (Amorosos rolls for anyone in the Philadelphia area!)

2-4 American cheese slices or vegan American cheese slices

Mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise

Lettuce, shredded

Tomato, sliced

Raw broccoli, chopped

Raw green peppers, sliced

Jarred sweet peppers

Black olives (optional)

Mushrooms (optional)

Salt

Pepper

Oregano

Slice the roll length-wise and spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on both sides of the roll. Lay the cheese slices on the mayonnaise, then add the lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, green peppers, sweet peppers, olives, and mushrooms. Add salt, pepper, and oregano to taste. This hoagie could be eaten immediately, or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for a few hours. Allowing the hoagie to sit for a few hours will blend the flavors and make the hoagie more delicious.

a few links for the hoagie website

A few links to veggie hoagie recipes I'm considering using on the website:

http://www.landolakes.com/mealIdeas/ViewRecipe.cfm?RecipeID=8091A

A vegetarian hoagie made with guacamole, cucumber and pepper slices, and American Cheese.

http://vegweb.com/

One of the best vegetarian recipe sites on the internet - there is no recipe category specifically for hoagies, but type "hoagies" into the search box and several dozen recipes come up.

http://www.veganchef.com/lentilball.htm

A tasty-looking recipe for an Italian Lentil Ball Submarine Sandwich - I plan on trying out this recipe sometime in the next few weeks.

http://www.recipezaar.com/118174
This recipe is for an artichoke "sandwich," but it looks like a hoagie to me! I love artichoke hearts, so I'll definitely be trying this recipe.