VEG OUT with Gillian

Commercial kitchen rentals in NYC

2012-02-03T18:00:00.000-05:00

Does anyone know of any commercial kitchens that rent space in Manhattan? I thought I would throw it out in this forum. I am not having much luck finding space on my own to bake up some vegan delights. If you have any ideas, I would love to hear from you. Thanks!

Cinnamon Snail UPDATE for immediate release

2011-12-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

After two full years, finally The Cinnamon Snail food truck is fully permitted for NYC. We will be serving many neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn starting this Thursday 12/8/11 with an appearance for brunch and lunch in Midtown West.

The exact location will be announced via social media when we are parked. Folks can follow us on Twitter @veganLunchTruck or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TheCinnamonSnail

Expect visits from The Cinnamon Snail in the FiDi, Flatiron District, Midtown, the LES, Williamsburg, Green Point, and other areas on Manhattan and Brooklyn in the following weeks.

Our season is over on Xmas (noooo), but we will be back from our winter hibernation sometime around Valentine's Day (weather permitting).

The Cinnamon Snail has been mostly in Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark and Red Bank, NJ for the last two years. Hoboken is passing a new vending ordinance, which will make it completely unaffordable and difficult for food trucks to operate. So their loss in NYC’s gain!

Notable:

The Cinnamon Snail is a 2010 and 2011 vendy award nominee.

The Cinnamon Snail won the 2011 vendy award for their vanilla bourbon creme brulee donuts.

We were named the #1 vegetarian street food in America by PETA.

Named as one of the top ten food trucks in the country by Yahoo.com in 2010.

Nominated for the 2011 VegNews Veggie Awards.

Nominated for PETA’s 2011 Libby Awards.

Featured on the Cooking Channel, New York Times, Time Out NY, Vegeterian Times, Veg News, Asbury Park Press and probably on the FBI’s most wanted list (of places to eat of course).

Cinnamon Snail Press Release

2011-10-23T21:00:00.000-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Cinnamon Snail vegan organic food truck is hitting the streets of

the Big Apple!

The Cinnamon Snail is the country's first organic vegan food truck,

started by Chef Adam Sobel on Valentine's Day 2010. Since the truck's

opening, it has been serving Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark and Red Bank, NJ.

It has taken about two years, but now the truck is licensed to

operate in NYC. Chef Sobel plans to serve Manhattan and Brooklyn four- to five

days a week, as well as remaining loyal to his fans in New

Jersey a couple days a week, too. Service to NY will start in the 2nd or 3rd week

of November 2011. Updates, specials, featured pastry items, and schedule can

be found by follow the truck on Twitter

@veganlunchtruck or on www.facebook.com/theCinnamonSnail.

In 2010 the Cinnamon Snail was:

-voted as one of the 10 best food trucks in America by yahoo.com

-a finalist in the 2010 Vendy awards (the Oscars of street food)

-featured on the cooking Channel

-featured in the New York Times, & Time Out New York;

In 2011 the Cinnamon Snail was:

-the winner of the 2011 Vendy Makers Mark award for their vanilla

bourbon crem brûlée donuts

-named #1 vegetarian street food in America by PETA

-featured in Vegnews, &Vegetarian Times magazines

The Cinnamon Snail is planning to experiment with serving different

NYC neighborhoods throughout the week. The initial places you will

find the truck are: Flat Iron district, Lower East Side, Williamsburg,

& Green Point. Some locations will be for brunch and lunch, and

other locations will be dinner and late night locations.

If you want to suggest a neighborhood or location, please contact the snail team

at thecinnamonsnail@gmail.com.

The Cinnamon Snail features a menu of breakfast items, gourmet

sandwiches, raw food, and fresh vegan donuts and pastries. The award-

winning donuts are made daily, and like the rest of the menu

are made with 100% organic ingredients. Even the oil used for frying

the donuts is certified organic. The breakfast and sandwich menu

change seasonally and rely on locally-

sourced ingredients on flaky, perfect French baguettes and organic

spelt bread.

A couple of the most popular breakfast items on the truck are:

-fresh fig pancakes with chamomile blood orange syrup and pine nut butter-chipotle seitan breakfast burritos (smoked chili grilled seitan with fresh jalapeños, marinated kale, scrambled tofu, and chipotle aioli)

A couple of the most popular luck items are:

-Lemongrass five-spice seitan with curried cashews, wasabi mayonnaise,
arugula, and Szechuan chili sauce on a grilled baguette.

-Provencal white wine grilled tofu, with white truffles cashew cheese,
kalamata olive tapenade, arugula onion and fried sage leaves on a
grilled baguette.

-0-

--------------------------------

Gillian's note: I am so thrilled by this news; I've been wishing the Snail served NYC for as long as I've lived here. Now, my dream will soon be a reality!

If you have not checked out the Snail, you must do so ASAP. Dishes are vegan, organic, creative and inspiring. It's a foodie's dream and hard to believe that it all comes out of a truck.

Vote in the latest poll!

2011-10-19T19:10:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to call your attention to the Poll Question on the right-hand side of the screen. It's not too prominently displayed (even though I recently moved it up). Please vote - I want to hear from you!

Namaste! Vegan Indian dinner

2011-10-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

Okra masala

Sweet coconut chutney

Fragrant coriander chutney

Dinner is served...

There's nothing quite like cooking with friends and sharing a cozy meal. I just love it! Thank you to Zita and Mio for helping prepare the meal and for your lovely company.

This was my first foray into Indian cooking and I used recipes I collected while traveling in India earlier this year.
On the menu was: coconut chutney and coriander chutney with whole wheat naan (the naan was bought at Whole Foods and not homemade), and okra masala. For a decidedly un-Indian dessert, we had my vegan banana bread and the inaugural batch of vegan chocolate hazelnut butter with organic salted pretzel sticks for dipping. Quite an eclectic combo, yes!

In preparation for this meal, I went grocery shopping at Patel Brothers in Jackson Heights, Queens - a mecca for Indian food, spices and so much more. More on the restaurants in this neighborhood another time. This was the only place to get fresh okra, not to mention every single other item on my list. By the way, the E train subway station in Jackson Heights (Roosevelt Ave) actually smells like Indian spices - it doesn't get much better than that!

The Recipes:

Coriander Chutney
Ingredients:
50 grams coriander leaves (we used almost all the leaves from one bunch of coriander)
1/4 green chile
1 pinch cumin seeds
1/4 t. salt
1/2 lemon or dry mango powder

Serving Size: about 4 (there are no serving sizes on my Indian recipe cards, so this is based on our actual cooking)
1. Wash the green chile and cut off the stems
2. Wash the coriander leaves
3. Blend the coriander, cumin and green chile together in a paste
4. Add salt and squish (yes, it says "squish") the lemon over the top, then stir.

We used both the mango powder and the lemon juice. It was not the right consistency with just the mango powder alone. We needed the liquid from the lemon to further break down the leaves into smaller pieces and to form a paste.

At Patel Brothers, I was overwhelmed by the (two) choices of green chile sizes - small or medium. Rather than leave it to guess-work, I asked a friendly customer who informed me that the smaller chiles are spicier so that made the decision easily enough - I bought the medium-sized chiles to be on the safe side.

The finished product was delightful on our naan.

Coconut Chutney (from Vegetarian Indian Cooking, by Manju Kumari Singh):
Ingredients:
1 cup grated coconut, dry roasted on a pan (at 250 degrees for 5-10 minutes)
2 green chiles, chopped (seeds removed if you don't want too much spice)
2 onions, chopped
1/2 cup water
salt to taste
1 cup coriander or mint leaves, chopped (we used mint)
2 T. lemon juice

Put all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend to a smooth paste. Store in the fridge.

Easy enough.

Serving size: (again, none is listed on the recipe) - seriously, this recipe made a mountain of chutney, so let's say 100. :)

This was very good, nice and sweet but if anything, just a tad too onion-heavy for me. I do love coconut chutney; it's usually my favorite part of a dosa meal. If I make it again (and I will, assuming at some point I will run out of leftovers), I would only use one onion or maybe even none. It made for a perfect appetizer on warm naan.

Okra (bhindi) Masala:

Ingredients:
1/2 kg. okra, chopped (do not use the ends)
1 large onion, chopped
1 t. cumin seeds
2 green chiles, chopped (seeds removed if you don't want too much spice)
1/2 t. dried mango powder
1/2 t. red chili powder (I thought I had some at home but turned out I only had cayenne, which we used but it was milder so I feel like we essentially skipped this ingredient)
1/2 t. turmeric powder
1/2 t. coriander powder
salt to taste
1. T. coriander leaves, chopped
2 T. cooking oil (I used canola)

1. In a karachi (not sure what that is but we used a large frying pan as you can see in the photos), heat the oil and cumin seeds
2. After cumin seeds start to sizzle, add onions and cook until onions are golden brown
3. Add okra and cook for 5-7 minutes
4. Add all the powders and salt
5. Stir gently for 8-10 minutes
6. Garnish with coriander.

Serving size: 3-4 large portions

Don't forget the salt like I did. It really does help with the flavor, otherwise, it is a bit bland. We added it at the table and all was good. This was really delicious and satisfying, with a nice mix of subtle flavors. Ayurvedically-speaking, okra is a perfect food for fall since it is slimy and therefore good for those dry vata constitutions!

Namaste!

Vegan Divas cupcakes

2011-10-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

So scrumptious! Can you see the flecks of gold? It was a beautiful cupcake and received rave reviews from everyone who tasted and devoured them.

Shining beauties! A pure delight for my taste buds!

I had one of those deal coupons from Living Social for eight vegan cupcakes (I think three big cookies were another option) and I could not wait to use it. It works a bit differently than most deals, meaning you have to send them an email and the Vegan Divas let you know when to pick up the loot so don't expect them right away, as it does take a few days - four in my case. The pickup location was at The Plaza Hotel. I wish the exact pickup location within the food hall was specified because I was wandering for a bit until I asked at the FC Chocolate Bar counter (other dessert businesses had no idea what I was talking about when asking for vegan cupcakes). Fernanda (one of the "divas") tells me I have found the pickup location for Vegan Divas delicious treats. It happens to be a traditional French patisserie. I do have a weakness for French pastries and everything looked delectable and so artful there. As it so happens, there are a few vegan options there such as coconut macarons and certain donuts. She soon hand-delivers the bag of eight cupcakes to me and to my surprise, they are all chocolate. I expected more variety but certainly was not disappointed with chocolate.

As you can see in the photos, they are beautiful so I could hardly wait until I was home to taste them (but I did)! They are incredibly moist throughout, which is amazing for vegan cupcakes, which tend to be on the dry side. There is no way you could tell these were vegan creations. The cupcakes were outrageously scrumptious, both the frosting and the cake, and so pretty with flecks of gold laced into the frosting. My favorite part aside from the eating aspect is their products are sweetened with maple syrup, evaporated cane juice and sucanat - yah for natural sweeteners!

Check out the nearest locations to you that carry Vegan Divas products on the website:

http://www.vegandivasnyc.com/

I know which store I will be headed to to get my fix.

YUM.

Chocolate hazelnut butter (recipe by moi)

2011-10-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, I admit I am obsessed with this stuff - specifically, Justin's organic and fair-trade brand, which is notoriously hard to find at Whole Foods. I should know -- I've been known to ransack the shelves at two stores in a given day. And at $10 a pop, it's really not the best habit. So, I decided to make my own. I didn't measure the ingredients, which is my favorite way to bake/cook but I have approximated the amounts, below.

Recipe (approximated):
3/4 c. hazelnuts
1/2 c. grapeseed oil
1/2 c. Theo's sipping chocolate (organic and fair-trade chocolate from Seattle)
1/4 t. vanilla (alcohol-free)
pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt

All the ingredients are from Trader Joe's except for the chocolate, which is my not-so-secret secret ingredient. You can substitute the semi-sweet dark chocolate chips from Trader Joe's.

Dry roast the hazelnuts for 5-10 minutes at 250 degrees. Cool.

Place the hazelnuts in a food processor. Puree. Add the oil and pulse. Add the chocolate, vanilla and sea salt. Pulse again.

Taste. Smile. Share.

The salt is essential -- I tasted pre-salt and it was lacking something. Salt makes the chocolate flavor sing! Notice there is NO ADDED SUGAR in this recipe. The only sugar is what is already in the sipping chocolate. If it is not sweet enough for you (maybe you are used to Nutella, which is way sweeter than Justin's), just add some sucanat, molasses or even turbinado sugar (Trader Joe's sells the latter). Whatever you do, don't add refined white sugar (or brown sugar, it's just as bad), please! Your body will thank you...

It's delicious, not overly sweet and so easy to make. Dip salty pretzels into the chocolate-y goodness and you are in business. Or, if you are like me, just use a spoon. ;)

The star ingredients

Close-up of the luscious mixture

Even closer -- gritty goodness.

I will continue to experiment with the recipe, as I so love to do and may use coconut flakes, dried cherries or cinnamon in the future so stay tuned for yummy updates. Also, I want to cut down on the oil and substitute some unsweetened applesauce in its place. I may even replace the Theo's chocolate with an unsweetened variety so that I can control the amount of sugar. I would use a liquid sugar like agave nectar for the desired consistency (or pureed raisins or dates) rather than Sucanat/molasses granular sweeteners. Can't wait to get some feedback on my initial batch and experiment some more! As always, I will share the love!

Unnecessary Sweetness Cooking Blog

2011-09-29T23:43:00.001-04:00

My friend, Zita has this wonderful cooking blog, Unnecessary Sweetness, where she cooks a healthy vegetarian meal each week for 52 weeks. She also captures the whole process on video I enjoy her blog very much and had the pleasure of appearing as a guest chef on her cooking blog and video recently. We cooked macrobiotic millet and vegan banana bread together.

Thank you, Zita for having me and thank you, Mio for the camera work - good job!

Check it out here!

http://www.unnecessarysweetness.com/

My 2010 post on vegan banana bread can be found here:
http://veg-out-gillian.blogspot.com/2010/12/mmm-vegan-banana-bread-loaf.html

New moon

2011-09-27T22:22:00.001-04:00

It is time to set your intentions for this moon cycle. Look within and plant the seed and then watch it flourish.

Ayurveda summary and simple tips for digestion

2011-09-26T18:00:00.000-04:00

Ayurveda is a 5000 year old form of medicine and holistic health care system that originated in India. It is the sister science to Yoga. In Sanskrit, “Ayer” means “life” and “veda” is “science” and so it is the “science of life”. Ayurveda is a preventative science that is about balance and harmony within one’s body, mind and spirit and the belief in the body’s innate capacity to heal itself. According to Ayurveda, there are three “doshas” or body constitutions — pitta (fire/water), vata (air/space) and kapha (earth/water). These relate to a person’s unique proportion of the the five elements — fire, water, air, space and earth. When the elements are in balance, a person is in optimal health. Usually, though a person has more of one element than others (especially during particular seasons) and this is determined by consulting with an Ayurvedic practitioner. In order to bring a person into balance, Ayurveda takes into account the season (Fall is Vata season), the person’s dosha and evaluates the whole person and then addresses the imbalanced dosha. A practitioner will suggest modifications to diet and lifestyle, practicing specific yoga postures, meditation, mantra and more in order to bring about balance.

A few symptoms that help to identify each dosha are:

Pitta: anger, heartburn, oily skin

Vata: anxiety, bloating, dry skin

Kapha: depression, weight gain/overeating, lethargic

Below are a few Ayurvedic tips that you can start using right away at meal times that will help with digestion, which is a common vata issue:

-Chew mindfully, 32 times for each bite of food. Eat slowly.

-Do not eat standing up or on the subway. Eat at a table and do not watch TV or work on computer while eating.

-Avoid ice-water or cold drinks while you eat. Once you are finished eating, drink room temperature water.

-Eat fresh food — no leftovers or frozen foods, which lack prana.

A beautiful, colorful photo of the bountiful produce at the local market in Udaipur, India...

My 7-day no-cooking challenge

2011-09-25T23:23:00.000-04:00

I was recently without an oven or stove for seven days, as a result of a gas leak in my old appliance. I had two false starts, where I had two brand-new stoves delivered only to find the first one blew out my fuse box and the second one broke on the way into the building. I can't make this stuff up! Considering I do not own a microwave by choice and have a small toaster oven that heats up my apartment to India-esque temps, I was basically on a raw diet at home, which is no good for my constitution and particularly detrimental during vata season (Fall). In other words, I ate out every meal. Sigh. Poor me. Actually it is way harder than it sounds. First, there is the expense considering I live in Manhattan, and in a pricey neighborhood at that. Second, I felt ungrounded (read, vata imbalance) without being able to cook myself a hot nourishing meal and moreover, I especially missed baking, which is a very grounding and meditative activity for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I love baking and vegan banana bread is my specialty.

Now, I wish I could tell you I've discovered all these great, inexpensive vegan restaurants as a result of this challenge, but in reality, I only came out with three suggestions for inexpensive and clean food in Manhattan. Breakfast was the hardest for me since I always have an Ayurvedic breakfast, which means hot steel cut oats with local, pure maple syrup and pumpkin seeds (for iron). The best place for this is actually the 99% veg truck, which is parked at the corner of Wall Street and Front Street daily, which just so happens to be only steps from my office. They offer hot oatmeal in a huge container with bananas and raisins (other toppings are available, too) for get this, $2.50. Yes, that's right. The problem with this is I was only in the office once this past week so I had to scavenge the rest of the mornings. Several mornings I had an avocado, which is OK but not ideal for breakfast.

The second standout was Blossom Du Jour for "shrewd fast food" as they call it, on 9th Ave in Chelsea (nearby the Blossom Restaurant, which is top-notch for organic and gourmet vegan food). I had a huge black bean burrito ("burrito grande" was a fitting name) for $7.50 with avocado for an extra $1.50. Now, that was simple, just plain great food. Really nourishing. I was still thinking about this burrito the next day.

Third, was Loving Hut in Chelsea on 7th Ave (between 29th and 30th), conveniently located near my beautiful kundalini yoga studio, www.harinyc.com. I came in for dinner late one evening near closing time and it was evident that I was annoying the woman working there with all my questions about the ingredients but despite this, I will happily go back. I settled on the spinach quesadilla on a sesame tortilla with daiya cheese, which came with and a side of guac and a salad for $8.50 - a bargain for all that delicious food. The tortilla was perfectly flakey, too. Love!

Sacred Chow (Greenwich Village, NYC)

2011-08-27T19:44:00.000-04:00

I wasn't even planning to blog about my lunch at Sacred Chow, even though it was fantastic, as always. I was just thrilled they were open til 4 on this "hurricane Irene" weekend. This food here never disappoints - vegan, organic and kosher. Just plain clean food prepared with love - my favorite! Now I am sorry that I didn't even take photos of my three tapas (3 for $18) but for the record I had root vegetable latkes (delish, nice and crisp on the outside - it maybe my fave tapas item), spicy soba noodles and sesame collards (mmm, I needed a green infusion)....but when this dessert arrived, I knew I had to capture its decadence. Chocolate truffle cake with strawberry ganache and pralines was simply divine! The strawberry jam perfectly cut the dense chocolate and the pralines gave it that satisfying crunch. It cost $8.50, which is a bit steep for dessert but it is huge so it's really two portions, if you need to justify it. Trust me, it is pure chocolate heaven...

The NY Vegan Dosa Cart (Washington Sq. Park South)

2011-08-27T13:56:00.000-04:00

The vegan dosa guy serves up fresh and delicious South Indian food, all vegan and very reasonably priced (and cash only). Dosas are made out of rice and lentils. If memory serves me, $6 was the priciest item on the menu and it's great value for generous portions of high quality food for lunch. The service was warm and friendly, too, which I always appreciate in New York or anywhere for that matter.

Thiru Kumar, the talented and friendly chef was all smiles as he posed for me.

This is my perfect veggie uthappam on the grill. YUM!

Absolutely scrumptious uthappam, crispy outside and fluffy inside, with lots of veggies. Good sambhar (see above photo, cup top left) for dipping and the coconut chutney side (see above photo, chutney on the top right) is just plain amazing. I could eat a cup of it alone, easily.

Samosa filled with potatoes and peas, served with the mint chutney, which was a delight! The mint flavor really complemented the samosa nicely.

Vegan Tastes of Rajasthan India!

2011-06-15T23:28:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time coming and I've wanted to get my India photos uploaded so here they are, most without captions -- for the moment. Mange! (OK, that's French, but I don't know how to say "eat" in Hindi.) ~Namaste.This was from one of our first lunches on the tour. The cashew curry (at about 7:00 on the plate to the left) was amazing. I talked about how much I loved it the entire trip and on one of the last nights, I got to cook it (with some help of course), using ingredients from the local market. There is a photo below of the pan while I am cooking the cashew curry...So delicious...

Food from the Bishnoi village, an all vegetarian village.

This is the market where we haggled (only when appropriate considering how cheap everything was compared to the US) for the ingredients used during our night of cooking.

Cashew curry in progress

Thali

Gulab jamun - my favorite dessert. I recall having thirds of this syrupy sweet little dish! I couldn't help myself!

Cowgirl vegan cupcakes (East Village, NYC)

2011-05-10T22:38:00.000-04:00

Vanilla with chocolate frosting (full-size and mini)- sorry about the blurry photo

Clockwise from upper left (blue cupcake): cotton candy, chocolate cake with peanut butter, mini vanilla, second cotton candy, chocolate with chocolate (or was it mocha) frosting, mini vanilla with chocolate frosting.

The flavors rotate daily; other stand-outs include french toast flavored cupcakes (chocolate or vanilla cupcake and cinnamon maple frosting. Cupcakes do contain soy. I made an exception in my soy-free diet for this place. They also offer gluten-free flavors. For soy-free and gluten-free vegan cupcakes, go to Babycakes on the Lower East Side.

Maybe I went too late in the evening, but I found the minis a bit stale around the wrapper. I ate them anyway, of course. My favorite flavor is the cotton candy, despite the blue food coloring and pearl-like adornments, both of which made me a bit nervous. I surprised myself and liked the vanilla-bottom cupcakes better than the chocolate ones, which is the reverse of my usual taste preference for everything chocolate. The peanut butter frosting is also quite yummy. I tasted the mint-frosted cupcakes on a prior visit and found them almost too minty, and learned that you cannot eat a peanut butter cupcake in the same sitting as a mint one. The flavors just do not mesh well together. That's what I got for eating three cupcakes in a row. No big surprise there.

Cowgirl also offers an assortment of other sugary treats, like donuts, cookies, cakes, pies, brownies and more. It varies from day to day. You can call ahead or check their blog or Twitter. In addition, they have a savory menu -- burritos, sandwiches and more. All vegan. I have not tried anything other than the cupcakes at this point.

Cowgirls Baking

Delicious sweets (Paris)

2011-05-03T22:59:00.001-04:00

I loved the sweets and pastries in Paris during my recent trip. Here are a few photos of the vegetarian (not vegan) yumminess.

Orange chocolate mousse from Le Potager du Marais

Pastries, chocolates and macarons from the 6th arrondissement

Dao Palate-Pan Asian Vegan Cuisine for a light dinner (Brooklyn)

2010-12-27T09:30:00.003-05:00

Tom Yum Soup (left): nice and spicy, will clear up your sinuses straight away!

Problem was there was vegan (soy) ham

in the soup, which I ate around. I choose

not to eat soy products for a variety of

reasons.

Basil summer roll wrapped in rice paper

with vegan hoisin sauce and peanuts (right):

The sauce was great; I could have eaten it

like a soup. Problem again was the presence

of soy inside the wrap, which I accidentally

ate a few bites of.

Indian pancake (below) with curry dipping sauce: the pancake was greasy

goodness but the curry sauce fell short. It was way too mild and tasteless

for my palate.

Dao Palate seemed so promising on a freezing cold night recently. Nice

ambiance with candlelight and minimalist-inspired decor. Unfortunately,

the servers (yes, two of them) did not listen to my requests for soy-free

dining and that ruined the whole experience. How is this possible when

the restaurant was literally empty otherwise? It was clearly not a question

of being too busy. When I encountered the soy in the soup, I realized

they completely ignored my requests and I was even ignored when I

asked one of the servers about it as if I had not said anything just then.

Only after repeating my question did she say it was "ham".

Not even vegan ham, just "ham". Then, when I looked dumbfounded,

she spelled it "H-A-M". Yes, I heard. I had to then explain to her that

it must be soy-derived since this is a vegan restaurant and reminded

her that I mentioned I didn't eat soy when I ordered. The response

was, tell us next time and we will omit it when we are cooking.

I thought I did that this time, no? How disappointing.

Mmm, vegan banana bread loaf

2010-12-26T09:45:00.016-05:00

My favorite baking resource is Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's Joy of Vegan Baking, which, of course, is legendary. I've adapted the banana loaf recipe to make it even more healthful by re

moving the chocolate chips (no, that is not a typo), using organic whole wheat pastry flour and using either SUCANAT or jaggery as the sweetener. I used to sweeten with agave nectar and adjust the rest of the liquid proportions but I no longer use agave after all the recent news about its processing. Coincidentally, I also subbed in unsweetened applesauce for half the canola oil today because I was low and that worked very nicely.

The modified recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

2 c. 100% whole wheat organic pastry flour

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. unrefined sea salt

1 c. SUCANAT or jaggery, if you have time to grate

1/3 c. canola oil (I split this evenly 1/6 c. each of canola oil and unsweetened applesauce. Next time I plan to use the full 1/3 c. of applesauce)

4 ripe organic bananas, mashed

1/4 c. water (filtered)

1 t. vanilla extract (with no alcohol or corn syrup added; I use Trader Joe's brand)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, mix the first three ingredients. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil (applesauce) together, then add the mashed bananas. I find it's easy to mash the bananas right in the bowl, using a fork. Stir in the water and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add the flour mixture and stir to mix.

Fill the baking pan about 90% with the batter leaving a generous portion in the bowl. I will get to the leftover batter in a second.

Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (normally 40 minutes on the dot for my oven).

Ahh, as for that last 10% of batter (you won't find this in any cookbook)...The best part of vegan baking is my favorite past-time -- licking the bowl! A delicious treat for when the bread is baking. What, were you going to do the dishes??

Enjoy the baked bread once it cools, and try not to eat it all at once. I won't tell if you do, though...

Exotic fruit baskets by Yana

2010-12-25T21:08:00.006-05:00

A friend of mine, Yana, surprised me last night with a beautiful basket of exotic fruits. The basket was so beautifully wrapped in gold mesh fabric and adorned with pretty leaves (photo, left). It was filled with goodies (working counterclockwise, right-hand photo) like miniature pineapple, kumquat, ugli fruit, cherries (from Chile), pomegranate (with 613 seeds, a tidbit from Yana), Myers lemon and a clementine. Wow - awesome!

So far I've tasted the cherries; what a treat in the wintertime when they are no longer in season locally and a kumquat, which I never had before. Both were excellent. Can't wait to try the pomegranate seeds next.

This is a great gift idea for holidays, birthdays and most anytime, really. The good news is that Yana lovingly creates these pretty baskets and sells them so if you are interested in buying one, visit her websites at:

www.littlemissvegan.com

www.fruittasting.com

Thank you Yana for the thoughtful fruity goodness!

V-Note (Upper East Side) for dinner

2010-12-19T22:34:00.021-05:00

We had the best table in the house...

The photos are out of the order they were eaten; it's hard to control the picture order using Blogger. Really, I did not have dessert first, although with me, it's not totally out of the realm of possibility.
Fondue! The fruit was a little too cold for my taste and the fruit, especially the strawberries, weren't the ripest (I shouldn't be too picky, I realize it's not strawberry or pineapple season). It is worth noting that our table would have been perfectly content with all bananas for dipping (they were perfect), and maybe one or two of the yummy cookies. Technically the fondue was for two but it was a fine serving for the three of us.
Soy chicken cutlets (special) with mushroom sauce and brussels sprouts. The whole dish was tasty, especially the sauce.
The small-sized Caesar salad was a good portion with nice flavors.
Mushroom risotto entree with mushrooms galore, seaweed and basil. Creamy, warming goodness on a cold night. Yum yum!

Seitan schnitzel appetizer with blueberry sauce and potato salad. The potato salad had lots of mushrooms, which is a plus if you are a mushroom fan like I am (though the person who ordered this was not, unfortunately). The seitan was good though heavy because it was fried and a sizable portion for one person.

The pumpkin and sweet potato gnocchi appetizer with sage cashew cream and kale was heavenly; it was my favorite course. Yes, even better than dessert, which doesn't happen often. Last photo but definitely not least!

V-Note is owned by the same people as Blossom, which is consistently great and one of my top picks in NYC. The quality was excellent, both food and drinks. The atmosphere is chic and modern, with spacious tables and lots of space between tables, which I like and is so rare in Manhattan.

Perspective

2010-08-16T22:08:00.002-04:00

"If you lose money, it is nothing. If you lose your health, it is something. If you lose your character, that is everything." Yogi Bhajan via my incredible Kundalini Yoga Teacher

The Pump Energy Food A+ Advertising

2010-01-23T15:51:00.003-05:00

I had tried this healthy chain in NYC at the location right near the office months ago and was not overly impressed with my meal. However, I stumbled upon this very witty ad and just had to post the link. Maybe it's worth another taste?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/22/the-pumps-without-crap-fu_n_432925.html

Under the Weather (continued, unfortunately)

2010-01-04T21:31:00.004-05:00

Well, it seems my stomach bug cleared up, but now I have had this cold/intermittent uncontrollable, hacking cough combo that has really exhausted me over the past week. Plus, my voice fades out pretty quickly, which I've discovered can work to my advantage. And with this cough, I can't wait to get my own seat (or car) on the train tomorrow, along with some nasty looks. :)

I am feeling much better today, though, I can use some more sleep - make that a lot more sleep since the cough keeps me up nights now and last night was no exception.

Here is my natural medicine regimen, which I've added to as symptoms appeared:

Vitamin C tablets - personal preference as opposed to the fizzy drinks out there, like Emergen-C (maybe I should've started with the C earlier, but better late than never),

Umcka ColdCare sugar-free syrup, by Nature's Way (I've previously recommended Umcka for colds so this was a natural pick in the syrup form and as a bonus is that is way tastier than any other liquid medicine I can remember),

Herbalis herbal syrup with wild honey and propolis (feels really soothing to my throat, thumbs down in the taste department though),

Zand green tea herbalozenge (very tasty throat lozenges sweetened with rice syrup and not corn syrup, like Coldeeze and other products I checked out)

and last but not least,

B&T night time Cough & Bronchial Syrup (I am very excited to try this out tonight for the first time and sleep well since last night was frustrating in the sleep department).

Under the Weather

2009-12-22T19:09:00.005-05:00

I have not been feeling well for the last few days with an irritable stomach. It felt like New Year's Eve fireworks were being shot off in my belly and sounded like a rock concert. Not fun. Initially, I thought maybe I ate something that did not agree with my super-healthy belly or ate too much sugar, or sugar, period, now that I am off my sugar-free routine. Could it be the delectable hot drinking chocolate or artisan truffles from my favorite local chocolate shop? Or could it be the Dunkin' Donuts hot chocolate that I tasted on Sunday, which I actually bought for someone else? Long story. I won't have any more of that DND hot chocolate for sure, but alas, I cannot make that promise about my favorite chocolate shop. Wish I could.

Anyway, it turns out I have a stomach bug, at least, according to my traditional medical doctor. As an aside, my GP does not know what kombucha is when I mentioned I am loading up on probiotics by drinking it and she recommended I drink Gatorade (yuck). Coconut water would've been a better suggestion since it is natural and has all the enzyme-replenishing benefits as Gatorade. But I digress, we all know there is a gap between traditional medicine and naturopathy.

What natural remedies do you use when you are under the weather or when you feel something coming on? Do you have a winter routine of taking Vitamin C , Airborne or drinking ginger tea? I would love to hear from you.

Inked Up...with henna

2009-12-05T23:04:00.005-05:00

My lovely lotus flower henna tattoo (and glitter) on my inner forearm. The top picture was taken right after it was painted on and the bottom one is after it dried overnight and the paint was chipped off. The lotus flower is symbolic of new beginnings, rebirth and awakenings in Asian cultures. The lotus flower itself grows in the mud and muck at the bottom of a pond and grows up towards the light of the water's surface into a beautiful flower.

After darkness, always comes light.

Sugar Fast is OVER

2009-12-05T15:22:00.004-05:00

Yes, that is breaking news. But, here is the thing, I don't plan to do much differently now that I've adapted my eating habits to a much healthier level. I didn't make a run for a chocolate bar or a sinful dessert, though I thought about it to be honest. I actually picked up and then put away the Seattle Chocolate bar that's been in my pantry for months now. Now that's progress.

Really, I will maintain my recent habits and indulge in moderation when I am dining out mainly, and only then, when it's truly worthwhile. I will continue to cook and bake with alternative sugars, like agave nectar, maple syrup, date sugar and more.

Although, with today's snowy, rainy weather, I could use a nice cup of hot chocolate. I am talking about the good stuff, not from a packet made with water but the high quality, thick drinking chocolate. Let's see what I can find in NYC...sweetened with agave or at the very least cane sugar.

Funny quote

2009-12-05T15:21:00.003-05:00

I saw this quote on a doormat earlier and it made me chuckle out loud.

"Beware: Dog cannot hold his licker".

Reminds me of someone furry and extremely affectionate. :)

Vegan Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-30T20:30:00.000-05:00

Apple pie in a spelt pie shell (dessert pictured first, of course)
Butternut squash soup
Delicato squash risotto
Roasted sweet potatoes with orange zest and cinnamon (a little blurry)
Clockwise from the top left: 1. delicious, sweet cashew cream sauce to pour over the roasted sweet potatoes, 2. herbed stuffing made with sprouted grain bread and fresh rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley and celery and carrots, 3. cranberry sauce sweetened with date sugar.
Close up of the cranberry sauce, which was ever-so-slightly tart. I love the brilliant red jewel color.
Close up of the stuffing.

My nutritious, vegan Thanksgiving dinner was a huge success. Some of the toughest, non-veggie loving critics paid me kudos for days afterwards and even took home doggie bags. I was in complete shock and of course, pleased to pieces! Eveything was made from scratch, from fresh, organic ingredients except the pie shell, which was store-bought from Wegman's but was organic, vegan and made from spelt (never fear). It's all about quality ingredients and loving preparation. The proof is in the pictures (and the fact that three of my smoke detectors went off while I was cooking)...

Inspiring Quote

2009-11-17T22:31:00.003-05:00

"Live the life you love. Love the life you live."

I just love this quote and have heard it before, but was reminded of it today when I saw it printed on a yoga t-shirt (but of course).

Live fully. Always.

Inspirational Quote

2009-10-19T22:54:00.002-04:00

"I am in the process of positive change. I am unfolding in fulfilling ways. Only good can come to me. I now express health, happiness, prosperity, and peace of mind." - Louise L. Hay

Pour Some Sugar On Me

2009-10-19T20:11:00.005-04:00

Believe it or not, I am almost a month into a 90-day sugar detox. I never thought I would utter those words. Yes, me -- "Queen" of desserts and dark chocolate lover. Sigh. To clarify, I have not eaten any food made with refined white sugar or cane sugar (or derivative product, such as cane juice or Sucanat). I will soon post some research on the dangers of refined sugar in this space. Cane sugar? Definitely not as damaging but I am off that, too, for good measure.

In case you are wondering why I would embark on such an unpleasant and restictive diet, it was recommended (er, mandated?) by my holistic nutritionist, who I trust implicitly. Let's just say I was not a happy camper when I heard my mandate and had serious doubts over whether or not it was possible for me.

I admit, getting starting was extremely difficult because I had cravings for that sugar "high" for the first week straight, especially during stressful situations. But, once I got over that week of withdrawal (I assume that's what it was, considering all the sugary goodness I normally eat), the cravings and temptation magically fell away. It was amazing. Though, at times, it is still hard to refrain from ordering dessert when I am dining out but otherwise, I am under control. In particular, I wouldn't mind a taste of the chocolate burrito at Tula in New Brunswick, NJ. Just a bite.

Alas, this means I will miss the chocolate show in NYC, which I really was looking forward to. It's for the best, though.

Not only have I survived a sugar detox when I had serious doubts and lodged some very vocal complaints, I have actually thrived. My diet is now a paradigm of healthful goodness since I lost my vice. Now that's sticky sweet.

Michael Pollan's 12 Commandments of Food

2009-08-09T16:12:00.003-04:00

I saw this list in the July 2009 issue of Natural Awakenings (Middlesex County) and since it echoes my eating habits and beliefs, I wanted to share.

1. Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.

2. Avoid products containing ingredients you can't pronounce.

3. Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot.

4. Avoid food products that carry health claims.

5. Shop the peripheries of the supermarket; stay out of the middle.

6. Better yet, buy food somewhere else: the farmers' market or community supported agriculture.

7. Pay more, eat less.

8. Eat a wide variety of species.

9. Eat food from animals that eat grass.

10. Cook, and if you can, grow some of your food.

11. Eat meals, and eat them only at tables.

12. Eat deliberately, with other people whenever possible, and always with pleasure.

Quirky Quote

2009-07-17T23:37:00.001-04:00

"Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?" -Author unknown.

I thought that was cute and it made me smile so I thought I would share.

Medjool dates - recipes anyone?

2009-07-12T23:24:00.003-04:00

I just started eating these sweet dessert-like treats, after tasting them at the Fancy Food Show. Amazing and impossibly delicious. I do have a date bar recipe in my vegan baking cookbook that I will have to check out. Who knows what else to do with these delectable treats, other than eat them as-is? Don't get me wrong, popping them into my mouth proves to be very satisfying after they have been de-pitted, but I am hoping to get some quick and easy recipe recommendations here, from you.

Homeopathic cold relief - Nature's Way Umcka ColdCare

2009-07-12T20:59:00.005-04:00

Last week, the inevitable summer cold was upon me. I started feeling sick on Monday, you know that not quite right, heavy, blah feeling, which is very out of the ordinary for me as I am normally filled with energy. By Tuesday, I realized that I had a cold since I was sneezing non-stop, had a runny nose and teary eyes on top of that "blah" feeling. So, I went to seek out a homeopathic, natural remedy, rather than the traditional cold medicine that would simply make me tired with the drugs it contained, a solution I did not feel good about. I went to my local health food store in Metuchen and bought an herbal product called Nature's Way Umcka ColdCare. The package advertised that it "shortens duration and reduces severity" for coughs, sinus infections, congestion and more. Great! Sold.

I must report that it actually tasted pleasant, good actually; I was as surprised as you can imagine. The remedy is in liquid form that you squirt into your mouth several times a day (no more than five times despite its taste) via the eyedropper that is provided. I can attest to the claim that it did shorten the duration and severity of my

cold since I started taking it on Tuesday and felt much better by Friday morning - three short days, which is a way shorter time than my usual cold would last and I do not have a lingering cough from post-nasal drip, either.

Anyway, I know this is advice from just one person, but I will use this product in the future. Hopefully, I won't need it for awhile though. Here is looking forward to a healthy rest of the summer and beyond for myself and my readers!

55th Annual Fancy Food Show (Javit's Center, NY) June 27th-29th

2009-06-28T18:14:00.005-04:00

This three day gourmet food extravaganza inspired me! Granted I only attended one day (today), but what an amazing event. Wow, the Javit's Center was full of incredible vendors, split into an international floor and a domestic floor, with a dizzying and overwhelming array of foods to sample. Everything from artisan chocolates, to cheeses, wines, teas, olive oils, gelato, sauces, lots of organic products and more were on display. I even brought home two gourmet treats (vegetarian and sweet potato flavored) for Snoozy, which he gobbled up. It took all day for me to taste my way through both floors and I was plenty full, bursting actually. That didn't stop me from being a food judge though. By the end of the day, my back was nearly breaking from my bag of samples that got progressively heavier throughout my food journey.

Once I sort out my goody bag, I will post select individual reviews in this space.

MIA

2009-06-07T23:40:00.002-04:00

Yes, it has been a long time since I have posted, I know. I am still alive, for those of you left wondering what happened. I feel appropriately guilty for neglecting my blog duties. Rest assured, I have continued seeking out veggie dining establishments, which I have documented along the way. As soon as I have a free moment, I will write 'em up, one by one. I promise...

Candle 79 (Upper East Side, NYC) VGN

2009-04-25T11:00:00.002-04:00

Candle 79 is considered to be one of the best vegan restaurants in NYC and so it's been on my "must visit" list for some time now. I finally dined here last Saturday with my friend Jessica and it did not disappoint my high expectations. The ambience is elegant and formal where we dined upstairs, with red and plum accents and a velvet ceiling and a contemporary-look bar scene downstairs. We had a nice window seat upstairs though on a lovely night, the prime tables in the house would be downstairs near the open double doors. The restaurant was bustling at 6 p.m. on Saturday with a nice hum of comfortable energy, and not too loud.

As I explored the menu, my mouth began to water. It reminded my of when I dined at Candle 79's sister restaurant, Candle Cafe (see 9/25/08 post) because there were just so many interesting and tempting choices, making it difficult to decide. The ingredients were healthful and unique with a creative flair. This was a no-guilt dining experience, which even contained some raw food options.

As I perused the menu, several of the salads piqued my interest, like the avocado salad for $16 and seaweed salad for $14, but we ultimately decided to skip that course to save room for dessert. It's possible to add tofu or tempeh on to salads for $4. Good to know for next time. First, we were served complementary edamame with sea salt, which was a nice surprise. Then, we shared an appetizer, the live avocado cucumber tartare for $15, which was impossibly creamy with delicious homemade flax chips for dipping. For the entree, I had the Moroccan spiced chickpea cake for $19 and Jessica had Caribbean jerk grilled seitan with plantains and mango for $23. We both absolutely loved our dishes to the very last bite. For dessert, we each had our own Mexican chocolate cake with crystallized ginger ice cream for $12. The ginger complemented the chocolate so perfectly; this dessert was positively dreamy. We were still raving about it days later.

As for the drink menu, the impressive wine list was mostly organic or biodynamic. I had a glass of sangria made with both organic wine and fruit for $12. Though I tried, I was unsuccessful in finishing my sangria because of the large size, which was fine. I certainly had plenty and it was a bit strong for me, so better that I did not finish it all.

Really, the only unpleasant surprise, though it should not have been considering I knew the individual item's prices, was the bill. As you can see from the prices above, it adds up quickly to a very large number and my jaw did actually drop. Quality ingredients and loving preparation come at a price, I suppose.

Our waitress, also named Jessica, was wonderful and extremely pleasant and knowledgeable about the dishes. Service was great, attentive from start to finish.

Vegetarians, vegans and even carnivores alike can and will appreciate the inspired food and gourmet experience at Candle 79. I recommend dining there on special occasions on and the occasional splurge.

Candle 79

154 E. 79th St. (between Lex and 3rd, near Lex)

212-537-7179

www.candlecafe.com

Costa Rica - the official Pura Vida food review

2009-04-12T23:07:00.000-04:00

At last (took me awhile, I admit)...

The food was served buffet style and was consistently good, though not gourmet. The bar had been set quite high since, about a year ago, I spent a weekend at Kripalu (a well-known yoga and wellness retreat) in the Berkshires so my point of comparison was very high indeed because their food is nothing short of superb. The food at Pura Vida was fresh, yes, but nothing too fancy, quite simple in fact. But, the fruit was incredible. Ah, the fruit. The pineapple and mangos tasted as though they were just picked. Fruit was definitely the star at the table for all meals. I devoured strawberries and papaya (and I am not even a papaya fan), enjoyed freshly-squeezed strawberry juice, which, surprisingly was not that sweet and had a luscious smoothie with banana, mango and pineapple.

The runner up to the fruit in terms of my favorites was the soup. I sampled every single one of them at each and every meal. The best of the best was the carrot ginger soup, which was rich and satisfying.

In general, there was not a huge selection of foods on the buffet, which was mostly vegetarian except for one or two items, usually fish, at the end of the buffet. I noticed that, at times, the small name cards displaying the names of the dishes were not always present for each dish, leaving us to guess or taste what the dish was. Now, it's fairly easy to determine what is not vegetarian, however, this would pose a problem for someone who is vegan, because the ingredients were never listed for anything. Though, I must admit, everyone at the resort was extremely accommodating so if that were an issue for you, I am certain they would work with you.

Of course, the view from the dining area was amazing, with the capital city of San Jose in the distance. The people at the resort were also an amazing and interesting bunch of mostly vegetarian yoga lovers.

The pictures above are from Thursday, March 26th's dinner, also my birthday, and Japanese night. I started off with miso soup, which did not disappoint, then enjoyed a lovely mango and avocado spring roll (perfect ingredients), a salad medley and a light, sweet cupcake for dessert. How fitting for my birthday!

Each night was a different theme and one night was locally-themed, with rice and beans and incredible guacamole as dishes. The avocados were absolutely delicious. I was in serious chocolate withdrawal mode by the end of the week having had no chocolate my entire trip, which must be a record for me. Not to worry, I got my fix at the San Jose airport with a roasted almond dark chocolate bar.

Natural dog shampoo?

2009-04-06T18:53:00.002-04:00

Next product search...natural dog shampoo. After I bathed my dog last night, I happened to check the ingredients of the Oatmeal & Aloe Vera shampoo and saw the dreaded "SLS" listed- sodium laurel sulfate AND sodium laureth sulfate duo among other ingredients I cannot pronounce. Yikes! Maybe that's why Snoozy hates bath time. He's also not a fan of getting wet so that could explain it, too.

Check out the link below for an explanation of the dangers of SLS:

http://www.healthy-communications.com/slsmostdangerousirritant.html

If anyone has suggestions for a natural dog shampoo, I would like to hear about it.

*UPDATE* I bought Aubrey Organics dog shampoo from my local health food store. I was planning to buy this very product online, after significant time spent researching and scrutinizing ingredients but when I saw it in my local store, it made more sense (and cents) to support my local businesses on Main Street.

Natural ant remedy

2009-04-06T07:52:00.001-04:00

Another fruitless search. I dug around online to find a natural, non-toxic remedy for getting rid of those pesky ants I noticed in my kitchen a few days ago. I found one that consisted entirely of cornmeal, which I happened to have in my pantry and thought, great, let's try it. All was fine for awhile and I only saw a few random ants with my mounds of cornmeal on the kitchen floor warding them away until my dog, Snoozy, discovered the delicious cornmeal "treats" sprinkled where he is normally fed. Needless to say my dog loves cornmeal (who knew?) and lapped it up almost as quickly as I put it down, on the sly, usually after I left the room. So much for that. At least it was a natural remedy considering how much Snoozy consumed.

Suggestions?

Vegan Chocolate Truffles (take 2)

2009-04-05T19:37:00.008-04:00

For those of you who follow this blog and remember my Valentine's Day truffle making experience (see 2/14/09 post), where my truffles resembled flat chocolate pancakes, rather than the usual three-dimensional truffle shape, you will be interested to see I am posting another recipe for vegan (and gluten-free) chocolate truffles, this one from Vegetarian Times magazine, February 2009 issue.

I have yet to try the recipe so I can't tell you about the result just yet, but I couldn't resist sharing the recipe, with my notes in parenthetical.

Ingredients (list is short and sweet, just as I prefer):

1/2 cup chocolate soymilk (I plan to substitute unsweetened chocolate almond milk due to difficulties digesting soy)

1 12-oz. pkg vegan chocolate chips

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1. Warm milk until hot to touch, set aside.

2. Melt chips in large metal bowl set over saucepan (or use a double boiler) of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Stir in warmed milk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight (I think I will opt for caution and will refrigerate overnight as I think this was my downfall last time).

3. Place cocoa on plate (or wax paper on counter top). Shape chilled chocolate mixture into 1-inch balls, and roll in cocoa.

Makes 40 1-inch truffles. Enjoy (not all at once).

Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)

2009-04-05T17:02:00.004-04:00

I wanted to pass on some really interesting information to my blog readers. I attended a truly inspiring lecture yesterday on Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs), given by Cliff Harwin. As it turns out, Cliff informed me that many vegetarians are HSPs, which I thought was fascinating. I encourage you to check out the website to learn more about this inherited trait and to take the assessment to determine whether or not you are a HSP (click the "self-test" link on Cliff's website, below). In addition, Cliff published a book that is for sale via the website, and he offers a free monthly e-newsletter and free e-book. Really interesting material that I can relate to. You may, too. Check it out!

http://www.thehighlysensitiveperson.com/

Natural nail polish remover - the search is over

2009-04-05T15:11:00.009-04:00

I know this blog is typically about food, I do want to incorporate various "green", earth-friendly topics. I have been searching for a non-toxic, formaldehyde-free, acetone/acetate-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free, synthetic fragrance-free, vegan nail polish remover with very little success.

I've come close in my internet search, though. I almost succumbed to No Miss brand, which seemed to very closely match my preferences, even though it has some sort of so-called "natural" vanilla scent, which I normally stay away from because it never seems to really be natural. It was the company's website that was the downfall, with a clunky checkout system that did not seem secure (no "https" in the URL) and linked to my IP address instead. Scary. Hmm, I will not give my credit card information in that shady scenario.

Okay, just now, and after spending way too much time searching and comparing, I settled on Suncoat Naturals for $9.99 and $3 shipping from Canada. It is paraben-free, not tested on animals (is it vegan? can't confirm but hope so), non-toxic, biodegradable, non-GMO, contains no petroleum ingredients, and acetone/acetate-free. That's as close as I can get to my dream nail polish remover.

Check out this link for more info:

http://bewellstaywell.com/nail_care.htm

And now, if only I could find a spa or nail salon that uses actual natural products (polish, polish remover, creams) for manicures and pedicures. Now, that would be a find. Until then, I am on my own. That's okay. It will save me some green, after all.

If you have any better product suggestions, I am all ears!

*Update* I received my nail polish remover very promptly in just a few days after ordering. While it did take more elbow grease to first saturate my toe nails in order remove my polish (from an old pedicure with "traditional"nail polish) at a few minutes time per toe, it was worth it. The product has a light, pleasant smell, and not the usual, acrid smell of traditional, chemical-laden remover. Also, my nails are not dry from using the Suncoat remover, as they would be with the chemical stuff. Win-win!

Cafe Blossom (Upper West Side, NYC) VEG

2009-03-22T08:00:00.003-04:00

This will be more of a "mini review", as I have already fully reviewed this organic, vegan restaurant's other NYC location (see Sept. 25, 2008 post) plus I did not take copious notes as I usually do when reviewing. I dined here for vegan Saturday bunch, a first among my Blossom experiences, with my friend, Jessica. Prior to this, I've been to the Chelsea/9th Ave. location for lunch and dinner. I do believe the prices are slightly cheaper in the uptown location, so that was a nice surprise.

I was thrilled to have a vegan brunch experience because typically brunch fare is so filling and heavy on the butter. I had the vegan french toast with fresh fruit (an add-on) and pure maple syrup, as opposed to the watered-down sugary syrup that I refuse to eat. What a pleasure to eat this entire meal and not feel stuffed afterwards. So delicious. The ginseng iced tea with organic lemon was very refreshing, too on an unseasonably warm day.

Jessica had the soy philly sandwich, made with seitan, which was quite a hefty portion and came with fries, too.

Check out the picture to see our meals before we devoured them! Well, I devoured mine; to be fair, there were some leftovers on Jessica's sandwich platter.

The decor itself was not as chic as the 9th Ave. location but was rather cool in its own right, with interesting stone accents along the bar and under the glass counter on which your food would be placed, if seated at the bar.

No matter which location, this is one of my favorite vegan spots in the city.

Cafe Blossom

466 Columbus Ave.

Between W. 82nd/W. 83rd)

New York, NY

(212) 875-2600

www.blossomnyc.com

Sahara Cafe (New Brunswick, NJ) VF

2009-03-21T16:00:00.001-04:00

Ah, the lovely smell of aromatic Mediterranean spices, even from outside this BYOB restaurant, invites me inside for more. I should note, there are tables outside on a stone patio for warm weather dining. Once inside, the warm decor was welcoming -- beautiful painted landscapes, some floor-to-ceiling, and relaxing music easily transported me to another land. As I surveyed the interior, I noticed all the decor details that have been carefully considered - the chandeliers were crafted from a brassy metal to look like hot air balloons. Huge windows, with a view of bustling Easton Ave. (one of the main streets around the Rutgers University New Brunswick campus) and skylights add lots of natural light and there is additional seating upstairs. It was nicely crowded when I dined with Emilio, a former co-worker of mine.

I must admit, choosing what to order for dinner was a challenge in this Mediterranean mecca because there were so many options that tempted me. Ultimately, in order to accommodate my indecisiveness, I ended up with several appetizers, some of which we shared, and a salad. The appetizers included: hummus with spiced ezme for $5.75, sigara boregi -- a pan-fried phyllo roll stuffed with feta and dill for $4.95, feta and tomato toast (approximately $5.00) and tahini shepherd's salad for $6.95. Among the other vegetarian choices were a roasted eggplant entree for $11.95 and a zucchini (carrot and feta) patty for $10.95. You can understand why I had a hard time deciding. I did love the food; the feta and tomato toast was all melty goodness, the salad was swimming in tahini, maybe a tad too much though I appreciated the extra for leftovers the next day and the (slightly) spicy hummus, which came with pita, was a hit with both myself and Emilio.

You can't beat the array of options, the reasonable prices and the lovely, inviting atmosphere. I will be back for dinner. Soon.

Sahara Cafe

165 Easton Avenue

New Brunswick, NJ

(732) 246-3020

www.saharacafenj.com

Veg Out in...Costa Rica!

2009-03-20T08:00:00.002-04:00

With my Costa Rican vacation just around the corner, I look forward to enjoying the local cuisine specialties that are offered veggie-style. Can't wait to explore the local flavors. My mouth is already watering in anticipation!

Natural Gourmet Institute Friday Night Vegetarian Dinner (Chelsea, NYC)

2009-03-10T22:00:00.021-04:00

This was absolute paradise...I know I am prone to superlatives but this is the real deal. It was like a culinary meditation.

The Friday night dinners at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health & Culinary Arts are apparently quite popular, for good reasons; there was a waiting list of 30 people early in the week. I was lucky to be squeezed in. If you do plan to attend a future dinner, I was advised it is best to reserve a spot weeks ahead of time, not days ahead as I did.

Anyway, the dinner is prepared by aspiring chefs attending the culinary program, which stresses natural, organic, and healthful foods. The menu changes weekly so unlike a traditional restaurant, you do not order specific foods or dishes as there are no choices so make sure you peak at the menu before reserving because that's what you are getting. You can check out upcoming menus on the website (see below for link).

When I attended, the menu was as follows:

*Assorted tapas: stewed mushrooms, minted eggplant and patatas bravas with aioli

*Roasted fennel and orange salad with herb citrus dressing

*Mixed vegetable paella with black bean sauce and red pepper coulis garnished with sweet potatoes and leeks

*Tres leches cake with rasberry coulis and spiced chocolate truffle

You can bring your own wine or drink the homemade sangria, which is included in the cost of the meal, which is $40/person for all this food and sangria. I do recommend the sangria.

Start to finish, the meal was as delicious as it was artful. Truly a delight to the senses. In particular, I loved the paella and sweet potato entree, taste and presentation-wise (the sweet potato was in a "bird's nest" form - so cool, check the picture). For dessert, the spiced chocolate truffle was delicious and the spice was intensely flavorful and not subtle, as is sometimes, disappointingly, the case with spicy chocolate. I normally am not a fan of tres leches cake but in this case, I was pleasantly surprised and loved every bite of it.

As a note, do not expect your own private table, seating is communal style spread across several rooms, with long tables so multiple parties are sitting together. This worked out great; everyone was so friendly and had so much in common that it felt like a large family.

Since the students are also serving the food, be mindful that the service may not be perfectly attentive but that's certainly okay given all the efforts they put into making the meal itself so special.

After such a lovely experience, the only question on my mind is when can I attend dinner next?

Natural Gourmet Institute

48 W. 21st St. (bet 5th/6th), 2nd floor

New York, NY

http://www.naturalgourmetschool.com/html/friday-night-dinner-c.html

(212) 645-5170

Institute of Integrative Nutrition (NYC)

2009-03-09T18:30:00.003-04:00

I was invited to attend all-day classes at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN for short) in NYC on Saturday. The school prepares students to be certified Health Counselors, offering a wealth of holistic health, dietary theory, nutrition and wellness information and hands on support for building a new business.

What an incredible and dynamic experience, with approximately 1,500 students plus 500 or so guests! Classes are held at Lincoln Center, in the lovely and cavernous Avery Fisher hall. Despite the huge class size, students were very willing to participate and share topical personal anecdotes in front of the entire crowd with the aid of a microphone, which was really impressive to me.

Topics of the day ranged from the elements of an Ayurvedic diet, a mock health consultation, small group discussions on oppression and sexism, and more. Guest speakers play a vital role in the education process; many of whom are renowned in their field, such as Deepak Chopra. There was fun on the schedule in the way of Bollywood style dance instruction. Yes, despite the tight seating, everyone was literally dancing in the aisles or in front of their seats, clapping and swaying to the catchy Indian music as instructed by the high energy teacher leading on stage. That was indeed a sight to see and so much fun to participate in.

Check out the website for more information on this program:

www.integrativenutrition.com

Famous Vegetarians

2009-02-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is so cool, I had to post this link. You'll be surprised by some of the names.

http://www.happycow.net/famous_vegetarians.html#R

Crazy for coconuts

2009-02-21T21:00:00.001-05:00

One of my latest foodie initiatives is to ensure I buy a variety of new or different foods when go food shopping on a weekly basis. I do not want to get into a rut whereby I purchase the same exact foods by rote week after week. That's not very exciting and food should be exciting and contribute to variety in my diet. So, this past week, true to my goals, I purchased a whole coconut. It's been literally decades since I have enjoyed a whole coconut. Furthermore, I am proud of myself for thinking of an inventive way to pierce the soft hole (one of the set of three holes) to get to the liquid: by inserting a corkscrew. I then poured the coconut water (not called "milk", btw) into a bowl and then filtered it before drinking to remove the coconut bits and shreds that ended up in the bowl, too. I ended up with around 2 cups of yummy (and filling) water to enjoy - a toast to health.

Next week, I plan to buy quince fruit (which is in the apple and pear family, I just learned; not sure how I will prepare it yet) and dandelion greens, both completely new foods to me. I will let you know how it goes.

A few days later (note to self, do not wait this long next time as the coconut dries out)...

I decided it was time to crack open the coconut, but how? After a Google search, I came upon a few YouTube videos, touting different methods. The first involved whacking the middle of the coconut with the back of a large knife. Not only was this a scary experience, but it did not yield the desired result. As a cautionary move, I placed a towel under the coconut in case my knife went astray. Anyway, I do not recommend this method.

The second method was indeed the winner. If you have any pent up anger or frustration, this will even be fun for you! I wrapped the coconut in a dishtowel, headed for the garage and went at it with a hammer on the garage floor. This was very effective! Then, I used a grapefruit knife to pare off the meat and that was time-consuming. Once I had some clean pieces, I grated the coconut meat to make homemade granola with almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and coconut shreds.

Superfoods and chocolate for breakfast!

2009-02-18T21:52:00.006-05:00

I am enthralled by the idea of "superfoods" and want to incorporate some or all (!) into my diet in some way for optimal nutrition. I constantly mix up my food menu, as I've indicated in previous posts and recently I introduced millet, the ancient whole grain that resembles fluffy rice, into my breakfast bowl as a new cereal selection. I decided to pair the millet, which, let's face it, is quite mild on its own, with pumpkin granola and the superfood, cacao nibs (dark chocolate covered cacao nibs to be exact), and it is the perfect taste combination! For more on superfoods, follow this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfood

Quick, easy and healthy pizza

2009-02-16T16:17:00.003-05:00

I want to share this quick, healthy meal tip because everyone is pressed for time these days. I picked up a delicious whole wheat flatbread pizza crust earlier and topped it with olive oil, crushed tomatoes, baby portabella mushrooms and shredded rice "cheese". Ten minutes later I had a hearty and healthy meal. Simple and almost vegan (rice cheese contained casein). Eat your heart out, literally!

Valentine's Day "Truffles"

2009-02-14T18:12:00.008-05:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, I took it upon myself to make, from scratch, vegan truffles using an "easy" recipe from www.dairyfreecooking.com. The recipe follows for anyone bold enough to try it, with my notes in parenthetical. Let's just say they tasted amazing, were healthy (no butter, cream or sugar) but didn't resemble truffles I've ever seen. The batter was not gelled quite firm enough to form round balls so instead I ended up making chocolate pancakes; the dough was gooey and stretchy. If you try this, prepare to get chocolate all over yourself...I know I did. In retrospect, I could have left the batter in the fridge a little longer or perhaps left it out on the counter after the refrigeration step , but hey, I was anxious to finish up and eat. The finished product wasn't pretty, I must admit. I did dust my pancakes with cayenne pepper, sea salt and cinnamon, separately, of course, not all together and it tasted good, like high end chocolate without the high end, um, professionalism. This is why I didn't gift my confections, as planned. Instead I ate the lot of them, every last one. I had to, right?

Maybe I've stumbled on the next big trend - chocolate pancakes. Watch out Vosges! Wouldn't that be serendipitous?

Makes about 12-16 truffles (I halved the recipe, just FYI. You didn't think I ate 16 of these things, did you?)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup good quality cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1 ¼ cup agave nectar
pinch of salt
Preparation:
1. In a small mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, mixing until well combined. Place the bowl, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (maybe longer, unless you, too, want pancakes).

2. Line a small baking sheet with parchment. Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and, using your hands, roll the mixture into small balls, placing them on the sheet as you work. Place the sheet in the freezer for 1 hour (I froze them overnight).

3. Remove the sheet from the freezer and dredge each of the balls well in cocoa powder (cayenne pepper, sea salt, cinnamon). Place back in the freezer for an additional 10 minutes to overnight, and enjoy. Truffles will keep for one week in an airtight container (or a few hours, if you are like me)

Just for the record, I will be going on a chocolate walking tour in the Village tomorrow. Yes, more chocolate for me. I am sure that none of what I will taste will resemble my confections.

Nutrition Tip of the Week

2009-02-14T18:00:00.000-05:00

The idea behind the Nutrition Tip of the Week is the tip will be something quick and easy to execute but the benefits will be great.

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or a doctor. I need to state this so there are no misconceptions about my friendly "advice". I am passing on my own healthy eating tips; decide for yourself what you consume.

2/14/09: Getting caught up here, I have been slow to post tips as of late. This one, a recipe, is from my Aunt Mona and her friend Sarah.

Goji Berries Trail Mix

Pumpkin seeds (raw and then roasted at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes)

Goji Berries (it looks like a 4:1 ratio) 4 parts pumpkin seeds to 1 part Goji berries.

Sprinkling of dried coconut (to taste)

Currents (experiment with the amount--it looks like about 1/4 cup to 1.5 cups of pumpkin seeds).

For those not familiar with Goji Berries (also called Wolf Berries) the following is useful information:

Goji berries have been used for 6,000 years by herbalists in China, Tibet and India to: protect the liver, help eyesight, improve fertility, strengthen the legs, boost the immune system, improve circulation, promote longevity. Wow, they are in fact a "superfood". They are also rich in antioxidants.

2/14/09: I officially like kombucha, well, certain flavors or flavor: the mango madness is the best, in my opinion. Guava is my least favorite. I now buy one bottle and that lasts me a week or just about, drinking a little each day. I must admit, I do feel more energized after having some.

1/17/09: Happy New Year! I have been remiss in passing on my weekly tips so here are two to get me caught up.

1. Kombucha tea: I don't care if it tastes horrible (and it does, to me at least, like a combination of apple cider vinegar with champagne fizziness), the health benefits outweigh the taste, in my opinion.

You can brew your own if you are really ambitious or you can buy some at a healthy grocer such as Whole Foods. I first tried this drink in Seattle last week and then attended a brewing class a few days ago. Kombucha is sometimes referred to as the tea of immortality and is basically a fermented tea, well, sort of. It's actually a living organism, with probiotic cultures. As for the http://www.essense-of-life.com/moreinfo/foodcharts.htm, they range from its alkalinity (more on that below), B vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, improved energy, relieving stress and depression, liver detox, and normalizing the digestive system

Alkaline diet and much more. Check out this website for more information and to do further research, if you are interested: http://www.gokombucha.com/health_benefits.html

2. Alkaline/acid diet (80/20%): I just discovered recently that an alkaline body has lots of health benefits, including potentially anti-cancer properties, so I am starting to keep an eye on my alkaline-acid proportions to keep my body properly balanced and healthy. The following link details which foods are alkaline vs. acidic:

http://www.essense-of-life.com/moreinfo/foodcharts.htm

12/26/08:

These days when I am at the supermarket, I tend to linger in the baking aisle and since it's the healthy area otherwise known as "Nature's Marketplace" at Wegman's, there are lots of (overwhelming) options, especially for a staple like flour. I've started to experiment with wheat flour, spelt flour and rice flour. Now, each type of flour has its place, I would assume. I must admit, I haven't figured it out yet. Readers - do you have preferences or comments on this topic?

12/16/08:

This week's tip is substituting agave nectar, a sweet liquid from the cactus, for sugar or honey, when baking. Some people do not recommend substituting a liquid for a dry sugar, however. I have tried it in my chocolate chip banana cake and it comes out delicious, so don't believe everything you read (this blog withstanding, of course). Do not use a 1-1 ratio of sugar to agave; decrease the quantity of agave by 25% of the sugar called for because it is very sweet and decrease the other liquids in the recipe by 25%, too. How sweet it is.

12/7/08: I am a little late with this week's tip; for anyone who has been waiting, my apologies. I will continue the egg replacement theme here with Ener G egg replacer. I baked peanut butter chocolate chip cookies today and the empty plate speaks for itself. Excellent taste and texture in the finished product and importantly, you can lick the bowl without worrying about salmonella.

11/26/08

Replace eggs with applesauce in recipes for a vegan alternative. 1/4 cup applesauce = 1 egg. I did this switch in a chocolate chip recipe and the texture was a little rubbery, I must admit, so it needs further refinement. Maybe it's not suitable for cookies but I am sure I will try it again in some other foods.

11/18/08:

Grind your own whole flaxseeds in a coffee grinder and add the grinds to cereal, salad and other foods for a punch of omega fatty acids and a host of other health benefits too numerous to enumerate. Check out this link for more information:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed

Incorporate a few tablespoons into your daily routine and reap the benefits.

And, dessert lovers take note, ground flaxseed can also be an egg substitute in vegan baked goods.

Credit for this great idea goes to my Aunt Mona, who introduced to me the world of flaxseed grinding.

Korean Restaurant inside Olympus Spa (Lynnwood, WA) VF

2009-01-21T21:50:00.002-05:00

Well, this is definitely a first --a dining experience wearing nothing but a bathrobe. I could get used to this! Allow me to explain. This restaurant is inside the Olympus Spa located in Lynnwood, Washington -- an amazingly relaxing place. This is a little off topic, but I can't contain myself and it's my blog so I make the rules, right? The spa is incredible -- there are four hydrotherapy whirlpools, each at different temperatures (my favorite was a toasty 95 degrees), two saunas (one was herbal) and an array of heated rooms, most of which contained a natural element (such as charcoal, jade, sand, salt) that had health benefits listed on the door of each room. They also offered the usual spa treatments like massages, facials and the like.

Now, on to the Korean restaurant review. Does it even matter? I don't even know if it had a name. The restaurant was nothing really to look at, oh wait, I didn't have my glasses on, so that could explain it. (I certainly could not wear glasses into the 170 degree mud and jade room, could I?)

The food was Korean (quite appropriate given the Korean-style spa) and my aunt and I shared the vegetable and tofu bibimbap. It was quite tasty and hearty with the raw egg in the middle and bottle of sauce on the table that was labeled "spicy" - I was able to see that fine, yes. It wasn't too spicy as I recall, though. They did serve the traditional small plates before the entrees, too and some odd things, like Snickers bars and big cookies were available at the counter, which I felt were out of place. That's just me.

Service was a bit too prompt and efficient for a spa where relaxation was the theme. I hope the staff gets free spa passes or discounts at the very least. As for the bill, I was so relaxed, I can't remember exactly how much it was! (It was definitely not outrageous though -- I would remember that for sure!)

Check out the website at www.olympusspa.net.

There are two locations, both in Washington state.

Olympus Spa (the location I visited)

3815 196th Street S.W. Suite 160

Lynnwood, WA

(425) 697-3000

Hours:

Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Fri. and Sat. 9 a.m. - midnight

Closed Sundays, Thanksgiving and X-mas

Pan Africa Market (Seattle, WA) VF

2009-01-17T18:41:00.016-05:00

What a great location, just around the block from the famous Pike Market, an amazing culinary delight in itself. This African restaurant has an eclectic look with a hipster meets industrial vibe, exposed piping in the high ceilings and Bob Marley playing in the background. I was here with my aunt, who lives in the Seattle area, whom I was visiting last week.

There is an entire section of the menu for vegetarian food, which of course, I appreciated. We decided to share two vegetarian entrees. The first was the foul (rhymes with "bowl" not "fowl" like the bird) which included fava beans, peppers, tomatoes, onions and the option of adding feta cheese, which we wanted to add too late, apparently because we could not flag down the waiter to ask him to bring some over before finishing our delicious meal. He was the only waiter on duty and the place filled up, so he had his hands full. The second entree was even better than the first -- that was the veggie groundnut, a West African groundnut stew with yams (my favorite), carrots, bell peppers, seasonal veggies and rice. Both entrees came with tasty little salads on the entree plate, too. The spiced tea was a nice treat on a cold day, too. It was so fragrant but the recipe, apparently was top secret, because when we asked the waiter what was in the tea, he informed us that if he told us, he would have to kill us. A little humor to warm us up on a chilly Seattle afternoon.

The lunch bill warmed us, too at a very reasonable $22 total (about $8.50 per entree) for the two entrees and teas. Be sure to also check out the breakfast menu on the website or better yet, in person. I wish I saw that before now. Yum...

Pan Africa Market

1521 1st Ave

Seattle, Washington

www.panafricamarket.com

206-652-2461

Sunlight Cafe (Seattle, WA) VEG

2009-01-17T18:38:00.007-05:00

It turns out this is an original vegetarian restaurant in Seattle and opened in 1975, way before vegetarian food became more mainstream as it is today. Pretty cool to be so ahead of the crowd.

The restaurant itself is nothing to look at. It has high ceilings and a homey, hole-in-the-wall 60's diner sort of feel. They did display a huge Pez collection, which was sort of quirky.

The menu was extensive with lots of salads, soups, and lots of other goodies, including a nut burger, sweet potato cakes with tofu, and black bean burrito. I ended up ordering the brown rice salad for $8.50 (cheap!) that included lettuce, vegetables, avocado, broccoli, cauliflower, organic brown rice, seeds and a side of tofu (for $2.50 extra). The broccoli and cauliflower were raw, which is not my style; I would have much preferred them to be steamed, but that was the only complaint about the dish. The side of tofu was excellent, really flavorful. My aunt, who I was visiting, had the veggie cheese enchilada with beans and rice and enjoyed it. Portions were abundant.

We did not order dessert but some options were cookies (kitchen sink cookie), pies and tofu cheesecake, which were modestly priced at $3.95 and less.

Definitely an enjoyable meal in one of my favorite cities.

Sunlight Cafe

6403 Roosevelt Way NE

Seattle, Washington

Can't find a website or online menu

(206) 522-9060

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily

Su's Restaurant (Edgewater, NJ) VEG

2009-01-05T07:35:00.016-05:00

To begin with, let me explain the larger surroundings of this restaurant. Edgewater, NJ is a beautiful, waterfront town across from the NYC skyline and though this restaurant is in a strip mall, don't let that sway you because it is in good company, along with Trader Joe's and is down the street from Whole Foods, some good eating neighbors!

Inside the restaurant, the setting is minimalist and zenlike with brown and beige neutral-toned walls with pops of red lighting accents. The menu, physically is very cool; it's a heavy wooden menu totally in harmony with the surroundings. Throughout the all vegetarian, Pan-Asian inspired menu, dairy, vegan and nut dishes are noted with abbreviations, though they are not defined anywhere, so we asked the waitress.

For an appetizer, I was pleased with my Vietnamese summer rolls ($6) served with some tangy, sweet clear dipping sauce. The rolls were served cold and raw, which was a surprise. Next time, I may ask for them to be pan-fried. My dining companion, Kerri, had the orange-infused guacamole appetizer ($5), which was also a pleasure to eat. Both appetizers were served on geometric-shaped plates making for good presentation. This is a great place for tapas or small plates for sharing.

My entree was delectable; I continued to rave about it long after the meal ended. I had mushrooms prepared crispy, tempura style with sweet potatoes and cashews (a substitution for raisins) for $12, a dish I normally would not eat because it is fried but I made an exception and I am glad I did. I should note that the menu did not mention the tempura preparation, actually, I think it said it was grilled but I am not positive. I scraped the plate clean. It was a delicious combination of flavors, plain and simple. Kerri had the risotto with mushrooms and onions, ($9) which I thought was fine, but had too many onions for her liking and not enough flavor for her taste.

The only slight con I have to report was the service was so-so. I was basically dying of thirst and the waitress took a long time to bring me another iced tea, which I asked for twice. That's really it.

I wish I had room for dessert, but I didn't. One of the reasons to go back.

Su's Restaurant

725 River Road

Edgewater,NJ

www.surestaurant.com (currently under construction, but was not a few weeks ago when I dined there)

Menu can be found at:

http://www.edgewatermenus.com

(201) 840-7988

Seattle, WA here I come!

2009-01-04T22:18:00.004-05:00

I will be traveling to Seattle, Washington this coming week, home of lots of organic, healthy and vegetarian friendly restaurants. Surely, I will have reviews ready to post soon after my return. Stay tuned!

Counter NY (Lower East Side, NYC) VEG

2009-01-04T22:08:00.007-05:00

Stop #3 of my Lower East Side eating extravaganza

Truth be told, I really wasn’t that hungry by this point, but I was on a mission.

What a cool, organic wine and martini bar and vegetarian restaurant combo. Interesting techno music vibe that turned decidedly more mellow, with cool, rustic atmosphere with wood floors and neat low slung chairs, and retro diner bar stools.

The menu was really a unique combination of flavors and it, as usual, took some time for me to figure out what I wanted. The waitress was patient and explained all the dishes I inquired about. I started off with a very nice glass of Chilean pinot noir for $12/glass (so nice that I opted for two, by the end of the meal). The cocktails menu was really, interesting, you need to check it out on the website…very descriptive and inventive, some of which could make you blush. Note the world’s most expensive organic martini for $665. There is no decimal point missing and they donate the proceeds. They offered lots of organic wines and beers and homemade red and white sangria, too.

I really could not decide what to get for an appetizer since I wasn’t that hungry due to my prior stops and a few of the selections were deep fried in their preparation, such as the mushroom medley and the winter squash wontons, and I tend to shy away from deep fried foods. I only discovered this by asking questions, it wasn’t clear from the menu. I ended up ordering the vegetable tasting mosaic ($19), which included braised fennel, brussel sprouts, chard, whipped maple sweet potatoes, sauteedcarrots, portabella mushroom roulade, escarole and more. It was a healthful, tasty and satisfying concoction. It came with a side of steamed, spiced quinoa, which was not very spicy. Unfortunately for me, I had no room for dessert, even though I had my eye on a few, it was a toss-up between the chocolate fondue ($14) and chocolate tart ($8). Yes, I will be back and I plan to come hungry next time around.

Counter NY

105 First Ave (bet. 6^th and 7^th)

www.counternyc.com

212-982-5870

Babycakes NYC (Lower East Side, NYC) VGN

2009-01-04T22:05:00.006-05:00

Stop #2 of my Lower East Side eating extravaganza

A vegan, gluten-free bakery (and also wheat-, soy-, casein- and refined sugar-free) –it was vegan heaven! They sold frosting shots (yes, little mini cups of frosting – what a novel idea) for $1.50 , cupcake tops, regular sized cupcakes, some of which were made with spelt flour, sweet breads, brownie cupcakes, cookies and the list goes on…

The place is adorable, tiny with a little kitchen in the back of the store and a few stools for those of us who can’t wait to indulge, like myself.

The chocolate cupcake was good with tasty chocolate frosting (they did not have a spelt chocolate-chocolate cupcake that day), the brownie cupcake made with agave was disappointing, just so-so and the chocolate chip cookie was just the right crispiness. Those three items came to about $7. Next time I will buy a frosting shot and hope to try a spelt cupcake, either a regular cupcake or maybe just a top.

248 Broome St

New York, NY 10002

www.babycakesnyc.com

212-677-5047

il Laboratorio del Gelato (Lower East Side, NYC) VF

2009-01-04T21:58:00.007-05:00

Stop #1 of my Lower East Side eating extravaganza (all three places are in close proximity, especially the first two which are only one or two short blocks apart, and it’s about a ten-fifteen minute walk to the third stop).

Holy flavors of gelato and sorbet! Flavors change every day as they make the flavors fresh daily inside and when I went, they offered olive oil, chocolate mint, which was white rather than green for purists with hunks of chocolate, chocolate kahlua, espresso, toasted almond, toasted coconut, egg nog (it was Christmas Eve, after all), and dark chocolate to name a few. I didn’t really notice the sorbet flavors, I was fixated on the gelato I must admit. I tasted the toasted almond, which was excellent and unlike any other flavor I’ve had before. I was unable to purchase a scoop of it, however, because it was almost all gone. So, I ended up buying a small cup with two scoops, one scoop of chocolate kahlua and the other scoop of espresso, both great choices. The chocolate kahlua was rich and creamy and the espresso popped with intense coffee flavor.

The shop is really just a window displaying all the flavors ready to be scooped, customers are not allowed inside the store so be ready to eat outside in the cold, like I did. But, I did not mind, even though it was a chilly 30-something degrees outside – that’s how good this place is. Oh, and there was a line when I arrived there – yes, in the middle of winter, there was a line at the gelato place. That says it all. People are passionate about good gelato and sorbet and this shop does not disappoint.

The gelato is not vegan unfortunately, but vegetarians will most definitely enjoy.

il Laboratorio del Gelato

95 Orchard St.

(between Broome & Delancey Sts)

New York, New York

www.laboratoriodelgelato.com/

212-343-9922

Restaurant Suggestions Anyone?

2008-12-25T22:37:00.007-05:00

Does anyone have any suggestions of vegetarian/vegan restaurants that I should try out in the NYC/NJ area and review on this blog? If so, now is the time to speak up! I would love to hear from you and try out some new places that may not be on my list.

Rating System (at last!)

2008-12-17T23:49:00.004-05:00

I have wanted to have a shorthand indicator for the "veg-ability" of a restaurant so here it is:

VF = vegetarian-friendly (as in lots of veggie options but not a vegetarian restaurant)

VEG = vegetarian

VGN = vegan

I will including these rating indicators in the title line for each review, starting with Kairo Kafe...

Kairo Kafe (New Brunswick, NJ) - VF

2008-12-14T23:18:00.053-05:00

This Eastern Mediterranean restaurant is a gem - it's a cute little space that is made more intimate after the candles are lit, which add ambience as more people filter in. Later in the night college kids come in to smoke hookah pipes, kind of a bizarre offering if you ask me but it smelled good -- like incense. Anyway, it's a great find for vegetarians due to the huge array of tempting options.

The menu was so extensive that we relied on the very patient waiter to answer a bevy of questions as we decided what to order. I decided on the mango iced tea, which reminded me of a lighter mango lassi, lentil soup, salad with red wine vinagrette dressing (salad was included with the entree), two tapas to share -- fava bean and hummus, which were served with delicious pita triangles, vegetable koshary (chick peas, lentils and macaroni - yes, macaroni - with a nice chile sauce), and baklava for dessert. I absolutely loved everything, especially the fava bean dip, which was served warm. The baklava was probably my least favorite course, not that it was bad, it was good but it was a little drier than I prefer in the honey department. They made up for that in the presentation though, with chocolate sauce script messages on the plate (saying "Merry Xmas" and "Kairo Kafe"). [I have some pictures, however, I am having technical issues in uploading them to the proper insertion point.]

Now to the drawbacks, of which there were only two. It sounded like someone was moving furniture upstairs throughout the night so that was a little distracting. Later on, we were told there was an "event" upstairs. Does that explain moving furniture? I am not sure. The other distraction was the overly loud, shrill restaurant telephone ringing constantly. They need a more relaxing ringtone or at a minimum, a softer one.

The pace of the dinner was relaxed and not rushed at all, which I liked. In fact, I think the waiter completely disappeared for a while. The prices were amazingly reasonable - all that food for $30/person. An outstanding bargain.

Kairo Kafe

49 Bayard St.

New Brunswick, NJ 08901

www.kairokafe.com

732-545-2476

Hours:

Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Friday 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Saturday 6.p.m. - 2 a.m.

Le Grainne Cafe - 183 9th Ave (corner of 21st St.), NYC (Chelsea neighborhood)

2008-11-28T17:24:00.013-05:00

I dined here for lunch today as a backup choice. The restaurant I intended on dining at was closed, which provided the perfect opportunity for me to check out this adorable French café, which is next door and that I had wanted to try anyway. I normally do not associate French food with vegetarian options, but I made it work, as you'll read in a moment. It is definitely not the best place for vegans, though.

I felt like I stepped into a café in Paris once inside; the décor was of a country rustic motif and charming with wooden tables and floors. It was vibrant and lively, busy with lots of customers in the cozy space (the picture was taken on the way out, after the rush slowed down). I liked the orange tiled walls and the maps of France and other artwork and photos depicting scenes of France on the walls. You may end up at a table with others, as I did, depending on how busy they are. The kitchen is open alongside the side of the restaurant. The only thing that seemed out of character was the eighties pop music in the stereo at the beginning of my meal.

I ordered the ratatouille side dish ($5.50) as an appetizer and the valhrona chocolate and banana crepe ($7) as my meal. (Yes, dessert was my entrée. Anyone who knows me will understand.) The ratatouille starter was a flavor burst of tomatoes, zucchinis, mushrooms, onions and peppers. Just perfect, and quite filling, too. The crepe was divine, and not too sweet due to the dark (homemade) chocolate and was stuffed with bananas. I should have taken a picture of it, but I thought of it too late as I had eaten most of it by that time. As a side note, they keep water in a wine bottle on the table, so don't ask for water like I did. They also served delicious bread, a panini (I think).


www.legrainnecafe.com
(646) 486-3000 
Hours: Mon-Sat 8am-12am

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T10:38:00.002-05:00

Stage Left (New Brunswick, NJ) - 5 Livingston Ave.

2008-11-24T22:26:00.038-05:00

I have wanted to check out this chic restaurant in downtown New Brunswick, NJ for some time now; however, the hefty price tag for a meal at this consistently highly touted establishment kept me at bay. Enter OpenTable's "appetite stimulus plan" (last week) to the rescue, where participating NJ and NYC restaurants offered 3-course lunches and dinners for $25 and $35, respectively. Count me in, at last!

Now, I need to clarify that this is not a traditional vegetarian restaurant (in fact, it is quite the opposite), however, the staff made accommodations for me, which I confirmed in advance of dining and that is why I can review Stage Left in this space.

So refined. I am glad I dressed up and not in my usual well-worn jeans. I would have felt out of place. The room I dined in, which was one of several dining rooms, was surrounded by wines bottles from the floor to ceiling, bookcase style. Classical music fluttered lightly in the background. Tres elegant. Another dining room I explored had a lovely fireplace and the bar area, near the entrance, was small yet pretty.

To round out my experience, I opted for the $14 wine pairing since the wine list is extensive and award winning, I needed to try it.

Service was attentive, as I expected it would be. Before the first course, another waiter offered me a non-vegetarian friendly tart compliments of the kitchen. I explained that I was vegetarian and they ultimately substituted it for a mushroom tart that was flaky, light and tiny. I should mention that this same server mistakenly told me the second tart- the mushroom tart- was tuna on the second attempted serving, almost causing another trip back to the kitchen, but was corrected by my server when the tart was inspected. I wish that experience were more cohesive.

My first course was an acorn squash soup with mushrooms and pumpkin oil. The soup was good, very creamy and thus, filling with some cranberries which complemented nicely. Not something I would normally order though it was tasty. The wine pairing was a white from Austria's Hirsch vineyards and was clean, crisp and refreshing. A lovely accompaniment.

The second course was a mini pumpkin cored and stuffed with Israeli couscous and mushrooms, surrounded by pumpkin puree drizzle. This was a substitution they happily offered to me. I absolutely loved it and devoured it, even the pumpkin flesh. The wine pairing was a chardonnay (either Hartwick or Hartwig vineyards, not sure), which was a bit tart, like apples.

Dessert was vanilla creme brulee. I would have opted for the molten valrhona chocolate cake or the beignet with espresso cream, but I can't complain. The creme brulee was excellent, with a perfectly creamy middle and crunchy top layer and the taste reminded me of toasted marshmallows, which I no longer eat but apparently still like. I was completely stuffed by this point.

When the bill came, I was surprised to see a 20% gratuity was already included. I thought this was only done for large parties. Am I mistaken? Is this normal procedure for fancy restaurants and maybe something I am not familiar with? I would have tipped 20% anyway, but I am left wondering.

Overall, the ambience was amazing as was the service. The food was all very good but not entirely satisfying since I did not get to choose what I preferred to eat. Of course, I knew that going in and it was the "sacrifice" I agreed to in exchange for value-friendly dining.

www.stageleft.com

732-828-4444

Thanksgiving Menu

2008-11-23T13:04:00.010-05:00

In case anyone is wondering, or even if you weren't, here is my veg-friendly Thanksgiving menu...

*organic herbed stuffing (from Wegman's) with celery and shallots

*organic yams sweetened with maple syrup

*cauliflower with fresh lemon sauce/dressing (I really wanted organic lemons since I will be using the rinds but Wegman's didn't have any today)

*my famous (or is it infamous?) vegan chocolate mousse pie. Yum.

Recipes

2008-11-18T22:18:00.005-05:00

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to post some veg-friendly recipes that you can use on Turkey Day (or Tofurkey Day, as it may be).

Maple Pumpkin Butter

This recipe is very loosely based on one I found in last Sunday's paper, in Parade. I prepared this yesterday and loved it. My preparation is way healthier though, due to my ingredient upgrades. It is also simpler to prepare and that's purely by happy accident (some people may call that accidentally skipping a step, but hey, it worked out fine. Tasted delicious.).

One 15-oz. can organic, unsweetened pumpkin puree

1/3 cup each agave nectar, organic unsweetened applesauce and pure maple syrup

3/4 tsp each cinnamon and ginger

Preheat the oven to 350 deg. F.

Put all the ingredients in a large, heavy ovenproof casserole dish and stir to blend.

Once the oven is pre-heated, slide the casserole into the oven and cook for 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin butter has thickened and there is no liquid around the sides of the pan.

Cool the pumpkin butter, then cover and chill. Enjoy!

Makes approx. 4 servings.

More to come...stay tuned.

Suggestion Box

2008-11-18T22:01:00.004-05:00

Don't be shy. Tell me if you have suggestions for this blog or any sort of feedback, both positive and negative. I would love to hear from you! This is the place for it...

You Are What You Eat

2008-11-17T20:54:00.008-05:00

I firmly believe you are what you eat, which is primarily why I follow such a healthy diet. My biggest weakness, dark chocolate, is even healthy, so I am officially in good shape. :)

Lucky for me, considering how much chocolate I consume.

The link below lends credence to my theory on a serious level. This hits very close to home, literally, for anyone who knows my personal situation.

Check it out:

http://www.aolhealth.com/condition-center/cancer/food-cures-healing

(Thanks to my no-name co-worker who forwarded me this link.)

Dirt Candy (430 e. 9th St., NYC - East Village)

2008-11-09T19:31:00.007-05:00

What a cute little place (and I mean tiny, actually)! It's so small that I did walk right by it initially. It's down a few steps, too from street level, so it's easy to miss. The ambience is nice -- very contemporary with lots of blue glass tile on the walls matching the tables with bamboo and red accents. Maybe there are ten tables here, tops. Reservations are a must.

The menu has just a few vegetarian selections for each course and most everything could be made vegan upon request. That was fine since there was something for everyone, and I do mean everyone, even my picky non-vegetarian sister. I tasted the jalepeno hush puppies (made with cornmeal) with maple butter for dipping, which were good even though they are not typically my thing (my sister and her friend ordered them). The maple butter was fantastic and I ate it on its own and with ciabatta bread. I ordered the crispy (pan-fried) tofu with green ragout and kaffir lime buerre blanc for $17. I don't even know what that is but it was good! Another option was pinot grigio pappardelle roasted cauliflower with pine nuts, which my sister ordered and loved ($18).

All the food was artfully presented. The wine list was short but offered some good, quality wines by the bottle, glass and even half glasses for $5, a good deal. The service was exceptional and very personalized.

For dessert, I had chile chocolate ice cream with a small chocolate cake and sweet potato sorbet (very different, but good, I was surprised). I really enjoyed that ice cream, which was not vegan, by the way. The waitress pointed that out to me because I mentioned in the beginning of the meal that I do prefer vegan. Good service, yes.

My sister got the popcorn pudding with hazelnut carmel corn that almost broke my teeth (which would have made my dentist happy). She enjoyed the pudding but did not try the popcorn. Probably a wise move. Desserts were $10 a pop.

I would go back to this place for the excellent food, service and atmosphere. Only negative really is the location is not too convenient for me (a bit too far from the office using mass transit). Oh well, that's OK, even though we had to take the bus one leg of the trip.

212.228.7732

www.dirtcandynyc.com

Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Co. (286 8th Ave at 25th St., NYC - Chelsea)

2008-11-09T19:18:00.006-05:00

This may be a strange place to include in this blog but when I discovered the huge variety of tofu spreads for the bagels, I added it to my review list. The place itself was nice and it was bustling at lunch time. It was crowded but not overly tight, with every table full and almost every counter stool, too. They offered cinnamon walnut raisin tofu spread, plain tofu, veggie tofu and wasabi salmon tofu spread (I don't really get that last one - definitely not vegetarian friendly. Good effort though. Maybe it's for someone who can't tolerate the dairy in regular cream cheese.) There were also loads of alternative cream cheese flavors, like chipotle, for the non-vegans or non-vegetarians out there. (Note: I did visit this restaurant with my meat-loving co-worker who asked not to be named for security purposes. Very mysterious, I know. He must do CIA detail on the side. Or, maybe he works for Captain LaGuerta or the Strike Team. You know who you are.) Anyway, I opted for a toasted whole wheat bagel with the veggie tofu spread. The bagel sandwich was huge with tons (too much for me) tofu spread but otherwise good, not great. The bagel place near my house has far superior bagels, just for the record. I did really like the granola with blueberries and yogurt treat for dessert - that hit the spot and was very filling. For a total price of $7.50, it was totally worthwhile. Next time, I will hopefully get a table.

(212) 924 -2824

Kaya's Kitchen (817 Belmar Plaza, Belmar, NJ)

2008-11-09T18:36:00.006-05:00

This vegan restaurant is located within a very non-descript, sort of dumpy strip mall in Belmar. That was a little surprising but okay. Upon entering the restaurant, the reggae music hits me right away; it's loud, but not unpleasant or blasting, contributing to the relaxing, informal atmosphere. This place sort of tried to create a visually appealing atmosphere but fell short with some pictures on the walls and little else. It does resemble a diner, with wooden booths. It is quite lively though with lots of energy and does get quite crowded at dinner time.

The menu was so extensive that it took me some time to go through it and actually choose something to eat. Lots of Indian and Mexican fare, as well as salads and "fake" meats, like "ribs" and "chicken" nuggets, which I automatically exclude. I don't understand the purpose of offering fake meat (vegan meat) to someone who doesn't eat meat. It's just not appealing to me. Maybe it's good for a "new" vegetarian or if you dine with someone who is not into veggie food. It's not for me, in any event.

The menu is vegan but there are some dairy options if you choose not to eat entirely vegan. I understand they recently changed the menu, too.

I started off with a wild berry (red) ice tea that was unsweetened and nice and refreshing. As a starter, I had the Southern shiitake corn cakes, which were SPICY with black beans, organic greens and seeds (possibly pumpkin, but I really can't remember). I ended up choosing the avocado salad as my meal, which, looking back, was a rather boring choice, but did have lots of avocado chunks. Dessert was the last enormous piece of chocolate cashew fudge cake, which was decadent and all-around excellent and a cup of green tea. I was absolutely stuffed from all that food.

Price-wise, I found it a bit on the pricey side, with NYC prices, which would be okay if the place had more of that NYC atmosphere.

732-280-1141 www.kayaskitchennj.com

I'm back

2008-11-09T18:31:00.002-05:00

Long time, no blog posts :( Did you miss me?

Well, I've visited several vegetarian friendly eateries and I can't wait to share my feedback with you. Unfortunately, I did not make it to Boston to the vegetarian food festival (see prior post) even though I really wanted to. Maybe next year. Anyway, enough of my whining, on to the reviews.

Lunch at Candle Cafe - 1307 3rd Ave (at 75th St.), NYC (www.candlecafe.com)

2008-09-25T22:04:00.017-04:00

The cafe itself is long, narrow corridor - not cramped though - with pretty simple, spartan decor, definitely not fancy. It is smaller than I imagined it would be. Ironically, it is next door to a restaurant called Bistro Le Steak, which I thought was amusing (no, I am not reviewing that one).

Candle Cafe is vegan- lots of seitan, tempeh, and tofu dishes in the $15 - $20 range, pricey for lunch. So many interesting, creative combinations from zucchini with tomato ragu to the more inspired. Menu options are overwhelming here and the specials were tempting -- I almost got the corn on the cob with aioli sauce, for the record. Lots of dishes are Southwest-, Indian- and Mediterranean-inspired. I opted for the Aztec salad after much deliberation. Aside from greens, it was served with quinoa, pumpkin seeds, with BBQ grilled tofu (a substitute for tempeh), black beans, corn, and avocado (for extra cost of $3) with amazing toasted cumin dressing. To drink, I choose a lemon ginseng iced tea.

For dessert, I asked the waitress to break my internal tie and got the mousse chocolate pie with chocolate chip crust- an enormous piece, I might add, which I almost finished (of course).

When I first walked in, it was empty in here but after a half hour, it was packed, almost every table was full. It's a lively and interesting crowd of all sorts of people.

The most curious thing happened at the end of my meal. I went to the rest room and when I came back I found my table was given away, even though I still had bags on the chair. So, I ended up paying the bill at the counter (the staff seemed really embarassed but not as much as I was). Anyway, I got a free chocolate chip oatmeal cookie for my troubles, which was delish!

As a side note, there is a sister restaurant around the corner (Candle 79), which is more upscale in look, but undoubtedly, the food is of the same excellent quality.

Candle Cafe:

1308 3rd Ave, NYC

www.candlecafe.com

212-472-0970

Blossom (187 9th Ave. between 21st & 22nd, NYC)

2008-09-25T21:19:00.010-04:00

Ahh, this place is relaxing. It's all vegan by the way. I've dined here before today several times for both lunch and dinner and each time, I have been delighted with the exception that most desserts are not available during lunch. Note to self: must try brunch one day...the menu looks really interesting (see link below).

Back to the dinner review at hand, the decor is contemporary and atmosphere is lovely and dim, with candlelight. The music could use some improvement, as it is rather depressing, but somehow does not detract from my overall experience. If I focused on it more, it would have though! There is also a room upstairs that can be rented out for occasions.

I start off with an excellent glass of organic syrah from California for $9 -- all the wines on the menu are organic, as well as the beers, a nice treat. The selection of wines was nicely varied; I always like to see Malbec on the list, as I did.

The waitress reads off the list of specials (one appetizer and one entree) and the appetizer sounded delightful; a phyllo purse of vegetables with a cashew cream pesto sauce for $10. I wanted that for my entree but sadly, they could not accommodate that request. After it was too late, I thought I could have ordered two in order to make a larger size. Oh well. I also found out later that my waitress neglected to mention a soup special that came with homemade tortilla chips. I felt cheated, but only for a few seconds, then I got over it.

I ordered the vegetable mezze plate for $21, which was an assortment of neatly displayed veggies, including haricot verts (never had them before), delectable mashed sweet potatoes, quinoa, garlic sauteed sliced carrots and zucchini, spinach, string beans and I'm sure something else I am forgetting. I was counting on this being on the website so I did not have to write it all down in my dining journal. You'll see from my note at the end, this was not so. I immediately felt healthier after eating this plate of vitamins! The presentation of the food was impressive on an oversized round plate that reminded me of an artist's palette.

And the dessert selections, well, there were two that I was debating between. One was chocolate ganache with vanilla soy ice cream with peanut butter drizzle for $8 and the other contender was a lavender maple tart with maple soy ice cream in a pastry shell with fresh berries for $9. The waitress broke the tie for me and I got the chocolate. The ganache was rich and dense. The vanilla ice cream was a nice complement to cut some of the richness though the ice cream was a tad too icy. A single spearmint leave was a refreshing touch on the plate. The peanut butter drizzle was good but I could have used more of it, like a peanut butter gusher. Okay, that would've been too much.

There is also a nice selection of loose teas and dessert wines, though I did not have any.

Here is the website, where you can see the menu though it's not complete (my entree above is missing for some reason).

http://www.blossomnyc.com/home.html

Rating System

2008-09-20T21:07:00.005-04:00

I need a rating system for the restaurants I review in order to relay a quick summary of my overall experience. Stars, forks, points, thumbs up/down have all been done before. I am looking for something fresh that fits with the theme here, like 5 "vegan cupcakes" for a terrific rating... but not that exactly. Maybe just descriptions. How about this, ranked from worst to best: yuck!, eh, yummy, delish, scrumptious? The top three are too similar, right? I may need some help on this one. Suggestions?

Lora's Tea Room (215 Centennial Ave, Cranford, NJ)

2008-09-19T16:36:00.005-04:00

I've been meaning to write this one up for a few days now (my posts do not necessarily reflect the order in which the events occurred). On Wednesday afternoon, I wanted to check out this tea house, which coincidentally is very close to my favorite kayaking spot. I was immediately pleased with the charm the cozy Russian tea house exudes. Exactly the type of place I was hoping for. I had the "tea for one" deal for $12, which includes a pot of tea (from a nice variety of loose teas) and tea sandwiches. I opted for the loose rose petal tea and two egg salad and two cucumber sandwiches, a substitution they made when I asked for vegetarian-friendly sandwiches. Everything was so expertly presented -- sandwiches with the crust cut off and all the finest serving dishes, embossed porcelain teapots, delicate crystal cups and saucers, doilies -- all things frilly. It was a perfect afternoon so I had my meal outside until it got too hot and noisy from the street. My tea was pleasant and sandwiches were tasty, even though I normally do not eat white bread. They also serve "blinis" or stuffed crepes; one that caught my eye was stuffed with farmer's cheese for $7. The service from my waitress was not terribly friendly however, the owner (I think she was the owner anyway) went out of her way to be accommodating. I can't find a website for this restaurant, just other reviews. http://www.yelp.com/biz/loras-tea-room-cranford

Boston Vegetarian Food Festival!

2008-09-17T22:51:00.005-04:00

Can I be any more excited for this event? I am not sure yet if I can go, but if it's at all possible, I intend on attending and well, feasting and sampling to my heart's content...Sounds glorious. Here is the link:

http://www.bostonveg.org/foodfest/index.html

Details from the above website:

Saturday, November 1, 2008
10 AM – 6 PM
Reggie Lewis Athletic Center
1350 Tremont Street, Boston Massachusetts
Free admission • Free food sampling (YES!...emphasis mine)
Free parking • Subway stop across the street

One of the speakers is the author of my favorite vegan dessert cookbook, which is The Joy of Vegan Baking: Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets. I plan to whip up a batch of banana chocolate chip cake tomorrow for my dad, a recipe which is based on one from this wonderful cookbook. I say "based on" because I always experiment with the ingredients and end up substituting more healthful ingredients where I find it works taste-wise. I will post my "doctored" recipe on this blog when I can.

Why have I not heard of this amazing event before now? After all, it's been going on for twelve years already!

Namaste Cafe (New Brunswick, NJ)

2008-09-07T22:06:00.002-04:00

I checked out this really cool vegan cafe in New Brunswick, NJ for dinner last night that was tucked away above a vegetarian co-op/grocer. What a great find! The atmosphere is warm and inviting, like sitting in a friend's living room or kitchen, decorated in mellow green and yellow tones on the walls with soothing music playing in the background. Artwork on the wall depicted people in various yoga poses and there was a drum in the corner. I can actually feel myself relaxing, as if I am doing the yoga I see on the walls. The cafe seats 20 at most, I would guess. This is my kind of place.

I ate a guacamole wrap, which was excellent; tasty with lots of zing though not large (sized appropriately for lunch), so don't expect mega-portions. All the ingredients were fresh and of great quality. Black pepper potato chips came on the side of the wrap. The dish was reasonably priced at $6.75. I drank a cup of Divinitea loose tea, which was so fragrant! Tea was also very reasonably priced at $1.89. The cafe offers a large selection of fresh juices, organic fair-trade coffees, hot chocolate, hot spiced cider, organic smoothies, wraps, one type of veggie burger, and more.

This is not like a restaurant where you have traditional waiter/waitress service, instead you order at the counter after checking out the options listed on a board in the front, then your food is prepared in the small kitchen up front and you are served at a table, counter seat or couch. I must say the service was genuinely friendly, personal and educational, as well. There was some training of new hires going on while I visited. I am glad to have ventured out in the Hannah-induced rains to check out this most welcome vegan spot so close to home. Next time, I need to check out the co-op downstairs.

The Choices

2008-09-05T22:02:00.000-04:00

Where to for my first review? I have a few ideas I am batting around but have yet to decide for sure. There are so many tempting choices.