From the monthly archives: April 2012
Pala on the Lower East Side has a great vegan menu. It also has gluten-free options. Given its proximity to the Sunshine Theater, it makes for an easy option for a vegan and a one with gluten intolerance. So we, vegan and one with gluten intolerance, dined prior to Damsels in Distress. Dried herbs graced the table, along with a bottle of San Pellegrino. Lovely.
I ordered the Asparagi. It had veggie sausage (packaged. I know that fennel seed bite well, Field Roast.) asparagus, cherry tomato sauce, daiya cheese. With packaged ingredients in an entree, I always resent an inflated price. This was no different. $18 is a little steep for a pizza. But it’s an upper scale place, I suppose. (Note: I think I am done with Daiya for good this time. At least done with dishes that load a pile of the stuff on, thinking it’s vegan nirvana.
Of course, vegan and those with gluten intolerances also take short walks to Babycakes bakery when in the area. Especially when killing time before a movies. I got the my favorite combo–blonde on blonde. It has been a while since I had a fresh Babycakes! So delicious.
I also bought one of the coconut mounds confections. I love this combination. As a child I would push my little finger into each chocolate looking for the coconut-covered piece in a gifted box of chocolate. This bite was supreme. And I must make specific mention of the chocolate. It was perfect: rich, deep, sweet and with a clean creaminess.
We also picked up a container of strawberry frosted donuts. We were, after all, meeting CandyPenny who would appreciate the gesture. Ok, it was time for the movies. After such a pretty sweets fest at Babycakes, it was only fitting to see such a cute and pretty movie.
Last day in May, the afternoon: remember?
Black marks off charcoal from the dune: remember?
I thought it wouldn’t be too soon; we’d wait at least until its June.
The twenty-ninth of March it rained: remember?
You looked so sad that I explained: remember?
You knew it wouldn’t be too soon; we’ll have to wait until its June.
I’ve been waiting since I don’t know when and now it finally seems about to start.
I swear, I swear, that I will do my part.
December dark at six o’clock: remember?
The freezing wind gives you a shock: remember?
You knew it wouldn’t be too soon; we’ll have to wait until its June.
October damp on down the street: remember?
The sodden leaves stuck to your feet: remember?
You knew it wouldn’t be too soon; we’ll have to wait until its June.
I’ve been waiting since I don’t know when and now it finally seems about to start.
I swear, I swear, that I will do my part.
July the third we stayed up late: remember?
And thought how long we’d have to wait: remember?
It’ll be so long until it’s soon; it’ll be so long until its June.
Ah, the days of lounging about leisurely making Milanos are over.
I used Isa’s great recipe but …had some missteps. First, I put in too much flour. Sure, I could have easily fixed this but once my hands were covered in dough, there was no going back. The bigger misstep was the chocolate…
I had two ounces of baker’s chocolate, semi-sweetened, and 4 ounces of unsweetened. So when I melted it down with some agave, it seized quickly, congealing a bit to frosting-like texture and keeping a bit of burnt taste.
That’s all the chocolate in the fridge so I made do. They are still pretty awesome.
I am a Fairway devotee. A Red Hook Fairway devotee. But since the new store in Douglaston, Queens is a little bit larger, I wanted to check out the space. I doorbusted on a weekday morning so I can savor each aisle. Each intricate aisle.
The store was definitely large, but it didn’t seem so. Maybe it was the height of the ceilings that made me feel like Red Hook had more cubic space. The layout was friendly, with organic and natural products facing their processed counter-parts in the alcoved aisles.
Why do people love Fairway? It’s a combination of lower prices and selection in my book. Case in point, these India Tree sprinkles, at Whole Foods for $6, are $3.99. They also have vanilla beans for $3.99, too. And that’s the other part of the love, the selection. Instead of going one place for some things and another place for the rest, they’ve got everything.
They’ve got all the meat analogs for easy pick-up. And, once again, the price is right. When my local natural food convenience store (::cough::Khim’s ::cough::Sunac) exploits the market, charging $6.99 (no joke) for Tofurky, Fairway has lower prices and great sales.
Apparently dairy-free ice cream is a novelty! Hmph.
Though the new Fairway is great, it feels different than the Red Hook location. I remain a Red Hook Fairway devotee. It helps that Red Hook has the infamous olive oil tasting station… which Douglaston did not have up and running at the time of my visit.
Ariana Restaurant in Huntington Village, Long Island has the word vegan on its menu. These kinds of things excite people like me. It has been on my list for quite some time. Ever since I read their vegan menu. And ever since my friend nabbed a Groupon deal. But with said-friend basking in the Florida sun and some Long Island time on my hand, I found other company to help cross it off my list.
After ordering a small plate of hummus, eggplant salad, pickled cabbage, olives and fresh, warm pitas arrived. How wonderful is hummus?
We love hummus so much that we ordered a side of their famous house hummus, after our welcome plate of hummus. This larger portion was divine and topped with ample olive oil. 
Sure, we’ve all had hummus. I was ready for something new. Afghani food is brand new to me. I ordered the Vegetarian Kechri, “peasant-style brown rice risotto with mung beans topped with falafel balls and chickpeas in marinara sauce,” because that word “peasant” made me think I was ordering a dish of the common people… for $19.95. While we’re on price, Ariana’s entrees are a bit steep. However, if you visit their website and make a reservation, you can take advantage of one of their discount specials. We got $15.00 off our meal for doing so.
This hearty dish was very good. The fantastic textures of the risotto, chickpeas and falafel balls make it very filling. It is usually served with a mint yogurt sauce. Veganized, it comes with marinara sauce, which isn’t the most exciting addition. The dish was still a pleasure and I would definitely return to sample their other vegan delights.
Apna Bazar is a large Indian grocer in Hicksville, Long Island. I spotted it the last time The Electrician and me doorbusted Ikea for some stuff for my classroom. I knew I had to return. So with spring break upon me, I stopped by one lovely afternoon not knowing what to expect. It turns out that it’s pretty darn awesome.
I found a slew of goodies but spend only $13. Here’s what I found: Boondi, a fried snack made from chickpea flour and spices. Some fixins: beetroot and ginger chutney, along with mango chutney, and, my favorite, tamarin sauce (imli in Hindi.) This bottle is just like the sauce served in the restaurants. No need to bother with the tamarin paste, concentrate or that big brick. I mean, unless you want to.
Just some mango. You know–ripened, sweet mango. That’s all.
No! They’re BABY sweet mangoes! That’s right. Check out the quarter for scale.
They are in the same proportion as the big mangoes. That means a big pit. These babies are definitely single serving size.
Next fine, purple yam–or Dioscrea alata. According to Wiki, these yams are used in desserts AND “used as a laxative and vermifuge, and as a treatment for fever, gonorrhea, leprosy, tumors, and inflamed hemorrhoids.” Now that’s some starchy delight! I boiled the huge, purple yam and made mashed purple yam. There is a delightfully aromatic flavor in this yam, as if it grew next to a field of lavender. It is purple and it tastes purple, too.
Next up, yellow cucumber. I thought this was a melon, given it’s soft push of the skin. But alas, it’s Dosa Kai. I sliced it up and expected a watery crunch… but it was soft and had a slight bitter taste. It is clearly a great choice for pickling.
I loaded the slices with some fancy-pants dressing to make a simple yellow cucumber salad.
Apna Bazar was a great find. I look forward to going back and experimenting with more produce.
Somehow the baseball season is now upon us! With 2012 lying fast and the spring sun shining strong, the second day of the Mets season proved to be the perfect day for a baseball. With nary a cloud in the sky, the Mets would continue undefeated.
And for an exorbitant price, one can enjoy a meal at the ballpark: a spicy veggie dog, a regular size portion of Nathan’s famous french fries and a regular sodie pop. Luckily the fixins are free.
I’m so glad there is enough demand to keep the veggie dog at Citi Field. I worried that I wouldn’t see it on the menu this season.
My free Mets texting gloves basking in the sun.
Me and my sis!
CandyPenny and I finally got around to hitting Dirt Candy in Manhattan’s East Village. With tough weekends under our belt, we needed some delectable eats during our debrief. Unfortunately we didn’t realize that the ambiance of this tiny, loud, upscale restaurant off East 9th street would have us yelling across the table… and dodging air from the bathroom we were seated next to given our reservation-less arrival.
But first, a cupcake from Terri. This was my first appetizer as I killed some time before our dinner. I must go on about the chocolate frosting and how rich it was. Tasted like nostalgic Duncan Hines atop a yellow cake. You go, Terri!
And onward to Dirt Candy. What gorgeous food you have! As we waited and sipped our $9 half-glasses of wine, we drooled over what was coming out of the kitchen. It was kind of difficult not to as our table was practically in the kitchen, in every clank of the dishes.. Sound filled the tiny space aggressively. But the food was innovative and tasty. Here is the run-down:
For my appetizer: CARROT—steamed barbecue carrot buns, cucumber & sesame ginger salad. These gorgeous little buns were dyed with carrot coloring. The innards, barbecue carrot shreds, were very yummy.
And my entree: CUCUMBER—coconut poached tofu, shiso galangal sauce, salsify & hearts of palm. Ain’t she gorgeous? With food this beautiful, it’s a shame, the lighting is orange and dim. In the enhanced light of photoshop (here), I see so much more lovely detail I wasn’t aware of eating!
It was a beautiful entree. But the presentation was slightly better than the taste. Cucumber, by definition, is very watery and light. The sauce and salad needed to deliver a bit more than it did.
And for my dessert BEET—Chocoloate Beet Cake: roasted pear sorbet, beet & pear leather. Although the color of beet drizzled the plate, it didn’t compliment the cake. Oddly, the chocolate cake was kind of in the way since the sorbet and beet sauce tasted nice together.
It was a nice dinner, but unless I was renting out the entire space, I’ll likely not volunteer to be within the conversations of its patrons again.
I’ve been going to Kate’s Joint since the 90′s… when vegan wasn’t as easy… when the stop for the Unturkey Club energized me fully in between record store shopping… When there were no blogs because there was no internet… When you had to find things on your own and, so, many people didn’t, making your discovery mean so much more. It was an early gem in my late teens when I was still enamored with a still-slightly gritty New York City… and I passed it on to all my friends. Now Kate’s Joint is in the red, on the brink of dying out to give way, I’m sure, to another characterless chain further nipping the peanuts of the side of city that holds my memories, the gravel-scraped underbelly of my youth. A wise man named Diamond sings, “New York’s home but it ain’t mine no more.”
What to do; what to do? If I had more discretionary income, I suppose I could have contributed to Kate’s indiegogo campaign. But it’s too late. I might as well eat. I’ll begin my meal like I did so many times before: with Mock Popcorn Shrimp with abijah’s secret sauce.
The first Buffalo Wings I ever did try. They’re still much better than that gross texturized soybean frozen stuff. Ew. This is tofu, skinned and coated in hot sauce.
Disco fries. Gravy and cheddar Daiya. My belly sang such gorgeous gurgles the day after.
Southern Fried Un-Chicken Cutlets
CandyPenny and I split the Southern Tofu Dinner: southern fried tofu, bbq tofu, black eyed peas, yams, mash potatoes with gravy, collards and mac & cheese
It was a grand meal with old friends. Sad to think it might be my last at Kate’s. New York City will have to fill the vegan void with a quality comfort food greasy spoon. Here’s to new memories.
Vegan Reporting By Location
