Use your noodle

Let me preface this by stating that sometimes blogger likes to have it's way with photos (i.e. shifting them in the other direction). Either way you slice it, noodle dishes hold up their integrity.

Vietnamese Pho

The unique components of this broth are cinnamon & star anise. The meat free version of this amazing soup is hard to come by, a little bit of internet scrolling led me to a Vegetarian times recipe (these mild days of summer allowed me to proceed. ) What else is in there? Rice noodles, watercress, basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, tofu, and green onion.

Pad Thai

A trusty old VWAV recipe and a good way to use up that block of tamarind paste. I rarely order this dish due to my inability to justify eating such a tasty albeit vegetable skimpy dish. I revved my version up with coconut marinated tofu, tamari pumpkin seeds, dried chili mango, bok choy, and mung bean sprouts. So good!

The Ramen

So I'm on a quest of sorts to create that rich ramen broth traditionally characterized by meat. I modeled my broth against Mark Matsumoto's nabe recipe . They key is to incorporate miso and tahini for super umami taste, also: nutritional yeast tofu, more watercress, green onion, daikon, and chuka soba curly noodles.

Okara Mac n' Cheeze

A failed attempt at making okara crab cakes (don't ask) left me w/oodles of this mixture. Combined w/ vcon's cheezy nooch recipe (I could eat this with a spoon) and artichoke shell pasta. A word to the wise, okara has 32 times the amount of fiber then tofu!

I understand why this is Terry's favorite almond cookie (vcon). Sesame oil gives these babies a wonderful full bodied flavor, chewy on the verge of being crispy-they are the perfect texture.

To end things on a sweet aside, I happened upon Fine & Raw ice-cream at the Brooklyn Bridge flea market. Without my trusty camera, you'll have to rely on my words solely. This is the real deal, no fanfare-no fillers: just cacao, coconut oil, Himalayan sea salt, and agave nectar...on ice.

Cocos Nucifera

One good thing about being part of a large family is the opportunity to try out desserts that you would end up eating all on your own (unless it just happened to be one of your sister's birthdays). Take the lost coconut custard pie recipe from Vcon for example. This is a perfect-light-summer dessert. Agar and arrowroot thicken it while a tasty cookie crumb crust holds it together. We used new kid on the block So Delicious coconut milk "beverage" for this one. High in those medium chain fatty acids.

I know there is some debate out there about the health benefits of coconut oil/water/milk, here is a little reading courtesy of the www. whisking the night away

A little lady pounds the cookies for the crust.

O Bento & Fro Yo

As a former fro-yo lover I was delighted to discover Eskimix, as one of their options is tofu based. Mine was combined with strawberry & peanut butter and was worth the ice-cream headache.Tuesday is Vegan Bento day at Sunshine Mart!
Panko crusted seitan over carrots and green beans, cranberries, miso sauce, and brown rice (w/ more green beans). Sunshine Mart: 494 Broome Street btwn W Broadway and Wooster
Inspired by the above bento, I dusted off mine and filled it w/ carrot kinpira, green tea soba noodles with peanut sauce & almonds, fennel no shiomomi, and fig "pudding". The magical fennel recipe requires you to rub it with salt and let it "cure" so that it becomes soft. Amazing! For the fig pudding-just heat and mash fresh figs and douse w/ some agave and a drop of coconut oil.

Bibim Pop

Ever since I took my dad to Do Hwa, he has been raving about Bibim Bop. He loves the hot bowl, the "hash" like quality, and the healthiness of it all. When Bibim-Bar opened, I knew I had to take him there.

Tofu bibim bop-fern stems, bamboo, squash, carrot and hot sauce.
Popsticks.
For dessert: Stogo. You know, when a vegan goes to Ice-Cream University and learns the ropes from the man who helped create empires such as Carvel. Dad had the coffee, me: almond joy.

Happy Father's Day!

• Bibim-Bar 141 1st Avenue between St. Marks and 9th Street

Upstate and Away

A gang of us traveled north of Manhattan, in search of nature and hippie eats. A healthy swig of Catskill comfort: Maple Syrup to get things started.
Woodstock: Garden Cafe on the Green.

You can't not have their quesedillas. Filled w/ soy cheese, black beans and/or peppers and olives, these are light and just right. Not even a downpour of sudden rain could prevent me from finishing locally made, raw, nut-based Organic Nectars mint chocolate chip ice-cream for dessert.

Tempeh cacciatore, barley salad, and greens.

Ellenville: Aroma Thyme Bistro
This unique certified Green bistro serves not only vegan/raw/gluten-free dishes but steaks and seafood. A true omnivorous restaurant created by a devoted couple with a 90% vegan dessert menu to boot.

Seitan cutlets (cut with Flax), special brown rice blend, and local vegetables.

Caramelized bananas swimming in maple syrup and a dollop of soy dream

golden beet salad with praline walnuts and tarragon dressing.

Fried Dough, aka zeppoles at a flea market/carnival. (I refrained from eating but not clicking)

West of the Moon

I try to placate my sweet tooth with vast quantities of dried figs, shameful spoonfuls of agave, juicy chunks of enzymatic pineapple. And yet it rages. Until I tried a GoGo Max candy bar. I was under the impression that they were available only on the west coast, until I spotted them at Health & Harmony! These are some seriously sweet candy bars made in the image of 3 Musketeers, Almond Joy, Snickers, and Milky way. The Buccaneer gave me heart palpitations! The nougat wasn't as fluffy as I remember but the rice milk chocolate made up for it. I plan to share the remainder with friends and will report back.
Health & Harmony 470 Hudson Street @ Grove.


If you don't feel like doling out the big bucks at Pure Food and Wine, there is always Pure Juice and take away just around the corner, home of One lucky duck products. The heavenly vanilla pudding may set you back a few, but it's worth it.At Counter, this should be your post movie/late night game plan. Share an appetizer of chic pea fries, baby artichokes, and fried fennel balls. While your at it, split the vegetable mosaic. Skip dessert for once.

You never know what will pop up around town. What shape shifting will occur. It is my (civic-post Jury) duty to try the sole veg option at Building on Bond in Boerum Hill. A tasty veggie burger packed with real live veggies and house made potato chips. 112 Bond Street @ Pacific I knew that Baked would start offering vegan items! I spotted this lone Pistachio Lime cookie amongst the towering cakes. Washed down with a soy mate latte in style. If you find yourself down in Red Hook (Ikea? Fairway?) stop on in.

Father's Day Chocolate Bundt Cake (vcon)

made w/ my awesome niece & sister!

East of the Sun

Vanessa's Dumplings is one of those places that make up New York's foodlore. I stopped by the very busy LES location , but opted for steamed buns instead of dumplings.
1. Steamed bun w/ black bean. 2. Veggie steamed bun, quite possibly the perfect $1.50 snack, full of tofu, tasty greens and glass noodles.
118 Eldridge Street btwn Grand & Broome Feeling adventurous one Saturday morning, I pedaled to the other Chinatown, in Sunset Park-Brooklyn. Who knew this microcosm existed just south of Greenwood Cemetery? I ogled lots of dried herbs, lychees, and yes- steamed black bean buns!

There are Ramen houses all over New York, very few (except Souen) have vegetarian options. I often stare longingly into the steamy windows, wanting to slurp with the best of 'em.

Kambi Ramen House offers a veggie broth Ramen option (#10)! This rich broth tasted distinctly peanut/sesame based w/ fried tofu, corn, mushrooms, nori, and cabbage (just say hold the egg).

Just north of Union Square is Manna Kitchen, where traditional Korean dishes are served convenience style. I had my old standard Bi Bim Bop, and lamented not working closer.

Can you believe it is still soup weather? From my local library I checked out The Enlightened Kitchen: fresh vegetable dishes from the Temples of Japan. Author Mari Fuji shows you how to eat like the monks with beautiful photos and detailed recipes. I made the Kenchin Vegetable Soup in a light sesame oil based broth that originated at the Kenchoji Temple . One interesting component is konnyaku, a paste made from Devil's Tongue, that is low on calories but full of fiber. It has a unique chewy texture that apparently, I love.

I added adzuki beans, bok choy, daikon, and carrots to the soup. The konnyaku are the big white chunks front and center.

Ramen Girl

"A bowl of ramen is a self contained universe, with life from the sea, the mountains, and the earth."-The Ramen Girl Summer so far has proved to be...chilly, and I find myself craving soup. Silky strands of ramen in a salty broth, topped w/ Chinese broccoli, nori, daikon, and green onion.

Coconut (lemon) Okara cookies. A great way to use that extra pulp you get from making soymilk. Or you can buy okara on its own (Sunshine Mart) and put it to work. Recipe can be found here.

I never tried Okonomiyaki in Japan, but when I saw this vegan recipe by one Terry Hope Romero in VegNews, I knew I had to try it! It is a savory pancake and one of the most pertinent components is nagaimo- the stickiest, most "egg-like" root vegetable you ever did see. Inside is nappa cabbage, scallions, and nori, but you can add just about anything. Topped w/ sweet & salty okonomiyaki sauce.

Home Sweet Homeskillet

white on rice...

I developed a deep love for Inari(zushi) in Japan, and decided to make my own using Maki's trusted recipe. Each miniature sized pouch is full of precious sticky white rice and sprinkled with Japanese 7 spice (shichimi togarashi). The orange peel and red pepper really add a nice kick to these treasures. The key is to create umami flavor with that crazy looking piece of dashi konbu seaweed and blanch the frozen aburage skins before flavoring them and filling with the sushi rice.

*I purchased many of the ingredients at M2M, an Asian convenience store in the East Village.

55 Third Avenue @ 11th street

Penny sibling and I made this wonton soup in honor of her (early) bday. Filled w/ Chinese broccoli and seitan in a delicate gingery broth.

With a surplus of matcha powder and sake from sushi night we also made Green Tea Tiramisu, an exciting twist on an old favorite dessert of mine. Not as photogenic at Hannah's, but the sake soaked yellow cake was totally tasty. Instead of cashew butter, adzuki bean and chestnut cream were incorporated into the icing.
The rest of the matcha ended up in this vegan Panna Cotta : Green Tea PC.

The wonders of agar-agar cease to amaze me! The magical gelatin from the sea...
Green tea aside, my Babycakes Blondies were a bit erroneous, however the chocolate chips saved the day.

Welcome back to-work Green tea cupcakes w/ adzuki bean glaze. I usually rely on Bob's Red Mill for gluten free endeavors, but was fresh out and had to raid my stash of flours. The combination of brown rice flour and almond meal yielded a nutty, crispy crumb.

Marilyn's flashy carob/choco chip muffin. Made with my beloved agave and apple sauce to chill on the sugar/oil intake. The bean allegedly brings some nutrition to one's baked goods, but just remember, chocolate it is not.

Yum Shanti

Although I don't practice at Jivamukti, I've heard the rumours about their vegan cafe. I felt as if I took an elevator ride onto another coast, where the diners are blissed out on chakra balancing smoothies and not harried from the bustle throughUnion Square. I happily gorged myself sans yoga class and would recommend this hidden gem. This graffiti was spotted in Prospect Park. One of the Jivamukti founders Sharon Gannon penned her yogi's perspective on animal rights in Yoga and Vegetarianism. Next up: yoga and chocolate.

Avo Bravo sam-avocado, green apple, & tahini.

They make all their baked goods on premises. Amazing brownie, both gooey and chewy!

Sandwitched

A girl's gotta snack as she partakes in daily cross-borough marathons. Sandwiches and snacks are the way to go before class or for lunch. Okay, this pancake is technically brunch. Soysage, blueberries, and plantains tops it off at The V Spot-Brooklyn's own Latin themed vegan establishment. Body & Soul white bean and greens (gluten free) turnover. Available at Grand Army Plaza and Union Square greenmarkets and Integral Yoga.

The Vegan Temptress at Smooch. Sumptuous tofu w/ spicy Vietnamese carrot slaw on hearty bread. I wish they were around when I lived in Fort Green. They also carry Red Mango cakes.

Spinach and potato whole wheat pie from Damascus. I'm addicted to these $2 snacks. They also sell vegetarian kibbee (ground pumpkin seeds/chic peas/spinach) and bags of succulent dates. The kind properer told me a date per day trumps the apple per day. I'll take his advice.
Damascus Bread and Pastry shop: 195 Atlantic Avenue @ Clinton

Smoked tofu sandwich w/ edamame hummus & pickled onion from Birdbath bakery.
Vegan breakfast sandwich from Perelandra: tofu, caramelized onion, tempeh bacon, and avocado on a spelt english muffin.

Sometimes I make my own. Smoky miso tofu with cilantro on Meredith's bakery bread (Ft. Greene Farmers Market).

Potato pizza from Grand Daisy Bakery. Perfect combination of salt, oil, and carb.

Saigon Sub from Soy & Sake. They had a special where this was only $4.99! Ban minh style with pickled carrots, cilantro, and sizzlin' soy.

In addition, two new vegan sightings:

The Regal Vegan -delivery!

Sweet Potato bakery-coming soon?

Of rice and men

You might say I'm on a mission these days when it comes to Bi Bim Bop. Koofoo is a couple of subway stops from my job, but worth the hike. Very fresh and light with brown rice, red sauce, and kimchi.
Koofoo: 334 8th Avenue /27th street Oms/b Rice Ball Cafe on the UES specializes in omusbi. I had the yatsuri plum w/ pink soy wrapper and regular plum. Do you know how much I love umeboshi? This pair almost looks like a charming couple (about to be eaten).

Hibino can charm the pants off of any passer by. They are a classy Brooklyn heights restaurant speacilizing in obanzi (Japanese tapas). I had the fresh made tofu and pretty maki sushi.

Iro sushi has replaced the Dominican Mucho Gusto. I had their vegetable sushi plate for just $10. No tidily tucked away veggies here, each piece was lavishly decked out with inari, enoki, avocado, daikon, and asparagus.

Iro Sushi: 155 Columbia @ Kane Street, Bklyn. Above and beyond your standard veggie sushi.

What else?

Loving Hut-when will it open?

Peace Food Cafe-when will it open?

Kajitsu-a little pricey, but I so want to go. Zen Buhhist cuisine. Any takers?

I heart halvah

Traditionally, halvah is sheer joy for those who love sesame butter. It can be hard to find without the egg white binder, so I was super interested in SproutCraft Cafe's raw halvah demo.
Every Tuesday night chefs Eric and Chris host a workshop on one of their menu items. For only $10, you get to watch the magic unfurl (and with a little help from the Vitamix blender and dehydrator) delicious truly raw foods are made.
It's hard not to want to try everything (see cake below). When these guys aren't perfecting their kimchi and impressive presentation, they are reaching out to the community to share the tricks of the trade.
from ground sesame seeds to halvah

precious little raw cake

raw chocolate pie

Memorial Food Weekend

This Memorial weekend brought together friends for food...and then some.
Jersey BBQ: Boca burger, Cindy tabouli salad, watermelon. (not shown: grilled veggies and corn)

Cupcake tasting: Green tea cupcakes with chestnut frosting. Gluten free hazelnut cupcakes with Frangelico frosting. Kz's crunchberry cupcakes

Babycakes Biscuit: An innocent enough looking biscuit, but it sincerely blew me away. These were super easy to make and the coconut oil gave them just the right texture and "butteryness".

Spelt and agave pancakes for uno.

Leigh's brunch: papaya, granola & sprouts, corn/buckwheat & blueberry pancakes with fruit and field roast sausage.

Greek night at miss Emerie's! Two kinds of spanakopita, Vcon moussaka, T& A Greek salad (with awesome tofu "feta"), and dolmas from Sahadis. We had some fun with that delicate phyllo dough making spanokopita from vwav.

For dessert: Kz's gorgeous angel food cake, and chocolate dipped strawberries.

Fortunately

I recently read The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8 Lee and would highly recommend it to my fellow food history enthusiasts. Jennifer has a few questions: where did Fortune cookies originate, who was General Tso, and why is Chinese food so popular in America? She travels the world in search of the best Chinese restaurant and on one journey for a fortune cookie in Japan: "I had traveled eight thousand miles, by plane, train, and foot to try a cookie." That is what I call devotion.

It got me thinking more about the Americanization of ethnic foods. A few posts ago I spoke of my childhood preference for "authentic" deli meat and pizzeria pizza. However, I often wanted Pizza Hut just like the rest of the country. I feared the traditional Japanese or Salvadorian food at my friend's houses, longing for the familiar spaghetti. The book also cleared up why Chinese food differs throughout the states (and the world). When I lived on the west coast, I never understood why my fried rice didn't taste like my Long Island Chinatown Chef and Panda House variations. I'm curious about the popularity of vegetarian restaurants, when did they come into prominence? I might need to investigate the Buddhist roots deep fried and battered tofu.

Vegetarian Ginger: 128 Montague Street/Henry.

Right upstairs from the famous Andy's they offer the usual mix of mock meats and sweet and saucy dishes. No fortune cookie in sight.

Then, there are places like Rice, that combine worldly influence and green sensibility in Chinese ceramic bowls. Tofu Meetballs w/ green rice and pignoli nuts.

Or Wild Ginger, a "pan Asian vegan cafe". Lunch special: tempeh salad, spring roll, brown rice and vegan Thai iced tea.

"Once you have eaten the meal, it is gone. All you have left is memory. But memories become stories, and stories, in turn derive value from being shared."-Jennifer 8 Lee