You say Tomato, I say To(meat)o

I know, I know, just like in the infamous words of Madonna, "Papa, don't preach," we generally don't like preaching mixed in with our daily lives or our foods. But I strongly urge people to educate themselves with the truth.

Please, please, please read this News Release on the real-deal behind the recent Salmonella outbreak on tomatoes.

This is as important to agriculture, as it is to our "green" environment, as it is to the intestinal illness itself:

http://www.pcrm.org/news/release080709.html

"As a recent Pew Commission Report on industrial farm animal
production noted, untreated animal waste harboring pathogens
contaminates air, water, soil, and crops. Farm animal waste was the
identified cause of a 2006 E. coli outbreak in which infected spinach
killed three people and sickened hundreds of others, according to an
investigation by the FDA.."

Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production

Oh ME, Oh MY!

Just drop the "N" in Sparacino's Bakery:



and you totally have "ME" in a nutshell: the Sicilian last name, the Italian baked goods, the lil' bicyclette, and the comic & art books to boot!

Woweeee, how ever did they know!

Oh Sparacino Bakery, won't you hire me? I could broom sweep your concrete in a lil' floral housecoat with socks, sandals, and a netted head full of rollers; Heck, I could even swing a wooden spoon or two while yelling obscenities to the neighborhood kids just to, you know, really make it authentic.

Later that night, a little dinner at Mighty Diamond truly hit the comfort food spot-on (think Mama's, just lusciously dairy-less):


I had the breaded tempeh with mango salsa, vegan mac & cheese, garlic collard greens, plantains, and a hibiscus iced tea. Candypenny had the tempeh with potato salad and fruit salad.

This was the best vegan mac & cheese yet!

Then we were off to Women Working in Panels at Huckleberry Bar in W'burg. A truly inspiring night of two favorite things: food & art!

Vegan Pizza, with a side of SCARY BOB!

So, I'm usually late with television shows, but in this case I'm actually eighteen years late.

I just recently watched all the Twin Peaks episodes, which led to a Fire Walk With Me movie night at Candypenny's. She made some seriously delicious vegan pizza:

Ready-made whole grain flax seed pizza crust with toppings of fresh squash, spinach, pesto, and Follow Your Heart vegan cheese (Monterey Jack flavor). I never previously reached for this flavor on my own, but lo & behold, it was SO YUMMY!! Sided with a fresh garden salad and white wine.

Ohhhh, perfect-o!











For dessert, I brought two flavors of Organic Nectars Non-Dairy Ice Cream, Pistachio and Chocolate Hazelnut, and I am happy to report that three flavors so far are AMAZING!! (Strawberry being the third tasted). The only time I am disappointed is when my bowl has been licked clean and there's no more left!


And, as a final nightcap, I leave you with ze' piece de resistance:


(Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!)

If you have seen the show or movie before, you know this man is absolutely FRIGHTENING!!!!!!

WANTED: Costa Rican Squash Soup

I found the infamous Squash Soup photo on one of the missing memory cards! I feel like I just found the Holy Grail or cracked the Di Vinci Code.

Without tasting this magical squash soup, grown only in Costa Rica, you might think me mad (which may in fact be true), but it was sooooo deeeeeee-lish!

Sided with a homemade veggie wrap, plantain chips and salsa to dip.

Buen provecho! Panacea de la Montana

Juicy news

News for me lies heavily in juice (like real juice, and not the whole "Madonna- home-wrecking-rumors" type juice). But that's just me.

On my way to the subway, the AM New York edition this morning was particularly enticing...especially when seeing donuts on the cover! Who could resist!?

Oh, and apparently, watermelon is like Viagra!

http://www.amny.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-watermelon-viagra-effect,0,2010237.story

I also found the "Yoga as Mental Therapy" article interesting, having just come back from a 2 week yoga retreat. They say it helps soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. And the Center for Contexual Change (CCC) in Chicago uses yoga therapy for abuse, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, grief and more.

Now, go to your mat and "give me twenty!" Chaturangas, that is ;)

Other health articles are about a possible link to body fat and Alzheimer's, (which I am always interested in because my mother has this disease), although I am not so sure about the body fat thing. More research will have to follow.

And, lastly, the love and hate relationship with calories. I never had this obsession, but I think it's a GREAT idea to start letting mainstream America truly know the crap they are ingesting. The article mentions how people are already making "healthier" choices (if that's even possible with fast food), which of course is bringing a corporate backlash. Oh boy, they might just have to start rethinking their menus...

Excuse me while I secretly grin.

Costa Rica!

Coming back from Panacea de la Montana yoga retreat in Costa Rica, my life will never be the same! It was such a great experience, for so many reasons, and I am thankful to have met so many great people, including the workers and guests of Panacea.

Thank you so much to Debbie, Mary and Peter, who made our 10 day stay feel like home, and for providing these amazing vegetarian meals 3 times a day. Every single meal was fresh, incredible, and made with love.

Also, a very special thanks to Candypenny, who told us about this retreat. If it weren't for you (in our last minute vacation decision), we might have just ended up on some beach at the Joi'sey shore.

A ton of non-food photos are coming real soon, but for now, a little food journaling to sum things up!

Day 1 - 6/23/08

A delicious welcome lunch!

Vegetarian noodle soup and a side salad.

Perfect-o!!

Veggie Quesadillas (soooo goooood!) with rice, beans, and salad. The flour tortillas are HANDMADE and fresh as can be!





Day 2 - 6/24/08

Oatmeal with apples, walnuts, wheat germ, and toast with fruit jam.

The coffee in Costa Rica ROCKS, as does the pineapple and fresh fruits.






(oh me-oh-my, pineapple will never be the same here in the states!)









Veggie rice bowl and sammiches on the beach, packed with lots of love & taste to go!





















Italian-o dinner; Mangia Mangia!




Day 3 - 6/25/08

Beans & rice tortilla breakfast, freshest (and best'est) salsa, fresh farm egg, and lots o' yummy fruit!





















Cabbage and chic pea salad with carrot ginger soup (this soup was phenomenal!)
















































Lentils and veggies over rice, side of dark leafy greens, flax toast with tomato, fresh Costa Rican cheese, and curried cauliflower which was FANTASTIC!

Day 4 - 6/26/08

Carrot home fries with toast, fresh jams, and fruit.
































Veggie & Black Bean Nacho Salad with rockin' guacamole and salsa that is THE BEST!




















Italian-o marinated tofu which was AMAZING, over noodles and salad.










Costa Rican cookies called "Lors" which are like Oreos (only better) and somehow fortified with vitamins and B12...ha!

Day 5 - 6/27/08

Fresh fruits with fresh granola.























Black beans, homefries scramble, fresh salsa, and fruit.





















Veggie sammich break on the beach, dee-lish!


















I swore to have at least one "umbrella drink," and this Pina Colada with fresh coconut was INCREDIBLE!

(another thing that will never be the same in the states...coconut!!!)

Tim had the Costa Rican local beer Imperial.














Lentil Shepard's Pie (so good!), with hearts of palm salad and green beans with almonds...mmm!

Day 6 - 6/28/08

Delicious pancakes with fresh apple topping!!























Veggie & bean chalupas heaped with incredible guacamole and fresh cheese, delicious lime and veggies salad, and plantain chips with salsa!

Fresh papaya and coconut licuado!


































Asian-style stir fry over rice, with slow baked blackened tofu and veggies spinach salad (LOVED that tofu!)

Day 7 - 6/29/08

Plantains, rice, scramble, salsa, fruits, tortilla.






















Two types of lovely:

Freshly made pineapple and coconut licuado, and watermelon licuado
(yum!!!)













Broccoli primavera over lettuce with little veggie wraps (these fresh crepes/wraps were AWESOME!)















When we weren't EATING the food, we were having it put on our FACES!!

Treated to some seriously all natural facials, the ever-talented Debbie used all food beauty items (such as avocado and chamomile). I won't give away her beauty secrets, but it included edible things around your kitchen.

Sephora can kiss our....avocados! ;)









Sadly, the night photos never do the beauty of the food justice, but the meals were always incredible.

Breaded tofu cutlets made just for us (the others had fresh Mahi-Mahi), with beets, potatoes, local Costa Rican cheese, and a side salad of radish, sprouts and pineapple.







Tea and cookies always end the night!











Day 8 - 6/30/08

Home fries scramble, fruits and yummy jammy flax seed toast.


























Piggin' out before the sunset cruise with Blue Dolphin Sailing.

This was my FAVORITE sammich; italian crusted tofu with veggies on a roll. OMG! Words cannot do justice.

A small piece of tofu fell from both of our sandwiches onto the sand, never to be eaten by our human snouts again; A slow tear crawled down our face, respectively.










Nothin' like guzzling down a lil' beer to wash away my intense sea sickness (gulp!)





{Un-Photographed} for dinner at Panacea later that night there were homemade veggie burgers sculpted from a blend of black bean/red bean/and chic pea on whole grain with all the fixin's.


Day 9 - 7/1/08

The most simple and favorite breakfast of all:

Cinnamon flaxseed toast with a little sugar and butter! Melty heaven for sure!


















On our way back from the river tour with Diego (we got to see crocodiles up close and personal!), the tourist van stopped for some fresh lunch.

This special restaurant cooks everything with wood burning ovens, which gave the food such an incredible flavor it's almost unspeakable!

Fresh tropical fruit licuado.







They set the food out family-style, but since Tim and I were the only vegetarians on the river tour, they made a separate dish of veggies, beans and cheese that were wood-roasted PHENOMENAL!
















A little ice cream treat before we head back!





















Dinner back at Panacea was fantastic with enchiladas, avocado, rice, beans and a perfect salad of greens and baked carrots.

Day 10 - 7/2/08

Fresh fruit medley, granola, yogurt, and homemade mixed nut crumb cakes!
































Strawberries, bananas, yogurt over oatmeal and the best coffee in the world!





















{Un-Photographed} for lunch was a soup made from a special squash that only grows in Costa Rica. Delicious!!!!


Our last dinner at Panacea was truly amazing! Italian-o nostalgic wonders of spaghetti, eggplant parmesan, olives, salad and soft bread.

I think I licked the plate and cried into my dish.

Day 11 - 7/3/08

A farewell breakfast scramble, beans, fruits, and salsa.















Oh how I will miss all the tastes and good conversation!

Foodies flock the coop

Today, I finally joined the Food Co-op.

I have been wavering on this choice since moving back to Park Slope in April 2007 (having lived here once in 1996, albeit Windsor Terrace; does that count?)

Mixed reviews surround this place like chickens to the seed, and somehow "cooperative" is never really the lasting impression (which also reminds me: never read internet forums again). I am hoping to put my blindfold on, and just enjoy the cheap organic food; I am a foodie, after all, how can I not at least try this place?




I doodled this after the "orientation" a few months back (still plagued with indecision then):

My chosen squad is food prep, which...yes...could inevitably mean I will (at some point) indeed "cut the cheese."

Duty-free

Back at home, after 10 amazing days in Costa Rica, I find myself both happy and a little depressed. We were in the company of some truly amazing people, way up on a mountaintop, doing very attentive and strengthening yoga every single day, water aerobics, away from cell phones and computers, and eating 3 incredible vegetarian meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was also the first time in ages, perhaps even since childhood, that I didn't have to think about making and eating healthy food. It made for us, by the wonderful owners of Panacea de la Montana, and made with a lot of love & good conversation.

Now, safely grounded back in the states, already back to duty-filled life and my Brooklyn apartment (which is quite the opposite of mountaintop yoga and cabins with hammocks), I am challenged to go about my duties here at home, my many obligations, to not be anxious, to keep eating fresh, all while still buying, preparing, cooking, cleaning-up, working at my desk, and the forever upkeep of all the responsibilities that waited patiently for my arrival (including a love-starved cat). I miss the people of Panacea the way you miss good friends you have known forever, and I will have to keep all of the experiences and energy alive here in New York.

First lunch back in the good ol' Brooklyn kitchen (while in honor of this grilling day off from cubicles), we made pressed sandwiched on our cast-iron grill pan: cannelloni beans mashed and spread on a crusty whole wheat hero, with homemade vegan pesto, zucchini, yellow squash, mustard greens, and (hopefully) salmonella-free tomatoes.






For dinner, tired and a little bit jet-lagged, we decided to decline the BBQ's and just stay inside on this 4th of July. We still had our burgers & fries, of course:


Sunshine Burger (soy-less, dairy-less, and made out of sunflower seeds), topped with grilled onions, leafy greens, mustard & ketchup on an Ezekiel sprouted grain bun, with a side of homemade yam fries and carrot salad.