Snowpocalypse (Part 2)

After some physical labor in the snow doing our make-up shifts for the Co-op, we decided to treat ourselves at nearby Dao Palate for lunch.

Above: Singapore Mai-Fun, mixed green salad, miso soup, scallion pancakes with mango salsa, crepes and hoisin sauce. Below: shredded Moo Shu vegetables.

Later that night, there was a launch party at Bergen Street Comics for Ben McCool & Ben Templesmith of Choker. There also happened to be free booze, artist/writer mingling, and accompanying writer and Write Club! co-host Tim Mucci.
Heading over to the after party at the ever-packed Pacific Standard (they have free popcorn), we stopped at Pizzatown for a slice of vegan pizza first:

Later at the after-(after) party at Fourth Avenue Pub, I met up with fellow food blogger Candypenny:

(Note: I'm the one with the giant Communion earrings. Everything relates to food with me, even if it means church wafers from my ye old grade school days!)

The first bar may have had free popcorn, but this bar offers free condoms and lube! Didn't you know?!

The 4am food crawl never fails with 5th Ave Bageltique Cafe, open 24 hours in Park Slope. The tofu vegetable cream cheese on a whole wheat everything bagel is incredible. I loved this combination so much that I went back the next morning and had it again for breakfast.

Snowpocalypse (Part 1)

Snowpocalypse, Snowmageddon; whatever the weather people decided to call it this time, I was not prepared to wake up to what some people hate (shoveling snow), but what others consider a NYC miracle: a day off from work!

After a surprising office-closed voice message, and marching right back to bed immediately for more sleep, I woke up again later finally feeling refreshed for a change. Looking at my bare cupboards, I decided that it was high time I started making up my Co-op shifts. Well past grace periods, alerts, and the inability to shop for groceries, I have been suspended since July 2009. I wish it was for something cooler than just being lazy, having hangovers, and stockpiling shifts before realizing I was six in the hole (and so was my partner). We either had to bite the bullet or say goodbye. And after some seriously shoddy vegetables at C-Town, I was ready to face the shame. What better day to tackle this than a snow day, where everyone else should be inside? Well, I was wrong about that. Everyone was at the Co-op as well, and with the same bright idea that I had. At least my shame had company.

Above: fresh organic & local produce at a fraction of the cost; Tim and organic soaps, waiting on a really long checkout line.

After the strange urge to "work" on my free day off, and after lifting metal carts, dredging people's carriages through slushy snow, and one seriously awesome snowball fight later with Tim, I found a tree had fallen on St. John's street between 7th & 8th ave. Luckily, no one was hurt, but the tree apparently hit an empty car.

Last but not least, another crack at haphazardly self-teaching myself Adobe After Effects CS4 (see first attempt here) using both snowy windows & audio once again - splitting them right in the middle between the two worlds I reside:

Music by Jon Brion © Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Off The Wagon.

Or is it on it? The age-old Seinfeld question remains: when you quit, is it on or off the wagon:
Photo © NBC Seinfeld
Jerry: Yeah. He's been off the wagon for two years. George: "Off the wagon??" Jerry: I think it's off the wagon... George: I think it's "on" the wagon.

I may not have the answer, but what I do know is that if you are going to fall from grace, you might as well go down with style.

Allured by the idea that I can now eat whatever I want to test out the waters, I craved the least healthiest thing: hotdogs. Willie's Dawgs in Park Slope has two kinds of veggie dogs, one made from soy and one made from carrot. (That's right, a carrot). Since I was maxed out on veggies and ready to flip 'em all the bird, I chose the faux-meaty soy dog. Smothered in caramelized onions, mustard and sauerkraut, with a side of deep fried onion rings; this "dawg" was so wrong it had to be right.

The greasy fare didn't end there either. Later, we ordered-in from Vegetarian Palate for dinner & a movie. I got the Hawaiian "Chicken" with sweet & sour sauce, broccoli, brown rice, and scallion pancakes. This Hawaiian fried dish was incredible; the batter zesty, crispy, and totally perfect.

Was it worth feeling like death after a head-first dive into fried food eating? Maybe. But I sure could use to get my knee high rainbow socks moving right about now... a lil' Roller Derby, anyone?

Photo © Whip It!

Love is. (Part 2) ♥

♥ waking up to fresh fruits, squeezed OJ, organic mixed nuts, coffee, soy creamer...

♥ St. Valentine cocktails...

♥ (not) eating the table arrangement while you wait hungrily at Pala....

♥ Daiya pizza...

♥ ...still having room for appetizers, creamy potato gnocchi, and frosted pumpkin cake with a scoop of vegan ice cream...(swoon).

Love is. (Part 1) ♥

♥ good friends & pre-Valentine's Day potluck at CP's pad...

♥ the colors pink & green...

♥ letting furry yam fries sleep in your computer chair (even when you need to sit there)...

♥ arm drool, curly paws, snores & whisker twitches...

G/F & D/F Day 14: The Final Stretch.

Here's the part where I yell "I made it!" as a I cross the gluten-free vegan finish line. But now what; do I inhale loaves of bread slathered with cheese, just to see how I feel in comparison? Regardless of what I cook at home, I was cutting my two weeks slightly short by attending a friend's Anti-Valentine's Day potluck later tonight, where white flour, sugar and alcohol will be aplenty. I will still make something gluten-free for my potluck behalf, but indulge in whatever everyone else has to share.

Back at the grind, vitamin C-rich raw red peppers:

(Below, my lunch medley: quinoa, roasted potatoes, black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, mangoes, avocado, salsa).

Potluck dessert pre-prep: Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter Balls - made gluten-free by grinding Ancient Grain cereal for the oat flour, and made vegan by swapping out the honey for agave nectar.

Melted chocolate...ready, set, dip! The result was earthy, crunchy, and delicious. I recommend keeping them cold in the fridge though for a better bite.

G/F & D/F Day 13: The Outside World.

The phrase "The Universe Provides" pops up often, from my hippie-dippie friends, all the way to...well, my hippie-dippie friends. I have mixed feelings about the truth to this statement, but one thing the universe didn't provide me with today was enough time to make my lunch. This was the first time in nearly two weeks that I had to buy lunch in the city since the start of this G/F diet.

I hit up one of my favorite falafel places closest to work, The Country Kebab on Fulton Street. I asked about their falfel - turns out it's dairy free, but made with flour. Cripes! In a jam for time, I quickly chose the Red Lentil Soup with two sides: spiced spinach and chic peas, along with some roasted brussel sprouts. The soup was phenomenal! (Note, if you're looking for an awesome falafel sandwich, I highly recommend giving this place a try! It's a little different that your average deep fried chic pea balls, and more like a lighter falafel patty).

Later that night, and still pressed for time, I grabbed some more food on the go. The Whole Foods in Tribeca has a sushi bar (and is far less crowded than Union Square or Midtown). The health food nerd in me really likes that they use brown rice over white, in addition to have several vegetarian options. I mixed the sushi with some steamed greens and edamame for a quick and easy dinner:

G/F & D/F Day 12: Snow Day!

The anxiously anticipated snow storm! After listening to NPR, I realized that New Yorkers have no idea what a snow storm really is, especially compared to other states like Ohio where this alleged "blizzard" might be considered a mere feather dusting. Either way, we had our noses firmly pressed and fogging up the window panes, hoping and praying (and repeatedly dialing) the office weather gods would grant us the special treat of staying home today. No such luck.

Dragging through the snow in knee-high goulashes, and taking my time to enjoy a snowflake or two before heading to the grind, I stopped to snap a few peeks of color on this otherwise colorless day:

After a messy walk into work (and many weather warnings later), we were given the glorious news of an early dismissal! It was time to hit the snowy streets again, after about three hours of solid work (read: dreamily drifting into the snow globe which had taken over my office window), but this time I took video instead (plus audio):

Music © The Decemberists

Something to warm the insides: Baked Ziti with Ancient Harvest quinoa pasta, marinara sauce, and some leftover Daiya vegan mozerella cheese. Mmm.

G/F & D/F Day 11: Second Verse, Same As The First.

Since I have been really busy, I ate exactly the same thing as yesterday. I thought it might be good to highlight a few bites eaten in-between: Snack time!

The above cookie is actually gluten-free oatmeal (oatmeal not always being gluten-free, due to the way it's processed) from the brand Smart Treat. Most of these treats are wheat-free, dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free...but nothing short of delicious! I have tried their Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (think Reese's Pieces) which are so good that I have actually gone on specific hunts to find them, annoyingly asking health food store employees when they will be back in stock. Some of their other cookies, however, are a little bit daunting...as I've been known to cop a feel through their plastic packing, resembling cement more than a delicious treat. I stay away from those flavors, but the 2 different oatmeal cookies I tried were soft, sweet, and better than any non gluten-free oatmeal cookie I've ever had.

Time to make the pretzels: It was Tim's suggestion to use the leftover pizza dough still sitting in the fridge to attempt some oven-baked pretzels. I was a little skeptical, as the dough now had a more yeast-like smell (read: BEER!) than it did on our previous pizza-making day, but I was willing to give it a shot:

The result left a little something to be desired in taste and texture, although they were aesthetically pleasing to the eye. This first pretzel attempt was a definite nudge to try again later. In the meantime, famished at work and strangely contemplating a drawer full of ketchup packets, I quickly ran over to Duane Reade as my only saving grace, unsure if I would be able to fulfill a gluten & diary free snack fix at this everyday NYC drug chain. But it appears Duane Reade now has their own line of snackables, among other products, called DR Delish and the Pistachio trail mix was satisfyingly-crunchy and good: