Blisssss!

So, as I mentioned in the last post, after my run on Sunday my mom

( )  

took me out to a most delicious meal at Bliss Cafe in Williamsburg.

 

  It's one of my favorite spots to get homey vegan food. It's (sort of) close to my house, it's cozy, and it's De-Lish. It's not 100% vegan (they have some dairy and eggs), but every non-vegan item on the menu can be made vegan.

 

 

We started with the Bliss Salad.  

Green apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, carrots, avocado and 

strawberries served over organic mixed greens with olive oil and lemon juice

Then I had the Vegan Breakfast Burrito. 

Tofu scramble with soy cheese, spinach and potatoes wrapped in whole wheat tortilla, served with vegan sour cream, pico de gallo de gallo and chili or bean of the day. 

I had the bean of the day (black beans). 

 

My mom got the Super Nachos.

Organic corn chips topped with chili, vegan or dairy cheese (she got vegan cheese as 

she knew I would be consuming at least half of her meal...which I did),

pico de gallo, and vegan sour cream.

They only had an apple crumble for dessert and NO ICE CREAM. I don't believe in eating apple desserts sans ice cream, so we walked across the street to Wild Ginger for dessert. 

Wild Ginger is an asian vegan restaurant. I've only eaten there a couple of times, but this dessert was AMAZING. 

It was called the Peanut Butter Bomb.

It was chocolate cake and with layers of what had the consistency 

of a peanut butter mousse almost. 

So Unbelievably Yum. 

I am mad I am not eating it now.

Thanks for being there for my first actual run.

Love you!

Coogan’s Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks 5K

 I ran my first race this morning, Coogan’s Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks 5K.

 At 23 I should not have even noticed, let alone been amused by, the fact that my bib number contained the number 69, and yet, I did and I was.

        It was raining the whole run and I got SOAKED. It was like I just went swimming,  BUT I loved it. It was total chaos. I heard that there were around 4,000 people running and there were also family members and musicians and probably pedestrians(?) all along the streets. I knew it was going to be a little more overwhelming than I expected when I got on the subway and probably 15 out of the 20 people in my car had on race bibs and shoe tags. But at least it was reassurance that I was going to the right place. Speaking of the subway, I am apparently a very wobbly subway rider cause I seem to never be able to withstand the sudden jerks and turns of the car as well as everyone else. I actually wound up in someone's lap once. Today, every time the subway started up after a stop, I drifted into the person sitting next to me; it was ridiculous. Even the guy across from me saw and he started laughing. I need to seriously practice my subway sturdiness.

           Anyway, after I got off the subway I was walking up to the street and who should I see but BITCHCAKES! I flipped. I was so nervous I dropped the cap to my water bottle. I've been reading her blog (she actually wrote about meeting me and posted a picture of the two of us in the subway....I'm dying.) for probably a little over a year. I was hoping I would at least see her at some point since we both run and live in New York, but today she actually talked to me. She was so incredibly nice, like couldn't have been nicer. I must have seemed like such a dumb ass cause I was basically gushing over her, but I was so super excited to meet her. I hugged her and wished her good luck on her race and then we parted. It was the absolute HIGHLIGHT of my day. After I met her, I really didn't care how the race went.

         I was standing in the rain getting soaked for a while before the race started, but it went pretty quickly. There were some hilly parts, but for the most part it was a pretty routine run. My mom was there at the finish line after the race which was so cute and motherly of her. She took pictures (which I will never show anyone, ever) and then we went out for a delicious vegan lunch. Now, I'm home and dry and I am so happy to be in sweatpants, on my bed, not moving. Tonight is dinner with Sara and Michele. This should be a pa-reeettty tops day.

BLOSSOM

My mom and her Stu took me out for lunch yesterday to Blossom, on 9th avenue between 21st and 22nd.

It's a super adorable place.

Inside was really cozy and we sat at this big table. It was wonderful. 

And the food was....AMAZING.

 

My mom and I shared the Blossom Salad to start. 

    

 Then my mom had the Blossom Burrito which had
black beans, rice, avocado and vegan cheese.

 

 Stu had the Soy Bacon Cheeseburger

and I had the Tuscan Portebello Sandwich which had grilled portobello, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, vegan mozzarella and spicy mayo.

I also shared a side of sauteed kale with my mom.

Dessert was so #1. 

 

We shared the Blossom Cheesecake 

and the Chocolate Ganache. 

I honestly could not have been happier than I was after I ate that huge chunk of chocolate amazingness. It was so rich that my body refused to continue consuming it once I'd finished about half, but my mind wanted so badly to eat more.

Mother! Thanks for coming to have lunch.

And as always, thanks for an awesome time and a delicious meal Stuart!

Suprisinglykindoflovelyboken

I went to Hoboken after school on Friday with my two bitches(pictured below).

 

I have a lot of anxiety about public transportation. Mostly because I have zero sense of direction and have on more than one occasion found myself on the wrong subway/bus, or on the right one, but in the wrong direction. Also New York City public transit is volitile. There are always signs in the subways like, "The G train will only be running for two hours on the 3rd and a half Monday of every other week." In the back of my head I am always wondering if I will get home on any given day. Needless to say, all day Friday I pictured myself sitting in a ditch in New Jersey wondering how I was going to keep warm for the night. Luckily I made it, but, there was a slight hitch. Upon entering the Path train, I could not get my metro card to work. Sara and Michele were already upstairs cause the train had just come and they're yelling down, "Alli, where are you, hurry up, the train is here...etc."  while I'm trying to get the stupid turntable to let me through. It was upsetting to say the least. 

Anyway, when we got to the Jerz, we got manicures, which is highly illegal in culinary school due to the health code violation of working with food while wearing polish. I will remove the illicit red gloriousness by school on Monday.  

We also ate DELICIOUS Indian food. I actually believe myself to be in a legitimate relationship with Indian food. And like...a good one.

We drove the waiter crazy. I'm a vegan, Michele is a vegetarian, and Sar is allergic to wheat, so can't have gluten. We had a lot of questions. I also spilled my drink, which I never do. (Except for every time I am anywhere ever.)

 These were yummy crackers made from chickpea flour. 

Gluten Free! Sara was pleased.

 Dipping Sauces.

Tamarind, Cilantro, Mango Chutney

 Tomato Soup. 

Deliciously tangy, but a little too sweet.

Michele and I shared two things:

Mixed vegetables in a coconut milk sauce

 and

Baby eggplant 

Everything was very good. AND we got coupons for free appetizers next time we go. But first I'll have to work up the courage to go back to Jersey after my traumatic Path experience. 

 

Not one of us looks good in this picture (I look particularly appealing. Especially if you're into girls who can't open their eyes completely.), but it's the only one of the three of us together that I got, so it's going up. 

Soups for to be creamy with

1) It's 4:04am. I'm not sure what the title of this post means, but it's not sexual in nature.
2) We had Cream Soup Day recently.
3) That's a whole lotta bullshit cause only one of the soups had cream in it.
4) I've recently discovered my distaste for not being asleep at 4:04 am.


The deal with Cream Soup Day was that we made a variety of soups with different thickeners that would yield a creamy texture without using cream. I believe the name should have been Smoothy Soup Day, due to the lack of any dairy whatsoever, but I'm pretty sure if I told someone I was making smoothy soup, they would think me retarded, so I guess I understand.

Smoothy Soups:

 

Celery Vichyssoise

The top thickened with potato.

The bottom thickened with oats.

  

 

Corn

The bottom thickened with potato.

The top thickened with an oil roux. (This was my favorite. So. Fucking. Good.)

 Carrot Soup

All of them are thickened with different things

One with rice, oats, oil roux, butter roux, and potato. 

There were two versions of the one with oats because I strained half of mine through a chinoise to see the texture difference. It was much smoother and more refined after the straining.

 Asparagus

There was also a vegan version of this one made, I don't remember what it was thickened with, but I didn't really care for it. It's weird to drink asparagus things. They are better chewed. 

 Mushroom Soup

The top was thickened with cream and a butter roux, and the bottom was thickened with an oil roux.

I couldn't taste the cream/butter roux version (not vegan), but the other one was fantastic.

What's up Soup Day?!

Soup makes me feel nice. 

 

Lemon Lentil

 

Mushroom Barley

 Borscht

 

Curried Green Split Pea

 Onion

 Navy Bean with Spinach

 Mushroom Ragout

(Not actually a soup, but still delicious)

Watercress

Dashi

(Not a traditional dashi. This one had lotus root and leeks and a few other things. It was very delicious.)

 

Golden Vegetable Stew

(So. Good.)

Kale Potato Carrot etc. Stew

There was also a casoulet that was made with lima beans and crispy roasted parsnips and carrots and caramelized onions. I don't know why I didn't get a picture of it, but it was delectable.

Seriously,  I could probably eat soup all the time, everyday and not feel like my diet was lacking. There is so much variety...tons of different flavors and textures, temperatures, dessert soups, main dishes, everything. It's a #1 food. 

Angelica's Kitchen!

Marvs came downtown to have dinner with me last night.

I was enthused:

He took me for a very tasty meal at one of the best vegan restaurants in the city, Angelica's Kitchen.

I started with the special appetizer:

Baked Rounds of mashed Yukon Gold potatoes and herbed seitan,

with a parsley almond pesto center; 

topped with dill-tofu sour cream and garnished with piquant marinated kale.

Marvs had the house salad with black sesame dressing: 

 Assorted lettuces; sunflower sprouts; grated red & green cabbage,
daikon, carrots and beets; topped with clover sprouts

Then I had soup and INSANE cornbread:

Creamy butternut squash soup with cinnamon

 Southern Style Cornbread

(I can't stop thinking about you, Cornbread. Come to me.)

Marvs had chili:

Piquant chili made with homemade seitan, kidney and pinto beans
& lentils; slowly simmered with sun-dried tomatoes and a blend of
chiles; topped with lime-jalapeño tofu sour cream. Served with fluffy
Southern style cornbread & butternut squash-red onion salsa.

I didn't like the chili, but Marvs was all over that shit. 

And of course, there was dessert. I asked our waiter to bring me his favorite option. He did not seem amused by the whimsy that was getting to choose what to feed me, but he did his job well and brought me this:

 

Cheesecake swirl mocha brownie with raspberry coulis

I'd order slightly more adventurously if I could do it over again, and I will do it over again, many times. The food was very good, but it didn't quite win my affections over Candle 79, the holder of my vegan heart. I did still leave with a food baby, though, which can only mean good things. For at least a week I will be fantasizing about cornbread and binge eating dried mango to fill the void.

Thanks for a delicious dinner Dad!

Have fun in London!