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Archive for April 2011

Cheater, Cheater, Chocolate-Eater

by Gabriela
April 19th, 2011

This evening, I met up with the lovely and amazing Michelle and Lori of Pure2Raw for dinner at Pure Food and Wine, one of my all-time favorite restaurants.

Michelle and Lori were in town on their way back from showing their Twin Cakes baked goods at the Boston Marathon Expo. I’d met Michelle at Foodbuzz back in February, and I was glad I finally got to meet Lori, too!

We were seated in the private back room, which I’d never seen before. It was a bit more airy and rustic than the rest of the restaurant- it must be especially beautiful in the summer time!

Before getting to the food, I ordered the Master Cleanse-Tini: lemon, maple syrup, cayenne and sake. I’m coming down with a little cold so I was apprehensive about getting a drink, but I think the cayenne actually helped clear up my sinuses a bit. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself ;)

For my entree, I ordered an old favorite: the Zucchini, Local Roma and Heirloom Tomato Lasagna, with basil pistachio pesto, sun-dried tomato marinara, and macadamia pumpkin seed ricotta.

I had this dish on my birthday and loved it, and the second round definitely didn’t disappoint. So creamy and rich, yet surprisingly light. I never wanted it to end!

Lori got the Pad Thai with Kelp Noodles and Baby Bok Choy, served with snow peas, king oyster mushrooms, tamarind sauce, sesame salted cashews and cilantro oil:

And Michelle got an heirloom tomato stuffed with some kind of curry cauliflower. They just changed the menu, and this was a brand-new dish- it’s not even on the website yet!

All evening, I was waffling on whether or not to order dessert. I’ve passed on the last two occasions I’ve visited Pure/One Lucky Duck, and ultimately decided that I’ve been a good girl for long enough. I caved and ordered my all-time favorite dessert: the Mint Sundae, with chocolate, fresh mint and mint chip ice creams, mint chocolate cookies, chocolate sauce and vanilla cream.

Michelle got one, too!

And Lori went with the Trio of Dark Chocolate Coated Indian Spiced Ice Cream Treats: chocolate cardamom coconut ice cream cone, pistachio gelato ice cream sandwich, and chai tea creamsicle.

Absolute, complete and utter bliss. Yeah, in terms of Lent I had a moment of weakness, but my point is that I shouldn’t worry about how that weakness looks to anyone else. It’s my body, my Lenten resolution, and my choice. Besides…that sundae was so worth it ;)

Though the food was absolutely phenomenal, the company was what really made this meal so special. Lori and Michelle are truly sweet, genuine people who have a tremendous passion and work ethic for what they do. It was informative and inspirational to hear about their experiences, as well as just to chat and get to know them better. I honestly felt like I was with friends I’d known for years- we spent two and a half hours in the restaurant! It was one of the best meet-ups I’ve been to, and I was truly sad to say goodbye at the end of the night.

Categories Pure Food and Wine
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Candle and Crumbs

by Gabriela
April 18th, 2011

After introducing her to the glory of Candle 79 a few months ago, I wasn’t surprised when Gracie told me recently that she wanted to take a trip back there. However, since 79 is a pretty pricey place, this evening we opted for dinner at Candle Cafe, the vegan restaurant’s more casual older sister. Similar food with bigger portions and cheaper prices, but less elegant in presentation and atmosphere. You win some, you lose some ;)

The two of us were immediately drawn to the Mezze Plate appetizer, so we split it to start: hummus, quinoa tabbouli, lemon-date chutney, marinated olives, parata bread and zaatar.
The parata was flaky and doughy, almost like phyllo dough. I swear it tasted like pie when topped with the lemon-date chutney- although maybe that’s my recent lack of desserts speaking.
For my entree, I got my favorite Candle Cafe dish: the “Good Food” plate, in which you get to choose among four of their many sides and two of their sauces to create your own plate.
I rolled with caramelized onions, steamed broccoli, roasted beets and sea vegetable salad with carrot ginger and roasted garlic tomato sauces. Also known as a the fiber baby plate.
The caramelized onions and roasted beets were my favorites, though the broccoli was also particularly amazing dipped in the carrot ginger dressing.
Gracie ordered the Tuscan Lasagna: grilled zucchini, peppers and onions, tofu basil ricotta, tapioca cheese and seitan ragout topped with tomato sauce and served with sauteed greens. She raved about it!
Speaking of delicious restaurants, I spent awhile this afternoon revamping my NYC Restaurant Reviews page, so if you’re ever visiting the city, definitely check it out!
* * *
After dinner, Gracie was craving a Crumbs cupcake, so we walked a few blocks to one on 79th and 3rd. Apparently I’ve been missing out when I go to their downtown locations, because this bakery was stocked with some flavors I’d never seen or heard of!
Gracie selected a caramel apple flavor for her train ride home, while I cursed my Lenten resolution. One week until I’m on a mission to track down the most heavily frosted cupcake in the city.
If you could create your perfect cupcake, what would it be? Mine would be chocolate mousse cake on the bottom, filled with fudge and topped with a mountain of buttercream, then decorated with chocolate chips and sprinkles. And the frosting-to-cake ratio would be an even 1:1. (Can you tell I’m ready for Lent to be over?)
Categories Candle Cafe, Crumbs bakeshop, dinner
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Blueberry Pancake Bake

by Gabriela
April 13th, 2011

Spend some time with my dad’s side of the family and you’ll quickly realize that my Pop-Pop is basically one of the best people on the planet.

First of all, he’s ninety-one and proud of it! Ask him how old he feels, and he’ll likely tell you fifty. He’s the life of every party and a stellar dancer. Seriously, I think he broke it down with every lady, married or single, at my brother’s wedding.

Work it Big J!

Plus, he’s genuinely just a good person- he treats everyone he meets with respect and dignity, and could literally strike up an animated conversation with a deaf mute within five minutes. And even after 65 years of marriage, the way he still looks at my grandmother makes my heart melt. They make me believe in love.

What Pop-Pop is probably best known for are his infamous blueberry pancake breakfasts. Summer weekend mornings at the New Jersey shore, you can find him over his pancake griddle, frying ‘em up for his kids, grandkids and great-grandkids. For that reason, no food reminds me more of my childhood than blueberry pancakes.

I’m proud that I’ve inherited several things from my grandfather (my last name, height, and a love for cookies), but since his pancake-flipping dexterity is not among them, I’ll stick with my baked version.

Blueberry Pancake Bake (adapted from Mama Pea)
- 1/4 c whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 T maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
- 1/4 c non-dairy milk
- 1 c fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350*F. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir in vanilla, maple syrup and non-dairy milk, then pour into a ramekin prepared with non-stick spray. Carefully drop blueberries onto the surface until batter is completely covered. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until center is firm to the touch. Finish with desired toppings and a few extra blueberries for good measure!

I topped my bake with a peanut flour sauce (1/4 c peanut flour, maple syrup, cinnamon and almond milk), but honestly kind of regretted it. The bake would have been great on its own, with just a simple spray of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter- Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop’s choice of condiment.

The bake itself was thick and fluffy, with a slightly nutty, grainy flavor and plenty of sweetness from the cooked blueberries. Yum!

Do your grandparents make any special foods? Have they passed any of their recipes down to you?
Categories breakfast, recipe, workout
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