Vegan Craft Brunch

Lauriol Plaza

Last weekend, Pat and I bicycled from his house to the zoo, which meant we worked up an appetite for dinner. So, as the clock hit 6:00 p.m., we made our way to Lauriol Plaza, which offers amazing Mexican food. The salsa tasted fresh and flavorful with a hint of chipotle. The tortilla chips were hot and replenished whenever they got low.

For an appetizer, Pat ordered corn tamales, which were sweet and seemed to melt in my mouth. For dinner, we both ordered the vegetable fajitas. So good. The chef marinated the vegetables and grilled them so that they retained crunch, but lost bitterness. Plus, the variety of vegetable in the fajitas was great in terms of flavor and texture - asparagus, portabella mushrooms, plantains, cauliflower, broccoli, onions, red peppers, green peppers... You can see in the picture. Moreover, the tortillas were hot from the oven. Pat and I both stuffed ourselves.

On the downside, a lot of young, urban professionals crowded the bar area ordering drinks and laughing like high-pitched birds. Pat and I ignored the happy-hour group. Their commitment to mingling around the bar granted us the opportunity to get a table without waiting.

The food, though, was delicious. Our water glasses, chip basket, and salsa bowl never became empty. My advice: go to Lauriol Plaza if you want Mexican food in DC.

More Than a Run-On Sentence - a Run-On Blog Entry

My week started off with a clothing swap and potluck at Christine's house. My housemate Zack, our friend Olga, and I made tabouli salad using a recipe from the Moosewood cookbook. Gathering the ingredients in a last minute rush, we got stuck buying limp, curly parsley at the Giant near my house. Then, once we started dicing scallions and tomatoes, I noticed that we were low on lemon juice. With an eye on the clock, we substituted lime juice for some of the lemon juice in the recipe. Fortunately, the lemon-lime still balanced the garlic, tomato and parsley well. I liked it. The food table at the potluck mostly amounted to a some chips and grocery-store cookies. As for the clothing, I appreciated the variety of sizes, colors, and styles. I got a few dresses, a shirt, and a patch.

While we were at Christine's in DC, a storm hit with almost the ferocity of a tornado. The high winds sent both power lines and trees crashing onto the streets. The rain literally came down in sheets. Our housemate Meredith had remained home alone with Basil and Viola, the two Boston Terriers that I was watching for Pat while he was on tour with Rations. Meredith holed up in the basement with the dogs cuddled up against her as our electricity went out. Apparently, more than 300,000 customers in Maryland lost power. At Christine's, we stayed dry inside. When Zack, Olga, and I ventured out, the ride home presented unusual challenges, forcing us to maneuver through intersections with the traffic lights out and around tree limbs strewn across the roads.

According to Meredith, as she ran upstairs to retrieve her cat, Motley, she glanced out of the window. Meredith spotted the elderly lady who puts trash in our yard. The lady was soaked and roaming around in the street, looking at our house. The lady was nice to me the next day and I haven't spoken with her in a long time. She told me that she'd worried about us and wasn't sure we'd know what to do in a storm. I ignored the condescension, although Meredith complained to me that Meredith wasn't the one circling trees as branches blew by in the wind. I thought maybe the lady would stop discarding rotting food items near our sewer drain, but she didn't stop. This very morning, I saw two rotting tomatoes perched curbside in our yard.

When I got home after the storm, I sat with Zack and debated going to Ilsa's record release show. He went. I focused on food. People had inhaled our tabouli salad at the clothing swap and I was hungry for dinner. Pat called me from Brooklyn. Inviting me to stay at his house in DC, I accepted after calling one of his housemates to confirm that they had electricity. I drove with Pat's dogs through the debris-filled streets. By then, the failure of the traffic lights and the impatience of drivers had resulted in a series of accidents. Navigating around the obstacle course of tree branches, I just felt tired.

When I got to Pat's house, I left off the dogs and went to dinner with his housemate Rachel. It was almost 8pm. We drove to multiple restaurants, finding each one closed. I finally settled on ice cream made from coconut milk that I bought from Giant. Totally unhealthy. I went to sleep early in Pat's bed, with Pat and his other housemate, Greg, still in Brooklyn for the Ration's tour. I appreciated the air conditioning.

On Monday, Pat was back and I saw his and Zack's band, State Violence, play at the Corpse Fortress, which means in the basement of a house in Silver Spring. They sounded like a wall of angry feedback and noise, heavy on the bass and drums. Mundo Muerto (CA), Perdition (NYC), Lotus Fucker (DC), and Syndrome (VA) provided a night of incredible music. Mundo Muerto especially surprised me. They have an early 80s punk sound and I really got into their music.

Not to give a daily rundown, but I saw my friend Bridget during the week. For no occasion at all, she bought me a spatula that looks like a guitar and a set of pirate-themed baking cups for cupcakes. Another night, I went to Casey Jones, a restaurant in La Plata that serves wood-fired pizzas, to commemorate the last day of one of the law clerks volunteering at the Public Defender's Office where I work. The restaurant is amazing in the context of La Plata, which is, in essence, a collection of strip malls and fast food restaurants. The pizza's crust is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They don't have vegan cheese, but do offer a pizza without cheese with extra sauce and a collection of green vegetables.

I went to a show on Friday at St. Stephen's Church. State Violence played again. Blood Type, a straight-edge band from New Jersey whose demo tape is called Bringing More Stuff Down, played a set with an 80s hardcore sound. They did a cover of Black Flag's Drinking and Driving. Who wouldn't like hearing a cover of that song? (Aside - I spoke with a guy named Max from Austin who told me about a girl he'd met in Germany who claimed "covers of songs" as her favorite type of music. Weird.) Nomos played next. Their singer scrunched his face up and shifted his eyes around as if he was trying to imitate Jack in The Shining. Christine, from Deathrats and the clothing swap, told me that she liked his somersaults. Some other friends told me that the Nomos singer was criticizing them for not wearing shiny, athletic shorts. The guy insisted that the shorts breath well and increase his mobility as he belts out those lyrics. Of course, he didn't appear as the picture of health and his shorts slipped down his waist as he rolled on the floor. Next, Brain Killer played. Dan complimented their name. He categorized their sound as "mind melting," like a musical lobotomy. Finally, Deathrats played their songs about women's empowerment, independent-thinking and personal accountability.

Ft. Reno - Tiny Bombs

I went to Fort Reno on Thursday again to see Tiny Bombs. Pat called Dave, the singer for Tiny Bombs, to pinpoint what time the band would start playing. So, realizing we had almost an hour, we ate bagel sandwiches filled with bacon-style tempeh and egg-style tofu first and, then, shared mock chicken nuggets with barbecue sauce as a sidedish at Sticky Fingers. Done with dinner, Pat and I got to the park about 10 minutes before Tiny Bombs started playing.

Navigating up a grassy hill on a sunny day as kids run around and clusters of people sit on picnic blankets is not the typical course to see a friend's band play. I felt wrapped in summertime.

As Pat and I approached the park, we saw a group of friends standing around. Danny had his shoes off. I repeat, summertime. We talked and, then, moved close to the stage. A girl on the picnic blanket next to where we ended up sitting offered me some snacks. Friends on a nearby blanket ate fruit salad and watermelon. After somehow managing to finish a giant container of smoked almonds with Pat in the car, I lacked the desire for any more food. Still, I'm inspired to bring food for a picnic next time I go.

Tiny Bombs entertain. Dave refuses to take himself too seriously. He announced that he and the guitarist are teachers so he wanted to teach everyone a thing or two about slang. He said that he'd just rode along on the Fordists' tour through the Midwest. He taught the Midwesterners the word "bama." He said that they shared with him the phrase "straight chimpin'," which can be used to tell someone that they are being lazy or struggling.

Dave's singing voice falls somewhere in between the voices of Jello Biafra, from the Dead Kennedys, and Steve Hustefer, from The Dickies. Tiny Bombs plays straightforward punk with simple melodies. Between songs at Ft. Reno, Dave commented on the guitarist's playing as "straight chimpin'." Dave added that he hopes people pick up the Midwestern phrase even if they don't like the music.

I ran into my friend Sara Klemm on the way to my car. She's so busy lately that I barely get to
talk to her. She spoke a little about her clerkship with the DC Public Defender Service, which is coming to a close, and some family problems recalling her to Baltimore. Then, as the sun set, Pat and I detoured to Best Buy before topping off the night by watching an episode of the X-Files.

Starting the July 4th weekend - Zhenia Golov, LF at La Casa

On Friday night, I arrived at La Casa just as Zhenia Golov started playing, which means that I arrived two and a half hours after the advertised time the show was supposed to start. Zhenia Golov are from New Jersey and play hardcore with scratchy vocals. I keep wanting to pronounce their name as if I was reading it from Polish or transliterated Russian writing, but everyone pronounces it as if it starts with a "z" as in "zebra" instead of "djuh" as in "jeep." Wrong.

Lotus Fucker played a tight set. Everyone did a great job, except Brad, one of the two guitarists, was in Germany. So, the band was down a guitar. The performance was still clutch-for-an-ear-plug loud.

The next morning, I met a group of friends at Asylum in Adams Morgan for vegan brunch, including Rob, the singer of Zhenia Golov. I shared my pancakes with Pat, who shared his French toast with me. The selection of food there was great, but the pancakes were rubbery, although, strangely enough, also thin, and flavorless. Pat told me to avoid getting coffee there, which he described as both watery and bitter - a hard combination of flavors to achieve. I prefer weekend brunch at Sticky Fingers.

I did get an amazing blended, frozen soy mocha from Tryst. The balance between the coffee and chocolate flavors in the drink was great. Plus, it was hot outside and the drink was a perfect way to cool down as I walked around the DC streets.

Insubordination Fest - Chinese Telephones & Food Follies

I stopped through Insubordination Fest in Baltimore yesterday. I wanted to see Chinese Telephones, Tenement, and Off With Their Heads. I, also, hoped to see Deep Sleep and The Max Levine Ensemble. It didn't work out.

I arrived with Pat at the music fest just in time to see Chinese Telephones. We got in for free. They played an incredible set. I stood at the edge of the stage and comfortably watched them maneuver around. They started playing ten minutes early, but, unfortunately, played a twenty minute set as originally allotted.

My friend Jenny lives about 10 minutes from Sonar, where the fest was taking place. She invited Pat and me over for tofu hoagies. I thought we could eat at her place during a break in the fest. We got to her apartment at 5:00 p.m. She spent the next two hours making the hoagies, salad, and home-style fries. She pulled a pile of basil from her container garden on her porch. She cubed the tofu, marinated it, and placed it in the oven to bake. She also prepared a special marinade for the fries. The fresh garlic smelled amazing. She is a creative chef who prepares her food with care and fresh ingredients. At 6:30 p.m., I texted Pat to see if he wanted to go to see Off With Their Heads. He wrote back that it was up to me and he'd be willing to stay at Jenny's if I wanted.

We sat in the kitchen and talked with Jenny, one of her friends that I'd just met, Sarah, and Jenny's boyfriend, Jeff. She was making a ton of food. We ate some toasted rosemary bread that she'd gotten from Whole Foods as an appetizer.

Finally, the clock showed that it was a little after 7:20 p.m. The fries had just gone into the oven. I asked Jenny when the meal would be ready and she said that it'd be at least another 45 minutes. Pat had missed Tenement's show on Sunday and I wanted to hear them play again, so I told her that we needed to get back to the festival. I felt guilty leaving without sampling her culinary masterpiece, but I knew that her other guests would enjoy the meal. She hugged me good-bye and told me that she'd wanted to feed us. I don't think she knew that the fest was still going on. I know that none of her food went to waste, but I felt like a stick in the mud...

So, Pat and I left Jenny's place before eating. Pat wanted to get something quick to eat, because the smells in her kitchen had made his stomach groan with emptiness. I had a cold, dampening my hunger and distorting my taste buds. We went to Taco Fiesta, but the traffic prevented us from getting anywhere in a reasonable time frame. A ballgame had just let out and the cars stood at a standstill. We crawled to Taco Fiesta, arriving there at 8:00 p.m. as Tenement was supposed to be on the stage. Obviously, we missed their set.

I ordered a burrito without cheese at Taco Fiesta. They offered some knock-off brand hot sauce with a weird aftertaste and neglected to mix any seasonings in with their black beans. I wish the restaurant had at least given us the option of shaking some garlic on top of our food. The burrito consisted of black beans without any seasonings that were overwhelmed by a giant lump of white rice and wrapped in a white tortilla.

Pat got a chimichanga. Few restaurants sell deep fried burritos and Pat looks at a chimichanga as crispy, bean-filled goodness. He, however, told me that he'd wanted to stay at Jenny's place, because her food looked delicious and he was more interested in the meal than in the band. I wish he'd have told me his preference when we were there.

Taco Fiesta has a salsa bar. Honestly, I can't understand how those salsas could be so devoid of flavor. The pico de gallo was the best - although it lacked the traditional lime, jalapeno and cilantro I expect in pico de gallo. The onion and tomato combination at least had some flavor.

After eating at Taco Fiesta, we returned to the show to see if Pat's housemate Chris needed a ride home. Chris wanted to remain at the show, though, and our friend David offered to give Chris a ride. David threw me his car keys so we could get Chris's bike into his back seat. David also told me that the Tenement show was amazing. He said that they sounded much better than they had on Sunday and played with even more enthusiasm. Argh.

I felt frustrated. Pat said that he'd mainly cared about seeing Chinese Telephones and that we'd see the other bands again.

Honfest

Bzzzzz... O.K. While I didn't see any bees at Honfest, beehives thrived. (If you're groaning, sorry for the wordplay.) Honfest is a festival in the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore that celebrates the pizazz and warmth of the working class women of the city's past. The fest features crafts, hula hoops, and local music. And women dress up in bright colors, retro fashions, and, infamously, beehive hairdos that aim for the sky.

This year, a booth at the festival offered to tease and pile women's hair up into towering buns. My friend Sarah couldn't resist. I stood in line with her for a half an hour waiting so that she could get her hair done into a beehive. She offered to pay for fresh-squeezed lemonade for me and our friend Danae in exchange for our patience. I passed, sprinkling the Boston Terriers that I was dog watching with water. Several of the stores had dog bowls out. People and pets crowded the street. While we waited for Sarah, a thin, white woman in her fifties with a high voice played a synthesizer and sung mostly Motown songs. When she started on "Pappa was a Rollin Stone," Danae yelped: "Unh, unh. That woman is not singing that song." We joined the woman for the song's chorus. I recognized the singer from Mindset, who entered the tent with his girlfriend. They decided to keep moving as we started singing. (I don't really know him very well, but he seems like a nice guy.)

I did buy a few crafts. For $13, I got a necklace made out of a domino with the sculpture from Love Park in Philly on it. I also bought a necklace for my friend Bridget for her birthday in December - planning ahead. I buy presents for people when I find something unusual that they'll appreciate. Sarah bought a domino necklace with a retro zombie movie poster on it.

All in all, I had fun. The activity within the fest thrilled the dogs, Basil and Viola. Tons of people kept asking me: "Hon, can I take their pictures?" Cameras seemed to be flashing everywhere.

After Honfest, Sarah, Danae and I went to Paper Moon, a nearby diner. I ordered the vegan nachos - homemade hummus with a hint of pepper, multi-colored tortilla chips, cucumbers, tomatoes, mild salsa, and onions. Towers seemed to be a theme for the day in Baltimore. Paper Moon mounded the chips on my plate. I had more food than I could eat and drank several glasses of iced tea. Another server assisted ours. He kept making jokes about going to a lemon tree to get lemons for our drink. His sense of humor aside, he provided us with solid service. Danae got the hummus platter with pita, which largely resembled my meal, although a smaller portion with a limited offering of bread. For $2 more, I could've added portabella mushroom strips. I skipped the guacamole, but the server told me that she couldn't substitute anything.

As far as the nachos platter goes, the chips themselves were fresh and fine. I prefer Sabra's Chipotle Hummus, though. Of course, I like spicy things and Paper Moon didn't add much to its hummus in terms of herbs or spices. Some might say the chickpeas are unadulterated by outside ingredients, I would call them bland. I bet a jalapeno has never seen the inside of that place. Get this - the server confessed the restaurant was without hot sauces - neither Tabasco nor Cholula.

The diner spotlights retro, however, with a quirky, modern, urban flamboyance, so its decor seems like an extension of Honfest. Vintage toys decorate Paper Moon - the heads of dolls from the fifties, rows of illuminated Pezz dispensers, knickknacks, mannequins, and model trains. The placement of the toys transforms many of them into sculptures. Obviously, whoever arranged the toys asked him or herself: how could a mannequin stand alone without pink, blue and yellow curlers on its head or without being scaled by toy soldiers? Day-glo green, yellow, and orange; hot pink; and fire-engine red color the walls and tables. I wish the food had the flair of the furnishings.

Danae's boyfriend lives a few blocks from the diner and was willing to let the pups play with a ball while we ate. After eating, I made a pitstop at Sarah's. We took the dogs for another long walk. They slept the whole way as I drove home.

PS - A few notes about the pictures. The guy standing behind me in the straw hat looks oddly intense, but is apparently dating a girl I know who was at the festival. Yes, the stylist put little ribbons and a mock bee in Sarah's beehive.

Birthday - Great Sage & Hunan Manor

I went to Great Sage, an up-scale, vegan restaurant in Clarksville, Maryland, on my birthday with Pat. The restaurant is swank - soft lighting with thin waterfalls decorating the wall like fluid stripes. We finished eating at a little after 8:00 p.m. and a jazz band was setting up as we exited.

The food is expensive, especially given the small portions. We got the pretzel appetizer, which came with three dips - a cheese sauce made of Daiya, a spicy hummus, and a peanut sauce. The pretzel, though, was only about six bites. I at least got to taste all three dips with it... Anyway, the pretzel was hot, soft, and tasty.

For dinner, I got the Chimaya Chili Tostada and Pat got the Lentil-Walnut Griddle Cake. The tortilla had rice underneath with a chili sauce and was topped with refried pinto beans, a few sauteed, julienned peppers and onions, and some thinly sliced (my guess), Gardein chicken. I liked the dish, but the strong tortilla taste of the tostada did overpower the other flavors. Pat loved his griddle cake. I ate a few bites of it with his mashed potatoes. The mashed lentils and walnuts tasted great together. I liked the texture and the herb combination.

For dessert, I had the chocolate lava cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream made from coconut milk. The lava cake was rich and chocolate-y. The center of the cake was gooey and delicious. The dessert seemed like the best part of the meal.

On Friday, I went out to eat with John, who I've known for what seems like forever and remains such a good friend that he feels like family. We went to Hunan Manor, which is my favorite Chinese restaurant in the DC area. I got the Kung Pao Mock Chicken, extra spicy, and he got the General Tso's Mock Chicken. So good. The restaurant doesn't hold back on the spices in its sauces. I love the hot and sour soup and the main dishes never disappoint. I love going there.

Mindset, Praise, and Rations - Gabriel Kuhn Book Release Show

On Saturday, I got into Pat's orange van and headed to the Gabriel Kuhn Book Release show at Charm City Art Space in Baltimore. On the way there, Pat, Parsons, Brian, and I stopped at Everlasting Life, an all-vegan restaurant in DC. I got the fried mock chicken with rice and beans. The chicken is crisp and absolutely delicious. I'm getting hungry thinking about it.

Gabriel Kuhn lives in Austria and wrote a book on straight-edge. He originally planned to do a book tour, but he was unable to come into our country. So, the talk on his book evolved into a straight-edge show.

Rations played first and sounded great. I love Parson's voice. In one of their songs, he mimics a Youth of Today yell, but that's alright. I enjoy their straight-ahead, youth-crew style. Beyond their original songs, they played three Minor Threat covers, which naturally pleased the straight-edge crowd.

Praise was also intense. The singer, Andy, moved back and forth across the stage, pumping his arms and putting himself fully into his singing. I'm speculating, but I'd guess that the band is named after the 7 Seconds ep Praise.

Then, Mark Anderson, who organized the show, spoke. Anderson is the author of Dance of Days and one of the founders of Positive Force, a DC organization that encourages political awareness, sets up benefit shows, and performs charitable work. Charm City lacked air conditioning so the room was hot and muggy. Mark Anderson started off complaining about how Gabriel Kuhn was banned from DC as well as the rest of the country. Then, he launched into an hour-long speech about how he doesn't care how people label themselves; he cares what people do. My friend Sarah escaped to the outdoors after a while because she was tired of standing and the heat was interfering with her ability to focus on his words.

Already having spoken longer than any band had played, Anderson opened himself up to questions. Tony Pence asked Anderson about how Anderson shifted from denouncing to becoming a member of organized religion. Earlier in his life, Anderson described the people in the Midwestern town where he grew up as being defined by church or bars, which alienated him because he felt like he didn't belong in either place. Now, he apparently has joined the Catholic Church. Anyway, Anderson gave a long, contradictory answer, indicating that he still recognizes the flaws in organized religion, but that he respects the convictions of many churchgoers. He appreciates the sense of community within the church. Anderson's speech centered on individual accountability and concern for others, yet he finished his speech applauding the church in collective terms; focusing on group support rather than on group pressure within it.

Worn out, Mindset played a short set. Only about 20 people stood scattered around the room, a sharp contrast to the large crowd last month for their record release. Still, they played with enthusiasm and skill.

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PS (6-10-10) My birthday. Andy confirmed that his band, Praise, is named after the 7 Seconds ep. He said that his favorite Seven Seconds album is New Wind. I don't see how anyone could put New Wind before The Crew. Andy said that he loves the lyrics on New Wind.

Chris's Surprise Party

A ton of people surprised Chris Moore at his birthday party. The party was a vegan dessert potluck and, from smoothies to cupcakes to pies, people seemed to go all out. Again, I'm almost as impressed with the fact that the party remained a secret to Chris as I am with the baking prowess of the guests. Like finding a four-leaf clover, two birthday parties in a spring in which someone is authentically surprise is rare. Wow.

Furlough Friday in Baltimore - Start of Memorial Day Weekend

On Friday, I went to my friend Jenny's apartment in Baltimore to cook with her and Danae. By the time I actually got there, though, it was getting late and people were hungry. We went to Liquid Earth, a vegetarian cafe near Jenny's place. Liquid Earth sells mostly sandwiches. I ordered a submarine, which was a standard sandwich with mock tempeh bacon, greens, and a vinegarette dressing. The sandwich was alright, but not phenomenal.

The waiter at Liquid Earth looked like Captain Jack Sparrow - Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Carribean - in jeans. Seriously. Reinforcing the pirate connection, he was wearing a Goonies t-shirt with a giant pirate ship on it. Maybe his hair evoked the comparison between the waiter and Sparrow? He did not have missing or yellow teeth and wasn't wearing thick, black eyeliner, but everyone at the table agreed that his appearance reminded them of the character from the movie.

Back at Jenny's apartment, we baked! Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie. Irish Soda Bread. We even made tofu hoagies when it was dinnertime. Tasty memories...

Monday in NYC - Bliss & Curly's - Memorial Day Weekend

Pat and I met Nathan in Brooklyn on Memorial Day for brunch at Bliss. Nathan is straight-edge and an economics student at Columbia. Last summer he had an internship in DC. I was impressed with the thoughtful way he spoke with concern about some of his longtime friends. He's someone I trust. He treats people with respect, which seems unfortunately like a rare quality. He does have low tolerance for what he regards as passive-aggressive, judgmental behavior, but that's another story.

Bliss is a small, independent cafe in Brooklyn that serves diner-style, vegetarian food and vegan brunch. I ordered the vegan french toast. I love french toast. It was served with sliced bananas and strawberries, and a creamy, tofu-based, maple-flavored dressing. Nathan also ordered the french toast and asked the waitress to bring some maple syrup over to the table. Honestly, I've been on a french toast kick over the last few months after I made french toast with my friends Joey and Shira following the Vegan with a Vengeance recipe. The quality of the bread is important. The french toast at Bliss had a strong, but not overpowering, cinnamon flavor and was made from good, thick bread. I was still somewhat full from the night before and shoved at least half of my meal onto Pat's plate. I preferred the plain maple syrup, while Pat praised the creamy dressing.

Pat ordered the Vegan Bagel Delight, which was a bagel sandwich containing tofu scramble, tempeh bacon and soy cheese. Pat got the home fries with it. He was positive about both the french toast and the bagel sandwich. I'm the only one who ordered a drink. I got an iced coffee with soy cream, which tasted great. It was almost 90 degrees outside and I'd been in an un-airconditioned car for a while, so I savored not only the taste of the coffee, but also the ice.

After Pat and I left Brooklyn, we headed back to New York City. Pat wanted to get ice cream from Lula's, but I was just too stuffed. We walked around Chinatown some and Little Italy. (Yes, I changed clothes into something cooler.)

At dinnertime, we headed back for DC. Before we left New York, we walked around the East Village and went to Curly's, a vegetarian diner. We ordered to-go a vegan faux cheesesteak and a vegan buffalo wing sandwich. The waitress was considerate and brought us glasses of ice water while we waited. She smiled when I asked for an extra, little container of Cholula. Then, we hit the road. The vegan cheesesteak was amazing. I loved the textures of the meat, peppers and onion. The vegan cheese was sparse, which was fine. I dribbled hot sauce over my half of the sandwich and dug in. I love spicy food. The buffalo wing sandwich tasted more like a spicy, chicken patty sandwich than hot-sauce dripping buffalo wings on a bun. The bread and chicken were great, though. Curly's put a variety and a ton of greens on the sandwich, which was a nice touch. Hopefully, I'll get back to Curly's and try more of their sandwiches in the future.

Sunday in NYC - Central Park, Soy and Sake, and Lula's - Memorial Day Weekend

On Sunday, I went to New York City with Pat. We started off in Central Park near a lake in which people were rowing boats. People of all ages and shapes were scattered around on the grass picnicking, reading, throwing balls, and talking. A grizzled man with a long, unruly beard yelled praise for John Lennon near Strawberry Fields while another man in his fifties with a white hat cluttered by John Lennon pins tried to sell laminated pictures of John Lennon for a dollar. A jazz band played improvisational music and I enjoyed wandering.

From Central Park, Pat and I went to the East Village and walked around St. Mark's. Tattooed hipsters loitered on the corner and we walked past sidewalk vendors heckling over prices with potential customers. I love the energy and movement of the area. We stumbled upon some sales. Pat bought a pair of tennis shoes and I got a clingy black dress from Trash Vaudeville that was still more money than I should've spent despite the sale.

For dinner, Pat and I went to Soy and Sake, which is a mostly vegan cafe on 7th Avenue. We had only eaten a few donuts from Vegan Treats for lunch and, after walking for several hours, we were both hungry. The Soy and Sake menu offers an array of pan-Asian mock meat and tofu dishes. We ordered scallion pancakes and sushi as appetizers. At many restaurants, vegetarian sushi is limited to simple and uninspired cucumber or carrot rolls. At Soy and Sake, however, we relished the spider web roll - sushi that is filled with asparagus and mock crab meat and topped with a layer of minced spicy tuna - as well as the smoked salmon sushi. I appreciated the textures, flavor combinations and even the colors of the sushi. The scallion pancakes were thinner than the ones from Kingdom of Vegetarian in Philly, which is where I typically order scallion pancakes. They were delicious, but I didn't like the green curry sauce that they came with as much as the soy-and-vinegar-based dipping sauce at Kingdom.

For my entree at Soy and Sake, I ordered the Thai grilled salmon, which was pan seared soy fish that came with a spicy Thai sauce that seemed almost like a gazpacho - tiny bits of green and red pepper, pineapple and cucumber combined in a tomato broth with Thai seasonings and pepper flakes. The salmon was served with rice;and crispy, fresh, steamed broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, carrots, and peppers. Pat ordered a grilled chicken dish that came with rice; a mild, brown curry sauce; and sauteed onions and peppers. I ate so much that I still felt full the next morning. I want to go back to New York so I can eat at this restaurant again.

After eating at Soy and Sake, Pat and I ambled over to Lula's, which is a vegan ice cream shop. The ice cream is made out of cashews and tastes rich, creamy, and delicious. We ordered a scoop of peanut butter-chocolate and of mint chocolate chip ice cream. The peanut butter-chocolate ice cream was rich, containing intense flavors. I love peanut butter and, in some spoonfuls, the peanut butter was so thick that it seemed like it had actually been stirred in. The peanut butter was well distributed throughout the scoop, though, and complimented, instead of overwhelming, the chocolate. The mint ice cream, however, could've used more chocolate to offset the mint flavor. If I'm ever at Lula's when I'm more hungry, I'll order a brownie sundae. So many options... Pat and I sat on a shady bench outside of Lula's and savored our ice cream, which was an amazing way to cool off. I enjoyed myself.

Saturday in Bethlehem, PA - Double Decker, Vegan Treats, and Secret Art Space - Memorial Day Weekend

On Saturday, Pat and I drove to his grandma's house in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which is an hour south of New York City. His grandma also lives near Double Decker Records and Vegan Treats.

I went crazy in the record store and invested too much money in a few fairly rare 7"s. I bought a Man is the Bastard 7", NOTA's "Moscow" ep, a Citizen's Arrest flexi, and the Rambo/Crucial Unit split 7" (which isn't rare and was reasonably priced). Pat bought the 1983 Dicks record "Kill from the Heart," which SST had released and is extremely hard to find in good condition in the Northeast. I was happy. We then got in Pat's un-airconditioned car and drove to Vegan Treats. Yes, I worried how the vinyl would hold up to the heat, having had albums warp in the past. And the purchase also made me feel a bit extravagant and self-indulgent, since I already have the MP3s for the 7"s. Actually holding the records, being able to look at the artwork and lyrics, and listening to music on the record player is special to me, though.

At the one and only Vegan Treats, I got a mocha cheesecake, and a dark and white chocolate cake. Pat got a berry cheesecake and a peanut-butter filled donut. The cheesecake was delicious. How can you go wrong with the chocolate-coffee combination? Unfortunately, the desserts at Vegan Treat's have shrunk in the last year. Previously, a solid chocolate spoon decorated the mocha cheesecake, like an invitation to stir a cup of coffee. Now, the cheesecake is just as good, but this chocolate amenity has been cut. The cake used to feed comfortably two people. Now, besides cutting some of the tasty embellishments, such as the chocolate spoon, the cake feeds only one person. Of course, now if you share,maybe you can sample several desserts. The price per cake has gone down some, although per bite the cake is now more expensive. The cake and other desserts are still amazing. I had a bite of the chocolate combo cake and was impressed with the balance of textures in addition to chocolate flavors. The chocolate cake was surrounded by a soft chocolate icing, sprinkled with white chocolate chips, and layered by ribbons of dark chocolate. Meanwhile, molten chocolate pieces were scattered throughout it. Yum. Anyway, I love and appreciate Vegan Treats.

On Saturday night, Pat and I went to a show in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania at the Secret Art Space. We got directions there by asking a woman working at a vegetarian cafe, which offers mochas, but lacks an espresso machine. (Can I be a coffee snob if I admit to liking coffee from WaWa?) Anyway, Distress Signal from Philly played. Pat has known one of the members in the band for a while. I hadn't met him previously. Distress Signal plays metal. Some of the vocals are a little higher pitched than I like, but I the band is solid and fun to watch. The venue was comfortable and clean with a lot of open space. Significantly, someone did a great job of soundproofing it. The PA was loud, but you couldn't hear much noise at all from the outside.

PS When I left my house, I noticed that the elderly lady across the street had dumped a bunch of lettuce in our yard near the sewer. Obnoxious.

Kingdom of Vegetarian

Last Saturday, I went to Philly and dined. Some of Philly's restaurants offer masterpiece meals. Kingdom of Vegetarian is on the top of my list of favorite restaurants of all times. The dim sum section of Kingdom's menu spans a full, small-print page. I love the scallion pancakes, which are crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. They are complimented by a soy-sauce based, sweet dipping sauce. The crusty exterior of the sesame-crusted, mock chicken nuggets is rounded out by tender, moist chicken on the inside. The nuggets come with a tangy, sweet orange sauce. Mushrooms, bamboo shoots, pepper flakes and water chestnuts float in the spicy and savory broth of Kingdom's hot and sour soup. It deserves a food lover's award.

The menu expansively offers Chinese food with a few extra dishes flavored with Asian and Latin spices. In terms of entrees, I shared the Cumin Lamb and the General Tso's Chicken. As the name suggests, the cumin stands out in the mock lamb dish, but you can also taste garlic and hot pepper flakes. Sauteed, julienned green peppers and onions accompany the lamb. The General Tso's Chicken comes on a bed of steamed broccoli. The mock chicken is battered, deep fried, and coated in a hot-sweet General Tso's sauce. The chicken mimics the flavor and texture of real chicken. The broccoli is crisp. The seeds and flakes of hot peppers are abundantly scattered across the plate.

After Kingdom, I headed to Gourmet to Go, which sells Vegan Treats. I got a slice of cake there that is reminiscent of strawberry shortcake. Thin slices of vanilla cake are stacked together, held in place by a combination of mock whipped cream and strawberry slices. The cake is finished with a coating of chocolate and a chocolate-covered strawberry. Delicious, although rich.

Anyway, here's to Philly food adventures!

Surprise Birthday Party

A few weeks ago, I went to a surprise birthday party in Baltimore for my friend Sarah. Rarely do people actually end up being surprised by a party. Someone slips up and alerts the person or the person stumbles across incriminating party invitations. Anyway, Sarah was shocked.

The Subterfuge. Sarah's friend Jenny asked for help from Sarah in moving furniture. Jenny plied Sarah with the promise of a birthday cupcake and a gift. Sarah spent the afternoon running errands with another friend, Danae, and was an hour and a half late in getting to the party. Danae couldn't think of a smooth way to get Sarah to focus on the time.

The Success. People brought all kinds of appetizers, from hummus to stuffed mushrooms. Jenny, however, outdid herself. She made two kinds of vegan cupcakes: lemon cupcakes with lemon icing, and vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting and sprinkles. Then, she decorated a giant sheet cake so that it looked like Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night. She mixed the colors in bowls of frosting, which she used to make a textured, perfect reproduction of the painting. I was awed. The cake itself was chocolate. Beyond being gorgeous, it tasted delicious - a moist, chocolate cake with a whipped, vanilla frosting. I'm still so impressed. I felt like I was eating a high-priced, professionally-made dessert from the televised Charm City Cakes. Beyond the cake for dessert, Jenny offered a few flavors of ice cream and a friend from Brooklyn brought a berry pie.

Earlier in the day, I was at the Native American Museum and, while I was there, I bought Sarah a sheet of skull molds to make Dia de Los Muertes candies. I didn't contribute much in the way of food. The party was planned only a few days before, which may be why the surprise actually worked. I hadn't seen Sarah in a month and she seemed overwhelmed by the party treats and presence of her friends, which was cool.

PS Jenny is in school right now with the goal of becoming a physical therapist. She discounts herself as an artist, despite her ability to recreate Dutch, post-impressionist masterpieces in icing.

Biodiesel, Burmese Food, and Bands

As the sun rose, I clambered into Pat's van on Saturday. I agreed to ride with him to Purcellville, Virginia so he could buy a kit to make his own biodiesel through transesterification. A Purcellville local sold the kit of storage drums that were linked together on a wooden structure. He talked to Pat for an hour about lye, methanol, and vegetable oil. I listened from inside the van and only hopped out to ask about toxicity. The man agreed with me that the chemicals, especially the methanol, could be toxic. Create biodiesel with caution. He, however, reassured me that it'd be safe for animals. I may not be a scientist, but Pat's dogs need to avoid the lye.

I appreciate Pat's efforts to make fuel and to be energy independent. The formula for producing biodiesel only involves three ingredients. Little things can cause problems, though. If water gets into the mix of lye and methanol, even from the humidity in the air, you end up with soap instead of fuel.

The engine of Pat's van is already converted to run on either veggie oil or diesel. Pat has taken several trips in it relying on filtered veggie oil as a primary fuel source. Unfortunately, the veggie oil takes a while to heat up enough to be usable for fuel, so it isn't functional for short trips. Now, he can use his biodiesel for short trips and, potentially, for future cars. No one needs to get his or her diesel vehicle converted to use the biodiesel.

After placing the equipment in the back of Pat's van, Pat and I explored Purcellville. It's a small town. We parked next to a park hosting the Purcellville Heritage Day Celebration, which basically consisted of kids riding donkeys around in a circle and wine tastings. We walked past the festival for a mile and discovered an amazing coffee place. I got a frozen, soy mocha coffee drink and Pat got a similar drink with crushed Oreos. Worth the walk.

We returned to DC in time to go to Mandalay, which is an incredible Burmese restaurant, for dinner! Burmese food is a cross between Indian and Thai food. I ordered the ginger salad, which is out of this world, and a noodle dish laden with potatoes, tofu, and spices. Some people's eyes go vacant when they hear the word "salad," but push images of limp greens aside. The ginger salad consists of julienned ginger, shredded cabbage, and bamboo shoots in a spicy sauce of hot pepper flakes, sesame seeds, lemon juice, garlic oil and rice vinegar. The tangy sweetness of the ginger contrasts with the fieriness of the sauce, while the crunch of the cabbage adds texture. Mandalay tops the salad off with some crushed peanuts and fresh herbs. I always sprinkle on some extra dried, hot pepper flakes. Thinking of that salad makes my mouth water.

Pat's band Rations played on Saturday night at the Corpse Fortress with Troops of Tomorrow, Dry Spell, Pistol Bitch, and Lion of Judah. I watched Rations from the stairs and had a great view of everyone playing. Rations now has a tape of their demo and t-shirts available for sale. A friend, Gary, had done a two-page interview of Parsons, the singer for Rations, which was positive. Gary passed the interview out at the show like a one-paper zine. Parsons joked as he waved the paper that he'd started his own one-paper scrapbook. I had fun and the show wrapped up by midnight.

Pat's Birthday

Yesterday was Pat's birthday. He invited people over for jumbo slice pizza from Duccini's, milkshakes with Klein's vegan ice cream, and vegan "double downs" (make chicken out of seitan, bread the chicken with bread crumbs, flour, and spices, and, then, deep fry it; fry tempeh bacon in a skillet; make sauce out of vegannaise and horseradish; sprinkle Daiya cheese on one side of two chicken patties; and use the chicken patties as bread, placing the cheese and bacon in the middle), and donuts. His roommate Nolan was in charge of the chicken patties and showed true expertise and skill in making moist seitan with texture mimicking actual chicken. I'm so impressed with his cooking prowess. Jason Toner made the donuts. He can eye the donut dough and tell when it's risen properly. He makes vegan donuts better than any sold by Dunkin' Donuts.

I made a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting for Pat and headed over to his house after work. I got there a bit before Pat, who returned home with a stack of pizza boxes and two hungry roommates, Nolan and Greg. They were joking and talking about chicken as they ate their jumbo slices of pizza. I haven't measured a jumbo slice before, but the pieces are like props in a movie about giants. Each slice is the equivalent of a small pizza in some restaurants. Other people arrived and dove into the pizza. Pat got two full pizzas, which should feed 16 people without any other food offerings, and two containers of pizza fries. The pizza fries were particularly nice for Zack, who has a wheat allergy and can't eat standard pizza dough. On both the pizza and the fries, Duccini's liberally sprinkles Daiya cheese.

I confess that I passed on the double downs. I finished off my jumbo slice and did eat one piece of the fried, seitan chicken. My stomach couldn't have handled a double portion of chicken, plus Daiya, sauce and bacon. I did, however, leave room for a hot Boston Creme donut. I almost burnt my fingers dipping the donut in the glaze after Jason removed it from the deep fryer. I also drank part of a mint milkshake right after I finished my pizza and took a sip of Pat's coffee milkshake as the donuts were being made.

Between the concussion, the nausea from the antibiotics for the Lyme Disease, two mistrials in three weeks, watching my client cry as I was asking for a mistrial, insane boss, getting hassled by two different creepy attorneys in the courthouse for a date, reports of my aunt dying slowly, my cousin who is my family in the area telling me she's probably moving due to getting laid off, my sister acting like I'm not worth talking with half of the time, feeling guilty that I can't take off of work to go to my close friend's birthday party in San Francisco, I don't think I'm handling additional stress well right now. I feel particularly sensitive, which isn't a good place to be in.

Pat's dogs are adorable.

Joey & Greg's Birthdays

A few weeks ago, before my run of bad luck, I went to two birthday celebrations - one on a Monday and one on a Wednesday night.

The first birthday celebration was in honor of my friend Joey, who is a gentle, good-natured, easygoing guy. He also lacks any sense of time. Our friend Julie baked him a chocolate cake in the shape of a dinosaur and put Fruit Loops on top of it. Our friend Alex bought an assortment of chewy candy. Lots of people sat around on couches and we talked. We waited. Then, we waited some more, which was alright since I got to catch up with some people who I hadn't spoken with in a while. The party was supposed to start at 8:00 p.m. At about 8:45 p.m., Julie called Joey and he told her that he was waiting for some clothes to get out of the dryer and would be over as soon as they were done. O.K. At around 10:00 p.m., I sent Joey a text that I couldn't stay much longer. At around 10:15, Joey rushed in the door with his bicycle helmet on. Facing Julie and me, he said: "Your boy fell asleep." He added: "I got your text, Kim, while I was riding my bike over here and hoped that you wouldn't be gone." (Aside: A while back, Joey was playing in band at a house show. The band wanted to start playing, but Joey was missing. He was apparently in another part of DC. He didn't arrive at the show for another 40 minutes... The clincher: the house hosting the show was his house.)

Anyway, Joey doesn't like to be the center of attention, which may be part of the reason why he was late to the party. As the flames rose up on the candles on his cake, the color on his cheeks rose to a deep red. Not only did he seem appreciative, but he also noted that the cake was his first dinosaur cake. In talking with him, I always appreciate his curiosity and big heart.

A good transition to the next birthday party: Joey and I started talking about Cafe Green, which is a new, sit-down, swanky vegan restaurant that just opened up in DC.

My friend Greg celebrated his birthday on Wednesday. A group of about 14 of us gathered and went to Cafe Green. We sat at a giant, round table, which meant no one could talk to people on the opposite side of the table without shouting. The owner of the restaurant kept coming by our table and repeating with a smile that he'd envisioned such a group around that table - "friends, community." Expensive gathering place.

I ordered the sesame salad with mock chicken, which cost $12. I topped it off with a $2 order of cornbread, an order being a single, small slice of cornbread. My salad was larger than a typical side salad, but not what I'd categorize as a dinner portion. After eating the salad and the bread, I was still hungry. The salad contained a variety of greens, but the chicken lacked flavor. Despite the sesame dressing, the chicken pieces still tasted like bland lumps. Chris and I ordered cornbread, which was dry enough that neither one of us wanted to eat it until more water arrived at the table. I shared my piece with Pat who complained that it was cold.

Greg, Pat, Chris, Brian, and some other people ordered the $11 mock steak and cheese sandwich. We knew the waiter. As he deposited Greg's sandwich on the table, Greg asked: "Where is the whole sandwich? I didn't want a half order." We did get two free slices of cake, which was enough for everyone at our table to get a bite. The cake also served as a cue to sing "Happy Birthday."

We left Greg's house at 6:45 and got done with dinner at around 10:20. We returned to Greg's house and I made a quick batch of cookies, which got wolfed down since people were still hungry. After a three hour dinner, still hungry; go figure. I had wanted to try the restaurant, even if I may not return there again. The memory of the birthday celebration makes the evening special even if the food was - yes, I'll use the word - boring.

Food for Zack's Birthday

I'm basically going to ramble through this entry about the food I prepared yesterday for my housemate Zack's birthday, who is not only vegan, but also gluten free. He has a wheat allergy. One of my friends joked that he heard Zack is not a wheatist. I like plays on words and ignore eye-rolling.

I made vegetable lasagna for the entree and cake for dessert. I hunted down rice noodles from Whole Foods and also got coconut flour for icing. Seeing asparagus on sale, I added steamed asparagus with lemon-orange sauce to the menu as a side dish. For the lasagna, I grabbed some zucchini as the Whole Foods employee was placing it in the bin. I also got mushrooms, a poblano pepper, and spinach. I already had an orange pepper and some Daiya cheese at home.

When I got into the kitchen, I started off by making the icing for the cakes, wanting time for it to thicken in the fridge. Cakes without gluten sometimes have the texture of sand and, while not giving up on the cake, I wanted to detract from its potential dryness with a rich, but light, icing. So, I followed the recipe for chocolate icing from the Babycakes' cookbook, which calls for a bunch of specialized ingredients such as coconut flour, soy milk powder, and agave. I mixed everything together and shoved the bowl in the fridge. The Babycakes'-style frosting has a consistency similar to whipped cream, but still packs a lot of flavor. I made the Babycakes' vanilla frosting for a friend's birthday in January and her house stuck the remaining vanilla icing in their freezer, eating it like ice cream over the next day.

Next, I made a small, round, chocolate, vegan, gluten-free cake and a larger vegan, chocolate sheet cake. The gluten-free cake turned out well, maybe because the chocolate chunks in it made it seem more moist.

In making the sheet cake, I'll confess to cutting corners. I simply blended a can of Diet Pepsi into Duncan Hines cake mix. This recipe for a cake may sound disgusting, but actually produces a moist, delicious cake. The soda substitutes for both eggs and oil without interfering with the flavor. A secret ingredient.

While the cakes cooled, I prepared the sauce for the lasagna. I always add extra garlic and usually put crushed red pepper into the sauce. Then, I diced the vegetables and put them into a pot to simmer for five minutes in a light, herb-rich sauce that I'd whisked together. I also blanched the spinach and mixed some Daiya cheese in with it as it cooled.

Finally, I made two layers of lasagna by stacking sauce, lasagna noodles, vegetables, spinach, and extra cheese. I topped it off with extra sauce and a sprinkling of Daiya cheese. Then, I talked to Lucas and Zack as the lasagna baked in the oven for 40 minutes.

Pat came over just in time for dinner. Zack, Lucas, Pat, and I managed to finish the entire lasagna as well as the asparagus.

After dinner, several people came over to eat cake, wish Zack a happy birthday, and watch a movie. Pat bought some Mocha Soy Dream ice cream, which went well with the cake.

We looked through the Netflix streaming video selection for a while and picked The Blues Brothers, which was entertaining. The Blues Brothers ends with the longest police chase I've ever seen in a movie. The entire Chicago police force trails after the brothers, who evade the police with enough spare time to stroll into a building and make a tax payment before hundreds of officers arrest them.

Jaimie made Zack an eclectic-looking, metal mobile as a birthday present. I didn't get a good look at it, but I saw some sharp objects, almost like geometry projectors, hanging near, I think, a castanet. I just glanced at it from a distance, though, so my description almost amounts to speculation. Zack's face lit up when he saw the present and I'm sure it's hanging in his room. I heard someone refer to it as the "death mobile."

Finally, the movie was over, and the cake and the friends were gone. Before he left, I found Joey, a mutual friend, standing at the sink in our kitchen, conscientiously trying to scrub cake plates. It was a nice night.