I found out some fun and exciting news this week: I am a Top 5 Finalist in the DOLE California Cook-Off! The competition takes place at the Epicurean School of Culinary Arts on June 26th in Los Angeles California. You guys know I'm a (Santa Cruz/LA) California girl living in NYC, so I'm super excited for any excuse to visit my old stomping grounds in LA.

Celeb Chef Judge. The cook-off will be judged by Celebrity Chef Ben Ford of Ford's Filling Station Restaurant in Culver City California. He's also Harrison Ford's son, and who doesn't love anything to do with Harrison Ford? Say hi to him on twitter: @ChefBenFord.

Vegan Underdog. I am proud to say that my dish is the only vegetarian recipe finalist. I am simply giddy to be showcasing a healthy, delicious, 100% vegan dish. So, are you dying to see which recipe I will be spinning out at the cook-off? Here is it...

DOLE California Cook-Off. Among other rules, these were two biggies:
* recipe must contain at least one (1) of the following DOLE ingredients: 1 can (20 oz.) DOLE Pineapple (crushed, tidbits, chunks, or slices, in syrup or juice), 1 can (11 oz. or 15 oz.) DOLE Mandarin Oranges, 1 can (15.25 oz.) DOLE Tropical Fruit, 1 cup DOLE Pineapple Juice, or 1 cup DOLE Pineapple Mango Juice;

* The Contest Submission must not contain more than eight (8) ingredients (herbs/spices, water and cooking spray do not count);

So I entered one of my favorite recipes that I make using DOLE mandarin orange slices...

practice makes perfect - making this dish more than a few times (good thing it's delicious!!)...

Ginger Mandarin Orange Rice with Cashew Tofu! It's a vegan comfort food dish with a sweet and sassy flavor appeal. A little salty, a little sweet and a hint of heat from the warm fresh ginger. Super healthy and cravable - definitely one of my go-to meals when I'm short on time. I love this recipe because it actually uses the mandarin orange can juice to help flavor the tofu and the rice. Nothing wasted is one of my favorite cooking mottos, right?

You can see my recipe and the 4 other finalist recipes on the DOLE California Cook-Off website. All you have to do is enter your email to view the contest finalist recipes as well as some other info about the competition and Chef Ford.

Foodie Blogger Power. Another fun aspect of the cook-off is that each finalist will get a 'helper' and from this DOLE CC post by Food Tramp Diaries, I think the helpers are food bloggers. How fun is that?! I can't wait to see who I'll be paired up with. Food bloggers just happen to be some of my favorite people. Erin from Food Tramp Diaries on twitter.

...and yes I will take tons of photos and blog all the DOLE-tastic cook-off fun!

And I want to say a big CONGRATS to the other four finalists! I'm so excited to meet you and have a deliciously fun day in Cali at the DOLE California Cook-Off. Good luck to everyone!

So be sure and check out the DOLE California Cook-Off website . And please spread the word about the contest - I'm super excited and appreciate all the support I can get!

🙂

Other links:

Chef Ben Ford on twitter: @ChefBenFord.
Ford's Filling Station Restaurant
Food Bloggers involved:
@foodtrampEF
@JustinEats

DOLE on Facebook
DOLE Nutrition Institute
DOLE Promotions

Dole logo and contest image from www.dolecookoff.com

Love those DOLE mandarin orange slices...

Fuzzy memories of childhood tell me that I craved two main foods for lunch as a kid:

1) A sticky apricot jam-slathered, honey-drizzled, chunky peanut butter, quartered-into-square slices PBJ sandwich on toast. Or...
2) A buttery warm grilled cheddar cheese sandwich. Cut into triangles. Crusts on.

Flash Forward to adulthood. Kitchen. Lunchtime. I'm slathering almond butter, apricot jam, sliced bananas and cinnamon onto toasted spelt or sprouted grain bread. Crusts on. Side of ice cold vanilla soy milk - dash of cinnamon and nutmeg stirred in. PBJ's transition from kid food to adult food: seamless.

Grilled Cheese: Revisited. As part of my Paninis 'n Grill Marks series, here is my Vegan Grilled Cheese 101. Cheesy childhood treat for all...

Vegan Grilled Cheese 101

PART ONE: The Cheese.

Soy Cheese. A History. Like I said, vegan cheese was pretty bad for a good few years. I remember years ago experimenting, as a vegetarian, with this new crazy food called "soy cheese". It came in several flavors. I decided I liked the Spicy Jack Soy Cheese the best. It melted like a dream. Yippee. I felt empowered. I brushed aside my once-beloved Brie, Munster and Swiss dairy cheeses. Who needs dairy now?! This soy cheese is perfection!

With the "soy cheese" I made pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, and even those 1990's English Muffin Pizzas with pizza sauce and some soy cheese - into the toaster oven on broil for ten minutes. Then I started reading. Magazines, books, food labels. Ingredients: casein.

Huh? "What is 'milk-derived' casein doing in my soy cheese? Wouldn't that defeat the point of...." Like most, I was perplexed. What's the point of soy cheese if it still contains dairy?

Well now I know that casein is a milk-derived ingredient that is added to many soy cheese varieties. The casein allows the cheese to do what all cheese should do: melt. However, soy cheese containing casein is not vegan.

I had embraced casein-containing soy cheese for a while - but as I read more and ate more and listened to my body more - I decided to nix the dairy from my diet. And that meant tossing fro-yo, milk chocolate, whipped cream, dairy ice cream....and soy cheese with casein. Goodbye grilled cheese.

I then experimented with every type of casein-free vegan soy cheese you could find. #FAIL. Almost all of them failed to pass the "melt test". Cheeseless me.

Vegan Melt-Tested Yummy Cheeses:

Flash Forward to now. Hooray! Vegan, meltable, yummy, cravable, versatile cheese is alive and well thanks to me two favorite brands: Daiya and Follow Your Heart. No, it is not exactly the same as dairy cheese - but I love it.

When I'm craving a melting cheese accent to my recipes, a tiny sprinkle of Daiya or a sliver of FYH will satisfy that craving. I'll admit when I first discovered Daiya cheese pizza I was craving it every night (from Pala pizza here in NYC). Too much of a good thing and I had a Daiya-overload. Do not do this. I felt like a kid trying chocolate for the first time. But be an adult, and manage the vegan cheese cravings well - everything in moderation - including cheese. The vegan label doesn't give you a free-for-all eating pass.

SIDENOTE: My other all-time fave vegan raw cheese is tree-nut cheese from folks like Dr.Cow. I have not tried a Dr.Cow tree-nut grilled cheese sandwich. I imagine it would be delicious - but very expensive! For salads and cheese 'n crackers I adore Dr.Cow - more info here.

Shredded Daiya Cheese:

Daiya Cheese. Melts into a gooey slick-taffy-like consistency. Kinda like mozzarella. Perfect choice for pizza and...grilled cheese sandwiches. It has a slightly milky texture to it which deserves a taste test. Are you a Daiya fan??

Daiya has come to be referred to as the 'tapioca-based' cheese. It comes in a variety of flavors like mozzarella and cheddar. Sadly, it is only in limited retail distribution right now. But it is quickly gaining popularity - among all cheese-lovers. I know many non-vegans who love it. And many pizza restaurants (like the chain Zpizza) are quickly hopping on the bandwagon of offering a Daiya cheese option for their vegan customers. But if you can find Daiya in a grocery store, lucky you! Here are the ingredients...

Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheese. FYH melts very well at high temperatures. And the flavor of the Monterey Jack is my amazing - my favorite. I actually use the Monterey Jack flavor instead of the Mozzarella flavor on my FYH vegan pizzas. FYH is more widely available than Daiya cheese right now.

Melted Follow Your Heart:

PART TWO: Bread. Have you ever seen Shear Genius on Bravo where they end each show by saying "Hair. Is important." Well my slogan for grilled cheese making, "Bread. Is Important."

The cheese shouldn't be the star of the show. Yes, I'll say it again. Cheese shouldn't be the star of the show. It's all about bread quality and flavor. If you have great cheese on crummy bread, you've #failed.

Tips for Bread.

*Choose bread that is hearty enough to stand up to the grilling process. A fluffy white bread will usually wilt or burn on an at-home grill.

*Grain, dried fruit or seed containing bread is a nice touch because the toasted bits bring out warm complex tones in the bread.

*Slice your bread thick enough so that there is a nice two-tone texture in the final product. You want a crunchy outer crust while maintaining some moistness on the inner layer of the bread. A cracker-crunchy end product sandwich isn't ideal to most.

*Don't slice too thick though. You want the bread just thin enough so that the cheese can melt properly.

*Bread from a professional baker is my favorite. I love using Amy's Bread, Black Rooster or Sullivan Street here in NYC. Something with a hearty crusty. Amy's fennel seed, golden raisin, cornmeal crusted = yum. Or walnut whole wheat. But FYI, day old bread is very grillable, just watch out for dryness. The great thing about grilled bread is that it doesn't have to be 'fresh-baked' bread.

*ideas: spelt, whole wheat, baguette bread, sourdough, cinnamon raisin, Country white sliced thick, rye, potato, thin bagels, seeded multi-grain, pumpernickel, ciabatta or one of my healthy faves: sprouted grain bread.

PART THREE: The "spread".

I think my mom used to slather a thin layer of butter on my grilled cheese bread. Then the butter soaked bread would grill up into buttery bliss. Today I use:

*Nothing. Keep it dry and hope for the best.

*Vegenaise. Just a very light spread on the outer sides of the bread will do it.

*A light brush of extra virgin olive oil. (Or I get adventurous with grapeseed, walnut or macadamia nut oils)

*A light spread of vegan buttery spread.

I very often do the 'dry bread' grill and it actually works out just fine on my panini press.

PART FOUR: Tools. I use a panini press. But you can use a wide saute pan, stove top grill or even backyard grill. Read all about my tools advice in Grilling Guide 101. You'll want to have a nice wide spatula around as well.

PART FIVE: Step-by-Step Grilled Cheese

1. Turn on the stove or warm up the panini press and grab the ingredients. Bread, cheese, optional 'spread' and other optional ingredients. There are thousands of different grilled cheese ingredient combos - but lets start off with a basic cheese and bread sandwich.

2. If using a spread, apply it to the outer sides of the bread now.

3. Place the first slice of bread - spread side down - on your grill. Add the cheese quickly, trying not to spill it onto the grill. Note: you can use thinly sliced cheese or traditional grated cheese. Grated cheese melts fastest.

4. Place the top layer of bread over the cheese - spread side up this time. Close the panini press with a firm press. If using a basic saute pan, you'll want to press down on the sandwich firmly with a spatula. If using a basic pan - you can cover the bread with foil to crate some intense moist heat that will melt the cheese faster without drying out the bread too quickly. When the cheese is melted, remove the foil to get that final crisp outer layer texture.

5. Grilled cheese sandwiches take anywhere from 2-5 minutes, depending on the tools and ingredients you are using.

6. Remove sandwich from heat. Place on flat surface to cool for about a minute. Remember that some of the cheese will continue to heat and melt a minute or so after the sandwich is removed from the grill - so don't burn the bread just to over-melt the cheese. Slice. Serve.

Easy, right?

My number one tip: practice makes perfect. And experimentation is king. Try out a few different varieties of bread, combinations of cheese flavors, thickness slices in the bread, spreads and tools. Discover what you like. Everyone is different..

Grilled cheese is a very personal thing. I like my grilled cheese super moist on the inner layer with accents of fresh basil and black pepper. Sometimes a hint of spicy harissa. On thin sliced grain/seeded bread that crunches on the outside - while staying soft and chewy on inside. But that's just me. How do you like your grilled cheese...?

Tomorrow I'll be posting one of my favorite recipes for a modified grilled cheese sandwich some super yummy ingredients added. Here is a preview...

More Cheesy Pics...

Bust your doughnut craving by trying my yummy Papaya Doughnuts with Sunflower Seed Sprinkles and a Lime-Agave Drizzle. Super fun and super delicious.

Those Aren't doughnuts! Not really. More like Fruitnuts. But they are 100% guilt free doughnut-looking treats. Use your imagination and your happy tastebuds will be all you need to make this recipe again and again. Serve this fruit breakfast dish to your favorite kid - big or small.

No Papayas or Sunflower Seeds on Hand? That's OK. You can make a craft out of this dish by using assorted seed sprinkles and different "doughnut" fruit slices. Try peaches, apricots, pineapples, grapefruit, mangoes, melons or apples. If they don't have a natural hole - simply punch one out with a narrow glass or cookie cutter.

Here's the sweet 'n simple recipe...

Kids Allowed! You can even have the kids 'decorate' their own papaya doughnut. Simply give the platter of lime-juice coated doughnuts and let them squeeze on some agave and sprinkle the seeds. You can use a variety of seeds sprinkles such as:

sesame seeds
poppy seeds
sunflower seeds
fennel seeds
hemp seeds
...and more!

And you can even make apple or pineapple ring doughnuts too! Simply remove the core instead of scooping the seeds. Any other doughnut ring fruits you can think of?? Get creative!

Papaya Doughnuts with sunflower sprinkles and lime-agave drizzle
makes 5-8 doughnuts, depending on size of papaya

1 large ripe papaya
*I used a Red Mexican Papaya
¼ cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds
1 lime
agave syrup squeeze bottle (maple syrup or honey also works)

Directions:

1. Wash the skin of your papaya in cool water or with veggie was very well.

2. Slice the papaya in half and scoop out the seeds.

3. Slice the halves into ¾-1 inch thick rounds.

4. Squeeze lime juice over top the papaya rounds. Position on serving platter.

5. Drizzle agave syrup over papaya rounds. Sprinkle plentiful sprinkles on top.

Serve the doughnuts! No dunking allowed...Eat with your hands for maximum fun-factor.

..this makes a perfect weekend fruit recipe for a brunch spread. So much fun. And trust me, delicious.

My poor husband has been drowning in vicious seasonal allergies this week and all I want to do is pour fresh healthy juices down his allergy-stressed throat. Sinus pain, itchy eyes, miserable pressure headaches and Claritin-D pill popping is no fun. But guess what, drinking fresh juices and smoothies is! Getting a nice dose of live enzymes and healthy nutrients from fruits and veggies is my at-home wellness tip for anyone who is "Achoo-ing" themselves into misery.

I Have No Time to Chew. Someone once told me that they have no time to chew during their workday. I laughed, but I also get it! It's tricky to digest a big bowl of fruit or veggies when your stressing out over meetings and your Blackberry won't stop violently blinking at you all day long.

My solution: sipping fresh juices and smoothies is a fast and easy way to replenish your body on-the-go. And even if you don't have a at-home juicer, that's OK - you'll still pick up a few wellnes tips and know what ingredients to look for when "juicing-out" at a juice/smoothie bar. Make allergy season, juicing season. Get my 6 juices and tips...

Superfoods. There's obviously no cure for seasonal allergies. But you can test and try out a few of these flavors and ingredients and see if they ease your allergy symptoms at all. The idea is that healthy foods are healing foods.

Lightbulb! Instead of chugging a double Tall iced cappuccino in the morning between sneezes, try chugging a nutrient and enzyme rich juice or smoothie.

Fun Fact: The National Institute of Health sites that fruit enzymes like bromelain are proven to be an effective way to assist in treating Sinusitis (sinus inflammation) and inflammation pain.

Live Enzymes. A stuffy nose is nothing to laugh at, and watery itchy eyes are a pain. Allergies usually mean that your immume system is in overdrive gear - it's trying desperately to maintain a level of calm, but all these allergens in the air continue to disturb its restful state of health...

Give your immune system a hand! Nurture it with live enzymes and healthy nutrients. The enzyme action from fruit enzymes like papain and bromelain might assist your distressed immune system.

Spicy Kick! Wack those allergies with a spicy kick from foods and accents like ginger, cayenne and garlic. My favorite line at the juice bar this time of year: "extra extra ginger please." "...and yes lost of cayenne."

Here are some recipes and flavors to inspire you:

Allergy Juices (and smoothies)

1. Ginger Juice Shooters.
No time for a full glass? Whip up a nice juice shot with a serious spicy ginger kick. Fun for a pre-party palate cleanser recipe too...

2. 100% Fresh Pineapple Juice
Lots of fresh live raw enzyme action from the bromelain in pineapple. Juice freshly cut pineapple for the best effects. Add some ginger or cayenne for a spicy kick.

3. Super Sinus Juice
Lots of vitamin C and spicy ginger in this simple morning juice that I make for my husband quite often.

4. Pineapple Enzyme Banana Smoothie
This one is a smoothie. And it's awesome. Fresh zing flavor with a super spicy kick to cool your throat off and wake your sinuses up! Plus some potassium rich banana to help with any dehydration from all that sneezing!

5. Golden Spicy Beet Juice
Vitamin A and a sweet smooth beet flavor. If you are craving a veg-based juice - try golden beets and lots of ginger. Perfect combo fo flavor and wellness-appeal.

5. 100% Papaya Juice
Rich in the fruit enzyme papain, papayas are one of my favorite wellness fruits for breakfast. Get an easy dose of papaya by juicing it! Juicy papayas will produce a nice amount of juice too - so let the pink-juice-chugging begin!

Bonus! Calm Tummy Banana Smoothie. Sometimes its nice to calm out a frazzeled tummy. Allergies can make your digestive system a bit confused and upset. So here is one of my favorite smoothie recipes for chilling out a hungry belly.

...and you can never go wrong with Green Juice. My Green Juice 101 here.

Last week I posted about ZICO's new plastic bottle packaging option and new 'from concentrate' formula. I had a lot of questions about the changes. A ZICO PR rep saw my post and emailed me some facts. (see below)

But What's all the Fuss? It's "just coconut water" right? And the changes are so minimal, right? Yes and no.

There are two issues here. Coconut water and brand transparency. Both issues have merit. So it's not just about coconut water. The deeper issue is about keeping the conversation between consumer and company transparent. Just look at the secrecy in the meat and dairy industries - corruption galore. So, it's not just coconut water. It's food. Food is personal - lets keep it that way. Read ahead for ZICO's fact statement and my response to it...

Another UPDATE 5/20/2010
Here is the most recent update directly from ZICO:

-----------start ZICO info

- The evaporation process in general is extremely high-tech these days and therefore there is little to no impact on nutritional profiles of the product. Also, because ZICO is using a unique process that completes the evaporation in a matter of seconds and at a lower temperature than normal processes, the heat-intensive processing step that she was concerned about does not come into play. This is what allows us to maintain the nutrition content and maintain the fresh, clean taste of the product.

- There are cost savings in shipping (though that was not the primary goal), but the more environmentally friendly HDPE bottles also have a cost to them. Therefore we will continue to try to pass along whatever value we can to the consumer, while also doing our best to minimize the impact on the environment.

-----------end ZICO info

continue to original post...

Here are the facts from ZICO:

-----------begin ZICO statement:

*Though ZICO is made from concentrate that actually doesn’t change the all natural benefits of the product. The phrase “from concentrate” often has a questionable reputation. It really just means that the coconut water has had most of the water removed during the production process so that it could be more easily transported and stored. The water is then added back in, giving it the same nutritional breakdown as the original coconut water. ZICO does this to reduce production materials and resources, making it better for the environment.

*The new ZICO tastes a little different, but this has nothing to do with concentrate or the packaging. For the new ZICO, coconuts are sourced from all over the world, while the carton uses only coconuts from Brazil . The blend of coconuts in the ZICO bottle was specially selected for a lighter taste, lower caloric content and increased sodium, which helps optimize hydration. If people prefer the original ZICO taste, they can buy ZICO in the carton. It’s merely a taste preference.

*Both ZICO products contain five essential electrolytes, more potassium than a banana and zero fat, zero added sugar and zero cholesterol.

*The plastic ZICO bottle is #2 recyclable, which is accepted in almost all curbside recycling programs nationwide. These bottles are recycled 40 times more often than the paper carton Tetra Paks. The bottles are also made domestically.

*The Tetra Pak is not being discontinued. ZICO found that while many people love ZICO, they sometimes felt the Tetra Pak wasn’t shaped well to fit easily into their lifestyles. Since ZICO is such a great hydration drink for athletes and active people, the new bottle with the screw off cap makes it easier for people to carry it around, store it on a bike rack or toss it in their gym bag.

------------end ZICO statement.

Interesting enough right? Glad to have some questions answered. Here is my complete response I sent to ZICO:

Thank you for the information - I will pass it onto my readers. And I have a few comments of my own:

I am thrilled to hear that the ZICO Tetra Pak formula is not being discontinued. I am a huge fan of the traditional Orange Peel Passion Fruit flavor - from the beginning, it has been my favorite flavor-essenced coconut water.

In regards to the 'from concentrate' issue.
I understand that the nutrients may still be equally accounted for when you compare fresh to 'from concentrate' coconut water. But by concentrating the coconut water, you have added another processing step. And an intense one at that. I have read that the process of pasteurization (something done to all brands of packaged coco water) is much less heat intense than the process of concentrating (removing the water from) coconut water - which is a very heat intense process. Do you have any comments on this?

I ask because obviously the more you process a food - the farther the food strays from its original natural state. And when I shop for food I seek products that are minimally processed. I'd rather buy apples from my local farmers than from Whole Foods. Or buy soybeans and crush them into homemade veggie burgers than buy highly processed soymeat burgers. And I'd rather drink fresh squeezed orange juice from my neighborhood cafe than buy a frozen concentrate to mix at home. Less processing is simply a shopping mantra of mine. So when I read that ZICO has added another processing step to my beloved coconut water - it immediately hit me in the gut the wrong way. Regardless of the facts and figures about nutrients.

I will say that your assurance that the nutrients stay in tact does clear up a big question mark for me - but I personally still prefer the less processed formula over the 'from concentrate' version.

Last thing. As for the shipping ease of the new from concentrate formula - that's great! Better for the environment and I would imagine that this lowers ZICO's shipping costs greatly as well. I wish the cost savings would be passed onto the consumer. Most coconut water (of every brand) runs around $2 a drink - not exactly accessible to all consumer price-points. I recommend coconut water to just about everyone I meet - and they often comment that it is too expensive to drink regularly.

Again, thank you for the information - I will post it on my blog. I am a big fan of coconut water and ZICO has always been one of my top two favorite brands - simply delicious. Thus my intense interest in any brand changes.

Kathy

Your Turn! Now I'm curious... what do you guys think? Do you care? Are you sick of bloggers like me dissecting food brand news - or do you like being an informed consumer who holds companies fully accountable for their products?

I'll admit I get a little frustrated by the lack of immediate transparency from some companies nowadays - but I was glad to get some direct facts from ZICO.

OK, so maybe it's just a silly coconut beverage to some of you out there. But I think as consumers we have to stick up for brands we love and demand transparency. Just look at the extreme secrecy in the meat and dairy industries - corruption galore. Food is personal - lets keep it that way.

Read my original post on ZICO's new packaging and formula here.

For the first part of my Vegan Grilling Series, Paninis and Grill Marks, I'll be covering the basics in Veg Grilling 101: green grilling tips, fave veg grilling foods and flavors, options for tools and my easy clean-up tips.

Memorial Day Grill-Fest! The biggest grilling weekend of the year is just a few weeks away and I'm grill-tastically excited. Grab your "Kiss the Grillmaster" chef hat and polish up that spatula - this is your summer to get behind the grill (or humble panini press). And this grill season meat is out and green is in!

Why Should Meat-Lovers Have all the Fun? Who says the grill season can only be celebrated by our non-vegan buddies? I've gone to one too many BBQ's where my sad garden burger sat lonely on the grill - sequestered to a tiny corner.

Make Your Veg Grill Mark. The truth is, grilling vegan foods like hearty veggie burgers, marinated tofu, seitan skewers and tempeh is a delicious way to enjoy those grill marks. And to me, veggies like lemon asparagus, caramelized onions, skewered bell peppers and glazed portobella mushrooms have always been the star of the grill. I want to make sure you are ready and inspired this grilling season. Bring on the summer, the sun and the grill marks...

Green Grilling: Tips. When starting a conversation about grill season, the topic of "green grilling" comes to mind. Here are my must-know points:

*Use the Good Stuff. Try to cut down on the common after effect of a big backyard grill fest: bags and bags of throw-away garbage from plates, plastic cups, plastic silverware and napkins. OK, throw-away napkins are one thing - but maybe bring out a nice stack of reusable glasses and plates for your BBQ feast - less garbage - even if you do have an extra dishwashing session.

*Grill Veg. Obviously, this is a vegan-themed blog so I will only be chatting about veg grilling recipes. But it's never too late to share your veg grill goodies with your non-veg*n friends - there are a few veggie burgers, grilled mushrooms and grilled tofu recipes up my sleeve that even the meatiest meat eater will ogle at. Healthier for you, and the planet. ...Cooking meat dirties the air more than most people realize.

*Gas or Electric is Better. But not the best... Smoke contributes to smog, so obviously if you can grill without the smoke (aka charcoal black smoke BBQ pits) the air will thank you. Electric grills may be the greenest choice. Gas is better than charcoal. But obviously a real flame can up the taste of your grilled goods - compared to electric. But as you'll see from my series - it is quite possible to get delicious results from a simple indoor electric grill.

*Best, Greenest Way to Grill: Solar or Wind.If you can manage a solar powered or wind powered grill, bravo to you! You get a green star. And where did you find one at a reasonable price, might I ask?? Here is the only solar powered grill I could find...

Gizmodo's Solar Powered Grill

...FYI to inventors, the market is wide open for a modern, cost-savvy, solar or wind powered grill. Simply google "solar grill" and you'll see what I mean. No options (except the one I mentioned above). I did find this modern solar grill called Helios. But its just a concept, not for sale. Love it though!

Treehugger has a few more green grilling insights. Some fabulous Green Grilling Tips from GRIST here.

Vegan Foods to Grill and Panini.

Once you are inspired to get grilling, you'll need to do a nice shopping trip. The ingredients for grilling are pretty basic - and as always, using the freshest in-season produce makes for the most successful grilling fare. Even paninis taste better when accented with fresh, local, seasonal ingredients. Wild ramps, Daiya cheese, pear, vidalia, pink salt and harissa panini anyone??

Bread. When making paninis - the bread is important! It is the backbone of the entire project - so choose your bread wisely! Here are a few of my favorite breads for panini-making:
sliced spelt
a thin baguette
cinnamon raisin sliced bread
whole wheat
seeded or nut-dotted sliced bread
traditional sliced tangy sourdough
bagel or a bialy
english muffins
pumpernickel
rye
sprouted grain bread
pitas
tortillas for quesadilla panini
cornmeal crusted bread
ciabatta
...just to name a few.

Veggies and Fruits. You can really use just about any fruit or veggie in your panini if you're adventurous enough. But remember that items like onions and mushrooms may not cook all the way through when jammed between two slices of thick bread. You can always saute or grill veggies before placing them in your final panini. Here are a few of my favorite veggies to grill and use in paninis:
portobella mushrooms
other assorted mushrooms
onions
leeks
tomatoes
asparagus
bell peppers
zucchini
eggplant
corn
carrots
cabbage
thick leafy greens
artichokes
and more...

Fruits like pears, apples and pineapple hold up very well on the grill. See my top fruits to grill list here.

Proteins. There are many alternative proteins to grill in place of meat. You can take the easy route and grab some frozen veggie burgers and 'fake meat' from companies like Boca, Morningstar Farms, Gardenburger or Gardein. Or you can take a few more steps to marinate your own proteins like tofu and tempeh. Or you can be really adventurous and make your own veggie burgers by mashing up grains, beans, spices and herbs. Everyone needs a really good vegan burger recipe up their sleeve! Like this one.

tofu
tempeh
veggie burgers
bean cakes and falafels
seitan (great for skewers)

Panini Grilling BBQ Sauce Slathered Tofu:

BBQ Tofu, Panini-Grilled:

Spices, Rubs, Marinades, Flavors and Seasonings. You'll need some basic seasoning ingredients like a good black pepper grinder and a sea salt grinder. Course salt is my preference for accenting grilled veggies. I love Trader Joe's pink salt grinder.

You can also start collecting some grill rubs and seasoning mixtures to add your own spin of flavor to your grilled foods.

Citrus is a very important flavor enhancer for grilled foods. Lemon juice rocks. But you can also get creative and use lime, grapefruit and orange juices to enhance the flavor of your fave grilled veggies.

Although I think you'll agree that grilling is all about letting your ingredients speak for themselves. Quality is very important in grilled foods. Fresh produce shines on the grill. And for flavor enhancing - all you really need is a pinch of s and p, maybe a squeeze of citrus and a stroke of EVOO and you'll be in grilled eats heaven.

A nice extra virgin olive oil, some apple cider vinegar and soy sauce are other basic liquid accents for grilling.

For paninis - you'll simply need your bread, fillings and maybe a light brush of spread on the outside of the bread. I use EVOO/vegan butter/Vegenaise.

Vegan Grilled Cheese Panini:

Panini Advice. Panini filings can be super creative or super simple. Fruit, veg, protein, cheese, tapinades, chutneys, sauces, nuts and more can be added. You can do 100% homemade or you can use store-bought chutneys/spreads. My advice is to gather a main ingredient for your panini (like farm market veggies, your favorite veg cheese or maybe a homemade tapenade) and let that ingredient inspire the rest...

When Grilling: KISS. Keep it Simple Silly. Classic Combos like grilled asparagus, lemon juice and sea salt is what grilling is all about. Keep it simple and you'll truly fall in love with the laid-back mindset that should take over when you grill.

Start Simple too. For your first panini, make a simple grilled cheese sandwich. For your first veggie grill - try portabellas, thick onion slices or asparagus. Start simple, find your groove and more elaborate dishes will follow.

Clean-Up is Easy. Once you choose some tools for your grilling and panini-making (see below) you'll want to make cleaning a breeze. My Krups panini press is awesome because it really just wipes clean with some elbow grease and a wet paper towel. I get off any grit by scrubbing some vinegar on the panini press grill plates. I have found that baking soda is also a perfect cleaning tool for a gritty grill. Veggies are generally pretty easy to clean up after thank goodness!

Grilling and Panini-Making Tools

First off, you'll need something to grill on. And no, you don't need to spend 5K on a GrillMonster backyard BBQ set-up. There are a few options to get those grill marks you crave:

1) Panini Press.Yup, a simple little tabletop panini press can work wonders on your grilling foods. Proteins, veggies, sandwiches and more. Here are a few options:

2) Backyard Grill.Yes, you can go all out and do the open-air backyard, porch side grill thing. I'll admit, my NYC-apartment trapped panini grill is a bit jealous of you and your open-air, birds chirping glory. And I'll admit I've never owned a bigtime BBQ grill, but here are a few electric grills that look quite snazzy:

3) Alternative Grill Methods. Stovetop grill pans, oven grill pans and other grill mark acceptable kitchen tools are available and make for the cheapest way to get yourself grilling. Options:

This week's Hot Plate Monday report:
*Babycakes NYC has your vegan chocolate cake
Bourdain better watch out
*Bret's Trop-a-Rocka Diet Snapple flavor
*No sign of the "V-word" on Top Chef DC
*Design trends: kitchens of the future
*Productivity boosting foods and...
*SMILE! you're on the internet!...
...and much more in Hot Plate, Hot Plate News...

QUOTE of the week

"Does anyone need a Double Chocolate Crumb Cake? Call us, we can hold it for you: 212.677.5047." -BabycakesNYC on twitter

I do, I do!... 🙂

NEWS

Top Chef Season 7: Washington DC
The chef-testants are announced, and once again there is no whisper of the "V-word" in the Chef bios. I read through every last one and though a few of the Chefs speak highly of organic and/or local cuisine - vegetarian or vegan chefs are nowhere to be found.

Cuomo's Home Cooked Companion...
Uh-Oh! Look out Tony Bourdain..it looks like your blond-haired, blue-eyed, Food Network nemesis may be stepping into the spotlight of *power* in the near future. Maybe all those Sandra Lee jokes weren't such a good idea afterall...

Things that make me go Hmmmmmmm?...
Paula Dean Leads Brighter Days Natural Foods ..Healthy Kids Culinary Program

I love the Celebrity Apprentice, I just do. And the drama with Bret Michaels' brain injury is so sad. He will be on Oprah on Wednesday, FYI. And I'm cheering for Bret Michaels to 1) get better and 2) do well in next week's season finale show. His Diet Snapple Trop-a-Rocka Tea looks fun - check it out here...
Would you buy Trop-a-Rocka or Compassionberry??

ZICO Goes Plastic and From Concentrate...
If your ZICO coconut water tastes a bit different from its new-fangled plastic bottle, there's a reason why. And the coconut water brand wars have begun...

Meatless Monday: The Meat Hits Back
First the Coconut Waters brand wars, and now the meat vs. meatless wars. Food fights all over the place!

Yuck and Yuck.
Pizza gets a baaaad makeover.....this makes KFC's Double Down look like a kiddie ride.

The Internet Makes Us Happier 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Using her celebrity for good and not evil...

I love when a company wants to make its customers happy. Really, really happy! And that's what Infolinks.com wants to do. So I'm answering their request and letting them know my big happy dream outloud wishes. Here I go. Come dream with me...

The two questions I'm supposed to answer:

1. What about Infolinks makes you happy?

Infolinks makes me happy because it allows me to customize so many features! As an creative person, I like to pick out the exact color of my ad links and try to integrate the ads as seamlessly as possible for my readers. Infolinks is totally accommodating to that. I can even choose the subject for my ads and select how many links per page. And if I'm feeling a different color or number of ads one day - every customization is easily changeable. Love that.

2. What can Infolinks do to make you happy, really happy?

Goodness, I'd simply go mad for a brand new SLR camera body from Canon. While I adore my current Canon Rebel camera, an upgrade would be blissful. I'm kinda in love with the Canon EOS Digital SLR Camera (Body Only). There are a few others I love as well. Food photography requires a high performance camera. I gush about my wonderful 100mm macro Canon lens - but my Rebel body could use an upgrade. Why would this make me happy?? Well.. I could take brighter, beautifuller, bolder food photography photos for my website and continue doing what I love - blogging. And do it even better! Which would mean I'd be driving more readers to my website, which would mean I'd be inspiring more people to live healthy, happy lives! And that makes me happiest of all!

So even better photos - that would make me really really really happy.

...and of course a trip to Italy wouldn't be a bad happy moment too. Shooting photos through the rolling vineyard hills of Tuscany...bliss!

Get more info about InfoLinks.com on their website.

Whipped up this Spicy Carrot Sunrise Mimosa this evening and wanted to post it for your drinking pleasure. My recipe puts a bright orange, vitamin A-infused spin on the traditional mimosa. It's still sparkling and fruity, but now with a sweet carrot twist. Get my recipe...

Carrots in a mimosa??? Hmm, I had to try this. I had just juiced some fresh carrot juice this AM and had some bright beautiful oranges in my fruit basket. Soo I added a splash of carrot and a splash of orange to my leftover prosecco bevie and a dash of heat from the cayenne - and voila! Vibrant orange. Vitamin C. Vitamin A. And a nice treat to cap off my weekend...

Spicy Carrot Sunrise Mimosa

1 part fresh carrot juice
1 part fresh squeezed orange juice
3-4 parts champagne or prosecco sparkling wine
dash of cayenne
garnish: orange slices

Mix and serve in chilled champagne glasses.

Have a sweet and sparkly evening everyone!

This time of year all I really want to do is travel to exotic lands. I want to throw a few tank tops and sun dresses in a weekender bag - slip on my flip flops - stuff my bikini in the side pocket, grab my husband, passport, sunblock, sunglasses and go! Get away.

A sandy beach and a vacant hot pink beach towel is all I need. Give me a direct flight to Maui to ogle the surfers, slurp up pineapple daiquiris and pick fresh guavas and burro bananas from the trees each morning. Yes, that would be quite nice.

But life isn't always as travel-infused as I crave. So here I am scooping out lime-drizzled papaya and creamy white cherimoya flesh. For a few sweet moments - it's quite transporting. Why not sample a slice?...

Tropical fruit is a luxurious fruit bowl treat. The exotic, aromatic and awakening fruit flavors take me to paradise, in a daydream.

Locals Only? Well guess what, if you're a "I buy locally only" kind of person, you can even find some unusual produce at your local Farm Market. Like the Japanese cucumbers I picked up last week here in NYC.

So take a fruit bowl vacation with my exotic fruit photo slideshow and tasting notes below. I hope it will inspire you to taste-test a new exotic food and get away via your taste buds. Cherimoya's, Paw Paw's and Kyuri's, oh my...

Cherimoya. Also called custard apple.
Appearance: Like a giant tennis ball. Green delicate skin similar to a papaya - yet the greenish-yellow-blackish skin looks almost scaled in a mosaic pattern. Beautiful light dragon to dark green colored. Inside it is pale yellow-green-white hued flesh. Creamy. Almond-sized, brownish-black hard seeds are easy to remove.
Taste Test: Sweet, creamy, tart, tangy. It took me a while to figure out where I had tasted the flavor before - but to me, cherimoyas taste exactly like a Firecracker Popsicle! The white colored, white lemon flavor in the popsicle - with a twist of cherry and raspberries mixed in. So strange that this white colored fruit has so much dense and powerful flavor! Eat when ripe for optimal sweetness.

Hawaiian Papaya, also called Paw Paw or Sunrise Papaya.
Appearance: About the size of a large fist with a tear-drop shaped body. Pale green to bright orange colored skin. Skin is delicate and soft. Inside, a star-shaped seed crater is packed with tiny gray seeds - less bitter than the seeds from a Red Papaya. Golden orange flesh. Like a sunrise.
Taste Test: Creamy, scoopable. Melts in your mouth. Golden flesh with a flowering essence. Juicy.

Red Papaya or Mexican Papaya.
Appearance: Large, the size of a smushed out football. Dark green to yellow-green skin tone. Thick to soft skin depending on variety and ripeness. Inside is bright salmon pink to dark red flesh. Brighter color develops as it ripens.
Taste Test: Sweet, soft to slightly firm - like a melon. A ripe papaya will melt in your mouth. Creamy and juicy. Hydrating.

Japanese Cucumber, or Kyuri.
Appearance: Bumpy dark green skin. Almost spiky. Little yellow flower attached to one end. Inside is light greenish-white flesh with very few mini seeds - basically seedless. Less juicy than a traditional cucumber.
Taste Test: Crunchy, almost like celery, but not chewy. Very mild in sweetness. Crisp and refreshing. Flavor is very mild to vacant.

*** View the Cherimoya, Papaya and Kyuri Photo Slideshow here!***

View the Cherimoya, Papaya and Kyuri Photo Slideshow here!

I'm super excited about my next Recipe Series: Paninis 'n Grill Marks. Get ready for some grill-marked, black-charred, vegan recipe bliss...

Whisper the words "grilling" and people get excited. Outdoor grilling, campfire grilling, panini press grilling, beach barbecue grilling or indoor stove top grilling. Those black charred grill marks tell you something grill-tastic has been thrown on the barbie - and I don't mean doll.

Grilling Season. I used to heckle my guy friends as they'd drone on about their excitement and giddiness about the upcoming, sacred and beloved Grill Season, aka late spring to summertime. I'd snicker and roll my eyes at their Chef's caps, "Kiss the Grillmaster" aprons and shiny polished spatulas. What was the big deal about grilling some burgers?

True, I love grilled veggies, tofu and veggie burgers. I love watching "Grill it!" with Bobby Flay. And I do get excited when I see the words vegan grilled cheese panini on a menu. But really, what's all the gaga over grilling? Find out how I fell in love with grilling. Never thought I'd say those words. And check out the series schedule...

Paninis and Grill Marks Photo Slideshow.

Here's the series schedule...
Paninis and Grill Marks Recipe Series

May 19: Vegan Grilling 101: Tools, Foods, Tips

May 23: Grilled Cheese 101: How to craft the perfect vegan grilled cheese sandwich on your grill.

May 25: Melted Cheese Apple Panini on Raisin Bread.

May 26: Fire and Ice Panini

May 27: Smashed Chocolate Cherry Dessert Panini

May 28: Black and White Panini

May 29: Grillfest Menu for Memorial Day!eg Grilling foods.

Panini Pics. If you've missed out on any of my Grill Marks and Paninis series pics - check out this vegan grilling photo slideshow I just posted.

My First Panini Press. I've always loved paninis. But honestly, up until the past few years I've only been able to ogle them from a distance - why? Well classically, paninis mean cheese. And up until my discovery of Daiya and Follow Your Heart vegan cheeses, I was incredibly vegan-cheese deprived. So buying a panini press was out. Until I gave in..

Buying a Panini Press. During our last move here in NYC we went through a month long period with no gas. No stove. No oven. Our landlord had to update the piping. So we were in the cold when it came to heated meals. And instead of being a slave to my microwave and the delivery guys - I panicked and went out and bought a panini press.

I was hoping that the large binder-sized appliance wouldn't turn into another "graveyard kitchen tool" like my long-forgotten bread machine or that super expensive vacuum wine-corker that never seemed to work right. But splendidly, my panini press worked like a dream. I fell in grill mark love.

I found that my under $100 Krups panini press was quite versatile. It acts as both a sandwich press and a veggie and protein grill. I grill up asparagus, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, ramps, tomatoes, onions, tofu, seitan, tempeh, grilled cheese, grilled tortillas, bruschetta bread, peppers, zucchini and even fiddlehead ferns. I am in love with my new found grilling skills and definitely understand what all the summertime fuss is about.

NYC Grilling: Yes I Can! NYCers can't exactly place a big grill in their living rooms. So I'm happy with my makeshift indoor, sets off the smoke alarm, but that's OK panini grill. But if I ever move back to a backyard-loving town I will cheerfully embrace the Grill Season with my beer-bottle-toasting, burger-flipping friends. I'll be sipping sangria though, and flipping veggie burgers of course...

Note: You will need some form of "grill" to cook these recipes. But I'll cover that in Vegan Grilling 101. You can use an outdoor grill, panini press, stovetop grill pan or oven griller. It's all about the grill marks and letting the tasty food sit (as opposed to a fast-paced saute).

The theme of my series: Paninis (and other grilled eats) aren't always what they seem...think outside the grill...

*schedule likely to change, morph, extend or pause. I'm only human right? 🙂

Coconut Water brand ZICO, who linked up with beverage giant Coca Cola last year, has just introduced its new PET plastic bottle packaging to consumers. The new, sturdy, resealable coconut water bottles are a big step out from the traditional Tetra Pak packaging coconut water brands have been known for using.

New Flavors. ZICO has also introduced a few more flavors into its line-up: Lima Citron and Pomberry. But ZICO isn't the only Coconut Water brand with a few new tricks (and investors) up their sleeves. It seems the coconut water *trend* is here to stay as heavyweight investors line up to get a sip from the coconut water fountain of profits. Get my ZICO taste test, brand war news and find out which pop music superstar recently got in on the coconut water action... *with updates on the from concentrate issue*

UPDATE: ZICO plastic bottle formula is from Concentrate??? Boooooo.

Here I was doing a sweet little blog post on "battle of the coconut water brands" and ZICO's new plastic bottle and flavors, and now suddenly I feel as though the battle has become a war! Why? Here's why...

I got a tip and read right on my new ZICO bottle that...
ZICO's new coconut water blend is *from concentrate* I don't know exactly what this means...but I DO NOT LIKE IT. Any more info? Send it my way!! Here is the official ZICO press release.

ZICO ingredients (on plastic bottle): premium coconut water from concentrate, natural flavors

...curious, what are the "natural flavors"...?
Also, not sure if the ZICO Tetra Pak is still using old formula or not. Also don't know if the Tetra Pak's are being phased out completely. Are bottles just a new option? Keeping my eyes open on this story...

My long-time blog readers already know how passionate I am about coconut water. I blog about it often and include it in many of my recipes. I love my coconut water ice cubes and coconut water bevies and smoothies.

*Star Power* Coconut water has been photoged with celebs like Giselle, Madonna and more. Plus an inside source told me that the *coconut water trend* has infused the Food Network staff. Even Bobby Flay is a longtime coconut water fan.

I've been obsessed with coconut water for a few years now. Just a few years ago I'd casually pop into an NYC corner store and pick up a few Tetra Paks of Zico Passion Fruit Orange Peel and be on my way. There was maybe one or two beverage slots for one or two coconut water brands. "What's that?!" my friends would ask. I'd try to explain..

Nowadays, there are entire refrigerators devoted to coconut water at my corner store and Whole Foods has a nice wide coconut water *section* stocked with a variety of brands, flavors and sizes.

Pressure is On!! So the big question: who will be the next Coconut Water brand to go plastic?....Or will any of them? And will the big bev companies "ruin" the coconut water industry or help it?...I'll be watching and drinking.

Get Updated: Coconut Water News.

*The "big three" coconut water brands: Vita CoCo, ZICO and ONE.

*Recently Coca Cola invested in Zico brand coconut water.

*Rumors swirl that Pepsi is looking into purchasing Vita Coco. But neither brand is commenting...

*However it is confirmed that a "small cohort of celebrities" including pop superstar Madonna have invested in Vita CoCo.

*This month, Zico introduced PET plastic bottled packaging to stores - the first plastic bottle release from the "big 3" coconut water brands. Why? Perhaps the new packaging will allow for a wider variety of distribution sites for the beverage - including vending machines. The PET plastic is recyclable, however feedback from the "environmentalists" out there is mixed. Some agree that Tetra Pak is difficult to recycle, so plastic may actually be the more earth-friendly option. Especially since PET is made from recycled plastic. What do you think?

*ONE coconut water introduced new ONE Active at the Beverage Expo West this year. New flavors that go "a step further" by adding Ginkgo Biloba, Ginseng and Catuaba Bark to the coconut water blend. I have not seen this product on store shelves yet...

*The Coconut Water Newbie: Naked Coconut Water. Whole Foods added big beverage brand Naked to the coconut water shelf this past year. I tried it and it's quite tasty. But no word on the Naked coconut water brand power just yet. But since Naked is already a successful juice company - its coconut water offering seems like a smart new product.

ZICO Lima Citron and Pomberry taste test:

Lima Citron: Citrus flavor with almost a creamy aftertaste. I was expecting something a bit more tart, but it was more like a Key Lime Pie - creamy yet tangy. Interesting..tastes kinda fake.

Pomberry: Sweet and fruity. A nice round berry flavor. Tastes like "berry flavor".

I personally *used to* adore the ZICO Passion Fruit Orange Peel flavor - hope it's not from concentrate too though. Boooo.

My fave: I adore ONE brand coconut water. ONE is 100% natural coconut water and a fabulous company I feel good about buying from. Pure and simple taste. Love ONE.

But my all time fave coconut water comes straight from the whole fresh young coconut...stick in a straw and sip! Bliss.

Why Should You Try Coconut Water???

Check out all the reasons here. Including: high in electrolytes, magnesium, all natural, lower in calories than traditional hydration bevies, nothing fake or chemically added, comes from nature...and more...

ZICO
ONE
Naked
VitaCoCo

My recipe for Spicy Lasagna Verde, originally posted a year ago, never gets old!

This lasagna recipe is a tomato-free, lusciously layered, vegan entree that will leave you in spicy pesto, silky tofu bliss. Green bliss, what's better than that? And it's my recipe rewind dinnertime post of the day.

Lasagna Dinner: Well Deserved Comfort Meal. Pair a steamy hot, tender and thick lasagna slice with a Classic Italian Salad and a glass of Pinot Noir and voila! Dinner is dazzling. Take a peek at the recipe (and the updated XL pics) and get inspired!...

Vegan Spicy Lasagna Verde... It's a clasic dish, made vegan. Spicy basil pesto compliments the delicate layers of tofu and noodles perfectly. Add in a few thinly sliced green zucchini rounds and your once-tomato-filled recipe gets a seriously delicious Green Makeover! This recipe is cravable and a must-try for any lasagna lover. This is not your mamma's lasagna...but that's OK!

GET MY RECIPE HERE.

GET MY SPICY LASAGNA VERDE RECIPE HERE.

This week's Hot Plate Monday report: Betty White, Barbara's Heart Surgery, there's no stopping Meatless Monday, Dirt Candy Chef blog: Girls Can't Cook, a surprising New Vegan Celeb, a new green restaurant you should definitely skip and meet the one lady that terrorists can't shut down no matter how hard they try! Hot Plate, Hot Plate News...

QUOTE of the week

"Most women are smart enough not to say anything about this situation, and I shouldn’t be pointing it out at all because it’s embarrassing to admit in public how much we suck at cooking.

But I think it’s time someone made it clear to the young ‘uns: if you are a woman and you are planning to make a career in restaurants, you won’t get the awards, you won’t get the press coverage and you probably won’t get the big opportunities. Why? Well, there’re only two possible answers and we all know which one is correct: if you’re a woman, you just can’t cook.......So stop trying."

-Dirt Candy Chef Amanda Cohen in her sarcastic - yet insightful, post-Beard Awards blog post called Girls Can't Cook. Quickie must-read: Girls Can't Cook

NEWS

NY Times: Overweight Children and Bullying
Not too shocking, but a new study shows that overweight children are more likely to be bullied than their peers. Obese children are 60% more likely, while overweight kids are 13% more likely.

Solar Mapping NYC via Midnight Flyovers
Recently, NYC residents up past their bedtime may have been startled to see a very low-flying plane equipped with lasers, zooming back and forth overhead, into the wee hours of the morning. The images collected will produce one of the most up-to-date, modern 3D maps of the city. The 3D mapping will help the city access possible solar power eligible rooftops - as well as be quite useful for a long list of various safety and environmental city programs.

Carbon Neutral Fast Food: Not Adding Up...
Explain this to me. It's like McDonald's, but only greener? It's like, good for the planet fast food? But does it taste good? No. Good value? No. I don't get it then. Neither do I....find out why in my Otarian Dining Pics and Review.

Mike Tyson Goes Vegan
Congrats? Interesting. Really? OK.

Oil Spill: Musicians to the Rescue
Sadly, the oil spill news gets worse and worse, but at least there are a few musicians trying to help out...
And there are a few ways you can help too, from GirlieGirlArmy

Foursquare Meets Zagat
For all you FourSquare addicts out there - you may already know that Zagat has teamed up with them to provide a lot of foodie-bliss via cell. Gosh, Zagat and Foursquare is better than that big airline merger thing with United and Continental..

Terrorists can shut down Times Square, but they can't shut down Oprah and her Best Life Walk! Oprah proudly walks on...don't mess with her!

Wait, she called Soy Milk what?!
It's not "milk" according to the Dairy folks. So what do we call soymilk?? Hopefully this suggestion won't catch on...

Best VEG Eats in NYC? The winner is...
The Number One VEG Dining Spot(s) in NYC: Dirt Candy and Pure Food and Wine Tie for first place. See the complete list of Top 20 Vegan Eats here.

Cooking Channel Blogs, and 5 things you should know...
5 Things To Know About Cooking Channel (from the Cooking Channel Blog):
1) It’s a brand-new cable network for food people, by food people.
2) It launches on Memorial Day, 2010.
3) If you currently get the Fine Living Channel, it replaces that on May 31st — same channel.
...
5.5) We’re on Facebook and Twitter if you’re bored while you wait.
Follow them on twitter @CookingChannel (c'mon foodies, help them out - they only have 1577 followers right now!)

TRENDS--> Women Aging Effortlessly, is 80 the new 50?

Barbara Walters, 80 Announces Heart Surgery
Shocking news, but Barbara Walters is apparently not the Energizer Bunny that keeps going and going without pause. Barbara announced today that she will be taking a pause from her crazy-busy life, of co-hosting The View and such, as she undergoes heart surgery. Best wishes to Babs. And congrats to Barbara on being one of those ladies that makes us say, "Wait, she's 80???!"

Total Betty. Betty White Shines on SNL
Running comic circles around hosts half or even a quarter of her age, Betty White stole the hearts of everyone watching SNL this past Saturday night - with lines like "Wizard of A**" and "She's a lesbian!" Betty is one of the last two remaining Golden Girls (Rue McClanahan who played Blanche recently suffered a stroke, but is reportedly doing better).

Betty proved to be as hip and hilarious (as she cruises into her late 80's) as I will ever be! Betty did a skit with Molly Shannon where she joked "I'm 90! 90!" I'm guessing Betty will easily be able to say those word in a few years. Still being hipper than most. Go Betty, go. SNL 2020 with host Betty White? Don't count her out...

EVENTS

Meatless Monday- Are You Joining in??
It seems that "Meatless Monday" is a growing trend with some serious veggie-powered legs! If you're a restaurant owner or Chef and not joining the fun - perhaps you should reconsider!
Mario Batali goes Meatless on Mondays
Bread and Brew DC Joins Meatless Mondays
Dovetail NYC offers gourmet VEG eats on Mondays

Top Chef Tour
The BravoTV Top Chef Tour rolls on. Get ready NYC, May 22 and 23 are your dates. More city dates to be announced - check the site link above. And yes, it's FREE!

Sake Lovers! Dirt Candy Hosts Sake Dinner
Sake and amazing veg food: Yum and Yum. If you haven't tried Dirt Candy yet, here's another great reason to go...sake!!
Thursday, May 20 with Rick Smith from Sakaya - a four course meal with sake pairings: $55/person
Event Details

VegFest DC: Sept 11, 2010
It's a while away, but plan ahead because VegFest DC is a fun, festive green gathering in our nation's capital.
Details at DCVegFest.com

NYC, Veggie Prom 2010
Wouldn't it be great to have a do-over on you "prom"...veggie style?! Well now you can! The creators of the awesome Veggie Cook-Off Series Veggie Conquest are bringing you a super cool event called Veggie Prom. And they promise it will be better than the one you are trying to forget from high school. Here's why...
*There's a bar!
*There's super cool DJ's spinning prom-esque music al night long.
*FREE Vegan treats galore.
*Go stag without guilt.
*It's in Brooklyn - not your hs gym...
*You can even nominate a Veggie Prom King n Queen. (And if you want to nominate me, go for it, wink wink)
Buy Tickets Online at link above - before they sell out - $10 pre-paid/$15 at door

Veggie Pride Parade NYC 2010
The funnest veggie-fest in town! Gather, ogle, gawk, laugh, love and celebrate your green pride!
May 16th, NYC, line up: 11am parade starts: 12pm
more details at link above

VegFest DC: Sept 11, 2010
It's a while away, but plan ahead because VegFest DC is a fun, festive green gathering in our nation's capital.
Details at DCVegFest.com

HOT PLATE(S) PIC of the week: Soy Frapp from Starbucks
For the first time in 10+ years, I got to sip on a SOY VEGAN Frappuccino. Even my kitty was amazed...

Greenmarket Pic of the Week...
Body and Soul's vegan muffins! Blueberry and Lemon Poppyseed...

Don't forget to submit your juiciest news, trends, hot plate pics and quips for next week's Hot Plate Monday Post! HotPlate (at) Lunchboxbunch (dot) com

Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing, loving, dedicated, unsung heroes of the world: the moms! And a special Mother's Day wish to my amazing mom who has always been an inspiring figure of strength, beauty, grace, creativity and love.

Lessons from Mom. Lessons I've learned from my mom: never stop chasing whatever it is that inspires you. Follow your passion in life and move towards your bliss. Never settle, always laugh and try desperately to not take yourself too seriously in times of strife. Never be afraid to make changes to your life that may sound drastic or shocking to outsiders - you know yourself best. And never stop showing love to the ones you love. An "I Love You" is great, but an act of love and kindness speaks louder than words. What Have You Learned from Your Mom?

Last lesson from mom...always request breakfast in bed on Mother's Day. Here's my modern Mother's Day menu and a moving song from a friend...

Mother's Day Menu. My mom always requested the same thing on Mom's Day: breakfast in bed with Earl Grey tea, fresh squeezed orange juice, toast with jam, eggs, bacon and fresh fruit.

All my mom's favorite Mother's Day foods could easily get a modern vegan makeover. The madeover recipes are healthier for mom, better for the planet, just as tasty and a bit of a gourmet upgrade. Moms strive to feed their kids the best foods possible, so why not do the same for them? Here are a few of my menu inspirations:

Saffron scented Tofu Scramble
Tempeh Bacon
Fresh Fruit, Seasonal or Mom's Faves
Sprouted Grain Toast with earth Balance Buttery Spread and/or fresh fruit jam
Almond Butter and Banana Toast
Goji Berry Chai Tea or Mom's fave tea
with agave syrup or maple syrup or raw honey
AM Sunrise Juice, or classic fresh squeezed OJ
Other Ideas:
Tangerine French Toast
Herb Mushroom Tofu Quiche
Fresh Melon, Jazzed Up Recipes
My mom's fave muffin recipe of mine: Orange Glow Muffins

Mom should be snuggled in bed, yummies served to her on a tray. No clean-up and lots of hugs. Yay moms. Fresh fleurs are a nice touch too.

Mother's Day Song. One of my oldest friends in the world is an amazing singer, songwriter and artist. She recently recorded this song which I thought was perfect for Mother's Day. Here's her song:

You can download Sarah's music on itunes, hear more on MySpace and if your in the Northern California area - be sure to check out one of her live shows or artwork showings on display. Sarah's brand new music video is on

As a passionate, perfectionist blogger I am always striving to make my site better. And when you are dealing with food photography, recipes and other vegan yummies - photos are incredibly important. Thus, I have been eagerly craving larger sized photos for my blog template. Wish: granted. And wait, there's more! Check out the new features and improvements to my site...

Site Improvements:

1) Bigger, Bolder (Prettier) Photos
Gone are my 400px photos for all my recipes and food posts. Now my photos will be 550px. Not huge, but much better for delicious recipe viewing. It will take some time, but I will be updating the photos sizes for a few of my fave archived recipes...

2) Better Commenting System
You can now comment using your facebook or twitter account. Or the traditional way of using your email address. I love the new system! **comments will take a few hours to fully import and update**

3) Faster Loading!
You will be pleased to know that my pages now load faster. A lot faster for many of you! And as always, you can use any browser to view my site.

4) More Buttons, Better Networking - Easier Sharing
Social Network savvy. My posts are easier to tweet and Facebook. You can even see who has been retweeting and "liking" my posts on the social web.

...oh and I spruced up my header and a few of the other graphic details. yay!

So lets check out some of these pretty new big photos!...


Avocado Sandwich with Vegan Cole Slaw

Cantaloupe Ginger Juice

Pom-Rasp Chocolate Parfait

Kitty Sleeping 🙂

Tempeh Bacon

Butternut Squash Sage Dip

Crofter's Superfruit Spread Bagel

Compliments to my genius computer guy. He rocks. And he's also my husband.

So, what do you guys think? I hope you love it as much as I do!

Otarian is the world's first carbon neutral fast food restaurant. Zero footprint dining. Innovative idea, right? But balancing your carbon footprint requires a few complex calculations - and for me, eating "green" like this, just didn't add up...

Eating green is an easy trend to grasp: reduce your consumption of animal products or go veg, buy local, support local farmers and purveyors, buy organic if possible, grow your own produce if you can, try to reduce your trash output, recycle and eat seasonally. But the green gimmick of "Carbon Neutral" fast food left my head in a tilt, a confused squint in my eye. I was curious to try the newbie veg food on the block.

But Otarian is no mom-and-pop shoebox cafe; Otarian is currently serving up zero footprint eats to environmentalists and curious foodies in NYC and London - with further expansion plans in the works.But my Otarian *green dining experience* didn't all add up. Here's my review...

My Otarian $20+ Meal:
What's Otarian? Walking by Washington Square Park in NYC last month, I was handed a flyer. I usually ignore such offerings, but when I saw the text "Free Vegetarian Food" I grabbed a card and gave a big smile to the flyer-distribution guy. The card entitled me to $20 worth of free vegetarian food at the new Carbon Neutral restaurant Otarian.

My free food card expired before I got a chance to use it, but I did have high hopes of trying out Otarian anyways. After all, how cool does the green gimmick of "Carbon-Neutral" food sound?! Plus I had read about Otarian's star-studded grand green opening and nice write-up about how Otarian was 'taking over the world of fast food' in the NY Times Diner's Journal. So I went in for lunch one afternoon, spent around $20 of my own money and was excited to write a rave review. Sadly, the "rave" part of this post won't happen.

What is Carbon Neutral? Carbon neutral is an environmental buzzword that refers to maintaining a balance between producing and using carbon. However, you can also try to reduce your carbon footprint by practicing green living habits like walking or riding your bike instead of driving as well as eating less meat and recycling your trash. And the latest trend - carbon neutral dining...

Carbon Neutral Fast Food? Really? Isn't that kinda like a owning a Hybrid Hummer vehicle or ordering a diet soda with your double cheeseburger? Something about this idea just didn't add up for me. But the adventurous side of me was intrigued and curious...

What Does Otarian Name Mean? It is a play off of O-zone and 'vegetarian' or is it saying you only eat foods that make you go, "Ohhhh!" Nope. Apparently it means this, "The ‘O’ in the name is meant to represent Earth. Because it’s round. "Tarian" comes from words like "vegetarian." So the whole name is meant to indicate that people who eat there care about the planet. " That's what blogger Bret Thorn says, and I agree.

Now onto my review and taste test of Otarian...

Atmosphere. Bright colors, vivid circle shapes hanging from the 3-D ceiling. Bubbly seating, flashy tones and textures everywhere. Wait, was this fast food or The Jetsons? I felt transported to the future. Or at least a cliche version of what fast food in the future will look like. Nice vibe, but if the food doesn't wow me, it really doesn't matter.

Philosophy. I like the idea of Carbon Neutral Dining. I think the more people are aware about the impact the foods they eat have on the planet, the better. However, bombarding people with text, slogans, facts, numbers and "green dining" messages while they are ordering and eating is a bit presumptuous for my tastes. There is verbage everywhere you look.

Price. Fast food vibe, without the fast food prices. For my small salad, Vego burger, dessert treat, sweet potato chiplets, aka fries and a side of free ketchup - I spent over $20. Around $24 to be exact. Cringe-worthy, yes. As I tweeted the day of my taste test "this better be good".

Food. Here are my tasting notes from the items I ordered:

Inside the Vego burger:
Vego Burger. Super dry bun - had a yellow tint even though I requested the 'brown bun' - don't know if I received the white or brown. Or yellow? Dry and flaky. Boring taste. The burger patty was an Indian curry-ish spiced burger.

I wasn't even expecting Indian flavors from the branding. I was expecting a glorified McDonald's or all-American flavors. Not so.

The burger was chewy on the outside and somewhat moist and textured on the inside. But overall, it tasted like it was microwaved. Unfavorably rubbery. Nice spice and subtly heat to the flavor, but very one note. It reminded me of Trader Joe's Veggie Masala frozen veg burgers. The burger lettuce was pitiful shredded iceberg lettuce. Tomato was super bland and cucumbers were not crisp. Red onions were fine. The sauce was neither good nor bad. When I took a bite, I was very underwhelmed.

Couscous Salad. I ordered the only vegan salad on the menu. A small size. In order to get to the small salad, I had to remove a packaging wrapper and lift the lid. I felt like it was Christmas morning unwrapping all the packaging that came with this ironically "carbon neutral" meal. The salad was probably the most laughable thing I ordered. It was comical. I was expecting Ashton Kutcher to come out and tell me he punked my salad. Was this a joke, or a salad? Wilted, rubbery, bone dry arugula lettuce.

Dry lifeless couscous with a few chunks of one note cauliflower and butternut squash chunks mixed in. Rubbery spring onions. Pepitas on top. No dressing? The website says it comes with dressing. However, they must've forgot mine. But I don't think dressing would save this sandbox of a salad. Super boring. Tasted like I was eating sand. Sorry, that was mean. But I was struck with visions of the desert as I scooped up squeamish couscous with my compostible fork. The Sahara perhaps.

..I rarely can't finish food. I didn't finish my burger OR my salad. But I did finish one thing...

Sweet Potato Chiplets, aka Fries: One thing I did finish was the chiplets, aka fries. Loved these. Thick, crispy, nice spice. Tender. Yum. Yum. Yum. And the packaging was a thin paper holder - much better than the over-done salad packaging.

Choco Treat. The only vegan dessert was something called a Choco treat. It came wrapped in a magenta wrapper - I thought it was a bonus slider burger at first. Inside was a small poof of chocolate cake. It looked pretty. And boring. A light dusting of white sugar on top. The cocoa tasted a bit metallic. Bland. The cake was moist enough, but nothing I'd order again.

Overall: Sorry Otarian, I know you have locations in London and NYC and are expecting to open more, but my advice is: don't. Go back to the drawing (and taste-testing) board. Have you tasted some of the amazing vegan food you can eat in NYC got under $15? Go to Angelika Cafe and order a vegan sandwich. Try the Tofu Pesto sandwich at Caravan of Dreams. Try the veggie burgers at Gobo, Cafeteria and Quantum Leap. Try the vegan BLT at Teany. I would order any and all of these options before going back for an underwhelming Vego Burger at Otarian. And ya know what, I'd still feel good about the "carbon-neutralism" of my vegan meal.

Green Fast Food Dining?

...if it doesn't sound right, it probably isn't.

But I'm just one diner. you can try Otarian for yourself. Peruse their website here: www.otarian.com

How "Green" is all this trash, compostible or not...



Inside the bag:

I love Cinco de Mayo because it gives me an excuse to go all out on my favorite Mexican-inspired recipes.

On the Menu: A pitcher of fruity, fizzy red sangria, a few sauteed sweet plantains, a big bowl of spicy guacamole, salsa verde, fluffy red rice and maybe a zesty lime-scented Fiesta salad - sweet corn cake and some simmering black beans on the side. So delicious and quite healthy as well. No time for a big fuss? That's OK, make one or two recipes: Guac, Salsa and Sangria sipping out on a warm porch around twilight? Simple, perfect! Get my menu of favorite Mexican recipes for your big or small vegan Cinco de Mayo Fiesta...

Mexican Recipes for your Cinco de Mayo Fiesta:

Dips:
Salsa Verde
Salsa Rojo-Verde
Salsa Guacamole

Sides n Salads:
Sauteed Plantains
Tomato Mexican Red Rice
Mexican Fiesta Salad with Zesty Lime Agave Dressing

Breads:
Sweet Fresh Scooped Corn Cake
Spicy Pepper/Chile Corn Bread
Cilantro Lime Agave Cornmeal-Crusted Biscuits

Entrees:
Vegan Tofu Verde Enchiladas
Mexican Couscous Power Bowl
Plantain Poblano Tofu Wrap/Burrito

Drink:
Premium Fruity Red Sangria

Remedy for a bad pepper/chile burn - be careful!!

Starbucks just unveiled customizable Frappuccinos, and this vegan-friendly upgrade to their classic frosty blended-beverage means one thing: Soy Frapps for everyone!!

*HAPPY HOUR: UPDATE* Don't miss Starbucks Half-Price Frappuccino Happy Hour from 3-5 pm on from May 7- May 16 2010. Don't miss out on Soy Frapps and Chai Soy Frapps for half price! Super yum. Details about Frappuccino Happy Hour at Starbucks.com

However You Want it Frappuccino. Wow, Starbucks is really on a roll lately. First they upgrade their store interior, and now they are listening to their long-begging, Frapp-loving customers like me and taking on customizable Frappuccinos! Aka, soy milk option Frapps. I had one today as the eighty degree heat beat down on the NYC city sidewalks. Perfect Soy Coffee Frapp kinda day! Here's my taste test review, photos and a atory...

...it's actually Kathy with a "K" but I'm so giddy that I'll let this one go.

Even my kitty Nelly was intrigued by my Soy Frapp....
S is for SOY...

I'd like a Tall Soy Coffee Frapp, please.

Ah, I've always wanted to say those words, and today I finally did! Soy was a small extra charge, but whatever. Everything about my Soy Frap was blissful except one thing...

The blender that my Soy Frapp was blended in had a "DAIRY" label on it. Hmm...honestly I was too hot and tired to make a big fuss about it, but if I notice this again I am going to speak up. Was that just an error on my barista's part, or are all the soy and milk bevies blended in the same blenders? What if I was allergic?? Anyone know? Will look into this and let you know... (*update* below)

Starbucks is on a roll and rolling out Vegan Soy Frapps!...

Taste Test: Soy Coffee Frappuccino

As sweet and delightful as I remember it! I used to be obsessed with Frappiuccinos back in college when I still consumed dairy. I adored them. So sweet. So addictive. I'd get a Venti and want another! Interestingly, the Soy Frapp today was awesome, but a tad on the sweet side to my taste buds. Glad I've re-trained my taste buds to notice the high sugar content. Yay vegan diet.

So overall, loved it. Bravo to Starbucks for listening to their customers. **applause**

...now about your lack of healthy vegan muffins.....

OK, OK one thing at a time!!

Have you tried a Soy Frapp yet?? What did you think? Any raves or rants out there??

UPDATE: "I used to work at a Starbucks and it was a rule that you washed out the blenders after each drink was made, so even if the label was dairy, the blender should have been clean!" -former Starbucks employee

More Soy Frapp Photos:

I'm madly in love with Amy's Bread in NYC. You can buy a perfectly sized round of Tangy Sourdough bread for only $1.50. And mind you, it's some of the best bread in the city. So all I need is a fresh loaf of Amy's and I am on my way to sandwich inspiration.

This sandwich was today's Hot Plate Pic for my Monday News round-up post. But it's not nice to post a pic without a recipe. So here ya go. Here's my simple, rustic spin on a PB&J recipe...

Rustic PB&J&B

2 slices fresh or toasted sourdough bread
*bakery fresh is a must!
1 banana, thinly slices
3 tablespoon fresh peanut, cashew or almond butter
2 tablespoon Apricot Preserves
dash of cinnamon
dash of cayenne

Slather your bread in nut butter and preserves.

Layer the banana, thinly sliced.

Sprinkle a bit of cayenne and cinnamon.

Assemble bread.

Slice.

Serve.

Side of ice cold vanilla soymilk on side works for me.
*I like to sprinkle a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg in my soymilk. nd even add a few ice cubes to get it nice and chilled.

I'm super excited to be launching a new blog feature called Hot Plate Mondays! My Hot Plate posts will be your eyes, ears and taste buds of the foodie world. I skip to the front of the line, so you don't have to. Features include:
*Dining, Food and Health NEWS
*Foodie TRENDS
*Veg/Foodie EVENTS
*QUOTE of the week
*HOT PLATE PIC of the Week

..all with an emphasis on all things green, vegan, fun, smart and fabulous, of course.

Submit Your News! Submit news/trends/events/reviews to me at hotplate (at) lunchboxbunch (dot) com. Read Today's Hot Plate News...

QUOTE of the week

"I believe the future is vegetables and fruits. They are so much more sexier than a piece of chicken... Let's compare a chicken breast, the best chicken breast from the best farm with a beautiful pineapple. Cut the pineapple, already the aromas are inundating the entire kitchen. Acidity. Sour after notes, touches of passion fruit."

..."I love meat too but only once in a while. You get a piece of meat and you put it in your mouth, you chew, the first five seconds, all the juices flow around your mouth, they're gone, and then you are 20 more seconds chewing something that is tasteless at this point. Something like this doesn't happen with a pineapple, an asparagus, or a green pea." -Chef Jose Andres on 60 Minutes, interviewed by Anderson Cooper. Video on Eater.com

NEWS

Naked Chef' Jamie Oliver Praises Fine Food of ... McDonald's?
Jamie Oliver says that McDonald's in the UK is 'better' than in the US. But trends show that more and more Brits are picking up some bad eating habits that are classic American: like oversized portions and eating on the go.

Bittman's Slogging! Online Relaunch - MarkBittman.com
Mark Bittman sent out an email today announcing the relaunch of his blog, er salon,...actually he calls it a SLOG. That quirky Bittman, he always keeps us guessing (if he's on the vegan bandwagon or not!) By the looks of some of his recipes, I'd guess not. But I love him anyways. And I look forward to reading his slog, if not just so I can say the phrase, "What's Bittman slogging about now?"

Congrats to SeriousEats.com: James Beard Food Blog 2010
It's ironic because after Seriouseats.com won the Food Blog 2010 category at the James Beard Foundation Media awards last night, they couldn't even find a place to celebrate/EAT after midnight, on a Sunday...even in NYC! They tweeted (start from bottom tweet and read up):
"At Artichoke now, since Ssam only had bar snacks" about 14 hours ago via Birdfeed
"Pulino's apparently closes at midnight Sundays. We're at Ssam Bar now." about 14 hours ago via Birdfeed
"D'oh! Balthazar closes at 12. Going to Pulino's instead." about 15 hours ago via Birdfeed
"Balthazar, prepare for the Serious Eats crew! (Please be open!)" about 15 hours ago via Birdfeed

Bread Art Project-Create Art, Help Hungry Kids.
I'm in love with the Grain Food Foundation's Bread Art Project. It's super easy and fun for you to help raise money and spread awareness about the child hunger crisis in America. Read more, make some toast art online and help kids. Easy.

Oil Spill Animals in Peril Photos
The Huffington Post has a heart-wrenching article with photos featuring some of the most helpless oil spill victims - the animals. So incredibly sad.

TRENDS

Reusable Straws Anyone?
You don't use plastic forks and spoons, right? So why plastic straws? Why not upgrade your bevie and smoothie sippers to high quality glass or stainless steel. I've even spotted some of the trendiest NYC bars and restaurants that have already snapped up the reusable straw trend.

Soy Spreads Far and Wide...and to the Starbucks Blender.
Soy Frapps at Starbucks? Bring on the Heat! I tried it today! Soy Frapps this summer...bring on the heatwave!

Carbon Neutral Dining Takes Over the World: NY Times Diner's Journal, Otarian
The new NYC carbon neutral fast food chain appears to be...well, taking over the world as it launches new cafes across the globe. But will foodies latch onto the idea of a carbon neutral veggie burger? Aren't the veggie burger eaters already doing their part without having to dine at a special veggie burger uber-green spot? Is teir green 'gimmick' paired with a big celeb-filled (Well, an Olsen twin and a few others) opening enough to give this restaurant legs? Well, I'm writing about it aren't I.. I'll be doing my own taste test in the future, but for now, check out what the Time's Journal had to say about Otarian as they interview Radhika Oswal of Otarian.

Is Coffee the new Wine? Gawker Asks...
A $12 cup of coffee at Grumpy Cafe in NYC seems to say yes! I don't think I'd pay that much for a coffee. Wine, yes. Coffee, no. Read what Gawker has to say and weigh in on this highly caffeinated trend.

Beauty Queen Davina Reeves is Vegan. Yeah. that's about right...
Ecorazzi reports that Miss new York is indeed vegan! Not such a shocker that a beautiful and aware young lady would choose veganism as her diet and lifestyle of choice. However, the article hints that Davina isn't allowed to talk about her vegan diet. Huh? And, wha?! And, sigh... I really hope that's not entirely true, but either way, way to go Davina!

EVENTS

NYC, Veggie Prom 2010
Wouldn't it be great to have a do-over on you "prom"...veggie style?! Well now you can! The creators of the awesome Veggie Cook-Off Series Veggie Conquest are bringing you a super cool event called Veggie Prom. And they promise it will be better than the one you are trying to forget from high school. Here's why...
*There's a bar!
*There's super cool DJ's spinning prom-esque music al night long.
*FREE Vegan treats galore.
*Go stag without guilt.
*It's in Brooklyn - not your hs gym...
*You can even nominate a Veggie Prom King n Queen. (And if you want to nominate me, go for it, wink wink)
Buy Tickets Online at link above - before they sell out - $10 pre-paid/$15 at door

Veggie Pride Parade NYC 2010
The funnest veggie-fest in town! Gather, ogle, gawk, laugh, love and celebrate your green pride!
May 16th, NYC, line up: 11am parade starts: 12pm
more details at link above

VegFest DC: Sept 11, 2010
It's a while away, but plan ahead because VegFest DC is a fun, festive green gathering in our nation's capital.
Details at DCVegFest.com

HOT PLATE PIC of the week: My Banana, Peanut Butter, Apricot Jam sandwich on fresh Amy's Bakery Tangy Sourdough bread. Yum-my!

Don't forget to submit your juiciest news, trends, hot plate pics and quips for next week's Hot Plate Monday Post! HotPlate (at) Lunchboxbunch (dot) com

****Smoothie and Juice Inspiration: PHOTO Tour Here****
I like to consider myself a juice and smoothie expert. Afterall, my first high school job was at Jamba Juice in Santa Cruz Cali, and I've been obsessed with crafting creative yummy at-home sips since I, long ago, begged my mom for my very first "entry-level" blender. When I'm not juicing at home - I like to have a few go-to spots around NYC for a healthy scrumptious sip.

Cravable Smoothie: high quality ingredients, proper flavor combinations served up by friendly employees who make you want to visit their shop again and again. There are many admirable smoothie shops in NYC, but here is a slideshow of my faves (with yummy photos)...
***Check out my NYC Juice, Smoothie and Sips Spots Here***
***Check out my NYC Juice, Smoothie and Sips Spots Here***

...You can also peruse my Smoothies, Juices and Bevies Recipes Here.

This morning, I had fun creating my own bread art: Garlic Bread! And my art will help hungry kids as part of the Grain Food Foundation's Bread Art Project!

My friend Melissa d'Arabian was on hand at the NYC Bread Art Project Kick-off Event where she contributed a bounty of grainful recipes in order to bring attention to this worthy cause.

Fact: Nearly 17 million children in America face hunger. And it's easy, free (and fun) for you to help...

Operation No Kid Go Hungry. Here's the deal:

This spring the Grain Foods Foundation is teaming up with Share Our Strength® in their efforts to end childhood hunger in America by 2015.

The Grain Foods Foundation will donate $50,000 to Share Our Strength and will make an additional $1 donation for every piece of Bread Art submitted and approved, up to a maximum donation of $100,000, now through June 30, 2010.

Bread Art Project. It's fun! It's creative and it's easy. Simply go online and create your very own bread art. I made some "garlic bread" with my Worldly Garlic Lunchbox Bunch character. Choose your bread type, make a few adjustments and TOAST! Then submit. Your submission will help donate $1 to this worthy cause to end childhood hunger in America.

My Kitty in Window Bread Art:

Melissa's Help. My friend Food Network's Melissa d'Arabian (Of Ten Dollar Dinners Fame) was there to help launch the Bread Art Project. Melissa contributed a nice list of whole grain recipes as well as a bunch of Healthful Tips, like this one about one of my fave grain, quinoa:

"Quinoa is uber-hip right now. It is a complete protein and the crunchy, nutty taste is crave-worthy. In addition to rice, mix things up by trying bulgur, millet or couscous." - Melissa

Some of Melissa's yummy grain recipes (photo credit: Go for the Grain):

Judi Adams, president Grain Foods Foundation
Melissa d'Arabian, Bread Art Project spokesperson & Food Network host
Chuck Scofield, chief development officer at Share Our Strength:

**more photos from the event on the Go with the Grain's Facebook page**

Visit Go with the Grain's website for a plethora of info about whole grains: nutrition facst, tips, research studies, expert advice and recipes.

The fight to end childhood hunger in America is on! And you can easily help, simply by creating fun bread art online!

So create your bread art today and help hungry kids!

http://breadartproject.com/

Go with the Grain on Facebook!

Melissa d'Arabian can be seen on her show Ten Dollar Dinners on Food Network (she's finishing up shooting for her third season right now.) Melissa is a Chef with a big heart for causes like the childhood hunger - and she has an open mind about food. She even recently let me take her to Pure Food and Wine in NYC (she's not vegan or raw) and she loved it. Open-minded foodies make me happy!

More info from Share Our Strength:

"The Bread Art Project, now in its second year, was created by the Grain Foods Foundation to help increase awareness of the growing hunger problem in our country. Consumers can create a personalized piece of bread art - at no cost - by uploading a favorite drawing or photo, or designing a new one using a digital slice of bread as the canvas at www.breadartproject.com. The Grain Foods Foundation will donate $50,000 to Share Our Strength and will make an additional $1 donation for every piece of bread art submitted and approved on breadartproject.com between April 5 and June 30, 2010 (up to a maximum total donation of $100,000)."

If you're in New York City, you must give your senses a treat by taking a stroll through the Union Square Greenmarket - the year-round flagship Farmer's Market of NYC.

True Farm-to-Table. My NYC Vegan Dining Series showcases restaurants that serve up some of the freshest, most flavorful and artistic dishes in the world. But every Chef will agree that without high quality ingredients, it is impossible to produce a high quality dish. Enter: the NYC Greenmarkets. Home of fresh produce and culinary delights of all sorts. Wanna get all trendy and ECO-chic my locavore, green foodie friends? Go green at the Greenmarket. It doesn't get more Farm-to-Table than this...

Check out my photo slide show of market faves and my Greenmarket Tips!...

***NYC Greenmarket Photo Slideshow***
***NYC Greenmarket Photo Slideshow***
***NYC Greenmarket Photo Slideshow***

NYC vs. CA Greenmarkets. I grew up in California where Farmer's Market Saturdays were a staple in our household. The good 'ol Santa Cruz Farmer's Markets were my second home. Then I moved to Los Angeles and fell in love with the vast, sprawling Santa Monica 3rd st Farmer's Market. Exquisite. So once I moved to NYC, one of the first things I had to check out was the Union Square Farmer's Market. I went on a super busy, hot Saturday and to be honest, it was a tad too crowded and small in comparison to my beloved California markets.

So I gave up on the USQ market for a while and found myself shopping at Whole Foods, Essex Market and a few smaller Greenmarkets like the tiny one at Thompson Square Park. But eventually I found my way back to the Union Square market. I went one early morning, on a Wednesday. It was delightful! Calmer crowd, more goodies to choose from and the foggy morning air was perfect for keeping fresh produce - fresh! I fell back in love.

Farmer's Market Tips:

1. Go early!! I usually get there around 10:30 am - which is early enough for me. But if you get there past 1pm, most of the best stuff will be gone.

2. True Farmer's Market connoisseurs do not go on a Saturday! Go during the week when the tourist crowds have dwindled and you can really get a chance to peruse the offerings and chat with the farmers.

3. Bring bags! Bring lots of big canvas bags to carry your goodies. I forgot mine once and ended up schlepping home about 5 big heavy plastic bags on my tired arms. Not fun. Fruit and veggies are heavy! Might I suggest one of these adorable Lunchbox Bunch canvas bags.

4. Talk to People. Don't just grab and go. Take a few minutes to ask the booth workers (sometimes the farmers) about their produce offerings. You might pick up a cooking tip, fun fact or just make a new friend.

5. If you have time, walk the entire market first before buying. I see it all the time, people buy all their apples from the first stand they see, then towards the end they see five more stands that look even better! Buy from different vendors each week and get to know your faves. And don't skip the stands on the end - walk the whole circle loop.

6. Check out the in-season sign. I love the little chalkboard at the market that alerts buyers what is "in season" - check it out and get a few Greenmarket questions answered from the friendly Greenmarket folks.

7. Have fun! Stroll. Soak in the sun. Sip some cider. Take a deep breath. Absorb the sights and smells of the market - some of the best this city has to offer.

8. Celeb-Chef Watch! Foodies, keep your eyes peeled for a few celeb Chefs at the market. I've seen more than my fair share of Chefs strolling the stands. Last week I spotted Food Network's Chef Alex as she was perusing the same stand as me (slides #15-19 in my photo tour). I wanted to say, "Hey Alex, is this what you do on your day off?" (I guess only FN watchers would get that one...) 🙂

Now onto my photo slideshow, featuring a few of my fave goodies I buy at the market (note: these are just a small portion of my fave farmers...)

***NYC Greenmarket Photo Slideshow***
***NYC Greenmarket Photo Slideshow***
***NYC Greenmarket Photo Slideshow***

Links to my Fave Farmers -some featured in my photo slide show:
Greenmarket NYC List of Farmers
Hawthorne Valley Farm
Katchkie Farms
Rick's Pick's
Windfall Farms
Prospect Orchards
Breezy Hill Orchard
Red Jacket Orchards
Stone Ridge Orchard
Bread Alone Bakery
Beth's Farm Kitchen Jams
Garden of Eve
I also love (no link available)
Bulich Mushroom from Greene County, New York

Farmers: ...if I'm missing you, please let me know and I'll be sure to stop by your booth next Greenmarket visit and possibly add you to my list of faves.
Patrons: What are your Greenmarket faves??? Let me know!

Tweeters! Don't forget to follow the Union Square Greenmarket on Twitter! @UnSqGreenmarket
And follow me at @lunchboxbunch

Now don't miss my awesome photo tour of the Greenmarket...

My favorite Starbucks at Spring/Crosby streets in SoHo NYC has undergone a dramatic Clover pimped-out cafe/interior design makeover. The gruff wooden floors and wobbly chairs: gone! The Starbucks interior now looks like a modern hotel lobby or a cafe in Paris.

I visited last week. I sat on a plush metal-studded bench, placed my soy chai on an industrial metal cafe table and I sipped until the very last drop. Great people-watching in a now quite polished atmosphere. A drastic makeover - and I must say I kinda loved it...

Clover Machines. The band new Clover coffee machines were on display - you can't miss them. A new offering of single brewed coffee was added to the menu. Prices on the Today's Offerings list read like a wine list. Different prices for different coffee bean sources. Peru Chanchamayo, $2.15 for a Tall. While the Ethiopia Sun-Dried Yirgacheffe is $3.50 for a Tall.

But the makeover comes with some controversy. Find out why, and get my interior photo tour and makeover commentary of this Starbucks makeover...

**Starbucks Spring Crosby Makeover Photos and Commentary**
**Starbucks Spring Crosby Makeover Photos and Commentary**
**Starbucks Spring Crosby Makeover Photos and Commentary**

Starbucks Controversy. After I tweeted about the makeover last week, one @reply from one of my followers stuck out in my brain. He said,

"@lunchboxbunch it's called co-opting legitimate cafe culture. And it sucks wicked bad." -@EricLepine

Hmm, I liked his perspective, but don't really agree. I am 100% in favor of supporting local, independent coffee cafes instead of always going to giant brand Starbucks. But I think if Starbucks wants to put some big bucks into revamping their stores - I say go for it!

However, Starbucks should expect to get more laptop-dwellers, all-day-student loungers, using-Starbucks-as-my-office-ers and order-one-coffee-then-hang-out-for-five-hours type customers. With a store so nice, who would want to leave?

...I say this because my husband and I were at Starbucks SoHo on Saturday when one un-uniformed manager started floating around to tables actually telling customers to basically hurry up, drink, and leave - or buy more coffee! Some customers hadn't ordered yet or had clearly finished their bevies a while ago.. She floated around to customers seated at the cafe tables, here is the direct quote...

"Can I get a drink order started for you? We have a lot of customers who want to sit." -starbucks un-uniformed manager

Crazy right?? Very bad customer service, but I'm guessing this isn't an actual Starbucks policy. Anyways, more about the new Clover Coffee and then check out my photo slideshow of the makeover...

Clover at Starbucks. It's funny. Just a few days ago, my husband and I were in Cafe Grumpy in NYC sipping cafe bevies. My husband's eyes were glued on the Clover machine that Cafe Grumpy used. He was ogling it in the same way I ogle the fruit at a Greenmarket. He even went back after his cappuccino to try a cup of the legendary single-brewed coffee. He was a happy coffee-lover. He even remarked that he heard a rumor that a Starbucks executive discovered Clover machines at Cafe Grumpy.

Starbucks Clover Coffee Nutrition Facts

Then Saturday I stumbled into Starbucks Soho at Crosby and Spring and voila! Clover machines in full display, Clover branding everywhere. Extreme interior makeover....

Get my interior tour and check out all the Starbucks Makeover details...

**Starbucks Spring Crosby Makeover Photos and Commentary**
**Starbucks Spring Crosby Makeover Photos and Commentary**
**Starbucks Spring Crosby Makeover Photos and Commentary**
**Starbucks Spring Crosby Makeover Photos and Commentary**
**Starbucks Spring Crosby Makeover Photos and Commentary**

After posting my Greenmarket Juice recipe, I received a lot of feedback on, of all things, my straw!

My stainless steel, reusable straw is awesome! It has a little spoon on the end and helps keep my bevies ice cold as I sip. Plus the best part is that reusable straws are green foodie chic. No more plastic straws needed. We all use reusable silverware, so why not add reusable straws to your kitchen drawer. And yes, this trend is booming. Check out all these straws and where to buy them....

Question: Where can I buy a cool reusable ECO-savvy reusable straw??...

One Lucky Duck sells glass straws. @Sarma even tweeted this,

"Duck newsletter was sent today. Free tote bag promo going on, brazil nuts on sale + totally RAD new glass straws... glass straws rule."-@sarma
...followed by this on facebook...
"WOW you guys REALLY like our new GLASS STRAWS (sold out!)....we just upped the stock so you can order more - just note, we don't really have them yet, but should by Monday!! So order away :)" -OneLuckyDuck.com on Facebook

So yes, the reusable straw trend is on a roll.

Buy Glass Straws at One Lucky Duck.
Glass Dharma Straws - Simple Elegance $8.00

Cool! You can even buy Glass Straw Cleaning Brushes at OneLuckyDuck too. Smarties!

Or Buy glass and stainless steel reusable straws and straw/spoons at Amazon.com below...

I bought my straw for

A busy Saturday morning of stair-climbing left me craving a fresh, sweet, zingy green juice - badly. So instead of travelling across town to my favorite juice bar - I decided to use up a few of my NYC Greenmarket goodies and craft one at home in a matter of minutes - ah the joys of owning a Superangel juicer.

I was anxious to use up my big beautiful bag of fresh spinach - they were starting to wilt a bit, and I knew juicing the greens would make perfect use of them. Add in an extra large farm fresh apple and a few zingy items and voila! I even got to try out my super cool metal reusable straw - which I love. Here's my simple four ingredient recipe for Greenmarket Green Juice...

Greenmarket Green Juice

1 ½ tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled
1 extra extra large tart apple, green or yellow
5 cups fresh full grown spinach, slightly wilted OK
½ lemon, peeled

Juice, drink, enjoy.

My apple even had a few spots on it - perfect for juicing.

New Fave Juicing Tip: Use your slightly wilted greens for juicing - nothing wasted and quite delicious!

*Fresh Farmer's Market greens work best for this since store-bought wilted greens - usually are too aged and travelled to be of any use. Use your best judgement...

When I'm away from NYC, there's one variety of food that I always miss desperately: falafel, aka Middle Eastern, vegetarian cuisine. You know the eats: fluffy pita, creamy hummus, fresh chopped and tossed tabhouli, savory baba and spiced falafel balls - all drizzled in some delicious tahini sauce and perhaps some spicy chili or harissa sauce as well. I had never *truly* experienced falafel dining until moving to NYC - so this meal deserves a special spot in my Dining Out Vegan NYC Series.

There are three main reasons I adore falafel eats: 1) It's vegetarian (and vegan) friendly. 2) It's cheap! 3) It's delicious. Cravable. Unabashedly addictive! But you do have to do your research on where to go for NYC falafel. Mamoun's, Taim or maybe some raw falafel balls from PFW? So many options to choose from, but here are my personal faves and a Mid-East Eats 101. I name my #1 fave spot on the last slide...

Sneak peek of Taim falafel below - many more pics and tips in my photo slideshow..

**Falafel Tour NYC Photo/Review Slide show HERE**

(last slide shows my #1 falafel nyc pick)

Newbies Read First - > Mid East Eats 101. To some folks, the menu at a Middle Eastern restaurant sounds like reading a menu from Mars. What's a falafel ball? And what in the world is baba ganouj (pronounce ba-bU gan-oosh). And doesn't all that white creamy tahini stuff contain dairy?

Here's a quick Falafel/Middle Eastern Cuisine 101...

Falafel: falafel balls are spiced balls, usually fried, sometimes baked - made from a base of ground chickpeas and/or fava beans. Wikipedia has a nice quip that "In Arab countries, the word is also used to describe something with a fluffy or crunchy texture". A good falafel ball will have a complex spice flavor. It should be moist and dense on the inside, with a crisp and almost fluffy/crunchy outer layer. A good falafel is lightly fried in a vegetable oil like canola oil. Some restaurants will bake falafel balls. I am not a fan of the baked falafel - however I am a fan of raw falafel balls when done correctly.

Hummus: chickpea based spread with the consistency of a super creamy and dense applesauce. Ingredients usually include chickpeas, tahini and EVOO. Interesting quip, "In Arab countries, hummus is rarely added to falafel. Tahini thinned with water and lemon is more common." A good hummus will be complex in flavor - not flat. It should be smooth and creamy, while maintaining a hearty dense texture as well. Fresh hummus is light years better than packaged or store-bought hummus. Raw hummus is also a popular favorite of mine. Raw hummus sometimes contains an almond base.

Tahini: creamy beige sauce made from ground sesame seeds. Used as a topping sauce for a falafel pita sandwich - similar to how you may use a thin salsa on a taco or burrito. Tahini sauces are usually a mixture of tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, water and maybe some parsley as well. Tahini is tangy, slightly bitter and dense with the consistency similar to a sticky ranch or peanut dressing. Tahini may appear super creamy, but most of the time - is 100% dairy-free. Tahini paste has a bitter nutty flavor. Tahini sauce may include special ingredients, depending on the restaurant you visit. Tahini is usually drizzled over a large serving of hummus - like a hummus appetizer.

Pita: Pita is a round pocket bread - it is sealed on all sides so that when sliced into halves, you can easily stuff it full of delicious ingredients like hummus, falafel, tabhouli, veggies and more. Pita bread usually comes in white or whole wheat. Good pita is fluffy and soft with a subtly spongy texture. Fresh pita bread should have a dusty outer surface. Warm oven toasted pita brad is my personal favorite. Sometimes pita is dusted with herbs and spices for a special touch.

Tabouleh or Tabbouli or Tabhouli: Tabhouli is a salad made from finely chopped parsley, onion, lemon juice, pepper, bulgur or couscous, mint, EVOO and tomato. Sometimes extra herbs and spices are also added. Tabhouli can be eaten alone or added to a pita. Good Tabhouli should have a fresh and zesty flavor and be slightly crunchy - not mushy. Tabhouli is also incredibly healthy since it contains a high amount of the leafy green parsley.

Spicy Sauce: From my experience, most falafel restaurants do *spicy sauce* their own unique way. Some prefer to do a green cilantro or chili sauce, others stick with a thin red sauce and some have a plethora of different spicy sauces and chutney-type spreads to choose from. A good spicy sauce is fresh and thin enough so that you can pour it right on top of your pita as needed.

Baba Ganouj: Though it looks similar to hummus, baba is basically cooked and mashed eggplant with the addition of other veggies, spices and seasonings. Baba is creamy and sometimes smoky. Roasted eggplant is often used in baba. I personally hate eggplant - but I love baba, go figure. Baba is used on pita the same way hummus is. note: eggplant is also sometimes added to pitas or fried as a side dish.

Other menu items: Stuffed Grape Leaves, Cabbage Slaw, Roasted Carrots, Beet Salad, Israeli Salad, French Fries (or Belgium Fries) and Baklava (usually not dairy-free) and often times several meat items - however ther are several all-veg falafel restaurants like Taim in nyc.

Beverages are also a worthy consideration when choosing a restaurant. Some places serve fresh juices, lemonade, iced tea and smoothies. Soda and import sodas are often served as well.

But before you waltz into the next "pita" joint down the block, you should do your research on where you get the most bang/nutrition/flavor for your buck and bite. Here are my faves in a photo sideshow that includes my review and tasting notes....

**Falafel Tour NYC Photo/Review Slideshow**
**Falafel Tour NYC Photo/Review Slideshow**
**Falafel Tour NYC Photo/Review Slideshow**

...and be sure to click all the way through the slide show because I name my #1 favorite falafel spot on the last slide!

Every day should be Earth Day in my opinion, and with so many green companies, brands and organizations - it's no wonder the "green trend" looks like it is here to stay. Here is a random assortment of my fave green websites, celebs and links to help you live your green life - everyday...

Earth Day List of Green Things...

Green Website to keep you "in the know: Ecorazzi

And, Treehugger.com

Goddess of Green: Cloe Jo Berman of Girlie Girl Army

Green Website for Guys: Discerning Brute

Green TV Network: Planet Green

Green Renegade "Pirate" Ship: Sea Shepherd

Follow Green trends on Twitter: TwitGrids Green

Green Shoe Company: TOM's Shoes

Green/Animal Rights Movie: The Cove

Green Authors: Rory Freedman Marilu Henner Kathy Freston

Green Restaurateurs: Sarma Melngailis and Amanda Cohen

Vegan Celeb Queen: Alicia Silverstone

Green Musician: Moby

Animal Lover on Mainstream TV: Ellen D

Crazy Green Adventure Story: Big River Man

Friend of the Oceans: Surfrider Foundation

Green Tweeter (and Twitter co-founder): @Biz

Timeless Fave Animal Rights Fighters: Farm Sanctuary and PETA

Green Model: Summer Rayne Oakes

Green Mega-Movie Star: Leonardo DiCaprio

Chemical-free kids organization: Healthy Kids Healthy World

Green Designer/Brand: Stella McCartney

Seeds Savers: Seed Savers Exchange

Guide to cruelty-free living for consumers: Caring Consumer

Green Weddings: Great Green Wedding

Zoo supporting all things Green: Green Team at Friends of the National Zoo

Travel Green with Green Hotels and Healthy Voyager

Perusable Green Sites: Lazy Environmentalist and The Daily Green

Green Kids Books and Brand: The Lunchbox bunch, of course

I could go on and on and on and on. But these should get you started on a nice green stroll online.

What are your faves??? Leave links and tips in the comments!

One of my favorite things about living in New York City is the fact that I am constantly stumbling upon inspiring and talented people. Yesterday, I met vegan chef Anita Sharp of Electric Blue Baking Company, for a quick hello and goodie-exchange.

I am a huge fan of networking with independent chefs, bakers and other foodie-artisans. I believe creativity, entrepreneurship and passion will get you everywhere in life. I was thrilled to taste-test and photo-shoot Anita's samples - and pass on my review to you....Electric Blue Baking Company Review...

Goodies in Box:
Inside a tiny brown box were three delicious-looking items:

*Broccoli Quiche (gluten-free)
*Cinnamon Roll (sugar-free)
*Chocolate Wafer Sandwich

My reviews...

Broccoli Quiche: Wow! This was outstanding. Moist and tender tofu-veggie mixture settled in a flaky rice/lentil flour crust. The spices were delicate, yet mingled with the zesty veggies perfectly. This quiche was filling, yet elegant - the beautiful bright yellow filling dotted with bits of red sun dried tomatoes and broccoli. I would absolutely buy this in a store - or consider it for a catered event. Delicious!

Cinnamon Roll: Light, moist, sticky-sweet in a very subtle light way. Fresh chunks of pecans on top. A warm flavor of vanilla and cinnamon throughout. A light essence of orange and apple brings a complexity to this humble cinnamon roll. Nothing sinful about this pastry treat - even though it tastes like there should be!

Chocolate Wafer Sandwich: Whoopee pie meets mini brownie. Sweet, moist, strong chocolate kick. This treat was a tad too sweet for me- but overall I'm guessing it will have a lot of fans with sweeter tastes than mine. Loved how soft and creamy the filling was. Like a soft vegan sandwich cookie - nice and fun.

Other Menu Items from Electric blue Baking co...

*Tarts - chocolate mousse, praline mousse, rum and date custard, coconut lime custard, cherry tart

*Breakfast - flaxseed brioche, cinnamon roll, muffins, spelt scones, donuts, filled crepes

*Sweet Things - banana agave brownie souffle, baba rhum, apple dumpling, guava dumpling, madeleines, almond linzer cookie, chocolate wafer sandwich

*Savory Snacks - quiche, pizette, filled buckwheat crepes, spelt empanada, rustic onion tart

I'd love to try that Guava Dumpling, and the filled Buckwheat Crepes! How unique and tasty sounding! I love a creative chef...

About Anita Sharp. Anita began EBB Co. in 2007. Since then she has worked under chefs like Pichet Ong (Village Tart, Spot Dessert Bar, P*ong) and Karen DeMasco (Craft, Locanda Verde). Anita has been busy catering events and making special occasion cakes and pastries.

Anita is currently expanding the wholesale branch of her business and is in the process of bringing her desserts and snacks to a cafe, natural food store or restaurant near you. NYC-area to start...

You can peruse Anita's website: www.electricbluebaking.com
...and keep up with her company news via twitter: @beanstalktalk

Last Word: ...that quiche rocked, will be craving that with my Saturday morning soy chai latte I'm sure!...

More of that delicious colorful quiche...

I woke up early this morning with visions of frosted vegan cupcakes, scoops of coconut milk ice cream and slices of vegan blueberry cheesecake dancing in my head...

Dessert Day: Vegan Dining NYC Series. I'll be introducing you to a wide variety of the sweets and treats I've discovered on my foodie adventures here in NYC. Check out this craving-inducing photo slide show of vegan NYC desserts...

---> View the NYC Vegan Dessert Slide Show! View the NYC Vegan Dessert Slide Show! View the NYC Vegan Dessert Slide Show!

In this segment of my Dining Out Vegan NYC Series, I'm tackling an issue that runs deep for gourmet vegan foodies everywhere: dining out at a mainstream fine dining, critic-approved, award-winning and raved-about restaurant.

Adventurous Eaters. Some vegans and vegetarians choose to stick to dining options where veg-only-eaters are vocally welcomed with open arms via little asterisks inserted for the *v.=vegan options. And then other vegans, like me, want to remind the James Beard-awarded Chefs that special-diet-diners are paying customers too.

And don't be confused - I'm not asking for miracles, just options.

But yes, it is 100% possible to experience a fine dining vegan meal at some of New York's charmingly-snootiest, white-glove-polished restaurants.

Here's my list of fine dining restaurants in NYC that are vegan-friendly-approved based on my inquiry phone calls, personal dining experiences and research of online reviews. I was pleased to find a few veg-loving unexpected gem restaurants, as well as a few who seen to think "vegan" is a four-letter word...

Before you embark on veg dining, I advise you to read my two part post on how-to-do-it-right:
Veg Dining Part 1: Kitchen Errors, Waiters and You.
Veg Dining Part 2: List of Hidden Non-Veg Ingredients

Why I'm Not Nuts. Now don't think I'm nuts. I know that it's a tad pretentious of me to go requesting a vegan meal at say "Fine Dining Meats R Us" and don't get me wrong, I'm not asking for an exquisite vegan meal with tempeh, veggies, vegan cheese, grains ect at these mainstream restaurants. All I want are a few pleasurable options.

I like to know that if someone invites me to a five star meal at say, Per Se, I can answer with "yes, I can go there!" Any invites out there??

Again, I'm not trying to ask for miracles, just options. Special diet folks are paying customers too.

Fine Dining Factor Key:
1=World-renowned/highly praised, white-glove, polished, critic-approved
2=Super trendy in a chic-setting - loud/large dining room, high energy
3=Tiny neighborhood spot, critic-adored

"GO!" Factor Key
Maybe Go = Unenthusiastic or Very Few Options
Go = Approved!

In no particular order...

Le Bernardin
155 W. 51st St.
New York, NY 10019
212-554-1515
You may think that Eric Ripert's Michelin-starred restaurant is off-limits for veg-eaters. But not so! I went one evening with my husband and received an amazing vegan meal. Appetizer, vegan pasta marinara dish and dessert. It was pretty incredible, and I appreciated the professionalism of the staff - they assured me at every course that the dish I was presented with was indeed vegan - even the usually egg-containing pasta was subbed with a vegan version.
Fine Dining Factor: 1
GO Factor: Go

Per Se
10 Columbus Cir
(between Broadway & W Central Park)
New York, NY 10019
(212) 823-9335
Though I have never been to Per Se, here's what one Yelper said: "The folks at per se are incredibly accommodating to diners with dietary restrictions (making gluten free breads for one of my guests, catering menus for vegans, vegetarians, those who do not wish to have alcohol even in sauces, etc). Without fail, the folks here simply know how to make you feel welcome."
I believe it. You usually get service that you pay for - vegan or not.
Fine Dining Factor: 1
GO Factor: Go

Daniel
60 E 65th St
New York, NY 10065
(212) 288-0033
A rare French restaurant I will rave about for vegans. They have a "vegetarian" tasting menu, which can be made vegan upon special request. Phone call approved fro vegans. Daniel is fine dining NYC at its best. Plus, Daniel is such a lovable Chef.
Fine Dining Factor: 1
GO Factor: Go

Gordon Ramsay at the London
151 West 54th Street
New York, NY 10019
Gordon Ramsey is pretty vocal about his hate of vegetarians. However, there is a vegetarian menu available. I am kinda scared to call this place, being that I keep envisioning Gordon himself answering the phone, laughing in my face and telling me to get out of town. Kinda kidding, but then again after two rings I hung up. 🙂 I'm sure they would find something for a vegan, but I'm too scared to ask. Will you call for me?
Fine Dining Factor: 1
GO Factor: Maybe Go

Wd-50
50 Clinton St
(between Rivington St & Stanton St)
New York, NY 10002
(212) 477-2900
There is a vegetarian appetizer and entree offered each evening. And from my previous phone calls, I have been informed that vegan diners are pleasantly accommodated - although the options are extremely limited. But at a place like WD, that's OK by me. Yay for Wylie D, who is a really cool, fave Chef of mine.
Fine Dining Factor: 1
GO Factor: Go

Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave
(at 24th St)
New York, NY 10010
(212) 889-0905
They do accommodate vegans upon special request. I have never dined here, but have heard good things.
Fine Dining Factor: 1
GO Factor: Go

Little Owl
90 Bedford St
(between Barrow St & Grove St)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 741-4695
I was incredibly pleased when I called Little Owl and was informed that "the Chef is very good about accommodating vegan and vegetarian diners". I have not read online reviews from vegan diners, so perhaps I will have to be the first!! Definitely need to try this neighborhood foodie gem. Always gets rave reviews, even from folks like Martha Stewart.
Fine Dining Factor: ⅓
GO Factor: Go

Blue Hill
75 Washington Place
(at Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10011
(212) 539-1776
I am a tad confused by Blue Hill. They brand themselves as the pinnacle of farm-to-table fare. But in the end, if you peruse their menu - the vegans get left out in the cold, or so it appears. President Obama chose to eat here last year, and I'm sure he was impressed with his farm-to-table meal. I have called Blue Hill in the past and they assured me that a vegan diner would be accommodated effortlessly. But I still wish that they displayed some vegan options on their menu - since the average vegan and I share with them a trustworthy affinity for fresh/local/organic ingredients.
Fine Dining Factor: 1
GO Factor: Go

Gramercy Tavern
42 E. 20th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 477-0777
Vegetable tasting menu available, but from the menu and reviews of GT, I'd guess that it's not as vegan-friendly as you may like. I have avoided dining here because it seems like an obstacle course/land-mine dining spot for vegans. Have you been? Let me know..
Fine Dining Factor: 1
GO Factor: Maybe Go

ABC Kitchen
35 East 18th Street
New York, NY 10003
New place by Jean Georges. Awesome ingredients (local/organic) with vegan options. It's on my list to try...
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

Dovetail
103 West 77th Street
New York, NY 10024
Go on a Monday night for Dovetail's vegetarian Monday menu! The vegan items are easy to spot and the entire coursed meal sounds like a delight. Dovetail (on a Monday) is on my list of places to try. Dirt Candy Chef Amanda Cohen has a nice review of her Dovetail experience.
Fine Dining Factor: 3
GO Factor: Go

Otto Enoteca Pizzeria
1 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 1000
Dined here for lunch one weekend afternoon. Brilliantly vegan-friendly. Veggies galore and amazing vegan pizza. Sorbet was fantastic too. Thumbs up for this Batali hotspot near Washington Square Park.
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

Babbo
110 Waverly Pl
(between Avenue Of The Americas & Mac Dougal St)
New York, NY 10011
(212) 777-0303
Another Batali hotspot on many top ten NYC dining-musts lists. A few Yelp reviewers went so far as to say that Babbo had "nothing" vegan. However, I called Babbo and asked about vegan options. The host answered with "yes" plain and simple, when I asked him about vegan options. So they could do it, how successfully, I can't confirm.
Fine Dining Factor: 1
GO Factor: Maybe Go

The Modern - Dining Room
9 W. 53rd Street
New York, NY 10019
Have not dined here - yet. But I've heard amazing things at this MOMA-central restaurant. I called The Modern and the hostess said "yes, absolutely" to my vegan-diner question. Bravo.
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

Buddakan NY
75 9th Ave
New York, NY 10011
Large, loud and fun. It's easy to order a vegan meal at an Asian restaurant, so go for it. However, a quiet, intimate night out is not this restaurants' style!
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

Dos Caminos
several locations in NYC
I've lovingly dined at Dos Caminos more than a few times. Polished and proper fine dining, not really - but definitely a chic and trendy place for a festive night out. I adore the guacamole, salsa trio, vegetable tacos, plantains (no cheese) and side of rice. Oh and the sangria is yum too.
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

Balthazaar
80 Spring St
(between Broadway & Crosby St)
New York, NY 10012
I've had drinks and apps at Balthazaar, and while the line is always out the door, I've never stayed for a full fledged meal. It's French, so you know the options will be limited. Fun space with lots of loud energy. When I called, they assured me a vegan guest would be accommodated - so feel free to try it if you're in SoHo and in the mood. Can't confirm success though.
(212) 965-1414
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Maybe Go

Bar Masa
10 Columbus Cir
4th Fl
(between W Central Park & Broadway)
New York, NY 10019
(212) 823-9800
I dined at Bar Masa and the sushi (vegan options) were plentiful. Delicious eats in a moody, dark and chic space. However, if you are going to spend hundreds of dollars to dine at MASA restaurant, you should probably be into fish sushi...
Fine Dining Factor: 1
GO Factor: Go

Bar Americain
152 W. 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
Yes, vegan options are available - however the entree looks like it will be a combo of all the side dishes put together according to one yelper. But still, appears to be a nice option for adventurous vegan Bobby Flay fans.
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

Mesa Grill
102 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
(212) 807-7400
Called. The hostess said "Um, we have salads. We have a limited menu for vegan. You could talk to your server..." So, overall not terribly vegan-friendly I'm guessing. Darn! Because I do love Bobby Flay and the menu sounds fabulous in theory. Can't confirm a success story as of yet. Have one? Let me know!
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Maybe Go

Blue Ribbon and Blue Ribbon Sushi
multiple locations
I've been to both BR sushi and BR restaurant. Both were very vegan friendly. And fabulous.
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

Jean Georges
1 Central Park W
New York, NY 10023
(212) 299-3900
Yes, yes, yes, Jean Georges loves to embrace vegans and I love that. Fine dining and vegan-friendly all the way. Just inform your server.
Fine Dining Factor: 1
Read: Jean Georges Likes Vegetarians, even Vegans!
GO Factor: Go

DBGB Kitchen and Bar
299 Bowery St
(between Houston St & 1st St)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 933-5300
Called, was put on hold. After about a minute of on-hold promo music, the hostess came back with, "We have a few vegetarian options, but we don't really have anything for a vegan-diet. You can see our menus on our website."
Hmm, I guess that's a "no" to vegan diners. Not a very welcoming response from a hotspot that appears to be a fun corner restaurant night out on the Bowery. I know, I know, they basically serve meat dishes, sausage, burgers etc - but I still think a few semi-vegan options would be a nice way to answer the question. What do you think?? At least they were honest...
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Maybe Go

Union Square Cafe
21 E 16th St
(between 5th Ave & W Union Sq)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 243-4020
Yes, accommodates vegans according to phone call.
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

Fig & Olive - Fifth Avenue
10 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10021
several locations
I have dined at the Meatpacking-located Fig and Olive several times - always fabulously vegan-friendly. Tell your server.
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

Felidia
243 E 58th St
(between 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)
New York, NY 10022
(212) 758-1479
Dined here twice and vegan pasta was awesome. Yes the lack of cheese, with the same price tag is noticeable. But I really do love Felidia. Lovely for Italian-meal seekers. Great service. Cozy, intimate space.
Fine Dining Factor: 1
GO Factor: Go

The Stanton Social
99 Stanton Street
New York, NY 10002
Vegan options available. Fun, loud, party-ish hotspot. Be sure to remind your waiter that you are vegan. Great place to take a blind-date, fun friends or a big group of girls. Late night dining approved. You can even go at 12am and get a great late night meal. Book ahead! (Like many on this list)
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

Public
210 Elizabeth St
(between Prince St & Spring St)
New York, NY 10012
(212) 343-7011
I love Public. They always have vegan options that are divine. Tofu, asparagus and mushrooms have been amazing in the past. Super cool place too. Nolita-chic. Energized bar scene. PS, same-company-lead Double Crown is vegan-friendly and awesome too, talk to your waiter though!
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

The Waverly Inn (no website - they are too cool for that)
16 Bank St Frnt
New York, NY 10014
Kinda had to sell my soul to get this reservation (not really) but I finally did it! Went here for my husband's bday a few years back. Had an amazing vegan meal in the company of lots of stars, celebs and other reservation-lucky foodies. Jared Leto was a table away from us, and the paparazzi outside all night were pretty entertaining. Fun spot if you can get an "in".
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

Craft
43 E 19th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 780-0880
I love Craft. Order all the veggie side dishes and have your own veg-tasting-menu. Just be sure to tell them to use EVOO instead of butter. Fiddleheads, peas and mushrooms oh my!
Fine Dining Factor: 1
GO Factor: Go

City Winery
155 Varick Street
New York, NY 10013
Kinda love the fact that they serve seared tofu, whole wheat pasta and mushrooms galore. Need to try this seemingly vegan-friendly wine bar/restaurant.
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

Mercer Kitchen
99 Prince St
(between Mercer St & Greene St)
New York, NY 10012
(212) 966-5454
I love Mercer Kitchen. Can always find something on the menu. Cute spot in SoHo. Energized atmosphere.
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

Morimoto
88 10th Ave
New York, NY 10024
(212) 989-8883
I love Morimoto. The table-made silken tofu dish is amazing! So many vegan options..
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Go

Momofuku
207 2nd Ave
(between 12th St & 13th St)
New York, NY 10003
Not exactly a vegan-welcoming place - I'd guess, although I've never been. This quip in their FAQ's section of most the Momofuku restaurants says it all:
"q: are there menu items for vegetarians (or those with other special diets)?
a: all vegetarian items are listed as such on the menu, however, we have few. please alert your server as to any allergies or special dietary needs you may have."
Didn't call, was a little scared. Again, feel free to call for me! jk, haha...
GO Factor: Maybe Go

Spotted Pig
314 W 11th St
(between Greenwich St & Hudson St)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 620-0393
Sadly, don't think they are too vegan-friendly. Hot spot for non-vegan foodies, but it looks like a 'salad' and shoestring french fry night for any vegans. You been?
Fine Dining Factor: 2
GO Factor: Maybe Go

Can't leave out these guys!!!...

Fine Dining Vegan and Vegetarian Themed Hotspots:

Dirt Candy - Review
Candle 79
Blossom - Review
Counter
GoBo
Pure Food and Wine - Review

I had some leftover Vegan Cole Slaw and Sweet 'n Pepper Toasted Pistachios from yesterday's recipes. So I decided to have a little devilish fun with an avocado. A few minutes later and I had a delicious dish: a Deviled Avocado.

Deviled Avocado is a dish I have been dying to try. But I never knew exactly how to build the recipe. My leftover Cole slaw served as the perfect inspiration ingredient. You've heard of deviled eggs, well now the devil has gone vegan. And healthy!

You can really stuff an avocado with all sorts of fillings, but vegan cole slaw is one very delicious option.

Healthy Devil. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats. Incredibly heart-healthy and delicious. I probably eat 4-5 avocados a week. I love them. Avocados are rich in Vitamin K, E, folate and fiber.

Click ahead for the devilish recipe...

Deviled Avocado
vegan, makes three halves

2 large avocados
1 cup Vegan Cole Slaw*** (recipe below)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
fresh black pepper
3 teaspoon Spicy Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
Toasted Pistachios*** (recipe below)
Paprika
rosemary (for "horns")
sea salt

1. Prep Avocados: Wash and dry well. Slice each in half. Remove pits, gently. Keep three halves as "serving halves".

2. With the fourth avocado half: Dice the avocado flesh. Splash with lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

3. Remaining 3 serving avocado halves:
Enlarge the natural hole in the avocado by scooping out about 1 tablespoon of avocado from each half. Add scooped avocado to small bowl. Add to small bowl: Cole slaw, Dijon mustard, garlic, a few grinds of fresh black pepper, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of pistachios. Mix well. Fold in the diced avocado that you set aside.

4. Assemble:
Scoop 3 tablespoon of avocado mixture into each avocado serving half. Garnish with 2-4 pistachios. Grind a bit of fresh pepper. Sprinkle a dash of paprika. Stick two rosemary "devil horns" in the top.

For best taste, serve immediately.
If necessary, chill until ready to serve.

*Tip: Brush serving avocado with lemon juice to stop from browning.

***Vegan Cole Slaw

1 cup shredded and chopped carrots
1 cup shredded and chopped red cabbage
2 cups shredded and chopped green cabbage
3 heaping tbsp. Veganaise, vegan "mayo"
¼ cup red wine vinegar or substitute lemon juice (your taste preference)
1 pear, chopped
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 teaspoon fresh pepper
2 Tbsp. agave syrup or maple syrup
½ cup sweet peppered pistachios (optional)

In a large bowl:
Add cabbage and carrots.
Add vinegar.
Toss.
Add Veganaise and sweetener.
Toss well.
Add garlic powder and pepper.
Fold in pears.
Fold in pistachios (optional)

Allow to chill in fridge for at least twenty minutes before serving.
Serve cold with fresh pepper on top.
(Garnish with pistachios if you use them.)

***Toasted Sweet 'n Pepper Toasted Pistachios

1 cup roasted and salted pistachios (de-shelled)
2 tablespoon maple or agave syrup
1 tablespoon oil (olive or canola)
5 grinds fresh black pepper

To make:
Add oil to a skillet.
Turn stove heat on high.
When oil starts to sizzle, add nuts.
Shake pan back and forth as you 'toast' them.
(shake continuously over heat during next steps.)
Add sweetener and some black pepper.
Shake/toast over high heat for 90 more seconds.
Make sure all nuts are coated.

Remove pan from heat.
Add remaining pepper.
Toss nuts with pepper well.
Pour in a small bowl.
As nuts cool they will harden.

Serve warm or cool.

It's Dirt Candy time! This crowd-pleaser/vegan-friendly restaurant is so remarkable that it deserves its own segment in my Dining Out Vegan NYC Series. But don't take my word for it! Take the word of my non-vegan husband (Mr.HHL) - who will be guest blogging his review of DC later in this post. His one line proclamation about other restaurants compared to DC: "It's No Dirt Candy!"

*photo credit note: Dirt Candy montage pics from Dirt Candy website*

Eating Together. There's an old quote by John Donne, "...no man is an island.." Well I have a new quote, "No vegan eats alone." Eat and thrive, don't eat to isolate. Most special diet folks find themselves eating at mainstream restaurants quite often. Especially when dining out with friends, family and large groups. But no matter where I dine, or who I dine with, common ground can always be found in one thing: exquisite food. And it just so happens that exquisite food can indeed be vegan or vegetarian.

The classic vegetarian restaurant stereotypes leave a bitter taste in my mouth: cold blocks of tofu, bland lifeless veggies, boring flat-flavored veggie burgers, under-seasoned everything, fried-nothing. But I have to toss back my head and laugh at this veg-restaurant image. That's not a vegetarian restaurant, that's a bad restaurant!

So when anyone needs to be convinced that veg food can indeed be delicious food, here's what I do: squeeze them through the door of Dirt Candy and say: here, ya go! Chef Amanda can take it from here! Eat and believe.

Produce Section Bandwagon. The farm-to-table trend has been gaining huge momentum over the past few years with restaurants like Blue Hill and Jean Georges' new green-themed restaurant ABC Kitchen, which says it is "passionately committed to offering the freshest organic & local ingredients possible". But most restaurants don't go all-in when highlighting veggies as the main star of the show. Yes, they put local/organic/farm-fresh veggies on a high pedestal. But on the pedestal to the left of the veggies, is a big chunk of meat.

However, there is one restaurant who truly builds its menu from the dirt - up: Dirt Candy in the East Village, NYC. Dirt Candy is a rare-gem of a restaurant that serves creative, cravable: exquisite food. It just so happens that owner/Chef Amanda Cohen's perfect menu offerings are 100% vegetarian and vegan-friendly.

Impressive Eats. I promise, you can bring literally anyone to this restaurant (strict vegan, BBQ-rib-loving brother in-law, meat and potatoes dad, sometimes-vegetarian BFF) and they will walk away with a huge smile on their face and a feel-good skip in their step. Don't believe me? Think I'm exaggerating?

...Don't take my word for it, take the word of my husband, a non-vegan who loves an ice-tray of oysters, a smoked salmon bagel, wasabi-crusted salmon dish and even (on rare occasion) a Kobe burger slider. He has his fair share of "veggie issues" So when I dragged him to DC a little over a year ago, I had no idea to expect, but I never expected DC would become one of his fave places in all of NYC...

Guest blogger: Here's what my husband (Mr.HHL) has to say about Dirt Candy, and why out of all the amazing restaurants in NYC - he chose DC as his special birthday dinner this year...

Dirt Candy, by Mr. HHL:

"Anyone can cook a hamburger, but leave the vegetables to the professionals" headlines the Dirt Candy web site. And from my experience, no one cooks vegetables like chef extraordinaire Amanda Cohen. And this year, I decided that my birthday dinner simply had to be at Dirt Candy.

NYC has many innovative restaurants such as Wylie Dufresne with his molecular gastronomy at WD-50 and MOMA's The Modern, whose name says it all. As a self-described foodie, I've dined at a good sampling of creative and classic NYC restaurants, most were remarkable, but the truth is, very few can touch Dirt Candy. I usually shun my veggies, but at this veggie-heavy restaurant I cleaned my plate.

DC, an intimate twenty seat restaurant, is one of my all time favorites. I love restaurants that reinvent food and Dirt Candy does just that. The standard "asparagus side dish" with some boring butter/lemon sauce drizzled on top -- it's no where to be found.

After being seated at a table right by the kitchen actually, they are all right by the kitchen we started with two glasses of sparkling rose (Kathy's favorite). The wine list is somewhat limited, but every bottle is excellent and moderately priced. You can even order half-glasses, which is an innovative idea.

Chef Amanda quickly swooped over to us with two plates of steamy, hot Jalapeno Hush Puppies with creamy maple butter on the side. Amanda even already knew to give Kathy the vegan version, and me the standard version. It's quite a treat to have a meal that's so interactive with such a talented Chef. The Hush Puppies were a favorite of mine from our previous visit. Delicious, but I still wish they were spicier.

For the starter and entree, I decided to order whatever foods I disliked the most, trusting that I like everything from Dirt Candy. For the starter, I ordered the kimchi doughnuts with grilled watermelon radishes. Kathy had to talk me into straying away from the mushroom appetizer I had last time and loved. I've never really liked kimchi, but I just never had kimchi like this. Even the watermelon radish, which sounded frightening - I thought it was actual watermelon before Kathy clued me in - was delicious. I will now be substituting my "I don't like kimchi" statement, with "this is no Dirt Candy kimchi!"

The entree was a hard decision. While I loved the grits last time, I stayed with my theme of choosing a food that I do not normally like - so eggplant it was. And I ordered the vegan version of the Eggplant course, consisting of black olive fettuccine, eggplant jam, and pickled eggplants with a basil broth. I usually "hate eggplant", but I trusted that this eggplant dish would be "Dirt Candy" delicious. The dark green fettuccine noodles were better than any egg based pasta I've ever had. And the bright green, almost soupy broth blew me away. Kathy kept dunking her parsnip gnocchi into the fluorescent green broth, and remarking how amazing it was.

The restaurant atmosphere is cool, modern, intimate. It almost hums with its own low-frequency energy and life. DC seems to attract a sophisticated, artistic and worldy crowd of foodies - the chain restaurant crowd it is not.

For dessert I had the red pepper velvet cake with white chocolate and peanut ice cream and peanut brittle. It took my favorite standard red velvet cupcake to a new level. I wish Mrs HHL would let me order this as the starter! My cake was a creative masterpiece, but I have to say I was a bit jealous of Kathy's vegan mint chocolate ice cream bar. A few nibbles of the chocolate cookie crust and I was swooning.

In all of the meal courses at DC, you can just taste the high quality ingredients.

Even if you laugh at vegan and vegetarian food, you should try Dirt Candy. You can thank me later.

So Mrs HHL, when are we going back?

-by Mr HHL, aka Kathy's husband

Dirt Candy
t. 212.228.7732
430 e. 9th st
NY, NY 10009
www.dirtcandynyc.com
twitter: @dirtcandy (last minute reservation openings)
facebook: Dirt Candy Fan

More About Chef Amanda Cohen/Dirt Candy:
MetroMixx Chef of the Year: Amanda Cohan
Veggie Girl Power Interview: Amanda Cohen
Star Chef Awarda: Amanda Cohen
Kathy's Dirt Candy Review

...Who looks at a red pepper and thinks, "Red Pepper Velvet Cake!" Amanda, that's who...love it.

*Dirt Candy Food Photos used in montage image at top are property of Dirt Candy and Amanda Cohen (from Dirt Candy's website)*

I love the new stamp campaign by the United States Postal Service. Wait, did I just say that? Weird. But I do! The new stamp campaign is called Stamps to the Rescue. The goal of these special edition stamps is to raise awareness of shelter animals in need.

Fact: Nearly half of the animals that enter animal shelters are euthanized.

About the Stamps: "The pets depicted on the stamps were photographed by Sally Andersen-Bruce near her home in New Milford, Connecticut. All had been homeless at one time; all but one had been adopted when they were photographed." Learn more and see how Ellen DeGeneres is involved!...

More info on this purr-fect stamp campaign, from the Stamps to the Rescue website:

"In celebration of the new Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet stamps, the Postal Service™, together with Ellen DeGeneres and Halo: Purely for Pets, is giving shelter pets around the country a First-Class Meal. During the launch of the stamps, Halo will be donating a million meals to animal shelters around the country."

The Stamps to the Rescue Goal: "We want more Americans to know about the millions of shelter pets that need good homes. Nearly half of the animals that enter animal shelters are euthanized. Many of these cats and dogs would have made a wonderful pet...if only given the chance.You can make a difference. Adopt a pet, volunteer at a shelter, or just get the word out by buying these stamps."

The cost is $8.80 per ten stamps

You can pre-order stamps online now.

You can even buy mugs, coasters and other stamp artwork to benefit this furry-fantastic cause.

See the awesome campaign website "Stamps to the Rescue" and learn more about the campaign. The site even features an Adoption 101 section.

*All stamp product images copyright USPS, from website

This Wednesday, April 21st, you can help improve the nation's school lunches by joining in on PCRM's Congress Call-in Day. All you have to do is register and call-in to make a difference! No picket sign required. Details:

"On April 21, please join us for School Lunch Lobbyist Call-In Day and ask your Member of Congress to support H.R. 4870, the Healthy School Meals Act of 2010, which makes it easier for schools to offer healthful plant-based options and gives them an incentive to do so. Anyone can be a citizen lobbyist!"

Find out more and get in on the call...

I'm a big fan of PCRM, Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine. They work passionately to promote a plant-based diet for our kids and for adults. If you haven't perused the PCRM website, I suggest you do.

Participate in PCRM's School Lunch Lobbyist Day!

Why it Matters:

"More than a third of America’s children are overweight or obese. They are at risk for adult diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. Over 30 million kids eat at least one meal at school each day. Most of these meals are high in saturated fat and cholesterol and low in fiber and other key nutrients, and most students cannot choose a healthful, plant-based alternative for their lunch tray. But YOU can help us make change in Washington and in school lunch lines across the country." -PCRM website on Call-in Day

Questions about School Lunch Lobbyist Day? Contact Ruby Lathon, Ph.D., PCRM's nutrition policy manager, at [email protected].

PCRM Call-In Day website

*thanks to my new friend Laura over at vegansaurus.com for this event tip!

Sorry Chicago, but when I think of pizza in the USA I think of one place: New York City. Maybe it's the water, maybe it's the history or maybe it's just the fragrant smell of pizza that wafts down the street and into your nose as you pass any street corner pizza shop. Even those crummy-looking pizza spots seem to smell like pizza heaven. New York City is a pizza-lovers playground.

Vegan Pizza. Vegan pizza used to mean ordering a basic pie, sans the oozy-gooey dairy cheese. All veggie toppings on top and upon ordering, it was a pretty safe bet that you'd get a questioning look or sigh of "huh?" from the waiter or smug phone guy. "No cheese? That's not pizza!" I've heard it more than once...

Luckily, vegan pizza had evolved. Even non-vegans are interested in the trendy Daiya cheese and spelt crust pie options at many NYC pizza hotspots. And outside of say, Naples, Italy - I say the place for pizza is NYC. Even vegan pizza. Get my list of NYC vegan pizza faves...

---> My TOP TEN List: Vegan Pizza NYC