I am now attending culinary school. I am dedicating significant resources to this endeavour, so I am also rebooting this blog. Please scoot over to:
Please update your links. In a few weeks this url will kick straight to the new blog. I'll continue to record what I eat in ridiculous detail, but will focus on what I do in c-school.
Thanks to all (three of) my readers: Ilsa, the Hungry Vegan Society and B!
Thanks for reading!!
Tuesday, April 22
Monday, April 21
Last Stab at Homemade Pizza as a Civilian
ADDENDA:
Good day. Freelanced in the morning, shot out to Brooklyn for lunch with a friend, swung by Wholefoods for ingredients and then home to attempt pizza from real scratch, including the dough. Tried not to think about it too much today, but starting c-school tomorrow is the elephant in the room of my mind.
BREAKFAST: 10am, homemade power bar, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Woke up early to get to the office early, stomach felt a bit tight, not quite nauseous but food was the last thing I wanted.
LUNCH: 1:30pm, 2 fried fish tacos with yellow rice, black beans, chips and pico de gallo, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Lunch out in Fort Greene with Yana. Whenever we get together we seem to eat too much, and greatly enjoy it, too.
PM SNACK: 2:30pm, large slice of red velvet cake, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
Around the corner to the Cake Man Raven.
DINNER: 8pm, half a small homemade pizza, .5
bowl, hunger 3/5
Nervous about tomorrow. Feel a little on edge. I made dough from scratch from this recipe, which after resting to room temperature became very liquidy and unworkable. The first pie wouldn't come off the peel even with lots of semolina flour and folded into a burning mess. The second pie made it in, and looked awfully pretty.
The flavor of the crust was definitely up there, but due to it's liquidy nature, I poured it onto
the peel more than rolled it. It wasn't very thin and kind of had an unpleasantly thick gummy layer between the crisp bottom and the sauce. Next time I attempt this, I will use a little less water and get the kind of yeast the recipe calls for.
Good day. Freelanced in the morning, shot out to Brooklyn for lunch with a friend, swung by Wholefoods for ingredients and then home to attempt pizza from real scratch, including the dough. Tried not to think about it too much today, but starting c-school tomorrow is the elephant in the room of my mind.
BREAKFAST: 10am, homemade power bar, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Woke up early to get to the office early, stomach felt a bit tight, not quite nauseous but food was the last thing I wanted.
LUNCH: 1:30pm, 2 fried fish tacos with yellow rice, black beans, chips and pico de gallo, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Lunch out in Fort Greene with Yana. Whenever we get together we seem to eat too much, and greatly enjoy it, too.
PM SNACK: 2:30pm, large slice of red velvet cake, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
Around the corner to the Cake Man Raven.
DINNER: 8pm, half a small homemade pizza, .5
bowl, hunger 3/5Nervous about tomorrow. Feel a little on edge. I made dough from scratch from this recipe, which after resting to room temperature became very liquidy and unworkable. The first pie wouldn't come off the peel even with lots of semolina flour and folded into a burning mess. The second pie made it in, and looked awfully pretty.
The flavor of the crust was definitely up there, but due to it's liquidy nature, I poured it onto
the peel more than rolled it. It wasn't very thin and kind of had an unpleasantly thick gummy layer between the crisp bottom and the sauce. Next time I attempt this, I will use a little less water and get the kind of yeast the recipe calls for.
Sunday, April 20
Passover, Round 2
ADDENDA:
Spent the day cooking and reviewing a hagadah for the Seder I'll be leading and partially feeding this evening. Put the sauer braten in the oven for hours, then made the spent marinade into gravy. Prepped vegan stuffed mushrooms to be baked at my friends house closer to time of serving.
BREAKFAST: 9am, 4 homemade lemon muffins, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Since I couldn't make it uptown for a brunch with B's relatives, I woke up and ran into the kitchen to bake these muffins from scratch before she split. They were pleasantly lemony without being bitter, but not overly sweet either. I experimented with mixing a little zest with dark brown sugar to sprinkle on top, but it didn't form the caramelized crust that plain cane sugar created last time.
LUNCH: 12:15pm, homemade cheese ravioli w/ olive oil, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Good ravioli, but a lot of them formed a big frozen ball in the freezer again, despite drying them before storing them. Hmmmm.
AFTERNOON TASTINGS: 12:30pm-4pm, a gingersnap cookie (for the gravy) here, a teaspoon of vegan stuffing there, a taste of gravy here (needs more sugar), etc etc, hunger 3/5
I wonder if this is the kind of stuff that'll make me fat in C-school...
PM SNACK: 5pm, pistachios, .25 cup, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 8pm, salad, gefilte fish, matzoh ball soup, sauerbraten, gravy, vegan stuffed mushrooms, potato kugel, flourless chocolate cake, 2 glasses wine, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
For this Seder at my friend's Karen house, I definitely was not in a passive role. I lead the Seder as best as I could, adding as much of my mom's anti-religious pro-feminist pro-socialist flavor as possible, gave a little rant about gefilte fish and made it quick. At the same time, I was running into the kitchen to try to give order to things, plating and sending out the fish and soup courses, carving the meat and plating the various side dishes.
Unfortunately, the sauer braten was dry, but I know why - if it was served within 30 minutes of it's cooking, it would of been very juicy. 5 hours after it was cooked, a huge puddle of yummy meat juices were at the bottom of the container which no amount of gravy could help. Because I had to cook it at home and bring it, it was unavoidable. If I try another dish like this, it'll have to be cooked in the place it'll be served.
The stuffed mushrooms were over salted and over peppered, but the effort I put into chopping all the ingredients finer made for a much more appealing texture.
Kind of missed a few friends who I would of liked to of shared this with, next year either they'll be invited to this or I'll do my own, darnit! And after C-school, a passover brisket should be a piece of cake, right?
Spent the day cooking and reviewing a hagadah for the Seder I'll be leading and partially feeding this evening. Put the sauer braten in the oven for hours, then made the spent marinade into gravy. Prepped vegan stuffed mushrooms to be baked at my friends house closer to time of serving.
BREAKFAST: 9am, 4 homemade lemon muffins, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Since I couldn't make it uptown for a brunch with B's relatives, I woke up and ran into the kitchen to bake these muffins from scratch before she split. They were pleasantly lemony without being bitter, but not overly sweet either. I experimented with mixing a little zest with dark brown sugar to sprinkle on top, but it didn't form the caramelized crust that plain cane sugar created last time.
LUNCH: 12:15pm, homemade cheese ravioli w/ olive oil, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Good ravioli, but a lot of them formed a big frozen ball in the freezer again, despite drying them before storing them. Hmmmm.
AFTERNOON TASTINGS: 12:30pm-4pm, a gingersnap cookie (for the gravy) here, a teaspoon of vegan stuffing there, a taste of gravy here (needs more sugar), etc etc, hunger 3/5
I wonder if this is the kind of stuff that'll make me fat in C-school...
PM SNACK: 5pm, pistachios, .25 cup, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 8pm, salad, gefilte fish, matzoh ball soup, sauerbraten, gravy, vegan stuffed mushrooms, potato kugel, flourless chocolate cake, 2 glasses wine, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
For this Seder at my friend's Karen house, I definitely was not in a passive role. I lead the Seder as best as I could, adding as much of my mom's anti-religious pro-feminist pro-socialist flavor as possible, gave a little rant about gefilte fish and made it quick. At the same time, I was running into the kitchen to try to give order to things, plating and sending out the fish and soup courses, carving the meat and plating the various side dishes.
Unfortunately, the sauer braten was dry, but I know why - if it was served within 30 minutes of it's cooking, it would of been very juicy. 5 hours after it was cooked, a huge puddle of yummy meat juices were at the bottom of the container which no amount of gravy could help. Because I had to cook it at home and bring it, it was unavoidable. If I try another dish like this, it'll have to be cooked in the place it'll be served.
The stuffed mushrooms were over salted and over peppered, but the effort I put into chopping all the ingredients finer made for a much more appealing texture.
Kind of missed a few friends who I would of liked to of shared this with, next year either they'll be invited to this or I'll do my own, darnit! And after C-school, a passover brisket should be a piece of cake, right?
Saturday, April 19
Passover, Round 1
ADDENDA:
Went to a yoga basics class this morning tought by the HVS, who is somewhere near the end of her training. Hot n' sweaty, the yoga was excellent though the music was a bit....well, that's a rant for a different kind of blog. Went to the farmer's market before hand to pick up some ingredients for an apple crisp to take along tonight to my cousin's seder.
BREAKFAST: 7:45am, granola with good milk, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 10am, 2 small pieces of pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Mediocre pizza leftovers from B's Broadway East meal
LUNCH: 1:15am, pork fried rice, shrimp eggroll, 1.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
It would have just been another buck to get the brick and have it delivered, but don't feel like being sick all Passover. Walked out and got a pint of rice. I guess I'm needing the comfort of it, as this afternoon I'll be with relatives I haven't spent time with in years.
DINNER: 6:30pm, matzoh, 1/2 glass wine, diet coke, seltzer, haroset w/ horseradish, gefilte fish, matzoh ball soup, 5 sweet meatballs, chicken breast w/stuffing, mashed potatoes, salad, broccoli kugel, small piece of apple crisp, 1 chocolate macaroon, 2.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Went to a cousin's house deep in the dark heart of New Jersey, haven't been to his seder since my parents passed away. It was nice to be able to go with B and have her meet a bunch of people who knew my parents pretty well. I was always a rather shy child, and had my parents to hide behind - many of these people who I've known since I was a baby I've had very few words with - tonight I perhaps doubled the amount of conversation I had with them. It was nice.
Being a seder, there was the pomp and ceremony but it was all about the food in the end. A few dishes were brought by guests were home made, but the majority of the meal was catered - it's a shame, my father and his brother would cook everything from scratch, and it would show. A perfect example were these meatballs in a tomato/ketchup sauce, originally made by my Aunt Vivian, now made by another cousin - no pork in the meatballs, matzoh meal as a filler, ketchup used in both the meat ball AND the sauce....and the sauce is sweet....should be gross, but were absolutely fantastic, like Jewwy Swedish meatballs. The food was good, the banter with my cousin was in the style of my parents, but my food memory recalls something a little bit more....weird tasting. Is it because I'm an adult? I ate the "bitter herb" dipped in salt water for the first time in my life, usually I'd shove it under the plate, he he.
Then again, if I was holding a seder for 24 people, I'd cater it too! A Wildman tradition is to serve hard boiled eggs and crack the egg over a loved one's head. Fortunately, Betsy's skull was quite firm and ready for the task.
Went to a yoga basics class this morning tought by the HVS, who is somewhere near the end of her training. Hot n' sweaty, the yoga was excellent though the music was a bit....well, that's a rant for a different kind of blog. Went to the farmer's market before hand to pick up some ingredients for an apple crisp to take along tonight to my cousin's seder.
BREAKFAST: 7:45am, granola with good milk, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 10am, 2 small pieces of pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Mediocre pizza leftovers from B's Broadway East meal
LUNCH: 1:15am, pork fried rice, shrimp eggroll, 1.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
It would have just been another buck to get the brick and have it delivered, but don't feel like being sick all Passover. Walked out and got a pint of rice. I guess I'm needing the comfort of it, as this afternoon I'll be with relatives I haven't spent time with in years.
DINNER: 6:30pm, matzoh, 1/2 glass wine, diet coke, seltzer, haroset w/ horseradish, gefilte fish, matzoh ball soup, 5 sweet meatballs, chicken breast w/stuffing, mashed potatoes, salad, broccoli kugel, small piece of apple crisp, 1 chocolate macaroon, 2.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Went to a cousin's house deep in the dark heart of New Jersey, haven't been to his seder since my parents passed away. It was nice to be able to go with B and have her meet a bunch of people who knew my parents pretty well. I was always a rather shy child, and had my parents to hide behind - many of these people who I've known since I was a baby I've had very few words with - tonight I perhaps doubled the amount of conversation I had with them. It was nice.
Being a seder, there was the pomp and ceremony but it was all about the food in the end. A few dishes were brought by guests were home made, but the majority of the meal was catered - it's a shame, my father and his brother would cook everything from scratch, and it would show. A perfect example were these meatballs in a tomato/ketchup sauce, originally made by my Aunt Vivian, now made by another cousin - no pork in the meatballs, matzoh meal as a filler, ketchup used in both the meat ball AND the sauce....and the sauce is sweet....should be gross, but were absolutely fantastic, like Jewwy Swedish meatballs. The food was good, the banter with my cousin was in the style of my parents, but my food memory recalls something a little bit more....weird tasting. Is it because I'm an adult? I ate the "bitter herb" dipped in salt water for the first time in my life, usually I'd shove it under the plate, he he.
Then again, if I was holding a seder for 24 people, I'd cater it too! A Wildman tradition is to serve hard boiled eggs and crack the egg over a loved one's head. Fortunately, Betsy's skull was quite firm and ready for the task.
Friday, April 18
Jonesing for My Pusherman
ADDENDA:Picked up gefilte-fish loaf from Russ & Daughter's for the seder I'm cooking for Sunday. My mom once picked up a loaf for her seder and it was weirdly good - the jarred stuff is in snot sauce and mushy veg. This loaf of pike & whitefish is dry, no jelly, and cooked carrots came on the side. I wish I could ask my mom where she got hers, it could of been R&D's, or it could of been any of a number of orthodox food shops in the hood.
Picked up my culinary uniform this morning. Crazy. Laid down wearing the white chef jacket embroidered with my name while listening to the new Nick Cave and Breeders records, seasoning it with some good vibes.
BREAKFAST: 9:45am, organic chex with good milk, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 2pm, whole wheat penne with hot italian sausage, sauted mushrooms and homemade tomato sauce, water, 3 bowls, hunger 4/5
Well, I made a big-ass bowl of pasta, which I fried up a raw piece of sausage and some shrooms. I used to eat portions of pasta like this for both lunch and dinner - I haven't had a big pasta meal like this in quite a while, but Ilsa is quite insistent that I up my lunch quantities and low-light my dinner.
Funny thing, after eating this, I started grazing in the kitchen for sweets, but there were none. Then I thought -damn!- I just ate a HUGE lunch, why am I looking for sweets? I'm gonna take care of some stuff, and if I'm still craving, gonna run out and get a good-ass donut from my local donut pusher-man...
PM SNACK: 3:15pm, chocolate glazed yeast donut, .75 bowl, hunger 3/5
Ahhhhhhhhhh......sweet oblivion.....
DINNER: 6:45pm, cod in broth, mushroom pate, small peanutbutter tofu desert, 1 glass presecco, water, 1.5 bowls, hunger 3/5
Not very hungry, but went to the new Broadway East Restaurant on East Broadway with B and Katya, who came down to wish me a happy birthday - my 23rd birthday meal this year. The restaurant, which is in my hood, is surprisingly upscale, about 85% vegan/vegetarian menu, and tasty. I just hope it can make it, must take the HVS there soon...
Thursday, April 17
Ballz
ADDENDA:
Went to bed last night hungry, though not can't-think hungry. I drank a quart of water around 11pm that helped (thank goodness I'm too young for bladder issues!) Woke up mildly hungry, as my stomach is tight when I just rise, but soon enough breakfast was calling
BREAKFAST: 8am, granola with good milk, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
About twice the amount I've eaten in the past, very satisfying. Once the 'Feed' brand is out, gonna get more hippie-friendly lower-sugar farmer's market granola.
AM BP: 127/98
That's a good number (for me), makes me want to measure me more often to see if it's legit.
LUNCH: 1pm, turkey sandwich, sesame noodles, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
After a tour of vegan-unfriendly sandwich shops of midtown with the HVS, finally made it back to the office for a nice lunch.
PM SNACK: 5pm, bag of potato chips, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 5:15-6pm, 10 or so small matzoh balls, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
I went uptown to assist my mother-in-law in making a large batch of matzoh balls for Passover, and once they were done, as she'd turn around or look away, I'd shove one in my mouth. They were goooood. Full of egg and oil. And there is something satisfying about sneaking food behind the back of a parental figure, a pleasure I have not indulged in since I was 11 or so.
DINNER: 6:45pm, tortellini in olive oil & garlic, matzoh ball soup, water, 1.5 bowls, hunger 3/5
EVENING SNACK: 8:15pm, small piece of chocolate bundt, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 1am, small cup of pistachios, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Was crazy hungry, but was able to stay in control. After creating a ramekin of shells, waited through my insomnia till the hunger became manageable, rather than binging.
Went to bed last night hungry, though not can't-think hungry. I drank a quart of water around 11pm that helped (thank goodness I'm too young for bladder issues!) Woke up mildly hungry, as my stomach is tight when I just rise, but soon enough breakfast was calling
BREAKFAST: 8am, granola with good milk, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
About twice the amount I've eaten in the past, very satisfying. Once the 'Feed' brand is out, gonna get more hippie-friendly lower-sugar farmer's market granola.
AM BP: 127/98
That's a good number (for me), makes me want to measure me more often to see if it's legit.
LUNCH: 1pm, turkey sandwich, sesame noodles, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
After a tour of vegan-unfriendly sandwich shops of midtown with the HVS, finally made it back to the office for a nice lunch.
PM SNACK: 5pm, bag of potato chips, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 5:15-6pm, 10 or so small matzoh balls, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
I went uptown to assist my mother-in-law in making a large batch of matzoh balls for Passover, and once they were done, as she'd turn around or look away, I'd shove one in my mouth. They were goooood. Full of egg and oil. And there is something satisfying about sneaking food behind the back of a parental figure, a pleasure I have not indulged in since I was 11 or so.
DINNER: 6:45pm, tortellini in olive oil & garlic, matzoh ball soup, water, 1.5 bowls, hunger 3/5
EVENING SNACK: 8:15pm, small piece of chocolate bundt, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 1am, small cup of pistachios, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Was crazy hungry, but was able to stay in control. After creating a ramekin of shells, waited through my insomnia till the hunger became manageable, rather than binging.
Wednesday, April 16
I Browned Almost 9 Pounds of Meat This Evening.
ADDENDA:
At yesterday's meeting, Ilsa yelled at me a bit for not restricting my calories enough, and for not eating enough vegetables. -sigh- I guess some childhood habits are harder to break than others.
I spent a good part of the evening browning 2 pieces / 8lbs of bottom round and making the marinade for sauer braten, which I will be contributing to a friend's Passover this weekend.
Went to a basics yoga class today after putting some hours in at the office. Did a shoulder stand (off the wall) for the first time, actually seeing (a very tiny bit of) progress there.
Culinary starts in less than a week. I'm excited/nervous/curious. Slowly putting together the new blog TBD....
BREAKFAST: 9:15am, good yogurt with honey vanilla raw nuts, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Milk spoiled, this was my only option. I like how short a shelf-life my unhomogenized organic milk has - it tastes fresher when it's fresh, and when it's bad, you know it right away.
LUNCH #1: 12:15pm, 2 samosas, pumpkin noodles, 1.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Midtown vegan lunch with the HVS.
LUNCH #2: 4:30pm, 1 large piece salad pizza, 1 large piece fresh moz pizza, orange soda, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Went to Pie on 4th Ave (pizza by the inch) after yoga, just didn't want anything too healthy!
DINNER: 8pm, 1 pork chop, stir fried broccoli & mushrooms, chocolate soy ice cream, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Pork chop on the bone only marinated for an hour, only browned it for 3 minutes on each side then went for it - it's rareness would of scared most people, but it was SO juicy and delicious and simply porky. Stir fried the veg fast and hot in the wok with salt and sesame oil, and it came out crunchy and flavorful. No sauces, just the flavors of the main ingredients.
Hope avoiding a pasta/rice/potato and having a large serving of broc & mushroom will please Ilsa! :)
At yesterday's meeting, Ilsa yelled at me a bit for not restricting my calories enough, and for not eating enough vegetables. -sigh- I guess some childhood habits are harder to break than others.
I spent a good part of the evening browning 2 pieces / 8lbs of bottom round and making the marinade for sauer braten, which I will be contributing to a friend's Passover this weekend.
Went to a basics yoga class today after putting some hours in at the office. Did a shoulder stand (off the wall) for the first time, actually seeing (a very tiny bit of) progress there.
Culinary starts in less than a week. I'm excited/nervous/curious. Slowly putting together the new blog TBD....
BREAKFAST: 9:15am, good yogurt with honey vanilla raw nuts, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Milk spoiled, this was my only option. I like how short a shelf-life my unhomogenized organic milk has - it tastes fresher when it's fresh, and when it's bad, you know it right away.
LUNCH #1: 12:15pm, 2 samosas, pumpkin noodles, 1.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Midtown vegan lunch with the HVS.
LUNCH #2: 4:30pm, 1 large piece salad pizza, 1 large piece fresh moz pizza, orange soda, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Went to Pie on 4th Ave (pizza by the inch) after yoga, just didn't want anything too healthy!
DINNER: 8pm, 1 pork chop, stir fried broccoli & mushrooms, chocolate soy ice cream, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Pork chop on the bone only marinated for an hour, only browned it for 3 minutes on each side then went for it - it's rareness would of scared most people, but it was SO juicy and delicious and simply porky. Stir fried the veg fast and hot in the wok with salt and sesame oil, and it came out crunchy and flavorful. No sauces, just the flavors of the main ingredients.
Hope avoiding a pasta/rice/potato and having a large serving of broc & mushroom will please Ilsa! :)
Tuesday, April 15
Unintentionally Mostly Vegan
ADDENDA:
Took a nice quick bikeride out to Coney today. I filled my bottle up at a water fountain on the boardwalk, tasted like rust - shame, as it'll turn some kid off from public water fountains forever. The water fountain in Prospect Park tasted A-OK, though.
BREAKFAST: 9:15am, good yogurt with honey, vanilla, raw cashews, apple, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
PM SNACK: 12:30pm, homemade power bar, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AFTERNOON WATERING: 11-2pm, 24 oz Gatorade/water mixture, 12 oz water
LUNCH: 3:45pm, butt crazy rice with grilled tofu, stir fried broccoli & mushroom, chocolate soy ice cream, 2.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
I took a picture of this meal, the tofu looked pleasingly charred. However, it tasted unforgivably bland and boring, so I really don't want to trumpet it. The butt-crazy rice I did the other day was with 1 cup of dry rice - this time I tripled the amount, but only doubled the mix-ins, like the porcini, the onion, the chives. Undersalted and the olive oil just didn't deliver the same mouth feel as the butter.
I pressed the tofu between towels to remove moisture and brushed them with oil, but as I grilled it on a non-stick pan, when it came to flip them the browned parts still stuck to the pan! Urrrrg! Well, a few didn't.
I was in a local grocery yesterday to buy broccoli, but it all looked brown and disgusting. So I bought a bag of frozen broc. I microwaved it out of it's frozen state and it came out surprisingly mushy and dull. Stir-frying it briefly almost brought it back to life, but I think fresh is still the way to go.
DINNER: 7:30pm, kimchi, mungbean and leek pancakes, pumpkin noodles, 2 vegetable dumplings, grilled todok and asparagus, mixed grain rice, tofu bibimbop, tofu steak, tofu pudding, tofu icecream, tofu cheesecake, kimchi, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Out with B and a friend at Hangawi, the most expensive vegan restaurant in NYC. The tofu steak was just deep-fried triangles of tofu with a thick bbq sauce, the tofu ice cream was waaaay too much like tofutti. Really dug the interesting fibrousness of the todok.
Took a nice quick bikeride out to Coney today. I filled my bottle up at a water fountain on the boardwalk, tasted like rust - shame, as it'll turn some kid off from public water fountains forever. The water fountain in Prospect Park tasted A-OK, though.
BREAKFAST: 9:15am, good yogurt with honey, vanilla, raw cashews, apple, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
PM SNACK: 12:30pm, homemade power bar, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AFTERNOON WATERING: 11-2pm, 24 oz Gatorade/water mixture, 12 oz water
LUNCH: 3:45pm, butt crazy rice with grilled tofu, stir fried broccoli & mushroom, chocolate soy ice cream, 2.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
I took a picture of this meal, the tofu looked pleasingly charred. However, it tasted unforgivably bland and boring, so I really don't want to trumpet it. The butt-crazy rice I did the other day was with 1 cup of dry rice - this time I tripled the amount, but only doubled the mix-ins, like the porcini, the onion, the chives. Undersalted and the olive oil just didn't deliver the same mouth feel as the butter.
I pressed the tofu between towels to remove moisture and brushed them with oil, but as I grilled it on a non-stick pan, when it came to flip them the browned parts still stuck to the pan! Urrrrg! Well, a few didn't.
I was in a local grocery yesterday to buy broccoli, but it all looked brown and disgusting. So I bought a bag of frozen broc. I microwaved it out of it's frozen state and it came out surprisingly mushy and dull. Stir-frying it briefly almost brought it back to life, but I think fresh is still the way to go.
DINNER: 7:30pm, kimchi, mungbean and leek pancakes, pumpkin noodles, 2 vegetable dumplings, grilled todok and asparagus, mixed grain rice, tofu bibimbop, tofu steak, tofu pudding, tofu icecream, tofu cheesecake, kimchi, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Out with B and a friend at Hangawi, the most expensive vegan restaurant in NYC. The tofu steak was just deep-fried triangles of tofu with a thick bbq sauce, the tofu ice cream was waaaay too much like tofutti. Really dug the interesting fibrousness of the todok.
Monday, April 14
My Wife Is Nutty
ADDENDA:
Went into the Institute of Culinary Education for a uniform fitting. As I was trying on the jacket, got a tingle up my spine, felt really exciting, like when I was selecting gear for my cross-country bike trip. One week from tomorrow, it begins, along with a refurnished blog....
Weigh 231 again this week. I guess I should start thinking in terms of how I'm going to actually lose weight while going to culinary school.
BREAKFAST: 9:45am, granola with good milk, .5 bowl, hunger 2/5
LUNCH: 11:30am, shackburger, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
A visit to the grave, so to speak. Visited B early in the day to take care of some chores, then we wandered into Madison Square Park, where the line to the Shake Shack was only 3-deep. Wasn't particularly hungry, but it was something interesting to do - for you non-NYers, Shake Shack is a fancy burger stand in a public park run by a famous restaurateur, and the burgers are supposedly some of the best in the city. I had a plain burger months ago there, and was extremely underwhelmed. After seeing that picture of the kid shoving the burger in his face like it was going to solve all his problems, I thought hell, what if I'm wrong, what if I'M the crazy one and a good burger really is some sort of good thing.
The shackburger comes on a plain toasted McDonalds-like bun, with lettuce, tomato, crappy American cheese, bacon and mayo (which I don't like, but appreciate it's ability as a barrier to keep the bun from going all soggy), and the meat was tough but juicy, over salted and after eating it, felt greasy all over. Nope, not a good thing. Good thing I only ate one. I don't know what would of happened if I ate fries and a shake with it, eeeeeee.... nope, I will never become a burger connoisseur....I'm a pizza man, through and through.
PM SNACK: 1:15pm. 1.5 homemade power bars, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 5:30pm, small amount of undressed spinach salad, .25 bowl, hunger 3/5
B said she left a serving of salad behind....a serving for a 3 foot midget Buddhist on a hunger strike... she gone done become plum insane!
DINNER #1: 6pm, 1 piece lasagna with tomato sauce, small cup of almond ice cream 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Had 2 pieces of Dinnerfest lasagna left, but thought it's a bit of a large serving - I should be eating larger lunches and smaller dinners, not the other way around. So I had only one, then found the remnants of Dinnerfest ice cream in the freezer - B said it "might not be good anymore", so when I checked I saw what she meant - she had eaten all but a few scraping from the side of the Tupperware! I guess no good for me, but just fine for her! Nutty! Yet I still love her...
DINNER #2: 7:45pm, 2 pancakes, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Two left over pancakes from the weekend out of the freezer - damn, the microwave is a great thing.
EVENING SNACK: 12am, boca burger on whole wheat, popcorn, 1.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Just got so hungry, couldn't think straight.
Went into the Institute of Culinary Education for a uniform fitting. As I was trying on the jacket, got a tingle up my spine, felt really exciting, like when I was selecting gear for my cross-country bike trip. One week from tomorrow, it begins, along with a refurnished blog....
Weigh 231 again this week. I guess I should start thinking in terms of how I'm going to actually lose weight while going to culinary school.
BREAKFAST: 9:45am, granola with good milk, .5 bowl, hunger 2/5
LUNCH: 11:30am, shackburger, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
A visit to the grave, so to speak. Visited B early in the day to take care of some chores, then we wandered into Madison Square Park, where the line to the Shake Shack was only 3-deep. Wasn't particularly hungry, but it was something interesting to do - for you non-NYers, Shake Shack is a fancy burger stand in a public park run by a famous restaurateur, and the burgers are supposedly some of the best in the city. I had a plain burger months ago there, and was extremely underwhelmed. After seeing that picture of the kid shoving the burger in his face like it was going to solve all his problems, I thought hell, what if I'm wrong, what if I'M the crazy one and a good burger really is some sort of good thing.
The shackburger comes on a plain toasted McDonalds-like bun, with lettuce, tomato, crappy American cheese, bacon and mayo (which I don't like, but appreciate it's ability as a barrier to keep the bun from going all soggy), and the meat was tough but juicy, over salted and after eating it, felt greasy all over. Nope, not a good thing. Good thing I only ate one. I don't know what would of happened if I ate fries and a shake with it, eeeeeee.... nope, I will never become a burger connoisseur....I'm a pizza man, through and through.
PM SNACK: 1:15pm. 1.5 homemade power bars, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 5:30pm, small amount of undressed spinach salad, .25 bowl, hunger 3/5
B said she left a serving of salad behind....a serving for a 3 foot midget Buddhist on a hunger strike... she gone done become plum insane!
DINNER #1: 6pm, 1 piece lasagna with tomato sauce, small cup of almond ice cream 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Had 2 pieces of Dinnerfest lasagna left, but thought it's a bit of a large serving - I should be eating larger lunches and smaller dinners, not the other way around. So I had only one, then found the remnants of Dinnerfest ice cream in the freezer - B said it "might not be good anymore", so when I checked I saw what she meant - she had eaten all but a few scraping from the side of the Tupperware! I guess no good for me, but just fine for her! Nutty! Yet I still love her...
DINNER #2: 7:45pm, 2 pancakes, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Two left over pancakes from the weekend out of the freezer - damn, the microwave is a great thing.
EVENING SNACK: 12am, boca burger on whole wheat, popcorn, 1.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Just got so hungry, couldn't think straight.
Sunday, April 13
Cradle to Grave, in Food Signs
ADDENDA:In the door to a pre-school, a cute sign announces the early programming of 'snacks' into a child's regime. It's healthy (yogurt, muffins, toast, fruit salad, p&j sandwiches), it's for sharing, it's so wholesome.
Elsewhere, the bat-shit insane eyes of a department store catalog model stuffing a burger in his mouth somehow connected itself to the previous sign in my mind. Somehow, as some grow up and get older and fatter, they go bat-shit insane and start stuffing burgers down our gobs for a 'snack' - 24 hours a day.
BREAKFAST: 10:15am, waffle and home fries, water, 1.5 bowls, hunger 3/5
Rolled over to East River Cafe with B, sat at a table facing the window to the street like I used to with my mom, sometimes with my dad and a bunch of times after he passed. It's definitely comforting, that sort of continuity, because we certainly ain't going for the food! The waffle is soggy on one side, the home fries are pedestrian. Since I had bacon (and pastrami) yesterday, it was easy to skip the over-salty industrial bacon here.
LUNCH: 2pm, spinach salad, 'butt-crazy' rice, 1.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Through some interesting ingredients into the rice cooker with the brown basmanti and water - diced red onion, diced elephant garlic, freeze-dried chives, freeze-dried porcini, sea salt, good butter. It came out so good that Betsy asked me to name it. The first thing that came to my mind is 'butt-crazy', hmmmm....
PM SNACK: 3:45pm, slice o' streetza, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
In Brooklyn, about to head for a bar for a friend's b-day thing, didn't want to have too empty a stomach. The pizza was surprisingly flavorless, but the crisp texture of the crust against the hot oil of the sauce and the gooeyness of the cheese almost made up for it.
PM DRINK: 4pm, 1 pint beer
A scary assortment of kiddy sweets were spread out, pixie sticks, pop rocks, tootsie rolls, yards of licorice. Yick!!
DINNER: 7pm, crusty bread and butter, .5 glass wine, lemon chicken soup, poached shrimp over slaw, hanger steak with grits, chocolate tart, a few bites of olive oil cake, mint herbal tea, water, 2.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Nice meal amongst some of my best friends at ICI in Fort Greene, another birthday dinner in my honor, I think the 3rd this year, makes me feel a little embarrassed but in the end it was an honest expression of luv from my friends, I guess. Kinda like a much more cultured and adult version of Wednesday snack sharing time...
Saturday, April 12
Money, Meet Mouth
BREAKFAST: 10am, 2 pancakes, 4 pieces bacon, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
I had 4 pancakes on my plate, and as I was working into the 2nd one, realized I really didn't need to eat the other 2. Thinking of my mini-rant yesterday about global food shortages and a new American perspective on food, I've been wondering how I can put my money where my mouth is (figuratively and literally.) As for these pancakes, "Damn, this is enough pancake to serve 2...or have a 2nd meal!" So I plopped the two in a freezer bag and into the ice chest it went. It'll make an easy lighter breakfast later in the week, or a non-sweet snack at some point. It's from scratch, all organic with fresh milk, whole wheat, unrefined sugar etc etc, how insane would of it been to trash them.
LUNCH: 12:30, half a pastrami sandwich, half order of fries, pickles, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Easily could of eaten a whole sandwich and whole order of fries, but would of felt icky after. Everyone around me was packing in loads more, but the bacon and 2 pancakes were still with me.
DINNER: 7pm, shrimp in garlic sauce with black beans and yellow rice, spinach salad, water, 2.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Ordered in on a quiet Saturday eve.
I had 4 pancakes on my plate, and as I was working into the 2nd one, realized I really didn't need to eat the other 2. Thinking of my mini-rant yesterday about global food shortages and a new American perspective on food, I've been wondering how I can put my money where my mouth is (figuratively and literally.) As for these pancakes, "Damn, this is enough pancake to serve 2...or have a 2nd meal!" So I plopped the two in a freezer bag and into the ice chest it went. It'll make an easy lighter breakfast later in the week, or a non-sweet snack at some point. It's from scratch, all organic with fresh milk, whole wheat, unrefined sugar etc etc, how insane would of it been to trash them.
LUNCH: 12:30, half a pastrami sandwich, half order of fries, pickles, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Easily could of eaten a whole sandwich and whole order of fries, but would of felt icky after. Everyone around me was packing in loads more, but the bacon and 2 pancakes were still with me.
DINNER: 7pm, shrimp in garlic sauce with black beans and yellow rice, spinach salad, water, 2.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Ordered in on a quiet Saturday eve.
Friday, April 11
Poet's Walk
ADDENDA:
I've for a long time thought a lot of problems in this country could be solved if food wasn't so cheap. Now with the crap economy, we're on the verge of seeing food prices rise, I'm afraid more problems will be created world wide than solved locally, with food-riots in places where people already spend more than 50% of their incomes on getting fed. Yes, we'll eat out less, eat small portions and maybe not eat so wastefully, but must that be accompanied by people in other places starving? It makes me ill at ease, especially when I'm at the markets buying up the finest ingredients possible.
BREAKFAST: 9:30am, good yogurt with cashews, honey, and vanilla, 1 banana, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 1pm, lamb on pita, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
After spending a few hours wrapping up a project in the offices, grabbed a lamb pita from the good vendor, with the real lamb and hand-made condiments. Sat in Central Park at the Poet's Walk while eating it and making phone calls. I used to sit here with my father every time we came to the park together, sit and read, be quiet, usually between a movie, museum or opera and a meal.
Soon after my father died, I dreamed that I came to this spot and he was there, elderly but in good health and able to walk on his own. We sat, and he apologized for dying, and said he already missed me and mom horrendously, and he thanked me and my mom for being so good to him in his last few years, when yes, we could of dumped him in a home but every effort was (successfully) made to allow him to spend his last months living in his own home. He said to look after myself and my mother, and then we hugged. As I squeezed him, I closed my eyes and -poof- out of my arms he dissipated like smoke. I woke up from that dream feeling a bit more settled about it, and I was happy I got to see him again. I've had a few dreams over the years where I've spoken with my parents, all conscious that they are dead.
I pedalled over to the Whitney to check out the Biennial, but the line was wrapped around the block. I was looking forward to checking out the Edward Hoppers, as he was my father's favorite painter and we would sit and stare at them together every time we were there.
PM SNACK: 2:15pm, shrimp summer roll, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Picked up ingredients for a dinner with B at WF, got this to hold me over till then.
PM SNACK: 5pm, shortbread, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Cooking up a storm, got hungry. Better to have sweets now than before bed.
DINNER: 7pm, spinach salad, a couple of raviolis, lasagna, half glass of white wine, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
I made cheese & vegetable ravioli from scratch, which Betsy had, while I had the Dinnerfest meaty lasagna. The ravioli was good - fresh egg dough, the filling made up of ricotta, fresh moz, parm, spinach, sauteed & diced portabellos, chives, shallots, sun dried tomatoes, nutmeg, eggs, salt and pepper. I lightly sauteed the raviolis in olive oil, elephant garlic, more chives, white wine and lemon juice, came out really interesting (in a good way). Made enough raviolis to cover a couple of counter tops, drying a little before I bag them for the freezer. B tucked into chocolate soy ice cream, but I resisted...
PM SNACK: 9pm, veggie booty, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 11pm, chocolate soy ice cream, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Serious sugar cravings, made me very cranky. I gave in.
I've for a long time thought a lot of problems in this country could be solved if food wasn't so cheap. Now with the crap economy, we're on the verge of seeing food prices rise, I'm afraid more problems will be created world wide than solved locally, with food-riots in places where people already spend more than 50% of their incomes on getting fed. Yes, we'll eat out less, eat small portions and maybe not eat so wastefully, but must that be accompanied by people in other places starving? It makes me ill at ease, especially when I'm at the markets buying up the finest ingredients possible.
BREAKFAST: 9:30am, good yogurt with cashews, honey, and vanilla, 1 banana, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 1pm, lamb on pita, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
After spending a few hours wrapping up a project in the offices, grabbed a lamb pita from the good vendor, with the real lamb and hand-made condiments. Sat in Central Park at the Poet's Walk while eating it and making phone calls. I used to sit here with my father every time we came to the park together, sit and read, be quiet, usually between a movie, museum or opera and a meal.
Soon after my father died, I dreamed that I came to this spot and he was there, elderly but in good health and able to walk on his own. We sat, and he apologized for dying, and said he already missed me and mom horrendously, and he thanked me and my mom for being so good to him in his last few years, when yes, we could of dumped him in a home but every effort was (successfully) made to allow him to spend his last months living in his own home. He said to look after myself and my mother, and then we hugged. As I squeezed him, I closed my eyes and -poof- out of my arms he dissipated like smoke. I woke up from that dream feeling a bit more settled about it, and I was happy I got to see him again. I've had a few dreams over the years where I've spoken with my parents, all conscious that they are dead.
I pedalled over to the Whitney to check out the Biennial, but the line was wrapped around the block. I was looking forward to checking out the Edward Hoppers, as he was my father's favorite painter and we would sit and stare at them together every time we were there.
PM SNACK: 2:15pm, shrimp summer roll, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Picked up ingredients for a dinner with B at WF, got this to hold me over till then.
PM SNACK: 5pm, shortbread, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Cooking up a storm, got hungry. Better to have sweets now than before bed.
DINNER: 7pm, spinach salad, a couple of raviolis, lasagna, half glass of white wine, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
I made cheese & vegetable ravioli from scratch, which Betsy had, while I had the Dinnerfest meaty lasagna. The ravioli was good - fresh egg dough, the filling made up of ricotta, fresh moz, parm, spinach, sauteed & diced portabellos, chives, shallots, sun dried tomatoes, nutmeg, eggs, salt and pepper. I lightly sauteed the raviolis in olive oil, elephant garlic, more chives, white wine and lemon juice, came out really interesting (in a good way). Made enough raviolis to cover a couple of counter tops, drying a little before I bag them for the freezer. B tucked into chocolate soy ice cream, but I resisted...
PM SNACK: 9pm, veggie booty, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 11pm, chocolate soy ice cream, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Serious sugar cravings, made me very cranky. I gave in.
Thursday, April 10
Bicycle: Taste Enhancer
ADDENDA:
My last mountain bike ride late fall ended with an exploded rear derailleur. Today I subwayed it up to the Bronx, got to the trail head buried in Van Cordlandt Park around 10am, soon after caught a flat. Realizing I forgot my bike pass for Metro North Rail, didn't want to risk going up to Croton then having another mechanical breakdown and having to spring for a $100 cab ride. Ended up reading the newspaper in Inwood Hill Park and when I got up, the rear deflated again - needed to be taken apart, studied, and perhaps a new tire or tuning of the spokes. Wait a sec, this is a FOOD blog, not a bike blog, sorry....
The awesomely great mid-70s weather should of raised my mood, but between the pre-leaf nude trees and the suspect mechanics of my bike, just felt depressed. The last time I was chilling on a bike at Inwood Hill was a few summers ago, depressed about my parents passing. Weird how I ended up at the same bench, thoughts swirling about the future, the past. Was hungrier than I thought when I scarfed my two homemade power bars. Riding is a great taste-enhancer.
BREAKFAST: 8am, organic corn flakes with good milk, banana, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 11:30am, two homemade power bars, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Surprisingly yummy. The granola and nuts gave the bar a pleasant heft and dryness - the last round were a bit too moist to the point of sogginess.
LINNER (DUNCH!): 4pm, mixed gluten, mashed taro treasure boxes, mini sticky rice in lotus leaves, spring roll, mock shrimp in rice dough, water, 2.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
A late lunch at Vegetarian Dim Sum to cheer me up. Forgot how heavy this food is - 2 bowls felt like 5. Everything is very starchy, and greasy (in a good way) to boot. Still, unlike the typical Chinese take-away brick, doesn't leave me feeling like I just hit myself in the head and stomach with a hammer.
PM SNACK: 9:30pm, chocolate soy ice cream with 2 pieces shortbread, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Just felt like I needed to treat myself nicely. Funny how a sugary indulgence is synonymous with self-love.
My last mountain bike ride late fall ended with an exploded rear derailleur. Today I subwayed it up to the Bronx, got to the trail head buried in Van Cordlandt Park around 10am, soon after caught a flat. Realizing I forgot my bike pass for Metro North Rail, didn't want to risk going up to Croton then having another mechanical breakdown and having to spring for a $100 cab ride. Ended up reading the newspaper in Inwood Hill Park and when I got up, the rear deflated again - needed to be taken apart, studied, and perhaps a new tire or tuning of the spokes. Wait a sec, this is a FOOD blog, not a bike blog, sorry....
The awesomely great mid-70s weather should of raised my mood, but between the pre-leaf nude trees and the suspect mechanics of my bike, just felt depressed. The last time I was chilling on a bike at Inwood Hill was a few summers ago, depressed about my parents passing. Weird how I ended up at the same bench, thoughts swirling about the future, the past. Was hungrier than I thought when I scarfed my two homemade power bars. Riding is a great taste-enhancer.
BREAKFAST: 8am, organic corn flakes with good milk, banana, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 11:30am, two homemade power bars, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Surprisingly yummy. The granola and nuts gave the bar a pleasant heft and dryness - the last round were a bit too moist to the point of sogginess.
LINNER (DUNCH!): 4pm, mixed gluten, mashed taro treasure boxes, mini sticky rice in lotus leaves, spring roll, mock shrimp in rice dough, water, 2.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
A late lunch at Vegetarian Dim Sum to cheer me up. Forgot how heavy this food is - 2 bowls felt like 5. Everything is very starchy, and greasy (in a good way) to boot. Still, unlike the typical Chinese take-away brick, doesn't leave me feeling like I just hit myself in the head and stomach with a hammer.
PM SNACK: 9:30pm, chocolate soy ice cream with 2 pieces shortbread, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Just felt like I needed to treat myself nicely. Funny how a sugary indulgence is synonymous with self-love.
Wednesday, April 9
Goin' Further With Granola
ADDENDA:
Went to a late morning yoga class, the teacher was a bit of a babbler (in a good way), she caught my ear when she started talking about food - how the "vibrations" of the person preparing it affects the "vibration" of the food itself - why home cooked food by a loved one is better than industrial slop prepped by an underpaid wage slave - and how saying a prayer over food can be a small corrective measure. I think the closer the relationship you have with your food and it's preparer is key to eating better, though I'd worry more about the sources of the ingredients and the care put into it, no matter how it's shaking or buzzing or whatnot.
Tomorrow is going to be a beautiful day, so I baked up some power bars this afternoon for an extended bike ride on the mountain bike up to Croton. Threw in some granola, chopped up cashews and lots of chocolate chips in. In yesterday's post about granola, my friend Reeve responded with a warning about the high glycemic index of granola. I went back and looked at the ingredients of Feed Granola, and it was interesting. Yes, the first 3 ingredients are all organic whole grains, but following there are 4 different sweeteners, from agave to brown sugar - I bet all together, it would be the #1 ingredient. So when I was in the farmers market today, I picked up a less-packaged, more boldly hippyesque package of granola, which of about 12 ingredients, only honey was the sweetener, and 3rd from last, before salt and canola oil.
BREAKFAST: 9am, organic cheerios with good milk, half a banana, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Despite the veggie booty, went to sleep a little hungry and woke up with an appetite.
LUNCH: 12:45pm, grilled tempeh, hijiki, kasha, curry lentil soup, water, 1.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Went to the cafe at the yoga school after a beginner's vinyasa class, really good clean tasting vegan food that doesn't taste like dirt. The HVS would be proud!
PM SNACK: 5pm, baby spinach salad with ranch dressing, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 7pm, homemade lasagne with sauteed portobello, homemade soy ice cream and homemade shortbread, seltzer, 2.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Busted out the last major leftover from Dinnerfest, easily the best dish I made. The pasta is incredibly unctuous, the meat ragu is wonderfully textured and really has a round pork/veal/beef taste, and the spinach-infused ricotta kinda binds the two with a middle-ground texture (and a few chewy shards of the bufalla moz doesn't hurt!) I topped it with some old homemade pizza sauce in the back of the fridge and threw on some diced grilled portobello, which had to be used or tossed.
Made the soy ice cream on the fly, know B will appreciate it's presence in the fridge.
Went to a late morning yoga class, the teacher was a bit of a babbler (in a good way), she caught my ear when she started talking about food - how the "vibrations" of the person preparing it affects the "vibration" of the food itself - why home cooked food by a loved one is better than industrial slop prepped by an underpaid wage slave - and how saying a prayer over food can be a small corrective measure. I think the closer the relationship you have with your food and it's preparer is key to eating better, though I'd worry more about the sources of the ingredients and the care put into it, no matter how it's shaking or buzzing or whatnot.
Tomorrow is going to be a beautiful day, so I baked up some power bars this afternoon for an extended bike ride on the mountain bike up to Croton. Threw in some granola, chopped up cashews and lots of chocolate chips in. In yesterday's post about granola, my friend Reeve responded with a warning about the high glycemic index of granola. I went back and looked at the ingredients of Feed Granola, and it was interesting. Yes, the first 3 ingredients are all organic whole grains, but following there are 4 different sweeteners, from agave to brown sugar - I bet all together, it would be the #1 ingredient. So when I was in the farmers market today, I picked up a less-packaged, more boldly hippyesque package of granola, which of about 12 ingredients, only honey was the sweetener, and 3rd from last, before salt and canola oil.
BREAKFAST: 9am, organic cheerios with good milk, half a banana, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Despite the veggie booty, went to sleep a little hungry and woke up with an appetite.
LUNCH: 12:45pm, grilled tempeh, hijiki, kasha, curry lentil soup, water, 1.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Went to the cafe at the yoga school after a beginner's vinyasa class, really good clean tasting vegan food that doesn't taste like dirt. The HVS would be proud!
PM SNACK: 5pm, baby spinach salad with ranch dressing, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 7pm, homemade lasagne with sauteed portobello, homemade soy ice cream and homemade shortbread, seltzer, 2.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Busted out the last major leftover from Dinnerfest, easily the best dish I made. The pasta is incredibly unctuous, the meat ragu is wonderfully textured and really has a round pork/veal/beef taste, and the spinach-infused ricotta kinda binds the two with a middle-ground texture (and a few chewy shards of the bufalla moz doesn't hurt!) I topped it with some old homemade pizza sauce in the back of the fridge and threw on some diced grilled portobello, which had to be used or tossed.
Made the soy ice cream on the fly, know B will appreciate it's presence in the fridge.
Tuesday, April 8
First Superhippy Bread, Now GRANOLA!!
ADDENDA:
The short bread has the illusion of being low sugar (1 cup butter, 2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar) but I had the worst insomnia last night, up till 2:30am. I suspect it was the late short bread.... had a carb-heavy lunch, aim for a high-protein dinner, try to have a sweets-free day....
The evening today brought a serious round of sugar-craving.
BREAKFAST: 10am, apple granola with good milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Found this new brand of granola during my trip to WholeFoods yesterday, looked like it may be developed for adult tastes, rather than the cloyingly sweet and industrial tasting stuff I've had in the past. Pretty good, tasted pleasantly oaty, and just subtly sweet. I guess I should go out and get some Birkenstocks?
The evening today brought a serious round of sugar-craving.
BREAKFAST: 10am, apple granola with good milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Found this new brand of granola during my trip to WholeFoods yesterday, looked like it may be developed for adult tastes, rather than the cloyingly sweet and industrial tasting stuff I've had in the past. Pretty good, tasted pleasantly oaty, and just subtly sweet. I guess I should go out and get some Birkenstocks?
LUNCH: 1pm, 3 samosas, brown rice, cold pumpkin noodles, cucumber salad, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Midtown lunch at Green Symphony with the HVS.
PM SNACK: 6pm, spinach salad with organic Italian dressing, 1 bowl
DINNER: pork chops in mushroom gravy with
roasted broccoli, water, 2.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Started marinating a pork chop yesterday that I split the long way (olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper), browned the hell out of it, then made a simple gravy in the pan by boiling up some sherry, vegetable broth, more garlic and a large pinch of flour for about 10 minutes. Used the Good Eats recipe for the broccoli. Didn't really pay much attention to amounts, just kind of threw stuff together. The gravy needs work, it was a little too thin in texture and flavor, and I should of sauteed the mushrooms and garlic before deglazing with sherry, but it was still a nice compliment to the juicy meat with a crisp brown layer.
While I was cooking, NPR radio had a story about the crap economy and how health tends to improve in bad times because people work less, do more exercise and cook at home more versus going out to restaurants. This pork chop meal wasn't quite restaurant quality, but it was definitely a step in the right direction - and the cost of the food was less than $10....
EVENING SNACK: 11pm, veggie booty, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Sugar cravings kind of blurring with hunger, so grabbed a non-sweet snack...
PM SNACK: 6pm, spinach salad with organic Italian dressing, 1 bowl
DINNER: pork chops in mushroom gravy with
roasted broccoli, water, 2.5 bowls, hunger 4/5Started marinating a pork chop yesterday that I split the long way (olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper), browned the hell out of it, then made a simple gravy in the pan by boiling up some sherry, vegetable broth, more garlic and a large pinch of flour for about 10 minutes. Used the Good Eats recipe for the broccoli. Didn't really pay much attention to amounts, just kind of threw stuff together. The gravy needs work, it was a little too thin in texture and flavor, and I should of sauteed the mushrooms and garlic before deglazing with sherry, but it was still a nice compliment to the juicy meat with a crisp brown layer.
While I was cooking, NPR radio had a story about the crap economy and how health tends to improve in bad times because people work less, do more exercise and cook at home more versus going out to restaurants. This pork chop meal wasn't quite restaurant quality, but it was definitely a step in the right direction - and the cost of the food was less than $10....
EVENING SNACK: 11pm, veggie booty, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Sugar cravings kind of blurring with hunger, so grabbed a non-sweet snack...
Monday, April 7
"Results Not Typical"
ADDENDA:
I will be starting Culinary School in a few weeks. My work search has come up with a bunch of freelance projects, but no regular gig. I think I'm going to slightly change up this blog - I will still record everything I eat and my feelings around it, but will also focus on the experience of being a culinary student, one who is doing it mid-life rather than as an inexperienced high school graduate. Feel free to email me ideas for a new title! "Kulinary Kicks"? "Konstantly Kooking"? "Kitchen Krazed Klassroom"? Hmmmm....
Weight this morning 230, I suspect I didn't drink enough water. My blood pressure is 131/88, which is a little high, but average for me.
I'm working on the computer and the Food Network is on in the background. The TV commercials are blowing my mind - a show about crappy diner food is sponsored by a stool softener. Queen Latifah blagging some weight loss pill, bragging how much she lost while a small "RESULTS NOT TYPICAL" appears in the corner. Menopause hormone replacement meds during a biography of Julia Child. Yes, we all want to be free...from the need to poop and being a fat-ass!
BREAKFAST: 9am, apple, .25 bowl, hunger 3/5
LUNCH: 1:15pm, shrimp curry with jasmine rice, a couple pieces of nan, onion bahji with chutney, poppadom, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Midtown lunch with Erikka after taking a meeting in the office. Food was a bit eh, but was really good company - funny how that makes most food more enjoyable.
PM WATERING: 3:30pm, 24 oz freshly made seltzer
Just blew threw almost 2 c-notes at Whole Foods, with about 12 plastic bags full of groceries hanging off of all ends of the bicycle.
DINNER PT 1: 6:30pm, baby spinach salad, lots of shards of shortbread, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Made a variation of the baby spinach salad with red bell pepper, radishes, scallion, cuce, carrots and left out the red onion and roasted nuts.
Wanted to use up some old whole wheat pastry flour, so whipped up a batch of short bread while doing laundry. I threw in some vanilla flavoring (which I got by accident - extract is suspended in alcohol, this stuff is in glycerin - not as flavorful) which seemed to alter the dough. Despite refrigerating for 30 minutes, the dough refused to keep any shape and ended up being shapeless flat blobs on the baking pans. Coming out of the oven, they took a wonderful light-brown sheen. On the one hand, they are extremely crumbly and fragile and I ate maybe a half bowl of short bread by picking up the pieces. On the other hand, the short bread is unexpectedly light in the mouth and the good butter I used pleasantly coats the mouth without being overly greasy. I stuck with the recipe's call for confectioner's sugar, but next time I think I'll experiment with brown sugar, get a more caramelized thing going.
I guess I chomped up the beginning and end of a big dinner, maybe I should just skip the middle, see how I feel in a few hours....
DINNER PT 2: 9:30pm, boca burger with pickles on whole wheat toast, 4 pieces of vegetable nori roll, a small handful of short bread, 1.5 bowls, 12 oz seltzer, hunger 4/5
Hunger came knocking, ate more shortbread to cut it off.
I will be starting Culinary School in a few weeks. My work search has come up with a bunch of freelance projects, but no regular gig. I think I'm going to slightly change up this blog - I will still record everything I eat and my feelings around it, but will also focus on the experience of being a culinary student, one who is doing it mid-life rather than as an inexperienced high school graduate. Feel free to email me ideas for a new title! "Kulinary Kicks"? "Konstantly Kooking"? "Kitchen Krazed Klassroom"? Hmmmm....
Weight this morning 230, I suspect I didn't drink enough water. My blood pressure is 131/88, which is a little high, but average for me.
I'm working on the computer and the Food Network is on in the background. The TV commercials are blowing my mind - a show about crappy diner food is sponsored by a stool softener. Queen Latifah blagging some weight loss pill, bragging how much she lost while a small "RESULTS NOT TYPICAL" appears in the corner. Menopause hormone replacement meds during a biography of Julia Child. Yes, we all want to be free...from the need to poop and being a fat-ass!
BREAKFAST: 9am, apple, .25 bowl, hunger 3/5
LUNCH: 1:15pm, shrimp curry with jasmine rice, a couple pieces of nan, onion bahji with chutney, poppadom, water, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Midtown lunch with Erikka after taking a meeting in the office. Food was a bit eh, but was really good company - funny how that makes most food more enjoyable.
PM WATERING: 3:30pm, 24 oz freshly made seltzer
Just blew threw almost 2 c-notes at Whole Foods, with about 12 plastic bags full of groceries hanging off of all ends of the bicycle.
DINNER PT 1: 6:30pm, baby spinach salad, lots of shards of shortbread, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Made a variation of the baby spinach salad with red bell pepper, radishes, scallion, cuce, carrots and left out the red onion and roasted nuts.
Wanted to use up some old whole wheat pastry flour, so whipped up a batch of short bread while doing laundry. I threw in some vanilla flavoring (which I got by accident - extract is suspended in alcohol, this stuff is in glycerin - not as flavorful) which seemed to alter the dough. Despite refrigerating for 30 minutes, the dough refused to keep any shape and ended up being shapeless flat blobs on the baking pans. Coming out of the oven, they took a wonderful light-brown sheen. On the one hand, they are extremely crumbly and fragile and I ate maybe a half bowl of short bread by picking up the pieces. On the other hand, the short bread is unexpectedly light in the mouth and the good butter I used pleasantly coats the mouth without being overly greasy. I stuck with the recipe's call for confectioner's sugar, but next time I think I'll experiment with brown sugar, get a more caramelized thing going.
I guess I chomped up the beginning and end of a big dinner, maybe I should just skip the middle, see how I feel in a few hours....
DINNER PT 2: 9:30pm, boca burger with pickles on whole wheat toast, 4 pieces of vegetable nori roll, a small handful of short bread, 1.5 bowls, 12 oz seltzer, hunger 4/5
Hunger came knocking, ate more shortbread to cut it off.
Sunday, April 6
I really need to hit the grocery...
BREAKFAST: 10:15am, 4 pancakes, 1.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
B sleeping, feeling pleasantly hungry. The good milk is slightly spoiled, so I used 3/4 instead of a cup with a cup of mix and an egg. I through in some cinnamon and vanilla to help mask the milk. The pancakes came out shockingly light and fluffy, and the slight tang of the milk was a wonderful new dimension.
LUNCH: 1:45pm. small green salad with carrot dressing, shumai, tempura, california roll & 4 pieces of sushi, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Sleepy day indoors with B, ordered in Japanese. Was tempted to order Chinese, but B threw a mini-hissy fit at me, which I guess was appropriate.
PM SNACK: 4:30pm, a couple of small bites of cheese, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 5:30pm, popcorn, water, 1.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
At the movies, too salty.
DINNER: 7:30pm, hummus with mushroom stew, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, health salad, a few olives, whole wheat pita, water, vegan brownie, a few bites of vegan cinnimon chocolate cake, hunger 4/5
Went to Hummus Place with B and the HVS after the movies, really yummy, then to Atlas for vegan treats. Had a much smaller brownie this time, as the sugar headache of the last piece of cake I had there was fresh in my mind.
B sleeping, feeling pleasantly hungry. The good milk is slightly spoiled, so I used 3/4 instead of a cup with a cup of mix and an egg. I through in some cinnamon and vanilla to help mask the milk. The pancakes came out shockingly light and fluffy, and the slight tang of the milk was a wonderful new dimension.
LUNCH: 1:45pm. small green salad with carrot dressing, shumai, tempura, california roll & 4 pieces of sushi, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
Sleepy day indoors with B, ordered in Japanese. Was tempted to order Chinese, but B threw a mini-hissy fit at me, which I guess was appropriate.
PM SNACK: 4:30pm, a couple of small bites of cheese, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 5:30pm, popcorn, water, 1.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
At the movies, too salty.
DINNER: 7:30pm, hummus with mushroom stew, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, health salad, a few olives, whole wheat pita, water, vegan brownie, a few bites of vegan cinnimon chocolate cake, hunger 4/5
Went to Hummus Place with B and the HVS after the movies, really yummy, then to Atlas for vegan treats. Had a much smaller brownie this time, as the sugar headache of the last piece of cake I had there was fresh in my mind.
Saturday, April 5
Sad Salad
ADDENDA:
Spent the day riding a desk, banging out a business presentation at the old office. 10 hour day went by in a flash, interrupted by bleah food. Good thing I brought a snack...BREAKFAST: 9am, good yogurt with honey and vanilla, banana, .75 bowl, hunger 3/5
PM SNACK: 12:30pm, apple & funky cheese, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 1:15pm, turkey sandwich on kaiser, small handful of fries, water, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
From a crappy midtown deli, on the company as I'm working freelance in the office today. Funny, it was easy to resist gorging on the fries.DINNER: 7:15pm, eggplant parm with spag, small green salad, 2.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Again dinner in the office, ordered from who knows where. The salad was a bit sad.
EVENING SNACK: 10pm, homemade almond ice cream, .5 bowls, hunger 4/5
After spending the day working in the office, felt the need for a treat.
Friday, April 4
Duck, Duck, DUCK!
ADDENDA:
Only road about 26 miles yesterday, with a few hours break in the middle at the Bronx Zoo, but it was enough. Slept like a brick last night, a solid 9.5 hours of sleep. Spent the rainy day indoors at home, working up a freelance project, sending out 10s of resumes. Me and B are going to a dinner party of a friend of hers tonight, and she casually mentions this afternoon that we are to bring dessert....but it's ok, we'll buy cupcakes. No way I'm bringing store-bought stuff to a dinner party where someone is cooking, so I made the only thing I could with the ingredients I had laying around the house, an apple crisp.
I really need to hit the supermarket hard - I'm still living off of dinnerfest leftovers!
BREAKFAST: 9:30am, organic chex with good millk, small apple muffin, .75 bowl, hunger 2/5
Woke up around 8, but stomach still felt full from the night before. Muffin was given as a going-away treat from Craft.
LUNCH: 2pm, homemade mac & cheese, seltzer, 2 bowls, hunger 3/5
In the mood for something lighter, but this was in the fridge.
PM SNACK: 5:45pm, handful of pistachios, .25 bowls, hunger 4/5
DINNER APPETIZERS: 8pm, variety of cheeses, crackers, roasted pepper, cocktail shrimp, 1 beer, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 10:30pm, braised duck, slice of fresh moz with tomato and basil, asparagus, apple crumble, sip of grappa, water, 1 bowl, hunger 2/5
Dinner party where dinner was served too late. The duck was ok, but it reminded me of my mother's 'puke chicken', so I just couldn't appreciate it. Everyone said they loved the crisp I brought, who knows what they REALLY thought, he he.
Only road about 26 miles yesterday, with a few hours break in the middle at the Bronx Zoo, but it was enough. Slept like a brick last night, a solid 9.5 hours of sleep. Spent the rainy day indoors at home, working up a freelance project, sending out 10s of resumes. Me and B are going to a dinner party of a friend of hers tonight, and she casually mentions this afternoon that we are to bring dessert....but it's ok, we'll buy cupcakes. No way I'm bringing store-bought stuff to a dinner party where someone is cooking, so I made the only thing I could with the ingredients I had laying around the house, an apple crisp.
I really need to hit the supermarket hard - I'm still living off of dinnerfest leftovers!
BREAKFAST: 9:30am, organic chex with good millk, small apple muffin, .75 bowl, hunger 2/5
Woke up around 8, but stomach still felt full from the night before. Muffin was given as a going-away treat from Craft.
LUNCH: 2pm, homemade mac & cheese, seltzer, 2 bowls, hunger 3/5
In the mood for something lighter, but this was in the fridge.
PM SNACK: 5:45pm, handful of pistachios, .25 bowls, hunger 4/5
DINNER APPETIZERS: 8pm, variety of cheeses, crackers, roasted pepper, cocktail shrimp, 1 beer, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 10:30pm, braised duck, slice of fresh moz with tomato and basil, asparagus, apple crumble, sip of grappa, water, 1 bowl, hunger 2/5
Dinner party where dinner was served too late. The duck was ok, but it reminded me of my mother's 'puke chicken', so I just couldn't appreciate it. Everyone said they loved the crisp I brought, who knows what they REALLY thought, he he.
Thursday, April 3
Donut, Interrupted
ADDENDA:
Heading out on a bike ride around 11am, my first thought was, "Let's go get a donut!" My neighborhood shop, the Doughnut Plant, has some of the best artisan donuts in the entire city. Previously, I would 'balance' my healthy activities with indulgences in unhealthy habits. Looking back, that's kinda retarded - I want to cancel out my healthy activities?! Donuts, like other ornate sweets, alcohol, magical brownies, 5 course meals etc should be saved for special ocassions with friends, not a semi-regular bike ride.
So I paused and munched down an apple to help me get going.
BREAKFAST: 7:15am, good yogurt with honey and vanilla, banana, .75 bowl, hunger 3/5
AM SNACK: 11am, apple, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM-PM WATERING: 11-3pm, 20 oz water, 15 oz water/gatoraide mix
Brought along my camelback as well as a bottle of half purple gatoraide and half water - still haven't found a healthier satisfying replacement for this chemical brew.
PM SNACK: 1:30pm, bag of chips, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Stomach not ready for lunch, but hungry.
PM SNACK: 3:30pm, homemade powerbar, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 5:45, boca burger on superhippy bread with pickles, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
After ride, home to change quickly, but I was uncomfortably hungry, so I had to eat something.
DINNER: 6:30, 3 pieces of good bread with butter, duck confit amuse bouche, appetizer of crispy 'bacon' pork fatback with apple dressing, lamb loin, roasted onions, a couple of brussel sprouts, garlic risotto, weird mushrooms, 1.5 glasses prosecco, water, chocolate tart, meyer lemon beinets, 3.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Dinner with B & a friend at Craft, probably my favorite NYC fine-dining establishment. I misordered by getting the bacon appetizer, which on an near-empty, hungry stomach, kind of made me feel all greasy and coated on the inside, I would of done better to of started with a raw fish.
Heading out on a bike ride around 11am, my first thought was, "Let's go get a donut!" My neighborhood shop, the Doughnut Plant, has some of the best artisan donuts in the entire city. Previously, I would 'balance' my healthy activities with indulgences in unhealthy habits. Looking back, that's kinda retarded - I want to cancel out my healthy activities?! Donuts, like other ornate sweets, alcohol, magical brownies, 5 course meals etc should be saved for special ocassions with friends, not a semi-regular bike ride.
So I paused and munched down an apple to help me get going.
BREAKFAST: 7:15am, good yogurt with honey and vanilla, banana, .75 bowl, hunger 3/5
AM SNACK: 11am, apple, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM-PM WATERING: 11-3pm, 20 oz water, 15 oz water/gatoraide mix
Brought along my camelback as well as a bottle of half purple gatoraide and half water - still haven't found a healthier satisfying replacement for this chemical brew.
PM SNACK: 1:30pm, bag of chips, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Stomach not ready for lunch, but hungry.
PM SNACK: 3:30pm, homemade powerbar, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 5:45, boca burger on superhippy bread with pickles, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
After ride, home to change quickly, but I was uncomfortably hungry, so I had to eat something.
DINNER: 6:30, 3 pieces of good bread with butter, duck confit amuse bouche, appetizer of crispy 'bacon' pork fatback with apple dressing, lamb loin, roasted onions, a couple of brussel sprouts, garlic risotto, weird mushrooms, 1.5 glasses prosecco, water, chocolate tart, meyer lemon beinets, 3.5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Dinner with B & a friend at Craft, probably my favorite NYC fine-dining establishment. I misordered by getting the bacon appetizer, which on an near-empty, hungry stomach, kind of made me feel all greasy and coated on the inside, I would of done better to of started with a raw fish.
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