Showing posts with label tea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tea. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

NYC Food Porn #2, another Get Sconed! Travel Post

Welcome to the second Spring 2009 NYC Food Porn Post!  The first one is here.  I'm specifically labelling it spring because there's always the hope I'll visit my siblings again this winter before the year is up. Actually, it's their turn to visit, hint hint!

Spread of Dim Sum featuring Amanda's hand.

My first and last sit sit down meals on this trip were at Vegetarian Dim Sum House.  I used to go here during my college years since it was a)vegetarian! and b)so close to the bus stop! but I didn't fall in love with their cheap, expansive dim sum menu until I moved to Portland, silly jess.  I went twice on my vacation last spring as well.  On day one, it was not only my first meal of the trip, but my first meal of the day after the bus from Boston.  Between my sister, her boyfriend Mike, and myself, I think three orders of the Roasted Pork buns were eaten!  It's their favorite, and of course I'm a fan.  My other favorite dim sum are the spinach dumplings and Chinese kale rice rolls, but gelatinous blocks of grey can attest, I'll try anything there.  My last meal of the trip was with my friends from the PPK, Amanda and Gory, heart! 
Treasure balls

Pineapple Chicken entree

The entrees here are on the pricey side.  Jenny and Mike wanted fruity chicken after seeing the Mango Chicken on our first visit.  This chicken is actually tofu wrapped in yuba.  It was tender and soaked up the sauce - and they ate it, but it really confused them and my sister noted how she's tried every type of fake chicken there is, and she's never had anything like this.

Classic spring rolls - classic, and spring rolly.

Steamed sesame buns.  Sweetness.  I've tried these fried, and prefer the steamed.


Steamed Spinach Dumplings


Next top on this photo tour, to Teany!  Co-founded by musician Moby (who I saw there once a few years ago!), it's a vegetarian tea house with some sandwiches and a bunch of Vegan Treats desserts.  It's where I fell into the sweet embrace of Teanychinos - my trip featured three visits, two teanychinos, two shared slices of cake, and a pot of Smoked Russian Black tea.

Earl Grey Teanychino 


Exterior


Red Velvet Cake - 
we gave my sister the flower, because you know, younger sisters have that natural right.

Carrot cake

They exist!  Here's Jenny, my sister, and Mike, looking like two cool cats in their leather jackets, waiting for the subway. They're the best.


My brother, Rick, the perpetual smirker.

The Rick smirk.

Rivington Street - we hit up Economy Candy for...candy.

Little Italy 


Pommes Frites

I gotta say, Potato Champion! kicks their ass, as fun as a late night stop here with my crew was.  I'm not complaining, just pointing this out!  PC's fries are just tastier.  I do like Pommes' peanut sauce more, however, but that's because PC's sauce is loaded with fresh cilantro.

Frites and peanut sauce - brings me back to my semester in the Netherlands... 



We also continued our tradition of hitting up Milon
one of the intensely festive Indian restaurant on 1st ave.  

Daytime:



And inside the restaurant, come nightfall:

Milon.
The last stop on today's recollection is Buddha Bodai in Chinatown for more fulfillment of my vegan chinese cravings.  aka - painful to look at now in the future.  I've never been during the afternoon dim sum hours, but I have cherished their entrees and appetizers.  Fried noodles smothered in sauce and sauteed, flavorful veggies?  Yes!  Vacation indulgence!!



Pan fried dumplings - again, filled with flavorful vegetables!

Buddha's Delight Pan Fried Noodles.  
What I described above.  It may not look like much, but I could eat this for days.  Buddha's also has a lunch special that's a great deal.

Okay - come back for pizza and to moan over vegan ice cream with Bazu, Panda & myself!

Thursday, May 07, 2009

decisions.



On Wednesdays, I am faced with the "problem" of "deciding" between two farmers markets. As I've mentioned lately, I look forward to the Wednesday downtown market, quite close to my office, but there's also the year-long market outside of People's Coop that grows come springtime.

Yesterday, I had a smile on my face as I had a real reason to stop by both.  I stopped by the
 downtown market late on my lunch hour for bok choy raab, red anjour pears and braeburn apples, but I also wanted garlic, so off I went to the next market at the completion of my work day.  There was no garlic at the People's market so I picked up some organic, purple garlic and a few other items in the actual coop.  At the market itself, I picked up over a pound of local shiitake mushrooms for $5.  The mushroom farmers at this market always have, by far, the lowest price. Maiitakes next time!  I cooked some in a yellow curried vegetable, seitan and chickpea roast last night.  I'm considering what to do next with the rest for two potlucks this weekend.  OoOo.

A sampling of shiitakes


I sadly hadn't been to Sip in months, so I stopped by for a Matcha Hemp Tea Latte.  It was delightful and so pretty!  I could see this becoming a habit, but in a few weeks they'll be replacing the espresso machine with the milkshake equipment, so get one while you can!  Remind me to!


Recent home-cooking.

Quinoa, chickpeas, spinach, kalamata olives, smoky orange tempeh, garlic and a bit of nutritional yeast.

Baked Smoky Orange Tempeh


Stuff: