Quinoa-Polenta Fries

I ate an entire tube of polenta.

I am not proud of this but I couldn't resist. Each delicate "fry" was crisp on the outside with soft creaminess on the inside. It was this texture that kept me nibbling until all were done. This snack is satisfying and very easy to whip up. Simply slice your tube to the desired shapes, coat in olive oil and dredge in cornmeal. Then sprinkle rosemary and a tasty salt on top of them (I used smoked applewood salt) before baking 'em at 450 for 30 minutes. Make sure someone else is around to help you eat them.

Br♥♥klyn: Rastafarian/Vegetarian, Part 1, Crown Heights

I once lived in the far end of south Brooklyn in the isolated residential neighborhood of Marine Park. There: Brooklyn has yards, garages, houses, a need for a car and lots of nights in. Here, in Williamsburg and by way of the G/F trains' connections to other borough hot spots, this hip Brooklyn has bars, eateries, unique shops and galleries. But there is so much more in between these two distinct moods. A hundred cities in one, much of Brooklyn is still a mystery to me. And I want to know all of you, Brooklyn, if you would pardon my fitful grasp of your chorography.

Brooklyn used to be an independent city, as did Williamsburg back in the 1800's. By the turn of the 19th century, Brooklyn had annexed the towns of New Lots, Flatbush, Gravesend, New Utrecht and Flatlands to create Kings County-proper, and joined Manhattan, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island to become the super-city's 5th borough. Now in century 21, Brooklyn remains a huge part of New York City's diversity, complete with ethnic pockets from all about the world.

Thriving in Crown Heights, Brooklyn is a huge population of Rastafarian Afro-Caribbeans, as evidenced by the long list of veg-friendly eateries briefly reported on in guides, passed in buses and through word of mouth. I spent a day familiarizing myself with these eateries' offerings in an ambitious quest to expand the knowledge-base surrounding this genre of vegan eats in New York City as well as offer other intrepid eaters replicable methods to a truly unique and satisfying meal. (Can you tell I am amidst a research project in my academic life?)

Imhotep

734 Nostrand Ave
(between Park Pl & Prospect Pl)
Brooklyn, NY 11216
(718) 493-2395

Billed as the oldest vegetarian restaurant in Brooklyn, Imhopep is both a health and herb store up front, selling affordable Caribb-veg pantry staples like bags of dehydrated soy protein, and a hot bar of succulent veg-meats and a wide variety of sides. (This seems to be the standard set-up for Brooklyn Ital.) I got their famous ribs, a shredded gluten, and let its tasty sauce invade my other three selections (delicious acorn squash, a cous cous pilaf and jerked chicken strips) completing my "small" plate for $7.50.

Punch Line Juice Bar
701 Nostrand Avenue
(Between Sterling Place and Park Place)
Brooklyn, New York 11216
(718) 856-7500

Besides a slew of inconspicuous Ital eateries, Crown Heights' Nostrand Avenue seems to have a fresh juice bar at every corner. Punch Line Juice Bar is a great follow-up to a meal from Imhotep. I chose a fresh juice of carrot, pineapple, ginger and pear (the "Cholesterol Reducer") and was delighted when the friendly counter man asked I specify the power of ginger I preferred! Liking a swift quick in the ass from my ginger yet unsure of the native dose, I opted for a kick above medium level. Offering a huge host of juices and sea moss tonics, as well as eight flavors of vegan ice cream and baked goods, this place rules.
Still need more food?! Well, you're in luck. The very understated Ital Shak Vegetarian Restaurant (no link found but, um, dated health inspection violations) is very close. In the same hot buffet set-up as Imhotep but with less appetizing-looking food and far less friendly service, we opted not to try one of their very affordable Jamaican patties ($2.00). The similarly named D Ital Shak (across Eastern Parkway at 989 Nostrand Ave) is also just a hotep away. Back to the north side of Eastern Parkway again, Original Vegetarian & Seafood Restaurant also serves soy patties and veggie soups.

In my travels to these off the beaten path veg destinations, I saw countless other veggie-friendly eateries, health food stores and juice bars that need will need a voice. Expect many sequels on this topic as this reporting incorporates much of why I love to report: vegan food, Brooklyn and the great unknown.

See also:

Stevens & Son Bakery in Brownsville, Brooklyn

Jamaican Me Hungry: Homemade veggie patties

Making Whoopie

My apologies but I can't not utilize obvious innuendo here. How else can I preface a posting on dark, spiced bulbous cookies sandwiched with a rich, white buttercream. Yes, sir, making whoopie. Sweet potato whoopie pies.
I used American Vegan's recipe here and brought them over to my folks for a belated birthday celebration this weekend. Since I am not a huge fan of ginger bread and other spiced baked goods, I only tried one and donated the rest to my family, along with some orange agave chocolate ship cookies, my first foray into Isa's new Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar (not photographed).

Le Pain Quotidien (say like Pepe La Pew)

It is most definitely soup weather. Rustic, roof-scratching bread weather too. Luckily Le Pain Quotidien, the global high-end chain, is a few doors down from the mysteriously closed Peacefood Cafe and was able to satisfy my hankering. I meant to include La Pain's Upper East Side location in my report a few weeks back but it fell through the cracks, probably because their menu isn't all that vegan-friendly. But said menu clearly marks all vegan items and waitstaff is vegan-schooled--big pluses. I had the all-vegan 6 vegetable quiche on gluten-free crust. Delicate and yummy, it was difficult not to gobble it up in a few spoonfuls. Next time I'll slow down so I can report on which 6 vegetables they put in there...
Let's look at this gorgeous specimen a little closer.

Wordless Thursday

La Casa de Dante

It would be an injustice not to devote an entire post to the amazing hostel in Guanajuato that held my weary head for two days and two nights. After a long drive for someone with nothing to think about, we finally found La Casa de Dante. As soon as we arrived we were greeted with fresh kiwi, strawberry and jicama, as well as sweetened lemonade followed by quesadillas… or in my case, sin-quesadillas. Yes, the warm and sweet caretaker at this one-of-a-kind hostel, Dante, took my special vegan requests and kept me full and satisfied at every meal, taking the time to proudly explain each of the fresh ingredients she used. Besides the glorious food, the hostel is meticulously cared for and decorated handsomely. Regional art and decoration are all about the casa’s three levels that offer spectacular views of the vivid patchwork of dwellings and mountains. I would highly recommend this charming and well-kept family-operated hostel if you ever visit Guanajuato, if not for the food and accommodations than for the beaming smile of Dante.

A small sampling of what I was offered is below, many of which were regional specialties for this festive time in Mexico: sin-quesadillas stuffed with edible squash flowers, roasted papas with tomato and green chilies garnished with avocado, mashed guava smeared on fresh bread, sweet corn tamales with green chilies and potato-stuffed chohada, a regional pear-looking vegetable.

Museo de la Mumias

A must-see in Guanajuato is its mummies. Museo de la Mumias is sure to creep and fascinate. The very popular attraction had a huge line on our first visit and so our second attempt was timed to beat the rush on the morning of our departure. Here's the draw:

The Museo de las Momias in the little province of Guanajuato in Mexico is full of the exhumed, mummified bodies of unfortunate locals who could no longer pay their graveyard rent. Because of a unique law that is in force in this part of Mexico, graves in the local cemetery have to either be bought for an exorbitant amount or rented every five years. If the deceased's family fails to pay the rent, the body is exhumed and disposed of to make way for new arrivals. Through some mysterious process that scientists have not been able to explain, a small proportion of the bodies from this graveyard end up naturally mummified. Rather than being destroyed by the local authorities, these bodies are put in the macabre Museo de las Momias. Here they join a vast "human library," poised in all possible postures of death, that has been accumulating since the museum was founded in 1865. It is not only the death fetish of the Mexican imagination that has kept this museum going (there can be an eerie, almost carnivalesque atmosphere among the visitors lined up outside). The main draw is the air of supernatural mystery about the whole phenomenon. Scientists from as far away as Tokyo have analyzed the bodies trying to find an explanation, but no one has so far succeeded in understanding why five or six exhumed bodies every year have turned into mummies. Some speculate that the minerals in the soil are the cause, while others suspect divine punishment for crimes committed in life - the bodies seem condemned to a perpetually moribund half-life of paralyzed torment. Whatever the explanation, this sort of place is obviously only for those with a strong stomach, and even hard nuts may want to avoid some exhibits – such as shelves full of mummified babies. The only other known mummy-museum of this kind in the world is the Catacombe dei Cappuccini in Palermo. (source)

The odd gift shop's gummy mummy.
Back at Hotel Occidental in Guadalajara I was lucky to catch game 5 of the World Series! After a long drive back north, it was a welcome sight. We—me and the room’s la cucarachas—all snuggled in to watch the Phillies defeat the Yankees. Satisfacción para un aficionado al Los Mets!