tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11639531609788641202024-03-14T06:13:19.227-07:00Graduate Chefelcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-58912589707686296292010-07-07T07:05:00.000-07:002010-07-07T09:01:40.343-07:00And Just Like That ...Ah, the winds of fate are fickle.<br /><br />My gentleman caller has been dismissed (for a few reasons; it ended cordially) ergo I find myself lacking the drive to spend superfluous time in the kitchen, once again. Not to mention that the mounting levels of stress (the GC, school, money, moving) has left me with a recurrent sense of nausea.<br /><br />Though this weekend, when walking home from the library, I stopped in a cute little cheese store somewhere in Midtown East and splurged on some truffle infused cow's milk cheese. I'd been nibbling on it but for last night's pity party I threw a bit on some <a href="http://www.schar.com/us/gluten-free-products/multigrain-bread/">Schar</a> GF multi-grain bread with tomato for a grilled cheese indulgence. Extra yummy, considering I fried it up in the last of my shmancy evoo. And since the slices are so small I made a second with some generic yet tasty muenster.<br /><br />As for my bread trial, I'm not super impressed. Very dry and crumbly. Udi still wins my heart.<br /><br />Food therapy is evidently not what I'm needing right now. And I don't predict that changing anytime in the near future, despite Restaurant Week being next week.elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-21421331502013769332010-07-03T09:41:00.001-07:002010-07-03T09:50:28.441-07:00Hello There, Interwebs!I've been neglecting you, I admit it. Though it's for a good reason. Reasons.<br /><br />a) This semester is completely different from the first semester. I have 7 classes instead of 3 and have had to take an entirely new approach to studying. Which means yes, I am at the library every. Single. Night. And at least one day on the weekends.<br /><br />b) I'm moving! I braved the deep, shark infested waters of Manhattan's real estate ocean and did not drown (or get eaten.) I will be sticking with my current roommate, Brittney, a sweetheart and a half. Our new place (as of 7/15) is in the East Village/Alphabet City/AWESOME area. Though farther than I'd like to be it was too good a deal to pass up.<br /><br />c) I have a gentleman caller. 'Nuff said.<br /><br />d) It. Is. Hot. And I've been too busy to cook (see e)<br /><br />e.) My birthday was Tuesday! I celebrated more than adequately. I definitely rate turning 26 in my top 3 birthdays ever.<br /><br />All of that having been outlined, is there any question left in your mind as to why I haven't been cooking (or eating that much, really. Oops.) The last time I spent more than 5 minutes in a kitchen was when I cooked dinner for my gentleman caller (we'll abbreviate that GC) <span style="font-style: italic;">last Friday</span>.<br /><br />No fear, however. Once I move, settle in, and get all of my kitchen stuff from my parents' house in MA I'll be ready to give it another go!elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-85351958878324445822010-06-24T11:55:00.001-07:002010-06-24T12:03:35.954-07:00Oh yes, I remember nowNow that we've gotten back into the full swing of things I'm reminded of the fact that grad school = no time to cook. Or eat, sometimes.<br /><br />Breakfast has once again become a grande iced coffee with soy milk from the 'Bucks (as I call it) sucked down on the 2.5 block walk to my apt., followed by a bowl of Mesa Sunrise cereal with almond milk. Every single weekday.<br /><br />Lunch? Uhhh ... I've fallen in love with Jamba Juice once again, unfortunately (not nutrition-wise, price-wise) and have been sustaining myself on that vat of gazpacho I made the other week. With some nuts here & there.<br /><br />Oh! The other night I was craving ricotta cheese (weird, right? I think my cheese/calcium cravings have to do with my hormone cycles - tell me if this is TMI, but then again I am a medical professional) and I had a box of some <a href="http://www.schar.com/us/">GF</a> pasta brand I'd never tried so I grabbed some vine tomatoes & mozzarella as well and made a haphazard lasagna-esque ... thing. It was not as awesome as it could have been if I'd used a) an egg and b) basil (the D'Ag was out of basil) but it served for 3 meals so ... whatever.<br /><br />Tomorrow night I'll cook for real. Wait for it ...elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-6606418030414197602010-06-19T16:46:00.000-07:002010-06-19T16:49:41.835-07:00Twist on a ClassicGrilled cheese with horseradish cheddar (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Udi's</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">GF</span> bread, Earth Balance "butter")<br /><br />Dipped into spicy gazpacho in place of tomato soup (still working my way through the cauldron I concocted a few days ago.)<br /><br />My taste buds are overjoyed and my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">thermoreceptors</span> happy for the hot/cold combo!elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-87579068760432681002010-06-17T10:00:00.000-07:002010-06-17T13:18:38.646-07:00Herb PlayOne of the things I look forward to about moving come August 1st (of many) is the potential to reinstate an herb box. Nothing compares to fresh herbs. My current over-obsessions have been sage & cilantro. Hence last night's kitchen shenanigans:<br /><br />For immediate dinner I used <a href="http://www.tinkyada.com/ProP1.htm">Tinkyada</a> brown rice veggie pasta which I topped with sliced Shiitake mushrooms sauteed in "butter" (I used <a href="http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/">Earth Balance</a>, my second favorite brand) with minced garlic, shallots, and fresh sage. Not too much effort, not too much time in the toasty kitchen, not too heavy in my belly!<br /><br />And to carry me through the weekend I tried, for the very first time, my hand at gazpacho. It came out fairly well. I followed a standard recipe (from America's Test Kitchen cookbook) but the food processor in my apartment now is not entirely up to par. And is tiny. So the veggie prep took much longer than I anticipated. Future tips to myself: more cilantro and pepper, maybe a shake of curry and extra Tabasco to kick up the kick a skoche.<br /><br />Tonight I'll be mashing up some avocados & fixin' some more arepas for dinner - enough to have leftovers for a quick dinner tomorrow night since we're having a little social engagement with the upperclassman.<br /><br />I'm not sure why my passion for food creation briefly ebbed but my goddess am I glad it's back!elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-20364254093499973782010-06-14T05:51:00.000-07:002010-06-14T13:00:24.923-07:00Motherly LoveAh! What a weekend!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cafeteriagroup.com/">Cafeteria</a> was cute and tasty (perfect for a 24 hour place) with small-ish portions. Given that fact, after walking the 70 odd blocks to the <a href="http://www.guggenheim.org/">Guggenheim</a> and around the museum itself our bellies were fairly rumbly on the walk back to my apartment. Then, like a shining beacon, appeared in front of me <a href="http://www.candlecafe.com/">Candle 79</a> - the vegan restaurant with a gluten free menu that I've been wanting to try for a very long time.<br /><br />Scrumptious! I loved their guacamole with flax chips app and absolutely scarfed down the young coconut pad thai. Super happy to have finally sampled their wares.<br /><br />And after wading through obnoxious crowds and waiting in the awkward humidity at the <a href="http://www.tdf.org/tkts">TKTS</a> booth for Billy Elliot tix we trekked around a bit more before finally giving in and cabbing it down to <a href="http://www.caracasarepabar.com/index_2.php">Caracas</a> for dinner. Those arepas now have my mother's heart as well as my own.<br /><br />Sunday morning found us at <a href="http://www.chefpiano.com/bar-breton">Bar Breto</a>n for some buckwheat galettes and GF french fries(!) before some more walking and finally the farewell. Since I was already uptown I grabbed a bunch of produce at the Food Emporium under the Queensborough (I like their selection) and finally sucked it up and started my return to working out after eating my way through this vacation.<br /><br />As for the last hurrah, I went to the roof deck where we made pancakes de platanos and watched Zombieland. Perfect.<br /><br />Now back to a school schedule, meaning I had a bowl of cereal and Starbucks coffee with soy milk for breakfast while quickly making a small batch of arepas for lunch. Dinner plans = gazpacho! I foresee myself craving cold soups this summer ...elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-38284643799537499612010-06-12T03:42:00.000-07:002010-06-12T04:27:34.221-07:00Evidently I'm a SlackerI have a seasonal problem: every year when it starts to get unbearably hot & humid & sticky & gross I lose ALL motivation to stand in my typically tiny kitchen over a hot stove or with the oven pre-heating. Hence my meal 1-3 times a day for the past few weeks has been: cereal.<br /><br />Not the most terribly exciting food to blog about, ya hear? Though since I've been on break the past week I have been pretty much eating my way through vacation ...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Friday:</span> after a few post-final drinks I dragged 2 classmates to <a href="http://www.mozzarellis.com/">Mozarelli's</a> for GF pizza & cookies<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Saturday<span style="font-style: italic;">:</span></span> my dear, dear, lovely friend Alisa is in town! we brunch at <a href="http://www.friedmanslunch.com/">Friedman's Lunch</a> in Chelsea Market, over-stuff at <a href="http://www.babycakesnyc.com/">Babycakes</a> GF, vegan bakery in LES, and grill up some veggies on my buddy Seth's roof deck (current obsession = platanos)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sunday<span style="font-style: italic;">:</span></span> brunch at <a href="http://www.petersrestaurant.com/">Peters'</a> (UES), Alisa departs, dinner with some of my bestest at <a href="http://www.caracasarepabar.com/index_2.php">Caracas</a> (still in the honeymoon phase of this love)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Monday:</span> <a href="http://www.smacnyc.com/">S'MAC</a> for lunch with a friend (the Parisienne - total foodgasm), guacamole with my sweetie of a roommate, Brittney, on our stoop for dinner<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tuesday:</span> quick trip to Boston! dinner with dad at <a href="http://wagamama.us/">Wagamama</a> in Harvard Square<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Wednesday:</span> new frozen GF pizza from Whole Foods for breakfast (the brand escapes me), Poe's kitchen at <a href="http://www.rattlesnakebar.com/">Rattlesnake</a> for lunch (gave my friend and head chef, Brian Poe, his gift of Szechuan peppercorns from Beijing), drinks with a classmate also from Boston at <a href="http://www.lordhobo.com/">Lord Hobo</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thursday:</span> back to NYC, made dinner for friends - spiced pecans, saag paneer, avocado salad (recipes below)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Friday:</span> grilling for the World Cup opening! I make everyone scrambled eggs with various condiments for breakfast and offer up GF pancakes for lunch, still too full for dinner.<br /><br />now my mum is in town and we are ready to rock it like nobody's business!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spiced Pecans</span><br />4 c. pecan halves (or whatever, just not chopped)<br />2 Tbsp oil (veg, canola, olive, your preference)<br />1 tsp salt<br />1/2 tsp cayenne<br />1 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme (worth it!)<br />1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary (also worth it!)<br />1/2 tsp bl. pepper<br />1/4 c. dark brown sugar<br />1/4 c. melted butter (or fake vegan butter)<br /><br />preheat to 400F, toss all the ingredients well, spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet, roast 8 minutes, DIE because your taste buds are so overwhelmed with awesome (recipe courtesy of my best friend's mother-in-law)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Paneer</span><br />1/2 gallon whole milk (or more, if you want more)<br />acid (acetic, citric)<br /><br />easiest thing ever: boil milk (watch the heavy saucepan, as soon as milk boils it will immediately try to froth its way out of the pot!), as soon as boiling starts remove from heat, add 2+ Tbsp of your acid, stir a bit, let sit 15-20 minutes. the acid will precipitate the curds from the whey. strain through 2 layers of cheesecloth. store in either a ball or squish flat on a plate to make those cute paneer cubes. should sit for ~1 day.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saag</span><br />ack! left my recipe at Laura & Tim's place. you can obviously use your favorite saag recipes. I personally don't add yogurt or tomatoes and cook with oil, not ghee.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Avocado Salad</span><br />this one I made up while I was in the grocery store ...<br /><br />bunch of arugula, washed & torn to bite-sized<br />head of Bibb lettuce, do the same<br />2 avocados, cubed<br />1 yellow bell pepper, diced<br />1 Valencia orange, cut to bite-sized (I'd have preferred Mandarin but oh well)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lemon Shallot Dressing</span><br />3/4 c. oil (I used evoo)<br />3+ Tbsp lemon juice (depends on your level of lemon, I like more, especially if it doesn't have time to integrate)<br />1 minced shallot<br />2 tsp Dijon mustard<br />1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme<br />1 garlic clove, minced<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />1/8 tsp pepper<br /><br />shake it up!<br /><br />there you go, and we're off to breakfast at <a href="http://www.cafeteriagroup.com/">Cafeteria</a>.elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-16388423133352966512010-05-27T09:36:00.000-07:002010-05-27T09:49:58.967-07:00Improvisation & InnovationTomorrow night I'm headed over to my buddy's roof deck for special birthday grilling. In preparation for this I did some homework on Bobby Flay's grilling show and whipped up 3 quick veggie/marinade combinations:<br /><br />1.) raspberry balsamic marinade (raspberries, balsamic vinegar, white pepper, splash of evoo) and shitake mushrooms<br /><br />2.) spicy mango marinade (mango, sherry vinegar - couldn't find my cider vinegar until after I'd finished of course, garlic, ginger, Tabasco, maple syrup) and baby bello mushrooms<br /><br />3.) soy-lime marinade (GF soy sauce, garlic, ginger, lime juice, agave nectar, splash of evoo) and tempeh<br /><br />I half-looked up recipes for these creations but mostly just based the ingredients off of what I like. Obviously after this I had to make for-now food so threw a few cans of beans (pinto, garbanzo, red kidney) in with onion, shallot, garlic, ginger, and dashes of lime juice, GF soy sauce, agave nectar, and a smokey hot sauce (GF & vegan) I keep around. Viola! I'll get a few meals out of this.<br /><br />Today's culinary adventure was brought to you by my Oncology observation this morning which let me go at 9.45 (instead of 12!) Thank you, Nicole, for being awesome. The rest of today includes cadaver lab review (2-5pm), a sammich for dinner (spicy hummus, red pepper, and oh what the hell I'll throw some scallions on there), studying at the library, and possible karaoke in preparation for the cadaver memorial service next week (I volunteered to sing with a few other classmates, should be perfectly awful.)elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-71563120699464026792010-05-22T12:34:00.000-07:002010-05-22T12:35:51.923-07:00web 3.14159I made a video of myself making breakfast this morning, and it only took me 20 minutes to figure out how the camera in my netbook worked!<br /><br />Next step: piecing it together and posting it here. Wonder how long this will take ...elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-34242603999549800902010-05-16T16:13:00.000-07:002010-05-16T16:17:53.714-07:00Twice in One Week?Yes sir!<br /><br />1) the GF bread I've been raving about is <a href="http://udisglutenfree.elsstore.com/view/product/?id=129901&cid=6271">Udi's</a><br /><br />2) I just made some tempeh marinated in GF peanut sauce (<a href="http://www.san-j.com/product_info.asp?id=6">San-J</a>) with broccoli & a mix of mushrooms (baby bella, shitake, oyster.) I'm talking some serious nom here, people.<br /><br />And after my half hour break I'm off to study anatomy some more! (This exclamation point was brought to you by caffeine.)elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-513164350928635412010-05-14T16:36:00.000-07:002010-05-15T18:10:15.665-07:00What month is it?No, really. May is halfway over? Who knew ...<br /><br />I made some poor eating choices this week. I blame stress.<br /><br />Though I have fallen in love with a <a href="http://www.naturespath.com/products/cold-cereals/mesa-sunrise-flakes">cereal</a>. I'm switching out my eggs for this to save 15 minutes in the morning. And by "save" I obviously mean "get more sleep." This decision has come about because I can't deny the perfection that is my new GF bread (which I swear, I will get the name of the next time I buy it (aka tomorrow)) whose recipe includes eggs. And I really shouldn't be consuming all that much cholesterol.<br /><br />I'm keeping up with running 5 mornings a week, which is nice. This includes a very pleasant 6 mile jaunt around Central Park this morn, courtesy of my gym not opening until 8 on the weekends (boo.) And I do believe that I will finally make it to free yoga tomorrow.<br /><br />Mmm, just enjoyed my dinner of leftover corn & beans (pinto, kidney, & garbanzo) with garlic, ginger, red onion, a dash of GF soy sauce, a squirt of agave nectar, in a few corn tortillas with some perfectly mouth wateringly spicy <a href="http://www.renfrofoods.com/Salsa-Pineapple_Salsa-P28.aspx">salsa</a>. Dessert = a handful or two of cold green grapes. Yummers.<br /><br />And of course, it being Saturday in Manhattan, I'm going out ... to study at Starbucks till midnight. Golly, I'm so hip it hurts!elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-68199227792794875492010-05-07T18:50:00.000-07:002010-05-07T18:59:15.648-07:00Death GripI am trying to hold onto some semblance of a life as tight as I possibly can.<br /><br />My daily cooking has been nothing exciting lately. Though I did treat myself to chocolate chip pancakes for dinner tonight. It was a long week, don't judge me. The extent of my culinarity (yes, that's a word) this week involved adding sauteed garlic and shallot to my jar of tomato sauce that I put on my Tinkyada veggie & brown rice pasta. Oh PS I took my buddy Tony to Caracas on Monday night. Yikes, cheese hangover.<br /><br />Last night, however, I finally caved and jumped on the grilling train at my buddy Seth's roof deck. His grill is straight from Brazil and his master griller is roommate Henrique, a Brazilian. It's safe to say they know what they're doing.<br /><br />I brought eggplant, zucchini, some portobellos I marinated in minced garlic, fresh rosemary, and evoo, and a <span style="font-weight: bold;">pineapple</span>. Yes. Yes, it was amazing. All of it. I love being surrounded by people who love to cook for others as much as I do. Oh, right, and evoo, salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of parm on the sliced veggies. The pineapple got cinnamon'd. Mmmm ...<br /><br />I look forward to tomorrow morning - after my run (I'm doing 4 miles in 34 minutes now, still every morning of the week ... though I skipped today due to the aftermath of last night's grilling ...) I'm making my favorite breakfast: eggs in the hole. Yum! Just dash some Tabasco on there with some parsley flakes and parfait. Wash it down with some almond milk.<br /><br />Hope your gastronomic adventures are infinitely more exciting than mine!elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-44050556212376200062010-04-28T10:16:00.000-07:002010-04-28T10:27:32.303-07:00Finding the Rhythm(It's not awesome.)<br /><br />My meals these days are fairly redundant.<br /><br />Breakfast: 2 eggs, usually scrambled with minced garlic & salsa (threw in some baby spinach to wilt first today on a whim)<br /><br />Lunch: sammich. I've been rotating PB & J with avocado/red pepper/spinach and hummus/red pepper/spinach since anatomy started.<br /><br />Dinner: beans. Sometimes with corn tortillas, sometimes with rice.<br /><br />I know, super exciting, right?<br /><br />Still the upside is since I've discovered the MAGIC that is coffee I've been going to the gym every morning of the week before class. Yes, on uptown 8.30 days this means the alarm goes off a 5.30 but hey. I'm getting back in shape and it feels awesome. Plus I walk to and from class every day. Well, I walk everywhere, actually.<br /><br />I'm feeling super energetic at this moment because a) I just ate and I had been <span style="font-weight: bold;">starving</span> before, and b) I had a <span style="font-style: italic;">medium</span> iced coffee (soy milk no sugar) after the gym this morning (3.5 miles in 33 minutes, getting back in the zone!) I'll still probably get a second coffee after the second half of dissection this afternoon so I can power through studying tonight.<br /><br />On my plate at the moment:<br /><br />- Biochem exam Friday at 11am. 50 multiple choice questions. "Not easy."<br />- Anatomy exam Monday at 9.30am. Written = 40 multiple choice questions, practical = 30 questions.<br />- Take home PA Seminar exam to be turned in on Friday by 1pm. 10 short answer questions (I've done 9, just need to finish and type them up.)<br />- Group project, presentation TBA. Next Tuesday after class sitting down with my group to just bang it out. Fo' realz. Topic: sexual orientation and discrepancies in health care. To presented in the form of 3 skits.<br /><br />In conclusion: AHHHHHHH!!!!!!elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-46054275600800945712010-04-25T18:48:00.000-07:002010-04-25T18:59:58.538-07:00Oh HiOh goodness, how I've neglected this blog!<br /><br />Here's why:<br /><br />a. Anatomy started. Hence my life as I know it has ended.<br /><br />b. My loan money (and everyone else's) still hasn't come through. This means I was basically out of money this past week and living very sparsely on rice, beans, eggs, and PB & J.<br /><br />The good news is I received a forward from the Bank of Dad which means I bought groceries today. Tomorrow's sammich = avocado, baby spinach, sliced red pepper. Also class doesn't start until 8.30 which means I get to run for 30 minutes tomorrow.<br /><br />Yesterday my new MD friend (finished Tuft's Medical School on Thursday!) talked me into taking a break and getting brunch. We went to <a href="http://kyotofu-nyc.com/">Kyotofu</a> in Hell's Kitchen which is adorable - plenty of soy & tofu options. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Plus</span> they had a list of their gluten-free options! I got the warm mushroom salad with citrus rice and green tea cème brûlée. Lots of flavor, perfect serving size! Catie's dessert was a sample of 5 different desserts - what they're known for.<br /><br />I really have nothing else to report. My cooking has been bland. Sorry to disappoint ...elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-23855367674188173172010-04-17T05:08:00.000-07:002010-04-17T05:19:29.485-07:00Unsure of My GripI've lost some inspiration to cook.<br /><br />GASP!<br /><br />'Not you,' you cry. Alas, tis true. It used to be that I had extra time and energy which I devoted to cooking. Now both of those commodities are being used up by school. Though I must be doing something right, I got a 92 on my first exam(!) But for lunch that day I <span style="font-style: italic;">purchased</span> a salad. Though vegan, this goes against the spending rules I set for myself. Bad Laura. So for a budget-friendly dinner I munched on some more granola (running low.) Unable to bring myself to study I went for a 2 hour walk and ended up buying a piece of carrot cake from <a href="http://www.risotteria.com/">Risotteria</a> and some cheese from WFM as I passed back through Union Square. Oops.<br /><br />Yesterday was a bit better. I woke up full after all that cheese and just had a Vitamin Water. Lunch was a hastily consumed PB&J (1/2 sugar Smuckers grape) on a new brand of GF bread I'm trying. SUPER fluffy but that's because of egg whites. I just can't win, it takes far too much out of me to eat vegan all the time when I <span style="font-weight: bold;">have to</span> be gluten-free.<br /><br />Dinner was 1/2 can black-eyed peas with some peach mango salsa and random herbs & spices mixed in. Then Roomie Britt came home and we purchased some red wine to consume with brie, pineapple, rice crackers, spicy hummus, and some walnuts that I tossed with agave nectar and some spices. Decided against going out since I have much studying to do today.<br /><br />Off to the library.elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-60355823458069261232010-04-15T07:13:00.000-07:002010-04-15T08:30:43.318-07:00A Mixed BagThings got worse then better.<br /><br />Tuesday night I had much to do in the way of studying after my OR orientation which lasted until 6. That plus a <span style="font-style: italic;">raging</span> low blood sugar headache left me no other option beside grabbing a quick bite uptown. Found an Indian "fast food" <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/tawa-new-york">place</a> a block from the hospital which had a main dish, rice, and 2 sides for $8 - not terrible. I got saag paneer, some dal, and some aloo gobi. Of course it was too late to avoid the headache so I could only suffer through studying until 9.30ish before giving up and going home.<br /><br />Yesterday my clouds began to lift (for an all-too-obvious reason) and I repeated my PB & agave rolls, skipped the gym, and settled in for a long day of class. Not having had a chance to make any food this week (which I will absolutely rectify this weekend) I got a big ol' salad for lunch from a <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/longwood-gourmet-inc-new-york">salad bar</a> with chick peas, corn, tofu, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a spot of avocado. Dressing = a quick drizzle of oil & balsamic vinegar. Tres yummy! and $5.<br /><br />After class I snacked on some granola while jump starting my studying 'on campus' and then for dinner around 8.15 I ate most of a fruit & cheese plate from my favorite Starbucks. Yes, beyond overpriced, but they trap you. It's such a hassle to go get something somewhere else and going home to cook was out of the question, I had an exam this morning!<br /><br />Speaking of this morning, I went to sleep earlier so I could get up at 6 and run 3 miles on the treadmill <span style="font-weight: bold;">without IT band pain!</span> Super exciting. Stretching and yoga really do make a difference, I believe. Treated myself to a breakfast (low on food supplies) of scrambled eggs with hot sauce at some random place for $2.25 and some 100% pure juice OJ.<br /><br />Wow, I have energy!!! Granola for lunch, ? for dinner since I have to go study Biochem immediately after class today at ze library.elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-43546441185992560232010-04-13T09:50:00.000-07:002010-04-13T12:03:42.619-07:00Where There's SmokeIf I slack on posting it's usually because I'm misbehavin'.<br /><br />Sunday was a mess. I was starving, craving cheese again. Is my calcium super low? I did start taking multivitamins again ... hunh. So I gave in, fighting cravings is hard when you're in grad school and living such a restricted life to begin with. Grabbed 2 slices at <a href="http://www.mozzarellis.com/">Mozzarelli's</a> (one artichoke, one bruschetta, if you were wondering.) This happens to be my favorite NON-thin crust GF pizza ever. Then I also bought a box of cookies for the surprise birthday I was off to in Brooklyn.<br /><br />PS thanks, R train, for making my trek to 86th St. so interesting.<br /><br />During my brief stay I managed to eat <span style="font-weight: bold;">3</span> Cadbury cream eggs (egad!) as well as a few chunks of brie and smoked gouda. I never could say "no" to a cheese plate. Plus some grapes and some hummus (eaten on way over-salted corn chips.) Oh, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">3</span> of the cookies (oreo-sized) I'd brought. And a can of kosher Pepsi (no corn syrup.)<br /><br />Oy, and I almost forgot - my friend's mother had made a Chinese noodle dish for everyone and had sweetly made me my own GF veggie plate which was ginormous and I in no way ate an entire HALF of it, I swear ... ok, I'm lying.<br /><br />In other news, after that fiasco I <span style="font-style: italic;">did</span> go dance my butt off for an hour and a half at my first hip hop dance class at <a href="http://www.broadwaydancecenter.org/index.shtml">BDC</a>. And had a little bag of those soy/yam flour noodles (the name escapes me) with a drizzle of evoo and some obscure spices.<br /><br />Yesterday was far more reasonable. Until dinner, anyway.<br /><br />I started my day with another Trio bar and had my oatmeal with almond milk for lunch. My birthday friend, his real DOB being yesterday, had one more celebratory gathering in mind at City Crab. Yikes, more like City CRAP. The service was atrocious. My salad was flavorless. The only flavor in my pasta-turned-rice dish was from butter. Ew. They're called herbs and spices, look into it. Plus with a party of 5 or more they add on 20% gratuity. Ballsy much?<br /><br />So that was my one dinner out this week. If you read that I've eaten dinner out again before Sunday hits judge me. Judge me fiercely.<br /><br />Honestly, I believe my eating fails of late are only compounding my overall crappy mood. What am I missing?<br /><br />Breakfast today: 2 corn tortillas with 1 Tbsp PB each and a drizzle of raw agave. Lunch: my leftover pasta from this weekend.elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-7861004163130830502010-04-10T18:24:00.000-07:002010-04-10T19:00:46.038-07:00Say Ahhhh ...It turns out that Dr. Hajjar, one my our Biochem professors and Executive Vice Dean at the Medical College, is from Lowell. I finally placed his accent when he said "lawr of physics" in lecture yesterday morning.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.yogatothepeople.com/new-york-yoga.shtml">YTTP</a> was wonderful - after a six month hiatus I have lost much of the flexibility yoga helped me achieve but no worries, I'll get it back! Oh, and my vegan lunch at <a href="http://www.candlecafe.com/">Candle Cafe</a> was superb. Very filling and flavorful.<br /><br />After yoga I realized my body was screaming "dairy" at me. I must have been low on calcium. I attempted (yes, for the fourth time in as many weeks) to grab a few arepas but both the take-out and sit-down waits were ridiculous. Instead I grabbed a medium original Red Mango with strawberry and decided to go investigate <a href="http://www.piebythepound.com/">Pie</a>, which I'd always walked by when I lived at 10th & Broadway but never actually patronized.<br /><br />Much to my ecstatic joy, there was not only thin crust GF pizza available (though pricey, eesh! I forgot how expensive this intolerance is!) but <span style="font-weight: bold;">5</span> GF beers and <span style="font-weight: bold;">4</span> ciders! Holy wow! And the Green's are more than reasonably priced at $9 a bottle. I am absolutely going to submit a write-up to Celiac Chicks. I went for the Fresh Cubed Pie which has cubed tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, cubed arugula, olive oil, garlic and basil.<br /><br />I kid you not, this is the b.e.s.t. GF thin crust pizza I've ever had. Hands down. Eat here. Now.<br /><br />While I was waiting and subsequently eating I was privy to a lovely conversation with Jeffrey, Pie's owner, who also happens to live gluten-free. And yes, I completely devoured my 10" personal pie with a complimentary Bard's Tale. Perfection.<br /><br />Much later that night, after enjoying some Kid Sister at Webster Hall, my girl Wendi and I split some small nachos and I had a warm goat cheese salad at my favorite 24-hour <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/7a-new-york">locale</a>. Like I said, a total dairy craving. And as always, I paid for it all day. I wasn't even remotely hungry until 5pm (though I did make myself have a <a href="http://www.mrsmaysonline.com/mrsmays_item_details.asp?indx=27">Trio</a> bar around 1.30 when my vision got all fuzzy upon standing to stretch.<br /><br />Oh yes, that's right - I spent roughly 8 hours at the library today. I got through all of derm and nutrition and almost 3 biochem lectures. I'll do some more tomorrow morning before my Sunday plans kick in. Tonight, after stopping by the crazy Food Emporium under the Queensborough Bridge, I made some Tinkyada pasta for dinner with:<br /><br />oyster mushrooms drizzled with raw agave nectar and tossed c corn starch<br />chopped asparagus (~1 in.)<br />frozen peas<br />evoo<br />minced garlic<br />fresh basil leaves<br /><br />Though the corn starch didn't give the texture oomph I was looking for, I always consider my meal more successful if my roommate Brittney gushes over it, which she did tonight. On the side: a few corn tortillas heated in the leftover oil rolled up with some peach mango salsa. Tomorrow I'll be making this tasty baked cauliflower dish my mother found and doing something with that tempeh and the rest of the asparagus.elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-91122326953788254572010-04-09T05:05:00.000-07:002010-04-09T05:22:16.815-07:00Lies!I guess I haven't left all of Boston behind: the free newspaper is AM NY, not Metro. Oops.<br /><br />Both Wednesday and Thursday I had this week's lunch of homemade granola with almond milk (which, bee tee dubs, is only 35 kcal per cup.) Yesterday, though, it being so nice out a number of us (us = classmates) sat outside during the lunch break and I was craving crunchy salty things so I got a tiny bag of high fiber "chips."<br /><br />Wednesday I did not make the awesomest decision ever. Instead of going home then to Starbucks to study I went with 5 of my new peers to <a href="http://www.thestagsheadnyc.com/">Stag's Head</a> for a drink and some bonding. Cut to 4 (5?) ciders and 2 tequila shots later, most of us were drunk and too tired after the long day of class + 8am exam (I got a 98%, thankyouverymuch!) to actually do <span style="font-style: italic;">any</span> studying. So I went home, stuffed my face with the remaining <span style="font-weight: bold;">4</span> frozen waffles, 1 with preserves, 1 with salsa. Oh, and a bowl of leftover dal. Win?<br /><br />Last night was not as bad drink-wise, seeing as the majority of our class went to <a href="http://www.oneillsnewyork.com/">O'Neil's</a> for PAHH (PA Happy Hour.) 3 ciders and my departure at 6.30 ... though dinner was all kinds of ridiculous. I made enough guacamole for 3 people then ate it <span style="font-weight: bold;">ALL</span>. That's right. 3 avocados worth. And an entire bag of corn tortillas. With a little salsa on each one. Who am I?<br /><br />Today all 3 classes are at <a href="http://nyp.org/">NYP</a> which means lunch has to be eaten out (no fridge or break room uptown.) I've already chosen my healthy, GF <a href="http://www.candlecafe.com/">option</a>. Plus I woke up early to do a little workout this AM. <span style="font-style: italic;">And</span> I'm going to <a href="http://www.yogatothepeople.com/new-york-yoga.shtml">yoga</a> with a new classmate (Michelle) downtown at 7.30 so double bonus points for Friday.<br /><br />Now I just need to get my study on wicked hard all day tomorrow. I must become one with nutrition and dermatology. Plus some extra Biochem wouldn't hurt.elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-87115440278336814152010-04-07T03:52:00.000-07:002010-04-07T05:51:08.654-07:00But I Always Pick Myself Back UpYesterday turned out to be quite the fruitful day!<br /><br />I did give in and caffeinated myself (iced dirty soy chai from the 'bucks) but the rest of the day went according to plan, i.e. my homemade granola with organic unsweetened almond milk for lunch.<br /><br />And since class got out early (3pm, huzzah!) I did in fact make it to the gym for a hard 30 minutes in the elliptical-esque machine and some solid core work. Before diving into the cram session for the medical terminology exam I just took (I'm guessing a grade in the low 90s) I got my chef on and finally made the dal I've been going on about. I'm pretty certain at this point that almost every dish ever cooked should have garlic and ginger in it. Side dish: broccoli with spicy hummus.<br /><br />I woke up before my alarm went of again. And as I've been recently reminded, when this happens the best thing to do is just GET UP. Which I did, thank you, and began to mope about my granola being at school but then - <span style="font-weight: bold;">gasp!</span> - I remembered that on Bad Decision Monday I'd purchased some frozen GF vegan waffles at D'Ag! A short trip in the microwave later and I have tasty breakfast, thank you very much. On one of them I spread all-natural PB (ingredients: peanuts) and the other I smothered in my favorite brand of preserves (multi-fruit.)<br /><br />Now I am feeling good. And full. And I think I may have to go get a Metro NY so I can crossword because class doesn't start up until 10.elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-57767485213194623052010-04-05T18:52:00.000-07:002010-04-07T03:51:33.382-07:00Sometimes I StumbleResult of all that caffeine I consumed Saturday night? Not falling asleep until nearly 4am. Smooth, Laura. Really smooth.<br /><br />Since I was awake I made a batch of granola:<br /><br />2 cups certified GF whole oats (Bob's Red Mill)<br />~1/2 cup organic unsweetened dried cranberries<br />1 cup organic unsweetened shredded coconut<br />1 cup organic walnut halves (whacked a few times with a mallet)<br />1/4 cup veg. oil<br />1/2 cup agave nectar<br /><br />Toss dry ingredients, mix wet separately, combine in a baking pan of your choice depending on if you double the recipe or not, bake for ~45 minutes at 350F, stirring every 10 minutes. While still warm spread to cool on parchment paper. Store in airtight container. Feel free to replace/mix-up the type of nut and dried fruit. Nom nom nom, excellent breakfast/lunch/snack!<br /><br />Yesterday I was treated to a simply scrumptious (and mimosa-filled) brunch at <a href="http://www.chefpiano.com/bar-breton">Bar Breton</a> with my friend Helen, by our friend Tony. That's my kind of Easter, that is. After reading a little bit for class (not enough, I'm sure) I chose to revel in the perfectness of the Spring evening and join my friend Seth on his roof deck, complete with a posse of chill people and a Brazilian style grill (I had my own little section - tempeh, onion, tomato, and broccoli on a whim. A tasty whim.) Although I probably shouldn't have coated all my eats in Parmesan garlic butter. Or imbibed so much bourban. Which led me to purchasing and consuming that tiny little individual-sized Ben & Jerry peanut brittle ice cream.<br /><br />Needless to say, I've been suffering the consequences of over-dairy-ing all day today.<br /><br />And in a terrible, amateur move I went to D'Ag hungry. Which led to a purchasing of Pirate's Booty-esque crunchy cheesy things. AND an actual block of cheese which at this point, I'll be honest, has already been completely consumed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">THIS</span> is why I <span style="font-style: italic;">have to</span> do all my cooking for the week on Sundays. End of story. No more Sunday slacking. And obviously no more blocks of cheese. Though I did manage to haul my ass to the gym this AM ... won't happen tomorrow, though. I think I'll bring my kicks along to jog at lunch. Which will be granola again. Like both breakfast & lunch were today.<br /><br />Oy. Back to studying.elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-72069260346454542332010-04-03T18:10:00.000-07:002010-04-03T18:31:36.717-07:00Hard WorkBlah. Tomato & beans over rice for breakfast yesterday. Super condensed 2 hours of Biochem lecture.<br /><br />Had that picnic lunch. My first ever guacamole came out fairly tasty. Spicier in the future, for sure. Ate the guac with some corn tortillas I had grabbed at Trader Joe's on 14th St. - which, by the way, is still the <span style="font-weight: bold;">only</span> TJ's in Manhattan. Holy ginormous line, Batman! My buddy Tony surprised me - I'd asked for GF (obviously) and veggie. He brought some soy crisps, hummus, an apple, and blackberries - vegan delight!<br /><br />I attempted to study in the warmth of the radiant Spring sun at Bryant Park but was oh so tired - I almost face planted a number of times into the endocrine system. So instead I grabbed a few needed items at Lord & Taylor (sale! don't judge me) before heading downtown for karaoke. 2+ hours of singing makes one hungry so while my friends got Crif Dog I grabbed dos arepas at Caracas (yes, AGAIN.) So much for my vegan Friday ... and of course I topped it off with a small plain fro-yo from Red Mango before walking home. At least I had an early (for NYC), sober night.<br /><br />Spent 6-7 hours at the library today with Biochem and medical terminology (3 chapters of note cards left, the exam is on Wednesday. Gulp!) Breakfast was veggie flax chips with salsa. Snack time was some crunchy corn/rice things by that company that makes Pirate's Booty. Dinner was veg sushi from Whole Foods, the rest of my veggie flax chips with the rest of my salsa & hummus, an iced chai from the 'bucks (I'm such a sucker) and heavens forfend, I'm drinking a Coke Zero right now (for the caffeine - I plan to study more tonight.)<br /><br />At least I ate vegan today. And I'll be making some super yummy vegan dishes tomorrow evening to last me the week: tempeh-veggie salad, that red lentil dal I adore so much, and granola (with certified GF oats!) Of course I will be having non-vegan EastOver (Easter/Passover) brunch with Tony and our friend Kate who's visiting from Boston, but ...elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-64417010454559239612010-04-01T19:44:00.000-07:002010-04-01T19:56:08.131-07:00Food, Inc.Ew. Ew ew ew ew ew.<br /><br />My pseudo-vegetarianism has now morphed into full-fledged vegetarianism. This film ... oh man. What have I been putting into my body for the past 25ish years? I'm now questioning every single thing that enters my mouth. I had a Tropicana pulp-free OJ on my walk home from the library tonight. Ingredients: oranges. Still - when how and where were they grown? Were pesticides used? Growth hormones? Were they genetically modified to be bigger and juicier? My brain hurts just trying to think about it.<br /><br />Solution: grow everything myself. Or in a community of like-minded individuals where we each grow/raise a handful of things and barter. (Hmmm, this sounds vaguely familiar ...)<br /><br />In other news I realized this morning that I'd eaten my last yogurt. As a solution I threw some pinto beans, the rest of my canned tomatoes, and some ginger in a pan with evoo and ate it over rice. Then I had half my leftover pasta for lunch, half for dinner. I've eaten far too much rice this week.<br /><br />Got home now with some munchies so I finished off my corn chips with some hummus. (I bet that corn was genetically modified ... wow, will I ever stop thinking this way?)<br /><br />One class tomorrow, in the morning. Then a picnic lunch (I'm making guacamole), studying/notes, karaoke. No word from Crif Dog on what's in their veggie dogs and how they cook them. This doesn't seem promising.elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-39825638761272772772010-03-31T18:23:00.000-07:002010-03-31T18:37:12.280-07:00The Learning ProcessAfter shoveling a big bowl of pasta last night I hit up the library for the first time to rewrite some notes using colored ink. The library is surprisingly <span style="font-style: italic;">small</span> for one affiliated with a large teaching hospital.<br /><br />Anyway I must have done something wrong again yesterday because around 6pm a headache set in. It didn't stop me from 4 hours of notes but OW. Dislike. I had a few corn chips and hummus before bed to try to alleviate the pain some, thinking it was again blood sugar related. Then I slept for 10 1/2 hours. I guess I really am still recovering from this URI.<br /><br />So this morning I made a big bowl of tomato and egg around 10am, my preferred breakfasting time. Ate another of those yogurts around 2.45 then after lecture had a few chips with salsa, my last slice of that GF bread with balsamic vinaigrette, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">two</span> kosher coconut macaroons. Damn, if that doesn't keep my blood sugar up I don't know what will.<br /><br />Spent the past three hours making note cards and studying in my favorite local Starbucks (29th & Park.) Gave in and spent just over $4 on a tall soy chai. Plus at 8ish I had another hummus and red pepper sammich. So today was a FAT day, it seems, considering I didn't wake up early enough to go to the gym, like I said I would. Oy.<br /><br />That's ok, I'll have my last yogurt for breakie tomorrow, the last helping of my Super Awesome GF Vegan Pasta (TM) for lunch, and do something with that avocado for dinner. I'd lie and say maybe I can squeeze in some gym time, but let's be honest. I'll be at the library rewriting my notes until late.<br /><br />For now: more reading of my medical terminology book.elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163953160978864120.post-980079844929519402010-03-30T09:05:00.001-07:002010-03-30T09:39:53.755-07:00When It Rains ...This weekend was a little on the crazy side - though still fairly sick, on Friday night I split a bottle of wine (Bordeaux) with my new roommate Brittney at a cute little French restaurant (Cosette, 163 E.33rd St.) Then on Saturday night I went back to Caracas Arepa Bar with a friend from out of town. Sunday morning saw a large group brunch with new friends in Williamsburg at <a href="http://www.mesacoyoacan.com/">Mesa Coyoacán</a> - très yummy - followed by an early evening cocktail and cheese & fruit plate at some random place by Herald Square (the name escapes me) with another friend from out of town.<br /><br />But that's not what you want to know. You want to know just what I'm doing now that this budget has got me by the neck.<br /><br />Well. Yesterday was a slight fail. I didn't eat breakfast, which is how I used to roll when I was working but after a month of eating when I was hungry (plus the 12 hour time difference) my body is on a very different (read: messy) food schedule. This means I was starving by the time "lunch" happened at noon. I'd also forgotten something at home so running back there meant scarfing two slices of <a href="http://www.foodforlife.com/procart_catalog/index.cfm?ProductID=9&do=detail">GF bread</a> for a total of 240 calories.<br /><br />This got me through the rest of my early day (lecture until 3) when I had a coconut milk yogurt (So Delicious brand, 150 cal) to last me through 2 hours of reading & assignments - I chose to stay in the classroom and finish. The low blood sugar headache sets in.<br /><br />Then the grocery store: veggies, hummus, avocado, mushroom. Aren't you proud? I ended up making my favorite brand of GF pasta (<a href="http://www.tinkyada.com/">Tinkyada</a>) and in place of bottled pasta sauce I sauteed (in evoo):<br /><br />garlic (minced)<br />onion (diced)<br />zucchini (chopped)<br />Thai eggplant (chopped)<br />tomatoes (diced, canned)<br />pinto beans (canned, drained)<br />random spices & herbs<br /><br />It came out SUPER awesome! Plus vegan bonus points for all of yesterday.<br /><br />So far today: I skipped breakfast again (oops) but only because my 7am go-to-the-gym alarm didn't go off. At lunch just now I had a sammich with the garlicky hummus I bought yesterday and sliced red pepper. Nom! I have another yogurt for my afternoon snack (~3pm) and leftover pasta for dinner (plus the other half of a bag of salad I ate last night.)<br /><br />I've also realized that I'm going to need to update this almost daily if I'm going to be super diligent about budgeting/recording. I like to think that doing so will keep me in check. In terms of a lot of things.<br /><br />Ah, glad to get this written on my lunch break!elcihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04724805166884752958noreply@blogger.com0