Veg-Friendly in San Antonio!

On a quick trip to San Antonio, we tried out the lone star's lone all-vegetarian restaurant (well, in that town anyway), Green Vegetarian Cuisine.

It has an eclectic, arty look on the outside, and I was encouraged by the fact that the small parking lot was full and that the street out front was lined with parked cars. A full restaurant is a good sign!

I was also excited to see they also have several thriving garden beds out front that are chock full of herbs, kale and other greens that are served in the restaurant.
The inside has two narrow, funky boho-chic dining rooms.
Since we're in San Antonio, Zips was feeling like Tex-Mex and got the chalupa plate-- with refried black beans, guac, pico, tvp crumbles that came with a side of quinoa with cilantro and red onions. (She was waffling between that and the taco salad)
I opted for comfort food and ordered their "neatloaf", (tvp and breadcrumb base) which was a little dry, but very tasty. It had a pleasantly tangy, smoky flavor. And the mashed potatoes & gravy were delicious-- there were pieces of carrot in with the potatoes. And the wilted greens (from the garden out front) have left me completely craving this again. I'm going to have to go out and find me some kale!
They came right up to the table with a platter of desserts (rather than asking if we want to see the dessert menu-- they make it impossible not to order dessert). They boast a whole case of vegan desserts-- cupcakes, cookies, and even offer whole cakes and wedding cakes!

We got a take-away cookies and cream and a chocolate peanut butter cupcake. My cookies and cream was tasty-- the frosting tasted a bit like cookie dough (in a good way). Zips' peanut butter chocolate was less of a hit-- a little dry and unexciting.

We'd love to try eating here again, though. Especially the breakfast menu! We had a whole meal planned out, but then found out they're closed on Saturday! Next time.

21 Needle Euphoria

So one of the happier discoveries we've made has been Zips' acupuncturist up in Albuquerque. She's been dealing with an extremely painful and rare neurological disorder since December of last year. The seizures and waves of pain have gone into remission and returned. At our wits end in early Feb. this year, I started calling around to acupuncture places here in town. No one could get us an appointment within six weeks, so I looked online for clinics that could schedule an appointment immediately and also took our insurance, and that brought us here.

I was able to schedule an appointment for the day after I called. The clinic is on the northwest side of town. It has 2 treatment rooms and 2 walls of the office are completely lined with row upon row of Chinese herbs that can be ground into teas, capsules, etc.

It was fascinating and shocking to see what was in the them. A lot of botanical things (blossoms, roots, seeds, etc.), but I can imagine there could be anything in those jars (things with feet?)!

On the walls in both treatment rooms are charts for different points for pins to go into. Again, I'm completely fascinated that a spot behind my ear or near my thumb could relate to elsewhere in my body.

I think we were really fortunate. Dr. Dumont is wonderful. He's patient, gentle, kind. He listens to symptoms, asks questions, asks more questions. The office staff is equally friendly and nice. Since February I think we've seen him 6 or 7 times, and her level of pain has really decreased (more so before our trip to Chicago-- we missed seeing him). I wish he weren't a 3 hour drive away (we'd be seeing him a lot more than once every week or two!), but after seeing being treated by a different acupuncturist here in town, he's totally worth the drive. His manner of treating her, of explaining what he's doing, of how she might react, and generally caring about her is really wonderful. It also helps that at times she's gotten an acupuncture "high" -- a sort of vibrating sense of euphoria and well-being.

Here's hoping for total remission again!

Summer Fever!

We went to the local farmer's market yesterday morning and found it swung into high gear already. Locally grown produce, starter plants for herbs and flowers, a lady selling agua fresca, long lines for kettle corn. It smells like summer. We've got it bad. Just planted tomatoes and basil for the patio garden. Then, covered in dirt, I built a fire in the fire pit and grilled some veggie dogs and corn. Rather than buying that lady's agua fresca, Zips bought me a small locally grown watermelon (it's a little early in the season), and cut out all the flesh, whizzed it up in the blender, and strained it twice-- creating an entire pitcher of juice for the same price as a single styrofoam cup filled with melting ice and a little melon juice! Wanting to contribute more (and not overindulge in charred processed veggie meats), Zips found a recipe on the label of a can of garbanzo beans that looked good. The recipe is called "Rockin' Moroccan Pita" and involves cooking chicken breasts in cumin and chili powder, then tossing with garbanzos and stuffing it all into pita pockets topped with yogurt. All the elements are there for a new twist on a bean salad, so Zips took a 12oz. bag of Quorn chick'n tenders and grabbed a couple of ears of roasted corn and invented:

Mexican Double "Chick"pea Salad

blend together

1 Tb. ground cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

4 Tb. olive oil.

and toss in chick'n tenders, coating them thoroughly. Heat chick'n tenders in a pot (you can add 1/2c. water-- we did this in a pot over the fire and heated it until most of the water evaporated).

In the meantime, combine

1 16oz. can of chick peas (drained, rinsed)

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 tomato, diced

1-2 cobs worth of roasted corn, de-kerneled

1/2 c. parsley, chopped

juice of 2 lemons

drizzle of olive oil

Combine seasoned chick'n to the bean mixture and serve warm or cooled.

I realize the bean company called this "Rockin' Moroccan," but with the cumin and chili and roasted corn, we agreed this tastes decidedly south of the border. The "Double Chick" comes from the combination of chick'n and chick-pea (and it's more fun to say than chickenchickpea salad) It's delicious!

My other obsession this weekend is the memory of the crepe suzette haunting me from La Creperie in Chicago. I already had a crepe batter recipe, so looked around for a Suzette a la Germain that resembled the orange-y goodness that we enjoyed. I settled on one, and realized partway through it that I had misread the directions, so improvised what I think is an AWESOME sauce:

Crepe Zipzette a la Germain (just the sauce)

Juice of 5 oranges

zest of 1-2 oranges

2Tb. sugar

1 Tb. butter

Heat these in a small saucepan about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in 2 Tb. Grand Marnier. Once I'd made a batch of crepes, I folded one in half, dipped it through the sauce and folded it again (now quartered) onto the plate. Drizzle with more sauce, and sliced strawberries, bananas, orange, and some whipped cream.

Try not to let your eyes roll back in your head too much!

Other places you MUST get to in Chicago

1. Molly's Cupcakes. On our favorite stretch of N. Clark St. This place is named after a 3rd grade teacher who would always bring cupcakes whenever a student had a birthday.

The place is decked out in a mix of styles: bare, industrial (lots of brown cake and cupcake boxes are stacked against virtually every surface and wall of the place); retro pop (some vintage 70's and 80's lunch boxes are displayed behind the counter); and playful (brightly colored round tables, swingset-inspired seating at one counter, board games you can play with as you eat)

The cupcakes themselves are the real deal. We went twice-- trying out their Blueberry Cheesecake (my favorite of them all!), Peach Cobbler (could have been peachier), Mixed Berry (meh), Tiramisu (delicious, but I actually think mine from Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World is *gasp* better!) and brought home a Cake Batter for the crazy cat-sitter (reportedly it was delicious).

Supercute place. I'd bypass the other gourmet cupcake joints in town since this one's a local original.

2. Dave's Records a couple blocks further up N. Clark St. (see? I told you it was our favorite street!)
They offer an eclectic array of new and old vinyl and even 45's. Go.

3. Europa Books 832 N. State St. A couple blocks off the north end of the Magnificent Mile. Europa Books carries almost exclusively foreign titles, most formidably, French books. From French publishers. In France. Zips loves this place. I just wander quietly through the children's books and pick out Harry Potter books in different languages.

4. Quimby's Bookstore way down on W. North Ave.

It's an independent bookstore that carries TONS of zines, graphic novels, and arty books. In the future, I hope to mass produce my own zine and send it there to sell.

5. Fox & Obel Fancy gourmet grocery. Like Dean & Deluca's Chicago cousin.

This is like a foodie paradise. (Or a foodie hell if you have limited funds and only delayed access to a hotel mini-refrigerator!) In addition to a variety of produce, dry goods, regional honey, deli, (and yes, butcher), they have an amazing array of in-house desserts, bakery goods, candies, olives, cheeses, coffees. Look: Spices!

and Mmmmmm, the dessert case. They used to carry a creme brulee, which I didn't see this time. But their Fruit Tart looks fantastic!

5. La Creperie back on N. Clark. I'm telling you, I should just set up a cot.

So it's located conveniently across the street from one of our favorite movie theatres (Landmark Century Cinema), and tragically a couple doors down from a Borders Bookstore that's closing (*sob*). They offer savory and sweet crepes, both of which we've enjoyed. But most recently, food euphoria was achieved with their Crepe Suzette a la Germain. I think we've ordered this before (Zips is a little obsessed with Grand Marnier), but I don't remember ever having had this delectable orange reduction before. A-mazing.

It brings a tear to my eye now. And looking at this pic makes me want to scour the internet for a recipe to try out on my own. If I have success, believe me, I'll share!

That's it for now. These are some of our favorite haunts, both before we moved to New Mexico, and especially now that we've gone back a couple times for conferences. We still visit these places, and when we do, we feel like we've never left.

New Fancy Veg Dining in Chicago

Since we visited Millennium in San Francisco, I've been looking for other fine dining opportunities for vegetarian foodies. Zips did a little research and found Karyn's on Green, an upscale vegan restaurant.

The place is a bit intimidatingly posh. Very nice neutral tones throughout the restaurant, brown craft paper with the restaurant's logo stamped on it cover all the tables.

To take the edge off, though, on the wall of the hallway leading to the restrooms, they've painted the names of famous vegans and vegetarians (misspelling at least a couple of famous names!). And Chicagoan rapper Common autographed around his name in Sharpie. And possibly Flea.

We got one of those flowering teapots of green tea, and it looked like this after the tea "bloomed."

The menu offered an appetizer of "chorizo sliders with portobello bacon, frisee, (soy) cheddar, chipotle aioli, and tomato pepper jam" , so of course we ordered it. The mini burgers (probably made with tvp) were a bit dry, perhaps overcooked and were served on mini ciabatta rolls (that were also a bit dry and tough). The portobello bacon is this crisp dark brown thing hovering on top. Eaten alone, it tasted like a burned bit of something. Eaten with the slider, it tasted like a burned bit. The chipotle aioli was delicious (served with the steak fries, which I'll get to in a sec), and the tomato pepper jam was also oddly tasty. It was sweet and tomatoe-y. I felt like it was something that would get concocted on Top Chef.

While the sliders were a bit disappointing, the side of steak fries was anything but. Amazing. Delicious. Piping hot. Just salty enough. Also served with the spicy chipotle aioli and bbq sauce (Zips didn't appreciate this at all. And it tasted exactly like something you'd get in the grocery store for a buck). But the FRIES. THE FRIES. Really gourmet fries. Totally worth it.

We shared an entree (since we mistakenly thought the sliders appetizer & side of fries would be the equivalent of the second entree) and went a bit more adventurous here. Zips had decided on the Seared Tofu Gumbo with red quinoa, radicchio saute, fried leeks, and spicy tomato broth.

The whole thing was quite tasty. We agreed that we might not exactly call it "gumbo"-- that such a name suggests more spice than the dish contained. The tofu was seared perfectly, marinated and crisp on the outside. The "fried leeks" tasted a bit pickled and not fried at all. Neither of us could discern the radicchio that was under the bed of red quinoa. I thought it might be pickled cabbage or even beets. It was tangy in a nice way-- a bite of everything together was really delicious. (and another perfect protein-eating experience!)

After the experience I had with dessert at Millennium, I was up to try the dessert menu here. Zips ordered some kind of mocha cheesecake (she found the texture a bit icy, as though it had been frozen)

And I thought I'd do something different and got poached pears with a citrus cream cheese

The pears tasted like they'd been cooked in mulling spices, but were cold and crispy. The citrus cream cheese had a sort of funny aftertaste (that I also tasted in the soy cheddar on the slider), but the cranberry coulis was fantastic. It was an interesting-- not lightning-y-- dining experience, but all in all, I'd definitely eat here again. I'd try different entrees and desserts, but ABSOLUTELY order a side of fries with anything I'd be eating!

Best Veg-Friendly Breakfasts in Chicago!

One of the best places I've ever been to for vegetarian dining is Victory's Banner-- a brightly lit, quaint spot in Roscoe Village in Chicago. Although they're an entirely vegetarian restaurant, they're actually one of the best breakfast places I've been to EVER. They serve breakfast all day (well, they close at 3), and also offer a lunch menu after 11am.

Their website will tell you that the restaurant stands as a "spiritual expression," and that everything they offer, down to the sugar packets, adds to its uplifting atmosphere. And it's all entirely true.

From the lunch menu I've had the Neatloaf Dinner, which is a lovely old-fashioned "meat"loaf and mashed potatoes platter. The gravy alone makes me want to get back in the car to drive across the country to eat there again.But the star attractions are in the breakfast menu. Their scrambled eggs are fresh and fluffy, their grilled potatoes inspired my own breakfast potatoes, and their vegetarian breakfast patties are AMAZING. Really. I can't figure them out. Sage-y and hand-formed. Fried to perfection on the flat top. Here's their breakfast bagel sandwich which offers all 3 at once.
And a side order of the patties on their own.
But what Zips and I return for time and again is their French Toast. I don't know what they do. They are light, airy, sweet-- served with butter laced with peach, and maple syrup. Again, I've used this as my inspiration when I've made French Toast at home, or when I fancy-up some pancake butter with orange zest (a great trick!). I'm just trying to get at how delicious and perfect breakfast at Victory's Banner is.

Look. Even looking at the dining room makes you feel happy.

They also have excellent coffee and chai (spring for the bottomless cup) that they also sell to take home with you. Do it.

Seriously. I'm having withdrawal shakes.

Guilty Pleasures: Cincinnati-Style 4 Way!

For me, one of the the quirkiest regionalisms in American food is the Cincinnati style of "chili"-- especially as offered by places like Skyline Chili. Complex spices in the sauce include cinnamon, bay leaves, whole cloves and allspice, worcestershire and even baker's chocolate. And you eat it atop thin spaghetti noodles or hot dogs in buns under heaping mounds of shredded cheddar cheese (3-way!) and if you like, diced onions (4-way) and even under beans (5-way!). I've had a hankering these past weeks, so I've whipped up a batch and ate it 3 meals in a row. I'm down to just a little left...just enough for a midnight snack!

"I Can't Believe It's Not Skyline" Cincinnati-style Veggie Chili

2 c. water

1 12 oz. bag of frozen ground "burger" crumbles

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 onion finely chopped

2 garlic cloves smashed

1 Tb. cider vinegar

1 tsp. anchovy-free worcestershire sauce (with none on hand, I substituted 1 tsp. of A-1)

1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (chopped finely)

1 bay leaf

3 whole cloves

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

dash ground allspice

1 1/2 - 2 Tb chili powder

In a large pot, boil water. Add veggie-meat, tomato sauce, garlic, and onion. Simmer 5 min. Add all remaining ingredients. Simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is well-combined. I usually put a lid on it so the liquid doesn't evaporate.

While this is going, boil your thin spaghetti and/or veggie hot dogs (we love Yves The Good Dog). It's also good to get your shredded cheese to room temperature. I use the pre-shredded Mexican blend, but Skyline uses mountains of finely shredded mild Cheddar cheese. When you're ready to serve, steam your hot dog buns (or put them in the microwave with a cover for 30 seconds). To serve, top hot dogs/noodles with chili sauce, then cheese, then onions. To do it all the way, eat with oyster crackers and some generous doses of Louisiana-style hot sauce (Skyline uses Frank's Red Hot). It's an acquired taste. But one I whole-heartedly embrace!