Angelica Kitchen

I recently enjoyed a peaceful late lunch at the heavenly restaurant Angelica Kitchen in NYC.  I walked in from the hot summer streets, and was greeted with a quote by William Ruckeshaws, drawn on a chalkboard reading, "Nature provides a free lunch only if we control our appetites."   I sat down and heard the gentle sounds of  fiddles and Gillian Welch vocals.  The waitresses floated back and forth dawning their sweet checkered summer dresses and aprons.  The menu is very wheat/sugar/dairy free friendly with all fresh local vegan ingredients. They even serve coffee with rice milk, gluten free cornbread, and desserts like almond anise cookies! Not everything is wheat/gluten free, but they label things very clearly for you.  I ordered the daily special, quinoa croquettes served with fresh green snap peas, collards, grape tomatoes, a vegan tart sauce on a bed of white beans.  The colors were so bright and vitamin packed!  It was the perfect balance of heartiness and freshness. Make sure you go here if you are in NYC!

In business!

So I must admit that I started this blog after watching the movie, "Julie and Julia."  I was inspired by Julie's story, especially the part where she made it big and got rich off her blog-turned-book-turned-movie!  So I decided to make my own blog, hoping that I too could be discovered, write a book, and then direct/write and star in my own movie, about me!  :)  Did I mention that I love attention?  I am actually making one of my dreams come true this summer by writing and performing in a play in New York City.  It's a risky creative adventure, but I figure I may as well dive right into my dreams with full force and commitment.  One of my favorite professors, Art Keene, once told me to take yourself seriously- to believe in your work and to give it the respect and passion it deserves.  I have never forgotten that.  So I am taking myself very seriously, with this play and with my blog.  I went ahead and made Happy Tummy business cards.  So now, when people ask me about my blog I can hand them my fancy little business card and show them that I mean business!

4th of July Coleslaw

I am staying at my friend Liz's apartment in Brooklyn and she asked me to pick up her farm share vegetable box.  Since I have been eating out so much in NY (great food, but not the same as home made), I was thrilled to do the favor for her.  There is nothing more centering for me than being around freshly picked vegetables: collard greens, dill, summer squash, carrots, and cabbage!  I was instantly inspired to make some 4th of July coleslaw.  I have many fond childhood memories of chowing down on crispy coleslaw at my my favorite seafood restaurant near Rockport, MA.  We often went there on the 4th of July to see the fireworks over the ocean.  Even though I was a scrawny little child, I would always order the fisherman's platter, just like my father.  The platter was a mountain of fried shrimp, scallops, cod, calamari, full-bellied clams with french fries and coleslaw!  My father and I would both finish our platters.  I inherited my father's love of unique flavors and foods, like the creamy green stuff in lobster, grapefruit and tonic water, and rich uni nigiri.  He is also the king of BBQ.  My father will BBQ outside, in the middle of winter (in Boston) just because he loves his steak grilled.  His terriyaki chicken is still the best I have ever had.  Growing up, our family usually bought our coleslaw from Stop and Shop to have at our BBQ's, but below is my recipe for a traditional coleslaw (that is wheat/sugar/dairy free!)

Coleslaw 

Ingredients

• 1 head of cabbage
• 6 carrots
• 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise (Spectrum has sugar free kind, or use Vegannaise if you don't eat eggs)
• 1 tablespoon of celery seed
• 1 tablespoon of honey or agave
• The juice of one big lemon
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1.  Cut and shred the cabbage as thinly as possible.
2.  Grate carrots.
3.  Mix cabbage, carrots and mayo in a large bowl.
4.  Mix in the celery seed, honey/agave, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
5.  Best if you let it "marinate" for an hour or more in the fridge!

Rice balls in Brooklyn

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