Birthday Stuffs

Luckily, my birthday celebrations expand many weeks–there’s me-time travel involved (the sloths), us-time travel (London), family, friends. Eventually, all sides have been represented, leaving me smiling and grateful. I love October; and I love how my birthday delivers me to the excitement of autumn and winter holidays. And I love October sunrises, so I’ll add one here. Because I also love my morning walk. Here are some other birthday mementos. 

Modern Love Brooklyn. After watching afar from social media, it finally opened! CandyPenny and I waited… then we decided it was time to celebrate my birthday early. We started with Tempeh Stuffed Avocado. This was two of my favorite vegan ingredients paired together, the tempeh towering mightily atop a glistening baby green. I wanted the tempeh part to be hot, but it was cold. But enjoyable indeed! I wouldn’t have minded a texture variance. Like a melba toast to topple the tower and penetrate the avocado… or some toasty crostini to add something hot-ish. 

My entree, another masterful combination of ingredients: The Mac & Shews had creamy cashew cheese and mac, perfectly executed but very subtle pecan-cornmeal crusted tofu, some sweetness from some BBQ cauliflower, and some acidity with a sautéed kale in a tomato vinaigrette and a sprinkling of spiced pecans. A great balance of tastes and texture. Temperature was a bit cool though. If it is this good prepped early and reheated, I’d do a backflip for freshly prepped dish. I’ll wait; I don’t mind!

The entree across the table, which I didn’t get to try: Stuffed Poblanos with Street Corn (spicy lentil meat, yuba chicharrones, red rice, jicama slaw, smoked guacamole, pico de gallo, coconut sour cream, fresh herbs).

My dessert: Dulce De Leche Coconut Cream Pie–graham cracker crust, toasted coconut, coconut whip. And behind: Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake–graham cracker crust, candied pecans, coconut whip. More coldness. But rich, decadent coldness. I was a bit disappointed there was no cake option. I never get to eat great cake, unless I make it myself.

It was a yummy meal, but a very big bill in the end, especially given the meal was not freshly made. But I’m clueless. Is this how most vegan restaurants operate? It was surreal to see Isa hanging about the restaurant. But we are shy in real life. 

More birthday-ness. My favorite Thai dessert: mango & sticky rice from Thaism. 

And a crazy cake to bring to my parent’s house. I made my own cake. I tend to do this. Though I’d appreciate someone picking up a cake somewhere, I enjoy my own cake the most and it’s more cost-effective. Plus, I get to use up things like the ton of sprinkles I have laying around, purchased in bulk upon discovering they contained no boiled beetle residue. And when the heck do I use sprinkles?

I had a whole bunch of Freedom Mallows from London to use up, too. And India Tree sparkling sugars. 

I love the baking part of cakes more than eating them, the chance to go cake-crazy and then hand it off to someone or ones.