Food Homecoming

Throughout my 8-week stay in Southeast Asia, I pined for New York comsumables as if long lost lovers. Foods that supplemented my hungry senses short walks or subway rides away ranked high on the collective pang unit of my new daily life. But, arriving to New York and whisked to a room sweetly stocked with vegan goods, I transitioned quickly back to the world of my former tastebuds. Amongst many Babycakes, Lifethyme‘s double chocolate cake and a huge toll house cookie, my favorite packaged vegan cookie (Uncle Eddie’s), the delicious orange chocolate chip pound cake from Karen’s On Astor, Nature’s Path Organic Flax Plus Pumpkin Raisin Crunch and even a ziploc-ed soft pretzel from the streets of NYC, I was truly home.

The days that followed were also food-focused. With a date to Caravan of Dreams, brunch at Organic Grill, a stop at my favorite local Thai restaurant Lily Thai, an {evacuative} evening of mission figs, papaya and magic bulleted hummus at the Warren kitchen (complete with golden cupcakes with cookies and creme frosting a la Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, compliments of Tim the budded vegan pastry chef) and my family homecoming with Merrick’s Thai Station, I’m ready to finally go food shopping and resume my position in the kitchen. Here’s to my baby steps back into being my own meal-maker.

Caravan of Dream’s Unchicken nachos with vegan sour cream and a chip in there somewhere.
My raw entree, The Ecuador. A bit dissappointing.
My “date’s” spinach raviloi covered in “creme-pesto-alfredo sauce”. Served, oddly, with an “avocado”.
Note to Caravan of Dreams: A pancake is not a crepe. Sweet hot banana encased in whole wheat pancake kerplunked with Rice Dream scoops. The description was more drool-inspiring than the real thing.
Organic Grill’s tofu omlette breakfast is one of my favorite comfort foods. Pick 3 fillings or only 2, like me: vegan cheese (one of the best I’ve tasted) and broccoli.
Lily Thai’s vegatable dumplings are my favorite in New York City. They’re absolutely perfect. A distant second is Thai super chain, Spice‘s.
Pad See Ew at Lily Thai. Delicious… now, with a new ingredient: nostalgia
Sweet sticky rice, coconut pie (aka gelatinous wonder) and fried banana at Thai Station in Merrick, Long Island. Nowhere near as good as the authentic but cheaper than a flight to Thailand.