April 10, 2023
Discovering the Pinkglow Pineapple in the local Wegmans was pretty exciting. I had never seen it before! Though I guess it’s a bit of a “thing,” yes. But its gorgeous hue and midcentury packaging inspired a quick vintage fruit salad photoshoot. The inside. Gorgeous fruit… How beautiful is this? Inspiration Read more…
January 21, 2020
Staten Island’s vegan offerings keep me coming back. And now vegan donuts?! Yes, vegan donuts. But first another kickbutt Golden Milk latte at New Dorp’s Sips + Maker. This may be my favorite Golden Milk latte in New York City! And they seem to always have housemade vegan sweet treats Read more…
July 9, 2017
Lazy summer days–besides a ton of chopping vegetables. Who wants to cook in the summer? Fresh, chilled dinners are best in the heat. Like this salad of jicama, cucumber, tomato, and red pepper. And raw kale with some black beans for protein. I massage ’em with ginger oil, toasted sesame Read more…
August 20, 2016
For a gal who always sees the first a.m. showing of movies in the theater to avoid people, going to Yellowstone National Park in August is a little counterintuitive. However, crowded in Yellowstone Country is far different than crowded in, say, the New York City subway. It’s 2.2 million acres. Read more…
June 12, 2016
V marks the spot! The Electrician recently made this concrete and wood base for a set of new ‘his & her’s’ grills. My exclusively vegan grill is an upgrade from the separate grill rack that was all-veggie. I just had to mark my grill with some high heat spray paint. Read more…
April 10, 2016
Isn’t it amazing how days are neatly organized, bookended by the rising and setting of a bright, hot, great ball of fire? Goodness. Gracious. Inside them, other good things that bring you joy and sustenance, like a cracked chocolate-encased marshmallow… …Spring baseball in front of a plate of fruit-filled pancakes, with lots Read more…
January 31, 2016
2016 is 1/12 complete. January is new routines inside old comforts, like the best vegan chocolate chip cookies: your own. It’s taking care… with a Long Island rec. center membership bonus: nobody in the sauna with you. It is having fire with the snow… with tempeh. It’s inspiration from the ground; the potato plays nicely Read more…
October 4, 2015
With Hurricane Joaquin worries put out to sea, I had my first proper weekend after my first proper full week of working, finally. Summer is officially gone. It’s back to the grind. Kitchen renovation cookies, with just a pinch of sawdust. Various gourds for the stoop as October is here, Read more…
August 26, 2015
Mezze Plate: Baba ghanoush, chickpea hummus, stuffed grape leaves and tabbouleh salad, served with warm Pita bread. Pasta Fagioli: Flavorful tomato broth cooked with beans and vegetables and whole wheat pasta, seasoned with Italian herbs. Grilled Vegetable and Tofu Kebob: Served over brown pilaf rice with almonds, drizzled with tomato-basil Read more…
August 19, 2015
Hitting the corners of the V.V. Burger Showdown brackets, it’s time for Match #3: M.O.B. vs. Pickle Shack This is going to be a doozy. I have loved the M.O.B. and Pickle Shack veggie burgers separately–but for some of the same reasons. Restoring my lost hope and representing a turn in veggie burger Read more…
August 2, 2015
This week’s gorgeous lunch photographed so well. Grilled tempeh, roasted beets, brown & wild rice pilaf with dill, cashew & diced red pepper, sautéed beet greens and Dino kale. Who wants to cook dinner in this sweltering heat? It was time to use my Asian market goodies and make some summer rolls. Inside: avocado, Read more…
May 25, 2015
Push aside winter grey, summer is unofficially here. The irises are blooming at the zombie house next door, triggered by nature. There Will Come Soft Rains-style. The backyard, once a bland backdrop along the walk to the back door, invites entry, holds glistening fruits and color in its open palm. Asks Read more…
May 2, 2015
Frosty morning tulips in the backyard Later, sun-funned tulips in the afternoon The bulbs I planted in my parents’ backyard in September, all grown up Our lips are sealed. Spring means figs, one of my top 5 favorite fruits. Simpler Spring lunch: smashed avocado toast with this jimmy-rigged Hollandaise-ish sauce I concocted. It Read more…
December 28, 2014
Sometimes you just want to spend the entire day in the kitchen and the entire night in the dining room eating and giggling with friends. It was time for a Winter Dins vegan victuals dinner party. For starters, “Deviled” Polenta Yukon Golds. Rye, Kale & Eggplant Dressing with toasted Pepitas Fennel, Read more…
September 28, 2014
Fields and fields of corn. This is what’s inside the heart of the heartland. After hours of fields of corn, I was back in the Motor City area to sample some vegan eats. Lunch, finally was at Inn Season Cafe in Royal Oak. They have a promising brunch menu they only serve Read more…
September 25, 2014
Sometime in August, lazily lounging on a couch, I thought it’d be a good idea to move my blog forward to “all states reporting” status. This thought during this determined August, the tail-end of a summer spent stacking my professional credentials, could not have known I’d be inundated with the Read more…
August 16, 2014
July 4, 2014
I am glad to be back home for the 4th. Outside the Bennington flaps proudly. Inside, I get started crafting my 50 States Commemoration necklace that will celebrate my spending time in all of our 50 United States. I visit #48 next week… leaving two more. I’ll let you guess which Read more…
May 26, 2014
The Beninngton flag waves on Memorial Day weekend. As does the Stars and Stripes on the beer. On the plate: my favorite summer side: corn grilled in its husk, Field Roast apple-sage sausage topped with the kitchen sink, and a delicious potato salad that The Electrician made. I was on Sweet duty. Read more…
September 2, 2013
After a trip to the farmers market (and Williams Sonoma), it was time to test out the brand new grill pan. Fresh veggies transformed into smokey delicious charred delights, atop quinoa. A hands-off amazing meal. Speaking of fresh veggies, my plum tomatoes are almost ready for pickin’. And many eggplants Read more…
June 30, 2013
The lurking darkness that crept over me on Sunday afternoons has already been replaced with a light and airy feeling. For this teacher, summer is already in full swing. Brightly colored produce and food plans abound! Speaking of, did you ever see red scallion??I was kind of excited to see Read more…
June 2, 2013
As we begin to tilt towards the sun and sunrise coincides to my morning train, I get to see fantastic colors in the sky. More beautiful things: Golden beets. Broccoli florets are sprouting up in my garden! I’m very excited. Fennel. I’ve never worked with you before. Fennel and citrus Read more…
April 8, 2013
The gang’s all here… Bright and juicy… Wearing our best grill marks Everyone’s invited to this pilaf.
November 25, 2012
Autumn comes and goes fast. In an attempt to slow down the season already pushed into streetlamp snowflakes and Christmas music, let us eat its bounty and keep in mind that the about a Winter Solstice is a month away. Autumn Dins is here. Lite Noshes: What brings out a Read more…
July 4, 2012
Independence Day is all about strawberry/blueberry sweet concoctions! I made my patriotic parfaits mostly from scratch, save for the berries, and delivered them to my family as a sweet summer treat. After all, I can’t very well eat all of them! A cold parfait is not only refreshing, it’s a Read more…
April 14, 2012
Last day in May, the afternoon: remember? Black marks off charcoal from the dune: remember? I thought it wouldn’t be too soon; we’d wait at least until its June. The twenty-ninth of March it rained: remember? You looked so sad that I explained: remember? You knew it wouldn’t be too Read more…