The Vegan Korean

Cafe Gratitude LA

2012-01-19T20:12:00.000-08:00

So I took my mom and brother to Cafe Gratitude in LA this past Saturday.

Okay, I kind of coerced them into going with me. I had been to the Cafe Gratitude in Berkeley during my Cal days, but didn't dig it, but the LA one looked so nice and hip that I wanted to try the food.

Before we get to the food, guess who we had lunch with. Natalie Portman!

Okay not with, but right next to at the communal table. She had her baby in a chest carrying sling thing and was with her man, husband? Not sure. They sat right next to us!

My mom and brother noticed as soon as they sat next to me (which is why I couldn't really see), but I didn't know until we got our check. Its funny because I kept looking at the maple-miso glazed brussels sprouts she was eating and thinking, ooh, that looks good. She is the most delicate, petite person you ever saw.

Anyway, enough with my starstruck self, here's what we had:

Flax Crackers with Guacamole

Veggie Burger with Side Salad

BLT Sandwich with Side Salad

Massaged Kale Salad

(so delicious, creamy dressing!)

This is how my brother felt about his veggie burger. Poor little dude got veggied out. He did like the strawberry shake though. It was really good and real-tasting!

I ordered the cacao fig shake, which was pretty awesome, too, but I think the strawberry one was better, more fresh. The little bro didn't finish his so I ended up finishing both shakes. I got so full, but I wasn't about to let an almost $9 shake go to waste. I'm so bad...

All of Cafe Gratitude's plates say:

I was grateful for my mom and brother for coming to Cafe Gratitude with me.

My brother said he was grateful that we don't have to eat here every week.

Haha... -_- I would if I could!

What are you grateful for?

Fancy, Simple Meals

2012-01-17T10:31:00.000-08:00

It's funny how some of the best foods are so naturally simple and delicious.
In most restaurants, the dishes I love are the ones that star un-messed with, fresh ingredients.
For example, the Mediterranean plate at the Getty Villa:

Hummus, Pita, Olives, and Quinoa Salad

Another simple awesome meal I had was at the Childhood Obesity Conference:

Grilled Tofu over Mushroom Barley and Peas,

with White and Green Beans

What is a favorite food of yours that is so naturally delicious it's hard to believe?
For me, it's steamed Kabocha squash. Oh maybe a perfectly ripe mango, too.

Homemade Lasagna

2012-01-10T16:09:00.000-08:00

Yello. I rediscovered this blog today and it is mine! I noticed I apologize a lot for not posting often and today's follows suit. I just finished my dietetic internship a couple weeks ago, so I guess I'll use that as my excuse for the last year.

This is a lasagna I made with my little sister and brother during the holidays.
I always thought lasagna was too complicated to make at home, but it wasn't that bad.
Its much easier when you have a hand with layering the ingredients. We just used the recipe on the side of the lasagna noodle box. :P

While this one wasn't vegan, you could easily sub in Daiya Mozzarella Shreds and mashed white beans for the mozzarella and ricotta cheese. We used marinara sauce, sauteed onion-mushroom-garlic, and frozen spinach in our layers, too. I would top it with nutritional yeast in place of parmesan.

Homemade Kimbop

2010-06-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

Today my mother was telling me she can't find good Korean food blogs, so we are on a mission to bring good authentic Korean home cooking to the world. This is a picture guide to making "Kimbop," or Korean seaweed wrapped rice rolls.

A note: your first roll is not going to be perfect!
Don't sweat it-- just eat it with a fork if it's that bad, then roll up your sleeves and try again. It takes practice, but once you get the hang of it, it's fun and you feel so proud of yourself afterwards!

First steam a few cups of white sticky rice (sushi rice works best). Then gather your favorite fillings, examples are soy meat, tofu, carrots, avocado, cucumber, pickled daikon, and kimchi:
Use whatever you like or have on hand, just make sure you cook and season (with a little salt and pepper) the ingredients that need cooking (fry, grill, or steam) and cut everything into strips for easy rolling.Set up your Kimbop-making station with several cups of steamed sushi rice seasoned with rice vinegar, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, and furikake flakes to your taste (about a tablespoon of each). Place a sushi mat on top of a large cutting board and lay a seasoned nori sheet on the sushi mat:Spread some seasoned rice as above, at least 2 mm thick to cover the seaweed. This will ensure you get a good sized roll, not a wimpy little rice taquito. Then lay the prepared fillings across the rice nearer to you:Unlike the photo above, it is easier to roll if you lay the fillings on top of each other, not all spread out (just for you to see the ingredients better :).

Now the tricky part. Fold the bottom of the sushi mat with the bottom edge of the nori over the fillings and press firmly: Keep rolling everything while pressing down to compact after each roll, while pulling the mat out of the roll as you go (see the first photo-- you don't want to eat the mat):When you finish rolling up to the edge, give the whole thing a last good squeeze (with the mat still on) along the whole length of the finished roll. Then unwrap! You'll be so proud of yourself (poke the fillings back in if they're sticking out like below):Make sure it is round by checking the side view:Then hold the roll in shape and slice with a sharp serrated knife into little rounds (a little less than 1 inch thick):Arrange pretty patterns or stack on little plates and devour! (after you admire your beautiful handiwork). Then repeat with a new nori sheet until you use up all your ingredients!
Kimbop are perfect for picnics and lunch boxes ("doshirak"). In Korea, they are sold a-dollar-a-roll in little Kimbop shops where little Korean ladies with permed hair make them perfectly with lightening speed (years and years of practice!).
Another note: the Asian ingredients you can find in Korean markets, maybe even Chinese or Japanese markets).
You can even leave them uncut and eat them like skinny Kimbop burritos!

This is surefire way to impress your family and friends.
Good luck and have fun!

(Thank you to Mommy for making everything shown above!)

Fruits of Summer

2010-06-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

Summer is pretty much here and so are strawberries! The luscious red berry is to be found everywhere, such as in this Strawberry Shortcake Sundae at Coco's .Anita and Sarah (above) were admiring it before our banquet at the Anaheim Hyatt.

Then at the banquet, a Dark Chocolate Cheesecake:
See! They are everywhere. Where should you go if you love strawberries?
Oxnard! Pick your own while tasting as you go (so fun!)
Sarah, Karen, me, and Minju at the KCCC banquet!

What's your favorite summer fruit?
I love cherries and mangoes!

Reason to Celebrate

2010-05-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

Good news-- I graduated! Our Dietetics class decorated our hats together at Joyce's apartment. We even had a hotpot party while decorating. Hotpot is an Asian thing where you have one big boiling pot of broth into which you just drop vegetables, tofu, (and meat, traditionally) and leave to cook. Then you fish some savory cooked morsels out and devour with rice! Sorry I didn't get any photos, but here are some of our Nutri Sci class:
That's me on the left :)
This is how I felt walking across the stage and receiving my fake diploma:Like a piece of vegan French toast fruit face-- pure happy!

Celebration Vegan French Toast:

2 ripe bananas
3/4 cup rice or almond milk
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
a few slices of bread (any kind you like! I used plain white for its lightness)

Blend bananas, rice milk, cinnamon, and vanilla in blender or food processor and pour mixture into a wide dish. Gently dip bread slices into the mix, coating both sides. Fry in a non-stick, medium-hot skillet until golden brown.

My deepest apologies for being MIA in blog world my last year at Cal, but now I can blog much more regularly for you all! Here are some food flashbacks of senior year:
Nori Rice Ball made at home for my little brother. I forget what was in it, but traditional fillings include umeboshi (sour pickled plum). We Cha's like kimchi and "banchan"-- sauteed salty Korean root vegetables (Korean markets sell prepared versions).

I made this Apple Cinnamon "Mega Muffin" from the Babycakes book. I made it in a pie dish because I didn't have a muffin tin in my college apartment, so it looked like one HUMONGOUS muffin. Still, it was so moist and delicious:

These are little hors d'oeuvres I whipped up for an art gallery catering event at work. They are little Vital Vittles sweet baguette slices topped with sour cream and handmade vegan tapenade, garnished with tiny parsley sprigs. You can use vegan cream cheese instead of the sour cream.

Vegan Tapenade:

-2 cups pitted kalamata olives
-1/2 cup to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pulse olives in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Stream in extra virgin olive oil while processing until the texture is fine but textured. Add more olive oil to achieve your preferred thickness. More olive oil for a runnier consistency, less oil for a thick dip-like version. Add some sea salt to taste, only if your olives are not salted. (Don't add salt if the olives are salted-- it will be WAY too salty!)

A rare, but relished indulgence, Vanilla Swiss Almond Rice Dream ice cream topped with an Uncle Eddie's Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie:
Congratulations to all you dears reading this who graduated or are graduating soon!
It's a really good reason to celebrate-- go make yourself a vegan sundae.

What vegan ice creams do you like?

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

2009-08-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

First day of senior year started today! I got up early for a 9 am class, but the instructor didn't show up so everyone went home and now I'm sleepy.
These are the cutest little strawberries me and my sister found in Golden Gate Park on a trail near the California Academy of Sciences:

I don't think we were supposed to pick them...
My sister told me to take a picture of this Blueberry Fiber Mini Cake from Trader Joe's:One day, my sister and I went to Trader Joe's with a sweet tooth and came out with a box of these mini muffins and a box of rice milk and had a tea party outside on a Starbucks patio.
Now for another Larabar review!
The cool people at Larabar sent a cute little package with new flavors, including Peanut Butter & Jelly, German Chocolate Cake, and Tropical Fruit Tart.

First up, PB & J:This Larabar definitely delivers real peanutty goodness. There are only three ingredients: dates, peanuts, and dried cherries. There's also a smidgen of salt that makes it taste like real peanut butter. The dried cherries don't taste like jelly, so its not what you expect, but it was incredibly awesome!I would definitely buy these, but I can't help thinking how dried strawberries would taste in this bar because I grew up on PB & J's with the good old Smucker's strawberry preserves.
I especially loved the adorable two-tone wrapper with nut brown sandwiched between stripes of grape jelly. Methinks this is a wonderful new addition to the Larabar family!

M Cafe de Chaya

2009-08-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

I decided while I'm down in LA I should try some vegan eats around here. M Cafe de Chaya was in the Los Angeles Magazine in the best LA healthy restaurants so I made my family go there last Saturday for lunch.
This was mommy's Corn and Lotus root soup:This was daddy's Carolina-Style BBQ Seitan Sandwich:(I didn't tell him this place was vegan because then he would automatically not like it.)
And this was my Falafel and Hummus Wrap:
I enjoyed it a lot because I love falafel. My only complaint was that there were too many carrot strips, almost half of the wrap. The Grilled Vegetable Salad on the side was really good (same as the BBQ picture).
This was my brother/sister's Big Macro Burger:
They both loved it, with the Greek Salad on the side.
I was going to get a Chocolate cupcake, but I was too full and it was like 4 or 5 bucks so I passed. But the cashier told me they're popular, so if you find yourself on Melrose, try it! The Big Macro is also one of the more recommended plates.

(Madonna orders her son's macrobiotic birthday cakes from here!)

Summer Food

2009-08-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

Haloo all! I'm way overdue for a post, but its because I was on vacation! Bad excuse, but I think I was being way too lazy, neglecting my camera and food. Here's a visual summary of my meals this summer:Chef salad at Smart Alec's in Berkeley, CA. (cover the egg with thumb)Kimchi quesadillas from the Kogi Truck in LA. (not vegan, but sister loved)Kogi and tofu tacos from the Kogi Truck in LA. (tofu =vegan!)Tofu salad, Neng myun noodles, Doshirak lunch box, and Spicy tofu hot pot at Tofu House in Glendale, CA.
Sweets from Porto's Bakery in Glendale. (definitely not, but looked too good to leave out)
There was also a Cinnamon Roll that looked soo good. Of course we got it and it was so doughy and soft...Sister's piece:Oh my goodness... I almost stopped being vegan because of this. Almost.

Paris Pastries and Portfolio

2009-04-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

(sheepish grin)
Hi friends... hehe... yes, I've been MIA for a loooong time and I'm so sorry!
School work has been consuming my life and at the end of the day I just want to drop into bed.Anyway, after my sister came back from Paris she said that her trip reminded her how much she loves home! She did have fun, but she said Parisians had a certain air about them. But she apparently picked up her host family's habit of eating chocolate with breakfast every morning. She snapped this shot of these scrumptious-looking (probably not vegan) pastries at a local bakery.

Before I end this short post, here's some eye candy from an edited version of my portfolio from my photography class:While you read through other blogs, consider this:
What is your favorite fruit and vegetable?
My loves are mango and carrot~<3

Okay, tata for now!

Spring Break!

2009-03-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
Whoa mama, its been over three weeks since I last posted. I've been relaxing way too much. Between my bouts of chillin, I tried a couple new vegalicious treats. The first was So Delicious coconut milk yogurt:Ehh... I guess this wasn't so delicious after all. The strawberry flavor was kind of dull. But I spiffed it up with some Smart Bran, kamut puffs, and blueberries!Secondi, I tried the Jocolat Hazelnut flavor:Can I just say-- SO DANG HEAVENLY!
After the Chocolate flavor being so dense and dry, I was wary of the Jocolats, but this flavor was soo perfectly smooth and brownie-like that its wrapper has found a place on my wall (next to the Apple Pie and Pecan Pie Larabar wrappers).Mahh... I want another one right now!

Big news: I am so jealous of my sister because she's going to Paris! Tomorrow!
I couldn't believe it when she told me about buying the tickets on a whim with her friend. She said it is going to be her graduation gift from Appa and that she would compromise by getting a $300 laptop-- haha.

But of course I am so happy that her dream is coming true and I'm really, really excited for her. I made her promise to take pictures of everything she eats and sees for me. It was so funny-- a couple nights ago, she called me and was fretting about what she would wear in Paris. I better tell her to pay more attention to the cafes, shopping, and sights!

Hopefully I'll be able to post her Paris photos for you all next week!

Dark Chocolate Mocha Clif

2009-03-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

Another bar review! Sorry, you all are probably barred out, but this is the Clif Nectar Dark Chocolate Mocha: Like the Dark Chocolate Walnut, this bar is a delicious brownie! I couldn't tell much of a difference, but it was undoubtedly rich and perfectly chocolate-y! I think I've finally developed a taste for chocolate...
Could be dangerous.

Bars Galore

2009-03-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

It seems like my posts are getting further and further apart. I wish there was more time to do it, but I am reading all your blogs! It's much easier and funner than posting my own bits.
Today's breakfast was a Vanilla Ricera, Heritage cereal, and sliced bananas:The Vanilla Ricera is pretty yummy, but cannot compare with the Blueberry. The first time I bought a Vanilla it went sour so I couldn't try it, but this new one was safe.
Now for bar reviews! I started seeing Pure Bars on some blogs so I convinced myself I needed to try one. This is the Chocolate Brownie flavor:Kind of squashy looking and tasted very brownie-like. I would like it better without all the nuts, though. I like the smoothness of the chocolate-y dateness. I think I may like the texture of Clif Nectar Dark Chocolate Walnut better.
Now for the Pecan Pie Larabar!Can you tell I'm excited about this one? Well I am. The reason is because Pecan Pie is soo good! I never had real pecan pie before (strange?), but this bar makes it seem heavenly. You can really taste the intoxicating cinnamon in there. Definitely added to my favorites.
Next, the Jocolat Chocolate:
Yes, I am a bit sad to tell you this bar was extremely dense and dry. Super chewy chocolate, even almost a little too rich, this one. I had to drink water after every bite because it was so incredibly unmoist. I don't know if I can handle this one again, maybe eat only when a tall glass of water or cup of tea is nearby!Last, but not least, the Cashew Cookie:Maybe it was because I was being a Sandy eating monster when I ate this one right after the Jocolat, but I didn't really enjoy this too much. I remember a very strong cashew flavor, which I don't particularly like. But for cashew lovers like JuJubeans (hi!) this would be a huge hit.
I really can't remember whether I like this or not. I was in a munching craze and didn't really take my time savoring this Larabar as I usually do.

All you Larabar lovers, which is your favorite?
Mine is Apple Pie~<3

Papaya and Playgreen

2009-02-20T18:34:00.001-08:00

I apologize for being MIA all week. It seems like that's what I good at. My friends give me a hard time because of it. I can't help it if I'm busy and tired! I need time to recharge my batteries.
Speaking of which, every morning I start my day with an apple, which is usually followed by a ripe banana.
Today, however, I got bored with a plain old banana, so I put together my Fruit & Cereal bowl with applesauce, kamut puffs, berries, and banana. So good... I was actually trying to finish off the applesauce so it wouldn't go bad over the weekend.Then more fruit~ a red Hawaiian papaya! Amazing to the tastebuds...
Today there was the Playgreen Festival on campus, a fair with "green companies" including Clifbar, Whole Foods, and Ben & Jerry's. I went a little crazy with the free stuff, but hey, who doesn't love free stuff? Some of the loot:Mini Clifbar samples!Revolution Foods : Pop Alongs chips and Jammy Sammy oat & fruit bar:Expect reviews~ that is if midterms don't wipe me out.
Have a wonderful weekend all!

Rain, Raw, and Cake

2009-02-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

Its been pouring and hailing, plus blasting winds all week long. I hate to complain, but I'm so sick of this poopy weather! There was no way I was going to face the outdoors to go grocery shopping, so this week's challenge is to live off the pantry!
Now for a bar review. I tried this Go Raw bar:
As you can see, it is raw vegan, the whole thing. Simple ingredients. It was not bad, kind of like fruit leather studded with seeds. You really have to rip this bar, can't really bite into it like a Larabar. I recommend it if you like fruit leather, but if you're looking for a Lara or Clif-like bar, this one isn't. I enjoyed it while I was eating it, but its not one of those," Omygosh! I must buy more of these!" kind of experience for me.
I worked today, so I just had a whole bunch of fruit for breakfast and finally a huge plate of steamed veggies afterwards, at home:That ugly black-looking thing is the eggplant skin! I used the cooked skin to make sort of a veggie wrap with. Its hard to eat neatly, but its a good way to eat the smoky charred skin.
Now for some eye candy!
This beautiful carrot cake from Whole Foods was my friend, Brian's.It was his birthday cake, but I took it home, the same night as the V-day cookies, to document it for you all! I took the cookies and the cake back to campus for friends to eat the day after, at our hang out in the Student Learning Center (big study hall sort of place... I know such nerds!).
He's a vegetarian so I guess his friend that bought it for him thought carrot cake was appropriate...

Fruitylicious Friday

2009-02-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

More hail today and the falling ice balls were humongous! Yikes...
Breakfast today was wheat bran, berries, and banana in more of the rice shake. It kind of tasted like raw instant oatmeal. It made me feel super healthy.In the manner of Hobbits, second breakfast followed: The leftover fruit, prettied up~A soft ripe mango finished it off! Soo juicy...
I had some baked Korean sweet potatoes with fresh kale for dinner, but I was so starving after jazz class that stopping to take photos was out of the question!
But look what was delivered yesterday... The Kardea bars I requested!
These seem interesting and new in the world of food bars. Expect reviews in the near future!
My cute little sisters made trays and trays of pink goodies for Open Chapel last night! I swiped a few of the prettiest ones to snap a photo of at home, since I didn't have my camera then:
Four of them made six trays of these beauties from scratch!
I hope everyone has a happy Valentine's Day, attached or single like me!
I love you all ~<3!

Herbivore

2009-02-11T20:40:00.000-08:00

It hailed today! I don't know why, but I was so horrified. Maybe because its been so long since I 've seen hail? I imagined everyone walking outside getting smattered with the ice balls.
Anyway, breakfast was Smart Bran and blueberries, but this time in a rice shake called Amazake Tiger Chai from Whole Foods:
You can't really see it, but the shake looks like a vanilla shake with flecks of vanilla beans and spices. It is naturally sweet from the rice and it was amazing with the cereal! Kind of like a thin yogurt or a thick milk! New Zealand cherries from Berkeley Bowl on the side:I took my ServSafe exam today! It was much easier than I expected, but I hope I don't jinx it. Let's hope I just pass so I don't have to take it again.
Lunch was the second half of the Kabocha squash with cabbage again:I didn't take a picture of my dinner, which was a sort of salad...
Lettuce, red pepper hummus, and steamed carrots and zucchini. All of this was piled on a big plate and wasn't very photogenic so I just ate it.
But here is a picture of my beloved Charbroiled Vegetable Green Salad from Herbivore:I had to do a restaurant review for my class so I went to Herbivore, an all vegan restaurant in downtown Berkeley. They serve some pretty interesting dishes here, but I haven't been very adventurous here yet. I even asked if I could keep the menu (on the left) because my assignment required it and my waiter said, "yes!"

Chilly Weather, Snack Attacks

2009-02-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

This morning was so freezing cold! And it didn't help that the heater was off all night... I had to drink a cup of hot tea to warm myself up before breakfast, which was Blueberry rice yogurt (yup, bought more!) with Smart Bran, banana, and strawberry slices:
Jolly lip-smacking good!
Maybe because it was so cold, I got hungry again right away, and I can't function when I'm freezing and hungry, so I ate some slices of a butternut squash I roasted the day before:
Sweet and smoky~ Bambi had some, too!
I had a light dinner because that butternut kept me full all day. I had some HuuRaw chips and some mild salsa, both from Whole Foods ~<3:
HuuRaw Carrot Curry chips are made from carrots, germinated flax seeds, ground flaxseeds, lime juice, chia seeds, curry powder, and Himalayan salt. Not like real tortilla chips, but yummy! Afterwards, still hungry (I'm telling you its the cold weather), so I topped a Sunflower Seed Bread square with salsa:So good~ Lydia's Organic's makes all raw stuff, some products are good, some are iffy. This bread has like a veggie-cracker flavor, which I love. Its a little dry, but if you dip it in water for a few seconds it turns moist and delicious.
Oh, and look what I got at Whole Foods!:I feel so green now~ But in pink!

Like a Brownie

2009-02-06T17:59:00.000-08:00

Featuring the bar of the day: Clif Nectar Cacao. This flavor is Dark Chocolate Walnut and comes in a pretty blue and chocolate colored package.
Upon opening the wrapper, I met a brownie!

Really, there is no way this could be just a fruit and nut bar. It looks and smells exactly like a brownie in bar form. As for the taste? Brownie!
So chocolate-y and rich. I usually don't like chocolate, but this was amazing. Now I have an instant go-to if ever I should crave a brownie!Last unbelievable bite!

Orange Food, Blue Food

2009-02-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

Mangoes are one of my all time favorite fruits. Whenever I slice one up I must take my time to fully enjoy the creamy, juicy sweetness of the bright orange flesh. Eating a mango instantly puts me in a good mood, like this morning:Speaking of orange-fleshed foods, Kabocha squash is another favorite food of mine. I steamed 1/2 a squash and had it for lunch yesterday with the red cabbage shreds, again to balance the intense creamy sweetness:Now for the new foodie food of the day- Ricera Blueberry Rice Yogurt!After trying different brands of soy yogurt, I was pretty turned off to the idea of non-dairy yogurt, but Ricera changed me. The blueberry flavor is soo pronounced, which I loved since I adore blueberries, and it is perfectly sweet and feels like authentic yogurt in my mouth.
Ricera is made from brown rice, has no dairy, soy, or wheat, and has 180 kcal and only 1 gram of fat for the whole 6 oz. carton!
I sprinkled some Smart Bran and dried strawberries for some crunch- an impossibly delicious and nutritious combination.Must buy more... soon!

Larabar Goodies!

2009-02-04T20:10:00.000-08:00

Look what was delivered today~ my Larabar goodie parcel!
This totally made my day and I couldn't help but do a little dance. To Humm Foods, thank you! This is dedicated to everyone who loves Larabars:I used the tote as my book bag today to my photography class and it was delightful!
Now I feel the need to share this Larabar love~

Also, check out this Almond Butter giveaway from Hangry Pants!

Sweet Fruit

2009-02-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

Breakfast this morning was the usual fruit. I usually just cut and eat each fruit one at a time, but I prettied it up just for your viewing pleasure. Today's selection included a Red Delicious apple, banana, strawberries, blueberries, and cherries.Then I was still hungry so I poured a bowl of Smart Bran with almond milk and leftover blueberries.The cherries were from Berkeley Bowl, so sweet... and juicy...After breakfast I bussed over to Berkeley Bowl to pick up some mangoes, papayas, and Gnu Bars. I walked back home and had 30 minutes before class, so I had a Cinnamon Raisin Gnu Bar for lunch:It was very, very good! Like a healthier oatmeal cookie. These Gnu Bars have 12 grams of fiber, which is a lot. The label does in fact say 'Flavor & Fiber!' My only gripe is that it is made with flour, since I try to avoid processed grains as much as possible. But the taste is worth it!

Eat Your Veggies

2009-02-01T21:48:00.000-08:00

I realized today that I enjoy reading other peoples' blogs and salivating over their photos of their food more than I enjoy writing my own blogs. Maybe I'm just lazy or I just don't take the time photograph all of my meals. I'm going to try to start being more diligent about photo recording my daily food for the sake of this blog.Anyway, enough food bar posts for now...

Last week I was starving after a late afternoon class and I felt like having sushi, but I had barely anything in my fridge except for mustard, carrots and some apples. So I decided to have carrot wrapped in nori with whole grain dijon mustard; sort of sushi-like in appearance, I guess. I was so hungry I was making these rolls in a mad rush, which is why they ain't so pretty.Pretty tasty though, although I may be biased because they were mostly carrots (and those who know me know I love carrots). Another food I just started loving is eggplant. I like to roast them and scrape out the soft flesh and make an eggplant spread with some hummus and serve it on top of a plate of salad or steamed carrots and zucchini. This is what they look like after roasting:They smell super good! Not very many people have seen my veggie stew that I used to live on during my uncreative culinary year last year, so here is what it looks like:Veggie Stew:

Vegetable broth (I make my own)
Onion
Garlic
Celery
Carrots
Broccoli
Seaweed
Green onions
Tomatoes or tomato paste
Cumin, coriander, curry powder

I basically chopped everything into bite-size pieces in that order and toss them into the boiling broth. Except for the garlic, which is minced and the seaweed needs to be rehydrated for a few minutes in water. This is my default dinner if I have all the ingredients because I don't really have to think to make this, good for when I'm starving and can't be creative. O_o

Cherry Pie

2009-01-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

Today was Cherry Pie day and boy was I less than thrilled as with my Clifbar experience. Of course it is my own preference to blame as you may already know that tart dried cherries do not sit well on my taste buds.
The bar itself looks similar to the Apple Pie, but much more of the cherry redness. I know there are many Cherry Pie lovers out there, but I can't count myself one. But to my credit, I tried this one for the sake of this review despite my aversion to dried cherries. I was happy this one ended...
But on a more positive note, look what finally came from Japan!My Jiji pencil case! Kiki's Delivery Service is one of my all time favorite animations. I always wanted to wear a comfy black dress like her and have a little animal friend (now I do, Bambi!). Now Jiji can carry my pens and pencils to class!

First Taste of Larabar

2009-01-26T13:42:00.000-08:00

I tried my first Larabar today and I have to say I am converted. The Apple Pie flavor is soo indescribably good!
All the flavors of real apple pie are packed into a little bar of smooth, chewy goodness. It tastes so indulgent and I guess it is, but with wholesome raw nutrients only! It is made with only dates, almonds, unsweetened apples, walnuts, and cinnamon.
Last bites of Lara richness...
This has to be the best little food bar ever, no doubt.
I can't wait to try the others!

Whole Foods Shopping

2009-01-25T19:12:00.001-08:00

Today after work I headed down to my Berkeley Whole Foods where I was awed by amazing looking food in the chef's case. Too bad I just ate lunch. :(
In particular: Sesame kale, Spinach & brown rice cakes, Roasted vegetables, Roasted brussels sprouts, and Roasted beets.
After a drawn out hour of much moseying and poseying up and down the isles, knocking boxes off shelves, and chatting with a cool grey-bearded hippie guy, I paid for my goods and trekked all the way home (because the unreliable 1 bus wouldn't come, as usual).
The goodies I brought home!Almond Dream, Smartbran, Original Puffins, Apple Butter, Sunflower Seed Bread, Cacao Crunch Bar, Figtastic Bar, Cinnamon Roll & Cashew Cookie Larabars, and a Chocolate Dream Organic Fiber Bar.

Sweet Potato

2009-01-25T18:10:00.000-08:00

Today I tried a Clif Nectar in the Cherry Pomegranate flavor. I had a hunch that I wouldn't like this one because I don't really like tart flavors.Sure enough, this bar was pretty tart thanks to the unsweetened cherries. The texture was like dates mashed together with a smattering of the tart cherries and some nut bits. I'm sure some people would like this, but I'm not likely to buy this bar again.
On a yummier note, for lunch the other day I baked some Satsuma sweet potatoes, to me they're Korean sweet potatoes. Everyone in my family likes these and they're always available in Korean markets.
I had them with red cabbage shreds to balance the intense sweetness and creaminess. I think this is one of my favorite meals! Soo good.

Coconut Bar

2009-01-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

This morning I tried the Tropical Mango Bar from Lydia's Organics. The label says to rehydrate the bar before eating, but I didn't know how so I visited their website and found out that I dip the bar into water and let it sit for a couple minutes. This worked perfectly to make a moist but slightly crunchy granola-like bar.
I slowly broke off small pieces and nibbled about half of the bar and decided it needed a little extra sweetness. So I spread a layer of blackberry jam on the second half of the bar. The jam helped a little with the sweetness and made the bar taste like a fruit and cereal bar.
Taste-wise, this all fruit bar was slightly sweet and very coconut-ty. If you like coconut, you will like this bar. Texture was very dry and hard before rehydrating, but moist and crunchy like a granola bar after soaking. While its not superb on its own, this bar would be good for crumbling over sliced strawberries and banana along with some soy milk. Three Stars? (out of 5)

World of Food Bars

2009-01-22T11:12:00.000-08:00

I don't really know why, but last week I bought a whole bunch of different food bars, including Larabar, Clif Nectar, Go Raw, and Lydia's Organics. I think maybe I was getting bored with my natural whole foods diet and was hankering for something processed that comes in a package.I wanted the novelty of tearing open a wrapper to reveal something yummy. I'm going to try and review all of them in the next few weeks. I think I'm going to spread the tasting out a bit so I don't get sick of them eating them day after day.

Fellini

2009-01-20T07:29:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Appa and M drove me back to Berkeley after a deliciously carefree winter break. After a leisurely drive up the Berkeley hills we headed over to Fellini for brunch. This was our first time here and we were pleasantly charmed by the entire experience. They even served fresh OJ squeezed by this machine near the front of the dining room:

Fellini is a restaurant for both vegans and non-vegans alike, so we were all happy (very rare!). I ordered the Fruit and Granola without the yogurt and our sweet waitress asked if I would like a mini pitcher of soy milk, and I said, "yes please!"

M got the Challah French Toast with pure maple syrup in what looked like a shot glass. When his french toast came out it looked so amazing I wished I'd ordered the vegan french toast. Maybe next time!

Appa's plate was not vegan at all, but I decided it only fair to include his meal here, too. Of course the two eggs, sausage links, potatoes, and four toast slices with blackberry jam were much more than he could eat, so M, with his growing boy appetite helped Appa polish most of it off. One thing though, the potatoes were orange inside! I asked Appa if they were sweet potatoes and he said no. Then what kind of potatoes were they?

Everything about Fellini was so cool, even the check was brought to our table in a glass tumbler!