New Year's Birthday

VM is lucky that her birthday falls on a holiday because that means there's always plenty of time to celebrate (sorry, OD; that's just the way the cookie crumbles).

 

This year we did a Boston Creme-esque pancake breakfast to celebrate.

 

Our family's favorite pancake recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance schmeared with Rigoni di Asiago's Nocciolata Dairy Free Hazelnut & Cocoa Spread (vegan nutella) and dolloped with So Delicious coco whip and ample maple syrup.

 

89 helped with setting the table.

Then ate more than her fair share of pancakes.

THREE (#pancakegate)

This put us in a food coma until dinner, which was takeout Ethiopian food because VM refuses to cook for her own birthday. This is kind of a downer because she's the best cook in the family, but who can complain about Ethiopian food? Not us.

 

Certainly not her.

For dessert, Peaceful Provisions donuts in our current fave flaves: rainbow and cannoli because I masterfully plan ahead for all contingencies.

Happy Bday, VM! And happy new year to all; let's get ready to stand up for ourselves and those around us...beginning now!

As Jeannette Rankin told to a journalist re: if she had her life to relive, she said she'd, "do it all again,” adding, “But this time, I'd be nastier.”

Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant, Vegan Austin Texas

You know how vegans have unusual habits like checking out what vegan things are to be had at Whole Foods Markets that are not their own? I do the same with Ethiopian food.

 

Because of this propensity for Ethiopian food tourism, I stopped at Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant when I was in Austin traveling with fellow fans of Ethiopian eats.

As is typical of Ethiopian restaurants, you can choose an entree and three sides from the vegetarian (vegan/fasting) menu.

Or, you can put on your big girl pants and order the Atakelt Beyaynetu (vegetable combination) that is a sample of all of the vegetarian dishes and may or may not be intended for two to share. You can do it!

Clockwise from top:
Azifa: these mixed lentils with onion, gree peppers, mit'mit'a, fresh lemon juice and a touch of olive oil and vinegar (served cold)
Timatim Fitfit: Ethiopian mixed salad with diced tomatoes, green peppers, onion, and diced injera topped with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and spices (served cold)
Bedergan: eggplant spiced and prepared with tomato sauce, garlic, onions, and special Ethiopian seasoning.
Alicha Miser: split lentil cooked to perfection with ginger and garlic
Gomen: Ethiopian style collard greens cooked with onion, garlic, and spices
Fasolia Wott: potato, green beans, carrots, onions, tomatoes with garlic, cinnamon, and ginger sauce
Keyi Miser: split lentils cooked with berbere, onions, cooked to perfection with other Ethiopian spices
Atakelt Wott: fresh cabbage, green beans, carrots, onions, garlic, and ginger in a zesty turmeric sauce
In case you're counting, there was one extra thing on the plate that was not listed. I'm not one to turn down extra grub- particularly when it contains potatoes, but I don't know what exactly it was- didn't then and certainly don't remember now.

I won't say that this was the best Ethiopian food I've ever had the pleasure of consuming, nor did the resto have the nattiest atmosphere. But, the servers were very kind, they had Ethiopian spices for sale, AND one of the beverage options was Dr. Pepper, which is a huge win in my book.

Galentine's and Valentine's Daze

Galentine's Day coincided with a Vegan Shop-up this year; WHAT COULD BE GRANDER?

Because I'm a Vegan Shop-up professional, I generally arrive at Pine Box and try to buy as much as possible before I hand my card over to the bartender for the day and commandeer a stool amongst my pals.

First pass-through: a coveted chocolate raspberry cake from Sweet Maresa, new subway rider handwash from The Fanciful Fox, and mudslide numero uno (highly recommend).

For breakfast, I started off with a rainbow cookie macaron, also from Sweet Maresa: rainbow cookie professional. I expected it to be amazing, but it was actually astounding.

Next up, my Gone Pie buffet.

It was hard to decide, so I chose a couple of things that I'm sure you'll agree were irresistible.

For starters, this:

Nope, I'm not kidding. That's a real, edible, vegan, "loaded Valentine brownie heart." Gluten-free fudge brownie filled with marshmallows and salted peanuts, topped with peanut butter fudge frosting with a layer of pretzels, dry roasted peanuts, more vegan marsmallows, more frosting, and chocolate hearts. #veganscanteatanything

Also snagged a Gone Pie Mexican hot chocolate brownie topped with marshmallow and hearts...

And, finally, a Gone Pie nut buster pecan cluster.

 

I also picked up this chocolate/strawberry heart specialty from PonyCakesNYC because it's one of VM's favorite combinations.

 

And just like that it was time for lunch! Thankfully, Sean was there repping Riverdel Cheese. He made me this phenomenal sandwich that a certain numbered dog thought was for her. Then she stole her pal's orange garnish to wash it down.

 

Pic of said garnish alongside mudslide #2 before it was stolen:

Unpictured, the Freakin Vegans broccoli cheddar empanada and mac & cheese 89 and I devoured per usual.

She conked out somewhere around  mudslide #3.

And then it was Valentine's Day!

Candy! Rose City Chocolates all hazelnut collection:

Flowers! Sterling roses.

This nerd.

Aaaaand, more grub.
Here's that beautifully wrapped Sweet Maresa cake- even more gorgeous up close. 89 thought this was for her as well.

Also:

Some poorly lit, but delicious Vegan Treats cookies.

Aaaaaaaand, more cake. I have no idea what specific flavors they were, I can only tell you they were beautiful and chocolatey delicious: both.

For dinner, we went out for more Ethiopian food at Desta where I finally had some of their lentil sambusas and they were the best I've ever had.

Entree one:

Entree two:

 

I shared a little.

Of course I brought some injera home for 89.

She got a V-day present.

Aaaaaand, tried to eat my candy. What else is new?

Here's hoping your Gal/Val weekend was great!

Hello 2016!

I'm sure you can understand why this post was waylaid by this one as the first of the year...

2016 started out pretty fabulously for me. In preparation, I bought the world's best wrapping paper for VM's birthday gift.

The new year literally began with banana bread french toast for said bday. My photos didn't come out that great, but you get the idea.

This nerd got some too.

After brunch, I met up with my one of my oldest friend's families and had the opportunity to meet Cory Booker (!!!!!!). He made a very short, but inspiring speech and, afterward, he spoke calmly and warmly with each of the gads of folks clamoring for his attention as if it weren't a veritable mob scene. My in was a personal introduction by my fake father-in-law, a fellow politician, and I took it the extra mile by gifting him a Charm School Chocolate bar. I'd asked VM in advance if she thought I should share a bar from my haul and she posited, "Well, how much do you want to impress him?" A lot; he got the coconut milk chocolate with maple candied pecans and I hope he thought of me with every sweet and crunchy bite!

As if all of that wasn't enough, there were pignoli cookies from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar for dessert a midday snack.

And then...

ADELE tickets were my gift for VM- of course the caveat is that she has to go with me, but still. The show isn't until September and she has already informed me that we'll be eating at the new Cinnamon Snail at The Pennsy!! She'll get no argument from me on that front.

They weren't open on her actual birthday, so the next night we went to Desta Ethiopian Restaurant to celebrate. Aside from mine, VM hadn't had Ethiopian food in quite a while, so it was easy to convince her we needed to try everything. This is the large sampler that includes every veg item except for the mushroom tibs.

Aaaaand, here are the mushroom tibs. You can only order them as a dinner because they are not part of any sampler and you cannot order them as a side. They are worth every cent of money and every surprised look from the waitstaff when you don't choose between the sampler and the mushroom tibs dinner, instead ordering both while trying not to make eye contact. 

Most of the vegetarian items at Desta are made with olive oil and are vegan by default, but you can confirm by requesting that everything be prepared that way instead of with the nit'ir qibe.

A good time was had by all. Too bad these birthdays only come up once a year.

Desta: Vegan-Friendly Ethiopian in New Brunswick, NJ

Is New Brunswick, NJ experiencing a vegan renaissance? One would think. The newest addition is Desta Ethiopian Restaurant and, with it, the long-awaited return of Ethiopian Food to New Brunswick.

A quick recap: I was first introduced to Ethiopian Food at Makeda in the mid-nineties. It was like nothing I'd ever eaten before and I quickly fell in love with the spongy injera and flavorful vegetarian combo platter: eating it as often as possible when in the area. It wasn't until years later when vegans started noticing that the information parlayed with regard to the their vegan friendliness was sometimes contradictory that I branched out to Queen of Sheba, Mesob, Lalibela, and Bunna- finally settling on the best Ethiopian food of all: that from Teff Love. But sometimes a girl doesn't want to cook for herself. Enter, Desta.

I stopped in one day to ask if their vegetarian items were vegan and they assured me that they were. I returned soon after with a friend and fellow Ethiopian food lover and we each chose a veggie combo- your choice of five dishes from seven options*. According to the waitress, you can choose whether your food is cooked with nit'ir qibe (dairy) or olive oil.

Desta serves their injera folded like deflated fortune cookies.

We each made the same selections: 

misir wot: split lentils simmered with berbere, onions, and garlic.

gomen: fresh collard greens, spinach or kale made with onions, garlic, and ginger.

kik alicha: yellow split peas seasoned with garlic, ginger and turmeric.

azifa: whole brown lentils with onions, mustard, garlic, jalapenos, lemon juice, and olive oil (served cold).

dinich alicha: golden potatoes with carrots, garlic, ginger, fresh tomatoes, and spices.

There's still  a ton more I want to try: their vegan-friendly appetizers, as well as *the new additions: mushroom tibs, butecha, and shimbra assa wot... Who's coming with?