My Vegan Mondays

It's a rarity, I admit. These days, these Mondays, that I consciously, mindfully remember about and practice Vegan Mondays. No excuses. I just don't have the wherewithal I used to. But when I do remember, and when I can accommodate it, I do do it. Just you see...

Morning
Coffee (cough) with half and half - my one dairy concession for the day; on auto pilot, and without choice
Oatmeal
Banana

Afternoon
Veggie sushi
Dark chocolate

Evening
Couple glasses of wine (my one night out for the week)
This tasty veg recipe (I didn't add the parm)

And every day I snack on this delicious peanut. Who, for her part, is always putting something in her mouth...

My Vegan Mondays

I did it! For the first time in about six months, I pulled off a Vegan Monday.

It was very intentional. It’s been on my mind for awhile. That and getting back to the gym. The gym will come. For now, I’ll savor the triumph of a day without meat and dairy.

Morning

Coffee with almond milk (and I have to say, after six months of using cream in my coffee, the almond milk combo no longer tastes so good, nor does regular milk. I’m ruined.)

Avocado toast

Afternoon

Arugula salad with walnuts and veg

Cliff Bar

Kind Bar

Scharffenberger dark chocolate

Evening

Crackers and hummus

I’m back in the swing of work (though it still stresses me out). Getting out for dates with friends again (I went to a performance tonight with a friend; thus the cracker dinner). Andrew and I have even gotten out, just the two of us, a handful of times and we’re starting to travel with Parker. I’m finally about halfway through the book that I started right before Parker was born and has since sat on my nightstand untouched. They’re all small things that make me feel good and “normal" again.

And meanwhile, there’s this little one…

My Vegan Mondays

They’re coming back. Soon. Really.

When Parker was born, all semblance of days and diet went out the window. For nearly five months now, I’ve been eating like a truck driver. It’s been blissful and shameful and, at the end of the day, entirely unsustainable.

But hey, other than when you’re breastfeeding, when else are you told to consume an extra 500 calories a day? But knowing that in the coming months Parker herself will move onto solids, I need to return to a more reasonable diet.

No more quarter-pound cookies.

Or double orders at the diner.

No more boxes of chocolate. Demolished in a day. Or big, doughy doughnuts…

 

…lots and lots of doughnuts.

With my impressive diet, Parker has been plumping out quite nicely. She’s suddenly about the heft of a six-month-old, one week shy of her fifth-month birthday. 

I think I’m going to trade in the cookies and cakes so I can nibble on her legs and belly.

The comfort of pie & a great French giveaway

When I first met Ann Mah in Paris, there was an immediate kinship. She had previously lived in New York and was a wonderful writer of mostly food and travel pieces—a girl after my own heart. Plus, she was understatedly cool, modest, and a great conversationalist. Over the past few years, that admiration of Ann evolved into a friendship with many parallels in our lives: we both returned to New York, published books, and are now mothers.

Ann had a beautiful baby girl, Lucy, a little over a year ago. As I approached my due date, she was full of helpful suggestions and down to earth advice (which, if you’re a mom, you know is not as common as you might think or hope). And when she actually offered to cook a chicken pot pie with parsley biscuits for us the week after Parker was born, I was all too happy and grateful to accept.

So, you think that shows Ann’s thoughtful, generous nature? Now take into consideration that she made the offer—and the beautiful pot pie—in the midst of her paperback release of her New York Times-acclaimed book, Mastering the Art of French Eating.

I thought it only appropriate to spread the generosity, and yumminess, in two ways: by sharing Ann's recipe and offering a copy of her fantastic book.

First, the recipe...

Chicken pot pie with parsley biscuits

Serves four

For the chicken stew:
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2/3 cup flour
1/4 cup cream sherry (optional)
5 cups chicken broth
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 lb white button mushrooms, diced
1 lb asparagus, ends snapped off, and cut into 1-inch segments
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups roast chicken, diced
Salt and pepper

Parsley yogurt biscuits:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 oz cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk, or yogurt (NOT Greek-style, or strained)

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

In a large pot, heat the butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the sherry (if using) and allow the alcohol to evaporate. Add the chicken broth and simmer, stirring often, until the sauce is thick.

Meanwhile, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the onion and sauté until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, asparagus, peas, and dried thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir the vegetables into the sauce, along with the chicken. Taste and adjust seasonings. 

Place the stew in a 9″ x 13″ ceramic baking dish.

Make the biscuits. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and parsley. Blend in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the yogurt and stir with a fork until the dough comes together—it will be sticky, with bits of flour on the side of the bowl. I like to knead the dough a couple of times in the bowl to bring everything together.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using gentle, floured fingertips, pat the dough into an 8-inch x 10-inch rectangle, about 1-inch thick. Cut the dough into 2 to 3-inch squares (or use the rim of a 2-inch juice glass). 

Arrange the biscuits on top of the stew. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the biscuits are golden and the stew is bubbly around the sides.

Now, that you're appropriately hungry, get ready for a delicious giveaway...

What's your favorite memory associated with French food? 

Answer in the comment box below by November 20 for a chance to receive a copy of Ann's wonderful Mastering the Art of French Eating!

#peoplesclimatemarch

The UN General Assembly is in town this week and, happily, one of the primary topics of conversation is climate control.

I gave up red meat for environmental reasons. It was after reading Michael Pollan’s New York Times Magazine piece, the one that became the masterpiece known as The Omnivore’s Dilemma, that I decided to give it up. The short explanation that got me is this: it takes eight pounds of grain to produce a pound of beef (or four pounds of grain to produce a pound of pork, and 2.5 pounds for a pound of chicken). It’s just not sustainable. A veggie and grain-based diet is healthier for us, and better for the planet. So that was my concession; my simple act for the greater good. The environment is a huge concern for me, and that’s what I’ve chosen to do, among other things, over the years.

One of the things that I do less and less is attend rallies and protests. So when I heard about the People’s Climate March in NYC, I knew I wanted to go.

There were 310,000 thousand people in the streets of New York City. There were some big-name celebs and politicians there (Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Gore and others), but mostly I saw were families, students and international folks. 

I petered out after a short distance, but I was happy to be there to support my cause.

There was great energy, fantastic messages, and we can't lose sight of what's important in this world.

Morning

Coffee with almond milk (when I say coffee, I'm talking about 5-6 sips, but I still love the morning ritual)

Green juice (added spinach to the normal line up of kale, celery, apple, lemon juice and frozen banana)

Avocado toast

Afternoon

Salad wrap

Dark chocolate

Evening

A couple individually-wrapped Chuckles candies. Remember those? Not exactly high-caliber food, but my pharmacy run this evening included Epsom Salts, Preparation H and Tums—I figured I deserved a little spontaneous candy boost.

Eggplant parm, made by my wonderful husband (sans mozzarella)

My Vegan Monday

Oy. If only we could control time like a remote controlled movie. The days and weeks are ticking by, which, with a three-week-old backache, is a good thing. But I’ve never been one to wish time away. It’s so precious. There is so much to do and see, in life in general, never mind when your days of freedom are finite. Our baby girl will be here in less than four weeks. Eek!

But it’s been an exciting time. I had my baby shower last weekend, which was a lovely day of lounging and laughing with a great group of girlfriends. My new sister-in-law generously hosted and went all out, creating a French-inspired menu of tartines, vichyssoise, quiche, macarons, éclairs, chocolate ganache cake, boatloads of stinky French cheeses, and much, much more. It was beyond.

 And my dad came down this past weekend to help us set up a nursery—though I use the term lightly. We moved my desk out of the second bedroom, but kept the sleeper sofa in there along with setting up a new crib and dresser/changing table. I have to say, it looks great (photos to come soon).

And in between those weekends, I’ve been working of course, but also washing all our girls’ clothes. We got some adorable outfits as gifts  (I think my mom started shopping as soon as I hit the second trimester. Maybe before.) and lots of awesome hand-me-downs. It’s actually pretty incredible how much stuff we have and, I have to say, it was fun putting all those mini-mini-sized socks and onesies away. I can’t believe I’m going to have a living, breathing daughter who will wear those things in mere weeks.

So all is going well with the baby. We are slowly getting more prepared. We are “test-driving” names. We are both excited and in disbelief. We have been so lucky and hopefully everything will continue to go well. I will be very happy to not have a backache anymore and to get my ankles back. Milo will be happy to have a lap back.

In the meantime, life marches forward. It’s feeling autumnal in New York. Work is busy. There is shopping and preparing to do. We cram in good meals when we can and my sweet tooth has not abated. Life is good!

Morning

Coffee with almond milk

Green juice: kale, apple, celery, lemon juice and frozen banana

Toasted cranberry pecan bread

Afternoon

Bagel with almond butter, banana and honey

Peanut butter smoothie

Evening

My husband’s (yep, still getting a kick out of saying that) kickass tomato soup

Hoping you’re all well, happy, finding adventure in life!

My Vegan Tuesday

I didn’t do Vegan Monday yesterday. It was Labor Day and we were in Pennsylvania and every time I’m not at home, in my routine, I forget all about it. By 9 a.m., I had already had cream in my coffee, homemade yogurt, plus all the dairy in my delectable muffin and scone. (I’m loving this “eating for two” business.)

But that’s what happens when you stay at a nice country inn that has a great restaurant and bakery. You linger over the morning paper with a beautiful breakfast.

You linger on the porch with a beautiful man.

You linger in the fields under beautiful sunshine.

It was a beautiful weekend. And today, it was back to a summery hot reality in the city. So I treated Tuesday like Monday and ate more piously.

Morning

Coffee with almond milk

Overnight oats with blueberries

Mixed nuts

Afternoon

“Deep dish pie” from Lifethyme – a layered concoction of veg and quinoa. Delicious

Grapes

Chocolate

More nuts

Evening

Peanut butter and jelly

Holy season of good reading (and cooking)

Have you heard about the crop of delicious cookbooks coming out this fall? No? There are a few in this month’s Bon Appetit, but Eater really did it up, selecting a whopping 43 titles, divided into geographic regions. Brilliant. At the top of my list: Dominique Ansel, Prune, Baked, Fat Radish and a new one from Ina Garten – hooray!

The sad reality is I haven't fallen in love with any novels as of late. I just finished The Goldfinch, which came after Delicious!, and Gone Girl. All entertaining, but not as earth shattering as anticipated (damn anticipation). My most exciting books, in fact, have been non-fiction.

Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation – My idol, Michael Pollan’s, treatise to making that final connection of sourcing and eating food through… cooking.

Overwhelmed: Work, Love and Play When No One Has the Time – An essential examination of having a balanced, fulfilling life in America’s always-on, 50-plus-workhours-a-week culture by Washington Post journalist Brigid Schulte. Love.

Otherhood: Modern Women Finding a New Kind of Happiness – I thought this was going to be more empowering, an ode to women who have created really cool, fulfilling lives that don’t include having babies, but it’s more of a lament. Still, Melanie Notkin’s book makes for fascinating reading, diving into everything from the contemporary New York dating scene (god help us) to the new generation of women who are freezing eggs (planning for it in their 20s, no less).

Delancey: A Man, A Woman, A Restaurant, A Marriage – A foodoir about Molly Wizenberg and her husband opening their first restaurant together.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t StopTalking – Susan Cain’s thoroughly cool look at being an introvert in relationships, the workplace and life.

The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves – Beautiful, moving, compelling – it’s a simple book about life’s big themes by psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz. I read it twice in a row.

And speaking of books, we have a winner of the Gag giveaway! There were 20 wonderful, thoughtful responses to Melissa’s question: What activity is the most transporting for you and/or makes you lose track of time?

But we liked this lush, sensory (not to mention humble) response from Diane:

Oil painting is the most transporting for me. Smelling the paint, mixing the colors, and applying the paint on the canvas. After finishing, wondering, did I just create this wonderful painting?

Congrats, Diane! For anyone who missed the giveaway, you'll definitely want to check out this incredible novella and read about her Seymour Projects.

And happy reading and cooking to all!

My Vegan Monday

Back to life, back to reality. The wedding: three weeks, history. The honeymoon: caught on film. Fourth of July: over. 

This Monday morning marked a return to routine, and though a slightly bitter pill to swallow, it's not so bad. Summer is my favorite season and we have lots of time ahead. Weeks and weeks of warm weather, fresh fruits and vegetables, and activities both sporty and lazy. Besides, I'm a Type A personality: I like me some discipline and organization. I've also now crossed the six-month mark in pregnancy so eating and nutrition is something I think about all the time. A return to Vegan Mondays, along with everything else, is a good thing.

Morning
Coffee with almond milk
Kashi Go Lean cereal with almond milk and blueberries
Half a Kind bar
Banana

Afternoon
Whole Foods salad bar
Some dark chocolate
A juicy red plum, my current obsession

Evening
Glass of Cotes du Rhone
Pea soup
Crackers and hummus

What summer dishes are you feasting on??

A Delicious! night with Ruth Reichl

It was just over three years ago that I read my first Ruth Reichl book. Of course her name and career had been on my radar before that—mostly as the editor of Gourmet—but I had never known her personal story.

It might have been that I saw Comfort Me with Apples on sale at Biography Bookshop. But something finally compelled me to pick up and read that book. I brought it with me on a trip to Paris. And all I wanted to do was read. Her life, her storytelling, her food and dining descriptions—she became an instant hero to me. Down-to-earth, witty, smart, fascinating, I was enchanted and inspired, there reading about her life in my most enchanting and inspiring city.

And then I got to towards the end when, after a heinously painful adoption process that left her heartbroken (the biological mother decided after three months that she, in fact, wanted the baby back), Ruth ended up getting pregnant naturally and having a son at the age of 41.

I was single and 37 at the time I read Comfort Me with Apples. Throughout my thirties, I figured love and motherhood would eventually be part of my life. But maybe in less traditional ways: I might not find true love until I was in my fifties. I might wind up adopting. I was okay with these things. I was clearly taking the long, unconventional path and in Ruth’s story, I found comfort and hope.

Since then, I’ve read nearly all of her books. I follow her on Twitter and have always wanted to meet her or at least make it to one of her readings or events. But logistics and schedules have always prohibited me. Until tonight.

It was a lovely literary dinner at Contrada in the East Village, my old stomping grounds. 

I sat at a communal table, flanked by wonderfully interesting, friendly, cool people. And I got to hear Ruth read, talk a bit about her career, answer questions in this intimate setting. She’s as warm, gracious and eloquent as I had hoped and imagined.

The best part was meeting her at the end. I had to share the news that I’m 41 and pregnant with my first and she instantly lit up and became so naturally happy and warm, saying Nick (her son) is the best thing she’s ever done. It was a moment.

I firmly believe that when certain things, words, stories, people, whatever, resonate with you on that deep level that it means something. For the past five years, I’ve remembered Ruth’s story. I’ve shared it with other women. I’ve held onto it as comfort. It was just so, so awesome to share it with her and have my own story, this little thread of inspiration, come full circle and sort of manifest itself with her.