Cold Hearts and Frozen Fingers

Quote of the week: "I felt a little like a side dish on a sectioned paper plate being carried around by a picnic guest preoccupied with ambivalence." ~ The unpublished Digital Girl Chronicles.

I was meandering through Whole Foods on Friday evening after work. Payday is my favorite day to go to the grocery store because I allow myself to splurge on things like Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale and Purely Decadent non-dairy frozen dessert made with coconut milk.

Yes, I know, splurging in times of such economic distress can give one indigestion, however, I did not go out for specialty cocktails or try a new fancy-panties restaurant this week. So, I felt entitled to a little self-indulging at Whole Foods, where, theoretically, one could spend quite a bit of one's paycheck and walk out with only a week's worth of food.

I actually had no intention to buy non-dairy frozen anything, or even real ice cream for that matter. I was walking by the freezer section after picking up corn tortillas in the cold case when a nice young man asked me if I would like to try a spoonful of Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream. Why, yes I would. Pistachio please. The pistachio was okay, but not knock-your-socks-off delicious. The nice young man asked if I would like to sample another flavor. When I requested ginger, and he replied that they were out, a very attractive gentleman to my left said that was the flavor that he wished to try as well.

A few moments later we both found ourselves staring at the freezer case contemplating dessert. He asked me if I had ever tried a non-dairy product made from coconut milk. I sighed internally; I was too tired to even try to flirt. I said no, but told him how much I enjoy Soy Delicious, particularly the chocolate peanut butter.

We awkwardly inspected the freezer case for another 30 seconds before he found the Purely Decadent. Aha! Look, made with coconut milk and sweetened with agave and beet sugar. Oh my, he knows about agave! My tired heart beat a tiny bit faster.

And, he pointed out, they even have chocolate peanut butter. When I expressed concern that it might melt before I made it home, he reached into the freezer for me to grab one from the back. Oh yes, I remarked, this one feels harder for sure. Yes, indeed.

Then, the very attractive gentleman said, "Enjoy!" and walked away. You too, I muttered, although he had not picked out a frozen non-dairy delight for himself (or the non-frozen, non-dairy delightful girl next to him). As I waited in the express line, clearly four items over the limit, I wondered what it takes to pick up a guy in Whole Foods. You know the place is crawling with hot men.

Well, at least I had dessert. And red rice ale (yum). And the goods to make tacos. Back home, I inspected the Purely Decadent more closely. The 12 grams of sugars per serving matched my standby Soy Delicious, however, the Purely Decadent has 13 grams of fat vs. the 1.5 grams in Soy Delicious (that's one-and-a-half, not 15, in case you missed the dot). Tasty as it is coconut milk is fattening. I'm saving it for "occasionally" instead of "nightly."

By Friday, I was looking forward to cooking, because during much of the week, I was eating on the run. Work was crazy busy, and I spent most of my free time trying to complete my assignments for photography class. I was so tired and busy that I mistakenly put leftover vegetarian pâté in the microwave instead of the freezer and didn't realize until I opened the microwave 24 hours later.

Tuesday night's dinner was a fly-by bagel between yoga class and a trip to Strand Bookstore to find photography books. I was terribly disappointed both by a whole-wheat everything bagel with too much dough and not enough flavor and a cashier who threw my bag across the counter with excessive attitude at Murray's Bagels on 6th Avenue and 13th Street. And, let's be honest. A bagel with tofu and a small bottle of water should not cost over $6.00.

Sometimes, if I am famished and have had a long day, like Wednesday, I like to go to Pita Hot just down the street from my house and order a Jerusalem falafel. It is the only falafel that I eat. I suppose I should be honest with you, readers--I usually pick two-thirds of the falafel out of the sandwich and eat the rest. It contains just about every vegetarian side available... hummus, babaganoush, a dolma, bean salad, lettuce, peppers, tahini, and if you consent, hot sauce. Pita Hot is just another reason to come out to Astoria. After lunch, we can walk down to Socrates Sculpture Park and enjoy whatever artistic installations are currently being displayed on the banks of the East River.

After my long week, I was ready today for a nice, relaxing brunch. After yoga class, I met friend LP at Flea Market on Avenue A. We were going to try the Sunburnt Cow on Avenue C, but it was packed with noisy 21-one-year olds waiting to take advantage of the all-you-can-drink brunch. Surprisingly, there was no wait at Flea Market, which is on my list of old standards. The food is always good. And, brunch with two Bloody Mary's each minus the kids was the same price we would have paid at Sunburnt Cow for the all-you-can-drink special.

I ordered the Eggs Florentine, and LP ordered the Benedict. The home fries were the best I have had, seasoned fantastically and cooked with the perfect amount of outer crisp and inner mush. The spinach in the Florentine was fresh, and the dish came with a small serving of greens which always makes me feel better about hollandaise, eggs and potatoes. The Bloody Mary's were nice and spicy, though they could use a splash more vodka.

LP allowed me to take photos of her in front of brick and stone walls for this week's photo assignment, which is to mimic a photographer I admire. I chose Paul Strand. LP had to take her gloves and coat off to model, and I had to take my gloves and low-brimmed hat off to shoot. After, we warmed our frozen fingers with hot chocolate and mocha at Max Brenner's. I don't think the waiter understood when I asked for a mocha, light on the mocha, but it was good despite the excessive sweetness.

So, here it is on Sunday evening. The week flew. There is a green been stew simmering in my Schlemmertopf clay pot in the oven which is sending fragrance of flavor throughout my apartment. And, I am sipping leftover pinot gris from the Northwest bounty. By the way, Schlemmertopf's are a great cook's tool. Toss a bunch of ingredients (meat or veggie or both) into some broth or water, and an hour to an hour and a half later, you have a delicious feast. They do take some extra care, but the cooking is easy and the meal will warm a heart chilled in front of the freezer case anytime.

Stay tuned! Upcoming adventures include the resurgence of absinthe and the search for Pappy!

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NY Botanical Gardens in the Bronx:



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