Falafel Dinner

Homemade Dinner: Falafel, Hummus, Tabouli, and store-bought whole-wheat pita (with flax seed, rich in Omega-3)

Why I Love Kale

Packed with nutrients and and vitamins, the wonder vegetable Kale has experience a recent surge of enthusiasm among the health community. After noticing this leafy cousin of Cabbage and Brussels Sprouts at various vegan cafes, I decided to add it to the shopping list.

My first attempt with Kale was a simple saute with olive oil & balsamic vinegar until soft and wilted. Let me tell you, it was absolutely fantastic; my boyfriend (who tends to shy from vegetables in favor of anything sweet, particularly fruit) loved it! Thus, it was a sure item for our next shopping trip.

As a friend of mine pointed out however, the dish may have been more a love of balsamic vinegar than of the kale itself (I do love me some balsamic). So second attempt, braise it with a light no-chicken chicken broth & a little olive oil. Sure enough, this delicious green was just as amazing and offers all the benefits of leafy greens without the bitter taste in say, Brussels Sprouts. It reminds me a lot of cabbage (another favorite) but with a bit more flavor, close to that of spinach. If you've yet to try it, I highly recommend for your next grocery trip.

Restaurant Week: Where to go if you're a Vegan

Regarding the lack of update, Spring Break combined with Midterms was a crazy time. But now it's Restaurant Week in Boston & if you're still looking for a place to go if you're a vegan or vegetarian, here are some of my suggestions:

1. Toro
617-536-4300 South End
Serving: Lunch & Dinner
Description: This is where I choose to go for Restaurant Week this year because they have such a wide variety of options. As a tapas bar, they offer everything from hummus to fried potatoes in tomato sauce; for only $15 you get three tapas from their lunch selection!

2. T.W. Food
617-864-4745 Cambridge
Serving: Dinner
Description: Not only are there plenty of vegetarian options (which can be made vegan if you ask for it without the cheese), but you can feel better about giving money to this place because of the restaurants emphasis on "finding people who raise animals correctly and humanely, who forage our woods for mushrooms and who grow herbs, flowers and vegetables for local consumption using old-fashioned methods." Still, don't feel shy to tell them your opinion of the Foie Gras they serve (as they put it, the liver is "enlarged by a process you don't want to read about if you're going to eat this dish").

3. Fireplace
617-975-1900 Brookline
Serving: lunch & dinner
Description: While their options are not completely vegan, there are tons of vegetarian options. If you are a vegan, just opt for the salad without blue cheese and the veggie sandwich without cheese & mayo.

4. Masa
617-338-8884 South End
Serving: Dinner
Description: One of the few dinner only places serving a vegan dessert (selection of ice cream or *sorbet*), Masa also offers vegetarian options which can easily be made vegan (sans the cheese). Call ahead of time to ask about dietary restrictions. There's also a location in Woburn.

5. OM
617-576-2800 Cambridge
Serving: Lunch & Dinner
Description: Craving some Japanese fine-dining and looking for a vegan option? OM's lunch & dinner offers vegan options including parsnip soup and tofu entree.

6. Miel Brasserie
617-217-5151 Waterfront
Serving: Lunch & Dinner
Description: While your options may be limited, the vegan gnocchi sounds to die for. Located on the beautiful waterfront, this is the perfection location for a Restaurant Week date.

Food Porn: Farmhouse Crispy Duck Skin Breast a la Rice & Local Vegetables of the day.

Farmers & Fishers D.C.

Sticky Fingers Vegan Bakery in D.C.

If you are ever around the D.C. area make sure to check out Sticky Fingers Vegan Bakery. They're won numerous awards for their products and for good reason!

Here are my basic recommendations:

1. DO get one of their coffees. The latte with soy milk was particularly delicious, and I've tried many lattes (though cappuccino is my specialty). Had a very distinct flavor, bold and almost nutty.
2. DON'T get their brownies. In my opinion they're not worth the money. They don't seem as fresh and while they're pretty good, I feel a lot of places offer vegan brownies so these one didn't wow me.
3. DO (absolutely DO) get one (or two or three) of their sticky buns. Probably one of their more infamous dishes, its definitely a bang for your buck and tastes better than the real thing. It's light but slightly crispy, moist and sweet without tasting too artificial. They have the homemade taste.
4. DON'T count on a microwave working there. Some of the desserts are not super warm but unfortunately the microwave wasn't working so we just took most of our treats home.
5. DO play around with different cupcakes. I got the peanut butter fudge and I thought it was heavenly (I'm a HUGE peanut butter fan though). I've heard not so good reviews however on the red velvet, which is a shame because its one of my favorite types.

Sticky Fingers Bakery
1370 Park Rd. NW
Washington, D.C. 20010
Mon-Thurs: 7am-8pm
Fri: 7am-9pm
Sat: 8am-9pm
Sun: 9am-7pm

Do you know your fats?

The multitude of dieting rhetoric in our country may often lead to confusing, and sometimes misguided, ideas about what is healthy and what is not. Fat, for example, is often vilified, but not all fats are bad for us. In fact, some are essential. Here's a quick guide to what fats to look out for and what fats to avoid:


Saturated Fats: These fats have a chemical make-up which are saturated with hydrogen atoms since they lack the bonds that are in unsaturated fats. Most saturated fats are solid at room temperature. Saturated fats should be limited in diet since they raise LDL (bad) cholesterol. Here are some common examples:

*Animal products (meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, lard, butter)
* Coconut oil
* Palm oil

Unsaturated Fats: These fats, when used instead of other fats, can actually be good for you by lowering your risk for heart disease by moderately increasing HDL (good) cholesterol and helping lower LDL (bad). Be aware that if you heat unsaturated fats over 400 degrees or for a long period of time their nutritional value will decrease.

Polyunsaturated Fats: A type of unsaturated fat that contains two or more double bonds in their chemical structure. These fats have been shown to protect against heart disease more than monounsaturated fats. It is recommend that these compile 10% of your daily calorie intake. Common examples include:

* Peanut Butter
* Sunflower seeds
* Bananas
* Fish (contains essential Omega-3 fatty acids which have also been shown to report anti-cancer effects, brain health, and immune function)
* Flax seed (contains essential Omega-3 fatty acids)
* Walnuts (contains essential Omega-3 fatty acids)

Monounsaturated Fats: A type of unsaturated fat that contains one double bonds in their chemical structure. It is recommend that these compile 20% of your daily calorie intake. Common examples include

* Avocados
* Olive Oil
* Oatmeal
* Cereal

Trans Fats: These are fat molecules who's normal structures have been twisted and deformed by heating liquid vegetable oil and combining it with hydrogen gas. Since these fats are more stable and can withstand repeated heating more than unsaturated fats they are commonly used for frying and in packaged snack foods. Trans fats raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol and have been linked to increasing the risk for heart disease. Common examples include:

* Packaged cake mixes
* Ramen noodle
* Donuts
* Fast food
* Cream-filled cookies

Pocket-Sized Guide to the Food You Eat.

Michael Pollan, the renowned journalist and author of The Omnivorous Dilemma, has just come out with a new book, Food Rules. Based on the idea that the American obsession with complicated diets has spiraled out of control and has often been more destructive than helpful to American health (the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, the Taco Bell diet even), Pollan puts forth this carry-with-you-anywhere manual of quick and easy rules on how to eat right.

The book is divided into three main sections, each with simple answers and short justifications accompanying: What to Eat (Pollan answers: "food"), What Types of Foods to Eat ("mostly plants"), How to Eat ("not too much"). Each section has witty tips to consult whether in your grocery store or at a restaurant.

One such tip from the first section on defining what food is writes "don't eat anything advertised on TV". Such a proposition (which was following by a short explanation and clarification) may seem quite obvious: we hardly see cucumbers or simple brown rice advertized on TV as often or in the same marketing way that we do Doritos and McDonalds. Another helpful rule "the whiter the bread, the sooner you'll be dead", indicating how white bread offers only shots of sugar with poor quality proteins and fattening starch, without the nutrients offered by unprocessed breads.

While Pollan's book may seem to some an oversimplication of nutrition (there are many opportunities to point out, "Well, I saw an advertisement for Dole Bananas, is that so unhealthy?"), the guide illuminates the simplicity of good dieting with common sense reason.

And while these rules may not only be incredibly accurate and helpful for those obsessing with the next crazy diet to move into a more wholesome diet, whether it is necessary to purchase a book for such common sense reason is questionable. Either way, flipping through Food Rules reminds us of the simplicity in eating right and living a healthy life which we often forget.