On Life As A Picky Foodie

It’s been a while since I last posted.  Every day, I’ve wanted to write something.  And every night, bedtime rolls around without the post getting written.  It reminds me a lot of my dietary tendencies from a few years back: tomorrow, I promised myself every night for a million years, would be the day I would eat better, eat less, eat healthier. 

The bottom line is this: we moved continents one month ago, I was full-time Mom-ing until this week, we co-sleep so I basically go to bed when Vida Lev does.  Most embarrassing though, I don’t have any new recipes to share.

We are trying to find a routine knowing that in just a few weeks we will be moving again.  We search for an anchor, something familiar and feel homesick while embracing this newness with joy.

I am happy to be here, I truly am.  But right now everything feels completely up in the air, like aluminium foil confetti – not that pleasant at times but quite pretty at others.

And, of course, there’s a little girl with a huge amount of emotions that she can’t quite express yet to consider and love.  The other day, she went and found a picture of the lovely lady who took care of her in London, pointed at it and burst into tears.  So, you know… cooking isn’t number 1 on my list these days.

Most nights, I’ll throw a bunch of something in a pot – lentils, wild rice, sprouted quinoa, roast or steam something to go with it – squash, broccoli, maybe add some kind of dressing or protein – zucchini hummus, guacamole, nutritional yeast.  Nothing too exciting; but this is the grounding, simple food we are craving at the moment. (by the way, if you have yet to experience the lentil/roast squash combo, I urge you to do so on a cold wintery night.  It's comfort food at it's most warming)

And, happily, I have landed in a place where I can actually buy things to eat.  Not online, not a million miles away.  At the grocery store, or at the place where these things are actually made. Hoorah!

American food is usually synonymous with oversized portions of fake weirdness drenched in alien sauces that could survive nuclear explosions.  What is rarely mentioned is the flip side of that coin: the myriad of healthy, health-conscious companies doing their best to keep our lives easy and our energy high. 

So, for the first time in years, I am no longer forced to cook every single meal.  And I’m loving it!  I’m loving the organic/local, green, nothing-added, fresh produce and products.  And DW is loving all the fun stuff he can add to his daily bread without warranting raised eyebrows from his wife. 

In light of this, I thought I’d share some of my favourite things that make my life easier without compromising my health:

* Artisana Coconut butter: if you know me, you know how much I love coconut.  This is made from the flesh of the coconut and isn’t just oil.  A wonderful addition to smoothies and desserts though a friend of mine spreads it straight onto her morning toast.

*  Ezekiel tortillas and cereal: while I don’t personally eat these products as I can’t have gluten, I’m happy knowing that DW is treating himself well.  Even Vida Lev has given them a shot – the jury’s still out on that one.

*  Norwalk green juices: there’s something about how they bottle these babies that prevents oxidation.  So while I’m still in flux and without my own juicer, these are a real treat – note that I say treat because they ain’t cheap.  (I buy them here or here or at Whole foods)

* Faux Gras: Ella, the Queen of Brooklyn (otherwise known as The Regal Vegan), produces her wonderful product in small quantities and guarantees quality.  It’s lentils, walnuts, caramelized onions and other delicious goodness.

* And so much wonderful, unpasteurized coconut water.  As much as I can afford. 

* Kelp noodles.  I believe I’ve mentioned these once or twice...  Try them.  They’re awesome.  Here’s the recipe I use.     

* Raw breads that contain nuts, seeds and sometimes sprouted buckwheat. Vida Lev loves them too.

* And of course I have found dessert.  I already had my faves: One Lucky Duck Oreo ice cream and/or cupcakes from Babycakes.  But recently, desert has become a rich chocolate pie from Hail Merry or Rocking Raw’s cinnabuns.  Gluten Free, Vegan, Raw.  And yet absolutely delicious.  Yes.  Really.  Ask my husband if you don’t believe me.

As we ease into life here, create our place, we will begin to cut corners, and splurges will probably involve more kitchen gear so I can make everything I need at home.  But in the mean time, we’re drinking, eating and loving it up in this wonderful, crazy, disgusting, holy, miraculous, fun, dank, amazing new city we’re starting to call home. 

N.B.  DW reminded me that no list of products would be complete without sharing my favourite one of all: my lip balm.  I remember crying at the price tag a decade ago, but have still not found anything better or cheaper.  

On a final note: I was not paid by any companies, nor was I sent any samples of these products for review.  However, if you’re reading this, lovely people who make these lovely things, I’ll happily accept if you feel like sending me some…

This is my baby girl just a couple of weeks ago: peaceful, at home in London, oblivious to the changes about to take place.  Although we made a book to explain that we were going to be moving, that we were leaving London for New York, I was well aware that it really was more for us grownups than for the sixteen-month old toddler who pointed out the big red busses and the airplanes in the photographs much in the same was she did in the street.

But the Grand Bus Rouge was replaced by the Grand Bus Jaune and I don’t know whether she expected everything to be so different.  I am familiar with New York, I knew what was coming, and the changes are still intense.  DW has been commenting about how different I am in the city.  Calmed somehow, he says, more at ease.  And bizarrely, I feel just as much at home here now, at age thirty-five, than I did the very first time I landed at JFK, over twenty years ago. 

We said goodbye to London in the best way we knew how: we walked through Hampstead Heath and to the Marylebone Farmer’s market.  We smelled the cheese at The Fromagerie one last time, we stopped by our favourite neighborhood café to swap general complaints.  There were people to take leave of and traditions to enjoy. 

But really, it’s the little things that make a place feel like home.  And wandering the streets of New York City, it becomes clearer with every step that London doesn’t feel mine – never has.  I loved it like a tourist on an extended stay, but I have missed the crazy fucking place that is New York.

When we were drowning in boxes, I couldn’t quite get past the questions of what we should keep, what we should sell, what should come on the plane with us, what we should leave behind.  It felt like an interminable list, constantly circling around in my head, piercing my brain like ice picks in the middle of the night.  What about the high chair?  What about the sofa bed?  What about the …?

October fourth, the day of departure, came way too quickly.  In about five seconds and after a hundred years.  I wasn’t ready.  I had never been more ready.  The taxi arrived to take us to Heathrow at 10:15 sharp.  We loaded our eight bags, the stroller, the car seat, the foldable cot – travelling light wasn’t an option this time.

The moment of realization had come earlier, as DW and I walked up the street to say goodbye to our friends at The Kitchen Table, where we spent gazillions of hours over the years.  On our way up the road, we had held hands, feeling each step in silence, knowing that we would not be making this silly little walk, which we had so taken for granted, again.  They had greeted us as they have every day for the past four years.  And we had said goodbye much in the same way we had so many times before.  DW and I laughed as we crossed the street and headed back home.  It all felt so… normal.

An hour later, the tears flowed. 

Saying goodbye is tough.  Because even if you return to the same places and see the same people, nothing will ever be the same. 

Someone else will be living in our house.  Another family will inhabit the walls where my baby girl came into the world.  They will cook on the incredible range, and take that same wander up the block to order sandwiches and fantastic coffee at The Kitchen Table.  They will live fifteen minutes from Hampstead Heath while we …

We are heading into this new chapter in our lives.  One in which nothing is clear or determined yet.  In the past few weeks, we have been in turn excited and terrified, elated and suspicious, relieved and regretful, sad and joyful and everything in between. 

As the taxi pulled out, a weight lifted off my shoulders.  I could do nothing more, even if I had wanted to.  What was packed would be packed, what was being shipped we would see again in a few weeks, what would be would be.  And if I wanted to avoid motion sickness, I needed to keep looking forward.

I don’t know if I actually laughed out loud, but I felt like doing so.  To go from being worried about what box contained my fermentation pot to not caring in the space of half a millisecond knocked me off balance enough that I was grateful to be sitting down.  The only thing that mattered wasn’t whether we should or shouldn’t take the furniture, or how many tea bags I should take on the flight – it was the two people sitting on either side of me, my husband and my daughter. 

And then, just like that, we find ourselves wandering the streets of New York slightly in awe, but also bizarrely at home already -- we know where we like to eat, where we like to shop for groceries, who we need to call, what we need to see, do, explore, experience.  Only unlike in the past, there's a little person involved and at the same time everything is new.  

Vida Lev is now toddling along, which means she has little time to be in her carrier or her stroller.  So we let her wander the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn to her heart’s desire.  She waddles, holding her arms up on each side of her to keep her balance.  And then every so often, she squats down in a kind of downward dog to recalibrate before taking off again.  This child fits right in here: already she is in a hurry.  People wave, people smile, people ask whether her boots come in adult sizes.  If you think New Yorkers are rude or unfriendly, you should set a beaming toddler loose in the streets: never have I seen such love, enjoyment and pleasure in people’s faces as in the past few days with my little girl. 

On a final note, I will say this: we have gone from a four-bedroom house in London to who knows what in New York (though I know for a fact that whatever we find will be smaller than what we were in).  The stress, which was can I keep this?,  has now become why in the world did I hold on to that?

Life.  The jokes never stop coming.

Recipe: Breakfast for Globetrotting Parents 

When you're moving continents and running after a very energetic little girl, breakfast needs to power you through until God knows when.  This one might seem complicated and filled with scary, unknown ingredients, but people often ask me what I eat so I decided to share this latest favourite which has kept me sated, grounded and happy for many a challenging morning recently.  I won't lie, this is one greeeeen smoothie but it's choc-full of good fats, minerals, protein and awesome quality slow-burning fuel.  Plus, in my opinion, it's delicious though I am aware that my palate is greeeeener than most people's so consider yourself warned.  The great news is that all you have to do is blend so it's super simple to make.  And if you let the mixture sit for a few minutes, it will thicken up into a pudding.  I like to top mine with juicy berries and crunchy cacao nibs for something to chew on, and eat it with a big old spoon.

Ingredients:

1 T coconut butter

1 T hemp seeds

2 T chia seeds

1 t spirulina

1 t chlorella

1/8 t kelp powder

1 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla powder

1 dropper Oceans Alive

1 banana

3/4 c raspberries

1 dried fig

4-5 kale leaves, stalks removed

1 cup water

For the topping (optional): 

small handful fresh blueberries

a sprinkle of cacao nibs

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in the blender.  

Blend well -- you might need to add a little more water, depending on the strength of your machine.  

Allow to thicken for a few minutes.  

Top with blueberries and cacao nibs (optional). 

P.S.  Happy Birthday to ME!

Dear Friends;

Here we are in New York City!  We’re here to celebrate my birthday and celebrating we are!

Someone told me once that the place one feels most at home is the where one understands the meshugaz (the insanity).  For me, one of those places is New York.  Ever since I was twelve years old, the city has captivated me.  And though I no longer live here, it still somehow feels like home.

This trip is a little different as travel with an infant has its own set of rules – and we are constantly discovering what those are.  Though we’ve slowed down, and evenings now involve much more sleep than they have in previous visits, we are still enjoying every second.

When I’m in New York, there are a few places I go to, a few things I love to do.  Of course there are the museums and there is the endless shopping.  In addition, we return to the places where we get what we can’t anywhere else -- as you can see from the list below, it's not just about the gluten/dairy/sugar free, but rather about having the best -- be it ice cream, steak, vegan food or coffee.

Pure Food and Wine on 17^th and Irving, is always, ALWAYS my first stop.  Gourmet raw food made with the best, most luscious ingredients.  Their ice cream is dairy and sugar free (though they do use a lot of agave in everything – not always the best, but hey, it’s ice cream!) – the oreo cookie and chocolate flavours are incredible, as are their mallomars (gluten, dairy and sugar free).  The restaurant has a gorgeous patio in the back and they are now open for lunch as well.

Public.  I have raved about Brad Farmerie before, and here I go again.   When we‘re in New York City, I do my best to allow DW his own pleasures – he’s not as into the raw/vegan stuff as I am.  Public, is a more classical type of restaurant, but their meals are a delight for us both.  Have I mentioned how wonderfully kind they are to people with food allergies?

Babycakes offers delicious gluten-free, vegan baked goods.  I’m serious – their cupcakes and banana bread are delicious! I hear they’re making donuts these days as well!!!  I’m headed down there tomorrow to pick up some lovely gifts for friends.  And if they give you the once-over, just remember: you can put up with a little downtown ‘tude in the name of old-fashioned treats! 

9^th street Espresso.  Coffee?  Me?  Well, no, I don’t drink coffee, but my partner is a java-geek and so seeks out his espressos like I do picky foodie friendly fare.  According to DW: “The coffee is magnificent, although they must put all their love into it because they seem to have none left for their customers.”

One of the things I love about returning is that it’s familiar enough; but New York, being New York, is also new and exciting at every turn.  So we visit our favourite places – we grab a Spanking at Pure Food takeaway, we wander around the Lower East Side and by the water on the West Side, we spend as much time as possible at the farmers’ market on Union square, we walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and get DW a hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows from City Bakery.  But then there are the little surprises we find: new places and people that remind us that being in New York is always a treasure hunt. 

With love,

Gabriela

Dear Friends; 
Michelin-starred chef Brad Farmerie has an extensive resume, both in terms of the restaurants he helms in NYC – Public, Double Crown, Madame Geneva and The Monday Room – as well as the cuisines he plays with. 
What most impressed me about this multi-talented chef, however, is how much fun he has tackling it all – though he is serious about food, Brad seems to always be wearing a smile, and makes the best of every situation. 
He was impressed when I first told him my list of allergies and intolerances, but then he chuckled and told me how excited he was about that kind of challenge: “Give me twenty-four hours notice,” he said, promising to blow my socks off. 
When DW and I showed up at Public a few weeks later, we weren’t prepared for the tasting menu that awaited us: each dish was unique, delicious and – best of all – fun.  The colours, the flavours, the way the food was served, the service and attention to detail – everything was laid-back, done without the fanfare one might expect from an award-winning restaurant, and yet nothing was less than stunning. 
I think I could rave about Brad's fantastic attitude and his incredible cooking until the cows come home – but I’d rather let his interview speak for itself.  And, most importantly, if you have a chance, I strongly urge you to try out his restaurants.  Since that first magical visit, we have celebrated milestones and birthdays there as well as turned up on random Tuesday nights – and every meal, every bite has been a thoroughly wonderful experience.
So thank you, Brad, not only for opening up during our interview and for your attitude towards Picky Foodies, but also for serving such wonderful ambiance, food and experiences.
With love,
Gabriela

The Picky Foodie: Do you have a lot of people who come to your restaurants with special requests?

Brad Farmerie: I think that most NY restaurants will have seen almost everything thrown at them at some point -- people who can’t eat this, who can’t eat that.  I can’t speak for other restaurants, but here we embrace that and I think we have good flexibility in the kitchen as well as pretty good knowledge of dietary restrictions.  We print a sheet as to what the common food allergens are in each dish, can they be removed and also we kind of update the staff on, you know, gluten – what it is, where it comes from, what the hidden spots are for gluten, like soy sauce and things like that.  Even some fish sauces.  And so I think it’s the whole knowledge is power thing where the waiter is already at the table and they don’t have to rush off to the kitchen and check to see if this can be done.  But also if people have a huge list of things they have an issue with, we always say if you could let us know ahead of time because we could even make something special that isn’t on the menu.  I think that our style of cooking is pretty light and fresh so it’s much easier to substitute.

TPF: Is it your preference that people call ahead?

BF:  I think that if we have a little bit of notice – we’ve had people that have an extensive list and it’s hard to do last minute that way.  But again if we’re given 24 or 48 hours it’s much easier because that’s usually the prep time the kitchen’s working with.  You’re prepping for that night and maybe the next night.  People should never be punished for this – you still want to give them a great meal.  I think that people are sometimes punished for being vegetarians or vegans.  I think that’s a nice challenge and it’s a nice hurdle – let me jump over it!  I want to give them something great.  We always have vegan-friendly dishes on our menus, which also tends to help with certain allergies, so we can already steer them in the right direction. 

TPF:  How has that changed over the years that you’ve been cooking?

BF:  Well the no-carbs thing seemed to hit like a baseball bat.  I had been in England and moved back in 2003 and I was amazed.  It’s not even a dietary restriction, it’s more of a preference or in some cases fads where people are moving in certain directions.  The no-carbs thing was OK.  You can’t lecture the table, you just have to figure out what you’re going to do.  I know that in general there’s a lot more issues with gluten, with dairy, with peanuts than there have ever been before.  I think the big ones, at least the ones that we see are obviously the shellfish, the peanuts, the dairy and gluten.  Those are the main ones.

TPF:  Has that affected how you’ve developed menus or menu items?

BF:  Not Necessarily but we always have a gluten free tamari that we can substitute for the soy sauce.  We always – 90% of the time – we make any nut removable so it’s not an integral part of the dish so that it can be pulled out.  Some of the best information we’ve gotten has been from employees that have issues.  Because they are constantly reminding you of what they can’t eat and so you start to think of how you’re cooking.  Even when you’re making the staff meal, you’re thinking OK let’s make this so that it can be removed.  For example, we deal with a lot of non-pork so we make sure that that’s not an integral part of the dish – unless it’s a pork chop, or bacon. Then just don’t order it!  This isn’t an allergy but rather religious beliefs, but we never put pork bones into stock for instance – we would never do that.  We also have a separate cutting board for pork.  I think just because we’ve had so many people that work for us that don’t eat pork.  We also have a litany of bowls so that one’s always for salads and we have tons of surgical gloves so if people have a severe allergy it’s plated with the gloves on and then they’re thrown away.  I think, like I said, NY prepares you for everything so you have no choice but to get ready. 

TPF:  Other than calling ahead, are there any more tips that you would have for diners in terms of making their lives as well as you life easier?

BF:  The only thing I would say is be very specific.  We’ve had people say that they were vegetarian and then they’re eating their friend’s fish dish.  Not a big deal but if I knew that they could have fish, I wouldn’t have removed it from this dish.  To me vegetarian means that you only eat vegetables. Same thing about is it just peanuts or is it nuts in general?  I think that the more specific you are, the better.  You don’t really want a lack of information when you’re dealing with allergies.  Other than that I would just say try to go online and read the menu and already have a look at what could possibly be your choices so it’s not this long drawn-out conversation when you’re trying to have a good time.  I go online and read wine lists when I go to restaurants because I don’t want to waste my time reading it when I’m sitting there with my wife.  Read ahead, you know.

TPF:  What I find in restaurants is that people are usually comfortable giving me a big slab of something grilled and green vegetables, but very rare is the chef who will take on the challenge.

BF:  I hate that.  I find the same thing with – even when I moved to NY, I was surprised at how few vegan and vegetarian dishes might be on a menu.  And they tell me they can grill me some vegetables, but that’s pretty lame, I can do that, you know?  I’ll go home and do that.  But that’s why I think there should be some kind of warning.  If it’s Saturday night at 9 o’clock and all hell’s breaking loose in the kitchen that’s a tough time to ask them to get creative, but if they’re given 24 or 48 hours notice – I know you can’t always plan your life around where you’re going to eat, but if it’s a special occasion or you know that you’re going to the restaurant give me that 24 hours and I’ll impress you, I promise.  Our light-style, a la minute style of cooking lends itself so much better to allergies.  A French-style terrine-type thing that was made three days ago, there’s nothing you can do about it now.  But if you’re woking or grilling or stir-frying or just quickly frying something off that’s easily changed.  It is a good challenge and then we’re better prepared for the next person who comes in with similar issues.  Some people have given me lists that have thrown me a little but it’s a creative thinking challenge.  It forces you to think and sometimes you need to be backed into a corner to get creative, and that creativity could take you somewhere amazing.