NYC Restaurants

I thought some people might be interested in checking out some vegetarian and vegan restaurants in NYC. I found a great site that lists them by neighborhood. So, without further ado, check them out!

The "Suzy Sympathy" Diet

I would like to thank Phil Devlin for his commitment to our cause. I recently found out that this wonderful father of my dear friend, Christine, has gone on a meatless diet to show his support. While perhaps this would better be titled the "Brandt Sympathy Diet", Phil's efforts are nevertheless appreciated!

I'm not a proponent of fad diets or cutting solid foods and/or entire macronutrients (a la Atkins) in order to lose weight or detox. However, making a change in a healthy and conscientious fashion, even if only temporarily, can permanently alter your dietary comfort zone. I know these 25 days without meat/dairy/eggs has done just that for me. I have become more open to new dishes as permanent mealtime staples (see the Recipes page for some of my favorites) and a much more creative cook, especially with legumes, vegetables and different spices; I also simply feel better, running more and recovering faster. I imagine many aspects of this diet will stick with me after our 30-day trial run, and it doesn't feel like a tremendous effort any longer.

I'm not saying a month of veganism is something everyone should do. And I'm not saying that dramatic dietary experimentation is for everyone. But I would encourage everyone to try at least a minor health-conscious change for an entire month. Nothing crazy--incorporate a new whole grain twice a week, switch to natural sweeteners (like summertime fruit!), skip the 3rd (or 6th) beer of the night...whatever it is for you, try it. And see if it becomes comfortable.

And Brandt, I know you still don't find veganism "comfortable" by any stretch. But at least Falafel night is something we will look forward to even when hamburgers and cheese platters are options.

Dinner and Dessert: Counter and Lula's

Last night I (Suzy) had dinner with my friend, Sarah, at Counter in the East Village. I might say that it was the best meal of the month so far--sorry, Brandt, that you missed it. We feasted on large plates of perfectly cooked and seasoned seasonal vegetables, including Spaghetti Squash Spaghettini, a heavenly cauliflower salad (no, I never thought cauliflower would be described as heavenly, but trust me or try it), and a white bean "hummus" that would make its chickpea namesake cower in inferiority. All this was washed down with a delicious bottle of red wine from their extensive wine list. We also saw some great looking flatbreads and panini sandwiches, as well as cheese platters for any of you dairy lovers, come out of the kitchen.

After dinner, we walked a couple blocks to Lula, where after tasting about 10 of their made fresh daily flavors, I decided to purchase 2 pints: Blueberry and Peanut Butter Fudge. Made from cashews (don't ask me how they make ice cream out of nuts), this was not just "good for vegan". This ice cream was just GOOD. Some of the best I've had in a long time. Even the resident skeptic in this vegan month thought so. I was just proud to have left some to Brandt after a long cab ride home.

Another Fun Vegan Side Effect

Today as I sat at my desk eating my lunch I was asked to put away my salad because it was stinking up the office.

Over the past two years I have eaten at my desk everyday.

This has never happened before

8 more days.

Back to the 80s

We spent our weekend in DC visiting Brandt's cousin (Phil, middle...rather excited) for his birthday. We spent Saturday afternoon and evening at an 80s hairband concert, with such artists as Vince Neil, formerly of Motley Crew, Warrant ("She's My Cherry Pie"), and Scorpion.

Amidst $9 beers and fans who haven't looked at a calendar in 25 years except to schedule their next tattoo appointment, were the four of us--inappropriately attired in polo shirts, khakis, and without nipple rings, hair gel, or Guns N Roses tees. Blending in was not our strength.

The high point of the day was the brilliant decision to stake claim to some front row standing room for the high energy and surprisingly inspiring Warrant show. We were barely 4 years old in the 80s, so until the moment that lead singer Robert Mason hit the stage, we didn't really understand the hype. It was magical and made the lifestyle choices of the crowd seem not only reasonable but truly inspired. We both commented on how in shape this rock "legend" appeared ("maybe he's been a lifelong, yoga-dedicated vegan??")--apparently, he's only been the lead singer since 2008, saving him from some of the rockband wear and tear of the previous 3 decades.

All in all, a successful birthday celebration and truly educational experience for those of us who, until now, could not understand what was an amazingly over-the-top ridiculous decade of music and fashion. I guess time travel is possible.

"Buttering" you up with vegan treats

After enjoying a completely vegan sunset on my vegan rooftop last night, I decided to bake some vegan goodies. Brandt and I are going to DC this weekend to see some family, and since we've asked them to accommodate our vegan lifestyle, I thought a gift of tasty treats was in order.

One of the best parts about most vegan baking is that, since it excludes raw eggs, you can take as many tastes of dough as you'd like. Although, the nutritionist in me is inclined to recommend only 1 or 2 to save room for the finished product, which I always also want to taste.

Vegan Coconut Chocolate Bars were what I decided on. I found them online, but altered the recipe, so thought I should share my version.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour, sifted (you must sift before measuring!)
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (I realized that I accidentally purchased sweetened, so decreased the sugar from this recipe by about 1/8 cup)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (don't really need to measure, just add when the time is right)
1/4 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chunks
1/4 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (almonds and pecans would be good too!)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda and powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine applesauce, oil, sugar, and vanilla.

Add wet mixture to dry and mix until combined. Add non-dairy milk a little at a time until it holds together well.

Fold in coconut (reserving about 3 Tablespoons for the top), chocolate chunks, and walnuts. TASTE :) Press into baking dish and sprinkle over remaining coconut.

Bake for 21-23 minutes. Remove from over, let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting. I cut mine into 25 small pieces. (Then Brandt ate 2).

Vegetarians are cool. All I eat are vegetarians - except for the occasional mountain lion steak.

-Ted Nugent

Thought of the Day (Rebuttle)

Life is shorter with meat.*

*Duke Med Health News. 2010 Jan;16(1):1-2. Vegetarian diets may prevent & treat some chronic diseases. Plant-based diets can meet all current nutrient needs and may lessen disease risk.

Meat Sci. 2010 Feb;84(2):308-13. Epub 2009 Jun 23. Meat and cancer. Ferguson LR.

Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Vol 109, Issue 7, Pages 1266-1282 (July 2009). Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets.

Thought of the Day:

Life is too short for tofu.

Debate if you must, but I find the logic here sound.

Performance-enhancing veganism

Running performance, that is. I (Suzy) have noticed quite a difference in my running abilities since starting what I'm sure Brandt will refer to for the rest of his life as "the vegan incident." I on the other hand feel adjusted; my body feels cleaner (even my sweat is cleaner!), and I've noticed a significant improvement in my endurance. I am not one to jump to causative claims. But I couldn't help but notice the correlation of this diet to dramatically improved frequency and distance in my running.

One performance of mine that has not been enhanced, however, is drinking performance. As someone who enjoys the occasional (ahem...weekly...ok, maybe sometimes more than that) wine/gin martini indulgence, I can no longer drink from the bottomless glass that I've enjoyed since college. Some of this is due to lack of vegan food at cocktail parties, no doubt. Curious to see if I was an outlier, I entered the vegan blog realm. It seems others have experienced this same reduction in alcohol tolerance (clearly not a bad thing as I now am learning to be much more careful with my portions and pacing of beverages). There are also claims that this is due to increased absorption efficiency, something that seems pretty likely since my calorie-intake and the macronutrient composition of my diet has not been drastically altered.

We'll see how running and alcohol tolerance, 2 things dear to my heart, play out for the rest of the month. Halfway there!

Health Benefits of a Vegan Diet

So I've alluded to them a few times. But what does the research really show? Here's the lowdown on the short-falls and benefits of this diet we've embarked on for June*.

First, I'll start with what so many people seem to have hang-ups about--the possible nutrient deficiencies of a vegan diet:

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids--important for cardiovascular health and brain and eye function, these are most bio-available (in the forms DHA and EPA) from salmon and trout and algae sources. They are also found in a less bio-available, but nevertheless useful, forms (ALA) in walnuts and flaxseeds. These fats are "all the rage" these days though, so are now (you guessed it) also fortified in everything from granola bars to beverages. We have been eating a large number of walnuts; our almond milk is also fortified. The risk for not getting enough? Increased risk of Cardiovascular Disease, which has actually been shown to have decreased incidences in the vegan population, so I'm not that worried.
  
• Vitamin-D status depends on both sun exposure and intake of vitamin D-fortified foods (not just for vegans, but for the entire population). It being June, us both being relatively fair-skinned, and (again) with an at-least adequately fortified food system, I'm again not too worried.
• Calcium--"a diet rich in fruits and vegetables that is typical of a vegan diet has a positive effect on the calcium economy and markers of bone metabolism in men and women."* So basically, we just have to make sure we get enough...not too tough.
  
• Iron--the risk for iron-deficiency anemia is no different in the vegan population than the omnivore population. This is likely due to the large amount of vitamin C consumed by most vegans, which increases the absorption of the iron that they do get from plant sources.
  
• Vitamin B-12--Vegans have a higher prevalence of this deficiency since it can only be found in animal sources and fortified foods (hooray for almond milk!) Risk factors include difficulty with concentration...I'm sorry, what was I saying?

Now, onto the benefits:

• Cardiovascular Disease--"In general, vegetarians typically enjoy a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), obesity, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers." So why not just eliminate meat? "Compared with other vegetarians, vegans are thinner, have lower total and LDL cholesterol, and modestly lower blood pressure...Vegans also have a higher consumption of whole grains, soy, and nuts all of which provide significant cardioprotective effects."
• Cancer--With obesity as a risk factor for cancer, the lower BMI in vegetarians and vegans is one important protective factor. The other protective factors are more directly diet-related; high intake of fruits and vegetables in a vegan diet is negatively associated with cancer risk and there is an obvious lack of red and processed meat, which are both implicated in increased risk of colorectal cancer.
  
• Weight--I already stated that vegans on average have a lower BMI than both lactoovo-vegetarians (those who eat no meat but do eat dairy and eggs) and omnivores. In addition to looking better in a swimsuit, this has numerous implications on a decreased likelihood of obesity-related chronic disease later in life.
  

I'm not one who is typically inclined to take supplements and buy heavily fortified products--my omnivorous diet supplies ample nutrients (but I would not say this for most people in this country who are very often suffering from nutrient deficiencies despite overweight/obese status). With a society that has found the way to partially hydrogenize oil and pump it, sodium, and high fructose corn syrup into everything from breakfast cereal to taco shells, I don't particularly see a problem using food science to benefit my body by consuming a couple fortified foods each day while on a vegan diet that is possibly decreasing my CVD and cancer risks and certainly opening up my eyes to ways to consume more plant-based, healthy and disease-protective foods for future years.

*Most information from this post came from a particularly clear summary, found in the article--Craig, W. (2009). Health Effects of Vegan Diets. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89(5), 1627S.

10 Days In and I'm Still Alive!

Hi guys I'm Back!

I (Brandt) know I've been silent for a while. I've been trying to draft a post that’s not just a mix between an incoherent rant about hunger and deprivation and a subliminal message pleading with readers to smuggle me a cheeseburger. But this morning I’ve fueled up on a healthy breakfast, my stomach pains are at a minimum and I'm going to try to bang out a short list of objective commentary on the past 10 days of my life.

1) During the month preceding this ordeal while I was gearing up to be shipped away to this dietary wasteland I now inhabit, people kept alluding to digestive situations that could arise upon my arrival in culinary Siberia. At the time I generally shrugged these comments off and went back to finishing my cheeseburger. However, it has subsequently come to my attention that these warnings should not have been taken lightly. Not at all! My stomach has not stopped hurting since May 31st. My digestive track has evaluated the situation and is NOT amused. I really can’t stress enough what a pain in the ass these ten days have been – and I mean that 100% literally.

2) I miss skim milk so much. So so much. I’ve always enjoyed soy milk and actually drink it regularly even when normal food is available. Which is why I’m surprised I miss normal milk so much of all things. Going into this I thought I’d miss steak, and pizza, and burgers and good food in general. As it happens I miss all the healthy stuff that I think I should be able to have but can’t. Skim milk, yogurt, eggs (even egg whites). All the stuff that would actually keep me healthy but has now been banned. I think this is because when I’m wondering around, starving, desperate for sustenance and I end up eating falafel or French fries because I can’t find a healthy vegan alternative I can’t help but think this diet is a big trick. What kind of diet excludes healthy food? I’m told this all makes sense on some sort of higher level, but let me just go on record from a layman’s perspective and make it clear that it makes absolutely no sense at all as far as I’m concerned.

3) In general the food has really been pretty good. This has been a big, and extremely pleasant surprise and is totally due to Suzy (of course so are the stomach pains, so little bit of a tradeoff). I think the stuff you get in a restaurant is fine – even good - but really over priced. Suzy’s been cooking like crazy and that’s been the best. We had a salad last night that was great, falafel night was a HUGE hit, fresh corn on the cob, and fondue (which while sort of cheating, because – NOT HEALTHY!) was excellent. I think if you’re going go through this you have to cook for yourself, because the next time I pay $17 for lunch there better be some red meat in the mix (or fireworks or something). I guess the take away here is if you’re going to go vegan make sure you use the buddy system – and make sure your buddy is a damn good cook.

4) Giving up meat has been nowhere as hard as I thought it would be. (As a side note, I’ve always though vegetarians were whiny pussies and this experience has only confirmed my belief. I now look forward to being able to mock them from an educated perspective - I’m looking at you cousin Phil). But to step back briefly from my meatdick outlook here, I think this has actually been the biggest take away from the diet and ties together a few of the previous points. I’ve found that cutting out meat really isn’t that bad. I’ve honestly enjoyed a lot of the food I’ve been eating. I think going forward I will shift my consumption a bit towards the flora and ease back a touch on the fauna. We’ll see.

Those are my thoughts for now. I’ll check back in in a bit to keep you updated. I’ve been led to believe by a variety of sources that a lot of the benefits of veganism should be kicking in for me in the next week or two. I’ll be sure to let you know if I encounter this gastronomic runner’s high or if its all just propaganda put out by the tofu producers to string me along. Make sure to stay tuned – it’s really getting exciting now.

Lunch Date--Angelica's Kitchen and Stogo

We recently met for lunch in the East Village, Brandt's proclaimed "Vegan Capital of Manhattan". Brandt was starving after a weekend in DC where vegan options were not readily available. Even after only 10 days, we were both pleased to be able to look at the Angelica's Kitchen menu and order absolutely anything off of it. Having eaten in typically omnivorous situations, I can now appreciate how uncomfortable it is to have to ask, "Exactly how is that made?" in reference to a self-imposed dietary restriction. The food at Angelica's Kitchen was delicious--Brandt had soup of the day (creamy cauliflower) and a daily special dish, an asparagus-pasta-baked sort of thing. Suzy had the "picnic plate" which allows you to choose 3-4 items to taste--a great way to sample some featured menu items. We also got to speak with our waitress about her experience being vegan and some of her recommendations (none of which we are likely to try, but her bubbly attitude and clear zen energy about a vegan lifestyle was sort of encouraging?)

After lunch, we got dessert at Stogo. Both of us were pretty skeptical--I mean, how could a non-dairy "gelato" in any way compare to the ice cream we both love? We were pleasantly surprised. The 2 flavors we ordered--banana and almond joy--both stacked up to our beloved dairy counterparts. The price, however, was a little steep. But quelling our dessert craving during this month was pretty priceless.

Meatless Cowboy

I (Suzy) was at the Food For Your Whole Life conference this Sunday and Monday. There was constant promotion of a mostly plant-based diet, rich in walnuts since they are high in omega-3s (and since California Walnuts was the sponsor). There was also quite a bit of talk of the benefits of a vegan diet. Vegans tend to lead longer lives. Vegans suffer significantly less from heart disease and hypertension. Vegans have better sex.

Ok, I made the last one up. But one of the take-away messages from all this veg-focused talk was more or less, "If you haven't at least considered going vegan, you haven't thought that hard about your health."

Example: Rocco is a cowboy. Rocco ate meat and animal products almost exclusively. Rocco developed heart disease risk factors and the heart of an 85 year old man at the age of 53. Then Rocco went vegan. The famous Dr. Oz and his renowned friend and colleague Dr. Roizen used this Rocco example time and time again during the conference. Why? Because it took one month of veganism to reverse much of the negative effects of Rocco's lifelong love of butter and cattle with a side of porkfat. Rocco is now committed to the vegan lifestyle.

Extreme example? Yes. And this doesn't mean I'm yet sold on a future vegan lifestyle come July 1. But it was at least reassuring to hear that only a month of this may reverse the negative effects of my teenage love of Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Fries dipped in the Frosty.

PeaceFood Cafe

Friends, Sarah and Jo, and I (Suzy) went to Peacefood Cafe last night--an UWS vegan restaurant. Although they offer a strictly vegan menu, PF is (and I can say this having gone prior to this experiment) omnivore-friendly, meaning that it doesn't have that outrageous and unappetizing "health-food store" smell and doesn't leave meat-eaters with a sense that they had a makeshift dinner of side items.

I recommend going with friends like mine, who love to share food, so you can try a little bit of everything--the chickpea fries get my highest rating. Be sure to grab some of the bakery items to go--Brandt benefited from this, and particularly enjoyed the Magic Cookies. While not the "magic" some of you might be envisioning, they were definitely delicious.

Chew on this

I've started to notice greater time spent chewing on this vegan diet--helllloooo fiber. Last night, after feasting on falafel with tahini (delightful), corn on the cob and salad, I decided to venture into my first attempt at baking. While not the muffins you might find in your favorite bakery, they came out as muffins, and certainly a nice treat for us while butter and eggs are not on the menu*. I recommend making the attempt if you have it in you. Or coming to our apartment in the next 24 hours (approximately the time it will take us to devour and gift the delicious dozen). Make sure you plan for enough time to chew it though.  

*Note: This was the first time I've ever baked and not had to slap Brandt's hand away from the batter and newly baked goodies. He made a breakfast of soy ice cream sandwiches instead. 

Texts from the first 24 hours

Brandt (2:29pm): "Lunch is no longer a happy time"..."Actually salad isn't bad"

Suzy (6:55pm): "You sure you don't want to come grocery shopping?"
Brandt (7:15pm): "I actually do wish I could go to the grocery but it would kill me to be around food now--rather hungry"

Brandt (Wed. 7:51am): "My stomach feels betrayed"

Day 1

First of all I want to thank Tom for his guest blog. Pretty uncanny predictions if you ask me. For those of you who want some more insight from Woz on more diverse topics check him out at at: http://tomwozblog.blogspot.com/.

As I sit here at my desk contemplating my impending slow demise and googling things like wasting disease and "The Pianist". I was shocked to see another celebrity attempt to steal our thunder with his own foray into veganism and the predictable results.

Real creative

I have to get back to eating raw vegetables and crying, but I'll be sure to check in later. Have a burger for me

-Brandt

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your vegging.

We had a lovely beach excursion this past Memorial Day weekend. The house was full of former Yale football players + one men's lacrosse guy + 3 girls, at times not sure how to handle this rambunctious bunch. In short, the weekend was full of the shenanigans that will ensue as "adults", now productive members of society, all too easily reverted back to college activities (perhaps even pre-teen at times). One friend on this trip agreed to guest-blog. Below are his thoughts as we begin, today, one full month of veganism (Thanks, Tom.)

Hey guys, for those who don't know me, I am Tom Woznicki. Brandt and I were teammates in college, playing football at Yale, and I now think of him as one of my closest friends. More importantly, I was able to meet Suzy through Brandt and since college have been a frequent guest at their various New York apartments.

During a recent trip to the Jersey shore, Suzy and Brandt told me about this blog, and by extension, their plan for a month of veganism. My initial reaction was that, this could be a good idea, and if nothing else, a great learning experience. Personally, veganism is something that I really have never put too much thought into. Much like Brandt, food for me has always included meat as the centerpiece, so removing all animal based products from your diet seems almost blasphemous. I am very curious to see the long(ish) term effects on these two fine young folks, and hope to gain some insight on a foreign (for me at least) topic.

I think the most amusing thing for us, the readers/followers will be how something we take so for granted (like food) will affect so much of their lives. I expect some great conflict. Suzy's in-depth interest and knowledge of food and nutrition will be their most useful asset. The largest impediment to success will be Brandt's love affair with all things meat. What I am looking forward to most is the way these two will clash like batman and the joker, with unexpected (and hilarious) results.

A couple of more random predictions for the upcoming month:

Brandt will increase his alcohol intake, get drunk one night, and eat a big, fat burger.

Suzy will lovingly scold Brandt approximately 2452 times.

Brandt will develop an affinity for something like "deep fried tofu" and negate any and all positive health benefits from this experiment/diet.

Suzy will remain a vegan or vegetarian for an extra 3 weeks past the end of this experiment.

Well folks that'll be all for now, so in closing, I wish Brandt and Suzy the best of luck with their trip to vegan-land. May the road be paved with veggies and soy protein.