I'm Back!

Hello friends. Sorry I have been MIA for quite some time.  Some exciting things have been happening in my life, but now I am back.  Today I am getting a refrigerator delivered, as I only have a mini-fridge in my new apartment. It doesn't work so well and is only big enough for condiments.  I haven't cooked a single thing in almost three weeks and I am excited to start some new recipes. It was my birthday this week and I went to two amazing places, Blossom and Casa Mezcal.

Blossom is rated one of the best vegan restaurants in NYC. I liked it even better than Candle 79, where I went for my birthday two years ago.  For appetizers we had these Porcini Cigars that were amazing! Porcini mushroom, tempeh, almonds, wrapped in phyllo dough with this cashew pesto all over it.  Next we had Ravioli filled with smoked tempeh, spinach, pine nuts, and crimini mushrooms. The whole thing was topped with this creamy cashew sauce. The last appetizer was a watercress and arugula salad with cherry tomatoes, fava beans, and white asparagus.  This was tossed in a lime-peppercorn vinaigrette. My main meal was a Seitan Scaloppini. The Seitan cutlets were in a delicious lemon and caper sauce on top of mashed potatoes and sauteed kale. Blossom has a few other restaurants in NYC, and now I want to check them all out!

On my actual birthday, I went to Casa Mezcal. I remembered to take a picture this day, because my tlayuda was so beautiful!  They have some vegetarian options here and I loved my tlayuda, topped with black beans, cheese, avocado, tomato, peppers, onions, and mushrooms. I have been to Oaxaca, Mexico a few times and in my opinion Casa Mezcal is most reminescent of authentic Oaxacan food. Their hot sauces, guacamole and chips were great.  This place has one of the most beautiful bars and they have such a diverse variety of beverages. I love the hibiscus salt they put on my margarita.