First Meal: I got up and after a little exercise was so hungry. But I was overwhelmed with all the food we had after shopping yesterday I couldn’t think of what to make. Gary had more clarity and took over, making a Tofu Vegetable Hash with Potatoes, Red Peppers and Kale. Thank you, Gary.
I spent some of the day making Cuccidati, the Italian Fig cookie. I got Gary’s grandmother’s recipe from his sister and made my own version, vegan and gluten-free. I was very pleased with the results. I wasn’t expecting perfection on the first pass but I got it.
Second Meal: We were invited to Linda Long‘s birthday party. She always celebrates in lovely little spots around Manhattan. This party was at the Bluebird London at Columbus Circle. The decor was fun and festive. She arranged a vegan menu for our party of nine. The restaurant printed it up! Linda brought vegan crackers from home to go with the soup. It was all done with such style!
Gary ordered a Manhattan and I joined him. When in Manhattan…
The first course was a Roasted Pumpkin Soup. There were little Hazelnuts floating about and I could taste a sweet note, perhaps apple blended in it. It was lovely, served in lovely dishes. The only minor issue was the small serving size.
The next course was a Truffle Risotto and it was delicious. Gary, as you know does not like mushrooms. He was very brave and tried it. He liked it!
Next was the vegetable, Broccoli. The Lemon Zest was light and lovely.
Linda insists on Chocolate Cake for her birthday. For years she was fortunate to have the famed Fran Costigan make the cake. But Fran is a very busy person and she also moved away from New York to Philadelphia. Linda still has the cake, she makes it herself. It was excellent. You can make this cake too. It’s in Fran’s Vegan Chocolate cookbook. It’s a must-have cookbook.
Tea and Coffee were served. It was late but Gary and I both could not resist a cup of Black Tea. It was especially good, served in beautiful tea pots, tea cups and saucers, with Almond Milk.
