January 7, 2012

Hello 2012!

It's been a long, long time.

I was beginning to wonder if I would ever return to this site. The thing is, I kept away mainly because I wasn't quite sure what to do with Blackberries for Jam. Is it a recipe blog? A running blog? An online journal of sorts? Really, it was none of these, but I felt I had to commit to some kind of theme because . . . well, I don't know.

So recently I've had the urge to blog again. It's a bit of that resurgence of creative energy I feel at the beginning of each new year. Still, I have no idea what my "focus" will be, but I'm okay with that. I'll just post about things that excite and inspire me, and someone may read it or not. No expectations other than hopefully creating a record of experiences, food, pictures, whatever, that will be enjoyable to create and look back on.

And that's that. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, here's a little peek of what's been happening in my world.

Cheers to a fantastic year ahead!

July 29, 2011

Changes! And a hike!

Helloooooo!!! It's been a while. A long, long while! The past two months have been a whirlwind of change, excitement, and busy-ness! For starters, I started a new job. As a lawyer. But I'm not working at a law firm and it's part-time. I actually really, really like it. And thankfully I've acquired an iPhone for work purposes so I don't have to change my position on Blackberries.

I've also been out and about enjoying the glorious Vermont summer. Hiking, biking, kayaking, running, farmers markets, and just sitting on the porch. I have lots more to report, but first I thought I'd share a few photos from our recent hike up Spruce Mountain in Plainfield. There is an old fire tower at the summit that's a bit scary to climb, but the views at the top are truly amazing.

Summer is so wonderful, but so fleeting. In nearly a month, all that green will be replaced with golden yellows and rusty reds. Hard to believe!

June 1, 2011

My First Marathon

This past Sunday, I participated in the Vermont City Marathon in Burlington, my first attempt at 26.2 miles. It was an amazing experience I will never, ever forget.

I had been seriously training for the marathon since March, slowly building up mileage from my long run base of 13 miles each week to a final 22-mile run before my taper, but out of both nerves and superstition, I didn't tell anyone of my plans to run the race beforehand except my husband. No pressure!

The Vermont City Marathon follows a beautiful course meandering in and out of downtown Burlington along Lake Champlain. I love Vermont, and it meant a lot to me to run my first marathon here. I had also heard the crowds for this race were enormously supportive, and I knew I would need all those cheers to get me to the finish.

Since we live more than an hour from Burlington, we booked a hotel room in the city and arrived on Saturday afternoon to attend the expo and scope out meeting places along the course. It was so exciting to pick up my bib and shirt sporting the marathon logo, and I knew I was ready to earn it.

That evening, we enjoyed a lovely carb-filled dinner at Trattoria Delia, one of my favorite places in Burlington. It seemed like all of the other guests at the restaurant were talking about the marathon too!

After a somewhat restless, but sufficient night's sleep, I woke up ready to RUN! I ate my pre-race meal of an ezekiel cinnamon raisin english muffin with almond butter and strawberry jelly, a banana, coffee and water, geared up, and headed to the start line.

There were a total of 8,000 runners participating. In addition to 3,600 marathoners, there were also relay teams of 2 - 5 people. The starting corral was congested, but before I knew it the gun went off and so did I! After we turned the first corner things started to clear up and I was able to run at the pace I wanted.

The first several miles seemed to fly by. The crowds were cheering, we ran through the main downtown shopping area, and I kept thinking to myself, "Holy crap! I really am running a marathon!" I had to make a conscious effort to slow down. Even though I felt like I was bursting with energy, I knew I'd thank myself in the 20-mile range.

Because the course overlapped itself several times, I was able to see my husband four times during the race. That was SUCH a big help for me not only because he was able to hand me more water and gatorade at each meet-up, but also seeing him along the way always gave me a major morale boost and served to break up the miles in manageable bits.

I passed the half-way point in 2:08. I was feeling great. Since I was carrying all my own fuel (4 gels, my hydration belt and a bottle of water), I never had to slow down for the aid stations. I was also glad not to rely on them because they seemed to be spaced out further than I had expected. It was a hot and humid day and I drank a lot more water than I normally would on a long run.

At mile 15, I approached THE HILL. I could hear the Taiko drummers stationed at the bottom of the hill as I rounded the corner to Battery Street. Louder and louder they became, and I hoped the steep climb wouldn't wear me out.

My husband met me right before the ascent and passed me another bottle of water. I continued along my way and shortly after heard him calling my name. He was running up the hill with me along the sidelines! He ran all the way to the top, and when the terrain finally leveled out I thought, "that hill wasn't so bad!" My husband is the best.

Things started getting hard in miles 17 - 20. The sun came out, there was a long stretch of steady incline, and I felt the heat creeping in. Although my worst fears of temperatures in the mid-80s didn't materialize (despite the weather forecasts a few days before that predicted otherwise), it was extremely humid and the upper 70s are WAY hotter than the temperatures I'm used to running in. At one point, the course officials raised the alert to "HIGH."

At mile 21, I saw my husband for the last time, choked down my last Clif Shot (I really don't want to see another one of those for a while), and reassured myself I was in the final stretch. The course then turned onto the shaded bike path along Lake Champlain. No more pounding sun, and a gentle downhill until the finish.

Once I passed mile 22, I knew I would finish. Time also began to slow down. I had done a 22-miler in training, so every step was uncharted terrain from that point on. I told myself I just had to make it 40 more minutes, which doesn't seem so bad in proportion to the total time it takes to run a marathon, but every mile seemed to drag on forEVER. My IT bands felt achy and I was really tired. Many people were taking walking breaks at this point, but I was so afraid that I wouldn't be able to start running again if I started to walk. So I shuffled along, with Beethoven's 7th Symphony - one of my favorite inspirational tunes - repeating in my head.

In those last four miles, every cheering spectator helped. The little kids with their hands out for high-fives, the strangers who saw the fatigue in me, looked me in the eye and said "You've got this! You're almost there!" - each one of them propelled me along until I could finally hear the roar of the finish and the announcers calling out the names of the runners.

I crossed the finish line in 4:25, pretty much right on target where I wanted to be, somewhat in disbelief of what I had just done. Going into the race, I really didn't have a specific goal other than finishing the race with a smile, without injury, and enjoying the process of it. With the heat, I threw all concerns over time out the window, but I managed to pretty much keep up the pace I aimed for. Icing on the cake.

When my husband found me right after the finish, I burst into tears from all the emotion, but I was beaming with happiness.

The next few hours were spent walking very slowly through town so I could shower and get some food in me. I wasn't up for any major festivities because I was totally beat and my stomach was really unsettled from all the gel and gatorade sloshing around in it all day. Never one to pass up an opportunity to celebrate, I declared the rest of the week a post-marathon party. Not too much activity though; I am SO SORE!

I'm not sure if or when I'll run another marathon (although I kind of already want to), but for now I'm just excited to get out there and run again after I give my body the rest it needs.

And on that note, I wish you a HAPPY NATIONAL RUNNING DAY!

May 17, 2011

Warm Weather Calls for Creemees

Vermont, land of dairy farms aplenty, boasts a wealth of milk products from artisinal cheeses to every flavor of ice cream under the rainbow. And remember, Vermont is home to Ben and Jerry's, who have sufficiently blanketed the state so that their quirky pints are conveniently available wherever you would expect to find water and beer.

One thing Vermont does not have are the frozen yogurt shops that have otherwise swept the country, offering a bevy of flavors from self-serve dispensers and toppings galore. I admit I'm kind of a sucker for these places whenever I travel outside of the state, mainly because I love that you can top your froyo with chewy mochi pieces. On a recent trip to visit my family in Atlanta I believe I visited the local Yogli Mogli four times over a span of five days. In my defense, it's really hot there, and there's not much else to do in the suburbs.

So while I do occasionally pine for an outlet of Yogli Mogli/Red Mango/Pinkberry/Yoforia (aren't they pretty much all the same, with their trademark multi-colored tile walls and bucket-sized serving cups?), my loyalties really do lie with the Vermont analog to soft-serve frozen yogurt found elsewhere: the creemee.

To clarify, a creemee is NOT frozen yogurt. It is real ice cream, in soft-serve form, and it has a creamier consistency than regular soft-serve ice cream. This is Vermont. We don't mess around with our dairy treats. The creemee is unique to Vermont, at least in terms of its name, and creemee stands pop up EVERYWHERE in the warmer months.

Truthfully, I am not a very experienced creeemee eater. I've had creemees at just two places in this entire state - at Burlington Bay Cafe and Dairy Creme in Montpelier. I hope to expand my horizons this year, but I've found little reason to venture from these two great spots.

So, while out and about last weekend, a sudden craving for ice cream struck, and we happened to be in close proximity to Dairy Creme, a Montpelier institution and old-fashioned creemee stand.

(source)

This place is definitely the place to be on a weekend night! Vermonters sure do love the novelty of a warm spring evening. They offer quite a variety of flavors, including at least one non-dairy option (gotta love that about Vermont places). On this occasion, I opted for traditional vanilla, but my favorite flavor is probably - what else? - the classic maple creemee. Truthfully, at the time I was hoping for pistachio, but you can't win them all.

My one complaint about the place is that the creemees are gigantic! Even the small I ordered is way larger than a standard scoop of ice cream, and it's unbelievable than anyone can actually finish a medium, which I suspect is about a pint of ice cream. In my opinion, the kid's size is the perfect amount of ice cream for an after dinner treat. Anything more and I just get bored halfway through and end up wasting the rest.

Creemee season is just starting, and I'm predicting there will be many more in my future over the next few months!

April 28, 2011

Spring Fever

Spring has FINALLY arrived here in Vermont! In just a week's time, the weather turned from lingering blizzardy snow to 80 degrees. Crazy! Though it's been kind of a dreary, drizzly week, I've been happy to witness little signs of spring popping up everywhere:

Baby buds on trees

Flowers sprouting on the hillside

And only little traces of the snow that blanketed the ground for the past several months!

I'm also crediting my spring fever for my very out-of-the-ordinary breakfast this morning.

Now, it's very rare that I branch out from my standard breakfast fare. A big bowl of banana oats or an ezekiel english muffin with almond butter and jelly, alternate, repeat. Both options are tasty, filling and provide plenty of energy for my day.

But somehow, I awoke this morning and had to have pancakes. Blueberry pancakes, topped with strawberries, banana, and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

Now, even though I'm not an adventurous breakfaster, I still have tons of breakfast recipes bookmarked for those rare days like today. I pulled up Angela's recipe for spelt pancakes for one and got to work.

I basically followed the recipe exactly, although I omitted the maca and hemp powder and substituted a bit of buckwheat flour for the spelt flour to add a little nutty/earthy flavor. Even though I have a history of being a messy pancake flipper, the breakfast gods were looking down on me today and I ended up with four lovely discs of goodness.

And they were super delicious. I will be making them again.

The patriotic theme was definitely not intentional. In fact, I admit I'm much more interested in happenings across the pond this week. Who doesn't love a royal wedding? Tomorrow's breakfast will definitely be something quick so I can tune in for the main event!

Cheerio!

April 18, 2011

Recreating My Favorite Lunch

I was feeling rather ambitious this morning. Riding high from the excitement of watching the Boston Marathon, I felt inspired to accomplish a feat I've been meaning to tackle for quite some time.

As I mentioned before, one of my very favorite restaurants in New York is Souen, and when I visit the city I have been known to eat there for lunch every single day. Their lunch special is like comfort on a plate to me.

I long ago resigned myself to the fact that I will never be able to replicate Souen's carrot dressing, which to me is the star of this meal. Its creamy but light texture is the perfect complement to the nutty steamed kabocha squash. The recipe for the dressing is apparently a closely-held secret and my one attempt to replicate it a few years ago was a total failure.

Today, however, I redeemed myself.

After an exhaustive internet search for Souen's carrot dressing recipe, I nearly gave up, but I finally stumbled upon this recipe that seemed to have a similar flavor profile and texture to Souen's dressing.

After a whirl in the blender, I crossed my fingers and sampled the finished product.

And it was AMAZING!

While it won't pass as an exact replica of Souen's dressing, it's about as close as I can get, and the consistency is spot-on. The slight richness from the tahini really pulls it all together and it is a little bit sweet and savory at the same time. Oddly enough, I think I actually prefer it to Souen's original.

For the rest of my lunch, I made a brown rice sushi roll with avocado and baked tofu I had left over from my dinner last night, as well as big chunks of steamed kabocha to drown in the carrot dressing. Not exactly Souen's lunch as it was missing the cornbread and miso-tahini spread, but my growling stomach wouldn't let me tackle that challenge.

Carrot Dressing

slightly adapted from Absolutely Macro

makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 cup carrots, sliced in 1/8 inch rounds
1 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon low-sodium tamari
1 teaspoon umeboshi plum paste

Method:

Bring water to a boil with carrots and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes.
Reserve the liquid and add carrots to a blender along with tahini, umeboshi paste and tamari.
Blend until smooth and then add cooking liquid a little at a time until the dressing is the desired consistency (I used all of the remaining cooking liquid).
Cool, or serve at room temperature.
The dressing will keep, refrigerated for no more than two days.

This dressing is extremely versatile. You can drizzle it on top of stir-fried or steamed veggies and brown rice, use it as a dressing for a salad, or toss it in a noodle dish. You may even want to eat it with a spoon.

April 10, 2011

An Ethiopian Feast at Meskerem

Although it's been a week since we returned from New York, I'm still thinking about the wonderful meals we enjoyed in the city. Before we left, we basically planned our entire week of dinners. You can see where our priorities are. New York is all about the FOOD!

One of my objectives for the trip was to eat at an Ethiopian restaurant. We had only eaten Ethiopian food once before, while visiting D.C. 10 years ago. Why we never ate it again while we lived in New York I have no idea, but suffice it to say we were long overdue for a big plate of delicious mushy things and lots of injera.

Ever the diligent researcher, I surveyed our options before the trip and added Meskel in the East Village to our dining list, thanks to a very favorable review in the New York Times. But on Monday evening, I scouted out the location while my husband was at work and discovered it was closed on Mondays. I was not thrilled by this, nor were my aching feet that dreaded the long walk back from the far eastern fringes of the East Village.

Determined to get our Ethiopian fix, however, we ended up at our second choice, Meskerem in the West Village near NYU. Despite the law school flashbacks courtesy of our fellow diners who were practically seated on our lap, we ended up having a fantastic meal. I ordered the vegetarian combo, which was a delightful assortment of things I can't quite identify, but according to the menu consisted of two lentil dishes, one chickpea dish, a curry of cabbage, potatoes and carrots, and a curry of string beans, carrots and onions.

I happy gobbled up every last bite with the tasty injera. It was late and I was starving! I still don't understand how New Yorkers eat so late. My normal dinner time is seven and people in the city seem to eat no earlier than 8:30 or 9!

My husband ordered the Meskerem combo, which included the lentil dishes in my combo as well as two beef dishes and one lamb dish.

Though we normally share entrees, I preferred my meal and refused to share. Hunger-induced crankiness! Many thanks to my husband who handled my stinginess with grace.

Overall, we really enjoyed our experience at Meskerem, and I definitely won't be waiting 10 years to eat Ethiopian food again. We left full, but not stuffed, and my dinner provided great fuel for a refreshing 7-mile run in Central Park the next day.

April 6, 2011

Tofu "Egg Salad"

I'm kind of picky about lunch. I'm not a huge fan of traditional sandwiches, salads don't fill me up, and I rarely crave dinner-type foods such as pasta or rice dishes. If it weren't for my already nut butter-laden breakfasts, I'd be tempted to eat an almond butter and jelly sandwich every day. So that puts me in a bit of a pickle come noon-time many days.

Luckily, I have a few standby lunches I resort to when my creativity is lagging. One of my very favorites is tofu "egg salad." Now, I have nothing against eggs. In fact, eggs are another one of my go-to lunches. But this tofu "egg salad" is nothing like any egg salad you've ever tasted. It's a smorgasbord of all kinds of good stuff that sound weird together but taste amazing: tofu mayonnaise, tahini, pickles, olives, grainy mustard. Trust me, it may not be the prettiest thing to look at, but smash a generous scoop between two pieces of whole-grain bread, add a couple thin slices of apple, a few spinach leaves, and perhaps a bit of kimchi, and you'll be mmmmm-ing your way through lunch just as I do.

Tofu "Egg Salad"

Adapted from Hip Chicks Guide to Macrobiotics

Ingredients:

I lb. extra-firm tofu, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup finely-diced red onion
2 chopped dill pickles
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/2 cup Nayonaise (tofu-based mayonnaise)
1/4 cup tahini
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon umeboshi plum vinegar
1.5 tablespoons grainy mustard
1/2 teaspoon mirin
1/2 teaspoon tumeric

Method:

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add tofu and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and stir well.
Wrap tofu in paper towels to remove excess water. Cut in 4 equal pieces and repeat.
Crumble tofu into ingredient mixture and stir well to ensure tofu is evenly incorporated.
Store in refrigerator in an airtight container. Keeps well in the fridge up to one week.
Use as a sandwich filling, or spread on crackers for a tasty snack.

What are your go-to lunches?

April 4, 2011

Will Ryman's Roses on Park Avenue

Last Wednesday evening, we finally made it uptown to see Will Ryman's Roses installation. I've been eager to see these in person since they "sprouted" on Park Avenue in January.

It was a pretty dreary day, and the roses were a vibrant contrast to the gray skies and gray concrete backdrop. I love projects like this that brighten up the city in the winter. Reminds me of the epic Gates event in Central Park in 2005.

Fun fact: the first rose cluster is right in front of my old office on 57th and Park. I can see my old office window in this picture.

March 31, 2011

Red Bean Bun Addiction

While wandering around the East Village on Tuesday in desperate need of a snack, I stumbled upon Cafe Zaiya, a little Japanese bakery offering a variety of sweet and savory treats. I'm a sucker for anything filled with azuki red bean paste, so I selected the Yaki Mochi, a black sesame bun (made from rice flour, I believe) stuffed with red bean paste.

It's not the prettiest thing to photograph, but oh my goodness, it was DELICIOUS! I enjoyed it along with a pot of grassy Uji Kabusecha tea at Cha An teahouse - an oasis of serenity off busy Third Avenue - while catching up with my brother.

The Yaki Mochi was so good, in fact, that I returned to Cafe Zaiya yesterday AND today for more red bean goodness. These things are like crack. I may have a problem. Live it up while you can, right?

When I'm back in Vermont I will probably be experiencing such severe withdrawal that I will finally be compelled to try Alayna's recipe for green tea dorayaki that has been bookmarked forever.

Until then, I have two more days to max out on Cafe Zaiya treats.