Archive | November, 2011

Spa Castle

30 Nov

I have been to spas before… but never to one like Spa Castle.

I am not a spa lover, but I can appreciate the health benefits that visiting a spa can provide – relaxation, detoxification, improved circulation, curative properties, among others.

Located in College Point, Queens, Spa Castle is the largest, cleanliest, most organized spa I have ever been to. I have visited several spas in the Miami area but none compare to the sheer size and amenities of Spa Castle. It has various levels, each dedicated to specific purposes. You are not allowed to use any cameras in the spa, so these pictures are courtesy of Spa Castle’s website.

The main level is divided – one area for men and a separate area for women. Here is where you’ll find hot whirpool baths, all at various temperatures and activity levels so you can ease into the relaxation mode little by little. You’ll find hot baths and cold baths… designed for you to go from one to the other to regulate your body’s temperature. There are pools with shots of water to massage every inch of your body. The big caveat… this level can only be used if you’re completely nude. No bathing suits or any other type of clothing is allowed. A bit shocking for someone who was not mentally prepared for that… but after you see a lot more than what you thought you would see ever in your lifetime, you kinda forget about it and concentrate on the spa experience.

The next level is co-ed and that’s where all the saunas are located… you are given a very colorful t-shirt and short ensemble where we all look the same, ready to take in the relaxing heat of all the saunas available. I’ve never been much of a sauna person… I come from the tropics and I do not like to feel all sweaty and suffocated. In other spas, you’re wearing a bathing suit and to cool off from the sauna heat you dump buckets of water over you. Then, like that all drenched, you go into the next sauna. I tend to feel all suffocated in the chest… Well, not here. Because you’re dry, people get to enjoy the sauna heat by laying on the saunas floor allowing the sauna heat to go up and you tend to feel much more comfortable than in those other saunas I’ve been before. And you still need to cool off after exiting these saunas, but you do it in a igloo room 32°F which feels amazingly comfortable after being in a hot sauna.

There are seven sauna rooms for you to enjoy:

An LED Sauna room that uses color therapy to enhance your mood and spirit.

A Gold Sauna designed to comfort sore limbs, perfect after you get a foot/leg massage. I was totally sore afterwards… and it looks divine on the inside, doesn’t it???

The Salt Sauna is lined with pink-colored rock salts directly brought from the Himalayas. It’s supposed to regulate blood pressure and water in your body. It also promotes regular blood sugar levels…

There’s a Far Infrared Sauna and a Far Infrared Chaise Lounge area where you can lay underneath these infrared lamps to strengthen your immune system.

The Jade Sauna contains calcium and magnesium and super gorgeous to be inside.

 

The Loess Soil Sauna is the hottest of them all.

And lastly is the Iceland igloo room, designed to cool you off in between the hot saunas and maintain proper body temperature. Also, going from hot to cold strengthens your skin pores and improves circulation.

There is a mezzanine level with massage rooms, treatment rooms and even rooms to sleep. The top level is an outside pool court with whirpools, Jacuzzis and more. You need to bring your bathing suit for this level and if you don’t have one, they rent one for you. I did not get a chance to visit this area but I would have loved to been inside those pools when it was 50°F outside. Nice!!!

Spa Castle also has a great juice bar and a lunch buffet. I only had juices there because I do not get hungry while I am in the saunas and pools. But afterwards… that’s a completely different thing!!!! 

And if my experience is not enough for you, Spa Castle has been featured in The New York Times, The Village Voice and on ABC too.

If you’re in the NYC area or will be visiting the NYC area I highly recommend you visit Spa Castle. It was a wonderful experience that I would definitely like to replicate in the near future…

Vegetarian Grocery Shopping in NYC

28 Nov

When I travel, I love to shop for stuff I can’t find in Puerto Rico. Even if things are really, really cheap, I will not purchase it during a trip if I can find it back home. Suitcase space is too precious to invest in things I do not have to carry back home in a suitcase and risk spoilage or spillage.

But during my recent trip to NYC, 90% of what I bought was food items!!!! When I took everything out of my suitcase, I felt as if what I had done in NYC was grocery shopping. Here is a sampler of what I purchased:

Le Pain Quotidien – Brunette Praline Butter and 4 Red Fruits Preserves

I love eating these when I visit Le Pain Quotidien restaurants. And they’re organic too!!!

Union Square Street Market – Raw Milk Goat Cheese

We bought this cheese from Ardith Mae. She sells all things GOAT MILK – goat’s milk, goat’s milk yogurt, raw milk cheeses and pasteurized milk cheeses too. She has a great website and I totally love the pictures of her happy goats. They’re super duper cute…

Sorry, no pictures available for this raw milk cheese… we were so hungry that my mom opened up the wrapper one night and we snacked and snacked away. My bad that I forgot about all of YOU during our hunger attack. We bought a Colby style cheese that was truly delicious. We enjoyed it with spelt bread, organic butter and slices of avocado in an open-faced sandwich. Divine!!!!

Union Square Street Market – Raw Whipped Honey

I learned on this trip that honey is generally cooked before bottling… never imagined that. I always thought bottled honey came straight from the bee hive. According to Andrew, the raw honey guy over at Union Square Market, raw honey has more nutrients and beneficial qualities because it has not been tampered with. He has been featured in a variety of media, including the Martha Stewart Show. I bought the whipped version because it seemed like it would last me longer than the regular liquid kind… we’ll see about that!!!

Union Square Street Market – Beth’s Farm Kitchen Jellies

I have looooved their Garlic and Rosemary Jelly for years now. And this time around I also bought their Sour Cherry Preserves. I wanted to try one of their sugar-free spreads, but they have an expiration date and I can’t be rushed into eating anything…

Yummy Earth – Pomegranate Pucker Candy

This is my favorite flavor of lollipops from Yummy Earth… and to know I do not have to “weed” out all the other flavors I don’t enjoy as much is a real treat…

Whole Foods – Maple Almond Butter and Honey Almond Butter

I still have not tried these, but I loved the sampling packaging. They are also available in jars, but I wanted to try them first before committing to a whole jar. Besides, I knew I was going to purchase the Le Pain Quotidien Praline Butter already… so I was careful not to overload on the same type of product.

Whole Foods – Fig and Almond Cake

This was something my friend Rudy requested… or more that he mentioned he likes and I tried to please him with a little treat from NYC. We are now waiting for the right piece of manchego cheese to enjoy this with… YUM!!!

Grand Central Market – Sun-dried tomatoes

I have bought sulfite-free sun-dried tomatoes elsewhere, but as you can see from the label, these sun-dried tomatoes do not contain any sulfites either and stay softer than any of the other sulfite-free tomatoes I have bought in the past. They do offer other goods there and they list sulfites in the ingredient list, such as dried apricots or dried pineapples. So I trust them when they only list tomatoes and salt as their ingredients.

May Wah Vegetarian Market – Chicken Nuggets and Spare Ribs

I do not make these much at all… but they are great when you want a quick snack. And I will try to share Tania’s recipe for rice with vegetarian spare ribs. It’s a tad greasy, but that’s what makes it so similar to traditional cooking. I had it the other day and it was “finger-licking good”.

Apple Tasting at Union Square Street Market in NYC

25 Nov

It’s apple season… and coming from the tropics, the only apples I am familiar with are the traditional Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smiths and if you want to get exotic, some Galas once in a while.

From my local experience, I prefer to use Granny Smiths or Golden Delicious in most of my cooking applications – to make an apple crisp, to eat with Brie en Croute or Camembert Chaud and to enjoy in a picnic with the Laughing Cow’s cheese wedges…  I like their flavor and look much better than the Red Delicious. To me, the typical red-skinned apple tends to be too mealy and not very appetizing, although it tends to be ubiquitous in any local potato salad recipe.

Given I was going to be in apple country during apple season, why not expand my horizons to trying other types of apples, which I have certainly heard of but never ever tried before???

So during our 2 visits to Union Square Street Market, we visited a few stalls who concentrated in selling apples and apple cider and juices. There were sooooo many to choose from so we concentrated our efforts on a few types only:

Fuji Apples

Macoun Apples

Macintosh Apples

Sonata Apples

Cameo Apples

 

The results of our research derived the following conclusions:

  • The ones my mom and I kept trying over and over again were Fuji and Macoun. They were both sweet and crisp tasting.  They were both good!!!
  • I  think my tastebuds are not as developed in apple knowledge to detect much difference in most of the apples. Sonata, Macintosh and Cameos all blended in the mix. Maybe I needed to cleanse my palate in between tastings???
  • After tasting so many pieces of apples, they all kinda tasted very similar to me. An apple is an apple is an apple…
  • I was told that Macoun apples were particularly juicy, even much so that the juice would drip down my arm, but that was not the case with the apples we had. Maybe it was the 50F degree weather that kept all that juice trapped inside the fruit, but I’ve only had that “juice down the arm” experience with mangos, peaches and nectarines. Sorry apples…
  • I do love apple cider and I do not particularly care from what apple it’s made of.

So, after much deliberation I am glad to say that I can add Fuji and Macoun apples to the list of preferred apples in my domain. If I ever see them on sale here in Puerto Rico, most probably in Costco, I will gladly add them to my shopping cart.

Do you have a favorite apple???  Do you have a favorite apple recipe you would like to share???

The Shape of Foods Help our Organs?? – SWEET POTATOES

23 Nov

This is part of a series on how our food can help certain organs that resemble their same shape. I already shared with you how carrots benefit the eyes, how tomatoes and grapes benefit the heart, how walnuts are essential for brain health, how celery and other stalky veggies are great for bone health and how beans are super beneficial for “kidneys”??? Yep…

Japanese Sweet Potatoes Photo Courtesy of AnniePickns's Blog

Sweet potatoes are a great source of beta carotene, due to its orange color. This means it’s great for keeping ourselves young. Because of its elongated shape its beneficial for our pancreas…

But what I really think it means is how some studies have shown that sweet potatoes can help stabilize blood sugar levels and lower insulin resistance. It actually helps the pancreas do its job… And steamed/cooked sweet potatoes seem to make more available these blood-sugar effect benefits.

Here are a few recipes with sweet potato you can try soon:

Sweet Potato Pastelón

Fried White Sweet Potato

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Onions

Sweet Potato Flan

Cantaloupe Juice

21 Nov

My friend Rosani is a cantaloupe melon fanatic… she really is. And her remedy for anything is cantaloupe juice.

You are not feeling quite right in the stomach… cantaloupe juice.

You need some energy… cantaloupe juice.

You need a sugar fix… cantaloupe juice.

So during our recent trip to NYC, Rosani treated us to her signature best juice concoction, cantaloupe juice. It’s delicious and creamy. Hope you guys like it too.

 

CANTALOUPE JUICE

1/3 of a cantaloupe melon, seeded and peeled
2 tbs brown sugar or agave nectar
Water
  1. Blend all the ingredients together in a blender.
  2. Rosani likes her juice on the thicker side, so you don’t need to add that much water, about 1 cup more or less.
  3. Pulse well a few times and let it go a few minutes to make sure the melon is well pureed into the juice.

Drink immediately. This is not the type of juice you make to save in the fridge. It’s best enjoyed right after it’s made.

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Ideas 2011…

20 Nov

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays… No, correction. It is MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY. Maybe because I was born on a Thanksgiving Day, but most of all because I love the fact it’s a holiday to be grateful for all the things we have…

There are sooo many things to feel thankful for… everything we have and even what we don’t have. Our family, our health, the fact we can walk, hear, speak, a roof over our heads, being able to work, that we have food on our tables and have every morning an opportunity to be a better person and forge for ourselves a better future… and for what we don’t have – sickness, that boyfriend that left before his time (in your opinion…), that former job that was making our stress so crazy…

And it’s a shame this holiday has become such a sad holiday for turkeys… I am sure each and every turkey would THANK YOU a lot if you can make Thanksgiving an even more positive holiday without the need to bring suffering to our turkey friends. There are so many more positive ways to demonstrate our gratitude…

Thanksgiving can be just a joyful experience and family-oriented holiday without a turkey at the center of the table. You can still make honor to the flavors of the season and make this holiday the most positive one ever!!

Here are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes from years past:

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

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Wild Mushroom Lasagna

Pumpkin Risotto

pumpkin-risotto

Arugula Red Onion and Orange Salad

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Cranberry Sauce

Just boil or steam some sweet potatoes, mash them with butter and a little bit of milk and serve them alongside a delicious sweet and tangy Cranberry Preserves.

Vanilla Maple Carrots

vanilla-maple-carrots.jpg

Vanilla Cinnamon Sweet Plantains

This is the traditional Latin side dish to any pasta dish… perfect with the Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, the Mushroom Lasagna or even the Pumpkin Risotto. I have also made them to accompany Giada Di Laurentiis’ Butternut Squash Lasagna here…

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Sweet Potato Flan

Flans do not need to include any eggs if it has cream cheese… YUM!!!

sweet-potato-2.jpg

 

Thank you for your continued support and may your Thanksgiving Holiday be filled with lots of joy, family and love.

My first Bánh Mì in NYC

18 Nov

I have been reading about Báhn Mì’s for about a year now… maybe even longer. These Vietnamese sandwiches are all the rage in the US.

I have heard about them during the first season of The Great Food Truck Race via the successful Nom Nom Truck from Los Angeles. They were selling these sandwiches like there was no tomorrow… And even in Serious Eats, Kenji went on a dissertation of what makes a Báhn Mì a Báhn Mì and he even went on a search for the best Báhn Mì in NYC.

Báhn Mì’s are a Vietnamese sandwich that originated as a fusion of cultures when Vietnam was under French rule… According to Kenji, the main aspects of a Báhn MI are:

  • Bread – French-baguette type bread usually made using rice flour for added crunch and lightness
  • Main Ingredient – we will concentrate on vegetarian, tofu-based Báhn Mì’s for the purposes of this vegetarian blog post
  • Sauce – the traditional Báhn Mì has a spreading of mayonnaise or butter cut with mayonnaise. These sandwiches are considered vegan, so there were no spread included. However, we should introduce these Báhn Mì people to Vegenaise. I think it would add a certain something- something closer to the traditional offerings.
  • Vegetable toppings – usually made of pickled daikon radishes, pickled carrots and cucumbers all cut into small thin sticks. Cilantro stems and some sort of spicy chili pepper. Some people put Sriracha sauce on theirs, but according to expert Kenji, this is neither typical nor respectable in the Báhn Mì world.

In the search for my first Bahn Mi, I deferred to Kenji, the expert in the matter and decided to head to Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich located at 369 Broome Street, New York NY; 212-219-8341. Saigon was rated third best sandwich in Manhattan so I knew it would be a good choice over all and was easily reachable by subway. Something I liked about them as well, they had 4 vegetarian options on their menu… so we had plenty to choose from.

Mom and I were super hungry and decided to try two of their tofu sandwiches – the Bánh mì chay đạc biêt – House Special Vegetarian (with tofu, mushroom, pickled carrots and radish) and a Bánh Mì Chay Đậu Hũ, Xả Ớt Rau  with Vegan chicken (tofu) with lemongrass.

I tried both versions… and my favorite was the House Special Vegetarian. Way more flavorful and interesting than the tofu lemongrass in my opinion. The House Special Vegetarian has a delicious sweet/salty peanut sauce that made the sandwich. As for the cilantro, I can certainly do without the stems. Only a few leaves on mine, please!!! I added a few drops, literally, 2-3 drops of sriracha to mine and the heat level was too much for me. I am still a spicy wimp… sorry!!!

The verdict… I loved the Báhn Mì. And if I have it again in Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich, I will order the House Special and not bother with anything else. I will try to bring some Vegenaise to use on mine… I will try to scope out other places to get a more complete sense of what a true Vietnamese báhn mì is… but for now, the intrigue is OVER!!!

Have you had a vegetarian báhn mì before??? Where are your favorite spots???

Roberta’s Pizza and my debut on Online Radio…

16 Nov

Almost every October I visit NYC to participate in the Anniversary celebrations of our USA Devanand Yoga Center in Queens, NYC. I think we’ve been doing it for the last 5-6 years…

This time around I stayed a few days longer to take care of some other business – KarmaFree Cooking business to be exact. I was invited by Nicole Taylor, hostess of the online radio show Hot Grease to be part of her Halloween Day show. Hot Grease airs LIVE every Monday at 3:30PM Eastern Time.

Hotgrease

I was honored that Nicole was interested in a vegetarian topic… what would she be interested in talking about??? Well we spoke for about 15 minutes – a lot in radio time – on Puerto Rican Halloween traditions, what makes candy vegetarian, some of the candy ideas and recipes we have here on KarmaFree Cooking and a few other random Halloween things.

The Heritage Radio Station is located behind Roberta’s Restaurant in Bushwick, Brooklyn. You need to go inside de restaurant, across the dining room, outside into the indoor patio (if that makes any sense…) and out there, within 2 recycled shipping containers there is a radio station!!!!

I was accompanied that day by Luscious Lifestyle Diva Yolanda Shoshana a.k.a. “ShoShi” talking about how to make Halloween a tad sexier. It was definitely an educational experience for me… Here we all are waiting for the broadcast to start.

Here you can find a link to the radio Interview if you would like to listen over and over again… at least you can now put a voice to my writing, no???

Afterwards, like any respectable food oriented radio show housed within the premises of a restaurant, we were invited for a few slices of pizza. Actually, it was more like a pizza for every 2 people. My mom and I shared this Pizza Margherita… we kind of broke the rules a bit because this was made with white refined flour, but it was delicious!!!!! And it would seem rude to say no after Nicole had been so gracious to us.

I hope Nicole was happy with our participation on her show… we sure enjoyed ourselves. It reminded me of my days of being a spokesperson on personal care brands a few moons back. But different, because this time around I was talking about myself and our lifestyle, which is super cool. We are definitely open to the possibility of traveling again to NYC if she would like for us to visit her once again.

Hey, that pizza margherita at the end sure is worth it!!!

May Wah Vegetarian Chinese Market

14 Nov

Many of you have asked me here on the blog comments, on Serious Eats, on our Facebook page, on Twitter or even via an email directly where in NYC do I purchase the soy-based vegetarian goodies I use in my recipes…

For about 8 years I have been visiting the May Wah Vegetarian Market in Chinatown in NYC. It’s located in 213 Hester St.

There you can find vegetarian chikn nuggets, tuno, veggie hams and bacon, vegetarian prawns/shrimp and vegetarian spare ribs, among many other oriental products.

You can visit them directly in Chinatown NYC. They also deliver to Connecticut, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Maryland, New jersey, Long Island and of course, New York. But you can also visit their website where they offer all their delicious products and can send them over to you via UPS Ground, 2nd Day or even Next Day. You can find them at:

website – www.vegieworld.com

email them  – maywah@vegieworld.com

@maywahnyc on Twitter

on Facebook – www.facebook.com/vegieworld

 

 

Mango Strawberry Smoothie

12 Nov

We had a great season for mango’s this year and we froze a lot of it for out-of-season enjoyment.

Mangos and strawberries pair very well together… and ripe mangos provide a touch of tropical goodness to any breakfast smoothie. This has been my smoothie of choice for the last few weeks.

Hope you enjoy it as well…

 

MANGO STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

1 cup of mango pieces
½ cup of strawberries
½ cup pineapple or orange juice
½ cup water
2 tbs plain yogurt
1 tbs agave nectar
4-5 ice cubes – I use these if the fruits are fresh and not frozen
  1. In a blender mix together all ingredients…

Enjoy all its deliciousness. It’s tangy and sweet all at the same time… you don’t taste the pineapple at all, but if in a pinch, you can use only water.

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