My New Wednesday Ritual

So a while back I posted about the Los Angeles Conservancy's "Last Remaining Seats" summer film series that they host in historic theaters on Broadway in Downtown L.A. Well..... two weeks ago I attended my first screening, and it have to say, buying the series package was a great idea and I can't recommend attending one of these nights enough! For the next month, I'll be attending these screenings, and probably eating beforehand at my new favorite restaurant!

Two Wednesdays ago I left work in Santa Monica, headed downtown, and on a whim, typed "macrobiotic" into my Yelp application. Up came Shojin which is a vegan, macrobiotic Japanese restaurant on the third floor of the Little Tokyo shopping center on Alameda. Seeing as how it was pretty close to the Los Angeles Theater, where I would be seeing "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" later, I drove over to Alameda and found a parking spot on the street. The meter was broken - bonus! (I later found out there is free parking in the shopping center lot, with validation). Anyway, I entered the mall, where I was decidedly out of place, and smiled all the way up the escalator to the 3rd floor where the huge, cheery flowers of the ceiling art glowed pinkly onto the facade of Shojin - also cheerful with its floral paintings on display. I was immediately greeted by the hostess, who later appeared to be the owner as well, and welcomed warmly. She asked if it was my first time and was very friendly. I was so happy just walking in there - as the walls were adorned with colorful paintings from a local artist and the menu depicted all sorts of yummy dishes I had only recently been introduced to (Thanks, Kind Diet!) and extolled the virtues of vegan, macrobiotic meals. I ended up ordering quite a lot, as I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I got the kukicha tea, a barbecued seitan/avocado sushi roll (half size), a vegetable soup and a really delicious ramen bowl, which ended up being huge! It had veggies and noodles and lots of broth, and I took home the leftovers, which were considerable. My food and tea was served by an adorable waitress who bowed to me whenever she placed a dish in front of me, and to whom I couldn't help but bow back! I wasn't sure which spoon I was suppose to use for what - I used the chop sticks for the seitan rolls, but that was really messy. The soup I had with a regular spoon, but I learned that the white ceramic spoon with the flat bottom is for ramen. It's a little awkward to fit in my mouth, but it worked, and my food was too good to notice. Anyway, I had to get in and out quickly so as not to miss the show, so I didn't get to try any of the delicious looking desserts. I'll report back after tomorrow!

Anyway, if you've never had a chance to visit the Los Angeles Theater on Broadway and 6th, you are missing out. This place is beyond gorgeous - it's so beautiful I would happily get married there. I realized then that that's why the venue opened up an hour before the movie started... just so people can wander around and admire the splendor of the interior. There are several levels of the theater itself, with a balcony and mezzanine. The bowels of the theater are where the bathrooms are (eww, gross, no pun intended) and these bathrooms are truly gems. I felt like a princess walking through the mirrored ante-chamber and could only imagine a bride with all her attendants getting ready for a wedding.

Once I get settled in my seat (which was nearly center - oh, the boons of sitting singly), I realized that the house was packed! Completely sold out. The director of the L.A. Conservancy spoke about the Conservancy's work and upcoming projects, mentioned the evening's sponsors, which included 213, my favorite nightlife company (I even saw Cedd Moses outside the theater when I checked in), and then introduced Matthew Weiner - the creator of Mad Men! What a thrill!

Matthew got up and spoke a bit about Mad Men, working with Robert Morse (Cooper on the show) and about the film and it's run on Broadway. Robert Morse and the film's other star - Michelle Lee - were both on hand that night, and indulged the audience with some stories of Broadway, making the film, and some singing and dancing! They were great.

Once the curtains finally parted and the lights went dim, I really had no idea what to expect. But let me tell you, "How To Succeed in Business..." is spectacular! I really don't care for most musicals, but this was smart, funny, romantic, and had choreography by Bob Fosse! I loved the '60s fashion, the storyline, the music, everything! Robert Morse was amazing - I really want to cue it up on Netflix just so I can watch it again. I really loved this movie. I believe it won a Tony, and I can only imagine seeing the original cast on New York's Broadway. I certainly came close that night on Broadway West.

The Wednesday following I did much of the same - that night the film was Hitchcock's "Strangers On a Train" and the venue was the Million Dollar Theater, at 3rd and Broadway. My dinner at Shojin ran a little long as I left work a little later, but it was amazing for a second time! It took me a while to find parking near the theater as it was later, but I made it just as the film was starting. I didn't get the chance to look around as much, but I'll get the opportunity for another showing later this month. Anyway, surprise, surprise, "Strangers" was fantastic as well! I never cease to be amazed by all the great films that have come before, and I wish I had more time to see them! What a creepy-comic film - great for this June gloomy weather we're having. The film was preceded this time by a cartoon from Warner Brothers about a bull dog who cares for a kitty cat - so funny! I missed the opening remarks, but I'm sure they were interesting, as well.

Anyway, have I sold you yet?? Get your tickets for The Last Remaining Seats already! They are mostly sold out, except for the last two. Here's the link: http://www.laconservancy.org/remaining/index.php4

Week 3: The Importance of Being Prepared

So, although I didn't keep track of week 2's breakfasts with blog posts, I did have a great week of eating interesting and delicious vegan foods. I think I started detoxing and was pretty tired last week, and my mind was really foggy, which is probably the reason why I didn't manage to blog every morning! Anyway, I will be better this week, because I really thinking the blog has helped me to stay on track. All of that aside, I ended up having a bunch of foods yesterday that normally would have been treats to me - hot chocolate (nonvegan), tea sandwiches with cream cheese, maracoons and pizza with cheese and sausage. I felt a little like indulging in what I thought would be yummy stuff (even though I knew they were not "kind" foods), but I ended up feeling so sick by the end of the night... bloated (I never used to feel like this!), heartburn-y, and head-achey. Ugh! So, that sure showed me - after nearly 2 weeks of eating great yummy healthy foods, my body totally rejected this gross stuff I put into it, and I won't soon do that again.

Next time, I think it would be helpful to keep sweets somewhat on hand to indulge without totally giving in to the crap, and also to bring food to parties to share and to make sure I eat how I want to eat. (Yesterday, at a Lost viewing party, I brought Malibu Monkey lemonade and macaroons from Chocolate Box Cafe.... sooo good, but I should have brought something more substantive for myself).

I think I also have to be wary of eating anything with white or cane sugar.... I'm such a sugar addict! I need to try out some of the brown rice syrup recipes so I can have some sweets without totally going on a sugar meltdown.

Week 1: Saturday Breakfast

Okay, so I woke up really hungry and craving something sort of indulgent. Unfortunately I didn't really prepare anything in advance, so I cut some corners. I made myself a quick bowl of oatmeal while I attempted to create a modified waffle recipe. We had Bisquik, but I decided I didn't want to mess around with bleached white flour, so I followed the Biskquik baking instructions using organic unrefined flour, some almond milk, some orange marmalade and, mistaking it for olive oil, some white truffle oil! (Ooops). The truffle oil made it pretty savory, but the consistency of the waffles was tough and chewy, and I think I can definitely improve up this. It tasted okay, but it was too sweet of a meal overall, and I should have balanced it with more veggies and maybe some veggie bacon or something along the lines of protein. Anyway, it wasn't terrible, but it did remind me to stay on track while I was eating and drinking at a wedding later that afternoon.

Week 1: Friday Breakfast

Today was a sort of dismal breakfast - in a rush, and all I could grab was some toasted cinnamon raisin bread with orange marmalade. It tasted good, but not very filling or balanced. I also had some baby carrots in the car. Still, I've been on track so far this week; I think writing about my breakfast really helps me stay in tune to my eating habits. I've been eating vegan now for 6 days, and pretty healthy at that! (Not like a gummy bear-only diet).

I made a really excellent ginger tofu dish and a bok choy salad one night this week...check out the photos below. It took a while for the tofu to marinate and for the rice to cook, but overall, it was delicious! Really, I will make this again. I think the key to eating according to "the kind diet" is preparing in advance (so you don't have to wait an hour before your food is ready to eat) and taking the time to cook flavorful, interesting meals. If all I ate was rice and beans every night, I would hate eating! (Even though I love both rice and beans). Eating is supposed to be enjoyable, and I have to say, so far the times I've made one of Alicia Silverstone's recipes, I've been really happy with the results. (Check out her book The Kind Diet for the recipe). I'm ready for the weekend for some more food experimenting!

Week 1: Thursday Breakfast

I missed posting about this yesterday, but I had a nice modified "oatmeal" breakfast. I had a lot of leftover rice, and just added my usual maple syrup, apples, cinnamon, walnuts & flaxseed oil... very good! It was cold, though, so not ideal.

Bobs, Poodle Skirts, Acid Wash Jeans, and Peas

Today for lunch I brought some leftover brown rice and black beans, and a handful of English peas. Growing up, we grew peas on the vine in my backyard. I don't know if they were specifically "English" or not, but I always used to eat them pod and all. When I bit into one of these English pea pods that I brought, it was so tough and not at all chewable! So of course I googled the proper way to eat these. What I found, in addition to learning that the pods are best eaten when steamed, was delightful! Peas have an under-publicized pop history, according to Leah A. Zeldes of Dining Chicago. She writes:

They were mainly used dried until the 17th century, when green peas became all the rage in the French court as Françoise d’Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon, wrote in 1696: “This subject of peas continues to absorb all others, the anxiety to eat them, the pleasure of having eaten them and the desire to eat them again, are the three great matters which have been discussed by our princes for four days past. Some ladies, even after having supped at the Royal table and well supped too, returning to their own homes at the risk of suffering from indigestion, will again eat peas before going to bed. It is both a fashion and a madness.”

When was the last time a vegetable was all the rage! Too funny.

Week 1: Wednesday Breakfast

This morning I got up a little earlier and made the totally delicious oatmeal that I tested out on Sunday. It is SO filling, and SO sweet! I made it the same way I did Sunday, but I'm thinking I can start lessening my use of maple syrup as I don't normally use that anyway. (Are there health benefits to maple syrup?) I accidentally doused my bowl of steaming oats a bit too much with flaxseed oil, but I think I'll live. Flaxseed oil is apparently good to have daily, so since I don't think I had any yesterday or the day before, I should be nicely provided for! Here's what the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine says about flaxseed oil as a good source of omega-3 fatty acids:

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are important in the normal functioning of all tissues of the body. Deficiencies are responsible for a host of symptoms and disorders including abnormalities in the liver and kidney, changes in the blood, reduced growth rates, decreased immune function, depression, and skin changes, including dryness and scaliness. Adequate intake of the essential fatty acids results in numerous health benefits. Prevention of atherosclerosis, reduced incidence of heart disease and stroke, and relief from the symptoms associated with ulcerative colitis, menstrual pain, and joint pain have also been documented.^{2,3, 4}

It is important for vegetarians to include foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids on a daily basis. Alpha-linolenic acid, a common omega-3 fatty acid, is found in many vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and fruits. The best source of alpha-linolenic acid is flaxseeds or flaxseed oil.

While supplements and added oils are not typically necessary in the vegetarian diet, good sources of omega-3 and omega-6 fats should be included daily. It is important to take these two fats in the proper ratio as well. Omega-6 fatty acids compete with omega-3 fatty acids for use in the body, and therefore excessive intake of omega-6 fatty acids can be a problem. The U.S. diet has become heavy in omega-6 fats and low in omega-3 fats, secondary to a reliance on processed foods and oils. It is necessary to balance this by eating a low-fat diet that is low in processed foods and with fat mainly coming from omega-3 fatty acids.

I used Spectrum's Organic Flaxseed Oil, and it added a barely perceptible nutty flavor, which was nice!

Week 1: Tuesday Breakfast

Yikes, I was a little rushed this morning, but I still managed to make a yummy breakfast to keep with my 4 week vegan goal, albeit on the go! I'll have to plan better for tomorrow, because I can't keep eating the same thing in a row! That oatmeal was really yummy on Sunday; now that I've got some brown rice syrup, I'm interested in trying that out as a sweetener.

Week 1: Monday Breakfast

This morning I had a thick slice of bread from Julian Bakery (of San Diego) with a slather of almond butter and some orange marmalade on top. To add some veggies into the mix, I had a side of baby carrots. A little strange, but very satisfying and yummy!! I like to dip carrots in peanut butter usually anyway, so this was an easy stretch.

Alicia Silverstone Speaks About the Kind Diet

All I have to say about this is, I'm so excited and happy that there are people like Alicia in the world! I read Skinny Bitch a couple years ago, and finished Alicia's Kind Diet over the weekend, and her approach to veganism is so much more friendly, empowering and easy-going. Whereas Skinny Bitch is somewhat of a rant-expose, luring readers in with the promise of weight loss, and then completely getting in their faces about everything from sugar to beef, Alicia is so radiant with health and love that her lifestyle is naturally attractive, and I can't help but want to share it. So here you go...

Week 1: Sunday Breakfast

Today I made my first official breakfast on The Kind Diet, "Quick Date-Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal", taken from a recipe off Alicia Silverstone's vegan list. Technically, this was only Quick Apple-Cinnamon oatmeal as I didn't have any dates on hand. Now, I am a long-time lover of oatmeal, but this was particularly delicious and super easy to make. Usually I boil two cups water, add in a cup of oats, turn off the heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then I add in some cinnamon, and that's usually it. Since I've been staying away from milk lately, it hasn't had the douse of milk I used to add.

However, today's oatmeal was quicker and tastier, and Alicia-approved! Yay! I boiled some water in a saucepan, and meanwhile combined the following in a stainless steel mixing bowl:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (more like 1... I was at the bottle of the bottle)
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (I used a handful and broke them into pieces)
• 1/3 crisp apple, cut in cubes
• some ground up sea salt
• 3 shakes ground cinnamon
• a drizzle of flaxseed oil

Once I'd combined those, I got the pot of water, turned off the stove, and poured the water over the mixture so that the oats were just barely covered. I put a lid on the bowl, and let it sit for 2 minutes or so, and it was ready! It was sooo yummy and very filling. I have a nice warm feeling in my belly now, and I feel very relaxed.

The Kind Diet

I bought Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet after discovering her great online community The Kind Life, and am totally on board. I've been "flirting" with going vegan for a few years now, but am ready to take the plunge for real. Today I'm starting 4 weeks of plant-only eating. The things that I usually succumb to are butter, cheese, chocolate, and bread. I'm going to simply seek out vegan alternatives instead of totally depriving myself, because that's not what this "diet" is about. It's about embracing all the wonderful gifts nature provides, celebrating life's blessings, being happy, taking care of myself and doing my part to make the world better for everyone and everything in it by making informed decisions.

After four weeks, I'll see where I'm at and throw myself a little party! I don't rely on too many processed foods, so hopefully the jump to full on "superhero" will be easy and gradual after that. I have no problem eating lots of whole grains and beans, but I need to try to eat more veggies than I already do, and keep fruits as occasional snacks rather than a big basis for my diet. What will be new for me is all the sea vegetables and exotic-sounding foods that are commonly used in eastern cuisine. I'm an adventurous eater, though, so this should be fun!

I plan to post what I eat for breakfast everyday with pictures so that I can 1) remind myself of my commitment daily, 2) start each day off on the right foot, 3) share that healthy, "kind" eating can be easy and delicious, and 4) track my progress! I hope this will be beneficial to others as well, since making small changes, even if only at breakfast, is a great way for us all to make a positive impact. I will of course use the same principles that inform my breakfast choices for the rest of my meals, but I don't want food to completely take over my blog!

New Start!

Lately I've been drinking peppermint tea and it is so refreshing! It's cooling and apparently good for digestion. I don't have any digestive problems, but it's supposed to support natural detox.

Detox is definitely a big trend right now in the health and wellness industry, but I haven't found a definitive system yet - some companies hawk their pills and teas, some are all about dry skin brushing and saunas, some are about foot baths and massage - still others about colonics, natural diets and fasting.

The idea of the body healing itself is an interesting one - one that I've come across recently both as it relates to detoxing and in the book Skinny Bitch...

I liked that book b/c they really opened my eyes about a lot of problems in the American food system. I have always been aware of the poorly treated animals and things, and have considered going vegetarian, but I never really realized that the poor cows that give us milk and the chickens that give us eggs also endure terrific agonies as well. I sort of just figured that if the product wasn't at one point sentient, it was okay. Well, I wasn't looking far enough into the situation.

Anyways, I would like to come up with a health and socially conscious way of eating that is actually doable. It's hard to sustain a vegan diet on a low budget and it's even harder when I don't plan in advance where, what and how I'm going to eat.