The Rich Vegetarian

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Category: Food (page 13 of 30)

May 30, 2012 / 0 Comments

Miller Union

Walk into Miller Union, and you will be struck by the abundant light, huge windows, wooden tables, glass cabinets and high ceilings, all contributing to a classy-rustic urban vibe. The assortment of Lodge cast iron pans adorning the wall is eye-catching. I caught sight of a tiny guitar-shaped cast iron pan – cute! The servers are dressed in blue shirts and jeans, classic and simple. Our friendly server (my boss loved her voice) mentioned that most of the ingredients used at the restaurant were locally sourced. As she went over the drinks menu, she told us that Miller Union stocks Mexican Coca-Cola that contains cane sugar.

Miller Union isn’t exactly known for its vegetarian options. You can see the sole vegetarian entree on the menu, the Seasonal Vegetable Plate. A couple of the starters are vegetarian too. Or so I think. I didn’t exactly find out (it was a farewell dinner for a colleague and I wasn’t keen on starting a long-drawn conversation with the server).

We got a couple of starters for everyone to share – the Feta Snack and the Butter Bean Hummus with Housemade Lavash. I don’t seem to have pictures of the Butter Bean Hummus and Lavash… hmmm. For the entree, I got the Seasonal Plate. Dessert was a selection of three kinds of ice-cream sandwiches – Chocolate Brownie, Basil, Almond Toffee. I guess I should have picked Basil, but I asked for Almond Toffee instead. My gluttonous gene trumps the experimental one most of the times, sigh.

The Feta Snack comprised a dip of feta cheese, sour cream and cracked pepper served with a selection of baby carrots, turnips, beets. Surprisingly, the dip wasn’t too sour (as most feta dishes tend to be). I wouldn’t call this dish remarkable but it was a good start to the meal. I wish I had a picture of the Hummus-Lavash plate… sigh. The hummus was delicious, not too sour or garlicky, just perfect. I wonder if it contained any chickpeas at all. The Lavash was flecked with sea salt. It was crisp and crunchy, almost like a cracker.

My entree was strictly so-so. I think the vegetables (green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, beets) were steamed and salted, that’s all. Plus there was the fried okra. Agreed it is a plate of seasonal vegetables, and I assume the intent is to celebrate the produce of the moment. Yet, it felt too small, too plain for an entree. Maybe an accompanying biscuit would have ramped it up? Or a light olive oil dressing with herbs, perhaps? Or maybe some fresh beans/peas would have made all the difference.

Dessert was substantial. The ice-cream came nestled between two Graham crackers that held up remarkably well, zero sogginess. The Almond Toffee ice-cream was fairly decent. It wasn’t overly sweet although I wished for a stronger almond flavor. Pretty big-sized for a dessert portion… bigger than my entree!

I wish Miller Union would expand its vegetarian offerings…

Miller Union
999 Brady Ave NW, Atlanta GA 30318
678-733-8550
http://www.millerunion.com/site/ 

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May 29, 2012 / 0 Comments

Chat Patti Indian Vegetarian Restaurant

Sure, the pictures can do the talking but they aren’t being truthful, sorry to say.

Chat Patti is a vegetarian restaurant nestled in a busy strip mall in North Druid Hills. It is a busy place, people streaming in and out, orders placed and delivered over the full counter, servers cleaning up promptly. The clientele is mixed, Indians and others, students and professionals, residents and visiting parents… 🙂

Chat Patti has an extensive menu covering snacks, appetizers, South Indian tiffin dishes, North Indian thali, chaat, dessert. I can’t recall the last time we visited. It must have been a couple of years ago. Anyway, we were in the neighborhood and decided to stop by.

What a Spread!

We ordered Puri-Shrikhand, Patra Plate, Masala Vada, Bhel Puri, Sabudana Khichdi, Alu Tikki and tea. I must admit, the tea was the best part of the meal. Steaming hot, spiced with masala and ginger… I am a sucker for good tea. I have a high standard, though. It has to be boiled to the perfect milk-water consistency, it should be well-brewed but not bitter, and it should leave a gentle heat coursing down the throat. Yeah, I have the recipe for my perfect cuppa down to a science, precise!

Daddy got the Puri-Shrikhand (top left). He said it was okay, but knowing Daddy’s accommodating taste buds, I really wonder. Have never seen such yellow puris before! The Bhel Puri (top right) was too spicy, the sev too thick. The Sabudana Khichdi (mid, right) was undercooked and underspiced. The sago pearls were too tough. The Patra Plate (mid, right, lower) was quite nice, although it tasted a little old. The Masala Vada (low, right) was high on garlic and little else. As for the Alu Tikki (low, left), the Tikki was nothing more than cooked potato, bright yellow with turmeric. The accompanying Chhole was fairly decent but the chutneys lacked freshness.

Daddy got a bowl of Rasmalai (he ALWAYS gets dessert). He polished it off within minutes but he has a huge sweet tooth, so I wonder how it actually tasted.

P told me that when he was a student at Georgia Tech, he used to frequent Chat Patti frequently. Maybe he didn’t have too many options for Indian food those days. Anyway, this time, he ended up wishing that we’d driven further north and eaten at our favorite chaat joint Mumbai Masala instead… 🙁

Chat Patti
1594-F, Woodcliff Dr NE,
Atlanta GA 30329

www.chatpattiatl.com
404-633-5595

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May 22, 2012 / 0 Comments

Larabar Uber

Announcing the latest offering from Larabar, Uber!

I got a package in the mail containing 4 Uber Bars – Cherry Cobbler, Roasted Nut Roll, Apple Turnover, Bananas Foster. Gotta love the cute cloth bag!

Cloth Bag

P and I shared the Bananas Foster. This is what he had to say, “I like that there is some saltiness in there. I would have liked more dates to be included. Way more nutty than I like.” My take? Bananas + Salt is a great combination. A little overloaded with nuts, I agree.

P sampled the Apple Turnover. He thought that the flavors were great but the nut-fruit ratio was too high for his liking.

I ended up feeling the same about the other two, Cherry Cobbler and Roasted Nut Roll. Both bars were waaaay overloaded with nuts. The issue with this is that the bar tends to develop a stale-rancid overtone. I am a big consumer of Larabars, and not a single one so far has tasted stale or spoiled. But two of the Uber bars, I am sorry to report, tasted a tad rancid.

Brown rice vinegar and peanuts are part of the Uber bar ingredient roster. I am no fan of peanuts and I dislike the idea of including them in a fruit-nut bar. I think almonds and walnuts are the best kinds of nuts when it comes to taste, nutrition, health and energy. Peanuts? A firm No. As for brown rice vinegar, I am not sure if it is not an ingredient I’d like to see in a fruit-nut bar. Why add a fermented ingredient to a fruit-nut bar?

Uber Bars

Thanks to Larabar for sending me these samples! I am looking forward to the day when they send me a bar with my most favorite flavor combination – Fig + Walnut + Ginger + Dates. Soon, please? Thank you!

 

 

 

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May 10, 2012 / 0 Comments

Simplest and Prettiest Turmeric Pickles

Turmeric is a member of the ginger family, an antiseptic, and a staple in Indian cooking. During winter, fresh turmeric is harvested, dried and powdered into a vibrant yellow powder, also called haldi in Hindi. I add a teaspoon or so of turmeric powder to almost every Indian dish I cook. It adds such a pretty color to dals and curries (and I use the word ‘curry’ in the Indian context – you knew that already, didn’t you?) and renders them utterly fragrant. The antiseptic/digestive properties don’t hurt either!

Mom makes turmeric pickles in winter. She makes them using white and yellow turmeric. These are possibly the simplest AND prettiest pickles you can ever find, believe me! I found a stack of both turmeric varieties at the local Indian store last week and got some home. Soaked them in water for a couple of hours, peeled them, cut into tiny slivers. Actually, I took the photographs and Dad did all the dirty work!

 

So pretty right? Dad is a master vegetable chopper, so skilled and graceful in his work. That’s what I call a real engineer… 🙂

Squeeze a liberal dose of lemon juice, add salt, mix well. You can also use lime juice if that’s your preference. Last year, when Mom made these pickles, she threw in some fresh green peppercorns as well. This year, she is captivated by the pink peppercorns, and so they’re part of the recipe.

Store the pickles in a glass container. They can be stored in the refrigerator indefinitely. If they appear too dry, add some lemon/lime juice, mix well.

These are pleasantly tangy pickles, not spicy or overly acidic. They go splendidly with rice dishes, pilafs, curries and other vegetable dishes. Go make a batch today… 🙂

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