Anyway, Agnes is very, very cool and you can learn more about the Danish singer/songwriter by visiting her site www.agnesobel.com Here's a video for the above mentioned song.
The only thing I feel I have to acknowledge is the fact that Agnes' live performances (found on YouTube) are not as cool as her recorded songs. I know we all have affectations when we sing, speak, express ourselves. But her affectations get in the way of her vocal production and annunciation. It also looks a bit uncomfortable and so it is not totally enjoyable to watch her sing live. That said, I do love her album "Philharmonics" and definitely recommend it to fans of piano-driven, melodically-haunting music.
My cousin Kindle was in NYC for a night when I returned from the UK. It was fun to overlap and get to have a couple more meals with her before she returned to London. The "final supper" was, at Kindle's request, to be at a vegan cafe in my neighbourhood. It must be noted that there are very few people in my life who would be happy to eat "out" at a vegan hotspot. When friends and family have visited me in NYC, I never dreamt of taking them to Angelica Kitchen or S'Nice or other such animal-denouncing places. It's just not fun for everyone. I am fully aware that my steamed-vegetable-induced joy is an oddity and most people don't squeal with delight at the prospect of teff, nori, kale or jicama. I feel the need to clarify, though, that I am not a vegan (see my previous post for Nigella's "Rapid Ragu" recipe) nor do I advocate "substitute" meat (seitan, tofurkey, cashew cheese, imitation eggs, etc). I think that a lot of the meat substitutes that many vegans consume, either to fill the meat void or to get enough protein, are highly processed and no better for one than the real deal. When I was vegan for a week (the name of my unpublished biographical tale), I consumed only plant matter and legumes and was turned off at the thought (and taste) of wheat gluten (seitan) and fermented soybean "cakes" (tempeh). But each to his own.
Back to vegan deliciousness...my interest in veganism stems more from a place of curiosity regarding the amazing varieties of legumes and grains that exist. Angelica Kitchen (in the East Village) has a glossary at the back of their menu for items such as:
Burdock
A slender root vegetable with a sweet, earthy
flavor & a tender crisp texture. Acts as a blood
purifier & is an excellent source of potassium
grains.
Sea Palm
Domestic brown sea vegetable, mildly sweet with a
pleasing al dente texture. Helps reduce cholesterol
& supports normal thyroid function.
Dulse
Reddish purple sea vegetable, often an immedi-
ate favorite of those first tasting seaweed. High
in iron & protein, our dulse is harvested from
the coast of Maine.
Arame(AHR-ah-may)
Dark brown sea vegetable, thin & thread-like,
with a mild, sweet taste; rich in iron, calcium
& iodine.
Burdock
Kukicha Tea
A satisfying cup with body & deep flavor,
made from the roasted twigs of the tea plant.
A digestive aid, “twig tea” has less than one
quarter of the caffeine content of black tea.
Millet
A gluten-free small yellow grain with a nutty
flavor, easy to digest & having a rich amino acid
profile, millet is among the earliest cultivated
grains. Shoyu provides richer seasoning with less salt,
containing 1/7 the amount of sodium as plain salt.
Soba
Tan Japanese noodles made of buckwheat or a
blend of buckwheat & whole wheat.
Spelt
An ancient red wheat. People with sensitivities
to wheat often have a better tolerance for spelt
because it contains a unique form of gluten
that is easier to digest.
Isn't that the most fun you've ever had reading a menu?! My other interest in veganism has to do with the body's ability to process plant matter. It's definitely easier for some bodies (mine included) and it can be a cheaper option regarding the price of grocery items (canned chickpeas are dirt cheap and a good go-to ingredient).
Anyway, Kindle is a gal after my own heart and was most elated to be going out for a meal of "vegan deliciousness" (her exact turn of phrase). We went to "Peacefood Cafe", which has long been a favourite of mine. There aren't too many vegan restaurants on the Upper West Side ("Candle Cafe" is on the East Side-sob) but "Peacefood" is awesome and I'm glad there is quality over quantity.
I used to spend hours in "Peacefood Cafe"-using their free wifi and slurping acai smoothies at a rapid rate. Part of my love for the establishment-speedy service and good atmosphere aside- is due to the fact that they never kicked me out of their wheatgrass-scented abode (even after it became apparent I was no longer checking my email but catching up on episodes of "Gossip Girl").
Some of my favourite "Peacefood" offerings are their quinoa porridge (for breakfast-brown, earthy, cinnamon-drenched and oh so warm), the fluffy quinoa salad (perfect pairing of quinoa, lime dressing, sweet corn kernels, flashes of red pepper and gorgeously green avocado), the raw sushi rolls (walnut paste, raw veg and jicama on the side), and their simple veg side (chinese eggplant, broccoli, zucchini, choyote squash, brussel sprouts). Never underestimate the deliciousness of simply prepared vegetables-all the more delish when someone else prepares them for you!
The night ended well when Kindle purchased a vegan snickerdoodle cookie to go. Back at my flat, armed with herbal tea to chase any undesirable aftertastes, we gingerly broke off a piece of golden snickerdoodle and nibbled silently. Um, hellooooo vegan deliciousness! It was also made from spelt flour (a must for wheat-intolerant Kindle) and no tea-chaser was needed. So, next time you're craving grains and gomasio (A low sodium table condiment consisting of dry roasted, crushed sesame seeds & sea salt), head over to "Peacefood Cafe" www.peacefoodcafe.com-and don't forget your laptop so you can facebook AND devour sprouts at the same time!
The elusive vegan snickerdoodle.
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