a low-carbon day of rest.

sacred chow's rabbi, and my dear friend, zev schwarcz, has guided me towards making sacred chow 100% observant kosher. what does that mean? well, all of our food and wine is 100% kosher certified. but there is more to this than just that, and this has to do with the jewish shabbath, shabbat, which starts every friday at sundown and ends saturday at sundown as well. that means that at a time certain, sacred chow will be following these disciplined orthodox jewish codes 100%. do you or i have to be orthodox? i think this aspect is entirely personal. but i do believe in taking a good hold of the hand of g-d, with zev's wisdom, for it is in this hand, to a large degree, that i find great peace. so i will follow as well as lead sacred chow to its promise to be a truly sacred chow.

what i am hearing from many of our observant kosher patrons is that sacred chow's low carbon vow is a vow taken by the observant, and that the observant are on a mindful search for the calm within the storms of existence. it is a thrilling practice to learn how to consciously control the amount of carbon we are putting out into creation, and it is through this observance, a portal of sorts, that we will assure the earth's survival for the generations. this is so inspiring, a kosher-sustainable dialogue that works collectively to clean-up creation. more than ever, we are creation's full-time garbage collectors!

my vision in building sacred chow is about fairness towards all beings and creation, and making some mother-delicious plant-based grub that is heart healthy and low carbon with an over-abundance of gluten free choices, and 100% kosher. in order to shape sacred chow's spirit to an observant one , i will follow the tenets of orthodox jewish law. and while sacred chow's doors will be open for the friday and saturday shabbos, it will be an experience of prayers, blessings, storytellings and meditations for the sabbath, a low-carbon day of rest. jewish law will be respected in its entirety, seats, food and drink will be pre-purchased and electricity will flow as per the law. from an observant point of view, however interpreted, sacred chow will be low-carbon from sundown to sundown. isnt that amazing! bringing to life a definate, reflective time of low carbon usage for the benefit of creation, all beings and the generations to come. amen!

she says!

ahh, the food biz!

i feel so fortunate to have been the sperm that made it to the egg that is me. and now as a somewhat developed adult human being, i can fully engage creation and listen carefully to what creation is saying. so to hear her, i point my index finger between my eyes and listen to her wisdom. she says: "life is asking you to be a leader. if you want to build and build strong, you must dig deep within, and ask of no one but yourself. the dynamic of team work to make the dream work is hard work, real hard work; sweet yes, but sweat and bones. if you hear this edict, mutual respect and safety for your fellow team members will fall into place in the time allotted. it is your duty to hear the wisdom, and distribute fairness. from the creation that is sacred chow, it shall manifest."

ahh, the "g-d" biz!

New Labels!

Cliff asked me to do some new labels for food that we'll get started sending out to universities, wholesale orders, and (maybe in the future) mail order. What do you think?

fair-trade shoplifting!

SHOPLIFTING FROM AMERICAN APPAREL
by Tao Lin

This is a true story about stealing from a corporation. American Apparel is a corporation. Therefore if they stop making a lot of profits they’ll stop existing, the fair-labor workplaces will be closed, another Circuit City or maybe Wendy’s will open, or else they’ll move their labor to Brazil or somewhere. I’m not critiquing anything right now, just stating facts. I’ll still be your friend if you drive a Hummer twice a day to Wendy’s to eat chicken nuggets. I’m just saying, don’t hate me for stealing from an independent clothing company, because then you’d be basing your hatred on something that isn’t real. The “organic vegan restaurants” I talk about in the third paragraph are Pure Food and Wine, Angelica Kitchen, and Sacred Chow. This story is labeled fiction because I left some things out, moved some things around, and I’m not sure if all the dialogue is exactly like it was in real life.

I had a reading that night in Brooklyn. I wanted a nicer shirt. American Apparel has nice shirts. I went to American Apparel. The security guard who normally stands in American Apparel wasn’t there. I held the shirt I wanted and walked around. I saw a strange man holding a book two inches from his face with his eyes over the top of the book. The man was looking at me. I thought he was just being strange. Many people are strange. I walked out of American Apparel holding the shirt. The strange man made noises behind me. I looked at him. He asked to see my shirt. “Do you work there?” I said. He said he did. “Do you really work for American Apparel?” I said. He said he did and showed me a police badge attached to a thing on a belt buckle under his oversize jersey. “Oh,” I said. We went inside. We went downstairs. They took my picture and put me in handcuffs. “Don’t steal from us,” said the manager. “Steal from some shitty corporation. We have fair-trade labor. I mean fair labor. We are subsidized by the government. We have goals that are aesthetically pleasing to the general public who wouldn’t ever use the word ‘aesthetically,’ which is part of why I think we still exist, or something.” “I spend my money on even better places,” I said. “Organic vegan restaurants.”

these are a few of my favorite things...

The Charmed Monday (this week: Friday!) Minute
7:57 AM PST, January 11, 2008

Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens...

Melinda in Cincinnati wrote to say that she'd like more coaching exercises in the Charmed Monday Minute every now and then. Just for you, Melinda, here's a seasonally appropriate exercise for more self-knowledge and self-appreciation. It's called "Playing Favorites." To do it, pretend that you're Sister Maria from The Sound of Music you ask yourself, "What is my favorite...?" and list everything you can think of in every area of life. Coming up with 100 is not excessive. Remember, these are not things you want but rather things you love. For example, you can write that your favorite city is Paris without wanting to move there (or feeling glum that you won't be moving there). This is not a wish list, but instead a getting-to-know-yourself list and coming to see how amazing and magnificent you are. Here's an example (the answers are mine and they're real):

What is my favorite?... Color: Tiffany blue

Thing to do: Meet Adair at a Starbucks in NYC

Actor: Ed Harris

Actress: Diane Keaton

Season: Fall

Perfume: Trish McEvoy Vanilla Musk

Item of clothing: Dark blue corduroy DKNY dress

Poem: "Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood," Wordsworth

Restaurant: Sacred Chow, NYC

Broadway show: Phantom of the Opera

Movie: Auntie Mame (runners-up: Gone with the Wind, Moonstruck, The Birdcage, Forrest Gump, Gorillas in the Mist, Miracle of 34th St...)

Mode of travel: Train

Indulgence: The New Age Health Spa, Neversink, NY

Holiday: Christmas

Fiction book: The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley

Health book: Perfect Health, Deepak Chopra

Spirituality book: The Bible (runners-up: Alcoholics Anonymous, The Games of Life & How to Play It by Florence Scovil Shinn, The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav, How to Know God, Christopher Isherwood translation, The Oxford Book of English Mystical Verse, A Most Surprising Song, by Louann Stahl)

Feng shui book: Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life

Dish that I cook: Vegetarian chili

getting the most out of vegetables

great ny times article!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/getting-the-most-out-of-vegetables/

what a hero! (and i dont mean a mama's soy meatball!)

http://gothamist.com/2008/05/13/35k_settlement.php


and a great, dear friend of sacred chow.

wow!

amen to ms. farmer. you are amazing ms. K!!! love, love and more love!

a sacred chow prayer: let's practice dignity and respect towards all beings and creation.

Anonymous said...

veganfriendly said... Hey anonymous, you've been leaving a new comment every 6 months or so to accuse Sacred Chow of just about every terrible thing a restaurant can be accused of. Now don't get me wrong, if any of these accusations are true we want to know. But your persistence and angry tone are making you sound more like someone with a grudge than someone with inside information. If you can't start citing some sources for all these accusations, we're going to start deleting your comments as you make them.

Anonymous said...
They have roaches!
4:09 PM, February 08, 2007
Anonymous said...
Not only have roaches but treat workers poorly, serve old food & "recycled" food & generally cut corners to save a buck. Gross.

this "Anonymous" fired for giving away/stealing hundreds and hundreds of dollars of beer and wine! loved this anonymous, but a meany pants.

9:50 PM, August 14, 2007
Anonymous said...
not only roaches, but mice. which they catch using inhumane glue traps. they treat their workers beyond poorly, like "oh, we're sorry we can't pay you all of your money this week." or they fire you by email "we know you've been a loyal employee for the last year and you have bills to pay, but since you can't work double shifts, we have to let you go." the food is almost all microwaved and if you have a wheat allergy, there's a really good chance your supposed "wheat free" dish was cross contaminated. they've accidentally served real ice cream before and soy cheese with casein in it. don't support this place.
1:19 PM, April 02, 2008

this "Anonymous" fired for never getting his work done, fired for talking endlessly on the cellphone while others worked, fired for being disrespectful and keeping his station unkept. i liked him a lot, but a meany pants too!

5:16 PM, April 02, 2008
Anonymous said...
I swear I am a different person than the previous "anonymous," and I have to agree completely with him/her. I used to work at Sacred Chow, and everything is true: the workers are paid below minimum wage, the food is basically all overpriced, microwaved leftovers, AND it's not organic (even though I think the menu, and the owner, will tell you that it is). I was fired BY TEXT MESSAGE (for asking when my indefinite, below-minimum-wage period of "training" would end)!!
9:16 PM, April 18, 2008

this "Anonymous" fired for being unable to do the job and behaving miserable towards everybody. she worked for less than 7 shifts, so i dont even remember her name! something felt wrong about working with her, confirmed by others. but never mind, just a meany pants!

some things work, some things just dont work out. nothing anonyomous about that, just a fact of life.

down with meany pants!

The First Annual Veganfriendly Awards

The First Annual Veganfriendly Awards

Veganfriendly.com is one year old!

We’ve decided to celebrate the occasion by throwing an impromptu awards ceremony.

Best Vegan Beverage in NYC, EV: It’s a toss-up between the Melon Cooler at Candle 79 and the Summer Thai Iced Tea at Pukk. Both are sweet and refreshing and are indicative of the delicious meals they’ll accompany. The Summer Thai Iced Tea is a milk-less version of the traditional Thai Iced Tea that has lemon added. JIM: This one is easy for me. I’m all about the Teanychino at Teany. This yerba mate latte with almond, cornflower, vanilla and sunflower is smooth, sweet and delicious. Don’t forget to specify that you want soy milk!

OTHER CONTENDERS: Mango Lassi at Madras Café, Vanilla Milkshake at Red Bamboo, Fresh Complexion at Vegetarian’s Paradise 2

Best Vegan Appetizer in NYC, JIM: What a tough call! There are so many good appetizers out there! I think I have to go with the Unchicken Nachos at Caravan of Dreams. It’s a heaping pile of nachos, guacamole, Pico de Gallo, black beans, a surprisingly good vegan sour cream, and some deliciously seasoned, shredded seitan. Yum!EV: The Satay at Blossom is a clear winner for me. It has three no-fail ingredients: house-made grilled seitan, soft, chewy noodles, and a peanutty-coconut-curry-esque sauce. Lest I need to remind you: “if I had to swim through a pile of these saucy noodles with my mouth open, yes I would drown, but I would die happy.” It comes with a fiery pepper sauce on the side that helps kick things into the stratosphere.

OTHER CONTENDERS: both the Mushroom Puffs and Spinach Toast at Pukk, Creole Soul Chicken at VP2 and Red Bamboo, Buffalo Wings at Red Bamboo, Avocado Salad at Lan Café

Best Vegan Entrée in NYC, EV: So simple yet so stellar, the Vegan Panini at 'sNice is a staple that never disappoints. Smoked Tofu, Sundried Tomatoes, and Pesto mingle inside the crusty confines of Sullivan Street Bakery’s best bread. You will savor the salty, creamy goodness of each crunchy bite. JIM: The Seitan Picatta at Candle 79 is an amazing thing. Just amazing. I'm not going to bother listing the ingrediants because that wouldn't do it justice. Just trust me that you need to try it some day. I don't care what state or country you live in. Visit NYC, visit Candle 79 and try the Seitan Picatta.

OTHER CONTENDERS: Steamboat Rice at Hangawi, Veggie Duck Pad Thai at Pukk, Vegan Quiche at Teany, Assorted Tapas at Sacred Chow, Tempeh Reuben at Angelica’s Kitchen, Seitan Baguette at Lan Café, Steamed Lotus Leaf at Vegetarian's Paradise II

Best Vegan Dessert in NYC, JIM: This is a toss up for me. On the one hand, you've got layers of banana, cream and spongecake served cold with cocoa dusted on top (that being the Banana Tiramisu at Kate's Joint). On the other hand, you've got bananas and chocolate deep fried in a tortilla and served with vanilla ice cream (that being the Banana Chocolate Chimichanga at Curly's Lunch). Both banana-y, both friggin' delicious.EV: The cheesecakes at Pukk are miniature culinary miracles. They taste like “the real thing” without being overly sweet or too heavy. Whether you go with the Thai Tea flavor, or the Blueberry, your mouth will thank you.

OTHER CONTENDERS: Ice Cream Sampler at Candle79, Pineapple Crepe at Blossom, Vegan Treats brand cakes (available at Teany, Red Bamboo, Atlas Café and other locations), Mango Tapioca at Gobo, Cheescake at Kate’s Joint, any cupcakes baked by our friends Isa and Terry

Best Vegan Food on a Budget in NYC, EV: Vegetarian Dim Sum- where else can you order a zillion things that will thoroughly stuff you and rarely cost more than $10 per person?JIM: While it’s not a vegetarian-specific restaurant, Dojo is vegan-friendly and super cheap. For less than $4, the Soy Burger Dinner is a huge plate of food that’s very yummy. For about a buck more, I recommend getting it with avocado and extra tahini dressing on the side.

OTHER CONTENDERS: Chickpea, Pukk, Lan Café

Best Vegan Brunch in NYC, JIM: Kate’s Joint recently changed their brunch menu, but I’m pretty sure they still have their classics like vegan pancakes, waffles, and their tasty Kate’s Benedict. Kate’s brunch is decently priced and served with your choice of coffee or tea and your choice of juice or a cocktail. EV: With goodies like Better than Biscuits n’ Gravy, and Savory Tempeh Sweet Potato Hash it’s hard to beat the scrumptious weekend brunch fare at Sacred Chow.

OTHER CONTENDERS: Quantum Leap, Bouldin Creek in Austin TX (Worth the airfare to Austin!)

Best Vegan Comfort Food in NYC, EV: Fried Chicken, Fishsticks, Buffalo Wings, Mashed Potatoes, French Fries, Milkshakes, Cheescakes, Ice Cream and Heroes galore! Whatever wicked, fried, fatty, vegan fantasy you need fulfilled—Red Bamboo’s got it covered. Of course they offer steamed veggies and salads too. But when in Rome… eat like a piggy. JIM: I’ve heard a lot of different opinions about Foodswings in Brooklyn. Some people love it, others hate it. But I often find myself craving their chicken sandwiches, barbecue wings, perfectly crispy french fries and creamy milk shakes. So they are my choice for vegan comfort food in NYC.

OTHER CONTENDERS: Curly’s Vegetarian Lunch, Kate’s Joint, Vegetarian's Paradise II

Best Vegan Healthy Food in NYC JIM: We just went to Hangawi recently and it was like zen for your belly. Everything was so fresh, wholesome and earthy. I think if you ate there every day you might live to be 150 years old.EV: Angelica’s kitchen serves up wholesome meals that are gentle on your belly and make you feel great. They have soups, sandwiches, tons of “basics” to mix and match, and even sweets to truly do a body good.

OTHER CONTENDERS: Sacred Chow, Caravan of Dreams

Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurant to go to on a Date in NYC, EV: If you want a special night out with a certain vegan cutie there are two places I can not recommend highly enough: Candle 79 and Hangawi. Both restaurants are beautiful on the inside (hopefully like your date) and will serve up the tastiest goods imaginable (also, hopefully like your date).JIM: Ev’s choices are great for a fancy romantic date, but if you’re in the mood for something more laid back, I recommend a lunch date at Teany. Teany does a great job of balancing trendy and hip with relaxed and comfortable. The food, desserts and drinks are all great and their outside seating area is cute.

OTHER CONTENDERS: Blossom, 'sNice, Sacred Chow, Angelica’s Kitchen

Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurant in NYC, JIM: I should point out that for this category our decisions aren't based solely on the food, they're based based on the overall package. That being said, my pick is a restaurant where the food is consistently delicious, beautifully-plated and inventive, but it's also cheap and the atmosphere and location are hip and cool. My 2007 pick for best vegan-friendly restaurant is New York's only 100% vegetarian Thai restaurant, Pukk.EV: You know when there’s a whole table fighting over who gets the last brussel sprout, you’re at a good place to eat. Especially when there are a ton of different vegan meals on their way to said table, and there will be a ton of good desserts to follow, and a ton of tasty beverages to wash it all down. To know me is to know I love 'sNice, which is my pick for best vegan-friendly restaurant of 2007. From the vegan panini to their amazing daily sides, from the best cupcakes in NYC to their new quinoa avocado salad, 'sNice has great food in a cute space that you can linger in with your friends.

OTHER CONTENDERS: Candle 79, Sacred Chow, Hangawi, Teany, Lan Café

Favorite things in 2008!

your favorite places to eat this year? The wine from Lupa, the burgers from Lucky Strike, the sushi at Tomoe, the vegan sensations of Sacred Chow & the lunches from Bully’s.

your favorite announcment this year? Eating vegan sensations at Sacred Chow and announcing a new event for The New York City Social Justice System.

posted by: fuck that shit

Dear Chef, I want to preform, STAR PEACE, for a Wednesday evening at Sacred Chow. Love, Music

Star Peace

Many moons ago, on a long night watch during a sailboat race, I looked at the sky and then breathed into my bamboo flute. The heavens shimmered and harmonies sounded as I repeated a contour of notes. Except for the lapping waves on the boat’s hull and lingering sound, the night was silent. Eventually I played intervals that sang the shape of Cassiopeia’s W shaped throne…and STAR PEACE was born.

The music was nourished by Dr. Fred Hess, my navigation teacher and by Bill Ingles, Julliard Alumnus and cabaret music arranger. Fred’s booming voice and humor were merrily infectious and when I told him about playing flute during the race, he spontaneously recited mythologies of the constellations! And a few blocks south and west of the AMNH, Bill enjoyed playing new accompaniments relating to the stars. In pairs, we began a program based on the intervals of the constellations for a performance to be actualized in the Haydn Planetarium. This was feasible as Fred was the planetarium’s “voice” and knew the workings of the controls to view specific constellations.

Within a year, Fred, Bill and I developed three movements to STAR PEACE; Cassiopeia, Argo Navis, and the Celestial Panorama, the latter described the life cycle of a star. STAR PEACE, as we envisioned it, was guided by composed melodies and spacious improvisation segments, with each performer leading and following, and collectively in synch with the heavens. As with the chakras and natural order, each part of the program contained the other parts and needed flow. With this vision, the concert could then be performed in a variety of ways depending upon the musicians, narration and performance space.

Life moved on and all changed, as always. STAR PEACE though, had been structured for transformation and found performance venues with groups and institutions, especially with poet Dr. Gloria Mulcahy in Canada. The planetarium became the Rose Center, Fred retired and was chasing eclipses around the world, Bill had dropped out of the project and I was off to doctoral school and psychically preparing for motherhood. The research, documentation, musical scores, narratives and tapes all found a dormant place for about 15 years, until recently when our United Nations Aquarian Age meditations brought me forward to the wonder of space and energy.

With sadness I share that Fred and Bill, beautiful persons have passed. Their spirit is contained in STAR PEACE and thus we dedicate this program and subsequent programs to them as STAR PEACE is again, with gratitude, brought to live performance. Tonight you'll hear the segment of the life of a star and in your program called The Celestial Panorama. Rick Rosenberg, President of the Amateur Astronomer Association will narrate Dr. Hess’ text, Prashant, an engineer living in Brooklyn is on Sarod and I will be on C and Alto Flutes. Thank you. Sit back, envision peace and enjoy!

Love, Music

May 21, 2008

a star piece.

the strength of this line had me flying through the universe. we are shooting stars!

"i swear i caught a shooting star the first time we met!"

Watch this video/image at:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m2DZX2UCOJRY8C:mON6151WE57C

peace!

housemade, delicious and gluten free!

dod=dessert of the day!

it's organic french vanilla custard with strawberry-rhubarb syrup y'all!

it's vegan-shmeegan, and observant kosher you know!

and not to forget, a little heart-healthy couldnt hurt!

let's clean-up creation together!

it's a multitude of bitchiness, but snatch the brownies!

what a compliment from Liz E. of Flushing, NY

I am not a vegan, which might explain why my various attempts to try the cuisine end up not entirely satisfying. I worked right across the street from this, I will admit, absolutely adorable place. The lad behind the counter was extremely friendly and struck up a conversation with me, one that eventually led to my ordering shiitake mushrooms with sunflower seeds and a side of brown rice. I love all three of these ingredients, but after sort of finishing them, had an awful heaviness in my stomach. Furthermore, there was something a little too penetrating about the smell of the dish; the earthiness was almost overwhelming. A month or so later, I walked by the garbage pile of a Waldbaum's supermarket, and realized that the smells were identical. For such an expense, I don't think I will be able to squeeze myself into this tiny restaurant ever again.

***UPDATE***Admittedly, I had to try the #####triple chocolate velvet brownie#####, which was a bit expensive but extremely delicious. Vegan, of course, it's housemade and has a deliciously crispy top with a center that gets moister as you approach the chocolatey core. I absolutely loved it, and it wasn't TOO guilt-inducing as most brownies can be. However, compared to my last experience, the service was atrocious and causes me to write a warning on the lack of consistency with this establishment. I was the only one in the restaurant and had to deal with a girl behind the counter who appeared high and totally uninterested or unaware of what was going on. Upon ordering the brownie, the girl asked me in an annoyed and bored tone how I'd like to pay. When she brought the brownie to me and I kindly thanked her, I was given a curt thank you as she snatched away my signed receipt. The multitude of her bitchiness was astounding, so I urge customers to simply grab their brownies and go if absolutely necessary, but certainly to not deal with such ridiculous service.

##### gluten free y'all!#####

it's blue cheese and smelly feet, classic wine and cat pee, and mushrooms and garbage; it's a multitude of bitchiness, but snatch the brownies.

play chess and drink wine.

how do i gain when there's so much pain?

to abhor and adore,

being juxtaposed to have more.

what a privilege to touch sacred chow

in this rush, a creation so fine, i can play chess

and drink wine.

fine wine!

i think in a whisper for hours on end,

from a pawn to a queen, thy king i defend.

Sacred Chow's eco-commitment to you and to our planet.

Greetings Sacred Chow!

As your NYC Market Manager, I want to personally congratulate you on your listing in Greenopia New York City !

We're also excited that our new website has launched. If you haven't already checked out Sacred Chow's online listing, click over to NYC Local Listings at Greenopia.com. We are continuously making improvements. New content and features are being added every day, but Sacred Chow's listing is already up for anyone to search and for our Greenopia members to review!

Sacred Chow's Greenopia-awarded listing demonstrates Sacred Chow's eco-commitment to those you serve and to our planet. We encourage you to display your award certificate and window decal with pride--New Yorkers will come to recognize and trust the"Greenopia Distinguished Business" symbol.

Once again, congratulations Sacred Chow!

Sincerely,

Janna Olson
New York City Market Manager

sacred chow's gluten free badge of honor!

courtesy of so many great customers and, triumphdining.com/restaurantprogram.aspx

sacred chow is here for you!

vote @ citysbest.aol.com/new-york/best-dining/vegetarian/

there's no place like the best to eat, drink, & play chess!

simple recipe conversion from animal-based proteins to plant-based ones.

like me, you might salivate while reading an enticing recipe that uses animal-based ingredients, and wish that you knew how to translate that recipe into a plant-based one. It could be that you really like the interesting protein and spices used in a soup, stew, casserole or entree, but the protein is animal-based, so a sense of deprivation begins to build, or it might be a great baked treat that uses chicken eggs, cows milk and butter, like the one below. and/or it may be that you are gluten, soy, sugar, nut, seed, salt... intolerant, and you just dream of indulging. well, dream out loud my liege, dream out loud, sacred chow is here for you.

beyond my ideological tilt for less violence, one of the reasons i began to experiment and teach myself how to cook and bake with plant-based ingredients was due to this deprivation. when i opened sacred chow in 1995, it was sacred chow's amazing patrons who pushed me to help them with food intolerance. and from these folks, many wondrous recipes were created and techniques discovered. now when i read recipes, i instantly translate them and know how to re-create, in most cases, almost any recipe idea into pure delicious perfection.

below i wanted to bring to the fore a seasonal, versatile, fabulous ingredient, rhubarb, and simply and easily show you how to re-create this delicious treat with heart-healthy, low-carbon, sustainably-balanced, plant-based ingredients. this no-hassle mix-and-bake dessert is like the old-fashioned cake grandma , mom or auntie always had ready after dinner or for a weekend lunch or brunch, even though you never saw them working on it. feel free to use any relative or pronoun to bring forth your memory of magical moments with this recipe.

enjoy, and bon appetit!

rhubarb strawberry pudding cake

Serves 6 to 8 (breakfast or dessert)
Active time:15 min
Start to finish:50-60 min

1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch (use 5 tablespoon potato starch or arrowroot powder)

2t agar-agar powder
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar (use organic cane sugar)
2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb stalks (10 oz)
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries (5 oz) ( use organic and local)
1 cup all-purpose flour (use organic unbleached unbromated wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cardamon

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1/4 teaspoon clove powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg (puree 1/4 pound of firm tofu until creamed with next ingredient)
1/2 cup whole milk (use soy, almond, coconut or oat milk)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (use earth balance non-hydrogenated spread)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. oil an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish, and sprinkle with flour. tap flour until it covers dish.
stir together water, starch or powder, agar-agar, and 1/3 cup sugar in a small saucepan, then stir in rhubarb. bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, then simmer, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. remove from heat and stir in strawberries.
whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, spices, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl.
whisk together creamed tofu and milk mixture with earth balance, vinegar or lemon juice and vanilla in a large bowl, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.
reserve 1/2 cup fruit mixture, then add remainder to baking dish and pour batter over it, spreading evenly. drizzle reserved 1/2 cup fruit mixture over batter. bake until a wooden pick inserted into center of cake portion comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes before serving. great with soy or rice ice cream!

veggie pride parade may 18, 2008, ends up in washington square park

hey, that's right around the corner from sacred chow!

The following prizes have been pledged:

Candle Cafe, dinner for two
Hangawi, $150 gift certificate
Franchia, $100 gift certificate
Counter, dinner for two
Gobo, $100 gift certificate
Sacred Chow, selected dinner options for two
Curly's, $50 in gift coupons
NeuAura Footwear, a pair of designer, cruelty-free shoes
Matt and Nat, designer, vegan hand bag
Gift pack from VegNews, including their signature oversized tote bag, 6 jumbo vegan cookies, a one-year subscription to the magazine, and a copy of the current edition
The Raw Lifestyle Film Festival, March, 2009, in LosAngeles, tickets for 2, worth $250 each.
Maravilla [vegetarian] Guesthouse of Puerto Rico offers dinner for two or trail ride for two
May Wah Vegetarian Food, $50 gift certificate for purchases at Hester St. store.
Quintessence, dinner for two
Ayurveda Cafe, dinner for two
Arbonne Cosmetics, $50 gift certificate xxxxxxx

so get out and march, without all the bling-bling, for our fellow being beings!

(One of) New York City's Best Vegan Dessert Spots

Sacred Chow

227 Sullivan St (between 3rd St & Bleecker St) New York, NY 10012(212) 337-0863

Squeeze inside this charming, vegan bistro and indulge on their velvet triple chocolate brownie. Gluten free and loaded with healthy fats and fiber, this house made dessert delivers a crispy crust and an immensely moist center. If you still have room, the sacred sundae is an entirely worthwhile exercise in indulgence: vanilla soy ice cream topped with chocolate sauce, rainbow sprinkles and toasted peanuts. Enough said.

Posted @: RestaurantGirl.Com, May 8, 2008

sacred chow: nominated 3 years in a row for best veg restaurant in nyc! vote, vote, and vote!!!

BEST DINING, AOL, CityGuide, NYC

VEGETARIAN

Remember, you can only vote in each category in each city once per day. And you can vote again in this category tomorrow.

Ayurveda Café
Location: New York

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Blossom Vegan Restaurant
Location: New York

As vegan cuisine becomes more popular, it moves out of the depths of the crunchy East Village and onto Chelsea's bustling Ninth Avenue. Vegan devot...

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Foodswings
Location: Brooklyn

The online manifesto of this vegan restaurant is stuffed like a punching bag with utopian slogans. It pledges, for example, "to provide free food...

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Gobo Restaurant
Location: New York

Gobo does things with seitan and tofu that could keep carnivores coming back for weeks. Billing itself as serving "food for the five senses," Gobo ...

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Kate's Joint
Location: New York

A root-down relic from the bygone days of shoddy and shady East Village hangouts, Kate's Joint is a small and simple vegetarian eatery that is now ...

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Pure Food and Wine
Location: New York

Pure Food and Wine brings haute raw cuisine -- a California dietary trend, of course -- to marinate on the palates of New York. There'll be no...

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Red Bamboo
Location: NY

Hopefully the tranquility fountain at the door sets the mood as you ease into this meditative restaurant that serves up soul food of a different...

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Sacred Chow - yeah!
Location: New York

Whether you're chowing here for ideological, political or gastronomical reasons, the plant-based, heart-healthy, low-carbon, sustainably-balanced, organic, kosher-certified menu is not only palatable, but quite pleasurable...

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The Candle Café
Location: New York

Very vegetarian, very vital. One of the premiere restaurants of its kind in New York, Candle Cafe -- run by Bart Potenza and Joe Pierson, who also ...

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Zen Palate
Location: New York

Busy but soothing, Zen Palate is a vegetarian Pan-Asian neighborhood favorite. It doesn't necessarily cater to the vegetarian lifestyle, and they...

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Tell the world about your award-winning gluten free accommodations

Dear Sacred Chow,

Congratulations! Your customers have spoken and I’m pleased to inform you that Sacred Chow was recently featured in The Essential Gluten Free Restaurant Guide.

The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide, now in its 3rd edition, is the authoritative source for tens of thousands of gluten free customers looking for accommodating restaurants, like Sacred Chow.

Inclusion in the Restaurant Guide is a selective honor. With it, you’ve also earned the right to add our exclusive Gluten Free Badge to your restaurant’s website.

Now, you can tell the world about your award-winning gluten free accommodations and celebrate your commendation. You work hard to satisfy special-needs diets, and you deserve the recognition and increased business that come along with it!

Sincerely,

Ross Cohen
Triumph Dining

It will make you melt!

posted by: Jen M. CT

We just discovered Sacred Chow on our visit to NYC last week. I have not had food that good in a while! As a vegetarian, to leave a restaurant feeling excited and buzzed by what I ate is something really special. The part that sealed it was the dessert...GINGER CAKE. It was so very yummy! I highly recommend it. It will make you melt!

urging that gay men and lesbians be allowed to marry.

amen!

Mildred Loving, Who Fought Ban on Mixed Marriage, Dies at 68

By DOUGLAS MARTIN
Published: May 6, 2008 , NY Times
Mildred Loving, a black woman whose anger over being banished from Virginia for marrying a white man led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling overturning state miscegenation laws, died on May 2 at her home in Central Point, Va. She was 68.
Mildred and Richard Loving, in 1967, were arrested in Virginia.
Peggy Fortune, her daughter, said the cause was pneumonia.
The Supreme Court ruling, in 1967, struck down the last group of segregation laws to remain on the books — those requiring separation of the races in marriage. The ruling was unanimous, its opinion written by Chief Justice Earl Warren, who in 1954 wrote the court’s opinion in Brown v. Board of Education, declaring segregated public schools unconstitutional.
In Loving v. Virginia, Warren wrote that miscegenation laws violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause. “We have consistently denied the constitutionality of measures which restrict the rights of citizens on account of race,” he said.
By their own widely reported accounts, Mrs. Loving and her husband, Richard, were in bed in their modest house in Central Point in the early morning of July 11, 1958, five weeks after their wedding, when the county sheriff and two deputies, acting on an anonymous tip, burst into their bedroom and shined flashlights in their eyes. A threatening voice demanded, “Who is this woman you’re sleeping with?”
Mrs. Loving answered, “I’m his wife.”
Mr. Loving pointed to the couple’s marriage certificate hung on the bedroom wall. The sheriff responded, “That’s no good here.”
The certificate was from Washington, D.C., and under Virginia law, a marriage between people of different races performed outside Virginia was as invalid as one done in Virginia. At the time, it was one of 16 states that barred marriages between races.
After Mr. Loving spent a night in jail and his wife several more, the couple pleaded guilty to violating the Virginia law, the Racial Integrity Act. Under a plea bargain, their one-year prison sentences were suspended on the condition that they leave Virginia and not return together or at the same time for 25 years.
Judge Leon M. Bazile, in language Chief Justice Warren would recall, said that if God had meant for whites and blacks to mix, he would have not placed them on different continents. Judge Bazile reminded the defendants that “as long as you live you will be known as a felon.”
They paid court fees of $36.29 each, moved to Washington and had three children. They returned home occasionally, never together. But times were tough financially, and the Lovings missed family, friends and their easy country lifestyle in the rolling Virginia hills.
By 1963, Mrs. Loving could stand the ostracism no longer. Inspired by the civil rights movement and its march on Washington, she wrote Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and asked for help. He wrote her back, and referred her to the American Civil Liberties Union.
The A.C.L.U. took the case. Its lawyers, Bernard S. Cohen and Philip J. Hirschkop, faced an immediate problem: the Lovings had pleaded guilty and had no right to appeal. So they asked Judge Bazile to set aside his original verdict. When he refused, they appealed. The Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals upheld the lower court, and the case went to the United States Supreme Court.
Mr. Cohen recounted telling Mr. Loving about various legal theories applying to the case. Mr. Loving replied, “Mr. Cohen, tell the court I love my wife, and it is just unfair that I can’t live with her in Virginia.”
Mildred Delores Jeter’s family had lived in Caroline County, Va., for generations, as had the family of Richard Perry Loving. The area was known for friendly relations between races, even though marriages were forbidden. Many people were visibly of mixed race, with Ebony magazine reporting in 1967 that black “youngsters easily passed for white in neighboring towns.”
Mildred’s mother was part Rappahannock Indian, and her father was part Cherokee. She preferred to think of herself as Indian rather than black.
Mildred and Richard began spending time together when he was a rugged-looking 17 and she was a skinny 11-year-old known as Bean. He attended an all-white high school for a year, and she reached 11th grade at an all-black school.
When Mildred became pregnant at 18, they decided to do what was elsewhere deemed the right thing and get married. They both said their initial motive was not to challenge Virginia law.
“We have thought about other people,” Mr. Loving said in an interview with Life magazine in 1966, “but we are not doing it just because somebody had to do it and we wanted to be the ones. We are doing it for us.”
In his classic study of segregation, “An American Dilemma,” Gunnar Myrdal wrote that “the whole system of segregation and discrimination is designed to prevent eventual inbreeding of the races.”
But miscegenation laws struck deeper than other segregation acts, and the theory behind them leads to chaos in other facets of law. This is because they make any affected marriage void from its inception. Thus, all children are illegitimate; spouses have no inheritance rights; and heirs cannot receive death benefits.
“When any society says that I cannot marry a certain person, that society has cut off a segment of my freedom,” the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said in 1958.
Virginia’s law had been on the books since 1662, adopted a year after Maryland enacted the first such statute. At one time or another, 38 states had miscegenation laws. State and federal courts consistently upheld the prohibitions, until 1948, when the California Supreme Court overturned California’s law.
Though the Supreme Court’s 1967 decision in the Loving case struck down miscegenation laws, Southern states were sometimes slow to change their constitutions; Alabama became the last state to do so, in 2000.
Mr. Loving died in a car accident in 1975, and the Lovings’ son Donald died in 2000. In addition to her daughter, Peggy Fortune, who lives in Milford, Va., Mrs. Loving is survived by her son, Sidney, of Tappahannock, Va.; eight grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Loving stopped giving interviews, but last year issued a statement on the 40th anniversary of the announcement of the Supreme Court ruling, urging that gay men and lesbians be allowed to marry.

a sacred chow prayer: let's practice dignity and respect towards all beings and creation.

Nothing else is acceptable.

amen!

Another Horse-Racing Horror

Published in NY Times: May 6, 2008

There is no reason why a race of one-and-a-quarter miles should be a death sentence for a horse, as it was on Saturday for the 3-year-old filly, Eight Belles. She was euthanized after breaking both front ankles immediately after coming in second in the Kentucky Derby.
The racing industry has claimed, as it always does after such a horrifying incident, that racing young thoroughbreds isn’t all that dangerous to their well-being. But the nature of racing and breeding has changed over the years. Good horses, whose careers often begin and end before their bones are fully mature, are racing less often than they used to, which means they only need enough endurance to last a few races. That makes it all the easier to breed for the lightness of build — and the fragility — that Eight Belles showed.
There are, of course, owners and trainers who love thoroughbreds for themselves and for their ability to perform on the racetrack, which is a reasonable test of sound breeding. But the real race increasingly seems to be to capitalize on a horse’s success — to move a horse through its career as quickly as possible. The sums involved are immense, so much so that the horses seem more like financial vehicles than animals with an existence of their own. The life of the money comes to seem just as important as the life of the horse.
How beautiful a galloping thoroughbred can be — everyone who watched the Derby can attest. But we also got to witness just how narrow the margin is between beauty and tragedy. It is exactly as narrow — and only as sure — as the bones in a horse’s legs. The first rule of racing must be the welfare of these horses. Nothing else is acceptable.

a sacred chow prayer: i will practice dignity and respect towards all beings and creation.

New York bans grisly electrocution of animals for fur

amen!

Posted @ http://www.peta.org/

There are two things I really like about the story that hit the wires this week reporting New York’s recent ban on anal and genital electrocution of animals for fur. The first thing’s kind of obvious: Animals on fur farms in New York won’t be electrocuted any more (they’ll still suffer, but their deaths will now, hopefully, be just a bit less painful). In case you haven’t kept up to date on electrocution techniques, this isn’t like sticking your finger into a wall socket: The fur farmers attach one electrode to the fox’s or raccoon’s ear or muzzle and stick the other one in the animal’s anus or vagina. The result is a dagger-like heart attack without loss of consciousness. On one fur farm we investigated, the farmer plugged the chinchillas into the wall socket and timed it by listening to a song on the radio—then skinned them without checking to see if they were dead.
But the thing that should be really remarkable for most people reading this story is not the fact that New York has banned electrocution—but the implication that this is still legal everywhere else. That’s right. New York is now the only state where anally and genitally electrocuting fur-bearing animals (fur farmers do it this way so they won’t damage the pelts) could get you into trouble.
As my friend Melissa put it when she was interviewed for the AP piece, "Anal electrocution is common practice in fur farms across the world. A lot of these methods aren't effective and these animals will wake up while they are being skinned."
That’s all. I just wanted to drive home that point. It’s awesome that New York is leading the way here, and hopefully other states will soon follow suit. But this is also a good opportunity to store away that little tidbit about anal and genital electrocution being 100 percent legal in 49 out of 50 states—just in case anyone ever tries to tell you that wearing fur is anything other than reprehensible.

/as stated succinctly by new york state republican sen. frank padavan, in an A.P. clip, "I draw a very strong correlation between how we treat domestic animals and all animals and how we treat each other."/

a sacred chow prayer: i will practice dignity and respect towards all beings and creation.

best tapas place known to man

But Lauren was my saving grace! I hung out with her for the rest of the evening. We edited her film a little bit, but then went to the best tapas place known to man: Sacred Chow. This little place was charming, and everything tasted absolutely amazing! And their brownie sundae was simply ambrosial. No doubt I'll become a regular in due time. Lauren and I just talked about our normal joyous, but personal, stuff. Hours of contemplations, reflections, and revelations.

posted by: The Domestic Kim Times
Sunday, April 06, 2008

come here...into the warmth of our sacred chow.

in the piece, turn the spotlight inward, that follows this one, if you read this rambling reverie slowly, you will meander into the writer's dreams for a brave new world...; and tucked within, you'll find sacred chow huddled between his delicious thoughts.

we must seek truth, stand up and change the way we treat one another, our planet and fellow beings. there is a way to less violence, and it begins with how we speak to ourselves. it is within this small hidden-voice that we can nurture strength, patience, respect, love and g-d . bless the innocence of our inner-child with her knowing desire to give something more, something better to his fellow beings. it is a generous, noble, righteous voice that can break the shackles of our inner-saboteur and proclaim loudly through action, i will be the difference, i will practice less violence, i will consume less carbon; i will do this for me, for the generations and all creation. share that voice with others, let us shout loudly together, make peace and freedom stronger and stronger and stronger! come out from the dark corners, come here with me into the warmth of our sacred chow.

turn the spotlight inward

jonah burke seattle works program manager caherconree asparagus mirabeau room quinoa doma d. j. bernstein yunus das leben der anderen pisa music has a right to children cartalk fremont sunday market michael chiklis covent garden the darfur wall de echte smaak van chocolate dun chaoin egg cheese bacon astral weeks in the bedroom ruby rain song tmb linea siete jacob lawrence race for the roses seafair triathlon tweedy browne rex parker the notwist polenta portland marathon americano the dubliner mette-marit bullets ricky gervais computational biology fill yourself with quarters dj starterkit public education cheese rogue false zamia turn the spotlight inward elliot bay book company the programs we use to conjure processes are like a sorcerer's spells alibi room eleanor rigby sugoi children's hospital dracanea capitol hill starcraft ignite seattle philodendron columbia university machiavelli weizsäcker carrigadav annie hall gopnik lipstick vine twoism charles sheeler maria spies pango johnny depp new yorker romance sonambulo rear window jim courier a brave new world victrola coffee first call taxi howard dean crimes and misdemeanors cloghane coltrane asheville le soleil est pres de moi philadelphia knuth the darfur foundation ronda a tribe called quest steinbeck subversion blue c sharp the hours this is a ride not a fight biggie smalls bitters co number theory anthony lane fenway arrested development nancy's you must do the thing you think you cannot do chess insomnia complex carbohydrates rohinton mistry sweet pablo mozilla boards of canada carmen laforet pizza delivery even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow cormen leiserson rivest alison krauss nick hornby borges tofu michael moriarty tim robbins sacred chow carrer aribau vernazza piet mondrian penny lane homestar radiohead credit suisse first boston david ortiz sharepoint portal server . . .

my first bite(was)...like...my first kiss...

Review of Sacred Chow
by gr8vegan

Probably hands down the best vegan breakfast I've ever had. Its a small restaurant with usually only one person serving. It can be difficult to get a larger group seated, but just try calling ahead. We saw a game of musical chairs going on with two parties (4 or more) trying to get everyone together as other patron's left. Sacred Chow has a really good VIBE about it that goes along with the name. Its really a zen eating experience and my favorite vegan place to eat in NYC, yep even above Candle79. Is in Greenwich Village and is easy to find. The prices are reasonable. Don't miss it if you're vegan food adventuring! Order the biscuit breakfast sandwich. I think of my first bite of that like I do my first kiss...