Posts Tagged ‘eating healthy’

The Covid Cooking Club: Chapter 3: Vegetables

Wednesday, March 24th, 2021

The Covid Cooking Club

Chapter 3: Vegetables

How to Grow Cabbage In Easy Steps
A picture of a delicious cabbage. At least I think it’s delicious, I’ve never cooked cabbage. Hell, I don’t remember if I’ve ever even eaten the stuff.

Vegetables are the things your parents told you to eat when you were kids, and you either ignored them completely or complied entirely out of fear. The fact that we must be forcibly conditioned to consume boring green stuff is evolution’s fault, as we have become a sedentary society without our bodies ever adapting to the fact that if we want to eat we no longer have to chase down a gazelle on foot and beat it to death with a rock. Thus, I must consume at least some vegetables if I don’t want to devolve into a quivering mass of immobile gelatin, which would be extremely inconvenient as it would deprive me of the manual dexterity required to build the plastic model robots that have been my closest friend during the current crisis. The vegetable I eat most often is celery, not because it tastes good or has any nutritional value aside from fiber but because it doesn’t need to be cooked, just washed. The fact that it has zero calories makes it attractive to me since it means I can waste the space on something else later, but I almost always end up dipping it in hummus to give it some actual flavor and thereby defeating the entire point. My favorite cooked vegetable might be spinach, which I literally never make. This is partially because it’s another food my family makes a lot better than me, and partially because you can buy ten pounds of spinach at the store, cook it up, and wind up with half an ounce. Obviously that’s an exaggeration but I only have so much fridge space and spinach takes up too much of it. Normally the vegetables I prepare the most are green beans and broccoli. These are also both foods I associate with my parents, but I can make them in a way that doesn’t totally embarrass me. I make broccoli more rarely because of two reasons. The first is that it just takes much longer to boil in water, and I don’t trust myself to fry it, so boiling green beans is just more efficient. The second is that ever since I was young I’ve had this weird thing where I only eat the buds of the broccoli, not the stem. I think it has to do with little baby me believing that broccoli was just tiny trees or something, but either way I end up not eating half of the broccoli and that’s just wasteful. It does make it easier to prepare though; to make green beans you need to individually slice the tips off each bean while with broccoli you can just break a piece off the stalk and wash it. Generally I eat vegetables separate from my actual meals, because as previously mentioned in the first chapter my pot is much bigger than the stovetop itself so I can’t really have another thing cooking at the same time. This also means that a lot of the time when I’m feeling pressed for time I just skip vegetables entirely, which would definitely be a bad idea if I considered the future consequences of my actions beyond wildly unrealistic scenarios like turning into a lump of fat who can’t build robot toys. I’m sure the fact that I eat vegetable at all puts me ahead of many, and so by the time I become like unto the blob people from Wall-E there will have already been innovations by the manufacturer which make the model kits able to be assembled the fingers the size of drain pipes.

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By: Alexander Rose

Alexander Rose studies satire at NYU Gallatin and wishes he was actually just Oscar Wilde. He is interested in writing, roleplaying games, and procrastination. Describing himself in the third person like this makes him feel weird.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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Make Your Own Sushi: Sushi For The Festive

Saturday, April 1st, 2017

Image Credit: https://www.japancentre.com/en/recipes/1369-flower-shaped-sushi-roll

Image Credit: https://www.japancentre.com/en/recipes/1369-flower-shaped-sushi-roll

One of the great things about sushi is that it often has many colorful ingredients, and this can make it a beautiful and festive dish. Making sushi like this is a little more difficult than the previous recipes, but the added effort makes the presentation positively gorgeous!

To start, we’ll begin like we would with a standard roll of sushi. Tear a strip off your sheet of seaweed, then spread the rice over it, as usual. The ingredients will be wrapped in seaweed this time, to add a nice decorative effect (you’ll need two sheets of seaweed for this recipe). We’ll be making a design of a flower, so you’ll want a few differently colored ingredients. For this recipe, we’ll use crab meat (or imitation crab meat), carrot, and avocado; however, since this recipe is based on color and presentation, feel free to deviate from it and use any other colorful ingredients you like!

Spread the seasoned rice on the first sheet of seaweed, leaving, as always, a border on both the top and bottom edges. Wrap each of the ingredient strips with strips of the second sheet of seaweed, then line one strip of crab meat and one strip of carrot on top of the rice. Leave a little space between them, then lay the avocado strip on top of the other ingredients. Pull the seaweed layer to the edge of the bamboo mat with your thumb and forefinger, and begin to roll it together. Before you finish rolling, however, lay the remaining strip of crab meat and the strip of carrot on top of the avocado, and hold in place with your other three fingers. Carefully roll the rest of the sushi together, and gently press together. When you cut the sushi open, you should end up with a simple flower shape in each piece of sushi. Arrange the sushi on a dish and dazzle your friends!


This is the tenth and final chapter from an e-book by one of the Campus Clipper’s former publishing interns, who wrote about how to make sushi. Follow our blog for more chapters from this e-book. We have the most talented interns ever and we’re so proud of them! For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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Make Your Own Sushi: Sushi on a Budget

Saturday, March 25th, 2017

Image Credit: http://fruitguys.com/almanac/2011/05/05/roll-your-own-how-to-make-vegetarian-sushi

Image Credit: http://fruitguys.com/almanac/2011/05/05/roll-your-own-how-to-make-vegetarian-sushi

Although sushi is simple and delicious, it sometimes requires ingredients that can be a little on the expensive side. Luckily, there are alternative, less expensive ingredients that can be used to make sushi that is equally delicious!

Of course, buying in bulk is also a great way to save money on sushi ingredients. Japanese sushi rice is generally sold in bulk quantities, so this can help you save as well. Once you make the rice, you can even freeze it in a plastic bag to save to use another time; it will stay fresh in the freezer. This will also help you save time later on if you are in a rush to cook! Sushi rice is usually inexpensive when bought in bulk; however, quinoa can also be used as a substitute ingredient if you can find some that’s less expensive at a local grocery! It is a little harder to roll because it does not have quite the same sticky texture as sushi rice, but with a little extra care, it certainly can be done!

Somewhat like the Japanese immigrants did when they substituted avocado for salmon, we’ll be substituting sweet potato for any seafood. This ingredient has a somewhat similar texture, but sweet potatoes cost a lot less than fish, which certainly helps on a student budget. In addition to sweet potato, this recipe will use shiitake mushrooms. Most of the time, when this sushi is made it is seasoned with scallions; however, finely cut, cooked onions can be used as well. The sweet potato should also be cooked, then cut into thin strips.

Take a sheet of seaweed, then fold and tear off a two-inch strip. Spread a layer of rice (or quinoa) over the large sheet of seaweed, but remember to leave a border on the top and bottom edges. Fold the bottom edge of seaweed up over the rice layer, and lay the seaweed strip down. Line the sweet potato, shiitake mushrooms, and sliced onions on the seaweed, and bring the whole layer down to the edge of the bamboo mat. Roll the sushi together, cut into eighths, and enjoy!


This is the ninth chapter from an e-book by one of the Campus Clipper’s former publishing interns, who wrote about how to make sushi. Follow our blog for more chapters from this e-book. We have the most talented interns ever and we’re so proud of them! For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram

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Make Your Own Sushi: Sushi for the Health-Conscious

Saturday, February 25th, 2017

Image Credit: https://www.finedininglovers.com/recipes/appetizer/quinoa-sushi-rolls-salmon/

Image Credit: https://www.finedininglovers.com/recipes/appetizer/quinoa-sushi-rolls-salmon/

Sushi can be a very healthy meal. It’s simple; it’s not processed, and it’s packed with nutrients. Amie Valpone– culinary marketing consultant, nutritionist and author of www.TheHealthyApple.com— emphasizes the importance of clean eating like this for your health. When you eat sushi, you get plenty of nutrients without any unhealthy processing, or heavy butter and cream, making it a great choice for your body! Although we already did a salmon recipe, salmon is one of the healthiest kinds of fish to eat, and a classic sushi ingredient. This time, we’ll pair the salmon with broccoli and asparagus, for a simple and healthy sushi.

Many of the ingredients often found in sushi are incredibly healthy. Nori seaweed in particular has great health benefits; of all of the types of seaweed, it is one of the richest in protein and fiber. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamin C and taurine, which can help your body maintain a healthy cholesterol level.

Take a sheet of seaweed, fold, and then tear off a strip of about two inches. Spread the rice over the sheet of seaweed, leaving a border of about an inch on top and a half-inch below. If you like, you can mix brown rice with the Japanese sushi rice. Brown rice is an important source of whole grains and minerals, and can even help protect against heart disease and type two diabetes. Mixing the two types of rice will give you the health benefits of the brown rice while staying sticky enough to roll easily. Fold the bottom border on top of the rice.

Now it’s time to line up the ingredients. Wild salmon in particular is full of nutrients and minerals such as selenium and omega-3 fatty acids, with low mercury content. Broccoli, in addition to being high in fiber, also contains plenty of vitamin C and folic acid. Asparagus is also a good source of folic acid, but it also provides almost an entire alphabet of vitamins––vitamins A, C, E, K, and even B6. Now bring the seaweed and rice layer to the edge of the bamboo mat, and begin to fold it over the ingredients. Once it’s folded, use a knife to cut with back and forth sawing motions, again to keep the sushi’s round shape.

Enjoy!


This is the fifth chapter from an e-book by one of the Campus Clipper’s former publishing interns, who wrote about how to make sushi. Follow our blog for more chapters from this e-book. We have the most talented interns ever and we’re so proud of them! For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram

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Make Your Own Sushi: Sushi For The Doubtful – California Roll

Saturday, February 11th, 2017

Image Credit: https://www.sushihaven.co.uk/california-roll.html

Image Credit: https://www.sushihaven.co.uk/california-roll.html

For those who are doubtful of trying new things, or even just of raw fish, California rolls are a great place to start, and to introduce your friends to sushi. In fact, they were originally made “inside out,” with rice on the outside, to make sushi more accessible to Americans. The most commonly used ingredients in California rolls are avocado, cucumber, and crab meat.

The first step is to cook the rice itself, then to season it with sushi rice vinegar. Cut your ingredients so that they’re ready for use. Gently tear the seaweed into halves. Place your bamboo mat in front of you, and lay a sheet of plastic wrap, roughly the size of the bamboo mat, on top. Lay a half sheet of seaweed on top of the plastic wrap and cover it entirely with a layer of rice. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the rice for extra decoration and taste.

Take another piece of plastic and lay it on top of the layer of rice, just to keep the rice from sticking to the bamboo mat. Flip the whole thing over, so that the seaweed is face up. Now peel the top layer of plastic off. Line up your ingredients in the center. Just like with the salmon roll, I’d recommend putting the avocado, the softest ingredient, in between the others; for example, surrounded by the crab meat and cucumber.

Now you’re ready to roll the sushi together! Just as you would with a standard roll of sushi, pull the seaweed back so it aligns with the edge of the bamboo mat, then hold the edge of the seaweed and the bamboo mat together with your thumb and index fingers. Holding the ingredients in place with your remaining three fingers, fold the seaweed layer over the ingredients and press down. Peel the bamboo mat back, realign the sushi, and finish rolling it together. Now unroll the bamboo mat, and gently tug the plastic wrap out from inside the sushi. Leaving the plastic on the outside of the sushi, roll the whole sushi again in the bamboo mat.

From here, simply cut your sushi. Because the sticky rice is on the outside, it’s easier to just cut the sushi through the outside plastic. Once you’re done cutting, pull the two edges of the sheet of plastic apart from each other and take the sushi out of the plastic layer. Enjoy!


This is the third chapter from an e-book by one of the Campus Clipper’s former publishing interns, who wrote about how to make sushi. Follow our blog for more chapters from this e-book. We have the most talented interns ever and we’re so proud of them! For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram

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Make Your Own Sushi: A Salmon Roll

Saturday, February 4th, 2017

Image Credit: http://12tomatoes.com/impressive-homemade-sushi-recipe-handrolled-salmon-avocado-and-cucumber-sushi/

Image Credit: http://12tomatoes.com/impressive-homemade-sushi-recipe-handrolled-salmon-avocado-and-cucumber-sushi/

Let’s start with a salmon roll. For this dish, you will need: seaweed, sushi rice, sushi rice vinegar, smoked salmon, cucumber, and carrot, as well as your bamboo mat. You should also have a cup of water and a spoon ready. The first step is to prepare the ingredients, starting with the rice. Begin by washing the rice, then cook it in a pot, just as you would with any other type of rice. If you don’t have a stove, you can use a microwave instead.

While the rice is cooking, go ahead and cut your ingredients into strips about three or four inches long and a quarter of an inch wide. If the vegetables are tougher, like carrots, it’s a good idea to boil them a little first so they’re easier to cut. Fold down about two inches from the sheet of seaweed and gently tear it off. Now place the large piece of seaweed horizontally on top of the bamboo mat. Dip your spoon into the cup of water; if your utensil is a little wet, it will help keep the rice from sticking. Spread the rice onto the seaweed, leaving a border of about an inch on the top, and about half an inch on the bottom.

Fold the bottom border up to the edge of the rice and pat it gently, then place the two inch strip of seaweed next to the part you just folded up. From here, line up your ingredients. I generally place the carrot on the bottom, smoked salmon in the middle, and cucumber at the top. This way, your softest material is surrounded by more solid ingredients, and your fingers aren’t in salmon mush. Now line a few extra grains of rice along the upper edge of the seaweed; the rice will act like glue when you roll the sushi together.

Pull the seaweed down so it aligns with the bottom of your bamboo mat. Hold the seaweed and the bamboo mat together at the bottom edge with your thumb and forefinger. With your three remaining fingers, hold the lined-up ingredients in place, then fold the seaweed and rice layer down over the ingredients. Then peel the bamboo mat back, pull the half-rolled sushi so it aligns with the edge of the mat again, and roll the bamboo mat and the sushi together completely.

The roll is now finished! When cutting it, use back and forth sawing motions to help maintain the sushi’s round shape. Enjoy!


This is the second chapter from an e-book by one of the Campus Clipper’s former publishing interns, who wrote about how to make sushi. Follow our blog for more chapters from this e-book. We have the most talented interns ever and we’re so proud of them! For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram

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Make Your Own Sushi: The Starter Kit

Saturday, January 28th, 2017

Image Credit: http://www.japanesecooking101.com/hand-roll-sushi-recipe/

Image Credit: http://www.japanesecooking101.com/hand-roll-sushi-recipe/

I don’t remember the first time I ate a piece of sushi, but I do remember the first time I made it myself. I was in middle school. I wasn’t a great cook, and I was trusting my mom’s friend when she said that it wouldn’t be that hard. At the time, my culinary repertoire consisted solely of scrambled eggs and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. Picturing the delicately arranged sushi in Japanese restaurants and the grocery store, I thought there was no way that I would be able to pull off a dish of sushi.

As it happened, though, my mom’s friend was a slow and patient teacher, and it turned out that sushi wasn’t that hard to make. One of the reasons it’s pretty simple is that there’s little actual cooking; it’s mostly just arranging the ingredients in the right way. This makes it perfect for students just venturing into the world of cooking. Always burning things in the oven? Scared of your toaster? Don’t worry, sushi is simple!

Before we begin, it’s important to know which ingredients you’ll need that you probably don’t have already. Carrots and cucumbers can be found in any grocery, but sushi rice and nori seaweed might be a bit harder to find. These ingredients can be found in a Japanese or Asian grocery, for a far lower price than they might be at a gourmet grocery. In addition to sushi rice and seaweed, you’ll need sushi rice vinegar, which is not the same as rice vinegar (it’s a little sweeter) and a bamboo mat with which to roll up the sushi itself. Once you’ve gathered these essentials, you’re ready to begin!


This is the first chapter from an e-book by one of the Campus Clipper’s former publishing interns, who wrote about how to make sushi. Follow our blog for more chapters from this e-book. We have the most talented interns ever and we’re so proud of them! For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram

 

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Student Foodie: Semsom’s Fresh Middle Eastern Food Will Soon Become Your Favorite Summer Spot

Wednesday, August 10th, 2016

With Halal carts on every corner and hundreds of Middle Eastern restaurants all over the city it didn’t seem like we needed another one but Semsom, located at 2 Astor place, serves up fresh twists on old favorites that will have you coming back again and again.

The fast-casual Middle Eastern eatery was opened by two creative sisters Christine and Carine about a year ago but is already an institution in the Middle East with locations in Lebanon, Oman, Ksa, Kuwait and an upcoming location in Dubai. Already, a successful businesswoman- Christine is responsible for bringing Dunkin Donuts to the Middle East and was named Best Businesswoman in the Middle East in 2011- Christine’s dream was to share her passion for Lebanese food with the world.

Sisters Carine and Christine at Semsom's grand opening. Photo courtesy of Semsom.

Sisters Carine and Christine at Semsom’s grand opening. Photo courtesy of Semsom.

Walking into Semsom Eatery will immediately transport you to a calm, cool Middle Eastern villa. The restaurant is clean and airy with turquoise accents and you almost expect a seaside breeze to hit you. It’s clear that the concept is to make you feel at ease and at home, with comfortable and ample seating and personalized touches. The wallpaper is a dynamic photo of a friend of the two sisters in their father’s old car. The restaurant sells scrumptious French treats by Michel et Augustin that Carine loved when she lived in France and the recipes of Semsom’s delicious offerings are based on family recipes that the sisters loved to devour as children. An upcoming location in the Financial District will even have the window shutters from Christine and Carine’s childhood home.

The concept is simple and streamlined- walk up to the counter and choose either a bowl or a wrap, the bowl is recommended because it allows you to taste each dish individually, and you definitely will want to capture each of the unique flavors. You can choose lettuce or rice as your base (or half and half). Then, choose between two chicken dishes, two meat dishes and two vegetarian options. The Taouk chicken- simmered in vinegar tomato sauce and paprika is tangy, moist and flavorful. One of the vegetarian options- the wild thyme cauliflower is oven roasted with sumac and dried thyme, earthy and filling it will have even non-vegetarians salivating.

Semsom's wholesome Middle Eastern food will have you salivating. Photo by Tamar Lapin

Semsom’s wholesome Middle Eastern food will have you salivating. Photo by Tamar Lapin

You can then add two flavors such as pickled mushrooms or cabbage, tahini carrots, minted yoghurt, hummus or sweet and sour eggplant. The eggplant is a definite hit, made with pomegranate molasses it has an interesting zesty taste with sweet undertones. But the definite standout on the bowl is the hummus which is made with fresh chickpeas (never canned!) and soaked in water overnight. Lea Ghandour, Carine’s friend who heads marketing for the NYC branches tells me that the hummus, “takes 12 hours to prepare and two minutes to devour.” And she’s right! Using fresh chickpeas makes the hummus ultra creamy and smooth. You can slather it on any of the dishes or eat it by the forkful. Make sure to top your bowl with some mint leaves for an even fresher accent.

Tamar trying some delicious vegan soft serve at Semsom.

It’s all affordable too! Prices range from $7.00 to $8.50 for wraps and from $8.00 to $11 for bowls.

The food is simple, bright and colorful and all seasonal and locally sourced. The beef comes from New York institution Pat LaFrieda and the chicken is free-range and antibiotic free, all halal. Everything is flavorful and evenly spiced with an air of simplicity that’ll make you want to try to recreate the recipes at home. And you can- the owner’s thinking ahead set aside a corner of the restaurant- a souk of sorts which sells spices used in the recipes: turmeric, sumac and zaatar. You can also buy some of the sisters’ favorite cookbooks, handmade soaps, and cute, colorful clay cups.

In a rush? Grab one of Semsom’s readymade seasonal salads to go like the watermelon feta salad or indulge with a serving of sriracha hummus and some healthy pita chips. One of their new offerings, the vegan soft-serve is also a definite must-try. It comes in flavors like chocolate halva and frozen mhalabiyeh (rose and orange blossom water). Get some candied chick peas to sprinkle on top and you are set.

by Tamar Lapin


For an extra discount on Middle Eastern food like you’ve never tasted try the Campus Clipper coupon below:

 

CampusClipper2016

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the NYC Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  
 
At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful ebooks, we give them a platform to teach others. Follow each new blog post to read a chapter of our various books and to learn how the Campus Clipper can help you follow your dreams!
Check our website for more student savings on food and services and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during last year’s Welcome Week.
 
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Eating Out and Vegan: Incompatible?

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

image credit: animalsuffering.com

New York City: a going out paradise with lots of student discounts on food, entertainment, books and clothing. If you wish, you can try different cuisine every day. There is such a great variety of cultures here: Italian, Thai, Cuban, Dominican, Moroccan and what not. However, where do you go if you are strictly vegan?

Always being a passionate carnivore, I have never faced this problem. However, I suddenly decided to take on a challenge: Christian Orthodox religious fasting that I was always supposed to do, but never cared to limit my diet to vegan only. Eating is just one part of the fasting, but it seemed overwhelming to cut back on milk products especially, as I love them so much.

But the time came, and I felt like doing it for the first time in March of 2009. I enjoyed it a lot, as fasting made me feel healthy and energetic, and my favorite part was that I had to cook for myself all the time because I didn’t trust food from outside (who knows if it’s really vegan).

There came the problem: I had a hard time going out with my friends and my boyfriend. I have experience working in restaurants, and I didn’t want to be a pain in the neck for the waiters asking, “Is there cheese in my spaghetti?” Once my boyfriend persuaded me to eat at a small Chinese-Latin (what a combination) restaurant, and I ordered a plate that was specified on the menu as “rice, lettuce, tomato and fried plantains.” When I actually got my food, there were pieces of pork and shrimps in it (I never eat either of them even when I’m not fasting), and I felt bad. When I complained, the waiter replied that the dish comes with it, took it back and brought it within 2-3 minutes, which made me come to the conclusion that the kitchen staff merely took out the meat and send the plate to me (did they use gloves, at least?). I didn’t eat anything there but plain white rice that came with my boyfriend’s dish, and I never went out while fasting again.

The whole experience was embarrassing. There are a lot of products that I refuse to eat because I don’t like them, for instance, seafood and yellow cheeses (sounds crazy, right?), but I’m not used to being extremely picky while ordering a meal at a restaurant. There always happen to be a steak with mashed potatoes on the menu for me. I rarely ask for more. But with the fasting in mind, this choice is automatically excluded. I was at a loss about where to go and I felt terrible for the people who have to (due to allergies or something else) or choose to eat vegan all the time.

The most difficult thing was to get around my sweet tooth, as most pastries contain eggs and dairy. I would wander around my college cafeteria studying the labels and always finding “eggs” there. The good thing was that I learned how to make pancakes from just flour, yeast, water and vegetable oil. They were delicious, even though people who tried them said they were “too healthy.” The bad thing was I didn’t have time to make them often.

But as the fasting continued, I started hearing about different vegan places in the city, and I talked to a couple of people who gave me useful advices on where to find those products I could eat. I realized that it was so difficult because it was my first time and I had no clue about vegan culture in the city. Now I feel more confident about going out and I learned to like salads a lot more than during my first fasting session, and I found out that a lot of vegan places also offer student savings menus or give discounts to those in college.

There I was yesterday, my Easter fasting 2011 day one, sitting at Whole Foods cafeteria drinking a fresh squeezed orange juice and munching on vegan cookies (no eggs and no dairy, hurray!), feeling happy and wholesome. Therefore, if you are a vegan like me (whether temporarily or permanently), life in the city is a little bit more difficult for you (if do your research, though, it will become easier), but not impossible.

Ekaterina Lalo

For more about my experience with Christian Orthodox fasting, read http://hubpages.com/hub/Healthy-Body-Healthy-Mind

Visit my blog at http://nycvalues.blogspot.com.

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