Honest to Goodness

After about two and a half months of gross negligence, I am back with many stories to share regarding my sweet consumptions of late. However, I should throw the disclaimer out there that my latest adventures took place on foreign soils and therefore don't do justice to the name of this blog. Thus, I'd like to ask that we all briefly, in our mind grapes, refer to the blog as 'Nishi Eating Things.' Or something equally ridiculous that captures the essence of ... well, me eating things.
By the way, part of negligence of late was due to the fact that my sweet consumption had indeed plummeted leading up to my 18-day European adventure. But more on that later.

Epic FAIL

This post will discuss an epic, epic fail that Whole Foods has committed; it's a post to express my disappointment and dissent with what used to be one of my most beloved sweet purveyors.

After a semi-satisfying run (er jog...tepid jog? walk/jog? wajog?) on Townlake, I was ready to reconsume all the calories I had just burned (and apparently many more...really, it was not my greatest run). I headed over to Whole Foods, hankering for one of their cookies that they advertise as being "all natural." Standing in front of their bakery case, staring at all of the amazing confectioneries in front of me, I also made sure to pour over the ingredients of the items, as I customarily do. Most of the beautifully displayed items had 'sugar' listed as one of their primary ingredients. For the past however many years that I have been a faithful patron of our hometown grocery hero, I always assumed the bakery items were made with sugar in the raw, pure cane sugar, succanat, turbinado or evaporated cane juice, all of which are natural sweeteners that only alter ones glycemic index innocuously (particularly when compared to the dietary Satan that is refined sugar). Yesterday, I had a sneaking suspicion that my sneaking suspicion that Whole Foods uses one of these natural sweeteners might not be entirely accurate.

So, I did what any crazy obnoxious consumer would. I inquired as much with a employee of the bakery section. Keep in mind, I poised my inquiry rather gingerly, because the mere thought of Whole Foods using refined sugar seemed ludicrous. The employee (we'll call him Englestein) said "I would think we use sugar in the raw or evaporated cane juice, but let me double check." I of course complied, and began to feel rather silly for asking what was surely an overly-paranoid question. As I waited for Englestein, I resumed my visual lovemaking to the bakery items, even entertaining the thought of purchasing two. After about ten minutes, a felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Englestein, sporting a quizzical look. He said he spoke to several people in the bakery section, who informed him that the sweetener used in the bakery items was indeed refined sugar.

I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. The room was a spinning pastiche of cookies, fruit kolaches, hipster and yuppy WF regulars, and teeny mutant packets of refined sugar. That were pointing and laughing. The horror. I felt surprised, angry and confused at the same time.

Now, for those of you thinking "Um...its just cookies. Get a life," the thing you must understand is that this revelation further reduces the number of semi-healthy sweets for people with the same affliction as yours truly; namely, those of us who love, love, love sweet treats, but know that we can't realistically indulge every whim, and need to find healthy options in between indulgences (or risk being in a questionable physical state). Also, from a consumer point of view, Whole Foods' usage of refined sugar contradicts, in a significant way, their shtick of selling high-quality, all natural food that people dish out the monies for. There is nothing high-quality or natural about refined sugar.

Le sigh. That's the end of my rant. And of my days eating bakery items from Whole Foods sans guilt.

Dolce Vita Acai Agave Sorbet

Over the years, I've come to realize there is a distinct charm in discovering things that are a bit random and perhaps not as widely disseminated as their counterparts (although this hasn't been true for me in all cases - I was covertly one of the millions that admired the Spice Girls back in their halcyon days even while espousing the musical superiority of Cradle of Filth; even on this blog, I make no secret of the fact that I am a regular and avid patron of Whole Foods. One of so, so, many regular, avid patrons).

Anyway, getting back to the point - I recently became aware of a godsend of sorts (thanks to a ridiculously titled albeit informative NY times fav. "Skinny Bitch") that most people are still relatively unaware of, beyond health junkie circles, that is. Said godsend is the natural sweetener Raw Agave Nectar. Although it is commonly associated with the production of Mexican Tequilas, this nectar of the Agave plant (when used in its raw natural form) is not only devoid of all the unhealthy side effects of refined sugar and artificial sweeteners, but can also offer health benefits such as keeping one's glycemic index steady and promoting the absorption of nutrients.

Ever since I became apprised of Agave's righteous existence, I have acquired the habit of launching into a full-on mental search party when dining out; I fastidiously scour menus of local eateries for Agave-sweetened sweeties. Alas, my efforts over the past few months have lead me to realize that:
1. Not many eateries in Austin will forfeit refined sugar or high-fructose corn syrup in favor of healthier alternatives.
2. I am remarkable lazy when it comes to making sweets; virtual cookbooks are abound with recipes that make good use of Agave nectar, but I have yet to attempt a single one.

You can imagine my pleasant astonishment then when I discovered that Hyde Park's very own Dolce Vita is home to a delectable Acai Agave Sorbet. I was overjoyed to see this healthy yet succulent addition to their gelato offerings not only because of their use of Agave nectar, but also due to the other main ingredient being the super food Acai (check out the health benefits of Acai here). As you can see from the photo above, the sorbet is colorful and rich. The flavor was tangy and very cool; it was the perfect antidote for the sweltering temperature. I ate my serving slowly, partly because I like my sorbets a little melty, and partly due to the fact that I wanted to really savor the small bits of Acai that were in the treat. Overall, it was just as sweet and luscious as any refined sugar-sweetened sorbet I have had; in fact, it's difficult to say if I would have known the difference had I not been told as much. Dolce Vita offers the sorbet in single gelato servings or on a bed of granola (as you can see in the photo above).

Now, a disclaimer for those who have been rendered skeptical after consuming their fair share of healthy yet unappetizing sweets: the truth is, Agave nectar does not taste exactly like sugar. The sweet sensation it creates is indeed understated compared to most commercial sweeteners (particularly refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup). Also, since it is unlikely to find Agave sweetener in granulated form, the consistency of some sweets might be different. However, Agave nectar won't incite your glycemic index or blood sugar levels the way sugar and artificial sweeteners do. If being healthy is at all a concern for you, then I can guarantee that the trade off is more than worth it.

Lazy days

As it stands, today marked nearly one month since my last posting. I just wrote up a grocery list for my room mate for things needed 'round the house, so I thought I would channel that energy into typing up a list of reasons for my recent slackitude:
1. SXSW came & went & drained the holy bejesus out of me. Put simplistically, I attended it HARD - Got in all the free shows I could, sang along as much as possible, wore the hippest threads I possess, and made sure to make obscure musical and ironic life references to blend in with the power-hipsters that overran our fair city. I also had the chance to see, among many many others, Kanye West, Yelle, Solid Gold, Loney Dear, Peter Bjorn & John, Graham Coxon, Beach House, Explosions in the Sky, M Ward, and Little Boots. Of course, it took more than a good week for my body and mind grapes to recover from it all. To wit, album covers for Kanye's "808s and Heartbreak" and Solid Gold's "Bodies of Water."









2. Various factors led to the revival of my previously dormant love of all things British. British music, fashion, culture, movies, accents, lingo, Pounds Sterling, men; I'll take them all (especially the last one. What IS IT about British men?). My anglophile revival was further fueled after finally seeing "Control," the Anton Corbijn-helmed biopic for Joy Division lead Singer Ian Curtis. We dearly need one for Bowie now. Thus, my mind space that was previously used to day dream about sweet concoctions will now need to share space with my Anglophile wistfulness.
3. Speaking of Bowie, I had some ch-ch-ch-ch-changes in my job situation; many thanks to the recession. Yeah.
4. I ran the Statesman Capitol 10k last weekend. The training and anticipation leading up to it made my dessert consumption a bit lax.
All of these factors (compounded by few new DVD purchases) led to my mind-grapes becoming a little rusty and a tad lazy, sprinkled with writer's block, with a side of just plain uncreative. All of these element combined were of course the recipe for a dry, dry month of March on this blog. So here we are.

I will confess however, that I did partake in a few sweet indulgences in the past few weeks. Rather than write dated entries for all of them, I present a few summations (and another gratuitous list):
1. Had the El Ray Chocolate Cake and Lemon Meringue Pot at Wink Restaurant. The desserts were pricey for sure, and as twenty-somethings, my friends and I were by far the youngest patrons in the place. The El Ray Chocolate cake was sweet and succulent, and the cocoa was daaaark, just like I prefer. I also quite enjoyed the Lemon Meringue Pot, even though I'm not big on anything of the lemon ilk for dessert. It was a unique twist on the classics; the center was tart and chewy, and the crust hard and sweet. Good stuff, if you are willing to spend the bucks.
2. Went to Sugar Momma's Bakeshop and tried the Black and Tan Cupcake. It is probably my favorite cupcake of the moment. It is a chocolate Guinness-infused cupcake with cream-cheese icing. AMAZING. Really, try it if you get the chance.
3. Had the similarly-named Black and Gold cookie from Upper Crust Bakery. No Irish Beer infusion here, but the cookie gets its name for being a chocolate/espresso cookie with Pecans and walnuts. Also very good. I jimmied this photo (left) off another blog fer ya.

4. I have to give a special shout-out to Buenos Aires Cafe at East Sixth and Attayac. Their delicious empanadas were half-off during SXSW, and kept my belly full in between shows at the Fader Fort. This cafe has really nice people, great food, and a delicious Kalhua-soaked flat cake garnished with fresh cream and strawberries that my friend and I had the chance to sample. It's possible the cake tasted better because it was free, but really how can that combination of ingredients be bad?

Finally, my proclivity to forget my camera was at a raging peak during this time period, so I have no pictorial supplements for any of my posts. However, what I DO have is a photo of British thesp Sam Riley as he portrays Ian Curtis in "Control," because eye-candy is better than no eye-candy.
Also, some wonderful, wonderful individual on the interweb made this video for Little Boots' "Stuck on Repeat" featuring clips from the wonderful, wonderful aforementioned film :)

Fro Yo For You

Sometimes my sweet tooth ignites only slightly, and I get into the mood for a mere sweet nibble. Mind you, in these cases an entire cookie, cupcake, sweet drink, or full serving of a sweety is too much of a commitment. Consequently, I am faced with two options: Either I attempt to only eat half of a dessert (which is not known to happen; I typically maintain a herculean commitment to finishing my desserts, regardless of how miserably full I inevitably feel later). The other option is to face the awkward task of finding someone who is willing to relinquish half of their sweet treat to yours truly, which is convenient only if the other party is also looking for a small portion of dessert. And that kind of fortuitous happenstance rarely presents itself, doesn't it?

Sometime in the throes of last month, I was watching This is England with my room mate. We had both anticipated this film for a while, so to mark the momentous occasion, made a pot full of chicken tortilla soup to eat while watching the movie. Just an aside, I highly recommend this movie; the subject matter and the manner in which it is presented, particularly in the context of a specific sub culture and time period, are very compelling, to say the least. Check it out if you get the chance!


Anyway, about halfway through the movie, I had finished several hearty servings of soup, but was still was still experiencing a persistent hankering for something sweet. I turned to my room mate, poked him in the shoulder, and tepidly popped the vital question. "Hey, you wanna grab a cookie or something and go halfsies?" My room mate responded that he preferred a whole cookie. Then, something funny happened; in an unprecedented instance where his first visit to a new sweet peddler preceded mine, my roomie suggested that we go to the Yogurt Spot on Guadalupe. Normally I'm not partial to frozen yogurt - I think this is because I knew too many folks in high school with hygiene issues that needed tending to, yet were still able to find gainful employment at the local TCBY. However, my roomie gained my consent when he said that the Yogurt Spot offers a self-serve system, which meant that not only could we sample a few of their 16 daily flavors, but I could pour myself as much or as little yogurt in any combination and would only be charged by the ounce (while also avoiding any persnickety cleanliness misgivings I might have). So, we decided to head over and check it out.

The first thing I noted immediately upon entering the establishment is that the place is overrun with University of Texas underclassmen who lounge there with such gusto that you'll feel bad about somehow having missed the memo that the Yogurt Spot is Austin's own 2009 version of the Peach Pit, or that place where they always hung out in "Saved by the Bell" (the latter was rather unoriginally titled The Max, which yields a wider range of youtube search results than intended, because apparently 'max' was used in reference to EVERYTHING in those halcyon days).














As far as the yogurt goes, there are plenty of flavors available that cater to a variety of tastes, such as various fruit flavored, vanilla, green tea, and pecan, and the employees there are happy to give out sample cups. Patrons can then go through a line where all of the yogurt dispensers are located and sample the different flavors, or directly load their yogurt cup cup if they have already decided their yogurt choices. What is really remarkable about this self-serve process is of course the ability to customize your portions of yogurt and also the combination of yogurt you get (I saw one young gentleman who seriously was attempting to get a bit of each of the 16 flavors). Once yogurt selections are made, patrons can load up on toppings ranging from syrups to fruit all the way to crushed Oreo cookies.

The yogurt was not too tangy nor too sweet. In fact, everything I tasted did an excellent job of capturing the intended flavors; the pecan for instance actually had a remarkably pronounced pecan taste to it. Additionally, all of the options are either 1% fat or fat free, which was an added plus to the whole experience. A friend who joined us at the Yogurt Spot kindly took a photo of our sweet spoils for the evening (above). The cup on the far right (and on our immediate right) belonged to yours truly; I went for the New York Cheesecake flavor, with the add-ins of cookie dough and brownie bites. My room mate swirled the Strawberry flavor (left) with the vanilla, and topped it off with chocolate chips and bing cherries, and finally, our friend also went with the vanilla and topped it off with fresh kiwi and pineapple.

I have been back to the Yogurt spot several times since my first visit. I am happy to have a regular haunt for when I feel like only having a bit of something sweet. Or when I want to feel a bit like a geriatric for having graduated from college in 2006.

Loca for Local!

So, I felt a Tuesday morning rush of enthrallment when I found out that Yelp has paired up with some local businesses to create a smashing menu of deals for the SXSW. Check out the details here.

...And above we have the lovely flyer. I'll be checking out the $1.25 Black & Tan Cupcake at Sugar Mamma's Bakeshop as well as one - or several - of the sweet deals at Andiamo Ristorante. Go check them out and support local! (And reward them for bringing a jolt of excitement to my otherwise unecessarily mundane Tuesday A.M.)

Savory (Raw) Truffle

I have a serious tendency to visit eateries a.) after they have closed or b.) on the one day of the week they aren't open (thus, if you find me loitering confoundedly outside Whole Foods at 4 a.m., don't be surprised). The Daily Juice Cafe at the corner of Duval and 45th is one such establishment; since it is perilously close to my domicile, I always attempt to check it out in the evenings after dinner or en route to whatever event I am attending for the evening. On at least four separate occasions recently, I have gleefully arrived there expecting to fill my belly with delicious and nutritious yummies, only to be let down by their "Closed" sign. Never do I feel such contempt for an intimate neon flickering object as on these occasions of palatial rejection.

On Sunday, I made a conscious effort to check out their chocolate truffles in the afternoon, discarding the possibility of missing their business hours. When I arrived around 4 pm with a friend, the cafe was open and humming with activity indeed. After at least 90 seconds of consternation induced by their extensive menu, I opted for their fresh peach/watermelon concoction, the Sugar Magnolia simple smoothie (pictured above, via my friend's photog skills). My friend, who possesses a considerably more understated sweet tooth, went with a shot of the Yerba Matte extract.

We then turned our attention to the dessert case. As I proceeded to become sidetracked by the ingredient list for the sweet treats, my friend took the initiative to order the Orange Hemp (below) and Peppermint Crunch chocolate truffles (also pictured above, with my luscious smoothie).
The Peppermint Crunch was my favorite of the two; the touch of mint mingled well with the other ingredients and I personally love chocolates with a crunchy texture. The Orange Hemp flavored chocolate was also quite good, but I expected the citrus tones to be more pronounced.

The desserts are made with ingredients such as raw cacao, extra-virgin coconut oil, coconut shavings, raw agave nectar and sea salt. If the amalgamation of these ingredients doesn't sound appealing to you, then you probably won't enjoy these treats. The chocolate is high-quality dark, dark chocolate and has a quite intense taste (particularly when paired with the salty after taste of the sea salt) which made it a welcome change from the highly-sweetened offerings at most chocolatiers and bakeries. Health and raw food enthusiasts in particular will really savor these items, and most chocolate lovers would also appreciate their sheer choco-force. But if you like your chocolate very sweet, you might have to look elsewhere.

My muffin top is all that

Last night, I went to bed with a plan - wake up early today, do some chores around the house, get some exercise in, and then meet up with my friend for some serious muffin consumption at the Taste No Evil Muffin Co., pictured above. (Nevermind of course that I stayed out until 2 a.m. attending the Cut Copy show at Stubb's followed by dancing at Creekside Lounge to the tunes of a DJ who was good enough, but didn't play our admittedly cheesy request of "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley, despite having said he would. Or that when I made it home at 2 a.m., I stayed up another hour watching 30 Rock and eating quinoa slathered with lentils and sriracha. Anyhow then!).

Not surprisingly, I peeled myself out of bed much later than I hoped or wanted. I manged a smidgen of respectable work before I decided I needed to reward myself and called my brunch buddy. We were tasty bound by around noon.

On our way to the muffin stop, we stopped for breakfast tacos at the GoodSeed Organic Cafe trailer, a recent addition to the colorful Oltorf food peddlers. Located right outside the Austin Enchanted Forest, their healthy breakfast menu offers a variety of natural tacos, oatmeals, and smoothies. Our food was excellent (especially the spicy salsa), the service was friendly, and the prices were exceptionally reasonable for all-natural, good-sized meals.


We finally headed over to South Lamar to check out the Taste No Evil Muffin Co. (picture above and on the right are courtesy of owner and 'Top Muffin' Karisa Prestera. Because I am a super-awesome-badass who always forgets the camera. When it is most needed. Yeah). The locale is no more than an old school bus that's been generously doused with character. Karisa, the owner and culinary mastermind of the joint, greeted us and happily offered us samples and suggestions to satiate our muffin quest. We finally settled on the Blueberry Buttermilk Bliss and the Strawberry Citrus Sunrise.

The vegan Strawberry Citrus Sunrise was chewy and fruity, and had hints of citrus that left a summery aftertaste. The Blueberry Buttermilk Bliss was equally yummy; full of large juicy blueberries, it also had a hint of saltiness as a result of the buttermilk infusion. Also, neither of the muffins were overly sweet; Karisa uses only natural sweeteners, mostly organic ingredients, and items from other local vendors when she can. Thus, we were able to enjoy at the luscious goodness of the cupcakes without feeling bad about consuming enough refined sugar or preservatives to feed a small country. In my mind, that is ALWAYS a good thing.

Let's talk about sweets, baby!

One of my most coveted ways to spend a Sunday afternoon is with a walk about our lovely city. I had the chance to do just that with a friend this past Sunday. Never one to pass up on a sweet indulgence, I asked my friend if we could stop by the lovely 6th Street bakeshop Sweetish Hill

Unfortunately, being that this was a spontaneous suggestion, I did not have the chance to check the hours of the bakery before we embarked on our quest for goodies. Upon arrival at the bakery, we were greeted with a scrumptious looking menu that was overshadowed only by the large "Closed" sign teetering above it.
Undeterred, we continued our stroll down 6th Street; this time our destination would be Bakerman's Bakery on east 7th street. As we trekked along, we stopped in Whole Foods on 6th and Lamar. When we were there, my friend suggested that we grab some sweeties from the bakeshop. The Vegan Big John cookie (pictured below, thanks to my friend's iPhone) she claimed, was absolutely one of the best cookies in town. My friend is has 0% proclivity to make grandiose gastronomical statements, so I figured I would give it a try. The fact that the huge cookie was only 99 cents was added encouragement.

Her rec commendation was spot-on; this vegan cookie puts even the most chock-full of sugar-and-butter creations to shame. It was HEARTY, which is not something one can usually say about a cookie. The dark chocolate chips were massive and generous (as you can see from the pic below), and the dough for the cookie managed to not taste too sweet. I have had many vegan desserts in my time, and I can safely say my taste buds did not feel stymied in the least way; rather, I felt like they were signing a little bit. Maybe even singing a Jonas Brothers song.

This might be a good time to confess my love affair with Whole Foods downtown. Walking around their maze of fanciful displays while enjoying delicious samples from their arsenal of delectables is an activity I thoroughly enjoy when I have the chance. In fact, I enjoyed a lazy brunch Saturday that consisted partly of said activity. I had the chance to sample- among other things - the chocolate almond bark, which was quite tasty and not too bitter for a dark chocolate. I also grabbed a new drink recently added to their coffee menu - the Irish Coffee Latte. You can order it hot or blended, and can specify regular of fat-free milk. Warm, sweet and chocolately, the drink was so rich that I drank it over the span of the rest of the afternoon. I'm not complaining though - it was the perfect accent to an afternoon spent working on the couch while playing "Love Actually" in the background and enjoying a cool breeze for the front door left ajar.

By the way, probably a good thing my walking buddy finagled me into that cookie; turns out Bakerman's would also greet us with a menu full of tasties and a glaring "Closed" sign :)

Test

This posting is a test. Put yo' hand in da air if you love Michael Jackson.