On Dao Palate

The other night I was eating a delicious vegetarian meal and realized I haven't reviewed it here, which certainly needs to be done, since Dao Palate is quickly becoming one of my favorite restaurants in Brooklyn.

Located in Park Slope, Dao Palate offers a lot of pan-Asian soy meat, but is actually quite different from the vegan fare offered at any of the restaurants I consider part of the Vegetarian Paradise Empire. Paying attention to quality, the dishes are smaller in portion and more delicately prepared, in the same vein as the upscale Manhattan vegan establishments (such as Gobo: Food For The Five Senses in the West Village and Candle 79 on the Upper East Side), but the meals are not nearly as expensive at Dao, which pleases my wallet.

What is really exciting to me is that Dao Palate delivers to North Flatbush. I don't know how far down they will go, but I know they deliver to me on Parkside and a friend of mine on Caton, for free. I have found other Park Slope restaurants willing to trek to the other end of the park to bring you your dinner, so it is always worth calling and asking.

I've had many of their dishes; I'm particularly fond of the sweet citrus soy protein, which comes topped with sliced almonds and served on a big bed of kale- the use of healthy vegetables in their cooking sets them apart from the grease-fest that Zen, Vegetarian Paradise, and the like tend to give you. Delicious though that grease-fest might be, I really appreciate the way Dao Palate balances their proteins with vegetables; the other night I had the Tofu Teriyaki which came with a large quantity of marinated bean spouts; it was delicious.

And if you do get to journey out and eat there, the atmosphere of the restaurant is a big plus as well. The decor and low lighting are very tranquil and comforting- while you are there, order a pot of tea; it comes with small metal tea cups that are beautiful and surprisingly heavy, somehow they make me more appreciative and mindful of the whole experience. If you can't get out to Park Slope, you can always try bringing the peaceful atmosphere of the restaurant home; brew some tea, get out the nice plates and chopsticks or silverware rather than eating out of the plastic containers.

Healthy, delicious, beautifully prepared, vegetarian- what more could I ask for?

Dao Palate is located on 329 Flatbush Avenue, right off the 7th Avenue stop on the Q, across the street from Vegetarian Palate.

On Finding Your Sangha

I found myself returning to a beautiful entry in the NYC Urban Mindfulness blog today, called Sangha In The City. A clinical psychologist was returning from a professional retreat, training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, a very powerful program developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn. She speaks in her entry about the sangha: this term originates in the Buddhist tradition, to describe the community of practice in which a lay Buddhist or monk resides for support, encouragement, and motivation. But these days, the sangha doesn't only apply to Buddhists- it applies to anyone who has decided to take up formal (or even informal) mindfulness practice as part of their daily lives. Jennifer Egert, the author of the post, finishes her entry by looking at the concept of Sangha in the context of urban life:

In the city, Sangha can feel less explicit, but is present nonetheless. Sangha is here on Urban Mindfulness. It is at the Yoga studio or at the gym. It is in our spiritual communities and meditation groups. It is also at school, the dog run, the playground, in the book club, among friends and family. But like mindfulness practice, building Sangha in the city requires intention, nurturing, and openness. It also feels so important to supporting the effort to waken to life.

I started to think about the importance of the sangha, especially in this community-starved city. I think it is crucial to have others along for the ride, to lean on, to teach and to learn from. Ask yourself: where is my sangha?

For me, my sangha is Friday nights, when I get together with a group of neighbors and friends and their guests in a cozy Flatbush apartment, eat a healthy, home cooked, vegetarian meal, and read prayers and readings from a large variety of religious and poetic sources, then discuss over Turkish tea how we can use mindful awareness, spiritual investigation, and wisdom to lead more compassionate, peaceful, joyous lives. Last Friday, I taught someone about mindful walking, discussed the aesthetics of Prospect Park, and learned from an artist visiting the area that happiness is scientifically shown to improve our immune system.

That, in my opinion, has all the qualities of a sangha. There might not be any meditation cushions, but I leave feeling physically and spiritually nourished, and my meditation the next morning is all the more sweeter for it.

So, my question to you: where is your urban sangha?
(If you don't have one and can't find it, you are always welcome at mine.)

On Love For Rastafarianism

When I first moved to Flatbush, my first thought was, "Dear God. I will never make it here." The reason? I was overwhelmed by bakeries and shops advertising Jerk Chicken, Beef Patties, Curry Goat, and Oxtail Soup. It's a Caribbean/Jamaican neighborhood, and I quickly doubted if I would ever take part in their culture in any way, at least from a culinary standpoint. It was sad, because I really wanted to get myself mixed into the culture, learn about the music and the traditions (actually, as I write this entry the West Indian Day Parade is happening around and about the neighborhood, celebrating heritage and culture in a bold, boisterous, and colorful way. Check out the beautiful costumes!)

Then I read about a place called Strictly Vegetarian on a great blog I stumbled upon, Flatbush Vegan. And I discovered my culinary niche in this neighborhood: Rastafarianism!

Now, I don't entirely understand the religious backdrop to the Rastafari movement, but according to Wikipedia they believe the last Emperor of Ethiopia was an incarnation of God. Anyway, whatever the deal is, the ones in my neighborhood are fierce vegetarians, and follow an Ital diet, which is pretty exciting, given all the deep fried chicken shops around here:

Though there are different interpretations of ital regarding specific foods, the general principle is that food should be natural, or pure, and from the earth; Rastas therefore often avoid food which is chemically modified or contains artificial additives (e.g. color, flavorings, and preservatives.) Some also avoid added salt in foods, especially salt with the artificial addition of iodine, while pure sea or kosher salt is eaten by some. In strict interpretations, foods that have been produced using chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizer are not considered ital.

Awesome.

So, here are my reviews of the three Ital stops in the area I've eaten at.

Four Seasons: Four Seasons is probably my favorite Ital stop. From the outside it looks like a big Rasta clothing store, but don't be fooled; they have a full juice bar, baked goods, hot foods, bulk foods, and frozen fake meat products to cook with at home. I am a big fan of their dried mango. The small mixed plate of hot food is $7, and it's more than enough for two people. Menu changes all the time; when I ate there we had soy meat, lomein, some sort of chopped greens, rice, beans, etc. They just layer it all, one thing on top of the other, which is a little strange at first, but since all the food is mild it works fine; we asked for a paper plate and scooped things onto that to make more sense of the mountain of food. It's healthy, filling, and delicious.

Strictly Vegetarian: The guy that runs this place is really nice. It's right across the street from Four Seasons, and has a limited bakery and a nice hot bar. Same deal as Four Seasons, except $6. We liked the variety at Four Seasons a little more, but both places are great. Not so keen on pictures of half naked women on the walls, but if you can handle the atmosphere, it's a great place to stop in for a cheap, hugely portioned meal.

Scoops: Scoops is actually in Lefferts Gardens, but its totally worth the trip. Isn't open on Mondays. Like Strictly Vegetarian, it always seems to be the same Rasta guy in there running the shop. The food was great, $7 for a small mixed plate, portions slightly smaller, but the quality on par or even a little better. We had beans, rice, noodles, really great mango flavored hot sauce, and this amazing stuff they called "soy chunks" that was covered in some sort of barbeque sauce. The unique thing about scoops is the ice cream; they offer half a dozen flavors of Non-Dairy tofutti. I recently had the chocolate and thought it was very good, although the cone was a little stale, so you might go for a cup. Tiny, but there is a little bit of seating in there. Altogether, really great place.

So there you have it! Thank you Brooklyn Rastas, for bringing vegetarian culture to Flatbush!

Scoops is on 624 Flatbush Avenue, right near Fenimore Street, down from the Q-B Prospect Park stop or up from the Q Parkside stop.

Strictly Vegetarian is on 2268 Church Avenue, between Flatbush and Bedford, across from the post office.

Four Seasons is on 2281 Church Avenue, across from Strictly Vegetarian, next to the post office.

On K-Dog And Dunebuggy

I have had a really productive week. Wednesday I ran just over a half marathon (14 miles, and yes, I'm still a little sore), and today I finished the first draft of my first novel (which has taken me... well, longer than I think I'm willing to own up to.) And maybe by next week I'll actually be employed, considering after a dozen applications I finally received a request for an interview. I cannot credit myself entirely for the creative jolt. I have also to thank: a supportive husband, the music on my MP3 player, and, of course, lots and lots of coffee and tea.

Which brings me to discuss a little jewel in Lefferts Gardens called K-Dog and Dunebuggy. No, I have no idea what the name means, but I can tell you that the cafe is adorable and well worth a visit. Or many visits.

The great thing about Dunebuggy is that it looks like it belongs in Greenwich Village; great decor, great music, free wifi, low key staff, good food, good coffee, and great tea options (Check out this tea menu! Today I wrote the final pages of my novel while sipping Fiji Green Tea, which is papaya and pineapple infused and really unique.) And they have lots of outlets, and only ask you make a purchase of some sort for every hour you are there on your laptop. But on top of the downtown feel of Dunebuggy, it has a quintessentially Brooklyn characteristic to it: a local neighborhood atmosphere. The sign outside actually says "Coffee - Food - Neighbors" and like Vox Pop, they offer all sorts of events and have a play area for children. I love that the tables are actually decorated with pictures of local children. Half the people that come in are regulars, and in the course of my stay I saw the barista get into half an hour long conversations with patrons, and even walk over to embrace one of her regulars and ask her how her leg is feeling.

This cafe is very good news for me, especially since I'm a strong believer in cafes as a necessary part of urban living. Actually, I'm a believer in cafes in general. Because, even if you are out in the woods somewhere, cafes act as gathering places, and switch up our sensory load so that we don't start to habituate our living room and forget to appreciate simple things, like strangers laughing and pretty decor. If you are a writer or artist or yogi or meditation practictioner of any sort, I think cafes are absolutely essential for you. And if you are married, all the more so, since a little healthy distance goes a really long way. A little healthy distance, free wifi, and some caffeine, even better. Friendly, local atmosphere to boot? Call me a regular.

K-Dog and Dunebuggy is located on 43 Lincoln Road (between Flatbush and Ocean), right next to the Prospect Park stop on the Q-B.

On Prospect Park, And Dappled Things

This afternoon I went for a walk with my husband, Nick, in Prospect Park. It felt strange at first to walk casually around, since I know Prospect Park primarily as a runner. It was essential to me when we were moving to Flatbush that we were as close to the park as possible, since I wanted the considerable miles and hours of my life I spend running to be scenic. (Coincidentally, the outer loop of the park is just over a 5K in distance. This is a really helpful website with all of the exact distances of the trails to help you plan your run.)

But anyway, today I wasn't there running. I was there to show Nick the spot I always pass and never, in all my athletic rigidity, allow myself to stop at before finishing a lap on the outer loop. It is a beach-like area on the lake, where all the geese gather on the sandy shore. The roots of the trees are all exposed and spread themselves out on the ground in intricate patterns, and in the late afternoon, the light is really stunning on the water.

It was really wonderful to sit out there on a tree root reading what Nick calls my "hippie books." In other words, I'm beginning another Julia Cameron book called Vein of Gold. A "hippie book" it might be, but I really enjoyed The Artist's Way, and she isn't positing any crazy theories, so it's more like a craft book for seekers of creativity. Anyway, the theme of the course is to live life artfully, which is convenient, considering that is what I am trying to do these days; dig deep, live mindfully, experience New York and all it has to offer me while I'm still here.

And in a simple way, I feel like I did live artfully today. I sat on a root watching the geese on the lake, reading a book, and listening to an Indian woman singing by the water side while the runners too diligent to stop ran by me. At one point Nick pointed to a bird and said, "That looks like a cow pattern. Isn't there a name for that kind of pattern?" I said, "Dappled. I know a famous poem praising dappled things. It goes something like, 'Glory be to God for dappled things...' and praises everything dappled, dappled cows, dappled light, all dappled things."

Late afternoon gives a great opportunity for appreciating dappled light since it hangs so low in the trees and leaves lacy shadows on the walk. If you are present enough you'll realize there is a lot of raw natural beauty hidden away right here in Brooklyn, ready for you to experience. To get to the spot where I was watching the geese, take a meditative walk to the park and enter from the Flatbush corner of Parkside and Ocean. Walk against the tide of runners and bikers (or, better yet, take the run-down walking path next to the road) until the road starts to bend and you reach a sandy beach area and four dozen some-odd geese, and experience the beauty of Brooklyn and dappled late afternoon light through the trees in Prospect Park. Maybe you'll find yourself living your day a little more artfully.