January 19, 2023
Thoughts on: Buyer & Cellar, Off-Broadwayby Randi / August 28, 2013
When I arrived in Sarajevo after an entire day on an extraordinarily gross train, I was cranky, dirty, and really darn hungry. It was a Sunday night, and I didn’t realize how many places would be closed. I was ready and willing to go to any kind of restaurant or café, no matter what they had for me, as long as it was open. We couldn’t find anything. For hours, we wandered, losing hope, sanity, and patience. Finally, we peeked down an alley and saw a light on. It was at Tavola, an Italian restaurant. They were open! HALLELUJAH!
I didn’t care that I usually have no luck at Italian restaurants, as their menus are usually heavy with meat and pasta made with eggs. I would have been happy with white bread and an iceberg salad. I just needed food!
However, Tavola had a great vegetarian-friendly menu, and a very helpful staff. I would go back here in a heartbeat.
I didn’t care that I usually have no luck at Italian restaurants, as their menus are usually heavy with meat and pasta made with eggs. I would have been happy with white bread and an iceberg salad. I just needed food!
However, Tavola had a great vegetarian-friendly menu, and a very helpful staff. I would go back here in a heartbeat.
To start, I ordered a mixed salad, expecting the usual subpar mix of lettuce, onion, and tomato. What I received was like heaven – greens, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, corn, and beans! BEANS! You really miss beans when you don’t get them for awhile. I felt better instantly. No picture exists of this salad, because it only existed for about 4 seconds before I went all velociraptor on it.
I assumed I wouldn’t be having any sort of pasta, but I saw that they had a gnocchi dish, which should be made without egg, especially if I’m coming. I asked the waiter to check with the kitchen if a) it contained egg or dairy products, and b) if not, if that dish could be made without any of the various types of meat on top. The answers came back – no and yes! Woohoo! I mean, as long as they were the answers in the correct order, I was ecstatic!
The gnocchi was so delicious, and I think it was more than just my ravenous hunger that decided that. It was such a lovely dinner, with the nicest staff. Despite the rocky prelude, it was a great start to Sarajevo.
Tavola, Sarajevo
Tavola, Sarajevo
- Water speed: Not great, but that’s just how it is in the Balkans in general
- Bathrooms: Clean
- Service: Very nice and helpful
- Food: Good!
- Bonus: Open on Sunday!
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Holidays invented by the greeting card industry have annoying origin stories, true. But they are, with the exception of Valentines Day, great excuses to spend time with loved ones and eat good food. OK, Valentines Day is fine too. I love chocolate.
Mothers Day in particular is special for me, because I have the best mother in the world. Seriously, I know a lot of people say that, but it’s true in my case. (Actually, scratch that…I don’t know a lot of people who say that.) To celebrate my mother and the other mothers at our motherloving party, I cooked an epic vegan feast. One of my favorite things about family gatherings is that I can introduce free and delicious vegan food to my very suspicious relatives. There’s nothing more rewarding to a vegan cook than to have a staunchly carnivorous grandfather not only eat your food, but enjoy it.
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Cherry Orange Cornmeal Cake, or How To Have Polenta All Day Son
(Don’t call me son.) I know corn is evil because of GMOs and Monsanto and they’re all watching us through our webcams that we assume are turned off but never are &c. But, polenta is amazing and I can’t stop eating it, even if it will make me grow horns. No seriously. We’ve had it for regular meals (obviously), we’ve had it for breakfast, and now we’re having it for dessert in cake form. I’m sure you’ve all had polenta cake or cornmeal cake in your life but this is its first appearance on this section of this site so ya know happy new year.
Cornmeal is the same as dry polenta, so when you go to buy it, either works. Don’t get the prepackaged premade polenta that we would use in our fried breakfast. You want the flour-like grain for this. But don’t buy cornflour; in the UK that’s what they call cornstarch. There’s a lot to keep straight here.
You can use really any fruit you want here; any kind of berry would be great. I used cherries because I had to cut around the pits and stuff and I like to challenge myself. Also they are apparently supposed to be great help for painful lady cramps so ya know, if you make this it’s pretty much like taking medicine.
Did you hear Bill Cosby finally got arrested? Hooray for PA! I can see all of Pennsylvania!
You can use really any fruit you want here; any kind of berry would be great. I used cherries because I had to cut around the pits and stuff and I like to challenge myself. Also they are apparently supposed to be great help for painful lady cramps so ya know, if you make this it’s pretty much like taking medicine.
Did you hear Bill Cosby finally got arrested? Hooray for PA! I can see all of Pennsylvania!
CHERRY ORANGE POLENTA CAKE
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Ingredients:
Directions:
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Angelica… 
Eliza! 
and cherry |
my food photography brings all the boys to the yard |
they’re like it’s better than yours |
It’s turned out really yummy! Especially for something I didn’t test. Yeah, so the whole spontaneous vibe about this section of the blog usually works out (my shit’s delicious), but sometimes I see where testing could improve things. I loved the taste here, but it was super crumbly. It’s not a problem at all if you make a custard or eat it with ice cream, the liquid of which can help to hold it together or at the very least can help you focus on how lucky you are to be eating vegan ice cream instead of thinking about crumbly cake you ungrateful ogre. But when I make it next, I think I would add a few tablespoons of Aquafaba. And I’m going to suggest that you add it to yours too. Holy crap I just told my husband “I think next time I’ll add Aquafaba to see if it helps bind it” and he LITERALLY just said, “What the f*& why would you voluntarily eat something called Aquafaba? It sounds like a poison from ancient civilizations. Or like a witchcraft-generated medicine. A medieval crone would have been like ‘Here, take some Aquafaba to cure you of your black humours!'” He really said this.
ENJOY!
