There's No Place Like Home

New York City, the village, was hopping last night. Strolling around and looking in the funky shops inspires the artist in me. I had to take a peek inside the famed Magnolia Bakery, that teeny space filled with nostalgic, old fashioned desserts, like red velvet cake, german chocolate cake, pies, cupcakes, icebox cakes and much more. My mouth was watering, while I mentally planned out gluten free versions of these tasty treats. It was so crowded, that I managed to practically bump into Patricia Arquette, the talented actress of my favorite show, Medium! She very graciously said "Thank you so much," as I stumbled over my words of praise. I don't usually ogle over celebrities.

Risotteria, is exceptional for it's pizza, pasta, paninis, and creamy risottos, all available in the gluten free variety. My pizza with tomato, mozzarella and anchovy was just what I had been craving, with it's crunchy, crisp crust, gooey cheese, and salty punch of big anchovies. This was a special treat, a walk on the wild side, and oh, it made my taste buds very happy, but now I'm back on the dairy free wagon. I'm not complaining about that either; I eat well.

Next stop, the startling movie Food, Inc. As I watched factory farm animals, standing deep in their own feces with no room to even turn around, miserable, with eyes pleading "help," I felt like hurling my pizza. This is a good movie, thought provoking, though uncomfortable. I highly recommend it if you care about your food, humanity and the fate of the world. People are getting sick and dying from the food they eat. It's about big business, the food commodity, and 'it' preys on the poor, those who live on fast food because they can't afford the healthy stuff. Let's face it, 'it' preys on us all with fancy enticing labels, artificial flavorings that get us hooked...Is that soy based, genetically modified fake meat safe? And about corn...learn how evil big business and politicians are in power with genetically modified monster versions of natures gift to us, corn. We don't yet know the effects of genetically modified food on the human body. And on it goes. The moral is we need to be educated and vigilant about the food we eat and care where it comes from. I spend a lot of time being a discriminating shopper, buying organic and local, but still, there is room for improvement. On the other hand, I don't want become an overly obsessed food nazi either.

After that, to soothe my frayed nerves, a quick stop to the bakery Babycakes for a yummy vanilla cupcake with an ever so creamy butter cream frosting that contains no butter at all, but a high quality coconut oil. Their sweet treats are all organic, vegan, many are gluten free, though some are made with spelt. They are sweetened with agave nectar. I am concerned about cross contamination because all of the cupcakes are in the same case. I ate the cupcake happily, frosting on my nose.

It was good but after a while it sat in my stomach like a lead brick and all I could think about was my lovingly baked loaf of chocolate chunk banana bread with toasted pumpkin seeds cooling on a rack on the kitchen counter. I had sliced off a hot, large end hunk hastily and gobbled it down with my friend in the car on the way to New York. He declared it the best banana bread he had ever eaten. It was full of seeds, oozy artisan dark chocolate and chunks of four extremely ripe bananas. Oh yea! Hot from the oven, nothing can beat that. "Will any of it be left when I get home or will Andrew have attacked it?" I thought.

I love New York and sampling the great foods and restaurants, but nothing beats homemade. There really is no place like home.