This morning after meeting (3rd week in a row!) Bobby and I went to Souen, a macrobiotic restaurant, for brunch. You might remember that I experimented with macrobiotics last year (actually it was just over a year ago this month) and I really enjoyed it. I cultivated my love of kabocha and I learned a lot about how the food we eat impacts the way we feel. Here are some resources:
- Becoming Whole, by Meg Wolff (book review)
- 2-week wrap-up
- 1-week thoughts
- Lessons learned
So today I wanted to try going back to macrobiotics again. I opted for “Brunch A” ($8.50 – well worth it!! Huge portions for me):
- Kenchin-Tofu Drop Soup: tofu, shiitake, burdock, carrot and watercress in kombu kuzu broth.
- Corn Bread or Spelt Bread (I got corn bread, duh – with miso tahini dressing)
- Steamed Vegetables (carrot, daikon, squash and greens)
Bobby got “Brunch B” ($11 – oddly enough this was less food than Brunch A):
- Yuba: steamed tofu “skin” marinated in kombu-shiitake broth.
- Mixed Grain of the Day (basmati wild rice)
- Goma-Ae: steamed special greens with black sesame sauce.
- Goma Tofu: soy free, creamy and nutty sesame “tofu”.
- Stewed Vegetables: cooked carrot, gobo, yam cake and lotus root in tamari broth.
I thought this was possibly the best lunch/brunch I have ever had. And there were flowers, soy sauce, and sesame seeds:
My soup came first. Bobby and I actually swapped soups because we each liked the other’s better.
The cornbread was really interesting (in a good way) – it was not very sweet at all and tasted healthy (again, in a good way). It came with miso tahini dressing (I finished this dressing and got more – so good). Two related recipes that I made before:
- Corn bitelettes (a BSI entry)
- Cornbread pudding/casserole
My veggies came last. The kabocha was ripe and perfectly steamed. The carrots and daikon were also perfectly steamed. Even the kale was delicious! (Sometimes I think it’s boring.)
Here was Bobby’s spread (clockwise from top left: spinach, rice, tofu skin thing, sesame tofu thing, and soup):
I thought that Bobby’s gomae (steamed spinach with sesame sauce – I have a recipe here) was really yummy. He thought it tasted a little bit like dirt, but I honestly thought it was great. I also thought his goma tofu (tofu made with sesame) was good, but he didn’t like the texture much. Next time he is getting fish. We’re going to bring his mom here when his family visits in March (!). I think she would appreciate it.
Brunch dessert was a piece of Macasure chocolate. I saw it at Whole Foods yesterday and picked it up. Really good! Bobby liked it too.
I’m gonna end with a mantra that I was contemplating this morning during my hour of silence:
May everyone be happy, well, and peaceful.
How was your weekend?
