Ode to Kiva Han Brunch

Biz and I have a weekly date. Brunch at Kiva Han (corner of Forbes and Craig, Pittsburgh) on Sunday mornings. We always order the flapjacks. They're vegan. And delicious.


Robin enjoying her brunch.

Robin's plate (and cleavage): flapjacks, maple syrup, fruit cup, and home fries. Normally, she also gets the veggie sausage as well, but they were out this morning. Terrible shame.

Biz's plate (no cleavage): flapjacks, fruit cup, turkey bacon, and pineapple rum syrup (note: pineapple rum syrup is not tasty! Don't get it! It tastes really oily and yucky! - but the maple syrup is always a delicious choice.... Edit from 4/13/2008: tried the pineapple rum sauce again today, and it is much better - has a slight coffee flavor which is nice.)

Awh, lady, that hurts. Are you insinuating that my breasts are not as voluptuous as yours?

Kiva has things other than vegan pancakes for breakfast; the granola is amazing, but many of the other items we have been disinclined to try... just because what is Sunday without pancakes? However, the omelet always looks very tasty.

Moral of the story:

Eat brunch at Kiva Han!

And make sure not to get pictures of Robin's breasts in the shot while taking photos of food... it will only make you feel inadequate.

Post-note from 4/6/08: Robin and I are currently at the Kiva brunch and would like to give props. I normally order turkey bacon (awesome), but today they weren't having any of it. Apparently they switched turkey bacon brands, and this new one was not as tasty. So thank you Kiva Han, props to you for refusing to serve shitty turkey bacon. So I indulged and ate regular bacon - it was delicious, as well. Also, Robin would like to comment on the presence of blueberries in the fruit cup. She was disproportionately excited. Says A+.

-Robin- & ~*'Biz'*~

HOW TO: use grocery shopping to procrastinate

In my 21 years on this Earth, I have learned myriad tidbits of idle truths, two of which are:

1. "Nothing exists in itself." - MOBY DICK
2. There are people who procrastinate (and for whom it is absolutely necessary), and there are those who do not.

I am one of the first.

This is why after brunch with Robin (post to follow), I decided instead of doing any work whatsoever, I would go to the EastEnd Food Co-OP. Hence,
How-To: use grocery shopping to procrastinate, a photo journal (and an excuse to take pictures in the East-End Food Co-OP)

1. Decide it is absolutely necessary to go grocery shopping, even though you have no idea what you possibly need.

2. Arrive at grocery store:

TA-DA! (I have no idea who that person in the picture is.)

3. Peruse the shelves, exploring the possibilities of things to be made...

(bins of things... like pasta? and unrefined aminos?)

4. Decide to not make anything special and instead check-out with a bunch of fruit, endamame, cereal, goat milk, and some vegan pancake mix. (Re-creations of Kiva Han's vegan pancakes soon to follow.)


... and you've just wasted much more time than was possibly necessary for a Sunday afternoon.

But you enjoyed it...


~*'Biz'*~

Why Hasn't He Called? Chocolate Cupcakes

Sometimes when you think a guy is going to call you and you're sitting around waiting:

you Swifter the floor, you clean your bathroom, you do laundry, you cut out articles from magazines you want to save - and you bake chocolate cupcakes.

And then feel guilty about shoveling them in your face...

Why Hasn't He Called? Chocolate Cupcakes

(This is the full recipe, I halved it so that I wouldn't be tempted to eat 24 cupcakes instead of a dozen.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray or butter a muffin tin with 12 large cups.

Mix together:

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups regular all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients:

3 eggs (I used egg replacer, worked fine)

1 1/2 cups hot water

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I used soy milk that I soured with 1 tablespoon of vinegar)

3/4 cup of vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Blend the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stir until smooth.

Pour into the muffin tin until the cups are 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Makes about 18 large cupcakes.

Let cool, then frost as desired.

Possible frosting ideas:

I used vanilla, but Wendy likes a mixture of cream cheese frosting and peanut butter.

Downside:

The cupcakes are VERY moist, which means they tend to fall apart. I didn't use paper wrappers and I should have to keep them together.

In the photograph: UCC lover/my current roommate, Shawna McCallin.

-Robin-

Italian Almond Pesto

One of our contributing editors/my current roommate, Wendy Lloyd, was watching Lidia's Italy this morning and became the inspiration for my lunch today.

Italian Almond Pesto

In a food processor:

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup almonds (any kind really, I used whole raw almonds)

2 gloves of garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Pulse until all the ingredients are finely ground.

Set food processor on low and stream in olive oil (about 1/4 cup).

Continue mixing until all the ingredients are Incorporated.

I mixed it in with half a box of Campenelle pasta.

Possible additions/tasty suggestions:

I added a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to mine.

Wendy added some grated parmesan cheese to hers.

Both were delicious.

-Robin-