How
does a Vegan survive in the US
If you are a vegan then it is
better you land in the US in summer. At least Burger King is there where you
can order a veg burger, The Indian store offers a variety of uncooked food from
pulses to curry leaves. It is unnecessary to ask if these condiments are
overpriced. I did manage to shop some Indian stuff like rice, lentils,
clarified butter, fresh vegetables and skimmed milk.
Though I am not a professional
cook but my work place was different now. A bigger kitchen, that housed all
modern & efficient appliances. The only snacks that one could think of for
a ‘quick meal’ were a sandwich or a pizza. All the rest will hit your face with
the ‘aroma’ of meat.
Do-nuts
draw out your nuts every morning
We did taste them at Dunkin’s on
a couple of occasions. But the snag was those pretty icings, so enticing that
the devil ‘diabetes’ kept beckoning from all outlets. Muffins and cup cakes
look cute on the shelves but the tummy may turn turbulent. Coffee outlets at
Starbucks or McDonalds are the prime ‘day’ starters for those on the road-to
work or play. We are ‘erstwhile’ coffee drinkers. Oh we Indians !?!
A policy rehearsed well in
India-Cook & Eat at home to be safe
Here at Raleigh eating at a
restaurant was tedious and boring as the Vegan palate yearns for a Samosa.
Dosa,Vada, Vada-pav etc. Finally after scrolling eye balls on the menu up and
down one is compelled to settle for a veg pizza or a milkshake or green salad to
pamper our ‘cattle class’ appetite.
Pancakes
for a few days
A random search in the kitchen
and I laid my hands on a pound of pancake flour. So our breakfast problem was solved.
So it began
*Pancake
with sauce
*Pancake with coriander chutney
*Pancake with jam
*Pancake with grated cheese
Now my jaws ache when I yell out
or try to yell out “pancake”. This pancake flour was sweet and gluey. So, we
had to cut down on the quantum of consumption.
Fruit and
vegetable juices – the ideal supplement
Srinath (b-i-l) is smart enough
to install a food-processor which can crush even apple seeds if you are not
happy with the apple juice. The machine was so useful to crush almonds,
pistachios, cashew nuts and peanuts in that order. Quite a nutty processor. So many
an evening was spent sipping juice watching TV and get drowsy.
Now did I incite tears of joy in
a tragedy of gastronomical proportions. I win.
Pawn-shop
visit
My raised eyebrows elevated abnormally
trying to trace why such shops exist on the main street? We entered to purchase
a laptop – every piece looked elegant but quoted high-end price. Why? Somebody was
broke and the good laptop was sold for a song. So now, it is our turn to feed
the pawnbroker. The pawnshop looked more inviting for amateur musicians as we
kept tripping over drums, guitars, saxophones and amplifiers. The deal was not
struck and so we stepped into the next shop – a ladies jewelry shop which also
sold accessories like bags, scarves and trendy shoes. Not exactly a pawnshop
here but a mixture of high and low-end brands which kept boggling in our minds.
Is it a jewelry shop?
Book-shop
and Reading Corner
Almost every shopping centre or
mall was studded with at least one bookshop and reading corner like Barnes &
Noble that does tend to attract a wayward shopper. They have the right discounts on
the latest books, a stationery corner and none would miss the coffee shop. The book
cum coffee lovers have a good time here.Reading the synopsis of books was a pleasure.
Visit to
Washington DC
Your visit is not complete
without a mandatory visit to Washington DC, the capital exudes all its grandeur
and its restraint to tourists. Every tourist must visit the American History
Museum which sprawls upwards to three floors with annexes (connected by
bridges). (The Museum was built as an after-thought due to a sudden influx of war
stories and the connected inventions of machines specially weapons.) The visit leaves
you struck with American history which you will never forget even if you want
to. The other museums were interesting, too but getting close to Capitol Hill
and the White House is taboo. Better avoid it as the Americans are finicky
about security nowadays. Our stay at the Grand Hyatt was also memorable as it
was only for a night and two days. The best meal in Washington was the Mexican
bread which was not bread! A tray served with five kinds of cooked beans and
topped with Mexican rice(cooked). The taste was groovy as much as it looked. God bless
the Mexicans.
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