Today is "Fat Tuesday" or Mardi Gras, typically a day of excess. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, a day of abstinence and fasting, marked with a cross upon Catholic foreheads. I've decided to celebrate in grand style, by taking advantage of les bon temps while it is favored upon to do so.With a divergence from the norm in mind, I planned todays' bounty with a bit more frying and sweetening than usual.
I started off the day gently, with a rather wholesome chocolate chip and banana muffin from a vegan café in the Slope called 'Snice. I've chatted with the lovely fellow who works there about the baked goods on display. They are all handmade. He bakes them downstairs in an oven that's in the basement of the building. He explained to me that he began experimenting with vegan cooking because he has a lot of food allergies. I made my selection this morning while the muffins were still warm, testing for freshness by using the gentle squeeze test.
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| Mac and Cheese Ball |
Now, on to the heavy hitters. I've had a hankering for mac and cheese for the past few days, which led me to some creative surfing yesterday, searching for places nearby that would answer the call. Et voilà! The Chip Shop, you old so-and-so: http://chipshopnyc.com/. Excellent. It was with great excitement that I made my selections from the takeaway menu. There's a real fish and chip counter behind the restaurant, where I went to place my order: a fried mac and cheese ball, haddock and chips, and a deep-fried Mars bar. Dipping things in batter is a bit of a thing here.
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| Haddock and Chips |
Sadly, the gooey Mars bar sprinkled with powdered sugar did not last long enough for a picture, because you gotta go for it while it's still warm. Rest assured, I licked the container clean. Well, I've got daylight to burn and a few more courses to get through. There's Belgium Lambic beer on my list, and possibly some more dessert, like chocolate cake. See you at mass tomorrow ;)
Happy Mardi Gras!
