flirting 101

I enjoy flirting. It makes my weekend adventures entertaining, it enabled me to join the sorority of my choice (read: girl-flirting), and it will now dictate my food choices. Allow me to explain...

I tend not to define the way I choose to eat because I don't want to restrict myself from rare indulgences. I do, however, obviously prefer healthier foods. And I happen to eat a mostly vegan diet. This is not because I am against eating meat and animal products, but rather because I do not agree with many of the politics surrounding the conventional meat and dairy industries, and, of course, wish to promote the healthier lifestyle that makes me feel my best.

So I'd like to officially call myself a flirt, in Alicia Silverstone's terms. I've referenced her book, the Kind Diet, a handful of times in the past. For those of you that are unfamiliar, the product description reads: "Alicia provides the encouragements, the information, and the tools you need to make the transition to a plant-based diet deliciously empowering." In other words, her book is a medley of insight, personal experience, and evidence-based benefits within veganism and a macrobiotic diet... plus amazing recipes. As a flirt, I'm simply publicly stating that I will delve even deeper into an energizing eating style like hers. And Claire's, as I mentioned to her on our Michigan dinner date :).

I've been most recently inspired by the Yoga Body Diet, a book that I have also briefly discussed in the past. Marketed as a 4-week diet & lifestyle makeover, it promises to show you how to, "de-stress your life, balance your system, and get the yoga body you've always wanted... for life." Sounds lofty, I know, but if I were to follow the Pitta plan as described, I'm confident that the results would be pretty darn similar. Why? Because the suggestions are based on Ayurveda, (India's oldest form of healing and medicine,) completely feasible and enticing, and many, if not all of their wonderful recipes are plant-based.

Last week, I met my favorite blog twin, for dinner at Pure Food and Wine. We feasted on Brazil Nut Crusted Almond and Sea Vegetable Croquettes, (in a tartare sauce, local honey sweet chili sauce, and with pink peppered wild arugula), Pad Thai with Kelp Noodles and Baby Bok Choy, (with snow peas, king oyster mushrooms, and sesame salted cashews in a tamarind sauce and cilantro oil), and Mexican Cinnamon Mousse, (a.k.a. a guajillo chili pepper chocolate cake alongside a pear relish and sorbet). Leslie and I enjoyed red wine too, as we often do, that was both biodynamic and vegan. And in addition to being incredibly satisfying, the vegan fare was all exquisitely prepared.

For the sake of cultural tastings, I may never be completely macrobiotic, raw, nor vegan, but for the time being, I am most definitely, more than ever, a flirt. Let the culinary games begin.