Andy's Half & Half Pizza

Despite my gluten-free lifestyle, there are times you have a weakness for something so delicious or novel. That's why I bought the fresh baked pizza bread from Jerusalem Bakery on Saturday when I was out with Crystal. I knew Andy would use them to make a fabulous pizza(s).

Here's the pizza in all it's glory, half vegan and half with cheese. He used a Muir Glen tomato sauce, Whole Foods 3 blend cheese, tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, yellow onion, garlic, oregano, and basil.
 
 
And the happy creator:
 

Jerusalem Bakery, Marietta, GA

 
Crystal was in town for a wedding, so we met at Jerusalem Bakery in Marietta. I found this spot after browsing through several listings of highly rated ethnic restaurants on Yelp.com.

I ordered this lovely Vegetarian Platter that came with a smattering of hummus, baba ghanoush, tabouli, cabbage salad, tomato, and falafel. It was just as fantastic as the 3-hour long conversation we had while we ate. Before we parted, I also managed to buy fresh pita, pizza bread/crust, and some baklava from the adjoining bakery for Andy.

Mother's Day Buffet at Cafe Sunflower in Buckhead

 
 
 
 

Every year Cafe Sunflower serves a Mother's Day buffet that I help with. I haven't had much experience working at the Buckhead location, but the staff is really friendly and helpful, which makes working there go very smoothly. This year, the menu featured Spring Rolls, Homemade Kabocha Ravioli with Roasted Shallot Marinara, Harvest Salad, Tofu Crab Cakes with Fennel BBQ Sauce, Soy Chicken with Sweet and Spicy Plum Sauce, Mediterranean Asparagus with Garlic-Olive Tapenade, Red Curry Vegetables with Lemongrass Coconut Milk, Spring Hawaiian Vegetables Paella, and Assorted Desserts. All vegan, all deliciious! Also, it's great bonding time with my sister, whom I get to work with at each of these buffets.

My Mother-in-law brought her friend to the buffet, but I didn't get to see my mom, since she was on her way back from a wedding in Cancun, but I'm really happy that she got her SCUBA certification. Go Mom!

Daejanggum Korean Cuisine at Super H-Mart, Doraville, GA

 
It took a little convincing, but I finally got Andy to try out the food court at the Super H-Mart in Doraville. It took a few minutes to settle on which food stand we'd grab our grub. I was feeling like some bimbimbap. What I got instead was a cold version. Just as yummy but unexpected. I think we're going to make this a regular dinner stop, it's fast, delicious, and we can do our grocery shopping afterwards. You never want to do that on an empty stomach!

West Egg, Atlanta, GA

 West Egg is one of the most popular brunch places in Atlanta. After waiting for half an hour on Sunday, we got to try out their new location. I ordered a plate of a la carte sides including: Roasted Garlic Grits, Vegetarian Sausage, Black Bean Cakes, and Salsa.

Across the Street, Atlanta, GA

 

Before catching Scarlett's Web at Dad's Garage, Andy and I met up with Shannon and David at Across the Street for some delicious vegan mexican food. I think I finally found my dish, this sweet potato enchilada with a side of rice and black beans was awesome!

Ma Po Tofu at Home

I kept thinking about the Ma Po Tofu from Peter Cheng's. So I got all the ingredients and made my own vegan version based loosely on a recipe from About.com.

 
 
 
My house now smells like a Szechuan restaurant, and the tofu was delicious. It is intensely spicy, and I was sweating while eating. I think next time I'll reduce the amount of chili bean paste I use and substitute tamari for soy sauce since I'm eating less and less gluten these days.