Travel blog part 24.

What was it?
Spinach and ricotta ravioli, cuppa tea. 

Where was it from?

Bar Roma, Sydney Airport.

How much was it?

Total $18.50 or something ridiculous like that. Yep, you're back in Australia. 

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

BECAUSE FUCK I WAS SO HUNGRY. After enduring about 26 hours of United Airlines no-vegetarian bullshit, I was about ready to eat a horse, which ironically I couldn't even do because I'm a vegetarian, so I settled for eating a very large amount of pasta. 

How was it?

In all honesty it was probably pretty average, but by this point I was so happy to see a non-aeroplane meal that it might as well have been five star dining. 

This also marks the end of my travel blogging. I will now resume the sporadic, aimless and probably somewhat inane blogging of old. Thanks for reading :)

Travel blog part 23.

What was it?

Tomato, hummus and cream cheese sandwich, air-popped chips. 

Where was it from?

United Airlines.

How much was it?

Free in-flight meal.

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

Because it was the only meat-free thing I was given in fourteen hours. 

How was it?

Kind of lumpy and slimy and generally pretty unpleasant. 

Travel blog part 22.

So because my trip had to end and spit me back into my comparably mundane life, you now have the pleasure of reading the rather pitiful account of my flights home. Apologies for the varying degrees of crappy phone-camera picture quality. 


What was it?
Beef & tomato pasta, salad, breadroll, "butterscotch brownie," tomato juice.

Where was it from?

United Airlines.

How much was it?

Free in-flight meal.

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

Well, I think saying I "ate" this would be rather overstating things. Because United don't have a vegetarian meal option I was just given this on my flight from LA to Sydney. I asked if there was some sort of alternative and the flight attendant suggested that one would be to "pick around it." 

I suppose that's basically what I ended up doing. I noticed several other vegetarians around me having the same conversation with flight attendants, some angrier than others, and also heard said flight attendants congregating at the back of the plane and referring to us as "the stupid vegetarians" later on. You can't beat American customer service. 

How was it?

I mean, I'm probably the wrong person so ask since I didn't really eat it and was sort of offended by the suggestion that I should. The salad was basically a pile of lettuce, cleverly disguised by one slice of tomato at the top. I more or less lived on tomato juice for the remainder of the trip. 

Travel blog part 21.

What was it?
Pumpkin and chickpea soup.

Where was it from?

MoMA Cafe, NYC. 

How much was it?

$6.50.

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

Because I accidentally spent the whole day at MoMA so I figured I might as well eat there too. I ordered this because it was the cheapest thing on the menu, and also because it was small, so I could eat it quickly and get back to being totally awestruck and overwhelmed by the wonders of MoMA. 

How was it?

As far as museum cafe type deals go this was actually quite a pleasant dining experience. I mean, there wasn't anything trashy or re-heated about it so that was a definite plus. I love MoMA. 

Travel blog part 20.

What was it?
Eggs Benedict with potatoes.

Where was it from?

Miller's Tavern, Brooklyn NY. 

How much was it?

About $13.

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

We went for brunch in Brooklyn because it was the weekend and why not? And I think there's something nice about going for brunch and just ordering eggs Benedict. This usually comes with panccetta but I asked for it meat-free and they were kind enough to oblige. 

How was it?

Perfect. Eggs perfectly poached, potatoes perfectly cooked, bread had that charred-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside thing going on.

Although, I should probably add that although my meal was perfect and delicious, Adam's was kind of average in the sense that the eggs were, to quote, "overcooked as fuck." Bad luck. 

Travel blog part 19.

What was it?
Pickled beetroot, hummus and watercress sandwich.

Where was it from?

Depanneur, Williamsburg NY. 

How much was it?

$7.50

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

Because we were procrastinating in the process of (not, in the end) installing an air-conditioner, and went to this very nice deli-type sandwich place in Greenpoint. You know, one of those places where everything is pretty and people say please and thank you. I ordered this because it had hummus on it, basically. 

How was it?

I was so hungry at this point I probably would have eaten a shoe, but let's be fair to the sandwich, it was pretty great. The place was nice and I would go there again. It was also in a cool area with some good bookstores etcetera. 

Travel blog part 18.

What was it?
Vegie burger and fries.

Where was it from?

Mikey's Burger, Ludlow St NYC. 

How much was it?

$10.50 (burger $7, fries $3.50).

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

Because - look at it - it's clearly the quintessential American food experience.

How was it?
As far as vegie burgers go this was actually right up there. Super strict vegetarians be aware that these are cooked on the same grill as the meat burgers, but a substantial distance away. I figured that unlike other places, these guys cook the burgers right in front of you so I'd rather they're cooked on the same grill and know for sure that they weren't actually near the meat than just be told "yeah we cook them on different grills" which is not true 95 percent of the time.

This is a real no-bullshit, diner style kind of burger which they don't really do in Australia - there it's either pay $11 for a giant stack of too many ingredients and a burnt pattie at Grill'd or go to Hungry Jacks. So I liked the authentic simplicity of this burger. I think there's a lot to be said for authentic simplicity, in burgers and in life. 

Travel blog part 17.

What was it?
Pesto and parmesan salad.

Where was it from?

Gaia Italian Cafe, LES NYC. 

How much was it?

$7

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

I am currently writing at Adam's place of employment because it's dark and quiet and full of strange pictures, which is conducive to creative productivity. This is the Italian place around the corner. 

How was it?

A minute ago I said "man, that salad was good but it was not worth $7," and Adam said "are you serious?"

So I guess my only qualm about this meal was a little unfounded. It tasted good. Like spaghetti but with rocket instead of pasta. 

Travel blog part 16.

What was it?
Pasta with tomato, basil, lemon and cheese. 

Where was it from?

Ingredients by Whole Foods, cooking by Adam. 

How much was it?

Not sure, but we spent about $45 at Whole Foods that day. Expensive-ass cheese.

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?
We went to see John Maus at Hudson River Park last night, which was a very inspiring experience, so we had to make a quick dinner before we left (and by "we" I mean Adam, because I have completely surrendered to the fairly novel experience of having someone else make nice food for me).

How was it?
Fucking good.

Travel blog part 15.

What was it?

Tlacoyo de Tres Marias - basically a corn boat-shaped thing stuffed with goats cheese, with beans, rice and salsa. 

Where was it from?

Cafe Habana, NoLita NYC. 

How much was it?

$11.50

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

This was the night we went to a book launch at Ed Varie in the East Village, which was lots of people in a very small space drinking beers and looking at some very nice photographs. This also resulted in not having dinner until 11pm and having trouble finding a place with an open kitchen. So we went to this Cuban place which is apparently a bit of a tourist trap, which I feel is quite fitting because I am a tourist. I ordered this because it was one of those vegetarian dishes that included all the various elements of this kind of food that I really like so it's almost like ordering multiple things.

How was it?

Really big, for one. And needed more salsa than the weirdly tea-spoon sized amount there was. But besides that it was delicious. 

Travel blog part 14.

What was it?
Strawberry cheesecake.

Where was it from?

Toad Hall, NYC. 

How much was it?

I didn't pay, Adam did. What a guy. 

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

We went to this opening at Swiss Institute which turned out to be not such a hip and happening event in the sense that there was hardly anyone there. So we went to this pub for dessert instead, and I have sort of mentally resolved to myself that if there is cheesecake on a dessert menu, I order the cheesecake. So I ordered the cheesecake. 

How was it?

It was a little difficult to eat because it was sitting in this strange puddle of strawberry-flavoured liquid. I mean, I like my cheesecakes very unembellished. But besides that it was very nice. 

Travel blog part 13.

What was it?

Mongolian tofu and brown rice. 

Where was it from?

Pho Grand, Chinatown NYC. 

How much was it?

$9

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

Because the restaurant is across the road from the apartment and apparently really good.

How was it?

The initial experience was one of culinary disappointment because my meal came out full of prawns, which I do not eat because I identify as a herbivore. In hindsight I suspect this may have been my fault, because the waiter asked me if I wanted something which sounded like "shoe," but I assumed was "chilli," and I believe was in fact "shrimp." I suppose the optimistic view of this event would be to say that at least my meal didn't arrive accompanied by a shoe. 

But once the shoe/shrimp situation had been rectified it was a very nice meal. The tofu was that really amazing squidgy kind that you can't even pick up with chopsticks. It was also gigantic and I took the leftovers home and had them for lunch the next day. 

Travel blog part 12.

What was it?
Eggs and beans on toast, technically. 

Where was it from?

Adam's kitchen.

How much was it?

Strictly speaking this is irrelevant, because it was leftovers. 

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

Adam made this amazing Mexican dinner the night before which I neglected to blog because I just wanted to eat it. Said meal actually resulted in me asking Adam to marry me, to which he replied, "I'll consider a Harem-type arrangement but nothing else." Oh well.

Anyway, the next day we had this brunch with eggs and Mexican leftovers on the roof. 

How was it?

Like drinking out of a hose on a summer's day - pure indulgence, pure enjoyment. 

Travel blog part 11.

What was it?
Tomato and chilli rigatoni with pecorino cheese. 

Where was it from?

Ingredients by Whole Foods, cooking by Adam. 

How much was it?

I can't remember who paid at Whole Foods - I need to blog more regularly.

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

Following on from the trend of posting pictures of the food we've been eating at home - we had this the other night because we were too tired/poor to go out for dinner. And it's really nice to eat dinner on the roof.

How was it?

Looking at the photo of this meal is making me hungry and giving me food nostalgia. 

Travel blog part 10.

I got an email from my mother the other day saying that she was concerned that my blog didn't seem to feature much fruit and veg/healthy food. Aside from the amusement this caused me by way of stereotypical motherly concern, I realised that I have neglected to post some of the food we've been eating at home, which has certainly extended beyond the realms of mac & cheese and pizza. So.

What was it?
Two eggs with tomato, arugula, garlic & vinegar. 

Where was it from?

Adam's kitchen.

How much was it?

I don't know what the combined total of the ingredients would have been, but Adam said he got a heap of arugula for $5. Good deal. 

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

Because we woke up late and wanted to have brunch of the roof. 

How was it?

I continue to be highly impressed by what Adam can do with small numbers of ingredients. And by that I mean, this was really fucking good. 

Travel blog part 9.

What was it?
Cherry pie with yoghurt and blueberries. 

Where was it from?

I have no idea, but we had it at a dinner with friends in Brooklyn. And by friends I mean, these Australian girls I just met a few days ago, one of whom I'm fairly sure is clinically insane.

How much was it?

Not sure how much our host paid for it, but she has an unnatural aversion to the concept of poverty so I'm guessing a fair bit.

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?
It was very nice of these people to invite us to their home and feed us.

How was it?
Fuck yeah cherry pie. 

Travel blog part 8.

What was it?

Roasted eggplant sandwich with carrot, coriander and jaggery, & mango mint lemonade. 

Where was it from?

Bombay Sandwich, Brooklyn markets.

How much was it?

Food + drink $10. 

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

We went to the food market in Brooklyn. It was overwhelming. Think of a bunch of things you'd probably really like to eat and put them in the same place and you might start to get an idea. It was like one of those Australian multicultural festivals except they do it every week so there's nothing ridiculously over the top about it. 

How was it?

I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say this was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. Like, really simple, but I'm definitely stealing this recipe. I can't say it's the cheapest food I've had in New York, but it was fresh, delicious and vegan and the guys who sold it to me were super nice. I'd pay a nice person $7 to make me a delicious healthy sandwich any day of the week.

Travel blog part 7.

What was it?

Masala mac and cheese. 

Where was it from?

S'mac, East Village NYC. 

How much was it? 

Massive skillet $7.75.

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon? 

Because it's an entire restaurant devoted solely to mac and cheese. Further justification is clearly unnecessary. 

How was it? 

Cheesy, greasy, big, tasted amazing. 

Travel blog part 6.

What was it?
Margherita pizza, water. + Milk chocolate gelato. 

Where was from?
La Famiglia, Broadway NYC. And this really weird gelato cart vendor in Washington Square Park who seemed very concerned about the fact that my shoelaces were untied.

How much was it?
Pizza + water about $5, gelato $4.

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?
This was my first day in New York by myself because Adam was working, so I just wandered around trying to get my bearings. I walked all up and down Second Ave looking at places to eat, but then I decided I wanted to go to the park and eat because it was about a hundred and fifty thousand degrees and there's a fountain you can sit in at Washington Square Park. I've discovered that in New York, people just pretty much do whatever the fuck they want - the idea that you would be able to swim in a fountain in Brisbane is totally ridiculous. So I just got a pizza and went and sat in the fountain and read the New Yorker. Yeah.

How was it?
American pizza is a real revelation to me because in Australia "good pizza" is like, Pizza Capers or something, which, let's face it, isn't that good and is offensively overpriced. So yeah, big fan of the pizza. And you'll never hear me saying anything bad about gelato, although to be honest, $4 is definitely the most I've paid for such a small amount of food since getting here. The guy I bought it from was so unusual though that I sort of felt like, okay, guy could use a break. Give him the $4. 

Travel blog part 5.

What was it?

Rajas (roasted pepper and onion) and hongos (sautéed mushroom) tacos. (+ chips and guacamole, salsa and various Mexican sauces).

Where was it from?

La Superior, Williamsburg - Brooklyn NYC. 

How much was it?

All tacos $2.50 each. 

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

Adam and I went to dinner in Brooklyn with Adam's friend Jacob - I'd never been to Brooklyn, so we walked across the Williamsburg Bridge and had dinner at this Mexican place near the river. I ordered these two because they were vegetarian, basically, but also because they were the most pronouncable on the menu. Tourist scum. 

How was it?

Pretty amazing. First of all, I can't get my head around how cheap food is here. There is no way you'd find Mexican this good, this cheap in Australia because there's just not enough competition I guess. Second of all, it was really no bullshit type Mexican food and I really like that the menu said "this is food as it would be served in Mexico, so please do not ask us to add lettuce, sour cream or cheese to our tacos." And the people were nice and gave us lots of chips with our guacamole. If you visit New York you should eat here. 

Travel blog part 4.

What was it?
Some kind of vegetarian dumpling.

Where was it from?

Vanessa's Dumpling House, Eldridge St NYC.

How much was it?

A bunch of dumplings plus a sesame pancake sandwich thing was about $4.50. For real. 

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon? 

Because Adam told me to. 

But really, we had this for lunch on my first day here by a kid's playground in Chinatown, because Adam says Vanessa's has the best dumplings and I fucking love dumplings. 

How was it? 

I honestly don't know what I was expecting from this much food for under $5, but it certainly wasn't that it would be delicious - which it was. It was also messy and greasy so I thought it was a pretty good "welcome to New York" type meal. 

Travel blog part 3.

What was it?
Vegetarian tortellini with tomato sauce, salad, hot buttered roll, chocolate cakey-type-thing. 

Where was it from?

United Airlines

How much was it?

Free in-flight meal.

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

Because I was fucking stoked that there was a vegetarian option and there was nothing else to do, because United Airlines don't have any in-flight entertainment except for re-runs of Two and a Half Men on a communal TV. 

How was it? 

Pretty good as far as aeroplane food goes. Except for the cake, which tasted like crayons. 

Travel blog part 2.

What was it?

Raspberry cheesecake, tiny water. 

Where was it from?

McCafe, Sydney airport.

How much was it?

About $6.50.

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

I didn’t really feel like eating at all, but United Airlines don’t serve vegetarian meals, so who knew what I was in for once I got on the plane.

How was it?

Fuck yeah it was awesome. I mean expectations were pretty low, especially since the girl who sold it to me said "sorry, we just got this out of the freezer so it hasn't quite thawed in the middle," despite the box proudly claiming that its contents had been "baked fresh." So as far as McCafe goes this was a pretty sexy piece of cake. 

Travel blog part 1.

I'm in New York.

I don't like aimless travel blogging, it's kind of like expecting people to read your mundane diary entries - things always seem more exciting to you than they do to everyone else. So I'm just going to photograph all the things I eat and write about that and hopefully, if you're reading this, you will gain some sort of a quaint insight into my travelling experience by way of that. 

So.

What was it?

A banana, small berry muffin, two Weet-Bix, milk, orange juice.

Where was it from?

Qantas.

How much was it?

Free in-flight breakfast.

Why did you eat this, Rhiannon?

I contemplated not eating it. I kind of resent Qantas’ attempts at vegetarian meals, because usually the non-vegetarian breakfasts are meat-free anyway and a lot nicer. It’s as if they’re punishing me for daring to request a special meal.

Sorry guys.

But I had resolved that if it was put in front of me, and it was free, and there was no hair or dead animals in it, that I was going to eat it.

How was it?

I mean, it was Weet-Bix. It tasted like Weet-Bix. The banana was a nice addition. The muffin was one of the weirdest, nastiest muffins I’ve ever had. It it with considerable contempt that I include this meal in my blogging activities.