Hello there! How are you this fine Thursday evening? Sorry about the late postage… our city is, once again, blanketed in snow. Have you heard about the ice car? Public transit may be bad here in the winter, but at least I don’t have to break a window to defrost my car! Poor guy.
Most of the city’s schools were closed (including mine, but I don’t start until Monday), but fortunately for us folks on the payroll the restaurant stayed open. Before work, Ari treated me to breakfast at the diner, which is where I was this morning instead of in my usual blogging chair!
Last night, Ilana and I took an evening yoga class. It was glorious! It was more stretch- than strength- heavy, and was so, so relaxing. I’ve really been enjoying my yoga practice of late… what with school and the inevitable upcoming changes in my routine, I’ve been feeling a teensy bit of anxiety. The classes themselves are great- I seem to forget all of my outside dramas after about 10 minutes- and at night, when my thoughts are running through my head at lightning speed, I take deep, deep yoga breaths. It really helps.
I got dinner already before class, because I had a feeling I’d be starving when I got home. (I was right.) Clean Food‘s Thai Black Beans with Mangoes and Cilantro appealed to me… I don’t think I’ve ever had black beans cooked in a way that wasn’t faintly Spanish or Mexican!
I made a couple adaptions (no fermented black beans, turbinado sugar instead of sucanat), and rather than haul out- and clean- my immersion blender, I just mashed the sauce together with a mortar and pestle.
The whole thing took about 30 minutes to put together, including chopping the mangoes and cooking rice. I loved the sweet-spiciness of the beans, and the mango and cilantro made the dish a refreshing treat.
Our street still has six-foot-tall mounds of snow, but it’s kind of fun to climb over them. Hopefully the plows will come through tonight, though.
What are you up to this weekend? I have two more days of work, then I’ll use Sunday to get myself organized for the first day of school on Monday! I feel like a seventeen-year old college freshman again 
Black beans and mango?! That sounds like a wildly delicious combination! Stay warm with all the snow
I keep seeing all these celebs getting stranded in NY because of the snow. You can tell most of them are from LA and have NO idea what to do in the snow. LoL
That black bean dish sounds fantastic.
This weekend = I’m still recovering. Hope to chat with you soon!
I need to cook more recipes from Clean Foods– I always forget that I own it!
What’s the diner you and Ari always go to?
i saw the ice car on gma today!! craaaaazy stuff haha
can i tell you i thought that i had atleast another week until school started. whoopsies i guess it does start next tuesday gahhhh!
whoa! Big snow! We have had some crazy ones too, but the most we got was 8 inches and it looks like you got way more than that! Stay warm haha
at least that ice car wont get stolen! I hope to see The King’s Speech this week end as I will have a class with Stan Levin in a few weeks for a movie review.
I’m so glad I don’t live in the coldddest parts of the country anymore!!!!
The snow sounds so tiring!!
And then there was the meringue with the car inside, after the snow plows came, and the ice shell up the block after the car dug out and slogged away. It is beautiful, though, fairy tale trees dotted with snow, and so quiet. I know what you mean about yoga breathing and slowing down your thoughts. There’s no better way to relax and separate day from night. Yummy mango dish.
i LOVE your beans and mango combo.. that sounds great! no snow here.. so im doing the ush!
Glad you enjoyed your yoga! That black bean and mango combo looks lovely, I’ve clipped it to my evernote account to remind me to recreate that some time!
Gah this weather in NYC has been craaaazy! Those black beans look delicious though.
Your recipe photo gave me a smile–we always hold our other cookbooks open with our copy of “Veganomicon” as well! It’s just so sturdy and works perfectly
(Although, more often than not, it’s the one that’s open to a recipe page!).
Hope they’re getting the snow cleared a little better this time than they did for the December storm
Holy crap, that sucks! I hadn’t seen that dudes car. I thought it was bad that my car had totally disappeared behind a blanket of snow, but I have to say, I’m overjoyed that it’s not ice!
That is so exciting for you to start school on Monday! That snow out east is crazy. Back in Minnesota, we finally are getting “warm” weather and a teensy break from the snow.
Also, that black beans and mango/cilantro make such a gorgeous plate! I’ll have to remember to try a combo like that next time I entertain!
i wish the snow plow had cometh to my town! lol.
our roads were a MESS.
i’ve seen black beans with mango before, but haven’t gotten to try it. whta did you think?
this recipe always looks so good to me, though:
http://www.hungry-girl.com/girls/biteoutdetails.php?isid=1702
xox.
Yikes for snow again! U guys have been getting alot there!
I love black beans, I like to just throw them in a salad ; ) I need to make a good recipe like this with them and be more creative ; )
Yay for school monday!!! Wishing you the best of luck your first day girl!! xoxo