baltimore bytes and philly bikes 

Monday, June 15, 2009 - Posted by urban vegan at 8:32 AM
Baltimore Bytes

Last Saturday I visited my amigo, Leonard, two hours south in Baltimore. Charm City is always a feast for the eyes and the palette. For the eyes: this lovely art deco theater at dusk.


For the palette: a grilled pizza for lunch at Kooper's on Fells Point.



More visual sustenance...We did a mini art crawl and took in the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Walters Art Museum.


Besides boasting a world-class art collection that spans pre-dynastic Egypt to 20th century Europe, the Walters also houses an impressive collection of armour. I must admit, though: if I saw this happy soldier running at me, I'd be more inclined to give him a hug than to pull out my sword.



Newly remodeled church, against the clean blue sky.



Dinner: Tasty, filling falafel at Egyptian Pizza.



I came home with a container of Baltimore's famous Old Bay Seasoning to grace my austere [read with tongue-in-cheek] spice cupboard. I love Old Bay sprinkled on fries and on popcorn.


Philly Bikes

On Sunday, I rose bright and early. For breakfast, I made "Fronch" Toast from Vegan with a Vengeance, topped with a strawberry sauce that I threw together.



Here's the toast a-toasting, and the sauce a-simmering.



Photo by Chris Boyd.

I like to run outdoors whenever possible. Last Sunday's run coincided with the 25th Annual Philadelphia International Cycling Championship, known locally as the Manayunk Bike Race. Cheering on the occasional rainbow blur of bikers certainly made my jaunt much more interesting and fun. The 57.6 race is famous....or infamous... for the bikers' four treks up the steep and grueling Manayunk Wall.



After my run, I browsed the stalls of the countless health-centric vendors who had set up shop along the course. Here, Pablo inspects the mountain of *free* goodies that I toted home in my *free* backpack [not pictured]. As you can see, I hit the Larabar mother lode. The sales rep needed to clear out her stash so she urged me to "Take more, take more!"


I enjoyed a simple summertime dinner: Sloppy Joes and corn on the cob. (This classic recipe will appear in my upcoming cookbook.)