My Birthday din-din

Because we had a Labor Day Barbecue to attend on Monday, my parents treated me to a birthday dinner Sunday night. Hey, I was born in England, so technically, it was my birthday at the exact time we celebrated… Not that I didn’t celebrate on Monday as well. Two birthdays are better than one. (P.S. Daddy, I love you… but ya kinda cut my head off!)

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Sharing time:

Tell me if any of y’all have this problem: You’re such a good cook that you don’t normally like to eat out, because the entire time, you’re sitting there thinking, “I could make this better.”  That’s my problem… so when I do eat out, I try to go to places that offer food I can’t easily make myself, such as Indian (like this past Sunday’s dinner) or Korean (think Hangawi in NYC) or Ethiopian, like my “beer fest” post of a few years ago.

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This weekend, we decided to try a new restaurant, called Clay Pit. Well it’s not really new, but it’s new to us. They have a separate section specifically for vegetarian items, so I was a happy camper. Plus, when I called ahead of time (to ensure that the vegetarian items could be made with oil, not butter), the manager told me that they can even change some of their non-vegan dishes to accommodate my needs if I so desire, such as leaving the cream out of the dahl. A lovely offer, but I didn’t even need to take advantage of it, as there were plenty of already-vegan options at my disposal. Sometimes it’s actually simpler if there aren’t; it’s easier to decide! That night, I went with Aloo Ghobi, a traditional Indian cauliflower-potato dish. However, since I’m not the biggest potato freak (I think they’re mushy and bland), I asked for mixed-veggie Aloo Ghobi instead.

Above, my no-potato Aloo Ghobi, alongside an order of roti bread. This was so good! You bet your socks I licked the dish clean (when no one was watching, of course). The whole-wheat roti bread was a perfect accompaniment for the saucy curry. Ingredients: whole wheat flour, oil, water, and salt. That’s it. Oh, it was so soft and flavorful… I must learn how to make this!

Curry close up. The veggies were cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, peas, and broccoli.

Dining out can be hit-or-miss. Luckily, this was a big hit! I get to celebrate again next weekend, when my friends are taking me to this place. I used to love that restaurant, but I haven’t been there in ages, so I’m excited. But I’m sure I’ll post more about it after going next weekend. Tomorrow, more dinner photos (I’d include them today, but this post is getting much too long). Then, we’re moving on to birthday dessert!

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Finally: Oh my word, oh my word, oh my word. You all!! Yesterday, after getting all of your comments, emails, and tons of facebook wall posts, I felt so so so… I can’t even think of a word.  The fact that so many of you took time out of your busy lives to send me birthday wishes just rocked my world. Your kindness meant more to me than any store-bought gift could. I wish I could hug you all through the screen (would that be creepy?). *Restrains self* Seriously, thank you SO MUCH!!

And there is one blogger, in particular, whose kindness is always above and beyond anything I can ever repay. HEAB, your post was so sweet I wanted to cry (happy crying!). How did I get so lucky to have you as a friend? Actually, that question goes for all of you, not just Heather.

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