After a little summer break we‘re back – just in time for the start of fall. A bunch of you told me that you missed the Top 6 series and really, I missed it too. So, let‘s continue with it and start the fall the best possible way! We again are covering my favorite restaurant, recipe, food, workout, inspiration and product for the month of October. Before we start, let me tell you: you can be very excited for what’s to come! As always: nothing here is sponsored or influenced in any way, those all are personal favorites that I genuinely enjoy!
Restaurant of the month – das Vivet
As a Viennese it seems a bit embarrassing to say that I had not known das Vivet until a few weeks ago. Apparently it is a very popular brunch, lunch & drinks restaurant/ bar for young people. Well, better late than never, we went there and it has become very clear why it is so popular!
The furniture is rather simple and cool, with a little vintage vibe. The bar probably is the star of the show interior wise – fully stocked and looking incredible! We though, had not come for drinks but for brunch. And you know, expectations were very high due to all the good reviews I have heard. And Das Vivet definitely did not disappoint.
We had pretty much ordered the entire menu – up and down and really enjoyed it! Avocado-Cottage Cheese Bread, Vegan Trio, Smoothie Bowls, Pancakes with Bacon, Egg & Maple Syrup and Sweet Pancakes. If you go there, the sweet pancakes are a must!! We actually enjoyed them so much that we reordered them a second time! All dishes were different from each other, yet tasted really good. And the bread!! It was heaven. If I am being honest, I would recommend anything but the Vegan Trio – it personally did not convince me. Other than that: I can only highly recommend trying it out! And I would love to know how you like it!
Food of the month – Tofu
orange tofu 
peanut noodle stir fry
Tofu: the staple ingredient in any vegan‘s or vegetarian‘s kitchen! How could it not be? It is cheap, it is super versatile, you can pretty much find it at any supermarket and it is healthy! Wait – is it? Let us find out!
Without a doubt, tofu is one of the most popular plant-based sources of protein! How come? Not only its high protein content contributes to this, but also the fact that tofu is a ‚complete protein‘. This means that it contains all the essential amino acids, 9 to be exact, which our body cannot produce by itself and therefore has to absorb it through the food we eat. These amino acids are essential for us in order to really make use of the protein, repair tissue and absorb nutrients!
Moreover, tofu also comes along with several other nutritious stars! It also contains fibre, iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium, copper, and so on. It would take ages explaining how all of those are important to us, but it is good to know that tofu is a great source of them!
curry noodles 
sushirrito
What is more, tofu also is way less harmful to the environment than most other meat sources. Compared to beef for example, which produces 50kgCo2e (the e stands for equivalents) per 100g of protein, tofu only produces 2kgCo2e. Keep in mind that this is the case for both products being produced at more or less the same place. And yes, maybe surprisingly to some, there is tofu that has been produced in Austria! Just check next time you go to the store!
So, all in all it definitely can be said that tofu indeed is a very healthy food, good for ourselves and good for the planet. If you now need some ideas for how to use it you can either scroll to the next point – the recipe of the month, or click on one of the following recipes: the best ever 15-minute veggie tofu peanut noodle stir-fry, 20 minute vegan peanut & greens spring sushirrito, super easy 20-minute sticky orange tofu, saucy green curry noodles with oven baked crispy sesame tofu,
Recipe of the month – Better than Takeout Crispy Sweet Chili Tofu
This recipe is called „Better than Takeout“ for a reason. This tofu recipes is better than any dish you could order. Plus, it really is not hard to make, meaning: there are no excuses not to make it!
What is so amazing about this recipe is that we have this crispy-on-the-outside and soft-on-the-inside tofu that is packed with flavor. And although it has been tossed in a sauce after baking, it still is quite crispy. Yet, the sauce makes sure it actually tastes good and not like that plain tofu pulp in your mouth.
Even better so, the sweet chili sauce is not the average one you buy at the store. Not difficult to make, it is a healthier version of the regular one. What is more, it also tastes bettet because it is homemade. And you can also use the sauce in so many different ways, not only with tofu. Use it as a dressing, throw it into stir fries, use it as a dip. The options are endless (and all delicious), so you better make sure you never run out of this deliciousness!
Brand of the month – Franzlbauer
It feels a bit wrong to call this a brand, but I think you get the point. Franzlbauer is a farmer in lower Austria (a half an hour car drive from Vienna), growing the most amazing pumpkins! You feel as if you were in a Disney movie when you come here!
While a pumpkin farm may not seem like the most interesting thing ever, Franzlbauer really proves this wrong. It is located in a small village and to your left and to your right, there are fields (where you can even pick flowers yourself!)!
The farm-shop itself also is pretty cool! There is a exhibition of 400 different kinds of pumpkin (like whaaaat) in all different colors – orange, yellow, green, grey, white, … a real paradise! Then in the shop you can also buy plenty different pumpkins! From basic Hokkaido & Buttern Squash to acorn squash and Thai-pumpkin. A real paradise.
Maybe you do not find a pumpkin farm too exciting, however I think it is so amazing to take a ride and go there and see where your food is coming from. See the fields and the fresh produce and bear a reference to where your food actually is coming from and where it is grown. What is more, this is the perfect occasion to try something new, grab and cook a pumpkin you have never had before and cook something different! On top of that, the pumpkins there are way cheeper than in regular supermarkets – another bonus!
It may have been the first time I went to Franzlbauer but it for sure is not the last time. It was such a great experience and I can only recommend going there!
Workout of the month – Christa DiPaolo Full Body Kickboxing Workout
A sweat session that makes sure you are sore on your entire body afterwards and releases a hell lot of endorphins. Isn’t that exactly what you want from a workout? If it is, then this workout is PERFECT for you! Christa will make sure that you feel incredible after the workout!
After being semi-sick for several weeks, I really could not wait to go back to working out! And seriously, this was the best start. You know, there are some videos which make you love work out and some which make you hate it! This definitely is one of the first kind. Such an empowering, happy, powerful woman pushing you to your limits while having fun!
This boxing workout is a great mixture of cardio and strength in my opinion. You train your entire body, your abs, legs & arms while also jumping around a lot and improving your cardio. And all in a fun way – not a HIT-death kind of way!
So, if you really want to have some fun, there is no way around trying this workout!!
Inspiration of the month – Tuesdays with Morrie
This book – I don‘t even know how to describe it, I just love it! It js definitely not a regular book but one, that maybe will change your life. Or rather make you want to change your life! The full name of the book is „tuesdays with Morrie – an old man, a ypung man, and life‘s greatest lessons“ – and yes, the book does its title justice.
What you need to keep in mind when reading this book is that it actually is a true story, it had been written because of real events. That only makes it more touching.
So what is it about?
Basically, an old professor is diagnosed with an incurable illness. When one of his former students finds out about this, he comes visit him. And he continues to come every Tuesday. The two decide to view this weekly visit as a college class, going through one topic of life each week. The topics cover everything from regrers, feeling sorry for yourself, death, love, family, money, forgiveness, emotion and so on. All in all there are 14 topics covered.
What makes this book so special is not necessarily the topics but that it is genuinely told from an old man facing death and reflecting about his life. There are SO many great lessons you can take away from this book and it‘ll just let you see life from a different angle. It is pretty thin, about 170 pages, and therefore (unfortunately) a super quick read! I can only suggest you order or buy it right away and get ready to change your life!
So, here we are, in fall again! I hope that you will have an incredible month of October ahead of you and that you‘ll really enjoy the leaves turning orange, the beautiful light and the cozy days at home! And maybe, with one of these favorites, your month will get even better! Who knows?
If you try out any of those recommendations, I would love to hear how you like them!
Enjoy your fall,
Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière
