March 24, 2019
There always seems to be something vegan to eat in Asbury Park. As the area makes a name for itself as a food destination, the vegan realm reaps the benefits. The folks setting up shop in Asbury Park have to care about quality, as the restaurant next store or down Read more…
December 17, 2018
Boy, I’ve been wanting to veganize these for a really long time. Now that I have a pretty reliable marshmallow recipe, this is just the beginning. I’m coming for you, all marshmallow treats… which I suppose isn’t all that many. 😬 Ok, let’s get started. Vegan Marshmallows E Q U I Read more…
November 11, 2018
With a very dear friend’s birthday deserving a proper cake, especially after the praise I received for my recent vegan Pom Pom Cake, this cake (below) would just not do. Though it tasted great, it was–hideous looking. There was no way this was going to cut it! So it was Read more…
November 9, 2018
Take one look at the beautiful Pom Pom cake, as originated by adorable teacher-turned-baker Katherine Sabbath, featured in this video, and any confectionary aficionado would fall in love. But I couldn’t get veganizing it out of my mind. It’s a layer cake with lemon and raspberry curds between topped with a cream Read more…
September 22, 2018
Williamsburg, Brooklyn now has its own Avant Garden, Ravi Derossi’s spectacular high end eatery that worships the almighty vegetable. And luckily we had a special occasion to celebrate that merited the fanciness. To get in the fancy zone, a cocktail. We shared a bunch of plates, but only after some Read more…
August 25, 2018
The final installment of 5 Boroughs in 5 Days might very well be the best. The Bronx. Let me show you why, starting with some sustenance to energize the hours to follow. Vegan options are sprouting up all over the place. Manhattan and Brooklyn get widespread vegan exposure, Queens and Read more…
June 16, 2018
Nothing gets me motivated to bake than a Bake Sale that benefits animals. Last time is was for The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. This time… for with Mutt-i-grees. So I just had to go all out… First, S’mores cupcakes would mean a couple of batches of marshmallow fluff. I piped Read more…
April 1, 2018
I tried dying Dandies for Easter… The color changed but they became so sticky! So I coated them with crystal sugar in assorted colors. Then, taking a bite, they felt just like Peeps! Ah, nostalgia. Hello, Pretty Happy Easter!
March 25, 2018
In my youth, I had a thing for opaque white confections… marshmallow, nougat… To me, these were decadent treats far more alluring than chocolate and the multitude of brightly colored forms of cooked sugar. I knew them by brand names. Marshmallow Fluff and Charleston Chew (Not frozen, unless I’m at Read more…
February 24, 2018
I had a craving for a marshmallow meringue-encased cake. Pretty specific, I know. But, a craving is a craving. So a marshmallow meringue-encased cake it will be! I made the s’mores cake from VCTOTW and a big batch of fluff. Then, getting fancy with some brulee action. Craving fulfilled.
January 7, 2018
(It’s a marshmallow world in the winter.) I am the smartest idiot I know. In fact, a lot of my smart parts efficiently glean wisdom from my idiocy. It’s like a regenerating pool of experience and folly, raw material for unlimited life lessons. In the embrace of the idiot side Read more…
November 23, 2017
I love to cook for hours. It’s true. Give me time, space, and the radio and I’ll happily create numerous dishes from scratch with loving care. This Thanksgiving my goal was to use a lot of the ton of pumpkin puree I have. So I started with using it in Read more…
August 29, 2017
There are signs of the end of the summer season that teachers are highly attune to. They’re small things that collectively gain power in quantity. Cicadas, REI’s Labor Day sale, football teasers, Halloween candy, a bunch of meaningless games for The Mets because they didn’t make the play-offs, summer clothes Read more…
August 6, 2017
There’s always a reason to go to Philadelphia. Usually it’s food. But the food invites you to make a day of it, to explore other things. Then, the duration of exploration makes you hungry again. (So yes, it’s mostly about food.) But Philadelphia is only two hours away, has deep Read more…
August 3, 2017
This picture was taken in June as a teacher pal and me rebelliously snuck out of a PTA-sponsored lunch for sundaes at Van Leeuwen. In some ways June seems like years ago. In other ways it remains piercingly vivid. I think I was in denial that the school year was Read more…
July 16, 2017
The variety of vegan options in Los Angeles is overwhelming. While meal destinations are carefully deliberated, there are some guidelines that can help differentiate a good vegan options with a meh vegan option. The first guideline: forget the eateries that have packaged foods on the menu. You’re not food shopping; Read more…
June 11, 2017
My bag packed for the 5th Grade overnight trip, I had my sweet tooth covered. But that’s about it… It would be our last year at Club Getaway, so we’d have to make it count. This included sneaking off from my group to take scenic pictures. Things to climb. Dandies Read more…
May 14, 2017
Sometimes I make enough cupcakes, enough that I have to drive to work. With a staff potluck and a bake sale that I organized, this was the case this past week. Both events called for a special load of cupcakes. I opted for the nostalgic s’mores combination… Graham cupcakes, aquafaba marshmallow Read more…
October 30, 2016
Luckily, my birthday celebrations expand many weeks–there’s me-time travel involved (the sloths), us-time travel (London), family, friends. Eventually, all sides have been represented, leaving me smiling and grateful. I love October; and I love how my birthday delivers me to the excitement of autumn and winter holidays. And I love October sunrises, Read more…
July 12, 2016
I’ve written about these cookies before, a cookie so ingrained in my memory that I can still vividly experience them. From the shuffling through the brown paper grocery bag, as tall as me, in the backseat of my mother’s car to find and be the first to open them; to opening Read more…
July 7, 2016
Gainesville is a university town, so you know vegan options are good… for them educated, idealist types. Starting early, breakfast: The Tempeh Scramble with potatoes, toast with vegan butter and housemade jam at The Jones B-side. Good, hearty fare, but soy-saucey marinade made the dish a bit salty. And unfortunately Read more…
July 4, 2016
Porno for pyros Pink, white & teal, close enough Fountainhead Marshmallow meringue parfaits Independent lunch–Field Roast burger, potato salad, corn on the cob Black-eyed Susan up, with ladybug superfly friend A Big Galoot snuck in to cool off. So handsome. Lilies are up. Tomatoes dropping already. Frank knows I’m heading Read more…
May 19, 2016
There is a place where vegans can get French macarons, pretty chocolates with caramel inside, pretty/decadent things… in New York City. Finally! The funny thing is that they’ve been available in New Paltz for quite some time. It’s Confectionery: the East Village home of Lagusta’s Luscious and Sweet Maresa. (Not really Read more…
May 14, 2016
Trader Joe’s now has vegan marshmallows. That’s how Trader Joe do. They buy formulas and sell ’em under their brand. So it’s important to understand that these marshmallows are really… Dandies. The deal is helping spread vegan joy through Trader Joe’s massive distribution. Now that they are so cheap, I’m going to Read more…
April 10, 2016
Isn’t it amazing how days are neatly organized, bookended by the rising and setting of a bright, hot, great ball of fire? Goodness. Gracious. Inside them, other good things that bring you joy and sustenance, like a cracked chocolate-encased marshmallow… …Spring baseball in front of a plate of fruit-filled pancakes, with lots Read more…
