May 8, 2016
I get my beautiful brown bangs from mom, as evident in this picture of my Mom and her twin brother on trike patrol. On her day, my mother requested a chocolate cake with vanilla icing. So that is what she got. I Read more…
April 27, 2016
Are you ready for it?… The United States of America is gorgeous. From shore to shore, the spectrum and range of natural beautyĀ is astounding. This many say (or sing), but such thingsĀ are more effective when felt, sharp-like, when one is inside (or atop) it, gazing and love-filled that there is Read more…
April 26, 2016
Los Angeles a city that feels immediately comfortable to me, like an old friend. So it’s doubly comfortable visiting an old friend in Los Angeles. Friends that know you got to eat… and eat we did! First at Chavela. They have a excellent menu with so many delicious totally plant-based Read more…
March 14, 2016
Brunch is a āthing.ā Itās different than other meals. Maybe because itās like two of them. Stakes are higher. Like a bad brunch is doubly bad, a great brunch can make the day. Brunch at Daya, an all-vegan restaurant in the pretty Winter Park downtown, was perfect. Their half-plate option Read more…
February 19, 2016
I was so excited to try this cake out after seeing BestofVegan‘sĀ post in Instagram. Always on the hunt for new baking adventures and always having a lot of bananas to use up, this was perfect! To start, you need to make a chocolate cake. I doubled Isa’s basic chocolate cupcake Read more…
February 17, 2016
I kind of have a thing for impractical cake bakeware, specialized NordicwareĀ pieces that areĀ intricate and fun. Of course most of my pieces are from the Williams Sonoma Outlet, as 50$ for a cake pan isĀ a bit steep. My latest 60% of Nordicware pan seemed most promising: the Shortcake Baskets Pan. Read more…
January 10, 2016
I am starting a month of salads! So most of my week’s groceries were from the produce section. In order to hold my interest while sustainingĀ my nutritional needs, I was going to do a lot of mixing and matching. You know what they say about variety… So here are my Read more…
December 30, 2015
Match #1Ā of theĀ V.V. Burger Showdown Semi-Finals: I Must Break You(r Brand Marketing). Pickle ShackĀ vs.Ā Bareburger We are now in the Semi-Finals of the V.V. New York City Burger Showdown!Ā Sixteen burgers in, I have tasted some amazing burgers. But with new burger options already in waiting for another match-up,Ā this field is ever-evolving. Read more…
December 20, 2015
I hadn’t made vegan rainbow cookies for years! And since then myĀ baking skills and kitchen set-upĀ hasĀ improved a great deal. With dessert duty for a work potluck and inside the inspiration of the holiday cookie issue of Bon AppĆ©tit, I had to step it up. I used The Veg Life’s awesome Read more…
November 22, 2015
Every year I take home the pumpkins in my classroom and turn them into cupcakes, highlighting the delicious circle of life. After baking the different pumpkin varieties until tender, I scoop out the flesh… …and blend away in the food processor. Ok, so I processed one of the pumpkins from the porch Read more…
October 14, 2015
Match #6 of theĀ V.V. Burger Showdown: The Upper East Side’sĀ Battle of 16-14. Candle CafeĀ vs.Ā V-Note 16-14 refers to the prices of these fancy pants vegan burgers. After the “draw” of the last showdown, I needed some housemade high quality offerings. After all, paying $16 for a vegan burger includes theĀ tacit promise Read more…
October 11, 2015
The Mets are in the play-offs. With a tough loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers last night, I’m baking up these blue and orange wonders.Ā Let’s go Mets!
September 23, 2015
Match #5 of theĀ V.V. Burger Showdown: The Blossom battle turns out to be a lesson on how not to do a veggie burger. Blossom On CarmineĀ vs.Ā Blossom du Jour Despite the proclamations fromĀ HappyCow, PeTA, Ā and VegNews, I often sayĀ that New York City is not so vegan-friendly. Does New York City have Read more…
With the start of the school year,Ā I am in Brooklyn everyday again. Urban machinery and subterraneanĀ air have united me with 8 million more parts. I remember why I love her. And I remember why I hate her. She’s like me–impractical and strained while magnificent in her own norms. She has Read more…
August 24, 2015
We woke up with some goals. There were some cruise clarifications that were pretty important. Then there was breakfast, the sometimes-unattainable meal for a traveling vegan. And requisite basking in the breathtaking beauty of Alaska, the Last Frontier. For breakfast, a local favorite, Snow City CafĆ©, which has the honor Read more…
August 5, 2015
Travel tucksĀ you intoĀ new environments, which facilitateĀ different experiences. And experience is the basis of all learning, all growth. So, travel is enlightenment…. Luckily, there is no need to head to an ancient Buddhist temple to derive this wisdom. There isĀ plenty of beauty,Ā adventure, inspiration, oddity (andĀ vegan eats) just aĀ couple of hours away. Read more…
August 3, 2015
I am excited to report on Sweet Annabelle’s, an all-vegan ice cream maker from right here on Long Island. I made the trip to NorthportĀ to meet the magical lady behind Sweet Annabelle’s and collect my baby-sized chocolate chip ice cream cake. But c’mon, an ice cream sandwich for the road? Read more…
July 15, 2015
What is hard about being a roadtripping blogger is that all your pearls of wisdom–the thoughts and ideas born on the road, inside its motion and pace–are diminished into imperceptible dots by the time you’re in a place you can write. Even thoughts that build into intricate cities of complexity, Read more…
I woke up in Cincinnati ready to say goodbye to Ohio. Ohio is chock full of metropolises… Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and other such C-words. But with this being my third day about, the inevitable turn back east had to be soon. So it was fare thee well, Ohio… But not Read more…
July 8, 2015
Herrell’s Ice CreamĀ is an ice cream institution. Founded in 1973 in Massachusetts, it was way ahead of the small batch movement… was the first to offer blended “smoosh ins” and has many accoladesĀ for it’s commitment to quality. Ā So it’s no wonder they’ve created their own dairy-free line of almond milk-based Read more…
July 1, 2015
Last time I spent any time in Vermont, I was just a young punk snowboarding on the motel bed.Ā This time, like twenty years later, it is summer here in Vermont. The blazing sun, blue sky, and green mountains made for a beautiful scenic drive–off the interstate, behind careful trailers Read more…
April 19, 2015
When I lived in Brooklyn, I had better access to vegan food options. Living on Long Island, I make my food more often. ThisĀ is a good thing. But on occasionĀ I’ll hunt down food leads, determinedly, like I would if I was staying for just a day. I like the hunt–and Read more…
December 28, 2014
Christmas means running around… with cakes. It was the gorgeous whirlpool bundt that decked the halls. First, in pumpkin chocolate chip, using the last of the fall’s pumpkin puree. A breath of downtime with the Netflix yule log and the waiting Christmas tree. Another bundt for another Christmas! This time, Read more…
December 23, 2014
The holidays meansĀ increased baking duty. I deliver eleven–a poison test out of respect for recipients of course. This batch was for my class’s fundraiser. Then there was my classroom holiday celebration. They got unfrosted cupcakes to dress up how they pleased. My chocolate butter cream-filled (and of course vegan) batched Read more…
November 28, 2014
November 20, 2014
Every year, my classroom blog becomes my food blog. They spent October and most of November on Hercules. Now it is time for the 4th annual Harvest Festival Pumpkin-Cupcake transformation. It is time they turned into cupcakes already! After some roasting and pureeing, they became cupcake batter along with a pile of Read more…