Vegan Victuals: The Blog |

Oh My Darling, Clementine

I am happy to say that another all-vegan bakery has landed in Brooklyn! Clementine Bakery, deals cake… and muffins, and cookies, and lotsa sweet, delicious goodies. Located on the Clinton Hill-Bed Stuy border, Clementine joins the growing family of all-veganness that is growing in New York City: most recently–Blossom Bakery and Dun Well Doughnuts. It is about time we have more than one devoted option for sweet treats made local!  I had high hopes of Clementine after trusted CandyPenny stopped by recently and had this to say. So I stopped by one early Spring-like day to taste their goodies.

I’m never in this area. So I had to get two treats to last me till my next visit. As per usual, I always need to try a bakery’s vanilla cupcake. Luckily the cake was covered in a rich ganache! I also picked up a sandwich cookie with cream cheese frosting in between. It is not my usual taste but I panicked under pressure.

The sandwich cookie was delectable! The cookies were much like the adored Toll House cookies from the adored LifeThyme but striped with a chocolate drizzle that leaves your finger tips sugary and nostalgic. The cream cheese filling sealed the deal. With just a little tang and saltiness, the cream brought out the sandwich’s sweetness with enthusiasm.

The vanilla cupcake had spectacular flavor, far better than most other vanilla cupcakes I’ve tasted. It was boldly vanilla, as opposed to the very common bland cake/overcompensating sweet buttercream frosting combination. Paired with the chocolate: hubba hubba. My only criticism was it was a little bit undercooked and wet on top.

Welcome, Clementine! I’ll be back soon. Now you should go too.

Awesome Blossom

So Cocoa V, the swanky short-lived all-vegan chocolate shop, is no longer. Since my first report in 2009 and this more recent post, the space had been cut in half to house the Blossom du Jour, Blossom‘s more casual eatery across 9th avenue.  Now Cocoa V’s side of the space has morphed into Blossom Bakery, an all-vegan (my favorite words) bakery in Chelsea.  Cp and I had to check it out.

I got the blonde on blonde, as this combination reveals a bakery’s raw talent. Chocolate can make for a easy, no-fail decadent dessert. Vanilla, on the other hand, is more difficult to get right. Blossom Bakery got it right, albeit ever so dry. I loved the frosting which had the perfect blend of oil, creaminess, and a wonderful and slight fine-grain sugar grit. That is the best. I kind of wanted a berry on top.

In fact, this cake would make a fabulous layer for a strawberry shortcake.

Blossom Bakery had a ton of goodies: cookies, full cakes, macaroons, and brownies, as well as a scrumptious-looking S’mores pudding, savory quiches and gorgeous heart-shaped linzer tarts.

I also had a slice of their triple layer German Chocolate cake. So, so good. The slice was 3 or so portions but served unphotogentically in plastic. Blossom Bakery, please buy some pretty plates for the food bloggers!

Of course, a savory bite had to be had at Blosson du Jour. I had a perfecto sandwich: the Filet No Fish… Filet No Fish: a tofu cod cake, v-bomb cheddar, lettuce, and v-bomb tartar sauce. The soft, buttery cibatta with its semolina flour debris, on its own, would have hit the spot… let alone the tarty tartar and the yummy cake of tofu. 9th avenue, you are pretty cool.

Chocolate Chip Cookies… Again

But this time with 100% cacao from Ghirardelli.  They’re all adult-like with bitter bits of black, deep dark chocolate.

The key is to take them out early and let them firm up on the rack to a perfect chewy texture.

I’ll admit I was generous with sweetener given the chocolate was unsweetened.

It’s going to be a long week back to work… I’m going to need these.

L. I. V. E. on Long Island

Though Long Island has a couple of all-vegetarian Indian restaurants, it has slim pickings in every other cuisine. I know this all too well as I have to settle for basic vegetarian options in many omni eateries often in my quest for satiety. It’s a big adjustment given my home in Brooklyn offers proximity to many, many awesome options. So it was nice to hear that Long Island Vegetarian Eatery (L.I.V.E.), a veg fast food spot in Seaford, opened its doors a few months back.

L.I.V.E. offers a slew of vegetarian-friendly versions of comforting familiar foods: jalapeno poppers, drumsticks, subs, melts, burgers and dogs, as well as an Italian-geared entree selection. It’s straight-up bar food–which works–as the owners manage the  hotspot for drinks next door, the Leaky Lifeboat.  On my vist, I tried the Killer Tofu Sticks, which hit the spot with its crunchy breading and sweet dipping sauce. I could have eaten 100 more of these.

I had some trouble choosing a main. Should I order what I was in the mood for: hot, familiar and comforting?… should I order a cold sub just to see counter-guy construct a faux-meat delight down a conveyor belt of cold cut and vegetable options?… should I go all proper-dinner-like and order a pasta dish?  There is something a bit, pleasantly overwhelming about having more than 2 vegan options. In the end I opted for hot, familiar and comforting: Chick’n Parmesan Hero.

So what I barely ate it after binging on Killer Tofu Sticks? It’s a chicken parmesan hero! Look how sexy messy it looks all spread out on my plate. It was almost obscene. Next time I need to really bring my appetite. On the plus side, I have at least 3 Karen-sized portions left to devour at home.

I wish L.I.V.E. all the success in the world! It is about time Long Island had a veg-only spot that satisfies.

Fat Tuesday, Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday, etc.

It is time to eat pancakes!! Yes, the annual Pancake Day is upon us, when we must use up fat, butter and eggs to make way for the marked abstinence of Lent. Of course, in my case, these pancakes contain no butter or eggs… so am I in the clear? Who knows! Either way, I’m eating pancakes… and based on the stack I made, I am probably eating them the remainder of the week.

Sweets In Between Days

I’ve been out of the kitchen for some time, wrapped up in work… and in the downtime needed to continue to be wrapped up in work. But I made some cupcakes for my brother’s birthday recently. And then I ate about 6 of them.

Is there anything better than chocolate ganache? I believe not. Fluffy buttercream ain’t got nothing on rich, thick chocolate ganache.

My daily walk home from work has me a couple blocks from Champs Bakery but I rarely stop in. But, every once and a while, when I have earned it somehow (this criteria fluctuates), I get myself a sweet treat. This time: the rocky road cheesecake. Though the presentation isn’t the best, the plate of sweet did the trick. The chocolate, Dandies and walnuts were delicious.

The Electrician likes to make sure I have “sweet treat” fixes around the house. We picked up this whoopie pie imported from Cafe Indigo from Whole Foods to quell my pestering cravings. I have tried Cafe Indigo’s treats before at 2008′s Boston Vegetarian Food Festival. I’d like to visit them in person one day. They’re on my list!

Look at that chocolate cakey cookie! I know what you’re thinking… it looks exactly like a Devil Dog! This whoopie pie satisfied on so many levels.

Super. Vegan. Products.

Instead of looking at Tom Brady’s big head, I am blogging during the Super Bowl. I made killer nachos with some goodies from Vegan Essentials knowing things would be a little hectic at The Electrician‘s. First, Wayfare Mexi Cheddar cheese… this was the only flavor that was in stock but it is what I would have ordered. It has a good texture and a salty nacho cheese taste.

I got a free Upton’s shirt at the Pitchfork festival a few years ago. I didn’t even realize it was food-related. I ordered their ground seitan as a meaty base for my super nachos. I grilled it up with some onion and the texture was perfect. I love that it is not a super-processed meat analog. Vital. Wheat. Gluten.

Now I just had throw out Wayfare‘s sour cream. It was absolutely disgusting. Luckily I was surprised with some goodies for my nacho endeavor.

Look at this canister of nutritional yeast. That’s all.

Along with the aforementioned goodies, The Electrician satisfied my persistant sweet treat requirements with a sixer of vegan vanilla cupcakes from Whole Foods.

And there they are. Super nachos from the Super Bowl. Spectacular.

Now there. I’ll watch.

I’m so Spacial

Not only do K.A.A.T.N.s at Tetris, but my cat also morphs into a compact rectangular prism for easy storage.

You Don’t Bring Me Flours Anymore

After I put a few crates of mason jars on my Christmas wish list, my brother asked me if I was planning to open a medical oddities museum. Chuckle, but no. Finally, they’re up! All my flours in front of my face. For months my flours were stashed away in the freezer. The mason jars are gorgeous and uniform and appeal to my strong sense of order but, more so, serve as a visual reminder: all-purpose is not really all-purpose.

Kale♥ & Quinoa♥: Togetha Foreva

Quinoa is scrumptious on its own. But add  sauteed kale… oh boy. Throw in some thinly sliced shallots, diced yellow pepper, dried cranberry, cashews and a bunch of cilantro and you tap on the majority of the surface area of the tongue, waking up even the laziest of buds.

A quinoa salad is always pretty but this nutritionally dense grain-like seed delivers so much more: a complete source of protein thanks to all nine amino acids, the all important fiber and some important minerals, including iron. Why would anyone settle for the nutritionally-void filler grain (rice), when they can eat the food of Incan warriors!

Da Brat in Brooklyn

Brooklyn Tap House in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn has “no crap on tap.” The gorgeously modern and spacious bar also has some vegan eats on their menu. Here is their Vegan Brat. Though I praise the “vegan corner” on their menu, I was hoping for a bit more creativity than store bought sausage, slaw and bread. I would definitely return but more for the tons of great brews, than the food.

Reflections on 15 Years Vegan.