Currently viewing the tag: "gluten-free"
I have never baked gluten-free before… but I like baking challenges! I decided to try out both a ‘from scratch’ recipe (from the tried and trusted VCTOTW) and Cherrybrook Kitchen‘s yellow cake mix.
On the left, the Cherrybrook Kitchen’s mix. Batter was very sweet (the ingredients list both cane sugar and brown sugar.) and familiar-feeling although a bit granular. It didn’t rise all that much but was springy with a golden brown skin. The finished product held onto the super-sweet taste the batter had. It was yummy– it tasted a bit more like a packaged snack cake.
On the right, the Vanilla Gluten Freedom cake. This batter was also very granular. I subbed the ground flax for ground salba (cha-cha-cha-chia) for the egg replacement which did affect the taste a bit. Flax is more neutral. The cake did not rise all that much either, and came out of the oven a bit heavier, more dense. The hue was also a deeper yellow. It was very delicious but in a different way. Considering all, I prefer this recipe to the box. It tastes more… real, if that makes sense?
I would buy a box if I was in a bind… but a bind won’t likely happen soon. I have a huge collection of flours on hand and hope to experiment more with gluten-free baking. For now, I’ll feast on this vanilla layer cake.
Nothing will settle me into a day of auto/train/plane travel than a hearty breakfast. And there was still time to squeeze in another stop in Atlanta. Breakfast would be served at Stone Soup Kitchen, yet another bustling breakfast spot in the hip Grant Park area.
Stone Soup Kitchen offeres patrons a menu with vegan dishes clearly marked. Thank you for this, Stone Kitchen! They also offered me vegan butter for my delicious Blueberry Corn Meal Flapjacks, made with soy yogurt and my friend Bob Mills’ gluten-free flour. Finally, a meal that isn’t predominantly constructed and bound by gluten! I am ashamed to say that I ate 4 out of 5 of these darlings… Ashamed, because trip s like this make me feel like Audrey in National Lampoon’s European Vacation. It’s ok. With my entire day tied up in some kind of transport machine, it was the last of my gluttonous mission.
It was time to say goodbye to the 7-lane north and south ping-pong of my Hotlanta excursion, time to say goodbye to Southern drawls, time to say goodbye to the obscenely ugly, bright purple-blue Hyundai Accent. And with easy-on/easy-off interstate access around the block from Stone Soup Kitchen, I managed to return my vehicle to the airport 3 days later on the exact minute of my pick-up. Stick a fork in me, I am done!
Here are some other non-food sights:
Cornelia, Georgia is home of the Big Red Apple, a bright, sweet fruit in a salad of the Gods. Why the apple? Pardon the Wiki paraphrase: The embrace of apple production in the 1920′s saved the area from the evil boll weevil who munched the heck out of the state’s cotton fields and pushed rural folk to the bigger cities.
The town was empty, save for an awesome old couple taking pictures of the apple.
I past this impressive auto salvage castle on Interstate 365 on the way to Cornelia. I thought I’d stop in and take some pictures on the way back. The friendly white-bearded proprietor let me know this was a very common occurrence. The elaborate auto salvage “theme park,” lined by a stacked-car fence, is visited often. An area college’s photography class does field trips there.
I had free roam to the expansive property, but I wasn’t going to stay long. For a million reasons. The eerie feel of the place began to make me feel claustrophobic. All of these vehicles were destroyed and they still seemed angry about it.
But I had to take a closer look at these buses. These were like the ones that got thrown at Superman.
School buses in fetal position.
If cars had a hell, this would be it.
I saw a billboard for Cinderella’s Closet, a pageant shop, and knew I had to capture some of the color. I was disappointed that the gaudiest dresses were bagged up. The place had two mini-stages with cat walks.
Bad taste for every age!
Back at the hotel I spied these two little kitties on top of the dumpster. I watched them intently for a few minutes, missing my little buddies back in New York.
Sprig & Vine is a delightful cafe nestled cozy and snug on the New Jersey-Pennsylvania border in New Hope, Pennsylvania. On the Delaware river, New Hope offers an idyllic setting for an urban escape… and a proper all-vegan ‘last of 2012′ brunch with Ms. CandyP.
We started with some hearty biscuits and cashew-herb gravy. Savory, substantial and delicious.
Will travel for a Tofu Benny! Ever since I glimpsed their menu months back I have been daydreaming of this dish… carefully however, accepting the possibility that the success of this vegan brunch classic lives and dies by the quality of the Hollandaise. We were happy to see these tall Ben’s were covered in an aerated Hollandaise, air-bubbled and indicative of a light, frothy texture. Oh yum.
You know I had to zoom in on this bad boy.
The choppy Delaware river on a windy winter day.
After brunch, a proper lunch. On Sundays Kaya’s Kitchen does an all-you-can-eat buffet. All I can eat all-vegan? Hold me back! Plenty of tasty options, Caribbean inspired.
This was a flavor-packed buffet. Most notable, soft and delicate potato-filled pierogi. I had to get up for seconds.
Last but certainly not least, all-vegan bakery in Matawan, New Jersey, Papa Ganache.
This bakery is stock with beautiful and delicious vegan treats, including these babies.
All dressed up for the New Year!
They also have plenty of gluten-free goodies… a whole showcase full (above).
Ok, 2013. I’m ready!
The Vakery is New York City’s latest vegan cupcake supplier! Though founder and pastry chef L.A. Brandon’s operation is via online ordering, I caught wind of her goodies being at Little Atlas Cafe in the West Village. I set out early for my cupcake breakfast, needed fuel for a day of errands in Manhattan. Thankfully, there was a selection available for my sampling.
Heck, why not buy 3 cupcakes? I bought this lovely assortment hoping to see Vakery’s range. I got the Cookies N’ Creme, the Lemon Ginger, and what looked like a s’mores but tasted more like a chocolate cheesecake. The chocolate cakes were delicious: good texture and flavor, similar to Isa’s basic chocolate. My favorite, the Cookies N’ Creme, had a spot-on buttercream. Not too-too sweet and a texture that holds teeth marks. The gluten-free lemon ginger cake was very dense, and the icing, kind of bakesale. I look forward to trying more of her flavors. Also for sale on the website: Loco-Lime Margarita, Chocolate Covered Strawberry, the Jelly Doughnut, Red Velvetty, and a Peanut Butter Cup. 
It’s great that vegan goodies are sprouting up all over the place. Good luck, Vakery!
I finally got around to trying the famous Cinnamon Snail all-vegan food truck! Hailing from New Jersey, The Snail used to only come as close as Hoboken. Now that New York City hot spots are on their weekly schedule, I knew it was fine time to taste their offerings. I got to the “FiDi” early to avoid the crowds and scarfed down my footlong ravenously.
Hubba, hubba. Can we take a look at this sandwich, the Al Pastor Seitan...? Toasted bread. Delicate, melt-in-your-mouth homemade seitan. Beer-battered jalapeños. Grilled pineapple (!!) and greens with a spicy, drip-all-over your fingers chipotle mayonnaise. This is good eating. No packaged crapola, just unadulterated flavor and texture. 
Let’s look again, shall we? This enormous sandwich was $9. It very well should have been two servings but, well “when in Rome”… The grilled pineapple was such a delightful addition. The moisture from the seitan and the pineapple might have demolished a less hearty bread, but no. They thought of that. 
I can’t wait to try something else at Cinnamon Snail. It has me believing a tool like Twitter may, in fact, be necessary after all. Follow them here to find out where they are and when.
I was full but still. I needed to try Cinnamon Snail’s sweet treats too. CP recommended the Creme Brule donut. After eating 2.5 cupcakes this morning, this donut had me wired on sugar for the remainder of the day. Think custard center, crunchy bruleed top and greasy, fried donut. Moderation is a must. Luckily my dinner plans were much more healthful.
So dinner:: There’s a new sushi joint in town that is all vegetables and fruits! That’s right. No stray fish eggs littering your roll. Beyond Sushi is all-veg sushi that need not utilize those super-processed fake fish things (I’m talking to you Soy and Sake!) for a delicious, textured bite with complex and bold flavors. Beyond Sushi does it right. Very right! Here’s the spread…
I bought the combo–2 rolls and 2 a la carte pieces. Here is the individual Baked tofu piece. The firm tofu is wrapped with seaweed atop black rice, served with chili mango sauce. I’ll get to those sauces in a second.
For my first roll I chose the Green Machine, six grain rice, English cucumber, green asparagus and marinated basil. Scrumptious.
The individual Mango piece. 
La Fiesta roll: black rice, avocado, pickled jalapeno, chayote, and cilantro, drizzled with jalapeno wasabi
I mentioned the jalapeno wasabi and the chili mango, yes. They are two of the 7 spectacular drizzle combos you can customize for your order… or take their menu’s suggestions. When you order to-go you get these fun tubes so you can interact with your delicious sushi and push the amazing flavors further. Of course you also get soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger. That is a must!
Here I am playing with different combinations. 
The small space on 14th street has also got rice paper wraps, salads, and fresh-made juices. I stopped in today but they celebrate their Grand Opening tomorrow. They had a steady stream of customers, which was good to see. It’s worth a mention that Beyond Sushi’s owner is ex-Hell’s Kitchen chef Guy Vaknin. This show is one of my guilty pleasures.
Ok, what a day of eating I had! Thank goodness the New York City area is only my half-home during the summer. Otherwise I’d be broke and I’d need a new wardrobe.
Unsweetened coconut is like tomato paste. It should come in a smaller package. 
I think it’s been in my pantry since: this, a time when I had much more time to make cookies. Christmas cookies! So it’s about two years now. This time, I made gluten-free toasted coconut chocolate chip cookies. They’re hearty, made of almond flour and coconut. They are sweet, with brown sugar and maple syrup. And they ooze coconut. Coconut oil, that is.
The pantry is looking much better after this turnover. I need to use a ton of rice paper wraps though that may have to wait till Spring when produce aligns.
Last minute low-ball bidding on Priceline is a skill I can add to my resume. Being V.I.V.B. (very important vegan bloggers), we needed a safe haven to recuperate from a long day of eating. Luckily, the boutique Indigo Hotel gave us a $100 room for about $50 bucks. After some restful sleep, an invigorating session in the sauna and some much needed exercise in the pool, we were ready for another day of eating.
For breakfast on a beautiful Saturday morning we stopped at Hibiscus in the bustling area of Kensington Market, a cute and hip neighborhood in downtown Toronto. I must admit that this was not our first choice for morning eats. We tried to go to Fressen for their brunch menu, which had me at “tofu omelette”, but they were closed. So Hibiscus it was. It was a delicious stop! I was thankful we were able to try this option, which otherwise would have not made the cut due to time restrictions.
Hibiscus is predominantly a creperie. Correction: predominantly a vegan creperie. To get more taste for our CAD, we split a sweet and a savory. Everything at Hibiscus; the crepes, coffee, sample treat by the register, ambiance and service; was great. Above is our savory crepe: Chutney, Pecan & Pear–a vegan pesto, fresh greens, sliced pear and pecan with some Daiya. It was more a sweet and savory crepe after a drizzle of agave and a sprinkle of cinnamon. So very good.
And the sweet! A Banana & {Vegan} Nutella–sliced banana, dark chocolate and hazelnuts, chocolate chips dusted with cocoa and powdered sugar. So. Darn. Good. Dare I say that there was a bit too much chocolate, however? There I said it. Both crepes had great texture, thin like a true crepe. [Not pancakes called crepes (worst offender: Caravan of Dreams: see here from my 2008 post)] Thanks, Hibiscus. Onward and outward, we cut across Toronto’s grid for our next sweet fix.
Bunners.
I’m going to say it again, Bunners. Bunners is an all-vegan and gluten-free bakery in The Junction in Toronto. Like the photo collage of my amazing cupcake above illustrates, they make a heavenly cupcake. I just couldn’t stop taking pictures of its pretty self. Then I bit it…
I have had a ton of vegan cupcakes in my lifetime. Bunners is up there as one of the best. Simply put, it’s got a great taste, scoring maximum cupcake points for a unique and nuanced flavor. Like Eco Bella Bakery in Rochester (post here), Bunners is not superficial sugarfest. There is a taste, there is texture and it’s their own recipe clearly. Their frosting is not a gritty pile of confectionary sugar. There is more to it. Overall, 5 stars on the cupcake scale.
Besides cupcakes, they’ve got a whole bunch of other baked goods like cinnamon buns, muffins, cookies and donuts.
Given I won’t soon be back in Toronto, I should have stocked up.
Thanks, Toronto! For the amazing vegan eats and for Jeff Mangum. Now it’s back to The States!
Continuing the all-vegan upstate New York theme, I bring you pictures of some wonderful vegan goodies hiding in a sleepy street in downtown Rochester, the treats of Eco Bella Bakery.
I’ve written of the pleasures of an all-vegan establishment before. What can often be a grueling process of ordering food becomes effortless. Of course the “grueling” process is well-worth it as my choice to be vegan for 14 years stands on many different foundations–one being I like to know exactly what I am putting into my body. At an all-vegan eatery I am suspended in the splendor of complete trust and the excitement of possibility.
In this state I usually eat too much. Case in point: the blueberry filled cupcake, alongside CandyPenny‘s chocolate and peanut butter brownie. The blueberry cupcake was spot on: a subtle, almost corn bread like cupcake topped with the perfect pipe of buttercream, garnished with some fresh blueberries and some colored sprinkles (India Tree?)
Also mine in the sweets frenzy: Rocky Road cupcake and delicious and delicate pecan-topped Snickerdoodle. The cupcake was very good, a subdued chocolate cake topped with all the Rocky Road requirements… chocolate chips, nuts and ♡Dandies marshmallows♡. Eco Bella does a fantastic job making goodies that are not overly sweet, something any food lover appreciates. Sugar ≠ deliciousness. Given how much sweetener is added to processed foods, one can say it’s used more often to fool a taste bud into accepting a whole bunch of crappy ingredients.
“Closer,” I say like Hannibal Lechter. Here is Rocky Road scrumptiousness next to the owner-recommended Snickerdoodle. Mmmm-a great start to the morning. Now onward to Canada.. Oh Canada…
Heading back to New York from Massachusetts, I thought I’d multi-task. Though barely an hour above New York, I hardly ever find myself with time to spare in Connecticut. So after a requisite google search, I found a interesting vegan lead, a mid-way stop before home. Divine Treasures, a vegan gluten-free chocolate shop in Manchester, Connecticut, seemed promising, but sometimes it is difficult to tell from a website. A hopeless pessimist at times, I was a bit wary approaching the store space, in between the cigar shop and Chinese take-out. Who knew that I was about to discover a vegan chocolate heaven? A store front unlike any place I had ever seen?
So what’s in the box? Well, chocolates so decadent and delicious, I could barely contain my excitement in the store. The premium quality, the clean taste and exquisite texture were just a few of the things that completely floored me. The selection was another. Sure, I’ve been to chocolatiers with a few vegan options–a couple of vegan truffles–but this was unbelievable. There were two, yes two, showcases of vegan chocolates, CARAMELS and truffles paired and filled with things like hazelnut butter, candied ginger, ganache, coconut, orange peel, almond butter and a variety of high-end jellies. I know you want to see more, so let’s do this.
Did I mention there are two cases of vegan goodies? There they are.
Case 1.
Case 2. Is this an amazing discovery or what?
Chocolate heaven. The lovely ladies behind the counter took time to recommend their favorites and top-sellers. But I was so distracted, staring at these gorgeous babies behind the glass. They let me sample some pieces which sealed the deal. I had walked into Heaven on Earth. Add the fact that they source local and organic ingredients when possible and stock the store with handmade gifts, steering clear from “Made in China”, and you got a socially responsible supplier of, hands-down, the best vegan chocolate I have ever tasted. I want the vegan foodie community to get their butts to Manchester, Connecticut as soon as humanly possible.
I bought two boxes of chocolate, scrambling to make the right decisions. It was so difficult to decide. That is why I was so delighted when the owner gave me a bag of other chocolates to sample. On the scale above is box one, approximately $16 or so. Aren’t they beautiful? They do special events too–showers, weddings, etc–and make their own pretty personalized packaging.
Let’s look at these a little closer. I’ve never seen vegan chocolates like this. Ok, let’s look inside now.
Check their website for the complete descriptions of all their chocolates. Again, the variety and quality of ingredients is just awe-inspiring.
You think that is it but then you realize they have… soft serve. Their own amazing soft serve. Is it redundant if I tell you it is the best I’ve had. I sampled a swirl of chocolate and vanilla topped with hot fudge and caramel and covered in their chocolate nibs. This caramel is just divine. I never thought I’d find a good vegan caramel. Divine Treasures’ texture, sweetness level and pull is the work of a genius.
And here is the genius, Diane Blanchette-Wagemann. Her product speaks volumes about her talent, her palate and her values. I look forward to tasting more of her amazing creations and spreading the word about her shop. Tell one, tell all: there is a vegan Heaven on Earth, and it’s in Manchester, Connecticut.
Trying to get to Boston’s True Bistro for brunch before the wedding hadn’t worked out. And unfortunately so. This all-vegan restaurant has one spectacular brunch menu. Considering there was no way I was leaving Boston without trying their delicious-reading menu of high end fare, we had to make a b-line from the ceremony to Somerville before their Sunday closing time, as Monday they were closed. To our surprise, the place was hopping when we arrived at 8:30.
A basket of bread was delivered promptly with some olive oil for dipping. Though it was not the freshest, few things beat a bite of bed saturated with a good olive oil. And this was a really good olive oil.
I opted for a small plate of pea and leek ravioli in a lemon-thyme cream though I had my mind on their Seitan Piccata since I first glanced their menu. The ravioli were so very good, tender and flavorful. It is so nice to have a cream sauce like this–lite and with no mouth coat. The quality of ingredients and chef’s skills are crystal clear given this one small plate. I must return for a full dinner.
Here is a close-up on the pea and leek ravioli cross-section. It was so difficult not to eat these in one inhalation.
For dessert, and maybe because I wasn’t able to eat one at the Shoreline Diner the day before, I had the Napoleon. Layers of paper-thin sugared pastry with a fantastic subtly sweet cream (I would guess cashew-based) and fresh, sliced strawberries. Mmmm! Dip into that sweet strawberry sauce and it’s even more delicious.
I struggled with how to attack Napoleon.
Max ordered their gluten-free dessert option, the ‘Death-by-chocolate’ cake topped with creme anglaise and crunchy shattered caramel. And he polished it off so quickly I didn’t have a chance to try it! I would have loved to try the caramel (foreshadowing alert… more on vegan caramel later).
Ah, the emergence of the mainstream health-conscious movement, helping to increase the demand for veg-friendly food amongst the meat-heavy American fare of sports venues, I thank you. Your reasons are far more socially-acceptable… yes, the size of our behinds truly is more important than the the welfare of millions of animals. But allow my veganism to reap the benefits of your movement. Allow me, also, to partake in overpriced stadium grub this baseball season! Yes, veggie options are sweeping the nation.
Many don’t realize that plenty of ballparks across the country offer veggie food. Most impressive is Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, which offers vegan “crab” cakes and vegan Philly cheesesteaks along with veggie hot dogs and burgers, and AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, which offers dogs, burgers, portobello sandwiches, sushi and dumplings. Both of these stadiums aced PETA’s top-10 list of veggie-friendly ballparks along with the Houston, Detroit, Colorado, Atlanta, San Diego, Los Angeles Milwaukee, Minnesota and Cleveland. And vegans can find much more beyond these cities too…. but veg-option turnover is a big problem. After all, demand is low; let’s be honest. After traveling to Nationals Park on a lead last season I was disappointed to learn that they no longer stocked veggie dogs or burgers (hear me whine here) while my visit to Fenway during the 2008 season (here) was a bit too soon, as they now are reported to have both veggie dogs and franks. Luckily Soyhappy, a consumer advocacy group that fights for veggie options in mainstream menus, has compiled thorough up-to-date research on all 30 Major League ballparks, including gate locations, important dietary notes on buns and condiments, as well as links to the emails of concession managers. On the back of their great body of research, I add my own two cents:
Vegan at Citi Field 2010.
In 2009, when Citi Field was brand-spanking new, vegan pickings were slimmer. (My first vegan report was a bit of a stretch.) But 2010 marked a leap forward. Citi Field, the home of The Mets, now offers veggie burgers and veggie hot dogs! I had been pining to make my first trip of the season since I learned the news. 40 days from the date of the press release, I was there to report on these options… and to see them beat the Florida Marlins. I arrived early and eager, sweating already from the unseasonable temps. I moved swiftly, following the gate locations Soyhappy listed on their website, ready for disappointment and confused concession services works. Then I saw it… “Light Options”… the Yves Veggie Cuisine logo… “VEGGIE”!! A word, to me, that illuminates on its own.
I did some research before my trip to Citi Field and felt confidant that the “Spicy Veggie Hot Dog” was Yves Veggie’s Hot & Spicy Chili Dog (a product listed on their Canadian website and not their American) and that they left off the “chili” so as to not skew the expectations of consumers who’d expect a dog topped with chili. This product is listed as vegan on their website. So let’s start there. I ordered the dog, loading up the frank with the traditional complimentary fixings, sweet relish, ketchup, mustard and warm sauerkraut, and waited eagerly for us to find and settle into our seats. From the looks of it, the veggie hot dog was not grilled or boiled, but likely nuked? The skin was dry, which I’d much prefer to the grease of a omnivorous grill. The concession stand man confirmed that these veggie options are cooked separately. But biting a hot dog from a Nathan’s cardboard box once finally in my seat, I panicked a little. But vegan it was, and scrumptious. 
Now, the burger. Though Soyhappy reported it was confirmed vegan, my 17 years of veggie burger eating told me otherwise. It looked suspect, so I didn’t eat it. I tried to find the burger’s ingredients beforehand, like I had done with the veggie hot dog. Again, no such product as the “Harvest Veggie Burger” on their American site. But Yves Veggie’s ingredient list for their Harvest Bistro Burger, on their Canadian site, contained egg albumen. Visiting the site again, upon my return home, I was sure it was the same burger and not vegan. But here it is below nonetheless.
Both the veggie dog and burgers are available in “Dogs & Burgers” concession stands throughout the park. The concessions stands at gates 112, 123, 406, 423 and 435 I was able to verify firsthand. Soyhappy also lists them to be available at 303, 312, 325, 337 and 414 but I didn’t have access to these gates. Other options are also abound! Let’s look at them…
A large fry to share from Box Frites has become a tradition of sorts. Fries are easy. Vegetable oil is the industry standard now and the non-vegan condiments are pre-packed in their own little wasteful plastic containers. These “fancy” fries are $8, 50 cents more than last season, although significantly smaller. They’re delicious, yes, as any French fry is. Compared to the other stadium fries they’re fried evenly and with a great, consistent texture and are doused heavily in salt. For $3 cheaper you can get Nathan’s famous French fries, which I’ve found are often cooked in cross-contaminated oil… i.e. they kind of taste like chicken wings. I’ll stick to Box Frites for that peace of mind but… I’ll skip the chipotle ketchup.
Citi Field’s World Fare Market has some Asian cuisine, prepared salads, fruits and nuts within that are clearly vegan… none of which looks very appetizing. But on this little stand outside the World’s Fare entrance had some nice-looking fruit and some fresh-cut fruit salads. Look on the bottom of the display there… those 7 fruits salads… those were all there were a good hour before first pitch. So I’m sure they go quick. I had to pick one up just for the sheer variety: blackberries, blueberries, mango, pineapple, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew. What a combo!
What was more shocking then the spread inside the fruit salad was its price. $3.50. In a stadium where a bottle of water is $4, a beef hot dog is $6 and a beer is $7, we have this amazing fruit salad for $3.50.
An exclusive gluten-free (but non-vegan) stand is also outside of World’s Fare with the works. What a treat for one with no tolerance for gluten! And not having to worry about cross-contamination makes a big difference to some Celiacs. Let’s Go Mets!
Now, like on the road, a Subway, proponents of the mainstream health-conscious and its rise to power, is always at the next rest area. And they offer their vegetarian Veggiemax patty as well as their Veggie Delite. As always, the Italian bread is vegan and the honey wheat and the cheese-top breads are not. Kudos to Subway for listing pertinent ingredients in their website’s FAQ. It’s pretty special when an eatery can confirm their stearoyl-2-lactylate and the mono- and diglycerides preservatives to be of plant origin. And kudos to the vegans who made this question a frequent one, prompting it to be one of several vegan questions on the FAQ.
Other vegan fare I saw at Citi Field: soft pretzels, peanuts, crackerjacks, kettle corn (most likely) and fried dough (most likely). I am sure I’ll be back to report further on these and other vegan items. Citi is also lax about stadium-goers bringing in food. So vegan accompaniments, dips and spreads can truly liven up sides and up the foodie factor on the cheap. A big thanks to Citi Field to yielding to the diverse eating habits of Mets fans. Now, play ball!
Enjoying a week off for winter recess, it was time to escape, however briefly, to new east coast vegan options. Philadelphia recently opened its first all vegan, all gluten-free bakery! And with the city being just a short ride away, CP and I made a day trip especially for Sweet Freedom Bakery.
Sweet Freedom Bakery is a great addition to Philadelphia’s vegan scene. The scene that includes one of the best meals of all time (Horizons, blogged ’bout here), as well as a huge quantity of mock-meat Chinese restaurants.
I got a vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting. This is my favorite flavor combination in a cupcake and it is essential a bakery does this basic right. The cupcake had a soft texture and tasted healthy… in a good way. The icing balanced out the cake nicely, it was a thicker, cocoa-ier chocolate buttercream. Very good! I also got one of their Magic Bars, a layer of coconut-dusted ganache on top a layer of crumbly cookie.
To tide us over for an early dinner we took a quick trip to Maoz, the “quick-service” vegetarian falafel chain with the mind-blowing fixin’s bar. I loaded up my pita pocket to the brim with their fresh offerings.
We also hit the new upscale vegetarian grille on the block, Thoreau. Thoreau was a elegant spot and our entrees were ridiculously fresh and flavorful. Before our entree we were given a choice of pumpernickel or rosemary fresh-baked bread, along with a melon-ball of spicy vegan butter.
I chose the Cubano Supper, one of Thoreau’s few vegan entree options, which included 3 plantain empanadas filled with sunflower seed-chipotle pesto, a tower layered with yellow tomato and a tasty guacamole, an ample pile of delicious mango papaya relish and topped with jicama slaw. It was very flavorful, clean and satisfying but not the greatest value.
Babycakes is such an inspiring success story. Owner Erin McKenna has racked up an impressive trail of publicity and celebrity affiliation through the years. Her baked creations–vegan, gluten-free and with no refined sugars–are a breath of fresh air to New York City’s vegan sweets market. I remember my first visit soon after they opened their doors in 2005. Had I been food-blogging then I would have declared this then: Babycakes sells the best cupcakes in New York City. Clean, unhydrogenated, delicious and oh-so pretty. I’m proud to be a long time, pre-Martha Stewart customer… even though I mostly now sneak in around closing to gratiously collect less-than-fresh surplus goodies from the generous counterfolk. This last visit we scored 4 extra cupcake tops and a huge slice of banana bread! 
I ♥ Babycakes.
Not to be confused with this Baby Cakes, who I kinda love too:
Vegan Reporting By Location
