New York: Day 1

"In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York, these streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York!"

Come on, you knew that I was going to open with some Jay-Z, so don't seem so surprised. This was my second time back in the Big Apple, and it just gets better with age I do believe. I went this time with B, his brother Michael, and Absola. The perfect combo, for livin' it up. Wakin up at 5 am to hop on a plane to get us there, we were ready to eat some good NY food. I had heard about this place called H & H Bagels, up near our hostel on the Upper West Side, but after our little walk over there, I came to realize that it was just a small little place where you had to buy the Toffuti cream cheese separately and put it on yourself..yeah I wasn't having any of that. I needed something prepared for me. It totally worked out in our favor though, we found this little place called Peace Food just a block away. I hadn't heard about it before, so I was a little hesitant. The decor was light and airy, plants and vegan cookbooks adorned the old white porcelain tiled walls of this cafe. I wanted to just become one of the surrealism portraits hung up and live there for awhile.


The menu was a good size and the prices were great, about 9-11 for an entree, impressively cheap for the big city. To start out with Abby and Michael split the Asian greens salad: seasonal baby Asian vegetables, mixed sprouts, shredded carrots, tomatoes, marinated & baked tempeh, ground peanuts, in a garlic, ginger, cilantro, ponsu & sesame dressing. This was by far the best dressing (and the most different) I have ever tried. I must learn to remake it.

For the warmer dish, mushroom duxelle pizza with roasted sweet peppers, onions and zucchini. The sauce was pureed mushrooms. It was perfect!






For B and myself, we split a couple of sandwiches, the tempeh avocado : baked marinated tempeh, creamy avocado, pickled radishes, shredded carrots and cilantro. It was cold, which kind of caught me off guard, but the pickled radishes really made the dish.


But the creme de la creme was the pan-seared french horn mushrooms panini. It came with sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, artichoke aioli, mint & basil pesto. I would eat that as my last meal if I could.





After our bellies were nice and full (not even room for dessert!) we headed down to Time Square, to make it feel like we were really in NYC. Of course it is always a little overwhelming, I never know if I love all the chaos, or if I hate it, either way it is definitely an experience to have.

We hit up the Hershey store and eyed the walls of varies colored M&M's, but when are we getting to BabyCakes?? I really had one mission that day and it was to go to the East Village to check out the best vegan bakery in the world...

"It's Me! Mario.."

Sugar. Sugar. Sugar. I love knowing that there is five pounds of sugar in one recipe for frosting. Or at least that is the way it seemed when Susan and I spent several hours over two days to create the perfect vegan/Mario Bros themed/coconut-lime & Oreo cookie cupcakes for Brandon's birthday.

Last week was the big day and so me, trying to be the perfect little homemaker, wanted to make some of his favorite flavored cupcakes for a surprise party I was throwing him. When we had our short stint in LA we fell in love with Auntie Em's Coconut Cupcakes, so I was on a mission to create something similar. I was not sure how I was going to pull this off since I have never made coconut cupcakes nor have I ever thrown a surprise party...so who knew how it'd turn out.

Luckily he has some pretty awesome friends who all went along with my plan and showed to the little get together . With four dozen cupcakes in tow we all met at Dave and Busters to eat, drink, and play.














From Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, I made two dozen cupcakes of the Coconut Lime and then two dozen of the Oreo Chocolate Cake Cupcakes. All with little Mario toppers that I cut out. Both batches turned out really nice. I was most impressed. However, the coconut ones were by far the best. They needed to be refrigerated since there was lime juice in the frosting, so by the end of the night they were looking a little sad...But if you are looking to make some refreshing sumer time desserts, definitely opt for the Coconut Lime cupcakes!

Joie de vivre & La Mie Emilie

In our effort to try to be a little bit more "green" whenever I am not at work, we always try to not drive and just walk around the 'hood and kind of seek out new places that we have not been too.

Last week in out little walk around, we decided that we would head over to the Carmel Arts and Design district to check out this little French restaurant that we keep walking past. So since I love ALL things French (come I have em branded on me!) I was very happy to be able to have a nice brunch with the love of my life on such a perfect day.

La Mie Emilie is at 15 W. Main Street, and it's not a very large store front, so it is quite easy to over look..you just might run into their tables and chairs though that are sitting outside (Ch'en owns those too). Sorry!


For being an all French cafe, I was a little worried that there would not be too many veg friendly options, but there were! I was pleasantly surprised, that most things could be made easily with out meat, or they already had a sister item to the entree. For example, they of course had a Croque Monsieur, which is a French style grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and then they had the Croque Provencal, which was with sauteed onions, tomatoes, and Gruyeres cheese, it normally comes with an easy over egg on top, but I opted out of that. This sandwich was amazing! It was two very freshly made bread slices that were both grilled with butter and melted cheese on top, and then had warm sauteed onions over thin slices of fresh tomato, all with a side of seasonal fruit. They served it in a normal portion, so it was not some big Americanized plate that you eat on for days, but it still took myself, and Brandon to finish the dish.



As for B's choice of breakfast, his was much more of a dessert. Even though it was on the Brunch menu, it was still something that I would only think about eating after a dinner. The Pain Trouvéau Four (Baked French Toast) was served with raspberry coulis sauce and then topped with roasted almonds and whipped cream. It was a petite little plate of one piece of baked toast, but all covered with a warm sweet raspberry puree and syrup, and then a homemade whipped cream. It was heavenly. Very very sweet though, so it could be a wake up shock if that is the first thing that you are eating in the morning.


While we were eating our breakfast we were able to be next to the future cast of The Real Housewives of Carmel. I always thought that reality television were scripted, especially from what I heard about E!, however, after sitting next to these sexagenarian brawds for an hour, I was reassured that there are crazy women at home, and they are even loonier when brought all together out of their Carmel houses.

All-in-all it was a definite 5 stars for such an abnormality hidden in Carmel.

Cupcakes for your Ch'en Ch'en!

On yucky days like this, when it is gloomy, rainy, and you are feeling a little too pudgy to fit into your rain slicker, what is a four legged fella to do?

Well, thankfully for Mr Pugsley, people never have a shortage of ideas when it comes to pampering and just plain spoiling their furry friends. Since Ch'en isn't able to walk over to Holy Cow's and get a Mint Julep cupcake (eeekk!!) with me, or even sample some of mine, I figured I would see some of the more dog friendly cupcakes that people have come up with.

Over at Posh Pet Glamour Boutique, they have a nice little doggy bed so Ch'en can dream of eating cupcakes, chasing Jasmine around the house, and maybe making sure that we own a few more lamp posts...I think spending over 100 bones on a doggy bed is a little excessive, but come on, we all know that it is more for my own amusement, than his. (Image from Poshpetglamourboutique.com)

Or if you are feeling really crafty, you can always surprise em with some vegan friendly cuppies! My step-mom makes some of the most amazing treats (at least according to Ch'en and the girls) and I was always impressed with how crazy these dogs went over a peanut butter biscotti. Yes, they were treated better than most children I know. Over at Yummy for Dogs, they have a nice little recipe for your pets, that could easily be converted into cupcakes! They have a ton of other treats and goodies to make as well.

Peanut Butter Cake with Carob Ganache:

Cake:
1 3/4 cups
whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon
baking powder

1 cup
rice milk

1/4 cup
molasses

1/2 cup
smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup
vegetable oil

1 tablespoon
ground flax seeds

Ganache:

3/4 cup
carob chips

1 tablespoon
vegetable shortening

In a large bowl, mix flour and baking powder.
In a large measuring cup, combine the other cake ingredients and allow to sit for three minutes.
Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir just until completely blended.
Pour batter into a well greased round cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cool completely before turning out onto a cake platter. Regular plates will cause the cake to be indented in the middle due to their concavity.

When the cake is cool, place carob chips and shortening into a small saucepan.
Stir over low heat until both are melted and the mixture is smooth.
Pour onto the center of the cake.
With a rubber scraping spatula, smear the ganache evenly over the top in a thin layer, allowing some of the mixture to drip over the edges decoratively.
When ganache is completely cool, it will form a firm glaze.

If you want a quick fix though, then head over to Three Dog Bakery in Broad Ripple, the girls working the counter are always really nice and super helpful if you need some ideas for what would be good for what kind of dog or pet you have. Ch'en never complains. Plus, they carry cupcake collars and leashes!

Examples of the greatness at Three Dogs: (from: http://www.threedogindy.com/)

Collie Cannoli!

Bulldog Bar

Beggin for S'Mores!
Bow-Wow Bonbons!

Kentucky Derby Cupcakes!

Only one more day till the Kentucky Derby! I hope that everyone has their hats ready, their bets placed, and a nice plate to hold these delicious Derby inspired cupcakes for the party! In the spirit of the derby, I will be eating Mint Julep Cupcakes and wishing I had a hat as cool as Holly Madison's from a couple years back.

(notinnewyork.wordpress.com)

Yes, she glued 'My Little Pony' figurines on hers.

Here's a delightful little recipe from Celebrations.com:

"The official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby, Mint Juleps are a refreshing respite from the Kentucky summer sun. Create your own unique cupcakes fit for the winner's circle with a creative take on the mint julep – complete with an irresistibly delicious batter spiked with bourbon and mint leaf garnish on top! (adapted from Home Cooking)"

(from: Hostessblog.com)

Ingredients:

Cupcake Base:

• 3 cups cake flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs

Bourbon Butter Sauce:

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons Bourbon whiskey

Mint Julep Frosting:

• 8 oz whipped cream cheese
• 4 oz butter
• 12 oz powdered sugar
• 1 ¼ teaspoon Crème de Menthe

Instructions For Cupcake Frosting:

1. Mix all frosting ingredients together in a large bowl until completely incorporated.
2. Refrigerate for twenty to forty minutes, then pipe onto cupcakes once the base is completely cooled and garnish with a fresh sprig of mint.



Instructions for Cupcake Batter:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl.
2. In a separate smaller bowl, combine buttermilk, butter, vanilla extract, and eggs.
3. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture. Beat at low speed for 1 minute, then increase to medium speed for 3 more minutes.
4. Pour mixture into muffin or cupcake pan pre-lined with cupcake liners.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Ten minutes before cupcakes are done, prepare Bourbon Butter Sauce.

Instructions for Bourbon Butter Sauce:


1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/3 cup butter, and 3 tablespoons water.
2. Stir until melted and combined. Do not boil. Remove from heat, continuing to stir for 2 minutes. Then stir in Bourbon.
3. When cupcakes are done and still warm from the oven, use a skewer to poke holes around the top of the cake. Pour Bourbon butter sauce evenly over the top of the cupcakes. Let cake cool to room temperature in the pan before removing.
4. Frost with mint julep frosting once cupcakes are completely cooled, and garnish each with a sprig of mint.

Boba Fett? No! Boba Tea!

On my lunch breaks I start to get a little bit bored and uncreative when it comes to where I could possibly go and still make it back within an hour. Luckily for me, I am near a little place called the Taiwan Tea House. I have driven by the plain storefront for a while now and never really realized that it was a place you could go and eat. I just thought that it was a store that sold nothing but fancy teas.

After looking on urbanspoon, I realized that they have a nice little selection of goodies to choose from, along with a big tea menu! And I am not just talking the delicate little tea that your Grammy would serve you at Easter, I am talking the full on boba tea! AKA Bubble Tea! Anything that sounds like something the Spongebob would drink, I am totally willing to try, except for maybe a seaweed crabby patty with special sauce…

Anyway – back to the awesomeness that is the Taiwan Tea House. For an appetizer, that is only two bucks, I was able to get a huge serving of fried tofu. Now, a lot of reviewers recommended the Mapa Tofu, but I wasn’t feelin a huge lunch, just a little something to hold me over. I was a little nervous that it was going to be this massive fried dough thing, but it was a really lightly battered dish with sweet chili and green onion sauce on top. I am not sure if they made their tofu from scratch at the store, but it definitely tasted like they could have.

For the drink of choice: Honeydew Green Tea with boba. Ok, so the deal behind this drink is that it is a sweetly flavored tea beverage invented in Taiwan. “Drink recipes may vary, but most bubble teas contain a tea base mixed with fruit (or fruit syrup) and/or milk. Ice blended versions of the drink are also available, usually in fruit flavors. Bubble teas also usually contain small tapioca balls or pearls called "boba". Pearls made of jelly are also available in many places. These teas are shaken to mix the ingredients, creating foam on the top of some varieties. This drink is called bubble tea because of the marble-sized tapioca balls or “pearls” that is present and sit at the bottom of the cup. These chewy balls, although having little flavor, are sucked up through large wide straws and are consumed along with the drink. Sometimes the customer will be asked if he or she wants ‘boba’ or ‘bubble,’ added in the drink. Both these terms refer to the tapioca balls”…thank you Wikipedia.

I had never had one of these before, so I asked the server what the most popular drink was and I don’t think he understood what I meant. He didn’t quite get that I wanted the best selling drink..”So, what do you want?”Oh well. After the fact, I learned that the coconut red milk tea with boba is a popular choice.

The MASSIVE drink was served in a nicely oversized goblet with a huge straw...the perfect size to suck up all those little boba balls. It is such a weird drink, but it was quite a little experience. So if you haven’t tried a boba tea yet, head over to 4040 E. 82nd St!

Holy Cow Batman!

For someone that is in love with cupcakes, it is some what surprising that I have been living right next to a cupcake shop for months, and am just now getting around to checking this place out. It always helps to bring others along, so that one does not look like such a lonely and sad soul buying a cupcake to eat in solitude. Therefore, I had to wait until I had others to join in on the sugar fun.

Holy Cow Cupcakes, over in the Arts and Design District in Carmel, is an uber small shop that can be easily overlooked, since it is part of the same building that a gas station is in. I think that this is also part of the reason why I waited so long to visit the bakery (really? a gas station?). Do not let the location fool you! The hours are a little strange for people who work, but it's open Tuesday through Saturday 11-6.

All of the cupcakes are made with local and organic ingredients, so each batch is made from scratch and with love; meaning, when they are out, they are out. They make all of their cupcakes in babycake form too! So if you want to have them at a fancy schmancy party or just feel like poppin' em like popcorn during the next episode of LOST (eeekk!!) you can do that too.

When I walked over with my nephews they had a limited selection to choose from, but still it was a good selection. It is a positive sign if two little boys can see something that they want and are happy with the amount of green sprinkles on top.

(I know they are super cute model boys, right? )

Arriving around noon it looked like they had been busy that morning already. Our selections were:
The Coriander: Chocolate cake topped with chocolate frosting *available every day*
The Ryan: Traditional Red Velvet cake topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting **HCC!’s most popular flavor offered everyday*
Winter White: Almond cake with almond buttercream
Vanilla/Vanilla: Vanilla cake topped with vanilla frosting (usually topped with a seasonal sprinkle) *available every day*

They also had the Old School Cupcake, like a Hostess and of course that is what Caleb went for.
The frosting was perfect on these babies! It definitely tasted like a cream cheese type frosting and it wasn't the over powering kind that kicks you in the back of the throat and makes you wanna die. Both of the boys devoured theirs on the walk back and were ready for more! The woman threw one in for me, even though I thought the boys would not finish all of theirs and I would be eating the remainders. Oh glory day! So happy that I had my own, since neither one of them would share (trust me, you wouldn't have shared either!)

There are a few that weren't there that day, but I am quite curious to try these little concoctions:

PB & J: peanut butter cake filled with strawberry jelly and topped with peanut butter frosting

Guinness: Dark chocolate Guinness cake topped Jameson Irish Whiskey ganache *March flavor-of-the-month*

Mint Julep: Lightly scented fresh mint cake with a a hint of Woodford Reserve Whiskey and a mint/whiskey frosting **available during the week of the Kentucky Derby**mmmmmmmmmmm.....
Their list goes on and on and each cupcake is named after someone special in the HCC family, kinda like Stila cosmetics, so that it a sweet little touch.
Who wants to meet for a Mint Julep one in May?