Posts Tagged Vegan

xmas recap and buttons update

Today, we’re having dessert first: my Perfected Vegan Tira mi Su [Yes, the recipe is in the cookbook!]. I brought it for Christmas dessert and it was a huge hit with Omniman and his Italian family. Making Tira Mi Su might sound mysterious, but it’s just a simple trifle: a sponge base soaked with a creamy, liquor-infused topping. Much debate remains over which liquor to use to flavor the topping. Some use cognac. Others use rum or Amaretto while others swear by rum. I prefer the elegance of brandy here, with cognac coming in second.

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booze-infused layer cake (for special occassions) & buttons update

Booze-Infused Layer Cake (for Special Occassions) from
“The Urban Vegan: 250 Street-Smart, Animal-Free Recipes”

Your brother-in-law Tom loves Kahlua. Your husband is a fan of Amaretto, and your best friend can’t do without her Jamaican Rum. I created this cake so you could personalize it with a heaping helping of their favorite tipple. The liqueur infuses the cake and frosting with added moistness and a subtle “je ne sais quoi.” It’s perfect for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and holiday parties. Or if you’ve had a really, really bad day, you can just make a cake for yourself.

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3 food shots and a wedding

More cookbook food porn. Tapenade…a Provençal black olive spread with a bright hit of citrus.

Alternative Granola – alternative, because it uses dried quinoa and amaranth, in addition to the more traditional nuts and oats.

Chocolate-Pumpkin Bread Pudding, shown here with a scoop of vanilla soy ice cream. This has quickly become one of Omniman’s new favorites.
Weekend wedding
My beautiful niece Kristin was married this weekend in Philadelphia. She’s a hospital nurse and cares for newborns. Ken is an obstetrician; he delivers babies. How perfect is that? They make each other so happy and have so much fun together. I’m thrilled for them.
Doesn’t Omniman look good in a suit? We snuck a photo in the ballroom at the Benjamin Franklin Hotel before the guests arrived. It looked especially lovely, decorated for the holidays.  
Philadelphia is known as “The City of Brotherly Love.” We have a park, aptly named “Love Park,” where one of Robert Indiana’s famous LOVE sculptures is displayed prominently. So what would a Philly wedding be without its very own LOVE ice sculpture?
Look at the menu. “Vegan” is actually a dinner option! [Click on the photo to enlarge.] I love my niece and my new nephew.

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look, look! more from the book

Vidalia Onion Tart:
Sweet, creamy and savory

Served here with Pear-Pepper Chutney:
A balancing contrast.

Parsnips St. Jacques.
All the garlicky goodness of Coquilles St, Jacques; none of the cruelty.

Finer-Than-Diner Cinnamon Raisin Bread:
I wish you could smell my kitchen right now.

Meanwhile, from their perch above my kitchen, Bossa Nova and Pablo supervise.


Buttons: The Continuing Saga

Following the advice of Vegan Nutritionista, I camouflaged the trap with a towel. It worked. Buttons walked right in, but doh! I didn’t put the food far enough back for him to step on the device that closes the trap. So I quietly snuck up behind him and tried to close the trap.

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