Chow Vegan

Black Velvet Cupcakes From Vegan Desserts

September 12, 2011 By chow 59 Comments

Before summer gives way to fall, I just had to try the Black Velvet Cupcakes from Hannah Kaminsky’s Vegan Desserts. These cupcakes came out perfect! Moist. Fluffy. Yummy. It’s a baking miracle! It really is. You have no idea what horrible baking disasters have emerged from my oven in the past.

Located in the summer section of Vegan Desserts (the cookbook is divided by seasons), the recipe uses the ingenious idea of blackberries for the cupcake’s beautiful color. No artificial coloring!

Straight-forward and easy to understand, I, a noob baker, was able to follow the recipe without any problems. Although I was puzzled how to make the thirteenth cupcake. My pan only has twelve spots but the recipe said it makes thirteen. I just divided the batter among the twelve and crossed my fingers.

They came out fine. I frosted half of them and froze the other half for later enjoyment. My frosting technique could use a little work, actually a lot of work. It looks like it’s just plopped on top, but it tasted great. Way better than the vegan red velvet cupcakes from Sprinkles, because I made them myself!

To celebrate such a momentous occasion, I’m giving away a copy of Vegan Desserts.

To enter the giveaway:
Leave a comment in this post with your favorite seasonal dessert. Comment must be made by midnight PST on Sunday, September 18th; one entry per person. No purchase is necessary to enter or win.

One winner will be randomly selected (using random.org) from the comments received and announced in a new post on Monday, September 19th. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be randomly chosen. Prize awarded is the cookbook that I paid for with my own hard-earned money (approximate retail value $17.95). I did not drool on it.

Official Rules:
Open only to U.S. residents age 18 and over. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Void where prohibited by law. Any tax is the sole responsibility of the winner. Winner releases Chow Vegan from any liability arising out of participation in this giveaway or the acceptance, use or misuse of the prize.

This post also contains an Amazon link, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on the link and make a purchase of anything.

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Peanuts and Veggie Pizza From Klondike Pizza

September 6, 2011 By chow 10 Comments

Over the holiday weekend, I was down south visiting family. Deciding where to eat out is always a challenge, between everyone’s various taste preferences and schedules, we quickly ate through the usual places. Time to try someplace new.

We ventured into Klondike Pizza, located in the downtown village of Arroyo Grande (about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast). It’s got a fun, flunky, family-friendly Alaskan atmosphere. Where you get a basket of peanuts while you’re waiting for your food, and toss the shells onto the sawdust floor. It’s probably the most fun I ever had shelling peanuts.

For lunch, I got the Veggie Pizza – mushrooms, zucchini, black olives and tomatoes. It comes with onions and the much dreaded bell peppers which I had them leave off as well as the cheese. Instead of red sauce, I got garlic sauce – olive oil, herbs and lots of minced garlic.

They also make their own dough which is vegan. The crust is thick, I prefer thin crust. Still, I’m very happy to have a vegan option without any fuss. It’s not listed as vegan anywhere on the menu, but the super nice people working there confirmed it.

After waddling out of Klondike’s extra full, we crossed the street to Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab for a little sorbet (there’s always room for dessert). For some sweet vegan baked treats, Eclair Bakery is also just down the street.

What Exactly Are Yves Grain Meat Strips?

August 28, 2011 By chow 12 Comments

I’m such a sucker for trying new vegan items I see at the store. I can’t help it, especially if said item is on sale. The latest such thing is the Yves Grain Meat Strips ($2.99 at Whole Foods). It’s basically seitan (wheat gluten) – a vacuum-sealed pouch of seitan and there’s one for the sauce.

It’s interesting Yves felt the need to call them Grain Meat Strips on the front of the package. In the ingredients, it’s listed as seitan. And they’re more like chunks, with just a couple of long strips.

Super easy to heat and serve for a quick meal, especially with Trader Joe’s mini hamburger buns. $1.19 for a pack of 8 baby buns, two and a half inch in diameter and vegan.

They’re the perfect size, one serving of the Grain Meat fits nicely on two buns (before heating up, I tore the bigger chunks into smaller bite-size pieces). For these mini sliders, I went with the BBQ flavor. They’re great topped with a little coleslaw on a toasted bun.

For the one in Buffalo Style Sauce, I went with a wrap. It’s kinda spicy, but it has a little too much of a vinegar taste. For me, the BBQ one is definitely the better of the two.

Overall, the Grain Meat Strips are good if you don’t have time or if you’re too lazy to make your own seitan, it’s totally a convenience food. Or if someone never had seitan before, it’s an easy way to give it a try.

Or if you’re hosting a Labor Day get-together, I would be very happy if I was served a couple of Grain Meat Strips in a BBQ Sauce mini sliders.

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