[Accidentally] Vegan TV

There's a blog and a YouTube Channel called, [Accidentally] Vegan, which collects videos of cooking shows where the recipes are, as the title suggests, "unplanned" vegan foodstuffs. Regulars from the Food Network (Guy Fieri, Ina Garten, Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis, etc.) are represented along with Martha Stewart, Debbi Mazar, The Chew, The Today Show, etc.

I love it cause you don't have to worry about veganizing anything or making conversions. The recipes are ready to go as is.

[Accidentally] Vegan YouTube Channel
[Accidentally] Vegan Blog

Here's Asian Street Fries from Guy's Big Bite.

Trader Joe's Vegetable Pakoras

Trader Joe's Vegetable Pakoras

I recently picked up these Vegetable Pakoras at Trader Joe's. So good! They're lightly fried balls of potatoes, onions, chickpea flour, carrots, cauliflower, with a sweet and tangy tamarind dipping sauce. They tasted nothing like falafel in case you were wondering about the chickpea flour, and the sauce was perfect. My only problem was there was not *enough* sauce. I don't think I overdipped, TJ's definitely skimped on the sauce a bit. I'll be picking these up again. They are great appetizers or sides, and I ate them all as a main course.


Trader Joe's Vegetable PakorasRating: ****

***** awesome! Highly recommended.
**** hey, this is pretty dang good.
*** not bad at all.
** eh.
* bad. Keep looking for alternatives.

[You can find the Vegetable Pakoras at Trader Joe's.]

Eating Vegan from Vending Machines

I've been meaning to do a post on how to eat vegan out of vending machines, because sometimes you just don't have a choice. But after a recent discovery, I have to tackle it a little differently than originally planned. Because, first, you have your generic junk foody vending machine, and then you have your healthy food vending machine!

Generic junk food vending machines often have accidentally vegan items.

Some common vegan options:

~plain salted nuts- usually your options are peanuts or cashews, most of the flavored nuts are not vegan
~classic potato chips- almost all big name brand plain potato chips are simply salt, oil, and potatoes

~Oreos- regular oreos, the cakey ones are not vegan
~Nutter Butters
~Snyder's of Hanover Pretzels
~Twizzler's Strawberry Licorice

It's not much, but it's something.

~~~

But then I recently came across the 2bu vending machine. This thing is wicked cool, and vegan, healthy food friendly. Mind blown!

Here's how it works. The 2bu Healthy Vending machine has a digital screen where you can review the ingredients and dietary information of every single item in the machine. In addition to that, you can see complete lists of all the items that are vegan, organic, gluten-free, or kosher. They source local items when they can, and they're Energy-Star rated with motion sensors for all the lighting.

The 2bu website says all of their snacks meet their standards of:
• All-natural ingredients
• More whole-grain selections
• No preservatives or artificial ingredients, flavors or sweeteners
• No trans-fats


You know what this means, right? I don't have to tell you what should be vegan in the 2bu Healthy Vending machine, the machine itself will tell you! That said, here are a couple great vegan snack options:


Sahale Snacks Soledad Nut Blend
(almonds, apples, and flax seeds, with date, balsamic vinegar and cayenne)
This mix is sooooo good! The ingredients sounded like a strange mix, but they work.


Alternative Baking Company Outrageous Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
ABC Baking Company is not my favorite vegan cookie maker, but these are very satisfying.

Some other vegan goodies: Original PopChips, Steaz Peach Iced Teaz, Larabars, Raw Revolution bars, and Coconut Water (can't remember which brand.)


Okay, it remains to be said, the big downside out of eating from vending machines is cost. And while junky food vending machines are pricey enough, the 2bu Healthy Vending is quite a bit more. Perhaps you get what you pay for, but I have to say that Soledad Nut Blend is rather more than I would want to spend from a vending machine. I am sure this is why it has debit/credit capability. It's not a pocket change kind of vendor. Still, it's a great start at a better world of vending!

Charity Vegan Bakesale- Coming Soon!

VEGAN BAKE SALE
Saturday, April 14th       11am-6pm

Baked Goods ** Raffles **  Handmade Vegan Soaps

This is going to be pure sweet tooth satisfaction! Local artists, bakersm and individuals are donating their time and goodies to make this one amazing bake sale! Help us help the planet, feel free to bring your own take home container.

RAIN OR SHINE
All proceeds go to Autism Speaks

Please Bring Cash!
Location: Strawberry Hedgehog Headquarters
526 W. Mariposa St.
Phoenix, AZ 85013
http://strawberryhedgehog.com

Recipe Round-up: Vegan Fruit Cake

You may remember that in June I posted about Emily Dickinson. She liked to bake and  the Library of America recorded her recipe for Black Cake (aka Fruit Cake). It inspired me to do a recipe round-up for fruit cake, but of course, I really needed to wait til December since it's more of a seasonal holiday treat. And here we are.  I've never made a fruit cake before, but I'd like to try one of these.

The first two recipes were the ones that seemed the closest vegan recipes to Emily's Black Cake. The rest are the various vegan or easily veganizable takes on fruitcake that I have seen online. A couple of the below recipes just need vegan margarine and non-dairy milks, which are simple substitutions. You'll have to convert from British measurements and terminology on a couple of them as well.

~Bryanna's Low-Fat Vegan Carrot Fruitcake at the Vegan Feast Kitchen

~Vegan and Demanding's Fruitcake

~The Fruit Cake and Fruity Marmalade Cake over at The Vegan Society

~ About.com's Vegan Christmas Fruit Cake

~Vegan Christmas Fruitcake from Madhuram's Eggless Cooking

~Nom!Nom!Nom!'s Vegan Fruitcake Delight

~Parsley Soup's Fruit Cake

~Christmas Cake at Vegan Village

~Fruit and Nut "War" Cake from Jugalbandi

~Veggies.Co.Uk's Maggie's Falling Down Fruit Cake

~Suburban Yogini's Spiced Vegan Fruitcake,  and Christmas Cake with Marizpan and Icing

~1940s Experiment's Eggless Fruit Cake and Eggless Xmas Cake

~Cake's Eggless Fruit Cake

~Aayi's Recipes Eggless Fruit Cake

~Food in the Main's Eggless Fruit Cake

~Ina Garten's Dried Fruit Cookies - They look like Fruitcake Cookies to me! You'll want agave nectar instead of honey, and egg replacer for 1 egg.

Colombian Raw Vegan Fruitcake with Coconut Milk
(In Spanish with Subtitles)

Taste Test: Mint Chocolate Non-Dairy Beverages!

So Delicious Coconut Milk Mint Chocolate vs. Silk Mint Chocolate

Another So Delicious / Silk face-off. Let's dive in.
The So Delicious Coconut Milk Mint Chocolate really isn't any thicker than the Silk Mint Chocolate, though that was the case with the Nogs. And the color is quite similar. In fact, there wasn't much difference between these two drinks, except the So Delicious does have a slight coconut taste.

Overall, I'm not really a fan of either. This is definitely a taste preference on my part. I pretty much figured this would be the case going in, as I have had the Silk in the past. I've never much liked chocolate milks (except for chocolate almond milk), and I definitely don't care for the mint added to chocolate 'milk' beverages. I'll drink them, but I won't buy them. This is the case for just about anything mint chocolate, I'll eat it...because...but it's not something I put in my "Like Column".

That said, I DO think people who like mint chocolate flavors would enjoy these drinks. In fact, I know quite a few people that like the Silk Mint Chocolate (they tried it in years past, but have not yet tried the So Delicious brand to determine a preference).

If I were to purchase one for guests, it would be the Silk, only because that slight coconut taste is distracting from the mint chocolate. But ultimately, I rated them the same.



So Delicious Coconut Milk Mint Chocolate
Rating: **

Silk Mint Chocolate
Rating: **

***** awesome! Highly recommended.
**** hey, this is pretty dang good.
*** not bad at all.
** eh.
* bad. Keep looking for alternatives.

[You can find both of these Mint Chocolate beverages at Whole Foods. The So Delicious is a new product so I'm not sure who else will be carrying it, but the Silk is usually found at Sprouts and some of the supermarkets that carry Silk regularly.]

Cookies From Home

Cookies From Home, Lemon Pecan

Recently I visited AJ's Fine Foods in search of preserved lemons, and while AJ's focuses on upscale, specialty, and imported foods which makes them minimally vegan-friendly, I did stumble across some vegan Lemon Pecan Cookies from Tempe-based business, Cookies from Home.

I really liked the lemon pecan cookies. They're small cookies, maybe a little bigger than an Oreo, with 4 in a package. I think they were some of the best packaged vegan cookies I have had. So I went to their website to check them out and found they have a whole vegan category and they even offer some great tins of vegan cookies and brownies, perfect for gifts. Looks like they also have gluten-free options. I can't tell if all of their vegan cookies are also gluten-free, but the website kinda implies this.

Cookies From Home Gift Tin

And they've got a retail gift shop in Tempe. How cool is that!? At some point I'd like to visit their retail gift shop and see if I can taste-test some more of the vegan cookie and brownie options. The only thing missing from their website is a list of the vegan flavors, so I'm not sure what else they offer. Just a note, I don't know if Cookies From Home always offers vegan options in their retail gift shops, many times in places like this vegan options are considered special order items, so you might consider calling ahead to check.


Rating: ****

***** awesome! Highly recommended.
**** hey, this is pretty dang good.
*** not bad at all.
** eh.
* bad. Keep looking for alternatives.

[You can find the small packaged cookies at AJ's Fine Foods. I'm not sure what other flavors are available, nor if they are carried at any other local shops. But you can find more options at their retail gift shop and order them online.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Cookies From Home
Retail Gift Shop
1605 W. University Dr. Unit 106
Tempe, AZ 85281
(800) 543-8133
http://www.cookiesfromhome.com/

Hours
Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm
Saturday, 10am to 4pm
Closed Sunday

Apple of My Eye

back row, left to right: Empire, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Rome
middle row, left to right: Cripps Pink Lady, Fuji, Jonathan, McIntosh
front row, left to right: Gala, Jonagold, Braeburn, Jazz

One of my best first grade memories is sitting in a circle on the floor with my classmates and taste testing 10 or so different apple varieties. Such a simple activity and yet so fun and adventurous. Earlier this year, I was inspired by that memory and taste-tested different kinds of tangerines. Well, now it's apple season!

As I was trolling the fruit aisle at Sprouts I saw an abundance of apples and decided to get one of each variety. Well, mostly. I skipped the Red Delicious, Green Delicious, and Granny Smiths. They tend to be the most common ones, so I thought I'd just try the others. And really, twelve varieties was PLENTY. Though apparently there are over 7500 cultivars of apples in the world. One could make it a life mission to sample them all. Not me though, thanks.

Here are the ones I did get and what Wiki has to say about each:

**
Empire- (New York) Empire apples are red, juicy, firm, crunchy and sweet. Good for eating.

Honeycrisp- (Minnesota) Mottled red and yellow colour. Good crunch when in prime condition. Juicy. Hybrid of Keepsake and Unknown. Good for eating.

Cortland-  (New York) Pale crisp flesh. Classic red coloration, nice crunch. Cross between McIntosh and Ben Davis. Good for eating.

 Rome- (Ohio) Rounded, all red, and very glossy. Flavour develops when cooked. Good for cooking.

Cripps Pink Lady- (Australia) Crisp, very sweet and slightly tart. Light red, pink and light yellow-green striped skin. Good for cooking and eating.

Fuji- (Japan) Sweet, crisp, dense flesh. Very long shelf life, even without refrigeration. Japan's predominant eating apple. Good for eating.
 Jonathan- (New York) Tart taste. Mostly red apple with patches of lime green. Does well in cooler areas; some frost resistance. Good for eating and cooking.

McIntosh- (Ontario, Canada) A popular, cold-tolerant, pocket-sized eating apple in Canada and northeastern US. Favorite of children. Used alot in applesauce. Good for cooking and eating.

Gala- (New Zealand) Thinner skin. Very soft eating apple, well-suited for denture wearers. Good for eating.

Jazz- (New Zealand) Bright red round apple with subtle yellow under-striping. Tart to sweet, dense and very crunchy with effervescent texture. Good for eating.

Jonagold- (New York) Popular in Europe and land of origin. A very large apple. Several highly coloured strains are available. Good for eating and cooking.

Braeburn- (New Zealand)  Firm to the touch with a red/orange vertical streaky appearance on a yellow/green background. Dense apple, and becoming increasingly popular in the UK. Good for eating.
**

back row, left to right: Empire, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Rome middle row, left to right: Cripps Pink Lady, Fuji, Jonathan, McIntosh
front row, left to right: Gala, Jonagold, Braeburn, Jazz

Alright, now for the ratings!

Eating Experience+

Key
***** awesome! Highly recommended.
**** hey, this is pretty dang good.
*** not bad at all.
** eh.
* bad. Keep looking for alternatives.



Empire **1/2
Honeycrisp ****
Cortland ****
Rome ***1/2
Cripps Pink Lady ***
Fuji ***
Jonathan **1/2
McIntosh **1/2
Gala ***
Jazz ***1/2
Jonagold **1/2
Braeburn ***



OVERALL
I like apples, but they are by no means my favorite fruit. And I have to say that 'apples' tend to taste like 'apples' to me. Not a huge difference in taste, though some are a little sweeter and some a little tangier. There can be, however, a significant difference in texture, crispness, and firmness. But this can even run from apple to apple, not just across varieties.

Red Delicious used to be my favorite apples when I was a kid. But in recent years, Red Delicious have had a watered down taste, very bland. I think farmers and scientists have messed with them too much.

Anyway, in this taste test, Rome was by far the prettiest of the apples with its deep red hue. Unfortunately, they were slightly soft. But Cortland was the big surprise, with an interesting, slightly tangy flavor. I liked it best for taste.
I highly recommend the Cortland and Honeycrisp for eating raw. In the past I have really liked the Fuji, though it didn't test as well this time, just average.

Even if you get a less than stellar batch of apples, all is not lost. Make PIE! Or cider, or applesauce, or juice, or Cinnamon Baked Apples. These days I like apple pies with a mix of different apple varieties. In yesterday's post you'll see the Garam Masala Apple Pie I made. It was really good.  I had the Rome, Braeburn, Jazz, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, and Gala in it, I think. And not that long ago I made a Dutch Apple Pie, so check that oen out too. For a future pie, I will consider mixing the Rome with Granny Smith and Cortland.

~~~~

+Keep in mind that each single fruit is a completely different experience which also depends on where we are in the season. In other words, my results may be different from yours based on fruit condition, ripeness, etc.

Majans Bhuja Cracker Mix

Majans Bhuja Craker Mix

Majans Bhuja Cracker Mix is tasty. Mmm. A bit addictive too. I'd always wanted a little snack like this. And most that are similar in design have always had something just a bit off about the taste. But I liked every bit of this snack mix. The Bhuja Cracker Mix has rice crackers, multigrain noodles, green peas, peanuts, chick peas, and sultanas that are flavored with chiles, turmeric, paprika, corriander, and cumin. The sultanas fit in the least, but there are only a few of them so they are come across as just a small oddity, and they're by no means unwelcome.

There were several other mix flavors, and I'm looking forward to giving those a try too. I think I'll be using these to fill up snack bowls when friends come over.

Majans Bhuja Cracker Mix

Rating: ****

***** awesome! Highly recommended.

**** hey, this is pretty dang good.

*** not bad at all.

** eh.

* bad. Keep looking for alternatives.

[These are brand new products at Sprouts, and I found them on a display near the produce section. Not sure who else has them yet or will be getting them.]

Amande Almond Yogurt

Amande Raspberry Almond Yogurt

First, the semi-disclaimer. I have never been a yogurt fan. When I went vegan I found soy yogurt to be far superior to dairy yogurt, edible even. And even more so, I liked the coconut yogurt when it arrived. Still, these yogurts are only once in a while eats, I don't eat them often. So, after  my successes with the soy and coconut-based gurts, and the fact that I like almond milks, I figured I'd easily welcome the Amande into the fold.

I was wrong. I discovered that I am not a fan of almond-based yogurts, or at least not this brand. I tried both the raspberry and the blueberry. I definitely think this could be just my personal deficiency somehow, as there are people out there who love the unsweetened almond milk which I think is bitterly disgusting. And as you can tell, I am not much of a yogurt fan to begin with. But I did find out that my hairstylist had the same disappointing experience with the Amande yogurt.

I don't like to give vegan products bad ratings, and I usually just don't review products I don't like, but I felt like I should do this one. You read my disclaimer, it really could be me and not the product.

Amande Almond Yogurt

Rating: *1/2

***** awesome! Highly recommended.

**** hey, this is pretty dang good.

*** not bad at all.

** eh.

* bad. Keep looking for alternatives.

[I'm pretty sure Whole Foods is the only place that has this. I suppose Sunflower Market might, but I almost never go there to know for sure.]

Tofutti Yours Truly Cones....(translation: Vegan Dessert Drumsticks!)

Tofutti Yours Truly Cones

I LOVE these. The End.

Wait, I do have a request for Tofutti. Please make some with peanuts on top and with vegan caramel in the middle. These ones have crunchy cookies on top, and that's yummy, but not ideal. Thank you. Also, sometimes the cones are soft and sometimes they are crunchy. It's random, but not unlike what I remember for non-vegan drumsticks. Nature of the frozenated cone.

The End. For real this time.

Mmmmm! When they talk about visions of sugar plums dancing in heads, they really meant visions of sugar cones.

Tofutti Yours Truly Cones

Tofutti Yours Truly Cones
Rating: **** 3/4

***** awesome! Highly recommended.

**** hey, this is pretty dang good.

*** not bad at all.

** eh.

* bad. Keep looking for alternatives.

[Sprouts definitely has these. Fry's Marketplace and Whole Foods might as well.]

Laughing Giraffe Organics Goji Cacao & Maca Snackaroons

Laughing Giraffe Organics Snackaroons

Occasionally, I like to dabble in raw vegan foods. I'd probably eat more premade, storebought raw food snacks, but they're just usually a little more expensive than I prefer. Plus, it's like playing Battleship. Miss, Miss, Hit, Miss.

Well, friends, the Laughing Giraffe Organics Goji Cacao & Maca Snackaroons are serious hits. These delicious nuggets are made from: unsweetened coconut, agave nectar, almonds, extra virgin coconut oil, vanilla extract, cacao, goji berries, maca, and Himalayan pink salt. No more, no less.


Laughing Giraffe Organics Snackaroons



Mmm. What else to say about them? They're little macaroon balls of gluten-free sweetness. But not too sweet, and one little snowball is  quite satisfying. I'm gonna have to try some of the other flavors.




Laughing Giraffe Organics Goji Cacao & Maca Snackaroons
Rating: ****

***** awesome! Highly recommended.
**** This is pretty dang good.

*** not bad at all.

** eh.

* bad. Keep looking for alternatives.

[So far, I've only seen these at Whole Foods.]

Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies

These quiet, unassuming, regular looking chocolate chip cookies have a devastating secret; they are made with mesquite flour. Which, I have to say gives them a very interesting taste. The recipe is based on Isa and Terry's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I had read somewhere that you shouldn't replace more than 1/4 of the flour in a recipe with mesquite flour. It doesn't have gluten so it doesn't bind. And the flavor is fairly strong, so no more than that is even needed.

Anyway, in my head this translated to 1/4 cup of mesquite flour replacing the regular flour for these cookies. My omniveore taste-testers who like the regular version of these cookies, also thought the mesquite version was good. I think they are good, but there is this unmistakable, indescribable taste that comes from the added mesquite. I can't even think how to describe it. Give it a try.

Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1/2 brown sugar
1/4 white sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon tapioca flour
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup mesquite flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two large light metal baking sheets, or use parchment paper on baking sheets. I swear by parchment paper.

Mix together sugars, oil, almond milk and tapioca flour in a mixing bowl. Use a strong fork and mix really well, for about 2 minutes, until it resembles smooth caramel. There is a chemical reaction when sugar and oil collide, so it’s important that you don’t get lazy about that step. Mix in the vanilla.

Add 1 cup of the flour, the baking soda and salt. Mix until well incorporated. Mix in the rest of the flours. Fold in the chocolate chips. The dough will be a little stuff so use your hands to really work them in.

Makes two dozen two inch cookies or about 16 three inch cookies.

For 3 inch cookies, roll the dough into about ping pong ball size balls. Flatten them out in your hands to about 2 1/2 inches. They will spread just a bit. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes – no more than 9 – until they are just a little browned around the edges. I usually get 16 out of these so I do two rounds of eight cookies. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

For 2 dozen two inch cookies roll dough into walnut sized balls and flatten to about 1 1/2 inches and bake for only six minutes.

Recipe Round-Up: Mesquite Flour

As promised, vegan (or veganizable) recipes that use mesquite flour. Gotta say, raw foodists are really representing with the mesquite flour recipes. I'm gonna make some cookies and the raw caramel apple dip to start,  what about you?

Raw Vegan
~Hungry Vegan's Carob-Mesquite Dream Smoothie
~Raw Food Recipes' Bring on the Heat Raw Vegan Chili

~Raw Sacramento's Tahitian Vanilla Crème Parfait with Tropical Fruit Compote, Candied Walnuts, and Sweet Ginger Corn Cakes

~Jamie Abrams' Ginger Mesquite'en Me Crazy Balls and Sunny Ice Cream

~Marisa's Healthy Kitchen- Butterscotch Smoothie, Banana and Avocado Sweet Snack, Banana Ice Cream Love, Superfood Smoothie

~Durian Coconut Delite via Recipe Puppy

~Raw Beets' Sweet and Creamy Caramel Apple Dip (video below)



Vegan
~Free Range Cookies' Mesquite Date Muffins

~Tusconivore's Mesquite Flour Tortillas

~Peace Love Bagels' Vegan Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies

~Aprovechar's Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies (vegan=non-ghee)

~Affairs of Living's Gluten-Free Sugar-Free Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe with Crunchy Crust and Cashew Whipped Cream

~No Knead Mesquite Bread via Craftzine

~Mohave Mesquite Bread

~Mesquite Bean Jelly- requires vegan gelling agent like agar maybe?

~Jack Keller's Mesquite Bean Wine

~Desert Harvesters' Simple Mesquite Drink, Pinole, Mesquite Margaritas, Mesquite Carob Tortillas, Hearty Mesquite Bread . The Neighborhood Mesquite Holiday Bars just require using agave nectar and vegan margarine, the Basic Yellow Mesquite Cake just needs non-dairy milk and vegan margarine, and the Mesquite Shortbread and Kukukadoo Solar Cookies just need vegan margarine. All of the pancake recipes require egg replacement egg replacement and non-dairy milks.

~Mighty Foods' Mesquite Cornbread- This one requires some veganizing, but it looks fairly easy. First, replace the butter with vegan margarine (like Earth Balance). Then sub the egg with egg replacer (like Ener-G Egg Replacer or the flaxseed/water combo). Change the honey to agave nectar. And finally, replace the buttermilk with 1 cup of non-dairy milk plus 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (mix those two in a small bowl and let sit for a couple of minutes before adding.)

~Mesquite Margarine: Mix half a stick of softened vegan margarine with 1/2 teaspoon of mesquite flour to create a smokey, nutty, slightly sweet spread.

Sneak Peek: Nami, Downtown Phoenix

Nami, Interior



Nami hasn't had the grand opening yet, but it is open. I had a quick visit and snapped a couple of photos of the interior. A real post will come at a later date, I suspect, when they've settled in.

Nami is small, it's basically a little hut next door to the downtown Phoenix Green that offers coffees, tsoynami tsoft tserve desserts, and baked goods. For off-peak hours it'll be grand, but it could get crowded in a hurry.

Nami Baked Goods

The Menu:

Nami Menu...the top half is all tosynami flavors. Click on image to make bigger.

They had muffins, scones, mini cupcakes, cookies, and regular size cupcakes for sale. Plus various coffees. And they had the full, identical menu of Tsoynamis that Green has. No special flavors when I was there, but I am sure it is just a matter of time.

Nami, Seating

I did snap a photo of the Green building next door with a view of the signage, but it's not a very good angle. Still, maybe it gives you an idea of what the buildings look like. There is more parking, and the parking lot has been fixed since it was That's a Wrap...and boy did it need it!




Green Phoenix, right next door to Nami (offscreen to the right)



 Anyway, both the new Green and Nami are both open as of this posting, and they are next door neighbors, so go check them out.

Nami

Tsoft Tserve and Cofeee

2014 N. 7th St

Phoenix, AZ 85006

(602) 258-NAMI

http://www.tsoynami.com/

Hours

Monday - Sunday 7am to 9:30pm

On the Road: Sensitive Sweets Bakery, Fountain Valley, CA



Sensitive Sweets Bakery



Sensitive Sweets is located in a little strip mall, just a few blocks from Au Lac Fine Humanese Cuisine. Their baked goods are free of wheat/gluten, dairy/casein, eggs, soy, and nuts. That's A LOT of frees! Almost everything on display when I was there was vegan, except the marshmallow cupcakes (which my sister got- I didn't realize it til after I took the pictures). I know there is a market for these baked goods, as there are people who have allergies or sensitivities to all or most of these things. And if you are one of these people, I definitely recommend this place.

I wouldn't say that these were even close to the best vegan cupcakes or cookies I have ever had, but considering the ingredient limitations these were tasty. My omni mom took a bite of my Black Forest Cupcake, and completely agreed. The cupcake frosting was really light and fluffy, and melted in my mouth. I didn't try any of the other cupcakes.

Black Forest, Marshmallow (not vegan), Lemon Blackberry Cupcakes

I did get one of the frosted cookies because I had read a review saying they were good. And it was. I liked it even better than the cupcake. It was a little mushy or perhaps slightly undone, but the flavor and frosting were good.

 I recommend Sensitive Sweets mostly for those with allergies and sensitivities. If you are looking for regular vegan cupcakes in the Orange County area, I believe these places usually have some: Native Foods, Luscious Organic Desserts (served at Mother's Market Costa Mesa and Seabirds Truck), Sprinkles, Whole Foods, and possibly Avanti Cafe.

Black Forest, Marshmallow (not vegan), Lemon Blackberry Cupcakes & Frosted Cookie

Sensitive Sweets Bakery
Ranking: ***  (great for those with sensitivities and allergies)

***** awesome! Highly recommended.
**** hey, this is pretty dang good.
*** not bad at all
** eh.
* bad. Keep looking for alternatives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Sensitive Sweets Bakery
17431 Brookhurst St.
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 968-9169
http://www.sensitivesweets.com/

Hours
Tuesday - Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Closed Sunday & Monday

The Latest

Things I've made or eaten recently.

My sister made this Blueberry Pie. It was pretty tasty, oozing fresh (well, cooked) blueberries.

The innards recipe.
And the crust was from Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

Blueberry Pie

Mmm. Mango Pineapple Sorbet. My sister made this too. Her recipe: "I used whatever canned pineapple was left after making pita pizzas. Then I cut up some mango that we had. Pureed it with a petite can of coconut milk and put in ice cream maker. Voila."

Mango Pineapple Sorbet

My Minty Watermelon Seltzer Float is nowhere near as pretty as the creator's. Loved the creamed banana floating in the watermelon seltzer. Inspired.

Recipe.

The Seaside-stuffed Mirlitons were okay. I needed to up their cajun/creole spice though. I took the extra filling and cooked it in a casserole dish with the panko topping. It was pretty good. I didn't add any hot sauce or anything, but next time I will. They sure look pretty.

Recipe.

Seaside-Stuffed Mirlitons



Seaside-Stuffed Mirlitons with a side of grilled veggies.

Fruit Rolls with Sweet Chili Sauce from Whole Foods. (greens, avocado, mango, carrots, cabbage, and cucumber in a rice wrap)

Fruit Rolls from Whole Foods

I had a cupcake from Whole Foods Scottsdale as well. Research for an upcoming baby shower I am co-planning. I tried the peach colored one in the photo below, though it was really vanilla cake with a regular frosting. I suppose it wouldn't have been a bad cupcake if it hadn't been so dried out. But I make better cupcakes in my sleep. Unless the cupcakes are fresh, I say, don't bother.

Whole Foods Scottsdale Cupcakes

Luckily, you don't have to worry much about vegan truffles being fresh. Whole Foods Scottsdale has a whole glass case row of vegan candies! I've tried the turtles and a few of the jewel shaped goodies, and everything has been delicious. Highly recommended.

Whole Foods Scottsdale Vegan Truffles and Candies

 

Heavy Metal Vegan Cooking

Heavy Metal Vegan Cooking.
A sampling from the Heavy Metal Vegan Cooking show. These crack me up! BIZARRO FUN.

MJ's Black Bean Burgers




Wings of Seitan



Jalapeno Poppers

Organic Nectars Cashewtopia Gelato - Pistachio Flavor

!!!YUM!!!
Organic Nectars' Cashewtopia Gelato is vegan and free of soy, refined sugar, gluten, and trans fats. It's made from raw organic cashews and agave nectar. I sampled the pistachio flavor and it is soooo good! Super delicioso. I love pistachio flavored ice creams, and this one is amazing. It's summer, and a perfect time for frozen desserts.

I found the Cashewtopia at the Scottsdale Whole Foods. I don't know which other locations have it, but I do know that the Tempe one doesn't...not yet, anyway. There are several other flavors to try as well; Chocolate, Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Hazelnut, Cherry Chocolate Swirl, and Mint Chocolate Swirl.


Cashewtopia Gelato- Pistachio Flavor
Ranking: *****


***** awesome! Highly recommended.
**** hey, this is pretty dang good.
*** not bad at all.
** eh.
* bad. Keep looking for alternatives.

[Organic Nectars Cashewtopia can be found at Whole Foods. The only confirmed sighting thus far is the location on Scottsdale Rd (not Raintree). Ask for it at your nearby Whole Foods and they might start carrying it too. I know the Tempe one has received several requests, add yours to the mix. This stuff is so good, you'll be glad you did!]

Cooking with the Vegan Zombie

This guy cracks me up. The Vegan Zombie.

The pizza rolls look so good! And the cake looks especially easy to make.