mother’s day
We had a lovely mother’s day this year. I made tofu benedict and strawberry parfaits for brunch. We played Rummikub and watched A Shot in the Dark and spent a nice relaxing day with my mom. Hope all you mamas out there had a wonderful day full of celebration and love.
apple butter
We had a bunch of apples and they were coming to that point where something had to be done with them. I knew they weren’t going to be eaten on their own as I really only like the tart green apples. As much as I enjoy apple pie, I just wasn’t in the mood to make one. It had to be something new. So despite the fact that it’s not really the season for apple dishes, I thought it was finally time to try my hand at apple butter.
I blended the apples into a sauce, and simply cooked it down with a bit of sugar and some spices in my slow cooker. 24 hours later I had creamy, delicately sweet apple butter. I didn’t get all fancy and preserve the jar, I just popped it in the fridge as there’s only enough to last about a week (less at this rate).
As a complement, I made some simple English muffins so I wasn’t just eating the butter out of the jar. I love the combination of the savory muffin and earth balance with the apple butter. I think it would also be great stirred into some oatmeal or in the middle of a layer cake. Yes please.
With summer fruits around the corner, maybe I’ll get daring and try my hand at some jellies and jams.
Austin food and drink
With a schedule full of film watching in Austin, I didn’t expect to do a ton of restaurant sampling. Shawn, on the other hand, plotted out the best places to go based on everyone’s recommendations. Thank goodness for a husband that balances out my movie madness, since some of the meals were not to be missed.
Possibly my favorite of the restaurants was Bouldin Creek where I had two of the most delicious breakfasts. The first, a vegan benedict, was so good I insisted we go back another day. I’m not sure exactly how they prepare their tofu, but it is amazing: seasoned and lightly coated in nutritional yeast. Their potato cakes are also worth a mention as they’re far beyond any hash brown I’ve ever had.
I was also a big fan of Veggie Heaven. In particular the tangerine mushrooms were the kind of thing I crave often. It is the sort of dish I see on a menu in many places but never lives up to what I’m imagining in my head. Yet, these saucy & perfectly breaded mushrooms were everything I hoped they would be. The steamed buns were also very good. Let’s not forget the bubble tea, it was the best.
We also happened upon this adorable place that had just opened called Hillside Farmacy. There were only a couple of vegan options on the menu, like the soup of the day, which happened to be carrot cardamom, but the interior is lovely and they have Stumptown coffee and a bar. It’s definitely worth a visit just to check out the beautiful renovation they’ve done of the space, and of course, have some coffee. I wanted to live inside this shop.
Not only does Austin have some lovely vegan friendly restaurants, there are also some very nice bars with mixed drinks I love. The drink menu and atmosphere at the East Side Show Room was by far my favorite. And of course, as I mentioned before, Austin will now be known to me as the first place I ever tried boba and subsequently fell in love with it.
Even though we’d visited Austin before, it was great to go to a completely new set of restaurants and food trucks. Can’t wait to go back and try some more.
a few days in Austin
We’re still in Austin and it has been quite the wild ride. We’ve been rushing around seeing movies all week and have barely had a moment to rest. It’s been great. When I arrived it was cold and pouring rain. Yesterday it was sunny and 80°. We haven’t had a ton of time to explore restaurants like we usually do, but have hit up some really awesome spots anyway. I love that nearly every place serves drinks in jars. It’s fun. I tried boba / bubble tea for the first time ever and it was so good, I think I’m obsessed.
Just wanted to check in and share a few snap shots from the past few days, and say I’ll be back soon!
Oh! Also, I did a little guest post over at Unstitched, check it out here.
NYC Food Favorites
There are some places we have to visit every time we visit New York. Los Angeles has amazing vegan food, but there are some things we don’t have here on the west coast.
For one, we always go to Foodswings for some DISCO FRIES. You know what I’m talking about. Fries + gravy + cheesy sauce. They are so good. While places out here have tried to replicate their deliciousness, none of them measure up.
A new favorite of ours is Champs. We visited there for brunch and oh my god they have vegan monte cristo. A faux ham and cheese sandwich made with french toast. Dream come true.
The thing I miss the most out here is Vegan Treats. Officially the bakery is in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, but it’s available at nearly every veg restaurant in New York. The most decadent cakes and pastries you’ve ever had and the cutest decorations too. Look at those carrot cakes!
No one makes a better donut. You have to know when the deliveries are to get these, they sell out fast.
We also tried Blossom for the first time. These raviolis were amazing. Perhaps I am biased because I love ravioli, but these were by far some of the best.
We stopped by Blossom in a rain storm right before going to see Margaret on one of it’s few theatrical runs. You should definitely see this movie. It’s crazy but really good. I’m really glad we were able to see it in New York too, since it is really about the city in a way.
What are your favorite places to eat in New York? One day I want to go of a dedicated food tour of the city.
