The Urban Housewife
13Apr/10

Adventures in Edinburgh, Scotland!

Black Bo's Veg Haggis & Turnip RouladeWhen you think of Scotland, you may think of Haggis. While I knew there were vegetarian versions out there, I was in no rush to eat them. Imagine my surprise when we arrive in Edinburgh, head to Black Bo's restaurant, there it is on the menu, and we order it. Of course, a Veggie Haggis and Turnip Roulade sounds pretty good since flaky pastry makes everything better. I'm surprised to say, it was good! Great even. We also had some chips and guacamole over roasted eggplant that were pretty interesting. The staff at Black Bo's is knowledgeable about vegan options on the all veg menu, the vibe is laid back, and the food is good, although a bit pricey. That being said, Black Bo's is a solid option  to grab a meal in Edinburgh.Curried Sweetcorn at The Baked Potato Shop

Amidst the funky shops on Cockburn Street, you'll find The Baked Potato Shop, a tiny all vegetarian eatery, with a ton of vegan options. The focus here is on baked potatoes, hence the name, but they also have vegan Sausage Rolls, Samosas, and desserts! There were plenty of fillings to choose from, I opted for the Curried Sweetcorn on a medium potato. WOW, I should have ordered a small! The creamy corn and sweet pepper mixture piled high in a baked potato was HUGE and I struggled to get through a little more than half of it. Ryan had Curried Lentils that were very tasty and better suited as a filling than my sweetcorn. If you need a cheap, tasty, filling meal, The Baked Potato Shop has it!
Cherry Flapjack at The Forest Cafe
The Forest Cafe
is a non-profit art collective with a small cafe serving vegetarian and vegan food. While we were still quite full from massive baked potatoes, it was a great place to hide from the rainy weather, drink coffee, and share a treat. We opted for a cherry flapjack, a dessert you don't see much of in the States, but is quite common in the UK. It was very sweet, yet somewhat wholesome with tons of oats. I'm more of a cake kind of gal, but I enjoyed the laid back vibe of The Forest and would return to try some of the savory options or check out art.Spicy Thai Crepe with David Bann

So nice, we ate there twice! David Bann is the ultimate in vegetarian and vegan fine dining. With a fair amount of vegan options, including dessert, we had a difficult time deciding what to order. We started with perfectly crispy Chunky Chips in homemade apple and tomato ketchup and hummus. Next up, a spicy Thai crepe with smoked tofu, broccoli, peas and amazing banana chutney, as well as a lovely Udon dish with ginger red pepper sauce and smoked tofu. Weekend Brunch at David BannTo finish, we had a trio of ice cream and sorbets, which I usually think are a cop out for vegans,  but these were house-made and downright delicious. I loved them, especially the pineapple sorbet. On the day we left, we decided to have the weekend brunch, which can be made vegan. Tofu over English Muffins, a Tattie Scone, fried Mushrooms, Beans, and Tomatoes were great and hit the spot before we caught a bus to the airport.

Scotmid Co-op DoughnutsAfter hearing about the vegan doughnuts at Scotmid Co-operative, I knew we had to track some down! After a nighttime attempt that proved fruitless, we went at the proper doughnut hour the next morning and we were able to pick up the jam filled version. They're baked for co-op and delivered daily in bags of 5 to the baked goods section, then sold for insanely cheap prices. The jam filling was nice and sweet, with a somewhat dense, but still tasty doughnut, coated in sugar. In London, we also tried the custard filled version which were extra delicious after a few minutes in the oven to refresh them.

Moroccan Stew at Henderson's RestaurantLong time staple in Edinburgh, Henderson's has been around since 1962 and now includes a restaurant, bistro, cafe, and bakery in one space. The restaurant has a cafeteria style food selection process and you'll have to ask what is vegan, as not everything is marked. We met up with friends Rachel, her husband Mike, and Deb from the PPK forums, which was fun, of course, as I love a good meet up. Ryan and I opted for two of the daily hot specials, a Moroccan Stew and a Lentil Dal over rice, both of which were nicely spiced and wholesome. We finished with a Cherry Pie with a nice flaky crust that Ryan really enjoyed. Did I mention I'm a cake girl?

Susie's Wholefood DinerAnother wholesome hippie style eatery is Susie's Wholefood Diner, like many of the other places mentioned, it's a vegetarian spot with a lot of vegan options. You select a plate size, then choose from both hot and cold options to fill up your plate, then find a seat and chow down. We had a little bit of everything from Carrot Millet Bake, Sweet and Sour Tofu, Rice, and assorted Vegetable Salads.  It was nice not to feel heavy after a restaurant meal and we appreciated the healthy far. (Rumor has it Susie's has closed, so check it out before heading here.)

Despite the occasional spots of rain and a hotel with 300 people watching rugby outside our window at midnight, we enjoyed Edinburgh! It's a great place to explore for a few days and I'd love to go back in better weather.

2Mar/10

A Tale of Two Weekends in Los Angeles; part 2!

Chilled Sesame Ginger Noodles at Big Sky CafeAs I mentioned last week, I recently found myself in Southern California twice in a 2 week span. While it's bit much for a gal who'd rather walk 5 miles than get in a car, I was happy to take advantage of all the amazing food Los Angeles and beyond has to offer. After a busy weekend that included the Sugar Beat Sweets sponsored Vegan Valentines Dance & another successful Vegan Bake Sale, Ryan & I set out on our adventure. We always take the scenic route 101, which has far better views, but also we can stop in our former home San Luis Obispo, see our good friend Josh, pick up some vegan chocolates, & of course, eat! While I've mentioned the fabulous Tempeh Tacos at Shine Cafe in Morro Bay, another place we often go is Big Sky Cafe in downtown SLO. While the vegan options at Big Sky have dwindled in recent years, Orange Shake at Follow Your Heartmy heart still belongs to the Chilled Sesame Ginger Noodles in all its spinach covered glory! I recommend you stop there for a meal, when you're in the area.

We arrived in Southern California on Valentine's Day, met up with Erika from Purrfect Pineapples (NSFW?!) & our friend Joe, then headed over to Follow Your Heart. While they seemed to be especially on hippie time that day, we still enjoyed our meal. I started off with an Orange Shake, my favorite diner treat, then moved on to a half order of thick, fluffy french toast with pecans & lots of maple syrup. They ran out of home fries, so I went for a bean hash which was just alright in my opinion. Cupcakes at the Compassion Over Killing BenefitFYH is a great place to stop when you're in the Valley, the food is pretty solid, plus they have a market where you can pick up veg staples, like a million types of non-dairy ice cream, or in my case chapstick, cough drops, & a giant bottle of Dr. Bronners! Aren't I a barrel of fun?!

On the night of Valentine's Day, we headed to a benefit for Compassion Over Killing, an excellent animal rights organization. (Go check out their Dunkin' Donuts campaign & make your own vegan donut!) With promises of food from local vegan joints like Cinnamon & the proceeds going to a great group, Erika, Adriana from Anarchy in the Garden, & I couldn't help but attend to support it! While the music certainly wasn't our taste, the assortment of cupcakes from The Fakery Bakery & Cafe Flore were!All American Stack, The Veggie Grill We also noshed on assorted savories like Tofu & Nopales, mini Tofurky sandwiches, & vegan quiche.

After we left the party, we decided to grab a bite to eat at my new favorite spot, The Veggie Grill. After my tasty meal the weekend before, I wanted Ryan to experience it for himself! We decided to share the All American Stack, a monster burger with the works, including onion rings stacked inside & the Chinese Chickin' Salad. Once again, I was impressed! Not only did I eat salad, but I ate mock meat, & actually enjoyed it! The blackened chickin' is pretty amazing & almost scares me to a point where I don't want to eat it. Vegan Almond Croissant at M Cafe!Don't worry, I ate it! Hey Veggie Grill, can you please open in San Francisco next?

The next morning, I knew I had a day of tattooing with Hannah Aitchison ahead of me, so I filled up at a favorite spot, M Cafe. Ryan & I started with a tender, flaky Almond Croissant that we both loved! As my main, I opted for the Carolina-Style Barbequed Sandwich, a big, messy creation piled high with coleslaw Carolina-Style Barbequed Sandwich& seitan in BBQ sauce on a wheat bun, with a side of broccolini. It certainly was filling & delicious! For dessert, we shared the Banana Millefeuille, which has flaky layers of pastry with banana slices, cream filling, and sliced almonds. I had heard rave reviews about this, but thought it was just pretty good, possibly because the croissant was so lovely!

After a long session of tattooing, my appetite was raring to go, so I headed to a great spot for a big appetite, Vinh Loi Tofu. We had to wait a bit for a table, but it proved to be well worth it. The Udon Stir Fry dish with their freshly made tofu & vegetables was a perfect conclusion to my LA adventures! It actually reminded me a bit of Pad Thai, which I didn't mind at all. Stir Fried Udon at Vinh Loi TofuRyan enjoyed his (creepy) Ham Rolls & Banh Mi too! I was surprised when the owner Kevin remembered us from the time we visited with QuarryGirl & Ms. To Live & Eat in LA, especially when he reminded us it was 1 year earlier on Valentines Day! I don't know if he has veganism to thank for his incredible memory, but I was suitably impressed!

Well, that should conclude my Southern California travel for some time. Of course, I'm always ready for my next adventure, so stay tuned for next week when I'll make a big announcement & reveal my next destinations!

2Feb/10

New York City; food, friends, & fun! Part 2.

Rebel Cruiser "knuckle sandwich" at BoneshakersThe 2nd half of my New York City trip was much like the 1st half; delicious food & meeting up with friends! NYC has quite the vegan community & it was great to get to see people who are a part of it! On a sunny, but brisk Saturday morning I headed out to Brooklyn to meet friends Terry, Jason, & Deb for brunch at the mostly vegan spot Boneshakers. Boneshakers S'mores CheesecakeWe quickly found out that brunch is Sundays only, but luckily there were plenty of great "knuckle sandwiches", salads, & house-made baked goods available! We started out with a coffee cake muffin with sticky raisins & pecans that seemed a bit wholesome, but was pretty good. Next, I opted for the Rebel Cruiser sandwich, which was an awesome giant kaiser roll filled with BBQ seitan & coleslaw. While it wasn't french toast, it certainly hit the spot! Next, we shared a tasty slice of S'mores Cheesecake that was rich & chocolatey, with melted marshmallows on top! yum.

Roasted Pumpkin sandwich at Peacefood Cafe Sunday, was another day for friends & so I met for brunch with my good friend and former roommate Eliana, and Evan, at Peacefood Cafe. Trekking to the Upper West Side was a bit of a trip with the Sunday train schedule, but it turned out to be worthwhile. We all started by sharing a giant doughy Cinnamon Roll covered in frosting, it wasn't gooey inside, more bready, but still quite nice. I had read Peacefood's menu in advance & found myself fixated on the Roasted Japanese Pumpkin Sandwich. Peacefood Cafe Strawberry ShortcakeJapanese pumpkin, caramelized onions, walnuts, vegan goat cheese, and seasonal greens on spelt rye bread; it ended up being a bit too healthy tasting for me with the dry whole grain bread, although it still was good. Evan opted for the Mediterranean Oven Dried Seasonal Vegetable Panini with cashew cheese & basil spinach pesto, & without a doubt, I would get that next time! For dessert, I ordered the Strawberry Shortcake which was a hearty, yet fluffy biscuit filled with whipped cream & strawberries. We also had a Cheesecake that was not to our liking, but the owner graciously replaced it with a very delicious raw Key Lime Pie that was tangy, with a nutty crust. Peacefood Cafe is a beautiful place for seasonal food that will make your belly happy, check it out!

Amazing Banana Bread French Toast at Sacred Chow!On Monday, I met Alyssa for a meal at Sacred Chow, which I almost walked right past, but luckily noticed before I got too far down Sullivan Street. I was thrilled to find out they were serving brunch on a weekday, so I went all out & ordered the Banana Bread French Toast. Oh. my. WORD. A giant slab of grilled banana pound cake, in a pool of blueberry sauce, topped in fresh fruit hit the table, & my jaw dropped! I ate every single morsel of this dish & loved every minute of it. Seriously, I think about it once in awhile & decided I HAVE to recreate the recipe! Alyssa opted for Mama's Soy Meatball Hero, which she also enjoyed! Sacred Chow, I will be back!

Cocoa V ChocolatesA relatively new spot on the NYC vegan scene is Cocoa V, a chocolate & wine cafe in Chelsea. I spent some time in the chocolate shop & ended up with a fair amount of the house-made, fair trade, organic confections, some of which were a gift for Hannah's birthday. I tried a roasted edamame lime cayenne salt cluster, the banana chip honey, vanilla caramel, & orange passionfruit caramel. While for Hannah I bought, a coffee caramel, almond butter bonbon, pecan praline, & also the orange passionfruit caramel. The chocolate here is very dark, a bit too dark for me, but the orange passionfruit caramel was phenomenal & the sweet center paired perfectly with the dark chocolate. They also bake goodies in house, so I also took away a Snickerdoodle & a Coffee Cake square that were quite good. I'd like to return & try the fondue, which looked incredible, especially with the Dandies Marshmallows they serve up. Cocoa V is not inexpensive, so be prepared to drop quite a bit of cash, even on chocolates. This is a great spot for a special occasions though!

Porcini crusted Seitan at Candle CafeLater that night, I met up with the lovely Michelle from MyZoetrope at Lan Cafe. Despite calling the day before & them assuring me they'd be open.. they weren't. So, we hopped in a cab & headed uptown to Candle Cafe. I just had to start with my favorite dish, the citrus herb marinated Seitan Chimichurri! Oh my, I could eat these daily. Next, I went gluten crazy & got the Porcini Crusted Seitan, with was atop a bed of mashed potatoes & gravy, greens, &  green beans. I believe I've had the same dish at Candle 79 & as always, it was excellent. We finished with some Tangerine sorbet, but unfortunately, it tasted strange, so we opted not to finish it & instead thought about our delicious dinners.

Grub at The Organic GrillMy last day in New York City came too soon & I couldn't go without meeting up with more friends! Ms. Hannah Kaminsky herself turned 21 & was kind enough to celebrate by joining myself, Eliana, & Nicole from Another One Bites the Crust for lunch at The Organic Grill! While Hannah & Nicole opted for wraps, & Eliana went with a special of the day, I like to pick my own dishes, so I made a sampler for myself with an order or grilled seitan, mashed sweet potatoes, steamed kale, & jalapeno cornbread. The cornbread was too dry for my taste, but everything else was nice & we all loved the sweet potato mash! Like last time, I think The Organic Grill is a solid option in NYC.
Final Sundae at Lula's Sweet Apothecary!
Of course, one day left means one last trip to Lula's Sweet Apothecary, with Alyssa & Evan! Yes, I am a huge fan of Lula's! I was lucky enough to get to try all the freshly made flavors, which seemed to be perfectly tailored to my tastes. I opted for a sundae with Cracker Jack & Chocolate Toffee Crunch ice cream, marshmallow topping, whipped cream, & a cherry. Have I mentioned I love Toffee? I really, really do. I can't think of a better final sundae for my trip!

Pala PizzaFor dinner, I headed to Pala Pizza on the Lower East Side, again with the awesome Terry, Jason, & Deb! I had been hearing Pala has a good sized vegan menu, as well as many gluten free options, & a dedicated fryer, it turns out it's true! We ordered 3 types of pizza off the menu; a potato zucchini pizza, a field roast sausage & cherry tomato pizza, & a mushroom parsley, all which had generous amounts of Daiya cheese on them. While the crust was nice, I wasn't bowled over by the pizza in general. Surprisingly, I liked the one with Field Roast & cherry tomatoes best, which is not what I would typically order. I did really like that they had dried oregano on the table, that you could pluck from & sprinkle on to your food. The service was also lacking, especially when we were asked if we could leave our table so others could be seated right after we had just finished paying the check. I would give Pala another shot, it's just not high on my "must eat" list.
Vegan Treats at Atlas Cafe
For my final NYC experience, I had to hit up Atlas Cafe, after all it was Vegan Treats delivery day! While Deb took some doughnuts for the road, Jason & I crammed in to the tiny cafe & chatted over a giant Cinnamon Roll & a Boston Cream Doughnut. While I like my cinnamon rolls fluffier, the gooey frosting on top was pretty tasty. Also, I'm spoiled when it come to doughnuts, so I liked the Boston Cream, but it didn't blow me away. That being said, I still think Tuesday Atlas trips are a must when visiting NYC!

Apparently, I enjoyed NYC so much, I never wanted to leave. The next day, I missed my flight! Luckily, I was able to get on standby & make it home a few hours later than scheduled. Can you blame me for wanting to stay?! I love New York City!

26Jan/10

New York City; food, friends, & fun! Part 1.

Gyoza at Soy and SakeNew York City was a blast! Everyday was one big meet and greet with friends old and new. I started my trip by landing at JFK & hopping on a train straight to Soy and Sake to meet up with a TON of people for dinner. My old pal Bazu from Where's the Revolution organized the night and some of the attendees included, cookbook authors Fran Costigan & Terry Hope Romero, Melanie from veganfoodism & her husband Mike who live in Vienna, Paula from Semicircular Vegan, Pandacookie, Dayna from SeitanSaidDance, & more! Seriously, I think there were 25 of us there! I ordered some cabbage & jicama filled pan fried gyoza with a soy ginger dipping sauce that were delicious! I also ordered the Spinach with Spicy Garlic sauce from the vegetable entrees, & lo and behold, it was just a giant plate of spinach!Salted Caramel Pecan & Bananas Foster at Stogo Tasty, but I had to share it with other, lest I eat 4 lbs of spinach alone. eep! Soy and Sake's menu is mainly mock meats and sushi, two things that aren't really my bag, but if you like these things, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

For dessert, Mike, Melanie, Dayna & I raced over to Stogo, despite the 20 degree weather, for some ice cream. We arrived right before they closed & I opted for two flavors, Salted Caramel Pecan & Bananas Foster. They were both pretty tasty, with the Salted Caramel having a deep flavor that seemed to come from brown rice syrup & the Bananas Foster being sweet with a ton of banana flavor. The only downsides were my small scoops of ice cream set me back over $6.00, & the gal working there wasn't exactly nice when 11pm struck & she wanted us out. Thankfully, Stogo isn't the only vegan ice cream game in town.
Tofu Rancheros at Curly's Vegetarian Lunch
The next morning, I met my friends & hosts in Vienna, Melanie & Mike for brunch at Curly's Vegetarian Lunch. While Melanie opted for the mock crab cakes, & Mike went with the pancakes with a side of "Sham", I decided on the Tofu Rancheros. This was quite the dish with 2 crispy tortillas, a layer of "sham", slabs of tofu, beans, & ranchero sauce piled high, plus a salad on the side with Creamy Bacon Ranch dressing. While it wasn't bad, the ranchero sauce was a bit over spiced & hot, but not exactly flavorful. I would give Curly's another try, but next time I would go with a lunch or dinner entree, & hope that next time the server wouldn't tell us about how she's "not even vegetarian". Doh!Peanut Butter Cheesecake at The Bean

After enjoying the peanut butter cheesecake by Red Mango at The Bean on my last NYC visit, I knew I had to get another slice to share with Melanie & Mike. Taking a break from the cold weather outside, we settled in to the cozy coffee shop & a slice of cheesecake. Yep, the chocolate cookie crust, bottom layer of peanut butter, layer of plain cheesecake, & ganache topped with peanut butter frosting is still delicious!
Cake Batter Soft Serve at Lula's Sweet Apothecary & a PB Caramel Blondie by Evan
After a walk around the Lower East Side to check out Moo Shoes, Economy Candy, & Bluestockings, we headed over to one of my favorite spots in NYC, Lula's Sweet Apothecary, to meet up with Bazu & Evan. I was still pretty stuffed from brunch & cheesecake, but that didn't stop from the a Lula's specialty, Cake Batter soft serve! Better yet, Evan baked some Peanut Butter Caramel bars that went perfectly with my soft serve. Of course, this wouldn't be my last visit to Lula's!Chipotle Garden Blend Salad

After a breakfast of cupcakes, I headed in to NYC with Dani & Jake from Sweet Avenue Bake Shop to grab lunch. After reading about QuarryGirl's Chipotle fail, then hearing the news that the issue had been remedied, I had to check it out for myself. Chipotle recently introduced a vegan option called Garden Blend at select locations, made with Gardein marinated in spices. I opted for a salad, loaded with Garden Blend, black beans, & corn salsa, plus a side of two types of salsa, as they have no vegan dressing options. The salad actually hit the spot, despite the lack of dressing, & I would be happy to eat this again. Supposedly, if the Garden Blend does well, it will be expanded to other Chipotle locations, so be sure to write them a letter & let them know you want more vegan options at your local location!
Pure Food and Wine Beet Ravioli
This trip also marked my return to Pure Food & Wine, the last time having been in 2007. Once again, I was able to make it a meet up, as VeggieGirl was also in town, & invited me to join her at her favorite restaurant! We enjoyed everything we had, from the complimentary Hazelnut & Cashew Cheese crostini to our selected entrees.Pure Food and Wine Chocolate Tahini Semifreddo I went with the tangy & delicious Saffron Pickled Golden Beet Ravioli filled with herbed cashew cheese filling accompanied by pesto & cauliflower. For dessert, VeggieGirl had her Mint Sundae, while I selected the Chocolate Tahini Semifreddo. Layers of dark chocolate & tahini were sitting in a pool of lemon caramel, & topped with lemon whipped cream & a chocolate curl. I couldn't believe how rich this was! I hope I'll have the chance to return to Pure Food & Wine in the near future & will continue to have positive dining experiences there.

Another fabulous friend I had the chance to meet up with was Hannah Kaminsky from Bittersweet blog & My Sweet Vegan! One of the 1st vegan blogs I read, it was great to finally meet Hannah! 3 item plate at Angelica's KitchenWe had dinner at classic NYC veg spot Angelica's Kitchen, & chatted for hours about everything under the sun. A bit of a hippie spot, I knew I was in for some healthy vegan fare, but sometimes that's exactly what you want! I opted for the 3 item Pantry Plate with Kimchee, the veg of the day, which was Sweet Potatoes, & the special of the day, a Udon Noodle Tofu Salad. While everything was tasty, I asked the server if the portion were large since I was debating some cornbread & didn't want to order too much. She claimed the portion size was hearty, but I would have been happy to have that cornbread in the end! Luckily, the light dinner gave me room for my next destination!

Ah, back to Lula's Sweet Apothecary with Hannah, this time to meet up with Alyssa, who reminds me of myself at the age she's at now & of course, Evan! Epic Sundae at Lula's Sweet ApothecaryCan you say sundae time? I can! I loaded up with a scoop of Peanut Butter Fudge, a scoop of Cookies & Cream, their new homemade Caramel Sauce, Marshmallow Fluff, Coconut Whipped Cream, & a Cherry! It was so good that maybe, just maybe, I had a tiny 2nd serving! I mean really, does it get any better than this? Friends & vegan ice cream. I'm livin' the dream! hehe.

I'll be back next week with more NYC treats & meet ups! In the meantime, I'll be dreaming about that sundae! yum.

19Jan/10

Sweet Avenue Bake Shop, Rutherford New Jersey’s vegan bakery!

On my recent trip to NYC, I had the good fortune to visit Sweet Avenue Bake Shop in Rutherford, NJ! I've been chatting with owner Danielle on the internet for a few years & was happy I finally had the chance to make it to visit her adorable shop! She's just as sweet as I thought she would be & it was fun to chat about all things baking.

As I walked the 10 minutes from the train to Sweet Avenue, it was snowing! Now, to most of you that may not seem like a big deal, but for a California girl who's only had snow fall on her once, it's was pretty cool! I was giddy with laughter & called my husband to tell him it was hitting me in the face & I didn't know how to dodge it! Now, back to the important thing.. CUPCAKES!

Sweet Avenue specializes in cupcakes, but they also have cookies & brownies, plus gluten and soy free options. They even ship nationwide! The flavors rotate daily, so be sure to check out the menu, so you can do on the day with the cupcakes that you desire. You can't really go wrong though! As you can see in the video, I had a great assortment of flavors, which were..

  • Jet Black
  • Black & White
  • Sexy Sadie
  • Boston Creme
  • S'mores
  • Fat Elvis
  • Cereal Surprise

I hope you enjoy my little video as much as I enjoyed Sweet Avenue Bake Shop! Even from NYC, it's a quick bus ride from Port Authority. Support this vegan owned business & fill your belly with sweet treats!

By the way, if you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sugar Beat Sweets has organized a vegan bake sale fundraiser for the victims in Haiti. Please join us this Saturday, January 23rd from 11am to 4pm in Patricia's Green (Hayes at Octavia) for a huge selection of vegan baked goodies from tons of bakers with proceeds going to Partners in Health and Food for Life Global. For those of you not in the area, be sure to look to see if there's a bake sale planned in your area!