In Search of Higher Ground - Tasting South Carolina

From the summit of Grandfather Mountain, NC

Immaculate Consumption - Columbia, SC
http://immaculate-consumption.com/

     This winter was brutal here in Boston and my travel bug was itching something fierce. I needed mountains. So I hopped on a plane and headed down to South Carolina. I had been before a couple years back with rowing, but this was my first spring break trip with no obligations. No rowing. No diets. No real plan. Ethan and Dan both live in SC, so the plan was to fly in to Charleston, rent a car, drive to the west side to see Ethan for a few days, hike some mountains and drive back to Charleston to see Dan. This isn't a travel blog, so I won't write about the whole trip. But, I did eat some delicious foods while I was there.

     To start... Immaculate Consumption. That's how it always begins (teehee). On my way west, I had a few extra hours, so I stopped in Columbia, home of the University of South Carolina, to check out the campus and fill my tank (my food tank). I had to go to Immaculate Consumption simply because of the name. Duh. The scent of this tiny cafe hit me as soon as I swung open the door. It smelled like antiques and old wood and strangely like my aunt and uncle's house in VA. It was this really cool blend of hipster and farm - classic. Frank Sinatra was on the radio, and the walls were decorated with tapestries and antlers. Weird, right? I've never seen anything like it. The waitstaff was charming and I thought everyone was leaving the restaurant with an open cup of beer. No no... it was sweet tea. Everyone drinks sweet tea. Welcome to the south.
   

Turkey Tarragon Sandwich

     For lunch I got their Turkey Tarragon sandwich which was sliced turkey breast with tarragon/balsamic marinated mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, swiss cheese and dijon mustard. The turkey was the best part. Of course. It was so far from a deli meat. More like real fibrous, sliced turkey breast that fell apart, rather than being all held up by whatever junk they put in deli meat. The mushrooms were sopping wet with that balsamic and it was fabulous. It was a serious punch to the face, but was so good. That marinade made the mushrooms kind of chewy too. To smooth out the power of the mushrooms and dijon, they added some swiss. It was perfect on toasted pumpernickel.

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Cupcake Down South - Columbia, SC
http://www.freshcupcakes.com/index.htmld

            After walking for a couple hours through Columbia looking for little shops and such, I came upon Cupcake Down South, which is a small bakery that has a bunch of different locations in Columbia and Charleston. At first I was just going to walk in to see what they had (yea... right) and also to see if they had samples. I was in luck because they did have samples, and those samples won me over. I got the death by chocolate cupcake (of course) which was a chocolate cake with chocolate chips inside and a tall swirl of rich chocolate buttercream frosting. For the cake, they found the perfect middle ground between a brownie and a cake. It was much more moist and substantial than most cupcakes. The frosting ... oh my lord... the frosting was stupid stupid good. So creamy and smooth with just a little bit of air in it, but not like a whipped textured frosting. It was ideal. Definitely the best gourmet cupcake I've ever gotten before. Sorry Georgetown.

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Sunny's Donuts - Gaffney, SC
https://www.facebook.com/SunnysDonuts

The containers for filling. So smart. 

I ate the blueberry donut too fast (on the left), but
this is the massive apple fritter. 

       For my last morning in Boiling Springs with Ethan, he wanted to take me to experience Sunny's Donuts. Shoot. We headed to Gaffney (where the Nestle plant he works at is located) for an apple fritter experience that was apparently unlike any other. In my 26 years, I had never had a better apple fritter experience than that of Dandee Donuts at home, but I was willing to be adventurous. Apple fritters are my favorite.
     First of all, Sunny's Donuts was just a little tiny shop built into the same building as a gas station convenience store. From the outside, it really was nothing special. But the inside boasted racks of freshly made donuts and quite a few different tubs of filling for some on-demand stuffage. Yes. You pick the donut. You pick the filling. They fill it for you. GENIUS. WHY DON'T MORE PLACES DO THIS?! Anyway, the sweet old man behind the counter gave me my apple fritter and a buttermilk blueberry donut. OH and these donuts holes. These donut holes make Dunkin Donuts munchkins seem like dog food. For real. The slick, thin glaze was perfectly sweet and literally just melted in your mouth to reveal the plain, soft, almost chewy dough. It was beautiful.
     Blueberry donuts are my second favorite to apple fritters and this was 100% the best I've ever had. This donut was made with buttermilk, and split at the top (from all the cream?) like a sour cream donut does (those are my third favorite). I love when it does that because it just means more surface area. More surface area = more crust = more glaze. The browned outside crust of this blueberry donut was thick and it had a thick glaze. It was unlike any other donut I've really ever had before. The dough was pretty dense, but there were some great contrasting textures going on.

     The all-star of the show, as predicted, was the full hand sized apple fritter. Lord have mercy on my soul. It wasn't just a donut that had an apple-y flavor. It had a TON of soft apple chunks in it, and throughout the dough there was this applesauce-like filling. Not like a jelly or cream, but like cinnamon applesauce. It was incredible! It took it way above and beyond not just any other apple fritters, but all other donuts. Oh gosh there were so many nobby edges that had their thick fried crust and were coated in glaze. Just like those donut holes (but x 100000), this donut melted in your mouth. I would physically put it in my mouth and feel it melt. It was a magical experience. I wish there was a Sonny's north of the Mason Dixon Line. Ethan, I am forever indebted to you. 

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Hyman's Seafood - Charleston, SC

http://www.hymanseafood.com/

Coleslaw and hushpuppies. Just look at how dark those puppies are. 

     It's ok to laugh at the name. I did too. And at the half naked mermaid in the stairway. And at the fact that Martha Stewart sat at our table. Hyman's was recommended to me by one of Ethan's friends. Since it was one of the only Charleston recommendations I had gotten, I was going for it. Plus, she mentioned something about hushpuppies and well... that's all it really took. Hyman's has some historical significance in that it started as a little shop within the warehouse district back in 1890, but they added the restaurant portion back in 1986. They've been recognized everywhere. All over the food network, travel channel, you name it. They're a Charleston favorite. 

     This place was huge. They had room after room after room of celebrity dining photos and dark wooden tables filled with people.  As a complimentary appetizer, they served boiled peanuts. I had only had them at Hailee's house when we were kids and they were good, but these were great. The primary reason? Salt. Oh man they were so salty. If you've never had boiled peanuts, you ought to. A lot of little roadside stands sell them down here too.
     The hushpuppies came first and were BY FAR the best I've ever put in my mouth. They were much sweeter than others I've had, but don't think they were like donuts or anything. They had a sweet onion flavor, with little strings of onion in them. They had a great, dark brown thick crust with the gritty, dense, cornmeal insides. I could've eaten them forever... or at least until I felt l like death. So phenomenal. 

     The other appetizer they served was coleslaw, which was delicious. It was heavier on the vinegar and lighter on the mayo. Don't get me wrong... me and mayo go way back, but I like the healthier feeling coleslaw better. This one was perfect and light with carrots and red cabbage. 

Fried catfish, collard greens and more hush puppies.

     For my meal, I got the fried catfish. It came super hot, with a thin breading, which was good. I don't like when the breading overtakes the actual fish. This breading had more of a gritty texture to it too, but was a little softer than I would've liked. However the fish was cooked perfectly. It was flaky and juicy and was served with a sweet bowl of collard greens. I wanted that southern meal, and I got it :]

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King Street Cookies - Charleston, SC

http://kingstreetcookies.com/

            

     There will never be a cookie shop I don't go in. King Street Cookies was located on King Street in downtown Charleston. This cute little shop had all white and orange decor with 2 huge, tall king-like chairs in the front. When I walked in, I was one of three people. When I left, there was a line almost out the door. I'm convinced I started a cookie trend. This place had 33 kinds of cookies (I counted) of all varieties. Literally. There were flavors like red velvet cake, berries and cream, and the three kinds I got: Ms. House, Georgia Peach, and Peanut Butter. I've got to say... that peanut butter cookies was in a whole league of its own. It was love at first bite... and not just because I love peanut butter, but because this provided all of the satisfaction a cookie could provide. The center of this cookie stayed fat, so it was done just right so that it wasn't gooey anymore. The top was a little crinkled and sprinkled with a tiny bit of sugar, and all of the edges had a slight crispness to them. It was incredible. It seemed so delicate. Nothing could've made it better. For real. 

Peanut butter (top),  Ms. House (middle),
Georgia Peach (bottom)

     The second one I tried was the georgia peach. It had peach chunks, toffee, cinnamon and white chocolate chips. It was definitely tasty, but almost a little too sweet for me, if you can believe that. Maybe it was the white chocolate. I think I'm beginning to learn that I'm not all that into white chocolate. The third cookie was called Ms. House and was a basic, chewy oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips and chunks. It tasted very much like your homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, but baked by someone who had done it a time or two and knew how to nail the timing down. 

     The best part of this whole deal was that, when you purchase 3 cookies ($6), you get a cup for unlimited milk and get the option of skim milk, whole milk or chocolate milk. I sure milked that opportunity. Got all 3. 

(see what I did there?)

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Triangle Char and Bar - Sumerville, SC

http://trianglecharandbar.com/

Avondale Nachos

     Dan introduced me to boxing, so whenever we get the chance to go, we go. After trying out a new Title gym, he wanted to take me to this place called Triangle Char and Bar. Clever name. Char and Bar = Bar and Grill, but unique. It reminded me very much of a Boston type restaurant in that they focus on using local ingredients and give you information on the menus about how the animals used for their meats are humanely raised. It's pretty neat. Everything inside was bright and colorful, but also very simplistic, in a country way. It fit in with the local, trendy, inventive vibe one experiences in Cambridge. 

Pad Thai Tacos with Sweet Potato Fries

     Dan said if we got the Avondale nachos we might not need to get a meal, so we got the nachos... and then we both got meals. Good. Those nachos were insane. Absolute madness. They were like a loaded baked potato made into nachos. Instead of tortilla chips, they used their homemade potato chips (which were perfection and I'd pay $20 for a bag if they were sold in grocery stores). They were topped with chunks of salty bacon, jalapenos, tomatoes, green onions, a bunch of real melted jack cheese and ranch dressing. It was a sodium overload but it was incredible. I'm generally not too into eating ranch dressing, but in this case it was a really unique take on adding the bit of cream to nachos instead of sour cream. Dan was right. We didn't need meals, and I'm proud to say that I only ate half of my Pad Thai tacos when they came. Go me. The two tacos came in big soft shells and were loaded with grilled chicken, peanuts, peanut sauce, and onions. The chicken was a little peppery and spicy (but in a good way) and the warm peanut sauce went surprisingly really well with the chicken. Seems like such a weird concept in my head, but it worked out. I probably would've been better off with something more mild and lighter after the nachos, but you don't see pad thai tacos often. Oh plus they were served with sweet potato fries sprinkled with salt and some seasoning (maybe paprika?). They were some of the best I've had. I really liked that they were skinnier and I loved the sauce they were served with. It was some sort of dipping sauce that was a dark red but tasted like applesauce and cinnamon. I still have no idea what it was, but it was delicious. 

     Needless to say, my shoes were a little tight the next morning, and my soul was content. 

Friends Don't Let Friends Throw Away Leftover Pie Crust

Deep Ellum - Allston, MA
http://www.deepellum-boston.com/

Duck Confit Hash

     Deep Ellum is one of those places you can never go to once. One of those places I can never just write about once. I had been yearning to test out their brunch menu for almost a year and with weigh-ins out of the picture for quite some time, I conned a couple fellow foodies to dive in with me. Jimmy, Antonia and I embarked on the long walk on a chilly Sunday morning with palette satisfaction on our minds. Greeted immediately by the dark wood, and industrial undertones, I felt my hipster level skyrocket when we walked in the door. I wouldn't say the menu is ultra-extensive, but everything just sounds amazing. Every dish is unique and unlike anything I'd ever seen anywhere else. I finally decided to go with the Duck Confit Hash. After learning that "confit" basically means cooked in fat, I knew there really wasn't another option. The dish came piping hot to the table served in a small cast iron skillet. This was totally one of those dishes that you hope is the same as what that lady two tables over ordered. I was geeked. This dish was a mix of perfectly tender fingerling potatoes, braised swiss chard, red peppers, duck and topped with two fried eggs. Even the egg was cooked perfectly to my liking. Not to mention the whole ensemble was picture perfect. If I could've described this dish in one word, it would be succulent. It had every element of the perfect breakfast that I was looking for that morning.  Meat, potatoes, egg.

     Jimmy ordered the biscuits and gravy (I was debating getting both). After having to send it back once because it wasn't that warm, it came back steaming. I only had a bite or two, but I could tell both the biscuits and gravy was homemade. It was phenomenal. Perhaps I'll have a more involved experience soon.


FoMu - Allston, MA

Maple Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream

http://www.fomuicecream.com/

     As I know I've mentioned before, immediately after I finish dinner, I'm thinking about dessert. Well… I have evolved. Now after every meal, I'm thinking about dessert. So post breakfast at Deep Ellum, Antonia and I were thinking FoMu. FoMu is practically right next door to Deep Ellum, and they're a vegan ice cream shop. We sampled a few of their flavors at a free ice cream gig downtown back in the summer, but it was time for the real deal. After sampling dozens of flavors, I went with the maple bourbon pecan and the carrot cake. The maple bourbon pecan was so good and really interesting. You were really able to taste the bourbon but it wasn't unpleasant or like you were drinking booze. It just had the flavor of bourbon and went really well with the maple and pecan. The carrot cake was equally as delicious and had decent sized hunks of carrot cake in it. It was pretty sweet, and I was totally ok with it. It still blows my mind how such amazing ice cream can be made without dairy, but props to FoMu. You've mastered it.

Beet Cupcakes - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Beet Cupcakes

     Antonia and I will always try something once. There are few recipes that we'd steer clear of our of fear. My coworker Caitlin shared a recipe for beet cupcakes with me, and I knew, being the beet connoisseurs that we are, it'd be something we make together. We ended up using both standard red/purple beets as well as these yellow/orange beets that I've never seen before. I'm sure they would've turned out much more purple if we only used the purple beets, but who cares. I will say, however, that if you're looking to keep a clean kitchen, this recipe will put you quite behind. Other changes that we made to the recipe included using about half of the amount of sugar, and replacing half of the oil with applesauce (always trying to justify our baking expeditions by baking it more lightweight friendly). In the end, I couldn't believe just how moist these cupcakes were. They were incredible. And the cream cheese frosting paired perfectly. You could definitely taste the beet flavor, so if you're not a fan of beets, you may not like these. We also made half of the batter into a shallow cake, which was equally as good. I was impressed.

Beet Cupcakes

1 1/2 cup pastry flour
1 cup sugar (we used 1/2 cup)
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded beets

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare large muffin pans with cupcake liners (approx. 12)

2) Whisk together dry ingredients until well combined.

3) Beat together eggs, oil and salt. Add apple sauce and combine.

4) Fold in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

5) Stir in vanilla and shredded beets, pour into molds, bake for 20 min.

6) Frost when cool.

Cupcake icing:

1) Combine cream cheese, sugar, a dollop of milk, and cinnamon.


Apple Gilette - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Apple Gilette

     This was my first year away from family for Thanksgiving, and it was really different. I'm not going to say I liked it, but I was really glad and felt really blessed to share it with Alyse, Jimmy, Karl and Dave. Master pie maker Jimmy had some leftover pie crust that he was going to throw away. I appropriately scolded him and took the pie crust home with me. After a little debate, I flattened the dough into a terrible circular shape, sliced up some apples, arranged them on the crust so they looked pretty, and sprinkled on some leftover toffee bits and cinnamon. Dude. I thought I was a genius (Apparently it's actually called an Apple Gilette if you want to look up a real recipe). This masterpiece was… well…. a masterpiece. It was delicious! Tasted like an apple pie without a top. The little toffee pieces melted slightly and browned, giving them a slightly burnt flavor. So good.  I highly suggest you try it whenever you have leftover dough or even if you're just in the mood for apple pie.


Four Burgers - Cambridge, MA
http://www.fourburgers.com/

  "I don't actually eat. i just watch people eat and judge them. HPD moment."

My baby burger :]

     So, I'm still unsure of what Friday nights feel like for normal people (thanks rowing), but I kind of got a taste of it a few weeks ago. Jake was leaving town, Joan needed some chill time, and I was hungry so we all went to Four Burgers in Central Square on Friday night. The place looks pretty standard inside. Your typical red, white and black, giving it the classic burger joint feel. In trying to stick to my calorie neutral eating, I ordered this baby burger (3.5 oz) with amazingly oozy Gouda cheese and sweet potato fries. The fries really hit the spot. It feels like it's been eons since I had something fried. It's really rare that you can find a burger that comes close to tasting like your parents make on the grill during the summer, but this baby came close (hahah… "rare" … get it? Jokes all around). I love my burgers still mooing a little and this lil guy was. He was served on a baby bun too. While I really wanted a big, fat loaded mother, I was proud of my control. This just means I'll have to go back sometime to get one like Jake's. That sucker had avocado, bacon, gouda cheese, jesus, onions and who knows what else. Next time, I'm going for the big guns.

Parmesan Gremolata Smashed Potatoes - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Parmesan Gremolata Smashed Potatoes

     I'm not sure why, but I always feel like I'm accomplishing some outrageous task when I successfully cook something I find on Pinterest. However, this recipe was much more simple than most. I had some leftover fingerling potatoes from Haymarket that I didn't know what to do with… uuuuuntil I found this recipe for Parmesan Gremolata Smashed Potatoes. Basically, they're roasted and smashed potatoes with garlic, lemon, parsley and parmesan cheese all tossed together. Not quite just roasted or just mashed potatoes, but these beautiful (actually very picturesque) golden brown potatoes mixed up with a little heaven. Since I only had a few fingerling potatoes, I had to modify the recipe quite a bit, but I'll post the full recipe for reference. The recipe says to add the garlic, parsley, lemon zest and parmesan cheese mix in with the potatoes after you pull it out of the oven, but I wanted the parmesan to melt a little bit (I had shredded instead of grated cheese) so tossed the mix with the potatoes and stuck the whole thing back in the oven for another 5 minutes. I'd definitely say this is the way to go. Each bite had so much flavor. The browned potatoes, the cheese, the zing of the lemon and the freshness of the parsley made the whole thing complete. Yummerz.

Parmesan Gremolata Smashed Potatoes

2 lbs. fingerling potatoes, scrubbed clean
1/2 cup olive oil (or less)
1 tsp sea salt
3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and minced
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced (should be about 1/4 cup when minced)
1 lemon, grated zest of
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1) Preheat oven to 400°F.

2) Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water (about an inch higher than the potatoes). Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through (about 15 minutes for these little potatoes). Drain the potatoes and let dry in a colander or on a kitchen towel.

3) Drizzle a little olive oil on a shallow rimmed baking sheet. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer, making sure to get some oil on the base of each potato, and gently press each potato flat with the flat side of a meat tenderizer or a heavy-bottomed drinking glass to about 1/2- to 3/4-inch thickness. Drizzle the olive oil over the smashed potatoes and then sprinkle salt over the potatoes. Roast for 30 minutes, flipping the potatoes over at 15 minutes with tongs or a spatula.

4) While the potatoes are roasting, mix the garlic, parsley, lemon zest, and Parmesan cheese together in a small bowl. When the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven, and toss them in a large bowl with the Parmesan-gremolata. (This is where I suggest putting them back in the oven for another 5minutes). Serve hot.

Sweet - Cambridge, MA
http://www.sweetcupcakes.com/

Merry Schnappsmas!

     This past Saturday was National Cupcake Day, and as a lightweight, there's no way you can't take advantage of those types of holidays. "Sorry Tom, it was National Cupcake Day. I had to eat a cupcake. There was just no other option." Joan and I headed to Sweet in Harvard Square around 8:40pm looking for cupcakes. I didn't really think about the fact that they'd probably be picked through considering they were about 20 minutes away from closing their doors. Either way, no sweat off my back. They had 3 types of cupcakes left, so I got 4 cupcakes… naturally. But it's ok because I bought 3 of them for Jimmy, Dave and Karl for Schnappsmas (let's forget the fact that I still ate nearly 2 of those 3). One cupcake was a chocolate cherry cupcake. It had some fancy name that Jimmy knew but I can't remember. I'm not a huge cherry in sweets fan, but this was pretty good. The chocolate cake part of the cupcake was incredibly moist because part of it was filled with some sort of cherry substance.  There was a course grained but fluffy white frosting on top with a maraschino cherry to make it look pretty. The little guy was pretty delicious, I'll admit, but I can't say I'd purchase it again. Just not my style.

     One of the other cupcakes I got was your standard chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Oh. My. Gosh. That buttercream frosting was out of control. My roommate Andy was telling me about how Sweet sells frosting shots (yes, you heard right), and I thought that was a silly idea. Now I understand why. The cake was perfect too. Perfectly cooked, perfectly moist and perfectly dense.

     The final two cupcakes I purchased were vanilla cake and vanilla frosting with red and green sprinkles. That was Karl's favorite part (of course). Yet again, another incredibly simple cupcake that they've perfected. The frosting was just stupid good. It's like they know what they're doing or something.


Curried Coconut Pumpkin Soup - Cambridge, MA

Curried Coconut Pumpkin Soup

     I haven't been blogging about my soups recently because, frankly, they've been pretty standard. But I've got to talk this one up because it was so unique. A few Sundays ago I made a curried coconut pumpkin soup from a recipe I found in a cookbook given to me by my Grandpa. This soup is hip because it has a slightly tropical coconut taste mixed with the rustic, autumn pumpkin flavor and brought together with an ethnic curry pizazz. What? I don't know. I don't know who came up with this or if my description just now makes it sound appetizing at all, but let me tell you, it's good. The only modification I made to the recipe was I added some brown rice that was mostly blended when I used my immersion blender. Anyway, here's the recipe. Give 'er a whirl!

Curried Coconut Pumpkin Soup

2 tbs butter
1 large onion
1 tbs garlic, minced
2 15 oz cans pumpkin puree
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup brown rice
4 cups vegetable/chicken/turkey broth (if it's just after Thanksgiving like it was for me)
2 tbs curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground coriander

1) In a large soup pot, melt the butter and sauté the onions and garlic until tender

2) Add in all spices and sauté another minute

3) Add in the stock, coconut milk, pumpkin, and rice. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes.

4) Either use an immersion blender or cuisinart to blend soup.

Cupcakes and Pies and Truffles, OH MY!

Kick-Ass Cupcakes - Somerville, MA
http://www.kickasscupcakes.com/

Photo creds to Caitlin

     Another bonus of my job includes being in charge of getting birthday treats for my coworkers' days of birth. This allows me a little freedom to try out new places. I had this weird feeling that Mai liked cupcakes, so Caitlin and I headed over to Kick-Ass Cupcakes. Has anyone else noticed how big of a fad cupcakes are becoming? I never would've guessed. Especially when most places charge at least 3 dollars for one heavenly lump. Regardless, this was my first real venture into the cupcake work. Kick-Ass Cupcakes is a tiny little shop that takes about 5 steps to get from one end to the next. What makes Kick-Ass so ... well... kick-ass is that they're "artisanal bakers." They bake from scratch daily using only natural ingredients. They steer clear of hydrogenated oils, trans fats, artificial flavors and preservatives. Way cool. As soon as you walk in the door, you're presented with rows and rows of a million different kinds of cupcakes (literally). I'll list the ones I tried (and no I didn't eat 6 entire cupcakes... but almost).

-Vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting: Pretty standard. Delicious none the less.

-Lucky Cupcake - luscious lemon cupcake with white chocolate buttercream and candied ginger. It also came with a fortune which I fail to remember. I'm not a huge lemon fan so the cake part was just... meh... but I loved the chocolate buttercream and candied ginger additions. Sweet with just a little kick of spice. 


-Cookie Dough - Chocolate chip cookie dough in a vanilla cupcake and vanilla buttercream frosting with chocolate sauce. AHHHmazing. I love cookie dough. I will never stop loving cookie dough. 

-Cinnamon Chai Pecan Sticky - spiced up cupcake covered with gooey caramel pecan topping. This little fella was the first one I tried. The cake part had the subtle hint of chai, but it wasn't complete without the crumbly, sugary, pecan topping. 


-Ginger Peach Bellini (vegan) - spicy ginger cupcake topped with white peach champagne icing and a fresh raspberry. I was hesitant to buy this one, but I'm glad I did. The cupcake itself was a peach color and had a delicious peach taste. I don't think I've ever had a peach cupcake. Unique. The icing and the raspberry brought it all together though. It was fabulous. 


-The Mojito - Vanilla cupcake soaked with rum, sugar cane lime frosting and fresh mint. Saved the best for last. This guy was my favorite. Everything about it. Out of all the cakes I had tried, this cake was the most moist and uniquely flavored. Soaked with rum? Yes please. Went perfectly with the lime frosting and the spring of mint on top. Seriously tasted like a mojito. This was top shelf business. 

Veggie Galaxy - Cambridge, MA
http://veggiegalaxy.net/

     I have to admit, I was sceptical. The thought of a vegan Boston Cream Pie weirded me out, but I was intrigued. I mean, how could one make something with the word "cream" in the name, vegan? Yea yea, laugh, but I'm not familiar with vegan fare. Again, it was a coworker's birthday, and he's vegan. So I found the only vegan bakery in the area, checked out the menu online and decided to go with the Boston Cream Pie. Yea I was getting a cake for everyone at work, but this was also my own personal adventure. I'm not quite sure why, but when I walked into Veggie Galaxy, I felt like I was on another planet (not just because the restaurant's name is Veggie Galaxy). I felt like I was among ... nevermind. I'm going to stop there. This was just different for me.

Photo creds to Caitlin again

   
     Tons of baked goods sat behind the counter and I analyzed every single one as the woman behind the register fetched my boston cream pie. How in the world could they make all these things vegan? The gears in my dome were churning. Churning so much that I started to get hungry. Wait... I was already hungry. So ... I ordered the banana muffin. By far, THE most exciting banana muffin I had ever seen. I sat down at the space-age themed bar and began an affair with a banana muffin. This was the most moist muffin (say that 5 times fast) I have ever eaten in my life. It was sweet, banana-y (but not too much), maybe had a hint of coconut, and was topped with large sugar crystals and banana chips that had been cooked into the top of the muffin. Oh... my word. I sat in udder amazement at what I was eating. I couldn't figure it out. I had no idea how they had done it. What was holding the muffin together without eggs? No milk? No way. Can't be. So... I called over the baker and she went through the recipe. Yea, I'm that person. I wish I could say I remembered what she told me, but I don't. I was still in a state of confused bliss. So here I am, still left in awe at the grandeur of that damn muffin.

     Next step, getting the Boston Cream Pie back to the office without smashing my face in it. I could only imagine the glories that lie under it's perfect chocolate jacket. Veggie Galaxy described it as an "unbelievably creamy real vanilla bean pastry cream" (What does that even mean?) "sandwiched between two yellow cake layers, then glazed to a shiny perfection with a 70% Taza Chocolate ganache." First bite. My mind was blown. Had another banana muffin-esque trip. How did they do it? I don't understand. How in the world is this cake so moist? It was moist and sweet and had maybe that coconut flavor again. Maybe they use coconut milk a lot? Not sure. Everything in this cake was just so moist. For this reason, it was incredibly difficult to cut. But if no one else was there, I would've eaten it by the fist full. I mean... come on? Why waste time? The chocolate ganache on top was so rich and dark. Simply fabulous.

     Overall, I was completely astounded by vegan baked goods. Who knew they could be so amazing? Probably a lot of people, but I was not one of them.


Cocoa Mint Truffles - 578 Washington St #3, Brighton

     Food restriction experiment #2! Judith was moving to Philly for the summer, so my friend Amanda was throwing her a goodbye party. A potluck party. Shoot. However, Judith is allergic to gluten, so I wasn't about to make something she couldn't eat. I have this huge stack of recipes at home that I tore out of magazines from my grandma that I probably won't ever make for just myself, because they're not good for lightweight me. So, I decided to make Cocoa Mint Truffles for the party.

     Truffles remind me of fancy things, and I'm not that fancy. So, I was nervous about this. Here's the recipe:

Cocoa Mint Truffles


3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
6 mint Andes candies (I used 6 Trader Joe's mint creams)
3/4 cup whipped topping
2 tablespoons baking cocoa


1) In a small saucepan, melt chocolate chips and candies over low heat. Transfer to a small bowl and cool to lukewarm, about 7 minutes. Beat in whipped topping. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes or until firm enough to form into balls. 


2) Shape chocolate mixture into 1 inch balls and roll in cocoa mixture. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

     End of story. How simple is that? Well, I got a little scared a few times. First, I'm no pro at melting chocolate. I did it really low and it started to get liquidy. "Good!" I thought... and then it started getting thick and almost dry. I wasn't sure if it was cooking or what was going on, so I pulled it from the heat. I debated throwing in some milk to liquify it a bit, but thought, "no, I need to just trust the recipe. I'm out of chocolate chips. It's do or die." So I beat in the mint creams which lessened its viscosity a bit. Then I shoved it in the freezer. Expecting it to be a little more solid, I started rolling it into balls and putting them on my tray, but I slowly realized that they seemed to be melting. Or at least they were loosening up and becoming less ball-like and more patty-like. I quickly got scared and browsed the web searching for other fellow truffle makers in the same situation. Resolution: Add more melted chocolate, refreeze. So that's what I did and it worked! I was so happy.
     The original recipe also said to mix 1/8 teaspoon instant coffee granules in with the baking cocoa, but I don't like coffee. I nixed that idea. After eating about 1/4 of the truffle dough (dough? No.. what would you call it? Goop? Yea.)... so after eating about 1/4 of the truffle goop I had about one small baking dish left of beautifully formed and absolutely delicious chocolate mint truffles.
     Just to add a little flair, I rolled a few in some crushed pretzels (the bomb) and sprinkled some salt on a few. Both were good ideas. Gave each truffle a little attitude. Overall, they were a hit. Especially with Joan.