4.29.2012

Weekend Roundup

With just 3 weeks left till graduation, I am throwing all inhibitions to the wind and all babysitting money away in the name of good eats.
 This weekend I kicked off Operation Indulge with some awesomely affordable and DELISH spots...

Taceaux Loceaux has THE best tacos in the city. I realize I am making a bold statement here and I totally stand behind it. $6 gets you two drool-worthy tacos.  Check it.
Newbie Restaurant award goes to Maurepas Foods in the Bywater- Stop by here for some out of this world grilled shrimp with german potato salad.
Bacchanal may or may not be heaven on earth...in the form of a lantern lit patio/outdoor wine bar with live music and suuuper tasty small plates.
nice lil' cheese plate with heaping pile of toasted baguette.
:) when can I go back?

Last but not least...I had the chance to stop by the Crescent City Farmer's Market this weekend and I am already counting the days until the next market day! Fresh tomatoes, pesto, baguette, hummus, and flowers were among the spoils.

4.19.2012

Thirsty Thursday.

Happy Thirsty Thursday!
No class on Fridays means hello weekend: let's get down to bidnass and get sippin'..

 3 places to get your drank on this weekend:

If you're feeling romantic and looking to sip some vino on a lantern-lit patio...head to Delachaise for just that..plus some out of this world french fries.

If you're rolling out with a bunch of pals..snag a big table at Domenica and go for the half-price pizzas and bottles of wine.

If you are feeling swank and sexy get your booty to Cure and make sure to sit at the bar..let the people watching and drink ogling commence..





4.17.2012

Chocolate Cupcakes with Almond Buttercream and Toasted Coconut


Hi. I am a vegan chocolate cupcake and I am awesome.
Please refer to my peanut butter cookie post for more vegan awesomeness ramblings...
but in the meantime let me ramble a little bit about this chocolate cake recipe.
First and foremost it is the easiest cake recipe I've ever found.  It's a two bowl shindig requiring the least amount of elbow grease possible (you stir the dry stuff into the wet stuff in under a minute).  The cake is unbelievably moist with a mellow chocolate flavor.  It pairs perfectly with the almond buttercream and I imagine a dark chocolate buttercream wouldn't be half bad either.  Toasted coconut flakes add the perfect finish, not to mention they look really puuurty. 
 

Chocolate Cupcakes
(I halved the recipe from Sarah Magid's seriously gorgeous cookbook, Organic and Chic )
2 1/4 c organic all-purpose flour
2 c organic cane sugar
1 c organic unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
2/3 c organic canola oil
2 teaspoons organic white vinegar
2 c cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place liners in 2 muffin pans for 24 cupcakes.

In a big bowl, sift all dry ingredients together. set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the vanilla, oil, vinegar, and cold water.

Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry - being careful not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 20-25 min.

Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting!

Almond Buttercream Frosting

1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4-7 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
3 tablespoons milk

Cream butter with an electric or stand mixer, then slowly add powdered sugar and milk.  Mix in almond extract at the end.

Toasted Coconut Topping

Place 2 cups organic, unsweetened raw coconut flakes on a parchment lined baking tray.  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes, checking the coconut flakes often!  Let cool before sprinkling on frosted cupcakes.

Enjoy!

4.12.2012

Easter on the Shore..

It's been a jet-setting past few weekends, from California to Maryland and back to NOLA, and while I have had all kinds of crazy-cool adventures in eating and seeing and lounging, it feels good to be back.  Here are just a few snapshots from this past weekend spent at the boy's house on the eastern shore of Maryland.