It's been four days!

...and my friend Maeve has yet to take off the tiara that adorned the top of this birthday cake. I brought this cake to a joint birthday celebration for her and her friend Caitlin. Not pictured are the matching earrings that came with the tiara, that I don't think Caitlin has taken off either.

Not surprising, I mean, just look at those jewels.

This was actually the first time I've ever made the NEW VEGAN CLASSIC Raspberry Blackout cake from Vegan with a Vengeance. How odd.

Some thoughts on this, all numbered:

1) I'm a PPK cult member, what's taken me so long?

2) Baking cakes is fun! What's taken me so long?

3) I remember when Isa posted this cake on Livejournal's Vegancooking community years ago, before you could type! Before I could type!? What's taken me so long???

4) I'm spoiled with gee-orgeous personalized cakes from Sweetpea nowadays, love it! That's been delaying this.

5) Maeve told me she wanted me to bake this cake, so I did.

I baked, melted the ganache & our friend Jeff frosted.

Is there too much booze in sight for public viewing of this photo? I also brought vodka I'd infused with vanilla beans and local basil (that Maeve grew!) and vodka infused with coffee and more vanilla beans.

We meant to remove the tiara before lighting all 43 candles. Hilarity ensued.

NYC Food Porn #2, another Get Sconed! Travel Post

Welcome to the second Spring 2009 NYC Food Porn Post!  The first one is here.  I'm specifically labelling it spring because there's always the hope I'll visit my siblings again this winter before the year is up. Actually, it's their turn to visit, hint hint!

Spread of Dim Sum featuring Amanda's hand.

My first and last sit sit down meals on this trip were at Vegetarian Dim Sum House.  I used to go here during my college years since it was a)vegetarian! and b)so close to the bus stop! but I didn't fall in love with their cheap, expansive dim sum menu until I moved to Portland, silly jess.  I went twice on my vacation last spring as well.  On day one, it was not only my first meal of the trip, but my first meal of the day after the bus from Boston.  Between my sister, her boyfriend Mike, and myself, I think three orders of the Roasted Pork buns were eaten!  It's their favorite, and of course I'm a fan.  My other favorite dim sum are the spinach dumplings and Chinese kale rice rolls, but gelatinous blocks of grey can attest, I'll try anything there.  My last meal of the trip was with my friends from the PPK, Amanda and Gory, heart! 

Treasure balls

Pineapple Chicken entree

The entrees here are on the pricey side.  Jenny and Mike wanted fruity chicken after seeing the Mango Chicken on our first visit.  This chicken is actually tofu wrapped in yuba.  It was tender and soaked up the sauce - and they ate it, but it really confused them and my sister noted how she's tried every type of fake chicken there is, and she's never had anything like this.

Classic spring rolls - classic, and spring rolly.

Steamed sesame buns.  Sweetness.  I've tried these fried, and prefer the steamed.

Steamed Spinach Dumplings

Next top on this photo tour, to Teany!  Co-founded by musician Moby (who I saw there once a few years ago!), it's a vegetarian tea house with some sandwiches and a bunch of Vegan Treats desserts.  It's where I fell into the sweet embrace of Teanychinos - my trip featured three visits, two teanychinos, two shared slices of cake, and a pot of Smoked Russian Black tea.

Earl Grey Teanychino 

Exterior

Red Velvet Cake - 

we gave my sister the flower, because you know, younger sisters have that natural right.

Carrot cake

They exist!  Here's Jenny, my sister, and Mike, looking like two cool cats in their leather jackets, waiting for the subway. They're the best.

My brother, Rick, the perpetual smirker.

Rivington Street - we hit up Economy Candy for...candy.

Little Italy 

Pommes Frites - 

I gotta say, Potato Champion! kicks their ass, as fun as a late night stop here with my crew was.  I'm not complaining, just pointing this out!  PC's fries are just tastier.  I do like Pommes' peanut sauce more, however, but that's because PC's sauce is loaded with fresh cilantro.

Frites and peanut sauce - brings me back to my semester in the Netherlands... 

We also continued our tradition of hitting up Milon, 

one of the intensely festive Indian restaurant on 1st ave.  

Daytime:

And inside the restaurant, come nightfall:

The last stop on today's recollection is Buddha Bodai in Chinatown for more fulfillment of my vegan chinese cravings.  aka - painful to look at now in the future.  I've never been during the afternoon dim sum hours, but I have cherished their entrees and appetizers.  Fried noodles smothered in sauce and sauteed, flavorful veggies?  Yes!  Vacation indulgence!!

General Tso's - 

My sister's pick.  She's had it before - and gone without me! and my brother told her, conveniently while I was in the bathroom, that this was the best General Tso's he's ever had, even with his fake meat issues.

Pan fried dumplings - again, filled with flavorful vegetables!

Buddha's Delight Pan Fried Noodles.  

What I described above.  It may not look like much, but I could eat this for days.  Buddha's also has a lunch special that's a great deal.

Okay - come back for pizza and to moan over vegan ice cream with Bazu, Panda & myself!

Birthday Cake

Mocha Layer Cake

Photo by Karla of Veganshizzle.

This cake was an instant classic, in terms of flavor and the dear film quote.  As usual, it was made by Sweetpea Bakery for a friend's surprise birthday party. 

Sliced, and enjoyed.

A real blog post coming soon enough....cake = good.....

Dharma Initiative Brand Cake

My AWESOME friend Katie Jane made this for the AWESOME Season Five Premiere of LOST. And she took the photo.

It was entirely gluten free, with chocolate cake and Peanut Butter and vanilla frosting and filling.

I had fun putting Dharma Initiative Brand labels on everything in sight for the viewing.  I downloaded them from the Max Pictures website, thanks!

Altogether we had Dharma cake, scones, muffins, Smokey Boar Dogs with Zukay Live Foods Horseradish and Garlic Dill Relish, Mr. Cluck's Secret Recipe Almond and Potato Chip baked chicken seitan and tofu, Ethan's Island Chips and Salsa (Mild Zukay - it's delish!), Dharma Composite Ranch Dip with veggies and potato chips and Is Jin Dead? Korean Style Kale.  The numbers were all over one wall, and Dharma station symbols were on another.

The goods.  

Thanks Farrell for the photos!

Rations Table

It wasn't flat!  If only Sawyer was there...

Zelda with the main rations station behind her.

NO SPOILERS.  

I've spent the past month and a half re-watching seasons 1-4, and watching the 3-hour premiere last night was positively zany.