Sweet Maresa's Rainbow Cookies

For the past few weeks I've been seeing Sweet Maresa post pictures of her Rainbow Cookies and I've been dying to try them. I dropped by the Vaute Couture pop up shop in Soho on Tuesday and luckily, there they were. 

I bought a box thinking I would have plenty to share. Uh...not exactly the case. At first, I enjoyed the flavor, but again, thought I would have plenty to share. And then, the flavor kept growing on me. The cookies are marzipan/meringue coated in chocolate. The colors are gorgeous and the texture is really rare for vegan eats. 

I'm going to have to cut myself off so that I have some to share with my parents next week...eek.

Two Tablespoons - Winter Market at Bryant Park

If you're in New York this month, the Bryant Park Winter Market has some great vegan food options, as highlighted here by Vegansaurus. 

My personal favorite at the moment is Two Tablespoons, whom I've posted about several times before. They change up their menu seasonally, but their options are always stellar. 

Right now they have loaded smashed potatoes that are phenomenal. The Pumpkin Hummus + Tahini is so delicious. It's topped with pepita seeds and black sesame seeds. It is served piping hot with cool hummus, it's my ideal dinner while doing some last minute shopping. 

Mini Gift Guide 2014

This year, I went about the gift guide basically shopping for myself. What would I like this holiday season? Here's my list! 

Hipsters for Sisters makes some awesome vegan leather handless bags, aka fanny packs. This one is my favorite. 

Petit Vour is a subscription beauty box delivered monthly. You can sign up for 1, 3 or 6 months, or ongoing. 

A 2 lb bag of Haven's Kitchen Vegan Granola. Because granola is good. 

Best Made Co's tumblers...

...to drink Bellocq tea. 

Maine farmed sea salt.

Drip maple syrup, because the bottle is gorgeous. 

Balsam fir pillow, for pine-y smelling undergarments. 

It's written in the stars handkerchief...

...or a set of 3 handkerchiefs.

Onward + Upward water bottle.

Modern Love Omaha

On my last trip to Omaha, I had dinner at Modern Love, Isa Chandra Moskowitz's new restaurant. It was my second visit, and I ordered way too much food for one person. 

First, the Modern Niçoise Salad with charred green beans, olives, chickpea salad + deviled potatoes. So much more than a salad, this is extremely filling and satisfying on its own. And the potatoes are out of this world good. 

Then, the Chili and Cinnamon Rolls, lentil and bean chili with roasted squash with a cinnamon roll and coconut sour cream on top. Insanely delicious and beautiful. Everything I've ordered at Modern Love has looked amazing...presentation is clearly just as important as flavor. And also great as breakfast the next morning. 

I couldn't leave without dessert, but I was so full, so I ordered my pie to go. Since I couldn't take the a la mode to go, they served it to me before I left in this adorable ice cream dish. 

And the pièce de résistance ...a selfie with Isa herself. 

Wilson & Washburn

I need to backtrack slightly. Before we actually got to Chicago, we were in Omaha for a few days. Our hotel was very close to Wilson & Washburn and I'd heard amazing things about their beet burger. 

Their take on this new classic is a seasoned beet patty with house smoked peanut butter + pickled jalapeño on a vegan bun. It does have a very strong beet flavor, but the pb and jalapeños really give it dimension. I loved the combination. 

Logan Square Farmer's Market

After brunch, Susan and I headed to the Logan Square Farmer's Market. It was the perfect day for it. 

Bot Bakery has all kinds of vegan and gluten free offerings. 

I went for the Whoopie Pie, which was delicious. 

It's a really great market in one of my favorite Chicago neighborhoods. 

Ground Control

While we were in Chicago, I met my friend Susan at Ground Control. I had heard really awesome things about it, and I was really excited to try some of their sandwiches. 

I went for the Asian BBQ - Sweet and spicy Asian style bbq seitan sandwich topped with pickled daikon and carrots, cilantro, black sesame seed and spicy peanut sauce. It was really good, and quite spicy. Also, seriously messy. 

Susan had the Banh Mi - Ginger soy tofu, lentil pate, pickled daikon and carrot, cucumber, jalapeno, fresh mint, cilantro, sriracha mayo. Also very tasty. 

The greens on the side were delicious. Sometimes kale is too tough, or too bland, but this kale was just right. Lots of flavor and a great texture. 

I'm not big on breakfast, so this was the perfect Sunday brunch meal for me. 

Vegan Wedding in Chicago

How many times have you gone to a wedding, and as a vegan option, had an iceberg salad? This wedding made up for all of those times. (Not that I don't love my family and friends who are kind enough to think of my dietary choices. It's the thought that counts, right?). My lovely friends Dave and Rachel were married last month and a couple of weeks ago, we celebrated with them in Chicago. 

They had one table set up with all of the traditional food, and one table off to the side with all of the vegan food. They had to keep reminding people that this food is vegan and to save it for the actual vegans :) Upton's Naturals seitan, mac + cheese, braised greens, sauerkraut, and a glorious mustard sauce. It was so heavenly good. 

And followed by Red Velvet cake with Lavender Cream Icing by Luscious Layers. Awesome, awesome cake. 

Here are the beautiful bride and handsome groom (both vegan). 

And the post-dinner bonfire. Don't you love how your clothes and hair smell after a bonfire? 

Ohio Brunch

On my last morning in Columbus, I had a killer brunch with my Ohio friends and family.  

We all contributed...Heather and Troy hosted, and made delicious spinach, berry and coconut smoothies. Jen and Jay brought blueberry banana muffins and summer fruit salad. And my mom and I brought a potato hash. 

For our hash, we pan roasted miniature Yukon gold potatoes until brown with some water and oil, then mashed them a bit, leaving nice big chunks. We then added shredded carrots, Earth Balance, salt and pepper, topped with green onions, tofu sour cream and served with a side of guacamole and smoky roasted tomatoes. It would also be amazing with some smoky tempeh, or veggie sausage. 

Here's my mom and I, thanks to Jen for the pic!

If you're interested, here is the smoothie recipe. And here is the muffin recipe. 

North Market . Follow Up

The North Market in Columbus is always a great spot for lunch. 

Lan Viet Market has several vegan/vegetarian options, and my mom and I shared their Veggie Ham Noodle and Rice Bowl with fresh veggies, herbs and lime. Be sure to tell them to leave off the fish sauce. 

And Bubbles has an awesome Matcha Green Tea with almond milk and tapioca pearls. 

I love poking the straw through. 

And this trip we discovered a donuterie that offers vegan donuts...major score. Destination Donuts had a gorgeous Chocolate with Vanilla Cream donut.

And Blackberry Sage. Both were heavenly. 

Native Cold Pressed

There's a new-to-me juicerie in Columbus that has some incredible juices. Native Cold Pressed is in the Short North, and a quick walk from Northstar, one of my favorites eateries. 

The green special this weekend was made with bok choy, apple, lemon, cucumber, kale, ginger + mint. 

And there's also a Coconut Vanilla Shake that is delicious if you want something a tad sweeter.

Jeni's . Cantaloupe Sun Tea Sorbet

I spent the long weekend in Columbus, and I always stop by Jeni's for whatever sorbet they're currently offering. 

Their Cherry Lambic is my go-to, but it has gone on sabbatical. In its place is Cantaloupe Sun Tea, which is a pretty stellar replacement. And of course I also had a half scoop of their Riesling Poached Pear, a perennial favorite. 

Fresh Tomato Tart in France

Last week, I spent some time in the UK and France. The first half of the week was all work, the second half all play.

My aunt and uncle (and lots of other extended family members) live in the south of France, and every few years we get together at their beautiful house. My aunt makes an amazing tomato tart with tomatoes from their garden. The last time I was there I was not vegan, so I was praying she could veganize it for me. 

Luckily, she did. Pâte brisée (made with olive oil, not butter), topped with caramelized onions, tomatoes, and herbs, and baked until golden. That's it - it's so simple. It is so flavorful and lovely - I took the leftovers on the plane with me. Here are a couple of recipes I found for the pâte brisée: made with Earth Balance + made with oil. 

Tomato Tart Before:

Tomato Tart After:

Merci Me Ha!

Two Tablespoons

Madison Square Eats is a month long event in the Flatiron District, and thankfully, close to our office. 

Throughout the month of May, I frequented Two Tablespoons, a vegetarian and gluten free eatery. You can find them throughout the summer at Broadway Bites. 

I'm a huge fan of Kombucha, and they have one on draft from Beyond Kombucha that I adore. It's called the Anti-Bomb. 

The Edamame and Cucumber Noodle Salad is so perfect for a summer lunch. 

And their Quinoa + Almond spring rolls are really lovely. They're filled with cucumbers, tofu, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, quinoa and an almond sauce.