Dining In - New York-Style Crumb Cake

New York-Style Crumb Cake - Chloe's Vegan Desserts

In honor of the place I now call home, I made this recipe for New York-Style Crumb Cake. It was very simple to prepare, in fact more time was spent baking it than making it! The smell that filled my kitchen was an intoxicating buttery, cinnamon scent and if this had been a batch of cookies you can be sure they'd have been gobbled up. Sadly I had to leave the cake untouched so my boyfriend could bring it to his office for a potluck. Verdict from the group was the now common disbelief that it was vegan, meant as a compliment of course! I made this once before with the help of my mom for a Sunday breakfast and it was delicious; sweet with a balance of salt throughout, a moist cake layer covered with a divine buttery crunch. This beats anything premade sitting on a grocery store shelf and I bet it could hold its own against a traditional New York Style-Crumb Cake! You can find the full recipe from Chloe's Vegan Desserts (buy your copy here). 

Crumb Topping:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup vegan margarine, melted

Cake:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar, for garnish



To Prepare the Crumb Topping:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 8-inch square pan.

In a medium bowl, prepare crumble by first combining flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon. Then pour on the melted margarine and use two forks to toss the mixture together. You don't want to stir and combine it too much so the tossing method helps to keep it a crumble. 

This...

turns into this!

To Prepare the Cake:

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together almond milk, canola oil, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar.

Pour wet mixture over dry and stir together to combine, but don't overmix the batter. 

Pour batter into the pan evenly. Sprinkle crumb topping over the batter to cover completely. 

Bake for about 40 minutes. I checked mine a couple of minutes early using a toothpick and noticed it was done. 


Allow to cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar (now doesn't that look like something from an Entenmann's box!?) then cut into squares to serve!

Freshly Baked Crumb Cake

Dining Out in Charlotte - Luna's Living Kitchen

Rawco Taco Salad - Luna's Living Kitchen

I've been frequenting Charlotte for work recently and though I don't have much free time when I'm there, I always find time for a good vegan meal! After dining at Fern on my first visit down, I went to Luna's Living Kitchen for a solo lunch on my second trip this March. My Uber driver even asked how I found out about Luna's because he takes other out-of-towners there fairly often (must mean not everyone can handle BBQ for every meal!). It's located in Charlotte's South End District at the Atherton Mill and Market, which is a very cool industrial style shopping center with retailers, a farmer's market, and quite a bit of history to it (built in 1919). The restaurant itself is bright and airy with high ceilings and lots of seating. I liked what I saw on the menu and in the Yelp photos. It's a clean, wholesome, vegan menu with lots of raw and gluten-free options and a large juice and smoothie selection. Despite it being Charlotte, this place is not cheap; prices here were in line with NYC prices. 

My first visit was dining in and I ordered the Rawco Taco Salad. It was a huge bowl of healthy ingredients: All layered on a bed of lettuce and raw crackers was avocado, pico de gallo, walnut-almond crumbles, cashew sour cream and a delicious hot sauce, served with lime wedges. This was fresh, vibrant, colorful and had the right amount of kick to it. As I sometimes find with raw meals, the walnut-almond crumble was a little bit salty, but the creamy sauce, hot sauce, and lime balanced it out. I ordered the Grey Hulk Smoothie to go, hoping it would keep well enough for breakfast the next day. Of course I sipped it my whole ride back; it was filling and not-too-sweet, though a little bit chalky and actually grey-colored! It had berries, banana, hemp milk, spiraling  mama, and hemp protein. With the spirulina and added protein I felt I was doing my body good.

Chia Breakfast Bowl - Luna's Living Kitchen

My most recent visit was a quick one, I picked up take-out to have for breakfast and lunch. To get my energy kick I ordered the Chia Breakfast Bowl, which they just packaged in a parfait cup. This sweet tapioca-like dish had chia seeds soaked in a homemade cashew milk with vanilla bean and orange zest, topped with fresh fruit and maple syrup. It was outstanding! I loved the vanilla flavor and the creaminess of the pudding. The fruit was fresh and bursting with flavor to complement the chia seed mixture. I also requested a Matcha Latte but iced and they were able to accommodate. It was the expected matcha earthiness taste with a very creamy almond milk. I could have used a tiny bit more sweetness. 

Lunch menu items are not available until 11am so I ordered the Living Bagel to save for a later lunch. It was a raw, savory bagel made with almonds, flax, zucchini and rosemary with cashew sour cream and topped with tomato, onion, avocado, basil and sprouts, jalapeños on the side. I didn't know what to expect with a raw bagel but this was really filling. The bagel held together nicely. All the toppings made this a delicious, much better-for-you bagel sandwich I could easily eat a few days a week as a full meal. It was certainly high in fat content because of the nuts and avocado, but I felt satiated right away.

Living Bagel - Luna's Living Kitchen

Needless to say I will be returning to Luna's whenever I can make it back to Charlotte!

Luna's Living Kitchen

2000 Boulevard

Charlotte, NC 28203

Luna's Living Kitchen Website

Dining Out in Brooklyn - Little Choc Apothecary

The Breakfast Crepe - Little Choc Apothecary

Wall of Herbs & Spices - Little Choc Apothecary

Wandering around Williamsburg I was looking for a new vegan spot to try and I found one that wasn't just new to me but new to the area, Little Choc Apothecary. This adorable, entirely vegan, casual restaurant specializes in crepes, but also sells other tasty baked goods, juices, and has an actual apothecary upstairs with a wall full of herbs and spices in glass jars. On their website they claim they are, "NYC's 1st fully vegan creperie." There were little touches in the decor that made me think of Alice in Wonderland, like the super-sized playing cards for table numbers and the tea cups. Fun fact: the owner was a former fashion model.


I asked the staff which crepe they enjoyed most and the first response was The Breakfast Crepe, and because I was opting to eat gluten-free this appealed to me. The only non-gluten-free crepe on the menu is the Khail Seitan; one I was also tempted to try. They offer both sweet and savory crepes. My crepe was moderately filled with a tofu scramble, coconut bacon, spinach and cucumber slices. This was a light meal, but tasty. I would have liked some sort of sauce to go with my crepe so it wasn't quite so dry and plain, but overall it was enjoyable and I was happy knowing it was vegan and gluten-free. To go along with my crepe, I ordered an Almond Milk Latte, served in a pretty little tea cup. Also, from Yelp reviews I saw that a popular vegan dessert was the Earl Grey Cookie, but when I first came in they were all out. Luckily by the time I left a new batch was done and I took one home. This was definitely a grown up cookie, similar to a not-so-sweet sugar cookie, but with a subtle tea flavor. 

I would return to try other crepe flavors and smoothies...and because the ambiance was just so lovely!

Inside, Lower Level of Little Choc Apothecary

Crepes in the Making - Little Choc Apothecary

Little Choc Apothecary

141 Havemeyer Street

Brooklyn, NY 11211

Little Choc Apothecary Website

Dining Out in New York City - Cafe Gitane

Avocado Toast - Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, Chili Flakes - Cafe Gitane

My favorite vegan chef, Chloe Coscarelli inspired me to dine at Cafe Gitane, with two locations on Jane Street and Mott Street, I visited Mott Street in Nolita. It's a buzzing cafe with a European feel.

It's not the type of place where you feel overly welcomed as a guest, at least for me. In fact, I sometimes felt like I was inconveniencing our waiter just being there, but when you reach a certain level of popularity I guess it just doesn't seem necessary to treat your patrons like valued customers. It also could have been that I wasn't the model or celebrity they may be used to for diners. We grabbed aggressively stalked a seat at the bar, because the wait for a table was 45 minutes. Be warned it's small and often crowded, especially during brunch hours. Our bar stools were actually great because we had an up-close and personal view of the cooks at work preparing beautiful lattes and gourmet food. 

Moroccan Couscous - Cafe Gitane

I knew immediately I'd be ordering their famed Avocado Toast, but chose to be kind and split this with my boyfriend. The seven-grain toast is covered edge to edge with mashed avocado then doused in lemon juice and olive oil with a generous sprinkling of chili flakes. I liked it, but I've got to be honest, I've made a better version at home. I like when the toast is crunchy and this was softer with a heavier lemon flavor. Sharing left me with enough room to test another other vegan-friendly dish, the Moroccan Couscous, which definitely was not a sample size. This heaping tower of couscous is a work of art, speckled with color from the red peppers, raisins, toasted pine nuts, potatoes, and topped with hummus and eggplant. It's served with a vibrant green oil and two small pieces of bread with more red peppers. For $14 you get a full meal. I loved this. It was hearty, filling, flavorful, creamy, nutty, and fresh-tasting. I took home half of it, but ate that later in the day. In addition to my meal I got a Latte, but was disappointed to find they only serve soy milk, for some reason I figured almond milk would be in their supply. It was still great quality coffee. 
My boyfriend got the Baked Eggs Sandwich and thought it was pretty darn good. We would come back, but not during peak hours.

Tip: CASH ONLY

Cafe Gitane

242 Mott Street

New York, NY 10012

Cafe Gitane Website

Latte with Soy Milk - Cafe Gitane

Dining Out in Charlotte - Fern, Flavors from the Garden

Laughing Buddha Bowl - Fern, Flavors from the Garden

Inside Fern

I visited Charlotte, NC for the first time recently for a business trip. Per usual, I didn't have much free time to explore the local vegan dining scene, but I did quick research to see what was close to my hotel for a vegan lunch. Under 2 miles away was Fern (or Fern, Flavors from the Garden, its longer name), a vegetarian restaurant with many vegan options. I cabbed it over with two of my colleagues for what turned out to be a truly delicious, comforting meal. The interior of the restaurant was so pretty - a sophisticated, rustic look with mason jars, reclaimed wood, and live plants throughout. It was the middle of a weekday so we had the benefit of being only one of two parties dining in. 

Before starting our meal we were offered cucumber water and it was so refreshing! We then began our meal with two appetizers, the vegan Spicy Glazed Cauliflower (image below on left) and the non-vegan Fern Bruschetta (image below on right). My dining buddies were amazed at how great these first dishes were. Given my vegan history I had tried dishes very similar to the Spicy Glazed Cauliflower. It closely resembled the Gobi Manchurian at Red Lentil in Watertown, MA and the Frito Misto at Sublime in Fort Lauderdale, FL with its General Tso's look and taste. The dish is fried cauliflower florets coated in a sesame balsamic glaze and it's just fantastic. The Fern Bruschetta contained parmesan cheese (so I couldn't try it), and seasonal vegetable ragu on charred garlic bread,  the verdict on this was "sooo good!."

               

For entrees, I was really craving a salad, but to make sure I got a taste of the most popular dishes I went for the Om Burger, topped with smoked tomato, pickled cucumbers, pepper aioli served on a sesame bun and I added avocado to it. I also ordered Kale Chips for my side. Besides an extra bready bun that I trimmed down, the burger was full of flavor, not too mushy and filling. The Kale Chips were mildly seasoned, but could have been a bit more crispy. Both of my colleagues got the Laughing Buddha Bowl, described as a unique daily balance of the essentials: legumes, rice, greens and vegetables. This one wasn't labeled vegan on the menu, but I'm sure you could request it. 

Om Burger with Kale Chips - Fern, Flavors from the Garden

Matching Laughing Buddha Bowls!

At the end of the meal all of us said we would return! The restaurant was the OpenTable Diner's Choice winner in 2014 and I can see why.

Fern, Flavors from the Garden

1323 Central Avenue

Charlotte, NC 28205

Fern Website

Dining Out in New York City - Seasoned Vegan

Lemon Crusted Chicken Nuggets - Seasoned Vegan

First off, sorry for the lame iPhone photos on this post. Sadly I didn't come prepared with my camera for this meal and the dim restaurant lighting didn't help. I'd been wanting to try this vegan restaurant for a while, although it's still fairy new. It required a subway trip to upper Manhattan and a dining buddy that would be up for the adventure. It's conveniently located next to Central Park North (110 St.) stop off the 2 or 3 subway line in Harlem. Though it was a frigid evening, upon walking in I felt a warm, welcoming vibe in this family-oriented restaurant. Bring your appetite and forget the diet when you come to dine here! The cuisine ranges from New Orleans inspired and Southern comfort food to raw dishes. If you were a fan of fish before going vegan this menu has a number of vegan seafood options for you.

Stuffed Avocado - Seasoned Vegan

I read on Yelp reviews that they sometimes run out of menu items throughout the day, which is a bummer. Hopefully they'll get more organized with time. On this occasion they were all out of the Po' Boy Wrap which was a dish I was hoping to try. Instead we ordered a nice variety of things to split: Chicken Parmesan Wrap, Baked Mac & Cheese, Stuffed Avocado, and Lemon Crusted Chicken Nuggets. The Chicken Parmesan Wrap had a bread-crust coated soy chicken patty with lots of gooey, melted vegan mozzarella and a nice tangy marinara sauce rolled up into a grilled tortilla. This was delish! I haven't had too many vegan chicken parms, but I could indulge in this one again and again.  The Baked Mac & Cheese was so smooth and creamy. It was well seasoned, but didn't have a very cheesy taste. I enjoyed it a lot, but be warned it's a tad on the greasy, buttery side. The Stuffed Avocado was so incredibly filling that it could have been my whole meal. It's a whole avocado split open and filled with a seasoned almond "meat" topped with pico de gallo and a cashew cheese, all served over a bed of mixed greens. This gluten-free dish was the most natural and "green" of the bunch, but still loaded with fat (the good kinds) so I was appreciative that I was splitting it.  Lastly we tried the Lemon Crusted Chicken Nuggets, one of their most popular dishes, and it did not disappoint. The nuggets were coated in loads of bread crumbs for a super crispy outside and served with two sauces, one was more like a BBQ sauce called Uptown Tangy and the other, a creamy one I could drink it was so divine, called Jiggy's Harlem Renaissauce. The soy nugget itself was chewy and resembled chicken.

Baked Mac & Cheese - Seasoned Vegan

Chicken Parmesan Wrap - Seasoned Vegan

My full plate of delicious, filling vegan food!

Overall this meal rocked! We walked out stuffed and happy with every taste bud dancing and without much of dent in our wallets. My non-vegan friend thoroughly enjoyed her meal, which is important in my book and a great sign of how well prepared the food was! Worth the trip for sure.

Seasoned Vegan

55 Saint Nicholas Avenue

New York, NY 10026

Seasoned Vegan Website