Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

 

I love when people take desserts that are usually meant to be made into cakes or pies and create a cupcake version. Tiramisu, chocolate cream pie, banana cream pie, and the list goes on and on.

For a chubby guy like me it is nice to have desserts in cupcake form. The smaller version keeps me from eating an entire cake or pie. Seriously. Don’t act like you have never thought of it.

Cupcakes are something close to heaven. Small, quick, and personal size; each one has its owns distinctive beauty. Who doesn’t love them?

I know the cupcake trend has been dying a slow death but I am going to chain myself to the doors of the bakery and hope it never goes away. I love you cupcakes. I even wrote a song about you…

Okay maybe not.

Here is a cupcake version of Pineapple Upside Down Cake… Fun, right?

More after the jump…

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Provincetown: A Vegan Guide

Last week I was fortunate enough to head to one of my favorite places in the world- Provincetown, MA.

For those of you unfamiliar with Provincetown, it is the easternmost city in Massachusetts. In addition, it is also one of the most gay friendly cities in the US. Provincetown is the perfect mix of everything I love: beach, sun, drag queens, food, and liquor.

Husband and I headed there for a lovely vacation that gave us a much needed break from all of our dog drama and stress.

Since I had not been to Provincetown in almost 9 years I couldn’t really remember much of their food options. The last time I was there I probably would have settled for pizza and ice cream; clearly times have changed.

Here is my quick and dirty lowdown of vegan Provincetown and a few fun pictures from my adventure.

Napi’s Restaurant

An eclectic, very “old-Cape” restaurant that has just about anything you can imagine on the menu. The server was really nice and super accommodating. They do have a specific “vegetarian” section and made distinctions about dairy, etc. I had the “Jewel in the Crown,” which is essentially a tofu curry stir fry. Not the best curry I have ever had, but it was good relatively speaking. Like most of Provincetown, it’s a bit on the pricey side!

Governor Bradford

The GB is a Provincetown staple, right in the middle of town. I had the spaghetti... Do I need to say any more? Make sure to go to their drag queen karaoke and see Anita Cocktail; she is a friend and an all around hoot.

Tiny’s

Tiny’s is an intimate rooftop restaurant right on the main drag. They had an exquisite vegan Caesar salad and wonderful vegetable pakoras. Two big thumbs up for Tiny’s! The menu was also clearly marked, which I love. I would say this is a must visit for any vegan visitor to P-town.

Devon’s Café

Devon’s was literally right next to our hotel and it was so good we ate there twice. I always think finding good vegan breakfast can be a bit of a challenge. Devon’s had tofu scramble AND vegan French toast. This is another must visit! The outdoor seating is lovely, the servers are precious, and there is a bowl of the best raspberry jam I have ever had on every table.  All around, perfect.

Bradford Natural Market

So this is not a restaurant, but it is the best place to purchase vegan / organic fare if you have a kitchen. Plus, they have a wonderful take out cooler with amazing sandwiches. Husband and I split a peanut curry wrap that was just perfect. It is a little pricey, but with its size and location that is to be expected. I have a special place in my heart for small organic food markets and this place did not disappoint.

Harbor Lounge

Not a restaurant, but the Harbor Lounge was just a super cool bar. Wanted to make sure I share!

El Mundo Restaurant

This is a fun little Mexican place right in the center of Provincetown. We went in for a light lunch and they had clearly labeled vegan black beans and rice, which is one of my favorite light meals.

Karoo Kafé

I didn’t have the chance to go here, but they have a really nice menu with a ton of vegan options. If you ever make it to Provincetown, make sure to go and tell me about it! Everything on the menu sounded great!

Lewis Brothers

An ice cream place that had vegan fruit sorbet... I didn't go, but I am happy they had some type of frozen vegan treats!

More pictures after the jump...

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Margarita Cupcakes

Oh hello blog… It’s me, Chubby. Sorry, I have been away.

Here is a recap…

1. My elderly dog, Nana Bear, has been really sick. She has cancer and we thought we were going to lose her. Luckily she pulled through and is now acting like she has never heard the word cancer. YAY!
2. I had a quick (and unexpected) trip to NYC- my happy place.
3. Upon my return, one of my other dogs (Buddy) decided he felt left out. He hurt his back and was screaming more than I ever heard a dog scream in my life. Emergency trip to the ER Vet, lots of drugs and money later; now my house is a dog hospital.

Sigh...

All of this makes me want to drink. Yep, drink. Since it is summer, I feel it is only fitting to drink my favorite summer beverage- a frozen margarita.

Alas, my blender is in the shop. So, we will have the next best thing: a margarita cupcake!

Oh man these are good. You know how some “drink desserts” are just a little off. Not these babies… They are just the perfect mix of summer and fun to make you want to eat every last one. The recipe is from my go-to vegan goddess, Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. They are L-O-V-E-L-Y.

Info after the jump…

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For the Love of (Stuffed Crust) Pizza

 Who doesn't love Pizza?

That greasy mess is as American as credit card debt and shopping at Wal-Mart. But, alas, I am a pizza fan. Ever since discovering that Papa John’s original crust pizza (sans cheese) is vegan I have been spending a bit too much time on the pizza train.

Then I saw this lovely from one of my all time favorite food bloggers, Meet the Shannons.

Mexican + Pizza = quite possibly the best food combo since Peanut Butter and Jelly.

I made a few minor adjustments from the original recipe, but nothing major. The result is nothing short of a pizza miracle. I officially bow down to this Shannon family masterpiece.

¡Ole!

Recipe after the jump…

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Vegan Los Angeles (Day Two)

Another Gratuitous LA Beach Scene

When I look back at my posts, I think I say things are “the best ever” or “the most delicious meal I have ever had” way too much.

Maybe I am just colorful?

Perhaps I over emphasize a bit?

Could I just like food that much?

I don’t know really. But what I do know is that these places in Los Angeles carry my highest recommendation. Both places were just awesome. Really, Bess pointed me in the right direction and I owe her a debt of gratitude. By gratitude I mean Madeleine Bistro donuts the next time I am in LA.

M Café

Anyplace that serves a good vegan breakfast is okay in my book. Add on some Babycakes cupcake tops and you just scored an A++ for me. I enjoyed my first ever Benedict (vegan or not) at M café, which was served with a grilled whole-grain baguette, steamed kale, tomato, tempeh bacon and topped with soy hollandaise. It was perfection on a plate. Plus, it was one of the best presentations I have seen in a long time. Yes, please!

Because I couldn’t resist, I also had some Babycakes cupcake tops too. Dessert for breakfast is okay, right? It is when you are chubby.

Veggie Grill

Veggie Grill is a vegan chain serving up “fast-food esque” vegan fare in the greater Los Angeles area. Really, I think this place alone is enough to make me want to live in LA. I had the Santa Fe Crispy Chickin’ sandwich which I haven't been able to stop thinking about. I think I may have dreamed about it a few times. This came with a side of perfect vegan macaroni and cheeze and we ordered sweet potato fries as an appetizer. To save you from my gushing, I will just say you need to add this place to your vegan bucket list, ASAP.

A little more after the jump...

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Vegan Los Angeles (Day One)

Gratuitous LA Scenery Shot

I am really lucky.

I get to travel to some very cool places for work. While I am there, I believe it is my duty to check out as many cool places as humanly possible. Naturally, for a chubby guy, this means eat at as many places as I can.

During my last trip to Los Angeles I made sure to visit some of LA’s finest vegan eateries. Much like New York City, Los Angeles is a vegan wonderland. LA is one of the only places I have been where you can drive around and see vegan eateries literally anywhere. Most cities you have to go to the “special” part of town to find an all vegan restaurant; you know the part of town that is just a little bit run down and everyone rides a bike.

Since I ate at a fair amount of places in LA, I am splitting it and all of its vegan loveliness into two posts:

Real Food Daily (RFD)

I was joined by the lovely, incredible, sweet, amazing, and just all around awesome Bess from I Dream of Greenie for my first trip to Real Food Daily. Bess gave me lots of wonderful recommendations for my vegan tour of LA and this was definitely one of them. RFD had a solid menu with plenty of really fun and eclectic choices. We started off with the “Not-chos” that were covered in melted cashew cheese and guacamole. Really doesn't get much better than that.

I had the “Burger with the works,” which included avocado, tempeh bacon, melted cashew cheese. This burger was about as big as my head and I almost had a hard time finishing it. Alas, that burger was no match for me. It was, by far, one of the best veggie burgers I have ever had. It came with a lovely vegan Caesar salad too; a perfect accessory to a great burger.  

Finished it off with some mint chip ice cream and a heaping topping of “I can’t wait to go back.”

Madeleine Bistro

Well not really. But, Bess brought me a donut from Madeleine Bistro and it was incredible. It was one of those pastries that just gets better with each bite. It just melted in your mouth. I want more. Now…

One more after the jump...

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I Heart New York

I love New York.

I have made that clear here and here. From the first time I got off the train in Manhattan I knew there was something special about NY for me. I felt like Madonna when she arrived in New York and said, “take me to the middle of everything.”

Note: Most moments in my life can be directly correlated to a Madonna moment or song.

I jump at any chance I have to be in New York, which I really believe is the center of everything. Culture, art, food, scandal, love, live, and everything in between can be found in New York. GUSH

I was in New York last week for a brief work trip and had the chance to try out a couple vegan eateries. Here is the good, bad, and ugly… 

1. One Lucky Duck

I have posted about One Lucky Duck before when they had a promotion on Daily Gourmet, but I finally had the chance to visit. First off, it was my first time in Chelsea Market and it was so fun! One Lucky Duck is tucked away in a large room of vendors and is predominately raw with lots of delicious juices, smoothies, and raw yum-yums. I asked for a smoothie suggestion and was led to the simple banana, cashew milk, and cinnamon. Seems so boring, but was so delicious. It was the perfect treat for a humid NY day. Yum!

2. Caravan of Dreams

The name of this place makes me chuckle, so I had to visit… Let me start with the positive. The atmosphere in this place is amazing. It is SO cute and just has that perfect level of underground NY that made me feel like Andy Warhol at a 1974 café. I had the maple and tamari smoked tempeh, which was just lovely; a fusion of flavors that blended perfectly.

My travel partner got the red lentil and roasted cauliflower cakes. Sounds good, right? She took one bite and damn near spit it out. The cakes were spiced with curry, which she is NOT a fan of. Problem is the menu had NO mention of curry at all. We all know many people have a love / hate relationship with curry and it is a really strong flavor. Yet, they completely disregarded this and left no mention of it on the menu. My travel partner is a new vegetarian and I know how disappointed she was. Clearly, I was too. She ate around it, but I hate when people have to do that. So, if anyone from Caravan of Dreams reads this, I hope you will adjust your menu in the future. A simple change would lead to a world of difference.

Ice cream perfection after the jump…

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A Little Trip to Georgia

Once upon a time I was a Chubby Vegetarian, who lived in Georgia.

Imagine that, a New England boy living in the South! I had never met anyone who went to a mega church or didn’t believe in evolution. Nope. Never.

So moving to Georgia was a major adjustment for me. When I told people that I was moving there they assumed I would be killed because I was gay, outspoken, and fill in the ___. Thankfully, I wasn’t. Plus one for me!

I ruffled a couple of feathers in Georgia but I wouldn’t take the experience back for a second. I grew tremendously as a person and met some really amazing people.

Husband, although born in Pittsburgh, spent the majority of his formative years in Georgia and we get back to Bulldog country as much as we can.

My favorite restaurant on the planet, The Grit, is in Athens, GA. I get the same thing every time and it never disappoints. Sadly, it was super dark in the restaurant and I couldn’t take any good pictures. So use your imagination:

The Golden Bowl = Fried tofu in oil and soy sauce, coated with nutritional yeast, layered over brown rice, and a bunch of vegetables. Cover it in some Frank’s hot sauce with a cold beer. *I just fainted*

If you ever have the chance, please go to The Grit and tell them Chubby Vegan sent you. Make sure to get dessert too! 

While we were there we also got to try out a new(er) place called Mama’s Boy for brunch. It was just lovely and they made a tofu stir fry strangely reminiscent of my favorite food from The Grit. Theirs came with toast and an incredible raspberry jelly.

This was their only vegan friendly brunch option but it was delicious so I still give them a Chubby Vegan Stamp of Approval. I was a member of the clean plate club that day!

Whoever said chicken & waffles and barbecue is all you can eat in Georgia? 

Click "Read More" for a few more pictures...

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Whole Foods Austin (Day 3)

It has been almost a month since my trip to Austin, but I have one more post that I needed to share.

What visit to Austin would be complete without a trip to Mecca? Wait, you say, Mecca is not in Austin, TX? Oh but it is, oh but it is.

Whole Foods World Headquarters and flagship store is in Downtown Austin. It is a sight to behold. Beautiful. It almost brought tears to my chubby face.

First of all, the store is huge. The whole place was spotless clean, bright, and surprisingly easy to get around. I actually went a couple of times while I was there, once for brunch and once to pick up some things for a party.

I have so much to say about this store, but I don’t want to bore you or make you too jealous of the smart people who have moved to Austin. Here is my brief summary….

There is a (almost totally) raw bar that was delightful. The staff members who worked there were so amazingly friendly and they let me try all sorts of delicious raw items, including a Kale and Avocado salad which was outstanding.

The beer and wine section was enormous with very nice guys who led me to an organic wine section that made me gush. I love organic wine!

My friend Erica and I enjoyed, quite possibly, the best tofu tacos I have ever had. I got 3, which for the record is way too many, that had all sorts of delicious toppings on them including guacamole, daiya, beans, and vegan sausage. We topped it off with a peanut butter pie (don’t hate, it was brunch), which was incredible. Sadly, my chubby stomach was pretty full after devouring 3 tacos so I wasn’t able to finish it. Imagine, not being able to finish a dessert!

Overall, I was most impressed with the amazingly friendly staff. Whole Foods in Pittsburgh is great, but the employees in Austin were almost Disney like in their friendliness and service level. That is the best compliment anyone can ever get from me.

I have an unhealthy obsession with customer service and seeing it done so well made me just want to be a part of the team at Whole Foods. So if you are reading this Whole Foods management, I am willing to move to Austin. Email me… *wink wink*

If you are ever in Austin, please make sure you stop into the Whole Foods flagship; it is an absolute must see!

I took a bazillion pictures in the store and I added more of them after the jump. 

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Austin Day Two

I think I made a mistake; I probably should have stayed in Austin.

If the weather alone isn’t enough to make you want to live in Austin, the beautiful people and amazing
food just puts you right over the edge. I have been looking at pictures of my trip and it makes me very
nostalgic. It also makes me hungry, but that’s another story.

I am going to take some liberties and break apart “Austin Day 2” into what is more like days 2-4.
There are so many great places to talk about, but I don’t want to be like Aunt Edna showing you slides
from her trip to Niagara Falls.

So, shall we?

Counter Culture

Austin is known for their food carts. There are quite a few of them around town and there are at least
three that are exclusively vegan. I really love the idea of a food cart; a basic menu, a couple of specials,
outdoor seating, and the ability to pick up and carry your restaurant to a new location. Awesome!

I only got the chance to eat at one food cart in Austin, but it was pretty amazing. It’s in the parking lot of a convenience store, which in itself is so punk rock I can’t even stand it. The owner, chef, and all around cool chick (Sue) was there and we chatted about all things vegan and Austin. I love meeting new vegans, especially adorable food cart vegans.

My friend Erica and I split three things at Counter Culture:

Red Lentil & Celery Root Loaf Sandwich (made from sweet potato, bread crumbs & spices served with
organic lettuce, tomato, ketchup & mustard)

Philly Seitan (w/ cashew cheese, onions, and pepper)

Raw Doughnut Hole / Brownie

All of it was excellent! Hard to believe such perfection can come out of a little truck in front of a
convenience store. I feel like I should open up a food truck. Do you think I can do that in cold and snowy Pittsburgh?

More vegan Austin, after the jump…

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Chubby Vegan Takes Austin: Day 1

Isn’t it crazy that a state known for leather, beef, and rodeo can also have a city with about a million vegan friendly eateries? Well, welcome to Austin!

This is the third time I have been to what I would call “the best thing about Texas” in the past couple of years. Every time I have been to Austin I like it a little bit more. One of my best friends in the whole world lives here and this year I am coming purely for vacation and a little bit of vegan Austin love.

I have completed day 1 and color me crazy about the “live music capital of the world.”

Before I came I asked some Austin twitter friends for vegan recommendations and they did not let me down! We hit up three places on day 1 and each one had its own flair, personality, and spirit.

I love Austin!

Stop 1: Mother’s Café & Garden

After coming directly from the airport I was ridiculously hungry and we hit up Mother’s first. This recommendation came straight from fellow Austin lover dreamofgreenie and it did not disappoint.

The place is cute and the staff was all very sweet. Let me sum it up… free chips and salsa, spicy tempeh enchiladas (w/ spicy cashew chipotle), and a koi pond inside the restaurant. Really, it doesn’t get much better than that.

Since I am in TX, how could I not have Mexican food at my first stop? The enchiladas were very good but the cashew chipotle sauce and guacamole took it a whole new level. I could probably put that sauce on anything. *drool*

More Austin love after the jump…

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New York Vegan Tour: Day 1

New York, New York! A hell of a town!

I remember the first time I went to New York…  I was about 13 and my Aunt Dottie and my Mom took me on the Amtrak Northeast Direct from Boston to the Big Apple. The World Trade Center was still intact, The Rosie O’Donnell Show was filmed at Rockefeller Center, and the TRL studio was being built right next to the giant Antonio Sabato Jr. underwear billboard in Times Square. Those were the days…

I have had major love for New York for as long as I can remember.

I had the chance to head to my favorite city last week for work and got to sneak in a couple of fun vegan stops while I was there. My friend and co-worker Kelly gladly joined me on my culinary tour as we hit up two vegan restaurants and one amazing vegan bakery. I am separating the trip into two posts because it's too good to lump into one…

STOP 1: Red Bamboo

This was a recommendation by my Twitter doppelganger, Fat Gay Vegan. You know I love a recommendation so I was all about it.

Red Bamboo is a small restaurant adjacent to the behemoth NYU campus in Greenwich Village. Their menu is pretty extensive and has a little bit of everything. You can get everything from vegan fish and chips to vegan BBQ ribs. I mean, what?!?!

There is a fair amount of fried yum yums on the menu, so if you love a deep fryer you are in luck.

Kelly and I shared the tempura broccoli and sweet potato, which was a plate of hot and fried loveliness. Sweet potato is one of my absolute favorite vegetables on the planet, but when you fry it with a tempura batter its loveliness increases.

For our entrée we actually got the same thing, the vegan chicken Parmesan. I don’t really know if it was baked or fried, but I can tell you it was great. I tore through mine like I had never eaten in my life. In all reality it had been a long day and I was pretty hungry. There was nothing coming between me and that plate.

The sauce had just a perfect level of sweetness, which I love. It’s a good thing.

The best part about Red Bamboo was our server was just delightful. She was way cute and gave me about a million and one vegan recommendations for other places to try. If I had the time, I would have gladly gone to all of them! I love a good server; it just makes the experience even better.  I told her about my blog, so if you are reading this Angela, leave a comment. I think we should be friends. (stalker alert)

Read more about my New York Adventure, Day 1, after the jump…

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