Modern Love: Dinner Destination
Four years ago, Isa Chandra Moskowitz – a vegan chef, author (10 cookbooks), and all-around badass opened a restaurant called Modern Love in Omaha, Nebraska – a city put on the map by Warren Buffet (who holds the annual Berkshire Hathaway meetings in this “best bang for the buck city,” according to Forbes) and a culinary destination known more for steakhouses than vegetables.
Spurred on by the success of the midwest venture (which has since moved and expanded to a larger space to accommodate 80 diners), Moskowitz – a Brooklyn native – opened a second restaurant in Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York, also called Modern Love. Read more 
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Years ago, I used to make a Pineapple Upside Down Cake that was to die for – literally, as the recipe called for two sticks of butter, a few eggs, and a cup of sugar. So, the challenge was to figure out a way to make a Pineapple Upside Down Cake without the butter (or substituting 2 sticks of vegan butter), eggs, and an overload of sugar. Not an easy task but with all the beautiful fresh pineapples in the grocery stores, I thought it was high time to learn how to make a healthier version so I went through all my cookbooks and came up with a variation of Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Read more
Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup
….think of it as maple syrup with a little something-something to brighten your day.
Trader Joe’s is one of my favorite places to shop because they have the best avocados and organic extra firm tofu that is never mushy even before the water is squeezed out. But, they also carry the most delicious, robust Grade A dark Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup.
Made with one ingredient – maple syrup – the Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup is made by taking white oak barrels that have been used once to distill bourbon and reusing the barrels to age Great Lakes (Michigan) maple syrup, giving the barrels a second life and a twist on one of America’s favorite all natural syrups. Read more
The 8 Best Vegan Websites and Cookbooks
Whether you’re new to or know your way around vegan cooking and baking, there are several websites and cookbooks that offer all sorts of alternatives to the traditional American diet. Ingredients, time, complexity, taste, and appearance are the five aspects by which I judge a cookbook or website and these eight are simply the best.
When I first started making vegan dishes, I often consulted three sites and their corresponding cookbooks, all of which are excellent for the novice vegan baker/cook: Read more
