Vegan Castille Soap - Carrot and Basil, Lemon Balm, and Anise soaps

The carrot soap was made using all of the runty and wiry carrots growing in
tight in amongst the nice thick long carrots in our raised beds in the side yard.

I used only vegetation we grew ourselves, all organic, nothing was wasted.

I scrubbed these itty bitty carrots and boiled them in a bit of water and then pureed them smooth, using about 16 oz of vegetable matter. I then blended in 43.5 oz of olive oil.

In a large glass or ceramic bowl I added 12 oz of cold water very slowly to 6 oz lye, stirring gently with a silicone spatula until the temperature droped down between 110-115*. I slowly added it to the oil and vegetable blend. Using a stick mixer, I blended until trace appeared as a béchamel sauce consistency. 

It was then poured into a glass 8x17 pan (a ceramic, wax paper lined wood, or silicon mold would work as well). This was placed in an oven set to 170* for 2 to 3 hours. It then rested overnight. The next day it was un-mold, rinsed, cut,  and the slices cured on parchment for 2 to 3 weeks in a cool dark location.

After curing, they were wrapped in fresh parchment paper and stored in a plastic bag.

The soap shown below was mostly basil and lemon balm that I had soaking in the olive oil for a month in the cupboard. I added fresh anise seed during the blending process. It smells mostly of lemon balm.

Basil, Lemon Balm, and Anise made using
the herbs grown in our garden this summer.

Basil, Lemon Balm, and Anise soap

Blackbird Sweets

Blackbird Sweets is open for business out of the beautifully remodeled Horsefeathers Market located on Connecticut Street in the Westside of Buffalo. Her shop shares baking and serving space alongside her father and husband's shop, The Pasta Peddler.

Here is Andrea Amodeo, owner of Blackbird Sweets, holding her delicious Vegan Cinnamon Mocha Cupcake. It's moist and full of nooks and crannies, made possible by her use of coconut as an egg replacement. The creamy frosting is richly flavored. She creates, regular, gluten free, and vegan sweets of all sorts.

She also has a table at the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market which was full of brightly colored glittery cookies, cupcakes, and more. Andrea is as sweet as her treats and a delight to talk to. I highly recommend speaking to her about creating your next event's treats!

Zilly

"Courage is letting go, doing this feels brave." - Zilly Frazier Rosen

Two weeks ago I sat down with Zilly to share a sweet and coffee and to chat with her about life, business, and cake.

She began with cookies, and ten years of hands on learning in a small bakery in Chicago. Followed by pastries and pie in St. Louis, and eventually as a baker at Dolci here in Buffalo.

Dolci is where she found her passion. Feuled by cake and her love of teaching, her imagination, artistic expression, and the unique ability to listen to others as they shared their story helped to create some amazing pieces. As the demand for her pieces increased she made the big decision to take up residence on Elmwood at her aptly named shop, Zillycakes.

From baby shower cakes with baby bottoms peeking out, to wedding cupcake towers like what she created for my wedding, Zilly listened and put her best into every piece. Artisanal, unique, singular. Among the other extraordinary pieces she created was the portrait of then candidate Barack Obama displayed at Buffalo's Democratic headquarters in 2008.

A year later, an installation of a double portrait featured the new president side by side with his hero, Abraham Lincoln, during the Smithsonian's celebration of Lincoln's birthday bicentennial. There was also the Food Network's 9th season of Cake Challenge, which had her talents once again shining on the national stage.
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Over the last few years the pressures of being a mother, a daughter, a wife, a business woman, a boss, an artist, a baker all began to exert a great deal of strain.

The nature of the business is one of challenges. With a thin profit margin, staff needs and demands, Fridays and Saturdays taken up with cake, years of missing so much, Zilly came to the conclusion it was time to seriously consider what needed to take precedent.

She made the decision to slide out of the front end of the business and tried to present the opportunity to take over the business as a sweet deal. It sure was a sweet deal, but not one that too many people were in the position to take on. At the time of our meeting, she had six people who were considering it.

You can imagine how surprised I was when Zilly messaged me this past Wednesday to invite me over to hear the details. "We have our big announcement ready, with a press release and everything, so there's a happy "end" to our story!"

Wendy Egloff, owner of Firefly Cupcakes, will be creating a second location. This Spring Wendy will be coming in and renovating the space to mirror her East Aurora's Firefly cupcake location's theme.

So inspired by her "Elvis", Wendy will create a cake studio space for Zilly to be a master teacher and creator. Which of course, when Zilly told me, I burst into happy tears which had her starting to tear up too. It's so good to know that the spirit of Zillycakes remains, as does the exceptional Zilly herself! 

Keep an eye out for a second article to feature Wendy and Firefly!

To Every Season Turn Turn Turn - B. Ferrante's in the Fall

Who could resist a Nutella Baci di Giulietta (Juliet's Kisses) with their brilliantly colored sugar crystals? Not I. Not even when begged to, as I was for the photo shoot by KC Kratt for Buffalo Spree's November 2012 'Cheap Eats' issue.

Sarah and Lucy epitomize the spirit of seasonal foods. Their cases full of unique sweet and delicate, savory and bold baked goods rotate as the seasons turn, and this fall the selection is excellent!

November promises to be full of the sweet and the savory, with choices like the vegan pumpkin pecan cookies and maple agave cornbread muffins.



The knobby witch fingers with almond fingernails, were both morbid and delightful.

Gluten free options include double chocolate ganache brownies, snickerdoodles, and chocolate gateau with ganache and chestnut puree.





Bourbon Pecan and pumpkin pies, carrot tea cakes with cream cheese frosting, pumpkin bread with cranberries and apple cider glaze, currant shortbread, apple fritters, ginger bacon cookies (made with Spar's bacon), and molasses cookies overflow the cases.

Vegetarian and bacon lover versions of the savory winter vegetable pies with cabbage, potato, onion, bacon and cheddar will be available. You can special order your Thanksgiving pies now. There will also be old favorites year round, like the Biscotti and oatmeal raison cookies. Keep an eye out for more offerings as the year turns. Check out my Urbanspoons review on B. Ferrante's - Specialty Italian Cookies and Pastry.

Aloo Dum (Potatoes In Masala) Vegan

6 medium red skinned potatoes, chopped to bite size
4 tbls sesame oil

6 big garlic cloves, crushed

4 tbls flake salt

Put in a large pan and cook until potato pieces are lightly browned and fully cooked. Slide the potatoes into a large casserole dish and set aside.

8 medium sized ripe tomatoes, each cut into four quarters
1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped
1 tbls corriander seeds
1 oz slivered fresh ginger
4 tbls cup fresh finely powdered coconut

3 chillies, minced
1 tbls cumin seeds 

2 tsp cumin powdered
½ teaspoon cracked peppercorns
1 tsp cardamon, ground

1 tsp cinnamon, ground

1 tsp clove, ground
2 tsp seasame seed oil

Put all of the ingredients into a sauce pot, cover, and cook on high for ten minutes. Turn down the heat and blend with a stick blender a few bursts until the sauce is chunky, not pureed.

Pour over the potatoes and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with a large salad, raita, and naan.

7 Day Raw Vegan Cleanse (Dish idea and food prep)

My friend Maura has been doing a series of these 7 day raw food cleanses and I figured it would be an interesting way to go through my Solstice Fast.

"7 days of raw food's to cleanse and rejuvenate your body and your mind. 7 days is all you need to make some dramatic changes in your eating habits/patterns and experience a huge difference in the way you feel.

This will be the kickstart you need to make a permanent lifestyle change or simply give you a higher appreciation for food. All you will be eating is fresh fruits and vegetables and all you will be drinking is green smoothies and water...no alcohol, caffeine, smoking....this is a total cleanse....what your body needs even if you are a healthy eater.



Sunday= prep day...try and eat light don't gorge on things you will not be eating for 7 days this is not helpful.  After dinner you will start your fasting, which means no late night munching. ♥




Monday = Day 1- Breakfast = fasting, Lunch = fasting, Dinner = mono-fruit











Tuesday through Saturday = Breakfast = mono-fruit, Lunch = Green Smoothie and cut up veggies, Dinner = Big Green Salad and cut up veggies

Sunday = Day 7-Breakfast = Green Smoothie, Lunch = Big Green Salad, Dinner = cut up fruits and veggies."

The smoothie pictured to the left is blueberry, banana, spinach and kale. For Thursday's lunch I blended tomatoes, sage, basil, chives, romaine and clover with flowers into a cold soup and topped it with a tablespoon of raw vegan roasted red pepper pate made from peppers, sunflower seeds, tahini, green onions, lemon juice and garlic.

 Served it with a spinach salad with sliced cucumbers and peas straight from the garden. My girls had theirs with a bit of shredded Monterey Jack.

I lost 14 pounds at the end of the fast, and although I don't really feel all that different, others have commented on how happy I look. Which for me, means I had success! I'm still having green smoothies every day and my daughters love all of the extra vegetables. So there I had success too!                  

Slivered yams for smoothies