Faves: Vegan Desserts

Some years ago, vegan baked goods started making inroads into the Austin scene. Wheatsville had carried them packaged for a long time, as had other health food stores, but suddenly Wheats had its own bakery case. Then there was Dhaba Joy, and vegan cupcakes (admittedly outsourced) at the cupcake sellers like Hey Cupcake.

I like vegan baked goods because they're usually not quite as sweet as regular ones, and their flavors can be more subtle because they're made with more spices, different flours, or other unusual ingredients. It's a less-guilty guilty pleasure.

Wheatsville's vegan Mexican Chocolate Cake

The wider acceptance of vegan sweets may never catch on, but Wheatsville is still going strong. They have about seven or eight cakes, cookies, and muffins that they rotate. This cake was crumbly, kind of like a coffee cake but less rich. It had a complex spicy flavor that I couldn't quite sort out, and made a nice mid-morning snack.

Faves: Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Being vegan has never looked like so much fun. Not that I'm a vegan, but I do appreciate vegan desserts, especially those made with coconut milk. Coconut milk ice cream is just as good as the "real thing" if not better--it's quite rich and delicious and in my opinion doesn't have the slightly icky aftertaste that ice cream leaves you with. 

This is one of several brands of coconut milk ice cream that Wheatsville carries. 

Num.

Gratuitous third picture, just because it is so delicious.

Happy summer!

Faves: Yogurt

When did my love affair with yogurt begin? I remember eating it as a child, though not with any particular relish. Back then it just seemed like a poor substitute for ice cream. But ice cream for breakfast, though it may have happened in Little Miss Sunshine, was not a common occurrence in my childhood.

I think I can date a true appreciation of yogurt to the time I spent in France in 2002. That was the first time I remember seeing such a dazzling variety of yogurts in a grocery store. More important, the hostel where we stayed for the first couple of weeks served fromage blanc at breakfast, along with a few other things... Not wanting to have a croissant every morning I got hooked on the yogurt-like substance and continued to eat it on my own, especially with a little fruit preserves or honey mixed in. Sooo gooood.

Back in the states I had a hard time finding a similar product... Most yogurts were thinner, which is not bad (in fact I ate a lot of runny White Mountain yogurt and saved the jars as bulk storage) but does not have the deliciousness factor of the thicker, richer yogurts.

Then a couple of years ago Central Market started carrying Fage... And from there the thick, boutique yogurt craze has mushroomed like an acidophilus culture. In San Francisco, one of the well-known farmers market vendors sells small batch yogurt in recyclable pottery cups. Never tried it, but it has a true following. Here in Austin, I can now spend 30 minutes in front of the yogurt selection at Central Market... So many to choose from. And from what I hear, fro-yo is making a comeback after a facelift.

Yogurt is one of those little indulgences--if you get the kind that isn't reduced fat--that is just healthy enough to be enjoyed on a semi-regular basis. Maybe that's why its popularity is growing. Me, I keep it around (usually plain white yogurt) for breakfast, for snacks, for baking (can often be used instead of buttermilk), even for dips/salad dressings...

Canadian yogurt from Central Market

Yum-o

Re-used White Mountain yogurt jar

Anyway the yogurt-philia is already causing other good things besides smoother digestive action for the masses: Yoplait recently announced they will be fazing out yogurt made with milk treated with rBGH by August.