Celeb Inspiration: Marie Antoinette

So my birthday was this weekend, right? And it happened to be a birthday significant in the States for the reason that when one reaches the age of 21, one is allowed to purchase alcohol legally. For this reason, I attempted to put together the most outrageous and decadent party that I possibly in order that I might dance, drink champagne and eat cake all the live-long day/night. Since any excuse to channel Marie Antoinette/Sofia Coppola's representation of her is quite enough for me.


My ensemble was assembled from various sources, encompassing things old, new, borrowed, and blue, pulled together with a few accenting pops of pink and a fabulous pair of fake eyelashes. The decor and food were of course conceived around the general theme of decadence, hence the abundance of flowers, bubbly and sweets.


You may or may not be able to identify in the picture above (from left to right) my moderately successful attempt at recreating Vegan Yum Yum's petits fours, the chocolate-chocolate chip cookies from Veganomicon courtesy of my boyfriend, a bowl of ever-delicious and surprisingly vegan Jordan almonds, the tree of chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting, and my personal bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne popped alongside the perfect birthday goblet that my mom magically discovered for me in time for this occasion. Ever-so appropriately, it reads "Let them eat cake!"

Fall in a Bowl, Pt. 2

Salad, risotto, and wine: a well-balanced birthday din-din.

For his birthday, I granted my dad a coupon for a special home-cooked meal as soon as I got the chance, and tonight happened to be it. I swooped down on Whole Foods to gather my ingredients, then set to work putting his surprise dinner together. This process was observed from a comfortable distance - the menu wasn't revealed until the moment it hit the plates.

This was my first time taking the care and indulgence necessary to carry off risotto and, uh, it was way worth it. It absolutely melts in your mouth. Devote an evening to making this and I solemnly swear you will not be disappointed.

Butternut Squash Risotto
adapted from the Barefoot Contessa, serves 6

1 medium butternut squash
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons margarine
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
4 cups no-chicken stock
2 cups water

Preheat the oven to 400. Halve the squash, de-seed it, and place cut-side down on a cookie sheet greased with two tablespoons of olive oil. Place the squash in the oven for 45 minutes.

Pour the stock and water into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. In the meantime, saute the shallots in the remaining three tablespoons of olive oil and three of margarine until translucent. Stir in the rice, coating thoroughly with butter and oil. Add the wine, simmering for about two minutes. Add two ladlefuls of the warmed broth, plus the salt, white pepper and turmeric. Allow the broth to be absorbed, stirring every coupla minutes. Once it starts to seem a little dry, add another two ladles of stock. Continue this routine for about 30 minutes, until all the broth is used.

Once the squash is cooked through, peel off the skin and cube with a knife. Stir into risotto.

A Day for Cake

So yesterday was a very busy day, and a special occasion: boyfriend's birthday! The first part of it I spent on a backstage tour of Epcot's hydroponic garden. Let me just say, they may not be organic, or jive at all with my agricultural values, but my, was it magical! The kind of wonder one expects to find in a Disney affiliate. Check it!


400-pound pumpkins!!


A "tomato tree" that has produced 32,000 tomatoes!!!


Here's a wide view of the part of the greenhouse where all the vertical containers moved around on a huge track, suspended from the ceiling. So futuristic and weird.


Yep, that's a Mickey-shaped squash.

Jarred picked me up afterward and we went straight to my house to pick up his birthday cake! Couldn't even make it to the dining room before cutting into it. Let me introduce you, my friends, to the baklava cheesecake:



OMGGGG, this was literally the first processed sugar I've had in over two months, and I loved every second of it!!! It was the recollection of a distant memory of this cake that moved me to make it: Bizarre Avenue Cafe in downtown Lake Worth, FL had it as the chef's dessert special one fine day in my childhood. So here's my improvised version - pretty labor-intensive, but for special occasions, it's well worth the time and effort.

Baklava Cheesecake
serves 10

[Baklava]
2 cups walnuts
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/3 cup vegan sugar
1 roll of pre-made vegan phyllo dough (two to a box in my experience)
1/2 cup melted coconut oil

[Syrup]
1/2 cup local honey or agave nectar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegan sugar
1 stick of cinnamon

Toss the walnuts, spices and sugar together in a bowl. Pulse the mixture around 15 times in a food processor, then return to the bowl. Brush a circular metal baking tin with coconut oil, then start layering half-sheets of dough, brushing each one with the oil as well. Once you've got 10 down, spread a 1/3 of the walnut mixture over top. Repeat the process, this time with 8 sheets. Spread the next 1/3 of walnuts. Layer 8 more sheets, then the final third, and top with a final 8 sheets.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. In the mean time, boil the honey, water, sugar and cinnamon stick for 10 minutes. Set aside.

[Cheesecake]
Adhered, for the most part, to Vegan Pandamonium's cheesecake recipe. My small changes due to ingredient availability were:

• lime instead of lemon juice
• no coconut milk
• arrowroot starch instead of corn starch
• phyllo dough crust, made in the same manner as baklava

Once the cheesecake has baked for 40 minutes, also at 350 degrees, allow it to cool for a bit, then plop the whole baklava onto it. Allow the baklava to cool completely, poke around 8 holes in the top with a fork, then pour syrup (minus the cinnamon stick) all over it. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. Serve at room temperature!