A chocolate cake inspired by Martha + a vegan survey: Vegan MoFo #12

Nothing much to blog about here in vegan baking land, except that I made a pretty successful birthday cake for one of my clients (I feel so important using that word!). A 2 layer vanilla cake with chocolate buttercream, and I dusted in black polka dots (inspired by Martha Stewart’s craftiness) and the birthday greeting. Have to admit, cupcakes are much simpler to decorate but cakes are more fulfilling in the decorating department! It's pretty difficult to try to get the frosting smoothed out.


Anyway I found out about this survey from Food Snobbery is my Hobbery and I thought it’d be fun to answer. Here it goes!

1. Name a song that involves food in some way.
Sugar from Tick, Tick, Boom! “Sugar! She’s refined, for a small price she blows my mind. Sugar, she’s got the power to soothe my soul for half an hour…”

2. What criteria do you use when choosing a new cookbook to buy?
It should have nice food photos and easy to prepare dishes. I wish there was a vegan Filipino cookbook around! Hmmm, maybe I should pen one…

3. What did you eat today?
Breakfast: cereal with flax seeds, sunflower seeds, sliced banana, and cappuccino-flavored soymilk
Lunch: tofu scramble sautéed with garlic, onions and tomatoes; cannellini beans with pesto; and string beans

4. Name a vegan food that you know exists but you have never tried.
Fake cheese, vegan marshmallows, vegan white chocolate chips, tofurkey, fake bacon, store bought fake sausages, earth balance, soy-based whipped cream in a can, non-dairy milk and ice cream that is not soy,…

5. The Food Network just called and needs you to start your new show tomorrow. What will the title of the show be?
How to become a Vegan Domestic Goddess (of course!)

6. Favorite hot sauce or other spicy condiment?
Chiu chow chili, sili labuyo / local bird’s eye chili, spicy vinegar from Iligan City also known as “Pinakurat”

7. How old were you when you became vegetarian/vegan?
Vegetarian at 23, 3 months after that I turned vegan

8. Favorite vegan cheeze?
Never tried! So far I’ve made tofu ricotta from Veganomicon and I like that.

9. Cutest baby animal?
I don't like comparing the cuteness of baby animals, but if I had to it would be kittens and hedgehogs.











(Lucky at 4 weeks, photo taken by my cousin) (photo taken from here)

10. Favorite type of jam/jelly/marmalade/preserves?
Not a big fan of jam, but I do like mango jam and kalamansi marmalade. Oh and, coco jam. On toasted pan de sal, yum!

11. Do you take any vitamins/supplements?
Multi-vitamin which I know I should take everyday but I don't, a B-12 once a week, and vitamin C when I feel a cold coming. Spirulina when I remember.

12. What food/dish most embodies the Fall season?
There’s no fall in this part of the world, but in terms of the “winter” / holiday season, I’d have to say the various traditional desserts that make this country awesome (naturally vegan too!)! Puto bumbong (purple rice cakes cooked in bamboo tubes and slathered with coconut and palm sugar), puto (steamed white rice cakes), sapin sapin (rice cake with different colored and flavored layers eaten with latik / fried coconut milk solids), biko (rice cake with a caramelized coconut milk topping), carioca (fried caramelized rice balls), turon (caramelized banana spring rolls), you get the picture.

13. What food would you have a hard time living without?
Herbs and spices (specifically cilantro and coriander), rose water, fruit, arugula, eggplant, and cupcakes.

14. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?
Green tea or my new favorite herbal tea: Chanakara's Blue Ginger by The Stash Tea Company

15. It’s 10PM and you’re starving. What do you eat?
I’m sure to have cookies or cupcakes lying around… but usually I head for some fruit like mango or pineapple.

16. If you have an animal companion, what is his/her favorite food?
My cats eat kibble, but ever so often I give them tuna flakes.

17. Worst injury you’ve gotten in the kitchen?
Nothing to harp about, but I’ve been known to slice off a teeny bit of finger skin here and there, and I’ve burnt of some bits of knuckle skin too by being careless with the oven.

18. When you have a food-related question, who do you call?
Google or my cookbooks. In terms of cooking methods sometimes I go to my Betty Crocker cook book.

19. Summer is ending- What food will you miss most?
Hmmm summer is year long here. I think I’ll miss grilled veggies and fresh fruit like chico.

20. What snacks do you keep in your purse/backpack/desk at work?
I keep a stash of green tea in my desk drawer, and I don’t usually leave the house without an apple or orange in my purse. And bottled water.

21. Favorite soup to make on a rainy day?
Lentil soup with thyme and tarragon OR rosemary. Arroz caldo too, with lots of ginger.

22. What’s your favorite combination of fresh vegetable and/or fruit juices?
I like kalamansi juice or buko / coconut juice, never together. Either one + coconut rum = yum!

23. Favorite brand of root beer?
I’m boycotting all sugary beverages! I used to love Sarsi (local root beer brand).

24. Make up your own question!
Favorite bean dish? Chickpeas or black eyed peas tossed with chopped garlic, kalamansi juice, optional grated ginger, optional olive oil, and chopped cilantro.