Birthday 2010: Recap

My birthday was months ago, but here is a short recap on some of my fooding adventures on my holiday. First up, as pictured above, a piece of Chocolate Cake from My Local Co-Op, Mississippi Market. I really like picking up a couple pieces of this cake, that they always have available. It's delicious and simple and awesome with a glass of soymilk or almond milk.

Next up, Punch Pizza. It's my new favorite local pizza joint. Cheap, delicious food that is easily vegan and brings quality ingredients to the forefront. Plus, AMAZING freebies throughout the year via social networks. One of the smartest restaurants I've ever seen utilize Facebook, Twitter and a blog. First, the Punch Salad:


Mixed greens, pine nuts, balsamic vinegar. I believe the actual Punch Salad comes with prosciutto and cheese but vegan without those two. Focaccia comes with the salad and is also vegan.

Next, one of the "basic" pizzas, a margherita (crust, sauce, basil) with the dipping sauces of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the crusts:



Truly awesome pizza with a truly smart company. These folks should be the business model for all restaurants.

Twenty Eleven: The Year of Baking

As the delicious looking (and tasting) Garlic Pull-Apart Roll can show, I finally crossed into baking. Awesomeness. I really started at the end of 2010, but it helped to kick start 2011 into a baking frenzy.

I started with white bread:



(I used THIS RECIPE to start off everything.)

I moved into the rolls, and eventually to a focaccia-white bread mix and finally into wheat bread. Super easy, super delicious.

My goal, hopefully by the end of February is to make cinnamon rolls.

Oh, and? I started making the infamous chickpea cutlets at least once a week since the end of December 2010. Delicious lunches -- I've enjoyed them the most served cold with an A-1 sauce or yellow/Dijon mustard.

Obviously this is the first post in several months. Part of my New Year's Resolution is to post more often. I have been cooking a lot more and hope to showcase more of my risks in cooking as well as a lot of my "typical" meals.