Easter is coming up, and what better way to prepare than by planning out all the sweet treats you and the children in your life will be devouring? Vegans love Easter candy just as much as the next person, and, luckily, many vegan candy makers are happy to oblige. Below is a round-up of what is available (we wanted to give you early notice, since many of these may have to be ordered and shipped).

Just remember that while the Easter bunny is adorable and fluffy, it is always best to stick to the chocolate variety. Please don't purchase a rabbit for your child as an Easter gift. Every year thousands or rabbits are bought as cute gifts who then end up being abandoned at animal control where they will almost certainly be euthanized, or thrown out into the wild, which results in certain death in a matter of days. Rabbits can live for up to 12 years and require just as much care as a cat or dog who they equal in intelligence and emotional bond to humans (they know their names and can be litter-trained!). The responsibility and the the fact that they do not enjoy being cuddled and held (they prefer you hang out next to them instead) often turn owners off soon after purchase, resulting in their abandonment. However, if you do feel that you or your child can (after doing proper research and meeting with a rabbit organization) adopt a bunny into your family, please seek out a rescue organization and not a breeder or pet store. SaveABunny is an award-winning, wonderful organization that is truly a leader in rabbit rescue and they are always looking for good homes for their rescues. And if you cannot adopt but still want to give some love to a bunny, then donate money, sponsor a rabbit, or give supplies.

And now for the candy:

1. Who doesn't adore Cadbury Cream Eggs? This intensely sugary treat was an Easter staple during most people's childhoods. Luckily, vegansaurus just did a "Vegan Cadbury Creme Egg TASTE OFF!" and has two great options they recommend that mimic the creamy candy perfectly.

   
   Vegan "Cadbury" Eggs from Queenbalch on Etsy and VeganSweets Vanilla Cream Eggs at Pangea
   Photos by Laura Beck of vegansaurus

2. Everyone knows those sugar-covered, brightly-colored, fluffy chicks and bunnies that appear in stores every year. Unfortunately Peeps are made of marshmallows, which contain gelatin. So they are actually not even vegetarian, let alone vegan. But masters of vegan marshmallows, Chicago Soy Dairy and Sweet and Sara, are here to satisfy our cravings.

   
   Chicago Soy Dairy's Tweets available at Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe (photo by Quarry Girl) and Sweet and Sara's Easter Peepers and Skippers available at Sweet and Sara's shop or Cosmo's.
   

3. Purveyors of fine vegan chocolates, Sjaak's never disappoints for holiday (and everyday!) vegan chocolates. You can go for a tub of simple easter eggs or a an adorable box of truffles. But my favorite is the chocolate bunny basket.
   
   Sjaak's Organic Bunny in Basket
4. Finally, here is a great line of candy bars from Go Max Go. They are not specifically for Easter, but they are damn good and, thankfully, available year-round. Meant to mimic chocolate bars we all know well--like Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way, and Almond Joy--these bars use creamy rice milk chocolate to envelope nuts, coconut, and vegan caramel and nougat. The company is coming out with peanut butter cups and a crispy rice bar very soon.

   
   Go Max Go rice milk candy bars

If you still can't decide on what to buy, check out the other Easter selections at Vegan Essentials, Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe, Pangea, and Sjaak's.

And if you want to forgo candy all together and focus on just decorating some eggs, pick up a few wooden or cardboard eggs at your local craft store, and get painting!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Nestled between SoMa, the Mission, and Potrero (Somisspo!), Source is a vegetarian (and vegan-friendly) restaurant offering not only a varied organic menu, but also a host of mood-enhancing and body-healing atmospheric elements.

The feng shui'ed space will feature a waterfall, custom-designed music, a special lighting system, purified air, and heated patio.

The menu will be seasonal and organic offering dishes from a wide range of cuisines. The food menu is about 60% vegan, with the only non-vegan ingredients in the kitchen being honey (used in some drinks) and cheese. Many dishes do include cheese, but they are easily veganizable. And the desserts are ALL vegan! Banana Chocolate Pie anyone?

Everything on the (reasonably-priced) food menu sounds delicious, but these stick out as particularly intriguing:

Peking Quack [faux duck] sandwich w/ soy quack, cucumber, avocado, scallions, and black sesame hoisin sauce

Crisp [dairy and fish-free] Caesar Salad with tamarind caesar dressing and sliced crispy pinole strips

Country Shepherds Pie with moo [faux beef], assorted fresh vegetables, caramelized & toasted onion, and mashed potatoes

[raw and gluten-free] Pecan Date Cream Roll

When asked about the reason for choosing onomatopoeias for the faux meat names, owner Andrew Fox replied, "We are using the animal sounds to name the foods so that no one is offended. [Also], the sounds of the animals are their voices thanking us for saving their lives." The faux meats are not made in-house yet, but will be in the future.

The extensive menu also offers pizzas, burgers, and dosas and they will offer a whole elixer and smoothie menu, raw options, and filtered ionized water.

My hope is that they will venture into offering vegan cheeses for their dishes. While the option to veganize is lovely, it would be nice not to have to subtract ingredients and instead be able to replace them with something equally delicious. I know I tend to challenge restaurants with this request, but nut cheeses and creams are a delicious alternative that more and more restaurants are embracing (like Gather, Gracias Madre, and Gratitude). They do offer cashew mayo and embrace raw food, so I'm hoping cashew cheese is not far off? And since the intention in their faux meat names is to acknowledge the saving of animals, a move away from dairy would acknowledge the fact that the meat and dairy industry are inherently connected.

Source looks to be an exciting addition to the vegetarian family of restaurants in the Bay Area. With it's wide range of culinary options, unique design elements, and welcoming spirit, it's sure to fulfill you mind, belly, and soul.

Source opens for dinner today, Wednesday, March 9, at 5pm. Beginning Thursday, March 10, it will be open 11am-3pm for lunch and 5pm-10pm for dinner. They will have a happy hour at 5pm on Thursday, serving elixirs, teas, coffee, dessert and some lunch and dinner fare. They will start serving brunch on Saturdays and Sundays in two weeks. (Always excited for more vegan brunch options in the Bay Area!)

Source
Open 7 days a week, 11am to 3pm for lunch, 5pm to 10pm for dinner
11 Division Street (at the corner of Division St and De Haro St, between King St and Berry St)
San Francisco, CA
415-864-9000
info@source-sf.com

When you think about Mardi Gras you think about New Orleans, and when you think about New Orleans you think about beignets! The word beignet refers to fried dough but depending on the country the pastry can vary. They can be square or round, savory or sweet, fruit-filled or plain dough. In New Orleans they are the natural accompaniment to your café au lait and they come piping hot in groups of three on a plate with a heap of powdered sugar on top.

Mardi Gras is just around the corner, and if you can't be in New Orleans, you may as well celebrate at home with these delicious treats.

Unfortunately for vegans, the dough for traditional beignets contains milk and eggs. But these two ingredients have simple substitutes, making for a very easily veganizable recipe.

This dough makes a LOT of beignets, so keep that in mind and cut the ingredients in half if you want less (but really, do you?).

You won't see any cupcakes here. No whoopie pies. Heck, not even any American pies. In Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker's excellent documentary Kings of Pastry, what you will see is a peek into the competitive high-level French competition for membership in the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (or MOF), an exclusive group of pastry chefs distinguished by "the collar" they receive as winners. The film begins at a time when seventy contestants have been narrowed to sixteen finalists and each man (apparently no woman has ever competed) spends four years preparing for the intense three-day competition.

At first, it may sound like a film you'd only be into if you appreciated French pastry or cooking competitions. But Hegedus and Pennebaker manage to draw you in quickly and don't let go until the very end. Like most good documentaries, you connect with the characters and begin to understand each man's motivation for competing as you get a glimpse into their home and work life. In this sense, you become invested in the outcome of the competition just like the competitor's own spouses or children. In addition to rooting for each contestant, you'll find yourself puzzling over the level of commitment it takes to prepare. There is so much to give up: time with family and kids, being fully present at work, and a normal social life. One of the contestants insists that when he and his wife were remodeling their home, they had to add a pastry workshop in the basement for him to practice and prepare for the competition.

I found myself rooting for Jacquy Pfeiffer, an Alsace-born, Chicago-based chef who has both determination and drive but also humility and perspective. While working on an elaborate wedding cake, he smiles and says "If you whistle it works better." While he may not be as piercingly intense as the other contestants, Pfeiffer is obviously immensely talented and confident that he's a sure contender. Here he is shaping his chocolate sculpture:

As you can probably imagine, not all goes as planned at the competition. To avoid any misteps, each contestant does a three-day trial run to try and work out the kinks. Sugar flower work for eight hours at a time without stopping for food or much drink? Check. Putting the finishing touches on an elaborate sugar sculpture only to break it when making an adjustment? Check. The stakes are obviously high. No amount of practice can prepare each man for how he'll perform on any given day. And the judges, having each gone through the same competition at one point in their lives, relate and sympathize with this pressure. When reading the name of the winners, the judge is obviously shaken and has difficulty saying the names out loud. By this point, they've witnessed sixteen sure winners, so it must be unimaginably difficult to announce that three years of one's life have been spent without anything to take back to show for it. One gentleman in the film is competing for his fourth time: sixteen years of constant preparation!

As the head of the jury says "Your mind has to work as hard as your hands." And this is, I think, at the crux of the fascination with this film: it's difficult for many of us to imagine this kind of focused and relentlessly enduring determination towards any one thing for years upon years. It's not just an interest, a hobby, or a passion. It seems to be more of a fire--something each finalist feels like they must do. And by the end of the film, you'll be surprised at who earns the "collar" and who is ultimately sent home to consider competing again or throwing in the towel. It's a touching, emotional, and thought-provoking film. Whether you're interested in food films or not, the topic at hand isn't really what this movie is about. It's really about heart. And that's where we all meet at the same table.

Image Credit: Film Forum

It's Oscar time again, in case you hadn't noticed.

Which is pretty much what I wound up doing this year. Not noticing, I mean. I somehow managed to see only one Oscar-nominated movie over the past twelve months and I am not about to make a heaping pile of grits to celebrate it, no matter how much I enjoyed the film.

So instead of discussing the current cast of award hopefuls, I thought I might celebrate those marvelous singers of Academy Award-winning singers of yesteryear.

I mean, why not?

As I ran down the list of songs, I realized that there were a handful of artists who introduced not one, but two Oscar-winning tunes to the world: Bob Hope, Judy Garland, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, disaster film songstress Maureen McGovern, Barbra Streisand, Bing Crosby (who sang a record four), Fred Astaire (if you count his whistling to The Continental), and...

Irene Cara. Remember her name?

I thought long and hard about which singer to single out and pay tribute to. Judy Garland? Too obvious. And the only thing I could think of doing for her was making a meal comprised entirely of pills, which is beyond my scope as a home cook. Bing Crosby? I suppose I could have taken some young, tender chicken, beaten it mercilessly, and marinated it in Minute Maid® orange juice, but I didn't have the stomach for it. Barbara Streisand? I worried that whatever I chose to make would spring to life from the counter top and try to wrest from me total creative control.

I almost gave up.

Then I remembered the Cara Cara orange and how every time my chef would utter its name, I would say quietly insert two "Irenes" into his sentence, as in "I'd like to have the Irene Irene Cara Cara orange salad, please." My chef seems to love this fruit so much, he says things like, "It's so nice, they named it twice."

Twice.

And, since Miss Cara sang an Oscar-winning song not once but twice, I just had to go with it.

When I realized that she was one of the original cast members of the best children's show of my generation, The Electric Company*, there was nothing else I could do but pay this woman tribute.

So I set about to make an Irene Irene Cara Cara sorbet.

Referencing a recipe for blood orange sorbet by the rather solid David Lebovitz (Solid as in his recipes. I have never once asked him to flex for me.), I did everything with precision. I measured my juice in milliliters and weighed my sugar in grams, I made a perfect little syrup, I added just the right hint of alcohol to make it scoopable.

I did everything right except allow my ancient ice cream maker's freezing element to get cold enough. When I set my sorbet to churn, it went round and round but, instead of firming up into a silky sorbet, all it managed to do was make itself dizzy. I would have thought three days in a cranked up freezer would have done the trick, but I think it decided do kill itself after bearing witness to my last ice cream experiment, which will more than likely never see the light of day on these pages. I was filled with the same emotion that was conveniently printed on label of the Campari whose content I had so tenderly splashed into my sorbet base:

What a feeling. I was also undeniably frustrated but, search as I might, that word was nowhere to be found on any of my ingredient packaging.

I had half a mind to just throw everything away and pour myself a drink, but I thought better of it. There was to be no drinking in my immediate future because my creditors depend upon my showing up to work sober.

And I couldn't let Miss Cara down. Her comeback is entirely dependent upon the success of this dessert.

So I placed my motion sick sorbet base into my refrigerator, and returned to it in the morning. I have to admit that I was rather pleased by the outcome.

Irene Irene Cara Cara Orange Granita

I don't care how much you groan at the name because it's a dessert as refreshing as Miss Cara's voice and as perky as those breasts of hers she so reluctantly showed to that guy with the video camera in the movie Fame.

As I have said before, this recipe is based upon the blood orange sorbet recipe of David Lebovitz, who has a much better ice cream maker than I do, but is nowhere near as perky as Miss Cara's Cara Caras.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups (500 ml) freshly squeezed Cara Cara orange juice
• 1/4 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons, plus 3 tablespoons (for soaking citrus segments) of Campari
• About 1/2 cup of Cara Cara orange flesh, hacked into little pieces

Preparation:

1. Put your sugar into a small, non-reactive saucepan. When one says "non-reactive" when referring to sauce pans, one means a pan that is made of a material that does not react adversely to acid, such as stainless steel, glass, or ceramics. If you think your saucepan is non-reactive simply because it shows no emotion when you fill it with ingredients and put it over high heat, you are either hopeless in the kitchen or you are an entirely fascinating, innocent creature and I would like to get to know you better.

Add just enough juice to saturate you sugar, then heat--stirring frequently-- until the sugar is completely dissolved and you have a lovely little syrup.

2. Stir this syrup into your Cara Cara orange juice. Add three tablespoons of Campari and stir well. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish and set in your freezer or the freezer of a good friend or neighbor who will allow you frequent access to his or her kitchen. Let stand in said freezer for about 45 minutes.

Toss your chunks of orange with the remaining Campari and place in your refrigerator to chill and marinate, covered.

3. When the juice mixture begins to form ice crystals, break them up with a fork, then leave it be for another 20 minutes. Fork the juice again. Repeat until all the juice is frozen. The texture should be grain, which is why the Italians call it granita.This should take roughly 2.5 to 3 hours, depending upon your freezer.

If you are lazy, you can simply freeze the juice into one, solid block and shave it up, but then it wouldn't be granita, it would be a sno-cone.

And everyone would know how lazy you were.

Or, if you're really, really lazy, don't bother to freeze anything at all, but simply pour the mixture over ice (which someone would have to have pre-frozen), but then it would be called a cocktail.

4. When you feel your granita is ready for its big night, stir in the Campari-soaked orange pieces, spoon into chilled glasses, and serve immediately.

And, as you and your guests are eating it and you are receiving their accolades, do your best to come up with ideas for a Maureen McGovern-inspired dessert. Clue: it should be served either flaming or upside down.

Do get back to me. And soon.

*That Electric Company was some sort of genius Oscar-winner mill. Rita Moreno, Morgan Freeman, Irene Cara. There is something to be said for groovy literacy programming.

From top left to right: Douglas Monsalud and wife Kimberly Stevens, Yigit Pura, Will Werner and girlfriend Sarah Logan, Richie Nakano.

It's no secret chefs don't get much time off--certainly not on holidays. And Valentine's Day is a biggie. Folks make reservations well in advance and snatch up flowers and confections to bring home to their loved ones. After chatting with some of my favorite local chefs, it became clear that Valentine's Day really is just another day and there are many occasions to sit down, toast one another, and prepare a special meal. I asked three simple questions to get to the heart of what a romantic day looks like in their world. Here's what I discovered.

Douglas Monsalud: Kitchenette SF
So Valentine’s Day. Or let’s just say, on a typical romantically-minded evening, tell us about what you and your partner like to cook/eat together at home?
We LOVE to make food that takes a while to cook so that we can hang out, talk while we cook, and drink good wine ; ) With that in mind, we have cooked everything from bouillabaisse to pozole, porchetta to pot roast. You know...simple, rustic, one-pot meals that are comfortable and really make you feel like you are home.

Favorite dessert?
Wow, favorite dessert is a tough one. I like desserts that are lighter and fruity...like the goats milk yoghurt panna cotta with blood orange compote that we've served at Heart Wine Bar. Similarly, I have always loved creme brulee and a nice, flaky crostata with a scoop of ice cream always gets my attention.

If you weren’t eating at home, where are a few of your favorite romantic spots in the Bay Area and why?
Aziza and Gitane ooze romance. They have great food and the atmosphere is at once exotic and warm. Also, I always think getting a dozen oysters from the Marshall Store up on Tomales Bay with a bottle of something bubbly and eating them on a bench overlooking the water is as sexy as it gets.

William Werner: Tell Tale Preserve Co.
So Valentine’s Day. Or let’s just say, on a typical romantically-minded evening, tell us about what you and your partner like to cook/eat together at home?
We don't get to spend a lot of time together as of late-- so usually a romantic dinner would consist of something simple, to spend more time together than in the kitchen, more than likely, champagne, oysters with lemon, market greens, a risotto of mushrooms and nettles, and of course chocolate (Valrhona feves straight from the bag).

Favorite dessert?
Of the moment: kishu mandarins.

If you weren’t eating at home, where are a few of your favorite romantic spots in the Bay Area and why?
Coi, for getting dressed and a luxurious, intimate evening of thoughtful food. Burgers and beer in the back corner booth at Bar Tartine for dressing down and hanging out.

Richie Nakano: Hapa Ramen
So Valentine’s Day. Or let’s just say, on a typical romantically-minded evening, tell us about what you and your partner like to cook/eat together at home?
When we're eating at home we keep it pretty simple: farro with roasted chicken, or an easy pasta. We also get treats from Fatted Calf: charcuterie, cheese, olives. We have a 9 month old son, so there's not a lot of quiet romantic evenings these days, but we do like to unwind with a bottle of kruner or falanghina.

Favorite dessert?
Anything from Humphrey Slocombe, or we'll get something from Tell Tale Preserve Co. and save it for that evening. That stuff is sinful.

If you weren’t eating at home, where are a few of your favorite romantic spots in the Bay Area and why?
Aziza always comes to mind, it's such a beautiful setting in there, and the food is really elegant. La Ciccia is really intimate also, but the sexiest place in town is the Flour & Water dough room. If you can snag a seat at a dinner in there...

Yigit Pura: Executive Pastry Chef, Taste Catering; Winner of Bravo's Top Chef Just Desserts
So Valentine’s Day. Maybe, like a lot of folks, you see it as any other day—but let’s just say, on a typical romantically-minded evening, tell us about what you and a date like to cook/eat together?
I think any day is a good day to be romantic. I would cook what I know they love and tickles their soft spot, even if it goes against my grain as a chef. I find just showing you paid attention will always get you brownie points.

Favorite dessert?
As cliché as it sounds, you can’t go wrong with chocolate. And I know there are myths around it but I still love a great chocolate soufflé. Be it a professional or home chef, it still gets people excited. Take it another step forward and make a really lovely salted caramel ice cream, and put a small scoop straight in the middle. The contrast between the hot and cold is always very sexy!

If you weren’t eating at home, where are a few of your favorite romantic spots in the Bay Area and why?
Lately I’m in LOVE with Barbacco. Modern and really beautiful ambiance, great service, and just really tasty bites, and very reasonably priced. Last time I ate there everything was so great, I am already looking forward to the next time.

Jessica Boncutter: Bar Jules
A typical romantically-minded meal?
That would have to be beef fillet roasted medium rare with salt roasted potatoes, baby carrots and horseradish cream.

Favorite Dessert?
Definitely finish it off with a chocolate pot de creme and a little Serge Gainsbourg on the record player!

If you weren’t eating at home, where are a few of your favorite romantic spots in the Bay Area and why?
Romantic places in the San Francisco Bay Area are upstairs at Chez Panisse for lunch or Manka's in Inverness for the night or Tosca for a drink or of course Bar Jules is so romantic. Chez Panisse lunch during the week feels like you are playing hooky from work with a lover. Manka's, well you just have to stay there one night to experience it. Tosca is a classic always feels special no matter who you are with.

Chefs Jeff Banker and Lori Baker + Jackson Banker. Photo credit: Craig Lee

The savory and sweet finds at San Francisco's Baker & Banker quickly catapulted the space into a must-visit for food lovers. Opened in late 2009 in Pacific Heights, the bakery slash restaurant is in an old apothecary and is the lovechild of husband and wife team Chef Jeff Banker and Pastry Chef Lori Banker, who together have over thirty years cooking experience and have been married for ten years.

San Francisco Examiner's Patricia Unterman noted Baker & Banker's "small, changing menu of gently imaginative dishes characterized by big, voluptuous flavor," and the San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Bauer gave the restaurant a three star review in 2010 and included it in the Chronicle Top 100 List of Restaurants that same year.

Lori Baker has worked at EOS, Home restaurant, Slow Club, Gordon's House of Fine Eats, Bizou, Postrio, Bix and Fifth Floor. Chef Baker also staged at Hotel Metropole in Brussels as well as L'Angolo Dolce in Lucca, Italy. She was most recently a professor of pastry at The California Culinary Academy and is a graduate of Johnson and Wales.

Jeff Banker's early stints include Patina Los Angeles and Postrio--more on the Postrio love connection in a bit. He worked at Acme Chophouse, Bix, Home and staged at Lucas Carton in Paris while attending Le Cordon Bleu on a scholarship awarded by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). The couple said they both have also filled in at their friends’ restaurants NOPA and Delfina. Bay Area Bites caught up with Jeff Banker just in time for Valentine's Day. They live in the Sunset District.

What are you baking and serving up for Valentine's Day?

We are creating some unique bakery goods special for Valentine's Day including: Mexican hot chocolate crackle cookies, raspberry Linzer heart sandwich cookies, strawberry Champagne cupcakes, which are champagne-soaked yellow cake with strawberry frosting, red hot red velvet cupcakes and handwritten "Hostess" cupcakes with salted caramel.

Valentine's Treats from Baker & Banker. Photo credit: Craig Lee

Also on the sweet menu is: vanilla bean cheesecake, with a chocolate wafer crust, and raspberry hearts swirled in; and conversation heart cakes that are Devil's food cake with Grand Marnier ganache.

Hugs and Kisses Heart Cakes. Photo credit: Craig Lee

And… Passion fruit cheesecakes with guava caramel, champagne cake truffles, jalapeno caramels and chocolate covered bacon.

What are your Valentine's Day restaurant favorites?

It’s hard to find a more romantic dining room than Fleur de Lys -- the food is decadent and very Valentine's Day appropriate -- the French do romance best! Bix is also a great space with an amazing menu.

What are your favorite spots to shop for food?

Fatted Calf is an awesome place to get fresh meat. We also religiously shop at the Marin Farmers' Market for ingredients for the restaurant -- the produce is so fresh and there is such a great selection of goods. I actually visit there every Thursday. Finally, for something a bit more exotic, the Richmond New May Wah Supermarket, an Asian Market on Clement and 7th, is an amazing source to find unusual ingredients.

What are your favorite eating and drinking spots?

I have to admit, having the bakery, restaurant and new baby takes up a lot of time, but when we do go out we love to stop by Flour + Water or Pizzeria Delfina for some amazing pasta and pizza.

What are your favorite local Mom & Pop joints?

We love the modern spin of Mom & Pop joints that are taking off here in the city. For example, eVe restaurant in Berkeley is also a husband and wife team who are doing it all themselves. They have a really artistic touch to the dishes on their menu and we love the intimate setting and food. Also, Sons & Daughters in Nob Hill is an interesting place -- the chefs/owners Teague and Matt are two young guys living the dream of opening their own restaurant. It's inspiring to see fellow chefs venturing out on their own and having full autonomy to create and share the food they love.

What are your favorite date nightspots?

At the moment, our favorite date spot is home. Since Jackson's arrival, there is something truly wonderful about being home and making a home cooked meal for the family in the house. We are at the restaurant or bakery nearly seven days a week -- so to be able to stay at home and use the kitchen is a treat!

What is your guiltiest food pleasure?

The foie gras duck stuffed sandwich at Naked Lunch. Amazing.

How did you two meet, and how long have you been together, etc.?

We both worked at Postrio around the same time. We had a mutual friend who worked there and he set us up on a blind date. He is the pastry chef at Bix now and is still our best friend. We have been married for nearly ten years. [Our baby] Jackson is 4 months old and his name is Jackson Banker.

Does Jackson have any favorite foods yet?

He’s still a bit too young -- breast milk is still his favorite but we're expecting him to be quite the foodie growing up in a bakery and restaurant.

Where are you from?

I am from Orange County and Lori is from Cincinnati.

What's new on the horizon?

This past weekend we had the crew from Unique Sweets come and film us for a day. It was an amazing experience. You’ll be able to see Lori's tantalizing desserts have their close up on the Cooking Channel this spring.

Valentine's Day is almost here, and if you're planning on spending a small fortune on chocolates for your sweet, hold up! Consider making your own chocolate truffles -- in addition to the "OMG, you shouldn't have" look, you'll get bonus points for having taken the time out to make something by hand.

Ok, so I know I've lost some of you already. Hear me out. "But truffles are soooo haaarrrrrd to make," I can hear you sighing. "I could never do that." Au contraire, mon cheri. Despite the fact that stores charge big bucks for these little balls of chocolate love, truffles are actually one of the easiest candies to make. Within an hour you'll have a few dozen handmade chocolate truffles, and a one heck of a fabulous Valentine's Day gift. And if you're sweetie is of the vegan persuasion, I've got you covered with a vegan truffle recipe as well.

First things first: You'll be melting chocolate, which means you'll need to chop it first. Like, chop it as finely as possible. It's easy to chop the long, flat bars you get from the baking section of the grocery store, and I recommend you use a large chef's knife or my weapon of choice: a meat cleaver. If all else fails, don't fret. You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips without suffering any dire consequences.

Second: You must use a double boiler to melt your chocolate. Any other means of melting will burn the chocolate or turn it into a seized up lump of concrete. If you don't have a real double boiler, never fear. Find a pot and a large bowl that will snugly fit in the pot without slipping into it. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't rest in the water. Rather, you want there to be a good inch or two between the bottom of the bowl and the water in the pot. Also, be sure to not get any water into your chocolate mixture, lest it seize up. If this happens, you'll need to dump it out and start over. Sad panda. For more information, check out this guide on melting chocolate.

Now, let's get our hands dirty!

Basic Chocolate Truffles Recipe
Yields about 24 3/4" truffles.

Ingredients:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped fine
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Possible Coatings:
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup chai spices
1/4 cup of whatever fun, powdery thing you'd like to roll your truffles in
Small foil cups for packaging (available from your local craft store)

Instructions:
Fill the bottom of your double boiler with a few inches of water, set it over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Have the chopped chocolate waiting in the top of your double boiler but not yet set over the heat.

In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream just until you see bubbles start to fowl around the edges of the pan. Immediately pour the cream over your chocolate. Set the bowl over the waiting double boiler, stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and mixed with the cream. Stir in vanilla and Grand Marnier, then cover and refrigerate until firm enough to handle (about 4 hours).

That's it! Seriously! And in case you weren't aware, you just made a chocolate ganache, one of the most delectable substances in the dessert world. Go you!

After your ganache has firmed up, line a cookie sheet with parchment. Scoop about a teaspoonful of ganache and then, working quickly, roll it into a sphere shape with your hands. Set the rolled truffles on the lined cookie sheet, and keep going until you've finished all of your chocolate mixture. Your truffle may look a little sticky at first. That's fine, we'll smooth them out in a second.

Note: Try to make sure your hands are as cool as possible or your truffles will melt as you roll them. It might be a good idea to keep a paper towel or two nearby, so that if your hands get caked with chocolate you can wipe them off. It also helps to stick the bowl of ganache back in the refrigerator for 5 minutes if you notice it getting super sticky.

Coatings
Let your chocolate truffles sit for about ten minutes at room temperature, or stick them in the fridge if it's a warm day (say, above 70 degrees). Add cocoa powder (or hazelnuts, or powdered sugar) to a small round-bottomed bowl. One at a time, pick up your truffles and roll them between your hands for a few seconds to barely warm the surface, then drop them in the bowl of coating. Toss the bowl a bit until the truffle is completely covered in coating, then set it back on the cookie sheet. If you end up with a too much coating on your truffles, don't shake them off until after they have firmed up again.

Once you're done, put the cookie sheet full of truffles in the fridge for half an hour. Once they're firm again, shake off any excess coating and put them in little foil cups for decoration.

These chocolate truffles will keep in the fridge for two weeks, but can be kept at room temperature for a few days. I like them a little softer, so I pull them out of the fridge a few hours before serving.

For a little variety, check out these other truffle recipes:

• Peanut Butter Crunch Truffles
• Mint Chocolate Truffles
• Mocha Truffles
• Raw Cinnamon-Sunflower Truffles

There's a lot about this post that feels a little self-indulgent largely because I'm writing it and it's all about my new baking business, Marge. I've been waiting for the right time to announce it here on Bay Area Bites, and now seems as good a time as any. Although really this post is more about launching a small business without a storefront in the confusing (and expensive!) world of health permits, legal documents, licenses and occasional slammed doors. So without further ado, meet Marge.

The idea for Marge began last spring. I decided I'd open a bakery. I've always loved baking, had signed up to study at San Francisco Baking Institute and mentor at Comforts in Marin. I was already baking for private clients at the time and knew that what I really wanted out of a career was to work for myself. It wasn't important to me to have enough expendable income to fly to Hawaii every Christmas, but being able to support myself selling pie sounded pretty darn good. So begins the fun part. Real estate! Vintage wallpaper! Pretty display cases with distressed wood! And that lasted all of three weeks. Three glorious weeks, but three weeks nonetheless. And then reality hit. Those of you who have built-out a kitchen from scratch (or know someone who has) know how expensive it is. And for those of you who have ever looked for a charming, affordable retail space with a lovely pre-existing kitchen all ready and waiting for you-- you know they're a rare (read: almost never) find. So I regrouped.

I decided I needed a business license. It seemed like a good logical step and you basically just fill out a form, write a check, and 'Bam' you've got yourself a business. Perfect. Or so I thought.

My visit to City Hall went something like this:

Clerk: Ma'am we're confused about the category of your business.
Me: It's a baking business. We'll have a storefront someday, but right now we're going to do pop-ups, deliveries, catering--you know, keep it casual.
Clerk: Ma'am, there's really no category for "casual."
Me: Look, I don't know. Call it whatever you want.
Clerk: Ma'am you need to choose a category.
Me (flustered, confused, wishing I could coerce him with pie): I understand. I just need a business license in order to get a health permit in order to get my commercial kitchen in order to get my business bank account. Can you just help me out a little here?
Clerk: Well we need a physical address.
Me: O.k....
Clerk: Why don't you put down the location where your accountant and bookkeeper do the books.

I stood there smiling and thinking to myself, "If you only knew that you're staring right at the accountant and bookkeeper, the owner and the baker."

And so began all the legal/totally unfun stuff. It's all very cart before the horse: you need one document before you can get another but the timing doesn't work and none of the agencies talk to each other and you lose a little sleep. And some nights, a lot of sleep. This was nothing like picking out vintage wallpaper. Instead, it involved health inspections and a lot of bureaucracy. Even for a small business like Marge, inspectors often come to check out your kitchen, where you store your ingredients, and your processes for packaging. It's daunting when you're not quite sure what all your processes are yet. And it all seemed a little odd because I still wasn't quite sure how I was defining the business. I now had all of these forms in place but nowhere to actually sell my product.

Then I decided that I may not have a storefront, but people have got to try what I'm baking at Marge or the word will never get out. I brought around samples to businesses, farmer's markets, and folks in my neighborhood. I got a business cell phone. When it rang two days later, I literally dropped it in the sink and missed the call. Orders started coming in around the holidays despite my temporary website. I did the SF Underground Farmer's Market in December -- our first public event-- and it was awesome. The pop-tarts and apple pies sold out, lots of friends came out to support Marge, and I met some great food folks starting their business in a similar fashion. And then I got a call from the new Marin Country Mart farmer's market (a quick ferry ride from the city, by the way) that they'd love to have Marge as a permanent staple on Saturday mornings. I can't tell you how thrilled I am: my weekends are now one big ol' bake sale and I can't imagine anything better.

So my strategy for now: get out there in other farmer's markets throughout the spring and summer and do local events that I'm excited about. Start getting Marge products out in local coffee shops and cafes and spreading the word about old-fashioned pies and nostalgic desserts. Make new friends. Meet new people. Forget all about vintage wallpaper (for now). And see where that takes us. Who knows? Maybe I'll be back here in the fall chatting all about our cute storefront. But for now, it's all good.

To get the latest on Marge, sign up for the newsletter and check out the website for the seasonal menu, contact information, and the full scoop on Marge. You can follow Marge on twitter @MargeBakery and on Facebook to learn about new events and markets we're doing. Come and visit us at the Marin Country Mart Farmer's Market, and of course, we deliver and cater as well. Pie is good. Having someone make it for you is even better.

Poster designed by Megan of Say It’s Not Soy

Get ready to have your preconceptions about vegan desserts knocked down in a very delicious way. This ain't your elementary school's bakesale.

The SF Vegan Bakesale, sponsored by Vegansaurus.com and VegNews Magazine, is a tradition that started in 2009 and is organized by Laura Beck and Karin Olsson. Every few months the vegans of the Bay Area band together, hold a sale and donate all the proceeds to various charities, mostly animal welfare organizations.

The next one takes place this Saturday, January 15, 11am-3pm, in front of SpeeSees at 1415 Valencia Street with over 30 home bakers participating, as well as several professional ones, including Cinnaholic, A Fire Inside, Scarlette Poppy, Por Vida, Sugar Beat Sweets, and Fat Bottom Bakery. Proceeds from this sale are going to MickaCoo Bird Rescue and Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. SpeeSees is also offering a 10% discount on their organic kids clothing to all bakesale customers. Follow updates on the bakesale on twitter @SFVeganBakeSale.

But none of all this good-doing would be possible without those two lovely vegan ladies who work their butts off each time for an event that is truly about nothing but helping animals.

Laura Beck pretty much has her hands in every vegan event or animal-rights-related initiative in the Bay Area and is a founding editor of SF-based vegan lifestyle guide Vegansaurus.com. She has worked for several animal rescue, welfare, and rights organizations and is the community manager for vegan recipe site VegWeb.com. She is also a columnist for VegNews Magazine and has contributed to SFist, Huffington Post, The Bold Italic, Crazy Sexy Life, SF Weekly, San Francisco Magazine, and Eater SF, among others.

Karin Olsson has volunteered with various animal groups. She was one of the organizers for California’s Prop 2 campaign, which passed in a landslide victory in 2008 and outlawed the cruel confinement of egg-laying hens, veal calves, and pregnant pigs. For her day job, Karin works with schools and restaurants to adopt corporate policies that improve animal welfare (such as ending their use of eggs from caged hens and adding more meatless menu options).

Laura Beck and Karin Olsson. Photos by Mark Shrayber of Legally Blind Photography and Walker Phillips

Here, Laura and Karin tell us a little about how the SF Vegan Bakesale started, their thoughts on a vegan lifestyle, and what animals share their homes with them.

How were the SF Vegan Bakesales started and what do you hope they'll accomplish?

Laura: We were inspired by the Worldwide Vegan Bakesale and grew from there into a more regular event in San Francisco. We want to spread the joy and awesomeness of vegan baked goods and show the world that veganism is fun and tasty and should always involve cake.

Karin: After the Worldwide Vegan Bakesale, Laura and I got to talking about doing a sale to benefit a local cat rescue that was in desperate need of funds. Thanks to a bunch of wonderful volunteers who donated their time and baked goods, we were able to raise nearly $3,000 for the cat rescue in just a few short hours. We realized what a great tool this was to raise funds for local charities and decided to make it a regular thing. The bakesales are such fun events that bring so many people together for a good cause. Plus they’re an excellent excuse to stuff your face with cupcakes and brownies!

How do you choose the beneficiaries of each bakesale?

Laura: We choose local organizations that the money can hopefully really impact. We've done everything from bunny rescue to programs that help kids from low-income families get bicycles. If you know of any organizations that could use our help, please let us know! We're always taking ideas.

Bunnies up for adoption at previous Vegan Bakesale

What is the most delicious pastry you’ve had at a bakesale?

Laura: Uhhh... that's REALLY hard. Davey from A Fire Inside makes these tremendous cinnamon rolls called "Weekend Ruiners" that are mind-blowing. Cinnaholic also makes amaaaaaazing cinnamon rolls with a variety of crazy delicious toppings. Fat Bottom Bakery makes killer baklava. And Sugar Beat Sweets has the greatest brownies on earth. And that's just the beginning. We've had such luck with tasty treats, from Bike Basket Pie's delicious hand-held pies to homemade sea salt caramels. Seriously, it's out of control.

Karin: Oh man, there have been so many… Some highlights for me have included strawberry shortcake, chocolate croissants, and white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. Oooh, and of course Pepples Donuts’ glazed raised donuts, Idle Hands Baking Company’s cookies n’ cream cupcakes, In the Mood for Food’s bialys with cashew cream cheese, and Fat Bottom Bakery’s savory hand pies are all out of this world. And ditto on Sugar Beat Sweets’ brownies! I’m getting hungry just thinking about this!

Pastries at a previous bakesale

When did you decide to be vegan and what led you to that decision?

Laura: I became vegan after reading Diet for a New America by John Robbins. I'd been vegetarian previously because I didn't want to eat animals. Why should I hug my dog and eat a pig? A pig is smarter than my dog! But my reasoning didn't go much beyond that. Reading Diet for a New America really drove home all that's wrong with the way we raise and slaughter "food animals." I mean, it's beyond screwed-up from any perspective. I figured the best way to fight back was with my wallet since all animal-product-producing companies care about is money.

Karin: I’ve always loved animals, and even as a young kid I couldn’t bear the thought of eating them. My folks were very supportive of my vegetarianism, and my mom used to make her own tofu burgers (which was pretty unheard of in the 80s). Once I began to learn more about factory farming and the abuses that occur not only in the meat industry but also in the egg and dairy industries, I went vegan.

What do you feel is the biggest misconception about a vegan lifestyle?

Laura: That we don't eat and enjoy delicious food. The opposite is true; the people I know who love food the most are vegans. Honestly, Karin and I are two of the most food-motivated people you will ever meet. Over the holiday break, we both went on eating tours of other cities. Karin even had all of her meals planned out on an Excel spreadsheet!

Karin: It’s true—I did plan an epic eating tour in Excel. I have to second what Laura said—vegans do eat amazing flavorful food, and yes, we do get enough protein.

If a friend were visiting the Bay Area for just one day, where would you take him/her out to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

Laura: Breakfast: brunch at Souley Vegan in Oakland (biscuits and gravy!). Lunch would probably be falafel at Old Jerusalem or a vegan cheesesteak at Jay's Cheesesteak. Dinner would either be Saha or Millennium. Only one day? That's hard!

Karin: For breakfast I’d have to go with the soyrizo breakfast burritos or vegan french toast from Sun Rise Restaurant in the Mission. Then I’d do a quick trip over to the East Bay for cinnamon rolls from Cinnaholic and a vegan milkshake at Saturn Café, followed by lunch at Cha-Ya [Vegetarian Japanese Restaurant]. I’d definitely pick Millennium for dinner, and if we needed a late night snack, I’d take them to get vegan pizza at Beretta!

What is your favorite vegan dish in the Bay Area?

Karin: I always crave Ike’s sandwiches. There are so many amazing vegan options to choose from, but my standby is the Meatless Mike. Ike’s is now at Lime, so you can grab a drink (or three) to go with your sandwich! [Rumor has it that Ike’s in SF is moving again to a new permanent location of their own soon.]

Laura: The Toasty Crispy at Souley Vegan!

What is the one ingredient you couldn’t live without?

Laura: I'm gonna be totally lame and healthy and say kale. But also, chocolate chips for baking. And Gardein Buffalo wings. Uh, I could go on.

Karin: Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread. It bakes up just like butter! And soy yogurt—it’s delicious on its own but also works as a super easy egg replacer in cakes and muffins.

Do you have any companion animals? What are their names/hopes and dreams?

Karin: I have a wonderful rescued cat named Sweetie Pancakes whose favorite pastime is to sit in the bathtub and drink water out of the faucet.

Laura: I have an adorable pit bull from Rocket Dog Rescue. Her name is Hazel and I think one day she'd like to be a professional eater. We have that in common.

So, grab a wad of cash and hit the SF Vegan Bakesale this Saturday for scrumptious treats, and adorable dogs and pigeons. I mean, frankly, if charity isn't a good enough reason to gorge yourself on pastries, then I don't know what is.

To pump you up for the sale, we’ve included a recipe from bakesale volunteer baker Robin Means of ieatcupcakes.com for vegan cupcakes that will be making an appearance at the sale. Based on vegan cream-filled chocolate-glazed donuts that are offered at two favorite vegan-friendly donut shops (Ronald’s Donuts in Las Vegas and Voodoo Doughnut in Portland), these sweet treats are her take on the donuts in cupcake form. It is a reimagining of a recipe for Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes featured in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. We figured you’d want this, in case you go to the sale, taste them, realize you can’t live without them, and decide to make a batch everyday for the rest of your life.

Enjoy!

Voodoo Ronald's Donut Cupcakes

Makes: 22 cupcakes with icing

Ingredients:

Cake:
3 c unbleached white flour
½ T baking soda
½ T baking powder
2 T cornstarch
½ t salt
1 ½ c sugar
2/3 c sunflower oil
1 ½ c soymilk
½ c water
1 T vanilla extract
1 T apple cider vinegar

Filling:
1 c soymilk
1 t agar powder
3 T arrowroot powder
1 package silken tofu
2/3 c powdered sugar
1 T vanilla extract

Icing:
1 12 oz bag of chocolate chips
½ c soymilk
3 T agave nectar

Cake Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Line muffin pans with paper liners or set up silicone wrappers on baking sheets.
2. Combine vinegar and soymilk and let sit. In another bowl, sift the flour, soda, powder, cornstarch, and salt.
3. Mix oil, sugar, water, vanilla, and the soymilk mixture and beat for 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients slowly and mix until smooth.
4. Fill the baking cups about 2/3 full.
5. Bake for approximately 18 minutes. When you insert a toothpick into the center of one, it should come out clean. Cool for 2 minutes in pan, then remove and put on a cooling rack.

Filling Preparation:
1. Boil half the soymilk and the agar. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes or until the agar dissolves.
2. Whisk half the soymilk and the arrowroot. Add mixture to pot and whisk for 3 minutes over heat. Remove from heat.
3. Blend tofu, sugar, and cooked mixture until creamy. Add vanilla extract and blend more. Transfer to Tupperware with lid and chill for 2-3 hours.

Icing Preparation:
1. Boil the soymilk and then remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix until smooth.
2. Dip the top of each filled cupcake into the ganache and set on a cooling rack to harden.