If you haven’t made Isa’s Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles, you really should take the time. They are crazy good!

Vegan Man is back from a lovely vacation to Mouseland, a.k.a Walt Disney World! I shook hands with Donald Duck, wore ears on my head and touristed with the best of them. The less said of the park food, the better. I didn’t starve, but it wasn’t much to write on the internet about.

However, there was something to write on the internet about! I had dinner at Victoria & Albert’s one night, which is their very good restaurant. I let them know when I booked that I was vegan, so when I arrived, I was treated to a seven course vegan meal. If you’ve ever seen Iron Chef America, this is the kind of food I’m talking about. Here’s the menu:

Amuse Bouche

Tomato Sorbet with Olive Oil Powder
Grilled Asparagus with Preserved Lemon
Florida Melon Soup
Heirloom Tomato Carpaccio

The tomato sorbet was magical; combined with the olive oil powder, the whole effect was incredibly intense. The carpaccio also stood out.

Petit Asian Greens with Edamame Purée and Candied Ginger

The greens had a single potato chip and a lotus root chip on top, and the purée was so bright. I was happy I had a single-serving baguette made by V&A’s pastry chef to make sure none was wasted.

Vegetable Ratatouille with Preserved Purple Artichokes

This was a soft and understated ratatouille, and the tartness of the artichokes worked well against it.

Yellow Chanterelle and White Clam Shell Mushroom Cannelloni with French Black Truffles

This was the best thing I’ve ever eaten, period. After it was served, it was covered in vegan consomme, which I could have happily drunk a gallon of.

Bamboo Rice Blend, Petite French Lentils and Potato Turnip Gratin

The entree didn’t have a particular focus, instead going for a “vegetable attack” strategy with a number of points of interest. The plate was a work of abstract art, and my fork wandered from place to place.

Peach Sorbet with Micro Orchids

I’d never eaten an orchid before, and was very happy to have the opportunity. A very refreshing palate cleanser, just the right amount of peach sweetness.

Fuji Apple Strudel with Poached Apples

An incredibly delicate strudel, it almost floated away (if a strudel could float).

The meal was concluded with a cup of coffee made on the table with a siphon (or vacuum) coffee maker. I went home happy, thanks to chef de cuisine Scott Hunnel and his kitchen team. So happy, I decided that I’d seize the day and see if I could get another meal in. I did, and in fact, on short notice they created a completely different seven course vegan meal just for me. More on that soon!

Quinoa is a great grain, one of my favorites. Served with tabouli (featuring another of my favorite grains) seals the deal. A great meal for a sweltering summer night.

Dr. Apricot and I were testing a new recipe – Upside Down Shepherd’s Pie – for Isa’s upcoming cookbook. The results were as promised: starchy, savory, filling and remarkably healthy. The french lentils made this dish for me.

Astounding! My friend Laurie sent me this drawing for my birthday of me as Vegan Man (looking rather buff). I’ve put it in the kitchen so I can be inspired to vegetable-related heroism.

The Heat is finally on here in Boston, making a fashionably late appearance. I broke down and installed the window air conditioning unit in my studio today, creating a one-room pocket of respite.

Is there a better meal for a hot, muggy night, than gazpacho? I’m not sure, but this recipe from Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) was just right. I topped it with some diced avocado and served it with some slices of baguette.

I’ve been waiting to post about Isa’s new book Vegan Brunch for a while, but after cooking from it over the weekend I can’t resist. It’s full of things I’m drooling over.

Yesterday I made the tempeh sausage puff pastries and mango lassi to drink (you can see it lurking in the background), both of which were astounding.

And tonight’s dinner – not brunch I know, but this is an anytime food! – was the beer battered tofu. Oh. My. God.

Our 3rd of July festivities included some amazing rosemary smashed potatoes, but when it came to the actual smashing, we didn’t have anything in the kitchen blunt enough for the task. So out came the 8kg kettlebell (my favorite for quick-pressing tofu), which not only smashed up the taters but good, but also provided a good workout to my shoulders and lats.

And the finished product:

Central Square is home to Four Burgers, which makes a great vegan burger. Here is the configuration with guacamole and salsa.

Saturday I finally managed to make it to Wheeler’s Ice Cream, now located near the Symphony stop on the green line.

Clockwise from the top left: PB&J, triple chocolate chip, maple walnut, and cherry vanilla. They were all very good, but with the exception of the chocolate started to get a bit icy when they got warmer. Eat quickly is my suggestion!