Behind the Bash: SVS dinner #2

Monday was our second** Syracuse Vegan Society (SVS) dinner, this time held at Las Delicias restaurant. We had such a great time! But first, I take you behind the bash, to see some of the preparations that went into this event.

On Sunday, I met up with Bridget and Trac at Trac's house for some pre-dinner cupcake baking. Because Las Delicias is a Caribbean restaurant, we thought that the Dulce sin Leche cupcakes (from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World") would be a most appropriate choice. But first, we needed sustenance to get us through all that exhausting baking! Bridget made us this amazing feast that you can see above: bean salad, raw salad (carrots, yams, apples, walnuts and raisins), guacamole, salsa, tortilla chips, and avocado spread.

But wait, there was more! The pièce de resistance were these gorgeous sandwiches (a Sarah Kramer recipe). The slices of bread were covered by an Earth Balance/soy parmesan spread, then grilled. Into these babies went: avocado spread, tomato and red onion slices, and sprouts. So simple, yet so delicious.

After that energizing meal, the baking could commence. Here are the dulce sin leche cupcakes coming out of the oven, the caramel drizzle resembling a happy face.

And here they are cooled, covered in more caramel, and topped with coconut. We tasted these cupcakes the next day, and they were excellent: moist and rich.

Ok, on to the party. 25 or so people showed up to dinner last night- what a turn-out! Here are just some of the fabulous foods we ate:

Two different kinds of rice: one with mixed vegetables (above) and one with pigeon peas.

Two different kinds of plantains: maduros (sweet plantains, above, back) and tostones (savory plantains, above, front)

Steamed mixed vegetables and stewed vegetables in a tangy sauce (you can see those in the above photo)

Last but not least, some excellent spicy black beans. There was more, including salads, empanadas, and a fabulous garlic sauce that I didn't get photos of. You can see some more shots of food from Las Delicias (including the empanadas!) in this previous post.

Here are some shots of the people at the dinner:

I want to give a shout-out to Trac and Bridget for their time and energy organizing and running these dinners. They are so fun, such a great opportunity to meet new people, and oh yeah, deeeee-licious! Not to mention, this is a great way to raise money and awareness for animal rights, and to let local chefs know that there is a market for vegan foods.

P.S. I had a great time on Sunday meeting Trac's dogs--I'd never hung out with greyhounds before, and they were all such laid back sweethearts:

Mal, chilling.

T-Bo, staring curiously. He is a foster with a troubled past, but you wouldn't know it to play with this gentle boy. Read more about T-Bo on Trac's blog here.

Finally, Cosmo, the runner, seen here sniffing my head.

**Read about our first SVS dinner, held at Steve's Cantina y Grill in March, here.

Behind the Bash: SVS dinner #2