Bakeries

Magnolia Bakery Owners Sue Over Greek Cupcake Shop

by Jessie Cacciola, Posted Mar 25th 2011 @ 1:00PM

Magnolia Bakery cupcakes Photo: sunshinecity, Flickr

Carrie Bradshaw's favorite bakery has found itself in the middle of its own melodrama. The owners of Magnolia Bakery, the Manhattan cupcake shop made famous by Sex & the City, are suing one of its founders, Jennifer Appel, for opening an illegal branch in Athens, Greece, reports Daily Mail UK.

The charges in the suit are a little bit hazy, but first, some history: Magnolia first opened its now-iconic doors in Manhattan in 1996 with Appel and Allysa Torey as co-owners, but Appel sold her share in 1999 and set up a competing shop: the Buttercup Bake Shop. In 2007, Steve and Tyra Abrams bought the rights to Magnolia and expanded its locations (you can now find Magnolia outposts in L.A. and Dubai -- yes, Dubai).

The lawsuit comes courtesy of the Abrams' -- they claim Appel allegedly shared business secrets and recipes with Greek socialite Nicole Kotovos in order to open their own branch in Greece last year. But Appel denies the charges. In fact, she's counter-suing.

Filed under: Business, Bakeries

Cupcakes Take a Shine to Whiskey

COMMENTS 3

by Kristine Hansen, Posted Feb 15th 2011 @ 4:00PM

irish whiskey maple cupcakes Photo: fiveinchpixie, Flickr

Grown-up cupcakes are the best. And it doesn't get any more adult than a tiny cake spiked with whiskey. A handful of cupcake cafés around the country are celebrating St. Patrick's Day early this year by folding Irish whiskey into the batter or the frosting.

Here's where to find these delicious whiskey cupcakes:

-"Irish Coffee" at Sweets Bakeshop in St. Paul, Minnesota: Espresso ganache is tucked inside the chocolate cupcake, which is iced with Irish-whiskey buttercream and toasted hazelnuts.

-"Irish Whiskey" at Flour & Sun Bakery in Pleasantville, New York: Tasting a lot like Irish soda bread, the batter contains raisins and Irish whiskey, and the cupcake is topped with Irish-whiskey buttercream.

-"Irish Cream" at Sonia's Cupcakes in South Florida: These chocolate cupcakes are dunked in Guinness stout and whiskey. (Note that this appears to be delivery only, while the others have a retail presence.)

Filed under: Food News, Bakeries

Recall Alert: Sally Jackson Cheese

COMMENTS 3

by Jessie Cacciola, Posted Dec 21st 2010 @ 1:00PM

Sally Jackson Cheese recall Photo: Getty Images

The FDA has issued a recall of all Sally Jackson Cheese due to a possible contamination of E. coli. Sally Jackson produces raw cheese from cow's-, goat's- and sheep's milk. These cheeses do not bear a USPC code, as they are wrapped in leaves and tied with twine. The company is based in Oroville, WA but the cheese has been distributed nationwide to restaurants, distributers and retail stores.

As per the FDA: "Customers who have purchased Sally Jackson cheeses are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 509-429-3057, Monday through Friday, between 8:00am and 5:00pm Pacific Time."

Sally Jackson is one of the pioneer women cheesemakers. She had recieved a grant from the Carter Administration in the 1970s to produce her raw cheese on her Okanagan Highlands farm from the raw milk of her pasture-raised livestock. The cheese is then aged for the required 60 days (for raw cheeses) in signature dried chestnut leaves. You'll even find her product at the famed Murray's Cheese Shop, whose owner once referred to Sally as "one of America's great artisans."

Here at Slashfood we believe that's as true today as it's ever been. Ms. Jackson has had a long record of producing fine cheeses safely and we wish her the best in the future.

Filed under: Bakeries, Recalls

Festivus Food: Is There An Official Donut?

COMMENTS 1

by Allen Salkin, Posted Dec 20th 2010 @ 4:00PM

krispy kreme glazed donuts Photo: Claire Sutton, Flickr

Among my many duties as the world's foremost expert on Festivus is monitoring my website www.festivusbook.com. On the site, all of the many fine points of Festivus are debated, and many grievances are aired.

One point of contention that has raged for years is whether there is an official Festivus donut. Of course a larger question is whether there should be an official Festivus anything. Festivus, of course, is an alternative holiday made famous by an episode of Seinfeld and now celebrated at parties across the country. According to the show, its essential elements are an airing of grievances, feats of strength, and instead of a tree or a menorah, an unadorned aluminum pole is the symbolic object placed in your home. In other words, Festivus, often celebrated on December 23, is a cheap, somewhat bitter holiday that requires no gifts be bought, no tinsel hung and no cards sent.

Over the years, those who throw Festivus parties have added many of their own rituals and foods. There was Festivus wine crafted in Oklahoma, St. Festivus Ale brewed in Baltimore, and, in my book, a recipe for Festivus Ham with Junior Mint and Snapple Glaze (delicious, I assure you.)

All of this stuff is homespun. Since Festivus is a holiday with no intrinsic meaning, made famous by a show about nothing, the very idea of anything being "official" about it offends many Festivus friendly folk. And so when on December 22, 2006, someone with the user name Fifi posted the following, it started a storm: "Declaration by reason, that the Krispy Kreme donut be the donut for all Festivus parties!"

Filed under: Bakeries, Coffee Shops

Choosing Sides for Dessert Wars -- 'Top Chef Just Desserts'

COMMENTS 2

by Michael Thomas Hastings, Posted Oct 28th 2010 @ 11:00AM

Top Chef Just Desserts Photo: Kelsey McNeal / Bravo

Let us take a moment to dissect the phenomenon that is Team Go Diva. We're long overdue -- to be frank, we thought it was just a silly name that a trio of pastry chefs would give themselves on Bravo one night, and totally forget by the next.

How foolish we were. For in the world of Top Chef Just Desserts, no action -- however flighty, emotional or throwaway -- is taken lightly. Whether it's borrowing a lemon or two, spilling some whipped cream or admiring Gail Simmons' shoes, these are acts of chefs who take everything very, very seriously.

So if three of them -- namely the bubbly Yigit, the positively twinkling Zac and the grumpy, defensive Heather H. -- decide to christen themselves BFFs because of their shared belief that they are the most fabulous pastry chefs on TV, we won't argue.

Filed under: Television/Film, Bakeries, Celebrities, Chefs

Poach a Fish and Get A Building Permit?

COMMENTS 0

by Clare Leschin-Hoar, Posted Oct 15th 2010 @ 4:00PM

Photo: crd!, Flickr

We're not sure if the folks in the City of Watsonville, California, were fans of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, but we're pretty sure the star-chef would give a high-five to its council members. In a 6-1 vote on Tuesday, members passed a Healthy Eating Options ordinance, requiring all new restaurants (and existing restaurants looking to expand), to offer healthy options on their menus if they want to secure a building permit.

"It's a very attainable requirement," says Marcela Tavantzis, assistant city manager. "We're not trying to dissuade businesses from coming to Wastonville. The threshold is very low, but it's designed to get restaurants to think about their selections."

The ordinance is based on a point system determined by a list of options. Offering whole-grain bread will earn a restaurant one point. Prepare fish, chicken or beef by broiling, baking or poaching? Bingo! Two points. Offer water free of charge to customers? Yup. That's another point. To secure a permit, restaurateurs need a total of six points. Existing restaurants are also encouraged, but not required, to participate. Certificates are given to businesses that earn nine points, while restaurants that reach 13 will be able to proudly display a Golden Carrot Award. (Sounds like hot-dog joints should rethink the new construction in Watsonville.)

Filed under: Food Politics, Bakeries, News

The Christmas Cookie Book - Cookbook of the Day

COMMENTS 1

by Eric Diesel, Posted Dec 18th 2008 @ 9:04AM

As she did in the companion volume on candy, Lou Seibert Pappas tackles Christmas sweets with The Christmas Cookie Book. If the rattling of cookie sheets and the shaking of sanding sugar stir the soul (not to mention the batter) of your inner sugar-plum fairy, then you will appreciate this book. As with its companion, the recipe is to lead off with techniques and some delightful Christmas cookie history, along with discussing the fine arts of decorating cookies, packing them for shipping and (my favorite) arranging them on a platter.

Pappas arranges the recipes into four sections: traditional cookies, family favorites, gift cookies and party cookies. Though each section contains standbys, the highlight is Pappas' gift for presenting ideas and recipes not everyone will have heard of. Most of us know that gingerbread (page 28) is traditional at the holidays, but did you know about the traditions of springerle (page 22), peppernuts (page 31), or Viennese bells (page 36)? Sugar cookies (page 40) and spritz (page 42, if you can lay your hands on your cookie press) and are de rigeur for holiday baking, but why not incorporate lemon wafers (page 45) or pepparkakor (page 44)? And whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, the Solstice or just calories, don't forget to put together a tray of coconut-orange macaroons (page 89).

Source

Filed under: Raves & Reviews, Cookbook Spotlight, Edible Gifts, Ingredients, Holidays, Bakeries

Pennsylvania ShopRite Declares - No Cake for Hitler!

COMMENTS 12

by Bruce Watson, Posted Dec 17th 2008 @ 6:00PM

Years ago, when I was preparing to propose to my wife, I worked with a goldsmith to design a beautiful engagement ring. However, given that I was popping the question in Poland, I thought it best to also pick up a cheaper ring that, while unique, was a bit less expensive. After all, losing a $100 ring while backpacking through Eastern Europe is tough, but losing one that cost a few thousand dollars would be hard to deal with.

Anyway, I decided on a simple silver ring with an engraved lyric on the outside. Since one of my wife's favorite songsmiths is 50 Cent, I chose one of his more famous lines (and one of her favorites) for the inscription. Unfortunately, Wal-Mart found the quote somewhat obscene, and refused to do the engraving. In fact, when I suggested the inclusion of ampersands, asterisks, and "at" signs in lieu of certain key letters, they (somewhat aggressively) asked me to leave the jewelry area.

With this in mind, I feel a certain kinship with poor Adolf Hitler Campbell, of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. A ShopRite in nearby Easton, Pennsylvania apparently refused to write the young boy's name on top of a cake, stating that the store reserves the right to refuse any inscription that they deem inappropriate. This is, apparently, the Campbells' third unsuccessful attempt to get the ShopRite to make a cake for their son; one time, they also asked to have a swastika included in the design.

Filed under: Food Oddities, Ingredients, Bakeries

Slashfood Ate (8): Ways to add muscovado sugar to a recipe

COMMENTS 2

by Max Shrem, Posted Dec 9th 2008 @ 5:00PM

I have been on a wild sugar kick the past couple of months. It started with demerara sugar. I used this sugar instead of ordinary white sugar or brown sugar, and I was shocked at the difference. The flavor was extraordinarily sweet and syrupy in a way I had never been used to in past culinary endeavors. What makes different sugars unique is how they're processed. For instance, demerara sugar is unrefined sugar coming from pressed sugar cane that's steamed .

Now, I'm on to the next sugar: muscovado. Muscovado is also unrefined but, compared to demerara, it has a more pronounced molasses flavor. Unlike brown sugar which is refined white sugar with molasses added to it, muscovado's brown color and flavor come directly from sugarcane juice. Recently, I have been using muscovado as a replacement for brown sugar. Its exquisite long lingering flavor makes it perfect for other rich flavors when baking ginger bread cookies, chocolate cakes, fudges, and much more.

Below are 8 ways to add muscovado sugar to a recipe next time your baking:

Martha Stewart's muscovado soy biscuits
Muscovado and hazelnut tart with yoghurt sorbet
Butterscotch Pots de Crème
Gingerbread cookies - Substitute the brown sugar with muscovado

Muscovado sugar cookies
Christmas Pudding - I highly recommend making this decadent fruity pudding this holiday season.
Caramelized Nectarines
Pigs' ears - These delicious confections are in the shape of pigs' ears.

Filed under: Slashfood Ate, Ingredients, Bakeries

Tate's Bake Shop

COMMENTS 1

by Annie Scott, Posted Nov 4th 2008 @ 8:02PM

Tate's Bake Shop is a Hamptons-based company who makes cookies, brownies, cakes, and squares.

That's right. Squares. That's how quaint they are.

Inside Kathleen King's adorable yellow and turquoise Victorian-style shop in Southampton, sweet smells, smiling faces, and flowers abound. King grew up on a farm near Southampton and sold cookies from the age of 11 at her family's farm stand.

Tate's Bake Shop has a loyal following across the country. Their secret is in their simplicity. Quality products, nicely packaged, and as my friend Lora says: "By rich people, for rich people."

You can order the delicious cookies and other baked goods online here, for a wonderfully classy host gift or party favor for the holiday season.

Source

Filed under: Ingredients, Holidays, Bakeries