- Cookie exchanges are so passé in southern Louisiana, where swap-minded cooks are now trading cupcakes, cheesecakes, pralines and single slices of pound cake.
- The potato is enjoying newfound popularity at tailgate parties, thanks to its terrific versatility and low cost. (But if you have cash to spare, the editors suggest pairing grilled potato kebabs with Zinfandel.)
- The director of Baton Rouge's International Cooking Competition & Tasting Fair reports the festival is "getting bigger and better."
- Corrine Cook extols the beauty of timeworn, taped-together recipe boxes and binders.
- A motivational speaker inadvertently inspires a recipe for shrimp and corn sauté.
Posts with tag cupcakes
Mini Cheesecakes, Recipe Boxes and Motivational Speakers -- The Baton Rouge Advocate in 60 Seconds
Halloween Cupcake Ideas - Graveyard Cupcakes
Cupcake graveyard. Photo: Monika Bartyzel.
The type of pastry you choose to make is secondary to what you put on top, and there's no end to the possibilities.
After the jump, find everything you need to make your own graveyard cupcake extravaganza.
Continue reading Halloween Cupcake Ideas - Graveyard Cupcakes
Halloween Cupcake Round-Up
Partygoers will get a scream out of these frightfully good Halloween cupcakes.
Boys and ghouls will enjoy this boo-tiful Graveyard Cupcakes.
Sink your teeth into Bat Cupcakes.
Creepy crawlers of all ages will scarf down Spiderweb Cupcakes.
Ding-dong the witch is dead! Which old witch? The cupcake witch.
Skeleton Cupcakes will tickle your funny bone.
Little monsters will fight over Frankenstein Cupcakes.
What you eat is watching you with Martha Stewart's Creepcakes.
Boys and ghouls will enjoy this boo-tiful Graveyard Cupcakes.
Sink your teeth into Bat Cupcakes.
Creepy crawlers of all ages will scarf down Spiderweb Cupcakes.
Ding-dong the witch is dead! Which old witch? The cupcake witch.
Skeleton Cupcakes will tickle your funny bone.
Little monsters will fight over Frankenstein Cupcakes.
What you eat is watching you with Martha Stewart's Creepcakes.
'The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook' - Cookbook Spotlight
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Recipes by Tarek Malouk and the Hummingbird Bakers
Photographs by Peter Cassidy
Rylan Peters & Small -- 2009
Buy it on Amazon
Once a journalist, London-based writer Tarek Malouk forsook his career to indulge his love of American desserts. As visions of cupcakes, pies and brownies pranced in his head, he enrolled in baking classes in New York and returned to London, eager to open a restaurant to showcase his cherished treats.
Though one might typically be hard-pressed to picture a hard-nosed journalist convert to cooking and create such a loving, warm cookbook, Malouk successfully conveys his love and appreciation for the range of American desserts in "The Hummingbird Cookbook."
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
Continue reading 'The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook' - Cookbook Spotlight
Taco Bell Cupcakes, Smoothies Coming Soon?
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| Taco Bell cupcakes and smoothie. Photo: Fast Food Maven/Orange County Register |
Taco Bell is test marketing cupcakes and smoothies in California, the Orange County Register reports.
Red velvet cupcakes, smoothies and "Wendy's-inspired shakes" were found by the Fast Food Maven on Wednesday. The paper's Fast Food Maven uncovered the sweets and drinks at two California locations -- Buena Park and Tustin.
But don't go looking for these mystery desserts at your local Taco Bell outpost quite yet -- they may not even make it to the menu nationally. "The company doesn't comment on products in development," Rob Poetsch, a spokesman for Taco Bell, told Slashfood on Friday.
So, are they any good?
Salt, Soba and Schnitzel - The New York Times in 60 Seconds
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| Photo: Nate Steiner, Flickr. |
- With massive amounts of salt and a strong coffee habit, do Mayor Bloomberg's eating habits betray his city policies?
- Fadi Jaber, his switch to baking and culinary management, and bringing trendy American cupcakes to the Middle East.
- The Minimalist makes a soba noodle salad.
- China is threatening to stop importing U.S. chickens -- but can they live without the chicken feet?
- Recipe Wikis have a lot of back-and-forth and battles over what's best, but will it all result in better recipes?
- The "geeky" and "unusual" French Jura wines rise in popularity as their food versatility finds a niche audience.
- Wedding receptions don't just serve up bars full of booze -- signature drinks are all the rage.
- Make a good dish and they'll want it forever -- the aggravation of having to stick to a menu.
- A Good Appetite mixes up ingredients on-hand to make Coconut Pilaf with Chicken.
- Has Le Fooding's rapid growth caused its classic gathering to stray from its ideals?
- The new management at Tavern on the Green may be staring down one nasty labor fight after insulting workers with their recent work proposal.
- British TV chef Keith Floyd passes away at the age of 65.
- South Korea's first lady Kim Yoon-ok's culinary diplomacy helps bring Korean food to the world stage.
- Restaurants: Hotel Griffou's celeb-alluring ways and rude service; the Schnitzel & Things truck has mastered the art of deep-frying.
- Food Stuff finds sophisticated vegan food, ficoïde glaciale's citrusy tang and bacon peanut brittle.
- New York's openings and closings and dining calendar.
'Cupcakes!' - Cookbook Spotlight
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| Photo: Amazon.com |
Recipes by Elinor Klivans
Photographs by France Ruffenach
Chronicle Books -- 2005
Buy it on Amazon
Though they've long been a trendy fascination, cupcakes won't be budging anytime soon. With the eternal rounds of birthdays and celebrations -- paired with the treats' adorable-by-nature appeal -- miniature cakes are the darlings of bakers and eaters of all ages.
And although boxed mixes are tried-and-true, Elinor Klivan's "Cupcakes!" cookbook offers simple recipes that elevate the delicacy with new flavors and inspirations.
The book includes recipes for the beloved yellow batter and the traditional chocolate as well as more adventurous treats, like Banana Butterscotch or Sticky Fig. There are breakfast varieties (Lemon Poppy Seed, Top-to-Bottom Crumb), seasonal varieties (Spiderweb Pumpkin Ginger, Spring Bouquet), fruity varieties (Strawberry Shortcake, Lemon Angel), everyday varieties (Carrot, Orange and Golden Raisin) and deluxe varieties (Lemon Coconut Snowballs, Boston Cream Pie), all boasting equally appealing appearances and ingredient lists.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
Chocolate Triple Whammy - Feast Your Eyes
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| Chocolate cupcake. Photo: The Feisty Foodie. |
This chocolate-frosted chocolate cupcake was one of a delightfully diverse dozen captured by The Feisty Foodie after she received a box from New York City's Billy's Bakery. Just looking at the chocolate triple whammy -- chocolate frosting on a chocolate cupcake with chocolate sprinkles on top -- is enough to get us through a midweek slump (though a taste would be even better).
[Via The Feisty Foodie]
Tempting Tidbits from YumSugar
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| Beef tenderloin on focaccia. Photo: YumSugar |
A delicious summer cocktail-hour menu, from black-bean cakes to grilled beef tenderloin on focaccia.
Attention, chocoholics: A new study says chocolate could save your life!
From bacon to gin and tonics, seven unconventional cupcake recipes.
Corn smut: Some consider it a plague, but many Mexicans consider it a delicacy.
Your mai tai can become everyone's mai tai with a party-sized recipe.
Coconut M&M's aren't bites of coconut filling, but rather M&M's with artificial coconut flavor.
Do you love or hate hybrid produce?
'Cupcakes, Cupcakes and More Cupcakes!' - Cookbook Spotlight
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| Photo: Amazon.com |
Recipes by Lilach German
Photographs by Danya Weiner
Imagine Publishing -- 2009
Buy it on Amazon
This book joins the club of an already saturated market of cupcake cookbooks. With ho-hum flavors like pumpkin, marzipan, blueberry and peanut butter and jelly, it proved a tad underwhelming.
On a positive note, one entire chapter is devoted to healthier cupcakes, including recipes that are whole wheat, dairy and gluten-free to please almost every palate. The remaining chapters are broken down into Classics, Cupcakes for Kiddies, Cupcake Celebrations and Cupcakes for Connoisseurs.
Takeaway tips: A basic cupcake essentials introduction includes a breakdown of Equipment 101 as well as dissection of ingredients and serving and storage suggestions. Most readers will find reading the ingredient section quite helpful. For example, many people use large eggs in baking recipes because that's what they typically pick up at the grocery store. Author Lilach German recommends using medium sized eggs that are cracked at room temperature.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
Continue reading 'Cupcakes, Cupcakes and More Cupcakes!' - Cookbook Spotlight
Magnificent Morsels of YumSugar
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| Cloudy ice cube. Photo: YumSugar |
Why do ice cubes cloud?
Sea beans, a salty newbie at farmers markets, can be prepared in numerous ways.
Saffron and the salty sea come together in Mussels with Saffron Cream Sauce.
Sexy snack bags: Help save the environment when packing lunch.
This holiday season, Starbucks will be partnerning with Christian Siriano (Project Runway winner) for a mysterious, top-secret project.
The world's largest cupcake was recently cut in London.
YumSugar asks: Do you eat bruised fruit?
Storing Cupcakes - Tip of the Day
You want to make cupcakes for a summer event, but don't have enough time to bake and frost them the day of. What do you do?
Nice Day for a White Cupcake - Feast Your Eyes
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| Photo: Sarah Yoon/milk and honey |
[Via milk and honey cafe]
'Martha Stewart's Cupcakes' - Cookbook Spotlight
'Martha Stewart's Cupcakes'Recipes from the editors of Martha Stewart Living
Photographs by Con Poulos and others
Clarkson Potter -- 2009
Buy it on Amazon
If there's one thing in the food blogosphere that provokes as strong a reaction as the words "Martha Stewart," it's "cupcake." So when we heard that Martha was busting out a brand-new book containing 175 of the suckers, we knew we had to get behind the scenes.
Martha's test kitchen cooks are both notoriously talented and fussy about their recipes, so we went straight to the top of the editorial food chain to find out which of the tome's 352 pages contained the best palm-sized cakes. (If you just can't wait, it's after the jump).
As with "Martha Stewart's Cookies," this is a thorough, imaginative and utterly vibrant paean to a beloved member of the baked goods family. The title truly does say it all: there's nothing but cupcakes as far as the eye can see. There's cupcake frosting, cupcake decorations, cupcakes for every season and occasion -- there's even a recipe for "Creepcakes" for, yes, Halloween. It's a candy-colored rebuke to the cupcake haters, those who view the craze as an infantile indulgence or see the diminutive desserts as the cloying, edible equivalent of those tiny dogs who travel around in handbags. Cupcakes, as done by Martha and her team, are a force to be reckoned with. The cover photo says it all: Cupcakes are here and they're not going anywhere, except maybe to your mouth.
See what we tested, what a top test-kitchen toque recommends and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
Continue reading 'Martha Stewart's Cupcakes' - Cookbook Spotlight
Earth-Friendly Cupcones; Food Party Picked up by IFC
If you're the sort of green-thinking cook who inwardly kvetches every time you toss out a paper cupcake wrapper or piece of plastic wrap, this is the video for you. In it, former StyleList blogger turned culinary vlogger Brigitte Dale dons a flowery apron to create "cupcones" -- cupcakes in cones, minus the "trash" of the wrapper -- with a sort of wide-eyed, pixielike zen: "If you know me, you know that I love cupcakes, and I love the Earth."
One part full-color, one part black-and-white film, this is notable both for its star's posturing and the sharp, cinematic edits. Randomly, it reminded us to click on over to check on a far more nutty food video star -- Thu Tran, whose "Food Party," we learned, has just been picked up by IFC. Congrats to Tran and her team of crazy bandits on the Willy Wonkian, Peewee's Playhousian show. The madness starts June 9.
[Via Youtube]
[Via Food Party]
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