I was reading this story in the NYTimes about how cupcakes could turn into the next Krispy Kreme...uber-popular and ever-expanding one day, over-hyped and mediocre the next. It seems there are two separate issues at hand in the article -- the rapid growth of cupcake franchises like Crumbs, and the current craze over cupcakes in general. Now, I live in NYC, and I do happen to think we have too many cupcakes around. And by too many, I mean too many mediocre/bad cupcakes. It seems like everyone is selling cupcakes these days, and people aren't being too choosey about which ones they buy. The mentality seems to be -- "hey, it's a cupcake? Great, give me five!"

With all the cupcake franchises out there, it's inevitable that quality is going to go down. So I don't have a problem with more one-of-a-kind, unique bakeries opening up and selling their (hopefully) tasty cupcakes, but I do have a problem with more mass-produced, mediocre bakeries peddling all kinds of random cupcakes. The cupcake craze will never be over for me -- I'll always love them -- but I'll love the good ones. The fresh, the homemade, the ones made from top-quality ingredients with lots of TLC.

Bottom/no-brainer line: If you're going to sell or buy cupcakes, make sure they're GOOD. Don't just do it because it's trendy or they look cute.

I am, however, curious about what the next trendy baked good will be. I'm betting people will start re-inventing the Twinkie. Either that, or s'mores are going to make a huge comeback (and on a related note, fingers crossed the pu-pu platter will return -- you heard it here first).

Oh, and my favorite cupcakes are...the Lady Baltimore from the original Buttercup Bake Shop (yes, they've since opened up a second one), the Red Velvet from Sugar Sweet Sunshine (it's iced with what I've dubbed "crack frosting" because it's so addictive), and chocolate cupcakes from Cupcake Cafe (they were, I believe, the original bakery for cupcakes in NY -- way before Magnolia opened up). And speaking of Magnolia, their cupcakes are waaaay overrated. I do, however, miss their ice cream. It was so good I used to go twice a day to get my fix. Alas.

This morning my co-worker Val forwarded me a press release about a new fudge of the month club from Allison's Gourmet. In the e-mail, she mentioned how great it would be if there were a mac 'n cheese of the month club (her exact words: "That would be the best present ever"). So then I started wondering...maybe there *is* a mac 'n cheese club? I did a little googling and sadly, couldn't find anything. I did turn up some other pretty interesting/awesome monthly clubs; here are the ones that caught my eye (beyond the usual cheese, wine, fruit, coffee, etc):

• Lobster of the Month (though slightly disappointing it's just tails, and not whole lobsters)
• Popcorn of the Month
• Ice Cream of the Month
• Pasta of the Month (you get the pasta and gourmet sauce)
• Olive Oil of the Month
• Pizza of the Month
• Bacon of the Month
• Pie of the Month
• Soda Pop of the Month

The list goes on and on...clubs for beer, steak, hot sauce, salsa, barbecue sauce, brownies, cake. But NO mac 'n cheese. Sorry, Val.

Photo from AllisonsGourmet.com

It may be September, but ice cream season is far from over (and let's face it, is it ever *really* over?). I heard about this company a few months ago but finally checked out their site -- it's ecreamery.com, and it allows you to customize your own ice cream, complete with name and packaging, and have it delivered straight to your door. You can create a gelato or more traditional ice cream, and select from more than 60 flavors, from classics like cheesecake, butter pecan and coffee to more out-there selections like avocado, cucumber and stout. If you like, you can add mix-ins -- again, ranging from classics like nuts, chocolate bar pieces and Oreo cookies to some truely bizarre additions, such as bacon pieces, cheddar cheese and dill weed (I'm all about creativity when it comes to food, but...really?? Cheese and dill?). Come up with a name, select your size, and select your packaging from 3 options, and you've got your very own, customized ice cream flavor.

Now sure, all this frozen goodness comes at a price -- a half gallon costs $49.99, plus shipping -- but if you need to send a "thanks, invite me next year!" gift to the friend who invited you to stay at her gorgeous beach house this summer, this could be the perfect way to do it.

I love this idea -- Andrew of Very Good Taste has posted a list of 100 foods every omnivore should try at least once. If you want to play, follow his instructions:

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

Want to see my 100 foods?

My latest obsession is Japanese shisito peppers, cooked in some olive oil and lots of sea salt until they start to char and blister. While they're still hot, just tear into them with your fingers. You'll find them served this way in authentic Spanish tapas restaurants, but I didn't even think about cooking them at home until I saw them at the farmers' market last week. The peppers aren't really spicy, so you can eat a whole bunch of them without setting your mouth on fire. Best of all, they're way healthier than a bag of chips and are much tastier (in my opinion), so you don't have to feel guilty when you consume a plate of peppers in one sitting. At least, I don't.

I mentioned in a previous post my trip to the Jersey shore, where I spied a whole mountain of Cheez Whiz. Along the same lines, I also enjoyed plenty of bacon-cheddar spread, on this trip, provided by our generous host, Home & Garden editor Michele.

I've seen bacon-cheddar spread before but never, for some odd reason, tried it. It was super-rich, creamy, smoky, intensely cheesy and bacony all at once. And completely addictive. Every time Michele busted out the crackers and spread, even if I was full, I couldn't help digging in. I do love cheese, any kind of cheese, and can make a meal out of cheese and bread. But bacony-cheese and some kind of carb? Even better. (Washed down with plenty of wine, of course.) Consider it the next time you entertain -- your guests will leave very happy. And full.

I got a press release last week for a new cookbook and knew immediately that I had to own it: Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes, by Jennifer McLagan. Um...how could you *not* want this book? Don't worry, it's not filled with recipes for triple-bacon-cheeseburgers. It's a celebration of fat in all its forms, from butter to goose fat to bacon. So you'll find recipes for both simple and sophisticated fare, like spaghetti with butter and sage, slow-roasted pork belly with fennel and rosemary, cassoulet, and a "perfect" BLT (with bacon mayonnaise!). I'm most intrigued by some of the desserts, however -- Bacon Fat Spice Cookies and Bacon Baklava (using actual cooked bacon, not rendered bacon fat) might be at the top of my list, and of course, there's plenty of recipes for sweets using lard. There's also a recipe for Marrow Rice Pudding, which scares me just a little.

Check out it -- superstar chef Eric Ripert has an ongoing video series of him cooking in a *toaster oven.* True, it's a fancy-schmancy Cuisinart oven (they're one of the sponsors), but who cares? He's making some very tasty-looking, elegant but super easy things, like butterflied garlic shrimp and mini toad-in-the-hole using quail eggs and smoked salmon. All in the toaster oven. On the site, he says he started cooking in the toaster oven because it was the easiest way to prepare meals for his five-year-old son. Awww. How cute is that?

Watch the videos here; the recipes look great, and are fast and easy. Now I'm just waiting for Thomas Keller to release some vids of him cooking in an Easy-Bake Oven.

Ok, maybe a bit of an exaggeration. But yesterday I had a super-busy day in the office and didn't have time for lunch...so at around 2:30, I was starving. Our cafe downstairs closes at 2, so that was out. My only other options were to order in food, which would have taken forever, or to walk over to our sister building's cafeteria. And at 2:30 I knew pickings would be mighty slim over there.

But then I remembered that I had some packages of Ronzoni Bistro meals sitting on my desk. They're essentially single-serving fully-cooked pasta meals in a pouch that you heat up in the microwave, right in the bag, for about 90 seconds. I chose the Rotini with Basil and Tomatoes, zapped it in our office microwave, and had a steaming cup of pasta ready in two minutes. Though it certainly isn't a substitute for making fresh pasta with sauce, I was pleasantly surprised. The flavor kind of reminded me of the Chef Boyardee canned pastas I loved as a kid -- not a bad thing at all. I kind of enjoyed the nostalgia of it. While it wouldn't be my first choice lunch, it's definitely a good backup to have on hand in the office for emergencies.

So thanks, Ronzoni, for keeping me from starving yesterday.

I get a ton of press e-mails every day, and I barely have time to give them more than a glance. But this subject line caught my attention immediately: "Tofurkymobile Reaches Manhattan"

Really?? There's a Tofurkymobile? And it's somewhere in the city???

But just when I started to get really excited (not that I'm a fan of tofurky -- in fact, I've never tried it and I probably never will...but I was imagining some giant squishy turkey-shaped van, handing out samples, or something), I read on, and realized that it's an *imaginary* vehicle. It's been traveling across the country, virtually, to demonstrate how much energy you can save by not eating meat one day a week, which apparently cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions (FYI, the Tofurkymobile drives 16.5 miles for every individual who pledges to do this).

Now I know that sending out a real live Tofurkymobile would defeat the entire purpose of this PR stunt, but c'mon...a solar-powered Tofurky? Or one powered by decomposing tempeh? What would a Tofurkymobile look like, anyway (on the site, it's a round guy in a green suit driving a log on wheels -- very Berenstain Bears)?

Sigh.

Surprise, surprise: I'm not a fan of processed cheese when squirted from a can on a Ritz cracker. Frankly, I'd rather have a nice slice of manchego, perhaps a little triple-creme goat's milk, maybe even a some cow's milk cheese studded with black truffles. But there are certain times when nothing but Cheez Whiz will do. For example, the only reason I like going to Knicks games is because I get to eat nachos -- those crispy, super-salty round tortilla chips dunked in loads of hot, gooey, melted Cheez Whiz, all served in that flimsy plastic tray. Delish! And of course, if I'm having an authentic Philly cheesesteak, I'll always get it with Whiz -- no fancy provolone or Swiss, thank you very much.

So yeah, I do love Cheez Whiz in its own special way. So when I was at the Jersey shore recently (Seaside Heights boardwalk, baby!), I naturally had to snap a pic of a glorious overabundance of cans of Cheez Whiz. I can only imagine the many wonderful ways it's being used down the Shore.(Cheez fries! Cheesy chili dogs!)

And apparently, I'm not the only one pondering the pros and cons of Cheez Whiz these days -- check out what our community members had to say.

I actually did it -- inspired by the heirloom tomato video, I went home last night and made myself a couple of ricotta-tomato tartines for dinner. This is kind of unusual for me, since when I'm spending a week night at home by myself, I usually don't bother preparing anything more involved than a bowl of cereal or a plain turkey sandwich (in an attempt to save calories and money, since I eat out a lot). I might sautee some greens or something. In any case, I had some fresh ricotta from the farmers' market (I LOVE fresh homemade ricotta), along with a few heirloom tomatoes, and a slightly stale baguette. I took about a third of the baguette and sliced it in half, drizzled with olive oil and toasted it for a few minutes in the oven (this is a great way to use stale bread by the way -- you can top it with pretty much anything for a snack or sandwich). I slathered on some ricotta, added sliced tomatoes, drizzled some olive oil on top, and sprinkled some sea salt and pepper over the whole thing. I didn't have any other greens or fresh herbs to scatter on top, but it was super delicious without -- juicy, sweet, salty, crisp all at once. Bursting with great summery tomato flavor. It took just a few minutes to make, so it was perfect for a quick solo dinner. I also had some zucchini handy so I sauteed it for an easy side dish.

Here's my version of the tartine -- not as pretty as the one on the TODAY show (also, it was taken in my kitchen last night with bad lighting), but it has its own rustic charm, don't you think?

I love heirloom tomatoes; they're weird-looking and sometimes ugly (though as Chef Ed Brown says in this video, "the uglier, the better"), which in my opinion, makes them really cool. Definitely better than those cookie-cutter flavorless giants you find wasting away on supermarket shelves. Each heirloom is distinctly unique, and you never know what each one will taste like. I buy the most interesting-looking ones I can find, and love being surprised by the different flavors -- some juicier, some sweeter, some more intense.

I was drooling over this clip about heirlooms today, and in fact, I think I'm going to make myself a tomato-ricotta tartine tonight. But I gotta say -- doesn't Al Roker seem *way* too into his gazpacho martini? I'm sure it's tasty, but maybe he had a few too many cups of coffee earlier that morning.

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I was at the farmers' market last week and spotted these husk cherries, or cape gooseberries, or whatever you want to call them, and I immediately snatched some up. You don't see them around too often, and they're too good to miss. They look like mini tomatillos with their papery husks; once you expose the fruit, you can just pop them into your mouth. They're firm, intensely sweet and have a bit of tartness. It's like a cross between a tomato and a grape. I'm only familiar with husk berries because I used to prep them at a restaurant, and the cooks walking by would always snatch one off the table as I was working 'cuz they're just that tasty.

These days, I just peel off the husks and eat them by the handful, but you can toss them into salads or use them to make unique pies and cobblers.

Photos courtesy of Jothan Cashero

 

Many people know I'm slightly obsessed with French macaroons, those pretty cookies in pastel colors that come in flavors like pistachio, chocolate, caramel and raspberry. In fact, I spent an entire day in Paris this year simply going from bakery to bakery, seeking out the tastiest ones (I'm still partial to the ones at Laduree because they have the most beautiful stores and packaging, but I think the ones at Pierre Herme are the most creative/innovative and perhaps more delicious). Please do not confuse these French macaroons, which are delicate meringue cookies sandwiched with some kind of cream or jam, with the more common coconut macaroon, which is denser, more blob-like, and is quite satisfying in its own humble way. It's a bit difficult to find true French macaroons here in the U.S., and there are some not-so-great versions out there as well.

Anyway, I adore French macaroons, and I also adore alcoholic beverages. So I was very, very excited to get a press release annoucing that one of the best French bakeries in Manhattan, Payard, will soon be selling "cocktail macaroons" created by Chef Francois Payard himself. The macaroons come in four flavors inspired by Grand Marnier cocktails: the Grand Cosmo, the Grand Margarita, the Grand Mojito and the Orange Crush. Each macaroon contains real alcohol, and you have to be 21 years old to buy them. YUM. They'll be available this September. Can't wait to check 'em out!

This just in: According to Forbes magazine, the highest-paid celebrity chef in the world isn't actually, technically, a chef at all -- it's Rachael Ray! Raking in $18 million a year, she's the clear winner over #2 Wolfgang Puck ($16 million) and makes Mario Batali and Bobby Flay look like paupers by comparison ($3 million and $1.5 million, respectively). Almost every other chef on the top 10 list has a slew of restaurants, many of them garnering high praise from the critics along with Michelin stars (Gordon Ramsey and Alain Ducasse both made the top 10). I know I shouldn't be surprised; Rachael's got a huge empire, with several TV shows, a daily talk show, a bunch of cookbooks, a magazine and a line of kitchenware. I guess I don't really think of her as a chef, though I suppose she does fall in "celebrity chef" territory. I'd be curious to see how more of the real chefs, like Daniel Boulud and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, stack up against each other. Can someone please compile that for me?

 

I had an early lunch today, so this steak is making my mouth water. If only I had a grill... Click below to watch the video Find more tips and tricks from TODAY on iVillage.

Corn season is in full swing, and there's nothing I love better than eating it straight off the cob. I'm generally a purist -- no butter or salt -- as I find that the corn I get is usually sweet and flavorful enough. And I don't mind getting a little messy, so I'm completely hands-on. But for those who might prefer to be more ladylike, there are always corn holders -- those nifty little handles you stick in either end of the cob. The problem is, they're usually totally boring (plain black) or kind of cheesy (shaped like, um, ears of corn or pigs or dogs). Zyliss has a more stylish solution -- comfortable corn holders in bright, fun colors and a sleek shape. They even interlock so you can store them safely when not in use. (Though someone here did mention that they looked like sex toys -- and it wasn't even Josey -- but that's neither here nor there.) In any case, I'd be happy to have these holders at my next corn-fest, for those who feel like they need a helping hand.

Mark Bittman, aka "The Minimalist" (he's got a really popular weekly column in the New York Times, as well as a bunch of cookbooks), always has a ton of quick and easy recipe ideas. He's got some great suggestions for spicing up leftovers in your fridge, including mashed potatoes, roasted veggies and chicken. I kind of want some of that quesadilla right now...and, he brings up the #1 rule of cooking: Add bacon to anything to make it better. Watch the video to get all of Mark's great tips.

Click below to watch the video

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Sam "the Cooking Guy" thinks you have bread, tuna, peanut butter and pasta in you pantry right now. Do you? (I have everything but the tuna.) Anyway, since money's tight these days, it's probably a good idea to cook with things you already have in the house, instead of running out and buying 25 new ingredients, which I have a bad habit of doing. Sam's got some creative ideas for non-boring ways to use your pantry staples (peanut butter sandwiches is not one of them) without breaking the bank. Personally, I think the beef with noodles looked pretty tasty.

Click below to watch the video Find more tips and tricks from TODAY on iVillage.

Eating ramen can be kind of tricky. You're usually given a big spoon and some chopsticks, and you've got to slurp and chew a huge bowl of slippery noodles, hot broth, and other nuggets of goodness.Totally worth it, but things can get a little messy. A friend recently gave me a pair of cool stainless steel ramen spoon/forks (or sporks, if you prefer). They're sturdy, sleek and will make eating any 99-cent package of rehydrated noodles instantly sexier. This design was specially created for a restaurant chain in Japan as an eco-friendly alternative to disposable chopsticks (gotta love those innovative Japanese). So pick up a pair here, eat ramen, save money, save the world.

And by the way, I just discovered that one of my favorite places to eat in London, Wagamama, has opened its first U.S. location -- in Boston! Not sure how I feel about that...it seems to take the fun out of eating there when I head across the pond. I might as well stop in a Starbucks, too.

It's the middle of summer and I've been a little over-indulgent lately...non-stop press events, dinners out with friends, double-layer chocolate cakes with chocolate frosting, chili dogs and tater tots at 3 a.m....So my co-worker Alexis and I have been talking about going on an all-cereal diet for a couple of weeks, to sort of cleanse the system and maybe lose a couple pounds . Obviously, this isn't really going to happen -- I mean, I can't live on cereal alone, three times a day. But I certainly don't think there's anything wrong with eating a healthy cereal for breakfast and lunch on a regular basis.

So I was psyched to read this blog post about cereal restaurants. I haven't seen or even heard of them before, but I'm hoping one will make its way to NY. They're exactly what they sound like -- restaurants serving a variety of cereals with a variety of toppings that you can customize, sort of like frozen yogurt shops. Check out two of the contenders: Cereality and The Cereal Bowl. Wish there was one near me...

I've been living in NY for over 10 years, and I confess: I went to Kalustyan's for the very first time just a few weeks ago. I've walked past it countless times and had always heard great things about it, but never actually checked out the store before. And boy, have I been missing out. It's a renowned South Asian and Middle Eastern store that's stocked from floor to ceiling with international spices and herbs, hard-to-find canned goods, frozen food, coffee and teas, sweets and prepared foods. It's pretty amazing. If you're looking for frozen samosas, marmite, black lentils, fresh Indian breads like roti and nan, or an assortment of curry pastes, you'll likely find it in this store. Best of all, they have an extensive web site that carries a mind-boggling array of goodies. I snagged some Turkish delight for a friend and a couple bottles of my favorite-but-scarce-in-the-U.S. elderflower presse, and I'm sure I'll be back soon for more.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm addicted to Top Chef. I read all the gossip about the former cheftestants (thought I'm bummed I missed out on Richard when he was in town), I love Season One winner Harold's restaurant in NYC, and I wrote this quiz about last season's episodes just for the fun of it. So I'm really mad I can't enter our Momtourage contest, in which one of the prizes is a dinner for eight cooked by a former Top Chef contestant. You'll even get a personal chef, too (or a housecleaner or a babysitter, if you like, but c'mon -- let's get our priorities straight). Best of all, there will be three winners who get the big prize. Worst of all, none of them will be me ('cuz I work here and it's against the rules, naturally). But please, go ahead -- you can enter the Momtourage contest right here.

Good luck, and if you win, please consider inviting me as one of your dinner guests.

Last night, I went to a press dinner for Arm & Hammer at a lovely restaurant called Country. Executive chef Willis Loughhead came out several times to explain each course to us and offer his tips and thoughts on fresh produce and ingredients. After the first course of an intensely flavored summery roast tomato gazpacho, he mentioned the proper way to store tomatoes: Keep them on your kitchen counter stem-side down. NEVER store them in your fridge, because they'll start to lose their flavor.

The people at my table were really surprised by this, because they all stored their tomatoes in the refrigerator. I actually used to as well, until a few years ago when someone revealed the no-fridge rule. And since then, I've always kept them on my counter. It's second nature to me now, and I had forgotten that most people don't know to store your tomatoes outside the fridge. I'm a bit of a tomato freak anyway, and I love to keep a pint of grape tomatoes hanging around for snacking out of hand. In fact, here's a shot of some beautiful heirloom tomatoes I recently bought at the farmers' market. I think they're pretty, so I thought I'd share:

Chef Loughhead had more tips to share to keep your veggies tasting their best; here are just a few:

• Don't wash mushrooms in water. Simply wipe them clean with a damp cloth and a bit of baking soda. (This is a trick I'd never heard of before, but it makes sense -- the baking soda acts as a natural abrasive that'll help get rid of any grime.)
• Store asparagus upright (the way it grows in nature) and remove the rubber bands to prevent rotting (never thought about this either, but again, totally makes sense).
• Leafy greens should be stored stem-side down in an open container, and if you keep them in the plastic bag from the store, make sure you poke some holes in it to allow them to breathe.

I also didn't know you could use baking soda to safely clean all your fruits and veggies -- just sprinkle some on a clean damp sponge, scrub your pro