Food Rush - iVillage

Cupcakes...Over??

2008-09-05T16:43:23Z

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.

"That Would Be the Best Present Ever"

2008-09-04T15:59:33Z

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

Ice Cream, Your Way

2008-09-03T23:01:12Z

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.

100 Foods to Try

2008-08-29T16:01:09Z

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?

]]> 1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
~~75. Roadkill~~
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

My New Favorite Snack

2008-08-28T21:48:07Z

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.

Bacon Makes Everything Better

2008-08-26T21:54:37Z

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.

You Had Me at "Fat"

2008-08-25T19:26:56Z

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.

A Four-Star Chef and His Toaster Oven

2008-08-22T20:50:00Z

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.

Ronzoni Saved My Life!

2008-08-21T18:54:39Z

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.

Don't Bother Trying to Hitch a Ride

2008-08-20T17:46:25Z

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.

Is It Really Cheese? Who Cares?

2008-08-19T23:34:32Z

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.

A Perfect Little Dinner, Just for Me

2008-08-15T16:12:55Z

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?

You Say Tomato, I Say Heirloom

2008-08-14T15:16:10Z

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.

Find more tips and tricks from TODAY on iVillage.

Spotted at the Market: Husk Cherries

2008-08-13T22:14:56Z

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

Cookies and Cocktails, Best Combo Ever

2008-08-12T18:59:08Z

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!