Sweet Things

I love cupcakes. No, seriously love them. I love them so much that if Florida recognized confectionary unions, I would marry them. That’s a lot of love.

So imagine my elation when perusing the selections at the Scholastic Book Fair at my childrens’ school, that amongst the Diaries of Wimpy Kids and paperback Spongebob episodes, was a sexy little tome in the adult section: Hello, Cupcake, Irresistibly playful creations anyone can make, by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson.

Hello, yourself, sweet thing.

Inside its colorful pages was the cupcake lover’s manifesto. In the introduction it teases, “All this is easy: honest. Forget the complicated pastry techniques and expensive decorating supplies. You can find almost everything for these projects at your local grocery store, drugstore, or even a gas-station convenience store.”

You had me at gas-station.

There were dozens of cool cakes to choose from. Sleeping children with fruit roll-up blankets for a slumber party, a candy corn turkey for Thanksgiving. There were dogs, horses, and even a T.V. dinner sculpted mostly from cut-up Starburst for April Fool’s Day. Decisions, decisions.

We ended up choosing the highest degree of difficulty to begin--the 3-dimensional penguins because that’s how we roll. After I procured all of the ingredients at the grocery store (except for the black food coloring which I found Michael’s) my kids and I set to work.

We used a regular cake mix, although there are recipes for homemade cupcakes and frosting in the back of the book. We baked them and let them cool and then began assembling them according to the books’ clear directions.


And you know, it worked. It actually worked.

In less than an hour (after baking time) we had these adorable penguin cupcakes complete with coconut-snow covered icebergs for the Swedish Fish. They looked pretty close to the picture, and using the candy pieces instead of something infinitely more complicated liked marzipan, made this a very kid-friendly project. The only trouble I had was dipping the cupcakes, which probably could be solved after a few practice runs.



I’d like to report that they taste as good as they look, but I can’t honestly say because no one is willing to bite the head of those penguins to do a taste test.

So the fires of my love affair with the cupcake have been stoked once again.

Mixing it up in 2009

What’s new for hungry foodies in 2009? While going out to dinner thoughtlessly is out, the re-appreciation of cooking at home is in.

A recent conversation with famous food blogger and author, Pim Techamuanvivit, reveals that it is the adventurous home cook’s time to shine.

In addition to eating out less often, the influence of food-related television, blogging and online resources have changed the way we eat. “These have really expanded our food horizons and brought the world to our living rooms.” She notes, “people are cooking more at home, playing with flavor.”



And she should know a little about exotic flavors. Her blog,Chez Pim has recently been named by The Guardian as one of the top 50 blogs in the world. She has served as a guest judge on Iron Chef America. She has recently published her first book, The Foodie Handbook: The (almost) Definitive Guide to Gastronomy, and continues to write for food magazines like Bon Appétit, Gourmet, and Food and Wine. She recently partnered with Rachel’s Wickedly Delicious Yogurt and Cottage Cheese because she appreciates their ingredients and unique flavor combinations like pomegranate acai and pear mangosteen.








She says fellow foodies can look forward to a number of exciting food trends emerging this year.

-Lavender. You’ll see this in everything from chocolates to cocktails.

-Already popular in Latin America, look for more U.S. chefs to use cactus in their dishes.

-Exotic produce, especially from Southeast Asia, becoming more mainstream and available.

-Mixing unexpected flavor combinations in familiar foods and products.

She advises adding surprises to traditional comfort foods is a great way to encourage adventurous eaters. This may help to introduce new foods into even the pickiest repertoire.

Like her food philosophy, her writing is just as varied. Today’s entry may feature “Thai scallop ceviche,” but one of her most popular posts was her homemade “Pop Tarts” recipe.

So dare to be a little different this year and mix things up in the kitchen.

Any way you slice it, 2009 will be deliciously different.