Home add your blog Archives Search Forum Contact RSS FEED

This site is an rss/xml news reader containing our favorite feeds. All articles are the copyrighted material of the blogs that wrote them.

July 4th Lady Liberty Cupcake by Wilton.com

post from Zen Cupcake on 03 July 2009 07:45:00 PM. © Zen Cupcake

Lady Liberty Mini Cake
by Wilton

Wilton is one of my favorite cupcake decorating supply companies. This tutorial is for a mini cake, which is a bit larger than a cupcake. But, what could be more fitting on July 4th than a Lady Liberty Mini Cake. Supplies and instructions by Wilton.com.

Tools:

Ingredients:

Makes: Serves 1.

Instructions

For head, tint cookie dough copper, roll out and cut with 2 in. round cutter; bake and cool. For torch, tint candy gray (with a small amount of black candy color) and mold ice cream cone from candy mold; refrigerate until firm, unmold. For book, pour melted gray candy into 2 in. round cutter; refrigerate until firm. Pop candy out from cutter and use knife to cut a 1 x 1 1/3 in. rectangle; set aside.

Insert a 3 in. length of wooden dowel rod in wonder mold cake for right arm. Ice cake smooth. Tint fondant light blue, wrap around dowel rod arm. Cut two 6 x 4 in. pieces of blue fondant for robe; gather in accordion shape and attach to body, one piece in front, the other in back. Cut a 5 x 4 in. piece of blue fondant, round off one side, gather as above and attach over robe with damp brush. Roll out a 3 in. long x 1/2 in. diameter piece of fondant for arm holding book; attach book to arm with melted candy. Attach arm to robe with damp brush, wrapping around back. Attach candy torch to other arm with melted candy. Pipe tip 4 dot hands and fingers on both arms. Spatula stripe decorating bag with yellow, red and orange icing and pipe tip 16 pull-out star flames on torch. Pipe tip 2 dot eyes, pupils, nose and string mouth. Pipe tip 4 outline ears. For spikes on hat, tint fondant light blue; cut 6 triangles, 3/4 in. high and let dry on cornstarch-dusted board. Attach hat spikes to back of cookie with melted candy. Pipe tip 4 string hair. Attach lollipop stick to back of cookie with melted candy and insert into top of body.

*Brand confectionary coating.

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZenCupcake/~3/cHQZbqW8CNw/lady-liberty-cupcake-by-
wilton.html

Digg this

Sarah Palin Resignation Cupcakes

post from Zen Cupcake on 03 July 2009 04:47:00 PM. © Zen Cupcake

The Haphazard Gourmet Girls, created
the "Sarah "You Can't Blink" Palin" Cupcake.

Their editorial and cupcake recipe for this Sarah Palin cupcakes makes for good reading.

Click on image for original post

Sarah Palin Cupcake
Cuppie Capers
by Cakespy

Click on the Cuppie Cartoon to read the original Sarah Palin post on Cakespy's blog. It's very funny!

For the days when you just don't get no respect.

Sarah Palin Support Cupcakes
by Mrs. Beasley's

Sarah Palin just announced her resignation as Alaska's Governor. What will she do? Where will she go? Don't cry for Sarah Palin. No doubt, there will be a seven figure book deal, the lecture circuit and probably even a Sarah Palin doll. I hope the GOP kept her $150,000 campaign wardrobe in cold storage. Ta-Ta Sarah Palin.

Originally Posted:

9/15/08 Zen Cupcake: The Haphazard Gourmet Girls and the 2008 Election

10/3/08 Zen Cupcake: Cupcake Politics by Cakespy

11/12/08 Zen Cupcake: Sarah Palin Support Cupcakes

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZenCupcake/~3/IJdjydZBkac/sarah-palin-resignation-
cupcakes.html

Digg this

Cream Apple Tart

post from Ya Salam Cooking on 03 July 2009 04:37:00 PM. © Ya Salam Cooking

A scrumptious creamy custard filled tart baked inside a sweet crust and topped with baked golden apples. This cool dessert taste fabulous after a long hot day. It is best to use granny smith apples when baking because they tend to hold their shape better than most apples.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups (all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Filling:
3 granny smith apples, sliced
2 cups water
4 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons powdered milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 (170 gram) cans qashta
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Crust: Sift flour and salt together and set aside. Place butter in large mixing bowl and beat until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add beaten egg, beating just until incorporated. Do not over mix.

2. Add flour mixture all at once and mix just until it forms a ball. Do not overwork or pastry will be tough when baked. Dough will be sticky.

3. Flatten dough into disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, turning dough, to prevent it from sticking and to keep its round shape. Do not turn dough over. The dough should be about an inch larger than tart pan.

4. Carefully roll dough around rolling pin. Unroll onto tart pan. Never pull or stretch dough, as it will shrink away from pan. Lightly press dough into bottom and sides of pan. Roll your rolling pin over top of pan to get rid of excess dough. Prick bottom of dough. Place in refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill.

5. Fill piecrust with pie weights (I use 2 cups rice). Bake crust in a 400 F oven for 25 minutes until crust is light brown. Remove weights and cool crust on wire rack before filling.

6. Filling: In a saucepan on medium heat, add water, milk, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla. Whisk until mixture thickens up. Remove from heat add qashta and mix well. Pour mix into prepared tart crust. Arrange apple slices equally as shown on mix, after it cools. Bake on 350 F for 20 minutes.

Yields: 1 (28 cm) tart

Read The Full Article:
http://themiddleeasterncook.blogspot.com/2009/07/cream-apple-tart.html

Digg this

A Museum Day and Shake Shack

post from Family, Friends and Food on 03 July 2009 04:23:00 PM. © Family, Friends and Food

Read The Full Article:
http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/2009/07/museum-day-and-shake-shack.html

Digg this

Patriotic Cakes

post from Cake Talk on 03 July 2009 04:19:00 PM. © Cake Talk

Tomorrow is Independence Day and, according to statistics, over 500 people in Tuscaloosa will be celebrating a birthday. Five of them will have a cake from Mary's with a patriotic theme.

Stars, stripes, swags and fireworks are our signature 4th of July designs. Chocolate ganache looks just like a night sky, don't you think?

Under all the chocolate and buttercream are vanilla, lemon, strawberry, chocolate and red velvet cakes.

And at least one local couple is getting married today, with a chocolate bride's cake covered in dark ganache, and complete with fireworks and a bow.

Oh yeah, and an out-of-this world "alien" cake for a guy who is interested in outer space. The little guys are pretty cute, as aliens go, but we can't take full credit for the design as the customer brought in a photo of a similar cake she had found on the web.

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CakeTalk/~3/epJfWcuyVrs/patriotic-cakes.html

Digg this

Royal Blenheim Apricots. buy & eat me now.
Northern California & beyond.

post from eggbeater on 03 July 2009 03:30:00 PM. © eggbeater

Now is the time.

The time is Right Now.

If you live in California, USA or anywhere close by, and you love apricots

{photo by Anita Crotty of Married ...with Dinner}

The Royal Blenheim Apricot is in season right this minute.

AND YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE THEM GO EXTINCT IN YOUR LIFE TIME

support the few farmers left growing them.

All this information just in from my favorite group, Bakers Dozen.

Dear Bakers Dozen Members:

The Blenheims are Here! If you?d like to organize a carpool to pick some up, here are some sources:

?Apricot King?Patty Gonzales? orchard

Email: info@apricotking.com

Phone: 831/637-1938

Visit their farm in Hollister, or check them out at these local farmer's markets:

Santa Cruz

2:30 to 6:30 Wednesdays ? Lincoln & Cedar, one block off Pacific in downtown Santa Cruz

Los Altos

4 to 8 p.m. ? Thursdays, downtown Los Altos

Palo Alto

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. ? Sundays (California & El Camino)

Mountain View

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. ? Sundays (Hope & Evelyn Streets)

?Andy's Orchard

1615 Half Road

Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Store Hours:

10:00am - 5:00pm Weekdays

10:00am - 4:00pm Weekends

(408) 782-7600 and ask for Lorene

or

?    Sigonona's Market (Palo Alto)

?    Cosentino's (San Jose) carries Andy's fruit

?    Local Farmers Market @ Garden Accent

?    11155 Lena Ave, Gilroy, CA 408/846-4555 Thur 2-7 pm

or look on the local harvest website.

More lovely photos can be found on Flickr of Royal Blenheim Apricots on the branch, taken by Spidra Webster.

Read The Full Article:
http://eggbeater.typepad.com/shuna/2009/07/royal-blenheim-apricots-buy-eat-me-now
-northern-california-beyond.html

Digg this

Hay For SaleAnd What The Heck Happened With My
Last Posting

post from The GYPSY KITCHEN Blog on 03 July 2009 02:47:00 PM. © The GYPSY KITCHEN Blog

Greetings Everyone;

We have had soooo much rain here in the Northeast that my 2-acres of grass more resembles a hay field then it does a lawn. If I can?t get it mowed by the end of this weekend, I?m going to have to bail it and sell it as hay!!!

I do not know what happened with the last Blog post. Apparently some of you received it in your email, while some of you received the previous one and still others did not receive anything at all. I just love modern technology ? don?t you? I?m hoping that this post will go according to plan ? I?ll keep my fingers crossed!

This Weeks Musings:

Maine Wild Blueberries ? Healthy and Oh-So-Tasty?

A visit to Feile Restaurant in Wells, ME.

A weekend in Boston and the food is fine.

Murphy-Goode ? not so Goode for me!

THIS WEEKS RECIPES:

Warm Brie with Wild Maine Blueberry Chutney

Summertime Grilling - Beef Tri-Tip Sirloin

WEEKLY CHICKEN DISH:

Buffalo Chicken Farfalle

PEPCID FRIENDLY RECIPE:

Oven Roasted Miso Glazed Wild Salmon

Maine Wild Blueberries ? Healthy and Oh-So-Tasty?
A recent study by the National Berry Crops Initiative (NBCI), presented at the Berry Health Benefits Symposium shows that wild blueberries have been central to research exploring the role of diet in disease prevention and management of age-related health risks. Recent discoveries attribute potential health benefits of the wild blueberry to antioxidants such as anthocyanin, anti-inflammatories and other natural compounds found throughout the deep blue wild blueberry. Wild blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity per serving compared with more than 20 other fruits. Antioxidants help protect against disease and age-related health risks by battling against free radicals - unstable oxygen molecules associated with cancer, heart disease and the effects of aging.

What the study did not point out is the simple fact that wild blueberries are just so darn tasty and easy to enjoy?either by themselves, with breakfast, lunch, dinner or night-time snack. And we ALL know that Maine wild blueberries are some of the Best the world has to offer ? so make sure that you load up on Wild Maine Blueberries whenever you see them in the grocery store or Farmer?s Market!

I have included a wonderfully delicious recipe for Warm Brie with Wild Maine Blueberry Chutney this week for your enjoyment.

TOP

A visit to Feile Restaurant in Wells, ME?

Recently, Cindy, my daughter Jessica and I found ourselves in the mood for some Irish fare and wanted to check out the new Feile (pronounced ?FAY-luh? ? which means feast day) Irish Restaurant and Pub, located on Route 1 in Wells, Me in the former Mexican restaurant ?Marcia?s? location.

A new paint job both inside and out, some new landscaping and some new decor inside certainly do a lot to spruce this property up a bit.

Upon entering, we were greeted by a group of enthusiastic, albeit young, staff who appeared more than eager to attend to our needs. The pub was relatively busier then the dining room on this particular Thursday evening.

Our hostess showed us to a nice sized table in one of the small dining rooms in the front section of the building. Classic Irish music played out of the speakers as she handed us our food menu?s as well as our beer & wine menu?s?which I thought a bit odd that each of us would be handed one as I am accustomed to one per table. I quickly realized that the beer selection is so massive that it makes sense for each patron to have their own. Let me say this clearly ? if you cannot find a cold beer of your liking at Feile, then you won?t find it anywhere in Southern Maine! The wine list is minute in comparison ? and could be extended a bit to include some more depth of selection!!!

Upon first glance of the dinner menu, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed by the selection as such items as ?Buffalo Wings?, ?Loaded Potato Skins? and ?Spicy Beef Chili? seemed to jump off the page and SHOUT anything BUT Irish fare to me. Once I readjusted my focus though I discovered items such as ?PEI Mussels steamed in Red Ale?, ?Guinness Beef Stew?, ?Bangers and Mash?, ?Shepherd's Pie? and ?Crispy Pork Belly with Garlic Mashed Potatoes? ? okay, that?s better!!! Further into the menu one finds some ?New England Favorites? such as ?Shrimp and Grits?, ?Seafood Mac n? Cheese?, ?Oyster Po Boy?, ?Fish n?Chips? and others.

Cindy & Jesse shared an order of the PEI Mussels steamed in Red Ale with fennel, garlic and oven-roasted tomatoes which they both enjoyed.

I tried the Buttermilk Fried Oysters that were dusted in cornmeal and served with a Granny Smith apple slaw and what was supposed to be a curry aioli, but the amount was so scant that one could not really get an accurate taste of the curry. The idea behind this dish is a solid one but the cornmeal did not adhere itself to the oysters very well and so I basically had deep fried oysters with cornmeal dust and some wonderfully julienned apple and a drop of curry colored matter on the plate.

For entrees, Cindy tried the Shrimp and Grits which she loved and ate every morsel of. Jesse had the Traditional Caesar Salad with Seared Salmon which was perfectly cooked and she fully enjoyed the freshness of the dish. I had to try the Crispy Braised Pork Belly which again was delightfully cooked, although the potatoes were no more than room temperature when my entree arrived ? they were flavorful and well prepared just the same.

Service was friendly and attentive throughout our meal. Although the staff is young and could use a bit more ?nuts & bolts? training, one could not but notice that each and everyone of them was happy to be there, wanted to do a great job and to make sure that each guest left feeling happy.

The atmosphere is nice and cozy but there is little in the way of soft surfaces?the walls, ceilings and floor are all hard so even the slightest of sounds is magnified ? we could hear every foot step by every person (guest and staff) the entire time. I can imagine that when busy the noise level is simply going to increase greatly. At present, Feile is not a place to go for a quite, romantic dinner, although this could easily be changed with a bit of decor revamping.

All-in-all, I would have to say that we enjoyed ourselves at Feile and would most certainly return. We visited shortly after their opening and I am sure that they will quickly work out the few little mis-steps that we encountered on our visit. It is easy to see that there is some real talent in the kitchen and a true desire on the part of the floor staff to be extremely accommodating to their guests.

Feile Restaurant and Pub
1629 Post Road, Wells ME
207-251-4065
http://www.feilerestaurantandpub.com/

RATES:

Would certainly try again.

TOP

A weekend in Boston and the food is fine.

This past weekend, Cindy and I enjoyed a lovely time in Boston. On Saturday, we visited the Phantom Gourmet?s Annual Beach Party & BBQ Cook-off, held at Suffolk Downs, which was a whole lot of fun. There were BBQ Champs from as far away as Australia and from all over the USA ? one can only consume so much BBQ though so after nearly bursting at the seams?Cindy and I retreated out to the track and watched several of the races.

Having been my first time to Suffolk Downs, I must say that I was rather impressed by the condition of the track and the manicured infield. We had a blast watching the horses parade by before each race?we picked our favorites based on the colors of the jockeys outfits ? needless to say, that was not a winning strategy. We actually only placed one - $2 bet, but we still had a lot of fun just the same.

For dinner that evening, we had planned to dine at the ?Top of The Hub? but we were still so stuffed from all the BBQ that we instead opted for some lovely sushi from a new Market Basket in Chelsea and we enjoyed it in our hotel room. I have to say that this was the best sushi I?ve ever experienced from a supermarket in my life. We met the owner of this little place, located within the supermarket. She was a delight and very enthusiastic about the quality of her product, which was being made as we stood there?fresh is an understatement. All the fish was certainly ?restaurant grade?. It fit the bill nicely.

East Coast Grill and Raw Bar

For Sunday Brunch we found ourselves visiting East Coast Grill and Raw Bar in Cambridge. What a funky little eatery this is, owned by notable chef Chris Schlesinger who is a staple in the Boston area. Although it is predominantly a seafood restaurant at night, on Sunday?s it transforms into a South-of-the-border watering whole?and it was fun, delicious and upbeat. The East Coast Grill and raw Bar claims to have the world?s largest ?Bloody Mary Bar? where guests can go and assemble their own concoction from various tomato inspired juices, salsa?s, spices, fruits, etc.

Cindy absolutely savored the ?Breakfast Platter? - with 3 Eggs any style, Black Beans 'n Rice, Mango-Avocado-Hearts of Palm Salad, Fried Plantains, Rojo & a Warm Flour Tortilla

The ?Tortilla Rellenas Con Pato Loco?- Smoked Duck 'n' Jack Cheese over Salsa Verde & Salsa Roja, Queso Fresco & Guava Paste caught my eye, but then again, anything made with duck tends to do that to me.

Both entrees where huge and delicious and worked beautifully with the wonderful Bloody Mary?s, oh, and the coffee was delicious and robust as well.

East Coast Grill & Raw Bar
1271 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-491-6568
http://www.eastcoastgrill.net/

RATES:

Would certainly check out brunch or dinner here, also make yourself a Bloody Mary!!!

After Brunch the day was spent touring the Museum of Science, which we needed to work off some of the calories we consumed over the previous 24 hour period! It had been years since we visited the museum and it was a fun packed afternoon. There is just so much to see and discover here. The Boston Museum of Science should be on everyone?s list visiting the Boston area!!!

TOP

Murphy-Goode ? not so Goode for me!

Well, the Goode folks at Murphy-Goode Winery have made their first ?elimination cut? down to the Top 50 Candidates and decided that yours truly was not what they were looking for in a Wine Country Correspondent. Although I would love to have continued on, I would like to congratulate the 50 well-qualified candidates who did make the cut. It was an exciting exercise and I feel that I learned an awesome amount about social media marketing and hopefully that will help me to continue to enhance this blog and my future writings.

I would be amiss if I didn?t take a moment and thank EVERYONE who cast a vote for me during this process?I was so moved by the number of emails and words of encouragement from all of you ? Thank you so very much!!! So I?ll just have to ?eat, drink and blog? on my own dime for a little longer and California will have to wait for the GYPSY KITCHEN to make it?s way out west.

TOP

Until next time,

Chef John (aka the Gypsy)

john@cookwithjohn.com

http://www.the-gypsy-kitchen.com/

Please feel free to pass this on to all your friends, family members and/or associates!!!

The "GYPSY KITCHEN" is the traveling culinary adventure of John and Cindy Hughes who are cruising the backroads and forgotten highways of America in a 36?foot motorcoach searching for wonderful, interesting regional foods and delicious culinary treasures?Please come and join us!

THE WOODEN SPOON RATING SYSTEM:

= Hopeless, Would Definitely Not Return= Needs Work, Most Likely Would Not Return= Good Basic Find, Things Could Be Improved, Would Probably Try Again= Good Basic Find, Things Could Be Improved, Would Probably Try Again= Better Than Expected, Great Choice, Would Definitely Revisit= Totally Blown Away, Every Point Exceeded Expectation, Would Drive
Out-Of-Way To Revisit

Technorati Tags: chicken recipes,easy recipes,Maine,tri tip sirloin,brie,chutney,blueberry,salmon,buffalo chicken,pasta,miso,chef john hughes,chef chris schlesinger,feile,east coast grill,phantom gourmet,boston,museum of science,sushi

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/aTTV/~3/nbLpj5IdnZU/hay-for-saleand-what-
heck-happened-with.html

Digg this

Garlic Naan Recipe

"Naan" is a name well-known in Indian cooking, and this is one kind of flatbread that is appreciated all around the world, by Indians and non-Indians alike. Soft and tender, Naan can be made with several different variations, but I bet every one loves a bite of Garlic Naan! It pairs well with any kind of curry, and is filling as well as appealing to the eye. Determined to try a homemade Naan recipe, I set out on an adventure last weekend, and was happy to see that my Garlic Naans turned out...

Please Click the Title for the Full Post

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FunAndFood/~3/EdC0qLZ0gKg/naan-recipe.html

Digg this

Sweet Cuppies by Diana Evans

Sweet Cuppie
by Diana Evans

More Sweet Cuppies
by Diana Evans

How phenomenal! How often do you encounter an artist who is inspired by Paris, Cupcakes and even Sock Monkeys? Meet extraordinary Canadian artist Diana Evans.

Diana designed and created the Sweet Cuppie. The first and original cupcake doll. They are absolutely adorable! These dolls are Hand Embellished or Hand Painted. Each month new colors are introduced for sale in limited editions. These cuppies are unique and not mass produced. Sweet Cuppie doll kits are also sold in various color themes for those who wish to hand sew their own cuppie doll.

You can view other Sweet Cuppies for sale in Diana's Etsy Store here. If you have a custom doll in mind or don't see what you're looking for, please use this email link to contact Diana Evans directly or use the email contact information on her SweetCuppies.com website.

Sweet Treats Cupcake Stickers
from the Etsy Store of Diana Evans

Additionally, Diana has created a premium hand embellished cupcake sticker line for your paper projects. More of these handmade Sweet Treats can be found here. Diana's Cupcake Art is also available in cards, paper goods, prints, pendants, personal design services and even French Cupcakes! You can learn more about the artist and illustrator Diana Evans by reading her website and checking out her daily blog.

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZenCupcake/~3/Vm1qV5oH-k0/sweet-cuppies-by-diana-e
vans.html

Digg this

TWITLISH: THE ULTIMATE CHILI DOGS WITH CREAMY
COLESLAW & TOLANS MOMS POTATO SALAD

THE ULTIMATE CHILI DOGS WITH CREAMY COLESLAWRecipe Courtesy of Tyler FlorenceTo follow us online be sure to end all of your questions on twitter with ?#twtlish?also be sure to join our twibe which makes it much easier to follow the class onlineCLICK HERE[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.tylerflorence.com/blog/?p=432

Digg this