Food Polls and Cupcakes

Did I mention that this blog was not going to be incredibly consistent? I know, I know, it's been since February since I last posted. There's been a lot of activity going on that has prevented the execution of all the blog ideas that have been floating around in my brain, but that's about to change.

Here's what to expect in the next few weeks... cupcakes!!! John and Heather got married on April 30th (one of the very best weddings I've ever been to). With most wedding comes cake ... with John and Heather's wedding there were mini cupcakes! 30 dozen if you're counting (believe me, I was). As soon as I get some great pictures I'm going to share everything, so be prepared, I'm certain it will be lengthy (possibly even entertaining!)

In the meantime, I'm asking for help. One of my plans over the summer, when it's too hot to mow my lawn, is to go out to restaurants and try to deconstruct and reconstruct menu items. Here's where I need the help. Think of your favorite restaurant, think of the dish there that you would most like to make at home. This is what I want you to share with me. At this point, if you're in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill/Graham area, it's more likely that I will get to that particular restaurant (although, there is a chance that the Richmond, VA and Burlington/Montpelier, VT restaurants might get their shot too).

Any takers?? This is a project I'm looking forward to starting, and I would love the input.

And just because I feel like it's not a post without a picture ... I have added a picture of the cutting cake that I prepared for John and Heather's wedding!!

Comments

Pie Crust -- A Worthy Opponent

I have issues with pie crust. I can make an okay crust, but I always strive for a crust that's more than just okay. Thanksgiving is the time of year where I put my crust skills to the test. I won't lie, I get a little nervous every year at Thanksgiving. I mean, being responsible for dessert for a dozen people is a big responsibility! Every year I try a little something different with my crust, striving to come up with that perfectly flaky crust that makes people wanting to go back for more. I THINK I might have found it this year. I think I ran across the concept on Pinterest , and although I didn't pin that recipe, it got me thinking about it. Sour cream pie crust. It was intriguing... would it work? Would I like the result? I had the ingredients, so I tried it (with slight modification). Here's the recipe from food.com. My modified recipe is below: Sour Cream Pie Crust (supposedly will make enough for 1 9in pie, but I think it might yield more)

Quick Alfredo

Sometimes, it's hard to get to the grocery store. I'm just going to put that out there. Recently, I found myself in the situation where I had a box of pasta in the cupboard and a stick of butter in the fridge (along with a few unidentifiable items in plastic containers, but as a pseudo-chef, I should likely not admit to having such things in my home). As I was reaching for the butter, I noticed that I had a bit of whipping cream, and a shaker can of Parmesan cheese (don't judge). After smelling the cream to make sure it was alright (it was on the verge, I kid you not, of being ready for the trash), I made a down and dirty version of Alfredo sauce. Surprisingly it came out really well. I have a bad habit of not measuring ... with this, just taste as you go and all will be well. I'm giving ingredients and approximate measurements. Down and Dirty Alfredo 1 cup whipping cream (I'm certain that half and half or milk will work just fine) 1 Tbsp. butter 1/

The Sugar Cookie Promise

Somehow around the office I’ve become known for my baked goods. Pre-culinary school, I was hard pressed to even get a boxed cake right. I hated measuring, which is why I always liked to cook, it’s very forgiving when measurements are off. Baking, not so much. So being known as a baking guru, I was asked by a coworker/friend if I could make cupcakes for his band’s CD release party. Talking it through with him, we came up with the plan of doing cookies instead. This posed two challenges for me. 1) I had the genius idea that the cookies I made should be very specific to his band, i.e. I wanted to custom make a cookie cutter. 2) I had to make sugar cookies. I’m not a fan of making sugar cookies, or any rolled cookies for that matter, I blame this on the one square foot of usable counter space I have in my kitchen. Challenge 1: The design of the cutter wasn’t the challenge. Easy, an N and an E connecting (Band name: North Elementary) with half a person popping out of the top

Empirical Foodism

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