EllenFork

A Cupcake Bakes in Brooklyn

As some of you may know, I am not the only female in my family with a penchant for food. Aside from the obvious interested parties (me, my mother), my twin sister Alice is a beast in the kitchen as well. And not only that, but she is married. Do you know what this means, my little chickadees? It means she has every delightful dish, serving utensil and gadget that a foodie could want. Kitchen Aid mixer? Check. Wire cooling rack? Check. Recipe for deadly, butter-soaked cupcakes? CHECK. Did I mention Al is particularly talented in the Dark Arts (and by that, I mean baking)?

Recently my cupcake-loving sis entered a neighborhood Cupcake Bake-off in her Brooklyn neighborhood. Not one to venture lightly into a competition, good ol' Al decided to make some cupcakes that would stun, terrify and enchant all who encountered them. CHOCOLATE OATMEAL CUPCAKES WITH MAPLE-BACON BUTTERCREAM?!? MARGARITA CUPCAKES? WHAT?!

Please read her guest post below for a true account of a Cupcake Queen. AND she was interviewed and photographed by the Daily News!!!

[Note: Alice was misquoted here. Instead of ""Home bakers should be afraid of experimenting with savory flavors." the quote should be "Home bakers should NOT be afraid of experimenting with savory flavors." DUH!]

Read more: "A Brooklyn cupcake bakeoff savors a mix of exotic flavors and frostings"

 

"The cupcake trend sweeping the food nation for the past few years is going strong in Brooklyn.  How do I know this? Because I was one of 65 entrants into the 3rd Annual Cupcake Bake Off put on by The Brooklyn Kitchen.  Last year, I was but a mere cupcake enthusiast, showing up to Union Pool, a local watering hole,  to sample cupcakes and beers (which go together great, btw. I recommend a light, citrusy weissbier or hefeweizen!).  I was so envious of all those proud cupcake bakers, standing behind their adorable little 'cakes and happily explaining flavors and decorations.  Next year, I vowed, that would be me.  So, on Monday May 11th, I spent 9 hours baking and 2.5 hours basking in the glory of Cupcake World.

I have had a recipe from the New York Times bookmarked since February: "Chocolate Oatmeal Cupcakes with Maple Bacon Buttercream". "WHAT?!" I squealed when I stumbled upon it. "BACON?!" So, duh. Decision made.  An unutterable, ungodly amount of butter was used to make these cupcakes, as documented in my photos.  I nicknamed them "Lil' Heart Attacks", which is very appropriate. I made 2 dozen of those little charmers, I also made a dozen of what I called "Margarita Cupcakes". They were basically lime cupcakes with a lime zest buttercream icing, sprinkled with grey sea salt. I only made a dozen of those and they flew so fast I didn't even get to sample one!  From what I heard, they were very light and moist and tasty.  Check them out here, on a local NYC blog. They were lugged over to Union Pool in my handy dandy cupcake carrier that was a wedding gift...that I registered for (thank you, Kasia!).

 I had such a blast just sitting and chatting with the sugared up crowd.  I had entreaties from a guy to make trays of them for a party, who declared "these are the cupcakes from a girl you take home to mom". The Daily News came by and took photos and interviewed me. I am quoted in the online article, but my picture made the printed version! My only regret is that I didn't have very much time to schmooze around with other contestants because I was manning my Bacon Station.  Luckily, the nice girls sitting next to me amassed a major cupcake stash. I seriously think they had almost one of each! They were very generous and let me snack on their horde. Thanks, anonymous cupcake hoarders!

Alas, I didn't win anything. But I had such a nice time scarfing cupcakes, sampling other bakers' wares, and enjoying the spring evening that I don't even care. Next year, next year....."

Have a Better Day

It's easy. Have a better day. Eat breakfast! Duh, guys. 

The other morning I woke up, hungry. It's natural after a full 8 hours (if I'm lucky) of slumber and consequent fasting. Unlike the previous few rainy days, the birds were chirping and the beautiful morning sun was sneaking in under the blinds. I felt optimistic! I felt well-rested! And still, hungry.

What happened next was a well-choreographed dance: perfectly timed hard boiled egg, whole-grain toast broiled in the oven (no toaster), and Stumptown coffee brewing in the coffeemaker. The morning soundtrack: Blitzen Trapper (new favorite band, check them out).

Now, this is barely a recipe. It's more an experience I want everyone to have. A happy shiny morning with a happy shiny breakfast and hopefully, a happy shiny day ahead. I'll just give you the method I used to boil my egg, that's about all there is to give!

Boiled Egg on Toast

1 egg
1 slice toast
salt and pepper

Place egg in smallish pot. Cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil, let boil for 1 minute. Cut the heat, cover and let sit for about 9 minutes.

Refill pot with cold water. When egg is not too scorching to touch, crack it and peel. Slice and tenderly place on toast (which I assume you have been toasting during this boiling period). Season with salt and pepper.

Chomp and get on with your day!

T Street Crawfish Boil

Ahhh, warm weather! You're here, you're finally here! Nevermind that you go into hiding every other day, the fact that it's the middle of May means you must be returning for good, very soon. And with you has arrived our little friend, the Crawfish. Also known as a Mudbug, or Crawdaddy, these little mini-lobsters always make for a delightfully ritualistic shellfish feasting experience. Hundreds of them meet their ends in the roiling, boiling depths of propane fueled hot pots, brimming with exotic Cajun spices and other similarly fated food items like corn and potatoes.

Lucky for me, I have a reliable source here in DC, a nest of Tulane boys that have learned the art of the Crawfish Boil and perfected it's ritual. The ritual is simple. Hours spent drinking beer in anticipation lead up to a scorchingly hot, steamy feast of tiny clawed animals, that usually reasonable humans are willing to scald their hands and tongues over. The crowd you see above created a wall of Crawfish predators when the steaming pot was tipped, lava-like onto the white table (pictured below).

(Just so you know, the air freshener you see in the picture above was not added to the pot at any point, although some ravenous party-goer may have eaten it later in the night. No one can know for sure.)

I remember the awe and horror I felt upon witnessing this sight for the first time, so many moons ago. So many insectlike creatures, displayed in a very communal format. I soon found my way to enlightenment: suck the head, pinch the tail and eat eat eat.

A Crawfish Boil is a time to make friends. See the above picture in which we take turns holding the platter and busting open the critters. See below for another example, in which my friend Hayne becomes The Human Stain. Astonishingly, this shirt is a constant at this annual party, and emerges each year with a fresh outlook on life, a blank canvas for the new party's messy artwork.

At the end of the afternoon, dusk begins to settle. Waning light softens the harsh edges of the errant claws, tails and corncobs that litter theCrawfish Boil Battlefield. The kegs are kicked, money is collected for their replacements, and night descends, as does a heightened level of madness. The carnage of the day is concealed by darkness, lying in wait for an unlucky houseful of young men to clean up in the morning.

120 lbs of live crawfish were flown in from Louisiana, boiled and eaten. Unfortunately, gentle readers, I do not have the recipe for this prestigious boil. But I also doubt that you happen to have everyday access to 120 lbs of live crawfish. I'd like to leave you all hoping, planning and praying that you shall feast on the sweet, succulent meat of crawfish in the near future.

Update: Preserved Lemons

So I have been sensing confusion regarding my post on Preserved Lemons. Looking back, perhaps I did not clarify enough on the subject...so here goes!

Preserving the lemons with salt is basically curing and "pickling" them. Their rinds become soft and edible, and can be used for cooking and baking later. You may either use just the rind, or the juices and pulp as well. These lemons take on a completely new personality! They are typically used in Moroccan cuisine, but there are many other ways to use these transformed fruits.

Check out this article on eHow for more info. If you aren't into making them yourself, you can find them at many Mediterranean food stores. Here are a few recipes using preserved lemons!

Sauteed String Beans with Garlic and Preserved Lemon

Emeril's Chicken Thighs with Green Olives and Preserved Lemons

Spicy Potato Tagine with Preserved Lemons and Olives

Preserved Lemon Dip

You get the idea. And don't be surprised if some of these recipes show up on Ellenfork later!

Stewing In Their Own Juices...

(above: lemons and peonies)

Oh lemons, I love you. Squeezed in a glass of fizzy water, over fish, in a soup or a wedge of you peeking at me coquettishly from the murky depths of iced tea. Your uses are infinite, and divine. Truly, you are a wonderful fruit.

And now I have found a way to best honor you, by preserving your beauty with salt and spices. That's right, I've cruelly sliced about nine lemons, packed their wounds with salt and squished them into a jar to soften and stew in their own juices. Much like in prison, these lemons have some time to think about what they've done, soften their rinds and strive for a new place in society, as preserved lemons.

I'll be honest with you...I've only consumed lemons of this variety on a few occasions and certainly never made them before. But the idea of them has long haunted my brain, the presumed tastes of salt, tang and sweet dancing on the tip of my tongue. Mostly used in Moroccan dishes like a tajine, preserved lemons have a plethora of uses. Add them to pasta salads, cous-cous, sauteed vegetables, or with roast chicken and fish. I got these suggestions from various internet sources, but mainly comprised my preserving recipe from David Lebovitz and Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks (who got HER recipe from Chez Panisse Fruit, by Alice Waters).

Since I've just prepared them today, they are currently snuggled up in my big Ikea jar where they will patiently release their juices for about 30 days. When they are ready to use, you can be sure I will create some elaborate blog post to debut them. Until then, wish them luck on their journey to spiritual enlightenment.

Preserved Lemons

Kosher Salt
8-10 organic lemons (since you'll be eating the rinds, try to find lemons that are pesticide-free)
Optional coriander seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, dried chili pepper

Thoroughly wash your lemons, scrubbing them with a vegetable scrubber.

Now slice off the hard stem part of the lemon. Make four incisions, lengthwise. These should be deep enough to allow you to stuff quite a bit of Kosher salt inside, but not completely slicing it to ribbons. Generously pack each incision with Kosher salt.

Fill a clean jar with the lemons, adding a few more tablespoons of salt at the end. Also, now is the time to add any other spices you may desire. I used coriander and bay leaves, since that's what I had on hand, but I think a chili pepper would be fantastic. Use your discretion. Press the lemons down into the jar to release some juices.

Close airtight lid and wait. They may sit on the countertop for the first few days, as I think this will help them to release more juices- in the end the lemons should be completely submerged in their juices. If in a few days they are still exposed to air, add lemon juice to the jar. You may open them up and squish them a few more times, too.

Refrigerate, and enjoy their tasty rinds (and juices!).