they say it's your birthday

It's my lovely roommate's birthday! Hyvää syntymäpäivää!

sweet darlin'

So my roommate was pretty hard on the cupcake the other day, over on her blog.

She talked about how much she hated them, with eloquence and passion.

I'm not sure that I can match her in this regard, but I do feel like I need to stand up for my beloved cupcake. So here goes.

I love cupcakes. Not all cupcakes, mind you, and almost never the "gourmet" cupcakes that seem to be so popular nowadays, but a good, humble cupcake? Hard to beat.

One of Laura's biggest peeves is that they're American. Which is hard to deny, although the British have been eating fairy cakes for a while now. But certainly, if you don't like the kind of cakes and frostings we Americans generally make, you probably won't like an American cupcake either.

My argument for cupcakes is that they are, at their essence, a dessert made for sharing.

Think back to when you were a child, with cupcakes for your birthday. Remember how easy it was to sneak one out of the Tupperware to give your friend on the bus?

They're a way to say "I like you" with just a bit of dessert. How much harder would it be to hand out slices of layer cake? Crumbs everywhere!

You can eat them while you mingle at a party, no need for hovering over a table with a fork.

You can make a batch and split them up! One for the woman down the hall who helps you with your tricky paperwork, three for the maintenance people who patiently unclog your drains week after week!

I'm even not opposed to cupcakes from a mix. Shocking, I know! I agree that homemade cake almost always tastes better (my grandma's coconut cake excluded), and certainly baking from scratch feels like more of a gift, but what if you've never baked before? Is it fair that your culinary endeavors will be scoffed at, just because you were too timid to make the investment in a whole range of baking ingredients in order to give it a whirl? Maybe you start with a mix and next time you give it a little personal flair! I'm all for building a love of cooking from the ground up.

Anyway, there is my defense. Perhaps they're inelegant, perhaps they have no history, but goddammit, I love my cupcakes. And if you don't, well, maybe you're just not a good sharer. :)

crimson and clover/ over and over

As part of our food-venture the other day, Laura and I headed to the Berkeley Bowl.

This place has long been one of my favorite grocery stores, and with their huge new facility, shopping (and parking) there is easier than ever.

My favorite part has always been the produce section, which is enormous, and contains pretty much every type of fruit and vegetable you could imagine. Need 20 different types of mushrooms? You're covered. Carrots in every color of the rainbow? Check!

Plus, it's just gorgeous.

Make a pilgrimage here sometime. Maybe you'll see me there! Or at least you'll see some picturesque vegetables.

i'm pink and black and blue

Today my beloved roomie and I went on a food-venture. Our quest was for lots of tasty tapas-making ingredients, but along our way we stopped at Ici.

Ici is an amazing ice-cream store in Berkeley that specializes in making all kinds of delicious flavors, using only organic, local ingredients. I had been once before, but it was a first for Laura. Sometimes the line stretches around the block, but it was our lucky day, and we only had to wait 10 minutes to get into the store.

Besides the standards of vanilla and chocolate, the menu changes every day.

Usually there is plenty of time to peruse the chalk-board while you wait, but just in case, the flavors are up inside as well.

Both Laura and I went for the plum raspberry cardamom sorbet, with a scoop of chocolate. And I wisely got one of their handmade cones (coated inside with chocolate, to prevent drips!).

Next time you're out food-venturing, put Ici on your list. Your tastebuds will thank you.

you feel so good when you look up in the trees

I'm home visiting the family for the first time in a long time, and it just so happened that my trip coincides perfectly with mango season. Totally accidental, that. *innocent*

What this means, of course, is a trip to the Tropical Fruit and Spice Park.

The park is amazing for a lot of reasons, but it's my favorite because of their number one rule: If it has fallen to the ground, you can eat it. And they usually don't mind if you assist it in falling with a little shake.

I anticipate much gorging on mangoes. And maybe a mamay sapote milkshake on the way home!

all aboard!/ ha ha ha!

I'm in the process of moving in with my darling friend Laura and her many cats, so I may be absent for a while. Have a lovely summer!

dream of silver screen quotations

One of the things I miss most about my adopted hometown (besides the engineer, obviously), is one of the best pizza places I have ever run across. And I've lived in New York.

So today, I tried to recreate it. The three things I wanted to capture were the flaky, seasoned crust, the rich, slightly spicy sauce, and fresh basil all over the top.

I adapted a couple of recipes that I came across online, and ended up with something that almost satisfies the craving.

The whole recipe makes two pizzas, but believe me, invite a few friends over, and you won't have any trouble putting away both of them.

For the crust:

Sprinkle 1 tsp instant yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm water. Allow to stand for 2-3 minutes.

In a mixer (with paddle attachment), combine 4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 4 tbs "italian seasoning".

Drizzle in 1/3 cup olive oil.

Pour in yeast/water mixture and beat until just slightly sticky.

Form dough into a ball and put into a large mixing bowl drizzled with olive oil. Toss to coat dough, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place for several hours (if you won't be using the dough for 24+ hours, just put in the fridge).

For the sauce:

Melt 2 tbs. of butter in a large skillet and add 4 tbs. olive oil. Saute 1 cup chopped onion, 2 minced cloves garlic, and 1/2 cup chopped celery in butter/oil, until soft and transparent. Blend until smooth.

Add 16 oz. tomato sauce and 12 oz. tomato paste to blended vegetables. Combine completely.

Add 4 tbs. grated parmesan, 2 tsp. basil, 2 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, 2 bay leaves, 2-4 tbs. crushed red pepper (to taste), 2 tsp. ground fennel seed, and 1/2 bottle dry red wine. Stir.

Allow to simmer for 30-60 minutes. Remove bay leaves before using.

Assembly:

Use half of the dough for each crust. Stretch to cover a pan brushed with olive oil.

Top with sauce, mozzerella, and toppings of choice (I cannot recommend fresh basil highly enough!).

Bake at 375 degrees until cheese is bubbly. Remove pan from oven, brush exposed crust with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder.

Return to oven to bake until crust is golden brown (broil if necessary).

Pair with a great Zinfandel.

Eat until you can't breathe! Or, you know, show some restraint. I've heard that works too.