It Doesn't Take Much...

It doesn't take much.

I wrote those words after Nik ate a coupla pieces of this bread and repeatedly exclaimed that this was "maybe the best bread I have ever made", he "loved this bread! it was so good! so good! you have to make this again!"...you get the idea. (Nik rarely implies the use of exclamation points, but when eating this bread...he did.)

This bread, from Carol Field's classic The Italian Baker, certainly is tasty. And it's as satisfying to make as it is to eat. Watching it mix, you can almost see the gluten gradually develop, creating a whirling amorphous soft elastic cohesive glob in the mixer bowl that YOU JUST KNOW is going to bake up splendidly and be really really good to eat. Moist bread with big holes in it, great flavor, chewy blistered crust...I'm in heaven.

This bread also is quite simple. I quote my FCI bread instructor Chef Amy Quazza..."Bread is nothing more than flour, water, yeast, and salt." It's what is done with those four ingredients that makes the difference. In this case, just a little time, a little patience, a soft touch, and a hot oven. But really, to go from flour to bread...it doesn't take much.

I was going to say that all good things should be so simple. But then I got to thinking about that idea, and...so many good things are that simple.

It doesn't take much to make our dogs happy...a belly rub, a treat, snuggle time.
It doesn't take much to make me take a deep rejuvinating breath...a gentle breeze early in the morning, a hint of autumn in the air, the desert after a rain.
It doesn't take much to stop and listen.
It doesn't take much to say hello.
It doesn't take much to ask rather than tell.
It doesn't take much to say thank you.
It doesn't take much to take a moment.
It doesn't take much to think.
It doesn't take much to think twice.

Now don't think me a gushy touchy-feely namby-pamby wuss...though sometimes I am a bit of a gushy namby-pamby wuss, because sometimes (though less and less frequently, I am happy to report) the flipside also can happen...

A jerk tailgating me at 55 mph...
Ignorance as the basis of an argument...
A smoker throwing a cigarette butt on the ground...
Egocentrism, without a neurological reason...
No big picture...

See, sometimes, it doesn't take much. In either direction. Which I think is both ridiculous and okay. I'm just glad that a loaf of bread can make Nik happy. I think I'll make another batch tomorrow.

Crocodile Bread
Makes 2 loaves
(I made this bread wrong, which is to say that I made it right. I was confused by the two starter thing, which after i did it wrong I figured out, but seeing as how the wrong way came out so good, I think that it's really a new right way...so I won't even include the original right way. Also - Please Note: I omitted 1 1/4 cup of water from Starter B in the orginal posting. It has been corrected, thanks to JOsh.)
Starter A
Water...................1 cup
Durum Flour............1/4 cup
AP Flour.................3/4 cup
Yeast....................1/2 tsp

Start B
Water...................1 1/2 cup
Durum Flour............1/2 cup
AP Flour................1 1/2 cups
Yeast....................1 tsp

1. Mix the ingredients for the two starters, in two separate bowls, until they are smooth. Cover with plastic and let rise for 12 - 24 hours.

Final Dough
Starters...................as above
Durum Flour..............1/4 cup
AP Flour...................1 cup (plus an additional 1/4 cup, if necessary)
Salt........................1 1/2 Tblsp
1. Combine the starters and the flours in mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on the lowest speed for 17 minutes.
2. Add the salt and mix 3 additional minutes (add the additional 1/4 cup flour if the dough has not come together).
3. Place the dough in a wide bowl, cover with plastic and let rise for 4-5 hours, folding every hour.
4. Turn dough out onto a well-flour board, preshape roughly into a round. Place on a well floured piece of parchment, cover with a damp towel and let rise for 45 minutes, until risen and bubbly.
5. Heat oven to 475.
6. Cut the dough in half lengthwise with a dough scraper and gently separate the halves, turning the cut side up in the process.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, placing the parchment directly on the baking stone.

Babies N Then

I have 3 nieces and a nephew, and they are no longer babies. And that is fine with me. Now, don't get all this-and-that about me being a baby-hater or something. Babies are cute and soft and smell wonderful/awful. The thought of having babies makes me get a little bit misty everytime. Babies cry and I just can't say no...babies scream and it's cute (unless you are their parent)...babies throw up a little bit and it's no big deal, it's not even called vomit, it goes by the cute/diminutive term spit up. But, I gotta be honest here, I don't know what to do with babies...hold them, look at them, smile, look at them some more, smile again...then wait until they start grade school when they have opinions and a sense of humor.

But that age can be a hazard as well, for those of us without small people in our daily lives. I remember talking to adults/family friends/distant relatives/the dentist when I was a kid. Short conversations mostly. They always asked what grade you were in. So you told them. Then they took a stab at what you might be learning in that grade ("So you must be working on fractions now? What do you think about them? Hehehe."). End of conversation. Of course, I was not the most outgoing kid in the world, so I am fairly certain that I did not hold up my end of the conversational agreement. Hey, I was shy, give me a break, I was a kid...and I was bad at math. As an uncle, I have tried to avoid that particular conversational black hole/grown-up nerd alert.

The next generation and I live in separate towns/states, so my interaction with them has been mostly on the phone, with an occasional short visit around a holiday/event. I am happy to report that they are better equipped to deal with adults than I was. They have interests, talents, conversational skills, and accomplishments that I honestly don't think I had at their ages. F'rinstance, Sally S. decided, when she was in kindergarten, that her favorite colors were brown and pink...and that was before Target designed a line of clothes featuring that palette. Joe J. is an honest-to-goodness world-class fisherman...in 6th grade. Miss M. wrote an award-winning essay on Darfur that took her to Washington. And Jackie L. is doing postgraduate work in math that uses symbols and logic that my temporal lobes do not recognize, let alone understand. I don't think this is merely uncle-pride talking here, I seriously think that evolution has occurred and genetic advances have been made...okay, maybe it is just uncle-pride, but (WARNING: old man statement ahead...) these kids seem to have it together more than did me and my friends at those ages.

Whatever...it makes me hopeful. Hopeful that some lessons were learned during the past 40-some years and that knowledge is being passed on. Hopeful that not everyone in our future is represented by Reality TV/Fox News/Social Conservatism. And hopeful that the children of today will see a bigger/brighter picture than did the children of yesterday/the adults of today.

Another baby shower cake at work prompted this familial beaming. Shelly currently is on bedrest and is as big as a house, with a couple more weeks of largedom ahead of her. The cake I made for her baby shower, as per usual with me and cakes, underwent several last minute edits...some successful, others not so much. All in all, I would say that it was tasty but clunky-looking...less than elegant. But, the sour cream sugar cookies with which it was decorated were as cute as I had envisioned...Good luck Shelly, husband, and baby!!

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Butter...........................1 1/2 cups

Sugar............................1 1/2 cups

Sour Cream....................1 cup

Eggs.............................3

Baking Soda....................1/2 tsp

Baking Powder.................1 tsp

Vanilla Ex.......................1 Tblsp

AP Flour.........................6 cups

1. Cream together the butter and sugar.

2. Beat in the egg, sour cream, and vanilla.

3. Sift together the dry ingredients then add to butter mixture. Beat until combined thoroughly. Cover and let chill for at least 2 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 350.

5. Roll approx. 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes with cookie cutters.

6. Bake 10-12 minutes.

7. Let cool; then decorate. (I used royal icing.)

You Wanna Talk or Eat?

So two guys walk into a grocery store on the Greek island of Symi. One guy says to the other guy, "Hey, what are those two greek citizens arguing about?" The other guy laughs and says, "They aren't arguing...they're buying grapes." True story.

It is only a slight overstatement to say that nearly everywhere we went in Greece people were apparently buying grapes, because they were talking loud and getting louder, talking at the same time as everyone else in the vicinity, and gesturing wildly. In restaurants, on the street, in stores, inside their houses...loud, emotional, seemingly important conversations were happening all around us. Other than the sheer number of stray cats in that wonderful country, the emotional investment that people put into everyday conversation was perhaps the biggest culture shock we encountered on our trip to Greece.

On the other hand...I met an older couple from the upper midwest today and the husband declared that he and his wife were "not loud talkers." I hadn't asked him if they were, but he felt the need/desire/importance to inform me about that aspect of their interpersonal communication style. True, I do spend 8 hours a day as someone to whom people may feel it is important to admit this fact, so it was not inappropriate that he told me about their quiet habit, but it wasn't the fact that he told me they weren't loud talkers, it was the sense of pride I felt he implied when he said it. "We are not loud talkers." Okay.

We...my family...on the other hand, cannot make that claim. We most definitely are loud talkers. And please, infer neither a sense of pride in that statement nor a shred of shame...it is simply a well known fact. I come from a family of five - two sisters, me, mother and father. And were I to try to tease out the loudness gene, I believe that mother and younger sister would not be carriers. They talk, plenty, at a loudness level within the normal range. Father, older sister and I make up for that. 1 + 1 + 1 does not in this case equal 3 speakers. Somehow...be it competition, familial acoustics, or a deep seated survival instinct...when one of us enters a room already occupied with one of the other louds the volume more than doubles. But it's not merely loudness for loudness sake...it's excitement, enthusiasm, discovery, momentum, laughter. Nik once made the observation that my father and sister make more noise doing a crossword puzzle than most people do watching a football game...right, like Nik has ever watched a football game.

And I really don't think that the greek shoppers felt stronger emotions about grapes than did my midwestern quiet couple. Nor do I think that the quiet talkers lived lives of blunted emotions, compared to their Mediterranean counterparts. It's about expression, learning, and comfort, and culture. Remember that annoying perfume commercial from the 70's? If you want to get someone's attention...whisper. Try that in Greece (or in my family) and you end up with zip.

...So a speech therapist and a nurse walk into a Russian patient's room. The nurse says, "Hey what is that Russian man's family so mad about?" The speech therapist laughs and says, "They aren't mad, they're just talking about grapes." True story.

Chocolate Bobka

Based on Chocolate Coffee Cake, Pastries From The La Brea Bakery

(Makes 2)

Dough

Milk.................................1/2 cup

Yeast (instant).....................3 tsp

AP Flour............................3 cups

Sugar...............................1/4 cup

Salt.................................1 tsp

Baking Powder....................1/4 tsp

Spice...............................1/4 tsp nutmeg, cinnamon, or allspice

Butter..............................8 oz, cubed

Eggs................................2, lightly beaten

1. Combine the dry ingredients in bowl on stand mixer.

2. Add the butter and beat with paddle until butter is in pea-sized pieces.

3. Add the milk and the eggs. Beat briefly until dough comes together.

4. Knead a few turns on counter, form into large rectangle (3/4 inch thick), wrap in plastic and let chill for several hours.

Filling

Sour Cream.......................1 cup

Chocolate Cake Crumbs.........1 cup

Bittersweet Chocolate..........2 1/2 oz, chopped

Egg.................................1, beaten

Assembly

1. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thick rectangle on floured surface.

2. Spread dough with sour cream, then top with crumbs and chocolate. Press the crumbs and chocolate gently into the sour cream and dough.

3. Roll the rectangle towards you, with the long side of the rectangle facing you, keeping it tight and even, lengthening it slightly as you roll. Seal edge. The log should be about 24 inches long when done.

4. Cut the log in half (2 12-inch pieces). Working with one piece at a time, slice the log in half horizontally. Place the end of the pieces together at the top, diagonally, and twist them together gently, leaving the cut sides at the top. Place on lined baking sheet. Repeat with second piece of dough. Cover with plastic and let rise 2 1/2 hours in warm place. It will not double in size, but will be slightly puffy.

5. Brush with beaten egg and generously top with streusel.

6. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, until streusel is nicely browned.

Ahhhh, Gazpacho

I don't have a problem with turning on the stove or the oven in the summer, though I know that some people do. "Too hot...heats up the house, blah blah blah." That's why we have air conditioning, right? And of course, every year you hear somebody drag out the old "fry an egg on the sidewalk" line. A friend from grad school did actually try to do that very thing, in what was probably a heat induced delirium. She had a smooth flagstone walk in front of her house (old railroad housing that had only swamp cooling in the summer and no heating in the winter) so one blistering July afternoon she cracked an egg directly on the rocks - it did cook on the bottom and around the edges, but I wouldn't say that it was actually fried. If I remember correctly, the yolk was very runny (e.g. very runny).

And then there are those off-the-grid folks who set up their solar ovens every Sunday afternoon to sun-roast a chicken or braise a brisket in their front yards. And, sure, every now and then we used to dust off the Coleman stove and make bacon and eggs and boiled coffee in the backyard on a Saturday morning - but that was more about pretending we were camping (and smelling bacon frying outside - the best!) than any honest attempt to keep the house cool.


I love the heat, but there are a few days each summer when even I find it oppressive. The days when the air feels dead it's so hot...when we take a water bottle with us just to walk to the end of the driveway to get the mail...when it's even too hot to get in the pool. And it's those days when I make gazpacho. Ahhh, gazpacho. In our house it's never just "gazpacho", it's always Ahhh, Gazpacho. Well, for me anyway...for Nik, not so much. In the wonderful Almodovar movie, one of the women on the verge of a nervous breakdown makes a batch of gazpacho, to which she adds a bottle or two of sleeping pills with the intention of killing herself. Events transpire, suicides are delayed, gazpacho is eaten, characters are sedated...but most memorable (to me) is the oft-repeated comment whenever a character finds the gazpacho in the 'fridge..."Ahhh, gazpacho." Indeed.


Fresh, crunchy, savory, spicy, cool...and so easy to put together. It is the perfect no-cook meal when it is too hot to do anything more than turn the page in that book you've been reading all summer. With a glass of white wine or a cold beer...ahhh!




Of course, this is a baking blog, and gazpacho isn't even cooked, so here's the baking part of this post. Croutons.

As if gazpacho isn't crunchy enough, we always top it with a handful of croutons. If you've got a leftover half a loaf of bread in the house (I've been using slightly stale pan de mie), just cube it up, toss it with generous amounts of dried thyme and oregano, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, some smoked paprika if you have it, a bit of garlic powder, salt and olive oil (to slightly moisten), spread them out on a baking sheet and put them in a 225 degree oven for an hour or so until they are crunchy.











Ahhh, Gazpacho

Bell Pepper........................a handful, finely chopped
Celery..............................a handful, finely chopped
Cucumber, peeled................a handful, finely chopped
Onion (red or sweet).............a small handful, finely chopped
Parsley.............................1 Tablespoon, chopped
Garlic...............................1-2 cloves, grated
Red Wine Vinegar.................2 1/2 Tablespoons
Olive Oil............................2 1/2 Tablespoons
Spicy V-8 Juice....................12 oz.
Worchestershire Sauce...........2 Tablespoons
Habenero Hot Sauce..............2-3 shakes
Crushed Tomatoes................28 oz can
Salt..................................1 Tablespoon

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
Let chill for at least 2 hours.
Top with croutons.
Enjoy!

A Blank Slate

Egg whites. Say no more...egg whites are, second only to the little critters commonly known as yeast, probably my favorite baking ingredient. Yes, yes, yes, of course I love chocolate...but I don't think of chocolate as an ingredient...it's more of an essential part of life. Chocolate is, depending on the day, a craving, a medicine, a vice, an indulgence, an overindulgence, a need. Egg whites, I daresay, are rarely any of those things, yet they are truly wondrous..

I'm not talking about that flat, rubbery flap that surrounds the yolk on a fried egg. Yes, certainly that is an egg white...but that is a sad example of this multifaceted ingredient. Start with the act of separating the yolk from the white. We probably all were taught to slosh the egg between the two halves of the jagged, sharp, broken egg shell, letting the white drop into a bowl while the yolk is transferred back and forth. That's one way to do it, but let me offer an alternative that is more effective, safer and so much more fun...First, watch the beautiful movie The Hours and take note when Meryl Streep is separating eggs as she prepares for the party...instead of using egg shells to separate the yolks/whites, she uses her hands. Her hands! The whites fall into the bowl below as she gently moves the egg from hand to hand, and she is left cradling the yolk in her palm. That is how to separate an egg. Why? (other than the fact that Meryl Streep does it that way?) 1) You are much less likely to burst the yolk on a sharp corner of shell; B) in the unlikely event that you are dealing with a salmonella-coated egg shell, you are not going to repeatedly dip your egg white in contaminated shell as you pour it back and forth between halves, and 3) it is completely sensual and hands-on to handle a raw egg like that. Love it. Love it.

For those who are fat-phobic, egg whites are a gift. Other than a few assorted minerals, an egg white is about simply about 10% protein and about 90% water. Who can argue with that?!

But that is not why I put egg whites near the top of my list. Egg whites are a blank slate, a canvas, a medium, a slimy bowl of culinary possibility. Think about it...souffles (savory and sweet), pavlovas, meringue, 7-minute frosting, divinity, marshmallows, buttercream, genoise...to name but a few of the foods that have egg albumin as their central pivotal ingredient. Angel Food Cake, for heaven's sake! Egg whites are the key, but without screaming "taste me, taste me, I'm an egg white!!!" And it is that transparency and versatility that makes it a star for me. Kinda like Meryl Streep.

So it is only fitting that one of my all-time favorite cookies is made with, of course, egg whites. The french macaroon is a simple little cookie that not only is the first thing that I made at culinary school that excited me about the life beyond bread, but it is also taking the baking world by storm. These little sandwich cookies have been around for a century or more, but a food blog isn't a food blog until it has featured some version of them, and there are bakeries in some of the foodier cosmopolitan areas that make only french macaroons. A combination of egg white, sugar, ground nuts, and a flavoring...that's it. Yes, seriously, that's IT. Try them, fall in love with them, try different versions, and celebrate the magic that is the egg white.

Oh, and I assure you that this post was not sponsored by the Egg White Council of North America.

Espresso Macaroons
(from the beautiful blog: Tartelette)
Egg whites...............................90 grams
White Sugar.............................30 grams
Powdered Sugar.......................200 grams
Almond Meal...........................110 grams
Espresso Powder...........................1 tsp
1. Whip egg whites till they foam. Gradually add the white sugar and continue to whip until it forms a glossy but soft meringue. Stop beating before the meringue looks dry.
2. Mix together the powdered sugar, almond meal, and espresso powder. Quickly fold the dry ingredients into the meringue. Stop just when all the dry is incorporated into the meringue. (The mixture should flatten when piped out - if it doesn't, give it a few more folds.)
3. Pipe the mixture into a Silpat into 1 1/2 inch circles. Let sit for 30-45 minutes, to dry slightly on the top.
4. Bake at 325 for 12-14 minutes.
5. Let cool before removing from the Silpat.
6. Sandwich two of the cookies together with a small amount of buttercream.

An Uncomplicated Life

Just before I baked these brownies, I was sorting through bills, singing/chattering to myself and the dogs/smiling tensely, living on the edge in the midst of the Semi-Annual Chuckwalla Place Financial FreakOut. The organizer part of me actually enjoys it...alphabetically and chronologically ordered piles of paid/unpaid, itemized statements. The frugal side of me sees it as a challenge..."This is great, we just have to make a budget, identify unnecessary expenses, and pay ourselves a weekly allowance...oh, and while we're at it, gosh, why don't we get the gang together and put on show in the barn! Of course, Mr. Pollyanna UltraBrite is nicely balanced by the emotional me...Oh MY God, No!No!No!/We CAN'T owe THAT much!/We have to STOPSTOPSTOP!!! Thankfully, that aspect of my internal dialogue is tempered quite effectively by modern pharmacology and yet another part of my psyche, and I'm not really sure what to call it, but Minimalist Me will cover it for now.

We do not live extravagantly...yes, we have a nice house and cell phones and cable TV and hair gel, iPods and a battery operated wine bottle opener...but, on the flip side, we very rarely go out to eat, we no longer drink wine, the occasional new shirt is purchased at Target, and I cut Nik's hair myself. But during Financial FreakOut, when Minimalist Me surfaces, I go all Little-House-On-The-Prairie: I try to deny the existence of the 21st century by encouraging Nik to get rid of portable electronics (for most of which there is a monthly charge), I suggest we start eating oatmeal or similar cheap gruels for dinner at least twice a week, I lace up my boots and sign up to work as many extra hours as I will get paid for, and I promote the throwing out of leftovers to a cardinal sin. But I know/I realize that the fiscal change that results is just that, spare change, and is worth much less than the psychological boost that I get from thinking that we are living on the frugal side.

A childhood friend recently contacted me and mused about the naivete we all enjoyed/suffered in junior high school, when we thought life was complicated. I found her comment interesting, because I'm not sure I thought life was complicated at the time, unless angst and acne are thought of as complications, but rather I think I felt I was lost and was patiently waiting to either be found or to find it...and all without a clue as to what was missing. And really, when I step away from the coffee table covered with piles of financial nightmare, I am able to say that I don't think that our life is complicated even now...there are inconveniences, occasional worries, a mess or two to clean up (real and imagined), and, of course, there is the not enough of this/too much of that dichotomy, but those aren't complications...those are part of it. But on a daily basis, it is just us, two people without a great deal of baggage, four dogs for levity and love, a pool to jump in when things get hot, and more than enough air to breathe.

We also have three tortoises...Pepe, Fester and Roy. They eat, they dig holes, they pee and poop, sometimes they get horny, and when it gets too hot or too cold they sleep. They are the Minimalist Trio. Uncomplicated. And they live for a very long time...hmmm.

So I made Turtle Brownies...not because they are uncomplicated (though they aren't terribly tricky either), but to honor our prehistoric three. Fudgy brownies, chocolate-caramel-pecan topping - and I had all the ingredients already, so these brownies did not further contribute to the economic crisis in Critterland. Try them...and relax.

Brownies

Butter............................6 oz

Bittersweet Chocolate.......16 oz

AP Flour........................3/4 cup

Eggs..............................5

Brown Sugar....................2 cups

Salt..............................1/2 tsp

Vanilla Ex.......................1 tsp

Espresso Powder..............1/2 tsp

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Melt butter and chocolate in bowl over simmering water. Set aside to cool.

3. Whip eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, and espresso powder for 4-5 minutes until thick, pale and forms a ribbon.

4. Gently but quickly fold the chocolate mixture into the eggs.

5. Fold the sifted flour into the batter just until incorporated.

6. Pour into a 9x13 pan, smooth top, bake for 30 minutes, until top/center is set, soft, and slightly cracked.

(I made several major mistakes when trying to make the caramel topping for the Turtle part of the Turtle Brownies. In the end I made a milk chocolate ganache, mixed in toasted pecans, and spread it on the brownies. Not really a true turtle brownie, but delicious all the same. I shall return at a future time to the caramel topping.)

Cupcakes Shmupcakes

I like to think that I am not slave to the latest trends, but as per usual, how I view myself does not always fare well when held up to the mirror of reality. For example, I have, on more than one occasion, been tempted to get a FauxHawk haircut...tempted but not (yet) convinced. And speaking of hair trends, I admit that in the 80's I did sport a Mullet for several months (no, I do not have a picture handy, and, no, I am not going to search for one either.)

Similarly, I think that my choice of clothes is fairly steady (monotonous may be another way of looking at it...plaid shirts/jeans), though I once did purchase a really nice pair of cool grey Capri pants. I was sure I looked at least passable in them (despite Nik's protestations anytime I tried to wear them in public), until I saw a tall, athletic black man wearing the same pants...he looked good (very good) in them, I looked goofy...thus the Capri's were quickly donated to Value Village. Yes, I have succumbed to the piercing fad on three occasions...meaning I have willingly agreed (and even paid) to host a year-long infection (twice) followed by a moment of "this is ridiculous" and a quick jewelry extraction.

I have not been tattooed, and don't think that I will...famous last words. Other examples of trends/mob psychology I would like to think that I could resist include: a) ripping my shirt off, donning a goofy hat/wig/costume and running up a hill after Tour de France riders, b) becoming really, really muscular...no fear of that, and c) Rap music. Time will tell.

Certainly these examples are all superficial. Hair grows. Clothes can be changed/donated/burned. Radio stations can be changed. As far as the more important decisions in life, if decisions is even the correct word, I hope that I am trend-free. Some examples of decades-old/unchanging beliefs: bleeding-heart liberal; religion-tolerant/religion-curious - though not a believer in a prayer-listening deity; empirical humanist; fact freak. It is my hope (and belief) that even were I to get that FauxHawk next time I visit Supercuts, these core principles/traits would not change.

I don't mean to imply that all trends are negative or ridiculous. Bell-bottom pants...nothing wrong with them. Facebook, I am a participant and check it daily. Blogging. So it was with an open-mind that I knowingly turned down the acuity on my trend-radar and baked cupcakes for two events recently. Cupcakes are very trendy right now. There are bakeries, cookbooks, blogs, and equipment devoted exclusively to cupcakes. Yes, admittedly, they are cute, easy to serve, and easy to frost...but I think that the "Nick At Night Principle" is also responsible for some of their popularity. You know how that goes, we all had cupcakes when we were kids, and even though they are hard to eat and sometimes kinda dry, they are a part of growing up, so when we see cupcakes we remember and experience an "awww" moment...just like when we watch The Mary Tyler Moore Show or The Munsters. Some trends become legendary (e.g. cupcakes, ABBA), others become kitsch (e.g. pink flamingo lawn ornaments, shag rugs), and others seem to simply fade away (e.g. Beanie Babies, parachute pants).

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Sour Cream..................1/2 cup

Cocoa Powder..............2 Tbl

Baking soda.................1 tsp

Red Food Coloring.........1 Tbl

Boiling Water...............1 cup

Cake Flour...................3 cups

Salt...........................1/2 tsp

Baking Powder..............1 1/2 tsp

Eggs..........................5

Vanilla Ex....................1 1/2 tsp

Butter, softened............6 oz

Dark Brown Sugar...........2 1/2 cups

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Whisk together the sour cream, cocoa, baking soda, food coloring. Gradually add the boiling water, whisking until smooth.

3. Soft together the flour, salt and baking powder.

4. In a small bowl, combine the eggs and vanilla.

5. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs gradually, scraping as needed.

6. Lower the mixer speed and add the flour mixture (in 3 parts) and the liquid mixture (in 2 parts), alternating. Mix until evenly incorporated.

7. Fill papered cupcake tins 2/3 full. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Devil's Food Cupcakes

AP Flour.......................1 3/4 cups

Cornstarch....................4 1/2 Tbl

Baking Powder...............1 tsp

Baking Soda...................1/2 tsp

Cocoa Powder................1 1/4 cups

Salt.............................1 tsp

Butter..........................8 oz

Sugar...........................2 3/4 cups

Eggs............................5

Buttermilk....................1 1/4 cups

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Sift together the dry ingredients.

3. Cream the butter and sugar, adding the sugar slowly once the butter has become creamy.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping as needed.

5. On Low Speed, add the flour mixture (3 parts) and the buttermilk (2 parts), alternating. Scrape the bowl as needed, mixing just until thoroughly combined.

6. Fill papered cupcake tins 2/3 full. Bake 20-25 minutes.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese, room temp............24 oz

Butter, room temp.......................3 oz

White Chocolate.........................9 oz

Powdered Sugar..........................Approx 2 cups

1. Melt white chocolate, then let set until at room temp.

2. Beat cream cheese until smooth, add the butter and beat until combined.

3. Add the cooled white chocolate and beat until combined.

4. Add enough powered sugar to achieve the consistency you want.

Decorations: It was Keej's birthday so I piped out a bunch of "K"s in royal icing, covered them with brightly colored nonpariels, let them dry, then put them on the cupcakes at the party. Next time I would make the letters a bit bigger, and a bit taller (two coats of royal icing) so they were more prominent.