Christmas smells like spices. And oranges. And pine trees. And cold air. And butter. And warm bread. And candy canes. And pomegranate. And stockings. And glühwein.

And stars.

Christmas smells like stars.

It’s almost here …

Ciao!

Check out my article on glühwein at The Daring Kitchen!

We have a winner for the trip to NYC to attend the New York Cake Convention from January 2 to January 5, 2010. Check it out!

Congratulations to our winner!

Ciao!

Doesn’t anyone out there want to win a trip to NYC???!

Last month, Lis and I announced an exciting contest that we’re hosting thanks to the great people with at the U.S. Confection Connection.

We’re offering an all-expenses paid trip for our lucky winner (and a guest) to New York City from January 2 to January 5. In addition to round-trip airfare and hotel stay, the winner will get to attend the New York Cake Convention where they will be able to attend events like the Live Cake Challenge, as well as have the chance to assist pastry chef Michelle Bonmarito in a class.

So what do you have to do to win?

Simple. Just decorate a cake! We’re asking people to decorate a 9-inch cake to best represent the Autumn. Your submission has to include three photos: one photo of your 9-inch cake, undecorated; one photo of your cake, mid-process; and one photo of the finished cake.

We don’t care what flavour the cake is, if it’s layered or not, or even if you baked it yourself. As long as it’s nine inches, you’re good to go!

Be wild, be creative, be fun!

All of the details are here, on The Daring Kitchen site.

But hurry because you only have five days left!

Submissions should be posted here.

If you have any questions at all, e-mail me at creampuffsinvenice{@}gmail{dot}com.

Come on people, get your cake on for a chance to go to NYC!!!

Ciao!

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavernas the challenge recipe.

Today, in case you haven’t noticed, is Daring Bakers’ reveal day.

This month’s challenge was to bake the ever-elusive and oh-so-popular macarons.

I would hazard a guess that next to the ubiquitous cupcake, the macarons is probably one of the most popular blog subjects among foodbloggers, especially those that specialize in baking. There’s something about these little treats that is so captivating. Made up of just a few ingredients, they are probably one of the most difficult cookies/pastries to master.

Our host for this month is the gracious LAmonkeygirl. She’s a non-blogger so you can read her challenge post here.

You’re probably wondering where the picture of my macarons is … well … there isn’t one. Not really, anyway.

I did make the macarons as part of the desserts that I prepared for a recent baptism I attended (more on that in another post). I made mini macarons and used blue food colouring to create a marbled effect on top (it was a baby boy being baptized). I filled the macarons with chocolate ganache, but I’ll be honest, while they tasted good, I was not impressed with the end result.

I found that the macarons turned out flat and didn’t have the smooth top that is key when it comes to successful macarons. I’m not completely sure what I did wrong. I’ve had similar problems with another macarons recipes and I’m beginning to suspect two things.

First of all, most macarons recipes ask you to sift the almond flour and icing but I always have difficulty with this step. My almond flour never makes it through the sieve. I’m not sure if I’m using too fine of a sieve or if my almond flour hasn’t been ground enough.

Secondly, when it comes time to fold the almond flour and icing sugar into the egg whites, I think I’m overfolding. I have a feeling that the mixture is too deflated and that might explain why the macarons tend to come out flat.

Of course this is all speculation on my part. To be honest, I think I give up when it comes to macarons. I know that there are many bloggers out there who are brilliant at these little pastries, many of them having turned macarons into a business. Maybe you have to make literally thousands of them before you get the hang of it. I’m not sure. All I know is that I don’t have the touch for them. And to be honest, I’d rather buy them from someone who really knows what they’re doing because nothing is as disappointing as a disappointing macaron.

I want to thank LAmonkeygirl, though. The whole point of The Daring Kitchen is challenge … go try something you normally wouldn’t. While my macarons weren’t the greatest, I’m very glad I tried them.

Ciao!

Yes, I thought that would get your attention.

I mean who wouldn’t want to go to The Big Apple?

All it’s going to take is some creativity and some mad cake-decorating skills … check it out!

Ciao!

I usually don’t like to talk about current events on my blog because, from the beginning, I have decreed this to be a happy place about baking, cookbooks and food, in general.

But I feel compelled to break with tradition after hearing the news that Gourmet magazine will be no more as of the November 2009 issue.

Condé Nast Publications has made the decision to shut down production of the magazine, along with a number of others, for financial reasons.

When I first heard the news, I could hardly believe it. But after some reflection, taking into consideration the financial suffering that so many have endured recently, I suppose it’s not surprising.

Having said that, though, it certainly doesn’t make it any less surprising to know that one of my very favourite food magazines is no more.

A magazine that set the highest of standards, Gourmet has been a constant source of inspiration.

I will miss looking forward to a new issue each month. As a tribute, I’ve posted a picture of one of my favourite Magazine Mondays submissions and Gourmet magazine recipes, from the April 2008 issue: Oven Crespella with Nutella Sauce.

Ciao!

Lis and I have realized recently that there’s some confusion about reveal dates for The Daring Bakers and The Daring Cooks so we’re taking to the Internet (you can read about this at The Daring Kitchen as well - in the forums) to clear things up.

It’s really very simple. If you’re a Daring Baker, the new host/hostess reveals the challenge on the 1st of every month in the private forum. Then, on the 27th of every month, you can publically reveal the challenge on your blog or, if you’re a non-blogger, on the DK site.

The 1st and the 27th … those are the key dates for Daring Bakers.

If you’re a Daring Cook, it’s slightly more complicated only because we go mid-month. But the host/hostess reveals the new challenge on the 17th of every month in the private forum. Then, on the 14th of the following month, you can publically reveal the challenge on your blog or, if you’re a non-blogger on the DK site.

The 14th and the 17th … those are the key dates for Daring Cooks.

For those of you who do not belong to The Daring Bakers or The Daring Cooks, I have one question … WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU!!!

Hurry up and join already!

And while you’re at it, take a look at our lovely store. Summer’s here and it’s time to stock up on some new kitchen apparel and accessories!

Ciao!

When I was a little girl, it seemed our weekends were always filled with visiting, going on family outings and entertaining friends and family. It was all very simple, mind you. In fact I’m not even sure if we would refer to it as “entertaining”, in today’s context.

Nowadays I sometimes feel that entertaining comes with an unnecessary and unrealistic pressure to be something that you’re not. As though if you don’t have the perfect dinner setting, or that must-have tablecloth, that you might as well not waste your time.

“Entertaining”, to us, simply meant gathering somewhere and making sure there was lots of food and lots to drink. The fabric covering the chairs you sat on or the quality of the drinking glasses meant zilch. Seriously.

We were too busy having fun to worry about that kind of stuff.

Now don’t get me wrong. I like fine linen as much as the next person, but I don’t think you need it to enjoy yourself or your guests.

And now that I’m on this little soapbox, what happened to our weekends, people???

Why is it that when I was a kid, it seemed like we had all the time in the world to fit in socializing. In fact, that’s what the weekend was for. Those two end-of-week days were for events with family and friends (picnics, trips to the beach, dinners, etc.) and there was always time for that. Nowadays, I sometimes feel like Saturday and Sunday are just an extension of the work week.

What happened? Where did we go wrong?

I’ve been thinking a lot about this for two reasons. First of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been busier in my work life than I am now. I’m not complaining, mind you, but I’m finding it difficult to maintain the line of separation between work and home. All too often I find myself spending my evenings thinking about work and worse, thinking about it over the weekends.

The other reason why this examination of how I spend my weekend time has come about is because of a cookbook that I had the opportunity to review: Katie Brown Celebrates: Simple and Spectacular Parties All Year Round.

To be honest, I didn’t really know who Katie Brown was until I received her cookbook. But when I did some research, I was surprised to discover a personality that I would consider a kindred spirit. Artistic, creative, charming and calming. That’s how I would describe the Katie Brown that I read about and that I came across in the pages of her book.

As for the book itself, as you might expect it’s a pretty book filled with lots of beautiful photos and tonnes of great entertaining ideas that include recipes but also ideas for making your own party decorations for any occasion.

When I was a kid, that’s what we used to do. We’d decorate everything ourselves with whatever we could find around the house. We were encouraged to be creative and to use everything and never throw anything away.

Something about the book struck a real chord with me and it just got me thinking about weekends and lots of cooking and just doing nothing but enjoying yourself.

While I wanted to try everything, I only tried three recipes. I started with these amazing Apple Popovers with a Brown Sugar Mascarpone Cream (mascarpone cream not pictured). These were so good and they’re a fast and easy way to use leftover apples. You can serve them with ice cream warm out of the oven.

I made Cinnamon Crisps with a Crème Fraiche Dip. These are like palmiers, but with lots of cinnamon and the dip was the perfect accompaniment.

Lastly, I made Feta Herb Puffs, which we enjoyed before our Easter lunch. These were easy: a bit of mashed feta and cream cheese in packaged puff pastry. And they were delicious!

The book is filled with so many recipes that are quick and easy but delicious. And it just has a really warm and fun feel to it that I guarantee will have you dreaming of the weekend throughout the year!

Ciao!

If you’d like to win a copy of Giulia Melucci’s book I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti, head over to The Daring Kitchen and enter our giveaway.

Melucci’s book is about her experiences living and loving in New York City. Her story is punctuated with some incredible recipes.

We’re happy to offer some copies to you, but you have to do a bit of work for it. You have to head over to The Daring Kitchen forums, to the May 2009 - Cookbook Giveaway thread, and tell us about your first experience making homemade pasta.

The five best stories will win a copy of Giulia’s book. Remember, be sure to read the rules and then tell us your story!

Ciao!

Are your aprons looking a little ragged these days?

Tired of bits of paper cluttering the kitchen sink … need some refrigerator magnets?

Want to be environmentally friendly a sport a new tote bag instead of using those nasty plastic bags?

Is it time for some new … ah … unmentionables?

Well, I strongly recommend you head over to The Daring Store where you can outfit yourself with a whole new spring kitchen outfit (assuming you wear aprons outside of the house) and all sorts of other goodies.

As many of you know (if you don’t know … where have you been???), Lis and I launched The Daring Kitchen in March, which is the new home for The Daring Bakers and The Daring Cooks. We’re happy to announce that we now have our very own store where you can buy all sorts of fun stuff with The Daring Kitchen logo and character badges.

You can find the store here.

I expect to see all of you wearing an apron.

No need to show me your unmentionables. Really.

Ciao!

Today is Easter Monday, or Pasquetta, as we say in Italian.

Unfortunately I don’t have time for a Magazine Mondays post today (MM will be back next week), instead I thought I’d wish everyone a Happy Pasquetta and let you know what we enjoyed for our Easter lunch.

Mama Cream Puff truly outdid herself on Easter Sunday.

Other than the salad, I don’t have any pictures of the finished plates because with almost 20 people in the house there wasn’t a lot of time to snap photos!

We started off with a salad of arugula dressed with a lemon vinaigrette and topped with roasted asparagus, Prosciutto di Parma and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. We’ve had this as a starter the past few years as opposed to a more traditional antipasto, which can be very filling.

The salad was followed by the primo, or the first course, which was my mother’s homemade agnolotti di ricotta dressed with lots of Parmigiano Reggiano. This is a typical dish from where my father is from (Le Marche).

We then had homemade fettucine with a lamb ragu.

The primo was followed by the secondo (second course), which was barbequed leg of of lamb accompanied by grilled peppers with feta, lemon-roasted potatoes, broccoli rabe tossed with garlic and olive oil (rapini) and marinated olives.

After taking a break, we then had manichitti (another traditional dish from where my father is from), which are little steaks taken from the rack of lamb. They’re frenched and then the meat at the end of chop is pounded thin, breaded and fried.

The manichitti were followed by my mother’s Olive Ascolane, which are olives stuffed with meat, breaded and then fried.

This was followed by fruit and then dessert (I made dessert), which I posted about on Easter Sunday. We also had store-bought pastries courtesy one of my aunts and another aunt made little chocolate cakes, which were also delicious.

All in all, it was a lovely Easter meal!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Ciao!

Dare una mano means to lend a hand.

I was contacted by Joanne of Frutto della Passione today, asking if I’d post about the efforts to help the victims of this week’s devastating earthquake in Abruzzo, Italy.

Joanne is asking that bloggers in Toronto share some important information with their readers in the event that people want to do something to help.

The Federazione Associazioni e Club Abruzzesi Greater Toronto and The Grand Priory of Canada for the Knights Hospitallers of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights of Malta (Ecumenical Order) have created a Trust for those affected by the earthquake in Abruzzo.

If you want to donate to the Trust, here’s the information:

O.S.J. Charities Trust Fund for L’Aquila

Abruzzo Italy - Earthquake

Account Number: 09012 69-21310

At: CIBC 7765 Yonge Street, Thornhill, Ontario L3T 2C4

Here are some links to Italian bloggers and more information on lending a helping hand:

FrancescaV

Ms. Adventures in Italy

Bleeding Espresso

Bella Baita

Your support is greatly appreciated!

Ciao!

Cream Puff and family want to extend their support to the victims of the earthquake in Abruzzo, Italy.

You are in our prayers.

She dreams of Rahier.

Cream Puff has been dreaming of cake a lot these days.

Mainly because she hasn’t been able to bake one in, like, forever. (Sorry. When the Cream Puff is tired her Valley Girl persona emerges).

Whatever.

Anyway, soon the scents of baking shall be wafting forth from this blog once again.

Until then … just dream along with the Cream Puff … today’s dream is about coconut dacquoise, white chocolate buttercream, coconut mousse and passionfruit cream otherwise knows as the Colbert!

Ciao!

I first learned of Francois Rahier when I read about him in an issue of Martha Stewart Living. As it turned out, the man had a patisserie in my own city. Happiness! Quite frankly, Rahier is a patisserie on par with any in the world and in my humble opinion, has the best croissants in Toronto. The cake pictured above is called the Colbert and is the cake we ordered to celebrate Mama Cream Puff’s birthday!

This is another short Magazine Mondays post this week. Work has been crazy for me and I just don’t have a lot of time. I miss my blog and I miss you!!!

My submission is a recipe for Israeli Hummus with Paprika and Whole Chickpeas from the May 2008 issue of Food & Wine magazone. I made it for our Super Bowl party and it was the best hummus I’ve ever made!

If you want to participate in Magazine Mondays, click the link in my sidebar for all the details! Here are the other incredible submissions for today’s edition. Just think how much smaller our magazine piles are!

Candy Girl made some yummy Palmer House Brownies.

The Cooking of Joy features some Warm Tofu with Spicy Garlic Sauce that has my mouth watering!

The Wolf’s Den is featuring a fish dish from Cooking Light that’s having me plan a trip to the fish store soon!

I’m really missing baking these days and Saliha has given me my fix with these Honeysuckle Biscuits.

3 Sides of Crazy (great blog name) made Old Fashioned All Day Meatballs and Chicken with Baked Vegetable Stuffing in Tarragon Sauce.

My sweet and beautiful Tanna made Crabby Amuse Bouches … I miss you Tanna!!!

Thin Crust, Deep Dish made some awesome cream puffs … as if I wouldn’t link to those!!!

Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies made Spanish Rice Pudding with Almonds.

Keep the MM posts coming! Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao

A few posts ago, I gushed about a recipe that I’d found on-line thinking that I’d found it on some site that I’d never visited before. Well it turns out that said site had posted the entry and recipe for Baked Oatmeal with Apples (word-for-word) originally from the lovely Kickpleat of Everybody Likes Sandwiches without crediting her.

Shame! Shame! Shame!

Thankfully Kickpleat noticed and informed me. I have corrected my post and given credit where credit is due.

So just to be clear, I and all the oatmeal lovers out there want to thank Kickpleat for an awesome recipe for Baked Oatmeal with Apples!

Ciao!

Computer woes have afflicted the Cream Puff!

Okay … it’s not that bad … but I am having some issues with my home PC so I won’t be blogging over the next week or so. Just wanted to send a note to all those that submitted Magazine Mondays entries: I have received them and thank you for them! They’ll all go up for the next edition of Magazine Mondays.

And now back to solving these pesky PC problems …

Ciao!

Just a quick note to update you on a few things. I can’t believe it’s already December 9th! Time to go into Christmas prep overdrive.

But first, I wanted you to head over to the lovely Tina’s blog called Knitting Contessa. Tina has a wonderful feature this Christmas where each day she spotlights a blogger and today she’s honoured me with that priviledge. Please check it out! Thanks Tina!

I’d also like to take a moment to thank Bron and Ilva again for organizing a truly wondrous event that occurred this past weekend. They arranged for bloggers everywhere to take part in a special hug for Barbara of winosandfoodies.com. It was an amazing weekend for an amazing person. Barbara, we’re all with you!

Okay … back to panicking for Christmas …

Ciao!

This is just a little reminder that if you have the Christmas cookie twinkle in your eye but you can’t get around to baking any this year, I’d be happy to bake some for you!

If you’re in Toronto or the Greater Toronto Area and you’d like to order cookies for Christmas, send me an e-mail at creampuffsinvenice{@}gmail{.}com. You can also contact me by sending me an e-mail using the Contact button at the top of my blog page.

I’ve been baking cookies for people for a few years now and thought I’d spread the word. I’m offering seven varieties of cookies. If you’re interested and would like more information, just let me know!

I’ll need all orders in by December 3rd!

Ciao!

I just wanted to put the word out that if you’re in Toronto or the Greater Toronto Area and you’d like to order cookies for Christmas, send me an e-mail at creampuffsinvenice{@}gmail{.}com. You can also contact me by sending me an e-mail using the Contact button at the top of my blog page.

I’ve been baking cookies for people for a few years now and thought I’d spread the word. I’m offering five varieties of cookies. If you’re interested and would like more information, just let me know!

I’ll need all orders in by December 3rd!

Ciao!

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada.

I hope that wherever you are, you’ll take a moment to remember all the men and women who made the most incredible sacrifices.

Ciao!

*** Update ***

Wow … you guys really wanted that cookbook!

Thanks for all the wonderful guesses. My favourite Christmas movie is … A Christmas Carol (the original black and white version with Alastair Sim).

Wandering Coyote of Retorte was the first to guess correctly so she’ll be receiving a copy of Confetti Cakes for Kids: Delightful Cookies, Cakes, and Cupcakes from New York City’s Famed Bakery by Elisa Strauss.

Thanks to all of you for your answers!!!

**********************************

Thank you to everyone that answered my question from my last post.

Trust me … your answers are all going towards a very important research project …

Fa la la la la la …

Anyway, to say thank you, I’d like to offer you a free copy of a most wonderful little book. Consider it an early Christmas present.

The book in question is Confetti Cakes for Kids: Delightful Cookies, Cakes, and Cupcakes from New York City’s Famed Bakery by Elisa Strauss.

To win the cookbook, you have to guess the correct answer to the following question: what is my favourite Christmas movie? The first correct guess wins the book!

Ciao!

… and Cream Puff has a question for you!

For the second Monday in a row, I don’t have a Magazine Mondays post for you. However, I do have a little project I’d like you to help me with.

I have something special planned for December and I’d like you to answer the following question to help me with my research. So here it is:

If you could only watch one movie on Christmas Day, what movie would it be?

I know. I know. Christmas talk already. But I can’t help myself … fa la la la la la …

Ciao!

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to thank you for all the birthday wishes. I had a great birthday … and the chocolate cake was damn good, too!

I don’t have a Magazine Mondays post for you this week but I do hope you have a great one!

Ciao!

Just because I didn’t put up a Magazine Mondays post today it doesn’t mean that there aren’t others who did. Here’s who got rid of another magazine from the pile: Wandering Coyote of Retorte made some seriously good-looking Greek-spiced Baked Shrimp and Wine Imbiber made a gorgeous Chipotle Apple Pecan Cake.

Be jealous.

Not only are my work colleagues wonderful, funny, generous, intelligent, hard-working and decent people, they’re fabulous cooks.

This year’s edition of our Thanksgiving potluck (Canadian Thanksgiving is October 13) surpassed all others by far (not that 2007 or 2006 were shabby by any means).

In fact the only “problem” with this year’s potluck was that yours truly forgot her camera. And that after she told all her colleagues to make their dishes look fabulous (as if they wouldn’t look fabulous anyway).

Ah, well. You’ll have to take my word and the not-so-good photos from my cell phone as proof of our culinary abilities.

Go ahead. Be jealous.

Ciao!

Is there a more overworked yet underappreciated vegetable in the kitchen than the Daucas Carota, otherwise known as the Carrot?

How many carrots have been sacrificed in the name of sauces, soups and stews with nary a tear shed over their demise?

Well no more I say! Today, here, right now, the humble Carrot gets its due!

And Carrot’s shining moment comes in the form of carrot salad. Yes, that’s correct. An entire salad made entirely of carrots.

Aren’t I the bold one!

Actually, I can’t take all the credit. In fact I don’t think I can really take any of the credit. The truth is that the credit goes to Sara Jenkins and Mindy Fox, the authors of Olives & Oranges, a lovely little book that I first mentioned here. Early on in the book, there’s a recipe for a refreshing and vibrant carrot salad.

The recipe shocked me because, to be quite honest, I’ve never really looked at the Carrot as being a potential star of its own show. I hate to admit it but in my kitchen the Carrot is usually a member of the supporting cast. It’s the trustworthy and always-loyal servant to a multitude of pretty dishes. But a dish unto itself?

Who knew!

So while the stars are tripping over themselves in the rush to the red carpet here in Toronto, I give you a different premiere: The Carrot Salad!

Please don’t forget the Carrot at Oscar time!

Ciao!

Carrot Salad with Preserved Lemon Juice, Parsley and Thyme
Adapted from Olives & Oranges by Sara Jenkins & Mindy Fox.

Note: The original recipe is very simple. It uses sea salt, lemon juice, parsley and olive oil to dress the carrots. I switched it up a bit by using the juice of preserved lemons, as well as white wine vinegar and thyme. Whatever you use to dress the salad, it’s so refreshing and it’s an excellent way to use those carrots straight from the garden.

4 large carrots, julienned (You can also shred them.)
1/2 tsp. sea salt (If you use preserved lemons, the juice will be salty so you don’t need a lot of salt.)
the juice of one preserved lemon (How much juice you get will depend upon the size of the lemon. Alternatively, you can just use regular lemon juice, however, be sure to increase the amount of sea salt.)
1 to 3 tbsp., white wine vinegar (Depending on how acidic you want the salad, you can adjust the amount of vinegar accordingly.)
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tbsp. minced thyme
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the julienned carrots in a bowl and add the sea salt and the preserved lemon juice. Toss the carrots and let them sit for about 30 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and toss. Let the salad sit at room temperature for several hours. Serve the carrots at room temperature or refrigerate them overnight. Refrigerating them results in a truly crispy and tasty salad.

Enjoy!

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for all of the wonderful comments in response to my post about My First Job!

For me, being “hired” to bake was a big deal and I hope it’s the first footprint on the road to a little baking enterprise for the Cream Puff.

Your support, your guidance and all of your incredibly useful tips have been taken to heart! I’m sending all of you the biggest, puffiest, creamiest cream puff as a thank you.

Ciao!

May has been such an incredible and busy month for me.

To begin with there was the launch of my blog redesign, which I’d been planning for months. In around that event, several other things happened to me this month that I’ve been so eager to share with you.

Just before the launch, I got to spend a week in Florida, enjoying the sun and the water in Fort Myers and Miami South Beach. And prior to that, I had two very exciting experiences. Earlier this month, I had the honour of having lunch with Dorie Greenspan, one of my baking idols. While I have a separate post planned for that, I wanted to write about what happened at the very beginning of the month that was truly a first for me.

I was offered and accepted my very first baking job! I’ve baked for friends and family before, but for the first time someone hired me to bake for an event.

The event in question was a bridal shower being held by a close friend of my mother’s, L. This friend was hosting a shower for her sister who is to be a June bride. When my mother worked with this friend, I would often make my coconut cupcakes, based on a recipe from Ina Garten. L loved the cupcakes so much that she asked if I’d make 30 for her sister’s shower.

While I was happy to make the cupcakes, initially I was very reluctant to ask for money. For a long time now I’ve been mulling over the idea of how to start a baking business at home. Somehow, though, charging someone that I consider to be a friend just didn’t feel right. But L insisted that she pay me so, without much thought, I threw out a figure that I thought was fair and she agreed.

The night before the shower, I baked the cupcakes in plain white liners. On the morning of the shower I dressed up the cupcakes by putting them in a second, prettier liner. After icing the cupcakes, I tinted some of the leftover icing a dark pink colour and decorated half the cupcakes with rosettes. On the other half, I sprinkled edible pink glitter.

While I’m sure a professional would have been able to do something far more elaborate, I thought my cupcakes were pretty and they were fresh and made with the fresh ingredients. That’s very important to me.

I delivered the cupcakes and L was very happy with them. She e-mailed me later to tell me that they were a hit. But this brought up an issue, which I’d been thinking about for awhile. L mentioned that a few people asked for a card as they might be interested in hiring me.

But I have no card.

And I have no card because I still don’t have a clear focus for my vision. As I mentioned above, I’ve been contemplating the idea of being a baking caterer of sorts. But my ideas are still unfocussed. I don’t really have a plan. Part of the reason I wanted to redesign the blog is that I wanted to begin developing an image identifiable with Cream Puffs in Venice. Something that one day, I could use as a business identity.

But this particular experience raised so many questions. And it brought to light the fact that as far as the “business” side of it goes, there’s a lot to think about.

While I was happy to be paid, in actual fact I probably spent double what I received. The cost of ingredients, the cost of the cupcake liners and the items I used for decoration, the cost of the boxes to store the cupcakes, the cost of gas for my shopping trips and for delivering the cupcakes, and of course the cost of my time — these were all factors that I didn’t really think about.

And of course, there’s the card. I’d love to have a business card, but I don’t have a business yet. And I still don’t know how I’d like my card to look.

All of these questions and all of this wondering is both exciting and a bit scary. As fun and thrilling as it was to bake for an event and be paid for it, I also feel like I lost an opportunity by not having cards to promote myself.

And now that I’ve gotten a taste of being paid to bake, I want to do it more.

As I relive this experience, I’ve decided to not worry so much about all the questions. This tends to be a habit of mine. I get so worked up about the unknown that I eventually convince myself not to take that first or second step.

I’m going to enjoy the experience for what it was: my very first baking job.

Let the cupcakes fall where they may!

Ciao!

Technorati tags: cupcakes, coconut, coconut cupcakes

When I received an e-mail from Zorra of Kochtopf about her latest one-off event, Onion Day, I required no convincing. Having missed her Bread Day event, I immediately set about thinking of a recipe I could try to showcase the onion.

Is there a more versatile, important ingredient in the kitchen than the onion? I suppose one could argue that salt or butter might give the onion a run for its money. Nevertheless, I suspect that virtually every culture and type of cuisine utilizes what I shall from now on refer to as "the workhorse of the kitchen" … the most humble onion.

They’re a member of the lily family, they can be spicy or sweet, and they almost always make me cry. For my contribution to Zorra’s event, I decided to try my hand at onions baked in in their skins. I’d had my eye on a recipe in a book I bought earlier this year called Al Forno by Maxine Clark. The book includes a recipe for baked red onions with raisins and capers, in a glaze of white wine and red wine vinegar.

I had shallots and cipolline on hand, and my glaze consisted of champagne and balsamic vinegar with some rosemary thrown in for good measure. Just out of the oven, the onions were tender and the sweet glaze was perfect with the slightly spicy onions. The leftover onions were delicious in a sandwich with cured meats. Wonderfully rustic, this is a quick dish that’s perfect as an accompaniment to any main course.

Zorra, thank you for inspiring us to give onions the the credit they deserve!

Ciao!

Cipolline and Shallots with Champagne and Balsamic Glaze

Adapted from Al Forno by Maxine Clark.

• 10 to 15 cipolline and shallots, mixed
• 3 to 4 tbsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup champagne
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• sprig of rosemary

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut a cross in the top of each onion, but do not cut all the way through.
3. Place the onions in a small baking pan and drizzle with the olive oil.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Bake for 30 minutes and then test the onions for doneness by piercing them with a sharp knife. If the knife penetrates the onion easily, they’re done. If not, continue baking until done.
6. Remove the cipolline and shallots from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Make the glaze while the onions are resting.
7. Place the champagne and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, throw in the rosemary sprig.
8. Boil until reduced by half. The mixture should have a syrupy consistency. Remove the rosemary sprig.
9. Place the cipolline and shallots on a serving plate. Drizzle with the glaze and sprinkle on a bit more salt and pepper. Garnish with the rosemary sprig and serve.
10. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:  onion day, onions

Cruising the blog highway has its rewards, especially if you’re in the food lane.

A few weeks ago, quite by chance, I read about an event dreamed up and hosted by the industrious and brilliant Meeta of What’s for Lunch Honey? Basically, Meeta’s idea was to host a postcard event where you buy a postcard, take a picture of it, blog about it and then mail your postcard off to the blogger you’re matched up with. Of course you must keep that blogger’s identity secret (don’t want to ruin the surprise)!

I was most definitely game. I signed up and then mentioned the event on Cream Puffs in Venice. Every now and then I’d check back to see how Meeta was doing and was thrilled to see the list of participating bloggers grow each day. Way to reach out there and touch someone, people!

I took considerable time to buy my postcard. At first I didn’t want to buy the "typical" city postcard that featured a skyline or famous landmark. Initially I thought I’d buy a postcard with art work on it or perhaps a drawing. But I couldn’t seem to find anything I liked. I finally returned to a postcard of Toronto that features its most famous landmark:  the CN Tower. It’s part of my city’s identity!

This entire experience has had me thinking about how much richer my life is since I started this blog. And it’s not richer because I’m baking more or because I finally learned how to use that digital camera (right Uncle N!). It’s richer because of all of you. It’s richer because of all the wonderful people that I’ve met, including the person who will be receiving this postcard very soon.

A big Cream Puff thank you to Meeta for starting the postcard event.

And a big Cream Puff thank you to all of you for making every day that much more fun!

Ciao!

Technorati Tags:  toronto, postcards, bpw, blogger postcards from the world

I just wanted to post a quick note saying hello and thanking everyone for their e-mails. I apologize for the abrupt break in posting but even Cream Puffs encounter computer difficulties every now and then. Everything should be back to normal by the weekend. Until then, I shall content my Cream Puff heart by reading all of your blogs!

Ciao!

Wow. I can’t believe it! I’ve finally taken the plunge and set up a blog. When I first began reading blogs, computer challenged person that I am, I never imagined that I would be able to do this. To put my food thoughts out there for the world to see!

But here I am … doing just that!

So I guess for my very first post I just want to say hello.  And thank you.

Thank you to all of you out there who blog every day. You’re so inspiring. Knowing that the world is full of people who love food as much as I do (some of you maybe even more!) is so encouraging.

So I bid you welcome to my blog, Cream Puffs in Venice! A place I’d love to be. The food I love to eat.