A winter baking recap.

Experimental VD cake in technicolor. Vanilla bean cake stacked in 7 colors and filled with cream cheese frosting for my annual Valentine box.

Strawberry rhubarb party pie. Used up the last of last years rhubarb on a few lattice pies before chopping and freezing about 20lbs from this year's harvest.

Lemon, coconut, and vanilla bean wedding samples. I often make cupcakes in different flavor combinations to help betrothed couples choose their favorite :)

Poison cake for the opening of my friend josh's show Compliance. A vanilla bean cake filled with toxic green colored pastry cream. Thanks for the opportunity Josh!

Mother's day order - a carrot cake in purple and blue. 

Wednesday the 13th is the new Friday the 13th

This is my friend Steve:

He was born on October the 13th, and chances are that he's done way more cool shit than you.

The first time I met Steve he was wearing a breakdancing Fat Bald Men t-shirt, a brown UPS hat, and he had a pony tail. True story. Steve worked for my dad at my family's store in Ithaca, NY. About 10 years later Steve would be helping my dad and some friends and I move a piano into my house and, while carrying a too heavy thing down too many stairs, confess to my father that many of the hours he spent "working" for my dad were actually comprised of talking shit with my cousin and sneaking Strawberry Quick in the beer cooler.

Steve and I share stories of misadventure that span the country a few times over and could easily fill a lengthy novel. We've disagreed as many times as we've come to one another's rescue, and we've shown up with as much unconditional love and compassion as we've been cranky, bratty and mean to each other.

I have learned through Steve Crandall the true meaning of friendship, and am grateful and glad every single day for his presence in my life.

In honor of Steve - because I'm totally glad he was born, and because I can't be there to make him chocolate cake in person, I'm sharing with the world a list that I shared with him a little while back.

Ten important things I learned from Steve Crandall

10) Cops, meter maids, and tow truck drivers should not be trusted.

9) Almost anything is possible, or at least worth a shot, if it turns out to be impossible move on to the next thing.

8) Gnomes love to loiter.
7) When you're about to fight, hand someone you know your glasses and your wallet.
6) Life's a beach.
5) Occasionally it's important to take the local roads instead of the highway.

4) , 5, 6 wins. Always.

3) Strawberry Quick is awesome, but if you drink too much of it your stomach will hurt.

2) If you go streaking wearing only a cape and a mask you will get arrested.

1) Have fun every day.

Steve is someone that I admire and respect, someone who's life and advice I consider when making major decisions in my own. If you would have told me in 1993 that I would be learning some of the most important lessons of my life from the dude with a ponytail sneaking Strawberry Quick in the cooler, I never would have believed you. I guess that's just how life goes.

Love you Steve. Happy Birthday, and thanks for all of the good times!

Baking for art's sake

Some of my friend Phil's illustrations are on display at Homegrown this month. The illustrations are amazing and you should go look at them in person. There was an opening reception for the show at the end of last week and I baked cookies. A little sugar to accompany cheap wine and PBR seemed in order. Right? Right!

It's fun baking for events and people that I like. Phil and I met up a week or two before the show to talk about the work he was hanging and what kind of sweets he might want. He basically told me I could make whatever I wanted while also mentioning that he likes cut out cookies. I decided on apple shaped sugar cookies with salty sweet buttercream frosting (of the green variety).

I thought the apple would be funny because apples symbolize so many different things: youth; love; immortality (forbidden fruit); health (an apple a day...); cities; computers. So why not a cookie at an art opening. They were really fun to make, and sugar cookies in fun shapes are always fun to eat. So it was pretty much a win - win situation in the end.

I told Phil I made 100 cookies but I really made a 115. No telling where the 15 that didn't make it to the art show went.

Sunday Soup

I was temped to title this post Souperbowl Sunday, which was followed by an immediate sense of discomfort that not only could such a thought pass through my brain but that I'd actually entertain it. So, no. I will not be starting every new post with a shitty pun. I'll just think about it in silence and then hang my head in shame.

Two things that I started doing recently:

1. Buying dried beans and then soaking them before making what ever it is I'm going to make with them. It's awesome. Not only is it cheaper than buying canned beans, but the beans hold up much better and have a better texture. Sure, it requires planning ahead a little bit, but don't we all feel better when we're planning wholesome meals ahead of time that we make from scratch with oh so much love and attention? We do. Which brings me to number
2. Sunday soup. Generally, if I eat well I feel well (save the occasional chili cheese dog with mustard and onions). Since weeks seem to get crazier and crazier, and available minutes seem fewer and fewer, and I have this job that I go to so I can't actually just sit around my house staring at soaking beans, I've become fond of making a big pot of soup on Sunday nights. This gives me solid lunch and dinner options for the week so I'm not skipping meals and getting cranky, or constantly snacking on crap.

Ok, back to Souperbowl Sunday. I was actually invited to a Superbowl Party. I'm not much into football. If you're looking for a sporting event to bring me to, or invite me to watch at your home, I like basketball. Now you know. Anyway, I'm not into football but I am into cupcakes, and while Sunday soup was simmering I made a few dozen cupcakes.

These little guys will be accompanying me to the party. Because although I don't really care about the superbowl, I do like to party, and no party is complete with out a cupcake.