Liz Shim, owner and head designer of Eat Cake, Be Merry in New York, couldn’t have chose a better name for her custom bake shop. Spotted on Something Old, Something New, these detailed edible works of art immediately caught my attention. Everything from colour, pattern, and texture is fabulous! ……fabulously delicious too, I’m sure.
{images from Eat Cake, Be Merry}
Stephanie is a teacher/baker from Port Credit, Ontario who started a wonderful custom cupcakery called Cupcakes and Sundry. She says that she can make any type of cupcake your heart desires; all you have to do is ask! They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes: jumbo cupcakes, regular cupcakes, mini cupcakes or even cupcake pops.
Check out her most recent creation: Blood Orange and Olive Oil cupcakes for this month’s Cupcake Hero competition. It includes Cointreau and blood orange cream cheese frosting – mmmmmm. Sounds delightful. I’m all about the cream cheese frosting.
{images from the Cupcakes and Sundry photostream and by Marc Koecher at mkphotographics}
Check out these Williams-Sonoma exclusive cookie cutters where you can customize your treats with special messages. You simply slide the letters or pre-made words into the cutter to form a name or a message, then you press the cutter into the dough, and voila! Your lettering is imprinted on the cookie.
Could you imagine these as a sweet favour for your next event? The great thing is they can work for multiple occasions, with endless message options to come up with. Perhaps “Happy Birthday Sarah” or “Jessica & Adam 2.7.10″? It’s up to you!
{Message cookie cutters from Williams-Sonoma. Images from Ohdeedoh}
It seems we’ve been craving sweets lately here on our blog with multiple sweet features in the past week. I had to share these instantly because the desserts are absolute works of art. These are featured on a delicious dessert blog by pâtissière expert, Leonor de Sousa Bastos, with photographs by Miguel Coelho. Both are outstanding and talented, and have a lot of inspiration to offer any celebratory dessert menu.
These polka dots look fun and equally delicious, and would go well with a playful theme. Filled with mousse, this cake redefines strawberry cake!
These strawberry ice cream meringues looks so delicious, and remind me of other finger foods I’ve mentioned before. I’d love to see these bite-sized goodnesses at a wedding part :)
And of course every wedding needs a cake. This pomegranate yoghurt slice not only has a beautifully floral appearance, but is light in calories which is always a plus! For more food porn, recipes and ideas for dessert, visit Flagrante Delicia.
{images from Flagrante Delicia}
A regular came into the shop I work at the other day and started talking to me about these cookies that are customizable, yummy and quick to order, and best of all – located in Toronto. She had me at ‘cookies’… It was funny that she mentioned this because just a day earlier I came across this web site for customizable chocolate bars, and I thought: “what a fantastic-ly awesome idea!” Sweets with lots of choice – now that’s what I’m talking about!
Both the Sweet Flour bake shop and Chocri schokolade offer up a playful collection of ingredients for your sweet tooth to choose from. From Sweet Flour (who also make custom muffin tops and cookie sandwiches – mmm mmmm!), you can choose items like Cappuccino Chips, M&Ms, and Mini Pretzels, and as for Chocri, well the list just continues on, featuring items like Banana Chips, Cinnamon, Licorice Drops, and Rice Crispies. If you wish to be more daring, you could even try putting Jalapeños, Chives, or Wasabi Peanuts in your chocolate bar. How about trying something fancy like adding Real Gold Flakes or Candied Lilac? Well they have it! Even if you’re not going to order a chocolate bar, I suggest heading over to the site just to make your own bar and check out all the options. It’s quite fun!
Both the custom cookies or bars would make great favours or a wonderful treat to serve during your event. There is also a little occasion coming up known as Valentine’s (not sure if you’ve heard of it), but… I think that cookie place might be my date option for that day.
{images from Sweet Flour and Chocri}
I had tea with a girlfriend today at a lovely new tea store in Toronto near our place. I was very impressed with the presentation of all the little cakes. I don’t really have a sweet tooth, so mousse is usually my favourite for a light dessert. I had the strawberry champagne today and it was delicious! Can’t wait for an excuse to custom order a cake…
Ruelo Patisserie also makes wedding cakes, warm souffles and all sorts of baked goodness (including baked bread and high tea!) They had many customers come in to order during our stay, it is seems this new store has earned a bit of a reputation in our area :)
{images from Ruelo Patisserie}
This is a wee bit overdue, but here is part deux to It’s Tea Time!
Now that you are aware of some of the benefits of drinking tea, you may want to incorporate it into a special event. When it comes to planning your event, whether it’s a wedding or a house-warming, it is the details that will make the occasion memorable for everyone. So instead of leaving the entire menu up to a hotel, restaurant, or caterers, see if you can personalize it by including a few items of your own. Your menu choices should reflect your personality and/or the theme of your event, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. In addition to serving traditional drinks, such as wine, spirits and soda, why not try something natural and refreshing – like tea? Depending on the time of year, tea can be served hot or iced, and the possibilities for flavours are endless. And because it can be served in so many delicious ways, the time of day doesn’t really determine whether it is appropriate or not. It all comes down to whether it suits you and your event.
For those of you who are budget-conscious, cutting alcohol cost will go a long way, so just remember that tea can be included as both a non-alcoholic and an alcoholic option. There are plenty of recipes out there for tea punches, teatinis and tea-cocktails, whether they are virgin or… not so virgin. Keep drinks interesting by serving options like The Vanilla Sky recommended by The Ivy Keep, or a warm, sweet blend like Fireside Punch recommended by ThatsTheSpirit.com.
You may also want to consider making tea your party/wedding favour, especially if you found a special blend that perfectly suits your event or you as a couple. Tea is best stored in solid metal tins so that light and temperature won’t damage the flavour, but glass jars are a beautiful option too since you get to admire the colourful leaves and ingredients inside. Assuming your guests will use the tea within a couple months of your event, the loss of flavour shouldn’t be an issue when choosing a packaging option. They’re sure to be delighted to be taking such a delicious part of the event back home with them.
Do more research online, look for local tea shops to visit, and have fun smelling and tasting the wonderful array of teas and tisanes available. You may be surprised by what you find. Happy brewing!
{images from the rice scott empire, kathy beymer, praesentire and The Galt Museum on Flickr}
Has your sweet tooth crept back in yet? Sweet and Saucy Shop definitely has me tempted.
Melody Brandon, Owner and head Pastry Chef, graduated from the Le Cordon Bleu program at the California School of Culinary Arts. According to her website she started Sweet & Saucy Shop with the desire to create gorgeous, delicious, modern looking desserts. The shop has been featured in The Knot and in Style Me Pretty’s 2009 Little Black Book. Check out all the beautiful treats here.
{images from SweetandSaucyShop.com}
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m partied out. All the festivites… the wining, dining, indulging… with mutliple holidays/reasons to celebrate (Christmas, New Years, a House-warming, and a Birthday), I’m more than ready for a detox.
So let’s get down to it: tea. Tea is probably the easiest, healthiest and most natural solution to the “I ate too many fatty/greasy/sugary things this holiday season and now I feel like an elephant” problem. It’s also a great resolution to drink more tea this year if you’re a little late with coming up with one, because there are copious benefits to drinking tea that most people are unaware of. Whether you have a cup to start your day, finish your lunch, or snuggle up before bed with, it could quite literally change your life (or at least how you feel). Here are some of my recommendations for getting your detox on:
Green Tea: This tea type has been proven to suppress the appetite and pump you full of antioxidants. Antioxidants destroy free radicals which allows your body to heal and maintain well-being. It is probably the best tea to drink if you’re trying to lose weight (along with Oolongs) as they increase your calorie burning ability by speeding up your metabolism.
White Tea: A more delicately processed tea that is extremely rich in antioxidants, meaning it is the best fix if you are trying to boost your immune system. It is also the least oxidized of the teas so the caffeine levels are very low. There’s a new trend happening of companies using white tea in their skincare products too, so you might even notice yourself with a bit of a ‘glow’ from drinking this tea.
Pu’erh Tea: A fermented black tea that tends to be earthier in flavour since it is buried underground in caves in China and left to age (and just like wine, it gets better because of this). It contains probiotics like yogurt, which have a lot of potential benefits, like lowering both cholesterol and blood pressure. Pu’erh teas also aid with digestion and could possibly help to maintain lactose intolerance.
Rooibos: This caffeine free tisane is a powerhouse! It comes from South Africa and has been known to cure insomnia, hangovers, and even prevent dementia. Plus, it’s another great fix for your skin! Other benefits include it’s anti-viral, anti-spasmodic and anti-allergy properties, as well as iron, calcium, potassium, vitamin C and fluoride. How does it all fit in one cup?
Tea with Ginseng: Ginseng has been used for thousands of years to improve health, so it’s a guarantee fix. It has benefits such as lowering cholesterol, increasing energy and endurance, reducing fatigue and the effects of stress, and preventing infections. It is said to have a sharp, coppery taste that might be somewhat bitter, but you may find it blended in a tea with other ingredients that make it more pleasing to your palette.
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Interested in learning more? You should be able to find out a lot just by doing a Google search, but you can head right over to Your Cup of Tea and get a thorough break down of the history of tea drinking and many of the benefits involved. You should also visit sites like Chinese-Herbs.org to find out more about specific ingredients to look for in your tea and why.
Make sure to check back next week for Part 2 of It’s Tea Time! This time around I’ll be focusing on how to use and serve tea at a special event. Hope you’re as excited as I am. Until then, happy detoxing!
{images from *Cinnamon, michenv, and Archangeli on Flickr}
Right in time to welcome 2010, today we have Josephine, (who previously made some wine suggestions) contribute as the first guest writer for our blog. Josephine works at Continental Fine Wines, and has expert knowledge on wines and fine dining. I hope this list of recommendations will inspire menus for holidays and festivities in the new year!
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No occasion is ever truly complete without the accompaniment of liquor. But it’s not only about keeping the booze flowing and your guests happy – as Marie Antoinette would have it in her lavish parties – the type and quality of liquor you choose also reflects the character of the event. Growing up, I always loved reading the taste profiles of wines from my dad’s library, amazed by how their characteristics sounded as complex as people.
{movie stills from Macktronic and All Movie Posters}
So here is my short list of wines to invite to a party, from aperitif sipped in conversation, to richer wines paired with sweets and cake, and some bubblies to throw in for good measure. And because it’s a damn recession, and I’m more of a good value hunter than big spender (I’ll wait until that rich old man comes along…), most of these wines are within the $10-20 USD price range, with a few noted exceptions that I thought were too good to be held back by the price tag.
Sippable whites for… “Are you with the bride or the groom?” questions:
Sippable reds: (I chose pinot noirs because they are light to medium-bodied)
“Let Them Eat Cake!” whites:
In general, I recommend going for Chardonnays because they have a buttery, creamy flavor with notes of apple, melon, and pear both on the nose and on the palate – especially when you let the wine sit. Most people chill their whites – but they overdo it. The aroma and sweet taste in Chardonnays actually grows when the wine warms up and isn’t served so cold.
For citric desserts…e.g. key lime, lemon, raspberry:
For creamy cakes and sweets:
For savory finger foods and appetizers:
Bubblies:
A note: Technically, only sparkling wine produced from Champagne, France can be considered “Champagne.” And they are expensive because they have that AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlée, which is a French geographic certification granted to wines and cheeses and certain meats to guarantee “authenticity”). Before you reach for that $40-50 bottle of Veuve Clicquot or Dom Perignon, however, you should know that there are plenty of sparkling wines produced elsewhere that taste just as delicious, with a friendlier price tag. And by the way, Veuve is good, but often times it’s the branding that ups the price, not the taste.
Prosecco – Italian sparkling wine – is a great alternative at cheaper price points with the same bright, bubbly taste:
Californian sparkling:
Champagne:
Cheers to 2010!
{photos by Kiddi Kristjáns, Rae Coleman and Mihay from Flickr}
