Cupcake Challenge Winners!

Eat:Drink:Play has announced the winners of the cupcake challenge. Check out the beautiful pics in Emma's post over at Squid Ink.

Best Traditional
1st Place: Big Man Bakes "Red Velvet"
2nd Place: Blue Cupcake "Sweet and Salty Vanilla"
3rd Place: Southern Girl Desserts "Red Velvet"

Best Original
1st Place: My Delight Cupcaker "Breakfast Cake"
2nd Place: Jus Minis "Caramel Banana"
3rd Place: Two Parts Sugar "Chocolate Covered Strawberry"

Best Overall
1st Place: Jus Minis "Caramel Banana"
2nd Place: My Delight Cupcaker "Breakfast Cake"
3rd Place: Two Parts Sugar "Chocolate Covered Strawberry"

Photo from Yummy Cupcakes, not the Challenge

Anthony Bourdain on Yo Gabba Gabba

Weirdly enough Tony Bourdain will be guest starring on Yo Gabba gabba. Maybe it's because he has "Gabba Gabba Hey" permanently etched on his heart, or maybe because he has a child now.

They could have placed the cue cards a little closer to the bed, but maybe on kid's shows you're supposed to talk to the kids out there in TVland. This is a preview of his guest appearance on March 10th's episode.

Sigh, I feel a little fever coming on...

Pig Dogs and Purse Cakes

There is a bakery on Glenoaks called Paradise Pastry and Cafe. It is a land of wonder, with a hot deli, cold deli. meat market, and import shop. If you need foie gras, veal sweetbreads, back bacon or yogurt soda, this is the place to go. In the Armenian bakery you can get nazook still warm from the oven and a huge assortment of French pastries.

The most amazing thing about Paradise Bakery for me is their cake styling. The two most popular cakes are purses and a little cuddly creature who may be a dog, but has piglike features. To me he will always be the pig dog.







And what is this? A guinea piglet?





And then every once in a while they really go ouside the box.







And some of their cakes are really beautiful

Late Night at Pink's

Tourists in Hollywood always want to hit Pink's. For late-night eats, giant dogs and the comraderie of fellow insomniacs it's still worth a stop. But something is in the wind... (foreboding music)

To Serve Kittens

It looks like there was a little mix-up at the bookstore. Cookbooks and pet care got mixed up to make this serendipitous tableaux. It turned out to not be a kitten cookbook. Kittens are really tough anyways and need slow braising.

Happy Valentine's Day from Rivera

On Valentine's Day the one gift I wanted to give Bob was the experience I had had at Rivera. I wanted him to be amazed by the snails and delight in the piquillos rellenos (STUFFED SPANISH PEPPERS, CHORIZO, GOLDEN RAISINS, GRUYERE).

There was a prix fixe menu, so I ordered those two dishes in addition to our dinners. I also tried a flight of infused tequila. The cucumber-serrano was so refreshing, and the pomegranite was YUM. The grapefruit was a little shocking on the palate right after the chiles.

We were brought an amuse bouche of duck carpaccio that set your mouth on fire. This was no gentle introduction into the meal. There was no lightening up for new diners or your grandmother. This carpaccio said, "You are in MY house now! Prepare yourself for a meal unlike any other."

The first course was a cooling and refreshing follow-up, fresh, gigantic shrimp alongside a mint sauce and a salad of melon and cucumber.

Shrimp in the sushi-style cooler



I had promised not to take pictures. This evening was about us. I was not on the clock. But of course I just couldn't stand it. when I saw the beautiful filet mignon with celery root puree I had to take out my little point-and-shoot. At that very moment John Rivera Sedlar came out to say hello and totally busted me!





The dessert was a whimsical delight, with a cocoa powder cupid on the plate. John said it was really hard to find Cupids and they eventually had to download one off of the internet. The gateau was filled with pine nuts, with whipped cream and rhubarb sauce.



We retired to the bar to open up the table and I enjoyed a tequila mujer, the perfect ending to a perfect meal.

My special Valentine

Happy Mardi Gras!

Here is one of my favorite New Orleans-inspired recipes, developed by yours truly. It makes enough for a party.

JAMBALAYA

1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons butter
3 cups raw Uncle Ben’s rice
2 cans beef broth
1 can chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups cooked chicken
2 cups cubed ham
4 hot sausages, chopped
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 Tablespoon Tony Chachere’s seasoning
1 teaspoon thyme
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Hot sauce to taste
¼ cup chopped green onions

In a large, heavy pot, saute vegetables in butter.

Pour in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.

Cover pot with a tight-fitting lid, lower heat and simmer at the lowest heat possible for 1 hour. Do not lift the lid during cooking time. Shake the pot occasionally to prevent burning.