More Cupcakes!

Here are a variety of cupcakes I've made over the past few months.

Peppermint Mocha

Snickerdoodle

Eggnog

Hot Chocolate

Cookies 'n Cream

Devil's Food with Turquoise Vanilla Buttercream

My First Pull Apart Cupcake Cake

There are 24 cupcakes underneath. This was so much fun to make, especially using the grass tip. The 9-year-old I made it for absolutely loved it!

Cupcake Flavors

Hi everyone!

I'm so excited to be able to share my gourmet cupcake recipes with you. I have chosen the most flavorful and fresh ingredients I can find to be sure your cupcake experience is as enjoyable as possible. All cupcakes and frostings are made from scratch.

Below is a list of flavors that I am currently offering but am open to requests. If you don't see the flavor you want on the list, it just means I haven't tried it yet. Please give me a reason to experiment with a new recipe. I love it!

Specialty Flavors:

Vanilla/Vanilla (colors are available upon request)













Chocolate/Chocolate or Vanilla












Strawberry/Strawberry


Red Velvet/Cream Cheese












Carrot/Cream Cheese












Pumpkin/Cream Cheese












Chocolate w/ Peanut Butter Mousse filling/Chocolate Ganache












S'mores

Tie Dye

Salted Caramel

Cookies 'n Cream

Mimosa

Champagne/Champagne

Please enjoy this photo of the Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting topped with a Reese's PB cup and Peanut Butter drizzle. This cupcake is so rich and delicious. If you like chocolate and peanut butter, this cupcake is to die for!

You can contact me for more information or to place an order at 216.408.7508 or morsel1009@gmail.com. Please give me at least a 2 week notice for any order over 50. Payment of 50% is required up front for orders over 50. Minimum order is 1/2 dozen. Cupcakes are $1.25 each.

Valentine's Day Meal 2010

I made the most amazing meal for my son and parents for Valentine's Day this year. It was pretty easy and fairly quick to put together too. The meal consisted of 3 Giada De Laurentiis recipes, Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup, Chicken Milanese and Gnocchi in Thyme Butter Sauce. For dessert, I came across a recipe for Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting on the Martha Stewart website. I would like to share these recipes with you and I hope you decide to try them.

First I started making the Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup. The ingredients are as follows:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 fresh sage leaf
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 garlic cloves, halved
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 slices ciabatta bread
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

As I always say, prep all of your ingredients ahead of time. That way they are ready when it's their time to be added to the recipe.

Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and beans and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the garlic and simmer until the garlic is softened, about 10 minutes. Pour the soup into a large bowl. Carefully ladle 1/3 to 1/2 of the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. Be careful to hold the top of the blender tightly, as hot liquids expand when they are blended. Pour the blended soup back into the soup pan. Puree the remaining soup. Once all the soup is blended and back in the soup pan, add the cream and the pepper Keep warm, covered, over very low heat. *If you have an immersion blender and prefer to use that instead of the blender, that would be fine.

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the slices of ciabatta bread with extra-virgin olive oil. Grill the bread until warm and golden grill marks appear, about 3 minutes a side. Serve the soup in bowls with the grilled bread alongside.

You can start the first part of the soup and work on the other dishes while each part is cooking. For example, you can prepare the bread for grilling and pound and bread the chicken or turkey for your milanese. The Gnocchi is going to be the last thing you cook, because it comes together so quickly.

Let's move on to the Chicken Milanese. I actually used Giada's Turkey Milanese recipe, but it tasted awesome made with chicken. Following are the ingredients and directions. You can also find these by clicking on the recipe.

• 1 1/2 pounds (about 8 cutlets) turkey or chicken breast, pounded 1/8-inch thick
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 5 cups (5 ounces) baby arugula
• 2 cups (10 ounces) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 (2-ounce) block parmesan
• Lemon wedges

Using a meat tenderizer or a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, pound the turkey or chicken until 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick.

Combine the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Place the eggs in a second medium bowl. Place the bread crumbs in a third medium bowl. Season the turkey or chicken on both sides with salt and pepper Dredge the turkey or chicken in the flour and shake off any excess flour. Dip the turkey or chicken into the eggs and then into the bread crumbs to coat. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the turkey or chicken, in batches, until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes on each side, adding more oil, if needed. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels.

Arrange the arugula on a large serving platter and top with the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the turkey or chicken on top of the tomatoes. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan over the turkey or chicken. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

As you will see in the photo, I used shredded parmesan, however, the shaved parm will look much prettier. This is a very colorful dish and so tasty. I received multiple compliments from my family while they were eating this.

Next, we'll move onto the Gnocchi with Thyme Butter Sauce. As I mentioned, this will come together very quickly. After the water boils, you can finish this in 5 minutes. You will want to make this right before you're ready to eat. If you're feeling adventurous, you can make the gnocchi from scratch. The ingredients and directions can be found at the recipe link above. Since I didn't have the extra time that day, I bought it pre-made (shhhh!!!).

You want to make sure you have the following ingredients:

• Homemade or package of store-bought Gnocchi (you can find in the boxed pasta aisle)
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the butter in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the thyme leaves. Set aside.

Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water until the gnocchi rise to the surface, about 1 minute. Continue cooking until the gnocchi are tender, about 4 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the hot thyme-butter in the skillet. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss again. Top with Pecorino.

Finally, I have a wonderful recipe for Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting that I found on the Martha Stewart website. What's really great about these cupcakes is that you make them with fresh or frozen strawberries! Here are the yummy ingredients that create these delightful cakes:

• 2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Now to put it all together! Starting with the cupcakes...

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
5. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
6. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

...and now the frosting:

1. Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

This recipe makes 1 dozen cupcakes. You can make these the day before if you like or earlier in the day of your dinner. Since these were for Valentine's Day, I topped off my cupcakes with heart shaped sprinkles. You can also top them with a piece of sliced strawberry if you like.

That should do it! I really hope you try this recipe or some part of it. You will not be disappointed.

Bar Symon

Bar Symon

32858 Walker Road

Avon Lake, Ohio

440-933-5652

http://www.barsymon.com/


I finally made it to one of Michael Symon’s Restaurants. Who is Michael Symon, you might ask? If you watch the Food Network or are familiar with the local Cleveland food circuit, then you probably know. If not, let me tell you a little bit about him. Michael Symon was born and raised on the west side of Cleveland. He owns 5 restaurants, four of which are in Cleveland. They are Lola Bistro (Downtown), Lolita (Tremont), Bar Symon (Avon Lake) and B Spot Burgers (Woodmere). Lola and Lolita are more upscale and Bar Symon and B Spot have a more laid back atmosphere. The fifth restaurant is in Detroit called Roast.

Michael made a name for himself on the Food Network in 2007 when he won the first ever ‘Next Iron Chef’ competition. He now competes regularly on the Iron Chef. He also starred in the fifth season of ‘Dinner Impossible’ where he met various food challenges across the country for different events. The menu chosen had to be prepared in a certain amount of time. He was named the ‘Best Chef in the Great Lakes Region’ for 2009. You can also catch him at the Cleveland Fabulous Food Show at the I-X Center each November giving food demonstrations.

Now that you know a little bit about Michael Symon, let’s get on to my experience at Bar Symon. This is one of his newer establishments. Even though I’ve never been to any of his other restaurants, I do know that this one encompasses a more casual dining experience than Lola or Lolita. You can feel free to dine in jeans if you like and it is family friendly. There were a number of families with children. You will also enjoy rock n’ roll music piping from the speakers. I heard AC/DC and Led Zeppelin, to name a few.

The restaurant is located at the end of a plaza, which is great for the patio you will be able to enjoy when the weather gets nice. The inside is one big room with a bar to your right and the dining area in front of you. There will also be a private dining room available for parties of 30-150. The bar includes an eclectic selection of beer from all over the world and 38 of them are on tap! Most of them I’ve never heard of, but they did have my friend Guiness, which was fine with me.

The décor was a combination of hand-carved woodwork, pigs, butcher’s diagrams on mirrors, metal ceiling tiles, Ruffoni (hammered copper) Italian cookware and more. The wait staff was very friendly and service was great! There were 7 people in my party and one of the girls wasn’t crazy about her steak so they took it off her bill stating ‘we aren’t going to make you pay for something you didn’t like’. Everyone else enjoyed their meals immensely.

The food menu is like no other you’ve ever seen! There’s a ‘Sausage Board’ that includes a selection of kielbasa, veal bratwurst, spicy lamb, pork & fennel and morcilla (Spanish blood sausage). There’s a variety of ‘Symwiches’ including a BBBLT with fresh bacon, smoked bacon and bacon mayo; Beef Tongue (don’t know if I’ll ever be adventurous enough to want to try that!), The Quack (duck confit) and the Zorba, which is his version of a gyro with lamb sausage.

The entrees include twists on old favorites like Duck Paprikash and Mac & Cheese with rigatoni, chicken and goat cheese. The burger menu has three unforgettable burgers: the ‘Lola’ with a fried egg on top, the ‘Shroomage’ with portabello and blue cheese and the ‘Fat Doug’ with pastrami, coleslaw, mustard and swiss. I got the Lola and it was delicious. It was served with rosemary french fries and their housemade ketchup.

You will also want to check out their ‘Happy Hour’ and Sunday Brunch. Happy Hour is M-F from 5-6:30 and Sunday from 2-4. You’ll enjoy happy hour prices as well as a special ‘Happy Snacks’ menu. Sunday Brunch is from 10-2 and has an entirely different menu including a Pork Pastrami Hash, Brunch Burrito with scrambled eggs, duck confit and jack cheese, Stuffed French Toast with mascarpone cheese, almonds and strawberries and Chicken and Waffles. I definitely want to go back for the brunch!

If you’ve tried Bar Symon or any of his other restaurants, please share your experience with me.

Cornmeal Blini Bites

I've been trying a lot of new recipes lately. One reason, is because I love to try new recipes (duh!) and the other is because I'm in charge of the food for a Women's Spa Event this Spring at my son's school. Being that the menu should revolve around a Spa theme, I am looking for light bites and some indulgent mini desserts. One of the recipes I came across on the Food Network (of course) was this one for Cornmeal Blini Bites. They didn't really look like much in the photo, but something intrigued me about them and I had to try it. I made these little darlings for a planning meeting we had this week for the event and they were a great hit. So easy to make, not a lot of ingredients, very inexpensive and so, so tasty.

The ingredients include:

1 8.5 ounce box corn muffin mix
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
Olive oil, or shallow frying (about cup)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
18 seedless green grapes, halved
Honey, for drizzling

Directions for making:

Whisk the muffin mix, milk and egg together until smooth.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 inch of oil to the pan and heat until shimmering. Working in batches, drop teaspoons of batter into the oil to make small pancakes, about 1 1/2 inches wide. Cook until bubbles appear on the tops and the bottoms are golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and finish cooking, about 1 more minute.
Top each blini with ricotta and a grape half. Drizzle with honey and serve warm.

Some tips I would like to add based on my experience is:

• As you're cooking, the oil will lessen as it is soaked up by the cornmeal and you will have to add more as you go along.
• When you drop the teaspoons into the oil, try to shape them right away into a circle if they don't look like a circle right away. Just lightly tap on the top of the batter to make it rounder.
• Be sure not to drop too much batter, that will result in a very thick corn cake and the idea is to keep them relatively thin. I would say not much more than 1/4 of an inch.
• Feel free to be creative and use other ingredients for the topping. I think they're perfect the way they are, but not everyone likes ricotta. Maybe try neufchatel with a fruit topping like strawberry or raspberry jam.
• The instructions recommend serving them warm, but they are delicious cold as well.
• You do not want to add the ricotta as soon as you take them out of the oil as it may slide off the blini.

I apologize I don't have a photo to show you of the ones I made, but feel free to check out the recipe on the Food Network website for Cornmeal Blini Bites which is accompanied by a great photo.

I hope you enjoy these little bites. They are perfect for an appetizer or mini dessert because they're so sweet.

Bistro 555 - Greektown Hotel

Greektown Casino – Detroit
Bistro 555
http://www.greektowncasino.com

Do you like to gamble? Whether you answer yes or no to this question, you can still enjoy the delightful cuisine offered by some of casino’s finest restaurants. I recently visited the new Greektown Hotel and Casino in Detroit and found my meal at the hotel restaurant exquisite. Bistro 555 is located on the second floor of the hotel and overlooks the lobby. There’s a quaint little bar and lounge area to have a drink if you’re waiting for a friend or a table. The atmosphere is simply sophisticated and relaxing. You’ll find it enjoyable no matter the occasion or the company.

Now onto the food! This had to be one of the best meals I’ve had dining out. We started with an appetizer of crab cakes that were very good. I’ve had crab cakes many times at restaurants and these were just as tasty as any. Next the salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion with balsamic vinaigrette was excellent! However, the best part of my meal was the main dish. We each selected the orecchiette pasta flavored with olive oil, crushed tomatoes, garlic, basil and thyme topped with Salmon. You also have the choice of shrimp or chicken. First of all, the pasta stayed hot throughout most of the meal which is always a good thing. I like my pasta as hot as I can stand it. Second, the flavor of these simple ingredients was amazing and really blended well with the pasta and the fish. Finally, this salmon was cooked to perfection. It is the best salmon I’ve ever had really. Not seasoned with anything, but so moist and flavorful. My only regret is that I couldn’t finish every bite. I even took a break so I could eat more. I felt guilty even leaving a little.

Since I also like to cook and try new recipes all the time, I attempted to recreate this meal at home. I bought all of the ingredients and it was very easy. I started with olive oil and garlic in a small skillet. Once that cooked for a minute or so, I added the crushed tomatoes (not too much of the juice though) along with dried basil and thyme. You can use fresh herbs as well. I blended the hot mixture with the cooked pasta and topped with the grilled salmon. It tasted almost as good. The flavor of the sauce could have been stronger and the salmon wasn’t nearly as good. I guess I need a little more practice cooking salmon. It was still pretty tasty though and will go on my list of quick meals to make at home.

I’d like to add a little plug for the hotel as well. The service and rooms are top notch. The valet attendants, concierge and front desk staff are all very friendly and accommodating. The room was gorgeous! It had a huge bed with very comfortable pillows and bedding. You can watch TV on a large screen mounted on the wall. You also get your standard desk and sitting chair in the room. The sink is separate from the bathroom, which is nice when you’re sharing a room and one person is taking a shower. Best of all, you get to sleep in a blue glass building!! How many times have you done that?!

Anyway, if you’re looking for a quick getaway (and great food), check it out! http://www.greektowncasino.com