Empty promises and a full sink

Forgive me, Father.  It's been one year since my last confess...er, blog post.

Yes, it's been a while.  I hope we can still be friends.

Recently (as in, yesterday), I started contributing to an online magazine for the city of Pasadena.  Technically, I am the lifestyles editor.  In addition to photography and "reporting," I have to attend various events in Pasadena and the surrounding areas that include modern art auctions, restaurant openings, and beer tastings.  It's a really tough job.

Yesterday I attended the official grand opening for a grilled cheese sandwich restaurant called Melt It! Grilled Cheese Co.  You can check out my article here.  It was actually perfect timing since I managed to track down the Grilled Cheese Truck a few weeks ago.  

The Brie: brie, fig compote on a French roll from Melt It!

The Mac 'n' Cheese grilled cheese from The Grilled Cheese Truck

My opinion?  Well, while I wanted to give a real side-by-side comparison, I caved and ordered the Brie instead of Melt It's Mac'n'Cheese.  I wished for more cheese, but realized the molten perils that come along with over stuffing a grilled sammy with brie.  The addition of the fig compote really made the sandwich and I appreciated the quality and amount of the bread- crusty, flavorful, and not too thick.  As for the famed Grilled Cheese Truck?  It was about what I was expecting.  A decent amount of cheese with some pretty good macaroni nestled between some disappointing bread.  The side of chipotle mayo was a great addition.

Did I mention that Melt It! makes deep fried Oreos, too?  If you haven't been able to figure it out from my previous cupcake post, I LOVE Oreos.  That may have put Melt It! over the edge.  That and I don't have to stand in line behind a food truck's exhaust pipe while my stomach eats itself.  I highly suggest you check them out.

Deep fried Oreos

What's going on in MY kitchen?  Next post I'll show you what's lurking in my cupboards.

A year in cupcakes

The last year or so has brought a lot of change, but one thing remains the same: I bake. I bake to forget when times are hard and I bake to celebrate when life is good. I love to document my experiments but haven't had the equipment or dedication to share them as of late. But recently I found some motivation (and a new computer) to start investing more time into this blog- my coworker asked me to make cupcakes for her wedding this summer! I've been doing more baking for special events, like the three pumpkin bourbon cheesecakes I made for Thanksgiving (which nearly killed me), and this would be my most important and "high-profile," if you will. So in the coming months I will be documenting all of the recipes and decorations I test out for the big day. But to start things off, I want to share a collection of cupcakes I've made the past year. My favorite recipe involves my most unhealthy addiction: Oreos.

Chocolate raspberry ganache cupcakes.

Cookies and cream cupcakes with chocolate buttercream icing.

Pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Deja vu: cookies and cream with CoHo chocolate buttercream frosting.

I love the different colored Oreo fillings they come out with throughout the year.  Springtime cupcakes.

Cookies and cream cupcakes with vanilla buttercream for my coworker's wedding-day lunch.

Now, you must be curious about this cupcake recipe. I found it on food.com, formerly known as Receipe Zaar. You can find it here. As for the icing, it comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, The UC Davis Coffee House cookbook. Here it is, in all it's simplicity:

CoHo buttercream frosting

*1/2 cup butter, softened

*2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

*1 egg yolk

*2-3 tablespoons milk or light cream

*1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Cream butter. Add 1/3 of powdered sugar and beat until creamy. Repeat with another 1/3 of sugar.

2. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Beat in remaining sugar.

3. Add more milk or powdered sugar to obtain desired consistency.

I have a huge amount of pictures I haven't shared, so my next post is going to be a trip down memory lane. Next up: from-scratch peach pie.