Easy recipes for Pork Balls in Clear Broth

Pork Balls in Clear Broth

Ingredients:

1. 9 oz (250g) lean and fat pork
2. 1 oz (25g) golden needles, soaked in hot water1 egg, beaten
3. 2 oz (50g) Chinese cabbage hearts, coarsely chopped
4. 1/2 tsp. scallions, chopped
5. 2 oz (50g) cellophane noodles (flour or bean threads), soaked in warm water
6. 1/2 tsp. ginger , chopped
7. 1 tsp. sesame oil
8. 2 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour) dissolved in 2 tbsp water
9. 1/4 tsp. ground Sichuan peppercorn
10. 4 cups (1 litre) meat broth 1/4 tsp. MSG (optional)
11. 2 tsp. salt, or to taste
12. 1 oz (25g) wood ears, reconstituted in hot water

Directions:


Mince the pork, if not already ground, and mix well with the scallions, ginger,egg, corn starch, 3 1/2 fl oz
(100ml) of the broth, and 1/2 tsp. of the salt. Heat the remaining broth to a boil, then turn the heat to low. While the broth is heating make small meatballs, about 3/4 - inch (2 cm ) in diameter. Add the meatballs to broth one by one , and simmer until done.Skim the foam from the broth and add the wood ears, golden needles, cabbage hearts and cellophane Skim the foam from the broth and add the wood ears, golden needles, cabbage hearts and cellophane noodles. Bring to a boil and add the pepper and MSG (optional), sprinkle the sesame oil on the broth remove and serve.

each the other tips for using chopsticks

Do you know how to use chopsticks? Some friends told me that they have some trouble using them. The following is a simple guide.

1. If possible, use wood or bamboo chopsticks. Plastic chopsticks are more slippery and harder to hold.
2. Hold the chopsticks in the middle, making sure that the ends are even and do not cross.
3. Hold the top chopstick between the thumb and the index and middle fingers.
4. Keep the bottom chopstick stationary at all times.
5. To pick up food, place a bit of pressure on the top chopstick.
6. This will move the tip closer to the bottom chopstick.
7. When the tips are close enough together, use them to grasp a piece of food off the plate.
8. Lift the food up to your mouth, leaning over if necessary.
9. For foods containing bones (such as chicken), hold the food with the chopsticks and eat around the bone.
10. Children often prefer to hold chopsticks nearer the bottom instead of in the middle.

Healthy recipes Green Tea Cakes

Healt Green Tea Cakes

Healt Green Tea Cakes

(The tea called for here is matcha, powdered green tea used in the Japanese tea ceremony. It is unnecessary to buy the highest-grade tea for this recipe).

Ingredients:
1 dozen petits fours
Ingredients:

1. 4 eggs + 1 egg yolk, divided
2. 1/2 cup sugar
3. 1/3 cup cake flour
4. 2 tablespoons cornstarch
5. 2 tablespoons powdered green tea
6. 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar confectioners' sugar
7. 6 tablespoons almond paste
8. 1 cup heavy cream
9. 4 teaspoons superfine sugar

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Farenheit.
2. With an electric mixer, beat 2 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks,and 7 tablespoons sugar together until thick and tripledin volume, about 5 minutes.
3. Sift together flour, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon green tea.
4. Sift mixture onto beaten eggs and fold in. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Beat in remaining
5. 1 tablespoon sugar until stiff. Fold into batter.
6. Spread batter in a shallow 11 x 7" pan that has been greased
7. and lined with greased and floured wax paper. Bake until lightly browned and springy to touch.
8. Loosen edges of cake. Sprinkle with fectioners' sugar, then cover with a kitchen towel and invert onto a flat surface.
9. Let cool. Using a biscuit cutter or other decorative cutter, cut out 24 pieces of cake.
10. Knead almond paste with 1 teaspoon green tea. Roll out thinly between sheets of plastic wrap. Using a small cookie cutter,cut out 12 decorative shapes.
11. Gradually whisk heavy cream into superfine sugar and remaining
12. 2 teaspoons green tea, then beat until not quite stiff.

To assemble cakes, sandwich two cake layers with about 1/4"
green tea whipped cream. Frost top and sides with whipped cream
and decorate with almond paste cutouts. Chill until serving.

more healthy of chinese cuisine recipes (shrimp toast)

Shrimp Toast

Ingredients:

8 slices of white bread with the crusts removed
(should be 1 - 2 days old)

Water

1. 3/4 pound fresh shrimp, shelled, deveined, and chopped
2. 2 - 3 water chestnuts, diced
3. 1/2 medium onion, diced
4. 1 scallion, chopped fine salt to taste white pepper to taste
5. 1 egg, lightly beaten
6. 1 tablespoon cornstarch
7. A few drops sesame oil
8. 2 - 4 cups oil for deep-frying
   

Directions:

1. Cut each slice of bread into 4 squares (32 squares total).
2. Combine the diced water chestnuts, onion, shrimp and mince until fine. Add the scallion, cornstarch, egg, white pepper, and sesame oil. Mix together.
3. Place a heaping teaspoon of the shrimp mixture on a bread square. Continue with each of the bread squares.
4. Heat wok and add 2 - 4 cups oil. Heat the oil to 375 degrees.
5. Carefully slide the bread pieces into the wok, a few slices at a time, shrimp mixture down. Deep-fry until golden, about 2 minutes, then turn and deep-fry on other side.
6. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

These are the sample of healthy shrimp toast cooking craft

Healthy Shrimp Toast

Simple Shrimp Toast

Easy Shrimp Toast

Healthy Fried Lettuce recipe

Health Fried Lettuce

Fried Lettuce recipe

Fried Lettuce

Ingredients:

1. 1 large lettuce
2. 1 tblsp oil
3. 2 cloves garlic
4. pinch of salt
5. 1 tsp Vesop (this is a substitute for soy sauce)
   

Directions:

Wash and trim the lettuce and shake off excess moisture.
Cut into four.

Heat the oil and fry the lettuce for 1 minute. Add the
crushed garlic, salt and Vesop; mix well and cook for
another minute.

beef with broccoli healthy vegan fresh recipe

beef with broccoli picture

beef with green broccoli

beef with broccoli fry

Beef with Broccoli

(The secret to this popular restaurant dish is to marinate
the beef in a bit of oil)

Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:

3/4 lb (375 g) lean beef, sliced thinly into bite-sized pieces

Marinade for Beef:

1. 1 egg
2. 1/3 tsp (1.5 mL) salt
3. 1 Tbsp (15 mL) cooking wine
4. 1 Tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch
5. 2 Tbsp water
6. 1 1/2 Tbsp (20 mL) oil
7. 1 1/2 lb (750 g) broccoli, flowerets removed, slice on the diagonal into thin slices
8. 1 cup (250 mL) cooking oil
9. 2 1/2 Tbsp (30 mL) oyster sauce
10. 2 Tbsp (25 mL) light soy sauce
11. 3/4 Tbsp (10 mL) dark soy sauce
12. 1 Tbsp (15 mL) sugar
13. a few drops of sesame oil
14. 2 cloves garlic, crushed
15. 1/2 cup (125 mL) chicken broth
16. 2 Tbsp cornstarch (if desired)
    

Directions:

Slice beef and mix together marinade ingredients. Add marinade to beef and marinate for thirty minutes. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil to beef, mix in thoroughly, and marinate beef for another thirty minutes. While beef is marinating, prepare the
vegetables.

Heat wok and add 1 cup of oil. When oil is ready, add beef and stir-fry until it is nearly cooked. Remove beef and set aside on a plate. Drain the wok and wipe clean with a paper towel.

Add 1/2 cup water to wok. Bring the water to a boil and add the broccoli. Cover and cook until broccoli is cooked through. Drain the wok.

Heat wok and add oil (about 2 tablespoons). Add the garlic and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add vegetables and beef and mix together. Make a well in the middle of the wok and add the sauce ingredients. Add cornstarch, stirring to thicken. Mix sauce together with other ingredients. Serve hot.

Variations:

*Add carrots and onion if desired. Boil in the wok with the broccoli (you'll need to add more water).

Nutritions of Beef and Vegetables

beef with fried spicy

Beef is a rich of B vitamins, zinc, iron, phosphorus and selenium. Red meat like beef is a source of carnitine is a quaternary ammonium compound and is responsible for the transport of fatty acids in mitochondria from the cytoplasm. Carnitine is also sold as dietary supplements. A combination of beef and lawyers is a source of creatine acid, organic nitrogen in the energy supply to the nerves and helps muscle cells. Studies have found in the Global Fund for cancer research in 2007 that cancer can be caused by eating red meat. Reports indicate that one should avoid eating more than 500g of cooked red meat per week and very little meat products processed at high risk of cancer. But the lean meat is said that vitamin B12 and selenium, which contribute to the risk of colon cancer. Some say that eating red meat in moderation, a good habit, since large quantities of undesirable saturated fatty acids. However, meat is a rich source of conjugated linoleic acid, a heart healthy fats and saturated fatty acids. Beef also contains vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 to reduce levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the human body. Vitamin B9, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 leads to high levels of homocysteine and may cause thrombosis and cardiovascular disease. Research shows that high consumption of red meat increased as beef and pork, the risk of colon cancer twice. The survey also revealed that not raise other types of meat and fish, the risk and suggested that eating vegetables may reduce the risk is marginal. People who have red meat - like beef - in large quantities and do not eat vegetables were likely to develop colon cancer by eating a factor of 2.5. The consumption of vegetables showed a slightly reduced risk.

beef with asparagus

Beef and Vegetables recipes

Serves 3 to 4 as part of a multicourse meal

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. beef, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups assorted vegetables, chopped

Marinade:
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons sesame seeds


Directions:

Combine marinade ingredients.
Marinate beef for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in wok. Stir-fry beef and onion.
Add vegetables. Fry until bright in color.
Add sesame seeds and left over marinade. Heat thoroughly. Serve with rice.

Easy chiken recipes

Braised Chicken with Chestnuts

Braised Chicken with Chestnuts

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb. (500g) chicken pieces
2. 2 cloves star anise
3. 1 1/2 tsp. scallions , chopped
4. 5 tbsp vegetable oil
5. 5 oz (150 g) chestnuts
6. 4 tbsp sugar
7. 1 1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped
8. 8 tsp. soy sauce
9. 1 tsp. rice wine
10. 1/2 tsp. MSG (optional)

Directions:

• Wash the chicken and place in a heat-proof bowl. Add 1 tsp. scallion, 1 tsp. ginger, rice wine , and star anise.
• Put the bowl in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes.
• Remove the chicken, drain, let cool, and chop into
• 1 1/2 inch (4cm) pieces. Reserve and liquid in the bowl.
• While the chicken steams, make a cross in the shell of each chestnut and place in a saucepan with water to cover.
• Bring to a boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool in the water. Shell and peel, but leave whole.
• Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until the surface ripples.
• Add the chestnuts and stir-fry for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Add the sugar to the wok and stir until melted. Add 1/2 tsp. scallions. 1/2 tsp. ginger, and chicken, and stir-fry until the chicken skin browns. Then add the soy sauce. Continue to stir-fry for about 1 minute and add the chestnuts. Pour in the chicken liquid, bring to a boil, and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove and serve.

Diet by fish vegetables recipes

vegetables fish cuisine


vegetables and fish recipes



Fish and Vegetables

Serves 3 to 4


Ingredients:

1 lb white fish fillets, cut into bite sized pieces
2 carrots, sliced
1/4 cup bamboo shoots or water chestnuts
1 cup green vegetables
1/2 cup mushrooms, quartered
3 cm. piece of ginger, cut into thin slices
1/2 red pepper, sliced

Marinade:
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 egg white
dash of pepper

Sauce:
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vinegar
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cornflour


Directions:

Combine marinade ingredients. Add fish to marinade and
set aside.
Boil 3 cups of water. Add in carrots and green vegetables
for 30 seconds. Plunge vegetables into cold water - this
gives them a good color.
Heat wok. Add 1 cup oil and fry fish pieces for 1 minute.
Into clean wok add 2 tablespoons oil. Add in vegetables,
ginger, mushrooms, red pepper, and bamboo shoots.
Add fish, but don't stir.
Add sauce. When boiling, stir lightly and cook 1 minute.

Chinese Spicy Szechuan Chicken Recipes

Healthy Spicy Szechuan Chicken



Spicy Chinese Szechuan Chicken


Spicy Szechuan Chicken

Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:

3 - 4 chicken breasts, skinned and boned
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Sauce:
2 tablespoons sherry cooking wine
1 tablespoon barbeque sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed dried chilies
1 tablespoon ginger, minced

4 carrots, cut into thin strips
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced


Directions:

Partially freeze chicken breasts. Cut into strips.
Combine sauce ingredients and set aside.
Mix together egg whites and cornstarch.
Coat chicken in cornstarch mixture.
Heat wok. Fry chicken strips in oil until they turn white.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok. Add vegetables and stir-fry
for 30 seconds.
Add sauce to vegetables.
When boiling, add chicken.
Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with rice.

Food Lobster Sauce Recipe

chinese lobster sauce



delicious lobster sauce

Lobster Sauce

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons fermented black beans
1 garlic clove
1/4 pound ground pork
2 scallion stalks

Mixture:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Mix together the soy sauce, sherry, sugar, and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
Beat the eggs lightly and set aside.

Wash black beans and let sit for a few minutes to soften. Mince the garlic clove.
Mash it together with the soaked black beans.

Cut the scallions into sections approximately 1/2 inch long. Add to the soy sauce/
sherry/sugar and water mixture.

Heat wok and add oil, swirling to coat the sides. When oil is ready, add the mashed
black beans and garlic and stir-fry briefly. Add the ground pork, and stir-fry until it
changes color.

Give the scallion/soy sauce mixture a quick stir and add to the wok. Bring to heat,
and then cook, covered, under medium heat for about 3 minutes.

While the ingredients are cooking, mix together the cornstarch and water to form
a paste. Add to wok, stirring to thicken the sauce.

Give the beaten eggs a quick stir and add, stirring. Remove the sauce from the
heat, pour over shrimp or lobster and serve.

Chinese New Year Cakes Recipes

This sweet, cake-like Nian Gao has a slightly sticky texture or bite to it. This is a good recipe if you don't like standing over the stove worrying about the steamer boiling dry, if you don't want to pan fry lots of pieces, or if you want to share with non-Asians who might be used to a more cake-like cake.

Ingredients:

1. 16 oz. Mochiko sweet rice flour
2. One stick of butter or 3/4 cup of vegetable oil
3. 3 eggs
4. 2 1/2 cups milk
5. 1 to 1 3/4 cup sugar--depending on if you like it sweeter
6. 1 Tbl baking soda
7. One can of red azuki beans
   

Directions:

1. Mix everything but the beans with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Beat for 2 more minutes at high speed.
2. Sprinkle Mochiko flour over a 9"x13" baking dish that has been oiled or sprayed with Pam.
3. Spread half of the batter on the bottom of the baking pan.
4. Spread the red azuki beans (you can mix some batter into the beans if they are too thick to spread).
5. Spread the other half of the batter over the red azuki beans
   
6. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes
   

Test for doneness by inserting a chopstick (this is Chinese
New Year Cake after all). If it comes out clean, it is done

simple chinese new year cake

delicious chinese new year cake

best chinese new year cake

Recipe: Everybody's a winner chili (and mini hearty biscuits)

Here's the award-winning entirely original-recipe I entered in the Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty Recipe Contest. The rules required at least 50% of the ingredients to be local (and sources are listed in the recipe).

Un-“beet”-able Chili

Celebrate frigid weather with a bowl of chili featuring local ingredients.

Ingredients

¼ C olive oil

2 medium onions, diced from Full Plate Collective CSA, Ithaca

1 large turnip, diced from Red Tail Farm, Trumansburg

2 carrots, diced from Full Plate Collective CSA , Ithaca

1-2 large beets, diced from Blue Heron Farm, Lodi

3 garlic cloves, minced from Full Plate Collective CSA, Ithaca

4-5 C black beans or turtle beans (soaked and pre-cooked for about 45 minutes)* from Cayuga Pure Organics, Brooktondale

3 large tomatoes, chopped (about three cups, or one 28 oz can of diced tomatoes) from Jackman Winery, Ithaca

1 C water

1 T chili powder

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp cayenne (or to taste)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp oregano

8 oz plain Greek yogurt from Chobani (NYS producer)

1 C cheddar cheese, grated from Meadow Creek Farm, Interlaken, NY

(These ingredients can be found at Greenstar, the Ithaca Farmers Market, and Garden Gate Delivery.)

1) In a large pot, sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat until the onion is translucent and almost caramelized, about ten minutes.

2) Add garlic, turnips, carrot, and beet. Continue cooking over medium heat for ten minutes.

3) Add beans, tomatoes, water, chili powder, cayenne, salt, and oregano. Simmer, covered, for at least one hour (or until beans are tender, add more water if desired).

4) Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and grated cheese. Enjoy!

*If you’re using canned beans, add them for the last 20 minutes of cooking so that they don’t become mushy.

Serves 6-8

Mini Hearty Biscuits

Ingredients

1 C whole wheat bread flour from Farmer Ground Flour, Newfield

1 C all-purpose flour

1 T baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 C cheddar cheese from Meadow Creek Farm, Interlaken

1 ½ C heavy cream from Hillcrest Dairy, Moravia

½ C whole Jersey milk from Meadow Creek Farm, Interlaken

Special equipment: mini-muffin pan

1) Pre-heat oven to 425F and grease mini-muffin tin

2) In a large bowl, mix whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

3) Stir in grated cheddar cheese.

4) Add heavy cream and whole milk.

5) Stir until just combined.

6) Fill muffin tin (be careful not to overfill).

7) Bake at 425F for about 15 minutes.

8) Use a knife to loosen biscuits before removing from pan.

Makes 24 min-muffins.

Recipe: Last Night's BBQ Remade as Pizza

Fall weather is upon us, so our family is trying to squeeze in a few BBQ's before the summer truly slips away. Never mind that it has already officially ended.

Last night, we enjoyed a BBQ of grilled burgers, green and red peppers, summer squash, and the sweetest of the sweet corn.

Tonight, we remade the leftovers into a lovely quick pizza. Here's the recipe (and if you're new to Ithaca's Food Web, consider these recipes merely a source of inspiration. You'll rarely find specific quantities or instructions).

Last Night's BBQ, Remade as Pizza

-Buy a par-baked pizza crust (a well known local bakery carries them).

-Make a pizza sauce: saute garlic and onions, add tomatoes, sugar, salt and pizza seasonings (such as oregano, basil, and just the right amount of red pepper flakes).

-Preheat oven to 400F.

-Slice up the grilled veggies, cut the corn off the cob, and crumble the cooked hamburger.

-Put sauce and toppings on pizza crust.

-Add cheese, such as grated parmesan and dollops of goat cheese.

-Bake at 400F for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

National School Meals Week...coming soon!

The Local Authority of Caterers Association is being supported by the School Food Trust to raise awareness of school meals. Local authorities or individual schools can sign up by registering here.

If we can increase the number of children eating school meals there will be a huge number of benefits -

Health - growing children need good quality food. Children eating school dinners generally consume more fruit and veg at lunch than children bringing packed lunches.

Education - children who have eaten a balanced lunch are better prepared for afternoon lessons than those who are either still hungry or who have indulged in a sugar fest.

The local community - where there are high numbers of children eating a school lunch then it is possible to train and employ local people to cook.

The purse -If we could make school dinners the norm then that would greatly increase the purchasing power of the caterers and economies of scale would bring down the individual cost of the meals.

Please don't think that this is an attack on parents who provide packed lunches. I know there are lots of families who provide lovely balanced lunches for their children that meet the nutrient standards. However there are some dire packed lunches consumed by kids on a daily basis that contain no fruit or veg and alarmingly high levels of fat, salt and sugar. Yes we can lecture those parents endlessly and repeat the change 4life mantras endlessly but if we can provide low cost, tasty healthy alternative that will be more effective in changing eating habits than clever slogans.

Ask your school to sign up for Natonal School Meals Week now. heads and governors have a lot on their plate at this time of year so it is possible NSMW has'nt made it across their desks yet. Requests from parents to take part are likely to be favourably recieved. There is no cost to the school and there are plenty of educational materials on the site that they will be able to use. I am planning to visit local primary schools in Merton to give an assembly on the history of school meals in the UK and what school dinners are like in other countries around the world to do my bit!

Events like this are our defense against the dark old pre jamie days when Merton school children suffered the most appalling sub standard slop.

New Baja Fresh - Finally

Hola, so I finally did it. I treked on over to the east side from my office to check out the new Baja Fresh in ManHatTan. I know I should have gone sooner as I promised I would but at least I went! I am over the disappointment of the Post not using me in their Baja Fresh article and spoke to the editors to make sure that does not happen again.

One of Chain of Food's most loyal readers, Sarah, is leaving this great city to make her mark in DC. We met back when we were wee bit interns for Fox News (and one WWJD's roomate in college). Clearly, she is a smart girl because she loves da blog and da chain and was so enthusiastic about the Baja opening. To celebrate her big move we decided to get lunch at Baja Fresh, since DC is where I learned about its wonderfulness.

As expected it was awesome. Not too busy, boys with suits, and the amazing salsa bar. I saw a new addition to the bar, the mango salsa, very nice. I went with my old standby the Chicken Mexicano Burrito without the beans. Sarah got a Shrimp Diablo Burrito, very exotic. Both of us were happy and extremely stuffed after our meal.

Today's school dinner

It has been ages since I have been able to take pictures of the food but now I am off crutches it is much easier. The roast chicken was very popular with the children. On seeing the brussel sprouts a couple of kids started to talk about christmas dinner! It tasted good though the turnip was a little undercooked for my tastes. The ginger sponge and custard was delicious.

The launch of the Camden Food Strategy

There was a series of events involving good food, growing and cooking taking place in Camden today in order to launch their "Good Food Strategy"

Anna and Rosie from Sustain played a key role in developing this strategy and organising the celebrations.

A "seed swap" at Somerstown Community centre, apple day celebrations at Calthorpe and a grow bag project were just a few of the activities taking place.

I spent the day at Kentish Town City Farm where Chris from the Real Bread Campaign ran some fantastic breadmaking sessions for kids. There was also a brilliant fruit and veg activity table and some amazing artwork going on.

I am now expecting great things from this strategy if today's launch is anything to go by. I was really struck by the selflessness of all of the volunteers involved who worked really hard to ensure the children had a great time.Their passion and commitment were infectious and did more to change attitudes to food than any amount of "social marketing" this government is so fond of.

Both me and my son who came along to lend a hand are now big fans of the Kentish Town Cityfarm and are planning to go along next saturday to get more involved.

Cupcakes are the new Black

I was watching 90210 tonight and I noticed the girls enjoying cupcakes at Crumb's. I was shocked when I saw this, I had no idea Crumb's crept its way to LA. I just thought this was an east coast institution. They have In N Out and we have Crumbs. Obviously that is not the case. Seeing this revelation on the tube made me decide it was finally time to bring up a very important topic, the popularity of the cupcake. I think I can tell you when this popularity first arose, and that was when Miss Carrie Bradshaw enjoyed this little pieces of happiness on Sex and the City. Since then, Magnolia has become a New York landmark. In fact I was speaking to tourists from London last week and I told them how there was a Magnolia Bakery across from Del Frisco's in mid-town (by my old office - yes it's now my old office) and they were so excited! They were also cops so of course I brought up the Wire too, but that is for a different blog.

About a year or so ago, Magnolia opened it's second location on the UWS and of course the third across from my old office space. Having Magnolia across the street really changed the way birthdays were celebrated in mid-town. Where once Magnolia was a treat, a Sunday destination in Greenwich to get your pretty flower on your cupcake, not anymore. You can have it anytime, any place. I guess that is the beauty of a chain. My favorite of the Magolia cupcakes are the simple vanilla cupcakes with a fun colored icing and sprinkles. Recently they even had a red cross cupcake where $1.00 is donated to Haiti. I was into that so I made sure to buy a lot of those. A lot of people really love their red velvet cupcakes and their banana pudding.

As much as Magnolia is the craze, I am a much bigger fan of the Crumbs cupcake. For one thing, they are huge, and if you are spending so much on a cupcake, at least let it be huge! Also, they have so many exotic, fun flavors like Caramel Apple, Oreo, Grasshopper and Cookie Dough. They also have Passover cupcakes for all my holy jews.

While investigating this blog, I was shocked to see how quickly this chain has grown. It started in 2003 and already has locations all over NY, NJ, CT and now California. I also learned they have a Baba Booey cupcake named after Howard Stern's producer. That is pretty awesome. I want one too!!!

Butchers and Berkshires, March 28th, 4PM

Join butcher Jamie Waldron and chef Ted Dimoglou as they butcher a half Berkshire pig.

Sanson Estate Winery/From Field to Fork and the 255 Restaurant Group would like to invite you to an evening of porcine pleasures to take place at the Buddha Room, 255 Ouellette Avenue (downtown Windsor), on March 28th.

A five course dinner with wine pairings, matched by Sommelier Sarah Dewar, will follow the demonstration. The evening begins at 4pm.

Tickets are $100.00 (includes tax and gratuities).

For more information please call Chanoso’s at 519-254-8530 or visit their website at www.255downtown.com

Meeting Nick Herbert MP

I am looking forward to attending a round table "Reform" dinner this evening with Nick Herbert MP - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment. There should be food writers, campaigners and business leaders there. The theme of the dinner is food security. Will be sure to take my camera and will report back on the discussion.

Roast dinner day!

Two of the staff enjoying a roast dinner for lunch.

Early start today! Just finishing my presentation for a Good Food Training for London event "The Role of Food in Schools". Hoping my children don't spot me hunched over the computer as I am always on at them not to leave their homework to the last minute! Anyway, just have time to upload pictures of yesterdays school dinner.