Red Velvet - Los Angeles!

For those of you who haven't heard the news yet - we're moving to LA in July 2010! I am so excited! Not only does this mean no more snow in the winter (unless we choose to go skiing or something!) it also means I'm closer to many more red velvet cupcakes. While I was out in LA interviewing for fellowship in Sept, I tried to do a quick sampling of the local treats. I compared Sprinkles with Susiecakes.

Sprinkles was delicious as usual. It may not be the "BEST" red velvet cake that I've had, but it is always solid and consistent. The baking mix is available at Williams and Sonoma. Susiecakes gets good reviews but I wasn't all that impressed. I can't remember what it was like but I think it was moist and had a buttercream frosting.

Long Overdue RVC update

So, things have been busy and I haven't been posting. But, I haven't stopped eating and trying Red Velvet Cupcakes so I have a few updates for you all! I will first post the BEST RVC in New England - picked for me for my 30th Birthday by my wonderful husband Jason from the North End (what used to be LuLu's bakeshop) in Boston.

The cake was dense and rich with a luscious cream cheese frosting! Divine! It is a toss up between this red velvet and the one from Truckee, CA.

Ramen as Art

This weekend, I tried out Ippudo - NYC at the recommendation of my friend Rebecca. J and I usually love to eat ramen at Momofuku in the East Village, but Ippudo was amazing, if not even better! I have so much food to post on but had to share this secret to anyone who is lucky enough to be in NYC soon! This young man made a great introductory video - it's a bit dark but check it out!

http://www.ippudo.com/ny/

Red Velvet is Everywhere?

Recently, J and I crashed (we happened to be in the mall shopping for new cookware) the renovated Crate and Barrel opening in Natick - and they had cookies and beverages to celebrate. Look what I found! :) A red velvet mini whoopie pie. The flavor was so-so, but isn't it cute?!

Retired Song of the week: Glittering Clouds by Imogen Heap

This should have been retired a while ago but I'm going to try to be better with my weekly song posts now :)

Fall

Fall has always been my favorite season. I find something incredibly romantic about the season and love walking through the crisp fresh air, admiring the changing colors of the leaves, apple picking, bundling up in warm cozy sweaters, sipping hot cocoa or cider and snuggling.

This morning, I stopped by Wilson's Farm in Lexington, MA. It was a foodie's paradise. For an hour, I walked up and down the aisles of fresh produce and breads - daydreaming about what recipes I would be trying with them. The smell of the freshly made apple cider donuts wafted through the air and reminded of high school when my friend Ellen and I would rollerblade to Wilson's farm to enjoy one of their perfect nut covered candy apples.

Apple cider donuts in the fryer and candy coated apples in the background...
Heirloom tomatoes and mixed basil

My Loot!

Wilson's Farm 10 Pleasant St, Lexington, MA. 02421 (781) 862-3900

Hidden Food Gem - Pacific Puffs

While in SF last weekend, I was determined to get a RVC from That Takes the Cake in the Marina District - since I had a pleasant experience with them in May. After we picked up the cupcakes, we drove down Union St. to the next yummy stop - La Boulange (which I will blog about another day). Something caught my eye....

I gasped with delight, and apparently the salesman/ owner of the store saw my expression through his store window and our car window and beckoned me to check it out! I told Jason to pull the car to the side, and ran into the little store where, I guessed correctly, gourmet cream puffs were sold! There were so many varieties, so I got two even though we were stuffed and already equipped with 3 cupcakes. I justified this to Jason - "You only live once!"
OMG. They were incredible. Jason - who is a big connoisseur of cream puffs declared these the best he's ever eaten! I had previously enjoyed the "Bearded Papa" chain of cream puffs, but these really blew the competition out of the water. They were amazing, the puff was light, and really showcased the delightful cool and melt in your mouth cream.

Pacific Puffs, 2201 Union St (Between Fillmore St & Steiner St), San Francisco, CA. 94123 (415) 440-7833. www.pacificpuffs.com