The Everyday Cakes

Available here.
A new series of everyday cakes for daily decorating and merrymaking.

Available here.
Complete with a handmade wooden trick candle, meant to look like a candle but not act like a candle.

Add comment July 23rd, 2008

Trophy Top Tots

Available here.
The wedding couple is also my response to folk’s request for a cake topper. Custom pieces are available so if you need 2 girls, 2 boys, blonde hair or some other special addition, email me and we’ll see if its possible.

Available here.
This one is a forever plaque to mom who are the best hands down.

Add comment July 23rd, 2008

My Hummus Experiment

I’m on a mission to find the best hummus and falafel recipes this summer. I think I hit on the best hummus recipe on the second try. When does that happen. I’ve eaten a ton of hummus in my day and have decided what I like is one that is super smooth, not served with nor does it require being served with a bunch of oil on top and with a predominant garlic flavor. A few weeks back, I made this recipe trying to determine if canned garbanzo beans/chick peas were an option. I decided they were not an option. It just ends up being a bit chunky and the flavors don’t really sit well together so I opted to go with dry beans. I am digging on a recipe I found in one my favorite cookbooks “It’s All American Food” by David Rosengarten. The recipe is online here (except the very last bit about serving it drizzled with olive oil, toasted cumin seeds or sumac powder and cherry tomatoes, if desired). So hop on over and check it out.

You soak the beans overnight and then simmer with the the other flavors (onion, garlic, thyme, olive oil) so they really get married and until the chickpeas are tender.

After the chick peas are tender, you simmer until most of the water is evaporated. Afterwards you pass it through a food mill (so you get rid of the chunky skins and thyme stem) and then pass it through a food processor so it’s super smooth.

See the difference? The left is after the food mill alone and the right is after the food processor, too. So you really can’t skimp on it. This the part where this recipe is super good but it’s pretty messy in the kitchen. I’m going to half this recipe next time and see if the clean up seems any less arduous. But hands down great stuff. I did end up adding more lemon juice + garlic paste in the final mix in than the recipe calls for but taste it when you mix the final ingredients and see what you think. Surprisingly, it calls for thinning the hummus with club soda if it needs it at all. Yum, yum, yum. Perfect for passing out to friends in some jars for eating with all those summer vegetables.

5 comments July 21st, 2008