Hey there Cupcake!

Remember when you used to bake cupcakes for your birthday and bring them into your classmates every year? I had forgotten how much fun it was to decorate them! Each one can be as different or the same as the one before. They can be personalized or streamlined. The camaraderie of a room full of women giggling and squealing like school girls at the discovery of a new topping or sprinkle color and the chatter in regards to how fabulous it will look atop a specific cupcake is all part of the thrill. The final product is as different as each wonderful lady who decorated it.

You can tell so much about a person from the way she decorates a cupcake. She will use her favorite of the colors provided, paint her own design or use objects to create an image. There are shiny or dull decorations, multicolored or single tone - you can add height or depth to your cupcake to create personality. It is quite the crowd gathering activity for a birthday party. When they are all lit it looks like the most fabulous of holiday light festivals, with all the mini cakes, the trademark of birthday food, a blaze in a flurry of color and attitude and personality; they make up the different people whose influences make up the birthday girl herself.

I took full advantage of course, decorating two cupcakes for the contest (yes, even though you could only enter one, "Penelope" entered the other one :)) and eating two more! (Of course I waved a calorie free wand over them first!) The first was a play on those t-shirts with a lady in a bikini with big boobs. I used gum drops for the boobs and then iced over them. The second was a pink pony of course! It was trotting across the grass under the sunshine, just like a horse should. Both were parts of myself - fun-loving jokester and my soft-sided fondness for four legged friends. I challenge anyone who wants to bring a group of strangers together to have them take part in some sort of cookie or cake decorating. Your guests will come together to brainstorm ideas for decorations and cheer their new friends on. Pour a little wine, Cupcake wine perhaps, sit back, enjoy the baked goods, and watch your party come together.

Raspberry Mango Salad

The fruit cakes in us all love fruity salads in the summer - here is a fun one where the fruit takes an important role as the dressing too!

5 servings

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries or blueberries, divided
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 cups mixed greens
1 ripe mango, diced (make sure it is ripe - otherwise they are hard to chew!)
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup toasted chipped hazelnuts or slivered almonds

1. Puree 1/2 cup berries (raspberries or blueberries), oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper in a food processor.
2. Combine greens with mango, avocado, starberries and onion in large bowl. Poor dressing over and toss to coat.
Divide onto 5 plates and top with remaining berries and sprinkle with nuts OR nuts and remaining berries can be added to salad for self serve.
ENJOY!!!

What does it actually look like??

Today I had an experience not many people are lucky enough to be witnessing and not a victim of - the Operating Room at a hospital. With all the 'reality' shows on TV today, we can watch pretty much anything, all the blood and gore we want. There is something to be said though for witnessing the process in person. I really think that every child should have to experience an OR at some point before they graduate from college and if it weren't for HIPPA we probably could. If not for anything but to learn to respect their own body. It could be any kind of operation, just the visual of anestesia putting someone out and the commencement of the operation are enough to send at least one third of the people fleeing the room. Do you know what fat actually looks like? It looks like congeeled, soupy mac & cheese. It sticks to your insides - intestines, stomach, arteries etc - so much so that it has to be cut away from them. The fat is rubbery and gelatenous, bright yellow in color like sunshine but it does not bring happiness, that I assure you. Do you really want CO2 pumped into the cavity the surgeon is working on to blow it up for better visuals? Or titanium floating around in your insides?

The visual of seeing a colon removed, or gastric bypass, or a heart valve replacement is for sure enough to get kids to start thinking about their future. About what they love, about exercise and eating quality food, and maybe even about going into medicine to try and save other lives. If it only prevented 5% of deadly preventable diseases from occuring that would be a fantastic feat.

New Discovery!

So last night Queen and I decided to make the strawberry shortcake recipe. Queen however does not like whipped cream so she choose to pick up vanilla gelato instead. Then again why would someone pick up one tub of gelato when you could pick up three, all different flavors of course! Now the price might deter some, but when its on sale no woman can resist a seeminly impressive bargin. So alas three jars (yes I said JARS - they have screw caps to boot!) of Talenti Gelato; Vanilla, Double Chocolate and Red Raspberry.
The double chocolate was great. It was silky and sweet, it was dense yet light on the tongue. The dark chocolate chips were the size of mini chips, for a small bang of deep chocolate flavor against the background of the chocolate gelato itself.

The raspberry was more like a sorbetto. Slightly tart, not really creamy at all, with seeds of the fresh raspberries mixed in - a good hint to real fruit ingredients! Half a spoon full of raspberry and half a spoonful of chocolate and you had the taste fixins mimicing any of the highest quality raspberry filled chocolates in the world!

The real gem of the three was the vanilla though. Neither Queen nor I are huge vanilla fans. We find it very uneventful and/or too sweet but the Talenti Vanilla Gelato did everything but roll over and playing dead. The creamy gelato was not just speckled with vanilla bean flecks it was chock-a-block full of vanilla bean particles and subsequently chock-a-block full of true vanilla bean flavor. There was no harsh sweetness or hint of alcohol aftertaste (from the artifical flavoring). This vanilla gelato was the real deal and definately a key component in the strawberry shortcake recipe!

Beware the protein supplement

A report came out last week about protein supplements. 15 supplements were tested for four toxic elements: Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, and Cadmium. At the end of the testing two brands were found to have toxic levels of all four toxic elements: Myoplex and Muscle Milk if three servings were consumed in one day. Many of the other brands tested positive for trace amounts or even for a measurable amount of atleast one of the four. While some people who use Myoplex or Muscle Milk might not consume 3 servings per day (3 scoops if using dry powder), I wouldn't wage any bets on only having one serving per day and it not affecting my health. Mercury, for one, is not excreted by the body (think deep water fish & mercury contamination - the bigger the fish the more contamination due to the biomagnification), so that toxic element will build up in your body over time. Arsenic was (and I am sure sometimes still is) used as a poison to kill whatever is alive, and so I don't think I would want to be drinking something that was known to contain it unless I was on a suicide mission. I will investigate some alternative proteins to use but to all my friends out there, get rid of the muscle milk, don't dump it down the sink, I wouldn't want it to pollute the streams too...

I'll take the rubber ducky

I have always enjoyed Duck. It is like a designer chicken in some ways - more expensive, much harder to cook, it has a similar texture and flavor but with a lot of flare. Two weeks into my first trimester at cooking school it was Christmas vacation. G$ and I decided that we were going to cook Christmas dinner and since the only thing I had learned so far was how to properly chiffonad leaves and turn carrots into batonettes, I was clearly ready to prepare roast duck. That night I gained much respect for the green headed water fowl (it turned out pretty darn good too!) but it wasn't until about 1 year later that I really fell in love with it.

"SAL-LAD GIRL! VHERE ARE YOU! TODAY YOU VILL COOK TSEE RUBBA DUCKY!" Boomed the voice of my German (or was it Swiss?) Chef Instructor in French Cuisine class. "Yes Chef" I replied and off I went to tend to TSEE RUBBA DUCKY. Prepared correctly there is nothing quite like it. You have to cook that bird on low heat. It has a lot of fat under the skin and you need to let the fat slowly melt away, basting the flesh underneath it as it goes. The skin will crispy up and the flesh will stay a light rose pink color - almost as if it had been smoked. You have to be patient and willing to put it in the open and not touch it until it is done. It will take some time, maybe 2 hours or more but it is well worth the wait.

I have been on a quest for good RUBBA DUCKY for about two months now. I have tried it at Kowloon's in Saugus, MA with coconut and pineapple; at Nectar in Devon, PA with a curry sauce and squash, at Stephi's on Tremont in the South End, MA with duck confit ravioli and beets; but hands down the winner has been so far 'Cesca in NYC. Their duck was perfectly slow roasted with a maple and lavender glaze. There was no fat to speak of on the half bird sitting in front of me. The flesh was pink and fell apart at the touch of my fork. The meat was juicy and tender. I remember it came with green beans but I was so enthralled with the duck itself, I could barely pay attention to the dinner conversation, never mind make note of the sides. Picking lamb farroto (risotto made from Farro with lamb and fava beans) was a poor choice on my part. While fabulously delicious, I did not have to room to finish all my duck and that made me very sad. The people at 'Cesca surely know how to cook a RUBBA DUCKY and I will surely be going back there to get my fill every time I frequent that city!

Breakfast Heaven = Alice's Tea Cup, NYC

Ok, but before I get started on the heavenly food at Alice's, did anyone see on Yahoo today the article about the rotating house in Wilton, CT??!! It is for sale and at the push of a button the circular home rotates! It takes 48 minutes for a complete rotation! That would be pretty cool to have a house that does that with awesome views!
Anyway! So Alice's Tea Cup!! It was my second venture to this upper west side establishment and boy was I super excited to be going there for brunch (my first encounter was just for afternoon tea and scones). I believe my exact words the night before were, "I don't know if I can sleep, I am to excited for brunch!" I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED! The brunch menu is short, poached eggs served three different ways, french toast bread pudding, made to order crepes, or a sampler tower, and of course scones. The tea menu is 10x longer then the food menu and obviously I had to get the 'Robious Kimberly' tea! I finally decided on poached eggs with spinach atop a buttermilk scone. The eggs were poached just to my liking with a creamy, orange center that screamed 'free-range, organic deliciousness'. The savoriness of the egg yolk soaking into the sweet biscuit and the spinach, together, made quite the heavenly bite! A side salad of mixed greens was a welcome accompaniment to breakfast instead of the usual potatoes. As if I wasn't full enough, the warm chocolate chip scone was calling my name. Who can resist hunks of warm, melted chocolate enveloped in a sweet, fluffy, biscuit-like pastry? Most certainly not me! I am actually sad that no one got a picture of me like a small child with chocolate all over my fingers and face! The scones come with a cup of raspberry preserves and fresh whipped cream.
Queen and the German Bday girl opted for the sampler tower and what a tower it was! Two sandwiches, three scones, a plate of cookies, slice of mocha chip cake - it was the works! Queen took a bite of each cookie, like a child trying to decide which one he wants to actually eat! The German, who has been living in London - land of the scone - for quite some time remarked "I had to come all the way to New York to get a decent scone! This is the best one I have ever had!" The individual tea pots provide at least 3 cups worth of steaming, robust flavors and if you can't finish all that tea, your fairy-wing wearing waitress will provide you with a to-go cup so you can prose the nearby shops and enjoy the rest!

For sure you need to stop here if you are ever in NYC. They now have three 'chapters' or locations throughout the city! On weekends you can put your name on the waitlist and leave and they will CALL YOU when your table is ready! That is super service!

Blueberry & Bran Muffins

This recipe is courtesy of one of my patients. She baked these low fat, low sugar muffins for me and they are delightful! You won't miss a thing!

Makes 12-16 muffins

1 cup whole bran cereal
2/3 cup skim milk
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1/4 cup liquid egg
2 tablespoons Canola cooking oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup blueberries

1. Spray 12 - 2 1/2 inch muffin cups with non stick spray. Set aside
2. In small bowl, mix bran cereal and milk. Set aside.
3. In medium bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt.
4. In another bowl (this is a lot of bowls!) mix applesauce, egg, oil, vanilla. Stir in the bran cereal. Add this mixture all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir until just moist.
5. Fold in blueberries.
6. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 way full. If desired, sprinkle a few crystals of sugar on top for texture when eating.
7. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

ENJOY with some fabulous coffee or a glass of milk!

Does a great sangria ring in a great summer?

FOR SURE! We all have that friend who sits around all spring itching for that first perfect glass (errr ok pitcher) of sangria. While you may get in an argument over whether red or white is better for a 90 degree summer day, one thing is for certain, more often then not, it hits the spot and makes us a little happier.
My first glass of red sangria came from Not Your Average Joe's after seeing Robin Hood (which was much less then average) with the girls. The sangria was very refreshing and the pitcher was filled with strawberries and pineapple which made for a great pre-supper snack! I am not a fan of the sangria made to intoxicate with so much Triple Sec and/or Rum that you can taste the liquor and not the delicate flavors of the fruit bouncing on the wine. This red had no alcohol taste to it which made it very soft and easy to go down. However, it was not made with a very well bodied wine and thus it almost had the quality of fruited water and not wine with a hint of fruit.

The first white sangria of the season was enjoyed out patio of the grill at Boat Basin in NYC's Riverside Park. It was in the high 80s, we had been walking along the pier and thirst was setting in. A jumbo pitcher of sangria was purchased and three girls picked out a front row table with umbrella and sat down. The bottom quarter was packed with cantaloupe, honeydew, and blueberries. I was happy that the sangria was not made with a cheap American Riesling which would have been to sweet. Instead, it was made with a drier white (though I do not believe it was a Chardonnay) which complimented the sugars in the fruit quite wonderfully. Two and half glasses each later, talk of real estate, tax laws, and movie production, we were quite refreshed and ready to continue on our way.

My apologies

So for sure I have been slacking on the blogging this month. To keep you all updated, I have started a new job at Miriam Hospital in Providence, RI as the dietitian for the Bariatric Surgery Department. While the majority of my duties surround office visits in the clinic, I do get to see my patients "in all their glory" the morning after their gastric bypass or band placement procedure. I have for sure found many challenges as one would with any new position but there have been quite a few uplifting moments. My coworkers are fabulous people and keep me entertained through out the day!

I have been on quite a few adventures in the last couple of weeks. I can wait to share the photos and stories with you all! Here is an outline of what is to come...

*First (red) sangria of the season
*NYC adventures to Alice's Tea Cup, 'Cesca, and the pier for the first white sangria of the season
*Blueberry Muffins - revised by one of my patients
*121 in North Salem, NY
*Perfectly roast chicken - is there really anything better?
*Frozen treat comparisons
*Genuinely fantastic yogurt parfaits

:) YAY!!