Cakespy Seattle: Bakery & Dessert Sleuth

Editor's note: This is a P-I Reader Blog. P-I Reader Blogs are not written or edited by the P-I. They are written by readers, for readers. The authors are solely responsible for content. If you see any posts you consider inappropriate, please send us a note at newmedia@seattlepi.com.
· Want to blog for the P-I?

August 6, 2008

(Via Cakespy): Sweet Art by Local Artist Patianne Stevenson

Cakespy note: The above cupcake is sweet, but not delicious: it's made of cardboard!

What's so awesome about dessert? Well, there's the obvious answer--everything! But if pressed, we might say that our favorite aspect is that it's such a simple and attainable luxury--something that can so easily turn around a bad day, make an event special--something that just makes life sweeter. Literally.

And that sweetness is celebrated beautifully with Art on the Menu, a collection of artwork by Seattle-based Patianne Stevenson. We're equal parts in love with her painterly renditions of sweets, and completely awe of her painstaking cardboard renditions of dainty desserts (yes--the pictures to the left are made of cardboard!). Our Head Spy Jessie recently wrote a story about her for DailyCandy Seattle, and in researching it got to pick her brain a bit about her art; here's what we learned!

Desperately seeking sweetness: who is the artist?

I am a real foodie, and an artist. That's Art On The Menu: a life combing both my loves. I am formally trained in the visual arts, however cooking and baking are also an art form for me. Place painting, sculpture, cooking and baking in the bowl and stir until incorporated. They each have the quality of creating something from something. In my life, this not only gives me the picture perfect subject, I get to eat it later! Tasting my subjects is part of the process. And there is never a lack inspiration. At times a painting or cardboard sculpture will begin with a recipe which I will make; at other times I just have to eat french fries for dinner...all these moments are inspirational. If I don't have a feeling for what's next in the studio, I "go out". Going out can mean anything from visiting a bakery to shopping the farmers market, or simply discussing food with my foodie friends.

What's the story behind her process?

I seem to have the "deconstructing" nature that I notice in the prose of professional food writers. They are able tell you about the meal, including the look, taste, and ambiance, by poetically describing the parts. I too focus on the bits and parts of a meal to evoke the whole. Rather than words, I use color, pattern, texture and shape. This is how I approach my work, including commissions, which can be anything from depicting a family recipe, to creating a site and color specific piece for that little slice of wall under a cabinet and above the counter in a client's kitchen. It's the same process with my cardboard sculpture. Although it is three dimensional, cardboard has color, pattern, texture and shape. I especially love the inconsistencies and little imperfections that arise in the final pieces from the "Cardboard Kitchen". It's just like finished recipes from the other kitchen in that way, but without the oven of course!

Why does she do it?

I love painting sweets! They're always beautiful, happy, and fun. But, my favorite baked subject has to be the cupcake! The variations are endless. It's like a fashion show! Enrobing can run from classic buttercream to the cupcake encrusted with the most outrageously gorgeous colors and fondant decorations. Even the outer garment, the paper cup, can make a stylish appearance. And of course there's the cake as the surprise. I just bought a little beauty to paint from a local bakery. The cake is pineapple rum flavored. I am so excited! So now I have to admit I also love to eat them. I think of it as eating a whole cake at once!

On her hometown:

We Seattlites are incredibly lucky to have many truly wonderful cafes, bistros, restaurants, and bakeries. I can never decide on just where to take visitors, unless I have a month. And are we ever blessed in the cupcake department! We not only have several very well known bakeries dedicated to the cupcake, we have a head spinning array of bakeries producing delicious, elegant, high quality gemlike cupcakes! Are we in heaven?

What's next?

That's easy...there is so much beautiful food out there!

Wanna buy some art?

Large format paintings are available through the artist's website, artonthemenu.com. Small format paintings, and cardboard sculpture are available through her etsy shop, artonthemenu.etsy.com.

Posted by at 10:39 p.m. | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cutest Birthday Gift Ever

Cakespy.com just celebrated its one year anniversary, and reader Naomi from Australia (!) made these cupcakes in tribute of my artwork. Aren't they the cutest?

To see more of Naomi's wonderful work, visit her flickr page!

Posted by at 10:35 p.m. | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 31, 2008

Cupcake of the Month at Cupcake Royale: Skagit Valley Strawberry Cupcakes!

August--the dog days of summer?

Not in Seattle, where we like to think it's the sweet days of summer, what with Cupcake Royale's new cupcake of the month for August, the Skagit Valley Strawberry Cupcake. It's described as such:

We take fresh strawberries from Skagit Valley Sun Farms, and whip them into a sweet, old-fashioned buttercream. Then we swirl it onto our original vanilla buttercake and our all new chocolate cake.

These delicious, freshly baked strawberry
cupcakes are available beginning August 1st
through the end of the month...or until our
strawberries run out.

Available at Cupcake Royale; visit cupcakeroyale.com for locations.

Posted by at 9:37 a.m. | Permalink | Comments (3)

July 28, 2008

(Via DailyCandy) Recipe for Volunteer Park's Strawberry Shortcake!

Shortcake

What luck when we opened our daily email from DailyCandy Seattle today--a recipe for Volunteer Park's gorgeous strawberry shortcake! We were delighted to see it was a biscuit-y style of shortcake (we prefer this type to the Angel's Food Cake sort):

Strawberry Shortcake
Serves 12-16

Ingredients
4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
12 oz. cold unsalted butter, diced
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. chilled heavy cream

1. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in mixer fitted with paddle attachment.

2. Add diced butter and mix on low until butter is incorporated and about the size of dimes.

3. Mix eggs and heavy cream in a small bowl. Add quickly to flour/butter mixture. Mix only until just blended.

4. Dump mixture out on floured counter and shape into a large circle. Cut out small circles with a glass or biscuit cutter and place on sheet pan.

5. Brush with egg wash (one egg beaten with a splash of heavy cream) and top with turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw).

6. Bake at 375� for 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.

7. Serve with fresh local berries (macerate in 1-2 tbsp. sugar for 15 minutes, if you choose, or add a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar or elderflower syrup for an exotic flavor).

For more info or to try it at the source, visit the Volunteer Park Cafe, 1501 17th Ave. E; alwaysfreshgoodness.com.

Posted by at 9:26 a.m. | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 23, 2008

Upcoming Events at Theo Chocolate

Dog Days of summer? More like the sweetest days. The following events are coming up for Theo Chocolate--sounds like August is going to be delicious!

AUGUST 14 / Chocolate Barbeque
TIME: 6-8 pm
We are combining many delicious elements in one exciting tasting event. The grill will be fired up to prepare chicken and brisket with 2 of Tom Douglas' barbeque sauces. We are of course partial to the sauce with our cocoa nibs as one of the defining ingredients. We will also be offering a range of beers to determine the most commodious beer and chocolate pairings. And, of course there will be a chance to taste our summer ganache. This is a hearty assortment of tasty nibbles while mingling, not a sit down dinner. $35 per person. Reservations required. Dial the factory 206-632-5100, and then press 1009 to reach the store.

August 21,22,23 / National S'More Daze
TIME: 3-6 pm each day
Join us for a time honored summer classic taken to new heights!! This is our 3rd year of serving fresh and gooey s'mores from a grill on the sidewalk in front of the factory. We make the grahams and the marshmallows; you chose the chocolate from our tasty selection. S'mores are $3.00 each.

For more information, visit theochocolate.com.

Posted by at 11:11 a.m. | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chat with Sprinkles Co-Owner--Submit a Question!

Are you dying to know something about the life of a cupcake baker?

Well, sign up quickly!

See the below from the Washington Post (found via Cupcakes Take the Cake):

Charles Nelson, founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes, will be online Wednesday, July 23 at 2 p.m. ET to provide business leadership advice.

About Nelson: Formerly an Oklahoma investment banker, Charles Nelson founded Sprinkles Cupcakes with his wife Candace in 2005. In less than three years, the couple has expanded from one to three stores, and began selling their mixes nationwide. An appearance on the "Oprah" show gave them national exposure.

Submit a question now or during the chat.

For more leadership content on washingtonpost.com, read our blog, The Intelligent Leader and watch a video interview with George Jones, the CEO of Borders, in our new weekly Voices on Leadership video series.

Posted by at 9:19 a.m. | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 22, 2008

Sweet--Er, Street Food Takes Over The World!

Sweet street food is taking over the world--it's clear!

In New York, Waffle and Treat Trucks prevail, as seen in this New York Times article; even Portland has a sweet street vendor, The Sugar Cube!

We think it's time for Seattle to get more sweet street foods...just putting it out there!

Posted by at 8:36 p.m. | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 20, 2008

It's Biscuit, It's Biscuit Time: A Love Letter to Macrina's Buttermilk Biscuits

When talking about bakeries in Seattle, the moment will inevitably come when someone asks us "What do you think about Macrina?." After all, Macrina Bakery is probably one of the more famous bakeries in Seattle: it's won awards, it's been featured in numerous cookbooks and on the Food Network. But it's also a very polarizing subject for locals, who either seem to love or loathe the place.

Naysayers will say that they're inconsistent, that the service is slow and sometimes surly, the baked goods dense and exceedingly--perhaps too--rich.

Strangely, those are all the same reasons we love it. Sure, it can be frustrating at times, but it feels deeply human and homey somehow. And our very favorite item there? The buttermilk biscuits with fresh preserves.

Now, a Southern purist might be appalled by these biscuits--made with buttermilk, shortening, pastry flour and yeast, they seem to be on a different wavelength than the light-as-air, fluffy White Lily flour and lard sort from days of yore. Due to folding the dough three times before baking, they attain a level of flakiness that seems somehow denser than other biscuits, and works wonderfully with a morning coffee. And at approximately 7:15 a.m. in the morning, shortly after the bakery has opened for the day (we never go right at 7 because the biscuits are never out first-thing), we couldn't imagine anything sweeter than the rows and rows of golden-hued biscuits, still warm, each with a glistening jewel-like dollop of fresh preserves.

As for the haters? Go ahead, keep hating--more biscuits for us.

In Seattle? Visit Macrina's shop(s--there are three) at 2408 1st Ave. in Belltown 206.448.4032 (and our favorite); at 615 West McGraw Street in Queen Anne, 206.283.5900; and at 19603 Vashon Hwy SW on Vashon Island, 206.567.4133. You can visit them online too at macrinabakery.com.
Also, their book is well worth investing in; it can be found here.

Posted by at 4:11 p.m. | Permalink | Comments (3)

July 14, 2008

French Toast: A Salute to Our Favorite Parisian Things for Bastille Day

For serious Francophiles, July 14 is the most wonderful time of year: Bastille Day. Well, Bastille Day itself may be a celebration of the anniversary of a tr�s bloody uprising, but we're choosing to celebrate the day in a far less visceral and much sweeter way: by celebrating all of our favorite things Parisian and pastry related! And so, here's a little parade of ten of our favorite Frenchie things, from pastries to places and experiences:

(Cakespy Note: OK, so our list of loves is pretty central to Paris, probably because that's the only place in France we've ever been.)

Part 1: Five French Pastries We Adore

1. Religieuse Experience: The first ever pastry we tried in Paris was the Religieuse. An iconic-looking pastry, the Religieuse is apparently named for its resemblance to a nun's habit, although we're not sure if there is any further religious association with its invention. What we do know is that the fancy eclairs, which can be filled with various fillings, are exceedingly delicious and beautiful. Also, for lovers of the religieuse and cupcakes, run, don't walk, for this fantastic wallpaper which we discovered through Chocolate & Zucchini. (Religieuse, pictured left, from Laduree's site).

2. Debutante Divorc�: The second pastry we tried in France was the Divorc�. Though its name would infer separations, we think it's probably more of a heavenly marriage of flavors: though some variations existed, our favorite was an eclair-ish pastry topped with half-chocolate, half-coffee icing, and then inside the pastry, beneath the chocolate iced section there is coffee cream, and beneath the coffee icing there is chocolate cream. Mon dieu! (Photo left, from a flickr pool).

3. Mac Daddy: Naturally, the macaron plays a big role in our French dreams. What could be Frenchier than those sweet little burger-cookies? (For more on the dear treats, check out this previous posting).

4. Grosses Bises for the Mille-feuille: This pastry is also known as the "Napoleon"--but although it's a mighty little bite, it's said by some that it's not actually named for Monsieur Bonaparte, but instead is named after Naples the city, where it is said to have been invented. What in the world is a mille-feuille though? According to Wikipedia,

The Mille-feuille (French 'thousand sheets'), Napoleon (U.S.), vanilla slice, cream slice or custard slice (Commonwealth countries) is a pastry made of several layers of puff pastry alternating with a sweet filling, typically pastry cream, but sometimes whipped cream, or jam. It is usually glazed with icing or fondant in alternating white and brown (chocolate) strips, and combed. The name is also written as "millefeuille" and "mille feuille".

5. Chiboust, a Coup de Coeur: ah, the G�teau Saint-Honor�. It's a cake "named for the French patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs, Saint Honor� or Honoratus (d. 600 AD), bishop of Amiens"-- but really what gets us excited is the creme filling, named after the pastry chef who invented it circa 1846: "Cr�me Chiboust, also called Cr�me Saint-Honor�, is a cr�me p�tissi�re (pastry cream) lightened with whipped cream or stiffly beaten egg whites"...this pastry cream is the stuff of dreams, light and rich all at once, not too-sweet; and when contrasted by the perfect pastry crust, not a taste easily forgotten. (Picture shown: individual Saint Honore pastry).

Part 2: Five Frenchie Things and Places We Adore:

1. Boulangeries et P�tisseries: As a general cultural note, any country that is advanced enough to have two genres of bakeries is really just fine by us. So what is the difference between the two types of French bakery? A Boulangerie is where you'd got to get your baguette; a P�tisserie is where you'd go for an eclair or tarte au citron. There can be crossover of course, but in our minds, it's the Boulangerie for carbtastic treats; the P�tisserie for creamy and chocolatey treats.

Pastries hanging out at Laduree in Paris

2. Lovely Laduree: A simple visit to the Laduree website is like a mini-escape from real life--but a visit in person to one of the venerable Paris teahouses is like going into an Alice in Wonderland world. No, they're certainly not cheap, but can you really put a price on true magic? Multiple locations; online at laduree.fr.

3. Bagels and Brownies: Yes, this is an actual place in Paris. When we came across it, we were...intrigued. Tucked in a side street near the Alliance Fran�aise, there was a line out the door every day for this purveyor of American-style treats, including jumbo cookies, blondies, doughnuts and, bien sur, their namesake items. So how was the Parisian take on American baked goods?Heartbreakingly delicious, and most certainly not low-fat. Parfait. Bagels and Brownies, 12, Rue N D des Champs, 75006 Paris, France; +33 1 42 22 44 15‎.

4. Pastries on the Rue de L'U: One of our more memorable experiences was a trip to the Rue de L'Universite, which to any hardcore foodie is not merely a street, but The Street Where Julia Child Lived. As a tribute to the dearly departed Julia, we picked up an Opera cake and ate it (daintily, with a fork) while strolling down the Rue De "Loo" as she called it--we think Julia would have liked the idea of Cake Gumshoes making a pilgrimage to her old 'hood, especially with chocolate and gold leaf smeared on our faces.

5. Markets, Markets, Markets: From the ginormous Le Bon Marche to the enchanting street markets (check out a list here), markets are part of the romance of Paris, and in our opinion they live up to the reputation and then some. Who wouldn't love to be walking down the street with a fresh baguette, tearing off the top for the first bite, like a native? Le sigh.

Posted by at 10:27 a.m. | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 10, 2008

Pie in the Sky: Pie Eating Contest this Weekend at the Pike Place Market

Interested in a fun weekend activity? Well, have we got a pick for you--how about a pie eating contest? Per an email from the Pike Place Market, this Sunday (July 13) is Berry Bash, and it sounds like the highlight is this:

Pie-eating contests: at 11 a.m. for adults, noon for kids (sign in 15 minutes prior to the event).

Sounds like fun to us!

For more info, vist pikeplacemarket.org.

Posted by at 9:26 a.m. | Permalink | Comments (5)

BLOGGER BIO

Jessie Moore (Jessie Moore Oleson)

August 2008
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
					1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31