Pumpkin-Brown Butter Cupcakes

First, I must apologize that I haven't posted in a long time. School is horribly busy, especially since I'm trying to finish my senior thesis, a requirement so that I can graduate. So since that's been taking up a lot of my time, I haven't been able to get any good pictures of anything I've baked.

But now, I'm visiting my sister in Chicago, who happens to be a wonderful photographer. We baked Pumpkin-Brown Butter Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, courtesy of Martha Stewart. That lady really does know what she's doing because those cupcakes were absolutely decadent.

Great for Fall. Enjoy your daily source of pumpkin. :)

Packing....

I'm sorry that I haven't been updating, but it's been a very busy week. Trying to get all packed up before I head back to school tomorrow. I really don't like packing, but I'm getting there.

Just to give a little update on Top Chef: even though I have a slight affiliation to Michigan, I'm happy that Eve is gone. She didn't have any focus it seems. Even though I didn't like her very much, maybe I'll still check out her restaurant in Ann Arbor. I guess I'm hoping she'll redeem herself since she went to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.....I don't know......

But she's gone for now. On to next week!!

Julie and Julia, Part II

I'm sitting here, listening to the rain (and Jonas Brothers), eating my PB&J sandwich, and suddenly had an overwhelming desire to blog. Maybe it's because I just saw Julie and Julia. I went with my mother and sister, and absolutely adored it! I'm sorry that I was not able to see it sooner, but I'm very happy that I've seen it now. It reminds me, 1) how much I love to cook and bake and flip through cookbooks, 2) that there are other foodies out there like me :), and 3) how much I adore Meryl Streep (especially when she's playing Julia Child) and Amy Adams.

We are having a terrible thunderstorm, due to Tropical Storm Charlotte or something from Florida, and I don't think we've had a storm this bad in a ridiculously long time. I'm very happy to have made it home, which for some reason reminds me of something that I learned in Michigan. Northerners cannot, for the life of them, drive in rain.

So, you'll have to excuse me of my short ramble, but I got started on it because I was happy to be home, and then became so much more happy when I discovered that my mother has both Volume 1 and 2 of Mastering the Art of French Cooking!!!!!!!!! She has a large mass of everything you can possibly imagine in the basement (where her desk/dominion is) and it makes me so happy that she has it! I'm pretty sure I did a tiny happy dance when I discovered that she had the books and then grabbed then and dashed off when them with her laughing at my back.

So, back to where we began, sitting at the table with my PB&J, listening to the rain (and Owl City now), silenting rejoicing my good fortune. Sitting next to me are the famous copies of Julia's books, which have the incredible talent of making anyone feel inspired to cook. Unfortunately, I won't be cooking anything right now, as it's 10 o'clock at night, and I must get up early in the morning to help my father paint his office. But that will not stop my endeavors! In the near future, I will be fixing Beef Bouruignon, so look for the post.

I just wanted to share my good fortune. Go see the movie!

Top Chef

Okay, so I'm a day or two late posting about Top Chef. So, shoot me.....it's been a busy week.

So, to begin, let's start with Top Chef Masters (even though it came on afterwards). Rick Bayless won!!! That makes me very happy because he earned it and he deserved it. I think I would have been happy if Hubert Keller has one too, but surprisingly, not so much Michael Chiarello. Either Bravo did a good job of making him look like a jerk or he is. Or maybe he's just extra competitive. Either way, I didn't really like him all that much over the all of the episodes.

So, yay for Rick Bayless! Now, I can go visit his restaurant in Chicago...and try to convince the sister and brother-in-law that they should come along..... :)

Okay, on to Top Chef:Las Vegas. I liked the quickfire challenge and the fact that they had the high stakes round. It was different. But of all things, it makes me happy to say that Jennifer Zavala went home. I don't really think her dish looked all that appetizing, and when a judge, especially someone like Wolfgan Puck, tells you that your food was not well made and didn't taste good, just shut up and take the hint. Don't stick your foot in your mouth and try to make excuses.

Also, very happy that Kevin won! First, he's from Atlanta (yay!) Two, despite the fact that there's only been one show, he's seems pretty down to earth. Not really someone who will take crap from anybody, but knows how to have a good time. I will definitely be rooting for Kevin and the other two Atlanta Chefs. And there's one from Michigan, so maybe I'll root for her too. :)

Next show: Wednesday, August 26th, 10 pm.

Happy National Cupcake Day!!

Unfortunately, I don't have time to fix anything today, but maybe tomorrow. Enjoy!

Chef's Table

My grandparents are member of an athletic club in the Atlanta area, and last night, they invited me and my mother to attend what the club calls a Chef's Table. It's a dinner of about 8 to 10 people, and they give you a tour of the kitchen, pantry, storage, wine cellar, etc. before serving you a dinner that is prepared for you by the chef. Although, I wasn't able to take pictures, I can post the menu.

Deviled Egg with Beluga Caviar

Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Brut

Chilled Gazpacho with Lobster, Crab, and Shrimp, Chile Arbol Oil

Salad of Roasted Beets, Grilled Corn, Chevre, and Arugula

Domaine Vincent Girardin Meusault

2005

Smoke Roasted Beef Tenderloin

Molasses and Peppercorn BBQ Glaze

Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon

2005

Mixed Berry Cobbler,

Buttermilk Ice Cream

Deep Fried Chocolate Truffle

Pinot Blanc Vin Glace Wine

2006

Overall, the meal was absolutely wonderful! But, I have to say my favorite part of it all was the fact that you were eating in the kitchen, and you were free to get up from your seat to go watch the chef prepare your meal!

As someone who hopes to attend culinary school one day, it was very nice to be able to ask both the executive chef and the sous chef questions, pick their brains, so to speak. They were both helpful and welcoming.

The food, of course, was delicious, and how on earth could you not enjoy a deep fried chocolate truffle?!? It was an enjoyable, summer meal with lots of wonderful company.

So, if you can, do some research to see if any local restaurants, clubs, or kitchen stores offer something similar. If they have it, jump at the chance because it is lots of fun!

Beach Reads

Well, there's no beach involved, and it's not brain candy....sorry. :)

As some of you may have noticed, I tend to read a lot, especially during the summer when I have a little bit more time. I finished Julie and Julia, and I enjoyed it immensly! She's a wonderful writer, and while it took me a little while to get used to the sailor's mouth, I loved it. I will definitely be getting her new book which comes out this December. But since I have finished that book, I've started another (big surprise) called Becoming a Chef by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page.

It's been a very informative book, and I would suggest it for anyone who has a remote interest in the food industry, whether you're looking to become a chef or you are just an avid home chef. The authors reveal a lot about the food business, especially since a lot of the advice is coming from famous chefs around the world. Just to give you an idea of some of the topics, here are a couple of chapter titles:

Chefs, Yesterday and Today; Early Influences, Discovering a Passion for Food; Cooking Schools, Learning in the Classroom, and more!

I'm maybe about halfway through the book, and I love it! I have more books on my shelf to read, but if you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to let me know!