The Rockstar Ingredient Theory

I've slowly been realizing that each year the same pattern emerges. It seems to me that every single year in food is subtly defined by one specific ingredient. Somehow, someway, this possibly unheard of ingredient rises above the thicket with a tremendous rush and takes over the food world by storm. Suddenly, in a dizzying array of photography flashes, blog recipes, and magazine exposes this once underground food legend becomes a flash-in-the-pan rockstar.

For some of us it seems odd. We've been using the now ooh'ed and aah'ed ingredient for years. You haven't noticed it before? Where were you, society? Some of us were loving these guys before they were cool. I don't need the t-shirt, I was at their first concert.

It's hard to trace back, mainly because I wasn't paying too much attention for a long time. For a year or two back in the late eighties and early nineties, the coasts were abuzz with recipes and restaurants toting the use of goat cheese. And who can forget how suddenly every single thing lining the market shelves had some sort of sun-dried tomato in it. How glad,I am that that Tuscan flavored nightmare is over. (Sun-dried tomatoes make me gag.)

Last year, 2007... It was all about tea being used in food. Don't believe me? Look back. Matcha, chai, and Earl Grey. In cakes, tea cookies, for smoking meats, making preserves, and flavoring breads. It was everywhere. What food blogger didn't try using tea for something else other than a cup of hot water? I know I did. I made at least three different tea-based cupcakes using Earl Grey, matcha, and chamomile. Tea has dozens of healthy properties and flavorful opportunities to be explored, and explore we did.

2006? Pomegranate molasses. I grant this one to it being used suddenly on quite a few Food Network shows. That and the ever growing influence of Moroccan and Indian food. I think part of it traces back to the strengthening bonds and seemingly inevitable addition of Morocco to the European Union. With the country being accepted by most first world countries as "one of us" people were more willing to give it a try. Soon we were infatuated with that amazingly powerful fruity and acidic flavor.

I think 2005 was the chipotle pepper. Smokey heat that could give authentic Mexican/Tex-Mex/Creole/South of the Border flavor. We were adding it to BBQ, chocolate (best idea ever), salads, and breads. It flavored our junk food and perked the senses.

This year, 2008? RHUBARB.

Why you say? Look around. Check out any of your favorite food blogs. I bet you dollars to rhubarb jelly stuffed doughnuts you'll find a rhubarb recipe.

But why? Surely it's been around forever? People have been making rhubarb pies since time began. But it's suddenly that people are starting to push it outside the pie. Finding new and creative uses to apply this partly poisonous plant.

My friend Elise thinks it's a slow move from West to East. We on the West Coast have greater access to... well, most all produce. It's California. We just do. The rest of the nation seems to finally be catching up to the same kind of access we have to this veritable ruby-red boon. It's a good theory that seems to make sense, or at least it does to me.

I have no real proof or evidence to back up my claims. Just observations from reading over many, many food blogs and other food websites. It's my Rockstar Ingredient Theory, but if anyone else has any other insights or observations, please, I'd love to hear them.

That's the sound of me slamming my head on the wall.

(Finals time at grad school, so another post from the archives!)

I actually had this conversation lesson about the human race the other day.

"How do you get the papers to stick to the cupcakes?"

"I'm sorry?"

"The paper part. How did you make them stick to the cupcakes so you can hold them without getting all gunky?"

"Um, they're baked in the papers."

"The paper doesn't catch fire in the oven?"

"No. How did you think it was done?"

"I though you just made a really big cake and then used a cookie cutter to make them, then wrapped them up."

*blank stare* "No."

"Wow, must be one fancy oven you have!"

I didn't talk to anyone else that day, out of raw fear that there might be more of them out there.

Five Spice Chocolate Krinkle Cookies

I've been playing with more of Pichet Ong's recipes from his book. With each recipe, I'm learning something new about pastry and desserts and get a delicious tasty morsel as well. Today I approached the Spiced Chocolate Krinkle cookie.

I admit I doubted the recipe at first. When making it, it feels like everything you're doing is wrong. From forming the disk out of a still-liquid dough to rolling out the cookies into balls only 1/2 inch big, I kept second guessing myself. Still, the recipe worked like a charm just like all the others. Overall, it's a cookbook I highly recommend.

I did rework it a bit, I had no fresh ginger as called for, so instead I just went and used Chinese Five Spice. It was a subtle taste that gave paired well with the chocolate. I brought them in to my graduate class on Postmodern Fiction and they were happily devoured by everyone with a few asking for the recipe, so here it is...5 Spiced Chocolate Krinkles
Makes about 45
Adapted from The Sweet Spot, by Pichet Ong

What You'll Need,,,
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 ounce of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon of Chinese 5 spice powder
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons of almond flour
2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/3 cup of flour
1 large egg
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
confectioner's sugar

What You'll Do...
1) Place the oil, chocolate, salt and spices in a double boiler and melt. Allow to cool.

2) Combine the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder together in a bowl as the chocolate mixture cools.

3) Once cool, mix in the egg, sugar, and vanilla extract and whisk together.

4) Fold in the dry ingredients. Afterwards pour out into plastic wrap and shape into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill until hard, at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.

5) When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

6) Put confectioner's sugar in a bowl. Take pieces of the dough and roll into balls about 1/2 inch wide, about the size of a marble. Roll in the powdered sugar until totally coated.

7) Place coated dough balls onto the baking sheets one inch apart. bake for about 10 minutes or until dry to the touch. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for two days, assuming you don't eat them all yourself.

Then how did we get green tea as a flavor?

While at Lowes looking at some gardening stuff...

Guy Behind Me: "Yeah, you didn't know? Asians can't eat ice cream, they're all lactose intolerant."

Lady Behind Me: "Really? All of them?"

Guy Behind Me: "Yeah, it's genetic. That's why you never see them at Baskin-Robbins."

I bet this guy gets an "A" in his workplace diversity class, no?

Also, if you didn't know, it's most likely that ice cream was invented in China.

Banana Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Dear readers, I apologize. Profusely. With utmost sincerity. It's just that I've been so busy and distracted. Part of it is due to school and work. I'm in the throws of finals, and I have a GPA and 20 page papers that are making me fuss and worry. Well, actually, school is just all encompassing all the time. I just haven't had time for cupcakes.

Plus, baking wise, I have been exploring other new routes and recipes with my work over at Simply Recipes. These projects have just taken me away from cupcakes, which I am glad for as I am becoming a better baker for it. Though there still is a nagging feeling of neglect for the cupcakes I love so much. Plus, as many ideas for cupcake recipes as I have had, I just haven't had one that really gave me drive or inspiration.

Compound that with work on my own blog, the magazine, and my actual day job, I'm a bit of a busy bee. Rob and my friends are concerned I'm going to stroke out or have a heart attack or ulcer due to the stress, which I have never handled well to begin with.

However, I recently stumbled onto the blog, Tartlette, and after reading every single one of her posts (which badly cut into time I should have been studying) I found some new inspiration, and budgeted out a night to for these cupcakes.

This delicious cupcake takes it's bare base measurements from Tartlette's recipe for Banana Rhubarb cupcakes. The difference here is the swap of rhubarb for strawberries, lemon for orange zest, and vanilla sugar in lieu of spices. For the most part I was thoroughly happy with this cupcake; rich in banana flavor, very dense, with nice bits of strawberry that, after being baked, had a great almost jam like quality to them. Add in the subtle hints of soothing vanilla, and the inexplicably delicious taste of cream cheese frosting (proof that not only does God exist, he likes to bake) it's a winner and a perfect cure for Spring fever.

The cupcake thus gets a special dedication to Jill and Rob who have been great in helping me focus and stay centered and realize that everything will work out. =)
(And yes, Jill, I will make a batch just for you.)
Banana Strawberry Cupcakes
Makes 20 Cupcakes / 350 F

What You'll Need...
3 cups flour
1 cup vanilla sugar (or substitute regular sugar)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
grated zest of one lemon
2 bananas, mashed
1 cup of chopped strawberries

What You'll Do...
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, stir the eggs and the oil. Add the bananas, rhubarb and orange zest.

Add to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Spoon into cupcake papers, about 3/4th's full and bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in a wire rack and frost.

You can find the recipe for my Cream Cheese Frosting here.