LA Bakery Crawl

by kitchenrunway // August 17, 2010 // 8 Comments

A couple of months ago some Southern California food bloggers exchanged a few tweets on Twitter about pub crawls. These tweets then evolved to the notion of a bakery crawl! So that’s how this genius idea was born….all with a few simple tweets! But with all great ideas someone needs to put it in motion. Sara of Our Private Kitchen was our person. This is the 2nd LA Bakery Crawl that she’s organized and she is becoming quite the pro at it! Chrystal of Duo Dishes, Julia of Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body, and I met Sara and her husband in LA for a day filled with fresh baked goods and luscious truffles.

The itinerary:

1) 9am meet at Huckleberry in Santa Monica

2) Susie Cakes in Brentwood

3) Compartes Chocolatier in Brentwood

4) Jin Patisserie in Venice

Huckleberry was our first stop and it was busy on at 9:00am on Saturday. There were no empty tables inside and there was a constant line at the counter. Signs of a successful eatery and it was definitely a great choice to start off the day! They had a vast selection of fresh baked goods and breakfast dishes. Chrystal and I shared a Raspberry Butter Cake that was rich and buttery. The crust was buttery and crunchy and the cake was moist. There was corn meal mixed into the batter which gave the cake a nice texture and crumble. The raspberries were slightly tart and gave the cake a fresh pop. It was the perfect way to start the morning. There were so many tempting baked goods to choose from that it was hard to pick just one, especially since there were three more places on the list. Reluctantly, we paced ourselves. Good thing there were 5 of us so we got to try a little bit of every one’s selection!

Don't think that we let that last piece go to waste....I ate it! =)

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Taylor’s 3rd Birthday Party

by kitchenrunway // August 6, 2010 // 13 Comments

I didn’t grow up with dogs and at first I was very hesistant about bringing a dog into our home. I was concerned about the shedding, potty training, the chewing, the drool, the time, the vet bills and the list went on and on. My husband on the other hand grew up with dogs and was anxious to add one to our family. After much discussion that went no where, he ended up just purchasing Taylor, a ¾ golden retriever and ¼ cocker spaniel mix, (without getting my final okay) and then showed me her puppy pictures afterwards.

This little face - sealed the deal...

Eight weeks later I was in love with the idea of getting a puppy. The weekly puppy pictures made me more excited to finally meet our new dog. Shortly after bringing Taylor home, I quickly learned that a great bond and love instantly develops between you and your dog and they are an incredible addition to the family and home. Their capacity to love unconditionally is amazing and that is more than enough reason celebrate their birthday. I know throwing a party for your dog may sound strange to some, but I think it’s a great reason to get together and enjoy a beautiful day outside…and the pups deserve to be celebrated. This isn’t a typical recipe post, but I wanted to share how I decorated the cupcakes for this dog party and an easy favor bag idea that can easily be used for other parties.

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Sprinkles’ Strawberry Cupcakes

by kitchenrunway // August 3, 2010 // 24 Comments

If you live in California chances are you have either heard of or had a Sprinkles Cupcake. I heard last year that Candace Nelson of Sprinkles shared their Strawberry Cupcakes recipe with Martha Stewart. How could she say no to Martha right? I knew I had to find this recipe and make it. I’ve made this three times now and everyone raves about the frosting. It’s definitely the star of this recipe and a must try if you love strawberries and cupcakes! The cupcake is not too sweet and the strawberry is very pronounced in the frosting. I made these twice this weekend for my only child’s birthday (my very spoiled dog, Taylor) and to donate to Cupcake Camp OC. It was a hit at both – and some very skilled palates even said it tastes just like a Sprinkles cupcake!! Woot hoo! Success!

Make sure cupcakes cool completely before frosting

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Caprese Salad Skewers with Balsamic Vinegar Reduction

by kitchenrunway // July 28, 2010 // 21 Comments

My husband and I adore Italian food…and Caprese Salad is no exception. My friend Allyson originally made Caprese Skewers for a party a couple of years ago and we were hooked. It’s the perfect party appetizer. It’s easy to serve and eat. I just love the colors: the bright red grape tomatoes, earthy green basil and the contrast against the ciliegine mozzarella cheese. The flavors are fresh and the red chili pepper flakes adds just a slight kick to the skewers while the balsamic vinegar reduction adds a layer of sweetness. This is our version of Caprese Skewers…we hope you enjoy it and serve it at your next gathering. We served this at my recent birthday party and it was the first dish that we ran out of.

Yea...that's my (healthy) portion...

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Individual Cookies & Cream Cheesecakes

by kitchenrunway // July 25, 2010 // 10 Comments

We have a soft spot for Oreos and cheesecake in our family. Combine the two together and you have the perfect individual dessert in the palm of your hand! The cookies and cream cheesecake is creamy and light…and it will be hard to eat just one! This is a great recipe for entertaining since you can make it the day before. No cutting is required and no plates or utensils are needed. That definitely makes serving a breeze with minimal clean up. That’s my kind of indulgent dessert for a party. These were served at my recent birthday party. My thoughtful husband planned and cooked an amazing meal of pulled pork, bacon wrapped shrimp with BBQ chipotle sauce, caprese skewers, grilled steak with chimichurri sauce and grilled asparagus. It was definitely difficult to stay out of the kitchen, so as he worked on all the savory components of the party – I whipped up these cheesecakes to add some sweetness to the menu. (by the way… I lighten it up with light cream cheese & light sour cream) Most of our guest took an extra cheesecake or two to enjoy at home….trust me these will be a hit at your next party.