Amy's Bread Cupcakes

Last fall a charity (which I can't remember the name of for the life of me) was having a special cupcake promotion throughout the city. Amy's Bread was on the list so I decided to try one. After all, a portion of my hard earned money was going to charity! But it's a good thing it was for a cause because I don't think I would try one again. I had a cupcake similar to the one pictured here and it was very dry and crumbly. That's one thing that I hate -- cupcakes that fall apart into little pieces. How can you enjoy a cupcake if it's in one hundred little crumbs? Maybe it was because I tasted mine towards the end of the day but it just wasn't what I was hoping. Their cupcakes are also very tall which made for a difficult time eating it. You shouldn't need a fork to eat a cupcake. The point is that it's a bite size version of a full piece of cake. Finger foods, people! :) So all in all, not my favorite cake in the city.


THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
Amy's Bread
Babycakes
Batch
Billy's Bakery
Buttercup Bake Shop
Butterlane Cupcakes
Crumbs
Cupcake Cafe
Eleni's
How Sweet It Is
Lux Sugar*
Magnolia
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
Out of the Kitchen
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Confessions of a Cupcake-a-holic

Hi. My name is Ali. And I have a slight cupcake obsession.

Recently I have put a new goal into action and that goal involves cupcakes. I am determined to try every cupcake bakery in New York City. Now, don't freak out. That doesn't mean I will eat every since cupcake each bakery has to offer because that would just be too much. But I will at least sample one from each location and maybe more if I like it. I've actually been working on this before I decided to add it to my blog so in sharing this with you I will have to back track a little bit but I think it will all be worth it in the end. A nice little journal to remember and honor those fabulous little treats. :)

So here's how you can help. Below is my list of NYC bakeries. Know of any I need to add? Let me know. Have a comment about a bakery? Share it. Any and all thoughts are appreciated.

Amai Tea and Bake House
Amy's Bread
Babycakes
Batch
Billy's Bakery
Buttercup Bake Shop
Butterlane Cupcakes
Crumbs
Cupcake Cafe
Eleni's
How Sweet It Is
Lux Sugar*
Magnolia
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
Out of the Kitchen
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
Two Little Red Hens


*Borough bakeries - a few snuck in there.

Chicken Parmesan Subs

These are fantastic!! I love Italian food that is simple to put together and simply delicious to eat. This recipe is ideal for lunch or dinner and makes plenty to share.

Messes: I think the only thing I can really point out with this one was getting all the ingredients together onto one hoagie roll. Placing the sauce, chicken, and cheese perfectly on top took a little extra coordination but it may have been because I was rushing through so I could eat it already!

Successes: How can you not love Chicken parms? This meal is tasty and saves you money. You can even save some of the sauce and chicken to put over rice for another day if you have any leftovers. I highly recommend!

Chicken Parmesan Subs [Rachael Ray]

Green Rice with Chicken, Peas and Almonds

Gabby and Tausha (my only two readers??!!), I'm back! :)
It's been a while since I've posted but I promise I've still been cooking. So let's dig in.

What the heck is green rice? The name for this dish turned me off a bit too, and strangely enough reminded me of Dr. Seuss, but I gave it a try and I have to say it wasn't so terrible. I tend to make large portions and have a good amount of leftovers so after eating a meal for 3 days straight I must confess I do get a little sick of it but my first impression was a positive one.

Messes: I skipped out on the almonds on this one. I'm a fan of only using a few ingredients so the more I can cut out, the better. I also used dried parsley rather than fresh so I would be interested to see the difference in using the fresh herb. I'm sure it makes it that much better but again, I had dried at home so that was one less ingredient to buy.

Successes: This was pretty simple to put together. I like dishes that you can make in one pot, or skillet rather. And I love the way the peas compliment the dish. It really makes it that much better. Definitely give it a try.

Green Rice with Chicken, Peas and Almonds [Rachael Ray]

Wild Mushroom Risotto with Peas

My first risotto! I have to admit I knew less about risotto than I thought -- and I'm part Italian! I wasn't able to find all the ingredients to make this dish and I certainly didn't take the time to properly measure everything out so I was hesitant to taste it. But I have to say it was rather delightful. I love how creamy it gets in the end and how well all the flavors blend together. This will not be my last risotto. I'm ready to try new ones!

Messes: So I thought that there was a special type of rice you needed to make risottos but I was able to use the good 'ol Uncle Ben's rice to my surprise. I also didn't have low sodium chicken broth or unsalted butter in the house. I know the whole dish would have been a bit healthier had I used exactly what was called for but I don't think it effected the taste too much. Oh, and I couldn't find any porcini mushrooms either. Ha! It's starting to sound like I shouldn't have even bothered trying to make this, but even with all this "missing" ingredients it came out well. I swear!

Successes: Although the rice takes a lot of care to make, with all the liquids being added and evaporated, I was pleased to see that in the end I had a creamy and tastey meal. Give it a try! It's not as hard as it may sound.

P.S. It's NOT a Rachael Ray recipe!

Wild Mushroom Risotto with Peas [Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis]

Gnocchi with Braised Mushrooms and Peas

I recently discovered gnocchi and love 'em! But the only way I was making them was by boiling and throwing some pasta sauce on them. And I have to say I was getting a little bored with it. So I've been trying to find some recipes that used gnocchi in a whole new way and this one sure did it. I cut down on the ingredients a bit because I always have a ton of leftovers but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this dish can be enjoyed both heated up and cold. It's pretty healthy too. Give it a try!

Messes: Nothing to report today. Except maybe that I skimped out on the thyme. It worked out though.

Successes: A healthy mix of veggies and gnocchi. I loved it and I shared some with James. He loved it too!

Gnocchi with Braised Mushrooms and Peas [Rachael Ray]

Beef and Cheddar Potpie

It's like Sheppard's Pie with a roll on top! I made a few changes to this recipe to make it even easier to make but, as always, feel free to create as you see fit. Here are my thoughts.

Messes: Baking the pie-top was going to be a large mess for me so I opted for purchasing some Pillsbury rolls to toss into the oven instead. Mess avoided!

Successes: Super simple and super delicious. I didn't add mushrooms this time but I may try it next time around as I'm sure an extra veggie or two will make this dish even better. Cook up some onions and crushed tomatoes, brown some meat and throw a roll on top. I recommend this one indeed.

Beef and Cheddar Potpie [Rachael Ray]