USA Today Article!

http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2007-09-18-cupcakes-cover_N.htm

Apparently the cupcake phenomenon is nationwide! Miss all you girls and hope you're doing well! We need to get together ASAP!

Still Waiting

Hey girls... I miss you so much.. I am still struggling and hoping to get the working visa for New York... Amy's Bread is still waiting an answer from me for the job offer... It is like a joke... Oh well.. Cross your fingers... Here I just baked some stuff lately for some parties my friends were throwing... Yesterday for another small organic food catering I did raspberry gelato with the raspberries from our farm and also apple tartlets with cinnamon whipped cream with also apples from our farm and little nibble cookies and organic lemonade... It was fun (but now as fun baking with you guys... Patricia I miss baking with you :)) Put some more pictures from Europe trips :)) and also some info of consumed baked goods :)

I got a job at Kara's Cupcakes!!

I'll be working almost every day except Saturdays until about 3 or 4... yay finally!! Come visit me in the marina!! Love and miss you all~

p.s. Megan- sorry i didn't call you today, i left my phone at home but we need to get together now that I'll be in the city quite a bit again =)

PARIS!!!

I was sooo disappointed to find out that most places are closed in August because the chefs go on vacation. But of the ones I've visited so far, Laduree was open, known for their macaroons. Here are two pictures, but many more to come soon. One more day in Paris tomorrow, and then we're off to Venice, Rome, & London.

Wedding Madness!

Hey girls!!! Here is my post from all the wedding stuff, FINALLY!!! 200+ wedding cookie favors covered every inch of my parents kitchen!

Summer Cookin'

Hey you guys! Here are some pictures of just some of the things I've made this summer:





This is my 4th of July pie. It is strawberries and blueberries with an almond crust. I served it with amaretto whipped cream.




This is a picture of me making red wine sorbet. It was a big hit although very soft because of the amount of alcohol...I have to tweak the recipe a bit.


I miss you all sooooo much!

A post from Istanbul...

I will start again by sayin "I missed you all soooooooooooooo much!!!". It is great hearing from you guys and seeing pictures of what you have been upto... Me as you know came back and dealing with my body breaking down... uggghhh... I think my body is telling me to go back :)))) So besides that I looked at some job opportunities and seems like besides big hotels and opening up my own place, I do not have much of a choice... Which makes me sad and depressed... So fingers crossed I will find myself something that would make me happy.... So besides all these depressing news I am spending time in our farm house with my grandparents and with the dog I rescued from the streets (does not even learned its name...a crazy free spirit...). We are doing organic farming and at the moment we have raspberries, gaja like apples, cherries, strawberries, artichokes, many herbs, tomatoes,cucumbers,beans and really a lot of stuff... My dearest Grandpa is a garden wizard.. The ones we cannot consume my family donates it to many places... Nevertheless like 2 days before I picked some rapsberries and made cupcakes... I also made little lemon curd tartlets for my moms birthday.. Our family has diabities so did not make a big cake... But made a baklava hehehe... Oh well... I am really scared to frost a cake nowadays scared that I am going to fail doing it... I love you all.. Ifaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttt give some voice here I know it is hard with 3 cute princesses but please I miss you! Put some pictures! Z

Kara'a Cupcakes in the Marina

I had a job interview here on Monday! The owner gave me some samples to take home... so good! All their ingredients are from less than 100 miles away and mostly organic. The flavors I brought home were:

Sweet Vanilla- vanilla cupcake with a sweet madagascar bourbon vanilla frosting (Ryan's favorite!)

Passion Fruit- Vanilla cupcake with passion fruit cud and vanilla buttercream

Java- vanilla or chocolate cupcake with a rich espresso buttercream

Fleur de Sel- chocolate cupcake with caramel filling, ganache frosting and fleur de sel (my definite favorite!!)

This place only sells cupcakes at a cute boutique-style setting. The cupcakes are displayed in glass jewelry cases- such a great idea... They also have 2 kinds of frosting: traditional buttercream and what she called "American Buttercream" basically, homemade Betty Crocker-esque tub-like frosting... they were both delicious!

Miss you girls and hope your summers are great!

Patricia here is a slice of Cakeman Raven's Red Velvet Cake from Brooklyn, New York

Here is a slice of the famous Cakeman Ravens Red Velvet Cake... The cream cheese frosting was really sweet for me but the cake was as good as yours patricia ;)... moist and very tastyyyyyyy... Cakeman raven is a bakery calling itself " the house of southern red velvet cake" and is located in brooklyn, new york..

Fleur de Cocoa in Los Gatos w/ Ifat & Shanni

Ifat and I met up for some pain au chocolat, almond croix, butter croix, chocolates, and a "Royal" cake (hazelnut dacquoise, almond cake, & chocolate mousse) at the ever so delightful Fleur de Cocoa. They really make some amazing stuff, and apparently they import their butter from France. You can taste it in the croix! Lil Shanni was sleeping the whole time, but was the talk of the town as everyone stopped to take a look at the tiny 7 week old baby.
We also went to visit Sarah G., who also works in downtown Los Gatos at Icing on the Cake. She's having a great time and getting ready for her wedding in two months.
Haley, if you're interested, my friends' bridal shower event is on Aug. 2nd, so Ifat & I are thinking of baking at Ifat's house. You're welcome to come down if you haven't started working by then.

4th of July Red Velvets...

Hello my dears...

Haley I am soo sad that we did not take a picture of your chewy, melting in the mouth, amazing chocolate chip cookies... These are the Red Velvets we enjoyed at Stinson Beach with like 10 pounds of sand and bier and rose wine as appetizer.... I miss it sooo much...

Fruit Tartlets for the Future In-Laws

Jack's parents came into town today. Thought I'd make them something, being the good future daughter in-law that I am! :P Thanks for the recipes Megan!
Oh! And for the 4th of July, I showed my spirit by making red, white & blue cookies. Jack single-handedly picked out the yellow & red sprinkles to make a Vietnamese flag cookie instead.

Z's Final Days in SF

More pictures with Z. Sorry you couldn't make it out Patricia & Ifat, but you were with us in spirit! Also, pictures bowling with Megan & friends.

4th of July with Zeynep & Friends!

A wonderful way to say goodbye to one of our favorite girls! We had a blast crashing her party with her CRAZY friends! Z and I brought baked goodies, but ofcourse they were eaten before we got a chance to take a picture! Hope you girls had a great holiday too!

R2D2 cake

Ok this cake took 20 hours. I was so wiped!!!. I made one 10 inch round for the base which i beveled, three 8 inch rounds for the bods & 1 8 inch & bowl baked dome for the head. that's 6 cakes!!! It was a challenge. The arms are made of Styrofoam. I sent more pictures thru your email. I am off to Montreal on Thursday!!!

We saw Shanni

Haley & I went to see Shanni yesterday. Megan we missed you. I got your email. Ifat is crazy as ever. She was running around making us fresh pineapple sorbet & all kinds of other lovely treats!! The baby is soooooo cute.

Piano Party

Ale had her Piano Party on Saturday. She graduated Book 1 of the Suzuki Method. So I made a piano cake. I baked a rectangle cake & I carved out the piano shape. The keys are made of white & milk chocolate bars that I cut into strips. the music sheet is modeling choc & I painted the notes with food coloring

Helloooooo from New York!!

Hellooooooo!!!!! I saw the photos and read about the journey of cannes. Everything looked soooo exciting... Haley using cola cans as cup measurements and sylvias amazing cheese buffet... I am here since a week and a half and trying to learn how to bake and shape and make breads at Amy's Bread in Chelsea Market... I missed you all soo much! Sylvia I tried to call and got the massage that the number was not in use... Ifaaat how is our little baby? Patricia you are swamped with cakes and decorating my dearest. I missed so much baking with you and all the fun.. Megaaaan how is the new cake job going? If you ask me I am fine... New York is great... Work like from 5 in the morning till like 3 pm... I work almost 7 days a week try to learn everything.... Here are some pictures for you... I really miss all you a lot.. Wish to see you all really soon.

Z

Red Velevt

Ok Guys, so I made a red velevt cake for that Wedding I was telling you about. I was supposed to make the cale for the rehersal dinner & then the bride says they were not having one & I should just bring the cake to the reception. Considering the fact she already had a wedding cake, I thought it was a little strange to bring a cake to the recption. Anyway, I did not want to compete with the cake in any way so I decided to garnish the sides with nuts & I was going to pipe 7 swir;s along the top edge of the cake with 3 dots for each swirl. I was too nervous to pipe directly on the cake so I decided to do it on parchment & then once dry, I could pick up the swirls & place on the cake, Well. I must have piped 50 swirls & they ALL BROKE!! So I decided to tak the broken pieces & make a deisgn. So there you have it!!!