Cupcake Crazy!

Cupcakes are hot!  What is not to love... they are delicious, easy to eat, versatile, fun, lovely, and did I mention delicious!  Cupcakes are no longer just for elementary school class parties; they've come a long way.  Today's cupcakes are gourmet creations and pieces of art.  From books, to bakeries, to weddings, cupcakes are everywhere.

A trend for the last several years has been to use tiers of cupcakes for weddings instead of the traditional cake.  I love this idea.  It makes a gorgeous presentation, you can have a large selection of flavors, and it is easy to serve because nobody needs to stand there and slice the cake and serve it in plates. 

Cupcakes have definitely become an art form in recent years.  Decorating a small surface such as a cupcake is less intimidating than decorating a full size cake.

Aren't these so lovely and feminine!

A popular book for the last few years has been Hello Cupcake by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson.  It is a wonderful book full of pictures and directions for all kinds of fun ways to decorate cupcakes.  The same authors just came up with a follow up called What's New, Cupcake?  These are both great books!

Portland is a great cupcake town.  We have some amazing bakeries that specialize in cupcakes.

Cupcake Jones recently relocated from the Pearl to NW 10th Ave.  The first time I ever walked past Cupcake Jones I was drawn in by the amazing aromas and the beautiful Pearl Cupcake in their front window.  The Pearl is a white velvet cupcake filled with vanilla bean pastry cream, and topped with vanilla bean butter cream icing and an edible pearl made of white chocolate.

Cupcake Jones' Pearl Cupcakes

Cupcake Jones

307 NW 10th Ave.  Portland

www.cupcakejones.net

Saint Cupcake now has two locations in Portland both on the east and west sides.  I am absolutely crazy for the Chocolate cream cheese cupcake!  It is a rich chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate cream cheese swirl frosting.  Saint Cupcake has many vegan options available. 

mmmm... Saint Cupcake's Chocolate Cream Cheese Swirl cupcake

Saint Cupcake

1138 SW Morrison, Portland

3300 SE Belmont St. Portland

www.saintcupcake.com

Bliss Bake Shop has a huge cupcake menu with daily features.  I recommend the Chocolate Chip Mint Bliss Cupcake, a chocolate cake filled and topped with mint butter cream with a dark chocolate drizzle.

Chocolate Chip Mint Bliss Cupcake

Bliss Bake Shop

4708 NW Bethany Blvd.  Portland

www.blisscupcakeshop.com

Crave Bake Shop is a newly opened bakery in Lake Oswego, just south of Portland.  The fantastic thing about Crave is that it is 100% gluten free!  Their creations are amazing and I guarantee you will never miss those glutens.  Try their Pina Colada Cupcake, a coconut cake with pineapple cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut.

Crave's Gluten Free Pina Colada Cupcake

Crave Bake Shop

460 5th St.  Lake Oswego

www.cravebakeshop.com

Artisan Cake Company is the place for amazing artistic creations.  We first learned of them a few months ago when we attended Foodportunity PDX.  Their display was amazingly lovely.  I sampled one of their red velvet cupcakes and was equally impressed by the taste.  They create masterpieces.  You must go to their website to view some of their amazing creations.

Adorable hummingbird cupcakes by Artisan Cake Co.

Artisan Cake Company

www.artisancakecompany.com

All of this cupcake talk is driving the panther crazy.  Time to satisfy that sweet tooth!

-The Panther





Watermelon & Ricotta Salata Salad with Olive Salt

During these warm summer days the panther craves foods that are light and refreshing and packed with flavor.  A recipe she recently came across is so delicious and refreshing and uses one of summer's seasonal ingredients... watermelon.

This recipe comes from one of our favorite little cookbooks, Salt, cooking with the world's favorite seasoning, by Valerie Aikman-Smith.

This is such a great little book.  Not only does it contain delicious recipes, it is also an informative resource about different types of salts and where they come from, and how to use them.

different types of salts

The panther would like to share the wonderful recipe for a refreshing watermelon and ricotta salad from this book.

"This is a delightfully pretty and refreshing salad in which the olive salt brings out the sweetness of the watermelon.  Ricotta salata, a lightly salted cheese made from sheep milk, originates from the island of Sicily.  If you can't find a mini watermelon, buy the smallest available and cut it in half.  You can use feta cheese if ricotta salata isn't available."

-Salt, cooking with the world's favorite seasoning  p.40

Watermelon and Ricotta Salata Salad with Olive Salt

1 mini seedless watermelon

6 oz. ricotta salata cheese

2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

olive oil, to drizzle

freshly ground black pepper

Olive Salt

10 black olives, pitted

2 1/2 tablespoons sea salt

Peel the watermelon and cut it into bite-size chunks.

Put in a serving bowl, crumble the ricotta salata over the watermelon, and sprinkle with the oregano.

To make the olive salt, chop the olives roughly.  Grind them with the salt using a mortar and pestle until the olives are mashed.

Drizzle the olive oil over the salad and season with black pepper.  Sprinkle with a generous amount of the olive salt.  Put the remainder of the salt in a bowl to use on other dishes.

Enjoy!

-The Panther







Friday Favorites: Foodie Blogs

It is no secret, the panther is a foodie.  She loves to indulge in great food, wine, and spirits.  Whether going out on the town to the latest restaurants, preparing mouth-watering dinners at home, or attending food-related events, the panther likes to be in-the-know.  These are some of her favorite foodie blogs that keep her informed on the latest and greatest in the world of restaurants, food, wine and spirits.

Eater PDX:  http://www.pdx.eater.com/
Eater is a wonderful blog all about food and food related things in town.  On Eater you can read about all of the latest restaurants opening up around town, new menu items, and news on all the local chefs and restaurateurs.  Eater also is an informative source for food-related events coming to town.  The panther is in Portland, Oregon but don't fret, Eater has specific blogs for about a dozen other cities throughout the country.  You can visit the Portland site and see the other cities listed. 

http://www.pdx.eater.com/

Daily Blender:  http://www.dailyblender.com/

Daily Blender is probably the most inclusive, extensive food blog we have found.  It is the place to go for those in the culinary know.  Based in the lovely northwest, Daily Blender covers all things related to top notch food, wine, spirits, events, restaurants, and travel.  This is the place for food writers, critics, chefs, and restaurateurs as well as for people who are passionate about food.

http://www.dailyblender.com/

Noble Pig:  http://www.noblepig.com/

This is one of my all-time favorite blogs, self described as, "...a little about food... a little about wine... and a lot about nothing."  The Noble Pig is a fun, charming, well-written blog by Cathy, a vineyard and winery owner from McMinnville, Oregon.  She is a passionate foodie and it shows in her writing.  Cathy shares a lot of wonderful recipes and always includes step by step photos which I love.  Her blog is simply fun to read.  Some of my favorite recipes I've prepared have come from this blog.

http://www.noblepig.com/

Read some of these foodie blogs this weekend and share with us your favorites.  The panther always loves learning of new and interesting blogs!

-The Panther



Friday Favorites: New Places to Check Out in Portland.

The last week and a half has seen the opening of several new bars and restaurants in Portland.  Always the curious cat, the panther has been out on the prowl, checking out some of the newest places in town.  Here are some of the hot spots she checked out.

Dig a Pony:  This happening bar opened last week in southeast.  Located in the space which was once Niki's Restaurant, Dig a Pony has given this place a chic makeover.  The space is great anyway, with lots of windows and a fantastic view of the west side.  There is a central U-shaped bar that is simply amazing.  Over the center of the bar a fabulous back bar is suspended from the ceiling with steel cables.  The staff was super friendly and enthusiastic about their bar.  Drinks were generously poured.  We didn't sample any food but are anxious to try the fried plantains and the jalapeno mac & cheese.  There is a good vibe here.  And if you're wondering about the name, one of the owners is a rabid Beatles fan and took the name from track 2 of "Let it Be." 

Dig a Pony
736 SE Grand Ave.
http://www.digaponypdx.tumblr.com/

The amazing Dig a Pony bar (before completion)

The Sweet Hereafter:  Located in the heart of Belmont, The Sweet Hereafter is the new baby sister to Alberta's Bye and Bye.  A big fan of the Bye and Bye, I couldn't wait to visit The Sweet Hereafter.  The space is smaller but designed very well.  It is chic and cozy and like the Bye and Bye, the walls are adorned with the incredible art of the amazing Juan Casas.  His work is brilliant and adds so much to the atmosphere.  There is also a nice, relaxing patio in the back.
I was sad that the vegan chili was not on this menu but I found something better:  The vegan Buffalo Sub.  Spicy and wonderful, I cannot stop thinking about it.  I also tried the Jamaican Bowl which was jerk-spiced tofu, brown rice, black beans and yummy coconut kale.  The menu also boasts several fabulous sounding cocktails including the signature drink in a mason jar.

The Sweet Hereafter
3326 SE Belmont

Trader Vic's:  This has been probably the most talked about opening in recent weeks.  Trader Vic's has returned to Portland after being absent for 16 years.  This time it is located in the Pearl District in the space that once housed Manzana.  The space is hardly recognizable now.  Immense wood tikis flank the entrance.  The interior has thatched walls and ceiling and is perfectly "tiki-fied".  Trader Vic's is all about the tropical drinks, each served in a different vessel and garnished differently.  They are all beautiful and delicious looking.  TV's is very loud and crowded but the opening has been long anticipated.  I'm sure it will continue to be a bustling bar but the initial chaos should die down. 

Trader Vic's
1203 NW Glisan
http://www.tradervicspdx.com/

This weekend we hope to see you out on the prowl!

-The Panther



Color Inspiration: Orange

It is the middle of summer and we are surrounded by the warm sun.  It's warmth and glow reminds us of one of our favorite colors:  orange.  Orange is often associated with autumn, but check out these lovely hues of summery orange. 

Our favorite orange inspiration is the classic bright Hermes orange.  The color of this Hermes Birkin bag is perfect for summer, and year around.

Hermes Birkin Bag

We also love this simple orange and silver Hermes bracelet

Classic Hermes Cuff Bracelet

Don't have the Hermes budget?  Check out this cute bracelet.

Set off your summer wardrobe with some fun crocodile pumps in orange.

Add a few orange accents in your home to give it a warm and cheerful summer feel. 

Some orange throw pillows on your sofa give just the right amount of punch.

This orange glass art vase adds interest and a pop of color.

We're loving these Hermes-inspired orange stacking boxes.  A great accent to a living room, family room, den or even bedroom!

Entertaining or having an event?  Use orange as your inspiration.  How lovely are these orange orchids!

Summer wedding?  Look at this amazing table!

For a summer breakfast or brunch, use orange as your inspiration.  Don't forget a bowl of sweet summer oranges as a centerpiece!

We hope you are inspired to add a little orange to your fashion and decor!

-The Panther







Daydreaming of Ashland

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to take a little road trip down to southern Oregon.  It was heavenly.  I stayed in the little town of Ashland, Oregon.  Ashland is the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the beautiful Lithia Park, and numerous charming shops and amazing restaurants.  It is surrounded by stunning hills and mountains.  Wishing I was back there again...

Ashland's Globe Theater

Beautiful Lithia Park

Charming Downtown Ashland

The historic Ashland Springs Hotel

Stunning vineyards

Pilot Rock

Emigrant Lake

Happy warm, sunny daydreams!

-The Panther