Ask the Expert

So this happened:  I had an article published!  This time in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Perfect Wedding Guide Fall 2011 booklet.  Perfect Wedding puts on about 3-4 huge wedding shows each year, including the one we just did at The Prom Center.  They also provide brides and grooms with vendor listings through their website and booklets, which are distributed in the THOUSANDS all over the Twin Cities and surrounding areas.  Fresh Fields is now listed on the PWG website, msp.pwg.com.

This is the booklet cover:

And the title page to my Ask the Expert story!

Tips for Selecting a Wedding Cake

Thanks to the ongoing popularity of cake shows and new developments in decorating techniques, cake artistry as taken center stage in a way we've never seen before. Lists of flavor options continue to grow as the world takes a deeper interest in unique ingredients and pairings. As exciting as this all sounds, some couples can find the task of selecting a wedding cake daunting. With a little preparation and a trusted cake professional, cake testing can be a fun and enjoyable memory. Use these tips to get started.

Determine a Budget – Most bakeries price their wedding cakes by the serving. Use this information to map out an idea of how much you are willing to spend per person on the dessert for your big day. Be prepared to pay extra for premium ingredients, such as fresh fruit, nuts, high quality chocolates, and fondant. Furthermore, be up front with the baker about the budget. He or she should be able to suggest the options and alternatives that best suit the couple's finances and tastes.

Schedule a Tasting – Plan to meet with a cake consultant and pay a booking deposit no later than three months prior to your wedding date, but no earlier than a year in advance. The most effective tasting appointments occur after the venue is booked, a dinner menu solidified, and flowers and décor have been selected. These elements help both the client and the cake designer in envisioning the scene of your wedding and how the cake can tie everything together. Have your heart set on a particular bakery? Booking farther in advance will guarantee their availability. As a courtesy, call to schedule an appointment. A busy bakery may have limited time slots available each week for tastings. Visiting prior to the appointment is a great way to get a feel for their style and what they have to offer, but accommodating drop-in consultations may be difficult.

Be Prepared – Arrive to the tasting appointment on time - consultations usually last around one hour, and other clients may be scheduled back to back. It is very helpful to bring information regarding the couple's other selected vendors, including contacts for the venue, caterer, florist, and photographer. Providing this information up front will eliminate the need for time consuming correspondence later.

Choose Flavors You Love – Take this as a special opportunity to serve your guests a little piece of yourself. If there is concern about some being turned off by unusual combinations, consider alternating tiers with a more basic flavor. It may help to look to the dinner menu and seasons for inspiration: Accent a light, summery meal with a refreshing citrus infused cake, studded with fresh fruit. During winter months, guests will find comfort in the warm and earthy notes of spiced pumpkin and rich chocolate.

Inspire Design - Your baker should be able to provide a portfolio of their previous work. Feel free to openly discuss likes and dislikes, as this will help them to gain a clearer understanding of your vision. At this time, the other style elements of your wedding day become necessary puzzle pieces to creating a design that is cohesive. Providing clippings of cakes you like, invitations, swatches, motifs, attire, and images of décor are welcome and encouraged in the design process. Wedding cakes have become much more personal in recent years. Perhaps a special story shared by the couple, an heirloom piece of jewelery, or a romantic setting can be translated into sugar for a truly one-of-a-kind cake.

Don’t Over Think It – This should be fun! Your wedding day is about sharing the things you enjoy with loving family and friends. Don’t stress the logistics. Trust that recommendations and procedures are looking out for the bride and groom's best interest. Just as no two weddings are ever alike, no two cake are ever identical.

Did you find this helpful?  I would love any feedback in the comments! 

xoxo,

Rachel

Cupcake Commentary/FAQ

Today's post is dedicated to my brother, Captain Richard Wille.  Richard is currently undergoing surgery for testicular cancer in South Korea, where he is stationed with the US Air Force.  His condition weighs heavily on my heart, and your thoughts and prayers are appreciated beyond words.  

 <3, Baby Sis

Q:  Cupcakes?


A:....sigh.  The raging popularity of cupcakes carries on.  I think it's been about three years now?  I have my theories as to why they made a monumental comeback:

1 - Portion control.  Carbs are the enemy.  One cupcake is somehow deemed less sinful than...a piece of cake?  I don't know, ladies and gents.

2 - Nostalgia.  Cupcakes x kids + youthful birthdays = Sweet memories.  Awwww.

3 - Economics. Yes, a cupcake IS usually less expensive than a serving of layer cake.  However, sheetcake is even less expensive.  But I hate sheetcakes, so I digress...

4 - Sampling.  I will say, I can be very intrigued by unique flavor combinations, and a single cupcake is an excellent way to sample these without the commitment of a whole cake.  They also make it easy to snag a smorgasbord of flavors, sure to please all tastes.
 
5 - Cute Factor.  Miniature = adorable.  See:  Kittens, puppies, and bunny rabbits. 

6 - Peer Pressure.  Everyone talks about them.  Every magazine prints them.  Bakeries devote themselves solely to cupcake worship.  Some even make "man" cupcakes now.  How can you NOT like cupcakes?!  You must like the cupcake!  EAT THE CUPCAKE!


So what do I think?

For the most part, I have no beef with the mini cakes.  I'm particular about my cake to icing ratio (balanced).  I like a tidy cupcake, clean, easy to eat without a plate and fork.  Cuteness is a major plus, but it bums me out when people expect elaborate decor and balk at the price.  Small does not mean easy.  It can mean quite the opposite at times.  My advice:  Be up front with your cupcake artist if you are working on a budget.  He/she should be able to give you your best options for what you are working with.  Likewise, simple can be equally chic!  Sprinkles have come a looooong way.  Websites such as Fancy Flours offer really adorable do-it-yourself decorations (albeit they can get spendy fast).  Can we just agree to avoid plastic doodads?


Awesome.


You know what else is awesome?  My clients!  Because I get to make these for them!  Seriously!  I will be making these in the next couple weeks:

Pinkalicious Cupcakes

Via marthastewart.com

Have a great weekend!

Rachel

FAQ Friday!

Q:  "Rachel, what is your favorite thing to make?"

A:  This is a very vague question.  Driven by my mood swings, the occasion, time, money...there could be a lot of different answers.  In general, I like baking all things.  The process of setting up, measuring, mixing techniques, that's like meditation to me, no matter what the final product may be.  When people ask me this question, I feel like they want me to say some grand dessert with a million bells and whistles, but I get the most pleasure out of creating a beautiful cake that lights up a room and satisfies the desires of my clients.

Also, as simple as it may sound, I still get a little giddy when making ganache (pronounced "guh-nosh").  Boiling hot cream is poured over chopped chocolate and stirred to create the most silky, sinful, velveteen concoction of decadence.  Two ordinary things come together as liquid sin.  I could take a bath in it.   

Image via treschicbellevue.wordpress.com

Pray, Rachel, what ARE you favorite sweets to eat?

Number 1:  Cookie Dough

 

I just can't help myself.  I'm one of those people that enjoys the dough more than baked cookies.  At work, if there is fresh cookie dough around, I'm in it.  Maybe I even sneak it from the freezer.  Maybe...


Number 2:  Dark Chocolate

Via Guidespot.com

 Mmmm, Scharffen Berger is so good.  I prefer at least 60-80% cacao content.  A good "snap" is also important, that is, when you break off a piece of chocolate, it has a loud, hard break to it.  This means we have some high quality product on our hands, with a good amount of cocoa butter.  The flip side would be a low quality bar made with more vegetable fat [coughHersheyscoughcough], which solidifies softer and melts faster than cocoa butter.  And don't get me started on milk chocolate - that stuff's for babies.


Number 3 - Ice Cream/Gelato/Frozen Custard

Via Benjerry.com

Where do I begin...well, with Phish Food.  Chocolate, caramel, marshmallow.  Win, win, win.  But I'll eat any ice cream, I'm not bias.  As a kid, my favorite was Chocolate Chip Mint, and I still feel like it should always be green colored, artificial dyes be damned.  Ice cream is an occasional treat for me, so I like to go big when I do have the change to indulge.  None if this one scoop crap.  Give me the bucket.

Wishing you all a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend with plenty of your favorite sweets!  Congratulations to the vet students who complete their last day of school today!!!

Love,
Rach

The Cider Chronicles: Part 1- The Story Begins

Here's the deal:  A couple years ago, my uncle, Uncle Steve, aka "Unka Steve" took me as his travel companion to London.  Yes, London, England, silly.  Apart from the fabulous museums, historical sights, Paris, shopping, and double-decker bus rides, there is one distinct and special memory that stands out in my mind from the trip.

We were staying at a relatively nice hostel in Notting Hill on the edge of a large, public park.  I think that day we had gone to Kensington Palace and seen evening gowns worn by Princess Diana, among other things.  Unka had mentioned finding some hard cider for me to taste for the first time, and while wondering the streets in search of dinner, we came upon a quaint wine and spirits shop.  There we procured a bottle of Weston's hard cider.

Now, alcohol is not allowed at the hostel, as is drinking on the streets.  But that's not an issue when you have a brown paper sack and the cover of night to hide your liquor.  Unka and I meandered through the park like a couple of vagabonds, and took in the quiet of the evening.  The cider was crisp and refreshing, a light, sweet finish to the meal we just had.  Upon our return, I slept like a kitten in my hostel bunk.

Thus began my fascination with hard ciders.  This series will highlight some common brands of cider to be found in the US and their varying flavor nuances, Mr. Scott and I's adventures in making cider at home (it's easier than you think!), recipes, and more!

At the top of St. Paul's Cathedral, overlooking London.  Boring brown hair.

Love,
Rachel

Food Memoir

For the sake of making up for lost time, here is another item I wrote for the food writing class I took. The assignment was to write a "food memoir," a story or collection of stories based around food that are special to you. I couldn't think of one, pivotal moment at the time, so I started at the begining and let it flow from there. I was scared to death to have this piece read aloud in class (as we did each week), because it is so personal, almost spiritual. You may think I'm crazy, I mean, it's food, but food is also family, friends, and unforgettable moments. This was also one of the high scored papers I turned in.


The Unsuspecting Foodie

I think my best friend in high school, Mallory, knew before I did. She knew when I was thrilled to find a garlic press in my Christmas stocking. She knew when I was reading Better Homes and Gardens and bookmarking recipes instead of obsessing over Justin Timberlake in Seventeen. I soaked up culinary knowledge like a sponge, and excreted it to anyone who would listen, but still I never thought I’d end up making it a career.
On the occasion that my father was home in time to make dinner, he had one specialty: stir-fry, and a damn good one, at that. The secret was fragrant Chinese Five Spice. Maybe he’d make it with chicken, beef, salty ham, or my favorite, shrimp. My older brother, Richard, and I would fight to spear the last tender lumps of fried egg from the wok.
Dad was also a pro a one thing my mother would never attempt without much cursing and finally giving up, and that is pie dough. There was only one kind of pie in our house, and that was Dad’s wild blackberry. I still wish I had his patience for mixing but not overmixing, rolling it to the perfect thickness, a beautifully crimped edge. We picked the blackberries from the field behind our suburban home and never bought them from a store. These were sun-ripened, cow manure fertilized, irrigation ditch blackberries, which Richard and I ate like candy. My father also had a knack for determining just the right amount of sugar and tapioca to add to them for a filling that was oozy but firm enough to hoist with fork. It amazes me how he can execute something so manly one minute, like roto-tilling the garden or changing the oil, and then the next he is turning out the most tender, supple pie I have ever experienced. My high school held a dessert auction to raise money for the marching band, and Bob Wille’s pie sold for $160.
My mother, on the other hand, is a human can opener. Maybe it was her lack of food prowess that inspired me to hone my own. Our nightly meals were a rotation of tacos, rubbery chicken strips, and basic spaghetti, with a can of some vegetable thrown on the side. She has gotten more adventurous in her later years, but back then it was no frills and certainly nothing from scratch unless it was Christmas or Thanksgiving. Being a nurse, she also thrust her penchant for healthy eating into the mix. Soda and ice cream were limited to every other day, and we never bought those devious Little Debbie cakes, fruit snacks, or chips other than tortilla. On your birthday, my brother and I were allowed to pick a box of sugary cereal. The rest of the time it was plain Cherios or equivalent, probably a generic brand. If you wanted something sweet, you’d probably have to make it. So I did.
I think it was around the age of 13 that I started making dinner for my family every night. I would get home from school around three and have the afternoon to prepare, defrost. It was a better deal than Mom’s usuals, and I enjoyed doing it. I love a challenge, and that was exactly what I found: How can I use this and this to make a meal? If I don’t have this, what can I use instead? My brother was both my biggest fan and harshest critic (although he’d usually end up eating everything anyways). He was never a big help in the kitchen, and rarely cooked beyond cereal, but he’d readily sample anything I put in front of him, and I knew his feedback was honest. Sometimes he got too eager, especially when it came to desserts. On one occasion, I was pulling a cookie sheet out of the oven and didn’t realize he was standing behind me. Of course, he didn’t have a shirt on (some 17-year-old male rite of passage to show off his new crop of chest hair) and I swung around with a blazing hot tray and burned him right above the hip bone. The three inch long scar tilts up, just like the lip of the cookie sheet.
Oh, and how I loved making desserts. The only meal devoted solely to pleasure. The crown jewel of dinner. The unexpected Christmas bonus check. Desserts generally have a more involved process than savory foods. Baking, for one, must follow a strategic formula, not a dash of this and a handful of that. When I was concentrating on a recipe, I couldn’t think about anything else. Not the term paper, boyfriend issues, girlfriend issues. Perhaps it also fed my procrastination habit, but we’ll figure that out later. When I was making dessert I had to focus, and this sort of meditation was a comfort. There were times when I didn’t even care so much what the outcome was, I just need to be in the kitchen, up to my elbows in dough, and at peace.
To me, it was a hobby, like someone who enjoyed knitting or playing guitar. Mallory would beg me, again, for cheesecake and shortbread cookies. I would happily add it to my schedule, like an extra homework assignment I’d actually enjoy doing. “You could make a living doing this, you know,” she finally said one day. Her family started to try and pick names for my restaurant.
When it all started to sink in, when I finally realized my love of everything food related was not exactly normal, I began looking for culinary schools. The first time I stepped into one of those industrial lab kitchens, I couldn’t stop smiling. It was like coming home, my refuge, my mother ship. This is where I belong, among rows of glistening stainless steel and low moaning ovens, the sweet smell of propane gently tickling my nose. I took my first hit of food heroin and I was hooked. My brother said, “Don’t get fat.”