Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Short Street Cakes Wins Cupcake Contest!
I won the cupcake challenge on local blog Chasing the Bread Truck!
And I just figured out how to do that linky-anchor thing.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Build A Birdhouse
"Hello All,
This is a Call Out to Build a Birdhouse for Bountiful Cities Project annual birdhouse auction on May 3, 2008....Save the date..
The requirements for the birdhouse are you can build it from any media that you would like. We are asking that you build it yourself.
You could also make bird feeders, bat houses, bird bath etc.....
You can drop off your finished beautiful birdhouse at the French Broad Food Co-op.
Please attach a note that has your name, address, telephone number, email so that we may contact you if your birdhouse places in the top three.
The deadline for dropping off birdhouses is Friday May 2nd.
If you have any questions please contact either darcel.eddins@gmail.com or turtle343@gmail.com.
Thank you for supporting urban agriculture in Asheville!"
First Big Wedding Cake of the Season!
Although I lament not yet having a commercial space for
Short Street Cakes, here's what I love about working from
home, and being my own boss: I can stay up til 1am, drinking
gin and listening to classic rock (why do they play Rod
Stewart's "Maggie Mae" every hour on the hour?
Not that I'm complaining, I'm just sayin...) on the radio,
and make a wedding cake that looks like that. Downsides
of being a wedding cake baker: at the rate I'm going, the
next Friday night I'll have off will be sometime around
2018. I missed the punk rock circus tonight, but my
family says it was fun.
More pics tomorrow when its all decorated and set up.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Cupcakes
Triple Chocolate Ganache
Classic Coconut
Vegan Chocolate w/ Cream Cheese Icing
Friday, March 7, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Decorate your cake with Fresh, Organic, Edible Flowers!
Edible Flowers Chart
OK Friends- here is a list, in teeny font, of lots of flowers you can eat. And decorate a cake with. Many thanks to the NC Cooperative Extension Service and NC State University for the info.
Table 1. Edible Flowers
Common name | Scientific name | Flavor | Color | Comments |
Anise hyssop | Agastache foeniculum | Anise | Lilac | Self seeding perennial |
Apple | Malus spp. | Floral | White to pink | Eat in moderation since flowers contain cyanide precursors |
Arugula | Eruca vesicaria sativa | Spicy | White | Annual; once flowers form the leaves become bitter |
Basil | Ocimum basilicum | Herbal | White, lavender | Annual |
Bachelor's button | Centaurea cyanus | Vegetal | White, pink, blue | Annual; petals are edible; the calyx is bitter |
Bee balm | Monarda didyma | Minty, sweet, hot | Wide range | Perennial |
Borage | Borago officinalis | Herbal | Blue | Annual; use with nasturtium; use sparingly -- diuretic effects |
Broccoli | Brassica officinalis | Spicy | Green | Annual |
Calendula | Calendula officinalis | Slightly bitter | Yellow, orange | Annual; most often used for color rather than flavor |
Chamomile | Chamaemelum noblis | Sweet apple | White | Perennial; drink tea in moderation -- contains thuaone; ragweed sufferers may be allergic to chamomile |
Chervil | Anthriscus cerefolium | Herbal | White | Annual |
Chicory | Cichorium intybus | Herbal | Blue | Perennial |
Chives | Allium schoeonoprasum | Onion | Lavender-pink | Perennial; avoid eating whole flower; taste can be overwhelming |
Chrysanthemum | Chrysanthemum spp. | Strong | Perennial | Use the florets; strong flavor |
Dandelion | Taraxacum officinale | Sweet, honey-like | Yellow | Perennial; use young flowers, mature flowers become bitter; flowers close after picking |
Daylily | Hemerocallis spp. | Vegetal, sweet | Wide range | Perennial; may act as a diuretic or laxative; eat in moderation |
Dianthus | Dianthus spp. | Sweet clove flavor | Wide range | Perennial; remove the narrow base of the petals (bitter) |
Dill | Anethum graveolens | Herbal | Yellowish-green | Annual |
Elderberry | Sambucus canadensis | Sweet | White | Perennial; do not wash flowers since it removes much of the flavor |
English daisy | Bellis perennis | Mildly bitter | Pink | Perennial; ray flowers have a mildly bitter taste |
Fennel | Foeniculum vulgare | Mildly anise | Yellow-green | Normally grown as an annual |
Hibiscus | Hibiscus rosa-sinensis | Mildly citrus | Rose, red | Showy edible garnish |
Hollyhock | Althea rosea | Vegetal | White, pink, red | Showy edible garnish |
Honeysuckle | Lonicera japonica | Sweet | White to pale yellow | Perennial; do not use other honeysuckle flowers |
Johnny-jump-up | Viola tricolor | Wintergreen | Purple and yellow | Annual; the petals have little flavor unless the green sepals are included; contain saponins and may be toxic in large amounts |
Lavender | Lavendula spp. | Sweet, perfumed flavor | Lavender | Perennial; use sparingly due to intense flavor; lavender oil may be poisonous |
Lilac | Syringa vulgaris | Varies | Lavender | Wide variation in flavor -- from no flavor to green and herbaceous to lilac |
Linden | Tilia spp. | Honey-like | White | Frequent consumption of linden flower tea can cause heart damage |
Lovage | Levisticum officinale | Celery | White | Perennial |
Marigold | Tagetes patula | Bitter | Yellow, orange | Annual; Lemon Gem and Tangerine Gem have the best flavor |
Mint | Mentha spp. | Minty | Purple | Perennial; each type of mint has its own unique flavor |
Nasturtium | Tropaeolum majus | Spicy, peppery | Wide range | Annual |
Okra | Abelmoschus esculentus | Vegetal | Yellow | Annual |
Pansy | Viola x wittrockiana | Vegetal | Wide range | Annual; has a slightly sweet green or grassy flavor; petals have a mild flavor; whole flower has a wintergreen flavor |
Passion flower | Passiflora spp. | Vegetal | Purple | Vine; showy flowers best used as a garnish |
Pineapple sage | Salvia elegans | Sweet, fruity | Red | Perennial; flavor has a hint of mint and spice |
Red clover | Trifolium pratense | Sweet | Red | Annual; raw clover flowers are not easily digestible |
Rose | Rosa spp. | Perfumed | Wide range | Perennial: remove the white, bitter base of the petal |
Rosemary | Rosmarinus officinalis | Herbal | Blue | Perennial |
Sage | Salvia officinalis | Herbal | Purple-blue | Perennial |
Scarlet runner bean | Phaseolus vulgaris | Vegetal | Purple | Annual; flower only last one to two days |
Scented geraniums | Pelargonium spp. | Varies | Wide range | Perennial; the flavor is usually similar to the scent of the leaves |
Signet marigold | Tagetes signata | Spicy, herbal | Yellow | Annual; may be harmful if eaten in large amounts; other marigolds are edible but have a tangy to bitter flavor |
Snapdragon | Anthirrhinum majus | Bitter | Wide range | Annual; use as a garnish |
Squash | Curcubita pepo | Vegetal | Yellow | Annual |
Sunflower | Helianthus annu
us | Varies | Yellow | Annual; flower is best eaten in bud stage when it has an artichoke flavor; petals of open flowers have a bitter- sweet flavor; pollen can cause a reaction for some people |
Sweet woodruff | Galium odoratum | Sweet, nutty, vanilla | White | Can have a blood thinning effect if eaten in large amounts |
Thyme | Thymus spp. | Herbal | White | Perennial herb |
Tulip | Tulipa spp. | Vegetal | Wide range | Bulb; good stuffed |
Violet | Viola odorata | Sweet, perfumed | Purple, white | Perennial; use candied or fresh |
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Greenlife Prices
xo
jodi