A Snowy Day in February

Today is one of those days- one of those days where your son is teething (read: throwing temper tantrums), the drop-in childcare at the YW is closed, its snowy, and icy, and COLD. So you end up at home, cancelling your chiropractic appointment, while your child runs amok and you "work" on the computer, which is to say, you procrastinate completing the greenlife order by trolling the internet for listings of "asheville cake" "vegan cake" etc, and and submitting your name to multiple random business listing websites. Its a good day, just sluggish, and COLD. A good day for blogging.
Its been a few weeks since my last post. There are many reasons for this:
first and foremost, though, is that I think I have been having trouble finding my... "blogging voice."(is there such a thing?) I think of something I want to write about, and then I wonder if its appropriate. What is this blog? is it about cake? is it about my life? is it only about the pretty parts where my life overlaps with cake? is it a marketing tool? a forum for self-expression? And I start to write something. Then I second guess it. But I don't want this blog to be just a message board about impersonal things in town or things relating to food that I think are "neat." And I don't want it to just be a big blaring billboard for Short Street Cakes. So there. I'm writing. About me. my life in cake.
I've also been extremely busy this month. Its a good thing that I've been a waitress since I was 16, because I've gotten pretty good at balancing plates (and smiling while doing it.) And I've never had so many plates to balance in my life. (Um, by the way, if you don't have children, and no one has told you this: ITS REALLY HARD. seriously. Its not that I wouldn't do it again, and its not that I expected it to be easy, and its not that i don't love being a mom and love that little creature that i live with, but damn. Its really hard.) Working two jobs (did i mention that I wait tables at Marcos? God bless that place, those people, and the pizza they rode in on.) growing a business, being in a relationship, and being a mom, well, that's pretty much a full day there, every day.
I'm not complaining. (well, I guess I am complaining, but I really enjoy my life too.) And days like today, being a little bit lazy, and a little bit procrastinate-y, are necessary for getting stuff done in life too. Its winter, its cozy inside, and I'll work on the greenlife order when the boy wonder takes a nap. And tomorrow I'll research organic certification. And work on my food cost spreadsheets. And continue looking for a commercial space for my bakery. But today, I think I'll chill.
Oh, and PS, check out the mountain xpress this week- Hanna Rachel Raskin included Short Street Cakes in an article about "green food choices" for weddings. Yay!

French Broad Chocolate Lounge

We just got back from the brand new French Broad Chocolate Lounge, and let me tell you, its gonna blow your mind, Asheville. Mom and Pop (literally) Jael and Dan have created a beautiful little space on South Lexington with cozy tables, wine, coffee and lots and lots of handmade, organic chocolate. I sampled a chocolate mint brownie (yum), then had a lavender honey truffle. (yum.) I also sampled the chai truffle, (yum) and finished all that chocolate off with a caramel covered in chocolate. I think there was smoked sea salt involved in the caramel. (um, YUM.) I like it. I like it alot.

Jasper's first foray into food sculpture

My son got inspired while helping me make dinner last night.

Cupcakes

I don't like to get too "whole-cake-centric" here. I like to give the
cupcakes their due, so here's just a little cupcake inspiration to get
us through January. Then we'll have... uh... February. Damn, its gonna
be a long cold winter.

As promised: A Recipe!

All right, here's a recipe. If it looks hauntingly similar to vegan chocolate cake recipes by say, The Grit in Athens, or the Post-Punk Kitchen, or, i dunno, the West End Bakery, that's because recipes are folklore, they get passed around and tweaked and reappear in various guises. Who's the first person who thought to make an icing out of melted chocolate chips and tofu? Not me, but whoever it was, I'm sure glad they did. Another note about this recipe: it will blow you mind, whether you are vegan or not. I've been accused of lying about this being vegan, because its so good (not that vegan can't blow your mind, its just that some people don't believe that). Without further ado, I present to you:

Sugar-Free Vegan Mexican Chocolate Cake
From Short Street Cakes, Asheville, NC

Makes 18 cupcakes or 2- 8” round layers

Sift into bowl of stand mixer:
2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup dark cocoa powder
1 ½ t. baking soda
½ t. cayenne pepper
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. salt

Combine:
1 cup rice syrup
1 cup applesauce
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 T. vanilla extract

Combine liquid ingredients with dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Add and combine:
1 c. strong brewed hot coffee
Add and combine:
2 T. apple cider vinegar
Quickly pour into cupcake liners or parchment-lined baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until the cake comes away from the sides of the pans and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Vegan Mexican Ganache
In food processor with blade attachment, puree:
1 package silken firm tofu
2 cups melted grain-sweetened vegan chocolate chips
½ t. cayenne pepper
1 t. cinnamon
Cool until spreadable.

Wheat-Free Pumpkin Spice Wedding Cake

I just delivered this cake to a delightful couple who are about to
exchange their wedding "wows." This is a wheat-free cake, made with a
combination of rice, garbanzo and spelt flours.

Addendum: from the Bride:

Dear Jodi,
I just want to tell you how fantastic your cake was!
 Thank God there was enough to nibble away over the
 hours of the evening and even have some for Breakfast!
Every last bite was delightfully enjoyed. I will highly
recommend you to anyone needing a wheat free cake..
Thank you Thank you  YUM YUM YUM.
love and Light
Hilarie and Ratus

The Fabulous Flair

I wanted to tell yall about my oven. I bake all my cakes in a 1963 Frigidaire Flair. Not familiar? Please refer to http://www.danlangdon.com/flair.htm for more information. It's beautiful and modern and all chrome and glass and has the ovens on top, with doors that come up like a Delorian. (remember back to the future? That's my oven.) This amazing appliance was a gift to me from my friend Elaine Posenecker, who was my next door neighbor growing up in Georgia. When she went into a nursing home in her (i think) 80's, my mom and I helped clean out her house, and she and her kids offered for us to take whatever we wanted. I got a couch, a beautiful stereo cabinet, lots of baking equipment, and the Flair. I'm happy to report that Elaine is doing well in Texas, close to her son and grandkids, and the Flair has seen more cake in the last 4 years than in its previous 44 years of existence.