Better Homes & Gardens

It’s been quite some time since my last post. There have been a lot of changes and the wheels have been turning as to how to revamp, renew, and make this blog more contemporary. I recently moved to a new apartment and got bit by the nesting bug! I love decorating and have been adding little touches here and there to make the place mine.
I am a major plant person but have trouble actually keeping things alive. Waking up every morning at 5 and leave while it’s still dark out doesn’t help. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve left the shades down and my poor plant spent the day in the dark. I needed to find a way to keep my plants alive.

My solution: Placing heartier plants on either side of the front door. I love lavender and there is nothing like passing through their delicate scent evey time I come and go. It makes my place feel homey and inviting rather than being just another random door in an apartment complex.

Before

After

Total Investment: $38.00

Current Life Span: 5 months (a new record!)

 

What have you done to decorate your front door?

Post your pictures on twitter @urbansweets or on the facebook fanpage!

Chocolate & Turquoise Cake

There’s something about creating a dark cake for a wedding that gets me all excited. It’s different, flashy and emotional even when the design itself is understated.

This wedding cake was based on the save the date card that was sent out for the wedding. I also drew inspiration from Spanish tiles when designing the monogram.

The wedding was held at The Regent Beverly Wilshire, an absolutely beautiful venue. The room had a dim,  intimate ambiance that paired nicely with the noble colors of the cake.

Good Luck Cake Shoes

What’s in the box? A cake of course!

One of the first things impressed upon us in culinary school is the importance of our uniform.

Rules:

1) Must wear Commis (chef’s hat) at all times

2) All buttons of Chef’s coat must be buttoned

3) Must wear chef shoes in the kitchen at all times

And the list goes on….

I was very excited about getting my uniform and trying it on until I saw the shoes…. while they are safe and I must admit, extremely comfortable, they are not the most attractive footwear I have sported.

But as a chef, we quickly fall into our routines of donning our garb, tying the apron just so and beginning our work. This ritual almost feels devotional. Ensuring a good day in the kitchen. So naturally, the shoes became a part of that custom. But as humans, we always modify, change and build upon our customs.

About a year ago I was commissioned to create a Shoe Cake (view post here) for a designer for Ed Hardy. They loved the cake and as a thank you actually gave me a pair of Ed Hardy’s!

I am not normally a person to follow the trends or wear labels. But every time I put on those shoes it reminds me of happy clients and our cake. So they have quickly become my good luck charm. Before we head out of the kitchen to deliver a cake I throw on my Ed Hardy’s and know the delivery will go well.

Food Meets Function

As we are all aware, the past decade has brought gruesome news of the events occurring in Africa, particularly in Darfur and Sudan. There is an amazing organization called Jewish World Watch that made it their mission to fight against genocide. They created an initiative called the Solar Cooker Project. The women living in refugee camps after fleeing Darfur are in charge of making food, in order to cook they must venture out of the camps to collect wood for kindling. This everyday activity has turned into a nightmare for the women since they are often attacked and raped while they are out beyond the walls of the camp.

Jewish World Watch heard of these atrocities and decided a solution must be found to end these horrific occurrences. They developed a solar cooking system that uses the reflection of the sun to cook food, thereby eliminating the need for the women to collect firewood. Think back to the 70′s when people would use tin foil screens to tan outdoors, and you have the basic concept behind the solar cookers.

I find this initiative so impressive because an incredibly simple, low cost solution was created for a very grave situation.

Recently Jewish World Watch held a party celebrating the 5 year anniversary of the Solar Cooker Project and I was honored to be able to attend and support them. Some of L.A.’s most influential women chefs gathered to cater the event.

Suzanne Tracht from JAR & Suzpree
Nancy Silverton from Pizzeria Mozza & Osteria Mozza
Rochelle Huppin from Chefwear
Kajsa Alger from STREET
Natasha MacAller “Dancing Chef”

I was on cloud 9 surrounded but such amazing talent and of course incredible food!

As we entered the event, there on the floor, was an actual Solar Cooker set up baking brownies. To be able to see the product first hand and know that what reminded me of a tanning bed was a life saving device to women half way across the world really struck a chord with me. It is so easy to get caught up in our own lives and not look beyond the  needs of ourselves and our loved ones. But if we do not act as advocates for those that cannot defend themselves, who will be there to help them? In my tiny apartment I have an oven, stove top, microwave and toaster oven. All items I rarely appreciate beyond the fact of them doing their job as quickly as possible. This initiative has brought new light and awareness to everyday items that I typically take for granted.

How can you help? Visit the Jewish World Watch website here. Can’t make a donation? Donate your time! No matter what our walk of life, we each have something that we personally can contribute that will make a difference.

Shabby Chic Country Cake

My lack of posting can only mean one thing….wedding season! That being said, I am very excited to get back to sharing what we’ve been up to!

Earlier this summer we made a cake for an outdoor, country themed wedding. The event was very low-key and even had a horse shoe toss for the guests.

We decided to go with a “country kitchen” feel for the cake. Simple lines but intricate details. We created a tiled pattern and then distressed the tiles using a water colour technique I learned back in my art school days. I loved making the tiles the focal point of the cake and creating a real “pop” to the design with the white and blue detailing. By choosing a square cake design the cake was able to have a modern vibe while still pulling into play the airy, country feel. I would best describe it as country shabby chic. Did I just create a new design aesthetic?

Black and White Wedding

One of my favorite events to-date, was a stunning affair at the Four Seasons Westlake Village. The wedding was black and white and modern. The tables were made of mirrors and every napkin had a fresh orchid placed on it. This is just an example of the beautiful details that went into the event.

I love the cake we designed for this event. One side of the cake was covered with edible black lace and the other with black swags. Where the two sides met we used white orchids and greenery to bring a fresh element to the design. The cake was severe and yet delicate at the same time.

We also made individually boxed two-tier mini cakes for every guest to take home at the end of the evening. Having a fork tied to every box was so cute!

Here’s what the little guys looked like inside the boxes

White Wedding

We recently made a cake for a beautifully elegant wedding. The wedding color was ivory and the ambiance created was amazing. There were chandeliers hanging above the dance floor, crystals woven into the floral centerpieces and even swans made completely out of flowers!

The cake was 5 feet tall. Each tier was separated by a tier of flowers and pillars wrapped with pearls.

I absolutely loved doing this cake. There’s something so cool about having to use  a ladder to set up a wedding cake!

Passover: Flourless Chocolate Cherry Nut Cookies

With the hours ticking by, bringing us closer to the Passover Seder, I thought it was fitting to share a recipe for flourless cookies. I must fore-warn you though, these cookies are so good, that when I made them they didn’t last past the day. They are super simple to make and don’t even require a mixer. *GASP* No electronics needed besides the oven? Shocker, I know.

Flourless Chocolate Cherry Nut Cookies:

3 oz. Walnut Halves (toasted & chopped)

3 oz. Pecans (toasted & chopped)

3 oz. Dried Bing Cherries (Roughly Chopped)

3 c. Confectioners’ Sugar

1/2 c. plus 3 TBL Cocoa Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

4 large Egg Whites, room temperature

1 TBL Vanilla Extract

Toast Nuts:

Preheat oven to 350°

Spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for approximately 9 minutes, until they turn golden.

Allow nuts to cool and roughly chop them.

Cookies:

Position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

Set oven to 320°

Line two baking sheets with parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk the confectioners sugar, cocoa powder and salt together.

Add the nuts and cherries.

Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to mix with a spoon or spatula until ingredients are fully combined.

Spoon the batter onto the baking sheets leaving 2 inches between each cookie.

Bake 16 to 20 minutes (for larger sized cookies) until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked. Rotate the baking sheets half way through the baking time.

The cookies may seem a bit soft in the middle. Do not over bake. They should be chewy and have softer centers.

Allow cookies to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Adapted from Francois Payard’s Chocolate Epiphany

Mexicali Cookies

We recently made cookies for a couple getting married. The soon-to-be husband is of Mexican decent and they wanted to give a nod to his heritage. We decided to make bright, festive cookies in the shape of Sombreros and Hearts.  I liked that the color scheme really picked up on the Mexican theme while still keeping the cookies simple and elegant.

There is something so exciting about seeing a box filled with cookies!

 

 

Extreme life of a Chef

I recently went on a trip to Antarctica. It was an amazing adventure! As you can imagine, it is not a traditional cruise to the Bahamas. We had to travel through the Drake Passage – 2 1/2 days without seeing land. This is one of the most volatile ocean passes in the world. In fact, two days before I set sail, another ship was so badly battered by the Drake, it had to turn back and never made it to Antarctica.

I was amazed with the food we were served during our travels. Fresh baked bread and delicious and creative meals! I was able to sit down with the Head Chef, Chef Brian and hear about what it’s like to be a chef on an ice-breaker vessel that travels to the most remote regions of the world.