Tatte Cookies

I first read about Tatte Cookies, a bakery in Boston on the Cannelle et Vanille blog.  CV blog author, was in Boston attending a food styling and photography conference and wrote about Tatte as one of her stops in the city.  As a sucker for a new bakery, I could not help but click through and take a look at the Tatte website.  To my surprise, the website was fairly evolved with tons of pictures and information.  After another search on Google, it seemed that Tatte Cookies has been gaining its much deserved traction since its opening in 2008 in Brookline and well commented around the blogsphere too. 

The story of the owner is a classic tale of a girl who grew up baking at home with her mother.  As her passion for baking grew, so did requests from family and friends to supply holiday festivities and events with sweets.  Only when demand was steady did Tzurit Or make her move to open a retail store and expand supply and distribution around Boston and eventually NYC landing shelf space at Dean and Deluca in SoHo.  I love this simple, passion driven entrepreneurial story.  Her signature product, “nut boxes” (two pictures below) are rectangular pastries filled with toasted nuts and caramel are visually stunning as are the rest of her pastries.  Great article from Boston.com (Boston Globe) here to find out more about Or, the owner of Tatte Cookies.

photo via simplesong.typepad.com

photo via hungrybella.blogspot.com

photo via boston.com

Wedding Cupcakes

Great new blog about cupcakes is on the web called the cupcake decorations club.  It’s a how to blog about decorating, presentation and troubleshooting everything to do with cupcakes.  Looks like the author has been writing since Jan 09. 

This picture came from the site.  I love how symmetrical the cupcakes are displayed in this picture.

The white monogramed “m” on the lime background really pops against the purple ribbon on each tier.

photo via the cupcake decorations club

Cheese Wedding Cake

This weekend in the Toronto Star (newspaper) there was a great article in the Living section about alternatives to wedding cakes called “Let’s Hear Three Tiers for Cheese.”

While the macaron tower, croquembouche and bake sale smorgasbord were all contenders for cake alternatives, I thought the most interesting alternative was a wedding cake made entirely of cheese wheels.  The cheese cake featured in the article was by Afrim Pristine of the Cheese Boutique.  He has a blog dedicated to cheese and other gourmet delicacies that foodies would enjoy reading.  ( You can find Afrim’s blog here.)

picture from the article (photo via cheese boutique)

There is a nice explanation about why a couple would choose to have a cake made of cheese instead of choosing one of sugar on the Norbiton Cheese website.  From my perliminary research apparently cheese wedding cakes are quite popular in the UK seeing that most of the references I found are coming from across the Atlantic.

photo via norbiton cheese

Stunning Blooms on Cake

When I was living in New York two years ago after business school taking my 200 hour yoga teacher training certification with Yoga Works, every morning I would walk from the F train at West 14th and 7th avenue towards the studio at 19th and 5th avenue. 

On my way, I would pass this book store /cupcake shop that would catch my attention each time I walked to class.  The cupcakes and cakes on display were decorated with the most beautiful, colourful, rich, icing blooms I had ever seen. 

I’m talking intricately piped floral concoctions that brought the mini cakes to life.  No sprinkles or fondant here!  Pure technique. 

Anyway, I never got to sample the cupcakes because I would be walking by at 8am in the morning before the store opened.  Happily one of my last days in teacher training, someone brought in two dozen cupcakes from the Cupcake Cafe and I got to have a bite.  While the cupcakes themselves were a tad on the dry side, the icing more than made up for it. 

These cupcakes are truly picturesque and too beautiful to eat.

(photo via little views)

(photo via lunch studio)

(photo via carol toscano)

photo via colin baer events

Madeleine Patisserie

I was in New York last week visiting a good friend and taking another yoga teacher training certification with Yoga Works.   Before my course started, I had a good couple days to do some exploration as well as stop by some local favourites of mine (cupcake cafe, crumbs bakeshop, buttercup bakeshop, pinkberry).   

New and notable for me was my stop in at Madeleine Patisserie 

My macarons

on West 23rd street between 6th and 7th avenue where I couldn’t resist sampling some of their colourful macarons which drew me in from their window display.

A sampled macaron

I sampled the strawberry apricot and passion fruit raspberry.  Overall, solid A- macarons.  A bit on the soft side when you bite in but the balance between crispy exterior and chewy interior was upheld for the most part.  I took pictures of the macarons I tasted on my blackberry and I am excited because the shots look just as good as what I would take on my digital camera.  What an easy way to share an experience. 

two sampled macarons

I have included a picture of other flavours from Madeleine Patisserie and a shot of the display case in the bakery below.

Inside the shop (photo via alwayshungryny.com)

Madeleine Macarons (photo via stephanie does.com)

Moroco- Wins three “BEST” awards in my books

I had the chance to go for afternoon tea at MoRoCo in Toronto (99 Yorkville Avenue) across the street from the newly located, Teatro Verde,  a couple weekends ago. I have not one complaint or criticism about this place and for me, that says a lot.  I pride myself on being a bit of a foodie and a bit of a pastry snob.  I know good pastry  when I taste one and believe me,  I have tasted a lot of good and a lot of lousy over my travels and adventures in afternoon tea!

 In fact, MoRoCo wins several “BEST” awards from me including the following:

1. BEST macaron in Toronto.  Hands down, they got it right.  Their only rival in the city as far as I am concerned is Patachou (where I purchased the maracons for a wedding I planned in March).  What is great is that in the front of MoRoCo the restaurant, they have MoRoCo the macaron and truffle store so you can stock up on macarons and truffles until your hearts content!  Beautiful packaging- love the purple take-away purses.  Bravo on a stylish retail interior.

2. BEST overall afternoon tea offering:  There were four of us who went to tea and not one pair could finish their three tiered menu.  Not only were the bite sized sandwiches, scones and desserts flavourful and delicate, they were rich and sweet.  I so badly wanted to try a little bite of everything but I just couldn’t power through all the sugar surging through my system despite the fact that I think I drank three pots of tea.   For someone who doesn’t eat a lot of sugar, MoRoCo’s tea is a deadly sugar shock, but well worth it!

3. BEST decor:  I don’t want to botch the adjectives to describe their interior decor but what comes to mind is the space evokes a Victorian/Baroque Modern/Elegance with a touch of Goth.  So cool.  The greys, the purples, the blacks, contrasted with white.  I love it all.  A beatiful atmosphere to entertain or to dine.  Very cool vibe with the DJ spinning at the front. 

Moroco Afternoon Tea Service

The sinful desserts!

Love their little desserts (and the bee!)

Topping the creme pots are little chocolate moroco branded ovals

Moroco Interior Shot (photo via fashion magazine)

Beautiful Presentation (via dine.to