terryhope

Lots of Cupcakes vs. Subway: One woman’s journey I’ve been

2006-11-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

Lots of Cupcakes vs. Subway: One woman’s journey

I’ve been doing far too much of this lately: taking dozens, even hundreds, of cupcakes to the limits of public transportation. Because I don’t really have a car (“really” as in my man has a car but I’m terrified to drive it in NYC, after nearly a decade of city living without one I figure why give in), I’ve all too often faced the challenge of; 100+ cupcakes, a few pounds of frosting and traveling over a borough or two via subway and bus. I think I have a method now, and I give it unto you.

1. Carefully place completely cooled, unfrosted cupcakes in either 1gallon zip-top plastic bags (don’t pack them in, give them some room…5-6 regular sized cupcakes or about 10 mini-cupcakes to a bag) or layer them in shoe-type cardboard or plastic boxes.

2. If doing the layering thing, separate each layer with a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper. I don’t recommend plastic wrap because it doesn’t allow the cupcake to “breath” and can result sometime in soggy or weepy cupcakes.

3. Pack frosting in either those disposable, light-weight plastic lunch containers (the clear kind with blue lids), or more of those 1 gallon zip-top bags.

4. It’s helpful to bring along the following since you’re going to be frosting “on-site”: frosting spreaders/spatulas, disposable piping bags, piping tips, a few rubber spatulas for mixing/handling frosting, paper towels, an apron to keep your pretty cupcake-party clothes frosting-free, sprinkles and toppings of course, small pair of scissors for snipping disposable piping bags, and any kind of light-weight plastic serving trays you might need if nothing is going to be available.

5. Those huge paper shopping bags with handles (from almost any department store) are your best friends for lugging around all this stuff. Pack in the following order: cupcakes, frosting, other equipment. Double bag it when things get really heavy.

6. For best results only attempt lugging hundreds of cupcakes on the train when you’re feeling really healthy and in good spirits. Okay, I’ve done it sick and angry and I’ve survived but just sayin’...

Come to think of it hauling cupcakes around by foot is a lot like going hiking. Think of ways to shave down any excess weight you might be carrying. Leave the metal pans at home in favor of plastic bags (I usually try and save as many bags as I can and re-use afterwards). Maybe it’s not quite the same as backpacking on the Adirondack trail but a little extra prep it can save you a lot of grief.

Sorry for the silence… All three of you sitting on the edge of

2006-11-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the silence…

All three of you sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering what’s up and why I haven’t said a word since baking 200 mini cupcakes, I am alive and well. Just really, really busy these past few weeks.

Boston went over great…while Isa and I cooked our asses off in a secret kitchen on the Boston Vegetarian Food festival premises, all 50 copies of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World sold out in less than 2 hours! Yay! And said cupcakes were heartily devoured in minutes also.

Since then we’ve made vegan waffles for ravenous NYU students, partied at MooShoes with more cupcakes, and we’re gearing up to cater a private cupcake themed-event next week. Somewhere in between all that I’ve run some RPG (role playing games for the non-nerd inclined) for friends including Dread and Sorcerer.

Hopefully by mid-November things should get boring again in the rest of my life so they can get a little more interesting here. See ya!

Presenting mountains and mountains of mini vegan cupcakes

2006-10-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Presenting mountains and mountains of mini vegan cupcakes ready to hit the road for Boston! Exhibit A is a small avalanche of mini peanut butter cuppers…somehow I ended up baking close to 100. Below we have a foreground of little chocolate cupcakes, a duplex of golden vanilla (top) and lemony vanilla (below), and tucked away in storage the PB’s. Once they’ve met their final destination at the Vegfest they’ll be relieved of their nudity with some new luscious frosting duds.

You would think I would be used to traveling with cupcakes by now, but I have to say I’m particularly impressed with the economy of design regarding the mini cupcake. So small, yet packs all the whollop of it’s bigger sister. The PB’s in particular have a sturdiness that rivals any bar cookie or brownie. Unfrosted, of course, these babies could probably survive any care package adventure.

NYC locals or anyone who’s in the city Thursday, October 26

2006-10-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

NYC locals or anyone who’s in the city Thursday, October 26 come on and celebrate VCTOW and MooShoes 5th anniversary with us. From Mooshoes:

5th Anniversary of MooShoes/ Cupcake Cookbook Release Party

Join us as Satya co-sponsors the fifth anniversary of MooShoes, all vegan shoe store and release of Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero’s cupcake cookbook, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes That Rule (Marlowe & Company). Cupcake demo, book signing, food, beverages and celebration.

7-9pm, MooShoes, 152 Allen St (at Rivington). Info: 718-832-9558; satya [at] satyamag.com.

I swear that someday this blog will include other things besides mirroring what’s happening on The Post Punk Kitchen site.

The next few weeks promise to be super busy with running here and there, talking and cooking up all kinds of vegan foodstuffs and of course, cupcakes.

If you love your Flickr, and you love vegan cupcakes, then I

2006-10-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

If you love your Flickr, and you love vegan cupcakes, then I suspect you might find some room in your heart affection for the new Vegan Cupcake Flickr Pool. Don't be shy, go post your cupper creations today!

(photo from the posting of tofu666)

I’m excited to announce that Isa and I will be speaking and

2006-10-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

I’m excited to announce that Isa and I will be speaking and cooking up tasty fall delights at the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival on Saturday October 21 at 5:10pm. The speaker schedule is up, so you can now work it into your busy day of vegging out.

From the website:

“Learn the secrets to rolling perfect rice paper rolls combining unexpected seasonal ingredients with traditional Asian ones. These rolls are sure to please your guests at any holiday event. Afterwards cozy up to the fire (or the video of a yule log as the case may be) with a cozy coconut curry that highlights some of the fresh local ingredients that the Northeast has to offer.”

And some cupcakes might just make an appearance. We’re full of surprises like that.

It's here it's here! Many months of frosting under our

2006-10-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

It's here it's here! Many months of frosting under our fingernails and dark rings of cocoa powder under my homegirl Isa of the Post Punk Kitchen and my eyes has finally come to fruition! This is my first ever published book, so I think I’m still in shock, or denial, or delicious combination of both.

At the risk of sounding cornier than an organic non-GMO snack food, I would like take a moment to thank; our beautiful cupcake recipe testers all over the country, my dedicated horde of cupcake taste testers, my wonderful fiancé for support, wisdom and hugs, my parents for mailing me stuff about cupcakes and just for being my parents, and anyone who’s taking a moment of their precious day just to read my rambling.

Like the title reveals, the world will never be the same again.