When Cakes go Bad...

Here's a recent world-wide-web find that I just had to share...It's Cake Wrecks!
It seems all who work in the Cake Decorating Craft are not up to the same level as our Forum Panelist Duff Goldman. Some are...well, you should check out the site.

Congratulations Heidi "(in Spanish!)" (now all "together")
Glad your "Here" (Are you really?)
Way to go Bob (Yeah Bob, way to go...)

Digesting Food for Thought

We are still digesting all the delectable, curious, and fulfilling moments of our Food for Thought Forum last Thursday...

• like when the Travel Channel camera crew arrived in our office Thursday afternoon and set up in our conference room to film a "Tony and Friends" podcast that will later appear on the No Reservations website

• and when Tony Bourdain and Duff "Ace of Cakes" Goldman nonchalantly strolled into our office and warmly greeted our small and adoring staff

• and the incredibly warm welcome Alice Waters received at Billings Forge, and how moved she was by the good and important work being done by their community
  

• and the many special moments that were experienced at Hartford's lovely Society Room...from eating the delicious food prepared by Blue Back Square restaurants and Whole Foods to the thrill Forum Friends experienced chatting up some of their favorite foodies
  

• and then, of course, The Forum itself - a packed house at the Bushnell, a full crowd at the live simulcast at the Wallace Stevens Theater, and a panel of Forum favorites, including Forum Fave and Connecticut's own Colin McEnroe

• Not to mention dessert: the oh-so-sweet back stage, off-camera, post Forum moments with our special panelists and friends

Like any highly anticipated and carefully planned meal shared with friends, we are still savoring the moments, bite by bite. Stay tuned for photos, videos, and all kinds of behind-the-scenes morsels sure to please.

In the meantime, you might wish to check out what others are saying:

Here's Colin's Sunday column in The Hartford Courant

And more Colin

And just a bit more Colin

And more from...

Fox 61

The New Haven Advocate

Fairfield Weekly

And blogs galore, including:

Eat Me Daily

Jules Pieri

Tasty New England


Were you there? At the Bushnell or the live Simulcast? What did you think?

Dessert anyone?

By Pat Rossiter, YOUTH Forum Program Manager & Pastry Connoisseur

I have cake on my mind!

Duff Goldman the Ace of Cakes is coming in May.

A friend of mine has been talking about her wedding.

And...


I happen to live in New Haven where Italian pastries flow like milk and honey. Or at least are made with milk and honey and flow.

Here are two thoughts that are inducing salivation at the moment:

Libby's!


OK, I know they have some sort of cake there and God help me I have gone there with the best of intentions of "trying something new," but truth be told, I have never had anything there but cannolis. I mean, why mess with perfection? Oh, and don't give me any of the crazy cannolis with the flavorings and funny colors. That stuff is for children or the misinformed or for misinformed children. Give me a straight up ricotta, freshly filled, plain old cannolis. ...gotta stop, I'm feeling woozy.

Next, there are times when genius meets inspiration meets desire. When that truly sublime moment happens, you get this:

The Cupcake Truck!



Does this need explanation? A truck drives around selling cupcakes. OK, not just cupcakes, but miniature representations of the divine frosted with sin. I mean just typing "Sweet Potato Pecan Cupcake," makes me feel dirty in ALL the right ways. If I were still Catholic, I'd eat them in a confessional booth.

OK, after all that, I need a snack. A handful of almonds I guess (sigh). Almonds would be so good on top of a Hummingbird Cupcake with a cannoli for garnish.