Elements of Style Blog » cooking

A Shiny Happy Cookbook

Erin Gates — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:52:22 +0000

It’s too bad that this genius cookbook is so hard to find in print, because I’d love to own it. It reads more like a lifestyle magazine than simply a collection of delicious recipes. And since my cookbooks have served merely as inspiration and not instruction these days, I think this would be the perfect one for me. Neil Roake takes you into the homes and recipe folders of his coolest friends, showing great snapshots of varied, fabulous spaces and the food that is cooked up by the people that live there! How genius is that? I love the hand drawn portraits, the organization by color and the beautiful photography. Where ever am I going to find this?

Baking it Pretty

Erin Gates — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:01:39 +0000

I have always loved to bake. There is something so soothing, meditative and mood-lifting about whipping together sugar and flour to craft sweets that will no doubt make someone else smile (or to treat myself with). I’m happy to let someone else cook a meal (acting as excellent and entertaining company in the kitchen) but when it comes to baking, I want to roll up my sleeves myself and get to it. My brothers claim I know how to bake cookies to the precise perfect goo-iness and I delight in the careful smoothing of frosting on a cake or the saccharine repetition of decorating cupcakes. Its not difficult to connect baking and decorating, as both are such visual, creative endeavors. So when I saw these Imperial Trellis cupcake wrappers on the amazing site Bake It Pretty I was over the moon!

Then I started looking around and found all these fabulous designer cupcake wrappers sure to please the baker/design junkie.

I have always said that in my next life I want to own a small bakery. I know I’m romanticizing it, but it just sounds like such a lovely, charming way to spend your days. Baking goods, serving coffee (my other favorite thing), engaging with customers, maintaining a shop….. especially if the shop looked like this one- Enjoy Cupcakes in California. It’s as if someone peered into my head and built the exact bakery I would design for myself. I am completely enchanted!!!

As if that wasn’t enough, they also have a vintage “cupcake trailer” which can be brought to events, weddings and other outdoor events. Read their blog if you want to make yourself completely drool over their incredible creations.

I. FRIGGIN’. DIE.

(Enjoy Cupcake images via Design*Sponge)

Finger Lickin’ Good

Erin Gates — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:55:00 +0000

I like to share just about every great find I can with you all (furniture, fashion, cocktails…), and this little gem for today pertains to cooking! My mom served us up some grilled chicken that had been marinated in Salamida’s State Fair Chicken BBQ Sauce and can I just tell you- we all went wild. It’s not your typical thick red BBQ sauce, more of a southern style vinegar based marinade. My hubby said it reminds him of North Carolina barbeque. Mom ordered a bunch of the stuff for me online and I have some chicken marinating right now in the fridge for tomorrow night (24 hour marinating is key here). I am going to order the sampler set of all their marinades (particularly excited to try the Rosemary Balsamic). Give it a try!