The Best Thing I Ate This Week: Butterbeer Cupcakes!

This may come as a shock to you, but I fucking love Harry Potter.  I love Harry Potter so much, I flew 3,000 miles to go to a museum exhibit with props from the films and to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 with my friend Nicole, who introduced me to the series.  I love Harry Potter so much, I once got kicked out of a gay night club after interrupting a drag show to tell a drag queen that I love Harry Potter.  Into her microphone.  Under a spotlight.  To my credit, I didn’t get kicked out for interrupting the show to talk about Harry Potter, I got kicked out for being a drunk straight girl at a gay club who was on the verge of possibly throwing up, but still.  My love for Harry Potter knows no bounds.

Naturally, I was STOKED when I found this recipe for Butterbeer Cupcakes on amybites.com.  We’re talking almost-lost-control-of-my-bladder excited.  I usually bookmark recipes I’m interested in trying sometime when I feel like baking or cooking something, but I had to make these IMMEDIATELY.

Accio cupcakes!

They were even more magical than I dreamed they would be.  They’re easily the best thing I ate this week.  They’re sweet, buttery, creamy, and the cake came out super light.  I always have a hard time making cupcakes from scratch because I feel like they come out really dense and muffin-y, but these little cakes were absolutely perfect!  I shared some with my best friend, Miranda, and I brought the rest to work.  Someone must have put a Disillusionment Charm on these, because I walked away for a little while and when I came back they were gone!  I even got a self-proclaimed cupcake naysayer to eat one and he claimed to (sort of) enjoy it.  Everyone else loved them and Miranda ate three in a row.

I may have had one or two myself.  And the batter?  OH, the batter.  That’s all I’m saying.

I suggest you fly your broom or apparate over to amybites and make these immediately.  Especially if your letter to Hogwarts got lost in the mail and you need to eat your feelings.

Wingardium Leviosa...into my mouth!

The Best Thing I Ate This Week: Mushroom Extravaganza At Spencer’s

A mushroom walks into a bar. The bartender says, “We don’t serve mushrooms here.” The mushroom says, “C’mon! I’m a ‘fun guy.’”

(cue laughter)

Okay, okay, you’ve probably heard that one.  But admit it.  You laughed.

If you know me or read my blog, you’ve probably heard me profess my intense love of mushrooms a time or two.  I developed a love of mushrooms back when I was a young vegetarian and we’ve been together ever since.  Our love is true and unadulterated.

"Of course I'll marry you!"

This past weekend my good friend, Chef Holly Kapherr, invited me to be her guest at a cooking class at Spencer’s, a fancy steakhouse located inside of a fancy Hilton in the Walt Disney World area, for a piece she was writing for Orlando Style magazine.  The theme of the class was mushrooms.  I was totally stoked.

We arrived at Spencer’s and were promptly greeted with mimosas!

Mimosa? Don’t mind if I do

"I, too, shall partake."

We were encouraged to eat a lovely fruit and cheese spread while we waited for the class to start.  Holly and I ate our cheese (and plenty of it!) and mingled a bit with the other women attending the course.  They were “ladies who lunch” types—you know, yuppie moms with money who like to kill their Saturday afternoons attending fancy cooking classes.  While we drank and ate, the executive chef came out and introduced himself, along with the head chef in the kitchen, Chef Eric Szymczak.  We were invited to sit at the bar overlooking the kitchen to start the class.  Each seat had a different bowl of mushrooms placed in front.

A lovely spread!

I got buttons. An oldie, but a goodie.

 

King trumpets and Maitake mushrooms!

We were served more mimosas while Chef Szymczak introduced his team to us, then they got to cooking!  The chef talked about different kinds of mushrooms and broke down each bowl of mushrooms for us, explaining where they come from, how they grow, and what they taste like.  In the meantime, his team started preparing little tastings for us to enjoy. You know, things like…

Lobster and Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

A whole pan of the deliciousness.

The best mushroom soup I've ever had in my life.

A darling mushroom slider and portobello fries.

We ate the delicious tastings, drank our mimosas, and laughed with the chef.  Then, when the demonstration was over he said, “And now we’re going to prepare lunch for you.  Feel free to step out on the lanai and have a drink while you wait.”

The lanai. We were pissed that we weren't told to bring our bathing suits.

Lunch?!  We’d just had so many mushroom delights and we were all stuffed!  We couldn’t believe they were making us lunch in addition to everything we had already eaten!

But y’know.  We made room.

Shitake and Goat Cheese PIssaladierre

Porcini Crusted Lamb with Black Trumpet Mushroom Risotto, pearl onions, and peas

This was the special vegetarian entree. The sucker in our group got this. (It was really good though, she gave me a bite).

White Chocolate Truffle Timbale.

I sort of enjoyed it.

Oh, and did I mention that we got a fancy wine with every course?

Ahh, drinking in the middle of the day. Nothing like it.

 

Moscato. My fave!

To wrap things up, Holly interviewed Chef Szymczak.  She’s such a great interviewer.  Totally laid back, she really knows her stuff, and she has fun while keeping it professional.  She brought me along with her when she interviewed Jen and John of CakeWrecks and it was a blast.  The interview with Chef Szymczak was great too.  He’s full of energy and extremely passionate about food.  He was gracious and fun.

Chef Holly Kapherr and Chef Eric Szymczak

The food was delicious and we had a blast.  I was full for the rest of the day.  I fell into a major food coma when I got home and I never ate dinner, just a bit of fruit, and I passed out on my couch, which I NEVER do.

I hope we go to another one soon.  Wink, wink, Holly.

Full. Happy. Minutes away from matching food comas.

If you think you don’t like mushrooms, please give them another try.  They’re magically delicious!

The Best Thing I Ate This Week: Salt & Pepper Shrimp and Spinach

Wednesdays are one of my super heavy workout days—I go spinning and I do Next Level interval training, which is pretty much as hard as it can get in one day.

After the grueling hour and a half of exercise (which totally ruined my awesome hair that I got cut and colored today), I came home and cleaned my apartment.  My apartment is fairly small, but cleaning it usually takes a good hour, what with the vacuuming, Swiffering, Swiffer Wet Jetting, dusting, wiping, and rug-beating.

No?

By the time I was done with all that noise I was an extra smelly and disgusting mess, so I cleaned myself up and then had to face the task of making dinner.  I had shrimp I knew I needed to use, but I also needed something green.  And I needed it fast.  This had to be a get-protein-and-greens-in-your-mouth-immediately-so-you-can-settle-down-and-watch-Big-Love-and-eat-dessert kind of meal. I browsed the fridge.  I had some organic baby spinach, which was perfect, and I was looking to use my new tub of Kerrygold Irish Butter.  I added salt, pepper, olive oil, and fresh lemon to the mix and The Best Thing I Ate This Week was unexpectedly born.

This is the half of the bowl I hadn't plowed through yet when I remembered to take a picture.

The whole thing took about 10 minutes (not counting deveining time—ugh) and was a perfectly satisfying combination of protein, greens, and healthy fats.  I highly recommend this, as I tend to do with my own creations.

For one serving you’ll need:

1/2 lb medium white shrimp, peeled and deveined

A big handful of baby spinach (or more if you’re feeling spinachy)

About 1-2 tsp of butter (I recommend Kerrygold Irish Butter—amazing!)

About 1 1/2 tsp of olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 lemon

Minced garlic if you want some spice

Make it!

In a large pan melt the butter on medium high heat and add the olive oil.  Swirl ‘em around.  Generously salt and pepper the bottom of the pan.  Place the shrimp around the pan one by one, working your way around the pan from the outside in—the shrimp that make it to the middle of the pan probably won’t need as much cook time since they’ll be on direct heat.  Salt and pepper the tops of the shrimp, then flip after a minute or two.  The shrimp will curl and turn pinkish opaque—-you know!  Remove the shrimp from the pan onto a plate and throw the spinach in the leftover butter and oil.  Add a bit of minced garlic if you’d like some spice—I did!  When the spinach has wilted, remove it from the heat into a bowl, top with the shrimp, and squeeze half a lemon over the whole thing.

Yes.

What’s the best thing you ate this week?