Rolling with My Peeps

by Howard Yoon

I like to avoid the whole "how to eat Peeps" debate by melting them and making a chocolate marshmallow pie. Start by melting the Peeps in a double boiler and cool them in a graham cracker piecrust with folds of light whipped cream and chunks of chocolate. Using Peeps instead of plain, white marshmallows give this pie a sweeter taste, thanks to the sugar-coating on the Peeps. This sweetness can be offset by a touch of brandy in the whipped cream.

This recipe creates a pie filling of a lovely, canary-yellow hue. If you dare, you can decorate it with green-dyed coconut shavings and whole Peeps on top. Another variation is to substitute the semisweet chocolate with one or two crushed toffee bars, which are a perfect complement to the marshmallow.

Chocolate and Peeps Pie

1 1/2 cups graham crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 full packages of Peeps, 30 Peeps total (your choice of color), plus additional for garnish
1/3 cup hot milk
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon brandy
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into small chunks and chilled in freezer (or two toffee bars chopped into bite-size pieces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine.
Mix butter, sugar and crushed graham crackers in a bowl. Press mixture evenly into the sides and bottom of a 9-inch pie plate.
Bake crust for 7 minutes until golden. Allow to cool to room temperature. (Crust can be made a day or two in advance and kept fresh in the refrigerator.)
Using a double boiler, stir in hot milk and Peeps until fully melted and uniform in color. Allow to cool to room temperature, 7-10 minutes. Do not allow mixture to stiffen.
Whip cream to stiff peaks using a hand blender or kitchen mixer. Add brandy during mixing.
Using large rubber spatula, fold whipped cream and chocolate pieces into the Peeps mixture. Make sure all of the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
Pour into graham cracker pie shell and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Garnish with green coconut (see below), whole Peeps and/or more chocolate pieces.

Green Coconut Topping

This recipe is adapted from the official Peeps Web site.
2 cups of shredded coconut
6-8 drops green food coloring

Toss coconut in a tightly sealed container with 2-3 drops of food coloring
Continue to add 2-3 more drops to achieve desired shade of green.
Spread colored coconut on a paper towel to dry.
Top pie with coconut.

I heart Wendy's

Small, yet satisfying (not to mention, free!):

Wendy's Jr. Frosty v. Frosty Keychain Card

Big Breakfasts for Big Results

(I have been redeemed!)

By Joe Wilkes

Breakfast. It seems like forever since Mom told us breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but one study shows it's actually true—she wasn't just nagging us. Breakfast is a key component of weight management: A study presented at the 90th annual meeting of the Endocrine Society showed that participants who consumed large breakfasts high in protein and carbohydrates followed by a low-carb, low-calorie diet for the rest of the day lost almost five times as much weight as the participants who followed a low-carb, high-protein diet throughout the day. So what's the big deal about breakfast? And what is a big breakfast anyway? It doesn't seem like the lumberjack special at the local diner would do much to get the pounds off, so what should we be eating?

The study supported the idea that when we wake up in the morning, our bodies want food. You've burned through all the fuel from the previous day, and now your body's ready to burn anything—even muscle—to get a jump-start on the day. And if you skip breakfast, muscle is indeed what your body will burn. Later in the day, your brain is still in starvation mode from breakfast (or lack thereof), so your body will store all the calories you eat as adipose tissue, or fat, to save up for the next day when you try to starve it again. This study also found that levels of serotonin, the chemical responsible for controlling cravings, were much higher in the morning, which is why breakfast is the meal so many of us are willing to skip. But if our bodies are left unfed, our serotonin levels drop, and our bodies' craving for sweets begin to rise throughout the day.

But before you hit McDonald's^® for their 800-calorie Big Breakfast, or worse, their 1,150-calorie Deluxe Breakfast, or you swing by Denny's^® for a 740-calorie Grand Slam^® or 950-calorie All-American Slam^® with hash browns, keep in mind these weren't the breakfasts the study participants consumed. The big-breakfast group had a 610-calorie breakfast as part of a 1,240-calorie day. Breakfasts included milk, lean meat, cheese, whole grains, a serving of healthy fat, and one ounce of chocolate or candy to defray the craving for sweets. The other group's participants consumed 1,085 calories per day as part of a high-protein, low-carb diet; only 290 of their daily calories were consumed at breakfast. Both groups were on their respective diets for 8 months. The high-protein group lost an average of nine pounds, but the big-breakfast group lost an average of 40 pounds. And, perhaps not surprisingly, the big-breakfast group complained less about cravings and hunger.

I Heart Coffee (a little too much?)

LOS ANGELES — Starbucks Corp will roll out its biggest drink size yet — the 31-ounce "Trenta" — in all of its U.S. coffee shops by May 3.

The new size will be available only for iced coffee, iced tea and iced tea lemonade drinks in the United States. The Trenta is 7 ounces larger than Starbucks’ “Venti” cup for iced drinks, which currently is its largest size on offer.

Drinks in the Trenta size will cost 50 cents more than similar Venti-sized iced drinks, the company said.

Seattle-based Starbucks tested the new size in several U.S. markets last year, saying it was responding to customer demand for larger cold beverages.

The Trenta size will debut in 14 states, including Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Hawaii and Arizona, on Jan. 18 and in California on Feb. 1.

The world’s biggest coffee chain said unsweetened drinks in the new size will have fewer than 90 calories and that sweetened versions will have less than 230 calories.

Pearls of Wisdom

"A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate."
-Proverbs 15:17 (New Living Translation)

Duck Sauce

Best duck I've had to date:

Duck breast w/ black current sauce and wild rice

Courtesy of La Chaumière
2813 M Street, NW (Georgetown)
Washington, DC 20007

(Thank you, TP.)

Holiday Spirit(s)

Whoa, Guinness and champagne?:

Black Velvet
Ingredients:
-3 ounces Guinness stout, chilled
-3 ounces Champagne or other sparkling wine, chilled.

Preparation:
Fill a champagne flute halfway with the Guinness. Carefully pour the sparkling wine over the back of a spoon to fill the rest of the glass.Yield: 1 drink.

For more festive drinks: click here.

Pearls of Wisdom

"A balanced diet is a donut . . . in each hand."

(True story.)

Thanksgiving Turkey Cake

Whether this Thanksgiving centerpiece incites horror, amazement, or confusion when it’s served, it’s certain to evoke some kind of outburst. Warning: This dish is not recommended for people who require an inch of space between food groups.

Game plan: The mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes can be made ahead. Rewarm them just prior to assembling the cake, so they are easy to spread.

If your attention lapses and the marshmallows happen to burn or catch fire while broiling (this actually happened to us), relax and just blow out the flames. Peel away the burnt marshmallows, leaving the sweet potato layer intact, and start over with a fresh topping of marshmallows.

To get the recipe and see photos of how to assemble this craziness: click here.

Baked and Wired

If you ever find yourself in Georgetown and see a pink bicycle on the street... halt, look up, and prepare yourself for utter deliciousness - you're at Baked and Wired:

This place is awesome.

My TP and I found ourselves in Georgetown one sunny Sunday evening and decided to try and satisfy our craving for bubble tea (or what TP affectionately calls "boba").

In our quest, however, we snagged a money (parking) spot that happened to be right next to the (in)famous Georgetown Cupcake location in D.C. TP asked me if I wanted to try it and I said "yes" - even though I only wanted to try it to hate it.

But then, we turned the corner and saw this:

There was no way that we were about to wait in a line that stretched nearly a city block for one measly little cuppy cake.

We continued our quest for bubble tea but on our way to this place called Snap, our eyes were diverted by this:

TP had the good sense to put our boba quest on hold and take a look inside this pink portal - and what treasures we did find.

The cupcakes at Baked and Wired are huge. Massive. Made for 2 - but can be eaten by 1, of course.

We got the Smurfette - a seasonal flavor: fresh blueberries based into vanilla cake with lemon buttercream frosting. (Sorry, I don't have a photo - I was completely lost in the amazing goodness of it all.)

TP also picked the nutella brownie and the apricot crunch bar with an oatmeal crust.

The Cake: pretty dense and full of flavor - the blueberries were whole and so fresh, the vanilla was warm, yet delicate
The Frosting: the buttercream itself was the perfect balance of air and substance, and the lemon was just tangy enough with it acidity to compliment its sweetness
Overall: A+

The Bar: the oatmeal crust was perfectly buttery, but mostly made up of oats (probably steel cut), it was a fairly thin layer on the bottom, and filled with what was undeniably Bonne Maman apricot preserves (aka. the best), with another helping of an oatmeal crumble on top, this was one of the best fruit bars I've ever tasted
Overall: A+

The Brownie: you could barely taste any Nutella in the brownie and it was frosted with chocolate (which you may or may not prefer), the size and density of the brownie itself was good and there weren't too many nuts in it, but in the end it was just a brownie
Overall: B-

Even the "wired" (coffee) part of the store was good eats - excuse me, drinks.

Next time, I want to try the Vanilla Latte cupcake and I know TP wants to try the Chai cupcake:

I may also have to try a big ass cookie and a slice of TWSS cake:

I will have to try Georgetown Cupcake eventually - but only to confirm that Baked and Wired is far superior.

Scallops with Lime & Cilantro Couscous

Scallops:
- Heat extra virgin olive oil on medium high to high heat
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Sear the scallops for 3-5 minutes on each side
- Remove from heat, set aside to cool

Lime & Cilantro Couscous:
- 1 1/2 cups whole grain couscous (we used Harris Teeter brand)
- 2 3/4 cups of water or chicken stock (we used reduced-sodium chicken stock)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (I put in way too much and TP had to fix it)
- a drizzle of olive oil (instead of butter)
- a dash of garlic powder and pepper to taste

Serves 2:
- Make a bed of couscous
- Lay scallops on top
- Sprinkle with torn cilantro leaves
- Squeeze fresh lime juice just before serving (don't be afraid to use a generous amount - it tastes amazing)

Sugar Rush

Everything You Need to Know about the Glycemic Index
By Steve Edwards

Those of you who pay attention to your diet probably hear a lot about something called the glycemic index (GI) these days. It's become another in a growing list of misunderstood buzzwords in the nutrition world. Today, we'll take a look at everything you need to know about the GI, which is going to take a lot less of your time than reading through an entire GI diet book.

That's not to ding these books, by the way. If you're bored, you'll probably learn something by reading any one of them. But in my experience, the GI isn't the be-all and end-all of your diet concerns. So I take the opposite approach and say that if you learn to eat properly you can strike the phrase from your vocabulary entirely.Simply put, the GI is a way to measure how carbohydrates react in your blood. It's measured on a scale from 1 to 100+, where products with a GI of 55 or under are classified as low GI, those with a GI between 56 and 69 are classified as medium GI, while those with GI of 70 and above are classified as high GI. A high GI number means that a food is quickly converted to glucose in the blood (in layman's terms, a "sugar rush"). The lower the number, the slower the food is converted to glucose. The scale was invented for people with diabetes, but the advent of processed foods becoming a cornerstone of the American diet and the rise of type 2 diabetes have given the average person a good reason to pay attention to the GI index of foods.

Essentially, if we ate nothing but natural whole foods, the GI scale would have little meaning for anyone who didn't have diabetes. Even then, the highest GI foods have low numbers in their natural state. It's the cooking and processing of food that alters it so it breaks down much more rapidly. Eating too much food that's converted to glucose rapidly can lead to type 2 diabetes over time. Pretty much, the highest of high GI foods are processed junk foods. There are a few exceptions, which we'll get to, but essentially, if we eat a balanced healthy diet with very little junk food, the GI index is far less important to us.

Sugar is the big villain in the GI world. In nature, sugar comes from plants, where it's surrounded by fiber. Fiber in foods slows digestion, lowering the GI number of even foods that are high in sugar, like bananas. Processing, as well as some types of cooking, breaks down or strips these plants of their fiber. This makes them sweeter to the taste, but it also makes them less healthy. And along with the fiber, processing usually removes a lot of the vitamins and minerals.

The main problem with the American diet, as stated above, is that we're eating too many processed foods. Although we seem to understand that desserts are mainly sugar, crafty advertisers have been pulling the wool over our eyes by hiding the fact that most American processed foods are not much better for us than sugary desserts are. Breads, cereals, some potatoes and pastas, some rice, crackers, chips, fruit juices, sodas, and condiments, plus almost anything that's ever received a "no fat" label or comes in a box or bag, is high in sugar and probably low in fiber and nutrients. When these processed, packaged foods are all you're eating, you cause your body's insulin response to work overtime. Do this enough, especially without exercise (the great equalizer in the sugar game), and you can wind up with type 2 diabetes.

Of course not every food in the categories I listed above is bad. There are companies that make healthy versions of pretty much everything. But marketers can be tricky. As a consumer, it can be hard to know what you're getting. Even reading food labels can be misleading, which is why every diet that comes with a Beachbody® program consists mainly of whole, natural foods.

So the very simple rule is to make sure your diet consists mainly of whole, natural foods and you will no longer have to pay attention to the GI index. There are some variables worth mentioning, especially since eating nothing but natural foods can be challenging in today's hectic world. Here are 10 quick tips to help you understand the GI index:

1. Desserts. These tend to be mainly sugar and/or fat, and as such, they generally don't try to fool anyone with health claims. If we could keep our desserts small and make them a once-a-day indulgence, we'd have no problems. My tip is to do just that: with desserts, keep a close eye on portion size and frequency. Also, fatty desserts lower the GI influence of the sugar, meaning that, especially if you're insulin sensitive, a richer, fattier dessert might actually be preferable to a "no fat" dessert that's all sugar. But either way, unless you're diabetic or borderline, if indulging in desserts is the only way you stray from your diet, it's not going to cause much harm in the big picture.

Gordon Biersch: Beer and the Old Man

This next statement may be somewhat controversial, but: BEER > WINE.

And until I feel otherwise, I will always look for a bar before a winery (unless I can get a brut, a cava, or, you know, a glass of champagne).

I know, I know. Gordon Biersch is a chain restaurant. But, if it is a chain, that probably means you have gone there at least once - and will probably frequent it again. Therefore, this post is justified.

When my TP and I walked in, an older gentleman (who didn't turn out to be such a "gentleman" at all) motioned for us to come sit next to him at the bar.

• Did we know him from Adam? No. 
• Was it a bit creepy and random? Very. 
• But did we sit by him anyway? Yes.

He was clearly a regular - telling us what beers to get and pestering us to order the garlic fries (which we did not).

Our friendly bartender immediately offered us the beer sampler, so that we could decide which one was our favorite and would get us through the rest of the night.

They were out of their seasonal brew (sadness), but we tried the Golden Export, Märzen, Schwarzbier, and Czech Pilsner.

Beer Sampler

From L to R: Golden Export, Märzen, Schwarzbier, Czech Pilsner

My favorite was the Golden Export:

Golden Export

A smooth, refreshing lager, lightly hopped with a dry finish. The demand was so high when it was first brewed in the 1870s, that it was “exported” to other regions in Germany.
Original gravity: 11.5° Plato
Alcohol by volume: 5.00%
Bitterness units: 17

TP's favorite was the Hefeweizen:

Hefeweizen (hay-fa-VEIT-sen)

A German-style wheat beer that is crisp and refreshing. This light and sparkling beer is known for its signature aroma that suggests cloves and bananas.
Original gravity: 12.5° Plato
Alcohol by volume: 5.50%
Bitterness units: 12

The old man insisted that his favorite, the Märzen, was the best, but I wasn't too impressed.

And what's a night out without spontaneous tequila shots - Patron with training wheels (salt and lime). Again, the old man demanded that we put the lime in our mouths before taking the shot (which we did not). The rim was over salted, but it went down as smooth as always.

Homer:Us :: Peter:The Old Man

The old man may have been a little thorn in our sides, but it made for an interesting night at a regular old chain.

Neisha Thai

My TP and I were searching for a small meal - just enough to ready our stomachs for some adult beverages later, if you catch my drift. So, we found ourselves at Neisha Thai on the one side of the Tysons Corner Center that I never knew existed.

As soon as we walked in TP noticed that that music we heard over the sounds of running water from the fountain in the middle of the restaurant sounded real - and indeed it was. Neisha Thai provides the rare entertainment of live music on the weekends! That night, it was a pair (who seemed to be a married couple) playing the flute and guitar. They even played my favorite Bach piece, Wachet Auf! (Sleepers Awake!).

Normally, I am quite wary of food establishments that carry too much on their menu, but I think Neisha Thai may be an exception to this rule. Despite all of their many offerings, however, we decided to go with their famous passion beef, Thai iced-tea, and a very traditional dessert.

The Thai Iced-Tea: the tea to condensed milk ratio was about 1:1, so if you like more tea to milk, then this is not for you, but the flavor of the tea itself came through
Overall: B+

The passion beef is their critically acclaimed flank steak that is marinated for three days before being cooked and served. It came out on a hot plate topped with ginger and a side of red cabbage and carrots.

The Meat: the meat was ultra tender due to the 3-day marinade extravaganza, we barely even had to use our knives, the slices were perfectly thick and slightly greater than bite-sized
The Marinade: TP wanted to try this because it sounded like Korean kalbi - I think it tasted more akin to bulgogi marinade, and definitely more on the sweet (rather than savory) side, which wasn't a bad thing . . . and neither were the sesame seeds on top, which everyone knows I love
The Topping and Sides: the only down side to this dish was the unreasonably massive heap of ginger atop the meat, and the sides of cabbage and carrots were a welcomed addition of veggies, but not terribly well seasoned
Overall: A

Passion Beef

Mango with sticky rice seems to be the most traditional Thai dessert. I appreciate the fact that even the the way I have seen it plated is the systematic and consistent across restaurants. What it is is fresh mango, sliced and fanned out along side sweet sticky rice topped with condensed milk and, in this case, dry, roasted/toasted (not sure which) mung beans. My sister had been encouraging me to try this dish for months before I finally got a chance to share it with a few friends at Vannipa in Falls Church, VA - where they served it with sesame seeds (yum!) instead of mung beans.

The Mango: literally, one half of a beautiful, ripe mango, fanned out with the top still in tact - delicious
The Rice: very sticky and very sweet - just the way it should be
The Toppings: you can never really go wrong with condensed milk, and the mung beans (as opposed to sesame seeds) added a subtle, nutty flavor and a wonderful crunch
Overall: A+

Mango with sticky rice

Rustico

Q: "What goes better with fire grilled food than beer?" -Rustico Restaurant & Bar
A: Nothing. -The Ironical Transcendentalist

My TP took me to Rustico just off the parkway of the north end of Old Town Alexandria, VA. It is located a stone's throw away from Buzz in a red brick building with a clock tower (very Back to the Future-esque).

As soon as we stepped in, I immediately took to the warmth of the brick oven nestled in the kitchen surrounded by dark colors and bold mosaics. I also noticed the upside-down water bottles that acted as vases for wild flowers in the foyer.

The food is American, but their pride is their selection of over 300 beers.

Our friendly waiter recommended the Otter Creek IPA, which I loved - it was dry and very hoppy:

My TP ordered the cheeseburger on a brioche bun and nice, big steak fries.

The Burger: very moist and lighter than it appeared, the cheese was melted nicely
The Bun: the brioche added a fancy touch to the burger, quite airy and even lighter than the burger
The Fries: tasted just like Boardwalk Fries, so if you love those, you'd love these - although they were a bit on the burnt side
Overall: B+

We made our own pizza by adding salami to the traditional Margarhita with mozzarella and basil.

The Crust: passed my snobby crust test - stuck straight out at a 90 degree angle when I held it by its end - lightly dusted with flour with just enough crunch and chew
The Sauce: decent tomato sauce, not bad, not anything special
The Toppings: Ben and Jerry's style toppings were a hit, big chunks of mozzarella combined with big, but not-too-thickly-sliced pieces of good quality salami, and not too much basil
Overall: A+

[Sorry, lost my pics.]

Next time, I want to try the duck confit and cracklin' pizza:

Bacon Pancakes

From an old advertisement from Rath Black Hawk Bacon:

Look at that 1:1 bacon-to-pancake ratio!

(Why don't they make these anymore?)

Buzz

For the past few months, I have been trying tons of new places in the D.C.-metropolitan area thanks to my new tasting partner ("TP"). TP and I were waiting for a table at Rustico (post to come), and decided to cross the street for dessert at Buzz:

There are assigned seats where laptops are not allowed (very anti-Starbucks, ey?) and boardgames to play.

This photo is an accurate representation of the clientele: a set of hipster parents with a baby stroller, a middle-aged man reading a book, and a group of yuppies chillin':

I know that cupcakery has become a foodie phenomenon as of late, and some people hate it and can't wait for the so-called "fad" to die out, and others live for the stuff (even substituting cupcakes for a wedding cake...which is madness to me, personally).

I am not sure as to where I stand on the cupcake issue, but of these things I am sure:

1. I love eating dessert before dinner.
2. Cupcakes are desserts.
3. I was craving a cupcake like no other this day. 

As you can see from the pictures, the prices are fairly reasonable: from $2.25 to 2.75 for one cupcake (comparable to the $2.75 Georgetown Cupcakes).

I got a traditional vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting - decorated with little white round sprinkles, which gave it a nice texture.

The Frosting: light and airy (not for dense-butter-cream-lovers) could taste the butter, but not too sweet
The Cake: also light and airy, with a nicely browned top, just sweet enough
The Presentation: other cupcakes were very festive and cartoonish, but mine was very simple and elegant
Overall Taste: A, I very much appreciated the smaller size of the cupcake and the cake to frosting ratio (5:1) was just right for my mood that day because I wanted more cake and less frosting, but what I liked even more was how lightly sweetened both the cake and frosting were - and I was thrilled by the unique crunch and look of the white sprinkles.

TP got the blueberry tart with a white chocolate cigarette.

The Crust: light and butter, pretty moist, very thin - the tart to fruit ratio was 1:9 (not for thick-crust-lovers)
The Filling: heavy on the fruit - big, plump, whole blueberries in a sweet sugar sauce 
Overall Taste: A-, I enjoyed the thinner crust and the massive amount of berries, but I wouldn't call it a traditional blueberry tart, and the taste wasn't out of the ordinary, but good.

Overall, I give this place a solid A because the portion-size was excellent, they weren't heavy-handed on the sugar, and the ambiance was playful and fun.

They also had an interesting selection of Belgian and German beers, along with coffee, tea, wine, and cocktails. 

Although we always say this, and have yet to do it so far, we will go back again - and maybe we'll try the bacon cupcake:

. . . and I will most definitely be getting a slice of the Lemon Ice Box Pie.


Mottos:
"Eat, Pray, Love." -That lady played by Julia Roberts
"Eat, Drink, Play." -Buzz
"Drink, Play, F*ck." -Andrew Gottlieb, hilarious parody writer

Sweet Tooth

I must try Humphry Slocombe ice-cream.

Jake Godby’s intention when he opened Humphry Slocombe in December 2008 was to create a challenging ice cream store. He has succeeded. The physical plant is straight-up soda-fountain retro: black-and-white tile floor, chrome-and-red-leather stools, simple Formica bar. Then there is the art, which tends toward food punk. Across from the front door hang four knockoff Warhol paintings, Campbell’s soup cans labeled Secret Breakfast, Salt & Pepper, Hibiscus Beet and Fetal Kitten. (The first three are Humphry Slocombe ice cream flavors; the fourth is Godby’s stock response to the question “What crazy new flavor are you making next?”) A mount of a taxidermied two-headed calf protrudes above the bar.

The three hipster-geeks started squirming and making frat-house jokes. “Dude, you need to eat that!” one said to another, picking a lard caramel off the counter. Godby’s palate favors salt, booze and meat. Each day he scoops 10 to 12 of his hundred-plus ice cream flavors, favorites including Jesus Juice (red wine and Coke) and Boccalone Prosciutto. Godby also produces novelties in the what might be called the nose-to-tail dessert paradigm: duck-fat pecan pies, foie-gras ginger-snap ice cream sandwiches, treats that incorporate odd animal parts. On occasion, next to the register (cash only), he sets out a glass-covered cake stand filled with brownies. Nobody buys them. As Godby, in his uniform of long green shorts, blue apron and white Chuck Taylors, explains, “I can’t sell cupcakes to save my life.”

D.C. Cupcake Contest

This past weekend, a few friends and I made Cookie Monster cupcakes for a birthday party:
(a couple very special people even handmade the white chocolate eyes!)


Today, I discovered that Washingtonians showed that they are what they bake with entries to Dupont Circle bakery Hello Cupcake's "Design Your D.C." cupcake challenge. The amateur cake decorators crafted D.C.-inspired cupcakes that reflected their love for the city, and the panel of judges chose winners for: most creative use of fondant; most likely to be eaten; best use of theme and best-designed political statement.


Winner for Most Creative Use of Fondant:
(Metro map)


Winner for Best-Designed Political Statement:
(D.C. Statehood)


For Obama lovers:
(Nom Obama)


For Obama haters:
(Washington Chopping Cherry Tree/Obama Chopping Money Tree)


Foggy Bottom:


Panda at the National Zoo:

Recycle DC:

Snowpocolypse:

Eat Cupcake, Be Happy -- A Tribute to Chinatown:


Grand Prize Winner for Best Overall Cupcake Design & Most Likely to be Eaten:
(Chinese take-out)


Yay, Maryland crabs!:


Of course, there were not 1 but 3 Ben's Chili Bowl cupcake entries:



(This one is my fave:)