Congrats Baskets!

I was asked to create gift baskets to congratulate three magazine editors on new positions or posts. They were delivered by messenger on one of the first sunny days of spring -- I think they would have been perfect for an impromptu picnic on the Highline (or at their desks)!

I love making gift baskets, and I always want to fill them with some usual suspects (sweets, baked goods) along with a mix of unusual items to make it all a little more personal.

These are a great way to say thanks, sorry, feel better, congrats or happy anything, anytime.

I work with all budgets and for all occasions - email me!

Gift basket #1 -- Fashion Editor, Lucky magazine

Contents in a chartreuse bicycle basket:

2 cans Sofia Blanc de Blanc

Mexican chocolate brownies

Chocolate chunk cookies

Handmade sourdough pretzels

Vintage candy

Tiny Japanese eraser

Pretty cocktail napkins

Miniature potted pansy

Party popper!

Gift basket #2 -- Fashion Editor, Esquire magazine

Contents in a wooden crate:

Fifth of Jameson Irish Whisky

Mexican chocolate brownies

Chocolate chunk cookies

Handmade sourdough pretzels

Vintage candy

Spicy, artisinal beef jerkey

Japanese twin ice ball tray

Miniature potted pansy

Party popper!

Gift basket #3 -- Editor-in-Chief, W magazine

Contents in a Shaker picnic basket:

Split of Prosecco

Mexican chocolate brownies

Chocolate chunk cookies

Handmade sourdough pretzels

Vintage candy

Frank Lloyd Wright cocktail napkins

Party popper!

The finishing touches....

BPMW Editor's Day Spring 2010

WILD STYLE!

I was asked to provide snacks and refreshments for editors day at BPMW again this season. The men's wear pr showroom hosts editors from leading magazines, plus stylists for hour-long appointments to preview collections. This time they were showing A/W 2010 and went with a wilderness theme, inspired by all the Americana and plaid running through the collections. With invites that said "Wild Style" the showroom was then decked out with taxidermy and tree branches a la The Blair Witch Project.

I decided to make two platters, put out in the early afternoon for continuous grazing. One with fruit, cheese, crudite and the other with cheese, crackers and assorted meats. I used some nice greens to line the platters and tin cans to hold the breadsticks and meats for an outdoorsy/camping feel. Crowd favorites were the spicy beef jerkey I hunted down in Chinatown and a local buffalo wing-style, sharp cheddar from Yancey's Fancy Cheese

I also made Black Forest cupcakes - dark chocolate with pastry cream and sour cherries with ganache frosting. I piped a cute little cherry on top of each one. I stirred up a huge bowl of whiskey sour punch with floating blood orange slices and a fun time was had by all.

Brownie SOS!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies

After eating one of my Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies at the (capsule) trade show, one of the buyers from Bloomingdales said she couldn't stop thinking about them. Of course I told her about my special home delivery service and a batch was baked, carefully packaged and sent over to her place. These brownies were created out of my love for Mexican Ibarra chocolate, and they are mighty tasty. Email me if you want some to share with friends, or all for yoursef!

All dressed up and ready to go

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I was asked to make some St. Patty's Day snacks for an office party. I pushed the green theme as far as I could while remaining fresh and yummy without being over-the-top. I was really happy with the results:

Mini chocolate cupcakes with green vanilla buttercream

Green goddess dip with green and white crudite

basil chicken salad in pastry cups

Compass Tradeshow

I was asked to provide afternoon snacks for the vendors and buyers at the Compass trade show here in NYC. It took place on the ground floor of the Puck Building on Lafayette St Monday and Tuesday. I decided to keep it very simple and make a few yummy treats that people would like to grab quickly after a hard day of wheeling and dealing on the show floor. 'Switch was there providing sandwiches for lunch and the cafe Bustelo girls were there hawking nice strong cups of espresso and cappuccino. I set up shop on the Puck building's long, antique wooden bar in the north side of the first floor. I brought along an amazing antique sterling tray that I found in Brimfield many years ago and displayed a sample of each tasty treat on a little doily. All the stock was individually wrapped in cello bags to take on the go. The first day went so well that they asked me to bring breakfast the next day too, so I whipped up some apple bran muffins at 5am and headed down to one of my favorite spots Kossar's Bialys, a real old school NYC joint and picked up a few dozen bagels. A big crew from Nordstrom were there super early and they were hungry!

For sale were my Mocha S'mores Brownies, 7-Layer Bars, tiny Zucchini Loaves, Monster Cookies, bags of Candied Spiced Nuts, Mini Vanilla Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream, and Mini Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes.

*Compass photos via Freshnessmag.com

*Food photos by Jacob Krupnik

Palladium Shoes Press Event at SubMercer

I was asked to cater a press preview for Palladium boots, (makers of the iconic, rubber soled French Paratrooper boots that are back with a fashion vengence!) at the subMercer - a secret-ish little bar beneath the Mercer Hotel (get it? subMercer?). If you've never been, try this: stumble through the hotel lobby, then down to the restaurant, then past the bathrooms, past the door guy and through the wine cellar...maybe if you act like you know what you're doing you can get in! Celebs and NYC players love it for its down low ambiance, sleek and dark design, and maybe for the private corner with a stirpper pole? Trust me, it's cool.

To suit the boots and the venue, I tried to keep things cool, classic and delicious. There were Phyllo cups with Duxelle - a french mushroom dish that is usually spread in between the layers of beef and puff pastry in a classic beouf en croute. Endive leaves with roasted red and yellow beets with local goat cheese, radish sprouts and a little drizzle of vinaigrette came out really well. Parmesan pinwheels and candied spiced nuts rounded out the offerings and kept revelers snack happy.