When is a cupcake not a cupcake?

It has come to my attention that many people claim to make cupcakes. I can't walk into a well-known food hall or local bakery without a pretty pastel coloured cake winking at me with its' cheeky "come eat me" icing.
Let me tell you, I have eaten many cupcakes in my life but I'm afraid I've never come across what I would describe as a genuine cupcake in the UK.

The humble cupcake started out as a small cake which was baked in a 'cup' which was any sort of tin, tray etc and they measured the quantities needed for the cake by 'cups' a la American recipes. Since then the cakes and quantities have grown and cupcakes come in many different shapes and sizes as well as colours and flavours. Yum!

However, since they were popularised (many claim through Sex and the City) the cupcake has been crucified and is no longer, in my opinion, a cupcake.

If you want a cupcake head to Magnolia Bakery on Bleeker St, New York. This is the bakery where Carrie and Miranda sat outside and shared cupcakes. This is the bakery which creates wonderful cupcakes, so good they have their own cupcake cookbooks! This is the benchmark for cupcakes.

There are many other great cupcake companies out there - many deliver using mail order so you can have cupcakes to your hearts delight but I stress, I am yet to try a good honest UK cupcake.

The reason for this post was I purchased a couple of cupcakes from a local bakery. I knew from their icing that they were probably not cupcakes...on eating them my suspicions were confirmed...they were fairy cakes disguised as cupcakes. Should I report the bakery to Trading Standards for false advertising? Would they care? Well, if they had tried a proper cupcake they would!

Comforting foods for wintery days

This week I enjoyed a drive up to Gairloch for work. It was a stunning drive. The winter weather meant clear skies, bright sunshine and a view of snow-covered mountains in the distance. It is a great time of year by all accounts.

When I arrived in Gairloch I was due to give a talk at a local hotel and was just in time for lunch. Given the cold weather and shortness of time being my talk I thought the best plan of action would be to order some soup and was given the choice of Scotch Broth or Cream of Celeriac. I love celeriac, and having made good soup with it in the past, I thought this would be a good choice. I should mention that other delicacies on the hand-written menu consisted of “Deep Fried Battered Beetroot” and “Brest of Duck” but my expectations were high.

When my soup arrived however it was more like a bowl of puréed celeriac, very thick and lacking any of the subtly which celeriac offers. Nevertheless the soup was a real ‘stick to your ribs’ substance.

Driving back towards home I noticed my dog was getting very excited about the smells coming from the countryside as we whizzed past. I realised it was because she could smell all the deer that had come down from the hills. The cold weather has been driving them closer to the roads in search of foods where the snow isn’t so heavy or the ground so frozen. Their presence was making my pooch crazy because of their scent. I on the other hand started to think about delicious venison meals I’ve eaten in the past. Venison is by far my favourite meat. It is so lean, tasty and also there are a lot of deer around, over populated in fact so we should be eating more venison where possible. Because of my strange gloopy soupy at lunch time I was reminded of one of my favourite comfort food meals which I thought I would share:

Venison with Celeriac Gratin
Works with most cuts of venison, try a steak for ease those or roast a nice haunch or for a lovely twist eat with cold smoked venison.

• 1 large celeriac, peeled and chopped into large chunks
• 1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 25g salted butter
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 125g Cheddar cheese (or to taste), grated
• 600ml carton double cream
• a handful of chopped fresh parsley leaves

Start by pre-heating the oven to 200°C.
Par-boil your celeriac in boiling water with a pinch of salt until soft. Drain and allow to cool. In the mean time cook the onion and garlic in butter until soft and just starting to turn golden (you want the sweetness of a slightly caramelised onion) and season. Slice the celeriac thinly and place a layer in an ovenproof baking dish. Sprinkle this layer with cheese, add another layer and repeat until you have built up a nice gratin. Pour the cream in with the onions & garlic and mix them together. Finally pour the creamy mixture over the gratin and finish with a sprinkle of cheese on top. Pop it in an oven and bake for about 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown on top.
If you are eating with venison steak you can prepare these about 20 minutes before the gratin will be ready. Remember to give them time to rest before eating. If you are going for the smoked venison option (which I recommend!) then leave the venison out of the fridge for a good couple of hours so it reaches room temperature when serving.
When your gratin is ready, add some parsley to the top and serve all together with green vegetables, braised cabbage or crusty bread! Great with a nice Pinot Noir or Bordeaux.