After last week's recipe of the week for Hamburger Cookies ran, Pat Haber topped it with Hamburger Cupcakes.
"The cupcakes actually taste much better, I think, than the cookies," she said. And make for bigger laughs, we think.
She said someone brought them to her son's barbecue in San Francisco and she added her own touches to an Internet recipe. "I'm trying to figure out how to add pickles," she said.
She also said she has a recipe for French Fry Poundcake with ketchup.
Anyone else have a lookalike recipe? Send it, along with a picture, so we can all have a chuckle.
Hamburger Cupcakes
12 chocolate cupcakes
12 vanilla cupcakes
Frosting
Shredded coconut
Green food coloring
Red food coloring
Yellow food coloring
A bit of orange juice or milk, for brushing
Sesame seeds
Cut vanilla cupcakes in half horizontally, and cut the tops off the chocolate cupcakes.
Mix half the frosting with red food coloring. (Haber added a tiny bit of yellow to make it more ketchup-colored.)
Mix the other half of the frosting with the yellow food coloring to get desired color. (Haber said she used quite a bit of yellow.)
Put yellow frosting on one side of the vanilla cupcakes, put half a chocolate cupcake on top of that, then add the other frosting.
You can also use the shredded coconut mixed with light green food coloring for the "lettuce."
Put the top of the vanilla cupcake on top of everything. Brush with milk or orange juice, and sprinkle sesame seeds on it. Makes 12 cupcakes.
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Martha Ryan, chef and proprietor of Martha's Leelanau Table in Suttons Bay, is offering cooking classes this summer. They're open to all ages; children and teens must be accompanied by an adult.
Classes start June 24, 6 p.m., and continue every Wednesday throughout the summer.
-- June 24: Farm Market Mystery Box; cooking what's local and seasonal
-- July 1: Italian Family Cooking
-- July 8: Cajun Night
-- July 15: The Chef and the Winemaker with Shawn Walters from 45 North
-- July 22: Singles Night
-- July 29: Dinner and a Movie; cook and eat from one of Martha's favorite movies, during TC's Film Festival Week.
-- Aug. 5: Farm Market Mystery Box
-- Aug. 12: Spanish Road Trip, using Mario Batali's book, "Spain, A Culinary Road Trip, with Gwyneth Paltrow."
-- Aug. 19: The "Art" of Cooking, with guest artist Claud Mills
-- Aug. 26: Food and Wine Pairing with wine expert Becky Hemmingsen
Classes cost $95 each and include that night's recipes, a glass of local wine and the multi-course dinner prepared during the class.
Call 271-2344 for reservations. Classes are limited to 10 people.
Meanwhile, Mario Batali gave a shout-out to Martha's in the "Big Black Book" edition of Esquire magazine.
Batali calls Leelanau County the "best place on earth" and singles out Martha's Leelanau Table for its "simple Alice Waters sensibility."
Waters is co-owner of Chez Panisse in Berkley, Calif., and a leader of the local food movement.
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Food For Thought's fourth annual Green Cuisine event is scheduled for July 15, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Also that day, a Green Fashion Show and Luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., featuring locally designed and produced fashions, hair styling and accessories.
Lunch will be local, of course, much of it from Food for Thought's own farm, 10704 Oviatt Road, Honor.
You can help underwrite the luncheon/fashion show for as little as $25; register online at www.foodforthought.net.
The Green Cuisine event, featuring 19 food and beverage vendors and six lifestyle/awareness groups, is free, although registration is required.
Green Cuisine is a "zero-waste" event, with a goal of all waste generated to be reusable, recyclable or compostable.
Last year, organizers said, with more than 800 people eating and drinking, there was less than one ounce of waste.
For more information, call 326-5444 or go to www.foodforthought.net.
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Trattoria Stella is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a Father's Day picnic to benefit the Michigan Land Use Institute.
Paul and Amanda Danielson have been devoted to using local food -- also a mission of MLUI -- since opening.
"We have found that much of the best food we can find is grown within 20 miles of our kitchen door," Paul Danielson said. "We happily learned that while we can put together a wine list to compare with the best in the country, much of ours comes from our own region."
Chef Myles Anton works directly with more than 45 area farmers, many of whom have increased their plantings to supply the 165-seat restaurant.
All the food at the "Stellar Picnic," scheduled for June 21 from noon to 4 p.m. on the lawn of Building 50 at the Grand Traverse Commons, will come from local farms. The menu will include buffalo, pork, potatoes, strawberries, cream and more. There will be music and children's games. Tickets are available at Stella, 1200 W. 11th St., for $10 person or $25 per family.
For more information, call 929-8989 or go to www.stellatc.com.
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A reader called in last week asking about something he'd read in the Record-Eagle a year or so ago that said you could tell the freshness of bread by the color of the tie on the bag.
We didn't find the actual mention of it in our archives, but researched it a little on the Internet, which is apparently where the theory launched.
According to Snopes.com, trackers of urban myths, it's true.
And, according to several Web sites, the main order the ties go in is:
-- Monday: blue
-- Tuesday: green
-- Wednesday: red
-- Thursday: white
-- Friday: yellow
The colors are in alphabetical order.
Now, keep in mind, this is the day of the week the bread is delivered. The colored tags are to help the people who stock the bread; you shouldn't see more than two colors any day of the week -- that day's color and the color from the day before. Also, it varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, so this handy tip isn't all that foolproof, nor is it all that valuable. Bread is typically only on the store shelf for two days, so what you buy is pretty fresh anyway.
However, if you use this system for your bread-buying, let us know how it works.
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The Visitors and Convention Bureau is seizing on the region's reputation as a "foodie destination" by showcasing 17 area food and wine makers in a display that runs all summer.
"A Taste of Traverse" will feature the well-known, such as Doug Murdick's fudge, Grand Traverse Pie Co., Cherry Republic and Moomer's, as well as some of the lesser-knowns, such as Naturally Nutty Nut Butters, Popkie's popcorn, biscotti from Way North Foods and tea from Light of Day Organics.
The visitor center is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. During some days this summer, representatives from the food companies will be on hand to dispense samples. For more information, call 947-0692.
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Local cook Marie Rizzio has a recipe featured in the June edition of Cooking Light, in the Reader Recipe column.
Giant Chocolate Chunk Cookies
5 ozs. all-purpose flour (about 1 c. plus 2 T.)
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 t. vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray
Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, soda and salt in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer a medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg whites; beat well. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough into 6 equal portions; place dough portions 2 inches apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2 minutes on pan; cool on a wire rack. Makes 6 giant cookies.
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If you have food news or questions, write to: Cook's Corner, Traverse City Record-Eagle, P.O. Box 632, Traverse City, MI 49685; call (231) 933-1511 or (800) 968-8273; or e-mail jtaylor@record-eagle.com.
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