CakeSpy Undercover: Waffle Bar, Jerusalem, Israel

Photos: Margot L.CakeSpy Note: This is a sweet dispatch from Cake Gumshoe Margot L.!

I discovered the BEST waffles ever while in Jerusalem, Israel, at the Waffle Bar.  Light, fluffy, delicious; served with ice cream and whipped cream (plus your choice of toppings!) and - the best part - served ALL DAY!!!

Well. That plus the photos was just about enough to get me on a plane ASAP, but I also found an interesting writeup on Waffle Bar on GoJerusalem.com:

Jerusalem's nightlife scene is known for its sweet tooth. Sure, the city has its share of pre-drinking gathering spots (and post-revelry munch binge institutions) offering pizza, griddled meats and sandwiches, but in the wee hours, the party people can be observed huddled in highest concentrations around modest, beloved local joints frying up French crepes and Belgian waffles with homemade toppings concocted to order. 

At the turn of the millennium, when the high-concept nightlife-restaurant scene of Shlomtzion Hamalka St. was beginning to reach a fever pitch, some enterprising Jerusalemites decided to take the sweet munch spot idea a step further, adding stylish urban lounge-like design, plush seating, atmospheric lighting, a respectable alcohol menu, and a full cafe menu to the mix. Thus, in the year 2000, Waffle Bar was born. 

Open from the pre-work coffee hours on weekdays and into the wee hours every night, Waffle Bar transports patrons of all ages and from all walks of life to a contemporary, cozy and welcoming place with waffles and crepes topped generously with all imaginable varieties of froths, yogurts, syrups, ice creams, spreads and fruits both fresh and preserved by sheer force of sugar. And yes, sweet staples like chocolate fondue and pancakes are available as well. 

In addition to these sweet concoctions is a variety of savory dishes, with menu sections dedicated to salty crepe variations, five types of cafe-style salad (served with fresh focaccia), pastas, and toasted laffa sanwiches with cheese and vegetable fillings (served with side salads). Waffle Bar also offers shakes, an old-fashioned soda fountain, cocktails and an array of hot drinks. 

The Waffle Bar empire has grown in the years since its launch, with a Derech Beit Lechem branch having been inaugurated in 2008, and newer branches having sprung up on Hillel St. downtown and on Emek Refaim St. as well. All branches are available for private events, takeout and catering.

For more information, visit GoJerusalem.com!

Batter Chatter: Interview with Courtney of Bananappeal, San Francisco

Images c/o BananappealEverybody has a story, but some are more interesting than others. For instance...a baking business centered on the deliciousness of bananas, that all started when the proprietress slipped on a banana peel? Yup, believe it. I was able to catch up with Courtney, the talented and hilarious banana-whisperer behind the San Francisco-based boutique baking business Bananappeal, who dished on her sweet story:

Tell me, baby, what's your story? I have been a baker ever since I was a little girl growing up in the suburbs of Chicago. In high school I started my own catering company with my best friend. We worked weekends and employed our friends to help out for bigger events and actually had a pretty great following for 4 years. After high school, I attended Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration in Ithaca, NY. Although Cornell gave me a hospitality business background, I still wanted to go to pastry school and I enrolled in Napa Valley's Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Afterwards, I was homesick for my college friends who mostly all ended up in NYC working in restaurants. I moved to NYC and took a job working the pastry line at Danny Meyers' restaurant, Eleven Madison Park. Needless to say, I quickly got burnt out working the line there and found myself missing California, specifically Napa. I moved back to Napa in 2008 and took a position as concierge at a boutique luxury resort called Auberge Du Soleil. I actually got paid to drink wine and eat out so I could acquire knowledge to share with hotel guests. After a year and a half, I left Napa to take a job working for Food Network's Tyler Florence and moved to San Francisco, where I currently reside. It was not long before I got the itch to bake again and I decided to start my own company.

I've got to ask, even though everyone else probably does (sorry). Why bananas? Soon after moving to San Francisco, I was walking my shaggy Old English Sheepdog, Wrigley, through Golden Gate Park when I slipped on a banana peel....no really, when I decided to start my own baking business, I knew I had to differentiate myself from other competitors. I have always loved bananas and whenever I dined out, I always found myself saying "This dessert would be so much better if it had bananas in it!" Also, I feel as though bananas are very under-appreciated. After all, they are available year round, they are inexpensive, and for the most part, they are thought of as unglamorous fruit! I want to change that with Bananappeal. Bananas are delicious and they marry well with so many other flavors. Bananas deserve more credit. RESPECT THE BANANA!

Have you ever tried a banana flavor combination that didn't work out? Honestly, I have yet to encounter a flavor combination that hasn't worked well with bananas. If you think it will taste well with bananas, I find that it most often does.

What is your most popular product so far? There is something about the Banana Salted Caramel Frosted Cake that keeps people coming back for seconds, thirds, fourths...

What is the difference between banana bread and banana cake? I think that experts will provide varying answers to this one, but I can speak based on my recipe for my banana cake only. In my experience, banana bread is typically denser and has a firmer crumb while banana cake is more tender (usually because banana breads use flour that has a higher protein content). Also, there is the obvious difference in that banana bread is typically baked in a loaf pan while MY banana cakes are all baked in vintage inspired mason jars.

Do you ever listen to Bananarama while baking? Duh! "Cruel Summer" plays on repeat on my playlist while I bake dressed in my banana suit and I have dance parties in my kitchen. Sometimes my baking gets interrupted though because I have to take a call on my banana phone.

One of your taglines is "giving bananas the credit they deserve." Do you feel that bananas are under-appreciated? Hell yes! See above.

Tell me your thoughts on plantains, because they look like bananas. The only plantains I eat are fried (commonly called tostones) and come alongside mofongo. Spoiler Alert: plantains are NOT a substitute for bananas, especially in baking applications.

If a banana-genie appeared and was prepared to grant three wishes for your business, what would they be right now? 1. A rotating banana for the roof of my delivery van (a.k.a. the Banana Van). This was originally in my business plan, but I had to let go of the dream because it didn't fit in my tiny start-up budget! 2. A pair of elves with tiny, tiny hands to help me *hand tie* all of the twine around my jars. Yes, I spend a LOT of time tying twine. Say that 10 times fast. 3. For Oprah Winfrey to start her show up again, try my cakes, and shreek, "I love Bananappeeeeeeeaaaaaaallllll!!!!!!" and then watch as her guests squeal from excitement as Oprah employees distribute samples throughout the audience. Best. Day. Ever.

Want more? The website, www.bananappeal.com, is still in the oven baking! In the meantime, please find them on Facebook.

Cake Byte: Pick CakeSpy, IFBC New Orleans!

Bless you, Twitter. Because here I was, considering doing something like paying my insurance bill, when you popped up with this via Foodista's IFBC feed:

ATTN: @IFBC #NOLA tix giveaway contest!! Write a post- why u want to attend then tweet post w #IFBC and we'll select 3 bloggers by 8/2!

Well, okay. That sounds a whole lot funner than paying my insurance bill, and I can think of many reasons why I'd like to attend. But I'll just give you the best 3, ok?

1. The festival is August 26-28, and people, August 26th is my birthday. I am turning 30! That is a milestone. I think it would be absolutely appropriate to give me the foodie gift that gives back. 

2. I must be an ambassador of sweetness in New Orleans. I have never been to New Orleans, which is almost embarrassing as it is considered the Mecca for King Cake and Beignets, and is also the place where Bananas Foster was invented. Seriously. And at the festival, which is celebrating the rich culinary traditions of New Orleans and features bakeries Sucre and Parkway Bakery among many other establishments, I know I will get to try some of these sweets at the source. As a professional Cake Gumshoe, I think it is absolutely vital that I have these experiences and report my findings to my sweet readers.

3. OMG! There is a session on recipe development with my heroes Dianne Jacob, Kate McDermott, and Deb Perelman . This would really help me make my next book (I really want a second book to happen, but you know, you can help by pre-ordering book 1) even awesomer, don't you think? 

I already told you it's happening on my birthday, right? OK, just wanted to make sure.

I'd usually say "vote for me" here, but just do it in spirit, because I think it's more of a "throw your name in the hat" type of thing, you know?

For more info, visit the IFBC website.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Enter a giveaway for this cute book!Sweet weekend times ahead...starting now! Here are my favorite links of the week.

Sweet Seattle: Ladies are taking the cake (and the entire dinner too!) as Seattle's new wave of Food influencers.

Sweet Story: Three sweets from Goldilocks Bakery in Cerritos, CA.

Cold and sweet: some wonderful-looking frozen treats in NYC.

Sweet chill: Chunk N Chip: gourmet ice cream sandwiches. YES!

Rolling in Dough: In China, DIY bakeries take off.

Nice buns, hon: Jane's Sweet Buns now open in NYC!

Learn something sweet: I am teaching a class on Guerilla Marketing in Seattle!

Bakery I wanna visit: Baked & Wired in Washington DC!

Just call her Doctor Delicious: Ph D-serts offers custom cakes in Florida!

Bakery I want to visit: SWEET in Hoboken!

Cobbled streets: no, cobbled sweets!

Sweetness: CakeSpy featured on Cookies in the Cupboard!

Suzie Creamcheese: Enter and win in this Philly Cream Cheese baking contest!

Bananarama: Bananappeal makes banana cakes in mason jars, in SF! Awesome.

Sweet Giveaway: Win a Copy of You Are My Cupcake By Joyce Wan!

FACT: You could use some more cuteness in your life. But how? Answer: a copy of You Are My Cupcake , the adorable new book by Joyce Wan, which focuses on terms of endearment, delivered with a ton of cute illustrations.

And--lucky you--Joyce has offered up three copies to give away on this very site! Like, OMG!

How do you enter to win? It's like, so easy. Simply confess the cutest pet name you use for your partner (or your pup, or kitty, or sister, whatever) in the comments section below, or on the CakeSpy Facebook page. It doesn't have to be pastry-related (but you know that we'll probably enjoy those ones best).

Three winners (US only this time, please!) will be chosen at random on next Friday, August 5; the winners will be contacted and announced once they have been confirmed.

Good luck!

Cake Byte: CakeSpy and Laura Bee Designs Featured at SPL on August 4

You already knew that Reading Is Totally Sweet. But next week it's going to be even sweeter: The Seattle Public Library's Central location has a very sweet artist reception planned with myself and Laura Bee Designs!

Here's the 411 from their newsletter:

Come meet Jessie Oleson of Cakespy and Laura Buzard of Laura Bee Designs. You'll see some great new items!

About Laura Bee: From hairpins to handbags, Laura Bee Designs will help you get a jump on your fall wardrobe with handmade accessories.

About CakeSpy: Dessert detective agency Cakespy features prints, note cards and many other sweet items. 

And though not officially part of the event, I would like to let you know that both Laura Bee and CakeSpy are united by both being official pug owning business owners.

Date: Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011, 12 – 2 p.m.

Location: Central Library, 1000 4th Avenue (the reception is at the FriendShop, which is on the 5th Avenue entrance level)

For directions and more, visit the SPL site. 

Cake Byte: Pie Stand Featuring Kate Lebo at CakeSpy Shop on August 6

Pie Stand returns! This time, the famous pie-maker Kate Lebo is selling pies by the slice at CakeSpy, the sweetest space in Seattle. She'll have slices and hand pies for sale, including a couple fresh fruit and gluten free pies. Pay no attention to that "end at 4" time listed--she'll be open until she sells out (which she will!), so come sooner rather than later. Kids and small dogs welcome. We'll also have her book of pie lore and poetry, A Commonplace Book of Pie, for sale at the shop.

Kate's note: This is a good time to get your whole pie orders in, so let me know now if you'd like to take a whole pie home.

The Menu:

Peach Bourbon hand pies
Vanilla Cherry hand pies
Mumbleberry Pie
Rhubarb Ginger Pie
Peach Cherry Galette
Fresh Fruit & Marscapone Pie
Lemon Shaker Pie
Apple Bacon Roquefort Pie
Asparagus Chevre & Thyme Pie

Fresh slices are $3-5, whole frozen pies are $35 for one, $60 for two. Cash only for the pie, please!

Details: Saturday, August 6 at CakeSpy Shop; 12pm Til we sell out.

CakeSpy Shop is located at 415 E. Pine Street (at Summit) in Capitol Hill, Seattle; cakespyshop.com. Please note the shop is not a bakery, it's a space for people who love baked goods. See you there!

CakeSpy Undercover: Ha'Blender Ice Cream, Jerusalem, Israel

CakeSpy Note: This is a sweet dispatch from Cake Gumshoe Margot L.!

It was love at first sight when I discovered the ice cream parlor Ha'Blender, previously known as Shukilida, during my first month of my semester abroad in Jerusalem, Israel. It was a Friday afternoon and I was shopping in the shuk, or open-air market, which was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with what seemed to be the entire population of Jerusalem.

One of the staff members of Ha'Blender was giving out free samples of their famous Jerusalem flavor, and after one bite I was completely hooked. Ha'Blender, whose name means “The Blender” in Hebrew, makes custom ice cream flavors for its customers – you pick a base flavor and up to three mix-ins, and it gets mixed in the blender. Base flavors include vanilla, chocolate, banana, bubblegum, and more, and you can also opt for a healthier yogurt base. The mix-ins range from fruit (strawberries, bananas, peaches, mango) to halvah (a sesame-seed based sweet), nuts, and different types of chocolate, including Israeli chocolate bars such as me'ku'pelet, m&m-like candy, and more! The possibilities are endless.

Though their specialty is custom ice cream, you can also order iced coffee and other cold drinks, which are perfect on a hot day – and every day is a hot day in Jerusalem in the summer!

Ha'Blender's storefront is a tiny “hole-in-the-wall” in the shuk, which is part of what makes it so absolutely charming. They don't have a website, but their business card (which doubles as a frequent- buyer card – buy six, get one free!) lists a phone number. Staff members are incredibly welcoming, are fluent in both English and Hebrew, and, if you're a regular, they'll remember you! There's seating on a small patio next to the main through-fare of the market, providing refuge for customers who have successfully navigated the chaos of the market. It's worth the effort!

Sweet Art: Baltimore-themed Art by CakeSpy!

So...not long ago at the Wilton Workshop, I got to meet Rachel of Coconut & Lime for the first time. This was a pretty big deal for me as I am a pretty big fan of hers. AND! She asked me if I might be interested in creating some artwork for Baltimore's first CupcakeCamp!

Well, needless to say "YES" was the rapid and assured answer, and here's the result: a sweet Baltimore-themed piece featuring Baltimore architecture and characters (fictional and factual!).

Oh, and speaking of Baltimore, have I mentioned lately that I will be stopping there on my book tour? Yep, November 14 we'll be having an event at Dangerously Delicious Pies. Details TBA!

For more about the upcoming event, stay tuned via coconutandlime.com.

No Small Trifle: A Primer on Eton Mess

What's better than a hot mess and makes for some sweet eatin'? Eton Mess, naturally!

But...what is it, exactly? So glad you asked. It's a stately collegiate dessert, defined as "a traditional English dessert consisting of a mixture of strawberries, pieces of meringue and cream, which is traditionally served at Eton College's annual cricket game against the students of Winchester College."

So the Eton part of the name is pretty obvious...but what about the mess? And what's the story behind this vaguely trifle-esque dessert?

According to Robin Weir in Recipes from the Dairy, Eton mess was served in the 1930s in the school's sock (tuck) shop, and was originally made with either strawberries or bananas mixed with ice cream or cream. Meringue was a later addition (many credit this addition to Michael Smith, author of Fine English Cookery). Nowadays, Eton mess consists of pieces of crisp meringue, lightly whipped cream and strawberries, all stirred together - hence the name "mess".

But Eton isn't the only place where it's eaten: A similar dessert is the Lancing Mess, served throughout the year at Lancing College in West Sussex, England (see per this menu).

Of course, you could always describe this dessert the way I did while recently trying to explain it to a friend: "it's kind of like Pavlova and Trifle had a baby."

But no matter how you slice it (or spoon it), one thing is for certain: this is one mess you won't be able to get enough of. It's infinitely adaptable, too: got blackberries or blueberries? Substitute them in whole (or in part) for the strawberries. Don't like meringues? Try it with crumbled Nilla wafers or ladyfingers instead. 

Want a recipe? I will be posting a recipe next Monday on Serious Eats; in the meantime, here's a good one to try, or, if you're in Seattle, you can get Eton Mess at Smith in Capitol Hill.