Whodidlily

Wendy Jones

Whodidily

1150 Coast Village Drive

Suite E

Montecito, CA 93108

Always in search of the best cupcakes...we've been disappointed of late. The last time we made up a list of cupcake places to visit in Southern California, we came up empty handed~too dry, too sweet, too lackluster, too flat on the flavor. There's a lot out  there, but  when a treat is needed we want the "whole enchilada" ~ visuals, taste, packaging and ambience ~ all must go hand in hand. Are we picky or what??? We've had to ask ourselves that question. We refuse to be snobbish about this, we're open to suggestions. One of our coworkers has been tooting Whodidily's horn lately, well for months, and we have just gotten around to checking out this delish, delightful cupcakery. 

Flavors such as: Dippity-Doo-Dah, Hunny Bunny, Koo Koo Bird, Lolligager (with cookie dough filling), Lazy Daisy, Peanut Butter Yumptious, Scrumdidily, Oreo Dollop, Sunday Stroll, and Waffelicious...have us hooked. There are even gluten-free and holiday specials. Not cloyingly sweet, these moist cupcakes...yes unlike so many out there...these are indeed moist...are great for showers, parties, weddings...and for for popping in our mouth~ just because. These cupcakes are probably not made with the rarest of ingredients, but they are creative and have that certain something that is satisfying.

Peering into Whodidily can be....well lets just say...bring your inner child with you. Remember the little sugerey dots on parchment paper? Wendy has made them into chains that drape this way and that over the her ceiling. Hot pink is predominant, but neon, greens, yellows, greens, raspberry, orange, etc. are all fairly represented here. The counters are composed of zillions of non-pariels in multi-colors topped with glass to create a countertop. You can see in the above photo, those same non-pariels act as anchors for all sorts of festive cupcake themed picks and toppers. 

So what makes Wendy tick? Why this Willie Wonka driven, candy extravaganza, cupcakery? Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory happens to be one of her favorite movies of all time. Wendy did not growing up baking, she just loves making things that are unique and creative. A favorite line in the Willie Wonka movie sums it up for her...when Mr. Wonka is asked how he makes the scrumdidilyumptious bar? A worker replies, "My dear boy...Do you ask a fish how it swims? Or a bird how it flies? No sir-eee you don't? They do it because they were born to do it! Just like Willy Wonka was born to be candy man and you look like you were born to be a Wonkaer." Wendy believes she was born to do just what she does so well....fill her store with scrumdidilyumptious delights! You really must visit!

This store does not lack for toppings!

When we stopped by, a woman was exiting with stacks of hot pink boxes brimming with cupcakes....a group of men...yes men...were sitting out front eating cupcakes engaged in deep conversation...a group of school girls were laboring over their decision...which cupcake to buy...this store attracts all ages. A place where we can all be children at heart.

Le Hot Pink Plume is what you use for signage...should you need to.

This is how the Whodidily cupcake is served at parties.

Walking in our eyes were darting here and there. I'm sure we'll have to go back to see more!

This is how we left Whodidily's...gifts for all our besties.

Cute packaging. Wendy even hot glues a rhinestone on our bows just before we leave...how devine!

Ladies Who Lunch

Maybe those southern belles were onto something...lunch with the ladies...bridge games...gossip...giggles and above all a hat and gloves. Very demure! We are posting a light lunch recipe...perfect for having some girlfriends over. 

Pictured are some of the ingredients we used for this demo.

We are making lettuce/herb bundles, Thyme-Lemon Vinaigrette, Pesto/Mascarpone Cigars and Toasted Camembert Cheese for our luncheon. 

Thyme-Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest from the rind (careful not to get into the white part of the skin--bitter)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste--it won't take much

Combine ingredients in a mason jar, place the lid on tightly and shake away. Now your done with the dressing-set it aside 

Phyllo Dough aka Filo Dough

We used these "pesto/mascarpone cigars" as a garnish for our salad. You could make a cigar bar if you used this recipe for a party. Would be fun! We love fun food!

Ingredients:


6 ounces mascarpone cream or cream cheese room temperature very important for the spreadability factor when you make the cigars. 
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 green onion or scallion
1/8 cup pre-made pesto (you can get this at most markets)
1 box phyllo dough, you will find this in the frozen section of your market-thaw in the fridge overnight. Do not attempt to use phyllo dough frozen...it will crack. 
1 stick melted butter

In the work bowl of a food processor, add all the above ingredients. Pulse until this mixture is blended, but still a little bit chunky. See below. Set aside until your phyllo dough is prepped. Don't refrigerate unless you are doing the next step another day. In that case make sure the pesto/cream mixture is at room temperature. 

The funky picture below is an illustration of how we made the phyllo dough cigar bar holder. The shape was made by rolling aluminum foil into cylinders to create forms. Just remember to gently remove the foil right after it comes out of the oven and it is still malleable for removal. We scattered grated Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper over the surface. 

There are some rules for using phyllo dough. It dries out very quickly, but once you have lightly covered the surface with melted butter or olive oil, it becomes pliable. You must keep the unused dough covered and protected from air or it will dry out and crack. Caution if the damp towel you have covering the unused dough is too wet, it will act as glue and stick all the sheets together...it will become unusable. 

To begin, remove unwrap and unroll the thawed phyllo dough. You will remove 1 sheet of dough at a time and work very quickly. Remember cover the unused dough. Have 1 stick of melted butter and a pastry brush ready to go. 

Make sure your work surface is large enough to lay 1 sheet of filo dough out flat at a time. Gently lift 1 piece off the top of the dough. Cover the remainder with the ever so lightly dampened towel. Place the first sheet down on your work surface~lightly brush 1/2 of the surface with melted butter (go easy with the butter/it just takes a dab) and fold in half. Spread more melted butter on the newly folded surface. Using a spatula, quickly and lightly spread some of the pesto/cream mixture all over the surface. Cut the pesto covered sheet in 1/2  and roll each piece into a cigar. Brush each cigar with a little butter and cut into 1/2 again. Each sheet of phyllo dough will make 4 cigars. Repeat. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes on a Silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet. If the cigars are not brown yet, return cigars to the oven for a few more minutes. They should be lightly golden brown.

Just before serving lunch, remove the wrapper from the room temperature Camembert cheese and return it to the bottom of the wooden box it came in. Score the top with a sharp knife as in the photo above to make 8 sections. Add 1 clove (not head) of crushed garlic to 1/4 cup olive oil. Brush the top of the cheese with this mixture and then top the cheese with black pepper and salt. (you can do this part ahead of time and just have it ready to go) Place under the broiler of your oven. Leave the door cracked and don't leave it's side--that would be a disaster waiting to happen. In a few minutes the cheese will be browned and bubbly. Place the cheese in the center of your composed salad bundles and serve right away. 

Composed salad bundles were made from alternating a handful of red leaf and green leaf baby lettuces into a posy of sorts with a sprig or two of herb garnish such as parsley, dill, etc. Each bundle was tied with a long strand pulled apart from a green onion top. Tie loosely, you won't need to tie a knot. We did this ahead of time and placed them all on a tray covered with damp paper towel and plastic wrap to keep them fresh in the fridge. Assemble everything just before serving and drop the cheese right in the middle. 

Have fun with this...remember it's all in the planning and details. These are not difficult recipes with the exception of getting the hang of how to use phyllo dough. Now who do you want to have over?

The inspiration for this segment came from viewing cook your dream. Though we have posted recipes before using this cooking method for cheeses such as feta, we were reminded of just how fun it is to serve cheese this way.

Bespoke Country House Parties

Sophie Conran is a member of the most talented Conran Family. Terence Conran is her father and Jasper is her brother. Sophie met up with Steven Collins who owns Temple Guiting Manor in the Cotswold's and came up with the most amazing concept for holidays and vacations. A bespoke country party! Part of the charm of staying here is her connection with so many stellar florists, chefs, card makers and hat makers, etc. Her thought was why not teach classes to the guests. This is very unconventional and that's what makes this spot such a lovely place to stay at. Who wouldn't you want to be a guest here? Who wouldn't want to learn trout fishing or foraging for mushrooms, be hands on for a sumptuous dinner in a perfectly relaxing environment, learn a new skill and enjoy being with friends and/or family?

Sophie

Temple Guiting Manor

Dreamy...Idyllic...

Picturesque!

Now that you have seen what a gorgeous property this is...won't you be about booking a spot for you and a some very fortunate guests?

Beehive Cheese

~Beehive Cheese~

Barely Buzzed Cheddar

It's Sunday evening and the Santa Ana Winds have spread warm summer-like weather across our city. It seems fitting to have some appetizers and wait until it cools a little more to have dinner. Our find and recommendation for our appetizer tonight is: Barely Buzzed Cheddar by Beehive Cheese.

Beehive cheeses come from Utah. Two brother-in-laws, Tim Welsh and Pat Ford left their software and real estate jobs in 2005 to begin an artisan cheese company. They claim they make cheese from some of the creamiest and cleanest milk in Utah.

We tried their Barely Buzzed Cheddar. Wow! We have never tasted anything like it! You can see in the picture above that there is a sprinkling of what appears to be pepper on the surface of the cheese. We were amazed to find out that this cheese is hand rubbed with a Turkish grind of Colorado Legacy Coffee Company's Beehive Blend. The blend consists of a mix of 3 coffee beans from South and Central America and Indonesia. They are roasted to different styles. Then French Superior Lavendar buds are ground with the coffees and the mixture is diluted with Canola oil to suspend the dry ingredients in the rub. The rub imparts notes of butterscotch and caramel which are prevalent near the rind and work their way into the center of the cheese. The cheese is aged in temperature controlled caves. This cheese has taken 1st place for the last three years in the Flavored American Cheddar Cheese Society's annual competition.

This is how we served it up with grapes, nectarines, a good "toothy" bread and the delectable bites of Beehive Cheddar.

If you have a Whole Foods in your shopping area, they most likely carry this cheese. Try it! You will be amazed at the creamy, lovely flavor.

Pottery Barn Field Trip

Beckwith Road was in Sherman Oaks today poking around at Pottery Barn. In recent months, they have been bumping up their party saavy in a bigger way. We even tried a wine tasting party featured several months ago by Pottery Barn to great success! If you look on Pottery Barn's entertaining section of their website, you will find video tutorials on recipes with step-by-step instructions. Just go to www.PotteryBarn.com., then go to the bottom of the front page and under "resources" click "videos". When videos comes up, click "see more". You will find demonstrations on how to present cheeses, Thanksgiving menus, brunch recipes such as a farmhouse brunch, Mexican food, tapas, pizza, wine information, and more. Have you ever watched any of the videos about the owners of the homes that Pottery Barn uses to shoot their catalogs in? You will find them under videos too. Very interesting stuff!

Pottery Barn is a division of Williams Sonoma. We liked the way they are merchandising for fall. Maybe it's not as "out there" as Anthro, but on another level~Pottery Barn~is carving out their own niche just as we should our own abodes.

This photograph is not Pottery Barn. It is a catering company in LA that has been garnering accolades recently. They are called "Heirloom LA Catering. One of their specialities is "lasagna cupcakes" among other wonderful treats. We included their picture as a creative way to present a fall menu. We love the use of rustic planks ~ rough hewn wood~ mixed amongst vintage drawers and wooden bowls. etc. This is a very creative use of space~don't you think??

Compost Crackers

Compost Crackers

Yes we were inspired by the irreverent and very talented pastry chef, Christina Tosi of Momofuku's Milk Bar, in New York City. She is famous for her Compost Cookies, hence we borrowed her concept and threw all our leftover trail mix, seeds, dried fruits, and nuts into one great cracker. After researching the recipes that were out there, we made some changes and here is the recipe.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

1/2 Cup whole wheat flour

1/4 Cup brown sugar, packed

2 Teaspoons baking soda

1/4 Cup honey

2 Cups Buttermilk

1 full teaspoon sea salt (we used gray salt)

Compost (see below)

We combined all the above ingredients in our food processor, pulsing just to combine. Do not over-mix. This can also be done with a mixer.

Compost

1 Cup dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, raisins, figs, apricots, etc.)

1 Cup nuts & seeds (pistachio, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower, pumpkin, etc.) leftover trail mix works well for this if it doesn't have chocolate or candy in it.

1/4 Cup flax seeds (These are found at Sprouts, Whole Foods or Health Food Stores.

1/4 Cup sesame seeds

1 Tablespoon fresh Rosemary, chopped

Stir the compost into the batter and pour evenly into 3 mini loaf pans that have been sprayed with Pam. (Your can even buy mini aluminum loaf pans in the baking section of your market-the smaller the pan, the better the cracker proportion.)

Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 30-40 minutes until lightly golden brown and springy to touch. Cool and remove from pans. If you are cutting the thin cracker slices by using an electric knife, you just need to make sure the breads are cold. If you are slicing with a regular knife, freeze the bread to make it easier to slice. Slice paper thin and put on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes, turn over and bake another 10 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. Makes 75 crackers.

Hot from the oven.

These crackers are beautiful on a cheese board and go well with creamy cheeses.

Click on pictures to enlarge them

Your crackers will never be boring again!

These crackers could easily be pocketed for hiking or to eat as a snack.

Apricot Tart

~Apricot Tart~

Our apricots are ripening very quickly!

We are bracing ourselves for our biggest crop ever!

Besides eating them right off the tree, we will be enjoying them in tarts, jam making, fruit and cheese boards, and tucked into salads.

Begin with a simple crust using purchased puff pastry. Place the tiniest amount of flour on a pastry board, roll out one sheet of puff pastry until it is large enough to cut around the bottom of your tart inset. Using the tart inset as a pattern cut out a circle of puff pastry and place it in the tart pan. Use the puff pastry leftovers to create a 1/2 inch border around the edge of the puff pastry. See picture below. Use a dab of cold water to adhere them. I just piece mine together, so I don't have to use another sheet of puff pastry. By placing the additional piece of puff pastry around the edge, it will prevent your tart filling from over-flowing.

Prick the bottom of the puff pastry to keep it from puffing unevenly or too high in the center. See example above. Now place it in the freezer until your filling is ready. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare the custard filling

You will need:

20 medium apricots

1/3 Cup sugar

1 box puff pastry (you will use 1 sheet, thaw overnight in the refrigerator) put the 2nd sheet back in the freezer if you are not using it right away.

Custard:

2 eggs

1/3 cup AP (all purpose) flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup cream

2 tablespoons vanilla or cognac (I love the flavor of cognac in custard)

pinch salt

In a medium mixing bowl, place all the custard ingredients. Whisk well to combine. Strain into a heavy saucepan such as the one below. Over medium-low heat, cook the custard until it is thick and will coat the back of a spoon and leave a track when you draw your finger across it. Remove from heat (at this point, I add 1 tablespoon butter, it is not necessary though). Place in a bowl to cool.

Prepare your apricots. Remove the pits and cut into quarters. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup sugar and set aside.

Remove puff pastry shell from freezer and spread with the custard mixture. Arrange the sugared apricots on top with their points sticking up. As pictured below. It gives the tart a rustic charm with the tips slightly charring as they bake.

Place the prepared tart on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Fresh from the oven!

I can hardly wait to bite into this! Apricots take on a tart flavor when baked. If you like sour candies, you will love the flavor of this tart. It's sweet and creamy with a flaky crust and a tinge of tart. What's not to love?