iBurger

Looking to spice up your lunchtime routine of ham and cheese sandwiches? Treat yourself to one of the most original midday meals we’ve ever seen. Behold the "Sushi Burger":

"Sushi Burger" at iBurger, Montreal

Most nine to fivers have a hard time eating an entire 12oz angus burger for lunch and then attempting to be semi-productive at work. So while salmon tartar and rice might seem like a nice alternative to its beefy counterparts here, don’t be fooled by the illusionary lightness of this meal. Yes the rice “hamburger buns” are made of deliciously fluffy rice and encapsulate layers of smooth salmon tartar and avocado – but half way through, you are guaranteed to fall into a heavenly sushi coma. Certainly one of the pricier items on the menu, the sushi burger is, in our opinion, worth every penny. Beef burgers are the obvious specialty but we couldn’t resist testing out this unique culinary creation. Dress it up or dress it down and make it as spicy as you’d like – all can be done on the interactive touch screen of your iPad table.

For all you technophiles, the tables at this restaurant are made of giant touch screens that allow you to order your meal and drinks as soon as you sit down. But don’t worry; the friendly wait staff is always around in case you’re not as tech savvy as most of the Gen-X crowd.  iBurger also counts a great bar area and some screens to watch the hockey game – making this a great place to unwind on a weeknight. 

What’s for Breakfast?

Breakfast is usually not a meal that invites a lot of culinary experimentation. Menus are pretty standard –save for a few unique tweaks according to each restaurant’s style. So instead of devoting entire entries for each locale, a more general review of some of Montreal’s best breakfast joints will follow. 

We begin with a restaurant that offers more of an upper-crust breakfast experience than most. Essentially, this is the ideal restaurant you would be inclined to take your mother to for a birthday brunch. In other words, a place that suggests you don’t indulge in hangover-induced caloric binges every Sunday morning. We’ll begin with the crème de la crème: Leméac. Many of you are not strangers to their ingenious and heavenly discounted late night table d’hôte special – however, their brunch menu is equally stellar. The star of this place is of course their brioche. You will not find a slice of French toast like this anywhere in the city. In fact, the restauranteurs of Leméac are so confident in this slice of breakfast heaven, that the dressed-up version is offered as a dessert on their dinner menu. The poached eggs, smoked salmon and Spanish caviar on blini is another great option and demonstrates a perfect pairing of execution and flavor. 

NB. Be prepared to leave with a dent in your wallet because this is probably going to be the most expensive breakfast you will ever pay for (but isn’t it all worth it knowing your mother leaves here with the impression that their child frequents only the most sophisticated of places?).

Onto the more wallet-friendly breakfast locales of Montreal, we have L’Avenue and Brasserie les Enfants Terribles. Both near or in the Plateau area, these are the places you go for a full and satisfying meal while you bask in the trendy ambiance. Both popular weekend destinations, these places are as much about the perfectly poached egg as they are about where the city’s socialites gather to discuss last night’s debaucheries. Enfant Terribles takes the cake for best décor with its modern meets log cabin aesthetic. Expect long waits at L’Avenue after 10 AM so be sure to arrive early and skip the brunch crowd. If you want to try a new and less crowded option, visit Fabergé which offers some unique twists on the classics. 
An oldie but a goodie – be sure to give Beauty’s a try if you haven’t already. Standard breakfast menu, with the mishmash being a popular signature dish. Long lineups on the weekend with the post-party crowds of students.  This is a Montreal landmark so shame on you if you’ve never indulged in a bagel and lox here at some point in your life. 

PINTXO – Pint-Sized Perfection

Nestled between some old red brick townhouses on a tree lined street in the Plateau sits a small and intimate restaurant, where food is executed with simplicity and perfection – a combination that has become a rarity in the overly ambitious culinary scene.

Pintxo (peen-cho) goes beyond the tapas concept. A traditional form of Basque cuisine; pintxos are small samplings of elaborate culinary delights. Fish is typically the main attraction, but meats such as lamb and pork are also quite popular.

If you're one of the rare and the few who walk in and manage to get a table without a reservation, count yourself extremely lucky because spots fill up quickly; sometimes up to a week in advance. That being said, if you’re planning on having a birthday supper for a group of five of your loudest friends, this is not the place. Like the pint-sized plates on the table, you want to limit your party to a small size – a duo being the ideal.

Warm and inviting, this is not the icy and pretentious ambiance one usually sees in places of this gastronomic caliber. From the exposed brick walls to the wildly colorful paintings that line the dining room, this is minimalism and trendiness at its finest.

The menu stays within the same current and offers some simple and classic dishes with unexpected twists. Ultimately, every dish you have placed in front of you is full of familiar flavors but tempered in such a way as to throw you slightly off-guard. The strawberry and sweet pepper gazpacho for instance has the perfect amount of freshness and flavor one typically looks for in this type of soup – but the fruitiness of the strawberry catches you by surprise. From the cheerful color to perfectly sized portion, this pintxo is the perfect way to start your meal. 

Other pintxo standouts were: the salmon tartar, garlic shrimp a la gitana, the Basque cod, and the figs stuffed with Serrano ham. An absolute must is the morcilla de Burgos- which features impeccably seasoned and smooth blood pudding and chorizo sausage. The grilled lobster tail was another scene-stealer and showcased how seafood truly stands as the restaurant’s strong point.

Typically one orders several pintxos followed by a main course – but given that the pintxos surpassed any main course that we sampled, we recommend skipping the mains altogether and simply ordering more appetizers. The mains that we sampled included the seared pork chop with grain mustard coating and the braised beef cheek. Both were quite average and slightly underwhelming in comparison to the pintxos. Be sure to choose some great wine samplings to match your choices of pintxos. The selection is vast and stays true to the region-specific cuisine.

The desserts are equally stunning and it is not recommended you leave your chair without ordering the Tarta de Santiago. Traditionally from northern Spain, this almond-rich cake is served warm and will melt in your mouth.

Voted as one of Canada’s best new restaurants in 2006 by En Route magazine, Pintxo is small but a definite standout in Montreal’s culinary circuit.

Foodies for a Cause - Awards and Gallery

"TABLE OF HOPE" 

May 9th, 2011

Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel

As much as this annual fundraising event is about raising money and awareness, it’s also all about the incredible displays of dishes put forth by each restaurant. We decided to assemble a list of awards for the participants that truly stood out in each of their unique categories.

Best Display 

Monsieur Basilique

Honorable Mention 

Mount Stephen Club

Most Creative Food

Fairmount Queen Elizabeth

Best Tasting Dishes (overall)

Piment Rouge

Honorable Mention 

Casa Minhota

Best Desserts

Delices de Dawn

Honorable Mention

Gaufrabec and 

Heavenly Biscotti

Monsieur Basilique's garden fresh creations

Delicious offerings from Piment Rouge

The team behind Fabergé - Montreal's newest and most charming breakfast locale

Fairmont Queen Elizabeth's Beaver Club chefs hard at work

Lori Graham from CTV News lending some star power at Rib and Reef 

Delices de Dawn's mouthwatering "Toblerone Cake"

Delices de Dawn's "Death by Chocolate"

Inspirational musical offerings by the Montreal Gospel Choir 

Foodies for a Cause

"TABLE OF HOPE"
May 9th, 2011

Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel

“Is that Ben Mulroney serving shrimp cocktails?!” That was not an uncommon remark one would hear while squeezing their way through the crowded hall of the Queen Elizabeth hotel at last year's Table of Hope in Montreal.

Sure he’s taller in person and has surprisingly good plating skills, but he also lends some great publicity to the incredible Table of Hope event, for which his mother, Mila Mulroney is co-President. For his coverage of the culinary benefit for e-Talk Daily check out:

  

Even in Montreal, child hunger remains a frightening statistic. The Share the Warmth foundation has been fighting to lower child hunger rates in Montreal since 1989. On May 9^th 2011, the Table of Hope culinary benefit will bring together over 40 of Montreal’s best restaurants, to raise awareness and funds for child hunger. Last year’s event was an unmitigated success and raised over $100 000 towards Share the Warmth.

Table of Hope is unlike any benefit you will attend in Montreal. Think of it as speed dating with the best restaurants Montreal has to offer. And by best, we mean the best. Among the many participants:

Bitoque 3706 rue Notre-Dame O. Montréal Québec H4C 1P7 (514) 303-6402 www.bitoque.ca	Restaurant La Coupole 1325 Boul. René Lévesque Montréal, Québec H3G 0A4 (514) 373-2300 www.restaurantlacoupole.ca	Maestro SVP 3615 boul. St-Laurent Montréal, Québec H2X 2V5 (514) 842-6447 www.maestrosvp.com
Moishes Steakhouse 3961 boul. St-Laurent Montréal, Québec H2W 1Y4 (514) 845-3509 www.moishes.ca	Le Piment Rouge 1170 rue Peel Montréal, Québec  H3B 4P2 (514) 935-9889 www.lepimentrouge.com	L'Orchidée de Chine 2017 rue Peel Montréal, QC  H3A 1T6 (514) 287-1878 www.orchideedechine.ca
Papas Tapas Martinis 3547 St. Laurent Montréal, Québec H2X 2T6 (514) 544-1321 www.papastapas.ca	Rib'n Reef Steakhouse 8105 Décarie Montreal, QC  H4P 2H5 (514) 735-1777 www.ribnreef.com	Restaurant Su 5145 rue Wellington Montréal, Québec  H4G 1Y2 (514) 362-1818 www.restaurantsu.com

For more information on the benefit, to buy tickets, and see the entire list of participating restaurants, winemakers, and breweries go to: http://www.tableofhope.ca

Mmmmmontreal will, of course, be there covering the event. So stay tuned for a full coverage of the benefit and buy your tickets early because they sell out FAST!

HOW TO PURCHASE

BY TELEPHONE: (514) 933-5599

AT THE EVENT: Tickets will be available for purchase at the door based on availability.

INTERNET: 

www.sharethewarmth.ca 

Charity number: 129600813 RR0001

Yallah Let’s Eat! Montreal’s Best Lebanese Food

Restaurant Daou

It comes as no surprise that Celine Dion’s wedding was catered by Daou – one could easily picture Renée filling his mouth with their heavenly stuffed grape leaves, and Celine humming a tune while swirling her pita bread in their velvety hummus. The restaurant even immortalized the event with a large wedding photo of the happy couple to greet you as you walk in the door.

For many Montrealers, middle-eastern food claims its place as a popular lunchtime option, mostly because it’s somewhat healthier than the Big Mac and fries on the other side of the food court. However, if Amir’s lunch special number three with an extra side of hummus is your daily noontime ritual and this makes you think you are a Lebanese cuisine connoisseur, you are sadly mistaken. The most authentic and deliciously home-style Lebanese food is found in a quiet, unassuming St-Laurent eatery.

The food at Daou is so incredibly genuine and savory, it makes you embarrassed to walk into an Amir and order a falafel sandwich and feel good about it. Any hummus you taste after you have tasted Daou’s will seem too lumpy, or too dry, or just plain off. The stuffed grape leaves you try anywhere else (anywhere except perhaps your Lebanese friend’s teta’s house) will be too tightly wound, too sour, or just plain sad. So be forewarned, by stepping foot inside this middle-eastern Mecca of all things lebaniciously  delicious, you will be disappointed by anything else in comparison and you may effectively ruin your weekly falafel lunch run.

Mmmmmmmm........

Perfectly Chunky Tomato Sauce with 

Goat Cheese Crumble

This recipe came about because of an early childhood aversion to overly runny marinara sauce (an aversion that has continued well onto adulthood. I still cringe at anything that resembles overly-puréed tomato sauce). Anytime there was an over-abundance of liquid tomato on the edges of my pasta bowl, I would run to the stove and pour it back into the pot, along with an escaped noodle or two. As a result, my ever-ingenious mother perfected this sauce over the years, and it has served me very well in my college days away from home, due to its simplicity and accessible ingredients. 

CONFUSION – Montreal’s Sexiest Restaurant

Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Fernando Alonso, Picasso, Gaudi, Rafael Nadal – Ah yes, Spain has blessed the world with a lot of wonderful things, and food not one to be excluded. Anyone who has visited the magical cities of Barcelona or Madrid will tell you that their favorite thing about Spain was the incredible cuisine. Montreal has been no exception to the Spanish conquest of the culinary scene in North America. Tapas bars are popping up around the city faster than you can say olé! Tapas, which are essentially small amuse-bouche dishes and originally intended to accompany the 5 à 7 cocktail hour, have now turned into an entire dinner concept on its own. It basically allows you to order small portions of different dishes, and sample a variety of things on a menu, without being committed to one main dish.

Restaurant Confusion in the Latin Quarter is by far, the coolest restaurant you will step into in these parts of the city. Where else can you eat your tiny samplings of food while rocking back and forth on a swing? 

VAUVERT – Gothic Enchantment in the Old Port

Nestled into the majestic Hotel St-Paul and racking up some serious it-status as one of the hottest supper clubs in the city, Vauvert is quickly becoming the party place extraordinaire of the Old Port. Think of it as the more sophisticated and tamer version of Globe –whose narrow and often over packed confines make being elbowed in the ribs by passing waitresses and simultaneous stilettos stabbing a common occurrence.

www.restaurantvauvert.com

Since the food at many of the city’s supper clubs is not exactly meant to be the culinary revelation of the decade per se, Pascal Leblond (chef at renowned Cube a few years ago) and now chef behind Restaurant Vauvert, had us thinking we might be entering into different territory. However, one glance at the black leather-bound menu, and a chorus of sighs of disappointment echoed across the table. One would hope that the restaurant’s avant-garde edginess that reverberates through its black lacquered walls, overlooked by a canopy of twinkling lights would be mirrored in the menu, but sadly it didn’t.

And now, a few memos to you supper club chefs (and Vauvert’s in particular): if you want to set your restaurant apart from the crowd and make your food as fabulous as the party scene – how about you drop the standard tomato buffalo mozzarella appetizer? It’s predictable, it’s boring, and we can put it together at home for under ten bucks. Furthermore, tuna tartar seems to be a popular starter on a lot of menus these days. Every restaurant has its own take on it and the texture and seasoning varies from chef to chef. But as a standard rule, the fleshy mound of gooey goodness needs to be eaten with some sort of crispy bread or cracker. So expecting your customers to eat a pile of raw fish atop a stainless steel fork, shows a lack of finesse. And finally, dear chefs, please make sure you remove your baguettes from the freezer well in advance and to allow proper thawing before serving it to your patrons.

While many items on the menu leave much to be desired, most of the dishes are decent but lack the wow-factor that one would expect from a place of this pedigree. The rest of the starters were equally lacking in innovation. The duck dumplings for instance were extremely dry and under seasoned, and a couple more could have justified such a hefty price tag. 

The mains showed a bit more creativity. The angus burger seemed to be the popular choice and was quite tasty. The accompanying shoestring fries were a bit too salty but this was overshadowed by the fact that they were served in fun kitschy Chinese take-out containers. The veal was perfectly cooked and seasoned, but the plating was poorly executed. Served atop a pile of mushy greens in a lazy and half-hazard manner, the bitterness of the vegetables was lost in the brown sauce and everything turned into a lumpy soup of too many flavors and textures; not exactly the finest of veal dishes we’ve come across. The filet mignon seems to have been the star entrée; its buttery texture and fresh flavor were well received.

At this point, we were stuffed with a somewhat underwhelming meal, and were envisioning the numbers tallying up on our bill, so we opted to start the party and turned to bottles of vodka for dessert. If popping bottles of Goose is not your thing – then head over to the bar and order your cocktail of choice, because the drinks are the real stars at this Vieux-Port hot spot. Now, with drink in hand, and some great tunes to dance to, feel free to soak in the devilish charm of this locale’s gothically-enchanting atmosphere. Painted pitch black, but not in a cold, unwelcoming way, the walls at Vauvert are delicately illuminated by twinkling ceiling lights and make you feel as though you’re standing beneath a starry sky. Too bad the food was not as bright a star as the décor.

Bottom-line: Come for the party, not the food. Otherwise, if you enjoy paying an expensive bill for an average meal, then this place is perfect! The crowd: a good mix of everything, but a bit older than the twenty-somethings we usually see at these types of places.  Dress-code: we saw outfits that covered the gamut from casual lumberjack-chic to Cher-inspired sequin spandex… so it seems pretty much everything goes. Spotted: famed Argentine-director Santiago Amigorena chatting up the runway-ready models/waitresses.

Restaurant Vauvert

355 McGill St

Montreal, QC

(514) 876-2823

www.restaurantvauvert.com

Biting Into the Big Apple – Best of NYC Restaurants

Tao – “Buddha-licious”

Remember that scene in the movie Hitch when Eva Mendes goes to a speed-dating event with her permanently single friend and Will Smith traipses in past an enormous Buddha, hoping to redeem his honor whilst declaring his love for Eva? Did you think while watching: “wow, too bad Hitch stormed out of there because I bet the food is really great…?” Well we did. Made famous not only because of its cameo in the romantic comedy, but because of its frequent celebrity patrons, Tao is a definite New York must.

The food isn’t mind-blowing but the experience certainly makes it worth a visit. Be prepared to wait for a table for over an hour (even with reservations). In the meantime, head over to the bar and lounge area, which is cleverly separated from the main dining area by a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. The crowd is an interesting mix of young professionals, couples, tourists, and unsuspecting families with kids. This place is about seeing and being seen. As you sip your cocktail, waiting anxiously for the buzzer in your hand to ring (and which probably never will), you can sit on the slick leather seats and do some serious people watching. We counted some NBA players, and a few models in the hour we waited. So word to the wise, do not come here hungry unless you are prepared to slip the hostess a twenty.

Once you rejoice in the victory of scoring a table and have finally sat down, take in the room. This is trendy New-York dining at its finest and unlike any restaurant you’ll find in Montreal. The service is impeccable and surprisingly friendly for such a swanky place. Our waiter gave us a few suggestions and wasn’t pushy on anything and we ended up having some very unique and delicious dishes.

www.taorestaurant.com

The food: tuna tartar on crispy rice (appetizer), swordfish with a chili drizzle and asparagus tempura (entrée), kung-pao chicken with assorted vegetables (entrée), banana pudding with fortune cookie crust (dessert), Tao infusion tea with lavender and chamomile.

It was difficult to choose a single entrée from the assortment on the menu (others included a mouth-watering beef tartar tempura and lobster dumplings). The tuna tartar was a departure from the traditional texture one normally sees with this appetizer. This one was more of a purée version, delicately seasoned and placed on warm crispy rice with a soft interior –definitely a highlight of the meal and a great way to warm up the palate. It’s a good idea to balance out a meat with a fish at Tao because both are done exquisitely. The swordfish was perfectly cooked and moist, and paired quite nicely with the sweet chili sauce. The asparagus tempura was an interesting side and complemented the flavors of the fish beautifully. The kung-pao chicken was delicious – not overly spicy or sweet – and that means a lot coming from someone who is not the biggest fan of Chinese food. The portions are quite large and the sharing concept is true to its Asian inspiration.

We often tend to judge a restaurant by its dessert. A bad dessert has the potential to ruin what would otherwise be a spectacular meal. This was not the case at Tao. The banana pudding is like a tropical-Thai twist on the Italian tiramisu. Layers of banana and fortune cookie crumbs with flavored custard in between were an immaculate and inspired way to end the meal. We paired this with a lovely lavender tea infusion which helped lighten the heaviness of the pudding.

All in all, an excellent meal without being too pretentious or avant-garde, and offering some great twists to the classics. Reserve early, and expect to pay about fifty bucks a head for a decent sized meal. If you are seated at the bench area and you’re short, opt for the chair or you will feel like a child in need of a booster seat during your meal. If you’re a tourist, leave the kids at home and DO NOT come dressed in your sightseeing attire of mom-jeans and sneakers.

Fun fact: it’s been reported that on occasion, the wait staff has to pull down people trying to climb the 20 ft. tall Buddha.

Tao

42 East 58th Street

New York City, 10022-1910

212.888.2288

Biting Into the Big Apple – Best of NYC Restaurants

eatery nyc

Cool Comfort in NYC's Theater District

If you want something a little less sceney but not without a significant cool factor, go to Eatery. Recommended by a local friend of ours, this place is not on the usual tourist radar and offers lots of delicious food choices. We stopped by on a busy Friday night without reservations and only waited five minutes for a table. However, those few minutes were certainly well spent– thanks to the mind-blowing cocktails created by the amazing man who tends bar here. He is clearly a master of his craft and takes his liquid creations very seriously. If you have the coconut-rum mojito you will have thought you died and went to heaven.

The food: crispy rice cakes (complimentary snack while you wait), baked Camembert with wine-soaked grapes (appetizer), braised short-rib with red-wine reduction (entrée), and chicken eggplant tortellini made in-house (entrée).

This meal was simple and fabulous. Sometimes simplicity goes a long way and this restaurant goes the full mile. The menu boasts some classic home-style cooking choices with some funky twists, but maintains an overall contemporary American style.

Café Vasco Da Gama

After discovering this little downtown gem less than a year ago, we’ve found ourselves using downtown shopping sprees as an excuse to come here for a cup of coffee – and    nothing soothes the post credit card bingeing blues like a warm latte. Ten months and too many shoes later, we now count Vasco Da Gama as one of the best coffee shops in the city. If you’re a tourist and looking for an authentic gourmet coffee experience, head no further than this quaint downtown locale. 

Considered the younger sibling of Café Ferreira nearby, Vasco Da Gama offers more than just great coffee and delicious pastries. While we could go on about its mouthwatering cappuccinos, the food here is equally spectacular. Stop by for a healthy breakfast of goat milk yoghurt topped with fresh blackberries and kumquats, or a custom-made omelet.  The array of burgers, sandwiches and paninis makes for some difficult decision-making at lunch time. Prepared on-site, each is a creative combination of ingredients, flavors and color. When half the workday has passed and you’ve already been worn down to a drooling buffoon at the site of any kind of nourishment, how can you choose between the eggplant goat cheese and the duck confit panini, topped with caramelized figs, mango and St-Jorge cheese? To make matters worse, you have to choose a side salad from a spread that would rival the health factor over at Liquid Nutrition. Each is expertly dressed, and a color palate coordinated to perfection. The celery root is speckled with dried cranberries, and the baby string bean tomato salad was like summer in a bowl. Our favorite is the simple and understated Ferreira Club with a side of quinoa salad. And why not enjoy a glass of champagne with your quick and tasty panini, followed by a frothy cappuccino? Or how about trading in that after lunch breath mint for a Fleur de Sel caramel at the check out counter?

The menu isn’t fussy – only pure flavors arranged in fresh, innovative ways.

The room is a narrow stretch of brilliant ocean blues and pale creams – reminiscent of a Mediterranean dream. Tall arched ceilings and painted mosaic tiles on the walls offer a much-needed sunny escape from the dreariness of Montreal’s winter weather. The ambience is always quietly buzzing, and you’ll likely see an eclectic mix of business people, students, couples, and exhausted shoppers. Cordial and efficient, the staff is always on top of their game, along with the manager –who comes around regularly to mingle with patrons. With the convenience of coffee to-go franchises around every corner, it’s easy to forget to take the time to visit the smaller, lesser-known cafés the city has to offer. 

Vasco Da Gama is a small place that packs a big punch. Alone or with friends, this downtown gem is definitely worth the visit.

Café Vasco Da Gama

1472, Rue Peel

Montreal, Quebec

(514) 286-2688

Mmmmmmmmm........

Vanilla Buttercream Cupcakes 

It’s always a good idea to have a go-to dessert that you know will be a guaranteed crowd pleaser. It has to be simple enough to make, but not without that significant wow-factor. Quite frankly, it’s that staple dish that makes you look like a gastronomic genius when you may be, in fact, quite far from it.

This is why I absolutely love this cupcake recipe, which I adapted from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook. There’s something in these that seems to excite the inner child in everyone, even at a formal dinner party. They can be elegant or whimsy and are highly adaptable for any occasion.

Vanilla Buttercream Cupcakes 

 1 cup unsalted room-temperature butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs (room-temperature)

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing

1/2 cup unsalted room-temperature butter

3-5 cups icing sugar

¼ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Line a muffin tin (large) with cupcake papers

3.In a large bowl, cream butter on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar gradually until fully incorporated and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until mixture has increased in volume.

4.In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Sift together.

5.Prepare a measuring cup with milk and mix in the vanilla.

6.Add the milk and flour mixtures to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating. Beat on medium speed only until ingredients are fully incorporated.

7.Spoon mixture into cupcake liners about ¾ full.

8.Bake for 20 minutes. To test, press the top of the cupcake and it should spring back.

9.Let cupcakes cool in tin for 5 minutes then remove and let cool completely on wire rack.

10.Prepare icing.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

1.In a medium bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth.

2.Add milk and vanilla and beat until incorporated.

3.Add a cup of sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Add a cup of sugar at a time (beat about 2 minutes after each addition) until it develops a good spreading consistency. You may not need all the sugar.

4. Separate icing into different bowls (as many colors as you want to make) and add a couple of drops of food coloring of your choice.

5.Spread icing on cooled cupcake with rubber spatula. Use decorations of your choice.

  *****