We now have two masters in the house. A couple weeks ago I finished classes for my Masters in Visual Arts. It was quite a different experience coming from the architecture world. Artists are very self-driven, which took some getting used to. Architects are driven, but their work comes from other people. I learned two things in grad school - 1. Vocabulary for the graphic design world. 2. I am a designer, not an artist.

The best part of the year was probably planning for my thesis exhibition. My show was about the ephemeral quality of desserts and relating it to contemporary culture (read more in my artist statement). From the beginning I knew I wanted to provide sweet snacks for visitors at the gallery. I decided to replicate 2 of my sets of work – mini chocolate cupcakes and mini apple pies. They were a hit. The show went well, too! Thank you to everyone who could make it!

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
Honestly, I used a Duncan Hines box mix for the cupcakes and they tasted so good! I did, however, whip up some cream cheese frosting. I even bought some tips to make the frosting look like the one in my artwork.

Makes enough for 4-dozen cupcakes
6-oz cream cheese, room temperature
6 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp milk or cream
2-3 cups confectioners’ sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter. Beat in vanilla and milk (start with 1 tbsp and add additional if you wish to thin the frosting), then add in the confectioners’ sugar gradually until the frosting reaches your desired consistency (make it a bit stiffer if you wish by adding additional sugar).
Fill a pastry bag with a star tip, or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off, and pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.

Recipe adapted from bakingbites.com

Mini Apple Pies
Recipe adapted from www.noveleats.com/dessert/mini-apple-pies
I had 2 alterations with this recipe: I didn’t peel the apples, and I added some lemon juice in with the apples.

I tried to go for a red, white, and blue cake. It turned out more pink and aqua, but still delicious. I used Cool Whip for frosting – it kept the cake light and summery!

My family’s house has two cherry trees. I went out there last week and picked a gallon bag full of cherries with my dad. The next step was obvious – cherry pie. If you’ve ever made a cherry pie, you would know that pitting the cherries can seem like a daunting task. It was – however, I learned a nifty trick. Take a paper clip and use the loop at the bottom to fish out each seed. It was pretty efficient. Served warm with ice cream – yum!

Cherry Pie Recipe
Crust:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt,
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, 5 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Filling:
1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 5 cups whole pitted sour cherries,
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, ‘dash’ or two of cinnamon

For crust:
Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until small pea-size clumps form. Add 5 tablespoons ice water; mix lightly with fork until dough holds together when small pieces are pressed between fingertips, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together; divide into 2 pieces. Form each piece into ball, then flatten into disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly before rolling out.

For filling:
Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Whisk 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Stir in cherries, lemon juice, and vanilla; set aside.
Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Using large knife or pastry wheel with fluted edge, cut ten 3/4-inch-wide strips from dough round. Transfer filling to dough-lined dish, mounding slightly in center. Dot with butter. Arrange dough strips atop filling, forming lattice; trim dough strip overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold bottom crust up over ends of strips and crimp edges to seal. Brush lattice crust (not edges) with milk. Sprinkle lattice with 1 tablespoon sugar.
Place pie on rimmed baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake pie about 1 hour longer until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely. Cut into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe adapted from epicurious.com

It wasn’t long after their retirement in 2008 that my parents got the itch to go back to work.  My mother continued the dream of getting paid to watch baseball games by being an usher at the Louisville Bats (AAA farm team of the Reds).  However, my father took up a job with no income but one that has paid for itself in dinners.  Just about the only days he doesn’t cook are ‘Margarita Mondays’ at the Tumbleweed bar and grill and on his weekly Wednesday tee time.  Obviously, my mother enjoys the new resident gourmet chef, and Ann and I have become spoiled with home cooked meals of grilled pizzas, citrus salmon, and salads of the freshest ingredients.

On a day almost too hot to enjoy the outdoors Corky grilled tilapia with a rub of his own invention and toasted french bread for sandwiches.  The brown butter ravioli has become a staple filler side and believe me you would love it.

Thanks Dad for making home visits even more comforting.  Have a great Father’s day this Sunday.

Bring a large pot to a boil over high heat and add the ravioli and cook for 5 minutes.  Drain ravioli.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat.  Let cool for about 1 minute.  Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter.  Sprinkle walnuts and parmesan over the top.  Serve immediately.