Friday, March 12, 2010

Photo Shoot Friday: Cake for dinner

Last night my friend Lauren invited me to the Astor Center for the "Eat.Drink.Be Married." event. It was basically like going to a wedding reception, only there wasn't a bride and groom and I didn't have to spend money I don't have on a present.

I had never been to the Astor Center before, so it was really cool to check it out. It would be a great place to have a wedding reception, bridal shower or any other big event. I put my name in the raffle to win cooking lessons and a dinner for 14 people (worth $5,000!)--I would diiie if I won.

When I entered the room, I was overwhelmed with wedding cakes (in a good way), but I wanted something savory before I started the taste testing, so I tried this tempura fried grape gorgonzola appetizer. Delicious.

This cake from Cake Alchemy is a bit flashy for my taste, but it certainly caught my eye. Wow.

The cookies from Fatty Cakes are called The Movie Theatre. Why? It's a chocolate chip cookie made with buttered popcorn and Swedish Fish. I was a bit wary at first, but they were actually really good! And, you can even request your own custom mix! Throw in some Milk Duds and I think we'd have my perfect cookie.

I attacked a piece of carrot cake from Love Street Cakes. It was heavenly.

The next three cakes are from How Sweet It Is. (My grandfather used to always say that, How sweet it is! Aw.) They were certainly some of the most creative cakes I saw all night! I thought this one was really groovy.

The present cake! I've actually had a cake like this before. The icing was a bit thick and not really practical, but the cuteness factor more than made up for it.

I thought this abstract cake was cool, but I'd be worried it would tip over!

After a few sweet bites, I was ready to hit the meats and cheese station. 

This bite of chicken pot pie is easily one of the cutest things I have ever seen.

Here's Lauren with her grape martini! I tried one and it was good, but I'm not really a martini kind of gal. I visited the wine tasting station several times. Ohh and we went to the champagne tasting presentation where we learned about fermentation and all that shit. Yeah, I was more focused on the actual tasting part! My ears perked up though when I heard that you can get great bottles of champage at Astor Wine & Spirits (just downstairs from where we were) for like $7! Score.

How awesome are these NYC cookies from Eleni's?

And look at these bride and groom cookies! Presh. The ladies at the table asked if I was planning a wedding. I said "no" and that's where the conversation abruptly ended. Right.

What a cool event! I'm not even going to let myself feel guilty about all my indulgences. I mean, how often do you get to experience something like that? So tell me: What's your favorite wedding food? Of course I love the cake, but I tend to be more of a cocktail hour gal--meats, cheeses, and bite-sized apps are my fave!

13 comments:

  1. Oh man, that event looks awesome! I love going to Astor Center - they have so many cool things going on. That mini chicken pot pie is the cutest thing ever, hehe.

    Fav part of wedding receptions? CAKE. And seeing family members get awkwardly drunk. Oops, I probably wasn't supposed to admit that!

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  2. FUN!!! Best part of a wedding...free vino and cake! haha!

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  3. So good to see you Ellen! So happy you could join me in gorging on cake and cookies ;)

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  4. as a wedding coordinator, I've tasted LOTS of cake and it's probably my least fave part of wedding food. And I'm so sick of wedding dinners- it's always beef w/mashed potatoes and asparagus or fish with rice pilaf. booooring.

    I agree w/you, Ellen, the best food is usually what's passed at cocktail hour. well, that and the open bar ;)

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  5. Those cakes were beautiful, but I am not a fan of fondant. It just doesn't taste a good as butter cream, and if I am eating cake I want it to count. My favorite wedding food is regional or cultural: when a couple makes it unique for their guests. EG - the bride is from the South, the groom from the North and they have Shrimp and Grits at the reception - I loved watching those Yankees say, "What's a grit?" and then go back for seconds. Or I went to a wedding where there was no groom's cake, rather trays and trays of deviled eggs because that is what the groom liked. It was awesome.

    SCS

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  6. where is Fatty Cakes in manhattan... Would love to try the The Movie Theatre thanks! x

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  7. Yes, Runner's Kitchen, drunk relatives are the BEST thing about weddings besides the food :)

    Thanks for the invite Lauren! Loved seeing you as always! You have an event P.I.C. (Partner In Crime) whenever you need one ;)

    MLA, rice pilaf...it DOES sound like such a snooze!

    Totally agree Shannon. I went to a wedding that served mojitos and had a quesadilla station because the groom was Spanish. It was SO freakin' good. The bride was southern and she served up shrimp and grits, it was a cool touch.

    Kelly, FattyCakes is only online: fattycakesny.com. Er, at least I'm pretty sure that's what they told me! (I was probably a few cocktails deep at that point :) Go to their site and email them--tell them I was at the Astor Center event and blogged about 'em ;) I know they'd be excited to hear from you, they were so nice and cool.

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  8. Thanks Ellen your blog is just amazing! :) I love it! <£ thank you for making my day go quicker..

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  9. The cheese made me want it so bad. I was scared about the abstract cake collapsing to the floor too- what a waste- i'd rather it collapse into my mouth :D

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  10. Those wedding cakes look fabulous. It's too bad fondant doesn't taste very good. Our reception food was one of the few things my husband took part in. I'm happy to say that our food and cake tasted great! If it didn't there would have been a serious problem...lol.

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  11. Aww, so glad you're enjoying the blog and that I can add a little entertainment to your day, Kelly :)

    Yeah, Latoya, I always wonder if fondant is really worth it. I mean, you can still have a beautiful AND tasty cake without it. What kind of food and cake did you have at your wedding?

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  12. What a fun event to attend! Must see if there is a similar one coming up in my neck of the woods. That mini pot pie makes my heart melt! :)

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  13. um, why can't this astor place be in DC or Baltimore. actually, i'm gonna look that up right now, cuz i want some cookies!

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