Continuing the Cupcake Craze.

Ann Arbor is home to a diversity of food and dessert options and what better way to satisfy your sweet tooth than with a cupcake from Cupcake Station? Located at 116 E. Liberty, Cupcake Station has over 20 different flavors of cupcakes to choose from including: Station’s Samoa, Cookies and Cream, and Red Velvet.

Station's Samoa (Vanilla bean cake filled and frosted with their signature Buttercream, rolled in toasted coconut and drizzled with caramel and dark chocolate)

Craving just one bite? Cupcake Station has mini bite-sized cupcakes that will help satiate your palate without bursting your wallet. Both mini and regular sized cupcakes can be bought in larger quantities and are sure to be a hit at birthdays, parties or for that special someone.

Head over and check it out for yourself, I promise you won’t walk away empty-handed.

A Taste of Cuba in Ann Arbor

Warm and sunny Friday afternoons are a rare occasion during the winter in Ann Arbor. Looking to take full advantage of the weather, Jill, Jessie, Sarah, Jen and I ventured down towards Main Street with a final destination in mind: Frita Batidos.

Located on W. Washington St, right off of Main, Frita Batidos is a modern and flavorful flare on traditional Cuban dishes. The menu is simple: customers can choose between mouth-watering Fritas (Cuban for “burger”), side orders such as twice fried ripe plantains or variations of churros, for dessert. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can top your burger with muenster cheese or a sunny-side up egg. Every item on the menu is under $10 and you are sure to walk away feeling satisfied.

Here’s how we did Frita Batidos:

Fish Frita: Ground Michigan Whitefish blended with herbs and spices such as cayenne and cilantro, topped with lemon-scented mayo. Even better when topped with cilantro lime salsa.

Turkey Frita: Ground Turkey meat blended with herbs and spices and topped with lemon-scented mayo.

Black Bean Frita (not pictured): Blend of ground and whole black beans, blended with spices and herbs and topped with chipotle mayo.

***Chorizo Frita: Fresh ground chorizo blended with spicy herbs and spices, topped with sweet chili mayo. WINNER.

If you want to check it out before heading over, here’s their menu: http://www.fritabatidos.com/menu2.htm

Best dishes? Close call, but I’d advise any of the listed Fritas. They’re the perfect size, filled with flavor and topped with fresh shoestring fries, to round out your dining experience.

Atmosphere? A hip and modern ambiance with communal seating makes this dining experience both unique and enjoyable. If you’re looking for something away from campus that’s still a fun and relaxed environment, this is it.

Cost? With every dish under $10, Frita Batidos is college-budget friendly.

A New Twist on Cupcakes

Cupcakes are the latest trend to hit the baking world with “cupcake boutiques” popping up across the nation. Magnolia Bakery, Cupcakes by Melissa, Sprinkles, Crumbs and Georgetown Cupcake are all offering their own unique twist on America’s favorite birthday dessert.

Tired of baking the same cupcake over and over again, Sarah and I put a new, yet equally as easy spin on this tasty dessert: the cupcake in a cone.

Don’t be intimidated by its name, “the cupcake in a cone” is just as easy to make as its more simple sister and yields a much more eye popping result.

Here’s how we did it:

What you need:

-1 large disposable metal baking tin (approx 1- 1 ½” deep)

-12 sugar ice cream cones

-1 box Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Cake Mix

(egg, vegetable oil and water measurements on box)

-1 container Betty Crocker vanilla icing

Directions:

1. Cut 12 1” wide circles in the disposable metal baking tin. (To measure if this is the right size, check to see if cone fits properly inside of circle. Cone should fit firmly into the circle and not move while baking)

2. Preheat oven to 350° F.

3. Prepare cake mix as written on cake mix box.

4. Fill cones about ¾ full leaving the batter ½” from the top.

5. Flip baking tin over so that the side with the circles is on top and place filled cones into circles.

6. Bake in oven for about 15 to 20 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

7. Allow cupcakes to cool, then frost and decorate. Enjoy!

A City That's Got the "Dish" on Pizza

Chicago is a lakefront, bustling city that’s rich in history and lined with sky scrapers. Oh, and it’s also home to some of the country’s tastiest, most diverse cuisine.

For my spring break, I spent a week working alongside 10 other U of M students in Southside Chicago, helping to prepare a 5^th grade class at Neil Elementary for their upcoming state standardized test, the ISAT. While most of our day was spent in the classroom, we were still able to find the time to try out the notorious Deep Dish Pizza.

I had two encounters with this native Chicago dish during my trip, the most memorable being at Gino’s East of Chicago. Gino’s East is located across the city and suburbs and best known for its over 1” deep crust filled with cheese, homemade sauce and any toppings imaginable. Our group opted for:

-the classic cheese

-the “Vegetarian”

(topped with fresh asparagus, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, red peppers, yellow squash, eggplant and zucchini)

- the“Meaty Legend”

(topped with pepperoni, Italian sausage, Canadian bacon AND bacon)

Despite being such a large group we were unable to conquer all three pizzas and gladly took home our unfinished business.

Being a true New York thin-crust pizza lover at heart, I still have difficulty saying that Chicago’s pizza beats my native slice. However, if you’re in Chicago and ready to get a taste of what the city is all about, you need to grab a slice (or, maybe even a whole pie) of classic Chicago Deep Dish Pizza.