From the Bundt Lady's Oven...I mean Desk

Balls

With a business named "Kiss My Bundt", clearly I have a sense of humor.

So when I was told by an older gentleman that he knew where to get good "balls", I both laughed and listened.

Hungry, and ready to taste my way through New York, I first went for a cupcake from Sugar Sweet Shnshine (photo and comments on this cake on our facebook page, facebook.com/bundts)

After my sweet appetizer, I walked a few blocks to "The Meatball Shop".

Greeted, I was comforted by the smell of sizzling meat and garlic. I first took a look at the surroundings, a long communal table, a few two-tops, an the bar counter. I opted for the bar so that I was perfectly perched to take it all in.

•First decision: beverage.•
This place has $4 glasses of house wine. And pretty great beers on tap for $3. I opted for a $3 pint of Perroni.

•Next: what kind of ball?•
There are 4 standard balls: beef, chicken, pork, and vegetarian. Then, they do a special ball everyday. This particular day I opted for the special, which was an amazing Beef and Mortadella. Yum. Super flavorful, super moist. I love how the outside was browned, giving the ball a great contrast of textures and flavors.

•What's under your ball?"•
The restaurant has a variety of ways to eat your meatball. You can get a slider for $3, you can get a meatball sub, meatballs smashed between your fave bun, "The Kitchen Sink", which is kind of a salad. Or, you can get it the way that I did: 4 meatballs in your choice of 1 of their 5 sauce options, and a slice of focaccia on top for dipping purposes. I chose a spicy meat marinara--an excellent choice.

Now everyone from you to the Lady and the Tramp knows about spaghetti and meatballs. But I just felt too cliche ordering spaghetti, but I noticed coarsely ground polenta as an option. So, that's what I ordered. So amazing--salty, beautiful corn flavor, course texture surrounded by creaminess, and a lovely topping of grated parmesan. So good.

The waitress asked me "do you want your polenta under your balls or in the side?"

"on the side, please."

•Did someone sat homemade ice cream and cookies?•

Though I was full, I can't resist scratch made desserts. They had a menu of 6 cookies options and 6 ice creams flavors to make a sandwich. If you go here, it is the bargain of the day at $4 each.
I got the brownie cookie with caramel ice-cream. So incredible. I only had room for 4 bites, but so good!

•The Verdict•

Great balls, great sauce, amazing polenta, cheap beers and wine, excellent dessert, and great service. This was a total "win". Plus, this place is like a gathering point for weary/hungry souls and happy regulars. I even got a list of 15 places I "had" to go to by Tessa, my hostesses' friend, who was dining beside me. She works as Franky's in NY, so if you meet her be nice and tip well!

GIVEAWAY: Sizzling Bacon Bar with Sea Salt and Popping Candy!

For the last two years I have done a workshop at the LA Chocolate Salon with my friend and fellow author of Fork Me, Spoon Me,  Amy Reiley.

In 2009, I did a demonstration on the perfect chocolate glaze.  And, it was here that I first came into contact with Christopher Michael Chocolates. 

At that year's chocolate salon, I was just entering a chocolate coma.  Unable to eat another peice of chocolate, I settled into a double fisting of red wine and water.  As the chocolate high ensued, I saw this little booth, with many words on a banner, only one word in particular caught my eye. 

"Bacon".

At the entire chocolate show, maybe 40-50 vendors, this was the only chocolatier doing anything with Bacon.

I was intrigued.

Now here's the thing.  I've seen the chocolate bacon thing dozens of times.  I even created a chocolate bacon cake in 2009 (I think that's the only one out there) and I put the recipe in my cookbook that came out nationally in June 2010. 

Often, it's dark chocolate + bacon.  But my tastebuds have always imagined that the milk chocolate sweetness against the salty and smokey bacon would really be the ultimate paring.

And in comes Christopher Michael's Sizzling Bacon Bar.

Beautiful and creamy Milk Chocolate, studded with nice pieces of bacon, wonderful sea salt, and them the biggest surprise:  popping candy (like Pop Rocks).  The popping starts right at the end of your savoring, and really provides a super cool sensory experience to what you're tasting. Christopher Michael really brings in multiple senses in this eating experience.

Fast Forward to 2010. I'm at the LA Chocolate Salon two weeks ago  doing a demonstration of my Vegan Chocolate Cake, also in my cookbook. The only chocolate I can wait to get my hands to purchase is the Sizzling Bacon Bar. 

And, the icing on my bundt cake, so to speak, was the chance to get to meet Christopher Michael himself.  I am for sure in love--with him and with his chocolates! 

 
I won't even get into all of the awards this guy has won. You can see for yourself via his facebook page here: or via his website here.

Now, onto the Giveaway!  Post a comment on our facebook page or on our blog post and you'll be entered to win a free Sizzling Bacon Bar from Christopher Michael Chocolates. We're giving 5 bars away.

Must enter by 11/6/10.  Winners will be picked randomly by random.org  

Ok.  Going to go eat some Sizzling Bacon Bar for brunch. Brunch of Champions!

xo

Chrysta

Founder/Chef

Kiss My Bundt Bakery

 

Ganache: Secret to Perfect Hot Chocolate, even at Work

Anyone that's taken one of my baking classes knows the one of my favorite things to teach and make is Ganache.

 

 

The simple chocolate and cream sauce is oh so much more than the sauce.  You can pour it on a cake like chocolate glaze, you can let it cool and set to the consistency of Nutella so that you can spread onto a cake like frosting or inside like a wonderful filling. 

When it's warm, you could roll marshmallows in it, and then roll that into crushed graham crackers for a take on a Smore.

Ganache can even whipped it to be like a dense mouse that you can pipe into a cupcake or inside of a Bundt Hole. Yes, I said Bundt Hole.

 

But one of the best things to do is make your very own hot chocolate, or drinking chocolate.

First, here's the base recipe for ganache, taken from my cookbook, Kiss My Bundt. 

Recipe: Equal Parts Chocolate and Heavy Cream.  It's really that easy. 

• 8oz heavy cream (not skim milk, not whole milk, seriously.  heavy cream.)
• 8oz your favorite dark or semi-sweet chocolate.

 

Directions: 
1. In a saucepan, whisk cream over medium high heat. 

BE SURE TO WHISK--whisking distributes the heat throughout the cream and keeps the cream from being on the bottom of the pan too long which causes the cream to burn.  You want the cream to be hot, not boiling.

 

2.  Bring cream to a near boil--it should be hot enough to melt chocolate.  So, about 180-190 degrees.  Or, think of it as about as hot as a latte from your favorite coffeeshop.

Remember, keep whisking until you reach your idea temperature.

 

3.  Remove cream from heat and add the chocolate.

4. Whisk the chocolate into the cream until it has completely melted into a glossy sauce.

That's ganache.  how easy, right?

Let your ganache cool and put in a jar or tupperware.  You can let this sit out at room temperature, away from a heat source, for a week or so.

 

Incredible Hot Chocolate (even at work using a microwave)

1.  Pour about 8 ounces of milk into your coffee mug.  Microwave said milk until warm.  So it on a low setting, say 70%, so that the milk doesn't bubble out and make a mess in your microwave.

2.  Add 2-3 tbsp of your ganache into your warm milk.  Stir it up.

3.  Voila!  Gourmet Hot Chocolate to soothe you on a cold day.  (or whenever you crave intense chocolate).

So easy, and so tasty. 

Kiss My Bundt Bakery West 3rd Officially Closed

We've gotten about 100 phone calls over the last few days of folks wanting to get their Bundt Cake orders in.

And while i'm so incredibly pleased for the recent support and orders, we have decided to relocate and restructure the Bakery and Baking Academy so that it makes more economic sense (and cents).

So, as of August 23rd, 2010 we will not be taking orders for retail/wholesale/or shipping.

We're going dark for 30 days to restructure and to create our plan for final relocation (as well as the interim plan for how to get your Bundts between now and our securing our next location).

By September 15th, we will have our ordering plans and systems in place.

Thanks for your support--stay tuned here, here or here

 

xo

Chrysta

Founder/Chef/Owner/Instructor

Kiss My Bundt Bakery

info {at} kissmybundt {dot} net

Goodbye West 3rd Street, Hello Summer Soiree with Seagram's Sweet Tea Vodka

In 2005 I launched my simple concept for a retail bakery:  Cakes baked from scratch, in small batches, every day, made with quality ingredients, like Callebaut Chocolate, Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, farmer's market fresh fruit. This is a simple concept, I know, but not always the industry standard.    Starting as a web-based business, we grew into a brick-and-mortar bakeshop in Los Angeles. Now, after 5 years in business, and 2 years with a brick-and-mortar bakery in Los Angeles, I am proud to say we stayed true to this concept of "scratch-made, small batch" baking, and have built a reputation for this commitment to quality.  I couldn't be happier.    Our accolades are below, and they are enough to make anyone realize that dreams do come true.    Besides baking bundt cakes, I've spent the last two years writing a cookbook and also teaching baking classes showing people how baking brings people together, building relationships and strengthening communities.  Tall order I know, but so true.    I've called the community of West 3rd Street home, and I've really become a part of this wonderful community, working hard beside amazing business women and men to help this local street thrive once more.  This street is full of dreamers and amazing entrepreneurs and I'm forever grateful for the amazing friendships I've made here.   Though I do love West 3rd Street, and I love the home Kiss My Bundt Bakery has built here, I've made the decision to relocate and restructure the Bakery and Baking Academy so that it makes more economic sense (and cents). We're going to have having a Southern Summer Soiree on Sunday August 15th,celebrating 5 years in business and 2 years on West 3rd Street.  This will be our last event in our 3rd Street Location. This event will be a Bundt Cake Tasting, back by popular demand, and is sponsored by Seagram's Sweet Tea Vodka.   (so yummy!!!) Well will begin phasing out of our West 3rd Street location after the Soiree, completing our transition by the end of August.  Our website at http://KissMyBundt.netand our Facebook Page (http://facebook.com/Bundts) will be where you can stay informed of the upcoming changes and relocation effort. During our transition, we will continue to be at the Century City Farmers Market on Thursdays.  We will maintain access to our co'op kitchen, so we will still take some orders through our website, http://shop.kissmybundt.net which we will be enhancing over the coming months.    Thank you all for 5 amazing years as a business and 2 incredible years on West 3rd Street.  We can't wait for Kiss My Bundt Version 3.0.  Adaptability is key to success, and this is an exciting time for Kiss My Bundt Bakery to begin to adapt and shift into it's next phase.     ~My word for this experience and your support is "Gratitude"~   ~Chrysta~       Make sure to come to our Southern Summer Soiree and Bundt Cake Tasting sponsored by Seagram's Southern Sweet Tea Vodka!

Southern Summer Soiree Tasting Event, Sponsored by Seagrams Sweet Tea Vodka

Phew!  That's a lot of "S"!

Come by for our final event at our West 3rd Street Location, our famous bundt cake tasting events. 

 

Quick and dirty details: 

(for full details, including bundt tasting menu, click here: http://southernsummersoiree.eventbrite.com/)

Entry Times: 4:30pm, 6:30pm, and 8:15pm

Duration:  Each entry lasts 75 minutes.

Price:  $15

Includes:  A tasting of bundt cake samples in a dozen+ flavors including Maple Bacon and Chocolate Mint; 2 drink tickets to redeem for a choice of Seagram's Sweet Tea Vodka Cocktails, milk, coffee, lemonade, Swag.  Special discount on Kiss My Bundt Bakery Cookbooks, signed by owner Chrysta Wilson 

  

 

Sponsored by

New York Times and LA Weekly Features

The last blog post I wrote was a reflection on how fortunate I and this little bakeshop of mine have been over the course of the last 22 months. 

Bakery Owner, Chrysta Wilson

 

Here are a few highlights of some recent developments that I am most proud of!

1.  LA Weekly 2010 People Edition (May 22, 2010).  The LA Weekly is a regional weekly magazine/newspaper here in Los Angeles.  Every Year they do a People Edition where they profile interested people in the city of Los Angeles.  I am so incredibly pleased/honored/surprised/happy that I was included in this year's edition.  http://www.laweekly.com/2010-05-20/la-life/chrysta-wilson-bodacious-bundts

2.  New York Times' choice of one of the 11 companies you should be following on Twitter. (May 27, 2010)  (And by the way, you can find Kiss My Bundt on Twitter.) http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/11-companies-to-follow-on-twitter/

 

3.  New York Times' article on business who utilize social media to reach customers.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/business/smallbusiness/27sbiz.html

 

Thanks to all the bloggers, reporters, writers, editors, publishers, etc., who have helped me get such recognition, including Joshua, Celia, Kermit, Lesley, Caroline, Maya, Ester, and everyone else ;)

Happy Memorial Day!

You Are Living Someone's Dream

Last Tuesday I fulfilled the request of a wonderful Chef-Professor at Los Angeles Trade Tech, Robert Wemischner, who asked me to come to his my culinary entrepreneurship class and speak about my experience in turning my dream into first a cake-catering/delivery company and then into an award winning retail bakery.

 For about an hour, I traced my memory, highlighting the things I felt were more important for them to know as they pursue their dream of opening a food business.  I talked about branding, financing, recipe development, etc.  The students were so incredibly welcoming and warm and truly engaged.

After I talked for a bit, we opened up the class to Q&A.  As the students started to ask their questions, and share their dreams and ideas with me, I realized something very profound.

I am living someone else's dream.

Sometimes welose focus of this.

I know I'm fortunate to be doing the very thing I want to do, and though it's difficult at times, there are at least 30 people that I recently met who would love to be in my shoes running their own food business and pursuing their passion(s).

I think when we're "in" something we forget that there was a point in time where what we are currently doing is exactly what we wanted to do.  Maybe we've just gotten so busy or so overwhelmed that we forget that we are truly living someone else's dream. 

And maybe, just maybe, we should remember that we might very well be living our own dream, too. 

 

~Chrysta

 

Chrysta Wilson

Founder, Kiss My Bundt Bakery

Email:  info {at} KissMyBundt {dot} net

I quit my job.

Two years ago this past Friday, I took the plunge and quit my job after 4 years of service.

I admit that it was mostly because I was ready to start my bakery.  But is was also...just a little...about me being unable to continue to work for a boss that was well...let's just say she provided the extra motivation to leave.

When I gave my notice, she asked me "Why are you leaving?  What are you going to do?"  To which I said "Kiss My Bundt. I mean, I'm going to open a bakery called Kiss My Bundt."

At that time, I was a senior regional director for a children's and community-based nonprofit organization.  I was doing the work I had always dreamed of--working at the grassroots and the grasstops.  I was bridging the gap between people in neighborhoods and the institutons that serve us (or are supposed to serve us).  I was in the business of buiding relationships for social change.

Somewhere along the way, a new dream emerged.  The dream of opening a bakery.

Some people thought I was absolutely insane.  These people couldn't understand how I could "waste" (their words) "all that education" including the Masters Degree from USC.  Most people thought it was "awesome".  But everyone was worried.  Over 75% of restauraunts fail within the first year.

It's amazing to me that I took the plunge (normally I'm very risk averse).  I actually quit my job, gave up a regular income, financial security, and most importantly, I gave up my health insurance.

I was talking with the wife of a well known French chef (hint hint) who's ver well known in her own right.  She told me that pursuing a career in the food industry meant that she's never been poorer, but she's also never been happier.

And I can totally relate.

Since I opened my bakery, I've been able to support many charities, my bakery has been featured in countless blogs, the LA Times, LA Weekly, 944 Magazine, Angelino Magazine, as well as KTLA, FOX LA, and NBC's Today Show.  I even wrote a cookbook published by an amazing publisher who get's my passion for what I do at Kiss My Bundt.

AND...I've got the best customers in Los Angeles!

Most importantly, I've continued to do the relationship building that is so central to community organizing.  I've just done it under the guise of a baker.   

Are you doing the work that makes you happy?  If not, when will you begin?

Best Kisses, Wishes, and Dishes,

Chrysta

 

St. Patty's Day Bundts Menu

St. Patty's Day is here, and Chrysta (the owner and founder of Kiss My Bundt Bakery) is welcoming you in to Kiss My Bundt Bakery for some amazing desserts.  You won't kiss a blarney stone, but you can kiss our bundts! (Or eat them instead!)

 

Though these desserts won't be found in Ireland (she's been there--the picture of her above was taken at a pub in Dublin), they are inspired by her travels.

• “Green” Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

• Irish Whiskey Cake with Irish Whiskey Buttercream

• Irish Coffee Cake with Cream Frosting

• Guinness Cake with Guinness Buttercream

• Guinness Cake with Guinness Glaze

• Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake with Irish Cream Buttercream

• Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake with Toffee Sauce

• Pistachio Cake with Pistachio Cream

• Chocolate Cake with any of the Irish Inspired toppings above

• Vanilla Cake with any of the Irish inspired toppings above.

We're also teaching a baking class on Wednesday night where you can come, enjoy a cocktail, and learn to make amazing cakes from scratch. For class description, click here:

 

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 COUPON:

Mention you saw this blog post, and you'll pay no tax as well as get 17% off of anything you order on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010.