Community - A How To on public and private schools in NYC

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A How To on public and private schools in NYC - A must for all parents!

Nov. 17 AT 7:30 pm

138 S. Oxford 2nd Floor

Open to all - tasting menu at 7 pm provided by Mullanes Bar and Grill

King of Cupcakes?! More like prince.

A few days ago I received at coupon via  my Living Social app. on my smartphone for King of Cupcakes in Park Slope, Brooklyn. As with the rest of the population I've been quite fond of this new trend of gourmet cupcakes and needless to say I've tried quite a few. So why stop now, I had to try this new contender who claimed to be even better than the ever so popular Crumbs and Magnolia Bakery.

So today I convinced my co-worker take a trek over to their store with a short order of cupcakes. We ordered the Oreo Mint, Nutella, M&M, Peanut Butter Banana, Cookies and Cream, and Pumpkin. I sat at my desk waiting patiently trying to figure out how I was going to try all these cupcakes with out going into a sugar frenzy, and there it was the bag of goodies.  The frosting on the cupcakes seemed a little lacking but cute nonetheless.  Because I've never seen Nutella on a cupcake list I was excited to make it my first to taste.  I'd have to admit I was a bit disappointed, maybe my expectations were a bit high but the cupcake was basically a yellow cake with Nutella spread over the top and a Ritz cracker on top.  If they would have maybe incorporated the Nutella into a frosting it would have made it a bit more lighter and not stick to the roof of my mouth.

To be honest the only cupcake I enjoyed and is worth mentioning out of the half dozen was the Oreo Mint.  The moist chocolate cake had a light and delicious mint green frosting with a mini peppermint pattie to top it off.  The King of Cupcakes may have been around since 1979 but the cupcake community has become quite eclectic since then but for someone looking for something a bit simpler and less complicated the King of Cupcakes would probably suit you.  Personally I'd prefer a more decadent option also in Park Slope, the Lady Bird Bakery.  They have beautifully decorated buttercream confections and taste as great as they look.  But who am I to judge, try them out for your self.

www.kingofcupcakes.com

www.ladybirdbakery.com

Sunday Dinners - Purge my fridge!

Most families have their own Sunday night dinner traditions, well with my young growing family I've decided my Sunday night tradition is to purge my fridge!  What better way to get rid of those half chopped veggies or those left over white rice take-out containers.  Well this Sunday I've discovered two turkey legs lurking in my freezer.  I bought them about a month ago but since they were vacuum sealed I knew they were still good to use.  So what could I make with two gigantic turkey legs you ask? Well I could've went the pre-historic route and just roasted them in the oven whole, but that doesn't really clean out my fridge enough.  I dig a little deeper into the fridge and discover I have 1/2 an onion, 5 small red potatoes, and 1/2  a yam.  In this cold New York November I'm thinking Turkey Stoup, that's right thicker than a soup thinner than a stew.  I always tend to keep a fully stocked spice rack just so I know I never have to run out in the middle of cooking just to get some _____.  In this recipe I use dried spices because 1. that's what I had on hand and 2. long cooking in liquids bring out the wonderful flavor.  This recipe took a complete 2 hours from start to finish, but since most of it was in the oven I had plenty of time to do some laundry and even take a brisk walk around the block.  Even moms need to keep in shape!  This recipe is also low in fat and filled with great vitamins to fight off pending colds.  I hope you enjoy!

Sunday Turkey Stoup Recipe

2 Turkey Legs scored

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 tablespoon Olive oil

1 quart Chicken Stock

1/2 small Yellow Onion chopped

half or whole Yam cut into 1 inch cubes

5 small New Red Potatoes whole

3 Garlic cloves smashed

1/2 tablespoon Ground Cumin

2 teaspoon Dried Thyme

2 teaspoon Dried Rosemary

1 tablespoon Dried Celery
1 tablespoon Dried Parsley

1 small can diced tomatoes

1/2 packet of Sazon (optional)

Kosher Salt and Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Wash the turkey legs in cold water, then with a knife score the legs into three sections.  This will help the meat fall off the bone later on.  Then salt and pepper the legs completely and dust the flour over them evenly.  Heat a dutch oven or a heavy bottomed pot with olive to coat, when the pot is hot put the legs in to sear and brown about 2-3 minutes on each side.  Then add the garlic, onions, and seasoning to the pot and cook for 1 minute.  Add diced tomatoes and chicken stock, bring to a simmer then add yams and potatoes.  Put the pot of goodness into the oven covered for 1-1 1/2 hours until meat falls off the bone.  Pick the meat off and dump the bones, salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy with some crusty bread or with that left over rice.