Faygo Cupcakes for Opening Day!

I love baseball!

I whine every single year that Opening Day should be a national holiday. I inevitably rush home after work and manage to catch the bottom of the 9th, rather than getting to enjoy the entire game. Sure, I could take the day off - but really, there's stuff to do at work and that just seems a bit frivolous. I know others do it, or they call in sick, or they just sit at their desks watching games on MLB.com rather than paying attention to what they should be. Thus, my annual proclamation that Opening Day should be a holiday!

But this year, I have the day off. One isn't permitted to work during the first two or the last two days of Passover; today is the 7th of Passover's 8 days, and thus a paid holiday for me since I work in the Jewish community ... yay!!! The Tigers take on the Twins in Minnesota this afternoon, and I get to watch the whole game ... whee!

So, in honor of this occasion, what festive food are we making? Baseball, hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jacks all go together. I'm certainly not going to make my own hot dogs - that's a chore even I'm not fool enough to bother with! I can't grow my own peanuts up in the cold of Michigan. I could make my own Cracker Jacks, but I'm not a huge fan of popcorn so I'm disinclined to bother; it's so much easier to buy a small box and have the actual product on hand to bestow good luck upon the season.

Then I thought about cupcakes because ... well ... cupcakes are a good thing to think about! They make everyone happy. And since I had made ginger ale-infused Vernors Cupcakes last fall in honor of the Tigers representing the American League in the World Series, I thought I'd riff on that a bit and use another Detroit soda for today's recipe: Faygo, which comes in many flavors and colors, and can thus be coordinated with any team. (Admittedly, my cupcakes came out to be more Mets-colored than Tigers! But it's the thought that counts. Jeremy said they're "(Friggin') fantastic" and that they taste like Creamsicles; that's really all that matters.)

These festive cupcakes would also be perfect to serve on Friday, for the Tigers' home opener against the Yankees - my two favorite teams, having grown up in New York but having lived in Michigan since I was 16.

Baseball's back! I'm a happy, happy girl ... :)

Opening Day 2011

Opening Day 2012

Faygo Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup orange Faygo soda
4 tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a measuring cup, combine the soda, oil, vanilla, and eggs; whisk together.

Pour liquid ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. Divide the batter among the lined cups, and bake for 18-20 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon blue food coloring
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the butter and food coloring. Slowly beat in 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar, then add milk; beat in remaining confectioners' sugar. Continue beating 'til frosting is the desired consistency.

Spread frosting onto cupcakes, then serve.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Vernors Cupcakes for the Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are playing in the World Series tonight. They beat my Yankees in a 4-game sweep in the American League Championship Series last week.

Of course, having grown up in New York City, but having spent the past 34 years in Michigan, my interest was piqued in the ALCS: this wasn't just my favorite game, but a match-up of my two favorite teams. I'd be happy no matter which one moved on to the big show!

But I have to admit, I was really rooting for the Tigers ... :)

Because even someone as verbose and effusive as I am can't adequately describe what this means to Detroit.

In New York, it's expected that an enormously talented and exorbitantly costly team will take its division, earn a pennant, and not just get to - but win - the World Series. When this doesn't happen, there is no worse city in which to endure the fans' wrath.

In Detroit, however, there is great happiness when a trip to the postseason comes, rather than a sense of entitlement. There is enormous pride, and nothing is taken for granted. That the Tigers took down, and shut down, the force that is the Yankees was something everyone hoped for and talked about and celebrated. People who aren't particularly interested in baseball even found themselves watching the games and cheering. The enthusiasm was contagious.

New York has split loyalties: Yankees fans, Mets fans, and those who still haven't forgiven the Dodgers for leaving Brooklyn. But in Detroit, there's one team. And the entire city - the entire state - is so thrilled for them!

Often, there's not good news coming from Detroit. But throughout the postseason, visitors and viewers have also seen a new city - one with a vibrant arts scene, a thriving farmers' market, fabulous restaurants, urban gardens, and renovated neighborhoods that hip kids in their 20s and 30s are moving into and revitalizing. All of this will be on display as Detroit welcomes the World Series, and the world.

This trip to the final round of the postseason wasn't a fluke - the spot was earned. This was a matter of hard work, not mere luck. The Tigers have come back from some dismal days, just as their city itself is doing.

Remember, as the famous Chrysler ad, "Imported From Detroit," states:

This isn't New York City or the Windy City or Sin City,
and we're certainly no one's Emerald City.
This is the Motor City. And this is what we do.

We play baseball. We sweep a team whose payroll tops $200 million and which features many future Hall of Fame members. We bring hope and joy to a city that deserves - and needs - it.

And we represent the American League in the World Series tonight ... :)





Vernors Cupcakes

Vernors is a sweet, spicy ginger ale made in Detroit.  It's only fitting to make a treat for tonight's game using this iconic product that represents the vitality of the city!

Cupcakes:

• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 3/4 cup Vernors
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 15 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and ginger. In a measuring cup, combine the Vernors, butter, vanilla, and eggs; whisk together.

Pour liquid ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. Divide the batter among the lined cups, and bake for 20 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Frosting:

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup Trader Joe's cookie butter
• 3-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 7 tablespoons Vernors

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and cookie butter. On low speed, beat in the confectioners' sugar; then beat in the Vernors.

Spread frosting over cupcakes.

Makes 15 cupcakes.

Boston Baked Beans for Opening Day

Baseball comes back today!  The Detroit Tigers' home opener will be at 1:05 p.m. against the Boston Red Sox.  I'm so excited!  Of course, I have to be at work this afternoon ... sigh.  But it's the principle of the matter!

Opening Day, for me, is usually when the New York Yankees play their first game of the season; they're not playing the Tampa Bay Rays 'til tomorrow, though.  But I've lived in Michigan for more than 30 years now, after moving from New York ... there can be a bit of wiggle room.

It is simply required to eat a hot dog in honor of this occasion - what's a baseball game without a hot dog, after all?  And I'm offering the perfect accompaniment, since the Tigers are playing the Red Sox from Beantown: Boston-Style Baked Beans, featuring the rich sweetness of molasses.

Now, I know that there are folks who don't share my excitement today, who aren't serving ritual, traditional foods.  Many people think that baseball is boring, because they don't understand it.  I'll spare you my rants about other sports which I simply cannot endure or which I ridicule with great glee, and rather focus on what I consider to be the great joy of baseball.

Sure, I'll grant you that there are lots of foul balls, causing significant delays in the games.  Sure, there  are plenty of superstitious players going through repetitive rituals, making it tedious to watch sometimes.  Sure, baseball players are prisses who can't play in bad weather.  Sure, there are performance-enhancing drugs and other scandals.

But baseball can be watched intently, play by play, or it can be company in the background; it can be whatever you need it to be.  There are thrilling moments that people remember - and debate - for decades.  People have been so devoted to the sport that their hearts have been broken by teams that have abandoned cities and by players who have abandoned teams.

Most importantly, though, the true beauty of baseball is this: with every single pitch there is the potential for something magical.  It doesn't always happen.  But the chance is there, and the hope is there.  And every so often, you get to witness a spectacular moment.

Today, a Mom or Dad or maybe a Grandpa is taking a child to his or her first baseball game.  They're wandering through the stadium, buying peanuts and Cracker Jacks and a souvenir program.  They're looking for their section.  They're heading toward the usher.  They're about to climb to their seats.

And in an instant, they walk out from the dark corridor and into the blinding sunshine.  A field of the brightest, most vibrant green lies before them.  Players are casually tossing the ball around.  Vendors are calling out with offers of pretzels and ice cold beer.  The scoreboard is zeroed out, waiting for the first hit, the first ball, the first run.

There are so few moments as special as that one instant when you walk into the ball park and the excitement surrounds you and transports you!  It elicits a gasp, and brings both a smile and a tear.

Today is a day of celebration.  It's Opening Day!  And all things are possible ....


Quick 'n' Easy Boston-Style Baked Beans

1 28-ounce can vegetarian baked beans, drained
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons brown mustard
2 tablespoons honey barbecue sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped onion

Place all ingredients into a small saucepan; bring just to a boil, then lower heat to "low" and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serves 6-8.

Mexican Pizza for Justin Verlander's Birthday

Anyone who knows me knows that I love baseball.  So I'm very excited that the Detroit Tigers' pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training in Lakeland, Florida yesterday!

Of course, among that group was Justin Verlander, who's celebrating his 29th birthday today.  I can't imagine what he'll wish for when he blows out the candles on his cake, since this past year brought him both the American League Cy Young Award (winning it by a unanimous vote, too) as well as the American League's Most Valuable Player Award that hadn't been won by a starting pitcher for more than 20 years.  Good luck trying to top those presents!

In Justin's honor, since we're all so enormously proud of him here in Michigan, I'm offering a Mexican Pizza.

When interviewed by Conan O'Brien in January, the amazingly talented pitcher stated that "his night-before-the-game ritual consists of 'three Crunchy Taco Supremes, no tomato; a Cheesy Gordita Crunch; and a Mexican Pizza, no tomato.'"  Justin Verlander is a fan of Taco Bell.  This meal has served him well, apparently ... who am I to argue with success?


I, however, am not a fan of fast food.  So while my Mexican Pizza is a quick and easy dinner, I didn't go slumming at a drive-thru to get it.  I fried my own tortillas, shredded my own cheese, chopped my own vegetables, and enjoyed a flavorful, crispy, rich dinner.  And I made sure to honor Justin's prohibition against tomatoes, too!


May 2012 be good to Justin and to the Tigers.  Just 45 more days 'til Opening Day!

Mexican Pizza

1/4 cup frying oil
4 6" corn tortillas
1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup refried beans
1/4 cup hot salsa
1/2 cup finely chopped peppers
4 scallions, finely chopped
avocado and sour cream for serving, optional

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  One at a time, fry the tortillas in the oil for 1 minute total (flip halfway through cooking) until golden; pat dry with paper towels, and place tortillas onto the prepared baking sheet.

Combine the cheeses.  Sprinkle one-quarter of the mixture over one tortilla, then top with another tortilla and press lightly.  Sprinkle one-quarter of the mixture over another tortilla, then top with the last tortilla and press lightly.

Spread half of the refried beans over one of the tortilla stacks, and repeat with the remaining beans and the other tortilla stack.

Spread the salsa over each of the tortilla stacks.

Combine the peppers and scallions; divide them among the tortilla stacks.

Divide the rest of the cheese mixture among the tortilla stacks.  Bake the pizzas for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and gooey.

Serve with avocado and sour cream, if desired.

Serves 2-4.

Pepper-Onion Dip for the World Series

I adore baseball - anyone who knows me can vouch for this.

So even though I don't watch television (no "Dancing with the Stars", no "Mad Men," nothing), having access to t.v. is critical at this time of year. Having just moved into a place with no t.v. - either the physical entity or the service to provide the shows - I had to do something about this void.

I couldn't spend each afternoon or evening of the playoffs loitering in restaurants and bars just to watch the games. And I could hardly impose upon friends for a month's worth of watching all the various rounds, either. I had to act. I had to get a television and a satellite dish ... and so I did.

So I got to watch my Yankees lose in the first round, I'm sorry to say. But they lost to the Tigers, and I've lived in Michigan for more than 30 years, so that was absolutely okay. The success means more to Detroit. New Yorkers are complacent and - shall we politely say? - arrogant, expecting their team to simply take it all. (Not Mets fans, of course, but ...!)

The Tigers, unfortunately, didn't make it to the World Series, which begins tonight. But the game will still be on at my house, more than likely, even though I could not possibly care any less about the two teams that have earned the honors. It's baseball, and a long drought awaits me 'til Spring Training. And it's mandatory to enjoy snacks while watching, especially when none of my chosen teams are playing; there has to be some consolation!

So today I'm offering an all-purpose chip dip recipe, which is appropriate for any occasion. With its red, yellow and orange peppers, it's not only flavorful but it features beautiful seasonal colors, too - perfect for the Fall Classic!

Pepper-Onion Dip

1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup finely diced red pepper
1/4 cup finely diced orange pepper
1/4 cup finely diced yellow pepper
1 small onion, finely diced
pinch of kosher salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the peppers and onion; cook for 5 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low, add salt and pepper, and cook the vegetables for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and lightly caramelized.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream and mustard. Stir in the vegetables, cover, and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors develop.

Makes 1-1/2 cups dip.

Opening Day!!!

Today is Opening Day of baseball season -- Tigers at Yankees at 1:05 p.m. EDT on ESPN. For a girl who grew up in New York City and who's lived near Detroit for more than 30 years now, this is a primo way to start things off!

Although I'm loathe to admit it -- and I do my very best to keep my grey roots hidden so that folks can't tell my age by counting the silver, the way they count rings in a tree! -- I have to admit that I'm old enough to remember those mid-70s commercials touting All-American icons: baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet.



And each year on Opening Day -- a day which, as far as I'm concerned, should be a national holiday 'cause folks are either playing hooky or watching games on MLB.tv, but they're sure not working! -- I can't help but think of the old ads.

Because I adore baseball -- I was raised on it, going to Mets games (one of my mother's best friends is married to one of their former coaches) ... Yankees games ... and actually being at Yankee Stadium on June 17, 1978 for the game in which Ron Guidry pitched 18 strikeouts to tie the American League record. I think the quadrennial (it should be annual!) World Baseball Classic is one of the greatest things in the entire universe, as I can wake up in the morning to watch a game pitting Japan against China, come home from work and watch Italy play the Netherlands, and then fall asleep watching Cuba play Canada. It just doesn't get much better in my world!

I raised Jeremy on it, too: minor league games, t-ball, Tigers games, even Alaska Baseball League games when we spent part of a summer in Anchorage while my ex-husband did a medical residency rotation at a Native Alaskan treatment center. (The Alaska Baseball League describes itself as "A Premier Summer Collegiate Baseball League Containing Players From Major Colleges Throughout The World".) And any time the University of Michigan's baseball team is playing on Mother's Day, that's where you'll find Jeremy and me -- 1 p.m. on May 8, this year!

I also love apple pie, and I just happen to drive a Chevrolet -- a Chevy Suburban. But my tradition is actually much simpler: hot dogs and Cracker Jacks, those consummate baseball foods. No beer necessary (don't like it at all) but maybe a soda, which I almost never drink, just 'cause it's a celebration!

So, what sorts of unofficial holidays do you celebrate? And how do you do so? Every family has its own traditions, after all, apart from those the rest of society acknowledges; and these are so important to pass along through generations, integral to forming a family identity.

Let me know ... and it's okay if you stop mid-typing to catch a great play or to take a bite of your hot dog while watching the game today. Have no fear -- I'll understand completely ... :)

"Come and Run From the Heat in the Middle of a Sunlit Street"

Jeremy and I spent a fabulous sunny Saturday afternoon this past weekend simply enjoying downtown Ann Arbor, now that the students have moved home and the townies can have the city back again. Yeah, I'm one of those kvetching, crotchety folks who inherently know that the students (and I even used to be one of 'em here) are essential to the identity of this university town, but who rather enjoy having parking spots and sidewalks and restaurant tables available for us, too ... at least during the summer.

The title of this post, for those who don't recognize the line, is from Neon Indian's "Deadbeat Summer." Now, thanks to working and/or going to school each summer from the age of 14, then "real life" as a grown-up and stay-at-home mom before divorce made me a full-time employee in the working world, "deadbeat" is not a term I have the luxury of applying to myself during the summer (or at all). Too many responsibilities and obligations, too little sunshine on my shoulders! But that first line of the song definitely describes our Saturday adventure -- which was a much-needed and wonderful respite -- as does the next one: "I'd rather get something to eat."



And so, eat we did! Indecisive as always, and wanting to post a new restaurant review since I haven't done that for awhile, I tried to determine where to eat since Jeremy had told me it would be my pick. Pizza? Mexican? And then serendipity -- a hot dog vendor at the corner of Liberty and Maynard.

Now remember -- I can't usually eat standard hot dogs, bacon, ham, etc., because the sodium nitrite gives me a crushing headache reminiscent of what it must feel like to have one's head flattened under a cement truck ... or hit by an A-Rod line drive, as Cleveland Indians pitcher David Huff was on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. But my sinuses had been acting up that morning, hinting at a pending infection, so I'd taken the "big gun" meds to ward off the demons. I dared to hope that perhaps I had enough medically-beneficial chemicals floating through my bloodstream to counter the nasty effects of the soon-to-be-introduced-and-usually-toxic one.

And so, Jeremy and I walked on up to Delicious Dogs on the Run and chatted with a charming woman named Autumn who was wearing a Tigers cap and listening to the game ... gotta love a gal who loves baseball!!! (Oh, and how agonizing was Galarraga's almost-perfect game last night, 'til the ump blew the call on what shoulda been the 3rd out in the bottom of the 9th?!?!?) Hot dogs, jumbo hot dogs, kielbasa, turkey dogs, vegetarian creations, combos ... oh, what's a girl like me to do??? Autumn very helpfully recommended her own favorite, the Polish sausage; and so Jeremy and I each ordered Combo #3 with the sausage, a side of chips and a drink for the most reasonable price of $4.50 per person.

I asked if I could take a photo, explaining that I have a food blog and love to promote local businesses; Autumn was happy to oblige, and promised to look up Food Floozie even though I have apparently run out of cards and had nothing to give to her as a memento. (Gotta remedy that little situation ....)

After slathering my hot dog in mustard and digging a Vernor's (a sweet ginger ale made in Detroit that took me years to get used to, which I now love) out of the cooler after Jeremy chose an iced tea, we meandered across the street to sit in the sun and devour a truly fabulous lunch. The Polish sausage had exceptionally good flavor, was very juicy, and the skin had just the right "pop" when bitten into. The soda was not just chilled but downright cold, which was just what was needed on a hot day. Truly, it was perfection ... :)

And then it occurred to me -- with all my schmoozing and picture taking, I had completely forgotten to pay for our meal!!! So I ran back to Autumn's cart with profuse apologies; she, too, had neglected that little detail, so I didn't feel so bad -- it's not like I was intentionally doing a dine-'n'-dash!

I wholeheartedly endorse Autumn and her delicious wares, and I will definitely go back -- no headache for Mary after so many years of having to buy specialty items or feel like an outcast when others could enjoy a quick treat with protein and I was relegated to a bag of chips or a pretzel. Maybe it was Autumn's charm and welcoming smile that beat back the sodium nitrite heebie-jeebies ... I don't know. But until you've been denied something as simple as the pleasure of a hot dog on a summery day, you can't truly appreciate how genuinely I relished every single bite. Sometimes, it's the little things ....

Tomorrow, I will regale you with the tale of Comet Coffee, the most extraordinary coffee experience -- so, so far beyond being merely a coffee "shop." It was our next stop, the place to run from the heat ... but why use up all my stories in one post, when I've gotta write some sorta shpiel each day of this month for the NaBloPoMo???