Robicelli's: A Love Story, with Cupcakes: With 50 Decidedly Grown-Up Recipes
Starred Review. Acclaimed purveyors of the Best Cupcakes in New York City (according to the blog Serious Eats) and humorous bloggers Allison and Matt Robicelli (who also worked at Lutèce, a respected French restaurant in Manhattan) present a cookbook that reveals the secrets behind the obscenely delicious cupcakes at their eponymous Brooklyn bakery. The Robicellis are dyed-in-the-wool Brooklynites whose refashioned cupcakes go beyond glitter-enhanced pure-sugar bombs and the pink and cutesy... girly aesthetic. Their naughty-but-nice confections are miniature upscale cakes for one, with attitude and adult appeal. By way of themed Love Letters, the Robicelli's pay homage to the iconic cupcake as more than a flash-in-the-pan trend and show how to fashion single servings of love through a witty narrative. Recipe notes, often R-rated, consist of tales of lovers' spats and family foibles; comic strips offer instruction; and in Matt Says sidebars, bakers get tips and encouragement. Recipes commemorate people, events, and food products: an Elvis-inspired cupcake includes candied bacon and overripe bananas; a sophisticated combination of fig, goat cheese, prosciutto, and balsamic vinegar gastrique honors a favorite teacher; chocolate peanut butter pretzel cupcakes showcase a rich buttercream that demands continued tasting until your eyes roll into the back of your head. Chicken 'n' waffles cupcakes are a savory nondessert option, and there are numerous booze-infused cupcakes as well. Photos are lick-the-page enticing and proof that home bakers are going to enjoy the best bleeping cupcakes their side of the Brooklyn Bridge. (Oct.)