My Basil is Singing in the Rain

So today is the first day of the second half of 2009. (yes, the Today show actually started by stating that fact this morning). Once again New England is shrouded in a thick cloud of ugly rain that threatens my bike ride to and from work. Last time this happened I found myself stranded in Kennedy Plaza holding a cupcake under a tent at the Farmer's Market, and praying my leather shoes could hold up against the rain. This scene ended with me in the backseat of a stranger's car with her four year old talking about dinosaurs...
So now my lunch time walk to CVS is questionable and I can't help but think this must be what people in England feel like all the time with the rain. My basil plant, the first of 4 which has yet to die under my care (fingers crossed), is thriving, which tells me some good can come of all this crappy weather. Hopefully by the 4th of July we will all be frolicking in the sunshine, drink in hand and ready to see fireworks!

Tasty Bits:
The cupcake was from the Cupcakerie based out of Warwick, RI. The bakery has no store front, but you can find them at the Kennedy Plaza Famer's Market on Friday's and at the Slater Mill Market on Sunday's. The first one I tried was the Cinco de Mayo. It was a rich chocolate cake spiced with a bit of chilli which gave a surprising heat to the dessert, topped with a Mexican vanilla buttercream and shavings of chocolate and cinnamon. The cupcake was moist and delicate but firm, able to hold the dollop of frosting on top of it. It was pleasantly chocolatey, not merely brown cake, and the heat from the chilli, at first surprising, blended nicely. The frostong on top was sweet, but not too sweet, and creamy. There was a very slight sugary crust to the frosting, and the cinnamon and chocolate brought the whole Mexican theme to a delicious conclusion. It was so good in fact I went to get another on Sunday, and this time tried the Diva- chocolate cake with shocking pink frosting and silver sprinkles. Though I was disappointed by the lack of flavor options (I arrived at the end of the market) and felt I had to settle for this simple cake, I found myself licking (yes, I licked) the inside of the container to get the last bits of buttercream. This weekend my very best friend who is admittedly a cupcake addict (we have been known to eat 10 in a weekend) and I will perhaps try the mini cupcake tray- a sampler of the many flavors....I will keep you posted.

Also, if you have not seen it and want to, NYC Prep is available to download free on iTunes, and can be watched on BravoTV.com. This is Bravo's newest way to a) point out how messed up our society is and b) waste an hour of my life in a way I love and hate. Highlights include sibilings raising themselves on the Upper East Side while mom and dad live in the Hamptons, and a girl who may quite literally combust if she doesn't get in to Harvard. It is the proverbial train wreck you can't look away from...

Pearl of Wisdom:

There are over 17 types of basil, including one called Magical Michael basil...make some spaghetti with that!!!