Chili Extravaganza

I'm getting some flack because of my promotions for a new venue I'm playing at tomorrow. My friend, John M, has started a weekly show at Chili My Soul in Encino and he asked me to play a guest set tomorrow. I seriously am very excited to play there!

I know it sounds funny but I can't wait! I've wanted to try out this restaurant for several years now. Yes, years. I make note of interesting restaurants to try and have a long mental list in my head. But, when it comes down to it, I usually just end up going to the same places that are near my house. So now I have an excuse to try a new place out. And it's got a neat draw, they make 30 different kinds of homemade chili! I'm no chili expert or fanatic but I like chili a lot and often on cloudy weekends, we'll brew up our own pot of chili. Mmmm, with crackers and melted cheese. It's a yummy comfort food. So when John asked me to play, heck yeah I'll play.

And, honestly, I won't be disappointed if I'm playing to just John, I just want to check the place out. Yes, I would love to have people come out but it's different. Some shows I stress and worry about if enough people will come to please the venue. I worry about the perfect set list and if everyone is having a good time. This time, I just want to hang out. And if people come, then we will all eat chili and hang out and have a good time. And in the middle I'll hop up and sing a few songs, requests for whoever comes. I just want to enjoy the place.

Some people are giving me a hard time because in my promotions I'm talking up the chili. And recently I've been talking up the chocolate and other food at venues. Look, is beer really that different from place to place? Do you think, man, I can't wait to go to X bar because they serve the best Bud Light in town? Come on. I play tons of coffee houses and bars a year. Yes, I'd like to think that people are coming out just to see me but I don't think I'm that cool. I like finding things for me to like at venues. It needs to be a whole experience for me too. I want to have a good time! Remember, I'm shelling out my own money to eat and often drink at these venues so I want to like the place too.

Huge confession that few people know at this point, I don't drink coffee! I don't like coffee! I play coffee houses all the time and get tea. How different can tea be? So the coffee is not a draw for me. It's the lemon bars, the chocolate, the mini corn dogs and the chili. I won't lie, I love junk food. And me eating something yummy just puts me in a good mood, makes the show better and then we all have a rocking time. So I will always say when there is something good to eat at a venue. And you will probably see me stuffing my face tomorrow night.

Cupcakes

In keeping with random things that I love, let's hear it for cupcakes! I have a sweet tooth. I also crave salt. I live by my cravings. I feel that if my body is craving something, I must need something in that food. So I don't go crazy and eat just anything anytime, but I try to listen to what my body is asking for. That's me rationalizing.

This can get pretty specific. Just because I have a sweet tooth doesn't mean just any candy or cake will do. The craving is exact. It's not just red licorice but sometimes it must be a red vine or sometimes it must be cherry nibs or sometimes a twizzlers, because they are all different. You never know. And it changes quickly. Today I'm wishing for Mambas candy. Tomorrow I couldn't eat a single one. The next time it will be jordan almonds.

It's because of this that I have a candy stash. I seriously used to hide candy in a desk drawer at home for years so that I would know that I could get THE kind of candy I wanted when I wanted it. Now I've moved my candy into the pantry but my husband knows that he's not really allowed to eat any of it. Luckily, he's not into candy like I am and could care less. This is how we live in harmony.

So I store up like a squirrel for winter. But when I crave baked goods, that's a lot harder. I don't want to make a whole cake or batch of cookies or cupcakes only to eat some that day and let the others go to waste. This weekend, it was cupcakes.

In LA they have cupcake stores; Sprinkles, Yummy Cupcakes, Dainty's. I hear there are more. Seriously they are stores that sell nothing but cupcakes. I've tried them but none of them hit the spot for me yet. Yummy's is close. But I don't want anything fancy. I just want a cupcake like when I was a kid. Cake mix out of a box and icing out of a can.

So Saturday I came up with a substitute for making a whole batch. I had sugar cookie dough; the kind that comes in a roll that you keep in your freezer. I keep chocolate chip dough on hand as well, for emergencies of course. I went to the store and bought only the icing. I cut off a couple of cookies from the roll pretty thick and then iced them with the cake icing. Not bad. Pretty close. They ended up kind of being like cupcake tops with out the cake underneath. And now I have an open container of icing that I'll 'have' to finish fairly soon. That's a tragedy. But at least I didn't waste (or worse yet EAT) a whole batch of cupcakes.

Many of you may have found this substitute already. I am only hoping to pass along my knowledge to someone who's desperate for cupcakes. If any of you figure out any other cheats like this, I'd love to know.