LA Weekly

Cupcake Challenge took place Saturday in Hollywood. Read about the overload of sugar, butter, chocolate, frosting and wine here.

The winners have finally been announced - and they are....

Best Traditional
1st place: Vanilla Bake Shop Red Velvet (judges' choice)
2nd place: Yummy Cupcakes Red Velvet
3rd place: Hotcakes Red Velvet (public's choice)

(Above: Leyna's Strawberrilicious)

Best Original
1st place: Sugar Jones "Paradise" (judges' choice)
2nd place: The Oinkster Peanut Butter and Jelly
3rd place: Essential Chocolate Desserts "Blood Orange Fudge"

**Public's choice was Leyna's Strawberrilicious


(Oinkster's Peanutbutter and jelly)

Best Overall
1st place: Leyna's Kitchen "Strawberrilicious"(public's choice)
2nd place: Sugar Jones "Paradise" (judges' choice)
3rd place: The Oinkster Peanut Butter and Jelly

I just want to point out that my own favorites were Leyna's and Oinkster's, so I have hereby proven that my taste buds are both in touch with the public and sophisticated enough to match those of the judges as well. Actually, I don't even remember the Sugar Jones cupcake... and my notes are a mess of sugar-addled scrawls. Many photos follow:

Early in the day. Before the chaos began. Before things turned ugly...

Read on...

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The first annual Guacamole Festival, though light on the green stuff, was a good-spirited and relatively well-attended community fundraising event to benefit Sacred Heart High School in Lincoln Heights.

Unfortunately, on Saturday blistering heat kept many people away and the guacamole mostly in the fridge. However, the scant guacamole that was available was fresh, spicy, and served with pride. The low guacamole quotient also in no way detracted from the other delicious food, including tacos, burritos, pupusas, enchiladas, corn on the cob, aquas frescas, fresh fruit, and whole avocados straight off the tree.

The soda drinking contest was also a highlight, and Sunday's headlining performers, a 12-piece Latin rock/jazz band, were the perfect musical backdrop for a Mexican meal.

Read on...

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How often have I had blissful dreams like the picture above? In the dream, I am hungry. Then some kind stranger appears from nowhere and smilingly hands me a huge pile of freshly melted, warm, buttery grilled cheese sandwiches.

But just like Mia Farrow said in Rosemary's Baby, "This is no dream, this is really happening."

On Saturday afternoon in Griffith Park the 1st 6th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational took place, with hundreds showing up to grill and be judged. Hundreds more came for the free cheese sandwiches.

And while I've been genetically bred to despise corporate sponsorship of all kinds at all times, I must say there was something sweet about the Kraft table with it's Modern Times-esque production line of grilling, cutting, arranging and serving almost 2,000 sandwiches - and those were just the appetizers.

Read on...

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