Actually, Sarah DiGregorio simply ponders, at The Village Voice food blog Fork in the Road, like soooo many others before her, why cupcakes are so popular. Me, I think we should just give up on that question and focus on the fun of cupcakes, but then again, that's what this blog is for. She writes:
For a long time, I thought cupcakes would eventually go away. Like the Atkins diet and elaborately molded stacks of tuna tartare, the precious little nubbins would hop off into the sunset, and we'd all move on to the Next! Big! Thing! Cupcakes went through the traditional stages of a relationship with the food media—first, they were cute; then they were eye-rollingly common; now, they're done. Except they're not. Although there's already a cupcake bakery on practically every block, more businesses keep opening (most recently, a cupcake truck)...
We sampled a cupcake from each of the bakeries—I had bought a vanilla-vanilla version from each as a control, as well as a more interesting flavor or two. We especially liked Baked's vanilla treat (pronounced "perfect" by the Cake Tsar) and Sugar Sweet Sunshine's pistachio number. Tonnie's Minis' vanilla offering was passed around for shock value, as it seemed to be infused with a vile, vaguely piña colada flavor. But in the end, sugared up, lying on the floor and drinking vodka tonics, we were neither impressed nor unimpressed. A cupcake is just a cupcake.
For a long time, I thought cupcakes would eventually go away. Like the Atkins diet and elaborately molded stacks of tuna tartare, the precious little nubbins would hop off into the sunset, and we'd all move on to the Next! Big! Thing! Cupcakes went through the traditional stages of a relationship with the food media—first, they were cute; then they were eye-rollingly common; now, they're done. Except they're not. Although there's already a cupcake bakery on practically every block, more businesses keep opening (most recently, a cupcake truck)...
We sampled a cupcake from each of the bakeries—I had bought a vanilla-vanilla version from each as a control, as well as a more interesting flavor or two. We especially liked Baked's vanilla treat (pronounced "perfect" by the Cake Tsar) and Sugar Sweet Sunshine's pistachio number. Tonnie's Minis' vanilla offering was passed around for shock value, as it seemed to be infused with a vile, vaguely piña colada flavor. But in the end, sugared up, lying on the floor and drinking vodka tonics, we were neither impressed nor unimpressed. A cupcake is just a cupcake.
Comments
That is so sad. She doesn't get the absolute wonder and joy that cupcakes can create.