Robicelli's

I had a really nice blog post plotted out for today with pictures and links and etc, and then my stupid jerk face Internet connection decided not to work. Now i have to do it on my phone, where I really can only use text, my fat-ass thumbs, and tempt the autocorrect Gods. So, erm, we’re going to use our imaginations to put this together, ok?

First we need to start with an image. Now everyone all together picture in your minds a really nice shot of a vineyard. Maybe the sun is rising over it. Big white fluffy clouds, sky a thousand colors, lush red grapes. And since Im not at the mercy of Google images, let’s throw a sexy farmhand in there too. Maybe, you know, some grapes exploded in the heat and it got all over his shirt and he had to take it off, you know? And now he’s getting exploding grape juice all over his skin so he has to start pouring jugs of water all down his body, and he’s just glistening all over with the sun hitting those thousands of beads of water just right. And it feels really good, so he’s going to need to run his fingers though his hair reeeeaaalllly sloooowwwllly and sort of flex his arms a bit while he’s doing it, because he’s also so very very sore from lifting heavy things all day. Maybe then he does some pushups to dry off, because, you know, it like raises his body heat or something so all the water and grape juice evaporates.

Now, um, what were we supposed to be talking about again?

Ok, wine. We’re doing a pop-up on the North Fork. More details later today when my Internet is fixed and I’ve taken a cold shower. Or six. You can never be too clean.

Now everyone is going to imagine a picture that features THESE sexy sons of bitches!

Cherries Jubilee: Vanilla cake, cherry vanilla buttercream, brandies cherries

Peach Cobbler: Peach cake, vanilla buttercream, sautéed peaches, brown sugar streusel

Triple Chocolate Raspberry: Chocolate cake, ganache, chocolate raspberry buttercream, fresh raspberry

Southern Belle: banana bourbon cake, vanilla buttercream, brown butter bourbon pecans

These last few days have been nothing short of incredible. It’s amazing to think that this all started two days ago with a simple blog post, and in no time we’ve seen Mikey’s story go near viral on the internet, receive attention from television & newspapers, and solicited an outpouring of support from total strangers across the globe.  Seriously, I’m just blown away.

This has made me think a lot about this Tumblr, about the people who read it, the power of social networking and the ability of people to come together when the world needs them the most.  And I thought, there are so many issues we can all tackle if we all come together and just make it happen! So I began to think of what we should all do next, and it came to me immediately.

Each December, ABC Family puts on a little something called “25 Days of Christmas”, and every year it turns more and more into a gigantic Suckfest. What originally began as a festival of beloved Christmas movies and specials began to innocently be invaded first by Harry Potter, then by Pixar movies, and then slowly turned into “25 Days of Non-Christmas Movies and Extended Marathons of that Goddamn Crap-Ass ‘Cars’ Flick”.

Listen, I LOVE Harry Potter. I love The Incredibles, Ratatouille and ALL of that jazz (except Cars). But they have absolutely nothing to do with Christmas, and there’s only a few weeks a year we get to watch timeless classics like Rudolph, Frosty, and Holiday In Handcuffs starring Mario Lopez & Melissa Joan Hart.

Something I’ve learned about the media business is that all their programming decisions happen months in advance, meaning that the schedule for 25 Days of Christmas could happen at any minute.  That is why it’s IMPERATIVE that each and every one of you sign this petition and do your part to ensure that Nestor the Long Eared Donkey doesn’t get scrapped again this year for a buck toothed tow truck.

The future is in our hands, America.  Let’s make this happen.

Oh, FYI we’ve already raised a few hundred bucks for Mikey, & the DeKalb Market merchants have signed on to raise even more money for the Hope is in the (h)Air Fundraiser. If you don’t feel like getting involved in saving basic cable Christmas, then maybe making a donation to cure childhood cancer is more your speed.

Here’s the flavors- and there’s a new one! Hoo Boy!

Clockwise from front: Lemon Blueberry Ricotta, Dom DeLuise, Peach Cobbler, Bluth

NEW! Lemon Blueberry Ricotta: Italian lemon cake, ricotta buttercream, blueberries & lemon zest

Dom DeLuise: Pistachio cake, ricotta buttercream, chopped citron, miniature chocolate chips and roasted pistachios

Peach Cobbler: Peach cake, vanilla buttercream, peach compote, streusel topping

Bluth: Chocolate banana cake, chocolate buttercream, roasted walnuts, ganache

Available at:

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market: Flatbush & Willoughby, Downtown Brooklyn

Bagel Schmagel: Third Avenue btwn 75th and 76th, Bay Ridge

Hom: 88th and Third Avenue, Bay Ridge

Tazza Cafes: Clark St off Henry AND Henry Street off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Court Street Grocers: 485 Court Street, Carroll Gardens

Blue Apron: Union Street off 7th Avenue, Park Slope

Red Hook Lobster Pound: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook and Roving Food Truck  *Classic Whoopie Pies only*

AVAILABLE AT ROBICELLI’S AT DEKALB:

Cupcakes: The Breucklen, Tres Leches, Bananas Foster, McFadden (Today’s Cupcake for Mikey), Hazelnut Kiss, Estelle Getty, Creamsicle, All Rotation Flavors

Whoopie Pies: Bourbon Pecan Butterscotch, Classic

Brownies: Maltz, Moverley, L’Orange Noir, Classic Sea Salt

Marshmallows: Cookies & Cream

This is Mikey. He’s the son of an old friend of Matt’s and the nephew of a friend of mine from high school.  He is five years old, loves Sesame Street, the color orange, and football.

Mikey has cancer.  He was diagnosed with an unidentifiable form that causes tumors to grow on his brain and spine, and although they’ve sent the pathology to everywhere from Memorial Sloan Kettering to Johns Hopkins, no one can figure out what the tumors are, or how to cure them.

Sorry for bumming you out so early on a Monday morning.  There’s really, REALLY important stuff coming up, I promise.  Just stick with me for a bit.

Anyway, Mikey’s family has been very active in a charity called St. Baldrick’s, which helps communities and volunteers create local fundraisers to benefit kids with cancer.  Recently they’ve been working on a fundraising drive to raise $20,000, culminating in a head-shaving event near their home in Rockaway on September 17th.

Now you’re about to go from being sad to being really, REALLY angry. Like, desk punching, screaming out loud angry.  Warn your coworkers.

Matt saw a post on Facebook about someone stealing some of the money raised for St. Baldrick’s. He reached out to Mikey’s mom, Christine, to find out what happened, and this is part of what she emailed us back:

“Natalie, our Hope is in the (h)Air treasurer, was on the other line. Her dad was doing a great thing today. He was standing outside (in Donagan Hills, SI) collecting donations in a jug for our event, he had bags of stuffed animals and was manning a ‘Take a Toy, Make a Donation’ table! The jug was labeled & had Mikey’s picture on it so everyone knew where the money was going.

He went in the backyard to grab something for a minute and as he was coming out a woman in a car was stuffing both the bags of toys and the donation jug in her car! He started running but she pulled away too quickly! Then she had the nerve to, not only keep the toys and money but to throw the jug with Mikey’s picture and story and our event information out the window like it’s garbage.”

Let’s recap!  This woman:

A) SAW that this was a fundraiser for a kid with cancer

B) Stole all the money from said kid with cancer

C) Stole all the merchandise to ensure that there would be no more raising money for those greedy kids with cancer that day!

D) Felt the need to discard the fundraising information AND the picture of the poor kid who’s dying from incurable cancer because it was obviously taking up WAY too much room in her car, room that could eventually be filled with fur coats made from kittens or black market kidneys.  PLUS the woman discarded these things by

E) Littering.

NOW you guys can punch something! And once you get done with your emotional issues, this is what we’re all going to do:

PHASE #1:  This entire week, Matt and I are donating 50 cents of every cupcake sold at DeKalb Market and 25 cents of every cupcake sold wholesale to the Lograno family’s Hope Is In The (h)Air fundraiser benefiting Mikey and two other local kids who are fighting cancer.

PHASE #2: Every day from now until September 17th, we’ll feature one cupcake at DeKalb that will have 100% of its profits donated to Mikey.

PHASE #3: I’m going to be making calls and asking lots of friends to either contribute a portion of their sales or make a donation to Mikey. So far, Nachos NY has agreed to contribute a portion of their internet sales to the cause.  When I can convince more, I’ll let you know either via Twitter or Facebook, or in my weekly blog posts.

***UPDATE*** Pastry chef extraordinaire Fany Gerson of La Newyorkina will be donated a portion of all her August profits to St. Baldrick’s & Mikey! Go visit her on the Highline or at Hester Street Fair!

***UPDATE*** Granola Lab will be donating bags of their amazing granola for us to sell at DeKalb this weekend, with 100% of the profits going to Mikey’s St. Baldrick’s fundraiser!

PHASE #4: GET INVOLVED. St. Baldrick’s is a volunteer driven charity, meaning they not only will they help you organize a bake sale/supper club/head shavathon/dance-off/fundraiser, but they NEED you to.  Click here to see where the money you can raise will go.

PHASE #5: Help us get the word out about this!  Learn more about Mikey here, here and here.  Mikey and his family need our support, and the entire world needs to know that it’s NOT COOL to steal money and stuffed animals from children with cancer!  Boundaries, people!!!!

I never ask for retweets, reblogs, or anything like that.  But today, I am begging you all.  Help us make this go viral. It is way more important that most of the stuff you’ll be mindlessly clicking through all day.

Today’s special “Cupcake for Mikey” at DeKalb is Chocolate Cashew- chocolate cake with cashew buttercream, roasted cashews and ganache.  Below are the cupcakes that are going to our retail partners.  Please shop, contribute, or do whatever small bit you can from your corner of the world.

And please, the next moment you have, hug your kids or loved ones as tight as you possibly can, and never forget for a single moment just how lucky you really are.

Clockwise from front: The Bluth, Peach Cobbler, Hazelnut Kiss, Estelle Getty

The Bluth: Chocolate banana cake, chocolate buttercream, roasted walnuts, ganache

Peach Cobbler: Peach cake, vanilla buttercream, peach compote, streusel topping

Hazelnut Kiss: Chocolate hazelnut cake, Nutella buttercream, roasted hazelnuts, chocolate chips

Estelle Getty: Almond cake, cheesecake buttercream, crushed Amaretti cookies

AVAILABLE AT:

ROBICELLI’S AT DEKALB MARKET: Flatbush Ave Extension & Willoughby Street, Downtown Brooklyn

CAFE AT SAM’S BAKERY- 94th Street off 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

BAGEL SCHMAGEL:  Third Avenue btwn Bay Ridge Pkway & 76th Street, Bay Ridge

ALOHA GRINDS: Third Avenue and 77th Street, Bay Ridge

THE CUPCAKE STAND: Fifth Avenue between 60th and 61st, Sunset Park

CRESPELLA CREPE & ESPRESSO BAR- 321 7th Avenue at 9th Street, Park Slope

TAZZA CAFES- Henry off Atlantic and Clark off Henry, Brooklyn Heights

RADISH- Bedford Ave off N8th, Williamsburg

RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook and Roving Food Truck *Whoopie Pies only*

CAKESHOP- Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, Lower East Side 

BATTERY PLACE MARKET:  77 Battery Place, Battery Park City

JOE: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: West 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam, Morningside Heights

Also Available At DeKalb Market:

Cupcakes: Chocolate Cashew (cupcake for Mikey), Bananas Foster, McFadden, Breucklen, Dom DeLuise, All Rotation Flavors

Whoopie Pies: Classic, Pecan Bourbon Butterscotch

Brownies: Classic Sea Salt, Maltz (bourbon-bacon), Moverley (Scotch whiskey espresso walnut), L’Orange Noir (Grand Mariner)

Every night Matt and I bake, we get back well after midnight, I bring the babysitter home, then snuggle into my bed with the laptop to write that days Tumblr.  And within 5 seconds of opening my computer, this is the view on the keyboard:

Charley doesn’t care about the Tumblr.  Charley is pissed off that I’ve been off working all day, or spending all my time with the kids or husband that came WAY after he did, and he wants to be pet rightthisverysecond or he’ll pee in my shoes.

So tonight, since he’s been such a good boy, I’ve agreed that I would allow him to write the blog.  Take it away, cat:

m;kl,ldhy689ma s;j,’cguvdhssssssssssssssssssssssw”Ohdevhnv

d}vgd
HNndv0[-ie0` 0`[0’kfdjmn;venl
}Pevd’p[k kvk„„p;;;;;;;;;;kk]\edvvvedddddddddddddddddddddddd

And THIS is why he’ll always be a no good freeloader and never get a real freaking job.  Lousy cat.

Please buy some cupcakes and help us keep this loafer rolling in kibble.  We obviously see he’s going to be no help around here.

Clockwise from front: The Odessa, Banana Nutella, PB&J, Peach Cobbler

The Odessa: Vanilla cake, sour cream buttercream, sugared sour cherries

Banana Nutella: Banana cake, Nutella buttercream, banana hazelnut praline

PB&J: Vanilla cake, grape jelly, peanut butter buttercream, roasted peanuts

Peach Cobbler: Peach cake, vanilla buttercream, sauteed NJ peaches, cobbler topping

Available at:

BAGEL SCHMAGEL:  Third Avenue btwn Bay Ridge Pkway & 76th Street, Bay Ridge

THE CUPCAKE STAND: Fifth Avenue between 60th and 61st, Sunset Park

CRESPELLA CREPE & ESPRESSO BAR- 321  7th Avenue at 9th Street, Park Slope

TAZZA CAFES- Henry off Atlantic and Clark off Henry, Brooklyn Heights

RADISH- Bedford Ave off N8th, Williamsburg

EASTERN DISTRICT- Manhattan Ave off Eagle St, Greenpoint

BROOKLYN STANDARD:  Nassau Ave & Jewel St, Greenpoint

RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook and Roving Food Truck *Whoopie Pies only*

CAKESHOP- Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, Lower East Side 

BATTERY PLACE MARKET:  77 Battery Place, Battery Park City

JOE: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY-  W. 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam Avenue

I hope you all had a spectacular 4th- over here at the Robicelli’s camp, we went down to Princeton NJ for a few final days before DeKalb opens and we don’t have another full day off until after Christmas.  Monday, I had my Blackberry off ALL DAY, and actually got to enjoy the company of my husband and kids.  It was as incredible as it sounds (aside from the fact that it was 1000 degrees and everyone was really cranky and whining a lot.  So take away that and the rock that was lodged in my shoe, and it was a pretty perfect day).

Of course, as business owners time away isn’t all fun and games.  On Saturday as Matt took the kids to the pool, I sequestered myself in our hotel room and began work on the text portions of our eventual cookbook (coming in 2036).  After writing one page, I felt a little stuck, so I picked up my good friend Fany Gerson’s book My Sweet Mexico for inspiration.  It is really as perfect as cookbooks come- filled with heart and love for her country, outstanding photographs, incredible recipes, and a well deserved James Beard nomination to go with it all.  Seriously- completely flawless.

Then I looked at the one solitary page of our cookbook. In five short paragraphs, I managed to reference both my fear of pooping in the woods AND this one time Matt got hit in the nuts so hard that he threw up.  

Maybe I should have said 2046 instead.

While we’re all waiting- maybe you should eat some cupcakes.  There’s a new one today that was one of the first 10 cupcakes we ever designed, yet somehow managed to sit on the bucket list for over two years.  Odessa, your time has come!

Clockwise from front: Odessa, Abuelita, Peach Cobbler, Turtle

Odessa: Vanilla cake, sour cream buttercream, sour cherries

Abuelita: Mexican chocolate cake, cajeta buttercream, ground Abuelita chocolate

Peach Cobbler: Vanilla cake, vanilla buttercream, New Jersey peach compote, streusel crumbs

Turtle: Chocolate cake, salted caramel buttercream, candied pecans, ganache & salted caramel drizzles

AVAILABLE AT:

CAFE AT SAM’S BAKERY- 94th Street off 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

HOM- Third Avenue and 88th Street, Bay Ridge

BAGEL SCHMAGEL:  Third Avenue btwn Bay Ridge Pkway & 76th Street, Bay Ridge

 COURT STREET GROCERS: 485 Court Street, Carroll Gardens

CRESPELLA CREPE & ESPRESSO BAR- 321  7th Avenue at 9th Street, Park Slope

TAZZA CAFES- Henry off Atlantic and Clark off Henry, Brooklyn Heights

BATTERY PLACE MARKET:  77 Battery Place, Battery Park City

RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook and Roving Food Truck *Whoopie Pies only*

Remember back in April when I said that we were making the Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp cupcake for one week only?  Well three weeks ago, we were gifted an amount of rhubarb that falls somewhere between a “Crap-ton” and “Butt-load”.  Enough that we made about two gallons of strawberry rhubarb compote today, and only managed to go through about a quarter of our stash.  So to the person who prayed for more rhubarb cupcakes, Jesus loves you, because it looks like we’ll be preserving this stuff to use for the entire year. 

Lucky we got a bounty of something delicious like rhubarb, and not something terrible like raisins. GOD I hate stupid effing crap-ass raisins so much.  My problem with raisins isn’t so much about how they taste, but rather their arrogance.  Raisins are an imperialistic fruit, thinking they can just butt their nose into anywhere they want like cakes or streudels, and think that everyone’s cool with them.  Well you know what, raisins? I’M NOT.  When I buy a cheese danish, which FYI is one of my favorite foods ever, and I bite in just to discover your jerk-ass hiding underneath the dough all sneaky like I wouldn’t notice, you ruin my whole day.  And of course I’m not going to throw the danish out, so I spend five minutes picking every single dumb raisin out, getting cheese under my fingernails and having every person on the R train look at me like I’m a lunatic, just to finally bite in and find out I missed one.  And I can taste you laughing at me, hidden raisins.  Oh yes I can. 

Rhubarb doesn’t laugh at me.  That’s why it gets to stay.

Clockwise from front: Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, Chocolate Turtle, Peach Cobbler, Toasted Almond

 
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp:  Oat cake, vanilla buttercream, strawberry rhubarb compote, oat crisp

Chocolate Turtle: Chocolate cake, salted caramel buttercream, candied pecans, ganache & caramel drizzles

Peach Cobbler: Peach cake, vanilla buttercream, brown sugar & peach compote, streusel topping

Toasted Almond: Almond cake, vanilla buttercream, toasted almonds

AVAILABLE AT:

CAFE AT SAM’S BAKERY- 94th Street off 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

CRESPELLA CREPE & ESPRESSO BAR- 321  7th Avenue at 9th Street, Park Slope

TAZZA CAFES- Henry off Atlantic and Clark off Henry, Brooklyn Heights

RADISH- Bedford Ave off N8th, Williamsburg

RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook and Roving Food Truck *Whoopie Pies and Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler cupcakes only*

CAKESHOP- Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, Lower East Side 

LINK CAFE @ THE SHERATON TRIBECA: 307 Canal Street, Tribeca

JOE: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY-  W. 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam Avenue

*Note: Not all locations receive all flavors.  The flavors recieved are determined by each store’s management, not by us.  If there’s something in the upcoming rotation you want to see, let them know directly

We are ridiculously excited to be participating in MeanRed Productions’ second PARKED of the year, this time being held on beautiful Governor’s Island!  We had a blast at the last on at BKLYNYARD, and this one is going to be even bigger and better, with more room, more vendors, and more cupcakes!  Here’s the lineup:

LAST APPEARANCE THIS YEAR!!!!  CHICKEN N’WAFFLES:  Vanilla “waffle” cake with vanilla buttercream, topped with a hunk of buttermilk-soaked fried chicken dipped in pure Vermont maple syrup.

THE MALTZ:  Chocolate-bourbon cake & buttercream topped with brown sugar candied bacon

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PRETZEL:  Chocolate cake with salted caramel buttercream, rolled in crushed pretzels

LAST APPEARANCE THIS YEAR!!!  PEACH COBBLER:  Peach cake with vanilla buttercream, sauteed Jersey peaches and cinnamon streusel topping

FUNKY MONKEY:  Banana chocolate chip cake with peanut butter buttercream, ganache & ground chocolate

Free ferries depart from Brooklyn and Manhattan, and the event runs from 12-5.  LOTS of our favorites will be there, such as Red Hook Lobster Pound, Cinnamon Snail Vegan Organic (even meat-lovers like us adore them), Hallo Berlin, and so many more I’m dying to try that I can’t even remember them all.  Wear fat pants, and we’ll see you there!

Hope this week is treating everyone just peachy!  And speaking of peaches, only a few weeks left of perfect peach season- enjoy them while they last!

NEW (Sorta)- PEACH COBBLER:  Peach cake with vanilla buttercream, Jersey peach compote and cinnamon streusel topping

NEW (completely)- FUNKY MONKEY:  Banana chip cake with peanut butter buttercream, ganache and chocolate chips

Tres Leches:  Three milk soaked brown butter cake with dulce de leche buttercream and caramel shards

Bea Arthur:  Black coffee infused chocolate cake with cheesecake buttercream and espresso ganache

Available Thursday at the following:

Blue Apron Foods- Park Slope (Union Street off 7th Ave)

Cafe 474- Park Slope (4th Ave btwn 10th and 11th)

Market- Ditmas Park (Cortelyou Road btwn Argyle and Westminster)

Farmacy- Carroll Gardens (corner of Henry and Sackett Streets)

Tazza Cafes- Clarke & Henry and Henry & Atlantic

Radish- Bedford Avenue btwn N8th and N9th

Available Friday at:

Cakeshop- Lower East Side (152 Ludlow Street)

Lily O’Brien’s Chocolate Cafe at Bryant Park- Midtown (E. 40th Street btwn 5th and 6th avenue)

We’re starting to get busy enough that we’re now doing TWO FOUR-FLAVOR ROTATIONS a week!  Woot woot!  Come fall we may just run a rotation for a full seven days, but we’re really trying to milk this produce season for all it’s worth.  Since our Peach Cobbler experiment went so well this weekend, we’re sending it to stores tomorrow!

“NEW!!! “Peach Cobbler”:  Peach cake with vanilla buttercream, sauteed Jersey peaches and cinnamon streusel topping

“Car Bomb”:  Chocolate Guinness stout cake with Jameson whiskey ganache and Bailey’s buttercream

“Butterbeer”:  Butterscotch soaked vanilla cake with butterscotch buttercream and edible gold dust

“The CPB”:  Chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream, CPB ganache and roasted peanuts

Available at these stores:

NEW LOCATION!!! 

Lily O’Briens at Bryant Park: 36 West 40th Street, Midtown

Cakeshop:  Ludlow Street, LES

Farmacy:  Henry & Sackett, Carroll Gardens

Tazza:  Clark & Henry AND Henry & Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Radish:  N8th and Bedford Ave, Williamsburg

Keep up with Twitter tomorrow for delivery times!  @robicellis