Hot dog! Wiener cookoff this Saturday

By Meredith Deliso

Now here’s a competition that really finds out who’s the top dog.

The Great Hot Dog Cookoff returns to Kelso on July 23 with some of the most-creative concoctions between a bun.

“Some of them are pretty ridiculous,” said cookoff founder Kara Masi. “It’s a completely silly event.”

Masi started the cookoff six years ago at her Fort Greene apartment as a way to eat some really good hot dogs, as well as raise money for a cause. The gathering was so popular, she had to find a bigger venue — and that’s where Kelso in Clinton Hill came in.

This year, the cookoff is raising money for the Food Bank for New York City, and will feature such hot dog combinations as the Cracker Jack Daniels — a hot dog coated in a whiskey caramel sauce and topped with pretzels and peanuts; a dog topped with truffle oil, fontina, caramelized onions, and sauteed spinach; and a hybrid of a veggie frito pie and a chile dog.

“People really get into it,” said Masi. “Some of the teams have been doing rounds of test dogs for weeks.”

Among the 24 competitors vying for Top Dog and Best in Show will be Nick Suarez (pictured). The founder of another foodie competition, the Food Experiments, won two years ago for his fried corn salad hot dog. This year, he’s back with his own take on the classic chili-cheese hot dog, topped with short rib chili, as well as a cheesy fondue sauce, homemade Persian cucumber pickles, deep-fried jalapeno chips and slaw.

“I always thought chili-cheese dogs are the best kind of hot dog, so I want to really elevate the classic to another level,” said Suarez.

In addition to all the hot dogs, you can feast on ice cream from SoCo Creamery, Sodastream and P&H fizzy drinks, and of course, brews from Kelso.

“Beer is the perfect thing to wash down hot dogs,” said Masi. 

Great Hot Dog Cookoff at Kelso Brewery [529 Waverly Ave. between Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue in Clinton Hill, (718) 398-2731], July 23 at 2 pm. Tickets $45 and must be purchased in advance. For info, visit thegreathotdogcookoff.com.

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Simply Guactacular: Guacamole competition returns

By Alex Rush

There’s only one rule at this cook-off: Don’t double-dip!

At Guactacular, hundreds of avocado lovers will get to dunk their chips in 20 different guacamole recipes from competing enthusiasts. But event organizers are making sure that the May 8 celebration stays free of any George Costanzas.

“Frito Lay is giving us hundreds of Tostitos bags, so there will be no need to dip a chip twice,” said Rachel Anderson of the blog Nachos NY (pictured with Lee Frank), which has been running the cook-off at the Bell House for three years.

Still, you’ll want to help yourself to plenty of the avocado creations, as Guactacular competitors are known for their creative blends. For instance, last year’s winning dip featured a dollop of ricotta.

“Guacamole is a food that anyone can make and everyone thinks that they have the best recipe,” said Anderson. “I can’t say I haven’t had a guacamole I didn’t like.”

Guactacular at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. between Second and Third avenues in Gowanus, (718) 643-6510], May 8 from 5 to 8 pm. Tickets $15 in advance, $18 at the door. For info, visit www.nachosny.com.


Photo by Tom Callan

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Calling all bakers

Make a mean birthday cake?


Fairway is sponsoring a Best Birthday Cake in Brooklyn Contest in June and is looking for both professional and non-professional bakers to participate. 


You can sign up here by May 20 to compete, no fee required.


The best birthday cake we ever had was a rainbow cake, so if you make something like that, you'd have our vote.


Not that we're voting - the creations will be judged by Sarah Black, bakery director for Fairway, Matt Lewis from Baked on Van Brunt Street, and Lauri Ditunno from "Cake Alchemy." Winners get a prize, as well as, of course, bragging rights. 


It all goes down on June 11 at 5 pm in the waterfront park behind Ikea in Red Hook. So you have plenty of time to get baking.

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Get buzzed at this cook-off

By Meredith Deliso

Get ready for the booziest cook-off yet.

Nick Suarez and Theo Peck of the Food Experiments return to the Bell House on March 6 with The Brooklyn Booze Experiment, a no-holds-barred amateur cooking competition that has only one rule — soak it, cook it, perfume it, or flambe it, but make sure it involves booze.

“We want people to push the envelope in creating unique culinary creations,” said Suarez (pictured at right with Peck).

So expect dishes like Tequila Drunken Heritage Pork, Guinness muffins and Vanilla bourbon ice cream, which will be judged by Tom Potter from NY Distillery; Andrew Knowlton, restaurant editor at Bon Appetit magazine; Jordana Rothman, food and drinks editor at Time; and — best of all — you.

But don’t let the name fool you: this isn’t one of those homebrew contests.

“The Booze Experiment encourages cooking with wine, beer and liquor, but we don’t want chefs to make moonshine,” said Suarez. “We’ll leave that to the experts for now.”

The Brooklyn Booze Experiment at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. between Second and Third avenues in Gowanus, (718) 643-6510], March 6, 1-5 pm. Tickets $20 (advance); $25 (at the door). For info, visit www.thefoodexperiments.com.

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Wing it at this cook-off

By Alex Rush

The hardest thing in professional sports is repeating as Super Bowl champions — but it’s even harder to pull off a “two-peat” at the annual Best Wings in Brooklyn contest at Red Star in Greenpoint.

This Saturday’s event will see reigning champ Super Wings, out of Crown Heights, taking on dozens of veterans and an upstart wing from a Downtown joint partly owned by Jay-Z.

Colette Burnett of Super Wings (pictured, left) is not worried.

“We’re coming with our best game,” said Burnett. “We’re expecting to win.”

Burnett didn’t want to give away her game plan, but insiders are expecting her to show up with her Trini Tamarind wing, a joint that even bested celebrity chef Bobby Flay on an episode of “Throwdown” last year.

The Caribbean-influenced restaurant will have to contend with 20 other contestants for this year’s trophy, including Wheeler’s, the Sheepshead Bay bar that finished third last year, and Buffalo Boss, rapper Jay-Z’s favorite place for chicken.

“We’re excited to throw our hat into the wing arena in Brooklyn and come out with the title,” said Jamar White, the rapper’s cousin, who’ll bring his OMG wing, a fiery blend of seasoning with a touch of sweetness.

Judges include some of the most discerning palates in town, including Brooklyn Paper editor Gersh Kuntzman.

“I’m disappointed in how many wing entrepreneurs don’t understand the delicate balance among spice, crispness and flavor,” Kuntzman professed. “As such, I’ll be looking for those three things with an eager palate and a critical mind.”

But you don’t need Kuntzman’s expertise to feast; entry is free and the portions are ample.

Get there early, as 1,000 chicken-munchers are expected.

Best Wings in Brooklyn at Red Star [37 Greenpoint Ave. at West Street in Greenpoint, (718) 349-0162], Feb. 12 at 2 pm. Free. For info, visit www.redstarny.com.

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Seeing red

By Meredith Deliso

Get ready to see red. Red velvet cake, that is.

A contest of delicious proportions is coming to the Brooklyn Historical Society this month, as professionals and amateurs vie to see who has the best red velvet cake in Brooklyn.

Held tomorrow as a kick-off to NYCreates’ weekend crafts festival at the society, the competition will feature such pros as Betty Bakery, Sweet Melissa Patisserie, Ladybird and Monica Byrne of Home/Made in Red Hook, which won best looking cake the past two competitions and took best all-around cake last year.

“Mine’s not too sweet,” said Byrne. “A mistake that so many people make is making it cloyingly sweet. Your teeth won’t fall out when you’re done eating mine.”

Deciding whether Byrne repeats this year will be Eric Wolitzky of Baked, Sam Jacobs, editor-in-chief of Eating Everywhere, and, the king of Brooklyn eating, Borough President Markowitz. Though the real winner will be you, dear reader, as once the judging’s over, you can sample all the creations — for free!

Red Velvet Cake contest at the Brooklyn Historical Society [128 Pierrepont St. at Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights, (718) 222-4111], Feb. 11 at noon. Free. For info, visit www.nycreates.org. Interested participants can e-mail jeloisehooper@aol.com.

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Come to this jerk-off!

By Erica Sackin

Beef jerky: it’s a favorite snack food in truck stops, cattle ranges, and … Brooklyn?

Yes, according to Matt Timms (pictured), will throw the “World’s Biggest Jerk-Off” — our borough’s first-ever all-jerky food competition — on Jan. 23 at the Bell House to see who makes the most delicious dehydrated delicacies.

Timms has thrown about 40 competitive cookoffs in the past eight years, covering creations such as chili, grits, bacon and lamb, but jerky is where the rubber hits the road.

“You don’t think about jerky being huge in the city,” said Timms, “but we didn’t think chili would be huge either, but people are rabid about their chili opinions.”

You’re still more likely to find homemade jerky on a ranch than in a Brooklyn rental, but that’s changing quickly, thanks to the ease with which jerky is made — all you need is a food dehydrator or an oven that can be set below 200 degrees. And before you break out the beef, remember, almost anything can be made into jerky. “I’ve eaten salmon jerky in Alaska, smoked and dried by Eskimos in this little village I worked in about 10 years ago,” Timms said. “You can find turkey, pig, venison, even saitan jerky!

“I definitely hope some veggies enter,” Timms added. “This is a no rules event, and I’m not going to get pompous about the definition of what jerky is.”

Aspiring cooks who think they have what it takes to out-jerk the rest of Brooklyn still have time enter, and of course the general public will be welcome to taste the results. But does Timms really think Brooklynites will tear into this trend?

“They already are making their own jerky!” Timms said, referencing the number of Brooklyn-based home-jerky makers that have popped up in the past year. “People get addicted to that tough texture, and all the flavors and interpretations. It’s cheap to make, super yummy, and an awesome form of protein for active people. My brother, who is in the Marine Corps, LOVES jerky for camping or when he’s out on patrol somewhere dangerous!”

World’s Biggest Jerk Off at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. between Second and Third avenues in Gowanus, (718) 643-6510], Jan. 23, 4 pm. Admission is $10 (includes jerky).

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Pie in the sky

By Alex Rush

This baking contest sure won’t be easy as pie.

That’s because the competition at the second annual Brooklyn Pie Bake-Off in Williamsburg will be stiffer than perfectly beaten egg whites, with more than 40 contestants duking it out in five different categories, including best sweet and best savory pies.

“The judges will be basing their decisions on the pies’ harmonious balances of flavors and textures,” said Allison Kave, who won the event last year and even named her business, First Prize Pies, after her victory. “We also look for surprising pies that do twists on the classics.”

Kave earned top honors for her bourbon ginger pecan pie, so Bake-Off attendees can look forward to equally creative entries. A favorite in the savory category is a kimchi pie made by Skimkim, a Korean pickler.

One $10 ticket gets you three pie slices and free Brooklyn Brewery beers. Proceeds from the contest will go to OurGoods, a nonprofit that organizes creative and educational programming throughout the city.

The Brooklyn Pie Bake-Off at Spacecraft [355 Bedford Ave. between S. Fourth and S. Fifth streets in Williamsburg, (718) 599-2718], Nov. 14, 1-4 pm. Tickets are $10. For info, visit brooklynpiebake.tumblr.com.

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It's grits!

By Alex Rush

Joe Pesci’s Vinny Gambini character in the movie “My Cousin Vinny” was probably the first Brooklynite to eat grits, but he sure won’t be the last.

Those curious about the Southern breakfast staple can sample a slew of preparations at the Brooklyn Grits Takedown on June 27 at the Tobacco Warehouse in DUMBO.

The Takedown, a series of amateur cooking contests, began about five years ago, after founder Matt Timms came up with a way of bringing quirky dining events to the borough.

So of all the foods to choose from, why did the actor-turned-food enthusiast choose grits?

“I got the idea from all the cooking events I did down South,” Timms said. “There’s a million ways to make grits and people have such strong opinions about them.”

There’ll be plenty of free booze and even the foodie movie “It’s Grits.” But the actual grits, made from corn meal and similar to polenta, are the real draw.

Expect about 30 variations of the down-home dish. Crazy is the norm at a Takedown: the previous contest, a lamb Takedown in April, featured entries as bizarre as lamb cupcakes.

“The entries could be as classic as cheese grits, or as weird as grits popsicles,” Timms said.

That is weird.

Grits Takedown at the Tobacco Warehouse (37 Water St. at Dock Street in DUMBO, no phone), June 27, noon. Tickets are $35 (in advance), $45 (day of the show). For info, visit www.chili-takedown.com.

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It'll be guac and roll at the Bell House next month

Last year’s Guactacular was such an unexpected success, the organizers ran out of chips.

And one of the concoctions caught the CLAP (though named by its component parts: cilantro, lime, avocado and, get ready, pomegranate).

The good news is that the organizers are certain things will go better this year when the all-guac cooking competition returns to the Bell House on May 5 — Cinco de Mayo.

Sure, amateur cooks who think they have a great guac are welcome to join in the fun, but this year, there are limits to creativity where avocados are involved.

“I’m really hopeful someone doesn’t sneak mayonnaise in. That’s appalling,” said Lee Frank, a Flatbush resident who, as one of the founders of the food blog NachosNY.com, is somewhat of a guac expert.

And this year, there are top-flight judges including Jessica Amason of “This Is Why You’re Fat.”

To help add to the festivities, Alex Meixner, a Grammy-nominated Mexican polka player, will be on hand for some high-energy, romp-shaking tunes.

As for those chips?

“We have 50 bags,” said Frank confidently.

Sounds like it won’t be enough again.

The Guactacular at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. between Second and Third Avenues in Gowanus, (718) 643-6510] May 5 at 7 pm. Tickets $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Applications are still being accepted, so get mashing. E-mail lee@nachosny.com.

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They will they will rock ewe!

Lamb cupcakes? You bet.At the Lamb Takedown, on April 18 at the Bell House, anything goes — as long as its made with lamb.

Matt Timms, the impresario behind the popular “Takedown” series of amateur chef cook-offs, held the first Lamb Takedown last year, but wasn’t really sure what to expect.

“I didn’t think you could do much more than a stew,” said Timms, who wound up tasting tacos, tajines, ravioli and even Uyghur recipes at last year’s event. “I wasn’t thinking outside of the box.”

With 20 competitors, Timms is expecting an equally diverse menu this year. There have even been rumors of cupcakes.

“There’s so much you can do with meat in general. Ultimately you can take any recipe and substitute meat for lamb and give it an extra dimension,” said Timms.

The event will be fun for eaters, but it could also be important for lamb, which remains exotic and less popular in the U.S. than it should be (according to the American Lamb Industry Association, we only eat a pound a year of the meat, compared to 66 pounds of beef).

“It’s a really good meat,” Timms said. “It deserves better than it’s getting.”And for $15, you’ll get plenty.

Lamb Takedown at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. between Second and Third avenues in Gowanus, (718) 643-6510], April 18, 4 pm. Tickets $15. For info, including information on how to sign up, visit www.chili-takedown.com.

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Best wings in Brooklyn

Want the best wings in Brooklyn?

Head to Super Wings in Crown Heights (1218 Union Street).

A group of judges awarded the restaurant with just that distinction this past weekend (see photo above), as more than 17 of the borough’s finest eateries and about 1,000 people packed Greenpoint’s Red Star Bar, 37 Greenpoint Avenue, for the borough’s first annual Best Wings in Brooklyn contest.


Our favorite? Wing Wagon in Park Slope (351 Flatbush Avenue), for their unique garlic wing that came with a special garlic and herb sauce.

The secret behind their wings? "We start with the very best top-of-the line wings, and our sauces are very unique. Only we have them and they are a secret,” said Wing Wagon owner Rene Aquino (left, pictured with Ario Espinoza).

Photos by Stefano Giovannini

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Mardi Gras in Brooklyn

Want to celebrate Mardi Gras New Orleans style? We're keeping an eye out for all Carnival happenings in Brooklyn February 16.

So far, the most extravalant looks to be The L Magazine's party. They're throwing a night of lo-fi surf punk and parade pageantry that will put the Crescent City to shame.

It starts at 7 p.m., with a Brooklynized Mardi Gras affir featuring a marching band, burlesque dancers, beads galore at McCarren Park and Driggs. Costumed revelers and bicyclists are invited to join in as the gang makes their way to Brooklyn Bowl, arriving around 8 pm, where prizes await the best bicycle float, the best-dressed revelers will be crowned king and queen of the Carnival. After the festivities, Wavves will play a free show with MNDR.

Want in? RSVP to mardigras@thelmagazine.com. Brooklyn Bowl is located at 61 Wythe Ave.

For good eating this Mardi Gras, look no further than Two Boots.

The Cajun and Italian style restaurant is holding two big events in honor of the Carnival season, starting with a Gumbo Cook-Off on February 2.

For $15, it's all-you-can-eat, plus two drinks. Those looking to enter, it's $10 a contestant. The judging starts at 7 pm, so come hungry. In addition to gumbo, there will also be a buffet of sides, including cornbread, biscuits, rice & beans, fried okra, green salad, hushpuppies and bread Pudding. Don't forget the $5 Hurricanes $4 Abita Beer either.

Musically, Bill Malchow and the Go Cup Allstars will bring honkey tonk to the Park Slope restaurant.

For the big day on February 16, there will be the Zulu Kings, N'awlins style funk with a bootylicious bead throwing horn section. More information TBA.

Two Boots is located at 514 2nd St.

ADDED: Union Hall is marking Fat Tuesday with performances from the High and Mighty Brass Band. There wll also be jambalaya, hurricanes, DJs and more to get you in the spirit.

Tickets are $20, with doors at 7 pm. Union Hall is located at 702 Union St.

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2010 Manischewitz Cook-Off is coming

By Helen Klein

Brooklynites, start your ovens!

A year after Bay Ridge resident Erin Evenson was a finalist in the Manischewitz Cook-Off, the deadline for the annual event, now in its fourth year, is fast approaching.

To participate, competitors are asked to create an original recipe using Manischewitz products -- this year, entrants are required to utilize new Manischewitz all-natural broth -- and submit it by January 31st, to be entered in the Man-O-Manischewitz Cook-Off, which offers prize packages to finalists, with a hefty grand prize for the winner, who will be crowned King or Queen of Kosher.

Last year, Evenson’s Ruby Red Risotto, which featured Manischewitz borscht, propelled her to the February, 2009, cookoff, where she made her Risotto -- enriched with pistachio-basil pesto and garlic herb goat cheese -- for a panel of judges from the world of food. In so doing, Evenson -- a transplanted Brooklynite in love with the culinary offerings of her adopted borough -- had the distinction of being one of six home cooks who made it to the finals, out of thousands of submissions.

This year, world-renowned chef Jacques Pépin will be the master of ceremonies at the cookoff, and head up the panel of judges who will officiate at the March 18th event, which will be held at the Jewish Community Center of Manhattan.

Five finalists will received all-expense-paid trips to New York to compete. The grand prize winner will walk away with a $25,000 prize package that includes, among other things, GE Profile kitchen appliances and cash.

For Pépin, the author of a whopping 26 cookbooks as well as the host of 11 television cooking series, participation in the competition as a judge is an extension of his life’s work. “I always encourage people to experiment with new types of ethnic cuisine and products,” he remarked.

In its first three years, the competition has attracted upwards of 10,000 participants who have “shared some amazing recipes,” noted David Yale, the president of Manischewitz.

The competition is open to U.S. residents who are at least 18 years of age. According to Manischewitz, “All recipes must be original, kosher, include a new Manischewitz Broth product, have no more than a total of eight ingredients, and be prepared and cooked in one hour or less.”

Entries will be culled to 15 semi-finalists; those recipes will be prepared in Manischewitz’s test kitchen, and winnowed down to five finalists.

An entry form and official contest details can be found at www.manischewitz.com. Entries can be submitted on line or can be mailed to Manischewitz Cook-Off, c/o BHGPR, 546 Valley Road, Upper Montclair NJ 07043.

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Feeling hot! hot! hot! Chili Takedown returns

By Meredith Deliso

One of the hottest cook-offs, thanks in part to its ingredients, returns to Brooklyn this month.

On Nov. 22, the Chili Takedown, an amateur cooking competition featuring the Texan delicacy, comes to Gowanus’ Bell House (which, with previous cook-offs devoted to chocolate and guacamole, as well as this month’s Brooklyn Beefsteak, has become quite the foodie-friendly venue).

Producer Matt Timms got into chili culture by just feeding it to his friends when they came over to his Williamsburg apartment. Soon, those dinners led to events in bars, and since holding the first Chili Takedown in Bar Matchless in Greenpoint five years ago, it’s gotten bigger every year, with other chili cook-offs cropping up in Brooklyn as well. In addition to the Chili Takedown, there are other contests where you can break out the slow cooker, including the Brooklyn Underground Chili Extravaganza Chili Cookoff at Barcade earlier this month, Park Slope’s PS 107’s chili contest last month, and the Chili Smackdown in Sheepshead Bay this past summer.

The Chili Takedown itself is part of a growing empire of cook-offs, with forays into lamb, curry, fondue, salsa, bacon, tofu and even cookies here, and chili and bacon takedowns in cities across the country.

Despite the growing popularity of these competitions, Timms likes to keep it low-key.

“I’m trying to bring it down a notch,” says Timms. “I don’t think it needs to be so big that people are stuck in line forever. It’s a party ultimately.”

That doesn’t mean the amateur chefs aren’t serious about their chili. “It can be a real science for some people,” says Timms, who will have 28 amateur chefs competing, with judges from the Brooklyn food community awarding the winner, as well as a pick for people’s choice.

Last year’s judges’ pick, “Pam Brown White Chili,” made by Park Slope’s Anne Garrett and Katie Feola, had lots of garlic, onions, jalapenos, and roasted poblanos central to the recipe, as well as Great Northern white beans, chicken and green chilies.

“After the first time we made the white bean chili, Katie suggested we enter the Chili Takedown. I thought it was a crazy, potentially terrible idea,” says Garrett, who, along with Feola, had never competed in a cooking contest before. “Entering a cooking competition was such an unexpected thing for us to do that when we won, the response from everyone who knows us, including ourselves, was total disbelief followed by hysterical laughter.”

Now, the pair are two-for-two, after winning this past fall’s Chile Pepper Fiesta Chocolate & Chile Takedown at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for their bread pudding recipe.

“We spent about two months working on that recipe, so we’re a little burnt out. (But) we’ll be attending the Chili Takedown though to rally support for our friend who is entering her first Takedown,” said Feola, who’s also looking forward to a forthcoming Cookie Takedown next month organized by, of course, Timms.

With last year’s winners taking a backseat, it’s definitely anyone’s game this Nov. 22, especially given the competition’s one rule — there are no rules.

“Anything is possible,” says Timms. “It’s about the construction and the craftsmanship.”

And, of course, the chili.

The Brooklyn Chili Takedown is Nov. 22 at the Bell House (149 7th St.) at 4 p.m. While the competitor list is closed, you can still get on the waiting list. For those looking to eat, it’s $15 to sample the recipes. For more information, call 718-643-6510.

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Casserole crazy

Crazy for casserole. Photo (appropriately): Casserole Crazy

Last week it was apple pie. This week, your challenge is casserole.

Brooklyn Label in Greenpoint hosts the fifth annual Casserole Party tonight, organized and hosted by Casserole Crazy author Emily Farris.

Those heeding the call with an original recipe at the ready, there are still spots left (you have to register first). And it might be good to bone up on the rules and regulations. You wouldn't want to be disqualified for forgetting a serving spoon. Also get in the Brooklyn cook-off know through Brooklyn Based's handy guide (from last year, so dates for competitions are off, though still helpful).

The casserole creations will be judged by Tom Mylan (executive butcher, the Meat Hook butcher shop), Nichelle Stephens (founding co-editor, Cupcakes Take the Cake), and Rachel Wharton (deputy editor, Edible Manhattan & Edible Brooklyn). Also indulge yourself in the baked goods once the judges have had their fill.

Starts tonight at 7:30 p.m. Brooklyn Label is located at 180 Franklin St.

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Bakers wanted

It's that time of year again.

This Saturday, October 17, the seventh annual Apple Pie Bake-Off returns to Enid's (560 Manhattan Ave.) in Greenpoint.

Bring your tried and true pie between 4 and 4:45 p.m., where judges from Brooklyn Kitchen, The Blue Stove, Py-O-My NYC, Sweet Deliverance NYC and last year's winner will be awarding cooking tools to those who take categories like Most Creative and Prettiest.

Once the judges have had a go, you can dig in, as well as enjoy homemade corn dogs and drinks.

The event starts at 5 p.m., and is free.

Photo: Offmanhattan.com

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Some help on those cupcakes

Photo: brooklynkitchen.com

Tonight, professional cake artist Katie Robinson will be at the Brooklyn Kitchen to help prospective competitors in the Williamsburg store's Third Annual Cupcake Cook-off, this May 11. Even if you're not competing, you'll get tips and recipes for cakes and decorating suggestions from a master.


Related: Next up, cupcakes

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Simply Guactacular

Cinco de Mayo presents another reason to party on a "school night," and The Bell House is combining appropriate drink specials ($2 Tecate and Modelo and $3 Coronas) with a food competition (increasingly, as we noted yesterday, a Brooklyn specialty).

Guactacular Invitational 2009 invites local restaurants to find out who has the best guacamole, and you're the judge.

Competitors include Pinche Taqueria, Mercadito, La Barra Cevicheria and Crema Restaurante, so get that chip hand ready.

That list is surprisingly Brooklyn-less, which begs us to ask - who do you think has the best guac in the borough?

Related: Next up, cupcakes

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Next up: cupcakes

Last year's winner, Kate Brown, with her salted caramel frosting cupcakes

There was apple pie. There was casserole. There was chili. There was meat. Now, there's cupcakes.

Next Monday, May 11, Brooklyn Kitchen will hold its Third Annual Cupcake Cook-off at Union Pool.

Last year's Best in Show was awarded to a chocolate cupcake with salted caramel frosting creation, so creativity is a must. Other entrieds ranged widely from fruit flavors including Kari Lobe’s passion fruit and cream cheese frosting to alcohol soaked batters such as the Mint Julep cupcake, as well as a "I can’t believe I moved to Bushwick for you"; specifically, a red velvet strawberry rhubarb pie cupcake.

More information here. Interested bakers can register by e-mailing cupcakes@thebrooklynkitchen.com.

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