Salmon "Cup"Cakes and the Latest in Technology

Salmon Cupcakes

Today is the first official day of our taste test and launch of a new innovative product. I am so honoured to be able to bring this technology into your homes. A few weeks ago I was contacted by BlogTech as part of their Blog in Draft program to be one of the very first food blogs in the country to reveal their revolutionary new technology which allows your computer screen to emit "the world's first flavoured on-line pages". We have worked diligently together over the past few weeks to get this "show on the road" so to speak. The new technology uses "hydrocolloids," which in the simplest terms means that the neutrons "collide with each other to spread over your taste buds".

Yes this makes licking the screen completely possible!!!!!

 To test to see if your screen is working properly lick the photo above. Each day for the next two weeks I will be testing a new photo with a different flavour. If you don't care for salmon, please check back tomorrow for my favourite chocolate cake recipe.

April Fool's!!!!!!!

Hope you didn't get dust on your tongue. Wouldn't it be something if we really could taste or smell what we see on all our favourite blogs!! Is Smell-a-Vision that they keep talking about far away!!! I hope not!!!

Where does the concept of April Fool's Day come from? Did you know that April Fools’ Day, also called All Fools’ Day has been documented for centuries? It resembles festivals such as the Hilaria we have read about in ancient Rome on March 25, and the Holi celebration in India, which ends on March 31.

Although the day has been observed for all these years, there are different explanations for its origin.  The most popular theory is related to the French calendar. They changed its calendar in the 1500s so that the New Year would begin in January to match the Roman calendar instead of beginning at the start of Spring, in late March or early April. However word of the change traveled slowly, and many people in rural areas continued to celebrate the New Year in the spring. Those living in the country became known as "April fools." They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on "fools errands" or were made the butt of other practical jokes. It gives usually poised and reserved bloggers like me the freedom to act like a total geek and play with my food!!!!

All kidding aside in honour of the day I decided to recreate a dish from celebrity chef Bob Blumer. He writes, "This is the recipe that got me started on savoury cupcakes. It was inspired by the name “fish cake,” which always made me laugh when I thought of a cake made with fish. My original salmon cupcakes were bite-size and I served them as appetizers, but they quickly grew up into an adult-size entrée. This version takes less than a quarter of the time and the effort."

The original recipe has you pipe warm mashed potatoes onto the "cakes" but I decided I wanted a little colour so flashed them under the broiler for a few moments. I was skimpy with the potatoes but would love a mound of mashed potatoes on top of these! Is this a cupcake? Well no, it is a fish cake, but a baked fishcake which makes this the healthiest fishcake ever! They take 8 minutes to bake in the oven and are perfect as an hors d'oeuvres or a light lunch. These are an excellent way to get young 'uns to eat their fish and get all of their Omega 3's. I have been wanting to try the meatloaf cupcakes I have seen dotted all over the blogosphere so when this recipe was sent to my inbox I was excited to give it a try. I love salmon!!!!!Just think about it. You could even use halibut, cod or even crab for some healthy "cakes". If you're vegetarian why not little falafel cakes. The possibilities are endless! Since it is April Fool's day you have full license to play with your food!!!!!

"The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year."

- Mark Twain

**Bob Blumers Salmon Cupcakes**

3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

1/4 cup (60 mL) heavy cream, room temperature

1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, room temperature

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 egg

1 pound (500 g) skinless salmon, roughly cut in 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes

3 green onions, finely sliced

1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup (60 mL) breadcrumbs or panko

1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons (30 mL) sour cream

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 jalapeño chili, seeds and membranes discarded, minced

1/4 cup (250 mL) finely chopped fresh dill (stems discarded), divided

Muffin tin

8 cupcake liners

Vegetable oil spray

Icing

Steam potatoes over boiling water until tender to the poke of a fork.

Use a ricer, food mill, or standard-issue fork to mash potatoes. In a medium glass or metal bowl, blend the potatoes with cream and butter, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup of the dill. Reserve.(if making ahead: just before putting salmon cupcakes in the oven, reheat potatoes by covering the bowl with aluminum foil and placing it over a pot of boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes. When potatoes are steaming hot, add dill. Blend thoroughly with a fork.)

Cupcakes

In a a food processor, add egg, salmon, green onion, bell pepper, breadcrumbs, parsley, sour cream, lemon zest and juice, jalapeño, remaining 1/4 cup dill, 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt, and 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper. Pulse 4 or 5 times, or until coarsely chopped and well blended. If you don’t have a food processor, chop ingredients finer than indicated and blend in a bowl. Reserve. (At this point the salmon mixture can be refrigerated for up to a day).

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Line a muffin tin with 8 paper liners. Generously spray interior of liners with spray oil. Spoon salmon mixture into liners. Gently press salmon down and flatten, level with the top of the tin.

Bake cupcakes for 8 minutes, or until cakes are fully set yet still moist. Remove cakes from tin immediately so that they do not continue to cook.

Use a piping bag with a star tip, or a table knife, to ice the cupcakes with mashed potato icing. (At this point I like to flash them under the broiler for a little colour for a couple of minutes).

Serves 8

I served my salmon cupcakes with a version of this salad.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.