Cake Talk

Kentuck at 40

Kentuck turned 40 this year.

The folk art festival has been held every October in Northport, Alabama since 1971.

We made this cake a few months back (whipped chocolate ganache and fondant over chocolate and raspberry cake), but today I got to experience it live. Curly fries and all.

Art makes me happy and there were many things I wanted to buy this year, but restrained myself and bought only those that were especially meaningful in one way or another.

Expect to find this poster by Gordo Artist Amos Kennedy in the bathroom at the bakery soon. I already own several of his prints but have always wanted THIS one for the shop. After all, Mary's Cakes & Pastries is a "Grown Folks" establishment!

And so I also had to have this JUST EAT CAKE collage by Marian Baker of Oneonta. It gets right to the point. And I just love that it's a recycled and repurposed Clue game board, plus part of an old postcard, some letters, a crossword puzzle and a hymnal page.

My annual quota of Dr. Bob art was filled by a stamped tin ceiling tile. This one is going home with my brother to California, but if you've even been in the bakery, you know there is no shortage of Dr. Bob's work (we get one every year at the festival), including one sign that reads "No Screaming at Mary's."

Finally, and even though Kerry Kennedy is right across the street from the bakery, this mug spoke to me. I'll rather enjoy drinking my morning coffee from it, starting tomorrow. Get your own at Fire Horse Studio in Northport.

As for the curly fries... I'm not proud, but the food choices at the festival were limited. And I was hungry.

 

 

Cupboard Art

It's Kentuck Weekend and we spent the day today. There was so much cool art there, ranging from two-dimensional photographs, paintings and collages on various media, to 3-dimensional items made from, well, various media.

If you have no idea what I am talking about, the Kentuck Festival is an annual festival of folk art held in Northport each October for the past 39 years. It is a two-day juried art festival that attracts 30,000-plus visitors.

The idea was to walk around the park and see as many of the 250-or-so booths before deciding what to buy.

My thoughts these days center around the artistic value of practical objects in the kitchen and I found many kindred spirits.

First I saw this lamp shade from Cooper-Stratton Designs, made from a colander and measuring spoons. Funky, colorful, contemporary art craft -- New Orleans style. Pretty cool.

Then this little guy, made from an old can of Planter's Mixed Nuts, and various other stuff, from Anthony Pack, urban folk artist. Also very cool.

But the one I really could not resist was this whimsical Raven on an Egg Beater by Michigan artist Mark Orr of Scavenger Art. We have this very egg beater in the Cupboard right now, and I never thought of it in this way before. The key-holding raven on top symbolizes the opening of doors and the welcoming of positive change into our lives and the egg relates to new beginnings. How extremely cool. I bought it on the spot and carried it around the park for several hours.

Here it is in the Cupboard already, next to it's inspiration, the bakelite red handled rotary egg beater.

We also bought some photographs and posters, from local Alabama artists. They will adorn Mary's Cupboard, and maybe inspire you to do more with our consigned objects than cook with them.

August at the Bakery

Only two posts so far in August (and today is the 29th!). Wanna know why?

First Kristi left, then Ben left, so we are training new people. And Mallory had band camp (she plays bass drum for the University of Alabama Million Dollar Band).

Then we had ten weddings. TEN!! And the average high temperature in Tuscaloosa had to be over 100 degrees.

Then I took a short vacation to visit my family in San Jose.

As soon as I got back, we started getting the new consignment shop ready to open.

This is all in addition to the usual assortment of cakes and pastries.

So there you go, and here is a quick overview of the month in photos...

Ben, sorry but this was the only picture I could find of you... from a couple of years ago on Halloween. Remember how Emily made us wear that silly head gear?

For the last two years, Ben was our go-to guy for fondant, gum paste and marzipan figures and we took full advantage of his last few weeks at the bakery, even as he was studying for finals before graduating from UA in August.

This may not look like much, but each of those animals (plus a giraffe for the baby cake) was hand made in gum paste by Ben, then painted by Suzanne, for an incredibly detailed first birthday cake. The mom brought life sized stuffed animals from the child's room for inspiration.

We did two topsy turvy cakes like this one for Hollywood-inspired birthday parties.

One of the ten wedding cakes we did this month... Mostly with bows, swags or buttons.

The consignment shop, in progress... We open on Art Night September 2, when we'll also have a live blues band playing in the alley outside the shop, and lots of free cake all evening...

Flea markets, thrift shops and yard sales took up any free time this month, searching for one-of-a-kind treasures for the new consignment shop.

September starts on Wednesday, but with the grand opening of Mary's Cupboard and Art Night in the Alley on the 2nd, and two home games in a row (we'll be making Alabama themed shortbread cookies as fast as we can), the next two weeks will be busy.

Downtown Northport: A Sense of Community

Thursday was Art Night.  The first Thursday of the month, when Art Galleries in Tuscaloosa and Northport celebrate the opening of new exhibits and invite the public into their studios.

As a bakery surrounded by artists, Mary’s usually participates with edible and performing arts, serving wedding cake and hosting live blues music.  Except in August, when the shop closes at 6 and we take a month off from the evening festivities.

So this month we helped our neighbors at Kentuck celebrate and raise money for their organization. Kentuck is a non-profit organization dedicated to perpetuating the arts, engaging the community and empowering the artist.  They host a folk art festival in October. The Kentuck Festival of the Arts is designated a Top Ten Art Fair and Festival by American Style Magazine. The 38th Annual Kentuck Festival of the Arts will be October 17 & 18, 2009.

Kentuck’s courtyard was a true display of engaging the community.  Over a hundred people gathered to celebrate the opening of the August exhibit of recent works by Jeannie Guthrie and Elizabeth Quinn, boost awareness of the organization, and raise money.  If you live in the community you know about Kentuck’s recent financial struggles.

For a small donation to the organization, dozens of patrons received a hand made bowl by ceramic artist Kerry Kennedy of Firehorse Studio.  The bowl was filled with freshly made gelato from Mary’s.

The cob oven in the courtyard was fired up with fresh bread, pizza and grilled fresh vegetables from Snow’s Bend Farm.  There was live music and, after dark, a movie played on the outside wall of the gallery building.

Melina McClure, who is opening the new restaurant on the corner of 5th Street and Main Avenue was there to meet the community, and the advanced band from the Alabama Blues Camp entertained from the sidewalk.

Kentuck is an integral part of the flavor of Historic Downtown Northport, along with the many independent merchants, artists and restaurants and other businesses.  This past art night proved how much they help create that sense of community Northport is famous for.

Willie King, 1943-2009

On Sunday, March 8, 2009 the outstanding Alabama blues musician Willie King passed away near his home in Old Memphis, Alabama on his 66th birthday, following a massive heart attack.

I had never seen him perform, but knew him through local blues artists Rick Asherson and Debbie Bond, the husband and wife blues artists who play at the shop on Art Night. In this photo from the Tuscaloosa News, that's Rick on keyboards in the blue shirt and Debbie on guitar between Rick and Willie.

Born in Mississippi, he moved to west Alabama with his sharecropping parents at a young age and started playing a one-string guitar at age nine.  His career took him from juke joints in Alabama and Mississippi to blues festivals all over the world.  He was named Blues Artist of the Year by Living Blues Magazine in 2004 and the Alabama State Council on the Arts is scheduled to present him with its Folk Heritage Award in May. Now that will be done posthumously.

Beyond awards and recognition, Willie King was also a consummate blues man.  He found time to teach and talk to children about the blues in school programs and blues camps offered by the Alabama Blues Project.  That's how we heard about him.

We made him a birthday cake last year with a red guitar on top.

King performed his last concert Saturday night in Columbus, Mississippi. He will be missed but lives on through his music.  Hear him play "I am the blues" on myspace.

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The funeral is scheduled for Sunday, March 15th, and will be held at the City Hall in Aliceville, Alabama, with viewing the day before at Lavender's Funeral Service, Aliceville. Timing and other details will be posted, when available, at Willie King's web site, www.willie-king.com.

Is This Art? (Part Two)

We are trying to be mature adults about this whole thing.  Turns out that the gallery owner is also upset that people come into her shop on Art Night, eat her snacks, drink her wine, then announce they are going over to Mary's for the music without looking at the art (or buying anything).

So here's what we're gonna do...

We decorated some cookies to resemble one of her paintings (here's the painting) and we are sending them over as a gift for Art Night.

With a little note (from one artist to another) wishing them a successful Art Night.

And here is the cookie.  It's a glazed shortbread cookie with a chocolate "frame."

We hope she likes them.

Then, we will be sure to plug all the galleries in downtown Northport during breaks in the music.  We'll suggest they visit all the shops and galleries that are open.  And not just eat their food and drink their wine.  Admire the artwork too.

Is This Art?

One of our customers was putting up posters for the Blues Cafe at Art Night tomorrow.  She happened to walk into one of the galleries on Main Avenue and asked permission to put one in the window.  The owner said no, explaining that our Art Night entertainment takes customers away from her gallery.  A somewhat shallow perspective, but certainly her prerogative.  We happen to believe that offering more events and activities to folks that come to Downtown Northport for Art Night is a good thing for everyone involved.  Whatever, I could have lived with that.

Then she said: "Mary's Cakes is not art."

Pardon me?

Here are just three of the definitions of art I found in a two minute search of the Internet:

1. Product of human creativity; the creation of beautiful or significant things; a superior skill that you can learn by study and practice and observation.
2. The process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions.
3. Skill used to produce an aesthetic result

So look at this "Lion" cake or the cakes on our website and tell me that they are not products of human creativity.  That they are not beautiful or significant.  That no skill is involved.  That they re not "deliberately arranged" in a way that appeals to the senses.

And, as our customer so appropriately replied to the gallery owner in question:  "I beg to differ."

Monthly 'Blues Cafe' starts next week

Thursday is Art Night in Tuscaloosa and Northport.  Officially, it's the Artrageous Riverfront Arts Tour featuring downtown Northport’s Art Night and the Art and Soul of downtown Tuscaloosa.  For us it's Mary's Blues Cafe and Street Party in the Alley.

As the saying goes "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."  Surrounded by the Kentuck Art Center and several art galleries in downtown Northport, we "do" Art Night at Mary's on the first Thursday of the month from March through October.  We have a live blues band.  We make two large wedding cakes.  We organize some activities for kids.  We have fun.  And it's free.

Local blues artists -- the husband and wife team of Rick Asherson and Debbie Bond -- perform as part of the Blues Cafe and Street Party in front of the shop.  (If the weather looks wet, they'll be in our Garden Room.)

As the Creme Brulees, they'll perform the Mary's Cakes song (a blues song they wrote just for us!) as well as old favorites. The Mary's Cakes CD single will be available for sale, with proceeds to benefit the Alabama Blues Project. Bond and Asherson are co-directors of the Alabama Blues Project, and educational non-profit organization based in Northport, best known for their award-winning after-school and summertime blues camp.

We'll demonstrate how to cut a tiered wedding cake at 6:30, and serve cake all night.  It's a great chance to taste our cake as each of the tiers features a different flavor or filling.  Everyone is encouraged to have more than one slice.

We'll also have an organized art activity for kids.  This month, children of all ages will get a chance to design and decorate a cake made from construction paper.  We'll have a contest with the winner taking home a "real" cake.

The music, cake and activities are free, but we do have drinks, gelato and snacks available for sale if cake isn't enough to sustain you for the evening.  If you live anywhere near Northport, please come on by.  Take time to visit the other galleries, shops and activities in the area open on Art Night.

The band starts playing at 6.  We cut cake at 6:30, and we're done by 9.  Bring friends. See you there.

2009:  First Thursday of the Month:

• March 5
• April 2
• May 6
• June 3
• July 1
• September 2
• October 7

Marys Cakes and the Creme Brulees -- watch the video

Enjoy the Creme Brulees playing the Mary's Cakes song for Art Night.

We're still recovering. It was pretty much a day from hell, but in a good sort of way. Most of the baking we needed to get done for the weekend (home game --> LOTS AND LOTS of Alabama themed cookies) was still not done because the new oven was not hooked up until Wednesday night. Then there was the baking that needed to be done BEFORE Thursday, the cakes we cut for Art Night. We had also agreed to make two large cakes for the grand opening of the Capstone Hotel (formerly the Sheraton). And the Farmers' Market goodies. It was after 9pm when I left on Wednesday. But the oven was ready to be put into action.

Thursday we had two ovens (no waiting) so we baked breakfast pastries, bread, pretzels, cheese straws, cheesecake, scones, cookies and cakes in record time. Oh yeah, we also made two large pans of bread pudding to give away at the Chamber of Commerce's "After Hours" event, which coincided with Art Night in downtown Northport. Wow! After the baking was done, all the tables had to be moved outside to the alley. The band had to set up. Will it rain or not? We had the remnants of hurricane Gustav threatening the status quo.

Finally the band got going. We had a good crowd, and the rain held out until 8:30. So it was a mad dash to get the electrical equipment, tables and chairs back inside before they were completely soaked. We went home wet and tired. The cookbook deadline was still looming (actually passed) with at least 6 hours of heavy editing left. Oh well, "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow. " to quote Scarlet O'Hara in Gone With The Wind.

Come to the Blues Cafe and Street Party on Thursday

Local blues artists -- the husband and wife team of Rick Asherson and Debbie Bond -- will perform as part of a Blues Café and Street Party in front of the shop at 412B 22nd Avenue, behind the Globe Restaurant. The event is part of the Art Night Celebration held each month in Northport and Tuscaloosa.

The Creme Brulees, featuring Debbie Bond, will perform their new hit single as well as old favorites. The Mary's Cakes CD single will be available for sale, with proceeds to benefit the Alabama Blues Project. Bond and Asherson are co-directors of the Alabama Blues Project, and educational non-profit organization baed in Northport, best known for their award-winning after-school and summertime blues camp.

"We have been big fans of Mary's Cakes since she opened! We began performing regularly at Mary's Cakes as part of the Art Night festivities, then one night on the way home from a gig in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Rick and I were craving Mary's Cakes and came up with the song!" says Bond.