They're not really cupcakes: Look-alike treats in a new world of offbeat flavors

Chicago Tribune (MCT) - Imagine, right now, a cupcake. But not a cupcake with yellow cake on the bottom, or chocolate. No, think white cheddar. Got it?

OK. Now imagine the frosting, but instead of vanilla or chocolate, think tomato. Yes, tomato frosting. Top the cheese and tomato cupcake off with a wee crouton or two. Grilled cheese and tomato soup cupcake.

Now envision a birthday cake. But before you think yellow cake, make it spinach instead. With purple onion mousse between the layers and green apple gelee on top. Garnish it with slices of onion.

And now think about gelato. Cast out of your head flavors like pistachio and strawberry. Instead, imagine what balsamic vinegar gelato would taste like. Or rice gelato. Or roasted red pepper with honey and cinnamon. Could you imagine eating a scoop of that on a cone?

Used to be, you had to have $500 burning a hole in your wallet to try these kinds of offbeat treats. Restaurants in Chicago such as Alinea, which has served its diners a "candy bar" made of duck, and Moto, which once made a dish out of duck look like roadkill _ complete with beet juice "blood" _ have been doing it for years, but at sky-high prices. Now, if you have $10, you too can eat the avant-garde.

"Everybody is pushing the limits of food right now," said Patty Rothman, who stocks her new Gold Coast cupcake emporium MORE with cupcakes that taste like a BLT sandwich or bacon with pancakes and maple syrup or, in time for fall, macaroni and cheese. "Can we take something familiar and re-create it in another way?"

In other words, can you make a cupcake that tastes like a bowl of steaming tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side?

Of course, said Rothman. She sells out of the BLT and bacon-maple cupcakes every day. "People are open to it," she said. "Chicago is a pretty sophisticated food town."

A few years ago, even, a cupcakeerie serving up soup-flavored cupcakes might have been laughed out of town. A gelato joint scooping black pepper olive oil gelato, as Paciugo in Forest Park, Ill., does, would have raised eyebrows. A bakery filling its cases with avocado mousse tarts with balsamic vinegar ganache, as Chaos Theory Cakes in Lakeview, Ill., does, would have had a hard time making a go of it.

Not now and not for the foreseeable future, thanks to shows like Food Network's "Iron Chef America," where chefs regularly whip up offbeat treats like trout ice cream, and Bravo's "Top Chef," where chefs attempt to outdo each other with unusual and creative flavor pairings.

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And the publicity surrounding playful restaurants like Alinea, Avenues and Moto (which regularly serves its guests edible menus), have made even those of us who have never dined at these establishments open to, say, fish ice cream. Maybe we have never had the fish ice cream, but we know it exists.

"There has been an evolution of tastes," said Cristiana Ginatta, Mastro Gelataio for Paciugo, a Dallas-based chain of gelaterias that serve some eyebrow-raising flavors, including popcorn, rose and rice. "More people are interested in venturing out from the usual."

At a recent visit to Paciugo in Forest Park, a couple spent at least 10 minutes trying tiny spoons of the more bizarre flavors, even leaving at one point, only to return to try one more that stuck in their heads: lime chile mango sorbet. Tasting it made them laugh.

And that's exactly the reaction our staff had in trying some of these eats. Some were fantastic _ the BLT cupcake from MORE comes to mind. Some were weird, like the perfumey rose gelato at Paciugo. But all were interesting _ and inspired conversation.

"That's what we want," said Michelle Garcia, owner of Chaos Theory Cakes. "We want people to talk about their food again. Who created the rules behind what we eat? How come something has to be a dessert?"

Of course, there are limits. And it turns out when you inject some meats into a dessert, you cross some line deep within us that says beef does not belong in, say, a cupcake. Or ice cream.

Rothman tried _ and failed _ to make a credible franks and beans cupcake. More yuck than yeah. Gyros didn't really work either. Neither has a Thanksgiving dinner cupcake.

"Turkey. I can't make that leap," said Rothman, who said she is discovering the only meats that really work in cupcakes are the brunch ones: bacon, maybe sausage. "If I can't make that leap, nobody else can."

Jessica Oloroso, owner of Chicago's Black Dog Gelato, which supplies gelato to restaurants from Uncommon Ground to Piccolo on North Damen Avenue, also said turkey was a challenge for gelato. "I am not going to say no," she said. "It comes down to how you are going to manipulate that ingredient. If I was working with turkey, I would smoke it, use the dark meat because it has more flavor."

Keep in mind Oloroso is talking about gelato here.

"And then I would do an infusion with it and add some spices and some maple syrup."

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Making some non-traditional ingredients _ the more offbeat the better, really _ into gelato or dessert is part of the fun, the chefs agreed.

"It's a challenge," said Oloroso, who cites a chocolate olive gelato as one Mt. Everest she hasn't successfully scaled yet. "Sometimes it doesn't work. Sometimes it does. I think I have had more successes than failures."

It also comes down to what people are willing to try.

"You have to not have to convince yourself into it," Oloroso said. "You have to be like, oh sure, this works! With the roasted red pepper, you may not think of it before you try it, but then you say, I can see why this is good."

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A FEW OFFBEAT TASTES

No matter how delicious, roast chicken with mashed potatoes is never surprising, never playful. You never take a bite and think, wow, I had no idea it was going to taste like that! Wow, that was fun! And so it is with much of the food we love. Except for the following. Here are four bites guaranteed to surprise you and to make you smile:

BLT cupcake: This treat is a magic trick. You bite in thinking, OK, this is never going to taste like a BLT sandwich, and lo and behold, it does. And a tasty, filling one at that. $4.25, MORE, 1 E. Delaware Place; 312-951-0001, www.morecupcakes.com.

Avocado mousse tart: The avocado has a smooth, gentle sweetness that pairs nicely with the sweet-tart balsamic vinegar ganache. The taste is unexpected and mellow and rather lovely. $6, Chaos Theory Cakes, 2961 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-281-2353, www.chaostheorycakes.com.

Black pepper olive oil gelato: The pepper is somehow a little sweet while still being piquant. The olive oil is fruity and smooth. Somehow, it works. Paired with Mediterranean Sea Salt caramel, it's divine. $3.49 for three flavors in a small cup, Paciugo, 7510 Madison St., Forest Park; 708-366-6080, www.paciugo.com.

RELATED LINKS

Offbeat treats, affordable too Goat cheese cashew caramel gelato: Made by Black Dog Gelato for Piccolo, this treat sounds stranger than it tastes, which is sort of like an offbeat version of pralines and cream ice cream. $3.50, Piccolo, 859 N. Damen Ave.; 773-772-3355, www.piccolochicago.com.

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