Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Sweet Review

Lisabet Sarai doesn't even like candy—"I have an anti-sweet-tooth," she's said. "I could live for months without ever craving dessert." And yet she bravely put aside her distaste for the sweet and gooey in order to review Sex & Candy. Even with her preference for fruit over cupcakes, she managed to find stories to whet her appetite in the delicious confection Sex & Candy:

Shanna Germain’s “Kneading” left me in wet, astonished awe. It is lyrical and tough, intense and original, featuring characters so far from the stereotypes that I guarantee you, too, will be amazed. The editors showed great wisdom in using a quote from this tale as the introductory blurb for the collection.

“At home, I don’t let her touch me. There is only this: my fingers tangled in her thin apron strings, cascade of cotton and flour against the floor, Macy’s dark arms iced with sugars and spice. My recipe is simple: Macy and me, hands and skin, kneading and heat. ‘The best recipes just taste complicated.’ This is something I plan to teach her.”

Equally fine, in a different way, is Donna George Storey’s “Six Layers of Sweetness.” The tale is as carefully constructed as the dessert in its title. Sharp, spicy layers of physical desire alternate with more subtle emotional flavors. Ms. Storey is an expert chef, and it shows.

A few other stories in the book have bent over pages, meaning that I felt they were worth mentioning. “Cling,” by Tenille Brown, is the delightfully tongue-in-cheek tale of a mature woman who can’t quite bring herself to give up her lover even though she knows he’s not “marriage material.” I enjoyed Bianca James “Green Chile Chocolate” largely because her “Chile man” so completely matched my image of male sexiness. R.Gay’s “Other Girls” is a carny romance, shot through with the wistfulness of a man who’s always just passing through. And Catherine Lundoff’s “Phone, Sex, Chocolate” offers a sticky, poignant look at a hopeless lesbian fantasy:


Yum!

Monday, February 18, 2008

Slow, Sweet Seduction



By Donna George Storey

Offering both luscious sex and delicious sweets, Sex and Candy will make your mouth—or mouths—water. Not to mention there’s a wealth of creative bedroom tips on how to make the most of candy canes, chocolate chip cookie dough and cupcakes of all kinds in bed with your sweetie. Hey, even your mother can’t complain about a good education.

Some stories take food as foreplay even farther—Shanna Germain’s “Kneading,” Jolene Hui’s “Banana Afternoon,” and Tsaurah Litzky’s “Old Fashioned Fudge,” and my story “Six Layers of Sweetness” about the baking of a fancy cookie-cum-weapon of seduction called Venetians. Made of layers of almond cake, apricot jam and chocolate glaze, these treats have seduced many over the years, and in full public view to boot. Monogamous in my sex life, I’m a real slut when it comes to baking and nothing makes me happier than the satisfied grunts and sighs of people feasting on my specialty.

Not wanting to hoard my secret, I present my recipe for Venetians, handed down from a friend over a decade ago, for any of you lusty bakers out there who like to extend your foreplay to a full day of finger-licking fun. Don’t be daunted by the long list of steps. Like sex, these cookies do require time and attention for the sweetest outcome, but trust me--the response makes it all worthwhile.

Venetians or Cookies to Seduce Your Sweetie
1 can (8 ounces) almond paste
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 drops green food coloring
8 drops red food coloring
1 jar (12 oz.) apricot preserves
4 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate


Grease three 13x9x2 inch pans. Line with wax paper. Grease again.

Break up almond paste in a large bowl with a fork or whirl in food processor with a few tablespoons of the sugar until fluffy. Add butter, rest of the sugar, egg yolks, and almond extract. Beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in flour and salt.

Beat egg whites in a separate bowl with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. With a wooden spoon, fold into almond mixture by hand until just incorporated.

Remove 1 1/2 cups batter and spread it evenly in one of the prepared pans. Remove another 1 1/2 cups batter and add the green food coloring; spread evenly in the second prepared pan. Add red food coloring to the remaining batter and spread in the last pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or just until edges are golden brown. Do not overbake. Remove cakes from pans immediately. Tip: turn the green layer over directly onto a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet covered with parchment paper as it has a tendency to stick. Place a piece of parchment over the bottom of the empty pan and nest it in the yellow cake pan. Turn it over to release this layer onto the bottom of the empty pan. Repeat with pink pan. This makes it easier to slide the layers onto each other. Remove wax paper from bottoms. Cool thoroughly.

Place green layer on jelly roll pan. Heat apricot preserves; strain into a glass measuring cup. Spread 1/2 of the warm preserves over green layer to the edges. Slide yellow layer on top; spread with remaining apricot preserves. Slide pink layer, right side up, onto yellow layer.

Cover the layers with plastic wrap and weight down with a large wooden cutting board or heavy plate. Place in refrigerator overnight. The next day, remove from refrigerator for one hour. Melt chocolate over hot water in a bowl or cup. Spread to the edges of the cake. When chocolate is cool, but still soft, trim edges off cake. Cut into 1 inch squares. These keep in an airtight container for several days.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

I'm in Love...



...with stoopidgerl. Her jewelry is amazing!

This is a handmade resin pendant that hangs on a silver-toned 18" ball chain. This pendant features a big fat heart chock full of red heart-shaped candy sprinkles and sparkly black glitter! This pendant is full of sweet sweet love!

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Oh, Sweet!


Sex & Candy received a stellar review at Erotica Readers Association.

Vices are always more satisfying when we know we shouldn’t really give into their temptations. Pleasures are always more fulfilling when we know so many others in society would frown on our decadent indulgence.

Read an interview with Rachel on Hipster Book Club.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

For the love of candy



Show the world your love for candy with this necklace that is sure to satisfy your sweet-tooth and sugar cravings!

Sunday, January 27, 2008

original ink surreal graphic



This is an original..not a copy or print......inspired by the song, "Sex and Candy" by Marcy Playground..remember them?

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Welcome to the Candy Shop


Isn't this one delicious?

Made of a real gummy bear, covered in many layers of clear spray for protection, a vintage cast iron gumball machine from a dollhouse, a gumball baby sucker prize and a silver star charm.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

candy crime lime...



Eat it or wear it? I don't know. But how could you resist something called "candy crime lime with bright buttons PVC chain loop choker"? Sounds like something Willy Wonka would sell!

Friday, January 11, 2008

Yummy Little Change Purse



The outside of this adorable little change pouch is made from a recycled Reese's peanut butter cups package and clear vinyl.


Perfect for stashing your candy money.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

How do astronauts eat candy in space?



Well of course, they attach their pieces of candy to little space rings so that the sweets can't float off into space, to later be found, and munched on by little aliens.

I love that!