Hey There, Cupcake! by Clare Crespo (2004, Hardcover)

I already loved Claire Crespo's "The Secret Life of Food" so I was jumping for joy when this cupcake book was announced.

Now right off the bat I will confess to you that as of this writing, I have not yet made or even attempted any of the lovely cupcakes in this book. Mostly I just dream of someday serving them to dinner guests or my nieces and nephews. (Sort of in the same way I browse airily through an issue of Martha Stewart Living and dream that my linen closet would be organized in such an attractive fashion, too).

Mostly I have just used this book as a coffee table conversation starter to give guests something amusing to look through while I prepare their cocktails.

The beginning of the book gives you a few basic helpful recipes (buttercream frosting, standard white cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, even pineapple cupcakes).

The rest is full of lavish photographs of Claire's creative endeavors. She has aspirin cupcakes that to me look a bit like Japanese sticky buns, simple colorful Astrology sign cupcakes, gross Bleeding Heart, Eyeball, and Brain cupcakes (but I admire the artistry), charming Citrus cakes, cakes drawn to look like clocks displaying international time zones, cola cans, a crab, a hilarious crop circle, an igloo, a cupcake shark your nephews might be delighted by, and a hamburger cupcake.

I might have to break down and attempt the Cupcake Village, on second thought. It's just too cute. And the sushi cupcakes, if I could actually pull them off, would definitely come as a delightfully shocking surprise to my dinner club members.

Claire has interesting ingredients to some of the recipes - almonds for bee wings, Fruit Roll-Ups for sushi cupcake components, shredded coconut for a pina colada glass, sesame seeds for the top of the hamburger.

Overall, this is such a delight to look through and ooh-and-aah over, I highly recommend it for anyone with unpretentious foodie friends, young nieces and nephews, and a child-at-heart love of life.