Yin Yang Cupcakes Food

YIN YANG SOUP

Steps:

• Tomato Soup: In a saucepan, heat oil. Sweat onions, ginger, garlic, and green onions until glossy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add lime leaf and lemongrass. Continue to sweat another minute. Add the tomatoes, and tomato paste, and season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lime leaf and lemongrass. Transfer to a blender, add butter, and chile oil, and process to a puree. Strain through a chinois and chill over a bowl of ice. Reserve.
• To make the Pea Soup: In a saucepan, heat oil. Sweat onions, ginger, garlic, and green onions until glossy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add Thai basil and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and add peas. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove Thai basil. Transfer to a blender, add butter, and process to a puree. Strain through a chinois and chill over a bowl of ice.
• To prepare the Lobster Salad: In a bowl, combine the lobster meat, mango, and Thai basil. Add 1/4 cup of Asian vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.
• To serve: Place a 2-inch mold ring in center of soup plate. Spoon the lobster salad inside the ring. Press to mold. Ladle the soups on each side of ring. Decorate soup by placing a spoonful of contrasting soups over plated soups. In a bowl, mix the herbs and micro greens with Asian Vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Top lobster salad with micro green mixture and a slice of fried lotus root. Carefully remove ring. Serve immediately.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sesame oil, peanut oil, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Reserve until ready to use.

YIN YANG CUPCAKES

Steps:

• CUPCAKES: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar together. Add butter and milk and mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat 2 more minutes.
• Divide the batter in half, and mix coffee and cocoa powder into one half of the batter, mixing well for 2 minutes to incorporate. (using two pyrex measuring cups or containers with spouts works well for this).
• Using both hands, pour equally and at the same time both batters into lined muffin tins so that they fill each cup equally side by side (it helps if you have a helper nearby).
• Carefully place muffin pan into the oven and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on cooling racks.
• MAKE THE FROSTING: Place butter and confectioners sugar in a bowl and beat until creamy. Blend in half and half and vanilla.
• Divide the icing and mix cocoa powder into one half, mixing well. Frost a yin-yang design over top in opposing color of each side of the muffin (white frosting on chocolate side, chocolate frosting on white side).