Good Idea/Bad Idea?

I'm generally a little leery of food items where the phrase "stuffed with" is the highlight of the dish. I find that things can get a bit out of hand and then you're left with an excessive amount of cheese or peanut butter or something that will likely do nothing more than stain a perfectly good outfit or distend one's stomach.

There are, of course, exceptions: tacos, burritos, purses stuffed with a handful of designer accessories. I even enjoy a well made chicken roulade or Tagalong cookie.

So I'm a tad suspicious of a post shared earlier by the good folks at Serious Eats, where they introduced something at once both fascinating and slightly nauseating:

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the Cookie-Stuffed Cookie.

Basically, you take a chocolate chip cookie and impregnate it with an Oreo. Or, in a second recipe contained in the post, you jam a Nutter Butter into a chocolate-chocolate chip cookie.

Yum?

So, I'll leave it to you to decide: Good idea or bad idea? I'll make one or the other based on feedback and then share my personal findings.

(Results from the last poll are to be posted tomorrow. You can check out the Serious Eats post about cookie-stuffed cookies here.)

Enjoy!

Viva (Recovery from) Las Vegas/New Podcast Rec

Happy post Valentine's, everybody! I hope you had a chance to spend a moment or three with your loved one/partner/BFF/pet goldfish, enjoying each other's company. Or, if you were me and BHE, trying not to vomit during the less-than-steady landing of your Delta flight into BWI.

Today I'm back in the office, slooooooowly trying to recover from a weekend of shenanigans in none other than that beacon of all things decadent: Las Vegas. Home to numerous stage acts, all you can eat buffets, and the occasional C-List MTV reality star.

Keep it classy, Vegas!

During V-day weekend, Las Vegas also hosts the US leg of the International Rugby Sevens. This would be my 5th time at the sevens (my 4th here in the US) and this most recent trip did not disappoint. Well, except for that part where NZ lost to Fiji in the semi-finals, but otherwise it was all good. Sevens Rugby is joining the Olympic lineup in 2016, so this as good a chance as any to see what the fuss is all about. Plus, this is pretty much the only sporting event I've been to where venues encourage interaction between players and fans. Without going into detail about the number of rugby parties attended, let me just say that the English 7s team is an exceptionally

tall bunch.

Seriously, put it on your to-do list for 2012.

Anywho, because most of my time was spent either watching the games, sitting in front of a penny slot, or at a 7s-sponsored party watching girls trying to hit on rugby players, I didn't have a chance to take in much of Vegas' culinary offerings. I did manage to sneak into the Vosges shop at Caesar's Palace.

BHE and his 7s weekend mustache with the Vosges Bacon Caramel Toffee.

Alas, the bacon toffee was bit out of my price range, so I settled for the Balsamico (12-year aged balsamic vinegar mixed with dark chocolate and Sicilian hazelnuts) and Red Fire (Mexican ancho and chipotle chillies with cinnamon and dark chocolate) truffles instead.

We also (finally!) made a side trip for BHE's and my first ever In-N-Out burger! It's no Five Guys, but the burgers held their own. The fries...not so much. My buddy Erin said it best:

"They taste like those potato sticks that come in a can."

Best money I spent that weekend, excluding tickets to see the Lion King (Go. NOW.) and of course my favorite penny slot at the Mandalay Bay:

There's a wild card feature that includes an animated Bruce Lee performing a high side kick. PHENOMENAL!

******************And now, your non-recipe...

Unless you count opening your straw and doing that little knot trick with the wrapper, I was off cooking detail this week. I did, however, come across a new podcast that I think you'll enjoy:

Try it if you like other NPR fare such as Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me! or How Stuff Works podcasts like Stuff You Should Know.

On a side note, I'm making a more serious effort to study French and need a practice buddy with an Internet connection and a good bit of patience. If you know of anybody (or happen to be that somebody), just shoot me an email. I'll cook!

Thanks! And Enjoy!

When Things Aren't What Quite What They Seem

Happy post-Superbowl (with condolences to my fellow Steeler fans out there). BHE is still sulking after the loss, but I find I can't even muster up the anger. Green Bay just plain played better.

Which sucks as I am now responsible for a bet that I made with my BFF, who - in addition to being a very excited Green Bay fan - welcomed the birth of her first child this weekend. Loser has to buy Baby Button (as in "cute as a") the winning team's gear, to be worn next season. Assuming that takes place. Looks I've got some online shopping to take care of...

Funny story: Baby Button came out with a little something extra from the womb. Namely, a penis.

Yup! My goddaughter is actually my godson, which is totally cool by me. Even if this means that I have to take back a few pink items or that his baby blanket is currently embroidered with the name "Mia Grace." I've already promised to teach him about rugby and take him out for his first tattoo, which I'm sure thrilled his mother to no end.

Baby Button, in the (tiniest) flesh.

I can already tell he's a future heart breaker. The kid has dimples for DAYS.

And now, for your recipes..................

For this post I figured I'd throw in some items that, like Baby Button, are not quite what they seem. Little tweaks and such just to change things up a bit.

Except for the creme brulee. That's just a basic. The only thing that may seem different is my thumb, which went numb from trying to work the friggin brulee torch. It was a good hour before I could manage the fine motor skills required to write a text message. Note to readers: When the recipe calls for turbinado sugar, USE TURBINADO SUGAR. I used Cook's Illustrated's recipe for this bad boy, but Alton Brown's version is equally delightful.

The brulees were part of the menu at an annual post-holiday party thrown by a group of grad school friends in the DC area. Last year I was in charge of the entrées, but this year I was put in charge of dessert. In addition to the creme brulee, I also tweaked Paula Deen's recipe to come up with a White Velvet Cake.

(Sorry - I forgot to take a photo before the starving crowds attacked it.)

How do you make a White Velvet Cake you ask? Simply head to the grocery store and promptly forget to pick up red food coloring. Piece of cake! (pun intended)

I usually shy away from Paula's recipes. (I mean how many ways can/should a person incorporate Velveeta into their dish?) But this one was serious winner. The key (I think) is the baking soda and vinegar - the resulting fizz makes the cake extra-light and fluffy.

And finally, the surprise hit of the winter: my Quinoa and Black Bean Burritos!

Potential Vegan Yum!

Simply toast 1 cup quinoa in a mid-sized pot over medium high heat for a few minutes. Add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, and then cover the pot with a lid. Turn down the head to med-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, go ahead and saute some onions/shallots and green peppers (1 each) with 1/2 tsp canola oil. Add one can of black beans (RINSED, please!) and stir to combine. Add the mixture to the finished quinoa.

Add one packet of your fav taco seasoning (or you can make some of your own) and mix to combine. You can add a bit of water, 1 tbsp at a time, if necessary.

Spoon a few tablespoons of the mixture on a flour or corn tortilla. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Attack taco-flavored goodness like a starved wolf or pleasure delay a bit by placing the burrito in a panini press or Foreman grill for 3-5 minutes for some added texture.

As always, Enjoy!

Good Idea or Bad Idea?

Remember Animaniacs? The cartoon from the 90s about the Warner brothers and the Warner sister? If you like your animation on the subversive side, I highly recommend watching a few episodes online.

Anywho, the show used to have a segment called "Good Idea/Bad Idea" voiced by Mr. Tom Bodett (of the Motel 6 "we'll keep the light on" fame).

Every now and then I come across something that makes me think of this bit. Like the beverage below that BHE and I spotted during a recent grocery outing:

So, I'm going to do a poll and ask you: Good Idea or Bad Idea? And I'll give it a go if it's the former. Hell, I might even give it a go if it's the latter. I'm curious like that.

What do you think?

新年快乐!!

Happy Chinese New Year! Especially to all you Rabbits out there - which means you were born between...

• 29 January 1903 – 15 February 1904: Water Rabbit
• 14 February 1915 – 2 February 1916: Wood Rabbit
• 2 February 1927 – 22 January 1928: Fire Rabbit
• 19 February 1939 – 7 February 1940: Earth Rabbit
• 6 February 1951 – 26 January 1952: Metal Rabbit
• 25 January 1963 – 12 February 1964: Water Rabbit
• 11 February 1975 – 30 January 1976: Wood Rabbit
• 29 January 1987 – 16 February 1988: Fire Rabbit
• 16 February 1999 – 4 February 2000 Earth Rabbit
• 3 February 2011 – 22 January 2012: Metal Rabbit

According to Wikipedia anyway!

To celebrate the New Year, I decided to take my younger sister's advice and clean my house. At least I meant to. I mostly cleaned my kitchen, put out the recycling, and then took a much needed bath. Tonight I plan to pack for my weekend trip to Pittsburgh (HERE WE GO STEELERS! HERE WE GO! *clap* *clap*), finish up some gifts for my goddaughter, and paint my nails red for the holiday.

Yesterday in honor of the New Year I took a crack at recipe (also suggested by my younger sister - go, Jo!) featured on NPR's Kitchen Window, which explored Chinese cooking in the Caribbean. Apparently, Chinese culture is pretty well entrenched in the island of Trinidad. Chinese cuisine, however, had to be adapted to accommodate local agriculture, though some dishes remained fully intact.

One such dish is pow, otherwise known as bao - those addictive little pork-filled steamed buns you can usually pick up at any Chinese food stand. We normally have a few bags of frozen bao in our house, but I thought I'd try to make my own for once. You know, for kicks.

...Which is how I ended up spending a good bit of my evening cleaning just my kitchen. Don't misunderstand - the pow were great! But I lack access to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, so I ended up over-mixing my first batch of dough (note to self: dough hooks are a waste of time), and the next batch took a while to mix by hand.

Still, this stuff makes for a tasty treat! Next time I'll be a little more generous with the filling. (I tend to be conservative when I first attempt a recipe.) I'll also make BHE take care of the clean up.

美味对待

You can find the recipe, courtesy of NPR and Ramin Gainshram's book Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago, here.

For dinner tonight, I'm thinking lo mein or some other type of noodle, which symbolizes longevity and can (more importantly) be delivered directly to my apartment.

And remember: The Chinese New Year tradition is to reconcile, forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone. Including that jerk you cut you off on the highway this week.

Peace & love in 2011, people. Enjoy!

A Post-Fall Pick Me Up

So we didn't get snow last night...

But we did get ice! And let me tell you something about ice: It blends it really, really well with concrete steps. And it just lays there, waiting for you (bonus points if you're wearing heels and it can hear you approach).

Needless to say, I busted my butt (and hip and shoulder and elbow and a little bit of my ankle) on our front porch and have spent most of the day trying not to lean on my arm. Moral of the story: Don't listen to your other half when s/he insists that it looks fine outside; go ahead and salt the crap out of your drive and walkway.

Anywho, I read a post on one of my fav NPR blogs that cheered me up immensely. So now I must share. And also make plans for a drink later with equally bruised friends.

Enjoy!

*****************************

From the Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me! Blog....

by IAN CHILLAG

EnlargeNPR

A s'more, pre-melted.

There are a number of As Seen On TV products that make great sandwiches: the George Foreman Grill, say, or The Thighmaster Thigh-Powered Panini Squeezer. But only one was recently re-gifted to one of our staffers: The Micro S'mores Microwave S'more Making Kit. It's a little plastic box you use to make non-messy s'mores in your microwave.

EnlargeNPR

Intern Nic, who is paid exclusively in s'mores.

Intern Nic: What is the point of S'mores without the fire hazard?

Mike: I know, and it lacks that smokey campfire flavor. It should come with a guy to ash his cigarette into it.

EnlargeNPR

A s'more, about to go in the microwave.

Robert: It says "the plunger" is what makes it work.

Ian: I guess that's the least unappetizing plumbing tool. No good meal ever started with the phrase "try this, I made it with my toilet snake."

EnlargeNPR

Ian: I like any food that has a picture of a crying boy on the box. That's why I love "Fido's In A Better Place Now Cereal."

Eva: This is really tasty. The boy that is my tongue is not crying.

EnlargeNPR

Robert needed to consult the recipe for s'mores.

Peter: It says it uses "core fusion" technology. Pretty high tech.

Ian: Still, you have to feel sorry for the guy whose life was such that he needed to invent a way to make single-serving s'mores.

EnlargeNPR

Intern Nic: It takes just ten seconds. That's much faster than a campfire.

Mike: Yeah, I guess we'll need really fast ghost stories.

Ian: Once there was a woman, and she was calling from INSIDE THE HOUSE. The end.

[The verdict: We doubted the contraption was actually doing anything, so we tried making one without it, and it came out crooked and the marshmallow didn't melt as well. Would we buy this? Of course not. Are s'mores delicious? Of course they are.