Slashfoodhttp://www.slashfood.comSlashfoodhttp://www.slashfood.com/media/feedlogo.gifSlashfoodhttp://www.slashfood.comen-usCopyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/'Cake Wrecks,' 'This Is Why You're Fat' - New Food Humor Bookshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/14/cake-wrecks-this-is-why-youre-fat-new-food-humor-books/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/14/cake-wrecks-this-is-why-youre-fat-new-food-humor-books/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/14/cake-wrecks-this-is-why-youre-fat-new-food-humor-books/#commentsFiled under: Food Oddities, Guilty Pleasures, Books

cake wrecks and this is why you're fat books Photo: Sara Bonisteel

We've long been fans of Jen Yates' fantastically funny food blog, Cake Wrecks, so we were mighty pleased to find the she's finally assembled enough disastrous misspellings, ill-conceived concept cakes and just downright nasty icing snafus to fill a whole book, "Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong."

Also on bookshelves this month, Jessica Amason and Richard Blakeley's "This Is Why You're Fat: Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks."

See our favorites from both tomes after the jump.

Continue reading 'Cake Wrecks,' 'This Is Why You're Fat' - New Food Humor Books

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]]>bookscake wreckscake wrecks blogCakeWrecksCakeWrecksBlogfood humorFoodHumorguilty pleasuresjen yatesJenYatesodditiesthis is why youre fatThisIsWhyYoureFatSara BonisteelWed, 14 Oct 2009 16:00:00 ESTHow to Cook a Cow Head in New York Cityhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/27/how-to-cook-a-cow-head-in-new-york-city/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/27/how-to-cook-a-cow-head-in-new-york-city/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/27/how-to-cook-a-cow-head-in-new-york-city/#commentsFiled under: Guilty Pleasures, Head to Tail, Ingredients, How To, Offal

Cow head in banana leaves at Hill Country. Photo: Kat Kinsman

There comes a time in every girl's life -- when she's ripping open the long-braised skull of a short-lived calf in order to better wobble out its beer-marinated brain -- that she smiles contentedly and realizes she loves her life an awful lot. Then she goes for the eyes.

Well OK, not every girl's life -- but at least those of a troika of squeam-free dames including Hill Country's executive chef and cookbook author Elizabeth Karmel, Homesick Texan writer Lisa Fain and lucky, lucky me. And it all happened because of Twitter.

See a step-by-step barbacoa making slideshow and read a description after the jump. Warning -- it's not for vegetarians or the faint of stomach.

Continue reading How to Cook a Cow Head in New York City

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]]>barbacoabbqbeefcow headCowHeadelizabeth karmelElizabethKarmelguilty pleasureshill countryHillCountryhomesick texanHomesickTexanhow to cook a cow headHowToCookACowHeadkat kinsmanKatKinsmanlisa fainLisaFainmeatrobb walshRobbWalshsmokerKat KinsmanMon, 27 Jul 2009 11:00:00 ESTCans Across Americahttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/20/cans-across-america/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/20/cans-across-america/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/20/cans-across-america/#commentsFiled under: Trends, On the Blogs, Retro cookery, Guilty Pleasures

Pickles. Photo: Kat Kinsman

There's a canning revolution going on and Kim O'Donnel -- former food writer for the James Beard Award-winning Washington Post -- has brought it to a boil.

Upon tremendous response to her re-Tweet of an Ethicurean post about a canning party in San Francisco and subsequent suggestion that Seattle and other cities follow suit, O'Donnel asked interested home canners to contact her. Thus Cans Across America was born. On the weekend of August 29-30, cities across the nation will host classes, can-a-thons, canning meet-ups and raise awareness of this retro-haute preservation method.

More about the nation's can-do attitude after the jump.

Continue reading Cans Across America

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]]>canningcanning vacationCanningVacationcans across americaCansAcrossAmericaguilty pleasureskat kinsmanKatKinsmankim odonnelKimOdonnelmarisa mcclellanMarisaMcclellanretro foodtrue slantTrueSlanttwitterKat KinsmanMon, 20 Jul 2009 17:00:00 ESTSmoked Lemonade and Other Summertime Libationshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/09/smoked-lemonade-and-other-summertime-libations/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/09/smoked-lemonade-and-other-summertime-libations/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/09/smoked-lemonade-and-other-summertime-libations/#commentsFiled under: Guilty Pleasures, Drink Recipes, How To

I'm stingy with my smoke.

Not in a "don't bogart that can, man" way. Just that if I'm going to go to all the trouble of stoking a hardwood lump charcoal fire, obsessively monitoring its low-'n-slow-ness for a goodly chunk of the day, feeding its greedy gut with beer-soaked mesquite and hickory chunks at half-hour intervals all for the sake of an albeit fabulous brisket or pork shoulder, I'm gonna want a bit more return on the investment.

Here's where foil pans of salt, cherries and lemons come in.

Continue reading Smoked Lemonade and Other Summertime Libations

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]]>barbecuebbqcocktailsgrilled drinksGrilledDrinksgrillingguilty pleasuresjuicekat kinsmanKatKinsmanlemonadenon alcoholicsmoked cocktailssmoked lemonadeSmokedCocktailsSmokedLemonadesmokerssmokingsummerwhiskeywhiskyKat KinsmanTue, 09 Jun 2009 15:00:00 ESTRitz Mock Apple Piehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/08/ritz-mock-apple-pie/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/08/ritz-mock-apple-pie/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/08/ritz-mock-apple-pie/#commentsFiled under: Retro cookery, Guilty Pleasures

ritz mock apple pie

No apples were harmed in the baking of this pie.

Perhaps at some point in the distant past, it was possible for a person under the age of 50 to whip up a mock apple pie, hold the irony. Now in an age wherein slowstainable locaheirganic produce is de rigueur in many circles (not mine, but then again, I pour cherry soda all over unsuspecting hams and eat brains from a can) it seems almost viciously retrograde to dump lemony simple syrup on top of a pile of mushed-up crackers and pass it off as fruit.

So don't do that. Just enjoy it for its bizarrely satisfying damp cracker heft. Use, I dunno, heirloom leaf lard in the crust or send a tithe to Michael Pollan if you feel you need to, but really, this pie is in no need of apology.

Get the Ritz Mock Apple Pie recipe after the jump.

Continue reading Ritz Mock Apple Pie

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]]>back of the boxBackOfTheBoxguilty pleasureskat kinsmanKatKinsmanmock apple pieMockApplePiepieretro foodritz crackersritz mock apple pieRitzCrackersRitzMockApplePieKat KinsmanFri, 08 May 2009 18:00:00 EST20 Questions with a Slashfoodie - Rebecca Flint Marxhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/07/20-questions-with-a-slashfoodie-rebecca-flint-marx/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/07/20-questions-with-a-slashfoodie-rebecca-flint-marx/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/07/20-questions-with-a-slashfoodie-rebecca-flint-marx/#commentsFiled under: Our Bloggers, Guilty Pleasures

Do you have a personal blog?

Sort of. It's in the works. Ask me later.

What is your day job, or rather, what do you do when you're not food blogging?

I write about food for other publications like Time Out New York, Gourmet and Metromix. I've also written for places including The New York Times, Interior Design, ELLE, New York Magazine and Salon. And I was a baker in a past life before attending the French Culinary Institute for formal training.

How long have you been blogging with Slashfood and what is your favorite post?

Less than a month. If we're talking about a favorite post that I've written, I'm partial to my post about cooking an ostrich egg.

Continue reading 20 Questions with a Slashfoodie - Rebecca Flint Marx

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]]>20 Questions20Questionsguilty pleasuresOur BloggersOurBloggersRebecca Flint MarxRebeccaFlintMarxRebecca Flint MarxThu, 07 May 2009 11:00:00 EST20 Questions with a Slashfoodie - Alex Van Burenhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/05/20-questions-with-a-slashfoodie-alex-van-buren/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/05/20-questions-with-a-slashfoodie-alex-van-buren/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/05/20-questions-with-a-slashfoodie-alex-van-buren/#commentsFiled under: Our Bloggers, Guilty Pleasures

When new bloggers join the Slashfood team, we like to make sure they get a proper introduction to our readers. Meet the latest addition to our team, blog editor Alex Van Buren.

Do you have a personal blog?

Yes. It's where I post recent articles and scribble about various New York City food discoveries.

What is your day job, or rather, what do you do when you're not food blogging?

I am a full-time food nerd. I'm the new editor of Slashfood, have written for Gourmet, Martha Stewart Living, In Style and Time Out New York and am the co-author of "Clean Plates NYC: The Healthiest, Tastiest Restaurants in Manhattan," which published last week.

How long have you been blogging with Slashfood and what's your favorite post?
Here are my faves from each of our great writers during the month I've been editing here: Cheese. Beer. Julia. Egg creams. Cheap wine. Chickens. Croque monsieur. Ostrich eggs. Greek cuisine. Starter cookbooks. Bread pudding ice cream. And let's not forget the flaming bacon lance of death.

As for me, I loved eating dinner in bubble almost as much I enjoyed seeing more than 700 of our readers defend their favorite "bad" beers.

Continue reading 20 Questions with a Slashfoodie - Alex Van Buren

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]]>alex van burenAlexVanBurenclean plates nycCleanPlatesNycgourmetguilty pleasuresle pigeonLePigeonmartha stewart livingMarthaStewartLivingtime out new yorkTimeOutNewYorkAlex Van BurenTue, 05 May 2009 11:00:00 ESTHow Key Is Planning Ahead?http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/16/how-key-is-planning-ahead/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/16/how-key-is-planning-ahead/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/16/how-key-is-planning-ahead/#commentsFiled under: Guilty Pleasures, Ingredients

quiche

Last night on a subway halfway under the East River a quick purse excavation confirmed what we suddenly feared -- a distinct lack of house keys on our person. The day's lunch of leftover Easter ham and homemade challah bread satisfied our epicurean side but was woefully inadequate when it came to blood sugar maintenance -- hence the walking away, the leaving the keys behind and the "aw, crap!"

We panic a tad in moments like this and scramble right to our happy comfort place -- mentally cataloging the contents of our fridge, flipping the pieces this way and that until they interlocked and a picture formed.

The ham, gotta get through the ham. Well it could go with the red cabbage ... no, no ... the scallions. And eggs, oh right! We remembered to buy eggs. Tortilla espanola? Oh wait, got it -- still have that puff pastry left over from the Eccles cakes and that makes ... sacre damn bleu! We've got the makings for a serious quiche -- if we can actually get into the house.

By some strange miracle (we like to think it's The Secret, of course) our beloved husband materialized on the same train car two stops before ours, and in lieu of a civilized "Hi honey, how was your day?" we collapsed into him sighing "We'regonnahavequichetonightpleasedon'targue." Once in the house, we made a beeline for the Julia Child to verify proportions, and got to rolling, chopping, whisking -- grateful not to have to think, just to act. Half an hour later, there was a ridiculously delicious quiche in front of us, without single extra cent or second spent at the grocery store.

Perhaps y'all are more forward-thinking than some of us, but when do you actually decide what's going to be for dinner that night? Do you cook it all up on Sunday, and apportion throughout the week? Do you daydream about what's on hand and pick up any extra ingredients on the way home? Or do you stand in front of the fridge, staring, and make do with what's in front of you?

Get the Ham and Gruyere Quiche recipe after the jump.

Continue reading How Key Is Planning Ahead?

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]]>comfort foodeggsgruyereguilty pleasuresjulia childJuliaChildkat kinsmanKatKinsmanleftoversmastering the art of french cookingMasteringTheArtOfFrenchCookingporkpuff pastryPuffPastryquicheKat KinsmanThu, 16 Apr 2009 14:00:00 ESTSlashfood vs. the Volcanohttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/08/slashfood-vs-the-volcano/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/08/slashfood-vs-the-volcano/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/08/slashfood-vs-the-volcano/#commentsFiled under: Food Oddities, Guilty Pleasures, Chefs & Restaurants

We can't swear to it, but we suspect that this Momofuku Milk Bar Volcano was sent here from Planet Chang either to teach us or to enslave us. We can't be certain of its purpose, but what we do know is that all the breakfast food bravado we've flaunted up to this point -- Brooklyn deli egg and cheese bombs, full-on Irish black and white pudding spreads, Meatnormous(R) BK sammies and half-sow Bellagio Buffet crepes laid waste to in short order -- meant diddly squat as we stood at the Volcano's lip and by God, were afraid.

Chef David Chang's co-conspiritor Christina Tosi works the sweet end of the Momofuku Ssam Bar's East Village space at Milk Bar, turning out scrumdiddilyumtious sun-dense cornflake-chocolate chip cookies, dentist-scoffing Crack Pie and soft-serve cereal milk ice creams by the bucketload. We thought we had her all figured out, and there she had to go tossing out double-dog-dare words like "savory" and "volcano." Dang.

Turns out the steaming, softball-sized item is essentially a knish stuffed to rumbling with potato gratin, Gruyere, Benton's bacon, caramelized onions and a good 20 or so minutes off the average human's lifespan. No worries -- contrary to today's New York Times' $25 and Under assessment, we found its hefty, tangy slather of Mornay sauce to be more than adequate compensation for the latter.

We're not ashamed to admit that we were bested and could not conquer the Volcano in one sitting, or even without assistance from concerned colleagues, but we learned and we grew as people (or perhaps that last part was just our thighs.)

No matter. What we'd like to know is this -- how much can you manage to chow down in the morning? Are you after daybreak fare that sticks to your ribs or does coffee alone keep you fueled until lunchtime? Take the poll, and as always, comment away.

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]]>americabakingbreakfastcrack piedavid changguilty pleasuresmilk barmomofukumomofuku milk barodditiesKat KinsmanWed, 08 Apr 2009 10:30:00 ESTStained Cookbookshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/30/stained-cookbooks/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/30/stained-cookbooks/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/30/stained-cookbooks/#commentsFiled under: Guilty Pleasures, Books

I'm not gonna lie -- I'm rough on my books. There's a school of thought treating the physical manifestation of the written word as a sacred object, and I fully respect that. However I, for one, shove an old copy of "How to Cook a Wolf" into the bottom of my bag with the notion that at some point it'll sustain me on an overextended subway ride. I read "The Devil in the Kitchen" in the bathtub, A.J. Liebling over a lunchtime reuben, and good gosh a-mighty are my cookbooks covered in schmutz.

But hey, it's thematic goo; "Molto Italiano" is spattered in tomato sauce, "Pie" -- seen above -- is all a-smear in lard, "Charleston Receipts" in Otranto Club Punch and "Staff Meals from Chanterelle" slicked with a fine mist of rendered rind bacon. To my mind, these books are being honored, used, proven. Should these books at some point have a subsequent owner, they'll know what's been tested, made and made again.

Still, am I dishonoring the object or the authors when I'm getting the books all mucky? I posed the question to Matthew Lee (whose book "The Lee Bros. Southern Cooking" I've doused in all manner of pickling brine), and he noted that he and his co-author, his brother Ted have debated pre-mucking-up copies of their book to nix the blank canvas factor. The recipes therein are warm of heart and humble of origin, so it's not out of character, but would, say, a gellan-gumming of Grant Achatz's "Alinea" be a crime against the rather expensive and exceptionally lovely object?

Do you keep your cookbooks in pristine condition, or do you just accept page stains as collateral damage?

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]]>cookbookcookbooksfeaturedguilty pleasureskat kinsmanKatKinsmanold cookbooksOldCookbooksretro cookeryRetroCookeryvintage cookbookVintageCookbookKat KinsmanMon, 30 Mar 2009 17:00:00 ESTInterview with Marco Pierre Whitehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/12/interview-with-marco-pierre-white-host-of-the-chopping-block/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/12/interview-with-marco-pierre-white-host-of-the-chopping-block/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/12/interview-with-marco-pierre-white-host-of-the-chopping-block/#commentsFiled under: Television/Film, Guilty Pleasures, Celebrities

Legendary chef Marco Pierre White was kind enough to share some time with Slashfood earlier this week. Grab a little taste here, and read the complete interview at AOL Food. His new show, The Chopping Block, airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.

Watch more Marco Pierre White for AOL Food videos on AOL Video

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]]>gordon ramsayGordonRamsayguilty pleasureshells kitchenHellsKitchenkat kinsmanKatKinsmanmarco pierre whiteMarcoPierreWhitethe chopping blockTheChoppingBlockKat KinsmanThu, 12 Mar 2009 16:30:00 ESTCulinary Degradation, Part III - Deep Fried Horrorshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/03/culinary-degradation-part-iii-deep-fried-horrors/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/03/culinary-degradation-part-iii-deep-fried-horrors/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/03/culinary-degradation-part-iii-deep-fried-horrors/#commentsFiled under: Food Oddities, Guilty Pleasures, Ingredients, Chefs & Restaurants, Restaurants

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post in which I tried to touch bottom in the pantheon of disturbing cuisine. While I stopped short of nightmarishly horrifying food, like rotten cheese and duck embryos, I explored what I imagined were the worst fried foods imaginable.

In retrospect, I was incredibly naive.

At the end of the post, I asked my readers to submit their own choices for worst possible food, promising to do a little more research and write longer pieces about them. I got a fair bit of responses, which led to a fun post about beer floats. However, Guinness and vanilla ice cream only represented the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, and it seemed inevitable that I would return to further explore the wonders that make up the culinary wasteland.

Many of my readers shared tales about their favorite fried food joints. Museum Mouse, for example, turned me on to the joys of Scottish fried cuisine. Having had my fair share of haggis and cock-a-leekie soup, I thought that I had experienced everything that Scotland had to offer. I was wrong. For example, one popular treat is the Stonner, which is basically a sausage wrapped in gyro meat, battered, and deep fried. In Scotland, "stonner" is a euphemism for an erection, which seems ironic, given that coronary occlusions can lead to impotence. Still, I guess we all find our excitement in different places...

Continue reading Culinary Degradation, Part III - Deep Fried Horrors

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]]>americabritish islescomfort fooddeep friedDeepFriedeuropeFried dessertsFried Pizzafried sausageFriedDessertsFriedPizzaFriedSausageguilty pleasuresodditiesstonnerBruce WatsonTue, 03 Mar 2009 11:30:00 ESTFried Bologna - The West Virginia State Sandwichhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/25/fried-bologna-the-west-virginia-state-sandwich/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/25/fried-bologna-the-west-virginia-state-sandwich/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/25/fried-bologna-the-west-virginia-state-sandwich/#commentsFiled under: Guilty Pleasures

In a recent marketing campaign, Oscar Meyer proclaimed that its "Deli Creations" flatbread sandwiches were "blogworthy."

I beg to differ.

Nobody likes to be manipulated, and I would argue that bloggers like it less than most. There's something about spending a few lonesome hours a day cranking out content that really ups the curmudgeon quotient and makes us a mite persnickety about our production process. While other blogs, including Gawker, might not be too picky about where they get their tips, I tend to get mighty cranky when multimillion dollar corporations tell me what is and is not blogworthy.

With that in mind, here's something that really is blogworthy: fried bologna sandwiches. For anybody who hasn't tried this backwoods delicacy, the concept may sound a little questionable. However, the combination of bologna and heat produces a dish that is incredibly delicious and startlingly different from a basic bologna sandwich.

Continue reading Fried Bologna - The West Virginia State Sandwich

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]]>americacomfort foodfeaturedFried Bologna sandwichFriedBolognaSandwichfryingguilty pleasuresmeatodditiesOscar Meyer deli creationsOscarMeyerDeliCreationssandwichesWest VirginiaWestVirginiaBruce WatsonWed, 25 Feb 2009 11:00:00 ESTBacon, Bacon Everywhere...And, Oh My Pants Did Shrink!http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/21/bacon-bacon-everywhere-and-oh-my-pants-did-shrink/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/21/bacon-bacon-everywhere-and-oh-my-pants-did-shrink/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/21/bacon-bacon-everywhere-and-oh-my-pants-did-shrink/#commentsFiled under: Ingredient Spotlight, Guilty Pleasures, Ingredients

What is the deal with bacon lately?

Admittedly, it's not as if the delicious fruit of a smoked pig's belly was ever all that obscure; stlll, over the past few weeks, it has been gaining a fresh, and sometimes repulsive cultural relevance. A little over a month ago, Marisa McClellan covered The Bacon Explosion, a spicy, smoked, barbecue-basted brick of pure pork. Truth be told, the explosion is kind of like a bug zapper: terrifying and vaguely dangerous, yet attractive and deeply compelling. Worse yet, for those of us who don't have a meat smoker, the explosion's creators have put together an oven recipe.

As if this wasn't enough, over on RiffTrax Blog, Michael Nelson has announced his intention to eat nothing but bacon for an entire month. As he has struggled through February, a reader has produced a bacon effigy, dubbed FrankenBacon, to demonstrate the aftereffects of too much pork. For those of us who are sometimes haunted by the ghosts of our meat, FrankenBacon is actually a little scary.

Meanwhile, in my constant quest for the best boutique bonbons in New York City, I recently came across an article about Roni-Sue's Chocolates, a company in New York's Essex Street Market. Although Roni-Sue's carries a wide array of truffles and candies, I was immediately drawn to their pig candy. Basically crispy-fried bacon dipped in chocolate, this hearkens back to the sugar-crusted pig candy that my wife and I used to make.

Meanwhile, I'm getting that old carnival feeling--the same one I have when the halcyon call of the deep fryer draws me in with its promise of batter-fried Oreos and funnel cakes. Must...resist...the call...

Who am I kidding? I'll probably hit Roni-Sue's this weekend. On the bright side, maybe it will make it easier for me to resist the siren song of the Bacon Explosion!

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]]>americabacon chocolateBacon explosionBaconChocolateBaconExplosioncandycomfort foodFrankenBaconguilty pleasuresmeatPig candyPigCandyporkRoni-Sues chocolatesRoni-suesChocolatesBruce WatsonSat, 21 Feb 2009 16:00:00 ESTPoe Edgar. Poe, Poe Edgar...http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/23/poe-edgar-poe-poe-edgar/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/23/poe-edgar-poe-poe-edgar/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/23/poe-edgar-poe-poe-edgar/#commentsFiled under: On the Blogs, Guilty Pleasures, Ingredients, Celebrities

Last week, Edgar Allen Poe celebrated his 200th birthday. After attending the birthday festivities at Poe Cottage, which is located in my area of the Bronx, I thought that the Poe celebrations were over. After all, while the famous author of "Annabelle Lee" and "The Raven" is one of America's greatest writers, he isn't really that much of a cult hero nowadays.

Later, to my delight, I discovered that I wasn't the only one who geeked out at the bicentennial of old Edgar. Dewey's, a pizza chain, unveiled the Poe Pizza and, although I can't figure out what the dish has to do with Poe, I have to admit that it does sound good. Even better, Cake Wrecks put up a couple of truly fantastic Poe-themed confections . While the Tell-Tale Heart cake is fairly cool, the Nevermore cake sent me over the moon. Call me sick, but the image of a dead raven on a dessert plate brings a BIG smile to my face. For that matter, most of the other creations at Wild Cakes are amazing!

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]]>americaAnnabelle LeeAnnabelleLeecomfort foodDead CrowDeadCrowdessertDeweysEdgar Allen PoeEdgarAllenPoeguilty pleasuresNevermorePoe CottagePoeCottageTell-Tale HeartTell-taleHeartThe RavenTheRavenWild CakesWildCakeswinterBruce WatsonFri, 23 Jan 2009 10:00:00 ESTInaugural Cocktailshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/20/inaugural-cocktails/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/20/inaugural-cocktails/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/20/inaugural-cocktails/#commentsFiled under: Guilty Pleasures, Drink Recipes, Celebrities

What's that sound? Corks a-popping from shore to shore? No doubt bubbly was the beverage du jour for many folks, but mixologists both pro and amateur took it upon themselves to create signature beverages for the election and inauguration of our 44th President. When tasked with that for a friend's bash, I put some thought into the national origins of each element, so that they might match those of our new Commander-In-Chief. With a bit of tinkering, a new and semi-perfect union was formed -- The Barry O.

The Barry-O

Equal parts cocoa powder and sugar
1 1/2 oz Amarula
1 oz bourbon
1/4 oz Kona coffee liqueur (I like Trader Vic's)

Dampen the edge of a cocktail glass, and roll in a blend of equal parts sugar and cocoa powder.

Shake Amarula, bourbon and coffee liqueur with ice to blend and strain into the prepared glass.

Note: Amarula is an African cream liqueur made from the fruit of the Marula tree. Bourbon is a distinctively American whiskey, named for, and largely produced in Kentucky's Bourbon County. Coffee designated as Kona can only come from the Kona District of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Africa, America & Hawaii - all with a li'l dash of chocolate.

So - whatcha sip to celebrate (or drown your sorrows) this historic night? Share it in the comments.

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]]>americabarack obamaBarackObamacocktail recipesCocktailRecipescocktailsguilty pleasuresinaugurationinauguration dayInaugurationDaykat kinsmanKatKinsmanliqueurspresidential inaugurationPresidentialInaugurationspiritstrail mixTrailMixwinterKat KinsmanTue, 20 Jan 2009 23:00:00 ESTSingle Malt Bon Bon Bars and Bacon Caramels on Foodziehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/16/single-malt-bon-bon-bars-and-bacon-caramels-on-foodzie/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/16/single-malt-bon-bon-bars-and-bacon-caramels-on-foodzie/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/16/single-malt-bon-bon-bars-and-bacon-caramels-on-foodzie/#commentsFiled under: Guilty Pleasures, Edible Gifts, Food Politics, Ingredients

caramel filled chocolate

Reason #3,493,802 why I love the internets, from the Foodzie info page for Luca Chocolate's Bacon Box:

This box started from a special request from a blogger for something with bacon and chocolate. I knew the marriage of the two flavors (sweet and salty) would be delicious! I crafted two different bacon and chocolate truffles, both of which you will find in this box.

And #3,493,803 from BonBonBar's Foodzie page:

The combination of Single Malt Scotch and Dark Chocolate is one of the more special sensations in the confectionery world. From the first taste to the seductive aftertaste, new and complex flavors emerge that seem to enhance both the Scotch and the chocolate. Our Scotch Bar rounds out the experience with chewy caramel and delicate flakes of Maldon Sea Salt. We use Talisker 1992 Distillers Edition Single Malt Scotch, from the Isle of Skye. It was transferred from traditional bourbon oak into amoroso sherry casks to finish its maturation.

And what is this magical Foodzie, this bringer of joy and seemingly hallucinatory foodstuffs? It's an online market for small artisanal food producers, and seemingly a win-win for both the vendors and customers. Because there's little overhead involved, the makers earn roughly double what they would on a traditional in-store sale, and the savings are passed on to customers -- who also have the benefit of one-stop shopping for some pretty appealing foodstuffs that might not otherwise find on their local stores' shelves.

All products are personally tested and vetted by the site's founders, three food-loving friends who met at Virginia Tech and went on to found the company in North Carolina. Their current roster includes thirty vendors of meat, cheese, coffee, tea, and many other edible goodies including plenty more of those whack-a-doodle chocolate constructs all the kids are so wacky about these days.

If you'll pardon me, I'll be off to stick my face into an Appalachian Wedge.

[via: Foodzie]

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]]>baconbacon barbacon chocolateBaconBarBaconChocolatecandychocolatecomfort fooddessertedible giftsfood shoppingFoodShoppingfoodziegourmetguilty pleasureskat kinsmanKatKinsmanmeatscotchscotch whiskyScotchWhiskysingle maltSingleMaltKat KinsmanFri, 16 Jan 2009 12:00:00 ESTJoin the Skillet Brigadehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/12/join-the-skillet-brigade/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/12/join-the-skillet-brigade/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/12/join-the-skillet-brigade/#commentsFiled under: On the Blogs, Guilty Pleasures, Food News

On any given day, I've said ten nice things about the Southern Foodways Alliance before it's even lunchtime. Today, there are pom-pon shakes, fist pumps and spirit fingers of glee at the news of their latest endeavor.

"Announcing SFA's Skillet Brigade

Roll up your sleeves and join SFA's Skillet Brigade. It's a new initiative, one designed to put our vision statement into action: To set a table where black and white, rich and poor, all who gather, may consider our history and our future in a spirit of reconciliation.

Show SFA spirit in your community. Don't think large scale; you don't need to rebuild a storm-damaged fried chicken restaurant. Think smaller scale, and work with an existing effort. Serve lunch at a soup kitchen. Staff the hospitality tent at your local farmers' market. Lend time and talents to the community food pantry." (Read more here.)

For folks unfamiliar with the SFA, they're a member-supported organization of 800+ academics, chefs, writers, and plain ol' food fans who've banded together to celebrate and preserve the food cultures of the American South via conferences, publications, documentary films, and general full-throated evangelism. Won't you please lend a spatula? It's for an awfully delicious cause.

[via: The Southern Foodways Alliance's Skillet Brigade]

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]]>americacharityguilty pleasuresjohn t. edgeJohnT.Edgekat kinsmanKatKinsmanskillet brigadeSkilletBrigadesouthern foodsouthern food and beverage museumsouthern foodways alliancesouthern statesSouthernFoodSouthernFoodAndBeverageMuseumSouthernFoodwaysAlliancevolunteervolunteerismKat KinsmanMon, 12 Jan 2009 18:30:00 ESTHemingway Daiquiri with a Tiny Twisthttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/04/hemingway-daiquiri-with-a-tiny-twist/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/04/hemingway-daiquiri-with-a-tiny-twist/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/04/hemingway-daiquiri-with-a-tiny-twist/#commentsFiled under: Guilty Pleasures, Ingredients, Drink Recipes, How To

When life hands me lemons, I make freshly-squeezed lemonade. When life hands me a grapefruit, I make a Hemingway Daiquiri. When life hands me a grapefruit, limes, Maraschino liqueur, a couple of bottles of Cuban rum (they were a gift -- I swear!) and a few sugar canes all at the same time -- well, I kinda have to take that as a mixological edict straight from Papa.

Whether or not one's a fan of Ernest Hemingway's barrel-chested prose, it's still entirely possible to appreciate his contributions to the cocktail lexicon. As an ex-pat in Havana, Hemingway spent much of his time bellied up to the El Floridita Bar, reportedly gulping down six of these babies if just out to be social, and a dozen doubles (bump up the rum portion, and you've got yourself a Papa Doble) if drunkenness were the mission's objective.

More, plus two recipes after the jump.

Continue reading Hemingway Daiquiri with a Tiny Twist

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]]>cocktail recipesCocktailRecipescocktailscubacuban rumCubanRumernest hemingwayErnestHemingwayfloriditaguilty pleasureshavana clubhavana club rumHavanaClubHavanaClubRumhemingway daiquiriHemingwayDaiquirikat kinsmanKatKinsmanliqueurspapa doblepapa doble daiquiriPapaDoblePapaDobleDaiquirirumspiritssugarsugar caneSugarCaneKat KinsmanSun, 04 Jan 2009 20:30:00 ESTPeanut Butter Moon Pieshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/02/peanut-butter-moon-pies/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/02/peanut-butter-moon-pies/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/02/peanut-butter-moon-pies/#commentsFiled under: Guilty Pleasures, New Products

The good folks at Chattanooga Bakery have seen fit to re-release their previously discontinued peanut butter permutation of the traditional choco-coated cookie, and not a darned second too soon. I'm here to tell ya, this li'l fella is some seriously good -- if nigh on violently sugary -- eating. With a crunchy, fudgy cookie as the foundation, a hearty slathering of extra-sweet peanut butter in lieu of the standard marshmallow and a silky chocolate coating, the confection bears an astonishing texture and flavor resemblance to the perennial Girl Scout vended fave, Tagalongs(R), a.k.a. Peanut Butter Patties(R). Served frozen, per a suggestion on the box, it's simply a revelation.

The upside is that unlike the GSA confection, Moon Pies can be acquired year-round. The downer for those trapped north of the Mason-Dixon is that they're not especially easy to come across in stores. $17.99, plus $8.95 (give or take) shipping will net you 48 pies, but I'd daresay it's worth the investment at least once. Tell ya what -- if you don't like 'em, next time I see you, I'll spring for your R.C.

Buy Moon Pies online.

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]]>americacheerwinegirl scout cookiesGirlScoutCookiesguilty pleasuresjunk foodJunkFoodkat kinsmanKatKinsmanmoon pieMoonPienew food productsNewFoodProductsnorth carolinaNorthCarolinapeanut butterPeanutButterregional foodsRegionalFoodssouthern foodsouthern statesSouthernFoodKat KinsmanFri, 02 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST