Who knew gamers -- the ones who hole themselves up in their basements alone with their consoles for weeks at a time -- could be so lovey dovey?
Paul Pape designed these little Mii milk, white, or dark chocolates that come two in a box that's shaped like a console. The figures inside have tiny red hearts to indicate their love. They're totally cute for Valentine's Day, but they are sold out! OH NO! If you're creative enough, I'm sure you could put together something like this, or something even better, for your gamer love.
If your family and friends belong to the Cheesecake Factory Fan Club, then tell them this is a Ricotta Cheese Tart, otherwise they will be expecting something that tastes like a dense and creamy cheesecake and think the texture of the ricotta is grainy.
For the last year or two, give or take, M&Ms Australia has been selling white chocolate M&Ms. I like white
chocolate, but I wouldn’t ordinarily go out of my way to pick some up and I didn't expect to like these when
I first saw them. A few pieces later and I was hooked. They have the same, familiar candy shell as the classic
milk chocolate candies, but lighter in color and filled with a smooth white chocolate. The chocolate was very creamy and
made a perfect contrast to the crisp coating. They were a bit sweeter than regular M&Ms, but they were also
more satisfying.
Much to my chagrin, the M&Ms Australia discontinued them and I was left without a source. Until now, that is,
since Joe posted yesterday about the American release of white
chocolate M&Ms! This pretty much confirms my suspicions that the Australian release was part of some
test-marketing scheme for the US-based company and I’m glad to see that they’re bringing them back.
My refrigerator is always full of
buttermilk. You see, I'm a thrifty soul, and if I need buttermilk for a recipe I can't bear to buy the pint-sized
cartons. Did you even see the price per fluid ounce? No, I must go for the economical two-quart-sized
container. Thing is: there is no recipe on the whole earth that calls for a half gallon of buttermilk.* Instead, I
measure out 1/2 cup or five tablespoons or some other amazingly tiny quantity. And then, every time I pick up a recipe,
I think, how can I use buttermilk in this?
So when I was looking for a recipe for scones the other
day, I was terrifically happy to find this one on Nicole's blog. I
made it, with great success, and then started scheming. How could I use even more of the ingredients slowly turning
from "non-perishable" to "perished" in my pantry shelves? I emailed Nicole, I rummaged to find
white chocolate chips and dried blueberries and I made these fantastic drop scones. [click through for recipe]
I know that there's still plenty of time between now and Halloween or Day of the Dead, but I think that these
life-size chocolate skulls bear mentioning. According to skull-making
chocolatier Marina Malvada, the skulls are cast from a food-grade silicone mold that was, in turn, molded from a real
human skull. I'm not sure if the skulls are solid chocolate, but that would be my guess, as each one costs over $100.
They're available in white, dark, semisweet and "bone," which, according to the site, is a blend of Belgian
white and milk chocolates.
When I saw these angelic
little truffles staring at me during the last day of the Portland Farmer's Market, I knew I'd love them. So first I
tasted a bite of the coffee truffle from Hot Chefs, to work up
to it. Good. But not explosive. I waited for a customer to finish her purchase and grabbed a chunk. It melted on my
tongue so slowly, releasing a powerfully spicy flavor of fresh gingerroot, nutty coconut. I'm savoring it in my memory
still and it's been almost a week. It's the ultimate holiday treat.