Please Buy Me This Ted Nugent Cookbook for Christmas.

I would love you forever. I can't wait. See below for the Chapter List. I am particularly excited for the below recipes.

Kill It & Grill It : Ted and Shemane Nugent's Guide to Preparing & Cooking Wild Game & Fish
Introduction: Celebrate the Flesh.

1. I Kill It, I Grill It

4. Backstrap Fever (And also, what a delicious pun.)
5. Sacred Venison (my all time fave Madonna song)
7. Rock ‘n’ Roll Hogmando
9. Snowhogs
10. I Like My Pork Pissed Off

14. On the Sweeter Side…
17. Bushytail Bushwhackin’
18. Duck, Duck, Goose
19. More Delicious Birding (***isn't the correct grammer 'deliciouser'?)
20. Sexfried Fishslab (hmmm...yum. yum.)

Delmonico's : Party of Three for Abe Froman

Okay. Just made that up. I am not the Sausage King of Chicago. My name is CandyAnna and I go to places like Delmonico's strictly during New York Restaraunt Week. Appetizer, Entree, Dessert for $35.00 at the oldest restaurant in New York.

We swept down to the financial district where Delmonico's is off the Wall Street stop. Here is where New York looks as old as I forget it is. Delmonico's sits right in the middle of a hairpin turn one should take carefully,and it fits right in. According to the Wikipedia page I read, Delmonico's is the first 'fine dining' establishment to feature a menu and wine list, and also the birthplace of dishes like Lobster Newburg, Eggs Benedict (hearsay) and Baked Alaska.

We made the reservation under Abe Froman and I wore my Belle Epoque-era fur stole (jk). Our waitor was less than pleased to be serving the riff-raff who dine out on sale, but that didn't spoil a thing. The first course was an appealing but slightly forgettable salad. My friend added on the Lobster Newburg for $10 and it was quite good and very dramatic looking. The entree was also an appealing but slightly forgettable filet mignon.

Both of the previous courses were easily overshadowed by the desert course. For an additional $5, I got the Baked Alaska. Combining heat torched merangue and ice cream, this dish was created at Delmonico's in order to join in the ridicule for Senator Seward's "Folly" in 1867 when he pushed for the US to purchase what is now Alaska from Russia. Look at all that oil, natural resources, and the ever expanding Alaskan cruise industry...wow, what an idiot! It was sweet and full of banana flavor. The merangue was not too thick and it looked like a sea creature, which I enjoy.

The food was decent but the experience was better. As long as you can avoid the attached sports bar that is on the way to the bathroom can can still close your eyes and pretend you are the Abe Froman of the 1890's.

Sloooow Day, So Ziggy Stardust of course.

It is finally Saturday. Ziggy Stardust! Yes, you. Please sing me into the weekend with a picture and video montage.

Better Cucumber Lime-Aid

Due to the generosity of my brother-in-law I started the summer with monster magnum of Grey Goose vodka that sits diagonally across my freezer. As the days go by we have been inventing ways to get rid of it.

Summer Vodka Cocktail : Week 5

Summer Cucumber Lime-Aid :

*Grey Goose Vodka

*Simply Lime-Aid

*3 Cut up Cucumber Slices and a little fresh lime

Ideal for sitting on your roof and listening to Weezer play on the Waterfront.

Ikea Candy #1: Ahlgrens Bilar or "Chewy Nostalgia"

Ikea Treat #1: Algrens Bilar Chewy Candy Cars

This first Ikea treat turned out to be soo much more than candy from a Swedish furniture store. My roommate pulled this yellow bag out of his tote and I was plunged down memory lane.

Resembling tiny, open top sports cars of yore, Algrens Bilar Chewy Candy Cars come in three colors; Pepto pink, eggshell and mint green. A genious combo of circus peanut marshmallow, but chewy like a Sour Bright Crawler. They do have flavors, what these are is not really discernable, but it is sweet and slightly tart. If you eat a ridiculous amount of them in one sitting you will have a taste in your mouth that is also difficult to pinpoint. Not really unpleasant and certainly European. Also please note only 2 of 6 people liked Ahlgrens Bilar.

Because I have a lot of time on my hands, I immediately constructed a diarama of a the Bedford Auto Company parking lot and took a picture. Please enjoy...

The Joy of Swedish Cooking with Chef Jorn

My roommate was packing up his tote for his journey to the ikea in Red Hook. I quickly made a list of ikea treats to come home with including:

-lingonberry jam (the king of berries)
-Daim bag -chocolate covered toffees
-anything involving black licorice and fruit

But while doing this I stumbled upon this gem. Ikea Food with Chef Jorn.

Chef Jorn does do amazing things with this Cloudberry Trifle. With enthusiasm and flair he assembles this desert, which is, let's but honest, a glass of jam and crushed crackers. But I did add cloudberry jam, the gold of the north, to my shopping list. I will advise shortly...

Smaklig Maltid!

Cinnamon Almond Cake Cookies Saved My Relationship...

With box cake mix. It's true. I have a long standing fascination with box cake mix recipes. They do the dirty work, you just get to add the extra, fun, flavor stuff. But lately, things had gotten stale. I was feeling trapped and limited by the cupcake.

Then last night, necessity did again become the mother of real small-time invention. My cupboard was bare and a treat needed to be made asap. I had Yellow Cake mix in my cupboard but had no interest in cupcakes. I googled "cake cookies" and found this.

Cake Mix Cookies VII (doesn't that sound like a big budget box office disaster).
***please see my notes in italics.


1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
***Duncan Hines Super Moist Yellow Cake in the cupboard.
1 teaspoon baking powder
***Have none. I googled substitutions and found 1/3 baking sode to 2/3 molasses.
So I put in:
- a dash of baking soda
-1/4 cup of brown sugar- because I didn't have molasses and also thought it sounded good.

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

-I used 1/2 cup melted butter because everything just tastes better that way. Also, this will make the cookies a little denser.

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or other goodies

-1 1/4 cup almonds. I used 1/2 Roasted & Salted and 1/2 Natural.
-a megabunch of cinnamon....about 1 teaspoon. But also to taste.
-a dash of allspice.

Mix the dry ingrediants. Then mix in eggs and butter. I chose to hand mix. Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 for about 8 minutes. Don't make the cookies too big.

So good. Just the right amount of cinnamon and brown sugar to give a good other flavor to the yellow cake. The almonds were a perfect mild combo and I would add even more. Not too bready or crumbly because I used butter.

In the words of my 2 year old nephew, "Try it, Like it"

Jellio: Yes Please

While scouring the face of the earth for edible furniture, I instead found furniture that looks like edibles. Jellio believes in mixing fun and interior desing, and the kid inside me who controls the color pallette in my apartment and orders my ice cream, agrees. So I dipped into my extensive "things that just look like food" budget, and went wild like a kid at a furniture store.

My first love was GummiLights. They are actually "soft, rubbery" lights, so please excuse the bite taken out of the red one's shoulder. I didn't know.

Then I discovered the cupcake table in red. I am soooo ready to place my newest monthly copy of Redbook and Sassy on that cupcake cup. Perfect. Buying these would bring 3 steps closer to my dream of Willy Wonka grandeur.

***sadly, due to my extensive "things that look like food' budget being made up for this blog posting, I definitely do not own these. But I have added them to my Christmas list to Santa.

Hot Dog Dr.

 

This man loooooves his job. He has a phd. in in hot dogs. I know this because he was wearing a tie.

Late night hot dog vendor. Denver.

I Feel Exactly the Same Way, Eileen Barton

"Grab a chair and fill your platter, and dig dig dig right in"

I am going to make a cake today, just in case...

Ooooh that Peasant Bread

Peasant bread is compact and chewy, and just salty enough to eat alone. Although it is better with butter and jam. Or mayb swiss cheese and ham finger sandwiches.

When Cousin Danny Donahue's new wife came over for her first Christmas at my grandmother's house, my mother remembered her bringing homemade beer and Peasant Bread. They left the homemade beer and keep Mrs. Donahue and her Peasant Bread. I think of it as my mom's bread. For every "dinner" that my mother ever baked there was Peasant Bread.

I made my first Peasant Bread last Sunday. I accepted my Southern Indiana based family baking legacy and it was delicious...

Btw - I did ask my mother's permission before posting this. She said yes. I am currently retyping her recipe word for word (***with just a couple of notes)

Everyday Peasant Bread

Bake About 30 minutes
375 degrees

4 Cups Flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
-----------------------
1 pkg. dry yeast powder
1/4c warm water
1 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2c water- warm enough to activate the yeast, but not hot enough to kill it (***author's note: 3 shades warmer than lukewarm)

1. Mix flour salt, 2 tsp. sugar together
2. In a small bowl dissolve the yeast in 1 1/2c warm water (the one that is warm, but not hot)
3. Combine yeast & dry ingredients
4. Add the 1 Tbs. sugar and 1 1/2c warm water to mix
5. Stir together all ingredients just until all are thoroughly mixed. Don't overmix (***just until it looks like heavy bread dough, it will be a little sticky)
6. Remove from the bowl, form into a ball, and return to the mixing bowl
7. Let sit 1 1/2 hours in a warm place in the kitchen. Do not grease or cover the bowl.
8. Shape dough into 2 skinny loaves and place side by side on a greased - or use Pam (the prior comment is my mom's author's note on her mother's recipe. I say use butter. it tastes better) baking sheet. Pinch loaves to make them taller.
9. Let rise 30 more minutes
10. Bake about 1/2 hour at 375 degrees. Bread is done when bottom is browned and looks slight brown on top.

Ta da!

Sandwich With a Touch of umm...Can

Oh geez. I read this in Dlisted today. I don't know if there is a thing that is less needed. I don't need a BBQ chicken sandwich in a can and I hope no one does.

I am not a snob. I like canned foods. Nothing crunches as oddly between your teeth as canned pears. But do you think you buy this Candwich from a vending machine? Is there a problem with regular sandwiches I did not know about?

Please click on the picture to find out what other new flavors are coming! While due to some sort of financial scandal Candwich is not yet available to the public, I can't wait. Hmmmm....yum.

Freaks!

 

You know who you are...

Birthday Mochi

 

At my sister's birthday dinner (the scene of the aforementioned muddled cocktail), they served mochi as her birthday treat. Sadly, they did not sing that "Happy Happy Birthday" song from T.G.I. Friday's. While lovely, this ball of ice cream surrounded by rice paste-y shell has never been my favorite. Good flavors, good ice cream but alas...I just don't love it. But pretty...

Fruit Waste...the Truth About Fruit Pizza

 

It was only fair to show the dark side of yesterday's fruit pizza.

Summer Summer Summertime. The Pizza.

A vast improvement was made to my twice blogged about Idiot Tarts. This is MUCH better. We call it Fruit Pizza. I recall my mom making some sort of version of this...

1. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Take a roll of sugar cookie dough and spread into a round crust. Mine was about 9" across. Make sure the crust is spread out evenly and pinch the crust edges like a pie crust.

2. Sprinkle cinammon across the top. This gave it a little more Snickerdoodle-y type flavor.

3. Bake 12 minutes at 350. This was just my oven- check on it pretty regularly to make sure it is cooking evenly.

4. Cool.

5. I used perfectly ripe strawberries, cherries and blueberries. Chop the strawberries into "small bite" sized pieces. I would use any fruits around that were fresh.

6. Depit the cherries (i used a baby spoon. Genius). Chop these up into "small bite" sized pieces and mix with the strawberries. Sprinkly a small amount of sugar across the fruit and mix. This is just to bring out the juice, not to sweeten the fruit. Cover and put in the fridge for 1/2 hour.

7. Mix a block of cream cheese with 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla. So good.

8. Invert the cookie crust and peel the foil off the back. Turn it over and spread the cream cheese mixture on top.

9. Mix the whole blueberries in with the strawberry/cherry mixture and spread across the cream cheese. Squeeze 1/2 a lime across the top of the whole thing. TA DA. Eat all of it.

The cream cheese is perfect with the fresh fruit. So much better than frosting. The colors were also perfect for July 3rd. Serve with patriotic songs from YouTube playing in the background from your friend's computer.

From Our List:
1. God Bless the USA - Lee Greenwood
2. America - Simon & Garfunkel
3. This Land is Your Land - Woody Guthrie
4. America - Neil Diamond

Just a suggestion.

It's Rex Manning Day.

I spent way to much time wathching this movie...No...nevermind, no such thing.
Empire Records, I just hope this economy hasn't gotten to you. "His (Joe the manager at Empire Reords) employees are all high-schoolers and young adults. The store, like the employees, is eclectic and unique. The staff is very much a self-created family, with Joe as the reluctant and perpetually exasperated father figure." We still need that sort of record store around for all the eclectic and unique high school kids.

Shock me shock me shock me, with your deviant behavior. Yessssss....

A Model Idiot Cantaloupe Bowl.

 

I was watching Zoolander the other day.

"Hey I just cut up a couple of cantaloupe halves with some cottage cheese, if you are hungry."

Not the right time. I need to figure out this trigger before Derek kills the Malaysian prime minister."

"You just seem a little tense. I was trying to help you relax."

He was right. One bite and I was instantly relaxed. Perfectly ripe cantaloupe, low fat cottage cheese and pepper. I wanted to put on guacho pants, my Carly Simon album and crack open my brand new copy of Sophie's Choice.

Why thank you, Weight Watchers Cook Book 1978.

***this posting is not historically accurate.

Tastes Like Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Indecision

Soooo, I can't decide whether or not I love my newest baked good. Like some recently tasted curry flavored chocolate, I am just not sure if I like it. Then, the next bite I really like it. I am so confused.

My aforementioned aunt's very generous box of CandyAnna treats contained a huge bag of Theo's Toated Coconut Dark Chocolate. 70% Dark Chocolate with a light crunch of coconut. Very dark, slightly bitter. While my roomate would be over the moon, it was just too bitter for me to eat on its own.

What to do? What to make?

Sea Salt Toated Coconut Dark Chocolate Almond Tollhouse Cookies - geez, long.

I followed the Tollhouse Cookie Recipe on the back of any Tollhouse Chocolate Chips, with a few changes.

1. Add a pinch of cinnamon and allspice to the dry ingredients
2. Chopped up the Theo Dark Chocolate instead of Chocolate Chips
3. Used unsalted almonds instead of walnuts

***I would like to note that I also used my brand-new, very first EVER electric hand mixer on these. I bought it with my allowance.

Before going in the ove I put a chunk of the chocolate, a pinch of sugared coconut, and coarse grained sea salt (on top of the chocolate chunk only - just a few grains).

They are rich. The coconut on top added nothing at all and I wouldn't do it again. I would also add salted almonds instead of the sea salt on top. They came out gooey and lumpy and borderline bitter/rich/salty. Not me at all. I am not sure how I feel about them. I am going to have to have another one to figure it out. Now.