Cereal Evolution

Rice Krisipies Treats were invented in 1939 by two ladies who worked for Kellogg’s cereal company.  Their ingenuity gave birth to something that would go down in history as one of America’s beloved junk food. In 1951, the same cereal company made a cereal out of sugar coated corn flakes.  By adding a brightly orange and animated tiger named Tony, the cereal was advertised as a chockfull of energy.  Frosted Flakes was born.  Now add the Rice Krispie Treats recipe, with some peanut butter and you’ve got one evolved cereal treat.  Tony Tiger Bites are bite sized Rice Krispies treats.  In this case, Frosted Flakes was used instead of Rice Krispies. 

In terms of taste and texture, Tony Tiger Bites fulfill the adage that Frosted Flakes are a chockfull of energy.  The peanut butter gives a feel of "being full" compared to Rice Krispies.  The bulky texture and darker colored corn flake give off a heavier impression compared to the smaller and lighter colored Rice Krispies treat.  (Color can simply do that, interestingly) Plus, who wouldn't feel energized with that much sugary carbohydrates.  In my opinion, the heaviness lays a certain appeal towards adults rather than children or  minors.  I could be wrong.  In the end, I enjoyed this snack.  I would heed with caution, though.  The hard texture and the high amount of sugar can do a harsh number on your teeth.  So, if you get corn flakes stuck in, make sure to pick it out, brush your teeth and floss to avoid the risk of cavities.  Overall, They're GRRREAT!

Carl the Cookie Tin Box

After a grueling day at work, I let out a sigh of relief as the whistle blows indicating dismissal of classes. (Yeah it's a whistle, not a school bell. Too many budget cuts, I guess.)  I take a look at my phone with a face of surprise as I received a text message from my sister, who lives all the way in the east coast of the United States.  She tells me to check my mail.  Some perishable items are on your way, and I hope that when you get them, they aren't spoiled.  I replied back and asked, to what do I owe the pleasure of a package?  My sister just said, it was a little something for Valentine's Day.  It turns out, I received this.

My sister eloquently dubbed these, Fruit Cake Shortbreads.  They're basically shortbread cookies smothering the ingredients of a Christmas Fruit Cake.  Although, I'm not too fond of fruit cake these were a nice surprise.  They had a nice balance of sweet and salt from all the ingredients put together.  I mentioned the salt part to my sister and she said, it was tip she learned from "Martha".  It wasn't clear which Martha she was speaking of, but at that point, DELICIOUS was the only thing on my mind.  To add to it, my sister enclosed a festive card and printed letter.  My Goodness.  The sentimentality just rose exponentially when letters are printed rather than email.  At the same time, my sister mentions about my small interest in recyclable materials, that instead of a regular box, she decided to throw these into a tin.  If I didn't want the tin, I could simply return it to her.  But, I found that cumbersome.  I realized, I love making cookies too.  Instead of simply returning the tin to you, I'll bake some cookies when these are done and we can pretty much have a cookie exchange.  Little Sis was just as enthusiastic over the idea as I was.  To end our conversation, I told her, I shall name our tin Carl.  This way, you'll know what I'm sending when you get the message that I'm sending Carl over.  PEACE OUT, EVERYONE.

Collaboration

Creme' Brulee'

One day, this blog had been firmly established among my friends who owns a DSLR camera.  We call him Surla.  Knowing the kind of pictures DSLR cameras make, I welcomed the thought of a collaboration, to which he suggested, with open arms. Upon deciding what to make for this collaboration Surla suggested we do Creme Brulee.  I'm Not sure why, I can only assume it was from a past experience...a dessert we all had on one of our barbecues together.  So here we were on a Friday night, working on this photo-shoot for this French dessert, (Oooh La la).  Typing this up, it humored me on how serious we were, considering most Friday nights we're often talking jokes over booze and games.

After the photo-shoot  I went and did a little history research on this sweetheart.  For the most part, it's pronunciation compels one to assume it's clearly French, a dessert literally meaning Burned Creme.  But it turns out, it's French history is somewhat askew.   Somehow, when Creme Brulee was being promoted, the chronicler if you will was looking it up in a French Cookbook.  But, certain accounts would say, that the dessert also came from Britain.  Taking a look at this French cookbook, they found a similar dessert, but entitled: Creme Anglaise (Cream English).  I suppose it was just a lot sexier to say it in French and thus keep it French.

In my opinion, the unfolding of this wonderful dessert was an unbeknownst collaborative effort. It was kind of like what Surla and I did in presenting this to you.  It didn't matter where this sweetheart came from.  For all we know, it could have a been a beautiful bastard like Queen Elizabeth I.  Certainly, great things come from collaboration,  mixed French and Black babies for example.  The list can go on and on.  Either way, it's easy to make, easy to enjoy.

• Preheat oven at 300 degrees F.  In a saucepan, from low to medium, boil the Cream and Sugar.  While that's lowered to a simmer, beat the eggs and throw in the Vanilla extract into the eggs.  Use a whisk and mix while slowly pouring the hot cream mixture into the beaten egg mixture.  
• Prepare the ramekins by putting it into the baking pan.  Pour and distribute the Cream mixture into the ramekins.  While the ramekins are in the pan, pour some boiling water into the pan.  This is what I like to call "getting the ramekins feet wet".  Loosely cover the pan and ramekins with a sheet of aluminum foil.  Bake, for 25 minutes.
• After baking, let the baked cream cool by setting them on top of a towel. Then, scoop out 1/4 cup of white sugar.  Distribute and coat the sugar over the Cream.  Torch the sugar, let it melt.  A slight burn on the sugar give it a distinct taste and look.

Some like it simple and serve it as it is.  Adding berries to the Cream give it a balanced sweet taste.  Have this with Coffee or Tea and break the ice, err sugar... let's get together and feel alright.  

Junk Food Sunday

Good Evening and Happy Sunday, everyone.  And, what a Sunday it was, you know why?  Because today, I did nothing at all.  I had no worries from work and nothing but food, drink and sleep.  The thing is though, when you have Sunday as ideal as mine, it can be one of the most unhealthy.  Not only was it a fabulous Sunday, it was Junk Food Sunday.

 

Breakfast started with consuming 2inch Peanut Butter cookies and three chocolate covered mini donuts.  With this much sugar I would have been good until 3pm.  But of course, it's Sunday with no worries...I'm not going to even think of how much I ate and should be eating.  After a few hours on the TV, my friend calls me on going out for lunch.  With this much sugar in my system, I'm still filled.  So, the thought of lunch was indecisive.  So, my friend and I took a drive south for about a mile.  Driving through, we realize that the cheap Chinese is heavily laced with MSG.  Awesome flavoring.  But if you're like me, heavily laced food with MSG, one can be sure headaches would ensue.  Next, it wasn't a payday week, so casual dining was looking expensive in the area.  One place we both knew that price would not be too much of an issue and our stomachs will surely be full is Sakura's Kitchen in Tamuning.  Japanese food from that restaurant never fails us.  So for lunch, my friend had a Beef Bowl and I had Yakisoba (fried noodles).  Once again, it was not the healthiest of foods, but I got what I need.

Due to Yakisoba's junk food reputation, one can expect a certain room where the results of the experience led me.  After that ordeal I took a huge nap and woke up around 10 minutes to 6pm.  My friend calls me out again and asks that we should go to the Mall.  First, to eat again.  After all it's dinner time.  Second, there's a new toy he was interested in getting for the PS3.  Because of my unhealthy repertoire, I sought out something extremely light.  At the mall food court, I had the option of combining restaurants into one entree.  What did I choose?  I bought an order of onion rings and fruit punch from Burger King and combined it with Char-su Bao from a Dim Sum place.

The onion ring and char-su bao combo can be off tangent, but certainly a flavorful combination.  But like the yakisoba, it took me to the restroom later.  Oh well, here's to Junk Food Sundays.  Hope you all had a great weekend.  I wonder if I can call in sick tomorrow extending my weekend.  My excuse, I had upset stomach.

Abusing my Dental Plan

Baklava

In the midst of a daydream from my dreary workload I began to wonder what were my favorite desserts.  Interestingly, a trip to Las Vegas made me realize what those desserts were.  My choice had come down to three.  All three: Sans Rival, Baklava and Tres Leches, were served to me in Las Vegas.  Today, I present to you my number two.  Why my number two instead of one?  Well, I've been craving this thing for quite a while and the place where I used to go to get my fix, it swam away from a Mermaid as the Tavern brewed it's beer.  Residents of Guam, I know you know what I'm talking about.  It turns out, I can get my number 1 and number 3 on the island.  Because Guam is full of Filipinos, Sans Rival is rather a common dessert.  For Tres Leches, Carmen's Cha Cha Cha - Mexican Restaurant happily serves me that cake.

So as for Baklava, well here's some history from my vantage point.  It was served to me in a Greek restaurant.  Which one, I don't remember.  Vegas can be full of haze.  So, in a simple way I figured it was a Greek dessert.  However, one day I was watching the movie Munich and Efraim was walking with Avner, characters who were played by Geoffrey Rush and Eric Bana.  While stating protocol Efraim offers Avner some Baklava.  As Avner politely refused, Efraim mentions how Avner should be careful about sweets, for he is no longer on his employment dental plan.  The setting was in Israel.  I learned that Baklava was also a middle eastern dessert.  This extremely sweet thing plays off like a kind of strudel.  The phyllo dough gives off a nice delicate flakiness.  With sugar and honey doused onto it, a slice of this is best consumed with unsweetened tea.

If you get the phyllo dough that I had purchased, the recipe is attached to it.  What is not shown however are chopped walnuts.  (Stupid me, how could I have forgotten!)  The walnuts had a nice soft crunch.  The oven is preheated at 350 degrees.  While that was heating, each sheet of phyllo dough was laid one by one on a 9x13 baking pan.  In between each layer is a light amount of basted melted butter.  In a separate bowl I separate a pound of chopped walnuts and sprinkled a teaspoon or two of cinnamon.  After laying the 8th sheet of phyllo dough, I sprinkled the chopped walnut mixture.  I repeated the phyllo dough laying process until the sheets were done.  Before going into the oven, I sliced the loaf into triangles.  In the oven it went at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.  While that was baking I took a saucepan and boiled a cup of water, a cup of sugar, a half cup of honey and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.  Some recipes call for lemon juice instead of vanilla extract.  As all of that exotic-ness went to a boil, I lowered the temperature to a simmer for 20 minutes.  When the baking was done I poured the syrup mixture onto the loaf while it cooled.  *sniff* *sniff* the sweetness simply permeates. The syrup sizzles as it's being poured.  Cooled, the Baklava was soon to enter my mouth.  Oh the sugar, the honey- it was so sinful.  Cavities were soon to ensue.  But, it didn't matter.  Unlike Avner, I was still under my employment dental plan.

For recipes, Google-ing it helps but AllRecipies.com has everything you need for easy reference.  Enjoy!

He called me a Foodie.

Okay, so I'm going to ride with this.  It's been suggested before, but I wasn't sure if I was the right person to talk about it.  I cook only to survive.  I'd rather take shortcuts than savor each hour making the correct sauce.  And, I hate washing pots and pans.  In the end...Oh man I love to eat.  I find myself wanting more to eat food than have other people explain how it's made to me.  Instead of telling me how to cook a dish, I want others to show, demonstrate with all the sights and sounds of the dish.  A friend of mine, who loves cooking, admitted.  Often times the ladies he gravitates towards are often foodies.  Talking to another friend, he directs his hands toward me hinting that I'm one of those ladies.  Initially, I was unsure.  Was I to take that as a bad thing, implying the state of my weight.  But somehow, I ended up being flattered and taking his statement as a confirmation of what was to be the inevitable content for this blog.  I put it off for so long, wondering what I would be talking about.  But here goes.

Now here's the thing I realized about food.  It can be one of the best companions in the world.  Some people have a problem with eating alone.  Why it seems is beyond me, after all we don't talk while eating much less with our mouth full.  When we've broken up from serious relationships, what do we do?  We take that juicy prime rib from the fridge, light it up and ravage it over some mash potatoes.  Ladies we're all guilty of this.  We go the grocery store get some Phish Food from Ben and Jerry and we stop crying.  There were many a time I've been invited to a party by the one person who I know, nobody else, who is actually too busy to even attend to you because she's the host.  What to do?  As the table opens up, get my plate and pile it on.  I have a seat, take a bite off of this chicken, poke a morsel of the pork, even enjoy the crunch and savoriness of the onions.  All that is from a loner's point of view.  The independent who's mind is always on something.

Not only can food be a great companion, it actually brings people together. Or is that the drink?  Who cares?  Weddings, Funerals, Baby Showers, Meetings, you name it you'll make an effort to go because of the food. All these flavors create an alchemy of drama that fill the senses, breathing life into everyone. 

So people, here's to food, and in the words of Tim Allen as Brad Sexton from the movie For Richer or Poorer..."Good food, Good meat, Good God, Let's eat!