BBQ Pizza, BBQ Everything


For dinner tonight, I made BBQ "chicken" pizzas and they were pretty delicious. For the "chicken," I rehydrated Butler Soy Curls and seasoned them with thyme, garlic powder, onion powder and a little BBQ sauce. For the sauce, I used my new favorite which is the hickory flavor from Garland Jack's Secret Six made in Garland, TX right outside of Dallas.  It is delicious on everything and I suggest that if you cannot find a bottle in your store, you should order some online. They don't stock the "squealin' hot" flavor here, so I think am going to order some of that.  So, started with the special sauce, added thinly sliced red onion, a mixture of Daiya cheeses, soy curls and them topped them with fresh cilantro when it came out of the oven. Of course, I had to spice mine up with a little Sriracha sauce, but I have to do that regardless of what kind of pizza it is!


Aficionado or J'aime Manger des Petits Gâteaux or Caboodle Cupcakes Come to Town

In the interest of fairness, I have tasted a lot of cupcakes. Ask anyone who travels with me, dines with me or reads this blog and they will tell you I have eaten a lot of cupcakes. I think it's only right, because how are you to know a good cupcake when you taste one if you haven't eaten a lot of cupcakes. Baked a lot of cupcakes. Dreamed about cupcakes!

And at bigYELLOWbowl, we try to bring you all of the important news on cupcakes, which despite the predictions of some publications, are not going away anytime soon. And for that, we are ever so thankful.

My credentials:
  1. Last spring, I made 102 cupcakes in four flavors for my friend Melissa's opening. It was me vs. the cupcakes.
  2. I have eaten at cupcakeries from Chicago, IL to Madison, WI to Dallas, TX and Long Beach, CA times two.
  3. I watched every minute of Martha Stewart's cupcake week and read her cookbook on the subject. She is the queen.
  4. I have been to the temple of cupcakes, Sprinkles of Beverly Hills and lived to tell the tale.
  5. I Made dozens of tiny chocolate cupcakes.
  6. I have even made a cookie tribute to cupcakes...
Satisfied? I love cupcakes.

What do I look for in a good cupcake?
  • The perfect size; not too large and not too small (Unless it's supposed to be small, of course.).
  • Ratio of frosting to cake.
  • Crumb of the cake.
  • Texture of the frosting.
  • Originality of the flavors.
It is very much like judging a beauty pageant. So, you can imagine how exciting it was last summer when Caboodle Cupcakes appeared at the downtown farmer's market. Rumor had it that local artist and cupcakista Susan Tingley (check out the beautiful exploding pots) was opening a temple to cupcakes right here in Terre Haute, IN. But, could she make the transition from small-batch baking to churning out miniature masterpieces day in and day out?

I am pleased to report that indeed, she can. I got to talk to Susan the other night at a party and she said business was going very well--they are selling out almost every day! Caboodle Cupcakes offers a variety of rotating flavors and also does special orders. And, has a very cute pink and green shop right on south 7th street.

This week, I finally got to visit 'la source' with my friend Mary and I was thankful she was willing to go splitsville so I could try two flavors: cinnamon and pumpkin. They were both divine, but the pumpkin won. I could have eaten three of them! Susan said she was working on a new flavor while we were there, sweet potato which she decided to top with a brown sugar frosting. That touched my southern heart! A sweet potato cupcake. If you become a fan on Facebook, you can get updates on what special flavors and offers they have in-store.

I'm also pleased to report that Caboodle Cupcakes are some of the best I have had, hands down. The cake is perfectly tender, but not too soft. The frosting is complementary and in my opinion, perfectly proportionate. And with both classic and experimental flavors, Caboodle Cupcakes is on the way to winning the heart of this city.

Caboodle Cupcakes
3419 South 7th Street
Terre Haute, IN 47802-4016
(812) 232-5551

Ingredient: Harvest Grain Blend from Trader Joe's

Friday, Ellie and I took the afternoon off and made a run for Indianapolis. Tori Amos live in concert was the impetus for the trip, but we also had a blast shopping at Trader Joe's, Target, Whole Foods and Sur la Table. (I bought square biscuit cutters. Ellie thought they were unorthodox, but I was thinking of them as a time-saving device: you can cut all of the biscuits at once and don't have to pat the dough back out!)

I know you're all dying to know what Tori had for dinner, but I have no idea. I'm imagining she dined on something light and delicate, light sauteed greens with some sort of seasonal vegetable. Maybe broccoli? On the last album, she sang:

"Eat your greens
Feed your head
Mind the doubts
they harvest them
Broccoli
Feed your head
Their ideas
are fried in fat."

So I'm going to stick with my answer and assume she doesn't keep in good enough shape to jump around on those pianos by dining nightly on fried chicken. Now, what she wore is another store, I can tell you that:
  • Cork platform, black satin, peep-toe stilettos.
  • Gold leggings.
  • An orange dress with purple details, including a stripe that ran down the back. It was short in the front and long in the back (a mullet dress?) with long sleeves and puffy shoulders.
As usual, she looked like superhero goddess come to save us all. More photos here.

But food...

At Trader Joe's, Ellie bought several bags of the Harvest Grains Blend: Israeli couscous, baby garbanzo beans, orzo and red quinoa. Very exotic! I had to try it, so I grabbed a bag. It's easy to prepare, just simmer in a little vegetable broth and a bit of butter. But, I do recommend stirring it a little as it simmers, as mine sunk to the bottom and I had some crispy bits to contend with after I was done. It smelled delicious while cooking and I love the idea of baby garbanzo beans. How do they do that? Cut down in their prime.

After it was cooked, I made a simple vinaigrette and added pan-fried (vegan) Italian sausages, about 1/3 cup of dried cranberries and 1/3 cup of walnuts, then topped it with some fresh oregano that Jimmy brought us yesterday from his herb garden. Lunch tomorrow is going to be delicious! I will hum Tori as I dine on this delicious concoction.

Food: Tomato Paste

Admit it: you are a tomato paste waster. You know you are. I know, I know, you have the best of intentions. Here is what happens: you are at the store and buy a small can of tomato paste for a recipe you are making that calls for the use of one tablespoon. You open the can and use the one tablespoon and then throw the rest into the trash. You know you do.

Of course, you read those tips in Real Simple or Martha Stewart Living that say, "freeze unused portions of tomato paste in ice cube trays for easy use in soups and stews." You think, "that's clever, I can do that." But you don't. You put the opened can in the refrigerator, planning to divide the unused tomato paste later only to arrive at that later four weeks into the future when your tinfoil covered can of tomato paste has developed a layer of green fuzz. Or, you do actually get the paste into some ice cube trays and said cubes of tomato paste into a labeled freezer-safe bag, but completely forget about them until the next time you are scooping tomato paste into ice cube trays and realize you have enough frozen ice cubes of tomato paste to make spaghetti sauce for Attila's horde.

Admit it.

What is tomato paste anyways? And why do you need those little cans of it? Tomato paste is a a highly concentrated version of tomato sauce. It's adds depth and flavor to sauces, soup, stews and anything that is tomato based. But you only need a little. But you knew that, didn't you?

The solution? Tomato paste in a tube. It's like toothpaste and absolute genius. You squeeze out just the right amount and place the rest in the fridge: no ice cube tray needed. The only problem is that most of the tomato paste available in tubes in imported from Italy and comparatively expensive to a little can of Hunt's brand. But, do the math: you can spend $3.50 on a tube of paste you are going to use every last bit of or you can spend $.49 on a seven cans of it, most of which you are going to put in the trash. Admit it, you know you will.

New solution: tomato paste from Whole Foods. Yes, I've heard the 'whole paycheck' references and know the reputation of Whole Foods as being very expensive. But, they have some great values and prices on many items, especially on their house brand. You just have to be a savvy shopper. Tomato paste from the 365 brand and imported from Italy? $1.49. Seriously, buy several and use them as stocking stuffers. Everyone in your family will appreciate the gesture and thank you as the person who saved them from throwing away half-empty cans of tomato paste.

Ingredients: Barilla No Cook Lasagna Noodles

I think one of the first things I learned to make from my mother was lasagna. It was a great skill to find and very empowering: with lasagna you can feed a crowd and if you keep the flavors basic, it's usually something everyone enjoys. Some bread and salad, a little something for dessert: instant dinner party. It couldn't be easier, could it? In fact, I remember my first 'dinner party' in my apartment in Norman, OK when I was at OU and I'm sure I served lasagna. I know it's not the same lasagna I make today, and imagine it was probably filled with a meaty sauce, but the principles remain the same.

But, I eventually figured out it could be easier. One way in which I have varied my recipe from the method Barbara taught me is the no-cook method I've been using for years. It's pretty simple, you use conventional noodles, but don't boil them, adding extra liquid to the sauce. They cook as the lasagna bakes and its comes out perfectly. I can put together a lasagna in less that thirty minutes and have it out of the oven in an hour, resting and ready to go while salad is being passed.

So you are probably wondering why I would mess with success? Why alter a recipe/process that's served me for almost twenty years? I read somewhere that the oven ready noodles Barilla produces have a superior flavor and texture than conventional noodles, but were just as easy to use. The difference? Barilla Oven Ready Lasagne Noodles are made with egg, so the pasta is lighter, more delicate and great for baking.

I tried it. I even did four layers of lasagna instead of three. And what I read was correct, the Barilla noodles are light and taste almost like fresh pasta sheets rolled out at home. It's easy to do, but according to Barilla you need about eight cups of sauce to accomplish the four-layer version. So, if you're trying to think of something to serve for dinner for your family or friends, throw together a simple lasagna using Barilla noodles that will please everyone.

My other lasagna tip: toasted, slivered almonds in each layer. A surprising ingredient, they add texture and their wonderful nutty flavor to the classic Italian melange. I'll provide my full recipe for lasagna using the Barilla noodles later, but I'm sure you have one you enjoy that could be adapted easily using this product. From my kitchen to yours...

Ingredients: Imitation

The last time I was in the Kroger picking up some groceries, the woman in front of me was buying a large container of Mullen's Imitation French Dressing. I was intrigued. French dressing, although thought delicious by some (indeed, the only dressing I liked as a child), isn't really French. But reader, you already knew that. What could imitation French dressing possibly be?

So today, as I picking up some groceries, I made a point of checking Mullen's product out. Apparently, they produce only two different dressings that are stocked by the Kroger: French dressing and Imitation French Dressing. Even more intrigued. Further investigation revealed that the ingredients in both were exactly the same, but in different proportions. Hmmmm.

The web site revealed this information about the Imitation French Dressing:

For many decades J.D. Mullen marketed this delicious dressing Americans have loved, no matter what is was called. in order to meet state and federal law requirements, we chose to change the name rather than add more oil to the original recipe. You'll find this delightful pouring type dressing light and delicious.


And this about Mullen's French Dressing:


J.D. Mullen created a formula designed to meet strict government standards or a French dressing using the same ingredients as the original recipe. More corn oil was added and the other were ingredients reapportioned. Because it is not quite so tart or sweet, some folks like it even better.


Apparently, some folks have the government to blame or thank. I didn't buy either.

Over Three Feet of Cookies

I was in Indy this weekend finishing up the holiday shopping, so of course popped into Trader Joe's to pick up a couple of things and found this: three feet of cookies! We bought two to take to friends and family in Nebraska. I love the packaging because of its unique shape and size, but also because of the fun graphics. I'm sure the cookies will be delicious too, since they are from Trader Joe's.

They also had dark chocolate covered peppermint joe-joe's: the TJ version of Oreos. So very good, we finished the package by the time we got back to Terre Haute. Buy some! Don't share them! Of course, I always fall in love with things like this you can only get one time of the year. Sigh.

Brie Hole?

On Boys for Pele (one of my favorite albums of all time), Tori Amos sang, "Had me a trick and a kick and your message. You'll never gain weight from a doughnut hole. Then thought that I could decipher your message. There's no one here, dear. No one at all." But what about a brie hole? Can you gain weight from that?

I was shopping for cheese at Baesler's Market last week for my staff party and was very pleased with the selection they were offering. They had the Stilton with lemon that I like, plus a very good Manchego. The most surprising thing? A medium-sized wheel of brie with a hole cut out of the middle where you could put fruit or other things. Huh? What did they do with the part they cut out? It's called 'brie charmant,' which translates to 'charming brie.' Mais, oui oui! Tout le monde! Zeut alors! Sacre couer!!

I just bought a slab, because I have found a little bit of brie goes a long way. When I buy the huge, delicious wheel it never gets eaten, so I'll stick with a perfect wedge--une wedge parfait.

Fromage, s'il vous plait! (Cheese, please!)

TJ


While in Indy, I also stopped by my beloved Trader Joe's--the place that almost makes up for the loss of Central Market. Almost.

I know I've mentioned it before, but Trader Joe's is a chain of small grocery stores that sells speciality items, many of their own production. You never quite know what you'll find, because they are always retiring past favorites while introducing new ones. You vote with your pocketbook. This is frustrating to some, but I try and approach it as an opportunity to be open to the gifts on the universe. In this case: delicious, edible gifts.

Jessie takes the other path and has spent days cursing the name of Trader Joe's to the heavens, pouring ash and bramble on their grocery bags and enacting symbols of vengeance as she drives past their store. And its all my fault.

Those of you who helped me celebrate my birthday this year will remember the lovely and delicious champagne bar, where we had assorted liqueurs and mixers to make a variety of fizzy cocktails. One of those choices was preserved hibiscus flowers: anemone like blossoms that floated to the bottom of the glass, adding flavor and color, plus a little snack at the end of your drink. Jessie was going to do something similar for her graduate thesis exhibition opening and I suggested the hibiscus flowers, which she remembered they stocked at Trader Joe's. But not that day. Not for her party. There was cursing and weeping and wailing, much like the end of days. Luckily, I told Jessie she could find some at Whole Foods, which she did, so the day was saved. But not her patronage of Trader Joe's. And, the problem was exacerbated during my visit to Madison and our trip to the store, where what did she find? You guessed it: preserved hibiscus flowers. Reader, I swear she grabbed the bag of petite petals, threw them on the ground and began to stomp upon them, all the while uttering phrases not heard since the trials at Salem over three hundred years ago. She had to be forcibly restrained and escorted from the store by the manager and her husband, babbling to herself all the while. Thankfully, in Madison not a single person took any notice at all.

Today, as I passed the dried fruit section, I spotted a bag of hibiscus flowers and, thinking of Jessie, made a sign to ward off evil. I then happily bought dried Bartlett pears instead.

What else I got:
Their excellent chocolate
Organic brown sugar
King Arthur's flour
(I'm making brownies tomorrow.)
Tortellini
Precooked brown rice
Precooked beluga lentils
Pomegranate soda
Cider
Citrus body wash
Natural peppermint toothpaste with fluoride (half the price of Tom's.)

Mangez!

Quick and Easy Dinner

This recipe was inspired by one from Everyday Food, the miniscule publication from Martha Stewart and PBS television program. I think both the magazine and TV show present simple ways to use whole foods in innovative ways. The portabello mushroom is delicious, easily assembled and simply popped in the oven. I came up with the bean mash after watching Nigella Lawson do something similar to cannellini beans last week. I brightened mine up with an olive oil flavored with lemon that really complements the deep mushroom flavor. The garbanzo beans also add a little protein to the plate. If I were stranded on a dessert island, garbanzo beans would be my food of choice!

Recipe: Portabello Mushrooms with Leeks and Goat Cheese
2 leeks
4 portobello mushroom caps
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon olive oil
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cups chopped fresh spinach (about 2 ounces)
8 oz fresh goat cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Trim the dark-green parts from leeks and slice into disks. Often I find leeks which don't have a speck of dirt in them, but its always best to wash them a bit. Place them in a bowl with cold water and move them around with your hand to loosen any dirt. Drain and repeat with fresh water until all of the grit is removed. Lift leek slices out of water, leaving grit behind; drain them thoroughly on paper towels and place in a bowl. Toss the leeks with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Lightly oil a foil-lined baked sheet. Place mushroom caps, gill sides up, on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with lemon olive oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Dived the leeks among the caps and bake until caps are just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the and top with spinach and cheese; season again with salt and pepper. Bake until spinach wilts and cheese starts to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Recipe: Lemony Garbanzo Mash
1 16-oz can of garbanzo beans
2 tablespoons lemon olive oil
1 tsp lemon pepper
Salt to taste

Rinse and drain the beans and place them in a microwave-safe dish. Add the olive oil and microwave on high for two minutes until both are warmed. Use a fork or potato masher and smash around until they are coarsely mashed. You may want to add a little water until you reach a desirable, slightly creamy consistency. Add the lemon pepper and salt to taste. Mix and rewarm before serving.

Shopping list:
2 leeks
4 portobello mushroom caps
Olive oil
Lemon olive oil
Rice wine vinegar (I really like the ginger rice vinegar from O.)
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
8 oz fresh goat cheese
1 16-oz can of garbanzo beans
Lemon pepper

Shopping for Your Kitchen


Real Simple published a nice on-line shopping guides for various aspects of your home. The list for the kitchen has some great sources, if for nothing else besides browsing and dreaming.

Also, Japan's Muji (a super-stylish and affordable store featuring a wide array of items) is opening two branches in New York. While this isn't necessarily convenient for me, I'm hoping this means there will be a branch of the web store for the States. That way, we can all get some of their wonderful stuff for our kitchen.

Happy shopping!

Smartie-pants

Do you love Smarties? Like them? Eat them at Halloween from the big bag of mixed candies including some sort of taffy, Tootsie Pops, and the like? Well, if you haven't been prowling the candy aisle at your local 7-11 (Oh, thank heaven!), then you may have missed out on the latest development in the world of candy, perhaps the most dramatic thing to happen to Smarties since they debuted in 1949: Smarties have now been super-sized!

They now come in a giant roll of candies about the size of a quarter, slightly harder than their original, diminutive parents. I love them! More than the tiny ones? Perhaps. Only time will tell.

Mangez!

Food Food and Food

As predicted, Austin is a wonderful place to eat. And eat. And eat some more. I haven't been cooking much for myself, since I've been busy trying to get settled, but I have been exploring some of the great restaurants, grocery stores and eateries around town.

Cheetos!

My friend Kris (aka Rakka) over at glitter pissing was excited to find the Flaming Hot Cheetos with LIMON when she moved to Seattle and told me that she had also had them in Austin. Visiting my local HEB, I found a gigantic display of them right inside the door. I wasn't steered wrong, let me tell you. These are Cheetos plus BAM and then coated in YUM.

Ace Pear Cider

Likewise, at a visit to the local Alamo Drafthouse, which is a theater where you can order a beer and dinner from your seat, I discovered Ace Pear Cider-brewed in Sonoma County. I had a pear cider in Washington state a couple of years ago, and since have found nothing that could compare. THIS cider was right on par and is perfect with Asian food or probably even a cheese course.

Dining out has been fun, because there are so many vegetarian options wherever I go. Just down the street is Mother's Cafe and Garden which I had mentioned being very excited about visiting. I can't seem to get over the excitement of being in a city with a plethora of vegetarian options--coming from a city of so few. What I love about Mother's so far? Chips and salsa for the table, bbq tofu sandwich and of course the wonderful veggie burger that Jennifer said is the best. All of it, so far, has been wonderful. My friend David was in town weekend before last and we had brunch there as well. The migas is wonderful, but David was disappointed that they had no jam, jelly or preserves for his toast. None?

Also close by is Asti, which is a tad expensive and very meat based. I ordered a dish of ziti, which had the option of adding sausage that I declined. I suppose I should have read the description more closely, because it comes with pancetta AND you also add sausage. Ick. But, they do have a nice array of antipasto and a wonderful wine list. I ordered a glass of prosecco to start, but it had just arrived so the waiter substituted a more expensive glass of French champagne instead. Grazi!

Other good meals at Veggie Heaven and Dog Almighty, which will do anything on the menu vegetarian, including Frito pie. Wonderful. Many (many, many) other places to explore.

Mangez!

Not exactly food...

My new addiction...

...but I am totally addicted to the new Orbit flavor Citrus Mint. It is reminiscent of orange flavored Tic Tacs, but with just a hint of mint. I love it and have been chewing it all day, every day and passing it out to unsuspecting coworkers, friends and strangers on the street. That's right, I'm an Orbit Citrus Mint pusher!

Bubble