Feed Us Back: Spooky Comments of the Week | Endless Simmer

- So we thought we had found theTop 10 best Halloween cakeslast year, but thenPaul Joachimgoes and points us towards theZombie Dog Cake, which pretty much blows everything else out of the water. A-freaking-mazing. Thanks for the link, Paul.

- ESers were quick to defend the Taco Bell hot sauce costumes on ourTop 10 Worst Halloween Costumes list, but there was much less love for poor Broccoli Roberta.dan:

so… I’m being broccoli this year, but I SWEAR my costume is gonna be 10 times better than that one! I saw that one yesterday actually when I was trying to figure out how to make mine. There are some terrible broccoli costumes out there.

http://partywiththis.com/product.php?productid=18013
http://www.mascotcostumes.co.uk/broccoli_mascot_costume_109.html

Do people even know what broccoli looks like?

- Whatever broccoli costume you decide to go with this year, be sure to check out Endless Simmer’sHalloween pagefor all the best ideas onHalloween costumes, cakes, cocktails and more.

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Hallo-Baking: Pumpkin Caramel Mousse Cake | Endless Simmer

What, you thought we were done withpumpkin recipes? Here’s one more last-minuteHalloween dessertidea to serve alongside yourspooky cocktails.

The Pumpkin Caramel Mousse is killer. It’s light and smooth in texture, full in flavor and only takes 15 minutes to make. For those of you who want to get in and get out of the kitchen, you can forgo thejocondecake and simply serve the mousse in ramekins or in Martini glasses for some kicked-up elegance. But if you’ve got the time, the cake makes it a full dessert.

A few notes:

• The recipe I used for the joconde cake and decorative paste is fromThe Professional Pastry Chef by Bo Friberg.For an online recipe resourceclick here.
• If you decide to make the joconde cake with the decorative decal, start with a silpat, not parchment paper. The small freeze time required for the decorative paste will cause the parchment paper to shrink and ripple and ultimately affect the shape of the finished cake.

Pumpkin Caramel Mousse Cake
Yields 16 2×3 inch cakes

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons of cold water
1½ cup of heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup of pumpkin puree
1/3 cup of caramel sauce (homemadeor store bought)
1/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of allspice

Instructions:

1.     Sprinkle gelatin over cold water and set aside to bloom.

2.     Place heavy whipping cream in a bowl fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high until soft peaks form (not stiff or you will have a granular texture), about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

3.     Whisk together pumpkin puree and caramel sauce. Add vanilla extract, cinnamon and allspice to mixture and whisk to combine.

4.     Heat softened gelatin in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Stir mixture until all the gelatin has dissolved. Add gelatin mixture into pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.

5.     Using as few strokes as possible, gently fold whipped cream mixture into pumpkin mixture until combined.

Assembly:

Fit 1¾-inch joconde cake strips along the wall of 2×3 cake rings. Fill with Pumpkin Caramel Mousse to the top of the cake ring edge. Garnish with curled chocolates.  Keep refrigerated up until 20 minutes before serving.

Check out more of Sweet Fiend’s dessert recipes atBakers Royale.

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Gridiron Grub: Sweet P Slices | Endless Simmer

So here we are again, another week of football and food. This entire series came from the idea that the two go hand-in-hand in this country. It is so ingrained in our culture that even someone who has no interest in the sport has probably attended a Super Bowl Party or gone tailgating.  I remember 2 things about the first Super Bowl party I ever attended: that girls were invited (back when they still had cooties) and that we got to stay up late and order whatever toppings we wanted on our pizza.

Just like your favorite football team or player, pizza is always up for debate. Whether it is what cities or shops make the best pizza or whether you choose to call it a pie, tray or dish, everyone always have very strong opinions. My go-to pizza  is avodka sauce-covered cut ofOld Forge stylepizza, but I don’t think I have met a pizza yet I didn’t enjoy. This week, after daydreaming about a fave local Indian restaurant but not getting a chance to go, I decided to mash up thetasteof Indian Sweet potato roti and a laundry list of ingredients I had on hand for Sweet P Slices:

Recipe after the jump.

Dough:

• 1 teaspoon dry yeast
• ¾ cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 sweet potato, mashed
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp of ground cardamom
• 3/4 cup hot water

Mix together the yeast and hot water in a small bowl to dissolve. Leave the bowl in a warm place until a froth forms. While this is going on, sift together  flours, cardamom and salt. Add your mashed sweet potato to the dry mixture and blend until it crumbles between your fingers. When the yeast mix is nice and rabid, make a well in the center of the  flour mix and pour the mixture in. Mix together and knead to make smooth dough.

Wrap this dough in greased saran wrap and let it sit in a warm place for an hour. Once the dough is twice its original size….Pizza time! Roll the dough out, brush on someEVOOand toss it in a 400-degree oven for 15 minutes while assembling the toppings

Toppings:

• 1/2 cup cremini’shrooms
• 1-2 tablespoons of chopped nicoise olives (mine had been marinated in rosemary infused oil).
• 1-2 tablespoons chevre (check out anotherGoat Cheese influenced Gridiron Grub post.)
• cracked black pepper
• 3 cloves of roast garlic sliced as thin as you can get them
• drizzle of chestnut honey over everything

Take the crust out of the oven and add the toppings before popping back in for another 10 minutes. After the ten minutes are up, cut it up however you want and serve. There is a lot going on here but it all works well.

Bonus!Last week we also issued the challenge to hear your pizza ideas and the best one I came across was from an ES favorite,Macheesmo.

Fire/Smoke Pizza

- Chipotle marinara sauce
- 2 ounces shredded low moisture mozzarella
- 6 ounces shredded smoked gouda
- 1/4 red onion, sliced
- 1/2 roasted red pepper, sliced (I just bought the jarred variety.)

It sounds delicious so if you want tocheaton ES and read his recipe,go ahead, but we may just give you the silent treatment until next week’s post.

(PHOTOGRAPH: DARA Mac DÓNAILL)

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Wings of Death | Endless Simmer

When my cohorts at ES asked me to develop a deadly but delicious Halloween recipe, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try out my brand new bottle ofBacon Hot Sauce. Because if you’ve ever asked yourself,“What makes any dish better—bacon or hot sauce?” clearly you know the answer is both.

Although there’s no actual bacon in the hot sauce, it has an interesting smokehouse-style kick. In the spirit of Halloween, I used the hot sauce for a ghoulish creation that may knock a few years off your life in one sitting.

Wings of Death
Chicken wings wrapped in spicy capicola and slathered in bacon hot sauce

2 dozen chicken wings, patted dry

1 bottle of bacon hot sauce (5 oz.)

1 stick of unsalted butter (8 tablespoons)

salt& pepper

24 thin slices of hot capicola

Preheat oven to 425F.

Melt 6 tablespoons of butter. Toss with chicken wings and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Place on lined cookie sheet in pre-heated oven for 12 minutes, turning halfway through.

Meanwhile, melt additional 2 tablespoons of butter and combine with hot sauce in a medium-size bowl. (Be sure to use a different bowl than the one you started out with, or Salmonella may become your trick-or-treat buddy and this Halloween could be your last.) Toss chicken wings with butter-hot sauce and carefully wrap each wing or drumette with a piece of capicola. Brush with hot sauce and return to oven for an additional five minutes or until crispy.

Serve with an ice cold craft beer and extra hot sauce for dipping.

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Top 10 Worst Halloween Food Costumes | Endless Simmer

I cannot think of a worse Halloween costume than dressing up entirely in different cuts of meat. If the prospect of spreading salmonella, e. coli and other diseases around you isn’t enough, try fending off all the small critters. Wait a second…this isn’t a costume? Someone actually wore this for real? And to top it off, a group of butchers has actuallywarned the publicabout trying to duplicate it this Halloween? OK, so maybe pass on the GaGa-influenced meat outfits. But in that spirit, here are 10 more foodie Halloween costumes we hope no one will duplicate this year.

10. Bacon Tuxedo

“We’ll force a half-smile as long as your promise not to show these to anyone, Mom.”

9. Sandwich Girl

“I said I wanted to be a princess, a ballerina or a witch but a sandwich? Seriously Mom, WTF?

8. Vanilla Bean

Who doesn’t want to pay $109 to look like a decayed banana?

7. Cheesy Couple

Be extremely careful when standing near any heat sources. Nobody wants to explain third degree burns caused by pasteurized cheese product and plastic wrapping.

6. Waffle Man

There are dozens of costumes out there featuring this guy, but the bad graphics, poorly cut photo and unappealing butter/syrup combo helped this costume make the list.

5. Broccoli Roberta

Many kids are scared of broccoli, but now many adults will be too.

4. Mushroom

No matter how many times you explain that you’re dressed like a mushroom, expect people to call you Richard all night.

3. Taco Bell Hot Sauces

Pretty original, but a little odd that they probably spent a few hours writing the ingredient lists across their crotches.

2. Ronald McDonald 2.0

How do you cure childhood obesity? Put a McD’s employee dressed like this under all the Golden Arches to welcome customers.

And the Winner is………………

1. Giant Scary Hot Dog!

There are dozens of hot dog costumes floating around, but this is by far the creepiest wiener ever. His eyes see into my soul.

Previously:
Top 10 cute food halloween costumes
Top 10 weird food halloween costumes
Top 10 sexy food halloween costumes
Top 10 food pun halloween costumes

(Photos: team-mascots.com; Mark Ralston, AFP / Getty Images; mcphee.com, coolesthomemadecostumes.com, ricochet.com, wtfcostumes.com;http://patrickmccoy.typepad.com/lost_in_translation/2004/10/index.html)

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Top Chef Just Desserts Exit Interview: Episode 6 | Endless Simmer

If you think we missed an episode, well, you’re right. But did you really need to read more about twice eliminated Heather C? I figured as much. This week Just Desserts subjected us to a Black& White party in honor of LA Time’s 128th anniversary, such a milestone I know.

To find out who didn’t fair so well, keep reading.

ES: Over the last few episodes we witnessed a divide amongst your fellow chef’testants. How did that evolve?
Erika Davis:When you walk into something like this, you tend to find someone who has something in common with you, same kind of flavors and same kind of personality. I think that’s what we did; we split up a little bit. It became high school-ish, a tit-for-tat kind of thing, as you see on the show. It didn’t effect me much except toward this last episode, I think I got overwhelmed with everything, by the personalities and what we had already gone through with Seth, it wears you down a little bit.

You seemed particularly frustrated by Yigit taking the bacon and Eric hogging the mixer.
I’m a bacon person. I eat bacon every day before we walk into the kitchen. It would have been a nice finishing touch on my Quickfire dessert, so yeah, I was upset by when Yigit took the bacon. Later, toward the end of that Quickfire, he did hand over the bacon, but it was a little too late.

Is there anything we didn’t see that could explain Heather’s rice krispie cake tray?
Honestly, I had no idea that she was missing the rice krispie tray whatsoever, not at all until they mentioned it later. I didn’t pay attention to all of that petty stuff, who took this, who took that. To me, Morgan is hilarious, like when he took all the butter in the last episode, I thought that was funny, but it was all in fun and games on that part.

What do you think went wrong with your ice cream?
When I tasted it, it was fine. It was a lemon-tea infused ice cream, which was not shown on the show. It wasn’t a very strong lemon tart flavor, it was a nice smooth and clean flavor, it went great with the white chocolate. I was very surprised when they said it tasted like soap. I make ice cream everyday. I’m known for my ice cream.

Who do you think has what it takes to win?
All of them are really talented, from the very first episode… I’m going to say Morgan, he’s a great, talented pastry chef.

What has life been like for you since the show?
I’ve been very busy, doing a lot of events and getting ready for next year, I have five wine dinners for my non-profit,Culinary Wonders USA. We give out scholarships to minority students who are going to culinary school, who need a helping hand. There was always someone there for me, and it’s always good to pay it forward.

How would you like people to remember you?
I’m a happy person, and I think it shows through in my dessert, the passion and the love that I do for this every day is true to me and true to my heart. I was real to myself and I didn’t budge for somebody else. I was so proud, as is my family. There are no regrets whatsoever.

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Top 10 Halloween Cocktails | Endless Simmer

It’s not really the costumes. It’s not even the candy. The real reason we love Halloween—it’s another excuse to get drunk. Here’s some ideas for scary, beautiful and tasty libations.

Brain Hemorrhage

Who knew Bailey’s actually had a purpose in life?
{TangoPango}

»»»

Bloody Apple Cranberry Cocktail

Apple cider and apple vodka up the seasonal quotient.
{The Cooking Photographer}

»»»

Blood Drip Vampire Style Martini

Making this blood is as easy as candy. Wait, that’s not the saying.
{Hostess with the Mostess}

»»»

Witches Brew

Although its a virgin drink, it still contains a beating heart (red heart shaped Runts).
{Fahrenheit350}

»»»

A Killer Whiskey Cocktail

Don’t be intimidated by the calamansi usage, feel free to sub with the citrus of your choice.
{Tokyo Terrace}

»»»

Black Widow

Do you think spiders taste just as nasty as black licorice?
{Talk of Tomatoes}

»»»

Satan’s Whiskers

Invoke Dante and Virgil for an extra classy Halloween.
{Sloshed!}

»»»

Eyeball-tinis

Radishes are the trick for these blood-shot eyes.
{Culinary Sherpas}

»»»

Creepy Bubble Halloween Cocktails

Tapiocaispretty creepy.
{Dabbled}

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A.D.D. + Cinnamon Toast Crunch | Endless Simmer

Homework sucks. Call it burn-out from sixteen years of school. Call it A.D.D.

Nevertheless, I admit to munching on high-sugar kid’s cereal for something to do and wonder: we really ate this for breakfast when we were kids?? No wonder we begged for it, crying and screaming in the grocery store aisles–this shit is freakin’ candy. The cinnamon sugar is coating my fingers and my laptop keyboard.

Wendell, Bob, and Quello (WTF?), theCinnamon Toast Crunch bakers, certainly did know how to market sugar to children. Like giving candy to a baby…literally. And how noble of them to use“less sugar” than“other kids’ cereals.” There were cereals with more sugar??

Bob and Quello were fired somewhere along the way, and Wendell has been left to grace the box alone. And now, to entice the kids during modern, less-than-stellar Saturday morning cartoonage, the crazy cinnamon sugar squares justeat each other and burp. Nice.

What was your favorite high-sugar kids’ cereal? You know, the one that made you bounce off the walls in school and then crash around 10 AM. You know, the one that was partially responsible for your A.D.D…

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ES Must Do: Munich Oktoberfest | Endless Simmer

Remember when Iswooned over the 24 oz beer I got at a concert?

Forget it.

Far, far away from Scranton, Pennsylvania is a place called Munich, Germany (München, in German). They hold Oktoberfest during the last two weeks of September. But you know this already.

I was in attendance at the Spaten (ochsenbraterei) tent. No, we didn’t tent hop, but that story is for another day. Now, they only serve one type of beer in each tent (that brewery’s beer, obviously), along with alcohol free beer, and the lemonade-beer mix (shandy) for people who are too drunk to drink more beer. Or, at least that’s why I had to have one. The beer was absolutely delicious. It TASTED like beer (not the American water we call beer) and went down very, very easily. It was also brewed stronger for Oktoberfest, so it was about 6% abv. Not terribly strong, but enough to knock you on your ass after a few liters.

A beer stein (pictured above) holds one liter of beer. For those of us not in metric mode, that’s nearly 34 ounces for 8,75 Euro, or about $12 plus tip. 7 million liters of beer were served (who knows if they were all consumed).What’s better than that? Food.

Some must trys:

• Grosse bretzel, or really big fucking pretzel.

• Bavarian cheese spaetzle, or kaesespaetzle

Other must eats not pictured:

• Roasted chicken they serve in the tents. It smelled absolutely TO DIE FOR.
• Schnitzel burger (just be careful not to drop it on postcards at the souvenir stand)
• Candied nuts
• Bratwurst
• Giant pickle for the walk to the tram

Also, it’s customary for people to buy these huge gingerbread cookies decorated with icing. My dear friend Ashleigh bought one that may have said“golden angel” or something similar. I wore it proudly all night. However, we’ve learned that you’re not actually supposed to eat these, which is probably why it tasted like shit.

Oktoberfest exceeded my expectations and was more amazing than my wildest dreams. I order you, little ES lambs, to get there immediately. Consider it the first on our ES Must Do list.

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Restaurant Review - Eatonville in Washington, D.C. | Endless Simmer

D.C. has a long list of traditional southern-style restaurants, so you’d be forgiven for wondering why it needed another.  But you shouldn’t wonder after seeingEatonville’s unorthodox starter above— a single fried hushpuppy the size of a baseball filled with leek fondue and rock shrimp. It is seriously effing delicious.

Set on the same 14th Street corner as sister restaurant Busboys and Poets, Eatonville is named in honor of Zora Neale Hurston, the Harlem renaissance author and playwright. Hurston grew up in Eatonville, Florida, one of the first southern towns created by African-Americans after slavery ended. The name really made an impression on me as I realized how thoughtful they’ve been in putting the place together. From picket fences and rocking chairs flanking the bar to drinks served in mason jars, this was more than another DC restaurant with southern fare… I felt like I’d hopped a train to a small town in the Deep South.

After the hushpuppy, Eatonville actually gets a little more traditional, with apps like gumbo, fried green tomatoes, and corn muffins. Hot and soft, the muffins are a must. The fried green tomatoes are classic, light, and easy to share.

Fortunately, there’s still some creativity among the entrees, like the crab burger— a crab cake sandwich with arugula and pickled onions. I don’t know if it’d pass muster in Baltimore, but it’s better than most I’ve had in DC.

I’ve been dying to try the Cajun mushroom loaf—  but haven’t gotten past the temptation of the more traditional items yet, like the wonderful fish and grits. Dusted in cornmeal and perfectly fried, the fish is surprisingly light. The jalapeno grits kick things up a notch, while the collards and tomato butter provide depth and balance the spice.

If you want your soul food fix in a lighter package, all of the four salads are available with chicken, shrimp, oysters, or vegan chicken. Unfortunately, nowhere on the menu does the chef explain what vegan chicken is, despite the fact that it’s also an entrée.

For dessert, I can only tell you about the bread pudding and lemon basil sorbet, which were both excellent. I wish I could tell you about the peach cobbler that we ordered, but we were brought bread pudding instead. It was good, but it was really carried by the ice cream and blueberry sauce it shares the plate with (not pictured here). Anyway, I highly recommend the sorbet. It was sweet, tart, and light— the perfect end to the meal.

Then there are the cocktails. I ordered the Sweet Heat, a refreshing mango juice, kicked up with Tabasco infused vodka. My brother went for the Pickled Mule. If you haven’t had a Moscow Mule, it’s a mind-blowingly delicious ginger-packed vodka cocktail. But the Pickled Mule adds muddled pickle… Fucking pickle!? Trust me; it is absolutely delicious. My Sweet Heat was damn near perfect, but I kept staring jealously at my brother’s ice cold copper cup of Pickled Mule. I’m getting my own next time.

A couple of service hiccups aside, I love this place. I can’t stop recommending it to friends who want to get dinner. Eatonville isn’t just a restaurant that serves southern fare– without forcing anything or being kitschy, it’s a cozy southern getaway worthy of its moniker.

Eatonville
2121 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.332.ZORA
www.eatonvillerestaurant.com

(Photos: Eatonville)

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Roid Rage | Endless Simmer

This country’sJersey Shoreobsession must be stopped!! Anyone paying attention the past few months knows that theSituationis getting out of control, and now comes word that soon even our fish will beJUICED!Yes, recently theFDA approvedthe genetic engineering of salmon for human consumption.

This announcement seems to be gathering a lot of attention here on the interwebs and among some special interest groups, but it has been mainly a blip in the realm of traditional media.  Here is a quick recap:

A company has figured out a way to have their salmon produce growth hormones year-round, rather than stop in the colder months as naturally happens. Essentially, they have figured out how to“juice” our fish. (It’s funny because when we found out baseball players were doing this, Congress held a hearing, but with our food, the FDA gave it two thumbs up.) The resulting fish grow much bigger in a shorter period of time,are more aggressiveand the majority of them are sterile (you can see why the Jersey Shore reference popped into my head right?)

This news is about more than just salmon.

FDA approval of such a product sets the stage for all forms of modified meat. It’s reasonable to assume that genetically engineered pigs, chicken and cows are n the horizon. The FDA already allows the practice of giving cows hormones to produce beefier animals and research had indeed identified potential health risks from this (minor things like anincreased risk of cancerandearlier puberty).

It may seem that I am firmly on one side of the issue, but the whole idea of genetically modified foods, whether they be plant or animal, is such a relatively new process that I am actually not sure where I stand. On the one hand, benefits are obvious: pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, disease resistance, overcoming geographic and resource limitations, sustainability etc… But the negatives are just as strong: unintended harm to other organisms, gene transfer, allergies, effect on human health, economic impact, change in nutrition content.

What do all of you ES readers think about this? Will  you eat the franken-fish?

(Photo:foodiesathome.com)

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Mudslide Cupcakes Recipe | Endless Simmer

Editor’s Note: It’s been a minute since we’ve had a baker here in our midst at ES, butSweet Fiend(a.k.a. Naomi of drool-worthy dessert blogBakers Royale) has stepped up to the plate. She’ll be joining us here occasionally to share killer dessert recipes and more. Please welcome Sweet Fiend.

This past Sunday morning, while everyone else was buying their Starbucks, I was in a liquor store that reeked of old spilled milk buying a flask size worth of Jameson. The look on the cashier’s face was better than my husband’s—what was someone who is barely tall enough to bully a toddler doing purchasing whiskey on a Sunday?

Don’t judge me Dude, it’s for the love of cupcakes. These Mudslide cupcakes are rich, sweet and decadently full of all the stuff your mama warned you against. Personally, I eat them for breakfast—hey, they have coffee in them. By revelry or rebellion take a bite and enjoy. A few notes:

•  I made my own Bailey’s, but you can use the store-bought stuff to shave some time off the recipe. The cupcakes will taste the same. This recipe just gave me a good excuse to make my own home brew.

• For the instant coffee portion, I used Starbucks Via Bold. I find it tastier and stronger than most espresso powder made for baking.

Mudslide Cupcakes

Yields 18-24 cupcakes

Homemade Bailey Irish Cream
Recipe adapted fromhereandhere.

• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 1 ½ cup of Jameson Irish Whiskey
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee
• 2 tablespoon of semi-sweet chocolate, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and set on high speed for 30 seconds. Keep refrigerated in a sealed container. Shake before use. Will keep for 2 months.

Butter Cream Frosting Base

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• ¾ sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into 16 pieces

Instructions:

1. Combine egg whites and sugar in a large heat proof bowl. Set the bowl over (not on) simmering water in a sauce pan and heat, whisking constantly until sugar has dissolved. The mixture is ready when with it is very warm to the touch, about 2 minutes and approximately 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer.

2. Remove from mixture from heat and transfer to a stand mixer bowl and beat on high until egg white mixture is fluffy, led to room temperature and holds stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.

3. Turn the speed to medium low, add salt and the butter a few pieces at a time, beating well after each addition. Turn the speed to high and beat until mixture is creamy, about 3-5 minutes more. Evenly split buttercream into two separate bowls.

Bailey’s and Chocolate Kahlua Frostings

To make the Baileys buttercream add 3 tablespoons of Baileys into one bowl and beat until combined.

To make the Chocolate Kahlua Frosting in the other bowl, add 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and 4 oz of melted semi-sweet chocolate and 3 tablespoons of Kahlua and beat until combined.

Chocolate Cupcakes
Recipe adapted fromhere.

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.

Instructions:

1. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.

2. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Assembly:

1. Place each frosting in separate pastry bags and cut a small opening at the bottom. Use a third bag fitted with your preferred tip and then place both filled pastry bags inside. Make sure that the bottoms of both bags are pointed in the tip. Frost cupcakes as desired.

2. Optional: Sprinkle with crushed cupcake crumb and drizzle with chocolate sauce to finish.

Enjoy more of Sweet Fiend’s recipes onBakers Royale.

Previously on ES:
Mint Julep Cupcakes
Green Tea and Almond Cupcakes
Hummingbird Cupcakes

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Top 10 Food and Drink Words You’ve Never Heard | Endless Simmer

Because I’m aclosetbook nerd, I spend a lot of time reading books about books and books about words. No, don’t laugh. And yes, they exist. Much to my surprise, there are a plethora of food words other than“delicious” to describe this food concept we all love so much. Here are my top 10 new favorites:

10. Bedinner(v)- to treat to dinner.

He better bedinner me after making me sleep with his cat.

9. Semese(adj)- half eaten.

We probably don’t use this word because Americans would never leave something half eaten. Seconds, please.

8. Surfeited(adj)- oppressed or disordered by eating too much.

This happens to me daily. We all know what it feels like.

7. Deipnosophist(n)- a person who is learned in the art of dining.

Is this the word that will replace“foodie”? Maybe.

6. Moreish(adj)- encouraging continued indulgence (said of food or drink).

There’s no surprise that this word also resembles Mother.

5. Bouffage(n)- an enjoyable or satisfying meal.

Mom’s meatloaf is a classic bouffage.

4. Gramaungere(n)- a superb or great meal.

Bacon wrapped figs.

3. Compotation(n)- an episode of drinking or carousing together.

In other words, every weekend of my life.

2. Perpotation(n)- an instance of drunkenness.

Again. Every weekend.

1. Jentacular(adj)- of or pertaining to breakfast.

The bacon in my fridge looks rather jentacular today.

Have any to add?

(Photo:Markus Rodder)

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Industrial Food Complex | Endless Simmer

Editor’s Note: As you may remember, ES contributorforkitudehas given up the corporate life to take the plunge into culinary school.

Part of culinary education is learning how to purchase food. Therefore, I found myself in a food Home Depot during my walking tour of the 245,000 square foot Sysco warehouse in Lincoln, NE.

When did food distribution become so mechanized and industrial?

Sysco was started in the 1970s by several producers in order to distribute different food stuffs to buyers on the same truck. This idea has evolved into afood machine. And it felt like a machine.

We walked past boxes labeled“fresh cut vegetables.” Maybe the English language needs a new definition for the word fresh.“Still consumable” perhaps?

In a presentation after the tour, someone brought up local and organic issues. As it was explained, they“try” to buy local, but unfortunately this is a litigious society. Sysco requires their producers to carry at least $4 million in insurance (perhaps not feasible for a small farmer). So, Sysco doesn’t have to worry monetarily if there is an E.Coli outbreak in the spinach they are distributing because they will be able to refund their customers with the insurance proceeds. In the end, it’s about money. Everyone’s ass is covered. Except the people eating this terrible food.

Oh and as for organic food: there is little demand for organic product’s“Here in the Midwest…that’s mostly on the Coasts.”

In speaking to a group of culinary students (re: future chefs and restaurant owners), the argument was made that if your restaurant door swings open twenty times a day, that is a bad thing. Picture a bad infomercial at 3 am: an angry old lady fussing with 3,000 tangled wire hangers in her closet until she finally discovers theHanger Cascaderand life is immediately wonderful. One truck, one delivery, one invoice, all of your food.

Hmm…no.

My question to the executive was related to the consolidation and monopolization of the meat industrysince it was mentioned that“beef is plentiful here and it’s pretty good.” I wanted to know if customers in recent years have been asking about where their meat is coming from and if they are concerned with quality.

Answer? When you have less producers, you drive down sales. Economies of scale. No, they don’t hear anything from customers about concerns in the meat industry.

And for lunch? Pork chops served with a special“jumbo sized” asparagus developed by Sysco to be just as tender as thinner asparagus. Thanks, but no thanks.

When did we become so disconnected from our food?

Sigh.

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Artsy T-Shirt of the Day | Endless Simmer

Plight of the bananas.

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100 pumpkin recipes | Endless Simmer

Pumpkin season is here! Now let’s be honest— for most of us, that means leftover pumpkin season is here, too— because how many times can you make boring old pumpkin pie? Never fear, Endless Simmer is here. Whether you’ve got half-a-can of pumpkin puree sitting around, a cupboard full of pumpkin pie filling, the stringy insides of a Jack-o-Lantern or just a few stray pumpkin seeds, we scoured the web for 100 creative recipes that will help you use up all that beautiful orange goodness.

Click on the photos for full recipes.

PS– What did we miss? Have a stand-out pumpkin recipe? Drop your link in the comments. If your photo makes us drool, we’ll add it to the list.

Previously on ES:
100 Ways to Cook Bacon
100 Ways to Cook an Egg
100 Ways to Cook a Banana
100 Ways to Cook a Tomato

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