He'd like my cookies...

Remember the Oatmeal-White Chocolate-Spice Cookies from my last post, aka the miserable failures? Well, I think I found someone out there who might appreciate them!

Click on the image above to go to npr.org and play this video. It's a new, exclusive interview with Cookie Monster that answers some burning questions, like will he really eat anything?

This video is about 5 minutes long, super-cute and probably safe for work, but Cookie Monster does say one very dirty word...

Coming Soon - Sexy waffles for your Valentine's breakfast (yeah, I said, "sexy waffles!").

The Cookies That Couldn't...

So, what do you think of those little beauties? No need to be kind - I think they're pretty ugly.

You might think that I live in a whirl of one culinary climax after another the way I rave about nearly every recipe I post. Either that, or you think I'm easily satisfied. The fact is that I'm really picky about what I consider tasty. Of course, I assess each recipe individually based on specific goals and expectations. Like, am I trying to make a decadent dish more nutritious? Is it my goal to make a streamlined, unfussy version of a complicated recipe? I try my best to explain these expectations so you can get a good idea of what the recipe will really be like. And then you'll be able to understand exactly what it is I'm raving about.

Since I'd rather write with near evangelical enthusiasm about food I love, I don't really talk about the things I make that aren't so hot. Why would you want to hear about cookies that just weren't worth the cost of the ingredients? But, whenever another blogger shares one of their spectacular failures I either learn something (like what not to do), or at least have a laugh.

I've got to admit that these cookies bummed me out. I envisioned a delicious variation on this fantastic chunky oatmeal-chocolate chip cookie that I posted about recently. I eat oatmeal for breakfast at least 4 days a week, and lately I've been making a version with sort of a South Indian flare - cardamom, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and a dash of cloves. I like a lotta spice. How could that combo not be spectacular in an oatmeal cookie? And instead of the more intense semisweet chips, I'd use mellow white chocolate. The shredded coconut would stay, but I'd use almonds instead of pecans. Voila - a whole new cookie that would be even better than the original!

Yeah, not so much. I am comforted to say that the spices were good. Strong enough that you could pick out the flavor of cardamom, ginger and even the sharp intensity of the cloves. The white chocolate was awful. I've never really cared for white chocolate, but I thought it would work here, for some odd reason. Yeah, not so much. The stuff just doesn't taste like anything to me! But the really irritating and ultimately puzzling part was that the cookies totally spread in oven, turning flat as can be. Maybe my butter was too soft or the I should have chilled the dough--for hours. This didn't happen in the chocolate chip version, and I didn't mess with any of the fundamental proportions. Who knows?

The overall effect was not tasty. I loved the texture of the old-fashioned oats in the first cookie, but here is was distracting and granola-like. Sure the cookies were edible, but for me, personally, not so much.

The point - besides giving you a break from the extravagant praise I usually give recipes on this blog - is this: if you want to experiment with new ideas and develop recipes worth raving about, you are going to fail occasionally. I'm definitely not sorry I tried. I enjoy baking, especially when I'm trying out an idea, not just following a recipe to the letter. And there are worse ways to spend a Tuesday night. If you don't screw up occasionally, you can't appreciate the truly tasty.

Want to Experience Death By Chocolate?

So what do you say? There are worse ways to go than being overcome by one of most delicious things on earth. I found out about a little contest being run by Culinate, a tasty website full of articles, recipes and other foodie insights. They are giving away two trips to Napa Valley for the Annual Death by Chocolate Festival.

One winner (and their lucky guest) will be chosen by random drawing, so that means YOU can win. The other trip will go to a food blogger. Because I love chocolate, and would love to win a trip to Napa (ahem, wine!), I entered the food blogger contest by submitting my favorite blog post focused on chocolate. But I need your help! The food bloggers who entered will be narrowed down to 10 finalists based on your votes from now until this Friday at noon.

To get yourself entered in the contest, click on the "Death By Chocolate" graphic at the top of my left sidebar (if you're reading this as an RSS feed, click here). You'll have to register to enter the contest and vote. While you're there, check out the list of over 70 food bloggers who entered, read some to-die-for posts about chocolate, and vote for me! You can vote for as many bloggers as you want, and there is plenty of delicious competition. If you've already entered, you can still head back to Culinate and vote for the bloggers you like-- including me I hope! If I win, I promise many delicious chocolate-centric posts for your enjoyment.

And because this is all about chocolate, it wouldn't be right to beg for your vote without giving you a little something. This is my favorite brownie recipe, which I wasn't going to blog about because it's really Anna's, and she posted it quite recently. But, since we are talkin' chocolate, and since I LOVE this recipe, here you go. The brownie base is actually King Arthur's "Best Ever Fudge Brownie," and it's topped off with a peanut butter cream cheese swirl. It's the easiest brownie because you don't have to fuss around melting chocolate or track down expensive chocolate of varying cocoa percentages. They are intensely chocolatey, and fudgy without being wet. Even if you don't want to do the PB swirl, these are the best brownies!

For the contest, I submitted my post about tempering chocolate for truffles...mmm, truffles.

So, you're going to go enter the Culinate contest and do some voting, right? Even if you don't usually leave comments, or just read this blog for the sparkling prose or the stellar photography (I wish), I need your vote by noon this Friday! And if we both win, we can meet up in Napa and see who can eat the most chocolate.

Top 5 Favorite Fast Foods

Now that I've revealed what grosses me out in the world of drive-thrus, fry-o-lators, and heat lamps, I'm sure you're clamoring to know if there is anything out there I actually like.

The plain truth is, I don't really eat fast food. It's not about superiority, sophistication or some foodie creed of purity that I live by. The stuff just doesn't float my boat.

I like what I like--that's a really ambiguous way of saying I'm picky. To really enjoy food, I need to know it's of a good quality, cooked with some care and--in most cases--with healthy eating in mind. I love restaurants, but mostly to experience food and techniques I can't pull off at home, along with a level of skill and presentation I may not be capable of. That means I just don't get around to eating much fast food--even the things I really do like.

Enjoying fast food also has a lot to do with context--Starbucks breakfast pastries (scones!) are a wonderful thing to find in an airport terminal or down the street from our hotel when we're traveling, but they're not something I go for in everyday life. When we were traveling around the California coast this summer, eating at incredible taquerias around Santa Barbara and San Diego, it was so much fun because it was part of the travel experience and the food was a regional specialty that really does taste better there. The fast food item that takes the #1 spot on my list--which by the way is totally processed and contains ingredients I'm sure I can't pronounce-- is a long time favorite, but the few occasions that I eat it usually involve a summer road trip or day at the beach.

For all the great cooks out there, when do you like to eat fast food? And what's on your list?

Top 5 Favorite Fast Foods

5) Finagle A Bagel's honey wheat bagel: This regional bagel chain is the best in Boston, a city I lived in for seven years. Everything there is good, including yummy soups. This bagel is my favorite, and it's a complete meal spread with peanut butter (I love bagel shops that have peanut butter!). It got me through a few Sunday afternoons at the library during college. If you want to indulge in delicious carbs, this is a great way to go.

4) Baja Fresh chicken burritos: Another regional chain that would be a welcome sight on any road trip, or just for a great lunch. The tortillas are soft, they make your food to order with easy to identify fresh ingredients, and they have a good salsa bar.

3) Au Bon Pain: I can't pick just one thing from this awesome regional chain (locations all over the midwest, Eastern U.S. and worldwide). I drank the coffee every morning for a couple of years, and they make great customized sandwiches, plus salads and soups. So good, so fresh, and if you see one in an airport, do not hesitate!

2) Papa John's original pepperoni pizza: I've written about this perfect carry out pizza before--tasty sauce, the perfect amount of cheese, and awesome crust--it's not one of my gourmet creations, but I love it!

1) Wendy's Frosty: Ever since I was very little, I loved soft serve ice cream (still do!). This is a cross between a soft serve and a milk shake. I'm not sure if it actually contains real dairy, but I don't care. I love to order the kids menu size and eat it with a spoon. And if I had to eat at one of the national fast food burger chains, it would be Wendy's--no contest. The salads are really good, and if you want a burger and fries, they do a decent job. But for me, it's all about the Frosty.

Honorable Mention: Dunkin' Donuts cake donuts (especially with chocolate icing and sprinkles).

Top 5 Gross-Out Fast Foods

I've recently been inspired by a truly amazing food phenomenon -- Domino's Oreo Dessert Pizza. Have you seen this thing?! John Stewart and Steven Colbert have mocked it on their shows, making it a symbol of unchecked indulgence and plain bad taste. Domino's own commercials feature guys with yucky oreo cookie mustaches (see the ad here) from chowing on it. I know it's just a fad, but it's too scary to ignore.

The Oreo Pizza has led me to reflect on the lengths to which some food corporations will go to be bigger, better and nastier than their competitors. So here's my personal list of the top 5 gross-out fast foods on the market. Did I name one of your guilty (or possibly not so guilty) pleasures? Let me know what grosses you out in the comments.

5) Enormous Omelete Sandwich: 730 calories, 45 grams of fat (69% of your daily fat needs), 110% of your daily recommended cholesterol. But it'll keep you going right up till lunch time!

4) KFC Famous Bowl: I don't really have anything against KFC. If I'm going to eat fried chicken and biscuits, I want my homemade recipe. But, the conventional wisdom says the colonel's secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices is pretty good. This, however, does not excuse the Famous Bowl (pictured above) -- and what's so famous about it anyway? It's a massive bowl of mashed potatoes, topped with corn, popcorn chicken (read, "fried leftover chicken bits"), shredded cheese, gravy, and an optional biscuit add-on. All for 910 calories and a helluva lot of carbs.

3) IHOP's Country Fried Steak & Eggs: This item deserves a special mention because my sweetheart -- whom I would not hesitate to call an epicurean under normal circumstances -- absolutely loves it. Actually, he doesn't just love it, he's passionate about it and rhapsodizes over its charms. In our house, it has come to stand for his idea of bliss and my idea of pain. He loves it so much, he only eats it on rare occasions -- those couple times a year when he can devote an entire day to digesting it. In case you haven't had the pleasure, it's a fried piece of beef smothered in thick white sauce called, euphemistically, country gravy. It's served with a biscuit, and Mike get his with eggs over easy. He mixes it all around on his plate, douses it with hot sauce, and goes to his happy place for about an hour, at which point he is rendered immobile. To him, IHOP's version of this southern fave is the best, and that's why it's made the list.


2) Skyline Chili 3-Way: This ain't the good kind of 3-way -- a mound of spaghetti, a helping of beef chili flavored with cinnamon and electric-yellow cheese on top; actually, the color of the cheese is not so much electric--it's radioactive.

1) Domino's Oreo Dessert Pizza - Cookie crumbs stuck to a thin crust with gooey white icing. This isn't a pizza, it's a way to use up all the broken oreos...nice work, Nabisco.


Technorati Tags: Oreo Pizza

Everyone Loves Meyer Lemons!

I've never been too focused on keeping up with the latest trends, but it was gratifying to see that Mingling happened to be ahead of the foodie curve in the case of Meyer lemons. We've been sipping these Meyer Lemon Drop Martinis since December, but this article was just published in Wednesday's New York Times Food & Dining section:

When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Pasta & Confit

It does feature some enticing recipes, including a shortbread tart with confit of Meyer lemon filling. I think Nic's Foolproof Lemon Tart on Baking Sheet that I reproduced here is an even better bet if you manage to get your hands on these lovely seasonal lemons. The February issue of Gourmet also extolls their virtues and features a recipe for a Meyer lemon souffle that I would like to try.

Never mind that the mainstream food media does stories on Meyer lemons every winter; I'm just going to consider this little blog a trendsetter... at least until the next food fascination comes along.

Technorati Tags: Meyer Lemons, News

Christmas Vacation!

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I thought you might get a kick out of this little guy hanging on our Christmas tree. He's a recent addition to my beloved ornament collection. A gift from my mom, he's got measuring spoons for a tale, slotted spoons as ears, a box grater head and, well, you can see the rest. My mom has been giving me a special ornament every year since my first Christmas. One of my favorite holiday rituals is lovingly unwrapping them and decorating the tree.

This year, Mike and I will be in Bellingham, WA at his parents' home to cook, eat, drink and hang out with them as well as my sister-in-law, Meg, brother-in-law, Scott, and CJ (short for "cousin James"). We're thinking tapas for Christmas Eve, a champagne brunch the next morning and crab legs for Christmas dinner. I have no doubt that it will be a great time. I'll be back to my blog in about a week. I want to leave you with an interesting article that the lovely owner of Kalyn's Kitchen pointed out. YOU just might be Time Magazine's person of year... I don't know about you, but it did make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Have a wonderful holiday!

Last, but not least, this is our cute little "Charlie Brown" tree. Since we'll be away, we just couldn't justify buying a full-size one. But going treeless was simply not an option!

Technorati Tags: Christmas