Food Lush

Candy Corner: What's Your Regional Candy?

by Erik

Longtime readers will know that I've spent a fair amount of time traveling this summer. Two weeks in Vermont, and most recently two weeks hangin' with the ancestors back in Michigan. Plus, with some work-related trips throughout the length of California, I've had the opportunity to sample some interesting regional flavors. Vermont has its maple-flavored obsession, and California has an interesting melange of Asian flavors mixed with Mexican sweets (in addition to a burgeoning high-end chocolatier scene). Michigan has a couple of regional delicacies -- the most commonly known is the Mackinac Island Fudge (not to be confused with the Mackinac Island Fudgees that the horses leave all over the roads on the island itself, if you know what I mean. You won't want to wear white loafers, even if it is before Labor Day). 

Lesser known (to me at least) is Dutch Licorice. Michigan has a sizeable Dutch population along the state's Lake Michigan coastline. There's a town named "Holland" that has a whole replica Ye Olde Tyme Dutch Village in it (Nelis' Dutch Village), and every other surname sounds as though the loveliest parts of French were combined with the ugliest parts of German and were left in a swamp to ruminate for 2000 years. And these Dutch take their Dutchness VERY seriously.

So seriously that they have adopted a particular type of licorice as the official Dutch candy of western Michigan. This is a kind of black licorice that is different from what one would consider a typical black licorice flavor profile. This black licorice is salted, and tough. In fact, you can choose from a whole range of saltiness and toughness:

Now, here's the sad part: I didn't get to actually taste any Dutch Licorice. In fact, I didn't even know about it until the last day we were in Michigan, at which point my brother mentions this crazy Dutch Candy and how gross it is. So I'm going to have to order some.

But it did get me wondering: what are some other regional candies that are unique to a certain area, city, or state? Readers? Help me out here, and give me your local candies or sweet favorites (remember Nicole's awesome regional food breakdown?). Someday, I'll drive across the country visiting each of these candy nirvanas, kind of like a more sugary, diabetic version of Travels With Charlie (instead of a trusty canine side kick, I'll have an insulin pump). In this travelog, Steinbeck wrote about the homogenization of culture brought about by mass media. But candy still offers a unique look into a local culture and custom. In a state that often times seems homogenized within an inch of its life (heck, I can get a burrito, Pho, a live (cooking) turtle, ice cream, a spaghetti dinner, and bubble tea all in the same strip mall), I still can't find Dutch Licorice anywhere.     

{Photo credit: http://shopping.dutchvillage.com/dvfood/dvf_food2.htm}

The Pioneer Woman on Food Network

By Sarah

The Pioneer Woman's new show on Food Network (aptly named ... wait for it... The Pioneer Woman) premiered this past weekend, which means the Internet and the real world have officially collided. And we all survived! Whew.

I liked the show and could certainly see it becoming one I watch on the regular. Ree is, just like on her website, fun and cute and personable.

In her writing and pictures, she makes you want to come hang out at the ranch and eat fatty food and this definitely translates over onto her show.

In what I thought was a totally apropos "ranch" meal, Ree made chicken fried steak with gravy and what might be the most delicious creamy mashed potatoes ever (butter and cream cheese and heavy cream and then MORE butter? Yes please!), as well as a marinated tomato salad with herbs that I'll be making once my tomatoes ripen.

Then she made cowboy breakfast sandwiches and some kind of juice cocktail, the recipe for which I can't find on Food Network's website. From memory, it had orange juice, pineapple juice, milk (I think?), and meringue powder (never heard of that), all blended together to make it frothy, and then garnished with an orange segment. I could see myself garnishing it with some vodka.

One thing I liked about the show was that it didn't focus on just cooking and being in the kitchen. In fact, not all the recipes were even shown being cooked live, instead they'd flash back and give a quick how-to rather than showing every single step. In doing this, they allowed more time for us to see Ree in her day-to-day life, which, in my opinion, is what blogging is all about.

I'm happy to see Food Network kept true to Ree's popularity, acknowledging that she is where she is because of her blogging/Internet fan-base and not attempting to turn her into something she's not.

Did you watch The Pioneer Woman's show? What are your thoughts?

{Photo credit: foodnetwork.com}

Reader Help: Buying a bread maker

by Elsha

You guys, I've tried to make bread a few times and it turns out I'm not so good at it. I mean, the results have always been edible, but not exactly enjoyable. But I really, REALLY like fresh bread so I'm considering getting a bread maker. The thing is, I don't know anything about bread makers. I've never actually used one (although, I've seen my mom and my sister use one, does that count?) so I have literally no experience with them.

So you tell me: do you have a bread maker? Do you like it? Is there one great one out there, or do personal preferences make a big difference? Should I just suck it up and get someone to teach me how to do it by hand? Help me out guys! I need to know what bread maker I should be adding to my wish list!

App Love: Memorable Wines

By Ariel

Confession time: I'm a wino who can never actually remember what wines I like. I wonder if that is a direct result of how much I actually liked the wine in question, but I digress. I know what my favorite wines are from my favorite wineries, but when I go into the liquor store, I never remember which wines I liked and which wines I hated. I'm one of those people who picks wine based on how pretty and/or interesting the label is. 

All of that is in the past now! Let me introduce to you my new favorite app on my iPhone: Memorable Wines. Witty name, eh?

The idea is so simple it hurts. You keep a list of all the wine you encounter and you never forget that one bottle was so dry you needed a chaser of water after one sip (what, doesn't that happen to everyone?) The app accommodates everything a rookie to a connoisseur would want to jot down, complete with the ability to take a picture of the bottle's label directly from the app or pull it from an existing photo in your phone's storage.

It's as simple as filling in the blanks and will automatically record what day you made the entry. Of course as soon as I discovered the app I ran around my kitchen and dining room to snap pictures of all my bottles. My husband and I went wine tasting on our anniversary Sunday and I think next time I hit a winery I'm going to candidly snap pictures of all the ones I didn't buy/like just so I don't waste my time trying them again on my next trip.  In case you were burning to know, I discovered a true love of blueberry wine, but strawberry and I are going to be seeing other people.




You can view all the wines you entered and search the whole list:



Or you can narrow down what you're looking for by breaking your wine list into red, white, rose, sparkling, or dessert:




I'm pretty excited to build up my little digital collection. The only things that would make this app better is if they had a complimentary computer application to sync your list to and a way to share your list with other users. I downloaded the app for free in the App Store a few months ago (and can't believe I'm just now getting around to using it! All those wines I could have recorded!) but it is $1.99 now. I cannot confirm nor deny if this is an app that is available for other devices, but if you find it let us know in the comments! I haven't researched any other wine recording apps, but if this is the sort of thing that appeals to you (meticulous list making, I know I'm not the only one!) I would highly recommend checking out this or a similar app if you are a wine lover but can't always remember which wines you actually loved.  I'm going to use it to make notes of what kinds of wine my husband likes because I usually go with whatever is the driest.  It will be nice to actually have a catalog of what was a hit and what was a miss. 

You can find out more information on this app and purchase it at Memorableapps.com. After looking up their website I also see they have a Memorable Beer and a Memorable Meal app.  This is truly technology at its finest!

So far I've found some really amazing apps for my love of food and booze and have a few others I'm itching to share.  Do you have any app discoveries that contributes to your love of food and drink?

{All photos taken by me on my own app, credit for design goes to memorableapps.com.} 

 

Edit - April, the designer of Memorable Apps was kind enough to let us know that Memorable Wines is FREE through this weekend!  A few readers have already taken advantage of the great deal, I hope you give this fantastic app a whirl, too!

What Do You Eat For Breakfast?

by Carrie

I'm always really interested in what other people are eating. I'm particularly interested in what people eat for breakfast, as it's pretty much my least favorite meal of the day and also one that I know other people don't frequently eat.

In the past two years or so, I've realized that my day goes MUCH better if I eat some protein at breakfast. It's easier for me to concentrate, I have more energy and I don't get hungry for lunch nearly as fast as I did when I was eating only carbs for breakfast. It's kind of a no-brainer, but it took me forever to realize!

Here is a small survey of what I eat for breakfast on a regular weekday:

• GF bread or English muffin, toasted, with SmartBalance, peanut butter or almond butter and a Greek yogurt
• One GF frozen waffle with Greek yogurt spread on top and either blueberries or sliced banana on top of the yogurt
• Small serving of cereal with almond milk and sliced bananas and a Greek yogurt
• Green smoothie with protein powder added and toast or waffle
• Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and granola mixed in
• Microwaved scrambled eggs with spinach, tomatoes and a little bit of cheese

And I always have a cup of black or chai tea with milk. 

I'm not one to eat last night's dinner for breakfast; for me, breakfast has its own flavors and they should be kept seperate from lunch or dinner flavors. If it's a weekend morning or if I have a little bit more time, I'll eat scrambled eggs on quinoa with salsa on top, or maybe a frittata or pancakes. (Here's a nice archive of what other Food Lush writers eat for breakfast.)

And here's an awesome graphic I got from The Kitchn via EatingRules; some great suggestions on there, right?

What do you eat for breakfast? Are you a breakfast protein fiend like me or are you the type to just grab a granola bar?

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

By Kristie

I LOVE this parmesan cheese substitute, so do my two kids.

Parma Raw Parmesan Cheese Alternative is a fantastic substitute for the cheese you typically sprinkle on your pasta dishes, salads or other dishes that use parmesan. All of the ingredients are raw, kosher and gluten free. I'm rarely without the biggest container of this cheese substitute in my house.

Have you tried this or other parmesan cheese substitutes? What did you think of them?

{Image courtesy Veganessentials.com}

Cisco Brewers

By Leslie

I'll admit it.

I am one of those people who picks the wine based on the label.   

Show me a vintage, cheeky, or whimsical looking label and it's mine.  

Same goes for beer.  The first whiff of fall hits, and I'm throwing down $20 for 4 bottles of beer with a pumpkin on the label.

When I worked in Michigan (dear god, my friends and family are already rolling their eyes. "When I lived in Michigan" has become the equivalent of "when I was your age...")  Anyway, when I lived in Michigan I fell in love with microbreweries and craft beer.  The stories of these places are fun and interesting and the beer is so tasty.  I was in college at the time, so our beer choices usually ended at Bud Light.  I didn't know anything about beer that tasted GOOD. Bell's Oberon was our favorite.

We can't get it here in Maryland, but every now and then I'll see it on a menu when we're traveling. Any Michiganders out there??

So, the other day we were at some huge beer store (begging for Oberon) and I was roaming around while my boyfriend was looking for something.  I spotted these guys.  

Cute, right?  These looked like fun so I picked out two for us to try. This one - the Moor Porter and another one - the Whale's Tale Pale Ale.  As you can see they come from Cisco Brewers, a brewery in Nantucket. 

 {Photo credit - www.weddingsmarthasvineyard.com}

Both were really good!  The come in the larger 22 oz bottles, which is perfect for sharing.  I can see these being served at a summer party, laid back rehearsal dinner, etc.  They are pretty charming.  Also, they receive consistent high scores on the beer advocate.       

Tell me readers: have you tried any of these?  Any other microbrews to share?

A poll: one cheese to rule them all

by Katie

Here's the thing: I kind of hate brie.

I love cheese. Love. Developing lactose intolerance is a real honest-to-goodness fear for me. But brie? Blah. I don't like its squidgy wiggly texture, it's too rich for my taste, and the rind is just annoying (you're supposed to eat it, but I don't love the texture, and eating around it is just bad manners).

This is, I have found, an unpopular opinion. People LOVE brie.

Myself, I am a sucker for sheep's milk cheeses, particularly ones that are so hard and aged that they have little crystals in them. YUM.

I have developed a theory: everyone has One True Cheese. The one that, given a platter full of choices, they will choose again and again.

So I have devised this highly scientific poll, wherein I have invented rough categories of cheese.  (Disclaimer: I am not a cheese professional. If you are, please forgive me and my janky-amateur classification scheme.)

I am really truly curious what people like best. I'm also hoping to find that there are at least a few more brie haters out there. Enlighten me!

The Best Pancakes Ever (they have almond extract in them!)

By A'Dell

We are Weekend Pancake People and this is the recipe I've been using for several years. It is the most splattered and loved page in my recipe/party book, which is odd, as I no longer need to refer to the recipe to make them. It produces light, fluffy, tender pancakes every single time, without exception. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it's really, really simple to throw together and a helluva lot better than anything you'll find pre-mixed at the grocery.

I add one teaspoon of almond extract to the batter and it makes them EXTRA delicious and decadent. My favorite way to eat them is with raspberries and a drizzle of local honey on top. (I'm not saying that to be snooty -- I get my local honey from Walmart! It's supposed to help with seasonal allergies, but no dice for us on that yet.)  It's a recipe from an old issue of Cook's Illustrated and a few tries with Google will not produce a link for me to credit back to, which is fine by me as their website is really clunky and why would you want to spend time there anyway?

Good thing I wrote it down.

The Best Pancakes Ever 

• 2 cups flour (I've used all-purpose and bread flour with good results)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups milk with a squeeze of lemon (Can also use lime, if that's what you have and I have even used orange juice in a pinch. Purpose is to thicken up the milk, like buttermilk, but I never have buttermilk handy and I even made this once WITH buttermilk and it was not as good. So, lemon + milk it is.)
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (Could use vanilla or simply omit altogether. They'll still be tasty.)

1. Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl.
2. Whisk egg into milk; mix with melted butter.
3. Dump wet ingredients into dry ingredients all at once; whisk until just mixed. Don't overmix, it will be somewhat lumpy.
4. Cook them on a griddle. This is my husband's job and he always says to take them off/turn them before you think they are done. He says that's the secret to making sure they are light and tender every time.

I've also had great success doubling the recipe (Warning: you will be standing at the griddle making pancakes for the better part of 20 minutes if you do that). I freeze any extras between layers of wax paper in a zip-top bag. They make for easy breakfasts for my preschooler.

Make Your Own Healthy Microwave Popcorn

By Kristin 

Awhile ago, fellow Food Lusher Katie taught me an amazing trick – you could make microwave popcorn at home without all the chemicals. All you needed was popcorn kernels and a brown paper bag – mix the kernels with a little oil and salt, put in a paper bag and microwave away! 

I love popcorn, but the microwave stuff is kind of crap, unless it’s covered in salt and fake butter. Nothing compares to the taste of fresh popcorn popped in an air popper or on the stove. 

So basically this tidbit from Katie has changed my life. I now eat popcorn a lot and the kernels are SO much cheaper than microwave popcorn packets. 

The only downside I have found is that I go through too many bowls. And I hate doing dishes. There is the one to mix the kernels with some oil and salt and then there is the one you ultimately eat the popcorn in. (And, if you’re like me, you might have another one you use to melt butter in because mmmmmm, butter.) 

But there is a solution! While taking a shortcut around the annoying, aisle-blocking stupid people in Target yesterday, I stumbled across the popcorn aisle and this bowl. 

This microwave popcorn bowl serves as a place to cook the popcorn and a place to serve it! GENIUS! 

The best part is that this will air pop, sans oil, which makes it a really healthy snack for those of us watching our calories! 

{Photo credit: amazon.com}