July 24, 2008
From Required Eating
Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 24, 2008 at 11:30 AM
If Van Halen wasn't talkin' 'bout love in his 1978 hit song, maybe he had cheese on the mind? On this plastic container of assorted cheese chunks found by our friend Homesick Texan at a New York market, Halen's famous lyrics appear above the barcode. "I've been to the edge, an there I stood an looked down...lost a lot of friends there baby, I got no time to mess around."
Clearly, he was referring to the edge of the grocery aisle, where he lost his pals after buying feta. The song was known for being very raw; much like this "assorted" pack of uncooked cheese.
From Required Eating
Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 24, 2008 at 11:00 AM
That's too many seeds for a normal McDonald's bun. Spotted in Taiwan, the "Grilled Chicken Multi Grains" demonstrates the fast food industry's attempt to make us healthier—and what better way than with big, fat seeds. The sandwich isn't currently available in the United States, where the closest alternative is a Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich on a "toasted honey wheat bakery roll." (No seeds involved.)
From Photograzing
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From Required Eating
Posted by Robyn Lee, July 24, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Photograph from rahims on Flickr
This chocolate bar was so close to being the chocolate bar of my Internet meme dreams; it just needs a space between the "O" and the "RLY."
If the word "ORLY" reminds you of an airport in Paris and not a snowy owl, then you are safely beyond the grasp of the Internet's attempt to destroy your brain. Not in this category: ytmnd's many ORLY chocolate homages (warning: annoying music automatically plays).. [via Neatorama]
From Required Eating
Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 24, 2008 at 9:30 AM
Opening the Chewandswallow Digest this morning, we learned of spaghetti storms in our stars—but not until 2010. Ron and Judi Barrett's classic children's story Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs will become a 3-D IMAX film by Sony Pictures Animation, starring Andy Samberg and Anna Faris. Beyond pasta, the town of Chewandswallow will also be deluged by Gorgonzola snow flurries, toast hurricanes, and pea-soup fog.
Since an illustrated 30 pages can only lend so much film fodder, the plot invents a scientist who instigates the edible meteorology in hopes of ending world hunger. (If you remember, the book begins with Grandpa accidentally whacking his grandson with a pancake while flipping one for breakfast, then explains how normal this is in Chewandswallow.) Similar to Twister and Backdraft, the film will have a Mother Nature–gone-wrong twist.
Now, if only we could squeeze our childhood beds into the theaters for ultimate viewing pleasure.
From Slice
Posted by Ed Levine, July 24, 2008 at 8:30 AM
Apizza Scholls
4741 Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland OR 97215 (at SE 47th Avenue; map); 503-233-1286; apizzascholls.com
Pizza Style: Neapolitan-American
Oven Type: Electric Bakers Pride
Price: Apizza ‘Margo’rita, $20; Bacon Bianca, $22; sausage, $20
In my pizza book, A Slice of Heaven, the last chapter was devoted to the "Keepers of the Flame," people whose dedication and single-minded devoted to making great pizza made them worthy of inclusion in what could have been called the Pizzaiolo Hall of Fame.
I still get excited when I'm in the presence of pizza greatness. So I was psyched to be in Portland, Oregon, eating at Apizza Scholls. Even the pie that owner and pizzaiolo Brian Spangler had reluctantly FedExed to me was pretty delicious. (Even after reheating it at a pizzeria near Serious Eats headquarters.)
When we drove up to Apizza Scholls, the line was snaking down the block, but we got to his place early enough to snag the last table. Brian's warm, friendly, and smart-as-a-whip wife, Kim Nyland, greeted us and escorted me into the kitchen.
Spangler and his crew were in full pizza-making regalia and mode because the dining room was already full of the people who had been waiting in line for an hour and 15 minutes. I wasn't ready for what happened next.
Brian pulled out a gun.
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From Required Eating
Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 24, 2008 at 7:30 AM
Pretzels, strawberries, and bananas do their share of bathing in chocolate, but bacon? These indulgent strips are a new item at Marini's Candies in Santa Cruz, California, brought to our attention by Serious Eater Fast Food Critic. Do we consider this pushing bacon's limits? Or accentuating its beauty?
Yet another sign that bacon is taking over the world.
From Required Eating
Posted by Hannah Howard, July 23, 2008 at 8:15 PM
We are plagued by water hang-ups: bottled water obsessing, bottled water loathing, and recently, fees for filtered tap water. Eater SF reports that Millennium Restaurant in Nob Hill will soon charge guests a buck for water filtered through a nifty Natura carbon and UV filter.
In case you're wondering where that dollar is going, Millennium Restaurant explains that it's for fancy filters, visits from water filter technicians, and the UV lightbulb maintenance.
When you spend twenty bucks on beautiful restaurant scallops, only a fraction of that money actually goes to the food cost. There's labor, rent, and that classy plate on which your scallops lie. Not to mention last week's emergency dishwasher repair, the air conditioning, and the linen service that delivers napkins to the restaurant. (But you don't need to hear all that; the bill will suffice.)
This charge applies the same philosophy; but is it fair for water? Should Millennium Restaurant just eat the cost? Er, drink.
From Required Eating
Posted by Robyn Lee, July 23, 2008 at 7:30 PM
Photograph take by Gunnar Hafdal on Flickr
I feel proud knowing that the premium fruit we export to Iceland "meets or exceeds U.S. fancy standards."
From Slice
Posted by Daniel Zemans, July 23, 2008 at 6:30 PM
Daniel Zemans, our man in Chicago, checks in with another piece of intel on the Windy City pizza scene. Daniel also blogs about Chicagoland pizza, along with his friends, on the Chicago Pizza Club blog. —The Mgmt.
Very few places in Chicago sell deep-dish pizza by the slice. On a recent trip to Art of Pizza, I learned why. Until this visit to Art of Pizza, I had never eaten in the restaurant. I had only ordered whole pies and had them delivered or I had picked them up. I had never gone there for slices; and after this experience, I never will again.
The restaurant is located in what was once a small strip mall but has since become Art of Pizza Plaza—the restaurant has expanded over the years to take over the entire development.
Art of Pizza
3033 N Ashland, Chicago IL 60657 (map); 773-327-5600
Pizza Style: Deep dish and stuffed crust
The Skinny: It's not much to look at, but the Art of Pizza lands atop many Chicagoans' best deep-dish list. And they do have a great pizza there—just don't order it by the slice. The herbed crust sets AoP apart from the other players in town, and the crust on the stuffed pizzas are noticeably less flaky than at other joints
The inside of Art of Pizza is nothing special. In fact, for a place that many people rank as among their favorite pizzerias, it is noticeably unattractive. From the old formica tables, to the lack of wall décor to the 20-year-old television set to the view of a parking lot, there is nothing physically appealing about the restaurant. But just like it would be wrong to judge New York by the overflowing piles of hot garbage that line the city's streets, it is wrong to judge the food at Art of Pizza by the restaurant's physical limitations.
The crust at Art of Pizza is what noticeably distinguishes it from other pizzerias. Both the pan and stuffed pizzas feature an herbed crust that goes very well with the impressive amounts of mozzarella both pies use. Also, the stuffed crust, which is two inches tall around the outside of the pie, is not nearly as flaky as other stuffed pies in Chicago. I suspect they use either less shortening than other pizzerias or none at all, but I'm not enough of a breadsmith to be able to tell, and the kid working the counter on this trip had no idea about the dough recipe.
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From Required Eating
Posted by Paul Clarke, July 23, 2008 at 5:30 PM
On occasion, I’ve touched on the different types of gin now populating the shelves of your local liquor stores. Many of them are in the growing class of so-called “new generation” gins. That is, less traditional dry gins that, while still flavored with juniper berries, push other botanicals front and center, so the taste is less juniper-forward like old-school gins such as Tanqueray, and more herbal, floral, or citrusy.
One of the first, and almost certainly the most popular, in this gin wave is Hendrick’s. Made in Scotland, and with a delicate flavor that features cucumber and rose petals more prominently than juniper, Hendrick’s is marketed in a distinctive black bottle that calls to mind apothecaries of the Victorian era—a time of croquet and cucumber sandwiches in the rose garden, all characteristics that Hendrick’s savvy marketers have used to good effect.
With a bright, floral aroma and a crisp, complex flavor, Hendrick’s is a very easy gin for ginophobes to embrace. In a martini, Hendrick’s benefits from light vermouth. The more vermouth-heavy martinis growing popular at haute cocktail bars have a better balance when made with a more assertive gin like Plymouth, whereas with Hendrick’s, the floral interplay can get overwhelming. Substituting Lillet for vermouth creates the right balance, and in delicately-flavored gin drinks and highballs such as the gin rickey, Hendrick’s is a fine choice.
From Recipes
Posted by Blake Royer, July 23, 2008 at 4:45 PM
I've become rather enamored of lentils lately. They're cheap, versatile, and more nutritious than carbohydrates like rice and pasta (lentils are a legume, like beans). They're a go-to ingredient when you want to stretch a meal a bit further.
Lentils and sausage are a classic combination, often as a stew, probably because it's such an affordable way to serve a lot of people. The sausage becomes a seasoning, rather than the main event.
This recipe, from Stéphane Reynaud's Pork & Sons (previously a "Cook the Book" on Serious Eats), simmers the sausages in the same pot as the lentils so the flavors and fats infuse. The earthy lentils are then tossed with a balsamic-based vinaigrette that's fortified with a little bacon (which is never a bad thing), then topped with the sausage. The original recipe was more complicated and called for walnut oil, but I simplified, replacing it with olive oil, and was happy with the results.
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From Slice
Posted by Adam Kuban, July 23, 2008 at 4:15 PM
A piece in the Virginian-Pilot reports that local Papa John's franchises in southeastern Virginia changed their pay structure at the beginning of this month.
... Previously, drivers got at least the full minimum wage of $5.85, plus a small delivery stipend and tips. Now, Papa John's is taking advantage of federal law that says because the drivers can make tips, they can be a paid a lower hourly rate when they're on the road making deliveries and a higher rate while working in the shop. Other pizza places use comparable systems.
But the rub is that most people tip for s*** when it comes to pizza delivery. So with the cost of gas through the roof, plus insurance and car maintenance, some drivers aren't even breaking even on the cost of delivery. So just a reminder, homeslices, be sure to tip the pizza guy or gal. Here are some tips on tipping: tipthepizzaguy.com.
From Required Eating
Posted by Robyn Lee, July 23, 2008 at 4:15 PM
With the help of Baby's First Internet, written by Kevin Fanning and illustrated by Kean Soo, you can teach your little ones how to behave on the internet. The rhyme, "In order to increase renown / add “bacon” to most any noun," is one we're particularly familiar with. Maybe a little too familiar with. (Another one that may hit close to home for food bloggers is, "Your friends won’t like it, on the real / but you must Flickr every meal.") [via Metafilter]
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From Recipes
Posted by Amanda Clarke, July 23, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Anybody who has eaten in a contemporary Italian restaurant is likely to be familiar with the tasty simplicity that is bruschetta. It's little more than toasted slices of bread topped with flavorful combinations of whatever beans, vegetables, herbs, and cheeses suit the mood or happen to be on hand. For Italian chefs and home cooks alike, bruschetta is an easy and infinitely versatile preparation for delicious canapés, appetizers and accompaniments that look attractive without being expensive. By substituting pound cake for the bread and crowning it with sweeter, fruit-based mixtures, you have bruschetta dolce. It's a a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of beautiful summer fruits and the residual heat of the grill, and it makes the ideal finale to your next summer barbecue.
What to Put on Your Bruschetta
Although it's not a classic Italian preparation, bruschetta dolce is nonetheless at its best when prepared according to the basic tenets of classic Italian cooking—freshness, flavor and simplicity. Select only one or two key flavors, perhaps a perfectly fresh fruit and a creamy, mild cheese, and then choose a few simple accents, like toasted nuts or fresh herbs, that will enhance and round out the base flavors and textures. Bear in mind that the same tricks used to make simple savory bruschette so satisfying apply just as well to bruschetta dolce, so don’t be afraid to use them. Add smoothness and aroma with a drizzle of spicy olive oil; bring out overall flavors with a pinch of salt; make fruit flavors stand out against rich, fatty backgrounds with a dose of citrus juice or a complementary vinegar.
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From Recipes
Posted by Lucy Baker, July 23, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Light, chilled summer soups such as gazpacho and vichyssoise are all well and good, but every once in a while—even when temperatures are soaring—crave a soup that serves as a hearty, soul-satisfying meal.
Today's Cook the Book recipe, excerpted from Summer on a Plate by Anna Pump, is for corn and lobster soup. Even though it's served hot, it’s still season-appropriate, brimming with the sweet flavor of sun-ripened corn and succulent lobster. If lobster meat is unavailable (or out of your price range, as it is for me!) you can substitute shrimp or any lean, firm white fish, such as cod or halibut.
Win 'Summer on a Plate'
We're giving away five (5) copies of Anna's book. Enter for a chance to win here.
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