The Second Helping House

Flour Sack Apron

2008-04-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

If you are a serious home bread baker, I heartily suggest that you visit “Heartland Mill” for some quality baking ingredients. I have had wonderful results with all the varieties of flours they offer from finely milled durum wheat to whole rye, and a product they call “golden buffalo” bread flour. All these are organic certified flours.

Heartland Mill ships their flour in traditional muslin flour sacks. On the back of the bag they suggest to reuse the bags for something else. I literally took them to heart and saved all my bags with the idea of doing a crazy shirt. But, as it ended up, we were a few bags short of a shirt. All bakers need aprons, and with the aide of my multi-talented mother, we came up with a dandy of an apron design. “Now a days” this is called repurposing, in my mother's era, it was a necessity.

Beef Villa

2008-04-05T06:48:00.001-07:00

I think hot dogs make some of the best character translations. Villas sound like nice places to stay while on vacation. Q. Where is “Beef Villa”? A. On the“Beef Riviera” of course. Beef seems less vulgar than meeting at the “Meat Riviera”. Thank you to Chris for sending this one to us.

Fruit Face

2008-03-16T18:41:00.001-07:00

Our neighbors have a garage sale on a regular basis. It is always fun to go looking because "Jo" combs sales throughout the year and collects the best finds for her own garage sale. Here are a couple of chalk ware fruits for the anthropomorphic food and kitchen gallery. The gum parker and poodle plate were not to be missed

Springlerles are Not Just For Christmas anymore

2007-12-30T06:34:00.000-08:00

The years end has bought with it a bit more steam to our blog. Could this be an indication that we will post more often in 2008? Just before Christmas, Dieter remembered the Springerle cookie mold his mother had. It is a mold dating back to the 1800's and came from Germany with the German side of his family. Dieter's mom Elsie, told us her mother made the cookies and laid them out on a sheet covered ironing board to dry overnight before baking. We pulled out the antique ironing board and set out to duplicate the family tradition that until now had been set aside for more than half a century.

According to Wikipedia, Springerle is a type of cookie from Baden-Württemberg, Germany with an embossed design made by pressing a mold onto rolled dough and allowing the impression to dry before cooking. The cookies are traditionally white and anise-flavored. Molds are traditionally carved from wood, although plastic molds are also available. The name springerle means "little knights," and their origin can be traced back to the 14th century.

Above is a close up of the antique metal mold and the resulting cookie. We baked two versions of the cookie, one with anise oil and seed the other with only the seed. We sprinkled the mold with powdered sugar before pressing it into the dough as you can see in the image. The first recipe came from "Modern Baking" a trade magazine. Klaus Tenbergen, a master baker in Germany, South African and the United states gives this recipe:

Springerle
2 Lbs baking flour
0.125 crushed aniseed (about two rounded tea spoons, up to one tablespoon if you want
a stronger aniseed flavor)
14 whole eggs
2 Lbs granulated sugar

We halved the recipe above. The combination of the two recipes yielded over 100 cookies.

Method: Sift flour three times, add the aniseed. Beat the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the flour to the egg mixture, a small amount at a time, blending after each addition. Mix until smooth after the lst addition. Roll the dough on a lightly floured board, press into the moulds, remove, and place the cookies on pans to dry overnight. Bake in a slow oven at 250 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

The second recipe came from a blog called "A Geezer's Corner". It sounds like Springerles are a passion for this man. He adds butter, baking powder and lemon oil extract. We didn't have the lemon extract, but added i heaping tablespoon lemon zest instead. He has very strict directions "add the flavoring oils, and cream together for 10 to 15 minutes. yeah, that's what i said. if you don't, the cookies won't have the right consistency." We being law abiding citizens did just what he said.

In the end both cookies are delicious. You must be an anise lover or these cookies will be too strong for you.

According to ” Mr. Geezer"
House on the Hill is the best source for springerle moulds.

The High Art of Toasting/New Years Greetings

2007-12-27T16:32:00.000-08:00

We like to wish all food enthusiasts a very happy new year and may your plate be filled with flavor. This painting came to my from my cousin Paul and his wife Else who live in Amsterdam. We thank them for adding a great year end image for our anthropomorphic gallery.

Rosemary Rising

2007-11-28T16:13:00.000-08:00

Pictured above is an amazing "Orange + Chocolate" bread and a Pumpkin Seed Bread. Dieter baked these along with ”French Country White“, ”Caraway Molasses Rye”, “Caraway Anise Cumin Rye”, “Course Grain Mustard Rye” and “Chocolate Chip Cherry” loaves for the annual Rosemary Rising event in Sarasota. If you were one of the people who picked up a loaf of bread from the little salon, please let us know how you liked it.

Latest Additions to the Anthropormorphic Library

2007-07-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

My darling cousin Carolien, from Holland, sent me this quintessentially Dutch image from the municipality of Tiel, known for it metal and fruit industry. Flipje is the mascot of Tiel, I quote from the information sent to me, “When you think of Tiel you immediately think of the yearly fruit festival and the cartoon character Flipje which has been an advertising icon for young and old for over 65 years.” As an anthropomorphic character, Flipje appears to me as a person dressed in a grape costume, a parade outfit perhaps. I am not sure if it is a true anthropomorphic character. I have included it as a marginal example in the same category as the green giant.

This iconic candy was invented in 1962, a movie theatre standard that was sold in a little box. Take a virtual tour of the Lemon head factory.

A hand painted sitting hamburger character. I believe this sign was the marque for a motel that occupied the location where the bar now stands. Highway 301 in Oneco Florida

Destination Beer: Bisbee Arizona

2007-07-09T18:56:00.001-07:00

To quote from the ”Discover Bisbee“ web site, “Brewery Gulch, which in its heyday boasted upwards of 47 saloons and was considered the "liveliest spot between El Paso and San Francisco”. Apparently the brewery gulch street in Bisbee wet a lot of whistles and still does today as I discovered. Much to my delight I spied a beer unknown to me “Dave's Electric Lager”, went for it and then went for a few more. Clean and refreshing and beautifully hopped. I enjoyed it so much that I made excuses to drop in various establishments to enjoy as many as I could squeeze into our three days in and around Bisbee. On our last evening during a visit to St. Elmos (a colorful watering hole) I struck gold. I was introduced to Dave by a jolly fellow by the name of Hector (howdy Hector I shall not forget your kindness) anyway Dave is as cool as you might expect, a humble guy who casually mention that he welded up his own brewery, the man can do! I might also mention that Dave was the first person in Arizona to receive a brewer’s license since Prohibition. Dave's Electric, from what I understand can only be found in and around the Bisbee area, the only reason you need to visit historic Bisbee. Dave and his beer reflect what is great about America, believe in yourself, have a dream, live it.....that is how the west was won. Don’t miss quaffing a few of Dave's Electric beers, it is desert gold.

Electric Brewing
Bisbee, Arizona
1326 Highway 92 #8
PO Box 354
Bisbee AZ 85603
Brewer: Dave Harvan

Destination Food: Bisbee Breakfast Club

2007-07-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

The Bisbee Breakfast Club , in southern Arizona, is a place that will make you happy and full, glad that you're on the green side of the grass. This restaurant is a stand out, stylized much like a diner with a counter, no booths, plenty of tables and bustling atmosphere. The coffee is right and comes often. Your breakfast is in front of you before you have a chance to look the place over. Eyes bigger then your belly, some how that side of pancakes manages to disappear. I must also mention a professional and polite staff. If “Loren” should wait on you her smile will make you understand why the sky is blue, your day will be that much brighter.

The Bisbee Breakfast Club is located in the town of Lowell, well, about half of what's left of Lowell. Let me explain. At the western end of Bisbee is a mammoth size hole in the earth called the lavender pit, a defunct coper strip mine, operations shut down sometime in the seventies. Lowell is located a short drive around the pit, what you see is about half of main street, the rest has vanished into the lavender abyss. A goggle search of Lowell brought up two sights listing it as a ghost town.

http://www.ghosttowngallery.com/htme/lowell.htm

http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/lowell.html

Now that we have established the location and credentials of this culinary oasis, let me say that Bisbee’s rich heritage is being carefully looked after by a citizenry that is as liberal minded as it is creative. This is a town not to be missed if the old west appeals to you and your western size appetite.

Friends with Hamburgers

2007-05-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

In their own words:
FriendsWithYou is an art collective founded by the Miami-based artists, Sam Borkson and Arturo Sandoval. Since its conception in 2002, FriendsWithYou has continued to promote the two artists' common message of Magic • Luck • Friendship through its various means of creative expression and commercial activity.

I just read a rant on designobserver.com. The author of the post was disappointed with the representation of contemporary design works included in the show “Design Life Now”, an exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City. He metioned some designers he thought were more worthy of inclusion in the show than some that were exhibited, so i decided to take a look at one of them called ”Friends With You“ and who did I see? MR. TTT hamburger and friends. It is refreshing to see designers who don't take themselves too seriously.

Chicago “Anthropomo”

2007-04-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

At the Hot Doug‘s website I see
DUCK FAT FRIES ..... $3.50 (Friday & Saturday only). Chris ate them and said they were amazing. Down with medical science, up with duck fat.

See more visual representations of the shapeless gyro form than you though imaginable at the Gyros Project website.

Thanks to Chris and Joe we now have anthropomorphic signs from Chicago. Thank you!

Why Octodog?

2007-04-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

Anna from Chile emailed us a link to the “Octodog” Frankfurter Converter site. Visit their site and ponder the very good question “why Octodog?”. Thank you again Anna. The device slips over the hot dog to create the blank expressioned “Octodog“ below. It might be good for a party. I'm not sure. Serve in a pool of ketchup?

A Hot Dog Drinking Coffee and a Corny Driver

2007-02-27T21:30:00.001-08:00

Hi Polly and Dieter,
I'm glad you responded so quickly to my comment! I saw this sign in a window of a butcher shop over the weekend, and took a photo thinking of your blog.

It appears to be a car windshield shade. It's advertising for "AgroSuper", a conglomerate here that sells pork (Super Cerdo), chicken (Super Pollo) and other foods. Nearly all their advertising has one or more of these characters. The chicken is wearing traditional Chilean dress. I have no idea why the hot dog has legs!!!

Best,
Anna

Anna graciously sent this photo to us from Chile, her home. Having a submission from a distant land is exciting for us and we encourage anyone who enjoys the family of anthropomorphic food characters to join us by sending sightings from wherever you are. For more information on "AgroSuper Pollo" click here. See the entire anthropomorphic food and kitchen gallery!

Anthropomorphic Skin

2007-02-04T11:06:00.001-08:00

We could not believe our eyes when we saw this. We just can't resist adding these images to the "anthropo" gallery. We found the hotdog image on LTHForum.The dish and spoon came from the New York Times article about chefs and tatoos. The chef who sports this tatoo, Rick Tramonto, partner and executive chef at Tru in Chicago, said "The spoon is running, the fork is stressed out, the knife is excited and they're all going after the plate. The plate is in the weeds; he's got the lobster but he dropped the lemon"

Year End Anthropomorphic Roundup

2006-12-31T21:01:00.001-08:00

“The Runaway Dinner” is a wonderful anthropomorphic food adventure. For anyone who enjoys illustrated children's books this one is a keeper.

The grape king is one of my favorites. I suspect the artist is familiar with the great Italian fruit portrait painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo.

This is one of Arcimboldo's more famous works "Vertumnus" 1590-1591, to see more of these works visit Olga's Gallery.

The years strangest find came from an antique mall. Probably circa 1950's it is a potato chip server illustratated with an anthropomorphic potato head wearing a ruffled potato chip skirt. The sticker on the back of the bowl indicates it was made in Japan.

Our friends Karma and Rob picked this up at the Superdawg consession at the Airport in Chicago. They paid one buck for the empty carton. Apparently a lot of empty boxes are sold as souveniers.

The Little Big Book of Comfort Food includes 200 recipes of home style cooking. It is a lovely book to own even if you don't cook as it contains an abundance of vintage images gleaned from turn of the century illustrations. Many of them from children's books. The following five images are from this book.

We could not resist buying this updated version of Mr. Potato Head. It is still fun to arrange the parts, although we miss sticking the accessories into a real spud. I suppose this new version will save many a little one from choking on the smaller parts that came with the original set. As you can see it is fun to create your own anthropomorphic character.

To view the complete anthropomorphic food and kitchen gallery click here.

The Flavor of Words: My name is Roger

2006-12-17T11:01:00.001-08:00

If you have an incredibly rare condition called lexical-gustatory synaesthesia, you can actually taste words. These people involuntarily “taste” words when they hear them, or even try to recall them, said Julia Simner, a cognitive neuropsychologist and synaesthesia expert at the University of Edinburgh. Her study, “Words on the Tip of the Tongue,” was published in “Nature” last month, She has found only 10 such people in Europe and the United States. Magnetic-resonance imaging indicates that they are not faking. It can be surprisingly unpleasant. One subject hates driving, because the road signs flood his mouth with everything from pistachio ice cream to ear wax. And Simner has yet to figure out any logical pattern. For example, the word “mince” makes one subject taste mincemeat, but so do rhymes like” prince.” Words with a soft “g,” as in “roger” or “edge,” make him taste sausage. But another subject, hearing “castanets,” tastes tuna fish. Another can taste only proper names: John is his cornbread, William his potatoes. They cannot explain the links. The flavors are just there.
Article from the St. Petersburg Times, Sunday, December 3, 2006, “A Little Perspective”.

My immediate response
As a reader of many recipes I strive to bridge the gap between the words and the taste they describe. As my culinary skill grows my ability to sift out mediocre recipes improves. Upon reading the article“ Eating their words” I thought wow! this is cool, to pre-taste the meal by reading the recipe, a perfect meal every time. Then reconsidering, I thought no, beyond the visual, the pleasure of a well prepared meal is the gustatory surprise and the saver of each bite. Imagine enjoying a suptuous desert of Chocolate Bavarian Cream Pie while hearing a waiter introducing himself to a table of new dinners, “Good evening my name is Roger I will be your waiter tonight”.

A Wreath of Mussel Shells

2006-12-15T16:36:00.000-08:00

Mussels are silent creatures, so it is up to us to speak for them. When speaking for mussels we should be as poetic as possible, after all mussels are in essence visual poetry inside and out. If I were to attempt verse for mussels it would begin by addressing their sleek black form, the feel and the music of the shell as I turn them in a colander. Moving on I would speak lovingly to them aquatinting them with the marriage arrangements that I have made for them, especially the wine they shall soon bath in. Many lines of joy pertaining to the grand feast, the ephemeral dance of taste. Then, the ending would begin something like this; Close to the shore in the dark twisting water your life began, I am your new shell, you live now with me and my voice is now yours. Together we shall make a wreath from the shell of so many days. A wreath to admire, a reminder of the the sweet life that is ours. Ok, so I may not be a poet but I hope you get the idea, this a project of love.

What you will need:

drill and 1/8 bit

6 inch length of wire, stove pipe or braided picture frame wire

ply wood wreath support (most craft stores stock them)

black spray paint

hot glue gun, or glue of choice (clear silicone may work)

cleaned shells

clear spray paint

The photo above doesn't include the black spray paint and hanging wire.

How to clean the shells:
Forget about the bucket with the bleach water, this does little to remove any fragments of mussel flesh sticking to the shell. What I found to be the best method is to spread the shells out in a sunny spot and let them dry out for about a week. When you retrieve them simply brush off the dried up fibre with thumb and finger nail. No smell either.

Assembly:
The ply wood support is your starting point. Often times craft stores sell blank wreath supports, the one in the set up picture is 12 inches, with a 2 inch band to glue shell to, good for using up your smallest shells. If you have an electric jig saw you can cut your support out of luan or similar 1/8 or 3/16 ply wood. The diameter I cut was 21 inches across, the center hole is 13 inches in diameter, leaving a 4 inch band for gluing on the shells.

Now that you have a support board you will need to hang the finished wreath. To do that drill two holes about 1 1/2 inches in from any edge making the holes 1 inch apart , this will be the top of the wreath. Insert the wire from the side to be sprayed painted black so that both ends can be twisted together to form a loop on the back used to hang the wreath. Cut off any excess wire once you are satisfied that it will hang properly on your nail or hook.

Spray the face with back paint so that no raw wood shows, this may take more than one coat, be sure and give paint plenty of time to dry.

Organise and divide you shells into left and rights and by size. Make some trial arrangements and start gluing. You will see how nicely the left and right halves of the shells follow the curve of the wreath form. I applied the glue to the narrow end and tipped the shell up. The next shell is set the same way, allowing the wide end to cover the narrow end of the preceding shell. I expect you will find many more patterns then the one shown here.

Once all shells are glued in place, give them two or three coats of clear spray to bring out the colour, let the paint dry completely between coats. If a shell pops loose when hanging just dab some hot glue on the back and slip in place.

Now that your are admiring your handy work and have mussels on the mind try this variation when making your next pot of steamed mussels.
Mussels Steamed in Wine
Adapted from The Time Life Series,The Good Cook: Shellfish

1 onion coarsely chopped

6 dozen mussels or 3 two pound bags cleaned and de-bearded

2 shallots coarsely chopped

1 bunch parsley finely chopped ( that could be any where from 1 to 2 1/2 cups )

freshly ground pepper ( perhaps a teaspoon )

10 tbs. butter, reserve 3 tbs. cut into chunks for finishing sauce

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

3 tbs. fresh lemon juice

Rinse mussels in sink using a colander, inspecting to be sure all mussels are closed tightly. Run some cool water in open shells and if alive they will close. In a non reactive pot (stainless is good, aluminium is not) load in onions, mussels, shallots, parsley, pepper, butter and wine. Load ingredients in order listed. Cover and cook over high heat, once simmering cook for about 3 to 4 more minutes. Transfer cooked mussels to a serving dish and keep warm. Strain cooking liquid into a sauce pan, use a wire strainer lined with a double layer of dampened cheese cloth. Pour your liquid into strainer slowly and watch carefully, leaving any sand or grit behind. Reduce the liquid to 1/3 of original volume, then off the heat whisk in the remaining butter chunks until thick and foamy. Whisk in lemon juice and pour sauce over mussels. Serve with crusty bread and wine. ....poetry!

Hydroponic Strawberries in December

2006-12-03T12:16:00.001-08:00

Only twenty two miles east of down town Bradenton, a lovely drive through the scrubby Florida countryside, you will find the hydroponic farm “Hydro-Taste”. Part show room, part working farm, this out door laboratory has our community talking. We were greeted by columns of colourful impatiens and the enthusiastic owner, Chester Bullock. Chester ushered us directly to the growing area where he graciously explained how the growing system works. We could not believe our eyes, we were surprised by the magnitude of operation lush with vegetation. With the “hydro-stackers”, Chester explains that he grows as many strawberries on one acre that would normally take seven acres to grow conventionally. We soon found ourselves armed with scissors and baskets picking large juicy perfectly red berries. There is no bending over to pick here, the “hydro-stackers” spin allowing access to picking on all sides, much like a post card rack. Our pictures show just a portion of what can be accomplished with “hydro-stackers”, why you can even grow corn with out it falling over. After seeing this affordable system, we believe even if you don’t have a “green thumb” you can have success following a few simple steps. If you want a garden that uses absolutely zero space this is it. Don’t believe us check out the photos on the “hydro-stacker” web site. By next year we will be posting our crop.

Rows of strawberries in December.
These planters survived a hurricane.
"Hydro-stackers" filled with cabbage,
White eggplant is one of Chester's many crops.
Stackers are emptied after the growing season. Ready to be replaced with new crops.
Columns of colorful impatients in hydro-stackers.

How to Identify a Real Chicken

2006-11-30T21:07:00.002-08:00

The latest addition to the “Anthropomorphic Kitchen Gallery”.

We know what a chicken looks like after seeing them in barnyards and picture books. If you're anything like us then you've eaten enough chicken to sprout your own feathers. We are ashamed to admit it, yes, we have eaten the mutant “ McNugget”...thing (but is it chicken?). Snapping open the box, with little hesitation, we dipped the salty chicken like morsels into the sweet honey mustard sauce then into our gullets. Who knew that under the crispy exterior lurked a bland, goofy face. The child looks nothing like the parent, albeit the chicken is reported to be a stupid creature. So are we what we eat? Mr. President, have you been indulging in “Chicken McNuggets”.... the close set eyes might suggest so. “McNuggets”, we fear are a clear and present danger to the health and security of our nation. View this picture carefully, every “McNugget” served peers at you from behind its greasy, crispy disguise. You must recognise, when your willpower is overtaken by the ugly force unseen, you’ll be enticed to eat the entire box. Just remember, before you succumb to the tasty grease, salt combination, a real chicken has an eye on each side of its heads.
Thank you Amanda, for the photo

Chester at the Shady Dell

2006-11-12T09:30:00.001-08:00

We have Karen and Phil to thank for this bookish looking corn guy. “Chester” was sighted at the Shady Dell in Bisbi Arizona, a great vacation spot where you can sleep in a vintage Airstream trailer. It was here that Phil popped the question. Congratulations you guys and thanks for sending us “Chester.”You can see more anthropomorphic food characters at the gallery.

Peanut Elves

2006-11-12T07:18:00.002-08:00

The peanut elves on this cover are the most recent addition to the anthropomorphic gallery. When I first saw the cover illustration for this peanut butter recipe pamphlet, my response was “this is great!”, but after thinking about it for a while the whole thing started to seem a little creepy to me. A wild eyed “junior” munching away on cookies from the snack jar seemingly oblivious to the fact he is being spirited away to some enchanted place by a band of peanut men. Common knowledge that children can be lured by the sweet tast of candies and cookies makes me think the “Snack Jar Plan” is a sinister scheme. The cover forest depiction is eerily reminiscent of a Grimms Brothers fairy tale. It is my guess the illustrator was influnenced by German cuture, perhaps a concept developed directly from the story of Hansel and Gretel. As the date of publication is 1946 by “National Peanut Council, Inc.”, we must say for sure the recent war with Germany was fresh in eveyones mind. Because I have read Grimms Fairy tales, I conclude that the boy being escorted into the woods will probably be eaten by the peanut men..... “The Snack Jar Plan”.

Atole de Nuez “the hot chocolate alternative”

2006-11-01T06:15:00.000-08:00

This delicious hot drink of Mexican origin, is made with pecans and masa harina. We drank this in “yes of course” San Francisco, a cold place for a Floridian. If you are looking for a drink to warm your soul on a cold winter night try this. In addition to adding flavor the masa swells to give this drink “body plus.” A note of caution; the drink stays hot for a long time, good for a long relaxing sit, bad for a burnt mouth. We encountered the mysterious flavors of “atole du nuez” while dining at El Dellphin in the Mission District of San Francisco. Our most gracious hostess Angelica was happy to share her recipe with us. This is a slightly altered version of her recipe. Her quantities were for a restaurant size crowd and I substituted a cinnamon stick with powder. Adjust the sugar to suit your taste.

Atole de Nuez

1/2 cup condensed milk

12 cup pecan halves

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup masa harina

1/2 gallon milk

In a blender, process the pecans to a fine powder.

Bring the half gallon of milk and 3 cups of water to a simmer. When it is hot add the condensed milk and other ingredients, adding the masa slowly to avoid clumping. Continue to stir until masa thickens. Simply add a bit more milk if it seems too thick. Sip and get cozy. When cooled cover and store the remaining drink in the refrigerator. Simply reheat in the microwave.

I Dream of Eating Less Cake

2006-10-10T18:06:00.001-07:00

The sign for the bakery in the North Beach area
These are really cakes! Unfortunately the bakery was not open when we were there.

What can I say, we loved vacationing in San Francisco so much we can't stop posting about what we saw there. I was delighted when we walked past this window in the North Beach area. At first I thought these were accessories, but when I looked closer I realised they were far from it. How creative, what a skill to be able to make something like this. Whenever I frost a simple layer cake it always turns out looking like an “ugly cake” (see the photos of an ugly cake from the post below) without me even trying to make an ugly cake. I have been looking around the house and thinking about what kind of object I could construct into a cake and decided it would be a replica of my bathroom scale. I like the idea for a couple of reasons first it is a relatively flat and simple shape good for beginners to craft. The numbers are digital and could be easily piped onto the cake and I would hope after slicing a piece of “thinner sport scale” cake, I would think twice about eating it.

A Food Network Home Translation

2006-10-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

At the second helping house we have long ago shed our addiction to the television. We do have a sixteen year old TV and a much newer DVD player, but no cable, no antenna, no dish and little idea of what this seasons offerings hold. Even so, avoidance of the tube is nearly impossible and yes I have watched Food TV at my mother in laws house many times. Usually several of us watch together, our communal passion is food. We especially enjoy watching Emeril work up the appetite of the live audience, this is solid entertainment. Along the way we learn a new technique or pick up some new culinary ideas, no guilt TV. Lets face it, Emeril and his creative team are very successful, the show's key to success is in dreaming up all sort and manner of fanciful food “that you to can prepare at home”. We are also fortunate to have thinking friends that watch television too, I know that sounds like an oxymoron, (thinking and television). I don’t believe viewing has dulled their ideas or opinions. When they suggested doing a complete Emeril meal I became as excited as Emeril, “Yes ! Lets kick it up a notch and say good bye to a long hot summer”. The following picture essay is our translation of Emeril’s “Firehouse Crab Boil” and “Ugly Cake”, crazy concepts and a complete blast!

Firehouse Crab Boil
Note: We used a 60-quart aluminium pot with a strainer insert and did this over a propane burner outdoors. You could probably get away with a pot slightly smaller, such as a 45- or 50-quart pot, as we had about 6 inches of head space left in ours. This is definitely do-able indoors, but you may need to do it in 2 large pots on the stove and it will probably take quite a while for the pots to boil.

3 to 4 cups crawfish, shrimp and crab boil seasoning (recommended: Zatarain's powdered form, NOT liquid or bag versions)

3 lemons, halved

2 or 3 large onions, halved

5 heads garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise

2 dozen live blue crabs

6 pounds new potatoes

4 ears fresh corn, shucked, silk removed and cut in 1/2

3 artichokes, stem end trimmed cut into halves or quarters

2 pounds smoked sausage

1 package hot dogs

1 pound mushrooms

One day before you plan to boil the crabs: If you have a heatproof, submergible vessel that will hold 1 or 2 gallons of water that may be frozen, fill these with water and freeze until frozen solid.
In a very large (40 to 60-quart) pot combine the crab boil, lemons, onions, garlic, and 6 gallons of water and heat over high heat, stirring, until the powdered seasoning has dissolved. Add the crabs, potatoes, corn, artichokes, smoked sausage and hot dogs. (Everything should be submerged in liquid – if not, add a bit more water to cover.) Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Cook at a rolling boil for 6 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the mushrooms. Cover the pot and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the frozen vessels to the hot crab boil and stir occasionally very gently to facilitate even cooling. This will prevent the crabs from overcooking and will also force them to absorb the seasoning from the crab boil. Let the crabs sit in the water for at least 1 hour before serving. You can let the crabs sit until completely cool, if desired, or you can serve the crabs warm.
Using tongs or strainers, carefully remove the crabs from the pot along with the onions, garlic, potatoes, corn, artichokes, sausage, hot dogs, and mushrooms and spread out on large platters or on newspaper lined tables for folks to enjoy.

Some of the raw ingredients for the crab boil and ugly cake
The cooking setup
The completed boil and chilling process
Retrieving the boil
There is newspaper under the table cloth
Next to eating, dumping the food on the table was the best part

Ugly Cake

3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 recipe Chocolate Pudding, recipe follows

3 cups heavy cream

9 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 by 13-inch baking pan; set aside.
Sift the cake flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the flour. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vanilla and stir to combine well. Transfer batter to the prepared cake pan and bake until the cake is light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the cake to cool slightly. Turn the cake out of the pan onto a rack and allow to cool completely.
Cut or break the cake into 2 to 3-inch pieces. Working on a large platter or in a large serving bowl, place a layer of cake pieces onto the platter and spoon or pour half of the pudding over the cake. Top with the remaining cake pieces and, using your hands, press the cake pieces into the pudding to form a round mound resembling a cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Place the heavy cream in a large, chilled mixing bowl and beat until mixture just begins to form soft peaks. Add the confectioners' sugar and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon whipped cream all over the mound of cake and pudding and serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving. Serve with dollops of the remaining pudding.

Chocolate Pudding:

5 cups milk

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup cornstarch, sifted

2 large eggs

4 large egg yolks

10 ounces quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place 4 1/2 cups of the milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and the salt in a heavy, non reactive saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
In a mixing bowl combine the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, the cocoa and the cornstarch and whisk to combine. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and whisk until smooth.
Slowly whisk some of the hot milk mixture into the bowl, then add the contents of the bowl to the hot milk mixture and whisk until completely incorporated. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a gentle boil. Continue to boil gently until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.
In a small bowl whisk the eggs and egg yolks together. Slowly add 1 cup of the hot cocoa mixture to the eggs and whisk to combine. Whisk this mixture into the hot cocoa mixture in the pot and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, whisking constantly, until pudding thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and place a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Set aside to cool.
Melt the chocolate with the butter in a small saucepan or in a double boiler and, when slightly cooled, whisk the chocolate mixture into the pudding base along with the vanilla. Cover again with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator until chilled but still slightly pourable. Use half in the Ugly Cake assemblage and refrigerate the remaining half until thoroughly chilled and serve with the Ugly Cake.

Putting the cake together
Making the ugly cake uglier
We're not in Iowa anymore

Breakfast Mambo

2006-09-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

Watch the Video
This is our first attempt at uploading video to the blog. One morning while having breakfast I was struck by how unnatural my cheese topped english muffin looked. The anemic color and geometry of the whole breakfast and plate seemed odd to me and I started moving the parts around on the plate...