Trilogy of Flavors: Cinnamon

Snicker-doodle Cupcake

Another scrumptious concoction from My Delight Cupcakery, this dessert combines my favorite childhood flavors of cinnamon and sugar in a wonderful cookie-cupcake hybrid, complete with fluffy, cinnamon infused cream filling. - Shortcake

Cinnamon-Glazed Almonds

In 2005 and 2006, I worked often at Magic Kingdom's Adventureland nut wagon, becoming a master chef with cinnamon-glazed almonds. Since then, they've become one of my favorite snacks to eat when I roam a Disney theme park. - Sonic

Cinnamon-Stewed Chicken with Orzo

Served at Cat Cora's Kouzzina at Disney's Boardwalk, this dish of select, tender cutlet of chicken breast on a bed of orzo is covered in cheesy, chunky, cinnamon-tomato sauce. The use of cinnamon amazes me as it's such an uncommon (at least in my experience) spice for savory cuisine. - Sandwich

Celebrate America with this European Treat

Happy belated Independence Day to all our American readers out there!  And Happy belated Canada Day to our readers from the great white North!

For this year's 4th of July, there were no family barbecues or local 4th of July fireworks shows for me to attend.  I was scheduled to work that evening, so I missed out; but on the bright side I had the great fortune of celebrating our nation's Independence at the American Adventure in Epcot at Walt Disney World.  I don't know why guests flock to Magic Kingdom on this day, you can't get more patriotic than the American Adventure!  We were treated to story telling by Betsy Ross, Meet and Greets with Benjamin Franklin (he told me Amos was resting at home when I looked at the brim of his hat), and a special concert by Epcot's incredible acappella group the Voices of Liberty.

Enough about that though, you're here because of the food!  I knew I had to eat something totally American for 4th of July, and once I saw the kiosk, I knew I had to get one.  Epcot makes sure to give each guest the complete immersive cultural experience when visiting each country, especially when it comes to food.  America is no exception, so in addition to burgers, hot dogs, and fries, there is a little stand nestled by the pathway from American Adventure to the Japan pavillion.  The little stand/kiosk serves up everyone's favorite festival/carnival/ball park fried dough, powdered sugary confection: Funnel Cake.

The classic Funnel Cake.  Epcot also serves it with chocolate sauce or ice cream!

Funnel Cake is actually not American...it came from the Dutch, who settled in Pennsylvania.  They sold the delicious treat at State Fairs and Festivals.  It is unknown when this treat arrived in America, but the dawn of its nationwide popularity can be traced to the Mid-20th century.  According to funnelcake.com, Emma Miller from Germany brought her recipe over and sold it at the Kutztown Folk Festival in the 1940s and 50s where it became a huge hit, eventually gaining national attention on the Today show.

Funnel Cake is essentially a doughnut, though rather than deep frying a ball of dough, the batter is looser and is poured into the oil through a funnel and made into circular designs with random, lattice like patterns.  The goal is to create a crunchy and soft treat rather than funnel globules.  I once made globular funnel cakes in Home Economics class in middle school and my teacher said they were turning into fritters and not funnel cakes.  Sometimes you get a globule if you don't keep your batter moving around the oil.

Funnel Cake is very easy to make and is enjoyed by nearly everyone that tries it.  For most, it brings back memories of strolling through the traveling carnival or county fair on a warm summer's evening.  The smell wafting on the winds is enough to activate even the tiniest traces of thoughts of festivals and fairs. So why not bring summer fun to your own kitchen with the following funnel cake recipe!  Also, here are some tips for perfecting your funnel cake:

- Use a squeeze bottle like the red and yellow ketchup and mustard bottles you see at diners.  Chefs use these types of tools for plating sauces, so you can easily find them in kitchen supply stores.  I found mine at the local Bed Bath and Beyond.
- If you don't have a squeeze bottle, use a pitcher with a spout so you can pour the batter in a concentrated stream.  You won't get as fine a line as a squeeze bottle, but it serves the same purpose.
-As with all cooking and baking, the temperature of your medium needs to be right to get the product you want.  Though funnel cake does not bake at a specific temperature, don't let the oil get too hot.  The batter should make some noise when it hits the oil but it should not be exploding.  If your oil is steaming you are too hot!

- Sandwich

Food Network's Alton Brown gives this terrific recipe:
Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 3/4 stick butter (6 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup eggs, about 4 large eggs and 2 whites
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Powdered sugar, for topping

Directions

Boil water, butter, sugar, and salt together in a saucepan. Add flour and work it in until it is all incorporated and dough forms a ball. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer and let cool for 3 to 4 minutes. With mixer lowest speed, add eggs, 1 at a time, making sure the first egg is completely incorporated before continuing. Once all eggs have been added and mixture is smooth, put dough in a piping bag fitted with a number 12 tip. Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil in a heavy pan. Pipe dough into oil, making a free-form lattice pattern; cook until browned, flipping once. Remove cake from oil, drain on paper towels, and top with powdered sugar. Continue until all of the batter is used.

Elvis Wishes His Sandwich Was This Good

As I am sitting here writing today's Whip, I can't help but be jealous of last-week-Sonic.  He had a great dinner at Lamill Coffee, and I for one would not mind trading places with him in order to have that dinner again.  Last week, Sonic had a sandwich, chips, and some milk.  But it wasn't just any old sandwich, and certainly not Sandwich of the Trio.  "That is called cannibalism, my dear children," Willy Wonka would say.  "And is, in fact, frowned upon in most societies."

No, this sandwich was better, and definitely acceptable in most societies.  Actually, acceptable is a huge understatement.  This was a monumental, earth-shattering, mind-blowing, weak-at-the-knees, politics-changing, taste-exploding sandwich.

I could try and spend time trying to find words to describe this decadent creation.  But this sandwich was such an experience that mere words simply could not do it justice.  How can I describe the peanut butter without using such predictable words like "perfect consistency"?  How do I talk about peanut butter at all without suddenly flashing back to my five-year-old self, watching "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood" and eating peanut butter with a spoon?

And the chocolate?  Look at it.  Deliciously rich and milky Valrhona chocolate, direct from Tain-l'Hermitage, France.  What more is there to say?  Dare I talk about how its sweetness blended perfectly with the peanut butter?  Or how both of their meltedness provided a delightful contrast to the soft and chewy banana?  And that banana!  What can you say about a banana that hasn't already been said?

But the real kicker, the cherry on top of the sundae, the happy ending, was the milk.  This isn't your average in-the-fridge milk.  You dare not pour this milk over cereal, then toss it in the sink afterwards because it's gotten warm and cerealified.  No, this milk must be drunken, in tiny but effectively satisfying sips.  Too much and you're mouth will be spoiled and hate regular milk forever afterwards.  Too little, and your mouth will hate you for teasing it so.  This milk, this Madagascar Vanilla Milk, is why I am so so grateful that I am not lactose intolerant.  And even if I were, I'd suffer the stomachache later simply to be satisfied now.

Honestly, I can't find words to describe this meal.  Everything above only conveys my surface emotions.  There's more than meets the eye.  This meal changed my life.  It changed my beliefs.  It made me want to live.

Or, it's just all that chocolate and peanut butter and banana and milk messin' with my brain.  Put four fond comfort foods together in a meal like this and you're bound to go a little nuts.


- Sonic  

Trilogy of Flavors: Pineapple

Mix up Asian, Tropics, and French cuisine with pineapple, honey, and ginger infused crepes.

(Photo by Alan Richardson)

The wonderful meld of exotic flavors makes for a lovely breakfast when you're tired of the stand by toast or cold cereal. - Shortcake

Enjoy some of Sonic's favorite Hawaiian bbq, now with pineapple salsa at your next picnic.

(Photo by Bobby of BlogChef.net)

One day, we're eating Hawaiian Barbecue and I bite into a piece that's sweeter and slightly stringier than the rest.  I ask my dad why it tastes weird, and he tells me I bit into a piece of pineapple!  True story.  The actual recipe doesn't call for pineapple, but you can easily pine it up with the salsa recipe I linked to. - Sonic

Top off a favorite family barbeque essential with a citrus surprise in Red Robin's Banzai Burger.  

(Photo from flikr by mooshee85)

I love burgers, I love pineapple, put them together and you get the most amazing burger you've ever sunk your teeth into.  The sweet, citrus acid of pineapple helps "cut the fat" from the cheeses and hamburger patty, providing the perfect balance, making you want to shout out banzai! - Sandwich

Say Quiche!

For those that know me, the immensity of my fondness for brunch, cheese, and pastries is no surprise. So what happens when all three of those things marry to form one exquisite dish? I devour it, of course. Well, maybe not devour, but I do have a plan of attack that greatly satisfies my little tummy. What's more important is that I created a personal favorite recipe for said dish, my own version of the delectable Quiche Lorraine.

The traditional ingredients of this French, open (sans crust top) pie are: a pastry crust, eggs, and cream. A conglomerate of cheeses, vegetables, and meats are thrown in to the cream mixture as well, usually based on personal preference and taste. What makes a quiche "lorraine" is the addition of bacon. How can you go wrong with bacon, right? In addition to the myriad combinations of salty cheese and fresh veggies that are possible with quiche, the fact that the dish can be served at any meal - breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, even dessert if you're so inclined - adds to the recipe's convenience. 

There are numerous reasons for why quiche is so delicious. The foundation of a flaky, buttery crust; the silky, light texture of the baked egg/cream/cheese combo; the complimentary accents of salty meat and tender vegetables - when you have the perfect blend of ingredients, it's difficult to reserve quiche consumption to a mere one slice. Especially if you're like me and prefer an extra cheesy, rather than "egg-y," type of quiche. And the best type of cheese to use? Gruyere, of course!

Since I don't exactly share my quiche recipe with many people, I will share the basic recipe that I adapted from various cookbooks to use as a foundation.Quiche is all about experimentation, so feel free to change things up.

Traditional Quiche Lorraine

• 1 deep dish pastry crust (Marie Callander's is my personal favorite)
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups half and half
• Pinches of salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper (I include other seasonings, so feel free to experiment)
• 1 cup Gruyere, shredded (I usually use more cheese than this and include other varieties)
• 6 strips bacon, fried and chopped (Smoked provides a lot flavor)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup vegetables, optional (I always add various chopped veggies for color and crunch)

1. After you've shredded the cheese, chopped the veggies, and fried the bacon, preheat the oven to 375F

2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs and lightly whisk in the half and half and seasonings. Try no to over beat the mixture.

3. Line the crust with the crumbled bacon and veggies. Throw in the shredded Gruyere as well.

4. Slowly pour the egg mixture on top, making sure not to have it overflow.

5. Bake on flat baking sheet for 30 -35 minutes, until golden. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

6. Try to take a picture of a slice before devouring (The one step I always forget to do)
- Shortcake