Blizz-Flurry

Not yet Blizz-Flurried...

What is a Blizz-Flurry, you ask? Well, it's just a name I concocted a mere two seconds ago to describe the scrumptious, creamy dessert that every other fast food chain and their parent company carries - the good old soft serve ice cream with a specific topping mixed, swirled, or blended in. Since the majority of the names are copyright or trademarked, I blended two names together, corny pun intended. 

These genius little peanut butter filled pretzel concoctions were sitting idly around on the counter, begging to be consumed. But, since my taste buds were craving sweets, I nearly pushed the pretzel bites aside in favor of a good old scoop of chocolate soy ice cream. Oh the life of the lactose intolerant. 

Just as I retrieved the ice cream container, the cliched, animated lightbulb poofed out of nowhere above my head. Pretzel bites + peanut butter + chocolate ice cream...Blizz-Flurry it is! And thus my first Choco-nut-zel Blizz Flurry was created. I'm a bit shocked that this is the first time I created an ice cream version of a chocolate covered pretzel, but better late than never! The 3 step simplicity of this dessert is always a plus.

- Shortcake

Step 1: Crush!

Step 2: Scoop!

Step 3: Blend!

Garlic Fries

French fries...cajun fries, chili cheese fries, disco fries. I can go on and on with the vast array of toppings and flavors that often coat the ever popular and versatile french fry. And don't even get me started on the myriad dips and sauces that fries can be dunked in. Most recently, my hungry palette feasted on Garlic Fries, which were accompanied with ketchup, chipotle aioli, and ranch dressing as dipping sauces.

Growing up with plenty of traditional Filipino food, garlic was always a welcome ingredient in our cooking. So, imagine my wide eyes when I read that garlic fries were offered in La Creperie Cafe's menu. Slim with a crisp exterior, not too greasy, not too salty, the fries were a perfect base for the garlic and sauces. 

The garlic coating, however, was a bit uneven in distribution. Some fries were coated just right, while others carried an overabundance of garlic; so for those not as fond of the taste, it might be too extreme. But the dipping sauces easily masked the overpowering flavor. To me, the chipotle aioli faired better as a complement than the ketchup because of the spicy kick. And you can never go wrong with ranch. But, then again, I was fine munching away on the garlic induced fries sans sauce. 

If garlic fries aren't offered in a close vicinity, you can always go the DIY route. Sometimes, I buy fast food fries, saute some minced cloves of garlic with olive oil, throw the fries in the garlic, and voila: instant garlic fries. Be sure to have a mint after you consume them though. You don't want garlic breath all night.
- Shortcake

Trilogy of Flavors: Basil

Caprese Crumpets

Crumpet + Tomato Sauce + Basil + Mozarella = Pizza Bite! This quirky snack combination of British and Italian basics is my fast-and-easy way to satisfy the occasional, late night pizza cravings. - Shortcake

Spinach - Basil Pesto

Photo by NKL

Thanks to "The Golden Girls," I know a very funny story about the origin of pesto sauce, but I'll refrain from sharing it now. Instead, I'd like to share this amazing pesto recipe that looks absolutely delicious! - Sonic

Margherita Pizza

Photo by CHIP

Pizza made by the Patina Restaurant group is probably the closest you'll get to real Italian Pizza in the States. Using the freshest tomatoes, mozarella cheese, and basil leaves, the Patina Group also uses a special water formulated to mimic the natural minerals found in Italy's water to achieve a close version of the pizza crust Italians have been enjoying for centuries. - Sandwich

Cooking LIVE with Brent and Reuben!

"I think it would be great!  My mom loves Regis and Kelly and it's always hilarious when they try to cook on their show.  I think it'll be like that!" said Brent Dodge, as he was pitching the idea of having me come on his Disney video podcast, the WEDnesday Show.

This past WEDnesday, I had the pleasure of being not only the first LIVE, in-person guest on the famous WEDnesday Show Disney video podcast, I also had the chance to be there as a guest chef!  Brent had asked me the previous week if I would like to cook something with him for his occasional "Cooking with Brent" segment on his show.  I of course said yes; this would be an opportunity to practice my pastry skills, which have been somewhat dormant since I started living down in Disney World.  Also, this was a chance to see how I would fare cooking on a live show.

We want YOU to cook with Brent and Reuben!

Brent and I talked about what we were going to make the night before, but we didn't decide what we were doing until the afternoon before the show.  We decided on Chocolate Cookie Mousse from Disney's Beach Club Resort, but I warned him that it is easy to mess up because of the gelatin in the formula.  In my past experiences, gelatin was always a pain to work with because of its narrow working temperature range, especially when you need to incorporate hot, melted chocolate with cold whipped cream.  On the phone, I read the recipe to him to make sure we had not only the ingredients, but also the supplies. We needed not only Oreo cookies, but crumbled Oreo cookies.

"Do you have a food processor?...it's kind of like a blender but bigger and for more solid foods...no?...hmm...okay, do you have ziplock bags and a hammer?  Awesome, then we're set!"

And with those immortal words, I knew I would be in for an interesting night.  Needless to say, with having nothing prepared in regards to a script of some sorts, and with the impending doom and failure I predicted with this mousse, I really surprised myself by not being nervous for the show. It might be because I didn't have time to get nervous. A variety of factors throughout the day led to me being a little late to the show, so I was thrown right into everything as soon as I walked through the door of the WEDnesay Show studio.

Chefs Mickey, Reuben, and Brent Dodge

Even with the fear of mousse failure; a last minute, on-the-air search for bowls and a hammer to pulverize cookies; I believe the show was a smashing success.  It ended up being a really wacky show. I guess I wasn't too nervous, since this wasn't an actual Food Network-esque cooking show, but it was really really fun!  We separated eggs into sand pails, made double boilers out of two sauce pots, and embraced the unexpected elements that accompany the fine art of winging it on live television.  There was even a point where Brent said "we need a whisk...whatever a whisk is..." I was worried that our audience was wondering "Do they really know what they're doing?" but after an hour of madness, we came out with a pretty delicious white chocolate cookie mousse.  I was also quite happy and relieved to know how quickly the techniques and tricks from my pastry training came back to me.  It was a really fun night and I hope our audience enjoyed it as much as we did!

Our finished mousse actually looks pretty tasty! And it was!

You can watch the cooking/pastry maddness (that's right with two "d"s) by watching the August 3rd, 2011 episode at the W.E.D.nesday Show's Archives and here is the recipe if you want to try it at home:

Chocolate Cookie Mousse:
"Creme-filled cookies add crunch to this luscious chocolate dessert that's a favorite at Cape May Cafe at Disney's Beach Club Resort.  Spoon into champagne flutes and top with fresh seasonal berries for an elegant ending.  Yield 6 servings."

6 chocolate sandwich cookies with creme filling
2/3 cup (5.5 oz) white chocolate
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp granulated gelatin
3 egg yolks

1. Crumble purchased cookies into fine pieces in a food processor.
2. Melt white chocolate in top of double boiler over hot water.  When melted, remove from heat.
3. Whip the heavy cream until medium-firm peaks form.
4. Pour 1/4 of the whipped heavy cream into a saucepan and sprinkle in the gelatin.  Let sit about 3 minutes, until the gelatin softens and swells.
5. Heat gelatin over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved.
6. Remove from heat and gently blend in egg yolks.
7. Add melted chocolate, stirring fast to avoid lumps.
8. Fold the remaining whipped heavy cream and cookies together, then gold into white chocolate mixture.
9. Pour into serving bowls (champagne glasses or wineglasses work well).
10. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

(recipe from Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs)

- Sandwich

Ice Cream for Breakfast

Love me some thick slabs of french toast

It's fun to break the rules every once in a while, especially on gorgeous summer mornings that greet you with a smile and encourage you to not hit the snooze button. If you're a night owl like me, you know the rare occurrence is fewer and farther between than a blue moon.

So of course, after an invigorating hour jog at 6:30am, I forgo-ed my usual "healthy, fulfilling" breakfast and indulged in some ice cream (soy based since I'm lactose intolerant) and my favorite breakfast dish - french toast. Sprinkle my favorite fruit on top, set aside some honey for dipping, and you get Shortcake's quick and easy breakfast guilty pleasure.

My go to french toast recipe is by the one and only Alton Brown. I cut thick slices of french or challah bread and kick up the recipe with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon atop both sides of the toast before baking. My favorite part of ice cream atop french toast is when the ice cream melts and lightly sogs the toast. Kinda icky for some, but delicious to me.
- Shortcake

The Pleasures of Chocolate: Comfort

In Part One of "The Pleasures of Chocolate: Four Weeks, Four Films" we take a look at how a cup of hot chocolate serves to comfort a young soldier in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's 2004 romantic epic, A Very Long Engagement.

Gaspard Ulliel stars as Manech, the Cornflower, in "A Very Long Engagement"

Manech a.k.a. The Cornflower (Gaspard Ulliel) is a young French soldier suffering from shellshock.  In an attempt to return home to his beloved Mathilde (Audrey Tautou), he holds his hand out for a German to shoot.  However, self-mutiliation is a war crime, causing the Cornflower and four other soldiers to be taken to Bingo Crepuscule, where they'll be sent and expected to die in the No-Man's-Land between the French and German trenches.

On the night they arrive at Bingo, Manech still is not fully aware of the situation he's in.  When asked what he wants for dinner, he requests hot chocolate and bread with honey.  Such things are not common in the trenches, and yet the army chef, Celestine Poux (Albert Dupontel) manages to find it for him.

Celestine Poux asks what Manech would like to eat.

This is considered the Cornflower's last meal, after all.  He is not fully aware of that, as the shellshock has addled his mind slightly (see his words in a picture below).  Still, it is rather bold of him to ask for hot chocolate and bread with honey while the rest of the men get soup.  Either way, Celestine is aware of the importance that this meal will be.  Due to the war, he has to improvise and create meals out of whatever is available to him, and yet he also has the reputation of acquiring anything that the soldiers need.  

The Mess Hall Maurader never fails, and brings the Cornflower his meal.

It is rather miraculous that he knows where to acquire chocolate and honey, and even more miraculous that Celestine finds for Manech "salted Guérande butter, lavender honey, and cocoa from Nigeria."  Also, given the child-like nature of Manech at this point, as well as the pity everyone in the trenches feels for him (oh, did I mention he's an orphan?), Celestine would never have done this for another soldier.  Such a meal is the ultimate comfort, which every other man in the trench is aware of.

Manech is thankful of the kind gesture, and eats his food as calmly as if he were having a midnight snack.  This shows both how unaware he is of how rare his meal is, but also how aware he is of its meaning to him.  He's not shoving it down his throat in earnest hunger, but treating it as a true meal: something tasted and appreciated in every bite.  It is his slow and peaceful eating that truly affirms the meal as a comfort for Manech.  

"I hear her heart beating, like Morse code.  We're engaged.  Luckily we won't have to wait till the end of war.  Now I can go straight home after the execution."

Overall, this scene is rather brief and some may consider it unimportant in the grand scheme of the film.  After all, within the film it is merely a story told by one soldier to Mathilde, as she is desperate for any memoirs they have of Manech.  However, it also provides a lot of exposition to the nature of trench warfare and the importance of all the small reminders of normalcy.  Never does another soldier make a grab for Manech's meal, they don't fight for it themselves.  Not just because it's his last meal, but because this is young Manech.  They sit and watch him as if they were watching their own younger selves.

Such a simple meal represents the life they left behind in order to fight.  In the grand scheme, yes, a short scene of Manech having hot chocolate and honey bread may seem expendable.  But it is symbolic of the soldiers' longing for any comforts of home, and their own appreciation and sadness that such comforts are given to a young man expected to die.

The other soldiers look on as Manech enjoys his meal and talks of Mathilde.

For what it's worth, I planned on using a brief scene from Empire of the Sun featuring young Jim (Christian Bale) talking to Dainty (Ben Stiller) about a Hershey bar.  But that scene - and a few others later that address it - didn't have as much of an impact to the story as Manech's last meal does.  It shows how comforting food can be, and not the childhood comforts of a favorite cereal or ready-to-make meal.  It's the comforts that food bring of the past, and of the the peaceful times that make us truly appreciate our lives.

- Sonic