Whoop-Dee-Doo! It's Whoopie Pie Time! Well, My Version Anyway

First a disclaimer.  These are not actually Whoopie Pies. These are just what I CALL Whoopie Pies, because I find the name so amusing. Whoopie Pies are actually chocolate cake/cookies filled with marshmallow cream (or sometimes buttercream). THESE are Toll House cookies sans chocolate chips, nuts or anything else for that matter, sandwiched with marshmallows and then some other stuff as well. Think Whoopie Pie meets S'More. 

I halved the recipe on the Nestlé chocolate chip bag. (WHEN am I going to be brave enough to add browned butter to my chocolate chip cookies?) That made exactly 16 cookies shaped with my levelled-off 2 tablespoon (1 oz.) ice cream scoop. 

      

First, I put marshmallows on one half and chocolate chips on the other. 

I nuked them on high for about 30 seconds. (My microwave is REALLY old. Any others less than 10 years old, try 15 seconds first.) Hmmm...pretty good.  

      

   

Then I added peanut butter UNDER the marshmallows.  

       

Definitely the way to go.

                 

I don't really care what I call them. Whether they're  counterfeit Whoopie Pies or Toll House S'mores, they are whooping (whopping?) good...

COULD You Skip Going Out To Eat For One Month? And WOULD You?

I don't know how you feel about Oprah or her even more lightening-rod-for-criticism buddy, Suze Orman (do you think she was actually born with that spelling of her name?), but something Suze (let's pronounce it Sooooooze, just for fun) said got me to thinking. 

She was shilling her latest book on Oprah yesterday, and, at the end of the show, she presented an "action plan" for getting one's finances in order. She wanted folks to try this:

For one day, spend NO money

For one week, don't use a credit card

For one month, don't go to restaurants

The audience seemed to have no problem with the first two. Me neither. But the third idea was an almost shocking suggestion to them...and that's just the way I felt too. Not that I go out THAT much, but I want to be able to, if I want. And let's face it, in many places, eating out is a town's major entertainment, plus it's available at every price point. 

Have you EVER gone a month without going to a restaurant? And would you consider it as a cost-saving measure? How many restaurants DO you frequent in a month...on average?

I'm sure when I had little kids, there might have been a month where we didn't go out, but I can't remember one specifically. I probably eat out an average of 6 to 8 times a month (closer to 6), and of course, I'm not counting if we're away. Plus does takeout count out as a restaurant meal? I guess it should. 

This made me feel better about the state of restaurants and food service in general. I know that raising food and fuel prices have given restaurants a double whammy. But if people have such a visceral reaction to the idea of not eating out, maybe that sector of the economy, at least, isn't doing as badly as all the rest. 

Tyler Roasts While Whoopi Sneers

Tyler's been busy. On Memorial Day weekend, he cooked at a quarter mile long grill at NASCAR's longest race, the Coca-Cola 600.

On today's View, Tyler had his hands full trying to get Whoopi to eat her vegetables. He was all suited up in his white chef's jacket, which I'm sure looked great on the New York City streets next to all the sailors on this last day of Fleet Week. (Sailors are cute, but really is anything more attractive than an attractive CHEF?!!) 

Tyler did some really interesting things with vegetables and Whoopi just kept making faces as she tasted his creations. He just kept keeping on, no matter how she reacted. At least Joy appreciated his cooking.

Tyler's first suggestion was an Ina standby - roasted vegetables. He said it concentrates the flavor. He didn't use quite the same amount of oil or salt that the Contessa does, but his zucchini looked wonderful. He roasts other vegetables too - cauliflower and butternut squash - and uses them all as bases for wonderful pasta dishes that were so good that even Whoopi approved.

His last recipe was a healthy spin on Red Velvet Cake.  I'm always hesitant to add the full amount of red food coloring and I love Tyler's idea of coloring it with beets. Unfortunately, they rushed through the recipe and one thing was slightly unclear. 

Do me favor and take a look at the recipe and tell me if you think the beets are UNCOOKED before they go into the batter. I do, because Tyler says to peel them and then process them. But I can't decide if it's weird to add raw beets. I use them in the juicer raw, but in a cake? I guess in this case we're USING them RAW, but EATING them COOKED.   

NOTE: I was reading the comments on the View site and a few folks were wondering where to get Pomegranate Molasses. Zingerman's is one good mail order place and here's a recipe for making your own. 

Buddy, The Cake Boss - Kinder And Gentler

I have to admit I expected a slightly different show as I watched Cake Boss. I thought Buddy, the boss of the family business, would be a big, mean bully and that there would be at least one screaming sister and a spurious uncle...I was sure that Buddy would have to work amidst a maelstrom of family drama to create his masterpieces. 

But no, not really. Buddy DOES yell, but he's mostly just a hard working guy, who is also very sentimental. The other family members in the business also seem pull their weight and are very competent at what they do. There doesn't seem to be much need for yelling.  

At the beginning of the episode, we learn that the bakery is going to produce a fire engine cake for retired firefighters. We meet Joey, Buddy’s baker and brother-in-law AND a volunteer fire fighter, who acts as the project's technical advisor.

Apparently, there’s a difference between a fire truck and a fire engine. Who knew? “This is for real firemen. It’s got to be for real.” says Buddy. Joey gets his cohorts to drive both right up to the front of the bakery. They study the trucks with an engineer's precision. Buddy says they're going to do an entire fire scene with smoke, lights, sirens and "a screamin’ lady.”

Next we see Christine, Tony and Sunshine. Siblings? They’re making the other elements for the fire scene using modeling CHALK-ko-lot, as Buddy says. They have 3 days to do 6 days of work. They make a massive pound cake using sugar, butter and cream cheese. 

Meanwhile, Buddy also has to think about a cake for 2 fashionistas. He starts with a shoe box, then adds a shopping bag, shoe and pocka-book all covered with fondant. He quilts the pocka-book. Then Mama (“Buddy’s Mama and Business Manager”) comes walking into the kitchen. Her big booming voice comes in way ahead of her. Her job is to “keep the peace” between Buddy and his sisters, although, so far, I haven't seen any need for a mediator.

Buddy starts the fire engine cake. Jeez, it’s huge. He uses a brick stencil on the Fahhn-DAHHHNT to make the building’s sides. And black Fahhn-DAHHHNT is covered in poppy seeds for the roof. 

Sunshine (sister or not?) works on the Fashionista Cake. She decorates it with Gum Paste – “A pliable sugar dough that hardens when dry”. Wow, it really is gorgeous. Buddy gives it to Stretch to deliver. Is Stretch the future son-in-law perhaps? Maybe little Sophia (whom we haven't yet seen) will like older men...

Stretch drives the cake to its destination and when he arrives he sees that the side has fallen off. He calls Buddy, who goes ballistic, but he comes right over to replace the back side of the cake. Luckily, he doesn't whack Stretch...not yet anyway. 

The team finishes the fire engine, snaking actual wires through it and soldering stuff. Is that gonna be safe to eat? The lights and sirens actually work. 

Then, to relax a bit, Buddy and his buds drop about a ton of flour on top of Stretch. He better watch out...the next time it may be explosives.    

Next Buddy turns his attention to a cream puff cake in honor of his father - its inventor. The cake is huge and kinda over the top. He finishes it off with an icing picture of his father. I love cakes like that. I saved my son's face from his graduation cake and it turned all green in the freezer. Really cool. 

Buddy finishes the Fire Engine Cake. It's amazingly impressive. The cake cleared the elevator doors by "the hairs of his chinny, chin, chin". Somehow they deliver it to the firemen, who are naturally thrilled.  

Back at the neighborhood trattoria, Buddy, his mother and family are having a dinner in honor of his father. Is that Buddy's wife we get a glimpse of? He serves ENORMOUS slices of his special cake. 

At the end of the day, it seems as if a beautiful cake will always make everything all right. 

Frankly, I'd like to see LESS baking and more family. Where's the wife? Where's the part with the sisters going out with unsuitable guys and Buddy getting all hot under the collar? We saw his cute kids on GMA earlier this week, but nowhere here. Where's the mom plotting against her son? Oh wait, I have to remember that this is Buddy's family, not Tony's, but still.

The funny thing is that, in spite of Buddy's gorgeous cakes, I didn't really care how they turned out. With the Ace of Cakes, I can't wait to see what those wacky cooks - each one stranger (in a good way) than the last - come up with. 

HERE, I just wanted to see more of the Valasco’s. THEY'RE the thing. The baking is just the backdrop. I admit I want to see if sweet Sophia grows up to be Meadow, and I'm sure going to hope that little Buddy doesn't take after A.J. in the least. 

Actually, maybe it says more about Buddy as a family man that his small kids are only shown for seconds at the end, than if we WERE allowed to follow them closely. Okay, leave the kids out of it, but, at least, give me some drama queen sisters.

It's A Sunny Memorial Day Plus A Look At Cake Making - Joisey Style

We're back from South Carolina. We made a quick stop elsewhere over the weekend, which I'll tell you about as soon as I can remove the red eyes from some seriously exciting pictures.

Happy Memorial Day!!! Cook for a veteran today, if you can, or take a moment to thank them for their service.

It was entirely appropriate that Air Force veteran, Sunny Anderson, appeared on GMA this morning, cooking in front of sailors and other service people in Times Square during Fleet Week.  

As usual, her cooking was easy and breezy. Her Flank Steak Fajitas looked seriously delicious and I loved her tip for knowing when flank steak is done. Sunny says it should feel supple like your bottom lip, not like the cartilage on the tip of your nose. (I usually use the nose test for knowing when chicken is done, though.)  

I'm going to try her Mexican Street Corn, too. I would serve mayonnaise at every meal if I could, so slathering it on grilled corn sounds good to me. By the way, that mayonnaise mixture is basically the same thing I love to dollop on a Spanish tortilla. I leave out the garlic salt and use LOTS of lime juice and chili powder.

 

I liked this recipe too - Berry Berry Fizz.

Following Sunny was baking whiz Buddy Valastro, whose new show is premiering tonight on TLC. I have a feeling many of Jon and Kate fans (detractors?) will catch Buddy, since he's sandwiched between 2 viewings of the hounded family's first episode of the new season. 

At first, I wondered how this show about a master baker with his strong Joisey accent could possibly compete with the fantastic Duff...and his crew of crazies, but I think Cake Boss may be a good one. 

It's a tale of an Italian-American boss of a family-run business with a wife, son and daughter living, loving, working and fighting in the wilds of New Jersey, not too far off the turnpike. Sound familiar? There are differences: The business is a bakery. His daughter is a beautiful, sweet six years old and little Buddy junior is a precious four...so I'm hoping that the bloodshed will be kept to a minimum and only involve serrated knives and Disney band-aids. 

I've held off watching a preview episode, I'll watch tonight. Let's see how Buddy and his family do under the glare of the lights. I sure hope they have better luck than those other folks. 

Can Beautiful Staff Make Up For A Fitful Kitchen? Maybe.

We made a quick visit with A and G to the town of Greenville, South Carolina. 

Just as an aside, why, oh why, are there so many Green(e)villes? I found these after only a quick perusal:  

Greeneville, Tennessee; Greenville, Mississippi; Greenville, North Carolina; Greenville, Texas; Greenville, Kentucky

THIS was the one we were going to. It's a small, pretty city with lots of commerce and retail and wonderful walking areas. The night we were there, a baseball game had just finished and the town was full of promenaders and folks enjoying the spacious outdoor areas.  The Peace Center offers concerts, shows and dance performances. The BI-LO Center hosts indoor football and concerts too. Falls Park on the Reedy River has an amazing suspension bridge that sways as you walk over it through the park. (:-o)

 

Underneath are incredible waterfalls that, at night anyway, looked quite frightening, especially with lots of young folks WALKING around them. 

We ate at the popular downtown American Grocery Restaurant, located in Greenville's West End District. A and G had eaten there before and loved it. 

  

I love that this restaurant is committed to using fresh local produce and meats and that it concentrates on seasonal offerings. I also loved our sommelier, Darlene, who has front of house responsibilities as well, and a really fetching Sarah Palin hairstyle. Why is that gorgeous women can wear that 'do so well? It's not surprising that she has a Hollywood past, as does the chef, CIA graduate, Joe Clarke.

With all this show business experience in place, the restaurant should have put on a first class performance. But there were a few problems. If only Darlene had been ours from the beginning, and not just for pouring the wine, I know she would have charmed us past the few hitches in the service and food. 

We sat for a LONG time, before we were given menus. Then we waited to be asked about drinks. We had been in the restaurant for over half an hour when I finally asked a busperson to bring us the wonderful looking bread. (Our waiter, I guess, never thought to.) He came back very apologetically and said there were no more rolls at the moment (at 8:30!!) but that a new batch would be out in 6 minutes.  At that point, they should have left a bushel of rolls on the table, but we were allowed to choose only one. (Well, I suppose we COULD have begged for more, but we didn't want to be forward.) They were fantastic, served with strawberry jam (is that a Southern thing?) and butter from the local Happy Cow Creamery.

It wasn't his fault that our waiter reminded me of a know-it-all boss I once had, but his too breezy, ask-you-a-question-and-not-care-what-the-answer-was demeanor WAS. 

He took a while to tell us that there was no more Lobster Ravioli, which 2 of us had planned to order. Now this is funny. As he was explaining that they had run out, he said they were all made fresh YESTERDAY and that the chef hadn't had a chance to make any more. That just made us thankful that we weren't eating DAY OLD ravioli, so it was just as well. And, really, don't tell us that!

H(usband)'s Mussels, Roasted Garlic, Preserved Lemon, Smoked Paprika Oil, Grilled Bread were fantastic. They were perfect and fresh and I wish I had had Michelle with me, so she could have analysed all the different flavors. Me? I was just sucking out every drop of goodness from the mussel shells. 

My Grilled Duck Spring Roll, Asian Greens, Orange-Chile Gastrique sounded sooo good, but, alas, it wasn't. Even though waiter-guy brushed me off when I told him (and 99% of the time, I never say anything bad when they ask how everything is, but this time I did), every part of the spring roll was a disappointment. 

The wrapping was way too thick and heavy. It wasn't crispy. It may have been previously fried or maybe the oil wasn't hot enough. The filling should have been crunchy and flavorful. The strips of duck were overcooked and tough and there wasn't enough bite to the gastrique (although it was the best part of the dish) to make up for the duck. What a shame...

Don't call the food police, I also had duck as an entrée - Duck Breast, Farro Verde, Brandied Cherry Gastrique.

Should I have been concerned that the chef used a gastrique (a reduction of vinegar, fruit and usually sugar that's similar to an agrodolce) in both dishes? No, that's a common way to give a dish a punch of flavor and just a bit of sauce. It works particularly well with duck.

The duck was good, real good. It was tender, with loads of flavor and served perfectly rare, which I require. The cherry gastrique was just right. I am not a fan of farro and this one did not bother me at all, which is to say it was a nice rich accompaniment to the duck. 

H's Halibut with Wild Mushroom-Pancetta Ragout, Arugula and Preseved Lemon Aioli was spot on. The aioli was delicious and the fish was cooked beautifully.

Neither dessert - Chocolate Bouchons, Cherry Ganache, Frangelico Cream or the White Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousses matched the promise of the main courses. They were unusually bland. The bouchons (miniature cupcakes?) were just plain dry. The peanut butter mousse was okay, but, instead of shouting PEANUT BUTTER, it was more of a whimper, plus both mousses looked rather melted and sad.

      

Would I go back? Absolutely. And I would hope that we could snag Darlene as our host and server for the evening.