Cartoons = Taste?

  
An interesting story I came across on USAToday reported that a study found children to believe that foods taste better if they come in packaging displaying cartoon characters.

French School Lunches

  
In addition to the story on stone skipping mentioned yesterday, I caught an interesting story on CBS over the weekend about lunches served in French public schools.

Kale Chips

  
We recently found ourselves with quite a bit of kale, which we are not used to eating on a regular basis.  In an effort to identify creative ways to incorporate kale into our diet, we came across a tasty and fun way to eat kale as a great side, or even for a snack!

Bread. Butter. Cheese.

  
A recent podcast I listened to told the story of an underground purveyor of grilled cheese sandwiches in New York City who takes orders from text messages on his cell phone and then delivers fresh grilled cheese sandwiches to customers on a bicycle.

Fried Okra Tacos

  
This past weekend we picked up some fresh okra, and after making one of our favorite sides on Saturday night (fried okra!), we used the leftovers to try a new dish fusing tastes of Tex-Mex and comfort food.

Fair Foods

  
As we approach the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, states and counties across the country are celebrating the annual fair season, and that means livestock shows, carnival rides, assorted competitions, entertainment shows, and fair food!

Summer Sandwiches #7

  
A wonderful weekend visit to Pennsylvania included a fun-filled hobo's afternoon with some of my adventurous cousins, including a canoe ride down the Allegheny river and a campfire meal in the rain.  I was thrilled to feast on my first "hobo pie," which was as good as advertised, and a campfire treat that I look forward to enjoying at future campfires in future summers.  Here's a quick recipe for a couple pies we enjoyed.

Summer Sandwiches #6

  
After a weekend at the beach, I am thankful for great beach food, including crabcake sandwiches, fried clams, fish & chips, funnelcake, fresh-cut fries, salt water taffy, and fresh lemonade.  While I don't have a recipe for a great crabcake sandwich, I can offer a recipe for another sort of sandwich we enjoyed at the beach.

Ice Cream These Days

  
I found a recent article in The New York Times to be of interest in its description of current trends in ice cream, particularly the increase in popularity of boutique ice cream shops as well as ice cream prices.

Summer Sandwiches #5

  
A great summer sandwich that we've recently enjoyed combines several fresh ingredients that are fresh from the garden in the summertime.  It's our version of a grown-up's grilled cheese sandwich.

Summer Sandwiches #4

  
Another great summer sandwich that we've enjoyed a few times during our return to Texas is the sausage sandwich.

Summer Sandwiches #3

   

During our visit to San Antonio, we've enjoyed several great forms of sandwiches.  The first was a tasty fish taco that hits the spot in the summertime.

Summer Sandwiches #2

After fixing a giant batch of pinto beans, Aubree came up with the clever idea of using our extras to make some bean-burger patties, which turned into a great sandwich I now call Aubree's Bean Burger Torta.

Cheese Rolling

  
Some people chase after food.  Some people play with their food.  Some people like to do both.  One example of such behavior takes place every year in Gloucestershire, England, during the historic Cheese Rolling event at Cooper's Hill.

Summer Sandwiches #1

  
The first recipe for a summer sandwich is one I enjoyed today: a HAT-Trick sandwich.

Leaving a Fair Share

  
What happens when large restaurant chains try to find out what human nature is all about, trusting that customers will be fair and honest in paying for their food? 

A Tasty Discovery

  
We recently had the privilege of making an incredible discovery while meeting with friends for dinner. As you may know, I am a big fan of sandwiches.

Post-Game Snack

With spring now here, baseball is back, and that includes Major Leagues, Minor Leagues, and Little Leagues. In an article on our church website, our pastor shared stories of watching his son play t-ball, noting that despite all of the chaos and confusion that defines 5- and 6-year-olds playing t-ball, everyone could look forward to the post-game snack. I appreciated his parallel with our faith, noting that despite the chaos, confusion, and paralysis that defines our fallen, sinful state, we look forward to the promise of a heavenly feast at the end of this life. Our pastor also referenced comedian Brian Regan who provides a comedic glimpse into his memories of playing Little League baseball, standing awkwardly and timidly in the outfield while dreaming of the free snowcone that he would enjoy after the game.

I can certainly relate with my own Little League memories. Despite games where we lost under the "Mercy Rule," or when I walked the bases loaded and then gave up an impressive grand slam, I always looked forward to ice-cold soda and Little Debbie snack cakes. Sometimes we even got to all go on a trip for ice cream. No matter what the outcome of the game, there was always a happy ending.

Double Down

In the news of strange foods, Kentucky Fried Chicken announced it plans to sell a "bunless" sandwich that will be called the "Double Down." It is essentially two filets of fried chicken meat with cheese and bacon between. The sandwich was created in response to some customers who noted that a sandwich didn't fill them up enough due to the bread, and they were hoping for something with more meat. So they decided to take away the buns and substitute with more fried chicken! I can't say I will ever consider trying the Double Down, but I would expect teenage boys across the country to be in eager anticipation.

To read more, visit:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2010-04-06-bunlesskfc06_ST_N.htm

On another note, today was a good day for me at the grocery store. The bakery's "Oops" stand (where they sell overstocked items at deep discounts) was full of different kinds of breads, and we took advantage of the opportunity! This means that I will be enjoying tasty sandwiches for many days to come...thank you overachieving bakers!

Beavertails in Canada

Continuing on the theme of all things Canadian, we recently remembered a tasty little treat we picked up in Whistler during our honeymoon at the end of a long day of alpine hiking as we were enjoying the village and starting to get a little chilly. We walked by this little stand called Zog's Dogs that was selling what are called "Beavertails," which are essentially fried wheat-dough pastries that come with various toppings of your choice. We went for the chocolate hazlenut spread topping.

This past weekend as we remembered enjoying our delicious Beavertail in Canada, we decided to try making one here at home, with a twist. Instead of frying wheat dough, we took some whole wheat pizza dough we had previously made, let it rise a little bit, baked it, and then spread Nutella on top. It was pretty close to the real thing! To learn more about Beavertails, you can check out this Beavertail company's site or Wikipedia.