Test Kitchen | Noé José Cupcakes

 

I eat a lot of sweet corn muffins. It's my lazy-broad dessert because I usually have eggs, milk, a can of corn, and Jiffy mix. Lately, I've been thinking they'd be great with a little bit a Mexican chocolate frosting. (I also drink a lot of Abuelita hot chocolate - the source of my inspiration.) I bought some boxed whipping cream from Trader Joe's I wanted to test out and thought it was the perfect time to try to make these cupcakes. I googled 'holy molé cupcakes' just to prove to myself how creative I am, but some guys in Chicago already beat me to the Mexican cupcake punch. I'll call my version Noé José cupcakes for copyright infringement purposes, although I did independently develop the same tasty idea.

Trippin | Inner Mongolia

Inner Mongolia might be the mutton capital of the world. I ate a ton of mutton while I was there. A ton! Mongolian cooking in a lot different from Chinese cooking and I'm glad I got to try it all. I love Chinese food in the States. It was going to be my first time in China and I didn't want to burst my food bubble, so I was a little reluctant to go. (Thank G-d, I didn't read this article by David Sedaris before I went.) 

Booze | Bushmills Single Malt Whiskey (10 Years)

We are whiskey drinkers. We drink cheap whiskey because I like whiskey cocktails and the Old Man has two taste buds, so there's no point of wasting money on the good stuff. We got this bottle of Bushmills as a gift and the Old Man loved it. He doesn't have much of a discerning palate, so I don't know how much faith I put in his review. However, the gift giver is a whiskey connoisseur and highly recommended it. It was too potent for me, so I only had one glass out of the entire bottle. And I think even that put a strand of hair on my chest.

Recipe | Pozole Blanco

I love soups and I especially love broth-based soups. Pozole blanco is high on my list. The Old Man calls it soup salad because it's a refreshing soup depending on the quantity of veggies you add. I love pork, but I don't really do pata, cabeza, lengua, or ojo from any animal, so this recipe is just with pork shoulder. However, I've heard that 'head' is the secret to the taste of pozole blanco, so feel free to add traditional pork products as desired.

Must Have | Matouk's Hot Sauces

The one thing Trinidad got right - hot sauce! We are devotees of Matouk's. We pour it on everything. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's better than even Marie Sharp's. (Sorry Belize.) The Hot Pepper sauce is simple - scotch bonnet peppers. The Calypso Sauce is mustard based and goes great with cheesy scrambled eggs. There are a variety of other flavors, but these two are on heavy rotation here. If you like hot and spicy, give Matouk's a try. You won't be disappointed.

Restaurant Review | Taiwan Teahouse

Most everything in Indiana is in a stripmall. You can't ever judge a book by its cover in this state. And Taiwan Teahouse is one of those places. I have a funny hobby of eating Chinese food everywhere I go. It's like a regional taste metric. I don't believe regional Chinese food should all taste authentically Chinese, unlike this lady. French Chinese food - horrible. Guatemalan Chinese food - just as bad. Irish Chinese food - delicious. Chinese Chinese food - pretty good. I'm not going to get into the politics of Taiwan as a domicile of China, but Taiwan Teahouse is tasty either way. The mapo tofu was very good - maybe even the best I've ever had. We had a spicy dumpling appetizer that wasn't very spicy and a little too salty for my taste. The Old Man enjoyed his General Tso's chicken. All in all, two thumbs up.

Booze | Crispin Cider

I had Crispin for the first time in Chicago. I was in love. I'm a serious cider drinker and Crispin hits the spot. It's a lot less sweet than any Woodchuck. It's similar to Strongbow, but slightly more refreshing. After having it in Chicago, I went on the hunt here in Indy. It's actually kind of funny because the guy at one store asked if it was a "hard" cider. I had no idea what he was talking about. Oddly, I hate apple juice. (It's a long story involving me repeatedly watching Footloose as a child.) So, I don't drink "soft" cider and didn't realize not all ciders are alcoholic. You learn something new everyday.

Recipe | Riso Parmesan with Mushrooms

The original recipe called for shaved truffles. I decided I don't want to break the bank over dinner, so I make mushroom chips instead. I looks a little like white rice in the picture, but I use riso pasta and it's a very flavorful recipe.

Restaurant Review | Pita Bar and Grill

Restaurant | Pita Bar and Grill
Location | 519 N Fairfax Ave Los Angeles, CA 90036 

This place has a delicious falafel sandwich! Many times in LA, I found falafel sandwiches served with cold, soggy falafel, iceberg lettuce, a little hummus and a stale piece of pita bread. For me, its about all the unique ingredients that go into this sandwich, that make is so good. I've had a difficult time finding anything close to that sandwich until I came across Pita Bar and Grill. The falafel in the sandwich is served hot and crunchy, with creamy hummus, pickled veggies, on a thicker than average pita bread. SO GOOD!

Product Review | Oscar Mayer Real Bacon Bits

I was pleasantly surprised with these bacon bits! My first thoughts were, How can meat sit out like that? Bad idea! I'm glad I tried them because they're pretty tasty. It says on the packaging to refrigerate after opening and best if used 14 days after opening. I've kept them long past 14 days and they taste fine. Although, I'll keep food until it gets up and walks away. It also says it it "may" contain potassium chloride and maple flavoring. I don't know what Oscar Mayer is implying by the statement. Neither is listed in the ingredients, which are only chemically-cured bacon and hickory smoked flavor. If you're not shy, try them. It's a lot easier than buying a slab of bacon, popping grease everywhere, and having the rest of the pack turn into slim a week later when you forget you have it.