What is a Pennsylvania steel town to do when its major industry and source of revenue begins to wane? Invent a creative marshmallow confection and market it for any time of year of course!
I was first introduced to Peeps (link to company website here), a wonderful treat still made in Bethlehem, PA, by my mother as a child. Every Easter several boxes of the cute little marshmallow chicks extruded from a machine and dusted in yellow sugar would rest in my sister and my Easter baskets. They were delicious as is or plopped in a cup of hot chocolate.
Today, Peeps come in all shapes and are marketed to excited connoiseurs for any time of year.
While doing some holiday shopping I found a new wonderful treat: Gingerbread Peeps. Excited to try a box, I took them home to sample.
On a plate and microwaved for 5-7 seconds, they are absolutely wonderful. A distinct flavor reminiscent of pumpkin spice combines with the molten marshmallow for a heavenly combination. Have a wonderful start to the holiday season and don't forget to pick up a few holiday Peeps to enjoy!
-The Food Pope
As we rapidly approach the holidays, I enjoy sampling the range of wonderful flavors associated with the season. One unique delicacy that I didn't like for the majority of my childhood is fruitcake. While perusing the holiday aisle at Wally World last week, I found a small section that contained Claxton Fruitcake (link to company website here). I had never tried one before, and was curious if the $2.69 would be money well spent. It certainly was!
Rich pieces of candied fruit adorn a lovely mixture containing pecans, walnuts, and what appears to be fairly traditional bread dough. If you're looking for a unique treat to enjoy this holiday season, I'd recommend seeking out a tasty fruitcake that combines the flavors of yesteryear. You might just find that your tastebuds take a trip back to a simpler time when fruitcake was a rich and flavorful delicacy containing all manner of wonderful hard-to-find ingredients that are commonplace in modern times. Even if they don't, a slice of fruitcake is absolutely divine with a strong cup of coffee or tea.
What more decadent dessert could a person enjoy than a selection of delicious hand-topped donuts from Peace, Love and Little Donuts in Worthington, Ohio? Donuts seem to capture all of the cravings we have for a sweet, filling, and calorie-laden treat that so many of use enjoy as a great "sometime food."
After getting his haircut, Finley is ready to dive into a selection of donuts that he helped choose from. The look on his face matches mine when I'm ready to enjoy a great donut!
To check out the Peace, Love and Little Donuts website, click here
The lowly bread heel is looked down upon by many. The often thick crust turns many off, but to this foodie a bread heel sandwich is simply divine. Why waste the end of a perfectly good loaf of bread when one could enjoy all the chewy, flavorful goodness all to oneself?
On my busy commute between Marysville Early College High School and Columbus State Community College on Wednesday, I took a brief moment to enjoy a wonderful bread heel sandwich with a thick layer of extra crunchy peanut butter. My inexpensive but satisfying meal hit the spot during my busy day.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit World Market and browse their interesting array of international cuisines and beverages. I was delighted to discover that Typhoo tea was available for sale for a mere $5.99 for 100 teabags. This bold, bracing tea is a wonderful way to start the day and prepare for a range of mental and physical tasks in the day ahead.
Check out the Typhoo website at:
Typhoo Tea
The age-old concept of enjoying food on a board is one that can easily be reproduced at home. Whether you enjoy a smorgasbord that combines a selection of meats, cheeses, and bread or a range of other foods on a board, the concept is simple to do. Think of the types of foods that you enjoy, and imagine ways that they could be presented artistically and in a palate-pleasing way. Find an old cutting board or consider purchasing an inexpensive one from a kitchen or food service vendor. IKEA sells some simple and reasonably-priced boards that would be wonderful to serve appetizers or other small foods on https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80305422/
The above board is one I assembled with an array of my favorite breakfast treats: scrambled eggs, hash browns, croissants filled with Nutella, and freshly-brewed tea and coffee. Enjoy the experience of assembling and eating your food board, and as always, stay healthy and happy!
-The Food Pope
Fusion cuisine is taking the world by storm. The ingredients, flavors, food culture, and presentation style of the foods of very different cultures can be exciting and delicious when combined together.
Looking for a way to create a new dish that honors some of my favorite food cultures, the below Middle Eastern pizza adorned my dinner plate last night. I started with a Mexican flour tortilla. This simple "crust" is readily available at many stores and I chose to go with the larger, burrito size. In classic Italian style, I proceeded to build a pizza on the tortilla, choosing to forgo tomato sauce and instead use hummus. The Cedars brand hummus that I used spread very well the flavor didn't overpower the finished pizza.
I added green peppers, artichokes, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and baked for 9 minutes at 350 degrees. The finished pizza was light, tasty, and delicious when sprinkled with a bit of cumin.
When trying new flavors and meals in your kitchen, be fearless and embrace a fusion of different flavors!
