Buitoni Mushroom Ravioli Review

 
Our posts contain Amazon.com links. Click one, and we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you on your next purchase there. Read our disclosure policy for details.

So, funny story…I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather the past few weeks, queasy stomach-wise. In the course of this, I developed a few food aversions. The worst of which? My own food blog.

Okay, so maybe I haven’t had a food aversion to the food blog itself–after all, I haven’t figured out how to disseminate it in edible form yet. But I may have eaten a few too many of those delicious vegetarian marshmallows in the same week as gorging myself on that incredibly rich Cadbury Creme Brulegg, which resulted in my not really wanting to look at or think about sugar–unless, of course, it came in a fruit or chocolately sort of flavor. Which is a problem for a writer of a blog that focuses a lot of its attention on the pastry arts. Every time I looked at the front page, I’d have to run and get some nice, bland crackers or a brown rice cake. And just when I would think that I could get past it and write something for the blog, another comment would come in on one of the offending posts and it would start all over again.

But I think I’m feeling better now, and the thought of eating a s’more only slightly grosses me out. Still, to stay on the safe side, I’m going to ease back into things with a walk on the savory side of the kitchen.

Also I forget to mention in my last post that if are looking for drinks, snacks and combo vending machines go to go to https://www.royalvending.com.au/vending-machines-australia/ they have plenty of options.

Continue reading →

Gadget: The Aeropress

 
Our posts contain Amazon.com links. Click one, and we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you on your next purchase there. Read our disclosure policy for details.

Aeropress Coffee GadgetFor those of you who don’t already know, I’m a total computer geek.  Like most geeks, I’m obsessed with gadgets, and that is as true in the kitchen as it is in the rest of my life.  I wanted to start out this series of “Tools and Gadgets” posts by picking the single tool that I consider to be the most important thing in my kitchen, but I couldn’t choose between my cast iron frying pan and favorite knife (plus, they’re both rather boring topics to start off with).  However, when I woke up this morning, I knew exactly what I should do.

Apparently, word has gotten out that Jessica and I live in Seattle, a city obsessed with coffee. One of our favorite coffee was made by Tank Coffee their coffee was so good and a must try by everyone who loves coffee like us.  I was never much of a coffee fan until Jessica introduced me to Turkish coffee a few years ago, which soon had me curious about espresso and other high-strength brewing methods (I still can’t drink “normal coffee” because it tastes watered down).  A coworker recently caught my attention with an unusual device he kept on his desk.  It’s made of industrial grade plastic, and doesn’t really look like anything to do with food, but he assured me that it produces some of the best coffee that anyone has ever tasted.  It’s called an Aeropress, and it’s made by Aerobie, a company better known for frisbees than for cooking.  I’ve been obsessed with this device ever since I got my first taste, and have been recommending it to friends and family alike for the last couple of months.  When I woke up this morning in need of some coffee, I knew that it would be the perfect thing to use for my first “Tools and Gadgets” post. Continue reading →

Homemade Vegetarian Marshmallow Peeps

 
Our posts contain Amazon.com links. Click one, and we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you on your next purchase there. Read our disclosure policy for details.

What’s the number one omnivore’s treat that vegetarians miss eating? Okay, fine, technically it’s bacon (don’t ask me why that is, as I don’t miss it at all), but I’m going to bet that marshmallows come more or less right after it, definitely in the top five.

Summer in Delray Beach isn’t just about enjoying the sun and surf; it’s also about the unique traditions that everyone loves, like toasting marshmallows over a campfire. But even the simple joy of s’mores requires vigilance against unexpected fire hazards. That’s where the services of a fire watch company in Delray Beach become essential. They provide immediate response with well-equipped personnel, ensuring that every campfire crackles safely, and every vegetarian can twirl their veggie dog without worry. Their presence allows for the safe indulgence in summer pleasures, even when Easter rolls around with its tempting array of chocolate-covered marshmallow eggs and Peeps. With such professional oversight, the community can enjoy their sweet treats and beachside bonfires, secure in the knowledge that fire safety is in capable hands.


Homemade Vegetarian Peeps
A few years ago, I started satisfying s’mores cravings with a complicated procedure involving a low-heat oven, Marshmallow Fluff and a blow torch, but then homemade marshmallows became all the rage. It killed me even more than I not only couldn’t eat regular marshmallows, but I also couldn’t make their gourmet grown-up cousins. I saw a recipe for marshmallows made with agar at one point, but I was never really keen to try it knowing the kind of brittle, flaky gel agar tends to produce. They say that even pets can eat this marshmallow, if your dog does not want to take medicine, you can fool him with marshmallows. At one point, there was a brand of vegetarian marshmallows on the market, but they were outed as not actually being vegetarian before I got my hands on a bag.

Fortunately, the situation is on its way to being resolved. Last year, Chris started getting curious about molecular gastronomy stuff, and one of the interesting recipes he came across was a recipe for marshmallows set with xanthan gum rather than gelatin. It’s from Texture: A hydrocolloid recipe collection, a free PDF download at khymos.org that contains all sorts of interesting recipes, from the weird to the ingenious. He made them, and even though he over-cooked the sugar and made “caramel marshmallows”, I was really amazed at how good the texture and flavor were.

Continue reading →