Mmmm, Pumpkin Tarts!

Last year’s pumpkin shortage is thankfully gone this year, meaning that those of us who love pumpkin in everything from shakes to pies can now revel in this seasonal treat! If you love pumpkin pie but want to retain a little bit of portion control during this year’s holiday season, you might want to try your hand at making pumpkin tarts. These little pastries are just as delicious and can be whipped up to create some unique and memorable single-serving desserts for your next feast.

One of the best things about pumpkin tarts is that they are so simple to make. In fact, baking isn’t even required—though the baked recipes often yield yummier, warm treats. To make your pumpkin tarts the no-bake way, you’ll need:

45 mini pastry puffs or shells (about three packages)

1 package of cheesecake instant pudding (be sure it’s the kind that doubles as pie filling)

A can of pumpkin (15 ounces)

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Thaw out your pastry shells. Mix the rest of the ingredients together until you reach a uniform consistency. The resulting mixture should be smooth and thick—just like pumpkin pie! Fill each mini pastry shell with the mixture and your tarts are ready. Top each tart with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. (The recipe tastes best when it is used.) Other optional garnishes include chocolate sprinkles, a dusting of pumpkin spice or cocoa, mint sprigs, or whatever else you like on your pie. Serve immediately, or refrigerate the day of your big event to retain freshness.

These mini pumpkin pies are a perfect treat for little ones to help put together. While it’s not very messy, they could certainly get messy in the preparations! Canned pumpkin is also one of the easiest ingredients to mix, as is instant pudding mix, so children can learn to stir without tiring easily. Of course, an electric mixer may be used if preferred, but it is not required.

For baked versions of this recipe, try AllRecipes or Food.com. You also might want to whip up some easy pumpkin bread to serve during your holiday feast, to give out as a gift (this may become a popular tradition!), or to simply enjoy at home with some spiced cider or eggnog. Here is a simple pumpkin bread recipe. Though it’s delicious plain, adding some zing with some raisins or nuts is always appreciated (by those who enjoy them and do not have allergies!).

"Cheers" for Sangria!

This past summer, I took a small mini vacation for a few days in California. It was near dinner time and I went for a grocery run for a band that I was staying at in the recording studio. I drove a band member’s smart car to head down to the local Whole Foods market just about a few minutes away from the studio. I had a list of food items dialed onto my cell phone just in case I forgot something. It was about 7 p.m. in the evening, so traffic was actually not too bad. I was actually making dinner that night for some band members. They specifically wanted ravioli and bread for dinner. As I was going down the list of food items on my phone, I passed by the wine aisle. I do not drink wine, but happened to be glancing around. I noticed some Sangria alcoholic beverages lying nearby. It had a very interesting design to the bottle, so I decided to put a couple large Sangria bottles into my shopping cart. I was making my last stop for cold tea drinks at the store and headed out to the check out stand. As I drove my way back to the band’s studio, I was thinking about the bottles of Sangria I just purchased. Since I was staying in California for a few days, I wanted to have a good time. I decided I wanted to have some drinks tonight with the band mates over ravioli and Sangria.

Sangria is basically a famous wine punch from mainly Portugal usually consisting of fruity red-wine, sliced fruits, sweetener, cinnamon spices, sugar, a small amount of other alcohol such as brandy, triple sec, or liquor, and ice with added sparkling soda flavor. The alcoholic content of Sangria varies. White wine can be used in Sangria instead of red. For example, Chardonnay can work as a type of white wine to Sangria. Some people add a bit of sweetener to sangria such as cinnamon or sweet sugar. For a richer taste, people usually add a more intense wine flavor for a stronger taste. It is usually served with orange juice, sweet lemonade, and a slice of fruit choice for sweetness. Preparing small slices of fresh fruits and refrigerating them for a few hours can also be great to add to ice and served with Sangria cold. If you are allergic to certain alcohol content, there is also a non-alcohol version of Sangria consisting of wine grapes, carbonated water, lemon, and cane sugar.

Sangria is very popular in South America during the summer months of mainly Spain and Portugal. It is also very popular in many parts of the country. It is a great drink amongst tourists in pubs, clubs, and bars. Sangria is served as a punch, from a large pitcher bowl in the Spanish culture during social gatherings, parties, and events. A big wooden spoon or folk is often used to get the fruit out of the bottom of the pitcher. Many restaurants in parts of South America are commonly served with Sangria in restaurants. During the hot summer months, Sangria is great for a cold alcoholic beverage drink anywhere.

As I was cooking ravioli for dinner that evening, I decided to make some ice cold Sangria drinks for the band. Since the summer weather was a bit hot and humid in the evening, Sangria was a lovely edition to the delicious ravioli dinner. Drinking a glass of Sangria was very nice and lovely. Sangria will be added to my list of favorite alcoholic drinks.  

Anyone care for a Delicious Piece of “Pie?”

I love pies. I am especially a huge lover of cherry pie. I have been eating pies since I was a small child and love the fresh, smelling home-made pies. During special holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is always a great holiday dessert treat after dinner. For whatever occasion it may be, pie is always a lovely dessert treat.

The creation of pies occurred during the ancient Egyptian period. During this period, stone tools were made by this ancient civilization along with the establishment of plants and animals, villages, and art crafts such as pottery and weaving. At this early time, pies were considered flat crusty cakes, by wrapping a sweet substance such as honey as a treat inside grounded oats, wheat, rye, or barley bread. These flat cakes later became sweet pastry or desserts. The Egyptians introduced pies to the Greeks, who then formed their own pie pastry technique into their culture. The Greeks were known to add meat to their pies by cooking the meat, and carefully sealing the juices inside, which provided as a staple food diet for men on long work journeys. This knowledge was then transferred to the Romans.

Pies are very common in the European culture and even to this day. It remains an important, significant part of their food diet because of many traveling and working class people. During the medieval times, pies were especially cooked for special occasions such as an army returning home from battle, a wedding, or just for crowds of people gathering together for a fun, enjoyable time. I have seen some occasions when pies were being eaten by villagers in many old, medieval films.

Though meat pies were very popular in the past, it is still an old traditional technique used today in many homes and gourmet restaurants from all across the world. Meat pies are especially well-loved and popular in many parts of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Their secret to delicious, fabulous pies is by adding steak, cheese, slices of beef, chicken, or mushrooms. These pie dishes are usually served with fresh baked chips or fresh fries as well. In the American culture, pot pies are very popular. A filling of meat such as chicken, beef, or turkey are added with gravy sauce and mixed vegetables. Pot pies are actually one of my favorite meals. Fruit pies are also very popular in the United States either eaten alone or with a scoop of ice cream. Cherry pie has always been a favorite fruit pie dessert of mine since I was a small child. It has a very sweet, tart taste to the pie. What is your favorite pie?

The Disgruntled Food Critic: Name Brand Products

Sometimes food criticism benefits from a steady, effete voice. Other times it's all about the fun of unpretentious eats on the road. But on a few, rare occasions, somebody just needs to be a jerk about it. Enter The Disgruntled Food Critic. Today's target, famous brand name foods from the world of corporate America.

Multigrain Cheerios: It's like regular Cheerios got drunk at a party and had a love child with
Honey Nut Cheerios but was so embarrassed about it that she raised the kid to think its father
was Kix.


Sweet Spicy Chili Doritos: The Frito-Lay Corporation found General Tso, tortured him for his chicken
recipe, rendered it into a powder and now refuses to call it what it is for fear of retribution from the Chinese government.


NECCO Wafers: Oliver R. Chase was the brains behind the NECCO Corporation, but his brother
Silas had the social skills Oliver sorely lacked. When it came time to make a business, Oliver indulged Silas's obsession with a candy that tastes like laundry detergent solely for the sake of public relations.


DiGiorno Pizza: Of course it's not delivery. The middle is still frozen, the slices are uneven
and the sausage tastes distinctly of industrial lubricant.


Baby Ruth Bar: Ya know what I've got a wicked craving for? A Snickers with leprosy.


Pop Chips: I don't know which is worse, the fact that they taste like stale Rice Crispies covered
in salt or that they make themselves so at home on my teeth that my finger is like an Israeli
bulldozer knocking down their unwanted settlements.


Cherry Dr. Pepper: Seeing as Dr. Pepper is already cherry-flavored (despite what their self-satisfied marketing department says) I suppose I shouldn't be insulted that this stuff doesn't taste any different than the original recipe. Still, Double-Chocolate Cake seems to pull it off, so I'm pretty miffed.


7-11 Brand Fruit Pies: They cost 80 cents less than Hostess pies and ya know what? They taste
exactly 80 cents worse. I respect them for that.


Vodka 360 by Earth Friendly Distillery: If saving the whales feels as bad as Three Olives Hippie tastes, I say we give BP a no-bid contract to drill the entire Pacific.


Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Bars: Like a Payday that grew up watching PBS, taking
advanced placement classes and experimenting with bisexuality in college.


Barbecue Chicken Hot Pockets: I never thought I'd find myself longing for the cheap marinara
sweetness of the original pizza recipe or the mouth-searing wrongness of the ham and cheese Hot
Pockets. It just goes to show you that nothing is impossible when you're being fed by the
criminally negligent.


Reese's Peanut Butter and Banana Cream Elvis Cups: Like sweet tea, palmetto bugs and guilt for
acts of racism I didn't even commit, these are things I can only get when I visit the South. I
count that among my blessings.

Watch Out for High-Calorie Drinks!

Washington State just imposed a bottle tax as a way to gain revenue to make up for shortfalls in the budget; the soda lobbyists are angry, but I think the American people should be angry about what Americans pass off as a healthy beverage in this country. Men’s Health--who truthfully write much more than just health pertaining to men only--just ran a piece describing the Top 20 Worst Drinks in America. I didn’t include the entire list here, primarily because it is too disturbing for the average person to take. Not all the beverages are supposed to be healthy, but some of them have a much higher calorie content than you could ever imagine.

However, here are a few of the drinks masquerading as healthy:

In the “WATER” category:


Instructions: Understand that what passes for water in a gas station in the US will not pass for water anywhere else.

And the winner for the WORST WATER is: Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water:

Hello? People? This so-called water has 150 calories. Not a good choice.

In the “KID’s Drink Categoy:


Imagine your child (or a child you know) running around the house for 30 minutes and accidentally breaking something as a result of one 20 oz. drink of this delightful beverage dreamed up by no less than Pepsico itself.

And the winner is: Tropicana Tropical Fruit Fury Twister

All calories, all sugar, and no juice. You might as well give your child a Pepsi instead because the impact will be the same.


In the ESPRESSO Category:


Recognize that what you are drinking goes directly to your abs, hips, butt, and thighs faster than you can do 20 push-ups and 10 lunges.

And the winner is: Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream

I’ll just say it straight: this delicious concoction has 660 calories. According to the Men’s Health researcher, this is the equivalent of more than 8 scoops of ice cream. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have the ice cream instead.

In the DRIVE-THRU Shake Category:

Close your eyes to the reality of the calorie-count I am about to reveal to you if you are a chocolate-shake lover-- it  may just mean cutting down on your favorite “treat”, but your body will thank you profusely if you do. Also, think about how amazing it is that we live in a country where a shake is considered a beverage.

And the winner is:  McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate Shake

1,160 calories, which is about the number of calories you could eat in an entire day, and more calories than some people in poverty-stricken countries get in a week. As Men’s Health points out, you could get the same number of calories at McDonald’s by eating 13 Baked Hot Apple Pies.

The Custard Apple

The custard apple is a fruit which is a completely common, everyday item to most of the world.  But I had never heard about it until I ran across a mention of it today.  "CUSTARD apple?"  I thought.  I understand those two words, but not together.

The custard apple is not an apple.  Nor is it custard.  It is the fruit of a tree, Annona reticulata,  which grows in tropical parts of the world.  Originally a native of the tropical islands of the West Indies, it has spread (both in cultivation and as a feral semi-invasive species) throughout Central and South America, from Mexico all the way south to Brazil.  It is also found in South Africa, southern India, southeast Asia, and the Philippines.

In America, according to the USDA, the custard apple is grown only in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  The custard apple's Purdue University page mentions that it is "not well known" in Hawaii, although presumably it would grow well there.

Custard apples are also called "bull's-heart" in various different languages.  This speaks to the fruit's size, general shape, and its slight reddish hue.  It is related to the cherimoya, and the sugar-apple or sweetsop.  (Two other fruits that I had never heard of until today!)

 The custard apple is apparently not a big prize, horticulturally speaking.  The horticultural department of Purdue University describes the leaves of the custard apple tree as "ill-smelling."  They also describe the flesh as being "custardlike, somewhat granular."  Delicious? 

Purdue University goes on to explain that each tree bears between 75 and 100 pounds of fruit per year.  Per YEAR.  (An average apple tree produces about 50 pounds of fruit per year.  And if you have ever lived with an apple tree, you know that that's an awful lot of fruit.)

Everything about custard apples sounds intriguing and delightful, except that apparently they do not taste very good.  "Insipid and blandly sweet" is a typical review.  Each segment of the custard apple has several large seeds, which are fairly easy to navigate around (and harmless if swallowed).  However, the leaves and skin of the custard apple tree produce a toxin which is effective against lice when applied topically, and against worms if taken internally.  Yum?

The custard apple does have one native American cousin, which is the paw-paw fruit.  This is an odd tree which is native to the Plains states, primarily Ohio.  Called the "prairie banana," the paw-paw fruit is somewhat banana-shaped and -flavored.  It too has giant seeds which must be picked out.  It provides a surprising amount of nutrition, although its taste is apparently rather bland, as well.

The paw-paw tree is America's largest fruit, but possibly its least-distributed.  The fruit goes bad within hours after picking, and if it is picked unripe it will never ripen.  Furthermore, the paw-paw tree is sturdy in place, but virtually impossible to move without damaging.  This has prevented the paw-paw from showing up in stores, making it one of the few truly local delicacies left in the world.

Photo credit: Flickr/h-bomb

The Meal: Herb Chicken, Pomegranate-Apple Salad, and Apple-Parsnip-Cinnamon-Butter Mush

Like usual, I had no meal planned, but I was told by the Cook that it was my turn to make some food for the both of us tonight. The stress was on and I truthfully felt as if I were on Iron Chef trying to cook without a cookbook.

I DO recommend trying to re-create this meal at home, but maybe not for dinner parties quite yet. Although I made up half of it from scratch using willpower and truthfully iron-strength, I am quite confident that anyone can do it with the right ingredients.

What you need:

  • 2 Chicken Breasts
  • Special Herbs and Seasonings
  • Olive Oil
  • 1 Pomegranate
  • 1 Apple
  • 1 Parsnip
  • Cinnamon
  • Butter


Step one: Spread the special herbs and seasonings on the chicken breasts. Colonel Saunders has a pretty good recipe for the herbs from what I understand. I used a mixture of secret herbs from a shop located in Seattle. If Seattle is too far of a commute for you, you will just have to stick with shake-and-bake as an alternative. I recommend using olive oil with the seasonings so that you don’t dry up the chicken.

Step two: Peel and cut the parsnips and apples into cubes. (I made this part up, so I am warning you in advance that any real cooks out there might need to make some modifications.)

Step three: Roast the parsnips in the oven.

Step four: Roast the herb-covered chicken breasts in the oven. Resist the temptation to fondle the chicken breasts as most people don’t look too kindly on cruelty to dead animals. It is also possible that this was how the Bird Flu was originally spread.

Step five: Roast half the apples. If you don’t know how long they should be roasted, ask a real cook. I am not one of them.

Step six: Put the other half of the apples into a bowl.

Step seven: Take the seeds and juice out of half of the pomegranate. This is easier said than done. I used a spoon and slowly took out the seeds seed by seed until I reached pay-dirt- an entire seed-loaded section.

Step eight Mix up the pomegranate seeds and the apple pieces. Cover with pomegranate juice.

Step nine: Check the chicken. It will likely be dripping with pink juices. If you are interested in seeing what you feel like after eating salmonella-chicken, this is your chance.

Step ten: Keep checking chicken. Have the Cook check chicken to confirm whether it is cooked or not.

Step eleven: Take the parsnips and apples out. Mash them together with a little bit of cinnamon and butter. (This is a very experimental recipe, so you may want to make modifications.)

Step twelve: Eat the meal and get compliments.

Weird Egg Recipes

Bored with the same old fried, poached, boiled, or scrambled eggs?  Try some of these unusual egg dishes on for size!

Tea Eggs
These are a savory treat, commonly served in China as a late-night or afternoon snack.  They are so common that 7-11 stores stock them, and according to Wikipedia sell 40 million tea eggs a year.

To make a tea egg, you essentially hard boil an egg, lightly crack the shell, then marinate the egg in a tea concoction for a few days.  The tea stains the egg brown in a craquelure sort of pattern, as well as giving it a complex taste.

The tea marinade is the key in this recipe.  The classic recipe is black tea, plus a dash of Chinese five-spice powder, and a dash of soy sauce.

Century Egg
Another Chinese treat, this is basically a fermented egg.  Raw eggs are buried in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, rice hulls, or other high-alkaline substances.  The alkalinity raises the pH of the egg, which "cooks" the proteins.  (It's not unlike a ceviche.) 

This process turns the egg white a sort of tobacco brown color, and turns the yolk dark green.  It also lends the entire egg a creamy texture.  The smell is redolent of ammonia, but those who have tried them swear that the egg itself does not taste like pee. 

Salted Duck Eggs
This is a brined egg, one which has been cured by soaking in a salt mixture for a few weeks.  At the end of the process, the egg is typically given a quick hard boil to set it up.  The taste is, as you might imagine, quite salty.  I understand it is the delicate, creamy texture which is the main appeal of salted duck eggs.

Duck eggs are used for this process, because their yolks are far larger than those of chicken eggs.  The yolk turns a brilliant orange color and becomes somewhat gelatinous, and is considered "the good part."

Balut
Perhaps the king of all Weird Egg Recipes, this dish almost seems more like a dare than a recipe.  To make balut, you take a fertilized egg and let it develop a baby chick.  Cook, and serve with a dash of vinegar. 

This delicacy of the Philippines and Southeast Asia is a high water mark for gross food. Few cultures approve of eating a fetus.   I first heard about it during a particularly memorable sequence on Destination Truth.  Balut has also been featured as a challenge food on The Amazing Race, Fear Factor, and Survivor.

Orange Julius Addition
It wasn't so long ago that Orange Julius offered the addition of a raw egg for a small extra fee.  That's right: in the 1980s, we added raw eggs to our blended Orange Julius drinks.  ON PURPOSE.  Can you believe it?

The raw egg was said to add protein, and to make the drink more frothy.  I get a little sick just thinking about it now.

Photo credit: Flickr/FotoosVanRobin

Rice Milk

          Oh yum. Rice milk is one of my ultimate favorite non-dairy milk beverage added to my refrigerator. I fell in love with rice milk about a year ago. I learned about this yummy drink through a former friend whom introduced me to this healthy non-dairy product. I decided to head to the nearest grocery store to try out a carton of this oh-so-good rice milk. For a 64 oz size carton of Rice Dream rice milk, I paid about $4 at the store. I also picked up a box of raisin bran cereal too. Since I am a club member at my local Safeway store, I scored a sweet deal since the rice milk was on sale as well.

          I went straight to my kitchen after I got home and bought out a bowl and spoon to eat cereal. I poured the raisin bran over the bowl and added rice milk. I took my spoon and took my first taste of my raisin bran cereal. It tasted very delicious with the Rice Dream rice milk. With the rice milk flavor, it tasted very different from original milk dairy products. I am not a huge fan of regular milk products at all because I don’t like how it tastes. Therefore, I stopped drinking milk a few years ago. The rice milk had this very distinctive, natural, and healthy taste.

          Rice milk is processed from a kind of grain, mainly brown rice. It contains mostly carbohydrates, and usually rice syrup sweetener, which is concentrated from cane juice or natural sweetener. Calcium or vitamin D is usually mixed with these ingredients as well. Rice milk is largely great for vegetarians or for many individuals who are lactose intolerant because rice milk is a good nutritional replacement for milk. Rice milk also works great as coffee creamers or added into ice creams and hot oatmeal for flavoring and taste.  

         The ingredients in rice milk contains:

- Filtered water

- Brown rice

- High oleic safflower oil

- Tricalcium phosphate

- Sea salt

- Vitamin A palmitate

- Vitamin D2

- Vitamin B12

         I highly recommend rice milk to anybody who wants to experience a nutritious, healthy non-dairy beverage drink. Not only does rice milk provide a strong source of rich calcium and vitamins, it is very healthy for your body. If you are lactose intolerant and do not enjoy the taste of regular milk, rice milk is the best substitute. For a carton of rice milk at any organic or grocery store, it ranges about $4. You can also get them in a huge case at Costco for cheap too. Try out this yummy, delicious rice milk. Honestly, it does taste better then milk.

Chocolate Hazelnut

            Yummy. Chocolate hazelnut. Oh not the chocolate hazelnut candies, but believe it or not, the famous chocolate hazelnut spread. This favorite chocolate hazelnut spread is pure deliciousness! I have heard of people tasting the famous Nutella hazelnut spread. I’ve never tried Nutella before, but happened to be at the organic produce store one day and picked up a bottle of Rapunzel’s Choconut chocolate and hazelnut spread. I was picking up food for breakfast in the morning and thought this yummy spread will be great with toasted bread and coffee.

            As I got home and unloaded my groceries from my car, I went straight to the kitchen to put away all the food. I tossed away some old leftover cooked food and some expired foods as well. After cleaning out the refrigerator for a bit, I loaded the new groceries into the fridge. It felt nice having the fridge a bit cleaned up. Since I was running a few errands in the morning, I decided to make some hot coffee and toast. I bought new whole wheat and oats bread along with the yummy bottle of chocolate hazelnut spread. I decided to fry up some eggs as well. As I waited for my coffee to brew, I put three slices of bread into the oven for a couple minutes. I took out my nonstick frying pan and started cracking four eggs into the fryer. I had my sea salt and black pepper nearby for added taste and flavor too. I took out a white plate, fork, knife, and a mug for my morning breakfast.

            As my eggs started to sizzle, I took my eggs out of the frying pan and laid them nicely on my plate sprinkling a little bit of salt and pepper. My coffee started to brew and I added the hot steamed coffee to my mug with some coconut creamer. The next thing was to get my slices of bread out of the oven and onto my plate to spread the delicious, yummy, rich creamy chocolate hazelnut spread on. Oh man. As I was spreading the creamy chocolate hazelnut onto my slices of bread, I could smell the allure of the lingering chocolate hazelnut flavor. I took a bite of the bread and it tasted oh-so-wonderful! The chocolate hazelnut spread melted into my mouth and had a romantic chocolate taste. It tasted absolutely lovely and divine. This spread is great with breads and baguettes. If you love baking, this is also wonderful to spread onto cupcakes and cakes as well.

            This yummy chocolate hazelnut spread includes yummy ingredients such as:

            - Cane sugar

            - Non-hydrogenated palm oil

            - Hazelnuts (Yum!)

            - Deodorized sunflower oil

            - Whole milk powder

            - Cocoa powder

            - Soy lecithin

            - Vanilla powder

            This Choconut chocolate hazelnut spread is added to my kitchen cabinet for breakfast on the go or whenever I want a taste of the famous spread itself. If you love some added taste of chocolate to your bread, buns, or baguette, try out this yummy chocolate hazelnut spread. You will not be disappointed.   

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