Categories
Food

Ramen Salad

Here in the Midwest, pretty much everyone’s Mom makes the same “Asian ramen salad”. It’s cabbage and carrots and green onion and toasted smashed-up ramen noodles, some almonds and maybe some sunflower seeds, covered in a goopy oil-sugar-vinegar dressing.

It’s delicious, but we recently found
an upgrade. Add peanut butter, and cut out a lot of the sugar. The dressing is creamy and peanutty and … I’m going to go see if we any leftovers.

Categories
Food

“Hot Boy”

I’m at a work retreat, and the folks invented a “new drink” they’re calling the Hot Boy. I’m documenting it for posterity.

  • 3 oz Gin
  • Squeezed eighth of a lemon
  • Squeezed eighth of a lime
  • 2 tbsp pablano/serrano simple syrup
  • Slice of Jalapeno
  • Slice of Serrano
  • Splash of San Pellegrino Limonata

Advanced: lemon twist rub, followed by serrano rub.

Thanks Zach and Nolan!

Categories
Food

Making a Doctor Who TARDIS Cake with Jelly Babies

Last Saturday marked the finale of the third season of the new Doctor Who. To celebrate, Amanda and I made a cake–a TARDIS cake, with Jelly Babies.

I had an easier time than I expected finding Jelly Babies. Our local grocery store had them in their tiny British section.

IMG_0674

We used Betty Crocker “Party Rainbow Chip” cake mix. This is the Betty Crocker version of Funfetti, the best cake in the universe.

IMG_0682.JPG

Amanda cut the Jelly Babies up in to little pieces, and we mixed them into the batter.

IMG_0698.JPG

When the cake finished, we flipped it over. The Jelly Babies had melted, coloring the cake. The melted Jelly Babies kept the cake moist, and when they crystallized, the cake was almost crispy. Yum!

IMG_0701.JPG

We cut the cake into the shape of the TARDIS, using some reference photos from the Internet.

IMG_0703.JPG

Because we haven’t had a lot of cake decorating experience, I wanted to minimize the amount of detail work we’d have to perform upon the cake itself. We melted almond bark to make the letters and the windows. For the letters, I put the almond bark in a plastic bag and pierced a corner to make a piping bag. For the windows, I lined the bottom of some tin tea canisters with aluminum foil, and filled them with almond bark.

IMG_0703.JPG

IMG_0706.JPG

Although we weren’t able to match the blue of the TARDIS perfectly, we did as well as we could with a lot of blue and a few drops of red food coloring.

IMG_0707.JPG

After spreading the frosting on the cake, we piped lines for the doors and other details.

IMG_0714.JPG

We then added the white windows made of almond bark, the letters, and outlined the panels.

IMG_0717.JPG

It was delicious. The melted Jelly Babies really added something special to the cake. A little Huon energy or something.

Next year, or perhaps for the Christmas special, we’ll have to do a few things differently. I’d like to match the blue better. I’d also like to use dark chocolate and white chocolate to make a proper “Police Box” panel. Maybe we’ll get fancy and use fondant and gum paste.

I have more pictures (and a slideshow) on Flickr.

Categories
Food

“Ultimate Onion Ring or Fish Batter”

1 c. cornstarch
1 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 c. cold water
2 tbsp. oil

Beat togther.