Marlboro: The Cookbook. Kid You Not.

So I can't resist the call of a good kitschy cookbook. I just can't. If it's something goofy and offbeat, I am SO there.

Some recent finds include:

Cooking With Friends. Like, Friends the TV show.

Soupcon I: Seasonal Samplings From The Junior Leauge of Chicago

Sugar Plum Fare from the Scholarship Committee from the National Ballet School

The Hagen Family Cookbook. Evidentally, this family went together, collected all their recipes, and had them published into one book. It's really heavy into Norweigan foods, which is interesting.

And the Marlboro "Cook Like A Man" cookbook, which leans heavily on the talents of one Bobby Flay, because every recipe contains enough pepper that I got uncomfortable just reading about them. Looking over the cookbook prompted my fiancee, who is a smoker himself, to go "Yes, because you've killed so many of your taste buds smoking Marlboros, that you have to use that many peppers, just to taste the food!"

Good eats! I plan to work my way through at least one of them soon!

Once Again, It's Time For...No, Thank You Bobby Flay!

I do this on a periodic basis, if your new to the haps 'round these parts. I like Bobby Flay. Alot. He's got a reputation for being a little sharp on the pronounciation of some things, but if you just hang with him a minute, he'll learn ya a thing or two.

Case in point.

Thanks to Throwdown: Philly Cheese Steak, I learned that the correct cheese for a true Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich is, in fact, the Wiz. Cheese Wiz. That's a high faluttin' sandwich you got yourself there, Philly!

At any rate, I had a few peppers gifted to me that were about to go bad, so I did what Bobby Flay would do...roast the peppers right on the roaster (which gave my Type A Fiancee the vapors, I swear...), slice up an onion, let 'em cook until their falling apart on themselves, slice up a steak, slather on a thick amount of wiz, and enjoy my semi-authentic Philly Cheese Steak. I say "semi" because, well for one, I'm not in Philly, and for two, I doubt they use Wonder bread in Philly. :D

It's good eats!

No, Thank you Bobby Flay! Now, if I could just find all the spices for your 16 spice rub!

It's Time For Everyone's Favorite Game Show...

...thanks, Bobby Flay!

I've long been on the quest for all the necessary ingredients for Bobby Flay's 16 Spice Rub, with one mythical ingredient escaping me. Pasilla Chili Powder. I don't know why it seems so illusive, but it does.

I just googled pasilla chili powder, and found this most excellent little store, Dean & Deluca.

Dean And Deluca

And they've got EVERYTHING. It's kind of out of control. It must be an amazing store in person! They've got black truffle barbeque sauce, pure foie gras, brillo de treviso cheese, and a million of other things. If you've always wanted to try something you saw on Food Network or Top Chef, but it was never anything your market carried, chances are Dean & Deluca has it - and they ship!

I'm positive that I'v seen Bobby Flay in this store on his show Boy Meets Grill. I like that show alot, because he shows lots of cool shops around the city, in addition to the cooking.

Pasilla Chili Powder, $6.25 for 1.9 ounces. Thanks, Bobby Flay!

Theresa Learns!

Thanks Bobby Flay!

I'm watching Throwdown: German Chocolate Cake right now, and I just learned something.

German Chocolate Cake is, in fact, not German. It's named for a man with the last name German.

From whatscookingamerica.net:

German Chocolate Cake is an American creation that contains the key ingredients of sweet baking chocolate, coconut, and pecans. This cake was not brought to the American Midwest by German immigrants. The cake took its name from an American with the last name of "German."

1852 - Sam German created the mild dark baking chocolate bar for Baker's Chocolate Company in 1852. The company name the chocolate in his honor - "Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate." In most recipes and products today, the apostrophe and the "s" have been dropped, thus giving the false hint as for the chocolate's origin.

1957 -The first published recipe for German's chocolate cake showed up in a Dallas newspaper in 1957 and came from a Texas homemaker. The cake quickly gained popularity and its recipe together with the mouth-watering photos were spread all over the country. America fell in love with German Chocolate cake.

From The "Theresa's Sure Up To Speed" File...

I got Bobby Flay's new burger cookbook the other day, and I noticed that he mentioned a burger from Bolo, his first restaurant, and spoke of it's success on the menu in the past tense.

Back to Google - Bolo closed!

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/12/hasta-luego-bolo/

Long story short, the building got bought out and demolished. Bolo had been on the NYC Culinary scene for 15 years. So...there you go.