Get Recipe!
from Serious Eats: Recipes https://ift.tt/2JGX4nW
via IFTTT
Wolferman’s Bakery recently broke a world record for the largest cinnamon roll. The gooey monstrosity weighed a whopping 1,149.7 pounds! It took over 11 hours to bake and more than 100 people to create it. That’s a lot of frosting.
If you’re sad to have missed out on this gigantic achievement, you’re in luck. In honor of this new world record, Wolferman’s doesn’t want anyone to miss out on eating oversized baked goods. The bakery will literally ship a five-pound cinnamon roll straight to your doorstep. And that doesn’t include the extra 12-ounce packet of icing it comes with! It might be 229 times smaller than the world record holder, but it’s estimated to feed 40 people. Or one really hungry person. Hey, it’s still way larger than anything you’d snag at the your local mall’s Cinnabon kiosk.
Here’s how it works: You order the 80-ounce bun from their website and they’ll ship you a cold version of it. But don’t be alarmed—it comes with heating instructions. While the baking pan it comes in is technically microwavable, it’s gargantuan size may prevent it from even fitting in the appliance at all.
In terms of price, it costs 50 bucks, but if you get a bunch of friends to chip in, it could be worth it. (Though then you have to share it with them, so maybe not?) At the very least, it could make a very nice edible centerpiece for your next fancy dinner party. Because nothing screams class like a mound of cinnamon and sugar-covered dough in the middle of your coffee table.
The good folks at FoodBeast recently ordered one and claimed that, in spite of its massiveness, it still “has plenty of chew, flavor, and sweetness, and the cream cheese icing coats it to perfection.” Sounds like Wolferman’s is on a roll!
No, hemp seeds won’t get you buzzed, but they do have a ton of highly attractive health benefits. The little guys, which are the seeds of a variety of the cannabis sativa plant, only have a minimal amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, which is responsible for getting you high). That means they don’t have the same effect as smoking a joint. That said, chowing down on hemp seeds, which can be eaten raw or ground into a powder, can have a host of positive effects, including packing a ton of fiber, which keeps you full and can help with weight loss by working as an appetite suppressant. Hemp seeds, also sometimes called hemp hearts, also contain a ton of protein (crucial for building muscle) and are a good source of essential fatty acids like omega-3s (which slash the risk of heart disease and support brain health).
Looking for some smokin’ hot ideas for how to work hemp seeds into your diet? Read ahead.
In Salads
Oh She Glows
Hoping to add some heft to a wimpy salad? Hemp seeds might be just what you’re looking for. Grab a handful and sprinkle them on your go-to greens for a source of plant-based protein with a nutty flavor that will complement the rest of your plate. Or make hemp seeds the star of the show like in this hemp seed tabouli. Try the recipe.
In Smoothies
The Garden Grazer
Taking a spoonful or two of hemp seeds and putting them into your smoothie is a great way to get some additional nutrients like iron and vitamin E in every sip. Once blended, you’ll hardly notice they’re there. Get this recipe.
To Make Hemp Milk
The Toasted Pine Nut
Making your own milk sounds like it’s super complicated, but try your hand at it and you’ll realize it’s far easier than you think! Blend the hemp seeds with a bit of water with some vanilla extract and voila! You’ve made dairy-free milk in less time than it takes to drive to the grocery store. Try this recipe.
To Make Salad Dressing
Healthful Pursuit
EVOO may be the O.G. of healthy oils, but there’s another player in town: hemp seed oil. The oil, made by pressing hemp seeds, lends a strong savory flavor to dressings, while also providing a helping of magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc to your salad. Try this recipe.
To Make Cheese
Eating Bird Food
You already know that hemp hearts are a super versatile food, but it may surprise you that they can even serve as a base for making your own cheese. Pairing hemp hearts with nutritional yeast and blending them leaves you with a final end result that spices up pasta, pizza, and more. Try this recipe.
In Desserts
Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen
Hemp seeds play well with oatmeal not only in your breakfast bowl, but can also serve as the base for making freakin’ delicious oatmeal cookies. Start your day off on a high note and work hemp hearts into your baking to boost the protein of muffins or breakfast bars. Try this recipe.
Blended Into Hummus
Diet Taste
Hummus is definitely a healthy food staple, perfect for a quick snack with pretzels or spreading on pita. But the same old, same old supermarket flavors can get a bit rote, so why not mix things up by making your own? Blend hemp hearts with softened chickpeas and a host of spices for a crowd pleasing spread. Try this recipe.
Eat Them Toasted
Sure, hemp seeds can be just eaten raw out of the package like sunflower or pumpkin seeds, but toasting them adds additional complexity to their flavor. Cook them with your favorite oil on a stove top or in the oven for a hands-off approach, and then use them to top salads, veggies, or grain bowls.
One of the joys of small plates dining is the opportunity to experiment; a spectrum of flavors and textures dance across the tongue in a series of successive bites. A bottle of wine, though, doesn’t necessarily contribute to this dining experience, as a single choice can’t always pair with the range of dishes. At Sachet, a six month old restaurant in Dallas, owners and spouses Allison Yoder and Stephen Rogers built an impressive wines by-the-glass (BTG) list of 30 selections to not only complement the food but to introduce guests to less-explored wine regions and varieties.
Yoder and her husband both started in classical music as an opera singer and a pianist, respectively, but starting working in restaurants while living in New York City, “because obviously you’re in your early 20s and you have to pay the rent,” she says. After traveling for their music careers, they decided to move into the hospitality industry in order to spend more time together, eventually landing at Press restaurant in Napa, she working front of house and he as executive chef. About seven years in, they decided to pursue their dream of opening their own restaurant so they moved to Dallas, Rogers’ hometown, and built Gemma in 2013.
Sachet, their follow-up restaurant, drew on their love of Mediterranean cuisine. “We chose to highlight the entire Mediterranean, not just Greece, Morocco, and Turkey, but also the south of Italy, south of France, and south of Spain. All of that food is very light with a ton of flavor, especially when you’re dancing around with Israel and Turkey and all those amazing spices,” says Yoder.
With 22 mezze, along with pastas, entrĂ©es, and family-style feasts, Yoder calls it “a fun menu: high energy, casual, and there’s something for everyone,” and wanted the wine list to reflect this ethos. In order to build a successful list of this magnitude, the couple paired traditional menu knowledge, such as striking a balance among the number and types of styles offered, with innovative methods.
HAVE A STRONG POINT OF VIEW
The most successful lists have a focus or tell a story. Yoder knew she wanted to do an all-Mediterranean wine list, which she called daunting, especially since she said both customers and sommeliers were not familiar with all the regions and varieties. “I was nervous because our neighborhood is known for Napa Cabs…but we were so passionate about it, it was almost like we had to do this wine list,” she says. She, Rogers, and their general manager engaged in a labor-intensive, year-long tasting process which Yoder admits was intimidating at first, but as the team uncovered quality options at great price points, their resolve strengthened.
WINES ON TAP
Much of the inspiration for the super-sized BTG list stemmed from the wines on tap program at Gemma. Restaurants across the country are embracing this format as it retains freshness in wines and reduces waste. Yoder wanted to make it a focus point at Sachet; about half the list—16 selections, double of what’s offered at Gemma—constitutes tap wines. Currently, most options available in the U.S. are from domestic wineries, so she highlights American producers working with Mediterranean varieties, such as a Greek Moschofilero/Roditis blend from Gotham Project. The rest of the list is comprised of bottled wines from international regions.
SIZE OPTIONS
Portion flexibility makes for a playful experience and wines are offered in 150ml, 250ml, and 500ml sizes. Guests can experiment with different styles and learn about unfamiliar wines. The staff is also happy to offer tastes, even before they go by the glass, which is key to helping customers feel comfortable making a decision, notes Yoder.
STAFF TRAINING
Getting the staff on board with the concept is paramount to the success of the program. Yoder says they hold staff trainings about twice a week to educate the team on the wines, pronunciation, and anything else that helps make it easier for them to communicate with the customer and offer suggestions. They’re constantly tasting and Yoder jokes, “Sunday’s a very good night for training. We’re closed on Monday so we’ll pretty much drink the rest of the open wine [that won’t last until Tuesday].”
Now that the restaurant is six months old and established, Yoder plans on rotating selections more frequently, especially as she finds new wines that fit the program. In general she says the list “was a risk, but we said, let’s try it and see what happens. It’s been more than surprising for me, the response by it. It’s fun, it’s different, people want to do something new. People are ready.”
You know what I love? Baseball. There’s just something about it, you know? As America’s pastime, it’s so historically and culturally significant—patriotic, in fact. As a summer sport, it was always a game I enjoyed during a break from school, when fun, relaxation, and baseball was what life was all about. As a daily sport, it’s great for someone like me. The practice to game ratio is great; when you win, you get to keep the momentum going; and when you lose, you can get right back to it the next day.
Now that I’m older, and no longer play the game myself, it’s this last reason that really sticks with me. Baseball is an everyday sport. Sometimes it’s a grind. Sometimes it’s full of highs. In that way, it’s a lot like life. It also becomes a part of your life due to this same, everyday nature. For six months, it becomes your routine. You watch, or listen, spending time with the announcers for a few hours, as you go about your day. It’s a hobby, a passion, habitual.
You know what else is a hobby and a passion of mine? Food! Maybe it’s a coincidence that I love food and baseball. Then again, maybe there’s a unique intersection between the two; one that doesn’t really exist for any other game. There really aren’t any basketball, or tennis, or golf, or hockey, or football (no, wings and Papa John’s don’t count) foods. But there are baseball foods. No other sports have relationships with food quite like baseball. I mean, come on, take a look at the lyrics of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game:”
Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd,
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don’t care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don’t win it’s a shame,
For it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out
At the old ball game!
See! One line reads, “Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack.” There’s no sport that celebrates food quite like baseball. When you go to the game, you expect to consume certain items. Those foods conjure up feelings of being at the ballpark, relaxing on a warm, summer night, enjoying a bite while enjoying the game. Those foods are baseball foods. Now, if you’re lucky enough to have the resources and time to buy season tickets and attend the games, you’ll have your fill of ballpark favorites. However, if you only make it to your stadium of choice every once in a while, you can bring the flavors of the ballpark home for a fun way to experience the nightly telecast. Here are nine items to take note of:
Hot Dogs
These are the quintessential baseball food. In “Field of Dreams”, when Ray goes to the game with Terrence, what do they order? A dog and a beer. Fenway Franks, Dodger Dogs, Coney Dogs—it doesn’t matter where you are or what park you visit, hot dogs are there. Now, all hot dogs aren’t made equal. Sure, you might like a steamed dog, wrapped in foil, purchased from a vendor (for real?), but for me, I’m going with a grilled, all-beef, kosher dog with caramelized onions and yellow mustard. For a nice caramelized onion recipe, click here.
Brats
When you’re in the mood for an encased meat, but you’re not interested in a hot dog, you’re likely to seek out a brat. For a great, ballpark experience, I recommend buying some uncooked sausage from a butcher, boiling them in beer, and finishing them on the grill. For a great recipe, check here.
Roasted Peanuts
There’s no ballpark snack like the next two items—they’re in the song, for goodness sake! It’s tough to beat sitting at a game, working your way through a bag of peanuts. At home, I’d recommend roasting your own. Doing so gives you access to a freshness you can’t get with peanuts out of a bag. Never roasted your own peanuts? Try this recipe here.
Cracker Jack
In case you’re not familiar with this wonderful snack, Cracker Jack is the brand name of a caramel popcorn mixed with peanuts that comes with a fun prize at the bottom of the box. Imagine this, though: making your own peanut caramel corn. Sound delicious? Of course it does! Check out a recipe here.
Nachos
Nachos aren’t necessarily a traditional ballpark food, but they’re now ubiquitous in stadiums across the country. In fact, my cousin Danny always gets a batch of nachos when he attends a game. At the end of the day, if you’re not in the mood for peanuts or Cracker Jack, you could do a lot worse than nachos. For a nice recipe, check here.
Sundaes
When you’re at the game on a hot summer night, and you’re looking for dessert, chances are you’ll be looking to get a helmet sundae. Don’t know what a helmet sundae is? It’s an ice cream sundae, in a mini (or sometimes, if you’re lucky, a large) MLB helmet. For an authentic and fun ballpark-at-home twist, get some MLB mini helmets to use for sundae dishes. It’ll be a big hit with the kids! Check out mini helmets at Amazon here.
Beer
This beverage is everywhere at the ballpark, and nowadays, you’re likely to have a choice between macro- and micro-brews. Ever wonder about brewing your own? Now’s your chance. Check out how to brew your own suds at home.
Cotton Candy
As kids, there was always one thing my sister and I looked forward to consuming once we were done with our hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jack. Cotton candy. The spectacle of a cotton candy vendor was something to behold, and seeing it hand-spun, in person, was a miracle of science. Want to bring that fun and wonderment home for all? Check out this recipe here.
Now that baseball season is here, you might find yourself craving some of these goodies. Hopefully, you’re able to get to a few games this year, but in case you don’t, never fear! You can bring the tastes of the ballpark to your home. Play ball!
Tucked away in the San Fernando Valley in an industrial section of Van Nuys stands one of the last of a dying breed: a true old-fashioned Southern California burger stand. Welcome to Bill’s Burgers.
Originally opened in 1965 by WWII veteran Bill Elwell, the man, the myth, and the namesake remains at the forefront of the operation, cooking his perfect little cheeseburgers Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Always closed on weekends and holidays, Bill’s is the only cheeseburger you’ll ever need to call in sick for in order to enjoy. Yes, it’s that good.
As a crowd grows around the eight-seat counter, Bill takes a step away from the grill to pop his head out the window. “McDonald’s closed today?!” The man of few words chortles to the gathering of burger lovers. What is it exactly that makes this literal shack in Van Nuys so much better than the burger spot down the street, or In-N-Out? The short answer is: everything. But to begin, let’s go over some ground rules when dining at Bill’s Burgers.
Rule #1: If there’s an open stool, take a seat at the counter. If not, wait patiently for one to open up. Like most burger counters, the honor system is implemented. Some people may be waiting for a friend or a to-go order. However, if you plan on eating with any more than a friend or two, I suggest seating yourself at the community table located in the back of the shack. But for anyone looking for the true Bill’s Burgers experience, you MUST sit at the counter.
The counter at Bill’s is where you witness this 91-year-old man doing what he was put on Earth to do. Viewing the cooking process is essential to eating at Bill’s.
Rule #2: Know your order so that you can place it promptly when called upon. This brings us to Sharon, one of Bill’s five ex-wives. Sharon is a get-to-the-point order-taker who has seemingly been serving Bill’s burgers as long as he’s been cooking them. When it comes to beverage refills, additional orders of chips, and paying your check, it all runs through Sharon.
Rule #3: Speaking of chips, Bill’s does not serve french fries. Only potato chips and, more specifically, only Lay’s Classic potato chips. The minute you ask for a side of fries, you reveal your cards as an ignorant amateur to all of the Bill’s regulars surrounding you.
Rule #4: Wait patiently for your burger to be made. Sometimes the backlog of orders can lead to waiting upwards of 20-30 minutes after ordering. Trust me though…the wait is worth it.
While waiting for your order to arrive, take in the environment. Bill’s burger stand/shack is quite small, but there’s still plenty to soak up. From the fat and grease-encrusted grill that appears to be from the 1920s, to the sign adorned beneath the cash register (also from the ‘20s/’30s), stating: “YOU CAN’T HAVE IT YOUR WAY — THIS IS NOT BURGER KING!!!” Even gawking at Bill’s considerably low menu prices (cash only) is an appropriate use of time. For those curious, a cheeseburger costs $4.20, a double cheeseburger is $5.30, a hot dog is $3.60, chili dog is $3.80, and chips are 50 cents a bag.
The best way to pass time, as your order is prepared, is to just sit back and bask in Bill’s process. Hunched over the grill, the 91-year-old slaps each thin piece of meat, cheese, and bun onto the flat-top cast-iron grill with his bare hands. First he toasts the buns and seasons the fresh meat. The buns are then passed down the line to longtime friend, Hiroko, who spreads mayo on the top bun. The bottom bun is then topped with a slice of tomato, pickles, diced onions, and iceberg lettuce.
Meanwhile, Bill munches on a piece of bacon (if it’s not sold out) or even raw burger meat (it’s that fresh), as he waits to flip. After flipping the burger, a slice of cheese is topped and quickly melts into the meat. The mayo-topped bun is then placed on the cheeseburger so that it can all finish cooking together. This is when the flavors truly start to combine and the real magic happens. The smoke billowing from the cheese melting onto the grilled meat is easily one of the greatest aromas of all time.
Finally, the mayo-topped bun and cheeseburger(s) is reunited with the bottom bun and vegetables to create the magnificent meat marvel known as Bill’s cheeseburger. And there you have it: The quintessential Los Angeles cheeseburger. It’s even better as a double; and if you’re really feeling gluttonous, go the extra mile by adding bacon and/or a fried egg.
The charm of Bill’s Burgers is its history, delicious product, and the old-school nature with which it’s all presented. Bill’s is old school all the way down to the powdered soap in the bathroom. It’s the definitive example of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”In fact, he’s often quoted saying, “I don’t want anymore business.” Yet, for as long as he’s still hunched over that timeworn grill, breathing in clouds of mouth-watering cheeseburger smoke, new and old customers will continue to come. And they better like it, because Bill isn’t going to change a thing.
If you were to design the perfect food, what would it look like, what would it taste like and how would it exist in the world around you? If you contend that there is no such thing as a perfect anything, you still might have to concede Florida stone crabs are very nearly perfect. Perhaps that’s why they’ve helped define Miami’s food culture by way of one special restaurant and a now century-old partnership that’s brought fortune and fame to both.
What’s so special about Florida stone crabs? Besides their firm yet flaky meat that’s sweet to taste, like lobster but not quite so rich, stone crabs are also a little magic.
The crustaceans are defined by their rock (or stone)-hard claws, black-tipped, plump, and full of the good stuff, but what separates them from their crab cousins is a distinct ability to regenerate said claws quickly and completely, when carefully separated from the carapace (body). Magic.
Stone crabs are hauled in from southern Florida waters by the boatload from October through May to be measured for legal size, declawed, and released to regrow more of the prized pincers. A single crab, with lifespans as long as eight years, can give as many as six or seven meaty claws all while enjoying a full life, interrupted only by the occasional divorce from appendage. A gift from the sea but one that uniquely keeps on giving.
For Floridians and those who seek its warm pleasures, stone crabs are as synonymous with the state as sunshine or college football. For the last several decades, a towering restaurant wrapped in pale yellow stucco and perched on the southern edge of Miami Beach has itself become synonymous with stone crabs.
Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant
Joe’s Stone Crab, or “Joe’s” to any self-respecting local, has earned its rightful place as gold standard in Florida Stone Crab culture. And with its doors having opened officially in 1913, is quite literally older than Miami Beach itself, which incorporated a full two years later.
Originally a lunch counter called Joe’s Diner, the restaurant was first opened by a Hungarian immigrant couple, Joe and Jennie Weiss. It wasn’t until the 1920s when the restaurant found its footing selling previously scoffed-at Stone Crabs. On a whim, Joe started serving them boiled and chilled with lemon and a (now famous) mustard sauce. Folks started coming in and they haven’t stopped for the better part of an astounding 105-year run and just last year Joe’s was ranked the second highest-grossing restaurant in America.
Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant
In 1931 after his death, Joe’s hyper-social son, Jesse, took over and helped cement his father’s legacy in the American food pantheon by courting influentials like J. Edgar Hoover, Gloria Swanson, Damon Runyon, and Al Capone. On any given evening, starlets and politicians could be found rubbing elbows and dipping claws in mustard sauce as cool jazz fought its way through hot Miami air.
The regal dining room with high ceilings and white tablecloths still invokes an era with rolling red Cadillacs and fat cigars and though it has seen an evolution over the years, it’s never been at the expense of its trademark vintage South Beach charm. To this day, during official season, plates of Stone Crab (sold at market prices) stream out of the kitchen with sides like conch fritters and creamed spinach as a perennial line at door grows longer.
Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant
As the legend of Joe’s grew, so did that of it’s cornerstone offering. Always famous for seafood, stone crab-specific joints began popping up in South Florida and, as October hit and northern air cooled, bands of snowbirds began hopping on trains and in cars from New York and D.C. looking for warm sand and sweet stone crabs to crack.
In 1943, Golden Rule Seafood opened its doors across the bay and south in a slightly more humble digs and has been mostly family-owned ever since. More recent additions to the Miami stone crab scene include Truluck’s, which slings stone crabs in a more upscale setting with pricing to match. For true titans, Truluck’s offers an all-you-can-eat stone crab feast with salad and bread for $79 every Monday, while the more understated Triad’s in Everglade City, a town which claims ownership of the birth of stone crab cuisine, lays out a similarly endless offer.
Many of the restaurants, including Joe’s, now own their own boats and fisheries to keep stone crab supply and quality under careful control. From catch, to cook, and finally to plate, Joe’s claims agency over the product at all times, something they know is becoming more and more important to even casual diners.
Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant
Stone crabs as a species offer a lot but demand a little extra in return too. Brian explains that while a softer blue or Maryland crab might splinter and cut you if not careful, a stone crab will absolutely break your tooth or jaw, so care is encouraged. He’s even recorded a video tutorial on how to crack a Stone Crab here and help out first timers.
Down in Florida, the stone crab craze is hardly a craze at all, if that somehow implies a beginning, furious middle and eventual fizzle, like with drop crotch pants or Cronuts. For stone crab in Florida, the furious middle is all there is and ever has been and it shows no sign of slowing. The’ve even named a local minor league baseball team the Charlotte Stone Crabs, just in case there was any confusion.
Each and every fall, Everglade City marks the start of stone crabbing season with a ceremonial blessing of the fleet that resembles a block party fit with with lively games and music. This past year’s was somber on the heels of a hurricane season which devastated much the region and hammered the fishing industry, but the town went ahead with it anyway; a tribute to the importance of stone crabs to their local livelihood and a true symbol of regional pride.
Back at Joe’s in South Beach, the fervor takes its own unique forms. The restaurant and its staff, many of whom have been working inside the walls for more than 30 or 40 years, brim with a pride all their own at the chance to talk about Joes’ legacy. Their dedication is as much of what makes Joe’s special as the crabs themselves.
Brian tells me stories of devotion to Joe’s from patrons, which quickly reach Victorian levels. “This one guy,” he remembers, “will regularly fly in all the way from Alaska for just a day or two, eat four straight meals at Joe’s, and fly home.” Another long-time regular and former pilot for the now defunct PanAm Airlines, Charles Sharp, has since passed on. Oddly, or so I thought at first, the restaurant has a picture of his gravestone hanging on their wall. Engraved in the stone just below Mr. Sharp’s name and birth/death dates reads one very simple quote, “I’d rather be at Joe’s”.
Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant