Category Archives: Fun Facts
Instawares Bakes: Ice Cream Bread
There are two things that are nigh-universally liked in America; bread and ice cream. The problem is, neither are traditionally diet-friendly and healthy; as Scott Pilgrim VS. The World famously reminded us in a line delivered by Michael Cera’s titular “hero”, “Bread makes you fat?” It’s nothing but carbs, at it’s basis. Ice cream, on the other hand, never has had any notions of being healthy. It’s milk, cream, eggs, and traditionally a variety of other ingredients to give it flavor.
At some point, someone realized something amazing. All bread is, at the source, is water and flour. Water can be replaced by another liquid, such as… melted ice cream. In Katrina’s Kitchen has a great recipe for ice cream bread. Wikipedia encourages three parts liquid to five parts flour for most yeast breads. Her recipe is largely simple.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix 1.5 quarts of softened ice cream with 3 cups of self-rising flour.
- Pour in a pan and bake for 35 minutes.
It’s suggested to not use a low- or non-fat ice cream.
Have you already started to think of recipes that could use this bread? Just looking at what Ben & Jerry’s offers, a few ideas jump out.
- Cinnamon Bun ice cream could become the basis of a good cinnamon bun bread.
- Oatmeal Cookie Chunk could be a sweet and chunky way to keep this almost traditional bread-like.
- Banana Split may be the beginning of a decent banana bread.
- Coffee Caramel Buzz or Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz may be the perfect thing for coffee cake bread.
Do you have any ideas for ice cream bread you’d like to share?… Read the rest
Could You Eat Insects For Nutritional Benefits?
It can be considered a delicacy in certain situations, or it can be a disaster if you want it to be. Many insects are actually dense in protein, reproduce fast enough to be sustainable, thrive in conditions that might be too hard for larger mammals to grow in, and are ecologically responsible. Have you ever thought about adding insects to your diet?
A new report by the United Nations states that eating insects could help fight pollution, malnourishment, and hunger, Huffington Post reports. The Food and Agriculture Organization recently finished a study, stating that edible insects such as grasshoppers, ants, and more would be a boon to society if we, our pets, and our livestock, ate them. They produce, on the large, less harmful greenhouse gasses, feed on waste, and produce for agricultural feed. They also reproduce quickly, are high in protein, and contain many vitamins and minerals.
Who’s The Pest? Event even makes a point to show that they can be delicious. In the following video, Beeswax Ice Cream might be the most sane thing you’ll see, but the dishes are apparently delicious.
Epicurious recently gave some crawling critters a taste test, and came up with the following observations:
Earthworms taste like dirt no matter how much pad thai sauce you stew it in or how much sriracha you squirt on it. And the texture is just as nasty as you’d imagine — a combination of rubbery, gummy and squishy. You get bits of dirt-tasting earthwork stuck between your teeth, and it stays there for the rest of the night.
Scorpions and crickets and other chitin-y bugs are bitter and a little less crunchy than you’d expect, and there’s really not much to them besides that — and the bitter aftertaste, which is hard to wash away.
Mealworms
May Food Holidays
May 1
It’s a new month, and a warm one at that. Cool off with a nice Chocolate Parfait.
May 2
A fan of mushrooms? Enjoy some Truffles, or stretch the meaning a bit with chocolate truffles.
May 3
Pour some raspberries on top of a pastry base and bake up a Raspberry Tart.
May 4
May the 4th be with you, and use all the powers of the Jedi to combine the three highlights from the day. You can use your Homebre skills to make some alcoholic Orange Juice with Candied Orange Peels somehow. Do or do not, there is no try.
May 5
Have a big lunch with a dessert by tackling a Hoagie followed by a Chocolate Custard.
May 6
It’s International No Diet Day, so take a break and enjoy some Crepes Suzette.
May 7
Roast Leg of Lamb can be simply seasoned with rosemary and garlic seasoning, and a mint sauce on the side contributes to the dish of the day.
May 8
Another day that combines nicely and succinctly into one meal. Enjoy an Empanada, Have A Coke, and top it off with a slice of Coconut Cream Pie.
May 9
Be a little decadent with desert today, and pair a Butterscotch Brownie with a glass of Moscato.
May 10
It may be time to focus on Shrimp and tell you all the ways you can eat it, but why not hear about it from the best man on the subject?
May 11
The name of the day sums it up best: It is National Eat What You Want Day. Eat whatever you want. Just do it.
May 12
Nutty Fudge, in a way, is a lot like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. … Read the rest
April Viral Videos
How much food adds up to 2000 calories?
Tacos: An Anti-Depressant
Do you ever want to scramble an egg in it’s shell?
Scope Bacon Mouthwash was one of the April Fool’s Day highlights.
How much sugar’s in what you consume?
Black or Pinto: the musical question for the ages.
Friendship spawns purely from morels.
Andrew WK tells you a bit of info about Taco Bell.
The “Headless Drive-Thru Prank” is worth the possible car accident.
What’s the first thing you do when you leave jail for decades? Go to In-N-Out.
Quentin Tarintino talks about the power of food.
The Living Coffee Chair will scare people.
How awkward is it when you Instagram stranger’s food?
“How Animal’s Eat Their Food” has made the entire Internet laugh.
See how far $5 goes around the world.
“How Pokemon Eat Their Food” follows how animals eat their food with an oddly-specific niche.… Read the rest
Achievement Unlocked: Pizza Hut Goes Xbox
This is not the first time a fast-food chain has partnered with Microsoft, as Burger King released a trio of Xbox 360-exclusive titles, featuring The King, years ago at their locations. Still, it’s possibly the most pervasive pizza promotion since the days of Yo Noid! on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
USA Today reports that, most likely via a special downloadable application, Xbox gamers will be able to order pizzas from the ease of their Xbox 360, customized and with all the accoutrements that one would expect from their online delivery service. Theoretically, gamers will be able to exit their round of HALO 4 or mission in Batman: Arkham City, load up the application, customize and place their order, return to the game, and just pause in a half-hour (give or take) when they have to go to the door and grab the pizza.
This application plugging into a, what is largely considered primarily, video game console, shows two trends for two industries. Video game companies are having to fight the onslaught of technology by integrating various non-game platforms into their machines. The WiiU offers cable-box integration, and all major players also run Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, and more.
At the same time, the food and restaurant industry is having to take any and all advantages that technology offers, such as iPhone and Android apps to order pizzas or place reservations. The industry is no longer acting in a vacuum, and has to grow with the times.
Are you ready for the technological revolution? In the 1990s, the keyword was “synergy”, and the 2000s were driven by “digital”. The 2010s are being defined by “integration”, and businesses will need to take advantage of that.… Read the rest
McDonald’s Offering French Fry Holder Starting Today
At least in Japan, offering another item in the island nation that we sorely need in America. We’re not asking for a free hamburger if we don’t get our meal in 60 seconds, but a few tasty options like a teriyaki burger, shrimp patty, or juicy red pepper chicken would be appreciated over here.
In America, McDonald’s has had a troublesome history when it came to packaging. The McDLT was an ingenious attempt to “keep the hot side hot and the cool side cool”, but was ecologically troublesome. Their current Happy Meal bags aren’t nearly as cool as the boxes from many childhoods, and there’s the infamous lawsuit that came from a hot coffee spill.
Japan, starting today, is offering a “potato holder” for people ordering a value meal with large fries, RocketNews24 reports. Ideally designed for cup holders in cars (which is an oddity, as Japan is primarily a public transportation nation, at least in major cities), the promotion will last until the end of May.
Fries in their country are mostly the same, but a look at their current promotional items reveals (according to Google Translate)
Classic side menu of the extreme popularity “Mac fries”, “taste to get glue” appeared for a limited time. Salt and Okinawa Prefecture that was used in seasoning, a combination of seaweed rich flavor, you can enjoy a taste deep and simple.
※ After the purchase, you can enjoy an additional fee “Mac fries” and “get to taste glue”. (I do not do the sale only for seasoning)
Not exactly sure who wants to “get to taste glue”, but there’s a fry holder for it.… Read the rest
Instawares Cooks: Pasta with Tomato and Dried Mushroom Sauce
What is it?
Dried porcini mushrooms add a deep, nutty flavor to a simple tomato sauce. After rehydrating dried porcini mushrooms, they can be added to sweet San Marzano tomatoes for an easy, vegetarian and hearty sauce. Serve this sauce over linguini, spaghetti or other favorite pasta.
Prep Time
30 Minutes
Total Time
1 Hour
Servings
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 28 grams / 1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
- 43 grams / 3 tablespoons butter
- 85 grams / 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 8 grams / 2 teaspoons minced garlic (3 small cloves)
- 2 grams / 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 794 grams / 1 (28-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice
- 454 grams / 1 pound dried linguini pasta
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Parmesan shavings
Directions
- In a medium bowl, cover mushrooms with hot water and let soak 20-25 minutes, until softened.
- Drain mushrooms then rinse.
- Squeeze mushrooms dry then coarsely chop.
- Melt butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan with sides. Once butter begins to bubble, add onions and cook until translucent, 3-5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms to the onions and cook another 2-3 minutes until onions begin to brown.
- Add garlic and thyme, stir then cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Using hands or tongs gently crush whole canned tomatoes then add to pan.
- Season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer and cook 10 to 15 minutes until sauce has reduced.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add pasta and cook according to package directions.
- Add pasta to sauce then toss. Cook 1 minute then serve with cheese.
