Are you the Pasta Masta?

"I don't think we've met, Rotelle. Very nice to meet you."

That's what I'd be saying to that pasta shape, and others listed in this challenging Pasta Quiz on AOL's beta food site. Cavatappi, is that a joke? Surely it's not a pasta. Or is it? Obviously, I need to brush up on my pasta. There is a world beyond spaghetti, penne, and rigatoni...

Take the Pasta Quiz. It may start out easy-ish, but just you wait!

And in case you're wondering, yes, cavatappi is a pasta, and it's featured in the photo at the top of this post. Who knew?

I've Been Memed: 7 Things About Me You'd Not Likely Guess

Sorry to disrupt the flow of food discourse, but I've just been memed by the lovely David Sutoyo. For the less tech-lingo-fied out there, being memed essentially means I am supposed to link to the person who tagged, or memed, me, respond to the topic that was passed to me, and then tag others, thereby keeping the topic alive and hurling it further into the blog abyss.

Today's Meme: 7 Things About Me You'd Not Likely Guess

Here goes...

1:
I am outnumbered by redheads in my extended family.

2:
I love Metallica. "My Friend of Misery" is one of the greatest songs ever written.

3:
A couple of years ago, I won first place in a national grammar competition, or as my Simpsons-obsessed boss likes to call it, the Grammar Rodeo. Various grammar faux pas will irk me for the rest of my life. And as I am only human, I will commit many of these and not own up to them.

4:
I am like the princess and the pea, well, thankfully less so now than when I was little. I used to be able to sense when the sheets were hanging off the bed more on one side than on the other, and would have to make the two sides equal before I could fall asleep. Similarly, my head had to be centered on the pillow. I swear I'm not OCD. Ok, maybe a little.

5:
I don't eat blue cheese for two reasons, mostly the second: Not fond of the taste, and who intentionally eats mold...that looks like mold?

6:
I have never seen the movie Titanic. I think I might be the only person on Planet Earth who hasn't.

7:
There is almost nothing I hate more than to hang pants on pant-hangers. Can't I just throw slacks in a drawer? Pleeeeeeease? I'd rather scrub a toilet, eat bugs, or......wait for it......bathe in blue cheese.


And now, to keep this Meme alive, I tag Ericka, Andy, Kenzie, and Hilary.

Bye Bye Cow: Yogurt Has Redeemed Itself

Back in February, you may recall I had a cow over some yogurt. And for good reason. I bought a container from Trader Joe's and then discovered by reading the label that one serving had 16 grams of fat and 10 g saturated.

Well, I'm a grown up. So while the cow I had back in February was completely justified, I readily, and happily, admit that Trader Joe's yogurt has redeemed itself. Take a look at what I found.



0 grams of fat but still creamy delicious. I am a happy yogurt-eating camper again!

Motor Muffins and Cupcake Cars

Something I saw on Boing Boing this morning...

This is pure genius! I think I once had a dream that my vehicle was a monster cupcake. Then I woke up and realized I could only eat them. Till now!

[source: Make Magazine]

And check out these cars in action!!!!

On Chocolate Earth, Chuck Siegel Rules

I really have so much to say about my friend Chuck Siegel. He's a fun, often joking person, but also a seriously knowledgeable chocolatier. I've learned a lot about chocolate-making from him in the time I've known him, which is, let's see, just over a year now!

Chuck has created a chocolate brand that falls somewhere between best in the world and out of this world, and fortunately for us, is available for purchase in the former. The brand is Charles Chocolates, based in Emeryville, CA, just outside of San Francisco and it's been around since 2004.

I know I'll be saying more about the chocolate and the man behind it in future posts, but for now, I want to share with you an awesome article that came out today in Fortune about this company. The reporter refers to Chuck as the Willy Wonka of Google, as Charles Chocolates is the official chocolatier of Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA.



Read the Fortune article here.

And check out this video of Chuck making truffles with Martha on her show in February.

My Blog is in Your Kitchen

My blog is in your kitchen. What I'm trying to say is, wow, people actually try the recipes I post on here. That, in addition to all your fun comments, means I'm not just talking to myself here! I know blogs are public domain and mine is no exception (note to self: use words wisely!), but I'm pretty new to the blog scene and still wide-eyed and euphoric when there's blog reader activity on here.

Tiffany K. has already made my grandmother's chocolate cake...twice!

Deborah Graff is a newfound blondie aficionado.

But who's counting?


This morning, I got to work and found that an elf had delivered a plate of blondies to my desk. Oh happy day! This is the ultimate compliment. Someone made a recipe off my blog and then hired an elf to share the goods with me. That someone is Deborah Graff; that elf is her husband with whom I work. Deborah made these with the help of three adorable daughters. She had butterscotch chips lying around so she used those along with the chocolate chips.

The result: same great blondie, same great taste, new kitchen.

Cupcake Frenzy: From Portland to Los Angeles

A friend sent me a link to a list of MSN City Guide's top cupcake bakeries in the United States. I was shocked to find that not a single Los Angeles bakery made the cut. A Portland bakery did, however. Fortunately, the friend who sent me the link is engaged to a friend who just happened to be traveling to Portland last weekend. What are the chances! Better yet, she brought back a box of these scrumptious cupcakes. The Portland bakery is Saint Cupcake and I have to admit, they're among the best I've ever had.

Here's the box that made it safely from Portland to Los Angeles. The cupcake in the upper left (and featured solo at the top of the post) is The Fat Elvis, a banana chocolate chip cake with chocolate peanut butter frosting and a fried banana chip at the peak.

And here's the other Fat Elvis:

From Portland to Los Angeles
Los Angeles Cupcake Bakery Google Map

I do think L.A. got snubbed because there are some excellent cupcake bakeries here. To remedy that, I have a mission for you. A mission you should enjoy. Take advantage of a little anthology the LA Times put together. They made a Google map of all the cupcake bakeries in greater Los Angeles. Go on a hunt for your favorite.

Here's a screenshot of the map. So cool! We'll make up our own list of the top cupcake bakeries and we won't leave L.A. by the wayside. Are you with me!?!?!?!?