Guilty Indulgence: Freezer Burns

Foodies come in all appetites, and Gregory Ng over at FreezerBurns proves that even frozen food has its foodies.

I must admit, as a recovering frozen food addict, its quite difficult to watch, but at the same time I cant look away.

Check him out!

In Defense Of The Double-Down

We have all seen the television spots. We have all seen the news reports. We have all seen, heard and read the mockery, disgust and overall horror. But is the new KFC Double-Down really something to fear and loathe?

Now I am not going to defend this sandwich on any nutritional or ethical boundaries. What KFC puts into their food and into their chickens is a different matter entirely, and best saved for animal rights activists than myself. However, I am doing to defend this sandwich on its execution and delivery. Let us start by first deconstructing the sandwich.

The Double-Down consists of:

• 2 chicken breast halves
• 2 slices of cheese
• 2 pieces of bacon
• Sauce

Obviously chicken, cheese and bacon is abhorrent and so far off the deep end it is something to rage about, right? Well not really. Go into any Italian or French restaurant here in America, and I guarantee you will find one of many dishes consisting of chicken breasts, cheese and maybe bacon. Why is it then that paying $15 for this stuff on a plate is ok, yet drop a few dollars on the go and suddenly its over the top? It just seems like such an overreaction.

Another point on the Double-Down is, if it had the bread, no one would care! Why is a triple-stack cheeseburger acceptable, but a chicken sandwich minus the bun is unholy? Again, an overreaction.

I say, leave the Double-Down alone. Its not unusual. Its not weird. Its not "too much". Health wise its a death trap, but an oddity it is not.

Cookie-A-Week 2: Peanut Butter

Nothing reminds me like a trip to the big local shopping mall like a delicious peanut butter cookie. Walking to the food court, approaching that cookie stand, and ordering one of those as-big-as-your-head, flat, golden brown and delicious, warm cookies. The taste is always the same, like swallowing a spoonful of Jiff or Skippy, but without that sticky feeling. As you can probably tell, I love a good peanut butter cookie, so when I was thinking of doing this cookie a week project, I knew peanut butter had to be on the list.

Now this recipe is an extremely good one. The texture of the cookie is spot on, with a slightly crunchy exterior and a soft moist interior. And if you want, the batter is great to mix in chopped nuts or small chocolate pieces (I used chocolate chips, which ended up being fairly large). However, the key to making this recipe is, not surprisingly, the peanut butter.

For all my cookies, Ive been using the best ingredients. Real vanilla, organic and unbleached flours, free range eggs, and as fresh and local ingredients as possible. My local Whole Foods and Farmers Markets have been picked clean of baking items because of my bloodlust for quality. But, if like me, you prefer the flavor of the regular supermarket peanut butter like Jiff or Skippy, USE IT! This is not the recipe to be reaching for that organic/all-natural peanut butter with the oil at the top, unless you like the taste of the peanut butter. I used that kind of peanut butter, and while the cookies were good, they werent the flavor I was looking for. Bottom line, think of peanut butter as wine, dont cook with it if you wouldnt eat it.

PS: I know this entry is extremely late. Life has gotten in the way, and while these entries may end up being sporadic, I am still making cookies. In fact, I have 2 more recipes already stored and ready to type up for you. So sit tight ya'll :]