Peanut Butter Cheese Cake Mini's

The other day I watched "Best Places to Pig Out" on the Travel Channel, and of course ever since then, I’ve wanted no-list foods like greasy burgers, fries and milkshakes. I’m one of those people that if you saw me, you’d laugh that I was even watching that show. I was intrigued not so much by the pig-out factor, but wanted to hear what places are considered local legends. One of the places on the show was a diner that has pancakes, in Seiad Valley, CA. Hubby has a friend that lives nearby and he said it is a small town, it’s surprising that it made it on the show. Small world.

Today I made Peanut Butter Cheese Cake Mini’s that was on "Paula’s Party" recently. They’re beyond cute. The reviews on Foodnetwork.com predominantly say that the recipe makes way too much crust and filling. I made half a batch and ended up with 6 regular (cupcake) size cheesecakes and 12 mini-muffin ones, with a little crust left over. I used more candy in mine so that was probably a factor. I didn’t want to buy a whole bag of Reese’s mini’s for only 6, and got a regular candy bar package instead. I was going to cut the two cups into six pieces, but hubby suggested using a whole candy in each one. I split fun-size Snickers up for the rest of them.

I took some to my sis-in-law’s and they thought they’d be good at a party. Cheesecake has a reputation for being too rich, and I think the fact that they’re cupcake-sized makes the mini’s more tempting than a regular slice. The "I’ll just have one" kind of psychology. They’re tasty, though, and it would be easy to say "I’ll just have one more."

I liked the taste of the Snicker’s ones. The caramel oozed into the crust and got kind of chewy, though, and the texture of the Reese’s ones were better.

Fusilli (Penne) with Spinach and Asiago Cheese

Earlier this week Debbie had told me about a dish she saw on Giada’s "Everyday Italian" show, that had fusilli and spinach. This was one of those recipes that I could tell I would like it just by looking at the ingredients. Garlic is sauteed in olive oil and then spinach and tomatoes are added, then cheese, pasta, and some of the cooking water. I didn’t have fusilli so I substituted penne. I also didn’t have enough tomatoes but used what I had. If I had sun-dried tomatoes in the pantry, I would have thrown some in too. Adding the spinach to the garlic kind of kept the flavor subtle, although next time I’d use even more since I LOVE garlic. One of the restaurants Debbie & I went to when we lived in the same area, was called "Magic Garlic." Next time I make plain old spinach I'm going to add garlic and asiago cheese, instead of butter. Anyway, I didn’t read the instructions completely and didn’t chop my spinach - you can tell by the clump in the picture. In the end it all tasted good, though. Hubby didn’t say anything - which in some ways is a compliment since it wasn’t a complaint. I didn’t tell him it is a Giada recipe. Maybe I should have, since he watches "Weekend Getaways" with me now.

For dessert I made spice cupcakes from a Better Homes & Gardens baking cookbook that my Mom had given me. I frosted them with 7 minute frosting (basically egg white & sugar, with a smidge of water, corn syrup and cream of tartar), using brown sugar instead of white. Homemade is so much better than a box. Nigella made cupcakes recently, but hers were plain and I wanted something with more of a flavor to them. These had cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and the cake was light, not like gingerbread. Yum. I still want to try Nigella’s recipe. Will let you know how that turns out.

Mashed Potatoes With Spinach

The mashed potatoes Rachael made on Monday’s "30 Minute Meals" looked interesting so I tried them tonight, minus the cod croquettes. They’re basically mashed potatoes with spinach added at the end. The heat of the potatoes wilts the spinach. They were delicious, I could easily eat just them for dinner and forget any meat. It’s makes regular mashed potatoes even more of an indulgence. Since the spinach is only slightly wilted, it adds body to the potatoes and makes it more of a side dish along the lines of an au gratin, as opposed to a starch like rice.

Frito Pie

This doesn't have anything to do with the Foodnetwork but since it has to do with food, I thought I'd share it here. Today's "Taste" section of the Dallas Morning News has a big feature on Frito Pie. It's one of those classic dishes that says "Texas." I love the showcasing of regional foods, which is why I enjoy Paula Deen/Southern cooking, Giada DiLaurentiis/Italian, and even Rachael's ties with upstate New York.

I enjoyed learning the particulars from the article. Basically, it's Fritos, Wolf brand chili, and optional garnishes of cheese, onion, sour cream, etc. I had tried Wolf brand chili before and really liked it, but it has so much more fat than my other favorite brand (Hormel). Maybe that's what makes it tastier.

Of course, I was going to pick up a bag of Fritos while I was at the store, but forgot, since I didn't WRITE IT DOWN on my list. I've gotten really bad...if it's not written down or on my list of places to stop, I'll completely forget about it.

Rice Pudding, Part II

I had been so disappointed with the rice pudding I made last week, since it seemed to have potential and the problem I had was due to my own error of overcooking it. I tried it again, still using the crockpot, but watching it carefully towards the end. It came out better, although it doesn’t look like Paula’s from TV (hers looked more custardy). It looks completely different from the last batch I made, though! I think I’ll try it one more time, and only stir it once, after the first hour, then let the custard set during the second hour.

When I was at the grocery store this weekend, I got a sample of Kozy Shack no-sugar rice pudding. YUM. I’d love to be able to make a homemade pudding that tastes like that. The store-bought kind seems more like rice mixed into vanilla pudding.

To completely change the subject, have you been watching "The Next Foodnetwork Star"? The first week, I was rooting for Paul. I liked his wedding cake the best, especially his personal touch of the two grooms to top it off. I thought that showed an expression of his personality and individuality. Maybe it’s too early, that nobody really seems to exude a sense of who they are and what they want to express with their food. This week, Adrien started to grow on me. He did a good job with his on camera stint.

What I’d love to see is someone who has a concept that is new. Not something that reminds me of an existing Foodnetwork Star. I made "ants on a log" for lunch yesterday (celery stuffed with peanut butter and raisins scattered on top)…and I got to thinking that I’d love to see a show dedicated to kid-friendly food. The "Cook With Your Kids" week on the network is fun to watch. It’s too bad it’s only a week. I’d like to see a high school student from a technical school as a contestant, or a senior citizen preparing healthy meals on a budget (confronting issues older people face, like reducing sodium and sugar), or a vegetarian who comes up with entrees that aren’t side dishes, like the bride wanted at her wedding. It’ll be interesting to see the contestants’ personalities and styles emerge as the series continues.

Paula Deen in Bossier City

Paula Deen was in my neck of the woods on June 2nd. I found an article about the show at FoodNetwork Addict’s blog, from the Shreveport Times. The photo above is from the Shreveport paper as well. I love the "Madonna" look with the headset microphone.

The article said, "The men and women in the audience in the Bossier City arena roared their approval throughout the impromptu show. Her country charm was only part of the appeal for the legions of local fans who lined up to see the restaurateur and Food Network star at the first Paula Deen Live 2007 Tour."

And here's what she cooked..."During the cooking portion of the show, Deen made pork chops, macaroni and cheese and collard greens. She was aided in the cooking by an assistant."

It sounded like some people were a little disappointed in the show, for the price. From reading the article, though, to me it sounded like Paula did what would be expected, chat and cook a little.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying her new show, "Paula's Party." At first I thought the raunchy jokes kind of went overboard but now that the show has been on for awhile, she's kind of hit her stride. I especially like how she incorporates her family into the show, and how they all interact with each other.

Rice Pudding

I’m completely frustrated and disappointed

Today I had the Food Network on while doing some ironing. Paula’s Home Cooking had inexpensive meals, including a mouthwatering rice pudding. It looked so good! I had all the ingredients and it was early enough to make it, so I did. The only difference was that I put it in a crock pot instead of baking it in the oven.

I mixed it all up and put it in the crockpot. I stirred it after an hour, it was still watery and I was wondering if it would take 2-3 hours like the most of the recipes in the Fix It and Forget It cookbook said (I used that for a guideline). After another hour, I stirred again, the edges were set and the middle was watery. Another 45 minutes went by, and all the liquid was absorbed. My heart sank. It was now overdone. I should have turned off the heat after 2 hours and let the remaining heat carry over and finish it off. Then it would have been perfect. At that point it looked almost like Paula’s, yellow and creamy. What I ended up with was disintegrated rice.

Hubby wanted more raisins too, so what I made has way more raisins than I care for. And of course, he doesn’t like it. Inevitably that’s what happens. I configure a recipe to his tastes, he doesn’t like it, and then I’m stuck with a bunch of whatever, not how I would like it. And guess who ends up eating it. Arrrgh. I’m tempted to try it again tomorrow. It was one of those things that I had within my grasp and it slipped away.