"Unadulterated Food Geek" pretty much sums it up. Since coming out of the womb, I have been enamored and obsessed with all things food related and now am passing that obsession on to you, my innocent readers...
// April 14th, 2009 // No Comments » // Food Geek
This is off-the-charts funny… Nothing like a song about Taco Bell (toxic hell). I think I may try this sometime soon… What about a Chic-fil-A pop tune?
// April 13th, 2009 // No Comments » // Recipes
Hello, my name is Joel Brown and I have a snacking problem. I like to snack. I like to snack on crunchy, salty, munch-able things. I LOVE popcorn. I was recently watching a special on Spain while trying to go to bed when I got a craving for Tapas. I could also smell my neighbor’s next-door making popcorn, so I started craving popcorn too. As you can imagine, one thing led to another, and the recipe below is the brainchild of two cravings at once.
The popcorn variety used in this recipe can be purchased here and the Spanish Smoked Paprika I use can be purchased here. It is totally worth buying for MANY other recipes. Seriously, TRY THIS. You will thank me.
Place a large, heavy-bottom pot (or other vessel suited for popcorn popping) on the stove, and turn the burner on high heat. Make sure to have a lid for your pot or else you’ll be picking popcorn off the floor, or worse, for weeks. Add oil, popcorn, and salt and cover and shake over the flame. Once the popcorn has completed popping, remove from the heat, add the remaining spices , cover again, and shake to coat. Let the popcorn sit about 2 minutes to allow the flavors to permiate the popcorn. ENJOY!
// April 13th, 2009 // No Comments » // Food Geek, Random Ramble
Just in case you have not read all of my columns (My mom, I think, is the only one I know of who has. Thanks mommy!) and have a couple of hours to get into the mind of one Joel H. Brown… here is a link to all columns by me, or the ones that mention my name on the DA site. It’s a little weird to think that they let me (of all people) write a column. Ha Ha Ha…. More goodies tonight, including a dinner recipe and snacky treats.
Happy Monday!
// April 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Recipes, Recipes: Cupcakes
With Easter being today, I was doing a little holiday baking yesterday. I made two kinds of new cupcakes, and thought I would share the results. For the first time EVER I made Red Velvet Cupcakes with my Bourbon Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting; and you can judge by the picture, but I think they turned out to be pretty damn amazing. The taste was perfect, the texture was amazing. All together it was an A+ Cupcake and one that will become a regular. I also took my basic buttercake recipe and switched things up and made an Orange Blossom Cake, topped with classic sugary buttercream. The cake itself was amazing, but the icing was a little on the sugary side for me. Recipes and more photos are below. Happy Easter Everyone!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans.
To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not over beat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
Scoop batter into prelined cupcake pans and bake for 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean after being inserted into the middle of the cake. cool in tins for about 15 minutes, then remove and place on a cooling rack until completely cool, and frost.
Cream butter and cream cheese on high for about 3-4 minutes. Add sugar and mix on high for an additional 2 minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients, and beat again on high for another 3 minutes.
The Final Product
Yummmmmmmm
// April 10th, 2009 // No Comments » // Dining Out, Food Geek
So I may be a food snob, geek, elitist, or whatever you want to call me; but the genre of the All-American Dive is quite possibly my favorite food genre out there. I get giddy at the thought of a local greasy spoon or neighborhood dive serving up the same culinary landmarks for generations. I am lucky (my cholesterol levels are not so much) that I have such a place less than a mile from my loft. Mario’s Fishbowl, here in Morgantown, WV, is a local gold mine of culinary goodness and the peak of beer perfection in my mind.
The “fishbowl” in the establishment’s name comes from the steins that the beer is served in which look more like a household pet containment device than beverage service container. Ice cold, larger than life, it’s more than just “a beer”- it’s a magical beer slushy. The beer containment devices are kept in a freezer, and when the hoppy goodness hits the frozen surface it interacts and creates what might be the most amazing drink known to man. And the food, dear lord the food….
Wings= AMAZING
Mario’s Fishbowl has what I would VERY easily call the world’s best wings. I know I might be setting some people on fire with that statement, but it’s no secret that outside of Buffalo, NY, Morgantown has some of the best wings around. They have carved out a niche market in these parts, and Mario’s (in my opinion) is the peak of perfection. the wings are an amazing mix of juicy meat and crispy flesh surrounded with a very nice orange glow of buffalo sauce. You can’t have Mario’s without having a side or three of their famous bleu cheese dressing. The dressing is house made like everything else (to the best of my knowledge) that Mario’s serves. I was so distracted by eating my wings that I forgot to take a formal photo of the homemade potato chips. ”Fishbowl Chips,” as they are called, are the ultimate addition to the Dive meal. Perfectly fried to a crispy crunch, they are well suited for the bottom-of-the-plate buffalo sauce and extra bleu cheese. In typical Dive fashion, Mario’s is usually filled with regulars seated at the mix and match tables, window booths, and old fashioned lunch counter.
The walls of the establishment are lined with notes and memories of fishbowl lovers and regulars alike. You are likely to see comments of all parental ratings and sobriety tests. Most write their messages on the backs of the long side of cigarette cartons, the kind of kitsch and ephemera that makes me giggle with glee. The menu not only features the kick ass wings, but also a pleasant mix of Dive/Bar food that pleases with not only flavor, but also price. Needless to say the fishbowl is one-of-a-kind and not to be missed by any foodie or breathing human. Happy wing eating kids.
The end of another memorable fishbowl experience......
// April 1st, 2009 // No Comments » // Food Geek, Recipes
I am blessed (and cursed) to be born on April Fools day, a VERY fitting birthday for me. Being a baker and what some would call a “cake snob”, I opted to make my own birthday cake cake… again… Nothing against my friends and co-workers, I just enjoy being in my kitchen and coming up with a cake that represents me and my current tastes and obsessions at the moment. As I was driving home from work yesterday, I was a ball of childlike wonderment coming up with what I wanted to make for birthday 2009 (God, I am getting too close to 30 for comfort, ha ha ha ). I knew it was going to be a banana cake base, but beyond that I was open for suggestion. I needed eggs for the banana cupcake, so I went to the grocery store looking for inspiration and decided I would make a traditional banana cupcake (ala’ joel with homemade vanilla bourbon extract and baby ice cream bananas) and pair it with a Nutella Cream Cheese buttermilk frosting. As you can see they turned out to be pretty damn cute, and I guess we will see what they end up tasting like… Here is the recipe if you want to celebrate my birthday with me today 
Preheat oven to 350. Cream Butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy (about 3 minutes) add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla, and banana goo. Mix together dry ingredients, add half of dry to the wet mixture, add 1/4 cup buttermilk, and the second half of dry mix and mix to incorporate. Add up to another 1/4 cup of buttermilk if mix looks too dry (you want it about the consistency of a thick pancake batter). Scoop into lined cupcake pans and bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into cupcake.
Mix Cream cheese, Nutella, vanilla, and milk on high with the paddle attachment in your mixer. Add sugar slowly and beat again until light and fluffy like a magical bunny.
(cooks note: i just licked some of the frosting off the paddle… all i have to say is HAPPY BIRTHDAY ME, and here is to 27+ more years of baking!)
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