The Single Greatest Succession of Photos Ever

Many of you already know that even before she came back into the America's consciousness after her 2010 Super Bowl Snickers commercial, I have always loved Betty White. She's spunky, graceful, and incredibly hilarious - from Golden Girls to appearances as senile elderly ladies on my all-time favorite show Scrubs, she's fabulous. Not only is she hosting Saturday Night Live on May 8th, but she's back stronger than ever in paparazzi-land as well, proving that showing her face can bring some serious publicity to wherever she happens to be.

This week, she showed up for the opening of a new hot dog joint in Universal City and chowed down on her namesake dog, the no-fixins "Naked" Betty White hotdog. What follows is possibly the greatest work of photojournalism I have ever seen. EVER. Happy Monday, all.

-K

That's Right, I Can BAKE Suckas!

This Thanksgiving, despite the nation-wide pumpkin shortage and my step-father's tri-store search for canned pumpkin, we managed to gather all the ingredients for, dare I say it, the BEST PUMPKIN PIE EVER. Read on, young grasshoppers, for my family-wide thumbs up recipie that made my non-baking soul believe that exact measurements and oven temperatures can indeed be worth the effort.

The final product, held by yours truly, the lumberjack.

Shiver Cities Pumpkin Pie

(Adapted from a recipie by the Southern butter-lovin Paula Deen)

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed

1 cup sugar (or a little less, for a tangier taste)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 cup half-and-half

1/2 stick melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 piece pre-made pie dough


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Place 1 pie crust (made from Betty Crocker boxed pie crust, use the directions on the box) down into a  pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. (DO NOT TRY THIS WITHOUT THE ALUMINUM AND WEIGHTS, it will get puffy and shrunken) Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, and beat until it looks mixed.
Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Ta-DA! I also made some really incredible Almond-Spice Whipped Cream to top the pie. It was very easy, simply get heavy whipping cream, whip with a wisk or hand mixer until fluffy peaks form, and then add a tablespoon (or more, to taste) of almond extract, some vanilla extract, and ground nutmeg and cinammon and mix again. The pie and whipped cream complimented each other perfectly!

The final result....

I hope everyone had as great of a Thanksgiving as I did!

-K

Brinner with Jane and Kya, or "Cooking with Swine Flu"

Well, badass immune system be damned, yours truly came down with a bad bout of the good 'ole flu this week. After being thoroughly mopey for a whole day: wondering if I should stay home, going to a doctor who told me to stay home, and then eventually staying home wishing I wasn't staying home, I decided to use the H1N1 opportunity to try out some of my foodie-liscious new Hells Kitchen recipies. Luckily, Jane was there to help me make a delicious breakfast-for-dinner and be the clean hands to my wealth of viral plague.

On the menu? My favorites, Vegetable Benedict and Mahnomin Porridge

Homemade Hells Kitchen-style Veggie Benedict

Mahnomin Porridge

All in the Presentation...

Stick around for my next cooking-adventure!

-K

I Love Going to Hell

 Why, yes, that is a knife-chandelier...

Most people would think I'm mad and/or a depressed person when I say that Friday morning breakfast was the best part of my entire week, but for those of you who have ever sank your chops into the food at Hell's Kitchen, you know where I'm coming from.

Hell's Kitchen, in downtown Minneapolis, I can honestly say is the best breakfast food in the entire world. Quite a statement? I think not. I know restaurant reviews are supposed to be critical and impartial, but when the mere menton of the restaurant sends me salivating, you know that isn't possible.

So what was on the plate this morning?

My Menu:

Hell's Kitchen Homemade Hot Cocoa
Mahnomin Porridge
Vegetable Benedict

Porridge that is "just right"

Each and every one of these items is a culinary dream come true. The mahnomin porridge, an incredibly decadent wild rice, hazlenut, blueberry, cranberry, syrup, and whipping cream concoction is constantly where I get to say "I told you so," to everyone I've ever been to Hell's Kitchen with; somehow they don't believe that they'll want their own whole cup, and think they'll be fine having a bite of mine - they are ALWAYS wrong. (Note: Kellen, dear boy, actually took my advice and got his own porridge even before tasting it - he's a keeper.)

Benedict-o-licious

The benedict, a fat-loving vegetarian's dream, is sourdough bread, tomato, red pepper, poached egg, house sweet cream hollandaise sauce, chives, and eggplant, and is INCREDIBLE. I've hopped around at Hell's, but I always come back to this dish.

Other dishes of note:

-Bison Benedict (my Montanan father gave this bison brekky the thumbs up, it has a nice spin on the hollandaise: tangerine-jalapeno style)

-Huevos Rancheros, the restaurant's most popular breakfast dish, and my mother's favorite

-Lemon-Ricotta Hotcakes, um YUM

-House Bloody Mary, the traditional worcestershire, tabasco, horseradish, tomato juice, with sweetened ginger puree and a shrimp garnish

Lemon-ricotta hotcakes

ALSO: If you're already a Hell's fan and want to flex your culinary muscles, Mitch Omer, head chef and creator of Hell's just came out with "Damn Good Food," a Hell's Kitchen recipe book, which has how-to's for all Hell's greatest foods, drinks, and baked goods, plus the story of Mitch's crazy life alongside the culinary goodness. (I already picked up my copy while at breakfast, and I can't wait to attempt some of the meals myself!)

I really can't say enough about this wonderful food. Bland Minnesota palates beware - you've been rocked! But, in the immortal words of Levar Burton: well, don't just take my word for it, go see for yourselves!

For the info, reservations, and cookbook: Hell's Kitchen Minneapolis.

-K