Trivial Pursuit is a board game that has been testing players’ knowledge of trivia on a wide range of subjects – from history to sports – since 1979. It’s a fun game to play, but it can be quite a challenge if you’re not as well versed in some categories as you are at others. Foodie Fight is a trivia game that is similar to trivial pursuit, but is based on just one theme that, if you’re a foodie or someone who just loves food, you might have a much better chance of winning because the whole game has a culinary theme.
The categories for the cards include Foodieshpere, Lab & Field, Dining Out, Food Stars, Company’s Coming and What’s Cooking. The questions can range from facts about different vegetables to the flavors in unusual cuisines to food-related pop culture questions from books, movies or TV. The game has 1000 trivia questions on more than 168 cards, so it can be played quite a few times before any of the questions pop up again.
I’ve played this game a few times with some food-loving friends, and have to admit that I do much better at it than I do at regular trivial pursuit. There are also a few friends who are better at the classic game than at this one, and it’s nice to have a little bit of an edge for once! The game is fun and fast paced, just as good for parties (you could try playing in teams) as for smaller, family gatherings.
Wood rolling pins are what most bakers swear by, but there are other rolling pin options out there that can perform just as well and offer advantages that the classic rolling pins don’t. Marble rolling pins, for instance, can stay cool while you’re working, making it easier to handle pie crust and other buttery doughs. Silicone rolling pins, like this Baker’s Silicone Rolling Pin, offer a nonstick surface that makes it even quicker and easier to roll out pastry and cookie dough.
The Baker’s Silicone Rolling Pin has a stainless steel core that is wrapped in a layer of nonstick silicone. This model caught my eye initially because of its design: it is a cylinder with slightly tapered ends. This style of rolling pin is more versatile than rolling pins with separate handles on the sides because you’re not as limited by the size of the pin (which, in this case, is quite generous to begin with). This one also has measurements marked right on the surface, measuring out 5-12-inch circles in increments of one inch. This feature is very helpful because it means that you never have to guess while you’re rolling out pie crusts and can get the measurements right every time. The other advantage to this silicone rolling pin is dishwasher safe, which is something you definitely can’t say about wooden rolling pins, and that is a nice feature that will keep cleanup as easy as rolling out your pie crust.
Vosges is a high end chocolatier who is known for not just high quality chocolate, but the unusual flavor combinations that it it pairs with its chocolate. One of their specialties is a bacon chocolate bar, for instance, and their other exotic bars include ingredients like wasabi, gogi berries, chipotle chiles and more (although they also have plenty of bars that contain more familiar chocolate ingredients, as well). Vosges also has a line of gourmet baking mixes that I’ve seen here and there, but I was recently in a Vosges boutique and was able to pick up a box of their Love Goddess Chocolate Cake Mix to try.
Ever since I tried the excellent Ad Hoc cake mix a few months ago, I’ve been interested in trying more premium cake mixes to see what – if anything – they offer over homemade cakes. The Vosges mix runs $12 per box and includes all natural ingredients. In fact, the ingredient list is simply: organic sugar, all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. All of these ingredients come bagged separately, so working with the mix is a lot like having had someone do all your mise-en-place for you so you don’t need to measure anything. Otherwise, you add your own butter, eggs and vanilla to the mix and incorporate them in exactly the same way (including creaming the butter and sugar) as you would for a homemade cake. The instructions that come with the cake are very clear and easy to follow.
+Continue Reading
Boston cream pie is an unusual type of layer cake, made with two rounds of sponge cake that are filled with pastry cream and topped with a glaze of chocolate ganache. It is basically like a giant custard sandwich, and quite unlike most layer cakes. I thought it would translate very well into a whoopie pie format, making a miniature version of a Boston cream pie that can fit right in the palm of your hand.
These Boston Cream Whoopie Pies start out with a simple buttermilk vanilla cake that makes a lightly sweet backdrop for the pies. The cake is tender and moist, but still sturdy enough to handle easily without breaking while you frost and fill them. The batter rises well and you don’t need to do anything special (aside from making the mounds even) during baking to get them to keep their shape. The pies are cooled and filled with a homemade vanilla pastry cream. I use a vanilla bean in mine to get the most vanilla flavor into my recipe, but vanilla extract will work, too.
Most of the Boston Cream Pies I’ve had have some kind of chocolate glaze poured over the whole cake before serving. This creates a beautiful picture, but I found that wasn’t really practical for a whoopie pie. I topped these with a layer of chocolate ganache, spreading it onto one side of the pie. It was just thin enough to give me a few drips around the edges on some of the pies, but mostly stayed exactly where I put it. This made the whoopie pies easy to store and to handle, and was simply a lot more practical way of topping these. Don’t worry if you have a bit of ganache leftover after you top off your pies. It is good eaten off a spoon, too.
The finished pies have a great mix of soft cake, creamy vanilla filling and chocolate glaze. They’re very satisfying – but also light enough to indulge in two at a time if you’re tempted. These pies can be served chilled or at room temperature, but I generally serve them the day they’re made and keep the leftovers in the fridge, well-wrapped. I typically top half of the cakes with ganache in advance, then pipe in the pastry cream before serving. They’re still tasty the next day, but it is hard to beat a freshly made Boston Cream Whoopie Pie.
+Continue Reading
