I was absolutely amazed when one of my fellow Slashfoodies, Kellye Agreda, sent me a link to this cake. I spent quite a lot of years as a cake decorator, and I know how much time and effort goes into a thing like this.
This cake took first place at the Kentucky State Fair in 2007. Can you imagine? The craftsmanship and level of detail on this cake is nothing short f breath taking. I've seen a couple shows On Food Network about cake decorators preparing cakes for a big competition, so I know they can spend some serious time making this type of cake. I wonder if the cake was made by a professional or by a hobbyist? Either way, I wonder how much they charge for a birthday cake?
If you want to see more views of this cake, check out Adam Newbold's Flickr set. I could stare at these images for long periods of time if I wasn't careful. So be careful, and make sure you have a few minutes!
I think perhaps I have been living under a rock for the last 30 years of my life. Because until last Sunday, I had never heard of the awe inspiring Carl's and I had never tasted frozen custard. First, some history on how I discovered this delicious gem. My husband and I decided to take a road trip to Fredericksburg, Virginia. The hour long drive was inspired by the opening of a Sonic Drive-In. I know this may sound silly to some, but I am originally from Texas, and Sonic is my lifeblood. Since moving to D.C. in 2000 I have desperately longed for a Sonic within driving distance.
After stuffing ourselves with Sonic's cheeseburgers, cherry cokes, tater tots, and a coconut cream pie shake, we thought it might be prudent to do some walking. We made our way to charming historic downtown Fredericksburg, which is filled with a multitude of antique and junk shops. After perusing the shops and walking off our calorie fest we decided it was time to head back to D.C. On our way out of town we saw Carl's, or should I say, the line to Carl's. We slowed down to see what could be causing this group of about sixty people to stand in the hot sun. One look at the top of the building and we knew this place was special. I slowed down and my husband grabbed a place in line as I found parking.
The other day, I blogged about my awesome Big Book of Backyard Cooking. In the review, I mysteriously mentioned my favorite iced tea recipe, but I didn't want to go into detail until I could share pictures of all the tasty ingredients. So, over the weekend I ran to the store twice (because I lazily didn't check my food supply before going the first time), and whipped up a nice batch of my absolute favorite iced beverage: Julep Iced Tea.
Instead of bourbon, which keeps many a folk sauced at the Kentucky Derby, this recipe uses a super-potent batch of English Breakfast tea. It takes a little more effort than your usual iced tea, but it's well worth the effort. Julep Iced Tea is super tasty, with that immediate kick of fresh mint and the sweet, sugary aftertaste of lemony tea. Check out the recipe after the jump and the gallery below.
Check out the color on that chicken. Those legs and thighs spent some good time in their yogurt and spice marinade before getting to a very hot grill. Yumm-y! The picture belongs to Flickr user my amii and you can find the recipe here.
I'm still taking suggestions on different foods to feature in this space. Shout out your ideas in the comments section and I will do my best to respond.
Last week, a reader requested a picture in this post that featured some sherbet or sorbet. I did a little Flickr digging and found this picture of Strawberry Tarragon Sorbet, which looks delicious and ready to be eaten. The picture was taken by Flickr user Habeas Brulee and you can find the recipe here.
As soon as I spotted this picture, taken by Flickr user Queen Roly, I immediately started to sniff the air, somehow thinking that I might just be able to smell the aroma of freshly baked pizza. Sadly, there was no pizza for me (just a olfactory reminder that the trash needs to be taken out), but the picture is still more than deserving of the title "food porn."
You guys ask and I answer. You didn't want veggies anymore, so I came up with red velvet cake balls. You didn't mind that, but then you wanted something meaty. I looked around and came up with this succulent, juicy shot of barbecued pork. The thing I love about this image is that it's a scene that is ready for you to step into and start eating. It comes from Flickr user Pig-gy, a username that makes me think that she knows a little something about cooking pork.
Yesterday, a reader complained that he was tired of seeing pictures of vegetables featured in this Food Porn Daily post. I do admit that I'm more than a little in love with all the fresh, new spring veggies that are starting to pop up in markets and Flickr streams. However, I respect that it can get a little old, and so I bring you the polar opposite of fresh veggies. Red velvet cake balls. Sounds pretty darn good (although when you enrobe them in chocolate, there's no room for cream cheese frosting).
For some reason, I really love photographs of food that is prepped, sliced and ready to become something that is far more than the sum of its parts. I particularly like the artistic way that the veggies are arranged in this picture and I am now craving some really lovely, colorful veggie stir fry. This particular batch of vegetables was sliced and photographed by the Sticky Gooey Chef and was well on its way to become Pasta Primavera with Scallops. Yum!
When I was growing up, once every eight weeks or so, my dad would surrender to our cajoling, drag out the waffle iron, and create some of the best waffles. Even the waffles I now make for myself (still on a every-other-month schedule) just don't compare. However, I think that I've discovered a waffle that might just best my dad's fare, as these waffles look crisp, have good, deep wells (all the better to hold your maple syrup) and also contain raspberries. Be still my heart.
This image comes to us from Meliass and she's got the recipe up on her blog, The Boastful Baker (her recipe also comes from her dad. Are waffles a father thing?).
I have a weakness for noodles, especially when they play a role in a chilled salad (I like them warm too, but there's just nothing in the world that can beat a really good cold soba with toasted sesame seeds). I've never tried black rice noodles, but Rachel has never led me astray before, so I'm confident that they will be delicious (sadly, they'll have to wait awhile, as I'm still adhering to the South Beach diet, where noodles come few and far between). If you want to make this salad, the recipe is up on her blog.
My friend Cindy is one of those great cooks, who is able to eat something in a restaurant and then figure out how to recreate it at home in such a way that it is always better and more perfect than the restaurant could have imagined. A couple of years ago, she invited me over to dinner and made up a batch of fish tacos, inspired by ones she had eaten at El Vez, a local high-end Mexican restaurant. We sat in her overgrown backyard, assembling taco after delicious taco from the platters of fish, toppings and sauce that she had constructed. We ate far past the point of satiation, as it just tasted so good.
Well, that's what the image you see above makes me think of, that night, sitting in a backyard, enjoying some perfect food and a good friend. The dish and pic is by Average Betty and there's not only a blog post with recipe, there's also a video that goes along with it (have you watched Average Betty before? She's fun).
In addition the crispness of this image, I love the concept behind this picture. Lelonopo titled this pic spring asparagus: cooking clean and here's her recipe:
Buy asparagus now. In spring. Preheat oven to 450. Wash asparagus well, trim, and lay in single layer in making dish. Squeeze one meyer lemon over asparagus. Season with salt and pepper, and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes. Done.
When I was a kid, I loved reading novels by Enid Blyton, E. Nesbit and Noel Streatfeild. They all wrote British young adult fiction set in the forties and fifties. I read these books for the stories, but more than that, I loved them for the descriptions of the food. I gobbled up the detailed listings of of cakes, boiled vegetables and egg cups with toast soldiers. This image of this soft boiled egg and homemade toast soldier make me think of all those stories and now all I want to do is settle down to a breakfast of eggs and toast, with a nice cup of tea.
Oh pulled pork sandwiches. How lovely you are. When I crave that particular taste, there's really nothing else that will hit the spot in the same way. Having seen this picture, I am now totally craving this tangy meaty combination. It might be time to head for a BBQ joint...
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Chocolate-stuffed bananas on the grill
Tyler Florence welcomes new daughter
Beware kids' menus!
