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The day of two desserts
February 20, 2013 Amy

Hello, Fellow Foodies:

First, a thank-you shout-out to my friend Linda in New Braunefels, TX. Linda went to see the incredible jazz singer Bobby Caldwell in Austin, TX last Friday. Knowing that Mr. Caldwell does a meet-and-greet after and between concerts, I asked Linda if she would give him my regards. Not only did she do that, she took a picture with him, and they had a note saying “Hi” to me and a few other fans who couldn’t make it. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!

LindaLimonBobbyCaldwell

Second, giving a shout-out to Jennifer in the bakery department of Central Market in Houston. I met her a few weeks ago when I visited, and when I went back last week–she remembered me! Nice lady, and they produce some amazing works of confectionery art.

Unfortunately, I’m about to show my hypocrite side.

Yesterday, I had a delicious foodie adventure. And dessert was SOOO good, I had two. More on that in a minute. Of course, Miss Hip & Edgy Food Blogger walked out without her camera, so I could only do cell phone pictures. I also exercised last night when I got home.

I attended a lecture hosted by the wonderful folks from Woodlands Wellness & Cosmetic Center. The event was held at The Woodlands Waterway and Hotel and Convention Center, a Marriott hotel. Much like the Delray Beach Marriott in Florida, where I’ve been three times, the staff was also very nice and helpful

The featured speaker was Dr. William Davis, a board-certified cardiologist in Wisconsin who wrote the best-selling book Wheat Belly. It was a pretty popular activity–while it wasn’t a sellout, it was a packed house.

I’ve written about this kind of thing before–if you haven’t seen it, check out my post on Babycakes, the bakery and cookbooks for vegan/wheat free baked items.

There were a number of vendors there, including Frost Bake Shoppe, serving samples of a wheat-free cupcake they make. With chocolate frosting. Yes, I sampled it. More than once. Must go visit next trip to The Woodlands. Like I told ya, chocolate is my first love, that’s why I’m single.

Gluten Free Nation (formerly “Gluten Free Houston”) was also in attendance. I met the owner, Randi, a couple of years ago at a Farmer’s Market, who started creating these tasty things when she herself was diagnosed with celiac disease and there was just NOTHING for folks with these types of allergies. I tell people about her and Gluten Free Nation when I hear they have that problem. While I purchase things from Gluten Free Nation on occasion at my local health food store, there is a store on the west side of Houston. Their products are available locally at HEB stores and Central Market as well as online, and they ship nationwide. Great tasty treats for folks missing bread and cookies and pies. You can have some and not worry about getting sick.I’ve also written about these nice folks before, too (see Cupcakes And Capitalism.)

Also in attendance was Red Mango Yogurt–they have NUTELLA yogurt. OMG. No kidding. And yes, it is indeed gluten-free. It’s actually called “Nutty Potion No. 9,” but it really was wonderful. Hope they put more Red Mangoes around Houston.

Yes, I asked for an autograph for the book. I also admitted to the good doctor that I do, on occasion, visit Taco Bell. My doctor, who was standing next to him, is aware of this. He cringed! But there is the Cabana Bowl, which has rice but not wheat in it. Again, not very often, and I still have not tried that delicious looking cookie they have, ’cause I know I’d never stop.

Included in this activity was a delicious wheat-free lunch, personally selected by Dr. Sakina Davis (my doctor, no relation to the author) of Woodlands Wellness, and it didn’t disappoint. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad meal in a Marriott hotel. What I also discovered was that a LOT of folks have not only read this book, but have put it into practice in their lives. I, unfortunately, have not read this book but am now in the process and will give a full synopsis when I’m done. However, the message I got was simply this:

STOP EATING ALL FORMS OF WHEAT. IMMEDIATELY. FOREVER.

Even if you don’t have a wheat allergy or wheat problem, it’s beneficial to stop wheat intake completely. I generally don’t consume wheat, except on occasion, but I’ll be reading labels a little closer once I finish the book and know what to look for.

Let’s talk lunch.

First up was a beautiful salad:

0219131101

Work of art. Unfortunately, those “croutons” are grilled squares of tofu, so readers of my humble blog know what I did with them. (I didn’t eat them.) The dressing was a delicious vinaigrette, which was supposed to be made from miso, (oops) but the little bit I had didn’t bother me.

Feast your eyes on this wheat-free entree:

0219131149

Chipotle chicken with roasted sweet potato and parsnip, and green beans with a couple of roasted grape tomatoes. My dinners don’t get artfully arranged like this, though.

Amazingly, NOTHING needed salt. I never touched the salt shaker. Honest.

And for dessert:

0219131101a

A crustless strawberry cheesecake with strawberry compote and that little twiggy stick is made of dark chocolate.

Why did I have two of these? Well, look at it! Wouldn’t you? Yes, it was worth it. Besides, I had to make *sure* it was suitable for human consumption. (It was.)

I don’t do that very often, honest. Most of the time, when I get a craving for sweets, I go for the Chocolate Chip Brownie or Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte Larabar. Yes, extra calories, but a lot healthier (wheat, soy and GMO free) than the regular desserts I could have.

Admittedly, the reason I had two desserts was that we weren’t a full table, and there was more than one that would likely get trashed. There were actually three salads and three desserts left, because there were three empty seats. So to reduce food waste, I had one of those extra desserts. I enjoyed it, as well as some other delish nibbles from the vendors named above.

Honest, I exercised for 45 minutes last night.

Admittedly, most restaurants and hotels will accommodate you if you ask for gluten free, kosher, or vegan/vegetarian these days. When I was at Bootcamp last year, I saw a couple of folks get “specialty” meal at the Delray Marriott; they just had to ask in advance. (Me, I figure, I’m on a trip, everything is beautiful, I’m gonna try all of it. Then again, I steer clear of wheat and soy and enjoy the rest within reason. Sorta.) However, one of my friends couldn’t quite get enough to eat doing the vegan thing, prompting an older waiter to say to her in his thick Eastern European accent, “You want to live to be 100? Eat red meat!”  Much as I admire this lady, I had to laugh. I felt bad for her, because I understood, but I also agreed with Grigor the waiter.

Anyway, that’s what I was lucky enough to have for lunch yesterday. Understand that it was a special occasion, not an everyday affair for me. Today, it was the last of the roast chicken with pears. . .wait, did I post that yet? Ooops. . .coming soon, a recipe review. Soon as I finish reading Wheat Belly and give you a full report.

Happy Dining!

Considered opinions,Desserts,Health & Wellness,Special considerations
(no title)
February 12, 2013 Amy

I thought I’d pass this along to any of my interested readers. Did you know that bergamot is a fruit? Me either! Warning: this lady writes a little nicer than I do. Enjoy!

Considered opinions
The Obligatory V-D posting
February 12, 2013 Amy

Hello, Dear Readers:

Happy Mardi Gras. No, I’m not in New Orleans, I just know some folks are and are out on the town wearing green, gold and purple in the only place that look works.

I’ve been busy with a number of things lately, and I have a new recipe and one or two other postings to write about soon. But this being Valentine’s Day week, and Jezebel the step-kitty sitting by my side, I guess I’d better post something chocolatey.

Why am I unattached? My first love is chocolate, that’s why.

If you’re in NYC, here’s a little fun on V-D that you’ll need reservations for: the Valentine’s Day Sewage Tour. Say WHAT? And it fills up fast–no pun intended.  What, do you do that before, or AFTER that fancy restaurant dinner?  Romance, indeed.

The best Valentine’s Day card I ever got was literally 20 years ago from a guy I’ll call “Football” (because he was shaped like one.) Football got me a card that had a cartoon drawing of a classically handsome male on the front that he’d carefully drawn a mustache onto and thoughtfully blacked out one of the front teeth. It said, “What does it mean when a handsome man brings you flowers and candy on Valentine’s Day and then takes you out to a French restaurant for dinner?” When you opened it, the card said, “Your alarm clock hasn’t gone off yet.”

Yes. . .that is, to this day, the best card I’ve ever received from a bloke. Thanks, Football, wherever you are today.

I have ordered some more SomerSweet, finally, so I hope to make some Yeast Free Brownies soon. Maybe for Valentine’s Day if it arrives on time. The difference is that I don’t have to share with anybody. When I did share some with a couple of neighbors last summer, they were VERY well received.

I make them without the toasted pumpkin seeds, and for SomerSweet you’ll have to check the batter to see if it’s sweet enough. I was using 5 tablespoons of the old version, but I don’t remember how much to use of the baking version. Or you could just use Sweet N’ Natural if you wanted. This is a very healthy brownie recipe that’s so good, you’ll forget they’re better for you. Just keep them in the fridge, and let them sit out a bit before you eat them, or you’ll be paying an unscheduled visit to your dentist. (Coconut oil really hardens up in the fridge.) And there’s your first recipe.

Before I continue, here’s a fun and embarrassing story from my past. About ten years ago, I was, ahem, “living in sin” out of some necessity with a male I’ll call, for the sake of anonymity,  “Rodent.” We both came down with some kind of god-awful flu bug, and all I could do was lie on the couch and watch TV with him–for a week. My preferred viewing was the newly discovered Food Network. You see, I did not have cable in many years, and he had every freakin’ channel on the planet. So there I was watching Food Network for days and days while I tried to get over fever and the rest of it.

It just happened to be that Valentine’s Day was on Saturday that year, and The Food Network dubbed it Chocolate Obsession Week. All week long, all kinds of chocolate recipes for the best Valentine’s Day ever. I couldn’t get enough. I couldn’t get any chocolate either, because both of us were so sick.

So after several days, my fever broke, because I went to Rodent’s home office where he was tapping away and said, “I’m hungry–what’s for dinner?” There was no way either of us were in any shape to do any cooking, so he was going to do the takeout thing again. (I think we’d done pizza once or twice, too, but no cooking.)  He asked, “what do you feel like eating?” I said, “chocolate!” He turned around, looked at me and said, “No more Food Network for you!”

With THAT picture in mind–if Valentine’s Day to you brings up visions of fancy restaurants, chocolates, flowers, romance, and all that other stuff. . .this one was cold medicines, aspirin, and blankets. At least Rodent has a “fake-me-out” gas fireplace that was nice and warm while we had fever.

And, today we’re friends miles apart.

Here’s another one on the pumpkin seeds I leave out: a few months ago I discovered that I had some pumpkin seeds in the back of my pantry that had been there for years. I also had the idea that they were still good, too. I used a toasted spiced recipe from an old cookbook and, well, within a half-hour I discovered that no, pumpkin seeds do NOT stay good in your pantry indefinitely. It didn’t take long for the nausea to set in, and let’s leave it at that.

Now, it wouldn’t be right if a food blogger didn’t at least mention some chocolate recipes this week, and I’ve got a few that just might fit your tastes.

First up, one of two recipes by Nigella Lawson, the Chocolate Cloud Cake. I saw her do this one one of her shows and had to try it. I used unsweetened chocolate and melted it with SomerSweet, and it worked perfectly.  I had it for dessert all week after I saw it. I only made it once, but I still remember it well.

Tyler Florence has a similar recipe called Chocolate Cracked Earth, another flourless chocolate cake, which is also quite good. Again, made it one time with SomerSweet, loved it, and that was it.

The second Nigella recipe is from Forever Summer, (now published in the US as Nigella Fresh.) Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova is as pretty as it is delicious, and isn’t a terribly difficult thing to make. I made it a few years ago when I was invited to an “all girls” Valentine’s Day dinner, again, on a Saturday night. (Shortly thereafter, I met another gent, who I’ll call “Blob.” We’ve split up and are not in touch.) I made this to spec, since it was intended for a number of people who would likely not care that it was made without sugar. One slight alteration I did was to use a heart shaped pan to draw the shape on the parchment, and baked it that way. Otherwise, it’s the same. I had a picture of it somewhere, but I can’t put my hands on it. This, too, is memorable, and I would make again if I had the occasion, heart shaped or no.

Is your honey-baby gluten-intolerant? Or do you just want something just a little less involved, but equally tasty so you can show your love to someone?

I’ve already told you about my love for the wonderful Larabars, and a couple of years ago they posted some recipes on Facebook for the holidays. Unfortunately, they’re gone, but I found it on RecipeLion, so you can make them too. For Valentine’s Day, the simple, delicious Gluten Free Black Forest Parfaits are easy with Cherry Pie Larabars (you could also use the Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte version), whipped cream, melted chocolate, and a few other simple ingredients. You could use agave syrup in place of honey, if you like. I made this for myself a few years ago for Christmas, when the recipes first appeared on Facebook. I’m glad I took screenshots and printed it, but I can’t find the file. Note: the whipping cream should be 2/3 cup, but use as much as you like.

I even have two chocolate dessert recipes perfect for Valentine’s Day if your honey is vegan with a sweet tooth!  NO, I am NOT switching sides. I just love my sweets.

The first one, Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding, is actually really good, but takes some time to chill and set. The reason I tried this was because I bought something online and a sample of chia seeds came with it. Had NO idea what to do with them, but a little searching yielded this recipe. It’s actually really good, and I couldn’t help myself, so it didn’t last long. But since I don’t normally buy chia seeds. . .I haven’t made it since. Maybe I should.

The second one, Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse, is also really good, but note that it takes a while because you have to soak the raw cashews for six hours, then you have to chill it a while after blending. Yes, it’s worth it. Admittedly, I used cocoa powder and didn’t mess with cacao nibs, but. . .I was in the mood to try it, OK?

Bonus recipe: Homemade Nutella, which is also Gluten Free. I love this stuff!  Having made this a few times, I can tell you that you can buy “hazelnut flour” in some places, (finely ground hazelnuts) and you can use it as a shortcut instead of toasting hazelnuts here. Just measure it out and go for it with the food processor. Like the stuff in the jar, it’s a spread-on kind of condiment, but I’ve been known to eat this in a small pinch bowl with a spoon. It is VERY thick and sticky, but is REALLY delicious, without a lot of chemicals.

And there you go–something for everyone for Valentine’s Day.

No, I am not doing gift suggestions, unless you want to go and buy an assortment of Larabars or something. But that’s up to you.

Happy Valentine’s Day. Enjoy!

Desserts,Fast & Easy,Holidays,Special Occasions
Having your cake and eating it too
February 4, 2013 Amy

Evening, Dear Readers:

After the last post about carbs, carbs, and more carbs, I thought I’d offer some balance in reporting tonight. You can, to a certain extent, have your “cake” and eat it too. No, I’m not talkin’ about the Easy-Bake ovens again. Keep reading.

My pub buddy is ill tonight, so I’m camping in. I’ll think good thoughts for him and hope he gets better soon–pub night or no pub night. They’ll have steak night again next Monday, no problem.

Left on my own, I had a few errands to run, including the return of some sesame oil that actually contains slimy, disgusting soybean oil. Yuck. I didn’t realize it when I bought it, darnit. No matter, they refunded my $2.78 and that was that.

Earlier this morning I was looking for something or other and came across the web page for the Reily Food Company, a 100-year-old New Orleans-based company that has a myriad of regional and national brands like French Market Coffee, Blue Plate Mayo, and others that you may use regularly. But I got curious about the “No Pudge Brownie Mix,” which I’d seen but not paid attention to previously. After returning the sesame flavored soybean oil, I stopped in Kroger to check it out.

They make Chocolate Raspberry, folks. That’s my favorite flavor of just about anything. Seriously. Not only does the combination of chocolate and raspberry taste magnificent, it really grosses out my parents. THAT’S even better–and better than a tattoo. (Maybe for my 80th birthday, if I’m lucky.)

Alas, Kroger only had the original, no other flavors. But that’s OK–I figured that. And what was the -*first* ingredient in this magical fat-free mix that calls for fat-free yogurt?  Pure cane sugar. Yeah, that’ll take the weight right off! Said no weight loss doctor ever.

I’m listening to Michael Jackson’s classic song Bad. It sounds off, because I’m used to hearing Weird Al Yankovic’s Fat. All these years later, it still cracks me up when the guy jumps on Weird Al’s back and they both fall over–forward. Thank heavens for fat suits.

So I already had a plan if No Pudge turned out to be a dud. Kroger has my favorite flavor of something called Larabars. If you’ve never heard of these babies, it’s because they don’t advertise on TV. At least, not that I’ve ever heard of.

I first discovered these in 2008 while at my local Buddhist house of worship, where someone had left a huge bag of promotional minis in the kitchen for folks to try. Turns out the lady (who I have yet to meet) works for the distributor and that’s how she got them. I saw people eating them but had to wait to find out what it was. It was intended for the Youth Division, but kids don’t like that kind of thing, they prefer Fruit Rollups. (Yuck.) I tried every one of them and loved the Cherry Pie the best. I took a bunch home and enjoyed them all week.

While evacuated to New Orleans for Hurricane Ike in September 2008, I was at the Winn Dixie on Jefferson Highway with a friend and picked up a couple of the Larabars. All of a sudden, I was hooked–I couldn’t stop eating the Cherry Pie and Apple Pie Larabars. (This was a stressful period, trust me.) They sold for about $1.98 in both Winn Dixie and Whole Foods at the time. Later, the price went down to about $1.25 a bar, but go on sale occasionally for less. Once in a while, you can find “out of date” bars on sale for half price, too.

Larbars are simply bars made of unsweetened dried fruits and nuts with some spices added for extra flavor. They’re about the size of a standard candy bar, maybe a bit smaller. Having tried many “diet” bars and protein bars, these are definitely better.

They are also infinitely healthier than candy bars, as well as other stuff that masquerades as “health food.” Like that Kashi stuff, which are simply soy-laden candy bars. I’ve never eaten one, but I’ve seen the ingredient list. Seriously, the little meal replacement bars are candy, nothing more. How do you think they get carob to taste like chocolate? Chemicals and soy. I was hoping they’d have Larabars at the bookstore at work, and even asked about it, but no such luck–they got those Kashi bars instead. Might as well eat a Three Musketeers! (Oh, well, I don’t work there anymore anyway.)

Larabars are no more than 9 ingredients, and most are soy-free, wheat-free and GMO free.  Jocalats are organic, and always chocolate. They are not as sweet as Larabars, but are equally good (albeit harder to find sometimes.)  The newest additions to the Larabar family are uberBars, which are a sweet/salty combo (and contain corn syrup) and something else called ALT bars, which vegan, kosher, have natural ingredients and flavorings and come in four dessert flavors. I only found ALT bars when I went to the website; I’ve never even seen them.

Created by Lara Merriken in 2003, they have quietly become a very popular and healthy treat. They aren’t raw, by any means, but they are natural and somewhat processed so that they can be formed into the bars. The company has since been acquired by General Mills, (which may explain the price drop) and are available just about nationwide. No kidding. I’ve bought Larabars in Target in Mesa, Arizona, as well as Cocoa Beach and Delray Beach, Florida, both at Publix. Not to mention Metairie, Louisiana and nearly-everywhere-in-Houston, Texas.

There is something for just about everyone, and you can see the Larabar flavor list here. Jocalat can be seen here, uberBars are here, and the new ALT bars are here.

I have introduced a number of people to these bars of natural sweet goodness, including two neighbors, one manager I used to work for, and several coworkers. One of them, a lady in Florida, ordered a BOX of chocolate coconut chews from Amazon.com–and she didn’t like them. Oops! She gave them to someone else, and never tried another one again. Really, she could have bought them at Publix, because I did–the one right there in Cocoa Beach! Maybe she’s tried them again, I haven’t asked. However, she’s the only one, so far, who has not liked them.

Last year, after “liking” Larabar on Facebook, I was informed that I was their fan of the week. Woo hoo! I don’t know if they still do it, but they send one fan a Larabar package consisting of some Larabars (naturally) and a neat toy. In my case, it was a foam sumo wrestler! I still have it, and the nice note from Annie. But the Larabars have long since disappeared–I couldn’t resist. Here’s a hint: if you buy them directly from the company online, they are soft like room-temperature butter. When you eat a PB&J bar that soft and close your eyes, you think you’re eating a sandwich–and there’s no bread. No kidding. (Now I squeeze them when I buy them.)

I had been sending an elderly friend some at Christmas, but couldn’t do it this last year. (I think I managed a card, darnit.) I was going all over town to get one or two bars of each flavor, and finally, someone got the brilliant idea to start up an assortment box for first time buyers!  And about time, too. I was so happy to see that, the next year I sent my friend two of them.

So now if you’re wondering what my favorites are, well, there are several. For Chocolate Chip Brownie, Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte, Tropical Fruit Tart, Blueberry Muffin, Carrot Cake and Ginger Snap, I’ll physically move you out of my way (I don’t care how big you are, either.) Especially CC Brownie–that’s the one I grab first, sometimes along with CC Cherry Torte. FABULOUS.

I also enjoy the aforementioned PB&J when they are soft, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, and Cashew Cookie are also good. I have, unfortunately, not yet tried the Cappuccino for some reason, but the rest are also pretty good, I just have my favorites. What I like may *not* be what you like, so use your own discretion. If you just love lemon stuff, go for that first and see how you like it, you know?

I will say that I don’t care for the other peanut butter bars, but that’s just me. For some reason, the other PB flavors don’t translate over for me. You may go bonkers over CC Peanut Butter Cookie. Go for it.

A word of warning: do NOT eat more than two at a time in a 24 hour period. A couple of years ago I got some on sale and had four CC Brownie bars. I was on the computer one Friday night and wasn’t paying attention to how many I ate. Oops. . .four. Sunday morning I was in pain, and we’ll leave it at that. Let’s just say you aren’t going anywhere for a while. Never did that again. Remember that there can be too much of a good thing. This is only the fault of me, not of the Larabars.

Warning aside, if you are interested in some healthy snacking, may I respectfully suggest seeking out Larabars (one or two at a time, please.) They are either with the “health” or “natural” foods, or in the pharmacy area (that’s where Target and Wal-Mart have them, anyway.) Vitamin Shoppe doesn’t sell them anymore, but lots of grocery and health food stores sell them. If you’re in Texas, I’ve found the Jocalats in both Central Market and the HEB in the Market Place in The Woodlands–but no other HEB, yet.

And if your local store doesn’t carry them, ask! Or just order them online from their online Larabar store, where you can find additional information on ingredients and nutrition.

Happy Dining!

Considered opinions
Carb loading: cookies, bread and Twinkies
January 31, 2013 Amy

Evening, Fellow Foodies:

I found out this evening that as part of Taco Bell’s new menu, they have dessert. Not only do they have dessert, they have one that looks fantastic: The Cookie Sandwich. Holy Shish Kebab. My bar buddy brought Taco Bell tonight, and while we drank white zin (him more than me) I had the chicken Cantina Bowl, and he had a couple of tacos and two of these. Surprising, because he doesn’t eat a lot, and he had two–AND he didn’t offer me one! That’s OK–I’m glad, because I know I would end up driving to Taco Bell and getting them through the drive-up window after one sugar-loaded taste. I will also tell you that the ones he had contained twice the vanilla filling you see here. They’re about the size of the palm your hand, but the cookies are thick. OMG–if I really need dessert, I’ll be heading that way to get me one. Maybe two. And you have to admit, they do look interesting.

Two food-related stories from today’s Wall Street Journal today–one on the ubiquitous bread basket served in many restaurants, and are either disappearing or cut back.Some restaurants have artisan bread, some come up with new bread creations, regularly to show off their creativity, and some have cult followings, like Cheddar Bay Biscuits at Red Lobster. They cost–especially the butter part. But as one expert points out, eating white flour on an empty stomach, which is how it usually goes, is like eating sugar from the sugar bowl–and will cause an insulin spike. I try to avoid it myself, because I know I can’t stop eating it. And you fill up with bread or chips before dinner–bad idea. Some bring it with dinner, some bring bread only on request.  Whatever your feeling on bread before/with dinner, you can see the video here.

About four years ago, we had a restaurant in Houston called Bailey’s American Grill, and they had the most delicious pre-dinner nibbles ever. They had these little cheesy biscuits with bits of prosciutto in them, and a couple of others I can’t remember, all freshly baked. An experience in and of itself. I went with a supper club from work and it was fantastic, three kinds of nibbles! Two weeks later, my brother was in town, and that’s where we went to dinner. Worth the trip, I tell ya.  I told him about the great “nibbles,” but he said something else in a fake hick voice I won’t repeat. I can’t take him anywhere, and in the car on the way back to my place, I called Mom to complain about his behavior (while he called his wife on his cell.) Suddenly, about 2 years later, Bailey’s American Grill closed suddenly for no reason. Shame–I was hoping to go back again one day.

So the other bit of WSJ news for Twinkie fans is that Apollo Global Management LLC and Metropoulis & Co. are offering $410M for most of Hostess’ brands–yes, Dolly Madison, Ding Dongs, HoHos, and even the incredible Twinkies.

All this for a line of junk food. No kidding. But it’s also a big, creamy, sweet piece of Americana. We only do this in America, right? What a country. . . .

The deal they are working will set up a “floor price” at a bankruptcy auction for some of the well-known assets–the aforementioned brands, five bakeries, and “certain equipment.” I’m guessing that’s proprietary stuff that makes Twinkies so special. It’s called a “stalking horse bid,” which this chef wannabe has never heard of, but it has to do with Hostess’ bankruptcy auction they are planning for Mach 13th. . .an odd day for an auction, but OK.

It was previously reported that Mexico-based bakery Bimbo (pronounced BEEM-bo) would likely be the new owners, but, well, it doesn’t say that here. Also, there are a total of interested 9 parties bidding on either pieces of the Hostess pie or the whole enchilada (puns intended, I’m a foodie, darnit.) I’m guessing Bimbo is one of them.

They need to get a move on. Although you can still buy remaining Hostess Twinkies on eBay for varying prices, they will eventually go away, and people will remember them fondly but not buy them anymore–or at least be skittish about the new ones. There will be push-back from purists, no doubt.  Competitors are fighting for that shelf space that Hostess used to have, and people may eventually get used to something else. Then when you say “Twinkies,” the response will be, “who cares?”

This eBay seller has a recipe for Twinkies that she claims will sell out, but why the heck she’s feeding one to a beautiful kitty cat, I’ll never know. Cats aren’t supposed to eat that kind of stuff. Well, neither are humans, but humans can handle it better than felines.

Apparently you could, at one time, buy a Twinkie kit from Hostess–sure enough some are for sale, this being the cheapest (there are actually three for sale.) And as I reported to you previously, you can also buy a kit on Amazon.com that you can use to bake Twinkies on your own.

So as I predicted (like a lot of other people) Twinkies will be coming back, maybe even sooner than you think. Sit tight, America–you’ll have your Twinkies again, maybe even this year if they can get the legal wrangling finished. (Note: that’s speculation on my part.) Cross your fingers and pray that Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, and Dolly Madison treats come back to your convenience store shelves soon.

Happy Dining!

Desserts ,,,,,,

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