Saturday, July 7, 2012

Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!!



At Express Waiter, we're in the mood for pizza, how about you? After choosing our favorite pizza from San Francisco Oven, we decided to do a little pizza exploration.

While exploring, we stumbled upon a pizza vending machine. You read that correctly, a pizza vending machine. If you want your pizza with as little human interaction as possible, you can get a pizza in three minutes from a Let's Pizza machine. These pizzeria/vending machines had their start in the Netherlands, and will be in the U.S. later this year.When they get here, you will be able to choose from over 200 different toppings, and your pizza will be made from scratch in about three minutes!

If you like pizza like we do, you will be happy to know that a scientist has created a pizza that is healthy enough to eat every day, three times a day. Now, I wouldn't suggest you actually attempt that, but if you really wanted to, I guess you can. You can easily get 30% of your daily calories, fat, protein and nutrients from a serving of this pizza. Professor Mike Lean, inventor of the "healthy pizza" said that you can eat this pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner without any negative side effects. His team is in talks with supermarkets to have them in your local freezer later this year.

And if that pizza's not healhty enough for you, why don't you try the 'Satan (Seitan) Meets Jesus' pizza from Los Angeles pizzeria, Pizzanista. This pizza is a play off their original pizza, 'Meat Jesus' which is a sort of meat-lover's pizza. However, the 'Satan Meets Jesus' is a vegan option that has all vegan-approved ingredients. A slice will cost about $4, and a whole pizza is around $25.

But if your taste buds are tingling for something a little more extravagant, and a lot more expensive, you can buy the 'C6' pizza from Steveston Pizza Company in Canada. It will only cost you a measly $450, and consists of  lobster thermidor, Alaskan black cod and a side of Russian osetra caviar. This bank-breaking pie is so expensive, it holds the record in the Guiness Book of World Records. 


Source: Food Beast

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Happy National Chocolate Chip Day!!

America’s favorite cookie is undoubtedly the chocolate chip cookie, and with it’s soft, gooey deliciousness, why wouldn’t it be? 



There are many variations to this classic cookie recipe. Some versions are sweet, subtle changes like caramel, M&Ms, or peppermint.  Others are a little more adventurous like pineapple, coffee or  candied cherries. And then there are the downright strange and bizarre additions such as chili peppers, raw ginger or gummies. Either way, it’s apparent that America loves their chocolate chip cookies!



Here are a few examples of some unusual chocolate chip cookie recipes.

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (softened, feel free to replace some with bacon grease)
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/8 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chunks
5 strips bacon (I used candied bacon)


Directions:
1. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

3. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet.
5. Mix in the chocolate and the bacon.
6. Place the dough onto a cookie sheet one table spoon at a time.
7. Bake in a 350F preheated oven for 8-10 minutes.

Source: Closet Cooking 
Cricket Chocolate Chip Cookies
 Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 12-ounce chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup dry-roasted crickets
 Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla; beat until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture and insects, mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded measuring teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
 Source: Mommie Daze



Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On stove heat 12 in. cast iron skillet on medium. Once the skillet is hot, turn to medium-low heat, add butter. When butter is completely melted add both sugars. Onto the sugar butter mixture add flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and egg. stir to incorporate all ingredients. Lastly stir in chocolate chips, don’t stir too much or they will all melt. Place skillet in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. It’s done baking when two inches in from edge comes out with smooth when tested with toothpick. Don’t bake until center is totally cooked, the pan will stay hot and it will dry out the cookie and it won’t have that really great moist center. Serve warm with a drizzle with hot fudge sauce and vanilla ice cream and sprinkle some nutmeg on top.


To commemorate National Chocolate Chip Day, try baking one of these unusual Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes!