I don’t know if I should be creeped out by this video or if I should just shrug and say, “Japan.” Either way, this is pretty crazy.

Check it out:

The squid in question is in fact dead, but the soy sauce is still causing the muscles to “dance.”

Would you eat this?

My wife recently tried her hand at one of Martha Stewart’s pie recipes: the Strawberry Icebox Pie. The resulting dessert was light, delicious and perfect for the summer.

Here is the recipe and our pics.

Ingredients

• 10 graham crackers (2 1/2 by 5 inches)
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
• 2 quarts strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced (a few whole berries reserved for garnish)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a food processor, blend graham crackers with 2 tablespoons of sugar until finely ground; add butter and pulse until crumbs are moistened.

• Press mixture into the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch pie plate Bake until crust is lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes.Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, cranberry juice, 2 cups strawberries, cornstarch, and salt.
• Using a potato masher, gently mash strawberries. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in remaining strawberries.

• Pour into cooled pie crust. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours (or up to 1 day).

• In a large bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over cream and continue to beat until soft peaks return (do not overbeat).

• Spread whipped cream over pie, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border around edge. Garnish with whole berries. Enjoy.

Summertime Skewers

Come summertime, meals have a habit of moving outdoors. Bar-B-Qs or picnics, though, don’t have to revolve around hamburgers and hot dogs. Skewers, after all, were practically invented for summertime fun. Easy to prepare and fun for guests, they’re a simple way to combine flavors and re-invent old classics. Here are a few light summer skewer recipes I’ve stumbled upon that I love.

The Greek Salad Skewer
There are very few salads as tasty and light as a Greek salad. This deconstructed version of the Hellenic treat can serve as both a great appetizer and a side dish.

Ingredients

• One English cucumber
• 1/4 lb. of feta cheese
• 8 pitted Kalamata olives
• 8 grape or cherry tomatoes
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions
Cut the olives and tomatoes in half, and the feta cheese and cucumbers into 16 small cubes and slices. Thread all the ingredients on skewers, season and enjoy.

Raspberry, Mint and Mozzarella Skewers

Really want to impress your guests? How about something refreshing and tasty? Something that perfectly mixes savory and sweet flavors and is just as easy on the eyes? Say hello to the raspberry, mint and mozza skewer.

Ingredients

• 1 pint of fresh raspberries
• 1 small container of mozzarella balls (aka bocconcini)
• 1 cup of fresh mint

Directions
Alternate mozzarella, raspberries and mint on each skewer. Chill and serve.

Chicken Mango Skewers

The combination of fruit and meat is an easy way to whip up exotic and delicious flavor combinations. This chicken mango skewer is a prime example.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 3 mangoes
• 6 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions
Mix olive oil, lime juice and spices in a bowl. Slice chicken and mangoes into cubes, and mix in with your marinade. Alternate chicken and mangoes on skewers and grill 6-10 minutes on each side.

Steak and Pineapple Skewers

Worried about your waistline but still craving some red meat? Steak and pineapple skewers are a healthy and easy way to satisfy your carnivorous cravings.

Ingredients

• 2 10-12 oz ribeye steaks
• 1 pineapple
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 grated garlic clove
• Fresh ground pepper
• Fresh basil

Directions
Mix soy sauce and olive oil with basil and pepper. Cut steak and pineapple into cubes. Mix into marinade, thread onto skewers and grill 10-15 minutes on each side.

Desert Fruit Skewer

When it comes to skewers, simplicity is usually best, and what’s simpler than fresh fruit? Oh yeah, fresh fruit dipped in yogurt.

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium sized cantaloupe
• 1 1/2 containers of strawberries
• 3 kiwis
• 1 container of seedless grapes
• 2 large bananas
• 3 large figs
• 1 container low fat vanilla yogurt

Directions
Cube and slice fruit, thread onto skewer. Pour yogurt into small bowls and serve.

General Skewering Notes

• If you’re entertaining a large group, you don’t have to worry about packing the grill with a multitude of skewers. Williams Sonoma now offers flexible grilling skewers. These nonreactive stainless steel skewers bend easily and give you more options when grilling and marinating. So don’t get bent out of shape.
• Also, if you’re struggling with bamboo skewers that burn on the grill,  the folks at Taste.com.au have a simple solution, and they even offer a few intriguing, aromatic alternatives, just in case you’re thinking of chucking those old bamboo spears.

Perfect Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

History: The word cookie derives from the Dutch word koekje or (informal) koekie which means little cake, and arrived in the English language through the Dutch in North America.

The French word biscuit is derived from the Latin words bis (twice) and coquere (to cook), and, hence, means “twice-cooked.” This is because biscuits were originally cooked in a twofold process: first baked, and then dried out in a slow oven. Lots of european countries use the same word or variations thereof for the ever popular cookie. The Italians call it Biscotti, the French Biscuit, ze Germans say Zwieback, the Dutch Beschuit, and the Portuguese say Biscoito…always a variant of Italian and Spanish…very nice language…

aaaaannnnnyyyywwwaaaaayyyyyyyyyy………..

Be Careful not to burn you Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, mind your baking time!

Why it’s awesome: I love just about anything sweet, the only thing I have trouble with because it’s too sweet, is indian sweets…I didn’t think you could pack that much sugar and sweetness into munchkin sized treat…I was so very wrong…it’s too much for me. These cookies are borderline healthy (minus the butter fat), but most importantly they’re not too expensive and very delicious when they come out of the oven! Also they keep very well for days and days…I think it’s the butter

Ingredients & Portions:

• 3/4 cup softened butter
• 1 1/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 tbsp of water
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips!!! BOOYA!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Mousse Mix

Servings: Approx 20 sizeable & super delicious cookies….(HIGH FIVE!!!)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Mix

Cook time & Directions:

1. Mix the butter, brown sugar, egg, water, vanilla until the mix looks like a mousse…yes this will happen, you read correctly…
2. Now mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and incorporate the mix from step 1 into this mix.
3. Add your rolled oats and chocolate chips and mix well.
4. Place a tbsp or 2 tbsp of the mix onto a greased baking sheet (I used wax paper) and flatten with a fork for crunchier results. (This is not a joke)
5. Bake at 350 F for 12 to 15 mins until golden colour appears. (check periodically or you’l burn yours like I did mine, the first batch, but they were still tasty for the record)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies on baking sheet

BOOYA! Ready to serve delicious home made Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Baked

Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth AND the Mood: Vegetable Masala

So what’s with the title you ask? Well I’m usually a big fan of AllRecipes.com. I like to find recipes and try them out for myself. Although an avid cook, I’m not proficient in all cuisines so when I want to try something new, I find it to be a very reliable source for great tasting and easy to make recipes.

Blanching Tomatoes To remove the Skin

Here’s the problem, the Vegetable Masala recipe from this website has this as a direction:

“In a microwave safe dish place the potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, salt and turmeric. Cook for 8 minutes.”

Ummmm…..no, when I’m cooking, I’m sorry, I do NOT use the microwave to heat food or cook it. I find this practice alarming, I’m not a fan of molecule altering food radiation. Sorry. So instead of following Step 2, I decided I would boil all veggies (also known as blanching) and this threw off my whole game and this gets me frustrated so while cooking along side my significant other I became frustrated with this recipe, also combined with my crankyness from not having eaten and then limited space in the kitchen, eventually, two headstrong cooks became two stubborn annoying people and well that never turns out in a positive manner does it? Make a long story short, one of us stormed out of the kitchen, one finished the recipe rather than having all that food going to waste and no one ended up eating…

Removing Skin From Blanched Tomatoes

Note to self: when cooking, don’t be overly hungry, make sure you read a recipe before you start it and most importantly make sure that roles are assigned before hand. Otherwise you’re in for a not so fun surprise.

Chopped Red & Yellow Bell Pepper & Eggplant

Am I the only one this has happened to? (Leave your replies in the comments section below!)

Canned Beans

History: Indian cuisine is definitely characterized by the use of a multitude of various spices, herbs and vegetables, there is also sometimes fruits thrown in the mix. Indian cuisine is also influenced by the widespread practice of vegetarianism. As in most cultures and countries, Indian cuisine includes a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques. As a consequence, it variations can be found from region to region, all of which are reflected in the ethnically-diverse Indian subcontinent.

Chopped Garlic & Ginger

Why it’s awesome: Indian cuisine was something I was introduced to early as a non-Indian because of my Indian uncle. I love it particularly because it is a hearty and healthy (apart from the overuse of Ghee) cuisine. I also am a big fan of the various uses of spices and fresh herbs, except cilantro which I find extremely cringe-worthy.

Spices Ready to Go!

Ingredients & Portions:

• 8 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 can of red beans
• 1 quart cold water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes – blanched, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 sprig cilantro leaves, for garnis

Boiled & Blanched EggPlant, Yellow & Red Bell Peppers & Potatoes

Servings: This recipe yielded a full wok, I would have preferred to let it all simmer in a pot but I’m sure you could serve 4 to 6 servings easily.

Throw Your Onions In and Cook Until Transluscent

Cook time & Directions:

1. Place potatoes, carrots and green beans in the cold water. Allow to soak while you prepare the rest of the vegetables; drain.
2. In a microwave safe dish place the potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, salt and turmeric. Cook for 8 minutes.
2. Boil/blanch your veggies before hand
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook mustard seeds powder and cumin; when seeds powdered spices start to bubble, add the onion and saute until transparent. Stir in the tomatoes, garam masala, ginger, garlic and chili powder; saute 3 minutes. Add the cooked vegetables to the tomato mixture and saute 1 minute. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Blanched Tomatoes After Your Onions Are Cooked

PROPER Directions On How to make Vegetable Tikka Masala:
…
•    Cook the sauce over low flame till the vegetables are done.
•    Vegetable Tikka Masala is ready to eat.

(Courtesy IndoBase.com)

Nutritional Benefits: Depending on the veggies and amount of butter or oil you use this is a supremely healthy meal. Red and green peppers are high in antioxidants, hot peppers are known to be good for circulation.

The Finished Product! :S Mixed Feelings About This!

History: In many parts of fruit crazy Latin America, juicing has been a part of the culture for more than 80 years. It took a bit longer to make its way into the American mainstream, but it got more popular in the 1960’s (particularly in California, where South American trends have some room to grow), when “fruit juice smoothies” gained a foothold as a healthy alternative to the mainstay milk shake.

How the juice concoction got the name we use now, however, is a matter of debate. According to this site here, “the word smoothie has been used to describe many products over the years. From bicycles, girdles, to ball point pens. There is even a popular band called the Smoothies. However, the word, in relation to the frozen beverage industry did not really become generic until Smoothie King of Kenner, Louisiana, made the word a household name.” For more, you can check out these sites here and here.

Why is it awesome? Delicious, nutritious and fast. What’s not to like? If you have some spare fruits and a bit of orange juice, you can make yourself an amazingly refreshing and frothy burst of fruit goodness. Do it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup strawberries(fresh or frozen)
• 1 banana or 1 mango

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a blender and puree.
2. Pour in a glass.
3. Enjoy.

Nutritional benefits: As long as you use natural orange juice (one that doesn’t have any extra sugar in it), this thing is like a health bomb. In other words, there are too many health benefits to name. Just enjoy the smoothie.

Egg Noodles!

I recently come across the proper noodle-frying technique and an awesome sauce to go along with it. Check out my recipe:

Ingredients & Portions:

• 8 oz fresh thin Chinese egg noodles* (also called Hong Kong noodles; not wonton noodles)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (I used black pepper)
• chicken broth
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 3 scallions, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
• 5 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps quartered (2 1/2 cups)
• 6 oz choy sum, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces (2 1/2 cups) or 1-inch-wide broccoli florets

I used regular mushrooms and bok choy for the vegetables. You can use any vegetables you want!

Regular mushrooms will do the trick!

My favorite Eastern vegetable: Bok Choy!

Portions: This recipe yields around 4 portions if served as the only dish.

Cook Time & Directions:

Prep The Sauce

Stir together the soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, and cornstarch with 1/4 teaspoon white pepper in a small bowl until smooth, then stir in chicken broth.

Frying the Noodles

Bring 8 cups unsalted water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart pot, then add noodles, stirring to separate, and cook 15 seconds. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until noodles are cool, then shake colander briskly to drain excess water.

Rising till cool!

It becomes like a giant noodle patty!

Careful don’t burn them!

Bon Apetit!

There are days where you just want to indulge in your dirtiest fantasies, right? Like eating KFC with a side order of onions rings and jalapeno poppers, and washing it all down with a tall glass of Coke (I can imagine my boyfriend’s disappointment reading this answer). God forbid my mom would ever catch me ingesting such “garbage”, as she calls it. She would chastise me and inflict such guilt that I would most likely regurgitate every single bite till my body felt empty again. Okay, I am exaggerating, but for me, eating this type of food involves a lot of self-loathing. Once in a while, though, I can’t resist the temptation to just commit the culinary crime of eating junk food.

Green salad, Onion Rings, Jalapeno Poppers and Oven Fried Chicken

The meal I prepared last night was not the healthiest but I am giving myself props for baking the chicken instead of deep frying it – the onions and jalapenos fulfilled my need for saturated fats for the night (maybe even the year). So here is the recipe folks!

Ingredients & Portions:

‘KFC’ mix

• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons Accent (MSG)

• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 2 cups of bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 skinless chicken supreme
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

KFC Mix

Excellent job on removing the skin.

Servings: This amount of meat will most likely feed 3-4 people with side dishes.

Cooking Time & Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

2. Make the KFC mix.

3. In one flat bowl beat the eggs and the milk.

4. In another, lay out the breadcrumbs and add the KFC mix and the parmesan.

5. Dip the chicken into the eggs so they are well covered.

6. Then transfer them to the breadcrumb bowl and batter them with the mixture evenly.

7. Lay the chicken on a baking sheet, sprinkle the top with a bit of olive oil and cook for 45 minutes.

BON APETIT!

Herbaria has come up with a new way to market their tea: scaring the living hell out of everyone.

Check out their ad, featuring Leatherface and the Grim Reaper:

p.s. fuck clowns. 

Safe to say that Steven Jo really likes ramen noodles.

Check out his “Ramen Noodle Soup” song:

Thoughts? What other foods deserve songs?