Time flies . . .

Well, Bike Week was a blast. It also was a month ago, so I'm not really sure what I've done since then. I started my master's degree in teaching technology. I got a cat, got bitten by the cat, no longer have the cat. Ummmmm . . . I know I've done more than that, but that's all that is coming to mind.

Food-wise
Judy and I ate at some chain seafood place. I wanna say the Fish Grill or something that sounds like that. I really wanna crucify the place so I'll have to get the name correct and post a scathing review. We also went to an herb festival so I picked up some mint, rosemary, a datil pepper, some catnip ( I guess I can give that away now), lemon balm, pineapple sage and some lavender.

Ooooooooh, a new gourmet deli/store, called Noah's Market, opened about 6 blocks from my place in Ormond Beach. (Don't judge them on their web site.) They have fresh cut meat, imports and microbrews, produce, about 15 different kinds of gelato, two different kinds or riceballs, cheeses, all kinds of desserts . . . I'm getting overstimulated just thinking about the place. I went in with my friend, Greg (aka Dufus), on Sunday. We got some wonderful rib eyes, tirimisu and coconut gelato, stuffed mushrooms, a Sicilian riceball, and an orzo pasta salad. The only thing that didn't thrill me was the stuffed mushrooms. The stuffing was really bready, if that's a word. Greg liked them, but he also drinks Bud Lite so I wouldn't say he necessarily has good taste. And he has been insinuating that my good taste is pretentious. I'm not pretentious. I just like expensive shit.

There is a big Italian Festival here on April 17. At least I think that's the date. Maybe I'll get drunk and make a jackass out of myself like at the Greek Festival.

BTW
While I was looking for a food snob graphic on Google, (typed in "food snob") I came across a picture of a guy screwing a rotisserie chicken. It's a sad world, isn't it?

Brunch Cakes

I hate bundt pans. I can't tell you the last time was that I managed to get a cake out of a bundt pan successfully. I made a Coffee Swirl Cake for the "booze and breakfast" or "brunch". I can use about 2/3 of the cake since the rest of it either stuck to the pan or broke away from the bottom of the cake. It's good and I'll eat it. I just can't use it for presentation, dammit.

Betty Crocker's Coffee Swirl Cake

1/4 cup instant coffee granules or crystals

1 tablespoon hot water

3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups butter or margarine, softened

2 3/4 cups sugar

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan or 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan with shortening; lightly flour. In small bowl, mix coffee and hot water; cool 10 minutes.

In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in flour mixture, milk and sour cream on low speed until blended.

Remove 1 cup of the batter; stir into cooled coffee. Pour remaining batter into pan. Drop coffee batter by about 12 tablespoonfuls onto batter in pan. Cut through batters with knife for marbled design.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan on wire rack; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool at least 1 hour 30 minutes. Serve warm or cool.

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I had better luck with the Buttermilk- Lime Tea Bread. That at least came out of the pan. Next time though, I'll double the lemon/sugar syrup.

Betty Crocker's Buttermilk- Lime Tea Bread

Oh, I'm too lazy to type this recipe right now.

Bike Week Brunch?

I'm kinda thinking about having a Bike Week brunch. I can't afford it and I should just relax, but for some reason I really want to have people over for brunch, of all things. I checked out the foodnetwork.com site and the first thing I saw was their section on brunches. I found so many brunch drink recipes. I can't wait to try them. I also picked up a magazine on brunch foods last night at Publix. Yep, I wanna do a brunch. It's such a biker thing, don'cha think?

I would have it on the first Saturday of Bike Week, but Ricky won't be here yet. My second choice would be on the second Saturday of Bike Week but that is the same day as the party I'm not going to. If I have it on that day, all sorts of accusations will be made. I don't feel like dealing with the bullshit. The first Sunday sounds like the day, but it is far from perfect since Marvin won't be here yet. But depending on how it goes, maybe I'll have TWO. Marvin could come to the second one. Notice how this started out as one brunch and now already I'm having two. I'm like a deranged tattooed Martha Stewart.

But anyhoo . . . check out some of these recipes . . .

Bloody Mary Flank Steaks

Grapefruit Margarita

Orange Cream Mimosa

Melon Juice with Champagne (or Prosecco)

Spicy Citrus Bloody Mary

Champagne Lemonade

Peach Ginger Bellini