BLOGHUNGRY

The New Continental Breakfast

My last morning in N.C. I decided to try the newest revelation in continental breakfasts at my hotel. You chose an item from the hot breakfast picture menu, find the corresponding picture on a refrigerated food parcel, place the food parcel in the specialized microwave system, and press the corresponding picture on the microwave control panel. It's chic microwaving for dummies and a good way to trick people into getting excited about breakfast hot pockets and microwaved eggs. The food is pretty terrible, but the Star Trek/Jetsons food prep experience made it more than worthwhile.

The Franklin Chinese Buffet - Franklin, N.C.

On our last night in Franklin we had a lot of trouble finding a restaurant for dinner. It seems that Franklin North Carolina has not only banned the sale of liquor within its city limits, but also closes nearly all of its restaurants on Sundays. After a lot of phone calls we found the Peking Gourmet Chinese Buffet. The Peking Gourmet is located in a strip mall off of one of the town's main thoroughfares. There is ample parking, the clientele is rural casual, and for only $8.95 you are offered limitless quantities of the most substandard Chinese food money can buy. The service was friendly and the food was well stocked, but those were the only real positives. Afterward we all felt sick and decided to chase down our dinners with a shot of Pepto Bismol in the parking lot. The whole experience felt like a twenty-somethings ad campaign for antacids.

Throwdown with Bobby Flay

Question: What happens when you cross Iron Chef America with Mtv's Punk'd?
Answer: Throwdown with Bobby Flay

In his new show, alpha male and uber competitive Food Network chef Bobby Flay visits top chefs under the guise of shooting a profile on them for Food Network. Upon his arrival he challenges the chefs to a surprise competition in their own kitchens. I am not a fan of Flay's, but the premise for the show is worth checking out. Throwdown with Bobby Flay premieres Thursday, July 13.

Wedding Cake

There is a denseness of texture and flavor to a wedding cake that you just can't find in grocery stores or most homemade cakes. Here is a quick and easy recipe from the Cake Mix Doctor to help you mimic wedding quality cake at home. This recipe translates well to cakes for any occasion. Just promise me that you will make your own frosting to top it with. Friends don't let friends eat store bought canned frosting.

Homemade Wedding Quality White Cake

Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
Flour for dusting the pans
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix
1 cup whole milk
1 stick melted butter
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease two 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside. Place the cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side. Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 27 to 29 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow to cool completely, 30 minutes more.

Guy's Big Bite

Guy Fieri, winner of The Next Food Network Star, has a new show premering today on the Food Network. He's got an in-your-face straight guy way about him and looks a little too much like the lead singer of Smash Mouth to be taken seriously, but he's experienced and his food looks pretty good. I've penciled him in on my Tivo season passes for the next couple weeks.

Moon Pies

 
While in N.C. I had to get my hands on some Goo Goo Clusters and Moon Pies. Sure, Moon Pies are available at gas stations in Los Angeles too, but not in new orange, lemon, and strawberry flavors. In the past, the double-decker marshmallow and cookie sandwiches were only available in chocolate, vanilla, or banana flavors. More recently, they've come out in newer flavors and I had to give them a try. My hotel room focus group decided to test out the orange flavor. I found the taste a refreshing change from the classic Moon Pies. However, the rest of the group complained of an unpleasant aftertaste and didn't finish their samples. Change can be hard for some.

Wedding Tea

While in North Carolina, sweet iced tea was in no short supply. It was offered to me at every meal and I became dependent on it before the end of my stay there. A lot of southerners swear by this basic sweet tea recipe. They say a pinch of baking soda takes the bitterness out of the tea and darkens the color without adding any discernible flavor. Give it a try.

Southern Sweet Tea

6 regular tea bags
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2-2 cups sugar
6 cups cold water

In a large glass measuring cup, place the tea bags and add the baking soda. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags. Cover and steep for 15 minutes. Take out the tea bags and do not squeeze them. Pour the tea mixture into a 2-quart pitcher; add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add in the cold water. Let cool; chill in the refrigerator and serve over ice.

Wedding Barbecue

Meagan and Claes went all out for their country-themed wedding last Saturday. They decided to have their reception at Claes's granny's house in rural North Carolina and their ceremony at a nearby outdoor church. The whole experience was casual, relaxed, and completely removed from the rest of the world. One of my favorite details was the barbecue buffet at the reception. It was tasty, inexpensive, and helped create a laid back summer cook out vibe.There's something magical about seeing a girl in her wedding dress eating ribs. Brides take note, barbecue is the new rubber chicken. For more wedding shenanigans, check out Popmuse and Nilblogette.

Two for the Road

Bloghungry's celebrity threesome partners are about to hit the big time. Jamie and Bobby Deen’s new show, ‘Two for the Road,” debuts June 27 on The Food Network. The show, will feature the boys in their cross-country quest to find the "best kept secrets" of family-run food operations.

The Hot Spot / Caffe' Rel - Franklin, N.C.

Upon arriving at our hotel, we were greeted with friends, a personalized gift basket, and rave reviews about a fine dining Italian restaurant located in a nearby gas station. This place was beyond belief. The Caffe' Rel, located in the Hot Spot gas station, offered a surprising variety of fresh and complex dishes. I tried the Eggplant Napoleon, consisting of fried eggplant topped with goat cheese over a bed of bow tie pasta with a ricotta parmesan sauce and a side of fresh veggies. It was hands down the best eggplant pasta dish I've ever had in a gas station if not ever. The caffe' also offered a delicious array of fresh pastries and a wide variety of condoms over the urinal in the bathroom. If you ever find yourself driving through Franklin North Carolina looking for gas, a hot meal, and condoms, Caffe' Rel is a must.