Cookies: How do you feel about cookie swaps? Julianne Will has discovered the quaint tradition’s been resurrected by the yuppie set, which misses its suddenly idyllic suburban childhood. Everyone gets together at the host’s apartment, bringing dozens of cookies and swapping recipes. Sounds boring! Here’s how we’d do it: everyone gets together at the host’s apartment, bringing cookies to be judged, double blind, by the attendees, with cash prizes going to the winners. White Russians will be served by the pitcher. Now, which swap do you want to go to? Yeah.
Also on the cookie beat, Jennifer Forker has some clever ideas on how to ship the sweets through the mail. The best idea is to bake the cookies a little smaller than a Pringles can, and stack them between pieces of parchment paper. Except every time we’ve tried to bake cookies, they expand to the size of Frisbees! Lesson: never try.
Coffee: Not, which coffee tastes the best, as you might expect, but which purveyor has the best to-go cup. Chuck Ulie investigates, using metrics like seam quality, lid opening, heat retention, and aesthetic merit. (Also, he introduces the article with a reference to a $27 cup of coffee. We will profess our ignorance and say we have no idea what the hell he’s talking about. What are we missing?)
The winner seems to be McDonald’s, with Dunkin Donuts a close second. You’d have to imagine those two juggernauts spend a lot of money on cup design! Corner Bakery’s cup was the worst in terms of functionality, but had the best form.
Fondue: Would you pay $150 for a man to come over to your house with a fondue set and supplies, teach you how to use it, and then leave you to a romantic evening with your partner? No, but Dan Jividen (a.k.a. The Fondude) is betting that some people might! Kara Spak reports on the phenomenon, noting that Jividen legitimately loves fondue, and that he has a day job. Note to anyone listening: “dude” does not connote romance.
Eggnog: Lisa Donovan is all over this holiday beverage, supposedly first mixed up to preserve easily spoiled dairy products (probably didn’t work). You can buy the mix at stores, but blech - it’s only worth drinking homemade. The article advises amateur mixologists not to use fresh eggs, but that’s a bunch of litigation-phobic crap. May we present to you, via MP:South Florida’s mother, a recipe for crema de vie? It’s the Cuban version of eggnog, and yes, it translates to cream of life:
1 can evaporated milk
1 can condensed milk
1 stick of cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
Rum, to taste (start with 1/2 cup and keep adding)
1 egg, as fresh as possible
Blend everything together and serve chilled.
Cookies: How do you feel about cookie swaps? Julianne Will has discovered the quaint tradition’s been resurrected by the yuppie set, which misses its suddenly idyllic suburban childhood. Everyone gets together at the host’s apartment, bringing dozens of cookies and swapping recipes. Sounds boring! Here’s how we’d do it: everyone gets together at the host’s apartment, bringing cookies to be judged, double blind, by the attendees, with cash prizes going to the winners. White Russians will be served by the pitcher. Now, which swap do you want to go to? Yeah.
Also on the cookie beat, Jennifer Forker has some clever ideas on how to ship the sweets through the mail. The best idea is to bake the cookies a little smaller than a Pringles can, and stack them between pieces of parchment paper. Except every time we’ve tried to bake cookies, they expand to the size of Frisbees! Lesson: never try.
