Subject: Recipes

• Hide the Kids, It's Jell-Fu!

  August 7, 2008

• Lindsay Weiss Scores with Banana Desserts

  August 21, 2008

• Breakfast Buffet: Monday 11/10

  November 10, 2008

• Why a cookbook isn't the best gift for a food lover

  As any music store clerk or rock critic will tell you, most CDs aren't very good. Same goes for the majority of novels and movies. Yet cookbooks seemingly escape criticism. If the pictures look nice and the font is sharp and the layout easy to read, there's a good chance somebody will buy it no matter the quality of the recipes inside. But like CDs and movies, most cookbooks aren't very good. When it comes to buying cookbooks, the best advice is caveat emptor. There are just too many unproven re

  December 9, 2008

• The seediest cookbook I've come across

  First off, let me just apologize to my mother for the cookbook I'm about to write about. For her, blogging equals Internet and Internet equals porn, therefore blogging equals porn. I try to keep the adult material and blogging about food separate, but no such luck today. Not when a cookbook like Natural Harvest comes along, with its unsubtle subtitle: "A collection of semen based recipes." Just in time for Christmas shopping, it's the first (and to my knowledge only) cookbook dealing with the su

  December 11, 2008

• The Drop hosting ODV Party tonight

  ODV is a local group of wine lovers dedicated to "demystifying the art of wine appreciation and discrediting its pretentious stereotype." The group's name is a play on the obscure brandy Eau de Vie (New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov has compared eau die vie's popularity in America to that of bouzouki music) and members gather once a month to taste different wines in an unpretentious setting without all the normal hoopla that accompanies wine tastings.ODV's monthly party is from 6-8 tonight

  December 17, 2008

• Jerry Thomas and the classic cocktail resurgence

  It's safe to say that classic cocktails are now an official trend and I don't mean just with mixologists and Rachel Maddow. In addition to new bars with old-school drinks like The Phoenix Jazz Club and Firefly Lounge recently opening, publishers are now getting in the act. The God of classic cocktails was a 19th Century bartender named Jerry Thomas, better known as the Professor. He's the person on the cover and at the heart of David Wondrich's book Imbibe which I mentioned a week ago in a post

  January 20, 2009

• Shake and Take

  April 4, 2002

• Is groundhog edible?

  Yesterday an incredibly uncomfortable looking Punxsutawney Phil -- "seer of seers, prognosticator of prognosticators" -- came out of his stump and declared six more weeks of winter. The crowd booed and Phil was put back into safety.Or was he? Would it be possible for for those guys in top hats to eat a plump Phil or one of his brothers?Despite being nicknamed whistlepigs, groundhogs are firmly in the rodent family, on the same branch as the quite edible squirrel. More importantly, they are in a

  February 3, 2009

• Best Chef

  October 9, 2003

• Most Crushworthy Local Barista (Male)

  October 9, 2003

• Best Music in a Liquor Store

  October 7, 2004

• The Weakerthans

  November 4, 2004

• Zasu ... who?

  I've never been to Parsons, Kansas, but I do know that one of the half-dozen or so famous people to have come from this southeastern Kansas hamlet was Zasu Pitts, the fluttery-voiced actress whose unusual onscreen presence was supposedly the inspiration for the cartoon character Olive Oyl. One of the more unusual cookbooks in my collection is the 1963 hardback edition of Candy Hits by Zasu Pitts, which includes dozens of candy recipes from the skinny actress whose career spanned the silent

  March 9, 2009

• Maple and Bacon Roasted Almonds

  When I'm invited to parties, I never know what to bring. There's the usual suspects -- chips and salsa or Chex-Mix -- but I've always wanted something unique, a conversation-starter. I might have found it when New York Magazine recently named its best bar snack: almonds roasted in bacon and maple syrup, a specialty at the New York restaurant Buttermilk Channel. The magazine offered a rough guide on how to make it and from there it was trial and error figuring out my own version. This quick, easy

  March 26, 2009

• Nara, Tomorrow?

  September 21, 2006

• Culinary secrets from Raytown

  The first Saturday of every month, the Friends of the Kansas City Public Library set up several tables at the City Market and sell used books. Fiction, Non-Fiction, CDs, and cookbooks. I found a couple of interesting treasures at yesterday's sale, including a battered copy Favorite Breads from Rose Lane Farm (1960, Hearthside Press) which has dozens of recipes for vintage breads that are rarely available in bakeries or restaurants (Sally Lunn, Polish Babka, Election Day Cake and Marshm

  April 5, 2009

• Copy Cat

  December 21, 2006

• The Download

  August 23, 2007

• Sugar Shock

  Wow, that's some sweet tomato sauce!

  September 13, 2007

• Celtic Frost

  Monotheist (Century Media)

  August 24, 2006

• Bare Bones

  November 10, 2005

• Serfs Up

  Meet Lord Crume in ye olde scullery.

  February 24, 2005

• Cattle Feed

  Cattle Decapitation takes the meat out of metal.

  December 2, 2004

• Monster Magnet

  Monday, September 13, at the Bottleneck.

  September 9, 2004

• The Mystery Cafe

  Readers have a hard time finding Thomas Fox Averill’s 39th Street restaurant even after he tells them where it is.

  July 12, 2001

• Two KC barbecue joints in the top 10

  Just last week I was complaining that LA's Barbecue Festival wasn't a real competition, even though it was the perfect opportunity to test different regions' styles against each other. Little did I realize that Paul Kirk, the "ambassador of barbecue," had done just that in his new book America's Best BBQ.Kirk -- who hails from Kansas City -- is a pit-master (he's won in the open competition at American Royal) and is a certified master barbecue judge. For his new book, which comes out tomorrow, h

  May 11, 2009

• 'Cue and Clues

  May 28, 2009

• Danica Pollard's strawberry recipes

  Glasswear such as tumblers or martini glasses also make good holders for this dishDanica Pollard is the pastry chef at Lidia's. She recently returned from New York, where she won over some of the biggest names in the food industry at the James Beard Awards. Fat City asked her for a recipe that combines her love of baking with an ingredient close to her heart. Pollard delivered with strawberries, saying she absolutely loves them. "The color, taste and especially the smell remind me that it is war

  June 22, 2009

• Jasper Mirabile and lemons

  When life hands him lemons, Jasper Mirabile's answer is to make limoncello. "I love it. We make our own secret recipe at Jasper's," says the owner of his namesake restaurant. "It's such a great use of lemons, and it's the perfect drink in the summer."Not content with just drinking it, Mirabile has combined it with the classic dessert tiramisu. In Italian, tiramisu means "pick me up," and the Jasper's recipe, which he was kind enough to share with Fat City, will certainly do that.The recipe calls

  June 29, 2009

• When great chefs cook from a can

  This Sunday, three of Kansas City's top chefs -- Debbie Gold, Colby Garrelts and Ted Habiger -- will compete to see who can make the most inspiring dishes using ingredients commonly found in food banks. It's part of the 13th annual Chef's Classic Dinner to benefit Harvesters. The dinner starts at 6 p.m. at The American Restaurant and includes wine paired with exotic items by chefs from the coasts. If you are interested in attending, tickets are $250 per person and you can buy them at Harvesters

  June 26, 2009

• Coolio resurfaces in the kitchen

  Celebrities can't resist writing children's books, so it would only make sense that a rapper would release a new cookbook. On Friday, the Chicago Tribune's The Stew flipped through Cookin' With Coolio: 5 Star Meals at a 1-Star Price -- a new cookbook set to drop be released in November by Simon & Schuster. In advance of the book, Coolio (born Artis Leon Ivey, Jr.) has been recording a Web cooking show of the same name, knocking out dishes like Tricked Out Westside Tilapia, Swashbucklin' Shri

  July 20, 2009

• Decoding the Colonel

  It's just 11 herbs and spices, but the secret recipe of Colonel Harland Sanders -- the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken -- has been one of America's biggest mysteries since the chicken chain's first restaurant opened in 1952. Well, 57 years later, Ron Douglas thinks he has cracked the code. It's one of the 200 recipes in his new cookbook, America's Most Wanted Recipes. He also uncovers some of the most successful dishes from the hallowed kitchens of Red Lobster, the Cheesecake Factory and the O

  July 22, 2009

• Rock of Pages: Upcoming Books From Rockers

  Mint Records chanteuse Carolyn Mark just put the finishing touches on her new full-length, Let's Just Stay Here. It's out on October 13, along with her second cookbook, The Terrible Hostess: Recipes For Disaster, Vol. II. Mark had the following to say about her first cookbook, according to Exclaim!: "All the recipes are road tested by me," Mark insists. "There's about 20 recipes in there, plus drinks like the Cabin Cosmopolitan and Bourbon Decay." Yum, right? I can't wait to get my hands on this

  July 30, 2009

• What's in season: Eggplant

  ​Eggplant seems like a vegetable best buried under mountains of sauce and cheese. You can't go wrong with eggplant parmesan. That's a slimmed-down version of the dish in the photo above, with quick cooking directions below. In picking out an eggplant at market, you want a firm, dark-colored vegetable with smooth and shiny skin. When you pick it up, it should feel lighter than you thought it might (pick up a few, this will make sense). Eggplants that are overripe will be soft and dull in co

  August 4, 2009

• Rachel Fracassa's recipe for summer gazpacho

  Heirloom tomatoes in chef Rachel Fracassa's garden. ​As tomato season winds down, soft and pulpy tomatoes lend themselves to soup. Raw food chef Rachel Fracassa has a straightforward recipe for turning your leftover heirloom tomatoes into a summer gazpacho. Preparation should only be about 20 minutes, most of which you'll spend chopping and blending. If you've got a big batch or small eaters, you can also try freezing the gazpacho, although odds are pretty good it will taste best when served f

  August 5, 2009

• Kyle Baker's recipe for shrimp n' grits

  ​The best seafood dishes make it seem like someone went to a lot of trouble to get big flavor. If you want to impress guests, chef Kyle Baker is letting Fat City in on his recipe for Shrimp N' Grits off the new menu at The Oak Room in the InterContinental. But make it quickly, because heirloom tomatoes won't be in season much longer. "This is perfect as a small appetizer for a dinner party or a family-style meal at home," Baker says of the recipe, which makes four servings. Ingredients List:

  August 13, 2009

• Fair food straight from your kitchen

  ​The Missouri State Fair is in full swing (the last day is August 23), but driving to Sedalia isn't on the top of your list. So get inspired by The Kitchn's State Fair Food Week, and take that gas money and apply it towards a deep fat fryer. It's time to recreate the state fair experience in your kitchen. The beauty of the recipes below is that even when you screw up, the fat content is so high they are still likely to taste pretty good.

  August 18, 2009

• The science of simple syrup

  ​The fun part of stocking any bar is buying the liquor. That won't change. But even a home bar needs items other than ice and a bottle of soda water if your drinks are going to transcend from a fancier version of a college drink to one that reflects the (mostly) sensible adult you are today. Simple syrup is one of the bar ingredients that you should always have on hand. It's simple to make, inexpensive, and can add a hint of sweetness that means drinks will be tasty without being cloying.

  August 24, 2009

• Smells Like Delicious

  August 27, 2009

• Local Flavor

  September 10, 2009

• Jasper Mirabile, Jr. just can't stop working

  The award-winning chef, who oversees the kitchen at the family-owned Jasper's Restaurant and is one of the official Cheese Ambassadors for Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and continues to host his popular Saturday morning radio show, Live From Jasper's Kitchen on KCMO-AM has added a few more responsibilities to his already overflowing platter. That includes promoting his newest cookbook, Jasper's Kitchen Cookbook, released this month from local publishing house Andrews-McMeel. Starting

  September 9, 2009

• The milkshake makeover

  ​Most foods have changed between the time your parents ordered them and today, but milkshakes are one of those items that have withstood the test of time. Restaurants have flirted with reinventing the frosty drinks -- mostly by adding alcohol. But when Adam Ried, the kitchen equipment specialist from America's Test Kitchen on PBS, suggests it may be time to shake up the milkshake -- it's worth considering. Ried, who is also a food editor, has a new cookbook called Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes.

  September 11, 2009

• Relic Tray: The Parkay Margarine Cookbook

  ​With a nod to the archival treasure-seeking master Alan Scherstuhl, creator of The Pitch's Studies in Crap, Fat City will occasionally bring you culinary treasures from the past (both seriously historic and not-so-distant). We begin with this trove of recipes from 1980, when the conglomerate known as Kraft was having great success marketing its Parkay margarine with TV commercials like this (featuring future sitcom star Tracey Gold) and this one, with another future sitcom star, Vic Tay

  October 12, 2009

• Relic Tray: The Happy Home Cook Book

  Bea Johnson told radio and TV audiences how to have a "Happy Home"​This 55-page, spiral-bound cookbook was published in 1955 by the KMBC Broadcasting Company. The TV and radio studio aired the daily Happy Home program, hosted by Bea Johnson -- who, the book informs us, "began her career at KMBC in 1936 when she was known as 'Joanne Taylor.' " ​Johnson, who is barely remembered today, was a big local media star in Kansas City in the 1950s and was one of the pioneer women broadca

  October 21, 2009

• Rock of Pages: Terrible Hostess Volume II

  Carolyn Mark is, somewhat unfortunately for her solo career, best known for her work with Neko Case. Actually, it seems like every artist who works with Neko Case -- be it Ms Mark, Jon Rauhouse, the New Pornographers, or the Sadies -- seems to end up being labeled "frequent Neko Case collaborator." ​Well, let's ignore all that. Let's ignore Mark's musical workings altogether, in fact. I'll mention the fact that she has a new album out this week on Mint Records, and its title is Let's Just

  October 29, 2009

• The Vampire's Guide to Good Cooking

  ​A vampire doctor is central to the plot of Twilight and now life is imitating art as Dr. C.W. Smith-Burton offers the self-published The Vampire's Guide to Good Cooking. The chiropractor/erotica author released her recipe collection in September 2008 and at first glance it would seem to fit right into the current vampire craze. The cover depicts an uncorked bottle and a chalice filled to the rim with a vibrant, red substance that could be blood or wine, hinting at a ghoulish or macabre effort

  October 30, 2009

• Relic Tray: 500 Tasty Snacks

  You simply can't have enough tasty snack ideas​As holiday season approaches, it's time to start thinking about entertaining with tasty snacks -- which is why 500 Tasty Snacks Ideas for Entertaining could come in handy. Found at the FleaMart on Highway 40 for a very reasonable 50 cents, this 50-year-old relic features recipes for hot and cold canapes, hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, jellied salads, frozen salads and sweet snacks. The 48-page booklet, illustrated with distinctly unappeali

  November 4, 2009

• Yes we pecan

  ​November is National Pecan Month -- so, it's your obligation to give pecans a try in either all their raw glory or via the traditional intake: pecan pie.Earlier this year, pecans were the inspiration for a limited-edition Ben & Jerry's flavor, the Obama tribute Yes Pecan! This January featured flavor consisted of "amber waves of buttery ice cream with roasted non-partisan pecans." Here's how you can make your own butter pecan ice cream at home.Even though they work well in ice cream, peca

  November 9, 2009

• Relic Tray: 101 Glorious Ways to Cook Chicken

  In the 1960s, it wasn't enough to just cook chicken, damn it. One had to cook it gloriously. At least, that's what the manufacturers of "lighter, clearer" Wesson pure vegetable cooking oil wanted their customers to do. That's why Wesson published this free 15-page booklet (consumers had to order it by writing to "The Wesson People" in New Orleans) filled with recipes for cooking up some glorious chicken. There are several recipes for pan-fried chicken, of course, as well as oven-fried, oven

  November 18, 2009