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B&W Bread in a Can – Review

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Researching an upcoming trip to Maine, I came across a unique food item. Bread in a can. These cans of bread are apparently sold on the shelf next to the Boston baked beans. It’s an East Coast thing.

My husband affirmed the fact that people on the East Coast do indeed eat bread in a can. It is meant to be eaten alongside Boston baked beans and hot dogs. He ate this bread growing up. He brought me back a can of the bread as a souvenir from his trip so I could give it a try.

The directions on the can say to open both ends of the can. This needs to be done so the bread can be given a little push out of the can. I did so and the bread popped out easily. I put it on a serving platter and set it on the table for dinner.

B&M Bread in a Can

I must say, I was a little disgusted looking at this bread on the platter. It doesn’t look appetizing. It has the exact look of canned cranberry jelly that pops out of a can at Thanksgiving with the lines of the can marked into it’s sides. I also did not like how the bread rolls around.

The bread sliced easily. It has no crust. It was very sweet because it contains molasses. I would call it more of a sweet bread then a dinner bread. Almost more like a muffin really. Apparently, if the original flavor isn’t sweet enough, one can purchase the version with raisins.

While it tasted fine, I really do not see the point in purchasing this bread. I would be embarrassed to set it out for company as it doesn’t look appealing. It would be a good pantry staple for emergencies, however, I would prefer a fresh loaf of bread (homemade or store bought).

The bread in a can does bring up some questions for me. How does B&M get the bread in the can? How is it cooked? I looked into this and found that the bread is steamed in the can. https://www.mashed.com/270569/the-surprising-origin-of-canned-bread/ Martha Stewart even has a recipe to make homemade bread in a can. https://www.simplemost.com/make-boston-brown-bread-in-a-can-at-home/

It’s interesting how different regions have their own specific food items. I do not know of any stores in So Cal that sell bread in a can. I wonder what other unique food I am missing out on. If any of my readers have food specific to their region of the map, drop me a line and let me know what I am missing out on.

As always, Happy Eating!

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No Bake Avocado Pudding Review

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Trying to find new ways to use avocados, I came across the following recipe: https://www.today.com/recipes/kourtney-kardashian-s-3-ingredient-avocado-pudding-t85836 . It seemed healthy and simple enough. I thought I would give it a try.

The avocado pudding was very easy to put together. Simply dump the avocado, coconut milk, and honey in a blender, give it a spin, refrigerate for a while, and it is done. My pudding came out on the thin side. Next time, I would use coconut cream or a thicker variety of the coconut milk than what I used. I also thought, after sampling a small bite, that it was a bit bland in flavor. I decided to crumble-up some graham crackers and place them in the bowl and add my scoop of pudding on top. Yes, that was just the something it needed. Now, it was actually quite addictive.

So, do I recommend this recipe? Well, yes, I would say I do, with the minor adjustments I mentioned above. Maybe even a spot of whipped cream. I suppose that makes it a bit more unhealthy, oh well.

As always, Happy Baking!

Potato Ricer

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Being the Master Chef want-to-be that I am, I decided to try a new kitchen gadget (new to me that is…). The potato ricer.

Normally, I mash my potatoes with a little bit of milk and a potato masher. This has left me satisfied as I can mash the potatoes to the desired consistancy. However, after one use of my potato ricer, I may never go back to the masher again.

The reasons I love the potato ricer… It is so simple to use. Put the cooked (boiled) potatoes in, press down, and the potatoes are done. The potatoes do not require milk to make them smooth. They do not require the strength/effort to mash. The potatoes come out smooth and creamy and are way better than anything I’ve ever mashed. I’ve even heard that you can put the potatoes in with skins on and the ricer separates the skins so no peeling is required. I have not tried this myself, but this would save a step in the preparation.

Trying new things in the kitchen is always fun. In this case, I found a new favorite gadget. What should I try next? Any suggestions?

As always, Have fun in the kitchen!

Master Chef Jr. Season 8

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If you’ve visited my blog before, you will already know I am a fan of all the cooking shows starring Gordon Ramsay. Well then, it will be no surprise to you that I am watching the latest Master Chef Jr. Master Chef Jr. features kids that really know their way around the kitchen.

When they say junior, they mean it. These kids are ages about 8 to 13 years old. Eight!!! Yes, eight years old, cooking without recipes, and plating like pros.

Some of the junior contestants have parents who own restaurants, or have taken cooking lessons; others are self taught or influenced by family members. These kids have cooked octopus, eel, Scotch eggs, etc.. already on the show. Octopus! Eel! I would not know where to begin with these things and honestly, I have never even eaten a Scotch egg before. Nothing stumps these kids though.

Not only does the show highlight these young chef’s amazing skills, it is also quite entertaining to watch and funny, at times, as well. They are only into week four, so if you haven’t already, tune-in next week. You will not only be entertained, but you may even learn a thing or two about cooking. I know I have.

As always, Happy Cooking!

Photo of Freddy: https://parade.com/1340108/paulettecohn/masterchef-junior-contestants-2022/#gallery_1340108-8

Lavender Adds a Refreshing Taste to Baked Goods

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If you haven’t tried baking with lavender before, I highly recommend it. Lavender adds such a suttle yet inviting taste to baked goods. Fresh and inviting is how I would describe it.

I purchased a package of dried lavender for baking. I tried a couple of recipes using the lavender. The first was for lavender scones. The scones had lavender in the batter and infused into the glaze. https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/lavender-scones/ The second lavender goodie I tried was a lavender shortbread cookie. Again the lavender was in the dough and the glaze.

I really liked the lavender glazes and have decided it would be very easy to add the lavender into cakes and frostings as well. To make the glazes, it is a very simple process, just allow the lavender to seep into the warmed liquid (milk or water) for a few minutes, then strain it through a fine sieve before adding it to the dry ingredients.

Springtime, lavender baked goods, and a cup of tea….now doesn’t that sound wonderful!

As always, Happy Baking!

Avocado Fries

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Watching an episode of Next Level Chef, I was intrigued by one of the chefs saying they were adding a side of avocado fries to their dish. Avocado what? Yes, there is such a thing and they are quite tasty.

I found a recipe for avocado fries at: https://gimmedelicious.com/healthy-baked-avocado-fries-chipotle-dipping-sauce/ and gave it a try. The recipe was simple enough, very similar to making fried zucchini. Simply slice the avocado, coat it in flour, then egg, and then panko. Put these onto a greased baking sheet, sprinkle with oil or spray with cooking spray, pop them in a 400 degree F oven for 15 minutes and voila, avocado fries.

I served my fries with a mixute of mayo and ketsup. Yum! I think even children would find these french fry alternatives a tasty treat.

As always, Happy Cooking!

Next Level Chef

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Chef Gordon Ramsay has another new cooking show on television. This time, Chef Ramsay is competing with Chef Nyesha Arrington and Chef Richard Blais to see whos team can produce the next level chef. Each taking turns to pick their team after the first competition.

The teams are randomly assigned to one of three kitchens. The top level is any chefs dream kitchen, fully equipped to meet their needs. They also have first dibs on the food that passes from floor to floor on a lift. The contestants have a mere 30 seconds to grab all they can to make their dish before the lift goes to the next level.

The middle level is a nice enough kitchen without all the bells and whistles. Probably nicer than your home kitchen. Chefs on this floor have second dibs on the food.

The bottom level is not nice by any means. The knives are dull and the Chefs have to make due with what little equipment they have. The big bummer is that they have last dibs on the food, usually the leftovers that are harder to cook with. They have to work harder to make their meals shine.

The famous chefs are mentoring the contestants hoping that one of their chosen chefs will win the competition and make them look good. Compared to the other cooking shows, this one may be a bit more stressful for the contestants, as they have hardly any time to come up with a meal plan and even less time to gather the ingredients. Throw in some unexpected twists or having to cook in the bottom level kitchen and the fact that the top chefs are competing and this could be a highly stressful situation, but fun to watch.

If you love cooking and like to watch Chef Ramsay’s other cooking shows then tune-in to Next Level Chef for even more cooking fun.

(Photo from: https://hollywoodlife.com/2021/12/07/next-level-chef-first-look-gordon-ramsay-preview-video/ -The key art for ‘Next Level Chef.’ (FOX) )

Thumbprint Cookies Without the Pain

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We love thumbprint cookies for the holidays at our home. However, making the indentions with my thumb into a hot cookie dough is not my idea of a good time. Ouch!

My daughter had a genious idea of how to make the thumbprint without using the thumb. A half teaspoon measuring spoon! What! Yes. It worked like a dream!

By using the back of the spoon, not only did the cookies get indented without pain, it was quicker too. I was worried that the spoons might stick to the dough. No, they worked easily and efficiently.

Thanks daughter-dear for a wonderful hack to making our beloved thumbprint cookies!

As always, Happy Baking!

My Culinary Adventures – How NOT to Chop an Onion

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I was chopping onions for pasties when I felt the pain. I had sliced a chunk out of my thumb. There was blood, lots of blood. I called my husband to assist in bandaging me up.

It was quite obvious that the bleeding would not stop on its own. My husband used some woundseal powder which did a good job of clotting the wound, however, we decided a trip to urgent care was in order. My son was handed over the job of making dinner (a dinner that he had requested on his weekend home from university). So glad he is a true masterchef and could take over the task. I truely felt bad that he had to step up, as I had wanted to make it for him.

My husband questioned the knife I chose to use for the onion chopping. I told him that the knife I normally use was waiting to be washed so I chose the now dreaded knife to use instead. So, when chopping onions, be sure to use the proper knife and keep your fingers tucked under.

Luckily, urgent care was practicly empty and we didn’t wait but five minutes to be called back. This never happens! My day was making a turn upward. The nurse and doctor were very nice and fixed me up. I was rather disappointed that they did not even want to examine the severed part of my thumb. The boys had managed to find this piece of skin amongst the onion slices and put it in a baggy for me to take along. The doctor had no desire to reattach this piece of skin and just as well because truthfully, none of us were positively sure if this was indeed part of my thumb or part of the onion.

As always Happy SAFE Cooking!

Peach Drop Cookie – Review / Revision

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I had ripe peaches and I wanted to try making peach cookies. I found a recipe for Peach Drop Cookies at: https://bakeorbreak.com/2013/08/peach-drop-cookies/ . They were peachy keen.

First off, I made the recipe exactly EXCEPT (and there’s always an except with me) I cut the recipe in half and left out the peach preserves. The recipe was cut in half because I only had one peach and two people didn’t need more cookies anyway. I left out the peach preserves because I felt they would add way too many carbohydrates to the recipe and probably were not needed since the peach should give it flavor. I was correct! The cookies were moist and flavorful and the preserves were not needed. The sprinkling of cinnamon sugar on top also gave them additional flavor.

I might be heading back to Bake or Break to find some more baking ideas. She has a bunch of yummy treats to choose from.

As always, Happy Baking!