Samosas and The Librarians

I started watching The Librarians this season, the new show on TNT, which I think is fair to describe as an American Doctor Who.  But a little lighter, a little sillier, with magic instead of timey-wimey, a magical door instead of a TARDIS.  It's fun and it has John Larroquette, and Noah Wylie pops in every once in a while acting loopy and very Doctor Who-like, so it makes me happy.   So knowing my luck, it's going to cancelled.

The show revolves around a group of Librarians who, along with their Guardian, go around the world collecting/saving the world from magical objects.  In one recent episode, the magical object was a house.  A scary, terrifying house wherein lived a serial killer.  But it turns out the house itself wasn't evil, it was the House of Refuge.  A magical house that provides people what they need. 

And how did they discover this?  Ezekiel, the world class Australian thief, finds himself in a miniature dollhouse version of the house, and discovers that the house will give him samosas.

Yes, he asks for samosas, and they just appear.  He asks for beer and it appears in his hand.  He asks for an Xbox One, and there you go. 

But the really important thing is he got SAMOSAS.

 

So since that episode, I've really really wanted samosas.  I will also take a magical house that provides samosas on demand, but I will also take samosas that I have to pick up. 

Ta da!  We got 3 orders of samosas just for us.  A few days later we got more samosas.

But I'm still not satisfied, honestly.  I could still have more samosas.

Red Velvet Oreos + Backstory

Why yes, I am mildly interested in the fact that Limited Edition Red Velvet Oreos are coming in February, just in time for Valentine's Day!

Mostly to check out the cream cheese filling, because cream cheese frosting is by far the best part of red velvet cake. 

A lot about red velvet cake turns out to be fairly modern.  Velvet cakes first appeared in the 1800s, a reference to their smooth texture.   In the 1930s, New York City's Waldorf-Astoria started serving a red velvet cake - the red referencing either the hint of red from the interaction between cocoa and acid, or from the use of brown sugar, which used to be called red sugar.

But red velvet cake really didn't take off until a Texas food extract company, wanting to move its red food coloring and butter extract products, started distributing a red velvet cake recipe to shoppers, during World War II.  Only after spreading out through the Midwest during the 1940s and 50s did red velvet cake start to become especially popular in the South.  And somewhere along the line, cream cheese frosting was added. 

And then of course, for the the past 10 years we've had a fancy cupcake craze, in which red velvet has done well.  According to someone really, truly named Mr. Sprinkle, the year 2011 was when “red velvet cake flavor emerged as a force of nature.” 

In May of last year, the New York Times thought the end might be in sight, citing a marketing researcher who was not named Mr. Sprinkle (honestly, that's the best name ever), “There is a limit to the red-velvetization potentials in different categories ... Red Velvet wine, for example, is an effort that may not lead to more product launches.”

So Red Velvet Oreos may, appropriately enough, be the death knell for the whole red velvet cake thing.  Unless there is a Red Velvet latte Starbucks.  Wait, what?  Argh!  THERE ALREADY IS!!

An Unexpected Pierogi

We've been burning through the big bag of fresh tortillas from Costco making quesadillas, lots and lots of quesadillas,- in the past month, because kids will always eat them, they are easy to make, they are delicious, and did I mention that kids will always eat them? 

What makes them particularly delicious are the excellent uncooked flour tortillas made, I think, by TortillaLand, and found in the refrigerated section of Costco.  They are light years better than any other tortillas I've found at the grocery store.  They are thicker, chewier, fresher, and not only do they have flavor, they have excellent flavor. 

But then Foodgoat came up with an even better use of the tortillas, which also happens to be the best use ever of leftover mashed potatoes. 

Pierogies!

He put some warmed up leftover mashed potatoes inside a tortilla, pinched it shut, sauteed it in olive oil, and topped it with sour cream, shredded cheese, and green onions.  And there you have it - a great big pierogi, better than anything Mrs. T makes, in just a few minutes. 

I love that it makes use of leftovers.  I love that it's quick.  I love that it's so simple even I might try it by myself.  But mostly I love anything that's fried, and potato-y, and cheesy, and sour cream-y.