Ajiaco - Colombian One Pot Wonder

(Found this recipe on NY Times...going to try it out very soon)

Colombian-Style Chicken, Short Rib and Potato Stew

Adapted from Ana Jovancicevic

Time: 31/2 hours

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 pounds), rinsed and patted dry

1 pound beef short ribs, rinsed and patted dry

2 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1 large white onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 bunches cilantro, with roots if possible

2 russet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated (about 4 cups)

1 1/4 pounds small Yukon Gold or red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 large ears of corn, husked and cut into 1-inch rounds

3 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped

3/4 cup finely chopped scallion

3/4 cup finely chopped shallots

1 habanero pepper, plus more to taste

5 cups fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup capers with brine

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced, for serving

Sour cream, for serving.

Directions:

1. Season the chicken and beef all over with salt. Let stand 15 minutes. In a large pot, combine the chicken, beef, onion, dried oregano and 2 teaspoons salt. Rinse away any grit from the cilantro (do not trim), tie one bunch with kitchen twine and drop it into the pot. Pour in enough cold water to just cover the meat (about 12 cups). Simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 40 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large platter and let cool.

2. Stir in the grated potato. Continue to simmer until the beef is meltingly tender and the potatoes have melted into the broth, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the meat to a platter. Once cool enough to handle, shred the beef and chicken, and discard the bones, skin, fat and gristle.

3. Stir the chopped potato and corn into the pot. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, scallions, shallots and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Chop 1/3 cup of cilantro leaves from the remaining bunch and stir into this salsa. Wearing gloves, remove and discard the habanero seeds; finely chop the habanero and add to the salsa.

5. Return the chicken and beef to the pot. Stir in the spinach, capers and black pepper. Cook until the meat is warmed through and spinach is wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Ladle into bowls, topping with salsa, avocado and a dollop of sour cream.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Pass a bib please?

"Some foods you eat to stay alive, others you eat because not to would be a crime. Here are those foods worth traveling the world to gorge on."

I was sent to CNN to find the World's 50 Most Delicious Foods.... and I'm not talking just anyone's grandma's chicken soup. They have specific dishes from specific countries/regions. Some look/sound more scrumptious then I can wrap my head around. I haven't put the entire article below just the countdown and what I consider the highlights (one's I've tried I've made red, if I've eaten it in/from the country listed I've bolded it as well).

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50. Buttered Popcorn: United States

49. Masala dosa: India ("A crispy, rice-batter crepe encases a spicy mix of mashed potato, which is then dipped in coconut chutney, pickles, tomato-and-lentil-based sauces and other condiments.")

48. Potato chips: United States

47. Seafood paella: Spain (Paella is a saffron-flavored Spanish dish made with varying combinations of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken, and seafood.)

46. Som tam: Thailand ("Variations include those made with crab (som tam boo) and fermented fish sauce (som tam plah lah), but none matches the flavor and simple beauty of the original.")

Poutine

45. Chicken rice: Singapore (The national dish of Singapore)

44. Poutine: Canada ("French fries smothered in cheese curds and brown gravy...Our Canadian friends insist it’s best enjoyed at 3 a.m. after “several” beers.")

43. Tacos: Mexico

42. Buttered toast with Marmite: Britain (Marmite is dark brown-colored savory spread made from the yeast that is a by- product of the brewing industry.)

41. Stinky Tofu: Southeast Asia

40. Marzipan: Germany

39. Ketchup: United States

38. French Toast: Hong Kong (You got it. Not France. Not the USA. Hong Kong. "Unlike its more restrained Sunday brunch counterpart, Hong Kong-style French toast is like a deep-fried hug. Two pieces of toast are slathered with peanut butter or kaya jam, soaked in egg batter, fried in butter and served with still more butter and lots of syrup.")

37. Chicken Parm: Australia

36. Texas BBQ Pork: United States

35. Chili Crab: Singapore ("Spicy chili-tomato gravy tends to splatter, which is why you need to mop everything up with mini mantou buns.")

Fish and Chips

34. Maple Syrup: Canada

33. Fish'n'Chips: Britain

32. Ankimo: Japan (Monkfish liver)

31. Parma ham: Italy ("You see it folded around melon, wrapped around grissini, placed over pizza, heaped over salad.")

30. Goi cuon: Vietnam (Goi cuon is also called a Summer Roll "This snack made from pork, shrimp, herbs, rice vermicelli and other ingredients wrapped in rice paper is served at room temperature.")

29. Ohmi-gyu beef steak: Japan

28. Pho: Vietnam

27. Montreal style smoked meat: Canada (The meat is cured for 10 days)

26. Fajitas: Mexico

25. Butter garlic crab: India

24. Champ: Ireland (An Irish national dish of "mashed potato with spring onions, butter, salt and pepper, champ is the perfect side with any meat or fish.")

Croissants

23. Lasagna: Italy

22. Brownie and Vanilla Ice Cream: Global

21. Croissant: France

20. Arepas: Venezuela

19. Nam tok moo: Thailand ("Grilled pork combined with lemon juice, green onions, chili, mint sprigs, fish sauce and toasted rice.")

18. Kebab: Iran

17. Lobster: Global

16. Egg Tart: Hong Kong ("Like many classic dishes, the Hong Kong egg tart marries two contrasting textures: crusty, flaky pastry and jiggly, trembling custard. It’s sweet, it’s delicious and it’s best eaten hot from the oven on the street while queuing up to get just one more.")

15. Kalua Pig: United States

14. Donuts: United States

13. Corn on the cob: Global

12. Shepherd's Pie: Britain

11. Rendang: Indonesia ("Beef is slowly simmered with coconut milk and a mixture of lemongrass, galangal, garlic, turmeric, ginger and chilies, then left to stew for a few hours.")

10. Chicken muamba: Gabon ("chicken, hot chili, garlic, tomato, pepper, salt, okra and palm butter.")

Tom Yum soup

09. Ice cream: United States

08. Tom yum: Thailand

07. Penang assam laksa: Malaysia ("Poached, flaked mackerel, tamarind, chili, mint, lemongrass, onion, and pineapple.")

06. Hamburger: Germany

05. Peking duck: China

04. Sushi: Japan

03. Chocolate: Mexico

02. Neopolitan Pizza: Italy

01. Massaman curry: Thailand ("Emphatically the king of curries....Spicy, coconutty, sweet and savory, its combination of flavors has more personality than a Thai election.")

Tomato Heaven

I email subscribe to the Just a Pinch Recipe Club and today there was an article called "Savoring the Goodness of Homegrown Tomatoes" in the Janet's Notebook blog.  While I don't have homegrown anything I do love tomatoes and so had to share this article and recipe links with you.

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Growing up, my friend's grandfather always told us girls that to enjoy a fresh tomato all we needed was a sharp knife and a pinch of salt. Indeed, there were tomatoes served at every one of their meals during those hot, sticky summers. And as he would slice in to the fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes, juice would flow like a roiling creek. It was a wonder to my youthful, wide eyes. As a frequent dinner pest - er, I mean dinner guest - I was always first in line to sample his latest garden finds.

This certainly is the time of year to celebrate that bounty. Tomatoes are in their peak around the country, each one ripe for the tasting. While just a pinch of salt does do wonders, there are also some terrific tomato recipes out there that really get my taste-buds tingling.

Capreses are about the best thing to happen to the tomato since the invention of salt. Simply meaning a combination of basil, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, capreses come in many shapes and sizes: sandwiches, flatbreads, pasta, salads. Nikki Smith of Hemet, CA thinks that caprese pizza is the way to go. She uses fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes, freshly chopped basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese and olive oil to embellish a refrigerated pizza crust. The simplicity of the preparation is matched only by the simplicity of the flavors. Happily, they come together to form one delicious, crowd-pleasing treat.

Stuffed tomatoes are also a great way to make use of excess produce. Cherry tomatoes transform into darling, bite-size appetizers at the hand of Texas cook Jeanne Benavidez. She uses a mixture of cream cheese, onion, garlic and avocado to fill her party-ready Avocado-Stuffed Tomatoes. "A friend brought this to a back yard party once and I really liked it," says Jeanne. "She was kind enough to give me the easy recipe. I have made it several times and everyone seems to really enjoy the little morsels of coolness."

Equally cool, figuratively speaking, is Judy Sprague's recipe for full-size Stuffed Tomatoes. This fellow Kentuckian bowled me over with her bacon, broccoli and onion stuffed 'maters. Topped with panko breadcrumbs and salty Parmesan cheese, it's easy get creative with this one and add in other veggies of your choosing. (Extra zucchini, perhaps?) "I love the taste of this!" says Judy of her super summery dish. "It is a very easy side dish to make a meal special!"

Now, rather then cooking up his leftover tomatoes, Greg Honeycutt of Birmingham, AL chooses to preserve them in an especially unique way. "I dehydrate extra ones," he says. "I slice them as thin as I can, put them on a Silpat in a low oven and leave them be. 200 degrees for several hours usually does the trick. I then crush them to powder with mortar and pestle. Great for a tasty, colorful garnish, or to add a bit of flavor to anything you wish." Imagine how good those freshly dehydrated tomatoes will taste come soup-making season!

And Greg's not the only one preserving summer freshness for colder days ahead. Linda Scharek of Wildwood, FL described her favorite preservation method during a recent conversation in the Cooking Tips and Hints Discussion Group. "You can freeze tomatoes," she says. "Cut in quarters and put in a Ziplock bag. When you need tomatoes for sauce, just take them out of the freezer, skin will come right off, and use for whatever."

These great cooking ideas are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to celebrating the dear, humble tomato. Enjoy them simply sliced and sprinkled with a pinch of salt, baked atop an olive oil coated pizza crust, or stuffed with the freshest of herbs and veggies from your garden. No matter the how, simply enjoy. These warm days of bounty are meant to be savored.

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To finish off this entry I wanted to share a (different) caprese pizza recipe I'm dying to try - I'm going to have to alter the cooking instructions though because I don't have an outdoor grill.

Grilled Caprese Pizza with Balsamic Reduction

1 (14 oz.) can pre-made pizza dough
2 tomatoes, sliced
6-8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
5-6 leaves fresh basil, minced
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
olive oil
salt and pepper

Unroll the pizza dough onto a sheet pan. Lightly coat each side with olive oil and cut into four pieces. Set aside. Prepare all the ingredients on a platter and set aside.

To make the Balsamic Reduction: Bring the balsamic vinegar and sugar to a light boil in a small sauce pan. Allow to boil, while stirring constantly for 4-6 minutes, or until reduced in half. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Preheat a grill over a medium high flame until grates are very hot. Hot grates are important to ensure the dough cooks quickly and doesn’t stick. Gently stretch each section of dough and carefully lay it across the grates. Cover and allow to cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Check halfway through to make sure they don’t burn. Flip using two tongs. Evenly distribute the tomato and mozzarella slices. Cover and allow to cook for an additional 2 – 3 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly melted. Remove from the flame and cut in half. Drizzle each slice with the balsamic reduction and sprinkle with minced basil. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4 as entree. Serves 6 – 7 as side.

Moroccan Style Tomato Soup With Chickpeas

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon ginger
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 pounds tomatoes, chopped
2 cups of stock
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
Parsley or cilantro for garnish

Preparation

1. Cook onion and garlic and ginger in olive oil for 5 minutes.
2. Add 2 teaspoons each cumin, coriander and cinnamon; cook for 1 minute.
3. Add tomatoes, stock and cooked chickpeas.
4. Simmer until saucy.
5. Garnish with parsley or cilantro.

Ban on Shark Fin

Read this article in the Asian Reporter this afternoon.
What are your thoughts? Discrimination or preservation?

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Proposed shark fin ban makes waves in San Francisco
From The Asian Reporter, V21, #10 (May 16, 2011), page 8.

By Robin Hindery

SAN FRANCISCO — A California proposal to outlaw the title ingredient in shark fin soup, a traditional Chinese delicacy, has turned into a recipe for controversy in San Francisco, a city that is nearly one-third Asian and home to the nation’s oldest Chinatown.

A bill moving through the state legislature would ban the sale, distribution, and possession of shark fins. State and federal laws prohibit shark finning in U.S. waters, but do not address the importation of fins from other countries.

Supporters say shark finning is inhumane and a threat to the ocean ecosystem. They say an estimated 73 million sharks are slaughtered each year, mainly for shark fin soup, which can sell for more than $80 a bowl and is often served at weddings and banquets.

"The collapse of shark populations because of overfishing is a conservation issue of global concern, and the demand for fins drives overfishing of sharks," said Mike Sutton, director of the Center for the Future of the Oceans at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, located about 115 miles south of San Francisco.

Alex Ong, chef at the Pan-Asian restaurant Betelnut in San Francisco’s Marina district, said the broth in shark fin soup is what provides most of the flavor, and the fins themselves can be easily substituted by other seafood or even creatively disguised starch.

Ong said when he saw video footage of fisherman slicing off sharks’ fins and tossing the animals back into the ocean to die, the images hit him "right in the gut" and he vowed to work to stop the practice.

But critics of the proposed ban say the consumption of shark fins is a cherished cultural tradition.

"This is traditional for us. When you say no to shark fin, that’s profiling," said Henry Cheung, president of Charlie Seafood Inc., a San Francisco-based wholesaler and importer. "The law doesn’t ban shark meat or a handbag made with shark skin — just fins. I myself believe it’s unfair."

Cheung also questioned the need for a ban on a product he says is already losing popularity, particularly among young people. He said his business stopped importing shark fins years ago due to declining demand.

In a statement issued February 14, the day the legislation was introduced, state senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), called the measure "an unfair attack on Asian culture and cuisine."

Yee, who officially kicked off his campaign for mayor of San Francisco this month, said efforts should be focused on strengthening conservation efforts and increasing penalties for illegally killing sharks.

In addition to local chefs and politicians, a few celebrities have jumped into the debate.

Chinese basketball star Yao Ming is loaning his celebrity to the anti-finning movement, appearing on city busses and billboards urging residents in Chinese and English to "Join me, say no to shark fin soup." The Houston Rockets center came to town to film a public service announcement for the international conservation group WildAid.

Shark fins also may prove an unexpected ingredient in this year’s mayoral race, which includes three prominent Asian-American candidates: Yee, board of supervisors president David Chiu, and assessor-recorder Phil Ting.

San Francisco is home to the largest percentage of Asian Americans of any county in the continental U.S. Political observers expect voter turnout from that community to be high in November, following the momentum generated earlier this year by the appointment of Edwin Lee as interim mayor — the city’s first Asian-American leader.

Chiu and Ting appeared at a news conference organized by WildAid and expressed their support for a shark fin ban.

Afterward, Ting said the legislation presented an "important opportunity to talk about the importance of sustainability," but that he didn’t think it was among Asian-American voters’ top concerns.

"The economy, jobs, the city budget — Chinese-American voters are focused on those issues," he said.

A poll released May 6 by the Monterey Bay Aquarium indicated strong support of a fin ban among Californians. More than three-quarters of the 600 registered voters surveyed said they support the bill. Of the 218 respondents who were Chinese American, 70 percent said they support it.

"There’s an attempt to portray this debate as an east-versus-west cultural thing," said Peter Knights, executive director of WildAid. "The reality is this is east and west versus a small minority of people."

The measure is awaiting a hearing by the state assembly. Hawaii has already adopted a ban, and similar legislation is advancing in Oregon and Washington state.

CONTROVERSIAL CUISINE. National Basketball Association player Yao Ming (left) sits near an inflatable shark during a break from filming a public service announcement about banning shark fin soup in Chinatown in San Francisco. A California proposal to outlaw the title ingredient in shark fin soup, a traditional Chinese delicacy, has turned into a recipe for controversy in the city, home to the nation’s oldest Chinatown. A bill moving through the state legislature would ban the sale, distribution, and possession of shark fins. Supporters say shark finning is inhumane and a threat to the ocean ecosystem, but critics say the consumption of shark fins is a cherished part of Chinese culture. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Recipe: Hot & Sour Soup

Hot & Sour Soup (large pot)

10-12 cans chicken stock (more or less if you like more broth or not)
2 lbs pork, julienned
3-4 tablespoons garlic chili paste (this would make it medium spicy.)
5 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs white pepper
4 eggs, beaten
8 tbs corn starch
3 8oz cans bamboo shoots diced
3 8oz cans water chestnuts diced
2 packages dried shiitake mushrooms, hydrated in warm water for 1 hour prior to cooking. Dice and remove hard stems
2 cans straw mushrooms diced
1 extra firm cake tofu cut into small cubes
1/3 cup white vinegar
3 tbs sesame oil
1/2 package dried black fungus hydrated in warm water for 1 hour prior to cooking. Diced
Scallions for garnish


Add pork, soy sauce, garlic chili, straw mushrooms, and shiitake. Simmer over med high heat for 5-8 mins. Stir regularly.

Add white pepper, vinegar, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and fungus. Simmer 5 more mins stirring regularly.

Add tofu and mix lightly not to break tofu. Let stand 2-3 mins.

Add chicken stock. Bring to soft boil.

Add corn starch to water. Add slowly and mix well so corn starch doesn't clump. you may need more. The soup should slightly thicken after boiling. If not thick enough, add more cornstarch/water mixture and let boil to thicken.

Bring to a boil. Slowly add beaten eggs. Use a fork and drizzle egg over the top of the soup so it doesn't make large clumps.

Add sesame oil and stir.

Soup is ready to serve!! Enjoy!!!

Grilled Cheese Month!

Did you know that April is Grilled Cheese Month? 

I didn't. But now that I do. Mmmm. It sure makes me want a grilled cheese sandwich. 

I have to admit sometimes I'm a purest. I want generic white bread with plastic flavored Kraft American Cheese. No tomatoes, no provolone, no doctoring of any kind. Grilled cheese and tomato soup - what a comfort food. 

But then there is a time and a place for everything. Going through this LA Times food article (in honor of National Grilled Cheese Month) it sure made me want to experiment and spice up the idea of the grilled cheese. 

Here are the 11 grilled cheese sandwiches from the LA Times Test kitchen. Be prepared to drool.

1. Grilled blue cheese and pears on raisin brioche bread (recipe)

2. Grilled cheddar and apple butter on rosemary bread (recipe)

3. Panini with mustard greens, Gruyere and roasted peppers (recipe)

4. Huitlacoche Quesadillas (recipe)

5. Mixed greens and feta quesadillas (recipe)

6. Mushroom and goat cheese quesadilla (recipe)

7. Croque-Madame (recipe)

8. Fontina and sage grilled cheese (recipe)

9. Shallots and Cantal (recipe)

10. Croque-monsieur - aka Ham and Cheese (recipe)

11. Stuffed french toast with bacon, dandelion greens and Gruyere (recipe)

I don't even know where to being with making these sandwiches....but I do know that the next time "Grilled Cheese" is on the menu it won't include Kraft.

Review: Portland Epicurean Walking Tour

So I thought it only fitting that my first blog entry (outside of my welcome) should be one that hits on all kinds of food - salty, sweet, bitter, savory - all the points. 

About three months ago I went on an Epicurean Walking Tour with my coworkers as a staff development and team building exercise. (I'm lucky to work in an office full of foodies and food enthusiasts.) Portland Walking Tours has a number of tours (including a Chocolate Decadence Tour I'll write about later) and as a staff we figured what better way to bond than to eat together!

The tour started off at the historic Heathman Hotel in Downtown Portland; we met upstairs on the mezzanine level, in the library, where we met our tour guide Brad and headed downstairs. The first stop on our Epicurean Tour was to be Cacao - famous for their drinking chocolate.

Yes. Drinking Chocolate.  

We're not talking instant Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix....we're talking a thick, milk fatty enriched, creamy shot of heaven. Sure they have truffles and chocolate bars lining the walls but everyone who goes in there goes for the drinking chocolate. (In fact if any of my staff finds themselves in downtown during the work day, we often stop by and pick up a round of drinking chocolate for each other). They have a dark chocolate, milk chocolate and a spicy chocolate (think Mexican Hot Chocolate). I've only tried the dark and milk and prefer the dark chocolate...but boy do I want to try the Spicy next time I'm there.

We listened to some history of cacao, the process of chocolate making and how the purity percentage is determined. After our tour group (comprised of my 5-member staff, a young couple from New York, two older couples from the Mid-west somewhere and a Mom who was visiting Portland to see her son off to college) had finished drinking, lapping and savoring every drop of our hot drinking chocolate we took off to our next stop.

Brad, who we learned during the trip has a degree in Anthropology and is an improv actor, led our group through the streets of downtown stopping and giving tidbits of history along the way. 

After strolling through the Park Blocks we ended up at Jaimeson Square Fountain and at the door of Flying Elephants Deli. We were given a sample cup of an orange soup and asked to guess what it was. The group started tasting and guessing aloud what might or might not be in it. In the end we were told it was a tomato orange soup - one of Flying Elephants most popular soups.

From there we traveled up and down, side to side, all around downtown Portland.... 

 

...We stopped at Public Domain and sampled a variety of high-quality (and $30/lb) coffee where we tasted the bitterness of the beans but the floral sensation in the back of our throats depending on the brew...We did a salt tasting at Tea and Spice Exchange where I learned you could infuse salt with flavor (omg the smoked black salt!? to die for!)... Sampled a wide aray of beers at Bailey's Taproom...and had a Reuben Sandwich with fresh homemade potato chips from The Peoples' Sandwich of Portland

There were two stops along our Tasting Tour that challenged me and allowed me to cross an item off my Portland Bucket List! The location(s)....FOOD CARTS!!

I shamefully admit that I had the prejudicial view that food carts = Roach-Coach. Although I've watched Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and Andrew Zimmeran's Bizzare Foods and have from foodie after foodie that food carts often have the best food - I just couldn't bring myself to do it prior to this tour. 

Something about having my food prepared in the back of a tin storage shed on wheels....BUT on my tour I learned how the city of Portland hold's their food carts to the same standards that any regular restaurant is expected to uphold and that often times the food carts get better reviews/ratings.

So when we approached Zita's Pitas and I was handed a börek and (after a photo op to prove I did it) I dived in. Now I'm not a huge fan of spinach and egg but I ate it anyway. And I have to admit it wasn't that bad.

Portland has a number of Food Cart Pods and eventually I found myself at another cart being expected to look past the bad reputation and stereotypes and dig into (one of my favorite dishes) a warm delicious falafel that just rocked my world!! It was warm and fluffy and just melted in my mouth. My falafel's never get that delicate and I could have eaten every last one if they'd let me.

This tour was wonderful for knocking items off my bucket list - including things I never thought to have on my list...liking eating a raw oyster. 

After the Peoples' Sandwich of Portland we wondered further into Old Town and ended up at Dan & Louis Oyster Bar Restaurant. We toured the building, talked about being Shanghaied and then were offered a plate of oysters on the half shell. 

Now I'm not afraid of eating raw oysters but the only other experience I had was when a roommate in college ate HUGE oysters out of a jar with hot sauce...not an appetizing first encounter.

I did as the others before me did. I squired a little lemon on it and used the tiny cocktail fork to put it in my mouth. Boy was I glad when my boss (who was taking pictures of me during this) quickly warned "don't chew!"....so I swallowed it hole. It tasted like the lemon juice I had put on it. She then said how typically when  you chew a raw oyster you get sand and grainy dirt in your mouth and ruins the experience. So what's the point of eating the oyster? I'm still not sure. But I can say I did it.

The last stop on our tour was a place I'd gone many times before. Voodoo Doughnuts.

They've been featured on a number of Food Network shows and Travel Channel programs. They're famous for their unique and peculiar doughnut concoctions. How about Oreo's or Fruity Pebbles on top of your doughnut? How about a maple bar topped with bacon strips? They once even had Pepto-Bismol and NyQuil shots in the center of a doughnut (until the FDA told them they weren't allowed to do that).  It's a staple food stop for tourists and locals alike. (just get their early before the line goes out the door and around the block).

I ended my Epicurean Walking Tour with the Oreo covered yeast doughnut. Luckily the tour was 2 1/2 hours long and we nibbled as we went so ending with a heavy and (too) sweet pastry didn't put me into a coma. It was 2 1/2 hours of delicious (and some not so much) food and better yet - wonderful company.