I am feelin’ this mocha biscuit cake, y’all. And I gotta tell ya: I have a soft spot for desserts that come together easily…and this dessert falls into that category.
No Bake Mocha Biscuit Cake
All Things Thursday: Prison Wine Edition
Happy All Things Thursday!
How was your Valentine’s Day? Did you stuff your face with a 1 lb assortment of nuts and chews from See’s Candies? Afterward, did you walk 4 miles because you felt a wee bit guilty? After that, did you completely negate your workout by stuffing your face with pizza and chocolate cake at your bestie’s daughter’s birthday party? No? Um…me neither.
So…Time Magazine named Kit Kat as the most influential candy bar in the world. Apparently, it was the first candy bar marketed with the idea of sharing, as it has four pieces that you can easily break apart. I get that it was named most influential. I mean, who’s not influenced by crunchy wafers covered in chocolate? What I don’t get is the concept of sharing. If you try to get some of my Kit Kat, you will lose a finger. (LA Times)
Get ready to get excited, wine lovers….Italy’s got something very special for you. Are you ready for prison wine! Yeah, man…50 of Italy’s finest criminals got together to make alcohol for ya. It’s called Gorgona and it retails for $95. Here’s hoping they didn’t make it in the toilet. (FoodBeast)
Speaking of wine…I’m digging these Wine Fruit Snacks. Alcohol + candy = yes, please. (Thrive-Style)
Just give me the whole batch of Crispy Cornmeal Sweet Potato Fries. (My New Roots)
Yes, please, and thank you. Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Caramel and Peanut Butter. (Bakeaholic Mama)
Let there be Lemony Pull Apart Bread and I will rejoice. (Eating Yummy)
Vegan Banana Oatmeal Pancakes. Sugar free and dairy free…color me intrigued. (Colourful Palate)
Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits is really the #1 reason why everyone goes to Red Lobster. (Damn Delicious)
I’ve missed you guys. Let’s try to keep in touch, shall we?
The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
e.e. cummings
Happy Valentine’s Day
Happy Valentine’s Day!
How will you spend it? With…a box of chocolates? a bucket of cookies? Six pack of wine? All three? Perhaps, none of the above.
Whatever your choice, be kind to yourself. Tell someone you love them. You know, someone special, not some random dude you met in line at Subway…unless that’s your thing.
My “someone” is all of you. Thanks for visiting, reading, and eating with your eyes. You’re cool people…and I love you all.
The one thing we can never get enough of is love. And the one thing we never give enough is love.
Henry Miller
Behind the Scenes: Fried Onion Burger
I’m not a fan of dark and moody food photography. When I look at food, I want bright and warm imagery that I can sink my teeth into.
It just so happens that I’m not alone. Read More…
Dumb Starbucks Coffee [UPDATED]
1st Visit
Early Saturday evening, the LAist informed me, via Facebook, that something called Dumb Starbucks Coffee had popped up in Los Feliz. My first reaction was…wtf? This has to be a hoax! Well, hoax or no hoax, I had to find out for myself. Read More…
Fried Onion Burgers & The Kindness of Strangers
I’m a good person.
Not Mother Theresa good, mind you. I’m hold-the-door-open-for-ya, watch-your-house-while-you’re-on-vacation, grab-the-cereal-off-the-top-shelf-for-an-old-lady good.
What pains me is most people don’t think I’m good. They believe I’m inherently bad. Perhaps, it’s because I’m tall(about 6 feet), or I don’t smile every second of the day, or I’m Black.
Hey, I’m not playing the race card…I’m just saying a lot of women unnecessarily clutch their purses around me.
It saddens and annoys me, but that’s life.
Here’s the great part…sometimes, after being subjected to prejudice, something nice happens. Something that convinces me that people are inherently good, with kind hearts.
For example…
While daytripping in Ventura, Dave and I grabbed a couple of pizza slices and went for a walk downtown. Tons of people milled about as there was some type of festival going on. While we walked and talked, I noticed two ladies about ten feet ahead, glancing back at me with wide eyes and increasing their pace. Ugh. We stopped to do some window shopping.
The shop was closed, so we peered through the glass door and discussed how beautifully the shop was decorated with its earthy color palette, floral wall designs, and alluring displays. The owner, Michelle, must’ve overheard our conversation because she invited us in to have a look around. The Refill Shoppe is a lovely place where you can make your own scented lotion, soap or even glass cleaner! She chatted with us, gave a tour of the shop, and made sure I had samples to take home.
Michelle didn’t know me but welcomed me into her shop and treated me with nothing but kindness. After our encounter, I was no longer “in a mood”. The previous experience had been wiped away and replaced with elation. Michelle, a friendly stranger, had literally made my trip.
In the end, I will always believe in people. If I didn’t, I’d be a depressed person indeed. And who needs that? Not me, I tell you! I want to live in a world with good people and good food. Which brings me to today’s food of choice: Fried Onion Burgers.
If you love onions and meat, then this burger is right up your alley….for a burger without onions is a boring burger indeed. Uh oh! That’s twice that I’ve used the word ‘indeed’. Please forgive my faux fancy ways. Let me bring it down a bit.
Burger good. Onion burger better.
Oklahoma loves it so much that there’s an annual festival dedicated to fried onion burgers. Even that guy from Man vs. Food digs it. But don’t take their word for it. Or mine. Make it yourself. Share it with a friend or better yet, a stranger. Especially, if that stranger is me.
Recipe for Fried Onion Burgers
Recipe for Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers from America’s Test Kitchen: Best Recipes and Reviews 2014
Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Diane Unger, Cook's Country
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, halved, sliced ⅛ in thick and roughly chopped
- salt and pepper
- 12 ounces 85% lean ground beef (I used 80%)
- 1 T unsalted butter
- 1 t vegetable oil
- 4 slices American cheese
- 4 hamburger buns, buttered and toasted
Instructions
- Place onion and 1 teaspoon salt in colander and toss to combine.
- Let sit for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
- Transfer onions to clean dish towel and squeeze onion dry.
- Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Divide onions to 4 separate mounds on rimmed baking sheet.
- Form beef into 4 balls and season with salt and pepper.
- Place beef balls on top of onion mixture and smash until the onion adheres.
- Each patty should be 4 inches in diameter
- Melt butter with oil in 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Using spatula, transfer patties to skillet, onion side down.
- Cook until onions are deep golden brown and beginning to crisp around the edges, about 6 -8 minutes.
- Flip burgers and increase heat to high.
- Cook until browned on second side, about 2 minutes.
- Place 1 slice cheese on each bottom bun.
- Transfer burgers to bun.
- Serve with pickles and yellow mustard.