Bake: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

The whoopie pie has a contentious past.  Maine, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania all lay claim to (what I describe as) the cupcake sandwich.  Some historians claim the treat originated with the Pennsylvania Dutch, where housewives would place the snack in their husbands' lunchboxes; at lunchtime, the men would pull out the pies and exclaim "Whoopie!"  Maine contends that it was invented in their state by a commercial bakery employee attempting to use up leftover cake batter.  Maine is so certain it originated the whoopie pie that it designated the pie as official state treat.  Others assert that the pie was invented in Boston as a way to sell more marshmallow Fluff.  We may never know the true history of the whoopie pie.  What we do know is that they're delicious.  My fall-inspired recipe after the jump...

Cookbook Club: Pinxtos

What was on the menu for October's Cookbook Club?  Apparently, disappointment.  Pintxos: Small Plates in the Basque Tradition, is a beautiful book written about one of my favorite niches of one of my favorite cuisines. Having visited the epicenter of pintxos last year (Hondarribia and San Sebastian), I was excited to whip up some of my own.  I'm still excited to try making my own, because Pintxos (the cookbook) somehow does not show you how to make pintxos (the food).

Cook: Eggplant Pizza -- An Illustration!

The other night I made an eggplant pizza that was super tasty.  The problem?  I didn't photograph it as I made it.  The solution?  Illustration!

Full post after the jump...

Cook: Corn and Bacon Risotto

Leaving a stable job to start a new venture, while exciting (and going quite well, actually), has left us with a smaller food budget.  My usual cooking process is to decide what I want to make, scan some recipes for basic ideas, then hit up the store and buy the best of the best ingredients.  Having a smaller budget threw a wrench into this little plan, and it's taken me a few weeks to adjust (hence the lack of posting recently).  While ramen is delicious, and will suffice for a few meals per week, eating it for every meal I'm pretty sure will lead to a mental breakdown.  In order to re-ignite my desire to make delicious food, I decided to hit up the farmers' market.  I picked up some sweet corn, and made a plan to use it in a tasty, yet economical, way: with bacon, onions, garlic, and rice.  Slab bacon, purchased from the meat counter, is about $4.50 per pound, while the pre-packed sliced stuff is closer to $8.  Since I was going to be dicing it anyway, I didn't need the thin-cut strips (total cost? $0.87).