Food 101: Simple Syrup
You may not need to use simple syrup super often, but it’s handy to have in your cooking arsenal. While the “simple” in simple syrup presumably refers to the fact that it’s pretty much the most basic syrup you can make, it is also incredibly simple to make. As I commented to Erik after making it for the pictures, this was probably the fastest thing I’ve ever made for a post.
Simple syrup is useful to keep on hand if you have cold beverages to sweeten. Because the sugar is already dissolved you don’t have to worry about it not doing so in your drink. Pretty much anything you want to sweeten that’s too cold for sugar to dissolve in is where simple syrup shines. Lemonade, iced tea, flavor infused water – all of these can get a kick of sweet from simply syrup. It’s also used a lot in the making of cocktails.
The Snack Report: Woodchuck Private Reserve Pumpkin Cider
So we’ve found ourselves knee-deep in Fall once again, and with the coming of orange leaves comes pumpkin variations of every edible item on planet Earth. I kid, but don’t get me wrong, I love Fall, I love pumpkin, and I enjoy seeing the pumpkin variations of different foods and drinks.
If you remember last year, PCFG took to reviewing three autumnal editions of hard ciders in October. This year, we’ll be doing the same, simply because ’tis the season. Today we take a look at an offering from Woodchuck, a personal favorite of mine.
Cheat Code: Saving Avocados
We’ve touched upon the somewhat unstable nature of avocados in the past on this blog. Once you cut into an avocado you have a limited amount of time to use it before it turns brown and unusable. This happens because of the enzyme polyphenol oxidase in the flesh of the avocado. When it’s exposed to oxygen polyphenol oxidase changes the chemical structure of the avocado’s flesh and increases the amount of melanins. So the same pigments that cause you to get a tan in the summer also cause your guacamole to go kaput. While it’s easy to finish up guacamole before it goes bad (because, you know, it’s so delicious), there are times when you want just some avocado, but don’t want the rest to go to waste. I usually encounter this problem when I want to put some avocado on a sandwich since I don’t make sandwiches large enough to use an entire avocado on. So I’m left with half of an avocado that’s now a ticking time bomb. Avocados are kind of expensive, so you should try your best to make sure you use that other half and don’t just end up throwing it out. How does one do this?
You could buy one of those “avocado saver” things I’ve seen various places.
It’s like a sandal for your avocado I guess.
I have no idea if things like this actually work though. A quick scan of reviews on Amazon.com gives a pretty mixed bag of results.
Quick Recipe: Pulled Pork Mango Burrito
I’m about to state an opinion that some people might not agree with, but here we go: pork isn’t really that good unless it’s slow cooked. There’s just something about the meat that needs the benefit of slow cooking to really sing. That being said, one of my favorite and easiest slow cooked pork recipes is pulled pork. It’s delicious and there are also almost always leftovers to use in different ways. One way I came up with to use up leftovers was to use it in a burrito. While places like Taco Bell don’t usually feature pork, at real Mexican restaurants you’ll generally find at least a few dishes featuring it. So while I’m in no way claiming this is an authentic Mexican dish, it’s not that far out there either.
The Cereal Report (Classic): Rice Krispie Treats Cereal
The Cereal Report is a column in which PCFG conducts various cereal reviews, of new or limited products, as well as providing brief backgrounds on the cereal. Cereal is delicious and fairly cheap as far as meals go. Everyone should eat cereal!
Ever since Meg and I made our Rice Krispie Treat Pizza, it made me remember the good old days when Kellogg’s made a cereal entirely out of Krispie Treats. It managed to taste better than the disgusting pre-made treats you could buy at the store, and frankly seemed like something out of every kid’s most legendary breakfast-themed wet dreams. It was this miraculous, full-cycle of cereal where Kellogg’s took one of their cereals, turned it into a dessert, and then turned that dessert back into a cereal. Absolute genius. However that was back in the ’90s, which contrary to the modern day popularity of every frigging thing that existed from 1992-2001, we no longer live in that time period. And so for all intents and purposes, Rice Krispie Treat Cereal disappeared and we all forgot about it…
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The Poor Couple's Food Guide 
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