Flipping through you’ll notice that all of the recipes come from the early 1900s and have been republished in their original form. At times you’ll have strange measuring notes mentioned like “teacup” and “gill.” But don’t worry, the introduction to the cookbook goes well in-depth into the recipe changes and notations you need to watch out for. So while in a novel you might skip the intro and jump right into the story, this is certainly one where a little author explanation is a must.

The recipe I finally settled on was for a basic custard that came to me all the way from the year “1937,” which read as follows:

• 8 egg yolks
• 2/3 c. sugar
• sprinkle salt
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 3 c. milk
• 1/4 c. milk

Beat yolks, add sugar. Mix in rest of ingredients. Pour into a buttered baking dish. Set in pan of hot water. Bake for 50 minutes in a slow oven (about 325F). Remove pan from water. Cool and chill. I often baked this custard along with my angel food, since both require the same oven.

To be honest I haven’t had custard in years, and any memory I had of its taste or consistency had been forever lost. Nonetheless the recipe looked simple enough for me not to screw up, and it didn’t deal with using bacon fat, an ingredient you will come to notice in many a recipe throughout the book.

The result of my mixing and stirring is what you see here.

It smelled like cake batter with a similar consistency. I was pretty optimistic. Who doesn’t like cake batter? Forty five minutes later this is what came out of the oven.

Since my experience with custard is far from extensive, I was concerned that it was too watery in the center. The outer edges were more jello like, but when I shook the pan the center would sway back and forth. I hoped an overnight in the fridge would do it some good so I set that in motion.

The next day the custard of my labor was taste tested by myself, the custard-newbie, and by other people in my household with more experience. To me it tasted of melted vanilla ice cream and the others shared a similar reaction. As for its thickness it perhaps could have done with some more cooking, but overall I had successfully made custard!

I’d give it another try in the future. Maybe making the banana custard listed under the recipe I chose, and even making the angel food cake recipe at the same time, something the recipe itself recommended.

Have you ever heard a new word only to hear it time and time again within the next few days? Unless it was gibberish or your attempt at creating a new word, most likely it’s not that the word came into being the moment you heard it. More so the word, or even thing, was suddenly added to your brain bank and, therefore, is more likely to be acknowledged when it catches one of your senses.  I can’t remember when I first heard it, but at some point within the past month, I heard the word “It’s-It,” but had no idea what it was.

I didn’t really think much of it, but the word was strange enough for me to remember. A day later, I was poking around on Yumsugar and saw it referenced during a photo tour of the food facilities at Google. I now knew it was an ice cream sandwich. Then a few days later on Chow, people were buzzing over it being spotted in Los Angeles grocery stores. I think fate was telling me I needed to possess it, and it was about time I went to the website and did a little reading.

The “It’s-It” is an ice cream sandwich created in 1928 by entrepreneur George Whitney, a San Franciscan native, who, one day, decided to take two oatmeal cookies, slap some vanilla ice cream in the middle, and drop his Frankendessert in dark chocolate. For more than four decades the “It’s-It” picked up its local cult following until finally being sold to the Shamieh Brothers in 1974 who took the product to wider pastures, adding flavors like mint, chocolate, and cappuccino. It is thanks to them you can now find the “It’s-It” in 15 other states, and why I was able to find one in my local Von’s, thanks to tips on Chow.

Spotting it in my grocer’s freezer I already loved it. The packaging looks vintage like something illustrated by Disney animator Mary Blaire. Inside you’ll find three individually wrapped sandwiches, most likely in vanilla since that’s the flavor you’ll find most often away from the Bay area. I tentatively pulled one out, unwrapped it, and took a bite.

I’m not about to compare these taste-wise to the freshly baked and scooped ice cream creations at Diddy Riese in nearby Westwood, CA. What sort of case could you make against a place that bakes various cookie options, offers you choices of Dreyer’s ice cream, all for the low-low cost of $1.50 a sandwich? But I’ll give the “It’s-It” one thing. I liked how the bite was clean through from cookie to cookie. At Diddy Riese, it’s a bit messier, falling apart and crumbling as you eat your way through. I think ice cream sandwiches work best when matched with soft baked cookies.

The “It’s-It” does not pretend to be something better than what you could make from scratch with an oven and an ice cream maker. What it does is provide you a better than average option for when you’re on the go and don’t have time to act like Martha Stewart. I can understand why people went zany when spotting these away from the Golden Gate Bridge. They’re better than good and did wonders with satisfying my lazy sweet tooth. Right now I’m really jonesing for one in mint. Maybe a vacation to San Fran is in order.

Actually this was more of an idea that’s been slowly evolving in my brain ever since I found chocolate jetpuff marshmallows at my local Target. Initially I thought I could use these for a s’more and it would save me to step of added chocolate. So I bought the bag and only to put it away and forget my idea.  The idea resurfaced later when I noticed a new flavor on the market, strawberry. This was my lightbulb moment. I purchased the bag, a box of grahams, and rushed home.

I had a hard time deciding how to orient the marshmallows on the cracker. My first attempt had me arranging them in a four square pattern using two vanilla, one chocolate, and one strawberry. The problem being when I microwaved the s’more, there was a massive marshmallow overflow.

The second attempt turned out visually better. I cut a third of each marshmallow and created a single tricolored mallow. I layered it on its side, topped it, and crossed my fingers before pressing “start.”

To result was much better and I jumped into eating mode. I imagined a symphony of flavors, where the strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla would work in a perfect coexistence. Unfortunately, this was not the end result. The vanilla was much too strong and completely overpowered the other two flavors, which were already rather weak tasting on their own.

It was a brilliant idea that was not so great in execution.  Back to the drawing board…

In an effort to do just that, a company called “BBNC Snacks” has a new line of flavored popcorn that they bill as “protein packed energy snacks.” You mean I can still indulge in chocolate coated pops of corny goodness? Surely you jest.

Currently they have five flavors in production, starting with the traditional sounding caramel and dark chocolate caramel, which then increase in strangeness from BBQ, to cappuccino, and finally lemon meringue. Out of this selection, I received four to try, minus cappuccino, which I was most curious about. But how did the others taste?

Dark Chocolate Caramel – I could taste chocolate but the words “dark” and “caramel” really shouldn’t be used. For that matter, I’d use chocolate even loosely, as it tasted artificial and strangely stale.

Caramel – It looks like caramel, smells like caramel, but boy does this not taste like caramel. It should be called “Wannabe Caramel.”

BBQ – This one was actually alright and was surprisingly spicy. For someone who loves BBQ and spice, this one isn’t half bad.

Lemon Meringue – I was very curious about this one and the most skeptical, but it proved to be my favorite out of the four. It tasted more lemon than meringue, but the vanilla was definitely there. This would be a great alternative when you want something lemon that doesn’t come in a pie tin.

Unfortunately, I was not impressed. Sure they are still on the healthier side, averaging in at about 170 calories depending on the flavor, but each one had that strange “this is healthy” taste that you associate with a chocolate health food bar trying to masquerade as anything but. I will say that the stranger the flavor, the better tasting it became. Now if only I could get my hands on cappuccino…

Peeps are one of those ideas that you wished you had thought of first, kinda like the “Chia Pet” or the “Pet Rock.” It’s a marshmallow, shaped like a cute little animal, and dusted in colored sugar. A genius idea worth millions in the bank.

Yesterday I took part in my yearly Peep eating ritual, but this time with a twist. I took that adorable chick, skewered it through the head, dipped it in a vat of boiling hot chocolate, and squashed it between two graham crackers. Thus in my house a new tradition has been born, the Peep S’more. It’s messy, it’s not quite as gooey, and there’s no smoky flavor, but this was delicious on a whole new level of s’moredom.

Ok so I must confess, after I performed my feet of master culinary skill I quickly googled “Peepe S’more” and realized my concept was not as conceptual as I once thought. Still I had to give myself credit for at least coming up with it without an internet search, and if you’re reading this without prior knowledge of this peep mash up then to you I’m Einstein discovering relativity.

This week is a good day to give this one a try and take advantage of discounted Easter candy. Buy yourself a bunch of peeps, a chocolate rabbit to melt down, and you’re good to go. Enjoy!

Before going into taste, I must point out that when compared to their higher calorie cousin these would only be slightly nutritionally better based on serving size as a result of packaging. The original comes two to a pack, is 310 calories, 18g of fat, and 32g of carbs. This slimmer version comes one to a pack, is 100 calories, 6g of fat, and 11g of carbs. Reading those numbers you automatically assume that this “100 Calorie” version is a much healthier choice but if you simply ate a “single” bar of the original you’d be consuming 155 calories, 9g of fat, and 16g of carbs. For me, a 55 calorie difference is not that dramatic, especially if that 55 calories compromises taste.

I was hoping that I’d eat these and think, “wow, I can’t even tell the difference!” But after the first bite I knew there was something off. They lacked the same crunch of their predecessor probably due to these only being double layered and not triple. They even seemed to lack in flavor. All I could taste was peanut butter. Had I not been able to see the chocolate I wouldn’t have even known it was there. These were not “enrobed in chocolate” as Little Debbie claimed. This version felt like a whisper of their parent product. To feel satisfied I had to eat three, which completely defeated the purpose of buying this product.

If you lack self control or love to have nice round numbers, then this is the product for you, but if you were a big fan of the original and can handle 55 more calories then just eat one bar of the version you love and be content with your choice.

While some people walk out and simply grab from the dish, I, on the other hand, actually inspect before retrieval. I tend to not like the mints offered by a restaurant, often declaring them “too minty” or “what in the world did I just eat?”

But then there are the rare occasions where I actually see the mint I’m hoping for, “chocolate starlight mints.” Those little round green and dark brown beauties of goodness make me commit petty larceny as I quickly say to the hostess, “look over there” and run away leaving an empty bowl. More and more I see them less and less which is why I break the law when I see them.

Luckily I think I found a sweet alternative that not only tastes exactly the same, but cleans your teeth at the same time! I present to you “Dentyne Chocomint Blast.”

The actual eating experience is different than the restaurant mint in that the chocolate portion comes out in a quick liquid burst, followed by the intermingling of its outer minty shell. At first I thought I might be put off by a sudden burst of liquid, but if anything it made the gum that much more fun to eat! C’mon, what would you rather have, boring chewing gum or bursting gum?

Go out and get the gum to try it for yourself. I’m already on my fourth pack.

Next time you decide to attend a movie screening order your obligatory popcorn, but you must also buy “Buncha Crunch.” When you make it to your seat, open said “Buncha Crunch,” pour a few in your hand, grasp a few golden popplings, and greedily enjoy! I know it sounds simple enough and maybe a bit bonkers, but let me tell you folks, it is wonderful. Popcorn should be able to stand alone without description. Buttery and salty, it’s simple yet highly addictive. “Buncha Crunch,” on the other hand, is a completely different creature. Simply put, they are clusters of crisped rice coated in milk chocolate. They taste practically the same as a crunch bar, but at the same time can be more fun to eat since you can eat them in “buncha’s.”

Alone, these singles are like night and day. But when joined in marriage, these two lonely hearts reach a symbiosis of flavors. The buttery, crunchy, salty flavor of the popcorn matches the chocolaty puffed rice so perfectly you’ll wonder how you could have gone without it all these years.

So please take my advice. At your next movie, buy your popcorn and cand,y but join them together before shoveling them in your mouth. These two wandering souls should not be apart any longer.

The berries themselves are hidden inside mixed together in a simple plastic bag. Upon pouring those out in my hand, I made predictions on what each of them were. Clearly the large ones must be the strawberries; unless, of course, Emily has somehow managed to create a mutant cran or blueberry. I then took the second largest to be blueberries followed by the smaller cranberries.

Taste-wise, the best would be the strawberry. I could certainly both taste and see it after biting it in half, but unfortunately for its partners in crime, it wasn’t quite so simple. You see the largest flaw in the product is the ratio between berry and chocolate.

When you order a chocolate covered strawberry from a confectionery or restaurant, it always arrives with a nice thin layer of chocolate. However with this mix you end up with way too much chocolate and not enough berry flavor. So in the case of the two miniature berries, I hardly tasted any of it if at all. I just felt like I was eating bits of chocolate, which even then were not as bitter as I would have liked.

Emily certainly had good intentions with this mix, but, unfortunately, the end result was poorly executed. Luckily the company does produce single flavor versions, so if you see the Emily’s Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries, please do pick them up. But as for blueberry and cranberry? I think you should leave them on the shelf to ripen.

My experience with gourmet caramel is sorely lacking. When I think of this amber colored confection, I automatically think of the cheap variety. Something you might find in your grandmothers’ candy dish wrapped in plastic that’s been sitting on her coffee table since Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. It’s never particularly good, and you leave your granny’s house now knowing why she wears false teeth.

But these salted caramels surprised me from the beginning, arriving not in a generic clear plastic bag but in a rather nice and petite white box. Inside were sixteen quarter sized pieces each individually wrapped in wax paper.

Unwrapping one I could already feel the difference in texture. These weren’t Neolithic stones, but soft to the touch. Before popping one into my mouth, I glanced at the ingredients, noting the inclusion of chocolate, ancho chile powder, ground pepper, and Fleur de Sel (hand harvested French sea salt). So then these would be spicy? An eyebrow was raised.

The taste was salty, but not overpowering. I do like salty sweet candy, which is probably why I go gaga for Payday bars. But these weren’t as nutty as I would have liked. Yes, walnuts are reportedly its signature ingredient, but for me, the taste of it was almost nonexistent. As for the chocolate, it was a very nice compliment to the saltiness of the caramel.  The more I chewed, the more I realized the taste was evolving. Slowly the saltiness was replacing by a pleasant warming sensation. A surprising experience I hadn’t anticipated, and one that remained with me when I finally swallowed.

From beginning to end, these small cubes were a very enjoyable experience, but perhaps for me that’s where the love affair ends. I did enjoy the taste, but I was a bit disappointed in the ratio of nut to caramel. But by no means does this mean I wouldn’t seek out more from the caramel family, or even more from DAS Foods. If anything, this product opened my eyes to how just how complex caramel can, in fact, be. These caramels are by no means retro paper weights.

The taste was salty, but not overpowering. I do like salty sweet candy, which is probably why I go gaga for Payday bars. But these weren’t as nutty as I would have liked. Yes, walnuts are reportedly its signature ingredient, but for me, the taste of it was almost nonexistent. As for the chocolate, it was a very nice compliment to the saltiness of the caramel.  The more I chewed, the more I realized the taste was evolving. Slowly the saltiness was replacing by a pleasant warming sensation. A surprising experience I hadn’t anticipated, and one that remained with me when I finally swallowed.