Is German Chocolate Cake Really German?

FoodProject.com has raised an interesting question: Is German Chocolate Cake really German?

According to the folks over at Food Project, a recipe for German Chocolate cake first appeared in 1957 via a Dallas, Texas, newspaper. Sent in from a Dallas homemaker, the trail to track down the origins of this cake goes dry. However, according to Patricia Riso from Kraft Foods, the recipe called for a brand of chocolate bar called "German's" which has been developed
in 1852, by an Englishman named Sam German, for Baker's Chocolate Company.

Food Project says:

"The cake had an immediate and enthusiastic response, and requests about where to find the German's chocolate bar were so numerous that General Foods (who owned Baker's Chocolate) decided to send pictures of the cake to newspapers all around the country.Everywhere the recipe had the same response and the sales for the chocolate exploded.

Now the cake is a regular item in bakeries across the country, and a mix is on the grocery shelves also.

The cake most likely didn't originate from this Dallas housewife. Buttermilk chocolate cakes have been popular in the south for
over 70 years, and Pecans are plentiful in the area also, to make the nice frosting. German's chocolate is similar to a milk chocolate and sweeter than regular baking chocolate."

So, is the cake an orphan of Deutschland? I guess we'll never know...


Thanks to Foodimentary for the tip.

Central Europe Invades Oklahoma and Texas!

And of course I'm talking about the kolache, the square pastry stuffed with a variety of fillings and perfected by the Czechs.

What was once hard to find outside of Central Europe is now considered a Texas delicacy - West, Texas (that's not West Texas, but West comma Texas) is now known as the kolache capital of the state. However, delicious kolaches are available all over the Lonestar region, including Austin and La Grange. And according to the Wikipedia page for kolaches, several other states claim to be Kolache Ground Zero, such as Montgomery, Minnesota, self-described title as the "Kolache Capital of the World."

Also, a great foodie blog - Homesick Texan - features what looks to be a delicious kolache recipe.

However, as a native Oklahoman, I have to mention that my home state also is known for its kolaches and also hosts an annual kolache festival every year in Prague, Oklahoma. This year's festival is taking place May 1 through May 2nd (you can find more details here).

According to the event's website, the celebration attracts some 25,000 to 30,000 people to the tiny town of 2,500. Women in the community must start backing Kolaches months in advance to prepare for the festival. It is estimated that some 50,000 Kolaches are consumed by the residents and visitors alike during festivities. Take THAT Texas!

The March issue of Gourmet has a great piece on kolaches as well. You can check that out here.

And if you happen to be in Texas, here are the kolache shops you should check out (as mentioned in Gourmet):

Kolache Factory
3706 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX
(512) 467-2253
www.kolachefactory.com

The Village Bakery
113 E. Oak St., West, TX
(254) 826-5151

Weikel’s Store and Bakery
2247 W. State Hwy. 71, La Grange, TX
(979) 968-9413
www.weikels.com

Talenti Gelato and Sorbetto and Blacksmiths' Roughshod Blueberry Brandy - a great combo

Last week, I posted about a delicious dessert wine I purchased while visiting the great state of Maine. The wine is called Roughshod and is a product of Blacksmiths Winery. I had mentioned that I would be combining Roughshod with some vanilla ice cream, and did just that. The ice cream of choice was actually gelato from Talenti Gelato e Sorbetto.

I wanted to keep the flavor simple as to not overpower the blueberry brandy taste of the Roughod, so I chose Talenti's Tahitian Vanilla Bean (interesting side note: these vanilla beans are imported from Papua New Guinea). Talenti achieves this flavor by taking whole Tahitian vanilla beans, splitting them and scraping them by hand to create this paraticular gelato. The flavor is nothing like I've ever tasted before and paired nicely with the Roughshod. The vanilla flavoring of the gelato erased the cough syrup-like initial taste once experiences while drinking Roughshod straight.


I highly suggest you indulge your taste buds and buy some Roughshod (which you can do here) and pour it over some Talenti vanilla gelato. You can buy Talenti at any Whole Foods grocer, but you can also purchase online by visiting here. So plan ahead and enjoy this delicious treat in no time!

For a bit of background on Dallas-based Talenti, I found this interesting article about the company in Entrepreneur Magazine. The company claims its inspiration was found in Bernardo Buontalenti, also known as "Talenti." Talenti was a famed Florentine artist and architect who also happened to be a foodie. Talenti is credited with first introducing court of the Duchess Catherine de Medici's in the early 1500s to a concoction he called "gelato."

However, Wikipedia offers a more colorful history when it comes to the origin of the frozen treat:

"The History of Gelato dates back to the 16th century. There is some confusion in the origin as to where or who really invented gelato. As most stories go, it is credited to Bernardo Buontalenti, a native of Florence, who delighted the court of Caterina dei Medici with his creation. Italians are certainly credited with introducing gelato to the rest of Europe; with Sicilian born Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli who undoubtedly was one of the most influential individuals in the history of gelato, as one of the first to sell it to the public. Summoned to Paris in 1686, he opened a café named after himself called “Café Procope”, which quickly became one of the most celebrated haunts of the literary establishment in France. In Italy meanwhile, the art of traditional gelato making was passed on from father to son, improved and perfected right up to the 20th century, when many gelato makers began to emigrate, taking their know-how to the rest of Europe."

Recipe of the Day - Black Bean Brownies (yes, I said Black Bean)

My wonderful pal Allison C. from Texas sent me the recipe for today's posting, and I'll admit that when I first read her e-mail, I thought she was insane. Black bean brownies? Does this concoction come complete with a barf bag? But never fear, Allison is an expert in everything she does, so trust me when I say that I will be feasting on these brownies soon.

Allison says:

"I first made this when I was living in New York City and thought that finding powdered non-fat milk would be impossible. Sure enough – Food Emporium didn’t have it. HOWEVER, much to my surprise, the little bodega down the street from me had powdered non-fat milk. Props to the bodegas."

And props to Allison for enlightening us on this very unusual recipe!

Allison Clark's I Can't Believe These are Black Bean Brownies Recipe (straight outta Texas!)

Equipment Needed
Food processor
Muffin pan or 8 x 8 baking tin
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Spatula
Cooling rack

Ingredients
1 15 oz can unseasoned black beans, drained and rinsed well
4 eggs
1 1/4 Cups Splenda
2 Tablespoons canola oil
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 Tbs vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 Cup non-fat dry milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 Cup ricotta cheese
1 box sugar-free, fat-free chocolate pudding mix
Chopped nuts to taste (optional)
Fat-free Cool Whip (optional)

Blend beans in food processor. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Pour into 12-18 muffin cups (sprayed with Pam or lined with foil liners) and bake at 350 for approx 30 mins till set in middle. These freeze well and are really good with some fat free cool whip. You can also bake the batter in an 8X8 pan
sprayed with Pam. Takes 30-40 minutes.