Foodie Penpals: May Reveal

I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the April Foodie Penpals session, so I decided to participate again! As I mentioned a few weeks ago, the thought of receiving my May Foodie Penpals package helped get me through a tough week.  And Haley did not disappoint!

Before I dive into the details of my May package, here's a quick recap of the Foodie Penpals program: you receive a penpal match on the 5th of each month, send out a box filled with foodie treats to your penpal by the 15th, and reveal what treats you received on the last day of the month.  The penpal matches change monthly so you're always sending to and receiving from someone new.  It's set up to be a fun way to meet new food-loving friends while trying new foods.

I was paired with Jennifer over at LiveLearnLoveRun.  Like me, she's a relatively new blogger, so head over to her site, get details about the package I sent her for May FPP, and then add her to your Google Reader (or whatever you've decided to use as a replacement feed reader)!

Now, back to the good stuff! Haley sent me a "Mexican hot" themed box from Arizona.  Here's the scoop on what I received:

Arizona Hot Sauce: We'll have to see how this compares to Sriracha Sauce and Frank's Red Hot.  

Handmade Black Bean & Corn Salsa: Three of KK's favorite things combined in one jar.  What's not to love!?

Pure Prickly Pear Cactus Jelly: A sweet treat hidden within the Mexican hot snacks! With a little Google research, I learned that cactus jelly makes an excellent chicken glaze, but it can also be served on toast or over fresh fruit.

Chili Arbol: Complete a homemade salsa recipe (below), and a warning to wear gloves and avoid touching my eyes when handling the arbol chili peppers.  Yikes!

Mexican Oregano: According to Penzys Spices, Mexican oregano is stronger and less sweet than traditional Mediterranean oregano.  It's flavors go best with dishes that are spicy, hot, and cumin-flavored.

Ass Kickin' Chipotle Popcorn: Cannot wait to try this!!!

Chocolate Bar From Hell: I ripped into this as soon as I finished unpacking the box, and I immediately felt my sinuses open up.  Maybe I should start eating chocolate instead of taking DayQuil!



Hayley also gave me not one, but three recipes:

Haley's Shredded Beef: Awesome slow cooker recipe excellent for tacos, burritos, and quesadillas.

Mexican Rice: Direct from Allrecipes.com with spice upgrades to boring white rice that add flavor and turn up the heat! This will make a perfect side dish with Chicken Enchilada Skillet or even rolled into Chicken and Cheese Taquitos.

Arbol Hot Salsa: This will happen.  Soon.  I really can't wait to try cooking with the chili arbol!

Thank you so much for the fabulous package, Haley! If you're interested in participating in the FPP program, blogger or not, head over to The Lean Green Bean to sign up for the next edition of Foodie Penpals.

Foodie Penpals: April Reveal

Back in March, I stumbled across Lindsay's Foodie Penpals program, and wanted to join instantly.  I missed the March deadline, so I was forced to wait until April to join.  In case you're unfamiliar with the program - it's organized to connect bloggers and blog readers around the country.  It's become so popular that there are now separate programs for Canadian and European bloggers/readers.  You receive a penpal match on the 5th of each month, send out a box filled with foodie treats to your penpal by the 15th, and reveal what treats you received on the last day of the month.  The penpal matches change monthly so you're always sending to and receiving from someone new.  It's set up to be a fun way to meet new food-loving friends while trying new foods.  It sounds like a win-win!

My inaugural Foodie Penpal experience was full of Texans! Since KK and I visited Vermont a few weeks ago, I sent a Vermont-themed package to blog reader Aly in Houston, Texas.  Two weeks ago, I received a wonderful box sent from Xochitl Small Bear just outside of Dallas.  Here's a peek of the treats I got:

My penpal was kind enough to send me a handwritten note, giving an explanation of each item I received!

Pumpkin Seed Cheddar Crisps: A favorite after work snack with apples or soup!

Almonds: On-the go snack which covers any craving - salty, crunchy, sweet.

Dried Ancho Chilis: A household staple, complete with directions for making a pozole.

Lettuce seeds: Something fun, yet practical! These will be donated to my in-laws for now, but one of my homeowner goals (whenever we buy a house) is to grow my own vegetables

Recipe: Sweet Potato Chipotle Gratin: Sounds absolutely amazing!

Thank you so much for the fabulous package, Xochitl! Without a question, I'll be joining next month's Foodie Penpals.  If you're also interested, blogger or not, head over to The Lean Green Bean to sign up!

The 10 Most Polarizing Foods

After writing a mini-novella about coconuts a few weeks ago, I did some Googling for other foods that people love to hate.  While there are some foods people dislike but don’t really complain about (such as mustard for me), and then there are the common foods that people HATE and tend to get quite opinionated about (coconuts).  I found an aptly named article from Huff Post, The 10 Most Polarizing Foods, and have decided to give my two cents on each contentious food.

1. Cilantro: Apparently this is the most debatable food out there, and I’m quite surprised by that! With the exception of guacamole, where I feel cilantro really makes the dip, I seldom notice the presence or lack thereof cilantro.  Usually, I skip cilantro when a recipe calls for it, but that’s only because I rarely have fresh herbs on hand.

2. Celery: It’s got zero calories (right?) – what’s not to love!? I’m also partial to ants on a log, celery topped with peanut butter and raisins, because it reminds me of my childhood.

3. Licorice: Red Twizzlers are good. Black licorice and black jelly beans are not.  Whenever I get a jelly bean delivery from the Easter Bunny, I immediately discard the black ones, although I should gauge KK’s feelings on licorice and barter with him for a black/purple jellybeans exchange if that works out in my favor!  I also despise all things licorice, anise, or fennel.  This is one of the flavors I can catch if there’s even the slightest drop of it in my food. Update: KK shares my disdain for licorice, so any black jellybeans from the Easter Bunny will be discarded. 

4. Green Pepper: Although I don’t hate green peppers, I certainly like red peppers better.  Who doesn't!? I was shocked to read that Dan Barber, chef and owner Blue Hill restaurant in NYC and one of my favorite Top Chef guest judges, refuses to have green peppers on his restaurants’ menus.  Love to hate!

5. Marzipan: Although there hasn't been much baking on 3D Dinners, I have a serious sweet tooth! One version of marzipan’s history recalls the nuns of the Convent of San Clemente in Toledo, Spain.  After a long Spanish battle, many, many years ago, there was no wheat to be found in Toledo.  There was, however, plenty of sugar and almonds, and the nuns used it to make a paste to feed to the starving people.  Marzipan saved Toledo! In October 2011, KK and I took a daytrip to Toledo.  The city’s streets were lined with so many marzipan shops that it was nearly impossible to decide on a purchase.  This conundrum resulted in marzipan purchases from multiple shops!

6. Mayonnaise: In moderation and light-versions, I think mayo is a good thing.  A little bit goes a long way on a sandwich.  Now that mayo's gone fancy, I love trying the more creative flavors of mayonnaise: chipotle, olive oil & cracked pepper (a new favorite from Kraft!), sun dried tomato, horseradish... the list is almost never-ending!

7. Blue Cheese: I've just had another flashback to our October 2011 Spain trip.  We took a Mad Ride free walking tour of Madrid, and our tour guide recommended Cervecería 100 Montadito as an inexpensive yet delicious lunch option.  If I recall correctly, sandwiches were ~€1, mugs of beers were €2, and a side of French fries was €3.  Perfect.  Except I mistakenly ordered a "queso azul" sandwich instead of a "queso blanco."  One bite of the queso azul and I had a look of utter disgust on my face.  KK couldn't help but laugh!

8. Vegemite/Marmite: Skip. I know nothing about Vegemite, but I don't like what I'm reading.

9. Coconut: See post for One Pot Thai Chicken Pasta.  Although I gave it a shot, and would probably cook the pasta dish again, coconut is still on my personal "love to hate" list.  I will still continue avoiding, but at least I know I'll live if it contaminates any of my other foods.  I did just come up with one coconut thing that I tolerate/like - Girl Scout Samoas! Yum!

10. Liver: No thank you.

So there you have it - my thoughts on the Huff Post's most polarizing foods.  Surprisingly, I'm OK with 50% of the foods.  I thought my percentage would be much lower! Without consulting with him, I'd say KK's most hated foods are raw onions and goat cheese.  Missing from the list for me? Olives, broccoli, capers, mushrooms, oysters.....