Cheesecake....on a stick!

Do you like cheesecake? Do you like chocolate? Do you like to impale your food on a stick just 'cause you can? If you said yes to any of the three, I don't know how you won't love, and I mean LOVE Frozen, chocolate-dipped Cheesecake-on-a-stick from the Underground Cheesecake Company in Traverse City, Michigan.

A slice of heaven, y'all!

"Michigan! But Guys, I don't live in Traverse City." Quit yer whining!... uh... I mean, I know a way around that. Do you think I would tempt you with such delights and not give you a way to get to them? No no no... I may play hard to get from time to time but I do not tease. The Underground Cheesecake Co. has teamed up with government officials in a clandestine department called the United States Postal Service (It recently replaced the very adorable but sadly innefficient Pony Express. Unfortunately the Ponies too often found out how good these desserts are when they began to melt and drip out of the saddle bags, but truly, Wikipedia tells a better story than I do.)

My brother's family lives in Traverse City, and I was on a hunt for these decadent delights during my last visit, after seeing an expose on their delishiness on the Food Network. Unfortunately, we tried to go to the shop on the 4th of July and they were closed. But to our delight Danny and fam sent a box to us on Christmas. Thanks, family!

Yes you can get these delights sent to you in a variety box of four to yourself, or better yet, anyone you might be trying to get a little sweeter with (if ya know what I mean, and I think ya do, wink wink nudge nudge). I don't know which flavor is best, cherry, chocolate, mintchip or peanutbutter. I'm not even that fond of Cheesecake and I can't stop thinking of these. More exciting is that they do special flavors and designs for Christmas (eggnog flavor, I drool) or Valentines (strawberries n' cream, very romantic).

On top of being a fun novelty, they really are some of the best cheesecake around - as evidenced by being featured on Food Network and (of course) being in our blog. Its velvety-creaminess is gently complemented by a graham-crustiness, all encased in smooth as silk, but not-too-rich chocolate goodness. The cheesecake itself has the perfect balance between sweet-cream and cream cheese flavors, with slightly more than a hint of whatever flavor with which it's infused. My only complaint is that the part which comes into contact with the wooden popsicle stick the cheesecake is mounted on ends up tasting a little woody. And I personally get really ooked by the feeling of those sticks on my tongue. Gives me the willies. That's all I have to say, besides mmmmmmm!

They are very well packed and include dry ice to make it to your doorstep safe and sound. So order up a box and share a slice on a stick with a loved one or just hide in the corner and eat a box yourself. Just be prepared to sleep on the couch if you get caught!

The Underground Cheesecake Company
406 South Union Street • Traverse City, MI 49684
Phone: 231-929-4418 • Fax: 231-929-4476
www.undergroundcheesecake.com

eat. (the valentine's day masticular massacre)

Did we 'Eat'? Hells yeah we 'Eat'! WE DONE 'EAT' EVERYTHING WE SAW!

For Valentine's Day, Dana and I did what every romantic couple should do when practicing the art of seduction: We ate until we couldn't eat no more. And once we reached that point (and only then my friends, at the point of complete stuffedness) that is the point when we turned to our waiter and as a couple - no as a team, in complete synch with one another physically and emotionally, we turned our signifigantly chubbier, belt-popping bodies to our waiter and we said, "We would like to see the dessert menu, please."

Is 'eat' expensive? Well, it's billed as "an upscale casual restaurant" and that's exactly what it is. If you have an upscale wallet, you will find this place nice and casual - and if your wallet is a trashy, trailer-toting wallet (like ours) then you will find this place casual and pretty darn expensive. (There is a loop-hole however, but more on that later). But no matter what your wallet looks like, if your experience was anything like ours, you will find every penny worth it and every bite delicious.

Hip Signage

So where to start on our splurge fest? We decided to start with a bottle of wine. Eat has an extensive wine list of domestic vineyards all catagorized by state. Not surprisingly, the biggest showing comes from states along the west coast. We went with a Coppola Silver Label Pinot Noir (2005) simply because with our limited wine knowledge we knew that it would be good with pretty much anything we ordered. Ok, now on to the important stuff, THE FOOD.

When we saw the words "Battered Fried Olives" on the menu we both knew this was something that must be tried, and it did not disappoint. Although this is categorized as a "small plate", this tiny dish is piled high with little delicious fried green olives, and is partnered with a lemon mayonaise dipping sauce. It may sound a little odd, but it was ridiculously delicous and the perfect accompaniment to any cocktail you may be drinking. (Oh it made me want a martini so bad!)

Next we moved on to our official appetizers:
Dana here. I had the Tuna Carpaccio which was served with a white truffle oil drizzle, micro-arugula and brioche toast points. Sometimes Tuna Carpaccio can be a bit one-note, but this plate was full of flavor. The tuna was buttery and smooth, incredibly fresh, and delicately seasoned with salt, pepper and the truffle oil (which I am always a huge fan of). The fluffy toast points gave it just the crunchy added texture necessary and was clearly a delicious piece of bread that could stand on its own next to any pair o' eggs. (Side rant: I can't stand when they don't give bread with carpaccio! I mean, who wants floppy fish with no contrasting texture? Sushi has rice, so why serve this a la carte EVER?) It was a large serving of fish - enough for up to 4 people, but I could have done with a few more pieces of brioche and ended up having to dig in the bread basket for some help. Back to you, Hunter...

Thanks, Dana! Thinking that you can't do anything too exciting to raw tuna carpaccio (boy was I wrong), I chose to have another small plate, and went with the Riblets. Ribs smothered in barbeque sauce, what could be more romantic? This was a dish which would most definitely assure my vegetarian girlfriend that she had found true love by choosing me (fortunately she was too involved with the joys of her own dish to be distracted by my bone licking antics). The Riblets were "Big Joy on Little Plate". Usually ribs are either really tasty but tough or, really tender but no flavor. Oh, if only the plate had been bigger - because these were the most perfectly delicious ribs I have had in recollection. It came with a spiced coleslaw which I pretty much ignored because it didn't improve the dish, it just added quantity. I mean, when ya got Beyonce who needs Destiny's Child... Ok - I was about to make a large analogy comparing The Riblets to Beyonce's break-out career, but I think we are all better for it if I skip that... the point is coleslaw should mellow the spice, not add to it. Fortunately these riblets needed no help being totally awesome!

Now the Main Event. Dana and I both went for the salmon fillet on a bed of melted leaks, topped with the greatest tempura battered onion rings known to man and encircled with an onion reduction. Amazingly, this dish was not too oniony... it was just delicious. The flavors were complimentary, the salmon was perfectly cooked, tender and moist. The most impressive aspect you ask us? Normally, when you bite an onion ring, without fail the oily onion comes out of the oily batter crust and you get a big ol' bite of onion and are left with an empty ring of batter. These rings suffered no such dilemma. We kept trying, but they must have marinated the onion, inconceivably making "Ye old Onion Ring" a delicate culinary delight. The onion reduction was rich and had a depth of flavor reminiscent of beef consomme, but thankfully for Dana, no cows were injured in the making of this sauce. It just completed the dish perfectly.

And now for the unthinkable: Dessert. We ordered fresh donut holes with fudge dipping sauce and a Valrhona chocolate pudding with chantilly creme. Our Waiter recommended the pudding. It was a very good pudding, but it was still a pudding and even Bill Cosby makes a decent pudding. But Dana was a bit more impressed than I with it. She luxuriated in each lick of her spoon, and was later thrilled to learn that Valrhona is one of the few companies in the world that produces vintage chocolate made from beans of a single year's harvest from a specific plantation.

The Donut Holes however, these mammoth scrumbdiliumptious balls of fried dough ought not be called doughnut holes - they should be called UNHOLY DONUTS! Oh so good, so moist, coated in sugar, dipped in a dark chocolate, not-too-sweet-fudge, and so the perfect end to a perfect dinner.

But what made it more perfect was that we didn't have to wash dishes to pay for it, thanks to a generous Christmas gift from my sister Cathy to Dana and me. Thanks Cath!

Arm in arm we waddled home, sluggish in our step but flying high in love for each other and for those unholy doughnut holes, no... the olives, no.... the onion rings. Oh just go and EAT!

eat. on sunset. 1448 N. Gower St. Los Angeles, CA www.patinagroup.com/eatSunset/ ph: 323.461.8800
Specials: Mondays: TV Dinners / Tuesdays: Prix-fixe 3 course dinners for $22 / Thursdays: Soup and Sandwich deals / Happy Hour Mon-Fri has $5 martinis and 1/2 priced small-plates.

Casually upscale room

Another Trader Joe's Temptation....

But this one is actually good for you! Do you like chocolate? Do you like tea? Do you like sweet indulgences that cost not one calorie? Well, get this....

Trader Joe's has naturally decaffinated Chocolate Flavored Tea! Its a wonder of modern science, I tells ya!

Divine Drinking in a box.

Its my favorite way to unwind, guilt-free. A great after dinner drink, midday pick up, or first-thing-in-the-morning-chocolate-fix. How does it work, you ask?

Dana's Delicious Mix:
1. Brew up a cup using the easy, single-serving teabag
2. Let it steep for about 3-5 minutes
3. Add a little sweetener (I prefer Splenda)
4. Add a little creaminess (I prefer organic unsweetened soymilk)
5. Put your feet up and enjoy!

*BONUS TIP: If you shake up your cream-of-choice before putting it into the tea, it creates a froth reminiscent of fancy coffeehouse milkfoam. (milkfoam is kind of a creepy word to type, now that I've done it.)

It's perfect because its not overbearingly chocolatey. More like a delicate tickle on your tongue, combined with subtle hints of vanilla and creme caramel. Its a very sophisticated blend of flavors which can be enjoyed just like coffee - black, sweetened, creamed, or all three ways! And indeed, it has nary a caloric gram to it.

Find it in your local Trader Joe's tea aisle. You'll be happy you did.

Dairy-free baked goods (not an oxymoron)

Dana here. I recently underwent an experimental phase whereby I avoided dairy (my coveted dairy!) for 1 month, to see how my body reacted. I'll spare you the details of my sinus issues, but I had reason to believe that dairy was a culprit. It was surprisingly easier than I thought. Especially due to my discovery of Vegan Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip cookies!

Now, you can get these delicious babies two ways:
1. Find Uncle Eddie's brand cookies at your local grocer, or...
2. Go to Trader Joes and get their privately branded version for $1 less.
Same cookies, different prices.

These magnificent morsels come in an unassuming paper sack, and I swear to you - if you didn't know these were vegan, you'd never guess. In fact, I plied some of my best, vegan-fearing friends with them (under the cover of a normal cookie) and only after their eyes lit up and they licked the final crumbs from their hands in delight, did I tell them "that shit was vegan, yo!" No one guessed, everyone was shocked, and I've definitely created some converts in cookieville.

What makes them so good? Well, let me count the ways.
1. They are infinitely better for you. No hydrogenated fats, no refined sugars, no artificial ingredients, high in fiber. But that's really not the point is it?
2. They are the perfect (and I mean perfect) blend of not-too-sweet and hint-o-salty. They are chewy with delicate injections of creamy chocolate chips. They are big enough to feel like you're actually treating yourself, but small enough that it doesn't feel like an overindulgence.

But be warned: Every single time Hunter and I buy these cookies, we finish the whole bag in one day. They are addictive substances. But, really, compared to chips ahoy - this is the way to binge! And even now that I eat dairy (though much less than I used to) these are still my preferred cookie, hands down.

They also come in a regular chocolate chip variety (Hunter's favorite) and a Trail Mix blend (no chocolate here, folks).

Try it. You'll like it! If you don't, you know Trader Joe's will take them back (even after opened and tasted). That's what makes them such a great store. But I'll save that for another posting....

Enjoy!