Hallowings with Howlin' Hollar Pumpkin Hot Sauce

It’s Swagger season- October time in New England and it’s all about the pumpkins. There’s pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pie, and just about pumpkin everything. As the designated spicy foods reviewer of this blog, I was assigned to have a taste of this hot sauce containing pumpkin. From my experience, the best way to test the taste and integrity of a hot sauce is to put it on one of the most awesome foods ever, WINGS!In an opportunity to incorporate some fancy word play with one of my favourite holidays, I’ve decided to make “Hallow-wings” using this pumpkin hot sauce. When opening the bottle, I could smell that this sauce was not a normal hot sauce. Instead of the regular pungent vinegar smell of a Tabasco sauce, or Frank’s Red Hot, it had a rather strange sweet smell. It would have been rather difficult to pinpoint that the smell was pumpkin if the bottle was not labeled as so.When combined with the heat of the freshly fried wings, the sweet smell of the sauce was even stronger than the smell from the bottle. The taste of the sauce was quite sweet with a slight heat to it. There was not as much as an after burn rather than a nice sweet after taste. The sweet taste was actually very much like the taste of pumpkin, it was nice offset to the heat and acidity of the sauce. The taste of the sauce slightly conflicted with the taste of the flavour of the wings.

The sauce did adhere to the wings very well. It was able to coat every nook and cranny on each one of the wings, but personally I would not recommend it for use with wings, the flavour of the meat would clash with the subtle taste of the pumpkin too much and just cause the sauce to taste like a sticky hot mess.This sauce would be very good with a pumpkin based food such as pumpkin fritters or something similar. Overall it was an interesting sauce; it smells kind of funky but tastes like how it’s advertised on the bottle. It’s not extremely hot and doesn’t leave an after burn. Its uses are rather limited due to the exotic nature of this sauce and it wouldn’t go well with foods that are not pumpkin based. Happy Halloween!

Kashi TLC Pumpkin Pecan Granola Bar

Well, the dawn of pumpkin pie Pop-Tarts brought about the question of exactly how low a person can stoop if they're eating alone on Thanksgiving. And now, for something different. What do hipsters eat on Thanksgiving? What could possibly distract them from their daily diet of ecstasy, PBR, and better bands than the one you are currently listening to?

The answer, my friends, is this Kashi pumpkin pecan pie granola bar. It serves multiple purposes, like both eliminating the need to cook a pie and contributing yet another poem on how one's mother ruined Thanksgiving, and also satisfies that one guest who insists on bringing Tofurky to any friendly event. It's crunchy both in texture and in spirit and is a surprisingly good snack.While this definitely evokes more of a Thanksgiving feeling than Halloween, it's still a very rustic and interesting snack. A layer of pumpkin pie goo on top isn't the most texturally palatable sensation, but accurately imitates the flavor of pumpkin pie. It's abound with spices galore and a crispy granola layer. This was my favorite part of the bar as in most pumpkin pie flavored treats, the crust goes ignored or is really underrepresented in the composition of the snack. It was flavorful and adequately spiced.I was underwhelmed by the nut content on the bar, mainly because it was part of the title and also because it was heavily presented on the package. And I do love pecans. What little nuts I did manage to ingest (ha ha) were crispy and crunchy and really built on the medley of textures already playing out. This was a fantastic fall find and a great healthy treat.

Ritter Sport Milk Chocolate with Cornflakes

There's just something about Ritter Sport squares that makes them better than the average chocolate bar. I'm not sure if it's the square shape, the boldly basic packaging, or the plethora of flavors that appeals most to me, but I'm pretty hooked.

Although it's not a cereal I tend to reach for at the store, I do like Corn Flakes. They're quite versatile! One of my favorite comfort foods is cheesy potato casserole with corn flake topping - so healthy, right? But this is my first foray into chocolate with cornflakes!

Here's a bit of Halloween promotional fun from Ritter Sport: they are having a giveaway for fans who use their online application to send Halloween e-cards. Check out this entry at the Ritter Sport blog for details on how to use the application and enter to win a box of 84 Ritter Sport minis. Ritter will be giving one away every day until November 6!


The bar looked fresh and appetizing, and I especially loved the bumpy bottom texture from the cornflakes. It smelled mildly of cocoa, and the milk chocolate certainly was mild here. The cornflakes cut down on the creamy, sticky feeling of the chocolate (which suits me just fine).

While they didn't add much in the way of flavor (just a hint of vegetable sweetness), the texture the cornflakes brought to this bar was great! The crunch was different from that of puffed rice or wafers, and the cornflakes seemed very fresh (not stale or soggy). The bar was a little on the sweet side for my tastes, but if I'm ever in the mood for crunchy milk chocolate, I might pick this one up again!

B+

Ritter Sport website

Information on the Ritter promotion was sent by a PR representative, and Ritter Sport is hosting the giveaway - not me. It did not influence my review in any way, nor did I receive anything in exchange for blogging about this promotion. Luckily, I just happened to have a Ritter Sport square on deck for review!

Laurel Hill Pepita and Spice Tortilla Chips

We're in the home stretch of October, with only three days before Halloween, and I'm going to cram as many pumpkin-themed snacks on this blog as I can possibly allow. There will be three.

So the other night, the very same evening we made Batter Blaster, I was at our favorite little deli and noticed some exotic chips on clearance. If it was a trap, then I was heading straight to it, Admiral Akbar. There is no better way to lure me to peril than weird, cheap shit. But I digress. On the shelf for a mere $1.99 was a large bag of Laurel Hill Pepita and Spice tortilla chips. And what's more, they had lots of pumpkin mixed in. Or so they said.I snapped them up immediately and brought them home to Keepitcoming Love to munch on before our pancake venture. These were easily one of my better purchases, and if I saw these again, I'd be hard pressed to not get them again, even at full price. The chips are cut into wide, thick strips, perfect for dipping, and are balanced seamlessly between salty and sweet.There's an obvious cinnamon and nutmeg flavor in these, but each sweet element is countered by a savory one- the pumpkin blends with the corn, the cinnamon with the salt, and mixed in the chip are crispy, crunchy toasted pepita seeds, giving the entire thing a nutty and rounded flavor. I love these. It's like a prelude to pumpkin pie. I want to try them with dip- I bet melted brie, chopped smoked turkey, and cranberry salsa would make these into killer Thanksgiving nachos. That could very well be our next recipe.

Niederegger Lubeck Marzipan Classic

There's a lot of chocolate in my house these days, and I've been slowly working my way through it. Thanks to various colds and sinus issues, I haven't been in the mood for tasting much of anything, but my taste buds seem to be functioning again so I'll keep trying to stay on top of it.

This bar was part of a birthday present from my sister, so I'm not really sure where she got it. Marzipan is a new favorite of mine, discovered when I tried Ritter Sport Marzipan earlier this year. When marzipan pieces are included in chocolate or truffle boxes, they are always some of my favorites, but my exposure is still pretty limited.


The gorgeous gold wrapper caught my eye, as did the glossy bittersweet chocolate. The bar had a nice slightly bitter cocoa scent with a subtle, cherry-like hint of almond, which was a great start. The pieces snapped apart in a satisfying (though sometimes uneven) way, and the marzipan inside looked moist (in an appetizing way - some people are weird about that word).

The chocolate coating had a decent balance of bitter and sweet, and it did a good job of accenting the marzipan with a slight fruitiness. This marzipan had all the lovely cherry or amaretto notes I adore. The paste was slightly drier than in other marzipan chocolates I've tried, but I was able to put that aside because the flavor was really lovely.

A-

Niederegger website

Homemade Spatzle (Or, Finger Lakes, take two)

It's been exactly one week since we left for the Finger Lakes and now that we're back, we're reeling from the shock of both discovering (in Keepitcoming's case, rediscovering,) and leaving behind spatzle in a scant three days. Because last night was so beautiful and autumnal, we decided to relive the experience one more time and make spatzle with three kinds of sausages from the River Valley Market, one of our local favorites.Spatzle, like bread and gnocchi, is another of those freakishly simple and quick recipes that adds instant points to your foodie credentials. It takes literally no time at all, often less than making boxed pasta, and is easily customizable and twice as delicious.

Spatzle
Ingredients (serves four)
1 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg or paprika (we lacked nutmeg)
2 eggs
1/4 cup of milk

1. Start by boiling a pot of water. While reaching its optimum heat, mix together your dry ingredients.
2. Beat your eggs and measure your milk and make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients. Alternatively add your eggs and milk in small increments and mix thoroughly until elastic and combined.
3. Roll out your dough into a lump, maybe half an inch thick. With a large knife, slice off uneven bits and scrape them off onto your cutting board. The trick is to get little dumpling bits, not strips. Once they're all sliced, dump them into boiling water for eight to ten minutes or until very tender. If you've been frying something (like sausages) you can sautee the noodles to get a nice brown crust on them. Serve with butter and salt and eat immediately.The sausages we picked out were ones we'd been eying since the summer- chicken curry, mustard horseradish, and ginger scallion, all fried with a golden crust. Surprisingly, the former two sausages were simply not as satisfying as we'd expected them to be. Perhaps I'm just more used to leaner sausages, but the fat ratio (a level I normally like to be on the rich end) was simply too high and the saltiness was just overly intense. Nevertheless, unique and interesting flavors.

b.b.go

Can Center City sustain two fast food-style Korean restaurants within mere blocks of each other? Giwa, the hugely popular Korean joint that opened in 2006 on Sansom St., now has competition from the newly opened b.b.go on the corner of 18th and Ludlow. Or does it?

b.b.go dubbs itself as a "fusion rice bar, " and serves a limited menu of rice-based Korean dishes. Bibimbap and Dubbap are the two main offerings, with each dish having a handful of variations depending on desired ingredients — tofu, chicken, beef, pork, etc. Also on the menu are pajeon, japchae, dukbokgi, and gimbap.My main reason for visiting b.b.go was to eat gimbap, Korea's answer to sushi and an answer that I actually prefer to Japanese sushi, but have difficulty finding in Philly. b.b.go's menu lists beef or tuna gimbap, but I thought I'd ask if they had veggie gimbap. At noon, only an hour after opening and before any sort of lunch rush had started, b.b.go told me they had sold out of the two orders of veggie gimbap they had made (if I am to believe that they even made a veggie version), and, apparently, had no interest in making me any.
Unlike at Giwa where you can order bibimbap cold or in a hot stone pot, at b.b.go cold is your only option. Your choice of brown or white rice is topped with various vegetables in the case of the vegetable bibimbap or the tofu bibimbap, and a fried egg upon request.

Zuchinni, mung bean sprouts, carrots, lettuce, daikon, spinach, and silken tofu topped this bowl. With the exception of the pickled daikon, all of the vegetables were plain — but fresh! — and the tofu was unseasoned. I prefer more pickled and fermented vegetables on my bibimbap. Perhaps the heacho bibimbap with seasoned seaweeds would have suited me better.

Kochujang, a spicy pepper sauce, is squirted on top by the server only upon request, and if you want more, you'll need to get up from your table and squirt some more from the couple of kochujang bottles sitting on the ledge with the utensils and napkins.
The accompanying miso soup is mild and innocuous.The accompanying kimchee is spicy, but, as far as kimchee goes, this is mild stuff.Tofu dubbap with mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, and onions is nicely spiced (I asked for medium), but is also sweet and saucy. This is actually how I would like my cheap Chinese take-out to taste, but not my Korean food. The accompanying salad of iceberg and sliced radishes with Italian dressing was an unpleasant mystery.

b.b.go currently has an off-the-menu bento lunch deal that will get you most of the way around the small menu, and then you can decide for yourself which fast food Korean restaurant is tops — Giwa or b.b.go?

b.b.go
20 S. 18th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-569-8600
Mon-Fri: 11am-9pm
Sat: noon-8pm
Sun: closed

Batter Blaster

Motherfucker. I can't believe I didn't get around to nipping this in the bud in a more timely fashion. Actually, I can. Like a footlong penis, Batter Blaster is tempting, yet daunting. This sat in our fridge for a few weeks before we ran out of dinner options and mustered up the courage to tackle the beast.Batter Blaster is pancake slash waffle batter in an aerosol can, like whipped cream. Unlike whipped cream, it is unwise to use Batter Blaster on your partner's naked, writhing flesh, as it is thick and rather pudding like in texture and will make a mess. (That's what she said.) Batter Blaster is pretty easy to use. Points get shaved off for forcing you to invert the can and hold it directly over a pan splattering oil or butter, as it definitely heightens the risk for third degree burns.One thing that I was really hoping this would bring to my pancake artistry was a little more ease in modulating the amount of batter that I blasted so that I could make designs. Unfortunately, it was difficult to control the flow and I ended up with Batter Blaster all over my hands and in an amorphous blob on the pan.Even when attempting perfectly circular pancakes, the shape of the nozzle makes them all sort of hexagonal. And, like a post-coital organ, they shrink up significantly after being poured. Don't think I'm hating on Batter Blaster, though. The flavor and texture makes up significantly for its shortcomings on the stove. There is a crispy crust along the exterior of the pancake, probably from the sugar, that really melts in your mouth and gives a sweet flavor. The batter cooks up fluffy and soft and unless aggravated, is never tough.
While I cannot vouch for the value of the Batter Blaster- a single can makes roughly approximately 20-25 smallish pancakes for $5, I can agree that it's fun and much easier than going through the hassle of mixing. If this was a money-grubbing mommy blog, I'd say something about how simple it is for busy moms on a tight schedule, but I'm a broke-ass college student so I'll say that it's simple to prepare before, after, and during a long night of drinking. I cannot wait for the release of bacon Batter Blaster.

Bonus: the photo that didn't make the cut for this post, on Twitter. (It was too hot for TV)

Homestyle Barbecue Potato Flyers

I didn't get to do a whole lot of grilling this summer. I spent many a sleepless night pondering the hows and whys of this situation and came up with a small flowchart (not pictured) to explain.

The main reason was because I don't have a grill in my nine by nine dorm. Keepitcoming doesn't have a grill either, and I wasn't home long enough to actually use the one we had. I also think that I tend to really glorify grilling when, in reality, it's not as much fun as I want it to be. This has also happened with Slip 'n' Slides, MRE's, and James Frey, so I'm not too surprised. But when the time comes to actually grill, I tend to balk at the opportunity.I do, however, love items that are traditionally grilled, so as a preface to a review sometime in the very near future of delicious grilled sausages, I bring you...Homestyle Barbecue Potato Flyers.

The preceding "homestyle" may not be so much of a descriptor than a warning. Perhaps, like me, your family is Jewish and lacks the gene for grilling well and ends up creating charred chicken breasts with raw insides. In this sense, it is an accurate flavor. While I appreciate the effort to make the seasoning vibrant, it is literally overpowering. On my first bite, I inhaled sharply from the smokiness and had trouble finishing the chip. It's not spicy or hot, it's simply too much seasoning. I love a good smoky flavor, but this was almost potent. There's a heavy emphasis on black pepper and paprika, and the flavor is good and barbecued, but only in moderate doses.The base of the potato chip is baked and light, and I liked the airy texture and crisp- not styrofoamy. None of these felt like they were bogged down with oil or were overcooked. I'd try these again in another flavor- New York Pizza looks tempting. But this flavor, for once, was too pungent and ended up being mediocre as a result of that. Too much of a good thing, perhaps.

Xochitl - Lentil Stew

Around the second I posted about my new favorite veggie burger in the city, the deeply spiced black bean burger at Xochitl was off the menu. And, that's the downside of seasonally changing menus. Turn around, and gone are your favorite dishes. The upshot is that a new favorite dish may take it's place and be just what you're in the mood for.

Xochitl's menu of modern and traditional Mexican food is small, but they always have at least one vegetarian entree. On the first cool evening of the season when I donned a scarf and hat, Xochitl's warm beluga lentil stew with squash, trumpet mushrooms, wilted kale, and walnuts hit the spot perfectly. Buttery on first bite, then a hint of spice. All yum, and seasonally satisfying. Get it before it's gone!

Xochitl
408 S. 2nd St, Philadelphia 19147
215-238-7280

Dano's Heuriger on Seneca Lake, Hector, NY

Okay. After three days of travel, tasting, talking, and typing, I bring you my taste of the Finger Lakes. Keepitcoming and I took a miniature vacation out there on Friday to conduct some research on my latest project and took the opportunity to get a taste of what the lakes have to offer.

First, a little bit about our trip. We stayed at a fantastic bed and breakfast, crushed cabernet frank with the wonderful staff at Hermann J. Wiemer, and enjoyed the breathtaking scenery in Seneca, Watkins Glen, and Dundee. However, one of the biggest successes of the trip was eating at this little restaurant on the Seneca Lake, Dano's Heuriger- a place that was so good, we made reservations on both our nights there.On our first night, we went all out with a charcuterie plate and a classic entree, as well as a side of spatzle, my new favorite food. To prepare for the next day's excursion, we opted to have a bottle of Hermann Wiemer's 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling, America's answer to the kabinett. We were worried that our selections wouldn't be enough for us to be fully satisfied, but were quickly proven wrong after eating.

I can't believe that prior to that fateful night, I had never been graced with the presence of spatzle. Fucking spatzle. It was a noodle experience like none I'd ever had before. These were a beautiful cross between noodles and dumplings and were perfectly seasoned. The bite was toothsome and comforting, with a simple buttered coating. I would have liked to eat more of these, but we were too full from the rest of our dinner! They were fantastic and perfect without any additional seasoning. These and the wiener schnitzel inspired a potential future trip to Austria! Delicious.The charcuterie plate was presented simply, but had all the rustic artistry of a beautiful landscape. It was incredible, with all of the ingredients smoked or prepared in house, and arranged around a central pair of condiments. (yes!!) Each component was carefully thought out and placed, with careful attention to detail on the flavors and sensations one would experience.The dish consisted of, (starting at twelve and moving clockwise) crisp flatbread, smoked chicken wings, duck and pork rillettes, (their take on a pate!) pickled green tomatoes, smoked pork loin, an apple and apricot membrillo, (another sweet interpretation of a pate) with a limburger cheese and brie, cornichons, smoked pork belly, fresh baguette, and Austrian garlic sausage. In the center of the plate were their two spreads, a housemade mustard and a cranberry chutney.

Each aspect of this plate was better than the last. We had so much fun mixing and matching the foods and really relished the flavors that came out of them. The pickled green tomatoes were a fun twist on a classic charcuterie component and brought our Riesling out to a more magnificent level of flavor and acidity. The delicacy and tiny portion of the chicken wings brought the normally robust and messy bar snack to a gourmet level, and they were tender and perfectly seasoned. The flavor of the meats was enhanced to a savory and zippy level with the mustard, which had a playful flavor without being too grainy and intense. This plate should be on their full-time menu. We really enjoyed getting small tastes of the foods, and found that the overall composition was thoughtful and varied.We also shared a plate of wiener schnitzel, a classic Austrian dish. This particular schnitzel stayed true to tradition and was made with a veal escalope base. I've never had schnitzel, but I have had veal and know that I love fried foods, so I was more than elated to try this.It was a simple preparation, with a wedge of lemon on the side, and we made short work of the dish. I don't think I've ever derived so much pleasure from such a simple and classic dish. The crust clung to the meat, which was pounded to a nearly invisible thickness, and the veal was tender and sweet, with the lemon providing a nicely acidic punch. It was crispy and addictive, and I wanted to order more and eat all the crispy edge pieces. None of it was mushy or stringy, and it was a dish that could have sated me and still made me crave more immediately after.After all that food and wine, we decided to try two desserts, the rigo jansci and their special of the night, a pumpkin crumble tart. The rigo jansci is a traditional Austrian dessert, a cube of chocolate cake with a layer of mousse and apricot jam in between. The pumpkin crumble tart seemed to be unique because of its featuring pumpkin puree as a key ingredient.And indeed, it was. The crumble had a predominantly squashy flavor instead of masking its true identity with an abundance of spices and herbs, and with a really delicious crusty base and decadent crumble, was the perfect fall fare. What was even more unusual was how much we enjoyed the whipped cream that came dolloped on the side. It was fresh and luxuriously flavored, whipped gently to stiff peaks. I could have honestly eaten an entire bowl of this for dessert, it was that good. It ranked above most ice creams I've had.The rigo jansci was also really delicious, with velvety soft chocolate cake in a neat cube, like an oversized petit four. It was stuffed with a thick layer of mousse, but still managed to retain its form. Between the mousse and the cake was a bit of apricot jam. The cake was delicious, if singular in texture, and was paired with a nice bittersweet chocolate powder on top. I would have preferred a little more oomph from the apricot jam. Again, the dishes were heaped with more of that addictive whipped cream.After that impressive dinner, we had no choice but to return for a second night! The building was aesthetically beautiful and had a large partitioned window as its largest wall, so we picked a time that would allow us to see the sunset through the windows. Unfortunately, it was a little rainy, but our second night brought more exciting selections and festive foods.

A special dish of gnocchi with various autumnal flavorings had caught our eye on the previous night, and we'd planned on ordering it upon our second visit, but they'd changed the menu and it was no longer available. We opted for a shared selection of a few sausages, two of their spreads, a salad, and bread on the side. This was easily enough food for two people, and we enjoyed making little open faced sandwiches with all the toppings.The sausages were presented with more of that fantastic housemade mustard, which we greatly enjoyed, and were boiled. I personally enjoy grilled sausages, but their flavors were bold and peppy. The Hungarian sausage was easily the more pungent of the two, with pork, beef, and paprika, and I found it a little rich for my tastes and could only finish half. However, it really combined well with the mustard, both being very intense flavors that played well together.

The bratwurst was my favorite of the two sausages, with pork and veal. It was mild and served as a juicy base for the sauces we put on top. It was garlicky and not too spicy or rich and had a dry but firm texture. Again, had this been grilled and in a bun, I would be hard pressed to not have returned for a lunch special! Especially with that mustard.For our spreads, we enjoyed two, a traditional liptauer, made with feta cheese, cream cheese, various spices, and most notably, carroway seed. This was present and gave the spread a quirky multi-dimensional effect not unlike time travel. It was creamy and tangy and was easily something I'd love to add to my morning bagel. It paired well with each sausage and made each even more divine. The texture wasn't weighty, it was whipped and rather delicate, making it easier to enjoy.The second spread was another I'd easily want to use on bagels and would have really savored in a roast beef sandwich. That was a horseradish walnut spread with a cream cheese base. It was a very versatile and surprisingly mild spread that benefited from a little mustard on top! I was a little taken aback that the horseradish played such a small role and was not typically spicy, but was pleased with the overall fresh effect it had on the spread as a whole. The walnuts were chopped up just enough to give the spread a nice crunch but not dislodge any teeth.With these small picnic-like foods, we shared a cucumber dill salad. This was a little less acidic than the pickled green tomatoes but was still a neutral and crunchy base to carry such a fresh flavor. The salad was both sweet and sour and was free of seeds, allowing it to remain firm and crispy.All of this food satiated us, because we also wanted to make room for dessert. This time, we shared a classic mohn torte, a traditional poppy seed cake. I tend to shy away from overly mawkish desserts, so I figured poppy seed would not only provide a nutty base, but be flavorful without saccharine. And it was! It was a crumbly cake dense with poppy seeds, probably a 50/50 ratio, with that luscious whipped cream.The cake needed no additional flavorings or garnishes and was perfect on its own. It was probably a little too crumbly for a portable breakfast cake, but I'd still love to eat this as an early morning or late night treat.Overall, we loved Dano's and if we ever end up returning to the Finger Lakes, would be delighted to return and enjoy more comforting, imaginative foods!