During last Saturday's freshly sunny afternoon the third floor of the Mall of Millenia Macy's was all a flutter with excitement buzzing directly from the Housewares section. The Iron Chef Cat Cora was about to arrive and perform a cooking demo executing a few dishes from her new Disney restaurant, Kouzzina by Cat Cora. The crowd was so thrilled, their fidgeting with seats, cameras, and cell phones signaled that they could hardly stand the anticipation to share an afternoon with their favorite celebrity chef.
In addition to a cook signing meet-and-greet, Cat was preparing an Ouzzotini, Brussels sprouts, and lamb burgers. I think we need to call Ripley's because believe it or not, these might be the world's smallest lamb burgers.
For the full menu and candid shots of the Queen Bee of Iron Chef America, check out the Full Cat Cora Cooking Demo Recap at my examiner.com/orlando blog.
My Kitschy Kitchen, From the Outside In
Oh my, oh my, what an entirely bad blogger am I? This summer I am embracing my preemptive mid-life crisis with vigor by completely turning everything about my life upside down and inside out. So, let me show you what this thing is all about. At twenty-eight years I've abandoned the career for which I have been trained via 7 years of college and three years of 'in the field' working experience to pursue all that I can be in the culinary world. This change was much more calculated since discovering blogging way back in 2008 rekindling my inner kitchen's fires in comparison to my fleeing of Florida in early July for my home state of Pennsylvania instantaneously leaving the last twelve years of my life behind me. So you see, my blogging regiment has been severely impaired.
Luckily my family, friends, and most importantly my heroic boyfriend back in Florida still love me dearly supporting wholeheartedly my dreams of bright lights, baked goods, and all around culinary immersion in New York City which is precisely where Pete and I will be when this summer draws to an end. But before September 1st, 2010 arrives, or my official first day as a New Yorker and my introduction to cooking in a pre-war kitchen with zero counter tops and storage arrives, I thought now would be the opportune time to pay homage to the kitchen of my rude culinary awakening. This past June when the Florida sunshine was blazing into our condo, I was staring at the kitchen admiring it's organization and it's truly one-of-a-kind decor. I purred to myself, "How lucky am I to have some much drawer space and interesting things to look at while I cook?" How lucky indeed. Of course at the moment inspiration struck I was pondering what mess I wanted to make in the kitchen on my day off, but seeing how pristine and unique this small alley kitchen looked I knew in half of a moment it must be documented in it's pre-meal state with expose photographs before I destroyed it with dinner and dessert.
To be honest, I am fully aware it's a cute and sometimes revolting cliche to package a post about kitchens and kitchen wares with the adjective 'kitschy,' yet I still can't help myself. I find my former Florida kitchen to be the new age of kitschy-ness with tattoo shop stickers, inappropriate and folk art, and a few hand-made plus vintage items rounding out our unique chop shop. Therefore, old friend, your time of true appreciation is at hand as I present My Kitchen Kitschy From the Outside In.
Looking directly into the alley. On the far left wall is an original art piece by Dan Tag and on the far right are hand-painted scrolls from India. One is a man and the other is a woman and both are bringing in the harvest to eat. Quite literal and I love it. The art piece about the door is an original by Pete Triolo and it's a pink AK-47 with a rose. He made that for me when I had a really bad day a work.
The Play Side. Our refrigerator has served as part of Pete's tattoo shop and artist and whatever else sticker collection and our combined amorous photo booth photos. We think it rules. Directly next to the fridge is most of my magic happens, or the prep counter also flanked by the oven. This design is clever because you are able to aptly move between the appliances as you cook.
The Business Side. Or, the alternate portion of My Kitschy Kitchen. Here you see the majority of the cabinetry, most often read cookbooks, utensil overflow, sink, counter top appliances, and dishwasher. Also, I would die without these two additional counter spaces. The 'censored' sign picture belongs to the Bitch Skull artwork previously pictured to make the decor more family-friendly in a moment's notice.
Now, let's take a closer look. These first pictures were like the breast exam portion of an OB/GYN visit, so let's get in there and look in the drawers and all around to see how this kitchen really works.
Paper and Textile Drawer. This is a deep drawer and allowed me to keep my recycled plastic shopping bags (for cleaning kittie boxes if you must know), to my extensive apron collection, to the essentials of foil and wax paper etc., to my towel linens, and finally to my crochet shopping bags.
Container Drawer. This is another deep drawer directly under the paper and linen drawer. My amount of accrued Tupperware is appalling, but at least it all fits!
Plate Ware Cabinet. Truly the contents of this cabinet is probably the closest to my heart for I used these items most frequently. The bottom shelf held bowls, small plates, my trusty hand mixer, measuring cups, and funnels. The second shelf up is large plate ware and the remainder of my cookbook collection including my mother's books from the 1970s. The third shelf held ramekins and decorative serving plates. Above that is the griddle, 9x12 baking dish with stand, and serving trays followed by the rest of my serving platter collection at the very top.
Cookbook Close-Up. I need my favorite cookbooks at a moment's notice so my most influential books are on my former counter for instant accessibility. Anchoring this micro-library is my recipe notebook for capturing spontaneous magic, followed by Italian Family Cooking by Anne Casale which is next to Sustainably Delicious by Chef Michel Nischan, and last but never least is Lidia's Italy by Lidia Matticchio Bastianach.
Small Pots Drawer. The stickers to the right indicate this is the set of drawers directly under my prep counter. The bottom drawer is the small pots drawer which also held the slow cooker my Grandmother gave me in the back right.
Snack Drawer. This drawer is above and is as deep as the small pots drawer. No kitchen is complete without a snack drawer or a snack shelf stuffed with your most favorite guilty pleasures. I am not only a foodie, but I am an eater so behold my snacks and ye without late-night binging cast the first stone!
Utensil Drawer. Of course it makes perfect organizational sense to have the utensil drawer directly under the prep counter space for maximized efficient cooking awesomeness.
My drawers have been bared, and their perfect little placements makes my Type A heart all a-flutter. While I will leave my former refrigerator's contents to wanton mystery, I will reveal other compartments of my cupboard-namely the baked goods and dry goods cabinets.
Dry Goods Pantry Cabinet. Essentially, the dry goods cabinet should contain at all times your go-to ingredients and staples of dry, packaged, or canned foods. My highlights include as many spice and seasonings as possible on the first shelf, several types of vinegars on the second shelf, San Marzano Tomatoes on the third shelf, and a hearty stock of dried cranberries at the tippy top.
Baking Goods Pantry Cabinet. This is the storage space I will miss most of all once a full NYC resident. All my baking needs neatly hanging out with each other directly over the oven, sigh. Isn't it beautiful? "What's so kitsch here?" you may be asking. Look to the upper left and you will see my retro cookie gun and pie slice saver. Both epicly useful in their own rights.
Thanks so much old friend for the meals, the memories, the a-ha's!, and the uh-oh's! Because we met, I am now a changed person forever and your place will be seared in my heart until I am a corpse. If no other resident sees and uses your vast potential for cooking and baking wonders, know that we had our moment in time totally in love with one another like The Notebook or Love Story or Twilight. And lastly, don't it always seem to go that you dont' know what you've got 'til it's gone? Know that I will miss you when I have no where to put down a hot pot, or am climbing a step stool every time I need anything from the only shelves in the whole place that are so damn high up, or even when a pilot light goes out. Stay golden, and stay kitsch. Love Always, Rachel.
Cream Cheese Capers Pt. 3, Acorn Squash Dip
When the second Cream Cheese Caper, or the Three Cheese Buffalo Burger Pizza , was also rejected I was instantly dejected followed by a rousing burst of resolution to be a Real Women of Philadelphia so I thought I'd bring out the big guns-Mama. Seeing as how the second and final entry round for Appetizers in the Real Women of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Contest fell in the same exact week as Mother's Day, I thought I'd play up the current event by submitting my Mama's Acorn Squash Dip. Truly I was jazzed with this entry investing entirely in the superstition of threes. This is my third entered video recipe. This dish has three major qualities which would of course resonate with Mizz Paula Deen and the family-friendly people at Philadelphia Cream Cheese: its a family passed-down recipe accompanied with memories of celebrations past, its presentation is fun and produces no waste of the main ingredient, and of course it tastes banging with nearly any dipping food item!
By this point, I am sure we can all guess what happened in the end. I bet on my trifecta straight to win and wound up bitterly tearing up my ticket. This recipe too was not selected as a finalist for The Real Women of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Contest. But what can I say that honestly hasn't already been said by losers throughout the eons? I laughed, I cried, I ate and yea, I guess I had a lot of fun participating too. Which of course I kind of resent.
So there you have it my Foodie & Foodettes! The Chronicles of my Cream Cheese Capers ends in learning more about myself without a kick-ass resume builder. Yet we live to cook, bake, and most importantly eat for another day. Further perusing of this post will provide the recipe for Mama's Acorn Squash Dip as well as the recipe video demonstrating prepare the acorn squash for the flesh as well as the dip vessel.
Mama's Acorn Squash Dip is all dressed up and ready to go!
Over medium-high heat in a deep pot, add 3 cups of water and cover.
Clean the acorn squash by washing and drying it, then cut a small piece off the bottom so the squash has a level bottom allowing it to stand on its own.
Cut the top Using a paring knife, cut a circle into the top of the acorn squash through the flesh. Pull out the cut portion and clean out all of the seeds inside.
Place the squash top-side down into the pot of boiling water. Half-cover and let steam for 15-20 minutes.
Put the walnuts in a sandwich bag, and using a meat tenderizer pound on the bag until a nut crumble is achieved.
Run your knife a few times through the dry chopped dates, set aside.
Slice cheeses, breads, cut vegetables, or prepare whatever dipping items you choose will accompany this dip on the final serving platter.
At 15 minutes, pierce the squash with a fork and if the flesh is easily pierced, take the squash out of the pot. If not, leave it in up to 5 minutes more.
Put the hot acorn squash into a small bowl so you can easily maneuver the squash without burning your fingers while you extract the cooked squash flesh. Using a fork or a spoon, gently scope out as much flesh as you can without compromising the integrity of the shell. If the shell cracks slightly, its no big deal and it will still function wonderfully as the dip vessel.
In a mixing bowl, add the softened Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese, the cooked acorn squash, walnut crumble, chopped dates, dark brown sugar, salt and pepper and mix for 3-4 minutes with a fork to thoroughly combine.
Arrange your serving platter with your selected dipping items being sure to put the acorn squash shell in the center and propping the lid up on the side of the shell or askew on top. Spoon the dip into the shell and serve. I promise on my Mama any guest is going to love dipping into this Philadelphia Cream Cheese appetizer!
Cream Cheese Capers Pt. 2, Buffalo Burger Pizza
Energized by the fun and the flavors of my first Real Women of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Recipe Contest Entry, the Peach and Strawberry Parfait, I quickly got down to business on my second entry and this time I went for the entree category. My second Cream Cheese Caper dish is a Three Cheese Buffalo Burger Pizza. This pizza seemed like a winner because of it's easy preparation, creative twist on old familiar favorites (buffalo bleu cheese burger and pizza), and a fat punch to the face of flavor in addition to its witty, tongue-in-cheek dish name for possessing both a traditional buffalo wing sauce and buffalo or bison meat. However, the cold hard truth of the world is 'seemed' like a winner, doesn't make it so. Paula and the RWOP crew passed over this pizza, but might I suggest you possibly giving it another look on a busy weekday night.
Using pre-baked crusts or pre-made pizza dough to make signature pizzas at home is an essential dinner go-to during the week for me. True, the mastery skill of cultivating your own special version of pizza dough will not be achieved but the ability to use the food items already in your home in very creative ways stimulates the mind, the belly, and the bottom line. Check out some of Tha Pizza Cutta's (my alter ego and alias that I made up myself, so it's not a huge cool factor contributor) greatest pizza hits: BBQ Buffalo Chicken Pizza, Creamed Onions Pesto Pizza, and Mini-Mexican Pizzas.
Not only did I put my all in this recipe pouring over every last step of my script, er um, I mean my recipe until it was perfect. I thought my next recipe video needed an entrance. So there. Don't say I didn't warn you. Now, for the Three Cheese Buffalo Burger Recipe and accompanying video.
Recipe, Serving Size-1 large pizza, 2-3 people.
1 Large Pre-baked pizza crust, try to get around 12"
1 lb buffalo or bison meat or lean ground beef
2 cups fresh baby spinach
3 oz. 1/3 Less Fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
3/4 blue cheese crumbles
3/4 finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
6 tbl hot sauce
4 tbl melted butter
1/4 wedge of a medium lemon
2 tbl olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Put 2 tbl of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
Season the bison or beef with the Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly with your hands.
Add the seasoned meat to the hot pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Turn the heat down slightly to medium and add the chopped red onion.
Cook for 4-6 minutes more.
Remove from the heat and using a slotted spoon, take the meat from the pan to a plate with a paper towel on top to allow the oils to drain.
Roughly chop the fresh baby spinach.
Take out the pizza crust and smear the 3 oz of 1/3 Less Fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese all over the crust evenly.
Cover the cream cheese with all of the chopped spinach followed by the cooked buffalo or beef burger, then the blue cheese crumbles, and finally the finely shredded cheddar cheese.
Be sure to sprinkle the cheddar cheese all the way to the edges of the crust binding all of the ingredients to the crust.
Place the pizza directly on the top rack in the 375 degree oven.
Be sure the bottom over rack is covered in tinfoil protecting the bottom of the oven from pizza debris.
Bake the pizza for 30 minutes.
While the pizza is baking, prepare the homemade tangy buffalo wing sauce.
Melt 4 tbl. butter in a small bowl. Add 6 tbl. hot sauce to the melted butter.
Juice the lemon wedge into the bowl and whisk the sauce together.
Transfer to a gravy boat or a salad dressing or condiment bottle.
Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer it to a board covered in parchment paper and let cool 5-10 minutes.
Slice up the pizza, drizzle some buffalo sauce, and commence enjoying!
There is only one more Cream Cheese Caper to go and it's from the heart, so you don't want to miss it!
Cream Cheese Capers Pt. 1, Peach & Strawberry Parfait
Four weeks. I have not posted for four full weeks. Basically at this point I am considered deceased in the 24/7 instantaneous blogging world, but I really always loved the idea of posthumously being published so let's cook and write from the grave, shall we?
There are innumerable reasons why a person takes a break from their blog, but I am only going to reveal one. In all honesty, I was a bit crushed I didn't qualify as a finalist in any of the rounds or categories for The Real Women of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Recipe Contest. All contestants had to submit a video of their dish in under 10 minutes. Having never taped myself in the kitchen this new challenge promoted my creative juices to overfloweth with ideas (which is ever harder when operating as a corpse), and I took to this contest with great zeal thinking I had a good chance at turning my cream cheese capers into a prize-winning recipe. The contest circuit up until this point has not been kind to me, but I love cream cheese, I'm from Philadelphia, and earlier this year I recipe tested several Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipes at their request. I thought this contest cat was in my cream cheese caper bag! But as Dr. Cox famously says/sings on Scrubs, the TV show we all hate to love, "Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. You're wrong. You're wrong," (sung in a melody befitting an over-inflated ego.)
In total I submitted three recipe videos featuring Philadelphia Cream Cheese. The first, or Part 1, of my Cream Cheese Caper dishes is my Peach and Strawberry Parfait. Since summer 2009 after accidentally creating a Peaches-n-Cream verrines-style dessert, I've enjoyed the contained look of a layered dessert in a glass (remember my Valentine's Champagne & Roses?) and thought it was a serving style unique to the regular cream cheese dessert offerings of pies, cakes, cookies, etc. PCC, however, didn't care for my twist and put the first nail in my Real Women of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Recipe Contest cream cheese caper coffin.
Today lifesafeast tweeted the question, "Do you blog your failures?" And I tweeted back that I haven't truly thought about it, and then today writing this post I realized the Chocolate Fruit Salad Piewas a failure. It too was for a contest and it too did not place. So, lifesafeast, please let me redact my original tweet. I do in fact post my failures because thank God food is so subjective someone somewhere out there might just the caper you've created.
The video is probably the juiciest bit, so please enjoy it (by enjoy I mean laugh at). (recipe in writing follows)
Strawberry Peach Parfait Recipe
Total Prep & Cooking Time - 1 hour
Serves - 4
Mousse
8oz. Philadelphia Strawberry Cream Cheese
1/2 confectioner's sugar
2 tbl sugar free strawberry preserves
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 drop red or pink food coloring
1 cup chilled whipping cream
Roasted Peaches
4 medium fresh peaches
1-2 lemon wedges
1 tbl melted butter
cinnamon
1 tsp light brown sugar
Topping
1 cup granola
1/2 cup whole pecans
6-9 fresh strawberries
fresh mint
For the Mousse:
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, strawberry preserves, and vanilla extract until fluffy. About 3-4 minutes.
In a another mixing bowl (preferably chilled) whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. About 5-6 minutes.
Begin to add the whipping cream in batches to the cream cheese mixture using a rubber spatula and using a folding motion only. Fold until whipped cream is incorporated. At the 2nd batch, add 1 drop of food coloring, and fold with whipped cream until incorporated.
Fold in the third and final batch of whipped cream. Cover and chill.
For the Roasted Peaches:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
Clean, halve, and remove the pits from the peaches. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice.
Melt the butter and using a brush, brush all the halves with butter on both sides. Sprinkle cinnamon on both sides of the halves, and the light brown sugar.
Place flesh side down on the baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes. You are looking for a softer texture, so at 15 minutes pierce with a fork and keep them in a few minutes longer if they are not yet soft enough.
Remove from oven and set aside.
For the Topping:
Put the granola in a small mixing bowl. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, put the 1/2 cup pecans in a sandwich bag, seal it, and on a wood or equally sturdy surface, pound the nuts for about a minute yielding a chunky, chopped nut. Add into mixing bowl.
Cut 6-8 clean fresh strawberries by first slicing horizontally info about four slices, and then cut those slices twice length-wise for a fast and pretty consistent chop.
Add to the mixing bowl and quickly using your hands, mix the topping together.
For the Parfait:
In a large, deep wine glass, or in a mason jar if you and yours are going on a picnic and you want to take this summery dessert out to your summery destination to enjoy, first put the cooled roasted peach half.
Using a silverware tablespoon, spoon 3 heaps of chilled mousse on to the peach half.
Top with topping until the rim of the glass or jar is reached.
Garnish with full mint leaves and serve.
Stay glued for Part 2 of my Cream Cheese Capers, Blue Cheese Buffalo Burger Pizza.
My Kitschy Kitchen, From the Outside In
Oh my, oh my, what an entirely bad blogger am I? This summer I am embracing my preemptive mid-life crisis with vigor by completely turning everything about my life upside down and inside out. So, let me show you what this thing is all about. At twenty-eight years I've abandoned the career for which I have been trained via 7 years of college and three years of 'in the field' working experience to pursue all that I can be in the culinary world. This change was much more calculated since discovering blogging way back in 2008 rekindling my inner kitchen's fires in comparison to my fleeing of Florida in early July for my home state of Pennsylvania instantaneously leaving the last twelve years of my life behind me. So you see, my blogging regiment has been severely impaired.
Luckily my family, friends, and most importantly my heroic boyfriend back in Florida still love me dearly supporting wholeheartedly my dreams of bright lights, baked goods, and all around culinary immersion in New York City which is precisely where Pete and I will be when this summer draws to an end. But before September 1st, 2010 arrives, or my official first day as a New Yorker and my introduction to cooking in a pre-war kitchen with zero counter tops and storage arrives, I thought now would be the opportune time to pay homage to the kitchen of my rude culinary awakening. This past June when the Florida sunshine was blazing into our condo, I was staring at the kitchen admiring it's organization and it's truly one-of-a-kind decor. I purred to myself, "How lucky am I to have some much drawer space and interesting things to look at while I cook?" How lucky indeed. Of course at the moment inspiration struck I was pondering what mess I wanted to make in the kitchen on my day off, but seeing how pristine and unique this small alley kitchen looked I knew in half of a moment it must be documented in it's pre-meal state with expose photographs before I destroyed it with dinner and dessert.
To be honest, I am fully aware it's a cute and sometimes revolting cliche to package a post about kitchens and kitchen wares with the adjective 'kitschy,' yet I still can't help myself. I find my former Florida kitchen to be the new age of kitschy-ness with tattoo shop stickers, inappropriate and folk art, and a few hand-made plus vintage items rounding out our unique chop shop. Therefore, old friend, your time of true appreciation is at hand as I present My Kitchen Kitschy From the Outside In.
Looking directly into the alley. On the far left wall is an original art piece by Dan Tag and on the far right are hand-painted scrolls from India. One is a man and the other is a woman and both are bringing in the harvest to eat. Quite literal and I love it. The art piece about the door is an original by Pete Triolo and it's a pink AK-47 with a rose. He made that for me when I had a really bad day a work.
The Play Side. Our refrigerator has served as part of Pete's tattoo shop and artist and whatever else sticker collection and our combined amorous photo booth photos. We think it rules. Directly next to the fridge is most of my magic happens, or the prep counter also flanked by the oven. This design is clever because you are able to aptly move between the appliances as you cook.
The Business Side. Or, the alternate portion of My Kitschy Kitchen. Here you see the majority of the cabinetry, most often read cookbooks, utensil overflow, sink, counter top appliances, and dishwasher. Also, I would die without these two additional counter spaces. The 'censored' sign picture belongs to the Bitch Skull artwork previously pictured to make the decor more family-friendly in a moment's notice.
Now, let's take a closer look. These first pictures were like the breast exam portion of an OB/GYN visit, so let's get in there and look in the drawers and all around to see how this kitchen really works.
Paper and Textile Drawer. This is a deep drawer and allowed me to keep my recycled plastic shopping bags (for cleaning kittie boxes if you must know), to my extensive apron collection, to the essentials of foil and wax paper etc., to my towel linens, and finally to my crochet shopping bags.
Container Drawer. This is another deep drawer directly under the paper and linen drawer. My amount of accrued Tupperware is appalling, but at least it all fits!
Plate Ware Cabinet. Truly the contents of this cabinet is probably the closest to my heart for I used these items most frequently. The bottom shelf held bowls, small plates, my trusty hand mixer, measuring cups, and funnels. The second shelf up is large plate ware and the remainder of my cookbook collection including my mother's books from the 1970s. The third shelf held ramekins and decorative serving plates. Above that is the griddle, 9x12 baking dish with stand, and serving trays followed by the rest of my serving platter collection at the very top.
Cookbook Close-Up. I need my favorite cookbooks at a moment's notice so my most influential books are on my former counter for instant accessibility. Anchoring this micro-library is my recipe notebook for capturing spontaneous magic, followed by Italian Family Cooking by Anne Casale which is next to Sustainably Delicious by Chef Michel Nischan, and last but never least is Lidia's Italy by Lidia Matticchio Bastianach.
Small Pots Drawer. The stickers to the right indicate this is the set of drawers directly under my prep counter. The bottom drawer is the small pots drawer which also held the slow cooker my Grandmother gave me in the back right.
Snack Drawer. This drawer is above and is as deep as the small pots drawer. No kitchen is complete without a snack drawer or a snack shelf stuffed with your most favorite guilty pleasures. I am not only a foodie, but I am an eater so behold my snacks and ye without late-night binging cast the first stone!
Utensil Drawer. Of course it makes perfect organizational sense to have the utensil drawer directly under the prep counter space for maximized efficient cooking awesomeness.
Dry Goods Pantry Cabinet. Essentially, the dry goods cabinet should contain at all times your go-to ingredients and staples of dry, packaged, or canned foods. My highlights include as many spice and seasonings as possible on the first shelf, several types of vinegars on the second shelf, San Marzano Tomatoes on the third shelf, and a hearty stock of dried cranberries at the tippy top.
Baking Goods Pantry Cabinet. This is the storage space I will miss most of all once a full NYC resident. All my baking needs neatly hanging out with each other directly over the oven, sigh. Isn't it beautiful? "What's so kitsch here?" you may be asking. Look to the upper left and you will see my retro cookie gun and pie slice saver. Both epicly useful in their own rights.