Links, Products, To Buy / To Try

Erin Cooks the Internet: May 23, 2008

Because I don’t have enough useless tools and strange boxed mixes in my kitchen, Williams-Sonoma has gone and tempted me with the notion that I can make Animal Crackers at home. I just don’t think I could possibly be happy until I have a herd of lions, tigers, and bears prancing on my snack plate.

Buy Me!Remember when you were a kid and you’d watch Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and practically hurl during the scene when the snakes and chilled monkey brains were served at the sinister banquet? Well if you’re into movie nostalgia and the nasty bits you might want to check out this auction on eBay for an authentic monkey head prop from the film. It’s got a pretty steep price, but I guess it would be quite the conversation piece to serve ice cream in [link via Cinematical].

Once upon a time, for about 5 days I tried to be a vegetarian. I bought 10 pounds of books on the subject at Barnes and Noble and than proceeded to crave meat like it was my job over the next few days. On the fifth day I made CK take me to Boston Market where I promptly ate a Chicken Pot Pie. While my vegetarian attempt was a complete and utter failure I really do admire people who are able to follow through with it. To that end there’s a really excellent essay over at Slate you may want to check out. It’s a vegetarian’s take on what it’s like to be ostracized and misunderstood by your meat eating acquaintances [link via Herbivoracious].

I’ve been reading John Grisham novels since 7th grade. At that time I was convinced that I was going to be a lawyer. Obviously I was temporarily insane at that time in my life. Recently, one of Grisham’s latest books, Playing for Pizza, has been optioned to be made into a film. The story revolves around a down and out quarterback for the Cleveland Browns who takes a spot on an Italian football team in Parma, Italy. The book is full of incredibly vivid descriptions of the food and wine of the region so I’m sure the movie will have plenty of mouth watering shots of decadent dishes [link via Cinematical].

Proof that you really can have chickens in the suburbs. I guess there’s hope for us all to have “grammy eggs” of our own some day.

I like macaroni and cheese just as much as the next girl, but I definitely have to draw the line at macaroni and cheese in a can [link via Newlywed in Dubai].

I’ve never really been big on recipe cards, frankly what I like to use the most to cook with is my Macbook, but these extremely cheerful, colorful cards are so cute I might just have to invest in a few [link via Crafterbation].

A new cupcake shop has opened in Boston. Sweet is apparently charging $3.25 a piece for a regular cupcake. Obviously I am in the wrong business. Do you think I have enough experience to be a cupcake salesperson? Either way I’ll be heading on over soon to test out the sugary goods. [link via We Are Not Martha].

Top 5 Recipes I’m Dying To Try

Zucchini Faux Pasta with Italian Sausage from Elle at Elle’s New England Kitche
Erin’s special Peanut Butter Nutter Butter Birthday Cake at Two More Seconds
The Brown Sugar Banana Apple Monkey Bars made by Sharon at Culinary Adventures of a New Wife
Tiramisu Macarons from Weeva at Weevalicious Recipe
The serious snack of Peanut Butter Popcorn from Francie at Ramblings of a Frantic Home Cook