And I Thought My Car Was Messy

We parked next to this car in the parking garage. Hoarding...I both fear it and am fascinated by it.

front seat

back seat

Chocolate Mousse Pie with a Secret Ingredient

I saw the title above on lovefoodeat blog and I immediately thought of Minnie's chocolate pie in the novel The Help and said to myself "Oh, I hope this recipe doesn't have Minnie's secret ingredient."

Ingredients:

For the crust

• 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 5-6 tbsp cold water

For the mousse

• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup beet puree

To make the pie crust first place the coconut oil in the freezer/refrigerator till it’s solid and looks like butter. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and the coconut oil and slowly combine with your fingers. When it resembles bread crumbs add enough cold water to make dough. Keep it in the refrigerator for 20-30 mins. Roll it into ¼ inch thickness and place it in the pie plate. Use your hand to put it together if it breaks or tears. Bake the crust at 210°C for 8-10 minutes or till golden brown. Let it cool completely.

Peel and boil beets till soft and blend it into a smooth puree. Melt the chocolate using a double boiler till smooth. Turn off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Now add the beet puree and mix well.

Pour this chocolate beet mixture into the prepared pie crust and smoothen the surface with a flat spoon. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours till it completely sets. If you want it to be not too soft you can even put it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes till it hardens a little.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream or eat it plain.

*Good recipe for you vegetarian friends.  

In-N-Out Goes International

I was browsing food blogs this morning and I came across this amusing bit from Serious Eats. This must be the elusive "secret menu" we keep hearing about.

Our San Francisco correspondent David Kover recently went on a trip to Ecuador where he spotted this unofficial In-N-Out in Quito whose menu featured pork chops, fried fish, and empanadas to go along with the burgers.

Update: Here's a photo of some of the menu offerings from David:

http://aht.seriouseats.com/