Peanuts

This week, spice up your free time with the chili cook-offs that are setting the country aflame. Whether you're looking for an epicurean adventure at the Bellagio, or something more along the lines of a back-country roadkill cook-off, you're in luck. Check out what's going on in your neck of the woods this week, and let us know if we've left anything off the list!

• Sante Fe, NM: Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta — Sept. 24-28
• Las Vegas, NV: Gourmet's Taste of Bellagio — Sept. 25
• New York, NY: Joy of Sake New York — Sept. 25
• Providence, RI: Food for Thought — Sept. 25
• London, KY: World Chicken Festival — Sept. 25-28

To see the rest, read more

The other day I was browsing the recipes on TeamSugar and this one by VirginSin caught my eye: Was it a breakfast item, a snack, or a dessert? I think the answer is all of the above! These bite-sized treats — a combination of cornflakes, honey, and peanuts — are served in paper cups making them a tasty, portion-controlled indulgence. The recipe calls for a few ingredients, all of which most likely already exist in your kitchen.

To make your own version, read more

• Anthony Edwards is returning to ER — in flashbacks. — TV Squad
• Uh-oh: Michael Cera says he hasn't heard about an Arrested Development movie. — Slashfilm
• Top Design's second season is off to a promising start. — CasaSugar
• A new live track from Spoon! — Stereogum
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is getting read aloud — in full! — in NYC. — Pop Candy
• The political side of our Curtis Sittenfeld interview. — CitizenSugar
• Remembering Bill Melendez, Peanuts animator and voice of Snoopy. — Popwatch

Source

If you're into bold meals, then this recipe won't bore you. The anchos, paprika, cumin, and coriander will bring earthy, spicy flavors into the mix. The coconut milk-based sauce mellows the heat.

If you can't locate anchos, which are dried poblano peppers, you can substitute ancho chile powder (not to be confused with chili powder, which is a mix of different spices). To enjoy this succulent pork, read more

I've been reporting from Comic-Con these past few days, but here's a hodgepodge of random extra bits and pieces from my weekend.

• There was a panel I basically happened to attend by accident, which ended up being for this spooky-looking movie The Wolf Man, due in theaters April 3, 2009. Then, to everyone's surprise, the stars of the film, Benicio Del Toro and Emily Blunt, came onstage to talk about it. I'll post the trailer soon, so more on the movie itself later, but for now, how cute is this picture?!
• The writers of The Office spoke to a packed house on Saturday, and while the 11 people on the panel (12 if you count moderator Rainn Wilson) felt like a few too many, there were plenty of funny moments, especially from BJ Novak, Michael Schur, and Mindy Kaling. I particularly liked this part of Novak's answer about why he likes writing for Michael Scott: "It's so interesting to see someone with authority be so innocent and so wrong."
• Also a winner from that panel: Schur's description of how Dwight would act in the event of an actual robot invasion. "He would cross his arms in the middle of the street as the robots marched down the street, shaking his head and saying 'I told you so!'"
• Yeah, the Heroes screening and Hugh Jackman appearance were cool — but one of my other favorite panels of the weekend was much, much smaller. On Friday, I got to hear some of the original voice actors from the classic Peanuts specials talk about what it was like to put together shows like A Charlie Brown Christmas and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown. Several of the specials will be out on remastered, special-feature-laden DVDs this Fall, and I can't wait! Eventually, they're hoping to bring all the specials (more than 40 of them!) to DVD.
• Also, some of the best trivia of the whole weekend came out of that panel: Did you know Fergie was once the voice of Charlie Brown's little sister, Sally? (For more Peanuts trivia, check out today's Brainteaser!)

To find out Seth Rogen's latest dirty comment and to see Zachary Levi's hand in a compromising position, read more

If you need a healthy, on-the-go lunch for the start of the week, use leftover grilled tofu to make a portable peanut wrap. The recipe only makes one serving, so if you are planning on making it for the whole family, you will need to adjust your measurements accordingly. To get this delicious recipe, which takes only 10 minutes to make, read more

Recently, I was treated to a box of Bouchon Bakery goodies with a gigantic Nutter Butter cookie in the box. Everyone knows the famous peanut-stamped cookie with peanut-butter-cream filling from their childhood, and this homemade version was delightfully gourmet. While I remember that Nutter Butters were delicious, these cookies, made by culinary legend Thomas Keller, were absolutely heavenly!
After a quick search, I came across the exact recipe and decided to experiment with my own Nutter Butter cookies. The recipe is easy, but requires time and patience. However, anything with this much butter is worth the wait! To learn how to bake these creamy, crunchy, and peanut buttery cookies, read more