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If you wanted to travel from Yokohama, Japan to San Francisco like Phileas Fogg had in the book 80 Days Around the World you might be surprised to find out that the length of time to travel that distance hasn’t changed much since 1872. Todays journey would take about 20 days with a wide arc running through Alaska, Canada or both. San Francisco is where Fogg and Passepartout begin their journey across the United States by train and they take a train for good reason. The Canadian transcontinental railroad wouldn’t be around until 1885 and the American highway system wouldn’t exist until 1926. So, the American rail really was the fastest route. The journey across the States was filled with as much adventure as the rest of his visits and the pair would hit several cities including Salt Lake City, Medicine Bow, Omaha, Chicago and New York City. So, what would Fogg do with his Toastilla when in San Francisco? Clam chowder of course! Toastilla’s Clam ChowderWe know what you’re thinking here, and believe us, we didn’t think this would work either. But, with a little creativity we actually pulled off a Toastilla Clam Chowder recipe. The hashbrowns help to soak up some of the chowder, but hold in the flavor and the avocado adds a little more creamy California to the recipe. As they say in Northern California, “It’s hella good!”
Directions What makes this work is blending the cooked hashbrowns and clam chowder so that it is both creamy, yet not too soupy. So we recommend cooking the hashbrowns until slightly crisp, and then add clam chowder until your personal creaminess is achieved. We both like to have a good amount of hash brown, but also have a friend who tried this recipe and used hardly any potato at all. While we were as surprised as the next person, there are actually sourdough tortillas out there. Admittedly, we didn’t try them. More because of time than anything else, because they are definitely on our grocery list. Anyway, start with a tortilla, and layer thin slices of avocado, topped with the clam chowder and hashbrown mix. Fold and toast. Why avocado? Well, for starters it’s as San Francisco as clam chowder and sourdough. Second, it adds a bit more creaminess and texture to the Toastilla. It really is a great addition. So, enjoy your short stay in San Francisco. Phineas and friend will see you on the flip side 4,000 miles away in New York!
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Sure, there is a pi-day (March 14 for the non-scientists out there), but when it comes to pie few days can compete with May 13--National Apple Pie Day. Believe it or not, America’s favorite pie was first mentioned over a hundred years before Columbus sailed for the New World. The first printed recipe appeared in England around 1381 and included good apples, good spices, figs, raisins, pears, saffron and cofyn which is a freestanding and often rectangular pie crust. Alone, that recipe sounds pretty good, but it is not the “American as apple pie” we know today. From Southern ovens to Midwestern home cooking, apple pie is considered the one food that makes you feel like you’re home. In fact, a quick Google search of the most American foods found five websites on the first page that listed apple pie as one of the top. But, just because we love apple pie here in the states doesn’t mean this isn’t a well-loved pastry across the Atlantic. There are actually dozens of varieties from the French version which is served upside-down to the Dutch which includes lemon juice. Considering that when America was first settled by Europeans the only type of apple trees that existed were small and tart crab apples. So, we do owe a debt of gratitude to the English, Dutch and Swedes who introduced the pie to the colonies during the 17th and 18th centuries. So, in celebration of our favorite dessert check out Toastilla’s Apple Pie Recipe. Don’t forget the vanilla bean ice cream and whipped cream!
So, yup, this day’s name is worth repeating over and over—Eat what you want day! Eat What You Want Day was started by Thomas and Ruth Roy of Wellcat.com. Their reasoning is to help people break away from the “frustrating health and diet trends of our times, if for only one day, and just let go and enjoy life a little.” And frankly, this isn’t a new idea. Most nutritionists, weight loss and health experts share this same thought. Occasional breaks may actually be good for the body, especially if you are on a weight-loss or calorie deficit type of diet. The belief is that if you are forcing yourself to eat low-calorie foods everyday you are more likely to break your diet or to eventually binge eat as your motivation and focus wear away. Giving yourself an occasional break provides both the focus to continue with your diet knowing a break is soon to come, as well as the motivation to continue with your diet as you know a break is around the corner. So, at Toastilla, we want to look at the best worst foods you’ll find on the planet—thank you State Fairs! Today we will give you our list of favorite best worst State Fair foods that you could easily turn into a Toastilla. Directions need not apply, because this is a day for you to do what you want. Do you want to mix fried candy bars and Twinkies—do it! Do you want to mix smothered French fries and chili dogs? That’s your business. Are corn dogs, mayo and pickles your thing? Don’t let anyone stop you! Just like any line at the state or county fair there is no order on this list. Frankly, we couldn’t decide which foods could take the top spot—and you’ll have to trust us when we say we tried. Toastilla’s Best Worst State Fair Foods for Your Toaster:
Fried and pickled mac and cheese: So, I swear, pickles aren’t going to be part of every food on this list. But, this is better than you think. First things first, coat sliced dill pickles in your favorite frying batter. Fry the pickles crisp. Then add mac and cheese and the pickles to a tortilla, fold and toast. Seriously, good eats.
Bacon Wrapped Corn: Okay, this is awesome! Of course, you’ll want to fry the bacon ahead of time. With the corn we like to slice the corn kernels directly from the sweet corn cob. If you’re good you can cut a “sheet” of corn which for some reason seems like it would taste better. Add a little salt, pepper, and butter your tortilla and you have something real special here.
Drunken Pickle Poppers: To be “fair” it’s not our fault that state fairs love pickles. This one is worth it though. Fried pickle slices, cream cheese, and jalapenos. It’s worth the burn.
So, our series, Around the World in 80 Days, finds our dynamic duo Phileas Fogg and Passepartout in Yokohama, Japan boarding the General Grant for the transpacific crossing to San Francisco. Passepartout gets in a bit of a scuffle both on and off ship, but the two are once again enroute on a steamer that will take 22 days to cross the vast ocean. So, what do they do with their time? Well, we suspect they pull out their handy toaster and begin showing off their fun little kitchen gadget—the Toastilla. From Japan to California we naturally suspect that Fogg crossed cultural boundaries with their cuisine starting with the California roll. Toastilla’s California Roll
Directions:
We like to use a spinach tortilla because it reminds us of seaweed—go figure! While we won’t be rolling out Toastilla we will be layering the ingredients between a sticky rice. You’ll want to steam your rice ahead of time, as well as slice cucumbers and avocado. Spread a layer of rice in the center of the tortilla. Rudy loves more than just a little flavor in his food so he suggests adding a bit of soy sauce to the rice. Top with crab, cucumber and avocado, then another layer of rice. Top the final layer of rice with Sriracha sauce for a flavorful kick. In 22 days, Phineas and Passepartout finally hit the United States as the General Grant comes to port in San Francisco. But, with Scotland Yard in pursuit and Passepartout curiously doubting his loyalties, the US is sure to be an interesting part of the journey. When you think May 5th, you are likely thinking Cinco de Mayo. But, something else is going on that day and if you’re travelling through Philadelphia you won’t miss it. May 5th is World Hoagie day. For those of you who don’t know what a Hoagie is, this might help you out. Hoagies also go by the names sub, grinder, hero, spuckie, po’ boy and wedge. Get it? So, really, the start of a Hoagie begins with the history of the sandwich: During the 18th-century the Earl of Sandwich (Yeah, that’s real), had asked his staff to prepare a meal with meat filled between two ends of bread. While rumors persist to this day as to why he wanted these quick meals—potentially for his gambling addiction—his family still insists that he was just a busy man who needed a busy meal. Of course, now, sandwiches are one of the most popular meals in the Western world. But, what’s going on with the hoagie and all these names for the same sandwich. It all comes down to location, location, location! Po’ boys get their name from a streetcar strike in 1929, the Hero became popular through a popular New York newspaper food column in 1936, the Grinder is a New England term for the difficulty to bite through the chewy bread, and a submarine “sub”—well, duh!
So, what about the Hoagie then? How did the name come to be? Well, there are a couple stories: 1. The Philadelphia Navy Yard was once called Hog Island and the workers called “hoggies.” The name is rumored to have come from the Italian workers who ate so many of these sandwiches that the hoagie eventually derived from the hoggie. 2. The second possibility is that the hoagie was named for the Irish Navy yard workers who with a common last name of “Hogan” eventually led to hoagie. 3. The third story, also from Hogan, was again the Navy yard. In this story a man named Hogan asked a buddy of his, who was always chowing down on these sandwiches, if his wife could make him an extra one each day—the name stuck. 4. The fourth, and possibly the most reliable came from Al De Palma—Jazz musician turned sandwich shop owner. De Palma, in his early years, saw a couple buds eating a sub sandwich and made the comment, “You gotta be a hog to eat one of those.” Naturally, he opened a sub shop years later, then an entire chain of them, naming his biggest sandwiches “hoggies.” So, there you have it! From hoggies to hoagies. On May 5th you could test out your Toastilla by making a Toastilla with popular hoagie fillings—steak, onion, peppers, cheese—mmm! But, you know what? We get it. It’s hard to compete with a hoagie remake on hoagie day. So, take a day off from your Toastilla—just one, only one—and go out to grab a delicious hoagie. You deserve it.
We’ve all had that dreaded feeling of missing an appointment or trip, being late to work or calling in sick to class when we forgot we were having finals. For Phineas Fogg, despite his calm disposition we can only imagine the stakes he would have faced had he actually missed his trip on The Rangoon to Hong Kong. Lucky for delays. Am I right? While in Hong Kong Fix, the detective chasing Fogg, confides his real mission to Fogg’s faithful friend, Passepartout. Of course, it goes without belief to Passepartout. So, with all this going on only a few weeks into the journey it was hitting us pretty hard on what kind of recipe to add to Fogg’s Hong Kong trip. Finally, deliberating over the libation and opium which was popular in this chapter, we opted for something less -- ilegal! If Phineas was in Hong Kong there is no doubt he would have added sweet and sour pork to his Toastilla, and so naturally, that’s where we went. Toastilla’s Sweet and Sour Pork Pocket
Directions:
This is a simple recipe and one you’ll likely add to your Chinese take out day. Sweet and sour pork is easy to find whether you grab take out from your local Chinese restaurant or hit the frozen dinner section of the local grocery. We actually pick up rice with our order so we don’t have to steam rice at home. Since the pork chunks can sometimes be a little big we slice or chop them down a little before adding to the tortilla. If your local restaurant doesn’t already have sauce mixed in, add it to your pork. Then top with rice, edamame and water chestnuts for a nice crunch. Rudy loves the crunch almost as much as gooeyness! Almost! While this Toastilla tastes great as is, you can also dip it into a sweet and sour sauce much like you would an egg roll. Today’s unique day in history is Shakespeare’s birthday and boy does he offer up a few good ideas when it comes to Elizabethan cuisine. Okay, so how are we going to incorporate the passionate writer of poem and stage? Through the written word of course! In celebration of Shakespeare we are going to catch a phrase from one of his hundreds of quotes and point to a Toastilla recipe that might peak your interest. So, whether you celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday by speaking Old English all day, by reading in a field of strawberries, catching Romeo and Juliet at the local theater or getting sexy with your loved one here are some recipes to help you along. Antony and Cleopatra: Act 2, Scene 1 “Eight wild boars roasted whole at breakfast, but twelve persons there.” So, this is a problem isn’t it. Eight plates for twelve people. And you know what my first thought is? Our three pork, veal and beef Rao’s meatball recipe would be a great alternative. And so for Antony and Cleopatra we serve up our Meatball Toastilla which is a merge of meats with an Italian sauce complimentary of Antony’s Rome.
Twelfth Night: Act 1, Scene 3 “I am a great eater of beef and I believe that does harm to my wit.” I am a great eater of beef too! One of our first Toastilla recipe published on our site was the Roast Beef and Cheddar Toastilla Pocket. It’s not only simple, but is a great way to settle down for the night. Your only problem is going to be stopping with just one, but then again why would you. Since our first recipe Rudy was playing around and offers a little more to this recipe, and no, it’s not Sriracha. Although, you’d be close. To beef up this recipe add a little horseradish. The bold and spicy flavor really adds a nice flavor and kick to this family standby.
Richard III: Act 3, Scene 4 “My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn I saw good strawberries in your garden there; I do beseech you send for some of them.” Who doesn’t love strawberries and for some reason Shakespeare’s sonnets have always reminded me of a field of strawberries, a picnic and a lightly sweet strawberry wine. So, whether you are heading out for spring berry picking or relaxing out on the front porch, enjoy this quote from Richard III with our Fresh Berry Toastilla Pocket.
Romeo and Juliet: Act 4, Scene 4 “They call for dates and quinces in the pastry.” I was excited for this quote because one of my favorite “new” Toastillas is the Figgy Almond Toastilla. It’s based on an old Italian recipe and has almonds, cream cheese, figs and honey. It does have an old world feel to it, and is highly likened to this Romeo and Juliet quote. This recipe was featured on February 16, 2018’s Almond Day.  Twelfth Night: Act 2, Scene 3 “Do you think because you are virtuous, that there shall be no more cakes and ale?” We actually had a few Toastilla’s to pick from on this list. We might be stretching it a bit with pie recipes, but with the tortilla and our favorite Biscoff cookie we often find comments from friends and family about how these sweet Toastillas reflect a cake. So, on the Twelfth Night we like the idea of our Manic Monday Toastilla which celebrated the Bangles ‘86 hit song from March 19. The Toastilla has cream cheese, blueberries, Biscoff cookies and honey. The ingredient list alone is enough to tempt your pleasure. While there are a couple ales that fit this sweet cake we really enjoy it with a buttery Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.  One of the things about our series Unique Day in History is that it makes me a boss when it comes to trivia night. Today’s unique event was the first detective novel, written April 20, 1841 by none other than Edgar Allen Poe. Murders in the Rue Morgue first appeared in Graham’s Lady’s and Gentleman’s Magazine. It is considered by most historians of literature to be the first published detective story. It is based on a man named Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin who is known for his “analytical powers” or dedcution, reasoning and perception. The story is also told by the protagonist’s roommate. Sound familiar? The story is thought by many to be the inspiration for Arthur Connan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Shortly after this story followed Doyle, Agathy Christie and dozens of other writers who popularized the most popular genre in story-telling. In celebrating the first detective story, we will step into the kitchen of a later tale of fiction and join Sherlock Holmes for breakfast. If you’re a fan of Holmes you’ll know that many of his stories begin at breakfast with silver domed trays of food situated on a table for Holmes and Watson. We’ll save you the Kidneys and move straight to the eggs and ham. So, pour yourself a piping hot cup of Joe and join Holmes and Watson with this Toastilla.
Directions:
After scrambling your eggs add a little bottled or dry curry to the scramble. It’s nice if the egg is a little moist, which is why we prefer the bottled curry which can be found in the Indian or Asian section of your grocery. Once curry has been added to the egg, add the diced ham and fold in. Add the egg and ham mixture to your tortilla and top with thin slices od onion. We prefer a sweeter onion like vidalia. Fold and toast on one cycle. Serve with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. As part of our Around the World in 80 Days series we find Phileas Fogg and Passepartout - Toaster in hand - approaching Calcutta, India with a woman they recently saved in the jungle. Before moving onto Hong Kong, our duo find theirselves in a bit of a predicament having entered a sacred Hindu Temple. It’ll cost them both time and money, but they make it through in time to catch the steamer Rangoon to Hong Kong as well as pull out their toaster to enjoy a Calcutta-style Toastilla. Calcutta is really the king of street foods and one of the most common are Kathi Rolls which are think roti flatbread topped with ingredients and rolled. My stomach is rolling in hunger just thinking about them.
Directions: I prefer to steam the first four ingredients together in our rice cooker, however, you can also add a little olive oil and saute the ingredients until the potatoes are cooked through. Once the ingredients are fully cooked add the Masala sauce which you can find pre-made in the Indian or Asian section or your grocery store. Add the mixture to your tortilla, wrap and toast one cycle. As the Toastilla is toasting saute a few thin slices of onion in a pan and sprinkle chili powder onto the onion. The onion should be done by the time the Toastilla pops in your toaster. Top Toastilla with shredded cheese and the onion. This is another recipe that works well with sauces. Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream are nice additions. Stay tuned as our well-fed travelers venture to Hong Kong on their adventure Around the World in 80 days.
Who would have known that April is BLT month? Until we got our national celebration day calendar we sure didn’t. But, that doesn’t mean we won’t dig right into one of our favorite sandwiches with what we like to call a Toastilla re-boot. Come to think of it, as much as we enjoy BLTs it wasn’t until writing this post that I realize how little I knew about the sandwich, or how it is served. When I think of BLT I think of spring days, cool crisp lettuce, chilled tomato slices and warm crispy bacon. It’s a go-to at restaurants when I’m feeling indecisive and a fun way for to have the kids help with dinner. It wasn’t until I was at a restaurant recently that I tried a warm BLT salad. The warm part is what caught my attention - and it was delicious! I went home and started looking up warm BLTs and came across a ton of recipes from dips to sandwiches and salads. This is when I came up with a snazzy idea for the Toastilla BLT. Because we enjoy a little heat in our kitchen I combine Sriracha to mayo, and swap out spinach for lettuce although lettuce still does well in the Toastilla. So, if you’re looking for a light snack or a re-boot of a traditional recipe here is the way to do BLTs Toastilla-style.
Directions:
For the Sriracha-mayo simply combine the two ingredients into a bowl and stir. The mixture is to your preference. Make sure your bacon is cooked before adding it to the tortilla. In our kitchen the bacon profile ranges from pliable to nearly burnt. I personally like the feel of bacon breaking up as I bite into it rather than having to try and rip the meat apart like I was a dinosaur or some other wild creature. With the tomatoes, I suggest removing the seeds and patting the tomatos dry. Next, add the Sriracha mayo to the center of your tortilla. Layer the remaining ingredients, fold and toast on one cycle. One of the great things about BLTs, aside from being easy and tasty, is that the Toastilla re-boot offers a great way to add a little dressing or sauce to your BLT. With a cozy tortilla pocket you can either dip or drizzle your favorite sauce as you eat. From a light sour cream to a flavorful thousand island there are dozens of ways to liven up your Toastilla BLT. |
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