Jul 31, 2011

FoodBuzz 24 x 24: Incredible Edible Bowls

Put away those utensils and leave your bowls in the cupboard!  If you ever wished you could
lick your bowl clean, well... here's your chance to EAT it!  Martha Stewart wouldn't raise an
eyebrow on these babies.





Cucumber Sailboats 
Tip:  Make sure to cut the bottoms so they'll stand up.
Tip#2:  Nothing better than fresh fried tortilla chip sails!  Fry up scraps for tortilla soup or add 
to salads.  These were filled with guacamole and accented with red bell pepper.

Carrot Straws & Apple or Bell Pepper Cups 

These are the most fun, child-like things you'll ever see (which is why they make me happy)!  I 
think it's healthy for adults to regress a bit, but you can always say you're making them for 
your kids (I won't tell).  Of course, if you don't have any kids in your life, you'll need to have 
the maturity to handle people teasing you a bit.  My advice?  Start drinking through a carrot 
straw, and see just how much they want one too!

To Make A Carrot Straw:
You'll need a nice straight carrot that's at least 1/2 - 3/4" thick at the top, a standard vegetable 
peeler, a sharp knife, and a 1/8" flathead screwdriver that's at least 4" long (it's skinnier than a 
standard one, which reduces the chance of cracking).



Step 1:  Cut the top and narrow end off the carrot, leaving a 3-4" long section, unpeeled.
Step 2:  Make sure that both ends are level by standing them up on your cutting board- trim as 
needed.
Step 3:  Hold the wide end as the base, while you twist the screwdriver into the top end of the 
carrot, making sure to keep it straight and centered.
Step 4:  When you're about half way through, turn upside down and twist from the fat end.  It 
should easily poke through, and you can push out any carrot bits left.  Run water through to 
make sure.
Step 5:  Now peel your carrot and from the fat end, start to whittle away until you have a 
straight narrowed-down straw, using the hole as your guide.  Don't whittle too much!


Tip:  Make sure to thoroughly clean your screwdriver before using.



Bell Pepper Cups 
Ok, I'll try and be an adult now... Bloody Mary, anyone?

Potato Chip Flower Bowls

Be careful- these are as addictive as you'd think!

Start with a long wooden skewer, and use a small cube of potato as the base.  Cut a small 
potato (1 1/2 - 2" in diameter) into thin slices- a mandolin works best for this.  Cut a slit about 
halfway into your "petal."  Cross the two corners as shown to create a petal, then skewer.
Repeat a couple more times, until you get...
... this.  Then carefully deep fry them by holding the opposite end of the skewer and 
submerging the flower in the hot oil until golden and crisp.  
Add a little spoonful of Tofutti cream cheese, mixed with chives, garlic powder, and salt into 
the center of the flower, then skewer a small cherry tomato or whatever you like to finish.  
These are perfect little bites.  I also made yam flowers (right).

Potpie Pastry Spoons
You can go crazy with these- savory or sweet.

Use ceramic spoons, bake at 350 F for about 15 minutes or until golden.  Let cool a bit before 
trying to remove the spoon.  I filled mine with carrots, pees, leeks, and store-bought sausage, 
sauteed in gravy- everything finely diced.  Mark sampled... "Yummy!"

Candied Orange Bowls 

I used the technique found at Food2 to make candied orange halves, which I would later fill 
with a roasted almond date crust and a no-bake cheesecake.  Everything went well together- 
the sweet tanginess of the candied orange, the nutty sweetness of the inner crust, and the rich 
creaminess of the filling. 
Use organic oranges for this.  Cut in
half from stem to bottom, removing
any stems.  With a small paring knife,
cut around the fruit like you would a
grapefruit.  Using a spoon or fingers,
carefully dig out the fruit over a bowl
to catch the juice.  Scrape out any re-
maining fruit, leaving a thin layer of
pith and the skin.
You'll need a large pot, plus:
6 small oranges, less if they're big
4 1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 1/2 C. water

First, blanch them by putting them into the pot with enough water to cover.  Bring to a boil, then pour off the water.  Repeat this two more times (total of three times) to get rid of a lot of the bitterness from the pith.  
Now mix together the sugar and 1 1/2 cups of water in the big pot, and bring to a simmer.  Let simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the temperature reaches 235 degrees F (soft ball stage).  Do not stir.  It should be thick and syrupy and slightly brown.
Carefully add the orange cups, and coat each one gently with tongs- too much agitation will cause sugar crystals and you don't want that!  
Let them simmer for about 45 minutes or until they look translucent.  Drain each one, and lay on parchment paper to dry- may take 5 hours or more.
Candied Orange Cheesecake Bites
Slice it up like an orange, and serve!  Tip:  Use a sharp knife, and clean it after every cut.

Less dishes in the sink- always a good thing!

23 comments:

  1. This are so clever and delightful! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous and fun. I want to drink out of a carrot straw! Do you cater? I bet you'd get so many requests!

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  2. beautifully done, beautifully displayed and elegantely served...I loved it...Millie

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  3. How cute! and so fun and beautiful looking! I like the carrot straw and apple cup the best! :-)

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  4. Another great post! You inspire me so.

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  5. I like them all, but the potpie pastry spoon is the best - thanks for sharing and inspiring us.

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  6. These are so creative, I love them! They look like they would be a lot of fun to make for birthday and holiday meals. I'll definitely have to remember this. Especially the cucumber sailboats.

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  7. such a total fun post... and these are amazing ideas for get together meals! love those sailboats and the straw!!..and my pom can finish the crumbs and left overs..!:)

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  8. Your creativity knows no bounds! I've done cucumber cups before, but not boats like this... So cute! And those potato cups are pure brilliance, I never considered making them like that. Love little plates like this... Especially when they're entirely edible. ;)

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  9. So creative!! This is so much fun. Thank you so much for sharing this. What a great idea to have this on tap for a dinner party!

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  10. kris @busygirlgoodfoodAug 4, 2011, 7:44:00 PM

    Very fun - lots of work! Thanks for sharing!

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  11. Karma, you are SO creative! What a beautiful spread, and so innovative too. I could just eat them all up! :)

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  12. I'm officially impressed!! All of these are great ideas for a party - I can't wait to get at least one of these a try!

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  13. I've told you many times before YOU ARE SO AMAZING! Talk about less waste with not using paper plates and plastic forks. I really need to have a coctail party...soon! Kids would go crazy to drink out of a carrot and then eating the apple after.

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  14. What great ideas! It all looks like it would be so much fun to eat.

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  15. Wow! I will have to try these out with my girl, she loves fun presentation. Healthy and beautiful!

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  16. Wonderful!
    I just loved them all. good work.

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  17. You are so crazy! Crazy good! I loved all of this. I had a question on the edible spoon: did you completely wrap the spoon in dough? If so, how did you remove it? Is the dough just on top of the spoon? Tell, tell.

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  18. Hi, Blessedmama! I put the spoon on top of the rolled out pastry dough and cut around it, giving about 1/2" extra around the spoon (less around the handle), then I laid it on top and pressed it down into the spoon to take its shape. After baking and cooling, it came out easily, but if your afraid your dough will stick, you can spray some oil on the spoon first. Hope this answered your question. ;-)

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  19. haha, I love the carrot straws! All of these are so cool!

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  20. Nice blog! Great decorative ideas! I would surely love to try these in one of my coming parties. I bet the guest would surely be amazed!

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