Food

A stone's throw from Coca-Cola's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia is a favorite local restaurant called JCT Kitchen. Among the many southern delicacies listed on the menu you will find a dessert that is dear to our hearts.  It's JCT's Virginia Peanut Pie with Coke Reduction. The new twist on the traditional pairing of Coke and peanuts is a delightful treat. JCT pastry chef, Taria Camerino created the recipe and was not only kind enough to share it with us, but walk us through how to make it in the video below.  We hope that if you're not able to stop in JCT to try a slice, that you'll enjoy making it at home. Cream Cheese Pie DoughIngredients:12 oz Butter 9 oz Cream cheese 20 oz Cake flour½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt4 tablespoons Ice water 2 tablespoons Vinegar Preparation:First cut butter into flour, baking powder and salt.Then cut cream cheese into mixture.Add liquid, mix just until combined.Chill.Roll to line a 10” deep dish pie pan.Place in cooler to relax.Video: Making of Peanut Pie Filling and Coke ReductionPeanut Pie FillingIngredients:2 Bottles Mexican Coca-Cola 3 eggs 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups corn syrup 2 oz. melted butter1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 cups fried salted peanuts Preparation:Place peanuts into bottom of pie.Whisk all ingredients together.Pour over peanuts.Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 min until set.While baking make cane Coke reduction.Coca-Cola ReductionOpen 2 bottles of Mexican cane Coke and pour them into a pot.Cook over moderate heat until syrupy.Let pie cool completely. Cut and serve with unsweetened whipped cream and the Coke reduction.More Recipes for Baking With Our BrandsAnd pie is just the beginning. From pies to biscuits and cakes, Sprite, Minute Maid and many of our other products open up a kitchen of cooking possibilities.  Our friends at Tablespoon.com are baking with soda this month and created an original recipe for easy-to-make, 4-ingredient Sprite biscuits that will make your mouth water just looking at them.  We give the flaky, fun recipe five stars and not just for its cute design. With a can of Sprite, a box of Bisquick, butter and sour cream, you're just 25 minutes away from melt-in-your-mouth goodness.  For the full Sprite Biscuit recipe and five other ways to bake with our products, visit Tablespoon.

In my family, favorite dishes are always being altered according to what is available and what is best — especially when I’m cooking. Here's a perfect example: chicken and potatoes, fried together in a big skillet so they’re crisp and moist at the same time, is my mother's specialty. Growing up, my brother and I demanded it every week; our kids, Tanya and Joe and Eric, Paul and Estelle, clamored for it, too. And now the next generation of little ones are asking their great-grandmother to make chicken and potatoes for them.Makes 4 servings IngredientsFor the Basic Chicken and Potatoes: 2-1/2 pounds chicken legs or assorted pieces (bone-in)1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste1/2 cup canola oil1 pound red bliss potatoes, preferably no bigger than 2-inches across2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or more 2 medium-small onions, peeled and quartered lengthwise2 short branches of fresh rosemary with plenty of needlesFor my special touches, try either or both: 4 to 6 ounces sliced bacon (5 or 6 slices) 1 or 2 pickled cherry peppers, sweet or hot, or none, or more!—cut in half and seeded PreparationRinse the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off excess skin and all visible fat. Cut the drumsticks from the thighs. If using breast halves, cut into 2 small pieces. Make the bacon roll-ups: cut the bacon slices in half crosswise and roll each strip into a neat, tight cylinder. Stick a toothpick through the roll to secure it; cut or break the toothpick so only a tiny bit sticks out (allowing the bacon to roll around and cook evenly). Pour the canola oil into the skillet and set over high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt on all sides. When the oil is very hot, lay the pieces skin side down, an inch or so apart—watch out for oil spatters. Don’t crowd the chicken: if necessary fry it in batches, similar pieces (like drumsticks) together. Drop the bacon rolls into the oil around the chicken, turning and shifting them often. Let the chicken fry in place for several minutes to brown on the underside, then turn and continue frying until they’re golden brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes or more. Fry breast pieces, only for 5 minutes or so, taking them out of the oil as soon as they are golden. Let the bacon rolls cook and get lightly crisp, but not dark. Adjust the heat to maintain steady sizzling and coloring; remove the crisped chicken pieces with tongs to a bowl. Meanwhile, rinse and dry the potatoes; slice each one through the middle on the axis that gives the largest cut surface, then toss them with the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt.When all the chicken and bacon is cooked and out of the skillet, pour off the frying oil. Return the skillet to medium heat and put in all the potatoes cut side down in a single layer into the hot pan. With a spatula, scrape all the olive oil out of the mixing bowl into the skillet; drizzle over a bit more oil if the pan seems dry. Fry and crisp the potatoes for about 4 minutes to form a crust, then move them around the pan, still cut side down, until they’re all brown and crisp, 7 minutes or more. Turn them over and fry another 2 minutes to cook and crisp on their rounded skin sides.Cooking everything together:Still over medium heat, toss the onion wedges and rosemary branches around the pan, in with the potatoes. If using cherry peppers (either hot or sweet), cut the seeded halves into 1/2-inch wide pieces and scatter them in the pan too. Return the chicken pieces—except breast pieces—to the pan, along with the bacon rolls; pour in any chicken juices that have accumulated. Raise the heat slightly, and carefully turn and tumble the chicken, potatoes, onion (and bacon and /or pepper pieces), so they’re heating and getting coated with pan juices—but take care not to break the potato pieces. Spread everything out in the pan—potatoes on the bottom as much as possible to keep crisping up—and put on the cover.Lower the heat to medium and cook for about 7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, then uncover and tumble the pieces and potatoes (and bacon rolls) again. Cover and cook another 7 minutes or so, adding the breast pieces at this point. And give everything another tumble. Now cook covered for 10 minutes more.Remove the cover, turn the pieces again and cook in the open skillet for about 10 minutes to evaporate the moisture and caramelize everything. Taste a bit of potato (or chicken) for salt and sprinkle on more as needed. Turn the pieces now and then—when they are all glistening and golden, and the potatoes are cooked through, remove the skillet from the stove and—as I do at home—bring it right to the table. Serve portions of chicken and potatoes, or let people help themselves. Visit lidiasitaly.com for recipes, cooking tips and more, and follow Lidia on Twitter @LidiaBastianich.More RecipesEasy Coca-Cola ChickenCoyote's Coke Can ChickenOrange Roasted Chicken and VegetablesIndian Chicken CurryTeriyaki ChickenCoca-Cola Chicken Wings

Ingredients Cake: 1 pkg. (18.5 oz) yellow cake mix* 1/8 tsp. Baking soda 2 eggs 3/4 cup Coca-Cola 1 cup (2 to 3) mashed ripe bananas 2 tsp. Lemon juice 1/3 cup finely chopped nuts (optional) *do not use mix with pudding added or which requires oil Sea Foam Frosting: 2 egg whites (1/4 cup) 1.5 cups firmly packed light brown sugar 1/8 tsp. Cream of tartar or 1 tbsp. Light corn syrup 1/3 cup Coca-Cola 1 tsp. Vanilla extract Dash salt Preparation To reduce foam for accurate measurement, use Coca-Cola at room temperature and stir rapidly Cake: In large mixing bowl combine mix, baking soda and eggs. Measure CocaCola, stir briskly until foaming stops, and add to batter. Blend ingredients just until moistened, then beat at high speed of electric mixer for 3 minutes, scraping bowl often. Combine mashed bananas with lemon juice. Add to cake batter with nuts. Beat 1 minute at medium speed and turn into a generously greased and lightly floured 13x9x2-inch pan. Bake at 350° about 40 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool on rack 15 minutes, remove cake from pan and turn right side up on rack to finish cooling. Frosting: In top of double boiler, combine all ingredients except vanilla and beat 1 minute at high speed of electric mixer. Place over boiling water (water should not touch bottom of top part); beat on high speed about 7 minutes until frosting forms peaks when beater is raised. Remove from boiling water (for smoothest frosting, empty into large bowl). Add vanilla and continue beating on high speed until thick enough to spread, about 2 minutes. Spread on sides and top of cold banana cake.More Related Recipes:Coca-Cola Cake RecipeDiet Coke Chocolate CakeEasy Low-Fat Coke CakeCoca-Cola Chocolate Cake With Ganache IcingChocolate Coca-Cola Birthday Cake Recipe

Street food is a sign of the times. It's the common denominator of a society consistently on the go — and consistently pinched for cash. Boasting increasingly diverse menus and clientele to match, food trucks are on the road to becoming a $2.7 billion revenue-generating machine. This is no passing fad. Pimp My Truck From Los Angeles to Miami, modern mobile food vendors pilot chromed-out and custom-wrapped vehicles, in stark contrast to the prototypical, "La Cucaracha"-blaring “roach coaches,” the workaday heroes of construction sites in white catering trucks. Today's food truck eaters value provenance of food over the speed at which it's delivered. Authenticity is increasingly valued over familiarity. And, while plenty of food trucks follow the standard blueprint for street food (handheld and cheap), others are moving toward the opposite end of the spectrum. The irrepressible Jose Andres added a food truck, Pepe, to his army of eateries, out of which comes $20 dishes of Iberico pork. And the Vizzi truck in Los Angeles, which carts around high-end items like Wagyu beef and truffles, sells a $24 lobster risotto dish. According to John T. Edge, the food writer and historian who literally wrote the book on food trucks (The Truck Food Cookbook, Workman Publishing, 2012), the best street food is at once luxurious and budget-minded. “It's economically priced enough to be democratic, it's sold by way of conveyances on the street, which is democratic,” Edge says. “But it respects the principles of good food, which we in America have come to think of as luxurious.” The New Guard The best of the new-guard street food vendors take their inspirations from tradition, says Edge. “To me, if you dig down deep, you recognize that a couple generations of Americans have now grown up — especially in the southwest (and) on the west coast — with strong Mexican migrant populations (who) have long sold good food from taco trucks,” he says. “I think that's the true root inspiration for this modern-American street food movement.” At the head of the new-guard food truck charge is Roy Choi, the Korea-born founder of Los Angeles' Kogi Korean BBQ truck. In 2009, Choi tweeted the location of Kogi's first dinner service and started a revolution. “Truck food, in popular parlance, is in large part a phenomenon that Kogi set in motion,” Edge says. In 2010 Choi, who grew up in LA, became the first food truck operator to be named “Best New Chef” by Food and Wine Magazine. The Kogi empire, which now includes a fleet of five trucks and three sit-down restaurants, has inspired legions of followers. These young and savvy food truck operators leverage social media to advertise their presence and dole out fusion food as unlikely as Choi's Mexican-Korean mashup. “America is a great synthesizer of culture and of ideas,” Edge says. “It's the great American ability … We recognize, tag and reinvent, and kind of claim as our own, a variety of different cultures and ideas.” The Numbers Game To Rosane and Jose Piaggio, who started Piaggio Gourmet on Wheels in Orange County the same year Kogi opened, their particular brand of fusion evokes a sense of home.Jose is Argentinian and Rosane is from Brazil, and that manifests on the menu as pulled-pork tacos with chimichurri and burritos stuffed with garlic-lime shrimp and skirt steak. Piaggio reflects a sense of economic place, too. While many young chefs dream of food trucks as stepping stones to brick and mortar restaurants, Piaggio worked the trend in reverse. Jose had a couple of successful steakhouses to his credit, one in Brazil and another in California. “He was just one of the victims of the economic tsunami, especially in the restaurant industry,” says Rosane. “He was just spinning his wheels.” Jose closed his restaurant and, two weeks later, it was literally on wheels, moving toward better business. “In these economic times, it's much better for us to have the food truck,” Rosane says. “You go where you're needed … and that's working much better for him.” Truck Stars Economic instability, says Edge, is one of the “catalytic forces in the development in the modern-American street food culture,” though he acknowledges it owes its evolution to impatient young chefs. Sometimes, those young upstarts are completely fresh to the food scene, like the owners of Mexicue in New York City. David Schillace and Thomas Kelly wanted to leave the corporate world behind, and figured a food business was just the ticket. “We went to LA and ate at the Kogi food truck and saw this really cool trend that was going on there,” says Kelly. “We were intrigued by the food truck culture, and from a business perspective, it allowed us to start a food business with a relatively small amount of capital.” Mexicue turns out a fusion of Southern-American slow-smoked barbecue and Mexican food that's a big hit in the Big Apple. So much so that Mexicue recently opened two brick and mortar restaurants offering their particular brand of fusion, joining the legions of other food truck owners taking off the wheels. With so many fledgling restaurateurs offering fresh takes on pan-continental cuisine, Edge indicates it may be time to rethink the word “fusion.” “The best street food and cart and truck food reflects a new and truly diverse America — the idea that a Korean-American kid who fell in love with Mexican food because he grew up in a Mexican neighborhood cooks a bulgogi beef taco," Edge says. "It's an honest reflection of that person's upbringing. It's not fusion. It's more about being a brilliant chef and marrying foods in a unique way.”

Ingredients10 oz. TaB1 box cake mix (any flavor)2 egg whitesPrepared frosting (any flavor)Sprinkles (optional)1 scoop ice cream (any flavor)PreparationMix cake ingredients, 2 egg whites and TaB.Prepare and bake according to the box's instructions. Let cool before frosting.Decorate with sprinkles, if so desired.Enjoy with a scoop of your favorite flavor of ice cream!More Cake RecipesDiet Coke Chocolate CakeEasy Low-Fat Coke CakeCoca-Cola Chocolate Cake With Ganache IcingChocolate Coca-Cola Birthday CakeFresh Banana Cake With Sea Foam Frosting

Take a look at the unusual ways some of your family’s favorite foods made their way to America. You know your kids love spaghetti and meatballs and PB&J (peanut butter and jelly) sandwiches. And who can resist an gooey slice of pizza? But, have you ever wondered where these foods originated? For instance, are French fries really even French? We dove into the backstories, histories and origins of several food favorites to find out how these sides and meals found their way to our plates and hearts — and the paths just might surprise you. French Fries As much as the French may not like to admit it, the French fry’s origins are debatable at best. And fry connoisseurs say France isn’t likely the birthplace of this burger and Coca-Cola companion. The Spanish invaded sections of Columbia in the 1500s and there, discovered spuds, explains Scott Nelowet, founder of French Fry Heaven. “They took potatoes back to the Spanish-controlled areas of Belgium where they caught hold quickly,” he said. At some point, Belgian fishermen, finding winter fishing impossible, began cutting potatoes into fish shapes and frying them in oil. The Belgians claim at some point the French borrowed the idea and took it home to France--although it’s unclear when this may have transpired. “France had a ban on potatoes until a famine in the late 18th century forced them to accept potatoes,” says Nelowet. While who invented the fry continues to be the topic of debates, who’s responsible for its U.S. popularity is not. According to Nelowet, Thomas Jefferson was the first to serve "French-style" potatoes in the U.S. in the early 19th Century.  Fries soon caught on throughout the U.S. colonies. Spaghetti and Meatballs It’s thought of as the quintessential Italian meal, but in reality this popular dish is the brain child of 19th Century U.S.-Italian immigrants. In fact, in Italy, pasta was — and still is — served on its own, without meatballs. The U.S. adaptation is thought to have origins in Neapolitan pasta dishes that natives often served with meat sauce at festivals in the mid to late 1800’s.  "Meatballs in pasta were served at Italian religious festivals such as Carnival and Christmas. In these early versions the meatballs were no larger than walnuts, similar to their Arbaic/Spanish hazelnut cousin," says Nicolasa Chavez, curator of the International Museum of Folk Art in Santa Fe, NM. Italian immigrants to the U.S.changed what was served in their home country by concocting meals with larger portions of meat and fewer vegetables. "At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries in the U.S., meat was cheap and plentiful," says Chvaez. And since meat was cheap, those Italian immigrants who brought their recipe for polpette (meatballs) to America paired the larger sized meatballs with pasta--most likely because of the U.S. habit of paring starchy foods like potatoes with meat at dinner time.  Ice Cream Sundaes Michael Turback, author of A Month Of Sundaes and More Than A Month Of Sundaes says ice cream likely originated in Asia.  “Marco Polo brought back a recipe for it that Catherine de Medici is said to have taken with her to France when she married,” he said.  Thomas Jefferson picked up the cone — so to speak — bringing a recipe for vanilla ice cream to the U.S. with him following his stint as ambassador to France. George Washington was also said to be a fan of the frosty treat. According to Turback, the ice cream was hand-cranked at Mount Vernon for the founding father. “Jefferson might even be the first Sundae maker since he doused his vanilla in maple syrup,” says Turback.  The Sundae wasn’t officially christened until about 1890 when an Ithaca, NY, pharmacist, whose store had an ice cream counter, put a cherry on top and advertised his new dish: the Sundae. Pizza Foods similar to pizza have been prepared since the 6th Century BC, when it’s said that Persian soldiers baked flat bread covered with cheese and dates on their shields.  The Ancient Greeks also dined on a flat bread called “plakous” which they topped with herbs, onion, and garlic. "The first New World tomato seeds were brought to Spain on Christopher Columbus’ return voyage in 1693," says Chavez. A century or two later, in Naples, Italians added tomatoes to flat bread that at time only included olive oil, lard cheese and herbs. The dish caught on and became a favorite of visitors to the region, especially in the poorer sections of Naples. Neapolitan-style pizza expanded beyond the Mediterranean region in the early 1900s. That’s when in 1905, Gennaro Lombardi claims to have opened the first pizzeria in the U.S. in New York City, paving the way to our love affair with tomato pie. Mac and Cheese Macaroni (which has roots in medieval Italy) and cheese is another food we can thank Thomas Jefferson for bringing to the States from France.  Recipes for pasta and cheese casseroles can be traced back to cookbooks as early as the Liber de Coquina, one of the oldest medieval cookbooks in existence.  Medieval versions of this favorite featured fresh, hand-cut pasta layered between a mixture of melted butter and cheese. The dish, often thought of as affordable today, was reserved for wealthy Italians until about the 18th century.   Before becoming President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson sampled macaroni in Paris and northern Italy. Fancying the food and in the hopes of recreating the dish back in the U.S., Jefferson sketched the pasta and took detailed notes on the process for shaping it. In 1793, he commissioned American ambassador to Paris William Short to purchase a machine to make it. The machine failed, so Jefferson imported macaroni and Parmesan cheese to recreate the dish at Monticello. In 1802, Jefferson even served a "macaroni pie" at a state dinner and since that time, the dish has been widely served within the United States.   PB&J Sandwiches A Good Housekeeping article published in May 1896 included a recipe that "urged homemakers to use a meat grinder to make peanut butter and spread the result on bread."  A month later, the culinary magazine Table Talk published a "peanut butter sandwich recipe" opening the door to one of the country’s most popular sandwiches.  The first reference to peanut butter paired with jelly on bread in the U.S. is rumored to have been published in 1901. Despite being a staple in lunchboxes and thought of as a cheap and easy lunch option today, in the early 1900's peanut butter was considered a delicacy reserved for New York City’s finest tearooms. There, the spread was paired with pimento cheese, watercress and toasted crackers. The upper crust lost interest in peanut butter by the late 1920's causing its price to decline. As the price dropped, the sandwich moved down the class structure, making it an option to feed children as well as adults.  Today, according to Jon Krampner, author of Creamy and Crunchy: An Informal History of Peanut Butter, The All-American Food, 75 percent of Americans consume peanut butter.More Related Recipes:Coca-Cola Roast RecipeSlam Dunk Nachos Recipe for March MadnessThick Barbecue SauceCoca-Cola Ham Recipe

This sweet and savory recipe was submitted by Karen Brunetta of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Ingredients 1 cup brown sugar 1 can Coca-Cola® 2 medium onions, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tbs. soy sauce (a Japanese sauce) salt and pepper to taste 2-3 lbs. of chicken wings or ribs Preparation In a large casserole, combine the brown sugar, Coca-Cola®, onions, garlic, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Stir until mixed. Place chicken wings or ribs in sauce mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours. To thicken sauce, mix in a cornstarch mixture. Delicious served with rice.More Related Recipes:Limelight Steak BBQCasserole BBQ ChickenThick Barbecue SauceBarbecued Ham

Try the following delicious combinations. Simply follow the instructions below. Ingredients Tropical Fruit Smoothie   3/4 cup Minute Maid® Premium Blends Orange Passion juice 1/2 cup cubed mango 1/2 cup cubed papaya 1/2 cup cubed pineapple 2 scoops pineapple sherbet 1/3 cup vanilla-flavored soy milk 1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional) 1 cup crushed ice Fruit & Nut Breakfast Smoothie 3/4 cup Minute Maid Premium Orange Juice 2 small apricots, peeled and cubed 1 medium nectarine, peeled and cubed 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts 2 scoops orange sherbet or fat-free vanilla-flavored frozen yogurt 1/4 cup wheat germ 1 cup crushed ice Three Melon Smoothie 3/4 cup Minute Maid Premium Orange Juice 2 scoops fat-free vanilla-flavored frozen yogurt 1/2 cup cubed cantaloupe 1/2 cup cubed honeydew melon 1/2 cup cubed watermelon 1 cup crushed ice Preparation Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour smoothie into a large glass and garnish if desired. Each recipe makes one 10-ounce serving -- double or triple the ingredients and make additional batches for more servings. Remember the following tips for "perfecting" your smoothie:  • Freeze fruit ahead of time for a frostier drink • Try to use the freshest fruit in season • Too thick? Add more juice • Too thin? Add more fruit • Too tart? Add a sugar substitute, molasses or maple syrup • Too sweet? Add citrus juiceMore Related Recipes:Morning Glory MuffinsStreusel-Topped Orange Cranberry MuffinsLemonade, Yogurt and Granola Breakfast Parfait

Ingredients 3 cups Vanilla Coke 3 pinches of salt, divided use 1 1/2 tablespoon butter, unsalted, divided use 16 pecan halves 2 teaspoons sugar Pinch salt 1 egg, large, whole 3 egg whites, large 1/4 cup skim milk 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional) 1 loaf egg bread (Challah), about 1 pound, sliced to (8) - 1/2" slices As needed, fat-free non-stick cooking spray   Preparation Place soda in a saucepan over medium-high heat and reduce to a little more than 1/2 cup, about 25-30 minutes. While simmering add a pinch of salt and whisk in 1/2-tablespoon butter. Simmer for 2-3 additional minutes, whisking occasionally until syrup is reduced to 1/2 cup. Remove from heat and hold syrup at room temperature. The syrup should be made just before serving, without extended holding. Place a small non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add pecans and stir or toss until pecans begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, add 1 tablespoon butter and stir or toss to coat pecans. Return pan to heat and sprinkle pecans with sugar and 1 pinch of salt. Stir or toss while cooking until a light caramel forms about 2-4 minutes. Turn pecans onto a sheet pan lightly coated with cooking spray. Cool and break apart, if necessary. In a mixing bowl whisk together eggs, skim milk, a pinch of salt and cinnamon, if using. Set aside. Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and coat lightly with cooking spray. Dip bread in egg mixture until coated on both sides; drain excess. Cook to light golden brown on first side, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook second side. Remove and hold warm. Repeat with remaining sliced bread. Serve French toast with syrup and candied pecans. Makes 4 servings Nutritional Analysis: Serving size: 2 slices French Toast, 2 tablespoons syrup, 4 candied pecan halves Cal: 432 Protein: 13g Fat: 14g Carb: 65g Sodium: 556mg Chol: 103mg Sugar: 27gMore Related Recipes:Morning Glory MuffinsFruit Smoothie RecipesStreusel-Topped Orange Cranberry MuffinsLemonade, Yogurt and Granola Breakfast ParfaitAsparagus, Tomato and Fontina Frittata by Giada De Laurentiis