Foodette Reviews euforia™ Thousand Layer Cake - Awesome!

Last week, we received an awesome review from Jess at Foodette Reviews. We are so pleased with the review and wanted to share part of it here. If you are a food blogger and would like to review euforia, let us know by sending an email to marketing@euforiaconfections.com. We are looking for specific types of reviewers, so we cannot guarantee a free review sample to everyone who asks, but we would love to work with you if the focus of your blog is product/food reviews.

Here is just part of the Foodette Review. Let us know what you think!

"The layers of the cakes meld into one smooth, textured bite, each mouthful buttery yet light, tasting of a pound cake with nicer ingredients. There's a subtle nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugar flavor, but no one spice came out ahead of the others and blended together wonderfully. The cakes are extremely moist, and the flavor is the most familiar taste you've never had. I say this because each bite is never alien in form, but somehow better than the snack cakes and commercial baked goods I certainly grew up with as a child. There's a delicacy to these that is clearly carefully crafted."


Read the full review here.

Behind the Layers: Baumkuchen (Traditional German Layer Cake)

Have you ever wanted to know what goes into a traditional layer cake, or what the difference is between baumkuchen and spekkoek (our thousand-layer cake)?

For those of you who love baumkuchen or have tried in the past and liked it, you might like to know how similar euforia's spekkoek is to baumkuchen. Or, maybe you're new to both delicacies! If so, you're in for a treat as we explain what makes layer cake so special. Today we're focusing on baumkuchen.

What do 'baumkuchen' and 'spekkoek' mean?

Baumkuchen: Tree Cake (German)

Spekkoek: Bacon Cake (Dutch)

As you can probably tell, the cakes get their names from the way that they look!

What's in them?

The ingredients in baumkuchen and spekkoek are pretty much the same: eggs, butter, flour, sugar, vanilla, milk (and spices, in spice cake variations).

Origins & Tradition

Baumkuchen has its roots in Europe, specifically, in Germany. An article in Wikipedia suggests that a cookbook from 1581 contains a recipe for baumkuchen! Origins for the cake may go back as far as Ancient Greece.

How It's Made

Traditional baumkuchen is a layer cake just like euforia's spekkoek, except that it's made by layering batter on a spit which is rotated over heat. Just like with euforia, each layer is baked separately, one on top of the other. The result is that baumkuchen is a round cake hollowed out like a bundt.

However, there is a horizontal version of baumkuchen which really is just like spekkoek, which is baked in horizontal layers.

Check out the video below to see baumkuchen being baked in action!

Where It's Eaten Today

In addition to Germany, it might surprise you to know that this traditional German layer cake is one of the most popular sweets in Japan! It was brought to Japan by a German baker after World War II and is still popular there today.

If you like baumkuchen, you'll like euforia's spekkoek. Thousand layer cake can even be rolled and made round like baumkuchen, as you can see in the image below.

Find Out More

You can find out more about baumkuchen in the following pages:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baumkuchen
• http://www.germanculture.com.ua/recipes/blxmas13.htm
• http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fd20100110cs.html

Great #Foodie Stuff from Around the Web

We lead busy lives and are sure that you are, too. Still, it's so good to get around to new blogs and see what everyone is up to. We find new products and services, great videos, and cool websites all the time by just getting around.

Here's a digest of what we found this week. Enjoy and subscribe to the blog to get an update for next week!

Videos


4th Course Dry-Aged Rib-Eye Steaks from GiltTaste. We've been making it a habit to follow the GiltTaste.com series on a course-by-course run through of a feast in the Catskills. This week's video was amazing as they showed how to properly sear a ribeye steak. Your mouth will water.

Recipes

Lemon Ice Granitas. Such a simple recipe and tasty treat for the hot summer months. You can do this by yourself or with kids, or dress it up for a summer party. We love it.

Blueberry Couscous Salad with Mango, Onion, and Lemon Dressing. Another really simple dish except that this one is incredibly healthy for you, too.

Maple Glazed Donuts. Because basically everything is better with bacon.

Great Information

25 Super Foods for Women. This isn't a new post but we just came across it this week. Check it out and get eating.

Foodpress.com. A great place for food bloggers who have blogs on the Wordpress.com platform, which obviously does not include us. :) Still, it's really amazing to see how much food in blogs there really is, and it's also a great place to find new recipes and food information. It was on Foodpress that we found the yummy maple glazed donuts, so it's gotta be good.

Have a great weekend! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook as that's where we share these great finds in real-time. We are on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/euforiacake and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/euforiacake.

Spekkoek - The Bacon Cake

In Dutch, thousand-layer cake is called Spekkoek, and it is translated as "Bacon Cake." The Dutch call it that because the layers look a bit like bacon (well, from really far away and with a vivid imagination).

We're posting this little bit of info because of a humorous conversation with had on Twitter with Audrey from @BostonFoodFinds about bacon. It just seems like people can go on forever talking about bacon. (Visit Audrey's great Boston Food Finds website!)

What do you think? Does thousand-layer cake look like bacon?

Bacon

I don't know if this is good news or bad news, but spekkoek doesn't exactly taste like bacon, since, well, there's no bacon in it (funnily enough that doesn't stop pet food companies from calling things "bacon-flavored"). Still, it's delicious, moist, and would probably taste good with bacon (hmm, that gives me a great idea for a new euforia recipe).

So next time you're thinking about bacon, hopefully you'll think about spekkoek, the bacon cake. :)

Happy Wednesday!

Winner of the Father's Day Giveaway!

Congrats to Laurie who has won the "My Dad and His Good Food" Father's Day giveaway! We really appreciate the stories that everyone shared - we loved what Valerie and Michelle had to say about their dads, too. A big thank you to these great ladies, their families, and here's to enjoying some great euforia cake!

Contest for Father's Day: Entry 3

We're loving the entries we're getting for the Father's Day contest, "My Dad and His Good Food!" You have until Thursday night at midnight (Eastern time) to send us a story about your dad and his food! :)

Below is our third entry.

Entry #1: Laurie

"6ft 6" Man and an appetite to match"

My Dad was this big 6ft 6" Man and an appetite to match. What I remember most about him when I was growing up were his "Triple Decker Sandwiches". They were huge! He would pile on cold cuts, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, hot peppers and then ever so gingerly dab on a spoon of mayo! lol.

We always new when Day was home for us before school. We would have hot oatmeal! He loved making it for us! I can remember how when he served it the satisfaction that came across his face...

My Dad now has Alzheimers. The light in his eyes is gone, but love is still there.

Happy Father's Day Daddy...We will remember Everything, Always! Just for you!

Contest for Fathers Day: Entries 1 & 2

Have you entered our Father's Day contest yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Just send us a few words about a memory of your dad (or your kids' dad) and his good food!

Entry #1: Valerie

"There's nothing like his food from the grill!"

As a little girl, my mom did all the cooking in the house. All, that is, until it was time to grill. Now my dad could make a good chili and a killer spaghetti sauce, but there's nothing like his food from the grill! Burgers, steaks, ribs...it was all good! He wasn't one for marinating. He used good ole' Lawry's Seasoning Salt. That's it. When we knew Dad was grillin', we made a beeline for home! Even though we're all grown up, we still LOVE to head over to mom and dad's for some something hot off the grill!!

Entry #2: Michelle

"Mix things up a bit!"

Most of the cooking knowledge I had growing up came from my father. He learned from his parents who probably learned from theirs back in the little village of Campolieto, Italy. I guess my lessons go back a long time. I truly didn't learn how to cook until I was a young adult due to the family circumstances but then I picked things up rather fast.

I can't say that my dad taught me specific recipes, one at a time, it was more like a little here and there. I distinctly remember though a day when he called me into the kitchen to get the "big lesson" on how to make sauce, meatballs, and braciole. I was probably already close to 23, a mother of two girls and at the time we lived with my dad. We regularly had my sister and her family over for Sunday dinners and any other siblings and their family if they lived nearby. 

Back to the lesson...he took me to the store with him that day to shop so I knew what kind of meat to buy and what kind of canned tomato products to choose for the "recipe". He taught me to use fresh ingredients when possible but also that it's ok to use whatever you have on hand. He often said to me that any time I rush the sauce, it will turn out bad so to make sure when I cook it, there is plenty of time for it to simmer. I also learned it was best to make it on Saturday for the Sunday dinner so the flavors could integrate overnight and make a better tasting dish. He was right. Sometimes I just don't take the time for that extra day and eat the end product the day I make it.

One thing my dad did that drove me crazy was to mix things up a bit when it came to cooking and following directions. For instance, he would purchase those McCormick Bag-n-Season mixes for specific types of beef, pork or chicken then use them with a different meat! A pork seasoning bag and mix is not supposed to be used with chicken! At least not in my mind it wasn't. As I look back on that now it's kind of funny. I certainly don't use those mixes any longer preferring to make up my own combinations and skip the powdered mystery "other flavors and seasonings" in those things. And I am very prone to mixing things up a bit in the kitchen. Thanks to my dad for encouraging me.

Thanks to Michelle & Valerie so much for entering! Good luck!

Food Traditions: The memories and methods of food and cooking

My love of thousand-layer cake comes from my childhood. Growing up in Indonesia, my mother would make desserts, and I am particularly fond of the thousand-layer cake. I learned how to make it by watching her. Thousand-layer cake is a combination of Dutch cake and Indonesian spices, and there is time involved in making it. Each layer is baked individually (not quite 1000 layers :)) and it's really quite a calming, fun tradition. There is a lot of love put into it, especially when the method is passed down from family to family.

What traditions does your family have with food? Did you learn how to do something from your mother? Please share!

If you have memories of food, traditions, and your father, be sure to check out our Father's Day contest!

Father's Day Contest: “My Dad and His Good Food”

Does your Dad have a sweet tooth or make breakfast just the way you like it? Or does he snack on Cheerios late at night when no one is watching (except you)?

Enter the "My Dad and His Good Food" Father's Day contest here at euforia! We want to honor dads - past and present - and their unique food tastes, habits, specialties, recipes, or favorite food hangouts.

This contest is open to everyone. Moms, you can enter on behalf of your kids! And even if your dad is no longer with us, this could be a good way to honor him!

"My Dad and His Good Food" Contest Details

Deadline for entries: Thursday, June 16 at Midnight Eastern Time

To enter:

• Click here to fill out the contest entry form. Send us a memory or story about your dad and his good food: what it is, how he makes it, where he gets it, etc. along with a picture.*Entry form is secure; your information will be transmitted securely and your email address will not be made public.
• We will post the entries here on the blog, so follow us here so that you get updates: http://euforiaconfections.blogspot.com.
• Euforia will pick the best few stories, and the final voting will take place via a poll on Facebook on Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18.
• Semi-finalists will receive a $20 gift certificate to euforia
• Winner will receive a free box of euforia thousand-layer cake
  
  Good luck! If you have any questions, leave a comment! Be sure to get your friends and family to vote for your entry!

#FollowFriday and Winner of euforia™ Sample Giveaway

A week ago we posted our very first Follow Friday (Twitter) update, and that was just one week after we started tweeting and connecting with people on Facebook. It feels like so much has happened since then. Our social media experience is much more fun than we could have imagined - connecting with other foodies. Who knew foodies dominated social media? :)

We'll get to Follow Friday in a second, but first, congratulations to Roxana! She's won the free sample of euforia™ giveaway! She also happens to be a blogger, at A Little Bit of Everything.

**To fully comply with Facebook rules, we're going to be changing the nature of the giveaway and we'll be back with it AFTER Father's Day, because we're going to have a fun Father's Day giveaway next Friday. Get ready for that!

____________________

Twitter #FollowFriday

This week, we're sending shout-outs to the following fun people on Twitter. They're all highly interactive and we enjoy tweeting with them!

• @BostonFoodFinds
• @nella22
• @sweetsfoods
• @YummyMemories
• @LilyCherylista
• @saveatbellahome

Great Gourmet Find: Jams and Jellies from A Perfect Pear

Note: Kartika just got back from the Sunset Magazine Celebration Weekend yesterday (Sunday) so look out for an update on how the weekend went!

Our blog is brand new, but we already want to start some traditions, including Great Gourmet Find Mondays. This is the first one, and our Great Gourmet Find is A Perfect Pear.

Website: APerfectPear.com

Facebook: A Perfect Pear

Twitter: @aperfectpear

Where we spotted them:

We originally found them on Fooducopia, through their Cinnamon Pear Jelly which sounded like it would make a great addition to our thousand-layer spice cake. 

We noticed that they're not very active on Facebook or Twitter, but you never know when that could change!

They were also featured on Shark Tank!

Item Spotlight:

The things that stand out to us are the Cinnamon Pear Jelly, Pear Fig Jam, Cinnamon Pear Maple Syrup, Chocolate Pear Cabernet Sauce, and the White Chocolate Pear Chardonnay Sauce.

Check them out!

Free Sample on Facebook Winner and #FollowFriday

It's officially been a week since we got active on Twitter and Facebook, and we've already been making great connections. It's been a lot of fun.

Winner of the Free Sample on Facebook - Week 1

First things first - we just announced the winner of the free sample of euforia for this week. Congrats to Valerie, who is one of our Facebook fans and is also a food blogger at Simple Fare, Fairly Simple. She's won a free sample of euforia and bragging rights for the week. :)

We'll be giving away samples to fans over the next five weeks, and you'll definitely have an opportunity to win every time, so join us on Facebook!

Also, before we get into this week's Follow Friday, we wanted to remind you that we'll be at Sunset Magazine's Celebration Weekend tomorrow and Sunday. We're really excited about it as it's a great opportunity to have a lot of different people sampling euforia. Wish us luck!

FollowFriday, June 3, 2011

In case you're not on Twitter and don't know about this, Follow Friday is a great way to recognize Twitter people that you like, respect, or otherwise want to acknowledge. As I wrote earlier, we've only been active in social media for a week, and it's already be great. We've had some awesome exchanges with various folks on Twitter, so we want to recognize them here. If you get a chance, go follow them and make your time on social media sites more enjoyable!

On Twitter:

@fooducopia

@SF_FS

@TheBakingFairy

@TheFarmerWife

@TheSpiceLab

@CafeAuxCookies

@Sweetsfoods

@girliechef

@kristinpotpie

euforia™ is headed to Sunset Magazine's Celebration Weekend!

We're excited to be part of the Sunset Magazine Celebration Weekend this Saturday and Sunday, June 4-5 in Menlo Park, California.

We'll be among a group of Foodzie merchants, offering samples and selling our different products to the people attending the event. Over 25,000 thousand people are expected to come this weekend!

If you will be there, let us know!

To find out more about Celebration Weekend, visit http://www.sunset.com/marketplace/celebration-weekend-2010-00418000067282/. We'll be sure to update the blog with pictures if we get a moment to take some!