And, now for the main event. This is the deviled egg I’ve been waiting weeks to share with you! It’s a carbonara deviled egg.

When I was dreaming up deviled egg variations, this was one of the first I thought of. Carbonara is traditionally a simple, creamy pasta preparation with bacon, eggs and Parmesan combined to make the sauce. Why not make it, twirl it in little balls and plop them into the egg white cups?

This was so much fun to make, and even more fun to eat. I’ll serve this at a party one day, and people will rave.

Ingredients:
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1/2 pound bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta, set aside. Cook your bacon until crispy, and set aside. Leave the drippings in the pan, and toss spaghetti in bacon fat. Add in the crispy bacon pieces.
2. Whisk together the eggs, cheese and pepper. Pour over the pasta, and mix briskly. The hot pan and pasta will cook the eggs.
3. Twirl little portions of the carbonara with a fork, and place in egg white cups. It helps if the pasta has cooled slightly.

Pace yourself. I’m seriously sporting a rather hefty pork hangover, but after a long day of tasting for Hogs for the Cause, I can honestly say it was worth it. The weather was perfect, I got to see a lot of my foodie friends, great music, free beer, awesome judges’ parking and tons of great food. I know we’re known for great festivals here in New Orleans, but this is one that I’m looking forward to next year already.

Foodzie.com is already a place to find delicious foodie finds, but it’s increasingly becoming a place to encounter the most creative as well. This hot chocolate on a stick is a perfect example of that. Now, I’ve had hot chocolate from a pouch, from scratch and even from a street vendor in Paris (under the Eiffel Tower), but I had never had it from a stick.

It would be easy to dismiss this creation as nothing more than a novelty, but for the fact that there’s a very high end chunk of chocolate on the heavy end of what becomes the luckiest stirring stick in the world. Sorry for the run-on. Add hot milk, stir and conjure thick, rich and creamy hot chocolate. Definitively decadent.

I think I would buy a set of these, and serve them as a DIY dessert at dinner parties. I also think more things should come in stick form.

French Dark Hot Chocolate on a Stick is made by the Ticket Kitchen on Foodzie.com.

#foodziefriday

I’ve got a list going of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in my life, and after seeing the mountains in Guilin, I added them. They looked almost fake; like a cartoon. An amazingly beautiful and surreal cartoon.

This deviled egg variation turned out really well, which surprised me, because I totally winged the recipe. I took the classic deviled egg recipe, the first in the series, and substituted avocado for mayo, red onion for shallots and added 1/4 diced, fresh tomatoes. I garnished with chopped flat-leaf parsley just to added a little extra freshness. So simple and really good.

My friend Rob (@whodak) just sent me this picture above, and I had to take a moment to share it. Let’s all pause for pizza. A moment of silence if you would be so kind….

Now, this is my kind of pizza. You just know that sauce is deep and rich and thick. I can almost taste the Italian seasonings. I see peppers and tomatoes, but what really got me was that cheesy, crumby crust (I’m using both of those adjectives in the best possible way). I’m seriously flipping over this pie. If I’m ever in Youngstown for three days, I know where I’m eating for seven of my meals.

Thanks for sharing, Rob! I sort of hate you right now.

St. Anthony’s Brier Hill Pizza on Facebook, Wikipedia and Google Maps.

Here’s the deal. You should make it a mission in your life to discover and devour caramels of all shapes and sizes. Make it a bucket list item. Let’s all swear today that we’ll try no less than 500 caramels before we die. Ok?

Good. Glad you’re with. Now, add these to your list to try. You’ve probably had salted caramels, and if you haven’t, get crackin’ on your list, but these candies kick it up a notch. It’s obvious that these candy makers don’t believe that less is more. Nope. As is always the case with candy, more is more. They made them chocolate. They studded them with walnuts. They’re freaking geniuses.

Das Foods on Foodzie

Join me on Twitter (@blakemakes) every #foodziefriday!

Ok, fellow Foodziers, check out these nuts. I’ve had plenty of seasoned/covered/candied nuts in my day, but these are a little different. You can tell by the name that they deliver a one-two punch of sweetness and spice, but I was also stuck by something else after my first bite. Cookies.

I tasted cookies. This little, coated walnut was delivering a whole lotta cookie magic to my mouth. I don’t know what it is, but something about the nut and the sweet transforms an otherwise mundane something into a boatload of something special.

nutC on Foodzie

“Beat Me or Eat Me.” That’s the tagline for the Food Experiments that are currently taking place all around the U.S. Looks like they’re doing a Pork Experiment in Austin on March 13, but right after that, they’re coming to New Orleans (April 3) to conduct the Brunch Experiments. I am SO getting in on this action. I’m planning to speak with one of the founders later today, and when I get more information I’ll post it here on Blake Makes.

I blogged about it once, but the one dish I have absolute confidence in is my classic preparation of Eggs Benedict (I’ve perfected my Hollandaise). How perfect for brunch! May need to sex it up a bit. Stay tuned!

We’re still in Beijing, with lots of China posts yet to come. They’re not all going to be food, and this post is a good example of that. We were lucky enough to witness the man pictured above, a Tai Chi Master, practicing his craft. I was stuck by how effortless his movements were, like a crane with bones of steel. His breathing was pronounced and conspicuous. That was the chi.

He performed for us for over ten minutes, and while he was, a crowd gathered to watch. I told Beez that if the same thing had happened in the U.S., the kids in the crowd would have probably laughed at this guy. None of the Chinese did. The looked on in reverence and respect. They quieted fussy children. They removed their earbuds. Some even joined in.

The whole space we were in got very calm and very quiet. It was a hot day, but the breeze blew a little cooler. It was as if he shared with us a secret he’s spent his life in practice and pursuit of. This country boy won’t forget it anytime soon.