weekend dinner party

Photo courtesy of Vietnamesegod.blogspot.com

Have you seen Luke Nguyen's Vietnam on the Cooking Channel? I caught a marathon one Saturday a couple weeks ago and it completely paralyzed me. I couldn't peel myself away for a solid two and half hours (at least). The food in Southeast Asia really excites me. The combination of flavors challenge your palate in a way that, I would argue, no other cuisine can. It's complex and fresh and vibrant and leaves your lips tingling and your mind racing. The street food, in particular, is what I find the most interesting. That in the median of a busy road, a woman is methodically shredding papaya for salad with bags upon bags of fresh mint at her disposal and little more than 12 inches of workspace (if any at all). Or deeply marinated meats with lemongrass, sugar, fish sauce, and cilantro, are skewered and slapped onto a makeshift grill, all from an unassuming cart, while traffic furiously buzzes by. It's proof that good--no, great food is only as good as its ingredients. And the person crafting them together.

I desperately need to go to Vietnam.

In the meantime, here's a Southeast Asian menu to hopefully hold me over.

spicy green papaya salad

grilled chicken with garlic, lemongrass, and cilantro

2009 Jean Ginglinger Riesling

Check out a clip of Luke Nguyen's show here.

Recipes:

Spicy Green Papaya Salad

Recipe Courtesy of Zak Pelaccio for Food & Wine

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp. Asian fish sauce

2 tbsp. sugar

2 Thai chiles, minced

1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp.minced peeled fresh ginger

2 pounds green papaya*--peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/4-by-1/4 inch sticks

1 firm, barely ripe mango--peeled, sliced off the pit and cut into 1 1/4-by-1/4 inch sticks

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup shredded mint leaves

salt

1. In a blender, puree the lime juice with the garlic, fish sauce, sugar, chiles and ginger. In a large bowl, toss the papaya with the mango, cilantro and mint. Add the dressing and toss. Season with salt, toss again and serve.

*If you can't find green papaya, you can substitute with using all mango or jicama or celery.

Grilled Chicken with Lemongrass, Garlic, and Cilantro

Serve with sticky rice.

weekend dinner party

Images Courtesy of Michael Turek for Food & Wine

Okay so I'm kinda cheating. And perhaps I should consider removing the word "cheating" from the previous sentence, er, fragment. But it's only cheating so far as I didn't put together this menu on my own. Or the wine pairings. So there's no two ways about it. I've cheated on my weekend dinner party post.

But here's the thing: this menu is perfect. Gorgeous. Ridiculously fine-tuned. With undeniable Scandinavian nuances. Lingonberries, smoked trout, fennel salad, buttered egg noodles. I mean, it had my name written all over it (only not literally). I'd be an idiot not to pass it along to you.

And I'm not cool with looking like an idiot. Even if it means I have to cheat every now and then.

Hold up. How'd I get myself here? Enough yappin'. Feast your eyes on this Winter White spread courtesy of Tory Miller for Food & Wine.

smoked trout and caper cream cheese toasts

2006 Iron Horse Wedding Cuvée

roast pork loin with fennel salad

buttered noodles with toasted sage

2009 Doña Rosa Albarino

ricotta blintzes with lingonberry syrup

Click here for all the recipes from this spread.

Smoked Trout and Caper Cream Cheese Toasts

Recipe Courtesy of Tory Miller for Food & Wine

10 Servings

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 small shallot, minced

1 tbsp. chopped chives, plus 1-inch lengths, for garnish

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

salt and freshly ground pepper

5 english muffins--split, toasted and buttered

1/2 lbs. skinless smoked trout fillet, coarsely chopped

1. In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, shallot, chopped chives, capers and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Spread the English muffins with the caper cream cheese. Top with the smoked trout, garnish with the chive pieces and serve.

Roast Pork Loin with Fennel Salad

Recipe Courtesy of Tory Miller for Food & Wine

10 Servings

PORK

1 tbsp. each of whole fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, star anise pods, allspice berries and juniper berries

1 gallon water

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar

4 bay leaves

One 10-rib, bone-in pork loin roast (about 7 pounds)

SALAD

1 large red grapefruit

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. honey

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 large fennel bulbs, cored and very thinly sliced on a mandolin

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1. PREPARE THE PORK: In a large pot, toast all of the spices over moderately high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the water, salt, brown sugar and bay leaves and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour the brine into a large roasting pan and let cool to room temperature. Put the pork roast in the brine, meaty side down. Cover the roasting pan and refrigerate overnight. Bring the pork roast to room temperature in the brine before roasting.

2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Set the pork roast on a large rimmed baking sheet, meaty side up. Roast the pork in the upper third of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 145F. Transfer the roast to a carving board; let rest for 15 minutes.

3. MEANWHILE, MAKE THE SALAD: Using a small, sharp knife, peel the red grapefruit, removing all of the bitter white pith. Working over a large bowl, cut in between the membranes, releasing the grapefruit sections into the bowl.

4. In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil and honey; season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the sliced fennel and red onion to the grapefruit sections in the large bowl.

5. Carve the pork roast into chops and transfer to plates. Toss the fennel salad with the dressing, mound the salad alongside the chops and serve.

WINE: The first impulse might be to pair this roast pork with a red wine, but Michael Kwas, wine director at L'Etoile, prefers to serve it with a vibrant white wine like the 2009 Doña Rosa Albarino. That wine has enough acidity to cut through the richness of the meat and also goes nicely with the citrusy fennel salad.

Buttered Egg Noodles with Toasted Sage

Recipe Courtesy of Tory Miller for Food & Wine

10 Servings

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature

1/2 cup thinly sliced sage leaves

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons chopped rosemary

2-1/2 cups chicken stock

1 pound wide egg noodles (pappardelle would work beautifully)

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. In a skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add the sage and cook over medium heat until crisp; with a slotted spoon, transfer to a small bowl. Add 1 more tablespoon of the butter to the skillet. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the stock and boil until reduced to 1 cup, 8 minutes. Cover the skillet and remove from the heat.

2. Cook the noodles until al dente; drain. Return the noodles to the pot. Add the reduced stock and the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and toss well. Stir in the 1/2 cup of grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl, top with the toasted sage and remaining 2 tablespoons of grated cheese. Serve right away.

Ricotta Blintzes with Lingonberry Syrup

Recipe Courtesy of Tory Miller for Food & Wine

10 Servings

BATTER

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

salt

4 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

FILLING

3 cups fresh ricotta (24 oz.)

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

SYRUP

one 10-ounce jar lingonberry jam

1 cup pure maple syrup

confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. MAKE THE BATTER: In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and sugar. Whisk the flour and eggs together; whisk in the butter. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.

2. MAKE THE FILLING: In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, sugar and cinnamon.

3. PREPARE THE SYRUP: In a saucepan, simmer the jam and maple syrup over moderate heat until slightly reduced, 5 minutes.

4. Heat two 8-inch nonstick skillets. Spray with vegetable oil spray and add 2 tablespoons of batter to each. Swirl the skillets to distribute the batter and cook over moderate heat until golden brown on the bottom, 1 minute. Flip the crepes and cook until brown spots appear on the bottom. Transfer the crepes to a cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 20 crepes.

5. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line another cookie sheet with parchment. On a work surface, spread 2 rounded tablespoons of the filling in the center of each crepe. Fold each crepe to form a rectangular packet. Arrange the blintzes on the cookie sheet, seams down. Bake until hot.

6. Rewarm the syrup. Place 2 blintzes on each plate. Dust with confectioners; sugar, pour the warm syrup over the blintzes and serve.

cavatelli with mussels, lillet and dill

This dish looked so refreshingly perfect on the pages of Food & Wine this month that I couldn't help but share it with you. The cavatelli (which look suspiciously like cannellini beans) and mussels are tossed with a touch of crème fraîche just before serving and then topped with a few thoughtful dill fronds. It suggests thoughts of warmer weather while appropriately maintaining a comfort dish status. And with grapefruit zest making an optional appearance, you can guarantee this will be an awfully impressive but conveniently easy dish to present to the table. For one or four. Oh, and mussels? They're the hottest deal of 2011.

Cavatelli with Mussels, Lillet and Dill

Recipe Courtesy of Kerry Heffernan for Food & Wine

Serves 4

2 pounds mussels, scrubbed

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 dill sprigs, plus 1 tablespoon chopped dill

1/4 cup Lillet or dry vermouth

3/4 cup crème fraîche

1 small shallot, minced

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon finely grated grapefruit zest (optional)

12 ounces fresh cavatelli

Freshly ground pepper

1. In a large saucepan, combine the mussels, wine, dill sprigs and 2 tablespoons of the Lillet and bring to a boil. Cover and steam until the mussels open, about 4 minutes. Transfer the mussels to a bowl and strain the juices into a medium bowl. Remove the mussels from their shells; discard any mussels that don't open. Rinse out the saucepan.

2. Return the juices to the saucepan and simmer until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in the crème fraîche, shallot and the lemon and grapefruit zests.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until nearly al dente; drain. Add the pasta to the saucepan along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Lillet. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick and creamy, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mussels and chopped dill and season the pasta with pepper. Serve right away.

Wine Pairing: Briny, crisp Muscadet (2008 Michel Delhommeau Cuvée St. Vincent Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie)

wild mushroom gnocchi

Sadly, this poorly lit photo doesn't even begin to serve this dish justice. Andrew Carmellini's wild mushroom gnocchi is the sexiest, most sinfully delicious dish I have ever--EVER--made. My heart just started to beat faster just thinking about taking another bite. Texturally, this gnocchi is straight up naughty.

And then a drizzle of white truffle oil happened.

And I had to quickly grab a chilled bottle of wine and press it against the back of my neck while holding on to the counter; knees ready to give out at any moment. My face and chest, visibly flushed. I was having a moment with this gnocchi.

I had about fifteen moments with this gnocchi last night.

Make this for someone you love. And choose carefully, my friends. Because after this dish is served, your dinner guest will be yours. For life.

Wild Mushroom Gnocchi

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Carmellini via Food & Wine

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 pounds mixed wild mushrooms, stemmed if necessary and thickly sliced (10 cups)

2 shallots, minced

1/4 dry vermouth (I used a splash of dry white wine)

3/4 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon chopped thyme

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 pounds fresh or frozen prepared gnocchi

6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon white truffle oil (optional but strongly encouraged)

Preheat the broiler. In a large oven-proof skillet, heat the olive oil with the butter. Add the mushrooms and shallots and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, 12 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook until evaporated. Add the stock, cream and thyme, season with salt and pepper; bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the gnocchi until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes. Drain well. Add the gnocchi to the mushrooms and simmer, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan on top.

Broil the gnocchi 6 inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Drizzle with truffle oil and serve.

weekend dinner fiesta

Image courtesy of Macy's

After the Cork'd Tasting on Monday night, I found myself in a cab flanked by two gents. Go, Kiira! One, an Arizona-native new to New York City, asked where he could find really good Mexican. The other, a Cape Codder, immediately exclaimed, "Dos Caminos!" To which, this Connecticut-raised girl responded, "It doesn't exist in Manhattan. Gotta go to the Red Hook ball fields." I then started to back peddle a bit as I reminisced about the fish tacos I had from Dos Caminos (which, by the way, are quite good), but eventually came to the decision that if you want a really good Mexican food experience, and a trip to Brooklyn isn't in your cards, you're going to have to pony up and do it yourself. And this weekend? You're throwing down a Mexican Fiesta.

The lack of fresh, authentic Mexican in New York City is a doggone mystery to me. For a cuisine so seemingly approachable, I can't understand how many places are serving up mediocre at best fish tacos. A piece of fish on a soft taco with shredded cabbage and avocado should always taste good. Because how could it not? Sadly, that's not always the case. But by making it yourself, well, your odds of success just increased infinitely.

shrimp ceviche with coconut milk, chile, and cilantro

watermelon-basil margarita

or: 2007 Chateau St. Michelle Eroica Riesling

grilled swordfish soft tacos with avocado, shredded cabbage, chipotle-lime aioli

peach salad with queso fresco

mexican street corn

2005 Clean Slate Riesling

dulce de leche flan

2005 Leonard Kreusch Beerenaulese

As for the wine pairings, Nathan Scherotter of Cork'd thoughtfully suggests the following:

"As a preface to the recommendations, we feel that Riesling, in general, is a great pair with all types of Mexican food. It compliments the flavors and combats the spices, making it a solid option. For the appetizer: 2007 Chateau St. Michelle Eroica Riesling. There has always been a lot of hype about this wine, but it's one of my favorites. Awesome lush, green apple and acidity make it a great way to start off the night. It will also work off of the lime and cilantro beautifully. For the main: 2005 Clean Slate Riesling. Our reviewers have loved this wine. It is a good change from the previous one--more of a mineral taste and very crisp and clean with some pear and peach action in there. I think this will really enhance the chipotle and peach flavors while not overpowering the fish. For dessert: Now let's get into some Late Harvest Riesling. The 2005 Leonard Kreusch Beerenaulese consists of apricot, honey, and pear with the needed acidity to match the texture of the flan. The flavors of the wine and dessert will go really well together."

And as always, if wine isn't your cup of horchata, feel free to throw a couple Coronas and Dos Equis in the cooler. They'll hold up just fine with this spread.

Now, andele! Start squeezing those limes. You're going to need a lot of them.

Shrimp Ceviche with Coconut Milk, Chile, and Cilantro

Adapted from a Tyler Florence Recipe, Serves 8

1-1/2 lbs. extra-large or jumbo shrimp, peeled

1-1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

3/4 cup finely diced red onion

2 cloves of garlic, grated

1 (or 2) serrano chiles, thinly sliced

1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped

salt to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the shrimp and add in a generous handful of salt. Add in the shrimp and allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until pink. Immediately transfer them to an ice bath to cool.

Drain the shrimp, pat dry, and cut into 1-inch size pieces. In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk, lime juice, onion, garlic, chiles, and cilantro and season with salt. Add in the shrimp and allow them to marinate, refrigerated, for about 1/2 hour.

Serve in martini glasses.

For the grilled swordfish soft tacos, I'd recommend picking up 4 or 5 swordfish steaks (to serve 6) and marinate them in fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice, fresh oregano, and garlic for an hour...no longer. Grill the steaks, about 4 minutes a side then transfer to a platter and cut into chunks for easy taco building. Whip up some chipotle-lime aioli by combining mayo with some chipotle in adobo, lime zest, and juice. Shred some green cabbage and slice some avocado. Tacos are ready for the table.

The peach salad could not be easier. Slice up some perfectly ripe (I prefer slightly under ripe) peaches, thinly sliced some red onion, add them to a bowl with a handful of baby arugula. Squeeze some fresh lime juice on top, a drizzle of olive oil, and toss. Crumble some queso fresco on top and serve.


(Watermelon-Basil Margarita, Mexican street corn, and dulce de leche flan recipes are linked above in the menu)

weekend dinner party

Photo Courtesy of Nina Callaway for Apartment Therapy

For this week's weekend dinner party menu, I decided to go as Spring-centric as humanly possible while still taking this recent cold-front (which needs to get lost, stat) into account. The result was a menu so universally crowd-pleasing, impressive, and comforting, I can't imagine anyone not taking my advice on this one.

And if you're not taking my advice (which is positively psychotic), you'll be sure to take Jon's. Jon Troutman, Senior Editor of Cork'd, is back with more genius wine pairings that I'm itching to try with these recipes. His explanations of the pairings totally triggered excitement-induced salivation. And I don't doubt they'll do the same for you.

Et maintenant, le menu, mes chéries...

crostini with ramps, ricotta, and mint

2006 Schloss Gobelsburg Gruner Veltliner Gobelsburger

spaghetti carbonara

arugula and radicchio salad with orange vinaigrette

2005 Falesco Vitiano

vanilla panna cotta with strawberries in cassis

2003 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Riesling

Inevitably, ramps were going to make an appearance on Eat and Greet. For if they didn't, I feared you'd question my credibility. Anyone who has any level of interest in food, freaks for ramp season. And since it's upon us and quickly fleeting, let's grab some while we still can and whip up a crostini, k?

Crostini with Ramps, Ricotta, and Mint
Recipe Courtesy of Yours Truly

1 baguette, sliced into rounds, toasted, and rubbed with garlic while still warm
1/2 cup ricotta
1/4 cup finely chopped ramps (grilled scallions could be subbed here)
1 Tbsp. or so of chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients (except for baguette) in a small bowl and smear onto crostini.

Jon says:

"Nothing says spring time like farmers market ramps! Because ramps, along with ricotta and mint, are such flavorful foods, you'll want a flavorful wine to stand up to it. Gruner Veltliner (aka GruVee) is a perfect option, and something that has seen a huge spike in popularity over the last few years. The best examples have a spiciness to them, sufficient acid levels to stand up to most foods, and are capable of laying down in the cellar for 10+ years. Here's one highly scored GruVee from a well known, well distributed winery." 2006 Schloss Gobelsburg Gruner Veltliner Gobeslburger

Although Carbonara doesn't really need a recipe (it's hard to screw this up), here's one from Food & Wine as a guideline. Feel free to substitute the pancetta (or guanciale if you can swing it) with bacon which will add a great smokiness to the dish.

Spaghetti Carbonara
Recipe Courtesy of Anne Quatrano for Food & Wine

1 pound spaghetti
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, cut into 1/8-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (3 ounces), plus more for serving
freshly ground pepper

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until just al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and cream. In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil. Add the pancetta and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until crisp, 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until golden, 1 minute.

Add the spaghetti to the skillet. Cook over low heat, tossing until coated. Slowly add the reserved pasta cooking water and beaten egg yolks. Toss until coated with a creamy sauce, about 1 minute. Add the 1 cup of Parmesan and season with pepper. Transfer to bowls and serve, passing extra parmesan.

For the salad, combine baby arugula and some chopped radicchio in a large bowl. The dressing is as follows: whisk 1/2 Tbsp. orange marmalade, one clove grated garlic, 1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp. dijon mustard. Whisk in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to taste. Drizzle over greens, toss, and serve.

Jon says:

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Or better yet, when it Italy, drink like Italians. That's why the perfect wine to pair with Spaghetti Carbonara is a "Super Tuscan"; a blended wine from the Tuscany region of Italy, typically composed of their native grape, Sangiovese, along with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These wines are big, rich, and concentrated, refusing to be overpowered by the fatty pork." 2007 Falesco
Vitiano (I've had this one! Proof here and evidenced in photo below)

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Strawberries in Cassis
Recipe Courtesy of Tamasin Day-Lewis for Bon Appetit

We know I'm not big on sweets, but I can get down with a custard or cream-based dessert. Way down. And Panna Cotta is no exception. The strawberries in Cassis (black currant liqueur) just put it right over the edge. If you think you won't use Cassis outside of this recipe (think about all the Kir's you can enjoy this Summer), feel free to use an aged balsamic with a sprinkle of sugar instead.

Jon says:

"Ahh, dessert wines. These are totally overlooked in American culture, largely because we over indulge on appetizer, main courses, and the tables wines to match. Unleash your inner sweet tooth. This Panna Cotta presents the perfect opportunity to get down with some Auslese Riesling. Auslese is a classification used for German and Austrian wines, which essentially means that the grapes were left on the vine an extra long time, becoming super ripe and concentrated. The resulting wines are a hair sweet but with solid acid levels. What does all this mean for you? Go slow, because one glass can easily lead to a second or third. Is that such a bad thing, though?" 2003 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnnenuhr Auslese Riesling

The answer is, no. As long as you're drinking plenty of water alongside, of course.

Make this meal for the people you care about this weekend. They'll stick with you forever. I know it.

in season: brussels sprouts

Right now. Right this very second. Forget all the scary and unmerited preconceived notions you may have regarding the devastatingly adorable little brussels sprout. Because you know what? You're all growed up (or somewhere in between) and it's time for you to give them another shot with your now mature (or somewhere in between) palette. Brussels sprouts are fabulous. They take exceedingly well to a variety of different cooking preparations; roasting and braising being two of my favorites, which bring out a smokey, nutty quality to them that turn this vegetable into something nearing surreal.

Last Thanksgiving, I tried this recipe from Food + Wine for Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and the next morning I awoke to emails in my inbox, requesting the run down of the dish. It was the star of the spread (so much for brining the turkey for 24 hours). The recipe says to reconstitute the dried cranberries in Riesling and while it sounded like a lovely idea, I prefer the cranberries to retain some of their chew and integrity so the second go around, I neglected to soak them. But by all means, go for the Riesling hot tub method if you like your dried fruit plump. No judging here.

Thanksgiving aside, brussels sprouts are great alongside any fall dish. Slice up a few shallots, saute them in a butter and olive oil combination (if you're a bacon fiend, add some chopped bacon to the shallots. it will turn any hater into a lover.), then toss in halved brussels sprouts. Allow them to brown up a little and then pour in a splash of chicken broth (or white wine), put the lid on and let them braise for a good 5-6 minutes or so. Along side some simple roasted chicken and a hearty fall salad with dried cranberries, crumbled goat cheese, and maple balsamic vinaigrette and you'll forget all about those awful yet baseless childhood memories about these little guys and will consider them a new favorite.

Promise?

Yep. I promise.