To say that I’m not a frequenter of the midwest would be a gross understatement.
Aside from a quick, two-day long visit to chicago 6 years ago, the midwest had been a mythical place that I knew absolutely nothing about.
Cue this weekend’s trip to Iowa.
Say hello to Jello salad in its various incarnations. The green one with marshmallows and canned pears is known as “Cute Jello“. The one in the center is a tropical jello flavor embedded with mandarin orange slices. To the right, my favorite of the bunch: a napoleon-like concocoction of layered graham crackers and an apple sauce/Jello mix filling, wrapped in cool whip.
Sure it’s kitschy, but frankly they’re pretty inventive combinations given that the two main markets in the area are a Wal-mart and a Hy-vee.
More importantly, the company that went along with the bright desserts was great.
In the background are a few bricks of fudge we obtained from a local artisan chocolate shop in Marshalltown. It was a cute spot full of great smells and fattening concoctions.
In an effort to blend in, I attempted a savory (and literal) Jello salad option. Meet the Jello Caesar salad.
When in Rome, right?
While it looks pretty horrific, it turned out to taste way better than I thought it would. It also makes me want to explore the world of aspics and terrines (especially considering my documented love of headcheese).
More to come.