Food tidbits

Happy birthday, Ben & Jerry's
Talk about being a victim of one's own success.
Ice cream giant Ben & Jerry's is celebrating is 30th birthday this year. To mark the event, the company known for its numerous and creatively-name flavors has launched a special anniversary ice cream - Cake Batter.
Trouble is, the company has released so many flavors, the folks who work there can't come up with a tally. They think Cake Batter is No. 280. Or maybe No. 300.
Whatever its number, Cake Batter is a creamy mix of vanilla ice cream swirled with yellow cake batter and chocolate frosting.
on the net:
>> www.benjerry.com

Canned cakes
SAN FRANCISCO You want pancakes, but the idea of adding water to powder and stirring it around just seems like too much effort. Enter Batter Blaster, the pancake you just point and spray.
Gastronomic genius? Or sign of the apocalypse?
It all depends on how you feel about fast food.
The contents are pressurized and the can has a nozzle similar to a whipped cream can, which can unleash artistic aspirations in the way of animal, geometric and letter-shaped pancakes.
on the net:
>> www.batterblaster.com

Stewart bakes cookies
Martha Stewart's latest cookbook keeps it plain and simple. And wonderful.
The title - "Cookies" - says it all. On offer are 175 recipes elegantly photographed. They are simple, beautiful and tempting.
The book's real strength is its intuitiveness. The chapters are organized by cookie type - light and delicate, soft and chewy, crumbly and sandy, etc.

 >> WHAT'S COOKING: We want your favorite recipes, whether it's original or something you stole from Great-Aunt Martha. E-mail ­csimmons@oaoa.com or call 333-7766.