Binging with Babish Season 5, Episode 24: LOTR Part 1

Egg Tarts from Avatar The Last Airbender

Avatar: The Last Airbender is rife with delicious-sounding foods that y'all have requested - puffin-seal sausages, fire flakes, sizzle crisps, smoked sea slug - but none sound quite so accomplishable as Aang's favorite food, egg custard tarts. Today we're taking a crack at both the show-accurate version, as well as its origin, the Portuguese pasteis de nata!

8 min

Dessert Dogs from The Simpsons

This week, we're returning to Springfield for a fan favorite tasty-fake: Marge Simpson's Oven Fresh Bake Off-winning dessert dogs. Deep fried cookie dough in a meringue bun, drizzled with cherry syrup and caramel? I can't think of a better way to torpedo those New Year's resolutions!

8 min

Marmalade from Paddington

9 min

Braciole from Everybody Loves Raymond

This week on Binging with Babish, I set out to make braciole from Everybody Loves Raymond.

6 min

Mac & Cheese from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

In Quentin Tarantino's latest drug-laced, blood-soaked, profanity-peppered revisionist history masterpiece, food once again takes center stage alongside our singular protagonists. In a departure from his penchant for fictional brand names, a familiar box emblazoned in blue is shown as the preferred dinner of stuntman Cliff Booth. Can we improve on this childhood classic? Is there even a need to? Well, I decided to anyway. Sort of.

8 min

The Perfect Bite from YOU (Netflix)

Do yourself a favor: don't start "You" if you don't have a full day in which to binge the entire series. This trashy-fun Netflix series is, at its core, about dating...albeit in a frightening and murderous way. And dating, at its core, is about food - so it was inevitable that there end up being some delectable food porn in this stalker-rom-com. Today, we explore not only the passionately-prepared roast chicken, but the idea of the perfect bite itself!

12 min

Ram-Don from Parasite

Rarely does a dish serve as such a central metaphor for a film's primary conflict: in Parasite, boujee beef sits oppressively atop bargain noodles in the Park family's version of Ram-Don, the way they sit so literally atop others. It was tricky doing this one without spoilers, but I think I managed!

11 min

Egg Sandwich from Birds of Prey

Margot Robbie continues her streak as Americaustralia's national treasure in her second turn as the delightfully unhinged Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey, a movie I have admittedly not yet seen. From what I hear though, she sheds bitter tears as her lover falls to the pavement in a fateful chase through the Gotham City streets. No, I'm not talking about the the tatted-up, purring, emo-glam Joker - I'm talking about the perfect egg sandwich.

6 min

Chocolate Pudding from Rugrats

About a month ago, I basically brought this episode on myself: declaring, in a popular Reddit thread, that I was working on the meme'd-out chocolate pudding from the incomparable Rugrats. Turns out there's only so much you can do with chocolate pudding - so I tried my best to do a little bit of each! Recipes inspired by America's Test Kitchen: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/

7 min

Turf N' Turf from Parks & Recreation

In wishing to celebrate the big 6M, Ron's favorite order at Charles Mulligan's Steakhouse seemed fitting: prime, dry-aged beef with a side of prime, dry-aged beef. Forgive me, for I have sinned. Thank you all SO MUCH for helping me reach 6 million subscribers!!

8 min

Bunnicorn Pizza from Star Trek: Picard

A tearful reunion of two of my favorite characters AND a dish described vividly and depicted in detail? It’s not my birthday, but it sure feels like it. Follow along this week as we recreate the hilariously Trek-appropriate “bunnicorn” pizza!

8 min

Cold Cure from Kenan & Kel

This week, I'm sick n' self-quarantined. Can the golden era of Nickelodeon kids sitcoms help cure what ails me? Recipe: https://web.archive.org/web/20200326004931/https://www.bingingwithbabish.com/recipes/cold-cure

3 min

Imaginary Pie from Hook

The Neverland feast from Hook holds a special place in all our hearts, memories, and "You're a 90s Kid If..." lists on Buzzfeed. I've been resisting making the neon-colored pies, despite their being hotly requested, for some time - namely because I think they're just pie shells filled with whipped cream. But this week, more than most weeks, we're using our imaginations! Recipe: https://web.archive.org/web/20200401185809/https://www.bingingwithbabish.com/recipes/imaginary-pie-hook

13 min

Brisket from Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Passover approaches, and thanks to the magnificent meal made by Midge Maisel, we've got a great excuse to whip up some Jewish BBQ on the show. Slowly braised to tender perfection in a delicate balance of sweet, sour, and savory flavors, this brisket outshines even charoset at the Seder table. And that shit is delicious.

6 min

Ben Wyatt's Calzones from Parks & Rec

Ben Wyatt: mayor of Ice Town, occasional Batman impersonator, and unwavering disciple of the calzone. Today we celebrate Ben's fandom with a trio of his most notorious pizza pocket projects: calzone-shaped apple pie, (poisonous) mini calzones, and the low-cal-calzone-zone. Pizza is better as a sandwich, isn't it? Recipe: https://web.archive.org/web/20200418225938/https://www.bingingwithbabish.com/recipes/ben-wyatt-calzones

10 min

Caprese Salad from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is a great many things: it's an adventure, it's bizarre, and it's essentially one long, uninterrupted Jojo reference. It's also, fleetingly, an enthusiastic examination of Italian food. Follow along this week as we unravel the mysteries of one of my greatest cooking fears: fresh, homemade mozzarella!

8 min

Margaritas from Archer

This week, H Jon Benjamin, the voice of Sterling Archer himself, joins us to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. We're appropriately recreating one of Archer's many cocktails of choice: the classic margarita. A seemingly simple drink until you try to make one without doing your research in front of an audience of millions, the margarita can be taken to soaring highs or devastating lows with five simple ingredients and a cocktail shaker. Come hang out and let's celebrate together/apart!

6 min

Lil' Bits from Rick and Morty

Rick and Morty is back and it's Ricker and Mortier than ever - to celebrate, we're making some normal foods but all tiny and small so they don't get stuck in your lips. Take a sneak peek at my new house, chop up some kalaxian crystals, and settle in for an unusually long Binging with Babish!

14 min

Troy's Casserole from Community

Well, I've been terrified to tackle Troy's titular traybake for years, and in about 12 minutes you'll see why. But, Community returned yesterday with a table read from the full original cast, and I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate. Srap in folks, this one's gonna get weird.

13 min

Buttered Noodles from Community

This week, we're double-dipping in the world of Dan Harmon's lovable, irreverent collegiate caricature: Community. I'm here to defend the "weird" favorite food of Abed Nadir: buttered noodles. Yes, that impossibly plain side dish/cafeteria filler/thing you eat when you're sick. With a few simple tricks, we can upgrade this ubiquitous underdog into something worth making all on its own.

9 min

Pastrami from When Harry Met Sally

This week, for once, I worked on something ahead of time! Because I had to! Because it's pastrami, and pastrami takes about 45 years to make!

7 min

Sweetrolls from Skyrim

Well folks, after years of requests, they're finally here: the most tempting polygonal pastries ever put to PC, Sweetrolls from Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. I've been terrified to take on this digital dessert for years, but after developing a recipe using a buttery-sweet brioche, I think it's finally ready for the main stage. [Insert joke about stealing sweetrolls here].

13 min

Twinkie Wiener Sandwich from UHF

UHF, Weird Al's fledgling foray into film, is nothing short of a direct transcript of his delightfully odd imagination put to celluloid. In a dish that embodies the spirit of the movie itself, a hot dog is tucked delicately into a Twinkie and judiciously sprayed with cheese - and you know what? It's not that bad. Also, fun fact, Running with Scissors was the first CD I ever bought with my own money.

6 min

LOTR Part 2

This week, the epic conclusion of the Lord of the Rings...duology. Yes I know I should've made 3 episodes. The meal(s) finally come together in one out-of-control spread that covers a Hobbit's diet from dawn till dusk. You've all given me so many things to celebrate, and I'm just happy that, even from a safe distance, we can still celebrate together. Thank you for helping me reach this and so many other bewildering milestones. I'll work the rest of my life to try and earn what you've given me.

12 min

Croque Monsieur from Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Captain Holt's signature stone-faced empathy is on display in this heartwarming act of culinary affection, a memory in the form of a sandwich. But not just any sandwich: the cheesy, hammy, gooey French brasserie classic, Croque Monsieur. Let's hear how incorrectly I can pronounce things this week as we recreate this toasty brunchtime delight.

8 min

'Sundae' from SpongeBob SquarePants

SpongeBob's personality is on full display as he loudly, incoherently, and lovably throws together some household sundries in an attempt to make a Sunday sundae. So too shall we - until, of course, we toss it and try to make a better version. Which doesn't entirely work out. The conch has spoken.

6 min

Perfect Key Lime Pie from Dexter

In a fan-favorite episode, Dexter Morgan takes a break from his close-up, slow-motion morning routine to kill a friend in need. But he can't saran-wrap her to a table and scalpel her cheek like any other Monday, he's gotta be nice about it, so he finds the best key lime pie in Miami and pumps it full of night-night juice. I've heard of humble pie but this is ridiculous! Sorry.

6 min

Fire Flakes from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Sokka's appetite betrays him during his visit to the fire nation when a tempting-looking snack, dubbed 'flaming fire flakes', turn out to be spicy. Whaddaya know. This week, we're manifesting the firebenders' chips of choice using an innovative recipe from ChefSteps, a little creativity, and some tingly-spicy Sichuan peppercorns!

6 min

Paunch Burger from Parks & Recreation

What’s in it? Who cares! How many calories? Shut up!

8 min

The Four Horse-Meals of the Egg-Pork-alypse from Parks & Recreation

This week, we say a bittersweet goodbye to the old BwB studio with a Swanson's swan song, and probably the longest episode name to date: The Four Horsemeals of the Eggporkalypse from Parks & Rec. A fitting goodbye, a breakfast that could comfortably feed a family of four (along with some aunts and uncles), prepared on the very same flat-top that seared the sixteen-some-odd patties flipped in the kitchen's inaugural episode.

12 min

Meat Tornado from Parks & Recreation

This week, we christen in the new BwB kitchen with the third part in an epic Parks and Rec trilogy: the Meat Tornado. After consulting with a doctor of nutrition to ensure that our creation could be potentially lethal, we set out to make a 2-pound burrito stuffed with carne asada, carnitas, tinga de pollo, and the inappropriately spicy Last Dab XXX.

13 min

Enchiladas from Schitt's Creek

This week we're celebrating the 200th episode of Binging with Babish with...a pretty normal episode, since I didn't realize it was the 200th until someone pointed it out to me on Reddit! So we'll just pretend that I wanted to be lowkey about it. I had been looking forward to this one for a while, mostly because well, I love enchiladas. The Rose "family recipe" involving the folding of cheese could only mean one thing: a queso drizzled over top the spicy little parcels before getting all browned and bubbly in the oven. Sign me up.

8 min

Pollos Hermanos from Breaking Bad

This week, we're faced with a very particular challenge, the likes of which I never thought I'd have to face: batter-fried chicken. It sounds innocuous enough, but a cursory glimpse at any given recipe eschews batter in favor of a sturdier, more reliable flour-and-egg dredge. Thanks to our new kitchen producer (Kendall Beach), we concocted a formula for batter that wouldn't bulk up, wouldn't brown too quickly, and wouldn't crack in the unforgiving oil. The results are annoyingly difficult but undeniably fantastic fried chicken, made in (what I imagine is) the Pollos Hermanos style! Recipe: https://web.archive.org/web/20200916171407/https://www.bingingwithbabish.com/recipes/pollos-hermanos-breaking-bad

7 min

Triple Gooberberry Sunrise from SpongeBob SquarePants

This week, I’m recreating the Triple Gooberberry Sunrise from Spongebob Squarepants! Recipe: https://www.bingingwithbabish.com/recipes/triple-gooberberry-sunrise-spongebob-squarespace

7 min

Raspberry Danish from Ant Man & The Wasp

Yes I know this one is a stretch. But Jess really loves raspberry danish you guys, and I wanted to make some for her. So, this week, we're using its brief product-placement-mention in Ant Man & The Wasp as an excuse to whip up batch after batch of this delectable dessert of Denmark.

10 min

Garlic Bread from Scott Pilgrim vs The World

8 min

Restaurant Wars from Steven Universe

This week, by virtue of some long fermentation times and triple-cooking methods, we're taking a look at the cheffy versions of frozen snacks served up at Steven Universe's Michelin-starred Beach City eatery. Can we make ketchup-stuffed french fries and cream cheese-stuffed pizza bagels worthy of a Michelin Star? Let's find out as we prematurely celebrate hitting 8 million subscribers!

9 min

Mississippi Queen from Regular Show

This week we're celebrating 8 million subscribers with a tour of the office, a surprise kitten, and what's becoming a tradition for subscriber milestones: another death-defying food challenge from Regular Show. The Mississippi Queen is prepared, in detail, so we can recreate it with some accuracy - but steps must be taken to transform it into a hallucinogenic kids' show mindf*ck! Thank you so much for helping me reach the big 8!!

14 min

The Broodwich from Aqua Teen Hunger Force

This week, to celebrate Halloween, I bend my no-fantasy-food-rule in favor of that most unholy of sandwiches, the Broodwich. It wasn't forged in darkness, it wasn't baked by Beelzebub - but it does have a sinful amount of meat, hand-beaten mayo, lots of sun dried tomatoes, and lettuce. BED OF EVIL AND LETTUCE!

12 min

Brie & Butter Baguettes from Twin Peaks

This week we're headed back to Twin Peaks WA, but for once, not with murder on the mind. Instead, we're focusing on the food: brie and baguette sandwiches, fresh from Paris, furnished by an unhealthy relationship with a younger sibling. Brie and butter on a baguette isn't just a delicious-sounding alliteration - it's a classic French sandwich that actually lives up to the hype. Sometimes a few simple ingredients can come together to create something greater than the sum of their parts, and there are few finer examples than this comforting, indulgent mixture of fat and carbs.

7 min

The Liz Lemon from 30 Rock

This week, we conclude our (unintentional) sandwich trilogy with Liz Lemon’s innovative take on a classic Reuben, particularly her inspired inclusion of potato chips as a condiment. Grab your night cheese and get ready for a visit from MeatCat - can’t think of any other 30 Rock references? That’s a dealbreaker.

7 min

Omelette du Fromage from Dexter's Laboratory

Today, I'm given an excuse to (probably horrendously incorrectly) attempt some French - both the language and cuisine. An iconically challenging but ironically simple dish becomes the sole phrase in Dexter McPherson's normally-stacked vocabulary, the admittedly-seductive-sounding "omelette du fromage". Let's crack some eggs!

7 min

Macarons from The Mandalorian

This week, the creator of The Mandalorian, the founding father of the MCU, the man/myth/legend himself, Jon Favreau joins us to discuss some recently-spotted blue macarons being snacked upon by The Child. What do they taste like? Are they an homage to blue milk? Can I get cast in the next Marvel movie, perhaps as a superhero with cooking powers? Only one way to find out.

11 min

Steak, Eggs and Gravy from Twister

Twister did more than make me briefly go through a phase of wanting to be a storm chaser - it showed me that with a durable enough pickup truck, you could easily drive directly through a four-bedroom house. It also made my stomach growl when Aunt Meg busted out the country cooking in her bohemian Oklahoman homestead: ribeyes with fried sunny-side-up eggs, mountains of fluffy mashed potatoes, and a rightfully famous gravy. And homemade lemonade, shit, I forgot the lemonade.

5 min

Monica's Candy from Friends

Little is known about Monica Geller's addicting, social-norm-disrupting candy: it involves chocolate, it tastes like little drops of heaven, it's indescribable. Based off what I've observed in my frame-by-frame analysis, it appears to be chocolate-covered caramels, something I'm more than apt to make. But it involves tempering chocolate - will I survive? Yeah, probably - tempering chocolate sucks, but so long as you have a double boiler/an accurate thermometer/patience, anyone can do it!

5 min

Judy the Elf's Hot Cocoa from The Santa Clause

In a Klingon-like transfer of power ritual, the conveniently-initialed Scott Calvin kills Santa Clause in front of his son, puts on the dead man's clothes, and takes over his role as the bringer of joy to children around the world. Peyote-trip-storyline aside, there's some pretty choice hot cocoa served to the killer by one of his ancient child servants: a recipe perfected for 1200 years. Can we do the same in our home kitchen? Not without creating some potentially explosive, extra chocolatey hazards!

6 min

Overnight Salad from SNL

From Colon Blow to Taco Town to Shweddy Balls, SNL is known for its sometimes-temping, often-disgusting food parodies. Most pale in comparison, however, to the Overnight Salad: dripping with mid-century mayonnaise overdose, this send-up of 1950s American "cuisine" has been haunting me since its premiere last spring, and now finally it's here. Along with a practical version, because as it turns out, overnight salads are an actual thing for some reason. Don't forget the quarter (like I did)!

7 min