Horror Humor Hunger

When I think canned laughter, I think sitcoms and TV dinners. Join me and recipe genius Becky Parr as we reinterpret the classic TV dinner in a healthier, more nutritious, and--dare I say--more delicious way! Recipe below.

Links:

• You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81133260
• “Ultra-Processed People” by Chris van Tulleken: https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Processed-People-Science-Behind-Food/dp/1324036729

Horror Humor Hunger TV Dinner

Walnut Brownie

Adapted from Elana’s Pantry: https://elanaspantry.com/easy-black-and-white-cake/

Ingredients

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups almond flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Butter a 9x9 brownie pan.
2. Melt dark chocolate chips and coconut milk in a saucepan over very low heat. When mixture is melted, remove from heat and stir in the eggs and vanilla.
3. Stir in almond flour, salt, and baking soda.
4. Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the chopped walnuts.
5. Pour your batter into the greased 9x9 pan and top with remaining 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts.
6. Bake at 350F for 20-21 minutes.

Secret Ingredient Mac n Cheese

Adapted from Minimalist Baker: https://minimalistbaker.com/20-minute-mac-and-cheese-vegan/#wprm-recipe-container-78078

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 8 hours (or cover with boiling water and soak for 15-20 minutes to soften)
• 1 box Banza elbow macaroni pasta
• Juice of one whole lemon
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• A few twists freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Drain cashews, then pour into a high-speed blender.
2. Cook pasta according to package instructions; reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
3. To the blender with the cashews, add lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, turmeric, chipotle, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Blend until very smooth.
4. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add more water.
5. Pour the sauce into the pot with the drained pasta and stir to combine!

Peas

Defrost a bag of frozen peas as your fabulous veggie side! You can also stir your peas directly into the mac n cheese.

Put it all together and you’ve got yourself a delicious Horror Humor Hunger TV Dinner--perfect for enjoying while you listen to this podcast!
Sound effects courtesy of Pixabay

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My second novel, Much Too Vulgar, publishes TODAY! In this new horror tale, disturbed pre-med student Keely will do anything she can to get into med school, even if it means eliminating her competition.

In this Season 6 kickoff episode, you’ll get an exclusive peek at the first chapter of Much Too Vulgar, along with the story (both truth and fiction) behind the story.

Get your copy of Much Too Vulgar: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGQHCDT4?ref_=pe_93986420_775043100

Sound effects courtesy of Pixabay and zapsplat.com

Keep up with Horror Humor Hunger:
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- Twitter: @HHHPodwithViggy
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Did last week’s episode leave you hanging? Fear not--here’s Part Two of the Mysterious Moist Ghost saga. We'll finally (maybe?) solve this mystery!

For a full breakdown (with photos and spoilers!) of this story, check out my article on Medium at: https://vmp22.medium.com/the-mysterious-very-moist-ghost-and-the-diabetic-schnoodle-fa21da54e8e2?sk=bb057b62d29539a62418e2acd2dea54d

Keep up with Horror Humor Hunger:
- Instagram: @horrorhumorhungerpodcast
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- Twitter: @HHHPodwithViggy
- Sign up for Viggy's monthly newsletter at www.viggyhampton.com

What makes a work of literature ‘great?' Why are some books upheld as paragons of cultural and social critique while others are dismissed as ‘junk food’? Why is horror so often relegated to the junk food category?

In this episode, special guest and horror author Z.C. Krol helps us answer these questions and many others. We explore the concept of splatterpunk, how much is too much in horror, and the importance of horror as a genre to society at large.

You can find Z.C. Krol’s novella, Disseverment, on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com.au/Disseverment-Horror-Story-Z-C-Krol/dp/B0BBD7L316

You can follow him on Instagram @‌zc_krol and listen to his podcast, The Creepy Kroly, on Spotify.

This week’s recipe is JUNK FOOD COOKIES, which are the perfect accompaniment to every horror book and movie.

Ingredients

2 cups almond flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 Tbsp honey or maple syrup

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup dark, semisweet, or milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup lightly crushed salted potato chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, salt, and baking soda.
3. In a small bowl, combine butter, honey, and vanilla.
4. Mix wet ingredients into dry until a soft dough forms.
5. Fold in chocolate chips and potato chips.
6. Scoop dough one tablespoon as a time (a spring-loaded disher works great) onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
7. Press balls of dough down gently.
8. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes.
9. Let cool for 15 minutes, then enjoy!

Keep up with Horror Humor Hunger:
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“Jelly is so close to human flesh. That is why it’s delightful for us, because it’s made out of gelatin. It starts off quivering, then there’s a sort of lustrous motion as it dissolves in the mouth. There’s something rather fleshy about it, which I think is wonderful.” --Sam Bompas

Jelly, with its creepy, wobbly, wiggly appearance, inspired me to write my newest novel, It Must Be Jelly, about a killer jelly mold. In the course of my research, I found Bompas & Parr, a London-based design firm specializing in incredible jellies. In this episode, Sam Bompas of Bompas & Parr talks with me about the horror and humor of jelly and why it captivates our attention so fully.

You can follow Bompas & Parr on Instagram @‌bompasandparr, order their book, Jelly, on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Jelly-Bompas-Parr-glorious-spectacular/dp/1862058792), visit their website (https://bompasandparr.com/ ), watch them make a jelly (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwhkA4gdffE ), or read more about them and their work (https://www.ft.com/content/3b83cb0a-bf43-4eae-ba8e-61cf50b6f93b ).

If you’re interested in the article I first read that inspired me, you can find it here at Atlas Obscura: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/gelatin-art

As for the recipe, I tried this one (https://www.thespruceeats.com/strawberry-jelly-recipe-435894 ), but substituted frozen, thawed mixed berries for the fresh strawberries.

As Sam says, “Our challenge to listeners: What would you do with jelly? Where will it take your imagination?”

Keep up with Horror Humor Hunger:
- Instagram: @horrorhumorhungerpodcast
- Viggy's Instagram: @viggyparrhampton
- Twitter: @HHHPodwithViggy
- Sign up for Viggy's monthly newsletter at www.viggyhampton.com