Bingo 2: Arts square
The Unofficial TikTok Cookbook as you might suspect is as much about making things look pretty/interesting as it is about making tasty edibles, thus art. Full disclosure: I’m not on TikTok. I don’t care enough or really have the time to go down that path. I do appreciate that the book starts with a discussion of what makes something go viral and gets into some of the logistics of being a successful content creator, and features comments throughout on how to make more inviting content, should one be so inclined. The book has sections on drinks, snacks, desserts, and breakfast, lunch and dinner hacks.
I noticed that especially for the drinks section, basically, the big “Secret” is flavored whipped cream. Always, flavored whipped cream. Whipped matcha latte (basically matcha with whipped topping), whipped strawberry milk (milk with strawberry whipped cream), whipped pina colada (coconut smoothie with pineapple whipped topping), etc. I felt a little old when an orange cream float seemed to actually required a definition: “Floats are drinks for the 1950s made with ice cream and soda”; since when does that require saying out loud? It’s vanilla ice cream, orange soda, and canned whipped cream. The diy brown sugar boba milk tea makes a little more sense as a recipe since making the pearls isn’t the most common knowledge, but why is there zero tea in that recipe?!
The “breakfast hacks” section is also not super creative in terms of actual recipes, like pink chia pudding. It’s chia pudding with a blended raspberry and coconut mile base. French toast casserole is also on the old time-y side, but that seems to be the trend here. What’s old is new again. Hummus toast is frames as “thanks to #foodTikTok we’ve found new alternatives to the brunch classic {avocado toast}”; hummus on toast is not exactly a mind blowing discovery, although it does sound tasty. And yes, there is a variation of avocado toast in here too. The one thing I am dubious of in this chapter is the “pancake cereal”. Basically, you make mini pancakes (1.5”) from a mix, and eat them in a bowl with milk. Soggy pancakes is now good eats?
The recipe in the snacks section that I find equally questionable is Two-Ingredient Bagels. Self-rising flour and yogurt topped with everything bagel seasoning and air fried does not sound like it actually results in anything resembling true bagel. And, I know cloud bread is a trend, but why can’t we just call it what it is, meringue? I do have to admit I’m curious if the two ingredient ice cream bread (self-rising flour and melted ice cream) actually results in anything resembling bread. I am also absolutely not sold on the idea of mason jar ice cream; that kind of thing almost never works when you try it at home.