Hello and welcome to this thing we’re doing where we help you figure out what you’re gonna put in your mouth this week. Some of these are recipes we’ve tried, some of these are recipes we’re looking forward to trying, all of them are fucking delicious. Tell us what you want to put in your piehole or suggest your own recipes, and we’ll talk about which things we made, which things we loved, and which things have changed us irreversibly as people. Last week, we tucked you in with comfort food and made it better.
Sometimes I like my food the way that I enjoy my sexuality: unnatural. While I’m generally cautious about what I put in my mouth (yup), I’ve always had a thing for brightly coloured food, whether it’s artificially coloured candy floss from pasar malams (night markets) or the naturally occuring bizarreness of red cabbage (which gives you blue dye!). Now you might recall that a few weeks ago I taught you how to dye your hair all the unnatural colours you could possibly want, and what I didn’t say then is that if you dye your hair teal/purple/pink like I do, one of the most frequent comments you’ll get is that your hair looks edible. It’s not. Don’t try it. But for days when ordinary food colours just aren’t doing it for you, everything on this list is!
1. Vegan Andes Mints
![via Fork and Beans](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/veganandesmints.jpg?resize=640%2C480)
via Fork and Beans
2. Blue Raspberry Pineapple Slush
![via Bakin' Bit](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/blueraspberryslush.jpg?resize=640%2C426)
via Bakin’ Bit
3. Cotton Candy Popcorn
4. Cotton Candy Meringues
5. Gluten, Egg and Dairy-Free Rainbow Donuts
![via Fork and Beans](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/rainbowdonuts.jpg?resize=640%2C371)
via Fork and Beans
6. Blue Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
7. Blueberry Crumb Bars
8. Blackberry Ombre Popsicles
![via Tutti Dolci](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/blackberryombrepopsicles.jpg?resize=427%2C640)
via Tutti Dolci
9. Mashed Purple Sweet Potatoes
![via Spoon Fork Bacon](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/mashedpurplepotatoes.jpg?resize=465%2C620)
via Spoon Fork Bacon
10. Vegan Purple Yam/Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake & Frosting
11. Red Cabbage Chips with Tomato Yogurt Dipping Sauce
12. Ube Macapuno Cake
![via The Bake-a-nista](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ubemacapunocake.jpg?resize=640%2C480)
via The Bake-a-nista
13. Purple Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Soup
![via Family Spice](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/purplesweetpotatosoup.jpg?resize=424%2C640)
via Family Spice
14. Blueberry Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
![via STL Cooks](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/blueberrycupcakes.jpg?resize=440%2C640)
via STL Cooks
15. Beet Braised Lentils
![via Feasting at Home](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/beetbraisedlentils.jpg?resize=427%2C640)
via Feasting at Home
16. Beet-Strawberry Smoothie
![via Live Simply](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/beetstrawberrysmoothie.jpg?resize=426%2C640)
via Live Simply
17. Zingy Purple Potato Salad
![via Donal Skehan](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/zingypurplepotatosalad.jpg?resize=427%2C640)
via Donal Skehan
18. Lavender Cupcakes with Honey Frosting
![via Jessie Next Door](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/lavendercupcakes.jpg?resize=640%2C426)
via Jessie Next Door
19. Purple Power Salad
![via My New Roots](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/purplepowersalad.jpg?resize=484%2C640)
via My New Roots
20. Beetroot Risotto
![via Mowielicious](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/beetrootrisotto.jpg?resize=427%2C640)
via Mowielicious
21. Beet and Goat Cheese Pizza
![via Heather Christo](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/beetandgoatcheesepizza.jpg?resize=427%2C640)
via Heather Christo
22. Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
![via Simply Recipes](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/sweetsourredcabbage.jpg?resize=600%2C400)
via Simply Recipes
23. 5-Minute Blueberry Coconut Frozen Yogurt
24. Blueberry Cardamom Cupcakes
![via Sweetly Raw](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/blueberrycardamomcupcakes.jpg?resize=640%2C400)
via Sweetly Raw
25. Caramelized Onion and Beet Soup
![via Goboroot](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/caramelisedonionbeetsoup.jpg?resize=427%2C640)
via Goboroot
26. Roasted Beet Pesto
![via Daily Waffle](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/roastedbeetpesto.jpg?resize=400%2C569)
via Daily Waffle
27. Smoky Beetroot Hummus
![via The Year in Food](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/smokybeetroothummus.jpg?resize=640%2C427)
via The Year in Food
28. Strawberries and Cream Cake
29. Raspberry Coconut Macarons
![via Cooking Classy](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/raspberrycoconutmacarons.jpg?resize=427%2C640)
via Cooking Classy
30. Healthy Red Velvet Fudge Protein Bars
31. Very Pink Raspberry Cosmopolitan
32. Strawberry Layer Cake with Whipped Strawberry Frosting
![via Sweetapolita](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/strawberrylayercake.jpg?resize=425%2C640)
via Sweetapolita
33. Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
34. Pink Ribbon Cinnamon Rolls
35. Strawberry Pudding
![via Adventuress](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/strawberrypudding.jpg?resize=471%2C640)
via Adventuress
36. Cotton Candy Creme Melts
![via Mama Miss](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/cottoncandycrememelts.jpg?resize=422%2C640)
via Mama Miss
37. Olaf the Snowman Snacks
![via She Knows](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/olafthesnowmansnacks.jpg?resize=600%2C400)
via She Knows
38. Bluebird Cookies
39. Elsa’s Icy Blue Dessert Trifle
![via Mom Endeavors](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/frozendesserttrifle.jpg?resize=640%2C493)
via Mom Endeavors
40. Red, White and Blue Candy Apples
![via Tidy Mom](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/bluecandyapples.jpg?resize=400%2C602)
via Tidy Mom
This list was compiled with the help of my partner Natalie, who really wants “merbutch” to be a thing.
Scrolling through this was a magical start to my morning. Thank you Fikri!
I totally agree with you.
Can I have all of it I’m so hungry, just seeing all the pictures with colors will open the appetite widely, thank you Fikri.
Fikri, this is amazing! Also, I support merbutch being a thing.
Blue velvet cake. I’ll take anything with cream cheese frosting really.
Right! Later I go Toronto you make for me ah thx
So I feel kind of weird about linking this video because he’s my ex, but WHATEVER because Merbutch needs to be shared:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QqE7j6qYr4
Yes, that is a tail made out of denim.
Oh my god. Yes.
Did he really put alcohol in the fish tank? And I take you weren’t the one filming him?
Of course not! And no, this was an old project of his.
now i know that my favorite color is “caramelized onion and beet soup!”
Excellent, because it might christen the blender someday. (And the top of my head maybe? The colour, not the soup.)
These all look like they need to be in me asap. Also I just finished the last of my massive stash of Ube sweets that I brought with me when I moved back to the States and I am missing them tremendously! That cake is sooo tantalizing.
Yuuuuuuuuuuuuum. Love that you included some foodstuffs that are naturally hued and some that are…less natural.
Clearly I need more purple food in my life. <3
I am just envisioning the spectacular gay potluck that could be organized with the help of these rainbow delights.
i’d just like to express my disappointment that this post is not titled “40 Recipes for All Your Merbutch Rainbow Aesthetic Needs.” i’m looking at you, rachel.
(sorry I threw you under the bus re: the titling decision Rachel she made her scary face) (it’s a very cute face)
Ooh I got some little things to share.
Grab a colourful soda like Jones Blueberry Lemonade, a tall glass, and some vanilla ice cream.
Put a scoop or two at the bottom of the glass. Then pour your soda nice and slow cause it’s going to get real fizzy an foamy.
If you don’t have a tall glass a whiskey glass or a wine glass will do just use one little scoop. Or multiple spoonfuls, just don’t use a lot. Foam factor, dude, foam factor.
Other thing, how to dye sugar cookies.
Knead the dye into the dough which has had an hour or more of well wrapped rest. Gel based dye is the most vibrant.
There’s a risk of staining your kneading surface and you. Easiest way to avoid this is to saran wrap the shitout of a medium sized cutting board, wear poly or latex gloves and wear clothes you don’t care about.
Make an indent in the dough. Here you will either drop or lightly slather your dye. Fold it over and knead it. The colour will start as a swirl. You could absolutely just leave it as a swirl. Either way wrap the dough and let it rest again before baking it.
Super unnatural: cake mix cookies. Dye them or not they are straight up unnatural.
Basically you add more flour or less wet to a cake mix to make the batter more like dough in consistency. Cake mix has a bunch of additives in it is partially how this works. These will cookies come sorta like Madelines, but the Kmart version.
These are all so beautiful! (And a refreshing change from the autumn orange-ness pumpkin-spice overload. I was beginning to worry about turning orange from too much carotene!).
…and I am ashamed to admit that I didn’t even know purple sweet potatoes existed. My life has been sorely lacking, apparently.
“…and I am ashamed to admit that I didn’t even know purple sweet potatoes existed. My life has been sorely lacking, apparently.”
Me too! My local shop has just started selling them in the past week or two and at first I was like “whaaaaat?” but now that there are recipes for them I have to try them :D
Yay! These made me smile! :D Thanks for including so many vegan items. I’m gonna have to try them.
This speaks to my soul in so many ways.
This post gets me.