The Last Donut of The Night

The Friday Nut

Donuts have a sublime place in any society, because they are simple. It is that consistent simplicity that makes the donut so prone to humor in any culture. Combine that characteristic with the its visual aesthetic, throw in some filmmakers with a sharp eye for expression and cultural lore (cops and donuts), add the astute comedic timing of a skilled editor, and set that to the gripping beats of Hip Hop artist J.Dilla's (may he rest in peace) hit song and you have The Last Donut of The Night.

In celebration of J.Dilla's life and Album, Donuts, Stones Throw Records, hosted a video contest for his tracks. The Last Donut of The Night, entered Tuomas Vauhkonen and Jeremias Nieminen's, wone 1st prize! It is well deserved.

The film is rife with comedy and satire, but can also show corruption and political unrest as relative to the audience viewing it; all conveyed through people fighting over donuts.

Watch the donuts bouncing and rolling off the ground as though the thief has just released them from there cage, and decide for yourself. What would you do if these really were the Last Donuts of The Night?

Happy Birthday with Donuts!

The Friday Nut

The older I get, the more surprised I am at what happens on my birthday. Never being one to make a big deal out of my day, I'm very happy to be surrounded by some amazing friends who often do. Our loyal donut hunters Deb and Sara, who are both very dear to me, went to some special lengths this past Monday for the Donut Man. Sara, keeping me diverted at dinner and off track from what Deb was planning, and Deb working double time on the cake....which as you can guess involved Donuts. Not only involved donuts, but was constructed entirely of DONUTS! I had died and gone to heaven. The best part of this event was that Deb actually called our local Market Basket at 8:00am and inquired as to whether they could make a "Donut Cake" or not. The conversation went a little something like this:

8:00am 10/17/2011
Deb: "Yes, hi, I have special request for a friend. Can you make a cake out of donuts?"
Baker: "Well, I don't know. We've never done that."

Deb: "I understand that, but you do make your donuts on-sight correct?"

Baker: "Yes."

Deb: "Well, could you then just take a bunch of the dough and combine it into 1 big jelly donut or something  that we could decorate?"

Baker: (laughing) "Well, we could certainly try...why not?"

Deb: "Excellent, I'll check back around lunch time."

Baker: "Ok, no promises though."

12:00pm

Deb: "Ya hi, this is Deb the woman who called about the Donut Cake."

Baker: "Yes, hi Deb. We really tried, but unfortunately we could get it to come together like a cake."

Deb: "Blast!" "Thanks for trying. You do have donuts though right?"

Baker: "Yes, several varieties."

Deb: "Ok, I'll be there after work."

6:00pm

After which the mad dash ensued to Market Basket to 1) buy the donuts , 2) get home before me , 3) Assemble them into a cake (inject rum...yes rum) and 4) frost them into a concrete like mass of cake and alcohol which was amazing. All while Sara was distracting me with an elaborate ruse of Chinese food and Mai Tais...hmmm, it worked.

Not only am I thoroughly impressed by the team at the local Market Basket for actually trying to pull this off, but I am truly grateful to have people in my life who care enough to do something this meaningful for the Donut Man. 36 will be a Birthday to remember always. Thank you Deb and Sara.

Always appreciate the people and the little gestures in life...especially when a donut is involved.

Gourmet Donuts, the name and the product!

The Friday Nut

Suffice to say it has been a very busy month for the Donut Man, but amongst traveling, rehearsing for a new play and the regular day to day, if there is one thing I can always make time for it's donuts! That being said all you donut fans are in for a barrage of new stories, pictures and shop reviews. Let's start with a newly discovered small local chain, Gourmet Donuts.

What's better on a crisp Fall day in New England than taking a drive down a new back road and exploring the country side? Finding out that the new back road your are traveling has a homemade donut shop on it. Like many independent shops that have discovered their product has generated a substantial local following, Gourmet has sprouted to 4 local locations concentrated just northwest of Boston in Fitchburg, Leominster, Townsend and Winchendon. The feel of the shop is just as you would expect from the name; gourmet. I stopped in on the Townsend location and the shop is just as the name suggests, clean cut lines, welcoming interior, with 40 + flavors of gourmet coffee, over 30 varieties of donuts (including holes and seasonal varieties) specialty pastries, and bagels.  

I sampled a jelly, pumpkin spice and a honey dip on this morning, and being that it was around 10:00am I would like to return on an earlier day to get them as fresh as possible. The only complaint I would have, and this is coming from someone who eats donuts almost directly out of the kettle regularly, is that this location does not make the donuts on site. My finely tuned "donut vision" could sense this as soon as I looked at the display case. The friendly young woman at the counter confirmed that they are produced in the Fitchburg location and then distributed amongst their shops. The donuts were still excellent, though the pumpkin spice was a tad bit dry, nothing a dunk in their delicious coffee could not cure. So, if you find yourself in the car enjoying the foliage and in need of your favorite deep fried dough-ball, have confidence that the folks at Gourmet won't let you down. As always, don't forget one for the Donut man.

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Donut Toss, a game for the masses, a version for all

The Friday Nut

What could be more fun than grabbing a box of donuts, taking some cover and chucking them at people. Apparently, nothing, especially if you are part of Tennessee Technological University homecoming parade.

Their Facebook page touts the "The official Cookeville Homecoming Donut Toss" , where the mission is plain and simple: To toss donuts at people. Other than just provoking a good solid laugh from this donut hunter, I couldn't help be wonder how many other people out there would like to "throw" donuts around and haow many ways you could do it, let's take a look.


1) First off there's the actual game itself, in many different varieties, Donut Toss. This comes in versions for kids, down-loadable boardgames, or this "corn-hole" type game featured at the 2011 Donut Summit , I know, I know...I will give this it's own story soon.

2) Then of course we can't forget our furry friends, by providing them with a Suede Donut Toss toy, a  natural water buffalo leather toy created from the hide of domesticated water buffalo. I bet the buffalo never saw that one coming. 

3)For those of you into an old fashion adventure we have Donut Toss meets Scavenger Hunt. In this version you and a friend toss gigantic donuts (I need to know where to get these) between open windows of 2 buildings going up a floor at each successful toss.

What's needed?

"Materials: Donut, 3 feet in diameter. Two adjacent high rises with windows spaced approximately the same. Strong arms, strong back, umbrellas for pedestrians to protect themselves.

Optional: Gigantic donut holes, fritters, and bear claws may be used in place of the donut."

Okay, first off I don't even know where to get a donut that is 3 feet in diameter, but I want to :) And secondly, an umbrella, really...like that will save anyone from a 100lb mass of dough spiraling out of control toward the sidewalk. Anyone want to try it with me?

4) Donut Sports version: American Fatty-aitors - Donut Toss  , where, the Fatty-aitors attempt to gain points by catching as many donuts as possible. 

I would say, 'Only in America..." but do I even need to?

5) The denotative definition: courtousey of the Urban Dictionary , otherwise known as "Pastry Pitching"

"Throwing powdered doughnuts through your car windows at other moving vehicles. The most fun you'll ever have." as used in a sentence: Last night we went pastry pitching and got three cars to chase us!

The Donut Directory does not condone cruelty towards donuts.

The list can go on and on. Try your own Google search and see what you can find! We want to hear and see your best donut toss. Send them along and enjoy your Columbus Day weekend!