If you watch my shows a lot, you know I always try to make even the simplest things – like making dinner – more interesting, different, or weird (in a funny way, hopefully).
Okay, so Spencer was making dinner. Spencer, this wacky character who's a cool artist… which is why I felt that he couldn't make something "normal" like hamburgers or chicken. I felt that Spencer should make something creative, fun, and original.
Two of my favorite foods are spaghetti and tacos. Boom! I had Spencer make spagehtti tacos. That sounded fun, inventive, and I wanted to eat one myself. And I thought it would sound appealing to the iCarly audience.
Later, I wrote spaghetti tacos into a few more episodes of iCarly. I even did one episode where the main story was a spaghetti taco competition against a professional chef from TV.
In the past year, on occasion, I get tweets and emails from fans showing me pics of spaghetti tacos they made at home. I thought that was pretty cool – that something I came up with and showed on TV actually motivated some fans try it themselves.
But I still didn't think spaghetti tacos were much of a big deal – just a little inside thing between me and iCarly fans.
Well, a month ago, I was contacted by a very nice woman, Helene Stapinski, at the New York Times. She wanted to interview me because (she told me) spaghetti tacos have become wildly popular.
Wildy popular? Really?
I was a little surprised to hear that. But I was happy to chat with her about spaghetti tacos, how I came up with the idea, and how I'd featured them in iCarly.
Next thing I know, there's this HUGE ARTICLE in the New York Times about how spaghetti tacos are sweeping the nation. The article appeared this past Wednesday on the COVER of the Food & Wine section – of the freakin' NEW YORK TIMES. Crazy!
Since then, the spaghetti taco thing has been everywhere. I gotta say, I find the whole thing very cool, fun... and it just makes me smile. (For a healthy recipe for spaghetti tacos – from the amazing Hungry Girl – CLICK HERE!)
If you're interested, click some of the links below to take a look at the crazy stuff that's been going on this past week with this spaghetti tacos.
New York Times, October 6, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/dining/06tacos.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=children_and_youth
Live with Regis & Kelly, October 6, 2010
http://www.criticalmention.com/report/3795x172829.htm
KNBC (NBC), Los Angeles, October 7, 2010
http://www.criticalmention.com/report/3795x172854.htm
News 12 Long Island, October 8, 2010
http://www.criticalmention.com/report/3793x173088.htm
Perez Hilton, October 9, 2010
http://fitperez.com/2010-10-09-spaghetti-tacos-sweep-the-nation/?from=PH
NY Times Blog, October 8, “4-Star Spaghetti Tacos?”
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/4-star-spaghetti-tacos/
Daily Fill, October 7, feature with art “iCarly Creates Culinary Phenomenon”
http://www.dailyfill.com/iCarly-Creates-Culinary-Phenomenom-Spaghetti-Tacos-72767/
GrubStreet.com (Mario Batali's restaurant partner), October 7, 2010 http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2010/10/bastianich_plans_a_spaghetti_t.html?e=grubstreet--20101008
Babble, October 7, feature
http://blogs.babble.com/famecrawler/2010/10/07/icarlys-spaghetti-tacos-try-these-spaghetti-tacos-recipes/
Orlando Sentinel, October 7 feature with art “Spaghetti tacos, that’s what’s for dinner”
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_momsatwork/2010/10/spaghetti-tacos-thats-whats-for-dinner.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+orlandosentinel%2Ffeatures%2Fmoms+%28Moms+At+Work%29
Gothamist, October 6, feature “New Trend Alert: Spaghetti Tacos”
http://gothamist.com/2010/10/06/new_trend_alert_spaghetti_tacos.php
My Fox Dallas, October 7, feature “Are your Kids Eating Spaghetti Tacos”
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpps/news/weird/are-your-kids-eating-spaghetti-tacos-dpgoh-20101007-fc_9990134
The Stir, October 7, feature Spaghetti Tacos: A Carb Craze for Young & Old?
http://thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/110687/spaghetti_tacos_a_carb_craze
Heraldnet, October 6, feature “Where Italian meets Mexican: The Spaghetti Taco”
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20101006/BLOG19/101009891
Broward Palm Beach New Times, October 7, feature "Spaghetti Taco Craze Courtesy of Nickelodeon Show"
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/cleanplatecharlie/2010/10/spaghetti_taco_craze_courtesy_of_nickelodeon_show_icarly.php
Gapers Block, October 7, feature with art “Spaghetti Tacos”
http://gapersblock.com/drivethru/2010/10/07/spaghetti_tacos/
Cluster Flock, October 7, “Spaghetti Tacos”
http://www.clusterflock.org/2010/10/spaghetti-tacos.html
New Times, October 7, feature “Spaghetti Taco Craze Courtesy of Nickelodeon Show”
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/cleanplatecharlie/2010/10/spaghetti_taco_craze_courtesy_of_nickelodeon_show_icarly.php
All Voices, October 7, feature with art “Spaghetti Tacos - eat spaghetti without a plate while in the car”
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/6964567-spaghetti-tacos-eat-spaghetti-without-a-plate-while-in-the-car
Xomba, October 7, feature with art “The iCarly Spaghetti Taco: Kids' Favorite Dish Covered in New York Times”
http://www.xomba.com/icarly_spaghetti_taco_kids_favorite_dish_covered_new_york_times
Epoch Times, October 7, feature “Spaghetti Tacos: Latest Culinary Craze for Kids”
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/43862/
Third Age, October 7, feature “Spaghetti Tacos Becoming More Popular Thanks to Help From Internet”
http://www.thirdage.com/news/spaghetti-tacos-becoming-more-popular-thanks-help-internet_10-7-2010
Mother Nature Network, October 7, feature “Spaghetti Tacos are latest Kid Food Craze”
http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating-recipes/blogs/spaghetti-tacos-are-latest-kid-food-craze
Omaha World Herald, October 7, feature “Spaghetti tacos? Ask a kid to clarify”
http://www.omaha.com/article/20101007/ENTERTAINMENT01/710079953
UPI, October 7, feature with art “Hit Nick Show iCarly Spawns Hit Food”
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2010/10/06/Hit-Nick-show-iCarly-spawns-hit-food/UPI-67841286389254/
Now Public, October 7, feature with tutorial video
http://www.nowpublic.com/style/spaghetti-tacos-all-too-real-and-demand-recipes-2694242.html
NY Observer, October 6, feature
http://www.observer.com/2010/media/times-investigates-spaghetti-tacos-food-inevitability
The Atlantic Wire, October 7, feature
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/features/view/feature/Mulling-the-Unholy-Alliance-of-Taco-and-Spaghetti-2246
Pitch, October 7, feature “Spaghetti Tacos”
http://blogs.pitch.com/fatcity/2010/1/spaghetti_tacos_tween_myth_or.php
WTOP, October 6, feature with video
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=2071293
Dictionary.com – the hot word
http://hotword.dictionary.com/spaghetti-tacos/
And now, check out a recipe from a creative iCarly fan for DESSERT spaghetti tacos!!!
http://confessionsofacookbookqueen.blogspot.com/2010/08/spaghetti-tacos.html
