chicagostyle
Originally uploaded by andrewc.
I'm still here and thinking, watching, reading, and eating food. And running.
I'm glad that Michael Ruhlman has found a blog home of his own. And yes, fat pigs taste gooood. I've checked. Praise the lard, indeed.
I finally ate at Zuni Cafe. I will not soon forget this beautiful plate of fries.
Wine-tasting robot finds that humans taste like bacon. The AP reports:
When a reporter's hand was placed against the robot's taste sensor, it was identified as prosciutto. A cameraman was mistaken for bacon.
[via Collision Detection]
Great article in the SF Chronicle today on how Whole Foods is responding to criticisms raised in the Omnivore's Dilemma and the correspondence between the book's author, Michael Pollan, and Whole Foods' CEO, John Mackey. In addition to buying more from local farmers, the article cites several other initiatives underway at Whole Foods:
-- Give $10 million a year in low-interest loans to help small, local farmers and producers of grass-fed and humanely raised meat, poultry and dairy animals.
-- Raise its standards of humane care for the animals who supply meat, eggs and dairy to the stores. Whole Foods has hired an "animal compassionate field buyer" to work with producers to ensure that they meet the standards.
-- Set up Sunday farmers' markets in the parking lots of some Whole Foods stores, including about 10 in Northern California.
I have a lot of respect for John Mackey and I'm glad to see these changes coming about as Whole Foods is uniquely positioned to positively influence the growing market and demand for organic, locally-grown, and humane food. This is definitely a good thing.
The Egg Cuber is one of those kitchen gadgets that clearly, you do not need but once you've seen the result of its handiwork captured in your Flickr photostream, you MUST have one especially after you've done a quick search and found that it's available online for $2.99.
Sweet Meats Plush Toys = cutest meat plush toys ever and who doesn't need meat plush toys? These three will be adorning my couch. Not pictured here: the "Racka Ribs" and "Hot Links." [via Cute Overload].
Look, ma—now we do videos too! Hope you all like this one, there should be more coming soon. We hope to put two or so up every week.
Thanks so much to Mo SantRam for the great editing advice!
I love good food and I love to eat, and I sure do appreciate someone who can conjure up words that do justice to either and that's why I look forward to Fatted Calf's weekly email newsletter. An excerpt from this week's:
The drama continues this weekend when notoriously good Knoll Farm Figs are carefully encased in a petite boule of our sausage and then gingerly stuffed up the rump of a plump, brined Hoffman Farm Quail. These lusty concoctions are gorgeous when roasted and positively sing when grilled. Plunge in your fork and witness the hot figgy lava flow onto your plate beckoning you with its honeyed perfume to take a bite.
Bravo, little Fig!
See what I'm talking about?
Augieland has some good tips for selecting the best produce at the Greenmarket that'll serve you well shopping at any farmers market.
NYTimes on the economics of fine dining in Paris:
In a paper called “Stardust Over Paris,” two economists, Olivier Gergaud from the University of Reims and Vincenzo Verardi at the Free University of Brussels, and a mathematician, Linett Montaño Guzmán, looked at how much a Michelin star — a special designation of dining quality — is worth.
Receiving a Michelin star increases prices in a Parisian restaurant by 20 percent, controlling for measures of quality, décor and location. Michelin-starred restaurants in fancy hotels, or in areas with other Michelin-starred restaurants, also have higher prices, again adjusting for quality. Diners are paying more to eat in fine or prestigious surroundings, whether or not the food is better. One gastronomy expert, speaking in Le Nouvel Observateur, noted, “Gaining a Michelin star ensures that your banker will be kind to you.”
For those who hold the food as their main concern, the researchers offer a way forward. Dr. Verardi and Dr. Gergaud have built an index for overpriced and underpriced restaurants, relative to their food. They use the Zagat Survey to Parisian restaurants — whose popularity rankings are generated by diners’ reports, not critics — to provide an independent measure of customer satisfaction, which is then compared with price.
If you live in the U.K., good news! Nokia is bundling the Michelin Guide and ViaMichelin (digital maps) with the new Nokia E-series mobile phones. [via dj]
Summer Books for food lovers [via Rebecca]
On my nightstand: The Omnivore's Dilemma (last chapter!), Pig Perfect, The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell, and What to Eat.
What are you reading?
Summer Books for food lovers [via Rebecca]
On my nightstand: The Omnivore's Dilemma (last chapter!), Pig Perfect, The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell, and What to Eat.
What are you reading?
Ask MeFi: How can I learn to plan meals? "I have a hard time preparing and eating three healthy meals a day. I 'm a great cook and I've taken college-level nutrition courses, but there's a big difference between knowing how to make one particular dish and being able to shop for, prepare and eat three meals a day, five or six days a week."
Living in New York where you can buy a little bit of fresh food every day (or get the most amazing food delivered to your doorstep whilst you lounge around in your pajamas) I'm terribly spoiled, but I've always been in awe of people who can do long-term meal planning. If you're not one of them, this thread is full of fantastic tips.
The Health of It All: Eating Healthy at Fast Food Restaurants. Dr Gourmet's put together a comprehensive list of things you can eat if you're trying to stay healthy but for some reason have to have a meal at fast food chains including McDonald's, KFC or Wendy's. Part of me is bummed there's no list for Popeye's—but then again it doesn't really matter, because nothing can keep me from my beloved chicken and biscuits. [via The Morning News]
You'd think the most amazing thing about Pork Brains in Milk Gravy would be that there are apparently enough people who would eat such a thing for Armour to manufacture, can and distribute it, but I'm sorry, logic has failed you.
No, the most amazing thing about Pork Brains in Milk Gravy is that one 5.5 ounce can contains 3,500 mg of cholesterol—that's 1,170% of the daily recommended intake for a human being. Spam's looking pretty healthy all of a sudden, isn't it? [thanks, Brett!]
Virgil's Root Beer gets 4 and a half stars from Josh Allen over at my favorite beverage blog, The Knowledge for Thirst. I walked a mile each way to Trader Joe's in Union Square in the summer heat to buy some of the elusive Virgil's after reading his review, and it was worth every single sweltering step—and then I discovered it was somehow mysteriously also available at my amazing corner deli. O frabjous day!
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michal Pollan. The title refers to "the quandary faced by animals like humans (and rats and cockroaches) that, in order to stay alive, must choose from the bewildering array of edible and non-edible substances. We can eat a lot, but what should we eat?" I've only just started reading the book, but my impression is that it's focused primarily on the American omnivore's dilemma.
2nd Annual Independent Food Festival and Awards:
Most Heavenly Pork Bun: Momofuku berkshire pork bun
There have been a lot of images of heaven through the ages. Light, fluffy, cloud-filled scenes full of rubenesque women with harps. A stern-looking fellow checking off names at the gate. Maybe a hazy light at the end of a tunnel, offering a glimpse of some haloed figures ascending with arms outstreched.
But there's one thing that heaven's always been missing: Pigs. Not flying, sainted pigs, mind you. But fatty, delicious, ready-to-be-eaten pigs. We haven't consulted scripture lately (and if Nirvana is the absence of desire, we'll pass on the absence of a craving for pork, too...) but offhand, there's no recollection of decadent heirloom pork. And as long as gluttony's on the list of sins, we'll be tucked away in the East Village, enjoying our pillowy-soft bun, a couple well-placed slices of cucumber, and that delicious, heavenly Berkshire pork. It's a hell of a bun.
Momofuku Noodle Bar
163 First Avenue (between 10th and 11th)
New York NY 10003
212-475-7899
La Cocina is a San Francisco-based non-profit community kitchen who's purpose is to assist micro-entrepreneurs become economically self-sufficient in part by providing them fully-licensed, affordable kitchen space. I first learned about La Cocina when I heard this NPR piece. Via Tablehopper, La Cocina is hosting an event for chefs, restauranteurs, and culinary retailers on Monday, March 6th. Get all the details here.
Holy crap, look who New York's newest food blogger is: Frank Bruni! And there's a weekly podcast! And comments are enabled! Like, whoa.
Love it or hate it, Valentine's Day is less than a week away. If you haven't made dinner reservations, you're probably too late and isn't that a little predictable anyway? Here are our Valentine's Day gift ideas that are likely to surprise and please your food-loving loved one. Good luck!
For the cookie lover: Dunk Mug
Keep your milk and cookies or tea and biscuits happily together with the Dunk Mug, cleverly designed with built-in cookie compartment. Available in right and left handed versions.
For the chocolate lover: 
Champagne Brownies
Amai Tea & Bake House is back with a new and improved champagne brownie (improved? yes!). The brownies are made of Scharffen Berger 99% dark chocolate, Valrhona cocoa and real champagne. Only available for online until February 10th, so order now. In NYC? You can also find them at select stores.
For the restaurant lover: 86 Recipes New York 
86 Recipes is a cleverly designed collection of recipes from New York City restaurants, maintaining each chef's original intentions, with adaptations for the home kitchen. Use the cards to recreate your favorite restaurant meal at home, or discover a new-to-you restaurant.
For the gadget lover: Mr. Bento Lunch Jar
Mr. Bento Lunch Jar is the 21st century lunchbox. Mr. Bento comes with a series of microwaveable bowls that stack inside the washable container, which employs
vacuum-insulated stainless-steel construction to preserve the
temperature of its contents for hours.Need inspiration for your Mr. Bento? Check out the collection of photos from Mr. Bento fans on Flickr.
Meet The Loafwich: "A sandwich made with the majority of a 400g fresh loaf, and about £10 worth of filling." I don't know that I could eat a sandwich this big, but I'm enjoying thinking about what I would put in it. What would you make a loafwich out of? Tell me in the comments!
(Previously on AFB: We love sandwiches.)
Hawai'i in a bottle for only 2 dollars. Surprisingly enough, it's not liquified Spam but bottled deep sea drinking water. [via Expired Foods]
How Much Is Inside Mustard? "A staple of summertime living, French's classic yellow mustard is the only suitable companion to hot dogs. However, while other websites delve into the buns 8-pack vs. frank 10-pack controversy, here at How Much is Inside, we wondered, how many hot dogs can you dress with one bottle of Mustard? On Friday night, we decided to find out." I heart you Rob Cockerham, you man of science, you.
Big US fast food chains like McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut and Burger King have all sorts of awesome products and promotions in other countries, and Huai Bin of the infamous Malaysian blog sixthseal.com does a great job of keeping track of the ones available in his neck of the woods. My favorite product names are the KFC Tom Yam Crunch, Starbucks Coffee Jelly Frappucino, McDonald's Prosperity Burger Chicken and Prosperity Desserts, Pizza Hut Ocean Tempura King Prawn, Bubur Ayam McD (McDonald's Chicken Porridge), and the KFC Curry Crunch.
Waiter Rant: How to order wine without looking like an asshole. "25. Merlot is a perfectly good wine. Don’t believe all that “Sideways” crap. God I hate that movie!" [via The Girl Who Ate Everything]
Coca-Cola offering coffee-infused 'Blak' drink. Launching in France this month and other markets including the US later this year, "Coca-Cola Blak will be a mid-calorie drink, similar to Coca-Cola C2, which was launched in April 2004 and contains half the sugar, calories and carbohydrates of regular colas. The formula for the new beverage is expected to vary based on local tastes."
They recently phased out Vanilla Coke and Diet Vanilla Coke in the US and should be shipping their replacements, Black Cherry Vanilla Coke and Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke, to stores right about now. Fancy shmancy flavors but I'll stick to Classic, thank you very much. [via Pop Culture Junk Mail]
If you like eggnog but are too lazy to make your own, today is your lucky day as I've found not one but two eggnog roundups for you to read and consider when doing your holiday food shopping:
New York Magazine's Taste Test: Eggnog sampled seven brands of eggnog and liked two (Organic Valley and Southern Comfort), as well as sharing the Waterfront Ale House's tried and true recipe.
Slate's Which eggnog is best? tried six brands of eggnog and two online recipes, one round sans alcohol and one with. Organic Valley did just okay this time (Southern Comfort didn't make an appearance) but the real winner was this Epicurious eggnog recipe.
If you'd rather make your own eggnog and, like me, prefer an Alton Brown recipe to any other, here's the Good Eats eggnog recipe. There are instructions for both cooked and uncooked versions, so you can make whichever you prefer.
They've also got an eggnog ice cream recipe up but if waiting 10 hours to eat the fruits of your labor seems excessive to you, you can also purchase seasonal limited edition pints of Häagen-Dazs and Edy's at the grocery or corner deli. Baskin-Robbins has eggnog as a seasonal flavor in-store but no love from Ben & Jerry's.
Still can't get enough eggnog? Starbucks offers Eggnog Lattes this time of year (you can always make your own version of it at home) but I think my favorite eggnog product has got to be Philosophy's old-fashioned eggnog 3-in-1 shampoo, body wash & bubble bath. $18 on their site or at Sephora, you'll get clean and smell good, and best of all: no risk of salmonella!
Pim hosts the second annual A Menu for Hope II to raise funds for for the victims of the earthquake in the Kashmir region of India and Pakistan. Donate $5, and you're eligible for the raffle drawing for a gift of your choice, and there are some excellent gifts to choose from. As of yesterday, over $3400 has been raised. I donated and hope to be become the 'honorary owner' of the first ewe lamb born on farmgirl's farm in 2006! View the complete menu of fabulous prizes, then go and donate now!
dumpling men 14
Originally uploaded by themexican.
Fuchsia Dunlop reports for The Observer on the rare and unusual culinary delicacies of China's Xinjiang province. Xinjiang is the largest and most northwest province of China, bordered by Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Uzbekistan, Tadzhikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India and home to 47 ethnic groups including the Uygur. Not surprisingly, the food and culture of the region is heavily influenced by its western neighbors. The photo above illustrates this beautifully: naan and dumplings, and I'm guessing sheep hanging in the background.
Dunlop's report on this region is worth a read. She's also the author of: Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking.
Related:
Kekkimari Damacy
Originally uploaded by The Singing Leaf.
If you're a fan of the video game Katamari Damacy, you'll certainly appreciate the thought behind this cake.
Best. Description. Of. A. Churrascaria. Ever. I had a dream once about a hot guy taking me to a churrascaria on a dinner date. Can you say knockout combination? I'm totally cute and still single, people, so if you know an attractive carnivore, we could make this happen.
Merab Morgan ate at McDonald's for 90 days and lost 37 pounds. She saw Morgan Spurlock's documentary Super Size Me, but responded to it differently than most people: “Its not like the devil makes you do it,” the Henderson, N.C. woman said in response to those who blame fast food chains for their health problems. “I’ve been overweight for years, and I knew what I was doing was wrong whenever I ate the wrong thing or too much.” She lost weight by watching her calories and eating in moderation; she says she was able to order most of her favorite items except fries. Good job!
If you're interested in video games at all then you know about the controversial Hot Coffee mod for last year's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but did you know that 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City had a food-related cheat code too? Entering DEEPFRIEDMARSBARS in the PC version of the game makes your character fatter. [thanks dirtynerdluv]
If you don't have GTA: VC or a PC to run it on but live in New York, you can get fatter on deep-fried Mars Bars, Twix, Twinkies or Hostess Cherry Pies at Park Slope's own Chip Shop, just take the F to 4th Ave/9th St. Mmmm, deep-fried candy.
These are but two well-organized nation-wide food-related events to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, if you know of any more please feel free to leave a comment or drop us an email!
Save New Orleans Cocktail Hour!
Monday, September 12
5:00 - 7:00 pm
"Bar and restaurant owners shake up New Orleans' classic cocktails to directly benefit New Orleans food and beverage industry workers who are out of work and sorely in need of funds for rebuilding their lives. During this special event New Orleans classics will be offered at participating bars for $10 per drink. Receipts from the Save New Orleans Cocktail Hour will be donated to a special tax-deductible relief fund established by the Museum of the American Cocktail."
There are a fair number of New York establishments participating, like Upper West Side stalwart Jacques-Imo's, which is throwing its own fundraiser on September 14. Good food, open bar, live entertainment and an auction, 100% of proceeds go towards hurricane relief. Advance tickets are $30 or $40 at the door.
(San Francisco's only got one place participating? What's up with that?)
Restaurants for Relief
Tuesday, September 27
OpenTable.com is organizing restaurants to donate a portion of their dinner sales from the night to Share our Strength's Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. List of participating restaurants will be up on September 12. Work at or own a restaurant that might like to join, please sign up!
All bacon, all the time: The Bacon Show is a weblog all about bacon. "One bacon recipe per day, every day, forever." [via KIPlog]
Wonder Pizza vending machines. "The innovative machine holds, cooks and serves 9” whole pizza pies in just 2 minutes. There are 3 different pizzas available in each machine at one time. Delicious Connie’s Pizza of Chicago is featured in all WonderPizza Kiosks." Imported from Italy, I wonder if they'll be successful in the US? I want to say they won't appear in New York given the pizza joints on every other corner, but then again against all logic Domino's seems to be doing well here, so. [via Linklog]
Death by Caffeine. "How much of your favorite caffeinated drink would it take to kill you?" 270.99 cans of Coca-Cola Classic in my case which is far less cans than I drink in a year—and I drink much less now than I did as a kid, when I would guzzle two liters a day no problem! A little terrifying, no?
AskMefi: How do you make popcorn? "Specifically old fashioned, non microwave stove top popcorn. I really want great salty buttered popcorn that doesn't come from a bag." Lots of great recipes and tips here, really impressive, but I must confess that there is a very special place in my heart for Orville Redenbacher's Ultimate Butter Microwave Popcorn. (And yes, the last time I had a physical, I had low cholesterol.)
The Vegan Inventive Chef Community on LiveJournal. Home of the weekly Vegan Inventive Chef Cook Off, lots and lots of recipes for those of you who are veganally-inclined. (Wow, that sounds kinda dirty.)
Is it pulp fiction or juicy fact? "We don't know why, and science can't seem to explain it, but the juice out of a press just tastes better." I don't care if it's from a press or an electric juicer, so long as it's sweet and sans pulp—I hate pulp! Ick.
The Bacon Show: "One bacon recipe per day, every day, forever." Yes, this is exactly my kind of my blog, and no, I'm not secretly writing it, so stop asking, people!
The White Stuff: How vanilla became shorthand for bland. "But the vanilla that wearies us is rarely vanilla at all. Anywhere from 90 percent to 97 percent of vanilla-flavored products are made with vanillin, a substance found in small quantities in natural vanilla but made synthetically for processed commercial foods. Real vanilla contains hundreds of different components that contribute to its nuanced taste and aroma. It is as different from vanillin as sugar is from Equal; vanilla possesses subtlety and depth, while vanillin is loud, brassy, superficial. And yet most Americans have become accustomed to the latter" Also: did you know that Coca-Cola is made with real vanilla? It's the truth! [via kottke.org]
Ask MeFi: Why do steaks in France taste better than those in the US? Lots of answers to do with what cows are fed, how steaks are cut, aged and cooked, and recommendations on where to find hanger steaks in NYC.
Ask MeFi: "I found a can of spam in the trunk of my car which, I think, was purchased in 1996. I wondered: Is it still safe to eat?" Hormel says shelf life is indefinite, so I will take that to mean SPAM will be edible when the only creatures left walking the earth are cockroaches and Cher. (Warning: I may have made this joke on the Belly before.)
Demystifying Diet Coke(s). "For those of you who have expressed confusion over the many forms of diet and sugar free cokes now available to you, I offer an explanation, because I was confused so I did the research." Leslie Harpold rocks.
NYC Manhattan User's Guide: Sweet Stuff. Charlie Suissman lists his favorite treats from around the city; he will never lead you astray, so pay attention.
Seen on Ask Metafilter recently: Why does a sandwich made by someone else always taste better than one you make yourself?
Lots of great responses in the thread; many people feel the way I do about it, which is that when it is true, it's due to TLC and to you being surprised by combinations someone else came up with.
What's your favorite sandwich that you buy? That someone makes for you? That you make for yourself? Tell us in the comments!
(Image of Fry eating a cheese sandwich from The Futurama Point)
Okay, so I don't understand Japanese at all, but if I can figure out that these are instructions on how to make cute animals out of cocktail franks (complete with clear diagrams and even video!), you should all be fine. I want to have a party so I can justify making little elephants and sharks! [via monoki.com]
If you love pancakes and waffles, you should probably join or at the very least subscribe to the new Flickr group Pancakes and Waffles, full of lovely photos of, what else, yummy pancakes and waffles. It's brought to you by the most adorable of food bloggers—trust me, I've met her—The Girl Who Ate Everything.
If you don't love pancakes and waffles, I don't want to know you! That's just wrong!
NYC Our friends at Curbed and She Loves NY bring us Eater, a new weblog covering the food and drink scene in NYC. Hot!
Dear Readers,
I need your help! We are planning our wedding for late October in New York City. We've secured a venue for the ceremony and a reception site, but we are still in search of a caterer. We are planning a cocktails and hors d'oeuvres reception for 40-50 guests, and have a budget of $75 per person for all catering related expenses.
Do you know of a caterer you'd recommend who can work within that budget? If so, please leave a comment! Have cost-cutting suggestions? Leave a comment! Think we're totally out of our minds? Leave a comment! Any and all advice and recommendations gladly accepted, and I'll collect all suggestions into a new post. Thanks for your help!
Zatarain's Root Beer Extract. "This concentrate comes with directions for old fashioned bottled preparation, or easy preparation by the pitcher. Thick and creamy, kids love it and so will the kid in you!" If you have an ice cream maker, I guess you could make root beer floats completely from scratch! So good with a grilled cheese sandwich on a hot summer afternoon.
Reach for a lively red. To pick the best match between wine and burger, the Good Eating panel ordered several Rosebud Steakhouse burgers, cooked medium-rare, topped with Cheddar cheese but no condiments. Tasters marveled at the 12-ounce beef patty's juiciness, the high dark dome of the pretzel bun and how the burger managed to survive the cab ride from the 192 E. Walton Pl. restaurant to Tribune Tower with all of its gustatory pleasure intact. Tasters used the skinny french fries served alongside as palate cleansers." [via The Morning News]
While you're surfing through your favorite food weblogs today and planning your next meal out or recipe to try at home, take a moment to click and help someone less fortunate. The Dannon Company has joined with America's Second Harvest to help feed America’s children. In honor of National Hunger Awareness Day, you can go to Dannon's Fighting Hunger in America page and click the graphical "giving" button. For each click, Dannon will contribute $1 to America's Second Harvest (up to a total of $75,000).
What does one dollar do? For every dollar donated, America's Second Harvest secures and distributes 20 pounds of food and grocery products such as cereal, soap, fruit, bath soap and diapers. According to the USDA Thrifty Food Plan, an average meal is 1.28 pounds of food.
Do a good thing and click!
The SF Chronicle profiles our favorite competitive eater, Sonya Thomas, giving us a glimpse into what it takes to be a champion. On a typical day, she spends an hour and half on the treadmill, and only eats one meal a day--a Burger King Chicken Whopper, fries, and diet coke. She says, "But one thing, OK? One thing, I love Burger King french fries. I love it. I cannot skip my fries. I have to eat them every day. Really. I eat large french fries with that Chicken Whopper. Every day. And then a five-piece Chicken Tenders. And then I drink 42-ounce -- Burger King king-size cups -- Diet Cokes, about three, with my meal."
Sonya's favorite competitive food is hard boiled eggs. Why? "Think about this -- 65 hard-boiled eggs in six minutes and 40 seconds. Do you think other people can do it? They don't want to try. No." Sonya goes on to reveal her technique:
"I think I love to eat eggs. OK, here's my technique: I bite a little bite, one or two bites, and drink water, drink a little bit. Zip, you know? And constantly do it. So easy for me. I think that's my specialty. Hard-boiled eggs is my specialty."
We're looking foward to this year's July 4th Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest when perhaps Sonya will achieve her goal of defeating hot dog eat champ Kobayashi. GO SONYA!
Taking The Heat Out of the Kitchen. Self-heating packaging is being introduced to the U.S. via Wolfgang Puck's new coffee line; press a button on the bottom of the can and the coffee's hot in six minutes. So, takes as long as the line at Starbucks, costs $2.25 for 10 ounces and might not even taste good? Not sure I'm sold.
Organic Store Wars: Join the organic rebellion, sponsored by the Organic Trade Association. I laughed, I cried, and I disagreed (the fiction in Organic Store Wars is that agricultural science i.e. genetic engineering is universally bad for food) but still! Do not miss Obi Wan Cannoli, Chewbroccoli, or Tofu D2.
Perfect gadget for your next office party: Fundue, the desktop USB Fondue Set. It features an LCD display, blue LED glowing heater element and fireglow USB
cables. What a beauty! [via Popgadget]
There's the skin hanging off the roof of your mouth, tears coming to your eyes, ohmygod I just took a bite of a hot slice of cheese pizza burn, and that's a one. And then there's what happens to the inside of your mouth when you dare eat a fresh out of the steamer New Green Bo soup dumpling as soon as it finds its way to your table, and that's a ten.
The kitchen at New Green Bo didn't just content themselves with their explorations of the temperature boundary between gas and plasma, even in the days of the apocryphal million-dollar McDonald's coffee. No, they've even left the consumption of these delicacies to the experience (or ignorance) of the diner. In case you don't know: Lift the dumpling to your spoon, take a bite and then suck out the soup. Finish by greedily devouring the pork and its wrapper from your spoon. Heaven help those who try to eat the entire soup dumpling intact.
The service at New Green Bo is as perfunctory as the decor, in the grand tradition of most great Chinatown restaurants. But you're not there to eat clean tables or friendly waitstaff; You're there for white-hot pork simmering in its own juices within an al dente, but not too chewy, dumpling wrapper. And, though they probably can't take credit for it, the owners were thoughtful enough to be located across the street from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, leaving you with a cool and delicious dessert option once you've had your fill.
My advice: don't miss New Green Bo's soup dumplings, as they are worth the risk of injury, and the winner of the Independent Food Award: Food Worth the Risk of Injury. Be sure to wait a moment before taking your first bite. Just don't wait too long!
New Green Bo, 66 Bayard Street (between Elizabeth and Mott Streets), New York, New York, 212-625-2359.
Suggestions for expanding your dining horizons in the new year.
Second on the list is: "Have some foie gras, while you still can," which reminds me of a great quote from Dan Barber this weekend at the NYTimes talk, Ingredients: The Quest for The Best:
"I rather eat a force-fed duck than a Tyson's chicken."
A full write-up of the talk coming soon.
DIY Thanksgiving
If you'll be preparing the Thanksgiving day feast yourself, now is the time to start preparing and executing your game plan. The Epicurious Thanksgiving Timeline will guide you through what to do and when to do it. Martha Stewart's "The Ultimate Thanksgiving Planner" is available for download (pdf), and is so comprehensive that it includes a "Stain First Aid" guide. If this all seems too overwhelming, The Morning News offers a slightly different take on the matter.
If you haven't already, one of the first things you'll want to do is buy a turkey. The Cooking Engineer's Guide to Buying a Turkey is a good place to start. There's still time to order a Heritage Foods' fresh American Bronze Turkey. Or perhaps you'd prefer a Turducken. Turducken is a boneless chicken stuffed into a boneless duck stuffed into a turkey.
Cook's Illustrated's Turkeyhelp.com is an excellent turkey resource (registration required to access some sections of the site), including recommended kitchen equipment and an illustrated carving guide.
You may need some help calucating turkey cooking time.
Have you considered frying your turkey? You'll need a turkey fryer, and I'd recommend a fire extinguisher, good for preventing a major turkey frying disaster.
Before your table is set, you'll want to get to work creating the "classic" Thanksgiving centerpiece, the aluminum foil turkey.
Don't forget the wine! Thanksgiving pairing tips.
Dining out on Thanksgiving
If you don't plan on preparing Thanksgiving dinner yourself, or if at the last minute you discover you have a still-frozen turkey on your hands, OpenTable has a list of restaurants confirmed to be open and accepting online reservations for Thanksgiving dinner. Save yourself some time and phone calls by searching all participating restaurants at once. NYC, SF
Manhattan User's Guide list of restaurants open Thanksgiving day.
NY Mag's list of restaurants open on Thanksgiving day, and their recommendations, as well as a list of caterers available to prepare, and in some cases, deliver (!) your feast.
Citysearch San Francisco's comprehensive Thanksgiving planner, includes restaurants open, caterers, and take-out turkey.
Here's a concept I love: A USB key designed to look like sushi. Perfect for storing and carrying your sushi spreadsheet. (Via ShinyShiny)
"I am sure she is enjoying herself now in her new kitchen."
This weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting some of San Francisco's food bloggers thanks to Amy's prompting and Heidi's fabulous hostess skills. Skimming through Saveur's Favorite Recipes for Summer special issue, I decided that I would bring Pomodoro a Riso (tomatoes stuffed with rice) to the party. As our belongings have yet to make it across the country, my resources in the kitchen are pretty limited. But with this recipe I could take advantage of the tasty tomatoes currently in season and overflowing the market, and the preparation is simple and straight-forward with no special equipment required. At the market, I decided to go with Early Girl tomatoes. They tend to be more uniform in shape than many of the heirloom varieties, and taste great. I doubled the recipe, and since I'm currently without a food mill or food processor, I simply finely chopped the larger chunks of tomato and returned them to the bowl. As the recipe recommends, be careful not to puncture or tear the walls of the tomato as you scoop the pulp out. It's also a good idea not to fill the tomatoes completely full, as the stuffing expands with baking and may cause your tomato to burst or overflow.
Pomodoro a Riso, serves 4 - 8
8 firm, ripe medium tomatoes
1/2 cup raw arborio or other risotto rice
2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp. finely chopped basil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Position oven rack in top third of oven, then preheat oven to 400°. Pull stems off tomato tops, then trim about 3/4'' from bottom of each one and set ends aside. Working over a medium bowl, use a small spoon to carefully scoop out inner pulp without puncturing the walls of the tomatoes. Arrange scooped-out tomatoes in a medium baking dish, and set aside.
2. Pass tomato pulp through a food mill or pulse in the bowl of a food processor to a chunky purée, then transfer back into bowl. Add rice, parsley, basil, garlic, and oil; liberally season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Spoon filling into prepared tomatoes (there may be a little filling left over), and place a reserved tomato end on top of each stuffed tomato. Drizzle a little oil over tomatoes, and bake until rice is swollen and tender and tomatoes are soft and well browned, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool to room temperature.
See also: Derrick's Gazpacho, Pim's Raspberry and Fig Crostata with Vanilla and Crème Fraîche Ice Cream
Since moving to San Francisco, I've managed to preserve much of my daily routine. In New York, my routine included swinging by the Union Square Greenmarket (open Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat.). Now in San Francisco, I frequent the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market (open Tues., Thurs., Sat., Sun.). Saturday is the big day for both markets. On Saturday mornings, folks who consider themselves serious foodies show up bright and early to get the best picks and avoid the rest of us. I built the sandwich above with ingredients from one of my Ferry Plaza Farmers Market visits: fresh arugula, heirloom tomato, Japanese cucumber, cilantro chutney, hummus, swiss cheese, on a hunk of sweet baguette. Yum!
Adam has a great write-up of the world recording breaking Nathan's Famous Hot Dog eating contest over at Slice. Kobayashi set a new world record, eating 53 1/2 hot dogs and buns, and Sonya "The Black Widow" broke the women's record with 32. Not a bad day!
It's that time of year again - competitive hot dog eating season! Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest is only a couple of days away, and the question on everyone's mind is, "Will Kobayashi rule supreme?"
Three-time world champion Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi of Japan will be defending his world championship title at the event. Kobayashi ate 44 1/2 hot dogs and buns to win the title last year, short of his recording setting performance in 2002 of 50 1/2 hot dogs and buns. Keep in mind, that's 50 1/2 hot dogs and buns in twelve minutes. The current American record holder is Ed "Cookie Jar" Jarvis, who finished second last year with 30 1/2 hot dogs and buns.
I'll be cheering for Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas. She burst onto the competitive food eating scene last year when she broke the women's record at Nathan's, finishing 25 hot dogs and buns. After that record-setting performance, she quit her job and began competing in eating contests full-time. The IFOCE (International Federation of Competitive Eating) remarks of Sonya:
There is an century-old prophesy within the competitive eating community, dismissed by most, that foretells the rise of the 'One Eater,' a woman who will electrify America's gurgitators and lead them to international victory once again. Like Joan of Arc before her, this eater will be slender of stature, but mighty in strength. In recent months, the prophesy has been mentioned more and more frequently as the eaters have watched Sonya Thomas excel in nearly every contest she enters.I would not be surprised to see Sonya finish in the top three this year. On her website she writes, "In this, my rookie year, my speed has picked up considerably since my first Nathan's; my stomach capacity has always been pretty good. Anyway, I'm just going to do my best, and whatever happens, happens--that's it!"
Game on!
Event Details: Preliminary ceremonies for the 2004 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest will begin at 11:30 am at the corner of Surf & Stillwell avenues in Coney Island, Brooklyn. At 12:25 pm, eaters representing the United States and nations from all over the world will be introduced, and at 12:40 pm the historic 12-minute all-you-can-eat contest will begin.
Directions:
Nathan’s Famous
1310 Surf Avenue
(Corner Surf & Stillwell avenues, Coney Island, Brooklyn)
(718) 946-2202
D, Q or F Trains to Stillwell Avenue, last stop
Belt Parkway to Exit 6, Cropsey Avenue
South on Cropsey Avenue to Surf Avenue (Keyspan Park), Left, Two blocks
Commercial parking lots on West 17th Street and West 12th Street between Mermaid and Surf, West 15th Street between the Boardwalk and Surf and on Neptune Avenue between West 12th and Stillwell Avenue
Is it possible that airplane food is getting worse? Unfortunately, I usually am too busy with all the last minute travel details to remember to prepare, buy, or eat some real food before dashing off to the airport. By the time I am confronted with a sad looking tray of airplane food I am famished; I have no choice but to eat what is in front of me, the only available caloric resource.
In this case, I did not bother eating the salad figuring it contained fewer calories than would be required for digestion. I did eat the marbled chocolate cake, which was surprisingly moist for airplane cake.
Adriana and I recently had the pleasure of attending the Artisanal Cheese Center's Hands-on Mozzarella with Daphne Zephos. The course description reads:
Back by popular demand, this is your last chance to catch it before next year! With shucked corn and watermelon slices, or with basil and fresh tomatoes- summer would not be the same with out fresh mozzarella. Daphne Zepos invites you to a unique hands-on class in which students learn how to make mozzarella and take home the fruit (or rather, ball) of their labor, but not before indulging in a one-of-a-kind tasting of several types of fresh mozzarella from the US and Italy. Just in time for the peak season of picnics and patio parties..What follows is a summary of the evening based on my notes.
History
Daphne started the evening by introducing herself as a "Cheese Maturer", with the Artisanal Cheese Center (she is Director of Affinage) and then gave us a brief history of Italian mozzarella. According to Daphne, mozzarella has been produced in the Puglia region of Italy ("the heel of the boot of Italy") for at least 300 years, in part because the it's a hospitable region for Indian water buffalo -- extremely large, difficult, and tempermental beasts that like to wallow in slightly salty marshes. During World War II, the Germans slaughtered all of the buffalo in Italy, to resulting in complete eradication. The population was partially restored by importing water buffalo from India.
In Italy, mozzarella is eaten very fresh. It is made in the morning, and is considered past its prime if not eaten the same day. This is in part because they use cultures that develop very quickly. In the U.S., slower developing cultures are used to extend the "freshness" of mozzarella. Today in the U.S., production of dry, industrial mozzarella -- the kind you find shredded at the grocery store -- is greater than the production of all other cheeses combined.
NYMag reports that Danny Meyer's Shake Shack, the Madison Square Park kiosk, will make its unofficial debut next weekend during the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, and officially July 1. The shack will serve burgers, crinkle-cut fries, the Chicago-style hot dogs that had people waiting in very long lines last summer, PLUS frozen custard! Ted Drewes of St. Louis, famous for their frozen custard -- "a rich, smooth frozen custard with cream and egg yolks. It's a wonderful product not to be confused with soft-serve ice cream, which contains chemicals," is the inspiration and "benchmark" for the Shake Shack's version. Go ahead and prepare yourself for some insanely long lines.
