June 2012
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Chile Trivia
One fresh medium-sized green chile pod has as much Vitamin C as six oranges.
One teaspoon of dried red chile powder has the daily requirements of Vitamin A.
Hot chile peppers burn calories by triggering a thermodynamic burn in the body, which speeds up the metabolism.
Teas & lozenges are made with chile peppers for the treatment of a sore throat.
Capsaicinoids, the chemical that make...
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New Mexico!
I’m in the Land of Enchantment this week on vacation. Stay tuned for New Mexico trivia and other assorted goodies and, upon my return, a recap of my adventures.
May 2012
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NYC's First Wine Growler Program Coming to... →
OMG - wine. This wine rules! Mark your calendar: June 7th
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Favorites...
Beer: Breckenridge Brewery Oatmeal Stout Chocolate: Dark Cocktail: Negroni Coffee Drink: Skim latte Comfort Food: Wonton soup Condiment: Hot sauce Cookbook: Joy of Cooking Cooking Equipment: Emile Henry Flame stoneware Cuisine: Italian, Korean, Mexican, Sichuan, Thai Dessert: Mint cookies and cream ice cream Egg Dish: Frittata Fruit: Peach (summer), blood orange (winter/spring) Guilty Pleasure:...
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“No matter how well set up you are, how early you came in, how tight and awesome...”
– Gabrielle Hamilton, Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef
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“If wishes and buts were clusters of nuts, we’d all have a bowl of granola.”
– Geoffrey Jellineck (Paul Dinello), Strangers with Candy
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Memorial Day Weekend in Review
Homemade rosemary focaccia, 500 Tasty Sandwiches test kitchen.
My friends Ali & Juan host a fabulous Memorial Day weekend barbecue (Maplewood, NJ). Also, the boyfriend’s pineapple, mint and rum cocktail.
My bootleg rhubarb liqueur is ready for sipping!
Spontaneous rooftop party at the 500 Tasty Sandwiches test kitchen.
Test kitchen rooftop view: Historic Jersey City...
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I'm Kinda Obsessed: Glass Gem Corn →
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“Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food...”
– Mark Twain
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Margarita + Lager = Lagerita (i.e., Heaven)
This recipe for my Lagerita was inspired by the Diablo Ricky, a specialty drink consisting of a quarter frozen margarita and three quarters Mexican lager, available at Diablo Royale in the West Village. I know, I know…it kinda sounds like a hot mess spring break concoction but it is actually really good and the perfect libation as the weather gets warmer. One thing: I don’t own nor can I...
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What are you waiting for? "Like" 500 Tasty... →
All your wildest dreams will come true.
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What's for dinner?
Fabulous Friday! My juice fast is over - as well as the work week - and I’m celebrating with dinner at The Hamilton Inn.
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You want it, you need it.
During the past two decades there has been an explosion in our ability to access and afford highly palatable foods. Restaurants—where Americans spend 50 percent of today’s food dollar—sit at the epicenter of this explosion. Countless new foods have been introduced in restaurants, and most of them hit the three points of the compass. Sugar, fat, and salt are either loaded onto a core ingredient...
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Bandwiches: If bands were sandwiches →
From the good folks at McSweeney’s. Personally I’m all about the Brian Ferry (chipotle/cocaine-rubbed pork shoulder, herbed goat cheese, French roll) and the David Bowie (curried snow leopard, mayo, garlic naan).
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Dal Baghaar (Indian Split Peas with Spice and...
Pictured: Uncooked chana dal. I’m going start off by teaching you a mess of Indian cooking vocabulary today, m-kay? To begin, the trifecta of Indian vegetarian cooking consists of pulses (e.g., dal), grain (e.g., rice, breads) and dairy (e.g., yoghurt, cheese). Dal can either mean one of over 60 different dried pulses or a dish made from them. Common varieties of dal include chana (black...
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“There would be no foam and no “conceptual” or “intellectual” food; just the...”
– Gabrielle Hamilton, Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef
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What inspires your cooking?
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“The heart is cooking a pot of food for you. Be patient until it is cooked.”
– Rumi (Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī)
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What's for dinner?
Nothing. Ok, not nothing…but ever since I hurt my back I’ve been in a funk and need a little detox so I’m doing a 3-day BluePrint Renovation Cleanse. This is my second time doing the Renovation and I can honestly say it’s tastier than you might expect. Now if could only start running again!
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Biryani | برياني
Variations of biryani, the delicious Persian mélange of rice, spices, vegetables and usually meat can be found pretty much anywhere people enjoy good food. As the dish traveled along ancient trade routes it assumed the characteristics of local cuisines, making the most of regional ingredients. We see this theme over and over in food. Think of Japanese gyoza, Chinese jiaozi, Turkish manti,...
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What's for dinner?
As a prelude to my 3-day juice cleanse, steamed bok choy with miso.
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Weekend in Review: Brooklyn & Jersey City
Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel. I’m broken (herniated disc) so it killed me that I couldn’t run this year’s Brooklyn Half-Marathon. However, I love being a spectator and it was very inspiring to watch. The boyfriend put in a very decent performance, too.
Brooklyn Half-Marathon leaders Mengsti Tabor Nebsi (1:03:20) and Tesfaye Assefa Dube (1:03:18)
Colorful farro salad....
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What's for brunch?
I’m celebrating the anniversary of my friends Ali & Juan at Cafe Frida (368 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY). Cheers to the most fabulous couple I know!
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God grant me the serenity to accept the things I...
Roasted Russet Potatoes (Potatoes, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate), Cooked White Meat Chicken (White Meat Chicken, Water, Modified Tapioca Starch, Sugar, Salt, Sodium Phosphate; Glazed With Water, Caramel Coloring, Modified Potato Starch), Water, Broccoli, Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread (Cheddar Cheese [Ilk, Cheese Culture, Salt Enzymes], Skim Milk, Sodium Phosphate, Whey, Milkfat, Salt, Sodium...
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“Avoid at all costs that vile spew you see rotting in oil in screwtop jars. Too...”
– Anthony Bourdain
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It's a Man Eat Dog World?
Our taboo against dog eating says something about dogs and a great deal about us. The French, who love their dogs, sometimes eat their horses. The Spanish, who love their horses, sometimes eat their cows. The Indians, who love their cows, sometimes eat their dogs. While written in a much different context, George Orwell’s words (from Animal Farm) apply here: “All animals are equal, but some...
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While Madison, Wisconsin owns the rights to the title of “city with the most restaurants per capita” (1:506) San Francisco tops the list with 1 restaurant for every 279 residents.
- National Restaurant Association
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What's for dinner?
I’m still broken (herniated disc) but the boyfriend isn’t. Pasta dinner to get him primed for tomorrow’s Brooklyn Half-Marathon: Linguine with chicken, pine nuts and broccolini
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Anonymous asked: Who inspires you?
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Plum Wine Fruit Salad
Plum Wine Fruit Salad was the name of my roommate freshman year of college. She was, as you may already have assumed, a drag queen. Did I mention I went to the University of Wisconsin? Beautiful campus, punishing winters. However, Plum Wine Fruit Salad always managed to brighten things up. She’d mop strawberries, pineapple and melon from the cafeteria (Pop’s Club), run, in heels, to Asian Midway...
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Urban Farmer's Table: Meatball Dinner!
This is what you’re missing if you’re not hitting up Jersey City’s Urban Farmer’s Table! Amazing meatballs (the vegetarians ones were particularly delicious), amazing chef (you go, Colleen!) and yes, I think I found God: she is a peanut butter cookie and strawberry ice cream sammich. I’m still learning how to use my new camera so I bungled pictures of the yummy...
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What's for dinner?
I’m at Dames Coffee for Urban Farmer’s Table supper club. Tonight’s menu: meatballs over spaghetti pomodoro with a misto salad served with lemon and olive oil. Ice cream sammies for dessert!
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Spicy Pickled Asparagus
Before
Like fiddlehead ferns, asparagus is one of those foods I strongly associate with spring. There really is nothing like super-tender local asparagus. I pay just a little extra for the excellent organic specimens sold by Bodhi Tree Farm at the Union Square Greenmarket. Earlier I posted a delicious salad using fresh asparagus but when there’s bounty at the farmers’ market I like to do a...
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What's for dinner?
Sautéed Ruby Street Greens (from Bodhi Tree Farm via the Union Square Greenmarket) and spinach & feta sausage
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Did I ever tell you about the time I almost died?
My friend Scottie and I attempted the Phaal Challenge at Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village. Phaal, by the way, is the hottest curry in the world. As in they wear military gas masks when cooking it. I loooove spicy food. I brush my teeth with sriracha! So I thought this stunt, while painful, would be totally doable….
After a few bites it hit me: I’m going to die. Like,...
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“It’s better to eat soup with someone you love than steak with someone you...”
– Loni Love