Food Porn Daily

At one point, probably about 3 years ago, I wanted to be a food stylist. Only problem was I was neither a chef nor a photographer. But for the amateur food stylist (maybe still inside?) there's always: http://foodporndaily.com/.

This ones for my homies...

[Sourced from Eater]

I can't think of any better people to spread the word to that my Mexican loving friends...

— Midtown Lunch reports that a Midtown Chipotle (45th between 5th nd 6th) will be giving away free burritos for the next three Tuesdays between 5 - 7 p.m. [ML]

Not So Delicattessen

Loved this message board post about Delicatessen. From the same owners as Chelsea long loved Cafeteria- Delicatessen is not worth any hype. My experience consisted of the saltiest Matzoh ball soup i've ever had, a sub par salad, and nothing very Deli about it. Ny Magazine also had a bad review on the newish restaurant which confirmed my beliefs.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/576369#4212431

Some Fun

the line

It's a rainy and hungover Saturday. The kind where I would be sleeping all day if it hadn't been for the loud parade blaring outside my window forcing me to wake from my slumber. I probably would never have attempted to leave my apartment if it hadn't been for the surging nausea that was pounding in my head and making my body scream "wahhh wahhh". But it was time. I was going to get dressed and trek all the way across 2nd avenue to the grocery store for the ginger ale quick fix.

When I got to the store, it was actually pretty packed. Who knew how many people did their grocery shopping on Saturdays? At any rate, I did a fast swoop of the store; grabbed the ginger ale remedy and a couple other key items and b-lined for the check out line. All of which were pretty long.

This is the point where you never know if you're going to make the right or wrong decision. With one bad judgement call you could end up in grocery purgatory. Check-out 6 has 5 people in line with few items...Hmmm so does check-out 5 but there is an old lady at the end of it..she could be slow. I see her mouthing to her daughter, "Do you want some ice cream?...No..ice creeeaamm." I ended up going with check out 5 which could've been a very bad call but in this case was a great one. While my line sped by; check-out 6 hasn't moved an inch. A red headed woman in her early 30s is trying to validate a coupon for $20 worth of weight watchers items. "Sorry, mam...I need to get my manager." I can feel the tension rising as the shoppers in line sigh, huff, and shift their weight from one foot to the next. By the time I'm swiping my card through the machine, 3 people have come to help in the situation. "No! I should be getting 5 dollars back! I have $20 worth of product. Look here...$3.69..." Now I hear a disgruntled man from the back of the line (mind you I was about to get on line behind him) shout, "Are you serious!? C'mon Lady!" The red headed woman fires back "Yes Im serious. I want my $5 dollars off of food." I almost wanted to see them break out into a full on super market brawl. I smirk at the grocery clerk as a sign my receipt and grab my bags. Ohh...autumn in New York...in the middle of recession. And I'm sure that just a preview. Well at least I fixed my nausea.

Lil Gordon Ramsay

An ad for a british job search website catered to caterers.:)

Check it out--it's pretty cute. http://www.littlegordon.com/

Riesling Week..Danke

"For one week only, experience world-class Rieslings from Germany, Austria and Alsace at the top restaurants in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Las Vegas. Restaurants will be featuring European Rieslings by the glass, offering flights of top quality European Rieslings or creating special Riesling pairing menus that showcase the great pairing ability of this varietal." Check it.


One of my favorite white wines..and for this week featured at restaurants like Craft, Bobo, and Blue Water Grill. June 16-22nd only. So put on your clogs or something (Do they even wear clogs in Germany?)

Food from the Holy Land

After a month hiatus of over-working and traveling Israel, I'm finally back. Yes, I know it's hard to believe that when I don't write I'm actually still eating, but that is the case. And during that time, I've come across hidden gems, weird food products, and some busts as usual.

In the holy land, i ate a lot of the same: falafel, shwarma, cucumber tomato salad and of course their fav hummus and pita. I'm a huge fan of food in the Mediterranean variety, but no matter how great the falafel was every time or how hot and fresh the pita was cooked; I got tired of this fast. I even vowed to never eat hummus again. Clearly, a lie. But I believed it when I said it. My travel companions, a bus of 40, could probably vouch the same sentiment. Although last weekend, Ms.Onesie and La Mer (2 of these such travel companions) and I found ourselves craving late night falafel (a pita pocket of salad and fried chick peas and of course covered in hummus). When we caved for the LES version at 3 Monkeys, it just wasn't the same or rather bad actually. I can't tell if it was the alcohol talking or my pallet but the falafel tasted like cinnammon and while cinnamon goes well with things like french toast or even a latte, it does not go well with falafel and hummus.

In Israel, our group (br939) basically ate the same things over and over. Because this was a free trip, the organizers went for the 10 sheckel hotel deal- which lucky for us meant the same buffet at every city in Israel with the same traditional food. In the mornings, it was the breakfast of champions: eggplant tomoato and cucumbers salad, hard boiled eggs, rolls, some scrambled eggs if we were lucky, some more weird salads with cabbage or tuna or pasta (left over from dinner from the night before?), and complimented by bug juice. Most everyone stuck to the rolls and the hard boiled eggs. For dinner, there was usually chicken on the bone, some mystery meat (which oddly enough was good once), a vegeterian "option",some more of those salads (cucumber tomato, beets, what have you), dinner rolls, and of course hummus. From what I hear Israel actually has really good food across the country aside from their street food- like fresh sushi, but, unfortunately, I wouldn't know this because we were like children held on one of those unacceptable kid leashes by an unkempt parent. I really would've been happy if they said "OK- no scheduled dinner tonight. Go fend for yourselves" but we were only allowed to find a place to eat for a few lunches.

When we were allowed to 'take lunch' we found ourselves scurrying for falafel or to the nearest Aroma (which there is an Aroma on Houston..). Aroma has fresh salads and sandwiches and the ice coffee they serve all around Israel. Our guide told us Aroma has the best ice coffees--and it was good but some of the random stands/bodega type places were way better. And when I say iced coffee I really mean the Israeli version of a 2000 calorie frappaccino that we downed everyday. When I went to Aroma in New York, they, of course, had the Iced coffee which they refer to as an "Iced Aroma" and the New York version of it- the "Aroma light." Realizing that means the calories of the regular "Aroma" must be your daily calorie max, I tried this "Aroma light" version and was thoroughly disappointed. It was like ice shavings and the foam at the top of a cappuccino; reminiscent of the real one but not even coming in at a close second.

Throughout the trip, we also snacked on the Israeli version of chips, doodles, and crisps. I mean we had to be authentic to the culture...or something. The two fan favorites were Bisslli and Bambas. Bambas are like cheese doodles without the cheese but with a peanut butter twist. Sounds weird and at first kinda is--but by the third one, you're in for the long haul.


Bissllies come in a variety of flavors including BBQ, pizza, and Falafle (yes, falafel..and I'm surprised there wasn't hummus flavored ones). LawClerk1 and I found the BBQ flavor in the square shapes to be our favorite-- and though we didn't like the pizza flavored one when we got it, we had no prob finishing the bag. And while we weren't careful in Israel about what we were putting in our mouth, as Ms.Onesie put it so poignantly, "Bissllis make you beastly" so buyer beware.


While the food was redundant when I was away and kind of odd at times, it was still an experience at that. It's funny how when you leave those situations that were so annoying at times (being treated like you were 16 or force-fed hummus on pita), you find yourself yearning to go back. I'm hoping to find a good Israeli spot soon and make the BR939 trip go for a "group dinner". I hope I can find a buffet...

Quick Post: NYC Food Film Festival

Foods include Grimaldi's pizza, cheese steaks and an Il Buco Olive oil tasting. And the films are about the foods. Check it

The Experience Mimics the Review

Often when you read a review (be it Zagat, Food and Wine, CitySearch etc) the experience doesn't read close to the print. The reviewer has said the food is excellent and yours came out cold, that wait staff was said to be nasty and obnoxious and your personal encounter was nothing but friendly and warm. I think its safe to say that while reviews have their value; they are not the end all be all. I would have to say though that when the review is spot-on, it's an eerie feeling and I would most definitely say that is the case with Zagat's review of Felix on West Broadway. The commentary reads, "A “playground” for the “beautiful”, “international” set, this “loud, lively”, “very SoHo” French bistro delivers “decent” eats in “airy” digs with “two walls of open doors”; “brunch is a highlight”, but the “rowdy patrons and inevitable dancing” always steal the show."

I've been to Felix on two occasions. The first instance was on a late summer afternoon for what could have been brunch but just ended up being wine and turned into a parade of toasting and drinking with foreign new friends. Yes, I would describe the above as pretty accurate. The second occasion was just on Friday night when my friends and I returned for the same such scene and for the open doors on one of our first warm spring nights. I had heard mixed opinions on the food and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was indeed pretty good. Doogs and I split a beet salad to start. There were yellow and red beets over a bed of endive, sprinkled with walnuts and apples and drizzled with a dressing that added a layer of saltiness to the already sweet ingredients. It was quite tasty and exceeded my expectations. A Duh and Wild Ginge split the warm goat cheese salad which they seemed happily smitten with. For entrees, I got the Chicken Fricassee with ratatouille (a peasant dish by French standards) but good in it's simplicity and fall-off-the-bone chicken. Doogs got the seabass over a bed of mushroom risotto (She's currently on an "I Love Risotto" kick), A Duh and Wild Ginge both got the mussels and french fries (maybe more for the french fries than the mussels?) and Sista Ginge (yes, wild Ginge has a sister! with the same Ginge features) got the steak tartar to which she defended as very good (although again maybe ordered more for the love of fries?) Aside from the food, there were the annoying french guys who tried to get us to sit at their table, the table of 20 celebrating the birthday of a woman in her 30's wearing a skirt an 18 year old probably shouldn't be wearing out of the house, a gaggle of tables who liked to sing with the music, old men at the bar with designer glasses and very young arm candy and an eccentric hostess who was just as fun to watch as her guests.

Yes, the review is pretty true blue. And I can say you will probably mimic that experience for sure at Felix on West Broadway with the airy open doors and scenic view (be it people passing by on the street or patrons swapping tables for chit chat inside).

Opinionated About Dining

I recently got this email from my dad. I think he references this guy "Acker" for wine reviews and Acker recommended this book as well. An interesting alternative to Zagat though. I also like how they'll send you a free copy of the 2008 edition if you review restaurants for 2009. Pretty sweet. I've copied the email below:

"If you are tired of the same old Zagat and Michelin restaurant guides, try something new - and something actually compiled from actual diners like us.

Bon vivant Steve Plotnicki has taken the giant step from amateur to professional and has published his first dining guide, The Opinionated About Fine Dining Survey 2008, The 100 Best Restaurants in North America & Europe.

What makes this guide different is that the survey participants are weighted based on their dining experience, resulting in ratings that are more reliable. The 56 page guide covers restaurants in 9 different countries, and each review includes a numerical rating, a short description of the restaurant, quotes from the survey particpants, and two to three dishes which were mentioned by the survey panel.

There is a special section in back of the guide that rates each restaurant's wine list and describes their BYOB policy. The guide is available at independent book stores all over the U.S., at Amazon.com, or online at http://www.opinionatedabout.com . And if you participate in the 2009 survey, which is currently ongoing, Steve will send you a free copy of the 2008 guide as soon as you begin rating restaurants - simply go to the home page and follow the links to register for the survey. "

Mermaid (Merman! Merman!)

Sorry I couldn't help using an odd Zoolander reference for the title of this post but please excuse me --the post has nothing to do with Zoolander at all or Mermaids/men for that matter.

If you don't like fish, you probably shouldn't go to an establishment with the word "Mermaid" in the name and that's just the case with The Mermaid Inn. The menu is filled with underwater delights and only one entree from above sea level- the pork chop. So note that before you make your reservation.

I had heard such great things about this small restaurant in the East Village so I was pretty stoked to try it out (they also have a location in the upper west side). L Dawg and I went at 730 on a Tuesday night and found the restaurant half full. On a Saturday I know it's packed. Regardless, when I walked in I was surprised to feel like I was on Long Island at the RiverBay (for LIers, you'll know what I'm talking about but its feels very nautical with maps and compasses abound). They sat us in the back and we could see the dimly lit garden from our table which would be perfect for a warm summer night but a little too chilly for early April.

We decided on the mussels and the seared tuna for appetizer. The mussels were skillet roasted rather than steamed which made for a tasty and different texture--when dipped into the drawn butter it almost made me feel like I was going through the motions of eating lobster. The seared tuna was also great. Perfectly seared meaning super rare with the ends barely cooked. The tuna was served with an egg, caper, and lemon mixture which looked kind of weird but tasted pretty good.

For entree, both LDawg and I got the Mahi Mahi, which was grilled with baby vegetables in an orange-chevril emulsion. This was good but I think I was pretty tipsy from the Vinho Verde at this piont. The Mahi Mahi was nothing exceptional but you can tell the fish was fresh and well prepared and I appreciated the leeks (which I love!). The wine we chose (the Vinho Verde) was surprisingly really good and tasted similar to an Alsacen Riesling. I think I was drinking pretty fast (maybe I was thirsty?).

And as usual whenever L Dawg and I get together, we can't stop talking. Our conversation is an endless flow of stories, laughing and venting and I think our server was scared to interrupt. We sat happily with our menus for 30 minutes before our waitress had an opportune time to ask us if we were ready when we weren't going to blow her off. All in all, we had a really fun and good meal and the chocolate puddings in the little espresso cups at the finish is a nice and delicious touch. Just remember if you and you're party are not willing to ALL endeavor under the sea, you might want to hit up another small restaurant on 2nd ave that can reel you to land.

Spring is in the Air!

"It's supposed to be 71 degrees today!" I think it's safe to say everyone is excited about this and the reminder that Spring is coming!! Spring for me always means more frolicking, more activity, and more general fun. This is probably the beginning of Wild Ginger's fav time as well as it turns from Spring into summer so I have to credit her for this link to NYC's al fresco restaurants, bars, and lounges. Click here.A couple notables to add- Dos Caminos Soho and 50th street, Central Park (great for a lil wine and cheese picnic!), Loreley in LES for th back garden, Bar Piti with great people watching and possible celeb spotting, and Friend of a Farmer (if you can snag a seat for brunch!).

Shrimp Pizza Finds his Kosher Slice

Many of you might remember the Shrimp Pizza incident. Notoriously, this guy has been labeled as merely "Shrimp Pizza" when referring to the short period of time I dated him. But the story in all its hilarity has lived on for the last year...during instances of "It could be worse..there's always "Shrimp Pizza." or "Remember when you dated an Ortho-guy?" and other varieties. As much as this story has had a pulse, I haven't spoken to the dude since probably last February...and in the 'olden days' when you put a halt to verbal communication that was the end of it. But nowadays with the internet somehow they are always able to creep back into your life via aim, facebook or the likes. In this particular case he didn't slide his way back into my life but rather I gained insight into his--which I think makes him particularly more orthodox/odd, and once again re-establishes my good judgment to order the shrimp.

While using the friend finder on facebook, a utility that pulls in your friend's email addresses via your own email account and finds your friends on facebook, "Shrimp Pizza" was evidently found. I glanced over his name until I saw the image attached which was literally him and a bride underneath the hoopah. I gasped. Whoa. Then I did what any normal curious red blooded person would do and stalked his facebook for more info. Turns out that yes...in just a little over a year, Shrimp Pizza had met his nice Jewish girl, courted her and got married. She's a really attractive one too but must not eat shell fish. It seems Shrimp Pizza has finally found his kosher slice.

Thinking Ahead

I know it’s hard to think about multiple uses for the same product but it’s definitely helpful when you’re buying fresh produce. It’s especially hard in New York where people have little time between work and play and buying groceries is almost as expensive as ordering in. Often I like to think about vegetables in terms of their uses. If I get mushrooms, I might plan a chicken marsala and know I have the rest of the mushrooms for a vegetable sauté or a shroom-lete. If I find ripe mangos, I might eat some as a regular fruit and create a mango salsa with the rest.

In my last post I wrote about the chicken parm meet eggplant rollatini I most recently created. While I was prepping the casserole dish with the ricotta mixture, I realized I had more than what I needed so I took the left over and put it in a dish for later. This morning, I remembered this little bowl of ricotta mixed with tomatoes capers and garlic and added it to a mundane shroom-lete. The outcome was great. A breakfast you might get from a restaurant parallel with the consistency of a goat cheese omelet (although I hate goat cheese- and I know everybody and their mom loves it!).

Anyways it pays to think ahead whether it be chicken or cheese or even a condiment like honey mustard! Mutli-purposes for a product means less trips to the grocer!

Spontaneous Italian

Sometimes I get the urge to cook. Especially with a newly purchased cookware set; the urge strikes hard. Unfortunately, my kitchen was a bit distraught after the notorious crane incident of March 2008 (yup, that was my building) and I had to put my sautéing crave aside and wait till my gas was back on and my oven was reattached in its appropriate place. Lucky for me, all was status-quo this weekend and while the iron was hot, I went for it.

I hadn’t cooked anything Italian in quite some time—trying to watch my carb intake probably has something to do with it; but as I perused the super market on Sunday I started to get some ideas for dinner that night. I knew I wanted protein and I had a yearning for eggplant (surprise, surprise). I wanted to do something a little different than just layer aubergine and chicken with some tomatoes and I started to think a little carefully. After I found my eggplant, I found a bottle of capers and thought- “What if I mix this with some low-fat ricotta and a few other key ingredient and use this to layer the two?” Eggplant rollatini meets chicken parmesan.

Back at my apartment, I dipped the chicken in egg whites and dusted the breasts with bread crumbs. I put the breast in a pan with extra-virgin olive oil for 2 minutes on each side and place them in a casserole dish lined with tomato sauce. Next came the eggplant, which I sliced length wise and salted. That too, went into the oil panned for a couple minutes on each side. The lower the heat, the less it burns and the crisper it gets. While the eggplants were in the pan, I made my ricotta mixture. I used some eggwhites to thin out the cheese; added Italian season, garlic powder, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and then of course my capers and slice tomato for an extra touch. Fresh basil would’ve been great in this but sorry for me, I forgot to purchase! (I need one of those basil window plants ha).

I put some more tomato sauce on top of the chicken for more flavor and then spooned some of the ricotta mixture to each breast topped each piece with an eggplant slice and then put a thin layer of sauce on top of that as well. For show- I sprinkled a little grated cheese on the top and put a few more capers in the center of each eggplant slice.

The dish came out pretty good and definitely satiates an appetite for Italian… as well as my pining to cook!

If you’d like to replicate- here’s a list of ingredients (measurements were improvised so had to say):

Thinly-sliced skinless Chicken breasts
Eggplant
Tomatoes
Breadcrumbs (with Italian seasoning in it)
Parmesan cheese (or Peccorino-Romano)
Egg Whites
EVOO
Tomato Sauce
Capers
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning
Fresh Basil (best)
Salt and Pepper
Part-skim Ricotta Cheese
Shredded Cheese (Mozzarella)—optional

Fruitomelette

Yes, it sounds kind of weird but its a really nice twist on a breakfast tradition. An omelette with fruit. I started to experiment with this one morning when I was bored of my egg whites and veggies and dropped a few blueberries in my mushroom omlette. It tasted kinda of good. Actually really good. And on a toasted english muffin where the berries can get into the 'cranies..it kind of like a cross between pancakes and eggs. I thought I had invented a new phenomenon!! And then while browsing the menu for Alice's tea cup, I saw it in plain type. Omelette with fruit (strawberries, berries, etc) and I realized people must have been doing this for years. I am not the inventor after all (hey, I aim high!). Regardless, it's a nice change of pace and just-right for the blooming spring.

99 Cents

I wouldn't necessarily try this but it's an interesting concept. NY Times writer, Henry Alford, goes to the depths of the unknown and attempts to make every meal for a week (including dinner for 4 friends) with finds from the 99cent store and Jack's. Again, risky yet interesting. Read the article here.

Heavenly Taste Test

Frighteningly enough, I’ve worked across from Jacques Torres for almost 3 years. Well I guess that’s not entirely accurate because for about 6 months when I worked in Dumbo, I was around the corner. But seriously, what are the chances? And Jacques has well…pretty superb chocolates so it’s safe to say I must stay 100 ft from the establishment at all times.

Because of the close proximity, the chocolatier has been a “go-to” for quick gifts or a sweet tooth fix and I’ve gathered some favorites in the process. While their molds for various holidays and occasions are pretty jaw-dropping (think large turkeys for Thanksgiving, rabbits for Easter, and stilettos for Mother’s Day), their chocolate squares with various fillings are mouth watering as well. The two that ring a bell for me are the dark chocolate filled with red wine and their champagne truffles. Mmm. In the summer, Jacques even offers huge homemade ice cream sandwiches; the cookie on either side of the ice cream a rich and chocolately delight and in the winter, it’s their hot chocolate and “wicked” hot chocolate that keeps everyone coming back for more…even the tourists who come all the way downtown on their way to Century 21. ha.

So in my mind, this was the crème de la crème…until… Recently, my cube neighbor at work, J, showed me a new light. He mentioned this other chocolatier that I had never heard of called Vosges. I was apprehensive at first and once I checked out the website even more hesitant. It all sounded extremely interesting: dark chocolate flavored with ginger, wasabi, black sesame seeds or Mexican ancho with chipotle chillies and Ceylon cinnamon within a dark chocolate bar or even bacon infused chocolate. Yes, this sounded exotic but I wasn’t quite sure how it would taste. The answer came the next day on my desk.

J mentioned his favorite bar was the “Woolloomooloo Bar”- deep milk chocolate with roasted and salted macadamia nuts, Indonesian coconut and hemp seeds and he was kind enough to present me with this exotic chocolate bar. I decided if we were to properly evaluate the chocolate bar, we would need some sort of comparison . Cut to Me and DMoney lifting the “100 feet” rule and entering Jacques Torres to prep for the taste test. I searched for a good sampling that was comparable to the Woolloomoolo Bar, but couldn’t really find anything with a mixture of macadamia nuts, coconut and hemp seed- go figure. So I settled on getting a few pieces of chocolate in different varieties and we could just make the evaluation on overall performance. This proved to me more difficult that it sounded.

The three of us tasted the first piece of chocolate from Jacques. Delicious. Smooth, robust and wonderful. There were definitely different tastes that tied flawlessly together in a very creamy and continuous way. I couldn’t imagine Vosges beating this.

Then we opened the Vosges packaging. This bar is interesting because even the copy on the back is well thought out.
The copy reads:
"How to Eat an Exotic Candy Bar...

See... first, there should be a glossy shine to the chocolate bar, this shows a good temper; rather, a tight bond between the cocoa butter and the cocoa mass.

Smell... rub your thumb on the chocolate to help release the aromas. Inhale the chocolate and ingredient notes deeply through your nose. Can you feel it?

Snap... quality chocolate should always be dry to the touch. Break the bar into two pieces. Hear a crisp, ringing snap, which indicates a well-tempered bar of chocolate.

Taste... place the chocolate on your tongue and press it to the roof of your mouth. Within thirty seconds, the chocolate should slowly begin to melt around your tongue. The taste should not be evanescent; it should have a long, lingering finish.

Feel... recognize the life in your body as you… benefit from the anti-oxidants in chocolate, ride the natural high of chillies, boost your immune system with some of the natural ingredients. Each bar brings its own sensations and benefits. Notice how spicy bars don’t hit you until after you have swallowed.”


And so we did all of the above and it was like chocolate that I’ve never had before. Complex and nutty. Yet smooth and fluid. I could only compare it a good cookies and cream ice cream when the vanilla base is excellent and there is just enough cookies that it doesn’t overpower the ice cream but compliments it.

I had to go around the office and offer up the rest of the pieces (Ok, most of the other pieces…I saved a little for later). This stuff was too good not to share!! (or maybe I feared of gluttonously chowing the whole thing down). Regardless, there’s a new chocolatier in the hood. This one has a flagship store in Soho but is also sold at place like Balducci’s and the likes. J says Vosges ice cream is even better than their chocolate. I can’t image but I’ll dream in Chocolate.

The Dish

American Express has jumped on the social media band-wagon to create "The Dish" where you can become a "tastemaker"(only if you are an amex cardholder- how elitist!) review restaurants, find local favs, create your own list of favs and more. Of course like all good online communities, it includes share functionality for del.ici.ous, tenchorati, stumbleupon, etc. They also offer discounts: Click here fore more. But looks like you have to be a card member for that as well...surprise surprise.