I received a mildly annoying press release in my inbox the other day: “Picnic food safety greater concern in hot weather” was the subject line (food bloggers out there, you get that, too?). The draconian yarn went on to provide tips to curb food-borne bacteria, which hot weather accelerates. As bringing homemade food to a [...]
Archive for June, 2009
Mint Chutney Potato Salad
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Brooklyn Food Royalty (a slideshow of the Unfancy Food Show ‘09)
Monday, June 29th, 2009The Unfancy Food Show, a celebration of local, artisanal food and tastemakers, has enacted its third triumphant year at the East River Bar in Williamsburg on Sunday. Launched by Tom Mylan and Sasha Davies as the underdog fest to the Fancy Food Show, also taking place this weekend, the festival has become an unique tradition [...]
Dijon Duck Buns with Pickled Cucumber and Scallions
Thursday, June 25th, 2009Goodness, did I cook a lot of whole animals this past week. First it was the glorious goat spit for The Greenhorns. Then Tuesday was the Hapa Kitchen’s third dinner, “Paris of the East,” featuring a fusion of French and Chinese cuisines — and lots of duck, duck, and more duck (no goose). We dressed [...]
Broccoli, Ricotta and Golden Garlic Pizza
Monday, June 22nd, 2009A room filled with the scent of garlic-infused olive oil. A warm oven that sputters with the occasional spillover of sauce inside. A cutting board of cheeses within easy reach. Fresh basil aflutter. Beer. Several able-stomached friends. There are few things more soothing than a pizza party in someone’s home. And while almost any toppings [...]
The Greenhorns Goat Spit Menu Sneak Peek! (and a chat with its founder/filmmaker)
Friday, June 19th, 2009Get your goat fix! Tomorrow, rain or shine, a block party takes place in Carroll Gardens to benefit the Greenhorns, a Hudson Valley-based non-profit that promotes and recruits young farmers. This event is just too packed with stuff to really fit on a poster, or a proper blog post. But there will be a screening [...]
It Smells Like Curry In Here!
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009At the first-ever Curry Takedown, that is! And what a blend of spices we ate and smelled on Sunday. Forget the phrase curry in a hurry, these chefs were none to take the easy road, drop a Golden Curry cube into their pot and let it spread. What I saw was really a work of [...]
Fresh Strawberry Basil Milkshake
Sunday, June 14th, 2009Time to roll out the red cartons — strawberries are in season. And local strawberries, especially those from my CSA farm, are a real treat to start the summer off with. If it weren’t for these bursting-sweet nuggets of bright red, I’d never be able to make this shake half as good. No “five dollar [...]
A (Rainy) Volunteer Day at Stone Barns
Friday, June 12th, 2009If April showers bring May flowers, then June showers bring July… peppers! Zucchini! Tomatoes, purple string beans and strawberries! And okay, more flowers, too. And that’s just the beginning of what’s in store as summer harvest time approaches at Stone Barns Center For Food and Agriculture.
I recently heard a local farmer recommend to anyone wanting [...]
Honey Miso Coleslaw, Hoisin Chipotle Baked Beans and Curry Rosemary Potato Salad
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009A hapa holy trinity? Hey, there’s a first for everything. Sweet and pungent (coleslaw), smoky and spicy (beans), and some of the aforementioned with savory with herbal tossed in (potato salad), these were the flavors that drenched the side dishes at our Hapa Kitchen BBQ on Saturday. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera on [...]
The Brooklyn Beer Experiment: Success!
Monday, June 8th, 2009So we all knew that Brooklyn knows how to cook… off. But what of home beer brewing? Turns out that these are some mean streets for that trade, too. And we wouldn’t have known it if it hadn’t been for the Brooklyn Beer Experiment, the brainchild of two of my favorite cook-off fanatics, Nick and [...]
Chocolate and Five-Star Anise Ice Cream
Thursday, June 4th, 2009I have a new catch-phrase for the week: that “I erred on the side of awesome.” Like the guy who made bubble gum. I didn’t invent anything earth-shattering, through scientific debacle, but when something was underestimated in this particular batch of ice cream, it made it all the better. That’s a nice surprise.
Reason For Not Eating Out #32: The Wait
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009“And the food took forever!” a woman said to her friend while riding the elevator of my building.
“I know!” he exclaimed. “And then it was, like, cold!”
Forgetting the coldness factor for now, and admitting first-off that dinner parties, supper clubs and all sorts of communal cooking activities can create just the same lags in time [...]









