Ruminations – Page 7 – Not Eating Out in New York

26 Feb 2009

The Brian Lehrer Show discusses brown bag lunching

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Ruminations | 10

This week on WNYC, the Brian Lehrer Show has been crowdsourcing for bagged lunch suggestions. I’m a great fan of the show’s crowdsourcing projects (remember the grocery store prices map?), and this one is no exception. No longer your grade-school sack filled with a cold cut sandwich, banana and note from Mom (okay, I never got those either… sniff), brought-from-home lunches are a trend in offices these days that can be as satisfying as the next-door sandwich shop — or, … Read More

18 Feb 2009

Win edible experiences from New Amsterdam Market’s benefit auction

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Ruminations | 2

Even though we’re in the doldrums of winter, I’m feeling a tremor of activity and overall excitement about local and sustainable farms. The New Amsterdam Market, a nonprofit which promotes environmentally and socially responsible food and the people behind it, has just launched an auction this week. It isn’t chock full of knick-knacks, though. Really embracing the spirit of community, sharing and learning about sustainable agriculture, many of the “items” for auction involve the food purveyors, farmers and conscientious chefs, … Read More

11 Feb 2009

Valentine’s Day Cookies: You Decide

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Ruminations | 27

There’s nothing that represents true love on Valentine’s Day better than two heart-shaped cookies joined in sticky matrimony with a sugary concoction between them. Even us singles can still look forward to this: stacks of heart-shaped, icinged, chocolate-dipped, powdered sugar-dusted, and daintily decorated cooookies.

19 Jan 2009

Have Multiracial Crew, Will Travel

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Ruminations | 6

Why isn’t there a recap and recipe from Saturday’s ridiculously delicious Greenmarket fundraiser cassoulet cook-off yet? It’ll be coming up soon, and thanks to everyone who came to support the Greenmarket and, of course, cassoulet. But it’s because I’m in DC right now. I fought travel delays and packed plenty of layers (and food, but we’ll get to that in a moment) to come here for the biggest inauguration ceremony of all time. Yes, we can!

13 Jan 2009

Eggs Benedict, an easy bodega brunch

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Breakfast & Eggs, Events, Recipes, Ruminations, Video | 7

What’s going on here?? Let me back up a bit. Last year, I contributed a recipe for a project by the non-profit organization the Neighbors Project, called Bodega Party in a Box. The idea behind the ‘box was to promote shopping within one’s community, and to put more fresh produce and healthier foods on the shelves of local corner shops by increasing demand for it. There’s a lot more to the project on the organization’s website. But from a local … Read More

8 Jan 2009

Mission Impossible?: Whole Wheat Croissants

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Regrets, Ruminations | 29

I am not a pastry chef. I’ve only begun to work with yeast in the last two years, tinkering mostly with pizza doughs and a little lazy-cook sensation called No-Knead Bread. I’ve never attempted to make my own croissants. So, foolishly, I thought I’d skip ahead that French classic and try to make whole wheat croissants instead (which I have never laid eyes on professionally-made). Following that train of illogic, we come to the only logical conclusion: that they turned … Read More

6 Jan 2009

More Bulk for your Buck

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Ruminations | 16

I am such a fan of Tara Parker-Pope, probably because I don’t know very much about health and biology, so the way she explains these topics in such a relevant and easy to understand manner makes me think of her as something like a trusted doctor family member whom you can always call when something’s up. In her “Well” blog, Parker-Pope reblogs from another wellness-centered site, Divine Caroline, to discuss the Healthy Foods for Under $1. In this kudos-giving spirit, … Read More

30 Dec 2008

On Reliance on Technology

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Ruminations | 4

Oh my god. My stove and oven won’t work. I’m dying — I’m going to die. Any second now. I’m sweating. I’m pacing around the kitchen like Woody Allen in Hannah and Her Sisters when he realizes that he’s eventually going to die. Is there no saving grace in the universe, to make our miserable time on earth worthwhile? If I pray hard enough, will the little ring of fire suddenly blare on when I turn the switch, just like … Read More

12 Dec 2008

Gifts for the Not Eating Out-er on your list

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Ruminations | 4

‘Tis the weekend to get some gifts! It seems like no media outlet can resist offering their two cents on budget-friendly holiday gifts this season. (I’m listening to Sound Check right now doling out their musical gift picks.) And this year, neither can I. I usually don’t dish about gift-giving, or other modes of culturally forced buying on this site (alright, come and give me the Scrooge speeches!), unless it’s about giving to charities. But there’s one little reason I’m … Read More

10 Dec 2008

The other meaning of green…

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Ruminations | 6

Get ready to drool at all the made-at-home marvels on Bon Appétit today. They’ve just launched their first-ever Blog Envy feature, a slideshow of holiday recipes from food blogs all around — and my cranberry Thai curry duck breast (a few posts below) made the cut! My envy of the moment among them — and this is due to the fact that I *believe* I tried nuts exactly like these at a crowded holiday party last Saturday (Sarah, were you … Read More