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Printquiz for the week of may 11th
1. What vegetable is pictured in the photo above? BONUS: What large metropolitan U.S. city's name is said to originate from this plant's name?
2. The Grecian Archestratus is credited with being the first to do what in 350B.C.?
3. When a Hindu woman commits sati, the ancient tradition of burning herself to ashes atop her husband's funeral pyre, what does she traditionally hold in her hands or wear in her hair? A. Basil B. Saffron C. Ginger D. Coriander Leaves
4. What is the number one non-food crop in the world? BONUS: In the 1700s, which country made it illegal to grow or import this crop?
5. In France, which song bird is trapped illegally, force fed to grow to four times its normal size, heated in the oven for six minutes and then doused in Armargnac before being served? The person consuming the bird bites off the head and proceeds to eat the bird in its entirety.
6. True or False: Americans throw away about five percent of the food they purchase at supermarkets each year?
Spiced Beef & Mashed Potato Sandwiches With Lime Raita
friday, may 9th, 2008
I have a dirty little secret and it’s not one I like to discuss in polite culinary company. However, after much deliberation I’ve finally decided that I’m ready to admit it to the world. Getting to this point has been a struggle but I’ve resolved to take the steps necessary to overcome my problem. Deep breath. Shoulders back. Here goes…
I hate sandwiches.
“What sort of weirdo doesn’t like sandwiches?” you ask. The answer is this sort of weirdo. Who doesn’t like sandwiches? Fillings of all colors, textures and flavors married in a perfect union between two slices of bread. It’s a no-brainer for most, but not for me.
My aversion to sandwiches has elicited many a raised eyebrow and ousted me from the tight fraternity of sandwich lovers more often than I would like to admit. It has also left me hungry. Sandwiches are, after all, the perfect portable food. I was once on a weekend long white water rafting trip that included all meals in the price and unfortunately for me, all meals meant all sandwiches, all the time. Breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, dinner sandwiches. Not a single bowl of corn flakes in sight. No apples or granola bars shoved into the corners of my guide’s backpack. I went hungry that weekend and what should have been two days of ecstatic paddling through the crashing waves of a raging river turned into 48 hours of misery. Starving as I was, I could hardly lift my paddle, let alone laugh as the cold white river hit my face.
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Upcoming May Culinary Events In New York City
thursday, may 1st, 2008
May is the cheerful month swinging between spring and summer and the many splendid culinary events in New York City this month reflect the fresh spirit of the season!
Be sure to check out the 2008 Upcoming Events section of eddybles for a monthly listing of dozens of festivals and happenings in New York City that celebrate food and drink! The date, location and a link to the event is provided for every listing.
Happy Spring!
James Beard House: Maker's Mark Derby Day: May 3rd ...(this should be an incredible event, but of course I'm biased as these are my chef instructors from culinary school)
Crema Restaurant: Free Tequila With Dinner: May 2nd-9th
Midnight Wine Tasting at Pasita: May 2nd
Food & Culinary Professionals: Downsizing Portion Sizes: Whose Job Is It?: May 2nd
Rachel Ray Book Signing: May 2nd
International Restaurant Week: May 2nd-11th
Broadway Panhandler: The New Steak: Recipes For Savory Cuts: May 3rd
The New School: Greening Your Food Business: May 3rd
Romania Day Festival: May 3rd
Astor Center: Cooking With Your Teen: May 3rd
Institute of Culinary Education: Cupcake Workshop: May 4th
Bowery Culinary Center: Secrets From The Chef Who Fed Google: May 4th
Degustibus: TV Inspirations: Rachel Ray: May 5th
Bottlerocket: How To Navigate A Wine List: May 5th
Rock Center: Cinco de Mayo Beer Bash: May 5th
Toloache: Mariachi and Tequila: May 5th
Culinary Historians Of New York: Dates in Medieval Baghdad: May 5th
James Beard House: Fresh American With a Twist: May 6th
Bacchus Wine: A Night Down Under: May 6th
New York Wine & Culinary Center: Sensational Spring Salads: May 7th
Brown University Club: Wine Tasting At The Bubble Lounge: May 7th
Bowery Culinary Center: Homemade Pasta Making With Mom: May 8th
Chelsea Wine Vault: Wines of Rioja: May 8th
Italian Cooking & Living: Hands On Class: Calzoni: May 9th
92nd Street Y: A Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour: May 9th
Astor Center: Tequila: The Future Of Tradition: May 9th
Institute of Culinary Education: All About Artichokes: May 9th
Artisanal Cheese: Cooking With Cheese: May 10th
Brandy Library: Single Malt Saturdays: May 10th
James Beard House: Mother's Day Brunch At The Beard House: May 11th
The Barclay: Mother's Day Brunch & Silent Wine Tasting: May 11th
New York Wine & Culinary Center: Mother's Day Champagne Brunch: May 11th
Murray's Cheese: All In The Family: May 12th
Institute of Culinary Education: Mastering Pan Sauces: A 2 Day Workshop: May 12th
Bowery Culinary Center: Sketch It & Eat: May 13th
Just Food: Gastronomica Forum: Food & Faith: May 13th
Beard On Books: Lauren Bank Deen: Kitchen Playdates, Easy Ideas: May 14th
Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation New York City: May 14th
92nd Street Y: Francine Segan: Aphrodisiacs: History, Myth & Fact: May 14th
Tastebuds NYC Get Together: May 14th
Astor Center: Vietnamese Food & Wine Pairing: May 14th
Degustibus: Absolutely Asian: Floyd Cardoz: May 14th
Murray's Cheese: Mons: The Inside Scoop: May 15th
92nd Street Y: Steakhouse Cooking Made Easy With Michael Colameco: May 15th
Italian Cooking & Living: Hands On Class: Summer Pizza: May 16th
Artisanal Cheese: All About Fondue: May 16th
Degustibus: Ricardo Cardona: Hudson River Cafe: May 17th
Broadway Panhandler: Mastering Knife Skills With Norman Weinstein: May 17th
Slowfood: Brooklyn Chinatown Walking Tour: May 17th
Bowery Culinary Center: Baking With Agave: May 17th
Institute of Culinary Education: Sundays In Brooklyn: An Italian American Feast: May 18th
92nd Street Y: Blue Hill at Stone Barns Outing: May 18th
Artisanal Cheese: Artisanal Cheese & Spanish Sherry: May 19th
WCR Networking & Get Together at Bistro Cassis: 6:30pm: May 19th
James Beard House: Italian Spring Feast: May 20th
Artisanal Cheese: Port & Cheese: Exploring The World Of Port: May 20th
New York Wine & Culinary Center: Baking Wth Phyllo: May 20th
The Taste of Queens & Beyond: May 20th
Artisanal Cheese: Cheese Basics: May 21st
French Culinary Institute: Cake Love/Sugar Rush: May 21st
Slowfood: Slow U: Insider Tour of Union Square Greenmarket: May 21st
Astor Center: Taste of the CIA: Gourmet Meals In Minutes: May 21st
Murray's Cheese: The Mother's Of Cheesemaking: May 22nd
Chelsea Wine Vault: Wines of Spain & Portugal: May 22nd
New York Jets Taste of the NFL: May 22nd
Murray's Cheese: Cheese 101: May 23rd
Astor Center: How Not To Embarrass Yourself With A Wine List: May 23rd
Bowery Culinary Center: Meals For Under $15: May 23rd
Ninth Avenue International Food Festival: May 24th-25th
Murray's Cheese: Le Wild West: May 27th
Bowery Culinary Center: Feeding Fido: May 27th
Institute of Culinary Education: Spring Lamb Primer: May 27th
Italian Cooking & Living: Hands On Class: Rome & Latium: May 29th
James Beard House: Washington Wine Lover's Dinner: May 29th
Bowery Culinary Center: Dim Sum: Chinese Tea Brunch: May 30th
Taste of the Nation New York City 2008
wednesday, april 30th, 2008
Last year I was on the Planning Committee for Taste of the Nation New York City but I opted out this year as I will be out of town for the big event and since my role is to recruit and coordinate volunteers, I didn't think I would be of much use organizing people from across the country. I feel guilty, but from what I hear from my friends on the committee, it's going to be an incredible night.
If you would rather help out at the event rather than just eat your way through it (and even as a volunteer, there's plenty of snacking opportunity), they are still in need of volunteers for May 13th-14th. Please email TasteVolunteer@gmail.com to get involved.
Presented by American Express, Taste of the Nation NYC 2008 will be held on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at the Roseland Ballroom, 239 West 52nd Street from 7:30 - 10:30 pm with a VIP reception starting at 6:30pm.
Tickets for the Taste of the Nation NYC 2008 are $275 for General Admission and $375 for VIP. Virtual Table packages are also available. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.newyorktaste.org, calling 1-877-26 TASTE (268-2783), or at the event (depending upon availability).
Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation NYC 2008 Participating Restaurants:
Abboccato
Aquavit
Artie's Delicatessen
Artisanal
Asia de Cuba
August
Blue Hill
Blue Smoke
Brasserie Les Halles
Buddakan
Casa Mono
China Grill
Craftsteak
David Burke at Bloomingdale’s
davidburke & donatella
Dévi
Eleven Madison Park
Esca
Felidia
Gramercy Tavern
Hill Country
Hudson Cafeteria
Japonias
Jean-Georges
Kittichai
Kobe Club
Landmarc
Mai House
Marseille
Morimoto
Oceana
Ono at Hotel Gansevoort
P*ONG
Picholine
Porter House
Pure Food and Wine
Rickshaw Dumpling Bar
Riingo
Savoy
South Gate
SushiSamba
Tabla
Tailor
The Mermaid Inn
The Modern
The Monkey Bar
The Stanton Social
Toloache
Tribeca Grill
Union Square Cafe
Vong
The event will also feature DeBragga.com, Rick’s Picks, Vermont Butter & Cheese and Wine Cellar Sorbets.
One hundred percent of the event proceeds will support Share Our Strength’s effort to end childhood hunger. Recipient agencies in New York City include: City Harvest, Food Bank for New York City, FoodChange, Just Food, NYC Coalition Against Hunger and Nutrition Consortium of NYC.
Take This Week's Quiz
quiz for the week of april 26th
1. In 1191, Richard the Lion Hearted led the 3rd Crusade in victory over the Saracen leader Saladin. As a peace offering, Saladin offered Richard a sweet treat made with a special ingredient from Lebanon. What was the special ingredient and what is the common name for this treat today?
2. A law went into effect this week in New York City requiring restaurant chains of more than fifteen outlets to do what?
3. What is the U.S. President Millard Fillmore credited with first introducing to the White House? BONUS: Who was the first president to serve hot dogs at the White House?
4. This is a dish of cowpeas (black eyed peas) cooked with pork fat and rice along with seasonings. It is frequently served with corn bread and collard greens and is a customary dish served on New Years' Day in Charleston and the American south Its base of cowpeas has its roots in the North American slave trade as this was a staple ingredient fed to slaves during their voyage. The origin of the name has been disputed for decades and is still up for debate.
5. Mastic is: A. a bacteria B. a cheese C. a resin D. a fish sauce?
6. These flower buds are picked and dried before they open. The tree is a member of the myrtle family and is native to the spice islands of Indonesia. The name is derived from the French word for nail and first references to it are found in the Chinese Han period in which it was referred to as a "chicken-tongue spice". In the Moluccas, where it was first discovered, its tree is planted when a child is born.
Katrina, The Gulf Coast & A Mint Julep Not To Forget
friday, april 25th, 2008
I’m an only child but I have never longed for siblings, as I’ve been fortunate enough in my life to have met incredible women who have always managed to fill any void a longing for a sister might create. Some of my friendships stretch back to kindergarten and my friend Rochelle and I are always proud to say (in unison) to anyone who asks how long we’ve known each other, “We’ve been friends since preschool." It is a gift to be sure and I will never take for granted how blessed I am to have an amazing group of girlfriends in my life.
The friend I’ve known the longest however was, I believe, my friend before we were born. I hold her heart so tightly bound to my own that I am certain we knew each other somewhere else before, or perhaps we just belonged to the same patch of stardust floating around out there in the universe before we arrived here on earth and met each other in the flesh at last. Every time I see her after a long absence, my eyes fill with tears and my heart flutters. My friend has me smitten. I adore her, and I always will.
Our inevitable encounter (for I do believe it was fate) was made easier by the fact that our mothers were best friends from high school and we have therefore known each other since she was one, and I was born. I am certain though that it was not just circumstance that brought us together, it’s impossible to love someone so much just as a matter of logistics and I am therefore sticking with the stardust theory.
It goes without saying then that when I was told at the age of ten that my friend’s family was relocating from Minneapolis to Ocean Springs, Mississippi I was beside myself. Yet even in the midst of my heartbreak, I knew in the deepest, reddest place inside that the strings that bound us together would never slacken or grow weak from the pressure and burden of time and distance. She was my soul sister, and a soul sister is never lost.
READ MORE & GET THE RECIPE
Walnut, Bacon and Rice Stuffed Artichokes
wednesday, april 23rd, 2008
A few weekends ago I did something I vowed to never do ever since moving to New York and falling in love with The Yankees (the affection seeps into you and you have no control over it, similar to all the lovely smells that waft up from the subway as the temperatures rise). I went to a Mets game. Worse, I had a great time. It didn't hurt that I was with a group of a few dozen fun loving people who turned our multiple rows of seats into one giant beer, sausage and pepper, cotton candy laced party. I barely had time to watch the game between all the random acts of weirdness taking place and therefore, since I essentially didn't see it, I wonder if I can still claim that I have never attended a Mets game?
Probably not, but in the end I had so much fun that I feel my rule breaking was justified. Following the game we decided to go on an impromptu pub crawl of Queens. Our plan was essentially to not have a plan, unless you call hopping on the 7 train, getting off at every third stop and having a drink at the first bar we spotted a plan. Then we did indeed have a plan. We also decided that since it was our friend's birthday, we had to collect random gifts for him at the first stop.
As our giant group invaded the first neighborhood and everyone else searched for birthday gifts and a pub, I was fixated on the food vendors. In nearly every direction there were stalls spilling over with incredible offerings; tamales, black beans, fried plantains, tomatoes, tortillas, hot churros and what really did a number on me; glistening ears of golden corn on the cob baring some of the biggest kernels I've ever seen.
My favorite snack when I lived in Guatemala was the beautiful simplicity of a fresh ear of corn still in its husk handed to me hot and steaming at the farmer's market nestled into the heart of Antigua. Just before it reached my hand, the stall owner would spray it generously with juice from a fresh lime and then sprinkle it with a sparkling pinch of sea salt.
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