quiz for the week of april 12th

1. Marigold petals are sometimes added to chicken feed for what purpose?

2. How much do Americans spend on Easter candy each year? A. Five billion B. Two million C. Ten million D. Two billion?

3. What is Pysanka?

4. Purple is a symbolic color of Easter. In ancient times, what were crushed and ground to obtain the purple dye?

5. What did Vatican monks distrubute during Lent centuries ago as a symbol of a praying person?

6. What color are Easter eggs dyed in the Greek Orthodox tradition?

7. What determines the color of an egg's shell?

8. Queen Elizabeth I passed a law limiting the consumption of what to funerals, Christmas and Easter?

9. True or False: 600 million marshmallow peeps are sold in America annually.

10. What is "maror" served during the seder? BONUS: What does it symbolize?

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sunday, november 9, 2008

The golden egg-net is incredibly simple to make, but delivers a uniquely versatile result. The texture is light and airy but has enough toothiness to feel substantial. It tastes eggy of course, but not so much as to overpower the elements it's paired with. It's therefore an ideal ingredient in countless recipes. The net is pliable enough to roll up and makes a fun substitute for a spring roll or a wrap. It’s also a festive garnish when broken up into smaller pieces. It also makes an interesting addition when punched out with a ring mold (or torn into sections) and stacked between layers of goodies like crab and avocado. The best part of all is that not only does it taste amazingly good, it’s incredibly fun and easy to make.

Here’s how to create your own egg-net: In a bowl, whisk together eight eggs, then strain them through a chinois. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Once the eggs have rested, in a large, shallow pot, heat about a quart of vegetable oil to 325 degrees. Dip fingertips into the eggs and drizzle in a circular motion into the hot oil. Repeat this process until a net is formed and then fry until golden-brown. Drain well on paper toweling and season both sides with salt immediately after it emerges from the oil.

quiz for the week of november 4th

1. In 1919, the orange became the first fruit to have what?

2. Mary Todd Lincoln, concerned about her husband's gaunt frame and ill health, found that he would eat multiple helpings of what, a childhood favorite? A. Fricaseed chicken B. Venison stuffing C. Apple custard D. Turkey pot pie?

3. Rutherford Hayes established what popular spring time White House tradition?

4. Millard Filmore created an uproar when he became the first president to install what in The White House kitchen?

5. William Howard Taft loved this dish so much that he brought a chef to the White House for the sole purpose of preparing it? A. Pig Trotters B. Pork Knee C. Turtle Soup D. Lamb Brains

6. This president had a habit of hand-copying his recipes. Two surviving recipes include those for Noilly a Macaroni and Blanc Mange. BONUS: He was also the first president to place a chef of what nationality in the White House?

7. James Garfield loved which animal in recipes (typically seen as road kill on American roads)? Governor Mike Huckabee also stated that he enjoyed this animal prepared in a popcorn popper.

8. True of False: A longstanding White House tradition at the White House states that it's illegal to run a barbecue smoker on premisis?

9. Boiled leg of mutton was reportedly on which president's menu for his first state dinner?

10. This first lady claimed enchiladas were her family's favorite dish?

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saturday, november 1st, 2008

The first day of November is always an exciting one. It's the day after a night of of revelry and our veins are still fidgety from the one time of year we feel justified to overdose on sugar. There's an energizing, orange glow everywhere we look, from the blaze of fiery autumn trees, to the smashed pumpkins in the street, and one of the best holiday periods of the year is just a few weeks away (for Americans-and Canadians-at least!). It's a lovely time of year to be sure and to further ice the celebratory cake, New York City is bursting at its gorgeous autumn seams with incredible culinary events throughout the month of November! So now it's time to fold up the costume, give the leftover candy away to a neighbor, cold-cream off the vampire makeup and look ahead to a thrilling month of gastronomic happenings. Enjoy!

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.

James Beard House: Harvest Luncheon with Mary Cleaver: Nov. 2nd

Murray's Cheese: American Cheese: Red States vs. Blue States: Nov. 3rd

American Culinary Federation: Chapter Meeting: Nov. 3rd

Starchefs: New York Taste: Nov. 3rd

De Gustibus: James Reinholt of Spice Market: Nov. 3rd

Lung Cancer Awareness Luncheon: Nov. 3rd

Chelsea Wine Vault: "Sake" To Me: Celebrate Election Night: Nov. 4th

Bowery Culinary Center: Knit. Purl. Eat: Nov. 4th

Institute of Culinary Education: Food Essay Writing: Nov. 4th

James Beard House: Taste of the Adirondacks with Paul Sorgule: Nov. 5th

De Gustibus: Mark Vetri of Vetri & Osteria: Nov. 5th

New York Wine & Culinary Center: Old Fashioned Desserts: Nov. 5th

The Loomba Foundation: Diwali Dinner: Nov. 5th

Astor Center: The Alinea Experience with Grant Achatz: Nov. 6th

De Gustibus: Smiking Hot & Spicy with Donald Link: Nov. 6th

American Friends of Jamaica: Gala Dinner: Nov. 6th

Artisanal Cheese: All About Fondue: Nov. 7th

Institute of Culinary Education: Pizza For Grown-Ups: Nov. 7th

92nd Street Y: Shababa Bakery: Nov. 7th

International Culinary Center: Ultimate Thanksgiving Dinner: Nov. 7th

Astor Center: The Little American Whiskies that Could: Nov. 7th

Asia Society: Circle Cocktail Evening at Leo's Bar: Nov. 7th

Chocolate Show: Nov. 7th-9th

AIWF: Tastings New York City: Nov. 7th-9th

Bowery Culinary Center: Thanksgiving Dress Rehearsal: Nov. 8th

International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show: Nov. 8th-11th

De Gustibus: Wines of Chile: Nov. 8th

Slowfood NYC: Annual Meeting: Nov. 9th

Societe Culinaire Philanthropique: Salon of Culinary Arts: Nov. 9th-11th

New York Wine & Culinary Center: Soups from the Harvest: Nov. 10th

Institute of Culinary Education: Knife Skills: Nov. 10th

Slowfood & Chef's Collaborative: Local, Sustainable, Delicious: Nov. 10th

James Beard House: Taste of the New South with Kirk Gilbert: Nov. 11th

Tasters Guild New York: Taste of Columbia Gorge: Nov. 11th

Jamie Oliver Book Signing: Barnes & Noble Union Square: Nov. 11th

Bowery Culinary Center: Argentina: A Culinary Tour From North to South: Nov. 11th

New York City Opera: Fall Fete: An Evening of Wine & Song: Nov. 11th

Malt Advocate Whisky Fest: Nov. 11th

New York Women's Culinary Alliance: Annual Potluck: Nov. 11th

Murray's Cheese: The Pleasures of Piedmont: Nov. 11th

Asia Society: Annual Green Gala Dinner: Nov. 11th

Beard on Books: Barbara Fairchild: The Bon Appetit Cookbook: Nov. 12th

Tastebuds NYC: Monthly Meet-up: Nov. 12th

Astor Center: Develop Your Nose: Spain vs. America: Nov. 12th

Chelsea Wine Vault: 'Glenrothes' Whiskey: Nov. 13th

French Culinary Institute: Open House: Nov. 13th

Murray's Cheese: Irish Farmstead Cheesemaking: Nov. 13th

James Beard House: Annual Gala & Auction: Nov. 13th

Brandy Library: Wild Turkey Tasting: Nov. 13th

Murray's Cheese: Windy City Brews & Green Mountain Cheese: Nov. 14th

92nd Street Y: Downtown Culinary Tours: West Village & Soho: Nov. 14th

The New School: American Harvest: Illegal Immigrants: Nov. 14th

International Culinary Center: The Secrets of Spices: Nov. 14th

Institute of Culinary Education: Paella Night: Nov. 14th

New York Wine & Culinary Center: Cranberry Sauce Workshop: Nov. 15th

Astor Center: James Beard Presents a Guided Chinese Tea Tasting: Nov. 15th

Bottlerocket Wine: Thanksgiving Wine & Food Workshop: Nov. 15th

Bar Boulud: Champagne Tasting: Nov. 15th

Institute of Culinary Education: Nose to Tail Eating: Pig Butchering: Nov. 16th

Bar Jamon: Sunday Wine Tasting: Nov. 16th

Culinary Historians of New York: The Tomato Queen of San Joaquin: Nov. 17th

New York Wine & Culinary Center: Baking with Pumpkin: Nov. 17th

Artisanal Cheese: Sherries & Cheese: Nov. 17th

Murray's Cheese: Cider, Cheese & the Pursuit of Happiness: Nov. 17th

International Chinese Culinary Competition: Nov. 17th

De Gustibus: Kosher: Classic & Modern with Jose Meirelles: Nov. 18th

New York Wine & Culinary Center: Mushroom Madness: Nov. 18th

French-American Foundation Annual Gala Dinner: Nov. 18th

James Beard House: Best of Miami with Michael Schwartz: Nov. 19th

Mario Batali & Gwyneth Paltrow Book Signing: Barnes & Noble Union Square: Nov. 19th

Experimental Cuisine Collective: Paul Breslin: Chemical Senses Center: Nov. 19th

Chelsea Wine Vault: "Holiday Bootcamp": Nov. 20th

92nd Street Y: Intro to Dessert Wines & After-Dinner Drinks: Nov. 20th

FIAF: Beaujolais Nouveau 2008: Nov. 20th

Artisanal Cheese: Alpine Cheeses & Wine: Nov. 20th

Astor Center: Elements of Mixology: Nov. 20th

Food & Culinary Professionals: FCP Teleforum: Nov. 21st

Bowery Culinary Center: Beer 'n' Pickles: Nov. 21st

International Culinary Center: Michael Colameco: Chicken: Nov. 22nd

Brandy Library: Single Malt Saturday: Nov. 22nd

Murray's Cheese: Burgundy & Jura: Nov. 24th

James Beard House: Sicilian & Tuscan Wine Dinner with Jeffrey Steelman: Nov. 24th

Artisanal Cheese: Craft Beer & Artisanal Cheese: Nov. 24th

Artisanal Cheese: Deluxe Sakes & Artisanal Cheese: Nov. 25th

Institute of Culinary Education: Tapas From the Old World to the New: Nov. 25th

James Beard House: Thanksgiving Day Feast with Joseph Bonaparte: Nov. 27th

Bowery Culinary Center: The Secrets of Cooking with Salt: Nov. 29th

saturday, october 25th, 2008

The roots of the Hungarian nation bend and twist through history to an ancient past. Their spindly fingers bare the scars of repression and struggle. Their contours trace the convoluted saga of foreign occupations, bitter compromises and uneasy alliances.

The Celts were the first to arrive on the scene nearly 2,500 years ago. The Romans followed, but it wasn’t until the Magyars settled in the fertile plains of this ancient nation that the foundations of the Hungarian people were laid, when the chieftain Árpád established the Kingdom of Hungary in 896.

The millennium that followed was dimmed by the fierce shadow of a Mongol invasion in the thirteenth century, and illuminated by the brilliance of the Renaissance in the fifteenth. The Ottomans arrived a century later, only to succumb to the pressure of the Hapsburg Empire in 1718.

It was during the rule of the Hapsburgs that a curiosity arrived on the scene. In 1790, József Zwack, the Hungarian Court Physician to the Hapsburg monarch Joseph II, presented the Kaiser with a drink he had concocted of 40 different herbs and spices. Legend has it that after his first taste, the monarch enthusiastically proclaimed, “Das Ist Ein Unikum” or, “That is a specialty!”

A national fixation was born of his exuberance. Unicum is a polarizing fixation to be sure, for the powerful herbal seems to delight and disgust in equal measure. Yet love it or hate it, no one would deny that Unicum is an integral part of the Hungarian national identity. Hungarians are mesmerized by the spirit’s beguiling sensibility. Now that the piquant herbal is exported to over 40 nations, it’s inevitable that its robust flavor will captivate an international audience in the same way it has bewitched Hungarians for the past 200 years.

It’s nearly impossible for a visitor to Budapest to avoid Unicum’s green bomb shaped bottles with the ominous white and red emergency crosses slashed across their rotund bellies. At some point during the visit they’ll inevitably be presented with its contents since Unicum is frequently presented as a complimentary digestif or apéritif in restaurants around the city. But tourists beware: Unicum is not for the faint of heart. The flavor of this cinnamon-hued spirit is bittersweet-much like the history of Hungary itself.
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sunday, october 19th, 2008

A new isue of the quarterly publication Art Culinaire will be distributed this week. The following piece is one that I wrote for the magazine and it is a bit of a shameless plug since I am the Executive Editor of AC. I love my new position as it affords me a unique opportunity to meet with the world's most distinguished chefs, edit their recipes, recipe test, and research and write about one of my favorite things to write about and research...food!

In Issue 90, we profile ten chefs including "The Happy Chef" Michel Richard...who truly is one of the planet's jolliest men. Richard offers recipes for our "Faux Gras" article featured below. In tough economic times, oppulent ingredients such as foie gras, caviar and truffles seem like extravagent excesses. Richard and two other chefs play on traditionally expensive dishes such as beef tartar and foie gras by offering alternative ingredients that deliver just as much gastronomic pleasure as their inspirations without the wallet-guilt that often follows.

Art Culinaire has profiled hundreds of chefs and their recipes in its 25 year history. A few of the notables include Ferran Adria, Heston Blumenthal, Alain Ducasse, Eric Ripert, Joel Robuchon, Gray Kunz, Jean George Vongerichton, Grant Achatz, Marco Pierre White, Danial Boulud and the list goes on and on. Each issue also includes in-depth feature articles on everything culinary related including specific ingredients, cooking methods, industry spotlights, beverage features and culinary trends.

To subscribe to Art Culinaire, visit the website www.artculinairemagazine.com. I might be a bit biased but I sincerely beleive that if you'r a food lover, it's one of the best resources for the culinary world's most exciting and intriguing recipes from the planet's most distinguished chefs.

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