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FoodMayhem
Written from New York City (mostly), FoodMayhem.com is all about... food! We love food: talking about food, writing about food, looking at food, taking pictures of food, making a blog about food, and, of course, eating food.
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Strawberry Poppy Muffins
2008-08-26 10:43:00
This is what happens when you think about food so much, your wires get crossed. I just picked up some strawberries from my local fruit guys and started thinking about a strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing. In the back of my mind, I had been thinking about mini-muffin tin, that hasn't been used in months. I had been trying not to use it, afraid I would bore you all with my mini obsession. Somehow Strawberry Poppy Muffins popped into my head and here you have it. They are super light, a teeny bit tangy, with a nice crunch, and dangerous; I think I could eat all 34 at once.Strawberry Poppy Muffins~makes 34 mini muffins1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour2 teaspoons baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt1 cup Trader Joe's 2% Greek Style Yogurt*1 cup sugar4 large eggs1/2 cup vegetable oil1 teaspoons grated lemon zest1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract1 cup chopped strawberries (lay them on a paper towel after chopping)1/4 cup poppy seeds1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for convection). Spr ...
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Inside the Despana Basket: Assorted Cata Gourmet Honeys
2008-08-25 21:10:00
These cute little jars of Cata Gourmet honeys came in our Despana Basket. One was Heather Honey, which I didn't open yet, but we tried the Chestnut Honey with Walnuts and the Chestnut Honey with Hazelnuts.I was so excited about having these with the Goat Brie I got last week, but it ended up being a disappointment. The hazelnuts seemed rancid, and even though the walnuts were fine, it was just anti-climactic. I was expecting some kind of heightened synergy between the nuts and the honey, maybe imparting flavor on each other, but you'd get the same thing if you just poured honey on nuts. You might as well use your favorite honey.Sure looks pretty though.... ...
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Soba with Spicy Tofu and Edamame
2008-08-25 07:08:00
This recipe has been swimming around in my head for a while, editing back and forth, with nothing written down. I finally let it materialize and I'm very happy with it. Even Mr. Soba-hater, Lon, gave me the thumbs up. It's really refreshing and perfect for summer so make sure to try it before fall comes around.Soba with Spicy Tofu and Edamame1 (15 ounces) package firm tofu2 tablespoons Korean red pepper paste2 tablespoons soy sauce1 tablespoon mirin1 tablespoon white vinegar2 teaspoons sesame oil1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger7 ounces dry soba noodles, cooked, rinsed with cold water, and drained1 cup frozen shelled edamame, blanched, drained, and cooled1/4 cup chopped scallions1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (275 degrees F for convection).2. Drain the tofu and slice it in 8 equal pieces (the short way). Lay it on a plate. Place another plate on top, then something heavy on top. (Depending on the size of your plates, you may have to add another plate/layer, like I do.) Let it sit fo ...
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Coney Island on a Saturday Morning
2008-08-24 13:50:00
What were you doing yesterday (Saturday) at 6:15am? I hope sleeping... because the alternative is, well, um, not sleeping. And that's what we were doing. In fact, we were driving down to Coney Island, so Jessica could jump in the water with other Team in Training Triathalon Trainees (plus coaches, lifeguards, and others). Me and Ice (our dog) went with Jessica to cheer her on. Ice also joined in on half of the 45 minute run after the swim.While Jessica was in the water, Ice played catch with me in the parking lot (dogs aren't allowed off leash on the boardwalk). I noticed a few interesting vending machines in that lot Stillwell Ave Boardwalk Entrance. One of them was a machine that purported to make "fresh grilled" hot dogs fast. And humorously, had a notice that the company Hot Nosh was open "24/6" (the one missing is Shabbas), but then below said "Any time. Anywhere." Anyway, my attention wasn't so much on the inconsistency as the idea of getting a vending machine grilled hot do ...
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Dinner: Mustard Thick-Cut Chops, Sauteed Mushrooms and Green Beans, Colorful Bruschetta, and Roasted Fingerlings with Manchego Walnut Pesto
2008-08-23 11:19:00
This dinner was all about simplicity. Every preparation was easy and the highlight is the ingredients. When you're using really good meat, ultra fresh vegetables, and super vinegars, oils, etc. you don't need to get fancy. Let the ingredients do all the work.Ready for the easiest recipe ever?Mustard Thick-Cut Chops2 thick-cut (1 1/2" thick) boneless chops5 tablespoons whole grain mustardsalt and pepper to tastePreheat your grill. Rub the mustard all over the two chops and season. Lay on grill for 12 minutes at the hottest point on the grill (rotating 90 degrees after 6 minutes for grill marks). Turn it over and grill on a less hot area for another 6 minutes (rotating 90 degrees after 3 minutes for grill marks). Cooking times will vary per grill.Easy huh? I sauteed some green beans and sliced white mushrooms with garlic and olive oil. You don't need a recipe for that right?For the Bruschetta, fresh produce is key. The quality of the balsamic vinegar and the olive oil will also be the d ...
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Blueberry Crumb Cake
2008-08-22 15:54:00
It's Friday so I decided to make myself a treat. OK, fine, I make dessert close to daily but who's counting? (Actually, our scale is and he's telling me to stop it asap.) Not feeling creative today, so I just pulled out my trusty Perfect Cakes book, by Nick Malgieri and made his Blueberry Crumb Cake. He says it's one of his favorites and that sells it for me.It is a wonderful light cake, perfect for a breakfast or brunch, only mildly sweet and the blueberries are left to their natural flavors. I'm sure I'll be making these again. ...
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Inside the Despana Basket: Valor Dark Chocolate with Toffee
2008-08-22 07:52:00
We got this bar of Valor Dark Chocolate (70%) with Toffee in our Despana Basket, but if you see it anywhere, buy it!70% dark chocolate is my favorite way to eat chocolate but I'm not a huge fan of toffee so I wasn't expecting to love it so much. The balance is perfect though, only adding a hint of flavor and a little bit of crunch, leaving it as mostly pure chocolate goodness. Lon loves it too, describing it as a gourmet Nestle Crunch.I was planning on chopping it up and baking some cookies but now I can't do it. I need to eat it as is and savor every bite. ...
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Sushi Yasuda #18
2008-08-21 20:36:00
Can you believe it's been 3 weeks since the last visit to Sushi Yasuda. How ever did I live through that? I don't know, but we did made sure to make reservations for next week on our way out. I wonder if Chef Tomura has gotten more popular because of our blog because it has gotten harder to get reservations with him.Well, distance makes the heart grow fonder, and as Lon, Sara, and I sat there enjoying the sushi, we oo'd and aah'd over and over again. Everything was fresh and delicious. We did get two new pieces. First, scorpian fish. I'm sorry I forgot my camera but it looks just like any other white fish, but has a better texture than most, a bit more firm, yet no problem to bite through. We finally got Coho Salmon, which was so flavorful and melts into your mouth. Yum! Oh, and a bright, almost electric orange color.If you haven't tried Sushi Yasuda yet, you are totally missing out! ...
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Chorizo Manchego Olive Corn Muffins
2008-08-21 07:55:00
Not only was our Despana Basket an amazing assortment, there was a generous portion of each item, enough for us to really experiment with. I was sitting here trying to figure out what else I could make with all these great ingredients and I decided on savory muffins: Chorizo Manchego Olive Corn Muffins.Chorizo Manchego Olive Corn Muffins~makes 241/2 cup butter, melted3/4 cup white sugar4 eggs1 can (15 oz) cream style corn1/4 cup chopped pimiento stuffed green olives1/2 cup chopped chorizo1 cup shredded Manchego1 cup all purpose flour1 cup yellow cornmeal4 teaspoons baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for convection) and line muffin tin with papers.2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Add one egg at a time, beating after each addition.3. Mix in cream-style corn, olives, chorizo, and Manchego.4. In a seperate bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture until even.5. Spoon ...
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Haw Flakes
2008-08-20 14:08:00
I saw Haw Flakes in a Chinese market on Monday and I was instantly brought back to childhood. These were the candies I ate and shared with friends, while playing jump rope and tag in the school yard. I'd often have a little package or two stuck in my pockets, sometimes melting into a gooey mess during hot summer days. How could I have forgotten about Haw Flakes? Looking at it now, it's funny, I had no idea what Haw was (fruit of Chinese Hawthorn) bit I still loved these candies. The dry little discs might seem weird, like dehydrated fruit roll-ups, punched out into circles, that almost look like cardboard. If you just give it a shot, they'll start to melt into your tongue, giving off more and more flavor, kind of like tangy berries. If you bite them, they tend to stick between your teeth. I love it, maybe more for nostalgic reasons. Sadly, I can't really eat them anymore (because I'm allergic to artificial food coloring) and Lon wasn't thrilled with it, but I still recommend trying the ...
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Arturo's Pizza
2008-08-20 08:23:00
While babysitting our adorable niece, Sabrina, we ordered pizza from Arturo's Pizza Arturo's Pizza, not to be confused with the more famous one on Houston Street. Bearing no resemblance, this large pie, half plain, half sausage was mediocre at best, a tad too salty, but only $16.For non-fancy pizza, the sauce was ok, the cheese passable yet cheap, but the big problem was that the dough was leathery, giving me a hard time to bite through. Oh well, you gotta kiss a lot of toads... ...
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OK 218 is still OK
2008-08-19 23:14:00
We wandered in to OK 218 OK 218 for lunch today, and I didn't realize it was that restaurant till we got inside. I had never been inside before but my friend Lily brought food from them, over to our apt before. It was OK before and still OK now, nothing super but some good Chinese standbys for dirt cheap prices. I had the classic lunch of Three Roast Meats Over Rice. The Soy Sauce Chicken was average. The Roast Pork was too lean and not caramelized at the edges enough. The Roast Duck was quite good. The main highlight is still that this plate was under $5. ...
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Cool in Your Code Says "Hi"
2008-08-19 20:35:00
We're excited to be featured today on "Cool in Your Code". Being a geek, I first thought their site named had to do with software, but found out it was all about local info per ZIP "code" in NYC. Which makes their name acronym quite clever...Thanks CiNYC! ...
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Breakfast Trifle
2008-08-19 09:14:00
Lon's mom and brother got us 10 ounce mini trifle dishes. So instead of throwing yogurt and fruit in a bowl, like I've been doing most mornings, I decided to make a Breakfast Trifle. Why spend the extra time and effort? Because treating yourself to something special makes you feel good. It's like wearing sexy underwear, even if no one will see it. Secondly, it looks like a dessert. Not only is that fun, but mental satisfaction allows most people to eat less. Yet, the Breakfast Trifle can be as healthy as you want it to be.My Breakfast Trifle1/2 cup chopped strawberries, dividedscant 1 cup Trader Joe's 2% Greek Style Plan Yogurt, divided1/2 cup chopped cherries, divided2 rounded tablespoons of Honey Bunches of OatsI put 1/4 cup of chopped strawberries on the bottom, then 1/3 of the yogurt, then 1/4 cup of chopped cherries, another 1/3 of the yogurt, then Honey Bunches of Oats, the last of the yogurt, topped with the rest of the strawberries and cherries.There are SO SO many variations ...
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Steakhouse Dinner at Home
2008-08-18 22:42:00
When I make shopping trips out to Queens, my mom always does me the favor of driving me and my load back to my apartment. Since she's making the drive to the city, I figure it's a good opportunity for her to have dinner at our place. Conveniently, my dad and brother can come after work and join us. The only problem is that these are meals that we have to whip up very quickly. We usually arrive, unpack, and have dinner within 30 minutes.I usually don't write about these meals because I don't have time to write any recipes and this night was no different, but you don't need a recipe. That's how easy this meal was. So when you need a quick, yet satisfying, almost glorious meal, here's what you need: steaks, onions, mushrooms, parsley, bread, salad ingredients of your choice. (I'm assuming you have basics like butter, salt, and pepper.) This makes you a Steakhouse-like meal in no time for way less money.Buy whatever kind of steak you like. Tonight, I wanted Ribeye Steaks. Look at the marbl ...
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Trader Joe's Authentic Greek Feta
2008-08-17 19:08:00
As much as I love most of Trader Joe's products, I was pretty disappointed in their Authentic Greek Feta. Not only did it NOT taste like any of the feta I had in Greece, it doesn't taste like anything, just salty. There is no flavor. Thumbs Down! ...
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Don't Burn the Food!
2008-08-17 10:34:00
While first learning to cook, I burnt food on a fairly regular basis. And I've heard from many home cooks that they still run into the occasional burnt food crisis. It can happen to the best of us -- all it requires is a bit of heat and taking your eye off the pan for a bit too long. As I've become more practiced, burning food has become almost a non-issue. But it almost happened this morning, and I saved my dish in the last moments. So I thought I'd jot a few notes down not so much about avoiding burning food (although I'll say a few words on that), but rather about how to undo almost-burnt food."Almost" is the key word up there. Once food is truly burnt, the only place it belongs is in the compost heap. So what's the difference between burnt and almost burnt? 30 seconds. (drum rap-a-tap here). Foods have sugars, and when you apply heat to the sugars they brown via the Maillard reaction, a process I covered in detail in my Treatise on Grilling. This reaction occurs when the ...
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Mexicana Mama Centro
2008-08-16 20:02:00
Mexicana Mama Centro Mexicana Mama Centro opened up a few blocks from us, and became a last minute resort for dinner when our plans changed. We grabbed one of the three little tables outside and enjoyed the perfect weather this evening, starting with a Salsa Piquin (the salsa of the day) with tortilla chips. We do think it's a little cheap for a Mexican restaurant to charge for chips and salsa but we would pay the $4.50 for this salsa again. It was like a Mexican spiced Vodka Sauce, a little sweet, tomato-y and creamy. Interestingly, there's no dairy in it but the nice emulsification was deceiving.Our appetizer was also a special of the day, blue corn tortillas stuffed with a wonderful pork filling that tasted like fond mixed with cheese. It was a tad oily but I could've eaten another one.Our waiter, who gave thorough descriptions, told us that Enchilada Suiza and Taco de Puerca were there two most popular, so that's what we ordered. The Enchilada Suiza came out nice and hot, covered i ...
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Inside the Despana Basket: Oro Verde
2008-08-16 11:42:00
We got two cans of Oro Verde (green olives) in our Despana Basket, one stuffed with pimiento and one stuffed with almond.The one with almond surprised both of us because we were expecting a hard piece of almond inside, like the ones we've tried before. The almond in these have softened completely and just melt away into the olive. You do get a subtle almond flavor, which is nice.The pimiento stuffed olive is a little bit sweeter and otherwise as expected. Both are a good quality considering that it's canned olives, good stuff to keep around. ...
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Red, White, and Blue Pie
2008-08-15 07:42:00
Have you been watching the Olympics? Wow, Michael Phelps rocks! Our beach volleyball teams look pretty hot too. So I'm feeling pretty patriotic and I decided to make a Red, White, and Blue Pie. If you're one of those people who needs an excuse to eat dessert, I just threw you a new one: it's the Olympics and you have to celebrate that with this pie! You could always wait till the next 4th of July, but you'll regret it.Red, White, and Blue Pie~10 servings1 (9 inch) deep dish pie crust, unbaked3/4 cup white sugar1/3 cup + 1/2 cup all purpose flour1/8 teaspoons salt2 eggs1/2 cup sour cream1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 1/2 cup blueberries, rinsed and dried1 1/2 cup raspberries, rinsed and dried1/2 cup light brown sugar1/4 cup butter, chilled, cut into small pieces.1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for convection) and roll out pie crust. Fit it into a 9 inch springform.2.In a medium sized bowl, combine sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and salt. Mix in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract ...
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Camembert Super Sale
2008-08-14 20:03:00
Quick! Run over to Zabar's Zabar's! The La Bonne Vie Camembert, an 8 oz package, is on sale for 79 cents!! (Thanks Carol, for telling me about it.) I don't know how long this sale will last but Zabar's tends to have the best cheese prices in the city. If you love cheese as much as I do, you should visit. ...
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How to Use Oil to Fix a Leek
2008-08-14 07:30:00
No... we haven't become a mechanic blog, this post is about making Fried Leek Rings. A few years ago I saw Alton Brown make some delicious looking Leek Rings. I was inspired, but never got around to making them myself, until this week!Jessica picked up some beautiful leeks from the Union Square Farmer's market, and asked me to make dinner last night, while she trained for her upcoming triathalon. She had defrosted some Mahi Mahi (from Trader Joes) and that was the protein, and sitting next to it in the fridge were some mini bell peppers -- I was getting inspired.I didn't care much for Alton's recipe (sorry Alton, you're awesome anyway), so I made my own. Here it goes, my recipe writing is still in practice mode, so my measurements are not nearly as accurate as Jessica's...Fried Leek RingsIngredients2 large leeks, sliced into 1.5 inch rings (well rinsed, separated into rings, and patted dry)2 cups A.P. flour1 cup corn meal1/2 tsp. baking powder1/2 tsp. table saltGranulated GarlicCay ...
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Red Cabbage Relish-ish
2008-08-13 13:29:00
I bought a package of Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage from Trader Joe's. They were giving it out on my last visit and I guess I was sold. (That doesn't happen to me often. ) After lugging the groceries back to our apartment, I found Lon sitting at his computer. Apparently their office had an Internet outage so he was home. Yay! It's always more fun to make lunch for two.I wanted to make a cabbage relish to go with the sausages but I didn't want it to be so potent that you couldn't eat more than just a smear on the sausage. It was going to act as the vegetable portion in our meal too so, here it is, a Red Cabbage Relish-ish. It was exactly what I had hoped for and we each ate a big pile of it.Red Cabbage Relish-ish~4-5 servings2 teaspoons vegetable oil1 1/4 cup chopped onion1/4 red cabbage, shredded (roughly 1 pound)scant 1/2 cup mango butter2 tablespoon cider vinegarsalt and pepper to taste1. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat.2. Add onions and stir until starting to soften, a ...
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Pizza Potato Snack from China
2008-08-13 09:15:00
My friend, Lily, the same one who brought me the individually packaged chicken and duck feet, brought me a bag of Pizza Potato Snacks (the name I gave it, interpreted from the portions of the packaging I could understand).These are really cool looking, French fry shaped but hollow, light and airy potato snacks. I actually taste a lot of corn in it and Lon and I both liked the texture. The flavoring doesn't really resemble pizza though and ends up being too artificial for me, but Lon ate the rest of the bag.Even though I didn't like it, trying new stuff, especially from different countries, is SO much fun! Thanks Lily! ...
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Inside the Despana Basket: Pimientos in Olive Oil and Quick Chicken Chorizo Rice
2008-08-12 20:15:00
I didn't realize until I opened this jar of Pimientos, from our Despana Basket, that it was packed in olive oil. I normally buy the ones jarred with brine. The olive oil does add a bit of flavor and the fat coats your tongue nicely if eaten alone. I'm not sure it makes a big difference when cooked in a rice dish. It certainly doesn't hurt though.I wanted to make a quick one-pot meal tonight, having stood all day, and just not in the mood for experimenting. Lon just came in from the pouring rain, completely soaked, and I wanted something comforting, guaranteed to warm him up. Well, this dish worked, a cheaper and easier version of Paella, because these are the ingredients I had. We finished the whole thing, which was really meant to be dinner and his lunch for tomorrow.Quick Chicken Chorizo Rice~3 servings1 teaspoon olive oil1 cup chopped onion11 ounces boneless chicken thigh, diced3.5 ounces chorizo, cut into bite sized pieces1 cup rice1/4 cup chopped pimientos in olive oil2 cups chic ...
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Elettaria
2008-08-12 09:56:00
Months ago, Angie and Winnie went to Elettaria Elettaria, ordered too much food, and decided to bring their doggie bag to us. From then on, Elettaria has been on our restaurant wish list but you know how that goes. If only there were 8 meals in a day....Well, waiting so long is our loss. It was a memorable meal, where excellent ingredients and expert execution, was outshined by the inventiveness that really won us over.Starting with the complimentary and refillable Naan, we were already impressed. It was a denser and doughier Naan, served warm (mmm...) with a yogurt-based cumin dip. Trying not to fill up on bread was a challenge I was losing.The Crab Meat Resala, their most popular appetizer, is a light dish of large crab meat flakes topped with airy balls of deep fried gnocchi.Lon's favorite was the Pork Ribs, heavily spiced with garam masala, meat falling off the bone, and the sweet yogurt sauce just blew it away. The shredded snap peas added a refreshing touch.Our waiter recommended ...
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Green Tea Pound Cake
2008-08-11 21:44:00
To follow up with my post on Maeda-en Matcha (Green Tea Powder), I used it today to make a Green Tea Pound Cake. Nick Malgieri's recipe (from Perfect Cakes) calls for 2 tablespoons, roughly half of the $10 container. As opposed to the outstanding green tea ice cream, I don't think the expensive green tea is worth it for pound cake. It doesn't get to shine here. Don't get me wrong; the pound cake is still a nice way to start your morning, but I think a cheaper green tea powder would do just fine. I will be testing some cheaper matcha powders soon. ...
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Vegetable Tamago Rolls
2008-08-11 12:23:00
Last night, we threw together a bunch of things for dinner but it seemed so carb-heavy. I tried to conjure up a way to add protein and veggies to our meal and somehow this idea came to mind. I loved it so much that I decided to make it again for lunch, tweaking the recipe just a bit to make the rolls a bit smaller, and therefore easier to eat.Vegetable Tamago Rolls~2 appetizer portions or 1 lunch portion2 eggs1/2 teaspoon mirin1/4 teaspoon soy sauce1/4 teaspoon sugar2/3 cup julienned carrots, blanched and cooled2/3 cup seeded and julienned cucumbers6 tablespoons seaweed sesame stuff *see pics belowLet's talk about the ingredients first: The measurement for the julienned veggies (matchstick size) is a very rough estimate. It's hard to measure that shape.I also want to apologize for having an ingredient called "seaweed stuff". We bought this mixture of seaweed, sesame oil, sugar, sesame, and salt at M2M and it doesn't have an English name. The packaging is covered in Korean. Can someone ...
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Vacuum Sealed Drummette, Chicken Feet, and Duck Feet!
2008-08-10 19:40:00
My friend, Lily, brought some rather interesting treats back from China for me: packaged meats? They were all individually vacuum sealed, making me wonder if people in China brought these with them as snacks. You could easily toss one in your purse. It could even fit in your pocket.Lon was only willing to try the chicken drummette, which was jerky-like and mostly skin with just a bit of meat. It tasted very artificial, only mildly chicken flavored, and a little like candy.Lon left the feet to me, all skin, no meat. The chicken feet came with some spicy stuff and was again, only mildly chicken flavored. The texture was pretty gelatinous. The duck feet was a little better but still gelatinous and still not good enough to eat. I really only nibbled a few bits off each one and I'd never eat any again but it was definitely an interesting experience. ...
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Abraco
2008-08-10 12:22:00
This tiny unlabeled (well the door is labeled but not the awning) coffee spot called Abraco Abraco had a mini line going on Sunday morning. It reminded me a little bit of Blue Bottle Coffee Co. in San Francisco, with the little counter outside, already filled with people standing around, enjoying their coffees and frittatas (which looked really good, mental note for next time). Even the clientèle made it feel more like SF, with several white guy/Asian girl couples (including Lon and myself).As for the Iced Coffee, it was intriguing. It was a little more acidic than my usual preference but for some reason, it really really worked here. The flavor was robust and lively, and the acidity played nicely against the cream, making me rather addicted to it. Ok, I'm going to venture to say it's the best Ice Coffee in NYC.The Olive Oil Cake, which I think they are known for, was very good, very moist, and goes nicely with coffee. I don't know if I think it's good enough to be known for though.My ...
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