|
| |
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.
|
Statistics
Unique Visitors:
Total Unique Visitors:
Visitors Out:
Total Visitors Out: |
0
0
2292
2292
|
|
|
| Articles
|
Fresh Direct Raisin Pecan Loaf
2008-04-04 02:36:00
About a year ago, I was complaining about how the Fresh Direct Ciabatta Rolls had gotten smaller and more expensive. I have to admit, I still buy them, because I don't know of anywhere else to get parbaked breads and I just love the concept. You pop a parbaked bread in your oven for 15-20 minutes, and you've got warm bread that tastes freshly baked. This time, we tried a Raisin Pecan Loaf, and it was great, crusty outside, soft, chewy, and dense, inside, packed with raisins and just the right amount of pecans.Be aware that this Raisin Pecan Loaf is very addictive. It ruined a perfectly healthy meal by adding nearly half a loaf of bread to it. I just couldn't stop eating it...and with some sweet cream butter...you're ready for couch potato heaven. ...
|
Aristo Wellness Bars
2008-04-03 18:46:00
When Lon got home last night, he said, "I tried one of the Aristo Wellness Bars..." and I cut him off and told him I had tried one too. We both looked at each other and went, "Yuck!" He tried the Acai-Blueberry & Lime with chocolate and thought the flavor combination was nauseating. I tried the Nutty Pomegranate & Cranberry with chocolate, and it just tasted really healthy, like I'd eat it if it was a cure for some ailment, but not as food. The Aristo Wellness Bars are packed with Omega 3's, plant sterols, and anti-oxidants, but like I've said before, I don't do yucky diet food. ...
|
Spritz Cookies
2008-04-03 05:17:00
Spritz Cookies are wonderfully versatile. When you want to make it look like you've made different cookies, when you really made just one, make a batch of Spritz cookies in different shapes. I used a cookie press for the first time (deprived childhood right?) and it was harder that I thought. Several shapes just did not work, but I managed to salvage a few so I could make more variations, again, we're trying to make it look like different cookies.If you have some that are close enough in size and shape, you can put some jam or preserves in between and make a cookie sandwich. You can get several different colors this way, with apricot, raspberry, lemon, blueberry, etc. I also did chocolate sandwiches.You can also add some food coloring to the dough to make different colors of spritz cookies, or you can decorate with colored icing.Dip some of the cookies in melted chocolate. Spritz cookies dipped in chocolate have a special place in my heart because the bakery next to the skating rink I ...
|
FoodMayhem Goes Light
2008-04-02 23:17:00
I have less than two months till our wedding day, so FoodMayhem is going to have to be lighter. I'll be trying to make healthier meals, less dessert, and eating out less. This is going to be near impossible for me as I think about all the things I want to make. I'm watching Giada on TV right now make some yummy looking fried ravioli. Next, she's doing zeppoles! Yesterday, Paula Dean and her sons were on the Ellen Degeneres Show, and they made a peanut butter and banana sandwich that was battered and dipped in granola and fried. Oh Boy!Don't worry, things will still be delicious because I don't do yucky, diet food. ...
|
A Sushi Yasuda Quickie - 4th visit
2008-04-02 15:09:00
Since I've posted about Sushi Yasuda so many times already, I'll make this quick and just talk about the three new fish I tried this time. The Red Fish, in the same family as White fish, was not interesting to me, which isn't surprising since I don't appreciate White Fish in sushi form. Below is a photo of the lower beak from a Needle Fish, made more appealing because of how beautiful it is. The expert scoring helps enhance the texture as well.The Wild Eel from Florida, cooked to order, was a lovely way to end the meal. It was so tender and something you should definitely try, when available.If you haven't made your way to Sushi Yasuda yet, what are you waiting for? ...
|
Quick Chinese Chicken Corn Soup
2008-04-02 02:35:00
This is one of my favorite childhood soups. I asked my mom to make it all the time, and after dinner (traditionally, Chinese drink soup after the meal) I would drink 3 bowls. My mom makes a home-made chicken broth, which of course yields a better result, but here's a quick version that still satisfies me when I want a taste of home.Quick Chinese Chicken Corn Soup1 can (14oz-15 oz) cream style corn4 cups chicken broth ( I use Pacific Free Range Chicken Broth.)2 large eggs, beaten2 teaspoons cornstarch2 tablespoons watersalt and pepper to taste1. Heat cream style corn and chicken broth in a 3 1/2 quart pot over high heat until boiling.2. Turn down to a simmer and stir in beaten eggs. Continue stirring for another minute and continue to simmer for 3 minutes.3. Mix cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Stir into the soup and simmer for another 3 minutes, continuously stirring. Add salt and pepper. Serve.Whatever you don't finish can be stored in the fridge and reheated. ...
|
Sao Bing
2008-04-01 17:16:00
Sao Bing is a traditional Chinese bread, flaky, layered, deliciousness. It's most commonly eaten with fried dough crullers (you tiao) inside and soy bean milk. You can buy Sao Bing in Flushing and Chinatown but it's not exactly the same as the ones in Taiwan (which tend to have scallions in the dough). It's the food my mom misses most so she always brings some back.Of course my mom gave us some so I made scallion omelets to sandwich inside. That is a classic way to eat it but not as popular as You Tiao or cold sliced beef.I wish I had more Sao Bing so I can make some fusion sandwiches, a grilled cheese, rare roast beef, egg salad, yum..... ...
|
Bouley Bakery Market
2008-04-01 16:01:00
I went to see an allergist yesterday and lucky me, it was right by Bouley Bakery Market Bouley Bakery Market. You already know that I love brunch at Bouley, so I went looking for that apple bread I had. They don't sell the little rolls that they give you at brunch but you can buy a larger one. It's a little pricey at $5 and change but worth it. Lon and I ate the whole thing last night.Since I was in the shop, I wanted to try a few more things, so I got these adorable little mini muffin/cakes. It had a fancy French name but I don't remember it now. Lon and I didn't care for the chocolate one because the chocolate chips inside were too hard. Lon liked the pineapple, which was too sweet for me, and we both liked the cherry pistachio. The tartness of the cherry balances the sweetness of the cake. They're cute and fun but nothing spectacular.I have to go back to the allergist next week so if anyone has any favorite items at Bouley Bakery Market, let me know. ...
|
Totally Baked - One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato....
2008-04-01 04:43:00
We thought we'd check out Totally Baked Totally Baked on opening day. The well designed space was filled with people on a rainy day, so good job to the publicist. They seem to be working out some logistical kinks as the wait was quite long, and Melinda's (Lon's co-worker) order got lost (They gave her an extra baked potato and a drink for that). The owners and involved parties were all there to schmooze with the crowd so I learned that Chef & Company (the catering company that previously occupied this retail space) was still behind the scenes of this operation.Before I get to the spuds, the packaging was great and I was glad to see that it was made of recycled cardboard. I have to wonder though, how much it added to the prices because the potatoes are quite pricey (most are $9 and up). My Cape Cod Chowder Baked Potato was good, a creamy combination of flavors, topped with onions for another texture. All potatoes were packed with a fresh side salad.Lon ordered the Brisket Baked Pota ...
|
Wedding Menu Tasting
2008-03-31 17:32:00
Carlyle on the Green handles their tastings a little differently. We were invited to have dinner in The Oak Room, the restaurant of their country club, where several menu items overlap with choices you have on the wedding menu. We tried three appetizers, three entrees, and dessert, asked our wonderful server, Andrew, many questions, and now we have a ton of notes for menu planning.The crab cakes were problematic for us. First, they were not lump crab meat, as listed. We didn't like that they were battered and deep-fried, and very wet inside. Lon was bothered by the overwhelming flavor of roasted red peppers. We both loved the corn salsa. The sesame crusted tuna was seared nicely and evenly but we did not feel that it was sushi-grade as described to us. It was under-seasoned but the salad and dressing was nice.The Mozzarella and Tomato Tower was topped with a delicious balsamic drizzle and garden fresh basil. The mozzarella was too cold and therefore too hard. It needs to be brough ...
|
Sesame Coins
2008-03-31 05:57:00
Cookies travel well, so they're one of the best things to make if you have to bring it somewhere. Today, we were heading out to Long Island to see Uncle Howard and Aunt Ilene, and I wanted to bring a light cookie. I flipped through Great Cookies, by Carole Walter, and chose Sesame Coins. They came out just as expected, a light cookie, perfect for tea.As I was making the cookies, it occurred to me that I could try a few with black sesame seeds. They taste a little different but still delectable, and I love the contrasting colors next to each other. ...
|
Invitations from a Foodie Wedding
2008-03-30 17:16:00
Photo by Eddie SongWe recently sent out invitations for our upcoming wedding. Like others before us, we included a phrase that we thought best represented our feelings. The original quote was from Harriet Van Horne; however, we flipped around the first line to fit our needs. Our saying was:Love is like cooking. It should beentered into with abandon or not at all.Jessica and I love each other and we love cooking -- we see many parallels between the two affinities. In both, the basis for starting is instinctual and the result is a special treat. Like food preferences, everyone has their special taste in a significant other. To achieve a great result in either it takes a little luck and a lot of understanding.And as anyone who has been in a relationship or in the kitchen knows, there can be times of trouble. And usually those troubles can be resolved with work and dedication. We're looking forward to the challenge and the delicious result! ...
|
Totally Baked
2008-03-29 22:22:00
Lon and I were walking to Paper Presentation and saw a new food spot opening up. It looks like New York will have it's first gourmet baked potato bar restaurant, starting this Monday. We snagged a menu from Totally Baked Totally Baked so we could plan our method of attack.We won't be getting the $55 Truffle Potato, with truffle compound butter, truffle oil, truffle salt, and fresh truffle shavings, but several others sound enticing. The Cape Cod Chowder tops a potato with creamed cod and potato, sauteed onions, parsley, garlic, and grated manchego. The Pulled Pork and The Brisket with marsala reduction sound good too, and of course they have the standards like broccoli and cheddar. You can make your own potato or go for a sweet one like Sweet Potato topped with spiced pecans, marshmallows, nutmeg, and maple syrup drizzle.There's so many that sound good so I'm making Lon meet me there for lunch on Monday with some of his co-workers so I can try a few. I hope it's good cause I love a goo ...
|
Steak Frites
2008-03-29 15:56:00
Lily's send off party was held at Steak Frites Steak Frites, at the new location in Tribeca. I never went to the previous Union Square location, but I heard it was quite popular. I wonder if it was better in the original spot because Lon and I were pretty disappointed in this experience, and others voiced complaints as well.Our 14 person party reserved the private room which was lined with wine rack cases. I thought it was cool at first but realized how impractical it was as wait staff came in and out to grab wine. Each time, they had to open the glass doors in inadequate space. Lon noticed the instrumental latin music as soon as we sat, but it switched to hip hop, then video game instrumentals, Michael Jackson, and then was shut off when the ultra loud live music (Thurs, Fri, Sat at 9:30PM) began.Our first taste impression was the cumin flavored mayonnaise. It was just weird as an accompaniment to bread, and I stared at it for a while since it took a long time for the appetizers to c ...
|
Mini Carrot Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
2008-03-28 23:06:00
My friend Lily is moving away so I had to send her off with a treat. I love mini cupcakes and I love giving mini cupcakes. So, I decided on an apple/carrot spice flavor but you can't taste the apple so I'm calling them Carrot Spice Cupcakes. I am so impressed with this recipe, as a first try. I would only change one thing, remove the nuts. The texture of the cupcakes is so light and tender that the crunch of nuts seems not to fit in. I will definitely be making these again (sans nuts).Mini Carrot Spice Cupcakes~makes about 40 mini cupcakes2 eggs, lightly beaten1 cups white sugar1/3 cup packed light brown sugar1/2 cup vegetable oil1 teaspoon vanilla extract2 cups shredded carrots1/2 cup packed shredded apple1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg1/4 teaspoon ground ginger1/3 cup chopped walnuts (chop smaller than usual)1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray mini muffin pan with non-stick (Pam).2. ...
|
Lamb Shanks and Fresh Gnocchi
2008-03-28 15:08:00
I'm finally feeling a bit better, not yet 100%, but I had just enough energy to make a home-cooked dinner last night. I tried this recipe for lamb shanks from Bon Appetit, and it was great. Definitely, one to serve to guests. It does take some time to make, but your kitchen will smell like heaven the whole time and you'll get a beautiful display of meat that falls off the bone, and sauce you want to drink.Kind of last minute, I decided on making gnocchi to go with it. I didn't write down the recipe since this is my first time making gnocchi. (Crazy right?) I kind of assumed it would be a work-in-progress. Now, I'm sad because it was actually really good. They were light and fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth pillows. I served it with left-over sauce from when I made oxtails. (There's no oxtails left, just a little bit of red sauce, and having good red sauce on hand is always a life-saver.)This meal totally exceeded my expectations. I was just hoping for Lon to be happy that he didn't have t ...
|
How Do You Eat a Bag of Chips?
2008-03-27 22:55:00
I have a strange way of eating potato chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, any of that stuff. I go through a bag by eating the broken ones first, saving the whole ones for last. I do it in a somewhat obsessive way, often eating way more than I wanted to because I'm still on my mission to eat out all the broken ones. I didn't even realize I was doing this until I had to explain myself to Lon, who was watching me rummage through a bag of chips, as if I was digging for treasure. Any psych people out there? Do I have a problem?I recently found out that my friend Sarah does the same thing and our other friend Monica, does the opposite, eating whole pieces first. What does this all mean?How do you eat your chips? ...
|
Baking like a Scientist
2008-03-27 15:45:00
Baking is a science where measurements are very important. Sometimes, friends will say to me, "I made this recipe for bread and it didn't work." I start asking questions to find out more about why it didn't work and it turns out that they substituted whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour. That may or may not be the only reason it didn't work (because there are a lot of factors that affect bread) but when you use whole wheat flour, you often need more water so you can't just use the same recipe that's made for all-purpose flour. It will also certainly taste and feel different.I'm not saying that you can never substitute or don't experiment but start to think about baking as chemistry and you will see the difference. Here's an extremely helpful guide for baking substitutions, from The Joy of Baking, recommended by my mentor, Carol Gelles. ...
|
Chinese Cough Remedy
2008-03-27 03:35:00
My sore throat is slowly turning into an itchy dry cough. As you can imagine, that's pretty painful, with the sore throat still lingering. When I'm sick, I think of my mom and how she used to chase me with those horrid Chinese herbal remedies. But, whenever I had a cough, I was standing in front of her displaying my symptoms, because I wanted one of her two cough remedies.The first being this thick black syrupy substance called, Chuan Bei Pi Pa Gao. It's sweet, a bit fruity, and a little minty. It's delicious and extremely effective for reducing phlegm and coughing. Sometimes, my cousins and I would fake a cough to get a spoonful of this stuff. Unfortunately, I don't have any on hand.The other remedy is a poached Bosc pear (my mom says Bosc works best). Just peel, split in half, and core. Simmer in about 1 1/2 cups water with a 1 1/2" cube of rock sugar, until the liquid is a little syrupy. It will take about 30 minutes. Eat the pear and drink the liquid warm. There's no scientific pr ...
|
Cafe Society / CSNY
2008-03-26 22:19:00
While walking my Jack Russell, I stumbled across a new place opening on 16th Street, where Steak Frites used to be. The glass doors read Cafe Society Cafe Society and CSNY. While the space has enough tables and seats for a full-fledged restaurant, the decor looks more like a modern bar/lounge. I didn't see any menus and there are still guys working on the space but they told me the bar will be open tonight. Let me know if anyone checks it out. ...
|
Sura: The King's Meal
2008-03-26 20:01:00
I'm still stuck at home, sick of all the soup places I've ordered from. I'm desperately searching for a new one when Lon tells me there's another Korean place by our apartment, Sura: The King's Meal Sura: The King's Meal. Well, the name certainly set's up expectations and the fact that Chef Suk Yong Chung comes from Hangawi Hangawi. I've never been before but it's a place in K-town so I'm sort of anticipating the delivery of an authentic Korean meal. I ordered the Sundubu Jiggae (spicy tofu stew) and the Kimchee Jigae (pork and kimchee stew), a bit overly zealous for one sick person, but hey I'm suffering.It's 35 minutes later and I'm still waiting for the food that I couldn't pay for by credit card (they have a $20 minimum)...Finally got the food, 44 minutes after the order was placed, and there's soup all over the containers and the utensils. I wipe them quickly and notice that the portions are about half the size of what most places offer. They did give generous portions of the mult ...
|
Steamed Eggs
2008-03-25 21:36:00
For the last week, I've been struggling with what to eat each day. It's hard to feel inspired when you're sick. But today, I knew exactly what I wanted. I woke up thinking about a steamed egg dish my mom used to make when I was a kid. It's super soft and smooth, light in flavor, and served warm, perfect for a sore throat. I can't believe I hadn't thought of it earlier.Normally, I would call my mom to get the recipe (a recipe from my mom never has any measurements) but she's in Taiwan right now. Luckily, I found a recipe that seemed just like my mom's. It was perfect, just as I remembered it. ...
|
The Saltine Time Line
2008-03-25 16:18:00
Isn't there some rule like, when you finish a one pound box of saltines, you'll be all better? No? What?!?! ...
|
Who is Padma Lakshmi?
2008-03-25 14:40:00
Most foodies know Padma as the host of Top Chef but she's also a former supermodel, somewhat successful actress, and has written two cookbooks. Yes, I'm incredibly envious of her. I'm short, probably will never be in a movie, don't have any published cookbooks, and I don't get to taste all that food on Top Chef. She would be my perfect idol but there's one severe problem. I've watched several episodes of Top Chef, tried to read about her, watched some of her video blogs, and yet I don't get a sense of any personality from her. She seems to be just a gorgeous shell. Anyone else feel this way? ...
|
Dosirak
2008-03-25 01:32:00
I still have this sore throat that will not go away so I was craving a hot spicy soup, hoping it would burn it out of my throat. For that, I look to Korean food. We ordered from Dosirak Dosirak and I chose the Yukgaejang, shredded flank steak, with scallions and clear noodles, in a very spicy broth. It was just what I needed in a generous portion, made more complete with a bit of kimchee, saltier than usual, sweeter than usual, and less spicy, but I liked it.Unfortunately, Lon's dish was less satisfying. His Bulgolgi Teokbokee, marinated beef with rice cake, vegetables, and ramyeon noodles, was very one dimensional. The very skimpy amount of meat was too sweet and all of it was sitting in an oily, sweet soy sauce.I've eaten at Dosirak once before, several years ago, and I remember the bulgolgi being too sweet then too. I don't remember what else I ate but the real bummer is that Dosirak doesn't give all that panchan that other Korean restaurants do, only kimchee. It took 30 minutes for ...
|
Wedding Favors for Foodies
2008-03-24 15:58:00
If you've been reading Foodmayhem, you know that Lon and I are getting married. My wonderful bridesmaid, Angie, found all these adorable wedding favors made just for the food or cooking obsessed. There must be a lot of us out there.My favorite is the adorable heart shaped measuring spoon set, because it is engraved with measurements such as "a Pinch of Patience", "a Dash of Kindness", "a Spoonful of Laughter", and "A Heap of Love".Then there's this cute little whisk that could stand alone or go with the heart-shaped egg or pancake mold.There are tons of wine stoppers and corkscrews with hearts and of course the list of edible wedding favors is endless. I love the idea of custom wedding cookies, but at $5 and up per cookie, it's just too much.We promise to tell you what we're doing for our wedding favors, but you'll have to wait till after the wedding. ...
|
Carrot Cousins
2008-03-23 17:01:00
Happy Easter! In honor of bunnies, lets talk about carrots. We were watching Alton Brown the other night and he mentioned that carrots and cumin were cousins. Wow, never would've thought, but I looked it up, and apparently carrots are in the Umbelliferae family along with dill, caraway, parsnips, parsley, anise, and cumin. Parsnips do look like white carrots, and I guess the tops of carrots do look like parsley, but the rest is quite surprising.Carrots and cumin go really well together so here's a easy carrot salad that's meant to be served as an accompaniment to grilled meats. The sour quality is especially good with spicy meat.Carrot Ribbons1 tablespoon red wine vinegar1/2 teaspoon cumin1 teaspoon honey2 teaspoons olive oil2 cups carrot ribbons (make ribbons with a peeler)1/4 cup thinly sliced scallionsalt and pepper to tasteWhisk vinegar, cumin, honey, and olive oil together. Toss with carrot ribbons and scallions. Chill for an hour before serving with grilled meat. ...
|
Purple Apple Slaw
2008-03-22 15:28:00
I've been racking my brain to figure out what to share with you as I try to regain enough energy to move around my kitchen and I've got it. This recipe for Purple Apple Slaw is a winner! I've used it for several parties and everyone always wants the recipe. Even people who don't like mayonnaise are surprised by how much they love it. On top of being the best tasting slaw, it is absolutely gorgeous. You can thank me later. ...
|
Je'Bon
2008-03-22 03:08:00
I've mentioned Je'bon before, very briefly, and we liked it enough to try again. Of course, we're still ordering-in because I'm sick, so I haven't actually seen the restaurant yet. After reading several positive reviews on menupages about their signature dish, Je'bon, I definitely wanted to try it. It is a seafood noodle soup, packed with seafood (really large shrimp), a light fish broth, and very interesting noodles made with fish. The noodles maintained the chewiness that we love in flour noodles, yet added another dimension by tasting like fish.We also ordered the Aberdeen Noodles, also packed with nicely cooked seafood. You can't see the squid, fish cake (Lon loved), and shrimp on this pictures but it was also pretty generous.We threw in a House Roll (tuna, salmon, yellowtail, avocado, topped with tobiko), which was standard.Je'bon isn't amazing, but it's a good stand-by, considering the portion to price factor and the price range suits delivery food. They have lots of interesting ...
|
Hamachi Slowly Swimming Down Stream
2008-03-21 21:00:00
Since the first time I posted about Hamachi Hamachi about two years ago (before Foodmayhem), I have returned several times, and they have slowly declined in my eyes. They were never amazing but a good bang-for-you-buck kind of place. After a while, the sashimi platters started getting a little sloppy and fish was sometimes tendonous. I would meet with friends for lunch there feeling like it was just ok because they had cheap and filling lunch specials.Today, I ordered-in (because I'm still sick) a Yosenabe. It will likely be my last act of patronage to Hamachi. The decision is long overdue. The soup base was boring, tasting mostly like cabbage. The piece of salmon was fishy. The bland white fish and chicken was skimpy and there was no clam although written in the menu description.I finished lunch feeling like I have felt this disappointment at Hamachi before so I need to document this to remind myself that I don't want to go again. We eat at so many places, that I often read my own blo ...
|
| |
Show All