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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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Best Cookbooks
2008-03-21 15:46:00
Mark Bittman is looking for the best cookbooks and you can give your two cents. I have an entire bookshelf of just cookbooks yet I don't use many often so I had to think about this pretty hard. I don't know why I've collected so many cookbooks but here are the few I do use:The Ultimate Diabetes Cookbook by Carol Gelles - I'm not diabetic. It's just that it's a reliable source for healthy good stuff and when I'm feeling uninspired, I know I can get a good fool proof recipe to serve to guests.The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum (see I'm not diabetic) is a great go to for cakes.Vegetables by James Peterson is a good reference. ...
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Halls Naturals
2008-03-21 01:51:00
Sadly, this is all I can give you while I'm sick. Halls has a new line of Halls Naturals. We've tried the Sunshine Citrus and the Honey-Lemon Chamomile and we love them. Aside from being all natural (meaning no food coloring for me), I think they taste better than the original Halls menthols, which I think are gross. They have been effectively soothing my throat which is the point, so thumbs up from Foodmayhem! ...
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Sick Food
2008-03-20 13:30:00
My friend Sarah, cleverly titled a post on her blog, Fast-food Beer Goggles. It made me laugh when I read it because I instantly knew what she was talking about. I don't need to explain right?I don't have a funny name for why Saltine Crackers suddenly taste so good when you're sick (yes, I think I'm sick again) but I think it has to do with not being able to taste anything but salt. I find myself lying on my couch making a giant mess of crumbs, while savoring saltines like they are fine pastry. A skimpy can of chicken noodle soup with mushy stuff in it, also becomes a delicacy, preferable to a good home-made soup packed with meat and veggies because your body is just repulsed by protein, fat, fiber, and anything nutritious. The warm salty liquid is also soothing to a soar throat.What's your sick food? ...
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Mighty Leaf Tea
2008-03-20 00:22:00
I just tried Mighty Leaf Tea for the first time in Atlantic City and I loved it. The Mountain Spring Jasmine tasted as good as it smelled, very soothing. Their tea bags (tea pouches) cost more than average but that's because they put real tea leaves in their very pretty tea bags, not just the left over dust. They would certainly be impressive to serve to guests and they have nice assorted gift boxes as well.Available at Whole Foods, Garden of Eden, and on-line (free shipping on orders over $75). ...
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Venmar Range Hood
2008-03-19 18:26:00
While I'm complaining about my Blue Star Range, I'd like to point out that I like my Venmar Range Hood (model CWC3624). You can choose from three different strengths of ventilation and it's powerful enough to deal with a grill and four burners, all on at the same time. The best part is that the filters snap right out and go in the dishwasher.Knock on wood, no problems yet. ...
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Blue Star Sucks - The Saga Continues
2008-03-19 15:43:00
I posted recently about how much my expensive Blue Star sucks so I wanted to update you on the developments. The repair guys just replaced the electronic igniter in the oven which cost me $475. Ridiculous for an oven less than two years old, but I had no choice. I need a working oven right? Let this be a warning though. I spoke to the repair guys and they said high end ovens/ranges like Blue Star, Viking, etc are generally unreliable. He repairs relatively new ones all the time. GE and Kenmore, the regular home lines, last much longer. I had a GE Profile in my last apartment and I never had a problem. Next time, I'm buying the GE again.I can't express how disturbed I am by the fact that Blue Star has to know about their fail rate and continues to sell their ranges at super high premiums and are not doing anything about the construction of their products. ...
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Five Course Tasting Menu
2008-03-19 04:31:00
I love ordering tasting menus because you get to try more dishes, so I wonder why I haven't thought of serving guests a tasting menu before. I have done huge family style meals where there was certainly more than five dishes but there's something about presenting it as a tasting menu, that makes it more elegant, and more fun. I hope Edgar and Qing were impressed. Lon loved it.We started with Captain Pat's Maryland Crab Cakes, served with a simple salad (dressing made with Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar, honey dijon, and olive oil).The second course was Caramelized Onion and Fontina Panini. I made an open-faced version over the weekend and just had to have the flavor combination again.The third course was Jamaican Style Turkey Meatballs, served with mashed potatoes made with butter and heavy cream. Lon loved this pairing and told me so three times.The fourth course was Steelhead Trout on Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce. So simple, yet so good.Edgar and Qing brought us the dessert co ...
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Bachelorette Party Weekend
2008-03-18 17:26:00
I have the best bridesmaids in the world. They rented a massive gorgeous house in Brigantine, New Jersey, so that we could have a weekend long celebration. We arrived later than expected on Friday because a mapquest print-out and a GPS couldn't help a car full of girls with no sense of direction.Our plan was to make dinner in the house on Friday night and Brunch on Saturday. The kitchen was huge with two sinks, and pretty well stocked. My only complaint was that the range/oven was really weak. The broiler wasn't able to get any crispy charring on the T-bone steaks and it took a long time just to melt the Fontina on our bread covered in caramelized onions. We also made salmon, sauteed asparagus, tomato and buffalo mozzarella, all easy preparations since we didn't know what the kitchen would be like. We got tons of snacks, guacamole, salsa, red pepper hummus, veggies and Tostitos Scoops, cookies, chocolates, and fruits. After dinner, we played some games that Kasi created. One of the gam ...
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Jade Asian Restaurant
2008-03-18 14:44:00
I just mentioned recently that Dim Sum on a weekday is a bad idea, but I have to correct myself because some of the places in Flushing are still packed enough on the weekdays to have a good turn over and abundance of variety. Jade Asian Restaurant Jade Asian Restaurant, the latest reincarnation of a very large space, was quite full yesterday at 1:00 PM on a Monday, which gives me hope that this notorious space, will finally have a more permanent name.The space has been redone in a slightly more modern look than the average Chinese banquet space. They even have pink chair covers and servers in uniforms. This means nothing to the Chinese population in Flushing if the food can't speak for itself.My mom and I, tried some of our Dim Sum must-haves like Shrimp Wrapped in Rice Noodle Sheets, Chive Dumplings, Steamed Fish Balls (a little fishier than normal), and Crystal Shrimp Dumplings (a bit salty).Then moved on to some variations of Crystal Shrimp Dumplings. One had Shrimp and Pea Shoots, ...
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Steelhead Trout
2008-03-18 02:15:00
I was checking out the salmon at BJ's when I realized that the stack of fish on the left side was Steelhead Trout. It looked very much like salmon fillets (but a bit less fatty) and would have fooled me if I didn't read the label. Of course I wanted to try it.For a first time tasting, I wanted an unadulterated version, just salt and pepper. The texture is very similar to salmon but lighter and sweeter. We both loved it and highly recommend it. I'm sure it would work with any salmon recipe but don't put too much on it. You'll miss it's wonderful natural flavor. ...
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Borgata Buffet
2008-03-18 00:37:00
After a night of partying, mostly at Mixx, Borgata Buffet Borgata Buffet seemed like the way to end the weekend. We were mostly in sweats, hoodies, and sneakers, half awake, and dehydrated. I'm a little prejudice against buffets but for about $23 after tax, I was satisfied with what they offered and I give them an extra thumbs up for not charging extra for beverages.They had an omelet station, meat carving station, and the standard trays of eggs, bacon, grits, waffles with toppings, and lots of fried stuff. I didn't try any of that because I just wasn't in the mood. Instead, I went for a random pick of things that may not have fit together. The chocolate muffin was good although the coconut flakes did not add any flavor. I enjoyed the cheese danish and chocolate croissant. The biscuit was quite good, buttery and flaky, and still a bit warm. The cous cous was forgettable but I really like the beet and fennel salad, to my surprise because neither are a favorite of mine. The lox paled in ...
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Sonsie
2008-03-17 14:37:00
My awesome bridesmaids chose Sonsie Sonsie for Saturday night's dinner for two reasons, Parmesan Truffle Fries and Cashel Blue Cheese Fries. My best friends know that I'm crazy about fries, especially with cheese, and I've been on a serious search for a replacement for my favorite Diner 24 Disco Fries, that are no longer available since the restaurant closed.The Parmesan Truffle Fries (left) were great. The Parmesan helped form a crispy cheese crust on the fries, with just the right hint of truffle. I really enjoyed the tangy flavor of the Cashel Blue Cheese Fries (right) but they did get soggy. Speaking of optimal eating, you do have to eat these fries quickly. If this restaurant was in NYC, I would definitely be back for both of these fries.The rest of the food seemed to be pretty good as well. Angela ordered a nicely cooked Hanger Steak. Monica and Olivia got the Chilean Sea Bass served very hot, in a clay pot (ooh, that rhymes) and I got the largest Diver Sea Scallops I've ever see ...
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Dino's Pizza and Pasta
2008-03-17 03:37:00
I just got home from my all-weekend bachelorette party. It was awesome and I am exhausted, so I'm only doing a mini post tonight and I promise I will get the rest posted tomorrow.So, on Friday, I met up with some girls in Astoria to stock up on food from Costco and we had to grab a quick lunch before hitting the road. Dino's Pizza and Pasta Dino's Pizza and Pasta was chosen arbitrarily and Monica and I shared an enormous Chicken Roll. The sauce, cheese, and dough, were all fine, standard pizzeria quality. I also appreciated the very generous amount of cheese oozing out but sadly there was one fatal problem with the Chicken Roll, the chicken. It was so hard to chew that it was less like chicken and more like heavily fried cardboard. We really didn't have any time to waste so I just suffered through but then realized how stupid I was. I should have just pulled out all of the chicken. ...
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Jamaican Turkey Patties
2008-03-16 05:20:00
Making efficient use of what's in the fridge has been a hallmark of home cooks forever. That's partially how hand-held pies came to be (you did see Alton's "A Pie in Every Pocket" episode, right?). The other day, Jessica used some leftover ground meat from the Goan Chilly Fries to make some Indian-style Beef Patties. This resulted in extra patty dough, that has been sitting in our fridge for a week. Sitting five inches to the right is a box of ground turkey meat leftover from the delicious rosemary meatloaf from Monday night. Being that tomorrow is Sal & Rochelle's son Nick's baptism, and that Rochelle is Jamaican, I guess I was inspired by all these variables.So I started sauteing one medium onion, finely-diced with kosher salt and ground black pepper in one tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of unsalted butter. I was going to follow the recipe Jessica used for her Jamaican Beef Patties, until I decided I could one up it. I kept thinking about how delicious Golden ...
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Organic Profits
2008-03-15 14:46:00
Often, it seems that people believe buying organic means escaping the world of corporate food. I'm referring to the large corporate food conglomerates that own major brands. Companies such as Kraft, Pepsi, and Conagra. Some folks even seem to head down the organic road simply to spite the big companies. Personally that's a bit too hippy-ish for my taste. Jessica and I try to eat organic food whenever possible; our goal is to avoid processed foods and chemicals.My concern about the relationship of organic organizations and large food processors is whether or not I trust the large companies to allow the organic to truly be organic. This is especially the case when there is no strict definition around the use of the term.I stumbled upon a particularly interesting diagram by the folks at Good Magazine. It illustrates the relationship between well known organic brands like Boca Foods, Kashi, and Dagoba with their infamous corporate lineage. Yikes, I think some of you are going to be ...
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Sushi Yasuda - 3rd visit
2008-03-14 13:57:00
I hope you're not sick of me posting about Sushi Yasuda Sushi Yasuda (first time, second time). I continue to do so because I always learn something from each visit. This time, three lessons Daniel San.First, we were informed that it was the start of soft shell crab season. It lasts for roughly three months so get your butt over to Sushi Yasuda to have the best Flash Fried Soft Shell Crab. It was the largest and meatiest soft-shell, Lon or I, have ever had.Second lesson, I actually really like Uni (sea urchin). I've tried Uni at other places before and never saw the appeal. I never disliked Uni but never saw any reason to pay a premium for it. After this piece of California Uni, I was hooked! It coats your mouth like the savory equivalent of ice cream.Lesson three was a subtle one. As I waited for Lon to arrive, I watched Chef Mitsuru put together a beautiful box of sushi to be delivered. I expressed my surprise that they provided delivery, and Chef Mitsuru told me he would not advise ...
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Blue Star Sucks
2008-03-14 02:42:00
My oven is not working, yet again. In less than two years, it has failed twice in major ways, and has a handful of little problems as well. This is super frustrating for me, especially since I was testing a fabulous pie recipe for you.The major issue is that I have a very high end range, a Blue Star 36" RNB Series with the grill. A few months after it was installed, the broiler was no longer turning on. Under the one year warranty, they did fix it, but it took two visits to fix and that means x amount of days/weeks that I could not use the broiler. Now, it's about 22 months (less than two years) since it was installed, and now the oven is not reaching correct temperature and also not heating evenly. Come on, this is a convection oven! I understand that it is no longer under warranty but I called Blue Star voicing my concerns. I have used several ranges before, all cheaper than this one, that never had a problem. With back splash and tax, I paid over $5000 for this range! I thought I wa ...
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Oxtail and Linguine
2008-03-13 15:58:00
We had Martin and Melissa over for dinner last night and they loved my Oxtail and Linguini. Good thing I wrote down the recipe for my Oxtail Sauce. Four people almost finished the entire pot! I served it with linguine but it would be wonderful with pappardelle or fettuccine as well.Oxtail Sauce1 tablespoon canola oil1 onion chopped3 slim carrots (about 7.5 oz before peeling and cutting), cut into brunoise1 can (28 oz) crushed tomato2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomato1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce3 1/2 pounds beef oxtails6 cloves garlic, sliced1 teaspoon crushed red pepper4 dried bay leavespepper to taste1. Heat oil in a large pot. Saute onions and carrots until partially softened.2. Add crushed tomato, diced tomato, and tomato sauce and stir.3. Add beef oxtails and bring to a boil.4. Reduce to a simmer. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, bay leaves, and pepper. No salt is needed.5. Cook for 4 hours, uncovered. Stir occasionally and watch to see if you need to add water. ( I added about 6-8 cup ...
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Egg Custard King Cafe
2008-03-13 04:12:00
After our not quite finished lunch, we went to Egg Custard King Cafe Egg Custard King Cafe to get some filler for our tummies. I've never patronized before because the sign looked so commercialized and the beauty of Chinatown is all the unpolished shops. Well not to worry, there was no franchise training here. None of the counter girls spoke English and they could barely describe their products to me in Chinese. Ahh...right at home.Since they call themselves the Egg Custard King Cafe, it would make sense for them to over do it on egg custard. They have honeydew flavored, almond flavored, strawberry flavored, and banana flavored, none of which I tried because it likely has food coloring. (I'm allergic.)I did try their Classic Egg Custard, a Creme Brulee version, and an All Egg White Custard. They were all very good, smooth custards with flaky crusts. My favorite is still the classic but the egg white is a surprisingly good option. The Creme Brulee was my least favorite because it was th ...
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Fu Zhou Restaurant
2008-03-12 19:13:00
We really needed a quick lunch so we just walked into Fu Zhou Restaurant Fu Zhou Restaurant, near the Grand Street train station. This will be a short post because we only got three dishes because weekdays are just not the best time to have dim sum. (I want to slap myself cause I knew that already.) So everything was good with a "but" ... The Beef Short Rib had a nice peppery flavor but it was too oily. The Shrimp in Rice Noodle Wrap was made with such fresh rice noodle, with that incredible chewiness, but the shrimp was kind of fishy. The Crystal Shrimp Dumplings had plump shrimp but the wrapper was too soft, not bouncy as it should be. We're not complaining though. It was $4.50 for the two of us and we were almost done with lunch. We'd be willing to go back and try them on a weekend, peak dim sum time. ...
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Choice Eats
2008-03-12 14:52:00
Choice Eats, a tasting event held by The Village Voice, is an inexpensive ($25 for pre-bought tickets) way to try food from several different restaurants. However, Lon and I don't feel that it is an accurate way of judging a restaurant because serving food without a kitchen is a very different skill. Some restaurants have more experience working events like these and some restaurants were noticeably unprepared. Keep in mind that our evaluation of the food is based solely on what we experienced last night and does not necessarily reflect the restaurant.We did not try every booth because there were way too many Carribean food booths and too many Indian rice dishes. We also skipped Hummus Place (mulit-local), Petite Abeille (multi-local), Kampuchea Kampuchea, Vanessa's Dumplings Vanessa's Dumplings, and The Sunburnt Cow The Sunburnt Cow, because we've already eaten their food.So, let's go through the dishes from worst to best because that's how I used to eat as a kid. (Did you save your f ...
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Fritos - Simple Food
2008-03-12 04:03:00
Quick: Here's a great post on Fritos for those of you who habitually over-think processed food eating. Take it with a grain of salt, of course (no pun intended... Fritos are crazy salty). I guess there's a good reason Puggy loves Fritos. ...
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Royale
2008-03-11 23:08:00
In a Newsweek article that my friend Sara gave me, I read that, "Many Japanese cite 'tabearuki', or roaming around looking for great places to dine, as a favorite hobby." Now that I know the Japanese have a word for it, I feel completely justified for spending a good portion of my time window shopping for food. Other girls may goggle over Jimmy Choo's and Minolo's ( I don't even know if I got that right.); I drool at the windows of bakeries, pizza shops, and the butcher's.Ice, my Jack Russell Terrier, had a veterinary visit today which gave me the perfect opportunity to practice my tabearuki skills. (Can you imagine a reality show based on a tabearuki competition?) On the way there, I spotted Royale on the corner of 6th Avenue and 12th Street, in that ever changing spot attached to Sammy's Noodle Shop Sammy's Noodle Shop. I made a mental note to pop in on my way back and of course I did. As always, I got a coffee, which was mega weak, but I sampled a great piece of chocolate chip cooki ...
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Optimal Eating
2008-03-11 14:50:00
I often eat too fast in effort to eat certain foods at their peak of optimal pleasure. I scarf down pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches before the cheese starts to solidify. I take large spoonfuls of ice cream (often causing brain freeze) because I don't like it too melted. I chug coffee and hot chocolate while it's piping hot and I inhale French fries before they loose their crispiness. This concerns me because I can't take the time to savor each bite and enjoy the company of others. Eating too fast also leads to eating too much and leaving dinner in a half-comatose state with a belly ache.Optimal eating can also lead to eating too much just because most things just taste better when they're fresh. I'll eat a whole loaf of bread when it comes out of the oven, because it won't taste as good tomorrow. The same goes for dough nuts, croissants, and pastries. I eat too much when it comes to food that I don't want to reheat to eat again, like fish, seafood, and red meat.No, I don't have a ...
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Dinner in the Sky
2008-03-11 04:49:00
Would you enjoy eating 40 to 50 meters into the air? You may be able to soon at Dinner in the Sky. The seats swivel 180 degrees and I hope you are strapped in tightly. They started in Belgium but are making their way around. The ride/restaurant is available for rental and seats 22 guests. You will never find my mother at Dinner in the Sky, but I'd like to test it out and see if the altitude effects the taste of the food. ...
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Rosemary Meatloaf
2008-03-11 01:14:00
I decided to serve my Chinese family an all-American meal, Rosemary Meatloaf, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, and Sauteed Garlic Spinach. I have to pat myself on the back for this meatloaf recipe. It was so unbelievably flavorful and moist, my brother couldn't believe it was mostly turkey.Rosemary Meatloaf1 1/4 pound ground turkey4 oz ground beef1 egg1 small onion, chopped1 1/4 cup canned tomato sauce, divided1 cup Italian style bread crumbs1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh rosemary1 teaspoon Kosher salt1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper2 tablespoons white vinegar2 tablespoons prepared whole grain mustard1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.2. Combine turkey, beef, egg, onion, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, bread crumbs, rosemary, salt and pepper.3. Press into a 9 X 5 loaf pan (sprayed with Pam). Make an indent along the center, like the shape of a perfect pound cake. Set aside.4. Stir together 3/4 cup tomato sauce, vinegar, mustard, and brown sugar. Pour onto the ...
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Lego Fun Snacks? Not so fun...
2008-03-10 19:58:00
During our last visit to BJs, Jessica and I noticed a big ole box that said "Lego Fun Snacks". Stephen, my brother-in-law, not only enjoys difficult to eat food, but also Legos. We had to buy it, even though it seemed odd that Kellogg's was producing candy and even though no human should consume this much candy.While Jessica couldn't eat this, because of it's food coloring, she and I were both equally excited to see just how honestly the Lego form factors were reproduced. How many different block sizes were included? Were they easy to put together and take apart? I wonder if assembling pieces into fun Lego sculptures and then eating them would taste different?First, let's have a look at the candies:Ooo.. so sad looking. First, they're all the same dimensions: 2x2 "blocks". Unfortunately, barely three are square. Second, while you can't tell from the picture, the bottoms are solid, not even a minor indent. So there's no chance of assembling these "Legos", except perhaps to just ...
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Indian-style Beef Patties
2008-03-10 01:01:00
I was trying to figure out what to do with the left-over meat mixture from the Goan Chilly Fries I made yesterday. I decided to fill it into a dough from a Jamaican Beef Patty recipe, and have an Indian-style alternative. It was pretty good. Lon said he likes the regular Jamaican Beef Patties more but still managed to eat three of these. ...
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'wichcraft: The Magic is Gone
2008-03-09 19:32:00
When craft opened the menu immediately appealed to me. Being shi-shi, the restaurant was booked-up, and I found it hard to go without reservations weeks ahead. Frankly, I wasn't that interested. So, I never made it to craft. My sister says it's pretty good, albeit pricey. Jessica made it to craftbar and said it was good, but pricey. Tom Colicchio continued opening tons of restaurants with craft in the name, including 12 sandwich shops called 'wichcraft (ten of which are in New York, one in San Francisco, and one in Las Vegas).My first visit to a 'wichcraft 'wichcraft LV was the Las Vegas location, in the MGM Grand. My sister, brother-in-law, and I all thoroughly enjoyed our sandwiches, and absolutely loved the scone we had. When I got back to NYC, I had to go again. So a few co-workers and I ordered in from the 8th Street location 'wichcraft 8th St.. My New York 'wich was just as delicious as my Las Vegas 'wich. It was also just as expensive, running about $10. In a city fi ...
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Goan Chilly Fries
2008-03-08 19:56:00
I love French fries and our friend at Finely Chopped, was kind enough to write me a recipe for Goan Chilly Fries. He gave me some choices so here's exactly how I made it.Canola oil to coat the wok1 small onion, chopped1 medium tomato, chopped1 pound ground beef1 teaspoon chili powder1 teaspoon garam masala1 teaspoon crushed black pepper, by mortar and pestalsalt to taste4 tablespoons white vinegar2 tablespoons ketchup1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper1 jalapeno, finely chopped1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantroFresh, hot fries!1. Heat a wok with just enough oil to coat it.2. Saute the onion until softened just a little. Add the tomatoes.3. Add the ground beef, chili powder, garam masala, black pepper, and salt. Saute until most of the pink meat has turned brown.3. Add the vinegar and let it cook on medium-high heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.4. Add the ketchup, bell peppers, and jalapeno, cooking for 1 more minute.5. Serve on top of freshly made French fries and garnish ...
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