Any Posh Nosh fans out there?
It's a Brit faux cooking show, and one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen. The episodes are up on YouTube and should be watched in order, as there is a bit of a story line.
Serious Eater Profile
Get to Know a Serious Eater.
Barbara Hanson's Profile
The Ten Most Recent Posts By Barbara Hanson
Dried Cantaloupe from Economy Candy
Editor's note: Please welcome Serious Eats community member BaHa, aka Barbara Hanson, who will be checking in now and again with dispatches about the various little one-of-a-kind food stores and markets in New York. She makes her debut with a new-to-us ingredient from an old favorite, Economy Candy—with an intriguing recipe. —Ed Levine
Economy Candy has stood on Rivington Street, on the Lower East Side, for the last 71 years. These days, it lives in the gloomy shadow of the ultratrendy hotel Thor, but trendy is not a word one would ever apply to Economy: It looks like what it is, a proper old-style candy store, down to the barrel of scoop-your-own peanuts. Candy, fruit, and nuts all compete for your attention in aisles so narrow that you can't (at least I can't) back up far enough to see the top shelves opposite. There are enough competing smells to make you dizzy. New varieties of candy (and "new" here often means an older or regional candy rediscovered and brought back to light) arrive frequently.
Walk past the counter, if you can muster the will to bypass endless boxes of almost-forgotten candies, including Mallo Cups (and Valomilk, rarely seen in New York), Joyva Jell Rings and Marshmallow Twists, and French Chew Taffy, regarded by experts in the field as the only possible successor to the long-extinct and much-lamented Bonomo's Turkish Taffy.
To the rear of the store, in boxes and bins and behind shining glass cases, lies a trove of high-quality, inexpensive nuts, as well as dried and glacéed fruit. Among them is one dried fruit I've never seen anywhere else: cantaloupe.
Do you send local treats to homesick family and friends?
I've been sending my parents (formerly of Brooklyn, now of Florida) bialies for years. It started as a special occasion gift, and has somehow spun out of control. I fully expect to start getting hints about their shipment of Memorial Day bialies any day now.
Getting married Friday in NYC, need restaurant help.
I kinda envisioned leaving the Center Street municipal building and heading straight to Chinatown, perhaps to Nom Wah, then to New Pasteur. However, the witness-to-be demands something "nice." Can anyone suggest some middle ground downtown? And I mean downtown downtown...not Soho or the like.
Cuffins? Mupcakes?
In today's NYT, Melissa Clark declared that muffins are "sweet little cakes" no different from cupcakes. I disagree. My ideal muffin is more on the dour side, never iced, and often has additions like nuts, fruit, and so on. They can also be split, toasted and buttered. What do you think? I have a feeling we might see a regional and/or generational split here.
Simon Hopkinson Can Go Roast Himself
This complete fallacy is from his Second Helpings of Roast Chicken. In the chapter on mile, he discusses the superiority of what we would call New England clam chowder, then goes on to say : "For those who daily sit at the counter of the Oyster Bay in Grand Central Station, New York City, slurping down large bowls of Manhattan clam chowder, this would doubtless be seen as nothing less than the though of a demented heretic..."
Wrong from start to finish. I've eaten at the counter there at least one hundred times, and I've never heard anyone order, let alone seen anyone eat, Manhattan clam chowder.
He concludes with an attempt at replicating New York speech that is simply ludicrous. Has Simon Hopkinson ever, in fact, been to New York?
Anyone else keep a food diary?
Every morning, I write down what I cooked for dinner the night before, along with any special methods or sources. (I also note l/o [leftovers] and what, if anything, I've done to augment or change them. Rarer is the notation t/o [takeout].) I'll thumb through last year's diary to see what I cooked in a particular week/month. Also, since I tend to be experimental, I like to keep track of successes and failures, and sometimes just to be reminded of things that we really liked that I haven't remembered to make in a while. My friends find this habit peculiar, to say the least. Do you?
Any ideas for fresh hearts of palm?
I'm not talking about the fresh hearts of palm sold in liquid (looking rather like mozzarella) by Whole Foods; these babies are absolutely raw. I'm off to check my Florida cookbooks, but would appreciate suggestions.
One Potato, Two Potato, Three...
When I buy russets, I always get one or two more than I need because, invariably, some with have black spots that need to be cut away. Sometimes, a potato will be so riddled with black that I have to chuck it altogether. Here's the odd thing: When I make baked potatoes, I can't cut into them first, so I don't know if black spots are lurking within. However, I've never come across a black spot in a cooked potato! At long last, my question: Where did the spots go? The odds are hugely against my only picking good spuds when I am planning to bake them.
Going to Rochester next week; where should I eat?
I want to know what's good and local. Not interested in Rochester's best French restaurant. Also, what shouldn't I miss at the public market?
The Ten Most Recent Comments By Barbara Hanson
What About Top Pastry Chef?
Rereading my post, "comes to mind" clearly comes to my mind a little too often.
What About Top Pastry Chef?
There was a show like that (FN? PBS?) a few years back. It was too repetitious for me (spun sugar, ganache, fondant, spun sugar, ganache...) but that may be due to the fact that I am more interested in seeing competitors cook dishes that I can adapt in my own kitchen. I also prefer starch and fat to sweets.
Oh, and I never, ever miss Top Chef. Unlike some other shows of this ilk (America's Next Top Model, my truly guilty pleasure, comes to mind), the contestants are more than competent. The recent head-to-head monkfish gutting competition comes to mind!
Life Without the Momofuku Pork Bun
If I hear one more word about David Chang, I will stuff my ears with pork buns.
Tuna. In a Can. Love it or Hate it?
I mean per the really big can, not the 6 1/2 oz one; even I couldn't manage that!
Tuna. In a Can. Love it or Hate it?
@Cookiepie--A teaspoon of mayo per can? Wow, I'm guessing I use a half cup.
Tuna. In a Can. Love it or Hate it?
If I ever visited my parents and there wasn't a "nice bowl of tuna" in the fridge, I'd know there was something seriously wrong. The family secret (such as it is) is to crumble the tuna in your fingers so that there are no lumps and use a heavy hand with the mayo. My parents don't add anything, but I'll add celery, pickle, pickle juice (never throw away the juice!), onion, aleppo pepper, and whatever else appeals at the moment. In a perfect world, it would be served on squishy white bread, topped with sliced black heirloom tomato. Solid white, in oil. That water-packed stuff is flavorless.
Any Posh Nosh fans out there?
@Raphael--I'm just relieved that I'm not the person who initially posted about it. That would've been scary!
Does Where You Live Affect What You Like To Eat?
@Wellred: See if you can't find Digby scallops (from Nova Scotia) in Toronto. They are among the best I've ever had.
Dried Cantaloupe from Economy Candy
Yes, indeed, a line got dropped. Oops. It'll be fixed.
Responses to Comments by Barbara Hanson
What About Top Pastry Chef?
You should try Top Chef. I think the contestants on Hell's Kitchen are from McDonald's or they stock the salad bar at Ruby Tuesday's or something - and it seems that they don't really know how to cook in the classic sense. I don't understand that show.
Top Chef has real chefs who actually know how to cook. Some of the challenges are very interesting. Try it!
What About Top Pastry Chef?
I would love a Top Pastry Chef show as well
Hey - did anyone every wonder how the cakes from Charm City taste? I love Duff and the entire staff and all of the creative things they do, but it seems like the cakes sit around for days on end!!!
What About Top Pastry Chef?
That would be awesome. I'm a carb whore! I'd love to see challenges like feeding a roomfull of schoolchildren chocolate chip cookies, mimicing Girl Scout cookies or snack cookies in a gourmet fashion, making strudel and puff pastry, and really decadent things, or even a low fat/low sugar challenge for their chemistry skills. And having really judgemental and insane French pastry chefs come in.
What About Top Pastry Chef?
Rereading my post, "comes to mind" clearly comes to my mind a little too often.
Tuna. In a Can. Love it or Hate it?
How much is 365 canned tuna vs Sunkist/Chicken of the Sea? We'll probably be out and about shopping all day today, I may stop by Whole Foods. We need to restock our fridge anyway. >.>
Tuna. In a Can. Love it or Hate it?
I don't really like Charlie, or any of the big brands, but I've finally found a canned (reasonably priced) tuna that I love---Whole Foods 365 brand.
Tuna. In a Can. Love it or Hate it?
Everyone should always have canned tuna in their pantry. It's saved my hungry butt more than once. I still love fresh tuna, but it is not something you can always have on hand or have time to go get or can afford.
Life Without the Momofuku Pork Bun
Has anyone tried this:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/240258
I'd like to, but not if it will end in deep disappointment.
I'll agree that the hype around this guy is pretty outrageous. But these buns were so good...
What About Top Pastry Chef?
Would totally watch it. I like watching Ace of Cakes when I can. I even find myself hoping things don't go wrong in the transportation aspect of the show. I know, I know...I shouldn't get sucked in-it's just I'd feel bad for them, all that hard work...
There was a show on a little while ago-Kitchen Confidential-which was funny to me. But got canceled. I was sad. The pastry guy and the fish guy would always go at it. Hilarious. Anyone see that show?
Tuna. In a Can. Love it or Hate it?
After 12 years of catholic schooling I cannot look tuna in the eye. I never never eat it. Not even grilled, sushi, no no no! When I was younger I liked tuono in oliva. I just cannot do it.
Website:
Location:
About:
Favorite foods:
Last bite on earth: