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Ikea Hack: Free Ferry and Bus Service Will Give Easy Access to Red Hook Ball Field Vendors
Don't forget about the farmers' market at the Red Hook farm/Added Value on Saturdays! It's directly across the street from Ikea, you can even see it in the Google map posted above.
So now you can pick up an Expedit bookcase, fresh locally grown vegetables and a yummy taco all in ONE trip. sweet.
Wedding/reception locations in the Boston area
My husband and I had our reception at the Milky Way last year and I highly recommend it. We used to live in Jamaica Plain and we came all the way back from NY to have our wedding there! They have good vegetarian options, a lot of our friends are vegetarians so it was pretty important to us. And the quality of the food is good, my husband's a cook and it's up to his standards. It's totally affordable too - we were on a tight budget as we paid for it ourselves. And best of all we had a blast! Our friends and family all agreed that we threw a really fun and memorable party.
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Quick! Affordable (AND tasty) New York midtown dinner ideas?
Posted by ambienttra, February 8, 2008 at 1:56 PM
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A Primer to 'Star Trek' Food and Drink
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 7, 2009 at 7:00 PM
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
great new feature! I, too, am guilty of CSA neglect. Especially the kale and collards - it seems like we get one or the other every single week and I am getting a little tired of just sautéing with garlic and olive oil. Any ideas?
Ikea Hack: Free Ferry and Bus Service Will Give Easy Access to Red Hook Ball Field Vendors
Don't forget about the farmers' market at the Red Hook farm/Added Value on Saturdays! It's directly across the street from Ikea, you can even see it in the Google map posted above.
So now you can pick up an Expedit bookcase, fresh locally grown vegetables and a yummy taco all in ONE trip. sweet.
Wedding/reception locations in the Boston area
My husband and I had our reception at the Milky Way last year and I highly recommend it. We used to live in Jamaica Plain and we came all the way back from NY to have our wedding there! They have good vegetarian options, a lot of our friends are vegetarians so it was pretty important to us. And the quality of the food is good, my husband's a cook and it's up to his standards. It's totally affordable too - we were on a tight budget as we paid for it ourselves. And best of all we had a blast! Our friends and family all agreed that we threw a really fun and memorable party.
Anyone got a good Chai recipe?
I love the chai from Numi Tea, Whole Foods carries it. It's got just the right amount of spice. It's packaged in teabags, or they sell it loose on their web site I think. I usually put the teabag in a pot on the stove with half water, half milk, and a little bit of sugar, and heat it up until it's steaming.
Yum!!
Serious Sandwich: The Trini 'Double'
I LOVE doubles. There's a great place in Brooklyn off of the Nostrand stop on the A - when you get off of the stop, cross over Fulton and walk up half a block, it's on the right (it has a bunch of AAs in its name and the place proclaims itself the Doubles King, but i can't remember exactly). They make the best doubles ever. But make sure you get there early, they close when they run out.
Cheesemaking supplies in NYC?
thanks for the info, adam! i think i'll order the supplies from the first place you mentioned and do it from scratch. And i definitely have a giant stockpot and mixing bowl, so I'll be sure so have those ready.
I just read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - the author does a cheesemaking workshop with Ricki Carroll. That's what got me started on this whole thing to begin with!
- tracie
Good simple recipe for summertime fennel salad?
i like using grapefruit instead of orange slices, that's yummy too
Does anyone have any really good smoothie recipes that don't require bananas?
yogurt works really well, I make smoothies all the time without bananas. i like stonyfield farms's whole milk plain yogurt or Brown Cow with the cream top. and i suppose if you want it really thick, you could try using greek yogurt.
food in san antonio/austin
thanks for all the suggestions! we ended up mostly eating at my in-laws', which was also cool. first off, we unexpectedly had our first meal in austin at el sol y la luna, i had migas with chorizo. i've never had migas before and i loved it. the outdoor patio space was also really nice. we also stopped at guero's taco bar before our flight back to NY, the enchiladas were so good - really fresh tasting.
my father-in-law made some awesome brisket, and provided some barbecue sauce from cooper's. it's a vinegar based sauce - pretty good, but my personal preference is for ketchup based.
we also stopped by Liberty Bar in SA - i had the achiote chicken salad special - would have been almost perfect (moist, spicy chicken, slightly bitter/chewy dried peppers with a complex flavor, fresh bell peppers, lettuce) if it wasn't for the feta, it just overwhelmed all the other flavors. The chilled avocado soup was heavenly.
we did end up going to rudy's bbq in new braunfels b/c we had to run an errand there. definitely better than anything i can get in NY. maybe some of the places y'all mentioned are better? next time i guess.
and we went to some new belgian place in southtown, i don't remember the name of it - we had some friends who live in the area that wanted to check it out. I had the vol au vent with chicken - the chicken was slightly on the dry side, but the dish had a lot of flavor and the pastry crust was super light and flaky.
there was a great ice cream place in fredericksburg, i think it's called Clear River Creamery or something. Wow. I had the peach sorbet and lavender ice cream, they were both outstanding. My husband got all inspired so he broke out the ice cream machine at his parents', and made two batches - peach/lavender and kaffir lime/lemongrass (yes, we found those plants in their neighbor's yard and she didn't know what they were!!).
OK now i have to lay off the ice cream for a bit.
i'll post some pics in flickr when i get a chance -
the other thing i can't believe is how inexpensive it is to eat in texas. woo!!
Where can I find Dragon Beard candy in New York City?
i remember when i was a kid there was a guy who made them on the bowery, near canal...but that was like twenty years ago. they're the best when they are freshly made!! perhaps i'll take the minibus on division st. out to flushing and check that out...
Question of the Day: What one ingredient do you never skimp on?
def. parmigiano reggiano. the generic stuff made in the U.S. just doesn't cut it.
What would be your favorite items to find on a Brunch menu?
I agree with the eggs benedict suggestion...but it's really hard to find a place that makes it right. sometimes the eggs are overdone (or underdone! yuck!), or the hollandaise sauce is too runny. so if you can make really great eggs benny, i think you'll be set. oh, and variations (i.e., with smoked salmon, spinach, etc.) are good too.
and yea the bloody marys at stone park cafe in brooklyn are killer!
Question of the Day: How do you store your butter? In the fridge, out on the counter?
Both - one stick on the counter (in a ceramic dish with a cover) for toast, etc., and the rest in the fridge for baking or when the one on the counter gets used up.
What one food are you ashamed to admit you like?
guacamole flavored doritos. for some reason i have a hard time finding them nowadays.
Do you prefer cocoa or coffee in the morning?
tea on weekday mornings if i've gotten up early enough. caffé machiato on weekends, courtesy my little stovetop moka express.
cocoa for late-night movie watching.
Question of the Day: Which family member of yours is the best cook?
my husband...uh, i can't compete against the knife skills of a professional chef. but I make a pretty kick-ass banana bread.
Question of the Day: What were you making last time you set off the smoke alarm?
we took our alarm off the wall, it was driving us nuts b/c it'd go off seemingly every time we cooked. How I long for a fan that actually vents air to the outside and isn't this useless piece of crap that just makes lots of noise...
Ok, meat eaters...This question is for you.
The tempeh reuben sandwich at Angelica Bistro in Manhattan. I am an unabashed meat eater, but for some reason I'll catch myself thinking about that sandwich at random moments and thinking, I need to get over to Angelica Bistro!!
How do you organize your favorite recipes?
wow, so many great strategies. I really like the idea of actually writing down next to the recipe whether you even liked it or not, and making notes if the recipe needed any adjustments. There are those recipes that sound good in theory and then you try them and they're not so great...but a couple of months go by and you forget that you had tried making it in the past, and it sounds good, and then you do again with the same so-so results. sigh.
and i'll definitely start tossing the recipes from printouts that i didn't like to keep the clutter down! Saving recipes on the computer sounds fabulous but I'd still have to print everything out, since I don't have a laptop to put in the kitchen.
budget eating in Italy
for a super cheap lunch in Florence i would definitely check out Bondi, it's on the same street as the central market (it's on via dell'Ariento, past the market on the left if you are coming from the direction of the river). They serve these sandwiches that are sort of like panini, but they put this yummy cheesy/buttery mixture on the bread and then pop it in the oven with your chosen ingredients (ie, prosciutto, sausage, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, etc). It gets all melty and hot. Much fresher and tastier than the panini that are served at the tourist traps all around Florence - avoid those at all costs! They have tables with benches you can sit at, or just take the food with you and stroll around.
Dropping into the central market is a must, even to just see all the ingredients that come in, and there are places that you can stand and eat at as well.
for dinner, Il Cinghiale Bianco was one of my favorite places to go when I lived in Florence....but I haven't been to the restaurant since before the changeover to the euro so I can't tell you if it's still cheap or not. But I suppose it's worth checking out.
if i think of more i'll post them...
Question of the Day: The five-second rule—is it OK to eat food you've dropped?
most things i'm ok with if it happens in my own kitchen. but if it's kinda wet (like ice cream) no.
Best Ice Cream in America's Best Ice Cream Town?
banana ice cream at christina's. earl grey (when you can catch it) at tosci's. i miss ice cream in boston...i still haven't found anything decent in New York.
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
Love the bowling idea, and my husband used to play baseball with zucchini bats as a kid in real life. Next week's post will indeed be about kohlrabi!
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
Yes, please...further suggestions as to uses for kohlrabi! I only planted 6, ate two raw when young, gave two medium-sized away and now have two giant ones left languishing in the garden. A friend suggested I drill three holes in them and use them as bowling balls to knock down an array of "zucchini pins"!
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
This look delicious and I LOVE the column. I adore zucchini and am, I think, the only one enjoying the surplus of it in my basket. Baked Zucchini & tomatoes anyone? Or, even better, Chocolate-Zucchini bundt cake!
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
AMAZING RECIPE! I love these fritters I made them sans cilantro (i'm not a fan) and substituted some garlic for the onion (missed it in the store) but they were wonderful! The salted zucchini with the sweet corn and a healthy dollop of some Fage yogurt sent me to heaven! Thanks for sharing,
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
Made these last night and served with mixed greens and balsamic vinaigrette. Perfect light dinner!
The only change I would have made is adding some salt to the mixture before cooking the fritters - the salt from the zucchini doesn't really come through in the mixture.
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
I've had zucchini fritters before but I just love the idea of adding corn, too. What a great summer dish. Yum!
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
@ JethroSpanks
To bake the batter heat a cake pan with some oil in the over then, after a few minutes, poru the batter in and let it bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the bottom is browned and bubbling (you'll be able to see it on the sides). You may want to put it under the grill if the top didn't get enough color.
I gave up frying the batter when oil exploded all over my kitchen and, consequently, on me. Fresh corn is very hard to come by in France and I resorted to drained canned corn... too much water... not such a good idea.
the batter is still tasty when baked!
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
Wow, after reading more comments, I learned some more. I didnt know you could cook kohlrabi. I thought all you would do was eat it raw. Well, if my six are still good, we will be trying something new this evening. Thank you and yes, we need more on kohlrabi. We need to spread the word. When I mention it, people look at me and say "What?'.
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
LOL, OMG, I am LMA off here. Thanks for telling us what CSA meant, I was wondering also. I had seen that before but couldnt remember.
As for the "Sneak a Kohlrabi into your neighbor's crisper" Day. I have my own, tyvm, about 6 of them harvested about 6 weeks ago. They are starting to look a little mangy but I dont have the heart to throw them out yet.
As for the zucchini, we harvest every day and hubs always manages to miss a couple so you all know what happens to them. It is attack of the killer zucchini the next day. I think he has hurt his shoulder tossing them. We do a lot of things with them - SHARE THEM, make zucchini fritters with corn and without, eat them raw, shake with Bisquick and fry, but the best is sauteeing them up with leftover cut off corn on the cob. Saute in olive oil to begin with and then add a pat of butter at the end so it coats and makes everything look glossy and yummy.
Long live the zucchini gods!
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
Could you/how would you bake these in the oven?
THANKS!
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
I never seem to find enough ways to use summer squash. Recently I've taken to chips, sautees, and luscious pasta toppers. But the best thus far, using the extra bits as you've done here, was in a crispy cake.
http://www.biggirlssmallkitchen.com/2009/06/recipe-flash-zucchini-tofu-croquettes.html
I can't wait to try your recipe and use another one of summer's greatest spoils, corn. In place of yogurt, I used tofu since I'm lactose intolerant, but I can see how this would add a really excellent element of moisture to the fritter.
bravo!!
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
Great new feature! Welcome Carolyn! This will make a fabulous supper using the spoils from the morning trip to the farmer's market.
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
My Mutter's Kohlrabi recipe: Peel the kohrabi, cutting off all the woody bits too. Slice or cube, boil just covered in salted water for about 10 minutes, set aside some of the cooking water and the kohlrabi and make a roux with butter and flour in the bottom of your kohlrabi pot. Whisk it into a white sauce with some of the cooking water. Add kohlrabi, add freshly ground white pepper and salt to taste. I think of it as 'kohrabi farmstyle', so that goes with the CSA share, right.
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
@Willow Toth CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, where a farm or group of farms sells shares in its crops at the beginning of a growing season and then delivers those shares to its members throughout the season, usually weekly. There are CSAs for all sorts of foods including veggies, fruit, meat and dairy, but veggies are the most common.
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
Sorry, looked everywhere but could not find what CSA stands for. Probably right in front of my NOSE. The world is acronym crazy anymore. Thanks.
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
I made these last night and they were (still are) delicious!
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
I can SO use some help with The Veg overflow from my CSA. Great idea for a column Carolyn!
J. Bastien
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
Back on track...
I made these last night; instead of cilantro, I added basil (seemed more ''in season'', add a ton more scalions (because I didn't have corn), added Parmasian cheese and curry powder to the mix! I also cooked them a bit longer than they recommend, they go crispier and darker, MMMMM!
Thanks for the recipe.
The Crisper Whisperer: Zucchini and Corn Fritters Rule the World. For Reals
Welcome, Carolyn. I'm looking forward to more veggie tales, straight from the source. I'm sorry you were welcomed with chapters from "True Stories of Kohlrabi Neglect."
I had no idea there is such rampant kohlrabi neglect and abuse in our midst. Oh, the shame, the shame. Think of all the starving people who'd be happy just to have a sliver of. . .ooops. Sorry about that. Sometimes I can't put a lid on my inner mom. Along with Sneak a Zucchini on Your Neighbor's Porch Night, maybe we should have Sneak a Kohlrabi into a Friend's Crisper Day.
Yum: Kohlrabi (or zucchini, for that matter), raw, dipped into lemony mayo or creamy garlic dressing. Sliced like bamboo shoots and used in stir fries. Sliced into matchsticks for slaw. Sliced, again, like bamboo shoots, for chicken-kohlrabi soup, omitting the noodles. Used whole, halved or quartered in New England boiled dinners or with corned beef and cabbage. Stuffed cabbage, with finely chopped kohlrabi added to the ground-beef-rice-tomato-onion filling. I'm sure you could use it as a substitute for the zucchini in this fritter recipe.
I have a confession to make. (Voice of Sideshow Bob) I, too, was a kohlrabi neglector. It began gradually, first with leafy greens, but I quickly graduated to the hard stuff---zucchini (who knew that one plant could produce 50 or more squash?), then kohlrabi. Sure, I tried to hide it, using opaque plastic grocery bags to store them in the back of the vegetable bin, but someone always found out, usually my husband, holding up a beige plastic bag with neon green slime and grey-green water oozing from it and politely announcing, "Hon, I think I found the source of that smell." Slowly, with help from a next-door neighbor who grew kohlrabi and with the support of a vegan friend, I saw the wastefulness of my ways. If I can do it, anyone can. I'm finally free of vegetable-induced guilt and terror. Not having to disinfect the vegetable crisper is good, but unshriveled kohlrabi is better.
Ikea Hack: Free Ferry and Bus Service Will Give Easy Access to Red Hook Ball Field Vendors
FYI, I went down there yesterday just to capitalize on the hack and found out that on the "new schedule," the water taxi and buses from Ikea back to Manhattan don't start until 1:20 pm. This was just a verbal from a security guy; I didn't see anything posted. I took the B61 bus which stops right at Ikea back up to downtown Brooklyn and caught a train.
How do you organize your favorite recipes?
I copy any recipes I find online into an online recipe site called One tsp. -- which allows me to later access them from a web browser, or from my iPhone.
Best Ice Cream in America's Best Ice Cream Town?
Of course Steve's is a pale shadow--it was sold many years ago, and Steve Herrell moved his operation to Northampton, MA, where he's been beloved for many years. Moving back in on Boston is only right.
Best Ice Cream in America's Best Ice Cream Town?
I live in LA and still dream of Christina's...
Christina's all the way!
Best Ice Cream in America's Best Ice Cream Town?
Come to the burbs, children. We have Kimballs, and Bedford Farms, Sullivans and Dairy Joy! You can work your way from one to the next on a tour that will make your eyes and your belly bulge out. But I have to say, Christina's rice pudding ice cream is one of my all time favorites. Once I can find a place to park my car.
Ikea Hack: Free Ferry and Bus Service Will Give Easy Access to Red Hook Ball Field Vendors
I wonder what is going to be worse eating Ikea's smelly swedish meatballs or having your brand new couch put together fall apart in a week or going on the Ikea boat leaving the store with each person with fifty bags a boat that holds 74 people, what a stupid idea.
Recent Posts
Quick! Affordable (AND tasty) New York midtown dinner ideas?
Posted by ambienttra, February 8, 2008 at 1:56 PM
How do you organize your favorite recipes?
Posted by ambienttra, February 26, 2007 at 11:40 AM
Recent Favorites
A Primer to 'Star Trek' Food and Drink
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 7, 2009 at 7:00 PM
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great new feature! I, too, am guilty of CSA neglect. Especially the kale and collards - it seems like we get one or the other every single week and I am getting a little tired of just sautéing with garlic and olive oil. Any ideas?