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Ginger cookies in Manhattan?
Dean & Deluca on Prince & Broadway have chewy, large ginger cookies which are rather delicious!
I don't know if I was supposed to eat this
It is a digestive and consists of assorted fennel (saunf).
Try and spit it out politely outside the restaurant in future.
Foods You Indulge Yourself With
Chocolate....chocolate...and yet more chocolate....especially filled ones.
Try it.
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A genuine kouign amann in New York City?
Posted by flakevanille, December 15, 2008 at 3:04 PM
Ice cream sandwich bars - which are the best?
Posted by flakevanille, June 18, 2007 at 2:31 PM
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Best Coffee in Manhattan
Abraco in the East Village - hands down. The iced cappuccino is a must.
Ginger cookies in Manhattan?
Dean & Deluca on Prince & Broadway have chewy, large ginger cookies which are rather delicious!
I don't know if I was supposed to eat this
It is a digestive and consists of assorted fennel (saunf).
Try and spit it out politely outside the restaurant in future.
Foods You Indulge Yourself With
Chocolate....chocolate...and yet more chocolate....especially filled ones.
Try it.
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
The trick to keeping the price down is not to have wine or coffee. That way you can enjoy the meal and go to several different restaurants each year. I have had delicious meals at Eleven Madison, Park Avenue Summer, Crema (dessert disappointed). I look forward to it each year and have reservations at North Square, Perry Street, Artisanal and Le Perigord.
Bar Wars: The Battle for Pomegranate Ice Cream Bar Supremacy
Sheer Bliss hands down. I have written about it before. The ice cream is creamy, delicious and highly addictive. My favorite is the Freedom - vanilla ice cream with pomegranate and blueberry swirls - not too sweet but oh, so yummy!
Dressing the salad.....bottled or homemade?
I haven't bought a bottled dressing in over 15 years.
Its so easy to whip up something at home. A standard one is red or sherry wine vinegar, shredded garlic and ginger, a dash of soya sauce, minced chives, salt and pepper and lashings of olive oil. Goes on everything from a simple salad to salad topped with blanched vegetables. So tasty that you could munch on it while preparing dinner.
Sad Foods: What do you eat in times of trouble?
A box of filled chocolates...always helps.
Milkshake: make mine______
Make mine a thick strawberry with one or two pieces of strawberry on top and don't forget the whipped cream....yum!
What's your Favorite Movie Food?
I always take a bar or a tiny box of filled chocolates - summer or winter. It always makes the movie more enjoyable.
Does anyone have any really good smoothie recipes that don't require bananas?
How about using good ole' vanilla ice cream? Yum yum!
July belongs to Blueberries Month
A simple summer blueberry compote:
Put 1 cup of blueberries in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Cool. Squeeze lemon juice on it to release extra flavor. Add to rest of blueberries from the pint. Eat with lemon yogurt or creme fraiche. Enjoy!
Do British Candy Bars Taste Better? Serious Eats Investigates
English chocolates are much tastier than American chocolates which are far too sweet with less of a "chocolatey" taste.
Go with an open mind and have a tasting and see for yourself.
Question of the Day: Wanted: a personal chef
Andre Soltner would be perfect.. However, a chef of the past, none other than Ferdinand Point.
Question of the Day: Favorite melons?
Cavaillon are delicious.
What other food sites are you reading?
For my job, I do a lot of research and so these are some of the sites I go into on a daily basis
www.savorynewyork.com
www.jamesbeard.com
www.restaurantgirl.com
www.davidrosengarten.com
www.davidlebovitz.com
www.theoldfoodie.blogspot.com
www.thecitycook.com
What is the best restaurant in New York right now?
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon.
Per Se.
what are some yummy places to eat in paris & nice?
Macaroons at Pierre Herme.
Laduree for cakes and coffee.
Berthillon for ice cream.
Going to Paris requires your presence at all three places.
favorite summer meal
tomato sandwiches
corn sauteed with peppers and young garlic
summer berries with lashings of cream
icy cold milkshakes....heaven!
Question of the Day: How often do you stock up?
Union Square farmer's market for herbs, vegetables and fruits.
Garden of Eden on a daily basis to decide what to make for dinner -mussels, chicken, a piece of fish.
Emi yogurts at Walgreen which has the best price so far.
Rice, lentils and Indian groceries from Kalustiyan.
Ice cream from Il Lab in the LES.
Question of the Day: I love the smell of...
My heart sings to the aroma of:
chicken curry simmering on the stove
garlic and oil being sauteed
fresh rosemary and thyme being snipped
apple pies cooling.
I don't care for the initial pungent odor of large vats of stock being made.
Ever been to brunch at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon?
My advice would be to call the restaurant and ask them.
They accept walk-ins at the bar but reservations for tables have to be made one month in advance.
Question of the Day: What are your favorite "simple" foods?
Heirloom tomatoes sliced, topped with fragrant lemon olive oil and black pepper.
Endives with mesclun and nuts topped with a simple vinaigrette.
Fresh raspberries with dollops of creme fraiche and cream combined....heaven!
best way for n00b to eat his FIRST REAL 12,5g black truffle?
Truffle butter is sold in tiny pots - you should make your own with unsalted butter, softened and then truffle shavings mixed into it - that way, you can enjoy it for quite some time. Refrigeration will keep it fresh.
Which oil do you like to use?
Vegetable or Crisco oil - as it's flavorless.
Best Coffee in Manhattan
Sorry, this isn't a "best" but...
I really like Kaffe 1668 - it's been consistent when I go there before work. In the interests of economy, I bought a coffeemaker for my office, and have been using Gorilla's Poco Fundo (sp?) beans to make drip coffee.
It's been good enough that I don't need to add milk or sugar. Also, Abraco and Cafe Grumpy lived up to their reputations.
Agreed that the Mudtruck is not very good. Also, 9th Street didn't stand out to me, but I ordered something involving milk, which didn't really allow for evaluating the espresso alone.
Best Coffee in Manhattan
I have a roundup of the best coffee in Manhattan in the works. Be on the lookout in the next couple weeks.
By the way, am I the only one who doesn't think Abraco is god-like?
Best Coffee in Manhattan
Zibetto feels more like an espresso place than a drip coffee place to me. Abraco has good coffee but it's very strong, and I think the espresso is better. Stumptown's coffee is a bit too mellow for my preference, but it tastes great. Joe the Art of Coffee is good but not memorable for whatever reason. The Mud Truck doesn't even place. Eh. I think my absolute favorite would have to be either 9th Street Espresso or Jack's Stir Brewed.
Do British Candy Bars Taste Better? Serious Eats Investigates
i mean the US chocolates cant compare to the UK ones ! sorry!
Do British Candy Bars Taste Better? Serious Eats Investigates
I am from Wales in the UK and I have a Second home in LA, and I go there around 6-7 times a year. The thing I miss the most going there is having Cadbury's Dairy Milk. there are so many gorgeous chocolates in the UK - Mars, Galaxy, Snickers, etc. And they just cant compare to the chocolate in the US. I will say the sweets/candy in the US in great, but the chocolate cant compare.
i will defend the black/white biscuits, they are kinda nice. everyone likes them in the UK!
Foods You Indulge Yourself With
I wish I can write just one thing, but it all depends on my mood. But list is ( not in any given order)
Dick's Drive Inn Cheeseburger's and fries with side of their tartar
Pizza dripping and oozing cheese and toppings
Schultzy's fries
Any kind of sweets
Pho or any soups
Mac and cheese with ketchup on it
Mexican everything
Basically alot of crap.
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
Collegekid19 asked for an Italian restaurant. Del Posto is nice. I don't know exactly why, but, while there and even later, I kept thinking "nice!".
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
Inspite of the pitfalls, I love RW. I find that, if I arrive early (even without a reservation) for lunch and look well put together, I almost always get seated. On the one or two occasions when this strategy failed, I did get seated at my second choice restaurant.
I agree with the praise for Danny Meyer's restaurants. I go to Gramercy Tavern during restaurant week and during the rest of the year. I always feel welcome.
Besides Gramercy Tavern, I love Aquavit and Oceana. The salmon at Aquavit is transcendent. The food overall at Oceana is subtle, beautifully presented, and memorable.
One place to avoid is Grayz. This is a midtown restaurant owned by Gray Kunz, a celebrity chef. It is located in a former Rockefeller townhouse. Aside from the historical interest, I have little good to say about the restaurant.
The staff at Grayz resented serving an inexpensive meal. For each of three courses, there were only two selections. There was loud Hispanic music. The food was bad.
What can I say? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
My favorite was Mesa Grill, Aureole was fine but they run a summer special throughout the summer, they may not even officially participate. Trying to get into Gramercy Tavern and Eleven Madison Park is just an exercise in frustration for me. I would've called a month in advance but just forgot about it and now both places are booked solid. This year I am going to Tabla with my sister, not my original choice but like others I feel Danny Meyer does the most honorable job with RW. We'll see how it goes.
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
I highly recommend River Cafe for lunchtime restaurant week. Great view, amazing food with several different options ( not just two ). And afterward you can walk over the bridge or lay on the grass under the bridge and enjoy a lovely day.
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
Restaurant Week is indeed a great *idea* but you need to be aware of the pitfalls:
- huge crowds and rushed service
- restaurants that cut corners (i.e., chicken and fish, none of the signature dishes, etc.)
- getting shut out of reservations since you didn't call 28, 30, or 31 days in advance
- the *really* high quality and popular restaurants usually do not participate
- restaurants that already have a prix fixe deal that is in that price range (Devi, Tocqueville, etc.)
I've always had a good experience at any Danny Meyer restaurant. As well as restaurants that typically don't have a large lunch crowd but are popular for dinner.
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
I highly recommend lunch during restaurant week because it is more affordable than dinner. But I did have a great time at Nougatine during restaurant week in February. The service was great and the food was generally the stuff you'd find on the regular menu.
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
@collegekid19--don't know if Ino does RW, but it's pretty inexpensive for a regular night out, and SO worth it!. We love love LOVE going there for the truffled egg toast and panini. Ino is one of my favorite spots in the city.
Restaurant Week is taking a beating here, and I think it's a great idea. My boyfriend and I are on a budget and don't get to eat at all of the fantastic places in NYC as often as we'd like. RW is a chance for us to try something that's normally out of reach. Once August hits, it's back to checking things off on the "Best Cheap Eats" issue of NY Mag! We love Restaurant Week! (almost as much as truffled egg toast...)
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
I'm with SE. Check it:
http://gastrogirls.wordpress.com/2008/06/24/nyc-resto-week-rears-its-head/
100% agreed on NY Resto Week.
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
I second Bar Room at the Modern -- had a terrific dinner last year. And Lupa for lunch; if I remember correctly, we got not three but four courses, all delicious. Worst was lunch at Asia de Cuba a couple RWs ago: it's a good thing the friend I went with and I like the same food, because get this, for the RW menu we could only order one dish from each course, to share! We couldn't believe it. The portions were decent, but it was just so bizarre. Don't know if that's still the case, but I would be wary...
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
Does Ino Cafe participate in restaurant week?
http://www.cafeino.com/
Has anyone ever eaten here? Worth a try?
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
Any suggestions for Italian?
Do British Candy Bars Taste Better? Serious Eats Investigates
I registered for this site just to make a comment on this point.
I lived in Ireland for over 6 years and was a devout chocaholic but when I moved back to Canada I found the chocolate here rather boring, tasteless and bland.
Fortunately I had brought back several huge Cadbury chocolate bars and a 1.5K tin of Roses' chocolates with me. Once they were gone, I tried to feed my habit on the vast variety of Canadian chocolate bars only to be disenchanted.
Make no mistake about it, British/Irish chocolate (we must not forget Belgium) is the best tasting in the world.
I confess that I enjoy having a Coffee Crisp once in a while but I just finished a Galaxy Ripple bar which I bought (along with a whole pile of UK goodies from an import source near me) and there is no comparison. It was moanful (not mournful) to say the least and I felt that I had indeed had a good chocolate fix.
Those who disagree have no taste buds!
Dressing the salad.....bottled or homemade?
I'm right in line with most of the posts so far...I love a good old fashioned mustard/vinegar/olive oil vinaigrette.
If you want to go low-fat, however (which my wife occasionally insists that we do), pick up some xanthan gum in the baking aisle of a Whole Foods, etc. v">Bob's Red Mill markets it. It's one of the additives that the big food companies use to emulsify/thicken their salad dressings.
Since most vinaigrette recipes call for a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio of oil to water-type ingredients (in order to create a thick suspension), they can be incredibly calorie-rich. When I do the low-fat thing, I'll add 1/8 tsp xanthan gum and reduce the oil to a 1:1 ratio, replacing what I left out with water.
When you whisk it all together, it will have the same consistency and mouth-feel as a regular vinaigrette but will have up to 2/3 less fat and calories -- without sacrificing much in the way of flavor or texture.
Of course, some people are sensitive to xanthan gum (particularly people with allergies to corn) so be careful!
Dominic
the zen kitchen
Dressing the salad.....bottled or homemade?
I tend to do homemade: it's fast, it's cheap, and I can make small batches at a time so it doesn't go to waste.
My favorite dressing to go with my grilled beef and mesclun salad: once I've finished pan-searing my little steaks, I let it rest. In the meantime, under med heat, I stir in some olive oil into the pan to scrape up the good bits, squeeze in a couple of juicy limes, add fish sauce/pinch of sugar/chopped thai bird chili to taste. Then I pour in the juices that the steaks have left on the plate. Cut steaks, arrange prettily on top of some mesclun/spring greens, and spoon warm dressing over it all.
SO good.
Dressing the salad.....bottled or homemade?
Thanks for sharing ideas for the potato & fruit salads & thoughts on bottled dressings. Interesting to hear about dressings available in other parts of the world---thanks!
Dressing the salad.....bottled or homemade?
I love making home-made dressing, and after living in Spain, I never dress my salads from a bottle. However - there is one large exception to this: Japanese salad dressings. I have been in Japan twice, of course, they know how to do packaged dressing right. I am always on the prowl for new flavours of japanese dressings to keep my palate surprised. Wafu, is of course, an old standard, but I can't seem to find it in the UK
Dressing the salad.....bottled or homemade?
One main complaint about most bottled dressings (aside from the freshness factor) is the incredible amount of sodium they contain. My mom used to use those Good Seasons packets, but I haven't seen them in a while. And thanks to CanadianFoodieGirl for the tip about the Annie's dressings; next time I'm in Albuquerque, plan to pick up several varieties to sample. Homemade is fresher and better, but am always on the lookout for new and tasty flavor couplings. Oooh-la-la! Food is so sexy, isn't it?
Dressing the salad.....bottled or homemade?
I make a fruit salad with assorted berries and mango, and I put orange juice, orange zest and honey. We eat it by itself, over yogurt, or on ice cream. Quite tasty!
Dressing the salad.....bottled or homemade?
The first time I was cooking for my French husband, I asked him if he wanted French dressing on his salad and he asked me, "What's that?" I brought the bottle out of the refrigerator and showed him that bright orange stuff with French Dressing on the label. He looked a little apalled and said, "Why don't I make the dressing?" which he did with olive oil, vinegar and digon mustard. It was an eye opener for me. That's the only way I make it now except I add some dry parsely and garlic. I love to use balsamic vinegar but he doesn't like it as it is too sweet for him, the purist. For potato salad I marinade the potatoes first in the basic dressing above and then mix in just a little mayo with maybe a splash of pickle juice.
Recent Posts
A genuine kouign amann in New York City?
Posted by flakevanille, December 15, 2008 at 3:04 PM
Ice cream sandwich bars - which are the best?
Posted by flakevanille, June 18, 2007 at 2:31 PM
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Abraco in the East Village - hands down. The iced cappuccino is a must.