Serious Eats: fpatrick's Profile

While I could be torn between a nice garlic-laden pork roast, some pulled pork from when I lived inn North Carolina, or a messy plate of ribs, my favorite pork experience is both simpler and a bit more unique.

My family is Hungarian-American, and for as long as I remember, our Fourth of July augmented the usual hamburgers and hot dogs with kielbasa and one of my favorite pork products. We "shoot soluna" - a central European version of fatback (smoked a bit) that is held over a wood fire until dripping, then allowing it to drip it on some good rye bread, upon which one might add some sliced tomatoes, onions, cukes, and peppers. And then, since I've become the prime shooter of the family, I take the veggie-laden bread back to the fire and drip a bit more of that lovely pork fat on the final assembly.

If you're interested, I've got a small flickr set devoted to the preparation of this delicacy.

fpatrick at 4:43PM on 12/21/08

From Serious Eats

Vintage Candy Monday: The Charleston Chew

Back when the brand was owned by Nabisco and I was an Industrial Engineer there, I did some work in the plant. Nothing better than fresh off the line.

By the way, the smack on the table works even without freezing.

fpatrick at 8:47PM on 10/07/08

From Recipes

Sunday Brunch: A Basic Frittata

Somehow, in these days of rising natural gas prices, it would seem more frugal to go the omelet route than to run two burners and heat up and oven/broiler.

fpatrick at 5:11PM on 07/13/08

From Recipes

Sack Lunch: Turkey and Coleslaw Sandwich

Turkey and cole slaw is my go-to sandwich, but I add a bit of zing with first some brown mustard on the bottom bread, then turkey, then coleslaw, then some yellow hot sandwich peppers to brighten it all up a bit. Yum.

fpatrick at 11:20PM on 06/30/08

From A Hamburger Today

How to Order a McDonald's 2 Cheeseburger Extra Value Meal With No Cheese

Here's another one that results in a 50% success rate.

Try asking for an Egg McMuffin, no meat, no butter, that my vegetarian wife often tries to get.

I've suggested she try saying "sin carne, sin mantequilla", but since we live in NJ, she draws the line before resorting to that.

fpatrick at 11:14AM on 05/30/08

From Serious Eats

Grilling Tool: The BBQ Sword

Maybe not a gag.

Actually, this could have some utilitarian benefit. At our family Fourth of July picnics, my responsibility is "shooting the soluna" - a middle European (we're Hungarian) version of fatback that is held over a wood fire until dripping, then allowing it to drip it on some good rye bread, upon which one might add some sliced tomatoes, onions, cukes, and peppers.

Here's an old blog post about the process, with pictures.

A guard like that on the BBQ sword could help block the heat and reduce the "sunburn" my hand gets after 30-40 minutes of sitting in front of the fire (moving around to try to stay upwind of the smoke) melting that pork fat goodness.

fpatrick at 4:03PM on 05/10/08

From Serious Eats

Serious Easter Artisanal Chocolate Egg Giveaway

My wife insists on having an Italian Wheat Pie and a Ricotta Pie at Easter. I'm all about solid milk chocolate eggs (along with Russell Stover caramel rabbits.)

fpatrick at 8:51AM on 03/18/08

From Serious Eats

How Do You Eat Your Bagel?

Agree completely - fresh bagels don't need toasting.

For me, it's usually scallion cream cheese. However, my favorite Bagel place in NJ shut down this year - couldn't survive with the seasonal business at the shore I guess - and I am still going through withdrawal for their bacon-horseradish and spinach-garlic cream cheeses.

One other thing - Bagels are supposed to be savory things, not sweet. Blueberry bagels are an

(I'm also a purist about pizza, which must not use pineapple.)

fpatrick at 11:14AM on 09/13/07

From Serious Eats

'Top Chef': Design on a Dime

Do me a favor - next time, don't bold the spoiler - Bye bye, Howie.

I read your blog via an rss feedreader and record Top Chef for viewing on Thursday. When I come across your summary/review on Thursday morning, it's usually easy enough for me to scroll past it, mark it "unread", and move on to read it Friday after viewing the show Thursday night. But this time, there was no way my eyes were able to avert around the Bye bye, Howie line.

Thanks.

fpatrick at 5:56AM on 09/07/07

From Talk

Favorite Brand and Flavor of Potato Chips?

Wizdom brand Wasabi flavored chips found in Hong Kong. Every time we go there, I pack a light vinyl bag to bring back about 30 bags (only single serving) - In the lower pressure of a 777 cabin, they expand the bag like a balloon. Surprised me the first time I got a hankering for a bag somewhere over Alaska. Wizdom also makes good curry and kim-chi versions as well.

Stateside - for plain chips, basic Cape Cod, followed by Herr's Kettle Cooked. Great with Heluva Bacon Horseradish dip.

Stateside - for flavored, Herr's Salt & Vinegar.

Surprised me as better than expected, but not on a regular basis. - Herr's Ketchup flavor.

fpatrick at 5:22PM on 08/13/07

From Talk

Which rotisserie chicken makes the grade?

Costco - Always moist and juicy, but that's probably because it's almost always fresh and hot in its plastic container (or under the lights). Only drawback is the skin gets a bit soggy. Pretty good seasoning - there, but not overpowering.

fpatrick at 4:03PM on 07/26/07

From Recipes

Tom Valenti's One-Pot Meals: Pork Tenderloin Medallions

Let's see - a baking dish, a heavy-bottomed pot, and a grill...

What, exactly, makes this a "One-Pot Meal"?

And instruction-wise, are we missing a step, or are these "medallions" a half pound each?

fpatrick at 9:12AM on 07/19/07

From Serious Eats

How Do You Eat Your Bagel?

I come from Brooklyn, where one of my fondest childhood memories is the daily walk I took with my father and uncle to the neighborhood bagel bakery (in Boro Park).

I now live in California, after living 20 years in Massachusetts. I have never been able to find a Brooklyn-style bagel, and I wonder if they still exist.

My childhood bagels were hard and chewy, there was no way to make a sandwich from them. I ate them radially, schmearing the exposed end with cream cheese and eating my way around.

At the company cafeteria today, everyone was talking about bagels, and all but one person laughed at me for eating bagels the way I did. The one person who concurred with me, was a Bulgarian. He was a true Bagel maven.

YakovBenLazer at 11:59PM on 11/13/09

From Serious Eats

Video: Sandra Lee 'Delicious, Delicious, Delicious' Montage

How can you not be a Sandra fan after that. That's more entertaining than any "competition" on foodtv.

dmcavanagh at 7:22PM on 10/24/09

From Serious Eats

Video: Sandra Lee 'Delicious, Delicious, Delicious' Montage

Oh you di-int!! Thanks Adam, you really took one for the team.

therealchiffonade at 5:47PM on 10/24/09

From Serious Eats

Video: Sandra Lee 'Delicious, Delicious, Delicious' Montage

I've thought a bit about this and what concerns me most is the number of hours of Sandra Lee footage you must have had to watch in order to pull this together. You poor soul!

lauracarmen at 1:30PM on 08/15/09

From Serious Eats

Video: Sandra Lee 'Delicious, Delicious, Delicious' Montage

I'm laughing so hard I'm crying.

lauracarmen at 11:34AM on 08/15/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

I am not really big on soda anymore BUT last summer I was in Nags Head, NC and found the famous Cheerwine, a NC thing. It is fizzy cherry-flavored soda, not cherry cola, just cherry soda. It is out of this world delicious.

Last week when we were close to the border of NC and leaving for WV, I hit a supermarket and bought myself a 12 pack to take home to NJ. We can't get it here. It is my favorite soda in a really long time.

Otherwise I really like Cherry 7Up but they don't sell it in cans around here, just 2 liter bottles, which I have no room for in the refrigerator. I also love Crystal Light Wild Strawberry (comes in a powder that you mix with water) and their Citrus stuff too. Excellent mixed with some green tea! I make fusions of all kinds of things.

I have never liked Fresca. When I was a child, all the skinny cool girls drank the Diet Fresca and that was all they drank (that and lots of folks drank Tab) - neither of which I could get a tasting for. My favorite soda at the time was Pepsi - just plain Pepsi. To this day, I prefer plain Pepsi over anything Coke, don't know why. BUT I prefer Diet Coke to Diet Pepsi.

RisaG at 6:17PM on 07/20/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

I'm a firefighter, and our rehab vehicle would always have a dry mix powder of something called Squencher, it was sort of a generic Gatorade knock-off. There is nothing that tastes better than that stuff after a structure fire. It was randomly citrusy and just spectacular.

firechick614 at 5:25PM on 07/20/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

First of all, I love this post & reading all the comments - so many unknowns to me!
Fresca, LOVE! Just tried the Black Cherry which was excellent! Never thought to use it as a mixer!
Polar Orange Dry, which we picked up when our usual Lemon Seltzer was out; we didn't realize it was pop but loved it!
Tahitian Treat, good memories with this one! Somehow delicious with its sickening sweetness!
Ale-8-One, I can't believe it hasn't come up yet! It's an excellent ginger ale with a pun-y name. Maybe just a regional thing but you could only find it in KY where it's made forever. Then a few years ago, they started to allow it to be sold "'cross the river" in Cincy and southern OH. I loved this stuff!
Canada Dry Green Tea, a new favorite! Great combo (though a bit sweet) & such sparkling goodness!

mimi_thi at 4:11PM on 07/20/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

honestly, none..

a few years back i used to drink vanilla coke almost exclusively, and root beer every now and then, but i can't even finish a soda (or pop as we call it here lol) anymore because they're just too sweet to me.. after drinking mainly water for so long now, anything else is too much

the closest thing to soda i drink now is sparkling naturally flavored water.. i usually just save my calories and flavor for actual food

Control at 3:15PM on 07/20/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

BobbieAnne, it's TAHITIAN Treat and is made by Canada Dry. I know this because I, too, used to love it!

onedrummer at 1:27PM on 07/20/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

Here in southern California we are fortunate enough to have Jarritos brand soda, we love tamarindo, mandarina, pina (pineapple), toronja (grapefruit), fruit punch and my own personal favorite - mango. Delicious and always in bottles and in my opinion, soda tastes better from a bottle.

We also have a wonderful store in Los Angeles called Galco's Soda Pop stop. They carry EVERYTHING in soda. For instance, they have 46 kinds of root beer, alone. Brands that you didn't even know were being made anymore. Website is galcos.com and it's fun to visit.

sandydee8 at 1:22PM on 07/20/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

I love Barq's diet root beer - but they've stopped making it! (At least in the 2-liter bottle - I can still find the 12-packs of cans occasionally.) Everything I love eventually disappears. Companies should pay me not to like their fringe products so they won't fail.

tomfodw at 11:12AM on 07/20/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

I love Fresca. When I was a kid my favorite thing in the world was an ice cream soda made with Fresca and strawberry icecream. Hmmm, I haven't had that in years, but you know, it doesn't sound half bad.

chisai at 9:41AM on 07/20/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

In South Florida/Miami there are three sodas in particular that I'm nuts for, and now that I live in Arizona they are pretty hard to find (though I've occasionally found them): Jupiña (pineapple soda), Materva (yerba mate soda) and Ironbeer (I have no idea what kind of soda this is, it's dark like cola but is kinda fruity with a bit of a bite). And since I, too, prefer to CHEW my calories, I was thrilled to find diet versions of all of these (in Florida of course). So those are my must-haves when I visit my parents in Miami.

OH! There is another one that is really good too, Coco Rico - a coconut-water soda.

Seriously - no amount of Fresca, Sierra Mist, Diet Mt. Dew or Diet Sunkist will ever top my South Florida favorites.

ivonneb at 9:40AM on 07/20/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

Fresca is definitely my favorite soda. I like the original, Peach, and Black Cherry Fresca flavors.

Meewlee at 9:36AM on 07/20/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

I was a Fresca addict for a few years, and I still enjoy it occasionally. Then I discovered flavored selzter. When I lived in Colorado all I drank was Canada Dry Cranberry-Lime Seltzer. Sounds odd, but was it refreshing, and as I've gotten older (alas!) I don't enjoy sweet drinks as much as I used to. Now I live in St. Louis now I can't get it here. However, I've found LaCroix "Pamplemousse" seltzer, which has the grapefruit taste of Fresca, but without the sugar or artificial sweetner. Does anyone out there like flavored seltzers?

portail32 at 9:30AM on 07/20/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

my friends and i were obsessed with fresca when we were about 13... useed to put pez in it to make it fizz vary the flavor, and drink it out of shot glasses to be "cool." now that im a semi-grown up i should try it with alcohol :)
squirt is also good... it has a weird flavor and seems more "juicey" than other sodas to me. every once in a while i get this weird craving for orange soda [and speaking of being 13, does that remind anyone else of keenan and kel?]... when youre super thirsty and orange crush tastes SO GOOD, like nothing else.

redzerostar at 11:31PM on 07/19/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

So glad others like Polar! Diet Polar cranberry dry for me...
Polar (based in Worcester, MA I think) still makes birch beer...and golden ginger ale - much better than "dry" ginger ale. Moxie isn't bad as long as it's cold.

AdamH at 10:26PM on 07/19/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

OK here goes...I used to live in Concord NC.The first time I ever went in a Wat-A-Burger they had a drink called a "Witch Doctor" on the menu.I asked the nice young lady whats a Witch Doctor? Her reply "you get a big cup,put a handful of pickle slices in it,some ice,then a squirt of every fountain flavor thay had,all together".MMMMMMM.....Wat A burgers in Florida never heard of a Witch Doctor. Have you?

onepercent99 at 5:26PM on 07/19/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

Oh and Aranciata is also a must!

mtgall at 3:48PM on 07/19/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

I've never had the chance to try Fresca. But I remember when I was younger and on vacation, drinking some fruity sparkling drink on a big, slender blue bottle, I think it was Clearly Canadian, but can't really say, way too much time ago.

mtgall at 3:45PM on 07/19/09

From Serious Eats

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

I heart Fresca too (and my mom is the ultimate Fresca addict!), but my absolute favorite is Diet Sunkist. I had a huge orange soda craving while pregnant with my daughter three years ago and have been hooked ever since. I'm pregnant with my second child now and am staying away from caffeine, so Sunkist is out... Diet Fanta Orange is caffeine free and quite a good substitute, though. Also LOVE Sundrop (a Carolina thing) and, when I could find it a few years ago, Diet Grape Crush.

PinkCupcake at 1:54PM on 07/19/09

From Serious Eats