Usually I'm the one answering these kinds of questions but now I'll be the one asking. Backstory: fiance's brother started school at NYIT which is by Columbus Circle (61st and Broadway). He's on a very very very limited student budget (and I really mean that). Is there anywhere around there that has decent food options and won't go above, lets say $6 for a sandwich or $10 for a meal that can equate to 2 meals (thinking kinda like Sophie's Cuban or something where the portions are huge)? Any good carts nearby?

Yes I know he can go to Chinatown, and yes I know I can feed him sandwiches myself and have him take them to school with him, but I'm looking for actual places he can drop by to grab a bite in between classes. Thanks!

I moved to the UES recently (a few blocks east of the 77th street stop). Last night we were coming home from watching a movie at around 11pm and needed a quick bite but had no idea where to go. So we grabbed a slice of pizza that was, unfortunately, completely sub-par (and kinda expensive...)

My go-to late-night eats when coming home from something before I moved was the 2 Bros on 25th and 6th which was right on my block and tasted delicious fresh out of the oven at 1am (even more delicious if you've had a few drinks and for the fact that it's $1).

Are there any good places to grab a late-night quick bite on the UES (doesn't have to be pizza...)?

I'm going to be staying in Monaco (not by choice, but then again, I'm not paying) for the week after Memorial Day weekend. We'll probably rent a car and get out of Monaco most of the days.

Anyone have any good recommendations or inside tips on where to eat/what regional specials to try in Nice/Menton/Eze/Monaco and the surrounding area? Or even on the Italian side of the Riviera over there?

Recommendations on places to see/what to do also appreciated!

So I'm going to be baking some things for Thanksgiving and bringing everything down to my family's house in Jersey on the big day. One of the guests is severely allergic to nuts (as in she carries an epi-pen allergic).

Anyone know of a good bakery (preferrably in Manhattan) that does nut-free baked goods (as in the flour they use had to have been processed in a nut-free facility)? I only know of Eleni's and I'm not the biggest fan of theirs...

She's usually used to not eating desserts just in case, but I'd like to bring some over so she won't be left out

So I pressure cooked some black beans and I'm using them in a salad. I don't want to throw out the leftover broth...any ideas what to do with it? I can only think of either soup or maybe as stock for risotto.

Hopefully you guys will be able to help me out a bit...

I'll be going down to South America with the bf the second and third weeks of September. We are planning the following itinerary:

NYC>Lima>Cuzco>Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu>Cuzco>Lima>Buenos Aires>Iguazu Falls>Rio>NYC

I want to make sure we don't miss any food-related gems along the way. I've done some research (NYTimes, Tripadvisor, etc) but wanted to ask you all as well, especially since I've taken a lot of advice from SE over the past few years.

I have some things on the list already like pisco sours, guinea pig, alpaca, chica, parillas, ceviche (Pescados Capitales or La Mar in Lima) and churrascarias (Fogo de Chao in Rio).

So, any recommendations on where to eat/what to eat/what not to miss in Lima/Cuzco/Buenos Aires/Iguazu Falls (both the Argentine and Brazilian side) and Rio. It can be fancy and expensive or a hole-in-the-wall. I'm down for anything except going way out of the way as we'll be spending only a few days in each place. Thanks!

Has anyone seen or know where to find Mirabelle plums (tiny, yellowish-green) in any stores or farmer's markets in NYC (preferably Manhattan)?

They're so sweet and bite-sized and I've been craving them (got some other variety from Union Square today...) but have never seen anyone selling them

My friend recently brought me a tamarind and chili powder covered apple from Texas with chamoy salsa. And now I'm hooked. I've had chamoy down in Mexico as both a sauce and a candy but for some reason I can't seem to find it in NYC (I'll admit I only went to Tehutzingo). If worse comes to worst, I'll order online (plus mexgrocer had an interesting video showing how to make the apples with some kind of pre-made tamarind paste product that I might want to try) but wanted ask here first.

Anyone know where to get chamoy salsa in NYC (willing to go outside of Manhattan of course)? Also recommendations for best chamoy brand, as well as opinions for best chile-based fruit seasoning brand much appreciated (I'm not a fan of the classic Tajin seasoning, not spicy enough and tastes a little stale to me). Thanks!

So I'm moving out of NYC after 7 years (tear) to Paris (ok, maybe no tear, but still) for a few years and for the first time, I'm going to be living completely by myself (no parents, no roommates, no living with the bf) and will be cooking for one.

I've always had issues judging how much one portion is when I cook and end up with a ton of food. I'm going to be working a lot (12h+ including most weekends). I eat pretty much everything. I'd also prefer not to make a large batch of something and eat it for days (i.e., chili / curry, both of which I love), but rather make something and reinvent the leftovers (roast chicken into chicken salad the next day, for example). Any advice / suggestions / recipes serious eaters?

Merci :)

I think the title of the post says it all. By quesillo (aka queso oaxaca or oaxacan cheese), I mean the crazy delicious string cheese (not flan) native to Oaxaca, Mexico.
I've seen it or read of it being available at some restaurants, but anyone actually SEEN it in any store / bodega in NYC? Thanks!

I was just in Oaxaca, Mexico (yes, the food is crazy delicious but I'm not actually not a fan of chocolate in my moles) and went on a mini-shopping spree at the markets. I got Chile Tuxta (or Tuxtla), Chile Pequin, Pastilla Oaxaqueno and powdered Mole Verde. And dried jicama flowers, which will become margaritas and iced tea.

Other than reconstituting the chiles and putting them in salsa, or making a rub for meat, does anyone have any ideas what to do with them? Has anyone used these chiles before?

I'll probably use the mole verde for chicken (the lady gave me a little piece of paper with a recipe on it when I bought it), but any other ideas?

Thank you all :)

i was looking for oatmeal raisin cookie recipes and decided to try out the one on david lebovitz's website and then i saw that it substitutes apple sauce for some of the butter, which i've heard of but never done before.

while i'm all for butter and whipped cream and using whole milk in recipes instead of skim, i am intrigued and can't wait to make these this weekend.

i was wondering what, if anything, do you substitute in recipes, to cut down on calories / fat / sugar but to keep the taste and consistency fairly similar to the original recipe? do you substitute it for all or some of the ingredient?