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Time for a Drink: Bloody Mary
The last time I had a Bloody Mary, a friend made them with fresh cilantro. I never want to have a Bloody Mary without cilantro.
Saturday Night.... in Albany...
I second Capital Q Smokehouse. Fantastic BBQ. I always hear great things about Bros. Tacos. Tried going there once on a Sunday, and they were closed, which is how we discovered Capital Q (it's 1/2 block down the street).
Pump Station is great for a beer and burger. The jerk pork burrito at Bombers is killer.
French in a Flash: Rustic Roast Duck with New Potatoes, Sugar Snaps, and Spring Onions
If you have an Asian/Chinese grocery near you, check there. The ones near where I live have fresh (non-frozen) ducks.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
I'm all about the sides, smothered in turkey gravy. Therefore, the turkey is necessary.
Time for a Drink: Bloody Mary
The last time I had a Bloody Mary, a friend made them with fresh cilantro. I never want to have a Bloody Mary without cilantro.
Saturday Night.... in Albany...
I second Capital Q Smokehouse. Fantastic BBQ. I always hear great things about Bros. Tacos. Tried going there once on a Sunday, and they were closed, which is how we discovered Capital Q (it's 1/2 block down the street).
Pump Station is great for a beer and burger. The jerk pork burrito at Bombers is killer.
French in a Flash: Rustic Roast Duck with New Potatoes, Sugar Snaps, and Spring Onions
If you have an Asian/Chinese grocery near you, check there. The ones near where I live have fresh (non-frozen) ducks.
Serious Green: 10 Cheap & Green Kitchen Tips
What Luther said about stuffing the oven, plus you then have to refrigerate all that warm food. Using a toaster over or micro-convection oven is a better way to save energy.
Vinegar is the best cleaner in the world and it costs a couple bucks a gallon.
I'm dubious as to whether dishwashers save that much water. Anyway, how much water, energy, carbon, steel, plastics and other natural resources were expended in manufacturing and shipping the thing?
Snapshots from the UK: Pepsi Raw
Personally, I like sodas that have a bit of fat in them. *rolls eyes*
Serious Green: Planting a Container Garden
I have a good-sized in-ground garden, but I still grow things in pots. A few weeks ago one of my housemates came home with fabric pots, and I think I'm in love. They're lightweight, supposedly good for the plants, and you can empty, clean and fold them up at the end of the season. I think they'd be perfect for apartment gardeners.
They're called Smart Pots. There's a website (smartpots.com), but we found them even cheaper on Amazon.
Serious Heat: Bloody Mary Love
A friend turned me onto the best ingredient: cilantro. I never want a bloody mary with it.
Chocolate Power
Noooooo! I love cocoa mulch on my garden.
Chewing the Fat: Batali and Bourdain on Music
I hope Batali listens to Bourdain on this one. I've only been to OTTO (and just the once). The worst part of the experience was the music. Way too loud. Maybe it turns tables, but it also turned my stomach.
Eat 3.1 Ounces of Meat for a Happier Earth
I say both. I buy almost 100% of the beef, lamb and pork for our household from local farmers. Doing so preserves local farmland, requires less fuel for shipping, and supports the local economy. It's also tastier and healthier since the animals eat a natural diet and are better cared for.
As far as land usage, that depends where you live. Here in the Northeast we have a short growing season, relatively poor and rocky soil, and hilly topography. Sheep, pigs and cattle flourish in such an environment. Corn and wheat...not so much.
New York Cabbage Farm In Danger, Could Hurt National Kraut Industry
I highly recommend buying a Harsh crock for making kraut and pickles. They're kind of expensive, but I love mine. No mold/yeast to worry about.
This Weekend in 'New York Times' Food News
OMG I'd kill for a pastel right now. There is nothing better than pasteles.
'New Yorker' Turkey Cartoon Caption Contest
I thought we had settled this permanently:
Does Your Grocery Store Have You Crying Tears of Joy?
I second the vote for Stew Leonard's. It's not exactly local to me, but I stop at the one in Yonkers, NY whenever I'm heading back Upstate from New York City. There are only four stores (the other three are in Connecticut), which is my only complaint. The result is that at most times the place is a total madhouse. But it's totally worth it.
I've only had the pleasure of Wegman's once. Sadly, I don't visit western New York often.
Too Many Veggies from the CSA?
Can and freeze it.
One farmer at our market offers a flexible CSA. You pay $400 at the beginning of the season, which entitles you to $600 worth of produce throughout the year. You get to pick what you want from their stall, when you want it. They keep track of your remaining balance for you. Pretty sweet.
Healthy & Delicious: Eggplant in Spicy Tomato Sauce
Probably tasty, but that photo has "dog's dinner" written all over it.
A New Look at Old Bay with Classic Shrimp Scampi
Old Bay rocks on buttered corn-on-the-cob.
Hemp Oil, the New Olive Oil
It's Britain's answer to olive oil. Hemp can grow there, whereas olives cannot.
Heavy Metals Found in Organic Agriculture; Does that Make Organic Dangerous?
What Christopher said...it's all s#!t rolling downhill. Chemical fertilizers didn't come into widespread use until the 1940's, and industrial farming grew from that. When those studies were done in the 1920's everything was "organic" in today's terms. The toxins, then as now, come from environmental pollution by industry.
Scariest bit from the article on Slate:
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a division of the U.S. Public Health Service, cites fruit and grain consumption as the leading cause of lead exposure in the general population.
Fantastic.
Not Surprising: Vegans Have It Rough In Airports
Nobody likes a vegetarian. Or a vegan.
Poutines Deathmatch: La Banquise vs. Patati Patata
I'm just an Upstate New Yorker, but I can tell you that poutine is absolutely not the equivalent of chili cheese fries. Poutine is Quebecois soul food, pure and simple. A meal on its own, poutine is cheap, satisfying, delicious, and warming in winter. Chili cheese fries just don't compare.
I'll scope out Patati Patata next time I'm up north (never heard of it), but La Banquise has my heart. I've had quite a few great poutine there over the years. If you're visiting, one thing to remember is that La Banquise is open 24 hours unlike most of Montreal. It makes for a great nightcap or brunch.
As a former NYC resident and frequent Montreal visitor, I think the author got his NYC/MTL neighborhoods mixed up. La Banquise is laid back and located in an odd, sparse residential neighborhood which is more like parts of the East Village. There's nothing SoHo aboout it, as far as I can remember or tell. Patati Patata looks to be in manic clubland, from the map.
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
I'm with Ed. Let's eat pie.
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
Do I really have to choose? They're all so good.
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
This year we are having 18 for dinner.My daughter and I do nearly all of it. She always brings mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing (yuck!), a pumpkin cheesecake, her Sexy Salad ( greens with sexy stuff in it), my dad's green beans (with shallots and bacon - coming from our garden this year), and chile con queso. I do the rest, usually, although this year Jose Luis and Carmen are bringing smoked brisket and tamales. (They recently inherited my cast-iron smoker which Jose-Luis can make sing arias.) I will be making a sweet potato pie, a few apple pies (the youngest child and his beloved are bringing New England apples they picked last week with his roomates), at least 3 pecan pies, and a carrot cake for dessert. If I can squeeze it in, I want to also make a 3 layer chocoalte cake for me. The sides I make are cranberry-ginger sauce (the cranberries are also being brought directly from the bog in MA), 8 dozen homemade rolls, a relish tray with homemade pickled green beans and pickled okra, and tiny gherkins and our friend Richard Moon will augment it with different olives and throw some sweet pickles, baby carrots and left-over celery from the dressing on the plate. I might make some hummus for that.
I have a 25.7 lb turkey in the freezer and a 10lb ham in the fridge. We should be in good shape. I've been saving plastic send-home containers for a few months so everyone can bring stuff for sandwiches the next day.
My mouth is watering for Friday's breakfast which will be turkey (breast meat only, please), mayo, cranberry sauce and dressing on sourdough sandwiches.
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
Even though I have to watch my carbs and sugar for health reasons, I always have been and always will be a sides girl (just gotta eat little bits of it now instead of going all out!). I like ham and turkey just fine, but I eat deli meat a lot throughout the year, so it doesn't really seem like anything special. Southern cornbread dressing, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole (we do a pecan streusel-mini marshmallow mixture on top), orange-cranberry sauce, yeast rolls... it's all so good!! Of course, I adore pumpkin pie and pecan pie too... have to have a little bite of them to really call it Thanksgiving!
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
Oyster dressing smothered in turkey gravy.....yum! I can't wait!!!!
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
I love the entire trifecta.
The turkey is great esp since we deep fry it with a nice spice rub on the skin.
The sides are great - sausage and apple stuffing, stuffed mushrooms, garlic mashed potatoes, etc. And of course deep dried mac n cheese balls.
Then the dessert is the closing act - pumpkin pie is a must but apple pie with some vanilla ice cream works too!
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
Without the turkey there is no gravy. Gravy is the essential T-Day component. ALL non-dessert food is there merely as a vehicle for the gravy. Hmm, even some of the dessert food is improved by it. I say the heck with it. Gravy should be the main course, with everything else as a side.
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
Definitely the sides. Yes, you could make them any other time, but generally we don't make that particular combination of sides. And although I don't especially care about *eating* the turkey, I care very deeply about smelling it while it cooks and the gravy it produces. So I guess that means the turkey is equally important, but for different reasons.
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
I like the whole meal: turkey, sides, and pies. But if I had to choose among them, I'd say the sides are my favorite.
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
People, you can make the sides any time with any meal but the occasion to cook a great big bird only comes around once or twice a year. Yes, we can cook a turkey for a dinner party but most of us don't. It's the turkey!
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
It's all about the crown roast of pork. That's right. Who needs a turkey that takes hours of brining, rubbing, basting and baking when you can have 12-18 bones of luscious pork that cook up in under 90 minutes? We made the switch about four years ago and have not looked back.
And turkey sandwiches? Bah! Have cubanos made with the leftover pork loin instead!
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
Side! Sweet potatoes with all the fixings. Since my family is none traditional I always look forward to the Chinese roast duck.
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
Sides, absolutely. Not that I don't like turkey. And pies and desserts, I could do without. I need one bite of sweet at the end of a huge savory meal, then I'm done. And I'm a huge baker, in pastry school! As long as I get to eat a mound of mashed potatoes, some stuffing, and something green, I'm satisfied.
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
Sides. My favorite is the day after when a blob of mashed potatoes, a scoop of stuffing, perhaps some roasted onions and carrots, and a few shredded pieces of turkey are dumped, KFC-bowl of sadness style, into a bowl, doused with and obscene amount of gravy, nuked to within an inch of their life, covered in black pepper and eaten...with a spoon.
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
Pie, pie, pie!!!!!
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
Sides. The turkey is just there to provide pan juices for the gravy for the dressing, potatoes and other sides. (I also cook the giblets for broth for the stuffing).
I do eat a little turkey, but wouldn't let it interfere with the sides. And I am actually very fond of turkey and eat a lot of it. But that's part of the reason that all those sides on Thanksgiving are so much more important than the turkey - I don't make them a lot.
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
Love the sides but I can't wait to tear into a great bird! I've had smoked, deep-fried and traditional roasted turkeys over the years and all have been absolutely delicious!!!!
So give me the bird with great gravy!
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
sides! Mostly cuz in my family, they ALWAYS order the turkey from Safeway and it's ALWAYS dry so the sides are the only edible thing (even though the mashed potatoes are gummy, but I like them that way)
although last year my aunt made the mashed potatoes with flakes and spoilt milk so nothing was eaten :/
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
On the "day of", I'm going for the sides; particularly the cornbread dressing and giblet gravy. I'll sample the rest of the meal but I'd feel cheated if I didn't get that dressing; aplenty... That said, I'll fight to the death for the roasted tail and have to admit that since we cook the dressing "inside" and the gravy has to be laden with minced giblets, Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without the turkey. I'll wait until game time the next day to devour those cold turkey sandwiches rich with mayonnaise and always on white bread.
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
1. Sides, especially stuffing and potatoes.
2. Spaghetti Carbonara, a la Calvin Trillin
3. Turkey
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
Is there an option to say all of them? I love the turkey, the sides, and the pie!
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
sides on the day of. turkey sandwich day after.
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
Another vote for sides. But I'm that way all the time, not just Thanksgiving. Many of my meals are comprised of a medley of side dishes.
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?
Homemade cranberry sauce and pie are my only requirements, although once a year I do look forward to making my grandmother's stuffing which is of Portuguese origin and, green. As in green.
This year I am making mince pies (from David Lebovitz's recipe for mincemeat), my own pecan pie (I use treacle rather than corn syrup) and bread pudding baked within a pumpkin. I should probably make a sweet potato pie too; breakfast for the next day.
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Video: Sandra Lee 'Delicious, Delicious, Delicious' Montage
Posted by Adam Kuban, July 16, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Cook the Book: White Bean and Mustard Greens Dip
Posted by Michele Humes, December 23, 2008 at 1:15 PM
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About kurteye
Website: http://gallery.mac.com/kurteye#gallery
Location: saratoga springs
About: web developer, at-home cook, and sometime cook for weddings at an historic local hotel. i get by in each of those capacities. some days are better than others.
Favorite foods: bacon, other pork, beef chuck, foie gras, duck, mushrooms, collard greens, peas, leeks, chillis, thyme, rosemary, fenugreek, curry leaves, mustard oil and mustard seeds, coconut milk, fish sauce, sriracha
Last bite on earth: a great breakfast
I'm all about the sides, smothered in turkey gravy. Therefore, the turkey is necessary.