We'll be at the Rock Center Greenmarket for Lunch

And why have we waited two weeks to tell all of you about the Farm to Table meal? Well, because this week is the reopening of the Rockefeller Center Farmer's Market and our new favorite farm will be there today! If you're lucky, so will we, mayhaps eating some sandwiches and lasagna.

Yesterday, I took a small detour prior to work and stopped by the Port Authority Farmer's Market to say hello, and pick up some goodies. They let me know that they now have a lunch special: get a Veggie or Turkey sandwich and a side for $8! I had both a Thunder Pickle AND the beet chips yesterday, and I can assure you both are incredible. The pickle was a dill sour, so sour my throat hurt a little after, and it smelled like briney, garlicky goodness. A few of my coworkers managed to get a beet chip before I downed the bag; now I know why they have one regular customer who keeps upping her supply (first it was one bag, then six, and yesterday morning she bought ten right in front of me!)

A new addition to their prepared food is the 100 Mile Lasagna, something I can't wait to try.

They had a good amount of veggies ready for the eating yesterday-I picked up some carrots-and they should be stocked today.


Rockefeller Center Greenmarket
Open Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 8am to 6pm
Through Early September
www.cenyc.org/greenmarket jump

Enjoying a 100 Mile Menu, with Farmer Bob

A little over two weeks ago, Brownie and I received a special treat-we were allowed to enjoy the first of Great Performances' Farm to Table series, a celebration of the 100 Mile Menu, at the 620 Loft & Garden. And we got to see our new best friend, Farmer Bob.

The 620 Loft & Garden is located directly above Fifth Avenue in the British Empire building of Rockefeller Center, across from Saks Fifth Avenue, and it's one spectacular venue. We've been there before, specifically when we hung out with Canadians. Luck was with us as the evening the dinner fell on gave us some absolutely beautiful weather.

This time around also included drinking a cocktail or two in the garden area, my choice being a cherry julep.

While enjoy our drinks, we got to preview what was ahead at dinner with hors d'œuvres and amuse-bouches. Though we both loved Joe's Dairy Ricotta drizzled with honey-it was a good balance between sweet and tart,

and we listened to Farmer Bob comment on the perfect, cookie-cutter size of the fried green tomatoes,

but my favorite was the beef burger with Flying Pigs bacon. Just enough burger to whet my appetite, I did wish it was a little more raw, but the crispy, meaty bacon let me overlook any wrongs. I was very tempted to eat just the bacon off a number of baby burgers.

On the other hand, Brownie kept eyeing the pea sips with crème fraîche. I believe she called it refreshing, and very green.

We also both partook in the lettuce bar with the incredibly big lettuce leaves from Katchkie. We saw the heads in person just a few days before, but when the leaves were laying out separately in front of us, they looked massive, crunchy, and super fresh.

Soon it was time for the proper dinner in the loft area. First course was Meiller's Farm Braised Pork Belly with sour cherries and baby greens. My piece was perfectly cooked, a light crunchy skin covering a good layer of melt in your mouth fat, and then moist pork underneath. The sour sweetness of the cherries and earthiness of the greens really complemented the pork belly.

During this course, we were introduced to Kareem Massoud of Long Island's Paumanok Vineyards, and taste one of his reds. Almost everyone at my table was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the wine, some even remarked about acquiring a bottle. It appears that Long Island wine really has come a long way, and should be respected among the great wine-producing regions.

Next was the fish course, with fresh New Jersey monkfish atop a wheat raviolo which was hiding some of Katchkie's kale and roasted peppers. The fish was superb and tasty enough that I quickly ate the entire portion. I loved the presentation on this one, if you gently lifted the raviolo to peer underneath, there was this shock of color with the green wilted kale and the bright red peppers.

Then we witnessed the cutting of the roasted lamb by Chef Chris Harkness. The next day, we had an impromptu "what Blondie ate at dinner last night" and my British boss quipped "My, that's one leg of lamb." It was, oh, it was.

Moist and tender with a perfect balance of seasoning, it was absolutely scrumptious. The beets, spinach, carrots, and blackberries added the right blend of sweet to the meat. But when topped with some of Schoolhouse Kitchen's SmoothSweetHot Mustard (of which I got to take home a jar, hehe) it was beyond delicious.

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After all this savory, it was time for some sweet. The main dessert dish, themed "Three Fruits of July," included a Locust Grove cherry milkshake, with one cherry in the shake, accompanied by a blueberry clafoutis and a raspberry linzer. All were excellent letting the full flavor of the fruits come through, and not overwhelmingly sweet.

While I was enjoying my dessert, one more was being brought around, strawberry and blueberry popsicles. My choice was, of course, blueberry and I have NEVER tasted a blueberry pop like this. It tasted like fresh, ripe, flavorful blueberries. If they sold these in the stores, I might actually consider it instead of my usual ice creams, it was that spectacular.

Oh, and the next Farm to Table will be up at the farm, next Saturday the 8th! Tickets are still available for that, and all the following Farm to Tables going on throughout fall. For the entire schedule and to order tickets, go to 100milemenu.com.

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Cucina & Co Are Making Whoopie (Pies)

It's no secret that I love Whoopie Pies. It pleases me to no end that this New England/Pennsylvania Dutch Treat is starting to make some inroads in the city and when I saw whoopies turn up at Cucina & Co I knew I had to give them a try...

The whoopie pies at Cucina are pretty large and by looks alone the cake part appears to have been baked in muffin top pan. Interesting technique for uniform production, but it doesn't allow the whoopie to get the nice domed top that I'm used to.

The cake was very dense and a little dry. It definitely needed to be accompanied by a tall cold glass of milk. If you go after 4:00pm, as I did, you can take advantage of Cucina & Co's 50% off deal and score on of these monsters for $1.50 (regularly $3.00). These whoopie pies won't be taking the place of This Chick Bakes' Mint Whoopie Pies as my favorite in the city to date, if you're feeling cupcake fatigued (ahem, Adam Kuban) and need a cheap sugar rush at 4:00pm, these will do.

The first couple of times that I noticed these whoopie pies they were on display beside the other desserts, this time when I went looking for them they were hiding in the case with the chilled desserts. If you don't see them be sure to ask.

Cucina & Co.
30 Rockefeller Center
Concourse Level
New York, NY 10020
212 332-7630
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A Ten Course Pizza Tasting with Paulie Gee

Anyone who's a semi-regular poster on Slice or Serious Eats knows PaulieGee, regular poster and pizza aficionado. You can tell from Paulie's comments and flickr gallery that he knows his pizza, but until Adam Kuban's post back in April, I had no idea that Paulie Gee was a master pizzaiolo--an expert pie maker as well as pie taster. On Saturday night while Blondie was in the Hamptons, Lawman and I were fortunate enough to have an invite to Casa de Gee for a ten course Pizza Tasting. That's right a ten course pizza tasting...

All week leading up to the tasting I was craving some pie, I passed up opportunities for low end and high end pizzas, holding out for Paulie's and I'm definitely glad I did.

Paulie and his wife Mary Ann greeted us warmly by and within moments of arriving we were toasting each other with Paulie's legendary homemade limocello--a delicious way to start out any evening.

Limocellos in hand we made our way to the back yard to see where the magic happens. When I first spotted the brick oven in Paulie's back yard in New Jersey, my little Napoletana heart started to pitter pat. Was Paulie Gee's fam from Naples? Actually Paulie's grandparents immigrated from Palermo. The "Napoli" on the side of the pizza oven was in honor of the great pizza making tradition from the region. Can't argue with that!

Lawman and I chatted with Paulie and Mary Ann while we waited for Pizzablogger and his wife to arrive for dinner and we sampled Paulie's homemade cow's milk fior di latte.

We also had a chance to peruse the dinner menu. I don't know about you but I love thinking about what I'm going to eat in advance. I like to savor the deliciousness of my next meal in my mind and if anything could whet your appetite it's this menu...

Now on to the eats...

Paulie Putting the Margherita Pizza in the Oven

The first pie up was the classic Margherita, an ideal pizza for showcasing Paulie's homemade mozzarella, delicious secretly sourced tomatoes and fresh basil. His crust managed to be light and crisp with just the right amount of chewiness and char. Paulie's wood fired brick oven gets to 900 to 1000 degrees and cooks the pies within a matter of just a couple minutes so when the pie is in the oven it needs careful attention to make sure it gets turned and removed from the oven at just the right time.

When the Margherita was finished in the oven, Paulie whisked it inside to add the Proscuitto di Parma on top right before serving so that the meat wouldn't get cookied along with the pie. Incredible.

Our second pie of the night, the Bianco with Chopped Fresh Garlic, Pecorino Romano, and fresh basil was just the right balance of saltiness and sharpness. Melt in your mouth perfect and though it's hard to pick one, this ranks up there with some of my favorite pizza of the evening.

Paulie's Soppressata Picante pizza would have the most avowed pepperoni fan balking at that lesser meat topping...

Another favorite that emerged was the accidental combination of Fig, Marscapone, Proscuitto di Parma, and Baby Arugula. I've never had marscapone on a pizza before and this pie was INCREDIBLE. The interplay between the sweetness of the figs and the marscapone, the saltiness of the Proscuitto di Parma, and the hint of bitterness in the Baby Arugula hit all the right notes.

I could go on and on about the wonders of Paulie's pizza but I've heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. Hope you enjoy this slide show of my dinner at Paulie's...

To Paulie and Mary Ann, thank you for the incredible generosity you showed by inviting us to your home for this remarkable dinner. Paulie, you make a terrific pie and I hope that your dream of having your own place in the city are realized soon. For any would be investors out there--Paulie is a terrific guy and a terrific pizzaiolo. If his pie were available in the city it would definitely be among the greats.
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Blondie's Libations: Stoli and Sunshine in the Hamptons

Like I told you earlier this week, I was given the chance to hang out with Thrillist.com when they celebrated the launch of Thrillist Hamptons this past weekend. Of course, the party was held at the latest "see and be seen" spot, the Day & Night Beach Club. And, just like every other weekend in my life, the booze started flowing early.

The party bus left the city at 11:30am sharp-once everyone was tucked away with a gift bag and a drink. On the bus out there we had the chance to preview the new Comedy Central show Michael & Michael Have Issues. I'm pretty sure we viewed the pilot, as the punch lines needed some fleshing out. The people surrounding Moniker and I were really friendly and super fun which was a definite plus.

Once there the bus and an accompanying Hummer unloaded enough people to fill the pool area of Day & Night. We had a drink, surveyed the scene, met a few people, before looking at each other and simultaneously saying "I've got the hungers." Luckily for us, they also serve food and there was an open cabana for us. What can I say? Moniker and I are more lounge in a cabana than splash in a pool; we did in Vegas, we'll do it in the Hamptons too.

Getting out of the sun also meant getting non-vodka drinks, namely my sangria with Sauvignon Blanc and Cognac, and Moniker's Fraise Royale with Creme de Fraise and Champagne. Both were nice summer drinks-fruity and sweet, more lady than girly.

For the much needed sustenance, she picked the Avocado Bacon Burger. It came with this insanely long piece of bacon. I'm still not quite sure what that's about, but it's bacon and I have a hard time finding anything wrong with bacon.

I chose the pulled pork on a brioche bun, and it was delicious. I believe the pork was in a vinegar-based sauce, and it had just the right amount of said sauce. Enough to taste, not so much that I made a mess of myself. All in all, the food, while very pricey for what it is, is delicious and good. Then again, when you're drunk and hungry a lot of things are good, like chocolate-covered french fries.

Now the scene there was quite the scene. Many 4.5 liter bottles of rosé were spotted being drunk out of. The pool area got rowdy and wet very fast, more than one person was spotted fully clothed splashing around. And dancing occurred on any surface that could hold a beautiful person. Moniker and I popped around, sometimes over by the pool, sometimes under the cabana, almost all of the time avoiding the various cameras.

The club is actually the revamped inside pool area of an older, still functioning hotel. I was completely expecting to see something naughty through one of the open windows or doors, but no such luck. The juxtaposition of an outdoor pool club with a hotel reminded both of us of pool parties in Vegas and Miami, but with the Hamptons crowd. And an awesome time was had by all, and that's what really counts, right?

Thanks again, Flavie.

To see for yourself, check out Nick McGlynn's shots, Guest of a Guest, Kelly Samardak's take on the party, or my entire set.

Day & Night Restaurant Beach Club
281 County Road 39A
Southampton, NY
(631) 731-3309
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Daring Bakers July 2009: Homemade Milano Cookies

It's always exciting when the month's Daring Bakers challenge is revealed and this month was no exception. Drum roll please...The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network. That's right homemade Milano Cookies...

I have some limited experience making marshmallows from when I helped Erin from Serious Eats with her Peeps Week Peep Production, and I do love a good marshmallow filled cookie, but Lawman does not love marshmallows so I decided to keep peace and harmony in our home just make the Milanos.

I wanted to be a little playful with the Milanos so I decided to do a citrus trio enhancing the ganache with lemon, lime, and orange zest.

Milan Cookies
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website
Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Serves: about 3 dozen cookies

• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour
• Cookie filling, recipe follows

Cookie filling:
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 orange, zested

1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.
2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, divide filling into three small bowls add different citrus zest to each and blend well.
8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.
10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

I must caution that a hot and humid July is not ideal weather for making these cookies. The piping was a bit difficult with the heat and though the cookies were crisp immediately after cooling, they got a little softer due to the extreme humidity.

Overall these cookies turned out fairly well--I really liked making the trio of flavors. I'll definitely give them another shot when it's not so hot out.

For more inspiring takes on this month's challenge take a look at the Daring Baker's Blogroll.
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Celebrating National Hot Fudge Sundae Day with Sprinkles!!!

I spent National Hot Fudge Sundae Day hanging out with the beautiful people of Thrillist.com, and let's say this, I was in no state to be eating a hot fudge sundae at the end of that. But I HAD to celebrate one of my favorite national holidays, if only for my Big Daddy Love, may he rest in peace.

My father and I were always suckers for hot fudge sundaes; a good amount of my childhood memories involve the two of us eating them. And I have been craving one for months now, secretly holding out to try this-doesn't it look awesome?! So when Silly and I were driving around town yesterday, blantantly ignoring all of our life responsibilities, I got a hankering to stop by one of my favorite neighborhood dessert spots and fulfill this craving-to Pesso's it was. I got the moose tracks ice cream, hot fudge, whip cream, and for giggles, rainbow sprinkles. Lots and lots of rainbow sprinkles. Delicious, and perfect "sit in your car and wait for the rain to stop" food.

Pesso's
203-20 35th Ave
Bayside, NY
(718) 224-9130
www.facebook.com/PessosIces
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Big Gay Ice Cream Truck is Packing Grape Nuts!

Soft serve vanilla ice cream topped with crunchy Grape Nuts cereal is my kind of awesome. When I saw that Big Gay Ice Cream Truck has been packing the classic malted cereal in their toppings arsenal, I knew it was my duty as a New Englander to have some for lunch yesterday...

Delicious. I love the malty, nuttiness of Grape Nuts. I'll eat them for breakfast hot or cold. I'll have them as a snack over vanilla yogurt or as dessert in ice cream or pudding form. If you like Grape Nuts Ice Cream, but wish that the Grape Nuts stayed crunchy, this is most definitely for you.

For location and toppings check out The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck's twitter.
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Savory, Sweet and Utterly Scrumptious Scones from Alice's Teacup

One of my favorite things to get at Alice's Teacup are their fantastic and enormous scones. I usually get the mixed berry one. It's bursting with berries in pretty much every bite and never disappoints. This past week I decided to break out of the mold and go for a savory Ham and Cheese Scone and a Pumpkin Scone. Often times scones tend to be a bit dry and crumbly, not so at Alice's. These scones are unbelievably light and moist. And perfect for just about any time of day....

The Ham and Cheese Scone had cheddar baked into the batter and was studded with little pieces of ham and flecked with bits of chives. Delish. I've only ever had the scones solo or with butter, preserves and cream, but I'm definitely curious to try their Sconces Benedict: poached eggs atop a savory scone with rosemary hollandaise sauce & potato chicken hash. Next time!

The Pumpkin Scone was nicely spiced and had a great caramelly glaze on top, something akin to sticky bun topping but without the nuts (heaven for this non-nut eater!).

If you're taking your scones to go, be sure to ask for some jam and cream to go as well. Just right for a picnic in the park!

Alice's Teacup
3 locations in the city:

Chapter 1:
102 W 73rd St
(between Amsterdam Ave & Columbus Ave)
New York, NY 10023
(212) 799-3006

Chapter II:
156 E 64th St
(between 3rd Ave & Lexington Ave)
New York, NY 10021
(212) 486-9200

Chapter III
220 E 81st St
(between 2nd & 3rd Ave)
New York, NY 10028-2726
(212) 734-4832
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Travels with Brownie: Checking out the Skinny Pancake

This past weekend brought me to scenic Montpelier...the only state capital in our nation that's without both a Starbucks and a McDonalds. What Montpelier lacks in ubiquitous chains, they make up for in quirky local establishments and the Skinny Pancake was no exception. I'd go back to Vermont just for another crêpe there...

Located in "downtown" Montpelier, the Skinny Pancake is a charming little restaurant. Prior to opening the restaurant their Church St crêpe cart was the first vending cart ever in the Vermont Fresh Network. Their cart is on the mall block of Church St. and is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and also tours local fairs and festivals. They have a commitment to sustainable food practices and source as much of their food as possible from the local economy.

The Skinny Pancakes specialize in crepes of all kinds from the "Pure & Simple" (Vermont butter and granulated sugar) to "The Heart Breaker" (warmed Nutella, freshly sliced strawberries and bananas with a stripe of Vermont whipped cream across the top). In addition to the sweet crepes they also serve all sorts of savory crepes like "The Lumber Jack" (cubes of Vermont Smoke & Cure Ham plus shredded Cabot Cheddar Cheese) and the "Garlique Chic" (Misty Knoll diced chicken breast, homemade basil-sunflower seed pesto, roasted red peppers, sauteed onions and shredded Cabot cheddar cheese).

My friend and I settled on sharing a couple savory crêpes: the "Cheesy Pesto" which was filled with homemade basil and sunflower seed pesto, shredded Cabot cheddar cheese and Woodstock Water Buffalo Mozzarella and The Johnny Crêpe which consisted of Duclos & Thompson pulled pork, braised in a sweet whiskey BBQ sauce, caramelized onions, and Cabot cheddar cheese folded into a corn meal crêpe.

Both were absolutely delicious. I often substitute sunflower seeds in my pesto recipe at home because I can't have tree nuts so the pesto was pleasantly familiar and definitely tasty. It had a very nice balance of cheeses.

The pulled pork in the Johnny crêpe was top notch. And really, you can you go wrong with pulled pork, carmelized onions and cheese? If you think you can, this is probably not the blog for you...

It's my great regret that I didn't have time (or tummy space) to try out the "The Raspberry Reception," a sweet crêpe filled with local raspberries, VT Butter & Cheese creme fraiche, fresh local mint & native honey. I did see a special on the menu that involved crêpes, brownies, and chocolate fondue among other delicious ingredients...That settles it. Blondie, pack your bags! We're going to VT!

The Skinny Pancake
89 Main St
Montpelier, VT 05601
(802) 262-CAKE

There is another branch in Burlington at:
60 Lake St.,
Suite 1A,
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 540-0188

If a trip to VT isn't in the cards for you right now, Blondie says some of the best crêpes she's had this side of the Atlantic can be found on the Le Gamin Truck, but at $5 for a crêpe filled with Nutella she found it to be a little overpriced. I had similar thoughts about their ham and cheese crêpe. While a Skinny Pancake crêpe was definitely enough for a meal, the crêpes from the Le Gamin Truck were more of a snack. I'd be interested to hear what you guys think re: crêpes in the city...

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Pleasantville's Cupcake Pleasantries

On our way back downstate after the farm visit, Brownie and I needed a little rest stop. I remembered that Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake had recently traveled to Westchester for a new cupcake bakery, Flour & Sun in Pleasantville. It was right off the Taconic, therefore completely on the way and luckily, we had more than enough time to get lost looking for cupcakes.

Flour & Sun's daily menu consists of four regular flavors and three to five rotating specials. The day we visited they were offering red velvet, carrot, smore, apple cinnamon, and rocky road; we picked up the last three. The apple cinnamon was the least complicated of the three. The apple cake was moist and flavorful and it complemented the cinnamon buttercream frosting. The enjoyable cinnamon flavor really came through with this even if it was a very heavy frosting.

The smore cupcake reminded me of something with its graham cracker crust base, chocolate cake, and burnt marshmallow topping. It has a lot of potential, but didn't live up to it. I definitely give them kudos for getting a fluffy chocolate cake, something I'm struggling to make recently. The base could have been a little bigger, it did get a little lost in the flavors. We were both a little upset at the small amount of marshmallow. Both of the other frostings were loaded to the point of top heavy, and this cupcake wasn't even fully covered.

Last came our rocky road cupcake, a vanilla cake covered with a frosting chock full of stuff: chocolate chips, marshmallows, and peanuts. So much stuff, that you only got some in each bite. Again the cake was impressive with good flavor and feel. Yet, the frosting could use some help. Maybe peanut bits instead of halves, maybe a marshmallow filling instead of minis in the frosting, etc. Another with lots of potential, but it falls a little short.

All in all, the cupcakes were good, I'd refer them to a person living in the area or stopping by. The employees were delightful and nice, even giving directions for getting back. I'd definitely like to stop by for the regulars at some point, especially after eating the fantastic chewy chocolate chip I also bought there.

Flour & Sun Bakery
19 Washington Avenue
Pleasantville, NY
(914) 495-3232
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Free Morning Pastry at the 'Bux!

Starbucks is handing out free pastries* at participating US locations while supplies last on Tuesday, July 21st from 5:00am - 10:30am with the purchase of any beverage and a printout of their special "invitation"...

Here are the details from Starbucks' own Facebook Page...

Apparently Starbucks is changing their food--"no artificial flavors, no artificial dyes, no artificial trans fats, and no high fructose corn syrup."

Click to print "invitation" or open this page on a mobile device and show your barista.

Remember, this promotion is only until 10:30am or supplies last, whichever comes first, so if you're local Starby's is a heavily trafficked one you might want to get there EARLY.

I have to admit I'm kind of interested to try the new goodies and I like free, so I'll probably be hitting this up manana...

* Pastries included in offer are: Muffins, Scones, Bagels, Croissants, Rolls, Breads, Pound Cakes, Morning Bun, Coffeecakes, Cheese Danish, Apple Fritter, Doughnuts, Tarts, Pies, Gluten Free Orange Valencia Cake, Tropical Paradise Bar.

Starbucks
On Facebook
On Twitter
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No! Not the Tomatoes!

During our visit to Katchkie, Farmer Bob gave Brownie some of the worst news she's heard in a long time: there is currently a blight spreading amongst the Northeast's tomato crops. While I was amazed she didn't immediately begin praying to St. Urban of Langres, the patron saint of blight, we both did give each other the "we'll be hoarding tomatoes" look. Luckily, Katchkie's crop hasn't been affected yet-Brownie's gazpacho is still safe.

Last week, this blight hit the public consciousness via The New York Times, Newsday, and my daily read, Gothamist. The fungus itself is the same one that caused the 1840s Irish Potato Famine, and is characterized by white mold encircling gray spots. Like many recent food supply problems, the global economy may be to blame as the disease appears to have come from shipments to major corporate retailers. Many farms, including Stone Barns, have had to destroy some or all of their crops. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate as fungus prefers wet and cold over dry and hot, and we won't have a run on Bloody Marys.
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Saturday Morning Cartoons: Now what starts with the letter C?

Now what starts with the letter C? Um, cookie starts with C. That's right, it's the classic C is for Cookie sketch in all it's awesome glory. I had this on a 45, I kid you not...

And in honor of summer and indecisive ice cream eaters (or maybe especially decisive ice cream eaters), I hope you'll enjoy Ernie's Ice Cream Cone...

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Black & Tans and Tater Tots

Today is the very last day to catch the Midtown deal of the week, the Midtown Lunch Special at HB Burger. And after reading about mashed potato-esque, hash brown-like tater tots, Debra and I were definitely going here for a long lunch. A burger and tots for $9.95, how could we not?

Oh, yesterday was one of those days where I needed a long, libation-filled lunch by about 9:10am. Regular workplace craziness led to us getting to HB Burger at the prime Midtown lunch hour, one o'clock. The place was packed, the servers were harried, but there was still a spot or two left for two pretty ladies. Our server took a while to get to us, but we knew what we wanted-booze and burgers. During ordering, I remembered that the free toppings are still free for the combo, and we both partook in this, Debra with grilled onions and pickles and I with sauteed onions. Both of us HAD to get the tater tots. And we waited some more.

Finally a Black & Tan, pale ale and stout, and a (Poor Man's) Black Velvet, cider and stout, arrived, and our afternoons looked much more enjoyable. I will say that both drinks weren't truly half and half; instead it was closer to 75% stout, 25% ale or cider. And we waited again.

Some twenty minutes later, our food arrived. It was hot and freshly made, definitely not forgotten about which is a plus after such a long wait. I enjoyed my burger; it's juicy and a little greasy, and some very flavorful meat. The good sized bun did a good job of soaking up some of the juices. I did wish for a bit more pink inside, and both our burgers fell apart about three-quarters of the way through. Regardless, I'd eat this again (maybe today!) without a second thought.

The tater tots were entire other experience. Our were steaming hot, crunchy, and salted, perhaps the management read Zach's not-so-great experience? We both tasted the cheese and bacon on the inside of these fried mashed potato tots. In short, awesome. I have to bring Brownie here for these tots. If I hadn't just eaten the better part of a cheeseburger, and had a simply amazing meal the night prior-more next week on that-I would have eaten each and every one, despite the fact that we were supposed to be back in the office ten minutes ago.

HB Burger
127 West 43rd Street, btn. 6th Avenue and Broadway
(212) 575-5848
www.hbburger.com
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I Love Chocolate Chip Cookie Break Time

I recently had a discussion at work concerning chewy versus crunchy chocolate chip cookies. A co-worker of mine is pro-crunchy, while I am most definitely pro-chewy with crunchy edges. And yes, this is all vital information to know in my workplace. In the end, the discussion just made me crave a chocolate chip cookie, so I excused myself for a break and headed down the block to Joe in Grand Central Terminal.

I knew they carried This Chick Bakes before Brownie discovered their whoopie pie, but it was only recently that my afternoon mind could recall this on a regular basis. Lucky for me, this day they had chocolate chip cookies left! For $2, this is a good size cookie. It has a slight coffee taste, and loads of chocolate chips. Inside the chips create flat layers of chocolate, an aspect I prefer. It's also incredibly chewy, almost to the point of underbaked. It was everything I need in an afternoon snack.

Delicious treats from This Chick Bakes can be found all around NYC. Click here for the nearest location.
www.thischickbakes.com

This cookie was found at:
Joe the Art of Coffee
Graybar Passage, Grand Central Station
Lexington Avenue between 44th and 43rd Street
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Sundae, er Sunday, at Murray's

Sundae, sundae, sundae! This Sunday, 7/19, Murray's Cheese is hosting an ice cream social. From 1:00pm until 4:00pm swing by for $5 ice cream sundaes served up by Ben Van Leeuwen, of Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream and Fritz Knipschildt, Chocolatier...

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream topped with Fritz Knipschildt's decadent dessert sauces plus house-whipped cream for Hail's Family Farm = bliss.

If you're in too much of a food coma to head home right away, stick around for
Get Your Dream (Food) Job a free class taught by Irena Chalmers, award-winning speaker, mentor, and author of Food Jobs. Irena will teach you how to turn your full time passion for food into a full-time job. Sounds like a good double header to us!
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Katchkie Farm, Here We Come!

Blondie and I have been fans of Katchkie Farm ever since we discovered their stand at the Rock Center Farmers' Market. My affinity for their ratatouille has reached near obsessiveness. When the friendly folks at Great Performances invited us upstate to see where the magic happens, Blondie and I knew it was time for a road trip...

Katchkie Farm is situated on 60 acres in Kinderhook, New York, about two and a half hours upstate, if you don't get lost (ahem). When we arrived Bob Walker, Katchkie's Farm Manager was nice enough to give us a tour of the grounds. In addition to two large greenhouses were are now currently housing tomatoes, peppers, and basil there were plots dedicated to fruit--strawberries, cantaloupe, honey dew and three kinds of watermelon, all manners of vegetables--squash, broccoli, swiss chard, cabbage, zucchini, peppers, onions, garlic, beets, eggplant, tomatillos, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, the list goes on and on, and herbs like basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, sage, and more.

Bob explained a bit of background about the farm--Great Performances purchased the land in 2006 and in addition to the farm stand, the Katchkie veggies go into the Katchkie artisanal products like Katchkie Ketchup®, Thunder Pickles from Katchkie Farm®™, Pickled Beets, Pesto, Bob-B-Q Sauce™, Sweet Vellies, and Katchkie Farm Spice Packets. Bob did mention that this year they may venture into salsa territory. Judging by the looks of the tomatillos and peppers being picked, I think this could be a very good idea indeed.

If you can't make it up to Katchkie, Katchkie is will be coming to you in several forms this summer. First there are the Farmers' Markets at the Port Authority and Rock Center.

Katchkie @ the Port Authority Bus Terminal
North Terminal
Beginning June 18 and operating every Thursday. (Year round)
Hours: 8 AM – 6 PM

Katchkie at the Rockefeller Center Greenmarket
Rockefeller Plaza
Between W. 50th and W. 51st Streets
Friday, July 31st through Friday, September 4th
8 AM to 6 PM

Additionally Katchkie is hosting several Farm to Table events in and around the city throughout the summer and into the fall. These meals are sourced from within a 100-mile radius of New York City. What could be better than sustainable agriculture and good old local deliciousness?

The first event will be tomorrow, Wednesday, July 15th at 5:30 at 620 Loft and Garden. Tickets are $125 per person and the menu is not to be missed. Here's just a small taste of what's being offered: Miller’s Farm Braised Pork Belly with Roasted Sour Cherries and Baby Katchkie Farm Greens, Dines Farm Roasted Lamb Quarter served with Roasted Beets and Carrots, Katchkie Farm Bordeaux Spinach, and Berkshire Berries Blackberries, Blueberry Cloufoutis, Raspberry Linzer, and The Ultimate Cherry Milk Shake. Blondie and I will definitely be there. Hope you can make it, too!

*More Katchkie Farm posting to come this week with plenty of photos! In the meantime, enjoy this slide show of our visit to the farm...

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BBQ without a BBQ

My family has a barbecue, but I'll admit to the fact that I don't know how to turn it on. It's gas, there are knobs involved, I have a fear of a propane tank explosion, it's all very silly, yet all very real. So what was I to do fiending for homemade pulled pork? Slow and low, and some liquid smoke.

The last time I tried my hand at roasting meat, the ribs turned out pretty awesome. It was time to try something harder, like a five pound pork butt. Amazingly, it's hard to find bone-in pork butt, much less boneless, which is what my original recipe called for. The deviation didn't hurt the final outcome though. First, I did a two hour brining with salt, sugar and the liquid smoke. Having never used liquid smoke before, I was unprepared for the pleasant smell it has.

Then, like any good meat preparation, there was the rub. The first rub was a combination of mustard and liquid smoke, then I followed up with a spice mixture. I placed my pork in an aluminum tent and into the 325 degree oven it went. Three hours later, I removed my tent. A hour and a half after that, my pork butt was done.

After a short rest, the pulling began. The entire butt was broken down and slathered in my favorite sauce. And then Big Bobo, his friend, Mommsie, and I ate all the pork. It was delicious, tender, and hit the spot! I definitely need to roast pigs more often. jump

Of Course I'm Celebrating Good Beer Month

Really, is anyone surprised that my birth month is also Good Beer Month? I know good beer, I like good beer, I'd rather spend my $9 on a six pack of good beer than a case of bad beer, and when Brooklyn Homebrew opens up, I will most likely make my first attempt at brewing my own good beer. But the problem is they need help in opening up, that's where you and I come in.

Danielle and Benjamin of Brooklyn Homebrew are selling certificates good for merchandise in the future store. The best part of the deal is that the certificates are discounted; if you buy the $40 one, it's good for $50, and the $80 is good for $100! And if they don't open by June 2010, you can get a refund, but hopefully that won't be necessary. Of the 200 they originally planned to sell, at least 150 are gone already, so you better get a move on with my belated birthday gift. Click here to buy me one.

My own celebration of this glorious month-long holiday included a late lunch with Bez at Spitzer's Corner the Thursday before my birthday, you know, when it was likely to get stuck in a torrential downpour. Yeah, one of those days. We sat, we ate, we drank beer, and then another thunderstorm hit.

It was then that I noticed this ingenious architectural design; the windows there are angled in such a way that they can be open during monsoons without those sitting beneath getting wet. Usually, the rain flies back in and ends up soaking your food and landing in your drink, and quite frankly I find that gross-hello, acid rain! Definitely a great thing to remember during the rainy season aka June. Good investment, Spitzer's Corner.

And I've also been using this as an excuse to indulge in a new favorite beer of mine, Brooklyn Brewery's Local One. It's getting high marks in my book, and on Beer Advocate. It's a Belgian Pale Ale with a high alcohol per volume (9%), but that doesn't come through. The brew is spicy and sweet fruit, very similar to white wine. Since it's been a cool summer, I've found this to be quite refreshing with lighter meals. It helps that my local fave, Press 195, is carrying this.

Keep updated on the happenings during Good Beer Month, and good beer in general, by visiting www.goodbeerseal.com.

Spitzer's Corner
101 Rivington Street at Ludlow Street
(212) 228-0027
www.spitzerscorner.com

Press 195
40-11 Bell Blvd
Bayside, Queens
(718) 281-1950
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Schnitzel and Things Hits the Road at Last

I first heard about Schnitzel and Things, one of the city's newest mobile food operations on Serious Eats. And since then I've been following their progress on twitter and Midtown Lunch. Last night I was thrilled to see that they were hitting the street for the first time and that they would be in Brooklyn. Huzzah! Schnitzel for dinner...

The Schnitzel Truck's menu includes all kinds of--what else--schnitzels. Pork, chicken, and cod schnitzel. Occasionally they will also have veal schnitzel as well. $7 buys you a schnitzel in the form of a sandwich on a ciabatta with a topping like pesto, roasted red pepper coulis, ginger, scallion and garlic relish, tarter sauce, lemon caper emulsion, cranberry sauce, mayo, ketchup or mustard. Upgrade to a platter for $9 and you get a schnitzel, your choice of topping, and a choice of 2 sides from the following list of Austrian potato salad, braised sauerkraut, cucumber salad, mesclun salad, beet and feta sala, and green lentil salad.

Schnitzel Truck Menu

My friend the Prof and I split the pork schnitzel with roasted red pepper coulis, green lentil salad and beet and feta salad and the cod schnitzel with ginger, scallion and garlic relish, mesclun salad, and Austrian potato salad. And I washed it all down with an apple spritzer (apple juice plus seltzer, $2).

Cod Schnitzel with Austrian Potato Salad and Mesclun Salad

Pork schnitzel with Green Lentil salad and Beet and Feta Salad

The food was really excellent. It normally takes a lot to get me to spend $9 on a meal, especially from a cart, but the quality of the food from Schnitzel and Things is really a cut above.

The pork schnitzel was pounded super thin and barely fit in the take away container.

Both schnitzels were fried without being heavy or greasy. And I have to say that my pork schnitzel leftovers have held up in the fridge. Still tasty when cold. How many fried foods can you say that about?

Congrats to the Schnitzel Truck! They are hoping to hit the city this week. Fingers crossed for midtown!

Schnitzel and Things
Follow them on Twitter.
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Saturday Morning Cartoons: Cookie Monster Will Do Anything for Cookies

Cookie Monster is a tricky fellow. Check out he scams this cookie. And now, for one of my very favorite Sesame Street clips of all time... May I present Bert's Blanket...

I just love the Sesame Street sheep. And in this clip Bert tells the sheep how their wool became his blanket. As a two year old Sesame Street fan, the girl sheep with the red ribbon was my style icon. She's so good at harmonizing. Watch out American Idol!
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When the Thermometer Goes Way Up, I Want Cold Noodles

It's finally starting to feel like summer and for me hot weather goes hand in hand with cold food. And as Zach Brooks at Midtown Lunch says: "65% Humidity Means It’s Cold Noodle Time..."

A couple weeks back I discovered that Woorijip has a Spicy Thin Noodles with Kimchi for $3.00. In all my years going to Woorijip I've never noticed this dish. The noodles were cool, pleasing and not terribly spicy--I actually wouldn't have minded if they kicked the spice factor up. Nevertheless I'm a sucker for trying new things and I always appreciate discovering an under $5 lunch. Woorijip's daily selection can vary, but look for this in their refrigerator case.

Woorijip
12 W 32nd St, New York 10001
Between 5th Ave & Broadway
212-244-1115
24/7!
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Bar Artisanal Introduces Prix Fixe Lunch and Brunch

This just in: Bar Artisanal is introducing special lunch and brunch prix fixe menus--any 3 courses - $28, any 2 courses - $21. If you haven't tried Bar Artisanal yet, there's no time like the present...

Lawman and I first checked out Bar Artisanal shortly after it opened back in May with our friend Gary. The menu is drool inducing and it's honestly hard to choose. I can highly recommend their lamb burger, which is smothered in olive tapenade, filled with goat cheese and served with chick pea fries. Dee-freaking-licious.

For dessert Lawman really liked their Chocolate Mousse, Hazelnut Crunch, Coffee Granita, with Chocolate Foam, but in my opinion you can't go wrong with the Watermelon Granité with Lime Cloud. It's like watermelon snow. Cool, light and refreshing, it's the perfect dessert on a hot summer day.

Bar Artisanal
268 W. Broadway
(between Avenue Of The Americas & Lispenard St)
New York, NY 10013
212) 925-1600

Click here for the lunch menu. Click here for the brunch menu.
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I Like Ice Cream in the Evening...

The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck just keeps rolling out awesome toppings. Pumpkin butter. Ground wasabi peas. Peppermint syrup. MarieBelle Aztec Cocoa. Yesterday toasted coconut with curry caught my eye. Unfortunately, BGICT was down in Union Square. But thanks to the wonder of twitter, and especially the Midtown Lunch Twitter Tracker. I discovered that come afternoon the BGICT had moved to midtown...specifically 8th ave and 40th street. Still a bit far from my office. So I sent ice cream vibes out into the universe and by evening, like magic, BGICT was rolling my way...

Ok, maybe I've glossed over the fact that BGICT has been hitting midtown in the evening hours of late. Nevertheless, the vanilla soft serve coated in curried toasted coconut was certifiably delicious. At this year's Food Show I fell in love with the a curried coconut ice cream from Vosges. With lovely and toothsome coconut shavings toasted with just the right amount of curry BGICT's version did not disappoint.

For those of you who work late hours in midtown, this is definitely incentive to bust out of the office on a hot summer night.

Keep up with their whereabouts via twitter.
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Cherries on the brain

Summertime means cherry season. Cherry season means pie. And pie means pitting cherries which means I need a new pitter...

I spotted this whimsical cherry stoner at Bed, Bath & Beyond a couple months back. Lawman wasn't as amused as I was and admittedly, in our little NY apartment we don't exactly have room for whimsical, but I do need a new cherry pitter. Mine broke last summer. Anyone have experience with either the OXO or the Norpo cherry pitter? Or do you have another cherry pitting technique that's worthwhile?

In other cherry news...

*If you're lucky enough to be near Traverse City, Michigan the National Cherry Festival is going on through July 11th.

*Speaking of Traverse City and Pies, if all that cherry pitting is too much for you to handle, Grand Traverse Pie Company has you covered. Their Cherry Crumb pie is delicious--I still fondly remember one I ate some years back. Pies will run you $24.99 and shipping starts at $14.99.

*Hopefully this cherry post will inspire Blondie to bake her oh so, tasty Cherry Vanilla Cupcakes. Please?

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Some Mister Softee Trucks are More Equal than Others

Last month Blondie and I discovered the wonders of the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. Piloted by bassonist and all around awesome guy, Doug Quint, The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck operates out of a standard Mr. Softee truck, but along with the regulation chocolate and rainbow sprinkles and the various chocolate and cherry dip, he also rolls cones in Nilla wafers, dulce de leche and smothers ice cream sandwiches with organic peanut butter and nutella. A couple weekends ago, Lawman and I discovered another Mister Softee truck in Prospect Park South with its own unique ice cream offerings...

Yes! A Mister Softee Truck that offers "hard" ice cream in addition to soft ice cream and Grape Nut ice cream to boot. For those of your who like ice cream trucks, but aren't big on the soft serve, according to Peter, the truck's operator, he's out daily on Church Avenue from about noon until 7:00ish. On Saturdays and Sundays you can find him on Church and 16th Street outside of Bobby's Department Store and Monday through Friday he's usually a block up on Church at 17th Street.

As a New Englander, I grew up loving Grape Nut ice cream and Peter affirmed that Grape Nut ice cream is popular is very popular in Jamaica and there's a big demand for it from his customers. The base of this Grape Nut Ice cream sort of had a rumlike flavor, so if you're looking for a plain vanilla base is probably not be for you, but if you love rum ice cream (and Grape Nuts) this might be just what you're looking for.

I was sad to discover that this season, Uncle Louie G seems to have stopped carrying Grape Nut ice cream, so I'm glad to know there's another place I can get my fix. Speaking of getting my fix, I am a bit concerned about the declining sales of Grape Nuts. I'm buying a box tomorrow! Perhaps some Grape Nut pudding is in my future...
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Happy Birthday, Blondie!

It's Blondie's birthday! Hopefully she's had plenty of drinks and plenty of cake. This cake, made entirely out of Cypress Grove Chevre, was probably one of the most arresting things we saw at the Fancy Food Show. Sorry, I can't get you this for your birthday, but if you click you can see what you are getting...

A membership to the James Beard Foundation! Which includes a subscription to JBF Notes their bimonthly printed newsletter, a subscription to Beard Bites, their biweekly electronic newsletter, and a $50 dining gift certificate for your first visit to the James Beard House.
Your kit is on the way and your card should arrive in the next couple of weeks. Lawman voted that this was a better gift idea than the cheesemaking kit I was thinking of. Maybe for Christmas...

Hope you had a wonderful birthday! Love you, hon!
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Saturday Day Morning Cartoons: The 4th of July Sam the Eagle Edition

Happy 4th of July! And what better way to celebrate the 4th than with Sam the Eagle, a beacon of wholesome American morals and values...

And as an added bonus, Sam the Eagle learns that the Swedish Chef doesn't speak real Swedish...

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Key Lime Pie and Swingles!

Blondie's a Florida girl. She knows her Key Lime Pie. I'm a New England girl. And I'll fully admit I don't know jack about real Key Lime Pie. Fortunately there a thing called the internets that introduced me to the wonders of Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie in Red Hook...

Tangy and sweet with a wonderful graham cracker crust their pie is perfect for a picnic or barbecue. Better still is their Swingle, a frozen mini key lime pie on a stick dipped in dark chocolate. Quite possibly one of the most awesome thins I've eaten on a stick.

If you're looking for a treat for your 4th of July celebration, Steve's is open today (July 3rd) and according to their twitter, they "still have Swingle-minis for our Twitter friends, mention the Tweet and you'll get the sweet with purchase of 8 or 10" Pie. OPEN TODAY!" Sweeet.

Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie
204 Van Dyke St
Brooklyn, NY 11231-1038
(718) 858-5333
Hours can vary, so the best bet is to check their Twitter.
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Travels with Blondie: Other South FLA Assorteds like Strawberry Oreos

Yes, Limited Edition Strawberry Milkshake Creme Oreos. How could I not? Though, I love me some Hydrox, it's strawberry season and I can't get my fill. Added bonus: it's one of my favorite color combinations, pink and black. My only key lime pie and that prized possession I spoke about last week, after the

The Strawberry Milkshake Oreos are pretty good. It's a manufactured strawberry taste and too many will make you physically ill, but these shouldn't be limited edition, they should be in the regular line-up. I loved them.

For one dinner, my family and I decided to visit a cousin at work. The restaurant is called Seasons 52, a small chain of restaurants located in Florida and Georgia. They have seasonal, healthy offerings, everything on the menu is under 475 calories. The food was absolutely delicious and light, perfect for hot weather. I would completely visit one if they decided to open in New York. For their desserts, they offer 'minis' large shot glasses filled with all the elements of a bigger plate. After three bites, you get palate fatigue anyway, so I liked this presentation and size. The key lime pie was sweet, tart, and creamy, and perfectly delicious.

Lastly, I came across this offering. Yes, some IHOPs in South Florida have customer rewards cards. Unreal. This is my new prized possession. I loves me some chocolate chip pancakes with a whipped cream smile any day of the week.

Seasons 52
2300 N.W. Executive Center Drive
Boca Raton, FL 33431
(561) 998-9952
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Crumbs is The New McDonald's

During my walk to an ice cream lunch yesterday, I noticed Crumbs is still going strong with its world domination plans.

Yes, one of the latest Midtown Crumbs will be in the former For Eyes Optical spot on Lexington and 44th. The paper just went up yesterday and there's no opening date on their website, but I'm sure it will be soon. They have new store openings down to a science. There will now be three Crumbs within the vicinity of Grand Central station, the other two being the long-standing 42nd Street/Bryant Park store, and another newbie in the MetLife Building. And in case you work on the other side of Bryant Park, another new Crumbs will be opening on Broadway between 37th and 38th.

Crumbs Bakeshop, an official nominee for the 2009 Overkill Award.

Crumbs Bakeshop
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Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory Hits Midtown!

Thursday Morning, 9:03AM: Phone rings...Hey, it's Blondie. Super important. Meet me outside Grand Central at lunchtime. Click...

You don't need to cross the Brooklyn Bridge to get a taste of the all natural ice cream from Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. That's right, as Blondie discovered, BICF has set up shop for the summer in a tent outside Pershing Square across from Grand Central. They're there 7 days a week from noon until about 7:00pm until the end of August.

A single scoop will run you $3.50 and is more than ample (at least for me). Add $.50 for a sweet waffle cone. They were out of Peaches and Cream, so I went for Strawberry...

Blondie picked Chocolate Chunk. And proceeded to make her officemates jealous with this cone...

My strawberry cone was creamy with little bits of strawberry pulp and plenty of strawberry flavor. I actually prefer my strawberry ice cream with frozen strawberry chunks, but if you like your ice cream on the smooth side, this may be the strawberry for you.

They've only been open a couple of weeks and don't yet have the set up for the items on the lower right hand corner of the menu (sundaes, shakes, floats and pints) but they did say that these items would be coming soon.

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory at Pershing Square
90 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
(212) 286-9600
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Vermont Cheesemaker's Festival + Murray's = Brillance

Who wants to eat cheese? We do. Who wants to eat cheese in Vermont? We do. Who wants to eat cheese in Vermont after having a chat with Liz Thorpe of Murray's Cheese? Um, yeah, that would be us.

In celebration of Vermont Cheesemakers Festival, Murray's Cheese has put together an awesome one-day outing for New York turophiles. During the "Red Jacket Red-Eye" you can take a bus filled with other cheese lovers up to Vermont, experience the Festival, meet Liz Thorpe, and then take a bus all the way back home nursing a cheese hangover. Sounds like a pretty impressive Sunday. All of this is going to happen on Sunday, August 23rd, and chances are these tickets, though they aren't cheap, are going to go fast. Just click here and buy one already.

Murray's Cheese
254 Bleecker Street (downtown end of Cornelia Street)
(888) MY-CHEEZ or (212) 243-3289
and
Grand Central Market
44th Street and Lexington Avenue
www.murrayscheese.com jump

Vodka with a Touch of Rum

Last week, Moniker and I hit up the Indy Spirits Expo, completely prepared to taste various kinds of alcohol. And those dreams came true, right up to the following hangover-free morning.

This year's expo was spread over both floors of the nightclub Touch. First, we headed upstairs and ended up walking into vodka central; there were five different types up there. They included Austrian vodka, organic cucumber vodka, blueberry Maine vodka.

Of all the items upstairs, we found the Dark and Stormy, made with Regatta Ginger Beer and Brinley Gold Rum, to be the most delicious of the drinks.

I was also impressed by the Austrian, Bohemian style absinthe, Mata Hari. Evidently, I've only been drinking the French-Swiss, anise-heavy style, and with my dislike of anise and licorice flavors, this has not made me the biggest fan of absinthe. From what I gather, Bohemian style came about during the absinthe ban years forming as a replacement drink. This style relies less on the anise, more on the wormwood and salvia. There is some discussion that this shouldn't be considered a real absinthe, and I probably wouldn't drink a glass neat anytime soon. This product is definitely more useful as a component in mixed drinks and other uses for liquor.

After a quick bite, we headed on down. By now Moniker was telling me about a drink her and Loc Dog had in Jamaica, rum crème. As we passed through the exhibits, one look up on stage let us know that I too would be trying this deliciousness she spoke of. St. Lucia's Castries peanut rum crème was there and it is amazing. Creamy and decadent, it's could easily complement or replace dessert, and a drink even Brownie would like.

Many others were there including Templeton Rye (amazing), Orange V Vodka (like eating an alcoholic orange), and Loft Liqueurs (interesting cello flavors with lavender, and spicy ginger.) I hope to revisit next year, this time with a game plan.

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The Treats Truck Pioneers Innovations in Conecakery

Our post last summer on the appearance of conecakes at the Treats Truck generated a ton of interest with links from Cupcakes Take the Cake, Midtown Lunch, Serious Eats New York, Cityrag, Gothamist, Grub Street, and Zagat Buzz among others. The pro-Conecake and anti-Conecake factions each weighed in vociferously and over the past year conecakes have become regulars in the Treats Truck rotation. And just when you thought that a conecake couldn't get any better, it can. Oh yes, it can...

This just in from the Treats Truck guru herself, Kim Ima:

Conecake update! We are now making conecakes with layered cake and frosting. While I love actually baking in the cone, the cone can get too soft. Now, I'm baking the cake separately and layering cake and frosting in the cone. That way, you also get more of an icing/cake combo throughout!

Brilliant! Why hadn't anyone else thought out this?

Blondie and I had to give this a try, of course. The cone was a little crunchier, but not super crunchy--then again, with this 188% humidity, it's hard for anything to stay crispy.

I love the layering concept and the extra frosting hidden within. There are so many possibilites--mixing vanilla and chocolate cake. Hidding a candy or chocolate in the middle etc. As a decidedly pro concake-vist, I'm looking forward to seeing what Kim does with this new conecake technology.

Keep informed of the truck's location by calling (212) 691-5226, checking their Twitter, or visiting treatstruck.com.

Previous Treats Truck Reviews:
Chocolate Chip Brownie
Animal Cookies
Spring Flowers and Passover Goodies
Crispy Squares
Valentine's Day Treats
Oatmeal Chocolate Chipper
2008 Treats Truck Wrap Up
Chocolate Candy Cane Cupcake
Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Double Chocolate Trucker
Election Day Cupcakes
Halloween Specials, Part 2
Halloween Specials, Part 1
Pecan Butterscotch Bar
Chocolate Trucker
Chocolate Chip and Mint Chocolate Chip Conecakes
Mexican Chocolate Brownie
The Nutty Co-Worker and PB&J Jamwich
Conecakes
Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes
Orange Chiffon Cake
Peanut Butter Brownie
Raspberry Oatmeal Jammy
Raspberry Lemon & Mint Chocolate Swirlie Dots
Chocolate Truck Cookie
Sugar Dot
Chocolate Chipper
Carmel Creme Trucker
Peanut Butter Chocolate Sandwich Cookie
Chocolate Chipper with Nuts
Mint Chocolate Trucker
Passover treats
Cinnamon Cookie
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