Serious Eats: Daily Updates
Serious Eats: Daily Updates |
| Served: Like Home, Only Better Posted: 14 Oct 2008 07:44 AM CDT I blog by day and wait tables by night. I'm excited to bring you Served, dispatches from the front of the house. Enjoy!
I Want to Play but Have to WorkI really, really didn't want to leave the New York Food and Wine Festival on Saturday and book it to a long night of waiting tables. I mean really didn't want to leave. I waited until the last possible moment, then tried to hunt down a cab. The task proved more than a little challenging. When I finally got the attention of the driver of an empty taxi, a man with a man-purse threatened to jump in from behind me and usurp my ride. Not so fast! We jerked along in dense traffic. The cab was hot and smelly. I made it to work only two minutes late, feeling shaky, queasy, and generally unwonderful. Soup and Hugs Cure AllThere was delicious family meal waiting for me: chorizo stew. Man did it hit the spot. After spicy, soothing stew in my belly and a hug from J., I was feeling much better and ready to embark on my night. The place was filling up fast. I made the rounds with a water pitcher. Who was the guy in the yellow shirt? It was S., who used to cook at my restaurant. His father, who I had heard a bunch about, was visiting from Turkey. They were eating endive salad and drinking Yamhill Valley Pinot Noir. S. clued me in that Dad did not speak any English only after my attempt to engage his father in conversation. I learned that S. is cooking at Del Posto these days—he is exhausted, learning a lot on the fish station, and happy. It was cool to have him on the other side of the line, eating the food he used to cook and plate. When we worked together, he helped to satisfy many a midnight sweet duck sausage craving, and we had countless discussions about what we wanted to do and learn next. And here he was, doing it. Friends and FamilyOver cocktails the night before, while avoiding the advances of a pair of lame, drunken, and cluelessly persistent boys, Erin Zimmer of Serious Eats fame mentioned that her friend Matt was visiting from DC, and that a trip to my place might be in the cards. Sure enough, there she and Matt were, sitting in my station. On Saturday nights, when much of the world is playing, I'm working and thus unable to be out and about gallivanting with friends. Having them come to me is a great consolation prize. Five of my oldest friends from childhood in Baltimore had come from the Upper East Side, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Baltimore. Erin met them on her way out. I hadn't seen some of them since high school, and here they were at a table in the corner, looking unfathomably beautiful, drinking Pork Slap beer and eating ricotta cheesecake. M., who cooks and waits tables with me, was drinking and eating with his boyfriend and a friend. "Hannah Banana Montana!" M. called by way of hello. I went to take a drink order from them: "what are you guys drinking tonight?". But M. was a step ahead of me; "B. went downstairs to get it!" he said. Very well. At midnight, I looked around and realized I knew everyone in the place. There was T., a sweetheart who sells us wine, with a stunning woman I assumed to be his date. At the bar, a regular and friend who owns the burger shop next door was drinking torrontes and chatting with our owner. It looked heated: they had probably gotten into one of their irritated political spats. There were my Baltimore girls, and M. and his crew, and another regular: a lawyer who I've always liked. I've hung out with him late into the night, drinking rose and stepping outside to smoke and sit on the steps and talk about whatever. Sure, I was at work. I had to pour wine, fold napkins, slice baguette, and answer the same question 723 times. But I was surrounded by people who I loved. I felt the love coming back, in my direction. Food and Wine Festival and all, I thought, there is nowhere I rather be.
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| Paula Deen's Antics at the Wine & Food Festival Posted: 14 Oct 2008 07:43 AM CDT At an appearance at the Food Network's NYC Wine & Food Festival, what does Paula Deen do? Time Out New York reports:
Wow. Just, wow. |
| Fake McCain, Obama Breakfast Cereals Posted: 14 Oct 2008 06:15 AM CDT
If you're already at work (or if someone is still sleeping in your household), put on headphones and click through to the following fake breakfast cereals to hear a crazy jingle for each one. And then vote for your favorite. Here's Cap'n McCains and Obama O's. Limited edition boxes of each are still available and run $39 each. Related: Vintage Cereal Box Gallery |
| Has the Credit Crunch Affected What You Eat? Posted: 13 Oct 2008 08:35 PM CDT It's hard to say how the credit crunch will affect the food world. The decadent prix fixe meals with multiple courses may become a thing of the past, but with more people cooking at home, recipes and high-quality ingredients will remain important. Our friends across the pond are also feeling the recession, and already predicting the future of recession cuisine. According to the Guardian:
As financial writers catalog the complete histories of Goldman, Lehman, and Bear Stearns, some food writers are already working on the Credit Crunch Cookbook. Which food splurges are you willing to give up, and which will you hold onto? Related |
| Dear Serious Eats: 'I Have Searched for Years for This Recipe; Please Help' Posted: 13 Oct 2008 07:45 PM CDT We receive a lot of email through our contact page, most of which we deal with behind the scenes. But every now and then, something so good comes in that we have to share it. Today, a humdinger of a culinary mystery.
------------------------------------------------------------ But what we do have is a a whipsmart community of food lovers who can answer almost any food question, so I'm going to put this question to them. Seriously, So, serious eaters: Can you help Helen? Maybe one of you remembers a recipe like this from Southern Living? Note: For questions like these, it's almost always best to just open it up to the supersmart SE community right off the bat. You can post your most stumpingest questions in our Talk section. It's quick, easy, and free. |
| Sweet Deals and Steals: Where Can I Buy Halloween Candy in Bulk Online? Posted: 13 Oct 2008 06:06 PM CDT
The New York Daily News encourages this trick for those of us who want to doll out treats come October 31: buy candy in bulk online. The newspaper offered 10 online venues that sell the sweetest things at the sweetest deals online, and I decided to pay each a visit to see if we can't get a little more detail on what each has to offer—like cool candy finds, shipping costs, and site accessibility. Penny [candy] for my thoughts? Note: I didn't include anything that wasn't individually wrapped without so indicating. MetroCandy.com has a great selection of wrapped mini candies and Halloween themed treats. Favorites: Antique-looking wrapped caramel filled apples and peanut butter pumpkins ($16.18 and $15.60 for 40, respectively); Caramel Apples Pops (a heavily-discounted MUST...$5.51 for 48); mini bags of Haribo gummy bears ($8.64 for 72). Details: $50 minimum order; 10% off for new customers; within New York state, can only ship to businesses. Shipping: on a $50.00 order, $17.91. TheOnlineCandyShop.com is great if you're committed to one candy, and are willing to spend a bit more for a lot of it. Favorites: Mary Janes ($89.99 for 30 pounds); Tootsie Pops ($110.12 for 39 pounds); Tootsie Rolls Frooties Green Apple ($10.99 for 360). Shipping: on a $46.96 order, $11.09. OrientalTrading.com has fabulous "scary" or "gross" candy to spook the neighborhood, and also offers snacks that are reviving rather than disappointing. Favorites: Fa-Boo!-Lous Nutty Candy Corn ($3.97 for 12 bags); Halloween Pretzel Packets ($5.97 for 48); Blood Bags ($4.47 per dozen); Road Kill Gummies ($7.49 for 26); Rock Candy ($8.99 per dozen). Details: The site is easy to navigate: click on the Halloween tab and then the Halloween Candy link. The candy is divided into categories like "Chocolate," "Novelty," and "Gross." Shipping: on a $49 order, the shipping is free today (October 13), so look ahead for more shipping savings. Ordinarily $8.95. CandyFavorites.com is a great place to visit for mini nostalgia candies for a retro Halloween. Favorites: Grapeheads ($8.00 for 24 boxes); Cowtails ($11.98 for 36); Penny Candy Americana Mix ($34.67 for 5 pounds); York Batty Peppermint Patties ($34.03 for 36). Details: it has great old-fashioned candies, but its site is a bit old-fashioned itself, and harder to navigate. Shipping: on a $49.70 order, from $9.95-$12.55, depending on candies.
SweetFactory.com puts Halloween favorites front and center on its site, but as most of the candy is sold unwrapped and in bulk, this site is better for house parties. Favorites: Giant Gummy Bears ($5.99 per 12-ounce bear). Shipping: free shipping over $75. On a $53.00 order, $11.36. CandyXpress.com offers both candy and snacks for trick-or-treaters, and is the perfect place if you want to go the king-size, one-candy-per-person route. Favorites: Red Swedish Fish ($15.35 for 240); Oreos snack packs ($5.15 for 12); Ring Pops ($15.45 for 36); King Size Hershey's Bars ($23 for 18). Details: follow the Halloween Candy and Snacks link. Shipping: on a $44.80 order, $15.98. OldTimeCandy.com is, as its name suggests, a haven for all almost-lost-but-never-forgotten candies. Favorites: French Chew ($15.99 for 24); Mallo Cups ($17.99 for 24); Push Pops ($26.99 for 36). Details: the site offers a mini history lesson on your favorite candies. A large portion of the treats come in bulk, and not individually wrapped. However, if you have a particular old favorite candy, this is the perfect place to find it. Shipping: on a $45.98 order, $8.95. CandyDay.com is the place to load up on cheap, convenience-store-style boxes of sweet but quotidian candies. Favorites: Twizzlers ($9.23 for 180); Airheads ($5.81 for 36); Hershey's Minis ($13.99 for 120). Shipping: on a $48.40 order, $15.72. CandyDirect.com is another place to search if you're ready to commit to a larger quantity and the resulting higher price. Favorites: Nerds ($36.00 for 160 boxes); Reeses Peanut Butter Cups ($70.50 for 288). Details: click on Mini Bars in the Departments list. Shipping: on a $51.60 order, $16.28. Now that you've undoubtedly spent a pretty penny on penny candies online, here are my thoughts: this year, most of us will spend too much money at the most convenient supermarket on tantalizing bags of lollipops or chocolates, or will end up at the Costcos of the country with 10 pound bags of mismatched candy bars. I would like the discount price of bulk, with the thoughtfulness of being able to choose my favorite candies, ones I, a kid in a grown-up body, want to share with the kids of today. Ordering online, wherever you do it, gives you the ability to be thoughtful—and cheap. What a treat! |
| Photo of the Day: Rainbow with Pot of Gold Cake Posted: 13 Oct 2008 05:50 PM CDT
Photograph from franjmc on Flickr Australian cake designer Fran made this awesome rainbow with a pot of gold cake for a seven-year old's birthday. Zoom in on the pot of gold for more detail. Fran explains that she made the gold coins out of thinly rolled icing that she cut out with a number 4 icing tip. After allowing them to dry, she shook them in a jar with edible gold dust. Related |
| Contest Winners: Weekend Book Giveaway, 'Marcela Remembers' Posted: 13 Oct 2008 05:30 PM CDT
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| Fresh Food on TV: Weekday Edition Posted: 13 Oct 2008 05:00 PM CDT
Monday (October 13)Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (warning, a video plays automatically on site) : "Grabbin'a Sandwich." Meatball subs and a cheesesteak done Philly-style; ostrich, alligator and beef burgers; one-of-a-kind Mexican sandwich. 10 p.m. ET, Food Network Tuesday (October 14)Modern Marvels: "Brewing." The earliest known traces of brewing; brewers attempt to concoct a beer based on DNA found in a 2,700-year-old drinking vessel. (repeat) 7 p.m. ET, Travel Channel Dirty Jobs: "Dirty Chip Maker." Mike travels to the Dirty Potato Chips Factory to see how potato chips are made. 9 p.m. ET, Discovery Channel Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern: "Los Angeles." Andrew arrives in the fast paced, star studded city of Los Angeles where the variety of food varies as much as the diversity of the people who live there. 10 p.m. ET, Travel Channel Wednesday (October 15)The Martha Stewart Show: Emeril Lagasse whips up some seasonal pumpkin risotto and answers common cooking questions. 11 a.m. ET, NBC Thursday (October 16)Ace of Cakes (warning, a video plays automatically on site): "New Frontiers." Duff and his team make a replica of the moon; Duff and Mary Alice explore the possibility of opening a west coast bakery. 10 p.m. ET, Food Network Friday (October 17)Rachel's Vacation (warning, a video plays automatically on site): "Las Vegas." Rachael goes on vacation to Las Vegas with visitsto Palazzo Casino's roulette wheel, the Vintner Grill, Origin India and a juicy steak at Carnevino. 8:30 p.m. ET, Food Network |
| Additions to 2009 SF, Bay Area, Wine Country Michelin Guide Posted: 13 Oct 2008 04:29 PM CDT
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| Dinner Tonight: Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo Posted: 13 Oct 2008 04:38 PM CDT
Nothing like a little sausage to make anything taste better, and that's certainly the case her. I may not be any closer to knowing whether I genuinely like Brussels sprouts, but there is no argument—this dish is remarkably good. The original recipe from New York magazine calls for Spanish chorizo, which is cured and dried. It's fabulous stuff, but I already had fresh Mexican chorizo in the house and ready to go. It's a big change, but one I'm willing to endorse. Instead of providing a haunting aroma to the dish, with the occasional chunk to pick out, the fresh sausage breaks up so nearly every bite includes some sausage—a good thing in my mind. About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a co-founder of The Paupered Chef, a blog dedicated to saving time and money while enjoying food in every way possible. He sells wine for a living and lives in Columbus, Ohio. Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo- serves 4 - Ingredients1 pound Brussels sprouts Procedure1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Toss in the sprouts and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and them dump in a pot of ice water. Let cool for 5 minutes, and then drain again. 3. Add the Brussels sprouts to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes. Then pour in the chicken stock. Reduce the liquid by half, or until it thickens and begins to coat the sprouts. Season with salt and pepper and serve. |
| Market Scene: Early Fall in San Francisco Posted: 13 Oct 2008 02:55 PM CDT
More than 300 people nationwide have signed up for the annual Eat Local Challenge this year. This is my fourth year taking (and leading) the challenge and it's a way of life for me now. Taking the challenge means that I step up my visits to farmers markets during the month-long project, and am more diligent in knowing where my food comes from. In San Francisco, October is a good time to eat local, as there is an abundance of fruits and vegetables in the market. The true overlap of seasons seems to be in October this year, and walking through the market I saw peaches next to persimmons, and winter squash next to summer squash. Tomatoes should still be around for a few more weeks, but I finished my canning for the winter already. As was mentioned here in August, we have an exciting new addition to the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market: local wheat that can be purchased whole or ground into flour on site. Nigel Walker, the farmer of Eatwell Farm, initially started growing the wheat for his chickens. He wasn't comfortable with the source of his chicken feed and set out to grow it himself. He began bringing the surplus to the market, and many shoppers are excited to have local wheat.
Walker is bringing a small hand mill to the market which shoppers can use to grind their own flour. "We buy freshly roasted coffee every week, why not grind fresh flour weekly as well?" Walker asks. The hand mill is a bit labor intensive, and it takes quite a while to grind a pound. You can also purchase pre-ground wheat flour from the farm booth. For those bakers out there: Walker had the protein content of the wheat tested, and it is 12.5%. This is the first product in a new era of Eatwell Farm—they will be growing other grains in upcoming seasons. Seasonal Produce GuideIn season right this minutePears Coming SoonPomegranates It's Time To Put UpApplesauce About the author: Jennifer Maiser writes about locally and sustainably grown food. She is the founder and editor of the Eat Local Challenge website and writes at Life Begins at 30, her personal weblog. |
| Contest Winners: Cook the Book: 'Giada's Kitchen' Posted: 13 Oct 2008 05:27 PM CDT
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| Posted: 13 Oct 2008 02:09 PM CDT At desert's edge in southern Namibia, Allan Walkden-Davis produces "rustic" wines:
Walkden-Davis seems to have a sense of humor about the affair: "One fellow could not understand why I couldn't go bankrupt farming sheep or cattle the same as everyone else." |
| Snapshots from Asia: Will the Real Shaved Ice Please Stand Up? Posted: 13 Oct 2008 01:37 PM CDT
Creamed corn has not a whit of cream yet lives up to its name through virtue of its milky, golden creaminess. Pig intestine noodles are completely vegetarian, yet no one would disagree with their resemblance to porcine tracts. Most foods deserve their names—even if the names don't always make sense. Because more often than not, you can see where the original christener was coming from. Yet the one thing that stumps me is shaved ice. It doesn't matter what it's called—Japanese kakigōri, Pinoy halo halo, Korean bingsu, Thai nam kang sai, or Chinese bao bing—none of them have a consistency anywhere close to what I'd term "shaved." Ground, maybe—with their coarse, gritty grains that kind of lump together before going crunch in your mouth. But shaved? Bear with me here, please. Think of the last time you fixed pasta or dessert. Think of the curls of cheese and chocolate slowly wafting from your microplane onto your food. Think of the richly marbled, paper-thin shavings of jamón ibérico that you paid $180 a pound for—every cent worth it. Think of flakes of Maldon sea salt and the way they dissolve expansively on your tongue. Then think of the sharp, granular bite of kosher salt. Am I the only one who's confused? Yet "shaved ice," with its many variations, is almost universal. People eagerly dig in to its mound of toppings—roasted soybean powder, sweetened adzuki beans, immortal jelly, mochi, cornflakes, fresh fruit, condensed milk, syrups of all persuasions (fruit, palm sugar, chocolate, etc.), you name it. Back home in Singapore, many a sun-scorched afternoon was spent nursing a mountain of ice kacang and I know only too well its siren call. But, if I may be blunt—despite their collective delectability—ice kacang and all its "shaved ice" friends is as much shaved ice as ground beef is pastrami. Several years ago at a Taiwan food fair however, a crowd thronged six-deep around a "snow ice" stall rescued me from my shaved ice quandary. Early birds gleefully making off with their laden bowls had my heart lub-dubbing in excitement—could it be, finally, something that truly deserved the name of "shaved ice?" With layers that nestled, ever so delicately, one on top of the other—like a pile of Kleenex or the cross-section of millefeuille–there could be no doubt about it. This was a bowl of shaved ice, its gossamer flakes of milky wonder dissolving so tenderly, so lightly on my tongue, that I nearly cried for joy. Scoff at my tenderfoot nature if you will, but can you think of anything else that's icy and flaky and good at the same time? Icy is never an adjective you want handy when it comes to ice cream or gelato (in fact, it is the veritable death knell for most frozen concoctions). Snow ice is cool but not brain-freeze frosty, and sweet enough to be satisfying without the cloying sugary-ness of the "frozen cotton candy" it has been compared to. To steal from the Philly cream cheese commercial, it's probably what angels would eat for dessert. The makers of snow ice even get a leg up on the flavor stakes—snow ice, or xue hua bing, is made from a base of frozen flavored milk or juice (mocha, green tea, peanut butter, white peach, longan, mango, sour plum, etc.) instead of plain ol' frozen water. The vendor grabs a block, feeds it through a snow ice machine, and you gaze spellbound as the flakes of icy goodness drift into your bowl—like watching the first, magical snowfall of the year, or, since this is autumn, russet leaves gliding to the ground. Of course, it would be unusually cruel for me to leave you without a source after having gone on and on about how wondrous this stuff is. So here it is: Snow Miracle at Oakridge Mall in San Jose, California, has the good stuff. I'm only in the Bay Area for a bit, so I'm counting on fellow serious eaters: Where else can we find real shaved ice? About the author: Wan Yan Ling can usually be found in the kitchen procrastinating on "real work" or online tracking down obscure recipes. Ling thinks eating alone is no fun, and she still believes in hand-mixing. |
I remember 
Congrats to 
With all the channels on broadcast TV and cable—and the inevitable episode repeats—it's hard to sort out what's new or worthwhile. Let us sort it out for you so you don't miss anything worth watching. Times may vary with region; check your local listings for exact hour and channels. 
The 2009 edition of the San Francisco, Bay Area, and Wine Country Michelin Guide goes on sale tomorrow. 
Though they were essentially absent from my youth, Brussels sprouts have found their way onto my plate quite often in the past year. They pair especially well with balsamic vinegar. This little recipe of 
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