Vacation at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) + Give-Away

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Anyone who loves to cook has heard of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). It is the premier culinary school of the United States and according to Paul Bocuse, “the best culinary school in the world.” What you may not know — I sadly did not — is that it is also the best food-lovers vacation as well! The CIA campus is best described as Hogwarts for chefs: from the buzz of food talk down every hall and corridor, the cathedral ceilings of their dining hall, to the scents that waft in every direction; there is a magical feel that must come from the dense concentration of master chefs and aspiring chefs all in one location. I felt a sense of home to a place I had never been before and I never wanted to leave. It is something every cooking enthusiast must experience for themselves.

Colavita Center

Read the rest of this entry »

posted by jessica at 12:03 PM 83 Comments » Add a Comment
Bookmark and Share

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

It’s taken a very long time for winter to come this year and I’m not complaining.  However I have been waiting for my noodle soups; they are one of my favorite categories of food. (Have you ever thought about what your favorite food categories are, as opposed to favorite foods?) Credited for getting me through the freezing cold days, I just love wrapping my hands around steamy bowls bigger than my head. I slurp away my chills with Wonton Noodle Soup, Ramen, Pho, any noodle soup, I love them all! It seems crazy that FoodMayhem is nearing it’s fifth anniversary and yet I’ve never posted the noodle soup I grew up on: Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup.

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup 4

Read the rest of this entry »

posted by jessica at 05:45 PM 5 Comments » Add a Comment
Bookmark and Share

Pinata Apples + Give-Away

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Those who know me know that I’m sort of a produce geek: especially after recently winning second place in a produce identification contest at The New York Produce Show. My love of new or exotic fruits and vegetables paid off! We’re always looking to diversify our meals with new items or interesting preparations or just tweaking with new varieties of the recipes we grew up with. Discovering new products happens everywhere including Chinese supermarkets (Ling Jow, Tatsoi, Korean melons)  or at the farmer’s markets (Sansa apples, Ground Husk Cherry Tomatoes, purple Kohlrabi). It’s especially fun when new and exciting ingredients show up at restaurants (crosnes at Le Cirque, lemon balm at Daniel).

Sliced Pinata Apple 6

Read the rest of this entry »

posted by jessica at 05:22 PM 45 Comments » Add a Comment
Bookmark and Share

Best of 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Wow, 2011 has been a huge year for us because of one special ingredient: Cayenne. It felt like just yesterday that we were chatting on Twitter about #babymayhem the day I went into labor. Now, she’s already 10 1/2 months old! From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for so much support that day and since. Despite my favorite distraction, I’ve continued to feel included in the wonderful food blogger community and that’s why it’s a truly special group of which I am proud to be part.

Caya is truly the “Best of 2011″ but for the sake of tradition, I compiled a list of the top posts (by traffic). This time, it’ll just be a top five since posts were less frequent this year. See the top ten from 2010 and from 2009 for more delicious inspirations.

Pork, Shrimp, and Chive Dumplings Rosemary Turkey Meatloaf
Valentine's Day Shrimp Cocktail Bacon Wrapped Dates
George Duran, Such a Liar

Read the rest of this entry »

posted by jessica at 03:41 PM 5 Comments » Add a Comment
Bookmark and Share

Brasserie 292

Friday, December 16, 2011

Lon and I headed up to Poughkeepsie, NY for a nearly impromptu press trip this past Sunday. The plan was really to begin our tour on Monday morning and since we wanted to avoid Monday morning traffic we were on our own for Sunday.  We didn’t have super high expectations for restaurants in a small, suburban, not-so-wealthy city, even though Brasserie 292 292 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 was named one of the best new restaurants in Hudson Valley 2011 by Hudson Valley Magazine. (BTW, a lot of restaurants in the area are closed on Sundays.)

Well, baby-in-tow, we arrived to a friendly staff who all seemed to enjoy Cayenne despite her food flinging hobby of late. The atmosphere is suitably black and white, with accents of red. It’s casual yet upscale. The menu seemed great, all the expected dishes with a little extra. The bread seemed to be the only thing we didn’t adore, but that one mis-step was soon forgotten when a gorgeous Roasted Beet Salad arrived. Every ingredient was super fresh: arugula, radicchio, oranges, ricotta salata, and a pistachio vinaigrette. It was huge and Lon kept warning me to stop eating it since we had much more to come — I found it impossible to stop. This salad was perfect.
Roasted Beet Salad  2

Read the rest of this entry »

posted by jessica at 11:52 AM 5 Comments » Add a Comment
Bookmark and Share

Bullseye Cookies

Friday, December 9, 2011

I couldn’t decide what to make for #NYCookieSwap 2011. It’s a big deal with cookie greats like Dorie Greenspan attending! Lon saved the day and came up with an idea I loved: a way to combine three classic cookies that everyone loves. What’s better than your favorite cookie? Three of your favorite cookies in one! It’s a Chocolate Chip Cookie in the center with a ring of Chocolate Cookie around it, with another ring of Peanut Butter Cookie around that.

Bullseye Cookie and Tower 4

Read the rest of this entry »

posted by jessica at 03:28 PM 5 Comments » Add a Comment
Bookmark and Share

Fat Goose: Chef Jennifer Cole

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Sometimes sous chefs at fancy, expensive restaurants decide to become executive chefs at smaller, more casual restaurants. It’s a choice for life-style and freedom. When it happens, we (the customers) win! We get that same talented chef cooking for us at a fraction of the cost; plus no six-month wait for reservations. Finding these situations are like discovering gems. That’s the story at Fat Goose 125 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11249, where the atmosphere is warm and understated.

The simple decor does not prepare you for the expertly made cocktails and beautifully presented plates. Though they call the cuisine “New American” the influences draw from two very different regions. Chef Jennifer Cole draws inspiration from her origins of North Carolina as well as Spain, where she spent most of her career. After working with impressive names such as Susan Spicer, Juan Mari Arzak, Andres Madrigal, and more, Chef Jennifer Cole was named “best female chef” in Madrid for her work at Ene. And now we can taste all of that in her food, right here in Williamsburg.
Chef Jennifer Cole

Read the rest of this entry »

posted by jessica at 11:42 AM 8 Comments » Add a Comment
Bookmark and Share

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffin

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Perhaps I was subconsciously still thinking of that Pumpkin Cider Cocktail. Consciously, however, it hadn’t occurred to me until completing this pumpkin muffin recipe, tasting the muffins a few times, and even editing the photos, that there are notable similarities, yet important differences. One is a cocktail, perfect for an evening affair. The other, a muffin, perfect to start your morning.

If you like to use seasonal ingredients, pumpkins and apples are going to dominate right now. And you know what?  I don’t mind that at all! These muffins taste like autumn and there’s a comforting feel that comes with that.
Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins 5 Read the rest of this entry »

posted by jessica at 09:15 PM 4 Comments » Add a Comment
Bookmark and Share

Happy Halloween 2011

Monday, October 31, 2011

A family that foods together stays together… or something.  This is our first year celebrating Halloween with Cayenne and probably the last time (before she starts talking) where we can do whatever we want with her for the dressing up portion.  We took that opportunity to play on her name, and hence you’re a pepper, I’m a pepper wouldn’t you want to be a pepper too? (Cayenne was a pepper).

In an ironic twist, she made us: Jessica was Sriracha (she’s Asian) and I was Tabasco (I’m white).

We learned that we are good at taking pictures of food and terrible at taking pictures of or ourselves.  Here are a few attempts, laugh along with us!

Jess & Caya - Halloween 2011

 Jessica and Caya Setting Up Read the rest of this entry »

posted by Lon at 08:04 PM 13 Comments » Add a Comment
Bookmark and Share

Pumpkin Cider Cocktail

Monday, October 24, 2011

We had foodie friends coming over for a potluck for no reason (#P4NR).  Lately I’ve been trying to come up with interesting cocktails to serve to guests when they arrive.  Something refreshing, to get things going, an aperitif to stimulate hunger — although with the food our friends brought, not much help was needed!

The thought this time was a drink to celebrate autumn; even though it was 85 degrees today. Jess had recently prepared the FoodMayhem pumpkin puree, most of which went into her amazing pumpkin lasagna.  It was glowing orange in the fridge; calling out to me much like the green crystal calls to Superman. However, instead of drawing me to the north pole, this drew me to the liquor store, where I bought a spiced rum, Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum, a good, inexpensive rum for cocktails.

Pumpkin Cocktail 1

Read the rest of this entry »

posted by Lon at 08:49 PM 2 Comments » Add a Comment
Bookmark and Share