A couple of weeks ago, I got an e-mail asking if I’d like to go to a butchering class. Really? Of course I would! And more importantly, I could pass this off as a Valentine’s Day present for Lon. Lon loves butchery!
It get’s better.
Jeffrey’s Meat Market 120 Essex Street, New York, NY 10002 (inside Essex Street Market) holds a class every weekend, rotating through pig, beef, lamb, fowl, and I got to choose.

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posted by jessica at 11:45 AM
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It was time to make a birthday cake for my little brother, Justin, 6 foot 1 inch tall and about twice my weight, but still my little brother. He doesn’t really get excited about cake so I struggled a little over this one. Lon reminded me that Justin isn’t into frosting. It seems he often wipes some off. Janny reminded me that Justin likes blueberries. So, despite using blueberries on a cake just recently, I was going to do it again, but in a birthday cake with no frosting. I know some would not call it a birthday cake if it does not don the billowy puffs and swirls of sugar, so if that’s you, just call this a perfect tea time cake.

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posted by jessica at 11:59 AM
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As much as I love the concept of being a locavore, you couldn’t possibly get a healthy amount of nutrients during winter in New York as a locavore. So while I try to buy what I can from our local farmer’s market, I can’t live on just apples, potatoes, and parsnips. I do end up eating more of these in winter though. With just about three things available, you can’t afford to not use any one of them, and I realized that a few friends of mine are still not familiar with parsnip.

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posted by jessica at 01:06 PM
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From time to time, we’re going to get a voyeuristic look into the eating habits of notable players in the food industry. See what it’s like to eat like a professional foodie for a week.

Please welcome Cindi Bigelow, president of Bigelow Tea, and third generation tea expert, carrying on her grandmother’s business. The 65 year old company has lots to celebrate as the top selling tea company, holding about a quarter of the total market.
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posted by jessica at 05:38 PM
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I hope no one is deterred by the word amuse, short for amuse bouche. It literally translates to mouth amuser, basically a one-bite hors d’oeuvres that is a gift from the chef. It can be as easy or as complicated as you want it to be, and you can really make just about anything into an amuse, even left-over meatloaf cut into 1″ cubes. It just has to be served in a one bite portion. Start off your next dinner party with an amuse and everyone will think you’re so fancy, when all it was, was a slice of prosciutto wrapped around a chunk of melon on a toothpick.

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posted by jessica at 03:37 PM
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When I first realized that Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day is on the same day this year, I thought, oh no! Disastrous! Would I have to share my V-day with others? Would Chinese New Year get pushed aside at restaurants? The sky is falling! When the Chicken Little in me finally calmed down, I realized that this was not a tragedy at all. First, I was already warned that with our new apartment purchase, I was not getting any more presents in 2010, maybe 2011. Chinese New Year always means a delicious banquet and it still would. Those Chinese restaurants are not where people flock to for romantic dinners. Everything is fine (except for the no presents thing).

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posted by jessica at 04:44 PM
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I was never the type to get excited over movie stars. I don’t follow Perez (is that his name?). I didn’t recognize Susan Sarandon, Katy Perry, or Gary Sinise when they were right in front of me. So, it follows that I don’t buy clothing or shoes made popular by a star, or sun glasses a singer was caught wearing. Yet, when Kenji-Alt Lopez (GoodEater.org and The Food Lab on Serious Eats), one of my favorite food writers ever, says that
Motorino 349 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003 is “the best in the city”, I was there.

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posted by jessica at 11:31 AM
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I read about
Kajitsu 414 East 9th Street, New York, NY 10009 on No Recipes, when Marc interviewed Chef Masato Nishihara, back in August. I was eager to go and experience Shojin cuisine, an ancient Japanese style developed in Zen Buddhist monasteries, a style I’m unfamiliar with. The restaurant is vegan.

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posted by jessica at 09:28 AM
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We’re on a tight schedule of recipe themes here, moving right on from Superbowl, to Valentine’s Day, and don’t forget Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year) is the same days as V-day this year. I knew as soon as I took my last bite of Un-fried Buffalo Wing, I’d start thinking about hearts and good fortune. Can I combine the two into a loving Fortune Cookie?

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posted by jessica at 11:26 PM
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I don’t eat in midtown often, but when I do, I do it right, or at least I find the right guide. Ok, I just tagged along. You may all already know that our beloved Zach Brooks, of Midtown Lunch, is moving to Los Angeles. He set out to make the most of midtown lunches this week and I was just fortunate enough to be part of his Tuesday run. Wait, it gets even better. I got to eat with Mamacita (the happy hour correspondent of Midtown Lunch) and Robert Siestema (Village Voice), with a pop-in appearance by Danny (of Food in Mouth and future Midtown Lunch correspondent). I LOVE food people, people who don’t look at me funny when I want to order more, people who share food, people who are talking about more food as they eat.

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posted by jessica at 12:24 AM
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