January 2008
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Sour Cream Lemon Cupcakes
I wanted to use up the left over lemon buttercream I had from making Monica and Jae's birthday cake, so I came up with an easy recipe for mini Sour Cream Lemon Cupcakes. It's a hit!Sour Cream Lemon Cupcakes... -
My BIG Peeve!
I hate when people rate and review recipes when they've changed some ingredients and/or some methods. Then, you are rating and reviewing a different recipe. I see it... -
Breyers Lactose-Free Vanilla Ice Cream
When I was young I consumed massive quantities of dairy. The shape or form didn't seem to matter. Downing bowls of ice creams, quarts of cottage cheese, pints of yogurt, or chocolate milk mixed with heavy cream were daily experiences. My mom used to buy a product called "big moo" -- it was five gallons of milk in a huge container with a spigot. I could easily get through that within the week. Heck, a friend once paid me to eat a stick of butter, and I enjoyed it (mostly). This infatuation wit... -
Perilla
Perilla Perilla, an herb that is a member of the mint family, and the name Harold Dieterle chose for his restaurant, is a welcomed addition to the NYC restaurant scene. While winning the first season of Top Chef guaranteed tons of press and a stream of people lining up to try Perilla, I believe that Perilla has staying power becau... -
Ali Baba Turkish Cuisine
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Union Square Cafe
Believe it or not, I've never been to the famous Union Square Cafe Union Square Cafe. It's expensive, and at times very hard to get reservations, so somehow, it has slipped through, until today. My friend Lily and I made last minute plans for lunch there and it happens to be restaurant week (which I pay no attention to for dinner since I haven't been impressed the last few times). W... -
Cranberry Bread Pudding
Last week, we had some guests over for dinner and Lon bought three baguettes, when we only needed one. This is common Lon behavior but of course, I had to figure out what to do with it. I decided to throw together a simple bread pudding and everyone seemed to love it (4 people finished about 75% of a 9x13 pan) so I'm posting the recipe, which was basically made based on what I had at home at the time.... -
Reddi Wip... Good for Bob
We had dinner and dessert at Kasi and Stephen's tonight. For dessert we enjoyed a great bread pudding that Jessica made, using the many, many extra baguettes I bought, for some unknown... -
Shout Out: Boston!
The Boston Globe announced a list of the best new food in Boston today. I haven't been up to Boston in a few years, and it seems like it's time for another trip. The list features over 30 restaurants that sound amazing, many featuring local food.... -
Birthday Cake for Monica and Jae
Whenever I'm baking a cake for a friend's birthday, the part that takes the longest is deciding what kind of cake to bake. After thinking about... -
Open Source Food
When worlds collide... As a technology professional, focused on the Internet, how could I not love the web site Open Source Food -
Aja - Grand Opening
Aja Aja has opened a new restaurant in the West Village and since I ended up waiting for Lon at his office, way longer than expected, we decided to order dinner. We vaguely remembered enjoying a dinner we had at their original location Aja Asian Bistro and Lounge... -
Oh no! Cold-Eeze?
It already sucks enough when you have a cold. You can't smell, can't taste, and feel crappy. Trust me, I know since I'm sick again! But, I just read about a ... -
Ginger Milk Tea
I love this ginger stuff (picture to the right) which is basically ginger sitting in honey. I couldn't find any online but it's available at most Asian markets in New York.Many peop... -
Be a Part of America's Test Kitchen
My friend Sarah just notified me that Cook's Illustrated, one of my favorite food publications, has a Friends of ... -
Organic Shopping Cheat Sheet
Buying everything in organic versions can be really expensive or just hard to find. I have been hearing for a while now that organic is more important for certain items than othe... -
Vegetarian Paradise 2
I'm not a vegetarian but every once in a while, I meet up with my vegetarian friend Emily for a meal, and to catch up. Today, we squeezed in a lunch in between her classes (she's an NYU Law student) at Vegetarian Paradise 2 Vegetarian Paradise 2 .Our waiter came over and asked if we wer... -
Emeril's Banana Cream Pie
My friend Angie has been raving about Emeril's Banana Cream Pie for a while. She had it in Florida years ago and has been hoping to have it again one day. For her birthday, I invite... -
On Drinking Wine
People seem to struggle when it comes time to selecting wine. My co-worker Marcos would insert a pun here, something like "whine is not delicious." However, most agree that wine, without the 'h', is delicious. The question is, how do you pick the best wine?It seems odd that buying and picking wine makes so many people uncomfortable, but it shouldn't, it's really not that hard. So first, let's debunk a few myths and then consider a few basic tips. -
Szechuan Gourmet
We just had a very mediocre meal at Szechuan Gourmet Sundaes & Cones. The Camphor Tea Smoked Duck was good but everything else was not so great. Our prawns were over-cooked, the dumpling meat tasted old, and the Fish Head Casserole was extra fishy. Lon has been there in the past and so have my par... -
Amish Market to the Rescue
Our friend Justin through a great surprise brunch birthday party for his girlfriend Shayna. There was a great arrangement of bagels and spreads from ... -
Philosophy in Margarine
From hilarious blog, Tweebiscuit.net (which advertises the tag line: "Your Funeral.") comes a great statement of philosophy as accidentally created by a combination of marketing gurus as various margarine manufacturers plus the divine reach through the hands of a supermarket shelving clerk.... -
You Gluttonous Bastard: Beefsteak!
This just in from Steve...
Apparently there was a long standing tradition in the hallowed streets of New York City called "Beefsteak". <... -
Black Napkins
At dinner tonight, Lily and Eugene told us a story about how recently in Orlando, their real estate broker became somewhat offended when, at Houston's, she was not offered a black linen napkin, and was rather given a white napkin. Our friends found this quite odd, especially when the next day, at another restaurant, the host made it a point to give Lily a black napkin.Knowing that Jessica and I are into food, they asked us about the phenomenon. We hadn't heard of it, but I guessed ... -
Basta Pasta
I've walked by Basta Pasta Basta Pasta for years and just written it off because of it's name. I thought it would be some generic pasta place that just pumps out large portions of mediocre pasta dishes. In the last year or so, different people have mentioned how much they love Basta Pasta and I'm glad I finally gave them a shot. It was anything but generic and probably one of my f... -
Pipa
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Baking Supplies with Bad Service
I walked into New York Cake Supplies New York Cake Supplies yesterday since I was in the area. As I neared the back, I hear two customers on line (who did not know each other) start talking about how bad the service is at this store. Apparently they had been standing there for a while as the owner, sitting behind the register, just sat there casually having a conversation on the... -
Beigel's Challah
Buying Beigel's Challah from BJ's BJ's is the best bang-for-your-buck Challah. The 30 oz package that has 2 braided loaves is $3.79 when just 1 loaf often costs $4.50 to $6.50. It's a darn good challah too. Fluffy, yet chewy, with that beautiful golden sheen, fit to serve. I ate half a loaf as a snack last night around ... -
How to Open a Soda Can Without the Tab
This just in from the Bowen clan...Have you ever had a can of soda (pop) that for some reason lost its pull tab? Well, here's a less than ideal way to ge... -
Ivo & Lulu
I really wanted to like Ivo & Lulu Ivo & Lulu. They had great reviews and low prices, especially for organic produce and free range game. I tried so hard to like this far, out-of-the-way spot, but by the end of the night, I couldn't, and the other three girls didn't seem interested in coming back either.... -
Lady Mendl's Tea Salon
We held Angie's surprise birthday party at Lady Mendl's Tea Salon ... -
The Science of Spinach
Do you ever get that funny feeling on your teeth after eating spinach? I had spinach last night and threw some of the left-overs in my lunch today and both times I noticed feeling like something was c... -
Ultra-Intense, Angry Food
Anyone who has watched one of the many road-trip, food shows has heard of The Weiner's Circle,... -
Japanese Candy
My childhood best friend, Yumiko, brought two kinds of candy from Japan for us. I love the Matcha Candy. It has the distinct flavor of Match... -
Vanessa's Dumplings
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Calling All Chocolate Lovers!
I had to share this recipe for a triple layered chocolate cake. Lon says it's the... -
I Love Baking Pans!
While my goal is to eventually have every shape and size baking pan that exists, I don't yet. I often find baking recipes I want to try but don't have that pan shape/size. I'm sure... -
Russian Chinese Oxtail Soup
Fusion food is so popular these days and yet I haven't seen any restaurant with Russian Chinese food. I know it exists too because a close family friend, that I call Grandma Olia, grew up on the...
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When Second Chances Pay Off
Quite a while back (perhaps over five years ago) I visited Salam Restaurant ... -
Love Rivals Mud?
I've been seeing this new coffee truck lately, on the corner of 14th Street and Fifth Avenue. It looks like a knock-off of The Mud Truck,... -
New Yeah Shanghai
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Pizzeria Uno Closed, Welcome The Smith
It seemed like Pizzeria Uno, on Third Avenue and 10th, had been there forever and would remain, even though, honestly, it was filthy. Well, we drove up Third Avenue this evening on our way back from Chinatown and I noticed that "The Smith" The Smith has replaced Uno. The menu (available on Eater as a PDF) looks a bit like a haphazard attempt at newish American bistro.... -
Assorted Chocolates from Jacques Torres
My friend Sara received a huge amount of Jacques Torres chocolate during the holidays and was sweet enough to share them with us. Lon and I are generally big fans of -
Dancing Deer Brownies
Cheryl & Matt bought Kasi and Stephen some "Chocolate Chunk Brownies" from Dancing Deer Baking Co... -
Beautiful Food
All of our senses come into play with food. When we cook we feel the texture and doneness of food with our hands. We use careful pressure to ensure that meatballs are pressed tightly enough and that dough is worked enough. As food cooks we listen carefully for key indicators, the sizzle of protein in a hot pan caramelizing or slowing sound of frying o... -
Chestnuts, the Low Fat Nut
My mom knew I was sad about not having chestnuts on Christmas Day so she brought me a huge bag of chestnuts last night. I cringed. I'm supposed to be on a diet now that the holidays are over and... -
Can I Re-write Your Menu?
I had my family over for T-bone Steaks and sides and a Crustless Cranberry Pie for dessert. The recip... -
Rice Krispy Treats for Adults
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats were a hit. I didn't write down an exact recipe but here's the gist. It's super easy.Make... -
Obsessed with Honey Mustard Pretzels
Just when I thought I could give up processed food (that was almost my New Year's resolution), Lon buys these ... -
Foods That Keep You Warm
We're not talking hot chocolate. Apparently, milk, eggs, cheese, spicy seasonings, tofu, and sweet potatoes can all help you feel warmer in different ways. Since, we're hitting temperatures below freezing, you may want to read the full article in China Daily.... -
FoodMayhem's New Year's Resolution
To ring in the new year, we're adding a new feature on FoodMayhem: Twitter! Now we can share everything we eat with you, even when we're not near a computer. Look for the section called "Recent Eats" on the right side. Thanks to Martin for the great idea!!...
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