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Archive for the ‘Smooth or Crunchy’ Category

DAY #4 – “Well Maybe Just A Nibble”

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Everyday Food, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I have just found the perfect Foodie gift for my Mah Jongg group or your Bridge Club or your Book Club gang.  When we play Mah Jongg it is usually on a card table and there is hardly room for the racks and the tiles let alone the glasses of wine and nibbles on the table.  I often hope that I might be able to reach another surface with my wine glass because I’m always afraid the glass of red wine will get knocked over and Oy what a mess!

In my group we set up the snacks in a convenient location but not on the table; Of course everyone wants to bring their  carrot sticks, cheese and crackers and chips to the table with them and again we have this cramped situation with either people eating off of napkins or the possibility of a dish falling to the floor. 

Well, I’ve got the solution!!! Nibble Coasters!!

Two In ONE!

Two In ONE!

Isn’t this a fantastic idea?  I love it.  It was being offered at URBAN OUTFITTERS but they’re sold out.  You can find it on Ebay  or Convenient Gadgets.  This ceramic coaster works just as well with a coffee mug and a cookie.  Fantastic!!

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DAY #5 – “This Probably Won’t Be Your Last Meal”

Posted in BY THE WAY, Everyday Food, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 20, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Cover of "My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs ...

Cover via Amazon

The title of this blog post is a phrase that my husband has said to me many, many times!  Why? Well, because for some reason, I often (almost always) have a difficult time deciding what I would like to order when we are dining out.  And put me in an ice cream shoppe and I revert to a kid with a nickel in a penny candy store!  I can’t pick a flavor I want, I want all of them.  Mostly I order two different flavors for my cone or cup.  Hey at least I’m getting two out of the 3o I had to choose from!!  When this behavior takes hold, Peter looks at me and reminds me, “This probably won’t be your last meal”. 

Little did I know that there’s a book and a game about your last supper!  Actually not your last supper but rather the last meal of 50 great chefs.  The title of the book is: My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals/Portraits, Interiews, Recipes, Melanie Dunea is the author.  

If the title of the book alone is not intriguing enough for you to purchase  one for the Foodie on your list, then let me drop a few names of the very famous chefs who have been interviewed for the book and they’re so famous, I need only to use their first names:  Wylie, Lidia, Scott, Daniel, Mario, Gordon, Jean-Georges, Alain and MORE!   

The following has been excerpted from Amazon’s web site – Chefs have been playing the “My Last Supper” game among themselves for decades, if not centuries, but it had always been kept within the profession until now. Melanie Dunea came up with the ingenious idea to ask fifty of the world’s famous chefs to let her in on this insider’s game and tell her what their final meals would be. My Last Supper showcases their fascinating answers alongside stunning Vanity Fair-style portraits. Their responses are surprising, refreshing, and as distinct from each other as the chefs themselves. The portraits–gorgeous, intimate, and playful–are informed by their answers and reveal the passions and personalities of the most respected names in the business. Lastly, one recipe from each landmark meal is included in the back of the book. With My Last Supper, Dunea found a way into the typically harried, hidden minds of the people who have turned preparing food into an art. Who wouldn’t want to know where Alain Ducasse would like his supper to be? And who would prepare Daniel Boulud‘s final meal? What would Anthony Bourdain‘s guest list look like? As the clock ticked, what album would Gordon Ramsay be listening to? And just what would Mario Batali eat for the last time?

I think this would be a really interesting addition to any Foodie’s cookbook collection!  Personally I would love it, however, I just received a fantastic present of a cookbook.  My FB friend, Melissa sent me an autographed copy of Ree Drummond a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman‘s  latest cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks Holidays.   This gift is very special;  I’ve never met Melissa and she lives in Texas.  She posted on Facebook that she was going to a book signing by Ree.  I replied to her how lucky she was because I’m follower of Ree’s blog.  She offered to get me a copy and would not allow me to pay for it.  Isn’t that a wonderfully generous gift to receive for Christmas?

My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals/Interviews/Recipes  is available through Amazon.com for $30.11

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DAY #6 – Give Me Some Of That OLD and BITTER Stuff!

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, New York Speaks, Smooth or Crunchy, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , on December 20, 2013| Leave a Comment »

If that title didn’t grab you, I don’t know what will!!! LOL LOL.  No, I haven’t lost my mind or forgotten what these count-down blog posts are all about – Gifts for the Foodies in Your Life.  

We know that there is a broad definition to the word Foodie;  Some like to eat out and experience a wide range of ethnic foods or dine exclusively  at restaurants owned by renowned chefs, some prefer the ever-changing and exciting world of cocktails which often includes revivals of the classics.  Then there are creative cooks at home, the bakers and candy-makers as well as the gadget-collectors!

This post is for young emerging generation of cocktail connoisseurs.  They started out drinking the sweet, syrupy fruit-flavored drinks like all things made with Raspberry Vodka, Orange Vodka and every other fruit vodka.  Since vodka doesn’t  have too much flavor of its own and can be disguised with fruit flavorings, the newly-legal and the many under-age drinkers preferred drinking the equivalent of a cherry soda with a kick!  And some resorted to Jack and  Coke  or Jack Daniels and Red Bull (OMG) to get their highs.

But now, I see the Gen X and Gen Y crowd (well especially here in New York City) growing  into sophisticated crowd of cocktail connoisseurs.  They meet at the secret speakeasies around town and order classic cocktails, some with a modern twist.  Manhattans and Martinis, Single Malt Scotches, and aged Bourbons are among the new old preferred drinks of the day.

Additionally, one of the new hot buzz words in the Foodie world is small batch which could be described as artisanal and sometimes even local or regional unique offerings from private label companies.  In that vein, today’s gift idea is: AGED CITRUS BITTERS by Five by Five Tonics Co.

Aged Citrus Bitters

Aged Citrus Bitters

The company’s description of their product is as follows:  

Five by Five’s Aged Citrus Bitters are unique in that our aged component does not come from aging the bitters themselves, it comes from selecting citrus varieties at various stages of maturity from fresh to aged.  This gives the Aged Citrus Bitters a wider range of flavors than you will find in any other citrus bitters available from the aromatic flavor of citrus peel to the savory flavor of aged tangerine peel.  This is a truly handmade product crafted meticulously from botanical to bottle.

Mixing notes:  This is an extremely versatile citrus bitters able to mix well in all traditional uses of citrus bitters, while also imparting enough balanced savory flavor to shine in cocktails where normal citrus flavor wouldn’t.  These bitters pair well with brandy, vermouth, and work exceptionally well in a martini.

Tasting notes: Savory and warm with complex citrus notes.

And as a bonus I’m including their recipe for a FIVE SQUARED VIEUX CARRE

5 Squared Vieux Carre

  • 3/4 oz. Rye Whiskey
  • 3/4 oz. Cognac
  • 3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth
  • 2 Dashes Five by Five Aged Citrus Bitters
  • 1 Dash Five by Five Aromatic Bitters

Stir 50 times over ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.  Garnish with a orange peel.

Notes:  I’m sure there are many of you crying out that the Vieux Carre is not a cocktail that is served up.  Traditionally the Vieux Carre is served in an old-fashioned glass over ice.  I like to think of this more as a Nouveau Carre for two reasons.  One, being that this drink is best made with high quality spirits, serving it up will not allow these flavors to be diluted.  Also, the keen-eyed observer can see the absence of Benedictine in this recipe.  I feel the herbal component of this cocktail is handled quite nicely by employing both of Five by Five’s bitters flavors and makes this gem of a cocktail a bit more accessible to the home cocktail enthusiast.  

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DAY #7 – Why Don’t You Just Pluck It?

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Everyday Food, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on December 19, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Not all Foodies excel in the kitchen, some just love good food and they eat out all the time.  They love gourmet food, they  follow certain chefs but they may not do much cooking or baking at home.  However, if the Foodie on your list cooks and bakes, this handy-dandy little kitchen tool will make a great gift!  And inexpensive too – just $10.39!!

I know you’ve seen those famous chefs on television crack eggs with one hand swiftly and efficiently but how about the rest of us?  And what if you’re cooking for someone who is watching their cholesterol intake and wants only egg white omelets?  Or your recipe calls for eggs and then extra egg yolks?  

Well lookee here…You need to buy a PLUCK.  A PLUCK is a cleverly-designed egg separator. Think Sunny Side Out! Extracting the yolk from healthy egg whites can feel as tricky as pulling a rabbit from a hat. Pluck makes it easy by separating the two with a simple squeeze and release of its silicone chamber. Now everyone from bodybuilders to soccer moms can just pluck that caloric yellow stuff right out.  Pluck’s clear tip plastic and silicone bulb come apart for easy cleaning by either hand or machine.

Squeeze Me

Squeeze Me

Can you imagine how easy this makes separating a yolk from the white?  No more tiny bits of shell floating in the gooky yolk  or the sticky white!  I think this is a terrific kitchen toy for a Foodie.

Available online through Amazon and in stores such as Bed, Bath and Beyond.

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DAY #9 – Time For A Cuppa

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Everyday Food, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 17, 2013| Leave a Comment »

If you have ever traveled to England or Ireland, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “…time for a cuppa”.  The British and Irish know how restorative a hot bracing cup of tea can be.  They start the day with English or Irish Breafast Tea and then indulge later in the afternoon with an Earl Gray, Chinese Oolong, Lapsang Souchong or Darjeeling.  The list of teas available in the United States is huge!  You can have Green Tea, White Tea, Black Tea, Herbal Tea, and exotic teas such as Assam, Prince of Wales, not to mention flavored teas ranging from Orange Spice to Lemon Verbena.

Tea is the perfect beverage for many occasions;  Served at ladies’ luncheons, bridal and baby showers, tea parties for kids and often is best when you can finally sit down during the day and sip a piping hot cup of tea – time to reflect and rest.

Well, I’ve seen this nifty new Alessi product on several sites and wanted to add to our countdown list.  The spoon forms a three-sided tunnel through which you draw the teabag.  No more burnt fingers, no more squeezing the tea bag and Ooops, it broke and now your tea cup has tea leaves in it.  This is a smooth and efficient way to remove the tea bag from your brewed cup.

Alessi Teaspoon

Alessi Teaspoon

The Alessi teaspoon is available online through many sites including Amazon.  You should be able to purchase for about$20.

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DAY#11-How To Put A Little Zest In Your Life!

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Everyday Food, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on December 15, 2013| Leave a Comment »

In the last couple of years I seem to be making more recipes that call for lemon zest or orange zest and so a couple of years ago I bought a Zester and then went on to buy another microplane with slightly larger holes and blades and is best used for grating cheese and chocolate.  

I don’t have a kitchen filled with lots of gadgets and expensive knives, quite the contrary actually.  However, when I find a kitchen tool that makes putting together and cooking a meal easier, I’m all for it.  I love using my zester and using it when  you can zest a whole lemon over a bowl or pot is so easy.  BUT when I have to measure out a tablespoon or two and am zesting the lemon over a small plate, the zest ends up on the counter and elsewhere.  Then you have to scrape up the zest and scoop it into a measuring spoon.  

Well LOOKY HERE! Edgeware Better Zester is a creative new product that has taken zesting to a new level.  This handy tool has  little zester teeth that are coated with a food-safe nonstick coating, similar to the popular brightly-colored Kuhn Rikon knives. Also, it has a plastic attachment on the back that catches all the zest.  

Where this really shines, though, is in that zest catcher. It has measurement markings, so you can shake the zest into the bottom and see how much you’ve collected so far. Then, when you’re ready to get your zest, you can slide the zest catcher off and it sort of squeegees everything off the zester, leaving you with clean blades and all the zest neatly caught in the little attachment. Works perfectly, every time. 

Add A Little Zest To Your Life

Add A Little Zest To Your Life

This super kitchen aid  is available online through several stores and Amazon.  The average price is $14.95

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Day #12 – Where Do You Keep Your Hedghog?

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, New York Speaks, Only in New York, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , on December 13, 2013| 1 Comment »

There are literally a couple thousand gifts, gift ideas, and/or catalogs devoted to gifts for Foodies on your Christmas gift list.  So every night I surf the net looking for the next  new and better thing out there and feature it in my count-down to Christmas posts.

I just came across a very cute and practical item.  I often serve olives as an appetizer before dinner or as an hors d’ouevre with drinks.   Eating olives can be a messy event if you use your fingers and I dare say most of do.  TOOTHPICKS are the answer.  You can always put the olives in one dish, then put out a small little bowl for the pits and place a whiskey shot glass filled with toothpicks alongside the bowl.  My main problem with this set-up is real estate.  Never enough room to put much out on my coffee table.

HEDGEHOGS to the rescue!  This little guy will hold the toothpicks for you, perched on the rim of the bowl of your choice.

Don't Worry - No Quills

Don’t Worry – No Quills

KLpik Toothpick Holder available at MOMA gift shop – $25.00

MOMA is short for The Museum of Modern Art, Manhattan NY.  You can buy online!

 

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Day #15 Choholic’s Essential Accessory

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , on December 10, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I’m a chocoholic, I admit it, however, I am particular.  I mean there’s chocolate and there’s chocolate! I like dark chocolate, bitter and at least 75% cacao.  You can keep the milky soft sweet stuff and the calories that go with it.  

I also collect some chocolate-related items and probably should do  a post featuring my collection of chocolate candy molds and vintage chocolate bar labels.  I have several chocolate cookbooks and few odd chocolate nostalgia pieces.  But I don’t have this – it isn’t quite my style.

However, you might have just the Foodie on your list who also appreciates funky gifts and loves chocolate too.  If so, check this out:

"ADD" Me to Your List

“ADD” Me to Your List

This is a big calculator that looks and *drumroll* .. smells, like chocolate! And it is solar powered. A great stocking filler.

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Day #16 – Who Doesn’t Love Cheese?

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Only in New York, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 10, 2013| 3 Comments »

Really, doesn’t everyone love cheese?  Most people settle for your grocery store varieties of cheese;  Cheddar, Muenster,   Brie, Harvarti, Edam.  Hey guys, there’s a whole world of cheese out there and every Foodie knows it.  There are some great places to live if you love cheese.  Vermont is known for its tangy, sharp Cheddars, Wisconsin produces a lot of cheddars, some with infused wine, also Limbergers and Havarti.  

You could also be lucky enough to live in New York City, the home of Murray’s cheese.  Founded in 1940 by Murray Greenberg, Murray’s is proud to be a Greenwich Village-based business and part of the neighborhood’s rich food history.  Murray was a Jewish veteran of the Spanish Civil War who was rumored to be a Communist – but pay no mind, he was a smart capitalist who built a great reputation for the business. In the 70s, Murray sold the shop to his clerk Louis Tudda, an Italian immigrant from Calabria. In those days, it was a humble butter and eggs shop that had a lot of block cheeses and catered to the little Italian enclave that Bleecker Street was at the time.

Murray’s is your answer to what “cheese gift” to give to your Foodie recipient.  Your choices are myriad;  Of course you can buy cheese;  A few of the out-of-the-ordinary choices offered are: 

ELEGANT Chabichou , MILD Vermont Butter & Cheese Coupole, EARTHY Camembert, NUTTY Comte Saint Antoine, CREAMY Cave-Aged  Fourme d’Ambert, SAVORY Challerhocker, SNACKABLE Murray’s Cave Aged Pyrenees Brebis

Then there are gift baskets and boxes that Murray creates which include such other items as salamis, jams, olives, crostini, proscuitto and other delicacies.

Or your present could be a gift certificate to one of his terrific classes like Cheese 101, Mozzarella Making, The Harmony of Beer and Cheese and Sweet Indulgence/the pairing of cheese and chocolate.

Not quite exotic enough for your giftee? Ok, well then how about the gift of a tour of Murray’s Cheese Caves?  These caves are located under the very sidewalks of the New York. I n 2004, they  constructed cheese caves beneath Bleecker Street, and in 2013, they expanded their Cave Aged program to their production facility in Long Island City, which is now home to four more sizable caves and a drying room. Brian Ralph, the Cavemaster, works from both a scientific and a sensory point of view to ensure that you can tell what a difference a cave environment makes in terms of texture, aroma, and flavor!!!                                                                 

Murray's

               Oh give me some cheese please!

 

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Day #17 – Even Grinches Love Gadgets

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , on December 8, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Foodies come in all shapes and sizes and they all love one or all of the glories of being a Foodie.  Some love to fine dine all the time, some like to bake, others love to create dishes and some just love to entertain.  

Hosting a fabulous dinner party or cocktail party is a great way to entertain.  Cocktails both the old-fashioned kind and the very nuevo concoctions are BIG right now.  There’s been a flurry of retro bars and saloons touting their single malt liquors  and the latest blackberry/sour apple flavored vodka martini with a cherry on top.

And now we have the layered cocktail also known as Rainbow cocktail,  a drink that is often composed of syrups, juices and liquors.  And Williams Sonoma has come up with the perfect tool so all of us at-home bartenders can whip up such libations as a Blue Lagoon, White Russian or Tequila Sunrise.  It is called the The Rainbow Cocktail, Layering Tool.

Here is a description of what it does and how to do it! 

Dazzle guests with layered cocktails that look brilliant and taste divine. It’s simple with the ingenious Rainbow Cocktail™ layering tool. Rest the funnel on top of the glass and follow the simple directions to pour syrups, juices and liquor. The funnel slows the pour while the float gently distributes each layer—the result is a vibrant cocktail or layered coffee drink that looks master-crafted.
Create professional-looking layered drinks.
Use with hot or chilled liquids.
Simply pour liquors in order from heaviest to lightest density—simple, illustrated directions make it easy.
Includes recipes for Irish Coffee, White Russian, Tequila Sunrise, Blue Lagoon and more.

Available at $19.95

Layered and Lovely

Layered and Lovely

 

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