Category: Links

I [choke] agree with Rachael Ray

RR gets interviewed for a NY Times’ blog on the subject of teaching kids to cook, and I actually found myself agreeing with it. (Not that I have kids, but I sure have plenty of advice, especially on how not to raise them.)

I’ve long said that knowing how to cook is the next most important life skill after literacy. RR (also short for “aRRgh, you’re so perky my eyes are bleeding!”) is smart to identify the sense of empowerment kids (or anyone) can feel when they cook a meal for their family. And I really appreciate that she has started an organization to give low-income kids cooking lessons.

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The Upper East Side Cookbook

Driven by financial hardship, a friend of mine has been forced to work for a living. The divine Parsley Cresswell is penning a handy tome called the Upper East Side Cookbook, to share all the knowledge she has gained while foraging for food in Central Park and Dumpster-diving behind the finest gourmet purveyors.

You’re laughing now, but just wait till Mccain gets elected. Then you’ll be wanting your very own copy, just in time for a very merry Depressionary Christmas. (Follow the link for ordering info.)

Live Poultry Coverage

The New York Times ran a nice little piece on a live-poultry-and-more joint in the Bronx. I’m a big fan of these operations, so it’s nice to see some positive coverage about them, and with a ‘here’s a normal part of the neighborhood’ tone, instead of the ‘what is that mysterious place at the end of the block?’ tone you get in the few other articles that have been published.

Gourmet’s July issue also had a great story about getting a live goat from a halal butcher. Well, it wasn’t alive in the end, obviously, but you know what I mean. The butcher says something to the effect of “Hopefully Americans will come to understand Islam better by enjoying this meat.” That would be great (Ramadan kareem, btw). The article isn’t online, but here’s some info about a documentary on a halal butcher, posted by Ian Knauer, who wrote the original story.

Astoria Restaurant Reviews

I recently came across (OK, no, Peter forwarded me the links) two blogs doing reviews of Astoria restaurants.

Every Restaurant in Astoria seems like the more promising, if only because its authors recognize the sheer foolishness of their endeavor: “like Sisyphus, but with gyros,” as they put it. I like their moxie, and their attitude comes through loud and clear in their review of Sparrow, which pretty accurately gets at the hipster/no-hipster dilemma of Astoria.

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The Anti-Restaurants

Since last week was Blog Black Hole Week, I’m only now catching up….

There was an article, “The Anti-Restaurants,” on bad-ass supper clubs in the New York Times last week.

Initially I was miffed that Tamara and I didn’t get our due for five long years of culinary cool (we were roasting whole lambs on spits when those boar-butchering brats were in diapers!). As usual, as the media usually tells it, all the action is in Brooklyn. Whatev.

But then I got to the very end of the story, and read this:

As she was packing her knives, Ms. Lombard, the professional caterer, gave the dinner a grade of C-. She came as a friend and unpaid helper to learn molecular gastronomy techniques but instead wound up doing everything from washing dishes to taking out the trash. “When this last course comes out,” she said toward the end of her 12-hour shift, “I’m going to go to McDonald’s and get a Big Mac with extra pickles.”

So, basically, Brooklyn’s underground supper-club scene is totally freakin’ rad…but the food sucks? Interesting premise.

Now I’m relieved Sunday Night Dinner (Sometimes on Saturday, or Friday, or Even Wednesday) was not mentioned at all. Not the greatest company, you know? Because SNDSSFEW does A++++ food, goddamnit, and we don’t make Jell-O out of pot liquor (see earlier in the story for this particularly vile idea).

Just sign me,

Keepin’ It Real in Queens

Recharging

Even two weeks after my guidebook marathon, my brain feels like a little sponge that has been wrung out completely dry. I can barely form sentences.

While I continue to recover from my writing trauma, please take these entertaining diversions under consideration:

Frappe Nation: Summer is the season for frappe, the best iced-coffee treatment ever. Unfortunately, my stomach is so jacked up from this last period of intense stress that I’ve had to go off the caffeine (and, horrors, the booze!) until everything heals up. It nearly killed me when I saw the adorable little how-to-make-a-frappe video on the site. Only use Greek Nescafe, and drink one for me, please.

Thursday Night Smackdown: Since I can’t currently get it up to do anything more than stare into space and eat wasa bread, please enjoy this other expert home cook and cusser. Scroll back to find the super-hideous Paula Deen smackdown. I’m still shuddering.

All I can say is, thank the sweet lord for the CSA, or I would’ve died of malnutrition weeks ago. Not only am I not the least bit inspired to write, but planning any kind of meal has been beyond me. There’ve been a lot of omelets recently–good omelets!–and lots of salads, but anything that requires specific shopping…I can’t really muster going to the store, because that would require a list, and that would require…writing.

Anyway, talk amongst yourselves. I’ll get it together again soon.

Dream Omelet

Oh, Onion, stop! I can’t breathe, I’m laughing so hard!

Chef Cooks Dream Omelet seems innocuous enough…until you get more of the details of the dream. The reference to teeth falling out is especially resonant.

Later today I’m doing a little cooking demo for our CSA. I’m very, very tempted to take it in this direction.