PB&America

This article immediately caught my attention, and judging from its place at the top of the "most emailed" list, it seems it caught many other people's attention as well. I need to share.

Because Peanut Butter and Pickle sandwiches exist.

I definitely have had bacon parties before, constructing the ubiquitous Elvis as part of the fun. But now it seems it's time for a Peanut Butter party.

(I've had pickle parties before too!)

I'm going to make a Peanut Butter Party. You can be sure of it. I'll announce it too. And you can RSVP to it. And bring a friend.

Viva Guayaba!

Not many North American pastries have guava jelly as an ingredient. But the tropical fruit is a perfect pairing for sweets. It's aromatic and luscious, a little goes a long way, and it reminds you of summer. (which really seems like yesterday)

Fortunately for us, Mexican pastry shops are making guava pastries. And because it's the authentic thing to do, they use lard in the dough. This makes for quite a combination. Slightly savory dough is offset by the borderline cloying sweetness of jelly. Awesome.

Perfect with cafe con leche on a brisk fall morning. There are many more Mexican and Hispanic bakeries around than you may think. After all, who else is going to bake you a cake for your Quinceañera?

Here are two guava pastries that I am quite fond of. The first, being enormous, is great to share and has the distinct advantage of being 3 blocks from my house at La Nueva Union bakery.

Two large yellow cake halves are held together with just enough guava jelly to offset the dryness of the dough. The entire thing is covered with sugar. This was the first guava jelly pastry I've had, and since have had it many times. It's led me to look for guava jelly in many other places.

See how yellow that cake is! Also, do you see how little jelly is in there? It's cool though cause it's balanced just right.

In Spanish, the word for guava is Guayaba. So ask "Tienes algo con guayaba?" Which translates to, "do you have something with guava?"

This guava jelly pastry is a little different, and the cafe I got it from had fantastic coffee - strong and hot.

It has decidedly more guava jelly for the amount of pastry there is. It's also a layered and flaky dough. It was no less fantastic than the first pastry, but had considerably more jelly in the middle!

I suggest you go out early, find a nice Hispanic bakery or coffee shop get a coffee and a guava pastry, and close your eyes when you take the first bite.

Trust me.

Duck egg

With an increase of fresh produce and seasonal goods from farmers markets, comes availability of some limited goods. Like duck eggs for instance. You may not see duck eggs throughout the year. But come summertime, when farmers are pushing all their wares, an opportunity will present itself.

There you'll be, face-to-face with duck eggs.

What better way to enjoy it, than simply fried and sandwiched.

Shaved Pecorino, homemade mustard, onion pocket, and very soft backyard lettuce with a fresh fried duck egg.

You don't need a recipe for this one. Just make your favorite breakfast sandwich.

 

Assembled and delicious. Of course I salt and peppered the egg, and buttered the roll.

 

Yeah, you see that yolk? All up in that Pecorino. A nice long burn from the strong mustard is offset by the sweetness of the onion roll. It all comes together.

Took like 5 minutes. Go make a sandwich. Don't pass up the duck eggs next time.

Ducks!

Haitian Patty

Heard of Jamaican beef patties? I'm sure you have. The yellow dough meat pies are a staple of Jamaican bakeries and a quintessential handheld street food; but they aren't the only patties in town.

Forget them. Let me introduce you to a Haitian beef patty.

Haitian patties differ from their Jamaican counterparts primarily in the dough. The Haitian style have more of a pastry dough feel to them, as their dough is layered and flaky. The technical term is laminated - the dough is covered in fat and then folded on top of itself and re-rolled until the baker has reached a level that he likes. A technique undoubtedly influenced by the French, who colonized Haiti.

I stumbled upon Ultimate Bakery, a Haitian bakery, while out enjoying Caribbean Flatbush. (I can still explore and find new things even after 15 years!)

This self described "American Haitian Baked Goods" boasts cakes, pies, tarts, patties, croissants, and daily baked fresh bread.

No frills and straight to the point, this bakery left a lot to the imagination. A basic white sign and store front, very little product in the window, and only biscuits visible from the street led me right past this bakery.

Then the smell hit me.

I immediately turned around and stepped inside the tiny store. Middle aged Haitian men and women made up the total 5 people in this bakery; and three of them were employees.

The dough was flaky and crisp with a nice chew and pleasant, well-rounded springiness. It was no problem at all that it took two or three bites to get some filling. The beef was spare, but was lightly and thoughtfully spiced with a very soft mouth feel. The patty was fantastic overall, and only cost $1. It was a great start to my morning, and would have gone very well with some strong hot coffee.

I was constantly snapping pictures of this patty but before long I was only holding crumbs.

Taco Fiesta

I love tacos. Real tacos. Simple, classic tacos. Gets me every time. Toppings just onions and cilantro. An effortless squirt of lime juice, maybe some salsa verde.

Don't get me wrong. Sloppy Joe style "taco seasoning" tacos with shredded cheese and lettuce have a special place in my heart.

But these tacos? I ate these tacos for breakfast.

Had myself a little taco crawl.


I started out fresh and hungry on 5th ave and 49th st. in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Walked a few short blocks and started at Tacos Ricos. A charming spot that offers outdoor seating.

 I ordered tongue tacos, pictured above, and al pastor tacos (marinated pork) pictured below.

 

Both were delicious! I would have ordered more than two kinds if I had known the tacos were going to be so good. But there were many more tacos ahead of me and I traveled on.

This neighborhood is full of authentic Mexican food, and the next place, two short blocks away, offered up this platter of one dollar tacos. 

The grilled green onion was soft and lightly charred, delicious. I could eat a plate full of those onions.

The tacos at this spot were good. I enjoyed them. They only cost a dollar each, so I wasn't surprised when the meat was a little skimp.

I was a pleased with my selections so far, but wanted something I hadn't had before. The menu at the next place boasted cabeza tacos, which I promptly ordered. This place was nice, and the tacos were good too.

 

This is the pig head taco I ordered.

 This taco was so good.

Slow roasted pork, with the cheeks and jowls, fat and meat.

The lime juice was bright and tart, perfect with the fatty morsels and raw onion. 

Of course, I ordered more tongue tacos, because they rock, and dutifully ate them first, knowing they would not disappoint. I thought that the pork taco definitely needed to be shared with you guys first.

Stuffed from my breakfast of champions I strolled to the nearest bakery, got a cafe con leche, a fantastic little guava pastry, and went home.

Handheld Series 4

The Handheld Series is back!

The handheld food item is greater than the sum of its parts. Crispy, fried, baked, cold or hot, handheld food is always welcome. Something to be savored and devoured, it makes you think and makes you feel. It can be a simple pleasure, or a fabulous indulgent delight.

It is; handheld.

As my outside food adventures lend themselves to Chinatown, many handheld foods are devoured in these neighborhoods. The culture is also geared to many handheld items. Just visit a bakery in an Asian neighborhood and you'll see what I mean.

See this leafy gem? Vietnamese spring rolls.
A fantastic contrasting flavor and texture distinguishes these finger-thick snacks from the fat, dumpy egg rolls and spring rolls of less desirable Chinese restaurants.

Filled with diced shrimp, onions, cabbage and pork, these are hauntingly addicting.
Fresh and hot from the fryer, they are served with big leaves of romaine lettuce, mint, cucumbers and dipping sauce. Wrap them up, nestled next to mint and cucumber, dip them in fish sauce and chilies, and enjoy one of the more wonder-filled handheld foods available. Don't skimp on the mint.

I'll tell you where I like to go for my favorites after the next handheld.

This next delight is a play on an old favorite. The pork bun.
This porky, flaky triangle is unlike the steamed or baked buns that I've spoken of before.

With a sweet, flaky exterior, and a savory pork filled center, these are excellent for breakfast with hot milk tea or for lunch with a cold bubble tea.
Also great after a night of drinking!

These are available at most dim sum restaurants and most Chinese bakeries.


Where to get them

For Vietnamese spring rolls, go to Nha Trang Palace in Brooklyn. I love this spot, and they have a number of dishes that are certainly worth ordering. Get spring rolls, of course, crispy fried squid, and any grilled pork. This place rocks.
For Vietnamese spring rolls in Manhattan, I go to Nha Trang One, on Baxter st. near Whiskey Tavern. The dish to order here is the sauteed shrimp with okra, perfect after several crispy appetizers.

For flaky sweet pork buns, I go to Fay Da Bakery in Manahattan Chinatown, which also has my favorite milk tea of almost any place around. Also worth trying is the chocolate walnut bun.

Throwback

Check this out!

I'm sure some of you out there will feel some nostalgia over this one.

It looks fun, and probably makes a pretty slamming grilled cheese. I bet it would also be really good with french toast and caramelized apples! (Topped with ice cream of course)

Citrus Week Day Two: Red Navel Orange

Round Two! Fight!

Red Navels?
That's not a grapefruit?

I was excited for these. I had never come across a "red" navel orange before, so I bought three of these monstrous, dirty oranges at a small store on Fulton St. No where else have I ever spotted these oranges, and here, at a tiny Asian-run grocer, in the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn, they were on sale like everybody had them. They were heavy, and looked like they had some thick skin. In the first citrus picture the red navel is all the way on the left, in the middle; it's holding up a bunch of fruit.

Got home right away, and I started snacking on my citrus treats. Yeahhh.

This orange has great flavor.
The navels were especially large, and satisfying to eat, as most navels are too small and bitter.
Overall it is pretty fibrous. I like it, and don't mind the extra chewing. It helps you think about what you're eating a little longer.
The color is certainly red. Not blood-red like their cousins, but more red and less orange than any navel I have eaten before. It is also more red than the pink Cara Cara oranges, and I've seen plenty of grapefruit as red as this.

I ate em all!

Stay tuned for more cool citrus week stuff!

Handheld Series 3: Sweet Dreams

Get ready for the exciting third installment of the Handheld Series!

A never-ending quest to extol the wonders of handheld food has led to the the Handheld Series. We've visited Chinatown for steamed pork buns, we've braved Brighton Beach for real knishes, we even sunk our teeth into some mystery meat Grey's Papaya hot dogs, and questionable mass produced Popeye's chicken; but now, savory no longer, I give you, the sweets!

First up. A New York favorite for rich and poor, native and tourist alike. A shady side deal that gets better every time it happens.
The little Spanish lady and her cart full of CHURROS!

These are freaking awesome. One dollar buys you 2 - 3 deep fried sugary sticks of happiness. Underneath her strange plastic tarp, held in the old lady cart to end all old lady carts, this wonderful woman commands years of culinary tradition and the secret to a very satisfying train ride home.

If you don't know what a Churro is, my friend, you are missing out on one fantastic finger food. Sugary and crisp, fried and doughy, Churros are always a welcome treat. I've almost never passed up on the dollar Churro lady. These ladies are one of the best underground food scores in NY.

I ran into this lady at 14th st. switching from the 2 train to the F train. I don't know what her regular route is, but she was with a friend with an equal amount of churros (divide and conquer!) and I imagine they were headed to different places.

If you ever see one of these ladies, do not feel skeeved out about her lack of a food handler's license, or that she is toting this cart full of fried food through the subway. Just hand her a dollar, and tuck into some homemade Spanish-style dessert (or breakfast!).

I guess she felt bad that one of my churros was a little guy, cause I got three!

In following the handheld theme, and the sweets desired, I fell upon these little cake gems. Have you heard of Baked? 

Baked, out in Red Hook, Brooklyn, is hard to get to, but worth the trip. Said by some to be the Best Cupcake in NYC it is certainly a phenomenal cupcake. This one in particular is chocolate with salted caramel butter-cream frosting.

First, this cupcake must have crack in it. It is immediately addicting. Close your eyes on the first bite, because you are about to be transported to a part of your brain that only responds to pleasure. This has said to be a life-changing cupcake.

The cake to frosting ratio, and the sweet salty rich butter-cream is unbeatable. The cake is moist, and the frosting is decadent. The flavor profile is a smooth ride through magical territory.

Salted caramel is relatively new for me, but it seems everybody has had a hard-on for it for quite a while.

This edition of the handheld series was particularly satisfying, as I don't eat a lot of sweet things. I don't have a sweet tooth, I've got a pork tooth.

You can grab these delicious morsels from any churro-cart lady on the subway (you don't get to use that phrase everyday); or you can make your way to Baked in Red Hook. Some places sell Baked goods other than in Red Hook. Give them a call and find out if the deliver to any stores in YOUR neighborhood!

Handheld Series 2

I told you Handheld was a series! And here we are with two more exciting additions to the unctuous line-up.

Stepping away from more ethnic neighborhoods for a minute, I thought some all across the board nostalgia was in order. Something that everybody can relate to, and a staple here in NYC, is my first pick.

Gray's Papaya Hot Dog
Salty, meaty, a little bit of tang and acidity, held in by a soft baked bun, this handheld has got it all. And no one will judge if you eat two or three of these bad boys. I do not have a favorite hot dog spot. The simple fact is that my favorite dog is always straight from the grill at a backyard barbecue. Ketchup is the only essential, although I do enjoy sauerkraut and strong mustard.

Next in the Handheld series line up:
Chicken Drumstick

Oh yes!
Fried chicken!
This particular drumstick is from Popeye's. Because their chicken really is the shiznit.
Fried Chicken is the ultimate handheld. Fried chicken in a paper bag. Fried chicken fresh and hot. Steaming inside, crunchy golden exterior. Fried chicken cold, especially the homemade stuff. The big brands don't translate as well to a cold drumstick.Fried Chicken.

And actually I had so much fun eating this chicken, I made a chicken skin, meat and biscuit sandwich.

I had to include a picture of this. I want one right now. Let's not get distracted.

These two handhelds were awesome. I could make a whole meal of either one. (I often do!)
I would tell everyone where to get hot dogs and fried chicken, but for these handhelds, everyone has a favorite place, and I am not going to decide where yours is. I like Popeye's, and I like a lot of other places. Good homemade fried chicken is something magical.


Stay posted for part 3 of the Handheld Series

Poetry Corner

Bacon, soft white roll,
Lettuce, tomato, mayo;
My perfect sandwich.

Handheld Series 1

I freaking love sandwiches, but I want to take a minute to honor the handheld. Not exclusive, just delicious. Meant to eat with your hands.
Handheld.

Say it. It's glorious. It's about that moment when you really look at what you are about to eat and decide where to bite.
That's a handheld. That's how it is.

The Handheld Series:
Chinatown favorite, Char Siu Bao.

This is the bun ripped in half, after a massive bite; just a few drops of soy on the top.
Hot from the steamer, this soft, snow-white fluffy dough surrounds sweet fatty pork for only about a dollar.
Order char siu bao and a hot milk tea on any chilly afternoon, and you are in for the ultimate two dollar pick-me-up. You can get these in any Chinatown; good places to check are bakeries and restaurants with ducks or crispy pork hanging in the window.
Now stroll around for some vegetables or exotic fruits while you chase pork buns with hot sweet milky tea.

Next in the Handheld Series:
Brighton Beach, Meat Knish.

A knish from one of the ladies hanging out a window or sitting behind a table covered in little fried dough pockets. The signs are all in Russian, you've got to ask for what you want, or point and ask which filling is which. Knish vendors pepper the street on Brighton Beach ave. 
I love these knishes. There are so many to choose from; the meat (pictured) is a solid choice, the potato knish being a crowd favorite. Get a couple different kinds if you're with company, there are cherry knishes and cabbage, among others.


Char siu bao and knishes are both excellent, and perfect examples of amazing handheld foods. They always whet my appetite as I'm getting ready to chow down on some pan fried noodles, or some smoked fish and green borscht.

The spots I got these handhelds:
Pork bun from Sun Sai Gai on the corner of Baxter and Walker st. They have milk tea too, but I think a better spot for that is Fay Da Bakery 83 Mott st. (great spot to sit and sip, I love the music here too)

Knish is literally from a lady hanging out of a window. You'll see her around Brighton 3rd st. Take a stroll over to M&I international foods, head straight to the back and grab some soup and head to the boardwalk!


Keep an eye out for more in the Handheld Series!