Food52 and Beyond

Because I haven't been posting on ETI, but I have been creating content through Food52, I just want to share all the things I've written for them so far.

You can look for me by username: William Widmaier and click follow!
You'll need to sign up to follow, but it's free and then you'll become a member of Food52!

Here are a lot of the articles I've authored so far:

These are the three most recent, and they were also shared through Yahoo Shine.

Dinner Tonight: Grill-Roasted Meatloaf + Horseradish Dill Potato Salad
Dinner Tonight: Patty Melts + Grilled Swiss Chard Stems
Dinner Tonight: Herb-Crusted Pork Chops + Potato Salad with Arugula

This next one I really liked, and I really wanted people to make it because it just sounds so good. It's a great way to use a lot of greens!

Dinner Tonight: Ginger Fried Rice + Wok-Fired Squid & Greens

Photo by James Ransom

This is the photo that made me really want to eat this. James is a great photographer, and it's been a pleasure working with him during my internship. I've had a chance to add my input for shots, watch the process of shooting and editing, as well as pick his brain about food photography.

Anyway, back to the links!

Dinner Tonight: Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs + Roasted Fries

Quick Pickling 101

How to Clean Squid


There are more, but these are some of the best.

I'm going to continue to pitch stories and articles to Food52, so keep a lookout for more!

Either way, I'm happy to update, as I haven't posted anything in quite a while.

Let me know what you guys think in the comments!

Bytes and Sites: Yuletide

With Chanukah days behind us and Christmas on the rise, it's about time to start thinking about the Yuletide. (the period from Dec. 24th through Jan. 6th)

Not only is the internet full of awesome presents and great party/entertaining ideas, but there will be all manner of sales during this period of holiday magic.

Maybe you don't have time to make Christmas cookies, and maybe you're tired of eating latkes already (pshh, not likely) but many of these recipes taste good even when it's not a holiday.

One of my favorite times of year is when hams go on sale. In college one of my favorite meals to bring for lunch and to eat at home was (and still is) ham with white rice and sweet icebox pickles.

Check out Saveur's recipe for a honey and clove fresh ham. The stuff of legend.

Seriously I ate it for five days in a row pretty often. Salty, fatty ham is an excellent counterpoint to sweet, vinegary pickled peppers and onions - balanced out by warm, fluffy, starchy rice. Perfect!

I would make the pickles as soon as I knew hams were about to go on sale so that when the time came, all my pickles would be ready for me. Then all I needed was one day to make a ham and a bunch of rice, and viola!

Anyway, here's a bytes and sites mash-up of all the great Yuletide things now and to come.

For the Adult-Kid in all of us, here are some boozy hot chocolate recipes:

This is to replace egg-nog at all times. Please do not serve me egg-nog. Please serve me hot chocolate with booze in it. Sure, you can put Baileys instead of milk, but that doesn't necessarily make it good. Follow these few recipes and you'll have some hot chocolate to be proud of. Not some dorm-room Swiss Miss with marshmallow vodka.

Nutella Hot Chocolate : Nutella all the time. Best served straight from the jar, preferably on a finger, but I will also accept this hot drink with hazelnut liqueur. Just be sure to use all of the liqueur. Seriously, what are you going to do with leftover hazelnut liqueur? (the answer is coffee)

Cinnamon, Mezcal, and Chili Hot Chocolate : Serious Mexican flavors from Seriouseats.com. I want this more spicy and less ingredients. Really, it's got one hundred percent more ingredients that Saveur's choco-concoction but worth every step.

Bittersweet Chocolate with Red Wine : Because you need to make good with someone's mom. And we all know moms love chocolate and wine. And we all know there is always a mom to impress.

Don't go crazy drinking all these alcoholic things, maybe make them for friends. We all know that you're getting enough calories just from the phrase "holiday time." So take it easy on the liquid chocolate, Santa.

Gift Season!

Here are a lot of gift ideas. Get me some. It's cool, I like gifts, and I've read all these gift compilations so I'll know how much you spent.

Bon Appetit Holiday Gift Guide : Full of great ideas like an ENTIRE JAMON SERRANO LEG (wink, wink rich friends) it also has lots of small and/or practical gifts like retro candy and Almdudler Limonade cans.

Saveur's Holiday Gift Guide 2012 : Check out the Edible gift guide, some of them are great, like single varietal honeys, Olympic Provisions sausages, and travelling bitters set. Some are not so great, like the hexagon spice kit, and the foil wrapped chocolate ornament (just make them boozy hot chocolate.) But all are better than just straight candy-canes.

Also, This, because I think these are awesome if impractical.

If you've read this entire post, I applaud you, because frankly, after the ham and the Nutella Hot Chocolate, I stopped paying attention myself and just started eating Nutella straight from the jar again.

Bytes and Sites: T-Giving

Every dining section, food blog, website and more are stuck in a full-on nose dive towards Thanksgiving.

We can't help it. 

It's the food holiday above all others. 

Sure, some of us still talk about what we are thankful for, and probably more so after this Sandy debacle, but for the most part, people just want somewhere to eat the meal they look forward to all year.

Here are some resources to make this all easier.

This little gem is from the NY Times' archives from 2009. It should also be said that this doesn't have to just be Thanksgiving ideas. A lot of these would be really easy and delicious for everyday life. Make some. Try it.

101 Head Starts on the Day

Bittman has a good point; most of the issues are from not enough space on the stove. 

So plan ahead peoples.

Here is a good way to plan ahead:

Saveur's 9 Complete Menu Ideas

It includes some pretty useful ideas, like Thanksgiving for Two and Vegetarian Thanksgiving, as well as some pretty awesome menus like Elegant French and Chesapeake Bay Thanksgiving.

Maybe you just want to read through some of these for ideas.

Please read this article from Bon Appetit. Please read this. Please.

How to Carve a Turkey

Because whether you're doing it or not, everyone should know how to carve a bird. A turkey is just a large chicken anyway.

Now, I just need to say:

We're having goose this year.

I'm excited.

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.

Bytes and Sites

First, Halloween is closing in on us, and with it, tons of candy. Trust me, even adults are getting in on the candy. No one is safe. We may not be eating a pillowcase full, but we're going to be eating some.

I for one, will not be eating candy corn. And apparently neither is this guy:

"I'm Sick of Candy Corn"

Way to go dude. I would have written that article for bon appetit years ago. Also your pictures make me gag.

Also, bon appetit wins a lot of awards from me today because of their Snoop Dogg (double g!) Hot Pocket Video Repost.

Pocket Like it's Hot

This video is amazing, especially if you remember the original with Pharrell. This has the added bonus of Andy Milonakis. I can't believe he's still alive.

"I gotta heat it up to eat it up," says Snoop.

Thank you bon appetit for the junk food.

The Times today (ny) had two great articles in the Dining & Wine section. It comes out every Wednesday, but a lot of times they release some articles a day or so early on their website. So this first one I didn't catch earlier in the week, which I guess makes it more fun to open the paper come Wednesday.

The Snail Wrangler This lady is a boss. She also loves snails. I don't blame her. I love snails too, just not the way she does. You can tell she's about one step away from making snail porn. I would love to eat some of her snails and snail caviar, but I think it's highly unlikely.

Burmese Cooking (Currently Myanmar) has flavor profiles that are very familiar for me. After I read this article early yesterday morning, it was nice to see it so prominently displayed today.

A Burmese friend of mine, and culinary companion, gives me some pointers and suggestions when I want to make Burmese food. 

Most recently she said, "You already got everything but try to add some greens. A ton of fish sauce ruin salad."

And this is why I love her.

Also, I want the book that this lady wrote called Japanese Farm Food.

Check out her blog for some great pictures and a look into what you might expect from her book (or living in Japan for that matter)

For those of you that need a little food porn in your life, I give you Saveur's prime article for today:

Poutine That picture is slutty.

This should keep you busy for an hour.

Fennel Haters Need Not Apply

Under-appreciated by licorice haters everywhere, fennel gets a bad rep.  It's an incredibly versatile vegetable that can be eaten raw, roasted, braised, grilled, sauteed, stewed - the list goes on.

Seriously, the raw bulb is crunchy and slightly spiced, perfect for fall salads with apples and walnuts or any combination of fruit, nut, vegetable. They'll be a few salad suggestions to follow.


Roasted fennel takes on a sweetness that cuts the licorice edge that so many haters hate on.

In fact, I roasted some fennel and cipollini onions with coriander and lemon. Here is a picture. I'll eat it with grilled pork chops, or leftover roast lamb, or oily, full-flavored fish. Or whatever, it's awesome, you get the point right? (Actually I'm having it with merguez sausage, dbj.)

I've enjoyed the compilation posts thus far (blueberry, tomato) and I think I'll continue with another fantastic ingredient, and one that seldom gets the recognition it deserves.

Fennel!

First up, soups and salads, appetizers and such.

Fennel Apple Spritzer - Because we're adults and this doesn't have to be nonalcoholic. I suggest clear Rum, but by all means experiment. Applejack, whiskey, tequila?

Carrot and Fennel Soup - A great intro for those that can't take the full fennel plunge. The sweetness of the carrots helps curb the fennel's bite.

Pickled Fennel - Because it wouldn't be my blog unless something was pickled

Quinoa, Fennel, Pomegranate salad - This is for the ladies (come on, quinoa/pomegranate) and the vegans, and the people that make a shitload of one thing and eat it for lunch for a week and want others to be jealous. Lunch people should poach chicken or fry sausage patties in addition.

Fennel, Sunchoke, Apple salad - Wait, salad? Oh yeah, throw some pork on this, and serve it at a fancy dinner party. People won't believe that you know what sunchokes are. (Oh you don't? Here's some info)

Alright, so you've met my friend fennel, and you're ready to invite him to some parties. Cause, you know, he's such a cool guy.

Corn and Fennel Ragu - Comfort food style, you know. Just the word Ragu sounds good. Serve this with hot smoked salmon (aka kippered) and maybe some polenta cakes.

Cornish Game Hens - Everybody loves little chickens. Also Meyer lemons which have just come into season make this especially good.

Roasted Squash and Fennel - Sometimes you need to know the basics, this will help you build the dishes that will wow yourself and those lucky enough to join you. And because you want to make an awesome side dish for your lamb, or those frisky vegetarians that are making baked artichokes.

Flavorful Tomato sauce - This is for fun pasta shapes like fusilli, orrechiette, and farfalle. Kid shapes and grown-up sauce.

Alright so you wanna get real on these people. You want to wow them in ways that they didn't even know were possible.


Monkfish with Fennel and Garlic - Because Monkfish is delicious and seldom used by home cooks. Don't be afraid. Embrace.

Octopus with fennel - Fennel and seafood pair so wonderfully, and nobody ever cooks octopus. This will make you feel sophisticated and Mediterranean. Your friends will ask if you learned this in Europe, and you can lie about visiting Crete. Only for the truly badass.

Grilled Fresh Sardines with Fennel and Preserved Lemon - Yeah that's right. You're probably already salivating.

Anyone still have room for dessert?

Apple and Caramelized Fennel Tart - It's a perfect fall/winter dessert.

Bonus Recipe!

Roasted Fennel with Cipollini onions.

One Large fennel bulb
about six cipollini onions
1 tsp. coriander seeds
juice of 1/2 a lemon
zest from 1/2 a lemon
olive oil (to coat)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Cut the fennel in half vertically. Take out most of the core. Cut into strips, try and keep them attached, you want them to be relatively thick. Save some fronds for garnish.

Cut the cipollini's in half so that each half has a little bit of the root end. Take off the skin, but leave the root so that they stay connected.

Toss fennel, onions, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and coriander together until everything is coated.

Place on a foil lined cookie sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes or until soft and colorful.
Garnish with zest and reserved fronds.

Serve with pork chops or oily fish (mackerel, sardines, etc.)

Later Haters!

August is Tomato Month

So I wrote an Ode to Blueberries earlier in berry season.
But I can't forget about the other wonderful super-fruit, tomato.

Check these delicious heirlooms from my backyard.

As the season progresses, the colors change as different plants fruit at different times. The pink ones are my personal favorite, as their low acid-high flavor profile is very agreeable. There would be more pink in this picture, but I am constantly snacking on them, sprinkled with salt and eaten out-of-hand. The others have their special characteristics as well, and combining them makes it all the better.

But here we go for recipes I've gleaned and deemed acceptable. You will not find a bread salad with tomatoes here. There will be no gazpacho. There will be no fresh salsa. You shouldn't need someone to tell you how to make salsa. You shouldn't be eating bread salad unless you're in Italy. Just saying.

Cherry Tomato and Vanilla Bean Preserves - Saveur suggests this is perfect with a triple cream goat cheese. I'm inclined to agree.

Tomato Confit - Also called Preserved Tomatoes, this dish looks great, and I'm sure would be fantastic with crusty bread and hummus.

Tomato Butter - Yeah. Maybe the easiest preparation in the line up. This will make toast and eggs magical.

Pickled Tomatoes - For those with a craving for an Eastern European style meal. Get some dark bread and hot smoked fish. Have some green borscht and sour cream while you're at it.

Tabbouleh - Great time of the year for this fresh herb powerhouse.

Tuna and Tomato Tartare - This just seems amazing. Having a few friends over and want to impress them? This.

Quesadillas with Squash Blossoms, Bacon and Tomato - God this sounds awesome.And you know what? No one needs a recipe for quesadillas. It's the idea that I want to share here.

Roasted Tomatoes - Grill some fish, cut up some crusty bread, and serve these tomatoes. You're welcome.

Roasted Tomato Risotto - Save this recipe for later in the season when creamy risotto is the perfect start to a long, beautifully chilly fall evening.

Tomato and Herb Tart - Puff pastry; tomatoes; Gruyere. Yes. Please.

Oven-Dried Tomato and Olive Tart - Because one tart is not enough. Puff pastry, olives and goat cheese make this tomato tart a winner. Please don't even think about using canned olives.

KETCHUP - Yeahhhhh. They call this tomato jam. But we can all see from the recipe, this is clearly ketchup. Have you had homemade ketchup? It's freaking fantastic.

Ketchup! - There's more than one way to skin a cat. Or a tomato. This recipe for ketchup involves more ingredients. Doesn't necessarily make it better - just different.


Okay you get it right? Okay good. Make some food. Or make your friends make food. Just make sure there's tomatoes involved. It's the season after all.

Oh, Rats!

Have we all read this?

Dinner at an Exhibition

This is amazing.
This is why I love journalism.

I'm not going to be making rat anytime soon (well, maybe), but I will tell you that I condone this meal as artistic expression, personal experience and sense of accomplishment for both eaters and creators.

Maybe this reminds you of a lost pet, or maybe it reminds you of the late-night bags of rat-filled trash in downtown Manhattan. Maybe this angers or outrages you, or maybe, like me, you are both intrigued, jealous and hungry.

A meal like this explores ones own conceptions of edible, which I find to be an extremely interesting aspect of food.

Many of you reading this can remember a time you witnessed me eat something not edible, or outside the realm of enjoyable eats. This is not new behavior for people. How do you know what tastes good if you don't try everything?

The experience of unknown edibles is a high chased by many foodies. To try something you've never had before, that very well none of your friends have had either, can be a rush in itself, especially if it tastes good.

To discover new foods fulfills deep ancestral behaviors - the greater variety of foods the better chance of survival - that satiate you on a mental level.

That's why I try things like goat head soup, blood sausage and jellied duck eggs.

I encourage everyone to try foods outside their comfort zone.

Who knows, maybe you'll host the next rat dinner.

Cold Soup Coming Through!

Seeing as the weather is getting hotter and the days longer, I thought that this article would be of particular interest. Plus, I love to make soup - it's so easy and produces such great results.

Cold Soup by Mark Bittman of NY Times.

A nice cold soup can be just what you need on a hot day when eating a big meal will weigh you down.

The avocado vichyssoise, radish gazpacho, and melon soup look and sound particularly inviting.

I like Mark Bittman. I don't always follow all of his recipes, but his approach to food and recipes is rather refreshing and informative. I have his book How to Cook Everything and it has proved useful, not only for myself, but for almost every one of my roommates that has needed a little guidance.

April Showers

Starting in mid-April, I will be joining Whitmore Farm as an intern for their spring season. I was just in Maryland visiting friends and the farm, getting ready for my new spring job.

I'm very excited for this opportunity, and eager to learn as much as I can during my stay there.

So you see, I haven't posted since I got down to MD, even though I was eating all manner of Vietnamese, Cuban, burgers, and other cuisines, because I was busy catching up with old friends and making new ones.

I spent some time in D.C. for an art exhibit, and found myself chomping down on a Shrimp Roll from Luke's Lobster, getting some pork buns at a local bun spot, and ultimately eating dinner at Pho14 in Columbia Heights.

Had to get some Five Guys burgers and fries, because let's face it, they are freaking awesome.

Plenty of new restaurants opened in Frederick since I was last there. My friends, acutely aware of my intense foodie habits, happily displayed their new haunts, eager to share with a discerning palate.

I will keep posting. And keep your eyes peeled especially for the Farm posts that will start showing up soon.

Seasonal Shad Specialty

Shad season is starting, and for those in the know, it's a wonderful season of fishy goodness. As the first grills are taken out from their winter slumber, a whole roe shad offers great escapes from the thick stews and heavy meals of cold months past.  Cut out the roe sacs for a luscious breakfast and grill the fish whole for a fantastic dinner.

photo from Wikipedia Commons

Check out Shad Roe from this Saveur article.

Read The Founding Fish, by John McPhee for a deeper understanding of this seasonal, American tradition.  Almost every person that talks about the wonders and splendors of shad roe, speaks of their breakfast versatility. Break them apart and mix into scrambled eggs, brown them in butter with eggs and toast, or have them sauteed and placed on top of a fresh green salad.

Anticipation

When the weather starts to warm in early Spring, I get excited for the coming months.  Grills start to make more of an appearance, and with them, the charred and smokey flavors that make me feel like a caveman.

In anticipation of grilling season, I was rooting around for some sauce recipes and some things to keep in mind when the first plumes of smoke drift from my backyard.

I found Saveur's BBQ season article.

The recipes I am most excited for would be Brunswick stew, pickled watermelon rinds, both Carolina sauces, DR. Pepper sauce, and all the RIBS.

Don't worry guys, it will be time before we know it.

For now, enjoy the corned beef and cabbage. (I love cabbage, almost as much as I love corned beef.)

Korean Firsts

Sometimes I think that I post too much about Asian stuff, but quickly dismiss myself because I remember how much I am in love with all of the food (the girls are cute too!)

I went to Koreatown on W. 32nd st. because I had never been. There were several foods on the agenda, Korean Fried Chicken, for one, because I've heard a lot of people buzzing about it, and various other things, including, but not limited to: kimchi, delicious snacks, noodles, and spicy any-thing.

Let's just say, mission accomplished.

Korean Fried Chicken is delicious. Double fried for fantastic crispiness, tossed in a garlic-soy sauce, these wings are really good, and definitely worth repeating, but with plenty of beer next time.

These particular wings came from Bon Chon, but it's not the only name in the game.

There are three places for Korean fried chicken in this short stretch of streets: Kyochon, the L.A. chain and originator of Korean fried chicken; Bonchon, producer of the wings pictured and claim to five NYC locations; at last but not least, Mad for Chicken, which is supposed to be delicious but at least a 30 minute wait for wings after ordering.

The fries at Bonchon were really good too. We also ordered the kimchi coleslaw which had just enough of the characteristic tang and spice of kimchi but rounded out with mayo.  Sweet dance music was playing.

This is definitely a place I will go back to as the bar looked formidable and the chicken was damn good.

I'm getting ahead of myself. Before the fried chicken spot, I wanted to go to a food court to properly whet my appetite.

 I started off with onions and noodles in black bean sauce. This was supposed to be pork and onions in black bean sauce, but there were barely half a dozen stamp size pieces of the protein I hold so dearly. It was good though, and came with pickled daikon and kimchi. I only ate about half of this, as I knew there were many more things to come. The joy of sharing!


Next up, I had to try this "Chinese Tamale," as it was advertised, because I pretty much knew what I was getting, and I like to set my self up for success.

This was good, and had so many things in it that I love! A strip of sweet Chinese sausage, half a shittake mushroom, a shrimp, some roast pork, beans and onions all call this rice-stuffed banana leaf home. I put hot sauce on and chalked it up as a win.





Here's the 'tamale' split open, revealing it's delicious innards. It's pretty much lo mai gai, but bigger, and with beans and peas and such.

If you're going to go to Koreatown, I would definitely suggest going to H Mart, a well stocked Korean and Asian grocery store. This place has all sorts of cool stuff in it, as well as hot snacks and weird sodas!

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: Charted Territory

Check out this awesome Venn Diagram of the Citrus Family

AWESOME!

Also, I got some Sour Oranges today, a.k.a. Seville Oranges.
Keep a lookout for a post about their Caribbean and British uses, and perhaps a recipe for famous Seville Orange Marmalade.

Citrus Week: Pummelo Candy

Check out this pummelo candy that my sister gave me.

It was pretty good. Sweet and tart, it was a piece of preserved pummelo skin with sugar. Nice citrus shout-out.

Also, check out this spot, Aji Ichiban, on Mott st. in Chinatown. Where you can get candies like these and many more. This place is also known as munchies paradise, living up to its name with samples of almost every item they carry.  Try different dried fruits of various flavors, include several citrus candies.

Plus it's right down the block from Joe's Shanghai, where you can grab some delicious soup dumplings and a crispy spring roll before tucking into your gummy coke bottles on the train ride home.

Oil and Fat

I love fat and oil and all things glistening and sumptuous. I have a jar of rendered bacon fat in my fridge right now. It's great for frying eggs or onions, potatoes, meat.... I could get carried away.

I have a lot of different oils in my pantry as well. Three different olive oils, grape seed, sesame, canola, the list goes on. What I do not have, is coconut oil. But after reading these articles, I think that is all going to change, and I'm going to be frying some things in a new fat this coming weeks.

This first article led me to the second one. I guess I'm a little late on this one, as it was published in March of '11.

The Kitchn gives a shout out to Trader Joe's

NY Times shout out to coconuts.

 I made a pork loin recently, and fried it in bacon fat. You'll see some pictures soon. (It was soooo good.)

Check it

Excellent article about Southern Food and Farmers.

I want this charcuterie.

I want the lush oyster mushrooms the monks grow.

I also want the new years hoppin' John with golden yellow cornbread and greens. And it's almost new years anyway right?

Smoke on the Water

Smoked Fish. You either love it, or you hate it.
I love it.
I used to eat smoked eel at my country house in upstate New York as a young boy.
And now, I've been on a smoked fish kick. And a recent late night domino game (yeah throwin' bones!) snack was the perfect excuse to break out some smoked herring, fresh from the can, on dark bread with mustard and pickled jalapenos; spread out on a serving plate in-between games. It was a perfect snack and an excellent idea all around. It's too bad I didn't get a picture before we devoured everything.

I wanted more!

Being that this is Brooklyn, there is no shortage of wonderful places that offer exactly the things you are looking for.

This is a smoked trout I recently had from Jubilat Provisions (this place freaking rocks) and it was awesome. No accompaniment was necessary for this firm smoked fish, just hands and mouths.
I would have loved to take some open-fish pictures, but with oily hands and happy mouths, there was little time to snap the extra photos.
It was a very pretty fish, but I think the fish next in the line up was better tasting but less aesthetically pleasing. I certainly enjoyed them both.


This next fish, also from Jubilat (because I had to go back) was sold to me as Halibut. I'm not really sure if it was halibut or not, but I am sure that it was absolutely fish-tastic. This fish had super-soft flesh and the fattier parts just melted in your mouth, begging to be spread on crackers. So that's exactly what we did. My friend Andrew and I ate this whole fish at work. It was amazing.

It had the added rustic appeal of still having the hanging string tied around it. Jubilat smokes all their own meat and fish in a back room, and this, I feel, makes it all the more special. I realized that this fish would need to get documented further, so I opened the bad boy up and started snapping.

Here is a picture that shows perfectly the firmer, flaky flesh (in the middle), and the melty, fish-butter (on top). You can even see some of the silvery skin. This fish was freaking delicious. Just saying.

I think that I'll get some more smoked fish soon! If only I could find a good source for smoked eel!