Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Balinese Banana Pancakes
At least, this is what Laura O'Neill, yes the same behind Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, tells me. Every morning in Bali, you get banana pancakes. So, at their new Balinese place, Selamat Pagi, they had to have banana pancakes on the brunch menu. They're denser than the ones we're used to, but have a decent amount of sliced bananas in the cakes. Then they're covered with toasted coconut *and* macadamia nuts. Then you top them off with homemade vanilla-flecked whipped cream and palm sugar syrup. Yes, palm sugar syrup. And then you proceed home to price vacations to Bali, possibly laughing at the people along the way who are still waiting for a table to eat plain old pancakes for brunch.
Selamat Pagi
152 Driggs Avenue
Greenpoint
(718) 701-4333 jump
Monday, April 29, 2013
Strawberry Balsamic Pie is Back at Four & Twenty Blackbirds
My only regret is that I didn't have room to repeat this slice because it was soooo good. Blondie is a big proponent of strawberry pies in general and went she started tweeting about wanting to make one a couple of weeks ago, I naturally started craving one, too! Strawberry pies can easily venture into cloyingly sweet territory. Not the case with the pies from Four & Twenty. As always the crust is flakey, buttery perfection and the filling with bursting with juicy, strawberry goodness. This pie is a delicious reminder that spring is finally here! I'm looking forward to making a return visit for seconds.
Four & Twenty Blackbirds
439 Third Ave. at 8th St,
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-499-2917
birdsblack.com
Hours: Monday to Friday: 8am - 7pm
Saturday: 9am - 7pm
Sunday: 10am - 6pm
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Thursday, April 25, 2013
Fancy Rotisserie Lamb Sando at Lincoln Station
The folks behind al di là and Bar Corvo have brought south Crown Heights a bit of their culinary genius. Lincoln Station is perfect for breakfast, lunch, afternoon coffee, and dinner take-out. I'm serious. I stopped by for a little lunch time work--free Wifi is always a plus in my book--and picked up their rotisserie lamb sandwich. Succulent slices of lamb sandwiched between ciabatta with cucumber, fava bean puree, and a spicy yogurt sauce adding a Mediterranean flavor. The kicker? It's under $10. I desperately need to get back to try the tripe Sloppy Joe. Genius!
Lincoln Station
409 Lincoln Place
Crown Heights
(718) 399-2211 jump
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Come See Us This Weekend! There Will Be Booze
It's never too early to make weekend plans! And if you love street food this weekend promises to be a great one. Firstly...the Red Hook Vendors are kicking off their 2013 season at the Red Hook Park ball fields on Saturday. Blondie and I will be hitting up the park for some delicious pan-Latin specialties. Pupusas! Huaraches! Ceviche! Then we'll make our way to the fabulous Bookcourt in Cobble Hill where we'll be signing our book with the lovely Kim Ima from The Treats Truck (who will be signing her own book, The Treats Truck Baking Book, too). We're going to be demo-ing one of our favorite recipes from the book, the Frozen Mint Juleps from Kelvin Slush. So come join us for lunch at the ball fields and/or let's have drinkies together at Bookcourt. Here are the full details...
Red Hook Food Vendors return to the Red Hook Ball Fields Saturday. If you aren't familiar with the vendors this Serious Eats post is a great place to get acquainted. The carts and trucks open around 10am and close near dusk. They'll be there rain or shine. We had the honor of interviewing 8 of the vendors for our book and captured many wonderful stories. The sacrifices and the adversity that these vendors have overcome all while serving some of the best, homemade Latin food in the city is inspiring. The vendors will have to bid for a new 6 year permit at the end of the season and there are no guarantees, so get out there and support the vendors and show them that all the hard work--giving up every single summer weekend--is worth it. We'll be there at lunchtime, feel free to drop by and say hello. Follow us @blondiebrownie. If you have a copy of our book already, bring it along to get it signed by the vendors and us.
Our post-lunch event at Bookcourt starts at 4pm. Kim Ima from the Treats Truck will be vending outside from about 2:30pm onwards. We'll show you how to make your Derby Party extra awesome with the Frozen Mint Julep recipe from Kelvin Slush, then have a street vending discussion with Kim and wrap things up with a Q&A and signing.
We love drop bys, but if you do plan on coming, please RSVP to the FB event. I need to know how much booze to bring!
Photo credit: Donny Tsang
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Tuesday, April 23, 2013
¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Brownie!
Monday, April 22, 2013
Stop the Presses: The "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" from Ample Hills is Brownie’s New Favorite Sundae
I’m a huge fan of the ice cream at Ample Hills (and so is Blondie). Such a fan that while it makes me sad to spot amazing specials on Twitter and Facebook, knowing that I won’t make it in time for one day dealies—like when they were delivering pints during the blizzard. Yet, in my heart of hearts I know that if I lived any closer I’d probably pack on some serious pounds as a frequent buyer. And…absence makes the heart grow fonder, plus gives me a great excuse to really splurge on the special trips that I do get to make to AH.
Lawman had long promised me that hot fudge sundae and I finally went to collect after our book signing at the Downtown Literary Festival. I was just going to do their typical brownie sundae when a new (or at least new-to-me) item on their menu caught my attention: the “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry,” a tribute to the poem from which Ample Hills derives its name. Crossing Brooklyn Ferry ($10.65 plus tax) is an epic hybrid of a banana split and a hot fudge sundae. It starts in a little teal boat, yes, a boat. They line the sides of the boat with a split banana then fill the hull with your choice of ooey-gooey cake or brownie then topped with three huge scoops of ice cream THEN…still with me?...topped with homemade hot fudge and caramel, wet walnuts, fresh whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry on top.
Right now, for a limited time, they are serving chocolate ooey-goey cake and when I placed my order it came highly recommended by several of the staff, so I picked that as my base. For the ice creams I went with strawberries and cream, peanut butter flake and Honey Graham (a honey vanilla ice cream with pieces of homemade chocolate-covered graham cracker crust). Since I can’t have walnuts I got those on the side for my fellow sundae eaters, Lawman and Little B.
Unless you have a monster appetite, do not undertake consuming this sundae lightly or without aid. In fact, I was politely cautioned by a couple staffers as I placed my order who asked me how many people I had to eat the sundae with me. But if you have back up, oh man, oh man, go for it. Every single darn component of this sundae from the ripe but not too ripe bananas to the gooey cake to the flavor packed ice cream and sauces and whipped cream was top notch. I may not indulge in sundaes often, but next time I do, you can bet it will be another one of these.
Ample Hills Creamery
623 Vanderbilt Ave
Prospect Heights
(347) 240-3926
www.amplehills.com jump
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
We're Talking about "Tweeting & Eating" TONIGHT at the NYPL with Some Awesome Food Friends
Monday, April 15, 2013
Catch Us at Powerhouse Arena Tomorrow Night with Three Awesome Vendors
*After posting, we learned that unfortunately, the Morris Truck will not be able to join us for the event, but Michael be there for the panel. jump
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Books + Us + Vendors + Stories!!!!
It's been gorgeous out! So, what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than downtown being smarts and hitting up a literary festival downtown? Well, we'll be there! With vendors! And food! And dirty gossip about life as a street vendor!
Around 1:30p, we're sitting down at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe with Red Hook Food Vendors Executive Director, Cesar Fuentes, and Vendy award finalists Nick Karagiorgos, second generation owner of Midtown's Uncle Gussy's Greek Truck; Fauzia Abdur-Rahman from Bronx-based Fauzia's Heavenly Delights' and Jonathan Hernandez from uptown's Patacon Pisao; to discuss, well, life as a street vendor. Of course, we're not the only food-related part of the day, the owners of Russ & Daughters will be at the Cafe earlier while dishing with DISH at 11:30a. You might see us there. Or at the section afterwards involving learning literary pieces to recite. Or shopping for books. Or eating! Oh my goodness, so many things.
Here's the full website with the day's schedule, *and* here's the Facebook event specifically for us! RSVP is the way to be! jump
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Best Lunch Deal in Town
$12 for beyond delicious pizza and a salad? Sold. I'd heard rumors of this lunch special, so when a friend asked for a lunch date last week, I said "Motorino." It helps that the special includes one of my favorite pizzas of all time, the Brussels Sprout with pancetta. Perfectly roasted slices of sprouts with diced meaty porcine goodness in every bite. I die every time. You can also get the Marinara, Margarita, or Soppressata Picante. With all those summer Fridays coming up--and those *cough* *cough* sick days when it just so happens to be gorgeous out--I'm sure I'll see a few of you there.
Motorino
349 East 12th Street
East Village
(212) 777-2644 jump
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Catch Us at Rock Center Tomorrow!
Monday, April 8, 2013
Now I'm Going to HAVE to Visit Citi Field this Season
They had me at chocolate covered pretzels but when you add in the malt powder, that takes this concrete over the top. Since it will be available at Citi Field all season, it looks like I'm going to have to make a special trip to see the Mets and Meet the Pretz.
What's your favorite Shake Shack concrete?
*For the uninitiated a concrete is frozen custard with assorted mix-ins whirled in. Each Shake Shack has their own unique concrete menu that takes its cues from the neighborhood. jump
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Book Signing Road Trip!
NYC has Murray's Cheese and New Haven has Caseus, a fantastic neighborhood fromagerie and bistro with a grilled cheese truck ambassador that's been feeding hungry workers and Yale students since 2010. Lawman and I love the bistro which features comfort foods like poutine, mac & cheese, grilled cheeses and other entrees made with sustainable and local ingredients. We're especially fond of their bread and butter plate which includes housemade seasonal butter selections like grapefruit & star anise butter (gah! I could slather that on EVERYTHING).
Needless to say we'll be chowing down on grilled cheeses and hopefully signing lots of copies of New York à la Cart: Recipes and Stories from the Big Apple's Best Food Trucks. New Haven has a great food cart/truck culture of it's own (lamb tacos! cupcakes!) not to mention some of the world's best pizza. So whether it's this weekend or another weekend, consider getting a zip car or hopping Metro North and visiting the Elm City for some good eats.
Here's this weekend's signing details:
Saturday, April 6th; 1pm:
Barnes & Noble
470 Universal Dr
North Haven, CT
For Caseus Grilled Cheese news & updates follow them @caseusgrilled (Photo courtesy Caseus Grilled Cheese Truck's Facebook) jump
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Lunching at Peels
I don't usually go for the turkey sandwich, possibly due to years of dieting. But this sandwich comes with slices of ripe avocado, a dusting of cotija cheese, and a small layer of chili mayo--three things I will never hate on. It helps that the turkey's smoked and tastes like actual turkey, not some amalgam of chemicals and salt. And since every sandwich needs some sort of side, they give you homemade potato chips. No word on whether they taste delicious actually in the sandwich.
Peels NYC
325 Bowery
East Village
(646) 602-7015 jump
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Happy Book Birthday to Us!
Come ask us your burning questions about lunchtime adventures in midtown and pick up a copy of our book. Our come say hello at the Street Vendor Project's Great Street Meet tonight, where will raise a glass and/or doughnut to celebrate the Street Vendor Project's historic victory in the lower the fines campaign. Can't make today's event? We have a number of other events scheduled around the city including a signing at the Rock Center Posman Books on Wednesday, 4/10 at 1pm and more in the works.
Of course on our book's pub date, we'd be remiss not to say a HUGE thank you to all the hands that went into making New York à la Cart. So many terrific people came together to make this book possible. Here just a short list of the many, many people that we have to thank and thank again: first and foremost the wonderful vendors who inspire us daily with their hard work, the fine folks at our publisher, Running Press, our fabulous agent, Susan, our amazing photographers Donny and Clay, our lunchtime guru, Zach Brooks who wrote the foreword, the terrific team at the Street Vendor Project and last but certainly not least, our families and friends who supported us through all the research, writing and recipe testing and helped our in countless ways. We couldn't have made it without you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Stay up-to-date with all the latest eats and tweets via @blondiebrownie. jump
Monday, April 1, 2013
Did You Get Your Tickets? Choice Streets is Sold Out!
Last week the Voice announced 2 additional participating food trucks, making 9 food trucks in total so far: Desi Food Truck, Mike N' Willie's, Big D's Grub, Coolhaus, Gorilla Cheese NYC, Nuchas, Phil's Steaks, Souvlaki GR, and Valducci's Original Pizza. This year they plan on having 25 of the city's favorite trucks. What can we say? The Voice has great taste...Big D's and Coolhaus are two of the vendors featured in our book, New York à la Cart: Recipes and Stories from the Big Apple's Best Food Trucks .
All this Choice Streets talk is reminding me of what a great time I had at Choice Eats on 3/19 and that there were still a few awesome dishes that I've been meaning to share with you. Here's the rest of my best bites...
Not surprisingly more than a few of my favorite bites involve cheese. The homemade burrata from Anella was INCREDIBLE. I know it's cliche to describe things as "melt in your mouth" but seriously, I'm not sure what other words to use to describe the creamy, almost buttery perfection that was this little piece of cheese (with a spot of tomato jam and basil salt).
One of the longest lines I wanted it was for these tiny tomato and smoked feta tarts from Dirt Candy. After one bite of this smokey, cheesey goodness I was ready to get back in line to wait all over again for another.
I spotted Mrs. Dorsey's Kitchen Grilled Cheese at the Columbus Circle market, but didn't have a chance to taste their wares until the Vendys. Their goat cheese with strawberry and mint preserves was an interesting take on the traditional grilled cheese. I can't wait until they open a shop in Prospect Heights.
The folks from S'more Bakery wowed with their made to order homemade s'mores--who doesn't love seeing a pastry torch in action?
But it was their Salty Oat cookies with chocolate chunks and marshmallow that I'm still dreaming of. Salty, sweet, chewy and chocolatey. What more can you ask for?
Wrapping things up and rounding out a great night of feasting, the Grapefruit paleta from La Newyorkina was light and fresh and reminded me just why I'm so looking forward to spring (and summer!)
If you missed out on Choice Eats and Choice Streets, keep tabs on the events by following @ChoiceEats. jump