Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Everybody’s Screaming!

Today was hot. VERY hot. I drank some ice water, I ate a popsicle, I took a cold shower. And guess what? I am STILL. SO. FREAKING. HOT. And you know what is on my mind? I think you can guess.

Ice cream. There is no better cold weather treat. I thought, in lieu of cooking or eating or even moving from the whisper of a breeze that blows through my apartment window every hour, I would do an ice cream roundup. Yum.

Time Out New York did a roundup of what they think are the eight best ice cream sandwiches in the city. I have yet to taste any on their list, but I highly suggest you pick up a copy of the magazine, if only just to drool while you melt into a puddle in your air-conditionless apartment. No? Just me?

Did you know the month of July is National Ice Cream Month? Who cares if it’s true! It’s an excuse to eat ice cream like it’s going out of style. And for the month of July, chefs at Kimpton Hotels across the country are offering special ice cream dishes like vanilla bean gelato with caramelized popcorn and caramel sauce (New York, NY) and Pennsylvania sweet corn ice cream with elephant heart plum and ginger gelato (Philadelphia, PA). For more info on your local Kimpton Hotel and their cheapo ice cream deal check their website.

If you live in New York City, you will literally trip over the endless ice cream options offered in and around New York. Two of my favorites include the Donut Ice Cream Sandwich at Peter Pan Bakery in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (vanilla ice cream sandwiched between a split red velvet donut, or cookies and cream ice cream sandwiched between a plain cake donut) and the pistachio ice cream at Sweet Melissa in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

Ice cream! Way better than the Mr. Tasty blaring his abominable song on your street corner, and way more legal than taking a dip in the Lincoln Center fountain.

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I Remember That!

Today I stumbled upon an unbelievable website, and therefore am reduced to posting some incredibly indulgent food-related items. BEHOLD my youth! i.e. a bunch of stuff my mom would never let me have but I snuck at friends’ houses. Sorry, mom.

The minute I saw these ice pops the memories just came flooding back…

ECTO COOLER!!! I was absolutely never allowed to drink this. But I admired from afar.

I nearly yelped aloud in my cubicle when I saw these gummies. I vividly remember the faux-cola taste. Yummm.

And… okay, this is not food. But it was a DOLL that smelled and looked like a cupcake. I’m pretty sure I did not own one, but I remember a friend of mine had one and I probably got a kiddie-high from inhaling the plastic fumes. So magical.

All the other kids at summer camp had Squeeze It and I had a Thermos of milk. THANKS AGAIN MOM.

Thanks for joining me on this trip down memory lane. I blatantly stole these images from I’m Remembering! The site has a ton of other stuff you didn’t know you missed, including Skip It, Starter jackets, Scratch N Sniff stickers, and Super Soakers. Kids today don’t know what they’re missing out on.

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A Short Story

I’d been working on a couple posts. Nothing fancy. Just some good old fashioned ooey gooey pictures with some witty banter to follow. You know how I do.

They were saved on my work computer. I know, I shouldn’t have been posting at work. Sue me. Sike. Please don’t sue me.

My computer crashed. That’s all there is to it. I almost cried, but I did not. And so, in lieu of my own fancy pictures of gorgeous eats, I give you this:

Food Porn Daily

I just… well… I… yum. Oh… yum.

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Book It

I was fortunate enough to attend a panel discussion with some very influential people in the food writing world, including writers from The Kitchn, Tasting Table, and the New York Times. During the course of the discussion, there was much debate about the future of food writing and cookbooks. In ten years will printed books be obsolete? I am a total paper nerd and have to admit that I love the smell of an old library book, the weight of the Sunday New York Times under my arm, and the food-splattered pages of my oldest cookbooks. If you’re a traditionalist like me, you’ll wholeheartedly agree. Maybe you just let out a resounding “HEAR HEAR!” at your desk.

Maybe not.

In any case, below are my recommendations for cookbooks that you should not be without. You can Google “souffle recipes” but it just ain’t the same.

Applehood and Motherpie by Junior League of Rochester; an upstate staple, and an endless resource for amazing homemade dishes from appetizers and soups to entrees and desserts.

The Essential New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser; includes 1,000 plus recipes from the lauded newspaper's unrivaled history of culinary journalism. Available October 2010

Martha Stewart's Cookies by Martha Stewart Living Magazine; every cookie I have ever tried from this book has been incredible. So reliable.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child; because well... duh.

Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer; this is a kitchen standard and has a recipe for everything you have ever wondered how to make.

Someday I’ll add to this list “Food E. says EAT IT by Lauren E.” but for now… well… there you go.

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Happy Weekend!

I just love this photo. If you’re in Southern California, head over to the J. Paul Getty Center and check out the relatively new exhibition called Tasteful Pictures. Have a gorgeous weekend, my loves!

Bagels, Second Avenue, Weegee (Arthur Fellig), 1940. © International Center of Photography

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The Green Wonder

Sometimes I have mundane things for dinner, and I think, is this worth posting? But if this grabs you:

… then maybe you might be interested in my hum-drum dinner. I am currently obsessed with everything to do with this green fruit, and I find myself ordering anything on a menu that has avocado in it. They have the good kind of fat (I know, right? Good fat?! Yes, please!), they add gorgeous color to any dish (okay, not ANY dish), and they have such a brilliant, smooth, creamy texture that I could just bathe in them.

But I won’t.

That would be weird.

Anyway… tonight for dinner I created a burger-less version of my favorite burger: swiss cheese, bacon, and avocado. This is amazing on a ground beef patty, but I used sliced smoked turkey (on sale at my local grocery) and it was divine. Way better than the spoiled potato salad I had for lunch…

…I don’t want to talk about it.

Are you an avocado lover? Here are a few more ideas of what to do with this peerless pitted pod of perfection.

… Sliced up and wedged between scrambled eggs and mozzarella in a tortilla for breakfast

… In the standard guacamole with salty chips and margaritas (avocado, chopped red onion, lime juice, and cilantro – easy as pie!)

… Blended with powdered sugar and lemon juice as frosting for a yellow or white cake (seriously!)

… Sliced up on toast with a sprinkle of lemon juice and coarse kosher salt

… Cut into chunks, add chunks of honey dew, sprinkle with lime juice, and use as a salsa for white fish or sauteed scallops

… Sliced up on crusty french bread underneath a layer of watermelon (I know, this is a weird one, but it is SO GOOD… I’m a texture girl myself)

A few tips when using avocados:

In any type of recipe, once you remove the meat from the skin and the pit, it will turn brown unless you add lime or lemon juice (notice all the above suggestions that are not immediately melted on a sandwich have lime/lemon juice in them)

A ripe avocado can be cut in half, around the pit, and twisted apart. Stick a sharp knife in the pit, twist, and it should pull right out.

To remove the meat from the skin: scoop with a spoon starting at the narrow end of the half, or for a VERY ripe fruit, peel away the skin (this is my favorite way because it preserves that smooth rounded appearance)

If you’re only using half an avocado at a time, you can leave the pit in the leftover half and it’ll help it keep longer in the fridge.

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Did someone say free dessert?

If you live in New York, you want to see this

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