February 20, 2010 11:26 am
When you start to grow tired of your constant rotation of New American, French, Italian and Mexican restaurants, it's time to branch out and try something new. No, sushi doesn't exactly count. We're talking about trying new cuisines entirely. Exploring new regional flavors is a great way to expand your palate, get excited about eating out again, and get inspired to cook on your own. Here are a few of our favorite "new" flavors and easy ways to give them a try!
Vietnamese—Bánh mì Sandwiches
Vietnamese cuisine is known for utilizing fresh ingredients and being one of the healthier Asian choices. Traditional flavors include fish sauce, soy sauce, lemongrass, Vietnamese mint, and Thai basil as well as meats (especially pork) and seafood. Two of the most popular Vietnamese exports of late are their classic noodle soup dish, phở, and Vietnamese sandwiches, or bánh mì. Tip: Bánh mì are an easy, delicious way to sample Vietnamese flavors. Made with pickeled carrots, daikon, cucumbers, cilantro, pate and meats of your choices on a special kind of baguette, these sandwiches are a relic of French colonialism in Vietnam. The baguette and pate take the French influence while the other flavors are uniquely Vietnamese. Trick: Bánh mì sandwich shops have begun popping up seemingly everywhere, but if there isn't one in your city, look for sandwiches labeled "Vietnamese sandwich/sub/hoagie/etc."
Technique: We love our bánh mì spicy with plenty of hot sauce or Siracha at New York City's own Baogette.
Korean—Kimchi
Main dishes in Korean food mainly focus around rice or noodles as a base, but one of our favorite parts about eating Korean food is the banchan, the small side dishes that are served with or before Korean meals. One of the most common banchan is something you are probably familiar with, kimchi. Kimchi is a treatment that involves fermenting cabbage or other vegetables. The combination of ginger, garlic, scallions, and chili pepper make for a deliciously spicy refreshing dish. Trick: the latest trends involve incorporating kimchi as a garnish on foods you already love--think tacos, hot dogs, hamburgers, and even sausages, or just enjoy it by itself.
Korean—Fried Chicken
David Chang, the mind behind Momofuku, has always been on the forefront of trends and his unique take on fried chicken is no exception. At his restaurant Momofuku Noodle Bar, Chang offers a reservation-only (the restaurant does not otherwise take them) 8-person fried chicken dinner. At dinner, you and your guests will get two full chickens, one fried in a classic buttermilk batter and the other a tangy mix of Asian spices. Another New York City favorite is BonChon Chicken, specializing in Korean style fried chicken. Tip: look for fried chicken on any Korean menu and give it a try, you will be surprised by this new way to enjoy a dish you've probably been ignoring for years.
New Austrian
Recently heralded by Bon Appetit as one of the best options for a winter dinner, the new take on Austrain cuisine updates some classics that you may or may not be familiar with. If dishes like goulash, spätzle, or Linzertorte don't excite you right away, take a look at the menu at New York's Café Katja for some inspiration. Spätzle, snow peas, shiitake, pea sprouts and peppercorn sauce has us converted. Tip: exploring Austrian cuisine is a great excuse to try out some delicious Austrian wines like Grüner Veltliner and Zweigelt.
Photo credit: http://chocolateshavings.wordpress.com
— Written by Elizabeth Monson
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February 19, 2010 1:36 pm
Every New Year's is filled with promises of fresh starts. For most of us, that means getting in shape and losing weight after our holiday binges. This year was no different for me but I knew I had to make some serious changes for my resolutions to stick. I thought about what hasn't worked in the past and why. Most diets are just that —diets. And diet food does not taste or even sound good. I decided to come up with tasty recipes that also sounded delicious so that my brain would not automatically shut down at the thought of them.
When you're on a diet, comfort foods are always a no-no but after the ball drops, we're left with January and January is cold. In this weather, comfort foods are a necessary staple—things like tacos, pizza and fried chicken. There's no wonder that forcing yourself to eat nothing but salad for the first weeks of January will cause you to throw out the diet plan. To stay on track while feeding my winter cravings, I revamped recipes to make them healthy and taste great. Trick: Call these dishes by their original names so that your mind thinks that there is no difference.
Technique: In all the dishes I substituted cheeses with nonfat cheese. The spices in your taco meat and tomato sauce make the missing fat hardly noticeable. Tip: For your taco meat, use ground turkey or bison instead of high fat beef. You wouldn't believe the calories you cut and the taste is phenomenal. Trick: On your pizza, used fresh crushed tomatoes with some basil instead of calorie-loaded canned tomato sauce from your supermarket. Also the crust of the pizza and the shell of the taco should be whole grain instead of white flour based. This will provide more fiber, help keep you full longer and slow down your digestion so valuable nutrients can be absorbed. For the chicken, Technique: Instead of frying, try baking it. This will cancel out so much fat without sacrificing a lot of flavor. Instead of flour and egg batter, use heart-healthy olive oil or egg whites with whole wheat panko bread crumbs—they crisp up and are very light in texture. Instead of French fries, slice a few roasted sweet potatoes with the dish and you have a full rounded meal.
These are simple and subtle changes to classic comfort food that are minimally noticeable and highly effective. Follow these simple tips and you will see a a new you in the New Year without forfeiting your taste buds.
Photo credit: James Carrier
— Written by Jennifer Ambrose
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February 18, 2010 2:11 pm
No one can complain that this year's Olympic Games on Cypress Mountain have had a dull moment. Between Shaun White soaring above the half pipe to his second straight gold medal and Lindsey Vonn
winning the gold after a spectacular downhill run, there is no excuse not to celebrate these American victories.
Stay in the spirit and toast everyone participating in this year's Winter Games with some appropriately Olympic-themed cocktails. The 5 interlocking rings, which represent the athletes from 5 different continents, were originally debuted at the Antwerp Olympics in 1920, continue to represent the unity of athletes from around the world.
Salute the games and athletes at your next get-together with these cocktails, and remember-- Citius, Altius, Fortius!
Blue Skis
3 oz. Three-O Grape Vodka
1/2 oz. Blue Caracao
1 oz. lemonade
Mix ingredients in a glass with ice.
Mountain Mist
3 oz. Three-O Citrus Vodka
1/2 oz. grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. pineapple juice
Splash of Triple Sec
Mix ingredients in a glass with ice.
Black Ice
1 1/4 oz. Three-O Tripe Espresso Vodka
3/4 oz. premium dark chocolate liqueur
1/2 oz. orange liqueur
Mix ingredients in a glass with ice.
Curling on the Rocks
2 oz. Three-O Raspberry Vodka
1/2 oz. Melon Liqueur
1/2 oz. Triple Sec
Splash of cranberry juice
Splash of orange juice
Mix ingredients in a glass with ice.
Olympic Flame
3 oz. Three-O Cherry Vodka
1/2 oz. Triple Sec
1 oz. cranberry juice
Splash fresh lime juice
Mix ingredients in a glass with ice.
Photo credit: Three-O Vodka
— Written by Lisa Curry
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February 17, 2010 10:20 pm
We all know that kids can be picky eaters. Just the word "vegetable" can make some particularly difficult little ones cringe. I recently had this experience with my three year-old nephew because his own parents feed him nothing but junk food —mostly packaged mac n' cheese and soda. So I knew he would be a real challenge because his palate was quite naive. I came up with a plan to get him interested in cooking. After all, he was always first hand on deck when I would bake cakes. I figured arousing his curiosity in the kitchen would be a cinch.
After much thought about how to get him to eat nutritious foods, I came up with a game plan. It dawned on me, kids love to color. He could sit for hours with a coloring book and a box of crayons. So I broke out the Crayolas and sat down with him. I asked him to draw me vegetables that were crazy colors. So instead of yellow corn, he would color it red and instead of green lettuce he would color it blue. Of particular interest were purple carrots. After this drawing activity we went off in search of fun colored vegetables. He loved the experience; every minute of it. I had heard in the past the that one way to get your kids eating is to get them involved in the cooking. This trick is tried and true.
Lucky for us, the weather cooperated and we went to our favorite outdoor Farmers' Market. There we found what he had drawn—red corn—and at the nearest Whole Foods, purple carrots. He was elated. We took our colorful finds home and got cooking in the kitchen. He watched and assisted in preparing all the dishes, especially purple carrot soup. He ate every last bite. There is something about the rainbow that is psychologically thrilling, and for the wee ones, I think colorful produce can give a whole meaning to "taste the rainbow."
Photo credit: www.connectmidmichigan.com
— Written by Jennifer Ambrose
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February 16, 2010 12:01 pm
It's been a week full of holidays -- Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year and Presidents Day -- but we're not done yet. Today, partygoers nationwide will get the annual Mardi Gras Celebration started with Fat Tuesday. Think about it: what better way to kick the Valentine's Day blues than indulging in some great food and drink all over New York City?
Typically, people think of drinking (and beads) when they think of Mardi Gras, but lest we forget the delicious Cajun Cuisine from New Orleans? This year you have no excuse to not indulge in fantastic NOLA flavors as New York City restaurants are out in full force to capture the Mardi Gras crowd.
This year, the Lower East Side, East Village and Uptown are havens for the gumbo-lovin', crawfish cravin' N'awlins food lovers.
Start your night at Mason Dixon in the L.E.S. Along with a special Louisiana-inspired drink specials including absinthe, hurricanes and bourbon; Cajun-blackened catfish tacos, fried shrimp and andouille sausage are the stars of the menu. Tip: Try pairing spicy shellfish dishes with sweeter white wines like Gewürztraminer. Although most food historians would not consider 25-cent wings official NOLA fare, those not interested in authentic tastes will find these available as well.
For those looking to partake in a bit of philanthropy along with their fried shrimp and gumbo, make a stop at Element-- the venue is hosting a Mardi Gras party from 7 p.m. to midnight to benefit the Lower East Side Girls Club of New York as well as a sister organization in New Orleans. Two Boots will provide the Louisiana-style catering, and traditional costumes and masks are encouraged for attendees. Tickets are $22 in advance, $30 at the door, and $125 for the meal and open bar.
Head farther into the East Village for Back Forty's interpretation of a Big Easy menu. Expect to find shrimp, hush puppies, boudin and jambalaya-- and with each dish Ian McConnell from Sixpoint Craft Ale will provide a specially selected beer accompaniment.
If downtown isn't your scene, head north to one of Brother Jimmy's BBQ's
three Uptown locations. Each location will be offering a bevy of drink and food specials, including po'boys, jambalaya and crawfish.
Technique: Add some Cajun flare to your own cooking by whipping up a batch up easy Creole Seasoning: equal parts of salt, dried oregano, paprika, cayenne and black pepper.
Mason Dixon
133 Essex St (between Rivington and Stanton)
6pm--2am
Element
225 East Houston Street (at Essex Street)
7 pm--12am, Menu available from 8pm--9pm
Back Forty
190 Ave B (between 11th and 12th Streets)
Festivities beginning at 6:30pm
Brother Jimmy's BBQ
1485 Second Ave (between 77th and 78th Streets)
181 Lexington Ave (between 31st and 32nd Streets)
428 Amsterdam Ave (between 80th and 81st Streets)
Photo credit: http://www.nj.com
— Written by Mary Ann Porch
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