The 19th annual International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York will be taking place March 4 – March 6, 2012 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. This event is owned and sponsored by the New York State Restaurant Association and produced and managed by Reed Exhibitions. Continue reading
It’s been a few weeks since the last fridge cleanout, and at least a couple since the last big shopping trip. You’re broke and/or lazy, and there will be no grocery run tonight. Sure, you could boil some water and use up that last chicken flavored Cup Noodles with its funky chewy bits of dehydrated vegetable goodness, but you want something that tastes like actual food and won’t leave you starving 15 minutes later… Continue reading
A couple of months ago, we bought ourselves a Cuisinart Counter Top Brick Oven Pizza & have been experimenting with many different styles of pizza ever since.
Below is a list with some of our favorites (minus the obvious traditionally topped pizzas).
Buffalo Chicken Pizza: 50% cooked basic pizza shell, topped with chunky bleu cheese dressing (Marie’s works best), shredded cheddar cheese, a layer of sauteed buffalo chicken with diced tomatoes and some more shredded cheese. Pop it back in the oven for a few more minutes and you have a spicy pizza perfection. Continue reading
Last time I went to the hospital, my doctor informed me that my blood type changed from A positive to Light & Sweet. This is a sheer sign that you know you are now drinking way too much coffee, but what can I do, I am addicted.
Some people drink one or two cups in the morning to start their day. Not me. I can easily drink one whole pot by myself a day, sometimes more if we are having one of those days.
Almost everyone can relate to this topic, as we all have been stricken with a sweet tooth at one time or another.
I don’t know why but my cravings come and go.
You name it and I crave it: gummy bears, cupcakes, pastries, donuts, cinnamon bears, chocolate and peanut butter cups just to name a few.
I would get struck with a really bad sweet tooth for a week or so and go overboard with my craving by eating as much as I can. Once my body feels satisfied, it disappears and I won’t have another one for 3 months.
If you are a kitchen appliance junkie like me, this is the blog post for you!
Just over a year ago, my buddy and I went to the Martha Stewart Man Show (Don’t Judge!) & Top Chef Judge Tom Collichio was the special guest. On this show he did a food demonstration for a Panini of some sort on this really cool looking grill.
After the segment, Martha Stewart announced that everyone in the audience would receive the same Breville BGR820XL Smart Grill as our audience gift! From seeing the demonstration they did on the show I was pretty pumped about this as I saw the potential this product has!
So I love food just as much as the next person. Everything about it – how it looks, how it smells, how it tastes, the texture and so much more. You name it, I dig it!
So while lying in bed one night thinking of new blogging ideas, I came up with a pretty awesome idea that would introduce me to some new techniques & that would expose me to some new foods!
Here’s what I’m thinking:
First off, I believe this would be a pretty cool idea for this blog & this is how I am going to tie the two together.
I want to go around to all my favorite spots to eat in the NJ/NY area & I will propose to them that I work a day for free with them & in exchange, I want them to teach me all about the skills they use in the kitchen to execute their top products. I want to learn their inspiration for the menu & the dishes they create. From how they choose flavor combinations, special cooking techniques & everything else that helped them get to their signature dish on the map.
Not only will this be a great way for me to get some more experience in the kitchens, but it would serve as another exposure for the company as well.
I highly doubt many restaurants or businesses would allow me to video tape the experience, but one will never know unless you ask.
Some of the jobs I was thinking about doing:
• Working in the New Fulton Fish Market down in Hunts Point.
• Working in a cake or cupcake shop.
• I want to see what goes into bread baking at a bakery.
• Working a day at a butcher shop.
• Working a day at a homemade ice cream shop.
• Working a street cart in NYC.
• Working on a farm.
• Being a bartender for a day.
• Working in a Thai, Mexican, French, Italian, Greek, Chinese, Japanese restaurant.
• Working in a busy coffee shop or breakfast spot for a day as well!
What other places do you think I should check out? Do you think this is a good idea? Do you think it will take off into something good?
Let me know your thoughts, as I am all ears!
Everyone has watched TV & has experienced this happen to them at least once in their lives.
You are watching one of your favorite shows & then a commercial with a catchy jingle or line will air.
No matter how hard you try to forget the commercial, sometimes you just can’t! As a boy, I was like this with the Tootsie Pop commercials. This has to be one of the most recognizable, memorable food commercials ever made.
How many of you recall the little chubby boy going up to the owl in the tree, asking him,”Mr. Owl. How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a Tootsie Pop?” Then the next thing you remember is the little boy distraught because the owl just chomped away at his Tootsie Pop, leaving him with a stick! Now, not only does this kid have the answer he was looking for, he also got jacked out of his Tootsie Pop!
I know each & everyone of you can relate to this. I do not know about you but this is one of my biggest pet peeves when we decide on where to go out to dinner.
Do we go to a nice restaurant with AMAZING food but miserable service or do we settle for a subpar restaurant food wise with great service. Should we have to choose or compromise? No freaking way!
I know people get into the food industry & especially the serving aspect of it for the quick money. I used to be a server & know just how easy it really is to clean up money wise. Because people think they are going to get tipped regardless, they figure why work for it. They are just content with bare minimal & are more concerned about socializing with their co-workers or when their next cigarette break is going to be.
PRIORITIZE people! You are at work to make money. You can socialize when you are done.
This does not apply to all servers, just a very big chunk of them. Many can’t even argue this statement as they know it is true.
To all the servers in great restaurants who feel their job is to just take orders and bring drinks & food, you are off – way off. People dine out at restaurant because they want an experience and not the experience you give them with your lack luster service. I am not praising myself, but when I was a server, I went to any length to assure that the guest was satisfied & had no needs or wants when they were at my tables. Is that so hard to do? I know at the end of the day when I went home with a fat stack of cash in my pocket, I knew it was a job well done & that all my guests went home with the experience that the restaurant owner intended them to have. Why do something if you don’t put your all into it?
I don’t want to rant about this, as this is not the basis for the blog, but food is not just about what is served to you in a plate or the drink you have in your glass, your meal has all sorts of dimensions.
However, I think this is a great way to start the blog off. I know many people have experienced this & few have spoken up about it.
But onto the future, I have some big plans for this blog & website. I hope this struck your interest & that you want to read more! Leave a comment if you want to share your personal service disaster experience.
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