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Updated: Big Apple BBQ Fest

Posted by roodonfood on June 9, 2013 in New York City

If you didn’t have a chance to check out the Big Apple BBQ Fest, it’s running tomorrow (June 9th) as well from 11am-6pm in Madison Square Park in New York.

This year I made it a point to visit last year’s favorite, Scott’s Barbeque. Whole hog, the meat was tender and tasty. It was served on white bread and slathered in sauce (thought I did need to request extra). It seemed a great injustice that at 11:30am there was only about a 2 minute line. The pork rinds which accompanied were crunchy and fresh though.

The second stop was Ed Mitchell’s who also does Carolina style whole hog barbeque and is something of a legend. True to form, while waiting in line we caught him being filmed for TV. Mitchell’s version of BBQ features finely chopped pork mixed with sauce and served on a sandwich bun. As an added bonus I spotted Mitchell’s apprentice the Arrogant Swine who is a fellow blogger and is a pitmaster at John Brown Smokehouse in Long Island City. He was a very nice guy and gave me some extra sauce for my sandwich. I have to admit, the sandwich was even better than Scott’s with an amazing balance of pepper, vinegar and sugar. The line for Ed’s was only around 10 minutes. An apology:  I meant to take a picture of the sandwich but it looked so good I forgot.

Arrogant Swine Smoker

While benches were tricky to come by, there was enough space on the grass to hang out and enjoy food. Warning: Be careful because you may run into folks in the middle of barbeque coma – a condition which causes them to be walking full speed one direction while there head is turned to another looking for their next fix. Helpful Advice: Bring a tupperware for any leftovers.

 

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Big Apple BBQ Fest (June 8th and 9th)

Posted by roodonfood on June 8, 2013 in New York City

The annual Big Apple BBQ Fest is happening today June 8th and 9th from 11am to 6pm. Located in Madison Square Park, I wrote about it  extensively last year here and here. My favorite last time by far was Scott’s Barbeque. They had a 5 minute line which usually is a bad sign, but the simple vinegar and pepper base sauce blew me away. Other notable places include Big Bob Gibsons and the Salt Lick.

At the festival there isn’t much that is vegetarian friendly but we’ve created a good version at home using tofu (Another post to follow with recipe).

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Street Festival Foods: Deep Fried Oreos

Posted by roodonfood on June 7, 2013 in awesome or disgusting, Food Adventures
Deep Fried Good Times

Deep Fried Good Times

While the U.S  isn’t the only country that loves deep fried treats (I’m looking at you Scotland), deep fried Oreos are very American. In the Northeast they’re almost as ubiquitous at street festivals as zeppoles, funnel cakes and sausage and peppers.

Gooey goodness. Please reserve your judgement.

Gooey goodness. Please reserve your judgement.

These golden brown treats were 6 for $5 down at the Memorial Weekend festival at Bradley Beach on the Jersey Shore. The soft, chewy texture provides a wonderful contrast to the inevitably gooey oreo inside. I need to eat them roughly once a year. What are your go to festival foods? What are the highlights of your area’s street festivals / state fairs? 

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Sage and Fennel Chicken Recipe

Posted by roodonfood on June 6, 2013 in gluten free, New York City, Recipes
Fennel and Sage Chicken

Fennel and Sage Chicken

This is a nice simple, aromatic chicken recipe that is great for the summer. The fennel provides a refreshing aftertaste and the vinegar really helps to moisten the meat. This version is oven-baked but the grill works well too.

Side Note: After seeing the documentary Food Inc, I’m still a meat eater but only non-hormone/non-factory stuff and not more than once a day. In the Mid-Atlantic region two big brands are Harvestland and Murray’s. They’re pricier but offer coupons on their websites or if you write to them (Murray’s responded to me within a few days).

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Marinade Time: 2 hours+
Cook Time: 25-45 minutes
Servings: 4

1 lb chicken thighs
1.5 t sage powder
1.5 t fennel seeds (crushed in powder)
1 T garlic powder
1 T olive oil
1 T vinegar
chili powder to taste
pepper to taste
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients well and transfer to the fridge. After the marinating period, remove from fridge. Preheat oven to 375. Line an oven safe, shallow dish such as pyrex with aluminum foil with a little extra to fold over. Place the chicken pieces evenly inside the dish. Pour a touch of oil on top. Fold over foil. Cook chicken for 25-45 minutes depending on thickness.

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Rex Goliath Chardonnay Review (California)

Posted by roodonfood on June 4, 2013 in Beer and Wine Reviews

Source: Wine Deals

Tuesday Boozeday. While I’m a big fan of the Rex Goliath Pinot Noir, the whites were new to me. It was a tasting at the local wine shop that pushed me to try it. Not normally a chardonnay drinker, I found this to be a great, affordable option. ($9.99 / 1.5 L). It’s dry but full flavored with hints of apple and pear. Note: It’s sweet but not overly so. Like most chardonnays it’s mildly tart but has a clean, crisp mouth feel. This stuff is best super-chilled, so if necessary, stick it in the freezer for a bit. This is definitely a candidate for summer-go-to white wine.

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Sweet Beat: Ulker Tempo Vanilla Biscuits (Product of Romania)

Posted by roodonfood on June 3, 2013 in Brooklyn, Sweet Beat
Tempo Vanilla

Tempo Vanilla

The origin of the name Oreo is unclear, but some say it’s from Greek, meaning beautiful or well done. Other than that exception most U.S cookies evoke a personality (Mrs. Fields, Famous Amos, Fig Newtons), animals (Teddy Grahams), or are to the point (Chips Ahoy, Pecan Sandies). With that context in mind, the name Tempo cookies seems odd. Should I eat them at a steady rhythm? Do these cookies actually help me to stay in shape?

Tempo Vanilla

Tempo Vanilla

A product of Romania, these Tempo cookies looked a little worse for wear. The color of the cream bordered on yellow which didn’t seem like a good sign. Luckily, they’re pretty tasty. Like many non-American cookies, it’s more heavy on the biscuits than the cream. These have a nice balance between the creamy texture and cookie crunch. They came ten to a packet and cost $0.69 at Middle Eastern store in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I’d definitely get these again.

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Non-GMO Options

Posted by roodonfood on June 1, 2013 in Uncategorized

Genetically Engineered foods are consumed by you and me every day. Companies like Monsanto engineer seeds that are resistant to diseases, creating heartier plants that make their way into all types of processed foods. The problem is that the long term health consequences of GMO consumption are unknown. Are they one of the reasons for the spike in autoimmune diseases and certain forms of cancer? In places like Europe, they’d rather burn the crops then sell it to consumers.

There is an increasing uproar in the U.S after Obama signed HR933 or what some are calling the Monsanto Protection Act. The main purpose of the bill was to fund the rest of the congressional fiscal year. Buried deep within the bill, in section 735 was a GMO rider:

Opponents have termed the language in question the “Monsanto Protection Act,” a nod to the major agricultural biotech corporation and other like firms geared at producing genetically modified organisms (GMO) and genetically engineered (GE) seeds and crops. The provision protects genetically modified seeds from litigation suits over health risks posed by the crops’ consumption. Source.

This sellout to a corporation is very disappointing (though not surprising of U.S politicians). For the time being since products don’t feature labels indicating if something is genetically engineered, here is a link to companies that make product(s) which are certified GMO free.

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Liebster Award!

Posted by roodonfood on May 28, 2013 in Uncategorized

I’m excited to announce that RoodonFood was nominated for a Liebster award by Life is Like a Dumpling. If you haven’t visited her site before, please do. She tells fun travel stories alongside amazing recipes.

Liebster Award

The rules:
Post 11 random facts about yourself.
Answer the 11 questions made by the person who nominated you.
Create 11 questions for the bloggers you pass the award to.
Choose 11 bloggers to pass the award to and mention them in your post.
Go to their blogs and let them know that they have been nominated.

11 random facts about me:
1) I’ve spent about half my life in the Northern US (NJ and New York) and half in the Southern U.S (Mostly Tennessee and a little Alabama).
2) I’m left-handed along with about 10% of the world’s population.
3) My favorite movie is probably Anchorman.
4) I set a goal of 100 books to read this year though I’m a good 30 behind or so.
5) Every year I set a running mileage goal. Last year it was 1,000, this year it’s up to 1200.
6) I am rarely without a hoodie.
7) I participate in NaNoWriMo each year.
8) I once lost a staring contest to P. Diddy.
9) I speak English and a very broken Bengali (a language from the Indian state of West Bengal and the country of Bangladesh).
10) I once found bbq sandwiches smeared on the windshield of my car. Don’t know how they got there but I did manage to write a short story about it.
11) Anytime I see a mascot I have to have my picture taken with it.

RoodonFood with Hip Hop Cat

RoodonFood with Hip Hop Cat

Questions From Life Is Like A Dumpling for RoodonFood:
1. What is your favourite book?
Tough question. So many great books. It might be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. I guess it kind of counts as a foodie book too. On the foodie front, one of favorites is called Bengali Cooking: Seasons and Festivals by Chitrita Banerji
2. What is your most memorable dining experience?
The first time I tried harcho soup was incredible. It’s a hearty and sour soup (using pomegranate pulp) which I found mind blowing. I tried it at Primorski restaurant in Brighton Beach. It gave me a chance to catch up with an old friend over fresh Georgian cooking in a restaurant that turns into a dance club at night. (I wrote about it here)
3. Favourite cuisine?
Probably Indian. Honorable mentions: Thai, Mexican, Slovak and Southern/Soul.
4. What is your favourite meal of the day?
Definitely dinner because the day’s tasks are taken care of. It’s time to relax.
5. What is your least favourite food?
Kale Chips. Why do people like them? Kale is so much tastier in smoothies or sauteed.
6. Do you prefer cooking for yourself, or others?
Generally for myself but I’ve learned a lot more cooking for others.
7. Favourite blogs on the internet? A few that come to mind are Thug Kitchen, Vegan8Korean, Fried Neck Bones
Non-Food: John Scalzi, The Bloggess, and Wil Wheaton.
8. One place you would love to travel to?
Indonesia. For it’s culture, beaches and all kinds of food.
9. Casual dining or fine dining?
Casual dining. I like food to be unpretentious and delicious.
10. Salt or pepper?
Pepper
11. Spicy food: yes or no? Yes but nothing too crazy.

The Liebster Award is awarded to blog that you love which have less than 200 followers. Here are the blogs I’d like to nominate:
Food Wine Yoga Travel
Sleeping with Lenin
Pot Soup
Food Perestroika
Gluten Free Gourmand
Stein Trek
French Girl Cuisine
This Was Dinner
Sweets and Beyond Orlando
Ria Lives Well
Nerd Cuisine

My Questions for the Nominees:

1) What is your absolute favorite meal?
2) What is your favorite spice?
3) What place would you most like to visit?
4) What do you do to relax?
5) Where do you live and what is the coolest place there?
6) What was your proudest moment?
7) What is your dream job?
8) What are your favorite TV Shows and movies?
9) What is your favorite book or author?
10)What is the best recipe on your site?
11) What super power would you most want and why?

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Smuggling KFC Across the Border

Posted by roodonfood on May 26, 2013 in Uncategorized

Do you ever crave KFC? Would you be willing to hire a smuggler for it? Probably not, but due to a strengthening blockade on the border between Israel and Egypt, many goods are being smuggled underground. Some are dangerous items like guns and others are….well, fried chicken buckets according to this article from Time.

…An entrepreneur has begun smuggling KFC to customers in the Gaza Strip using secret underground tunnels. According to the New York Times, Khalil Efrangi, 31, runs a small shop in Gaza called Yamama that will deliver a 12-piece bucket of KFC for $27, about twice what it costs across the border in Egypt, where the food is prepared.

I had KFC for the first time in about 10 years recently and found the lack of greens a little depressing…but there is no accounting for taste. Is there any food you’d consider breaking laws for? Other than my Mother’s cooking, I can’t think of any.

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Indian TVP with Potato Recipe (Soy Chunks)

Posted by roodonfood on May 21, 2013 in Recipes, vegan
Soya Chunks

Soya Chunks

TVP is one of the “meatier” vegetarian options. Available in powder form from brands like Nutrela and Bob’s or as pre-made “soya chunks” at Indian stores, they provide a welcome variation in texture from meat, tofu, beans and lentils. If you appreciate “meat” and potatoes, this dish might be appealing to you. With the addition of tamarind and curry leaves I add a little bit of a South Indian spin. The recipe is vegan.

Ingredients
1.5 cups tvp
2 tomatoes, chopped small
4 medium potatoes, chopped small
½ onion, chopped small
2 T tamarind chutney (or 1/2 t concentrate paste diluted with ½ t sugar and a little water)
5-6 curry leaves
1 t cumin seeds
1 t turmeric
1 t garlic powder or 1 T garlic paste
1 T butter or smart balance
1 T ginger
salt to taste
chili or chili powder to taste

Method:
Heat a deep pan to medium-low. Once warmed up add in potatoes and cook for around 7 minutes. Now include the onions and cook for another 5 minutes or till it’s turning a little translucent. Next is ginger, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Cook these for another 3 minutes. Cover the food halfway with water. Serve with rice.

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