Food Porn

I know I've been a little food centric (and even sweet-centric) lately, but can ya blame me? This week, a new branch of my newly-favorite bakery is opening up in Tribeca, and though that doesn't particularly convenience me all that much, it does make me want some goods! Billy's bakery is pretty well known for its icebox and banana cakes (above), but their cupcakes are pretty darn impressive too. Banana must be a thing for Billy's (is alliteration?) because their banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are the most unexpectedly delicious confections I've had in quite a while. If these pictures don't do it for you, I highly suggest you try them for yourselves!


Billy's Bakery is now officially located at:

184 9th Avenue
Between 21st and 22nd Street

and

75 Franklin Street
Between Broadway and Church Street

Link of the Day

I've never been shy about the fact that I love myself a good, cheap meal--especially one that comes straight off the streets. And though Manhattan definitely offers a solid array of street food, traveling the world always shows how many cultures have yet to bring their mobile eats to the big apple. This article in the New York Times dining section yesterday brings a temporary solution, with several street fairs that are centered around celebrating less explored ethnic cuisines like Burmese, Indonesian, and Swedish. For more of a preview, see the full article here, but be sure to have a calendar handy--you'll certainly want to write some of these dates down!

[via NYT]

Sad News for Foodies

I had plans to run a restaurant review today, but my appetite for writing has crashed with the news that NYTimes restaurant critic Frank Bruni will be stepping down from his role in August when his memoirs, "Born Round: the Secret History of a Full-Time Eater" debuts in bookstores across the country. Apparently he feels the book will create a conflict with his ability to produce anonymous reviews--this intrigues me! But the fact that we will no longer be privy to his writing on a weekly basis (his pieces will still run in the NYT Magazine every now and then) is a sad piece of news for foodies far and wide.

For that, I'm holding on to my review until next week. Frank, you'll be missed! [via Gawker]

Food Porn

It's official--forget the bahn mi, forget swine flu, forget bacon! It's ice cream season! The blogs are abuzz with recipes for the first batches of the season, and though I've already dug up articles on how to make ice cream sans a machine (see here), I'm just dying to save myself the trouble (and find some extra storage space somewhere! anywhere! maybe under the bed?) by getting one of these:
a Cuisinart Flavor Duo Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker... Swoooooon.

But since that's not in the cards right now, here are some old and charming photos of my favorite ice cream parlor, Jaxson's, in Dania Beach, FL... I'm craving a kitchen sink (or something like it) bigtime!

Link of the Day

There may have been confusion recently about why Ruth Reichl (personal hero and editrex of Gourmet) had been dressed up as Gene Simmons at the Four Seasons a few weeks ago, but all that was cleared up today when the eds at the glorified food pub released this quirky little video. Whether they're trying to appeal to a younger crowd or simply trying to get a few laughs, I'm not sure. But this is too great not to share with all you!


I'm not able to embed the video here, but hit this little link to see the 2 minute clip--it's a good laugh, foodie or not.

Friday Food Porn

Before I go too far, let me explain: I'd gotten real sick of the whole pork belly/bacon overload in food media for a while, and then, all of the sudden, it all came back to me. I realized the reason why I'd initially been part of the bacon afficionados club, and why it's still going strong--bacon is freaking tasty. And cheap. Especially the Niman Applewood Smoked Bacon that I had for dinner with eggs last night (don't judge me--it's Passover!). And the more you eat it, the more you want it. Beware--it's dangerous.

Anyhow, today's food porn is courtesy of Apartment Therapy--these bacon wrapped potato bites make optimal use of several ingredients that are waiting in my fridge, and I think it's in good order that I try these myself. For some extra fun, check out this article on new Ikea kitchen treats--it's like a budget find and decor porn thrown into one!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Budget Finds: Three Buck Bites

As much as I'm not a huge fan of Citysearch's layout and functionality, they recently debuted a sister site that I'm digging on all accounts--design definitely included. It's called Three Buck Bites, and it's devoted to scouring the cheapest eats around the country--all under $3.99. The things people find are pretty impressive, such as today's homepage hit of 16 dumplings for$3.99 in Texas, or four ribs and a side salad for just as much in CA. No matter where in the country you might be, there's likely something you can try--if you're up for it, of course!

Click here to explore the site and contribute your own cheap eats.

The Amazing (Foodie) Race!

Lately one of my favorite TV shows has been The Amazing Race, where a bunch of couples travel the world completing a series of challenging activities that explore the cultures of the exotic locales they explore. TWB and I joke that we'd be a great couple on the show, except for my complete and utter lack of physical ability, which would quickly frustrate him and drive us out of the running.

However!

I recently stumbled upon a casting notice for a show very much like the Amazing Race that would use my finest talent--my constantly expanding appetite--as its main component.

The notice reads:

"Are you are a connoisseur, critic, chef, aficionado, restaurant owner or are just in a serious love affair with food?

The Food Network is currently casting foodies of all kinds in the New York area to be a part of a fun and exciting new TV series! The show focuses on two teams who race through many of NY’s culinary hot spots competing in challenges in the ultimate chowhound smack down against two Food Network chefs!

It’s an amazing “food-adventure” race!"

Oh. My. God.

Click here for more info, or just swoon at it and wish for a few months of vacation time, like me!

The Foodie Scavenger Hunt!

It's no Friday afternoon porn, but I thought since we'd been shaking things up all week this would be a great week to bring all the craziness to a close. Now, by no means am I imploring you to go out and pursue the following opportunity. In its current shape, it doesn't exactly make sense.

See, this is a scavenger hunt for NYC foodies--the more food items you photograph yourself eating, the more points you get, and the person with the most points gets two tickets to Tom Collichio's "Toast to the Children" event. Sounds easy, until you add up the inevitable cost of both money and time that these tasks would take. However, it's a great list, and if anything, would make a fabulous checklist of foodie adventures to undertake throughout the city. Make it a mid-year resolution, maybe, or just a personal challenge--many of these just shouldn't be missed.

With that, happy weekend!

Miracle Berries for Taste Tripping Parties -- Madness!

Today I bring you something that will revolutionize the way you think of tripping. And no, I'm not talking about drugs, per se--I am, however, talking about totally distorting your senses. But in a completely natural, completely legal way. And by distorting all your senses, I really mean, distorting your taste buds. I'm almost in disbelief at home something this cool could be so closely within my reach for so long without my knowing it.

See, these "miracle berries" are farmed in few places around the world, but one of the main farmers shares an area code with me. That's right, the taste altering berries are harvested right in my home county. But alas, the only website selling fresh miracle fruit I've found (the Miami farmer only sells by phone order) takes orders from the UK.



So what do the miracle berries do? Eat one and everything sour will suddenly taste sweet. Everything sweet will suddenly be sweeter! Eat a lime whole, you won't squirm. Even if you're not like me and hate eating sour fruits. People talk about "tasting parties" where you buy a bunch of these and have everyone bring foods whose tastes can be significantly altered by the magic. Sounds like a crazy time!


If you don't want to order the fruit from a random farm, click here for miracle berry dust, which has the same effects in powder form. It's madness, madness I tell you!!

What The World Eats

Ever since TIME captured Obama's charisma through their brilliant behind-the-scenes photography on the campaign trail, I've been really impressed by the consistently provocative images their photographers manage to capture.


That's probably more true than ever this week, given the first set of photographs by Peter Menzel that form the multi-part project entitled "What the World Eats."


The e-exhibit goes around the world positioning families in front of a spread of food consisting of their weekly intake, providing the total cost and country below. Not only are the products and nutritional values staggeringly different from country to country, but food costs and presumptive breakdowns are fascinating as well.


Take a look at which countries drink more soda. Notice that although the Japanese families eat far more packaged food than expected--interesting, no? If I had to choose, I'd be torn between Italy and Mexico--so many fruits and vegetables (and let's not even mention all that delicious bread in the Italy picture!).


Perhaps my favorite observation--Nissin Cup Noodles in Japan. Aren't those made in the States? And Kosher? They're outsourcing ramen from us??? Click here to find out which photos belong where, check out some more great photos, and see the full stats.


Correction: Turns out this project wasn't done specifically by Time. Rather, Time ran the photos which were created for this book, called Hungry Planet: What the World Eats. Check out that book here, or check here for some more info. The kind folks with Peter Menzel request that if you continue to share these photos, that you please credit with "Photographs by Peter Menzel from the book 'Hungry Planet.'" Thanks!

Budget Finds: Foodzie, AKA Food Lover's Paradise

I'm particularly excited about Budget Finds this week because this wonderful little gem is a whole collection of budget purchases just waiting to be made! Many of you are probably already familiar with one of my favorite sites, etsy, and the wonderful collection of homemade and budget-friendly everythings that it has to share. The one thing etsy is really missing? Food. Sure, they have a food section, and sometimes the offerings are tempting. But searching for food on etsy is nothing like, say, searching for vintage clothing or handmade jewelry on etsy.

That's where Foodzie comes in. Modeled after the super-success of etsy, Foodzie shares both a cutesy name and business model with its predecessor. Search through the various categories--bakery, cheese, olive oils and vinegars--and find a plethora of edible bargains right at your fingertips (er, keyboard keys?).


My favorites? These passionfruit marshmallows combine one of my most constant loves (passionfruit) with one of my obsessions du jour (homemade marshmallows), ringing in at a ridiculously inexpensive $6.00 a dozen with an endorsement from my oh-so-esteemed pseudo-mentor, Ruth Reichl. That's 50 cents a piece, people!!


This pomegranate teriyaki sauce looks absolutely delicious. Without having tasted anything like this before, I can only speculate as to how the sweetness and acidity from the pomegranate would play off of the familiar saltiness of soy. Talk about a complex marinade that'll keep guests guessing--and just for $7.99 right here.


My last pick takes me back to my childhood. It's a blend of multi-colored popcorn, except I'm fairly sure that the only colorful popcorn I had as a kid was artificially colored. I could be wrong. Either way, this cool blend lends its colors to heirloom corn varieties rather than food coloring, and it clocks in at just $4.95 for a pound and a half.

And that's without even touching the chocolate and cheese sections. Trust me, this is one budget find you really won't want to miss!


pssst! Missed the link? Check out Foodzie right here.

An Encounter With Blowfish, Part Two

So finally the chance to eat blowfish was upon us once again. And this time it was no joke—the blowfish was available and about to make its dangerous journey into my tummy. I can’t say I was nervous—I knew I was in good hands. My expectations were tempered by the stories circulating my office—“it doesn’t have any flavor, really,” my one coworker said. Flavor or not, I was there for at least one thing—foodie street cred. And thus our adventure began.

Out came a small hunk of white fish which Suzuki began slicing not too thinly and not too thickly. Topped with a mysterious orange sauce and chopped baby scallions, it really didn’t look intimidating at all. Don’t poisonous things usually look poisonous? I guess that was a good sign.



My fellow foodie and I braced ourselves and, with a quick dip of soy, took what could have been our last bites. (Am I being sufficiently dramatic about this experience? No?? Just wait.) I’d been fairly warned—the taste was… rather absent all together. I’d also been warned about a tingling sensation in the throat… but that was absent too. Did I just ingest a piece of blowfish without tasting or feeling a thing?


I looked over at my friend, who was freaking out way more than me. “My throat is tingling!” she said, but I still felt nothing. “Maybe my lips are a little numb,” I thought, and realized that blowfish toxins would never make my lip numb. It’s not how it works. And so the psychosomatic symptoms came on. Half an hour later I thought maybe my throat was closing up. Could exhaustion be a side effect of blowfish?

Two days later I’m still alive, and still wondering what all the fuss is all about. But at least I met my match—and won! Any other takes better get in line fast—blowfish season only lasts two more weeks!

Link of the Day

For all those times that I wondered where the good food was in the Fashion Week tents, here's a lesson to be learned. Even when great food itself is not around, the possibilities still abound. That's a message that Bergdorf Goodman is putting into good practice with their new Fashion Week Tea Service, which is serving up treats inspired by the runway throughout the duration of this season's shows. The Times claims that it's a great idea to eat lookalikes when the real deal isn't in the cards, but at $45-60 for tea service, this may just be another thing to add to the list of "unaffordable beauties."

See more pics and info here.

Neither Fingers not Limes.... Discuss!

I've been eating a lot of limes lately. My boss mentioned that they were good for breaking up phlegm one day and, realizing that I love eating limes anyway, took that as a good excuse to do so. More info than you wanted to hear? Sorry.

But yes, I have a strange but true love for naturally sour and acidic fruits--limes, lemons, passion fruit, you name it. And that's only one of the reasons that these cool new fruits caught my eye....



These, my friends, are called finger limes. The flesh comes in little pebbles rather than segments--they're the caviar of the citrus world, if you will.

Finger limes are produced exclusively in Australia, where they grow in about five common varieties (about 75 supposedly exist, and they range in color from clear to green to purple). Discovered only in the last decade, they're still difficult to find outside of Oz, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my dear Food Emporium will one day stock them alongside their myriad options of bizarre worldly eats. But please, if you happen to see limes masquerading as mini-cucumbers with raspberry-colored insides, let me know?

Design Porn: Blue Potato Parchment Bowls

These. Are. The. Coolest. Things. I. Have. Ever. Seen.


I have a feeling most of you wouldn't believe me if I said the gorgeous bowl pictured above was made out of potatoes. But it's not made of ordinary potatoes, you see--it's made of really gorgeous (and completely edible) purple potatoes. Artist Margaret Dorfman has taken the pretty chip an extra step though, by curing, pressing, and aging potato slivers and artfully layering them one by one to form these exquisite looking bowls. And it's not just potatoes she works with--Margaret is making bowls out of all kinds of vegetables, one more beautiful that the next. Other than the purple potato, I'm particularly digging the thai papaya, beet, and white raddish versions pictured below.


Something tells me this isn't your traditional DIY project, but surprisingly the bowls are fairly affordable, ranging from $28 to $54 for the purple potato, available here, and just $34 for the other varieties that can be found on her site right here. And please, whatever you do, don't try eating them.

A Sticky (Bun) Situation

About two months ago, one of the restaurants that I work with introduced brunch, and with it, an array of freshly baked breads, biscuits and cinnamon rolls—yes, freshly baked cinnamon rolls. They were every bit as delicious as I’d hoped for, and then some. After raving to TWB, I brought him along on my next visit to try them for himself. “Good, very good,” he said, “but not as good as Flour’s.”


You see, TWB has an unfair advantage. Living a block away from Boston’s favorite bakery has spoiled him rotten, and there are some things in Boston that New York’s finest doesn’t beat. It’s a rare occurrence—trust me, I hate to admit that the city would be shy of #1 for anything, ever—but this weekend I found the proof for myself.


But back to those cinnamon buns. Having woken up at 10 AM, I thought we’d be in good shape to get some of the highly sought-after treats. TWB warned me and we called in advance so that two could be set aside. An hour later, they were ours. And my, my, my! It was true! Sticky and sweet without being cloying or sugary, these buns are of a whole other caliber. Little bits of crushed walnuts hid between the fluffy layers, creating a subtle balance of flavors. I was immediately convinced (and addicted). The good news? Flour ships their sticky buns overnight! So no matter where you are, there’s still a way to taste these magical little treats.

Food Iconography and Evolution -- Super Cool!

This morning I found a little bit of a treasure trove. I realize that this may not be as thrilling for you as it is for me, but maybe, just maybe, there are some crazies out there who love this stuff as much as I do. There, you have your disclaimer.


Anyway, I'm loving this article on neat-o-rama about the evolution of classic food logos. The Morton salt girl, the Laughing Cow (whose French likeness was strangely pervasive in Morocco), even Aunt Jemima--these are icons that we've grown up with, but what are the stories? Where did they come from? How have they changed and why didn't they continue to evolve past the 1940's?


Whether you want to read those stories or not, you have to check out the incredible montages of images available over here. Did you know that there have been 6 different Aunt Jemimas and that Betty Crocker isn't a real person? If you read, at least you'll score some super oddball food trivia, and you'll win some points in my book!

Link of the Day -- Carrot Flowers

Since yesterday's post-it origami, I've been thinking about the fun ways that I can add creativity and artfulness into the least expected of places. I'll be honest, this isn't an entirely unusual thing for me, but sometimes it just gets kicked into full gear...


On that note, I remembered this nifty idea that I'd seen a few weeks ago on Apartment Therapy (a blog, which, by the way, is edging closer and closer to my ideal mix of food and decor day by day). It spruces up one of my most love/hate vegetables, carrots. They're so tasty in baby form and dipped in something like hummus or ranch, but in any other way they're just so blah to me. Especially cooked. But we don't have to go too deep into that.


Regardless, I'd be far more interested in carrots if they always looked like this. You always hear about adding carrots to a salad for color appeal, but do it like this and your culinary and artistic skills seemingly soar through the roof. Just don't tell anyone how easy it is to do! Check out the step-by-step here.

Obsession du jour: Spoon Necklaces

Sometimes food pops up in aspects of my life where I'm simply not expecting. And as much as those cupcake t-shirts and necklaces last season were just a tacky iteration of a widespread craze (of which I take partial responsibility), I love it when food makes unexpected, edgy, and chic cameos into the fashion world. I know I'm not the only one--Duff Goldman of Ace of Cakes fame has a whisk for a tattoo. That's close enough to accessorizing, right?


Anyhow, these adorable spoon necklaces are dainty and sweet, but with just a little bit of attitude. Modeled after absinthe spoons from decades past, they remind me of the Parisian-retro-glam style of Moulin Rouge. And, quite frankly, how can you go wrong with that?



For more tongue-in-cheek designs by Demitasse, click here, and be sure to check out the witty little moustache necklaces that are cleverly called demistaches!