Happy National Pizza With Everything (Except Anchovies) Day! Anchovy lovers may be tiffed, but they can celebrate their topping the other 364 days of the year.
Whether you enjoy your pizza artisanal (thin-crusted, with scarce but quality ingredients, typically served in trendy restaurants) or classic (pepperoni, loaded with cheese, delivered by teenage pizza boys), today is the day to savor a slice.
Do you prefer pizzas with low-quantity, high-quality ingredients, or fully loaded ones, with toppings overpowering the crust? What are your favorite pizza-topping combinations? Spill your delectable slice secrets in the comments!
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The nation's only Giant Omelette Celebration will mark its 25th anniversary this weekend by adding one more egg to its 12-foot skillet.
The town of Abbeville, La., in 1984, joined the confederation of seven cities from Argentina to Belgium that annually commemorates Napoleon's order for a tiny town in southern France to produce an army-sized omelette. Bessieres upheld the tradition long after Napoleon's troops had gone, cooking oversized omelettes at Easter to feed the poor. The practice has thrived in places where locals fret about losing touch with their Francophone heritage.
But that doesn't mean the Abbeville cooks are entirely faithful to the recipe favored by Monsieur Bonaparte: Festival president Gordy Landry reports, "we add a Cajun flair."
"Most of the other giant omelettes are a little bit plainer and not quite so tasty," he continues. "In France, they just stick to the eggs. In Canada, they add some ham. But the only place that puts crawfish in is us."
Dickey's Barbecue Pit is offering its Big Barbecue Sandwich on Tuesday for only a dollar between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The Dallas-based chain is offering the $1 sandwich to celebrate its 68th anniversary.
Dickey's BBQ president Roland Dickey Jr. said the promotion is "a small way to say thank you to our loyal customers."
Dickey's Barbecue has more than 100 locations nationwide. It originally opened in 1941. Locations in Cary and Durham, N.C. will offer the sandwiches for $2 from 2 p.m. until closing on Oct. 20.
To celebrate the impending graduation of its 40,000th student, the Culinary Institute of America will hold a one-day trivia contest on Twitter on Nov. 4.
Throughout the day, the CIA will ask trivia questions on its @CIACulinary Twitter about everything from its textbook and history to basic cooking techniques. The CIA's Twitter followers who correctly answer the questions will be eligible to win autographed books by CIA graduates such as John Besh and high-end cookware.
The Hungry Bride has been sated. She was married last Saturday in a simple and beautiful ceremony on the grounds of an estate in Washington D.C., the city in which she and her handsome groom, Jon, fell in love years ago. In addition to being Sarah's co-worker (visit me at ShelterPop.com for home decor ideas!), I was lucky enough to be one of her bridesmaids.
On the day of the long-awaited event, Sarah was as calm, cool and collected as ever and in true food-editor form, she remembered to eat breakfast. The details were thoughtfully chosen and worked together seamlessly. The girls' bouquets even had fragrant herbs like rosemary tucked inside!
After the simple ceremony, guests sipped on lemonade and sangria and waited a bit impatiently for what we knew would be one of the best meals we had had in quite a while. We all knew that baked chicken with droopy carrots and dried-out fondant-covered wedding cake wouldn't be on Sarah's menu. Instead, we were treated to lamb chops, macaroni and cheese, dim sum, s'mores and even cookies and milk.
Click through the gallery of pictures after the jump for pictures of the spread and the beautiful bride.
Luggage Wedding Cake made by Palermo Bakery. Photo: Kristyn Mednik
Pack your bags for the latest trend in killer wedding cakes.
Slashfood's sister site, Stylelist, reports on the growing trend of luggage-shaped cakes.
This fondant luggage cake was inspired by vintage luggage from Louis Vuitton and Goyard and created by New Jersey-based Palermo Bakery.
"It's becoming a big trend," bakery owner Joanne Bruno tells Stylelist. "We do two or three a month, for sure. It's popular for bridal showers, not just weddings. People are really into the luggage thing!"
What do you think? Are luggage cakes here to stay? Let us know in the comments below.
The Good Beer Seal of approval. Photo: goodbeerseal.com.
Earlier today, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg officially proclaimed July to be "Good Beer Month." The declaration came at the request of a local collective known as "the Good Beer Seal."
Founded earlier this year by bar owners Garry Gillis (Burp Castle and Standings), Ray Deter (d.b.a.) and Jimmy Carbone (Jimmy's No. 43), the group strives to "recognize establishments that pride themselves on serving quality, craft beers." With only 15 recognized bars in a city of more than 8 million people, the Seal has yet to become the definitive icon for the city's best spots for suds, but Carbone admits things are still getting off the ground. "We really didn't expect the mayor to make the proclamation," he humbly admits.
For a nascent organization, receiving a mayoral decree after simply writing him a "nice letter" is quite a feat. Carbone believes GBS's support of programs for sustainable food and insistence that members have an "active community presence" was an important factor. "A lot of bars don't make such a good community impact," he told us.
We'll be live-Twittering tonight's James Beard Media Awards and Monday's Restaurant Awards, so follow along @slashfood. Meanwhile, snack on these links to the nominated articles, recipes, reviews, food sections, sites, blogs and books.
Journalism Awards
For articles published in English in 2008.
Newspaper Feature Writing About Restaurants And/Or Chefs
We're laying 2:1 odds that some pal of yours has been champing at the bit to trot out that chestnut ever since Big Brown galloped toward destiny last Derby Day. And sure, you hooted, hollered, maybe even donned a big, fancy hat and welled up a little but honestly, did you watch even one other horse race in '08? Chances are, you were there for the mint juleps.
If you are there -- as in Churchill Downs -- for the juleps, you'll be in the hands of of the track's Executive Chef Joseph "Jo-Jo" Doyle, and that ain't a bad place to be at all. The 34-year-old chef isn't a Kentuckian by birth, but tells Slashfood that the cuisine of his Mobile, AL and New Orleans upbringing prepped him for making traditional Bluegrass fare.
Hear more from Chef Doyle and get traditional Kentucky Benedictine and Bourbon Slush recipes after the jump.
Though the words "African food" might conjure spongy, expanding-in-the-tummy Ethiopian bread or the heavy bobotie that resembles a creamier version of moussaka, it's not all like that.
Indeed, gaze upon the malva above: Similar to a milky tres leches cake-- sweet, with a puddle of creme anglaise -- the traditional South African dessert made at Brooklyn, New York's Madiba is every bit as delectable as it looks. It's a fine way to raise a fork to South Africa's Freedom Day -- their 15th anniversary of democratic voting.
Other eateries featuring the country's cuisine include Los Angeles' sporty mini-chain Springbok and Atlanta's sexy-looking 10 Degrees South, where diners indulge in what one reviewer declared "perfectly spiced ostrich." So although that bird -- perfectly-spiced or otherwise -- may not be what you're craving this spring, who could resist a slice of this cake? Not us.
A lot of people think New Yorkers live in their own little bubble.
Well, you know, sometimes it's a big bubble.
A friend called Saturday morning to ask if we knew about the pop-up restaurant opening in Brooklyn -- "you know, in the giant, see-through bubble." We sat straight up in bed, ran to our laptop to see the link he sent us and gasped.
It was called the "Spacebuster," and we challenge you to find the child of the '80s who could resist such a thing. A team of German architects-slash-artists have been hosting events in the billowing plastic beast -- its goal is to create spontaneous communities in urban landscapes -- since 2006, and this is her virgin trip to the U.S. (local Slashfoodies can meet her at a formal reception on Tuesday).
The Eighteenth, a roaming underground monthly dinner club, was in charge of a menu that included endive, a bone-broth soup, polenta and anile flotante. We brushed off the $27 fixed-price menu without a second thought. What is money in a bubble? We pictured a night free of the elements New Yorkers continually battle -- pollution, traffic, stench -- short of major natural disaster, nothing could touch us in a bubble! Upon realizing the evening would be staged in the quiet courtyard of a Gothic can factory, we were sold.
We realize we may seem a little holiday-fixated around here. But one Easter has yet to come: Orthodox Easter, which falls on this coming Sunday, April 19. The use of two calendars often results in different timing in Western Easter's and Orthodox Easter's arrivals, which makes the day truly a movable feast.
Why is this worth a certain amount of hoopla? Well, look at the hunger pang-inducing bread shown above. One of the centerpieces of the Greek Orthodox Easter table, tsoureki paschalino (tsoo-REH-kee pahs-khah-lee-NO), or Greek Easter bread, is typically baked on Holy Thursday and traditionally shaped in a braid around an Easter egg. (The deep red dye symbolizes the crucifixion.) Tsoureki, a light yeast bread sometimes sweetened with a light touch of orange or almonds, has an airy, eggy texture similar to challah. A similar bread known as pinza is a mainstay on Italian Easter tables.
Within the Greek Orthodox church, Easter is considered by many to be the holiest day of the year. For many celebrants the period of Lent is one of self-discipline and self-purification during which one might refrain from treats or certain animal products. Additionally, on some days (traditionally Wednesdays and Fridays during the first weeks of Lent and every day during Holy Week) both wine and olive oil are also forbidden. The first post-Lenten meal is served after midnight Mass on Holy Saturday, where the traditional meal consists of mayeritsa (a soup made from the internal organs of the Easter lamb) and the deep maroon-dyed eggs that are part of the tsoureki.
Tsoureki is available in Greek bakeries; try this one, which ships its tsoureki.
'Williams-Sonoma New Flavors for Appetizers' Edited by Chuck Williams Recipes by Amy Sherman Photos by Tucker + Hossler Oxmoor House -- 2009 (hardback) Buy it at Amazon
Ready to move beyond dips and carrot sticks for your soirees, but not ready to face the Full Martha? This is the guide for you. The book is divvied into sections highlighting each season's freshest ingredients and simple, elegant ways to show 'em off. Bonus -- a goodly bit of space is devoted to party planning tips, basic recipes (mayo, risotto, pizza dough), a glossary, techniques for handling veggies and a guide to what is freshest when.
Takeaway tips: Freshness is your best ingredient. Using seasonal ingredients means you'll need to do little to adorn them -- just make sure to use cooking methods, seasonings and pairings that show them off to their best advantage, and add flavor in layers. Specific methodologies are generously shared throughout the book.
Quality of pictures: Appetizing -- if a little washed out by the matte paper. Not step-by-step instructive, but oriented toward the finished product.
We tested: Pan-Seared Spring Lamb Chops with Mint-Pistachio Pesto and Olives and Feta Marinated with Lemon and Ouzo Recipes were incredibly easy to follow, accessible, thorough and aided by sidebars offering further explanations of ingredients' flavor profiles and best methods for use. Lovely balance of veggie-friendly dishes and slightly heartier fare.
Worth the investment: Would make a great hostess or shower gift, or smart inspiration for anyone who's ready to bump their parties' sophistication level up a notch or two.
Stephanie Izard and Lee Anne Wong at Best New Chefs 2009
Reminding y'all to follow @slashfood on Twitter tonight for breaking news and menu notes from tonight's Food & Wine Best New Chefs 2009 soiree. Chefs on deck for the night's grub include Former BNC winners Momofuku's David Chang, Scarpetta's Scott Conant and Anthos' Michael Psilakis as well as Top Chef champs Harold Dieterle and Stephanie Izard.
Tweets are anticipated to get a tad less carefully spell-checked as the night progresses and cocktails are, um, sampled. Forgive us.
You do follow our Twitter @slashfood, don'tcha? The Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chefs festivities commence at 6:30 p.m. on April 1, and Food & Wine Editor-In-Chief Dana Cowin has been dropping devilish little hints about the winners via Twitter all day long. First person to solve the mystery wins two tickets to tomorrow night's event.
Won't you Tweet with us? If we're really lucky, we'll even post some red-hot guest chef David Chang or "Top Chef" winner Harold Dieterle cell-phone camera action.
Twit-tip: Follow all Best New Chefs posts using #BNC
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