<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
<channel>
<title>Slashfood</title>
<link>http://www.slashfood.com</link>
<description>Slashfood</description>
<image>
<url>http://www.slashfood.com/media/feedlogo.gif</url>
<title>Slashfood</title>
<link>http://www.slashfood.com</link>
</image>
<language>en-us</language>
<copyright>Copyright 2009 Blogsmith, LLC. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.</copyright>
<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title>Café Caribe - Mediocre Coffee, Super Cool Can</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/13/cafe-caribe-mediocre-coffee-super-cool-can/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/13/cafe-caribe-mediocre-coffee-super-cool-can/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/13/cafe-caribe-mediocre-coffee-super-cool-can/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/coffee/" rel="tag">Coffee</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/america/" rel="tag">America</a></p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="300" border="0" align="right" alt="coffee" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2009/04/cafecaribe.jpg" />In our search for the perfect <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/28/cafe-bustelo-an-experiment-in-super-cheap-coffee/" target="_blank">cheap</a> <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/19/medaglia-doro-a-cheap-coffee-to-avoid/" target="_blank">coffee</a> -- being devoted caffeine freaks, we also cover it <a href="http://food.aol.com/instant-coffee" target="_blank">here</a> -- Slashfood decided to give Caf&eacute; Caribe a shot. Look at that <em>muy tropical </em>can<em>; </em>who wouldn't?
<p> </p>
The brand indulges in similar identity politics to its competitor (and current frontrunner) Caf&eacute; <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/28/cafe-bustelo-an-experiment-in-super-cheap-coffee/" target="_blank">Bustelo</a>. The label is printed in both English and Spanish and proudly proclaims "Caf&eacute; Para El Gusto Latino: NUESTRO CAFE," or "Coffee for the Latin taste. OUR COFFEE." In the Bronx (the New York City borough this writer is proud to call home) Dominicans and Puerto Ricans take a lot of pride in their coffee, so we can see why Caf&eacute; Caribe is taking such a direct marketing approach.
<p> </p>
Beyond that, Caf&eacute; Caribe is also among the cheapest coffees in the store. At $2.59, it's a dollar less than Bustelo and about one third of the price of <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/19/medaglia-doro-a-cheap-coffee-to-avoid/" target="_blank">Medaglia D'Oro</a>.
<p> </p>
The biggest draw, though, was the can. With bright colors, cartoonish writing and a cute little drawing of a hacienda amid palm trees, it is incredibly cheering. Over the last few weeks we've had a lot of gray days and the explosive yellow can has provided a lingering gleam of sunshine.<p><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/13/cafe-caribe-mediocre-coffee-super-cool-can/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Café Caribe - Mediocre Coffee, Super Cool Can</em></a></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/13/cafe-caribe-mediocre-coffee-super-cool-can/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1509466/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/13/cafe-caribe-mediocre-coffee-super-cool-can/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>Cafe Caribe</category><category>CafeCaribe</category><category>cheap coffee</category><category>CheapCoffee</category><category>Coffee quest</category><category>CoffeeQuest</category><dc:creator>Bruce Watson</dc:creator><dc:date>2009-04-13T16:00:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>Meat Madness: Vote for Your Favorite Meat!</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/23/meat-madness-vote-for-your-favorite-meat/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/23/meat-madness-vote-for-your-favorite-meat/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/23/meat-madness-vote-for-your-favorite-meat/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/beef/" rel="tag">Beef</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/fish/" rel="tag">Fish</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/pork/" rel="tag">Pork</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-oddities/" rel="tag">Food Oddities</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/on-the-blogs/" rel="tag">On the Blogs</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/lists/" rel="tag">Lists</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/eggs/" rel="tag">Eggs</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/shellfish/" rel="tag">Shellfish</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/meat/" rel="tag">Meat</a></p><a target="_blank" href="http://search.creativecommons.org/#"><img hspace="4" border="0" align="right" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2009/03/tiger.tambakothejaguar.jpg" alt="" /></a>
<p>WC Fields once said "I love children ... if they're cooked properly." As a dedicated meat eater, I tend to have similar feelings about vegans.</p>
<p>While some of my best friends deny themselves the joy of animal products, I simply can't imagine completely divorcing myself from cheese, honey, milk and all the wonderful foods that come from animals. On some level, the idea of approaching life from a tofu haze seems almost suicidally self-abnegating.</p>
<p>In fact, while I have occasionally practiced vegetarianism, I am, at heart, a true carnivore. For health reasons, I try to limit my consumption, but I believe, both philosophically and sensually, that meat is an important part of my diet, if not everyone else's.</p>
<p>But which meat is the best? For health reasons, I'd probably go with chicken or turkey, but if it came to richness, my answer might be duck or veal. In terms of flavor, the answer could be lamb or beef, but for extravagance, it's hard to top a nice big buffalo filet mignon. Then again, in the summer, nothing beats a good grilled swordfish steak ... except for maybe a piece of lightly seared tuna.</p>
<p><em>Vote for your favorite meat after the jump.</em></p><p><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/23/meat-madness-vote-for-your-favorite-meat/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Meat Madness: Vote for Your Favorite Meat!</em></a></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/23/meat-madness-vote-for-your-favorite-meat/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1493219/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/23/meat-madness-vote-for-your-favorite-meat/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>Meat Madness</category><category>MeatMadness</category><category>So Good</category><category>SoGood</category><dc:creator>Bruce Watson</dc:creator><dc:date>2009-03-23T15:00:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>Food Challenges - Where's the Beef?</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/06/food-challenges-wheres-the-beef/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/06/food-challenges-wheres-the-beef/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/06/food-challenges-wheres-the-beef/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/restaurants/" rel="tag">Restaurants</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/beef/" rel="tag">Beef</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/trends/" rel="tag">Trends</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/meat/" rel="tag">Meat</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-news/" rel="tag">Food News</a></p><a href="http://search.creativecommons.org/#"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2009/03/billoncapitalhill.steak.jpg" /></a>I love a good steak, and have had more than my share, but there's a point at which a finely-grilled, perfectly-seasoned slab of beef crosses the line separating cuisine and mortal combat. Such is the case with the increasingly popular trend toward steak challenges. Basically, it works like this: if a customer can eat the required amount of meat -- generally between 48 and 72 ounces -- in a pre-ordained period of time, he or she will get some sort of reward. Sometimes, this is merely bragging rights; more often, it involves prizes like a t-shirt or a free meal.<br /><br />Consuming over three pounds of beef and sides in an hour or less takes a special kind of person. While I have to admire the determination, I'm not sure that I'm up for joining the club. While I think about my clear lack of manly meat-eating skills, however, I will reassure myself by Digital City's <a href="http://www.digitalcity.com/2009/02/19/diner-vs-dinner-biggest-steak-challenges-across-the-country/">gallery</a> of America's biggest steak challenges. One featured restaurant, Tampa's <a href="http://www.when.com/tampa-fl/venues/show/162384-frontier-steakhouse-cattle-co">Frontier Steakhouse Cattle Company</a> challenges its customers to consume a full <strong>six pounds </strong>of beef, a potato, and a salad in under 75 minutes. Needless to say, I'm not worthy!<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/06/food-challenges-wheres-the-beef/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1477433/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/06/food-challenges-wheres-the-beef/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>eating contests</category><category>EatingContests</category><category>Steak challenges</category><category>SteakChallenges</category><dc:creator>Bruce Watson</dc:creator><dc:date>2009-03-06T10:00:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>The Baron Ambrosia - Celebrating Bronx Cuisine</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/04/the-baron-ambrosia-celebrating-bronx-cuisine/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/04/the-baron-ambrosia-celebrating-bronx-cuisine/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/04/the-baron-ambrosia-celebrating-bronx-cuisine/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/restaurants/" rel="tag">Restaurants</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/television-film/" rel="tag">Television/Film</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/raves-and-reviews/" rel="tag">Raves &amp; Reviews</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/celebrities/" rel="tag">Celebrities</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-news/" rel="tag">Food News</a></p><a href="http://www.bronxflavor.com/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2009/03/bronxflavor.baron.jpg" /></a>For all its vaunted culinary diversity, New York is actually surprisingly provincial. Sure, this is a place where someone can pay $1000 for a plate of paella or $175 for a burger, but many New Yorkers seem unwilling or unable to travel far from their comfort zone. When people think of NYC's culinary wonderland, they generally imagine Manhattan; more specifically, they imagine the island's southern end, where former ethnic enclaves like Little Italy give an Epcot-style glimpse at culinary diversity, and high-priced haute cuisine joints offer dishes like sauteed wallaby foreskins garnished with eel farts for only slightly more than the cost of a used Saab. <br /><br />The 2008 Zagat guide lists over 1,500 restaurants in the borough of Manhattan. By comparison, the Bronx has a mere 26. Part of the reason for this lies in the simple fact that the Bronx can't financially support the kind of diverse restaurant scene that fills Manhattan. The other side, however, lies in basic chauvinism: most Manhattanites are either too frightened or too ignorant to venture past 125th Street. This was recently played out in <a href="http://nymag.com/restaurants/wheretoeat/2009/53177/">New York Magazine's</a> "Where to Eat 2009" issue. Although the author, Adam Platt, dedicated an entire section to "Big Fat Italian" restaurants, he focused entirely on upscale Manhattan eateries, completely ignoring the Bronx's impressive (and authentic) Arthur Avenue neighborhood. By comparison, this would be like writing an article on barbecue that ignores Memphis, but obsesses over the McRib.<p><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/04/the-baron-ambrosia-celebrating-bronx-cuisine/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>The Baron Ambrosia - Celebrating Bronx Cuisine</em></a></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/04/the-baron-ambrosia-celebrating-bronx-cuisine/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1476358/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/04/the-baron-ambrosia-celebrating-bronx-cuisine/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>Baron Ambrosia</category><category>BaronAmbrosia</category><category>Bronx Flavor</category><category>Bronx food</category><category>BronxFlavor</category><category>BronxFood</category><category>Bronxnet</category><category>New York restaurants</category><category>NewYorkRestaurants</category><dc:creator>Bruce Watson</dc:creator><dc:date>2009-03-04T10:00:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>Freshly Killed Turkey II - The Aftermath</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/11/30/freshly-killed-turkey-ii-the-aftermath/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/11/30/freshly-killed-turkey-ii-the-aftermath/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/11/30/freshly-killed-turkey-ii-the-aftermath/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/dinner/" rel="tag">Dinner</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/poultry/" rel="tag">Poultry</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-oddities/" rel="tag">Food Oddities</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/roasting/" rel="tag">Roasting</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/retro-cookery/" rel="tag">Retro cookery</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/north-america/" rel="tag">North America</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/thanksgiving/" rel="tag">Thanksgiving</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/fall/" rel="tag">Fall</a></p><a href="http://search.creativecommons.org/#"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/11/2466431164_1e84b830c7(3).jpg" /></a>A few days ago, I <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/11/26/freshly-killed-turkey-a-very-ted-bundy-thanksgiving/">documented</a> my first visit to a <em>Pollo Vivero</em>, or live-kill poultry place. Well, having now had the joy of dressing and eating a freshly-killed turkey, I can absolutely state the following points: <br /><br /><strong>Cutting off Heads Isn't That Hard</strong>: I thought that removing the bird's feet and head would be really difficult, but it was actually easy. I used a sturdy, German-style chef's knife, located the respective joints, and sliced away. While the legs came off in one piece (each), I had to take the neck off in two pieces. I used a paring knife and reached inside the carcass to cut it closer to the torso.<br /><br /><strong>Live Turkeys Don't Look Quite the Same</strong>: My turkey's torso was longer and slightly sleeker than the Butterballs that I was used to. That having been said, it was still quite meaty, and the actual process of cooking it was very much the same (minus the pop-up timer, of course).<br /><br /><strong>Live Turkeys Are Yummy</strong>: The turkey tasted more or less the same as a grocery store turkey. It was slightly more succulent, but I also chalk that up to the fact that I brined it.<br /><br /><strong>Live Turkeys Dry Out Easily</strong>: Unlike store-bought turkeys, which soak in a broth solution until you unwrap them, live turkeys need to be protected from drying out. I wrapped mine in moist paper towels before brining it.<br /><br /><strong>Turkey Heads Are Fun</strong>: Being somewhat perverse, I held on to the turkey head and feet so I could show them to select people. Two of my sisters got in a little bit of a tiff over who got to keep them (I'm not the only weirdo in my family), until my youngest sister claimed the artist card, stating that she wanted to draw the various parts.<br /><br />I have decided that I'm definitely going to go with live poultry for Christmas. Does anybody have a good recipe for pheasant?<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/11/30/freshly-killed-turkey-ii-the-aftermath/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1386303/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/11/30/freshly-killed-turkey-ii-the-aftermath/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>Live Turkey</category><category>LiveTurkey</category><category>pollo vivero</category><category>PolloVivero</category><category>thanksgiving</category><category>thanksgiving dinner</category><category>ThanksgivingDinner</category><dc:creator>Bruce Watson</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-11-30T14:00:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>Refilling the Liquor Cabinet: Well-Priced American Whiskies</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/11/24/refilling-the-liquor-cabinet-well-priced-american-whiskies/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/11/24/refilling-the-liquor-cabinet-well-priced-american-whiskies/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/11/24/refilling-the-liquor-cabinet-well-priced-american-whiskies/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/whisky/" rel="tag">Whisky</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/comfort-food/" rel="tag">Comfort Food</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/spirits/" rel="tag">Spirits</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/thanksgiving/" rel="tag">Thanksgiving</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/christmas/" rel="tag">Christmas</a></p><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="0" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/11/3119002_f0c489415c(2).jpg" />American whiskey has been around as long as there has been an America. In fact, the decision to tax whiskey led to the famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskey_rebellion">Whiskey Rebellion</a>, one of the first violent protests that followed the American Revolution. However, while numerous whiskies were once part of America's distilling heritage, corn whiskey (aka bourbon) has long since become America's more or less official alcohol.<br /><br />Fair or not, in recent years, America's love affair with bourbon has led to a massive amount of sour-mash snobbery. Craft-style, small-batch, and limited edition bourbons have driven up the prestige (and price) of what once was the most proletarian of whiskeys. This is particularly ironic, given the fact that bourbon was, in many ways, the traditional whiskey of America's most rough-and-tumble element.<br /><br />This is not to say, however, that good, old-fashioned, cheap American whiskey hasn't survived. Some of America's oldest and most respected brands are still around and are still reasonably priced.For example, <a href="http://www.whiskymag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2329">Old Grand-dad</a> is a lesser-known, but well-established bourbon. It is comparatively inexpensive and makes a great mixer. Similarly, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Crow">Old Crow</a> offers incredible value ($17 for a 1.75 Liter bottle) and a good, solid flavor. Best of all, it has an outstanding pedigree: if anybody casts aspersions on it, you can note that it is America's first sour-mash whiskey, was the preferred drink of Senator Henry Clay and President Ulysses S. Grant, and was one of Mark Twain and Hunter Thompson's favorite tipples.<p><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/11/24/refilling-the-liquor-cabinet-well-priced-american-whiskies/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Refilling the Liquor Cabinet: Well-Priced American Whiskies</em></a></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/11/24/refilling-the-liquor-cabinet-well-priced-american-whiskies/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1381822/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/11/24/refilling-the-liquor-cabinet-well-priced-american-whiskies/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>old crow</category><category>old grand dad</category><category>old overholt</category><category>OldCrow</category><category>OldGrandDad</category><category>OldOverholt</category><category>rittenhouse rye</category><category>RittenhouseRye</category><category>rye</category><dc:creator>Bruce Watson</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-11-24T16:30:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>Big Tex: The ultimate in deep-fried food</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/10/29/big-tex-the-ultimate-in-deep-fried-food/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/10/29/big-tex-the-ultimate-in-deep-fried-food/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/10/29/big-tex-the-ultimate-in-deep-fried-food/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-porn/" rel="tag">Food Porn</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/frying/" rel="tag">Frying</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-oddities/" rel="tag">Food Oddities</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/trends/" rel="tag">Trends</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/southern-states/" rel="tag">Southern States</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/new-products/" rel="tag">New Products</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/comfort-food/" rel="tag">Comfort Food</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/fast-food/" rel="tag">Fast Food</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/festivals/" rel="tag">Festivals</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/local-eating/" rel="tag">Local Eating</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/guilty-pleasures/" rel="tag">Guilty Pleasures</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/fall/" rel="tag">Fall</a></p><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/10/2745667163_e2b84c47b3(2).jpg" alt="" />I generally try to eat wisely and well. I avoid greasy foods, turn my back on excessively processed ingredients, constantly rail against high fructose corn syrup, and try to eat all my veggies. Unfortunately, however, just as my day-to-day dietary Dr. Jekyll is upright and intelligent, I also have a culinary Mr. Hyde, who comes out when I find myself confronted with particularly delectable deep fried delicacies. Generally, this isn't much of a problem, as the fried food in my neighborhood mostly consists of unmentionable pig parts and the occasional codfish pancake. Moreover, since I've moved away from Southwest Virginia, I am no longer tempted by the <a href="http://www.salemfair.com/">Salem Fair</a>, a horrifying assemblage of rides, petting zoos, and oil-soaked goodies that used to be the highlight of my year. <br /><br />Recently, however, I came across a website for <a href="http://www.bigtex.com/foodlocator/">Big Tex</a>, the Texas State Fair. While I will always maintain a warm spot for the food options at Salem, it is painfully clear that Southwest Virginia's yearly orgy of deep-fried wonders pales in comparison to the pure, unrestrained genius of Texas' chefs. With items like "Chicken Fried Bacon," "Texas Fried Jelly Belly Beans," and "Fried Pop Rocks Fundae," the Lone Star state has staked an unquestionable claim to national fryolator dominance. I was particularly impressed by "Fire and Ice," a battered, deep-fried pinapple ring that is covered in banana-flavored whipped cream that has been dipped in liquid nitrogen.<br /><br />Liquid nitrogen? These guys are GODS.<br /><br />Anyway, the fair is over for this year...but I'm looking ahead to next fall. Only 330 days to go!<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/10/29/big-tex-the-ultimate-in-deep-fried-food/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1356422/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/10/29/big-tex-the-ultimate-in-deep-fried-food/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>Bix Tex</category><category>BixTex</category><category>Fried Bacon</category><category>Fried Jelly Beans</category><category>Fried Pop Rocks</category><category>FriedBacon</category><category>FriedJellyBeans</category><category>FriedPopRocks</category><category>Salem Fair</category><category>SalemFair</category><category>Texas State Fair</category><category>TexasStateFair</category><dc:creator>Bruce Watson</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-10-29T14:30:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>Street cart cuisine: Details magazine determines the finest food on four wheels</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/08/15/street-cart-cuisine-details-determines-the-finest-food-on-four/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/08/15/street-cart-cuisine-details-determines-the-finest-food-on-four/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/08/15/street-cart-cuisine-details-determines-the-finest-food-on-four/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/restaurants/" rel="tag">Restaurants</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/business/" rel="tag">Business</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/fast-food/" rel="tag">Fast Food</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/local-eating/" rel="tag">Local Eating</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/guilty-pleasures/" rel="tag">Guilty Pleasures</a></p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="148" border="0" align="right" alt="image of a street cart" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/08/431904006_ed346168cc(2).jpg" />Last fall, in the beginning of my first year in New York, I discovered the <a href="http://streetvendor.org/public_html/staticpages/index.php?page=20051004213526141">Vendy awards</a>. Sponsored by the <a href="http://www.urbanjustice.org/">Urban Justice Center</a>, the awards honor the city's best street vendors. I was particularly interested because of <a href="http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/kwik_meal_1/">Mohammed Rahman</a>, proprietor of the Kwik Meal cart on 45th Street and Sixth Avenue. <br /><br />On some days, when I had a little extra cash, I'd grab my lunch at Mohammed's stand. While his menu was, ostensibly, the same as most other halal vendors, Mohammed had previously worked at the Russian Tea Room, and his classical background showed through. His genius lay in the little details, like the green papaya marinade that he used for his lamb, the basmati rice that he served it on, and the intricate spicing that made it truly unique. Although the 2007 Vendy ultimately went to Thiru "Dosa Man" Kumar, Mohammed still reigns high in my personal vendor pantheon. After all, he introduced me to the world of gourmet street food.<br /><br /><p><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/08/15/street-cart-cuisine-details-determines-the-finest-food-on-four/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Street cart cuisine: Details magazine determines the finest food on four wheels</em></a></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/08/15/street-cart-cuisine-details-determines-the-finest-food-on-four/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1285116/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/08/15/street-cart-cuisine-details-determines-the-finest-food-on-four/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>Details</category><category>details magazine</category><category>DetailsMagazine</category><category>Dosa Man</category><category>DosaMan</category><category>jane and michael stern</category><category>JaneAndMichaelStern</category><category>Mohammed Rahman</category><category>MohammedRahman</category><category>Thiru Kumar</category><category>ThiruKumar</category><category>Treat Truck</category><category>TreatTruck</category><category>Urban Justice Center</category><category>UrbanJusticeCenter</category><category>Vendy</category><category>Vendy awards</category><category>VendyAwards</category><dc:creator>Bruce Watson</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-08-15T12:00:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>Food Quest: A coffee lover's makeshift set-up</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/20/food-quest-a-coffee-lovers-makeshift-set-up/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/20/food-quest-a-coffee-lovers-makeshift-set-up/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/20/food-quest-a-coffee-lovers-makeshift-set-up/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-gadgets/" rel="tag">Food Gadgets</a></p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughtonb/2264083678/"><img width="425" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="567" border="0" align="top" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/05/coffee-snob-set-up.jpg" alt="a coffee snob's set-up" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughtonb/">Bob Laughton</a> is something of a coffee fanatic. He needs to have his coffee strong and hot, and will go to great lengths to ensure that his morning cup satisfies these needs. Recently, while visiting a friend who had effectively stopped drinking coffee, he found himself forced to rig up a makeshift drip coffee maker in order to get his daily delivery of caffeine. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughtonb/2264083678/">As you can see in the picture</a> (if you follow that link, he's annotated his version with a series of entertaining notes) he wrapped a pre-heated Mason jar in a towel (to prevent heat loss) and placed that in a bowl. On top of that he perched a warmed, old yellow porcelain Melitta filter (the handles always seem to be broken off those old models, my parents had a cracked white one for years). In that went a Chemex unbleached filter and then, finally, into that filter he put his grounds, fresh <a href="http://bluebottlecoffee.net/">Blue Bottle coffee from Chiapas</a>. A lot of effort but I'm certain that the coffee tasted all the better for the work. <br /><br />I'm sure that there are lots of you out there that are like Bob, willing to put a little extra work in so that you can have the best version of your favorite food or drink. Tell us about your food quest. Upload a picture of your set-up to our <a href="http://flickr.com/groups/slashfood/pool/">Flickr group</a> and include the story with the image. We'll feature the fun and interesting ones here on the site.<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughtonb/2264083678/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/20/food-quest-a-coffee-lovers-makeshift-set-up/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1200192/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/20/food-quest-a-coffee-lovers-makeshift-set-up/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>coffee set-up</category><category>coffee snob</category><category>CoffeeSet-up</category><category>CoffeeSnob</category><category>food quest</category><category>FoodQuest</category><category>jerry-rigged</category><category>laughtonb</category><dc:creator>Marisa McClellan</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-05-20T11:03:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>What are your foodie limits?</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/16/what-are-your-foodie-limits/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/16/what-are-your-foodie-limits/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/16/what-are-your-foodie-limits/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/on-the-blogs/" rel="tag">On the Blogs</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a></p><em><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="top" alt="tripe" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/05/tripe051508.jpg" /><br />"I wanted to be The Girl Who Is Not Afraid To Order Tripe And In Fact It Makes Her Even Cooler And All The More Sexy Because She Enjoys It. Alas, it was not meant to be." </em>Carol at <a href="http://carolcookskeller.blogspot.com/2008/05/french-laundry-at-home-extra-how-to.html">French Laundry at Home</a><br /><br />Hear, hear!* I don't know about you, but this sort of rationale is what made me a foodie. I was a fairly picky eater growing up. I wasn't so bad that I'd eat PB&amp;J for every meal, but if they weren't like the usual meat-potato-veggie triumvirate, or something else I'd eat normally, I'd get testy. If you were at the Mexican restaurant about 25-years ago where a little blonde girl went nuts because her beef was shaved instead of ground, that was me. <br /><br />But then I got older, moved to the big city, and shed many of my food inhibitions. I hated it when my friends gazed at me in disappointment whenever I wouldn't try anything. I couldn't say no when someone slaved over a hot stove to bring me a meal full of food I didn't like. Soon, eating became an adventure -- discovering new tastes, learning about the foods, making meals fresh and fun.<p><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/16/what-are-your-foodie-limits/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>What are your foodie limits?</em></a></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/16/what-are-your-foodie-limits/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1196857/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/16/what-are-your-foodie-limits/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>foods you wont eat</category><category>FoodsYouWontEat</category><category>French Laundry at Home</category><category>FrenchLaundryAtHome</category><category>gross foods</category><category>GrossFoods</category><category>Tripe</category><dc:creator>Monika Bartyzel</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-05-16T10:05:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>Dreams of a Cocotte</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/05/dreams-of-a-cocotte/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/05/dreams-of-a-cocotte/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/05/dreams-of-a-cocotte/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-gadgets/" rel="tag">Food Gadgets</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" alt="a staub cocotte"  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/05/staub-cocotte.jpg" />For the last few years, I have wanted to own a Staub Cocotte.  I am entranced by their braising spikes, and the fact that their dark enamel interiors deters the kind of staining you see on the inside of Le Creuset pots.  Plus the fact that they just cook so darn well.  <br /><br />This weekend, I was at my favorite home and kitchen store (Foster's Homeware) and found a few minutes to peek at their display of Staub cookware.  As I caressed one of the pots longingly, Kim, the store's events manager came over and we started talking about our mutual love of the Cocotte.  She said that she uses hers all the time and if anything were to happen to the contents of her kitchen, it would be the first thing she would replace.  I left the store empty-handed, but pondering my Staub future. <br /><br />As I flipped through the internet this morning, I happened to notice that the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Staub-5-Quart-Round-Cocotte-Grenadine/dp/B000KLZ0FE/ref=xs_gb_rss_35844/?ccmID=380205&amp;tag=rssfeeds-20">Staub 5-quart round Cocotte is on sale at Amazon.com</a> for a single day.  They normally run $200, but you can snatch one up for $144.99 today if you are so inclined. I'm skipping the sale, as my Le Creuset is a 5-quart round, and try as I might, I can't convince myself that I need two pots of the same shape and capacity.  However, if this happens to be your dream pot, this might be your opportunity to finally own one. <h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.amazon.com/Staub-5-Quart-Round-Cocotte-Grenadine/dp/B000KLZ0FE/ref=xs_gb_rss_35844/?ccmID=380205&amp;tag=rssfeeds-20>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/05/dreams-of-a-cocotte/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1186702/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/05/dreams-of-a-cocotte/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>amazon.com</category><category>braising</category><category>dream pot</category><category>DreamPot</category><category>staub cocotte</category><category>StaubCocotte</category><dc:creator>Marisa McClellan</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-05-05T11:30:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>Have you tried making liquid nitrogen ice cream?  Don't do it like this</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/12/have-you-tried-making-liquid-nitrogen-ice-cream-dont-do-it-li/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/12/have-you-tried-making-liquid-nitrogen-ice-cream-dont-do-it-li/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/12/have-you-tried-making-liquid-nitrogen-ice-cream-dont-do-it-li/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/science/" rel="tag">Science</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/on-the-blogs/" rel="tag">On the Blogs</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a></p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="165" border="0" align="right" alt="A bowl containing three flavors of ice cream."  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/04/ice-cream200.jpg" />I had heard of making ice cream with liquid nitrogen.  I saw it on Iron Chef America not too long ago, if I remember correctly.  I haven't ever tried it though.  Where do you find the liquid nitrogen?  <br /><br />Anyway, here's a <a href="http://www.maniacworld.com/making-liquid-nitrogen-ice-cream-in-blender.html">video of a couple of guys</a> trying to make the frozen dessert in a blender.  The result is hilarious.  I strongly recommend that you do <em>not</em> try this at home.  Even if it didn't look slightly dangerous, you seriously don't want to clean up that mess.<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://coldmud.com/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/12/have-you-tried-making-liquid-nitrogen-ice-cream-dont-do-it-li/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1165376/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/12/have-you-tried-making-liquid-nitrogen-ice-cream-dont-do-it-li/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>blender</category><category>ice cream</category><category>IceCream</category><category>liquid nitrogen</category><category>LiquidNitrogen</category><dc:creator>Shayna Glick</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-04-12T12:01:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>Cook during your own private earth hour, sort of</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/02/cook-during-your-own-private-earth-hour-sort-of/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/02/cook-during-your-own-private-earth-hour-sort-of/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/02/cook-during-your-own-private-earth-hour-sort-of/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/on-the-blogs/" rel="tag">On the Blogs</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a></p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="165" border="0" align="right" alt="A cutting board with a knife and lots of cut up cheese."  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/04/lights-out-knives-out-200.jpg" />Did you hear about Earth Hour, which happened last week?  Everyone was supposed to turn out all their lights for one hour on March 29 in an effort to bring attention to global warming, and reduce their energy consumption a little.  This is your chance to do a cooking version of Earth Hour, and join a blog event that can be fun and good for the planet.<br /><br />Really, it doesn't even have to be about Earth Hour.  This could be really fun.  The blog event is called "Lights Out, Knives Out".  The premise is that you turn off all non essential appliances, equipment, and lights to cook a meal, and to do this at least once a month.  You can still cook with the oven/stove, of course, and anything you think is necessary.  <br /><br />The point is to prepare the meal using as little energy as necessary, then to share your experience with everyone else.  You can get all the details <a href="http://www.ismyblogburning.com/lights-out-knives-out">here</a>.  It sounds like a lot of fun: cooking by candlelight and preparing food by hand.<br />It would be an adventure for those of us who are dependent on the food processor!<br /><br />[Via Is My Blog Burning]<br /><br /><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/02/cook-during-your-own-private-earth-hour-sort-of/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1156606/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/02/cook-during-your-own-private-earth-hour-sort-of/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>blogevent</category><category>EarthHour</category><category>energy</category><dc:creator>Shayna Glick</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-04-02T19:35:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>A chopped liver smackdown</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/21/a-chopped-liver-smackdown/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/21/a-chopped-liver-smackdown/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/21/a-chopped-liver-smackdown/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/newspapers/" rel="tag">Newspapers</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/on-the-blogs/" rel="tag">On the Blogs</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a></p><a href="http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/archives/2008/03/the_great_chopp.php"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="top" alt="six plastic containers of chopped liver"  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/03/chopped-liver-containers.jpg" /></a><br />My mom comes from a large family of mostly-secular Jews.  That side of the family taught me to love going out to brunch on Sundays, to understand the need to have far more food at family events that we could possible eat and to deeply appreciate a good batch of chopped liver.  <br /><br />It is in the spirit of that last trait that I bring you <a href="http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/archives/2008/03/the_great_chopp.php">The Great Chopped Liver Taste-Off</a> from the Village Voice's food blog, <a href="http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/">Fork in the Road</a>.  They tasted six versions of chopped liver from local markets (although it makes me sort of sad that they didn't include a homemade version in the mix).  The two winners were Russ and Daughters and Katz's Deli, two landmark Jewish delis in the New York area.  <br /><br />If you don't live in the New York area and want to try some quality chopped liver, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2007/12/05/schmaltz-less-chopped-liver/">here's my favorite recipe</a> (although the lack of schmaltz makes it sort of controversial).  <br /><br />[via <a href="http://edlevineeats.seriouseats.com/2008/03/the-best-chopped-liver-russ-daughters-and-kat.html">Ed Levine's New York Eats</a>]<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/archives/2008/03/the_great_chopp.php>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/21/a-chopped-liver-smackdown/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1145642/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/21/a-chopped-liver-smackdown/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>chopped liver</category><category>ChoppedLiver</category><category>Ed Levine</category><category>EdLevine</category><category>Fork in the Road</category><category>ForkInTheRoad</category><category>The great chopped liver taste-off</category><category>TheGreatChoppedLiverTaste-off</category><category>Village Voice</category><category>VillageVoice</category><dc:creator>Marisa McClellan</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-03-21T15:01:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>Falafel and the Law of Culinary Equilibrium</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/17/falafel-and-the-law-of-culinary-equilibrium/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/17/falafel-and-the-law-of-culinary-equilibrium/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/17/falafel-and-the-law-of-culinary-equilibrium/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/lunch/" rel="tag">Lunch</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/dinner/" rel="tag">Dinner</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/east-coast/" rel="tag">East Coast</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/grains/" rel="tag">Grains</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/vegetables/" rel="tag">Vegetables</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/03/earthmother.jpg" alt="" />For a long time I have held a steadfast belief in a scientific principle called the Law of Culinary Equilibrium. It derives from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_laws ">Newton's Third Law,</a> which states, "To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I'm not sure where or when I first heard of the Law of Culinary Equilibrium. It's entirely possible that I made it up, er, discovered it. Origins aside, here's how it works: If I eat a horrible<em> taco al pastor,</em> one that is so bad as to be undeserving of the name and that should require the chef's compulsory deportation back to Puebla if that is in fact where the offending cook hails from, I must within 24 hours consume an exquisite <em>taco al pastor.</em> Bad <em>Cubano,</em> one that's not absolutely shatteringly thin, garlicky and filled with delicious roast pork and ham? Same deal. You get the idea. I've found that practicing the Law of Culinary Equilibrium not only restores order to the gastronomic universe, it restores my faith in humankind. That and it greatly reduces my urge to hurl a cinderblock through the window of the offending establishment. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course some might wonder how a veteran eater like me encounters a bad meal. To this I answer that since I often write about food in New York City I'm charged with a Star Trek-like mission: "To boldly eat where no man has eaten before." As much I'd like to stick to my favorite taquerias and dim sum joints, I simply can't, if only because the next great discovery often lies behind a new storefront. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes though, a bad meal stems from my own equally bad judgment. The other day I decided to check out a place in my neighborhood of Rego Park, Queens. I shall refer to it as Crunchy Earth Mother Caf&eacute;, if only because it's been open a scant three weeks and I wish the management no ill will. I truly don't what I was expecting when I ordered what the earth-toned menu refers to as "a falafel panini." After all I know what a falafel is and I know what paninis are. Perhaps, I hoped it would turn out to be something far greater than the sum of its parts. <span style=""><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/17/falafel-and-the-law-of-culinary-equilibrium/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Falafel and the Law of Culinary Equilibrium</em></a></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/17/falafel-and-the-law-of-culinary-equilibrium/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1141717/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/17/falafel-and-the-law-of-culinary-equilibrium/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>falafel</category><category>Israeli food</category><category>IsraeliFood</category><category>On the Grill</category><category>OnTheGrill</category><category>Queens</category><category>Queens Boulevard</category><category>QueensBoulevard</category><category>Rego Park</category><category>RegoPark</category><dc:creator>Joe DiStefano</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-03-17T11:00:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>The end of Winter is near!</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/13/the-end-of-winter-is-near/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/13/the-end-of-winter-is-near/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/13/the-end-of-winter-is-near/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/vegetables/" rel="tag">Vegetables</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/real-kitchens/" rel="tag">Real Kitchens</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="top" alt="a brightly colored salad" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/03/simple-dinner-salad.jpg" /><br />I've come to realize something about myself. I'm just not inspired by winter foods. I like the root vegetable family, but there are only so many roasted carrots, beets and parsnips I can take before I find myself backing away from the stove and calling for takeout Chinese again. Winter saps my creativity, especially when I know how wonderful, bright and inspiring food can taste with so little effort (I know that many of you are able to create amazing things with foods available in Winter. For some reason, I seem to be stunted in this area). As we creep closer to spring and farmers market season (my beloved <a href="http://www.thefoodtrust.org/php/headhouse/">Headhouse Square Market</a> opens May 4th), I am tingling with anticipation. <br /><br />The salad you see above is how I've gotten through the winter--by buying carbon heavy imported vegetables and wishing for Spring (the environmentalist in me cringes). How have you all managed to fend off the apathy of Winter cooking and keep your food interesting and appealing?<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.thefoodtrust.org/php/headhouse/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/13/the-end-of-winter-is-near/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1138932/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/13/the-end-of-winter-is-near/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>cooking inspiration</category><category>Headhouse Square Farmers Market</category><category>seasonal eating</category><category>spring</category><category>winter</category><dc:creator>Marisa McClellan</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-03-13T17:04:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>How do you choose a loaf?</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/10/how-do-you-choose-a-loaf/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/10/how-do-you-choose-a-loaf/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/10/how-do-you-choose-a-loaf/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/grains/" rel="tag">Grains</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/on-the-blogs/" rel="tag">On the Blogs</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/bakeries/" rel="tag">Bakeries</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="top" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/03/slicing-bread.jpg" alt="a knife slicing bread in a guide" /><br />Last spring, I volunteered to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kids' table at a church potluck. Knowing that not all kids like the dark, nutty whole wheat bread I grew up on, I bought a loaf of plain country white at my local Trader Joe's. As I stood in line, waiting to pay for my purchases, I wanted to shout out to all the people standing around me, "The white bread isn't for me! I swear I don't eat this stuff!" I was sweating by the time the loaf was tucked into my handled brown paper bag. <br /><br />Bread is one of those staples most households like to keep around. Over at <a href="http://www.urbanmamas.com/">UrbanMamas</a>, they are having an interesting conversation about <a href="http://www.urbanmamas.com/urbanmamas/2008/03/the-best-sliced.html">how you pick the sliced bread that you buy for your family</a>. I thought it would be an fun question to bring over here. What guides your choices when it comes to the regular loaves you keep on your counter or in your fridge (we were always bread in fridge people in my family)? Do you read labels or have a regular brand? Do you feel the same sense of shame that I have when you buy white bread, or do you wave your white bread flag proudly? Do tell, inquiring minds would like to know.<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.urbanmamas.com/urbanmamas/2008/03/the-best-sliced.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/10/how-do-you-choose-a-loaf/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1136434/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/03/10/how-do-you-choose-a-loaf/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>family</category><category>sliced bread</category><category>SlicedBread</category><category>staple foods</category><category>urbanmamas</category><category>white bread</category><category>whole wheat</category><dc:creator>Marisa McClellan</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-03-10T15:05:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>No fruit in that snack? I could have told you that.</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/25/no-fruit-in-that-snack-i-could-have-told-you-that/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/25/no-fruit-in-that-snack-i-could-have-told-you-that/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/25/no-fruit-in-that-snack-i-could-have-told-you-that/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/snacks/" rel="tag">Snacks</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/british-isles/" rel="tag">British Isles</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/business/" rel="tag">Business</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/fruit/" rel="tag">Fruit</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a></p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="215" border="0" align="right" alt="fruity cereal"  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/02/fruit-cereal.jpg" />I was just <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/25/nfruit125.xml">reading about a survey done by a U.K. group </a>called the Food Commission.  The group looked at several products that were fruit flavored (they actually concentrated on strawberry flavored foods) to see what the actual fruit content was.  Well, it wasn't so great.  Only about 40% of the products had any <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/tag/fruit/">fruit </a>in them at all, and those that did only had minimal amounts.<br /><br />The Food Commission is upset.  They say that the products which have no fruit but are <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/tag/flavored/">flavored</a> and have that fruit pictured all over the packaging are misleading consumers, at the very least.  But in this day and age, with all the studies that have been done and all the information available, can anyone really claim to not know what they're eating?  Maybe companies can be misleading on packaging, but they can't outright lie on the label information (though they do find tricky ways around some information).<br /><br />I just assume that big corporations are lying to me.  I assume that anything in a box or other <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/tag/packaging/">packaging</a> has very little nutrition, especially real fruit.  If a food says it's fruit flavored and has that picture on the front, you still need to read the ingredient label to know what you're really eating.  I feel like people should take charge of their own consumption.  Read the label.  Then if you still eat it, at least you know what you're getting.<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/25/no-fruit-in-that-snack-i-could-have-told-you-that/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1123848/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/25/no-fruit-in-that-snack-i-could-have-told-you-that/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>flavored</category><category>fruit</category><category>packaging</category><dc:creator>Shayna Glick</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-02-25T14:00:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>Peanut butter taste test</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/11/peanut-butter-taste-test/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/11/peanut-butter-taste-test/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/11/peanut-butter-taste-test/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/nuts-seeds/" rel="tag">Nuts/seeds</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/02/365-peanut-butter-taste-test.jpg"  alt="jar of 365 crunchy peanut butter" />I grew up with health food store peanut butter.  The kind that is essentially just ground peanuts and a little salt, where the oil rises to the top and either has to be stirred in or poured off before you can make a sandwich.  I was always envious of my friends who had jars of Skippy or Jif in their cabinets (our peanut butter had to be stored in the fridge so that it didn't go bad).  These days I now prefer the peanut butter I grew up with, loving the flavor of the nuts and salt without any added sugar or fats.  <br /><br />The folks over at AOL Food threw themselves on sword of bad food and <a href="http://food.aol.com/peanut-butter-taste-test">tasted 35 different jars of peanut butter</a> in order to find the very best of the best.  Their winner was Whole Foods 365 Brand Crunchy Peanut Butter.  I'm not a huge fan of crunchy peanut butter typically, but hearing that a collection of reliable foodies determined that it was the best of the bunch makes me curious to give it a shot.  <br /><br />Okay folks, what do you think?  Did the AOL Food testers get it right?  What's your favorite peanut butter?<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://food.aol.com/peanut-butter-taste-test>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/11/peanut-butter-taste-test/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1111581/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/11/peanut-butter-taste-test/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><category>365 crunchy peanut butter</category><category>AOL Food</category><category>jif</category><category>Peanut butter</category><category>PeanutButter</category><category>skippy</category><category>taste test</category><dc:creator>Marisa McClellan</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-02-11T10:00:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>March 14th is Pi Day</title><link>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/06/march-14th-is-pi-day/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/06/march-14th-is-pi-day/</guid><comments>http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/06/march-14th-is-pi-day/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/dessert/" rel="tag">Dessert</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/on-the-blogs/" rel="tag">On the Blogs</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/food-quest/" rel="tag">Food Quest</a>, <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/category/comfort-food/" rel="tag">Comfort Food</a></p><a href="http://kitchenparade.com/2008/02/pi-day-recipes-for-homemade-pie.php"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/02/pi-day-image.jpg"  alt="March 14 is Pi Day from Kitchen Parade" /></a>Some people believe that January 23rd is <a href="http://www.piecouncil.org/national.htm">National Pie Day</a>.  However, there's another school of thought that argues (quite convincingly too) that March 14th is truly the appropriate day to celebrate with a fat slice of pie.  That's because that's the day of the year that corresponds with the first three digits of Pi, that beloved mathematical constant (that I memorized out to 50 digits during middle school for extra credit in math class).  <br /><br />Over at the Kitchen Parade, Alanna is hosting a Pie Challenge.  She's hoping that food bloggers and cooks from all over the internet will make pie, complete with homemade crust (because that's really the challenging part of making pie).  Starting the week of March 10th, she will maintain a running pie blog post round up.  Simply make a pie, write a post (and include a tip or two), link to her <a href="http://kitchenparade.com/2008/02/pi-day-recipes-for-homemade-pie.php">original Challenge post</a> and send her an email, letting her know that you're participating.  Your pie will be featured among the offers of other bakers (if you don't have a food blog, you can simply <a href="http://mailto:recipes@kitchen-parade.com">email Alanna</a> your pie recipe).  One lucky pie maker (it's a random drawing) will get a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0740754653?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=kitchenparade-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0740754653">Humble Pie: Musings on What Lies Beneath the Crust</a><img width="1" height="1" border="0" style="border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=kitchenparade-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0740754653" />.  <br /><br />So what are you waiting for?  Go make some pie!<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://kitchenparade.com/2008/02/pi-day-recipes-for-homemade-pie.php>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/06/march-14th-is-pi-day/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/forward/1108370/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/06/march-14th-is-pi-day/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><br />]]></description><dc:creator>Marisa McClellan</dc:creator><dc:date>2008-02-06T15:00:00+00:00</dc:date></item></channel></rss>