Comestiblog

Springtime Sangría

2012-05-11T17:45:24-04:00

Sangria is a delightful quaff for a warm, spring get-together. Served throughout Spain and Portugal, this alcoholic punch infuses bright, sunny fruit flavors into any convivial gathering. While variations seem endless, personal preferences—fruit, wine, brandy, soda, and such—prevail ultimately. Nevertheless, if you're seeking a superb springtime sangria suggestion, try the following refreshing...

Celebrate May Day at Queens Taste 2012

2012-04-24T12:36:07-04:00

Mark your calendar and whet your appetite! Queens Taste 2012, the borough's premiere food-and-networking event, will take place Tuesday, 1 May, from 6:00 P.M. till 9:00 P.M. at Citi Field's Caesars Club in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

IACP Culinary Expo and Book & Blog Festival

2012-04-13T09:35:54-04:00

On Sunday, 1 April 2012, over 100 exhibitors strutted their stuff at the Culinary Expo and Book & Blog Festival in SoHo, part of a five-day conference celebrating "The Fashion of Food" by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. This year's installment marked the 34th anniversary of the IACP conference.

Free Breakfast Mondays at IKEA

2012-04-09T14:09:43-04:00

The price is hard to beat. Every Monday morning, IKEA (pronounced EE·KAY·uh by those wishing to sound Nordic) serves a free hot breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and potatoes from 9:30 till 11:00. (The same 385-calorie breakfast plate costs only 99 cents the rest of the week.)

Top American City BBQ Breakdown

2012-04-01T00:01:00-04:00

While every American city is sure to have a barbecue pit or two preferred by the locals, only a few have gone on to define their own nationally renowned style. Contenders are plentiful, but four cities come to mind when the subject is how to heat and treat meat on the street.

A Fluke?

2012-03-10T18:12:38-05:00

No, this is not another rant about a Georgetown law student. Rather, it's a pictorial post of a marvelous meal I enjoyed recently: Fluke Piccata. Also known as summer flounder, fluke is found along the Atlantic Coast of the United States and Canada. This particular flatfish specimen hailed from the waters off Long Island. It was prepared with lemon, butter, and spices, topped with capers, and...

Valentine's Day Wine with Your Chocolates 2012

2012-02-14T19:34:42-05:00

For a day full of chocolates, flowers, and other seductive pleasures, there's a wine that seems custom-made. From its ruby-red color to its rose-petal bouquet and sweet effervescence, Rosa Regale Brachetto d’Acqui captures the romance of Valentine's Day in a bottle.

Valentine's Day Chocolates for Your Sweetie 2012

2012-02-14T16:55:32-05:00

With an increasing number of fine chocolates available these days, it's often difficult to seek out a favorite. Occasionally, however, one finds superb indulgences fortuitously. Such was the case at this year's Boston Wine Expo, at which I discovered Chocolate Springs, producer of some of the most exquisite artisanal chocolates to delight my palate in recent years.

QEDC Entrepreneur Space Celebrates Its First Anniversary

2012-02-09T12:36:42-05:00

The Queens Economic Development Corporation celebrated its Entrepreneur Space's first anniversary on 25 January 2012 with an open party featuring clients' food samples, lively interaction, and a collector's frozen birthday cake. It was an occasion to speak with numerous business owners who have utilized the E-Space to launch or further their food ventures.

Happy Year of the Dragon!

2012-01-23T18:13:00-05:00

Ba bao fan, or eight-treasure rice, is a traditional dessert with which to celebrate the Chinese New Year. A mound of glutinous rice with a red bean paste center, crowned with eight jewels (usually almonds, walnuts, melon seeds, dates, raisins, dried apricots, and other dried fruits), this sweet course represents a precious way to ring in the new lunar year.

ClubW - The End of the Wine Snob Era?

2012-01-10T13:10:59-05:00

Upon hearing of my invitation to a tasting for a Web 2.0 wine club whose founding purports to mark "the end of the wine snob era," my Comestaccomplice rejoined, "that would exclude you!" While I'd not consider myself a snob, I do enjoy good wines. Thus, I was curious to learn how ClubW distinguishes itself from the seemingly endless vintages of subscription services.

"Seasoned" Greetings 2011

2011-12-24T17:07:21-05:00

Wishing you and your family a joyous, comestible holiday season.

Dutch Haven Shoofly Pies

2011-11-19T13:44:34-05:00

For more than half a century, the iconic Dutch Haven windmill has waved at cars and horse-drawn buggies traveling along the Lincoln Highway (U.S. 30) in Pennsylvania's Dutch Country. This old-fashioned roadside attraction beckoned me to stop for a sample of its famous shoofly pie. Using Alice Weaver's 1946 recipe of white flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and refiners' syrup, owner Paul Stahl...

Soup and Bread Returns to Brooklyn

2011-11-17T15:14:43-05:00

Soup & Bread is blowing back into Brooklyn from the Windy City today, 17 November 2011. After making her New York debut in Brooklyn last year, organizer Martha Bayne returns to the borough to ladle out soup and promote her new book, Soup & Bread Cookbook: Building Community One Pot at a Time. This evening's event takes place from 6:00 till 8:00 at littlefield on Degraw Street. All...

Omni's Flavors of France

2011-10-25T17:24:49-04:00

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of schmoozing with executive chefs from Omni Hotels & Resorts along with food-and-beverage representatives from France at an interactive cooking, tasting, and wine-pairing reception in SoHo. The event celebrated the October launch of "Simmer Sauté Santé - The Flavors of France," the seventh installment of Omni's nationwide Flavors of the World culinary...

FDA's Sneak Attack on Supplements

2011-09-09T15:16:48-04:00

Have you heard about the FDA's latest attack on nutritional supplements? If enough of us don't comment by 1 October 2011, that agency could take anything developed after 1994 off the market, including the coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) that helped extend the life of a loved one of mine.

Basking in the New York Vibe at Bar Basque

2011-07-25T18:17:00-04:00

Bar Basque offers the quintessential New York experience: enjoying Basque-style tapas, prepared by a Hawaiian chef, in a TRONesque setting, on the terrace of a swank hotel, while viewing videos on a 35-foot outdoor high-definition LED screen. That's the vibe at this trendy, upscale spot for superb food and drink near Herald Square in Midtown Manhattan.

popbar: Pop Goes Gelato!

2011-07-18T14:07:39-04:00

Popbar on Carmine Street in Manhattan's West Village serves America's only gelato-on-stick. Combining innovation with the tradition of his native Italy, Reuben BenJehuda introduced the popular Florentine-inspired gelato concept to New York when he and Daniel Yaghoubi opened popbar in May, 2010. Their handcrafted frozen treats make a great summer refresher or a delicious dessert.

Children's Aid Recipe Contest

2011-07-12T15:20:14-04:00

The Children's Aid Society's first-ever Summer Recipe Contest is underway. Submissions for original recipes will be accepted via Facebook through Monday, 18 July 2011. Initially, a panel of judges will pick its 10 favorite healthful, easy-to-make recipes. Thereafter, from 21-28 July, public Facebook votes will determine the top five. The Grand Prize winners will be announced at the Union Square...

Milk Street Cafe Ready for Wall Street

2011-06-22T17:39:51-04:00

Milk Street Cafe, a popular restaurant and corporate catering company in Boston's Financial District, launches its new venture in New York's Financial District tomorrow, 23 June 2011. And Milk Street is going public, so to speak, by inviting everyone to attend the morning's Opening Bell ceremony for complimentary cookies and coffee from 10:00 till 11:00 in the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street.

A Smashburger Grows in Brooklyn

2011-06-15T12:23:34-04:00

On Thursday, 9 June 2011, Denver-based Smashburger made its New York premiere in Fort Greene, Brooklyn—just three days before the fourth anniversary of its debut in the Mile High City. As Tom Ryan told me, "our goal is to put great tasting burgers back in people's lives." What's different about this burger chain? For one thing, it's a national enterprise with local influences. This store, for...

BeFitNYC

2011-06-06T00:01:00-04:00

During the week of June 6-12, the NYC Department of Health will offer fitness events to promote BeFitNYC, a citywide campaign to encourage a healthy, active lifestyle using the Big Apple as a big gym. The events are free and open to the public.

A Taste of the World in Queens 2011

2011-05-22T14:34:44-04:00

The ninth Queens…A Taste of the World took place Tuesday, 10 May 2011 in the Caesars Club at Citi Field. Beyond celebrating the borough's gastronomic variety, this annual event raises critical funds for Entrepreneur Space (E-Space) Incubator, a partnership between the Queens Economic Development Corporation and Mi Kitchen es su Kitchen®.

Ninth Avenue International Food Festival

2011-05-14T18:59:11-04:00

The Ninth Avenue International Food Festival takes place this weekend from 42nd to 57th Streets in Hell's Kitchen. It's New York's oldest and largest annual food festival. (I recall attending my first one about 1980.)