September 30, 2004
Welcome to Manhattan
"I just moved to the East Coast from the Bay Area. Everbody tells me just how much I'm gonna love Manhattan! So I thought I'd join the blogger revolution and start blogging away so that a year down the line I can see for myself how much I've fallen in love with Manhattan..."
A new blog for all you new york food blog addicts like myself:
September 29, 2004
PIE
I love pie - apple, cherry, burger(?) ... and slowly key lime pie is eeking towards the top of my most coveted pie list.
Then why I haven't I had a steve's authentic key lime pie yet??
Good question - i feel an adventure coming on.
September 27, 2004
WOW that is a big shroom
"Found in the Malheur national forest in Oregon, that fungus covers 890 hectares (2,200 acres) - making it the largest living organism ever discovered."
September 19, 2004
japanese food notes
a page from my must try this out soon notes (spelling mistakes intact):
Go - sushi delux - $10
Lan - 56 3rd ave - 10st - shabu shabu
Esashi - 32 Avenue A, around 3rd street - $15 sushi delux
Ushiwaka Maru - 136 West Houston - expensivish - $38 special
Ajisai - 1466 1st Ave Btwn 76th & 77th St - great dinner box special - ok sushi
Tsuki - 1410 1st Ave - 75th st
Tomoe Sushi - 172 Thompson St Btwn Bleecker & Houston St - big fish
Sugiyama - 251 W 55TH St - Between Eighth Avenue and Broadway - traditional kaiseki style
Minca - 536 E 5th St - ramen
Nadaman Hakubai in the Kitano Hotel - 66 Park Avenue At 38TH Street - kaiseki
Uminoie - 86 East Third Street (First Avenue and Second Avenue) - Goto udon; dashimaki-tamago
(rolled omelet) nikujyaga (beef stew); kakuni (pork belly); gyoza
Japanese bars - some no english - (also some on 43rd and Second Avenue) - "53rd street (it's the street
the south side of the Lipstick building is on), between second and third avenues, midway down on the south side of the block, up a short flight of stairs from the street"
Katsuhama - 11 E 47th St - Btwn Madison & 5th Ave
Poke - 305 East 85 street btw 1st and 2nd ave - byob - great sushi
Donguri - 309 East 83rd Street (Second Avenue); (212) 737-5656 - reservations needed - kinda expensive
September 13, 2004
ForkAndPen goes to white castle
Instant recipe for happiness:
1. See Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle.
2. Run to the nearest 24 hour White Castle.
3. Exhale and remark that you are one lucky guy.
crazy about fish
(picture from NY Magazine)
Its been about a week since I stopped eating copious amounts of sushi day in and day out. Do I miss it - you bet! But I have always been enjoying some of my usual fare. Missing the fish mixed with reading about the soon to open raw fish bar Bar Tonno propted me to make crudo - italian raw fish preperation with olive oil and sea salt. It turned out better then I could have hoped. The grassy olive oil mixed perfectly with the taste of the tuna. My only word of caution is that the sea salt should be used sparingly - the salty taste can get very strong on such little pieces of fish. I served it with tomatos and fresh italian bread.
Crudo in nyc: One of these days I must go to Esca - the fish haven. They have an entire section of the menu dedicated to antipasti crudo - the crudo tasting is hopefully awe inspiring
September 07, 2004
Why I want to be a food writer and not pay for meals
With our meal we chose a bottle of Mexican Petite Sirah ($210), from Monte Xanic in Baja California. Afterward, our waiter brought around a tray of five desserts. We loved the coconut flan crusted with lots of caramelized coconut and sugar, and a creamy chocolate cake made with almond paste.
I don't want it to stop
I sat thinking about the past few weeks yesterday. I have been eating a lot of sushi. And really I don't want it to stop. The sushi when done right is such a good meal. The price though can easily go out of control if you don't watch out.
Last week I went to Blue Ribbon Sushi. This place is impetus enough to become filthy rich. I had a spicy scallop roll that was perfect - the scallop was very fresh and sweet - the rice had a strong flavor without overpowering and the spicy sauce was some of the best I have ever had. But the roll cost $10 and it was one of thier lower priced rolls! I also had a piece of big eye tuna that was very nice. Add ontop 2 pieces of japanese snapper (flown in) and a piece of eel and that was dinner. Expensive alright but rather good. Having a expensive but mediocre sushi place is not hard, many do it. But having an expensive good sushi place or an inexpensive good place is something of a find.
September 02, 2004
Day 9
So here I am at day 9 on the sushi diet. Things are going pretty well. First of all I feel good. Not sure I have lost a huge amount of weight but overall I feel like I have more energy and get tired later rather then earlier. Have I strayed? - yes I have - a few times but I am still looking forward to that sushi at the end of every day. And the most important thing for me is that I am consuming a lot less food and getting full on it (of course there are moments when I think uh oh will I forget about all the grand meals I always wanted or worse get too full too quick when eating them that I feel sick - we will see).
And oh the sushi I have eaten:
Sushi Park has been good - average sushi and cheap. A usual meal there is a 3 roll combo with soup and salad + one piece of sushi = $9 (including tax and tip) !!
And there is always Tab Tos which I have gone proabably the most of any. All you need there is a miso soup + special roll - which comes with a huge salad. All costing $10.
Tonight I think I will try somewhere new.
Here are a few pictures from Tab Tos (flash wasn't on so there are kinda dark and blurry but you get the idea)
Salmon Salad - with sweet (and hot!) onion dressing . You might not be able to make it out but there are a lot of crispy garlic all over the salad and soba noodles!
Peppered Salmon Roll