LIC Market’s 3rd Anniversary Party
27 Saturday Jul 2013
Posted allium, American, celebrations, herbs and spices, meat, New York, Queens, seafood, snacks, Spanish, spicy, urban, Williamsburg
in27 Saturday Jul 2013
Posted allium, American, celebrations, herbs and spices, meat, New York, Queens, seafood, snacks, Spanish, spicy, urban, Williamsburg
in22 Saturday Jun 2013
Posted allium, American, autochthonous, BBQ, celebrations, education, foraging, herbs and spices, insects, lactose free, meat, Mexican, Queens, snacks, spicy
inChapulines are a variety of grasshopper commonly eaten in some parts of Mexico. They are typically fried on a comal with garlic, lime juice, and salt flavored with agave worm extract. This tangy, aromatic snack can occasionally be found at delis and groceries in Corona, Queens.
I was able to sample some excellent chapulines this week when a student brought them in to share with the class. I expected them to be crispy but they were definitely of the juicy side, especially the plump abdomens.
22 Saturday Jun 2013
Number 10: Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza The sharp, jagged edges of a Stouffer’s pizza will lacerate the soft palate of your mouth and the blisteringly hot cheese will cause second-degree burns.
Number 9: Nagaimo (Dioscorea opposita) Irritant oxalate crystals in the skin of this mountain yam can leave some people’s hands prickly and tingly. Soak the whole thing in a little bit of vinegar and water to reduce the irritation.
Number 8: Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia The common name for sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is brain freeze. It happens when the capillaries near the sinuses are rapidly cooled and then warmed.
Number 7: Chicharrones As we get older our teeth get more brittle. Be careful when you’re eating crunchy chicharrones because you might chip your teeth!
Number 6: Lemon juice in a hangnail Whatever you do, do not do a Google image search for “hangnail”.
Number 5: Putting in contacts after chopping jalapeño peppers One way to neutralize the stinging capsaicin from the peppers is to flush your eyes with milk.
Number 4: Triangular Flapjacks The “texture and shape” of triangular flapjacks are dangerous enough to warrant a ban at a school in England! A student was injured by one of the mucronate corners of the snack.
Number 3: Mochi Choking on these sticky rice cakes sends, on average, 100 people to the hospital every year in Tokyo alone. Some deaths have also been caused by elderly people choking on mochi served as part of zōni, a rice cake soup.
Number 2: Xiǎolóngbāo Soup dumplings are one my my favorite foods but I always get burned by the piping hot liquid inside. The dumplings are filled with meat or seafood along with a gelatine made from broth and aspic. When they are steamed, the gelatine melts and becomes a delicious soup. If you don’t let the broth spill out onto your spoon first to let it cool, prepare for third-degree burns on your tongue.
Number 1: Tortilla Chips The salty, rough edges of tortilla chips always slice open the corners of my mouth. Last night I accidentally swallowed a whole tortilla chip and it ripped open a giant gash in my esophagus!
What are some food that have been painful for you to eat?
15 Saturday Jun 2013
Posted Asian, BBQ, bucket list, celebrations, fish, halal, herbs and spices, Malaysian, meat, New York, Queens, seafood, snacks, spicy, urban
inI had one of the top ten meals of my entire life last night at Mamak, a brand new Malaysian restaurant that serves authentic Penang style halal cuisine! It’s the only place in New York City that exclusively features this delectably complex culinary tradition on their menu.
Mamak is a colloquial term used in Malaysia to refer to Tamil Muslims who operate roadside food stalls, mamak stalls. Above is the udang nasi kandar, a generous portion of succulent shrimp with a spicy mamak style sauce.
Murtabak is a stuffed and folded savory crêpe. The name comes from the Arabic word “مطبق” (folded). At Mamak murtabak is stuffed with minced beef and egg, and served with pickled red onions. We were blown away by the subtly complex flavors of the beef inside. There was definitely a hint of cumin — and maybe aniseed, clove, coriander, and cinnamon?
You must try the lamb satay. The meat is so tender it melts in your mouth! Cubes of rice, cucumber, and red onion are served on the side, along with a bit of the most delicious peanut sauce I have ever tasted!
We got to meet the amazing owner and chef, Nani Yusof Hughie! Thank you, Nani, for such amazing meal! We will be back soon!
Mamak
35-20 Farrington
Flushing NY 11355
(718) 886-4828
10 Monday Jun 2013
OddFellows Ice Cream Co. is serving chorizo caramel ice cream! The smoky chorizo flavor isn’t immediately present but after you let it melt in your mouth a bit, it is unmistakable! Maybe they’ll come up with calamares en su tinta with fudge like Heladería Islandia in Xixón!
02 Sunday Jun 2013
Posted Ecuadorian, New York, Peruvian, Queens, South American, spicy, vegan
inAfter having lived in Andalusia, I found this jar of chochos picantes very amusing. Please like me on Facebook!
02 Sunday Jun 2013
Posted American, Asian, bucket list, fish, Hawaiian, herbs and spices, Japanese, Mexican, New York, Queens, seafood, snacks, spicy, Williamsburg
inMy best friend is in Honolulu right now and she sent me a picture of Gyotaku’s nattochos (a portmanteau of “natto” and “nachos”). I immediately went to Family Market in Astoria and bought wonton wraps, tuna, natto (fermented soy beans), yamaimo (wild yam), green onions, radish sprouts, and nori.
We found that our poke mix was a little bland so some yuzu kosho, yuzu chili paste, really helped make the nattochos a success! Please like Chinook Olive’s Facebook page!
Gyotaku
1824 South King St
Honolulu HI 96826
808-949-4584
Family Market
2915 Broadway
Astoria NY 11106
718-956-7925
02 Sunday Jun 2013
Posted beverages, bucket list, celebrations, Chilean, Ecuadorian, fish, herbs and spices, New York, Peruvian, Queens, seafood, South American, spicy, urban
inWe stopped at Amaru Pisco Bar in Jackson Heights last night before having dinner at El Anzuelo Fino and it was amazing! They serve dozens of varieties of pisco, a grape brandy made in Peru and Chile.
The cocktails are $10 each. We ordered the coca sour (made with La Diablada pisco, Aqwa coca liquor, lemon, egg white, simple syrup, and orange bitters) and a seasonal cocktail called the Callao Long (made with Macchu pisco, ginger, watermelon juice, and lime). Please like the Chinook Olive on Facebook!
For dinner we had jalea, a mixture of fried seafood served with pickled red onions. The ceviche mixto was delicious and came with a little bowl of leche de tigre, the citrus marinade used to prepare ceviche.
Amaru
84-13 Northerb Blvd
Jackson Heights NY
718-205-5577
El Anzuelo Fino
86-01 Northern Blvd
Flushing NY
718-426-8660
12 Monday Nov 2012
31 Wednesday Oct 2012
Posted Brooklyn, bucket list, celebrations, Mexican, Queens, snacks, spicy, sweets
inThese tamarind-filled candy tubes are covered in spicy, salty, tangy powder (salsa en polvo). I bought this pack of Skwinkles at an Associated in Sunnyside, Queens but MexGrocer.com is offering free shipping on orders for the next two days if you use the code “FREESHIP12” at check out.