Friday, October 29, 2010

Around the World in 80 Sips


Taste wines from around the globe as Bottlenotes takes you Around the World in 80 Sips! Join fellow NYC Area wine enthusiasts at the Altman Building, Friday, November 5, from 7 to 9 pm. Enjoy 80 plus wines from 5 continents, artisanal premium cheese, charcuterie and more.

Fullybooked.biz readers receive $25 off the $75 ticket price when entering code 80SIPS25 at checkout. Buy your ticket now by clicking this link: http://www.bottlenotes.com/events.

When: Friday, November 5th, 2010


6:00 - 7:00 pm VIP/Press tasting

7:00 - 9:00 pm General Admission

Where: The Altman Building


135 West 18th Street

New York, NY 10011
Click here for more information: http://www.bottlenotes.com/around-the-world-in-80-sips-new-york

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Korean Taste

Check out my posting on Koreataste.org website by clicking the link below. You may have to register to access the site but please do and  vote for me: http://www.koreataste.org/lang/en/en/blogging-en/kimchi-and-your-mother-in-law

Monday, October 25, 2010

Oktoberfest in NY

With plenty of beer, pretzels, frankfurters and pickles, New Yorkers celebrated Oktoberfest last weekend. It was a fun event with live music, buzz, alcohol, German food and attractive (and loud) people. Find below the "evidence": pictures say everything.

Schnitzel



German sausages



Large pretzel







Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Cocktails and Hair at Butterfly Studio

Butterfly Studio on 5th Avenue is offering complimentary Kerastase treatments, cupcakes  and Tequila on October 27. RSVP at: yasmin@butterflystudiosalon.com.
Where: Butterfly Studio, 149 5th Ave # 2
When: 10.27 from 6pm to 9pm.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Oktoberfest in New York

Oktoberfest is coming to New York this weekend of October 23rd and 24th. If you like German Beer, sausages and pretzels, this is the event to attend.

It's the best day of beer sippin', sausage tastin', music listenin', lederhosen wearin' on this side of the Atlantic. Your admission buys you a sampling glass so you can enjoy an all you care to taste sampling of over 200 international & craft beers plus wines and  plus a traditional German dinner and other food goodies!
Where: LA.venue

608 West 28th Street, NYC 10001 (11th & 28th)

What You Can Expect.....

•Guests enjoy a fun, exciting beer hall atmosphere where a souvenir glass awaits. Stroll and sip over 200 international beers, wines and schnapps being poured.

•Taste the best sausages to NYC! Enjoy your favorites.....you'll have big sausage, little sausage, hot sausage, bratwurst, knatwurst, braunschweiger, bierschinken ,bierwurst, frankfurters, and wienerwurst.....

•Guests can also enjoy the other fantastic restaurants who are on-hand to sample their favorite German inspired dishes.

•Oompah Bands Abound! Roll out the barrel! Three stages of authentic oompah and polka bands will keep you moving. Show your best Chicken Dance moves.

•Hot sauces, beer accessories, and even an outdoor cigar area will be on-hand for all guests.

SPECIAL VIP AREA. Our VIP Guests will not only enjoy the overall event but they will have exclusive access to the special VIP area with a special selection of beers, schnapps and wines. VIP Guests will also enjoy their own stage of entertainment, Bavarian munchies like pretzels and pickles, as well as private seating and VIP bathrooms.

Advance VIP tickets are $95 and Advance General $75. For more info, availability and times check
here: http://www.dasbestoktoberfest.com/new-york/show-info


Pickles in New York

It was Pickle Day in New York yesterday and I didn't miss it for the second year. The weather was sunny and mild and that helped locals to give pickles a go. I didn't see anything new to notice. Only the Korean/Taiwanese Taco I had with extra spicy pickles on top was delicious. Pickles are unique in taste, can be spicy or sweet and overall, do not pair well with plenty of foods; that makes them a rather "difficult" food item. But pickles are particularly attractive to look at as they are colorful: they almost look happy!



Tuesday, October 12, 2010

New York City Wine and Food Festival Trends

The New York City Wine and Food Festival has ended and I am still full with the gargantuan amounts of food. But four days later, I keep thinking of "what were the food and drink trends" at the festival this year, if any? Without too much thinking, I got my messy notes and I discovered a few common patterns, if not trends. But before strolling down, have a look at the pictures below, all taken at the Grand Tasting. Can you identify a trend?










Did you guess the trend? It's seafood, raw fish, sashimi, you name it..I would add Graffit's Brochette of Mussel , Anthos grilled octopus and Armani's Ristorante Fifth Avenue Sauteed Scallops. So, this was in my opinion the trend of this year Food Festival. Pork was still very popular with plenty of options (read my previous post on the Bacon and the Blues event). I would make an extra note for the Tipsy Parson's BBQ pulled pork butt and the 10 Downing's Steak Tartare. So, vegetarians are out for sure despite the good intentions of the Food and Wine magazine's last issue about meatless living.

Another noticable trend was that of flavored popcorn. I loved the smoked paprika popcorn of 5 Ninth Restaurant served with Crudo of Watermelon and Fluke. The spicy bacon caramel popcorn from Ovenly was also amazing but probably too spicy for certain palates.

What about cocktails? Light, refreshing cocktails using whiskey and various fruit juices were highly profiled. Take for example the Cranberry Relish Cocktail  a blend of buffalo trace whiskey, signature cranberry syrup, fresh lemon juice, punt e mes, angostura bitters, finished with sparkling white wine and garnished with an orange peel. Or the Espresso Martinis offered by Illy Coffee.

So, to finish, this year eat your raw fish. And your paprika popcorn. Drink your cranberry whiskey relish cocktail. They all require a sophisticated palate and a rather fat bank account (because they don't come cheap) but they are all worth it.




Butterscotch, pumpkin and mascarpone mousse











Friday, October 08, 2010

Bacon and the Blues

Spicy Bacon Caramel Popcorn



Chef Todd English in action



The New York City Wine and Food Festival kicked off last night with the Bacon and the Blues being one of its culinary adventures. Chef Todd English created the Crispy Pork Rillette Sliders with pickled onion and sweet mustard and explained in front of the audience how to make pork. To my question "what would you say to vegetarians tonight", he replied "What can you do?" avoiding food politics. Roberto Alicea, executive chef of Andaz 5th Avenue said that "pork is your friend" while presenting his unique offering for the night, the Latin Spiced Pork Morsels with Lime and Coriander. The Bacon Chunks from Rub were worth mentioning paired with kale greens and the Home Smoked Bacon with Pickled Cauliflower from Wall and Water restaurant was also tasty. But the hit of the night was the Spicy Bacon Caramel Corn  courtesy of Ovenly at least for me who likes snacking. The evening wouldn't be complete without some whiskey cocktails including the Sweet Sunshine and the Pig Tail.

I would go on saying more but it was only the first night. There are still three more days to go....I will have plenty of culinary stories to share.




Thursday, October 07, 2010

The Illy Coffee Kick Off Party

Macaroni and Cheese in mini portions



The New York Wine and Food Festival officially starts tonight but the kick off party sponsored by Illy Coffee was held last night in MPD. In a buzzy environment and under the influence of espresso martinis and pinot grigios, guests browsed Claire Robinson's new cookbook and even talked to her, tasted the delightful canapes all from Robinson's recipes and welcomed for another year the Illy good looking guys! During the following four days and while the NYWFF lasts, you can have an Illy coffee at their Authentic City Illy Lounge (Hudson 632, open from 11am to 10pm) while admiring exotic beauty...


Preparing the Espresso Martinis

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

BoConcept celebrates the opening of "Love is First"


Join  BoConcept New York to celebrate the opening of Valentino Cortazar's work, "Love is First"

When: Thursdsay, October 7th, 2010 6–8 pm

Where: BoConcept Chelsea, 144 West 18th street

RSPV: rsvp@boconceptny.com

10 of the Most Expensive Foods

If the recession didn't affect you and you don't find yourself complaining for the $3 for a pot of yogurt, those luxury foods won't save you any money but they will give you pleasure in the mouth and a reason to be "posh" for a few minutes. Additional plus: you can easily show off in front of your friends! Your bank account is a different story but who cares?
Classic Grey Sevruga Caviar

This Russian caviar comes from the Caspian Sea and a mere 14-ounce jar will cost you $2,520.



Kobe Wagyu Beef

Wagyu beef is known around the globe for its juicy tenderness and superb flavor, which may explain why it’s $285.95 for just four steaks.




Kopi Luwak Coffee


Made from coffee berries that have been eaten by and passed through the digestive tract of a civet, a cat-sized mammal found in Southeast Asia and Southern China, a pound costs $229.95.



Goose Foie Gras


Goose liver foie gras is known for its softer, creamier taste than its duck liver counterpart. However, at $115 for 10 ounces, it certainly does not come soft on your wallet.



Fresh Black Winter Truffles


These Italian truffles are among the most expensive in the world—a quarter pound will subtract $400 from your montly paycheck...



Le Parker Meridien Omelet


The $1,000 omelet consists of 10 ounces of sevruga caviar, a whole lobster, and six eggs.



Essen Platinum Club Sandwich


This triple-decker delicacy contains the finest chicken, ham, hard-boiled quails' eggs and white truffles and it's currently sold at Cliveden, Berkshire. At 1,182 calories, with 1.8oz of fat, it's not the healthiest dish but certainly one of the most expensive in the world. Cost: 100 pounds (almost $180 dollars).

Macadamia nut


The macadamia tree produces nuts only after it's 7-10 years old, requiring fertile soil and heavy rainfall. These nuts have a very hard seed, but once it's open it reveals a creamy white kernel containing up to 80% oil and 4% sugar. The cost of a kilogram of these nuts is nearly 30$.




Saffron

Saffron, a spice grown worldwide, is derived from the saffron crocus flower. A pound of dry saffron (0.45 kg) requires 50,000–75,000 flowers to make which explains its high price. Expect to pay around US$500 to US$5,000 a pound.





Golden Opulence Sundae


New York City eatery Serendipity 3 holds the Guinness World Record for "Most Expensive Sundae." This $1,000 dessert includes a 23-karat edible gold leaf, rare chocolates and ice cream, served in a crystal goblet with an 18-karat gold spoon.
 
 




Bon appétit!

Friday, October 01, 2010

Fully Booked as a Specialty Grocery Writer at Examiner.com

Hi all!

I am now a Specialty Grocery Writer on Examiner.com. Click here to read my articles if you want to find out about specialty gourmet items:

http://www.examiner.com/ny-in-new-york/thei-zervaki