GASTRONORMOUS

Celiac sufferer’s nightmare, vegetarian’s dream: Accidental Hedonist has some interesting recipes for seitan (aka wheat gluten), including some delicious-looking country fried seitan “steak.” I had no idea you could make seitan at home. I have only ever seen it premade at the health food store! There are also pics of some crazy Asian prepared seitan–in a can! 

An interesting take on a beet and goat cheese salad can be found over at Food Mayhem.

Like Smitten Kitchen, I have never much liked the official NY cookie: the black and white. Perhaps, as she suggests, it is just because I have never had a homemade one. Her recipe look pretty great! (And there is some interesting info on the history of the cookie too!)

Matt Bites writes about the other Santa Fe culinary staple (besides enchiladas, duh!): green chile burgers. The roasting of hatch green chiles is a ritual in the almost religious devotion to chile encountered throughout the Southwest, and most especially in New Mecxico. If ever there were a stunning burger, Matt’s is it. His photos in general make me ache—such is their beauty.

 

Delta Airlines is attempting to make flying a bit more bearable by offering Junior’s mini-cheesecakes (called “Little Fellas”) on flights in and out of JFK (for a price–$5–of course). By the way, if you haven’t tried Juniors cheesecake, you need to [via Grub Street].

Mark Bittman has a couple of terrific looking corn salad recipes that I wish I had seen before I plain-ol’ steamed a couple ears the other night!

Ruhlman has some inspired fun with tomatoes. I am going to post soon about some recent fun with tomatoes of my own. Check in soon!

Serious Eats: New York offers a handy list of food events happening in the area this weekend. If you are into Michael Pollan, chili, or crayfish, it turns out this is your lucky week.

OMG! Cake Wrecks is a hysterical blog that Accidental Hedonist lead me to this week. I laughed and I laughed. There were tears. This post about a co-worker going away cake gone terribly wrong is my favorite.

For the day after the next time I make risotto: Chard-wrapped, mozzarella-stuffed day-old-risotto balls! Thanks, Bittman!

These cocktail recipes from Tabla look summery and refreshing. [via the Kitchn]

I ashamed to say that if someone asked me what burrata was, I wouldn’t have been able to tell them until I read this post by The Amatuer Gourmet. Basically, it is to regular mozzarella what molten chocolate cake is to Duncan Hines. Now I need to stop writing so that I can go buy some.

From the why haven’t I thought of that files: Mark Bittman uses the corn cobs to make a stock for his corn chowder! Brilliance!

I love the idea of riz compose, which a Emily at Accidental Hedonist discusses. And just when I was lamenting a lack of recipe to go along with her description of this French salad staple, along comes Mark Bittman (again!) with four great rice salad recipes!

The always charming Clotilde at Chocolate & Zucchini has a terrific looking lemon kefir ice cream recipe. (And she even includes separate instructions for ice cream maker-less people like me!)

Grub Street reports that Monkey Town in Williamsburg has reopened. If you haven’t been, by all means go! The menu is really innovative, and the food actually tastes good (innovation and tasty don’t always go together in the restaurant world!), plus you can catch some crazy-ass movies, video performances, and/or live bands whilst chowing down.

Nyom, nyom, nyom, nyom. That is the sound of me looking, or rather drooling, at pictures of ice cream sandwiches from restaurants and cafes around NYC. [from Serious Eats]

This lemon-ricotta-basil pasta from the Kitchn looks absolutely delish (and easy!).

Grilled (as in on a barbecue) broccoli rabe? I am skeptical, but still listening…[from The Food Section]

I can’t remember the last time I had an ice cream float, but this photo story makes me want to seek one out like real soon. [from Grub Street]

Serious Eats:New York has a story on the “toast” at Blue Ribbon Bakery Market. Who knew something called toast could be so drool-worthy??

Ok, this is a month-old story, but still, a must read if you live in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and you like pizza (which you do, don’t you?): Slice has a story with ratings of each and every slice joint in Park Slope (including a map showing where each is located!). I love that each restaurant profile includes a photo of the top and bottom of the slice.

There is a must-read, hilarious, story on Epi-log about “ghetto lattes,” which I had never heard of before. Basically, it consists of ordering espresso and adding free milk to it. A latte, but half the price! Devious, morally dubious, not sayin’ I’d do it, but sort of brilliant. Anyway, coffee purveyors are beginning to fight back.

If you are searching for chocolate chip cookie baking perfection, you must check out this great NYT Dining Section article. It turns out the secret relies not so much on the basic ingredients, but technique. More specifically: letting the dough sit in the fridge for up to 36 (36!!) hours. Oh, and a dash of fleur du sle on top apparently doesn’t hurt either.

[photo: NY Times Dining Section]

Do try at home: check out this list of some fantastic-looking herbaceous cocktail recipes from restaurants and bars around town. The “323” by Tony Abou-Ganim at Bar Milano especially intrigues. [from Shecky's]

Midtown lunch hilariously analyzes the news story about a dude who finds a knife baked in to his Subway sandwich. Not that chomping down on a serrated blade is funny, but, well, something about this particular story sort of is…

Ruhlman has a great story on egg yolk ravioli, inspired by a recent Iron Chef episode. Though I am not sure I quite have the counter space to make pasta, after seeing this, I am severely tempted! (Oh, wait, I also don’t have a pasta roller. Sigh.)

I never thought a cucumber could be so freakin’ adorable! [from The Food Section]

And in case you are wondering what to do with that green garlic you’ve been seeing at the local farmer’s market, the Amateur Gourmet has a fantastic idea.

Mark Bittman does it again. This looks like a fantastic summer pasta dish, and a great way to use a glut of fresh herbs from your garden!

Gothamist gives some interesting history on 7-11 stores in their post on FREE SLURPEES TODAY!! Would that there was a 7-11 near me. I love Slurpees, but I am not sure it is worth going out of my way for a free one.

Again with the Slurpees. Serious Eats has a great story on how to pull a proper one. As a child of the sub-suburbs, I can wholeheartedly concur with the advice! They also include a handy list of NY 7-11 locations.

Midtown Lunch samples an off-menu special sandwich at Blimpie. That’s right. Off menu. At Blimpie. Compliments to the chef are said to be in order.

Figs in a smoothie? Leave it to Chocolate & Zucchini! So unusual I just might need to try it. Also of note is Clothilde’s explanation of the varying ways the French pronounce the word “smoothie.” I am partial to smoo-fee.

I am with the Kitchn on the controversial slash mstunderstood vegetable okra. I think I shall buy some this weekend, assuming the farmer’s market has some.

Happy Fourth of July! If you are wondering what to bring that picnic you are going to today, check out Mark Bittman‘s 101 picnic food suggestions. (And that this is late notice is no excuse not to bring a tasty dish to that picnic: each dish promises to be made in 20 minutes!)

I might have to revise my proclamation of the best NY ices (Ralph’s, followed by Court Pastry Shop). NYCNosh reports that my beloved old Avenue B haunt, NYC ICY has reopened in Hell’s Kitchen. Is it worth the extra cost per ice and a trip to midtown? I’ll let you know.

Any cooking show that sites both Sesame Street and John Woo movies among its influences is a must see in my book. [Grub Street]

I love Missile Pops. Here is a way to make a healthier version of this red, white, and blue treat at home. [Serious Eats]

In case sangria is not your thing (oh, but it should be!), check out the Kitchn‘s ideas for Independence Day cocktails.

I can’t tell you how many times I have looked at a delicious-looking ice cream recipe and resented my kitchen’s lack of an ice-cream maker. Well, the Accidental Hedonist offers an ice cream recipe that doesn’t need any special equipment. Plus, the Mascarpone iced cream with amaretti cookies and a sauce of cherries and wine looks amazing. I can’t wait for a special occasion to make it. A hot Friday night counts as a special occasion, right?

Mark Bittman suggests using a way-too-sweet and ridiculously cheap ($4) rosé to make sangria. Not quite a sangria using a box of wine, but I respect him for it. (Plus, he uses fresh mint in the beverage, which is a great idea.)

And in the realm of the ridiculous: The British are for some reason more offended by a gay kiss than the clearly heinous Heinz squeeze-bottle mayonnaise, as reported on Epicurious’ blog. A commercial for the product is like My Two Dads meets The Odd Couple, but featuring a gay kiss.  I personally object to the fake New York accent of the sandwich-maker. I think the ad is actually rather sweet. Judge for yourself.

I don’t have that much counter space, but I might be able to make room for this cute little bread maker. Amy claims to have a just sliver of counter space, and still enough room for it.

A story that hits close to my heart: David Chang bans photography at Ko, and people react. I am sick of hearing about David Chang and his Momofuku iterations, so that isn’t the part that hits close to my heart, but the debate about the practice of taking pics in restaruants in general does. Apparently many people are up in arms about it (read the comments after the post). I never use my flash in restaurants, so I assumed that my photo-taking didn’t bother anyone. I recently committed one of the cardinal sins, though. I took a picture of the dining room at Lodge, including other patrons. I guess I understand now why that would be a no-no, but I didn’t think much about it at the time–I thought about all the print restaurant reviews I have read that include pictures of patrons sitting at the table. In any case, I won’t do that again, though I can’t promise to stop taking pics of my food.