The Summer of Good Eating

 New York City and it's surrounding area   is a summer paridise. There are musems, beaches, outdoor concerts and plays. Best of all are its' restaurants. You can always find a good meal in Manhattanno matter what the season.

Almost every New York Times Food section contributor from Pete Wells and Florence Fabricant to Priya Krishna,Alexis weibel and Nikita Richardson have their favorites. even Eric Asimov who writes The Pour about wine and other alcohol weighs in. It's not just limited to Manhattan. There's even a short list of Jersey City eateries such as Filipino bread House which features petite enseymadas a kinf of cheese Danish.The city offers a wide range of Mexican places like Mezcal Kitchen and Indian like Honest. Of course the boroughs have some great restaurants too.Umi Syam covers Queens which has excellent Korean barbecue places like Yong sam Gyup Goo Yi where diners can customize their dinners and the Japanese Beat Mazesoba which features soba noodles with washugyu beef.Of course there is trendy Williamsburg and its' rooftop dining. These places are perfect for tourists looking for good food and stunning night time views of Manhattan There's westlight with dining influences from Asia and south america and  the Wythe's Hotel Bar Blondeau wit its' high end menu. Try Philadelphia's based Laser Wolf on top of the Hoxton Hotel for fun nibbles.

Are there seafood restaurants? Yes, since New York is a port city. Visitors cna easily go to The Bronx' City island located in the norteast section of the borough. Seafood lovers will love Johnny's Reef which has a wide range of seafood. of course you can also visit the Rockaways and Coney Island too, to escape the hot city streets. You can surf in the wild waters off the Rockaways and then head to Margie's at The Rockaway Hotel for a lobster BLT or go to Tacoway Beach for fish tascos with pineapple.There's also Uma's and LaCerviccheria. Nathan's is the place to go at Coney Island for their famed franks and super crunchy fries. Also try denas Sweet Shoppe for boardwalk faves like funnel cake and Paul's daughter for fried clams.  Also check out Staten Island including a  roller rink. Yes there are good places in Manhattan proper too.check out the chicken parmesan at Cafe Fiorello on upper Broadway and the lemongrass pork banh mi at salguette at Columbus Circle.Tourists will appreciate the burgers at JG Melon and West African food at Teranga.Those wanting to eat al fresco can enjoy Panzon in Greepoint Brooklyn or a night out eating great snacks at shea Stadium.

New York and its' environs is a food lover's paradise. There are so many goodies out there to try. This is the summer to go wild and taste everything.

Your Own City Garden

Pity the poor apartment dweller.who doesn't have the luxury of fresh herbs or veggies. They have to go to their local farmer's markets or supermarkets for these culinary essentials. However that can change. City dwellers can grow their own greens and aromatics along with mushrooms! It's easy to do , even for brown thumbers.

It was the subject of an article by new writer Annie Raver in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Ms. Raver interviewed Kerry Trueman and Matt Rosenberg who are "urban gardeners" that first turned their roof into a rooftop garden. They started with tomatoes and them built large planters to hold roses and strawberries, Corn, blueberries and even hops followed.Sadly this had to be dismantled due to a 1998 legal dispute  to keep their building rent stabilized.Their window boxes now hold their greens. These are deeper than the typical windowbox with a length of 4.1/2 feet and a depth of 1 1/2 feet. The Trueman-Rosenbergs also made sure these were situated at the north, east and south to better capture the sun. They have sugar peas climbing up a homemade bamboo and yarn trellis. They have black edamame or panther soybeans as well along with Bright Light chard, a more heat resilient green than spinach. Apartment owners can also grow plant indoors, namely mushrooms. Home Depot sells kits  that can be easily set up Keep in mind that if city folk want eggplants and tomatoes, they do need eight hour of sun while lettuces and herbs need only two to three hours of light.

Many apartment and condo dwellers may have reservarions about starting a garden.After all it does involve- dirt - along with fertilizer and water. However nowadays its' extremely easy - and neat to maintain plants. The window boxes have only three sides instead of the traditional four.The open side faces the apartment where the roots are contained in malleable bags called Root Pouches. These can be moved around and easily washed.At the end of the season they can be cleaned, folded and stored for next Spring They also come in different sizes so herbs can be grown in the one gallon pouch while veggies can be grown in the bigger ones. The Root Pouches are also made from recycled plastic water bottles , another plus. As for potting soil, it now comes in lightweight compressed bricks. Just add water and it expands into ten pounds of potting soil.Another help is Rain Mat which helps seedlings grow deep, downward roots. This makes the plants heat and drought resistant. There is Better Than Rocks, a recycled plastic that prevents the plants from becoming waterlogged from storms and Terra Sorb which retains water and keeps the soil moist during heat waves.

Anyone can have a garden with fresh veggies and herbs. Apartment dwellers will love the idea of having their favorites at their fingertips.It's easy to have a high rise green spot.

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The Perfect Holiday Ham

Every home chef wants to make sure their holiday dinner will be perfect.It all starts with the main dish, the holiday ham. it has to be just right  with pink, tender flesh and a nicely scored crust. To ensure this , know what 's out there and what works best for either a large gathering or a small family dinner.The right ham makes for a memorable meal.


As you plan your out your Easter brunch, lunch or supper, consider the types of hams that are out there, namely the city or country ones,Mostly everyone has eaten a city ham, This is a moist  textured one with a bright pink interior.The saltiness is pleasant and not overpowering,It's brined  in salt water for a couple weeks or has been injected with brine.They are often smoked for added flavor.A country ham is cured with a dry rub namely a mix of both sugar and salt. These cuts  are then  air dried, hung in carefully temperature regulated rooms.They are dryer than their city cousins and are usually sold raw. There's also a membrane of mold that develops in the form of white flecks. This gives the meat an added "funky" flavor .If you think this may be a bit too wild for you then go back to the city kind. Just remember that there are four grades. The first labeled just ham. This is the highest grade and has the most delicate pork flavor. Be warned this is the most expensive. The second is ham in natural juices, which is not the meat's  but the water brined with it.This is about the best ham for any get together .It is meaty and flavorful along with being the best priced.There are also ham and water added and ham and water product. These are the cheapest  thanks to a good amount of liquid added and the lesser amount of ham..

The next  question is whole ham or half?  A whole ham is perfect for parties of fourteen and over  while the half is good for smaller affairs Another choice to ponder should it be the butt or shank?The  butt half is the upper part of the ham. The meat here is mouth melting tender and flavorful.It does contain the hipbones which can make for a difficult carve. The shank is the lower part of the ham and is easier to carve. However , since this was the area that got the most exercise, the meat is chewier and somewhat tougher. What about bone versus boneless?. Many more experienced home chefs prefer boned because it keeps the shape. Boneless ones  have to be reshaped using a vacuum tumbler which makes the meat a bit spongy .. Also avoid spiral cut hams. These have been precut and tend to dry out while baking. There are also glazes to consider. One of the best is brown sugar and pineapple juice . . This is a fruity sweet one that offsets the meat's saltiness. Some Southern home chefs swear by the Coke and Pepsi based ones. There are also the wild fusions such as root beer and barbecue sauce or peach jalapeno. Figure  what your guests would like, and then take it from there,

The perfect ham makes for the perfect Easter meal. Choose the one that's right for your area of expertise as well for how many you are cooking for. This will ensure that the dinner will be not only delicious but memorable.

Holiday Ham Guide

ham is the main subject of any table preparing for Easter. it is usually the staple of the dinner.Yet many traditional sit downs are ruined by a bad.ice of meat.The solution is finding the right joint for what you can plan and manage. It was the subject of an article in today's New York Times Dining section.The pics was. Written byJuliaMoskin,one of the to pros of cooking and culinary food writing. her article will guide readers through the intricate maze that is selecting a holiday ham. Most people buy what is known as"city hams" which are hams that have been only brined with water and salt.This produces a wet cured, lightly smoked pre baked ham.However these may not come up to par.Most tend toe dry not juicy and require a lot of liquid ,whether itbe pineapple juice or ginger ale to give them a chewier, more palatable texture. Ms Moskin recommends going for country hamsThese are tremendously more expensive(think five pounds at $245dollars for some of the more gourmet ones) however the taste is worth it. A country ham is one that has been lovingly cured with real wood smoke and pure maple syrup.The pigs all have been pasture raised too and produce a better taste.Still most of these natural ones need to be soaked for a few hours as do,the city hams to allow for tender meat You can try her mother's remedy of also braising the meat for two hours in wine and water with a follow up trip to the oven.This produces a lovely ,crisp skin.,especially with a glaze of mustard and b town sugar,along with a coating of breadcrumbs. Holiday hams needn't be a headache.You can go for the city which will require more work.You can also try the country hams, better flavor but more money.Either way you'll have a tasty Easter dinner.There will be some bother but again, it's worth it.