Yesterday's entry was devoted to this stand in my local mall. All it sold was corn and potatoes. As a foodie I was intrigued so I went up. Mind you the mall was already crowded because the kid who plays Draco Malfoy (that snotty blonde teen from Hogwarts) was also at the mall promoting the new Harry Potter movie. it was chaos getting to the stand which was well out of the food court.
Was it worth it?
Well, to be honest I don't really know. The stand is called Cup It and it features food in - you guessed it - a cup! it was created by a Turkish immigrant to the States and the concept is really really new. there's another one at the Palisades Mall in Nyack, New York, not far from here. I checked the reviews on that one and like me, diners were a bit confused. The concept is food in a cup but it's corn niblets not popcorn or fries. It cost me four bucks for niblets mixed with butter and salt. There are other flavors such as Mumbai which I guess is curry and then there's a barbecue one. I like corn and especially buttered corn but I don't feel a cup of it is a substantial dinner with a diet Coke. Also the idea of paying four bucks for it is a little pricey. I can go to my neighborhood A&P and just buy up a whole slew of canned corn fo r that price
The potatoes were little waffle fries , not balls and they were flavored as well. I didn't get that but tried my Mom's waffle in a cup. It a medium sized round waffle squished in a cup. Nutella is added to it along with fruit or nuts. She chose fruit and whipped cream. It wasn't so bad , kind of tasting like a warm brown derby cake. Still not what I would get at my local mall for dinner though.
So I tried Cup It. I think it would have more potential if it served a variety of fries or maybe even soups. Eating niblet corn , even as a snack is just too outre. Maybe it could work , with some tweaking. It just leaves me puzzled.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Corn-y Stuff
There was a new stand at the mall yesterday that caught my attention. All they were doing is selling cups of cooked corn kernels. Nothing else with it , just steamed kernels. They also sold little potato balls, not gnocchi, just rounded dime sized balls. This has snagged my curiosity.
I am planning on checking out this corn stand tonight. Anyone that sells just a cup a corn and expects to be successful - well bless 'em. Unless there's some kind of sauce whether butter , or oil or spice sprinkled on it no one is going to buy this,. There are other veggies that would be more saleable such as carrot sticks and broccoli florets, These could work Serve them with a cup of ranch dressing - a perfect pick me up for diet conscious mall walkers and mall rats.
I'm also kind of curious about the potato balls too. They looked like those veggie puffs you see in your health food aisle . It seemed like they had some flavoring there, sort of like parsley because they were green flecked. I wonder if they come in different flavors, like barbecue and sour cream (the most obvious flavoring choice).Again on my weekly Friday night pilgrimage to the mall, I'll pick up some cups and report back .
Corn and potato sold in styrofoam cups? This foodie will have to see for herself what's all about. Read tomorrow's entry for my review.
I am planning on checking out this corn stand tonight. Anyone that sells just a cup a corn and expects to be successful - well bless 'em. Unless there's some kind of sauce whether butter , or oil or spice sprinkled on it no one is going to buy this,. There are other veggies that would be more saleable such as carrot sticks and broccoli florets, These could work Serve them with a cup of ranch dressing - a perfect pick me up for diet conscious mall walkers and mall rats.
I'm also kind of curious about the potato balls too. They looked like those veggie puffs you see in your health food aisle . It seemed like they had some flavoring there, sort of like parsley because they were green flecked. I wonder if they come in different flavors, like barbecue and sour cream (the most obvious flavoring choice).Again on my weekly Friday night pilgrimage to the mall, I'll pick up some cups and report back .
Corn and potato sold in styrofoam cups? This foodie will have to see for herself what's all about. Read tomorrow's entry for my review.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The Crust Of The Matter
It's Thursday and that means a dissection of the lead article in the NY Times Food section. It was a good article devoted to pizza crust. It's more of a local article , dealing with what NY pizzerias make the best crust. (although I'm sure many other cities, especially Chicago can bake up a good crust too).
The article written by the famed Frank Bruni goes on to ask what makes a good pizza? According to Bruni it's the crust but the other ingredients plus the toppings are just as important. TO be honest NewYork pizza is the best because of the water that's used in the dough. The same can be said of New York bagels. The area is a hard water one and that plays a vital part in the making of any good NY bread dough.Another factor is the question of using a coal burning oven. This always makes the best bottom, with a tender midsection and crispy outer edge. the problem is not leaving it in so long as the crust crackles and burns. The problem is you don't want it too crunchy or too soggy, this last will give it the appearance ,taste and texture of a frozen pie.
What goes on top is also important as the article proclaims. The best topping is fresh tomatoes with a mild mozzarella and fresh picked basil. This classic Margerita style is the best and the easiest for at home pizzioli. If there are to be toppings, don't glop them on. Bruni would rather have them in little bits, and likens them to the ingredients of a perfectly made salad. After all, a salad can't be too gloppy and loaded with extras. It has to have a light, crunchy base and be infused, more or less , with the ingredients who have a cameo role.
What makes a good pizza.A crispy crust, fresh tomatoes, a smattering of cheese and the barest ingredients. Add in a good coal oven and that's all it takes.
The article written by the famed Frank Bruni goes on to ask what makes a good pizza? According to Bruni it's the crust but the other ingredients plus the toppings are just as important. TO be honest NewYork pizza is the best because of the water that's used in the dough. The same can be said of New York bagels. The area is a hard water one and that plays a vital part in the making of any good NY bread dough.Another factor is the question of using a coal burning oven. This always makes the best bottom, with a tender midsection and crispy outer edge. the problem is not leaving it in so long as the crust crackles and burns. The problem is you don't want it too crunchy or too soggy, this last will give it the appearance ,taste and texture of a frozen pie.
What goes on top is also important as the article proclaims. The best topping is fresh tomatoes with a mild mozzarella and fresh picked basil. This classic Margerita style is the best and the easiest for at home pizzioli. If there are to be toppings, don't glop them on. Bruni would rather have them in little bits, and likens them to the ingredients of a perfectly made salad. After all, a salad can't be too gloppy and loaded with extras. It has to have a light, crunchy base and be infused, more or less , with the ingredients who have a cameo role.
What makes a good pizza.A crispy crust, fresh tomatoes, a smattering of cheese and the barest ingredients. Add in a good coal oven and that's all it takes.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Quick And Easy Summer Salads
Everyone wants minimum prep time now that's it;s the hot weather. The easiest dish is a salad. It's just mix or toss then serve. Just that simple What's great is that there are a variety of different salads from tuna to Cobb to choose from.
For an easy eat at home or pack for the beach salad stick to tuna chicken or egg. You can just open a can of tuna, dice up last night;s grilled chicken or hard boil a few eggs and add some mayonnaise and a little tarragon. This is a great easy lunch spread too. if you have any left over ha you cana do th e same and have a ham salad to spread on pumpernickel rolls or even rye bread. A more elegant stay at home salad is a Nicoise which also uses tuna ,egg or for a different spin chicken. Just throw these in along with some olives, tomatoes, tomatoes over some field grins. use a good virgin olive oil and some red wine vinegar as a dressing and you're good to go.
Salads that involve meats are also a snap to assemble. You can buy precooked bacon and pregrilled chicken to make a good Cobb salad. Another one is taking deli meats roll and then cut them. Serve over a bed of Romaine with some bacon bits and croutons tossed in . Another easy one is a tomato and mozzarella where it's just sliced tomatoes and shredded cheese with a oregano infused vinaigrette. If you want you can add salami to it to give it more body and served with sliced Italian bread.
make it easy on yourself by preparing a simple salad. It's easy to do and just as satisfying as an elaborately made meal. It's what to serve during these hot summer days.
For an easy eat at home or pack for the beach salad stick to tuna chicken or egg. You can just open a can of tuna, dice up last night;s grilled chicken or hard boil a few eggs and add some mayonnaise and a little tarragon. This is a great easy lunch spread too. if you have any left over ha you cana do th e same and have a ham salad to spread on pumpernickel rolls or even rye bread. A more elegant stay at home salad is a Nicoise which also uses tuna ,egg or for a different spin chicken. Just throw these in along with some olives, tomatoes, tomatoes over some field grins. use a good virgin olive oil and some red wine vinegar as a dressing and you're good to go.
Salads that involve meats are also a snap to assemble. You can buy precooked bacon and pregrilled chicken to make a good Cobb salad. Another one is taking deli meats roll and then cut them. Serve over a bed of Romaine with some bacon bits and croutons tossed in . Another easy one is a tomato and mozzarella where it's just sliced tomatoes and shredded cheese with a oregano infused vinaigrette. If you want you can add salami to it to give it more body and served with sliced Italian bread.
make it easy on yourself by preparing a simple salad. It's easy to do and just as satisfying as an elaborately made meal. It's what to serve during these hot summer days.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Target Foodies
It's no secret that I love Target. Almost everything that I have is from there including their food. They have two great divisions, Archer Farms and Market Pantry. Archer farms is the more upscale and "gourmet" if you will and offers interesting treats and sweets. Market Pantry is more basic, offering everyday staples. Together they bring in an extra fun factor at this store.
Archer Farms is the more upscale of the two. With their candy line , Choxie, Target brings gourmet treats at good prices. The brand is made with the best ingredients and there's no skimping on taste. I am madly in love with their Chai cookie, a buttery version of the German classic pfefferneuse. It's a rich blend of cinnamon, cardamon and clove mixed with premium butter and flour. I can finish a bag off in one sitting. The raspberry version comes a close second. I also love the Archer Farms chocolate chunk cookies. This is a yummy blend of crunch and bittersweet chocolate. For the savories try the sea salt and barbecue flavored potato chips or the salt and pepper pretzels. This last is a neat mix of traditional salt pretzels dusted with a fine coating of black pepper. They're like little fireballs but oh so good.
Market Pantry is the more down to earth version. They have everything from frozen pizza to eggs to popcorn. They're great for supplying you with pantry and fridge basics like cookies, crackers and soups. I'm a big fan of their popcorn and 100 calorie packs of cookies. The popcorn is by far the best of any fo the microwave kinds.It has a not too buttery taste and is lightly salted. Another plus is that the entire bag pops , unlike some other brands that leave you with half the pack unpopped. The cookies are great!!! My favorite are the cappucino ones but I'm duscoveringthe chocolate chips ones are pretty tasty too.
The next time you head to Target go straight to their food section. This company has a dazzling array of good and delicious in house brands. Try them. You'll then think twice about Target beging your go to store for clothing and appliences.
Archer Farms is the more upscale of the two. With their candy line , Choxie, Target brings gourmet treats at good prices. The brand is made with the best ingredients and there's no skimping on taste. I am madly in love with their Chai cookie, a buttery version of the German classic pfefferneuse. It's a rich blend of cinnamon, cardamon and clove mixed with premium butter and flour. I can finish a bag off in one sitting. The raspberry version comes a close second. I also love the Archer Farms chocolate chunk cookies. This is a yummy blend of crunch and bittersweet chocolate. For the savories try the sea salt and barbecue flavored potato chips or the salt and pepper pretzels. This last is a neat mix of traditional salt pretzels dusted with a fine coating of black pepper. They're like little fireballs but oh so good.
Market Pantry is the more down to earth version. They have everything from frozen pizza to eggs to popcorn. They're great for supplying you with pantry and fridge basics like cookies, crackers and soups. I'm a big fan of their popcorn and 100 calorie packs of cookies. The popcorn is by far the best of any fo the microwave kinds.It has a not too buttery taste and is lightly salted. Another plus is that the entire bag pops , unlike some other brands that leave you with half the pack unpopped. The cookies are great!!! My favorite are the cappucino ones but I'm duscoveringthe chocolate chips ones are pretty tasty too.
The next time you head to Target go straight to their food section. This company has a dazzling array of good and delicious in house brands. Try them. You'll then think twice about Target beging your go to store for clothing and appliences.
Monday, July 6, 2009
A Splenda Idea
I know it;s been around for a few years but I've just discovered Splenda. It was a love at first taste kind of deal and I went out and bought myself the regular packets and the vanilla flavored slim ones for coffee. To be honest it helps this fat foodie on her diet and it;s not bad tasting like some other artificial sweeteners out there.
Splenda first came on the market in1976 as a mistake. scientists Leslie Hough and Shashikant Phadnis were trying to create chemical intermediates such as chlorinated sugar. Accidentally doing a taste test on it , they realized that the sucrulose was almost 600 times sweeter than regular table sugar. Thus Splenda was born and first used in Canada then the US. There are several controversies over it, the most virulent is that damages internal organs. According to claims, it can cause enlarged liver, kidneys and the intestinal track. Lesser but still damaging claims are that it's not all that low calorie and has two calories per tablespoon. All I can advise is that use it in moderation., If you are addicted to sweet iced tea use it instead of sugar. If you crave a hot coffee with flavoring then use it but not daily.
Is it for baking and cooking? A good friend of mine used it Thanksgiving to make pies and according to her it was like using sugar dust.Standard recipes made with it required half the amount of sugar. There is a web site that's full of recipes that you can make with regular and brown sugar Splenda.The reviews seems to be good and there are people who like to bake and cook with it . I may try one of the Splenda recipes for the holidays just to see what it's like. Right now I'll stick with the regular flavor and flavor packets for my coffee and iced tea.
If you're on a constant diet like I am , then go with Splenda but take it in moderation. It's great if you 're craving some sweetnesss in your tea or coffee. Like with anything , don't get overly addicted to it. Use it with a scoop of common sense.
Splenda first came on the market in1976 as a mistake. scientists Leslie Hough and Shashikant Phadnis were trying to create chemical intermediates such as chlorinated sugar. Accidentally doing a taste test on it , they realized that the sucrulose was almost 600 times sweeter than regular table sugar. Thus Splenda was born and first used in Canada then the US. There are several controversies over it, the most virulent is that damages internal organs. According to claims, it can cause enlarged liver, kidneys and the intestinal track. Lesser but still damaging claims are that it's not all that low calorie and has two calories per tablespoon. All I can advise is that use it in moderation., If you are addicted to sweet iced tea use it instead of sugar. If you crave a hot coffee with flavoring then use it but not daily.
Is it for baking and cooking? A good friend of mine used it Thanksgiving to make pies and according to her it was like using sugar dust.Standard recipes made with it required half the amount of sugar. There is a web site that's full of recipes that you can make with regular and brown sugar Splenda.The reviews seems to be good and there are people who like to bake and cook with it . I may try one of the Splenda recipes for the holidays just to see what it's like. Right now I'll stick with the regular flavor and flavor packets for my coffee and iced tea.
If you're on a constant diet like I am , then go with Splenda but take it in moderation. It's great if you 're craving some sweetnesss in your tea or coffee. Like with anything , don't get overly addicted to it. Use it with a scoop of common sense.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy July4th Everyone
Happy July 4th to my American foodies and American foodies abroad.
Enjoy the day with your favorite barbecues or just chips and soda on the beach. Have a double dipped cone when you're watching the fireworks later tonight.
Above all enjoy America and what she means to you! This is an amazing country with an amazing story. Besides she provided the world with some of the best loved foods in the world!!!
CELEBRATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Enjoy the day with your favorite barbecues or just chips and soda on the beach. Have a double dipped cone when you're watching the fireworks later tonight.
Above all enjoy America and what she means to you! This is an amazing country with an amazing story. Besides she provided the world with some of the best loved foods in the world!!!
CELEBRATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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