More food: Kurtoskalacs

Kurtoskalacs=Tube-like Pastry
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Street Food on Chain Bridge

Choices, choices!
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First Meal in Budapest!

Stuffed cabbage and a side of cabbage!
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Comment Card: Donovan's Pub

A Donavan's Pub Hamburger. Meh.

Last Sunday afternoon, en route to a beer garden in Queens, Sabina, Jason and I made a pit-stop to Donovan's Pub to sample their much lauded burger, which was favorably assessed on Burgerrankings.com's Burger of the Month review. Based on my experience at this Irish pub, I must admit that I wholeheartedly disagree with BOTM's collective opinion.

Getting There
If you quaffed a mixture of vodka-based cocktails and slushy mickey finns in celebration of your birthday the night before, the train ride to Queens will seem interminable. However, if you"re not suffering from a horrendous Sunday morning hangover, then the 20 minute train ride to Queens from downtown Manhattan will be tolerable, or perhaps enjoyable.

Once we arrived, we were greeted with this glaring sign:

                                          You wish.

...our expectations were lofty and our stomachs were rumbling with hunger. All of us needed some nourishment, preferably in the form of a big, juicy hamburger.

The Verdict
I eagerly ordered a hamburger and a coke. Sabina and Jason ordered cheeseburgers. We painstakingly requested medium-rare burgers--all to be served with lettuce and tomato and a side order of steak fries. When we received our plates, the cooked meat was not made to order, which was disappointing and a sign hardly indicative of its supposed #1 standing. My burger was a dull piece of dry, crumbly beef patty, even with a generous amount of ketchup splattered on it.



The bun was the best part of the burger--nothing special, but well-toasted and fresh. Had I ordered a cheeseburger, like my lunch companions, the burger would have been moister. We did not get anything CLOSE to juicy. Plus, the waitress forgot my coke!

Good points? The meal was affordable and the venue displayed some Celtic charm and cozy whimsy (more appealing during the winter months), but the food was, at best, second-rate.

Donovan's Pub

57-24 Roosevelt Ave., Queens, NY 11377  at 58th St.  718-429-9339

Hamburger Doughnuts

Adorable! I want to serve this at my next birthday party!



Via: Serious Eats

Monday Mujadara

Mujadara

I'm back in Wheeling, WV for a long Mother's Day weekend. We had a gargantuan brunch on Sunday at Oglebay and for dinner we all had a hankering for something completely different. So, my mom (and I!) decided to whip up some Mujadara, coupled with a Mint & Cucumber Yogurt Salad (similar to the Greek dish, tsiziki) for dinner. There was a time in my adolescence when tabouli, mujadara and this yogurt salad would be served at every family or holiday event, but over the years these Middle-eastern standards have fallen off our party menus. Perhaps a comeback is in order?

You can find mujadara at any middle-eastern restaurant in New York, but it's somewhat of an odd dish for a Filipino household located in the Ohio Valley. My aunt has Jordanian ancestry and her sister is married to someone Lebanese. They are all pretty close with my family, so their food, became our food! That's how it goes. Anyhoo, it's so easy to make.

• Slice 3 onions into rings and saute in olive oil till the onions caramelize
• Set apart half of the onions and put on a dish
• Add 1 cup of lentils, 1/2 cup of rice and 5 cups of water and bring to a boil and simmer

• Add 1 1/2 tsp of salt to taste.
• Monitor till cooked
• Add the rest of the onions on top, when ready to serve

I actually like more rice in mine, so I'll play around with the proportions the next time I make it at home.

We weren't that hungry last night and ate the dish on its own, but it's a full meal served with lamb or chicken. Will probably be making this for the next month, so let me know if you like lentils and I'll invite you over for a meal.

KFC Debacle

His enthusiasm is pretty grating...

Maple-Bacon Lollies! Yay!

Lollies! You can't get Swine Flu from pork or bacon!

Everyone is aware of the bacon craze that has led to monstrosities, such as the Bacon Explosion.
Over the past year, I've seen the somewhat unorthodox use of bacon as a core ingredient in several candy products. Just do a Google Search! 

Since the financial maelstrom hit, candy consumption has been on the rise. Additionally, heavy comfort foods, such as mac and cheese, bahn mi, and bacon are also riding on a wave of popularity these days.  So, I suppose it makes sense to combine the two to more quickly soothe the angsty soul.  

I ordered these Maple-flavored Bacon Lollipops the  other day from Lollyphile.com.  They were actually pretty good, mostly sweet and slightly savory. The texture gets a bit gravely as you reach the fuzzy-end of the stick, but overall tasty!  It feels a bit like eating an everlasting gobstopper--Violet Beauregard style.... 

Unfortunately, they are 4 for $10! Not exactly a deal.  Still fun to eat.  

Via: Lollyphile.com

Stinky Cheese Reco Diary Entry #2: Artisinal Cheeses

Perfect Pairing:  Loupiac and Stichelton 

Last Monday, my friend, Sacha, and I attended a wine and cheese tasting class, called "Perfect Pairings" at Artisinal. This is the rundown what we sampled and some of my favorite pairings.  

Wines/Beer

• Sauvignon Blanc, New Harbor Marlborough, New Zealand 2007: Crisp, grapefruity, light yellow. Nice enough.  
• Pinot Noir, Barton & Gustier, Vine dePays de L'Le de Beaute France, 2007:  Drinkable. Slightly too much acid for my taste. Didn't really like this one too much. 
• Juniper Pale Ale, Rogue Ales: Very bold flavor.  Very hoppy and bitter aftertaste. However, went well with several of the cheeses.  
• Loupiac-Gaudiet, Bordeaux, France 2003:  Lovely dessert wine, not overly sweet. Deep yellow. Like drinking melted caramel. Complimented the sharper, high saltier cheeses.
  

Cheese 

• Nettle Meadow Kunik: Triple creme, made with mostly goat's milk and some cow's milk. So rich and delicious. Not too goaty.  
• Chabichou di Poitou: Another goat cheese but firmer and more dense. Not as young as the Nettle Meadow. I would buy a wedge of this to eat for breakfast. 
• Majorero: Sharper, crumbly goat cheese. Not my favorite of the night.  Didn't have the flavor that the other cheeses had. 
• Bianco Sardo:  "Italian sheep's milk cheese--nutty!" That's what I jotted down, but to be honest I can't recall this cheese, so it probably wasn't a stand-out or didn't offend me.  
• Montgomery's Cheddar: Deep golden color, sharp. Tasty.  Aged 2 years. Went well with the Juniper Ale. 
• Sbrinz: A cow's milk cheese from Sweden. Really wonderful flavor.  Lots of tyrosine crystals that gave it crunch, and according to the instructor "packed with nutrients and proteins" .
• Stichelton:  Amazingly creamy blue cheese, slightly grassy. Very flavorful.  

Out of the 35 pairings, the best pairings, in my opinion are....

1. Loupiac and Stichelton - Unreal!  
2. Sbrinz with the  Ale and Loupiac
   
3. Montogomery Cheddar and Juniper Ale
   
4. Stichelton and Ale
   
5. Loupiac and Nettle Meadow
   
6. Bianco Sardo and Sauvignon Blanc

At the instructional level, the powerpoint lecture was a bit tedious at times, but I appreciated the informative tidbits here and there.  Major downside: the location--a  major pain to get to (10th Ave and 36th Street). But generally, the experience made for an enjoyable Monday night! 

Artisinal Cheese 

500 W 37th Street 2nd Fl New York NY 10018

Typical Lunch

Will I ever tire of this lunch? 

At Tarralucci e Vino w a paper, pen and idea notebook (blank)...yet again! Ordered the Plutone  Panini, which is made of Bresaola, parmigiano cheese, arugula, olive oil w pink peppercorn dressing-- I've tried to make this sandwich at home, but can never replicate the exact flavors and textures. Had an iced coffee for a much needed caffeine punch. Mmmm.