tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67720921525003141412012-01-30T08:44:03.348-05:00'I'm Eating This' is a blog about eating, cooking, and my relationship to food.Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.comBlogger2931100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-88951314145367906402012-01-21T13:45:00.000-05:002012-01-21T14:33:06.254-05:00

Image from http://tyneesoup.wordpress.com One of my favorite newer restaurants in New York isn't somewhere I'd recommend first-time visitors to Manhattan go. It isn't pricey. It doesn't have amazing service. Cleanliness can hardly be counted as a strong suit either (not that it's dirty; it's definitely not dirty; but I wouldn't eat anything that fell off the plate, and maybe I wiped off my

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-65212210663142300542012-01-18T19:04:00.000-05:002012-01-18T19:04:37.006-05:00

Do you ever get restaurant fatigue? I do. A few times a year, I'm possessed by the need to not throw money away on restaurant dining, or I unexpectedly cannot justify eating another high-calorie, highfalutin meal that some team of people assembled. I don't even want to buy a pre-cut bagel. Do other people feel this way sometimes, too? For urbanites, like me, eating out is not merely a

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-9858709997920345052011-12-31T19:45:00.002-05:002011-12-31T19:46:09.723-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year.  2011 gave me plenty to be thankful for. In January, I started a new job where I feel more appreciated for my talent and the kind of hard work that I do than anywhere else I have worked. Sure, I've succeeded at

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-85563911070871225402011-12-30T19:30:00.000-05:002011-12-30T19:30:00.432-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year.  2011 was the year that I came to the following conclusion: Drinking wine is equivalent to me giving myself a rophy. I love wine, sparkling wine and red wine in particular, but if I try to drink it, more than a

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-76540113197286052032011-12-29T07:00:00.000-05:002011-12-29T07:00:13.596-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year.  One night in August, some friends and I planned to set out for Paulie Gee's, a pizza restaurant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. We initially thought we might ride our bicycles there, as it's only about five miles from

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-44910254181288498732011-12-28T21:45:00.000-05:002011-12-28T21:45:00.443-05:00

Minca Ramen, New York. Image from flickr.com/photos/roboppy, Creative Commons license Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year.  The word "ramen" falls flat on a lot of ears. Anyone who assumes all ramen is of the Top Ramen variety (that's the

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-22736781307051078652011-12-28T07:00:00.000-05:002011-12-28T07:00:02.961-05:00

Image from Premshree Pillai, Flickr (Creative Commons license). Looking for an amazing cup of coffee, cappuccino, latte, or espresso in Manhattan? Here's a quick run-down of my four favorites. Cafe Grumpy, Chelsea 224 West 20th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues), Manhattan The tiny and nearly unmarked Cafe Grumpy in Chelsea (there are other locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, too) is my

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-3217237527106444272011-12-27T16:00:00.000-05:002011-12-27T16:07:11.945-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year. Red meat has never made me feel passionate. Steaks and lamb chops on menus typically don't get a second look  from me. Burgers have crept into the picture a little more this year, but I almost never want to eat a

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-47100851516413672792011-12-26T13:15:00.000-05:002011-12-26T13:15:00.328-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year. December is the month I bake cookies, and I usually bake a lot of them. Last year (2010), I practiced over and over again making black and whites, the quintessential New York cookie. They're tough to make, but not

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-49967507319490544942011-12-24T09:10:00.000-05:002011-12-24T13:23:49.767-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year. Vandaag, a Scandinavian restaurant in New York, serves some of the best coffee in the city. Over the summer, I had brunch there, and the highball iced coffee took center stage. Other menu items confused me, as many

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-33226443758260267062011-12-23T23:00:00.000-05:002011-12-24T09:05:55.414-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year. In late September of this year, some friends and I rented a minivan, piled in, and drove about an hour north of New York City to New Paltz, NY, to pick apples. With seven of us in on the adventure, we still

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-12999476366282360182011-12-22T19:00:00.000-05:002011-12-22T19:00:03.465-05:00

The office is beginning to feel like it might turn into a diabetes clinic. Every day, I think there couldn't possibly be another cookie tray, plate of fudge, or basket of holiday candies, and every day I'm wrong... sometimes twice a day. I'm guilty of contributing to the problem, though, having wrapped some cookie trays for co-workers as gifts. I saw the problem approaching and had a chance to

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-79608230739434204282011-12-22T18:30:00.000-05:002011-12-22T18:30:02.859-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year. Summer makes me happy. Taking advantage of what summer has to offer makes me happier. There's a big park near where I live that overlooks the Manhattan skyline. Two huge bridges, the Hell's Gate Bridge and the RFK

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-90497065867543637662011-12-20T18:00:00.000-05:002011-12-20T18:00:03.167-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year. Boyfriend and I are pretty good about having a weekly date. Sometimes it's a nice dinner out. Sometimes it's a night on the town. Occasionally, we aim high but end up doing something on the scrappy side, but it's

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-71660057196189762342011-12-19T23:41:00.001-05:002011-12-19T23:41:34.129-05:00

Every day in December, I'm posting about one memory about food from this year, in part to look back on the year that's about to end with more gratitude for all the superb experiences I've had. In March, my sister was studying in Barcelona. We promised her that if she studied abroad, we would definitely visit while she was there. Barcelona is not a hard sell. Both Boyfriend and I had been there.

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-31628647648040555882011-12-18T13:03:00.003-05:002011-12-18T13:04:14.363-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year. My love affair with curry vinaigrette began this year after I learned to make it at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, where I took some courses earlier this year. I love this dressing so much, and

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-29338638503223227392011-12-17T16:05:00.002-05:002011-12-17T16:05:47.840-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year. Over the summer, Boyfriend and I made a journey to the Italian side of Astoria, which is typically known as being a very Greek neighborhood. (In reality, Astoria is more and more diverse all the time, and it's not

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-63989849627745089042011-12-16T08:07:00.001-05:002011-12-16T08:11:23.408-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year. Rather than look too far back at the year that's almost over, I wanted to share a very recent event today. On Wednesday, I met up with Boyfriend and one of our friends to see some of the beautiful holiday

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-42086344105680856242011-12-15T07:30:00.000-05:002011-12-15T07:30:00.371-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year. My post today isn't so much about one meal or dish or drink I had this year as it is about a concept. In January, I started a new full-time job, which I love, where many of my co-workers share my interest in eating

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-34929826290000836552011-12-14T21:48:00.001-05:002011-12-14T22:03:01.115-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year. I found a new favorite beer this year: Founders Red's Rye Pale Ale. Throughout the year, I've encountered a number of different beers from Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Founders Brewery. The Dirty Bastard, for

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-88874185524735234292011-12-13T07:30:00.000-05:002011-12-14T22:06:44.086-05:00

Every day in December, I'm writing a short post about some food memory from 2011, mostly to be more thankful for all the great food and drink I've been lucky enough to have this year. Someone, and I dare not point fingers, posted this gorgeous photo to Twitter one day of a coconut cream icebox cake. My reaction: "Mine! I must have that cake!" And so I made it, sloppily the first time, in an 8

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-12577715341968799352011-12-12T22:18:00.004-05:002011-12-12T22:18:53.232-05:00

At Aldea, a Portuguese-inspired restaurant in New York, there is a starter course of sea urchin toast ($10).  Sea urchin roe, or uni as it's called in Japan (I'm most familiar with it in sushi form), is nothing short of the butter of the sea. The taste conjures up a vision of eating butter while on the beach. While not quite salty, you can feel the salt spray in the air when you in hale. When I

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-35221512644704777402011-12-11T22:54:00.001-05:002011-12-11T23:02:57.581-05:00

Each day in December, I'm remembering and giving thanks for some food experience from the year. One of my favorite new restaurants in New York  in the last year or so is Rubirosa, a small Italian-American restaurant in that area of New York that's half Little Italy and half Soho. One of the most surprising things I ate there (twice) was arancini ($9). Arancini are deep-fried rice balls. It's

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-90484702308741359732011-12-10T23:36:00.001-05:002011-12-10T23:36:43.738-05:00

Every day in December, I'm blogging about one food experience from this year and being thankful for it. Affogato, as simple as it is, always wins me over. It's a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a shot of espresso poured over it. What can I say? I'm a sucker for classics. One day over the summer, I stepped out from my job to take a long overdue break. When I left the building, I didn't know I

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-65154440368567788742011-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:002011-12-09T09:27:01.420-05:00

Every day in the month of December, I'm remembering and being thankful for some food experience from this year. A few months ago, I started volunteering at the Brooklyn Kitchen as an assistant for cooking classes. About once a month, I hang out during a three-hour cooking class and help the instructor. It's lightweight work, made easier by the fact that I worked in food service for years and

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-12766007048983469972011-12-08T19:30:00.001-05:002011-12-08T20:01:25.214-05:00

I typically don't have bad days. Of course I have days when things don't go my way, but the things that get under my skin are high-class, first-world problems, and I have no business complaining about them in earnest. When two cars in a row run the stop sign in front of my apartment building, that really burns me. Or I'll feel a pinch of stress on a morning when I wake up to a sink full of dirty

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-49089418923507295002011-12-07T21:45:00.001-05:002011-12-07T22:36:23.592-05:00

Every day in December, I'm blogging to remember (and be thankful for) something I ate this year. Way back in January, Boyfriend and I went to Recette in New York for dinner. This tiny but stellar restaurant exceeded my expectations in so many ways, but it was strange because it caught my interest with flavors and foods that I am not typically drawn toward. One is bacon. I get it. Everyone

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-60172382857456006912011-12-06T07:00:00.000-05:002011-12-06T07:00:11.974-05:00

One of my favorite food memories from this year (I'm posting one a day for the month of December) was a solo dinner from New Yasmeen Bakery in Dearborn, Michigan. Dearborn and I aren't old pals. I had never been there until a business trip in May. One of the few things I had heard about the greater Detroit area was that Dearborn has a huge Middle Eastern population, and in particular Lebanese

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-66262030275691974962011-12-05T07:00:00.000-05:002011-12-05T07:00:20.406-05:00

One of the most unexpected dishes that I fell in love with this year is French-style braised celery. Celery may not seem like a contender for braising, but I assure you that it works. Mild but exquisite with layered flavors from the celery itself, to white wine, lardons, scallions, chicken stock, and butter, it's a perfect early spring dish. I made braised celery at the Institute of

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-9122829629332442002011-12-04T11:09:00.001-05:002011-12-06T08:34:33.659-05:00

Here's another recent food memory from this year: the "French toast" I got for brunch last month at a new restaurant in Astoria (NY) called William Hallet. Made with pound cake instead of bread, this French toast must have weighed in at some 2,500 calories or more. The joke was on me. I never order sweet things for brunch, but I always want to, and on this occasion, I decided to go for it. Did

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-8513801850174571122011-12-03T18:41:00.001-05:002011-12-07T15:44:07.826-05:00

The food memory I want to share today is from a wedding Boyfriend and I attended in August in Vigo, Spain. Two of our friends got married, one from Italy and one from Venezuela. Influenced by their diverse background and the local flavor of Vigo (which is one of the largest fishing ports in the world), the menu for the wedding was outstanding. I didn't take photos of the many many dinner

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-44311788559663436542011-12-02T18:00:00.000-05:002011-12-03T10:36:19.805-05:00

There's nothing like setting your heart on a luxurious cup of coffee. For a couple of bucks, the world can seem right again. A fantastic cappuccino feels more like a little gift that I give to myself rather than a beverage. It's special, hand-crafted, and something that I truly appreciate in value. For the month of December, I'm posting a food memory from the year, one for each day of the month

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-63506569599750416892011-12-01T18:00:00.000-05:002011-12-03T10:36:45.112-05:00

For the month of December, I'll be posting one food memory every day here, and also sharing them on Facebook. To kick things off, I'm remembering something I ate only 24 hours ago: a vegetable course as part of the lunch tasting menu at Gramercy Tavern. The dish was cardoons, olives, feta, and some dark leafy green cut into chiffonade. Cardoons, if you've never tried them, look like gigantic 

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-34934453950761221512011-11-30T23:00:00.000-05:002011-12-03T10:36:56.633-05:00

For the month of November, a friend of mine writes a thanks-a-day and posts it on Facebook. It's her way of observing Thanksgiving all month long.  Inspired by her idea, I've decided to post my favorite food memories of 2011, one every day through the month of December. The reason is to appreciate better what I have, but also to share some of the memories that come with it all. Food is never

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-78206592764680045502011-11-13T10:28:00.001-05:002011-11-13T15:51:57.812-05:00

I just finished updating one of the sidebars on the right edge of this blog. The lists show restaurants where I plan to eat next (the one I just updated) and where I've eaten recently. The "I'm Eating Next At" list now better reflects places I actually will go in the next three to six months. Prior, it named a number of restaurants that were on my long-term list for New York City, meaning a lot

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-65599259233804755812011-11-06T20:15:00.000-05:002011-11-06T22:19:58.497-05:00

For the first time in approximately 11 years, I went to McDonald's. My last visit happened in 2000. I had been living in London and felt a longing for something from home, and ventured out to find a milkshake. That's when I learned (or as they say in British English, "learnt") that the U.K. version of a milk shake is thick, sugary milk — not blended ice cream. I was so disappointed that

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-69412183136018513642011-10-17T09:00:00.002-04:002011-10-17T09:01:03.518-04:00

The biggest regret I have about John Brown's Smokehouse in Astoria, New York, is how long it missed my radar. It opened this summer, but I hadn't heard about it until last week, when it landed a spot on  the Real Cheap Eats blog. The small and casual barbecue restaurant is an under-appreciated smokey gem of the neighborhood. Charmingly out of the way on 37th Avenue, a few blocks from the foot of

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-90629592664188131892011-10-02T10:17:00.000-04:002011-10-17T09:01:39.552-04:00

Hand-picked apples from Dressel Farm, New York (September 2011). Last weekend, seven of us piled into a minivan and drove up and out of New York City, along the Hudson River, into apple-growing territory. We went to Dressel Farms in New Paltz, New York, an orchard that lets visitors pick their own apples right off the trees. There's no fee to pick or to park, just a per pound charge for the

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-22741066326165242932011-09-15T18:51:00.001-04:002011-09-15T18:51:00.494-04:00

Two huge news stories broke in the past few days, one local to New York, but with actual reach nationally, and one national, with potential international effects. First, Sam Sifton, the restaurant critic for The New York Times, was offered a new job as an editor at the news organization... and has accepted. As much as I'm glad to see a talented journalist advance in his career, I will sorely

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-49821116277289384772011-09-01T07:07:00.004-04:002011-09-01T07:23:00.490-04:00

Boyfriend and I just got back from a trip to Vigo, Spain, the largest fishing port in the world. It's on the far north west coast of Spain, just north of Portugal, on the Atlantic Ocean. We were there for a wedding, and when we booked our flight, we realized we could only spare a few vacation days off of work. But we left New York just as Hurricane Irene started her fury, and we unexpectedly

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-5176223655672967372011-08-13T23:00:00.000-04:002011-08-13T23:00:03.638-04:00

Astoria, New York, the neighborhood in New York City where I've made my home the last three years, has been considered "up and coming" for at least a decade. And it never quites achieve its potential. In the last 12 months, a number of restaurants and shops have opened in the area that gave residents here more hope than ever before that this Queens borough neighborhood would finally take off and

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-18006560810237036092011-07-31T09:00:00.000-04:002011-07-31T09:00:04.424-04:00

Sun tea is one of those things I plum forgot about for years. But I wanted to make iced tea the other day and didn't feel like turning on the kettle, seeing as my kitchen was already 90°F. Then I remembered sun tea.To make it, you leave tea bags in a clear glass jar filled with water in a warm and sunny spot, like a porch or a window sill. A few hours later, your tea is brewed. The water never

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-4616342950610167502011-07-29T22:19:00.004-04:002011-07-30T10:06:56.858-04:00

Food gifts are one of the best ways to thank a host or hostess. Over the years I've received a few that were memorable, thoughtful, useful, and just plain fun. Here are five of them: 1. The Norwegian National Invention. When friends from Oslo came to visit, they came bearing their national invention: a cheese slicer. It's the kind of cheese slicer that's shaped like a pie server, only it has a

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-24371760711924587082011-07-23T16:30:00.001-04:002011-07-23T16:33:02.440-04:00

This week I hosted dinner for six, despite the Singaporean weather conditions in New York right now. It's been in the high 90s°F and low 100s°F (that's 36-38°C) with outrageous humidity for days. Needless to say, I knew everyone would be thirsty.So I thought back to my trip last year to Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. There were fresh or frozen fruit drinks everywhere: smooth blended mango,

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-64440468893492728262011-07-23T09:10:00.000-04:002011-07-23T09:13:06.439-04:00

Ginger syrup punches up cocktails and frozen drinks, and it's a cinch to make. Here's how:Ginger Syrup1 cup fresh ginger, washed with peel intact and roughly chopped1 cup sugar3 cups waterRoughly chop, bash, and smash the ginger by hand or in a food processor until it is thoroughly beaten up. Place all the ingredients into a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring the mixture to a low boil over a medium flame,

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-11483683529636843092011-07-09T19:01:00.004-04:002011-07-09T19:01:55.862-04:00

Last year (2010), the Museum of Modern Art explored the ultimate kitchen design. The exhibit was called Counter Space, and it featured a model kitchen kitted with efficiencies the likes of which I had never seen. Every element in the room found a logical and ergonomic place: a warming chamber attached to the side of the oven to take advantage of the heat that's already there; plate racks that

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-24458275434050254432011-07-08T18:45:00.000-04:002011-07-08T18:46:20.127-04:00

Google Blogger got a total makeover, and in testing some of the new features, I accidentally redesigned my own site and committed the changes (there's no undo button). I've been waiting to redesign this site, but I was hoping to make a more gradual transition. So my apologies for the abrupt new look! Hopefully I'll spend some time this weekend tweaking to get it just right.

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-11630578109315644792011-07-05T07:00:00.002-04:002011-07-05T07:00:11.957-04:00

My sister and I were talking about a close friend of mine, and she asked if I thought my friend was a good cook. "Yes," I said. "She's a great cook, but her style of cooking is remarkably different from mine. If she and I make the exact same thing, hers will taste totally different. Her style isn't something I could replicate." "What do you mean?" my sister asked. "How?" "I guess when I cook,

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-14631601744821552752011-07-03T10:11:00.000-04:002011-07-03T10:11:00.435-04:00

Last weekend, Boyfriend got a new bicycle and we finally did our first ride together. We started at our house in Astoria and took the waterfront down to Long Island City, over the Pulaski Bridge into Greenpoint, and down to McCarren Park, which is the border area between Greenpoint and Williamsburg. Seeing Astoria by bicycle, in the summer especially, gives it an entirely different feel. The

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-48166730786659204162011-06-21T18:00:00.036-04:002011-06-21T18:00:00.433-04:00

"If you won the lottery—" "How much are we talking about here?" "Just play the game, Jill." I glare. "Are we talking big lottery? Like, more than $10 million?" "Sure. Yeah. $10 million. Better, make it $50 million." "Okay, go on." "Let's say you won the lottery. Where would you go out to eat?" I pause to think. Boyfriend prods, "Top three restaurants in New York. Where would you go to

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-72355667861831375142011-06-20T07:39:00.001-04:002011-07-08T19:07:16.919-04:00

This recipe for chilled cucumber and yogurt soup makes one very light lunch (pair it with a sandwich) or two appetizer portions. On a hot day, it's amazingly refreshing, and it doesn't require any heat to prepare. Chilled Cucumber and Yogurt Soup 1 English cucumber or 4 Persian cucumbers 1/2 cup plain yogurt 7 or 8 fresh mint leaves 1 teaspoon chopped parsley 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt lemon

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-67756478565445726332011-06-17T17:30:00.001-04:002011-06-17T17:30:00.541-04:00

I had been thinking for a long time about refining this blog. It's unfocused, although sometimes I like that it is. I don't feel restricted to write only about cooking, or only post recipes, or only review restaurants. I'm all over the map. I have a lot to say about too many things. So instead of refining this blog, I've launched a new one. The new blog, Food and Tech, looks specifically at

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-2339950495587984702011-06-08T22:30:00.007-04:002011-06-08T22:30:00.331-04:00

More than three years ago, I first ventured into making pasta by hand. The one thing I can never stress enough to people who are timid cooks is that pasta is remarkably easy. It's extremely difficult to mess up. The ingredients are cheap, so if you do make a mistake, it costs next to nothing to make a correction, or simply start over. And if you want it to take less than 30 minutes, it can, even

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-22791427697901576022011-06-01T18:00:00.003-04:002011-06-01T18:00:03.297-04:00

A new gig for me this year is that I've been volunteering as a chef's assistant at The Brooklyn Kitchen. The Brooklyn Kitchen is a large kitchenware store located in the Williamsburgh neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, that also has a butcher shop inside as well as two large teaching kitchens used for recreational classes.To clarify, many of the instructors are not "chefs" exactly, which is

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-1615848143179658632011-05-30T12:26:00.003-04:002011-05-30T13:04:32.656-04:00

With Spanish flavors still lingering on my palette from when I was in Barcelona and Valencia a few weeks ago, I came up with a Spanish-inspired cold summer salad made of green beans, roasted red peppers, and a few other simple ingredients. It has some unusual combinations, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Spanish-Inspired Green Bean SaladServes 41/4 diced red onion4 Tablespoons red wine

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-51030680477435422442011-05-22T08:32:00.003-04:002011-05-22T08:57:08.298-04:00

Peanut butter frosting should taste like peanut butter. This cake frosting is the most delicious thing ever with moist chocolate cake, such as my no-ingredients chocolate cake, made from only eight ingredients, all of which you're likely to have on hand, or this richer chocolate sour cream cake.I've written a short-hand version of my peanut butter frosting recipe at the top of the chocolate sour

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-41587795433432791462011-05-08T22:44:00.003-04:002011-05-08T22:54:18.464-04:00

Off the coasts of the U.S., into the expanding midsection of this country, it always surprises me a little how people eat differently. While some differences are evident—the reliance on pre-prepared, processed, shelf-stable, and frozen things, as well as "casual dining" and family restaurants, of the Applebee's, Ruby Tuesdays, Chili's variety, establishments whose mainstay dishes include things

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-3785181281746208212011-04-27T10:49:00.007-04:002011-05-01T13:02:49.472-04:00

Photo by Solo, Creative Commons 'share alike' and 'attribution' license.Cake envy: I've got it, big time.Every few months, I want it to be my birthday. I want a big, round cake with birthday candles and frosting. I want the people I love to be in once place, gawking at a gorgeous cake.But that's not going to happen until October, so I had better think of different reasons for turning my jealousy

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-85476450667166656502011-04-24T08:30:00.004-04:002011-05-01T13:04:33.757-04:00

From avlxyz's Flickr account, used with Creative Commons agreement 'attribution' and 'share alike.'I fell in love with a Korean rice pasta dish. Warm, spicy, and multi-textured with three of four different kinds of "soft," it's total comfort food. I'm unsure how to spell it, but it may be ddeok-boggi, dduk-boggi, or dduk-bo ggi. Image from BlogAway.The main sustenance is rice pasta, fat cylinders

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-67662274989572361852011-04-10T12:20:00.000-04:002011-04-10T12:20:00.909-04:00

In writing an article for a specific publication, you sometimes have to put together a piece that you don't whole-heartedly believe in. (Full disclosure: I love my job. What I write about in this post is in part self-reflection on how I can do my job better.)I've been speaking to professional chefs recently for an article I'm putting together for work about high-tech kitchen gadgets. The final

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-56860154137122037292011-04-07T21:49:00.004-04:002011-04-07T22:21:03.723-04:00

After driving nearly four hours through horrendous rain showers, we (my two sisters, Boyfriend, and I) arrived in Valencia. The skies cleared. Our hotel had parking. And a month-long festival to celebrate the entire region was on its last days.We hit the streets and ambled toward the city center. Just outside one of the four or five story-tall gates of the old city wall, we spotted one of the

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-662273465771047842011-03-30T21:01:00.005-04:002011-03-30T21:53:43.639-04:00

Before the food arrived, servers kept pushing our glasses and silverware way off to edges of the table. "The space is very important!" We had booked a dinner reservation at Restaurante Carosel in Valencia, Spain, based on a mention in a New York Times article, "36 Hours-Valencia, Spain" (January 2011).Four of us arrived at 9, and the place was not only empty, but the staff were still hanging

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-53707177867638226192011-03-23T17:00:00.004-04:002011-03-23T21:52:01.701-04:00

I'm behind in blogging, but I have a number of really exciting things to talk about soon. Just give me a few more days to have the time to write about them intelligently.Here's a shorthand list of things to expect very soon:Pictures from Spain: A four-day visit to Barcelona and Valencia ended with Boyfriend saying, "I've eaten three of the top 10 meals of my life on this trip." I agree, though I

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-20341035403615419162011-03-17T17:00:00.003-04:002011-12-27T08:41:02.504-05:00

In this series, I've been posting about the recreational cooking course Fine Cooking 1 at the Institute for Culinary Education. Last week, I completed the fourth of five sessions that make up the class. Each session focuses on one technique. Class 1 was sauteing. Class 2 was roasting. Class 3 was braising. Class 4 was all about eggs. Two foods that are utter simple and yet extremely difficult

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-86225907135137927002011-02-27T17:15:00.006-05:002011-12-27T08:38:50.989-05:00

The third cooking class for Fine Cooking 1 (a five-course series offered at Institute of Culinary Education, New York) was about braising. The meal we ate at the end of class was by far my favorite one: Steamed mussels Raw Belgian endive salad with egg yolk and mustard vinaigrette Green lentils salad Braised lamb shanks in wine Braised leeks Braised celery with bacon (this was the only

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-58282957173293869752011-02-24T06:00:00.003-05:002011-02-24T06:00:12.310-05:00

What drew me to eat at Rubirosa (no web site) twice in one month? Its philosophy on tomatoes.Rubirosa is a medium-sized Italian restaurant in the Soho/Nolita neighborhood of New York that opened in November 2010. Prices at RubirosaIn terms of value, it's an amazing addition to the neighborhood. A full dinner won't leave you broke, and the menu offers flexible options for sharing or piecing

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-86751207740252071672011-02-22T06:00:00.005-05:002011-02-22T06:00:15.087-05:00

New Yorkers reveled last week when we were treated to an unexpected surprise: the temperature climbed to 65°F (about 18°C), after six weeks of below-freezing temperatures and record-breaking amounts of snow.And we needed it! After the perpetual crankiness that comes from digging out from the snow, slipping on ice, and watching piles of white snowbanks slowly degenerate into black muck, we needed

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-8933259623970228462011-02-19T10:00:00.001-05:002011-02-19T10:00:13.689-05:00

The photos I've posted in the last few weeks were taken with my iPhone. They've been slightly out of focus and not well composed. I snapped many of them quickly and discretely during my Saturday cooking class series (which is on hiatus today for President's Day weekend) because I no one in that class knows that I've been writing about it, to my knowledge.The main reason I've been using the iPhone

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-52214181517594423212011-02-15T06:00:00.002-05:002011-02-15T06:00:11.154-05:00

In the recreational cooking course I'm taking, we made this simple soup. Escarole is so underrated. If you've never had it, it's a mildly bitter leafy green that comes in a head, like lettuce. It's related to endive, but is much larger. It looks like a cross between frisée and green leaf lettuce.I love that it is not over-cooked in this easy soup. Toss it in just before serving so it wilts but

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-52219066813233347562011-02-13T13:05:00.004-05:002011-02-27T17:59:28.890-05:00

I'm taking a five-week course at Institute of Culinary Education in New York, and during the first class, Chef Peter Berley narrated this roast chicken recipe, which he says he learned from Thomas Keller. Thomas Keller's Roast Chicken1 good quality chicken1 tablespoon good quality Kosher salt, or 3/4 teaspoon fine salt, per pound of chicken, including bone1. Rinse and dry the chicken. Dry it

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-74422896670163963992011-02-13T13:00:00.006-05:002011-12-27T08:40:34.349-05:00

Fine Cooking 1: Class 2 The second class in the Fine Cooking recreational course at Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York focused on roasting. The course comprises five five-hour sessions and each lesson looks at a specific technique of cooking. Class 1 was on sautéing. My group meets on Saturdays from 10am to 3pm. Due to some scheduling issues, we will not have the same

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-49362232898254849522011-02-06T09:58:00.015-05:002011-12-27T08:40:08.293-05:00

Fine Cooking 1: Class 1 In the first session of the Fine Cooking 1 class at Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York, the 16 students and one instructor sat at a long table. The instructor for this course was Chef Peter Berley, who explained that he would be teaching our class at least two more times but that we would have a different instructor for the other two classes. I'm not sure

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-63046820749166353252011-02-06T09:26:00.011-05:002011-12-27T08:41:37.610-05:00

I recently enrolled in a five-session, 25-hour recreational cooking course at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York (50 West 23rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues). On this blog, I'll summarize each class and provide some feedback and assessment. My goal is to provide a thorough opinion about the class for others who are thinking of taking it. Fine Cooking 1: Background

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-26575803282285224202011-02-04T08:24:00.002-05:002011-02-04T08:29:04.825-05:00

Tomorrow, I will start a five-week cooking class at Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York. The course is Fine Cooking 1. The class meets for five five-hour sessions on Saturdays.From what I understand, each class will focus on a particular method of cooking, like roasting or baking, and we'll explore how to use that method across a variety of dishes. Every session ends with a class

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-28235651698783301682011-01-30T10:21:00.005-05:002011-01-30T11:02:17.829-05:00

Recette, a small restaurant in the West Village area of Manhattan, has gotten a lot of press, but I've somehow managed to avoid reading most of it.So when I had dinner there the other night, it felt a little like going to the movies when I know next to nothing about the film. I like that sensation. I like having a clean slate of expectations. (Note: I'm calling this a "preview" rather than a

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-33412575362940037972011-01-19T21:20:00.004-05:002011-01-20T20:40:31.526-05:00

Terroir is the perfect wine bar, and for that, there’s no need for another rave review. One Yelp reviewer said it was the reason she moved to New York. I don’t think she was exaggerating. Nearly everyone who has ever been there loves it, and those who don’t seem to be seeking a night out—not a wine bar.Rather than gush about its ingenious list or impeccable service, let me try to simply describe

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-73380225744042340492011-01-10T11:00:00.001-05:002011-01-10T11:00:08.209-05:00

Yellowtail and radish ($6.50) with rice ($1.50)at Chiyono in New York Very few restaurants beckon me to return again and again. When they do, it's a sign they've struck a balance between quality, originality, variation, atmosphere, service, and price. Chiyono, a small East Village spot, may not appear to have much "originality," serving straightforward Japanese home-cooking, but that type of food

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-88919896022338870082010-12-28T23:01:00.002-05:002010-12-28T23:29:59.669-05:00

Favorite Restaurants in 2010:Eleven Madison Park (Manhattan)In 2010, Eleven Madison Park was awarded a Michelin star, an award that many thought was long overdue. Having finally eaten a two-course lunch there earlier this year with my sister, I can easily say that the food and service were impeccable. The entire experience at this gem among upscale restaurants was the shining-est star of my

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-75448172312574992132010-12-20T20:01:00.004-05:002010-12-20T21:30:18.234-05:00

Monday night is Boyfriend's turn to cook. He volunteered to take Monday dinners on a regular basis, realizing that he could often plan ahead and do most of the shopping and work on Sunday, when there is no rush.So now on Saturday, he'll ask, "What should I cook on Monday?" and we'll flip through cookbooks or brainstorm together. He likes to try recipes that are just a little outside his comfort

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-51529294088950930892010-12-12T11:00:00.009-05:002010-12-14T20:30:42.450-05:00

In eighth grade, I won a gold medal for being the best student in "the technology and home economics classes." As far as I know, the award wasn't based on grades. It was sort of a "teacher's choice" award given to someone who showed a keen interest in the subject and some kind of promise.After I had received the award, my mother teased me mercilessly. "Ha ha. Got the gold medal in home ec., did

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-18447137574943249502010-12-05T11:26:00.005-05:002010-12-05T12:00:46.432-05:00

After musing about practicing knife skills, a friend of mine suggested I make onion marmalade as a way to use up several pounds of onions after I would presumably dice them to practice more knife skills.One look at the onion marmalade recipe, and I was sold. It is divine as a burger topping and just as good as a condiment on a cheese board with crusty bread.Onions are my favorite vegetable, and

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-76022347063765508742010-11-30T21:00:00.000-05:002010-12-05T11:18:44.400-05:00

In my day job, I've been building web sites. Well, I don't actually build them, but I guide the process and oversee the development. Two out of four are done, with the other two scheduled to be in testing early next year. Before any site goes live, there's a fair amount of testing to be done to make sure everything works right. On the most recent site that launched, we had a real problem

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-28625604174521008652010-11-28T09:20:00.011-05:002010-11-29T19:39:26.547-05:00

http://laurenmcduff.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/knifeskillsimage1.jpg">Image from Lauren McDuff's The DIY ChefFor years, I have toyed with the idea of going to a cooking school and taking a knife skills class, and the reason I still have not done it is because I know that the primary lesson I'll learn will be "go home and practice over and over again." I've gone through books on knife skills,

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-54325497377948136942010-11-14T13:45:00.008-05:002010-12-08T22:13:58.754-05:00

Last year, around this same time of year, my sister and I got together and made black and white cookies, one of my favorite New York City foods. They show up in most bakeries and delis in New York and the surrounding areas.I was worried that a homemade version wouldn't capture that wonderful cake texture of the cookie itself, or that it would be difficult to get right that hint of lemon, or that

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-76064070960152307612010-10-26T19:13:00.001-04:002010-10-26T19:16:40.672-04:00

One of my favorite autumn salads is one made with carrot, apple, raisins and cumin. The recipe has plenty of room for experimentation — add nuts for crunch, try cilantro for a more savory taste, switch out lemon for lime, add grated ginger for zip, use sour cream instead of mayonnaise, add a drizzle of honey if the apples are too tart, mix in some shredded cabbage to turn it into a slaw...Carrot

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-24140024198960635762010-10-16T23:59:00.003-04:002010-10-17T00:36:24.625-04:00

The abundance and availability of food in the U.S. (and the U.K. for that matter) are two things I take for granted.Storytelling is one of the only things that will ever help me come close to understanding what it's like to not have these things. I can read all day long about the recent exorbitant cost of napa cabbage in North Korea, or the years-long problem that country has had with a lack of

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-60644352342505045292010-10-06T08:54:00.003-04:002010-10-06T09:10:44.578-04:00

One the biggest trends I've noticed in New York City's food scene is the shift toward small shops that specialize in only one thing, but attempt to do it very well.This trend isn't surprising, given New York's food history. Signature eateries always include pizzerias, bagel shops, and delis, which are in themselves specialty shops of a kind.I think the trend is also driven by the "cupcake craze"

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-11138886406871812112010-09-25T22:00:00.001-04:002010-09-26T10:01:23.617-04:00

The older I get, the more I appreciate balance and simplicity in food.As a kid, my appetite took the form of a little devil sitting on my shoulder, coaxing me toward the most imbalanced foods you could imagine. I had a proclivity for fatty, sugary foods, like ice cream, brownies, fudge, chocolate candy bars, and "breakfast" desserts like, danishes, doughnuts, and coffee cake. And the Appetite

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-17179714002977712932010-09-22T07:00:00.003-04:002010-09-22T07:34:34.379-04:00

For my sister's birthday, I wanted to make a dessert that was a little classic and a little different. She loves fresh fruit desserts. She loves pies and tarts. And she loves desserts that aren't too sweet.A fruit tart fit the bill. But of course, even in those parameters, there are plenty of options and variations.Cookie crumb base, or graham cracker crumb base, or tart dough base?Pastry cream

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-87964733655163773842010-09-09T19:32:00.008-04:002010-09-09T20:01:22.106-04:00

The harvest has already begun in Montreal!Over Labor Day weekend, Boyfriend and I scooted up to Canada for a few days. We spent a good chunk of our time at Jean-Talon Market, which is Montreal's largest farmer's market, and Atwater Market, located just a few steps north of the Canal de Lachine.These pictures are all from Jean-Talon (except the last very one).One of the first signs that the

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-33234231448026470912010-09-03T09:45:00.003-04:002010-09-03T22:46:05.274-04:00

[This is the third and final post of a three-part blog. Part I can be found here and Part III can be found here.]The summer I lost six pounds was the first time in my life I truly lived alone. I grew up in a large family, the kind where someone was always around, always knocking on the bathroom door, always calling dibs on the front seat of the car, always scooping up the last spoonful of ice

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-22669061729431650882010-08-29T23:00:00.003-04:002010-09-03T10:02:30.483-04:00

[This is the second post of a three-part blog. Part I can be found here and Part III can be found here.My mother took great pains to teach me that being a nice person is more important than anything else, especially more important than being rich, pretty, or thin. A woman of the Civil Rights era, she drilled into my head concepts like equality and fairness, reminding me all the time that everyone

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-26824390436537451192010-08-25T22:00:00.004-04:002010-09-03T10:03:40.685-04:00

[This is the first post of a three-part blog. Part II is available here. Part III can be found here.In 2008, I got skinny.My overall size is what I would call “normal,” and when I got skinny, I didn’t weigh much less than I do now or did before.Six PoundsIt was just a few pounds and a couple of inches, but it meant everything to me and how I thought about myself.As I explain how I got skinny and

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-78507526262480070432010-08-20T21:25:00.004-04:002010-08-20T21:41:25.745-04:00

In a few weeks, Michelin will announce its list of restaurants awarded stars for 2011. I've been combing through the 2010 list for New York. You'd think earning a Michelin star would shield a restaurant from going asunder, but alas, two of the 2010 one-star winners in New York have already closed: eighty one and Etats-Uni. Chef Ed Brown of eighty one, which was on the upper west side, was quoted

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-45091139648859304242010-08-14T18:58:00.007-04:002011-01-10T08:40:53.092-05:00

Eleven Madison Park serves a two-course, prix-fixe lunch for $28 on weekdays. For the caliber of the restaurant, that's a steal of a meal... if you can manage to get over to Madison Avenue and 24th Street on a work day.Luckily, my sister and I work close enough to the restaurant that we squeezed in a Friday afternoon "business express lunch" (as it's sometimes called when you're in and out in

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-45501207923634242262010-08-11T18:00:00.010-04:002010-08-12T08:41:48.385-04:00

Electric Citrus Reamers: Are They Worth It?Ina Garten is one of those women I envy. She has an amazing job, a beautiful house with a kitchen that she loves, and most importantly of all for the purpose of this post, she has an electric citrus reamer.Ina Garten; image not mine; from House Beautiful.In an old episode of her Barefoot Contessa, she introduces her handy-dandy electric citrus reamer. It

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-15339844114507307552010-08-04T23:14:00.005-04:002010-08-04T23:23:31.980-04:00

Enjoying a sundae on New Year's Eve at DBGB in Manhattan.A quick word of congratulations to my sister (above), who has landed an internship with the Food Network in New York, starting in September. She has learned so much about food, cooking, and the food-media business in the past few months. Well done, kiddo!

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-78232429664199657832010-07-31T10:00:00.001-04:002010-08-01T10:10:17.140-04:00

I found an old piece of writing today from 2008 that I wanted to share. I wrote this when I had first moved to England. The night I arrived, we had almost nothing to cook with: no tools, no food, and not much time either."Cooking with Nothing" is a theme I return to often, and I wrote this piece in hopes to building a longer work out of it, like a full-length cookbook filled with recipes that

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-4063714946108757442010-07-25T11:00:00.000-04:002010-07-25T12:42:36.541-04:00

"The time does the cooking."When non-native speakers of English translate one of their language's sayings into my mother tongue, I often hear a more poetic (although sometimes comically poetic) phrase."The time does the cooking," is how my friend Tong put it. He was talking about beef rendang, a Malaysian comfort food.Photo not mine: From Wanitamelayu.com's forum posted by Warungmaklong.Because I

Jill E. Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546533292699874507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772092152500314141.post-26377677227909484682010-07-06T08:00:00.004-04:002010-07-06T19:21:00.692-04:00

(Not my photo.)Over the holiday weekend, my friend made an apricot salsa that I could have eaten and eaten for days on end. It was juicy, refreshing, and not too sweet.Inspired by her greatness, I made my own fruit salsa last night, stretching beyond the fruits I typically buy in the summer by trying papayas and nectarines (I'm a berries-and-banana kind of girl most days). The American take on "

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