“Liquid Evil Made Nice” wins chili cook-off! Going for three-peat in 2008…
The 2nd annual super bowl chili cook-off is in the books and this year brought out some unique creations. There was a Smokey Hobo Bean mix submitted by Kevin. Also, an overnight-simmered Nobody’s Fool Wheatberry Delight from Jessi. But for the second year in a row, I think my Liquid Evil Made Nice (adapted from Liquid Evil) took home the crown, in what may represent the first sport over which I can confidently proclaim some dominance. Granted, there were no official judges or voting and two entrants dropped out at the last minute, but the whispers around the room all echoed in unison…Liquid Evil reigned supreme. The recipe called for an absurd variety and quantity of peppers - pablano, jalapeno, habanero and others, half of which are still in a sealed plastic bag, and a quarter of which were chopped then tossed in the trash after realizing what might be in store. Apparently Nebraskans can hold their spice:) The 25% that I chopped and peeled (sadly gloveless) caused such burning and irritation on my fingers, I was uncomfortable most of the night. A few of my fingers are tingly today….cooking lesson learned.
Mystery organic vegetable ID’d - Fennel!!
I subscribed to an organic grocery delivery service a few weeks ago - Urban Organic. These types of services are sprouting up all over town and they’ve received good coverage, including a recent NY Times article. This particular outfit had a booth set up during the Smith Street Fair in Cobble Hill. I was wooed by their value proposition. They source organic vegetables and fruit from farms upstate and deliver to your door every other week. I ordered a small box for $25 - the smallest of their three sizes - and added a few staples like yogurt and soy milk to my standard delivery. On paper, the concept is great, especially for a vegetarian like me. In practice, however, I’ve found myself with mystery vegetables that I wouldn’t likely purchase at the local market. Some of the recent surprises included: fennel, dandelion and kale. I have enough carrots stored up in my fridge to keep bugs bunny occupied for months. Don’t get me wrong, the idea of working with new vegetables is fun - as was evidenced by the sauteed kale dish I prepared a few weeks ago - but the quantity and frequency with which these things are delivered are unrealistic for anyone but the most experienced and frequent chef. For someone with an active work schedule who only gets to cook a few times a week, even the smallest box yields much rotten food. Then again, this scenario is still better than government paying farm subsidies to limit production, and ultimately, the money comes from the same place. At least this way, we are supporting organic farmers.
Aroma comes to Manhattan from Tel Aviv
Aroma espresso bar from Israel opened their first U.S. store last week on Houston St near Wooster.
In a first time for this blog, I’m posting in real time on location. Personally,
I never thought their coffee or simple salads/sandwiches were anything special.
Their frozen blended drink - Ice Aroma - is
okay, but I would have been content
saving these for special occasions while visiting Israel. What makes Aroma nice
- in addition to the red leather swivel chairs, euro-style tunes and sleek
modern design - is the Israeli clientele. There are more people speaking
Hebrew in here right now than English. Looking around, I feel like I’m in
Tel Aviv (not a bad thing). I have a
feeling this place could be serving fried dirt and still be packed. They
also offer free wi-fi, which makes it a more attractive place to…well,
blog. During my visit, the lights
inexplicably dimmed and brightened several times, something burned in the oven
filling the space with a strong odor and some guy walked in insisting on practicing
his Hebrew with the man behind the counter (unfortunately, the guy taking his
order was Asian, one of the few non-Israelis working) – only strengthening the
Israeli feel. And while probably not a
design feature, I think JDate may have some stiff new competition.