So Australians are taking over this week. Saturday, I ate Kangaroo and Emu at www.eightmilecreek.com with friends and today (being Tuesday) Astor Wines and Spirits are enticing me to purchase WINES FROM DOWN UNDER! I'm seriously at capacity in my house and don't know if I should partake in this sale....anybody know anything about Aussie wines (other than Shiraz?) Hmmmm. Continue reading

http://www.burgerbusiness.com/?p=7022&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+burgerbusiness+%28 βurgerβusiness%29 Bummer - I was totally looking forward to eating A Flame Broiled Whopper under a red chandelier in a futuristic setting. Even that wouldn't change the fact that McDonald's french fries are better. What if they made all the Burger Kings into Old West Saloons? Or made them all 80's themed? I mean most of them are so outdated, the un-ironic push for nostalgia might just work. Oh they could bring back the magician of our youth from Metro-Detroit. http://www.jimcarmody.com/ Seriously, who didn't have a Burger King birthday party? Continue reading

Astor Wine's Sale today - Passover Wines. I shall Pass Over the holiday all together because I'll be in P. A. R. I. S. So get that lightning bolt ready, God. If you didn't smite me after that whole Yom Kippur in New Orleans deal, I don't think I'll be bursting into flames for this. Continue reading

Oh...and don't cross me or I'll gut and filet you like THIS FISH! Continue reading

I am continuing my quest to be a "real" cook and taking Fine Cooking 2 at the Institute of Culinary Education. I'll recap the week as we go, but until then....please enjoy a picture of.... MY FIRST EVER CREPE. Continue reading

After posting this, all I wanted was McDonalds. I had a very tough choice to make. Do I go to Zumba or do I eat a McGriddle? I wanted to go head for the Golden Arches – especially because going to a Zumba class (and admitting it) is almost as bad as having a blog. But I shoved an apple in my face and went to the gym. After I embarrassed myself and realized I can only shake one of my hips, I decided I deserved a reward for not going to either McDonalds. (Yes I pass TWO on the... Continue reading

Oh also.... Continue reading

I don’t always eat fancy food. (Ok, fine, I did last night at www.whathappenswhennyc.com) There's more to life that foie gras and duck confit and oysters and champagne and Japanese sushi (should we be eating that now?) local organic veggies and raw milk imported cheeses. Now that I'm typing that out, maybe I do not agree with that statement. Once upon a time, a trip to Taco Bell would leave me beside myself. The Bean Burrito Gods shined upon me once again and it was good. So I know and LOVE trash. In fact....I saw the following photo and almost... Continue reading

I have been remiss in sharing my compulsive wine buys from Astor Wines. I love Astor for a lot of reasons: They answer all of my stupid questions. They have a huge selection at many price points. When I'm sending gifts to people out of state, they deliver there and for cheaper than wine.com OR the brand's website. They deliver to me next day in Manhattan so I don't have to carry it home. And, they send me a well constructed 15 percent off email every Tuesday (as you may have read about here) to allow me to purchase wine... Continue reading

My email to customer service at Starbucks (where I am a Gold Member and get a lot of free beverages): Dear Caffeine Pushers - I am not sure if anything can be done, but my idiot husband threw away my "free coffee" post card I received last week for being part of the gold status reward program. Is there a way to resend? And less than 14 hours later, I received this response: Hello Tracy, Thank you for contacting Starbucks Coffee Company. I was sorry to hear that you post card had been discarded by accident. I will be more... Continue reading

Has everyone seen Unites States of Pizza : Michigan? How they can discuss pizza in Ann Arbor and blow off Pizza House is beyond me! And I should know. I live in the land of great pizza. The best pizza. I immigrated here over 8 years ago. New York Pizza defines the product created when you combine crust, mozzarella and sauce. It's the best possible outcome. Any other sort of pizza is kidding itself. And, ready? I know this will not be popular, but its true. Here it is, we'll rip the band-aid off. Sorry Chicago, your pizza is good,... Continue reading

With one exception, my hometown of Detroit gets its culinary ass kicked by my adopted town of New York City. That one exception is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island_(restaurant) No trip home is complete without Greek Salad (Feta, Lettuce, Onion, Peperoncini, Beets and Olives) with a side of french fries smothered in chili (without beans) and yellow mustard. Before I had to watch what I ate, I also enjoyed their signature Grilled Cheese Pita or Coney Dog (a natural casing hot dog with yellow mustard, onions, chili) or the Loose Burger (Exactly what it sounds like...ground beef covered in chili, onions and yellow mustard).... Continue reading

Read this article - Judging Cabernet's Class of 2007 I was happy I sampled many of these. 2007 Cabs were some of the best I've ever had....and drinking them IN Napa made them feel even special. Also, I was crazy drunk so everything tasted like liquid sunshine. The ones listed here are cheap enough to buy and drink now or hold onto for a few years. I am SHOCKED at the Clos Du Val rec...I am usually not a fan. Continue reading

You know when you were a little kid and your parents would take you to a sporting event (in my case, hockey games) and the vendors would walk by selling edibles and you’d lose your three-year-old mind? That’s what happens to me first thing in the morning on Tuesdays when Astor Wines sends me their newsletter. I’m a sucker for a deal and on Tuesdays they feature a different wine region and give you 15 % off selected products. This morning I started screaming like a toddler for cotton candy at a Detroit Tigers game because today….it was Loire Valley... Continue reading

So I could have taken pictures and talked to you about my project today.....but I kind of forgot I had a blog. There are so many people with "food blogs" that I blocked this out. But i"m back and this is what I made today. Its not fancy, but it's got most of the food groups. (Side note: Do they still teach food groups in school? Or do they tell you never to eat bread because you don't want to be the heftiest in your 2nd grade class?) Speaking of wide load.... The 4 people who read this all know... Continue reading

I swear I'm working on actual reviews and essays and such, but I must make a comment on this: http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2011/01/26/2011-01-26_one_last_serving_of_hot_salsa.html?r=lifestyle/food Gonzalez y Gonzalez is a restaurant in Soho with mediocre food and fun salsa music. I ate there once. The reason I even noticed this article and laughed? The one time I ate there...is the only time in my life....I got in a public flight with someone I was dating. Like screaming, yelling, other people are looking at you kind of fighting. I blame tequila. And no it wasnt LPK. He only picks fights Michelin starred establishments. Continue reading

Le duh! http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20110123/SMALLBIZ/301239979# Continue reading

Park Avenue Winter - http://www.parkavenuewinter.com/winter/ A VERY pretty restaurant whose decor changes with their seasonal menu. Last night - along with our friends Matt and Lisa - we had a delicious meal. I had been to the restaurant before when it was "Park Avenue Summer" - however I didn't eat anything. Instead, I wine bullied Jessica Brown into a bottle (or two) of Rose. Which was especially amazing because she's a tiny little thing, a new mom, and we had already HAD two bottles of wine prior to our arrival. So I barely remembered the decor. It was Yellow I... Continue reading

I know this seems like overkill, but when I have people over to my house for any holiday, it's important to me that everyone is full and happy. I get a little crazy about it. It's partially because *I* like options when I go to places and feel like I should treat people the way I'd want to be treated. More appropriately if people aren't fed well, they cannot handle their booze and they'll throw up. And as the resident vomit queen of PHA - do I really need to jockey for space in the bathroom? So I sent the... Continue reading

Since I figured out eating seasonal food tastes better than random shit grown in South America – when fall comes, I’m a sucker for Squash. If you read Bubba Gump’s Shrimp list and substitute “squash” – that’s pretty much where I’m at… Every year my friend Marisa has a Pumpkin Fest and I am more excited for the savory dishes then I am for the cider donuts – and that’s saying a hell of a lot. This year, for the event I made a Roasted Butternut Squash with a Pumpkin Seed Pesto…which was a bit hit with everyone but me... Continue reading

This is a very long story. A story that will take you on a journey through several days in the lives of LPK and I…a story where we’ll discuss my marriage, holiday gifts, wines of Napa Valley and the fact that I am a hopeless mess in the kitchen. Ready, Go! So, LPK and I said we weren’t going to do Hanukkah this year. This decision sprung from the fact that we have been eating at obscene restaurants. That’s what I TOLD him. But the truth? LPK is the hardest person in the entire world to shop for. For his... Continue reading

WAX OFF! How did this magic happen you ask? I shall tell you. Continue reading

Someone got new pans for Hannukah. Someone DESTROYED new pans. This is after an hour of scrubbing....WAX ON. Continue reading

I have actual food stuff to discuss, but first I have to write it. Which means staying in town long enough to sit at my computer. In the meantime, I will share the bullshit day I'm having. I decided to make use of the 10,000 recipes I pull out of magazines and make the following for dinner: Spaghetti with Fresh Soppressata Recipe by Andrew Carmellini Picture by Tina Rupp Ingredients 4 garlic cloves 1 1/3 cups dry white wine 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed 1 teaspoon ground fennel 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon crushed red... Continue reading

It’s a disgusting and rainy day in New York City. The kind of day where all my errands do not get run and I tend to crave comfort food. Normally, I would try and create a dish with ingredients I have in my house. As I don’t have anything in my fridge and I'm not going outside because, duh, I said it was raining, I made the only thing a girl can make on a day like today. Reservations. For something that will warm the insides, I'm thinking gastro pub. Therefore, I'm going to http://www.highlands-nyc.com/ That way I can get... Continue reading