mizchef

Food Is Sexy
  • 31Jul

    Coconut Soda

    Hi, gang. How’s everyone’s summer? I know, I know. Hot. Apparently, it doesn’t matter where you live—it’s just hot. When it gets really bad for you, just remind yourself of the long, cold, bitter winters we’ve been having and maybe the heat won’t bother you as much.

    Anyway, if you’ve visited my blog before, you know that I like to pick up random things sometimes and just give them a go. Well, this time it was soda. Specifically, Goya coconut soda. To some of you, it may sound strange. To others, it may sound yummy. It’s kind of both.

    This coconut soda is part of Goya’s line of tropical soft drinks, and like other Goya sodas,  it comes in a long-neck bottle and has a rather tropical (of course) logo. It gives you (okay, me) the illusion that you’re drinking a beer. It’s clear in color and lightly carbonated.

    Yeah, yeah, yeah, but how does it taste? Like carbonated, sweetened coconut water. And like coconut water, the coconut flavor is very light, rather than overpoweringly “coconutty.” For people who like natural coconut flavor, I think you’ll like this. For those who like a strong coconut flavor, it may seem weak. The nice thing about it is that it’s not overly sweet, either.

    Don’t misunderstand me. When I say “natural coconut flavor,” that doesn’t mean that it’s a natural soda. Nope. It still has high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors. I’m not a big soda drinker and it wouldn’t be the first thing I’d reach for, given a choice of beverages (I’d much rather drink alcohol). But I do enjoy a glass of cola with lime once in a while, and the occasional experiment with something “exotic.” To people in the Latino community, coconut soda is hardly exotic, but coming from a culture (Italian) that doesn’t use coconuts that often in its cuisine, I consider it unusual and different. Next on my Goya list is guaraná and cola champagne.

    So, that’s it for this week, my friends. I hope everyone has a great (and comfortable) weekend. Ciao for now.

    Filed under: Beverages, Ethnic food, New Food, Uncategorized
    No Comments
  • 10Jul

    I Remember Mamey

    Hi, gang. First, I want to remind anyone in the Staten Island area that I’ll be doing a cooking demonstration on Saturday, July 17, in front of Bent Pages bookstore, at 391 Van Duzer St. July is Van Duzer Days, a month’s worth of weekend street fairs! Woohoo! Anyway, I’ll be there around 2:00, cooking up some yummies. Come taste some samples, and, if you feel like it, you can pick up a copy of my book, What, No Meat?

    Now, here’s the main show: Mamey.

    Read the rest of this entry »

    Filed under: About Food, Ethnic food, Food Around the World, New Food, Recipes, Uncategorized
    Tags: batido, mamey, sapote, van duzer days
    3 Comments
  • 11Jun

    Skyr—Icelandic Yogurt

    Hi, all. Summer’s rolling in and we’re finally able to do all those things we love to do in beautiful weather. One of the nice things about summer is being able to stroll leisurely around the neighborhood after a good dinner.  (I suppose you can do that in winter, too, but who wants to?)

    The other evening, I had dinner with a couple of friends in an area of Brooklyn called Carroll Gardens. It’s a really cute little area, reminiscent of Greenwich Village, only more intimate and with a “local” feel to it. Anyway, after dinner at an excellent vegan restaurant called Wild Ginger (more on that another time), we strolled Smith St. I picked up menus from restaurants I wanted to try, window shopped, and caught the strains of various types of music coming from different bars  (I really must try the Zombie Hut one of these days). On this stroll, I encountered a tiny little gourmet shop called Stinky’s Cheese. It’s aptly named, I realized as I stepped inside–the aroma of the cheeses they offer permeates the entire space.

    Read the rest of this entry »

    Filed under: Artisanal foods, New Food, Uncategorized
    Tags: icelandic yogurt, siggi's, skyr
    4 Comments
  • 30Jan

    National Snack Food Month

    Hi, all. I hope everyone’s sage and warm in the latest wave of winter wonderland-ness that’s hitting various parts of the country and the world. All I have to say is, “BRRRRRR.” This is the kind of weather that sends people running to comfort food, stuff that’s warming and that reminds us of our childhoods. Of course, comfort food means something different to everyone.

    Which brings me to my topic for this week: February is National Snack Food snacksMonth! Now, snack food is not necessarily comfort food, but for some, it is. And it’s particularly appropriate that I’m writing about snack food today because I’m craving it for an entirely different reason, and it is a source of comfort for me during those times. I think you know what I mean. Moving on…

    Read the rest of this entry »

    Filed under: Food Around the World, Food Holidays, Healthy alternatives, New Food, Recipes, Uncategorized
    Tags: national snack food month, pita chips, snack food, snacks
    No Comments
  • 30Oct

    Gourmet on the Go (TM)–Product Review

    Hi, gang. I decided to do a product review this week because I enjoy trying new (or new-to-me) products on the market, and when I encounter something that could be useful to others, I like to share.

    Read the rest of this entry »

    Filed under: Miscellaneous foodie stuff, New Food, Uncategorized, alcohol
    Tags: Gourmet on the Go, St. Dalfour
    2 Comments
  • 16Oct

    Mountain Pies

    When I was 16, my parents took me on a European tour. It was one of those bus tours, where you travel with a bunch of people for two weeks from place to place. We hit London, Paris, Lucerne, Venice, Florence, and Rome. I wish my palate had been more sophisticated then, because that’s a foodie’s dream. But, since I was only 16, don’t expect some European food manifesto.

    Read the rest of this entry »

    Filed under: Miscellaneous foodie stuff, New Food, Regional foods, Road food, Uncategorized
    Tags: Beau Jo's, mountain pie, New York pizza, pizza, prairie pie
    No Comments
  • 28Aug

    Kasha and Knishes

    Hi, gang. First thing’s first: I want to remind all my fellow writers out there that there are only a few days left to submit to Skulls and Crossbones, the female pirate anthology. Quick, polish up those stories and send them in!  Make sure to follow the guidelines and send them to pirateanthology@gmail.com.

    Read the rest of this entry »

    Filed under: About Food, Ethnic food, New Food, Recipes, Regional foods, Uncategorized, cooking
    Tags: kasha, kasha and bows, kasha and bowties, kasha varnishkes, knish, Yonah Schimmel's knish bakery
    1 Comment
  • 15Aug

    There’s Always Something New

    Hi, all. This past month has been a constant sampling of new and differennt foods and beverages (well, they’re new to me). Just this past week alone, I tried two jars of salsa that I picked up in Virginia. They were locally made and there was nothing in them but fresh produce and some cane sugar. One of them was a vidalia onion-peach salsa that was absolutely fantastic. The other was a summer garden salsa, with all sorts of minced veggies in it. It was such a treat to eat something that wasn’t filled with preservatives and all kinds of things that I can’t pronounce, and I was glad to support a small business.

    Read the rest of this entry »

    Filed under: Ethnic food, New Food, Recipe Tests, Regional foods, Uncategorized, baking, cooking
    Tags: Ancient Harvest, buckwheat, buckwheat raspberry cake, buckwheat raspberry muffins, celiac disease, DeBoles, gluten-free, local products, Lundberg, Russian soda, sun-dried tomatoes, Tinkyáda, wheat sensitivity, wheat-free
    2 Comments
  • 02Aug

    Muffulettas, Beignets and Throwed Rolls

    Hi, everyone. Just got back from a two-week road trip Friday afternoon. My fellow road warrior, Andi Marquette, and I hit 14 states!  We started in Colorado on Sunday, July 19, headed southeast through Oklahoma and  Texas, then drove along the Gulf Coast through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, then down to Orlando by Thursday for a writers’ conference. (Andi, by the way, won an award for Best Mystery Novel.) On Sunday, we headed farther south to Ft. Lauderdale to visit a couple of friends of mine, then hit the road again on Tuesday, heading north. We went through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and finally New York.

    The adventure begins…

    Read the rest of this entry »

    Filed under: About Food, Ethnic food, Food History, New Food, Regional foods, Road food, Uncategorized
    Tags: beignets, Cafe du Monde, Central Grocery, chicory coffee, deep-fried peanuts, Gulf Coast, Lambert's Cafe, New Orleans, Road food, throwed rolls
    No Comments
  • 19Jun

    Using Ingredients in Unusual Ways

    Hi, gang. I’ve been a cooking fool lately. I am determined to finish the testing of the recipes for my cookbook-in-progress within the next few months. I don’t have a full-time job, so if not now, when?

    Part of this testing is about stepping outside of my comfort zone and cooking with ingredients and methods that I am not accustomed to (i.e., that I grew up with). And since I’ve been working on this book since 2002, I’ve been doing that for quite some time. So, I really think nothing of taking an ingredient and using it in an usual way.

    Let me explain…

    Read the rest of this entry »

    Filed under: Cooking Tips, Culinary Experiments, Ethnic food, New Food, Recipe Tests, Uncategorized, cooking
    Tags: bunuelos, cheese patties, pear soda, skulls and crossbones, unusual products
    1 Comment
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    • Spinach and Potato Pie
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