By: tkonter
Bits & Bites, Cooking, Food for Thought, Restaurants/Bars, Uncategorized

What’s Cookin?

Even if it’s not totally warm, I refuse to bundle up in sweaters right now.

Grub

Tilapia taco bowl: Passover-friendly AND delicious
  • Restaurants:
    • What do we have to do to get this Krispy Kreme popcorn to the US? It’s currently available in the UK only, but I think it could give caramel corn a run for its money.
    • I think I’d want to eat out of a dog bowl no matter what, but I really want to eat at That’s My Dog Jr. now that I know this Alabama restaurant is totally run by teens, empowering them learn real world skills and to make good choices.
    • After a decade of [extremely successful] business, Milk Bar has renamed their famous crack pie the “Milk Bar Pie” because they realized the original name was a tad insensitive. This article by San Francisco Chronicle food critic, Soleil Ho, about the words she won’t use in restaurant reviews prompted the change and helps explain why it’s important. (I find her rationale for not using other words, like ethnic, equally interesting.) I don’t agree with everything she says, but it’s interesting, nonetheless.
  • Cooking:
    • This article could be life changing. I’ve never been able to make cacio e pepe (a favorite pasta dish) without the cheese clumping up. That’s pasta with parm and pepper. It’s not pasta with a parm and pepper sauce. This tip requires a food processor but is a very easy fix.

Food for Thought

Washington Square Park on a warm walk home
  • I always love when The Today Show brings authors on to discuss their fave books of the season. This time, they upped the ante with menus to match their top book picks.
  • Penguin Random House is starting a reward program and will give you credit regardless of where you buy your books. As someone who reads a lot of books (both Penguin/Random House and otherwise), this is big news.

Bits & Bites

A springy Passover table and my first time using our wedding China
  • I was so excited to learn that Ikea was opening in Manhattan and even more excited when I went to check it out over the weekend. I must admit, though, I was disappointed to learn that it’s a design/inspiration/concept store. You don’t actually walk out with anything. You can set up an appointment and they’ll help you design and order products based on your small NYC space. I was bummed I couldn’t pick up knick knacks or meatballs (my two favorite parts of the Ikea experience), but I was, indeed, inspired. This valet stand takes up little space but is super functional – and only $69! I’m pretty sure I’ll be ordering it this week for our guest room.
  • I’ve always been drawn to unique types of glass like milk glass or mercury glass and I’m recently into smokey glass. If you’re not a believer, perhaps this will make you one.