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From Serious Eats

Disappointing Peanut Donuts at Mister Donut in the Philippines

The PB&J doughnut at Doughnut Plant (LES in NYC). Oodles of peanut-y goodness via the peanut butter glaze and sprinkling of crushed peanuts. Plus you get the added bonus of delicious handcrafted blackberry jelly with every bite. So. Darn. Good. But you probably knew all of this already, fellow New Yorker!

From Serious Eats

Win Tickets to the Los Angeles Vendy Awards

Another vote for TAIPEI! Already mentioned as some of the favorites: stinky tofu and "blood pudding" on a stick. Also the plethora of condiments for shaved ice, most notably the fresh mango with sweetened condensed cream. And scallion pancakes... I'd take that 20 hour plane ride in a second for a Taipei street cart scallion pancake! Or the rice balls filled with shredded pork... or the soy milk soup with silken tofu and peanuts... For around-the- clock availability, and the sheer multitude of delicious food choices, Taipei, Taiwan wins hand's down (at least in my book).

From Serious Eats

Guide to Essential Kitchen Hand Tools, Part 2

Yes! Thank you Kenji for the chopsticks mention in your second installment of kitchen tool essentials (although, since I started using mine, they quickly became a top 5 kitchen tool essential). For those who haven't mastered the art of the long sticks, it may be worth your while to practice. They become an extension of your hand. Imagine the precision of being able to pick up or maneuver screaming hot foods around with your fingers... this is the benefit of using cooking chopsticks. Plus, it's so badass! (Though be warned: once you start using them, you may find it difficult to work without them!)

From Talk

Sheep's milk in NYC

@patrickamory, if you are at wit's end and must have sheep's milk butter ASAP, you can always try online: http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=409191

Outside of Manhattan, sheep's milk products run abound in Astoria (Queens), which has a large Greek population. Titan Foods gets high marks from Yelpers: http://www.yelp.com/biz/titan-foods-inc-astoria

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From Serious Eats

AZN Connoisseur answered "Gruyere" to What Kind of Cheese Do You Like on Grilled Cheese?

Recent Quizzes

From Serious Eats

AZN Connoisseur got 44% correct on How Much Do You Know About Chocolate?

From Serious Eats

AZN Connoisseur got 100% correct on How Much Do You Know About Cheese?

From Serious Eats

AZN Connoisseur got 87% correct on How Much Do You Know About Breakfast Foods?

From Serious Eats

AZN Connoisseur got 40% correct on How Much Do You Know About Food TV and Its Personalities?

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Recent Comments

From Serious Eats

Disappointing Peanut Donuts at Mister Donut in the Philippines

The PB&J doughnut at Doughnut Plant (LES in NYC). Oodles of peanut-y goodness via the peanut butter glaze and sprinkling of crushed peanuts. Plus you get the added bonus of delicious handcrafted blackberry jelly with every bite. So. Darn. Good. But you probably knew all of this already, fellow New Yorker!

From Serious Eats

Win Tickets to the Los Angeles Vendy Awards

Another vote for TAIPEI! Already mentioned as some of the favorites: stinky tofu and "blood pudding" on a stick. Also the plethora of condiments for shaved ice, most notably the fresh mango with sweetened condensed cream. And scallion pancakes... I'd take that 20 hour plane ride in a second for a Taipei street cart scallion pancake! Or the rice balls filled with shredded pork... or the soy milk soup with silken tofu and peanuts... For around-the- clock availability, and the sheer multitude of delicious food choices, Taipei, Taiwan wins hand's down (at least in my book).

From Serious Eats

Guide to Essential Kitchen Hand Tools, Part 2

Yes! Thank you Kenji for the chopsticks mention in your second installment of kitchen tool essentials (although, since I started using mine, they quickly became a top 5 kitchen tool essential). For those who haven't mastered the art of the long sticks, it may be worth your while to practice. They become an extension of your hand. Imagine the precision of being able to pick up or maneuver screaming hot foods around with your fingers... this is the benefit of using cooking chopsticks. Plus, it's so badass! (Though be warned: once you start using them, you may find it difficult to work without them!)

From Talk

Sheep's milk in NYC

@patrickamory, if you are at wit's end and must have sheep's milk butter ASAP, you can always try online: http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=409191

Outside of Manhattan, sheep's milk products run abound in Astoria (Queens), which has a large Greek population. Titan Foods gets high marks from Yelpers: http://www.yelp.com/biz/titan-foods-inc-astoria

From Talk

Is Worst Cook in America the Worst Show in America?

How to Boil Water was a better show, on basically the same premise.

This show just highlights the horror that FN has become. The network continues to lose any educational content it may still have left by the second. It's all ratings-hungry sensationalism geared toward the lowest common denominator. The only reliably decent cooking shows on television are on PBS.

It's incredibly disheartening that such a broad-reaching network station wouldn't try a bit harder to bring food education into the homes of Americans. A popular cable network is a great vehicle to do some societal good, to get people excited about cooking and preparing their own foods using fresh and healthy ingredients.

Admittedly, I take it too personally, but early FN actually helped inspire me to become serious about cooking in the first place. Now, the only reason I'll watch FN is if I want to elevate my blood pressure and start yelling at one of the moron celebrity chefs hawking their sodium- and fat-laden monstrosities (no thanks!).

Over course, I'm over-generalizing the negatives.. There are a couple decent humans left of FN. But they're most certainly in the fading minority.

From Talk

What is your stance on "tipping"?

I live in NYC and tip an amount that is double the tax (always rounding up to a whole dollar amount). Coins are tacky. Service jobs are hard, physical (and often emotional) work. I get genuinely nauseated when someone tips less than 15% for average to great service. At my favorite places, I have tipped 50%.

If you frequent a particular restaurant, tip well. It's worth every penny. Remember dining out is not just about feeding your face. It's an experience.

Don't try to justify your bad decorum. If you're too cheap to tip the recommended 18% pre-tax gratuity for decent service, for the love of gastronomy just go to supermarket and buy a frozen TV dinner.

From Serious Eats

Win a Free Organic D'Artagnan Turkey

Mark Bittman's Cranberry Relish with Orange and Ginger. Hand's down. Fresh ginger adds a modern spark to this unfussy classic that nothing else can.

From Serious Eats

What to Eat at the Jean-Talon Market in Montreal

You MUST try the squeaky cheese (aka Fromage en Grain) if you visit a Montreal outdoor market!! It squeaks quite loudly when you eat it! (And if you're a cheddar fan, you'll love the taste.)

From Recipes

Seriously Asian: Stir-Frying Vegetables

hooray! water spinach is my favorite vegetable of all time. i love the multitude of leafy greens to choose from in the Chinese supermarket... makes healthy cooking/eating a breeze on a hectic week night. thanks for the article!

From Recipes

How to Make Patbingsu (Korean Shaved Ice)

The first time I had shaved ice was in Taiwan. Shaved ice, lots of fresh mango, all drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. In oppressive heat, it's much more refreshing than ice cream. These days, manual ice shavers can be found in many of the Asian/Chinese supermarkets that carry housewares. I was so happy and surprised the first time I found one. Then I began to notice that most of my local (NYC) Asian-centric supermarkets carried them, I just hadn't been looking for them. They're usually hiding amongst the rice cookers. The manual one requires a lot of arm power, but it should only be about $20.

From Serious Eats

How to Make an Ice Cream Smore'wich

Frozen smores are another alternative. They are awesome, easy to make, and much less messy than the traditional smore. The non-campfire version as follows:

Take one graham cracker square (1/2 of a whole rectangular cracker) and put it on a microwave-safe plate. Place two squares of Hershey's milk chocolate on the cracker. Place one jumbo air-puffed marshmallow on top of the chocolate. Microwave for 20 seconds on high. (Chocolate will get melty, marshmallow will get enormous.) Immediately place another graham cracker square on top and gently press. If you can resist eating, put it (on its plate) in the freezer and freeze for at least an hour. Chilly deliciousness for around 75 calories. Yummm!

From Serious Eats

Mario Batali's Jarred Pasta Sauces

You can find the sauce online at www.cooking.com under Gourmet Foods > Sauces & Marinades > Pasta Sauces.

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: 'What We Eat When We Eat Alone'

Anything with less than three ingredients. In the summertime it could mean an 1/2 a fresh pineapple, a couple mangoes, a pint of strawberries. If I'm motivated enough to boil water, I'll eat half a bag of edamame. Two staple "meals" are oat cereal with dried fruit and nuts and a bowl of sticky rice with seaweed, wasabi and bonito sprinkles. Then there's always getting sushi delivered to the house...

From Recipes

A Tofu Throwdown: Lions Head Meatballs vs. Tofu and Orzo

Ugh pasta with tofu? This is a flavor combination that is neither compelling nor palatably inspiring. No matter how much vinegar or how many brine-based ingredients you throw into the mix. Also, pasta and tofu seems a bit of textural redundancy. The dish isn't even aesthetically pleasing!

I've been a huge fan of the addition of tofu to Chinese-style meatballs. It lightens the texture significantly and gives an overall cleaner taste to the dish. For a healthier version, instead of frying, you can also throw these same meatballs into a gently simmering (light) stock, broth or soup. However, I would suggest making them the size of golf-balls, or slightly smaller. Add a couple fistfuls of coarsely chopped Napa cabbage to the broth. You can sub out the pork for chicken, too.

Yum-- I think I know what I'm making for dinner tonight. Thanks Chichi!

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Polls

From Serious Eats

AZN Connoisseur answered "Gruyere" to What Kind of Cheese Do You Like on Grilled Cheese?

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Quizzes

From Serious Eats

AZN Connoisseur got 44% correct on How Much Do You Know About Chocolate?

From Serious Eats

AZN Connoisseur got 100% correct on How Much Do You Know About Cheese?

From Serious Eats

AZN Connoisseur got 87% correct on How Much Do You Know About Breakfast Foods?

From Serious Eats

AZN Connoisseur got 40% correct on How Much Do You Know About Food TV and Its Personalities?

See more quizzes by AZN Connoisseur »

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