Magical Munchies

Um I hope Mrs. Weasley's looked tastier...

Wow, I've been slacking on this little project. I can't believe I haven't posted in almost a month. Whoopsie.  -_-

Anyway, for my first post of July, I thought it fitting to shout out one of my favorite things that is not food - Harry Potter! What with the last movie coming out in a week and July being Harry's birthday month and all, I must say my Potter fever has spiked once again.

One of the aspects of the books that always interested me was, of course, the food. Both the dishes and the preparation seem like so much fun in the Wizarding world. I have very little experience with British fare, so even some of the commonplace, more "Muggle" items - such as treacle tart - seemed exotic. I know that I am not the only one who dreams of being invited to a Hogwarts feast one day. Loads of fantastic food miraculously appearing on the table? Yes, please. Who wouldn't want to grab a pint of Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks if given the chance? And let's not forget about everything in Honeydukes'! (Well, perhaps not the cockroach clusters or acid pops.) Maybe it's a good thing that I didn't go to Hogwarts. I would have eaten myself to death.

Food is magical and I think it was very astute of J.K. Rowling to portray it as such.

Imagine the culinary creations one could produce if chopping could be done by a charmed knife, if all the prep work was as easy as a flick of the wand? Wow. No wonder Molly Weasley could produce giant Golden Snitch birthday cakes at the drop of a wand.

Sigh. Back to the real world. So does anyone know of any good (preferably casual, inexpensive) places for British food in New York? I want to knock another item off of my culinary to-do list! A few months back, I did some online hunting for an appropriate place to celebrate the release of the last film, but I didn't have too much luck. Recommendations, please!

Hmm, time to look up a recipe for that treacle tart, as well....

Boogie-Down BBQ

I'm sizzlin'.

Is there anything better than gorging on copious quantities of freshly barbequed meats? I doubt it.

Even though I've been struck down with a dreaded summer cold, I dragged myself off to my beautiful Bronx buddy's much anticipated barbeque yesterday. Worth it? Totally! Three drumsticks, a hot dog (Yes, I finally got one!), an ear of grilled corn, several globs of guac, a mountain of macaroni salad, numerous watemelon chunks and one rib later and I could still go for some more bbq. Sigh.

Living in an apartment, I rarely get the chance to grill anything. Anyone out there have any tips for getting great grill flavor in the confines of the great indoors?

Dirty Dog cont'd

Okay, I know this Anthony Weiner's wiener business is being beaten to death, but I have two more cents to add to my previous weenie post. I still haven't had that effin' hot dog yet, by the way.

Ooops! You caught me without my bun on.

Actually, these were BF's two cents and I thought they were brilliant. They happen to go very well with my business idea, too. He thinks that - should I, Mr. Weiner, or anyone ever follow through with the Weiner's Weenies hot dog/ sausage shop - there should be a special combo meal.

The "Anthony" combo: one kosher wiener sans bun, of course, and a (preferably white) Magnum*.

Genius, yes?

Honestly? Would you be too grossed out or too shy to order something like that if it were a legitimate offering at an actual place? Or would you shout out loud and proud for your wiener?




*Please note that in this case, Magnum refers to an ice cream bar, not a prophylactic device for large weenies. We're dirty, but we're not that dirty.

F Words Are Fun Words: Fish, Fiestas, Friends, Food

Fish

My girl and purveyor of wisdom, Trish J, was sweet enough to mention me in her latest food-themed post! Her mouthwatering pictures really got me hankering for some good fish (being the good little penguin I am). Then, I realized I've been meaning to blabber about some recent seafood meals anyway. You read my mind, Trish.


Last Friday, I finally had the pleasure of dining at Astoria seafood staple Taverna Kyclades, courtesy of my Auntie. Scratch another item off of my culinary to-do list! After passing the perpetually poppin' restaurant literally twice a day for four years of my life and also hearing tons of good things, my expectations were high.

I have to say, the food didn't disappoint. Everything was plentiful, super fresh, delicious and no-frills. Their simple preparations really let the quality of the fish shine through. I had grilled calamari and stole chunks of red snapper, broiled sole and stuffed sole from my meal mates. Yum! Plus, we happened to be fortunate enough to dine curbside on a beautiful evening. Seafood is one food that I especially associate with warm weather - I think outdoor dining and grilled seafood were meant to be. I wish there were more neighborhood seafood places of this caliber...

Is it me or is an affordable, quality seafood experience a rarity in New York? Having spent many summer vacations along the New England coast, I find myself longing for the abundant seafood shacks. Isn't it such a shame that a city whose establishment rested on the laurels of its harbor now has so few local sources for fish? The destructive powers of people are great, huh? I long for the day when we people find a way to keep up with our own destructiveness. Then, there will once again be healthy fisheries in New York's waterways and I can pig out!


Speaking of seafood and pigging out, that is just what I did with some Ethiopian shrimp tebsi this past Friday. Ethiopian cuisine is admittedly not something I'm very familiar with. In fact, this was only my second shot at it. So far, I've enjoyed it, but I can't say I'm exactly comfortable with some of the sour notes in the flavor profile yet. It's growing on me, though.

The communal manner in which the food is served on a giant platter is pretty fabulous. I know that's a bit of culture shock for many of us westerners. Unlike my friend, the aforementioned Trish J (who is a bit of a germophobe), I didn't have much trouble adjusting to eating with my hands off of one big plate. A communal plate seems natural if you're with loved ones and perfect for building bonds over the meal. Not to mention fewer dishes! Amen!


Fiestas

I know this isn't a new revelation, but I must say it just isn't a party without some kind of good food.

Celebrating my friend's birthday (with the Ethiopian food) and attending a Yelp Elite Event this past week have really brought that point home to me. While the very casual dinner we had wasn't really a "party," good food and good company meant a great time. On the other hand, the lounge opening I attended suffered quite a bit because there wasn't a lot of good food - portions were small and quality mediocre. The event could have been epic with more munchies.

Promoters and planners take note. Dancing up a storm does require fuel, after all!


Friends

(Sorry if this is starting to sound like Sesame Street.) Rounding out my "f" themed post, I have to shout out my friends and all friends the world over! Good company really does enhance a meal like no fine wine or exotic spice ever could.