Forking Tasty

Fifth taste burger

Forgive the silence. I’ve been traveling and tasting for the last 10 days. Amongst my travels, without my macbook, (sigh, a nice break from my normal techno strapped reality) I landed in L.A. for one day. Having used all four of the standard tastes at excess in the proceeding travel locations, I thought it was time to explore the fifth, and somewhat new, taste at the aptly named Umami Burger. Ranked number three in the laist list of best gourmet burger in Los Angeles, I figured this would be…

Fresh Sliced in Greenpoint

You all know I love the retail resurgence in Greenpooint. Today Eastern District opened down the street claiming tasty beer and cheese. A bit too early for beer, I popped in to see if I could score a sandwich 4 hours into their official opening. Two were on the board. Beth took me through the specifics of each one. A cured ham and cheese sandwich was the first. The second, and my choice for obvious reasons (uhem-Anello with an “O”), was prosciutto with Salvatore of Brooklyn ricotta on fresh foccacia peppered with some kalamata olives. The shop has a full case of cheese, a pantry area with some jarred provisions and a beer/growler area at the back. On a quick look before my stomach told me to “Pay and go eat”, they seemed to live up to the beer and cheese description staying focused with relevant beer and cheese accoutrements. Some cheese knives, jams and jellies and a selection of hard to find imported six packs filled the freshly painted shelves. My favorite is that there were huge half wheels of cheese piled atop the glass case. That always begs a tasting.

Back to the sammie. It may sound simple and look a little skimpy BUT you’d be missing the point. The ingredients are pure and fresh. The prosciutto was just sliced, the cheese just made, the bread just baked and the olives seemed a day out of the brine as they added a delicious texture and taste to my snack. Needless to say I was pleased as punch. As I swallowed my last bite I realized the real excitement in Eastern District opening it’s doors, one of the largest selections of domestic cheese in Brooklyn only five blocks from my apartment. Having these options so close only means my kitchen will turn out even tastier dishes during the next REEL TASTY. This will certainly be a tasting winter.

KFC Double Down

With a name like that there was no need to craft a witty title to this post. When I first saw the commercial for this revolutionary new sandwich from Kentucky Fried Chicken…ohhh, sorry should I say Kentucky Grilled Chicken because…

Freshipes: Cathy Erway

I met Cathy last year at SXSW in Austin. She was speaking on a panel about how to be a successful food blogger. Interestingly enough, this was before Forking Tasty had launched. After the session I went up to introduce myself because I loved her blog, we had a mutual friend and we called the same borough home. Since that moment last March I have competed against her, cooked with her and ate next to her on various occasions.

Last week…

I Hate Recipes

But they are good for something. That something is new ideas. Recipes help me create new dishes, learn how to use new ingredients and find new cooking methods. As much as I say I never cook from a recipe I do still own several strategic cookbooks that help me get through a stumbling block when cooking. More on that in a future post.

Lately I have been given a few cookbooks because of this blog and my obvious love of food. I’ve decided that a nice way to say “Thank You” as well as learn some new methods is to try a recipe from the books I receive. Now this is not an open invite to start sending us books. My apartment, although spacious, still resides in NYC and space is at a premium. And, Ant lives on a ship. Even less room there. If you really must send us something, send a note and we will get you the address.

Of course a ‘lil series on this blog isn’t a series without a kitschy name. Just like “P.I.E. WITH” or “Forking Nasty” this series needs some playful nomenclature. I will start the series a little later today under the title; Freshipes. Get it? Fresh Recipes.