Apparently there’s been some clamoring (a groundswell, really) on my blog that I finally get on with the food. Well, I guess it’s time to start.
First, some notes about me and food. I really like it. Eating, cooking, discovering new recipes, and reading about new restaurants (and sometimes visiting them, too.) But I am hardly an expert in cooking or baking, and nor do I have a discriminating or critical palate. But I hope to take what I have absorbed from other examples of food writing, and do my best to get my point across (you know, like, “this tasted awesome!” or “you must make this”).
Now, living where I do, I am fortunate to be exposed to one of the world’s most incredible food scenes (Singapore, Tokyo, San Francisco, and Paris among others). Basically, this place is obsessed with food, and with the food trends that sweep through at the whim of changing seasons, chefs, real estate development, fad diets, or even the tides of the economy. And I do get caught up in these, as any hip observer of the NYC food scene would. I can tell you that banh mi sandwiches are on their way out, cupcakes are so last decade, and that while Southern-style home-cooking is very in, fried-chicken may have jumped the shark. And being New York, there will always be hot dogs and coffee shops, burgers and pizza, high-end Italian and French cooking, and Chinese take-out.
But between the standard fare and the fads, remain an overwhelming diversity and, especially, density of cuisine. I am left wondering where to spend my hard-earned dollars when I have the opportunity. Sometimes, I just wander and find something. But I also maintain a scrapbook of restaurants and eateries that I wish to try. Needless to say, very few have been tried and checked off.
Sometimes I consult “best-of” lists and “ultimate” cuisine guides. I’ll admit, I like that someone else has gone to the trouble of trying all the crap and pointing me in the direction of the most worthwhile experience. I know, I know; trial and error is supposed to be fun, and I should enjoy the journey rather than just skip to the end. And then there’s the fact that someone else’s opinion won’t necessarily jive with mine (but it almost always influences mine, a habit I need to break.) I get all this.
But I have begun my own personal food quests, though often guided. I’m still after the best tacos (running the gamut from Hoboken to Brooklyn) and falafel (though I haven’t worked on this in a while); I’m partly through a list of the city’s best ramen joints (a salty and delicious journey I’m excited to continue now that fall is here); street carts and gourmet food truck still very much intrigue me, and I’m currently conducting a survey of the best coffee in the Flatiron district. I’ve had many a burger and way too many fries, but I really haven’t gone after those other iconic New York foods: pizza and bagels (although I do of know a place). And then there’s seeking out the absolute best cheap dumplings in Chinatown, or the best brunch ... I could go on.
Oh, and I like to cook. Though I really haven't had much time for that lately. I think I made some biscuits and eggs last weekend, and some roasted smashed potatoes last night, but ... that's about it. And while they were good and simple, they weren't exactly blog worthy (that and I forgot to take pictures.) So until I get back in the kitchen, I have for you some of my recent eating experiences.
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