FoodiesTalk

Hiatus

2006-08-10T23:32:00.000-04:00

well it has been 4 months since we have posted here...I guess one could say "life got in the way". Summertime and we are enjoying the bounty of fruits and vegetables of Niagara County at the table. We will be ntertaining Saturday evening and will try Mario Batali's bean salad ( recipe in the September Food and Wine) using Tom Tower's green and wax beans along with homegrown basil.Another side will be "my mother's corn" as posted last year...corn from the eastern end of the county near Gasport. My fellow foodie will make the third side, cucumbers in sour cream.The main course comes all the way from Binghamton NY. Last month's high school reunion reacquainted me with Lupo's of Endicott and their famous spiedies...hunks of marinated lamb cooked on a skewer on the grill and removed from the skewer with a slice of fresh Italian bread !! Fresh berries in the triple berry pie for dessert courtesy of the Village bake Shoppe in Lewiston. All in all, a perfect summer outdoor dining menu.

Tsunami & KOI redux

2006-03-25T22:31:00.000-05:00

Anoither trip to KOI tonight and earlier this week to Tsunami again. George Bensen was playing at the Niagara Falls Casino and J Okun had reviewed KOI last night, so they were booked solid. Still, the pork dumplings and lemon flower soup were terrific and the fried whole fried crispy fish was just as it should be, whole and crisply fried. Tried the prawns in lemon grass sauce and enjoyed this dish very much. Tsunami scored big again with fabulous dim sum, a superb duck dish, butter fish and those delicious salt and pepper shrimp! Pan Asian food indeed is available here in WNY.
Margy

Fiamma

2006-03-24T11:24:00.000-05:00

My daughter Megan and her husband Brian celebrated her birthday recently at Fiamma, the new steak house at Hertel and Starin.pretty Her husband ranked it right up there, but not as good as Maloney and Porcelli(NYC), his favorite. She said, "The steakhouse name is kind of misleading as their seafood selections are pretty extensive and the steak section isn't that vast. Some things were heavenly - the caesar salad was excellent and the parmesan hashbrowns were eyes-roll-back-in-your-head good. Service was friendly but professional and the atmosphere is good though a little martini bar cheesy with some clientele to match. Overall I'd give it an 8 to 9 and would definitely go back."

There you go...since this location has been the home of at least 6 restaurants that I know of, we wish them luck and longevity !! Margy

Egg Soup and Black Pepper

2006-03-19T12:23:00.000-05:00

My fellow Foodie's sister in law Maureen Toohey was kind enough to bring me a gift, black pepper from Trader Joe's in Cleveland. She had been telling me about this pepper for a long time and now I know why -- it's absolutely wonderful. Pepper? Just black pepper? Yes. I can't tell you why exactly but the taste is so outstanding (the bottle/grinder label says it comes from Malaysia) that once I tasted it, all I could think about was cooking dishes that used a lot of freshly ground pepper. I told Maureen about trying the pepper on my scrambled eggs and how it was so heavenly. She then asked me if I ever had "egg soup". I had no clue what she meant, but after she described it...soft boiled or poached eggs in a cup with bits of buttered toast and lots of salt, and black pepper, I tried it immediately. What pure comfort food--simple, basic, always have them in the house ingredients that made breakfast on the weekend very special. The first time I tried it with buttered toast bits, the second time with toasted English Muffin bits, and today--toasted "Everything" bagel bits. This was amazingly delicious, the combination of the soft, eggy liquid with lots of pepper and the seeds and flavoring of the bagel. Egg soup and black pepper, reading the paper, in my sweats--it doesn't get any better than that. Vicki

FoodiesTalk

2006-03-18T13:04:00.000-05:00

Food wishes...I wish I could order from Trader Joe's on line. Or, if not that I wish they would open a store in Buffalo. Then I could buy as much black pepper as I wanted.

Oscar Night

2006-03-08T20:53:00.000-05:00

Tried a new recipe for the Sunday night festivities: Wolfgang Puck's beef brisket braised with wine, apricots and beef broth accompanied with carmelized pearl onions. Oooooh Eeeee, it was wonderful. I served it with buttered noodles and a salad. It made a really nice dinner and had an Eastern European taste..almost like a Hungarian ghoulash.
Lots of left overs and enough for fellow foodie Vicki.
Margy

A New Gadget

2006-03-05T13:38:00.000-05:00

Recently stopped by the Panhandler on Elmwood which is kitty corner to the new Lexington Coop. It is a great little store which despite its size carries lots and lots of neat kitchen and cooking items...almost a miniature Sur la Table !!

Anyway, picked up a new item ie gadget: the foodloop. Made of HOTSPOT silicone which can withstand temps up to 675, the loops (there are 6 in a package) can be wrapped around a beef tenderloin to even it out,truss a bird or hold together fresh asparagus for steaming. The foodloop is designed to replace toothpicks and string in the kitchen. One end of the loop can attach to the rest of the loop at any point along the length. This item was featured on the HGTV show "I Want That". With the food loop's hot pink color there is no danger of eating it!!

Great little gift for the chef who has everything...inexpensive, comes with a storeage bag and is dishwasher safe...made in CHINA of course.
Margy

Rumor has it......

2006-03-04T22:53:00.000-05:00

Plans for the Ruth's Chris Steak House that was slated to go into the Walden Galleria area have been scrapped. Now they are talking PF Changs or a Cheesecake Factory. Either one of these would be an excellent addition to our local chain cuisine. Personally, I'd like to see a PF Changs. I love their lettuce wraps and their shrimp dishes. The closest one for us is at the Eastview Mall near Victor. My daughter heard this from a friend who works for Benderson. Am trying to verify and get more info.. stay tuned.
Margy

KOI

2006-03-02T22:30:00.000-05:00

We ate or should I say dined at KOI last evening...it is one of the three new restaurants in the new Seneca Niagara Casino Hotel. The hotel is the building with the big feather on top just across the street from the Seneca Niagara Casino.

Koi, billed as Pan Asian, is very attractive and with attentive service including hot towels to start off to cleanse the hands. The best part, though, is the food..well prepared and very fresh authentic Chinese cuisine. Although the menu is not as large as most Chinese spots, what they do serve is great.

The other two new restaurants are La Cascata and Three Sisters Cafe. The menus for each are on line at www.senecaniagaracasino.com

ENJOY !!

Margy

Tsunami

2006-02-09T22:52:00.000-05:00

Great food and a wonderful birthday celebration for the spouse last Saturday. The spider rolls, ahi tuna and salt & pepper shrimp were awesome; the dim sum outstanding. Great wine list as well...only complaint: hard to read the wine list on the blue paper with the dim lighting. Happy Birthday to Mom. MMT

Jack's Oyster House in Albany

2006-01-25T20:06:00.000-05:00

Had the opportunity to dine there Monday night..always a favorite hang out for the pols in town, it hadn't changed much since I was last there a few years ago. Food was excellent and wines quite decent. I was part of a group that hosted a small pre dinner cocktail party and the passed hors d'oevres were tasty, elegant and interesting and perfectly sized for just a mouthful eg slivers of focaccia, very mini crab cakes, tiny tenderloin curls, peppered goat cheese on toasts and lightly wrapped shrimp cones !! MMMM.
Dinnner was a trio of snapper, scallops and shrimp perfectly prepared. Others who went with the rib eye steaks said they were out of this world. Can't wait to go back.
Margy
PS A companion had a chocolate dessert that was probably the best I have ever tasted although I shared a cheesecake with another companion that was very nice.

Medifast aka Take Shape for Life

2006-01-25T19:58:00.000-05:00

For all of you out there who are battling to lose the extra pounds gained from over indulging during the holidays, please feel free to join me as I work off a lot more than holiday poundage on the above "diet". I joined up with this program after witnessing very dramatic results on several friends. Essentially you eat 5 of their "meals" and one of your own "lean and green" each day. The supplies can be purchased online at www.medifast1.com or at other retail outlets...eg I can buy the products at the Pine Pharmacy on Pine Ave in Niagara Falls. It is fairly simple and kind of a no brainer and the food is certainly OK. You should be able to find some things that you like and make you feel full. Not too pricey either.I'll keep you posted on my results, but I alread know that in just under 2 weeks, I have lost 5-10 pounds...without exercising !! Margy

Christmas party food

2005-12-20T22:40:00.000-05:00

Well, let's see I have attended 8 parties this year and the best food thus far has been at Tiddlybinks aka the Niagara Club for Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. They served true finger food eg chicken satay, beef tenderloin roll ups, mini egg rolls etc, plus an excellent cheese and crudite display. There was enough to eat and when done with a couple of glasses of wine and 2 mini plates of food, we arrived home and weren't hungry. So often, we are unsatisfied and crave something else...it was refreshing to feel full and not need anything else to complete the evening. Just a comment.

Did have some excellent cheese varieties from Wegmans at It Happened to Alexa drop in.

Margy

PS Will see how dinner at Hutchs tomorrow unfolds

Margy's Mother's Rice

2005-10-29T20:22:00.000-04:00

At the suggestion of my fellow Foodie I made a rice dish tonight that was very "fifties" but absolutely delicious and so simple. As much as we complain -- about the lack of time to cook, too rushed, haven't gone shopping, and any other excuse we can think of -- there really is no excuse not to make this dish. Just keep the following ingredients in your house: Uncle Ben's Converted Rice (not instant), a can of Campbell's Beef Consomme (not beef broth), an onion, and butter. That's it. It took me exactly eight minutes to prepare and then it just cooked itself merrily for the next twenty minutes.

Heat 1/2 stick of butter, add one cup of rice and stir until lightly browned, add 1/2 C chopped onion and continue to saute until softened and lightly browned, add one can of Beef Consomme and 2-1/2 cups of water, stir, bring to a boil, lower the heat, do NOT cover, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed. It should take about 20-25 minutes. I added no salt as it was unnecssary due to the consomme.

I served my rice with a grilled strip steak and fresh steamed green beans. Simple, easy, and absolutely heavenly. Margy and I always laugh about our Mom's old fashioned recipes as compared to the exotic and sophisticated recipes found in today's cookbooks and magazines. But, amusing or not, they were always comforting, easy to make, and delicious.

Ellicottville

2005-10-29T16:40:00.000-04:00

Drove to PA early this am to visit a friend and on our return, Tim and I enjoyed a marvelous burger and a "brewski" sampling at EBC...the Ellicottville Brewing Company. Owner Peter Kriendler has a lovely establishment and micro brewery there with two different sizes of "to go" jugs..great idea for a party. Had a nice chat with Norm Koch of the old-line brewing family; loved the Octoberfest brew. The trip included some Kevin O'Connell style "leaf peeping". At the south side of Springville, stopped at Tom's BBQ joint and sampled the pulled pork. Bought a pound to bring home and now I wish it were two !!

Wall Street Journal

2005-10-16T15:12:00.000-04:00

Since the Journal started their Saturday edition just one month ago, we've enjoyed the recipes provided in the "Pursuits" section. Keeping with our love affair of Mexican, last week we enjoyed Emeril's kicked up comfort food "Cowboy Casserole". This week we are trying the Barefoot Contessa's "Cheddar Corn Chowder". The recipes, usually are fairly simple, easy and obviously, season appropriate. A shopping list as well as from the pantry list is included...Great idea.. you can find these on line, too. Margy

Bandanas

2005-10-10T19:20:00.000-04:00

There is a hidden treasure in Youngstown, Bandanas. Rob Kudel, former chef at Cozumel on Elmwood in Buffalo presides over the kitchen with great results. Stopped in the other night to catch the end of the baseball game and tried a quesadilla and some waffle fries (homemade). Delicious. Rob and his wife Melissa own the place and have built up a nice business there. Check it out at 930 Lake Rd around the corner from Niagara Frontier Country Club. PS Sundays, he does Mexican and calls it "Fiesta Sundays".

Zettis

2005-10-02T14:20:00.000-04:00

Finally, hubby and I were able to get there...after the early show of "The Aristocrats" (which by the way was extremely funny, but would have been funnier if there were more than 6 people in the audience). Zetti's is basically across the street (plaza) from the Amherst theater. We spoke to the owner who by now is on a first name basis with both Alan Bedenko and Mark Criden, fellow Buffalo Spree writers. This is definitely a food writer's paradise as one can wax eloquently about their amazing menu and varieties of NY style pizza. We ordered to go: garlic knots; a sausage, pepper and onion roll; slices of pepperoni(spicy) and mushroom, cheese, and white garlic with cheese pizza...the food stayed warm all the way to Lewiston and we enjoyed a mini feast!!!! For the 2nd or 3rd time on this blog, we highly recommend this gem of a restaurant with take out and a new dining room. Margy

Great food in Lewiston

2005-09-26T22:22:00.000-04:00

Takeout dinner for 15 tonight from Carmelos on Center Street in Lewiston...Carmelo's foccacia with gorgonzola and carmelized onions...love those carmelized babies. Next the Carmelo's salad with the little "yam sticks" and his awesome dressing. And the main course Vodka Penne with chicken. Oh my it was good...kept going back for just a little bit more. To finish off the night, we decided on a fun dessert. A sundae bar with a base of Hibbard's vanilla custard, soft pack...mmmmmm good.

The Rue

2005-09-26T22:00:00.000-04:00

Since I last wrote, enjoyed a birthday celebration for our daughter's 21st...at the Rue. They had just reopened after a 3 week hiatus. It never ceases to please...food, ambience, service and wine list and to be greeted with familiarity. Our family had a thoroughly enjoyable leisurely meal start to finish and how kind of our publisher and his wife to gift us with a fine bottle of wine !! Oh yes, the Rue..

Mexican

2005-09-19T20:22:00.000-04:00

Vicki and I are having a fun time doing Mexican...we have so much information to impart... Amazing how many new Mexican places have sprung up in the last year. Holy Guacamole !!

Lupitas

2005-09-13T23:28:00.000-04:00

Question for all of you Mexican food lovers, in particular, you, Mark...is is true that this cute little Mexican place on Connecticut St is only open until 6PM??? Arrived tonight at 6:50 and found it closed. Margy

Really really thin pizza

2005-09-03T23:12:00.000-04:00

We just had the clam foccacia at La Hacienda on Pine Avenue in Niagara Falls. If you like thin, New York style pizza, run, don't walk to this long standing restaurant. A favorite for many years, after you've tried their pizza dreams of thin crust will dance in your head. The clam pizza was thin, crisp, spicy, and perfect. vm

Zetti's

2005-08-31T15:29:00.000-04:00

Attended a meeting in Bflo last evening....food provided by Zetti's...oh my god, to die for. The chicken marsala was fabulous as was the pasta marinara and the eggplant roll ups were magnificent. Alan you are right on. This place is awesome. Highly recommend this spot!!

Toaster Ovens

2005-08-27T10:52:00.000-04:00

I have been using toaster ovens for over 40 years. As a matter of fact it was the toaster I received as a bridal gift. After the family grew I didn't use it for main meals, but it sure produced a wonderful melted cheese on a bagel for an instant snack. Now that I live alone I use it constantly for everything...meatloaf, baked fish, spaghetti parm, and yes, for toast. Apparently they are very sturdy appliances as I have had only three toaster ovens in the past 40 years.

Vicki

"Let them eat cake, chocolate of course"

2005-08-25T23:22:00.000-04:00

The title of our November Spree article...what fun we had last night testing and tasting 8, yes, 8 different delectable chocolate cakes from 8 different bakeries... Village Desserts, Dessert Deli, Village Bake Shoppe, Sweet Tooth, Quaker Bonnet, Delish, Carriage Trade Pasteries and Dolci. 15 women and 1 brave man as the tasting testers. This is a tough job, but someone has to do it !!!

Toaster Ovens

2005-08-25T23:12:00.000-04:00

This page was sent to you by: megan.toohey@gmail.com.

This is great - I NEVER used my real oven in Brooklyn - opting for the toaster oven
(Grammie Michel's no less) instead. I cooked nachos, shrimp with mozzarella (Atkins)
and gazillions of bagels, english muffins, french bread pizzas in that thing, RIP. I
now have a newer one but don't use it as much since I have a "real" stove/oven.
Anyway, this article is worth posting on the foodie blog, feel free to include this
intro. XO

August 24, 2005
No One Ever Slaved Over a Hot Toaster Oven
By MELISSA CLARK
A CONFESSION: Until recently, tucked between the latest-model ice cream maker and a high-tech juicer, sat the toaster oven I've had since college. A minimalist metal shoe box, it has gotten me through countless bagels and reheated spinach pies over way too many years. But if it hadn't been for a string of 90-plus-degree days with 90 percent humidity, I probably would never have bothered replacing it short of a natural crumby death.

But the weather, coupled with social obligations, made me reconsider this neglected appliance. Unlike a regular oven, a toaster oven doesn't heat up the kitchen. Thus I could do more than just make salad out of the cartloads of vegetables from the farmers' market week after week, and perhaps even attempt a summer fruit pie, without melting into a gelatinous puddle of sweaty misery.

Of course for any of this to be possible, my old college stalwart would have to go. Using it to cook things more involved than English-muffin pizza would require more sophisticated settings than the two it was capable of: barely hot enough to warm a bagel, and too hot to toast without burning the edges.

A little research revealed that toaster oven technology has come a long way since I graduated from college. For one, the capacity has grown. Without commanding that much more counter space, the new models are designed to hold up to six slices of toast or four chops or fish steaks, twice as much as my old one. The settings have gone upmarket, now including an array of different bake, roast, toast, broil and convection options - a whole lot more than my big oven.

These slick new toaster ovens are good-looking, too. The silver DeLonghi I ended up with has the spiffy glamour of a 1960's Aston Martin, albeit shrunken to kid-size proportions.

For me the diminutive size was the best part. Adorable and wee, it filled my childhood Easy-Bake oven void. With epicures for parents, I was encouraged to use the regular stove (under supervision), never "baking" a chocolate cake by the heat of a 100-watt bulb. My new toaster oven, several decades later, makes a good regressive stand-in. Two six-inch cake pans will just fit side by side, so a doll-size chocolate layer cake is definitely in my near future.

More immediately, though, was the dinner I planned. A midweek August meal for four, it needed to be something that was easy to do at the last minute and that took advantage of the season's fresh produce. Because like a regular oven, the toaster oven has precise temperature settings, I had many baking and roasting options. Did I want to roast vegetables like zucchini and eggplant under high heat, or slow-bake delicate items like Swiss chard flans or a batch of buttery shortbread flavored with fresh herbs (verbena, rosemary, lemon-thyme, or lavender)?

After some experimentation and with guidance from the galley proofs of "The Gourmet Toaster Oven," by Lynn Alley (soon to be published by Ten Speed Press), I realized that I could adapt many full-size-oven recipes to the toaster oven. Whole chickens, ducks and large meat roasts, of course, are out. Cut-up chicken parts, however, work nicely. And so do thick-cut chops and steaks, small whole fish and fish fillets. In produce, the key is to use vegetable chunks, not slices.

Given those limitations, I could prepare dinner comfortably for two to four but not really five or six. Or I could make part of a larger dinner in the toaster oven (such as shortbread, a pie, meatloaf or roasted garlic for pasta or roasted figs as part of a salad), and do the rest outside on the grill, on top of the stove, or even easier, via takeout.

After considering my usual roster of chicken, pork, steak and fish for a main course I picked up some veal chops because I wanted something slightly fancier than anyone might expect from a toaster oven. All I did was rub the meat with garlic, chipotle chilies, brown sugar and oil before broiling.

For a starter, the goal was to make something colorful, summery - and ahead of time. A mixed pint of red, yellow and gold cherry tomatoes just fit when they were spread out in the toaster oven baking pan, and I let them simmer slowly in garlic-scented olive oil until they shriveled and practically melted. Once they had cooled, I spooned them over herb-flecked fresh ricotta cheese and served the dish with crusty bread.

I chose zucchini as a side dish, to see if toaster-roasting would be a better option than sautéing, which often turns it mushy, or grilling, which can render it leathery and tough. High-heat roasting brought out the zucchini's sweetness and crisped the edges without drying it out. Chopped fresh mint and a shower of crumbled sheep's-milk feta made a savory and near-instant topping.

Choosing the dessert was tricky for someone as sweet-toothed as I am. There were too many options. I had ripe peaches that needed to be used up, but what to do with them? Cobbler? Pie? Crumble, crisp or a nice juicy tart? In the end, having run out of time, I took the simplest and quickest route, making roasted peaches with brown sugar, cinnamon and some shredded basil. I paired them with a healthy dollop of crème fraîche, but anything rich and creamy like ice cream, whipped cream or sour cream would be equally good.

One downside to the toaster oven is that, to make an entire meal in it, you must cook in batches. So I made sure that all the recipes for my little dinner party - save the veal - could be served warm or at room temperature. I cooked the cherry tomatoes earlier in the day and the zucchini just before my guests arrived. Then I stuck the veal in the oven while we inhaled the tomatoes and ricotta, and roasted the peaches while we ate the veal.

Did any of my guests notice that all the food was cooked in an oven smaller than a breadbox? Yes, and they were duly appreciative of the hot and satisfying meal eaten in my cool and comfortable kitchen. One friend even raised her wine glass in thanks. "To the DeLonghi," she said slyly, "for going beyond the usual toast."

Hear hear!

A Wedding Menu

2005-08-17T22:52:00.000-04:00

A recent wedding in Lewiston, NY, united in marriage, Margaret Williams, a marketing executive and Geoffrey Zakarian, the chef. The reception took place at Margaret's parent's home on Mountain View Drive in Lewiston, with the chef from Mark Hutchinson's "Tempo" presiding over the menu for the 200 plus guests.

Margaret's parents, Francis and Marie Williams, have a grand home and acreage on the escarpment overlooking the Village of Lewiston, with a spectacular view of Lake Ontario and Toronto. Margaret and Jeff included all of their friends from NYC in the wedding celebration and her parents ended up being unable to invite a number of their local friends and neighbors.

Hence, the dinner party my husband Tim and I attended at Tempo in Buffalo this evening. Fran and Marie invited 20 of us to enjoy the wedding menu replicated by the exemplary staff at Tempo. Greeted with a glass of champagne, we were assigned seats and began the first course of Maine lobster salad with local heirloom tomatos, avocado mousse and fragrant yuza vinaigrette. Accompanied by a Santo Margherita Pinot Grigio 2003, this fresh salad hit the culinary spot and represented all that a lightly dressed lobster salad should be.

Our second course, a rack of veal lacquered with herbs and spices was more than phenomonal in its tenderness and taste . Accompanied by a printaniere of summer sqauash and sweet onions, it was a perfect accessory to the first course, offering just enough weight to pleasantly fill us. Le Cupole Rosso Toscana 2002 accessoried the meat with a fragrant and light taste, but none the less, spectacular.

Last, but certainly, not least, our dessert which was created by chef Zakarian owner/chef of Town located in the Chambers Hotel in NYC and the soon to be opened Country in the Omni Hotel at Madison and 29th for his wedding dessert. A crisp cherry peach strudel with aged artisanal gouda and walnuts steeped in Greek honey, accompanied by a delightful and not overly sweet Nivole Michele Chiarlo, it capped off a pefect meal and a perfect evening.

Among friends, we open miked our good wishes to the bride and groom and their families as well as thanking our host and hostess for a lovely replication of a wedding meal. Celebrity chefs in attendance the night of the wedding, July 30, 2005, Portale, Batali and Flay, gave kudos to those in the kitchen. We offer kudos as well.

Margy

About the Corn

2005-08-14T16:02:00.000-04:00

One of the best dishes. It is impossible, unless you just don't like corn, not to want more of this delightful summer treat. Try it, you'll love it.

Vicki

My Mother's Corn

2005-08-14T15:07:00.000-04:00

Today I will make a very large casserole of what is commonly referred to by me as "My Mother's Corn". I am not certain why everyone loves this dish, but they do...This preparation can make even the toughest old corn at the end of the season taste divine! The concept involves taking either leftover corn on the cob from a few days past or cooking the fresh corn and either way, cutting it off the cob, remembering to scrape the cob wlth your knife to insure that all of the "milk and sugar" is freed from the cob.

The pile of kernels goes into a cast iron skillet along with a big, emphasis on big, glob of butter, lots of salt and pepper and finally enough whole milk to cover. Cook over medium low heat, stirring when the milk bubbles up and forms a slight crust over the corn. Continue cooking until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Season with hot pepper or whatever herbs appeal. My family prefers it plain. Enjoy...yum, yum.

Margy Toohey

A Foodie First

2005-08-14T13:34:00.001-04:00

We are excited to debut our blog! We are both writers for Buffalo Spree under the name "The Foodies". We love food and we love talking about food, preparing food and dining out. We look forward to sharing our passion about food of all kinds with you and welcome your suggestions, thoughts, and comments about our column and about anything that relates to food.

Vicki Marshall & Margy Toohey