The concept of cooking meat on an open fire likely started in prehistoric times. While that may be at the heart of the rich BBQ tradition, in the United States, the idea of BBQ is intimately associated with sauce. BBQ sauce recipes are among the most treasured secrets of restaurants and grill masters throughout the country. And regional variations in the makeup of sauce recipes are what give way to the age-old debate about where BBQ is best.
BB Farms
1418 Dryden Rd (Rt 366)
Ithaca NY 14850
607-347-4957
One benefit to living in Ithaca is the access to fresh locally grown produce in the summer. We are able to find fresh and delicious vegetables and fruits through the local farmers. While the Ithaca Farmers Market is very well known, a local gem that not as many people are aware of is BB Farms, located on the northeast edge of town across from NYSEG. They operate May to October, selling produce from several area farms. In May and June, they tend to sell more flowers (though they do have berries, potatoes, and other veggies), but by July they have some of the best melons, tomatoes, and peppers around. By August, they bring in their peaches, and these are ABSOLUTELY the BEST peaches we have ever had. EVER. Their prices are also unbeatable for most of their produce. . We went this past weekend, and we were lucky to find fresh snap peas, Ranier cherries, and green onions. I’m not exaggerating when I say the snap peas were the most tender and sweet we’ve ever had by a long shot.We highly recommend making a stop to check out their selection!
One of the reasons that I love Indian cuisine is that there is such a multitude of vegetables that are consumed. I love meat (and I love Indian meat dishes), but vegetables are a great accompaniment. Unfortunately, with American food and grocery stores, diversity in vegetables is somewhat hard to come by. And for this, I cherish trips home to my mom’s house. The last time I visited, my mom, Tricia, and I ventured out to one of the local Indian markets in central Massachusetts. In looking for vegetables for dinner, we came across a banana flower. This is a rare treat that is usually not found even in Indian stores around here. The banana flower is literally the flower that precedes the fruit of a banana tree. You can peel it and eat the heart and the bracts (the pods that will develop into banana fruits), which are absolutely delicious. The catch with a banana flower is that it is a bit of hassle to get the bracts and heart out. But Tricia and I made a team effort out of it and the end product was absolutely worth it!
Having heard so much about bahn mi, we were very excited to try it. We were definitely behind the curve on this one. After getting great advice from Yelp and friends on Chowhound, we settled on QT Vietnamese Sandwich as a good spot for our entrance into the world of the bahn mi. Great choice. This little hole in the wall in Market East turns out some fabulous sandwiches. Pickled vegetables, fresh jalapenos and cilantro, great meat (we tried the BBQ pork and the Vietnamese ham), and a lovely mayo and pate spread made this sandwich delicious. The crusty baguette made it one of our favorite picks in Philly. Oh, and while salivating over our memories of these sandwiches, we shouldn’t forget to mention that they have a nice selection of bubble teas, and we also really enjoyed their deep-fried fish balls. For a fast, quick, cheap, and incredibly tasty meal, QT is a great place to go in Philly!
Sweet Lobby
404 8th St SE
Washington DC 20003
202 544 2404
Sometimes planning ahead for food on your vacations is invaluable. And sometimes you just stumble onto an absolute gem. That’s what happened to us when we came across a microscopic store front called the Sweet Lobby on Capitol Hill. Packed with customers and emblazoned with stickers and flags indicating all kinds of awards, we knew right away that we’d better try what they had to offer. Turns out they make some of the most delicious French macaroons we’ve ever had. Oh, and their cupcakes rock. So good that they took home first place in Food Network competitions (Cupcake Wars and Cupcake Champions). Timothy, one of the competitors on those shows, was a fun guy to talk to, and we definitely think that you should try his cupcakes/macroons!
The Source
575 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Wahington DC, 20565
202-637-6100
Wolfgang Puck is an amazing chef. Trish and I have visited many of his restaurants, and we have never been disappointed. From the super-expensive steaks at CUT in Vegas to the simple pizzas at Wolfgang Puck Express in Orlando, we’ve loved everything we’ve ever gotten at Puck spots. On our recent trip to Washington DC, we were thrilled to find that Puck has a place in the city. Even more exciting: it was an Asian Fusion place that did dim sum every Saturday for brunch!
Char siu is quite possibly the most famous Cantonese dish of all. Literally meaning “fork roasted,” char siu is pork (usually shoulder) that is marinated in a sweet and thick blend of sauces and then roasted until it becomes crisp and almost candy-liek on the outside. Traditionally, char siu is made over a charcoal fire with large cuts from the shoulder (usually a 1/4 shoulder). For my recipe, I cut much smaller strips of pork and did the entire thing in the oven (although I may try the grill in the future). The smaller pieces actually worked out well, as they led to more of the crispy end pieces that are the most delicious. To be honest, I was pretty impressed with myself for making char siu – it was my first try and it came out delicious (and good to look at too)! For those that have only had char siu prepared at a Chinese deli, I think you’ll be impressed by how tasty and relatively simple it is when made at home.
Ok, this post is quite late but we figured better late than never, especially when the restaurant is a MUST-GO. So here it is…
For cinco de mayo, we, along with Siddharth’s parents, ventured into the busy city of Philadelphia for a Mexican brunch to celebrate the holiday. El Rey is another Stephen Starr restaurants (Check out our other reviews of El Vez and Continental Midtown) and we must admit, this is probably the best one we’ve to (high praise!).
An electric green crepe? How’s that for fun with food! The outrageous hue here is derived from pandan essence. Pandan essence comes from the leaves of the screwpine, which resembles but is not related to a palm tree. In Southeast Asian cusine (think Malaysian, Thai, Philipino), pandan is used similarly to vanilla in western food, imparting fragrance to desserts, drinks, and various dishes. The taste is difficult for me to describe, but I have to say I love it! In this dish, I added a few drop of pandan essence (found at a local Asin store – it is impossible to find actual pandan leaves here in Ithaca) to a basic crepe batter. I then made a sweet black sesame filling for the crepes. This is an incredibly easy recipe that produces an exotic looking and delicious dish in a short time and makes for a nice snack or breakfast item.
Pork tenderloin is a nice meat to work with because it cooks relatively quickly (due to its low fat content, it doesn’t need a long braise or roast), and if treated properly it is moist and delicious. It is also amenable to a variety of marinades and sauces. I decided to try and be fairly creative with my most recent preparation. Although unexpected by many, cocoa is known to compliment pork very well. I decided to make a cocoa-based dry rub for this recipe. For the “mocha” aspect, I paired the cocoa-rubbed pork with an espresso-based glaze. This was a fun recipe that ended up turning out really well. Give it a try!