Friday, October 14, 2016

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Best Ramen places in NYC!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: A Pinch of advice that will add a lot of flavor to your life.

Best Ramen places in NYC!


Sofrito Lovers,

Eater.com has done it again: Another Best Ramen places in NYC List!  If I've said it once, I've said a thousand times, I love Eater.com's lists.  The ramen places eater.com has selected are amazing!  many of these places are renown for their food, service, and style; my favorite is Jin Ramen in Harlem!  I'm a huge fan of Ichiban, near Union Square, and Zundo-Ya, in the Lower East Side, as well!

Now that it's getting colder, it's time for hot delicious bowls of ramen!  Check out the list, choose a place, and enjoy an incredible bowl of soup!  Slurp away my friends, slurp away!  It's totally fine in Japan and in most Ramen places, but make sure you ask! You don't want to slurp yourself into an embarrassing situation! As always: Go taste for yourself! ¡Buen Provecho!


Sietsema’s NYC Ramen Heatmap: 28 Bowls To Try Right Now

by Robert Sietsema Oct 13, 2016, 4:33p


Despite the availability of chilled noodles at some ramen parlors during the summer, ramen remains a cold-weather dish for most of us. At Eater NY, we generally won’t touch it until we see the first squirrel scamper up a tree with an acorn, or the first tippler enter a bar wearing a sleeveless down vest. Anyway, summer is gone both officially and figuratively, and it’s time to throw away your bowls of poké and start dreaming about ramen.

Hard to believe it’s been three years since our last ramen heatmap, and the world of ramen — or New York’s version of it, at least — has undergone some startling changes. Not only have other forms of noodles exerted pressure on ramen (we’re thinking of the newly popular udon, in particular), but our sophistication where ramen is concerned has been growing, not only in quality and variety of the noodles and broths, but in forms of presentation as well. Whereas, in 2013 we could confidently recommend 12 spectacular bowls, we now offer more than twice that many for your delectation.

Note: Restaurants are listed based on geography; south to north through Manhattan, then north to south through New Jersey, Queens, and Brooklyn.


Thursday, October 13, 2016

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Tasting Video for Pocky!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: A Pinch of advice that will add a lot of flavor to your life.

Tasting Video for Pocky!

Sofrito Lovers,

Posted below is my first tasting video for the month of October, the theme is candy bars and snack foods!  Check out the video and see if I loved or hated Pocky!

Go taste for yourself!  ¡Buen Provecho!


Tuesday, October 11, 2016

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Rue La Rue Cafe

A Spoonful of Sofrito: A Pinch of advice that will add a lot of flavor to your life.

Rue La Rue Cafe!


Sofrito Lovers,

I love it when life gifts you with amazing experiences!  This afternoon, my partner David and I were walking down Broadway on our way to get lunch when we decided to check on the status of the Golden Girls themed cafe.  It's been under construction for months and we were curious to see how it's been progressing. As we looked around, we caught the attention of the cafe's owner Michael La Rue-best friend to the late great Rue McClanahan, Blanche Devereaux of The Golden Girls.  

Sweet, welcoming, and funny, Michael embraced us with a generosity and warmth that would've rivaled Rose Nylund's midwestern charm.  Michael gave us a tour of the main space, the basement, and allowed us to sample an INCREDIBLE vegan Kale Lasagna called "Sofia's 16-hour Lasagna." It was cleverly named after a lasagna dish featured on the show.  McClanahan was an animal rights supporter so Michael felt obliged to have a few vegan/vegetarian dishes on the menu!  

The cafe is FULL of McClanahan's artwork, costumes, Golden Girls memorabilia, her Emmy, and old furniture. If you're a fan of the Golden Girls series, then this cafe is your dream come true! I can tell already that Rue La Rue is going to be an interesting and unique addition to Washington Heights growing cafe/food scene!

Rue La Rue Cafe is scheduled to open sometime between the end of the month and the end of time-Michael's contractor's little joke!  We hope to see you all on opening night!  I'll be enjoying a slice of cheesecake and picturing myself in Sicily in the 1940s!

Check out Rue La Rue Cafe's Facebook page for the exact date for the opening night and as always...Thank you for being a friend!



Monday, October 10, 2016

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Decolonize your Diet!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: A pinch of advice that will add a lot of flavor to your life.

Decolonize your Diet!


Sofrito Lovers,

On Indigenous People's Day (Fuck Columbus Day!), I bring you an amazing book that everyone must read: Decolonize your Diet! Written by Luz Clavo and Catriana Esquibel, Decolonize your Diet is a cookbook, medicinal guide, and political analysis of how the colonization of the Americas distorted native diets.

I haven't read it completely, but I'm in love with it so far! I feel I have to share it with everyone, especially today! Let's honor our native heritage, by returning to our ancestors' diets, food, and spiritual wellness, it'll do a lot of us good! 

Check out some copy from their website!  Check out this book's incredible recipes!  Go taste for yourself! ¡Buen Provecho!  


Decolonize your Diet!


Decolonize Your Diet will walk with you as you reclaim your culture by sharing recipes, cooking techniques, and discussions of ingredients. We believe that food is medicine and we share information about the health benefits of ancestral foods, herbs, and teas. We encourage you to talk to your elders, relatives, and traditional healers in your community to learn from their wisdom and knowledge. We honor cultural knowledge by contributing what we know. We encourage you to do the same.