A Spoonful of Sofrito: Just in Time for Winter, Three New Ramen-Yas Appear Downtown!

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

Just in Time for Winter, Three New Ramen-Yas Appear Downtown

 

Sofrito Lovers,

Eater.com never ceases to both amaze and tantalize me!  When I saw the title of the article below, I almost back flipped; I can't believe there are three more Ramen-Yas downtown!

Ramen-Yas are noodle shops where they serve traditional Ramen soup.  Now, to be clear, I'm not talking about those packaged sodium bombs that you can buy at your local bodega for $.50-which, I love too.  I'm talking about delicious bowls of artisanal soup that are carefully seasoned and masterfully prepared.  True Ramen doesn't cause your blood pressure to spike 5 points, it warms your tummy and makes you thank God you have working taste buds.  As you can tell, I'm a bit of a Ramen fan!

After reading this article, I'm eagerly planning out my visits to these three establishments!  I'm going to visit one this weekend and blog about it the minute I am done!  

Read the article and go taste for yourself! ¡Buen provecho!

Just in Time for Winter, Three New Ramen-Yas Appear Downtown

Eater's senior critic visits three new ramen restaurants below 14th Street

by Robert Sietsema, January 4, 2016

With over 50 ramen restaurants to choose from between the Battery and Central Park South, you’d have thought the market was totally saturated. And maybe you’ve even gotten a bit tired of the wiggly wheat noodles after close to 10 years of wildfire popularity. Well, that hasn’t stopped restaurateurs from throwing the dice a few more times in hopes of launching successful ramen joints, especially in such peak neighborhoods as the East Village and the Lower East Side, where the greatest concentration already lies. Some of the new hopefuls are actually Japanese chains that have slowly sprung into action, while others are motivated by some balky bankers, who’ve just figured out that cheap-to-produce noodles that can fetch $15 or $16 a bowl are a good bet, financially speaking.

Click here for the rest of the article!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Zomato the must have food App!

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

A Must have food app: Zomato!

Sofrito Lovers, 

Like any good foodie, I rely on cutting edge food apps to guide my culinary adventures through New York City.

On my IPhone 6, I have a file full of food apps I use on a daily basis.  Like most app fanatics, I tend to download one app only to delete it if I don't use it within weeks of its acquisition. Zomato, my favorite food app, has survived all of my file purges!

Zomato is easy to use and extremely informative! It features pictures, search functions, enables you to write reviews, and to check into wherever you are dining.  I think it's a useful tool for searching out local eateries!  Download it, use it, and enjoy!  ¡Buen Provecho!

Click here for your Zomato food app.

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Recipe for Saucy Pork Chops

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

Saucy Pork Chops

Sofrito Lovers,

I live and breathe for Chuletas (Pork chops)! I love them fried, baked, boiled, broiled, or stewed, it doesn't matter to me!  On one of my many recipe searches through YouTube, I discovered this wonderfully delicious and simple recipe on CookedbyJulie for "Saucy Pork Chops."  

Julie is a Cuban-American cook that posts amazing recipes for Latino and American cuisine on her website and YouTube Channel. 

Her videos are fun and easy to follow.  Check out her chuleta recipe below! Watch it, cook it, and taste for yourself! ¡Buen Povecho!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Happy New Year/New Youtube Channel

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

HAPPY NEW YEAR SOFRITO LOVERS!

Sofrito Lovers,

Check out my new Youtube Channel Happy New Year address! My plan for 2016 is to post tasting videos, cooking tutorials, interviews, on-site restaurant reviews, and product reviews.  My goal is to make SofritoinmySoul the go to Hobby blog for all things Foodie in NYC! 

Enjoy my video!  Happy New Year!  Taste for yourself! ¡Buen Provecho!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: The Top New York City Dining Neighborhoods of 2015

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

The Top New York City Dining Neighborhoods of 2015

 

Sofrito Lovers,

Every year, around this time Eater.com posts the opinions of various foodies, food bloggers, and their own staff on which neighborhoods they think have the best food.  The answers vary and the perspectives are all unique.  I think you'll like the comments!

Read through and enjoy!  ¡Buen provecho!

The Top New York City Dining Neighborhoods of 2015

The Lower East Side and the East Village had particularly strong years

by Greg Morabito, December 29, 2015

As is the tradition at Eater, our closeout of the year is a survey of friends, industry types, and bloggers. This year, we asked the group eight questions running the gamut from meal of the year to top restaurant newcomers. Their answers will appear throughout the week. Responses are related in no particular order; all are cut, pasted, and (mostly) unedited herein. We've heard about the top standbys, the hot newcomers, and the words of the year. Now it's time for the hottest dining neighborhoods. Please add your answers in the comments.

Read the rest of the article here

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Why Katz's Pastrami Is Still the King of Sandwiches in New York

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

Why Katz's Pastrami Is Still the King of Sandwiches in New York

Sofrito Lovers,

Katz's Delicatessen is an NYC landmark! If you've never been to Katz, then watch the video below, find your way to Loisaida (Nuyorican for the Lower East side for us), and treat yourself to some of the most incredible Pastrami ever cured!

Katz has made every "Best Deli in NYC" or "Best Deli in the U.S.A" list ever collated. You can't beat the incredible homemade pickles, mouth watering fries, or the delectable sandwiches that are not for the faint of heart.  If you're a health nut, then look away, because the Pastrami and other deli meats are piled on HIGH!

I've re-posted this video from Eater.com, which speaks to Katz's history and its influence on NYC culinary culture. 

Watch the video, go to Katz's, and taste for yourself!  Buen Provecho!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Coquito with Nutella

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

 Coquito with Nutella

 

 Sofrito Lovers,

Apparently, Nutella Coquito is all the rage this holiday season! I've seen a few recipes posted on social media, folks have blogged about it, and even my partner, David, bought some home for us to enjoy. To be honest, I'm a bit of a Coquito traditionalist, but I'm beginning to buckle under the peer pressure.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to partake of it soon.

I've decided to post this popular Nutella/Coquito recipe from Cook Pad

so everyone can enjoy this new taste sensation.

I'm planning on making a bottle for Three Kings!  I'll let you know how it tastes!  Follow my lead and taste for yourself!  ¡Buen provecho!

NUTELLA COQUITO (PUERTORRICAN HOLIDAY DRINK)

10 mins

This is another holiday drink we like to make in Puerto Rico for the holidays, is the same as my regular Coquito but this one I've added Nutella, you can leave the alcohol out if you want.

Ingredients

1. 1 can evaporated milk
2. 1 can condensed milk
3. 1 can cream of coconut
4. 1 can coconut milk
5. 1 cup nutella
6. 1 tsp vanilla extract
7. 1 pinch ground nutmeg
8. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
9. 1 cup white rum (Bacardi) or you can leave it out

Method 

In a blender mix all the ingredients until well combined, pour on a bottle, refrigerate for at least 4 hours, once you are ready to drink it, leave it outside for 20 minutes mix well and enjoy in a martini glass, or shots glasses.