A Spoonful of Sofrito: Splendid Rotis in Queens and Other Cheap Eats!

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

Splendid Rotis in Queens and Other Cheap Eats!

Sofrito Lovers,

My foodie crush Robert Sietsema, from Eater.com, has published another one of his amazing cheap eats articles and, as per usual, I have to share it with you!

This semi-new series, called Three Great Cheap, highlights three affordable eateries throughout the city.  The article below features a Roti place and two other hot spots.  Check out the article and plan your next culinary outing.

I'm definitely trying out Shorty Tang, in Chelsea, this weekend!  Maybe, I'll see you there!  Don't take my word or Robert's word for it, go taste for yourself!  ¡Buen provecho!

Splendid Rotis in Queens — and Other Cheap Eats Critic Robert Sietsema highlights some great affordable dishes around town 

by Robert Sietsema Jan 4, 2018, 12:09pm EST
Photos by Robert Sietsema 

Singh’s Roti Shop in Richmond Hill, Queens

Three Great Cheap, a sporadically appearing series from critic Robert Sietsema that seeks to find and popularize New York City’s cheapest and most interesting food in the five boroughs and beyond, is now going weekly. Also consult the compact guide and map 60 Cheap Eats Destinations You Should Know About in NYC.

Check out the rest of this article here!

 

A Spoonful of Sofrito: El Paso Mexican Restaurant!

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

El Paso Mexican Restaurant!

Sofrito Lovers,

As the rapid gusts of wind and snow brutalize New York City, I find myself thinking of Tacos.  Yes, you read correctly, I'm thinking of tacos and how yummy it would be to have a few of these incredible little Mexican treats right now.

If the weather weren't so horrific, I would go to El Paso Mexican Restaurant in El Barrio and order a plate of their delicious Tacos de Pollo Pibil and Tacos de Carnitas.

Check out a pic of this deliciousness:

  

I love their Guacamole as well:

Their Tamales Oaxaqueña are also a delicious treat:

 

Looking at my own pictures is torture!  Hopefully, the snow will end this afternoon and I'll be able to have some delicious tacos!  Check out El Paso's website and peruse their amazing menu!  

Don't take my word for it, go taste for yourself, you might see me there with you!

 

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Jollibee opening in Manhattan!

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

Jollibee opening in Manhattan!

Sofrito Lovers,

Jollibee is coming to Time Square!  For those of you who don't know, Jollibee is an amazing Filipino fast food chain that serves fried chicken, Filipino dishes, and other assorted goodies.

Okay, so I know some of you might be asking yourselves, "Isn't Ben the enemy of all fast food?"  Usually, I am, but Jollibee is fucking incredible!  The chicken is mouth watering, the gravy is incredible, and the Filipino pastas (Sweet Spaghetti and Pancit) are delicious.  In the late 1990s, I tried Jollibee in California and instantly fell in love.

I'm anxiously waiting for the new location to open up in Times Square.  I plan on being there front and center to order a Chicken Joy (Fried Chicken with gravy and white Rice) and a tall frosty Halo Halo (An incredible Filipino sundae). 

Check out Emmymadeinjapan 's video review of Jollibee's below and the Eater.com article that announced Jollibee's impending debut in Time Square!  

I cannot wait to go taste for myself!  ¡Buen provecho!

Jollibee, Filipino Fast Food Favorite, Opening First Manhattan Location in Midtown

The popular chain will open in the fall near Port Authority by Serena Dai Jun 23, 2016, 11:13am EDT Eater.com

Popular Filipino fast food chain Jollibee will be bringing its pineapple burger and sweet spaghetti to Manhattan for the first time this fall. The Commercial Observer reports that the chain, which is ubiquitous in the Philippines, signed a lease for a more than 2,700-square-foot space at 609 Eighth Ave., near Port Authority Bus Terminal. It will be the third location in the New York area, where the company only has locations in Woodside, Queens and Jersey City.

Jollibee is as ubiquitous as McDonald’s in the Philippines, and when the first east coast location opened in Queens in 2009, people waited in long lines in order to get a taste. The menu features a slew of burgers, but items like a sweet spaghetti with hot dogs and Chickenjoy, fried chicken with gravy and rice, is more unique to the chain. Many Filipinos in New York say it’s a taste of home, and that’s part of the reason why the first Manhattan outpost will be near Port Authority, retail broker Harrison Abramowitz tells the Observer. A big Filipino population lives in New Jersey and commutes into New York. "This will be a tremendous help in introducing the chain to Manhattan," he says.

A Spoonful of Sofrito: 7 Lucky Foods to Eat on New Year's Day!

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

7 Lucky Foods to Eat on New Year's Day!

Happy New Year!  May this New Year bring us all health, wealth, and DELICIOUS FOOD!

Sofrito Lovers, 

I love the weird and quirky food superstitions related to New Year's Day/Eve! Some of us eat 12 grapes at midnight to ensure a good year!  There are those of us who eat long noodles or copious amounts of leafy greens to guarantee a year of prosperity and success.  

Honestly, I don't think these traditions really have any impact on our year, but I do think they're fascinating...and scrumptious!

Check out the article below, from all Allrecipes, and learn more about these incredible traditions.  Enjoy the read and remember to go taste for yourself...it'll make your year spectacular!  ¡Buen provecho!

 

7 Lucky Foods to Eat on New Year's Day
By Vanessa Greaves 

 

 

Even the least superstitious of us can be found digging into symbolically lucky foods on New Year's Day, because why tempt fate? Here are seven lucky dishes to attract abundance and prosperity in the coming year. Or at least they'll pick us up after hard-partying the night before.
 

1. Black-Eyed Peas, Greens, and Cornbread

Luck factor: Even folks who aren't from the Southern United States go all in on eating black-eyed peas and leafy greens for good luck on New Year's Day. Add a slice of cornbread, and you've got "peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold."

 

Check out the rest of the article here!

 

 

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Chowhound's Food Trends of 2018!

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

Chowhound's Food Trends of 2018!

Sofrito Lovers,

The culinary world is chock full of trends and fads!  Whether it's putting kale in everything or eating copious amounts of Korean BBQ, our foodie culture is always experimenting and exploring new ways to satiate our appetites and curiosities!  

Chowhound, one of my favorite foodie blog sites, has published this awesome little article predicting 2018's new food trends.  Turns out veggies and vegan meats are going to be all the rage in the upcoming year!  Check out the article posted below and see if you agree!

Read up, then go taste for yourself! ¡Buen provecho!

 

A Sneak Peek at the Food Trends of 2018

 By Emily Murawski December 27, 2017

 

 

 

2018, change looks good on you! And lucky it does, because the new year is going to be all about change, according to Andrew Freeman, CEO of restaurant and hospitality consulting firm, af&co—so much so that the company’s 2018 Hospitality Trend Report is entitled “Change is the New Black.” While we’ll be seeing some food and restaurant trends that feel familiar (you may recognize a few from our 2017 article about trends that will stick around), these will be gaining traction, and taking some twists and turns!

Check out the rest of this article here!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Ichiba Ramen Union Square!

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

Mini-Review: Ichiba Ramen 

Union Square!

Sofrito Lovers,

It's brick out there!  If you're one of those commuters that has to brave this cold to get to work, move around the city, or whatever, then I've a got an awesome suggestion for escaping the cold: Ichiban Ramen!

Ichiban Ramen is an amazing medium-sized ramen shop on University Place off of Union Square!  The service is wonderful and the clientele is a cross section of New York City!

The menu's focus is primarily on their delicious ramens, but there are appetizers, rice dishes, buns, and a few other goodies to choose from.  Check out the rest of their menu here!

I live and breathe for their Shio Ramen, because it's rich, warm, and full of deliciously fatty braised pork belly.  Usually, I order the grilled corn, Enoki mushrooms, and a side of Kimchi for additional yumminess!

I'm also a huge fan of their pork Gyoza (dumplings).  They're small, savory, and delicious.  They're the perfect little appetizer before you chow down on your soup!

Next time you're near Union Square check out Ichiba Ramen!  I'm sure you'll love it, but don't take my word for it, go taste for yourself! ¡Buen provecho!

 

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Champurrado – A Mexican Thick Hot Chocolate.

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

Champurrado – A Mexican Thick Hot Chocolate!

 

Sofrito Lovers,

It's fudging cold!  The cold temps in NYC right now are record breaking and when it's this cold, then it's time for some yummy hot beverages!

Normally, I hate tea, coffee, and hot chocolate because they have a diarrhetic effect on me, but for some reason Mexican Champurrado sits well!  For those of you who don't know, Champurrado is a delicious hot chocolate drink made from corn flour, Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, and cane sugar.  

It's rich, thick, and has a unique earthy flavor.  Maybe, it's the corn flour that keeps me from pooping, I don't know, but whatever it is, I can stomach it and enjoy it thoroughly!

Check out the recipe for Champurrado, from myhumblekitchen.com, below and make yourself a cup of this amazing drink!  ¡Que viva Mexico! Go taste for yourself! ¡Buen provecho!

How to make Champurrado – A Mexican Thick Hot Chocolate
by Mely | Nov 14, 2012 | 66 comments

Written by Mely of Mexico In My Kitchen

Chocolate has been called the “drink of the Gods”, and the Mexican History books will narrate how it was given to the soldiers to give strength, and how it was a drink reserved for the priests and the wealthy. Even Hernán Cortés wrote to King Carlos I of Spain telling him that he had found a “drink that builds up resistance and fights fatigue.”

 

Check out the recipe here!