A Spoonful of Sofrito: Super Bowl NYC: Where to watch the game!

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

Super Bowl NYC: Where to watch the game!

Sofrito Lovers,

This Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday!  To be honest, you couldn't pay me to give a damn about some stupid football game, but I can't deny that this American ritual has its own amazing food rituals.

I've attended a few Super Bowl parties in my day and the only thing that made these moronic get togethers bearable was all the amazing comfort food.  The wings, stuffed potato skins, Cubanito sandwiches, wine, and beer were the true stars of the night, not some loud-ass game.

In the spirit of the weekend, I've posted another amazing article from Eater.com to help you find an awesome venue to enjoy this amazing celebration of bar fare and comfort food; oh yeah, football too.  Whatever!

Check out the article, go chow down and ¡Buen Provecho!

Super Bowl NYC: Where to Watch the Game

Patty Diez on Feb 1, 2016, 4:59p

Arrogant Swine

Nick Solares

Whether or not your team is playing, Super Bowl Sunday is a time for enjoying nachos, wings, and other comfort foods, with beer to wash it all down. Here's a guide to 12 great dining options for Super Bowl Sunday in New York City.

[Restaurants are listed by geography: south to north in Manhattan, and north to south in Brooklyn.]

Check out the rest of the article here

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Where to Celebrate the Year of the Monkey!

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

Chinese New Year NYC: Where to Celebrate the Year of the Monkey!

[Dumplings at Kings County Imperial]

Sofrito Lovers,

This upcoming Monday is Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) and if you've never had the pleasure of partaking in this amazing celebration, then this should be the year you do.  The food, fun, excitement, and celebration are amazing.  I'm sure it's no surprise to you that I enjoy the food aspect the most!

The Chinese celebrate Lunar New Year by preparing special noodle and dumpling dishes, which in their culture promotes longevity, prosperity, and success.  Due to their cultural significance, these dishes are prepared with the utmost attention to detail and highest quality ingredients.

As a Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year gift, I'm posting this awesome article from Eater.com of the best restaurants and eateries to go to celebrate the start of the "Year of the Monkey!"  

Now get yourself to Chinatown, Brooklyn, or Queens and enjoy the incredible beauty and spectacle of Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year!  Have fun, Happy New Year, and buen provecho!

Chinese New Year NYC: Where to Celebrate the Year of the Monkey

Patty Diez on Feb 3, 2016, 5:03p

[Dumplings at Kings County Imperial]

Daniel Krieger

Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, is a festival to celebrate the turn of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. This year, the Year of the Monkey, the celebration falls on Monday, February 8. Restaurants all over the city are offering special additions to their menus such as noodles and dumplings said to promote longevity and prosperity respectively. From Chinatown to Williamsburg, here are ten restaurants celebrating with specials this weekend:

Read the rest of the article!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: How to make Sriracha at home!

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

How to make Sriracha at home!

 

Sofrito Lovers,

Food and Wine Magazine has some of the best recipes for meals, condiments, and beverages!  Recently, I received an email from their online platform with a recipe for Homemade Sriracha, I nearly fainted.

Sriracha is an amazing spicy condiment used in various Asian cuisines.  The most famous commercial Sriracha is Tuong Ot Sriracha by Huy Fong Food Inc., which is commonly referred to as, "Cock Sauce" or "Rooster Sauce" because of the rooster cartoon on the bottle. 

From what I've been told, Sriracha's origins are highly debated, some say it's Thai and others say it's Burmese.  Wherever its origins, I consider it one of the most yummy and delicious hot sauces.

I'm totally excited to try this recipe!  I'll let you know what I think of it when I do. I bet it'll be delicious!  Make it, taste it, and ¡Buen provecho!

 
How to Make Your Own Sriracha
By Keith Schroeder | Jan 28 2016

Homemade Sriracha Serves 16 (serving size: 1 tablespoon)
Total time: 40 Minutes
Ingredients

• 2 cups (about 8 ounces whole) red chiles, such as Fresno, serrano, and/or jalapeño, in any ratio, split and seeded

• 1/2 cup garlic cloves (about 10 peeled)

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup white vinegar

• 1/4 cup hot water

Preparation
Combine chiles, garlic, sugar, salt, and vinegar in a small saucepan. Cover and heat gently, as if to steep, over very low heat for 30 minutes.

Add chile mixture and 1/4 cup hot water to a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). 

Blend until smooth, adding more hot water if necessary.

Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for 7 to 10 days. If sauce separates, give it a good stir or shake.

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Honey Boo Boo Cooking with Mama June!

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

Honey Boo Boo Cooking with Mama June!

 

Sofrito Lovers,

Yesterday, I was searching through YouTube for foodie videos and I came across this series of posts by Ghost0Stalker420, which feature all of the cooking segments from TLC's Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.  I couldn't believe my luck!

For those who don't know, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was a reality show that followed the misadventures of a self-described "red neck" family from the South.  The show's break out stars were Honey Boo Boo (Alan Thompson) and her mother Mama June (June Shannon).  The whole family was a hot mess, but these two were the hottest of the messes!

Occasionally, the producers would film Mama June "cooking." My favorite is the recipe for "Sketti" (Spaghetti for the rest of us), which features her signature Ketchup and butter sauce. These segments are priceless; I'm going to let them speak for themselves.

Check out Mama June's Southern style cooking!  The gross factor is high on this one folks!  So get ready!  ¡Buen provecho!

 

A Spoonful of Sofrito: The Hundred-Foot Journey!

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

The Hundred-Foot Journey!

   

Sofrito Lovers, 

Incredible foodie movies are far and few!  The Hundred-Foot Journey is an amazing film about a young Indian man who finds love and success when he relocates, with his family, to a small French village and open a restaurant.

This film is a wonderful celebration of romance, triumph over adversity, and INDIAN CUISINE!  The brilliant cinematography makes all the meals visually stunning and, of course, appetizing.  Besides excellent performances by Helen Mirren and Manish Dayal, I love how this film honors the art of cooking. It makes you want to run to the nearest kitchen and start creating your own culinary works of art.

Check out this heartwarming movie!  I've posted the film synopsis and movie trailer below. Watch it and then go have a nice meal! ¡Buen Provecho!

The Hundred-Foot Journey Film Synopsis:

Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) is an extraordinarily talented and largely self-taught culinary novice. When he and his family are displaced from their native India and settle in a quaint French village, they decide to open an Indian eatery. However, Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), the proprietress of an acclaimed restaurant just 100 feet away, strongly objects. War erupts between the two establishments, until Mallory recognizes Kadam's impressive epicurean gifts and takes him under her wing.

Purchase the film here on Amazon!