Emily Rose Posts

I took a trip to Chicago this weekend, and chose to fly with American Airlines.  After all, you do have a choice and we thank you for choosing American. Riiiiiiiiiight. 

Weather caused delays in most flights out of New York on Friday but eventually we headed for the dreaded “line” of planes leaving LaGuardia.  “Well passengers, looks like we’re number twelve in line for take off, flight attendants: please prepare for departure.” 

The flight attendants then walk up and down the aisle about 6 times, each time a little faster than the last and continuing on until they give you a dead stare - up and down- as they bolt past you towards the back of the plane.  What a friendly way to kick off my flight!  I can’t wait to spend the next two hours with these people. 

Finally, we take off and after a while the pilot tells us we’re reaching our cruising altitude.  Seconds later the flight attendant screeches over the microphone and begins to explain the snack and beverage service. 

“…We’re proud to introduce [some new kind of] Lipton Tea for purchase of $5.00, as well as complimentary coffee and select sodas.  Today our snacks for purchase include a chocolate chip cookie, $3.00, and trail mix [think vending machine bag, 75 cents], for $4.00.  We take cash and American Express, as well as any other credit or debit cards with a Visa or MasterCard logo.”  Seriously?  What happened to the little bags of peanuts and pretzels?  Again, I live in New York so I feel like I get cheated enough already, but now you take away my free 2 oz. bag of pretzels?  Ugh.  Fine.  I decided I would pay for the stupid trail mix since I’m so hungry I could throw up.

The two men in front of me each ordered a double round of  mini scotch bottles (they seemed European, and were quiet and very friendly).  Both flight attendants rolled their eyes and gave each other a look like, “are they kidding?”  It was about 11:00 a.m., so maybe a touch early, but not a bad idea considering the tension across the plane.  As one of the flight attendants passed along the four small bottles, she said, “how ‘bout some water, too, so you boys’ll play nice?” 

How ‘bout flight attendants refrain from treating adult passengers like children?

It was my turn next, so once I agreed to the ridiculous purchase of trail mix, I hand the attendant my Jet Blue AMEX.  She looks at it still in my hand projected outward and snaps, “We don’t take cards for other airlines.”  I explained that it’s an American Express card (so chill) and she then swiped it through the machine successfully.  It was obvious, though, that I was quickly heading to the top of her List of Irritation. 

The rest of the flight was just as eventful and it really makes you think twice about flying unless you absolutely have to.  I read this morning in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics that consumers filed 13,168 complaints about airline service with the Department in 2007, 58.2 % more than the 8,325 filed in 2006. I know it gets much worse than flight attendant attitude and food/beverage service, but will flying ever be the same?

Last night I ordered in from a local Venezuelan cafe in Astoria.  It honestly took me about 20 minutes to figure out what I wanted to order from the menu.  Front to back, it’s packed with decisions like arepas, ensalada de gallina and empanadas, my weakness.  Cazon (baby shark) was easy to knock off the list pretty quickly.  

I decided on pabellon de pollo, a national Venezuelan dish with shredded chicken, black beans and white rice, sprinkled aged white cheese and served with sweet plantains.  I’m sure I was Latina in a former life.

“20 minutes,” she said, and the total came to $12.50 with a Diet Coke.  Seems reasonable, I guess.

Family Guy passed the time and eventually I was opening the door, cash in hand ready to seal the deal.  I grabbed the bag and it was so heavy I actually asked if he was sure this was my order.  Yep, all mine - all five pounds worth.    

Still, I opened the white paper bag expecting to find about half of what I actually did.  It could literally take me two full days to get through this much food. 

I might be willing to do that, though.

Waste no time, I dug right in.  The black beans were a nice surprise, since they were much sweeter than the flavor I’m accustomed to.  Maybe from brown sugar?  I’m used to Cuban-flavored black beans that are spiced with peppers and onions.  Still, the fresh flavor of the Venezuelan style was quite pleasing.

I love to make sweet plantains at home, so I was really looking forward to trying theirs.  Delicious, as I expected, and I liked the fact that they were sliced lengthwise and thin.  They were cooked to perfection and had just the right blend of sweet to salty.  The plantains went especially well with the shredded chicken, since it was lacking in the flavor department a touch. 

When I finished (what seemed like hours later), there wasn’t even a dent but I did the best I could.  I think I might have polished off about 1/5 of that plate, conservatively speaking.  Should I be in the mood for aged white cheese and black beans tonight (or the next night, or the next night), there’s plenty more where that came from.

I have met very few people who lack a soft spot for pizza.  In fact, I’m not even sure that’s legal. 

My addiction started with movie night.  Blockbuster rentals and Pizza Hut deliveries go together like Cubs games and Vienna dogs. . . or Mister Softee and any day that ends with a “y”.  Movie night was great.  My brother and I avoided making fun of each other for at least a couple hours and I had my very own half-pizza to top with my favorite ingredients – pepperoni and black olives. But just as VHS rentals from Blockbuster went out of style, so did the Hut (for me, at least).

I moved to Chicago and discovered lasagna all over again, in the form of deep dish pizza. It took a while, but I got used to the strength and endurance needed to finish just half a slice.  There really should be a training program dedicated to that. How anyone can finish a whole slice, let alone several, baffles me.

But just as I got used to a pie that’s 3 inches thick, I was headed to New York, where thin is in.  (I’m talking pizza, not the starving 5’11” skeletons walking down 5^th Avenue.)  I was back to my two-slice usual and relieved of carpal tunnel symptoms when trying to hold up a piece.

Eventually I decided making pizza at home would be a fun thing to do (not to mention a bit healthier), and that became my preference. It wasn’t until recently, though, that I noticed you can buy a mini-brick oven to use at home.  A mini-brick oven! How long have I been in the dark? I understand it’s only big enough to feed a four year old, but still.  It doesn’t take much to get me excited these days.

These do the trick, too:

The Best Deep Dish Pizza

Thin Crust Pizza Dough

Fruit Pizza

Pizza Pockets

BLT Pizza

Dick Clark’s Seared Tuna Pizza with Wasabi Sauce

I’m an avid reader of MSNBC’s “Weird News” column, because frankly I’m drawn to the articles that so frequently mention my home state of Florida. This column, in addition to others, sometimes brings me to the floor laughing and at other times leaves me scratching my head in astonishment – you really never know what you’re going to get. Some of the articles are food related, so I find they’re worth mentioning. Perhaps this is Weird Food News, Article 1, Series 1, to be continued. . .

Cops Bust Teens’ Root-Beer Kegger
In an unusual twist, students of D.C. Everest High School threw a keg party, drinking games and all, with a quarter barrel of 1919 Classic American Draft Root Beer. The Kronenwetter Police Department was dispatched and expected to find cars lining the streets with underage kids boozing away the night. While they did come across an abundance of cars, noise and rowdy high schoolers, they were surprised to find 90 breath tests come back negative.

Chef Faces Jail Time for Hairy Garnish
Enough said.

Everyone’s a (Food) Critic
GOOD Magazine interviews a teacher, a pilot, a cop and a rock star on how much they really enjoy consuming apples, airplane food, doughnuts, and whiskey. Guess who said this: “I’m willing to bet I could eat a dozen if I had a Diet Coke to wash it down.”

Thieves Steal Truck with 20 Tons of Chocolate
Really, what are they going to do with 41,000 pounds of chocolate? Maybe they’ll leave it somewhere like those idiots who stole the FedEx truck back in December.  (Note to robbers:  I’m happy to take it off your hands, no strings attached.)

Airmen Made Sausages from their Blood
“Make sure the blood is fresh and the bacon cubes diced finely with a nice proportion of fat to lean. Do not use too many breadcrumbs but if the blood starts to curdle stir in a teaspoon of wine vinegar.” No big deal.

Don’t Get it Dipped
Pizza in a cone – what took so long?!?!?!

The Union Square Market is back and despite the crowds it’s nice to browse through local art and fresh produce on the park again.   One of my favorite stands has tables and tables full of fresh apples.  A few tents down is a booth for the Flying Pigs Farm.  One of the first things I noticed there today was a smoked pork hock and it made me think of the navy bean soup my mom used to make.

I grabbed the hock and thought about the fact that I’d never cooked with one before.  Actually, I didn’t even really know what it was, but I knew it had a lot of great pork flavor.  I came home to what seems like a library full of cookbooks and checked out the basics.

A ham hock is the lower portion of a ham; an area where the feet are attached to its legs.  Given the amount of skin and gristle associated with this cut, the meat is typically used only for flavor.  Ham hocks add a smoky, salty flavor to greens, stews and beans. I know people who eat it, but to me it’s a little gross.   

Many Southern and soul food dishes are enhanced with the essence of ham hock, and if you’ve ever tasted real green beans cooked slow with smoked pork or bacon, you know the flavor.  Anyway, here’s what I have on the stove right now and if you could smell it, you might drool on yourself:

Mom’s Navy Bean Soup

1 ham hock (mine is smoked)

1 bag navy beans (soaked overnight and drained)

1 small onion

2 tbsp. olive oil

Salt to taste

In a dutch oven, heat olive oil and sauté chopped onions until translucent.  Add navy beans and enough water to cover about an inch above the beans.  Bring to a boil.  Once a boil is reached, reduce heat to simmer, add ham hock and cover.  Keep a full simmer and add water as necessary to coat the beans.  Simmer and stir occasionally until beans are cooked through, about 6 hours.  Halfway in, salt the beans and stir. 

To make the soup thicker, remove about ¼ cup of beans and puree or smash them with a spoon.  Add that paste back to the soup and stir.  Serve over rice, or by itself with cracked black pepper.  So delicious.

It’s just shy of April so many of you are enjoying warmer weather and getting pumped to fire up the grill.  Here in New York, we’re celebrating temperatures reaching 50, and I almost cried when I saw the Mister Softee truck back out on the streets in Long Island City. 

There isn’t really a defined season for Mister Softee, which I found out last fall when they dissapeared out of nowhere.  Suddenly it was five months since I had seen them last, and I was actually pretty bitter about the whole situation.   No one asked me if I was ready to hibernate the soft serve.  I probably could have continued eating it at least another month or two.

So today when I heard that magical broken-record-sounding tune playing over the loud system (followed by what seemed to be the sound of six hundred small children), I couldn’t help but flag him down and order my usual - a rainbow vanilla sprinkle cone.  I realized how dedicated I am to Mister Softee when I stood out in the cold, still in my coat, and nearly froze to death from the inside.  Seriously, it’s 45 degrees outside and I’m eating ice cream.  But it’s spring (!) and Mister Softee isn’t going anywhere anytime soon - that’s news to celebrate if you ask me.

There’s a lot of buzz right now about the increase of food costs and it seems to be hitting the industry from every angle. 

Because of the acceleration in our country’s biofuel industry, we’re noticing a heavier demand for grains, and especially corn, which is used to make a certain type of ethanol.  Farmers cultivating these popular little money makers are one of the few parties involved who stand to profit from this surge, however, those who generate livestock and not produce are having a difficult time meeting the rise in feed prices. 

What this means for consumers is that not only are our grain costs increasing, but also the price of meat, eggs, milk and cheese, among others.  In some areas throughout the country, restaurant owners have already reported a nearly 40% increase in the cost of milk and cheese, while eggs have doubled in price. 

In addition to their initial costs, the transportation of these products from the supplier to your table (or shopping cart) is getting more expensive, as well.  You can thank the increase in fuel prices for that!  It wouldn’t surprise me if the availability of heavier produce like potatoes, onions and acorn squash began to dwindle, given how much more pricey it is to haul them across the country.  Then again, availability will likely stay the same but you’ll pay much, much more than you should.

Understanding the degree to which competition thrives in the food industry, restaurant owners and supermarket officials are cautious about raising prices even higher, but there’s not much more they can do to cover their own costs and still profit.  Hard to blame them. 

In 2007, the industry saw a 4% spike in consumer costs, which was the highest escalation in the last 17 years, and insiders anticipate the 2008 increase to be somewhere between 3% and 4%.  A Chief Economist for the USDA predicted that for the next two years, the rise in food costs will surpass that of the general inflation rate.  (Sigh.)

If you’re like me, you’ve had more than your fair share of ramen noodles in college (which can be purchased in bulk for less than you would pay for a pack of gum), so take a look at some of the following recipes, which are easy on your wallet but uncompromising on deliciousness.

Twenty for Twenty

Cheap Coq Au Vin

Corn Stuffed Bell Peppers

Chicken and Artichoke Casserole

Individual No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecakes

During a Pampered Chef party a few years ago, I was introduced to the world of bamboo kitchen utensils. They’re nothing new to Asian cultures, but these products have only recently made their way to the American mainstream market. Bamboo is said to be stronger than most woods, so the spoons, spatulas and serving utensils I bought that night claimed to be long-lasting and more durable than the average wooden product (which they were, and then some).

Bamboo products are now available at most basic kitchen supply stores, including Crate and Barrel and Target, and they seem to be gaining recognition more than ever before. This increase in retailing comes with good reason, since bamboo is useful in a variety of ways in the kitchen.

Bamboo is great to avoid scratching the bottom of non-stick cookware and cutting boards made from this material are known to protect your expensive knives without dulling the blades so easily. Bamboo skewers are great to use on the grill, especially since they’re stronger than their wooden counterparts.

Of course you can also cook with bamboo and use their edible shoots for tons of Asian dishes and broths. Sometimes you can find them in the grocery store, both fresh and canned, but if not, they’re sure to be found in any local Asian specialty market. *Note: If you buy fresh bamboo shoots, you will need to boil them first to remove any hydrocyanic acid, a toxin that can cause cyanide poisoning. Its safer and easier to just used the canned product.

For a material that is durable enough to construct houses, bridges, canoes and even construction scaffolding in tropical climates, there are more than enough reasons to try these utensils – let alone the fact that they’re friendlier to the environment than plastic or silicone.

I’ve never been much of a coffee drinker.  The scent kind of reminds me of my first grade school teacher getting a little too close, hovering over me and answering a question quietly during a test.  You know, that faint whisper of Maxwell House and French Vanilla creamer… making the edge of your ear feel about seven degrees warmer than it should be.  Anyway, I drink tea. 

Maybe it’s the Southern in me but I drink tea morning to night, both iced and hot, year-round.  I love it.  And I also love the idea of afternoon tea parties, which I really think we should be having more of. 

In Argentina, I noticed nearly every single place of business closes in the afternoon to rest for a couple of hours.  While I don’t necessarily need a nap everyday, it would be great to see my office take a daily breather for afternoon tea like in old-style England.  Recess for big kids, I guess.

Afternoon tea was said to have originated with Queen Catherine, the wife of Charles II.  As it became more of a trend for social gatherings to commence later in the evening, the queen requested bread and butter service and an afternoon tea to hold her over until a late meal.  Basically, she then picked up the phone and dialed her best girlfriends to come join her.  Tea blends eventually became much fancier and the bread and butter was soon replaced with tiny little cakes decorated to the nines.  Afternoon tea turned into an occasion to impress, a time to wear your fanciest fabrics and jewels and display your finest linens and china.  Though it definitely began as a high society gathering, in time afternoon tea became a popular trend across the classes.  Word eventually spread of these fabulous parties overseas, and there you have it – the afternoon tea craze. 

Okay, so maybe its a little naïve to think my managing partner will sign off on a revival of the afternoon tea party during business hours, but the weekends are all mine and I plan to channel Queen Cat in hosting several of my own.  Should you do the same, here are a few unique teas and biscuits, which will most definitely impress your guests:

Rooibos Jasmine Tea

Assam Meleng Tea

Ti Kuan Yin Oolong Tea

Oatmeal Butterscotch Tea Biscuits

Lavender Honey Tea Bread

Banana Lemon Tea Bread

Apparently, March is National Noodle Month.  I’m still not quite sure how official it is, but at the very least it’s recognized by Whole Foods in a podcast on their webpage.  Traditional or not, it seems to be worth mentioning given the never-ending debate on pasta – to eat or not to eat? 

Everyone knows pasta is a substantial supplier of complex carbohydrates, which our bodies convert into glucose to fuel energy.  Marathon runners frequently hold pre-race pasta parties to stock up before a long race.  Same goes with tennis players, whose matches can last anywhere from under an hour to four hours at a time.  Muscles perform their best when fueled by complex carbohydrates like pasta and rice, so devouring a bowl of fettuccini the night before your lengthy, intense exercise will do your body good.  Even a couple of spoonfuls about 20 minutes before a run will provide you the energy you need for an extra mile.

However, downing a deep dish lasagna and then parking on the couch for the next 8 hours will turn your tush into cushions before you know it.  Shocking, right?  All of those delicious carbohydrates you just packed away, which were then converted into glucose, got bored to death and decided to set up shop inside your liver or fat in the form of glycogen.  We’ve all been there, and watching the buttons on your favorite Gap jeans start to slowly come undone isn’t fun for anyone. . .

But for those of you not out there running marathons all the time, the ability to enjoy pasta without regret isn’t just a matter of when you’re eating – it’s just as important to be selective about which types you’re consuming. 

As a rule, it’s a good idea to always look for non-white and low-carb alternatives for bread, rice, potatoes and especially pasta if they’re available.  It’s fairly common to now find whole wheat and spinach varieties available in the grocery store.  These substitutes still provide you with a great amount of energy but limit the amount of excess glucose to be stored if unused.  They’re also full of flavor from extra nutrients and add a bit more color to your plate.  Keep in mind, however, that whole wheat pastas cook through in an almost ‘al dente’ Italian style, so there may be a slight change to the consistency you’re used to. 

Also, save the gnocchi and ravioli for a special treat.  In addition to their extra heavy carbohydrate count, these pastas are usually very high in fat, depending on the additional ingredients used in preparation.  Instead, stick to thinner varieties like fideo, vermicelli, angel hair and anellini and serve with a savory sauce.  The National Pasta Association states that 1/2 cup serving of cooked spaghetti pasta contains a mere 99 calories, less than half a gram of fat, and less than 5 milligrams of sodium.

The point is to eat the right pastas at the right times and you’ll never have to eliminate them from your diet completely.  I don’t know about you, but I’m not okay with never eating linguine again. . .  Especially during National Noodle Month.

Here are a few tasty (and healthy) pasta recipes you should try:

Linguine with White Clam and Broccoli Sauce

Bow-Tie Pasta with Red Pepper Sauce