Interesting New York
Monday, January 14, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Our Site is Relocating - Moving!
Monday, January 7, 2013
Morrone Pastry Shop and Cafe - Arthur Ave, Bronx
I tried a variety of pastries... the cannoli, the lobster tails, and several others I don't remember either the name or the spelling. While not every item was similarly delicious, the cannoli (despite being prefilled) were excellent in my experience.
I recommend this bakery without hesitation, and will seek them out whenever i'm in the bronx and looking for something sweet to eat.
Hidy Ochiai's Karate - Vestal, NY
There are many martial arts teachers in abundance today. Many of them are incredibly skilled now, many are technically superior, but Hidy Ochiai is truly a rare, powerful, empowering teacher of the highest order. Not a day goes by, that I don't think of him, and I am always so grateful for the opportunity to have learned so much from him.
Thank you with the utmost respect always Sensei.
Lobster Roll Favorite - Lobster Smack
Lobster Smack is located at 90 West Houston Street. From other reviews i've read online, it appears that they may have had some initial problems at start up, but fortunately i've been going there since all the problems have been ironed out. The lobster is truly fresh and wonderful here. I'm a big fan of the old bay seasoning. They offer a variety of seasonings which I haven't tried yet. The lobster roll is tasty, a good sized portion and almost HALF the price of other locations in the city. Wow. I wonder how they do that, and in addition to rolls, they make lobster quesadillas, soups and mac and cheese with lobster, and a few other variations on a theme.
I am very much a fan of their lobster bisque. I think it's delicious. While I personally haven't gotten beyond lobster rolls, my son has tried the quesadilla and the lobster mac, and he's quite enthusiastic about Lobster Smack, as well. So, if you've got a hankering for a fresh tasting lobster roll, I think you owe it to yourself to try out Lobster Smack.Sunday, January 6, 2013
Ivy Bakery - Pie Crust Class
A couple of weeks ago, Cory and I, were lucky enough to attend one of Daniellan's group classes. She is known for making great tasting desserts, and often teaches private classes, at her bakery, but she has decided to start some group classes. The one we attended, was on making pie crusts!
The first pic shows some of the ingredients we start with. We learned how to make 3 pie crusts, using butter, or shortening, and oreo cookies. The next picture shows Cory trying to use some of the specialized tools to mix in the flour and the butter. Daniellan is a terrific teacher, very patient, very encouraging and detailed.
I believe that what makes Daniellan's teaching unique and special is the ease with which she shares tips and stories of how she has learned things and how she does things in the bakery. When Cory was a bit too thin, rolling out the dough for the crust, Daniellan very calmly gave hints as to how to salvage and make what seemed like a lost crust into a very viable and usable crust. Her explanations are very concise and well thought out.
Cory and I had a really terrific, fun time learning at Daniellan's class, held in Ivy Bakery. The final pic shows Cory and Daniellan with their completed pie crusts. It was a very successful event! More classes are planned at Ivy Bakery, and I highly recommend anyone interested in baked goods to check out Daniellan's creations. I'm awfully happy I did, and Cory and I are fans of Ivy Bakery! Last week, Cory took his pie crust skills over to his friend's house, and they spent the afternoon making different pies. We are very grateful that such a talented chef is willing to share with us.
Little Italy in the Bronx - Arthur Avenue
There is a park there at the end of the neighborhood. Really, more of a small triangle with a sculpture of Columbus there.
On Arthur Avenue, there are a cluster of fancy looking italian restaurants. There is the "market" which is well known and has been featured in many cooking shows. There are many bakeries within short walking distance. I did decide to drop in on a bakery called Marrone's Pastry Shop. Oh, my... the cannoli here were truly delicious.
For sure i'll have to come back another day, perhaps on a friday or a saturday. I bet it'd be crowded on a weekend night, but it'd be more interesting to look around at that time.