RIDING IN AN OSCAR MAYER WIENERMOBILE

I received an email from a woman named Amanda Vazquez telling me that she had been driving around the country in an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and on her way back to Queens, specifically the neighborhood that she grew up in.  Her parents still live here in Woodhaven just a few blocks from my home.

Why not go for a ride around the area?   We stopped in a few places to take photos as well as allow people to take photos in front of the Wienermobile.

I was give a wienie whistle. It is shaped like an Oscar Mayer wiener mobile. You place it to your lips and blow.

FRIENDS BREAKING UP CARD

With all the greeting cards to purchase I have yet to see one that you can give to a friend that you no longer want to be friends with.  I had decided to create a message some years back and just found it.

IT'S NOT THE KIND OF THING THAT YOU WOULD CALL SOMEONE TO TELL,

YOU'RE MORE INCLINED TO BLURT IT OUT, "YOU HURT ME...GO TO HELL".

WITH FRIENDS THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED TO TRUST, IT COMES AS A SURPRISE,

WHEN SUDDENLY YOU'RE FORCED TO CHOOSE, THIS FRIENDSHIP OR MORE LIES?

SO AS IT IS WITH "FRIENDS" LIKE YOU,  I SIMPLY TO NOT CARE,

TO WORK AS HARD AS YOU WOULD WANT, TO RENDER A REPAIR.

AND SO "GOOD FRIEND", I MUST CONCLUDE, THIS FRIENDSHIP'S NOT TO LAST,

FOR ALL THE GOOD TIMES THAT WE HAD, ARE SADLY IN THE PAST. 

DOES YOUR SUPER BOWL FEVER COST TOO MUCH?

Imagine that many people spend more money to be at the Super Bowl game than their entire allowance for Christmas gifts.   That one day ticket to the New Jersey venue, with all the trimmings, can cost as much as a week’s vacation on a cruise ship or even a new car. 

Super Bowl parties are a great option, especially with the electronics that almost make as if you were seated there, and most likely minus that warm gear you’ll need for protection from this wonderful frigid air.   Pre-celebrations are popping up as well including a Sailgate Party the days before.   On Friday, January 31^st and Saturday February 1^st, chow down on game day grub while taking in the New York skyline view on the elegant “glassy” Bateaux, one of many ships associated with Entertainment Cruises. www.entertainmentcruises.com

Times Square converted an area into Superbowl Way…a way to cash in on the New Jersey venue figuring on many people will go into Manhattan for entertainment.  Bobsledding?  They are calling it a slide.  Heard them talking about it all on Good Day New York with Rosanna Scotto and Greg Kelly. Rosanna hasn’t let up on her “injury” when members of the New York Sharks, women’s pro football team were there to demonstrate some football “moves” as she became the quarterback.  Greg had told the Nose Guard to rush her.  Oops!  Now, Rosanna is a bit reluctant to riding the slide. www.nysharksfootball.com

Vetro restaurant, in Howard Beach, is hosting a party the day of the game starting at 6 p.m. View the game on a ten foot screen and enjoy a buffet style dinner with all American favorites. Keep the celebration going with a cocktail from their Top Shelf open bar. Participate for prizes at halftime and at the end of the game. Price is $80 complete! www.vetronyc.com

My thoughts are at my home and a menu that a group of females into gourmet foods might prefer.  Time to shop at Fairway as I think about the grub.  With much of the food being protein, breakfast needs to provide both warmth and fiber.  Bob’s Red Mill has multi-grain hot cereals and Fairway has their brand on Greek Yogurt and Organic Milk.  

No Velveeta for me!  With all the variety of cheeses here I asked Ann for a combo that would do well on taste and melt.  “Australian Cheddar and New Zealand 12 month aged.”  Ben’s natural cream cheese and a Russian pot cheese conjured up thoughts of making blintzes as well. I will test Ann’s combo by making a grilled cheese sandwich on a challah bread roll.  Tested it out on the Pro-Bowl game and did not like the combo.

Finger food!  Fairway’s no-chemical frozen shrimp was on sale. Murray’s has a new brand of chicken with no GMO’s and sealed packaged with no foam thing on the bottom.  Chicken Wings! I’ll cut them into wing parts and marinate.  Fresh cod and organic salmon fillets. I’ll grind some up that will make for fabulous fish cakes.  Got the eggs and panko bread crumbs to make them mini-sized.  Sushi would also be a great item.  Hey, we can use the chop sticks as utensils!

Filet Mignon was also on sale.  I cut it up into small sizes for sliders.  Fairway steak sauce and cole slaw as I’ll be cutting up the rolls. Slaw is already washed and shredded.  Just need to add salt, mayo and sugar.  

Last week I attended one of Fairway’s delicious cooking events.  Australian Lamb chops that inspired me to make lollipop lamb chops.  A rack has 8 chops and already trimmed.  

Gotta have beer and no six-pack will do.  Have you ever seen the variety that Fairway has?  With the traveling and tasting that I’ve done in the past, there were two tall bottled beers that caught my eye and palate memory. Both Belgian, one is called Kwak.  The other, a framboise, Lambic ale brewed with raspberries. OMG!

Dessert.  While in the bakery dept I spotted a Fairway NY Style Cheesecake that was challenging Junior’s. For me the challenge would be against one made at La Cheesecake in College Point.  Hmmm…I have the cream cheese, eggs, sugar, almond extract…I just might create my own.  

As it happens I also attended a sneak peek Housewares Show, the preview to the annual one in Chicago.  What could be better than a Vita-Mix?  A Bellini Kitchen Master cooks…not just heats and is self-cleaning. I’ll follow up on this when it arrives. In the meantime check the product out on www.cedarlaneculinary.ca 

I asked Stephen, the GM of the Douglaston venue, for any particular recommendation.  “Fairway has their own torilla chips, salsa and guacamole”. Got the chunky style guac and it wasn’t chunky at all.  Let’s see. I have the cheeses, cilantro and a can of crushed tomatoes. Cheese combo may work better with this.  Perhaps someone may still be hungry since you never know how long that game will last.

FAIRWAY RED HOOK CELEBRATES

CELEBRATE RED HOOK UNDER A HEATED TENT AND ON THE WATER AT FAIRWAY MARKET WITH FOOD, DRINKS, CRAFTS, FUN, MUSIC FROM A DJ AND MORE FROM 11AM-3PM EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY BETWEEN

JANUARY 18^TH AND FEBRUARY 1^ST

Enjoy a taste of Red Hook’s charming, unique, incredible neighborhood businesses at their best under a heated tent and on the water at Fairway Market (480 – 500 Van Brunt Street) from 11am – 3pm every Saturday and Sunday between January 18^th and February 1^st. Join Fairway and all their neighbors on Van Brunt Street with a celebration of the neighborhood’s heritage, food, and sights with local products and local vendors while a DJ will provide music. There will be giveaways, hand-outs, demos, a balloon artist, face painting and more for all those who attend. Fairway will feature jazz musicians such as The Jordan Young Trio performing January 19^th from 12pm – 3pm.

WHAT:           Celebrate Red Hook 

                        Located under a heated tent, on the water

                              

WHEN:           Every Saturday and Sunday from January 18^th – February 1^st

                        11AM – 3 PM

WHERE:         Fairway Market Red Hook

                        480 – 500 Van Brunt Street

                        Brooklyn, NY 11232

                        718.694.6868

AS I PONDER

Food prices are going to rise…”ma nish ta na”…a Jewish sarcastic expression that is short for “Why is this night different from all other nights?”  Stop and Shop has a big ad going about “stocking up” with numerous items at 10 for $10, etc.   Is it really a bargain?  Are any of them fresh? What is worth purchasing other than Friskies 5.5 ounce cans at 24 for $10…for my cats?!

Tomatoes, for instance, are out of season and canned are best for cooking.   Plain frozen vegetables may be a better choice than fresh.   I avoid that ones in boxes as it is hard to use just the amount that you need.   There is a brand called Today’s Harvest (at Fairway) which sells them in 2-lb see through plastic bags.  Sweet yellow kernel corn was about $4 per bag.  

Fairway, although noted for high quality foods, can be a bit pricey.   Skinless, boneless chicken breasts were on sale at $1.99 lb.   My thought was that it is the least expensive for a meat or fish protein.  I can portion it out and freeze.   That really healthy stuff chicken…they had chicken backs and chicken bones, (with meat on them) each at $.99 lb.  Chicken stock, chicken soup.   Use the chicken fat from the backs for “schmaltz”.  I like frying the backs and eating the meat off the bones. 

Fresh cod fillets were going at about $4 per pound.   The least expensive fish (not much of a fish eater) and mild.   Great for making fish cakes.  Eggland’s Best were going for 2 for $3.  The price of eggs certainly vary on brands, size and whether the chickens are out exercising in the yard.  

Rice is a great staple.  Ordinary white rice may fill you up but about as good for you as white bread.  Buy a good grain or substitute grain and a small amount will serve you well.  

Bob’s Red Mill had a package of garbanzo bean flour.  A can of tahini and lemons…now I can make my own hummus.  Cook up the flour with water to make a paste.   I skipped the garlic and sprinkled it with sumac. 

Lemons…wow are they pricey.  No reconstituted lemon juice for me, though.   You’re not getting a bargain with large lemons that have thick skins.  As it turned out, Meyer lemons were almost the same price.  They are sweeter with a thin skin.   Utilize the outer skin as a zest.   Make your own lemonade. 

Think of cheese as milk that something has been done to it to produce a different texture and taste.   I know that you can’t poor milk of chicken to make it “parm” or “enjoy” Velveeta “milk”.  Will experiment to get a good and inexpensive substitute.  

Thoughts now turn to television and the big hype with this program called Downton Abbey.   When I began watching All My Children, it was already years into the soap.   It didn’t take long before I got the stories of the main characters and just kept watching.   Season 4 of DA recently started.   I looked up a guide to the characters and viewed for the first time. 

A few reasons will keep my being a fan.   There are no commercials.  It looks more “movie” and not with a camera that makes it look as if you think you’re dizzy.   The accent of England isn’t annoying…more upper class.   FYI the time period is just after WWI.   If you miss it on channel 13, you have two other PBS stations to catch them and on another night.   A rest from realty and “victim” shows. 

Just got back from seeing Diane Schuur at Birdland’s Jazz Club.  It was her first show of the 4 nights there.  I’m not sure…no pun intended…if she’s doing the rest of the performances with her All Star Band from her recent recording session.   Except for the last number, she sang seated on stools in the front.  At the other performances she will be seated at the piano. 

Schuur has been blindly singing jazz for many years and with an extremely wide vocal range.   Lots of skatting and vocal imitations of the saxophone, almost like “dueling”.   

Here are the numbers that she sang:  It’s Wonderful! ‘S Marvelous; Nice and Easy; Watch What Happens; I’ve Got You Under My Skin; How Insensitive; Here’s That Rainy Day; Didn’t We; I Remember You; I Get Along Without You Very Well; The Second Time Around; For Once In My Life; I’m In A New York State of Mind.  

You can still catch her show on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week.   Check it all out on www.birdlandjazz.com