Buffalo Rising Online

Courtney Bajdas

It is no secret that authentic Asian cuisine is hard to come by in Buffalo. We have Ming Café (during the fall and winter), Woo Chon Korea House, Gin Gin and, of course, 99 Fast Food. Many of you were lucky enough to have visited 99 when they were at 99 Niagara Square. I envy you. 99 is now located on Bailey Avenue, and while it isn’t a far drive, it certainly isn’t accessible to this downtown employee on her lunch break.

99 serves authentic Vietnamese, Japanese, and Chinese fare. On my most recent visit I couldn’t resist the Cốm Chiên Dương Châu (pork sausage fried rice). The pork sausage, commonly referred to as Cantonese-style Chinese sausage, is fatty and glutinous, making it a savory indulgence. Carrots, peas, egg, and diced chicken all happily accompanied the sausage in the fried rice to create a tasty, well-rounded dish.

Oops! I forgot about the appetizer. …

Christa Glennie Seychew

I love the EM Statler Dining Room. Located at the end of a hallway behind the cafeteria on ECC's City Campus, the EM Statler functions as a training ground for ECC's many Culinary Arts students. During the portion of the year in which it is open, students take turns at various positions in the kitchen and the front of the house, preparing and serving dishes representing many of the world's cuisines.

During my visit last week, the menu highlighted the cuisine of America's Deep South. The prices are remarkably low since the school's aim is to train, not make a profit. Appetizers included Fried Green Tomatoes ($1.95), a creamy New Orleans style shrimp bisque ($2.50), and a Crawfish pie made with a beautiful crust ($2.50). My favorite portion of the meal was the Hoppin' John Salad featuring a pecan vinaigrette. Ho…

Christa Glennie Seychew

Two of Buffalo's homegrown heroes are about to become national television stars.

Recently, Chef Marco Sciortino, of Marco's Restaurant and the Marco's Deli franchise, was selected by Sorrento Lactalis of Buffalo to represent the company and its fine cheeses on Kitchen Spaces, a cable program that focuses on every aspect of the kitchen, from design elements and appliances to recipes and cooking tips. Kitchen Spaces airs on The Food Network, the WE channel and other cable affiliates.

Sorrento has been firmly rooted in Buffalo since 1947 when cheesemaker, Louis Russo, an immigrant from Sorrento, Italy, began producing ricotta cheese from an age-old family recipe. …

Summer Flaherty

Spring is here! Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center is introducing springtime to the region with a sit down dinner at the Club Level of Bijou Grille on Main Street in Downtown Buffalo. The Spring Dinner takes place on Sunday, March 9th from 5-9PM. Come and enjoy four hours filled with good food, beer, wine and interesting people united by the common cause of supporting the arts in Buffalo.

A simple, fresh field green salad will be followed by your choice of entrée, either chicken francaise, sliced top round of beef, or pasta marinara. Dinner will conclude with coffee, tea and dessert.

Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center provides a venue for all forms of art from visual art, literature and performance art, music and media arts. The mission of Hallwalls is twofold- to serve artists by …

Christa Glennie Seychew

I love lemon curd; it’s pretty hard not to. Despite its potentially unsettling name, lemon curd is a delicious alternative to jam, a great tool for the home baker, and in its off-the-shelf store bought version, a really handy tool to have in your pantry for last minute guests.

Lemon curd comes to us from Great Britain where the homemade version was initially used as a spread on scones enjoyed during afternoon tea. And for those of us who love old-fashioned, made-from-scratch lemon meringue pie, lemon curd is the base underneath all of that fluffy meringue goodness.

You can hop down to your local supermarket and pick up a thick and tangy version of lemon curd in the jam and jelly aisle; I purchased this jar at Wegmans, but have bought it before at Guercio's and Delish. It’s great to have on hand as it can make delicious treats in minutes. Obviously it’s perfect on scon…

Sandy Starks

I remember the days when you visited the local butcher weekly and they knew you by name. Meats were trimmed by hand and cut to your specifications. Whether you needed veal, Cornish hens, tripe, a pot roast or prime rib, you could find what you wanted for any recipe. This old fashioned way of doing business is still practiced at Lupas Meats, located in the rear of the historic Broadway Market.

This family has the right formula for success. For the last 20 years Lupas Meats has offered quality meats, outstanding service, great prices and a spotless environment. if you're not looking for a specific meat cut, you can also find a variety of other food products convenient for those days when you don't have time to cook.

While waiting for my number to be called, I listened to the pleasant banter between the staff and customers. It…

Christa Glennie Seychew

If Sabres beer and wine products weren't enough to quell your passion for products inspired by our favorite hockey team, Perry's Ice Cream has just announced a second Sabres-themed ice cream flavor, this one to benefit Ryan Miller's not-for-profit organization, The Steadfast Foundation.

Perry's Limited Edition Sabres Top Shelf Sundae (see inset) has been a hit since its release in the fall of '06, but here to scoop up some of its fans is the new Breakaway Berrier. The all-too rare dark chocolate ice cream is highlighted with raspberry swirls and fudge chunks! YUM!

Christa Glennie Seychew

I remember the first time, a few years ago, when I caught a cheesemaking demonstration on a cooking program. It was about 3AM, and for whatever reason, I was up watching cooking shows. I’d like to say that that was a one time deal, but it actually happens pretty often. The women on the program, dressed in hairnets and pristine white food industry-style jackets, swirled their hands around in a big briny tub, gracefully plucking out glistening mozzarella balls with ease. The voice over told me that I could do this at home. Certainly they must be talking to someone else.

I completely forgot about making cheese for quite a while. And then those soft shiny balls of mozzarella began to be my five-year-old’s favorite thing to eat. So when a local chef told me a story about making mozzarella at culinary school, the wheels started churning. A few months later Barbara Kingsolver’s �…

Christa Glennie Seychew

My God, I nearly lost my mind as I worked my way through Bill Buford's "Heat", BR's most recent Food Book Club selection. The relentless temptation provided by the book's tantalizing tales of delicious Italian delicacies (lardo, anyone?) taunted me from beginning to end. What about you?

For those of you that haven't been following along, “Heat” chronicles a middle-aged writer's bumpy ride through the sweaty NYC kitchen of the bold and boisterous Chef Mario Batali.

So the time has come to party, Batali-style! We'd love to have you join us on Tuesday, March 4th at the remarkable